My first friend and last day exploring Angers before school starts.

macarons au chocolat

My built-in friend for the semester arrived yesterday!  Mina is the Japanese student also living in our house.  I only saw her at dinner last night and she barely spoke because she was so tired.  Also, she doesn’t speak very much French.  When I woke up this morning, I expected to try to communicate with her in French, take her to the city, become friends, etc.,  but instead I found a note that said she went shopping with her friends.  No!!!  So I did the same-ol’ same-ol’ and wandered around the old streets of Angers, sipped café and munched on a sandwich while reading my book, bought some chocolate macaroons (the most wonderful French dessert—little cookie-like treats, the chocolate ones taste kind of like brownie batter, but better), and returned home.  I also bought some school supplies; French notebooks are very strange...

French notebook page

When I returned home, Mina and I talked for a while and she said she knows 13 students from Japan!  I said I didn’t have any friends and she said she would introduce her friends to me tomorrow.  Mina is very nice and plays guitar in a rock band with her friends in Japan.  Her things around the house from Japan are very funny—her toothpaste and bag of green tea mix are covered in Japanese characters and little drawings.  She shared a Japanese treat with me and also some green tea.  And at dinner, she asked me if she could go to school with me tomorrow!  It was so cute!  So we’re going to ride the bus to school together at 7h52 (that's how they write the time in France).  I also helped Madame make a gateau aux poires (pear cake) that was delicious.  Madame is going to teach me some French cooking!  I started perusing her recipe books :)

I walk by this house on the way to my University and Centre Ville.

I am a little nervous for school, because first days are always scary, especially in another country, but I think it will be okay.  Wish me luck!  Here are a couple photos of Madame's artwork, as requested by my mom :)  These are the two she has hidden away in the attic, on the way to my room.