Highlights
1. Stalking Natalie Portman while she was eating falafel in the Marais. She was with her parents, waiting in line for falafel just like everyone else for probably like 20 minutes. She even brought back some for her bodyguard! (He was waiting a block away in a big, black Mercedes)
2. Having dinner with my almost all of my host mom's extended family. These big dinners are great because the people are always fun and nice, and the food is amazing (the wine's not too bad either) :).
3. Not really doing any homework.
4. Great weather once again.
Negatives
1. Having dinner with the neighbors...they have a creepy 45-year-old-alcoholic son who keeps staring at me.
2. Getting sick...and getting yelled at for using toilet paper to blow my nose.
Things to look forward to
1. Fashion week in Paris! It's this week so hopefully I can work on my stalking skills and stand outside a show or something.
2. Nuit Blanche - Saturday night is a big cultural event in Paris...From what I've heard arts events will go on all night all over the city.
3. Gossip Girl!!! Last week's episode was simply amazing.
29 September 2008
25 September 2008
picture time!
Enjoy the pictures! I wrote short captions but let me know if you have any questions. It's currently Thursday afternoon in Paris, which means it's weekend time for me! This week I had a lot of class and learned about the French and American health care systems. Since I grew up in America and never received bad medical care, I feel partial to our system, but with so many uninsured people, we obviously need something to change. Yet is there an easy answer? Our government is currently spending a lot of money "battling terrorism" and saving bankrupt banks, so health care reform is currently not on the top of the agenda. It's always something important to keep in mind though.
21 September 2008
Okay, quick post. I sort of hacked into my host mom's internet by finding the password on the back of the modem, but she likes to use the lowest amount of electricity possible and unplugs the cable/phone/internet when she goes to bed at 8:30pm. Therefore, I will write a quick post before I am disconnected from life.
I've realized some things about my 68-year-old host mom/grandmother (Marie-Louise) this week that make it easier to accept living here. I found out she has four sons, so I don't think she likes girls as much. She's also mean/stern, which you have to be when you have four boys.
My impressions of Marie-Louise's life were drastically improved last night when her son, wife, and three granddaughters came over for dinner. They were sooo funny, and I loved spending time with them. The thing about Marie-Louise is that she's incredibly French and doesn't know that much about American culture/living with girls. To her, everything in France is right so then politics/the economy/everything in America must be wrong. Her granddaughters (a girl who is 17 and twins who are 15) were a welcome relief because they actually appreciated having me around and asking me questions about my life. AKA they were fun and think it's cool to be American. Another thing that makes life a little more manageable is the pets...there is a dog named Norek (11-year-old husky) and a cat (Belle), who's a kitten and has an unimaginable amount of energy. I think the animals like me at least.
Whenever I'm spoken-harshly-to-in-French-I-can't-understand, I've gotten to the point that I can laugh it off. HAHAHA. And yes, I'm actually yelled at for things around here, even though I consider myself incredibly laid back and easy to get along with. For example, I have been "lectured to" for taking showers too late (at 7:40 pm), for using toilet paper to blow my nose, for turning my bedroom light on during the day, for watching television, for not taking my shoes off when I enter the living room, and for not liking canard (duck) mousse. Yet I eat amazing food each morning and night and live in Paris. Welcome to the life of an American girl in a French homestay :).
I've realized some things about my 68-year-old host mom/grandmother (Marie-Louise) this week that make it easier to accept living here. I found out she has four sons, so I don't think she likes girls as much. She's also mean/stern, which you have to be when you have four boys.
My impressions of Marie-Louise's life were drastically improved last night when her son, wife, and three granddaughters came over for dinner. They were sooo funny, and I loved spending time with them. The thing about Marie-Louise is that she's incredibly French and doesn't know that much about American culture/living with girls. To her, everything in France is right so then politics/the economy/everything in America must be wrong. Her granddaughters (a girl who is 17 and twins who are 15) were a welcome relief because they actually appreciated having me around and asking me questions about my life. AKA they were fun and think it's cool to be American. Another thing that makes life a little more manageable is the pets...there is a dog named Norek (11-year-old husky) and a cat (Belle), who's a kitten and has an unimaginable amount of energy. I think the animals like me at least.
Whenever I'm spoken-harshly-to-in-French-I-can't-understand, I've gotten to the point that I can laugh it off. HAHAHA. And yes, I'm actually yelled at for things around here, even though I consider myself incredibly laid back and easy to get along with. For example, I have been "lectured to" for taking showers too late (at 7:40 pm), for using toilet paper to blow my nose, for turning my bedroom light on during the day, for watching television, for not taking my shoes off when I enter the living room, and for not liking canard (duck) mousse. Yet I eat amazing food each morning and night and live in Paris. Welcome to the life of an American girl in a French homestay :).
18 September 2008
An update!
Everything's is going great in Paris, and the longer I'm here the more it actually feels like I live here rather than being on an extended vacation. Since I hate writing long blog entries, I rather share with you a few lists.
