beaucoup de choses à dire! peut-être. . .

Can you believe that the month of October is almost over?! With the end of class today, I have officially started my Fall Break! (Yep, Trinity kids, it's a whole WEEK!)

On Sunday, I was able to explore the Musée d'Orsay with Roanne, Dustin, and our friend from Georgia (who is now living in Paris with his family) Austin! The Musée d'Orsay houses impressionists and post impressionist paintings. My favorite painting was Renoir's Danse à la ville. Danse à la Campagne. (I would have included a picture of me + painting at the end of this blog, however, there are 29854623987109 signs in the Musée d'Orsay saying that taking pictures was forbidden.) Afterward we took a stroll along the Seine with the intention of walking from the Musée d'Orsay to the Eiffel Tower (it's a pretty big and impressive commitment) but had to turn back early for dinner.

Sunday night, Caroline, Roanne and I had the opportunity to have dinner at the house of Jim Haynes! For those of you who may not be familiar with him, he hosts dinner parties every Sunday night as his apartment in Paris and it is open to the first 50-60 people who sign up! He believes in introducing people and loves to meet people who live in Paris, or may just be passing through! A friend of ours, Molly - we met her in Tours, told us about Jim and his dinner parties - so we decided to give it a go! There were so many people in a tiny little flat, but overall it was a lovely dinner!

Monday was a pretty rough day for classes. I'm still not too used to sitting through 6 hours of French in one day, but since it was the start of the week before vacation, the end was in sight! For dinner Monday night, I ventured out to the 11th to have dinner with Dustin at his foyer! Having dinner at other foyers is always so interesting - you always meet different types of people!

On Tuesday I wrote my first in-class French paper! It wasn't too bad, though time went by so quickly! However, by the time we had run out of . . . . well . . . time. . . . I was so relieved to be finished with it! Kelly and I planned a little bit for our trip (where am I going? you will find out when I return!) and then I had dinner at Roanne's foyer. Those dinners are always a lot of fun!

Wednesday evening, I was able to go out with my friends Charlenne and Vivienne! We met up at Starbucks (I had a café Americano, which is basically just an elongated espresso) and then went to see Moi moche et mechant (despicable me) in TROIS D (3D)! I had already seen the movie before with my little brother Cameron and cousin Matthew, but this time when I saw the movie, it was in French - still cute though!

Thursday morning I had an appointment for OFII - a doctor's check up that everyone with a French visa has to go through. Now, I know you may be wondering if I am affected at all by the strikes that have been taking place. If it is possible, I usually walk around Paris - so I have been able to get around just fine. But for this appointment, I needed to go across the river, and up some. One thing about the strikes is that you don't really know how it will affect the transportation system until the day of the strike. So, I had planned on walking an hour and fifteen minutes to get to my appointment. However, thankfully, the trains were running on a regular schedule! So, to be early for my 8:30am appointment, I left my foyer at 7:15am. Needless to say, I was finished by 9:40am and home by 10:15am!

Thursday night our program went out to see the opera Figaro but there was something very strange about this opera. À cause de la grève, the only people present for the production were the singers and the musicians. Therefore, there were hardly any costumes and there were no scene changes - just movement of some furniture here and there. The music was excellent, though it was pretty bizarre not to have everything else.

Today, I had my last day of class until November 8! Sitting through my phonetics class was a bit tough, though the time seemed to pass rather quickly. Tonight I attended a "Welcome to Church" gathering where I met many new people and even got to talk with the pastor of Hillsong Paris! It was really fun to spend time with them and exciting to find another girl from Texas A&M! (She is even studying at the Catholic Instute and has a few of the same classes as Dustin!)

You may be wondering why I am still awake at this time of night. (Yep, it's nearly 2am.) When I returned back to the foyer (it was around 10:30pm or so) I decided that I was a bit hungry, though I still needed to wash. So I took a quick shower and then headed to the kitchen. I decided to experiment a bit with the food that I had in my refrigerator, and by the time I finished making it (which wasn't too long ago since I wanted to allow it to simmer) I was no longer hungry! I also realized that I needed to update this blog . . . but there is no need to worry! Tomorrow I will be sleeping in!

