First day of school!

I've survived my first day of winter quarter, in France! Courtney and I ran a few miles before class, and then made the 1.5- 2 mile walk to the University's Business School. We had a nice breakfast as a group and it seems that all the student's are having great experiences with their host families so far!

We had two classes today followed by a walking tour of the city. The first class was a survival french course, and I can now say Je m'appelle Rachel and spell the letters of my first and last name in French. I probably need to brush up on a few more phrases before shopping or eating in many more locations around the city though! The second class was on cross-cultural management, and although it was a 3 hour lecture, our very cultured, Iranian  and French professor made the time fly by. It was fascinating to hear her stories about her life around the world and her perspective on American and French cultural differences and similarities.

We had kebabs from a small store for lunch, which is very popular around Toulouse and then proceeded with an interesting walking tour lead by an English woman. The tour featured a lot of history of the city and took us to some churches and parts of town that I want to further explore on my own this weekend. The national French sales start in 2 days, so Courtney and I are hoping to get some new clothes this weekend! I think my budget allows for a few nice European pieces to return to the States with!

La Garonne River, which runs through Toulouse!

Living with a host family in France has been an awesome experience so far. I feel like I am living a life here, and not just visiting or being a tourist. I have a bed to call my own, and I'm learning my way around our part of town slowly but surely. Last night we enjoyed a delicious three course meal of pumpkin soup, which was excellent, cheese and ham quiche, and several French cheeses with bread and red wine. It was an amazing meal! Bernard, our host, outdoes any American cook I know! After dinner we were able to learn more about our host family and watch the Terminator in French with them. It was a relaxing night where we all got to know each other and laugh at Arnold's acting! Bernard is a retired high school French teacher, but spent several years teaching French at the University of Nebraska in the 1960s. He has an incredible love for America, and he even had the opportunity to work closely in Robert Kennedy's campaign. I love learning more about the French way of life and his family. It's something I will always remember and value from this experience.