In the Beginning...

Of my adventure in Dijon not much has happened. We took the placement test the first day, and the building it was in was right in front of the Tram stop that our professor emailed us to take thank God for that blessing. Then we had an orientation to learn about Dijon and the Bourgogne region. The test was some what difficult, but it thankfully didn't take the two and a half hours they allowed us. Then as a group, we walked around the campus and got our IDs and ate lunch and enjoyed the beautiful day. I am enjoying living with my host "mom" Véronique. She is really nice, talkative, and a great cook. She knows some English, which can be helpful when I really don't understand what she is trying to say. Another girl from my program, Lizeth, is living here too, and she is also very nice. It is nice to have someone to go to school with and explore the area with, which we did Monday night. Today, Tuesday, we started classes, which I was placed in level 5 French out of 6 levels. It can be difficult at times to understand the professors, since they speak quickly, but I understand for the most part. We have two language classes that are both two hours long, but thankfully we have a two hour break in between the classes for lunch and relaxing. It is draining listening to French for 4 hours and trying to understand what they are saying, but I think I am in the right level (we are allowed to change if it is too difficult or too easy). Then at 3:30 there is a culture class, that all of us Augustana students are required to go to, that is an hour long, and the professor speaks all in French and quickly, which is hard for the lower level French students to understand, but I could follow for the most part, and it is interesting. Today the professor talked about 16th century French literature, which I have studied some back in the states. We had our first group dinner today at a restaurant right next to L'Arc de Triomphe in Dijon of course. I had a delicious boeuf bourguignon. Not much else is going on besides having more classes tomorrow.