Day 5

So today was amazing! The day started off with a breakfast for all foreign students (Pau hosts students from other programs besides USAC) that was put on by a foreign students association at school. All 60+ of us walked over to Le Clerc where there's a restaurant upstairs. I think we took up almost all of the booths and tables in the place. To celebrate l'Épiphanie- the day the three wise men made it to the manager and met the King- we were served a hearty breakfast of true french café (coffee) and one slice of sweet bread *note sarcasm.* There were at least 15 of us who went up for second slices.... our stomachs are definitely not shrinking quickly enough. What's interesting about the sweet bread is it was also called King's Cake (for king Jesus); each round of bread had a figurine inside and crown for the lucky finder. The King's Cake that Emma (Emmanuelle) made had a flaky, sugary crust on top and a bean-texture filling. But our breakfast was like bread with sugar kernels on top. I must say, I liked this one better :)

That coffee already has two helpings of cream in it, by the way.

I spent the breakfast with a group of girls who are officially my buddies: Roshanna (pronounced rose-anna), Selene, Chantalle, and Allie. We talked for at least two hours and the conversation flowed naturally. It's so relieving to feel like you have a niche in a strange place!

Allie, Rosie, Me, Selene

After breakfast, Allie, Rosie, and Chantalle had their first class so Selene and I walked around the shops at Le Clerc for about two hours. I bought 4 shirts that I am absolutely in love with! There's a big thing going on in France right now called Les Soldes (the Sales). It's one of a very few times each year that pretty much anything you have to spend money on to get is marked down a great deal. We're all trying to take advantage of the sales, but it's a little difficult when everyone else in France has the same idea! Selene and I also figured out how to work the printer at a copy shop and were able to complete all of the necessary paperwork for the end of the Visa process. We turned that in today to Ryan so we should be good for the next few weeks (at some point everyone has to get a check up with a doctor??) After that, the two of us walked and talked around the campus... got some beautiful pics of the place!

In the grocery store XD

Mmm mmm!! A bakery in Le Clerc

When the rest of our group got out of class, we all went over to a second, bigger cafétéria on campus to hopefully find some better food. We did! At the big cafeteria you can order baguette sandwiches, fruit, yogurt, mousse, desserts, coffee, lots of good stuff! And a meal is still only 3 euro for students :) I got a baguette with lettuce, tomato, ham, and hard boiled egg slices and it was soooo good. I actually felt full after eating it too so that was a major bonus. That evening, the four of us girls (Selene wasn't feeling well and went home) met up with a year-long student named Chai. She's been in Pau since last semester and knows the place well. She took about 7 of us on the bus to downtown Pau for some authentic Indian food (my first experience with such food). We went to Visnu which is apparently the best Indian restaurant in town and had the first floor entirely to ourselves until the end of our meal. Chai's been to the restaurant enough times that the bartender gave us all the house cocktail with a free refill and free rolls of fried eggplant. The whole meal was so good and it was really fun to try all of the different sauces and dips and whatnot. I had Chicken Korma- chicken in an almond cream sauce with raisins- and rice. But I also had something off of many other plates (Chai was delighted to find that we were all good with one of her favorite things: plate-sharing). Chantalle ordered herself a small bottle of rosé and Allie and Chai split a bottle of red... well, that was the plan. It turns out that none of them good drink all of that on their own so everyone at the table pitched in to help finish the drinks. I actually liked the red wine which, if you know me, is definitely saying something.

After dinner, we realized that the bus system was closed for the evening so we had to walk all the way back to the université- a 20 min walk. My new friends were so concerned about me walking home by myself from there that five of them decided to walk 20 min more to get me there and then the 20 min to get back. So nice, right?! All in all, it was a truly great day. I made new friends, had great food, and experienced the downtown area as if I belonged there. Not to mention the super chic shirts I bought today too :) I'm definitely beginning to enjoy myself in Pau