My Life in PARIS!!!

2006-09-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

3 Days left in Paris!!! Crazy huh?! I can't wait until I don't have to pay almost 5 bucks every time I want to use the internet for only an hour. Yesterday Mom and I went to Musee D'Orsay and today to the Castle of Versailles. Both extremely impressive. My time is about up on-line so this is going to be a very short message....but the plan is tomorrow -Monet's gardens at Giverny and then Sunday Mass at Notre Dame and then the Louvre museum. Yes, I saved so many of the overwhelming museums and sightseeing until the end, and it makes for some very tiring days. I'm so excited to come home and see everyone! HOpe you are all doing well!

FAMILY! :)

2006-08-27T03:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to use the internet at all. Since the fam got here, we have been running around sightseeing non-stop. So this entry will be really short, but at least you'll know where all we have visited. The family arrived in Paris on Sunday and it was sooooooooo great to see them all. My parents and Adam and his girlfriend, Kristine. I know, in the most romantic city of the world with two couples....Yes, I'm kind of a 5th wheel...haha just kidding. I took them to all my favorite places and acted as their tour guide. :) Then we went to the NEtherlands- to Amsterdam and then to Volendam. We checked out the windmills and the wooden shoes there, it was awesome. My favorite thing from Amsterdam was the Anne Frank house. I will write more about it later, but it was such a powerful experience. I will never forget it. Today we are in Prague- we arrived here on Friday. Unfortunately the taxi drivers ripped us off big time on our 5 minute ride from the train station to our hotel so it wasn't the most pleasant start. We took an overnight train from Amsterdam and yes, it was very long. Tonight we leave for Stuttgart, Germany. We plan to be there for a couple days and then back to Paris. I just realized today that I come back a day earlier than I thought (the 5th not the 6th) . I have had such a great time, but I know that I'm going to be ready. It's only a week and a half away! I can't wait to see everyone when I get home and catch up with you all! :)

The Beach!

2006-08-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

"Pardon, Pardon!" This is what we shouted as we ran off the metro with extremely heavy backpacks on and our hands full as we tried to dodge all those in front of us. We sprinted up and down stairs, from the metro station to the train station, then up the escalator to the info desk and then to our train, all the while knowing that our train was supposed to LEAVE in 5 minutes or less. Long story short, we made it on the train...with sweat dripping down our faces, our stomach aching and our hearts racing...but if we hadn't been running, we wouldn't have made it. It's just kind of how Monday went for us. IT started when we both slept through the alarm and woke up an hour later than planned, then we spent 8 euros on pastries to take to the cafe that we go to every morning b/c it was our last day and we wanted to say thank you and goodbye and then...the cafe was closed...yea...so we had a huge box of pastries and we didn't even get to say goodbye! It was a bummer b/c we became friends with all the servers there and also the other regulars that came every morning. Oh well, maybe when I'm back in Paris, I can stop by again. So the train ride was about 5 hours and we were going to a city called Biarritz. It's right next to the Spanish border along the coast of France. We ended up getting off one station too soon at Bayrone, Biarritz. To cut the story a bit short, we had some complications with the hostel we were planning on staying at and we ended up camping out with some of our french friends we met in Paris b/c they were vacationing just a half hour north of where we were. They basically saved the day (and night). Thank goodness we had cell phones and they had cars and could come pick us up. Everything worked out and it was really fun to go camping here in France b/c we've been in an apartment the whole time. So yesterday we went to the beach and relaxed in the sun and went surfing. I guess that the Southwest region of France is known for its surfing so it's really exciting to be here and try it. The waves weren't too big but it was nice b/c it was only my second time ever surfing. The water here is actually really warm and also very clear and the beaches are nice and sandy. It is so nice to see the water again; I have missed it so much. The Seine river in Paris is beautiful but it just isn't the same as the coast. It reminds me of California here (so yea, of course I love it). It isn't a big touristy city so we haven't seen or met many Americans. It's more of a place where the French vacation at. Last night was a holiday (Ascension), so we watched a fireworks show on the beach. It was so beautiful! No Mozart playing this time, but there were two shows going on at the same time and we were right in the middle of it and we had a perfect spot on the beach. My favorite fireworks were the ones that went off in the water. Today we spent awhile on the beach and we're feeling a little zapped by the sun. Our french buds that we went camping with hooked us up with a place to stay for the next few days for a really good deal, so we are very very thankful for them. We stay here til Friday evening and then we're headed back to Paris. The fam comes in on Sunday morning!!! :)

Oh yeah and Monday was my last day of class and I got my certificate and everything. I got my last test back and I did sooo much better than the first one, I was really excited. Out of 60 points, I scored 10 pionts higher than last time, so I improved greatly. It even said "Bien" at the top!!! :) It's really nice to be done with class now though.

