Salut

As reminded by my mother, I have not updated for a few days. So here's what has been going on. Lundi (Monday) was my first Parisian class!!! I got to learn about the history of Paris in French. For that class we will be visiting locations around Paris to compare different architectual styles. Umm, okay.














Mardi I signed up for my MuseO card and walked around the Musee D'Orsay for a while. I am so excited to have unlimited access, I cannot begin to explain it to you!!! Then I got lunch. And lost my 55euro metro ticket which is the SIZE OF A FINGER.








So today, mercredi I woke up and went to Charles de Gaulle Etoile to get a metro ticket and had to go to about 4 different billets before I could spend another 55euro for a passe navigo. This one is cool though, you just hold it up to the thing and it clicks you through. Tomorrow I start my cours pratique class which I am very excited about. Thaaat's pretty much it.

Nuit Blanche

Nuit Blanche... I don't even know where to begin. I'll commentary the pictures and then explain the insanity that was my night.























I left my apartment and headed over to the rue du Rivoli where the Tour Saint-Jacques had some funky art on it. Whatever. I got a crepe and wandered around the Louvre and then headed up to the Opera Garnier. I absolutely adore walking around this city.

















This was a random light, I thought it was the Batman sign or something.



































This was at the Gare de l'Est. Okay. This guy took a panel and let paint drip down it.

























There were these awesome mixes of colors, and he would also take an airbrush and smoosh the colors around. It was then projected onto the Terminus Est....





















... like so. HOW FREAKING COOL.



























It legit looked like there was paint dripping down the building.

























Needless to say, I spent two and a half hours outside watching the colors. Easily entertained? You betcha. Plus I really connected to the expression in this, it was incredible.





















Ohhh pink and blue :)

SO. After watching this spectacle it was about 2am. I decided to head back to my apartment since the metro shuts down at 2:30. All was going well, until some idiot decided to commit suicide on the line that I was taking. This was fate intervening, because as I walked down another metro line, I ran into Kathryn and Matt who go to Salve also. I ended up following them on a cross-city adventure which involved men with bloody faces and taking a bus past Moulin Rouge. I didn't get home until 4:40am, but what are the chances, people?

Today is the first Sunday of the month so many of the museums are free. I'm thinking of heading over to the Rodin in a little bit, and then maybe l'Orangerie. I would spend the whole day at the Orsay, HOWEVER, Tuesday I will be joining a membership that they have. 18 euro and I have unlimited accesss for a year. Granted I won't be here for a year, but I will be frequenting the Orsay quite often since it holds the Impressionist loves of my life, so I think it is totally worth it. UNLIMITED MONET??? Count me in.

I'm going to find clothes and a fork, because it is tuna time my dear readers. Bisous, bisous.

Chartres

AIFS provided a trip to Chartres for us. The cathedral dates back to 1145 - oh man, I love Europe and their crazy history. America is such an infant.











This is my insanely creepy picture of Carmen walking the labryinth. She's the boots with the eerie blur.











Our tour guide was extremely knowledgable and hilarious to boot. He brought us outside to show us some things, and someone asked "Could you tell us about that statue?" and he replied as he walked away, "No, I'm cold and want to go inside."

Mon Appartement

Bienvenue, to the tour of where I am living in the 15eme arrondisment of Paris.

In order to enter the apartment, you have to hold up the little green thing to the little square thing and then click! The door unlocks. Same system as getting into the dorms in Angers.

To leave the building, you press the button which says "Sortie" (I am aware the picture is blurry, I was in a hurry to get to Monoprix. Desole)

Take the elevator up to the 6th floor. More likely than not, this hallway will be pitch black... there is a button to press to turn on the lights. I am an idiot and hit someones doorbell thinking it was the light. Lesson learned.

View from the balcony of the apartment. Carmen and I enjoyed our Frosties out here one morning.

The salle... I adoree all the old furniture and unique decorations all over this apartment!!

This is the piano I stare at during dinner when it gets awkward, or when I want to laugh and cannot make eye contact with Carmen.

La cuisine. Sweet niblets, where do I begin with this kitchen. Okay, I will start by saying, Madame is an excellent cook. However, she isn't the greatest with cleaning everything up. Especially the dishes. The OCD in me is raging whenever I set foot in this kitchen: I have to wash the dishes even before I use them. Next, the fridge. We have the top shelf to put our food on, but I really really do not ever want to open that fridge again....... there's something growing on the back of it. It is revolting. And the gas burner. What an experience Carma and I had trying to make eggs one morning. She would light a match, I would turn on the gas, she would light the fire, and I would freak out and turn the gas off. This went on about... five times before I finally left the gas on.

I do give Madame et Monsieur credit. BOOKS GALORE. There is even a shelf in the toilet room with books. Lots of Agatha Christie in French.

Haha, okay, this is where Paris living gets really interesting. Get ready for this one. This is our shower, the toilet has a different room. Notice the mirror? See how YOU CAN SEE INTO THE SHOWER? That shower curtain is as far closed as it can go. Also, it's not quite a shower, so much as a hand-held device which does not reach the nub on the wall where I could have hung it. Here is my new bathing method: I sit. I feel completely and utterly awkward watching myself bathe, so I sit. Washing my hair with one hand has been quite the challenge as well. There is also one of those butt-washers in the bathroom, but it has something growing in it too and I just don't want to go there.

Down the hall is my room! This is my little desk table. I also have a dry erase board... what more could an educator ask for?!

My closet.

Which is next to this wicked ancient dresser. Some of the doors aren't properly hinged so I can't use them all, but it's so fun to store things in all the little shelves.

The bed. Complete with Salve Regina blanket. And Brownie.

Oh. Best part. This is what I see every time I look out my window. SPARKLE!!!!!!!

Intermediate !!!

I got my results from my placement exam this morning: I got into intermediate! I will be taking all classes in French. I was so prepared to be in elementary classes too. But knowing I actaully made it, AHHHH. Two years of French, people, and the Sorbonne, the SOR-FREAKING-BONNE thinks I'm intermediate. Oh, and afterward, I had a wonderful shopping and food experience. Carmen and I found a lingerie store with things 50% off, and then really cheap warm sweaters!! We got lunch at a wonderfully inexpensive cafe with tasty food. I got to walk on crunchy leaves, because the leaves are changing colors and falling. The air is crisp. My favorite season is here. And life, oh my readers, life is good. I love Paris. And I have so much to look forward to when I get home. :)
"Tu est ma mademoiselle, tu est ma petite poubelle..." Erm, nevermind. I'm going to go eat my favorite St. Moret cheese and baguette, oh YUM!