the magical baguette

School yesterday was horrific, with one class from 9:45-12:15, another from 2:45-3:45, and yet another from 4:00-4:30. I participated yet again in civ class...I think two days in a row is a record for me. After my first class we all walked down to a different cafe, where people got some food that really tempted me...but I wanted to wait to eat what I had already bought the previous days instead of spending more money.

French class was crazy again, and the amount of participation we are required to do is quite painful. Oh well. That just means by the time I come home I will probably be able to speak French, haha. After class we had yet another French class, this time a phonetics class.

Finally, after classes Lloyd, Benny and I took the RER back and met with Emily to go grocery shopping. We walked awhile to an amazing grocery store where I bought some spreadable meat, crab, and cheese, along with some potato/ham/mayonnaise salad, all to go along with my baguette for the next few weeks. Unfortunately, I tried to get a red pepper and some bananas, but after waiting in line I learned I had to get a label for them, so I didn't end up getting them.
I figure I will try the meats/baguettes/cheeses now while it is warm enough to get a fresh baguette every day or so, yet in a few weeks once it starts getting colder I will finally stock up on some things to cook so I can just cook once I get home from school.

We next went to a bakery, where I purchased a baguette and a pain chocolate. The pain chocolate wasn't as good as the one I got near my school, but the baguette was pure bliss. Luckily I bought one because although I had tried to save my last one, baguettes really only last for one day. This baguette was so soft and delicious and just downright marvelous!

We next hit a wine store, where I didn't get anything since I bought a Rose the other day. Fortunately I bought a corkscrew at the grocery store though. I wanted to get a wine glass, but I figured if I'm going to purchase one I might as well get a really unique one at some cool store in the future, so I held off on that too.

We arrived back at the dorms around 7pm, and I finished up working on my Machiavelli presentation (I had started during my long break at lunch). I had a minimal amount of French homework, which was amazing, and then met for awhile with two other classmates of mine who were also presenting with me.

Although I had eaten most of the baguette on the way home from the bakery, I had a bit more with some salami and brie, and some with the potato/ham/mayonnaise mix....which wasn't as good as I had hoped, but hey - it was cheap and pretty good. I had a glass or two of wine while trying to upload this blog...but failing since the internet at the dorms is so slow (I think I will post and upload pictures at school from now on since it is much faster). And that was my night!

(I don't have pictures yet of what I bought but I will try to remember to upload them tonight.)

following Amelie's footsteps

I tried to post this yesterday but my internet was way too slow... So Emily, Lloyd and I met up to go to class Monday morning, taking the RER to school a bit early before preparing for class. Civilization classes are 2.5 hours a day. Luckily we get a break in the middle or else I’d fall asleep. Not that it’s not interesting, but I am still jet-lagged and on a crazy sleep schedule so I’m really tired in the mornings. Class went well and I even participated, yet the professor still randomly calls on people so I’m a little apprehensive about that.

Having about an hour and a bit for lunch, a few of us go to one of the local cafes to grab a bite to eat. I’m trying to save money and my stomach for my dinners, so I go a cheaper route and simply buy a pain chocolate et almonde, bread with chocolate in the center and almonds on top (simply decadent).
Next was my first French class and boy was it insane. All the teacher does is speak and French, and somehow two or three people in the class immediately learn how to recognize words and respond, and that stresses me out every single time. We learn so much that by half-way through I am aching to leave class and clear my head and unfocus, but that isn’t allowed apparently. So French class continues. Yes, it’s interesting, but I feel we don’t get enough support in understanding everything and everything is just thrown at us. Spanish 20200 wasn’t even close to being this difficult and intense.

After getting our computers hooked up to the school’s internet and computer, and after failing to find these specific French dictionaries, Lloyd, Benny and I head back to the Cite to meet up with Emily to start on the day’s adventure. Today’s destination: Montmartre. Yes, the very spot where Amelie was filmed. What’s strange was that I was just thinking about visiting here a few days ago, and now all of a sudden Emily really wanted to go there. Huzzah!