So 7 weeks into my semester abroad, and I feel like time has gone by so quickly. I have adjusted to the odd meal times - to getting around the city on my own - to the internet that keeps going in and out - to knowing how many layers will keep me warm at what temperatures. Though I can't wait to come home, and miss everyone there, I know that there are still some great things to be done here in Paris! What exactly will they be? Well . . . I'm not too sure myself! But, we will find out together! :)

Thanks for reading!

Roanne, Austin, and me. Oh, and the Seine river!

Dinner with Jim Haynes (yep, he's kind of old).

Waiting for the bus to take us home.

The cups look the same, except they are also in French!

Me with Vivienne and Charlenne - oh and our cool 3D glasses!

and the days start to blur.

First of all, my apologies for not posting sooner (I usually try to write an entry once a week), but there have just been so many things going on!

Last I left off, I had just eaten a delicious Chinese meal made by my friend Lin. The following days (Monday and Tuesday) were just normal school days. Busy, tiring, and long. However, one of the reasons why I don't remember much about them is because my mommy, Uncle Randy, and Aunt Joyce came to Paris for a visit! They arrived Wednesday, so until then, all I could think about was seeing them, spending time with them, and giving them big hugs! (French people don't give hugs . . . have I mentioned that before?)

So, I will blog about Wednesday. (Please excuse all of my references to the food that we ate while my family was in town. It was just too delicious not to blog about it!)

My language class in the morning went by really quickly. Then came lunch at the office, and Shelley's class. Afterward, I headed straight to my foyer, picked up my laundry (over two weeks worth!) and rushed to meet my family! My uncle found an apartment in the 7th arrondissement, so it was just about a 20 minute metro ride away! I put a load of clothes in the wash, and then we headed out to see the Eiffel Tower! (They were about a ten minute walk from there, and we could even see the tower from a window in the apartment!)

It was super cold, but we ventured up the tower. The view from the second platform was beautiful! But, we didn't stop there for long. We made it up to the top of the Eiffel Tower just in time to watch the sun set (yes, it was better than watching the sun set at the Oasis in Austin). Afterward, we ventured on back to the Rue Cler area where we ate at Cafe Constant - my first real French dinner out! It was a really cute place with seating on the first level as well as a second floor - it was just like eating in a little cabin. We had escargot (one time is good enough for me, though I had had it before coming to France) and for my main dish I had Cod! MmmMMm it was delicious. But, then, DESSERT. Oh my. We ordered French style cream puffs - completely drenched in warm chocolate.

Thursday I met up with the family after my routine workout with Roanne - they were at the Louvre! We walked around Tuileries and even saw a job fair for all of Paris! It was really neat seeing so many people - and they were giving out FREE bags! (Needless to say, my aunt and I stood in line to get some. As if we were going to enter the job fair!) We continued to walk - in the direction of the Champs Elysee and picked up a Nutella-Banana crepe along the way. The Champs Élysée wasn't very crowded and the weather was divine.

A funny little story: While walking down the Champs Élysée, an Asian lady stops me (of all people that are walking, she stops the kid in the group, ME) and says:
"Hello. I am on the vacation. I am Chinese. Are you Japanese?"
-no
"Are you Korean?"
-no
"Oh . . ."
-I'm Chinese.
"OOOHHH." and then proceeds to try to speak Mandarin to me
-I speak Cantonese . . .

and then her husband starts talking - his English is better, and he even speaks a little bit of French. Basically though, they had just come from the Louis Vuitton store (RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET WE CAN SEE IT!) and asked us if we would buy bags for them - that "I give you cash" and they had about 5 different pictures of the bags that they wanted. Needless to say, we had to help out our fellow Asians. So, my mommy, auntie, and I went to the LV store in search of these bags - they gave us each 700 Euros in CASH, and waited across the street with their eyes on the door (of course, what else would you do if you gave 2100 Euros to complete strangers?) Upon entering the store, I was completely overwhelmed. Maybe it was due to the lack of merchandise on the shelves, or maybe due to the sheer number of shoppers. But, in any case, we asked about the five different bags and were told that they had sold out of each one. It was pretty disappointing. We were so close to purchasing purses from Louis Vuitton! (But not for us of course, but still, it's the transaction that counts!) We headed out of the store with bad news, and gave the couple back their monies. Afterward, we were discussing what had just happened and think that we could have been aiding a factory - but nevertheless, it was still exciting! That night, we were walking around, trying to find a place for dinner, and then stumbled upon a restaurant called Chez Pierrot. It was delicious! I had my first memorable lamb dish, and super delicious chocolate dessert!

