Bonjour tout le monde!
A lot has happened since my last entry… including me moving in with my host family!
When we arrived in Paris we made our way to the center of the city and to the Accent Center. The Accent Center is responsible for organizing our program and teaching some of the classes we are taking. It’s nice to have a central meeting place for everyone and nice to have all of the resources they offer. We all ate together the first night (excluding the one girl who got stuck in Heathrow for 30 hours because it shut down after it snowed in London for the first time in over 10 years) which was REALLY great. I sat at a table that had one of the program directors at Accent and we spoke French most of the time. The food was incredible as well.
The first night a group of 7 of us went to a nearby café/bar and ordered 2 bottles of wine. We really enjoyed the atmosphere of the café and sat around talking/complaining about AU. So far I really really like most of the people doing my program. I can tell I am going to be good friends with most of them. (Oh yes, and there are 3 Laurens doing my program…)
Yesterday was hectic. We had orientation in the morning where they quickly shoved a lot of information at us. We were all just thankful to have some idea of what we are doing this semester since AU did a terrible job of preparing us for this program. We got a quasi-schedule of the semester and an orientation of the transportation and health systems in Paris. In the afternoon we talked about our homestays and met with the woman who organized who was staying with what family. It was really nerve-racking because we went in individually and everyone was nervous about where they would be living and with whom. Then we went back to the hotel where our families picked us up.
I’m living in a très chic neighborhood in Paris VERY close to the Arc de Triumph. I am living with Madame et(and) Monsieur Ferry… they are an older couple who have had study abroad students live with them for many years. She is originally from Germany but has lived all over and he is originally from Russia. They both know several languages, including English, but speak to me only in French (unless I need help or something is really important). It’s great because she corrects me and helps me figure out what I am trying to say. We have dinner together four nights a week at 8PM and last night she cooked me something American – spaghetti! I am a little disappointed that they don’t have any kids in the house but it was more important to me that they cook vegetarian and I couldn’t have both. So far I am doing ok understanding what they are saying. I’m doing a little more smiling and nodding than I would like but of course I will get better over time. Perhaps the most frustrating thing is understanding what they are saying, but not being able to respond with something intelligent.
The apartment is very nice. I have my own spacious room with 2 armoires, a desk and a vanity. I also have my own bathroom which isn’t common. The apartment is decorated in an older style which is cool. She likes to match everything so there is one periwinkle flowered pattern that is on my walls, my bed, my vanity and my curtains. My room and bathroom are on the other side of the apartment than their bedroom, which is nice, but right next to the kitchen. They also have a guestroom with its own bathroom, a study, a living room and a big dining room.
Nobody in my program lives that close to me which is also another down side. Although, everyone is pretty spread out in general. I am happy not to be living in a suburb.
My trip to the Accent center from my apartment isn’t bad because it is on the same metro line, but it will take at least 30 minutes every day. I’m not sure how long it will take to get to the Sorbonne yet. We start classes on Tuesday.
Speaking of the Sorbonne... we took our placement exam today for where we will be placed in the grammar classes. Not that it matters but I think it went ok. I just don’t want to be placed in a level that is too easy for me since I have been studying French for so long. The test included a written and an oral part so they have a lot to gauge from. We will also take a phonetics class at the Sorbonne which I am very excited about because my accent is soooo terrible.
Tonight we took a boat trip along the Seine. The boat ride is very touristy but was perfect for one of our first nights in Paris because we got to see all of the major buildings/monuments including the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musée d’Orsay, Eiffel Tower and some government buildings. So far I am in love with Paris! The city was built around the river and the buildings are fantastic.
Not a great picture of Notre Dame... I hope to get better ones in the future :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment