Jessie, who is in Paris for the academic year, just sent in some entries from her first semester in Paris.
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Well I'm finally in Paris! I have actually been here for a week, but my internet was a bit unreliable so I decided not to write until I knew it would work. I arrived last Monday around 10 am. I met my roommates- Jenn is a French major from Philidelphia and Natasha is a film studies major from UC Santa Barbara. They both have been very nice and tried to show me around as much as possible (they have class so they arent here much). It has taken me a while to get used to being here. I have been really tired because of the time difference- 9 hours!
This past week I have been trying to familiarize myself with the city, the language, the metro, the food, and the culture. On Tuesday I took my placement exams for school and Holly (the onsite director here) took me out for a traditional french lunch. I had a tomato and mozerella salad, cheese tortellini with asparagus and squash, and a double espresso. It was amazing! On Wednesday, I went out with a bunch of people from my study abroad group to a bar in the Latin Quarter. There was a mixture of people there and lots of different languages being spoken. I was still kind of in shock that I am really here!
On Thursday, Catie (a girl from Abroadco) and I went to the Leondard fashion show. It was held at the Carousel De Louvre and it was SO amazing. This was a real fashion show at the real PARIS FASHION WEEK! crazy! The models were amazing- they didnt look human, flawless. After the show, Catie and I walked around the Champs Elysees, and I got my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. We ate at a little Brasserie and had a 12 euro cheese omelette :( On Friday, I went on a boat tour of Paris on the Seine. I saw all the major sights.. but I want to go back and actually walk through it all. I walked through Notre Dam. It was magnificant!!
On Saturday, a group of us got to dress models for the Elie Saab show. Elie Saab is a designer who designs gowns for alot of celebrities like Kate Walsh and Halle Berry. Anyways, we were each assigned a model and were responsible for changing her entire outfit three times within like 30 seconds. It was SO COOL! These models are real super models.. like they walk for Dior, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana too! Most of them were really nice. They were very thin, very tall, and between 17 and 19 years old... weird.
Saturday night was Nuit Blanche. Nuit Blanche is held once a year right before school starts and is where all of Paris is open all night! There are a ton of art exhibits set up all over the city and people just stay up all night and walk around the city. We went to a few exhibits, but its hard to see all of them. The area near the Louvre had torches and fire all over- it was beautiful!
Today was the first time I braved the metro and went to the store alone! It was very liberating! I start school on Friday.. I'm anxious to start learning more French! It is hard not speaking the language.. sometimes I feel like a mime! I'm getting very good at using hand gestures and smiling very sweetly :) So far, all the French people I've met have been very nice and helpful! I never thought i'd say this, but I do miss America.. or maybe I just miss people who speak my language.
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Well I have made it to my third week in Paris and I am definately starting to feel more at home. I have finally settled into a routine and conquered the metro system! I started school last Thursday and i'll have class every weekday from 10-12 pm and every other week from 10-1:30 pm. Although I dont enjoy getting up early (early compared to my roommates who have class at 5 pm), it is nice to have the whole afternoon and evening to explore. My classroom is right next to Notre Dame and in the Latin Quarter, it's a wonderful location. Lets see.. I guess i'll just write some highlights of the past two weeks...
1. The Metro- My biggest accomplishment to date, maybe ever, is understanding the metro system. I was kind of forced into riding alone for the first time because I really needed an adapter for my computer and the only place to get one is about a 45 minute walk from my apartment. After the first time, it became very easy and now I cant even imagine not understanding it. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that I can get anywhere in the city on my own!
2. Open bus tour- I went on an open bus tour of Paris with another girl from the program. It basically took us all over showing us all the major monuments/buildings. We got right up next to the Eiffel tower (it is all decorated for the Rugby championships that are going on here), the Tracadero, the Champs- Elysees, and much much more. It helped me get a feeling of where I live in comparison to the rest of Paris.
3. Montemarte- One of my friends and I decided to explore a new part of Paris last Saturday- Montemarte. On the way there, we stopped and walked through this HUGE open air market. It went on for like 3 blocks and it had everything ... except pumpkins. :( We arrived in Montemarte in the afternoon, got crepes for lunch, and then began the long walk up to the Sacre Coeur (this giant church on a hill). From the bottom of the hill, the church just looks amazing. It is sooooo big! It makes the Notre Dame look kind of small... We went inside the church to look around and then walked around the rest of Montemarte. There was a festival going on so there were people selling all kinds of interesting things. The chocolatier was by far my favorite! There were just these huge slabs of all kinds of chocolate and you just break off what you want to buy. I tried some with chili powder on it.. pretty good actually :0) There were also people playing music on the sidewalks and streets. Most of the music that people play is in english... now "Stand by Me" by the Temptations will always remind me of Montemarte.
Well.. those were the top three most interesting things that have happened this past week. So much happens everyday that its hard to remember! I am trying my best to keep a journal, although I miss a few days here or there. My roommates and I are getting along really well and the other girls I have met here are all wonderful! I am definately starting to fall in love with Paris!