Two-fer Tuesday

Warning: Set aside some time to read this.

So, I was having problems connecting with certain servers at the Cite. I wanted to post a blog last week, and then another one today. So you’re getting a two-fer.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006
I’m starting to feel like I’m in an abusive relationship with the French.

I still don’t have my paperwork. And I really have no idea where it is either. And, whether she knew it made her sound bad or not, the lady at MICEFA told me not to worry, they have this problem every year. I’m thinking, if you know there is a problem, why don’t you find a way to fix it? Is the French way of doing things so different from what I know that it appears common sense eludes them?

And here is my ethnocentric self speaking: no wonder the French are so far behind.

So to further my feeling of being hated, I got fined yesterday for buying the wrong ticket on the metro. Stupid American me I suppose.

I had an interview yesterday in La Defense, which is in the 3rd zone of the Metro. The pass that I bought for the month of September was good for only zones one and two. So I went to the information booth here at the Cite station, and she told me I just need to buy a ticket. I didn’t know any better, so I bought a ticket like everyone else gets. Of course it was the wrong ticket, why should the French tell me what I really need to do? They can start doing that later.

So I get to La Defense, and go to leave, I have to swipe the ticket, and it doesn’t work. Within two seconds, a controller is on me, and basically telling me I have to pay a fine. I try to explain to her what happened, and she is super mean to me. She was acting like I was trying to scam the metro. In reality, the difference between the ticket I was supposed to buy and the ticket I did buy is .6 euro.

So she made me pay 25 euro (5 days of eating). I asked if there was a way I could appeal it, and she pointed to a desk. I got there, and explained the situation, and told them I didn’t think it was right, I was confused. They were really nice, and were like “I can’t believe she was like that.” So I have to write a letter to some counsel, and maybe I will get my money back. If so, that probably won’t be until May.

If it sounds like I am fed up with everything, it’s because I am.

At least I got the babysitting position. I will be taking care of a 13 year old boy 10-15 hours a week, depending on his mom’s schedule. I will just be helping him with his homework, and practicing his English. What’s really funny to me is he has learned English from British people, so he speaks with a British Accent. His mom is sending him to an American school for bilingual kids, and wants him to learn how to speak like an American. I’m kind of excited about it.

Other than that, thing around here are boring. I started the “intensive language orientation” this week. We are doing a lot of grammar review, and getting ready for the University. 3 and a half hours of grammar class each day, plus a few hours of homework. It is pretty draining.

But it looks like I will be going to the University of Paris X, Nanterre. And through MICEFA, I am going to be taking a History of Parisian Architecture class. The class will study the style of architectural history of Paris all the way from before the founding of the city until now. And it includes field trips. I am sooooo excited about that class.

I’m trying really hard not to get down about all of the bureaucracy crap. But it’s difficult. I figure one day, it will make for a really good story to put on grad school and job applications.

I hope I make it.

Now, Today’s blog

Things are really looking up. I got my paperwork. Of course, it is stamped on the 27th of July. I don’t think the school administration is going to like me after I talk to them. But they deserve it.

I am going to be flying home in a couple of weeks for a weekend. I am kind of looking forward to it, I will get to visit a few people, and get some things that I don’t have (Mexican food spices).

I’d just like to take this time to say that my Grandma is awesome.

So since my last blog (the one above), things are better. The orientation is still not fun, but I am learning a little, and refreshing my grammar skills.

The babysitting job is pretty cool, Christopher is a good kid. I just have to help him with homework, and speak only English to him. He is a smart kid, but he’s obviously a bit spoiled. It should be good though.

Thursday night Amanda, Sylvana and I went to the Erasmus Party. Erasmus is the exchange program within Europe. There are posters everywhere for it outside the Cite, so we decided to give it a try. Free before midnight. My motto “You can’t argue with free”. We were dreading being to only people to show up. Thankfully we were wrong. Sooooooooo many people were there, from all over. It was a lot of fun.

Friday, MICEFA organized a trip for us to the Hotel de Ville, which is the Parisian city hall. We only got to see a little part of it, where the reception area and the ballroom are. It was so extravagant inside, and so beautiful.

On Saturday, we went to the Musee Carnavalet, which was an old home built in the 16th century, where Madame Sévigné lived, and wrote her famous letters. It was a really cool place, they had all sorts of historical pieces there. One of the coolest things to me that I saw were a pair of Marie-Antoinette’s shoes.

Again, I was just in awe of the Architecture and design.

