So, this is (finally!) my first blog from Bordeaux. I've been here a week now, and until now Helen, Demelza, Patrick and I have been staying in a kind of apartment place that's basically like a cheap hotel, with its own kitchen and two double beds. Finding accommodation was an absolute nightmare, and it's become so clear in this week how much we weren't told at Nottingham, and how much we were told wrong. We tried everything we could think of but loads of places were really unhelpful and all the adverts we saw for apartments were taken, but then I found a place on the internet which is kind of like uni halls but it's nothing to do with the uni, it's privately owned and run etc, and is basically a huge building with lots of studios, each with a bed, desk, table, kitchenette and en suite. It's all furnished and stuff which is good because another problem with finding an apartment was that most of them weren't furnished. Anyway, my address from now on, if anyone wants to write to me (letters would be very much appreciated!!) is:
Emma Fox
Apt 89, Teneo Medoquine
16 Avenue de la Vieille Tour
33400 Talence
Bordeaux
France
Bordeaux itself is such a lovely city. I haven't been inside the cathedral yet but it's pretty impressive from the outside. The quays all along the river are gorgeous, and it seems to be the done thing in Bordeaux for all the young people to get a bottle of wine and go and drink it by the river, opposite Place de la Bourse. We did that last night and had a pretty good night.
I haven't started uni properly yet, but on our first day we had a French test - we had to write about "les questions qui ont traverse votre esprit dans les quinze jours avant votre arrivee a Bordeaux." Excuse the lack of accents, I can't be arsed to work out how to do them on here! Anyway, this French test was to put us into groups according to level of French for 4 weeks of intensive French lessons. I'm in one of the intermediary groups (the middle ones) with Demelza ... we've had to be in uni by 8:30 since Wednesday, which meant leaving at 7:30 to get the tram ... nightmare. The times rotate each week though, so ours are at 10:30 next week, and Helen and Patrick have got 8:30. We haven't really done much in the lessons so far, apart from learning the difference between LA poignee (door handle) and LE poignet (wrist). Lectures etc start properly on the 21st.
That's pretty much it for now I think, I've got to go to the supermarket and then to Ikea later (yay!). Also, the weather is amazing, it's been 30 degrees most of the time. We're going to the beach tomorrow with the five girls who are here from Sheffield, who we all get on really well with. I'll update again soon, once I've worked out how to get internet in my actual room so I don't have to sit in the communal area bit to get on the internet!
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