Friday I met up with my family after my afternoon phonetics class. They had gone to Versailles that day and were tired from walking! We made dinner at the apartment that night and Roanne joined us for a bit! It was a good time of just food and fellowship. Afterward, my uncle, auntie, mommy and I went out for dessert! This is the night that I discovered the Café Gourmand, and it is just as delicious as it sounds! Basically, a small cup (very small, this is France) of coffee, and 3 little desserts. That night, the desserts that came with the coffee were a small pot of crème brulée, chocolate mousse, and a macaroon. IT WAS SO DELICIOUS!!!! We returned to the apartment after dinner and I spent the night - kept mommy awake until nearly 3am just chatting, but I know she liked it :)

We slept in on Saturday and then took a boat tour of the Seine. Afterward, mommy and I had lunch in my foyer and then headed out in search for souvenirs! We had such a fun time shopping and exploring more of Paris. For dinner we went to a restaurant called Tribeca. It reminded me of being in a ballroom - the ceilings had little chandeliers and the seats had pillows on them! Uncle Randy and I ordered another Café Gourmand for dessert and it was just as delicious! Though this time, the desserts were a sweet rice pudding, a chocolate custard, and a little pastry that we sweet and chewy. Later that night, mommy, Uncle Randy and I ventured out into the night! We walked along the river to just enjoy the beauty of the moon, stars, lights, and of course an illuminated Eiffel Tower.

Sunday the four of us went to Hillsong Paris - my fourth Sunday! And after, went to a crêperie for lunch. We walked down to my school, and stopped by a small store that was going out of business - they had boots for 5 euros! (and, of course I got a pair) I showed them the outside of the Insitut Catholique de Paris (it was closed, so we couldn't go in) and then we went to the Luxembourg Garden where we met up with Roanne! It was just beautiful outside - chilly but the flowers were still out. Before dinner I was determined to have my uncle, aunt, and mommy try a pain au chocolat. So when we returned to the neighborhood where they were staying, mommy and I set out on our mission to find pain au chocolat (basically, a croissant with chocolate squares in it. DELICIOUS) and had to go to at least 5 different boulangeries until we found some! We found a small boulangerie at the end of Rue Cler and bought some pain au chocolat, and other delicious treats! Uncle John and Auntie B met up with us at the apartment that night, and then the 6 of us went out for dinner. That dinner was also VERY VERY delicious! My favorite part was the appetizer, to describe it I will just say it was a seafood pot pie - BUT SO MUCH MORE DELICIOUS. Everything else was equally as tasty, and I had a mango tiramisu for dessert (I didn't even know that was possible!)

Sunday night I said goodbye to my family. It was pretty sad, walking down to the train as I left them at the entrance to the metro, but they have made it back to Texas safely! I am so grateful to have had them come and visit me. (If you, reader, would like to come and visit me in Paris, please do not hesitate to do so!!!!)

Monday was just a normal school day. Tuesday night, all of us in the program attended a ballet - Paquita. The dancers were phenomenal and the costumes were so sparkly! It was definitely a beautiful performance! Wednesday after classes, I spent time with Caroline, Dustin, Kelly, and Roanne. We made dinner and took silly pictures on Caroline's photobooth.

Today, Thursday, I had the opportunity to start my service-learning volunteering with a small after school program that is at the crossroads of 4 different arrondissements. It is pretty interesting - the dynamics of the neighborhood and the different people that live there. Every Thursday for the rest of the semester I will be spending time with kids ages 7-9. We have a snack when they first arrive, work on homework, and then play until it is time for them to leave. These children come from immigrant families - many come from unstable households, economically and socially. The biggest task is to just love on these children and be a good example to them. Their spoken French is much better than mine - so it was a little difficult to communicate with them at times today, and also a little embarrassing - they could pretty much complete my sentences before I could! However, I am really looking forward to working with them this semester. There are other workers there as well, some paid, and some volunteer, but they all have a heart for the children!

Alrighty now. This has been a very long blog. I think that the next time I make an entry, it will be a more reflective piece. But until then, I will just keep those thoughts a mystery!

La grève that is still going on TODAY.

Our first dinner out - Café Constant!

Walking down the Champs-Élysée! My uncle and aunt are so cute!

Lamb!!!! I just had to post this picture - it was so delicious!

