Stress Relief

So, I've been in Paris for a month now. But last week was my first real week in the city. By which I mean, it was the first week in which I had all of my classes, real homework and the real stress that goes along with that.

In some ways, it's nice to have a little more structure to my days. And, let's be honest, some of these classes are really more like "classes." That's not to say I don't have work. But when this work consists of going to see plays for free, or visiting the Parisian monuments, it somehow seems like less of an obligation and more of a treat.

It's hard though, to realize just how much less time I have to explore Paris. Whereas before I had entire weeks to traipse around the city, I now have to slot museum visits and long walks in between classes, meetings and homework. And now that my weekends are starting to fill up with trips (I'm going to be traveling four of the next six weekends), I have even less time to spend in my home city.

Okay, I just reread that last sentence. And you all have permission to slap me, either virtually or whenever you see me next (I would prefer virtually). I'm not complaining about the fact that I have to visit the rest of Europe any more than I'm complaining about my "classes." But I'm starting to realize just how fast my time here is going, and I'm starting to think that I may have to sacrifice some of my planned foreign vacations if I really want to do Paris justice. And if some homework has to fall by the wayside as well, so be it.

Anyway, I don't have time to fill you in on everything that has been happening to me in the past couple of weeks. You probably wouldn't find it interesting anyway, unless the idea of two hour discussions of the Fourth Republic really get you going. So I present the following primer on avoiding stress in the City of Lights.

Things That Will Stress You Out in Paris

-going to your first history discussion section, and finding out that you have two oral presentations to give in the first two weeks
-doing mental multiplication and realizing how much that 4.00 euro pastry costs in real money
-in every class, being handed a bibliography of 100 books with no guidance as to what you actually have to read beyond, "These seventeen might be interesting..."
-missing half of your first literature class at the Sorbonne because you can't figure out what the room number is
-realizing that you forget all your eight years of French whenever you get flustered

Things That Will Relieve the Aforementioned Stress
-watching a classroom of 9-year old French kids learn prepositions and Halloween vocabulary in English class ("Ze spider iss in ze box...")
-meeting up for Paris's best falafel with an elementary school friend
-autumn walks in the jardin du Luxembourg (and being told by adorable old men in said park that you speak French very well)
-walking home with a warm baguette in hand
-photo exhibits along the Seine and Champs-Elysees
-free front-row theater tickets
-late night cafe-dates with friends
-a daily pastry (eclairs, une tentation, chocolate pear tarts, chocolate banana tarts, raspberry tarts, religieuses...)

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To sum up...I'm still loving it here. Yes, there have been more stressful moments during these past few weeks than previously in my trip. Yes, I'm starting to miss more and more things about the U.S. (pumpkin carving, clothes fresh out of the drier, glorious water-wasting showers, football, muffins...and all of you guys, of course). Yes, I sometimes feel as though I am spending my entire life in the Metro, with all the finer elements of French society.

But the trade-off to putting up with those inconveniences is that I'm feeling more and more like a local. I have a routine of sorts. I have my favorite neighborhood boulangerie. I know the first 15 stops on my Metro line. The sandwich lady at the shop by my program center finally smiled at me today. And, speaking of the Metro, I had an experience with a repeat panhandler.

You see, it often happens that one will be sitting in a Metro car minding one's own business and struggling to keep one's English-language book inconspicuous for fear of muggers, when someone will get onto the car and make a plea for cash. I generally ignore these litanies, but they invariably include at least one of the following elements:

a) loss of job due to terrible economy (To which I say, you think your economy's bad? I'm an American, buddy.)
b) some sort of rare and previously undiscovered medical ailment
c) 17 children

Anyway, I generally act like a normal person and avert my eyes from these spectacles of human misery. But the other day, a speech started that sounded strangely familiar. After the mention of a chronic eye ailment, I was sure. I had heard this exact speech before. Yes, I have now lived here long enough to have a favorite boulangerie, a favorite park and a favorite panhandler.

It was perhaps not the most poetic moment of my week. But it did more than anything to remind me that I'm not here as a tourist. The fact is, I have a claim on Paris now. It's a mythical city for so many, but I'm one of the lucky few who can say, for the rest of my life, "I lived there."And despite all the stresses of the week, I was somehow cheered to realize that out of all the Metro cars in all the stations in all the world, this unemployed German waiter from Montmartre walked into mine...twice.

Here We Go Again

Another update! You lucky, lucky people. Be thankful that (a) I am feeling bored and narcissistic right now (b) I had my first class today, and thought that you might like to know how it went.

I'll be taking five classes overall, but this week I only have my two program center classes to worry about. Today, I woke up bright and early and headed off to my first class, the title of which roughly translates to "The History of Paris Through Its Monuments." The class meets for four hours one day a week, and is split into two parts. It starts with an hour and a half of lecture, followed by an hour-long lunch break, and finally an hour and a half of site visits. Over the course of the semester, we will study (and then visit) the Louvre, l'Opera Garnier, the Montparnasse neighborhood and the Centre Pompidou (among others). I know, my life is rough.

Today's excursion took us to the Ile de la Cite, one of two islands (the other being l'Ile Saint-Louis) in the middle of the Seine. The city essentially started here, so some of Paris's oldest buildings are found on the island. We saw Sainte-Chapelle and the Palais de Justice from the outside, then headed over to Notre Dame. Is it bad that this was playing in my head the whole time? I think not.

