Je suis arrivée!

     I've finally gotten settled into Paris after a very long flight, a bit of jetlag, and a few days in an American hostel with the other students from the program. Yesterday I moved in to my long term housing, which is the apartment of my host family. I'm living with an older widowed woman named Thérèse-Marie in the Latin Quarter. I'm only one block from the Seine River, and a few blocks down from Notre Dame. There are two other students from the program nearby - one a few floors up in the same building, and another a couple blocks away.

     We've spent the last few days doing orientations, visiting museums, and walking around Paris to learn the city. So far I've visited the Centre Pompidou, which is a modern art museum, and Notre Dame. I've put up a few pictures on my Flickr site which you can get to by clicking here.

     My first impressions of Paris are that it is more aesthetically beautiful than any city I've ever been to. Grandeur and history are everywhere and undeniable, in a way that I've never found in North American cities. The Metro system is also far superior to any public transportation system I've used - it is mostly clean, very fast, and extremely accessible.

     As far as the Parisians, I at first compared them to New Yorkers. Both walk quickly and with direction, avoid looking you in the eye, and don't say excuse me when they bump you on the subway. However, for every rude Parisian I've encountered (so far only 2 or 3), I've met a very helpful one. I think that this is probably the rule for every major city in the world.

     My French courses and research that I did before leaving the U.S. have helped me a lot with the transition to a new country. My host mother has complimented me on my French, and for the most part, I understand what people say to me. Thus, the language barrier has not been too big for me. However, at the end of the day when I am tired and hungry, sometimes I just want to lay down on my bed and not talk to anyone in French for a while. It is exhausting being constantly inundated by a different culture and language.

     As I write this, I notice that it's become a little harder for me to write in English. A few times I even caught myself thinking "I know the word I'm looking for in French, but how do I say this in English?!" I guess this is a good sign!

     Well I hope to spend some time really getting to know the Latin Quarter and taking some photos perhaps this weekend. I haven't gotten out with my camera much because it has been so cold (though still warmer than it would be back in Connecticut). It is supposed to rain a few days this week as well.

     Again I thank you all for your encouraging messages and hope to have more for you soon!