Hello!
I apologize (again) for dropping off the face of the Earth - I have been super busy living the Parisian life - aka doing a lot of homework and traveling!
I'm going to summarize the last two weeks as best as I can -
Day Trip with API to Champagne: As the headline suggests, two weeks ago we went to the Champagne region for the day. We had to meet the bus at 8AM- at which point it was absolutely pouring outside! Luckily the weather cleared up a bit by the time we got to our first destination - the Taittinger Champagne Factory/Wine Cellar. We had a tour of the champagne caves - which was really cool- complete with a champagne tasting at the end! While walking down the many stairs to the cellar my friend Jenna wiped out behind me while taking a picture and sent me flying down the staircase with her! Given my track record everyone thought it was me - which was pretty funny. People at the bottom of the staircase (who couldn't even see us) heard a big thump and all thought it was me falling down another staircase. Luckily nether one of us were hurt - and we all got a pretty good laugh out of the situation. After the tasting, we got back on the buses and headed to Reims - about an hour away from where we were. In Reims is a giant Cathedral where all of the Kings of France were crowned (dating back to Clovis). It is also where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. The Cathedral is probably the most spectacular sight that I have ever seen - far surpassing Notre Dame and the likes. We spent the afternoon in Reims, and had lunch at a small bakery in the center of town. Finally we all climbed back onto the buses and headed to our final destination - the Mercier Champagne Factory. This wine cellar was much bigger than the first - and was much more high tech. We started the tour by watching a short film about the company, and then proceeded to get into elevators to take us into the cave. On the way down one side of the elevator opens up to act like a window and you see different levels of scenes on the way down (one of a hot air balloon, followed by a wine cellar, etc.) Finally at the bottom the elevator opens out onto a small train that you climb aboard and from there you complete the tour (it reminded me a lot of the tour at the Jelly Belly factory with Mom and Auntie Kate when I was little). Again, we had a free champagne tasting at the end of our time at Mercier. Overall we had a great day - complete with a MacDo run around 10PM when we got back to Paris. Nothing like chicken nuggets and a frosty to make you day complete.
Our First Parisian Strike - The French are notorious for going on strike. Last week all public transit went on strike for the day - talk about a giant headache. Trains that normally run every 5 minutes ran every hour instead, and when the train actually showed up you needed to battle your way on-board. Super stressful. But I survived and by the next day everything was back to normal.
Barcelona, Spain - Last weekend I went to Barcelona and had an absolutly wonderful time! Hillary and I left late Friday night and met up with Annie and Ellen at HelloBCN hostel - where we were able to share a room between the four of us for a great price. We saw so many wonderful things including Parc Guell, the Olympic Stadium, Gaudi's apartment, the magical fountian (which would have been more magical had it been turned on), the bizarre but really cool Sagrad Familia Cathedral (seriously you should Google this one), and of course the beach. At one point I "pulled a Sarah" and got my flipflop caught in an escalator in the middle of going up a giant hill while my friend was trying to take a picture of me and my two friends. Needless to say a lot of laughter ensued after a minute or two of panicking!
It would be a major understatement to say that the nightlife in Barcelona was impressive. It is common/expected to go out around 12 and not come home until 6am or later! Needless to say living like this for an extended period of time would kill me but for two days it was not too bad. The first night we were there we stumbled upon a gay club which had amazing music and was overall a really good time. On our second night our hostel took us to Razzmatazz the largest club in Barcelona - and dare I say the world. The club hosts over 5,000 people and is converted out of what appears to be an old warehouse. The concept was great, but I would of liked it better had the music been slightly different. Overall I had an amazing time in Barcelona, and enjoyed a much needed vacation- I can not wait until my next trip!!!
Presentation - Tuesday I gave my first presentation while in France. Called an orale expose I stood in front of my class (albeit only about 13 people all of whom I know) and talked about macaroons for an extended period of time. I think I did pretty well overall- but I am certainly glad that the experience is over!
