So far things haven’t been like some surreal big adventure, it’s been real life. Settling into an apartment (which hasn’t been done properly, because I’m spending most of my time here at the Cite Universitaire), getting paperwork sorted, buying a cell phone (cost an arm and a leg), adjusting to the time difference, buying food (which is awesome), and just feeling things out.

The food thing is a little hard right now, because the refrigerator that we have in the room doesn’t work. No wonder, it’s French. (Harsh I know, but I’m bitter). However, me and Kathy, a girl I met here, cooked Tortellini and Pesto Sauce, and had a baguette with strawberry preserves. It was heavenly. I figured that my journal is going to be filled mentions of food I eat everywhere, but that’s because it is sooooo awesome. I’m still giddy about the fact I have not yet walked two blocks without passing a patisserie.

In the morning on Thursday, I took a placement test, to determine where I am at, put me in the right group for the orientation, and probably help determine what school I would be going to. I felt pretty good after taking the test. I figured I would probably be in the middle group. I know I have a problem with verb tenses.

After the test, I had a free afternoon, so I spent it walking around Montparnasse. It really was a lovely part of town, cafes and stores, and people.

And I bought a cell phone. They are expensive here. I paid 69 euro for the cheapest one. And the rate is like .50 a minute, and texts are .10 a minute. But, incoming calls are free. I’m never calling anyone. I’m looking to get the phone line and internet set up at my apartment, which I figure will run me 20 euro a month. But I can use Skype, which will make calling everyone easy. But that won’t be until I move back into my apartment, which will be next weekend.

Friday was a free day too, so I went to my apartment, and got things straightened up finally Now I just need to figure out where to do my laundry, and I’m set. The concierge should be back next week, so I can ask her then.

I had nothing planned, so after I finished at my apartment, I decided to just wander. I walked to the Pont Neuf (literally, New Bridge, which is funny because it is the oldest bridge in Paris), and walked along the river for a while. My apartment is just a couple of blocks from the river, which is awesome.



I walked over to Notre Dame. As I was walking along the front, I noticed a sign for an Archaeological Crypt, so I decided to check that out. It was really cool, there were ruins from Gallo-Roman houses, old houses, cellars, staircases and other old buildings. It also gave some history of Paris, and the Ile de la Cité, the island in the Seine on which Notre Dame is located.



I then walked through Notre Dame (with like 84937584932502 other people). The history is incredible, and the church is just huge. I took some pictures, marveled at the art and architecture. I didn’t do the towers though, there were 48758943579832 more people in the line for that; the beauty of living here, I can go back whenever I want. So I will, soon.

I decided to then just wander around a little. I ate at a Chinese Food restaurant that was right next to an unimpressive and obviously old cathedral. After I finished eating, I decided to give it a try. Inside was a church that I found to be more impressive than Notre Dame.

The site of St. Severin dates back to the sixth century, and has lots of history. Most importantly, it has served as a church to the students attending the Sorbonne in the Latin Quarter. I found the art and the architecture to be breathtaking. The stained glass windows were more impressive to me than the stained glass windows at Notre Dame. And while I was walking around, the organ music started. It was so beautiful, I just sat and listened for a while. And the whole time I was there, I don’t think I saw more than 20 people.



Even though I don’t consider myself Catholic anymore (sorry Grandma), I want to go to Mass at the Cathedrals. I think it would be a cool experience. But not this Sunday, the Louvre is free, and I plan of taking advantage.

I spent a while just walking around the Latin Quarter. It’s quite a busy area, and all of the restaurants give it an awesome smell.

I took the Metro back, and again, was amused. As I walked into the station, someone was playing Foo Fighters, and had a marionette playing guitar.



I went back to the Cite Universitaire, and caught a nap. I then met up with Sylvana and Amanda and we decided to go to the market, and buy some cheap wine and stay in for the night. It was fun, we were plotting out some adventures.

Saturday morning started at 7. I was going to meet a family about some possible babysitting, and they were all the way across the city. I got over there, their daughter was so adorable, but it just wasn’t going to work out. Ah well. I’ve got some other ones I am going to try, including the one who I was talking with when I ran out of minutes on my new cell phone. The phones are expensive here.

MICEFA organized a lunch for us, which was nice. Quiche, tomatoes, cheese, and bread, and then caramel ice cream. The only thing that sucked about the lunch was I started talking about the whole visa situation, and all the other fun things going on with that, and started working myself up and getting upset. Everybody has their stress points right now, a lot of people are still looking for housing, and at least that is taken care of for me. Somehow I feel my situation sucks more though. Probably because it’s happening to me.

Enough emo-ness.

I found out the results of the placement test. I placed in the intermediate fort group, which is the middle group. That makes me happy, that is where I expected to be. Monday begins the grammar and language review, can’t wait.

After we finished lunch, we were broken into groups and sent on a scavenger hunt. We were in an area that nobody had really explored, and they gave us directions for how to follow the streets. It probably would have been fun except for the first directions we were given sent us the wrong way, and it took us an hour out of our way. We finally finished, in a nice park. I got to see a street that was like a farmers market.

At night, Amanda, Sylvana, Nell (Amanda’s roommate here at the Cite) and I went out to the Latin Quarter. Amanda has a cousin who lives around here, so he met up with us. We went to a couple of bars, and left before too late, because the Metro ran until 12.

When we got almost all the way back to the Cite building, we ran into a bunch of other people from our group. We ended up on a wild goose chase, so Amanda, Sylvana and I just left and went back to the cite.

I ended up sleeping in Sunday morning a lot later than I planned, I got up at 11:30. I figured there was no friggin way I was going to do the Louvre, free or not. So I decided to go to the Musee Marmottan-Monet.

That was incredible. First of all, the house that it was in was amazing. I am such a fan of the French architecture and design from that era. The museum had a collection of mostly impressionist paintings, and many Monets, with a special area containing only Monet paintings.

I should stop and explain, I am one of those people who loves history. Not so much in the school subject, but today, I was standing one foot in front of the painting that gave the name to the Impressionist Movement (Impression, Soleil Levant); that kind of history. So there are a lot of things in Paris which make me giddy.

Of all of the art movements, impressionism is my favorite. It was sooooo awesome to be able to see these paintings that I have only seen before in small form in some art book. I was able to truly enjoy the beauty of impressionist paintings. Being able to look at the painting up close, enjoying the mixture of colors, the emotion in the brush strokes, and then be able to walk away from the painting, and see it from 20 feet away as the beautiful picture that it created. And I marvel at the vision in these artist’s minds, for being able to create such a picture. I think I may repeat this museum a few times.

By the time I was done, the past week of walking and climbing had finally caught up with my legs. I was considering going to Sacre Coeur after the Monet Museum, but I decided to just go back to my apartment. I knew no one would bother me there, and I could get some real relaxation time. I just laid on my bed, put my legs up, listened to some music, read Frommer’s, and slept a little.

I was hoping to go out in the evening, considering it was my birthday. Unfortunately, a lot of people are still pre-occupied with the housing thing, so it didn’t really work out. We are planning on next weekend, when most people should have the housing situation settled. So I just hung out here.

A new week starts tomorrow. Hopefully I will make some progress in the visa department. Wish me merde.