mon voyage

20 Avril: au revoir pour maintenant

2008-04-22T01:14:00.000-07:00

We had our last Mass in Ambialet today. I was completely touched by all the old men and women who each gave us hugs and "la bise"- the kisses on the cheek. It was incredibly sweet and they all genuinely seemed sad that we were leaving. Pere Jame gave a very nice speech about us, mentioning how he had been moved by our participation and eagerness to be a part of the Church and the community. We knew that we would bring some life to Ambialet , but I never thought they would take us in like they have. We sang "On Eagle's Wing's" for them this week after Communion and Alexia sang "Ave Marie" in Latin, which was absolutely beautiful. They said goodbye to us as though we were their grandchildren moving away.

I think what's most sad about leaving is the fact that I have no idea if or when I would come back here. I won't be scared to anymore at least. I will know that I can make my way around, even if I don't know the language. But I don't know who I will be at that point or if I will be able to travel or anything. It's a weird thought- saying goodbye to something and having no idea if you can come back. Or knowing that when you come back, you're life will be entirely different. I've never had to experience that before. I am ready to come home- I miss everyone so much. But I will miss a lot of things about this place.

I am going to miss cheese and baguettes- I've become addicted. I'm going to go through serious withdrawal when I get home. It's a staple to my diet and according to everyone here, you can't get their stuff back in the States. I believe them. I never thought I would enjoy unpasteurized cheese so much. I'm going to miss the wine. And not only because I am legal to drink it over here. I like realizing the fact that I truly enjoy a glass with my dinner or while playing a board game or something like that. We were all so used to being home and drinking at parties and using is as a social boost, but really, no one over here drinks so much that they really get drunk. And if they do get drunk, it's not on purpose. It's a completely different younger scene than at home. I love how they drink over here and I wish we could really adjust the mindset of our young people.

I'm going to miss nature here in Ambialet. I've never lived in such a beautiful natural setting. I've never lived in the country and I could definitely see it's appeal. I loved the river and mountains and cliffs and everything in between. I loved going for a hike and not knowing where we would end up or what we would find. I love seeing the cute old ladies plowing their fields and the dozens of people who would hike up our mountain to see the amazing view. I'm going to miss all the dogs everywhere. Our dogs aren't nearly as trained back home.

As difficult as the language barrier has been for me, I know that it's going to help me in the long-run. Everything at home that would make me hesitant before seems so easy now- at least now I know the language! : ) This sounds really pathetic but it makes me very appreciative of the fact that I'm not mute or deaf. Yeah, I know, it's a weird realization but honestly, I don't think I would make it. I cannot stand not knowing what someone is saying or not being able to say more than basic sentences. I hate only being able to speak to survive. I would make it not fully knowing French but I wouldn't be able to fully communicate with anyone and that's the worst feeling.

I hope you all enjoyed my blog. I would love to do something like this again to keep my audience but I don't think my bank account will allow that. My college loans are going to have to take priority over my cultural experiences. But honestly, being here has made me miss home so much and I've grown an entirely new appreciation for my family and friends. A lot has happened at home since I've been gone and it'll be kind of weird to go back but I can't wait. I've always known that I had a loving family and dependable friends but it becomes even more obvious being physically separated for four months. It's bittersweet but I'm eager to be around familiar faces. (Who speak my language!) : )

8 Avril: "den you put zee hairs in your mouse"

2008-04-09T01:51:00.000-07:00

Wine tasting yesterday! One of my favorite field trips, I think. We visited Gaillac, went through their museum, saw a vineyard, and did some wine tasting. The man who led our tour of the vineyard and distillery was pretty funny. He explained how difficult the market is now because all of these new competitors have arisen: Australia, California, Oregon, and China. Before these companies popped up, France didn't have to worry about marketing because Europe was the leader in wine producer- mainly because they were the only ones really producing the majority of the wine. But now, Gaillac is experiencing competition and they're not used to it. Then, for the wine tasting, he taught us how it is properly done. Hence, the title of my blog- something I couldn't help laughing at. As he was explaining the mechanics of breathing so that you truly "taste" the wine in your nose, he told us to "then, put the airs into your mouth," which, with his French accent, came out as "put the hairs into your mouse." I guess it's so funny because he said it with such a straight face and then was confused when we all laughed. We've all become experts at this Franglish thing.

6 Avril: "just to love and be loved in return"

2008-04-06T00:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day- 70 degrees, sunny, crisp breeze. I never thought I would like to live in the country, but I definitely see the appeal in it, especially to live in the country for a summer or a few months of the year, like so many people do here. I've never been that much of an outdoorsy person really. I don't really look forward to exercising at home but here it's perfect because half the things I want to do outside are really good workouts. Most of us have been running up our huge hill as a workout. One run up and down on that, and you're pretty much set for the day. There's a nice trail that runs parallel to it to so that gives some variety as well. Karen, Tim and I went for a hike up the mountain across from ours that has the radio towers on top. It took us a good 45 minutes-hour to get to the top- it's incredibly steep the whole time but the views are just so amazing the further you go so it's one of those rewarding workouts. We also went for another bike ride and it's great to feel myself building more endurance each time we go.

After dinner, our director surprised us with the latest purchase for the monastery: it's first flat-screen TV! He had us all go into his office where he had it temporarily set up with the Moulin Rouge playing and nine chairs. And of course he didn't forget the peanut M&M's which have consistently been our junk food for various surprises. It's funny- I've never gone this long without watching TV but I've been realizing that I missed it only for the social aspect of it. I miss watching Gilmore Girls with my mom, or watching Steeler games with Danelle, or procrastinating at school as my housemates and I all watch stupid, funny movies. I don't miss actual shows all that much, I guess I just miss who I watch them with.

