Yesterday was my first day of actual classes, and let me tell you it was interesting.
My first class, a discussion session of History of the 21st Century, met at Montreal - a building on a different metro spot than the main campus. I met up with two friends at the metro station and together we embarked on our adventure to find class. The building is in a rather ghetto part of town, there is a McDonalds about 30 yards from our classroom, but we found it relatively quickly. We arrived to the classroom - which could fit about 30 people- and most of the seats were taken. However we found a seat and waited for the professor. While we were waiting another 30 people showed up...and that is when we all began to panic. The professor announced that anyone not on her roster had to leave - and we, not having student cards, were not on the roster. So my brave friend spoke up stating that we were American students and did not have our cards. His comments were met by our fellow classmates with laughter making all of us panic even more and we become even more embarrassed. However the professor allowed us to stay and started kicking out "non priority" students (which resulted in many angry outbursts about the American students not deserving the spots etc). Finally after about 1.5 hours of trying to figure out the class roster our teacher became fed up with the class, dismissed us, and gave us her email address so that we could email her our interest in taking the class to which she would either let us in/reject us. Now, mind you this is all happening in French, so the three of us from API were not 100 percent sure what was being said at any given time - and consequently we thought we had been kicked out from class at minimum 3 times. Luckily - after class we went up to the teacher and explained our situation. She was very, very nice to us (a complete 180 degree flip) and explained that we were guaranteed a spot in the class and not to worry about everything that happened in class as "they were just being French". A girl standing near the teacher (perhaps a TA of sorts?) happened to be a tutor from the International Students Office, and she was a great help. She took time to explain the course description to us more and even explained how our method of evaluation would be different from the rest of the class because we are international students (i.e. we have the option of writing a paper in french instead of giving a 30 minute oral report). So although I wanted to cry for the entirety of class, I left feeling slightly better about life.
My two classes today were not half as bad, probably because they were both relatively large classes and as such seating and class registration were not as important. First I had a constitutional law course, which was interesting. If the class was taught in English I would probably love it. Understanding the french isn't horrible - the main parts of the lecture were clear (I think haha). The class is three hours long, which is different from the way courses are back home, but this particular course only lasts for 6 weeks so I guess I can't complain.
My second course is essentially about musicals and the importance of music and dance in film. I'm not exactly sure what the method of evaluation is, but it seems like it will be a good course. We watched bits of American movies today - such as Forrest Gump, Sweet Chariot, and Back to the Future- which made me slightly homesick.
After classes ended (about 6 PM) I broke down and bought a Parisian notebook - they are very annoying! In France lined paper does not exist - only graph paper and graph paper with a bazillion extra lines. The paper is also not the same size here. Sometimes I do not get this country. As our Resident Director Anne-Marie says, it really is the little differences (like different paper/notebooks) that you notice when you live abroad.
I have two more classes tomorrow, wish me luck!
27 January 2010
25 January 2010
Some things that I have noticed...
Hello!
Today I woke up around 10AM and decided to lay in bed until around 12 - however I suddenly heard the voices of our maids in the hallway (they come into our rooms once every two weeks to change our sheets). Needless to say, this caused me to- quite literally- jump out of bed, throw on clothes, attempt to clean my room, and leave before they could come in. I'm still not sure why I felt I had to do all this, but anyways I did, and when I came back to my room several hours later it turned out that today wasn't the day that they come. Epic fail. However, in kicking myself out of my room I was able to go to the API office, meet up with friends for lunch, go to the post office, go to the pharmacy, and walk around a little bit.
People have been asking me the biggest differences between home and here, and honestly it is the small things that make all of the difference! Here are some of the things I have noticed so far...
1. The metro doors here are, for the most part, not automatic - you need to push a button to get on and off. Needless to say my first time on the metro I found myself waiting for the metro door to open only for the train to take off with me still on it.
2. Nothing is open on Sundays except for some museums and restaurants
3. Dogs in France are VERY cute, and when it is cold or rainy all of them tend to wear jackets! It is also not uncommon for people to bring their dogs on the metro or into stores while they shop- and there does not seem to be any leash laws here.
