Grenoble
Wow! Our last week of CUEF classes started Monday. I feel both relieved and sad to know that it will be ending soon. I haven’t really enjoyed the classes very much, but I think it has been an interesting experience.
Of course, because it is the end of the program, the professors are rushing to get grades in for all of us so they can assign us a level for a certificate. Today in the grammar class students presented their slam poetry on humorous weather in their hometowns. Presentations were followed by a reading comprehension test on French artists who sing in English. I really hated it because I felt like it was poorly organized. Oh well.
Our art class trudged onward with a discussion of French comics. We learned new vocabulary together and got to see some popular French comics. The professor talked about the immense popularity of comics in France and said they are regarded as more intellectual works. I think this contrasts with the US, where comics are seen as a nerdy past-time for nerdy young people. I don’t think that comics get as much respect as an art form back home, which is sad.
Thankfully, we didn’t have any UM classes for the day. Many of us decided to go out for lunch. I was sad because a lot of the Italian places were closed and I hoped to get pizza for lunch. Instead, we went back to the dumpling place. This time, I got green tea mochi (an Asian ice cream treat) and lamb pot stickers. It was much more enjoyable this time.
After lunch I was absolutely exhausted. I think I finally crashed after the travel-filled weekend. I spent the afternoon replying to emails, catching up on work, and watching YouTube.
For dinner we had one of my favorite simple dishes. We started with tomatoes and cheese with a oil and vinegar dressing. Our main dish was a stew with peas, onions, and ham (tastes so refreshing). We tried some new cheeses after the main course. I realized I can tell the difference between cru and pasteurized cheeses now, wild! For dessert we had a little peach fruit cup.
Mary-Est-En-France 