Teryn Lately!

I may not be Chelsea Lately, but I can still give you an update on life as if I had my own nightly comedy show. However, I guarantee hers will be 100x funnier than mine!

First, off, you may be wondering what I've been up to. Yes, I do still go to school! I have gotten lazy with my blog. To me, this is my life everyday, so it seems silly to write the same thing each day: classes, lunch, homework, friends, etc. I do realize though that one day I will probably forget this and I should keep my blog better in order to prevent that! I want to remember this trip forever!

La vie est belle.

So, school! It is going really well! We are preparing hardcore now for our final exam. Basically, the FLE program (the French as a forgein language) only requires you to take the DELF exam, which grades your level of French knowledge. There are four parts: oral comprehension, oral production, writing comprehension, and writing production. This is the test that I take at the very end of May, and my other classes are over the first week of May. I feel extremely confident on the writing parts, but the oral ones get a bit tricky. The comprehension will most likely be fine becasue we've been doing it since day one in that class, and my oral comprehension has improved tenfold. However, the oral production is a 7-8 minute speech that leads into a discussion, a real conversation, about one of two topics you choose from and have 30 minutes to prepare. I just might die! :) I am sure I will be fine, but still, I am going to be shaking in my boots! Thankfully, that part of the exam is done individually (me and two professors) and is done sometime between May 9 and May 27. We have to turn in this form and then they assign it. I am hoping I get mine May 9 so I can get it over with! I plan to look cute that day so I feel super confident and will ace it! We shall see...

My French is improving a lot and I am very proud of myself. Still, I know there is more that I should do to continue improving, but I am happy with how far I have come. I go to classes and there may be 5-10 words throughout the whole period that I don't understand. I am comfortable having conversations with people that I know, while strangers still intimidate me a bit. Here are some of my favorite *new* words that I am obsessed with:

• En fait: This is like saying "actually" or, more technical, "in fact". People use it all the time and once my indecisive self learned the meaning, you know I became addicted!
• Paraît: My professors said this all the time and I was getting so frustrated because I didn't know what it meant. After I found out, I LOVE it! It means "same" and I used to always say another phrase that means the "same" but didn't always make sense. Now, I have a usual phrase and I feel cool!
• Non...plus: When I want to say "neither" I use this expression. It sounds better than disagreeing with someone and saying "me, too!" and it is also the correct way to dislike something.
• arc en ciel: a rainbow! I don't use that word often, but I still learned it! 
• La pendaison de crémaillère: It's a housewarming party! We learned the origins of the words and it is pretty cool. Kara and I will have one for our apartment next year, and you are all invited :)
• boîte de nuit: a nightclub. Enough said!
• Marcher: This is a verb with multiple meanings. One, to walk, to step. Two, (and I feel more common than to walk) is to work. "Le video marche" or "The video works" and things like that.
• Guillaume Grand & Coeur de Pirate: Two French music artists I LOVE!

Also, after being in Limoges 4 months, I found out that over my sink there is an outlet. Who would've thought?! This whole time I sit at my desk with a hand-sized mirror trying to fix my hair. It was horrible and highly annoying. Then, one night karaoking with friends in Samy's room, I discovered he had one and I nearly jumped with joy! I tried mine out, and of course it didn't work. I put in a request thing to have it fixed and now it is my best friend. If there is one thing about the French and their work ethic, I can say this: I put in a problem, and not 24 hours later it is fixed. Not at 4:00pm, but at 8 or 9:00 am! Maybe it is just here and there aren't too many problems, but I have had great experiences with my problem solvers here. Now, if only I could get the heat to go off. It's been 70+ and beautiful in Limoges, but with no air conditioning, and the heat is still on. I swear I've turned mine off, but my room is still a million degrees. I have my window open a lot but then nature comes into my room and bugs, and creepers talk, and I don't like it open. Nights are the worst sleeping. I practically sleep with hardly even a sheet it is so hot!

Spring is in full swing here in Limoges. It is beautiful almost every day, and it makes sitting in class that much harder! It's pretty common here (so I've been told) to have a week or so of pretty weather and then a week or so of rain and clouds and ugliness. Exhibit A: Last weekend we had a picnic in a park at Limoges and then went bowling. We finished off the evening next to the river, playing "duck, duck, goose", talking, and having a blast!

Me with Martina and Klara, the Czech girls!

Picnic in the Park. The white tent in the back is "Lire A Limoges". See below!

Lucas: he shaved off all his hair!

The whole group! Yes, the bowling alley looked just like the ones at home.

The girls dominated. Okay, maybe not, but we can dream!

Lire a Limoges: This was an event that if I was already a teacher, had kids, or had a neice/nephew on the way I would have bought 100 children's books! It was a big tent set up in Champ du Julliet that housed authors, artists, newspapers, books, book, and books! Children's books, old books, history books, mystery books, boring books, new books, books, and more books! It was heaven for me! When I have children in my French classroom, I am going to vacay to Lire a Limoges and stock up. Probably not because I am sure I can order them online, but still!

My time in Limoges, and France for that matter, is quickly coming to an end. I have about 6 weeks left. What am I going to do first when I get home? Well, eat Buffalo Wild Wings, TAN!, get some Sonic ice (or any ice for that matter!), eat Ted's Mexican, see my Nana, go see all my friends whom I've missed so much, and go to Wal-Mart. Even if I don't need anything, I'm going! I'm actually surprised to see how little I miss of the US. I thought I would be dying, honestly, without silly little things, but I really am just fine.

What will I miss from France? Good public transport, hearing French all the time, fresh baguettes, the best cafe au lait, and all the friends I have made. What will I not miss? Having my own kitchen, shower, bathroom, and NOT living at Camille Guerin. :) Oh, and I cannot forget the beautiful exchange rate that kills me every single time I spend money. Yay, I am so glad the dollar is worth .50 euros, if that! La vie est dure!

My family is coming to see me in 9 days. I am getting so excited to see them! If only they knew what all was in store for them! Heck, I don't even know what is, so I sure hope they know what's going on. I am just going to be the official translator and act like I know what is going on. Good plan? I think so, too.

I think I have written enough. My sister told me she doesn't read these anymore because I write too much and I don't want that to be the case for all 6 of my followers! I'm getting up there, you know? I promise to get better about updating about my life. Who knows, you might get two updates this week! Holllllllller!

Lelani wanted me to play model.

JUMP!

Limoges Beneditions: Train Station on a splendid day.

Lovelovelove,
T