le SHOPPIN

I just got back from the Monoprix hypermarche. Actually, it was its smaller version, called Monop. So they didn't have pillows. Which is what I really need. The pillow I have is like a feather in a pillowcase.

Here is what I did buy though.












Everything is pretty simple to identify, even though it's all in French. It's weird not knowing what brand is good etc. No brand or label catches your eye, except the few American products throughout the store.

It was bizarre shopping in a French grocery store. They have baskets like we do, carts like we do, and then they have these giant plastic baskets--that's what I used because it was the first thing I saw. I was lugging this thing around the store, cursing the French for creating such an impractical basket...and then a woman walked by me with the same basket, except she was rolling it behind her. Faux pas...So I casually figured out how this mystery rolling basket worked, and my life was about 10 times easier.

At the check out, I spoke to the cashier in French, but then her noticed my accent and asked if I was here from London. When I told him I was from the States, he started speaking to me in English about his trip to New York lalala. It was nice though. I think most of the time, the French (who are friendly) like to use their English because it's interesting to them, not always because they're annoyed and want to hurry up conversation.

I'm off to la poste to buy some stamps and such.

Bon apres midi.

I woke up at 3pm and now I'm eating a banana I bought on the Metro last night. I can't think of something witty to say about that right now.

Yesterday, Saturday, was a really awesome time. I had pain au chocolat for breakfast, which is all I've wanted to eat since I got here. We met up early to go to Puisaye, about two hours south west of Paris. It's not really a touristy area at all, but we did touristy things. We went to Poterie de la Bâtisse à Moutiers . We were the only ones there, and in the middle of our tour a French couple, with their helmets still in hand from their motorcycle ride there, joined us. So for the rest of the tour I mostly daydreamed about how I want to marry a French man and go on weekend excursions to the countryside on our "moto".


After that, we drove to Moulin de Vanneau and, once again, we were the only ones there. The twenty or so of us had lunch at the farm there. All the food was made on the farm, and it was definitely the best meal I've had here. Ah so good! Especially because being vegetarian in France hasn't been as easy as I thought. My meals have been salad or soup. Which is great, but not the food I was excited to eat here, you know?


We got back to Paris around 8 last night, and 3 of us met us to go to a bar, but we ended up on the Champs Elysees at a club called Queen...which I had falsely assumed was a gay club. We got there at 11:30 and rang a doorbell to get in (it was pretty Wizard of Oz-esque) One of the bouncers popped his head out and said "Bonsoir?" as in "What the?". The bouncers in Paris are really friendly, it's completely bizarre. He told us they don't open til midnight (duh). So we went to the bar down stairs and had 12 euro drinks and a heart attack when thinking about how money literally DISAPPEARS here. It's because we were on the main tourist area in tourist season in Paris, too. Big mistake. No regrets though.

When the club opened at 12, we stayed until about 4, and then we left with a plan to go to a bar down the street until 5:30 when the Metro would open so we wouldn't have to take a cab. So the three of us, and 4 kind gents (it got weird) left, but we couldn't find a decent bar, so two of the guys got an awkward boot when we took a 5 person cab to the Bastille, where we ended up at another bar until Walsh and I left to get late night creme brulee and catch the Metro at 5:30.


WHEW.

Now I'm off to go for a walk and call home before dinner.

Hugs,
Erica

I honestly didn't think I'd be this consistent with updating this blog. Gimme cred.

Nah.

We all went to the Louvre tonight on a guided tour. I thought about not going...I really don't like tours, but it ended up being fantastic. I saw the Mona Lisa of course and Venus de Milo. It's not nearly as famous as Mona, but my favorite piece of art at the Louvre is La Jeune Martyre. It's an amazing thing to see in person. I wish all of your could see it, photos couldn't ever do it justice.

I walked by the Notre Dame on my way back from the Louvre...so crazy how strolling by Notre Dame is no big deal here.

Walsh and I (Walsh Walsh Walsh, right? She's really fun so that's why her name keeps popping up) went to find dinner around Port d'Orleans tonight. We couldn't decide where to go. The decision maker ended up being a really cute waiter we passed by in a creperie called Rouge Pomme. We didn't even look at the menu before we went in. It ended being the best decision ever. Our waitress was the most friendly person I've met here so far. She was chatty and so awesome to us. She wrote a bunch of fun places to visit in Paris on the back of our recipt. The best part was that she spoke French to us. You might not think it, but usually, once someone hears your English accent, they start speaking to you in English. Which is disappointing because all I want to do is practice my French.

Earlier today, we had a similar experience at a creperie right by the fountain at the Centre Pompidou. So expect to be hearing a lot about Rouge Pomme and Cafe Beaubourg, I'm planning on becoming a regular.



I'm off to bed. It's midnight here, and I have to be at Place de la Republique at 8am to catch a bus to a mystery excursion. I only know where we're leaving from and when, I don't really know the details of where we're going.

Bonne nuit!

I posted this morning?...Time is so crazy here.

I'm all moved into my permanent housing at the Fondation des Etats-Unis. It's gorgeous! I'm in a single (like everyone else) and it's simple and pretty. I have a giant window that overlooks the courtyard in back. In the picture below...it says Mexico on the building across the way because Mexican students studying in Paris live there...I swear.



