BUT I swear I have good reasons. After arriving in Paris just shy of two weeks, I have had so many crazy things happen that clearly just needed to be publicized. I have officially survived the move from the Foyer student hostel to my host family and it's been 13 days of total chaos, but obviously the best kind of chaos since I'm in the most beautiful city in the world!
Here are a few things, of many, I have learned so far:
1. The best way to get better at speaking French is just speak it! Even if you're pretty awful, like myself.
When I arrived in Paris, I had previously booked a shuttle with 4 other students on my program. After discovering a parisian man holding a sign with my name in big black letters, I quickly realized that he did not speak a word of english. This was the moment I realized I had not taken a french class in nearly a year. Learning french is one thing, but speaking french is absolutely terrifying. In just 13 days I have been to countless shops and restaurants that have forced me to get over my fear of speaking french. I bought a french phone AND a metro pass, on my own, speaking french. I can't express in words how satisfying and exciting that moment was for me. With each new day, the language flows easier and confidence builds. Last Sunday, I moved in with my host family and quickly learned that when they say "they will only speak french to you" ... they really mean it. My host family is absolutely lovely and they have helped to encourage and correct all of my french speaking skills. I'm forever grateful they have welcomed me into their home.
2. When something bad happens, you have to learn to roll with it and stay calm.
So, I'm fairly certain the Paris public transit system miiiiight be the best in the world. My host family lives in a suburb of Paris and I have to take several connections to get to the city. BUT with my amazing metro pass I get to ride around as much as I want and it's incredibly efficient. First, I take a Train into the city, and from the train I take two different metro lines to eventually arrive at my classes. Now, although these public transportation systems are genius, they tend to have difficulty at rush hour. On my first day using the public transportation system to return to the suburbs, I noticed a warning on the departure screen indicating an accident at my usual stop (or so I thought, because yeah it was in french). The screen implied that the next train would be leaving in 12 minutes but as time passed, the countdown did not change. Finally, I approached the guy at the information desk to really figure out the problem. On my FIRST DAY I had to take a different detour route and pray to god that I didn't end up in some sketchy suburb of Paris. Since the trains kept breaking down, what is usually a 20-30 minute transit turned into an hour. I was physically and mentally exhausted from trying to translate and communicate in french all day, but the only comfort I had was knowing that I was in Paris and I have such a unique opportunity. Trains will be late. Things won't always go as planned. But damn I'm lucky to be here.
Fiasco #2, I was at Monoprix (french target) buying necessary groceries for the week when I realized I didn't have a way to carry my groceries home. Grocery bags are not common in Paris, people either use reusable bags or get these little shopping cart things to carry their items in. I spotted a shopping cart right behind the cash register and hurried to grab it. As the woman at the cash register finished ringing up my items, she opened the shopping cart for me to use. When I got my receipt I realized the shopping cart was 50 EUROS! I feel guilty spending 5 euros on sandwich and I seriously just bought a shopping cart for 50 euros! I quickly ran to the customer service desk and attempted to explain in broken french what exactly just happened. Frantic moments and french do not mix. The customer service rep walked over to the woman at the cash register to explain the problem. She told me I couldn't return it because it had already been opened... SO YEAH MAKE FUN OF ME BECAUSE I DID SOMETHING REALLY DUMB
3. When people say all french people eat is bread and cheese, THEY AREN'T KIDDING
Okay so I like bread as much as the next person, but I seriously cannot eat it for every single meal. Here is the average daily meals of a french person: Breakfast - coffee and baguette, lunch - sandwich on a baguette, dinner - baguettes as appetizers. This is not a joke. Although I'm certain I have a new obsession with boulangeries (french bakery), they have lines out the door with people trying to buy their daily dose of baguettes. But it is really good though...
