Back to School--Sort Of

Sacre Coeur

My favorite Crepe place...like a carnival!

One view of my tiny but cozy room
A view from Fontaineblue, a town (and forest) outside of Paris

Awesome street art in Saint Ouen, outside Paris
Emily et moi at the Louvre (!!!)

The girls at the Louvre

La Notre Dame, beautifully lit at night

Showcasing my first crepe of the trip...certainly not the last!

It's been a few days. I want to write a post every day but I don't have the time, unfortunately. Every minute of the day and night is worthy of being noted, I think. My weekend was a whirlwind, with some highlights:

Visiting Montmartre and Sacre Coeur

Giant flea market in the 18th

Climbing a mountain in Fountainebleu

Enjoying an evening in my favorite garden, alone, writing in my journal (spectacular)

Dinner with high school (and middle/elementary school) friend Iliana and her mom

Today we had two classes at IFE. Classes don't officially start until the 7th of September (which it technically already is, in paris--rabbit, rabbit!) at the Sorbonne and the 14th for IFE. But as part of orientation, we have to attend some courses to get us better acclimated with France and our environment. I'm adopting the country for the next four months so it's important to know a lot about my new home. It's kind of like extended French classes from Goucher...but A LOT better. The first was all about culture and politics in France and the relationship between the two--both today and over the past numerous centuries. It was like an extension of FR 245 so I was familiar with some of the information, which was nice. I learned a lot of really interesting things, such as when French became the official language of the country. (1992, correct me if I'm wrong). Also, contemporary art is becoming a lot more expensive than older art from the Renaissance, for example. A painting by Raphael is not as valuable as a contemporary instillation, which surprises me. I generally do not have a fine appreciation for contemporary art--just don't GET it--so this really interests me. The class went from 9-12:30 so MAN was I tired in the beginning and very hungry by the end. Luckily, we had an hour and a half until the next course and so all picnicked in a nearby park for lunch. :)

The second class was on methodology--or, basically, what is expected of French students in school. How they get things done. We were taught everything about the dissertations we're going to have to be giving--AHHHH!--right down to how many spaces between paragraphs and how many tabs on the tab bar. It's all very specific. French students are used to only getting credit for responding to both/all sides of a question. It's not enough to take one position; you have to consider and address all arguments. It's a strict format but I'm glad I had this chance to prepare before classes begin. The class was taught by Thomas, who I will be doing my internship with.

He told me more about my internship and I think I'm going to really like it! I get to essentially work wherever I want and read books/author bios and correspond with authors, both French and American. I'll conduct interviews and often have to conference with them and go out for "cocktails" as he said. Water for me, please! Can you imagine me drinking wine with an author? I'd have a sip and have to take a taxi home. I'm very excited but still naturally nervous.

My afternoon was spent by buying a monthly pass for the metro, a stop at the bank, and a little shopping trip. MUMSY DON'T GET MAD AND PLEASE DON'T CHECK MY BANK ACCOUNT. A little retail therapy never hurt anyone, right? That's what Kat, Michelle, and I all think, so we did a little damage and it was wonderful. We girls hung out in my room tonight and had so much fun laughing and talking and John joined us for a little, too. It was a great way to end the night :) We're all so fortunate that we get along well. And I'm starting to make some friends in the foyer!

Ok, this is it for tonight. Tomorrow: a trip to the catacombs. How exotic! (Notice the photos, for the first time!)

Being a Busy Bee

Today was another really busy day! We constantly go go go and it's pretty tiring, even though I'm enjoying seeing the city. We woke up early today and met at 9:30. In the morning we got to explore the 11th arrondissement, which is the neighborhood in which I live. It was great to learn more about the history of the 11th, since all I'd really known up until now was where to find some stores (there's a Gap!) and the best crepes around! Gilbert told us that the 11th is the most densely populated urban area in all of Europe! Wow! It's very industrial compared to the other arrondissements, both now and in the past. We walked a lot and saw the major roads. But the smaller passages between the main avenues and boulevards are just as nice, and are not to be missed. I will try to explore my home turf a little more.

