Bastille Day

Happy Bastille Day!

I thought today would be a fitting day to close out my blogging about France. I'll probably keep this blog going about my personal life, but this will be the last France-centered entry. I've been home since about 8:30pm on Friday. Being in America has never felt better! It's so nice being around familiar things again, and having friendly people around. I thought it would take awhile to readjust, but it kind of felt like it all just fell right back into place.

That's not to say that I didn't have a great experience in France. I miss the people I met in Paris. I miss being able to look out my window and see the Eiffel Tower at night. I miss being able to switch back and forth between English and French depending on what I felt like at the time. I learned so much about culture and how to understand and appreciate the differences between various cultures. The things I learned in Paris are things I never could have learned without stepping outside of my comfort zone and living like a Parisian for seven weeks. There is absolutely no way to explain this kind of experience to someone who hasn't actually done it. It's experiential learning in the highest sense. Hopefully, through my entries, you all have gotten to understand a little bit more about a culture that was a little bit foreign to you.

One of the things that everyone keeps asking me is, "So, is the USA better than France?" The thing is, we're talking about culture here. There's no such thing as a "better" culture. France is different, but it's not better and it's not worse. It's just different. The same thing goes for any culture, whether it be German or Japanese or Egyptian or Iranian or Thai. No culture is inherently better or worse than another. They are just different.

So, time for me to get off of my soapbox. I could talk all night, but really, the only way for you to understand what I'm talking about is for you to go out and do it yourself. If you find yourself with a couple of weeks to spare, seize the opportunity and move to another country. It doesn't have to be forever, and it doesn't have to be a study abroad thing. Just living like a native of that country will change your views, most likely. It won't be easy, but it'll be worth it.

Happy traveling!
Riley =)

Riley's Rules for International Flights

1.) Be nice. Chances are, you're all in the same boat, anyways. Delayed plane? Yeah, it sucks, but it sucks just as badly for the other dozens of people on the plane, too. Just remember that sometimes being that person with the friendly attitude or the ability to crack a joke in those situations may sometimes play in your favor later on.

2.) Fly direct if at all possible. This is especially true on the way home, because it is not fun claiming and rechecking your bags after Customs! It also eats up a lot of layover time and, before you know it, your two-hour layover that seemed perfect is now pushing it. Sure, direct flights can end up being a couple hundred dollars more, but it may be worth it, especially if the alternative includes a short layover.

3.) Dress comfortably. Don't wrry about looking chic to go to Paris or Rome because no one looks chic after lugging a 55lb. bag and carry-ons through Customs. Planes are unpredictable things when it comes to temperature, so dress accordingly. My usual airplane uniform: sweatpants, a tank top, a cardigan, a jacket, and my black Chuck Taylors. I will throw a pair of khakis or something in my carry on, too, so I can change at the airport if I don't want to look too much like I just got out of bed. Comfortable shoes are definitely a must.

4.) Wear glasses. Yes, even if you're a die-hard contact lens-wearer like me, after 8 hours in recirculating air, everyone is dehydrated and that includes their eyes. Just remember your 3oz or smaller bottle of saline solution and a baggie if you want to take your contacts with you on the plane.

5.) Pack lightly. You don't get much room and chances are, on an international flight, you'll get some form of in-flight entertainment. Limit your carry-on to the essentials. For me, that means my carry-on includes my iPod Touch, my laptop, a journal, a book, some gum, and all of my various chargers).

C'est Fini

I'm finished with finals! I just finished my French Grammar final exam, and, although it was difficult, at least I am finished! Now, I have about 40 minutes until the IES lunch fete, then an afternoon of sightseeing (the Catacombs, Arc de Triomphe, and La Defense). I need to call and reserve a cab to take me to the airport tomorrow. My flight leaves at 1:30pm Paris time (that's 7:30am Indiana time), so I'm planning on leaving my homestay at 10:30am. I arrive in Philadelphia at 3:55pm Indiana time, have a two hour layover, then I'll be back home again in Indiana at 8:18pm! I am very excited to get home, even though it feels like there's no way seven weeks could've passed already.

It's been fun. I've gotten a lot better with my French. I've made some friends. But I'm glad to be coming back.

Riley =)

Final Stretch

Finals start today...that means I only have two days of finals, a fete (party/lunch thing) at IES, and a very long flight standing between me and America! I've had a great time in France, but I am very ready to go home. Paris is an excellent city for a vacation, I've decided, but I do not think I could ever live here (maybe in Montmartre, but that's it).

Two more days of Metro faces, boulangeries, euros (and the evil exchange rate), the Eiffel Tower sparkling outside my window, Le M, Le Refuge des Fondus, nouilles sautees, homestays, the Metro, Muji, rue Daguerre, hearing French everywhere, natural yogurt, Amorino gelato, Pimkie, skinny jeans everywhere, unpredictable (way more unpredictable than Indiana) weather, parapluies, less than 5 minute showers, UHT milk, espresso dispensers at school, four-channel TVs, musees, jardins, sightseeing, the Champs-Elysees, rude French people, Malibu et jus d'ananas at the apartment, Indiana Club, walking everywhere, Hollywood Smile gum, Franprix, Carrefour, Monoprix, fruiteries, the 16th, trains, scarfs...

I'm coming home =)

Riley

Four Days

I only have 4 days left in Paris! I've made a list of the things I've been putting off that I need to go in the next couple of days...they include going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, visiting La Defense, visiting Jim Morrison's grave at Pere Lachaise cemetary, and going to Les Invalides and Jardin du Luxembourg. I think me and some people are planning on La Defense and Arc de Triomphe tomorrow since they're both on the same Metro line.

This weekend was pretty low-key, like my usual Paris weekends. Friday was the 4th of July...but it was weird because here it's just like any other day. I just went shopping along rue de Passy, which is not far from my apartment. Katrina eventually met up with me and we had lunch at a Chinese place (I've fallen in love with these sauteed noodle things they have here). We went to Gallerie Gaite over by IES for quite awhile. On the way there, I sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" because I was sad that no one was acknowledging the USA on our birthday. Since the French act like no one else exists in the world when they're walking down the streets, I didn't get any weird looks or anything, which was funny to me. At the Gallerie, Katrina bought a bunch of stuff at Mim and I made some incredible (and excellently priced) purchases at Tati. After shopping, we went to a bar and restaurant called The Indiana Club to celebrate the 4th with a taste of home. It was funny because this place didn't seem to have ANY idea what Indiana is like...there were Native Americans all over the walls, then all of the "Indiana Specialties" were Mexican dishes, like enchiladas and chimichangas. I got a good old cheeseburger and fries...after all, what else says "American" quite like a burger and fries? It was happy hour, too, so we got some (somewhat) affordable drinks...I had a Screaming Orgasm (which is just fun to say...but it was also delicious) and a strawberry margarita (which actually tasted like a margarita, which is weird cause the other margarita I had in France was essentially lemon juice with a hint of tequila in it). After dinner, we just hung out at my apartment. It was weird not seeing any fireworks!

I had quite a late night/early morning talking online, so I slept in quite a bit on Saturday. After finally getting out of bed, I went to Carrefour and had the incident on the Metro that I shared the other day. I again had Chinese noodles for dinner, and that was about all that went on that day.

Sunday was my final Eiffel Tower picnic. As usual, we brought bread and cheese, then some other random foods. Me, Ashley, Emily, Heather, and Katrina all just sat around talking for several hours. Our favorite topic of conversation seems to be the lack of attractive men in France. Ashley has coined the term "French googles" for when one of us says we see a cute French guy...because if you want to find a cute French boy, you have to lower your standards of what is cute. American guys definitely trump the French, for sure, for many reasons that we discussed. One of those is that French guys will never make the first movie (not that I have any experience with this, but some of the others do). And, of course, there's the fact that attractive French guys are pretty much extinct. A funny Polish artist came over and drew a portrait for Katrina and commiserated with us on our complaints about the French. It was fun. My chocolate and pistachio ice cream cone was amazing, too!

