Two weeks in

This is the end of my second week at school. The time has flown by and I can't believe how much I have picked up in two weeks! Because the class size is small there is lots of individual attention. This week there has been either one other student with me or I'm one-on-one with the instructor. I have class for three hours each morning and 2 1/2 hours two afternoons each week. The time just flies by. I study a lot on my own at home as well.

Because I like visuals, I bought a little whiteboard to play with:



No Michael Angelo but it's creative. I was reading on a blog that it is better in the long run to rely less on translating words (dog = chien) but to use visual images. I'm ahead of the game because that was what I was doing with my pictures:

Now I have posters taped on the walls as a visual cue.

I also discovered French music videos. I was looking up a song I remembered the Gaumont girls singing..."Quand le soleil dit bonjour aux montagne..." I could remember the first line, but that's it (I must have been 6 or 7 so that's pretty good, I think). I found the video and wrote down the rest of the words to the song. Singing along helps my pronunciation.

Another song is called "Sympathique" by the American group Pink Martini. Very catchy. I can memorize songs easily so this should also help with pronunciation.

I wanted to go to the old city again this weekend, but needed to buy new boots. The ones I brought from home are good for -30 and the north pole. They served me well but now they feel like I'm pulling toddlers along for each step. The new ones are still warm but much lighter (and on sale!)

I've shopped quite often the last couple of weeks getting things for the apartment. I can only buy as much as I can carry at one time. There is a large mall a short bus ride from here: Sears, Target, The Bay, Jysk, Maxi (Superstore)....

This is what I brought from home:

And this is what I bought:

Mostly from Sears and Target, but I found a great second hand store where I bought the two pots, water jug and lunch kit. What was in the apartment I put away :-p.

I've mentioned before that the apartment is in an old building. The inside was renovated and for the most part is adequate. A couple of quirks, though. You have to open the oven door to get the top drawer opened all the way:

I've already noted the location of the breaker box:

And the floors slope to the middle of the room:

They had to custom cut the toe kick at the bottom of the cupboard. There is a two inch difference from one end and the other. I moved my couch to match the slope of the floor and use it more like a divan so that my butt is on the high end of the couch and my feet are at the lower end.

I wanted to find out how much an apartment would cost here. I found listings for nice studios or small one bedroom apartments for what mine is worth in PG, but there is a lot you have to watch out for. This ground floor two bedroom condo is only two blocks from where I live and is listed at $156,000.00

I've seen pictures of the inside and they have renovated it nicely, but I'd be a little concerned about the large crack in the front. Looks like it was fixed with crazy glue.

I might take a look around and see just what is out there. There are a large number of properties for sale. Not that I expect to move here, but it is interesting to compare.

Week three coming up. I'll start the class singing "Quand le soleil...."