des photos

A selection of photos so far....

des bicyclettes pour louer

moi, je pense que 

cette scene est drole...

Bicycles to rent...

I think its a rather funny sight like this...

 

Arrêtez-vous aux temps passés... 

                                                          

And there's nothing more french than les tartes avec M. Balzac.

les deux jours passés

Life in Paris in the past two days has been, well... anything but calm.  Not complaining, just stating.  The jet-lag did not hit me until today, and I have been getting up at 7:30 and going to bed at 12 or so.  Not bad in theory, but when you have class from 9-12, 1:30-4 and then a field trip form 4-6 and dinner at 9, it does not leave much time for relaxing.  And yes there is homework... that reading I mentioned, never finished. I did read the analysis though and about 60 pages of the 170 assigned. Before you sigh in disappointment, remember that it is written in 19th century french and I am running on little sleep.  I would not be a lemming and follow someone else off a bridge but it does make me feel a bit better than few others read it in french and finished AND understood it.  Key word, UNDERSTOOD.  Though I will say, now that I have read the summary, and know what is going on, and now that we have discussed the passions and vices of the time, I am eager once again to get reading and be apart of that world.  Other than the Balzac-ian universe, I am a part of a language class with the Alliance Francaise, which is exactly what I need.  I do not remember the last time I was so stimulated in a language class... in any class.  Maybe sophomore year.  I ended up not having to take an oral exam on my first morning because of the grade I scored on my online test... which I thought was bizarre considering that I felt that test to be one the the most challenging I have ever taken, but alas, no test.  My professor is incredibly enthusiastic and loves conversation.  We have had class for 2 days, and already she acts as though she had known me for 2 weeks.  I love it; I feel that I am one of very few in our group that do not feel jipped when it comes to class level.  I suppose I am lucky.  I know I am lucky.  We have so far discussed the differences between women and men in positions of authority and whether or not women make better bosses (day 1).  Day 2 was all about government surveillance and its uses/abuses.  Fascinating really. It is very provocative indeed, and I am being forced to really evaluate my position on issues, no matter the language.  For those of you that comment, what do you think? I would love to hear different arguments/initial responses/ideas...  when I mentioned surveillance to my host mom, she said "securité" as in trying to understand my meaning... interesting what we associate first with the word "surveillance"....

FINALLY FRENCH... or at least in France

So I am finally here. Paris. All that waiting, and finalement! j'y arrive!  Well actually, I arrived on Sunday night around 4:30 but for all intents and purposes... 

I was supposed to have read Balzac's <> on the plane, all 170 pages of the assignment, but alas, I slept instead. That book makes for a great sedative.  I didn't even get to drink the free wine on the plane because I was trying to be "good" and do my homework. Boo. Well I'll be sure to make up for that mistake on the way back.

When I disembarked from the plane I found that I was a good bit nervous about being alone and having to communicate in french.  I stood awkwardly in the lobby of the airport with my 2 suitcases and 2 carry-ons, regretting that I brought so much, and attempting to hide my Study Abroad Paris book while trying to figure out where to catch a cab.  When I finally managed to find the line, shuffle into a cab and give the address to where I was to go, I began journalling immediately, taking little time to look around. I was thoroughly amused by the Mariah Carey song playing in the background and almost forgot where I really was. I glanced out of the window expecting the boring new facades of the Midwestern style suburbs, and found instead the antique homes of the parisian suburbs, charming with their tile roofs.  What intrigued me most, however, where all the gang graffiti tags on these classy, adorable homes.  It definitely added some extra color...

I arrived at my homestay in no time at all.  I live in this delightfully french apartment building very near the Alliance Francaise, in the 6eme. For those of you that know Paris, you know that it is quite the chic place to be, very much like Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast. There are many kids of all ages around, though mostly high school and college ages, which makes for very interesting people watching. 

Anyway, I arrived chez moi pour le premier fois and met my host mom. What a lady. Just the cutest little french woman you have ever met... who will not, by the way, stop feeding me... not that I'm complaining.  I am not sure what her husband does, but he most do something very lucrative to have this place. There is the typical tiny french bathroom and kitchen, but the bedrooms are rather cozy and there is a large, gorgeously decorated living room with windows that look out onto la Rue BREA.  My room is rather cozy with the exception that the whole apartment turns freezing at night because the heat is broken. I really don't mind though, and it is not bothersome enough for me to take Mme up on her offer of the space-heater. 

The night I arrived happened to be the youngest daughter's birthday (they have 3 daughters none of whom live at the apt).  Two of the girls and the youngest one's boyfriend (very cute btw) were visiting for the occasion and my first french meal was that of AMAZING french birthday cake and tarte aux pommes (apples).  

We hung out for a while, attempted to watch a movie until the TV broke, then ate dinner, after which I went to bed.... dreaming in french.

C'est la vie. 

dream sequence

Well, I have 31 hours until I will be arriving at the airport to take off on the single most exciting adventure of my life so far.  I have been dreaming of this trip ever since the day I muttered by first french words....10 years ago. Wow, it seems so strange... 10 years. It feels like so long ago, but to say 10 years... that is approximately half my lifetime.  

Regardless, I feel like it is still so far away. I cannot seem to wrap my mind around the concept.  I feel as though it is still just a dream, intangible.  Here I am sitting in a dark theatre space waiting for my final moments of my DePaul Theatre School career to tick away slowing and wondering just what it will be like to no longer be a part of this place that has consumed my life (99.9% of all my energy) for the past four years.  There is something about being in the dark watching players on a stage with such a life altering experience hours away that feels anything but real.  Any minute I will be waking up to the house lights coming up and returning to my apartment to clean or something.  Granted this will still be occurring but will be followed by something more exciting than an episode of CSI and takeout from Pat's Pizzeria.  

I am nervous, shaking really.  I have yet again become rusty in the language having not used it, or chickened out on using it in the past week and a half.  Luckily, The flight will be slightly french speaking.  I find it much easier to transition if I can simply sit and eavesdrop... which I do quite a bit...

31 hours and counting...