This weekend is Easter, and two days later my 21st birthday! Needless to say the next time I write I should have lots of fun stories :)
01 April 2010
14 March 2010
The last week has consisted of playing tour guide, spending too much money on food, going to the Eiffel Tower and taking lots of pictures (twice!), going to the library and doing lots of work, and trying to teach English to four and six year olds with no attention spans...needless to say it has been an interesting week.
The good news is that my teaching internship is now solely on Fridays - so I have Mondays off completely! I do enjoy teaching English - however it is difficult to teach English and have conversations with the children in English when they do not know many words at all (other then hello and goodbye, some colors, animals, and body parts). I need to come up with some lesson plans for next week - any ideas? I'm thinking of doing flashcards on animals or some other topic, and then trying to find a story to read based on the new vocabulary- once again difficult because their English is extremely limited.
I've been learning a lot about myself in the last week, about disappointment and friendships, and that overall growing up can be a hard thing to do. However, I am currently planning my trip to Prague with Auntie Kate which is extremely exciting - in addition to trips to Germany, Italy, Holland (I hope to see the tulips!), and maybe Spain. Anyone have any travel ideas/recommendations? This upcoming Saturday API is taking us to Champagne for the day, and the week after we have our weekend in the Loire Valley.
I posted photos in my last entry - are they visible to everyone? I know that the facebook links were not working well last time.
Bisous,
Sarah
The good news is that my teaching internship is now solely on Fridays - so I have Mondays off completely! I do enjoy teaching English - however it is difficult to teach English and have conversations with the children in English when they do not know many words at all (other then hello and goodbye, some colors, animals, and body parts). I need to come up with some lesson plans for next week - any ideas? I'm thinking of doing flashcards on animals or some other topic, and then trying to find a story to read based on the new vocabulary- once again difficult because their English is extremely limited.
I've been learning a lot about myself in the last week, about disappointment and friendships, and that overall growing up can be a hard thing to do. However, I am currently planning my trip to Prague with Auntie Kate which is extremely exciting - in addition to trips to Germany, Italy, Holland (I hope to see the tulips!), and maybe Spain. Anyone have any travel ideas/recommendations? This upcoming Saturday API is taking us to Champagne for the day, and the week after we have our weekend in the Loire Valley.
I posted photos in my last entry - are they visible to everyone? I know that the facebook links were not working well last time.
Bisous,
Sarah
11 March 2010
03 March 2010
Update on Life
I apologize for dropping of the face of the Earth- but I am happy to report that it was out of a busy and exciting few weeks! I will try to summarize the last two weeks as best as I can.
Last Saturday Uncle Todd and I went to Chartres (as I previously mentioned). That evening I went out for couscous (a new obsession) at a small restaurant in Port d'Orleans with Mary and Christine. We had a great time, and because we split a plate of couscous, a cheese plate, and a side order of french fries we only ended up paying 4 euros each! However, our frugal-ness was ruined when we decided to go to Le Rouge Pomme (the red apple in English) for crepes. Needless to say we needed to get cider to go with the crepes so I ended up paying 4 euros for dinner and 15 euros on desert.
Last Sunday API took us to see the ballet La Dame aux Camélias at the Paris Opera House. It was an amazing performance but I have never been so uncomfortable in my entire life. The seats were excessively small - so much so that your knees literally dug into the person in front of you. It was also a million degrees warm- but regardless I want to go back very badly.
On Monday I explored the Cite Universitaire (where I live) and the surrounding area. I found a very pretty park and a used book store that sold books for 20 centimes (about 40 cents).
On Tuesday I had my "Day of the Dead" with Ellen, Mary, Annie, and Christine. We went to the Catacombs of Paris and later Pere Lachaise cemetery (where Jim Morrison, Edith Pilaf, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, etc are buried). The catacombs were fun and we all felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie- so many bones! Many of the bones were arranged in different patterns for example a heart and skull and crossbones - can you say freaky?! The cemetery is beautiful and I saw several cats which was a plus. Many monuments in the cemetery are dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust- they were both beautiful and horrible at the same time. It was a sobering experience to see.