4. There are a lot of stairs in France!! I think I walk about three times as much here as I do back home which is good because...
5. Carbohydrates are really the way to go here! For example, a typical breakfast is normally a croissant with yogurt, or bread with butter and jam. Cereal is an option but does not seem to be popular and is very expensive.
6. Coffee is very popular, but for the most part is served in very small portions, and is not served with milk.
7. Due to Parisian zone laws most buildings must be under 7 stories - so although it is a big city Paris always seems to be smaller.
8. Mopeds often ride down the sidewalk (I'm really not kidding!)
9. Almost all stores in France are specialized. For example, there is a shop only for candy, one only for cheese, one only for bread, one only for meats, etc. It is a little more time consuming, but the food is much better and a lot cheaper than if you were to buy in a supermarket equivalent.
10. It is expected for your bedroom to have a sink.
11. Toilets, or the W.C. here, are flushed by pushing a button - not by pulling down a lever, and most toilet paper seems to be pink!
12. At most grocery stores you need to pay for each plastic/paper bag you use to package up your groceries - so people bring backpacks, gymbags, etc, instead.
13. Computer keyboards are organized completely different here to accommodate for the accents used in the French language.
14. There are no CVS's here. When you need medicine, you go to la pharmacie, tell the pharmacist your symptoms and they hand you medicine.
15. Soda is VERY expensive. Oftentimes the same price as an alcoholic drink, and refills do not exist (except for at Pizza Hut!). Also, there are no "doggie bags" here - you are expected to finish what you are served!
Today I woke up around 10AM and decided to lay in bed until around 12 - however I suddenly heard the voices of our maids in the hallway (they come into our rooms once every two weeks to change our sheets). Needless to say, this caused me to- quite literally- jump out of bed, throw on clothes, attempt to clean my room, and leave before they could come in. I'm still not sure why I felt I had to do all this, but anyways I did, and when I came back to my room several hours later it turned out that today wasn't the day that they come. Epic fail. However, in kicking myself out of my room I was able to go to the API office, meet up with friends for lunch, go to the post office, go to the pharmacy, and walk around a little bit.
People have been asking me the biggest differences between home and here, and honestly it is the small things that make all of the difference! Here are some of the things I have noticed so far...
1. The metro doors here are, for the most part, not automatic - you need to push a button to get on and off. Needless to say my first time on the metro I found myself waiting for the metro door to open only for the train to take off with me still on it.
2. Nothing is open on Sundays except for some museums and restaurants
3. Dogs in France are VERY cute, and when it is cold or rainy all of them tend to wear jackets! It is also not uncommon for people to bring their dogs on the metro or into stores while they shop- and there does not seem to be any leash laws here.
4. There are a lot of stairs in France!! I think I walk about three times as much here as I do back home which is good because...
5. Carbohydrates are really the way to go here! For example, a typical breakfast is normally a croissant with yogurt, or bread with butter and jam. Cereal is an option but does not seem to be popular and is very expensive.
6. Coffee is very popular, but for the most part is served in very small portions, and is not served with milk.
7. Due to Parisian zone laws most buildings must be under 7 stories - so although it is a big city Paris always seems to be smaller.
8. Mopeds often ride down the sidewalk (I'm really not kidding!)
9. Almost all stores in France are specialized. For example, there is a shop only for candy, one only for cheese, one only for bread, one only for meats, etc. It is a little more time consuming, but the food is much better and a lot cheaper than if you were to buy in a supermarket equivalent.
10. It is expected for your bedroom to have a sink.
11. Toilets, or the W.C. here, are flushed by pushing a button - not by pulling down a lever, and most toilet paper seems to be pink!
12. At most grocery stores you need to pay for each plastic/paper bag you use to package up your groceries - so people bring backpacks, gymbags, etc, instead.
13. Computer keyboards are organized completely different here to accommodate for the accents used in the French language.
14. There are no CVS's here. When you need medicine, you go to la pharmacie, tell the pharmacist your symptoms and they hand you medicine.
