I apologize for not writing lately, things have been super crazy!
We ended up going to Breakfast in America for dinner and it was AMAZING! I had chicken nuggets and french fries and new york style cheesecake for desert. My friend Mary had real pancakes which looked heavenly, and Christine and TJ both had burgers. It was nice being in a diner -like setting and having a menu that was in English and a waiter who spoke to us in English (the fact that he was a very handsome British man helped too)! The restaurant itself is quite small and we were lucky enough to get the last open table - apparently there is a larger version of the restaurant elsewhere in Paris but the one we went to (on metro stop St. Paul) was very cozy.
Last week we went to the Cirque d'hiver Bouglione, a very popular- and one of the most famous- French circuses. We had a great time! There were acrobats, clowns, dancers, a lion trainer (the lions were HUGE), llamas (which made me think of Erica so I took a bazillion pictures of them), and even two young children who are part of the family that owns the circus who had trained pet goats. There was also a segment with white horses that entered the arena in dim lighting and with smoke/fog - it was really enchanting! Everyone had a wonderful time, including Lidia- Anne-Marie's two year old daughter- who was almost as entertaining as the circus itself!!
After the circus Evie, TJ, their friend Claire, Mary, TJ's friend Lauren, and I went to by far the most amazing restaurant in the entire world. It is a small, traditional french restaurant located off of the Port d'Italie metro stop. We had to wait over two hours to get a table (and there is no place to wait inside the restaurant so we were outside in the cold) but it was totally worth it! I had a veal dish that was layered with melted cheese, fried-like potatoes, bacon, and a mushroom sauce (served with bread of course). Absolutely amazing - my description does not do it justice! The best part is that the restaurant itself is not expensive for what you are getting, around 13 euro for the best food that you will ever put in your mouth. When my family comes in April I am defiantly taking them!!
The last few weekends my friends and I have been going to the Latin Quarter where there is a great bar called l'Antidote. There is no cover charge to get in and in the basement there is a dance floor. The bar plays great music - a lot of old school American pop classics which is priceless- and the drinks are good but expensive. We tend to go here after we have had a few drinks at the Hideout or another bar with good happy hour prices. I am currently trying to convince myself that I like beer (as beer is cheap and cocktails are very expensive) but I am not having a lot of luck.
The last two weeks have been very interesting with school...
I decided to drop my 20th century history class, it was a hard decision but I think in the long run I will be a lot less stressed which at this point in my life is an important thing. I am still taking my socio-histoire class which has proved to be interesting- in a this is a difficult and bizarre class kind of way- thus far. The only good thing is that it is a six week class and tomorrow is the halfway point.
I am having a really good time in my cinema class and I found out that it will count for French credit which is really exciting- now I am guaranteed to have a minor in French by the time I leave, and will have the option of finishing up a major- we'll see how that goes.
I have finally been assigned my teaching internship!! However, leading up to my initial meeting was extremely stressful! I first received a voice mail from the principal of the school on Monday morning when I was in the shower. After listening thoroughly to the message and practicing the anticipated phone discussion for a while ( I really did this) I finally got the nerve to call the school. A very unpleasant french man picked up the phone and started yelling so I hung up, assuming that I had dialed the wrong number. When I called back about an hour later - after I worked up more courage- another man answered the phone. We had trouble understanding each other but eventually he took down my name and phone number and told me that she (the principal) would call me back when she got in from lunch. The rest of the afternoon I was glued to my phone- but no one called. The next morning I had my RD cooking class and during the break tried calling back- this time I was passed on to a woman who told me that she had no idea who I was and asked me not to call back. Needless to say this made me panic and I went and talked to Melissa and she offered to help me out. She listened to the initial message and called the school and left a message on my behalf. The next morning I received a call from the school while on the metro -just my luck- so I had to wait to call back during my break for sociology. Finally I talked to the school secretary who was very pleasant and we set up a rendez-vous (meeting) with me and the principle (Madame Quelquejeu) for Friday. I was so nervous to go to the meeting- but Madame was so nice and very, very pleasant. She asked me some questions and explained why she liked having American students come and teach and we created my schedule for the semester. I will be working on Monday afternoons from 3:45 until 4:15, and then on Fridays from 10h-11 and then from 1 until 4 in the afternoon. I'm sad that I have to give up my four day weekends, but very excited about the internship! My first day was yesterday and the class I met with was great! The teacher was very nice and the students (who are from age 8-10) told me their names in English and anything else that they could say in English. One girl in the class is completely bi-lingual and helps when there is a mis- communication between myself and the teacher or if one of us has problems finding a word to describe something important. Next week the teacher asked me to bring in a poem or something to share with the class, any ideas? On Friday I will be working in small groups and I figure that I will talk to the students and see what they are interested in and go from there.