Last weekend API took us to the Provence region of France for the weekend. Provence is a region in the Southern part of France and because of this the temperatures were much nicer there than they have been in Paris. There are also many palm trees which is pretty funny. Most of the architecture was influenced by Italy and as such the buildings look much different from those in Paris. They tend to have a yellowish tint instead of white amongst other things.
On Friday all 72 of us met at the train station at 6:50 AM to catch the TGV to Aix-en-Provence. The train ride is about 3 hours long. When we arrived in Aix (where we would spend the first 2 days) the weather was gorgeous and we were allowed to wander around the city. Later in the afternoon we had a guided walking tour of the city and that night some of us went to a Mexican restaurant and to a bowling ally, after which we proceeded to go back to the hotel and watch some of the Olympics.
On Saturday we got up early and Anne Marie took some of us on a tour of the Grande Marches (Large Markets) in Aix. The markets were HUGE - each part of the town was a different section- a flower market, a fruit and vegetable market, a seafood market, clothing, jewelry, you name it. Later in the afternoon we went to the town of Cassis - right on the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunatly, most of our time there it rained. But we were still able to take a lot of good pictures and have a good time. I also managed to fall down a steep hill, scrape my knee, rip my black jeans, and re-injure my ankle. The ankle part concerned me a lot, but I iced it and tried to keep off it it and it is doing much better now- even though it is bruised and still hurts a little.
On Sunday we left the hotel early in the morning and went to the sea port Marseilles. Again the weather wasn't great but we made the best of it. Our tour guide never showed up so Melissa and Pascal led us around the city with the help of a guide book and we saw the sights. There was a huge Church- that almost seemed inspired artistically by Muslim art- and a hospital that was used to treat the poor during the black plague. After the walking tour we got back on the bus and went to the Notre Dame de la Gare Cathedral which sits on top of a huge mountain overlooking the city. The church was gorgeous and we took a lot of great pictures overlooking the city below. After, we all had lunch at a restaurant on the sea. We had a fixed meal that consisted of a green salad with different meats and cheeses, a fish or lamb dish (I had the fish), and a cake with real fruit baked in for dessert. It was very good - but I still do not understand why the French do not debone their fish. It is hard to have good manners when you are constantly needing to pick tiny fish bones from out of your mouth. We were given some free time after lunch to explore the beach and it was truly wonderful. It was hard to believe I was at the Mediterranean and not the Atlantic! Around 5 we headed to the train station and went home. We arrived back in Paris around 10 PM and some of us went to McDonald's (called Macdo here) because we had all spent our money in Provence and you can not beat a one euro hamburger.
Tonight I am very excited because my best friend from childhood is coming from Italy to visit with her friend. I'm not sure exactly what we are going to do but I am sure that we will have a good time regardless.
Now I must go clean the room before everyone shows up!
Will post pictures later,
Love,
Sarah
Last Saturday Uncle Todd and I went to Chartres (as I previously mentioned). That evening I went out for couscous (a new obsession) at a small restaurant in Port d'Orleans with Mary and Christine. We had a great time, and because we split a plate of couscous, a cheese plate, and a side order of french fries we only ended up paying 4 euros each! However, our frugal-ness was ruined when we decided to go to Le Rouge Pomme (the red apple in English) for crepes. Needless to say we needed to get cider to go with the crepes so I ended up paying 4 euros for dinner and 15 euros on desert.
Last Sunday API took us to see the ballet La Dame aux Camélias at the Paris Opera House. It was an amazing performance but I have never been so uncomfortable in my entire life. The seats were excessively small - so much so that your knees literally dug into the person in front of you. It was also a million degrees warm- but regardless I want to go back very badly.