2006-08-10T05:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, well I thought that when the time came, I would be ready to leave Paris...well, now it doesn' t appear that way. Erica and I are heading to the Soutwest part of France next Tues. to get a little sun and relax on the beaches. It will be wonderful, but there's a part of me that REALLY doesn't want to leave Paris...and it's going to be difficult. The fam is coming on Sunday- not this weekend, but next. I'm really excited to see you guys!!! My last day of class is on Monday and then we have to be out of our apartments on Tues. This month has been very different than last. August is the month that most Parisians take their vacation and many of the shops are closed. La Boulangerie that we went to every morning to get our croissant or pain au chocolat is now closed as well. Our cafe is still open though and we still get our cafe au lait each morning. That is one of the things that I am going to miss the most b/c of the thoughts I've pondered there, the insights I've gained, the people I've met, the French I've practiced, the chats Erica and I have had there, the stories we've shared, the laughs we've had... :(
There's many more tourists here this month and the city seems to have quite a different feel to it. Seeing cameras flash constantly, hearing English again...it's just not quite the same. I feel like there's still a lot that we haven't seen, but sightseeing is so exhausting. Erica and I watched a beautiful sunset in the Tuilleries gardens while sippin on some really good Champagne. We're trying to really live it up these last few days. Thank goodness my plane leaves from Paris in September so I'll be able to come back and say goodbye one more time.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer!!! I miss you all very much!

2006-08-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

So most of my blog entries have been more like an itinerary of what I’ve been doing and what sights I’ve seen, but I haven’t written very much about my thoughts and reflections of the experiences…I’ve just been writing all that stuff in my journal, but I thought that I might share some of it with you all.

I feel like when I return home to all that is familiar, I won’t possibly be able to explain this experience to someone. There’s so many stories every day, and so many thoughts every day. It’s almost like a really long retreat- not quite as spiritually refreshing, but similar to some degree- just different. It’s similar b/c it gives me time to basically think about life and makes me reflect on who I am, who I want to be, what I want to do with my life, what goals I want to make for when I return home, how I can better myself… It’s awesome how an amazing experience such as this can change your view of life (at least to some extent) and really open your eyes to the world. I really hope that some of the aspirations I’ve acquired while I’m here don’t dwindle away when I get back home. One of the most challenging parts to an experience such as this is to actually let it change you- to grow and to go home without losing or forgetting the growth you have gained.

It’s almost like my life at home in the states is on hold but for all of you it’s still going on and I feel totally lost like I don’t know what has happened with all of you! You guys get updates of me, but I don’t get many of all of you. When I return home some things will have changed. I can’t imagine if I spent a whole year abroad…I’ve only been gone for a little over a month! I’m sitting here at the café I always come to in the morning but it’s later in the day, and this time I’m sipping on an “espresso” not a “café au lait”. An espresso here is a straight espresso shot, and it’s really popular for people to order. It’s really strong and quite bitter but now I understand why they think our coffee is so watered down in the States. I had to add some sugar. I definitely prefer my café au lait or cappuccino, but this is less expensive.

I’ve been a bit overwhelmed about all that I still want to see because I’ve put off going to so many of the museums and other touristy sites, because I had so much time, but now…well I’m only here for another week and a half (a little more depending how long the fam wants to stay in Paris). I have had such a great time meeting people and the small little interactions and conversations are what I will remember the most. But of course, there are some must-see places.

My French has improved a lot. It has been pretty gradual so it isn’t as noticeable to me but when I think of where my French was when I first arrived and where it is now, I guess I’ve come quite a ways. Today I talked with some French kids and it was cool b/c we were able to understand each other and they probably didn’t know I was American– and if the did, I think they were too young to know many of the stereotypes and opinions of Americans anyway, but it was refreshing to chat with kids. Being away from home and from all of you would be so hard for a whole year but I really feel as though I could become almost fluent if I stayed all year. I finally had a dream in French the other night! I have heard a lot of my friends talk about having dreams where they were speaking in French and I never had one until the other night. I think it’s because I have been trying to think in French all day long, even more now than I was before- I’m trying to journal my thoughts in French (it’s really hard and takes a long time but it’s good practice). Unfortunately I wasn’t fluent in my dream, but maybe next time…