I can not wait for the Architecture class that I am going to take this semester.

After the Musee Carnavalet, we went to the Park at the Place de Vosges. It was really nice, a lot of people go there and sunbathe. It was like the beach without the sand or the water.

Sylvana and I decided to just go back to the Cite, cook some food, and watch movies. I brought some of my favorite movies from home, and we watched SLC Punk and drank wine. It was great. She really didn’t want to do too much, considering they were moving on Sunday.

Sunday was moving day. I made a trip to my apartment early in the day, only to find once I got to the stairs that I had left my key in a bag that I left at the Cite. Whoops. So I had to go back to the Cite, bags and all. When I made it back, Amanda and Sylvana were loading a taxi with all of their stuff, so I told them I would drop my stuff off and meet them at their apartment.

They got the cutest place, it is right by the Sacre-Couer. They can literally turn their head outside their window and see the basilica. But man, I thought I had fun with stairs… they have the choice of cramming into the funicular (think the little train thing you can take at Magic Mountain to get up to Ninja) with tons of sweaty tourists to get up the hill from the Metro, or climb about 9 flights of stairs. All of us have opted for the stairs. They have a gorgeous view of Paris. The downside is that it is an incredibly touristy area, and when I wanted to get a bottle of water at the top of the stairs, it was 3 euro. I opted to be thirsty.

I finally made it back to my apartment, and got all my stuff back here. No more camping at the Cite. Yay. I have a home now! I can’t tell you how good that feels, and how happy that makes me. No more dealing with a roommate. Not that Rosie was bad, but sometimes people do things that just irk you. It happens.

Monday was a Monday. I had class in the morning, which was oh-so fun. But at least I am learning…

After class I went to the MICEFA office to talk to the people there about my traveling back to the US thing. Since I don’t have the internet set up at my apartment, I also was planning on hooking up to the internet at MICEFA to update my blog and pictures. Ha. Silly me. The internet was down there. After waiting to see the appropriate people and taking care of stuff there, James (another MICEFA student) and I decided to try our luck with the internet at McDonald’s (which is free).

Anyways, we walked to McDonald’s and decided since we were there to get something. SO BAD, I know. I am in Paris, and I am eating American shit. We sat down to eat, and connect, and guess what? The internet wasn’t working there either. So I ordered that shit for nothing. At least it was nice and fattening.

James had to go to an interview for a babysitting gig (wonderful side job!), and I figured I should get going too. I wanted to go grocery shopping so I actually had some food in my place. The only one I knew of around my area was one I looked up on the internet, and on the map it looked close. Hahaha. So after walking around and looking for it, I finally found it. So far away. But I wanted to eat, and didn’t want to spend all afternoon searching. There are way too many little streets around here to try to find one, when time is somewhat limited.

I got some food, good food, I cannot wait to cook. And breakfast foods. Mmmmm. But then there was the walk back. I was waiting for the bottom to drop out of the bags, like on Home Alone. Thankfully that never happened.

I made it back to my apartment, and I saw the guys in the bookstore on the bottom floor. I asked them if they knew of any closer Grocery stores that by St. Sulpice, and they laughed at me and told me that there were two within two blocks of here. I have a feeling that I am going to provide those guys plenty of entertainment over the next year.

At least I know now.

Then it was off to babysitting. Considering it was September 11, I really expected to see more security, but only saw a few guards in La Defense. But there were controllers everywhere. Thank goodness I have my correct pass now. I got checked coming off of the bus. But no fine today. Yay.

So it was back to my apartment, to do homework. Lots of it. Working on verb tenses. Woo hoo.

Class this morning. Still don’t like it. The teacher is really mean, and yells at me for not knowing certain things. I want to tell her, “If I knew, wouldn’t I be in the advanced class?” Argh.

I made it back to McDonald’s today. But I didn’t buy food. The internet is working, which is obvious by your ability to read this.

Some really cool things to note:

The street that I live on was named for the Prince of France, the Dauphin, who later became Louis XIII.

Although I cannot see the Eiffel Tower from my apartment, I can see the light circulates around Paris from the top. The house that I babysit at has an awesome view of Paris, the Seine, and the city around.

The weather has been fabulous. Most days are sunny, with very agreeable temperatures. It has been gray a few days, with a little rain, but I have not yet felt the need to use an umbrella.

The food here is amazing.

All in all, I am feeling a lot better about things. I have my paperwork, I am getting settled into my apartment, and things just seem to be a lot less stressful. I can really start to enjoy things.