Friday at Versailles

• Sorry I haven't written in a few days..we've been busy! On Thursday, we had 6 hours of class again, goodness are those long days! Especially when the sun was shining so gloriously and we were stuck in a classroom! I have three different professors that teach our class, and so far my afternoon "lumberjack" prof was my favorite. (He was wearing a flannel shirt and had a beard so that's how he got his nickname from us!) He was my favorite prof though because he speaks a little bit more slowly so that we can actually understand him! As I said before, all our instruction is given in French, so you have to be listening carefully and making sure you understand all the directions! Its really fun though, I think we are learning a lot more because of the intense exposure. During our break from noon to 2, I got lunch from the school's "cafeteria" - basically a little deli bar you can buy food at, and sat in the courtyard to eat, chat with everyone else, write in my journal, and write out postcards! I even got a little bit of a sunburn.
• Yesterday was our day at Versailles! I have to admit, I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be! (I also didn't take as many photos as I thought I was going to..) We had a tour through the palace then spent the afternoon wandering through the gardens. Jayna and I relaxed a bit down by a "pond" where there were lots of ducks! It is really cool to say that I've napped in the gardens of Versailles! :) The fountains all came on at 3:30, so that was fun to see. And they had music playing to set the mood. I could just imagine past kings and queens wandering around the grounds!
• We have a free weekend these next two days (as in no officially planned group activities). A bunch of us are meeting this afternoon to see the catacombs, which should be an interesting visit! Other than that, I'm not sure what else is in store for me this weekend! Probably some shopping!

Lots of thinking!

• This afternoon we visited The Rodin Museum and saw the Thinker! I finally decided to put a photo on here with people in it (other than myself..haha). This photo is of our group listening to our guide Edith, in the garden area of The Rodin Museum by the original Thinker. (Several others like it exist in various parts of the world and even at this museum, but this is the ONE.) Visiting an art museum today was a nice change up from all the historical museums and places we've visited. Though I am really looking forward to our trip to Versailles on Friday! That is one place I've wanted to visit for a very long time... But first I have to get through 6 hours of class tomorrow, it will be an experience.
• Speaking of class, it was our second day of class this morning! And let me tell you, 9 am is a bit early to be thinking and conversing and learning vocabulary of another language! But I am feeling more and more confident, which is very exciting. (My English is also failing me more and more!) We did some worksheets, group work, and listened to a dialogue. Our class is intense, I know that I am learning a lot and its only been two days! Compared to classes in the US, we move much more quickly and the professors most definitely have more power (in a good way) over the students. Also, a huge difference I've noticed is that very little English, or other languages, are spoken in the classroom by the prof or students..which adds to the level of intensity. But I like it, I'm glad to be learning while I am here!
• Not quite as good as the tuba story from yesterday, but as we were walking down the street today after class, a French man rode by on his bike wearing headphones and was singing out loud "Womanizer." Oh goodness, that quite possibly made my day!
• After the museum tour today, lots of us sat in the museum's gardens by a fountain and sculptures and worked on our homework, journaling, and writing out postcards. When we got a little chilly a few of us went to a cafe and continued writing and chatting. Now I'm back at our apartment hoping to have a chance to go through the 1000+ photos I have from barely a week here!

Twinkling, deuxieme fois!

• Translation: Twinkling, second time! Once again, we went to see the Eiffel Tower tonight and it was just as magnificent as the first time we saw it (only we were able to contain ourselves a little better!) We just sat on a bench and stared at it for awhile; we especially adore it when it twinkles! The little twinkling lights are like sprinkles on a cake, but better!
• Today was our first "real" day of class (in addition to our museum and monument visits) and we were all a little nervous of the unexpected. Yesterday we took a placement test at the school in order for them to judge our French language comprehension. We had class from 9-12 this morning and from 2-5 this afternoon. Some of us were placed in the incorrect level of our current instruction and changed classes; it seems as though most students have their class figured out by now.
• I am so excited to be learning more French! I love the language and wish I could understand more and express myself better using it. If you've ever heard someone speaking French, I think you might agree with me. Just from class today, I came back to my apartment and felt much more confident in trying to speak with my host family in French. I've decided that knowing a lot of the little things such as "ok" and "what is that?" and "I don't know" are very helpful and make even rocky conversations a little more understandable on both sides.
• One thing I have realized of Paris is that with the exception of the Metro, I never truly feel as though I am indoors. Most windows completely open either towards or away from you, many of these windows are floor to ceiling or at the very least quite large, and most are lacking screens! Plus, the open air cafes are my favorite to sit at and enjoy the company of my friends. I also can never say no to a fresh crepe from a street vendor! Nutella et banane est mon favori!

• Yesterday we had the chance to visit the Cluny Museum with Edith, our guide. We saw many original items from Notre Dame, including the heads of the statues of the Kings of Judah that were dismantled and buried in a garden for many years. We also saw several original pieces of stained glass from Saint Chapelle, which we visited two days ago. It was beautiful!
• Tomorrow we have morning class again and in the afternoon we are visiting The Rodin Museum, which has impressive gardens that showcase many statues, including "The Thinker."
• I've decided I don't want to leave Paris! I've adapted to the city life surprisingly well, coming from a high school class of 8! (at least I'd say) Riding the Metro is always interesting; the street performers are usually my favorite part - I've see people playing accordion, saxophone, and even a tuba while riding the Metro! I wonder what else this marvelous city has in store? We will see!

Twinkling, not sparkling!

I just got back from seeing the Eiffel Tower at night for the first time and it was breathtaking! I met Jayna at my Metro stop and then we met Corey at another stop right across the river from the Tower. It was really funny because we first got off the Metro and then consulted a map to see if we could figure out the best direction to go. However, we couldn't find the streets on our map exactly so we just decided to cross this bridge that looked somewhat promising. And then we saw it! Jayna and I freaked out just a little; I'm sure you would as well because it is a spectactular sight! We plan to go back and visit it again in the evening! At night it is always lit up, but on the hour it twinkles for 5 minutes. Currently it is malfunctioning and is twinkling every 20 minutes or so. We were informed of this from two American women that were also there taking in the view. (Odd, but it was kind of nice to have an extended conversation in English with people not in our group!) This was definitely an experience of a life time - something I've always wanted to see. I think its beginning to hit me that I am in Paris, but I'm not quite sure yet.

• The formatting on this site is not quite working the way I want it to, so please bear with me. And I apologize for my eariler post, it was time to go eat supper.
• Tonight's supper was most definitely entertaining. I am trying to use more and more of my developing French skills and can feel myself becoming more confident in stringing together somewhat coherent sentences. My downfall now is a lack of vocabulary, which is growing every day!
• Tomorrow morning we start school and I'm very excited! But now it is time for bed on my cozy cushion foam of delight on the top bunk of a bed in an apartment located just a few blocks north of the Arc de Triumph!

03 Mai 2009 18h55

Nothing like the reflection of The Eiffel Tower in my sunglasses :) The title of this post is how we write the date and time here! I'm working harder and harder on my French skills everyday, I just love being surrounded by such a beautiful language! Even though I may not always understand what is being said, it is still very enjoyable. I'm even finding my English skills are starting to fail, which is a good sign to me! Hopefully what I am writing still makes sense though! Sorry this is really short, but it is supper time!