The best weekend!

This weekend was one of the best yet! I realized that one of my best decisions I’ve made in Paris was to get out of Paris. Michelle, Emily, and I had signed up to take a weekend trip to the Loire River Valley with a group called Club International des Jeunes a Paris, which is essentially just a club for people—French or foreign—in Paris, and they plan events and excursions all the time. It was a really great price for transportation, chateaux entry, and a hotel for Saturday night so we snatched the opportunity up! And hence I had the most incredible, beautiful weekend.

We had to leave Opera at 6:30 in the morning on Saturday so I woke up at 5. I’m pretty proud of my packing ability to stuff everything into just my backpack—including a towel. Maybe it doesn’t seem like such a feat, especially for such a short trip, but if you know me and my packing abilities, it was pretty impressive. Emily and I took the metro to Opera and there were actually a lot more people riding it at 6 in the morning than I would have expected. All the streets were eerily deserted, which was kind of cool. Michelle met us on the steps of the Opera and when all 50 or so of the group were there, we got on the bus. We left Paris by way of the Champs Elysees, and it is probably the only time I will get to drive down it in a car. The Arc de Triomphe was gorgeous and pleasantly deserted. I sat next to Michelle and Emily was in front of us and a really nice German girl sat down next to her. Her name is Melanie and she speaks French very well and she is so incredibly sweet! The four of us stuck together for the rest of the weekend, and it was really great to make a new friend :)

I really didn’t want to sleep on the bus for fear of missing the beautiful countryside, but I was just SO tired, so I had to nap for a little. I still got to see the rolling hills and valleys and mountains and it was like I was in a different world! We went to a rest stop about halfway through the ride and I bought a pain au chocolat and a hazelnut espresso. I hate coffee and the espresso tasted horrible to me, but I needed something to keep me awake. I was wide-awake for the rest of the trip, let me tell you. We got to Cheverney, the first chateau, around 10/10:30. My first chateau! How exciting! It was huge and white and very symmetrical and had acres and forests and rolling green lawns. We had a guided tour of the chateau, in which a family is actually living! Well, in one part. I can’t imagine living in a huge estate like that. Besides the beautiful grounds and lawns of the chateaux, what really blows my mind is that kings and queens once lived in these places that I’m visiting. I was in the bedrooms of ancient rulers—how amazing! And in Cheverney, all the furniture was original, centuries and centuries old. We had time to explore the grounds ourselves after the guided tour so the four of us walked to this lake and through a garden and to this area where there were a ton of hound dogs. I’ve never seen so many dogs in one place, howling like that. They’re the kind of dogs that were used for hunting way back in the day. We got really lucky with the weathe this weekend because it was sunny, clear blue skies and warm, all weekend! The perfect weekend for a trip to the chateaux.

We boarded the bus for our next stop, Blois, which isn’t too far from Cheverney. There are actually so many more chateaux in the Loire valley than I imagined. I would love to see them all, but I think it would be impossible. Blois is in a really cute little town (or city?) and it was so quaint! I loved that it was a city with shops and cafes but it wasn’t nearly as built-up as Paris. Much smaller and quieter and more intimate, but not old-fashioned. Paris really is a one of a kind on France, I think, and I don’t think there are any other cities really just like it. We had time to get lunch and walk around before our tour, to Michelle, Emily, and I treated ourselves to lunch at a café. It’s only the second time I’d been to a café all month. It’s just too expensive to eat out in Paris. But I had a delicious salad and it was really nice to sit and take our time eating and talk. The guided tour of the chateau was very nice, too. Blois is unique because each of its four walls/sections is from a different century and has a distinctly different style. For example, one is from Louis XII and another from Francois I. One thing that was a little different was that there were no records of how the chateau was decorated, so historians and people who reconstruct the house had nothing to really go by, so they had creative liberty to make it look like how they wanted. This makes the present décor unauthentic and kind of tacky. The tile floors were reminiscent of 1970s floor work.

Our hotel for the night was in Blois, down the street from the chateau so we went there next and got settled. Since Michelle, Emily, and I booked he trip together, we got put in the same room. It was small (re: cozy) with one big bed and a smaller bunked bed on top. Always an adventure. :) We didn’t stay in the room long because we met Melanie in the lobby for dinner. It was really nice to just walk around the city and explore, and we wound up finding a really great Italian place, kind of hidden from the main street. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was wonderful. We ate outside in a little square where there were colored lights intertwined in the tree branches…beautiful. We were really tired so after dinner we just went back to the hotel and went to bed early. All in all, it was a great day! Everything is more beautiful than I imagined and I never realized how much I needed nature. I love Paris and the city, but I think I can say that I much prefer life in the countryside.