Now, I have one more day of regular class, followed by two days of finals...then, at 1:30pm on Friday, my plane will be leaving! It's been an interesting, once-in-a-lifetime experience here...it's crazy that it's already almost over! And I know I've said that like 10 times now, but it's true!

Riley =)

Un Peu Soif?

So, I just had a funny incident on the Metro. Katrina and I went to Carrefour to get some groceries and souvenirs of the consumable variety (aka chocolate and wine), then we had to take the Metro back to my apartment so I could drop all of my purchases off. In order to prevent the wine bottles from breaking, I put them in my purse...so I had four little wine bottle tops sticking just out of it. I didn't really think anything of it...until a man got on the Metro and was standing next to me. His eyes got all wide and he goes, "Oh mon Dieu! Un peu soif?" (translation: Oh, my God! A little thirsty?). I laughed and responded, "Un peu" (a little). He kept staring at my bag for the two more stops I was on the train then, as I was stepping off, he said something I didn't hear, then, "Lendemains!" (Consquences). Katrina and I were cracking up the whole way to my apartment.

Riley =)

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July! Even if I am in a country where they don't care about the holiday! I hope you all have a great time celebrating Independence Day...I can't wait to see you all in a week!

Riley =)

Spoiled in the Seizieme

So, I live in the seizieme (16th) arrondissement here in Paris. Whenever a Parisian hears that you live in the seizieme, you usually get an "ooh la la" or a smirk because the seizieme is known as one of the more affluent parts of town. I'm not particularly sure as to why it's a richer part of town, because it's almost entirely residential and has no touristy stuff or major shopping areas really, but it is. I've never really thought much about living here until Katrina and I ventured up to the dixhuitieme (18th) today to visit the Musee de l'Erotisme (which was very cool...I recommend it...it's right by Moulin Rouge). We started out on Metro line 13, which is one of the nicer ones and goes right by our school. As we got further north, the train got more and more crowded. When we switched to line 2, the train was positively jammed (on our way home, we couldn't even get on the first train because there was absolutely no room whatsoever). The trains on line 2 are old and have lots of graffiti in them. The stations on line 2 were not clean (we thought it was ironic that the station we got off at was called Blanche - white, in French - but was the dirtiest station either of us had ever seen). When we walked around the Blanche station area, which is surrounded by sex shops and strip clubs and has very little along the lines of landscaping or anything (which is odd for Paris), we were both like...we miss the seizieme! We're spoiled! So, I have a new appreciation for the cleanliness of my Metro lines 9 and 10 and the streets around my apartment. I am content being spoiled by living in the seizieme!

Anyways...despite the rougher neighborhood, our afternoon journey was fun! We got to see the Moulin Rouge, which was exciting. It's basically right outside the Metro station. We just took pictures and left, because it costs like 70 euro to see a show there. We went to the Musee de l'Erotisme (museum of erotica), which was sort of a combination of a history and art museum devoted to erotic things. It was very tasteful and interesting to see. The gift shop and shop next door were interesting experiences.

Only one more week in Paris. Crazy, isn't it?

Riley =)

It's Nicer in Nice

What a weekend!

Nice was amazing! After my day of train travel and exploring Monaco, I was exhausted, so my exploration of Nice didn't begin until Saturday morning. I went to a cafe with Alice and Katrina, then made my way down to the beach! The beaches here are interesting...they're rocky, not sandy. It sounds like it would not be fun at all, but it's actually not bad because the rocks are very smooth. The only thing isn't fun is getting in and out of the water if you're not wearing flip flops. As you can see below, I wore flip flops.

The first day at the beach, I got a little sun, but we didn't stay out too late because we all wanted to have a nice dinner to celebrate our vacation. There were 9 of us from IES who all went to Nice together (and all stayed together at the Hotel Baccarat, a hostel by the train station), and we all got dressed up as nice as we could with the clothes we brought and enjoyed a night on the town! After dinner at an incredible Italian place (Nice is only a half hour from Italy), we went down to Old Nice and explored the night market and found an amazing gelato place that has 96 flavors! Yes, 96! Their more unusual flavors include tomato basil, beer, cactus, avocado, and rose. I stuck with cacao, salted caramel, and coffee. We walked along the Promenade des Anglais after that, then returned to the hotel.

The next day, Katrina and I decided to join Lauren and Laura at a private beach. The beach is set up very differently in Nice than how we are used to at home. In Florida, for example, no one owns the beach...everyone can walk along the whole thing and anyone can sit on the beach wherever they want. In Nice, though, there are little plots of beach and it rotates public and private. We went to Opera Plage, where you pay 13 euro for a nice beach chair, parasol, and mat. There are mats on the ground so you don't have to walk on the rocks. There is a cafe and servers who will bring you drinks and food (at an extra charge). There are showers you can use. And, of course, there is the Mediterrnean Sea to swim in, like all the beaches. The private beach experience was WELL worth the 13 euro! I got one drink and some water from the server and it was definitely nice having the chair and mat separating me from the rocks! I got a LOT of sun on that beach.

And, of course, in France there is a certain part of your body that gets sun that generally doesn't in the States. On all of the beaches in Nice, public or private, topless sunbathing is the thing to do. Most of the women are sans bikini tops on the beach. It's cool because it's not a sexual thing at all...no one is ogling the boobs that are out in the open (or if they are, they're discreet about it). People of all shapes and sizes go topless. It doesn't matter if you're fat, skinny, flat, or saggy...chances are, there's someone who is more fat or more flat than you! Everyone wears bikinis here, too...I only saw a handful of people in one pieces.

So, now the question of course is did I participate in sunbathing French style? Of course! I had to get the cultural experience, you know! It was a very liberating experience that I highly recommend to everyone. It makes you feel much more confident about your body and, of course, makes it so there's no awkward tan lines. Here's the closest thing I'm going to provide to photographic proof (and I'm mainly just putting this on here cause my eyes look cool in it)...

After the day of sunbathing, we all had to head back to the train station all hot and sweaty to catch the TGV back to Paris. Unfortunately, though, we ended up getting delayed 2 1/2 hours and didn't get back to Paris until 2:30am! The Metro was closed by then, so we had to stand in line forever with everyone else on the train to get a taxi (my first Paris taxi experience, by the way). By the time I got home at 3:30am, I was exhausted but I had homework to do. Needless to say, I did not get much sleep that night!

Only 8 days left. It's crazy how time flies!

Riley =)

Walking Across the Country

I walked across a country today. Granted, it was Monaco, so it's not a very big country, but still...how many people can say they walked across an entire country? Right now, I'm sitting in the courtyard at the Hotel Baccarat, the hostel I am staying in with about 8 other girls from IES for the weekend. We left Paris Gare de Lyon this morning at 8:05am (after thinking we were all going to miss the train cause we were all running so late) and arrived in Nice at about 1:30pm. Three other girls and I hopped on another train to Monte Carlo because we all really wanted to see Monaco (and it was only 5 euro for the 20-minute train ride).

Monaco was AMAZING! I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but it definitely surpassed my expectations. It's super hilly, which I didn't know before. We walked from Gare de Monaco to the Prince's Palace, walked through the Grande Appartements and Musee de Napoleon, browsed souvenir shops (they have a TON of Grand Prix stuff, even though that's already over for the year), and then walked all the way to the other side of the country to go to the Monte Carlo casino. We didn't end up gambling because there was a 10 euro cover to go in, but it was still cool to see. We ate dinner at a cafe on the main harbor in Monaco, looking out at all the yachts and everything. I spent too much money on souvenirs, but I figured this is probably the only chance I'll have in my life to come to Monaco, so why not?

