After 1 Week of School

Wednesday: Classes end at noon today, and it was an easy day today. First class is Euro, which is just an advanced English class where I think that we will talk about world events in English. I say I think because, like most English classes here, at least half of the class is conducted in French. The professor also went on this whole thing about how he learned English from Americans so he has an American accent, but he will try to speak in a British accent because he thinks that is better for them to learn. Its hilarious because he does not have an American OR a British accent- he has a very strong FRENCH accent. We all had to introduce ourselves and said I was an exchange student from America... you should have heard him, and only worse when I had to say I was from Texas, which he associates with big oil, so I don't think he likes me very much. The next class was normal Anglais (English) which was conducted almost exclusively in French except for a few vocab words on the board. The class is all over the place, some have fairly good English while others hardly speak a word of it. Then I had 2h of Economics and Social- which I really like. It is like a social studies class that examines everything in terms of how it applies to government and economics.
I came back to the house for a few hours and ate lunch before leaving with Sarah. I took the bus and the metro for the first time, and feel like a little kid as she keeps having to tell me which way we are going, and how to get on and of the bus and train and everything. Anyways, we mostly just went to see a soccer field where she talked to a coach and then went back home- it was an errand she had to run and I just came along to see everything.
When we got back to the house I called Maggie, who apparently finished work early today, and she came by. I have not been terribly homesick yet, but it was the kind of thing that when I saw her coming up the stairs I almost cried and it was a relief to speak a little bit of English. She met my family and then took me out to see old Lyon. It is so so beautiful, very old, cobblestone streets and big beautiful churches. We went and ate at Nord, which was very good. The whole evening was wonderful.
Thursday: Longest day of school. Ever. I started at 8, went till noon when I had to walk back to the house for lunch, then walk back again in time for English at 1 and I finished at 17h (5). Throughout the whole thing I was very very tired because I had been up a bit later the night before (and I am just generally exhausted right now) and I very nearly fell asleep in class- a class I liked even. I had Italian first thing, which unlike English IS conducted mostly in Italian, and found that, because the French all have to take 2 and even 3 foreign languages I had been put in a 4th year Italian class. I talked with the teacher and she said she would speak with the administration and try to get me out of taking it, and if not she would just give me other materials. It is funny though, because it didn't feel that different from French class. I don't know italian, but it is similar to French and she used lots of gestures and so I could kind-of understand what she was talking about, less than French, but still more than I expected. Math is easy- they are doing quadrilaterals, which is good because I don't think I could learn calc in French. I am now Economics Specialty and so I have extra economics classes with a very nice older man who talked my ear off when he found I was an exchange student to the extent that I was almost late to my next class.
Friday: I managed to be late to every single one of my morning classes. Everyone was really nice about it though. I had three hours for lunch, then another three hours of class after that, the last two hours of which are my one and only science class. It is biology! Not just biology but genetics and evolution! I am so excited because I thought it was going to be earth science. Now I only have one science, no chemistry, no earth science, only the interesting part of biology (no plants or cell division) and so I won't be bored! When I got home this evening I went with Sarah to deliver cookies/cake to an old couple that lives in an apartment nearby. He is, if I understood correctly he is in his 90s, but he is an amazing artist. He has really really beautiful paintings about which he talked to me at length, it was very very interesting. He and his wife were very kind, and I hope I get the chance to go back.
Le mots:
Les talons: heels, I am getting really good at it (granted they are very small)

Love and miss you all!