3 Avril: "n'est pas?"

2008-04-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Today we ventured out to Conques and Rocamadour, two towns that were main religious spots for pilgrims in the Middle Ages. We had a wonderful bus driver, Vincent, pronounced "Vanh-sahn." I still don't understand how he managed to maneuver that tour bus around those tiny, windy, French country roads. He had to toot his horn for every single turn we made where he couldn't see the oncoming traffic--which was approximately every 5-10 minutes. It was hard to sleep for the eight hours we were on the bus, to say the least. However, I was quite impressed with his driving skills but I guess you have to be used to it if you live there and your career is driving a tour bus. : )

Anyways, the towns were beautiful, as they always are around here. We saw some churches and relics and plenty of glorious medieval fortifications.

1 Avril: Poisson d'Avril

2008-04-02T15:54:00.000-07:00

Another visit with Peter and Margaret today. We practiced singing some more songs for Church and had some tea of course. Margret was cute, she told us she's going to convince some of the church ladies to sing the Gloria in English for us, which was sweet. I've really realized how comforting my religion can be, as a foreigner in another country. Catholic, of course means universal, but I'm really truly feeling it here. Although the Mass in is another language, there's still something soothing in it's standardization.

Singing and following the readings during Mass really helps with learning French grammar and sentence structure. Singing some hymns in English makes me realize that I miss Mass in English though. Regardless, I'll be home in a few weeks, so I should enjoy all the French before I have to leave!

30 Mars: "we all speak better french with a little champagne"

2008-03-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Open house today! The monastery was swimming with people all afternoon, locals and some from church, a few from Albi and even a reporter. And of course, the one hundred and one year old woman from down the road also managed to come up and check out the place. Yesterday, we cleaned, mostly just leftover messes from the construction workers, but the place looked pretty impressive, I think. At least the completed renovated spots of course. We had Mass this morning first and we sang the prayer of St. Francis and it was very well received from the townspeople. Then, during the open house, we each had our turn of attempting the tour "en francais." We could get the basics across, and it also helped that there were more than a few people in town who are English or Irish who spend their Spring or Summer here in southwestern France. I met one woman in particular, an English woman who had just returned from traveling in the states. She also likes to participate in home exchanges with people in the US. She's been all over the place, except for the Northwest. She's was very interesting and we talked for a while about all sorts of things: the terrible exchange rate for Americans, binge drinking problems in the states and in England, and the accessibility of guns in the US. It made for some pretty good conversation. As for the French conversation, I was able to do some decent small talk, and everyone seemed thrilled for us to be there. There was this one adorable older lady who kept grabbing my arm and winking at me. It sounds a little creepy but I swear it was cute. They made us feel incredibly welcome and I hope we made a good impression as well.

25 Mars: british tea

2008-03-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Today we went down the street to Peter and Margaret’s house, a British couple who moved to Ambialet about eight years ago. They organize the music for the church so we went to visit so that we could practice a few songs with them for our open house Mass this weekend. We stayed for tea and cookies and I really enjoyed talking with them. They rent out bikes in the summer and provide bike tours and that’s what attracted them here in the first place. They told us about their grandkids and everything they know about the town.

They showed us a few pictures of the town when the Tarn river flooded a few years ago, when the “pres qu’il” or “near island” became a complete island. They also told us that since it is prone to flooding every five or ten years, no one is permitted to build anything new, unless it is for renovations of an already existent structure. It makes sense but it’s kind of sad that Ambialet can never really grow any bigger at all. Peter and Margaret are thrilled with the fact- that’s part of the joy of country life- huh? I guess I can understand.

It was great talking to them. they emphasized how great it is for us to be there and for giving the monastery a rebirth. Everyone who lives in Ambialet either took classes in the monastery in the summer, grew up in it when it was a boarding school, or knows someone who did. It’s a major part of the community and I’m glad to be a part of it coming back to life. It means a lot to them that we’re bringing younger people to the community and for reviving the church as well.

24 Mars 2008: MTV shows are just as bad in French...

2008-03-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Paques in Marseille! My first Easter away from home. A few of us ventured to Marseille, a city in Southern France along the Mediterranean. I ate one too many baguettes and too many pastries while I was there but it was entirely worth it. There aren't many actual sites to see in Marseille but we spent the weekend walking around, checking out the shops and the old port, and just walking along the beach. And our hotel room had a TV with CNN in English! I hate to say that we watched a lot of TV but it was definitely constant background music when were at the hotel because we really have missed it a lot. Anyways, we had a few nice train rides, a lot of unhealthy food, and a few very windy beach afternoons.

We went to Easter Mass at the Notre-Dame Basilica down the street from our hotel, which was very nice, aside from one simple thing: there were no line for Communion. It was survival of the fittest and it was complete chaos. It just left everyone scrambling around, walking over other people trying to get to one of the ten stations, then trying to climb back into their seats in a weird order. We had to go to the back of the Church because one poor, old man was so confused with the whole ordeal that he stood in front of our pew with his cane until we finally gave up blocking the aisle traffic. It was ridiculous and if I was ever a member of that congregation, I would have shown those people how civilized lines work.

We also hit up the local cinema for a movie on Sunday night and saw the one film whose sign said it was originally American. We assumed that meant it would be in English with some French subtitles but I guess one should never assume because we definitely felt like asses when it was all in French and we could hardly understand anything. It was like our incomprehension was being shoved in our faces with each punchline that we failed to understand. I mean, we could get the general idea of the movie just watching it, especially because it was a Jack Black film and no serious conversation was involved, but it was still quite an unexpected blow. It was enjoyable nonetheless but it still hurts.

18 Mars 2008: "He was giving us the 'I know English' stare"

2008-03-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day this week! Very good time at an Irish pub in Albi. I was shocked at all the English speakers that we met there-I'm guessing at least half the people weren't speaking French. It was so much fun- we met some students from the States, people from Ireland, Britain, Australia, other areas of France. We also met a few local students who desperately want to study in the US. It was great to meet all those different people. It was also a lot of fun that the bartender knew that were were American and still gave us a few free drinks! Also, side note- once you get past that name stage- those French automatically do the cheek-kiss thing before you even realize it. It threw me off a few times.

