Wow its been a week already! Its not that it gone by that fast or anything, but I can't believe all that happened in one week!!! I think I've hit every extreme from "holy **** get me out of here" to "je t'adore, Paris!" believe me, i prefer the latter, but those first 2 days were hell. I felt so sick, couldnt eat, shaking all the time, not fun. Fortunately i told myself it was gonna be fine, and after a few nights without sleep and internet, I made some good friends and survived. It was just the loneliness that was killing me, plus the fact that the phone i rented from the states wouldnt charge so JUST when i finally got in contact with my dad, it died, and i was alone again :( But I successfully bought one here and that in itself made everything a ton better.
My # if anyone so desires is thus: 01133625702968. That's all the numbers you need if you're dialing from the US. Surprise calls are welcome ;-) but i'm 6 hours ahead of you~
So just some memorable notes...we had a little welcome meeting at the hotel, met some people, and then some of us went out for dinner. Looking at the menu I realized the food was definitely gonna be expensive! I got the cheapest thing i could, french onion soup, and it still cost like 6 or 7 euro...gross. Anyways, I'm quickly learning how to find cheaper meals. Today I had this lovely panini for like 3 euro:
Anyways, at my table we tried speaking french throughout the whole meal. Its quite difficult to get to know people in a language you dont speak all that well ;) But were certainly getting better, even after only one week :D
So I moved into my "famille d'acceuil" that next morning. Its in the 6ème arrondisement, with Montmartre, the Sacré Coeur and St. Sulpice all within reasonable walking distance. I'm like riiight next to La Coupole where I believe Hemingway and Picasso used to chill. Pretty cool, have to save up some moolah and go there sometime. So I'm staying on the 6th floor in a very affluent quartier with a woman and a french student, Gabrielle, who's my age and is working here. She's taking a year to work, and then finishing her License at the Science-Po I believe. I haven't talked to her much.
The room I'm staying in is lovely, orange velvet blanket on the bed, cute decor, white furniture. I'll take a picture once I actually unpack. She asked me on like day 4 if i was planning to unpack...i was like....mm yeah i'll get to it eventually. So as usual I'm a big mess. that's okay. Mme Enthoven, as elle s'appelle, works one floor down in the mornings as an assistant to some business woman. She does gymnastics (used to more, now just stretching and stuff) and has 3 children, Julien, Mathilde, et Raphael. Her husband is a writer and doesn't live here. I didnt press on the subject so I dont know if theyre separated or not... He had a previous wide also I believe, because Raphael is her stepson, or thats what i got from our convo. She knows i have trouble speaking to her, but i think she thinks my french is a little worse than it is(because i ask her vocab words sometime when i dont know them)) and so she keeps being like, you tell mathilde(who is fluent in english) if there's anything you cant say to me that you need or that you dont like or whatever! and i'm like, oh thats okay! i'll be able to tell you if i need anything. i certainly dont plan to rely on english while i'm here :P
Anyways, that was long. What else, I've had orientation classes all week, and then this week also. Grammar and Civilisation. I was placed in group three based on my test, the advanced level, and man am I regretting trying hard on that test! The class is INSANE. In two weeks we've had more than one oral presentation each, we've learned the french style of writing and had to do multiple plans(complicated) for a dissertation and an exposé and we have a ton of grammar exercises(like 10 pgs per night) oh la la! c'est terrible!
But our group has bonded over the horribleness, haha. Anyways, other than that, we've been going out a lot at night. We had a wine and cheese "pot d'amitié" with the french students at Paris 5 Dauphine (branch of l'université de Paris). We met some french guys at an american bar the other night and had a good time with them, quite amusing.
Anyways, more later, I've got class @ 4 and haven't finished reading!
Gros Bisous!
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