Time has flown since I arrived in Aix. It's crazy that it's already been two weeks since I left the States. I'm in that awkward place where I'm of course excited to go home and see my family, and yet know I'll be in so much pain to leave this beautiful place behind, as well as all the friends I've made. I can at least know that I'll keep the things I've learned here with me forever.
Anyway, ever since my last entry a lot more fun has transpired. One of the best days has been le quatorze juillet, Bastille Day in France. During the day, the whole group went on a trip to the beach. I laid out, napped, tanned, talked with friends and just completely relaxed. It was one of the nicest days I've ever had. Unfortunately, almost the entire group got sunburned (like Mommy taught me I sunscreened diligently and came out virtually unscathed!) but I think we were all in good spirits anyway. That evening, we went out to dinner together and had some great Italian food.
Another great highlight was the cafe conversation I attended with a bunch of people from the group, two of our instructors, and the owner of the Abbey Road programs. They taught us so much in just a few short hours at that cafe! I really enjoyed the focus on colloquial expressions and modern language and felt like I came out of the lesson with a lot of material. It was also really entertaining and fun for us, which is really important. I remember things far better if I'm actively interested in the intake and not just listening to a teacher talking at me. I also had a delicious granita at the cafe and have become a little obsessed with them since.
Other than that my days have been filled with morning classes, afternoon electives, and the moments in between when we all discover the amazing little restaurants tucked into corners of Aix or roam the streets. This is such a beautiful city, and everyday that I have the chance to explore it I fall a little more in love. There's nothing more blissful than sitting outside in a cafe on a beautiful day with some fantastic gelato and friends!
In film class the other day we watched a film titled L'Auberge Espagnole. I really liked it and I'm hoping to find a copy when I'm back in the States so I can process it some more. There were some really interesting components, particularly the cinematographic style, and also the various languages incorporated into the plot. It's great when the program presents us with those small opportunities of discovery. I've never seen a film quite like it in those aspects before.
Lastly, tonight there was a cooking competition between our cooking groups. The winning group's dish(es) will have photos posted on the program blog. I was so proud of what my group made. We worked really well together and made a pasta dish with shrimp, tomatoes, red peppers (my work) and a roux sauce, as well as some zucchini and brick with Brie and le fromage des chevres. For dessert, we cut a melon in half and scooped out a little, added some vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup made from scratch! It looked so pretty and tasted delicious. We had a lot of fun. We find out the results tomorrow, so fingers crossed.
All right, that's it for now. A bientot!