What I've purchased (this is mostly for my own sake, since I feel like my money has disappeared.)
Une bouteille de Perrier, 3
L’Élégance du hérisson, 7, 50
Une salade de la chèvre chaude
Shampoo, soap etc, 27
A bottle of Evian in a Metro vending maching (Think outside the bottle, and my morals, I apologize) 1, 70
A bottle of wine and some fruit , 9, 60

So about 58 euro. Pas mal.

Ah it's depressing how terrible the exchange rate is.

I did most of that shopping today. I visited Les Galleries Lafayette, THE department store in Paris. I loved it there, but I only window shopped for now. I plan on returning to buy a kick ass pair of boots. The best part was going to the roof of of the building and seeing the view. I love that there are barely any skyscrapers in Paris, and few that do exist are on the outer edge of the city.

Bonsoir mes amis!

Tuesday night was...um...an epic first night in Paris.
All 20 of us went out to dinner at a cool cafe. I really like all the girls in the program. It makes sense, we all are interested in similar things.


The Eiffel Tower was an adventure.

Walsh and I met two French guys who sat with us and chatted. We had a lot of fun, BUT when they offered us a ride we declined (1 point for safety). I mean...we got in their car for about 2 seconds, then our brains turned on and we ran away. Literally.
We caught a taxi, and ended up in front of the hotel, where things went awry and Walsh ended up feeling sick. Three of the kindest French guys that were our age stopped to help us out. I don't think I've ever said "merci" so much in my life.
So, one of them called an ambulance...they took it a little too far. So I ended up waiting in the hospital from 2am to 6 am. I really didn't mind, I ended up meeting three students from London who were taking a road trip to the south of France. They had been attacked by 12 pre-teens by the Arc de Triumph. They offered me a ride back to the hotel, but Walsh ended up leaving the hospital right in time for us to catch a taxi back together.
...I'm probably making it seem like the worst first night in Paris ever...but it was an adventure for sure.

Now it's Thursday morning. Good morning, Paris.


I spent yesterday more exhausted than I've ever been. We had meetings at the API center with the 20 other girls in my program (about 7 others will be in my classes).
I slept for about 14 hours last night. From 5pm to 7am now. I think I'm over being jet lagged.

I'm all packed up to move into my permanent housing at the Cite Universitaire : )
Bye for now!

Erica

Je suis arrive à Paris à 8h ce matin.

A little overview:
I said goodbye to my family at the secutity checkpoint a little before 5, and I was in the air at 6 :05, right on time. The flight to Heathrow was only 5 ½ hours long. I sat next to a teenage boy from the UK. Unfourtunatly, he didn’t take his headphones off the whole time. I was desperate for conversation, and there was none to be had. So, to keep myself busy, after take-off, I read the letter’s Jimmy and Molly had written to me to read on the plane. Let me tell you, they made me the happiest. Thanks pals. I tried to sleep, but I ended up reading Everything Is Illuminated (the best going away gift ever from Megan).

Flying over the Atlantic away from the sun was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen. The sunset was the most gorgeous color red and once we were in the middle of the Atlantic, the starts were as brilliant as they possibly could be.

When I landed at Charles de Gaulle at 4:30 AM local time, I ended up meeting a girl in my program at the terminal. It was perfection to know someone, because once we caught out connecting flight to Charles de Gaulle, things were semi crazy. The flight was good though, it was only 45 minutes, but I sat next to the sweetest gal from Australia on “holiday” with her boyfriend.

At the Charles de Gaulle, I met up with several other girls (there’s only one boy) from my program and we were shuttled through the city to our hotel.

Ok. Best part.

I got up to the room, which is a beaut, and met a couple girls who were already there. One’s name was Walsh and we immediately started talking about how we both have Eurail passes, we both want to go to Oktoberfest and how we want to go explore. So we did. She already knows the Metro pretty well, so she took me to where we’ll be living for the rest of our stay at the Cité Universitaire of the Université de Paris.
It was gorgeous…as you can see. Then, we walked to a café and sat and had a drink until we walked over to a little market selling fruit and wine. The man there told us we were pretty and said “Vous etes americaines? J’ai pensé que tous les filles d’Etats Unis sont grosses!” Some what of a compliment, right ?
We got a bottle of wine each and a few pieces of fruit to picnic on the lawn of the Eiffel Tower tonight. I’m so happy I met someone who wants to do things, and it’s only the first day. Whew. I’ve been in Paris for less than 8 hours, and I’m in love with it here, and I can’t wait to really enjoy the city more.

Hugs,
Erica

Let them eat cake

My last night in the US until December. It's been the most wonderful summer, thanks to everyone who enjoyed it with me : )



Flight BA0212. From Boston to Heathrow, August 24. Departure Time 18:05.
Seat 44A (Window)
SUCH a perfect sign!

One week (and 40 or so minutes) until I am on my flight to Paris. Woo hoo : )
Today, Jimmy reminded me that "Everything about abroad will work out, or people wouldn't do it".
That's good first post material. I'll keep that in mind in one week when I'm over the Atlantic frantically reviewing the French language.

Oh, and Jimmy also reminded me to check the 10 day forecast for Paris. Should I just have Jimmy write my blog posts?
Paris, France. Tuesday August 25th. 75, partly cloudy.

Bisou, Bonne journée !