On Monday I explored the Cite Universitaire (where I live) and the surrounding area. I found a very pretty park and a used book store that sold books for 20 centimes (about 40 cents).
On Tuesday I had my "Day of the Dead" with Ellen, Mary, Annie, and Christine. We went to the Catacombs of Paris and later Pere Lachaise cemetery (where Jim Morrison, Edith Pilaf, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, etc are buried). The catacombs were fun and we all felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie- so many bones! Many of the bones were arranged in different patterns for example a heart and skull and crossbones - can you say freaky?! The cemetery is beautiful and I saw several cats which was a plus. Many monuments in the cemetery are dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust- they were both beautiful and horrible at the same time. It was a sobering experience to see.
Last weekend API took us to the Provence region of France for the weekend. Provence is a region in the Southern part of France and because of this the temperatures were much nicer there than they have been in Paris. There are also many palm trees which is pretty funny. Most of the architecture was influenced by Italy and as such the buildings look much different from those in Paris. They tend to have a yellowish tint instead of white amongst other things.
On Friday all 72 of us met at the train station at 6:50 AM to catch the TGV to Aix-en-Provence. The train ride is about 3 hours long. When we arrived in Aix (where we would spend the first 2 days) the weather was gorgeous and we were allowed to wander around the city. Later in the afternoon we had a guided walking tour of the city and that night some of us went to a Mexican restaurant and to a bowling ally, after which we proceeded to go back to the hotel and watch some of the Olympics.
On Saturday we got up early and Anne Marie took some of us on a tour of the Grande Marches (Large Markets) in Aix. The markets were HUGE - each part of the town was a different section- a flower market, a fruit and vegetable market, a seafood market, clothing, jewelry, you name it. Later in the afternoon we went to the town of Cassis - right on the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunatly, most of our time there it rained. But we were still able to take a lot of good pictures and have a good time. I also managed to fall down a steep hill, scrape my knee, rip my black jeans, and re-injure my ankle. The ankle part concerned me a lot, but I iced it and tried to keep off it it and it is doing much better now- even though it is bruised and still hurts a little.
On Sunday we left the hotel early in the morning and went to the sea port Marseilles. Again the weather wasn't great but we made the best of it. Our tour guide never showed up so Melissa and Pascal led us around the city with the help of a guide book and we saw the sights. There was a huge Church- that almost seemed inspired artistically by Muslim art- and a hospital that was used to treat the poor during the black plague. After the walking tour we got back on the bus and went to the Notre Dame de la Gare Cathedral which sits on top of a huge mountain overlooking the city. The church was gorgeous and we took a lot of great pictures overlooking the city below. After, we all had lunch at a restaurant on the sea. We had a fixed meal that consisted of a green salad with different meats and cheeses, a fish or lamb dish (I had the fish), and a cake with real fruit baked in for dessert. It was very good - but I still do not understand why the French do not debone their fish. It is hard to have good manners when you are constantly needing to pick tiny fish bones from out of your mouth. We were given some free time after lunch to explore the beach and it was truly wonderful. It was hard to believe I was at the Mediterranean and not the Atlantic! Around 5 we headed to the train station and went home. We arrived back in Paris around 10 PM and some of us went to McDonald's (called Macdo here) because we had all spent our money in Provence and you can not beat a one euro hamburger.
Tonight I am very excited because my best friend from childhood is coming from Italy to visit with her friend. I'm not sure exactly what we are going to do but I am sure that we will have a good time regardless.
Now I must go clean the room before everyone shows up!
Will post pictures later,
Love,
Sarah
22 February 2010
CHARTRES
This weekend was amazing. On Friday night I met up with Uncle Todd and we had a great dinner at a small restaurant near his hotel. It was so good seeing him, catching up, and swapping stories. It really raised my spirits :)
On Saturday morning, Uncle Todd and I decided to go to Chartres for the day. I woke up early and it was POURING/SNOWING. This was slightly funny because I had told Uncle Todd the night before that it never snows here. Luckily by the time we left the station the weather had cleared. It is partially a miracle that we found each other - the train station was huge and I could not find the left luggage place anywhere.
