Thoughts from a rainy Tuesday

Though in Perigueux, I don't think there's any other type of Tuesday.

I am excited about going to Milan this weekend - mostly because the forecast is for sunshine. I think it's supposed to be pretty cold, but at least there will be SUN. I am so tired of the rain and the gray! It's looking like we're going to leave Bordeaux in the rain/snow/clouds and land in Milan with lots of sun and blue sky.

Today a man from the city hall came to record stuff about me/my apartment for the city census. Very official. The man who asked me the questions was nice; he made the same comment that almost everyone else makes when they ask me where in the U.S. I'm from. "D.C.? Whoa, that's a big change." It was also a confirmation of my French skills that I didn't have any trouble with the questions he was asking (about lodging, background, work in Perigueux, etc.) It's always nice to know I'm doing okay.

I also decided today that if there is a crowd of French people there is also a cloud - of cigarette smoke. On Tuesdays I don't have class until 10, which is the first class period after the 15 minute morning break. During the break, 100+ (probably much more than that when you consider people filtering in and out and going across the street to the park) students go outside the school to smoke. I have to push through this crowd to get into the school. The smell always makes me think of college parties (minus the smell of beer) though, honestly, there was a whole lot less smoke at frat and house parties.

Additionally, French teenagers walk at the same sloth-like pace as their American counterparts - and, I would imagine, their counterparts of any nationality. Sometimes I get stuck walking behind them when I leave the school and it's énervant. But today I was wearing my new shoes and they were starting to hurt my feet by the end of the day, so I was thankful that I had an excuse to walk slowly when I left school.

Tomorrow my friends are going to come over to celebrate my birthday because I'm leaving Perigueux on Thursday night to catch the Friday morning flight to Milan. My only class tomorrow is also canceled. Woohoo!

Maybe I'll write another post before Milan - if not, the next post will be about Milan and will include pictures!