On Thursday night, Uncle Todd is coming! I am very excited to see him and to hang out with family from home. We want to go on a day trip to Chartres amongst other things. Whatever we do I know that we will have a lot of fun together! I feel badly that my internship is cutting into our time together but know that it will all work out in the end.
Missing you all,
Sarah
16 February 2010
05 February 2010
Yesterday was my one month anniversary in France! Sometimes I feel like I have been in France for years othertimes I feel like I have only been here for a few days. Anyways...
Yesterday I had my first Translations class with our actual teacher, and I think that the class will be harder than I first guessed. The teacher is a French woman who learned English in London, which causes problems for the American students because of the difference in syntax. For example, I would translate one thing as "she took a bath" where as the teacher would translate the same sentence as "she had a bath". It seems like it is the same thing, but for translation purposes it is completely different and my version is wrong. So in essence the American students have to translate the French into American English and then the American English into British English which I do not know. It will definitely be an interesting semester - at least I have friends in the class!
The other course that I had yesterday was the lecture component of Modern History of the XXth century. I really want to keep this course because it would go toward both my French and Political Science degrees- but the course is really kicking my but- hard core. Every time I leave this course I feel the need to hit up the nearest happy hour. This could be bad.
Today I went to the bagel shop near API for lunch, and I will soon be heading out to Diderot to actually register for classes. Tonight we might go to Breakfast in America - a restaurant that serves every kind of American food that is unavailable in France ( milkshakes, pancakes, burgers, chicken fingures, bacon, breakfast sausage, etc)
Yesterday I had my first Translations class with our actual teacher, and I think that the class will be harder than I first guessed. The teacher is a French woman who learned English in London, which causes problems for the American students because of the difference in syntax. For example, I would translate one thing as "she took a bath" where as the teacher would translate the same sentence as "she had a bath". It seems like it is the same thing, but for translation purposes it is completely different and my version is wrong. So in essence the American students have to translate the French into American English and then the American English into British English which I do not know. It will definitely be an interesting semester - at least I have friends in the class!
The other course that I had yesterday was the lecture component of Modern History of the XXth century. I really want to keep this course because it would go toward both my French and Political Science degrees- but the course is really kicking my but- hard core. Every time I leave this course I feel the need to hit up the nearest happy hour. This could be bad.
Today I went to the bagel shop near API for lunch, and I will soon be heading out to Diderot to actually register for classes. Tonight we might go to Breakfast in America - a restaurant that serves every kind of American food that is unavailable in France ( milkshakes, pancakes, burgers, chicken fingures, bacon, breakfast sausage, etc)
03 February 2010
I realized that I have forgotten to mention some of the "little" things that I have done over the last few weeks, so I figured that I would catch up a bit before continuing to update.
1. On one of our free days, I went to the Georges Pompidou Museum with TJ and Ellen. This is the major modern art museum in Paris, and although I am not the biggest fan of modern art I had a good time. There was an interesting special exibit on Robert Soulanges, an artist who paints almost exclusively with shades of black. The design of the building is also really cool (lots of pipes and tunnel type things) and ultimetly looks like a half finished/really modern building. I took some pictures of the museum which I will post later.
