This has nothing to do with France

But I just have to admit how desperately in love I am with this man:

So close

I'm really sorry for not updating in forever. I may catch up this post, but if not here's the rundown:

- Saw the Magic Flute at the Opera Bastille from the 2nd row. It was a decadent night including champagne at intermission. Was weirdly staged, almost like a video game, but Pamina was incredible. I felt like a circle in my life was completing itself.

- Went to London again to visit Z. Had an incredible weekend including Hamlet with David Tennant and Patrick Steward, Wagamama, and a pub quiz (with some amazing fish and chips on the side). Oh, to have a college social life again.

- I leave for home in 3 days.

- I have 2 finals today. I need my brain to slow down before I have to take them so that I have some mental ability. I'm not too worried, since I pass the class of the harder of the two finals without even taking it.

I just want to be done.

It snowed the other day. I hate snow.

B

1/3 of the way there

#4, 5, 9, and 15 done and done

#4 My signature perfume: A combination of Honeysuckle and Jasmine and Orange Blossom from Jo Malone. Ok, I feel kinda bad about this one because Jo Malone is from London, but I couldn't resist. I also got an amazing candle that smells like Christmas, but better.

#5 Catacombs! So so creepy! I visited them with my sister when she was here. You can check out her uber creepy photos on facebook. Yay the bones of 6 million dead people!
So there was a guard who was working down in the catacombs making sure people didn't touch the bones, but it was really creepy (sorry for the repetition. I need to find a better word) because he was sitting in a chair in a dark corner whistling softly to himself. Can you imagine that being your job? Also, they check your bags when you exit to make sure that you don't try and steal any remains.

#9 Le Bon Marche. One of my favorite stores in Paris, and the original Grand Magasin. I ended up buying my Jo Malone perfume there, but also went to the Marc by Marc Jacobs section and tried on this incredible creation:

Oh Marc, how I love you. It was gorgeous, and looked amazing on. If only it wasn't 385 euros! I think that counts as trying on something expensive.

#15 I went on a date with a French boy. Enough said.

So that's 5 of 15. I've tickets to see a ballet at the Palais Garnier, and I will do the Eiffel Tower eventually (wow, tangent just popped into my head. The adverb "eventuellement" in French does not actually mean eventually, but possibly. Hooray for Atelier d'ecriture!) Not sure if Carla will happen and Les Miz won't, but I'm doing my best. I swear, no accordion players ever play La Vie en Rose! I thought that would be an easy one!

Last weekend my dad was here, and we went to Switzerland for the day to see Lorin Anderson, my high school small group leader, marry her Swiss beau. I'm so so jealous. I mean, it hit me during the middle of the reception that she is going to spend the rest of her life speaking French (which she's just learned), raising bilingual children, and living in Switzerland on the edge of Lake Geneva. I want to do that!!!

And tomorrow I jet off to see Jeannie, my lovely college friend, get married in Texas. Wow, life is interesting.

xoxo
B

Holding my breath

Tonight's schedule:
12am - 6am fete at the Palais de Congres
Could be a night to remember
We'll see demain.

(Obama, please, please, please win)

I'm horrible

Sorry for the delay. So much has happened recently and I've been too overwhelmed to catch up.

1) So, I've officially decided to return to Whitworth next semester. As many of you know, I've been debating this for a while, and I finally made up my mind. Some of my reasoning behind it: I love Paris. I love France. I love speaking French. But I absolutely hate going to school here. It's hard enough having to go to class and do homework in Spokane, but it's absolute murder doing it here in Paris. Plus, I'm very worried about not actually learning anything from these classes by having to deal with the language barrier. Paris isn't going anywhere. I can come back when I'm done with school and can just enjoy life. Plus, I really miss Whitworth. And I have so many friends there who won't be there when I get back if I stay the whole year, and I just can't see how an extra four months is worth that. I don't want to have to completely start over my senior year for the fourth year in a row. So I'm going back, and feeling good about it.