4. Oh and when people say "The French are so rude" they actually mean "AMERICANS are so rude"
Stereotypes are really unsettling living in another country. You never want them to be true. Before I left for Paris, it was amazing how many people told me "Oh I'm sorry but the French are SO rude" but after nearly 2 weeks here I'm gonna go ahead and say that you're wrong. #1 Speak french or TRY. Do you like it when people come to America and expect you to speak another language? No. It's rude. Greet people! Basic and polite communication skills should always be present, especially in a different culture. As long as you are respectful of French culture, they give the same respect. NOW for my horrifying "I can't believe I'm an American" moment. Claire and I were in the Laduree gift shop at the palace of Versailles. Laduree is a famous macaroon shop that claims to have the best macaroons in the world. As Claire and I were browsing, an American woman approached the man at the register and demanded if he spoke english. After he politely replied "a little", she asked "is this all there is to see??" because we went through a small portion of the ENORMOUS Palace that is Versailles (WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE THE WHOLE THING ANYWAY). The man replied "I'm sorry, Miss, I work for the gift shop, if you would like to know more you should ask the Versailles staff." With this response the woman pouted her lips, glared at the man and started ranting about how it was a simple question and OBVIOUSLY he should have known the answer. I. Could. Not. Believe. It.
5. Sometimes the best adventures are ones that are unexpected
Today, I agreed to go with my friend Haley on her assigned excursions for one of her assignments. She was told to visit a few theaters around Paris, including L'Opera de Paris and Theatre National de Chaillot. First, we went to Theatre National de Chaillot, which is directly in Place du Trocadero and home to one of the most beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. After successfully taking selfies with the Eiffel Tower, A group of chilean boys swarmed Haley and I. After realizing it wasn't a pickpocket attack (we may have freaked out a bit), they proceeded to ask us for multiple pictures clearly mistaking us for French pop stars or something. Not gonna lie, it was pretty awesome to be famous for a minute, After that, we took the metro (SUCH AN EXPERT) to the next theater, L'Opera de Paris. Outside on the steps, a man was belting a cover of Hallelujah as we walked by as if to foreshadow the place before we went inside. Unfortunately, just to go inside the theater cost 6 euros, and buying things just makes me sad. But, I caved because Haley had looked online and promised it was worth it. Now, in just 13 days I have been to a lot of places in and around Paris, including the Palace of Versailles, Notre Dame and Le Jardin du Luxembourg, and I'm tempted to say this was the most beautiful place I have been to. All of the interior design was so intricate and the actual auditorium was unbelievable. The best things are always unexpected.
6. And one more time with the "when things go wrong just go with it..."
Tonight, I was sitting in my room when I saw a quick flash at the corner of my eye. As I peered over my night stand, I saw a little tiny mouse standing right beside my bed. My loud gasp quickly scared him away back through the wall on the other side of my room. After I thought the disaster was over, I heard little scurrying paws deep within my walls. This might be the creepiest sound ever. There are creaky floors and howling wolves but THIS SOUND SUCKS. After a few minutes, a little tiny mouse popped out at the foot of my bed from the OTHER wall. After an internal debate about what to do, I finally decided I should probably tell my host family or risk sleeping with a new pet. Unfortunately, only my host sister was home. I explained the situation to her and she seemed really distraught. She explained to me that she has a phobia of mice, and I told her it would be fine. When I went upstairs, I discovered the little furry friend IN MY BED. I screamed and told my sister, Capucine, what was going on. Instantly she started hysterically crying and calling her parents. I was a little startled, but it was fine. Once again, you never know what's gonna happen, but you just have to hope for the best. Luckily, my host brother offered me his bed for the night since he won't be home.
Although this is just a short list of the things I have experience in the past 2 weeks, I'm hoping that this blog will help me keep up on the weird and interesting things that happen while I spend my semester in Paris. I will be here until December 6th and after that I am going to travel for 2 weeks with my mom and dad! In just a short amount of time, I already know these few months are going to be filled of incredible adventures and I hope that these little posts can let you enjoy them too - pictures coming soon! Tomorrow morning (in roughly 6 hours) I'm heading to Normandy with 4 other girls on my trip just for a fun weekend. We are visiting Caen and have our hearts set on visiting Omaha Beach so it should be an amazing trip.
