Bonnes Fetes!

Joyeux Noel! I know Im late on the ball, but I just enjoyed being "disconnected" the last week in the south of France :) Our Christmas actually began last sunday afternoon in Paris. Not all of the family was able to travel south for the holiday, so our usual family sunday brunch was turned into a christmas feast. Before the food was served santa paid us a little visit and left gifts at each persons place setting. Santa even came for me! My host mamma gave me these adorable black slipper socks that had fuzzy white stripes! Then my host sister who works in thailand gave me a rosemary soap stone and a wooden elephant, both from thailand. Since probably the middle of november I had been going back and forth on what to give my family. In the end I decided on a classy pairing of pink champagne and a box of macaroons from the celebrated tea room Lauduree. Lucky for me, I had no idea what a hit it would be! The box came with all different flavors of macaroons and we all laughed as we "oooed" and "awwwed" and passed each around, everyone taking a little bite for taste.

Monday we left for the south- more specifically- we stopped in Barpeaux to have dinner with my host mothers mother-in-law, which is right next to Dordonne, before going on to pamier in the district of Ariége, where we stayed until the following monday. I now understand, before we went I had no clue. Iswear everytime we talked about christmas the location changed! Are we going to Dordonne? No, Ariége? Wait, your grandma lives in Pamier- i thought it was Ariége? I thought I was going craaazy! The south was wonderful- Bonne Mamman (grandma) lives in the foot hills of the Mountains and our view was unreal. All I really did was eat, sleep and read. And let me capitalise on all I really did was EAT. My host mom has a huge family (she is one of 7 children) and about half of them were there for the holidays. Just about every meal turned into several hrs sitting around the table chatting about anything and everything- which unfortuantely shined a light on just how much I do not know about my own country! We almost always followed the main course with cheese, then dessert and then coffee. Mmm! And lets not forget our delicious pairing of wine and champagne with everything. This girl was never hungry. I also had a bunch of "firsts" because, due to it being christmas time, we had a bunch of delicacies like foie gras and tamara. I also had a slice of homemade bouche de Noel (the traditional Christmas cake.) I couldn't help but laugh when one of the Uncles pulled out a "Recipes of South Carolina" booklet, asking me if Id make a pecan pie. Of course I did (with the help of a few other hands) and it was delicious.

On Christmas eve I went to mass with my host family, which took place in the beautiful " town church"- the same church that my host sister was married in and Madame's father was buried in, Madame told me as the service began. My host family is catholic- well, they go to a catholic church on holidays- and as I sat in the service I was transported back to Adams, MN. Don't get me wrong- I am so very thankful of the Lord and the real meaning of Christmas is very important to me- buut all I really wanted during the service was my mom and sisters to joke around with! Instead I settled for smiling to myself as an elderly women lead us in singing hymns, waving her right hand like she was instructing a choir.

I did miss home this Christmas, Dommie's plaid christmas skirt and all. I missed the hectic christmas shopping, the snow and the christmas music. I really missed going to coffee with all my girlfriends. BUT I definitely don't feel like I missed out this Christmas, not in the slightest. I am entering into this new year feeling completely blessed and thanking God for all he has provided me with. It was an amazing experience to take part in my French familys christmas traditions and feel like part of their family.

Now dont be too jealous, but my vacation is only just beginning..I leave to pick Miss Caroline up at the airport tomorrow morning at 11 and I know Im about to enter into a week long workout from laughing!!

Ill add some pics from Christmas soon..

Gros bisous à tous!

Ecoss, or for us anglophones, Scotland.

Well it was definitely worth it to take a little vacation and go visit my friend Rachael in Scotland the weekend before finals. If you’ve ever heard Scotland is beautiful, you heard right. I took the “cheaper” route from Paris to Edinburgh, which gave me ample time to enjoy the Scottish countryside while getting in a little revision. Perfect.
Sometimes the obvious isn’t obvious enough, so I was really enjoying seeing how different Rachael’s study abroad program/experience was compared with mine. First off, she lives in a huge student house with first years and international students, A.K.A. = way fun. In France your home is more of a private place and (generally) the French don’t enjoy opening their doors to just anybody. So, out of respect for my family I never have anybody over- one of the things I miss most about home! But anyways, it was so nice to just chill on the couches while chatting. Very cozy.




Saturday was incredible. I cannot even believe how much we packed into that day AND still had time for a little nap. We started with a walking tour that led to the Royal Mile and a Castle, quite appropriately. Afterwards we checked out an art museum with a lot of Scottish and Dutch paintings, followed by a little Christmas Market Action on Princes Street. We even saw the Brittania, which is the Queen’s ship when she comes to Scotland. Funny enough, it truly is a tourist attraction attached to a huge mall. Rach showed me the ropes- how to use the bus system, where she likes to shop and where she goes to school. We had lunch in Teviots, a building on her campus, and I seriously felt like I was in a Harry Potter book. Nerdy, but it was really exciting. (Not to mention I think I had the best burger in my life.)
Saturday night, Rach and her friends showed me how the Scottish like to do it: the Pubs. I had my first Guinness and it was an enjoyable experience. Another obvious: Parisian spots and Scottish pubs are not the same. The pubs were so relaxed and people just chat with you, kind of a nice escape from the Parisian formalities for a weekend. Anyways, Rach and her friends were terribly fun and she is too good to me.
Another nerdy moment: Sunday morning I made Rachael stop on the way to the train station so I could buy a mocha at The Elephant House! The Elephant House is “the birthplace of Harry Potter,” where J.K. Rowling started writing the Harry Potter books (apparently as she sat in the back and looked out the window overlooking the castle.) Bonus: the mocha was amazing.