2) Last weekend I went to London! It was seriously the perfect weekend. I arrived Thursday night after taking the Eurostar and went to Lisa Gilham's flat. I can't tell you how much I love her. Friday Lisa worked most of the day, so I had my "tourist" day. I visited the V and A, and then went to the British Library where I spent half an hour obsessively reading Thomas More's last letter to Henry VIII. Loves it. I went to the amazingly cute restaurant where Lisa works for a late lunch and had a tomato salad, french green beans, and a glass of white wine. It was one of those surreal moments where I realized that I was in a foreign country in a restaurant being served my one of my friends. So weird. After I finished, Lisa had here break and we bought some chocolate and went to a nearby garden and had one of the best conversations of my life. When her break was almost over, we went back to the restaurant and had tea and cake until she started working again, and I went home and went to bed. Saturday, I spent most of the day with Zoe. :) We went to Starbucks and wandered around London for a bit. We ended up at Leister Square and went to Wagamama for lunch/dinner. It was so freaking good, but for some reason I was extremely full. After that we went and saw the Duchess with Keira at the Odeon. We went out for drinks at a hotel bar, and then saw Phatom! It was my fifth time and Zoe's first. So good.
Sunday was a magical day. It was rainy, but that didn't stop Lisa and I from playing. We went to Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park to look for fairies and made up a story about naughty little British girls (found as a photo album on Lisa's facebook). We then found Peter Pan. Afterwards, we had lunch at a pub and Nick Kemner (who was in London and I really wanted to see) called my cell phone. I literally jumped up and ran out of the restaurant to answer. We set up a time to meet, and Lisa and I went off to have tea at the Orangery (the British spell it strangely). So of course I was late to meet up with Nick. It was really dramatic. Lisa and I were rushing through the streets of London. When I finally met up with him, we spent a really chill evening just walking around and hanging out in the lobby of his hotel. Monday I was a little sick from playing in the rain the day before and Lisa and I had a good sick day lunch with tomato soup and tea. Then I headed back to Paris. One thing. On the way over to London, I experienced the weirdest culture shock. Everything was in English! I felt so awkward speaking it.

3) So I guess that brings me to today. This evening, I went to a "pot" hosted by Madame Hervier, who works with the program (and actually was a Sweet Briar student who met her French husband while studying abroad). It was fun. Sarah and I talked for a while with some nice French-American guys. It got interesting right as I was leaving. I literally had my coat on and was heading for the door when I noticed a group of French guys looking at me and talking. Before I knew it, one of them came up to me, and asked if I was going. I said I could stay for a minute, and we talked for a little bit, while his friends kept making comments. We exchanged numbers, and as I was writing this, we chatted on facebook. Hmm. Life could get interesting. Score : The World - 0 . Me - 1.

bisous
B

It's been a while

This week was crazy.

So last weekend, when I should have been doing the massive amounts of "devoirs" that were due this week, I did absolutely nothing. Which meant when Monday came around (my last actual day of the weekend) I had to nail myself to my desk chair and work.
In short, here was my week:
Monday - read a book in french (10 hours)
Tuesday - classes (6 hours) finish book (1 hour) write paper on book (5 hours) bedtime: 3:30am
Wednesday - class (2.5 hours) choir rehearsal (2.25 hours) read article in french (1-2 hours) begin paper on said article (1 hour) bedtime: 1am
Thursday - finish paper (2 hours) class (4 hours) go see play (3 hours) dinnertime : 12 am, bedtime: 1 am
Since Friday is the beginning of my weekend, I didn't set my alarm. And I woke up today at 1pm. Needless to say, I was exhausted.

Play:
I went to see Tartuffe last night! I don't get to see professional productions of show's I've been in that often (especially in the language and city they were written in), and I was curious to see a different version of it.
And it wasn't bad. I may be biased, but I thought Rick's production was much better.
This version was...well, it wasn't funny. It was actually pretty dark.
The whole thing was set in modern times, and the living room of Orgon's house was extremely severe-looking and bare. Rather than starting out with the family coming home from a party and swing dancing ( a la Whitworth's production), Mariane and Valere were making out in her bedroom, Cleante and Elmire were drinking and laughing by the front door, and Damis was watching tv (I swear it was porn too, but the tv set was all fuzzy and I was in the 2nd balcony).

