La carte douze-vingtcinq!

Yesterday (Friday 14 September) was an interesting day. I went to class nice and early in the morning, and I got Paris 3's Guide de l'Etudiant, and I read through it, and I found their department for Linguistics and modern languages...and guess what...they have Finnish!!!!!! They have a whole 'Finno-urgic' languages section in this program, as well as some really interesting linguistics courses. I'm quite annoyed with MICEFA that they didn't have a clue about it, but at least I did my research. I went over there yesterday too, but there wasn't really much there, so I think I will wait until Monday when the rest of the MICEFA kids are working on registration stuff. I'll definitely post about that on Monday evening...

Anyway after class Cecile and I went to the train station and got our 12-25 year old card for train discounts, and I'm really excited about it. Everyone has told us that we had to get them, so it was definitely a good idea. Now we can have all kinds of cheaper train tickets, yay! Then we got lunch, but by the time we were finished (we had to wait in a huge line at the train station) it was time to meet at the Louvre. There was a huge group of MICEFA students, and we had a guide...it was very interesting. She was really nice but we only went to about 6 different works of art, she just talked about each one for a long time. At first it was cool but then I got kind of tired so it dragged a little bit. I want to go back pretty often on Friday nights (when it's free for students) and just take the museum piece by piece and really see what I want to see. There really weren't that many people there, which surprised me, but it was cool because I want to see all the French art I studied in my class. We did see the Coronation of Napoleon, The Raft of the Medusa, and Liberty Guiding the People, or whatever that famous Delacroix one is, and those were all pretty amazing. Of course I was totally disappointed by the Mona Lisa - it's tiny, really far away, and there are a million people. There are some other really interesting paintings in the same room, though, so I looked at those instead. Anyway I just want to go back and do the museum at my own pace and see the things I'm most interested in.

Afterward, a bunch of us went out to a hookah bar around Pere Lachaise, it was me, Elly, her roommate Hannah, Sebastian from my French class, to begin with, and then Anne joined us and then four other MICEFA kids and then Molly and 4 of her friends...so there were a ton of us by the end, but it was so fun. I really just talked with Anne the whole time, which was totally okay with me, but it was cool to hang out with those kids. Apparently they thought I was really quiet but they were shocked when I told them I have tattoos and knew how to light a shisha coal (I was the only one there who could, it was weird). Hopefully I'll get to hang out with some of them this weekend, too, it was cool to have a different atmosphere than class. Then Anne and I walked all the way back home, it was awesome, because she told me all kinds of interesting stuff about the 11th arrondissement, apparently her grandmother was born there and her mom lived there while she was living in Paris. Also, she told me that it's a really safe part of town, and she used to walk home from work at 2 or 3 in the morning and there were still people around. I'm going to go have dinner at her house on Monday when Sasha comes, with her and Greg and Jean Francois, her friend who was in the Czech Republic with her. It's so cool to hang out with Anne but it's always so strange to leave and just say, okay, I'll see you soon!

This weekend is the Journees de Patrimoine, which means that pretty much everything is open for free! I'm super excited! Today we're going to the aquarium, and then there's this Yiddish culture place that I want to see, and tomorrow I'm going to go to the Musee de Cluny in the morning, and then the Galerie des Gobelins, which is the old tapestry 'factory' which hasn't been open to the public for years! And then I might see another museum or something. I'm trying to avoid the really popular places, because I have cards that will either get me a reduced rate or maybe get me in for free, and I know there will be WAY too many people at something like the Invalides or something. I'm trying to go to some places that aren't generally open for the public, which I think should be cool. I'll definitely post again after this weekend!

Ce sot a laissé tomber le sceau dans le seau...

Oh, French homonyms, dictionary fun, whatever. Amazing. Today was my first foray into North African wine - apparently it's a real industry, are they allowed? - and it was interesting, it doesn't taste at all like French wine, or any other red wine I've had, but I'm not sure I can describe it. The past few days have been filled up with French class and lots of homework; tonight was the first time we haven't had any writing. I should probably be getting ahead and trying to find some idea of what I'm going to write for Friday's class, but I thought I'd take it easy and write a letter instead. It's only 10:30 and I'm already tired - I guess that's what happens when you just walk everywhere...

