29 Janvier: family dinners

So, we have found a way to avoid our Bear Grylls experiences when it comes to finding food. Champion or "cham-pee-ohn", which always makes it sound much classier than Foodland or Giant Eagle, is our local supermarche and our God-send. We have discovered that instead of spending two hours searching for meals and finding nutrition, we can spend that time and less money going to Champion. If we all simply throw in three euros, we can cook a pretty decent meal for the seven of us. We've made chicken salad and taco salad so far- both quite a success. Also, it's pertinent to include the fact that a decent bottle of wine can be bought for 1 or 2 euros. Since wine is so abundant here, one can buy a good bottle for 4 or5 euros so really, our 1/2 euro bottle isn't too shabby. I'm not a wine connoisseur but I like it.

27 Janvier: "Mehr-seeee" & "Deh rien"

We have spent the last two days in one of my favorite spots in Paris so far: the Latin Quarter. It is a thriving area where it seems there is always so much to do and see. Saturday night, we went there only for an hour or two but we saw just so many people. The best thing was that it wasn't just young people or just families or just old people- there were so many different people everywhere. We strolled through the narrow, packed streets and saw rowdy drunks and pigs spinning on spits inside restaurants. We saw two men dance on the corner to funny music for money and we saw a guy who could twist metal into a bracelet by the time you said hello, how are you? We all ate our first real French crepe with nutella. It was absolutely amazing and I can foresee an addiction in my future.

On Sunday, we went back to the Latin Quarter after Mass at Notre-Dame. Although I couldn't understand anything going on, I still enjoyed the architecture and the beauty of the church and hundreds of people contained in this huge cathedral. During the offertory, I couldn't help but notice that as the ushers collected money, their whispered "merci" automatically became a hissing, "sss" noise. The "mehr" was inaudible and only the "sss" sound could be heard. I had to stifle a laugh. Not only did I already see some of the French politeness as ingenuine, now I was hearing serpent thank you's in their lay people. Anyways, I still find the Church to be beautiful. I also just love it because of all the people. All the different people. It was great.

After Mass, we walked around the Latin Quarter, soaking up the artists on the streets and the beautiful scenery of the church and the river. We sat outside of a cafe and ate lunch and played cards. Very picturesque. All I needed was a beret.

25 Janvier: tom hanks sentiment

Exiting past few days. We've been busy- Mona Lisa art gallery with Oxana, first experience with the movies here, second exposure to the Louvre, successful discotheque night! The art gallery was really cool to go to. I've never done anything like that so it was exciting to see something like that. There were three artists showing their work- I didn't talk to any of them personally too much but I still enjoyed looking at their art. Before that we went to the town of Bercy and ended up going to the movies there. It was crazy how comforting the movies was to me. It was just relaxing to enjoy something from home that was all in English. It was nice to just sit down and watch the movie without having to figure out where we were or how to get somewhere or if everyone was still together or anything like that. I'm not even a huge fan of movies at home but I guess it was just comforting to me. I'm not homesick yet- I'm still in the midst of the thrill of the whole trip I think but I do hate missing certain things going on back home. The language barrier is discouraging as well so it's easy to be homesick just because of the difficulty. Anyways, we saw Charlie Wilson's War and Tom Hanks has never looked that good to me because he reminded me of being home.

However, home does not have the Louvre and we went back and I definitely love going there. We saw the Greek and Roman sculptures and then went through the Italian paintings. We saw Mona and I wasn't that thrilled. I was way more impressed with dozens of other works. It also bothers me that so many people exclaim over it just because it is so widely known and popular. If I was an artist, I would never want the flurry over my work just because it's already popular- I would want them to like it because of the talent involved. But it was still another enjoyed time at the Louvre.

Also, exciting- we had our first successful discotheque experience! Very interesting- so different from any kind of dance stuff we have at home. Or at least different from what I have been exposed to. They just all had such crazy clothes and hair and dance moves and I'm sure we stuck out like a sore thumb. Oh well, I'm getting used to that- it doesn't bother me too much. I'm sure we're treated differently but we haven't had any bad experiences so it doesn't matter.

