After we toured Vence which was also really cool. It was a lot of what you'd expect from a village in France. I don't feel like there's too much I need to mention with this trip, but I do have lots of pictures.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Vence
Today was Saturday, so we didn't have school. Instead we started out early, and went to another city called Vence. The first thing we went to see was an old fortified village in Vence. It was a medieval town that had a wall all they way around it. It was really cool. It made me think of the medieval movies, and I felt like a knight getting ready for a battle. It's funny because even though it was so old, they still had businesses and things in the old buildings.
After we toured Vence which was also really cool. It was a lot of what you'd expect from a village in France. I don't feel like there's too much I need to mention with this trip, but I do have lots of pictures.
A cannon in the city wall
The city wall
More of the city wall
a small alleyway in the medieval village
Me by part of the wall
The medieval Village
It's super green here, and it's also super humid
After we toured Vence which was also really cool. It was a lot of what you'd expect from a village in France. I don't feel like there's too much I need to mention with this trip, but I do have lots of pictures.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Italia
Today was pretty exciting. Our teacher gave us two options of things we could do. We could either go to a beach they have just east of Nice with imported sand, or we could go to a town called Vintemille (Vintimigelia in Italian) just across the boarder in Italy. Surprisingly half of the group choose to go to the beach, but other other half wanted to go to Italy, so we split off into two groups.
I went to Italy, and it was really exciting. The part we were in really wasn't too different from Southern France, but it seemed a little trashier than Nice. The first thing I noticed too was that the people in the crowds don't act like your even there. They'll cut you off of cut into your way without even thinking about it. It was really annoying.
Since it was a boarder town everywhere people spoke Italian and French. It kind of reminded me of places back home where they speak Spanglish. I would catch snatches of French and snatches of Italian everywhere I went.
We went to a pizza place because it's kind of a must when you go to Italy. I really liked the pizza. The sauce was creamier than the pizza back home, and it wasn't nearly as greasy.
After the Pizza we went to the flee market there. It was really big. Devin and I walked through the whole thing, and then it was time to go. I was kind of disappointed, because I could've spent a few more hours there. I was looking for shoes that might be cheap, but I couldn't find any. I ended up just buying some socks so I had something from Italy. I needed some more ankle socks anyway.
When we went to go home the train broke down while it was still in the station. We got on a different train; it slowed us down a little bit. Nothing major, but worth mentioning. I'm reminded of Harry Potter whenever I ride to train. The trains here are just as rickety as they are on TV.
This is a very very narrow staircase going down into the kitchen of the Pizza restaurant. Everything here is so compact that they have to have things like this. Every store here is about the size of a haircut place back home.
My Italian Pizza with Salami
I went to Italy, and it was really exciting. The part we were in really wasn't too different from Southern France, but it seemed a little trashier than Nice. The first thing I noticed too was that the people in the crowds don't act like your even there. They'll cut you off of cut into your way without even thinking about it. It was really annoying.
Since it was a boarder town everywhere people spoke Italian and French. It kind of reminded me of places back home where they speak Spanglish. I would catch snatches of French and snatches of Italian everywhere I went.
We went to a pizza place because it's kind of a must when you go to Italy. I really liked the pizza. The sauce was creamier than the pizza back home, and it wasn't nearly as greasy.
After the Pizza we went to the flee market there. It was really big. Devin and I walked through the whole thing, and then it was time to go. I was kind of disappointed, because I could've spent a few more hours there. I was looking for shoes that might be cheap, but I couldn't find any. I ended up just buying some socks so I had something from Italy. I needed some more ankle socks anyway.
When we went to go home the train broke down while it was still in the station. We got on a different train; it slowed us down a little bit. Nothing major, but worth mentioning. I'm reminded of Harry Potter whenever I ride to train. The trains here are just as rickety as they are on TV.
A picture of Vintemille
Thursday, May 7, 2015
La coupe des cheveux
Today wasn't too eventful. After school we were going to go to a museum, but this year the museum started to charge 10 euros to get in, where it was free last year. My teacher said it probably wasn't worth 10 euros, so we were kind of stuck. We ended up going to the beach and played around in the water for a little while. The beaches here have rocks instead of sand, so it wasn't the best conditions, but I still had fun. That was my second time swimming in the ocean.