I left Edinburgh a little early so I would be able to wander the streets of Glasgow before taking the train to the airport. An hour definitely enough to cover this city but I enjoyed popping in and out of stores and checking out the beautiful architecture.
It was really nice to get back to Paris after a day of traveling, felt strikingly close to coming home ☺ What made it even better was my family was just starting dinner as I walked in the door (at almost nine!) We had homemade pizza and then put fried eggs on top of each piece (your should definitely try this!) I couldn’t have thought of a better way to end my whirlwind weekend of travel than sitting at the table chatting about everything and nothing

I'll Be Home for Christmas..

Maybe I should take Josh Groban’s “Noel” CD off repeat? Or maybe it is because all of my friends going home are talking about Christmas with their family? Whatever it is, the last few nights I have had dreams of Christmas time at home! They don’t make me sad as much as they make me laugh- the things I dream about are ridiculous. The first dream I was just going home for the weekend and I couldn’t decide if I should stop and eat at Punch with all the workers and catch up, or if I should just take the pizzas home to my family? haha Ridiculous, but it gets better. The next dream I was waking up really early (missing my alarm in real life, nice.) and when I went downstairs Alan was sitting at the table with a hot pot of coffee and banana bread- apparently Jean and Alan slept over for Christmas? Anyways, I was so excited about this pot of American coffee as we sat and chatted about my European experiences.

Weird, I know. So all this just to say that I am feeling a strong connection this week with Josh Groban as he sings “I’ll be home for Christmas.”

Love you guys!

Last Saturday with my friend..

Man, I can’t believe this was the last weekend with my first semester friends! Next weekend I’m off to Scotland (so excited!!) and the weekend after they will be gone. The time truly has flown by (like I’d been warned of) and I have made some great friends. Yesterday I spent the entire day with one of them, Andrea. We had such a good time as we took in Paris from all angles. We seriously did so much this post would be way too long if I talked about it all, so I am just going to touch on a few of the bigger events. To start, it was the first time for both of us to go to the Centre George Pompidou! For those of you who are unfamiliar, it is a very modern museum of modern art. The structure itself is pretty amazing (worth a google, I promise) and the view from the top level was worth the admission fee. We went to a current expo called “Jacques Villeglé, La Comédie Urbaine (The Urban Comedy.)” All of this guy’s works were made from torn posters, it was pretty impressive. And now, know that I appreciate modern art and I find a lot of it fascinating, but some of it is just ridiculous. Example: the minimalists. Really? Really?? We came upon these three huge canvases side by side.. Completely white. Just white. Now I am sure there is a lot of deep symbolic life-altering meaning behind these absolute works of art, but come on! I’m curious how much that guy sold them for and what the guys where thinking when they hung them up?! Props to the artist, he had to have made bank if they’re hanging here in one of the biggest modern art galleries in Paris right now.
After enjoying several levels of the Pompidou we decided we were in the mood for another kind of modern art: the window displays at Gallery Lafayette. This “grand magasin” is known for it’s window displays and especially at Christmas. They’re always gorgeous! This year is a funky Alice in Wonderland feel to it, from what I could see! There were so many people on the sidewalk catching a glimpse that we couldn’t even get close to the windows! Pure craziness, so we decided to go inside where it was only slightly less crazy. Naturally, we picked the floor with all the specialty foods to explore. Beautiful! We were even given a sample of a gourmand chocolat that was prepared right in front of us! Though it was hard we behaved and refrained from buying anything.
Next we met our french friend (actually polish, but he is kind of french/polish) Remi at the Christmas market in La Defense. This year there are these adorable little Christmas markets all over Paris that sell outrageous gifts (anywhere from beautiful pieces of art to things that should have the label “as seen on TV!”) For the most part it is just a lot of knick-knacks I’m not interested in buying, but the atmosphere can’t be beat. There are food venders all around selling Christmas specialties; foie gras sandwiches, raclettes, and of course your Christmas in glass-vin chaud (hot wine.) There are Christmas lights, music, and it reminds me of the busy malls at home near Christmas time. I’ve gone to several of these little markets now and they are just too fun.
We ended the night off by having an authentic french dinner in Saint-Germain-des-Prés (told you all angles of Paris!) Quality time with quality people in Paris, something I am so very blessed to call “the norm.”

When I grow up..

Life is a crazy thing and I am so excited about it. I just returned from a relationship seminar at church. We had special speakers John and Helen Burns- they are not only wise but also completely hilarious! I have actually heard Helen speak before- she was a speaker at one of the wonderful RVC chick nights last year. Tonight her husband said something that really resonated with me. He said expectations are the fuel of life- when you’re full of expectations you are full of life! He used the illustration of when you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up? They shoot for the stars with their answers! They have so many expectations for life- so many dreams. He then went on to say disappointment is an unmet expectation, and the truth is that in life we are going to have disappointments. The key is to know how to deal with disappointment in a way that allows you to continue living with expectations, to continue dreaming. He was referring to relationships (obviously, at a relationship seminar) but I think that is such a key thought for living life. It would be a lot easier to quit having expectations and to stop “reaching for the stars” after going through a few difficult times- let me tell ya, it sure would be a lot easier living life within my comfort zone! If I stopped having such high expectations from life I definitely would have a lot less to live up to and a lot less responsibility on my shoulders. -But what a sad life, mediocre at its best. A life full of expectations is a passionate life- the kind of life I think Christ called us to live. It was kind of encouraging this week when a girl at school asked, “ok, so lets say money and talent aside, what would you do if you could do anything, absolutely anything in the world, with your life?” I smiled when I thought about how I am really working towards what I truly want to do with my life! (Ok maybe besides the secret desire tucked way deep in my heart to be a singer/ballerina.. but we won’t go there today..) Little by little I am making steps towards realizing my dreams (and creating new ones along the way!) Tonight John gave us steps for dealing with disappointments within our relationships because when you do so correctly you are repairing that disappointment and releasing yourselves (as a couple) to expect again. I think in our personal lives its kind of similar to how we need to have a discussion with God when we’re feeling hurt or discouraged. Let’s not stay discouraged, but instead repair that hurt and continue dreaming! Just think of how we could change our worlds ☺