I had never traveled long distances by train before and I must say that I really enjoyed it. It was great to see the French countryside. I think that I am going to travel by train as much as I can - just to see the sights.
We finally arrived in Chartres around 10:45 AM. We headed straight to the Cathedral . The Notre Dame Cathedral Chartres is absolutely spectacular and has such a rich history. The first record of the church is from the 800's but many people speculate that the church could be older. We toured the crypts of the church which was a lot of fun in a freaky kind of way. There was a well that must have been 30 ft deep and dates back to Gaelic times. After, we took a tour of the cathedral led by Malcolm Miller - an expert of the cathedral who has written numerous books and has led tours of the Cathedral for over 50 years. Miller did an amazing job - I learned a lot about the cathedral and had a great time listening to all of his stories.
Uncle Todd and I decided to have lunch after Miller's tour and walked around the town searching for a place to eat. I was following Todd and he was following me so needless to say it took us a while to realize this and find a place for lunch. We finally settled on a restaurant that had an 11 euro formula (entree and main dish or entree and dessert). The food was excellent and our waiter was quite amusing.
After lunch we went back to the Cathedral for a bit, and watched a choir that was having a dress rehearsal there. The church is known for its' relic- a piece of cloth from the clothes the Virgin Mary wore while giving birth to Christ. The fabric has been dated back to the first century which helps support the claim.
Todd and I finally took the train back to Paris around 5PM. We had a wonderful time together and I hope that I get to see him again soon!!
Some pictures from our trip (before my camera died):
The stained-glass windows
Uncle Todd outside of Chartres Cathedral
The outside of the Chartres Cathedral
On Saturday morning, Uncle Todd and I decided to go to Chartres for the day. I woke up early and it was POURING/SNOWING. This was slightly funny because I had told Uncle Todd the night before that it never snows here. Luckily by the time we left the station the weather had cleared. It is partially a miracle that we found each other - the train station was huge and I could not find the left luggage place anywhere.
I had never traveled long distances by train before and I must say that I really enjoyed it. It was great to see the French countryside. I think that I am going to travel by train as much as I can - just to see the sights.
We finally arrived in Chartres around 10:45 AM. We headed straight to the Cathedral . The Notre Dame Cathedral Chartres is absolutely spectacular and has such a rich history. The first record of the church is from the 800's but many people speculate that the church could be older. We toured the crypts of the church which was a lot of fun in a freaky kind of way. There was a well that must have been 30 ft deep and dates back to Gaelic times. After, we took a tour of the cathedral led by Malcolm Miller - an expert of the cathedral who has written numerous books and has led tours of the Cathedral for over 50 years. Miller did an amazing job - I learned a lot about the cathedral and had a great time listening to all of his stories.
Uncle Todd and I decided to have lunch after Miller's tour and walked around the town searching for a place to eat. I was following Todd and he was following me so needless to say it took us a while to realize this and find a place for lunch. We finally settled on a restaurant that had an 11 euro formula (entree and main dish or entree and dessert). The food was excellent and our waiter was quite amusing.
After lunch we went back to the Cathedral for a bit, and watched a choir that was having a dress rehearsal there. The church is known for its' relic- a piece of cloth from the clothes the Virgin Mary wore while giving birth to Christ. The fabric has been dated back to the first century which helps support the claim.
Todd and I finally took the train back to Paris around 5PM. We had a wonderful time together and I hope that I get to see him again soon!!
Some pictures from our trip (before my camera died):
The stained-glass windows
Uncle Todd outside of Chartres Cathedral
The outside of the Chartres Cathedral
Pictures Part 1
16 February 2010
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
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
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