Monday and Tuesday

Monday, September 19, 2005
Classes, took a test that didn’t go so well (it’s what happens when you’re out exploring Europe rather than studying…I hope that I’ve mentioned that Kenyon gives me credit for my courses as long as I get above a C-, and the grades don’t transfer, just the number of credits). After class, I received a message from my friend Laura who was to visit this afternoon. It ends up she took the wrong bus and ended up in Marseilles rather than the Aix-en-Provence train station! She won’t be visiting this week…but at least now she has a “this one time in France…” horror story.

After classes, I grabbed a sandwich on a baguette and ate with my friends—we made plans for the afternoon. I took a long walk (with my ipod of course) from my apartment across the river to the Tour Eiffel. One of my friends said that I walk through Paris like a Parisian, whatever that means. Does it mean that I size people’s clothing up while I walk or does it mean that I know where I am going? We met at the Eiffel Tower and got in line to ride up to the top. I know it’s cliché but I had to do it once. It was the same view that I got flying in to Paris a few weeks ago. We spent the next hour or so in the park attached to the Tour before I made my way back to the apartment.

I ate dinner with my host family tonight. Salmon, pasta, and vegetables, and it was amazing as always. The dinner was followed by a salad followed by a cheese plate followed by fruit and cookies. I told them about my upcoming plans and they taught me some French expressions like, “I could care less.” Staying here isn’t terrible—these people are very nice, but I feel like I don’t have any personal space (my room is entered when I am not present) and it would be nice to have a working (read: not broken) bed.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005
That test yesterday that didn’t go so well—yeah, I got a C…one of my first in college. But it’s above a C- which in Kenyon’s book grants me credit, so I’m not beating myself up. It’s a beautiful sunny day today and the French are out in full force on the metro, so it is as hot as ever underground.

So I found out yesterday that Whitney will not be coming for New Years, and since I am being evicted on or before December 30, it looks like I will be back in the USA for New Years. So much for my grand plans. Finding this out came a day after Laura didn’t make it to Paris and I found out that my grandma won’t be visiting like I’d planned. I guess everything I plan needs to be by myself from now on.

This afternoon I need to memorize a dialog for class and check some email before going to a lecture on the Opera that I will see on Friday. This evening I will be having dinner with friends and going to a bar for student night.

One aspect of French culture I don’t think I’ll ever understand is sitting around for hours at a café drinking a cup of coffee the size of a pea.

I have too many goals of places I want to visit while I am in France, so I have narrowed down my list: London, Glasgow, Barcelona, Venice, Prague—those are the places I WILL visit. And once I have a well-paying television production job, I’ll come back and visit the rest of the places on my list.