24 Janvier: leash-less dogs

We've all noticed the fact that there seem to be a lot of dogs in Paris. A lot of well-trained dogs to be exact. Leashes are hardly ever used and we all were perplexed how these dogs weren't getting run over by cars or chasing people with food or people on bikes or any other dog on the street. However, we witnessed a scene which may have provided some explanation to us how these well-trained dogs exist. As we were walking to the RER station, we saw a woman creating quite a scene yelling at her pug. She was screaming at it, instructing the poor thing to sit down and stay. The dog was terrified, simply staring up at her, completely baffled and confused. Then she picked up the dog from behind it's neck and yanked it up and yelled in its face some more. She didn't hurt it but it's still something you wouldn't see at home because someone would probably call the cops on her. It was kind of funny actually just because she was making such a scene in front of everyone just trying to get her dog to sit down but I guess that's how they get their dogs to listen to them.

22 Janvier: "keep your guard up, keep your mouth shut"

French people seem to take up little space. Not only in relation to streets and cars and houses and their size in general, but just in terms of "personal space." We Americans like our space. We don't want others in our area, we don't like it when someone is too close for comfort. It makes us feel awkward and weird. However, it seems that French people just take up little space, and as previously mentioned, they don't invade anyone else's space either. No eye contact, no observing, hardly glancing- all basically simply keeping their heads down and their bodies turned inwards. Hardly anyone speaks to others- our group is always by far the loudest, even if we're talking at a low noise level. But honestly, many of these people are those who commute to and from work. You know that some of them surely recognize others- most people follow a routine, get on the same train at the same time in the same place every single day. But, there are hardly any conversations. It baffles me. I'm not familiar with very much public transportation at home so I can't necessarily compare but it think it's weird either way. Anyway you look at it, they don't want to befriend their strangers. Keep your head down, eyes on the floor or in a book, and no talking, except in whispers to people you're with.

It's just weird to see so many people and hardly any of them seem to be happy or enjoying themselves at any given point. I'm not assuming their depressed or they hate the world, but they just don't seem very content in general. I'm not assuming, I'm simply observing- something that the French people don't seem to want to do.

21 Janvier: dodging strollers for a 1,062 foot tall ornament

So, to counter-act the negative cultural difference I saw yesterday, I feel it is necessary to also express the positive differences I recognize as well. For example, while walking back from the supermarche the other day, a little boy, around 3 or 4 years old, whizzed by us on his scooter, flying ahead of his father. The funny part was that as he flew past, he turned towards us, and yelled "Pardon!" with his adorable French accent. Now, I work in a daycare and I never once encountered any child that ever said anything comparable to pardon or excuse me, especially in passing. Now, I've heard the please and thank you when they realized they would get what they wanted in return for their politeness, but this pardon I heard the other day was unlike what I would expect from 3 or 4 year old. I enjoyed it quite a bit-very cute.

But anyways, today, we went on a fabulous run on our usual path. However, since it was daytime and we were feeling adventurous, we made our way into the city. We've been wanting to run all the way to the Eiffel Tower but we assumed we would have to work ourselves up to it since we figured it's about 5 or 6 miles. But we were pleasantly surprised that we were only able to do it after running for about a week and a half. And the most glorious part? The Eiffel Tower definitely lit up just as we reached it. It is a magnificent sight. Thousands of bulbs strung all throughout the tower flashing like strobe lights, making it look like a huge twinkling ornament. We had seen the tower lit up from a distance but it really is breath-taking up close.

20 Janvier: just humor me and smile back please

So- cultural difference number two (that I don't particularly like): the French don't like to acknowledge in passing. They love their greetings when you walk into their business or store, but not to much when simply passing. I like that in America. Now, I know you won't get a positive acknowledgment in return everywhere in the states, but I almost always smile or nod, and I almost always get one in return. I like that acknowledgment.I think it's such a humanistic instinct but maybe it isn't if they don't do it here. I always get a nice reaction at home, whether it be someone my age, or a mother, or a tough biker, a child, or a teenager. But here, that doesn't happen and I don't like it. It makes me feel as though their greetings that I liked so much were fake. I think it's rude to blatantly ignore someone when they acknowledge you, even if you are a stranger to them. But I guess it is just one of those things I will have to get used to.

