oui!!!!

So I'm sitting with Caroline (yay!) and using the computers at her housing at the Cité Universitaire which is sweet and makes my foyer look like a prison. Dad, if you see Martha tell her I'm gonna take good care of her :) Spent today at IFE and had a course in French politics, geography, etc. Tomorrow I meet with Aurélia about a possible babysitting job for her two daughters after school. It would be some extra money and they live pretty close to me, so hopefully it will happen. Then Sunday is the IFE day trip to Fontainebleu--more walking, etc. Hope everyone is well.

bisous!

ps. hasn't rained yet! I've had blue skies everyday. But that will probably change since I just said that.

french is hard

This week of orientation is fun but I am not looking forward to classes mostly because I feel as if I am learning French all over again. Plus, Parisians are known for speaking fast, which is soo not helpful. At IFE we signed a contract/agreement stating that we will only use french at the Sorbonne and at IFE headquarters, nooo English whatsoever. Which makes some sense while you're in France, but it's still a scary concept. We've been walking everywhere with Sarah, our guide, and today took one of those touristy boat tours along the Seine. I've been in Paris for four days and finally today I saw the Eiffel Tower and had a crepe (with nutella and bananas!) so now my semester in Paris has officially begun. We walked throughout lots of quartiers and got to experience the nighttime frenzy of the Latin Quarter with the IFE group last night. Will eventually post photos when I find somewhere with wireless and I am not confined to a half hour at the foyer's computers.

à demain

xoxo

paris life

Let me start from the beginning: I arrived on Sunday night and was greeted by Sarah who works for IFE, the program I am studying with. We took a taxi to the 13éme and my foyer only to find out that the driver had no idea where to go and we spent much of our time on the side of the road while he studied a map. I was so nervous/excited/tired and Sarah the poor thing had to put up with my horrendous French. 50 € later (yes, I learned my lesson) I was brought to my room on the second floor and given a tour of the foyer by one of the gardiens who act as security at night. There is a communal kitchen, cafeteria, tv room, and computer room. My bedroom is quite basic and very white and sterile looking but its comfortable, has a big window and a sink, which is really the best part. I spent my first day catching up on my sleep and took lots of naps. I also met with the foyer director who explained all the rules and I had to sign agreements and things. Other than that, I have been exploring my neighborhood a bit; theres a centre commercial nearby for most of my shopping needs, a ton of pigeons, a few Metro stops and lots of Chinese restaurants. I start with IFE tomorrow where I will be getting my schedule, etc. Will keep you posted...

xoxo

quick notes

Arrived safely. Lovely little room. My french needs improving. I have a limited amount of time on this computer but heres my official contact info:

Cordelia Krumenacker
Foyer Masséna, chambre 36
2-4 rue Péan
75013 Paris


My cell:

06.37.23.57.47


will keep in touch

à bientot :)