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 =)