Mommy and me at the Luxembourg Garden (see, I had my camera this time!)

Uncle Randy, Courtney, Auntie Joyce (Goo!)

Mommy, Roanne, Courtney at Luxembourg

My ridiculous Uncle (and me) with a ridiculously large tree at Luxembourg

Eiffel Tower at NIIIIIIIIIGHT!

10/10/10

Okay . . . I couldn't help it! I think the main reason for this blog's title, what makes it so funny to me, is that in France the date is written DD/MM/YY whereas back home the date is written MM/DD/YY. So, today, it doesn't matter which way it is written, because it is all the same!!!


It has been one full week since my last blog, so there is a bit to catch up on! In the interest of time, and for the sake of your reading satisfaction, I will blaze through these past few days!

Monday, I officially started my first full week of classes. Getting through two 3 hour classes was pretty tough, but thankfully I have a two hour break inbetween (just enough time to grab lunch and walk around a bit). After classes, I returned to my foyer for an early dinner and time to relax. We had a foyer meeting that night - an hour of listening to our director about being a good neighbor, respecting communal areas, etc. I'm not going to lie, it was a bit painful to sit through. Especially since she kind of rambled on in French! That night, I went to bed BEFORE midnight (which back home would be extremely rare) and even woke up on Tuesday before my alarm!

Tuesday, Roanne and I had our morning exercise and then proceeded to run errands with Dustin. We went to the bookstore Gibert Jeune (it's pretty amazing. think about Half Price Books but split up into 5 different stores by genre) and also to the Monoprix! After class (I only have one from 2-5pm, my fashion class!) I went with my friends Emily and Caroline to the big Tati to help them get necessities. Being here in France for the semester is a bit strange, it always slips my mind that I am actually a student here - as if I were back at Trinity (I still have to go to the store to buy things like paper towels, toiletries, etc as if I was still stateside). Dinner that night I made in my foyer (though I can't exactly remember what . . .) and was able to catch up with friends back home. (The best times to chat are in the evenings for me, most likely afternoons for you!)

Wednesday after class, Dustin, Meghan, and I went to the big Tati (YEP I went again) and helped her buy her foyer necessities. That night I also joined Roanne for dinner at her foyer (some foyers have dining services that they provide and give a set amount of meal tickets to residents per month. luckily, Roanne has some extra!)

On Thursday, I ran again (yaaaay! I have a pretty regular exercise schedule/wonderful workout buddy!) Ymânne stopped by the foyer one last time (I was so happy to see her!) and she even helped me with my French homework! That afternoon, Roanne and I went with our friend Lin to Chinatown! I was pretty excited to go to that part of Paris (apparently though, there are two Chinatowns. I will explore the other one sometime in the future) to see all the Asians! When we arrived, Lin took us to two different grocery stores (the second one was better!) and we purchased food to make for Sunday's dinner (which was tonight, and will talk more about in a few more paragraphs). Needless to say, we had to return back to the foyer to put away the food right after, so my exploration of Chinatown was limited to the grocery stores. No worries though, I WILL RETURN!

We met up with our program for Bateaux Mouches (which is basically just an hour long boat tour on the river Seine in front of the main monuments of Paris). It was pretty interesting, the translation cd repeated each blurb in 6 different languages (Swedish sounds the coolest).

Friday morning Roanne and I went running again and then had lunch. After my phonetics class ended, Dustin and I went to another Monoprix! (If you have questions about why I went so many times, please feel free to ask me. It is one of my favorite shops in Paris!) They had bananas for 0.99 Euros/Kg (yes, that sounds pretty expensive, but is actually very very very reasonable for Paris fruit). I ventured back to Foyer Didot again for dinner, and it was super delicious!

Saturday morning I met up with Roanne for our morning exercise, and then the two of us met up with the rest of our program for an excursion to Versailles (a really huge castle not too far outside of Paris)! The weather was so beautiful - sunshine and mid 70s. We brought our lunches and ate in the garden. It was kind of cute because there was classical music playing from the hedges (wouldn't it have been cool to have been a musician and actually played their during Versailles's hay-day?) Martin, Dustin, and I ventured around the grounds and into the castle. I don't want to be shunned or anything for this next statement, but I do feel that Versailles is a little too extravagant. During our visit, there was also (and still is, until December or so) a Japanese artist exhibit. There were random sculptures in almost every room and, though they were really cute manga-type creations, they looked very out of place.

