Way back in January, I opted to take a French-English translation class at Rennes 2. This means I got graded alongside native French students. Who speak French. Natively. This suggested two possible outcomes: 1.) I would perish in the ocean of French vocabulary I did not know. Aware I was going waaaay in over my …
Tag Archives: French
CIEE Excursion: Châteaux de la Loire
This past weekend, CIEE took us on a fun (and educational!) trip to 4 castles in the Loire valley. If anyone knows me, they’ll know I have a great love for old stone, so this excursion was right up my alley. Rock lasts for centuries, even millennia. It’s easy to picture all the historical figures …
Up next: the ISP
Tomorrow (Friday) is the start of phase two of the program. At 7am I’ll be at the taxi-brousse station, waiting to board the taxi-brousse for the 4hour bus ride to Betafo. Once that bus leaves the station, I’ll be on my own for the next 4 weeks. On my own schedule, that is. That’s because …
Bretagne is the Best!
One thing I love about Rennes is the fact that it’s located in Bretagne (Brittany). I had no idea how special this region was. No clue that I was coming to live in a place so heavily influenced by its Celtic roots. It has been amazing to live in a region so unique and proud …
Environmental Awareness and an Anecdote That Ends with Coffee.
One thing I know I’ll take away from France is an increased environmental consciousness. I thought I already had some things going for me–I don’t use plastic bags. I walk or bike if my destination is within a reasonable distance. I recycle. But in France, they have a much heightened sense of ecologic responsibility, and …
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Tamatave – The Indian Ocean, Petanque, and Poisson d’Avril
I just got back yesterday from an SIT excursion to Tamatave (aka Toamasina), a city on the East coast of Madagascar. It was kind of like an unofficial Spring Break, since we had very few organized visits and activities, and we stayed in bungalows right on the beach. I don’t think I could ever get …
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Life in Rural Madagascar – part 2
Life in the village is the most sustainable I’ve ever seen: there’s no running water, so buckets are used for showers and washing; most people don’t have electricity, but those who do have solar panels which they use minimally; there is absolutely zero food waste, because even fruit and vegetable peels or rice husks are …
Life in a rural Madagascar – part 1
Wow. How to convey the experience of the last week in a blog post of a few hundred words? I don’t think it’s possible, even for the most gifted writer. So you’ll have to come to Madagascar and experience it for yourself 😉 Well ok, I’ll try to at least give you a glimpse. I …
What I have learned so far: 8 fun “facts” about Madagascar
Transportation: I recently discovered that from my house it takes just as long to walk to the SIT program center as is does to go by taxi-be – about 40min. My host mom showed me the quickest way to walk home the other day, using passageways and stairways between houses that I never would have …
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Cultural Differences: It doesn’t just mean more baguettes.
The first thing that my roommates learn about me is that I like to go to bed early. I’m happy to wake up at 6AM, and I’m perfectly content to stay out the entire day. But when I come back to home base, I like to stay there and recover from my day filled with …
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