Ma Première Semaine

I know I made a post earlier this week about my first few days here in France. But I’m going to do another one. My goal is to do at least a weekly update!

Since my last post I’ve been exploring different parts of the city. 

Tuesday I decided to take a trip to the Louvre. I’m getting used to the metro now! It was closed (apparently most museums here are closed on Tuesday) so I walked around the court yard and took some pictures. It was so cool to finally see the pyramid up close and to see how large the museum actually is. 

 The Louvre Pyramids

 Selfie in  front of the Pyramid

 More Pyramid

 L'Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

 The Louvre from l'Arc

The Louvre address

After walking around outside the Louvre I walked across the river and saw where the Musée d’Orsay was located. From there I decided to walk home. It was a windy/rainy day. However I got some excellent pictures along my way home. It wasn’t too long of a walk along the Seine River back home. I enjoyed taking my time stopping to see what was around me.

 La Tour d'Eiffel!

 The River Seine

 Musee d'Orsay 

 I'm in love with the buildings here. So I take random pictures of them! 

 Palais des Beaux Arts

 Institute de France

 Institute de France

 The Great Canadian Pub - maybe I will go here if I get too Minnesota homesick! :P

 Notre Dame

 Notre Dame

Notre Dame with the "Love" locks on a bridge. There are more than one of these bridges in Paris.

 My second selfie in France in front of Notre Dame

 Boat building. I thought it looked cool.

 As much as the streets of Paris confuse me, I sure do think they look cool!

 La Tour d'Argent - a very expensive restaurant.

Patroness of Paris

Wednesday: I met up with another girl who is doing this same program for lunch. We originally were going to go get falafels in la Marais; however the place we had in mind was closed! We forgot to take into account the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. Most shops and restaurants in the Marais were closed. So we walked back down rue de Rivoli until we found a sandwich shop. We got sandwiches (I forget the name of mine it had chicken, some kind of sauce, cheese, lettuce, and some pickle type thing), lunch also came with a dessert (I got an éclair, with chocolate inside) and a drink – meals come with a lot of food here. We decided to eat lunch at a little park at the bottom of the tower of Saint-Jacques. It was a really beautiful day, so I decided to walk home from there! I stopped at hôtle-de-ville and took some more pictures. I stopped by Notre-Dame as well and got some beautiful pictures of that cathedral. I cannot wait to go inside (maybe when it’s not so busy anymore).

Once I was back in my neighborhood I decided it was time to test out a boulangerie that Isabelle recommended, Maison Gregoire. I stopped in and got a demi-baguette and two croissants. Needless to say they did not last very long. :P

 La Tour de Saint-Jacques

 The River Seine - I love living so close to it!

 Notre Dame

 Notre Dame

 L'Institute du Monde Arab

 L'Institute du Monde Arab is near my apartment and they have different Middle Eastern exhibits there. Right now they have an Egyptian Exhibit happening. I must go see.

Fountain near my apartment

Thursday: I really experienced a bit of homesickness…so I didn’t go out. It has been interesting getting used to the time difference and different normal things (to me) from the U.S. I think I miss my car and Target most of all! Haha. I will get used to it eventually, probably just in time to head back home.

Friday: I actually semi-checked of something from my list of to-do’s. I picked a bank and went in to set up an appointment to get a bank account. It was nerve-wrecking! I am so not good with bank vocabulary, like at all. I’m pretty sure the lady thought I was crazy; just you wait until Tuesday at my appointment lady! After stopping at the bank, I hopped on the subway and headed to the Musée Cluny, the medieval museum in Paris. I loved it! Medieval history is like my life! It was so cool to see all the different pieces from the middle-ages. My favorite pieces were the different tapestries and the illuminated texts! So cool, loved! On my way home I stopped at Monoprix (it is kind of like Target, but not as good). I feel like I need to go grocery shopping every few days…having a small kitchen is not easy to get stocked up on supplies; definitely something to get used to as well.

 Musee Cluny - Medieval Museum!

