*Wine sip*...Ahh, Paris. It's strange to think that I've been here for a little over a week now. On one hand, it's gone by so fast. I can't imagine what it might be like for someone here on vacation, leaving so soon. On the other, I've managed to do so many things in such a short span of time. My host parents have started to begin each meal by asking "Where did you go today?" (except in french, only blogger won't let me use accent marks for some reasons). Shall I began with a recounting of the past weeks events?
Day One...
I arrive at Charles de Gaulle. My shuttle's not there, but no worries. My flight was late getting in. I call. They come and get me. I get to my host family's apartment. Hhmmm, they're not there either. So, I stash my luggage in the (locked) entrance way and find a phone. Marie-Pierre answers and tells me that they won't be home for another three hours. In the meantime, I have three hours to kill and a neighborhood to explore. The Boulevard Saint-Michel is teeming with people and I start to walk in circles to avoid getting too lost. It's beautiful outside and I immediately encounter the fountain at the Place Saint-Michel. 
It hits me....I'm in Paris. I live in Paris. I immediately start taking pictures of everything from the pâtisserie around the corner to the people sitting outside the café who anxiously eye me as I snap there picture from the middle of the street.
I return later to meet Jacques, who laughs nervously when I don't know how to open the elevator door. Within moments of getting into the apartment, my mom calls and Jacques hands me the phone. My luggage is still in the hallway. She tracked my flight and I quickly explain to her why I failed to email her hours ago. Jacques offers me coffee after I explain to him that I work as a barista back in the States. I spotted some Jamaican Blue Mountain beans on the counter and I am dying for it! He hands my some instant and looks at me strangely when I don't know what to do with it. I've been working with coffee since I was 14 and I've never had instant, but I still feel like he might think I'm slightly retarded after the elevator incident. We talk a little until Marie-Pierre arrives and shows me to my room. Dinner in an hour
It hits me....I'm in Paris. I live in Paris. I immediately start taking pictures of everything from the pâtisserie around the corner to the people sitting outside the café who anxiously eye me as I snap there picture from the middle of the street.
I return later to meet Jacques, who laughs nervously when I don't know how to open the elevator door. Within moments of getting into the apartment, my mom calls and Jacques hands me the phone. My luggage is still in the hallway. She tracked my flight and I quickly explain to her why I failed to email her hours ago. Jacques offers me coffee after I explain to him that I work as a barista back in the States. I spotted some Jamaican Blue Mountain beans on the counter and I am dying for it! He hands my some instant and looks at me strangely when I don't know what to do with it. I've been working with coffee since I was 14 and I've never had instant, but I still feel like he might think I'm slightly retarded after the elevator incident. We talk a little until Marie-Pierre arrives and shows me to my room. Dinner in an hour My French is a little stilted, even though I sat in on a class until the last week before I left in order to keep in practice. We chat a bit over dinner. Jacques and Marie-Pierre are very nice and extremely forgiving of my blunders.
Day 2
The next day, I decided to set out in search for Notre-Dame. My map indicated that I lived close by, but anyone who has fallen to my sense of direction will tell you that I don't have the most reliable sense of direction. My boyfriend always teases me of my "scenic tours" of Ann Arbor, a city that I have lived in for almost two decades but still haven't managed to accurately navigate. So, I'm walking in what I think is the right direction, unabashedly holding my map in front of my face. So...all I have to do is cross this bridge, turn right, ok got it, any minute now I should...Oh! I'm here! That can't be right. I can't really live around the corner from Notre-Dame. I get out my guide to see if there are any Notre-Dame replicas in my area...seriously.
Day 2
The next day, I decided to set out in search for Notre-Dame. My map indicated that I lived close by, but anyone who has fallen to my sense of direction will tell you that I don't have the most reliable sense of direction. My boyfriend always teases me of my "scenic tours" of Ann Arbor, a city that I have lived in for almost two decades but still haven't managed to accurately navigate. So, I'm walking in what I think is the right direction, unabashedly holding my map in front of my face. So...all I have to do is cross this bridge, turn right, ok got it, any minute now I should...Oh! I'm here! That can't be right. I can't really live around the corner from Notre-Dame. I get out my guide to see if there are any Notre-Dame replicas in my area...seriously.
Since finding Notre-Dame and photographing the exterior from almost every conceivable angle (and some surrounding streets just for good measure) took only an hour, I decided to head to the Jardin du Luxembourg. Not too far in the other direction. Needless to say, it's beautiful but I'm anxious to see what it's like in the spring. Marie de Medici's fountain was my favorite thing to see there and turned out best in my photos. I watched some kids rid donkeys and some old men play boules before I started back for my new temporary home.
That night after dinner, I went to see "Perd(s) du Noir" at the MK2 Hautefeuille. I saw a poster for it during my travels on foot. Marie-Pierre informed me that it was right around the corner, but I still managed to get lost. I asked for directions in French and completely understand the French women that helped me! I was kind of proud of myself and very relieved to discover that the French are even friendlier than Polly Platt described. The movie was amazing and featured some great animation from one of my favorite artists of the comic genre: Charles Burns. Seeing it in French without subtitles was a little daunting at first, but I understood more as the movie went on.
Day 3
Les Jardin des Plantes. Very different from the spacious lawns of Luxembourg. Both are beautiful, but I think I prefer the winding paths of Des Plantes and I imagine that it's going to look pretty spectacular once the bulbs in the front courtyard start to sprout. My host-dad prefers this garden as well, especially since it features a rare flower that he says can't be found anywhere else in Paris. To my delight, I stumbled upon La Menagerie during my visit. It's doesn't compare in size to the Toledo Zoo, but it's in Paris, so it's got that going for it.I went to another animated in film. Also, French. Persepolis. When I returned for dinner, my host-parents that within the three days since I arrived, my proficiency had noticeably improved? "Vraiment?" I asked. "Oui" they replied. "Vachement?" So pleased!
Day 4
Orientation. Met Paul and Suzanne for the first time, as well as the some of the other girls that were unable to make it to the meetings back in Ann Arbor. Everyone seems to be very nice. We planned some potential visits over the next few days. We left in a pack from the meeting and those of us that were phone-less headed to Orange. After, I went and met some of the other girls at a café and had some truly incredible onion soup that cost about $9. Damn.
Day 5
Paul took us on a tour of several noteworthy sites between la Catho and...well, my apartment. The tour set the tone for Paul's class, which encourages curiosity and active participation; a good indication that I will really enjoy this class. That night, Paul took us all out to La Table de Gourmet for dinner on the U of M's dime. Very nice. Very Moyen Age, if I remember correctly. We met at Pompidou and as I walked up, I was listening to this Tortoise song that.was.just.perfect for the moment. I could Leetal all alone by the big giant golden flower out down below, but I couldn't help but rewind the track and look at the building from the street a little longer. In my mind, I was like, "Check!". Since Friday would probably prove unfruitful in regards to Malmaison, Pompidou was definitely on the menu. Shortly after I went down to join Leetal, Paul walked up and chatted with us until the rest of the group showed up. Dinner was great. Made plans to meet at le Tour Eiffel for Elisabeth's birthday the next night.
Day 6
After a later than intended start, I went to Pompidou mid-afternoon. Amazing. Completely. I took more pictures there than anywhere else in the city and I was exhausted by the time I reached the second floor of the museum. After a quick look at the collections on the floor, I made a note to return as quickly as possible. Museums of Modern Art, let me count the ways...
That evening, we met up for dessert at le Tour Eiffel. Really, however cliché, the Eiffel Tower at night is truly one of the most beautiful things I've seen since I came to Paris. Admittedly, when I first arrived I wasn't dying to see it, partly because of the "tourist-y" connotation. Now, I wish I had come to see it my first night here. Although, I probably would have cried.
Day 7
After seeing all the beautiful and well-dressed women of Paris, I decided that I desperately needed to go shopping...on the cheap. Marie-Pierre told me about the Marches aux Puces in the north and I'm ready to go when Lena calls. I tell her where I'm headed and she's down, so I give her directions and we meet. The front features a lot of coats (yay!) and shoes (even more yay!) for very reasonable prices. I buy a little brown leather jacket and we cruise towards the back, which promises antiques. The back section is ex-pen-sive, but, ya know, incredible. Hello, dream living room....
Day 8
Classes begin! The first day of French class was full of "jouets de connaissance" like "Qui suis-je?" and other introductions. There are about 25 people in my class, 10 of which are Americans, the others a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Canadian, and Italian. I was pretty good about answering in French when my fellow ex-pats tried conversing en anglais. Fun, but I have to admit that after three hours of French, my brain hurts a little.
After that, I met up with the rest of the group at the Louvre and got my special I.D. that allows me free entrance (!!!). Then, class with Suzanne. Class with her promises to be full of discussion, as she encourages everyone's active participation and critical analysis. Brava!
Day 9
A little discouraged at the beginning of French class, as it seems too easy for an intermediate level, but I'll hold out until next week. Class with Paul was a walking tour of Le Marais (4th arrondisement), interesting because it escaped the Haussmann-ization of the mid-19th century and so retains many of its' 14th century foundations. We saw and discussed the significance of the different architectural elements of several Hôtel Particuliers and ended the excursion by visiting the main drag of the Jewish quarter for tasty treats.
Day 10
My French class proved to be much more challenging and even a little intimidating. The organization is much different at la Catho. Back home, I'm used to learning a tense, then how to use that tense with negation, then future and past, etc. Here, we jumped from asking a question using inversion, to the several other ways to ask a question with prepositions abound. Also, the text doesn't provide English translations (obviously), so while I was doing the exercises accurately, at one point I realized that I didn't know what I was asking! For instance, "Pourriez-vous passer me prendre?" Huh? Would you pass me to take? It took some googling and intuition to figure out that this phrase means "Would you pick me up?" By the end of class, I felt a little down on myself. The last exercise was watching a film clip and I had a very difficult time understanding (although I'd like to think that this was partly due to the sound quality of the VHS). On the other hand, it seemed like more than half my class was is the same boat and Madame noted that this was an difficult exercise. I need a little more immersion, so instead of listening to my headphones as I walk around the city, I've decided to take advantage of the radio on my cell phone. Also, I bought some magazines in order to work on my colloquialisms.
We met Suzanne at Musée D'Orsay. Originally a train station, this museum has the feel of early Industrialism. I love it. We mostly discussed Manet, but I have to admit that while the points that we discussed we intriguing, I was having difficulty holding on after my intense French session. When I returned home, I decided to study a little. That "little" turned into 7 hours of alternating between language and history. One question led me to another and before I knew it, it was almost midnight. I passed out watching Coppola's Marie Antoinette.
Day 11
Paul took us on a tour of the Louvre as a monument. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been too kind to us, so I think I'm going to have to give in and bring an umbrella with me for this class. After a history on the expansion of the building over the centuries, we went inside and saw the foundations of this once Medieval fortress. 
After that, we headed upstairs to see Napoleon III's lavish apartments. Chandelier, anyone?
After Paul dismissed, Lena and I searched for the Anselm Keifer exhibition. For some reason, I anticipated more than three pieces of art, but I'm still happy that we found it after trying to navigate the Louvre.
I returned home to Skype with my mom and my boyfriend. I can't wait for them to visit, I already have so much to show them.
Classes begin! The first day of French class was full of "jouets de connaissance" like "Qui suis-je?" and other introductions. There are about 25 people in my class, 10 of which are Americans, the others a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Canadian, and Italian. I was pretty good about answering in French when my fellow ex-pats tried conversing en anglais. Fun, but I have to admit that after three hours of French, my brain hurts a little.
After that, I met up with the rest of the group at the Louvre and got my special I.D. that allows me free entrance (!!!). Then, class with Suzanne. Class with her promises to be full of discussion, as she encourages everyone's active participation and critical analysis. Brava!
Day 9
A little discouraged at the beginning of French class, as it seems too easy for an intermediate level, but I'll hold out until next week. Class with Paul was a walking tour of Le Marais (4th arrondisement), interesting because it escaped the Haussmann-ization of the mid-19th century and so retains many of its' 14th century foundations. We saw and discussed the significance of the different architectural elements of several Hôtel Particuliers and ended the excursion by visiting the main drag of the Jewish quarter for tasty treats.
Day 10
My French class proved to be much more challenging and even a little intimidating. The organization is much different at la Catho. Back home, I'm used to learning a tense, then how to use that tense with negation, then future and past, etc. Here, we jumped from asking a question using inversion, to the several other ways to ask a question with prepositions abound. Also, the text doesn't provide English translations (obviously), so while I was doing the exercises accurately, at one point I realized that I didn't know what I was asking! For instance, "Pourriez-vous passer me prendre?" Huh? Would you pass me to take? It took some googling and intuition to figure out that this phrase means "Would you pick me up?" By the end of class, I felt a little down on myself. The last exercise was watching a film clip and I had a very difficult time understanding (although I'd like to think that this was partly due to the sound quality of the VHS). On the other hand, it seemed like more than half my class was is the same boat and Madame noted that this was an difficult exercise. I need a little more immersion, so instead of listening to my headphones as I walk around the city, I've decided to take advantage of the radio on my cell phone. Also, I bought some magazines in order to work on my colloquialisms.
We met Suzanne at Musée D'Orsay. Originally a train station, this museum has the feel of early Industrialism. I love it. We mostly discussed Manet, but I have to admit that while the points that we discussed we intriguing, I was having difficulty holding on after my intense French session. When I returned home, I decided to study a little. That "little" turned into 7 hours of alternating between language and history. One question led me to another and before I knew it, it was almost midnight. I passed out watching Coppola's Marie Antoinette.
Day 11
Paul took us on a tour of the Louvre as a monument. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been too kind to us, so I think I'm going to have to give in and bring an umbrella with me for this class. After a history on the expansion of the building over the centuries, we went inside and saw the foundations of this once Medieval fortress. 
After that, we headed upstairs to see Napoleon III's lavish apartments. Chandelier, anyone?
After Paul dismissed, Lena and I searched for the Anselm Keifer exhibition. For some reason, I anticipated more than three pieces of art, but I'm still happy that we found it after trying to navigate the Louvre.
I returned home to Skype with my mom and my boyfriend. I can't wait for them to visit, I already have so much to show them.
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