15. Soda is VERY expensive. Oftentimes the same price as an alcoholic drink, and refills do not exist (except for at Pizza Hut!). Also, there are no "doggie bags" here - you are expected to finish what you are served!
24 January 2010
23 January 2010
Week Two!
The last week has been CRAZY!!!
With stage finally completed, we had most days off to explore the city - and the nightlife. Classes were supposed to begin on Wednesday for me, but were postponed to next week. That is one thing about the french university system, they do not keep students in the loop. If a professor decides to not have class he will just not show up, and it is completely acceptable! When I arrived at class on Wednesday, for example, the room was pitch black and there was no note anywhere. So we went to the secretary's office, where we were informed that classes in our department were pushed back a week. At UMASS this would have made me very excited, but here it is slightly annoying. I really want to start classes, not necessarily for the work, but for the organization of having a schedule. So now hopefully I will start some classes next Tuesday (although some don't start for another two weeks)! The other thing about school is that we still do not have our french student cards. This means that it is impossible for us to actually enroll in classes, and we need to pay to get into museums that would normally be free to us because we are "french" students. According to the international students office this was supposed to be done last week, which in French terms means that we will hopefully get them this upcoming week.
On Tuesday night, I went to an International Student Dinner held at Diderot. It was informative, and I met other international students from the Boston area, Germany, and even Poland. We even recieved free Diderot tee shirts (which made it worth going to) and lanyards. After, we went to the giant Ferris wheel located in the heart of the city. The Ferris wheel is only open during the winter season for Christmas, but gives an amazing view of the city. I went on with a bunch of friends and we had a great time, although I was scared when we got to the top of the wheel!
Wednesday was my friend TJ's birthday. We celebrated by going out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Chatelet, before heading out to a club/bar. It was a good time for sure!
On Thursday night, we went out again, this time to a salsa bar!! I can not salsa to save my life, but it was fun regardless.
Friday night five of us (me, Ellen, TJ, Molly, and Marissa) went to The Crazy Horse- think a classier Moulin Rouge- to celebrate TJ's 21st birthday. Each ticket came with half a bottle of very nice champagne, which even I (the non-champagner/wine drinker) enjoyed! The show was very...interesting, but I had a very good time as did all of my friends. Earlier in the day I finally found boots! And both pairs were 80 percent off of the original price (as it is the third week of the soldes). Boo yahhh!
With stage finally completed, we had most days off to explore the city - and the nightlife. Classes were supposed to begin on Wednesday for me, but were postponed to next week. That is one thing about the french university system, they do not keep students in the loop. If a professor decides to not have class he will just not show up, and it is completely acceptable! When I arrived at class on Wednesday, for example, the room was pitch black and there was no note anywhere. So we went to the secretary's office, where we were informed that classes in our department were pushed back a week. At UMASS this would have made me very excited, but here it is slightly annoying. I really want to start classes, not necessarily for the work, but for the organization of having a schedule. So now hopefully I will start some classes next Tuesday (although some don't start for another two weeks)! The other thing about school is that we still do not have our french student cards. This means that it is impossible for us to actually enroll in classes, and we need to pay to get into museums that would normally be free to us because we are "french" students. According to the international students office this was supposed to be done last week, which in French terms means that we will hopefully get them this upcoming week.
On Tuesday night, I went to an International Student Dinner held at Diderot. It was informative, and I met other international students from the Boston area, Germany, and even Poland. We even recieved free Diderot tee shirts (which made it worth going to) and lanyards. After, we went to the giant Ferris wheel located in the heart of the city. The Ferris wheel is only open during the winter season for Christmas, but gives an amazing view of the city. I went on with a bunch of friends and we had a great time, although I was scared when we got to the top of the wheel!
Wednesday was my friend TJ's birthday. We celebrated by going out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Chatelet, before heading out to a club/bar. It was a good time for sure!
On Thursday night, we went out again, this time to a salsa bar!! I can not salsa to save my life, but it was fun regardless.
