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 =)