PS- We have the seminar on cds at church so if anybody is interested in learning more let me know and I could send one your way ! It was all pretty simple, but very insightful- aand they were hilarious.

Photobucket!!

So I have finally started a photobucket! I believe this is the working link:

photbucket.com/ramandt7

It is just another way for me to share my experiences with all of you back home :)

SISTERHOOD

Ah, tonight was the first « Sisterhood » meeting that I’ve been to at Hillsong! The pic is of my friend katy eating a galaffe on the way. Tonight was just so cool, really inspired me and got me even more excited about being part of the sisterhood at Hillsong Paris. A large part of the night was dedicated to socializing and eating, naturally. Then our pastor’s wife spoke to us about confidence. She spoke about the source of your confidence should come from God and your identity in Christ. What she had to say really resonated with me because this is something that has had such an influence in my day-to-day life, most notably while in France. When I first arrived here I was completely overwhelmed. Not in the sense of being scared to try and figure out the metro and get a long in a big city, but overwhelmed in the sense that it was the first time in my life I felt that I could actually completely and quite seriously fail. Thank God for the message from Beven my first week at Hillsong, when he spoke about having confidence in the capacity that God has given you. I’ve definitely been able to recognize a pattern that when I place my confidence in Christ I face my challenges with a completely different demeanor. Instead of already feeling defeated, I attempt with the mindset that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! It is still a daily choice- no, more like a minute to minute choice from time to time- but I pray that the more often I make that decision the more natural it will become. The real importance in sourcing your confidence in God and stepping into your identity in Christ is that you are saying yes to letting God use you to do wonderful things in his name. Not only is life more enjoyable, you are building the kingdom!

Jazz Hands

So last night was definitely a Paris moment I would like to just bottle up and remember on those days I am frustrated or homesick.. It was a night I'd like to repeat :) I went to a jazz bar with a few girlfriends to listen to a band named YAPA. Amazing. Amazing atmosphere, amazing music. They were seriously talented- I highly recommend giving them a little look (its really funny cuz that expression in french translates to literally "throw them an eye"- "jettez un coup d'oeil") We went because I had actually met one of the guitarist my first weekend here and have chatted with him a little on fb since then.. very cool man. Anyways, i felt very parisianne and loved it.




This front guy is my friend, simon.

Did I mention we had front row seats? lol It wasnt actually intentional.. we showed up fashionably late and they were like "quatre?" and pointed to the booth right in front of them. nice.



http://www.yapa.fr



This guy was totally grown-up french version pauly bleeker.. it was great. He could play just about every variation of guitar there is! I feel like he just kept pulling out different guitars! tres impressionant.



Andrea and I.

I ordered my first cosmo ever. We were in a "new york" styled jazz bar and I thought it was fitting.. thought of carrie haha.. anyways, it tasted like pink lemonade! Very delicious.. probably very dangerous. I let all the girls taste it and they assured me that was not what a cosmo tastes like in the states!



Sarah, Krissy and I. Don't worry, I, too, had a scarf with me last night, it was just in my bag at the time.




Although I did not wear tights, which by doing so was almost like an announcement to all passerbys that I am not french. Seriously, tights could not be bigger here right now.. I am waiting for my package from lindso (i think she said she threw some in there? ps you are wonderful linds)

BUT the real reason for this picture is FALL TIME! Im in love with fall time here. I think Parisian leaves are made of different stock- theyre huge! I have more than once caused a scene on the side-walk and it is completely attributed to how beautiful they are! Every once in a while I am so taken a back by how large a fallen leaf is that I will stop suddenly to look at it and before I know it I have caused a domino effect with the people behind me. Oops! Probably nooot the best sidewalk etiquette..

Stay tuned to hear about my visit to Jim Morrisons gravesite, and more!

bisous a tout le monde!

Election day.. kinda..

November 4th, Election day!!

Atleast kind of.. the election coverage doesnt really start here until about 1AM, but of course there is "pre-coverage" and then the results should come in during the wee hours of the morning. I cant believe its already here, while at the same time so ready for it to be over with. American restaurants and bars all over Paris tonight are leaving their doors open to cover the election. I was going to go with a few friends but opted not.. instead Im going running in the morning. :) Also everyone is getting sick right now and I didnt think staying out all night would do anything to increase my chances of remaining healthy- no matter how many daily vitamins I take!

Here is the first page of the Figaro today- a popular newspaper in Paris. Sorry it is sideways!





And this just cracked me up: "Fumer tue" = "smoking kills"

Could they have made it any bigger? And yet it doesnt even phase some people..




