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Last weekend was the best yet. I got a roommate--she is Spanish and her name is Ana. We speak French together because she doesn't speak English and I don't speak Spanish. Also, I don't speak French well so communication can be difficult. Despite that, it is better having a roommate and it is good for my French. Maybe I will start speaking French with a Spanish accent. Hope not.

Anyway, she stayed at a hotel this weekend because her mom was in town so I really didn't get to know her until Sunday night. But we have really clicked. We commiserate about our sad, empty apartment and are planning a trip to a nearby Ikea to buy some things to make it a happier place to live. We say our appartment is "un peu triste," a little sad. We also share our hatred of Monsieur Thomas, aka "the gray man" because he won't give us an extra bed to use as a couch. But Ana and I are doing roommate things as we struggle to communicate--we watched a DVD on my laptop in English with Spanish subtitles and made spaghetti and salad to eat together.

I also met some other American assistants this weekend. I went to Metz and stayed with an assistant who lives there. I met some really nice people and we went out to a bar. I also met some German assistants in Metz. Metz is really nice, it is a very German French town. If that makes sense. I really like it. There are a lot of streets that are only for pedestrians, and fountains, parks, the river, the cathedral. It only took like 15 minutes to get to Metz by train so I plan to go a lot. And to Nancy also. When I left on Saturday afternoon for Metz, I got on the wrong train! But LUCKILY I was the first person whose ticket was checked so they stopped the train for me! The man thought I was a German tourist and he took down my name. And then he was like "Ohhhh an American." Yep, that's me. But I made it home the next day sans probleme.

I also met the German assistant at the school. Her name is Katerina and I think she might speak English better than I do. She also speaks French the best and is the bravest so she handles most of the talking situations when all of the assistants are together.

Yesterday, after Ana and I made dinner we met up with Katerina and the other American assistant in town, Laura and that was fun. We went to Jack's Bar. That is what it is called, in English and everything. I never really know how to pronounce English words en francais.

Tomorrow, Laura and I have our orientation for the assistant's job in Nancy so that should be fun. Meet other Anglophones and such. Also, I techinally started yesterday, but so far I have only been to two classes and only for 15 minutes each. The students asked me questions like "Where do you come from?" and "Do you smoke?" "What is your name?," and "Can you shop all night long in America?" in their cute French accents. They have never heard an American accent so it is difficult for them to understand my English. They didn't understand the word "literature" even though it is the same in French! I didn't have anything to do today, but I am excited to get going with more classes.