Le Jour Soleil

So, I love France, but there is one drawback....No Gossip Girl. And the website will only let you watch if you are in the U.S. *sigh* I hate Big Brother.



Anyway, today was my first day of classes in France! They were enjoyable, actually. And REALLY easy. I knew all the answers!! It was more like a review than anything else, although my teacher never spoke a word of English. But I kept up easily, and actually found myself getting bored at times! I was thinking about switching up to a higher class, but then I thought of three things:

1). If it ain't broke, don't fix it

2). In Paris, it will be much easier on myself if I'm not killing myself studying all the time, especially since I also have other, harder classes.

3). Maybe the class will get harder the further in we go.

I seriously doubt the third, as they're already three weeks into the course (my group came in late) and I've looked ahead in the book, but hey, you never know. I made aquaintences with a German and Austrailian student in my class. That was pretty cool, and we worked together for most of the class.

Then, I met up with my group and today we toured the Congegation of St. Vincent DePaul, that oh-so-wonderful patron saint of my University. He's French, you know.

So we saw the church and the place where his bones lay and all that. And we toured St. Sulpice, which was HUGE, but a bit dark.





The famous map of 1700 Paris. It was hand-drawn. Phenominal.



Church of St. Vinny DePaul. And hey, look, I'M a Saint, too!



St. Sulpice and such.

By the time we finished, I was VERY tired. So, I took the train home, bought un pain au chocolat for a snack, and came home.



Soon, it will be time for dinner. Tomorrow, more class and adventures!

A Bientot!



--C.

C'est la Vie

So today was tres interesant. I woke up and headed out to meet my group at L'Opera de la Bastille this morning. I got lost. Of course I got lost. Because I took the metro for the first real time today...Why are there not signs to say that THE TRAIN YOU WANT IS THIS WAY? That's what I want to know. Anyway, I was only about five minutes late, which everyone knows is really on time in France.

We learned all about the bloody history of the Bastille, and how it doesn't exist anymore. Then we went to my first open-air marche (market). I loved it. They had DVDs for 2 euro, and rings for 1 euro, and LOTS of fresh food and stuff. I was hungry, so I bought un kilo des fraises (strawberries) and kiwi, since I found out that it is my new favorite fruit when my host mom gave it to me for the first time last night.

Then, we walked. EVEYWHERE. To the Marais district, whixh housed the house of Catherine de Medici, and the Louvre, and the Seine. I was highly upset by the time the tour finished, although we did see some good sights. Not that I'm complaining (much), but I have been TIRED sice we arrived on Thursday, and our director has not given us any time to rest. Everyday has been jam-packed with activities, and by today, Sunday, I was about ready to revolt--especially since I have NINE HOURS OF CLASSES tomorrow.

Okay, okay, off my soapbox of haterade.



After the tour, I left to meet my host mother in the 10th arrondissment for a art show opening. She had invited me over dinner the night before, and I had jumped at the invitation.

So while I'm sitting at Stalingrad stop, (Line 2) a good-looking parisian boy sits next to me, tells me I'm beautiful, and asks me on a date.

Okay, I know that half of you are like "DO IT", but seriously, guys, I have a perfectly good American boyfriend at home.

And besides, French men are notorious for being forward anyway.

I told him no, thanks. He asked for my number. I declined. He asked if I thought he was ugly, and I said no, he's fine, but that I had a boyfriend and so no. THEN he said, since I was in France, my boyfriend shouldn't be a problem, and I got mad and stopped being nice.

He got the hint after that.



Anyway, the art gallery was AWESOME. At the show, a Spanish singer had a concert...IOt was very intimate, and we were all sitting on the floor just enjoying the art and music, and I realized that this does not happen in America.

J'adore Paris.



After the art show, I came back to my neighborhood boulangerie and got a good ol' American hot dog. Except that it wasn't really American, because it had cheesy bread and stuff.

AND I went to my first French Supermarket!! I had decided the night beofre that I needed a good snack selection for my midnight cravings, and so....

