Hi everyone!!

I just set up an online picture album so you can check out my trip to Brussels:

http://picasaweb.google.com/leahskinner8

There are comments posted on the pictures as well.

We had a really great trip....we ate waffles and drank beer, went shopping and checked out some art. The city had a great feel and I think we will be returning there soon! It looks like it's going to be a sunny day here in Lille, FINALLY! I have some major things to do this week, notably getting a living permit and a bank account. It's going to be busy!

I love and miss you all,

Leah

My first purchases...but I have done more damage since!

Last Weekend

I realized that I hadn't shared with you my weekend adventures!!!
Thursday - There was a party held for the international students with 1 euro beers and lots of dancing...it was a great way to meet a lot of people from around here!!
Friday - We went out with some French girls and American international students to Flam's, a restaurant that makes these Flemish style thin crust pizzas which use creme fraiche instead of pizza sauce and which are all you can eat!! I'd say that we polished off about 35 between 15 people! I also had the BEST goat cheese and garlic toast salad of my life! MMMM I could definetly get used to the food here! Then we went to a salsa bar called Latina and danced the night away....
Saturday - A very rainy day which mostly consisted of hanging out and many laptop movies...
Sunday - Market day!! The best finds include a giant head of lettuce for 1 euro, six drinking glasses for 1 euro and a cream coloured pashmina scarf for 2 euro. I have my eye on a pair of brown patent leather flats that I'm going back for this weekend...AND by sunday night I was SICK yay.

.le fin. (i will try and get up some pics toute suite)

Post 2

Hi all,

Haven't had internet the past few days... I feel like I'm living in the stone age! But actually, it's quite an enjoyable stone age seeing as I officially have two semester breaks, totalling in three full weeks off school! I'm pretty excited to start planning trips and such.
In fact, I am off to Brussels for the weekend to hunt out waffles and beer and all the other stereotypical Belgium things I can think of to do! It's my first trip since arriving and I think it will be a lot of fun.
I also got super sick the past few days - I guess it was passed around res seeing that half the students spent the weekend in bed! I'm feeling better now - I just have a cough to deal with.
Anyways, I'm almost through my first week of school and let me say I LOVE IT. All my classes so far have been really interesting and the teachers are very receptive to international students. I'm finding that my level of French is a lot higher than I originally thought so I'm finding the classes easy to understand and I feel confident participating in them. Maybe except for the Italian class.... I have a lot of catching up to do there!

Ciao!

How do you say.....FRANCE!

Hey all,

This is my first post in France although I've already been here for a week - let's just say that their internet situation is....interesting!!

I am settling in though and have classes starting monday including Italian, French, Mythology, Literature and some other things. From the sounds of it, they will be pretty easy (I guess internation students get breaks from the teachers a lot).

This was a majorly hard week for me, starting with the fact that we walked to our residence in the rain with all our luggage trying not to get lost!!! I was so tired the first day that I slept for about 14 hours. At that point all I could think was.... WHAT HAVE I DONE! I then proceeded to beg my parents to let me come home for the next four days. However, I have done some exploring of Lille and love the city a lot! It's a nice size with lots of activities but does not feel unsafe or hectic. I think I could get used to it!!

My room at residence is a tiny shoe-box but it's newly renovated and I have three huge windows. I also have my own fridge and a sink but no shower or toilets. From what I hear, that's normal? The international residence is certainly loud - all these different languages competing with themselves ahaha but I have met people from the US, Columbia, Turkey, Brazil, France, Canada you name it!!

The campus is a giant stone building that used to be a church, it's quite the sight! It's small but seems easy enough to get around, I'll let ya know!!

I also celebrated my 21st birthday going out for cheap pizza and wine with a few girls....it was not home but I had fun nonetheless.

Here are some pictures of Lille, I will post more when my internet connection is better!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL, MWAH!