We lunched in a cute park and had greek (turkish?) kebobs....MMMM! I shared with Michelle since it was too big. I had chicken and veggies with that yummy white yogurt sauce. And french fries! I was really craving fries, and I had a lot with lunch. It was nice to eat something different than a sandwich, or what you would find at a typical French cafe. I want to also try Moroccan food, and some other different types. I know I'm still going to want the occasional hamburger and pizza :)

We had a guided walking tour of the 18th, which is in the northern part of Paris. We were all the way on the outskirts, so that at one point we wandered a little out of Paris into a city named Saint Ouen. Our guide explained how this area is more run down and not as luxurious as the parts of Paris that we're used to. It still had a very homey, lived-in feel to it. The people were so friendly too! A group of older men were playing a ball game like bacci ball and invited us to join them! Kat and Max went, and fared pretty well. Apparently the sport is pretty serious here. I liked the tour but it was almost 3 hours long and everyone was sooo tired. After lunch, all we want to do is take a nap. We were on our feet nonstop for about 7 hours, and that takes a lot out of you. As soon as it was over, Em and I came back to the foyer and did laundry for the first time here (it was great except the "drier" didn't REALLY dry our clothes all that much) and went for our run. We ran at night, around the outside of the Luxembourg Garden since it was already closed. I prefer running at 10 at night now because the air is cool and fresh and there are fewer people around.

Let me tell you, as nice and clean as the metro here is, it scares me a lot. It feels like we're on a Disneyworld ride, like ET. Or a video game. It goes really fast and there are a lot of turns, jolts, and sounds, and I see my life flash before my eves every time I'm on it. But it's necessary to get around soo...

That's all for tonight. Bonne nuit!

Reunited and it Feels So Good

Bonjour tout le monde!

Today was the first day of orientation! It's going to last 10 days, and I learned today that not only is it for us to become more acquainted with the City and the sights, but also for us to better prepare for our classes and internship. Eek the internship! I'm a little nervous for that, but I have until September 21st to freak out about it. Yesterday we, by chance, got together with Natalia and Kat! Ah, the final missing puzzle pieces :) So we all met up together this morning before walking over to where IFE, the program, is housed. Luckily it's walking distance from our foyer. We'll be there for two classes this semester, one being a 3-hour class on just Paris every Friday morning. The walks are much more pleasant in the mornings when the streets are quiet, I think.

We were bombarded with information about the program and our classes and daily life and WOW everything! It was a lot to take in, but I love this kind of welcome/orientation stuff. Even more exciting that I could understand the French that was being spoken :) Gilbert, the son of one of the co-directors of IFE, will be our guide and go-to guy during orientation, and Severine is a woman who works for IFE. They both orientated (?) us, haha. And both are so nice! Gilbert's dad Tim joined too. It's a little more difficult for me to understand him since he is American and speaks French (albeit fluently and well) with an American accent. They took us all out to lunch (mmmm! didn't have to pay for it WAHOO!) and then we tried to buy cell phones and failed because in France you need to have your passport as identification. They want to make sure you don't use the phone for illegal activities and can look it up easily with that ID. Interesting, right? Of course none of us had our passport on us, so we have to come back another day and try again. Luckily, we were still able to buy metro passes.!

We took the bus to the 5th arr. which is where some of the buildings of the Sorbonne are, and other prestigious schools like Sciences Po. We joined up with the other IFE students and were lectured for almost an hour on the school. I wish I could relay some insightful information about the school, but the truth is, I was so tired I was trying not to fall asleep. Most people were the same way. It's hard to try to be attentive when you're being talked at for such a long time. In another language. We were also in the 6th and 7th arrondissements which are pretty rich and have a lot of really expensive stores. Of course I only window-shopped, save for the gelato that I couldn't resist buying. :)

The best part of the day was having the whole Goucher group together. I think we all mesh really well and have fun. We had to sign an honor code this morning that promised we would ONLY speak French. Period. In classes, At IFE, and with each other. I'm glad we did, and so we only spoke to one another in French all day and I think it will really help all of us. Speaking English isn't natural to me anymore! Weird, right? But kind of cool, too. I took TONS of pictures because I am the resident Paparazzo in the group. People may laugh and mock me, but I want to record every delicious, incredible moment of this experience. We happened upon the Louvre ("Ce batiment-la, qu'est ce que c'est?" "Je sais pas....Oh, C'est LE LOUVRE!") Gorgeous. Stunning. Awe-inspiring. And so much larger than life. It was sunset so we sat by the fountains and took pictures before walking to the Tuilerie Gardens, where Emily and I had run the other day.