The director had a very different vision of the characters as well. Orgon (who was amazing) was clearly the main character of this version. When he came in from his trip to the country, he walked in with a giant wooden cross wrapped in tissue like a bouquet of flowers. Another touch that I loved was that Orgon was dressed exactly like Tartuffe (like a high school freshman tries to dress like the popular senior). They both wore dark slacks, a white turtleneck, and a wooden cross on a rope around their necks. Later on in the show, Madame Pernelle and Loyal were both dressed like that as well.
To make Orgon the strongest character, the director made many of the other characters a lot weaker. Mariane especially was like a timid, anorexic mouse. And Dorine, was...well... I have to give the actress credit, because the real Dorine was taken ill suddenly and this was a replacement (who had never done the show before and read all the lines from a script in her hand). She was just very different than my Dorine. First, she was old, and not at all sexy or "brazen". And she just alternated between angry and afraid. Not a whole lot of depth to her character. Elmire and Damis were very good, and Tartuffe was very different than Nik's portrayal. He wasn't quite as outwardly slick and slimy as Nik was. Just very creepy in that very repressed, devout way. And during the table scene he TOTALLY felt up Elmire.
My favorite by far was Valere. Moliere doesn't put that much into that role, but this guy was great. I mean, everything this guy did was amazing. When he first enters, right before the fight scene with Mariane, this guy runs in with a bottle of champagne and three glasses, and you think he's sincerely happy and has no idea about the plan for Mariane to marry Tartuffe. But then he pours a glass for Mariane, Dorine, and himself, makes a toast to Mariane and Tartuffe's upcoming wedding, and downs his glass in one sip. My other favorite part was when he storms off and Dorine has to chase after him. He actually ran out the front door, and Dorine runs out after him yelling at him to come back. And Valere yells out "NO!", but runs back into the room and abruptly slowing down like he was coming back in reluctantly.
It was still extremely dark. The set kept changing to go to lower rooms in the house. It started out in the living room, and then the whole wall of the backdrop rose, and the lower part of the backdrop made a basement, and then it rose again to create a lower third story (if you can imagine that), and on each lower floor, the walls were more cracked and deconstructed, like a figurative decent into hell, or Tartuffe's facade crumbling away. And the whole seduction scene took place on a table that had been set up as an alter in the basement, with a big cross on it and everything.
So yeah. Interesting take on the play, but I liked ours better.

This weekend I'm just going to relax. I'm being lazy today, and will probably go to Printemps in the afternoon. Saturday is "let's play tourists" day with my friends, and we're going to actually go see monuments and musees that we haven't seen yet (even though we've lived here for a month). How time flies.

I'm starting to forget some English words. And I've started throwing in random French words when I do speak in English, especially "sauf" instead of...wait...I seriously can't think of the English translation. Wait. Except? and "meme" instead of same or even.

B

La fete!!!

So, I may have written about this before (but I'm too lazy to actually go back and check), but I was invited by my French friend Sophie (the girlfriend of the nephew of my host mom) to her 20th birthday party last night. And to give you a hint about how fun it was, the party started at 8pm, and I just got back home (at 1pm the next day)

Well, that's mostly because my host mom wanted me to sleep over so I wouldn't have to try to figure out transportation from the banlieu to Paris at 4 in the morning.

It was super fun. I wasn't sure what to get Sophie, so I ended up buying a beautiful bouquet for her at a local fleurist (is that even a word?). I got there early ish and started meeting all of her friends as they started arriving. Who for the most part (like 90%) were guys. Sophie goes to an engineering school, so that figures.

A note. I love to "faire les bises" (which is when two French people greet each other by kissing twice on the cheeks). I mean, everyone does it here, even when you are meeting for the first time. It's not uncommon at all to go in for one cheek and quickly throw in your name while heading over to the other one. It seems to make relationships so much easier. I mean, I feel pretty comfortable starting a conversation with someone that I've already been in that close contact with rather than someone I just kind of nodded to. The one problem I do have is that I never catch the names. So despite all the fun I had last night, I only know the names of Sophie, her boyfriend Nelson, and another girl who was there (Virginie). Well, and someone else, but I'll get to that later.

I was totally awkward and silent at first, but I started relaxing a little bit as my French comprehension level improved, and I talked with quite a few people. And yes, they had a pseudo karaoke machine set up (well, speakers, a computer with music, and a microphone) and yes I was pressured into performing a rendition of Toxic, but everyone seemed to enjoy me singing, if not my awkward dance moves.