And last but not least, ta da! Do you like my first painting that I did in my still life class (nature mort in french, so morbid!) ? Ok, I know it isnt anything youd find in one of the expositions going on here in Paris right now- but Im not gonna lie, I am pretty proud of myself :) I have a really hard time being "creative and artsy", so right now this is my pride and joy!

Maybe sometime Ill even post a picture of a drawing from my model vivante class!

If youre lucky ;)

Whohoo! Les examens de mid-semestre sont finis! And my only solo presentation of the semester is finished as well.. what a wonderful feeling. I am just going to rest in denial until about 8 tonight about having hw for tomorrow..

So this afternoon, as a kind of celebration I got together with a girlfriend from church- léa. We had originally planned on going to the salon du chocolate- a huge exposition of chocolate! with a million different kinds of samples!- but I made the mistake of thinking it ended today when in fact it ended yeterday. oops! Thats ok.. I really dont neeed a million samples of chocolate.. instead we met at place st michel and walked around, peeking in a bunch of jewelry shops. We even found this shop filled with scarves of evey color, pattern and fabric! gorgeous. Did I mention I have been practicing self-control lately? Then we got crepes- I got a creme de marron crepe -aka thanksgiving on a crepe! That is "cream of chestnut" -absolutely delicious :) So with our crepes in hand we continued walking..and you know, just happen to stumble upon the pantheon! Will never get over it.. more times than not, just walking around Paris you'll find yourself face to face with some of the worlds best known pieces of architecture. Whats even better is I am starting to know a brief history of a lot of them. I saw like 4 buildings that I had just written about in the essqy for my mid-term earlier today haha

Amazing fall day.

Here are just a few pics from place de Pantheon




Do you know the architect of the Pantheon?



Soufflot, apparently he was a big deal. Atleast my teacher definitely thinks so. Atleast I think it was Soufflot..



mon amie Léa- she is getting married in Provence in the spring and IM INVITED :) talk about beautiful..



Paris, je t'aime!



of course if you turn around you can see a little bit of the beloved tour eiffel :)

L'Automne

I absolutely adore the fall! I love the chilly air and the gorgeous colors. The falls in Paris are very rainy and overcast- a little like Seattle! This first picture is one of the smaller entrances to the park next to my apartment. Unreal.

This is my tiny street! Adorable, isnt it? I live on the left hand side a few stories up :) Directly to the left behind all the green shrubbery is a restaurant that is tres cher- Le Quinzieme. Apparently the head chef, Cyril Lignac, is tres connu in France because he is so good at such a young age. He was also in this months Figaro- a big magazine here. Kinda crazy.. I wanted to try it out sometime until i looked online and realized it would cost me over a hundred euros haha So I think I am content enjoying from a distance.. :)

Absentee Ballot Please :)

I VOTED! My friends and I are all gonna be a little let down if they dont mail us "I Voted" stickers..

la campagne.. la ville.. le gateau chocolat et les pancakes :)

I know I say this all the time- but man time flys by! I cant believe its already the end of another friday! And today was amazing and hilarious. It started with a guided tour of the medieval town of Provins about and hour and a half outside of Paris. What a great time of year to go with all the leaves changing- absolutely gorgeous. The bummer- yet again my camera battery died- i HAVE to get better at charging that before events or outings. Good news- plenty of friends who offered to share their pics with me. The city was so cool- it is split into two parts: the first is a preserved medieval town and the other is a modern city full of commerce. Obviously we just toured the preserved medieval part, which absolutely blows my mind. I dont understand how so many buildings here have been preserved for soo long! We also were given a tour of the souterains> so interesting. Cool enough this was a "free" field trip for me because there were extra spots- i still have my two I chose in November for Versailles and then off to fontainbleu and vau-le0vicompte! bon chance :)

The second part of the day Andrea, Amanda, Sarah and I met up with some of Andreas french friends at B.I.A - Breakfast in America. Its an american diner in paris serving "traditional" american dishes and, of course, breakfast all day. It was unbelievably fun with the nostalgic atmosphere mixed with andreas amazing friends. They were hilarious- so not reserved and cracking jokes all over the place. I feel like tonight served a healthy dose of sarcasm that Id been missing.

Pictures to come..

What a wonderful day.

ok, just got home from my model vivante draing class and i still need to go write a paper tonight analysing baudelaires poem la belle dorothee..so this is going to be short. BUUT I can say that today was a breakthrough day :) not a huge breakthrough.. but Ill take the small ones! First of all, I finally felt like I was following along during my Architecture in Paris class which is by far my most difficult class. So that was exciting to say the least- felt like there was a little ray of hope peaking through! Then my friend brought it to my attention that when we were speaking english little french words were creeping in when I talked- like instead of saying "but" i said "mais"- not huge but its a slight indication that my brain is starting to accept a little language cross over. Thank the good Lord!! Also I recieved my sim card today WHOHOO! Which might mean my prodction level just went down a notch but I couldnt be more excited because I get to talk to my family whenever! I felt less homesick almost instantly - so thank you thank you thank you!

Unfortunately baudelaire is calling..

salut

Tasty..

So I just had the most bizarre but delicious dinner ! When I asked what it was they told me celery.. I looked at them like what? But then I smelt it.. it was in fact celery. But it looked kind of like a bowl of hot orangish reddish apple sauce with meatballs in it.. cautiously I took the first bite- totally amazing! My host mom hasnt made a single thing yet that wasnt good so I don't know why I had any doubts..She was telling me how easy it was to make so Ill have to try it sometime! It was kind of like a soup made of pureed celery mixed with a puree of tomatoes and viande. I know it doesn’t sound good but it was exceptional.. maybe one of the best things Ive had here so far! It was filling but very light. Anyways, just an odd but surprisingly pleasant experience I wanted to share with you.

oh I almost forgot- when I told them about "ants on a log" -you know, the normal way to eat celery- they looked at each other and laughed like what in the world? and then asked me for clarification because they didn't think they understood me at first haha Oh what those poor french children have been missing.