Sunday: We woke up at 7:30 to have breakfast at 8 downstairs. It was actually a pretty plentiful breakfast, and I had a lot of bread and nutella. I’m so glad it’s a staple here! At home, I would never eat chocolate with breakfast—ok not NEVER—but here, it’s just another part of any complete meal. We got on the bus for…dun dun dun…Chenenceau! The mother of all chateaux. It’s one of the jewels if the Loire River Valley, and I was excited beyond words to see it. All the pictures are incredible, but it’s really more amazing in person. We didn’t have a guided tour of Chenenceau, so we got a lot of time to explore on our own. It took a while to move through the house, but I was really interested in seeing every room, like Catherine de Medeci’s bedroom! The chateau is on the river Cher (not Loire) and the reflection off the water is really something special. We took a ton of pictures! :) We also walked through a labyrinth and saw the vegetable garden and farm. There aren’t any animals on the farm anymore. But the apples in the vegetable garden were fresh and ripe and delicious! Don’t worry, we only took ones that were already on the ground.

You really need to spend a whole day at Chenenceu, more so than at any other chateau. I hope I can get back there someday to really explore the gardens. Oof, I am in love with it!

Our final stop, very close to Chenenceau, was Amboise. This one was not included in the price we paid for the weekend, which I didn’t know. But Le Clos Luce, where Leonardo lived for three years (the last three years of his life, in fact) in Amboise so we chose to go see that instead of the proper chateau. It was a little expensive and I was a little miffed at first because the house itself was not very impressive, and there was nothing really authentic about it. I mean, it was still awesome to be in the rooms where he lived, but I guess I was just expecting something else. It was much better when we explored the property ourselves outside. I think all of us just really enjoy nature and need to be around it. It was beautiful.

The trip back to Paris took over 3 hours, especially due to traffic driving into the city. I was feeling a little “le sigh” coming back to Paris because I missed the countryside. Wow, that makes me sound like a brat: “Oh, such a tough life, I have to return to Paris.” It’s not like that AT ALL. I just mean to say, I loved being in nature and I miss it. I think I’m going to try to get out of Paris more this semester. You really don’t have to go far outside of the city to see hills and greenery. I’m going to make an effort to take advantage of not only the city, but the suburbs, too.

All in all: incredible weekend! I’m so glad the three of us had the opportunity to explore the Loire River Valley and take in its beauty and history. :)

Until next time!

INTERNSHIP 101

Hey everyone! Ok so this is going to be a kind of long post because I want to give you all the lowdown on my internship and what's been going on lately. Just try to stay with me!

On Monday all 7 of us started our internships, and each f us has a different one according to our interests. In some cases, they're directly related to our majors, and in other cases, they just have to do with something we're interested in. It's convenient that Thomas, the guy at IFE who coordinates the internship part of the program, also works for a website named Parutions.com which reviews books and DVD. Most of the books are French, but not all. Well, if they're not originally French, they're translated. Since I interned at a literary agency this past summer, I though this offer would suit me really well. I work in the IFE building since the website does not have a proper building or headquarters, and Thomas is there so he can help me if I ever need anything. And luckily, it's only a 20 minute walk from my foyer! I work at 10, which is not too early or late, and I have a nice walk to work. What are my main responsibilities, you ask? Well! I read books, write reviews/articles for the website, and then, in most cases, interview the author. It's a pretty sweet deal, I think. For example, Thomas gave me a collection of short stories written by Jay McInerney, an American author. His most noted work is Bright Lights, Big City, which I actually never read. I only have the French translated version of the new book, of course, so I had to read it twice to make sure I really understood it. It interested me for the most part, though some of the subject material is coarse/shocking/uncomfortable. I definitely want to read it in English, though! The vocabulary, at times, was difficult and I had to frequently consult my little dictionary. I like working in IFE because it's quiet and I can really focus on my work. On the other hand, I don't have the opportunity to constantly be surrounded by people speaking French so I can listen and also speak to improve my French. At least I'm reading a lot of it!

My interview with McInerney is Friday (day after tomorrow) and I'm really glad my first interview is in English. I've begun to put together a bunch of questions, and I think I'm on the right track. I also wrote a rough draft of the article for the website and Thomas is impressed with it so far, and with my level of French/writing. That just put me on cloud 9! I'm still pretty nervous about the interview because McInerney is such a well-known writer! It'll take place in a cafe. I wonder what the codes are, can I order food? A drink? I'll ask Thomas tomorrow what the protocol is. I think the majority of the rest of the interviews will be in French since I will be reading books that were originally printed in French. It's a lot of work, not just during the regular hours of the internship during the day (Monday-Thursday from 10-12ish now, later after my phonetics class ends in a couple weeks), but also at night and when I'm on my own. I'll be constantly reading. But the good thing I get to choose the genres and exact titles that interest me. If they haven't already been reviewed, I can read and review them and then Thomas gets in touch with his editors to see if the author is available for an interview. I'll let you know how it goes! I like that I have an important role in my internship and get to do very hands-on things. If my articles make it onto the website, I'll give you guys the link! Be armed with your own dictionaries to understand it :) One last thing: I also get invitations to book/DVD release parties for the press with the author. I'm going to one Monday night and I get to bring a friend. I'm quite excited about it!

