Weekend in Bordeaux

So I had my first week of classes and I have the same teacher for 2 of my classes. She is from the University of Hawaii and she seems really nice, but I am doing the exact same work for both classes just different topics. At least I know what the structure is for both of the classes! Friday I left for Bordeaux with Casey and Taylor in the afternoon on the TGV, which is the “high-speed train.” It took us about 3 hours to get there and once we got to Bordeaux, we took a cab to our hostel, Hotel Star, and it was actually a nice hostel. Although it felt like we were on a boat, it was clean and a place for us to lay our heads at night. The next morning we got up early and headed out to see the city.

Bordeaux is a small city along the Atlantic Ocean and it is not nearly like Paris. It is more suburban-like. The port was absolutely beautiful and the after the morning rain, the sun came out for the rest of the day and it was so refreshing to feel the warmth of the sun. I actually got sun-burned on my face. The sky was a beautiful blue and very little clouds. We started off our day walking along the Saint Catherine Street and this street is only for pedestrians. It is about a mile long of shops and restaurants. I bought some boots for 20Euros and a leather jacket for 16Euros. I’m a bargain shopper and I think I got a really good deal! After walking the whole street, we walked around more of Bordeaux to see the monuments and to see the Ocean. We literally walked ALL day and sitting down for dinner felt amazing! My feet were numb from the cold and I couldn’t feel them until we were back at the hostel. But for dinner I had a really good salad with some wine…Bordeaux Rose. They are known for their amazing wine so we had to get a bottle of something and we chose the Rose. I could definitely feel this wine and it was strong..haha! I wish the US could make salads and bread and wine as good as France does. I’m sure going to miss the food when I leave!

Today when we were leaving Bordeaux, I had my first pain au chocolate, which is a croissant with chocolate inside. IT WAS AMAZING. I fell in love. I ran out of money so I the croissant was all I had money for. I just waited until I got home in the evening to eat then. Our traveling went smoothly and I’m glad I got to see another city in France. Bordeaux was small and quite different from Paris, but I probably won’t go back there to site-see because I basically saw everything in that one day that we were there.

A few things I have noticed…EVERYONE smokes, people litter all the time (a girl on the bus had a piece of gum and I saw her just open the window and throw her trash out), gum is everywhere on the sidewalks and roads, and it’s cold here. Paris is a beautiful city, but I just wish it would warm up already! Paris needs to have weather like Bordeaux and I would be much happier! Spring needs to get here soon!! I miss the sun!

This post is short and sweet because I'm exhausted and I have so much to do! Next weekend we're going to Versailles as a group with ISA!

School begins

Today was my first day of class. Well…the first and the last shall I say. My schedule from ISA said I was in the French Intermediate Group 1 class at 11:30. I was extremely excited about this class until I sat down and she opened her mouth. I knew I was in the wrong class. This class was the upper Advanced Intermediate class and I belonged in the lower Intermediate class. I didn’t get up right away like other people did and I decided to sit through it and see if I could stick it out. I think it was a sign when my name was not on the class enrollment list. By the end of the class I knew that I had to go to the lower class because I was not ready for what we were doing. So I went to the administrative office and she printed out my schedule and it said that I was enrolled in the lower intermediate class. Thank goodness! Now I do not have any classes on Monday which gives me a 3 day weekend! J My only long day is on Wednesdays when I have two 3 hour classes. I do have a 2 hour break in between them which is perfect for me to run back to the apartment and relax for a short while then go back up there. Or I can walk to the park or shop or go to a café in that time. I think this is going to be a great semester and I already can’t wait for my real classes to start!

Sidenote: I saw my first French woman armpit…. Ew.

My books for the semester have so far come to 57 Euros which is insanely better than back in the US. I do still have to buy my Grammar book for French but I do not think that I will get over 100 Euros which is awesome! Usually my books are about $550-$650 at UTA. Here, I’m not even close to that! I can buy a metro month pass for 3 months and I still will not go beyond how much I spend at UTA for books!

The past weekend I visited Notre Dame and Le Pantheon and they were enormous and beautiful! I am in love with extremely high ceilings and the old medieval structure. The designs are quite interesting and beautiful….that’s an understatement because I can not even find words to describe how intricate and gorgeous the details on these monuments. I have fallen in love with les chateaus and every time I am able to go inside one I get chills.

This Monday in Paris is absolutely beautiful! We woke up with sunshine and although there are clouds the sun is still out and I can tell it is going to be a good day!

After class I went out on my own to discover more of what Paris has to offer. I went by the Opera and it was beautiful. Although I liked the Opera comique better for some reason. I just found it to be more cozy and the elegance pervaded through its simplicity. I walked around La Fayette and then I made my way back to the metro and on my way home.