Well, it’s good Emily and I didn’t go alone. We got off at the Gare du Nord station and everything was crazy. The melting pot had arrived at this very station and people were en mass, filling every inch of the station and pushing and shoving their way around. Once we finally got above ground and out of the station, we realized that the outside wasn’t much better. The area…was unique. Lots of different vendors, lots of different people, some not so great looking people…a chaotic mess.
Yet once we walk a bit further on the area gets amazing. We walk for awhile towards Sacre Couer and then realize what we have to do: walk hundreds and hundreds of stairs. So we do. Once we get up I’m kind of forced to buy some water to cool myself down. And once we get up we’re met with one of the most amazing views I’ve ever seen. I already know you don’t get such an amazing AND free view at the Eiffel Tower!

After looking out for a bit we head into Sacre Couer itself, which didn’t allow photos. There were probably a dozen alters and thousands of candles lit up around the aisle, along with a very beautiful painting above the main alter. Outside of Sacre Couer, on the side, where some cool looking small castle-esque builings, but unfortunately no one seemed to want to explore that area. Oh well. We sat on the steps in front of Sacre Couer for awhile, listening to a young French singer attempting to sing some American music.
Looking out at Paris and at all of these pathways and steps up to here, I am reminded of Amelie. And even though we haven’t really seen many places in the movie I actually remember, it is at this moment, with thoughts of that amazing movie, with good company, and with a great landscape that I finally feel a small attachment and love for Paris. It isn’t what I expected, but it’s something, and it’s a pretty good feeling.
After a while we get up (although again I maybe wish we would have stayed for the sunset) and start on down. We walk for a good long while, passing by some pretty cool streets and stores. After a while we realize we’re about ¾ of the way to the Seine, so we figure we might as well walk to the river and take the RER from there.
On our way we passed Place de la Concorde...which was also pretty amazing!



After walking for about as long as I did the day before, we decided to sit down at the restaurant Le Bizuth on Bd St. Germain. We all order a ‘veal stew,’ basically veal and pasta for only 10 euros, and we all share a bottle of wine. The amount of food for such a cheap price was ridiculous! The veal was a little dry, but overall it was good, and the entire experience was pretty awesome. After dinner we finally headed back home. Unfortunately, it was already 10pm and I still had about 2 hours of homework…which is why I had to write the blog this late! More updates to come when my internet runs faster...and when I don't have to get to class!

paris, the trickster

I woke up today wanting to do something with the day, one - because I didn't want the day to slug on by, two - once school starts who knows how much time I will have on my hands (oh, I just remembered I actually have a bit of homework left to do, ick), and three - duh, I'm in Paris.

So I decided to take a walk all the way to Les Invalides and La Tour Eiffel. According to Google the walk was supposed to take 1.6 hours. Now there's a serious problem. None of the maps I have have my school or the area around it. In fact, all the maps don't dart till the Luxembourg Gardens on northwards. Do you know how much of Paris that actually skips? So I had to write down the directions in Google, but they didn't work anyways because Paris has magical street signs that come and go as they want. I swear Parisian drivers must have super-hero vision and crazy foresight to know where the hell they are going.

I set off a little after 11am and I basically fell off the directions almost right away. I passed through several outdoor markets and although I would have loved to pick up some stuff, I knew I had a long walk before me and that then was not a good time to get food. So I continued walking on and on and on, down some cute streets...although most of them were just...streets.



I passed by a creperie and sandwich shop that had a side window you could get quick crepes and sandwiches for cheap. I was't hungry but I really wanted to try something, yet I more so just wanted to find out where the heck I was. When you explore I guess you don't really need to have a destination, but just so I didn't get lost when I had no map of southern Paris I really needed to stay on track with my mental directions and while the sun was still obviously in the east. So no food for Alicia.

The first thing that tells me I am going in the right direction is when I hit Montparnasse Cemetery. I really liked it there. It wasn't this dull and gloomy thing cemeteries are in the US. There were beautifully tree-lined streets, all the graves were above ground (kinda creepy), and everything was huge and pretty. I felt really relaxed here and didn't feel bad about bringing out a map amongst the graves so I could see if I could finally see myself and where I was on the map. No luck. Luckily I remembered once looking at a separate map and seeing the cemetery somewhat north of my school, so I was feeling pretty confident of where I was going.



I must have done a huge circle somewhere because after what I thought was the west side of Invalides, after I passed it and walked some more I came to the south of Invalides...or maybe this one wasn't Invalides...I have no idea what it was. Both buildings were huge and kind of dome-y, yet there's only one of those on the map...but they looked different...so I don't know. I think I went crazy.


I didn't see the Eiffel Tower until I was right on top of it. I had gone mostly north and then east, and all the while I couldn't see the tower but just guessed where it was (you'd think you could see such a big thing from anywhere, but that isn't so!).

