panic attacks and exploration: week one.

in english: 

i am in paris, trying so hard to learn french! from now on, i will try my hardest to blog in french as well, at the end of the entry. [at least for the weekly updates.] there are no photos, sorry, my camera still isnt working. i will add photos later!

28 weeks left...

daily updates:

le 7 janvier 2010. my first day in paris, posted about here.


le 8 janvier 2010. i went to micefa, the headquarters of my program. they introduced us to the program, started us searching for housing, and gave us a walking tour of paris. a few girls and i had lunch on the terrace of a cafe, and bought french phone numbers. it was somewhat difficult, because the phone guys refused to speak to us in english. they thought they were being flirtatious and funny, but i was unsure what i had just spent fifty euros on. they were very nice, and very fond of winking. im a little sore because they told me my glasses make me look like harry potter!! it took some real translanting to figure out that french sentence!

le 9 janvier 2010. micefa gave us a boat tour on the seine, much like my programme provided boat ride on the thames in london. i got to see the eiffel tower lit up, the notre dame, and all of the different bridges. it was quite breathtaking. after the boat tour, lauren, katy and i went to get a drink. we all go to nau, but none of us had ever met before. now i am not one for school pride, but it takes a certain type of personality to like my school, which guarantees youll get along with anybody who actually likes it there.

we went to a cafe in the fifth, in the latin quarter. we sat down next to the trellises, peeling off our many layers and shaking the snow out of our hair. lauren lit up a cigarette, looking completely french with her shorn hair and her blasé attitude that comes only from living in paris before. i scoured the menu, silently translating the many beverages into english. mourning the loss of british cider, i settled upon a beer. the instant i placed my menu face down onto the table, the waiter appeared. he was long and skinny, with brown hair that fell in his face when he looked down at me. he asked what we wanted, not even noticing lauren's accent when she spoke first, taking the lead as usual. i screwed up my face, straightened my shoulders and gave what i thought was the best french accent i had ever used. instantly his face lit up, and he exclaimed "oh! vous êtes americaine!" trying to hide my disappointment at being found out so easily, i smiled and simply said "oui!" he asked where we were from, and pretended to recognize the state we mentioned. katy stumbled over her order, but he understood and disappeared with a smile. he came back shortly, with three drinks balanced on a tray with a bowl of unrequested popcorn. i was so impressed with the popcorn, that i stared longingly, wonderingly at it. my gaze was so intense, i didnt notice when he spoke.

"regardez-vous le pop-corn?" taken off guard, i stared up at him, and dumbly stated "quoi, pardon?" he reapeated his question, and i nodded my head vigorously, glad to understand his rapidly spoken french.

"oh, c'est trop mal! j'ai espéré que vous avez regardé moi!" i didnt understand again, and looked at lauren blanky when she burst out laughing, calling him a name i was unfamiliar with. responding to my questioning gaze, she exclaimed: he said, he was hoping you were looking at him!

for not the first time in my life, i was glad i couldn't blush. scanning my brain for a witty response to quickly translate into french, i came up empty handed. all i could do was glance at him from under my eyelashes and smile dumbly. i was taken aback. due to his somewhat pallid, oddly attractive but nerdy appearance, i had deemed him somewhat shy and awkward, as he would have been in the states. but he was witty, outgoing, flirtatious, and even got the better of me!

three of the best beers i have ever drank, and three continously growing bowls of popcorn later [i swear by the time we finished, we were eating it out of a bucket!], we paid our check and left. i was a bit tipsy by then, and didnt object when lauren decided she wanted to go dancing. unfortunately that part of the night of didnt work out. any place decent or trendy had too strict a dress code for our jeans. all the rest were too expensive. i went home and slept soundly, exhausted from the hours spent in the parisian cold, frost, and ice covered sidewalks.

le 10 janvier 2010. i slept, and i slept, until seven at night. i ate some bread and cheese, then i slept some more.
 

le 11 janvier 2010. i had my written test, which would determine what skill level my french was at, where i should attend classes, and the intensive french preparation class i should be in. i went home, wrote my paper for a class back in london, and indulged in a small panic attack. i still havent fixed all the issues, but i am feeling much better about them, due to the helpful comments of other bloggers. 

le 12 janvier 2010. i took my french oral, which was the same as the written test. afterwards, i looked at housing with katy. it didn't work, and we found nothing. i finished my paper, talked to my mom for hours on skype, and tried to get some sleep.

le 13 janvier 2010.  il a neigé!! il a neigé!!