We got back to Nice around 8pm (after a short train ride on a Harry Potter-like train with individual cabin/compartment things!) and walked down to the Promenade des Anglais. For those of you who don't know, that's a big, wide avenue that runs along the Mediterranean Sea! We walked down to the beach to feel the water. The water is very, very blue, but the beaches are all rocks, not sand! It's weird, but I am looking forward to a beach day tomorrow! Supposedly, topless sunbathing is the thing to do here, too...we'll see about that haha.

Tonight, we're all tired from all the travel and walking all day, so it's an early night...tomorrow, though, it's a beach day! I can't wait =) I LOVE being back around humidity, summer weather, and salty ocean air!

Riley =)

America Me Manque

Some things I (and other people sitting in the IES library with me) miss...
- Soft cookies
- Air conditioning
- Fresh milk
- People wearing deodorant
- Soft water
- General cleanliness
- No beggars on every street corner
- English
- Driving
- Coffee shops with more than just plain espresso
- TV and movies
- American food
- Clean sidewalks
- Smiling (and polite) people
- Cute boys
- Non-skinny jeans
- People with curves
- Fast food options beyond McDonald's
- Ball State and my people from there
- Non-smoking areas
- Things being open on Sundays
- Food prices
- Clothes dryers
- Thongs and bras
- Tide laundry detergent

Things From France That I Would Like to Take Home...
- Le M
- The convenience of the Metro
- Les Soldes
- Cheap but good wine
- Boulangeries
- Yogurt
- Cacao et Chocolat
- Muji
- Some of their fashion
- Picnics
- Gardens
- Orange Fanta (it's different here) and Orangina
- Bottled water (or beer) with value meals at fast food places
- French
- Macarons
- The Eiffel Tower (minus the creepers and the gypsies)
- Walking everywhere
- Rue Daguerre
- Awesome fresh, organic fruit everywhere

J'ai Mangé Beaucoup!

I thought I would take some time since I'm bored between classes to write about French food. I know I've mentioned it many times before, but now it gets a whole entry dedicated to it.

Today, my lunch was an apple and two waffles. Yes, that's right...two waffles at lunch. No, I wasn't doing the whole "breakfast for lunch" thing. Here, waffles are dessert, not part of breakfast. They have stands all over that sell crepes and waffles. I think they think of waffles as a cross between cake and a cookie...they sell them in variety packs in stores (dipped in chocolate, plain, etc.) or as desserts in restaurants smothered in whipped cream and powdered sugar. Maple syrup is pretty nonexistent here, though, so you never, ever see anyone eating a waffle the American way with butter and syrup. Also, the waffles are usually cold. It was weird eating a cold waffle at first, but now I'm kind of used to it.

Yogurt here is not sweetened. You can buy sweetened yogurt, but most people just buy "natural yogurt," which is just plain yogurt...no sugar or flavoring or anything. The first night my host family served it, my host mom asked if I wanted sugar or honey with my yogurt...she thought I didn't understand her French when I responded that I didn't know. I had to explain to her that we don't eat yogurt like that generally at home. But, now, I've started to love natural yogurt with cassonade (a very, very light brown sugar)...I actually had some with my breakfast this morning!

Coffee, as most people with their French stereotypes in their heads know, is sort of a big deal here. Espresso, especially...they really only drink espresso. However, it's virtually impossible to find a coffee shop other than Starbucks (and there are only like 8-10 Starbucks here...which isn't a lot considering Paris's size and how many we have at home). Most people just drink their espresso at home or after dinner with their dessert. They just drink a tiny, double-shot sized cup of straight espresso. They don't really do all of the fancy coffee drinks that we are obsessed with in the United States. You can usually find a cafe au lait somewhere, but that's about it. Even Starbucks does't even sell that many fancy drinks here...their menu board only lists cafe mochas and caramel macchiatos as the only two "fancy drink" options, and everything else is a variation of espresso (espresso with water, espresso with hot milk, espresso with regular milk, etc.).

French people put sauce on EVERYTHING! And I mean everything...French fries (and I'm not talking about ketchup...they have special "pommes frites sauce"), steak, vegetables, desserts... Seriously, I don't understand how everyone is so thin when they eat like that! Most of the sauces are just like butter sauces that don't even add much flavor. At a restaurant on our field trip to Giverny the other day, everything was drowning in this brown gravy-looking sauce...but it didn't seem to add any flavor at all to it. Every dessert is served with some sort of sauce...tart comes with coulis, ice cream with caramel or chocolate sauce, fresh fruit with yogurt as a sauce. It's funny when my host family asks me to choose the sauce at dinner, because I never have any idea what to choose. Their sauces are also nothing like our salad dressings or usual sauces at home, either.,,no Ranch dressing here (and no French dressing, either, interestingly enough).

Well, I think that's enough food observations for now. I'm sure I'll have more in the future! I'm just full of observations...what can I say?

Riley =)

It's HOT!

So, all of the sudden, it's in the 80s in Paris. Which is something I thought I wanted...but the fact that there is no air conditioning in Paris means that you are sweating and hot ALL the time when it's hot outside! Some of my friends and I are going to try to find a public pool somewhere so we can go swimming this week. We need to cool down!

Today, I went to the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, better known as the tunnel where Princess Diana was killed. It was very emotional. Memories of watching Princess Diana on TV are some of my earliest memories, and I always loved reading about her in my mom's magazines or seeing her on TV. I remember being glued to the TV the day of her funeral. It's incredible how lasting her impact on the world is, though...even today, so many years after she died, people write messages all over the walls of the tunnel about how she will never be forgotten. There are messages in dozens of languages from all over the world. It's incredible to see the impact one person can have.

Since it's Sunday, everything is closed here, so I went grocery shopping yesterday then went to the Eiffel Tower with some friends for a very French, five-hour picnic lunch. I got quite sunburnt, too! We had fun. Some French creeper who was still drunk from the Fete yesterday came over and bugged us...but we've all gotten pretty talented when it comes to getting rid of them. I don't get where the "French guys are hot" stereotype thing comes from...because all of them I've seen have just been creepy (and everyone else agrees with me). I will take American boys over French ones any day.

Riley =)

Fête de la Musique and Giverny

Today is the Fête de la Musique here in Paris. What is that? It's an all-day music festival that goes on all across the city. I wandered around the 16th arrondissement (which is where I live) with my friend Katrina earlier and we walked by a few concerts, but they were ones you had to pay for. Still, it was cool seeing all of the people in their "concert costumes." I hadn't seen people in Paris dressed in punk/goth/whatever clothes at all, but apparently they save it for concerts. We're going to go over to Bastille later because there's supposed to be more going on over there, including a band called Madamoiselle K that Katrina likes. And it's supposed to be free! The Metro runs all night tonight in honor of the Fête de la Musique.

Yesterday, I went to Giverny, which is Claude Monet's old home. It was BEAUTIFUL! I definitely recommend that anyone go there if they ever come to Paris! It's in Normandy, so it's a good hour and a half drive outside of Paris, but it's worth it. The gardens are breathtaking. It was amazing seeing the Japanese gardens and the water lilies that Monet made famous in his paintings. There are literally flowers everywhere at Giverny...growing up the sides of the house, planted in gardens, growing up trellises, covering signs... We ate at a restaurant that had gorgeous gardens out in front of it, too, and had some amazing apple tart.

