The year of the puppy hatred

Yesterday was really only half the story, b/c I got way too tired of loading and unloading pictures and typing and explaining and blah. So here are some more pictures from the Eiffel Tour. Various government buildings and such. I actually don't really know what they are, but they look really neat. As if anything in France isn't neat. And a man on a horse. Being...gallant I can only assume. Probably killing the english. or africans. or other french that pissed him off. Who knows. But its a cool statue. I'd like an equestrian format of myself some day.

 

Also, they put the soda in upside down. Isn't that weird?? crazy french...

Donc, so after I got into Poitiers and rested, the real reason I came here surmised. Monday morning I caught the bus about 10 minutes from my house and I spent the next 6 days in the following classroom

It was called the intensive language course, lasted into the following saturday, from 9-4 and certainly lived up to its name. On Monday, I filled out about 3 dozen forms and got all my instructions for my bank account, student id and school instructions, spoken entirely in French. Not only that, but French through what sounded like a cement mixer. The director, in true french fashion, has been smoking for what I can assume has been 8 decades and the result was so gravelly I figured they replaced her voicebox with the cobblestones that adorn the streets, and at roughly the same time. The only phrase I understood was "any questions?". Where to start.

But after that, it progressed rather smoothly. The teacher was different and very nice, spoke smoothly and explained the more foreign words. I passed the class with a 12/20, which if you don't know anything about french grading scales, is about a B+. go figure.

As I got to know the family more, I found them to have had an incredibly interesting life, the mother particularly. After her husband died, she took over their husbands company, after having just absorbed 3 others and gotten into the medical field. She does windows and doors and overhangs and security, employs about 100 people and is so incredibly strong of spirit, I wouldn't have been surprised if she had given birth, threw it over her shoulder in a rucksack and continued working.

Anyway, when her husband died, she got a dog. (sound familiar? just wait) Not just a dog, but a dog from a rescue pound. AND... (wait for it) it had been abused by its former owner. a man.

yeah. that's what I thought. Here's the little bitch (dictionary term! it's a girl) below

I think I'm making headway on it though. I feed it ham and cheese pretty regularly, so I think its coming around. It still won't let me walk it, which sucks because the family wanted me to in the morning when they go to work and school. oh well.

Also, I don't know what it is about France, but actual showers are scarce. Therefore, this is my bathing unit.I still haven't got it down, and I get water everywhere. thank god I've got my own bathroom.

last but not least, here are some friends and I discussing literature, drinking coffee and smoking in the centre ville, or down town.

Genvieve and Brandon from St. Louis

Whew, I do believe that's everything. Hope you enjoyed. I'm going to bordeaux this weekend, so I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and get them up tout de suite.

French Mot du Jour!
âne de cheval= Horse's ass

Gross right? They even have some veins...