I still can't believe I'm here. In Paris. I live here. This is my city. I know, for a fact, 100% absolutely that I will live in Paris when I'm older. You know when you feel something so strongly, like you just belong there? I'm in love with it, all of it. This is not to say that I don't miss parts of being home, too. School is about to start and a lot of my friends are either at Goucher already or are on their way. I miss all my friends at home so much. I miss my family of course, and I miss my wonderful boyfriend. I think it's ok to be simultaneously happy in one place and still yearn for another. Today was definitely one of the best days here so far (I know, out of what, 6? Each day is The Best Day). I have high hopes for tomorrow, too! :)

A demain, mes amis.

Favorite Spot in Paris: Found

(This is really August 24^th)

Today Emily and I ran in Le Jardin des Tuileries. We took the metro (for the first time!) there and back. It took a little getting used to, and we took the wrong direction the first time, but it really is pretty simple. And it’s a lot cleaner and nicer than most subways I’ve seen in the U.S. The garden was absolutely breathtaking, and right now It’s my favorite place in the city. Pictures don’t do it justice. The run was a little easier today, so I really hope it keeps getting better. We strolled the streets and bought sandwiches for lunch before heading back to the foyer by metro. I’d heard that it rains a lot in Paris, and today was our first dose. It was more like on-and –off thunderstorms with some pretty spectacular, electric purple lightning.

We met up with Michelle in the afternoon and took a walk to La Cimitiere Pere Lachaise. It’s a really famous cemetery in Paris, and huge! Jim Morrison is buried there. We didn’t see his grave, but we saw that of Eugene Delacroix and Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde’s was covered with lipstick-stained kiss imprints and people had written on it. I kind of think it was a little tacky and wished that the grave had been left alone. I want to go back and see Chopin and even Edith Piaf. It’s not haunting and creepy like a cemetery might be, but really beautiful and magnificent. It’s really close to the foyer, which is convenient. We bought some more things and got caught in a bad downpour on the walk back. We had a little picnic in Emily’s room with baguettes, salami, cucumbers, and an unidentified cheese spread with herbs and garlic. It was delicious! The stereotype of French people walking around with baguettes under their arms is absolutely true. At any time of day, you will pass someone on the street with a huge loaf of bread.

Emily and I FINALLY have internet in the foyer! It took a long time to finally talk to the right people to get the passwords and login, but now we can use free wireless in the foyer’s common room. Getting access in my own room is another story. I don’t have the energy to explain it all, but it’s expensive and right now, it doesn’t work. Hopefully I can get it up and running soon. We haven’t had cell phones either, but I really am ok with that. It’s been nice to not have to worry about phones, and it allows us to be a little more removed and to take full advantage of our surroundings. Even though I slept really well last night, I’m exhausted and will probably go to bed soon. A demain!

The Paris Walking Tour Workout Plan

(This is really August 23^rd)

Bonjour, mes amis! Je me trouve déjà a la salle publique dans mon foyer. (I again find myself in the common room of my foyer). I like that I’ve been able to come back to the foyer and have time to relax after a really long day. All I want to do is write in my journal and for my blog. I do so much during the days that each day feels like it’s a week long. I think it’s because we walk so many palces in the city, too, that it feels like time is speeding by. It’s only my third day in Paris but it feels like it’s been weeks. Today was no exception:

Emily and I woke up earlier that yesterday so we could leave early for our run. Inspired by last night’s stroll by the Seine, we decided to return and run along the river this morning. I think the second day of exercising and working out is the hardest on the body. Man, did my body hurt today. Our journey to the river in the morning was a lovely walk. It was early enough that the city was quiet and almost vacant along the route, but since it’s also Sunday, not many people were to be seen on the streets. It was quiet with a cool breeze—in other words, perfect. And forget it—the architecture can’t be matched. It’s the definition of “olds meets new” with beautiful, aged buildings that house internet cafes with neon signs et des autre choses comme ca. The windows of the apartments have white shutters and are often open, with small wrought iron balconies and flower boxes teeming with beautiful flowers. I can always find someone leaning out their window to take in the scenes from the street. Why don’t people do that anymore in the US? Why don’t people just slow down and take some time to drink a moment in? I really do admire that about the French. They don’t rush around like we have a tendency to do in the States.

On our way back from our run, we ran into (ha ha) Max, John, and Michelle! It was pure coincidence that we saw them. John’s staying in our foyer so we’ve seen him a couple times, but it was the first time that Emily and I saw Michelle and Max. How wonderful! Without internet or phone, we weren’t sure when we’d be able to see them. Actually, we still haven’t seen Kat and Natalia, who are in another foyer close by. We made plans to meet up with Michelle later, after we finished our exercise and whatnot. Here’s one thing I learned about France: Everything is closed on Sundays. It’s bad enough that it’s August and literally 80% of people in France leave for vacation, but there was almost nothing open. Most cafes and bakeries were closed, as well as all pharmacies and markets. Can you imagine a CVS being closed on a Sunday? I was really astounded at first—what do you do if you desperately need something from the pharmacy? It’s interesting to see the differences in culture when it comes to that.

Emily, Michelle and I walked around a park but came back to my foyer when it was just too hot outside. We all relaxed and it was so nice to catch up. We’d been really good abut speaking French up until then, but when it was just us girls, we just went ahead and spoke English so we could get up to date on the details of each others’ lives. We walked around a new area of Paris, the Marais district (3^rd and 4^th arrondisments). It was so fun and lively! Even for a Sunday night. There were so many stores, so I think we’re going to come back tomorrow so we can actually do some shopping. J We ate out at a café and befriended a nice old man at the table next to us. He spoke French with us and we came out of our shells a little more with him. He was animated and so nice and helpful with us. I’m pretty sure the waiters were making fun of us for being American until they found out we could speak French and were studying in Paris. I think that was the last time I could eat out. Our foyer will start feeding us in September so until then, we’re on our own. That means that tonight was the last night I had to gorge myself on dessert—again I had ice cream AND a nutella crepe. No more! I think it’s natural to go a little crazy in the beginning, n’est pas? That’s about all for today and tonight. I have to buy a new hairdryer because the voltage is too strong with the converter and when it was plugged in for just two seconds, it started to smell like it was burning. I was afraid it was going to blow up, so I’ll just buy a new one. Time to add it to the shopping list! A demain!

Day Two- Getting Settled

(This is really from August 22^nd)

Bonsoir! I’ve only been here for two days and I already have a tendency to want to write in French. Sometimes I have to remind myself that if I wrote my blog in French, most people wouldn’t be able to understand it. Maybe down the line I will, when I get better and it comes more naturally. For now, I’m still seeing improvements and I speak French 99% of the time. Sometimes there are just certain things I don’t know in French. I wonder if I’ll learn more in my classes, or from listening to others and making friends with French students. I’m really happy I have ten years of French behind me because I can definitely get by with what I already know. La prochaine etape serait devenir bilangue!

I wish I could say I slept well last night. My room overlooks the main road and people on motorcycles—there are A LOT here—sped down the road as if they were racing each other…long into the night. The noise was so loud and so frequent that it was kind of scary and really hard to sleep. Nevertheless, I slept until 10:45 this morning! Emily and I decided to take a walk to a big park so we could run. Big on this semester’s list of priorities: getting in shape. The walk took an hour and we didn’t even realize until we got back that we didn’t even wind up in Paris! The park was just outside the city limits. It was absolutely gorgeous—blue skies, a huge lake, and even ponies, haha. We ran around the lake, which I think was a little over a mile. I won’t lie—I was hurting. It’s hard to get back into an exercise routine (for me, at least) and so it wasn’t my best run. But we hope to keep doing it, as often as possible, so it should get easier. When we got back to our rooms we did more stretches and pushups (ugh!) and crunches. C’est bon. I took a shower in my matchbox-sized shower and felt really good after. Emily and I both wanted to explore some of the city. The area where we’re staying isn’t a bad area, but it’s not the Paris that I normally think of. In other words, it’s like a regular city. I wanted to see all the enormous monuments and attractions that the city is famous for. That requires getting out of the 11^th arrondisment. We decided to walk to get some more exercise. You walk everywhere in Paris. I wonder if that’s why I’ve never seen a fat French person.

