Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Well, every trip has its frustrating day and I think that yesterday was it for me. It mostly had to do with the failure of everything I brought with me including my camera? laptop, phone, and credit card. Not to worry, everything has been straightened out, I just needed to vent my frustrations here.

On a more positive note, I walked down the Champs-élysées last night (which was beautiful with christmas lights...i wish i could post my pics!) and went to l'arc de triomphe, but couldnt go up it because of the weather. oh yeah, it was snowing yesterday! not a lot, but enough for me to say to the person beside me on the train "il neige!"

i'm starting to adjust to the time change somewhat...i got up at 930 this morning instead of 230 PM like i did yesterday!!! ok, well, i'm off to notre dame, sainte-chappelle, and the latin quarter.

Bonne année! Have fun @ your New Year's Eve celebrations tonight!!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Je suis arrivée! I think I have found the SICKEST hotel in Paris! It is decorated in art deco, and is just amazing! I took a bunch of pictures that I was going to post? but my computer died and >I found out that my voltage qdqptor doesnt work with computers; so, Im using the computer in the hotel lobby, which of course, has a French keyboard, hence the typos (and my typing 3 wpm).

Anyway, the flight was very smooth, and I was able to get az few minutes of sleep during breaks of the baby chorus (there were 3 babies who took turns SCREAMING). I hqd q nice conversation with an older French woman at the airport, and then sat next to a nice French guy on the plane who was scared to fly. (btw, although we were about the same age, we used vous the entire time.)

Mot du jour: une navette...as in:
Moi: Excusez-moi madame; qu'est-ce que je dois faire pour aller à cet hotel?
Agent: Il faut prendre la navette:
Moi: Il faut prendre quoi?
Agent: La navette...là-bas; à porte 4:

So I proceded to porte 4 not knowing what would be awaiting me, and found that une navette is a shuttle.

Im going to spend the rest of the evening unpacking and planning my day for tomorrow. >I think I'm going to explore Roissy (the town I'm in) a little bit, and then head to centre-ville and the champs-élysées to check out the store windows decorated for Christmas before they take them down. And hopefully I'll find a way to upload some pics.

In conclusion, I am really happy to be here, I feel comfortable, and am ready to take on linguistic and cultural challenges!! à bientot!!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

La météo

Click here to see what the weather is like in Paris.

I can't believe it's 63 degrees here today! First, an earthquake, then spring-like weather!

Well, T minus 8 hours! La France, je viens!!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Liste de choses à faire

  1. Go clubbing @ a techno club
  2. Take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower with a "cute Frenchie boy wearing a scarf"
  3. Take a picture next to/looking down from/looking up into the Eiffel Tower
  4. Take a picture of a pony
  5. Take a picture of "man candy"
  6. Take a picture with a famous piece of artwork
  7. Swim in the Seine
  8. Take a picture of where the Crillon Ball is held
  9. Go to a cafe and order a hot chocolate
  10. Take a picture of a French poodle with a poodle hair cut
  11. Take a picture of a Smart Car in green, blue, red, and yellow or a moped
  12. Take a picture of where President Sarkozy & Carla Bruni live
  13. Take a picture of a temple
  14. Touch the point of the Eiffel Tower
  15. Bring me back some Euros
  16. Go to the French soccer team's stadium
  17. Take a picture of the best crepe you see
  18. Eat some awesome chocolate!!
  19. Ask someone: What's your favorite French tradition?
  20. Go shopping!
  21. Eat at a really nice gourmet French restaurant and take a picture of your meal
  22. Go to a cafe and get a delicious French press coffee
  23. Run around the hotel screaming "Chaud pocket!"
  24. Buy a baguette and offer 3 people a piece of it on the streets.
  25. Tell a random French guy that you like his hair.
  26. Take a picture of a random French bakery.
  27. Tell a French baker, after you buy a baguette, that you're a gypsy and tell futures.
  28. Take a picture of a crazy old man dressed up for New Year's
  29. Do the Macarana on a street corner and get people to join
  30. Buy candy for Calvin
  31. Take a picture of Cafe de Flore, and eat/drink something from it
  32. Have a conversation with 3 people about a random subject and take a picture with them
  33. Check out the difference between music and clothing
  34. Play a game of soccer
  35. Go on top of the Arc de Triomphe
  36. Eat frog legs and snails
  37. Eat cow brains
  38. Run around the Eiffel Tower
  39. Take a picture of you at a New Year's Eve party
  40. Try to find someone else from Pennsylvania
  41. Take a picture of a French pigeon/bird
  42. Buy a SICK techno CD
  43. Ask a random person if they own a beret
  44. See if French women shave their legs
  45. Take a picture of a cafe
  46. Find the oddest fruit-flavored gum
  47. Take a picture of the most famous park in France
  48. Take a picture of the Louvre
  49. Take a picture of a random person
  50. Ask 20 people what they feel their fashion is and take a picture of each
  51. Take a picture of the cars
  52. Take a picture with the president
  53. Have dinner in the Eiffel Tower
  54. Take a picture with a Smart Car
  55. Take a picture of a fire station
  56. Take a picture of Christmas/holiday decorations
  57. Take a picture of the largest Christmas tree you see
  58. Eat at a restaurant called "Pino Pizza"
  59. Ask people why they like France
  60. Take a picture of yourself with Twilight
  61. Do as much as you can from the "How to be French" video
  62. Visit the Hunchback of Notre Dame
  63. Take pictures of you walking around carrying a baguette
  64. Take a picture of the ballet paintings in Le Louvre
  65. Take a picture of the Eiffel Tower at night
  66. Buy a Milka chocolate
  67. Take a crazy picture in front of the pyramid @ Le Louvre
  68. Have a fight with baguettes with Luca in the Parc du Champ de Mars and have a French person take a picture/video
  69. Go to the Moulin Rouge
  70. Take a picture of the French Statue of Liberty
  71. Take pictures of shops on the Champs Elysee
  72. Ask a French person if they like My Little Pony. Then ask what their favorite pony is. Ask a French person if they're a pony.
  73. Take a picture of your Italian ami avec un poney! (It can be a horse as long as you call it a pony.)
  74. Walk around with many baguettes and videotape it
  75. Bring a baguette to class