I have officially been in Paris now for 5 days! To say that I love it would be an understatement; it's already been more than I could have imagined. I don't think that it has fully sunk in yet that I will be here for another 4 months. It almost feels as though I'm just here on des petites vacances and will be leaving in a week or so. Nevertheless, I've been trying to live each day to the fullest because I am sure May 6th will come sooner than expected!
IES orientation was a lot of fun, though rather tiring. Sitting in lectures all day long about things like safety, culture shock, etc. can get boring pretty quickly, especially when you are still jet-lagged. Meeting everyone was a lot of fun and I can already tell that I'll have many great new friends after this semester. It also helped ease me into listening to French all the time, and I was pleased to find that my comprehension of spoken french is much better than I thought it to be. My speaking on the other hand, is still pretty weak, but I hope that it will improve while being here.
Friday night we had dinner on a boat along the Seine and it was fabulous! The boat couldn't go along the part of the river right next to la Tour Eiffel and such because Paris has gotten so much rain/snow in the past month that the water level is raised. Despite this we still had a great view of the city and the Eiffel tower so it was still a great night.
Saturday afternoon I went with a group of IES students to Les Tuileries, where we had a chance to take a ton of great pictures of the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, and the gardens itself. Afterward we went to the Musée de l'Orangerie, which is known for its wall-sized paintings of Monet's water lilies. Less known than the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, this museum is a must-see if you visit Paris as it is also filled with other fabulous works by Cézanne, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, and many others.
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| One of the Monet paintings at l'Orangerie |
Another great museum that I went to see today is the Musée du quai Branly, which features art and artifacts from Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. The building itself is so modern and beautiful, and the collections inside are just as incredible. Another less-known museum in Paris that is not quite as busy as the others that you must see! It is also conveniently located right next to la Tour Eiffel which allowed me to take many great pictures. The sky was perfectly blue today and the temperature pretty warm, so it was a perfect day to stroll along the Champ de Mars and sight-see.
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| très jolie, n'est-ce pas? |
1. Paris and my hair do not get along. The humidity is pretty high here, and despite my efforts with the straightening iron to keep it smooth, the second I enter the metro all of my work is ruined. Et alors.
2. Meal times in France are a big deal. No one here eats while walking, driving, attending class, or anything else. They take their time and enjoy the meal as well as the company of those they are with. Perhaps that is one of the reasons the French are (in general) thinner than Americans...? Je ne sais pas.
3. It is true that les Français smoke a lot. Which is funny because their cigarretts boxes look like this:
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| "SMOKING KILLS" |
4. French food is fabulous, as expected. Especially their cheese. Oh mon dieu I could eat cheese forever. Also had a pain au chocolat this week and almost died and went to heaven. I won't even try to describe its goodness because I wouldn't do it justice. You'll just have to come have one yourself. Also very good is Carlsberg beer which is actually Danish, not French, but you get the idea.
C'est tout for now! À bientôt!
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