15 Mars: Je t'aime...dammit!

2008-03-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

So a traveling disco came to visit Ambialet last night! Apparently these companies go from city to city with their equipment and set up their stuff and have a makeshift disco. I have to admit, we were all a little wary about the whole idea, considering we still have yet to meet the "young people" of this town but to our surprise, teenagers from all kinds of surrounding areas came over for the night. We were told that there would be food before it started, so we went down early around eight and had a pretty good dinner of saucisson, mussels, and some kind of chicken wing. The "chicken" wing was pretty suspicious though- we think it was some other kind of bird. They eat all sorts of weird fowl we wouldn't consider edible. I'm thinking it was either a duck or a rabbit. You can never be sure though. As our religious studies professor would say at the sight of any rodent, "oOoo, it looks quite tasty!"

There were mostly only older people there during the dinner part, which we expected, and we met a few more of the townspeople. We tried our communication skills again. It was semi-successful, as always. However, I manage to make a fool of myself to one older lady. After asking me, "Qu'est-ce que comment vous trouvez Ambialet?" (how do you find Ambialet/how do you like it?) I was so excited that I fully recognized what she was asking me, that I quickly and stupidly replied, "Ah, oui! Je t'aime beaucoup!" Yeah, the most basic sentence and I managed to say "Ah, yes, I like you a lot!" instead of "Je l'aime beaucoup!"- "I like it a lot!" I had wondered why she gave me such a puzzled smile afterwards but I think she may have realized what I was getting at. Let's hope so at least.

Anyways, it was actually a lot of fun! There was probably 150 or so people there. The music was good, there was some American songs- Eye of the Tiger got us all up and dancing. They also played Cotton Eye Joe and just as we all got up, we got pulled into a train/London bridge thing which was pretty funny. The only down-side of the night would be the crazy man who was incredibly intoxicated and whose pants couldn't manage to stay above the plumber crack line.

12 Mars: money, money, money

2008-03-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

Last night we had dinner with our religious pilgrimage teacher and we all had a lengthy conversation with him about differences between France and the US and it was very interesting. Our director, Tim, has lived in France for seven years so he was able to add some input to the conversation as well. One major topic was work. Obviously, Americans work more than the French- they only have a 35-hour workweek here. And it's governmentally enforced. If you own a store, it has to be closed Sunday. And if it's not closed Sunday, it must be on Monday. And basically everyone shuts down from 12-2 every day for lunch, except for the restaurants. Growing up in a capitalist society, that sounds ridiculous, I didn't understand how France could even compete globally with that definite dent in their production. Apparently though, Tim informed us that they have enough of a domestic market to keep them going. Also, Eriq helped us realize that although it doesn't completely make sense to a capitalist, it's a great way to live. I mean really, if everyone had Sunday or Monday off, that means they would have that much extra time to visit with your family and friends who are also conveniently off work as well. It would be a great mindset to just simply not be completely concerned with making money like so many Americans are. I wouldn't consider myself a materialistic or money-crazy person, but even I was surprised at the thought of no work throughout the entire country on Sunday. I automatically think so myself, "Well that's nice but companies and stores could accomplish so much more and make so much more money if they didn't do that." It's not that I'm greedy but like many other Americans, I think of progress and production first. But obviously that's not the most important thing in life. It's imperative that we be productive as opposed to lazy, but it's also more vital to make sure we prioritize other things, like people.

We also learned something else interesting. Apparently when a woman will get like eight months of maternity leave automatically. How amazing is that? And from what our professor told us, the more kids you have, the more maternity leave you get! That makes sense, doesn't it? I should have my kids over here. : )

9 Mars: Just call me Anna

2008-03-12T14:42:00.001-07:00

So today we had Mass with the townsfolk. I call them townsfolk because that's exactly what they are to me- country folk who live in this town of 30 people- yes, only 30 people. We went from 6 mill Parisians to THIRTY villagers. The nice thing about living in a monastery is the fact that the church is attached to your house so we didn't have to leave for church until about 11:12 to get to Mass by 11:15. There were about 20-30 people other than us for Mass. The priest did a fine job of introducing us and I have now officially taken on 'le prenom' "Anna" since it is proven to be entirely impossible for the French to pronounce the "H" enough to say my name. And since I have to force myself to hocker in order to annunciate my name clearly enough, I have backed down to accepting Anna as my new persona. Anyways, we were kindly introduced and shown the hymnal and taught the melody. I feel so much more welcomed here than I did in Paris. The only pathetic part was when they tried talking to us and our limited conversational French didn't get us too far- little awkward. Oh well, hopefully we'll get better or we could all resort back to hand gestures and pointing. : )

8 Mars: our "monastic" life

2008-03-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

So, here we are, on top of this gorgeous mountain surrounded by the Tarn river on three sides in this 35,000 square foot monastery. It's really quite spectacular. The ride from Albi is pretty ridiculous though- in order to get to Ambialet, it's necessary to first go down a huge mountain that consists of about 30 sharp twists in the road- apparently it's the mountain that was used for the le tour de France time trials last year. I couldn't imagine going up that enormity on a bike in a million years!

Anyways, when our director, Tim, pulled into the driveway after he picked us up from Albi, I couldn't get over the absolute silence and the absolute darkness at the top of the mountain. It was incredibly calming, yet a little eerie. We walked into the huge castle of a place and although construction was still going on, it is still pretty incredible. It's just endless- it keeps going and going. It's wonderful how we can enjoy our completely renovated rooms and brand new bathrooms and Internet and all of the modern stuff but still be living in this ancient place with the gorgeous architecture and an 800 year old living room.