19 Janvier: Bear Grylls has nothing on us

So, I realize this is a far stretch but I'm seeing a slight connection between us and "Man vs. Wild." It is really an adventure and a challenge just to eat a meal. There are so many obstacles in our way whether it be finding a place, risk the business being closed, getting lost or having difficulty ordering what we want. Our group walked for about an hour tonight looking for a particular pizza place in sceaux, a town right next to Fontenay-aux-Roses. By the time we actually found a place and ordered our food, it was almost two hours after we left.

It's challenging and strange at the same time not being able to have something as basic as food actually be simple. It' s fun in the sense that it is a way more satisfying meal but it is also frustrating because it means that everything has a edge of difficulty. It also allows me to see how easy it is to take things like that for granted, like food and meals. I'm not saying we're starving over here by no means, but we will only learn if we venture out on our own. We take so much for granted in life in general. I just think about what it would be like to live hundreds of years ago, when you actually had to kill your own food before you could plan a meal. Or it makes me think of third world countries who are poverty-stricken and don't even know when they're next meal will be. It's hard to believe we complain so much as a society when we have thins so relatively easy.

Janvier 18: 25 X 60 foot paintings and daisy dukes

Louvre today! I still can't believe I was there. It was amazing to say the least. It is so gigantic, it's overwhelming. We went through the Egyptian section which was really interesting. I still just don't understand how some of these pieces were ever transferred from Egypt to Paris. They are not only huge but so fragile. It would be so interesting to learn more about the Louvre itself and how it runs and what their procedures are. We also went through the French painting section, and again, I was blown away by the magnitude of these works. I couldn't even fathom how long or how much thought would be put into such a creation. I'm really excited to go back and see more.

The best past was seeing the parade of three and four year old kids going on a field trip the Louvre. I guess that would just be one of those added bonuses of living in Paris...at the Louvre in preschool.

So, our first night out on a weekend in Paris. It didn't go quite as we had anticipated...actually nothing like we planned but it was an adventure nonetheless. We had plans for a night at a discotheque but we never really made it there. The night was simply ridiculous and we ended up spending about an hour and a half on a bus to get home with some very strange characters in the wee hours of the night. But then again, we did meet a lot of really nice people too who helped us with directions and finding other places to go. We only ended up going to one place but it wasn't exactly our kind of scene- aka we're pretty sure it was a gay bar. We got out of the there pretty quickly to say the least. Anyways, the whole night was disappointing but we were able to navigate out of an area in which we had never been and we made it back in one piece so that was an accomplishment in itself. We really did meet a lot of people who speak English, they were all really friendly as well. It's so refreshing to meet nice people who want to talk and help you. As I had said before, we haven't met too many rude French people but we also haven't met a ton of friendly ones either. I'm still pretty neutral about them, but I'm feeling better about them all.

train station musicians

And for that brief moment or two or three, everyone simply stopped, turned, listened, and appreciated the music and the passion behind it. And just as quickly as they became distracted, they soon became swept back into their accelerated rhythm, with simply a rush of the train. The flurry reemerges and each person separates, quickly losing that one connection. Division resurfaces and with that division is fear and prejudice.

17 Janvier: $750 purses and domes of stained glass

Bonjour! Most recent recognition in cultural differences: their obsession with politeness. They add Madame and Monsieur to every greeting and comment. You always have to say hello and good day or good evening and goodbye. As non-talkative/stoic as the French seem to me, they have got their manners down to a T. I really like it- it makes me feel good but then again, I guess you would just get used to if you encountered it daily. I don't know though- since they don't say much else and don't smile much, it kind of makes me feel as though their greetings are a fakey kindness. They only say it because that mannerism is so commonly used by everyone. But then again, it's only day seven, I shouldn't be stereotyping or making assumptions about everyone here.

