Sunday

Sunday is Angers is quiet. In general, it is a quiet town. Most of the streets you walk down are almost completely vacant. To further extend this feeling of emptiness, most of the shops in town are closed for the month. This is a normal occurrence in France. Supposedly there are 200,000 people in this town but it feels like 1000. Sundays it feels more like 100. Being that I am in a very catholic country, Sunday is the day of rest here. There is no question about it. A few of the Tabacs are open and maybe a couple restaurants and cafés, but for the most part the only thing open is Church.
Today, I went and did my laundry. I sat in the Laundromat for most of the time alone. A few people every now and then walked by. Afterwards, on the walk home, I could not help but notice how quiet everything was. I could hear the occasional car from a distance, but mostly all I could hear were a few birds, the wind rustling the leaves in the trees, the wind blowing past my ears, my breath and my footsteps. It is such a contrast to the rest of my time spent here Europe. It is nice but it makes the days long. It reminds me of when I was younger living in Orange County. On the weekends at my mom’s I use to just watch the days slowly fade. The endless blue sky, the sound of planes overhead, the occasional car cutting through our street, water sprinklers, front lawn grass between my toes after running across the hot concrete, the shadows that slowly began to take shape inside the house, and the lights of the house that we seem to procrastinate switching on until it was completely necessary. I haven’t been in the midst of such a quiet environment nor felt so quietly calm inside for such a long time. To a certain extent, it is really nice. I think the last time I was able to lazily watch the weekend pass on a regular basis was sometime when I was 16! At least it feels that way. On the other hand, the slow day allows the mind to wander and I find myself missing people the most on Sundays. It’s good though. It’s good to experience this. However, when I think about my journey back home it seems so long. I feel so far away sometimes.
My weeks in Angers are not so lazy. Rather they are the opposite. I get up everyday around 7 in the morning; I am usually out of the Foyer by 8 ish. I stop by this Boulangerie(sort of like a bakery) on the way to school. The lady usually greets me with a big smile and a “Bonjour”. I order my usual(pain au chocolat and un grand café ). I sit facing the window while consuming my food. It faces a busy intersection and I enjoy the 15 minutes I spend there alone, watching the French workday begin. Bikes, buses, mopeds, and roundabouts. I spend the next 8 hours at school. I get the occasional 5 minute break from class and an hour break to consume the cafeteria food which doesn’t need to be mentioned again. I go home, do my homework, maybe go hang out with some people for an hour or two and I am usually in bed by midnight. Ready to do it all over again. My classes are enjoyable but hard and long. My language professor really likes me but also makes fun of me almost every class. I don’t know why. I take it as good thing.
I believe Angers is a pretty normal French town. Its sort of weird, life is slow, and everything except for the bars seems to shut down by sundown. In all honesty, the best part of Angers is the weather. I know that sounds silly but it is true. The morning grey usually doesn’t burn off until about noon and for the rest of the day it is warm with a cool breeze. It is like this almost every day and I love it. The other aspect of Angers that is cool is the Chateau in the middle of town. When you’re walking home from a bar or sitting by the river with some friends you see it. Every time I cant help to think how old it is. There it is, built from stones placed there by men over 1000 years ago, which you can go up to and touch. Life goes on. It remains. Sort of a trip…
Yesterday evening I played soccer again with the Polish kids. We went someplace new to play. It was surrounded by fields and remnants of construction which had halted for the weekend. Everything around us was flat. I have never been to the Midwest but I can imagine that it was similar. I could see the sky forever, and as the game went on the grey clouds in the distance eventually covered us. Once again it was quiet all around except for sounds of the game.

quickie

lots of studying and the occasional pick up game of soccer

the polskis are quickly finding out i am one hell of a goalie....for an american

check out this link....click the photo...


http://www.angers.maville.com/actu/Detail.asp?idDOC=322398&idCLA=18

yo....photo...yo

Top to Bottom: "How to Survive in Paris: Apples and Wine"/Rad Egyptian stuff at The Lourve/Indian Woman outside my Hostel in Paris/5 Euro Mary/I.M. Pei's pyramid at night outside of Lourve/ Me keeping in hella west coast in Angers...

Angers...week one...

Classes started yesterday. Life is pretty much based around school. If I am not in class then I am eating at the cafeteria or picking up wireless in the rec hall. And since I mentioned the cafeteria. Let me digress a bit. So when you go to the cafeteria you have to site shoulder to shoulder at these long dining tables. They are probably suppose to fit 30...they make it fit 50. I imagine its a lot like prison. OH....but the prison analogy doesnt stop there! Guess who makes our food? Sedeco! Oh wait...they are the same company that actually supplies prison food to the majority of prisons in the United States. Oh but wait...it doesnt stop there. Every meal has at least three different types of meat in it. Even for a meat eater I can imagine this is to be a bit much. Unfortunately, for me...its hell. I ask for a vegetarian plate and they usually give me some yummy treat. For example, yesterday they have been hard boiled eggs covered in tomato sauce and melted cheese. With a delicious side of spinach that probably rivaled that of Stoffers frozen spinach "block". Anyone remember these? My LORD. OH...and there is more! I have been here for a week and everyday we get soggy sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots covered in some sort of thick white cold salty sauce. But dont let me forget....the iceberg lettuce with melted butter on it. yummy!
Nevertheless, i eat there a majority of the time because it is free.
sigh.
Yesterday, after classes I went and played football(soccer) with a bunch of crazy looking polish kids and a handful of random kids from all over the world. Needless to say, the polish kids kicked our butt. However, I couldnt help but think how cool it was the play a pick up game of soccer in Europe with a bunch of international kids. There must of been at least 10 languages on the field.
Last night, I hung out with two Irish kids named Tommy and Tom. Yep....no joke. These kids are only 17 but have been around the world and have more stories than most 40 year olds. They are fun to hang around...just make sure you leave before they bring out the Jameson. ;)
We hung out by the river that runs through town with some Spaniards, Ecuadorians and some Germans. All in all a good time...weather is here is amazing...mid 70s all day...and all night...
Tired. Hella French stuffed into my head so when I talk I find myself forgetting english words...
slept till 11 today. So nice...havent done that since...hmm....at least since Prague.

parisian photos

yo....i am in angers now...its been raining...i live next to a convent and i go to a catholic university. I also live 5 minutes away from a chateau built in the 1100's. Whoa...


Paris: