I'm finding that I'm always tired. I wake up in the morning, and I'm tired. I go through the day, and I'm tired. I get home at night, and I'm tired. It can't be that I'm still jet-lagged... I've been in Europe for almost two weeks now. I think all the walking we've been doing is what's getting to me. Seriously, we walk so much everyday, just exploring different parts of the city. Also, spending the day speaking and listening to French is tiring. It takes a lot more concentration that I had thought... I realized it the most last week when I was pretty much falling asleep standing up, and I pretty much had no idea what was going on. I just have to remember that I do actually have class at 9:00, so I need to get my sleep.
On a nicer note: I joined a chorus! I saw a poster up at the IES center advertising for the chorale at the Cité Universitaire, so I went and asked about it. I had an audition that night (Tuesday), and by audition, I mean I sang some scales. Then I stayed for their rehearsal. We have practice every Tuesday night from 8:00 to 10:30, and the first concert is on March 14. The concert has a waltz theme, and we're singing some pretty well-known tunes from things like La Traviata and The Merry Widow. It's pretty cool because the Cité Universitaire is where all the international students studying in Paris live and hang out and stuff, so the chorale is full of people from all over the world. The girl who brought us four IES students actually is an American girl who works at IES. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought she was French. She speaks impeccably and is so comfortable and familiar with the culture. I hope one day I'll be like that.
I wish that I spoke in French more often with my friends when it's just us. We tend to resort to English, and it has now become the default for us when we're off on our own. I think originally we would do it just because it was easier, but now I think we kind of consider it our only option, even though that's clearly not the case. I think I might suggest that we speak in French more often.
Oh! I also have my class schedule:
Translation
French Cinema and Society
Introduction to French Literature
Paris Museums
Theatre and Representation
I'm really excited about all of them!
Yesterday, a couple of us went to the Louvre for just a little bit. I was saying that I wish I had more of an appreciation for art. Sure, things can be pretty and well depicted and things like that, but I don't really know what else to think about them or how they can be interpreted. That's one reason I'm looking forward to the museum class; I have a feeling it's going to give me a little bit more insight on art appreciation.
I'm going to try to go to the Musée D'Orsay tonight because it's free for anyone under the age of 25! I've wanted to go all the other times I was here but never had the chance.
So, I'm going to Amsterdam on March 6 for the weekend! We're taking a bus (...because it's cheap) overnight and just going to explore. All the people I've talked to who have been there before say it's a really fun city, so I'm definitely looking forward to it.
Mimi is in the mountains until Tuesday... I wish I could have gone with her!
Oh, and I'm still not over the fact that the Euro is worth about $1.50. Really annoying...
I have to head out to a meeting with someone at the IES center. Hope whoever is reading this is enjoying it. :-)
A bientôt!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Il fait froid!
The weather was nice here for the first few days, but since the weekend, it has been pretty darn cold! Just like in Ithaca, it's all about the layers, so I've been wearing shirts and sweaters and jackets and the like to keep myself warm.
As usual, we've been doing a lot of walking. Yesterday, I went with some people to see a few sites that we hadn't gotten to yet. The Madeleine was interesting; from the outside it looks like an ancient Greek temple, but on the inside, it's a church. Definitely a contrast there. It was pretty inside, but I've seen a lot of churches, and I hate to say it, but after a while they all kind of start to look the same. After that, we went over to the Opéra Garnier, the home of the Phantom of the Opera. Now that is a beautiful building. Unfortunately we arrived too late to go on a tour (I'm definitely going to go back!) so we could only explore the lobby and the gift shop, but that's enough to get at least the gist of how gorgeous the whole thing is. I picked up a schedule of the ballets, operas, and concerts that they have both there and at the Opéra Bastille, and I think some of us might try to go and catch something. Quite exciting!
The other day, I went with Chloé to her dance practice up at La Défense in the northwest. She's in a hip-hop group with five or six of her friends, and every Sunday they go to a mall to practice in the hallways, using the shop windows as mirrors. I was amazed when we got there and there were people all over the place just practicing their moves and learning choreography. I felt like it was in a movie: some abandoned space that young people use as a refuge to practice their art. That's really what it was. All the people in Chloé's group were really amazing dancers, too. They also talked really, really fast, and a lot of the time I just had to smile and nod and pretend that I knew what they were saying, even if I had no idea. But it was really cool to go and see what some French youth do in their spare time and also discover more about how they act with each other.
Grammar classes are going well... the review is definitely helpful. We're going over things that are quite advanced, so that's good, and it's also really great to get French grammar lessons from une vraie Française! She's really sweet and wants all of us to learn to our greatest potential; I can tell only from just the first couple of classes. I'm looking for the translation part of it because translation can go in so many directions depending on the interpretation, and it'll be cool to see where different people take things.
My class is at 9:00 though, and the majority of my friends have their grammar class at 11:30, so I find myself waiting around the IES center or exploring the neighborhood until they're out. Yesterday, I actually took the métro to the Saint-Paul stop and took a walk through the Marais. I saw one of the small Jewish parts of Paris, and I thought it was cool to see Hebrew and Yiddish next to the French. It's comforting to me to know that there are at least some Jewish people in this city. I walked past several kosher butchers and bakeries with challah in the window. Pretty cool, I have to admit. Next time I go through there, I'll have to get one.
Well I'm off. I think we're going to head to a museum, though I'm not sure which one. I've been here this long and haven't gone to see one yet, so I think it's about time!
A toute à l'heure!
As usual, we've been doing a lot of walking. Yesterday, I went with some people to see a few sites that we hadn't gotten to yet. The Madeleine was interesting; from the outside it looks like an ancient Greek temple, but on the inside, it's a church. Definitely a contrast there. It was pretty inside, but I've seen a lot of churches, and I hate to say it, but after a while they all kind of start to look the same. After that, we went over to the Opéra Garnier, the home of the Phantom of the Opera. Now that is a beautiful building. Unfortunately we arrived too late to go on a tour (I'm definitely going to go back!) so we could only explore the lobby and the gift shop, but that's enough to get at least the gist of how gorgeous the whole thing is. I picked up a schedule of the ballets, operas, and concerts that they have both there and at the Opéra Bastille, and I think some of us might try to go and catch something. Quite exciting!
The other day, I went with Chloé to her dance practice up at La Défense in the northwest. She's in a hip-hop group with five or six of her friends, and every Sunday they go to a mall to practice in the hallways, using the shop windows as mirrors. I was amazed when we got there and there were people all over the place just practicing their moves and learning choreography. I felt like it was in a movie: some abandoned space that young people use as a refuge to practice their art. That's really what it was. All the people in Chloé's group were really amazing dancers, too. They also talked really, really fast, and a lot of the time I just had to smile and nod and pretend that I knew what they were saying, even if I had no idea. But it was really cool to go and see what some French youth do in their spare time and also discover more about how they act with each other.
Grammar classes are going well... the review is definitely helpful. We're going over things that are quite advanced, so that's good, and it's also really great to get French grammar lessons from une vraie Française! She's really sweet and wants all of us to learn to our greatest potential; I can tell only from just the first couple of classes. I'm looking for the translation part of it because translation can go in so many directions depending on the interpretation, and it'll be cool to see where different people take things.
My class is at 9:00 though, and the majority of my friends have their grammar class at 11:30, so I find myself waiting around the IES center or exploring the neighborhood until they're out. Yesterday, I actually took the métro to the Saint-Paul stop and took a walk through the Marais. I saw one of the small Jewish parts of Paris, and I thought it was cool to see Hebrew and Yiddish next to the French. It's comforting to me to know that there are at least some Jewish people in this city. I walked past several kosher butchers and bakeries with challah in the window. Pretty cool, I have to admit. Next time I go through there, I'll have to get one.
Well I'm off. I think we're going to head to a museum, though I'm not sure which one. I've been here this long and haven't gone to see one yet, so I think it's about time!
A toute à l'heure!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Commencement des cours
So the last few days have been a lot of orientation stuff. You know, the this-is-how-you-get-around-in-Paris and "be careful" speeches. They've given us a lot of information about our academic options, as well as extracurricular activites and IES sponsored field trips. I think I want to the the trip to Normandy to see the D-Day memorials and museums and the one to two châteaux, Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte.
I've also spent a lot of time just roaming around the city, exploring the cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture. I'm still in the "euphoria stage" of the study abroad experience, so I'm constantly in awe of everything I see. Apparently, it should last for a couple weeks when there will be a drop in my feelings, but I have an inkling that that's not really going to happen... I've been meeting a bunch of really interesting and fun people, and it's been great being able to explore with them.