I also got my haircut today. The guy who cut my hair said he was from Algeria, and has been in France for 7 years. He was a really nice guy, but I think he didn't hear me right when I told him how I wanted my hair. I asked for two and a half centimeters on the top and one and a half centimeters on the sides. I got two and a half centimeters on the top, but only a half a centimeter on the sides. Oh well I guess. I don't think it looks too bad, but it'll take a little getting used to. I think it makes me look a little tougher though, like it's an army haircut.
Also I'm editing my entry from yesterday to but explanations under the pictures. I was going to last night, but I feel asleep.
I also got my haircut today. The guy who cut my hair said he was from Algeria, and has been in France for 7 years. He was a really nice guy, but I think he didn't hear me right when I told him how I wanted my hair. I asked for two and a half centimeters on the top and one and a half centimeters on the sides. I got two and a half centimeters on the top, but only a half a centimeter on the sides. Oh well I guess. I don't think it looks too bad, but it'll take a little getting used to. I think it makes me look a little tougher though, like it's an army haircut.
Also I'm editing my entry from yesterday to but explanations under the pictures. I was going to last night, but I feel asleep.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Monaco
Well today school went pretty smooth. We didn't get lost on the way, and I feel like I was one of the top in my class today. French feels pretty good, and I feel if I really try I can get out anything I need to. Jokes are still difficult, and even when I successfully make one nobody laughs. The French just don't have my sense of humor I guess. The Americans laugh though.
Today we went to Monaco which is the second to smallest country in the world. They have their own government and everything. They don't have a king, but they have princes. We toured the castle, which royalty still live there. It was neat. It's onto of a cliff overlooking the sea. It has a great view.
One thing that I thought was interesting about Monaco is that it used to have its own language. Nice used to have its own language too. I saw some writing in both languages, and they just look like any other Romance language. I could read them for the most part. It made me wonder is almost every city had it's own language that was just a little different, then one city just got bigger and took over then rest, or there were treaties made, and the languages found middle grown.
Monaco is just one great big city that's very very rich. It has the Monte Carlo casino. I got to go inside the first part of the casino. It looked a lot like a Palace with all the Baroque style architecture, but it had shot machines the same as any other crumby casino. It didn't smell as bad though. I also saw a big screen TV on the wall of the casino. It had a rugby match going. I thought the big screen TV looked funny next to the old time art and architecture.
Everything in Monaco is pretty high class. We went window shopping at some of the really high end stores, but we didn't go in. For one we couldn't afford anything in there, and the sales people were really intimidating. It was like with their eyes they were telling you that you weren't worthy enough to come into their store.
Monaco is also home of the World Grand Prix, which is in 3 weeks they said, so they were definitely getting ready for that. I won't get to see it though: firstly it's too expensive, and also I'll be in Paris that week.
We also saw a lot of gardens and views. I think the pictures will help explain it better than I can, so I'll just post those.
Some of the really expensive high end stores in Monaco.
Monte Carlo Casino
A statue on the Monte Carlo Casino
Hair Pin bend. It's the toughest turn in the Grand Prix
Me in the Asian Garden
A carp in the Asian Grarden
The last 3 were from the Asian Garden
The Palace at Monaco
The Last two were the Cathedral at Monaco
A harbor at Monaco
There's a skate park down there among all the old architecture.
Garages for the Grand Prix drivers
Today we went to Monaco which is the second to smallest country in the world. They have their own government and everything. They don't have a king, but they have princes. We toured the castle, which royalty still live there. It was neat. It's onto of a cliff overlooking the sea. It has a great view.
One thing that I thought was interesting about Monaco is that it used to have its own language. Nice used to have its own language too. I saw some writing in both languages, and they just look like any other Romance language. I could read them for the most part. It made me wonder is almost every city had it's own language that was just a little different, then one city just got bigger and took over then rest, or there were treaties made, and the languages found middle grown.