Prior to this my camera ran out of batteries so I had to go into a souvenir shop to buy some (I had not walked all this way not to take pictures). The batteries literally lasted me for about 15 photos and then died. They were expensive too. Oh well. Lack of batteries also led to me having no pictures of the second domed building I saw and the park I sat a bit in.

So the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, I wasn't *that* impressed. I mean, it was impressive. But I think there's too much hulabaloo about it. I liked it for the fact of having previously read 'Devil in the White City' and thus basically for the architectural brilliance of it all. Maybe I'll be awed more when I see it at night. It was cool though.


So then, while I was trying to make my way to the RER stop (walking to the Eiffel Tower had taken me about 3 hours and I wasn't about to walk back), I was somehow silly enough to cross Pont D'Iena (bridge), which was not in the direction in which I was supposed to go. This led me to the Palais de Chaillot and the Jardins du Trocadero. The fountains there were pretty darn cool. I walked on a bit but then realized I was going the wrong way, so I had to walk all the way back to the bridge, where instead of heading to the closer RER stop in the east I walked even further to the RER stop in the west. Don't ask.

While on the bridge I passed by someone dressed as an Egyptian coffin...at least that was my take on it. They had the golden mask and then a gold cloth draped tightly all around them...and they weren't moving at all. That must have been ungodly uncomfortable, but it was interesting. (Dedicated to you, Adam!!!!)


Now, I was kind of dreading this whole RER thing because I had to transfer trains and what not. I'm sorry, but Paris does not make things easy for anyone to get around. Yes, they have a fantastic transportation system and lots of bikes you can rent (I just found this out today and I am hopefully going to rent one on one of my next excursions). Yet their roads go everywhere, their street signs are hard to spot, and their transportation system map looks like a coloring book gone wrong. Yet, I made it without any problems. My ticket to exit even worked!

My day wasn't done yet. I started walking in the same direction from the RER as I had done earlier in the day, but realized the super market, if open, would be in the other direction. I doubted that it would be open, but I had seen another one opened somewhere else earlier in the day and I hoped this one would be too. Wrong.

So I just walked, trying to keep my turns in my mind. I went into a bread store but didn't know how to order so just walked out, haha. I went inside a small market store but things were really expensive, so I continued walking until I found a much better store, called Casino. I got some brie cheese (this is the second time I have had brie and I am still not a big fan), salami, and peaches. The owners were really nice...well at least the guy was. I figured I would buy more things when I go to a cheap and fresh outdoor market in the future.

I finally found my way back to the bread store because I couldn't find my way around, and although I felt embarrassed and my pronunciation was awful, I got some bread to go along with my brie and salami.

Meanwhile, this whole time, through all of these hours, my mouth and throat are dying of thirst. I almost fell for a high-priced ice cream cone at the Eiffel Tower. Yet the whole time I persuaded myself that I could stand my dry and dying mouth and throat so as to save myself more than 2 euros for a bottle of water I would get stuck carrying around.

So finally, at 6pm, about 7 hours after I left, I finally get home. I quench my thirst with glass upon glass of water and have two pieces of bread with brie and salami. Yums. Maybe I'm not a fan of brie, but everything else tastes great and makes the brie taste rather good.


I think it's time to relax now and maybe get an early night's sleep for school tomorrow.

P.S. I have a theory about Paris. They put a chemical in the air that makes everyone want to drink wine and coffee all the time and which also makes them immune to hunger...except that is when the chemical wants them to all go out and buy a baguette.

Vaux le Vicomte et Cafe de Flore

Finally able to sleep at 4am in the morning, I got up at 10 to get ready for the day. I went downstairs to the lobby at 12pm for a meet-up, but no one was ready and I just kind of stood awkwardly around, talked to Paul (kid I took the RER and got lost with) a bit, and then we buddied up to take the RER and Metro to school. Along the way I met another kid Emmanuel, who would join me on a later adventure.

We arrived at the Paris Center, which was very small and new. We had a small introduction and met with our language assistant, a nice grad student named Juliette. My group consists of myself, Sarah, and Benny (he also joined me on tonight's excursion). My group meets every Thursday at 7pm for a language outing. This week we will be meeting in Saint Michel at a bar to learn how to socialize or something. Haha. We had cocktails, consisting of red wine (simply one cup has led to a day long headache) and a variety of appetizers. I had one with guacamole and red pepper, a few with a nice soft cheese, some with yogurt inside, some with raw fish, and a chocolate mint one. All were okay, but not great, and before I could eat more Paul and I realized our tour group had left without us and we had to run to catch up.