As I was walking along the streets of Paris today, I was thinking if I could truly live here someday. Right now, I am on the fence. This city has many positives but also many negatives. I love that the metro and it is one of the things that I am going to miss the most. I love walking everywhere and the steps sure give me a great workout. I love having the ability to go out everyday and not worry about putting gas in my car and how expensive gas prices are. The patissarie’s are to die for and the pain au lait tastes like bread from heaven. I have a feeling that I’m going to have a suitcase full of chocolates and sweets on my way home to Texas.

On the other hand…the negatives…this city is dirty. There is dog poop on the sidewalks, gum everywhere, cigarettes everywhere, and almost every place has a weird smell to it (besides the restaurants). People are crammed in to a large city and there are rarely public restrooms. Usually you can find a restroom by a monument which is nice.

The food here is exquisite and I’m going to miss it as well. The fruits are very good but I miss apples from the US. The apples here are ok but I do miss the crispness of a Gala apple.

In the evening me and Anna (my roommate) went jogging in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont and it was so refreshing! Just to get away from the cigarette smoke and jog around a lake and a few waterfalls was nice and I can’t wait to do it again! We’re very lucky to have our school 8 minutes away (walking) and the Park right up the street.

Tomorrow I finally start classes and hopefully it will be the right one! J

Friday night in Paris

Last night I was out in the city exploring Parisian clubs and bars for the first time. A few friends and I went to Place Monge and it was so cute with the lights strung above the narrow streets and it was crowded with people. First we went into a club and it was nothing like in the big D. We went underground like into a cave and it was small and packed! The music was like toxic and applebottom jeans and umbrella. I thought it was hilarious how almost every Parisian in that club knew the words to those songs and became crazy excited when they came on. They were old, overplayed songs for me, but it was refreshing to hear something that I knew and could sing to. One man probably in his late 20s or early 30s tried to dance with Jenn and then me so everytime he came around to dancing on us we stopped dancing. Finally our friend told him we weren’t interested and he needs to stop creeping and move on.

After the club we went to the Student Bar for a drink and we ordered some fruity tall drink for all four of us. There were glow sticks in it and marshmallow like candy. It was 25 Euros but we thankfully split the price between the 4 of us and it was worth it! After the bar we walked around some and finally went to the Mayflower and they had one last beer before we ended our night. We met up with a man from Quebec and was absolutely hilarious! He was very friendly and just out for a good time so he decided to tag along with us.

Random: I’ve noticed that many Parisians roll their own cigarettes because it’s cheaper to do so than to buy the pack of cigarettes.

When we were leaving we found our bus stop and everyone was going to take me home first so we waited for the bus that goes my way first. The first bus didn’t even stop; It just kept on going. The next bus didn’t stop either. So we went to the bus stop down the road to try and get on it even though it went the other direction but still it would take us closer to someone’s apartment. For the first time in my life I had to ask myself this question, “How do I get home?” We were in the thirteenth arrondissement and I live in the tenth. I was 45 minutes from my apartment (taking the metro but the metro was closed at this hour in the night) and the other people were only about 10 minutes. I felt bad that they were going to make a long journey just to drop me off at my apartment at 3am. They would not have gotten back until about 5am. So I decided to spend the night at Stephen’s apartment because he was the only one who had contact solution and he had 2 extra beds for his roommates who have not arrived in Paris yet. At this point I was stressed about not being able to let my host mom know about this but yet relieved that I could finally take my boots off and have a place to sleep for a few hours.

I slept for about 5-6 hours then got up and took the metro back home safely. The shower felt amazing and now I’m here writing this blog with the best coffee in the world.

My host mom is amazing at cooking and almost every night she has cooked. Only one night did we go out to get a pizza. The first night we had pasta with meat. The second night we had quiche and potato soup. The third night we had pizza. The fourth night we had chicken with cream and a salad with an amazing dressing and rice. For dessert we usually have yogurt or pudding. The PUDDING IS AMAZING!

Random: I’ve also noticed almost everyone wears BLACK. All black. Little color.

After a good Friday night in Paris I don’t know if I will go out that late again. It was quite an experience and I hate that my friends live so far away in this city. If I wasn’t so far and it was walking distance to my house I would experience the night life much more, but I have a feeling that site-seeing during the day is more my thing right now. When I return to Paris in the future, I’m sure I will know my way around better and go out more in the evening. I’d much rather be well rested and go out all day seeing the sites of Paris. I love exploring and I want to SEE Paris.