Until next time.. Au revoir!
Here are a few things, of many, I have learned so far:
1. The best way to get better at speaking French is just speak it! Even if you're pretty awful, like myself.
When I arrived in Paris, I had previously booked a shuttle with 4 other students on my program. After discovering a parisian man holding a sign with my name in big black letters, I quickly realized that he did not speak a word of english. This was the moment I realized I had not taken a french class in nearly a year. Learning french is one thing, but speaking french is absolutely terrifying. In just 13 days I have been to countless shops and restaurants that have forced me to get over my fear of speaking french. I bought a french phone AND a metro pass, on my own, speaking french. I can't express in words how satisfying and exciting that moment was for me. With each new day, the language flows easier and confidence builds. Last Sunday, I moved in with my host family and quickly learned that when they say "they will only speak french to you" ... they really mean it. My host family is absolutely lovely and they have helped to encourage and correct all of my french speaking skills. I'm forever grateful they have welcomed me into their home.
2. When something bad happens, you have to learn to roll with it and stay calm.
So, I'm fairly certain the Paris public transit system miiiiight be the best in the world. My host family lives in a suburb of Paris and I have to take several connections to get to the city. BUT with my amazing metro pass I get to ride around as much as I want and it's incredibly efficient. First, I take a Train into the city, and from the train I take two different metro lines to eventually arrive at my classes. Now, although these public transportation systems are genius, they tend to have difficulty at rush hour. On my first day using the public transportation system to return to the suburbs, I noticed a warning on the departure screen indicating an accident at my usual stop (or so I thought, because yeah it was in french). The screen implied that the next train would be leaving in 12 minutes but as time passed, the countdown did not change. Finally, I approached the guy at the information desk to really figure out the problem. On my FIRST DAY I had to take a different detour route and pray to god that I didn't end up in some sketchy suburb of Paris. Since the trains kept breaking down, what is usually a 20-30 minute transit turned into an hour. I was physically and mentally exhausted from trying to translate and communicate in french all day, but the only comfort I had was knowing that I was in Paris and I have such a unique opportunity. Trains will be late. Things won't always go as planned. But damn I'm lucky to be here.
Fiasco #2, I was at Monoprix (french target) buying necessary groceries for the week when I realized I didn't have a way to carry my groceries home. Grocery bags are not common in Paris, people either use reusable bags or get these little shopping cart things to carry their items in. I spotted a shopping cart right behind the cash register and hurried to grab it. As the woman at the cash register finished ringing up my items, she opened the shopping cart for me to use. When I got my receipt I realized the shopping cart was 50 EUROS! I feel guilty spending 5 euros on sandwich and I seriously just bought a shopping cart for 50 euros! I quickly ran to the customer service desk and attempted to explain in broken french what exactly just happened. Frantic moments and french do not mix. The customer service rep walked over to the woman at the cash register to explain the problem. She told me I couldn't return it because it had already been opened... SO YEAH MAKE FUN OF ME BECAUSE I DID SOMETHING REALLY DUMB
3. When people say all french people eat is bread and cheese, THEY AREN'T KIDDING
Okay so I like bread as much as the next person, but I seriously cannot eat it for every single meal. Here is the average daily meals of a french person: Breakfast - coffee and baguette, lunch - sandwich on a baguette, dinner - baguettes as appetizers. This is not a joke. Although I'm certain I have a new obsession with boulangeries (french bakery), they have lines out the door with people trying to buy their daily dose of baguettes. But it is really good though...
