Well, Rebecca's settling in...

[rebecca_in_blue]

I am going to try to update this journal every day until I get the hang of this keyboard.

I walked around the town a little today, and I found a small supermarket where I was able to buy most of the things I need. Not only do they not bag your groceries for you in France, but they don't even give you any bags. Fortunately I had forseen this and worn my backpack, which was able to fit most of my groceries, and it wasn't a long walk from the store to the school. One familiar thing was the smell; it smelt just like all supermarkets, and if I had closed my eyes, I could have been in the Market Basket in Lake Charles or the Winn-Dixie in Baton Rouge.

I hope to get out and see more of the town tomorrow. I need to open a bank account and find a place that sells tape, because I brought a lot of family photos with me and my bedroom walls are terribly bare. The town is really very lovely. There are so many growing things – an apple and pear orchard across the street from the school, big bushes of red things that look like a cross between a radish and a tomato, blooming flowers in almost every windowbox, and Chinese Sarah and I found trees with some kind of nuts on them (walnuts, she thinks). It's very cold in the mornings, but in the afternoon the weather is warmer and very nice.

Today I had my first three meals in France, and I have to say that thus far, I am not terribly impressed. The food was edible and filling and none of it made me sick, but after everything I've heard about French food, I was expecting to be blown away, and I just wasn't. Maybe it's because I'm eating in a school cafeteria, or maybe it's because everything here is still so foreign to me.

People keep telling me that the school is small, but I saw more of it today and it seems big to me – certainly bigger than St. Louis. I wonder what the French people would say if they could see that. I still don't know my mailing address here, but I will try to find out before noon in Louisiana on Friday.

Comments

[makebeliever.livejournal.com]

How are you listening to music without your iPod, I'd like to know? Do you have a radio with English-playing music there? Oh, and do you have a TV in your room like Camus said you would? I want to hear reports about French TV.

I'm glad you found the supermarket. I can't believe they don't give you any bags. My god French workers are spoiled little babies. If they had to work in my store for a day they would die.

I saw "Sara" in your entry and got very confused. I am the only Sara, dammit! I can't wait to see pictures of your town. Hint, hint. Take some on your phone and figure out how to email them to me.

Do they have any restaurants in town? Maybe you can save up and eat out one night, or when you go into Paris for your training, and get some real French food. At least go by a bakery and get some pastries.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear Rebecca
Glad to hear you are settling in at your new home. I read your journal entry to aunt carla who repeated it to grandma. they are glad to hear your news and love you. we are having really nice weather here, up in the high 80's but goes down to the high 60's in the evening but that will end tomorrow, rain and mugginess are returning. take care, love aunt connie

[babygoose85.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you've found everything so well there. I could of told you to bring your own bag to the grocery store. I believe it's like that in most of Europe. I had a friend online who lived somewhere in England and I guess he mentioned that. What would you expect someone to think of American food if all they did is eat at one of our cafeterias? Eww! Haha, I bet it's still better than what we eat here.

[rebecca-in-blue.livejournal.com]

What would you expect someone to think of American food if all they did is eat at one of our cafeterias? Eww! Haha, I bet it's still better than what we eat here.

Well, you're certainly right about that. I remember hearing a joke at St. Louis about cold nachos, cold bread, and warm milk.

[babygoose85.livejournal.com]

Ewww, it's sad that I know exactly what you're talking about!