What I love about Paris:
-All the dogs are nice
-The kids are ridiculously cute (and they all dress better than I do)
-There is a dog on Wheel of Fortune (La Roue de la Fortune)
-I drink cafe au lait for breakfast every morning
-Everyone wears really nice shoes
-I have an excuse for everything (sorry, I'm American)
-Pretty gardens everywhere
-The Metro is amazing
-Cheap flights all over europe
What's better about les Etats-Unis:
-Flip flops are acceptable
-I can understand people
-It's acceptable to be really loud in public
-cheap cell phones
-Internet 24/7
-Carryout/to-go cups
-Athletic clothing
-Warm weather
-Football (even though osu is embarassing)
That's all for now! I'll post pictures this weekend, I promise.
What I love about Paris:
-All the dogs are nice
-The kids are ridiculously cute (and they all dress better than I do)
-There is a dog on Wheel of Fortune (La Roue de la Fortune)
-I drink cafe au lait for breakfast every morning
-Everyone wears really nice shoes
-I have an excuse for everything (sorry, I'm American)
-Pretty gardens everywhere
-The Metro is amazing
-Cheap flights all over europe
What's better about les Etats-Unis:
-Flip flops are acceptable
-I can understand people
-It's acceptable to be really loud in public
-cheap cell phones
-Internet 24/7
-Carryout/to-go cups
-Athletic clothing
-Warm weather
-Football (even though osu is embarassing)
That's all for now! I'll post pictures this weekend, I promise.
12 September 2008
Life is beautiful
So, I've been horrible at blogging so far, but France has been incredible. I think I experienced a little more of a culture shock than I was expecting, but how that I'm 12 days into my stay in Paris I feel much better about everything. I know how the Metro works, I eat really amazing food every day, and my host mom does my laundry. Nothing could be better.
Even though I have class four days a week, it still hasn't set in that I'm actually, sort of, in school. Life could not be more different than how it is in Evanston. After class, I usually sit around with my friends in a park for lunch as I eat a ham and cheese sandwich on a baguette.
Everything is just more relaxed in Paris. I rarely see people in a rush, or stressed out, and even the most ordinary day seems just a little more special here. Today, for example, I met up with a couple friends and visited the Museum of Man (le Musée de l'Homme) by the Eiffel Tour. There was hardly anyone there, but they actually had some really extraordinary pieces, like Lucy, the skeleton that is 3.75 million years old. After that, we ate our lunch in front of the Eiffel Tour, and then just wandered around Paris for the rest of the afternoon. We ended up in the Luxembourg Garden, which was full of locals and tourists alike enjoying the beautiful day in a beautiful city.
Even though I have class four days a week, it still hasn't set in that I'm actually, sort of, in school. Life could not be more different than how it is in Evanston. After class, I usually sit around with my friends in a park for lunch as I eat a ham and cheese sandwich on a baguette.
Everything is just more relaxed in Paris. I rarely see people in a rush, or stressed out, and even the most ordinary day seems just a little more special here. Today, for example, I met up with a couple friends and visited the Museum of Man (le Musée de l'Homme) by the Eiffel Tour. There was hardly anyone there, but they actually had some really extraordinary pieces, like Lucy, the skeleton that is 3.75 million years old. After that, we ate our lunch in front of the Eiffel Tour, and then just wandered around Paris for the rest of the afternoon. We ended up in the Luxembourg Garden, which was full of locals and tourists alike enjoying the beautiful day in a beautiful city.
04 September 2008
Finally in France
The last few days have been a whirlwind! I arrived in Paris on Monday morning after an overnight flight. The plane ride wasn't too bad, but our luggage took awhile to arrive and then we had to figure out how to negotiate the taxis. The first taxi driver didn't know how to get to my street, but eventually I arrived at my host mom's around 4pm. And then I slept for hours because I was soooo exhausted! The first night was pretty overwhelming because there were two guests staying over for the night, and no one spoke any English. My French is getting a little better now, but on the first night I seriously had no idea what was going on. And I don't have an internet which is just really, really annoying. Maybe I'm a little too dependent on the internet, but it's really my only way to communicate with people back in the states and I like being constantly connected to the news and what's going on.
Now for the positives! As I expected, France is an absolutely amazing city. I'll post pictures soon because the parks, and really the entire city, are gorgeous (and actually have internet). On Tuesday we had the orientation for our program and the professors just explained what would be going on over the next few months. Yesterday (Wednesday), was our first day of class and it was much less painful than I expected. In the morning we had a French placement test and then in the afternoon we had a 3-hour lecture for our France and French Policy class. The professor (Michael Loriaux) talked about the history of French education and then six French students who will be in our program talked about French education today. The six Sciences Po students are all in their second year at the university but for this semester they will take all their classes in English with us. I'll enjoy getting to know them better since they know much more about this city than we do. Well that's all for now! I'll write more (with lots of pictures) soon.
Now for the positives! As I expected, France is an absolutely amazing city. I'll post pictures soon because the parks, and really the entire city, are gorgeous (and actually have internet). On Tuesday we had the orientation for our program and the professors just explained what would be going on over the next few months. Yesterday (Wednesday), was our first day of class and it was much less painful than I expected. In the morning we had a French placement test and then in the afternoon we had a 3-hour lecture for our France and French Policy class. The professor (Michael Loriaux) talked about the history of French education and then six French students who will be in our program talked about French education today. The six Sciences Po students are all in their second year at the university but for this semester they will take all their classes in English with us. I'll enjoy getting to know them better since they know much more about this city than we do. Well that's all for now! I'll write more (with lots of pictures) soon.
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