Okay, now the important stuff. Sophie has a friend who is super beau. I mean, imagine French Jude Law. So of course my mind goes straight to "hmm the French future husband that I'm going to meet at this party?" and of course I'm terrified to talk to him and he seems a little reserved (confindent reserved, not nervous reserved). But eventually I join in a few conversations he's having with some people, and eventually it was just the two of us talking. Not like we're in love already, but two things 1) there was something about Ireland and living on a boat and 2) His family has a house near St. Malo. Anyways. It was fun. This morning over breakfast I asked Sophie what his name is and it's Julien (Julian?). But she didn't seem to think he was that cute. Different tastes I guess. On va voir ce qui va se passer.

I finally died about 4:30am and went to sleep in Sophie's sister's room. And this morning was totally awkward because I didn't want to be the last one awake. So I kept setting my alarm for half hour increments and then waiting to see if I heard anyone else up. Yeah, I know. I'm a total dork.

Long story short. French party officially a success. I hope that I continue to see Sophie after this (and possibly her friend...?)

Bisous
B

As one problem ends, another begins

So I finally resolved my class problem. Yesterday, I timidly walked into Madame Gree's office and pleaded my case again. After hearing what I had to say, she finally agreed to let me do this, as long as I take more classes elsewhere next semester.

I let out a huge sigh and then went shopping as a mini victory party.

Then today happened.

Today that started out so bright and beautiful, until I went to the TD (basically the "work" class) of my Sorbonne class, where my brain absolutely exploded and I realized that I am way too stupid to be here.

I'm joking about it, but in reality I'm panicking. Last class, we read a document about German Nationalism, and he started using it as an example on how to write a French-style critique paper of a document. Which, of course, is something pretty much everyone else in the room basically already knows how to do, since it's a third year class (which the professor mentioned on many occasions).

For one thing, he had the document read out loud, and I was too busy focusing on whether I had the correct pronunciations of the words to actually read the words, so of course when he started discussing it, I had no idea what the document actually said. (Even if I did, thanks to my "liberal Californian" high school education, I never learned European history [aka the stuff that actually matters] since we were so busy having a "diverse, multicultural" education).

I thought I may have been out of the woods on this, but today was even worse. Not only did he continue to speak and I continued to not understand him, but we are actually GOING TO HAVE TO WRITE THIS INSANELY DIFFICULT PAPER ON THIS INSANELY DIFFICULT SUBJECT. The "Introdution" is due next class (In which I have to describe the context of when the document was written [the French occupation of Prussia in the 1800's {What the hell is Prussia?}], something about the author [a German philosopher who followed in the tradition of another German philosopher I've never heard of], and describe a brief summary of the text [that I didn't understand a word of], while discussing the main problem [WHAT??!?!?].

I am screwed. I'm starting to become aquaintences with an Italian girl who is in the class (and in my choir as well), and the entire time we shot each other pained looks. She's equally as lost.

I am an idiot. An absolute idiot. I have no basic understanding of European history in the 19th century, let alone the background to write 3rd year level french dissertations, let alone the level of the French language to understand the words my professor is saying.

I started freaking out in the middle of class that I cannot be here for the year. I mean, if this is what all of my classes will be like next semester (except I'll have three instead of just one) I will fail. I'm afraid I won't get through this semester. Right now, I'm seriously seriously considering going back to Whitworth next semester. Not in a "I'm sad and lonely" way, but in a "I am too stupid to be here" way.

I don't know what to do.
B

Frustrated

Stupid, stupid, stupid classes.

I am frustrated.

So here's the thing. My classes right now are PERFECT. I get 4 day weekends each week. I love the subject material (and they are needed for my major). I'm learning a lot and I'm working hard.

The only problem is, this semester I happen to be taking only one class at the actual Sorbonne Nouvelle, and three that are created through the Sweet Briar program.

While we are only supposed to be able to take 2 Sweet Briar classes a semester.

Look, it's not my fault that 1) The class I wanted to take at l'Institut Catholique on globalization conflicts with my Sorbonne class, 2) The class I tried at FACO that is similar to my EU class was awful, and 3) The Etudes Europeenne department at the Sorbonne Nouvelle starts at the third year (aka Masters level courses), and has only one class that fits into my major.

But our academic director keeps telling me I need to find another class elsewere (although I could eventually get an exception blah blah blah).

I understand and respect the 2 SBC class rule. However, I am a year long student and will have the chance to take more classes elsewhere next semester. And I do not understand why this bureaucratical rule would ever take presedence over 1) the classes I NEED for my major and 2) classes that I'm actually interested in. There is no way in hell that I'm going to add another masters level class that I don't need and that doesn't interest me to my already full courseload. And I mean, I'm also in a French choir, which is basically the same as a fifth class already.