We got our bikes and had our first riding adventure. We started with a basic route that didn't involve too many hills. It was rainy but still very nice. It was pretty invigorating with the rain and all and the landscape is still so pretty regardless. We also took out first hike up the huuge mountain across from the monastery. We actually took the trail further up than we intended and got to see the view from the very top. On the way back down we stopped at some old castle ruins and climbed up those even though that was a bit scary because I don't think you're really supposed to climb all the way up there and it's quite a steep way. I'm excited for all of the outdoorsy kind of things we will get a chance to do here.

2 March: Roma as the chubby ugly friend

2008-03-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

Throughout the week, I questioned how much of a true traveler I really am. I don’t know how much I really like adventure. I mean, I do love going to different places and meeting new people and seeing so many amazing things, but I get scared pretty easily. I worry too much about money and I imagine everything that could go wrong: with flights, with language barriers, with bad neighborhoods. I enjoyed Rome entirely, I am so glad that I came here and got to experience it all. But it was a dirty city and that dirtiness scared me just because it jut set the scene for something frightening to happen, if that makes sense at all. My homesickness hit me too this past week so maybe that was part of it too. I found myself missing weird little things that I wouldn’t expect to. I miss the familiarity and the security. Security is a big thing that is so easy to take for granted. Life would simply be horrific without that essential basic sense of safety. It’s not that I’m scared for my life here, but it’s easy to be wary of people and things when in a new surrounding and especially when they speak another language. I liked Rome for its history and it’s beauty but I really disliked it for it’s uncleanliness. The people are amazing- the restaurant owners and the store workers- they all wanted to help way more than the Parisians. But to me, Paris’ beauty gives it a better score by far. Italy has the right personality and the ancient beauty but it was too ugly on the surface to love it for me. Rome is the fat girl with the great personality and Paris is the stuck-up bombshell. You want to dislike Paris but you can’t keep your eyes off her. You know she thinks she is better than you but you just can’t pull away. You know that if Rome just shed those ten pounds of excess, she would win hands-down. Either way, it was nice to be in the company of someone a bit kinder, even though she looked a little haggard.

Anyways, we're heading out tomorrow. I really did enjoy Rome but I'll be excited to not be living out of a suitcase anymore and sharing one bathroom with eight other people.

1 March: and still more churches...

2008-03-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Not too many big plans for our last day. The weather was pretty ugly- a lot chillier than it had been all week and rainy. We had to catch up on souvenir shopping so we mostly spent the day exploring around, stopping at stores and of course any other churches we passed. Marcellino e Pietro al laterno was one in particular but we saw a few more too.

29 February: More churches…

2008-03-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

Another backtrack day for Karen. We headed back over to the Spanish steps so she could see the Piazza del Popolo and those fabulous views from the park above it. We caught a few more churches, the best free way to see some Roman artwork. We got through Trinite del Monti, Gesu e Maria, Santa Maria Maggiore and Pudenzia today. The churches all amaze me. They are each incredible. Whether they be ornate or simple, or have a famous piece of artwork or an incorrupt pope, each one had something unique and fascinating in it.

We also got to do some shopping on a main road by the Spanish steps. That area was pretty and busy too. We all scooped up a souvenir or two with the money we had left.

28 February: Watch your step!

2008-03-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

So we had a recap day today for Karen’s sake. We headed back to some of the same spots so she could see them as well. We actually got to go into the San Giovanni museum this time though because our tickets to the Vatican museum worked for this museum as well. It was pretty interesting- we got a tour from a very animated Italian woman whose accent I loved. The museum was actually where the popes used to live. It was definitely neat to see. We got to go through their living quarters and receiving rooms. We got to see a lot of the clothing they got to wear and what their guards wore throughout that time period.

We ventured over across the city and stopped at a few more churches: Santa Gregorio Magno and Santi Giovanni e Paulo. We were heading to see an ancient stone pyramid but it proved to be pretty disappointing.

Oh and by the way, Rome is still pretty dirty; it’s not just by our hostel. It’s pretty around the big important landmarks, but on every other road, it’s not that nicely kept. Maybe Paris is just exceptional, but this place is kind of gross.

27 February: Benedicto!

2008-03-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

So, front row seats to the Pope today! I think it’s pretty funny that I traveled all the way to Germany for World Youth Day 3 years ago just for the sake of seeing the pope and I was probably only within a mile of him in actuality. And here I am, within 20 feet of him on a random spring break trip. Pretty impressive I would say. We came early enough that we were able to get those front seats which was pretty exciting, even if it was just for five minutes.

We also got to go through the Vatican Museums and see the Sistine Chapel. We didn’t look too much through the museums but we stayed in the chapel for a good half hour just because there is so much to look at. It was amazing to see it. I mean, I don’t know much about art, and I couldn’t really differentiate much art from any other in terms of skill or style. After seeing so much art and paintings in France in so many museums, I could identify particular works but I really couldn’t tell any distinct talent-based differences between them. I didn’t know which was technically “better” or more impressive than any other. However, in the Sistine Chapel, I could immediately see a difference in his painting, which was unlike any other I had seen. Not only was there just so much there, and painted upside-down nonetheless, but the figures and people actually looked like card-board cutouts to me, that’s how realistic they were to me. It was pretty amazing.

Another funny incidence: while walking down the street and shopping through the souvenir shops in Vatican City, we ran into a former teacher from St. Francis- Fr. Brad! We all kind of just did a double-take but we actually ran into someone we knew in Rome! It was pretty funny but nice to see a familiar face.

We ended the night with another walk to the Trevi Fountain, which we had wanted to see at night. Still the same story- same pose, same laugh, same toss behind the shoulder, same picture taken.

