Un Nouvelle Jour

Bonjour!

I want to start off this blog by noting that I am now using a French computer and keyboard, so my spelling may look kind of weird.

It's been a very long day...seeing sights, hanging out with new friends, and so much fun stuff!

I started out the day doing orientation for CEA about Paris, housing, and cell phones. On that note, should you wish to call me and talk to me on my phone, tell me and I will give you le nombre. All of the staff at CEA Paris are super nice...I especially like Hélène, who is the student services coordinator. She is really nice, and has been giving us all tips on good places to eat and good places to go at night, stuff like that.It was funny, because she was the person who met me at the airport yesterday after my flight, and she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so she looked like she was about 22 or so. Then today she breezes in in a cute summer dress and heels and starts talking about her husband and baby! So, I'm guessing she's at least 26 or 27. On that note, I also feel so under dressed here in Paris. I was so worried about my bag going over limit that I really didn't pack anything that I didn't need...so I don't have a lot of nice clothes. And I def. look like an American.

I've made a lot of nouvelle amis and I am having so much fun with them exploring Paris! Today, after our orientation, we all went to L'Arc de Triomphe and then walked down to La Tour Eiffel. This was at around 9 pm, but it was still extremely bright outside! At 10 pm, the coolest thing happened! At the Eiffel Tower, lights flashed for about ten minutes...it was absolutley gorgeous.

I am starting to get the hang of the metro system. I know that it is super easy to use for getting around Paris, and it is...it's just expensive. It was really funny today when on the metro I was talking to one of the girls in my program and we were talking about one of the stops that we always take -- Chatelet - Les Halles -- and we couldn't figure out how to pronounce it. This French guy on the train next to us was super nice and corrected out prononciation...everyone says the Parisians are mean to foreigners, but it's just because no one tries to speak French to them, they just assume everyone can speak English. Therefore, if you talk at least a litte bit to the French en frençais they have no problem with you, even if you switch to English after that.

I have had so much bread and chocolate today, and I am in absolute heaven! pain au chocolat, crèpes chocolat, le mousse au chcolat and les madelines avec le chocolat. J'aime beaucoup la nourriture français!

Sorry for all of the French phrases, but my new friends and I are all trying to speak as much French as possible. Of course, a lot of it is peppered with "americanisms" but it's so much fun to speak it! I mean, that's what I'm here for, right?

Well, now that I've figured out how to use the computers here at the dorms and also at CEA, I will be posting more. Feel free to send Me an email, no matter how mundane that you may think it is. I really enjoy reading emails, something different from everything else!

During June and July here in France, the stores have a government mandated sales period. And I arrived just in the middle of it :D Therefore, some of us are heading out to shops tomorrow to see what we can find. I'm really not going to spend very ,uch, as I only have a limited amount of funds while I'm here. But, I can still have fun shopping!!

Au revoir, et à bientot!

Lesley