Friday night five of us (me, Ellen, TJ, Molly, and Marissa) went to The Crazy Horse- think a classier Moulin Rouge- to celebrate TJ's 21st birthday. Each ticket came with half a bottle of very nice champagne, which even I (the non-champagner/wine drinker) enjoyed! The show was very...interesting, but I had a very good time as did all of my friends. Earlier in the day I finally found boots! And both pairs were 80 percent off of the original price (as it is the third week of the soldes). Boo yahhh!
18 January 2010
How could I forget?!
Another highlight of my week?
Talking to the amazing Erica on Skype!!!!!!!!!!!!
bisous (again)
Sarah
Talking to the amazing Erica on Skype!!!!!!!!!!!!
bisous (again)
Sarah
17 January 2010
Paris continues to be absolutely amazing.
On Thursday night, I went to see the play Richard III, by Shakespeare, at a small theater on the outskirts of Paris as part of our intensive one week "stage" (our advanced language course). The play was....interesting. The directer took a modern approach to the play by having it translated into French with all of the characters coming from contemporary society (i.e. the used cellphones, etc). The actor who played Richard III, was made to look deformed, and as such he wore a variety of braces and had "skin" dangling from one arm. However, I think that more interesting than the play itself was the usage of lights. The stage was white and angled, and images were continuously projected onto it, creating a very powerful image. Overall I had fun, and understood the majority of what was happening.
Friday was the end of stage (yippee!), and I had a wonderful evening with Marie (a good friend from Senator Kennedy's office), and her friend Pauline! It was such a memorable night! I met Marie at the Louvre, and she took me on a walking tour of Paris. We went to the shop, Au Printemps, which has an observation deck on the top floor. The view was amazing!!! Marie was an excellent tour guide and was able to tell me all about the city! Then we went to, as Marie described it, the "Japanese version of H&M", a large store called UniQlo which is new to Paris but very popular. After shopping we went back to the Louvre to meet up with Marie's friend Pauline who is a student at the Louvre. She is extremely nice, and although I was nervous about my french, I felt very comfortable talking with her and Marie about all sorts of things. The three of us then went to the Champs- Elysées, one of the most famous streets in Paris. At the end of the street is the Arc de Triomphe, which is HUGE. We were able to actually go inside of the arc and go to an observation tower at the top! The view was once again spectacular, and I took a lot of great photos! After, the three of us went back to Pauline's house and she and Marie made me French crepes! For dinner we had ham and cheese crepes (which were the yummiest things I think I have ever had), and then sweet crepes for desert! I was so happy to see Marie, and it was great to make a new friend! Overall this was probably one of the best nights that I have spent in Paris!
On Saturday morning, Anne-Marie took us to the Chateau Chantilly, which is about an hour North of Paris. It is absolutely beautiful! There is a race track on the grounds, and a huge stable. We were able to go on a short tour of the inside of the Chateau, and then we got to wander around by ourselves. Jenna, Christine and I decided to climb inside a mote (with no water) to take pictures of ourselves with giant statues. I had a lot of fun! That night, I went to a disco-tech club with a bunch of friends, and had a great time! The music was fun, and there was a cool light show with different colored lights, fog, and strobe lights.
I also went to Notre Dame this week. The building is breathtaking. Inside the cathedral is equally stunning. We didn't climb the towers, but what we did see was amazing. I cannot really describe the feelings that I had at Notre Dame, but it is truly a magical place.
Below is a link for more photos, Enjoy!!
bisous
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036482&id=1238850156&l=c19d645298
On Thursday night, I went to see the play Richard III, by Shakespeare, at a small theater on the outskirts of Paris as part of our intensive one week "stage" (our advanced language course). The play was....interesting. The directer took a modern approach to the play by having it translated into French with all of the characters coming from contemporary society (i.e. the used cellphones, etc). The actor who played Richard III, was made to look deformed, and as such he wore a variety of braces and had "skin" dangling from one arm. However, I think that more interesting than the play itself was the usage of lights. The stage was white and angled, and images were continuously projected onto it, creating a very powerful image. Overall I had fun, and understood the majority of what was happening.