Saturday night I saw Inception (in English with French subtitles thankfully) with Dustin and Martin. The theater that we went to was so nice! And, guess how much our tickets were? 3.9 Euros! You can't even watch a movie back in the states for that little - not a more recent one anyway. And, on a Saturday night! Needless to say, I think we will be watching a few more movies this semester (this particular theater shows the movies in their original form). France loves people under 26 (the special deal for the tickets). There are so many more free/discounted things to do if you fall under the -26 category! The movie ended around 12:45 am and I ventured back to my foyer on my own. Though, I wouldn't necessarily say venture is the right word to use. I knew where I was going! And, it wasn't scary at all! There were still many many people out at that time and I returned safely!

This morning I woke up early for church (though it doesn't start until 11am I went to help with the hosting team). I got to wear a cool Hillsong shirt (maybe I can bring it back with me at the end of the semester?! not sure if they will need it back), help with envelopes, and show people where to sit! Afterward, I had a leisurely lunch with Majd and Nastia, and then time to relax and do homework. I met up with Roanne this evening for an evening run, and then we made dinner with Lin! (I was in charge of making the gai lan - thanks to all who gave me tips on how to make it!) It was pretty tasty! Lin is from Canton (kind of near Toysan, so he understands what I say in Chinese. haha it's kind of funny) so he cooks food that reminds me of home! He even made lots of rice (I suppose he knew that I hadn't had any for a while)!!

Well. I thought this blog would have been a little shorter, but alas it is not. I have been in France for one month now, and time seems to fly by! My mom, uncle, and aunt are coming in town on Wednesday and will be here until Monday. I cannot wait to see them and spend time with them! I'm sure I will have lots more to report on their visit in my next blog! But, until then, enjoy these memories via photograph! There are more posted on facebook!

À plus!

A freezer of Dim Sum at the grocery store in Chinatown!

 

Waiting in line to check out with Lin (the lines were so long) and our rice baby!

Roanne and me on our way back from Chinatown riding on the T

Seasons actually exist in Paris. Note: different color leaves on trees

The main path of Louis XIV's backyard. Does it look real?

In the Hall of Mirrors. Yep, a smiley flower ball right in the middle of it! Oh, and there's me.

The steps of Versailles!

Tonight's dinner. See my gai lan?! But . . . Lin made everything else (cabbage dish + rice + soup. bahahaha!)

Thanks for reading! :)

Une semaine à Paris

Can you believe that I have already been in Paris for one week? Well, it is a bit hard for me to believe!
Wednesday I had one class at 9am (it ended at noon) and another class for my study abroad program in which we went to the Louvre. (This is not what we will be normally doing for class, but I will probably explain that in my next blog!) Did you know that students under 26 years old can get into the Louvre with their student ID for free? (But I think this only applies to European residents . . . which I am one! I have my visa and everything!) While at the Louvre, we had a guided tour of the 17th and 18th century art. We had one guide all to ourselves: 10 students + Shelley our directrice! We got to walk around the Louvre with headphones that wirelessly connected to our guide, for our ears only!

After the Louvre, my friend Roanne and I ventured to an area of Paris similar to Harwin in Houston. There, we went to a huge k-mart like store called Tati. You can find so many things there for very reasonable (for the euro) prices. Also, around that area there are several people on the street selling cartons of cigarettes, stolen cell phones, roasted corn, and other really random stuff! It was kind of scary going out there, it was super crowded, and there were also lots of cars trying to get through the streets. Why do I even mention this trip then, since it was so scary? The Tati (or "Big Tati" as Roanne and I call it) is amazing! I bought a pair of rain boots for 7.99 Euro . . . alright. Enough about Wednesday. I remember that I was also very tired that day!

Thursday I had no class (random day for not having class . . . ) and ran around the Luxembourg Garden with Roanne! (Sorry, no pictures. . .  I was running. But I'm sure I will have some of the garden eventually.) The day started off a bit rainy (which actually happens more often than you think) but the weather ended nicely. Thursday was also the day that my roommate of five days, Ymânne, left our foyer. She had been in Paris for un stage (similar to an internship) and had to move out. We said our goodbyes and I was pretty sad. She was so welcoming and kind when I moved in! (I think she even made my bed for me before I arrived.)