More about today in general:

Thomas was in Strausborg, in northern France today, so since he wasn't in the office, I didn't have to come in either. I decided to do the work I would normally do at IFE in my room. I like being able to get stuff done in a very convenient place. I did my usual 2 hours of work, but inevitably I end up doing at least one more hour total during the day or night. I worked 9-11 instead of 10-12 so I could leave early to get pasta for lunch before class---mmm! And I met a very nice girl in another class who is very into writing and poetry and she and I are going to go to a cafe next weekend that has regular open mic poetry nights on Saturdays! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I was in heaven when she told me! This is exactly what I've been looking for. It's mostly in English, and the poets are of all levels of talent, so I think I might read there eventually. Oof, I am just elated about it :)

And tonight we had our Wednesday night class with Isabelle. Boy, do I love that class. We mostly shared our internship experiences thus far with her and the class as a whole, and we had some time to talk about some phonetics-related things. She is just so nice and fun to be around, it's like being taught by a friend, not a professor. It's a great way to top off a Wednesday. After, the girls got dinner together and it was nice :) Since we're all so busy lately and a bit burnt out, it's so nice to be able to have some time together to catch up. What a great group.

I am obsessed with the new Company of Thieves album, and listen to it an unhealthy amount. Do yourself a favor and buy it. My classes were not bad today and I approached today with a positive attitude, and it really makes a difference. It's easy to let little things get in the way, like yesterday I had a bad class and was feeling pretty bummed about it. But I have to put everything in perspective, and I really noticed that my day will turn out well or not depending entirely on how I approach it. If I believe it'll be a great day, like I did today, then it will be. It's kind of liberating. I have a great weekend coming up with a trip to the Loire River Valley with Emily and Michelle (and a big group) to see the chateaux which I am dying to see. Interview Friday. And tomorrow I'm going to hear an author talk about his recently published book.

In review: Internship is busy but great. Classes are going well. Quinn is coming in 3 weeks (!!) I'm feeling really great. :)

Gros bisous!

This Is Paris (In Jeopardy! announcer voice)

La Sacre Coeur at night



The greenhouses and flowers
La Fontaine de Medici at the Luxembourg Gardens

Bonjour mes amis! It's Saturday night right now and I wanted to write to wrap up the last couple days, which were pretty great, especially today. It's about midnight and I came back from being out with friends, but I'm just so exhausted so I wanted to make it an early night. But let me rewind a little:

Friday:

We had our first Paris-France-Paris class, which will be every Friday from 9 am-noon. It's the earliest I've had to wake up in a while, so it was pretty hard. I think I'm going to really enjoy the class because it has to do with the city of Paris itself--how it interacts with the suburbs and with the country as a whole, as well as its history and culture and even a bit about Parisians. We also will get to go on a few excursions throughout the semester! 3 hours is a long time to sit in class but I hope I will really like it. The only thing that bothered me was that Thierry, our professor and a seemingly nice guy--also a historian so he really knows his stuff-knew class ended at 12 and that we had to get our next class after, but he still kept us until 12:20. I was a little annoyed because we were worried we wouldn't have time to get lunch before taking the metro, which in and of itself takes a half hour. I just hope class doesn't go past 12 in the future.