Monaco is just one great big city that's very very rich. It has the Monte Carlo casino. I got to go inside the first part of the casino. It looked a lot like a Palace with all the Baroque style architecture, but it had shot machines the same as any other crumby casino. It didn't smell as bad though. I also saw a big screen TV on the wall of the casino. It had a rugby match going. I thought the big screen TV looked funny next to the old time art and architecture.
Everything in Monaco is pretty high class. We went window shopping at some of the really high end stores, but we didn't go in. For one we couldn't afford anything in there, and the sales people were really intimidating. It was like with their eyes they were telling you that you weren't worthy enough to come into their store.
Monaco is also home of the World Grand Prix, which is in 3 weeks they said, so they were definitely getting ready for that. I won't get to see it though: firstly it's too expensive, and also I'll be in Paris that week.
We also saw a lot of gardens and views. I think the pictures will help explain it better than I can, so I'll just post those.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Le Musee De Beau Art
Today wasn't quite as busy. Devin and I got lost on our way to school though (all of the buildings look the same here). We had to call our instructor and find the way back. They don't really have road signs like we do in the US. Sometimes there'll be the street names on the buildings, but they're kind of hard to see.
Truthfully I don't think the French are really that different from Americans. We had a cultural discussion today though on what we observed, and I realized I noticed more differences than I thought. It seems to the that to the French, your work life is your work life, and when you're not working it's like you don't even have a job. Whenever the bell rings for us to take a break the teacher is always the first one out of the classroom. It's like she can hardly wait to get out. I don't think they work as hard as we do in America either, because everyone else seems to really be waiting for the break in class, but my American friends and I feel like we could keep going for hours.
Also today we went to Le Musee De Beaux Art. I liked it, but I couldn't believe how many pieces of naked women there were. I'm not exaggerating when I say that at least 50% have bare boobs in them, and others have testicles. I understand that the body is beautiful, and that a naked women could symbolize youth and cleanliness, but I can't help but thinking the artist had an element of lust when making those pieces. They probably tried to make things that are pleasing, and if they were like any other guy I know, their lust probably got mixed in with all the other things they found pleasing, whether they realized it or not.
I also learned quite a bit culturally from that museum. The French would often paint their authority figures a little dainty looking. I figured it was probably because to them, especially in the past, you're either born into greatness or you're not. You don't have to do anything, and by such they don't get strong or tan or scared. Americans on the other hand will show their authority figures as strong battle proven leaders. I figure this is because America needed to work for everything it had, it wasn't born with anything.
There was also a section in the museum for old Chinese artworks. Looking at those art works it kind of reminded me of anime cartoons like Pokemon. I can easily see how it could've evolved into it. I realized from these discoveries that things don't just come out of nowhere. Everything has a past that it stems from.
After the restaurant we went out to get gelato, which I believe is kind of an Italian ice cream. No one really explained it too well to me, but I think someone said there were eggs in it. It just seemed like ice cream or frozen yogurt to me.
I feel that French is coming well. I've never been immersed in another language before, but I really feel that the longer I stay here the more I'll pick up. I realized today just how much new vocabulary I've learned and can use now just from doing my daily things.
Sorry I have no pictures today, but there should be some tomorrow. We're going to Monaco. Also if there's any questions anyone has for me feel free to ask. I think you can post them on the blog, but if not just send me an email at spencertedtrotter@gmail.com.
Truthfully I don't think the French are really that different from Americans. We had a cultural discussion today though on what we observed, and I realized I noticed more differences than I thought. It seems to the that to the French, your work life is your work life, and when you're not working it's like you don't even have a job. Whenever the bell rings for us to take a break the teacher is always the first one out of the classroom. It's like she can hardly wait to get out. I don't think they work as hard as we do in America either, because everyone else seems to really be waiting for the break in class, but my American friends and I feel like we could keep going for hours.
Also today we went to Le Musee De Beaux Art. I liked it, but I couldn't believe how many pieces of naked women there were. I'm not exaggerating when I say that at least 50% have bare boobs in them, and others have testicles. I understand that the body is beautiful, and that a naked women could symbolize youth and cleanliness, but I can't help but thinking the artist had an element of lust when making those pieces. They probably tried to make things that are pleasing, and if they were like any other guy I know, their lust probably got mixed in with all the other things they found pleasing, whether they realized it or not.