Kareoke? C'est Vrai!

Coucou! J’espère que ton week-end passes bien ! Je veux parler à la vie quand je partage une tasse du café avec toi, mais ce n’est pas possible ce week-end. Alors, ici...

I’m a sharer.. I think it is difficult to be here from time to time because I just want to share this experience in its entirety with the ones I love. Even just to cuddle up over a large cup of coffee and chat about our days would be like water for my soul. Instead, I will blog and try to get some pictures up.

So today I finally went into the Bio’C’Bon store near my home! Bio = Organic in France. It was so much fun! Ok, I realize I am a huge nerd, but really it was like going on a field trip ☺ they even had a ‘sans gluten’ section (mom that made me miss you so much!) I bought a few snacky things that I could bring to school or something- anything would be better than making the trip to the boulangerie between classes! I think my favorite buy was the South African rooibos tea- sooo good! I am on this tea kick right now. I looove making a big bowl of tea (yes I said bowl.. they have their coffee or tea in bowls here in the morning.. ive turned it into an anytime of day thing) and after its steeped put in a little milk. Just the thing I need while I cozy up to my desk to work on mes devoirs (hw), which is what I am going to do after this post.

Last night was my night to choose the restaurant. I chose this Moroccan restaurant in the marais district.. Unfortunately I didn’t realize dinner begins pretty late there and we had a rendez-vous with hillsong people later. So instead we jumped a few streets over and went to The Studio- the restaurant in the café de la gare (the one next to the dance studio online lindso!) Its funny cuz it is frenchified Mexican food haha Totally fun atmosphere and the fajitas were good. Nothing to rave about, but a fun experience.

Due to the Hillsong Europe conference in London this weekend, instead of having church services this Friday church was a bunch of different get-togethers around Paris in different venues. Mariko and I headed over to Le Rive Doigt,- the restaurant where the hospitality team had decided on meeting. Definitely did a little karaoke lol The funny thing is the English songs that are really popular here are not in the US, and vice versa. So all the old songs I thought would be fun to sing they had no idea and then when I finally got talked in to joining a group singing a really popular Mariah Carey song- I didn’t know it AT ALL! Haha Oh well, still a good time.

It was also really cool cuz I met a guy from Congo and we talked a little bit about how the French there is actually the same as the French here- only the Parisians speak a million times faster. So that was encouraging and just another reminder why I need to focus and put forth more effort into improving my French. I am just taking (aka trying to take) Shelby’s advice to heart about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. I need to continue asking questions and not just nod my head and pretend like I understand haha, which is so tempting, and I fall into doing it until I realize they asked a question and expect a response. Oops! Haha Something that has taken me by surprise here is that just about every french person has been painfully patient with me- it’s the native English speakers that don’t want to be patient! You would think they would be the ones with more understanding but about 75% of the time that has not been the case. Similar to every French grammar lesson, there are always exceptions.

Fun weekend. Fun people. God is good. I miss you all.

Bisous!

ZenZoo

So, another reason Mariko is my hero: she has this know-how that makes it seem like she's lived in Paris for years! We enjoy trying new restaurants together- funny thing is usually they arent french cuisine. Anyways, when she picks the place it is a little restaurant down a little back street and a ten min walk from the nearest metro- but theyll be so busy! I dont understand how she finds/hears about these places. Theyre gems- inexpensive authentic cuisine with great atmosphere. Usually we'll have to wait a little while for a seat, but I always take that as an indicator that my dinner is gonna be good! Last night we met a friend of hers she met in a different program in august and headed to a taiwanese place called ZenZoo. Delicious! Although they were laughing at me as I awkardly picked up (tried to pick up) the smaller pieces with chopsticks, as they both grew up usin them. Also, sad as it is, Ive been missing my visits to the Tea Garden back home so I mental noted that they have an entire page to select from of bubble teas. Just what I might need next time Im having a difficult day :)

THen, later that night we met a lovely canadian girl- unfortunately she doesnt have as strong an accent as our friend kyle haha She came here to France alone to teach english within different coorporations -which sounds really cool, something I think would be really fun. Buut she doesn't have a single friend from North America here and is a little homesick so we exchanged numbers and we're gonna rendez-vouz to explore the city a little together. Another plus- she only happens to live in one of the greatest parts of Paris right outside the metro Odeon. When Mariko and I were telling her about the great places she lived near she had no idea! We all decided it the only thing to do is educate her through a series of outings. Should be fun!

Biarritz- I cant believe we're in basque country!

So last weekend was spent in Biarritz- in the southwest of France. Who knew it was such a cute little surfing town?! But I am getting ahead of myself, let me start at the beginning.. the train.

We took the idnight train- or le train qui bouge la nuit! haha it is an overnight train that is basically a party car but is extremely cheap. Just happens that we were the only americans in the middle of a reunion! Theres a group of 11 guys that get together every year during this weekend and it changes each year who plans the events of the weekend- this year it was surfing in biarritz. They were hilarious! So much fun and no ill intentions at all. It was a whole lot of franglais and a little bit of dancing. Oh- another indicator that I was in france- I think our trip probably took about an hour longer than necessary because we stopped for so many smoke breaks! is that not ridiculous? Anywyas, we arrived about a 20 min walk outside the centre of biarritz at 6am, completely exhausted. Luckily the hotel we picked was amazing and let us check in right away for a few hours of much needed rest. We stayed at L'Atalaye Hotel (http://www.hotelatalaye.com/) and I whole heartedly recommend it. It is amazing everything you get for the price- which I guess is more common the farther outside of Paris you find yourself.