I'm off to enjoy the music!
Riley =)

Professors and PDA

Not at the same time, though. Yes, that's right...more observations. In case you hadn't figured it out yet, I like to people watch and make connections.

PDA. It's EVERYWHERE! Everywhere you look, there's another couple making out in a very public spot. On the Metro, in front of Notre Dame, on the sidewalk while walking, at a cafe, at McDo, in a bookstore...there is no such thing as a faux pas when it comes to public displays of affection here. In fact, people seem to think it's weird just to see a couple walking along together NOT acting like they are completely and totally infatuated with one another. People don't just hold hands here...they basically go as far as they can go without taking any clothes off. At first, it was kind of funny...now it's kind of annoying. Pushing through a making out couple to get off the Metro is irritating. But good for the French for loosening up about something for once!

Professors. They're...different. Time is not really an issue. It's totally normal for a professor to keep his class 5-10 minutes after he's supposed to, which is NOT okay with all of us impatient Americans who are used to packing up and sprinting out right when the clock hits time. The professor also shows up to class somewhere in the first ten minutes of when class is supposed to start. So, the start and end times of class are kind of fuzzy, because it's pretty much whenever the prof wants it to happen. My French 301 professor always gets to IES at 11am, which is when class starts...but he goes and gets a coffee, picks up a newspaper, gets a cup of water, etc. before actually coming into the classroom.

I just found out that this Saturday is the Fete de la Musique, which is basically a 24-hour party devoted to free music across the whole city. The Metro runs 24 hours a day this weekend (usually it closes between 1 and 2am on the weekends), and quiet hours aren't in effect, which means people can be as loud and crazy as they want to at all hours of the night. Supposedly, there are concerts in every arrondissement and most parks. It should be interesting to check out.

I'm going to Nice in two weeks and I CANNOT WAIT! Sun and summer weather is LONG overdue!

Riley =)

I Fall Up Stairs

So, I've fallen going up the stairs twice in the past couple of days in Metro Stations (once in Michel-Ange Molitor and once in Gaite). The fall in Gaite caused me to bang up my knee...so now I look pretty goofy when I'm walking up and down stairs. Maybe it's good, though, cause it makes me pay more attention to the stairs so I don't fall again!

I bought the new Coldplay albu, Viva La Vida, at FNAC yesterday. Go buy it. It's awesome. It's very different for those of you who say every Coldplay song sounds the same. I'm partial to the songs "Lost!," "Viva La Vida," and "Yes." Their first single, "Violet Hill," is pretty awesome, too. Check it out online and then go buy it. You won't regret it.

Today, I'm going to a park during the after the afternoon. Friday is a field trip to Giverny, Monet's home...exciting.

Riley =)

More Than Halfway

Well, I'm over halfway through my study abroad experience. It's gotten to the point that most of us here are feeling like Paris has become the city we live in, not "ooh la la," tres chic, "city of love and light" Paris. A lot of people are actually already counting down the days til the end of the program because people are getting homesick. I wouldn't say I am homesick...but I am looking forward to coming home. Being in Paris has made me realize the things I take for granted in the United States. A few examples...fresh skim milk, stores that are open on Sundays, restaurants open on Friday and Saturday nights, driving, clothes dryers, deli turkey, affordable food, and summer weather. Don't get me wrong...I am having a great time and I'm definitely not wishing it away. I just have a new appreciation for my own country.

One thing I've noticed recently that I think is funny is that French people do not use hand sanitizer. You can't find it anywhere here. Yet, everywhere you go, you have to touch things that a million other people have touched already. For example, on the Metro, you either have to push a button or turn a lever to open the doors. There was this person who kept sneezing into their hands across the Metro from me the other day, then he got up and palmed the lever and walked out. The next person who got off the train didn't seem to think anything of grabbing the lever right after this person with snotty hands had just grabbed it. Me, on the other hand, though...I waited for someone else to open the door at the stop that I got off at because I had no desire to touch those germs. Mom, you would be freaking out and would probably be out of hand sanitizer by now. Also, in the boulangeries and other quick food places, they just grab everything with their hands. No one uses gloves. It doesn't bother me, but I know it bothers some of the other people.

I don't think I've ever used the Post Office (La Poste) more in my life than I have here. I feel like I go buy stamps like every day. Supposedly, they speak English in every branch, but I've never bothered to ask for an English speaker. I always manage to get by in French ("Je voudrais les envoyer aux Etats-Unis, s'il vous plait...").

C'est tout pour maintenant.
Riley =)

Don't Stop Believing: Paris Style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdu5392ORhk

And I promise, we are all completely, 100% sober. We just don't take ourselves too seriously =)

Some More Observations

Here are some more of my collected observations of the French...

Milk. In the US, I love to drink skim milk. I drink it every morning. I drink it with cookie dough (which I eat quite often). But here, no one drinks milk but little kids. And their milk is very different. They are very big into UHT (ultra high temperature) pasteurization here, which totally changes the flavor of milk. Basically, they heat up milk like twice the temperature that they do at home, which enables milk to be stored without refrigeration. So, people keep milk in cardboard boxes in their cabinets instead of in the fridge. It's also virtually impossible to find skim milk (and it took me like 2 weeks to figure out that skim milk is called ecreme here).

Tattoos and piercings. They aren't too common here. Ear piercings, yes, but I've only seen Indian women and American women with nose piercings. I've only seen maybe one person with a tattoo, and I have no idea if that person was French or not.

Language. I think just as many people speak English in Paris as speak French. And I am in an interesting position as someone who is from an English-speaking country who speaks some French, because anytime I talk to a French person in French, they realize immediately that I am American and start speaking in English to me. But if I speak in French to a non-French person, they think I am French. So, I'm in this weird middle ground sort of thing.

1 month left in France...I plan on making it a good one!
Riley =)

Detour

So, the Metro just wasn't happy with me or something today. Usually, to get to school, I have to take line 9 two stops (Jasmin to Michel-Ange Molitor), change to line 10 (and take that to Duroc), then change to line 13 (which I take to my school's stop, Gaîté). Today, though, when I got to Michel-Ange Molitor, I discovered that all the signals were out on line 10...so, I had to go back to line 9, take it WAY out of the way to Miromesnil, switch to line 13, and then take that all the way to school. It was a LONG commute this morning...but it made me realize that I'm pretty much a Metro expert by now! I had left for school early like I usually do (cause I like to do my homework in the morning instead of at night), so that was lucky...lots of people were late to classes today because of the line closing. On my way home tonight, the train I was on on line 9 stalled for like 5-10 minutes (and, of course, I was running late for dinner with my host family) while it was completely jam packed with people.

I'm in the process of planning my first weekend away from Paris. I'm going with some people to Nice, in the south of France, in two weekends...we booked TGV tickets tonight! We just have to figure out the hotel situation (I say let's go for the cheapest...other people want a more expensive option...but I'd rather spend the extra money on something else). I found out that Monte Carlo is only a twenty-minute, five euro train ride from Nice, too, so I'm definitely going to make a trip there. I mean, I can't be twenty minutes away from Monaco and not go!! It is, after all, the only principalty in the world. And it'll up my obscure tiny country visit count (since I've already been to Liechtenstein).

Tomorrow is my first exam in France...French grammar. Eek! Prayer would be appreciated, because this grammar section that we've done is definitely NOT my strong suit... In more exciting news, though, my oral presentation at Notre Dame de Paris (yeah, the big cathedral with the hunchback...I had to give an oral presentation on its history in French) went very well!

Riley =)

Tres Cher

So, life in Paris is not cheap. I just changed my plane ticket to come home July 11th instead of the 18th because I can't afford to stay in a hotel after my study abroad program ends (it was cheaper to pay the change fee than pay for a hotel and food for a week). I went to the grocery store today and bought cereal and cookies...and it was eight euro. The only somewhat food-related thing that isn't expensive is wine...I got a bottle for 1 euro 47 today! I fortunately found a cheap clothing store today, which was awesome because the weather here's been quite chilly and I needed a jacket.

Last night, me and some of my friends had what we decided to call "French Stereotype Night." We took wine, cheese, Le Petit Ecolier cookies, and bread to the Eiffel Tower and sat there for a few hours. We also took along a beret and a French flag and posed for some goofy pictures. Here's one of my pictures, featuring the beret, wine, and me pretending to smoke...


So, I think it's about time for some observations about French culture. First of all, fashion...skinny jeans are the ONLY jeans that the French wear, and they are just about always a very dark rinse. I am very glad I brought one of my pairs, because I've been wearing them a lot. As far as shoes go, the only tennis shoes they wear are black Chucks (and I brought mine, so another check for me). Other than that, it's ballet flats or heels. Their shirts are almost always one solid color, usually something neutral (but occasionally you'll see some color). A lot of people wear scarves; hardly anyone wears hats. Most everyone wears a black coat everywhere, even if it isn't cold.

Next, food. French people love to sit and eat. Their dinners are an hour long at minimum (which I know I've touched on before in here). They barely eat anything for breakfast, just bread or a croissant and coffee or tea. Then, they have a baguette sandwich or a big salad or something for lunch (and they always have dessert). Some people do the whole afternoon tea (gouter) thing, but it doesn't look like too many people do. Dinner is the big occasion...everything closes early so people can eat with their families. Dinner consists of the entree (not the main course like in the US...actually the appetizer), the plat (the main course), a fromage (cheese) course, and dessert (usually fruit and a cake or tart or something). French people DO NOT snack. Ever. They think it's really really bad for you, apparently. They also never drink anything. My old host family didn't even pour anything in their glasses until they got to the fromage course, and then it was half wine, half water. They would drink one glass, and c'est tout(that's all). Most people drink wine with their lunch and dinner here, but it's just a glass, and they don't have anything else to drink with it.

Lastly (for today at least), the shops. EVERYTHING is closed on Sunday, and most everything is closed on Monday, too. On Sunday, the only places you can find open are tourist shops. Like a few stores on the Champs-Elysees (but not any of the clothing stores except for the designer ones) and all the tourist traps around the Eiffel Tower...and that's it. We went to Laduree for gouter (tea) yesterday because it's one of the few places open at all on Sundays (because it is geared towards tourists). Grocery stores, boulangeries, cafes...all closed on Sundays. On Mondays, most grocery stores and most clothing stores are closed, save for the ones in the bigger shopping centers like Forum des Halles. On rue Daguerre, where my school is, there are like six small grocery stores...one was open today. None of the specialty food places are open, either...on rue Daguerre, that includes the fromagerie (cheese shop), several boulangeries, the poissonerie (fish store), all the butcher shops, the chocolate shops (yes, plural...there are chocolate stores EVERYWHERE), and basically any other specialty grocery-type thing you can think of. It's quite frustrating.

I don't think I am ever going to take 24-hour stores for granted ever again after this. Nor do I think I will ever complain about food being expensive.

Off to dinner with the host family!
Riley =)

Le M

So, I wasn't planning on writing anymore tonight. Especially not about a hamburger. But I just had the most incredible hamburger of my life. At McDonald's, of all places. No, I wasn't at McDo for wireless...I was there because I only have 5 euros to my name at the moment and was hungry after Megan and I had been chatting over drinks at a little cafe by the Eiffel Tower. So, we stopped by McDo cause it's one of the only food places still open at 1am here...and I decided to try this burger called "Le M." It's on ciabatta bread, with emmental cheese, and the meat is marinaded in something. It was amazing...so juicy that I had to dig through my purse for something to use as a napkin while I was eating it on the Metro because it had dripped all over my hands. Seriously, McDo...why don't you sell these things in the US?? And, by the way, McDo actually has like good quality meat here. I've only eaten a meal there once since I've been here, though, despite how many times I've mentioned it in here.

That's it. If you're ever in France, go to McDo and have Le M.

Quick Update

Just a quick update before I head out with one of my friends...

Today was a lazy day! I haven't gotten much sleep since I've been here and, since we didn't have classes today and most of the people I hang out with were going to Disneyland Paris (which I wasn't interested in going to because it's way expensive and really not that different from Disneyworld, which I've been to 100 times), I took advantage of that and caught up on sleep! I also explored my new neighborhood a bit. It's a lot more residential than my old one (which was very touristy since it was right by the Champs-Elysees), which means more grocery stores, cute unique cafes (without the Champs-Elysees price tag, too...still expensive, but still more affordable), little shops (a chocolate florist!), and little parks. I bought some groceries thinking it would be more economical to pack a lunch for school, but the groceries were so expensive that it really wasn't worth it!

In other news...Paris has far too many appealing desserts, and I think I need to cut back on sampling them all! It's still awesome seeing the Eiffel Tower out my window. The Musee d'Orsay is cool (it's all impressionist paintings, like Monet, Degas, Renoir, and Van Gogh), but I've realized I don't like to experience museums slowly like most people. Classes are classes, regardless of where you're taking them or what language they're in. Made of Honor was much better than I thought it'd be and you should go see it.

And now I'm out for the night!
Riley =)

La Belle Vie de Riley Goes Multimedia

Let's try something new...


Sorry the sound isn't the greatest...that's what I get for using my webcam for part and my Canon for the other! The next one will be better =)

PS - If you're checking this right after I post it, it probably won't work yet...check back later!

Feels Like Home

I am writing this in my new homestay, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, on avenue Mozart. It's right across the street from the Jasmin Metro station, which is very nice! My new host family is amazing. The mom is very down-to-earth and speaks English quite well (which is quite useful when she has important things about locks and whatnot to tell me...I told her I'd prefer to speak French around the house, though, so I can learn, and she agreed). I met the dad briefly tonight because he works til 8pm, but he just set up the Internet on my laptop and that was all. They have three daughters, too, ages 7, 12, and 15, and they are adorable! The youngest is super cute, the middle is very curious, and the oldest is very informative and smart!

My room in the new house is smaller, but I love it! The view is AMAZING! I look right out at the Eiffel Tower! This is my view:

Amazing, eh? I have a MUCH more comfortable bed here (my previous one felt more like a board than a bed), a nice closet, a little TV (I watched French Who Wants to be a Millionaire with my friend Alice today), a set of shelves, and a desk!

Speaking of my friend Alice, she was a HUGE help today and came with me after school to help me move out. It turns out that it was a good thing I had help, because when I called my former host mom, she thought I had said I was going to be there to move out in three minutes, not thirty minutes and was freaking out cause she had a meeting. So, when we got there, she told us we had three minutes to get my things together and leave. I handed her the keys and said, "pour toi," which was a no-no (because I used the "tu" form instead of the "vous" form, which is a big faux pas when you're talking to an "elder"). She didn't say anything about that, but we rushed off into my room and threw everything into my bags. Now, my laundry had just been done that day and Madame de Pommery had put it in a paper shopping bag. I figured this was because she wanted to make it easier for me to get my things and go. But when Alice started putting other things in the paper bag, she told Alice that she still needed the paper bag and we couldn't keep it! I said I thought since she had put my clothes in it, we could use it, but she apparently wanted it, so I said I'd put the clothes in other bags but it'd take a few minutes. She just stared at me, so I just kept the stuff in the bag and Alice and I got it out of the apartment. We noticed the handle of the paper bag was broken, so ended up taking all of the stuff out of it anyways...and leaving it in the hallway where we knew she would see it later.

