Getting adjusted

In Montpellier, we are taking French for 3 hours M, W, F and 5.5 hours on T, Th. Its similar to my classes at Colgate, however, those were only 50 minutes long apiece. Yesterday was our first long class and afterwards my brain hurt. Our teacher makes it interesting though so thankfully it could be way worse.



I didnt know this before going abroad, but different countries have different keyboards. Ive been using computers for as long as I can remember so using a the one at Moniques house, like I am now takes more concentration than I am used to needing inorder to type. The keyboard is similar enough to an American one for most of the keys, but some major letters are switched around. EG the previous sentence would look like this if I werent being careful- the keyboqrds look si,ilqre enuogh to qn q,ericqn one for ,ost of the keys but so,e ,qjor letters qre szitched qround:



Fun Fact: The keyboard was designed to be as inefficient as possible cause back when typewriters were used they would get jammed up because the secrateries would go too fast so they layed they keys in a way that would keep them from typing so quickly. I dont know how true this is cause I heard from Taylor and he goes to school in the south where they teach intelligent design and that on the 7th day God created the shot gun so man could kill the dinosaurs and homosexuals. So take it with a grain of salt.


The other night, we all decided to go out for our first night on the town and having no idea what to do or where to go, one of the girls asked their host moms what to do and she suggested salsa dancing. So all 18 of us show up at the salsa bar at 9 oclock and were just about the only ones there. We later found out that places really dont get hopping until much later- discos dont even open until 12!



So we made our way up to where the salsa lessons were and someone was told we couldnt join the lessons until we had bought a drink at the bar and showed our reciept. Being Colgate students, we were more than happy to follow this rule. Back upstairs, reciepts in hand we joined the lesson. I was too enthuastic cause the instructor had to shush me for clomping my shoe louder than his everytime he counted out the first beat. However, salsa didnt last long because most of the guys couldnt get the steps down and the girls in our group were not ready (had not invested in enough reciepts) to dance with the European men there. After we left we just sort of wandered around town looking for another bar; but with 18 people there were too many Indians and not enough cheifs so the jet lag kicked in and we all went our sepeate ways and went home.

Tonight were are going out again to celbrate two 21st birthdays this time. Plan is to go to an Irish pub that will probably be more our speed. Do you think they have tidal waves in France?

* For those of you who dont know, the tidal wave is a 21st birthday tradition at Colgate. You offer to buy the birhday boy or girl a tidal wave telling them how good it is etc. Unknown to them however, you have prearranged with the bar tender that once the shot is done, he throws a little water in their face. Voila!