26 Fevrier: thousands of people, same pose

2008-03-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

We made our way over to the ruins again and down to the track where the Romans used to have their chariot races, Circo Massimo. It was a cloudy but pleasant day. The red brick and gray stone ruins were a great backdrop for a group of young guys playing soccer in a spot we sat to read. They reminded me of my brothers when they would have one of their Frisbee sessions- very laidback and easygoing, anyone’s invited. Two Asian guys went over to join them as they tried to establish a pattern through their language barrier. Soccer is international though, they figured something out. We had a nice picnic too in a park by the Colosseum. Nice view but the Italians are crazy about their dogs over here. It’s like France, where it doesn’t seem that many of them are ever on leases. While we ate our lunch, I could see about sixteen big dogs all around. I was surprised none of them attacked each other. I guess they’re well-trained like those Parisian pups.

We ventured over to the Trevi fountain today too. It was fun to sit back and watch so many different people from so many different places approach the fountain and act out the exact same scene for the exact same picture: sitting on the edge, throwing their coin in backwards for good luck. It’s funny because no matter how different these people are or no matter what their language or nationality, they all basically acted the exact same for those five minutes.

Karen arrived from Prague safely. We got moved from the 6-bed dorm hostel to the 9-bed which was in another building. This one looks pretty shady but we’re meeting some cool people though. This is what I wanted to do- meet and talk with people. We hadn’t gotten to do that too much in Paris or during these first few days of Rome, but now we are. Our new roommate, Jill is actually from PA and doesn’t live that far from St. Francis! It was so comforting- I felt like I knew her.

25 Fevrier: just follow the McDonald’s signs…

2008-03-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

More hiking around today. We made it to more of the bigger ruins in the Roman Forum and down to the Pantheon. I cannot believe that that building is still standing. It’s unfathomable how the whole thing was ever made in the first place. The architecture and perfect geometry and symmetry of it seems impossible. And to think it was made around 25 BC and is still standing strong is incredible. I really was impressed with its enormity. But the funny part was the fact that even though the Pantheon is in a pretty little square with quaint, pretty Italian buildings and restaurants, good old McDonalds was directly across from that glorious ancient monument. How nice. But not really. It was also pretty funny to look at the rules once walking into the Pantheon. Apparently one major rule was to not “make annoying noises inside the building.” What kind of general rule is that? Ha, who knows but we got a laugh out of it.

On the way back, we stopped at this great glass bead shop. It was a small store, but every square inch of it was covered with multi-colored beads and glass balls and chandeliers. It was so pretty and we hung out there for a little while just for the atmosphere.

24 Fevrier: Roman cats are taking over the ruins

2008-03-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

Another busy day full of walking. We made the hour and ten minute trek to the Vatican. Our hopes were to get to the Vatican museums for free since it was the last Sunday of the month but that plan fell through when the line turned out to go on for blocks. We also got side-tracked because the line for the Vatican itself was basically non-existent because we got there so early. We got right in, walked through and took pictures, and even made it for 10 am Mass inside the Basilica.

After the Vatican and a wonderful outdoor lunch of marinara pizza and of course some more gelato, we made some more church stops on the way back. Faustina was the first one and while Claire stayed for the holy hour, Tim and I headed over to the riverside and went past the Castel Santa Angelo. Another great view from that side. It was pretty picturesque, plenty of people stretched out on the grass, alongside the river, with the bridge reflected onto it, while a few guys played guitar nearby- incredibly relaxing.

We also made it to a few more churches on the way back- Andrea del Valle, Ignatius Loyola, and Campidoglio. We also passed a small area of ruins. It was funny because the entire thing was overtaken by stray cats. They were everywhere! Each little spot you noticed, there was another cat, peeking through some grass or a hole in a stone. Black and gray cats, white ones, orange, striped, fluffy, thin- everything. They totally took over.

23 Fevrier: reading, sun, and art- wow, my Mom would be proud

2008-03-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

Wow, we saw more today than we had originally planned. We made it to the Piazza del Popolo, including the Maria del Popolo church and the Santa Susanna church. We saw the Fontane del Tritone and the Spanish steps. Carol had advised us to first go to the piazza, and then walk down along the Bourgeoisie park in order to get a great view as we made our way to the Spanish steps. She was right on--amazing view. And the sixty-degree weather didn’t hurt either. After walking all afternoon, we made a few stops in the park and atop the Spanish Steps to read, enjoy the view, and soak up the sun. Lovely day overall.

It’s a lot of fun to go into these churches and see so many famous paintings and sculptures by all the artists we have read about in our art history class. I’m no art expert but it’s interesting to be able to see them and actually recognize them and know some background or be able to see some differences between them.

We have also discovered a new weakness (aka- addiction): gelato. Wonderful creation and done quite exceptionally by the Italians.

22 Fevrier: Hopping glass barricades for Rome

2008-03-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

We have arrived safe and sound in Rome! We didn’t have too many problems getting here. We only faced one minor complication in Charles de Gaulle airport. So, we bought our eight euro metro tickets, like the good temporary “citizens” that we are. However, we got off at the wrong terminal stop, so by the time we took the metro back to the correct terminal, our tickets wouldn’t let us go through the turn-style machine. Most metro stops only have turn-styles though, so if you are without a ticket and there isn’t security in sight, one can easily jump it. However, of course, when it comes to being late for a flight, we were faced with not only a turn-style, but also closing doors surrounded by a 7 foot wall of glass. But no worries, our desperate selves, managed to shimmy our stuff over the wide expanse of glass and jump the whole wall! Very entertaining, a little nerve-racking, because of course it’s not easy to be discreet about that but we made it.

Anyways, we made it successfully. We made it to our hostel safely only after being ripped off five euros by a taxi-driver. The hostel is decent- nothing spectacular but mostly clean and sufficient. We were placed in the 6-bed dorm too so it was nice to only have a few roommates. However, our hostel does seem to be placed in the China-town section of town. Nothing wrong with that but the area over here in kinda dirty and there is dog poop pretty much every few feet. They don’t seem too clean in Rome so far.

