Academic Quarter

We started classes at BEM today! The best thing about living at the university is the fact that we don't have to get up 2 hours before class at 8:30 unlike a lot of other students, but regardless it was still -1 when i left home - SO FREAKING COLD. The first sequence/course i'm taking is French (obviously) and it was really good to get back into it, we've been speaking but only basic conversations to shopkeepers etc. so i can't wait to be in the zone and really focusing on it. Already everyone's french has improved as we are surrounded by it so you can't help but think about it 24/7! There are all international students in my class obviously and i'd already met the majority of them so it looks like it's going to be a great bunch of people, we can skip the awkward i'm-embarrased-to-speak-a-foreign-language-in-front-of-you-until-i-suss-out-how-well-you-can-speak-it stage and have fun! The teacher was 'fashionably' late both lessons, a good 15 minutes which no one was complaining about and Guilia informed me that in Italy they call this the "Academic Quarter", where no work is actually done. So true :) I'm still getting used to the whole french kissing greeting, like no joke you meet someone once and the every other time you see them you kiss both their cheeks!! It's pretty time consuming when you walk into a group of people you know but i like it because it's just so french and sophisticated!! Haha not like in Australia where you hug only your close friends and family. I really need to invest in a digital camera but i'm waiting until Wednesday when they have the annual sales in Bordeaux, apparently it's a huge deal and already shops are closed today (Monday) to prepare for it!! Should be good i hope haha i need to buy more warmer clothes! I'm having dinner with Guilia and some others tonight i think somewhere downtown which will be great but i have to watch my money because i don't want it to run out before i travel everywhere! The only downside of being a student i suppose, i would try get a job but then i couldn't just leave whenever to travel so it's a catch 22... looks like i will be eating cheese and bread more and more as the time goes on!
Gros bises from Bordeaux!