We walked to the Seine and it only took a little over 30 minutes. THIS was the Paris that I was waiting for. It was almost sunset. I took a lot of pictures, of course, since I get a little camera happy. We took the steps down to walkways right alongside the water and sat on the edge, enjoying the shade and breeze. Lots of boats went by full of tourists, and some even waved to us! Most were little kids, but it still felt kind of cool. We walked around Ile Saint Louis, and on Ile de la Cite we saw the Notre Dame. It’s truly incredible. The architecture amazes me, and I can’t imagine ever being able to construct something to grand yet so intricate. I think another day we’ll go inside, but it would’ve taken too long and I was getting hungry.

I treated myself to two desserts tonight—delicious gelato and a nutella crepe. Mmm! If I’m not careful, I’ll eat one a day! I could, they’re so tasty. One thing that interests me about the French and daily routine is that most people don’t eat dinner until much later, around 9 pm. When Emily and I were on our way to the Seine, around 6:30, most cafes were full of people at tables drinking. Always drinking. But on our way back around 10 pm, the cafes were full of people eating dinner. I would be on my second dinner by then! But I really love how there are so many cafes with tables outside that people sit and dine at. I wish we had more of those in the Unites States. A person’s night could revolve around eating at a café, wither with friends or alone, just people watching. And it seems like people have regular places that they frequent, because everyone was always seeing someone else they knew, even just walking by. No matter how many cafes/brassieries/bistros/restaurants there are, there are always people there. It’s such a key part of socialization here, both relaxing and invigorating. I love to people-watch, too. If I could afford to eat every meal at a café and sit outside, I would in a heartbeat. I’m going to try to go to bed early again tonight so we can get an earlier start on our walk tomorrow.

Everyone else from Goucher on the program flew in today. Unfortunately, there’s no real way to contact anyone since we don’t have international cell phones yet and the internet here isn’t working. We could go over to the foyers (one’s ten minutes from us but the other is on the left bank) but it would be a guessing game and I’m not sure if we would be let in. This might mean we won’t be able to see anyone else until Wednesday, when orientation starts. I love having these free days to romp around Paris. It’s really liberating to not have to report back to anyone, and we can do whatever we want and go wherever we want. I haven’t braved the metro yet, but in time, I will. For now I want to walk as much as possible so I can get familiar with the streets. I’ve always had a terrible (re: nonexistent) sense of direction, and it’s not much better here! Bonsoir!

I made it!

**This post is being written on Friday night, August 21^st. But I haven’t been able to get internet access so I’m writing the post now and will post it later when I can get back on wireless**

Bonjour, tout le monde! I’m currently sitting in one of the main “socializing” rooms in the foyer on a couch with Emily. There are some other students here as well (you have to be between the ages of 18 and 24 to live in the foyer [for no more than two years]). We wanted to take our laptops to a park and enjoy the lovely night but the nearest park is closed and it probably wouldn’t be the safest thing to do at night, anyway.

Emily and I agree that this has been the longest day EVER. I’m so glad I got to travel with her because if I had to go through the long journey myself, I’m pretty sure I would have cracked at some point. We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare before the flight, and I only had one minor breakdown. I knew I was going to get sad or upset at one point, so I did, and it was ok. I’m going to miss everyone so much. Sometimes four months seems like a daunting, long time, and other times it really doesn’t feel like anything at all. It’s a good thing Em and I went through security early because we almost had to rebook our flight to Paris since our flight from BWI to New York was running late. Luckily, they changed the warning from all connecting international flights prior to 6 (ours was 5:45) to prior to 5. The plane was the size of my pinkie. No really, it was the tiniest thing I’ve ever flown on—there were 50 seats with only 35 taken, two seats grouped on one side and a single seat on the other. (!) Any carry-ons bigger than a briefcase had to be specially checked since they wouldn’t fit. Needless to say, I was really nervous during the short flight. It was like a toy plane—it didn’t belong in the air!

