Nation-Wide Sale Season: A.K.A. Things Are Starting to Look Up

Today was better! I got up around 9, took a shower (here, it is commonplace to turn the water off while you soap) etc. and then took the bus and then tram to the CUEF with Jessica.  We went to the cafeteria when we got there, I got un croissant, un yaout (yogurt), and une banane (guess that one!) and une botteille d'eau. I'm finally getting the hang of ordering in French but it's still kind of intimidating.  Jessica and I ate and did our homework and then went to class (she is in 350, I am in 270).  Class is really long and boring, and before I even got there I was feeling light-headed and faint probably because of the extreme heat combined with my inability to sleep.  After class, I left immediately and alone and took the Tram B down to the Victor Hugo stop, which is downtown.  I didn't really want to go anywhere with anyone because I just wanted to be alone and do some exploring.  It's annoying to walk around with someone when you're trying to familiarize yourself with your surroundings.  Anyway, apparently les soldes start today, which are the bi-annual country-wide sales in the stores.  Clearly, things are starting to look up! Haha. Really, though.  It's really comforting to know my way (kind of) around via tram and bus.  I feel like I pass as French if I just keep my mouth closed.  In fact, the other day a lady asked me for directions in the street! Unfortunately, I couldn't help her, but it still made my day.  When I got back to la maison I did some homework before we sat down to dinner around 7:30 (it's the same time every day, and Mme. Cottave rings une cloche to let us know it's mealtime).  As usual, she asked us what we learned today...Jessica and I told her about cultural differences between the U.S. and here and Li (the Chinese guy who is living upstairs) told her how he learned imparfait.  He leaves on Sunday! After dinner, Jessica, Li, and I went for walk through the park behind our street.  It's a gorgeous park, surrounded by mountains.  This town is unbelievably GORGEOUS! Tomorrow Jessica and I are going to try and go to La Bastille, which are foundations built into the mountains from Louis XIV's era. We have to take a gondola-like contraption over the river to get there. We were thinking about climbing the mountain too about 700m.  Depends how hot it is.  Anyway, gotta get to bed so I can get up early and go shopping before class! I did see this fabulous shoe store on my exploration walk through centre-ville today...