2. After our trip to Notre Dame, our program tour guide took us to Berthillon, an extremely famous ice cream shop in Paris (and apparently known world wide). I had one scoop of Raspberry Rose Water and one scoop of Vanilla Chocolate Cake The ice cream was amazing, and the location on Ile-St-Louis is extremely pretty and very French looking. However, at the end of the day I think I am a cheap ice cream person - bring on Friendly's!
Today, I had to report to the OFII office (French customs) at 8h30 for my medical exam. It was a huge production and consisted of moving from one room to another to another to another and waiting for long periods at each step. Essentially, the exam was comparable to a physical with height and weight checks, vision tests, a test for diabetes because I am at risk (which consists of pricking your finger and having a blood sugar machine read the results), a chest x-ray (for which you have to walk around topless in the x-ray room which, as a girl, is really uncomfortable), and a meeting with an actual doctor who asks many questions and checks your heart and blood pressure. Luckily, I'm healthy as a horse and finally (after about 2.5 hours) I was given the final stamp for my visa. Now, I am a legal resident of France for the next 6 months (which is just really cool), and I can freely travel in and out of France during that time period (prior to this stamp I was not allowed to legally leave, and then come back, to France).
That's all for now!
1. On one of our free days, I went to the Georges Pompidou Museum with TJ and Ellen. This is the major modern art museum in Paris, and although I am not the biggest fan of modern art I had a good time. There was an interesting special exibit on Robert Soulanges, an artist who paints almost exclusively with shades of black. The design of the building is also really cool (lots of pipes and tunnel type things) and ultimetly looks like a half finished/really modern building. I took some pictures of the museum which I will post later.
2. After our trip to Notre Dame, our program tour guide took us to Berthillon, an extremely famous ice cream shop in Paris (and apparently known world wide). I had one scoop of Raspberry Rose Water and one scoop of Vanilla Chocolate Cake The ice cream was amazing, and the location on Ile-St-Louis is extremely pretty and very French looking. However, at the end of the day I think I am a cheap ice cream person - bring on Friendly's!
Today, I had to report to the OFII office (French customs) at 8h30 for my medical exam. It was a huge production and consisted of moving from one room to another to another to another and waiting for long periods at each step. Essentially, the exam was comparable to a physical with height and weight checks, vision tests, a test for diabetes because I am at risk (which consists of pricking your finger and having a blood sugar machine read the results), a chest x-ray (for which you have to walk around topless in the x-ray room which, as a girl, is really uncomfortable), and a meeting with an actual doctor who asks many questions and checks your heart and blood pressure. Luckily, I'm healthy as a horse and finally (after about 2.5 hours) I was given the final stamp for my visa. Now, I am a legal resident of France for the next 6 months (which is just really cool), and I can freely travel in and out of France during that time period (prior to this stamp I was not allowed to legally leave, and then come back, to France).
That's all for now!
02 February 2010
I survived my first week of classes!
On Thursday I had my first class at Charles V - the English School of Diderot. It is called Themes, and is what the French call French to English translation (the reverse - English to French translation- is called Version). Our actual teacher was absent, but a student teacher (who was clearly American) filled in. We had to translate a page from L'Homme de Londres (or The Man from London in English). In theory, translation is easy, however in reality it can be difficult. It is not enough to understand the meaning of what is being said- you have to be able to word phrases exactly as the author intends. For example, saying "I killed Bill" instead of "I just came from killing Bill" is a huge difference (and will result in a failing grade), when in reality the meaning of the phrase similar. Luckily, we are able to use dictionaries which will be a huge help. My french will defiantly improve as a result of this class.
On Thursday afternoons I have the lecture component for my history of the 20th century class. The teacher is very intimidating - she speaks very quickly and has a no nonsense attitude (she also wears diamond rings on EVERY finger which is intimidating by itself). Luckily, the course focuses on post WWII- which is probably my favorite chapter of history- focusing mainly on WWII and the Cold War (or so it seems).
