my view...

I just wanted to post a couple of photos of my amazing view...after I'm unpacked, I'll put up a couple of where I'm standing when taking them. Actually, it'll probably only take about 3 shots to show the entire studio!

I'm here!!

So I'm finally here! It's so strange to return to a city that I feel I barely even know...it's so familiar, yet completely undiscovered, and that is truly an amazing feeling. Today my amazing friend Anne met me at the airport, and after nearly 6 years, she's still the same Anne that I knew before. I got all checked in to my tiny but excellent 'studio,' as Anne calls it, and then I had to return to the ACCENT office, where Elly, another AU student doing the MICEFA program, checked in. We did a short tour of the neighborhood, which I am certain I will do again, with much more interesting results, and then I headed to Anne's to spend some time with her friends. The very interesting mix included Gregoire, her boyfriend, of whom I definitely approve, Jean-Francois, another Frenchman who she met in the Czech Republic, and Monica, a Mexican girl who was also with them in C.R. and who is now trying to see as much of Europe as she can. Unfortunately, Monica doesn't speak much French, so the entire night was a really unique mixture of franglais, because Gregoire's English isn't so great, and I wanted to speak French...so we got enough of both in, I think, and it's really funny to hear Anne speaking English all the time! So we walked all over, to the Bastille, Place des Vosges (which is really beautiful), and the Marais, which, I noticed, has plenty of falafel. We got some drinks in a bar near the Hotel de Ville (my first French red wine, delicious, of course), and it was just great to spend time with Anne again. She and Greg leave tomorrow for Lyon to see her grandparents, but Monica and Jean-Francois will still be here, so hopefully we can all meet up again. And hopefully tomorrow I will put up some photos! But for now, I really need to get to sleep, I just wanted to let everyone know that the douzieme is definitely as cool as the onzieme, and that this is going to be the most amazing year ever. Gros bisous et bonne nuit!

small change in plans...

You may have noticed that my blog name changed slightly...well, after reading the ACCENT Orientation guide to Paris, turns out I'll be living in a student residence in the 12e arrondissement, with overnight guests prohibited and only a hot plate to cook on! So a bit different than I expected, but I'm sure the 12e will be as fun as the 11e...though don't be shocked if the name changes again once I arrive! (8 days, by the way!)

Visa success!

Just in case anyone was wondering...yesterday proved a beautifully successful trip to the French embassy; I'm now equipped with a lovely visa. I even got some French practice in, which was a nice confidence booster, as well. I'm really starting to get organized - I'm thinking of stuff to take with me for the students I'll be helping, and I'll probably even start thinking about packing in the next few days. All of a sudden, this is for real!