winter has begun.

While it is not officially winter, it is cold enough in by book to be classified as the winter season. It is still beautiful and sunny, but the winter bite followed by the wind is what kills it. October-ness is in full effect also. Although, it is weird not having Halloween or Thanksgiving decorations everywhere, it's just going straight to Christmas (which has already begun to come out in the stores, but only a little)School is going well, I finally know what classes im taking and they are..dun dun dunnn, Theater, Texts of Theater, French Political Institutions, and English/French Translation, along with the language class. They all seem to be good so far, but we'll see after the break. Speaking of break, we have our first one already next week. Ahh, how I love the French lifestyle; never work too long or too hard. Anyway, I'm going to Barcelona! We are only going for 3 days but it was a great deal and I'm so excited to go to Espana! It will be the first time out of France. Since that is only a long weekend trip, we are also going to a fete (party, festival..)of 1720 in La Ciotat. It should be interesting.

what's school?

So classes finally started last week. I almost forgot I was really here to learn...Well I made it through PLP (prep language program) which was 4 weeks of class from 9-1 Monday through Friday. it was a bit intense having 4 hours of class every morning, but i didn't have much else to do so it didn't seem so bad. We then got a week off, which was when we went to Paris and actual university classes started last Monday. The way the classes here are by Niveau 1 through 5. In preparing transfer classes I was told I would only be in level 2, which wasn't upper division so I wouldn't get full credit, BUT little did they know, I knew more then they thought! ha. so I'm in three and I'm taking 12 hours of language class and 6 or 8 hours of electives. The electives I'm taking are a theater class, french stories, and french business. All the electives are taught in French so it gives new meaning to 'paying attention' in class. but they are only once a week for 2 hours. The first few days of last week were so hectic because here, you don't sign up for specific classes and then only go to those, you get the schedule of all the electives and then you just go to whatever you want and keep going to the ones you like and stop going to the ones you don't like. So, I went to so many classes trying to figure out what ones i wanted and which ones I didn't want. Not only that but I was originally placed in level 4 which was pretty hard so i was going to 4 and 3 classes until i could officially switch. But, I survived and I know my classes and I like them and Im going to be a French major instead of minor because i get into a higher level. so school is officially underway in France. WHEW.

As far as this weekend went, it was nice. Both of my roommates went to Spain for a Fiesta so I have the place all to myself, and it is the first time in about 2 months that I have been alone. So it's been nice to say the least. The other night some of us went to French house party and that was really fun and funny, and today I have been a cleaning machine. but it feels nice to have a clean place :) Tomorrow I start to fall into somewhat regularity of school which will be tight and then ill be off on improving my french. (which I already am feeling more comfortable using)
love you all!!