 Choir chairs! Imagine having to sit on these while singing in a choir!

 "Unicorn Horn"

 Ceiling in the Chapel

 Medieval armor 

 Little cannon

Romulus and Remus - love the Roman influences in Paris!

Saturday: Today was a pretty laid back day. I woke up and did some reading. I’m starting to look up different lesson plans. I need to start thinking of different ways to make English conversation slightly less awkward; I know it is awkward doing simulated French conversations…So if people have ideas let me know!! I’ll also be doing some tutoring for a teenager and babysitting a couple of kids…so fun games for that kind of learning would be great too!! Today I also went for a walk in the Jardines des Plantes which is right next to my apartment. The jardines are pretty large! There is a zoo and a couple museums in the area too, I'll have to check them out later. So beautiful! I still cannot believe that I live in such a beautiful city!! Now I’m back to doing some more research on lessons! I look forward to more time here in France!

 In the Jardines

In the Jardines. I cannot believe such beauty is right near my apartment.

Some of my favorite things so far:

• ·         Bread!! My favorite boulangerie is Maison Gregoire. So so so so good!! Love fresh bread!
• ·         Netflix! I know. I know what you are thinking: “seriously Netflix?” But Netflix here has a lot of shows that are not on it in the U.S. like “Modern Family” “The Big Bang Theory” and tons and tons of my favorite Disney/Pixar movies – all of which can be watched in French or English. It gives me a piece of home. Plus there are French TV shows and movies!
• ·         The History!!! Seriously there is history all around me. I love all the old buildings and museums and the history! It is amazing I cannot wait to see more. I have a few more days to really look around the city before work starts.  

C’est tous!

Les Premiers Jours (The First Days)

Bonjour à tous! I am writing here from France! Finally!! It has been an overwhelming yet amazing first few days here. I suppose everyone wants to know the details of my life so far since I have been here. So here goes the long story of the past few days…

Thursday (the day of departure): As many know I am a last minute packer…this time was no different!! I was running around Thursday morning like a crazy person trying to make all my stuff fit into my big suitcase, my carry-on, and my backpack. This was quite the adventure. It turns out I have too much stuff (and now that I am here, I still have too much stuff)! I reduced as much as I thought I could. Put stuff into my big bag (only two pounds over), fit more stuff into my carry-on/backpack and continued to rearrange until Katie came to pick me up. I’m sure she thinks I’m crazy for not just checking a second bag, but who wants to drag 3 bags through a foreign airport/metro or pay an extra $100 for that second checked bag (NOT ME)!! After Katie picked me up we stopped for my last meal in the U.S.; Village Inn…I know, I know, I could have done better. But it was lunch time on a Friday afternoon, who knows how busy other places could have been. After a tearful goodbye, I got all checked in, got through security, and waited to get on the plane. The plane ride itself wasn’t the worst thing ever, however if I ever have the money I would much rather do international flights in first class, they had beds (I was jealous). Delta takes very good care of its customers on international flights. They brought around water every half hour/hour, a decent dinner (chicken and vegetables, a roll, crackers w/cheese, a brownie), a snack (a sandwich with cookies), and a breakfast (croissant, yogurt, cheese, and orange juice). Plus the in-flight entertainment included new release movies instead of older ones. I basically watched movies the whole flight (Pitch Perfect 2, Inside Out, a French movie Un Peu Beaucoup Aveulgément (Blind Date), Sleepless in Seattle, and Big Hero 6. I really only slept during Sleepless in Seattle, probably because I’ve seen it a million times (I love that movie)!

 Goodbye Salt Lake City!