So, that's my exciting move out story. Both Alice and I were laughing all the way to my new home. It is always good to have fun stories to tell!

I miss you, but I am loving Paris!

Riley =)

PS - I added links on the right to my pictures I've taken so far!

Je Te Manque

I got my first piece of mail yesterday! THANKS SO MUCH FAMILY =) That card totally made my morning! It was awesome to see how many people had signed it! For those of you not in my family, a bunch of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family all signed a card and sent it to me. It was a nice first piece of mail! Some people have been asking for my address again, so here it is:
IES Paris Center
c/o Riley Steinmetz
77, rue Daguerre
Paris 75014
France

Megan and I didn't end up making it to Montmartre yesterday. We went to Forum des Halles to get books for class and ended up being distracted by the shopping! Forum des Halles is a three-story mall on top of the world's biggest underground subway station. The store that we had to buy our books at, FNAC, is like Best Buy plus Borders. They have three floors, one of which is devoted all to books, one which is all for DVDs and computer stuff, and one for music and other technology-related stuff. It's very, very crowded. All of Forum des Halles is crowded, though. Actually, most of Paris is crowded. But, then we went and did homework at Monop' (a mini-version of the grocery store Monoprix that has a little cafe area where you can sit) on Rue de Rennes, then I had to go for my last dinner with my host family.

I told my host family this morning that I missed the noise and energy of having kids around, so I was moving to a different place. They took it a lot better than I thought they would. Or maybe they didn't understand since my French isn't the best. Either way, I'm moving today most likely! How exciting! After moving, I'm going to try to actually make it to Montmartre!

Thanks to everyone for the phone calls to my French phone. It's been really awesome getting to talk to people from home. I miss you.

Riley =)

Jailbreak

So, I just got done talking to the IES Housing Director again. I'll be moving homestays either tomorrow or Wednesday. I don't know where I'm moving yet, but it will be one of two places, both of which are younger families with kids (one with young kids, one with older kids still at home). Either sounds great, so I'm excited to find out which one I'll be at!

I'm about to head off to Montmartre with some friends. We want to look at some of the little artsy shops and the Sacre Coeur and all those fun things!

More updates when I have more to update you on...
Riley =)

New Love for those Golden Arches

So, I can't stand McDonald's at home. I like their French fries (ha), but that's about it. Well, now, it seems like I am in McDo every day here in France! It's not for the American food (although I did have my first McDo hamburger today...it was totally different than the American ones)...it's because it's cheap (which is a rare find here) and has wireless Internet. It's also nice because it doesn't have the greasy, fried food smell like the ones at home...they're actually really nice and designed for people to hang out in, not just eat and run (cause trust me...the French do not just eat and run). Also, it's open on Sunday. Hardly anything is open here on Sunday except for shops catering to tourists. I tried to go buy my books for class today, but the librairies (book stores) were either closed or too far away. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to get my homework done...

The French love their food, and they love to enjoy their meals. Last night, Megan and I went to a cafe by her homestay around 10:30pm (they also eat dinner very, very late here). We were done within the hour, even though, by our standards, we were taking our time and enjoying our food. However, the French people around us just sit and talk for hours after their meals. In fact, they don't even bring you the check at French restaurants...you have to ask for it, and then they will eventually get around to it about 15 minutes later. Megan and I, being the impatient Americans we are, got tired of waiting after a half hour and just went up to the bar to pay, which totally confused them.

Tonight is hopefully one of my last night's at l'appartemente des Pommery. I was more comfortable at Megan's house and with her host brothers this weekend than I've felt in the entire week I have been at the de Pommery's.

Have a good week!

Riley =)

Cravings

So, for some reason, I have been craving just about every food in the past couple of days that isn't readily available here. These include turkey and cheddar sandwiches (cheddar cheese is nowhere to be found...and deli turkey is difficult to find), Mexican food, and chocolate chip cookie dough. I found the French version of chocolate chip cookies in FranPrix (a grocery store) today, which were tasty, but not quite the same thing as the American version! The French version is a crispy, airy thing, and it does not have a vanilla cookie base (it has a very, very mild chocolate base). I'm going to be on the lookout for cheddar cheese everywhere I go, though, because I want a turkey sandwich like crazy!

I spent the night at my friend Megan's homestay last night. We were both craving breakfast food (because that is yet another thing that the French really don't do), so we made scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. It was amazing. If I was allowed to cook at my homestay, I would probably make them for myself for dinner again tonight! After breakfast, we went to the Paris version of Chinatown (it wasn't too exciting), then did some shopping along Boulevard Haussman. We took the tramway for the first time ever today, too...it's not nearly as fast as the Metro, but it was very quiet in comparison.

I'm excited to find out where I get to move on Monday. Staying at Megan's last night made me see how awesome a homestay can be...and I want to have an awesome experience in every part of my trip to Paris!

Riley =)

McDo

Quick update as I eat my petit dejeuner (breakfast) at McDo! I must say, even though I am not a fan of McDonald's in the US, the French version is awesome. The restaurants are all really nice, there's free wireless in them, and they have a totally different menu (but it's still cheap). For example, I am having a caramel macchiato and a croissant for breakfast. It was 4 euro, which is a steal for this city! I've been eating at boulangeries (bakeries) most mornings here because my host family gives me bread and water for breakfast, and that isn't too tasty. And don't knock me for eating at an American restaurant...everywhere else is so expensive! Especially along the Champs-Elysees, where I live, because they cater to tourists who don't know any better (keep that in mind when you visit Paris someday...everything is cheaper the further you go from the Champs-Elysees, for the most part).



After I leave here, I'm taking the Metro to the Eiffel Tower because my IES group is eating lunch at one of the restaurants inside of it! I'm excited...hopefully I will be able to go all the way to the top this time. Last time I was in Paris, we ran out of time and only got halfway up.

At School

Bonjour! I am sitting at IES, my school, right now, enjoying the wireless Internet. I just got done talking with the IES Housing Coordinator and it looks like I may be getting moved to a new homestay on Monday. I talked to her for awhile and she asked me to describe my perfect host family...and after describing it, she said she thought she had a better match for me and wanted me to reflect until Monday, but on Monday she can do something if I still want to move. This makes me very excited because 1.) I will actually be able to sleep at night because I won't be having allergy issues and 2.) I will have Internet!

Besides talking about homestay issues, I had my first day of real classes. I am in French 301, which I think will be pretty nice. The professor seems cool and he speaks at like the perfect speed. I was afraid I'd end up with someone who spoke way too fast to understand! I am also excited that I tested into 301 because I was afraid I might not test into it, even though that's the level I should be at. I also had French Lit today, but I'm going to switch out that class for History of Paris (most likely) because the French Lit professor expects us to already know some stuff about French Lit...and I know absolutely nothing about French literature.

I know I've said it a couple of times already...but Skype is awesome. I have been videochatting and it works great! Granted, most of you probably aren't going to be up at the hours I have been videochatting (9am my time...3am in Indiana), but maybe if my new homestay has Internet, I'll be able to chat at better hours of the day!

I only have classes Monday through Thursday...so it's the weekend now! I'm eating lunch at the Eiffel Tower tomorrow!

Bon week-end!
Riley =)

Bienvenue

Well, I’m in Paris!

Paris itself is pretty amazing from the little bit of traveling around I’ve done so far. Today was orientation at IES, so I took the Metro from my closest station, George V, to Champs-Elysees Clemeneau, then switched lines and got off at Gaite for IES! It’s a short, simple journey, which is good since I’ll be making it every day! Two other girls from school live by me, too, so we may commute together. I’m currently typing this entry out on my laptop at about 11pm on Tuesday night, but it won’t be posted til tomorrow morning.