My other classes were great--I had a test in my phonetics class but it was really easy and took about 30 seconds total. I have a good feeling about it, but all we had to do was repeat the phrases my prof said, and we'd had all class period to practice. And in my next class, we had a substitute. He was a man who also normally teaches at the Sorbonne, and he was so animated and SO SWEET and I could tell he really enjoyed teaching us. I wish he were our regular professor because I'm starting to realize I'm not too fond of my real one. She's nice enough, I guess. I just don't feel the love. If you get an answer wrong she just says "no" and moves on. It's a little bit harsh, but I don't know if that means I've been babied in the US? Nah, I think it just comes down to being nice. Anyway, I came back to the foyer after class, had dinner a la cantine with my friends, and got a lot of homework done. I was planning on staying in all night to get work done but luckily, I got a lot of reading done and prepared my presentation for class on Monday. So Emily and I walked to this little cafe in the 20th, not too far from our foyer, where there was a jazz group playing music. Unfortunately we just caught the tail end of it, but the music was incredible. One man played the clarinet and it sounded just like a saxophone, it was beautiful. It was a little crowded down in the small room but everyone was moving to the music and enjoying it. I would love to find more events like this on the weekends! And the rest of the Goucher group was there too :) I love being able to hang out with them outside of class, because we all do get along so well. After, Emily, Natalia, Kat, and some new friends Laurent and Zi Peng all went out to a cafe! I was really craving hot chocolate. We went to one close to our foyer, not too far from La Bastille. Dessert is only served until midnight but we were still able to get some, though it was about 12:30. The eating schedules are so different here. Most people sit down to eat dinner at AT LEAST 10 pm. Even around 1 am, tons of people were in cafes, drinking (mostly), but also eating dinner. I would have to be on my second or third dinner by that hour! But all the same, I was thankful the cafe was open late so I could get some hot chocolate and a dessert. All in all, it was a great night :)

Saturday:

Today was the first day of the Journee de Patrimoine, which is today and tomorrow. It is one weekend once a year where many events/monuments/expositions in Paris are free to the public. It's sort of for a celebration of history and culture--and just pride in France! There was too much to see and it wa a little overwhelming, so we just picked a couple things to see today. I met Michelle and Kat at the Luxembourg Garden because the greenhouses, many with orchids, were free and open to the public. It's the only time of the year when they are open. I LOVE being surrounded by flowers and plants, as in a botanical garden. Everything was so rich in color and beautiful, so I took lots of photos. Michelle and I posed with the flowers as if they were celebrities, haha. The three of us had what I called a "terribly Parisian picnic" of pasta in a box (yes! again!) in the garden before heading off to Bercy to meet John, Natalia, Emily, and Zi Peng. There was a techno parade happening which we could hear approaching, but weren't able to see.

The next thing we attended was a guided tour of Bercy village, which is an area in the 12th, not too far from our foyer. I suppose one could walk, as John did, but I prefer to take the metro. It was very hard to hear the woman speaking because she was softspoken and we were in an area with a lot of noise, so after a while some of us chose to leave the tour. We had been in a beautiful park, so we walked around and took a bunch of photos by some pretty fountains and other things. It was nice also just to lay out on the grass and enjoy the beautiful day. We really did get lucky with the weather. :) There were lots of people out with their children and so many dogs. I saw two doxies! Neither of which really looked like doxies...and a corgi, too :) Tonight's activities included a trip to Montmartre (re: Sacre Coeur) with Em, Michelle, Kat, and a new guy in the foyer named Matt. He seems to be impressed with our knowledge of the city, which makes me feel kind of cool! I am learning my way around and the general area/direction of things. I better be a metro pro by the end of this. I can already name the 11 stops between Nation and Denfert-Roucherou, in order. That probably doesn't mean anything to 99% of you reading this, haha. Though there were a lot of people, it was great to sit on the grass and just take in the sights. We got a bottle of wine to share and I got a nutella crepe which I managed to spill on my new boots AND pants. Oh, well. It really is the best way to see the city, and the view is unbeatable. The Eiffel Tower was lit up and it is just magical. You can see how small of a city Paris really is, looking at it from the Sacre Coeur.

All in all, last night and today/tonight were full of things that I really felt like I wanted my semester to be like: exploring the city, cultural outings, intimate musical gatherings, relaxing in a park or at a grand, symbolic French monument. It's sort of whimsical and fantastic and I feel quite sophisticated. There are just certain times when I think, This Is Paris.

La Politesse

It's true, I've always thought the French were extremely polite. I think I referenced this in an earlier post. I love how you always have to say "hello" and "goodbye" and "thank you" to people, no matter who they are. In stores, restaurants, the foyer, whether it's people you know or complete strangers, it's just expected to say these things in salutations. I learned a little more about customs of politeness and "rules" like that today:

For one, it is impolite to put your hands under the table at a restaurant. In America, I think it's most polite to fold your hands in your lap while pausing from eating or after a meal. Do you think so, too? In France, it's not polite to do this; in fact, it's more acceptable to place your hands on the table--but no elbows! I wonder how exactly you place them--palms up or down? I don't think it matters, so long as they're visible. This is the case because it's expected that one affirms that he/she is not hiding anything. Tout est visible.

Also, it is absolutely unacceptable to talk about bathrooms in restaurants, as well as other people's homes. If you need to go to the bathroom, you either A) Walk around like a lost person, until the host can infer that you need the bathroom and thus direct you, B) Say you need to wash your hands, or C) Not go at all during the meal. Because then people KNOW what you're doing, and you're doing it while they're in the middle of eating--gross! Even if a meal lasts 2-3 hours, as many French meals can, it's most polite to just hold it. And if someone asks where your friend is, and he is in the bathroom, you're not supposed to say that. You say you don't know. There are certain subjects that are just off-topic for the French, and this is one of them. In an informal setting, it's a little more acceptable, but still best to not be talked about at all.