 View of "economy class"

Somewhere over the United States

Friday (day of arrival): Well after about a 8 ½-9 hour flight (we had a good tailwind, so we got in early) I finally arrived in France. I want to get a good picture of Paris from the sky, however it was cloudy and CDG is kind of far from Paris (I didn’t realize that). Once we got to the gate I had to find my way through the airport to get through customs (and stop in normal bathroom – I’m so not a fan of plan bathrooms). At customs the line moved pretty quickly, I swear the lady who stamped my passport didn’t even look at it or me; much less strict than the U.S. After getting through customs I had to find my bag. By the time I figured out where my baggage was it was one of the last bags there…I wondered how many people checked bags, or were continuing on and didn’t need to pick their up yet…I’m glad it was still there. I grabbed it and rearranged a few things, so I didn’t have so much in my backpack. Then I started to follow the signs to the RER (the fast train into Paris). Let me tell you, dragging ~100lbs worth of luggage around is quite the workout; I’m still kind of sore! Once I found the train I went to buy a ticket. Just so everyone knows, if your card doesn’t have a pin-and-chip it doesn’t really work in automated ticket things. So I had to go find the people who sell tickets. Finally I got that and hopped onto the train. There were two different trains, one that made less stops and one that stopped at every stop possible…I of course hopped onto the one that makes all the stops…I hugged my bags close and prayed that no one would want all my clothes! About 45 minutes later I made it to my stop at Jardin de Luxembourg which is in the 5^th arrondisememnt. I lugged my stuff up the escalator and waited. My new roommate, Isabelle, was going to meet me there, I beat her! It took awhile, but I finally figure out how to call a number in another country, gave her a ring, and she told me she was almost there. While I waited I watched the people! It was very interesting. People were walking everywhere, eating while walking, sitting and eating, a nice lady asked if I was lost (I said not yet). When Isabelle arrived, we hopped on a bus to take us closer to the apartment, then walked a shorter way to the building. Now Isabelle lives on the 6^th floor (7^th in the U.S. in France the ground floor is not counted as a floor), thankfully there is a little elevator so I did not have to drag those suitcases up all of the stairs. After dropping of my things and freshening up a bit we went out, Isabelle showed  me around the neighborhood (I still cannot remember how to get anywhere though) and we got “lunch” at a little kebab place, it was really good! Then we came back to the apartment where I took a 4 hour nap (oops jet lag caught up to me). After my nap Isabelle whipped up some dinner (chicken and pasta with a cream sauce). She had some mushrooms in the sauce…I ate a couple just to say I had some (I told her I wasn’t a fan). After dinner I got ready for bed and went back to sleep.

 The little tiny "W.C." Really just a tiny closet with the toilet.

 Bathroom (shower/sink)

 My window

 My room. Don't worry, the couch rolls out into a full size bed!

 Hallway from my room (the front door is right by the light switch).

 Dining area (kitchen is to the left and Isabelle's room to the right)

The kitchen! A little small, but it works great! Yes that is a tiny fridge, and a washer/dryer in one! (Bathroom and W.C are to the left)

Saturday (first full day): I really slept in on Saturday. I think until about 10am. Then I took another long time to get up and moving. The shower here is very different. Instead of being on the wall it is one that you pick up and move around, however it just hangs over the handles…it was strange to me. Also the toilet is in a tiny little room off to the side, it is literally a water closet…there is room for you and the toilet…After I got ready and Isabelle arrived home we ventured out again; this time in search of a temporary SIM card for my phone. After 2 tabacs (bar/cigarette/lottery stores) we found one. Then we had to figure out how to open the SIM card are and get the card trimmed to fit. Then we stuck it in…well apparently my phone was not wanting to work with that. So we started to head back to the apartment so I could fuss with it. On the way back we stopped into a couple different stores to try and find a little table for my room. We found on at a little shop that Isabelle knew the owner; she haggled to get a lower price, I’ve never done that before! Once home I fussed with the phone card and still had issues so I gave up and went to the supermarché to buy a few groceries for dinner and for breakfast. I bought a little loaf of bread for a sandwich; Isabelle made fun of me. She shook her head and said “why would you buy that at the supermarket and not the bakery…” I told her “it was too far and I was tired.” The bread tasted better than any baguette that you can buy in the U.S. When I got home from the store Isabelle invited me to walk along the Seine with her and a friend. There is a outdoor market on the weekends, along the river near Notre Dame. I tried goat cheese for the first time…not my favorite. I also had my first crepe with nutella there as well. We walked along the river and back next to the Notre Dame; then did a little window shopping. We stopped in a little candy store and they had some delicious samples. Chocolate here is way better than in the U.S. After that I skpyed with my parents; they helped me realize that I never activated the SIM card. Plus I had to plug it into iTunes to fully update everything…Unfortunately when I was restoring my phone, I did not restore it from the iCloud (where I had backed my phone up to that morning)…so I lost a couple photos (don’t fret though I will take more). I’m just glad that I have a local number and that everything is working as it should now. I then went to bed. I was tired!!