Sunday mass in the Notre Dame, Napoleons not-so-little casket, and baby Mona

Paris-days 2 &3

The second two days of Paris were just as exciting. Sunday we went to Notre Dame and were there during Sunday mass, but it was a bit tacky because there were tourists walking up and down the sides while mass was going on. after Notre Dame we walked to the Pantheon, which i thoght was really cool being where all those influential people are buried, like Marie Cure, Victor Hugo, Voltaire and others. We walked through the Luxembourg Gardens trying to make our way to the Catacombs but they were closed because of vandalism. The gardens were beautiful though, it was a sunny day and we spent a few minutes just relaxing and enjoying the sun and view. After the failed attempt to see the catacombs we went to Musee D'Orsay for the last hour that it was open. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the impressionism floor before it closed, which was a huge bummer, but I guess I'll just have to go back :) Although what I did was was incredible. After the museum closed at 6 we walked across a bridge to sit in another garden and funny enough as we were walking across the river on the bridge there was a massive amount of locks that people had locked and left on the side as 'locks of love' each lock had a personal message, most said 2 names and a date, some said they left their hearts in Paris and some said they wished love and happiness to those who walked past their lock. It was surprisingly my favorite part of the day because it wasn't in the guide book and you almost feel all the happiness all those people left there. and reading all the different locks was fun too. We went back to the hostel and met up with a girl we met at check in and went for the best quiche I have ever had under the Sacre Coeur. After stuffing our faces we walked up the hill to see everything lit up and it was gorgeous, beware to those who go though...at night, be careful to say the least. there are some creepers! but the beauty made it worth the while. we then went to the Eiffel Tower and there was no one there so we sat and talked until 1 and watched all the lights go off and the tower sparkle. Although because we stayed so late the metro stopped and we had to take a cab home, that was interesting... Day three, Monday, was Napoleons Tomb, The Louver, H&M and yep you guessed it last night under the Eiffel. Napoleons Tomb was crazy, I didn't really know what to expect but you walk in and BAM! there's this abnormally large, what I guess you'd call it a casket. The Church and Tomb was really cool though. There were also others there and I liked knowing that the original building, before the tomb was commissioned, was for the sick wounded and elderly from the King. We made our way to the Louvre at around 2 and went in with the intentions of only seeing a few things and then getting out, but a friend and I went through about an hour and a half and sat down for a drink thinking we had only seen 1 of the 3 sections but we found out we had seen 2 and we still had an hour so we decided to power up and see the rest. We were on overload but the last things we saw were worth seeing, Napoleons apartment and the armor of King Louis were really cool to see. We stayed, wandering what seemed like the never ending halls of the Louvre until closing and then met with all the others waiting outside. We went to Chinese for dinner and then went to the very large H&M and then ended our last night meeting new people and drinking wine and talking about traveling until we went home to bed so we could wake up to catch our train home. Paris was eye opening before we left I almost didn't let myself get my hopes in by thinking, "It's just a city, how 'magical' can that really be??" but little did I know, it's unexplainable, there's something about it that just sucks you in.(or sucked me in) and I wasn't even there with a significant other...I don't think I'd know what to do with myself if I ever end up there in that situation. I might just be sucked in forever haha.

The group, the bench, and the tower

Paris- day 1 (sleeping on a bench)

My first trip while studying here was to Paris. It was nothing short of amazing, or an adventure. Our train left for Paris as 9 pm from Aix and arrived in Paris at midnight. In an effort to save money we did not get a hostel for the first night, so we were with some who got a hotel all four nights. We went to their hotel to drop our bags off, primped up and went out. We found a few bars and there was one with an American musician who moved to Paris for a girl and he just plays in the basement for money.It was so fun and we stayed until closing, but then it was 5am and our hostel didn't open until 8...so...we got on the first metro towards our place and once we found it it was 6 am..(still hadn't slept) we came across a bench that became our 'spot' until the cafe next door opened for us to get food and then check in. So, for a couple of hours some slept and another and I stayed up and dazed/talked. Note to all: we were safe! so don't worry. :) when the cafe opened I got my first cafe ole and croissant in Paris and you don't even know how good it tasted. The hostel let us check in to one room early with 3 beds, but there were 5 of us. Running on I don't know what, the boys slept and Monica and I changed and started to explore! We grabbed a map and set out in search of Sacre-Coeur and montmart and Moulin rouge. After a few circles and a TON of stairs we got up to the Sacre-Coeur and I lost it. Literally, I felt like I was in a dream...looking over all of Paris and then turning around and seeing this church that was out of control gorgeous. We wandered the area for food and decided on a dinner crepe that was the most amazing thing ever. Once we refueled with the food we went on to Moulin Rouge and that area taking pictures and laughing deliriously. The feeling of that much freedom and not having any schedule to follow and having no idea where we were going was such a good feeling. We made our way to the Arc de Triumph to meet up with all the sleepers and walked the Champs Elysees. While waiting we were hit, finally, with exhaustion and hunger the only thing to eat that didn't involve a lot of time and money was McDonalds..and, Dad, don't kill me...we ate it. UGH. I know that is like a sin but it was necessary and it tasted so good, it didn't taste like our McDonalds at home. still, it was bad, i know. After getting just enough energy to move from the seat in the restaurant to the seat in the subway we went back to the room and took and hour nap to meet up at the Eiffel Tower. We got of the the metro farther away so we could enjoy the walk along the river with all the lights.Bliss. We got there before everyone else and found an empty bench directly underneath and laid look up from the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Once everyone else met us there we walked to lawn amongst the circles of friends, some french, some American, some Spanish, and so on. The lawn this first night was a party! everyone was sophisticated chugging wine. yelling talking over the next person but everyone still keeping an eye on the huge structure that we were there to see. We took the metro home, and I crashed.