On Friday's I currently do not have any class. This is both good and bad. It will be great for traveling, but it is defiantly hard to motivate myself to get out of bed in the morning. On Friday night, TJ, Mary and I tried to get into an Opera at the Opera Bastille (they sell 25 euro tickets 30 minutes before the show starts to students and people over 65) but had no luck. So, we went back to Chatlet, and ultimately found ourselves at Planet Sushi- a small restaurant with a very classy feel, great music, pink accessories, and a television that showed fashion runway shows (need I say more?). We were given free fruit smoothie shots while we waited for our table, and we ordered a plate of different kinds of sushi. I had never had sushi before, but found that I actually enjoy it. The tuna and salmon rolls (wrapped in seaweed) were really good, and the California role wasn't bad either (considering that I don't like cucumber or avocado)- however after 4 or 5 pieces I was feeling done with sushi. I think it's the texture that gets to me. We plan on going back at some point because they have a good lunch menu - I'm pretty excited! Interesting fact - the French put cheese in almost all of their sushi which I am assured is not a common practice!
Saturday was a lazy day, but at night we went to TJ's apartment at the Vivaldi and watched youtube videos and Drop Dead Gorgeous over a bottle of cider. We all had a lot of fun.
On Sunday, TJ and I once again tried to get into the Opera. This time I arrived about an hour early to wait in line for our discounted 25 euro tickets. While in line, an old woman (who must of been at least 100 years old I kid you not) started yelling at me in French- saying that I could not appreciate opera because I was too young and that I was taking her spot! I really didn't know how to respond, other than to say "I really do like Opera", and all of a sudden the woman behind me started yelling at the old woman saying that I did like opera and that I had every right to be in line! Eventually, the old lady was escorted off of the premise and I was told (by the woman that defended me) that this is a weekly occurrence with this particular woman. After all of this, it turned out that there were no discounted seats for the opera that day. As a consolation prize, TJ and I decided to go to a Chinese restaurant near Charles V (which was very yummy) and then we walked up and down the Champs Elysee, stopping finally at the Arc de Triomphe. We climbed to the top (all 300 narrow and winding stars) but it was totally worth it! Like the time I went with Pauline and Marie - the view was absolutely incredible! It was nice being able to see it during the daytime too, now I can see I have had the best view of Paris at night and during the day! Later, we met up with friends and went to the Banana Cafe (which is quickly becoming our evening hangout) for some cocktails.
On Monday, I finally received my Diderot student card!!!! I am now officially a French student (although I am not officially signed up for classes yet-haha). I ran some errands, had a CROUS (school cafeteria) dinner, and went home to prepare for Tuesday's classes.
Today (Tuesday) was the first day of the RD course taught by our Resident Director Anne-Marie. The class is called "The trick is in the sauce - a history of France through French Cuisine". The class does seem like it will be a lot of work (we have an oral presentation, a midterm, final, and final paper - which for a course in France is quite a bit). However, I think the class will be fun and interesting and I really like Anne-Marie. We even get to cook two full course meals during the course of the semester. After class, I grabbed a quick lunch and went to the TD (discussion) for 20th century history. Once again, this class freaked me out and left me feeling completely overwhelmed. It is not that the class is necessarily difficult - it is the attitude of the French students. Many people showed up again trying to enroll and they were not happy that we (the American students) had priority. I understand where they are coming from but I felt so attacked! At least my friend is also in the class, so we are able to tough it out together.
Tomorrow is my medical exam to complete my visa. Completing this step enables me to obtain a stamp that allows me to travel outside of France and re-enter into the country legally. I hear it is quite the ordeal- hopefully it will go well!
Missing you all something dreadful!
On Thursday I had my first class at Charles V - the English School of Diderot. It is called Themes, and is what the French call French to English translation (the reverse - English to French translation- is called Version). Our actual teacher was absent, but a student teacher (who was clearly American) filled in. We had to translate a page from L'Homme de Londres (or The Man from London in English). In theory, translation is easy, however in reality it can be difficult. It is not enough to understand the meaning of what is being said- you have to be able to word phrases exactly as the author intends. For example, saying "I killed Bill" instead of "I just came from killing Bill" is a huge difference (and will result in a failing grade), when in reality the meaning of the phrase similar. Luckily, we are able to use dictionaries which will be a huge help. My french will defiantly improve as a result of this class.