I can’t believe that I only have a week and a half left of class!! I have been enjoying it a little more because I’m getting to know the other students better, but I will still be very glad to be done. I think I mentioned this before but I wish it was more conversation-based b/c the days when we do get to chat more w/ other students, I improve significantly more and it is so encouraging. It really boosts my confidence and therefore, helps me speak in French the rest of the day. The days when my prof just lectures all day- those aren’t as fun or as helpful. Yesterday our prof paired us up (she never lets two students w/ the same nationality work together) – and I was with a Japanese student named Yaoko. She was really sweet and after we finished what the prof instructed us, we just kept talking in French and getting to know each other. It was so cool. I wish we had the opportunity to do that more. After I left class yesterday I ended up talking with another French person for quite awhile and I was proud of how long I could talk with them for. But days like today- my prof lectured about really complicated grammatical stuff- she was explaining lots of verbs that almost mean the same thing (like come, go, enter, go out, come back, return, reenter, exit, leave…) some can be interchangeable, and others can’t. Then if you want to say the same thing in past tense it’s a whole different story! And of course there are exceptions to everything!!! Man, it exhausts my brain to even think about it- I’m not looking forward to tonight’s homework assignment.

It’s really neat to see and experience the unity in the classroom because there is so much diversity and yet we are all at about the same level with learning and speaking the French language. Except the Spanish kids pick it up so fast and seem to comprehend better because their language is similar to French. I’m a little jealous. We are all able to communicate and bond together. Pretty much everyone can speak English and they all have said that learning English was soooooooo much easier than French. It’s funny to see all the different dictionaries for the different languages.

Oh yea and I also wanted to explain some of my spelling errors…haha. It’s really difficult to constantly switch back and forth between French and English because there are many words that are spelled and pronounced so similar but maybe only one or two letters different (like apartment – appartement, or chocolate- chocolat, return- retourn) so in many cases they both look correct to me. Especially now since I’ve been trying to write and journal more in French. Then when I really think about it or I catch it, I feel silly- like I’m back in 1^st grade or something. When I type in Word and copy and paste my entries I can usually catch most of them, but sometimes I type straight onto my blog. So anyway…just had to explain that. ;)

2006-08-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

Well, last weekend I went to London to visit Dusty. It was so much fun. I had never been there before so I was really excited. We did a little sightseeing like the British Art Museum and the Sherlock Holmes museum, but honestly as much as I like to see those things, I'm learning that you can't really get a true feel for a city unless you do the not-so-touristy things. It was kinda weird b/c it was almost like a reverse culture shock to be back in an English speaking country; it kind of through me off. I kept speaking in French by habit especially little things like "pardon" "merci" "s'il vous plait" (the general please, thank you etc). Also when I would be about to order anything at a restaurant or talk to anyone, my mind was still constantly thinking in French and I was preparing how to ask or say what I was thinking. The weather was much nicer in London and the city is much cleaner than Paris. The metro stations in Paris are disgusting- the smells, the random things on the wall and ceiling...But, I'm not gonna lie, the food isn't as good in London. The french cuisine truly is how they say- SOOOOO GOOD!! We had a really good time going out dancing on Friday night. I met a bunch of Dusty's friends and they were all really fun. I went to a place called the Kew Gardens on Sunday and that was beautiful.

2006-07-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Beautiful view (Loire Valley)

My favorite Chateau

Hangin out with Dusty and Luke at the Eiffel Tower

One of the Loire Valley Chateaus

Chartres

Chillin along the Seine river

2006-07-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, our program offered a cheese tasting for us. There were 7 cheeses we tried; they started out pretty mellow then got really strong. The goat cheese we tried was probably my favorite. It was called Crottin de Chavignol. There wasn’t really any that I disliked but some were pretty bitter. The Roquefort (blue cheese) was much stronger than the blue cheese that I’m used to and it was too strong to eat without bread. It was cool because before we tasted each kind, our guide explained more about it like what part of France it was from and what kind of foods it’s usually used for. They provided wine for us too, I’ve always heard about wine and cheese, but wow- it’s a delicious combination! (Especially of course with FRENCH wine and cheese.)

On Friday, after class Erica and I went sunbathing along the Seine River. The river water is much too polluted to swim in, but they have misty shower hoses to cool down with and make it bearable. Friday night Dustin Mennella came to Paris for the weekend. (For those of you who don’t know, Dusty is my cousin who’s studying abroad in London this summer.) So I met him at the metro station and took him out to see the Eiffel Tower. We also met up with his cousin, Luke, who’s staying the summer in Paris with his French girlfriend. It was great to chat about all our adventures thus far and to stare and marvel at the beautifully lit Eiffel Tower.