Friday I had one class Phonetics at 2pm (ended at 5pm. Roanne and I went running in the morning and the weather was beautiful! Just a bit chilly, but still lovely. Friday night, Dustin and Emily surprised me and came by my foyer at 9:30pm. It was kind of rainy outside, but they convinced me to accompany them to the Eiffel Tower. It was beautiful! Did you know, that for the first five minutes of every hour, the tower sparkles? But according to Dustin, it's only for five minutes at a time, because it's so expensive! After the Eiffel Tower, we hopped the metro down to l'Arc de Triomphe. Did you know that you can also climb to the top of that structure? We didn't though . . . it was a little too late, and a little too wet.

Saturday I woke up early (again!) for a run and then did a bit of homework. (yep, I'm in school, remember?) After lunch I went out shopping with a couple of girls from my foyer: Charlenne from Mauritius and Majd from Tunisia. We went to Big Tati again, and then to a real mall (Les Halles). It was ridiculous! If you think that the Galleria in Houston is huge, Les Halles is even more grand with even more people, and that day, EVEN MORE SALES. I had to leave the two of them a bit early to come back to the foyer. Meghan, Dustin, Emily, Jenna, and I made dinner (picture down below)! My foyer has a quaint little kitchen that is open all the time for us to use. Yep, I have to cook my own meals! And, I will admit, I am not chef.

Saturday night, the city of Paris hosted "Nuit Blanche." A night of free exhibitions, concerts, and light shows throughout the city! (Really, they had events starting from 7pm until 7am Sunday morning.) Jenna, Emily, Dustin, Meghan, Majd, Anastasia (another girl from my foyer) and I ventured out into the night! We went to an exhibit at the Louis Vuitton building on the Champs Elysee, saw another exhibit in the Yves Saint Laurent building, stopped by l'Hotel de Ville (city hall) and even walked to Notre Dame! We crossed over a super super crowded bridge in search for glow in the dark buttons (we couldn't find any for ourselves, but everyone was wearing them . . .) and then ended our night at an artisan boulangerie! (basically, they make delicious bread) There, they served three different small breads for free! (in our bags we got a croissant, a roll type bread, and then a mini baguette) We returned back to the foyer at about 1:30am, and I must say, I hope that is the latest that I will be out in Paris!

This morning Roanne and I got lost after our run. After we went to the Luxembourg Garden on Thursday we decided to spend our next few runs exploring the 14th arrondissement. Today, the weather was gorgeous! This run in particular was nice because we could see the Eiffel Tower (it was far away of course) and found a street with an incline! However, after we started walking, and were pretty close to our foyers, WE GOT LOST! (it was my fault. I will admit it)

I met Kelly at the Gaité metro stop and we went to Hillsong Paris! I must say that going to Hillsong Paris starts off my week on a wonderful note! The songs that we sang today were particularly touching to me as we sang a lot about giving our lives up to God. Even the sermon was exciting as the pastor talked about Joshua 1 and the opportunities that we are presented with! (Like the opportunity to study abroad in PARIS!)


The rest of my Sunday has been relaxing, having meals with friends and doing homework (which I have successfully finished! yaaaaay!!!) Hopefully I didn't bore you with this long recount of the past few days! I just have one question for you though.

What is something delicious and nutritious that is simple to make? I suppose I will call myself the "Chef in Training."

I would love ideas, recipes, or any advice that you can give!

okay. It's picture time!

Emily and I with our cool headphones for the Louvre tour!

Ymânne and me the night before she left

The Eiffel Tower at night!

Oh, look, there's the Arc!

Our first family dinner. Oh . . . spaghetti . . .

Heading out for Nuit Blanche

A view of the Champs Elysee from the top of Louis Vuitton

By far my favorite painting of the night!

First day of School!

As I suspected! I have already arrived in Paris and it is already Tuesday night! Many things have happened since my last post, but I will share the highlights!

On Thursday there was a strike in France! (My first one to witness!) Many people were against extending the age of retirement, so they decided to take the day off from work and walk down the main roads in one big group! It was, in my opinion, pretty anti-climactic. But, good to witness nonetheless (we saw them as we were getting lunch).

Friday was the last day of class in Tours and it was a bit bittersweet. We only had a half day so there was time to hang out with the friends we had made that were outside of our program, and also there was time to pack.