On Thursday afternoons I have the lecture component for my history of the 20th century class. The teacher is very intimidating - she speaks very quickly and has a no nonsense attitude (she also wears diamond rings on EVERY finger which is intimidating by itself). Luckily, the course focuses on post WWII- which is probably my favorite chapter of history- focusing mainly on WWII and the Cold War (or so it seems).
On Friday's I currently do not have any class. This is both good and bad. It will be great for traveling, but it is defiantly hard to motivate myself to get out of bed in the morning. On Friday night, TJ, Mary and I tried to get into an Opera at the Opera Bastille (they sell 25 euro tickets 30 minutes before the show starts to students and people over 65) but had no luck. So, we went back to Chatlet, and ultimately found ourselves at Planet Sushi- a small restaurant with a very classy feel, great music, pink accessories, and a television that showed fashion runway shows (need I say more?). We were given free fruit smoothie shots while we waited for our table, and we ordered a plate of different kinds of sushi. I had never had sushi before, but found that I actually enjoy it. The tuna and salmon rolls (wrapped in seaweed) were really good, and the California role wasn't bad either (considering that I don't like cucumber or avocado)- however after 4 or 5 pieces I was feeling done with sushi. I think it's the texture that gets to me. We plan on going back at some point because they have a good lunch menu - I'm pretty excited! Interesting fact - the French put cheese in almost all of their sushi which I am assured is not a common practice!
Saturday was a lazy day, but at night we went to TJ's apartment at the Vivaldi and watched youtube videos and Drop Dead Gorgeous over a bottle of cider. We all had a lot of fun.
On Sunday, TJ and I once again tried to get into the Opera. This time I arrived about an hour early to wait in line for our discounted 25 euro tickets. While in line, an old woman (who must of been at least 100 years old I kid you not) started yelling at me in French- saying that I could not appreciate opera because I was too young and that I was taking her spot! I really didn't know how to respond, other than to say "I really do like Opera", and all of a sudden the woman behind me started yelling at the old woman saying that I did like opera and that I had every right to be in line! Eventually, the old lady was escorted off of the premise and I was told (by the woman that defended me) that this is a weekly occurrence with this particular woman. After all of this, it turned out that there were no discounted seats for the opera that day. As a consolation prize, TJ and I decided to go to a Chinese restaurant near Charles V (which was very yummy) and then we walked up and down the Champs Elysee, stopping finally at the Arc de Triomphe. We climbed to the top (all 300 narrow and winding stars) but it was totally worth it! Like the time I went with Pauline and Marie - the view was absolutely incredible! It was nice being able to see it during the daytime too, now I can see I have had the best view of Paris at night and during the day! Later, we met up with friends and went to the Banana Cafe (which is quickly becoming our evening hangout) for some cocktails.
On Monday, I finally received my Diderot student card!!!! I am now officially a French student (although I am not officially signed up for classes yet-haha). I ran some errands, had a CROUS (school cafeteria) dinner, and went home to prepare for Tuesday's classes.
Today (Tuesday) was the first day of the RD course taught by our Resident Director Anne-Marie. The class is called "The trick is in the sauce - a history of France through French Cuisine". The class does seem like it will be a lot of work (we have an oral presentation, a midterm, final, and final paper - which for a course in France is quite a bit). However, I think the class will be fun and interesting and I really like Anne-Marie. We even get to cook two full course meals during the course of the semester. After class, I grabbed a quick lunch and went to the TD (discussion) for 20th century history. Once again, this class freaked me out and left me feeling completely overwhelmed. It is not that the class is necessarily difficult - it is the attitude of the French students. Many people showed up again trying to enroll and they were not happy that we (the American students) had priority. I understand where they are coming from but I felt so attacked! At least my friend is also in the class, so we are able to tough it out together.
Tomorrow is my medical exam to complete my visa. Completing this step enables me to obtain a stamp that allows me to travel outside of France and re-enter into the country legally. I hear it is quite the ordeal- hopefully it will go well!
Missing you all something dreadful!
27 January 2010
School!
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!
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!
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!
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