Friday was the end of stage (yippee!), and I had a wonderful evening with Marie (a good friend from Senator Kennedy's office), and her friend Pauline! It was such a memorable night! I met Marie at the Louvre, and she took me on a walking tour of Paris. We went to the shop, Au Printemps, which has an observation deck on the top floor. The view was amazing!!! Marie was an excellent tour guide and was able to tell me all about the city! Then we went to, as Marie described it, the "Japanese version of H&M", a large store called UniQlo which is new to Paris but very popular. After shopping we went back to the Louvre to meet up with Marie's friend Pauline who is a student at the Louvre. She is extremely nice, and although I was nervous about my french, I felt very comfortable talking with her and Marie about all sorts of things. The three of us then went to the Champs- Elysées, one of the most famous streets in Paris. At the end of the street is the Arc de Triomphe, which is HUGE. We were able to actually go inside of the arc and go to an observation tower at the top! The view was once again spectacular, and I took a lot of great photos! After, the three of us went back to Pauline's house and she and Marie made me French crepes! For dinner we had ham and cheese crepes (which were the yummiest things I think I have ever had), and then sweet crepes for desert! I was so happy to see Marie, and it was great to make a new friend! Overall this was probably one of the best nights that I have spent in Paris!
On Saturday morning, Anne-Marie took us to the Chateau Chantilly, which is about an hour North of Paris. It is absolutely beautiful! There is a race track on the grounds, and a huge stable. We were able to go on a short tour of the inside of the Chateau, and then we got to wander around by ourselves. Jenna, Christine and I decided to climb inside a mote (with no water) to take pictures of ourselves with giant statues. I had a lot of fun! That night, I went to a disco-tech club with a bunch of friends, and had a great time! The music was fun, and there was a cool light show with different colored lights, fog, and strobe lights.
I also went to Notre Dame this week. The building is breathtaking. Inside the cathedral is equally stunning. We didn't climb the towers, but what we did see was amazing. I cannot really describe the feelings that I had at Notre Dame, but it is truly a magical place.
Below is a link for more photos, Enjoy!!
bisous
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036482&id=1238850156&l=c19d645298
13 January 2010
The last two days have been very hectic!
Yesterday, we went to Diderot early to sign up for classes. The system here in France is much different from the system used at UMASS. For one thing, the entire process is done without a computer. Basically, you walk into a room full of nothing but paper upon paper upon paper of course listings. If you find a class that you like you write it down on a sheet. This was the first time that a lot of us had seen the course times/dates so that made it an interesting experience. After about 2.5 hours of finding courses, the API kids went to sign up for classes officially only to find out that we are not yet considered students at the university! However, that problem should be fixed by the end of the week and it will not affect our class selection. In the end, it looks like I will be taking French History of the twentieth and twenty-first century, a translations course [where we translate text from French to English], a musical cinema course, a constitutional law class, a cooking course [required for API and taught by our resident director, Anne-Marie], and the teaching internship. It will be a lot of work, but should be fun! The good thing is that I am taking classes with people I know, so I wont be all alone. In the evening I went shopping and to a crêperie with TJ, Ellen, Marissa, and Annie.
Today for stage we had to go on two museum tours. The first was the historical museum of Paris called the Musée Carnavalet. The tour was long, and although there were some interesting things I wasn't too impressed with the museum as a whole. Then, after a quick lunch at the bagel shop by API, we went to the Louvre again. This time we explored the Egyptian section, which is the largest collection in the world! It was very impressive and I had a great time (even though I had my doubts about going a second time)!
Oh- funny story.
Yesterday on the way to sign up for classes Ellen and I grabbed a quick breakfast at a cafe near Diderot. We were walking past an academic building when all of a sudden we look up into a classroom window to see a completely naked French man!! The two of us starred in shock and started laughing at which point he tried to hide behind a pole [which was not very helpful]. Why there was a naked man in the academic building of Diderot I could not tell you...the thought is that he lost a bet. Never a dull moment in Paris!