If someone sneezes, it's more polite to NOT say "bless you." Or, in this case, "a tes/vos souhaits." By saying this, you acknowledge that someone made noise and did something kind of unclean (though not their fault), and you just underline all these facts. It's better to say nothing at all and not make a big deal out of it. Especially when people sneeze 5, 6, 7 times in a row, it can also get annoying to say. They know you sneezed, and they moved on. Bon!

ANother interesting thing that doesn't really concern politeness and manners is the role of the foreigner in France. Let's face it-- one can say in general that the French, especially Parisians, have a bad rap with Americans. Many thing that they're rude and brash and unwilling to accept others. French is the be all, end all. It's not COMPLETELY untrue. There are some aspects of truth, and it was kind of cool to hear my French professor talk to us about it. The French are VERY proud of their heritage and their language. If you make an effort to speak the language, they really appreciate it. In general, they think, if you speak French, you're a good person. I know, it sounds like of crazy, right, these judgments? At the same time, they love speaking the (more often than not, very few) English words they know. My professor said that the French will often try to talk to us in English but we "have to persevere in French and be stronger than them!" Haha, it was pretty funny. As a side note, I love my new professor, and we have her for a phonetics/internship class every Wednesday night. I think I'm going to learn a lot.

I like how in my classes I don't just learn grammar and textbook information, but also important nuances of French life and culture. The REAL important things. Like, the French rarely drink milk. This surprised me, what with all the popularity of cheese and the cows in the countryside. Almost no one drinks milk here. Are my bones going to suffer in the coming months? Maybe. Though I think the dairy in my gelato will suffice until December.... :)

Weekend in Review:

Bonjour tout le monde! It's been a little while since I last wrote, so, to appease my adoring fans (re: Mumsy), here's an update:

I survived my first week of classes! And it really isn't all that bad. I'm meeting new people every day and everyone seems really nice. My phonetics class is blowing my mind, and I love it. It's only one hour a day, every day until October 6th. Just 17 more classes to go, I think. The other class is ok too, and I have to prepare an oral presentation for next week. But enough with boring class/homework stuff.

I had a very relaxing, low-key weekend, and it was just what I wanted. Friday I bought some books for school with Emily, John, and Michelle. I needed a French-French dictionary to add to my growing collection of books and notebooks for classes. John, Em, and I had dinner in the foyer and it wasn't too bad--nowhere near as good as the previous night's spaghetti Bolognese. Note to self: remember to eat dinner at the foyer on Thursday nights. I wanted to get out and do something fun. Last Friday night a bunch of us went to a bar/dance club and it was really fun, but I wasn't in the mood to do that Friday night. I just wanted some fresh air. So Emily, John, two new friends from the foyer, and I took a walk to the Bastille and wandered down an animated side street. I thought it was so lively and hip/cool...turns out, we were told not to go there because it's where all the touristy bars are. Oh well, it was fun to see the street bustling on a Friday night! We didn't go into any, instead opting for a restaurant called Paradis des Fruits. There are a lot of smoothies and things with fruit, so naturally, I had the unhealthiest, most dessert-like thing on the menu. It was called an "Ivoire Ivoire" and had: vanilla ice cream, coconut ice cream, coconuts, hot fudge, bananas, nuts, and whipped cream. UNBELIEVABLE. I had some help from my friends in finishing it. And after, I wanted a nutella crepe so I literally had to dig out 3 euros all in coins, most in 20 centime pieces. It was my most desperate moment yet--but man, was that a good crepe. :) We walked around and came back to the foyer but I was so tired so I just went right to bed.

Saturday:

Big shopping day! Michelle and I tore apart Les Halles, as well as Rue de Rivoli and Boulevard Faubourg- Saint Antoine. My jeans that used to fit me are mysteriously too big now so I had to buy some more pairs...along with some other things, too. Michelle and I just hung out for the rest of the evening and had a picnic in my room of pizza, bread and wine. There's a chain of grocery stores here that ONLY sell frozen food. It's called Picard and it's magical! Haha. We got our pizza there. And we bought a bottle of Cote-du-Rhone rose wine. It was a splurge at 5 euros. A lot of the wine in the grocery stores is 2-3 euros. I thought I was going to get carded when we bought it! Michelle skyped with Sam from Goucher and I talked to him too, and John came into my room and talked too. Oh, the wonders of internet! It was fun to have a little picnic on my floor, with not-quite-undercooked pizza and wine in cheap plastic "flutes." A classy evening, to say the least. Before I went to bed I got to skype with Ilana, Sam H., Amy, Sari, Quinn, Brett and Keith. It was so great! I felt like I was right there in the apartment with them. It made me miss school more, but I've come to terms with the fact that I can simultaneously miss Goucher and enjoy myself in Paris. Now if I can just bring all my friends HERE...

