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

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 =)

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 =)

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 =)

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 =)

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.