Sat was a little chilly so we spent most of the day walking around and checking out the little shops. We also walked up and down the beach. The beaches in France are amazing- much different than the beaches ive been to in the US. Granted, I havent been to many beaches in the US.. but I think it is due to the large rocks and the force of the waves here. The beaches here produce the same kind of awe that the mountains do for me back home. Absolutely awe-inspiring.

We wanted to cross the boarder over into spain for a fun night in st sebastian, but it wasnt as easy as we'd been told so we enjoyed a low key evening in town.

Sunday the entire day was spent on the beach!! I even have a little color to show for it :) It was gorgeous out and we were lucky enough to be there during a surfing competition. Besides those in the competition there were many others trying it out- it was hard not to rent a boogie board and jump in! Unfortuantely I was the only one in my party that felt that way.. so maybe another time. Anybody with me?! Although I cringed watching the surfers as I realized the detested burpies would be necessary if I ever actually wanted to learn.. what is it again? no pain, no gain?

So Biarritz was lovely, and it made me want to travel more. a lot more. So I am dealing with this internal battle of staying in paris and investing my money in events here.. or traveling and investing my money there. What a pickle! But, just like many other things in life, I think the answer is moderation. I might be able to enjoy a little bit of both in moderation.

Just a little bit of life.

A few pictures..

Out for Marikos golden birthday :) which, come to find out, is a very American thing to celebrate. We were at this chic place in the Marais.







Sarah, Mariko, Me




At the fetes des jardins- One of my host sister showing off a few of our beautiful winnings of the day. The other is of Alphonse and Alix.. I dont think either of them were ready for this one.. the other is just of Alix playing around in my room. It is fun to have her around, but makes me miss little ms taiyahs personality!!













And these are a few views out my window :) Gorgeous, right?

Frustrations..

So, honestly, the day started a little rough. I almost started crying in my architecture course because I barely knew what was going on. I have successfully reached the stage where everything is slightly more frustrating. You start to get so tired of feeling like youre missing part of the picture.. sometimes the entire picture.. and to be able to say something easily would make my world a little brighter. BUT something that stuck in my mind during orientation was when they said you will all reach this point at some time or another BUUTT how long you stay there and how you deal with it is completely up to YOU. ahh, i know i know. So, I am going to try and handle this positively and realize the frustration can be a motivation to study and push myself to continue to live outside of my comfort zone (as opposed to only staying in a little group with my american friends.) Also, I know as I grow here and learn more about myself I will grow in my relationship with God.

My day started rough, but it has come to a nice end because I was able to vent a little to lindso on facebook chat (thanks again) and then Alphonse made me dinner. It was almost like a light at the end of the tunnel because usually I can barely understand him because he kind of mumbles and stuff, but tonight we chatted the entire time we ate dinner! My french was nowhere near perfect, but it was still a nice conversation :)

Je suis contente.

So, pretty unsurprisingly, I was almost the only McCain supporter in the joint on Friday night.. but it was still a good time. Oh, i should point out though that out of like the 4 mccain supporters, one wasnt even american haha It was slightly annoying because the whole place was laughing and making jokes when McCain was talking and then just eating up what obama had to say.. so that made it slightly difficult to watch for content and not just emotion, but all in all it was a fun experience. (Lindsay youre gonna have to give me the low-down on your upcoming anthem service "more than politics"- will that go on podcast?) 

The rest of this weekend just flew by- definitely do not feel like I caught up on sleep. Saturday did a little shopping around saint-germain-des-prés and ended up buying a beautiful blue dress from a cute little boutique called shyde (wore it to church this morning :))  So far, most of the time, when I go shopping its with Mariko and it is never for an hour or two. We'll usually meet early afternoon and then all of a sudden it is 10 o'clock! But I love shopping here, because it is so much more than shopping. If we feel like resting in the parc a while, we'll lazily people watch as we enjoy the sun. If we walk by a storefront with edible art in the windows, we just might stop to recharge over something gorgeous and un cafe. We just enjoy the city. 

Paris always has something special going on- and this weekend was the fete des jardins! It is a way the city celebrates the nature and art of gardens. There are activities and shows in the gardens, all geared towards learning and the arts. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we came home with probably 15 new plants and flowers! They just give them away! I got two pretty flowers for my balcony and a plant for my desk. It's cool because my host sister was showing me the plants they got from the festival last year. Side-note- the garden we went to was the one that we live next to and it is amazing. 30 acres of a mixture of lawn and 6 different types of gardens, along with secret paths and hideaways. During the week when I go for runs there it is pretty bare- there are people running or on the benches but thats about all. On sunday and saturday afternoons- its hard to find a place on the grass! It is so busy.. families, couples, groups of friends- pretty much everyone comes and hangs in the parc. Very cool atmosphere.    