And today: Michelle took my phone home by accident so I've been phoneless, which is curiously freeing. I went to the Luxembourg Gardens to read my book. It's a collection of short stories by Jay McInerney (Bright Lights, Big City). It's all in French and I ahve to read it for my internship. I wanted to stay in the garden logner but it was a bit cold for me and it looked like it might rain, so I left. I wanted to get a lot of reading done today since I think I have to finish the book by the end of the month and I think taking time to look up words in the dictionary will make it go slower, but I also didn't want the weekend to end without my having done anything cultural. So I took an impromptu trip to the Eiffel Tower! I've wanted to go ever since i've been here. I took the metro to a stop I've never been to in an arrondissement I've never been in, and walked. Luckily, I had my camera so I asked some nice people to take my photo with it. It's incredible in person. I don't have the money to go up it, and I didn't want to go by myself, anyway, but it was really cool to see it so up close. I'll have to go back another time. :) The whole time, I was thinking, THIS IS PARIS. The Eiffel Tower kind of clinches it for me. Im off to do mroe reading now, but will check in again soon. A plus!

Bisous

I got a sesame seed in my eye. Don't ask.

Some things I've noticed:

1. I find it funny how even very dressed-up people ride around town on their motorcycles. Have I mentioned this before? It gets me every time--men in business suits and women in their high heels. I think there is a law that says people have to wear helmets when on motorcycles, because I've seen everyone wearing them. Bicycles are another story, and I think the helmet is optional.

2. I love that everyone here is polite and says "hello" to one another. When you enter stores and cafes and anywhere, really, you're pretty much obliged to say hello to the person working/hosting there. But even just the other students in the foyer, too. Depending on the time of say you say either "bonjour" or "bonne soiree." And when leaving places, always say thank you and goodbye. I know it's common sense and manners but it sounds so nice here and I love how polite it is! Whatever the stereotypes are about the French, I've had nothing but wonderful interactions with them. As long as you put in an effort to speak French, they understand and are willing to help. The French students here love to speak English! It's great.

3. All over the city there are stations with lines of bikes where anyone can swipe their card and "sign out" a bike for X amount of time to ride wherever they want. When they're done, they can return it to any station. And they really are everywhere. Isn't that a great idea? It's called Velibs (bike = "velo") and it works a lot better here than it did at Goucher! Grr. What an awesome service. It cuts down on fuel from cars and motorcycles and even opens up the metro a bit. I'm not sure how much it costs, but i think it's free for the first half hour. We can use our Navigo metro passes to pay for it, so I think I would like to try one day! I haven't ridden a bike in a long time and I don't know the bike routes/lanes/directions/rules of the road well enough yet, but I hope to try at least once.

4. I had to read an article and do a short presentation on it for my IFE class the other day, so I chose one about the possible rise in price of cigarettes. It sparked a general conversation on smoking in Paris because it seems like everyone here smokes. I asked if there were any strong anti-smoking campaigns here like there are in the US (you know those Truth ads against tobacco companies?). Mathieu (professor) said that you will not find any ads FOR smoking in France. It's illegal. The same goes for alcohol. And come to think of it, I've never once seen a poster or ad for a beer company or drink, and certainly not for cigarettes. It's quite interesting.

Also, as a small side note, I think lots of people, both French and "etranger" think that the French healthcare system is the best in the world. I think it's definitely one of the best, but it's not perfect. While it is certainly admirable, Mathieu asked if we, as Americans, who often make comments about wanting a similar system, would be willing to pay so much for it. Of course there is a price to pay and it is not free healthcare. I think he said that 50% of taxes go to healthcare. So out of a check of $5,000, $2,500 goes to healthcare. It's a lot of money. And I don't think most Americans would be willing to pay that much for healthcare. I guess the bottom line is, if I need to get sick or injured, better to do it here where I know I will be well taken care of! (knock on wood.)

En Plus

The benefits of being the first one inside the Musee D'Orsay
The best hot chocolate in the whole city! Mmm (I would take a photo like this)
Trying out a more sophisticated Parisian look
Buttes Chaumonts, a beautiful park
Look--I'm "tan!"

1. Decided not to run after dinner because the "food" in the foyer was FOUL tonight. Running would have been a mistake...

2...So instead decided to walk to La Bastille to get yummy gelato!

