Bonjour encore et bonne semaine! Today, my first full Sunday in Paris, was my first opportunity to go to Hillsong Paris - an amazing church founded by people trained in the original Hillsong church in Australia. The music, the message, and the enthusiasm from the people there was incredible! The whole service was bilingual - the songs that were in French had the English words like subtitles underneath and the English songs had the French underneath. All of the announcements and the message were given in English and immediately translated into French, so the two people were speaking at the same time - just alternating phrases. After church, the PH/Powerhouse people (young people ages 18-25) got together to eat lunch at a few different restaurants. I ended up going to a Japanese restaurant with about 20 other young people (French and international) to eat and hang out. At one point at our table people were speaking English, French, Spanish, and German at the same time - very international! After lunch, the smaller groups met up at a cafe to have group fellowship together and have some coffee (or, in my case, hot chocolate!). We also played a game that's similar to the American game Mafia but that the French call "loup-garou" which actually means werewolf. In the game, everyone draws cards and looks at them secretly. A few people (usually 2-4) learn they have been chosen as the loups-garou and one person is the petite fille (little girl). When all the villageois (townspeople) "go to sleep" the loups-garou wake up and decide which villager they want to kill. Meanwhile, the "little girl" can sneakily open her eyes and try to determine who the loups-garou are without getting caught (aka so the loups-garou don't try to kill her off and keep their identities secret). All in all, a fun game but somewhat complicated when a bunch of French people are all shouting and talking very quickly!
My interesting fact for the day (and the inspiration for the title of this post) was one I learned while eating lunch at the Japanese restaurant. The French use the word "baguette" to mean MANY different things. Firstly, the one I knew before coming here, it is used to refer to a certain type of bread. Not all French bread can be called a baguette - it refers to the specific shape of the bread. In addition to the bread baguette, baguette can also mean chopstick (which I learned at lunch), drumstick, a stick in general, the conductor's baton (baguette de chef d'orchestre), or even magic wand (baguette magique)! Altogether quite an enlightening and enjoyable day! I can't wait for church (and church related activities!) next week! A plus tard!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday Adventures with Kaellen!
Bonjour encore - hello again! Here is a picture of the outer facade of the Musée d'Orsay - a beautiful old train station that was converted into an art museum. Kaellen and I went to explore it yesterday (she loves Impressionist art and had wanted to go for a while) and it was really pretty both inside and outside! Unfortunately, they don't allow any photography at all inside the museum in an effort to protect the paintings and sculptures they have there. I was, however, able to get some pictures of the outside building which is a work of art in itself! On our way to the museum, we were also able to walk along the Seine (which I hadn't seen yet since I've been here) and chat, absorb the French atmosphere, and buy some postcards! There are rows of these green wooden boxes all along the railing of the main sidewalk that runs alongside the river, and each box unfolds into something resembling a news stand. People (I think?) rent them out and use them to sell postcards, secondhand books, keychains, and all kinds of other assorted items. It was almost like a tiny garage sale in a box! So Kaellen and I perused some of the books (we didn't buy any, although she was looking for a French copy of Les Mis - we haven't found one yet) and I bought some postcards to send to people at home.
A little later today, Rhonda (she's the other American student who's currently living with Chantal my host-mother) and I are going to the post office to buy some stamps (for all my postcards!) and to mail in some important forms to the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII)...so hopefully we're successful and neither of us gets deported! Fingers crossed! Much love - goodbye for now!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
La cuisine française (French Food)
A few notes on what I have learned thus far about French food:
1. Buying food (in restaurants and cafes) gets rather expensive...especially in light of the conversion of dollars to euro
2. Meat (especially beef) does not exist in a "well done" state...or even actually a "done at all" state. The "hamburger" (served with cooked vegetables and no bun) that I had yesterday looked like my first attempt at cooking a hamburger...beautiful on the outside and almost completely pink on the inside (still good though!)