Many of you probably know what I’m talking about when I mention my “don’t eff with me” face. Well, I’ve decided that all Parisians always have their “don’t eff with me” faces on. On the Metro, people go out of their way to make sure they don’t look you in the eye. People will stare at their shoes, pretend to be really interested in advertisements, or just stare into space just to avoid eye contact. No one smiles on the street except for foreign tourists. In fact, one of easiest ways to spot an American tourist (that I’ve noticed so far) is that they are walking around, looking at everyone and smiling at them. A Parisian will just walk briskly with no expression on their face, ignoring other people around them. Also, Parisians seem to wear lots of black, don’t do flip flops, and love the whole leggings trend. A couple of the girls I’ve met at IES today and I walked around the Champs-Elysees after class because we wanted to look for places to update our wardrobe and be more Parisian. I don’t think I’m going to give in to the whole no flip flops thing (unless it keeps raining like it has been) because I love them far too much, but I’ve got the other two pretty well covered without buying more stuff…which is excellent because the exchange rate definitely is not in my favor here! Also, people wear scarves all the time, even though it’s almost June. And I brought my red-and-black checkered scarf and, while wearing it today, got mistaken for a French person by an actual French person at the Metro station (she asked me if I had a lighter…French people still smoke a lot, too).

As you may have gathered from the last paragraph, orientation is going well. Today was day one and tomorrow is the last day. I met a lot of very cool people today. There are only two guys in my group, and they went shopping for a bit with us, but wandered off when the girls all started getting excited by all the stores. So, me and 5 or 6 other girls ended up forming something of a group…we went to Laduree, the patisserie that I have wanted to go to for a very long time! We bought macarons, which were amazing! I bought 4 and ate them over the course of the afternoon…caramel et fleur de sel (caramel and sea salt), citron (lemon), chocolat (chocolate), and chocolat amer (dark chocolate). If you’ve never had a macaron…you should! And I’m not talking about the coconut macaroon things that you all know from the US. Macarons are meringue sandwich cookies filled with either ganache, fruit preserves, buttercream, or caramel. Here’s a picture I took of my citron and chocolat amer ones…

Really, the only thing that isn’t going so well is the host family thing. My family is very, very nice, but it’s very lonely living in their apartment. They have five grown children (not young children like I thought before) with kids of their own spread all over Paris, so they aren’t really home often. When they are home, they like to keep to themselves and pretty much stay in their room after dinner. It’s kind of annoying because I was hoping to be able to talk more in the house so I could learn more French. We speak French at dinner when I eat with them (which is only 3 nights per week), but when they have dinner guests (as they did tonight), they start speaking very rapid French and I just kind of sit there confused. It’s also annoying because it kind of just leaves me sitting alone all evening with very little to do. They do not have Internet (not even dial-up) or TV. They have a handful French DVDs, but I can’t use them on my laptop because they’re a different region (and they’re located in one of the rooms that is generally closed off to me). So, I’ve kind of just been sitting in my room after dinner listening to music or watching Heroes on my iPod. However, I’m very quickly running out of Heroes episodes to watch. They told me I could get free wireless at McDonald’s (which they call “McDo,” pronounced “Mac-Doe,” here), so I walked 15 minutes or so to the nearest one (on the Champs-Elysees…it’s a very creepy McDonald’s in the basement of a shopping center) only to find out that they do not actually have working wireless. My iPod managed to pick up a weak signal from somewhere along the Champs-Elysees so I checked my email…but then it stopped working again. So, yes, I am going slightly stir crazy. I’m in Paris, a huge, amazing city, yet I am sitting in my room bored for hours at night. I thought maybe other people in my group were in the same situation…but it turns out I’m the only one who doesn’t have wireless Internet in their homestay and most of the other families are young and very open and conversational. So, I’m going to talk to the IES people tomorrow about this and see if maybe I can get switched. M. and Mme. De Pommery are very, very nice, but I like to talk and get to know people beyond just casual dinner conversation! And I want to learn French and I can’t do that if I’m only speaking it over dinner!

So, that’s my very lengthy update for now! I have to give a HUGE thank you to Mom, Drew, and Jordan, because their texts have caught me just at the moments when I really needed to hear from someone at home. And American humor trumps French humor any day, and goodness knows many of those texts have made me laugh and stop feeling sorry for myself. My cell phone bill may be ridiculous, Mom and Dad, so I apologize for that…but I will write you a check because I think my sanity’s worth it =)

Love you all, and I’d love to hear from you.

Riley =)

Free Wireless in Philadelphia!

After walking around the airport in Philadelphia forever, I found some free wireless! Here is a picture to illustrate how I feel about this:

So, I'm sitting here in a food court at Philadelphia International Airport, listening to music and chillin. In about 2 hours and 15 minutes, I'll be on my way to Paris! It's crazy that this is finally actually here...I feel like I've been talking about it forever. I still don't know if it has quite hit me yet, though, cause I'm very calm and haven't started freaking out about anything yet.

Everything went well this morning (well, other than me sleeping through my alarm). I was up until 4:30am last night and discovered that Skype works really well...so those of you with microphones on your computers should definitely download Skype (it's free) and call me with it. If I find some wireless access somewhere by my home in Paris, you can call me with it on my laptop and we can talk over the computer for free. It's like 2 cents a minute if you call a phone with it.

Well, I'm going to miss everyone. Thanks to everyone who stopped in to say hi before I left!

And now my adventure begins...

Riley =)

Call Me

So, for those of you would would like to keep in touch with me while I'm overseas, I now can tell you how exactly to do that! I will be carrying two cell phones (my American one and a French one). You can still text my American cell phone and I will get your texts. If you want to talk to me on the phone, you have two options...

Option 1 - Call my French cell phone. My French cell phone's number is +33 63 790 7113. To make the +, you just hold down 0 on cell phones until it changes to a + and on a regular phone, you dial 011 instead. All incoming calls to my French cell phone are free, so we can talk all day if you want. If you want to call me this way, check out Skype (you can call France for 2 cents a minute with them) or go to Wal-Mart and get an AT&T calling card (they're a little more difficult to use, but they get better international minutes for the price).

Option 2 - Text my American cell phone OR my French cell phone (incoming texts are free, too). I'm not going to put the number on here because you should already have it (and if you don't for some reason, email me). If I am someplace where I can, I will call you back with the calling card I have. I only have one calling card for two months, though, so I probably wouldn't be able to talk for a very long time. Also, there's no guaranteeing that I will be somewhere where I have access to a landline phone, and that's necessary to use my phone card.

So, there's your phone options. You can always email or Facebook me, too. I just won't have access to the Internet all the time, so I can't guarantee a very quick response. And, for those of you who really want to appeal to the old-fashioned romantic in me, you can always write me a letter and send it to the address I posted before.

Hope to hear from everyone =)

Riley =)

Allo?

I finally got a hold of my host family today! I tried to call them yesterday, but they weren't home. So, this afternoon, I tried again...and my host mom, Madame de Pommary, answered. Now, this phone call was positively terrifying because she was speaking in really fast French and I was trying to translate everything in my head, which wasn't moving quite as fast. She seems nice. She was definitely patient with me on the phone, since it seemed like the majority of what I said was "Je ne comprends pas" (I don't understand) or "Oui" (Yes).

So, from the conversation with her, I gathered that my host family does not have Internet (sad day for me), has five kids (ranging in age from 3 to 27!), and she will be at home when I arrive Monday morning (or lundi matin, as she repeated many a time in the conversation!). I felt silly because I only used the present and future tenses while talking to her because I couldn't think to conjugate and translate simultaneously...but I don't think the family speaks much English, so I should be speaking French like a champion by the time I get home!