We took a placement test yesterday, and this morning we began our language classes in order to prepare ourselves for a full course load of classes taught all in French. I placed into the highest level, so I'm taking a translation and style course, which I'm really excited about. Our professor is very nice and energetic and has a lot of enthusiasm for what she's teaching us. The class only has six students in it, so it's a really awesome student-faculty ratio.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the rest of the day. Most of my new friends have their language class in the second section from 11:30-1:00, so I think I'm going to hang around here at the IES center until they're out. Then there's an optional tour at 2:00 of the neighborhood surrounding the center, so I might go on that if I feel like it.
A bientôt!
I've also spent a lot of time just roaming around the city, exploring the cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture. I'm still in the "euphoria stage" of the study abroad experience, so I'm constantly in awe of everything I see. Apparently, it should last for a couple weeks when there will be a drop in my feelings, but I have an inkling that that's not really going to happen... I've been meeting a bunch of really interesting and fun people, and it's been great being able to explore with them.
We took a placement test yesterday, and this morning we began our language classes in order to prepare ourselves for a full course load of classes taught all in French. I placed into the highest level, so I'm taking a translation and style course, which I'm really excited about. Our professor is very nice and energetic and has a lot of enthusiasm for what she's teaching us. The class only has six students in it, so it's a really awesome student-faculty ratio.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the rest of the day. Most of my new friends have their language class in the second section from 11:30-1:00, so I think I'm going to hang around here at the IES center until they're out. Then there's an optional tour at 2:00 of the neighborhood surrounding the center, so I might go on that if I feel like it.
A bientôt!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Welcome to France
Boy, have I had a lot going on the last couple of days! I haven't gotten a chance to write yet, so I'll now attempt to recount the events of my first three days in Paris, the city of lights.
After a wonderful weekend in London, I went to the St. Pancras International train station to catch the Eurostar. I never realized that it would be like an airport, with metal detectors and customs where they stamp your passport and everything. The terminal was absolutely huge, too! Cavernous! It was quite a sight. I made it to my train just in the nick of time ( :-) ), and took my seat for the two and a half hour journey to Paris. I got a jolt of excitement when the conductor got on the intercom and spoke first in French then in heavily accented English. It took me a while to fall asleep, but eventually I did, and after waking up, I looked out at the countryside zooming past me and saw cars on the right-hand side of the road! I had slept the entire way under the Channel and had made it to France.
A little while later, we made it to the Gare du Nord train station in northern Paris. Everything in French! How exciting!!! I then made the utterly stupid decision to get to my host family's house by métro. Imagine two 50+ pound suitcases and a backpack and having to lug them up and down probably around 200 steps in three different stops. It was so incredibly difficult. I took ligne 6 to Montparnasse/Bienvenüe and then ligne 13 to Malakoff - Etienne Dolet. After about an hour, I made it and began walking to the house.
Now, my family doesn't live in Paris proper. They live right outside the 14th arrondissement (in the south) in a little town called Malakoff. Walking down the street, I noticed so many things typically French: le tabac, le boulangerie, and of course my favorite, le pâtisserie. It all looked so new, yet un peu familiar at the same time. I made it almost all the way down the street and stopped where I had been told in an email exchange with my host mother, at the green doorway on an old house. Looked interesting enough. Little did I know what I was really getting myself into.
A man, probably around 28, opened the door and introduced himself. He is David, my host mother's son-in-law. While helping me bring my ridiculous, Americanly heavy luggage up the stairs, he explained that he and my host mother's daughter live in an apartment downstairs. Mimi, my host mother, hadn't made it home from work yet but was going to arrive soon. This is when I saw the house.
I wish I had pictures yet to show you (unfortunately, since then I haven't been in the house to take pictures during the day with proper light). It was originally built as a granary in 1850 (an antique by European standards). There is a courtyard-type area when you first walk in, with one apartment on each side; the daughter and son-in-law live in one and the other is rented out to another woman. Walking up the stairs, I entered the salon, or living room. Through the salon is the cuisine (kitchen), and across the way is the rest of the house, where there are the toilette, the salle de bain (bathroom), the bureau (office), and two chambres (bedrooms). My room is up another flight of stairs, in the attic. Now don't be alarmed, I'm not sleeping in some dusty, tight space with mice and cobwebs. It's a cute little bedroom with wood floors and a pointed, wood-paneled ceiling. The entire house is decorated in what I would consider Bohemian-meets-French country, and it's completely full of charm. It's just wonderful.