I also learned quite a bit culturally from that museum. The French would often paint their authority figures a little dainty looking. I figured it was probably because to them, especially in the past, you're either born into greatness or you're not. You don't have to do anything, and by such they don't get strong or tan or scared. Americans on the other hand will show their authority figures as strong battle proven leaders. I figure this is because America needed to work for everything it had, it wasn't born with anything.
There was also a section in the museum for old Chinese artworks. Looking at those art works it kind of reminded me of anime cartoons like Pokemon. I can easily see how it could've evolved into it. I realized from these discoveries that things don't just come out of nowhere. Everything has a past that it stems from.
After the restaurant we went out to get gelato, which I believe is kind of an Italian ice cream. No one really explained it too well to me, but I think someone said there were eggs in it. It just seemed like ice cream or frozen yogurt to me.
I feel that French is coming well. I've never been immersed in another language before, but I really feel that the longer I stay here the more I'll pick up. I realized today just how much new vocabulary I've learned and can use now just from doing my daily things.
Sorry I have no pictures today, but there should be some tomorrow. We're going to Monaco. Also if there's any questions anyone has for me feel free to ask. I think you can post them on the blog, but if not just send me an email at spencertedtrotter@gmail.com.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Vieille Nice et Le Chateau
Well today was quite the day. It was our first day of class and we took a test to see which class we should be in. They didn't tell me exactly, but I think they have 3 different classes and I'm in the 2nd one. There are two others from UVU in my class, and also a woman from Brazil (I think), 2 people from Spain, and another girl who I'm not sure where she's from.
After school we had a tour of Vieille Nice (old Nice) and Le Chateau (The Castle). To me Vieille Nice looks a lot like normal Nice, but just seems a little older. All of the buildings here have an old style to them, and they all kind of look the same to me. Their architecture is very fancy, but I'm not the biggest fan of it. Le Chateau was on top of a hill above the sea. It wasn't much of a castle anymore, they said the only thing left that was originally there was a doorway. It was fun climbing up there though. It was very green and peaceful in contrast to the rest of the city.
At first I didn't really like Nice. I don't really like the architecture and the buildings are way close together. I guess the French don't really take up much space because everything is really small and really close together. However, after touring the city with a guide, Nice is starting to grow on me. The beach is really really pretty, especially next to all the plants around Le Chateau.
After the tour some of the students and I explored the chateau hill a little more. We found a Jewish cemetery and they had a monument to the victims of the Holocaust. The sign said that they had some actually ashes from the victims there. I thought that was really cool.
French is coming. I feel like I can understand about 75% of what they say to me, I just have a hard time talking back. Right now I wish I had learned more vocabulary before I came. Even if I think I know a word, I have to ask myself, am I just making it up, is it Spanish, or is it actually the right work. I have to really try not to let Spanish words slip, and it slows me down a little bit, but I'll get there.
PS. Two things that I heard about the French that aren't entirely true: First they don't all speak English, and second they don't wait until it's pitch black to turn on the light.
After school we had a tour of Vieille Nice (old Nice) and Le Chateau (The Castle). To me Vieille Nice looks a lot like normal Nice, but just seems a little older. All of the buildings here have an old style to them, and they all kind of look the same to me. Their architecture is very fancy, but I'm not the biggest fan of it. Le Chateau was on top of a hill above the sea. It wasn't much of a castle anymore, they said the only thing left that was originally there was a doorway. It was fun climbing up there though. It was very green and peaceful in contrast to the rest of the city.
At first I didn't really like Nice. I don't really like the architecture and the buildings are way close together. I guess the French don't really take up much space because everything is really small and really close together. However, after touring the city with a guide, Nice is starting to grow on me. The beach is really really pretty, especially next to all the plants around Le Chateau.
After the tour some of the students and I explored the chateau hill a little more. We found a Jewish cemetery and they had a monument to the victims of the Holocaust. The sign said that they had some actually ashes from the victims there. I thought that was really cool.
French is coming. I feel like I can understand about 75% of what they say to me, I just have a hard time talking back. Right now I wish I had learned more vocabulary before I came. Even if I think I know a word, I have to ask myself, am I just making it up, is it Spanish, or is it actually the right work. I have to really try not to let Spanish words slip, and it slows me down a little bit, but I'll get there.