It makes sense, right? Well, in my head, it does.

(also, some photos...)

First Day of Classes!

Today was the first day of classes! I was definitely ready for the m to start so I could get into a routine. I like gallivanting around Paris and being able to do whatever I want, but I need a little structure. Especially when it seems as though everyone else is already busy with school. Not yet knowing what level classes we were in, we had to go to one of the Sorbonne buildings to find out. John, Emily, and I all walked there together. We left around 9:15 and the walk took about an hour but the weather was absolutely gorgeous so I loved it. We walked through the Jardin des Plantes (Botanical Garden) and it was so serene and calm. The whole process of waiting in long lines to find out our classes and then buy the necessary books took a while and was not very efficient. The Goucher group filtered in, in various groups but we all waited for each other. Based on the entrance exams we took last week, I was placed in the intermediate level. There are two levels above me and three below. I’m really happy with my placement! I don’t think it will be too hard for me and I expect to learn a lot. And hopefully I will do well since I have a pretty solid background. We’ll see! Max is the only other one in my class, so it’s nice to have a familiar face.

We girls walked around Rue Mouffetard (what a silly name!) after we left the Sorbonne because we had the rest of the morning free until our classes actually began later in the afternoon. The street is so cute and funky and has lots of stores and cheap places to eat. I hope I can come back often. We found this place that sells pasta…in Chinese-food takeout-like boxes! We’ve been hunting such a place down for over a week and I was elated to find one. Yes, my meat ravioli in Bolognese sauce was DELICIOUS. Em, Natalia and I took the metro back to La Nation to go grocery shopping for our fridge. I’m so excited about it, and we bought things like yogurt, celery, bread, and salami. I hope I can save money by making/bringing lunch during the day. We only had a little bit of time back at the foyer before we had to go to classes. Luckily ,all 7 of us have class from 3-5, but in different places. Kat, Natalia, Max, and I are in one building while Michelle, Emily, and John are elsewhere (but not too far from us). Best part: I get to walk RIGHT PAST the Notre Dame on my way to class! It’s unreal. I love it.

My class went well today! I think I’m going to really enjoy it. 90% of the class is American. I was looking forward to meeting a lot of international students who are also learning French—I feel like we’re in the same boat. It’s great to be surrounded by other people who are not French but also practicing their French. We did a lot of simple things today like grammar, but I’m glad we’re reviewing. I befriended a British girl so I hope I get to meet a lot of people from the class. As far as I can tell, everyone seems nice. It’s only the first day so not many people talked, but I have high hopes. I love my professor—she’s fun and sweet and very easy to understand. J Always a plus! I have some more books to buy—a French/French dictionary, a book of verbs and their conjugations—but I will wait a day or two. I’m looking forward to this class!

After, I came back to the foyer and did some work. I hope I have enough time during the days and nights to get things done. I have some homework, not a lot, but I also need time to write in my journal, do blog updates, and check e-mails, etc. I ave a feeling it might not all get done until much later at night. And I have to somehow fit running into the mix! Tonight Em and I are going to run after dinner because there isn’t time before. We might go somewhere that’s closer than going all the way back to the Luxembourg Gardens. Ok dinner in ten minutes. Must be off!

Also, yesterday was a splendid day filled with a trip to the Musee d’Orsay (it was free!), gelato, and a fantastic, long conversation with Michelle in a park we found in the 16^th. I also did laundry, hung out at a birthday party for one of the girls in my foyer and made more new friends, and skyped with Quinn. In other words: wonderful. A bientot, mes amis!

Bisous!

Would you rather have a toilet or friends?

...I choose friends. Emily and I were talking today and came to the conclusion that even though our foyer has some great amenities--it's bright, clean, new, and we have our own bathrooms--it's not very hospitable. No one who works here has told us ANYTHING. Not how to use our key to get into the foyer (Obviously we figured it out on our own by now). Not that breakfast is, in fact, available on the weekends. Not that our sheets are cleaned for us every couple of weeks. And not that we had to get our tickets for our dinners. We went to the office today and we weren't even on the list! No one seems to know we're living here. I wonder that if we hadn't ever asked, and just waited for the tickets in our mailboxes, we never would have been able to eat dinner here. Other people in the Goucher program are meeting lots of people in their foyers and are in homey, relaxed, amicable environments and sometimes Charonne just feels cold and shut off. I know part of it is that I have to do my part to go out and meet other students, but it seems like it's easier elsewhere. I choose friends over a toilet.