Saturday morning we left early for a weekend excursion to the Loire Valley with the rest of the students in my program. I felt bad that Dusty came the weekend I was leaving but we got to hang out for a little while. The Loire Valley is about 3 hours southwest of Paris and is filled with lots of beautiful old castles. The first castle we went to was called the Chateau d’Amboise from the 15-16^th century. It was quite a bit smaller than the other castles we saw, but I loved the town. It was very small and had a much different feel than Paris. The 2^nd castle we went to was called the Chateau de Chenonceau- this one was by far my favorite. What made this one so different and so impressive was the outside- the gardens and the river. We were able to rent a little rowboat for a ½ hour and row under the arches of the castle. I loved it. There was also a maze garden that we had fun running around in, pretending we were little kids again. After that castle, we had the most amazing dinner at a restaurant called Auberge Agnes Sorel. It was a full four-course meal. My favorite part (besides the dessert) was the baby scoop of sorbet that was served to “cleanse the palate”. The main dish was some kind of meat that tasted like chicken and some veggies and potatoes. It was very tasty. And oh man, the dessert…I think I’m falling in love with the chocolate here…at home I’m not as big on chocolate, but here it’s another story. It was a really rich chocolate dessert – a little round cake looking thing filled with melted chocolate and served with chocolate sauce and a little scoop of chocolate sorbet. It was pretty much amazing- although all the food here is!!! J After dinner we went to our hotel. Our hotel was beautiful. It looked like a castle itself and somehow, Erica and I got one of the best rooms. When we first walked in to our room and opened the windows, we could see the sun setting and we had the top floor. Sunday morning breakfast was included and we were excited to have a real breakfast because we’ve just been having coffee and a pastry every morning. Then on Sunday we went to a privately owned chateau where they make their own wine. It was called Chateau Nitray. We only got to see a few rooms of this chateau but it was awesome because it seemed so much more real. It’s actually being lived in right now so it wasn’t roped off and it was fully furnished with family photos and all. They also offered a wine tasting for us and then we got to purchase some bottles. It was cool to be able to go wine tasting in the Loire Valley because that’s where a lot of the wine in France is produced. There was also an antique fair going on at the same place so it was fun to look at all the antiques. On the way to the next castle we saw the Chateau de Cheverny out the bus windows. It was pretty but there are only so many castles we could visit in one weekend. The last castle we saw was the Chateau de Chambord. It was absolutely enormous. The Chapel was beautiful and there was a really cool spiral staircase in the chateau, but other than that, all the rooms pretty much looked the same. A lot of the rooms were really bare because so much was sold years and years ago. The wallpaper in the rooms reminded me of the game Clue. J

Overall, it was a wonderful get-away weekend. I really enjoyed seeing the countryside. The weather was really pleasant and the towns were all very small and quaint. I’m so much more of a small town girl than a big city one, but it’s great to get some of both.

When we got back to Paris, I met up with Dusty again and Erica and I took him out to St. Michel because it’s a fun area to go to in the evening because there’s always lots of people out. I finally tried the escargots. I’ve wanted to try them since I got here and convinced Dusty to split an order with me. They actually weren’t that bad. The seasoning on them gave them really tasty flavor. The texture was a little “different” though and they were pretty chewy. But now I can say I tried them! I guess next its frog huh? Hmmm we’ll see about that.

My last day for my phonetics class was on Monday so now I only have two hours of class a day. It's really nice to be done an hour earlier. I'm getting kind of tired of having class because I would rather be out enjoying the city and exploring. Plus it seems like my French improves the most when I'm out using it- out meeting people. Written French and spoken French are very different from one another which makes it even more difficult to understand people when they speak. People speak fast and also there's a lot of slang and more informal speech that we don't learn in class so it makes it challenging. I think I've improved quite a bit, but my progression seems so up and down. Sometimes I feel like I'm understanding a lot more and able to speak a lot better but then other times I get frustrated and very discouraged because I feel like I can't understand anything or say what I'm trying to say. I think that that's what learning a foreign language is like; if it were a steady progression upwards then it would be too easy, right?! Oh yea, it was like 102-104 degrees today! Yes, very hot. I hope it cools down soon.

2006-07-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, well there is a whole lot to catch up on since my last update. The weekend before last was one of the best yet. It was a nice, long, 3 day weekend because of Bastille Day (Independence Day in France). After having only one-day off the previous weekend, this seemed like a really long break.