I'm going to post a link for some photos that I've taken over the last week and a half. I'm not sure if it will work so let me know!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036025&id=1238850156&l=f429bfd3e2
bisous
Yesterday, we went to Diderot early to sign up for classes. The system here in France is much different from the system used at UMASS. For one thing, the entire process is done without a computer. Basically, you walk into a room full of nothing but paper upon paper upon paper of course listings. If you find a class that you like you write it down on a sheet. This was the first time that a lot of us had seen the course times/dates so that made it an interesting experience. After about 2.5 hours of finding courses, the API kids went to sign up for classes officially only to find out that we are not yet considered students at the university! However, that problem should be fixed by the end of the week and it will not affect our class selection. In the end, it looks like I will be taking French History of the twentieth and twenty-first century, a translations course [where we translate text from French to English], a musical cinema course, a constitutional law class, a cooking course [required for API and taught by our resident director, Anne-Marie], and the teaching internship. It will be a lot of work, but should be fun! The good thing is that I am taking classes with people I know, so I wont be all alone. In the evening I went shopping and to a crêperie with TJ, Ellen, Marissa, and Annie.
Today for stage we had to go on two museum tours. The first was the historical museum of Paris called the Musée Carnavalet. The tour was long, and although there were some interesting things I wasn't too impressed with the museum as a whole. Then, after a quick lunch at the bagel shop by API, we went to the Louvre again. This time we explored the Egyptian section, which is the largest collection in the world! It was very impressive and I had a great time (even though I had my doubts about going a second time)!
Oh- funny story.
Yesterday on the way to sign up for classes Ellen and I grabbed a quick breakfast at a cafe near Diderot. We were walking past an academic building when all of a sudden we look up into a classroom window to see a completely naked French man!! The two of us starred in shock and started laughing at which point he tried to hide behind a pole [which was not very helpful]. Why there was a naked man in the academic building of Diderot I could not tell you...the thought is that he lost a bet. Never a dull moment in Paris!
I'm going to post a link for some photos that I've taken over the last week and a half. I'm not sure if it will work so let me know!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036025&id=1238850156&l=f429bfd3e2
bisous
10 January 2010
Yesterday morning we had cultural orientation at the API center at 9AM. After, I went to the bagel shop near the center and grabbed a quick lunch with friends before our trip to the Musée d'Orsay. This museum is much smaller than the Louvre, but I think that it might have been my favorite. Before becoming a museum, the Musee d'Orsay used to be a train station. Some of the structures are still left from those days, including a giant clock that hangs in the main hallway of the museum. There is a lot of very famous artwork featured here, including the self portrait of Van Gough, the lily pads painted by Monet, and a number of works by Degas.
After the museum, I went back to the FEU for a bit before having dinner with Jenna and Christine at a small restaurant near my dorm. I had couscous (which was good, but a HUGE portion) and we ordered french fries for the table. After, we met up with some other friends and went to some bars in the area around the API center. An Irish bar, where we spent the majority of our time, had a live band and was a lot of fun.
Today I think I will explore the area around the FEU and maybe meet up with people for dinner later.
After the museum, I went back to the FEU for a bit before having dinner with Jenna and Christine at a small restaurant near my dorm. I had couscous (which was good, but a HUGE portion) and we ordered french fries for the table. After, we met up with some other friends and went to some bars in the area around the API center. An Irish bar, where we spent the majority of our time, had a live band and was a lot of fun.
Today I think I will explore the area around the FEU and maybe meet up with people for dinner later.
08 January 2010
Bonjour!
Today is my fifth day in Paris but only my first with internet access. So I will try to summarize the last week as best as I can!
Sunday/Monday
On Sunday I departed Logan around 6PM. I was worried that the snow would delay our plane, but we only had to deal with slight turbulence. However, the plane was slightly delayed when a teenager left his bag unattended, triggering a security breach that resulted in bomb sniffing dogs and a lot of policemen. We had a layover in Dublin around 3AM Eastern time, but between customs and security I almost missed the connection to Paris! Luckily, I met up with 5 people from my program while in the line for customs so we battled security together and made the flight just as they were about to shut the gate. We made good time to Paris and arrived at CDG around 9AM Parisian time. CDG is HUGE!!!!! There was one room in the airport that was decorated in red lights and had bubbles floating around - very cool. At CDG we met Melissa, one of the program directors, after searching for the meeting place for a good hour with a lot of heavy luggage. Melissa looks and sounds exactly like a French version of Donna from the West Wing - she is very nice and has been extremely helpful. We took a shuttle bus to a hotel, and then went out to dinner at a French restaurant. There we met Anne-Marie who is our other resident director. She is extremely French, and like Melissa, very nice and helpful. The restaurant was nice, and we got to have a full french meal (complete with an entre, plat, and dessert) all on API's tab.