We went to the Galleria Lafayette today. My mom's non-materialistic values have definitely been instilled in me. The whole thing just overwhelmed me in a sickening way. It was like a gigantic, endless department store but with all different designers and brands right next to each other with no divisions. It was just so much stuff- I couldn't absorb it all. The prices didn't mesh with me either. It was crazy to take such beautiful architecture and stained glass and lighting and to waste it all on a commercial enterprise. I mean it is nice in the sense that it takes something common and normally plain, like a mall, and allows one to see art in all places, but I figure you may as well put it somewhere where people can enjoy it more. No one looks at the beauty, they're on their mission in terms of shopping. They are fixated by the clothes and expensive jewelry and perfumes moreso than the building itself. There isn't any places to sit ad admire or appreciate it. It just became a backdrop for a million articles or clothing and shoes and purses- all which are absurdly priced. Maybe I'm just negative because it was too overwhelming to me. I know America is the same in terms of such commercialization and materialism but I guess it just seemed worse to me because everything else here is so beautiful and focused on the old and not the new.

15 Janiver: it's the simple things...

Bonjour! I feel as though I have been here for weeks. It's definitely only been five days though. I feel very accomplished though. We've ordered food for lunch, ordered drinks at a local bar, navigated on the RER...all these simple things that make me feel very successful. It's so weird to have such simple things be so rewarding. I feel like a little kid or something. Everyday and everything seems like a challenge but it makes me feel so accomplished at the end of the day. We've been running too so that helps with the endorphins as well. It's so easy to become discouraged and want to give up. But I think it's that drive to succeed, even in the simple things, that keeps you from giving up. Today we went to the Rue de Rivoli and did a little shopping with Tina, our economics teacher. She's quiet but she's so nice- she speaks four languages, English being her least fluent, but she still knows it so well. I can't even imagine how someone's mind works when they have thousands of words from four different languages flying through their heads. We also had our first bar experience, which was a success. We ordered and the man was very nice- I've decided that I'm pretty neutral about the French. Aside from two rude people, everyone else has been petty nice - not overtly friendly but not completely inconsiderate either. I'm not saying everyone at home is a joy to encounter, but I think Americans smile a hell of a lot more. Maybe I just notice it more because I'm paranoid and it's not my familiar home. I'm not sure but I'm sure that I'll create an opinion about it by the time I leave.

I feel very relaxed here, unlike at school. I'm not concerned with deadlines and class and tests and papers and all of that. I feel as though I'm learning things firsthand and I know I'm learning it even though I'm not being tested by it. I also don't miss all the complaining and drama that is inevitable at school. I also don't miss the weather. Its cold and rainy here but nothing like Loretto. None of that freezing snow and wind.

13 Janvier: rooftops and government funded creativity

So, day three. Plenty of walking again and getting used to the RER. I'm scared to be separated from our director and the Remillards though. I'm semi-confident about myself but I know it'll be hard and I'm sure it will be knocked down almost immediately. We'll see I guess.I'm excited about our classes too- I really am liking the French culture but then again, I'm only three days into this. I should give it some more time, I guess. It was amazing going to the Slobedom's apartment/gallery. He is an artist who works with a modeling agency and does portraits of models for the agency. His apartment was amazing. It's a big complex that's funded by the government for"starving artists." They may not necessarily be "starving" persae, but they are all artists. That concept is unthinkable to me. It's an amazing theory but I don't think many Americans would go for tax money going to art, instead of everything we turn to first.

I couldn't believe how many famous people he had painted and knew personally. It was crazy how beautiful they were. I've decided that I like paintings but I have trouble appreciating it like some other forms of art because it's so hard to know and understand the story behind the piece. I get pleasure of through the story. I would rather listen to a painter tell me about it than just see it and interpret it as I see it.I can't always find the words and story in my mind from a painting but I can always paint a picture in my mind from words or a story. That's why I would rather read than look at art, I think. But that's why I'm excited to learn more about art. Hopefully, I'll be able to appreciate it more and find a way to reach the story.

12 Janvier: day deux

My second day here. Even just from thinking French for two days, my mind is racing. I'm automatically thinking French now- looking for words, trying to translate, attempting words and pronunciation. It's crazy how quickly your mind adjusts and adapts. I love it so far- it's beautiful and I love the culture that I've been exposed to so far. I love the food and the old architecture and the sophistication. It's amazing and there is just so much to see.

10 Janvier: winding parking garages

We were told by our professor that the French are comparatively inefficient. I've been in this country for about thirty minutes and I already see it in the parking garage. You have to go all the way up to pay and then backtrack all the way down again to get out. It was the opposite of practicality.