We got to see a few cafes and stores, but there was nothing that interesting for we were really in the business part of town. Anyways, after this we toured the rest of the center and waited for our bus to go to the Vaux le Vicomte (a chateau). After the forty-five minute bus ride all 52 (?) of us toured the inside of the chateau. (By the way, several movies were filmed here including a Bond Film, the Man in the Iron Mask, and Valmont!) The inside wasn't the most amazing thing, but it was interesting. Vaux le Vicomte was the former home of Nicolas Fouquet who was put to death by Louis XVI who couldn't stand him being more powerful than him. The main point of the tour seemed to be the squirrel emblem of Fouquet and Colbert's emblem of the snake. Don't ask. The weirdest part was that one of the mannequins had a moving face...eyebrows and mouth and all. Creepy.
My favorite part was the 'dungeon' part...all stone and stuff and really cool. There was a tunnel with candles that was amazing (picture didn't turn out too well though) and a prison with a mannequin of the man in the iron mask...also insanely creepy. There was also a hologram of Fouquet in a prison, which was...egh.
After a lengthy tour came the best part - the back of the chateau, the mote around the chateau, and the best of all - the gardens! Now I didn't realize this till I was leaving, but there were tall hedges that might have been a very small labyrinth thingy to the side of the chateau. I love labryinths so I wish I had explored this. However, there were small hedges that were layed out like a labyrinth, statues, ponds, fountains, trees - all beautiful. Now, I didn't have anyone to hang out with, so I just explored a bit on my own, which was nice, but also a little frustrating. However, things were so beautiful and calming!

After walking around for an hour or so I learn from my senior coordinator (who called me of all people to tell everyone when to meet...) that we weren't leaving for another hour. Well, I'm kind of tired and maybe sitting by the group already starting to form I'll be able to start a conversation with some people or something (I hoped!). Low and behold, a few minutes later a group of four kids sit down across from me (the fifth person, left for awhile to see other things, and although she is part of this group she did not join us on our excursion) and I strike up a conversation with two of them, Alex (guy) and Emily.

Long story short I walk back with them and sit on the bus ride home with them (although with an accident on the road the bus ride took home took 2 hours). We got to our reception dinner about an hour late, but it wasn't a dinner at all! Just more wine and more appetizers! Sure there were good cheese/bread mini thingys but this was just not working for my little group (Benny, Lloyd, Emily, and Alex). So we headed out and explored downtown Paris to find a restaurant! Cafe de Flore. Now I remember once reading about this! We have to wait a little to sit down, but once we do most of us, including myself, order Quiche de jour et salade. A little salad, some bread, a glass of tap water, and an amazing piece of quiche hit my palate for 13,50 euros. The quiche contained tomatoes, red pepper, perfectly cooked zucchini, and goat cheese (with some pesto sauce on the plate to join it all in amazing after amazing mouthful). (Complements to euro-travel for this photo, btdubs)

(Wow, I just read this online: It's the most famous cafe in the world, still fighting to maintain a Left Bank aura despite hordes of visitors from around the world. Sartre -- the granddaddy of existentialism, a key figure in the Resistance, and a renowned cafe-sitter -- often came here during World War II. Wearing a leather jacket and beret, he sat and wrote his trilogy Les Chemins de la Liberté (The Roads to Freedom). Camus, Picasso, and Apollinaire also frequented the Flore. The cafe is still going strong, though the famous patrons have moved on and tourists have taken up all the tables. According to the spokeswoman: "We will never change the decor." The menu offers omelets, salads, club sandwiches, and more.)

So after this we 'think' we know our way to the RER, we meet up with another group (half who stays with us - Joe and Emmanuel - and half which take our directions and leave), only to find out we're going the wrong way...but that's okay because we were closer to some other station. Haha. Then, while exiting the RER, the RER hated on me for a third time and wouldn't let me out, so I jumped over the turnstyle...with police across the tracks (yet they were busy stopping a fight or something). Whoops.