Tuesday
Today we had orientation at 9AM. Being extremely jet lagged this proved to be a bit of a challenge, but the hotel provided a breakfast buffet that was to die for. After orientation we had lunch at a petit cafe near the API center that serves excellent sandwiches on bagels. The sandwich was only 5 euro but my diet coke was 3 euro! That is around $5.50! In general soda is very expensive here, oftentimes the same price, or more, than alcoholic beverages. Later that night I went to dinner at a nice restaurant called Bianco's with friends from my API program. There, we learned the hard way that all restaurants here have fixed prices, meaning that tip is included in the meal price. Not knowing this, we ended up paying the waiter an extra 10 euro for dinner. Oh well, the food was excellent- Pizza and to drink I had a sex on the beach (vodka, and fruit juices, very yummy!).
Wednesday
After breakfast, we moved out of the hotel and into our permanent housing. I am living at the Foundations des Etats Unis (FEU). I have a single room with a nice view of the Cite Université campus. The rooms here are huge, and come complete with shelves, a closet and even a sink with a vanity! Luckily, my two neighbors (Ellen and Joy) are both fellow API students so we take the métro together when we go to class and/or the API office. (As a side note the metro here is extremely efficient and makes traveling around the city very easy- unlike the metro system in the States!). At night, we went on a boat tour of the city and saw the Tour Eiffel, the Louvre, and Notre Dame to name but a few. I took some great photos which I will post tomorrow.
Thursday
Thursday was packed with orientations at the API center (which is about a 20 minute metro ride from the FEU). Today we also began our "stage" at Diderot Universite, where I will be studying during the academic semester. The stage is essentially a week long class where we refresh our language skills and our knowledge of French civilization. It runs from 9-4, which is very long and sometimes results in me almost falling asleep in class.... However, the stage is interesting because we take it with other international students from places like Germany, Holland, Italy and Brazil. This means that we only can speak in French because it is the only language that everyone knows. At night, the API center held a movie night where we were able to make crêpes and watch the movie Amélie. After, some of us explored the neighborhood and went to the Banana Bar's happy hour. It was a very good time!
Today
Today we had class again at Diderot and then ice skating in front of Paris's town hall. I skipped the skating (due to my ankle) and instead went to lunch with my friend Christine. At 615 PM we had a guided tour of the Louvre which was incredible. I took many photos of the Mona Lisa (called La Joconde here) which I think is very impressive - even though it is small. After, some of us found a cute pizzeria near the API center and had dinner.
Tomorrow we have cultural orientation at 9AM and we are then touring another museum. I am having a wonderful time here in Paris!
Until next time,
bisous
Today is my fifth day in Paris but only my first with internet access. So I will try to summarize the last week as best as I can!
Sunday/Monday
On Sunday I departed Logan around 6PM. I was worried that the snow would delay our plane, but we only had to deal with slight turbulence. However, the plane was slightly delayed when a teenager left his bag unattended, triggering a security breach that resulted in bomb sniffing dogs and a lot of policemen. We had a layover in Dublin around 3AM Eastern time, but between customs and security I almost missed the connection to Paris! Luckily, I met up with 5 people from my program while in the line for customs so we battled security together and made the flight just as they were about to shut the gate. We made good time to Paris and arrived at CDG around 9AM Parisian time. CDG is HUGE!!!!! There was one room in the airport that was decorated in red lights and had bubbles floating around - very cool. At CDG we met Melissa, one of the program directors, after searching for the meeting place for a good hour with a lot of heavy luggage. Melissa looks and sounds exactly like a French version of Donna from the West Wing - she is very nice and has been extremely helpful. We took a shuttle bus to a hotel, and then went out to dinner at a French restaurant. There we met Anne-Marie who is our other resident director. She is extremely French, and like Melissa, very nice and helpful. The restaurant was nice, and we got to have a full french meal (complete with an entre, plat, and dessert) all on API's tab.