3. Regarding yaourt (yogurt): there are two types of yogurt - one is yogurt one eats for dessert and is usually fruit flavored (although yesterday I was offered chocolate mousse as yogurt...so I'm not sure about this one). The other type is breakfast yogurt. It is eaten like Americans would eat eggs or milk at breakfast to "keep up one's strength." On a related note, it is also disgusting. It tastes very similar to plain yogurt, except more bitter. However, since my host-mom has served it to me two days in a row and talked about it at dinner last night (how important it is to eat yogurt for breakfast) I feel as if I should eat at least half. Thus far I have managed it by pairing it with a sweet cake-like minimuffin and only eating tiny amounts at a time.
4. Bread. A big deal for the French (kind of like cheese in Wisconsin?) it's sort of what they're known for. And I can see why! Yesterday for lunch I had just a regular sandwich and the bread part of it was literally the most delicious baguette I have ever eaten. It was warm, crispy but not overly chewy, and altogether yummy!
That's all for now...I will update as my exposure increases :)
1. Buying food (in restaurants and cafes) gets rather expensive...especially in light of the conversion of dollars to euro
2. Meat (especially beef) does not exist in a "well done" state...or even actually a "done at all" state. The "hamburger" (served with cooked vegetables and no bun) that I had yesterday looked like my first attempt at cooking a hamburger...beautiful on the outside and almost completely pink on the inside (still good though!)
3. Regarding yaourt (yogurt): there are two types of yogurt - one is yogurt one eats for dessert and is usually fruit flavored (although yesterday I was offered chocolate mousse as yogurt...so I'm not sure about this one). The other type is breakfast yogurt. It is eaten like Americans would eat eggs or milk at breakfast to "keep up one's strength." On a related note, it is also disgusting. It tastes very similar to plain yogurt, except more bitter. However, since my host-mom has served it to me two days in a row and talked about it at dinner last night (how important it is to eat yogurt for breakfast) I feel as if I should eat at least half. Thus far I have managed it by pairing it with a sweet cake-like minimuffin and only eating tiny amounts at a time.
4. Bread. A big deal for the French (kind of like cheese in Wisconsin?) it's sort of what they're known for. And I can see why! Yesterday for lunch I had just a regular sandwich and the bread part of it was literally the most delicious baguette I have ever eaten. It was warm, crispy but not overly chewy, and altogether yummy!
That's all for now...I will update as my exposure increases :)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Je suis arrivée!
Bonjour à tous! Hello everyone! I am now officially about halfway through my second day in Paris and so far most everything has gone very well. My home-stay mom Chantal is super nice and her and her daughter Marjorie are hilarious. There is also another American student living here named Rhonda - she's been here about a month and is looking for her own apartment right now so she'll be moving out again around the end of the month. Yesterday was spent mostly in settling in - Kaellen met me at the airport and helped me navigate the metro and purchase my own Passe Navigo (metro/rail/bus pass) which I can recharge as needed. Together we found l'Institut Catholique (or "la Catho" as the students here aparently call it!) and figured out the right metro line/stop for me. I also got to meet her home-stay family - well some of them... Both of the daughters were out of town - one on a ski trip with friends and one I think staying with a family in Spain to practice her Spanish. I did meet the parents and the two young sons who are all adorable. I then successfully navigated my way back (alone!) on the metro and through the series of keypad coded doors and stairs and elevators back to the apartment where I'm staying. After some relaxation and reading - but no napping! - I had dinner with Chantal, Rhonda, and Marjorie. They kept me awake with their stories and jokes even though the jet lag and delicious food tried to put me to sleep. After dinner, Rhonda helped me to log into the wifi network here and I was able to get on skype for a few minutes before going to bed to assure my parents that I was alive.
