Pauvre Clermont :-(

Picture 1: Typical French spectator with his beret and wine, I'm sure there was a baguette somewhere around him too.

Picture 2: Everyone sitting to watch the game

Picture 3: Me and Melissa sitting

Picture 4: Melissa's friends

Picture 5: People getting excited before the match

Picutre 6: Mel and I with her Nephew Loo

Picture 7: My Host Grandad and Dad with his OU golf towel

Picture 8: On the golf course

Picture 9: Mel and I in the cart

The next day after I went to the English lesson I got switched into a more advanced French class only to find out that class was having a test the next day! Luckily it was all stuff I had already learned so I was pretty sure it would be ok but I was just glad I was feeling more challenged. My teacher is a really young French guy and he's pretty interesting! The test went pretty ok I think the next day and then Melissa, her step-dad and grandad came and picked me up from school to go golfing.

The place was really and pretty since it was out in the countryside. There were lots of old men drinking wine and smoking cigars just like what you would expect of any club and also the french haha. We ate lunch there and I had duck which I've decided I really like. The grandad rented me some womens clubs which was really sweet. At lunch I heard Mel ask how many holes we were gonna play, I was hoping 9 but then I heard dix-huit and was a little more stressed! I'm good with 9 but 18 is so tiring! We got in the cart and started in on the holes and I did pretty much like normal lol the guys would laugh at me because I would do really bad then really good so all in all it was ok! I didn't have a glove so after awhile my hand really hurt. After we finished the guys all wanted to go smoke some more and have a beer so Mel and I went and drank a coke and she got a thing called sirop, which is basically just like a melted snowcone. It was a fun experience to go play with them and it was funny to realize that all of the golf terms are exactly the same with French pronunciations. Like Fairway, top le bol, the green, pronounced le gren etc.

That night Melissa's nephew came over who is 1 year old and he was really cute. We played with him for awhile and I went to bed early because I was so tired and knew we had big plans for Saturday in Clermont.

I woke up the next day pretty late because it was almost lunchtime. We had veal and some other meat and I can't remember the last time I ate any sort of seafood or chicken haha. I've had to break my no red meat rule at pretty much every meal but it's all been good! I met Melissa's sister and we stayed with Loo, the baby, a little longer till we headed out to Clermont to watch their rugby team in the French Championship. Apparently for the last 9 years they've gone and still haven't won or something like that. It was really cool being there because everyone was so excited and there was a huge screen in Jaude Place, where everyone sat and watched the game. I thought it was hilarious because when it came time for the game, everyone sat down and it was just a known rule. That would never happen in America, one because of personal space rules, and two its sort of a pride thing lol. All of the spectators were dressed in there jaune et bleu with baguette sandwiches in hand and bottles of beer and wine everywhere, which also wouldn't fly in America! haha. Rugby was really cool and very intense and they were winning till halftime, when they ended up loosing again and I'm not lying when I say that every person was completely quiet and depressed, worse than an OU Texas game. Lots of guys were crying and it was really sad because I guess this was supposed to be there year to win. So instead of going to any after partys Mel and I went home because we knew none of them were going to be any fun after that.

I thought it was fun even though they lost because it was cool and totally different! Today is Mothers Day here so all of Mel's family is coming over for dinner which should be a pretty interesting experience!