Tuesday
Today we had orientation at 9AM. Being extremely jet lagged this proved to be a bit of a challenge, but the hotel provided a breakfast buffet that was to die for. After orientation we had lunch at a petit cafe near the API center that serves excellent sandwiches on bagels. The sandwich was only 5 euro but my diet coke was 3 euro! That is around $5.50! In general soda is very expensive here, oftentimes the same price, or more, than alcoholic beverages. Later that night I went to dinner at a nice restaurant called Bianco's with friends from my API program. There, we learned the hard way that all restaurants here have fixed prices, meaning that tip is included in the meal price. Not knowing this, we ended up paying the waiter an extra 10 euro for dinner. Oh well, the food was excellent- Pizza and to drink I had a sex on the beach (vodka, and fruit juices, very yummy!).
Wednesday
After breakfast, we moved out of the hotel and into our permanent housing. I am living at the Foundations des Etats Unis (FEU). I have a single room with a nice view of the Cite Université campus. The rooms here are huge, and come complete with shelves, a closet and even a sink with a vanity! Luckily, my two neighbors (Ellen and Joy) are both fellow API students so we take the métro together when we go to class and/or the API office. (As a side note the metro here is extremely efficient and makes traveling around the city very easy- unlike the metro system in the States!). At night, we went on a boat tour of the city and saw the Tour Eiffel, the Louvre, and Notre Dame to name but a few. I took some great photos which I will post tomorrow.
Thursday
Thursday was packed with orientations at the API center (which is about a 20 minute metro ride from the FEU). Today we also began our "stage" at Diderot Universite, where I will be studying during the academic semester. The stage is essentially a week long class where we refresh our language skills and our knowledge of French civilization. It runs from 9-4, which is very long and sometimes results in me almost falling asleep in class.... However, the stage is interesting because we take it with other international students from places like Germany, Holland, Italy and Brazil. This means that we only can speak in French because it is the only language that everyone knows. At night, the API center held a movie night where we were able to make crêpes and watch the movie Amélie. After, some of us explored the neighborhood and went to the Banana Bar's happy hour. It was a very good time!
Today
Today we had class again at Diderot and then ice skating in front of Paris's town hall. I skipped the skating (due to my ankle) and instead went to lunch with my friend Christine. At 615 PM we had a guided tour of the Louvre which was incredible. I took many photos of the Mona Lisa (called La Joconde here) which I think is very impressive - even though it is small. After, some of us found a cute pizzeria near the API center and had dinner.
Tomorrow we have cultural orientation at 9AM and we are then touring another museum. I am having a wonderful time here in Paris!
Until next time,
bisous
01 January 2010
Preparation
With only two days left before Paris, things are defiantly a little crazy. My living room and bedroom look like a tornado hit it- although I guess that is to be expected.
I'm currently attempting to fit everything I need for six months into one very large L.L. Bean duffel bag and my backpack. Somehow I'm foreseeing another suitcase coming into the equation but we'll have to wait and see! I normally use two suitcases for a one week trip to Chicago- needless to say packing has been an adventure. I'm using the travel bags that can compress clothes - which are a lifesaver- but there is still so much I want to take!
Until I have something more to say (which will most likely be when I arrive in France on Monday),
Sarah
I'm currently attempting to fit everything I need for six months into one very large L.L. Bean duffel bag and my backpack. Somehow I'm foreseeing another suitcase coming into the equation but we'll have to wait and see! I normally use two suitcases for a one week trip to Chicago- needless to say packing has been an adventure. I'm using the travel bags that can compress clothes - which are a lifesaver- but there is still so much I want to take!
Until I have something more to say (which will most likely be when I arrive in France on Monday),
Sarah
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