Anyway, class has been good, I really, really like my professor, Michelle Le Coadic. I'm actually going to take another of her classes during the first semester, it's a MICEFA class called 'Grammaire du texte,' which is about how to format a paper in the French style and about writing for French universities. I think it'll be really useful since I'm staying for the whole year. I found out today that Cecile also wants to take it, which is cool. The French class has been interesting, too, because it's a lot of grammar that I never learned, so it's stuff I can recognize but not really use properly. I think it's pretty helpful, I already keep using things I've learned!

Yesterday morning we went to this theater 'spectacle' thing near the Opera Garnier (which is unfortunately under construction, so it's really only half-picturesque), it's hard to describe but it was a very quick history about Paris with explanations about the architecture and style of the city as well as lots of good music. A lot of it was what I learned in my French class last semester, but it was still really neat. Afterward I got to hang out with Elly for a while before class, we got some excellent strawberries from a random market and sat around at the Place de la Concorde. (the picture with the statue is the Opera; the dome I think is the Val de Grace, I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I randomly came across it the other day before my MICEFA meeting!)

Tomorrow Anne's coming back! I'm going to meet her at the train station after my class. I'm so excited! And Sasha's coming next week, on Monday, and I think my friend Amy from AU (who's a TA in the Centre region, not far from Orleans) is coming either next week or the next week. Also, we're supposed to be able to find out what classes we can take sometime next week, I'm excited! Things are seeming to go smoothly, so cross your fingers...I'm even going to be able to take the Finnish class I want! Hopefully next week I'll also go to Creteil to meet with my teachers to talk about my schedule.

I guess that'll be all for now, I feel like I'm settling in to a schedule and a bus route and feeling even more at ease speaking French...so tout va bien!!! A plus!

Koeln!

Yesterday I took the train at 6:55 a.m. to Cologne to meet my penpal Jenny, who's from a small town called Werne in Germany. Even the train ride itself was fun; we went through Brussels and Liege and Aachen as well as French, Belgian, and German countrysides before I had to get off and meet Jenny. She was waiting for me on the platform - she looks exactly like the pictures she sent, it was so cool to see her in real life (as it always is, of course).

The first thing we did was go to the cathedral, the Koelner Dom, which was really just amazing - I don't think I've ever seen a bigger cathedral, except for the one in Strasbourg. It was so beautiful, and inside there were a ton of awesome stained glass windows. We wanted to explore more, but they started a prayer service, so we left (with the intention of returning...which unfortunately didn't happen...) to walk around the city.

We went into a bunch of cool shops and stuff, and I got a few presents and some things for my room (like a candle and candleholder thing) to give it some life, because it's much less expensive there than in such a big city like Paris. We got lunch at a pizza place (we shared a pizza and had salads, which were amazing because they had corn, and apparently that's the way to eat in Europe, salads with corn. So good!) and I had an Apfelschoerle, which was really even more delicious than I can make myself. It must have been because I was in Germany. :-)

Then we went and walked around by the Rhine for a while, and we walked part of the way across a huge bridge to see the town a little better. It's SO typically German-looking, I'll try to post a picture because there's no way I can quite describe it! We went to the Chocolate museum, which was one of the coolest museums ever! The whole thing smelled like chocolate, it was incredible. They showed how chocolate's made, from when they harvest the cocoa beans and get them out of the fruit and then press it into cocoa paste and cocoa butter, and then how that's made into yummy chocolate. They also had a cool section on the history of chocolate, with amazing Aztec artifacts that were really, really old. There was also a floor where they showed you how they make chocolate into truffles or squares, they have machines with windows in them so you can see the whole process! (the chocolate store on the ground floor isn't well-placed at all...no, I think the real intention of the museum is to make people want to eat chocolate, and it succeeds!)