Sunday: I woke up and Isabelle took me to church!! Hahaha. She rode on the bus with me and made sure I arrived safely (she is seriously so nice and helpful). Along the way we were trying to figure out where I was headed after church. I was headed to visit my contact from my Lycée for lunch, Nicole. Well we didn’t quite have time to figure that all out (the bus ride to the church was fairly short). Today was stake conference and they were having technical difficulties getting the broadcast started, while waiting Isabelle came in and gave me list of directions to Nicole’s (seriously, so nice). They finally got the broadcast up and running, I only got to listen to one talk, before I had to leave for Nicole’s…thus begins my first real experience in the Paris metro. I had several transfers on the way out to Puteaux. I don’t think I ever realized the maze that is involved in a metro. Thank goodness for signs. I went from Hôtel-de-Ville to Chatlet to Gare-de-Saint-Lazare where I had to transfer to a train (SNCF) to Puteaux. There were so many different trains that I had to go ask the information office which one to take. I finally figure it out and was on my way to Nicole’s. Once I arrived in Puteaux I caught my first glimpse of the Effile Tower. It was beautiful just rising up over the city. I had to snap a photo. I then had to walk (did I mention there is so much walking here?) down to Nicole’s. Nicole was very nice. She has been helping me figure out everything I needed this past month and a half, it was nice to finally meet her! They had prepared a very nice lunch! There was so much food. We started with an appetizer of a tomato, basil, mozzarella and some little meats and some bread. Then we had the main course; rooster (that is right rooster), vegetables, and more bread. Next we had some cheese and bread, more goat cheese (still not a fan) and some Swiss cheese I think. Lastly we had desert; chocolate cake with strawberries and vanilla cream, and a macaroon. I was so full by the end! Then we went on a walk to the Parc de Bagtelle in Neuilly-sur-Seine. It was very beautiful; lots of different gardens and a little chateau. While walking we talked about some of the things that I can teach to my students as well as my teaching methods. It was really fun. I then retraced my steps back through Paris and finally made it home!

 La Tour d'Eiffel

 Hotel de Ville - Paris

 Waiting for the bus! It was so weird taking a bus/metro/train on a Sunday!

Pond at Parc de Bagtelle

Monday: Today I woke up early and went with Isabelle to Lycee Pasteur. We took the metro, where I got my weekly pass (I will get a month one, once the new month starts. You have to pay for the month you get it in, it is not a month long pass). It was pretty quick to get there, only one transfer (compared to the 3 or 4 I did yesterday). At the lycee I met a bunch of the teachers and administration. The school is very nice and very large!! I went up to Nicole's class and met some of my future students!! She had me introduce myself and I hung out for the class period. Nicole had me read some things to the students and help them a little with pronunciation. The students here are very much the same as in the U.S...chatting during transitions or while they are supposed to be working etc. Nicole had me tell them how much it costs to go to University in the U.S. I think some of the kids about died! It is such a difference between the two countries! 

 Lycee Pasteur

A church along the way to the Lycee from the metro.

Now I am back home typing up this blog post! I should probably go finish unpacking and get my things organized to go open a bank account so I can get a good phone plan. I start teaching on 1 October! So I will also be exploring a bit of Paris the next week and a half!!

À beintôt!!