We made it to the Colosseum, where we caught a beautiful sunset and got our first glance at ancient Rome. We also made it to San Giovanni church and Santa Maria degli Angeli church, as well as the Republica area with it’s beautiful fountain. Claire made a great find in San Giovanni- an older lady named Carol who gave us countless tips and advice about Rome. I guess we won’t need to buy any transportation while here- she claims that Rome is extremely walk-able. Our first dinner was nice too- the waiters are way nicer here than in Paris. Also a bonus!

19 Fevrier: the French really aren't that rude

2008-02-18T23:58:00.001-08:00

Interesting comment that I forgot to mention in my last few blogs. When we went to our neighbor's house for dinner the other night, the mother made a comment that struck me. As she was telling us her stories from visiting her brother in San Francisco, she mentioned how friendly everyone was to her in the US. She barely spoke English at the time, and she claimed that everyone she talked to was very helpful. No one spoke French but everyone was willing to work to understand what she needed or wanted. We expressed that whenever we are in a time of need here in France, whether it be directions or the location of a particular place, just about everyone we asked would at least stop and tried to help. No one blatantly ignored us or gave us a hard time. The mother was very relieved to hear us say that and she had feared that many French that we would encounter wouldn't be so friendly. It was nice to hear her say those kind words of Americans and it was also comforting to hear that there were compassionate people like her that would worry about the kindness of her country.

18 Fevrier: I can shower during spring break!

2008-02-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

Exciting news: we switched our hostel! Woo, no more dirty, gross hostel. Big sigh of relief on that one. I'm actually really excited for spring break now that I don't have to fear the worst in terms of cleanliness for ten days.

17 Fevrier: faded churches and adorned tombs

2008-02-18T15:12:00.000-08:00

We weren't off to a bright start this morning but most of us got to revisit a few places before we leave Paris. This last Sunday is a little bittersweet. I love the fact that Parisians really don't work on Sundays. A lot of us claim that we relax on Sundays but we don't. I don't agree that everything should be closed on Sundays but it is nice to enjoy everyone just enjoying life and not working. Tim and I got to appreciate that when we headed up to Montmartre and see Sacre Coeur again. Before walking up to the top of this "mountain of martyrs," we checked out the incredible graveyard at the base of the hill. It was unlike any cometary I have ever seen and I loved it in all its morbid splendor. The "tombs" were more like monuments or mausoleums, I guess. Most were anywhere from 6-15 feet high with everything from stained glass and mosaic to sculptures and paintings ornamenting them. Some were simply beautiful. Most were old, going back a few hundred years. There were some recent as well though. We were able to peek into many of them and the insides were sometimes just extravagant as the outside. The whole area was a lot of fun to just walk around and check out all the unique tombs and monuments.

So, we walked up to Sacre Coeur, where the atmosphere is just spectacular. There are dozens of artists, selling their works and painting new ones as you walk past. There was a man playing his guitar and singing some good old American songs like Oasis and even some Elvis. When I threw some money into his guitar case, I asked where he was from and he surprised me with a German accent! It was pretty funny but he was nice to sit and listen to for a while. Again, we got to enjoy that glorious no-work Sundays as the place was packed and all the grass was filled with people relaxing and soaking up the sunshine through their winter coats. And of course, that view is spectacular.

We tried to find the Moulin Rouge but we probably just circled it 5 times. We never actually came across it and finally, after tiring from walking up and down the mountain so much, we gave up and headed back down. We did find a neat church at the bottom, St. Jean. It was unlike any other church I had seen anywhere, even in Paris. The doors were wide-open and it looked as though the constant sunshine spilling in had faded all of the wooden walls and pillars. Old, washed out paintings covered the walls and a wonderful mosaic/tiling motif ran throughout the church. I loved it.

16 Fevrier: you're jealous you didn't get the headphones : )

2008-02-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

Versailles today- so beautiful. Although Tim and I were seemingly very confident in our RER/metro skills, and although it is our last week in Paris, we still managed to have some difficulty in getting there thanks to that damn C line that keeps looping around. Anyways, once we got there, we did make the revolutionary decision to rent the headphones with our ticket. Best decision of the week by far. I always want to get the headphones in various museums that we visit but they usually cost at least 5 or 6 euros. At Versailles, they were only an extra euro so we splurged. It was nice to finally understand everything I was seeing, or at least get a brief description of it. I've decided that cities should start making those headphone sets for the whole city that people can rent and just walk around and learn about everything they pass. However, after touring through the inside for an hour, we heading out to the gardens, not realizing that once you're outside, you must wait in the gigantic line again. So, we only got to spend a few hours actually looking at Versailles but that was fine with us. We still enjoyed it a lot.

After getting back into the city, we headed over to the chapel of the miraculous medal, a special trip for my mom. There was a mass when we got there but we still got a chance to walk in and see the chapel a little. I was able to buy a few souvenirs for my mom as well so it was a success.

On the way to finding the chapel, though, a funny thing happened. Tim and I were mistaken for Italians. Now, I realize that Tim is probably the one who caught the attention, because he does look quite Italian all on his own, but it was still fun to be mistaken with him. Not that there is anything wrong with Parisians knowing that I'm American, but everyone tells us that they can immediately tell when someone is from the US. They claim it's not a bad thing but little things give it away that scream United States. It was kind of fun to be thought of as European. Different, but interesting.

14 Fevrier: "one way & made in spain"

2008-02-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

Very busy Valentine's Day today. Gerri took us on another grand tour. We started at St. Paul's cathedral, made our way through parts of the musee carnivale (which had a special exhibition on Ben Franklin, which was nice for us Americans), ate a fallafel in the Jewish district, stopped at a tea museum, and ended up at the arch de defense. Later on, we had a dinner with some neighbors in Fontenay. It was a great experience to meet a French family and see their home and eat a meal with them. They spoke some English, more than our French so we were able to communicate that way. Their 17 year old son was pretty fluent, so he jumped into the conversation as well. The dad was a dentist and he told us that Americans are much better at flossing their teeth and taking care of their teeth than are the French. Interesting tidbit. The mother was hysterical, very animated and told a few humorous stories from when she visited her brother in San Francisco. Least to say, it was very entertaining.