Gah.

Anyways, I just have to go into the academic directors office and tell here that she needs to give me an exception for this semester. It's not as if Whitworth cares at all and won't accept three SBC classes. I'm the first person ever from Whitworth to do this program. They're just thrilled with the fact that I'm here.

And another thing. I hate being difficult and whiney, so it makes me upset to even have to demand an exception. I may even have to threaten to leave the program a semster early if I can't take what I want/need. And I have to do all this in French. I'm trying to put it off. Let's just say that the last time I talked to her about this situation, I was on the brink of tears.

Well. Everything will work out. Either I'll get my way, or I'll be back at Whitworth next semester.

I hate that I even have to deal with this. Am I right in thinking that this is the stupidest problem ever?

On a good note, I just bought tickets to go to London in a few weeks to see Lisa, Zoe, and Bispers.
Sigh
B

#13

Done and done

Escargot is actually quite good, once you pretend it's something else

So, a few things

1) My small group leader from high school is getting married!! In SWITZERLAND!! And she's invited me to come! The wedding is in 6 weeks in November. It also happens to be the weekend that my dad is supposed to come visit me, so we'll see if I can convince him to let me go. That will be two weddings in two weeks on two different continents for me :)

2) My parents are visiting!

It's been really great. They got in Thursday morning, and we just had a really chill day. They came to my house in the morning and we had a pseudo-breakfast together (I use that word a lot. I'm not sure if I do it correctly). Then we headed out into the city. I went off to class, and they visited Notre Dame. We met up at the Jardin du Luxembourg in the afternoon, walked some more, had Berthillon ice cream, and headed back to my place. After resting for a while, my dad and I decided to buy some groceries for dinner from the supermarket just across the street in lieu of going out to a restaurant. It was the best meal ever! We got minestrone soup, baguette, brie, salami, and organic wine. That combined with the leftovers from my dinner the night before really hit the spot.

This morning, we had a late start after sleeping in. Again, we had breakfast at my place with good patesseries from the local boulangerie. We headed to Montmarte (I've never been) and visited Sacre Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, and had a light lunch in a cafe during a downpour. Afterwards, we visited an AWESOME music store where I bought a book of soprano Mozart arias, and a book of warm-ups. We then headed to Pere Lachaise which was SO creepy, but really fun. I paid homage to Moliere (Thanks for writing me a great part, buddy), and (in the spirit of Paris, Je t'aime) kissed Oscar Wilde's grave.

Now we're back home and heading out to dinner. Ok, this may sound trivial, but I MADE A RESERVATION. ON THE PHONE. IN FRENCH. That is a huge personal triumph for me.

Confit de canard, here I come!
B

My 15 Things

So my sister just posted a list of 15 things she wants to do in her lifetime (http://sunshinecaroline.wordpress.com/), and I feel inspired.

Mesdames et Messieurs, je vous presente les 15 things I want to do this year in France:

1. Read Les Miserables in French
2. See a performance at the Palace Garnier
3. Climb to the top of the Tour Eiffel
4. Find and buy my "signature fragrance", whatever the cost
5. Visit the Catacombs
6. See Carla Bruni
7. Learn and sing at least one verse of the Marseillaise
8. Take a weekend trip by myself
9. Go into an extremely expensive designer shop and try something on
10. Sit at a cafe by myself for more than an hour
11. Hear someone play "La Vie en Rose" on an accordion
12. Have a Sabrina-like transformation and become fabulous
13. Try escargot and/or frog
14. Become fluent in French
15. Kiss someone

I will let you know when these things come to pass.

B

Paris Fashion Week Part 1

So, it's Paris Fashion Week, and my friend Kathleen and I (in an attempt to become more fabulous) have decided to stalk the fashion shows and pretend to be paparazzi. Today it was the Dior fashion show in the Jardin des Tuileries. Notable Attendees that we saw included:

Milla Jovovich (a la Resident Evil)



Dita von Teese



Nina Garcia (from Project Runway) and Tinsley Mortimer (socialite who was on Gossip Girl in the white party episode)



Lily Allen

Zoe Saldana (à la Center Stage/Crossroads/and POTC)

And would you believe it, but my camera battery died LITERALLY two seconds before Emma Watson walked right past me. Kathleen got a picture so I'll try and add that later.