Starting with Friday, we of course slept-in since we could! Then we went to a place called Bois de Boulgne. There was a small lake where people were bathing in the sun and having picnics w/ friends and family. We packed a lunch and relaxed there for a few hours while watching the little row-boats travel by. We are hoping to go back and rent a boat next time. Friday night we went to the Eiffel Tower along with everyone else in Paris!!! They had a beautiful fireworks show. Every direction from the tower was packed with people- every patch of grass was packed. We were on the back side of the tower and it was cool to see the structure of the tower in front of all the fireworks. The best part- what made it so different than a 4th of July fireworks show or New Year's celebration at the Space Needle or elswhere in the States was that Mozart was blarring during hte whole show. It was so beautiful. Mozart, the Eiffel Tower, beautiful colors lighting up the sky... They even had red heart-shaped fireworks, I mean, we are in the most romantic city of the world, so why wouldn't they?!! haha So Erica and I sat on the lawn w/ some friends in awe with some wine and we ate entirely way too much chocolate. :) Oh man, what a great night it was. Getting home was a little crazy b/c of all the crowds, but we managed to make it onto the metro w/o too much trouble.

Saturday evening we went to a cinema in a place called Montparnasse-Bievenue. We saw the movie, Marie Antoinette w/ Kirsten Dunst. We watched it in English w/ French subtitles- that was great b/c we could understand and folllow it easily but also practice our french by reading the subtitles. It was a perfect movie to see whilt in France b/c it's a French story from the late 1700s with the setting being at Versailles. We are so excited b/c we can actually go to Versailles while we're here and bring the move (and the history) to life. LAter Saturday night we went out to an Irish Pub and another place near by and danced the night away. :) We had such a blast. We were at a place called St. Michel. It's so crazy how many people dine so late here. We came back extremely late and there was still older couples out dining or having a drink at a resaurant. It's so different than at home b/c restaurants aren't even open that late at home and even if they were, would all you old folks be out dining, sharing a glass of wine enjoying a nice long chat w/ friends? No, probably not. Dad, I know you're young at heart but I'm pretty sure you would fall asleep at the restaurant. haha.

Sunday we took a day trip to a smaller town soutwest of Paris called Chartres. We took the train and spent the day there. There was a huge Gothic style Cathedral there. We went inside and gave ourselves a little tour with the assistance of Rick Steeve's tour guide book. The Cathedral was built in the 12 or 13th century. The inside (and the outside) was all so incredibley detailed and impressive. Inside the cathedral had the story of the Bible sculpted in about 40 different scenes and the stain glass was also very beautiful w/ so many bright colors and images. We went to mass in the crypt. It was really great to experience mass in such a different place than we're used to. It was in French of course, but because of mass being so universal, I could follow along and know what responses were being said and what was happening at what time. The gospel and the homily were challenging to follow in detail because he talked so fast - all I could really tell is that he was talking about family.

Monday we went on a tour of the Opera House- the old opera house, not the one we saw the opera at before. It was so beautiful. I kept wishing I was dressed in an elegant gown walking up the beautiful staircase like back in the day. Our tour guide explained a great deal of history in every room - up to the details of the seating arrangements like who used to sit where and why. He even pointed out box #5 (phantom of the opera).

The weather, like I mentioned before, is extremely hot. Apparently it has been like 36 degrees celsius- I'm not exactly sure what that is in degrees farenheit- but it's hot. The Parisians say that this is very unusual for them and that's why they don't have any air conditioning anywhere. They also said that because of the pollution, it makes it feel like 3 degrees higher.

On Tuesday we went on a tour of Montmartre. I can say that w/ no question, this is my favorite place in Paris so far. Technically, it's still part of Paris but it reels like a separate little town. It has a very calm and quaint feel to it. Our tour guide took us to the other areas besides the touristy spots and I loved it. I can totally understand why people who live there say that they aren't Parisians, but instead, they live in "Montmartre". We saw where used to live. There was the most incredible view of the city. I don't think I could ever live in Paris for a long period of time, but Montmartre on the other hand, I think if it wasn't for missing all you guys so much, I definitely could. In Montmartre, there's also another big Cathedral called Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart). Of course, it's yet another beautiful Cathedral. (Sorry, I know I sound like a broken record, but seriously everything here is very beautiful.) The amazing thing about this cathedral is how new it is. They didn't start to build it until 1875 and it wasn't consecrated until 1950. I had a hard time believing it had been built and completely so recently, because the style of the architecture made it look so much older. It's the same way with apartments and flats here- the new ones are made to look just like the old ones- if only it was like that in America!