4. Oh and when people say "The French are so rude" they actually mean "AMERICANS are so rude"
Stereotypes are really unsettling living in another country. You never want them to be true. Before I left for Paris, it was amazing how many people told me "Oh I'm sorry but the French are SO rude" but after nearly 2 weeks here I'm gonna go ahead and say that you're wrong. #1 Speak french or TRY. Do you like it when people come to America and expect you to speak another language? No. It's rude. Greet people! Basic and polite communication skills should always be present, especially in a different culture. As long as you are respectful of French culture, they give the same respect. NOW for my horrifying "I can't believe I'm an American" moment. Claire and I were in the Laduree gift shop at the palace of Versailles. Laduree is a famous macaroon shop that claims to have the best macaroons in the world. As Claire and I were browsing, an American woman approached the man at the register and demanded if he spoke english. After he politely replied "a little", she asked "is this all there is to see??" because we went through a small portion of the ENORMOUS Palace that is Versailles (WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE THE WHOLE THING ANYWAY). The man replied "I'm sorry, Miss, I work for the gift shop, if you would like to know more you should ask the Versailles staff." With this response the woman pouted her lips, glared at the man and started ranting about how it was a simple question and OBVIOUSLY he should have known the answer. I. Could. Not. Believe. It.
5. Sometimes the best adventures are ones that are unexpected
Today, I agreed to go with my friend Haley on her assigned excursions for one of her assignments. She was told to visit a few theaters around Paris, including L'Opera de Paris and Theatre National de Chaillot. First, we went to Theatre National de Chaillot, which is directly in Place du Trocadero and home to one of the most beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. After successfully taking selfies with the Eiffel Tower, A group of chilean boys swarmed Haley and I. After realizing it wasn't a pickpocket attack (we may have freaked out a bit), they proceeded to ask us for multiple pictures clearly mistaking us for French pop stars or something. Not gonna lie, it was pretty awesome to be famous for a minute, After that, we took the metro (SUCH AN EXPERT) to the next theater, L'Opera de Paris. Outside on the steps, a man was belting a cover of Hallelujah as we walked by as if to foreshadow the place before we went inside. Unfortunately, just to go inside the theater cost 6 euros, and buying things just makes me sad. But, I caved because Haley had looked online and promised it was worth it. Now, in just 13 days I have been to a lot of places in and around Paris, including the Palace of Versailles, Notre Dame and Le Jardin du Luxembourg, and I'm tempted to say this was the most beautiful place I have been to. All of the interior design was so intricate and the actual auditorium was unbelievable. The best things are always unexpected.
6. And one more time with the "when things go wrong just go with it..."
Tonight, I was sitting in my room when I saw a quick flash at the corner of my eye. As I peered over my night stand, I saw a little tiny mouse standing right beside my bed. My loud gasp quickly scared him away back through the wall on the other side of my room. After I thought the disaster was over, I heard little scurrying paws deep within my walls. This might be the creepiest sound ever. There are creaky floors and howling wolves but THIS SOUND SUCKS. After a few minutes, a little tiny mouse popped out at the foot of my bed from the OTHER wall. After an internal debate about what to do, I finally decided I should probably tell my host family or risk sleeping with a new pet. Unfortunately, only my host sister was home. I explained the situation to her and she seemed really distraught. She explained to me that she has a phobia of mice, and I told her it would be fine. When I went upstairs, I discovered the little furry friend IN MY BED. I screamed and told my sister, Capucine, what was going on. Instantly she started hysterically crying and calling her parents. I was a little startled, but it was fine. Once again, you never know what's gonna happen, but you just have to hope for the best. Luckily, my host brother offered me his bed for the night since he won't be home.
Although this is just a short list of the things I have experience in the past 2 weeks, I'm hoping that this blog will help me keep up on the weird and interesting things that happen while I spend my semester in Paris. I will be here until December 6th and after that I am going to travel for 2 weeks with my mom and dad! In just a short amount of time, I already know these few months are going to be filled of incredible adventures and I hope that these little posts can let you enjoy them too - pictures coming soon! Tomorrow morning (in roughly 6 hours) I'm heading to Normandy with 4 other girls on my trip just for a fun weekend. We are visiting Caen and have our hearts set on visiting Omaha Beach so it should be an amazing trip.
Until next time.. Au revoir!