In all seriousness, the cathedral is absolutely wonderful, even if there are no musically-inclined hunchbacks hanging out in the bell tower. It's hard to believe that it was pretty neglected for years, until the appearance of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, after which everyone realized that it was a pretty cool building. It is, in fact, considered an example of perfect proportions. Apparently it is the Baby Bear of cathedrals, not too big, not too small, but just right. Given the fact that it's been standing for over 700 years, despite the French Revolution and years of neglect, I think I would have to agree.

Coming Attractions
-a rundown of my Sweet Briar theater class (which starts tomorrow morning)
-a commemoration of my first month in France
-a post on the parks of Paris

Au Revoir Etats-Unis...

Bonjour Tours!!

Yes, I am finally in France, in the town of Tours, which is about 2 1/2 hours south of Paris, in the heart of chateau country.

The flight from Washington, D.C. was relatively short and uneventful, but I didn't manage to get any sleep. So by the time we arrived at Charles de Gaulle, at 6:10 Paris time, I was a zombie. Zombies, I learned, do not deal well with a combined 99 pounds of luggage. I had two checked bags that I had to get off the baggage carousel, and the luggage claim was packed. There was no room to maneuver around the carousel itself because there were about 15 French boys who had apparently just returned from the wilds of Africa. I am not exaggerating. They were dressed exactly like Boy Scouts on safari, Panama hats, boots, neckerchiefs, khaki shorts. And they were not technically boys. They had to be at least 17 or 18 years old. So I was not cutting them any slack. Because of said group, I almost mauled two members of some poor French family while trying to get my monolithic suitcase. Finally, a very nice French man helped me lift my suitcases onto the luggage trolley and I managed to get through passport control and to the buses with only a few collisions.

After that, it was on the bus to Tours. My host mom picked up me and my housemate from l'Institut de Touraine (the school where everyone on my program is taking French classes). I am living in a house close to the center of Tours with a French couple, their kids and their adorable dog. They have four children, one son (who doesn't live at home anymore) and three daughters. They are all friendly and wonderful and have made me feel very much at home. Also, my host mother is a really great cook. I have to say...French food does not disappoint. We eat lunch and dinner in the garden every day, and there are never fewer than three courses, usually four. There is a salad of some sort, the main course, a bread and cheese course and a dessert. And of course, there's wine and fresh fruit (bought locally at the market in Tours). Bottom line: I am going to gain at least 43 pounds in my first two weeks alone.

We had the first afternoon free, so I slept off some of my jet lag. The next day was taken up with meetings, and that night a big group of people from my program went out to the Place Plumereau, which is the old section of Tours. It's a beautiful old square about five minutes away from the Loire River, with lots of old buildings, cafes and restaurants where a lot of students congregate.

This weekend, we visited two chateaux: Amboise (on Saturday with the group) where Leonardo da Vinci died and was buried, and Villandry. My host parents drove my housemate and I to Villandry yesterday while they walked their dog in the countryside nearby. The chateau is impressive (of course), but the gardens are really spectacular.



Today was the start of classes. We have French language classes for several hours every morning to get us ready for Paris. My host parents tell me that I understand French very well, but they are almost definitely lying. At first, I was really excited because I could understand almost everyone that they said to me at "normal speed." Then they started talking to one another, and I realized that they were not speaking to me at normal speed, but quarter speed. Still, I've managed to carry on a few basic interactions with salespeople and waiters without too many errors. On the train to Amboise we met a French guy who was asking us where we were from. I used the French word for "suburbs" to describe my town. Unfortunately, I discovered in class this morning that the word I used has a very different connotation in French, so I told him that I live "in a little ghetto just north of Chicago." Oh well...

People (by which I mean my parents) asked me a lot of questions about French life before I left for Tours. And of course, I had no idea what French life was like. Now I have a slightly better (though not extensive) understanding of some French customs. So here, for your cultural education, are some observations, entitled:

French People; They're Just Like Us!!

They like Jane Austen! (my host sister, in whose room I am staying) has all of Jane Austen's books, plus most of the movies based on them.

They barbecue! (This one is for my dad. Yes, my host dad barbecued pork and lamb yesterday).

They watch American movies! (My host family got very excited when they saw me reading Gone With the Wind yesterday, apparently it's a favorite here. Also, Pretty Women was playing on TV last night).

They watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (Only, with a French host, obviously. The contestants, though, win a million euros, which is a lot more than a million dollars. So take my advice and sign up for French game shows instead).

They do have refrigeration! (also for my dad, my host family has two).

Except They're Not...

They don't typically wear diamond engagement rings (one of my host sisters is engaged, and both she and my host mother have sapphire engagement rings).

Their news is different! (They have no commercials during the news, which I prefer to American TV).

They really do like vacation! (Don't get me wrong, they work hard. But most stores really are closed on Sundays. And they do get a lot of vacation time).

They protest a lot! (My host sister, who studies at the same university as I will in Paris, said that the school had four months of strikes last year).


Well, I'm off to a meeting in a few minutes, so this massive post will have to do for the moment. Hopefully I'll update soon, but I won't have regular Internet access until I get to Paris.

A bientot,

Alanna