Day 4

Today was absolutely awesome! In the afternoon we went on a boat ride on the Canal St.-Martin and the Seine River. Sinking down to the water level to pass through the gates along the Canal was interesting, but got boring after the 4^th one. We had to go through 7 in order for us to get to the Seine River. Once we got to the Seine we went by Notre Dame and the Louvre. Standing outside on the boat was quite chilly, but it was well worth the sacrifice. The scenery along the Seine is breathtaking.

After the boat ride, a group of us went to see the Eiffel Tower and take pictures. Every time I see the tower I am amazed by its structure and how awesome it is! Me and Casey almost fell flat on our faces because we were watching the Tower instead of the steps in front of us! As we were coming home I was asked by a Parisian for directions and I had thought I stuck out as an American but I guess I look like just another person who lives here!

For dinner tonight we had pizza…pour moi…trois fromage pizza et c'était très bon !

So far I feel very relaxed to be here. There are only a few things that I am nervous about and that is making sure I lock our apartment door because my key is horrible and it sticks in the lock. And I hate getting lost and because our classrooms will be in different buildings almost every week I’m sure I will be late one day and get locked out.

Being on the metro late at night has shown me a different world or a different side of Paris. There are accordionists, guitarists, beggars, homeless, police, etc. People will tell their stories on the metro and ask for money to help support their family and surprisingly people will give them money. I find this culture fascinating but I don’t really like riding the metro late at night alone. I’m sure I will get used to it and the fact of riding it late at night will not even occur to me.

Living in Paris for almost a week has made me realize how ignorant Americans can be. I am foreign in Paris and because of my status I need to respect Paris as other Americans need to as well. When we go out to restaurants or shops we need to atleast try to speak French and be polite and act towards others who are serving us with respect. I become embarrassed when I see a person from the US trying to order a meal and not even requesting it politely. No wonder why we are disliked here in Europe.

Overall I have made many friends and I love them! They are so much fun to be around and I love their outgoing spirit! I’m excited for this semester to start and to meet so many more people!

Finally in Paris

I have finally made it to Paris! The flight to London was long and after turning around 4 times over Heathrow we finally landed. Then after my flight from London to Paris took off without me I had to book a later flight and FINALLY at 3pm (Paris time) I landed at Charles de Gaulle. Long story short, I got lost in the airport and I pulled myself together and found my baggage and got a taxi to drive me to my new home. As we were driving I noticed there is graffiti EVERYWHERE and random fake cows in the median along the highway. Another comment...Parisians are crazy drivers. I fell in love with what I saw along the way...Stade de France...OMG absolutely AMAZING! It was gigantic and it is definitely a place where I want to go back and visit. France plays Spain on March 3rd so maybe that will be the day to visit... :)

Ok so after my taxi driver dropped my luggage off in the street for me to dart traffic I finally made my way to the 6th floor and my new mom came around the corner and I remember saying..."Are you my new mom?" And she laughed and said "Oui." My heart finally bursted because I was so happy to be at my home away from home. It was a stressful journey and it ended with a relaxing evening unpacking and chatting with my new mom and brother. Julien (my new brother) is 16 years old and I absolutely love him! He plays rugby, he likes sports, and does not speak much english but he will by the time I leave!

Today me and my roomie left to take the metro for the first time and of course we got lost and took the wrong one. We made a complete circle to get back to where we started and then we were on our way. When we got off the metro we again got lost trying to get to our ISA meeting and thankfully I asked a lady for directions and she helped us...we were an hour and a half late....haha. Hopefully I won't be late for my first class.

Later, everyone went to the American Business School for a small orientation. By this time everyone was about to fall asleep. When me and my roomie left school we walked along the Canal Saint-Martin to explore our neighborhood a little. It is GORGEOUS.

Tomorrow night we have a get-together at ABS and we will be having wine and fromage and on Thursday evening we will be taking a boat ride along the Canal Saint-Martin and the Seine River! I'm very excited! So far I have been stuck in orientation and hopefully I will be able to do more sight seeing this weekend when we are free.

10 plus jours

Hi Everyone!! In 10 days I will be on that plane to London and then off to Paris!! I have never been more excited, and the wait to leave is getting annoying! I look at Paris as a new chapter in my life and I cannot wait to meet my new friends and especially my new host family and my roomie! While I am there I plan on traveling and going to Paris SG soccer games!...and of course going to school! This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I would absolutely love to live in Paris forever but UTA calls and I must graduate when I return to Texas. Don’t miss me too much and pretty soon I will be blogging from Paris! J’aime vous tous!

Je suis née pour vivre à Paris.

kirsten