New Skill Sets 2

So...sorry about not writing for a while. my host mother doesn't have internet, and in order to write quickly and easily i like to use this computer, and i've forgotten my password. so i found a small bar that has free wifi, got a tea, and now i write.

Elaborating a little on skill sets...

it's important to always be learning new things about your medium in my opinion. that way, you never tire. if you think you know everything there is to know, try a completely different style, or go out of your way to find out something you never new before about it. A new technique, add on, developing process, new and intriguing artist in the medium...something like that. That's what i love about photography...constantly expanding in all directions really.

French for me is kinda like that. Also, french culture. always pretty much learning something new every day. Whether that thing be that they dub episodes of CSI and call it "Les Experts," or that I actually really like watching soccer with my host mother, marie-claire. She's absolutely fantastic by the way...I absolutely adore her.

Aix en Provence...nice, not too busy city in the south of france. very pretty. very quaint almost. people are friendly, and the kids in my program are sweet. I like it here, but i don't find it extraordinarily different from life in the states by any means. I wonder why I'm here sometimes.

My french has been improving like crazy. every day i feel more confident in my use of it, and i'm able to talk to strangers in relatively broken french now, but they understand my meaning, and that's what counts in the end I think.

so day to day activities....wake up early, small breakfast of baguette (pain grille - toast) with burre (butter) et (and) confiture (jam). actually, the jam is home made by marie claire. it's pretty excellent. between the two of us we've finished off the jar of fraise (strawberry) and have moved on to the orange (orange :-p )

i take the bus to AUCP (american university center of provence) for class every day, usually pretty early. I'm taking French Culture, Grammar, Oral and Written Expression, Painting, and Drawing. oh lalalalalala....c'est tres chere pour les dernier deux (omg, it's so expensive for the last two.)

I live in an apartment complex (lots of buildings...it has its own mini mall and bus stop) with 3 other girls (all with different host families). one of them is my best friend here, Marisa. She goes to franklin and marshall, and she's a quaker. cool kid.

My room is bigger than my one at home and school combined, with a big bed, desk, closet (WOW), and extra chair. it's pretty awesome.


this weekend i'm off to visit Elise's friend Gwen in a little town called "Durfort." She has an artists retreat there, and i'm very excited to meet her.

(the picture at the top: was walking around aix, came upon a group of kids that were dressed up in fairy costumes. AMAZING.)