PS. Two things that I heard about the French that aren't entirely true: First they don't all speak English, and second they don't wait until it's pitch black to turn on the light.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Made it!
I made it to France! The flight was really long, but it was fun. I got a window seat on my first flight to New York, and it was fun guessing what part of the country I was over. I was amazed that Nebraska and Iowa seem to be one big graph of perfectly straight lines!
I got to New York yesterday afternoon and had a four hour layover. I met up with some others from the group there and we played some card games while we waited.
On the flight to Nice I was in the middle isle, but it was ok, because it was dark outside, and even if I could see out the window I'd just have seen ocean. I passed the time by watching the last Hobbit movie, which I had never seem before. Afterwards I tried to get some sleep. Thanks to the neck pillow my friends convinced me to buy I was pretty comfortable, but still I'd wake up about every 15 minutes. It was the strangest feeling that although the sun had just set in New York that it would be up again in about 4 hours because of the change in time zone. In all I got about 2 hours of sleep.
We got to France, and I met the Frayard family. We are living with them. They are super nice and want to do so much for us. They consist of a Husband, a wife and a teenage daughter. Josy, the mother, told us that we were there to learn French not to do housework, so she offered to do all the laundry and dishes.
My roommate's name is Devin. He's really nice, but kind of quiet. He's from UVU too. We sent the afternoon trying to stay awake by walking along the promenade along the beach. It was neat to see everything, but we were too tired to really enjoy it It was a little boring though because we didn't really have a destination in mind.
The Frayard's made us dinner, and now we're turning in for the night. It's 8 o'clock here, but we're just happy it's late enough we can sleep without worrying about jet lag.
I was really nervous about my ability to speak French when I got here. I knew a lot, but I still don't think I've refreshed all I knew from before my mission. I'm doing really well communicating though. I really feel having served a mission and speaking Spanish has been helping my French in ways I couldn't have done before my mission. Also I feel my mission has made it a lot easier living with strangers, and helping them feel comfortable with me. The Frayards don't speak English, which I'm glad for, it really makes me stretch, and I feel my French has already gotten better. I just really have to concentrate to not say anything in Spanish.
Well that's all of tonight.
PS Neck pillows are great for reading while laying down.
I got to New York yesterday afternoon and had a four hour layover. I met up with some others from the group there and we played some card games while we waited.
On the flight to Nice I was in the middle isle, but it was ok, because it was dark outside, and even if I could see out the window I'd just have seen ocean. I passed the time by watching the last Hobbit movie, which I had never seem before. Afterwards I tried to get some sleep. Thanks to the neck pillow my friends convinced me to buy I was pretty comfortable, but still I'd wake up about every 15 minutes. It was the strangest feeling that although the sun had just set in New York that it would be up again in about 4 hours because of the change in time zone. In all I got about 2 hours of sleep.
We got to France, and I met the Frayard family. We are living with them. They are super nice and want to do so much for us. They consist of a Husband, a wife and a teenage daughter. Josy, the mother, told us that we were there to learn French not to do housework, so she offered to do all the laundry and dishes.
My roommate's name is Devin. He's really nice, but kind of quiet. He's from UVU too. We sent the afternoon trying to stay awake by walking along the promenade along the beach. It was neat to see everything, but we were too tired to really enjoy it It was a little boring though because we didn't really have a destination in mind.
The Frayard's made us dinner, and now we're turning in for the night. It's 8 o'clock here, but we're just happy it's late enough we can sleep without worrying about jet lag.
I was really nervous about my ability to speak French when I got here. I knew a lot, but I still don't think I've refreshed all I knew from before my mission. I'm doing really well communicating though. I really feel having served a mission and speaking Spanish has been helping my French in ways I couldn't have done before my mission. Also I feel my mission has made it a lot easier living with strangers, and helping them feel comfortable with me. The Frayards don't speak English, which I'm glad for, it really makes me stretch, and I feel my French has already gotten better. I just really have to concentrate to not say anything in Spanish.
Well that's all of tonight.
PS Neck pillows are great for reading while laying down.
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