Keeping You Pau-sted

So it rains here. ALOT. I'm talking equivalent to Seattle and London. My biggest regret so far? Not bringing my rain boots. I have other boots that i've been wearing, and all day i've had pruney toes because the water soaked through all the way to my socks. Gangreen here i come. Thank you mom for constantly saying "oh you're not going to need those." Things i actually don't need: A blowdryer, because the humidity makes my perfectly straight blown hair turn into shirley temple curls, so i just let it air dry now and say "bof" to everything.

They have no squirrels here. It's weird.

Currently since i've been in Pau i have eaten, not 3, not 4, but 5 galletes!! What is a gallete you ask? A lemon cake like thing. What is it for? Well being the pagan baby that i am, i couldn't really tell you. Epiphany this, Jesus that, 3 wise men and a baby somethin', i don't really know.  But they put a "feve" inside the cake and if you get that piece then you are humiliated by having a crown (similar to the burger king paper crowns) put on your head, and since i've had 5 of these cakes i have won twice. Yay. It isn't enough for me to eat bread for breakfast lunch and dinner, but i then i have it as a dessert 5 times in the last 10 days. I need to find a gym. My program director told us to talk to Aguy if we want info on the gym. "Aguy" (A-GEE) is apparently a teacher to my suprise.. not just a guy, which is good because i'm sure i would have brought up some reason as to how that is sexist and then gotten kicked out of the program for protesting for women's gym rights in france.

I burnt my fish last night because i read the french instructions wrong. My goal by the end of the year has just changed from "Become fluent" to "Be able to successfully make yourself dinner."

I'm trying to figure out places i want to go over break, suggestions are welcome. There are lots of people who are studying abroad in Europe, so maybe i'll have a competition between my friends to see who i get to go visit. By the way, today i bought a baguette on my way home from class, caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection, and for the first time really felt like i belonged here. It was only 80 centimes for the baguette, and it was so fresh. These are the little things that will be hard to live without back in the states.

Pau Revoir,

Mari