F*R*I*E*N*D*S

As promised:

Apparently he's a Place Massena regular.

Once again, since chronology is of little importance here, I'm just going to write things as they pop into my head. Obviously this is the best method.

1. Finally, after a lot of confusion and miscommunication and unprofessionalism and not-my-fault-ism, I am enrolled in the University of Nice as a student! FI-NUH-LY. This means I can access the internet through the student network. Unfortunately, the connection is really bad, and I can only access it from my friend's room on the 5 floor of the residence hall sitting right by the window, but it's a start I guess.

2. I met the other 3 ISEP exchange students earlier this week from Canada, Uruguay, and Argentina. We've definitely got the Americas covered. Which is good, because I've found most international students here are from Germany. Seriously. Maybe 2/3 of them.

3. I went to the beach for the first time this week with Helen (Canada) and Camillo (Argentina--He is obsessed with Celine Dion. Also, I have no idea if this is how you spell his name.) It was really fun, but the water is really salty and gets SUPER deep instantaneously, so it's difficult to swim for too long.

Not every view is ideal.

Then, Camillo and I walked further down the Promenade des Anglais to what we thought was a castle near the beach. We never really found the castle and ended up getting kind of lost at the top of a big hill (story of my life), but the view of Nice and the surrounding area was SPECTACULAR.

Post-beach is a rough look.

Camillo at the falls (artificial . . . mildly disappointing)

Forefront: Vieux Nice (Old Nice): houses, churches,
markets, and everything adorable

SUPER FRENCH MOMENT

Port view on the other side of the hill

4. One night when Helen and I were leaving to find something to eat, we met a big group of other students and ended up staying with them for a while. They're really nice and helpful when I don't understand something (which is pretty much all the time), and we've hung out with them a lot since. When we first met them, they told Helen she looked like Eva Longoria. They told me I looked like Laura from Little House on the Prairie.

5. There are very few introduction activities for exchange students here. It's pretty much a DIY environment (especially with ISEP).

6. Malls are malls are malls. Nothing too special there.

Except for the elevators. Very "Willy Wonky"

7. Last night, there was a big beach party thing & most of the international students were there. I met a LOT of Germans. One girl in particular survived a Creepy-French-Guy-Encounter with me (which are all too frequent here), and we totally bonded over that.

8. I've decided I miss goldfish. Not the animal. The cracker. There aren't any snacks that smile back here.

9. Also I tried paté for the first time. Not too bad. Didn't ask what was in it though. Didn't really want to know.

Amitiés :)