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
No comments:
Post a Comment