Saturday I left Tours, and although I was feeling sad, I was very anxious to get to Paris! Once we arrived at the train station, Jenna and I took a taxi to our foyer (French style dorm, though not located on a university campus, so people that go to several different universities will live in one building). Thankfully, our rooms were both located on the first floor (there is no elevator in the building so it would have been rather difficult getting up stairs). For the past few days I have had a French roommate named Ymanne. She is very sweet and is from Normandy! (But unfortunately will be leaving on Thursday to go back home.) She had already made my bed for me and was eager to show me in the ins and outs of our foyer.

Sunday I had the opportunity to go to Hillsong Paris and my oh my, it was such a blessing! Before I even arrived in France I had been praying that God would provide a strong Christian Community to plug in to, and He definitely did! It was pretty amazing to worship and learn more about God in French (and in English, it is a translated service). Words cannot accurately grasp exactly how I felt on Sunday, though the whole time I could feel God's love for me. I even met a few new people, Michael, Marco, and Alexandra. All three of them are students here in Paris (though they just met at church). I also met up later that day with my friends Roanne and Emily at a metro station called Opéra. There we walked around the 1st quarter of Paris and explored a bit! (They wanted to see one of CoCo Chanel's original boutiques.) I must say though, wandering around Paris is pretty fun. There are lots of things to see - interesting shops, buildings, and monuments, and of course, even more interesting people!

Monday the whole program went to obtain metro passes - FREEDOM! We all purchased unlimited rides for the week and for the next month. The metro/RER/bus system in Paris really isn't bad/scary at all. The maps are very easy to navigate and people are very helpful! A group of us went to a store called Tati (think of it as the French version of Wal Mart) for some odds and ends, and then to another store called Monoprix (the French version of Target). Later that afternoon, Dustin and I went to the Eiffel Tower! (yep, with these metro passes you can pretty much go anywhere within the city limits of Paris, and the subway runs so frequently you are hardly waiting for a train to arrive) It wasn't as pretty as I thought it would be, but still enormously impressive.

Tuesday (today) we started classes at the Catholic Institute. I only have one class on Tuesdays (la mode et stylisme) from 2pm-5pm. After class, Kelly, Emily, Dustin and I ventured out to the Musée d'Orsay, and to the Louvre (though we didn't go in . . . there wasn't time and there are days when students can get in for free).

Tonight I was able to meet many new girls that live in my foyer and I must say, they are all pretty nice! I even did laundry tonight and they were very helpful with tips about each of the machines.

Well, it's time to get my clothes out of the dryer, and also Ymanne is trying to sleep! (She told me to stay in the room while on the computer because it's cold outside of our room, how kind of her!) So here are the ending pictures. There are more on Facebook!

Last day of class in Tours

Leaving the Tours station for Paris

A random band that walked out of the Music Academy in Paris

Walking around - there are fun advertisements here!

Oh look! The Eiffel Tower!

Kelly, Emily, and Me over the river Seine

Oh hey! We're at the Louvre!

th1rt3en

What?

Believe it or not, my time here in Tours is coming to a close. That means, I am only going to be in France for 13 more weeks! My, if time is flying this fast now, Paris is going to be crazy!

So, what have I been up so since last post? Well. Let me share!

This past weekend was France's culture weekend! Basically, the country encouraged its residents (and visitors) to explore France's rich history: the castles, museums, towns, anything French in France! My friends and I took advantage of this weekend and traveled, by train, to another town called Blois to visit its château. We left around 10am that morning and returned about 4pm that night. I know that it may not seem like that was a long trip, but my goodness, we were walking up and down mini-hills and the sun was full bright! But because it was culture weekend, and my family packed me a lunch, the entire trip only cost 4 euros! (The train ticket to AND from, the castle was free) In Blois we explored the château, visited a small cathedral, spent some time by the Loire, and then hung out at a cafe before taking our train back to Tours.

Sunday I slept in and went running with my friend Dustin! (Though he didn't really run. . . I think he just sat and wrote in his journal.) There is a very pretty creek-ish type place in the southern part of the town (the Loire runs through the north side). An interesting observation that I made while running (sorry I couldn't take any pictures of it), not all French people finish their bread! Maybe because it was a Sunday, or perhaps this happens every day, but I saw more than a handful of families tossing old bread to the ducks! It was really cute to observe, though. Not only were the kids doing it, but the adults were also! Later, we joined some other friends for the Karate Kid (dubbed in French. . . . Jackie Chan speaking French?!). It was a good movie to watch in French, though I had already seen it twice before in English.

