It Feels Good to be a Law-Abiding Citizen

I HAD MY FIRST LEGAL DRINK TODAY!!! Yup, I did.  So this must be what it feels like to be 21... I guess I don't feel different--my law-breaking ways have spoiled me!  I got up this morning as usual, went to the University, finished up my homework/ate brunch/went to class.  Class is so long (2 hours!) because it's so hot and the room smells because we all sweat like crazy.  And next week, we have class for 4 hours straight every day! It's nuts!  A man came in around the end of class and described our "excursions" for us, which are planned trips that we already paid for in our program fee that we will be going on every saturday except for next Saturday.  I am planning on going to Monaco because I really want to...  I couldn't really understand him because he was talking so fast, but one of the excursions from what I understood was to this mountain called Chartreuse, where there is a monastery whose monks brew this exclusive liquor that is yellow-green in color.  The Chinese guy must have been talking about this but he called it wine.  Anyway, I'm going to try to head over there tomorrow after class.

Today after class, this kid Jeff, from Hong Kong (he goes to Wisconsin, went to prep school in Connecticut, speaks perfect English and two dialects of Chinese, model human) and I both had to go to the Post Office (he had to mail a postcard and I had to exchange money - which apparently you can't do in banks).  We decided to go exploring together downtown afterwards.  Turns out we have a lot in common!  We went to an art gallery and tried to go into L'Hotel de la Prefecture but we got kicked out cause apparently it's not open to the public.  We went into this church by the Victor Hugo tram stop called L'Eglise de St. Louis, which was built in the 17th century.  There were a few older people praying inside, but we went in and sat down for a little.  It was absolutely gorgeous. The stained glass was incredible.  And old! It was amazing.  Afterward, I had my first diet Coke since being in France.  I didn't realize it was going to cost 2.5 Euros! Guess it was my first AND last, ha!  We walked around a bit more, through this famous garden, and then we went to a little cafe and had our first legal BEERS! C'etait tres bien!  It was from the tap and it started with an A, it was brewed in France, but I forgot the name.  I'll find out and update with it tomorrow.  I didn't end up going to the museum I wanted to go to today because apparently we are doing it as a class after the course tomorrow.  Which is fine, although I hate traveling in big, American tourist groups.  Hopefully I will have time to go to Chartreuse afterwards!  Anyway, Mme. should be ringing the bell for dinner any second now so I'm going to go! Love you/miss you all! Post a comment to let me know you're reading! I really appreciate it.  And between the comments and the emails, I can't believe you guys are all reading this.  I have the best friends/family in the world.  Oh! There's the bell! A demain!