Well this is getting long.. hope you are all having a wonderful start to your week! 

bisou 

Proud to be an American :)

So tonight, as many of you probably know,there is a debate between Obama and McCain- very exciting for those following the campaign trail. Unfortunately, since being in France, I feel like I have been cut off from the world of American Politics. I haven't watched TV since I left my home in Lakeville and I don't have wifi at my home here, making it a lot less in your face. BUUT tonight I get to watch the debate! At school there was a little publicité up saying this one particular cafe is going to be staying open and the *live* debate will begin promptly at 3am, pre-coverage starting at midnight haha So me and a few friends rsvp'd with George and are all going to head over after church tonight. Should be fun!

Dieu est bon!

Wow, my head hurts buuut I am still smiling! Just a little tired, which is much better than the state I thought I'd be in by this time this week. Classes started which means 5x1.5hrs of lecture in French.. somewhat exhausting, but the good news is I think I am really going to enjoy them all. I just need to be very disciplined and follow the reading guidelines.
This week has also been busy outside of class too! It was marikos birthday on monday.. but it is her golden birthday so we proclaimed it birthday week :) So to commence the celebration festivities we hopped around the Marais district monday night- adorable area. It began with a cup of vin chaud -which I came to find that at this whole in the wall meant Christmas in a glass! -mental noted- and then the night ended on the other side of the marais with sparklers coming out of a cake. Definitely a fun time.
Then last night I met up with my friend Kristen for a yoga class. Afterwards we found a complete gem, this funny little place we decided we wanted to be regulars at after yoga each week. When we miss a week they'll worry and mayybe their dog will begin liking us around christmas. Afterwards we hung out at her place for a little while speaking franglish with her husband and their housemate. Once again, nothing but complete patience and kindness- I think God continually puts me in the path of thee kindest people in Paris. Overall, a great night of conversation and laughing. Good for the body and soul.
And to top it all off, tonight I went to my first Hillsong connect group. We spoke more about Brenden's message from the weekend on unity in the Church- some really good stuff. It is so easy to get wrapped up in your own life- or to let your insecurities become your focus- but it isn't all about me (shocking, i know!) and the message was very timely about building others around you and how to create harmony and unity within the body of Christ. Plus- I can tell my vocab is growing! very exciting :)

Ton vie est devant toi.

This morning was the first morning I volunteered at Hillsong Paris :) Ive only been thinking about doing that since I heard about them starting a church here almost three years ago!! It was the first of many great experiences I think.. I helped out on the hospitality team which sounded a little scary b/c my french isn't quite up to par, but it was easy. Nothing to worry about! Mainly because the people are great- extremely welcoming and very patient with my french. It was funny because everyonce in a while they would say ça va? tu comprends? tu n'es pas perdu? (you ok? youre understanding? youre not lost?) Not to mention they can't help but be charming when they introduce you to people and then kiss both your cheeks. I just think it is so adorableé especially when it is like big burly men haha After service I was invited to go to a picnic but decided to go home instead b/c my brain was getting tired which means my french was also deteriorating haha Maybe next week!

All I need is a little culture in my life :)

I just got home from an incredible night. I went to this tiny ethiopian restaurant down this side street not far from the pantheon with my friend Mariko. First off- she is amazing. She is from japan but chose IES, which is a school for North Americans because she wanted to learn French and English. Not a single student nor teacher speaks japanese within our program! I love how gutsy this girl is. Plus, it forces me to use my french b/c it is actually pretty hard to find other American students that want to speak french with one another. 

Secondly, what a fun restaurant. I have never had Ethiopian cuisine before and it was delicious. Your meal is actually all served on one large plate and instead of silverware you just kind of pick it up with your hand/this bread they give you that resembles a crepe/pita- I am kinda wondering if it was made out of rice. So, within the large plate there were probably almost 10 different things to try! All with different spices or veggies- all very yummy. I didn't think it was very hot but all the spices were making my nose run! haha Not only was the food good but the atmosphere was fun- very close quarters, beautiful music, colorful decor. Before I knew it we had been there for almost 3 hours! I couldn't believe it. What a wonderful way to spend a night. 

Je suis une ballerine!

Ok so not really, but last night I took my first ballet class! I have wanted to take ballet since I was old enough to twirl in a circle.. so a long time. So last night I thought maybe I'll just google it and see if there is anything available.. next thing I knew I was out the door on my way to a 'debutante' course for beginners in danse classique! It just happened to be in the marais district.. tres cool.. I was looking for 41 rue temple, but all I saw was 39..43..what?? Then I realised I needed to walk back into this little courtyard. and then- Lindsay you will never believe this- I realised where I was: http://www.paris-danse.com/webcam.asp !! Like I had my class in those second story windows. This just happened to be the little webcam my sister found online sometime last year- the webcam I would go to when I couldn't wait for paris to come! The little cafe gets really busy during lunch and dinner and it is fun to see all the people. But could that be any more crazy?!? I couldn't beleive it.. But the class was a riot - i was definitely the only debutante in this class for debutantes. I felt a little like a whale.. or some other very large and ungraceful creature next to these little french ballerinas. But for some crazy reason I still enjoyed it! It was entirely in french which I thought was just all the more appropriate for my first ballet experience.

C'est la vie!

My days are unbelievable here.. after class today I had a little picnic in the bois de belogne before heading to a guided tour of the Louvre :) The louvre is absolutely amazing.. a perk of being a student in Paris is I am going to be getting a pass to the Louvre so there are so many times during the week that I will be able to go for free! Sarah and I were talking about trying to tackle it one hr at a time. I think if you do it any other way you just get overwhelmed..

