UW-Madison French Trip

Got back around 30 minutes ago. Il était vraiment magnifique, amusant, et un bon experiènce pour apprenant français!

A little before 8:00 15 French students (including myself) of different levels hopped on the bus with our French teacher and drove for two hours to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I, along with three other students, spent the morning in the day's 4th Semester French class (equivalent to Level 4 in the high school level). The other students did the same, but in different classes. In the class, we learned about the subjunctif form of verbs, which was perfect, because that's what we'll be learning about in Level 3 in just a few days! It was a blast, intermingling with all the college kids and learning what they're learning at the same time, and all in French, wow!

After class, we all returned to Madame and drove out of the university to a French café for lunch. I had a Sandwich Mediteraneen with (wow, almost said "avec" ) a Tart de Porticon (I think), which is "Pumpkin Pie" in English. Of course, this was in French too.

Then we all piled back onto the bus and zoomed back to the university's art museum, where we had a short tour of the museum's French paintings, pottery, and sculptures--again, all in French. By now I was thinking in French (still am, wow). I was also pretty inspired--I don't really use clarity when I show perspective, perhaps I should start doing that.

After the museum, all the girls went shopping down State Street, while Madame took the other boy and I on a tour of the campus as the sun set. Gorgeous campus, it really is. Madame, her husband, not to mention my own mom and dad, went to college there. I'm hoping to get in too. We passed by the School of Education, the Zoology Research Center, and the Psychology building. The very buildings I'll be specializing in! Wow!

We finished the last 20 minutes in the University Book Store, looking at used textbooks. I read a Music Composition textbook, and in the chapter on oboe instrumentation, it insisted oboes should never be used for marches and that if they are, every other part should cover them up.

Then we all got back together and walked into the residential area and into a sort of "French House," full of college students speaking only in French (so of course, we in turn did the same). We hung out in the lobby for the first ten minutes, then everybody went downstairs and ate a rather delicious beef dinner and dessert. Yum! Then I and the other students hung out in the lobby again as we waited for Madame, and once she arrived we all trudged wearily back to the bus. The ride home began around 7:30. We got back around 9:30, but Madame had to give me a ride home, so I didn't really get home until just before 10:00.

Still thinking in French! But then again, what better way to think? I'm getting pumped for the trip to France this summer, YEAH! Il va être fantastique!