13 Fevrier: that isn't art, it's a stick figure!

2008-02-18T06:10:00.001-08:00

Yes, stick figure art. In Paris. In a national museum. An entire gallery dedicated to this primitive "art." With all the art that they have in this city, with all the beautiful statues, architecture, paintings, and churches, the city has dumbed herself down to calling the work that we saw at the Musee de Mod as "art." We met Oxanna at the modern art museum and went through a few galleries of artwork. It was interesting because it was a completely different scene from the old, classical museums that we had been visiting and there were some particular rooms I enjoyed. I'm not bashing the museum, but the one particular artist that was featured was simply annoying to me. Walking through, I disliked his works and I knew it was because it was too simple and seemingly not creative but after talking with a friend of Oxanna's I realized another reason why it didn't strike me as art. He mentioned that he didn't like it because it wasn't creative, it was simply emotion. That's what I see as well. It's not about style or color or beauty, it was about the artist's expression. Expression isn't a bad word in my vocabulary but it didn't give anything to the viewer- it was only for the artists. Again, that's fine and dandy, but should it really be displayed in a national museum if no one else can extract meaning or emotion except for the artist? In that case, it's art for that artist, he/she can feed from it. However, I don' t feel as though it's meant for everyone if it's that personal. Perhaps others can grasp a level of meaning that I simply was unable to, but it makes me question who does or should benefit from art.

12 Fevrier: infinite funds...or not

2008-02-18T06:02:00.001-08:00

The last few days have proved to be difficult in planning our spring break trip. It's quite a challenge to combine the interests and preferences of seven very different people into one trip. Not everyone is going to be completely happy.However, we did finally settle, although we have chosen to split up for the ten days. Half are going to Prague, half are going to Rome. I'm going to Rome- very excited. One simple lesson learned though: travel is not cheap and although I already knew that, it was reinforced during our search. There are tricks to traveling inexpensively, however, a lot of it depends on sheer luck as well. Costs of flights change not only weekly, but daily. One moment you can find a cheap ticket from Rome to Toulouse, the next minute it's 100 euros more. It's a hard game to play and unless you have infinite funds, it's pretty frustrating as well.

10 Fevrier: So, they really don't work on Sundays...

2008-02-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

Exploration day today! Tim and I ventured around to some of the metro stops which we hadn't been to yet. It was fun to just explore and not be on a time frame at all. We stopped at Cite Universitaire first to see the international university. There wasn't much to see but we walked through their park for a while and that was relaxing. People here are a lot more active it seems. Parks are always full of runners, joggers, walkers, bikers, and soccer players, especially on Sundays. We walked down to their stadium and even got to watch some of a soccer game. We assumed it was a club game because no one else was really watching but it was fun to sit on the sidelines and watch. It was a beautiful day outside too so that always helps. After we jumped back on the metro, we got off at the Jardin du Luxembourg. This reinstated the fact that Parisians really do not work on Sundays. It was jammed pack! There are hundreds of lawn chairs randomly strewn about the garden, especially around the fountain, and almost each chair was taken up. We finally found two and sat down, read a little, and then just people-watched.

After Luxembourg, we rode down to the Eiffel Tower because we still hadn't gone up the tower yet. Since we're leaving in two weeks, we figured we'd try it out today since you can only go to the very top on the weekends. That was definitely well worth the 12 euros. We tried to time it with sunset the best we could and it actually worked pretty well. The best part was that we were able to walk down to the ground floor while the lights were on- the sparking of it created a great effect through the iron as we ran down the gazillion flights of stairs. We also ventured across the river from the Eiffel Tower just to get some pictures but ran into a pretty neat area. We're heading back that way this upcoming week with Gerri so hopefully we'll get a chance to see a little more of it.

8 Fevrier: paranoid, paranoid

2008-02-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

I've decided that studying abroad is definitely a humbling experience. It's bringing out a self-consciousness that I thought I left freshman year of high school. It just seems to bring out a whole new level of self-recognition. We went to a club with Alexia and met her friend there. It was a cool place, a lot of fun actually, great music, but I can't help feeling so out of place so many places that I go. If I ever felt that way at home, it wouldn't make a difference to me- who cares? But here, I feel as though I'm constantly being judged. It's a weird feeling to be experiencing at this point in my life and I think that's why I feel as though this whole trip is very humbling. Although I'm totally comfortable in my normal surroundings at home and at school, the world is much bigger than just those two places. It's weird to learn that even though it's an obvious statement.

Also, learning to be fluent in a language is still completely unfathomable to me and I have so much respect for people who can master more than their original language. It baffles me and I couldn't imagine "thinking" another language like I do English. There are just so many people who speak both French and English here and it amazes me. I think I feel out of place because I don't know the language well and in that sense, I feel as though I'm intruding in a space where I didn't do my research. I hate being an inconvenience to anyone in general so I'm having a lot of trouble dealing with constantly being difficult. I don't like other people having to do my work for me, and I'm in their country so I feel even more intrusive. I also like being efficient and trying to make things go as smoothly as they can and that just doesn't seem totally possible here. It's frustrating but I'm glad for the experience- if it wasn't tough at all, I wouldn't learn anything and I'm definitely here to learn about others and myself.