Then tonight, my host brother had a few friends over and said I was welcome to have dinner with them. Seriosuly, so far the little get togethers Ive seen here are very different than in the states.. ok so not very different but different in little ways. So I sat there with pizza and wine and just took in the beautiful night.. barely understanding a word haha Its the same with young americans as the young french- they talk so fast and mumble along. I am just starting to understand a phrase when theyre several phrases along already! So every once in a while they would say something to me in English lol Ah even so, I enjoyed the night. C'est la vie en France.

Je voudrais le glace..

Aw it is another gorgeous day in Paris :) Actually it is hard to get dressed in the morning b/c the mornings are always cool, if not cold, but the afternoons will be hot! Not to mention the temp changes going in and out of the metro. Layering is definitely the way to go.

But back to the weather- beautiful friday! So whats a girl to do but go and get a little ice cream. I met a cool girl in the airport in iceland who is actually married to a parisian but is from south dakota- bizarre. We are going to go run some errands for my carte de sejour and carte imagine r (both big pains) and grab some glace for a little reward. Should be yummy!

I almost forgot to mention- the Pope is here today and tomorrow! who-hoo! It is a huuge deal here in Paris. My host brother was saying people will be going at five to wait for mass at 10. C'est fou! There will be a procession later today and I think a speach.. there is a whole agenda for today and tomorrow.

Well I have to run! Bisou.

Je suis à Paris!

**THis post is actually from about 4 days ago.. ive been having internet probems..

Wow, so much has happened since Ive been here I can't believe it hasn't even been a week! Things are going really well.. I adore Paris- big suprise, je sais! Today I had lunch with my family which was kind of exciting and completely awkward all at the same time. The great thing is they are so very patient with me but I still don't understand half of what they're saying. haha Needless to say, I go back and forth from moments of euphoria and then moments where I think "what did I get myself into?!?!"

Which leads me to my next thought: God is great! I went to Hillsong Paris last night with two friends from school. Amazing :) First of all, their friday night building is really cool! The foyer looks kind of like an entrance to a museum while the auditorium is very modern and has super comfortable seats. Lucky for us a new round of small groups begin this wednesday- perfect timing. Praise and Worship was great- about every other song was sung in french/english. But the message was exactly the kick in the butt I needed :) In a very small nutshell, the message was on the story of the talents in Matthew and the difference between the two that did something with their talent they were entrusted with and the one who did not out of fear of losing it. Bevin, the guest speaker, said the two that were faithful to their master were confident in themselves and in their master- that their master saw their ability and that their master's plan and purpose was right. Bevin told us the definition of faithful is not simply a passive act of not cheating, but to come along side and to progress- therefore the master says well done my good and faithful servant. The real kick came when he spoke about the servant who did not do anything with his talent. He was living in fear that if he did something with the talent he risked losing it, so he instead buried it. This shows how he did not even know his master! If he thought his master would rather him lived a life in fear and not do anything then he did not have confidence in his masters plan and he did not see his masters vision or heart. Whoa!

Alors, everytime I think "I can't do this!!" I simply remind myself, Bekah-God has a plan for you here in France. What does the lord say you are capable of? Are you trusting in him?

Nerves..

Nerves are a funny thing.. they can make you feel sick but they can also give you an edge to perform better. It's almost like they're a necessary evil.. ok so they're not evil but sometimes they seem unbearable! Needless to say, I am leaving in just about three weeks and I'm feeling it. It is kinda ridiculous- I am moving to one of the most loved cities in the world and yet I am reminding myself why I should be excited! I am excited- truly and completely! I love traveling and I love exploring.. love meeting new people, experiencing new cultures.. this is pretty much a better set up than I would have dreamed :) but this is about that time where those darned nerves start to kick in.. Although I'm finding it helps to channel those nerves into butterflies of excitement by remembering God has a plan for my life in France! He already has placed me in a wonderful host home in an amazing neighborhood (I am living less than 2 miles from the eiffel tower!) and I can't wait to experience all that He has in store for me! This year will truly be life changing. 

OLYMPICS!

Tonight was the opening ceremony for the olympics in Beijing- pretty amazing. First of all,  China spent a crazy amount of money on it- 100 million was a low estimate I heard! There were over 15,000 performers with 91,000 spectators present. Incredibly each performance carried a personal, political and cultural meaning. But it wasn't just amazing because of how Beijing did it in particular- but simply because it is the Olympics. There is something about it that is just so inspiring! The Olympics represent so many ideals we strive for- not as just Americans, or as any nationality- but as humans. Its a model of dedication, hard work, team work and hope. I cant help but be enthralled in the olympics every time they come around.. watching others see their dreams realized- or crushed- makes me want to work even harder to achieve mine. 

*Also, I cant wait to watch the triathlon! My sister and I recently decided that we want to complete one! She is going to start training for next summer but I most likely wont start training until I return from Paris. Although I have heard of some pretty cool running groups I could join while in the city of light :) We'll see what happens. 

Wow. We've got a first-timer.

Wow. My first post.. my first blog. Kind of exciting and kind of awkward- just like a lot of other firsts :) How appropriate, I thought, for my first blog to be about so many firsts in my life. I am moving to Paris in exactly four weeks from tomorrow. Crazy, I know, right? Right now I still feel like its just a dream- or a joke. Either way it doesn't seem real! I decided to blog mostly for staying in touch with family and friends and to give myself an outlet in what will be the most frustrating and exhilarating time of my life so far- but also for the random lovers of Paris out there that find me. I know this past year preparing for my study abroad I checked out countless sites that came up when I googled things relating to paris - I would be delighted to know that my blog helped someone else get excited about their adventures yet to come, as so many did for me. 

And the journey begins..