In other world news:

Today was pretty good! We had another class this morning, by a different man named Mathieu. He seems very nice but speaks like a true French person: lots of "uhhhs" in the middle of sentences and phrases and it's hard to differentiate one word from the next because they all meld together. I have to work so hard to listen and understand. He speaks aggressively, too. It's not as fluid and lovely-sounding as some other people I've heard, but it's interesting to get another view. He spoke to us about French government and the history of the Republic and the party system, which turned into a conversation about immigration and discrimination laws. I love this material! History and government were always my things in high school, so I was really interested. I learned that laws in Paris are absolutely universal throughout the country. For example, you can't have the death penalty in Brittany and not in Montpellier. Or have it in Paris but not in Normandy. It's the same law EVERYWHERE. I think that's just wonderful! Mathieu is teaching more classes of ours and we'll have to each give a presentation at some point.

After, Gilbert took us to an Indian place for lunch. It was 100% vegetarian. lately I've really been craving meat, and when I eat Indian food, I generally only eat meat dishes. I think meat is an important component of my diet and I really have hardly eaten it here. I've been craving it a lot! As much as I want to save money on food, I'm afraid I'm not getting enough of the right foods in my diet, and I think it's worth it to spend a little more to get a good meal that's more than just a sandwich for lunch or an apple for breakfast. I didn't enjoy my lunch very much--two samosas, which tasted fine, but weren't satisfying--but oh, well. I had already planned my next dessert expedition. After lunch we walked around a new area for us, along the Canal. It was pretty but boy, was it windy today! I dressed up a little in an outfit I might not normally wear, but I felt pretty good about it, minus all the wind. Does that even make sense?

Emily and I paid for and obtained our fridge today! I'm so excited to be able to buy food and store it. It's in her room since she'll be here for the whole year, and I think we're going to go food shopping tomorrow. :) It was funny taking it back to her room because she lives on the 5th floor and the girl we bought it from lives on the 6th floor. We were all ready to take the elevator down a floor but the elevators on odd numbered floors only go to odd numbered floors, and the same for even. So we had to take the narrow, winding dungeon-like spiral staircase, and it was quite the adventure.

And then....we went out to dinner! Because of my insane craving for meat and the disappointment that was lunch, we went out to an Indian restaurant. It was AMAZING! Expensive, yes, but sooo worth the money. I had chicken and lamb and even quail! And Nan, and we were automatically given some (delicious) rose wine. The restaurant was in the 14th, which we're not familiar with. But the area seemed animated and vibrant, so I'd like to go back. We sat for over two hours and ate delicious food and talked about all sorts of things, and I absolutely loved it. :) I recommend "Restaurant Vallee du Kashmir" to anyone looking for great Indian food. Now I'm stuffed and more than ready to go to bed. Tomorrow is probably a little more of the same. Hopefully the wind and cold weather will hold off!

Things I've noticed...

1. I don't dream here. Well, there was that one time last week I dreamt that I was playing with paper flowers in the kitchen with Emily and Michelle and I threw mine. It landed on the stove, burst into flames, and a huge fire ensured. What is my problem with fires? I guess whatever it is, it decided to follow me all the way here!

2. There are a lot of homeless people here. At first glance I didn't think it was worse than in New York City. But the more I think about, I think it might be worse here, if not just as bad. One problem is, I haven't seen a single homeless shelter. Do they have them here? If there's no place for them to go and seek food and a place to stay, then they just end up on the streets. It's really sad. Differences I've noticed are that here, they often employ props/other things into their...well, can I call it an act? I hesitate to call it that. Homelessness is a huge can of worms and I don't really want to go into it now, but I feel sympathy for them while at the same time, feeling bad for sympathizing when I don't even know if it's real. The money these people ask for often goes to buying booze and drugs anyway, so I don't want to enable. Once I was cornered for money and I gave a woman some coins. Bad, Sam! I can't do it anymore. If I give something to one person, then I have to give to all...and I don't even know where my money is really going, anyway. Anyway, here dogs often accompany the homeless. I even saw a small child today. But here, I feel that they are more eager to approach you. In my experience in the States, the homeless usually just keep to themselves on the streets and are a presence. But here, they are not shy about approaching you and begging for money and following you. They're so persistent, and I really hate it. Especially the gypsies that I've encountered around the 4th arrondissement. They beg and cry and it's terrible. It makes me both sad and upset.

3. Equally as persistent are the street vendors. At the huge flea market that we went to the other day, there were a ton under the bridge trying to shove products in people's faces. Some were even physically taking people by the arm and trying to walk with them while selling something. I think that's too much. Whatever the case, I've been told by many people that if someone asks me if I speak English, I'm supposed to say "no" and keep walking. Or just not respond at all. That's how they get you--it's not always hard to pick us out and tell that we're Americans. Or at the very least, not French.

Anyway, these are just some things I've noticed. I'm curious to hear what you guys think about it all.