Wednesday, September 15, 2005

Classes as usual. Got another A on some easy French paper. Returned to my neighborhood and did some grocery shopping: eggs, tomatoes, cheese, and carrots and returned home to make an omelette (sans carrots, obviously, those are for another time). After lunch, I packed up my computer and headed to McDonalds to check email and book my trip to Aix en Provence for the end of the month. As I was walking to McDonalds, I met the lady who lives in the apartment above mine. She was really nice, but I’m not sure if she told me to come over sometime or let me know that if I wanted to move up there I could (with the whole language barrier thing, both ideas are said the same). After McDonalds, I dragged my ass across town to a SNCF (national French trains) boutique to retrieve the tickets I just ordered. I got the tickets, but I don’t know what to do with them because there are no directions. Do I just take the tickets to the train station and look for a train marked “AIX?” Late in the afternoon, my friends and I went to the movie theater on the Champs Elysees to see “Collision,” or as it is known in the USA—Crash. It was presented in “version originale” so it was in English with subtitles. It was an intense movie, and definitely one of the best American movies I’ve seen in a while. After the movie, we found a restaurant and I got Onion Soup…I figured I had to try it in France since it was invented here. It was even better than I imagined (200x better than the one from STL Bread Co/Panera) and very affordable. I then made my way back to the apartment to do my 5 minutes of homework and get ready for tomorrow.

Just now, as I was getting ready for bed, I heard the host father YELLING at the other girl who lives here (she might not be my most favorite person, but she didn’t deserve to be yelled at) because she had a friend over to do homework. They said we aren’t allowed to have guests over, and boys are NEVER allowed. She is 22 or 23 years old, it’s fairly ridiculous. I understand that they have rules, but for as much as we’re paying them, living here should be more than staying alone in our rooms and using the bathroom and the kitchen sparingly. I’m glad I haven’t stepped on their toes, and I’ll try not to, but I do want to have friends from out of town visit, and if they can’t stay here, it’ll be a problem.

Tomorrow: Class in the morning and lecture on the European Union in the afternoon. At night, the girls and I might do a movie and wine at Katie’s apartment, or I might just take it easy because Friday night is going to be mad crazy (I’m hoping). See, the Metro closes at midnight and is the only affordable mode of transportation in the city, so we might go out at midnight and stay out until 5:30 when the Metro reopens. This weekend, wandering around different Paris parks while the weather is still nice, and champagne country on Sunday!