The first thing I bought was Coke. A 6 pack. Yep.

And chocolate. Yum.

Then I came home, and met the daughter of my host mother, Jen. She's 13 and very talkative. But she knows almost no English, so we had a very fun conversation. :-)

She loves Twilight.

We all had dinner together, and now the house is winding down.

A demain!



--C.

Un Nouveau Adventure

So today I moved in with my host family. I really like them alot! I live with one woman, Mme Rapinat, who is actually pretty cool. She is a graphic designer, and has three sons and a daughter(?) More on that later. She was talking very fast in French, so I had some issues keeping up.

My room is very nice..It's a good size, with a huge window and balcony! I have a wardrobe to hang my clothes in, and internet connection. The bathrooms are tres tres petite, but the apartment in general is big and it really feels like a home. My balcony has an AWESOME view of Paris, and I love the fact that my room is so light!

BUT, I need a nap. My friends and I decided to go to a cafe at 2am last night and stayed up until 5 in the morning talking.



LaJoi and Sam at our late-night cafe.



LaJoi and I.



Mon chambre.

The view from my balcony.





A bientot!

--C.

Bon Voyage!

Bonjour All! Since I had recieved several requests for a travel blog, i decided to start one. Now anyone who wants to can share in my journies and adventures in this crazy city.

Yesterday, I arrived in Paris. After my initial 24 hours of bawling my eyes out, I was excited! I had my sunglasses, I had read all the guidebooks, and I was READY. BRING IT ON.

My high lasted all of 30 minutes.

I sat, and waited for my group. And waited. And waited. Tried my phone. It was dead. Tried my computer; also in an electronic coma. My converters wouldn't work, so I was in a new country stranded, with no one to contact. After asking the info lady about 9.4o flights from Chicago ( I was proud of my ingenuity on that one) I took two trains to different terminals and still found no one. I missed my group shuttle and had to manage by taking the RER (like the Metra for Chicagoans) into the city.

After struggling with my luggage through the dark and dirty depths of public transportation, I emerged on the Rue de Notre Dame St. Michel. It was beautiful! The buildings were gorgeous, and people were walking around looking French, and there were stores, and cafes, and...it was raining. I inquired to various passersby where the Rue Sommerard (where my hotel was) was located. I eventually went into a bank where a very nice young man found out directions for me, but I think he thought I was an idiot, because I asked him to repeat himself three times.

Finally, FINALLY, I get to the hotel. I'm hot, I'm sweaty, and a hotel has never looked so good in my life...Never mind that I totally would have never stayed there if it were the States. But, it was a place to sleep, and was my destination, and most importantly, it was paid for.

After giving me my room keys, the receptionist says, "it's on the 4th floor, so you just go on up."

Now, if you're not French, you think the fourth floor is, well, the fourth floor. No. It's not. It's the fifth. The first floor is called the au-rez-de-chaussee. The second floor is then called the premier etage (floor), and the the third is the second, and so on.

Anyway, I turn around and look for the elevator.

I don't see it, but that doesn't mean anything. It could just be hiding, right? Right?

No. It wasn't hiding. ...It was nonexistent.

"Just go on up?" I say.

"Oui, just go up." says she. She's also barely concealing her laughter.

I drag my 62 pound bag up 5 flights of those long, nasty twisty stairs. I huff, I puff, I would have blown the freakin hotel down if it weren't for a very nice gentleman who offered help around the second (or first, for frenchies) floor.

Obviously, when I got to my hotel room, I collapsed.

BUT the rest of the day went much better. I finally met up with my group, and we have our first real french dinner that night. I tried the creme brulee, and it was quelle delicieuse!

Around midnight, I finally fell asleep.

I dreamed in French.

This morning, I woke up my roommates and we had a quick petit dejuner and went to the Alliance Francaise (our school) for placement tests.

Then, we had a scavenger hunt, in which the fruits of such are available for your viewing pleasure below.

A bientot!

-C.