I had my first exam last Wednesday. It was tough but I thought it went okay. We got our scores back and we were shocked at our scores. The grading here is much different than what we are used to so you can't really compare. Our prof graded our tests really really tough too. At home, my French profs weren't quite as picky with spelling. We have things called "Dictèes" and it's when the prof reads something and we have to write it down....perfectly! C'est très difficile!!! It's so tough b/c you get docked even if you forget an accent on a letter!! I'm trying really hard not to be the academic stress ball that I am at home while I'm here b/c it's all about the experience, but it's hard for me to change my mentality. That's why they do a pass/ fail system b/c at home our advisors told us that they don't want us staying in our rooms studyin, but instead out seeing teh city and experiencing the culture. Oh yea, and Erica and I have made good friends w/ the waitor at the cafe we go to each morning- now along with bringing our cafe au lait every morning almost right after he sees us sit down, he chats with us about the day and whatnot. We usually go an hour or two before class and I usually either journal, study French, read some Theology, or often times finish my homework before class. On Wednesday I told our waitor (AMA) that I had a test and he brought me fresh-squeezed orange juice - on him, for good luck. :) After my test on Wednesday, I had a nice day strolling the city with one of my new French friends. We walked along the Seine river and then chatted in a park for awhile.

Ok, well I still have lots to write...but that's it for now. I'll try to update again soon.

2006-07-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Notre Dame Cathedral

Before the opera

Walking around Bastille before the Opera

The Luxemburg Gardens

2006-07-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much of a chance to use an internet lately and all the internet cafes are really expensive. But to try to do a quick update from last Saturday...Saturday night Erica and I went out dancing at a nightclub called LaLoco. It had three stories with different music on each floor. One floor hip-hop, one techno, and one 80's. When we first got there we were surprised at all the American music but it was for only a short while. It's kinda funny to hear French rap. We had fun, but it was really crowded and also extremely hot.

On Sunday we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral and walked along the Seine river for awhile. It is such a beautiful area. We had lunch at a little restaurant and got a chance to journal and have a wonderful chat about our favorite memories so far and about life in general. :) It's so nice to not be on American time- always in a rush, always thinking of what needs to be done, always keeping track of time- stressing out! We get to fully enjoy it and relax, because usually the time isn't of any concern (except in the morning for class of course). We didn't actually get to go inside the cathedral and walk up to see the amazing view because there were so many tourists, but that is one of the nicest things about living here for almost 2 months- we don't have to rush to see all the really touristy places, we can simply decide to come back and do it another day- a weekday!!

Then of course, Sunday night...as many of you may know...the World Cup. :( So sad. It was an incredible game and extremely exciting to watch. We went to a restaurant right next to our apartments and watched the game there. We were in full spirit, with facepaint of the French flag striped across our cheeks. It was fun to cheer them on in French along with the others at the restaurant. And, I don't know how many of you watched the game, but it was soooooo close and so intense, overtime and everything. So, the city was fairly quiet after the loss, and we were pretty bummed too, because it would have been so awesome to be here when they won the World Cup!!! None the less, we got to be here for some awesome games, crazy celebrations and great suspense.

Last night we decided to stop at a random metro station and see what was there and it ended up a great idea. We stopped at a place called Bourse; it had lots of little shops (they were closed when we were there) but lots of cafes and restaurants with lots of people out dining. We got some gelato and it was AMAZING. :) Me and my ice-cream, what can I say?!!

2006-07-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers- that plus the meds that the doctor gave me, have made me feel much better!!! I was finally able to go to school. After missing the first two days, it was quite overwhelming, especially because it was much harder than I was expecting it to be. I didn't place into a very high level, but it's very challenging to understand my prof. It's really cool to have a class with students with so many different nationalities. The main ones in my class are Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and American. I have class from 11-1 every day. It's a nice time because it's not super early and today Erica and I went to a cafe for an hour or so before. For the first 3 weeks of class I have a second class (Phonetics) with a different prof and only about 5 or 6 other students. We work a lot on our pronunciation in a lab with headphones and recorders. It's really nice to be able to listen to ourselves speaking directly after the prof so that we can pick up on our errors and trouble spots. My first day of class my prof assigned a lot of homework and I was really surprised and hoped that it wouldn't be like that every day, but then yesterday was about a quarter of the amount so thank goodness!! I had class today too- on Saturday!!?!!! We were kind of bummed to have class on a Saturday because we feel like there is so much to see!!! Next Friday is a big holiday here in France called Bastille Day and class is cancelled that day, and unlike in the States, we have to make up for it on a Saturday! Weird huh?!

