Paris, je t'aime

I am officially a parisienne! I left Portland early Saturday morning, flying to Paris with a layover in Toronto. My seatmate was very nice but didn’t speak any French and barely understood English, so we bonded over the movie selection (A-Team, anybody?). I arrived at Charles de Gaulle mid-morning on Sunday. On a side-note, I swear that I saw Javier Bardem by the baggage claim. Even if it wasn’t him, I’m going to pretend that it was.

My host mother, Michèle, was waiting for me outside the terminal. She is amazingly friendly and is fluent in English (which I try to only take advantage of when I absolutely don’t understand). When I got to the apartment, I met her youngest daughter and we all had lunch together. 

My room

To the right is a picture of the view outside my window. In the bottom right you can see a little garden; it belongs to the elementary school across the street, and the students tend it during the day.

After unpacking for a bit, Michèle and I took the Metro to the CUPA building (where I have orientation) so that I would know how to do it on my own the next day. Then we walked back through the Jardin du Luxembourg, where Michèle pointed out the old men playing pétanque on the lawn, the playground where she took her children when they were small, and the place where she used to go on pony rides when she was a young child and her grandmother would take her to the park.

Orientation started yesterday. I successfully braved the Metro alone for the first time! We received a ton of information and papers, including a semester-long Metro pass, and took the placement test that determined our Orientation class schedule. Then, we all munched on delicious pastries and got to know each other. In the afternoon, I went exploring with a few other students; we bought French cell phones and then took the Metro over to Notre Dame. A beautiful service was taking place inside, with organ music and singing. The chanteuse is the woman in blue, in the bottom right hand corner.

Orientation today was once again filled with tons of information about practical things like banking, traveling, and host family relations. Tomorrow, we start the actual classes (in French methodology, writing, and grammar). 

A bientôt, tout le monde!

Pre-departure preparation, the Polly Platt way

Polly Platt's books on French culture, language, and quirks (French or Foe? and Savoir-Flair) are filled with interesting tidbits, random facts, and fantastic advice for those of us who weren't raised in the shadow of la Tour Eiffel. Here are some of my favorites.

1. The magic words aren't abra cadabra, they're Excusez-moi de vous déranger, Monsieur, mais... (I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but...) No matter what reputation the French may have for being unapproachable and rude, those words will warm even the most glacial of icy hearts.

2. Be specific when ordering coffee. Un café is a small cup of black coffee. Add noisette to the end if you want milk. Add crème to get a cup (with milk) that's twice as large and three times as expensive. A safe middle-of-the-road request seems to be un petit crème, which will be larger than un café but smaller and cheaper than un café crème, and will include milk.

3. You don't need to be on time. Ten or fifteen minutes late is apparently the norm.

4. But you do need to engage in conversation--lots of it. A dinner party beginning at 8 PM might go until 12:30 AM or later.

5. The French are famous for their customary cheek-kiss greeting. Start with right cheek/right cheek, then go to the left. In Paris, only do two; four is considered plouc (hick) and is associated with the provinces. (Yes, really.)

The VISA acquired, the flight booked, the blog created...

I don't leave for Paris until September, but there are so many angry butterflies swooping around in my tummy that crossing any little thing off my To-Do list helps. So, here's my study abroad blog! It's a place for you all to follow my time in France, plus it gets me some WU credit. I can only assume that future posts will describe my language mishaps ("No thanks, I don't need a second helping of crème brûlée. I'm very pregnant!"... "You're house is lovely, it's very hygienic and extensive."), major accomplishments (taking the correct bus, paying with exact change), and various other ramblings. Enjoy!