Crossing the street we immediately entered our building and went our separate ways toward bed...or in my case toward a chat with Adam, Patty, and my mom, waiting forever for pictures to load onto this blog, blogging, and etc. I'm just going to tie up some loose ends and then head to bed. It got late quickly...almost 2am. I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. I guess I'll see what people are doing or I might explore the city....we shall see.

Night night!

the attack of jet lag

It really all makes sense now.

Jet lag, according to multiple sources, causes

• Digestive problems
• Headache
• Malaise
• Loss of appetite
  
• Fatigue, irregular sleep patterns, temporary insomnia
• Disorientation, grogginess, irritability
• Mild Depression

Now, luckily there haven't been any instances of digestive problems and irritability, but I think for the first time I have been hit with a hard dose of jet lag. Although this is unfortunate, it also makes me a little more positive because maybe when I get over it I won't be such a mess.

I fell asleep for an hour and then I woke up to loud people in the hallway, which caused me to be wide awake, sleepy, and slightly upset (how did all these people make friends all of a sudden and why are they so loud?). I've been up for awhile now and that general unhappy feeling hit me again.

Yet then I read my friend Jackie's blog to see if this 'knowing people' thing was going to be an individual rough thing for me, and I realized that I do still have all day tomorrow, Sunday (nothing mandatory occurring I think!) and all my classes to have the chance to meet people, and maybe by then I will be back to my normal self.

Well, maybe I will try to go back to sleep again....

early end to a long day

So after a pretty useless meeting...in which we were pointed out one market and then got some RER tickets...I came back to the room and pretty much chilled for a bit. What's silly is that they haven't even helped us meet each other. I'm hoping that will happen tomorrow. I'll be gone from 12am - 11pm tomorrow, starting with a meeting, a cocktail meetup, a tour of the Paris Program Center and neighborhood, a bus trip to the Vaux-le-Vicomte palace, a bus trip back, and finally a reception dinner. Things are weird here and luckily I know like one or two people, but maybe the program will come to the rescue and try to have everyone meet each other for reals tomorrow. We'll see.

I'm a bit hungry but it's starting to get dark and I'm exhausted, and I'm not sure where anyone is. I'm going to head in early and sleep, sleep, sleep...try to prepare for the long day tomorrow, and then finish my homework and get ready in the morning. I'm ultimately hoping to say goodbye to this awful jet lag!

moving in

Just to let those of you know who are reading this, of course I'll be fine. Of course I'll get used to everything. Hey, I basically just unpacked all of my clothes. I just never thought I'd be this unhappy about the whole situation. But I know things will change. Trust me, I'm not ungrateful or anything. It's just difficult.

I'll send pictures of my room soon and let you all know what happens later tonight...some meeting or something. And I really do still have to see Paris...I got lost just south of the city, so...

So far thought the stereotype about French people is pretty true. I had one woman give me false directions and a vendor glare at me when I was buying water. Sure I can't speak French. Sure I should have tried to learn more. Sure I'm embarrassed and frustrated because of it. But I said hello and thank you in French and that can't be enough? Oh well.

Anyways, I just arrived an hour ago and I already got myself internet access, my computer plugged in, my clothes unpacked, and now to be a little more productive. I promise I'll look on the bright side of things, but I'm already looking forward to going back.

Nostalgia

I'll elaborate on what happened before the point I arrived in Paris later, but at least when I first arrived everything was fine. I found another Uchicago kid and we started on our way out. That's when the problems began.

I didn't have enough change for the RER ticket, so had to go find where to get that - this was the start of me feeling worthless with French people. Then we took the RER but it didn't stop at our station...so we walked at least a mile...in the wrong direction. Up and down stairs. Up and down stairs. Dragging and carrying a 50lb suitcase and having at least 30lbs on my back all the while. Getting lost, having the coordinator not help us at all over the phone, but then finally finding our way, after walking for at least an hour or so. And then the elevator wouldn't work at the building so I had to carry everything upstairs AGAIN.

Hopefully everything will get better but right now I feel nothing better than defeated. I feel so wrong here and I keep asking myself why the hell I did this. Why I left such a good thing at home for this. Maybe it's just because I've only slept about an hour the last day and a half...

I'm just going to unpack, get clean, and maybe lay down and see if I can shake this off. Yet just being at a UChicago headquarters makes me want to be back at real school, with a community were I feel valuable and loved, and with all the support I need.

I guess I'm not ready for Paris quite yet.

7 days

7 days till this lovely blog takes on Paris!