Then, about fifteen minutes later, I had the pleasure of meeting Mimi. She greeted me with the traditional French bises (kisses on the cheeks), and it immediately became quite clear that this is a great match. She is absolutely energetic and full of life. Her friendly smile and warm voice made me so comfortable, and my French just came out. It felt liberating; she was the first person I really had a conversation with. She mentioned to me that she needed to do some grocery shopping, and I said that I'd love to come along. With grocery cart in hand, we headed off to the store.
We walked there, something I explained I would have never done in the United States. It was about a ten minute walk, but it didn't feel like it at all as I surveyed my surroundings and continued the conversation. During our walk, we discovered that her family and I have a lot in common. Music is a very important aspect of their lives. David and her daughter Aurélie are aspiring actors who love to dance and sing, and Mimi herself sings as well and is learning to play the accordion! It really could not have been a more perfect match! She has two other children as well. Her son Jérémie is 24 and lives in Barcelona, and her other daughter Chloé is 20 and is a work-study student in the tourism business.
On the way back, we stopped chez Bruno and Sabrina, Mimi's friends, who are hosting Zack, a student from Minnesota. After making it back to her house with our new groceries, I helped unpack, and then she told me that her other friend Kaki is also hosting an American student, so we went over there to meet her. We even rode on bikes! I couldn't believe it! How French is that? I couldn't even remember the last time I had ridden a bike...
We got to Kaki's and met her student Lauren. She's a really nice girl from Texas and we talked a little bit about school and our interests and the like. Then we had a glass of wine with Mimi and Kaki, and we just talked about France and things like that :-) The women have been friends for over 25 years, and they often host students together. It's such a great thing to know that I'm not alone in Malakoff, with Lauren and Zack only a few minutes away.
After about 45 minutes or so, Mimi and I brought Lauren back to our house (Kaki had some conference to go to), and we had dinner with Aurélie, Chloé, Chloé's boyfriend Grégorie, and André, another family friend. We had a really simple, yet delicious meal called raclettes. All it was was potatoes, and then we melted our own personal portions of cheese on these little platters, poured the cheese on to the potatoes, and voilà! It's apparently a dish popular in the mountains, and I totally understand why! I had forgotten that dinner is a several hour event in France. We all sat around the table for about two and a half hours, just introducing ourselves and discussing different things. I'm loving learning to express myself in a different language. It's really quite exhilarating.
We finished dinner, and after helping clean up, everyone sort of went their separate ways. André took Lauren home on his scooter, and I went up to my room. It wasn't long before I headed to bed; I had had quite a long day and had another one ahead of me: the first day of orientation at IES.
I was so happy to be here, and like I said, I don't think it could be any more perfect as far as host families go. I have a great feeling that this semester is going to be spectacular.
Well... it looks like it took me quite a while just to sum up my first day... I still have two more to go to catch up. But I'm tired and have to be at a language placement exam at 9:30 am tomorrow, so I think I'm going head to bed now and finish tomorrow hopefully.
Bonne nuit!
After a wonderful weekend in London, I went to the St. Pancras International train station to catch the Eurostar. I never realized that it would be like an airport, with metal detectors and customs where they stamp your passport and everything. The terminal was absolutely huge, too! Cavernous! It was quite a sight. I made it to my train just in the nick of time ( :-) ), and took my seat for the two and a half hour journey to Paris. I got a jolt of excitement when the conductor got on the intercom and spoke first in French then in heavily accented English. It took me a while to fall asleep, but eventually I did, and after waking up, I looked out at the countryside zooming past me and saw cars on the right-hand side of the road! I had slept the entire way under the Channel and had made it to France.
A little while later, we made it to the Gare du Nord train station in northern Paris. Everything in French! How exciting!!! I then made the utterly stupid decision to get to my host family's house by métro. Imagine two 50+ pound suitcases and a backpack and having to lug them up and down probably around 200 steps in three different stops. It was so incredibly difficult. I took ligne 6 to Montparnasse/Bienvenüe and then ligne 13 to Malakoff - Etienne Dolet. After about an hour, I made it and began walking to the house.
Now, my family doesn't live in Paris proper. They live right outside the 14th arrondissement (in the south) in a little town called Malakoff. Walking down the street, I noticed so many things typically French: le tabac, le boulangerie, and of course my favorite, le pâtisserie. It all looked so new, yet un peu familiar at the same time. I made it almost all the way down the street and stopped where I had been told in an email exchange with my host mother, at the green doorway on an old house. Looked interesting enough. Little did I know what I was really getting myself into.
