Update!

Hey all,

Listening to Sonny Rollins and practicing some Chinese characters on a sunny Sunday night. It's been raining quite a bit, though the showers are brief. Things are definitely getting colder, though! A perfect time to sport my pea coat.

Some friends of mine went to Cognac earlier today and should be back pretty soon. We'll be metting for dinner once they arrive.

The week has been relatively uneventful - my French class is a bit rigorous, but we're working on grammar, which is exactly what I need. I have a presentation on Wednesday on a district in Bordeaux called St Michel, and I'll be focusing mostly on immigration and the relationship St Michel has to other districts, mainly its ethnic diversity.

I'll be taking another placement test tomorrow morning to rank me for the University classes - a big deal! There will be an oral component to the test in addition to other written components similar to the test we took a little over a week ago. In preparation, I've been speaking French with a lot of my neighbors, who are native French speakers from Gabon and Cameroon. I have also been doing a bit of reading in french to work on my comprehension.

I have lots of Chinese neighbors, too! To be completely honest, I haven't seen a single student in the dorms that is French by origin - mostly recent immigrants. It's been an amazing experience, and I'll be sad to leave the dorms this coming Friday to move in with my homestay family. The proximity to fellow UC students as well as the cultural diaspora I've been exposed to will be greatly missed, and it should be interesting to find out how I adjust.

Had dinner at McDonald's tonight, much to my chagrin... a friend was craving a cheeseburger. I found myself trying to describe my ethical qualms with their business tactics in French, which was fun. Had a nice long conversation with Stam, a friend of one of my neighbors today and we got to talk a little bit about culture. I got to flex my French muscles and he had a lot of questions, saying he would be in the US for three years to study.

I've been trying to keep in touch with the world through Podcasts - am really enjoying Fresh Air at the moment. Am currently dling some BBC podcasts, as well - I like "World Have Your Say". McCain and his vp scare me - sounds like he's really gaining in popularity.

I've been posting videos and photos on my photobucket, so make sure to check that out!

Hope you're all doing well! I've heard it's getting pretty hot. Everyone take care, until next time!

Ben