Last night Erica and I went to an Opera. We got amazing seats- the second row back from the orchestra!! We went earlier in the day to see about tickets and the man told us that there were enough seats and if we came back a half hour before it started we could get good seats for very inexpensive. So that's exactly what we did! The opera house was beautiful. It was enormous! I haven't been to many operas so I don't know how it compares but I guess it held about 3,000 people. The opera was a comedy in Italian with French subtitles, so it was very challenging to follow. We were with a couple other students and one of them was an opera singer from New York and he has performed in this same opera that we were seeing so he was able to explain it. It was a really amazing experience but I have to say, it was really really long!

Today after class, Erica and I went to a place in Paris called Madeleine. It was wonderful! Basically I'm just so happy to be feeling better that I'm excited to be out of my apartment and in the city, no matter where it is!!! But it really was a great spot. The scenery was beautiful - we could see the Eiffel tower from where we were and there was a big fountain and some really impressive buildings. I read about it in one of my Paris books as being a good place to go shopping and so well...we had to check it out! We haven't really done much shopping yet- I have kind of been afraid to because I'm afraid I might not be able to tell myself no. haha. There were some really high-end shops out there that were fun just to walk into and let our jaws drop at the prices. There were also a lot of other fun, unique boutiques that we ventured into. I ended up falling in love with a pair of shoes and couldn't stop thinking about them after I first saw them, so I had to! :) Some black heels that just look like Paris. :) hehe

2006-07-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

So after 4 days of feeling pretty miserable, I finally saw a doctor today. I called our advisor from the program a couple days ago and she just told me to go to the Pharmacy and explain my symptoms and that would hopefully do the trick. But yea...it didn't...the meds I got didn't really seem to do anything. The doctor came to my appartment today because I wasn't getting any better. He was really nice. He told me that I didn't have a fever, but I either have a digestive infection from bad food or I might have got the virus that is going around the city right now. He gave me a prescription for 3 different meds to take for both indigestion and for pain killer because I have had a constant throbbing headache for days now. He said for sure not to go to class tomorrow and depending how I feel, if I really want to, I could maybe go the following day, but he said I should be feeling better in 2 days. I hope so!!! I have been locked up in my appartment for sooooo long now. :( Erica has been such a sweetheart - she has totally been taking care of me and helping me out in any way she can- she got me flowers, she ran to the pharmacy today to get my meds, she made me some dinner last night and tried to get me to eat b/c I haven't been able to really eat anything the last few days. I'm so thankful for her kindness. I would feel really alone if she wasn't here. And thanks Mom and Dad for the phone calls, sorry I had to call at such weird times! Anyway, hopefully only two more days til I'm better. Class started today and I wasn't able to attend but hopefully I won't miss more than 2 days.

2006-07-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Erica taking care of me in my appartment.

Right outside the Picasso museum

The craziness last night after the World Cup game.

Out at a cafe having a croissant

...and a cappacino of course!

Walking down a street nearby our appartment (unfortunately it was garbage day so we got the big green bin in the picture)

Erica and I at the Eiffel Tower

Isn't it breathtaking?!

My first shot of the Eiffel Tower

2006-07-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been awhile since my last entry. Starting with last Thursday- Erica and I went to see the Eiffel Tower and sat on the lawn in front of it. There were a ton of people around on the lawn and it was so beautiful. During the day, the Eiffel Tower isn't that impressive in my opinion, but as soon as it gets dark, it is incredible. Seriously, I don't know what else to say except WOW! It lights up and every hour on the hour the lights flicker and it sparkles. I think that we will be going back there very often to spend the evenings. I haven't seen it at sunset yet either, and we all know my obsession with sunsets. We stayed at the Eiffel Tower until about 11:30pm that night and then ended up having a little difficulty with finding our way back - a man at the front desk of a hotel nearby helped us out and called a taxi for us. Friday was the start of orientation for school, and it has been extremely long. Learning about all that the program offers has made us really excited about everything. We also had our placement exam on Friday- it was really difficult. There was a listening portion, a writing portion w/ grammer questions and an oral portion. At least everyone I talked to said they thought it was really really hard, and I guess that it's ok if I didn't do very well because then the class will be the appropriate level. The classes are divided into two different Elementary French levels, two Intermediate levels, and two Advanced. Erica and I have been really trying to practice our french whenever we go out or even just around eachother. I was feeling really overwhelmed and a bit discouraged with my french when we first arrived, but now I feel like we have already improved tremendously and our classes haven't even begun yet.