A man, probably around 28, opened the door and introduced himself. He is David, my host mother's son-in-law. While helping me bring my ridiculous, Americanly heavy luggage up the stairs, he explained that he and my host mother's daughter live in an apartment downstairs. Mimi, my host mother, hadn't made it home from work yet but was going to arrive soon. This is when I saw the house.
I wish I had pictures yet to show you (unfortunately, since then I haven't been in the house to take pictures during the day with proper light). It was originally built as a granary in 1850 (an antique by European standards). There is a courtyard-type area when you first walk in, with one apartment on each side; the daughter and son-in-law live in one and the other is rented out to another woman. Walking up the stairs, I entered the salon, or living room. Through the salon is the cuisine (kitchen), and across the way is the rest of the house, where there are the toilette, the salle de bain (bathroom), the bureau (office), and two chambres (bedrooms). My room is up another flight of stairs, in the attic. Now don't be alarmed, I'm not sleeping in some dusty, tight space with mice and cobwebs. It's a cute little bedroom with wood floors and a pointed, wood-paneled ceiling. The entire house is decorated in what I would consider Bohemian-meets-French country, and it's completely full of charm. It's just wonderful.
Then, about fifteen minutes later, I had the pleasure of meeting Mimi. She greeted me with the traditional French bises (kisses on the cheeks), and it immediately became quite clear that this is a great match. She is absolutely energetic and full of life. Her friendly smile and warm voice made me so comfortable, and my French just came out. It felt liberating; she was the first person I really had a conversation with. She mentioned to me that she needed to do some grocery shopping, and I said that I'd love to come along. With grocery cart in hand, we headed off to the store.
We walked there, something I explained I would have never done in the United States. It was about a ten minute walk, but it didn't feel like it at all as I surveyed my surroundings and continued the conversation. During our walk, we discovered that her family and I have a lot in common. Music is a very important aspect of their lives. David and her daughter Aurélie are aspiring actors who love to dance and sing, and Mimi herself sings as well and is learning to play the accordion! It really could not have been a more perfect match! She has two other children as well. Her son Jérémie is 24 and lives in Barcelona, and her other daughter Chloé is 20 and is a work-study student in the tourism business.
On the way back, we stopped chez Bruno and Sabrina, Mimi's friends, who are hosting Zack, a student from Minnesota. After making it back to her house with our new groceries, I helped unpack, and then she told me that her other friend Kaki is also hosting an American student, so we went over there to meet her. We even rode on bikes! I couldn't believe it! How French is that? I couldn't even remember the last time I had ridden a bike...
We got to Kaki's and met her student Lauren. She's a really nice girl from Texas and we talked a little bit about school and our interests and the like. Then we had a glass of wine with Mimi and Kaki, and we just talked about France and things like that :-) The women have been friends for over 25 years, and they often host students together. It's such a great thing to know that I'm not alone in Malakoff, with Lauren and Zack only a few minutes away.
After about 45 minutes or so, Mimi and I brought Lauren back to our house (Kaki had some conference to go to), and we had dinner with Aurélie, Chloé, Chloé's boyfriend Grégorie, and André, another family friend. We had a really simple, yet delicious meal called raclettes. All it was was potatoes, and then we melted our own personal portions of cheese on these little platters, poured the cheese on to the potatoes, and voilà! It's apparently a dish popular in the mountains, and I totally understand why! I had forgotten that dinner is a several hour event in France. We all sat around the table for about two and a half hours, just introducing ourselves and discussing different things. I'm loving learning to express myself in a different language. It's really quite exhilarating.
We finished dinner, and after helping clean up, everyone sort of went their separate ways. André took Lauren home on his scooter, and I went up to my room. It wasn't long before I headed to bed; I had had quite a long day and had another one ahead of me: the first day of orientation at IES.
I was so happy to be here, and like I said, I don't think it could be any more perfect as far as host families go. I have a great feeling that this semester is going to be spectacular.
Well... it looks like it took me quite a while just to sum up my first day... I still have two more to go to catch up. But I'm tired and have to be at a language placement exam at 9:30 am tomorrow, so I think I'm going head to bed now and finish tomorrow hopefully.
Bonne nuit!
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