Monday started our final week of classes at l'Institut de Touraine. It was kind of sad to know that our stay was already halfway over! However, after class, Roanne, Emily, Chacha and I went to explore the Botanical Garden here in Tours! It was quite lovely! They have a plethora of different kinds of flowers, herbs, and they even have animals! (Wallabies, flamingos, turtles, and even an emu!) It was a lovely day, however, this is the day when I started to feel sick. During class I would be hot, and then very cold - and the cycle would continue.

Monday night, I definitely had a fever and Tuesday morning I was miserable. Thankfully, I packed along lots of Advil and Zyrtec (for runny noses and such. Mucinex if it got any worse) and a few prayers and several pills later, I was much better on Wednesday morning! (Oh, that was this morning!!!)

Despite not having felt well Tuesday morning (probably the drugs had kicked in by this time) I accompanied my friends to a little lake past the fleuve where I went running. It was a nice little walk, the sun was out and there were several people also out for a jog/stroll. The cool thing about this little man-made lake was that there were sailboats on the water!

Today, we did not have afternoon class. But there were several things to do! After lunch, my friends and I went to H&M! Afterward, Emily and I went to a bookstore, another Best Buy mixed with Borders type store called the FNAC, strolled down the wednesday/saturday market, and picked up a few odds and ends at another store on the way home.

All in all, my time here in Tours has been very interesting and enjoyable! (I suppose I write this because I think this will be my last blog from Tours) I have met so many different international students and have already learned a lot about myself! I can't wait for Paris! So, until then, I will say goodbye!

Oh, but please enjoy these pictures :)

Waiting for our Train to Blois as we eat apples from our host families

 

 

scenery from the train ride back to Tours

First time riding in a Cabin - it reminded us of Harry Potter!

Finally! A group picture of the entire Paris Fall 2010 Program!

The Tours Botanical Garden

A very small portion of the Wednesday/Saturday market

Mr. Oscar Gnome writing postcards with me!

ce soir

Aimez-vous savoir qu'est-ce que j'avais fait?

The day after my last update (Sunday), my program journeyed to Tours, France for the two week language immersion portion of our semester. It was about a 45 minute train ride west of the city and the landscape was just beautiful! (But apparently it looks a lot like Iowa.) When we arrived, my host mommy and daddy were waiting for me, along with all of the other parents as well. It was really cute to see them standing there with their papers with each of our names on them. They would come up to you and ask if you were "so and so" (of course they would not say "so and so"). With my host family, I have my own room, and bathroom (ish) and also a small balcony! I have breakfast with my mommy and dinner with both parents around 8pm every night. Our house is about a twenty, twenty-five minute walk to school, but it's not too bad. My friend Emily and I walk together!

We started classes on Monday - four hours of intensive French per day (except on Fridays). My schedule in Tours on a weekday usually looked like this:
7:40am, wake up
8:15am, eat breakfast
8:30am, meet Emily
9:00am, start morning class
12:00pm, have lunch
2:00pm, start afternoon class
3:15pm, free
8:00pm, dinner

and sleep . . . . falls somewhere thereafter!

Some interesting things that we have done so far:
Tuesday, took a walking tour of the historic part of town
Wednesday, visited the castles Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry (in French, a castle is called un château)
Thursday, took a wine (the sweeter the better, for me) and cheese tasting class
Thursday night, experienced a bit of Tours night life - there are students everywhere!
Friday, booked my plane ticket for Fall break (where am I going!? we will find out in about a month!)

The weather has been rather pleasant, it has only rained once! (And not even rain by my definition. More like a light drizzle.) The other days I have found myself to be rather chilly! (Many, if not all, of the houses are without A/C because the weather is so pleasant! They just open their windows in the mornings/daytime and close them at night!)

In the morning, my friends from the program, and a couple of new British friends that we have made will venture out to visit more châteaux! However, this means waking up very very early to meet with the rest of the group. Thus, I bid you all goodnight!

Jenna and me on the TGV à Tours!

What if you woke up to this every morning? (Un jardin du Château Villandry)

Some of the girls in the (massive) Villandry garden

There are some funny car names here!

Emily and Me with our new friend Tom! Oh, and some strange frog-looking figure.