7 Fevrier: rowdy french professionals

2008-02-09T04:41:00.000-08:00

Another simple thing makes my day: mailing some letters. Pretty pathetic, huh? But very true. Anyways, after I successfully bought stamps and talked to the mail clerk, we went out with Oxanna to a night club called Plaza Madeleine. It was a lot of fun- it went from about 7-1 and through a fourteen euro entrance fee, we got "dinner"(more like appetizers but at least something) and an open bar from7-9. Apparently "open bar" over here is an open champagne bar. lol. Oh well, aside from the terrible hoard of people crowding the bar like starving people seeing food relief, it was a good time. It was different crowd at first- the dress was pretty classy looking and and age range was more around 20-35 or so. Everyone there looked as though they had just gotten off their work shift, which, according to Oxanna, was precisely why. We felt a little out of place at first not only because we are American but because we were students and it didn't completely seem like our scene. But, as everyone had a few more drinks and the music got louder, the dance floor became much more crowded and it was fun to watch all those professionals suddenly start looking like a bunch of rowdy college kids. And as it got a little later, our younger crowd seemed to emerge, ones not quite as dressed up and who looked a little more like us. The music was great though- if the French truly don't like Americans, they sure love our music. Anyways, it was fun regardless.

6 Fevrier: bunny for lunch

2008-02-09T04:40:00.001-08:00

We had a different kind of French class today with Gerald, our professor. As a way to allow us to learn a little more about French culture, as opposed to just grammar, we went to his house by the Eiffel Tower and helped him and his wife, Olga, cook ourselves lunch. It was fun to make the food and not just eat it. It looked very professional and culinary and it was very satisfying to know that we actually made it. It was actually pretty simple to make too. We had rabbit- a first for me but it just tasted like chicken I thought. We also had a salad with a vinaigrette dressing, walnuts, and melted goat cheese on top. The cheese was good, not too strong like some French cheese I've experienced, but it was a little overpowering for me just over the greens. I liked it more with my baguette. We also has couscous and baked tomatoes with the rabbit. I helped make the best part of the meal- mousse au chocolat. It was surprisingly simply to make considering how good it was. I'm excited to take that recipe back with me when I go home. We also got a lesson on another important part of the French meal- the wine. And after three glasses and a huge wave of fatigue, we left Gerri's home and went to the Musee de Rodin- home of the famous "Thinker" sculpture. We didn't stay too long there but I definitely liked his work. It really is fun going to all the museums now that we're learning a little more about the technical aspects of art through our class.

5 Fevrier: advertisements

2008-02-09T04:35:00.000-08:00

I love how some of the advertisements here make use of art. It's as though everyone who lived here is completely consumed in it here. These Parisians grow up surrounded by it- in their museums and architecture and culture- they can't get away from it if they wanted to. I mean, their government funds living arrangements for starving artists. It's a completely different concept over here. I see ads with women on it that look as thought they were painted hundreds of years ago and could be hung in a museum. And here it is being used as an ad to sell a cell phone. I guess you have to know the people of the culture before you try to appeal to them and these Parisians are way different than us.

4 Fevrier: choreography dans la gare

2008-02-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

As you ride the metro, you watch all the people all around you- just watch and think and imagine. And as all the people rise from their seats as they hear the train approaching, they move like a wave. Their one commonality being simply waiting for a train- never knowing any of the thousand of similarities between them. It's like a choreographed dance: each person rising up one after another, completely synchronized, one-by-one. I find it fun to watch with every stop of the train.

Speaking another language really makes one realize how simple phrases and words can be- nouns and verbs alone can get you far- even when they aren't conjugated. We have a lot of unnecessary words. But that's what being human is all about- the ability to communicate. We can speak to the same people every single day and still always have something to share. My biggest language barrier is the lack of any real socialization. Sure, I "communicate" with Parisians, but I don't truly socialize with them, unfortunately. I was so excited to meet people and get to know them but without being fluent, there's only so much to say. It's near impossible to really talk. It is big disappointment but I guess I should have expected it.

1-3 Fevrier: mind the gap!!

2008-02-04T13:31:00.000-08:00

Our first adventure is officially under our belts. London welcomed us with their glorious english-speaking ways and their incredibly addictive accents. The trip as a whole was pretty amazing for only being there 2 1/2 days. We got to see a lot- thanks to Karen's brother who is living in London right now. He was able to kind of tour us around the major landmarks. It was nice to be able to follow someone for a while and not try to find anything or decide where to go. We got to see the London Bridge, Big Ben, Parliament, changing of the guards, London Eye, Portebello Road, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Trufalgar's Square, Herod's, National Galleries, and Picadilly Circus. I'm sure those aren't all spelled correctly but you get the idea- we got to see a lot in a very short amount of time. We didn't go in anywhere because of time and money limits but that was fine with me. I think we got to see more things in general because we weren't inside at all really.

Anyways, our first hostel experience was definitely a success. We met some fun people- Leo in particular, a student from Brazil who stayed in our room. He was a cool guy and made us all feel a little more comfortable about the whole sharing rooms with strangers concept. Aside from the couple who arrived late at night, we didn't have any other discrepancies...Anyways, like I mentioned, we met some interesting people there and it was definitely a good experience. The hostel overall was surprisingly clean and modern. It used to be a court house so it's a great twist of old and new.

Karen's brother also took us to a few bars, one being Waxy O'Connors- this great six-story bar that has this rustic Irish feel to it. It was jam-packed when we went but that made it all the more fun, I think. Good music too. Oh, and the one bartender was absolutely hysterical and basically kept us at that bar for like an hour longer than we anticipated. London was ridiculously expensive- which we were prepared for but it still hurt. We basically starved the whole trip, only purchasing tea and a meal of fish and chips just for tradition-sake. We brought along some baguettes and clementines so we survived, however, we looked pretty homeless at more than a few instances. Haha it was funny though.

29 Janvier: family dinners

2008-01-30T01:49:00.000-08:00

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"

2008-01-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-26T10:52:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-25T02:26:00.000-08:00

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"

2008-01-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-21T16:18:00.001-08:00

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

2008-01-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-18T03:43:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-18T03:28:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-01-18T03:15:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-18T02:57:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-18T02:51:00.000-08:00

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.