Tonight, I've been packing my travel backpack, rolling all of my clothes to save space and reduce wrinkles. I'm trying to pack as lightly as possible, but that's proving to be an interesting challenge! I'm not good at packing lightly!

I can't believe I'm leaving in 5 days...wow...

Riley =)

One Week and Mail

Only seven more days until I leave...crazy, isn't it??

If anyone would like to send me snail mail while I'm overseas (it would totally make my day if you did!), here's my address in Paris:

IES Paris Center
c/o Riley Steinmetz
77, rue Daguerre
Paris 75014
France

So, make my day...send me mail =) I'd love to hear from you!

Riley =)

Two Weeks

Two weeks from today, I'll be sitting in orientation in Paris! I've gotten a lot crossed off of my to do list, so that's always good. I got my new laptop, an HP TX2000. This is what it looks like:
It's only 12 inches long and like an inch and a half thick. It has an integrated webcam, too, which means I can video chat with those of you who also have them while I'm in Paris! I may look a little silly chilling in a Parisian cafe talking to my laptop (I don't think my host family has Internet), but oh well!

Today, I'm going backpack shopping so that I have something easy to use on my weekend trips. I've been talking to some of the people traveling with me on Facebook, and they all seem like they want to take plenty of weekend trips, too! It looks like the south of France (Marseille, Nice, Cannes...the French Riviera, basically) is a lock cause everyone wants to do that. A lot of people want to go to London, too, and some have thrown out Madrid, Amsterdam, Belgium (for the chocolate), and Italy. As I'm sure you all know, I'm down for anything.

Well, au revoir for now!

Riley =)

Housing Placement

I got my housing placement! I will be living in the 8th arrondissement, right by the Champs-Élysées, at 5 rue de Quentin Bauchart. For those of you who don't know much about Paris, this is AMAZING because the 8th is one of the busiest business districts of Paris. The Champs-Élysées is one of the fanciest streets in the world, as well as one of the world's most exclusive shopping districts. I will be living with a couple, but I don't have any information on their age, if they have children, or anything like that. I have to call them sometime in the next couple of days, which makes me a little nervous since my conversational French isn't the greatest.

Here's a map (if it works) to give you a little better of an idea of where I'll be living...

Introduction

I had to write a letter in French introducing myself to my host family. Let's see if any of you can actually read it...

Je m’appelle Riley Steinmetz. Je suis une femme de 21 ans d'Indianapolis, Indiana, dans la région de Midwest des Etats-Unis. Je suis une étudiante qui étudie la psychologie, la chimie, et français à la Université de Ball State à Muncie, Indiana. Je graduerai dans 2009 et je vais à l'école médicale, avec les espoirs de devenir un médecin. J'apprécie écouter la musique, écriver, cuire, la cuisine, faire les courses, et sortir avec mes amis. J'aime le chocolat sombre, et j'espère que je peux cuire quelques biscuits pour vous pendant que je suis en France! Mes amis aux Etats-Unis aiment manger des biscuits et les petits gâteaux que je cuis.

Je viens d'une famille de cinq. Ma mère, Debbie, est un professeur à un lycée. Mon père possède sa propre entreprise. J'ai deux plus jeunes frères ou soeurs, mon frère s’appelle Jordan et ma soeur s’appelle Hillary. Jordan assiste aussi la Université de Ball State. Hillary est dans un lycée. Nous avons un chien s’appelle Maddy. J'ai beaucoup de tantes, d'oncles, et de cousins, et je suis très proche à eux.

Je suis très exciteé à vous rencontrer et avoir l'occasion de parler le français en France! J'ai été dans les classes françaises depuis deux ans à mon université, et j'espère que mon français améliore par le temps je pars Paris! Toujours, j’ai été beaucoup de curiosité en France et la culture française, et je suis excité à éprouver la vie française. Je vous verrai bientôt!

Final Mailing

Well, it's getting down to the final days! Only 18 days until I leave for Paris!

I got my final mailing of information today. It has a list of all the participants in the program (there's a TON of them from IU...so maybe I'll run into some of them in the airport or something), plus information on how to get from the airport in Paris to your homestay and things like that. I also got my visa approval, which means the French government says I'm good to go. I should be getting my information about my homestay next week. When I get that, I'm supposed to call them! That should be interesting, since my conversational French isn't exactly the best (which is exactly why I'm going to France!).

Now, all that's left to do is buy my new laptop (that'll be happening within the week, most likely) and a few other odds and ends (toiletries, a backpack, etc.).

Let me know if you want to hang out before I leave!

Riley =)

Happy Birthday!

I'm now officially old...aka 22! And I'm going to Paris in less than a month!

I don't really have any big information to update anyone on. I've already mentally checked out from school, which is making studying for finals a bit of a challenge. I'm just ready to be done with this semester's classes and spend my summer learning about French and French culture!

I've been browsing laptops, hoping to find a good one on sale somewhere because I don't want to spend too much money on one. So, if you have any info about good laptop deals, help me out! My new digital camera has been proving itself to be quite excellent. It takes great photos and videos, so I know it'll be an excellent asset to have this summer.

A few of you have been asking how you can get in touch with me this summer. When it gets closer to time for me to leave, I'll write out how exactly that will work if you want to talk to me on the phone. I will have some Internet access, but it won't be too consistent, so if it isn't urgent, email will work fine...you just won't be able to count on finding me on AIM too often!

That's my little update for now...off to celebrate my birthday =)

The Countdown

I have 33 days until I am leaving for Paris, and I have a TON to do in those days! First, obviously, I have to get through the last week of classes and finals week. Second, since all of my electronic equipment seems to be failing me all at once, I have a lot of shopping to do.

As far as things to buy go...I made my biggest purchase, my plane ticket, yesterday. The next-biggest purchase would be a new laptop. I was kind of undecided as to whether or not I was going to do that, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to now. My current laptop has a dead battery and a new battery will cost $250 (because Dell sucks), which is more than a third of the cost of a new laptop. I don't want to take a laptop that can't run on battery power, because otherwise I'll have to keep it plugged into both an electrical converter and an outlet all the time, which would probably ruin my charger (which would cost another $200 to replace). So, I decided that I might as well just get a new laptop since mine is outdated and doesn't work all that well anyways. I also want to get a new iPod before I leave, because my current one also has no battery life...and I know I'm going to want my iPod battery to last more than a few hours when I'm flying over the Atlantic for eight hours.

Some of the other things I'm looking into buying are new Chucks (my black ones are kind of falling apart), a backpack for weekend trips around Europe, and a light waterproof jacket. Basically, I'm going to be spending a ton of money in order to go to France and spend a bunch more money. But I'm excited!

Riley =)

A Fresh Start

So, a few of you have been reading this blog for awhile now and may notice a few changes. First of all, the layout has changed. Second of all, all of my old posts are gone. There's a few reasons for these things.

I started this blog with the intention of documenting my travel experiences and it didn't really serve that purpose before. Now, I have been accepted to a study abroad program in Paris, France, for this summer and I want to use this blog for its original purposes, but I wanted to get rid of all of the other, irrelevant stuff that may have detracted from that.

What exactly will this blog be documenting? On May 25, I will be leaving Indianapolis for 54 days and studying in Paris, France, through a program with IES Abroad! I will be studying until July 11, then staying in France (doing God knows what...I'll figure that out when I get there!) until July 18. I'll be staying with a French family, hopefully improving my French speaking skills, and taking classes in French culture and language. It's going to be an exciting experience!

So, I hope you all enjoy reading about my adventures and misadventures abroad! Please leave comments...I'd love to hear from you!

Riley =)