So far today, I woke up at 7h - at which time most of my American friends were probably still awake (7h = midnight central time). I got ready and had delicious breakfast with mint tea Chantal made for me and was out the door and at the metro by 8h20. After asking a few different people I finally found the office I was supposed to go to in order to register and take my placement test. After signing in and receiving a blank schedule sheet I went upstairs with the other étudiants étrangers (international students) to take the written portion of the test. After the written section we were all sent into the next room to peruse the course catalogue booklets and pick out classes we might be interested in taking. Out of the room full of students, I was the last to be called, so I had to wait a bit. When I was finally called, one of the teachers there went over my score and my niveau (fluency level) and helped me figure out my schedule. The good news is I have no class at all on Monday or Friday - so hopefully I will be able to do some traveling and enjoy my weekends! After formalizing my registration and receiving my new ILCF student I.D. I decided to explore a bit in the area. I was able to explore Saint Sulpice - a gorgeous cathedral that predates Notre Dame according to Chantal and Marjorie and eat my "sandwich club" (tomatoes, lettuce, ham, bacon, cheddar cheese, and hard-boiled eggs) in the square in front of the cathedral that had a beautiful fountain. After that, I took the metro back to Les Halles (the stop near my apartment) and explored the area and another beautiful cathedral - Saint Eustache. Then I wandered around the enormous shopping center Chatalet Les Halles that's right across the street. I was able to find shampoo and body wash without too many difficulties - now I just need to buy a cell phone and a hairdryer and I'll be set! Now I'm going to relax a bit before dinner and then I'll start making plans for the rest of my week - I don't start my classes until next week Tuesday, so I'll have a lot of time to explore! That's all for now - grosses bises à tous!
So far today, I woke up at 7h - at which time most of my American friends were probably still awake (7h = midnight central time). I got ready and had delicious breakfast with mint tea Chantal made for me and was out the door and at the metro by 8h20. After asking a few different people I finally found the office I was supposed to go to in order to register and take my placement test. After signing in and receiving a blank schedule sheet I went upstairs with the other étudiants étrangers (international students) to take the written portion of the test. After the written section we were all sent into the next room to peruse the course catalogue booklets and pick out classes we might be interested in taking. Out of the room full of students, I was the last to be called, so I had to wait a bit. When I was finally called, one of the teachers there went over my score and my niveau (fluency level) and helped me figure out my schedule. The good news is I have no class at all on Monday or Friday - so hopefully I will be able to do some traveling and enjoy my weekends! After formalizing my registration and receiving my new ILCF student I.D. I decided to explore a bit in the area. I was able to explore Saint Sulpice - a gorgeous cathedral that predates Notre Dame according to Chantal and Marjorie and eat my "sandwich club" (tomatoes, lettuce, ham, bacon, cheddar cheese, and hard-boiled eggs) in the square in front of the cathedral that had a beautiful fountain. After that, I took the metro back to Les Halles (the stop near my apartment) and explored the area and another beautiful cathedral - Saint Eustache. Then I wandered around the enormous shopping center Chatalet Les Halles that's right across the street. I was able to find shampoo and body wash without too many difficulties - now I just need to buy a cell phone and a hairdryer and I'll be set! Now I'm going to relax a bit before dinner and then I'll start making plans for the rest of my week - I don't start my classes until next week Tuesday, so I'll have a lot of time to explore! That's all for now - grosses bises à tous!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Pre-departure Jitters...
Hello all!
I guess if you're reading this first official post it means you're my "follower" which is a little weird but I promised to put this up and if you're "following" me then you probably already have full permission to creep on me! It's now about two days before my official departure and I'm trying to finish making my lists, doing last minute shopping, and then packing. Hopefully between my lists and my mother I won't forget anything too crucial. My thanks go out to all of the friends and family who have already helped me (or offered to help!) while I'm abroad - and yes, volunteering to check on my mom and make sure she's alright is a HUGE help. I'm planning right now to update here at least once a week to post pictures and write a brief description of my adventures. Feel free to read as much or little as interests you - and thanks for "following" me!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)