Friday night was really fun. Erica and I went out with two other friends from our program and we got to get a taste of the nightlife here in Paris. Our appartment is in a really great location.
We went out to a restaurant right across from our appartments and ended up meeting some people. Erica and I were really excited because we both held really long conversations (just in French) with the people we met. One of the guys we met was actually from America so he knew English really well and was able to help us when we didn't know a word. One guy actually complimented us our accents, our pronunciation and grammer and asked how we learned so well. He said, yes, we still have a long way to go, but it was really encouraging to hear that. Then after a late night at the restaurant/ bar, we headed home. It's crazy how late people go out every night here. People of all ages go out to eat at 10:00 or much later. The days are pretty long here- it's 9:30pm right now and it's still bright as daylight. It doesn't get dark until after 10:00. The weather has been really hot and really humid. We're hoping for it to cool down some because it's kind of uncomfortable feeling sticky all day long.

Saturday we had some more orientation stuff and I ended up getting really sick. Erica had gotten sick the night before in the middle of the night but then felt better later that day. Unfortunately I haven't felt better yet. We were thinking that maybe it's something we both ate that triggered the sickness and I think part of my problem is being really dehydrated as well. I've drank more water than I normally do, but that combined with hot, humid weather and little sleep and the time change probably isn't good. I went back to my appartment early evening yesterday and laid down with a couple fans trying to cool myself down. Erica has been so sweet, she gave me a backrub to help the achiness and got a cold wet washcloth for me. Then everyone was planning on going out to watch the World Cup game at a bar because every restaurant and bar in Paris has a huge screen of the game and everyone is really into it. I was really bummed that I felt so crummy because it was such a huge deal. I woke up at like 10:30 and felt a little better so I went outside our appartment and met up with Erica and some friends. Right as I met up with them the game ended and they won! So then it was total craziness- really loud cheering and shouting. Then the street was filled with everyone celebrating- people dancing and chanting and waving the French flag, getting on top of cars going by, jumping up and down, it was so exciting. Even though I didn't get to watch any of the game, I was excited to be able to see part of the celebrating. I started feeling really sick after an hour out there so I had to come back in. I could hear them out there from my appartment for another few hours. The next game is on Wednesday so I'm looking forward to that. Hopefully I'll be feeling better by then.

Today I slept a lot and kind of laid-low except for when we went to the Picasso museum. Every museum in Paris is free on the first Sunday of the month so I really wanted to make it to at least one. We didn't even have to wait in any lines or anything, it was nice. The paintings were really impressive. Erica had a Rick Steeve's tour guide book that she was reading while we went through each room of the museum. Unfortunately I started feeling really crummy again and had to sit down on the bench in each room. It was really neat to see all the paintings and sculptures but I wish I was feeling better so that I could fully appreciate it.

2006-06-29T03:36:00.000-07:00

I arrived safely and yesterday was my first full day in Paris! Besides almost missing the flight from London to Paris and the fact that my luggage didn't make it, things have been wonderful! (I got my luggage sent to my hostel later the next day when it arrived at the Paris airport- thank goodness!) I met a really nice french lady (Samya) on the plane from Vancouver to London and her son (age 20) and daughter (age 24) ended up picking her up and they offered me a ride as well. I became friends with the daughter (Maeva) and we are planning on going out dancing one weekend with her cousin and Erica. (Erica is my friend from Western who I'm studying and traveling with.) The hostel Erica and I stayed in was very small (the room was basically the size of the bed) but it was nice and the guy at the front desk helped us out a lot with any questions we had. We spent a very long time trying to figure out the whole metro system yesterday. We went through like 6 or 7 metro tickets because we kept taking the wrong route or the wrong direction. It was very confusing. Although we did end up making it to the Champs-Elysses and doing a little shopping along it. Erica and I had a nice lunch yesterday (ham bagguette sandwhich, wine and dessert)- yes very french of us. :) It was exciting to be able to order in french and to only speak french with the waitor. It's also cool to see all the signs everywhere in french and to try to figure out what they are advertising for. I love hearing all the french around us, but it is very exhausting and and also very frustrating because I just want to be able to speak what I am thinking and say what I want to say but it is so difficult! It's like our minds are going constantly all day trying to translate and communicate with others. The french do greatly appreciate when we try to speak french and they help us. Most of the time we have to say, "Pouvez-vous parle plus letement s'il vous plait?" (Could you please speak slower?) It always sounds SO fast!! I am actually a little surprised at how little English we have heard from the french- I had heard because it's so touristy, often the french speak to you in English. Some have tried to but haven't known much English. (Or maybe they do and pretend like they don't.) Today we had our first orientation with the school program and we take our placement test tomorrow and begin classes on Tuesday. The weather has been really nice, today it's really hot out- speaking of, I think Erica and I are going to go enjoy the sunshine...in PARIS! :) hehe.