The past couple of days have been “administrative days”. Getting the paperwork taken care of for enrolling in the University has been fun. I’ve completed step one. Or maybe two (three?). I don’t know. There have been so many forms I’ve filled out that it’s hard to keep track. The French love paperwork.

I had to go get I.D. photos taken, for the Student ID card, and those I can get for fairly cheap at a Photo Booth in the Metro. Cheap, but horrible. Oh well. At least the picture I have for my ISIC card is hot.

I also got my bank account set up. The lady at the bank was super nice, and really helpful. She came in speaking English to me, and said, “I can either speak in English or French, which would you prefer?” I told her that I wanted to do it in French, I wanted the chance to practice, and to learn the words appropriate to their banking system.

I’m also making sure that I have all of my paperwork in order for my trip home, I really don’t want anything to delay me or keep me from getting everything taken care of. This paperwork thing has been such a nightmare. I will be happy to finally get it over with.

On the upside, I get to spend a little bit of time with my family, and briefly see some friends. And the Dodgers. Yay! Thank goodness that I am able to sleep on airplanes, otherwise, I don’t know how I would survive the coming weekend. I think it works out to something like 28 hours of flying in 4 days. (It would be shorter, except I am going through Germany).

I am a little bummed today though. Nancy at MICEFA has been hounding me for three days to drop the Architecture class and take a History of Literary Paris class. She said there were so many people signed up for the Architecture class, that I am better of waiting for Spring. I was really looking forward to the Architecture class, that was really something that I am super interested in, I am not too into Literature, but it involves field trips too, so I am going to give it a go. Plus, if someone is insisting on something as much as Nancy was, there must be a reason.

My babysitting job is continuing to go well. Today Christopher’s mom came home from her business trip, and we were talking. She was being super nice, telling me that she wanted me to think of them as my second home in France, and that if I ever had any questions or problems that I am more than welcome to turn to them. That was really nice to hear, and it made me feel good.

I finally found a Laundromat around my apartment; it is the next block over. I did my washing there, but since drying is 1 euro for every 10 minutes (drying was free at the Cite), I decided I can be patient and have things hang dry in my apartment (it was quite a maze getting around wet clothes hanging everywhere). There was a guy who came in the Laundromat, and asked me where I was from. When I told him I was from America, he acted like he fell in love. He told me that he wanted me to come to his house and have dinner with him. I told him I was sorry, I had a boyfriend. (Amanda’s advice: “You always have a boyfriend”). He asked me if I was sure, that it would make him so happy to dine with me, but I told him I was sorry, I didn’t think my boyfriend would like it. It was quite funny. My wash finished, I threw everything into my bag, and almost ran home.

And every weekday is trash day here. I have been sleeping with my windows open, because it has been quite pleasant at night. At 5:00 in the morning, the concierge takes the trash out, and rolls the trashcans over the uneven stones. And then at 6, she washes them out with the hose.

I don’t know if I have explained this, but my apartment is on the 6th story (5th floor in French terms), and facing the courtyard. The noise rises in the courtyard, and I think it gets louder as it comes up. I hear everything, and it sounds as if it happening right outside my window, not 5 stories below.

The little things that happen are quite funny. Everyday is a new adventure; some big, some small.

Sylvana and I were comparing the way of life here in Paris with how things are in California. Things are different, that is for sure.

And Sylvana is a fan of Mitch Hedberg. Awesome, my little quotations will not go completely unnoticed here. Everyday is an occasion to quote Mitch, even here in Paris. For example, the escalators weren’t working in the Metro today. I giggled, even though I got strange looks. I could go on, but I won’t.