(Here's Kathleen's picture)

Today was fun. I saw more famous people in the course of half an hour than I have in my entire life up to this point.

Kathleen and I have decided to start a fashion blog so we get famous.

[Update, so I just looked online and supposedly Marion Cotillard and Eva Green were there too and I didn't see them :( ]

TTFN <3 B

Bonne Journee

Today was a good Paris day.
I got up at a decent hour, and went to the American Church for the 11am service. I really like that church. Even though I miss FPCB tons, I feel like it's becoming a home away from home. Plus, they were celebrating the 20th anniversary of their organ (which is amazingly beautiful, by the way) and the thing is named after me! It's Rebecca Hauptpfeiffer auf Ratenzahlung (or, as I described it to a friend, Rebecca German von German German), and the entire sermon, the Senior Pastor was referring to it as "Becky".

Anyways, that's not that interesting of a story.
After church, I wandered over to the Louvre for my first [very short] visit. Sweet Briar does this great thing and lies to the Louvre and says that all of their students are art history majors so that we can get a free "art student" pass. I visited just a few rooms (my mom's favorites) of art objects from the middle ages. I ate at the cafeteria there, and then went to the tuilerie gardens and sat and read for a while.

By that time, I was exausted, so I went back home to "faire un dodo" for an hour or so. After that, I went back to church for a free organ concert at 5 with my friend Sherene. The organist was extremely cute in an extremely dorky way, and Sherene teased me that he was my future husband. I then "rentre'd" chez moi and just finished dinner.

Oh yeah. While at the Louvre, I went to the boutique of Fragonard, which is a French perfume line. One of my goals before leaving France is to find my "signature fragrance". I know exactly what I want ( a simple, light, floral fragrance that isn't too sweet; something like jasmine or orange blossom). I liked their eau de toilette de fleurs de ceriseir (cherry blossom), but it might be on the too sweet side. On va voir!

xoxo
B

Je veux etre BCBG

The funny thing about being hooked up to the internet in France is that every time I go to a website like Blogger or Myspace, the home page is in French.

The not so funny thing is that free online TV, as in ABC.com, don't work outside the US

Anyways, I've decided to go to Sophie's fete instead of Normandie. I thought to myself, "Hey self! Maybe your future French husband will be at this party. Anything could happen!"

Ma tante d'accueil is thinking of a cool birthday present that I can get Sophie.

To do:
1) Pick outfit to impress said possible future husbands, but classy and chic
2) Become less awkward, so as not to completely humiliate myself at an everyone's-french-but-me party

You know you love me
B

Dilemma

So, my new French friend Sophie just texted me (the girlfriend of my host mom's nephew), and invited me to her 20th birthday party the 11th of October.

Problem is, I'm signed up to go on a weekend trip to Normandy that weekend.

Here are my options:
1) I beg Axel (our secretary/trip planning guy) to let me go on the trip scheduled for this weekend, or at least attempt to find someone to switch with. If that works, I'm in the clear to do both.
2) I skip out on the trip (losing my 20 euro deposit), go to the party, and plan my own trip to Normandy (somehow?)
3) I say no to an opportunity that could possibly deepen our we've-only-met-once-before friendship, and go on a two day trip to some of my favorite places, including St. Malo and Mont St Michel.

I'm going to try option 1, but if it doesn't work, I'd like some input. 2 or 3?

La Vie en Rose

Update: Life in Paris

Sorry it's been a while. I've been without internet for about a week, and frankly I've been lazy. But here it goes.

My living situation: It's kind of as I thought. I am way out in the boonies, and in a modern apartment building. Not only that, but I'm with a single older/middle aged woman again, not the family with little children that I had hoped for. I admit, I was really disappointed at first, and definitely contemplated coming home a semester early, but I'm definitely getting used to it now. Sylvie is very nice, and she sings in a choir (and has helped her hosted students in the past find choirs and/or private lessons). She often has company for dinner which makes life more interesting, and last weekend she took me to her younger sister's 50th birthday party (which was the hippest party I've ever been to in my life. I'm starting to conclude that I'm very lame). At said party, I made friends with the sister's son's girlfriend, and we exchanged phone numbers. Hopefully I'll get to hang out with her again.