Unfortunately after the museum there was no more time to do anything else, and we had to run part of the way to the train station and didn't get there until five minutes after 5, and my train left at 5:14. So we had a quick goodbye, but I'm sure we'll see each other again soon - I'm definitely going to go to Werne, and hopefully we'll be able to meet up again before then, because that may not be until next semester when I have those vacations.

Today was cleaning and catching up with people...and laundry; unfortunately there's only one dryer in the laundry room and it was busy, so everything's hanging all over my room and bathroom, and maybe it'll dry in this century. Tomorrow I have a meeting with MICEFA (hopefully there will be some good news there) and my French class, and Faima's supposed to call again tomorrow evening! So until tomorrow...bonne nuit!

Two posts in the same day, oh no!

I wasn't going to post again today, but I just wanted to say a few things...I had class this morning, and it really went well, lots of grammar of stuff that I should have learned but was finished with grammar classes before I ever did...luckily for you, I won't bore you with long explanations, but it was great and I got to discuss grammar in French, what more is there to life?

This afternoon, I decided I didn't really want to sit at home and do my homework, so I went to l'Arc de Triomphe to walk around, and then I thought I'd do the French thing and 'me flaner' (to stroll...) down l'Avenue des Champs-Elysees. It really was nice, even though of course it was really fancy and touristy - the weather was great, so a stroll was perfect. I wanted to get on the metro Concorde, at the Place de la Concorde, where the Obelisk is, but then I walked past not one but 2 metro stations and had to get on at Louvre! (which was fine, since that's closer to my stop anyway). It was a beautiful walk and it was nice to spend some time alone for a bit. Also, I got a phone call from my penpal Faima who lives in a suburb outside of Paris, and hopefully we'll see each other next week!!! She's so hard to understand on the phone, but she's really awesome, so I can't wait to see her! Then Jenny called from Germany to confirm everything for tomorrow, and to tell me she'll wait for me at the train, and I am even more excited than I imagined I could be!!!!!! I can't believe I'm just going to Germany tomorrow, to meet my friend, to go to Germany, whatever, no big deal. It's truly incredible! Sorry, but I can't get the photos from this afternoon to load onto here, maybe I'll try again later, but check the Snapfish and they will be there. Bisous!

tenir, tenir a, tenir de, se tenir...

Yesterday morning I found out that I was placed in the most advanced Franch class, yay! I thought the class was good - a bit long, but we just spoke French the entire time, so how bad could it have been? Afterwards, me, Elly, Cecile, and Artur (the last person doing our program) went to this cafe near the Sorbonne, and the waitress there was this crazy older lady...they all thought she was mean, I thought she was hilarious. We all got coffee, except Artur wanted tea, and she insisted on giving him a list of all the teas they have there, and then when she brought it out she told him he had to wait five minutes or else...I'm not communicating how funny it was, I guess you'd have to hear how she talked. She was talking to everyone else the same way, and it was really pretty funny.

On Thursday night, I went out for wine with probably 10 people, and I have to say that it was about the least fun I've had so far. There were so many people all going to the wrong place that it took an hour just to get everyone there, and then we had to split up anyway because the group was too big. I got stuck with a girl who very obviously can't stand me and her ridiculous immature friends who were so typical - speaking English really loudly and just trying to call attention to themselves. Plus, all they really had to talk about was TV and movie stars. I did enjoy spending time with Elly (who was their same age but actually knows how to behave in public) and Artur, who's really funny and speaks French really well.

Today I have French until 12:30, and then I have to make several phone calls today...that should be quite entertaining, as phone use in other languages generally is.

Tomorrow is Cologne! I'm sure there will be enormously ridiculous amounts of pictures after that!!!!!

We've spent the past few mornings with MICEFA people, a written test Tuesday and an oral interview today...I think both were all right, unfortunately the grammar section of the written test was multiple choice, so that wasn't so hot, but I think I made up for it in the written section and in the oral interview, which went very well. I think I'm going to change my first-choice university because Paris 8 - Saint Denis is just way too far away, especially considering that I have a job in Creteil, completely south of here. So I'm probably going to go to one of the Sorbonnes, which both have a lot of interesting cultural courses. The woman who was interviewing me seemed to think that was a good idea; she didn't say anything like that she didn't think my French is good enough or something. Tomorrow, my class begins, and I find out which one I'm in just before the class starts.