[insert picture of snow covered street here. ici, insère un photo de la rue a couvert en neige.]

i went for my first french class in the morning. i have been placed in the third section. i am always in the third section! i cannot wait until my french progresses to the fourth and fifth years, and i become fluent! we watched "l'auberges espagnol", a really popular film here.

that night, a teacher in our programme held a party at her flat. from the balcony in her apartment, you can see the champs-élysées, the eiffel tower, and notre dame. it was so typically french, and possibly the best apartment i have ever been in, rivaling even the houses. i met all of the other students, but had to leave early to view an apartment. the apartment wasn't a good fit, but still, i have hope!

some more, interesting photos:

weekly highlights:

dates: 7 - 13 january [days 1-7]
sights seen: paris!!!

something new: i had a drink on the terrace of a café.


somewhere new: paris!!
someone new: countless!! :) notably, katy and lauren.
new venue: countless!!

what i miss: my suitcase, my bank account, my mother and knowing where i live.
what i love: everything, the food, the wine, the metro, the language.
what i am not so sure about: speaking french, finding housing, and the smell. (the metro smells funky!!)

...............


en français:

28 semaines restant...
résumé quotidienne:
le 7 janvier. mon premier jour à Paris, je l'ai écrit ici.

le 8 janvier. je suis allée au bureau de MICEFA, à l'immeuble pour ma programme. les profs avons nous aide avec les recherches pour logements, et elles ont pris le groupe sur un tour à pieds. les autre filles et moi avons mangé à un café. ensuite, nous avons achetés les téléphones portables français. les hommes qui ont travaillé au magasin n'avons pas parlé à nous dans anglais! j'ai devenu embrouillé, mais je les ai suivi. jusqu'à un homme m'a dit que j'ai regardé comme harry potter, parce que mes lunettes. C'était une phrase difficile à comprendre!

le 9 janvier. désolé, je sais pas comment créer un résumé de ce soir à français. peut-être plus tard, quand je sais plus!

le 10 janvier. j'ai dormi à 19h. j'ai mangé du pain et fromage. après, j'ai dormi plus.

le 11 janvier. j'ai pris mon examen  écrit. l'examen décide quelle fac j'irais, et quelle classe de française je prendrais. j'ai retourné à mon hôtel et j'ai écrit rédaction pour ma université à londres. après, j'ai cédé à une petite affolement. mais, ce n'est pas grave. merci à vous pour votre secours!! je sens mieux, parce que vous!

le 12 janvier. j'ai pris mon examen oral, le même chose du examen écrit. après l'examen, katy et moi avons cherché pour un appartement. ce n'est pas marché, nous avons trouvé rien. j'ai finit mon rédaction, j'ai parlé à ma mère, et j'ai essayé dormir, avec pas bonne chance.

le 13 janvier. je suis allée à ma première classe de française.  je suis dans le troisième niveau, comme tout. je n'attends pas pour quand je devinerai fluide! dans le classe, nous avons vu "l'auberge espagnol", c'est un film très populaire.

ça soir, une prof a eu une soirée dans sa appartement. l'appartement était le plus beau que j'avais vu. sur le balcon, on peut voir le tour eiffel, la notre dame, et les champs-élysées.


les ponts forts hebdomadaires:


les dates: le 7 jusqu'à le 13 janvier. [jours 1e - 7e.]
les attractions m'ont vu: paris!

nouveau quelque chose: j'ai pris un verre sur la terrasse! 
nouveau quelque part: paris!!
nouveau quelqu'un: incalculable, en particulier katy et lauren!
nouveau lieu: incalculable!

quelques choses me manquent: mon valise, mon argent, ma mère, et savoir où ma maison est.
quelques choses que j'aime: tout les choses, les nourriture, le vin, le metro, et la langue.
quelques choses m'embrouillent: parler français, trouver logements, et le odeur. [le metro a un odeur!]