Paris: is amazing. I mean, it really is. It's been a little overwhelming trying to figure out places to eat and such, but I like it. I've been taking it slowly though. I walk around a lot, but I haven't gone crazy tourist and tried to see everything in a week. In fact, all I've really seen is Notre Dame and the Opera Garnier. No museums, no Tour Eiffel, no Montmartre. I mean, I have nine months to explore this place. I did happen to find the best ice cream in the world on Ile St Louis, so if you visit, I'll definitely take you there. Speaking of the Opera Garnier (I just actually came back from there), I peeked into Box 5!!! Ok, such a POTO dork, but it was seriously like a religious experience.

I've been going to the American Church in Paris the past two Sundays. I like it a lot, and actually ran into Whitworth BISPer folks there last weekend.

The weird thing about my current situation is that yes, I am in Paris, but I'm also living my normal life. So I'm trying to find the correct balance between enjoying this amazing city, and doing normal me stuff, like watching Veronica Mars on my computer.

Some cool things: My parents are coming to visit in like two weeks, and I'm really excited about that. Dad is actually going to visit again in November. Speaking of November, I have a ticket to fly to Austin, Texas for the weekend to go to Jeannie's wedding!! Love you Daddy and your frequent flier miles too! I'm currently looking for a dress to wear, and actually think I found one today on Rue Faubourg St Honore, but the boutique was closed. I'll head back tomorrow to try it on.

Classes: Not much to say on that subject. They start Tuesday, and I only have class three days a week. I actually have more consecutive days of weekend each week than I do classes.

I hope I'm auditioning for a choir.

I still miss you (and London people, I hope to visit you soon!)
<3 B

Drumroll please...

Well, I got my address in Paris.

And I can't lie. I'm slightly disappointed.

First of all, I am happy that I am by myself with a family. I know that some 40-50 people in our program were doubled up again.

But I'm in the 17th, which is way out in the boondocks of Paris. Like, my house is honestly 3 blocks from the ring road that goes around the city of Paris. And I'm going to be there all year. I just looked up my commute, and with metro and walking it's 40 minutes to my school.

But then I hear that the 17th is chic and rich and beautiful, and that makes things seem a little better. But the look that I got on google maps of my address is of ugly modern apartment buildings. Now I could just be interpreting the picture wrong, but that is NOT what I want.

I guess all of these answers will be found out tomorrow. And above all, I hope the family is good.

On another note, I am considering auditioning for the choir of the Sorbonne. However, I need to call some number to make a reservation for an audition, and that is the scariest thing in the world for me. We'll see if I have the courage!

<3 B

La vie commence

Well, I'm in France.

After seven years of dreaming, I'm finally here.

And it's the weirdest thing.

Before I go all philosophical, here's my life as of this moment:

I'm currently living in Tours, France with a 73 year old woman named Monique, a cat named Mouchette,and a dog named Jack (and another girl from the Sweet Briar Program, but that's not important). I (and the 88 other students in the Sweet Briar JYF program) am talking language courses at L'Institute de Touraine and have been for the last week and a half. Classes begin around 8h45 and last till 11h45. Then I grab lunch (usually a jambon, beurre, emmental sandwich) and eat it on the bank of the Loire River; sometimes with company, but often alone. Then I walk around town a little if it's nice; shop, visit the cathedral, that kind of thing. Then it's back home to my bed and gossip girl until 19h30. Then a long dinner with Monique. Then bedtime.

Eh. The food is good. I can drink. I don't know. There isn't much to do in Tours, so I'm often in my bed messing around on the computer. Plus it's been raining lately, and who wants to go out in the rain?

Eh. That's how I've been feeling so far. Just eh. I mean, it was so hard leaving home. Saying goodbye to my brother and sister the day I left was one of the saddest moments of my life. Plus I miss my friends and the life I had at Whitworth. Plus, I just miss life being simple. I know (or at least I hope) this experience will change my life and myself, but at this point I'm not sure it's worth the loss that I'm feeling.

The people are okay. Haven't met any of my French peers yet. I've made a few "friends" in the program, but I didn't come here to become instant bff with everyone and go out drinking every night (like the majority of people). I like being alone.

Anyways, I move to Paris on Thursday for the long haul of this adventure. I can't wait for the freedom of a big city. We'll see if things start improving then.

Know that I miss you dreadfully.
<3 B

PS: I'm twenty. Crazy thing.