Geeking OUT!!!

I arrived in Angers just in time to bike from the train station to class. It was the last class for History of Art. We talked about conceptual art and Andy Warhol. I was just glad to have that 3 hour long drain of energy over with. I was also one of the only students who did the take-home exam and I got a 15/20!!! You may be thinking: "Hold up, now! A fifteen out of twenty isn't something to be celebrating." Au contraire, it is great cause for celebration. That, my friend, is equivocal to an "A" in the American system!

*A brief note about the french grading system: it's bizarre beyond comprehension. An 18/20 is reserved for the gods. A 10/20 is the equivalent of a "C" average. Yeah, I don't get it, either.

Now, I don't have to take that exam and I know that I did well in the class. Win-Win!

That evening, I started my concrete plans for WWOOFing. Okay, I know that you're all thinking, "What the crap is this mysterious thing that Teddi keeps mentioning?!" Well, the time has come to explain myself. WWOOFing is an international organisation that encourages a sort of cultural exchange: you get to stay for free on an organic farm in exchange for working. It's a great opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture, as well as do something useful and easy on your wallet durring the summer. There are over 50 countries with these exchanges (including the United States) and I figured I might as well extend my sejour in France with something I really want to do that is meaningful. Not sure which one I am going to choose yet, or even if it is feasable with my financial situation, but I GET EXCITED ABOUT THINGS!!! More on WWOOFing to come as the month wears on.

Today was my last ever Literature and Philosophy course. My Fridays are completely open now! It was a good last class. We talked about the influences Lettres persanes has had on french literature and the second half of class was a show-and-tell kind of deal. One of the librarians brought in a cartful of books that were published in the 18th century that would be useful sources for some of us. That's right! I spent the second half of class leafing through books that are 281 years old!!! They smelled fantastic and had beautiful prints in them. There was a palpable feeling of geeky excitement as we passed around and leafed through the books together. Oh, it was fantastic. I've never worked with sources that old. It was super exciting.

This afternoon, I had a lovley talk with Anne in the garden and then sat down to do some more research on the whole WWOOFing thing. It's so beautiful outside that I'm going to call it quits and go meandering for a bit. All the windows are flung wide open to embrace the weather. But that just doesn't compare to walking outside.