The flight to Paris was much smoother and I felt a lot safer. We were in the third-to-last row (in the middle group) which I didn’t mind so much because we were closer to the flight attendants. I told one I was a nervous flyer and he made sure to tell the whole crew to keep an eye on me. I know, I’m 20 years old, but airplanes still really, really scare me. Luckily, I was fine throughout. My only complaint was (OH MY GOODNESS PEOPLE ARE SAYING HI TO US RIGHT NOW AND WE’RE INTERACTING WITH FRENCH STUDENTS) that it was boring and really uncomfortable so we got almost no sleep. But it was so exciting to land in Paris! It didn’t finally hit me until we walked into the airport. I thought I would be able to have some time to adjust to the transition from English to French but it was GO, SPEAK FRENCH, right from the very beginning. In all honestly, that’s really good. I need a lot of practice with my French and there’s no better way than to dive in headfirst. I have a lot of goals for myself. I definitely need to be more confident when I speak. I also want to make sure that when people are talking to me, I really listen and can pick up on more key words so I don’t just have a vague idea of what they’re saying. I want to speak fast, too! Like second nature.

It’s pretty surreal to be here. Em and I spent the day filling out paperwork, buying things for our foyer (dorm): there was no trashcan or toilet paper in the bathroom! We’re in single rooms on different floors but each room has its own bathroom, which is really nice and unexpected. We took a walk this afternoon and more recently, one to find a café to eat dinner. We figured that since it’s our first night here, we could go out to eat and treat ourselves a little. But I really have to be careful about my spending for the semester. I want to travel a lot and so if that means that I have to eat small, cheap meals to counteract that, then I will. We’ve basically been up since 7 am yesterday—out of the last 33 hours, we’ve slept 2. I’m SO ready to crash for bed, but it was important to try to stay awake all day to get back on a good sleeping schedule.

I like my room, although it feels kind of bare and lonely at times. Everything is in its place and put away neatly, but the walls are white and screaming for some decorations. I brought a lot of things from home to put up on them, so I can’t wait to decorate J I got sad once again for a little, and I think moments like that are going to come every now and then, at least for the beginning of the trip. The bathroom is so small it feels like I’m in the airplane bathroom. I even get weird motion sickness and feel like I’m rocking and moving when I’m not. We’ll see how the shower goes…..

Well, it’s about time for me to get to bed. I foresee a good night’s sleep tonight. A tout alors!

T Minus 5 Days

So this is my first blog post...EVER. I guess it's not that different from other postings (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) but still, I'm pretty excited about the chance to share my experiences abroad. In 5 days I'll be leaving (on a jet plane!) for Paris for 4 months. It's a long time and I'm nervous and, sure, downright scared, but also so excited. I'll be in a city I know and love with fantastic people, learning more about French culture and myself every day. Not to mention, fabulous crepes and croissants at every turn!

It was hard enough to pack everything I'll need into two suitcases. And even then, I couldn't fit it all. I can't imagine going away for the entire year, for several reasons. Everyone says this is going to be the most amazing experience and I'm going to have the time of my life. I really hope so. It's going to be hard work in classes and at my internship, but I hope everything just makes my French that much better. If I'm lucky I'll be fluent by the end of it. This, of course, means I'll have to overcome my unreasonable shyness about speaking the language. I hope that when I'm immersed in the culture and forced to speak French that everything I've learned will not escape me and I can build on it all. You know what? It really is exciting.

It'll be weird and different to be away from my family and those I love. I know I'll be wondering about the great things I'll be missing at home or at school, but I look forward to the stories and memories I can bring back in December. Until then, I'm so happy I can take you on my journey with me.

A bientot, mes amis!