Yesterday when I was coming in, I found out a very cool thing, that my friend Molly from AU (who actually lives in Harpers Ferry) is here and is living in the residence as well! She was in Senegal last semester, and she's just a very cool person altogether. She's in the enclave, but hopefully we'll see each other quite a lot!

After the test yesterday morning, I went over to Les Halles in search of a kitchen store that's supposed to be there, but I didn't find anything and I have to say that I didn't really enjoy the area. It was huge and absolutely filled with people, and it was sort of hard to find my way around. I didn't find the kitchen store, and every kitchen store I did find was exorbitantly priced or didn't have a tea kettle! Needless to say, I came back fairly frustrated from there, and really tired from walking all over the place...luckily today was much more successful, not that I found a kettle but I got a broom and some tupperware, so now I can be clean and make things in advance. I've been walking around the more local arrondissements, like the 11th and 12th, a lot, and I really, really like them. I'm hoping that someday I won't be on a mission or get distracted so that I can just wander around and take some photos, though I guess that's not something I can plan.

Well, for now, it's time for tea and some more Harry Potter a l'ecole des sorciers!

C'est l'amour: our first day with the MICEFA

I've had a great past couple of days, spending most of my time with Elly, Cecile, and Sarah (from Richmond). On Saturday the first we spent the day together, going from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower, all on foot (which is quite far, we discovered, considering all the walking we did in between!). On Sunday we attempted to be a bit more social by going to the Musee Rodin in the morning to meet MICEFA students, but since they were meeting at their temporary housing and we didn't know where that was, we didn't actually meet anyone else! So we continued walking around and ended up on the other side of the Eiffel Tower (near the Ecole Militaire). There's also a great Peace Monument there, I hadn't heard of it before so I'm not sure what it's called, but it's a bunch of silver pillars and a glass building thing with 'peace' written all over in different languages...I'm putting up a picture so there's some idea what I'm getting at... So far we haven't gone into anything other than the Musee Rodin, but I suppose we'll get there, especially after we get student cards saying we are art history students, in which case we should be able to get in free at most museums.

I planned on going back to eat some dinner after all that walking yesterday, but then it turned out that Monica, Anne's friend (who I think I didn't mention, she's from Mexico and was studying in Barcelona and is now touring around Europe until she has to go back home) was leaving this morning, and I wanted to go see her again before she left. So I got back on the metro and met her around Sacre-Coeur, and we walked around Montmartre for a few hours. It was so touristy, but it was evening when I got there, so the sun was setting and we just had amazing views of Paris in the dusky twilight time of night. The cathedral is so daunting - it looks so far and small from the metro station at the bottom of the hill, but once you climb to the top it dwarfs everything, it's truly incredible. Montmartre was extremely touristy, I really didn't hear any French in the area right around the cathedral, but we walked further on to Rue Lepic, which is apparently where the Amelie cafe is - though we didn't find it - and there were much more French people there, and it's a really lovely neighborhood until you get to Pigalle, which is where all the sex shops and sleazy bars are. By the time I got home, I was exhausted from so much walking, and I didn't stay up much later...

This morning, we met at MICEFA at 9, where they told us to wait for a half hour before going over to Censier, at the Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris 3) for our orientation. It was much of the same information as ACCENT gave, though some things we hadn't heard before, and Topher Simon (who works there) seems like a nice guy and is knowledgeable about Paris. Luckily, we got to leave early because we already have housing, so we got crepe lunches and went back to the ACCENT office and on some errands before actually sitting down to study some French - our exam is tomorrow! There's not that much more I can do than review it and hope for the best! We have oral exams on Wednesday, too, and by Thursday we will know what classes we're in. So au revoir for now, onto studying, I guess!