What makes Paris special?

• The harder the bread's crust, the better quality it is. (Your jaw just gets a workout.) More holes also means you chose wisely. When you take the bread from the basket on the table, set it beside your plate, not on it. Tear off pieces instead of biting.


• Ready to flush? The button is on the top of the toilet. Sometimes there are two. The small is for a delciate unloading. When things get messy, use the large button.


• Many French bathrooms have abandoned boy and girls profiles on their doors. There aren't any rules about what bathroom you can use. I had a few brief moments of confusions the first times I saw a man walk out of the stall. This practice can come in handy when bathrooms are designate according to sex; we all know how long the women's line gets when the men's room is sitting empty....


• Smoking teenagers is a common sight. They pay no attention to the FUMER TUE (SMOKING KILLS) labels plastered across cigarette cartons.


• The French don't write their senators. Instead they protest with a group of people and signs or go on strike.


• The rumors are not true. The average French woman does shave her legs and armpits. However, scented deodorant is too unnatural for some.


• The French are behind with technology, but the situation is improving.


• A true Parisian sits or stands on the metro and stares, all dejected looking, at the floor. If someone happens to be looking elsewhere, it is probably because he or she is staring at you. It doesn't seem to be considered impolite here.


• France revolves around Paris.


• Most Parisians leave their car at home and take the metro. It's not like there are any parking spots to be had anywhere. At busy times (or when the RER is striking), the bodies pack in like sardines. I've gotten closer to French people than I ever wanted to.


• The smell is unique, like an unpleasant melange of pee, sweat, poop, and smoke. It's always potent int he metro. (As my Uncle Dave pointed out to me, that's why Paris is known for perfume!)


• Keep your fork in your left hand and your knife in your right. Switching is unnecessary.


• Milk is for the morning. I was informed by Heloise yesterday that Americans are weird because they eat milk with dinner. My host mom also thinks that it will give you a tummy ache if you don't heat it.


• Breakfast isn't fancy, but the French are more likely to take the time to sit down for it. I have toast and tea every morning.


• The customer is always wrong.


• At a restaurant, checks aren't split. The waiter gives you one check and you split it among yourselves. (There are more waiters and less waitresses than in America.)


• Don't lean over the counter and try to speak with someone. Wait to be addressed, or you'll come across as rude.


• Men can wear purses and scarves too.


• Phones are for business, not talking. State your business and hang up. (This is changing some with cell phones.)


• The French are guaranteed at least five weeks of vacation per year.


• Most stores closs on Sunday. You have to pay attention to which bakeries, restaurunts, etc. are open in your area. You can always count on visiting the Marais district. Their large Jewish population means doors are normally open.


• Family dinners are still important.


• Kids go to school for longer each day, but they have large lunch breaks and wasted time. They are graded on a scale of 20, not 100. Children are expected to chose a career sooner than Americans. "Le bac" is the important exam students take at the end of high school. Their score determines which schools they can enter. Normally the track they chose leads them to the occupation they will have for the rest of their life. There is not the liberty to change their majors four times.


• Don't give the "Romanian" who come onto your metro car any money. He and 17 other "Romanians" all have the same story and same number of kids.


• Homeless sit in every metro stop or conveniently by the ATM on the corner. Once you are homeless in France, it is nearly impossible to break back into work. Social protections and benefits abound, but homeless on a list of people who slip through the system.


• French go to the doctor for preventative care more than Americans, who tend to go only when they are bleeding profusely or giving labor.


• T-shirts and sneakers don't pass.


• French artists are only heard on the radio to meet the government's quota for the number of songs that need a French label. Techno is popular with young people. American music is everywhere.

French Fact: France is giving a $905 million aid package to the French press. One provision gives young readers free subscriptions.

One day papers, the next fondue

There is so much to take in - like the the freezing weather outside. It's literally 32 degrees Farenheit.

I've finished classes and written three ten-page papers. I still have to finish work on my independent study of French literature, but I've decided to hold off until I'm in America. I'm trying to soak up as much Paris as I possibly can before I get on that plane in four days.

On Thursday my group had our last dinner together at the restaurunt on the corner near school. I'm going to miss taking the metro to Montmarnasse to go to class at Reid Hall. I am extremely pleased with my program and my professors. The thick scrapbook they gave us of our activities made me realize how much we've done together.

The night before we went to a one-man show titled "How to become a Parisian in one hour." We almost died of laughter. All of the Parisian stereotypes we've concluded this semester came to play. The man asked for a volunteer from the adience at one point. I stupidly started pointing to my friend Angie sitting in front of me. Of course I was the only person in the theater making any movement, so I was singled out. I got on stage and was taught to "dance like a Parisian" to Brittany Spears music in front of a couple hundred people. My friends were incredibly amused, and two of them were called on stage after that since the actor had caught onto our group of Americans. They thanked me after the show.

I have officially conquered the Louvre! I went once more to mark off the remaining rooms on my map. The mob around the Mona Lisa (or La Jaconde in French) reminds me of Americans on Black Friday.

Caroline and I went to l'Opera Garnier yesterday. We took a tour of the lavish building and imagined the people who used to visit after in was constructed in 1875. I've never seen so many variants of marble.

We also went to Emily's hand-bell concert at the American Church. Emily helps to organize our program. She is the person we go to to get maps and copies. We'll miss her helpful face.

Then a group of us went to Le refuge des Fondues to celebrate Cydney's birthday. We cooked our own chunks of steak that we dipped in sauces. We smoothered pieces of baguette in melted cheese. This popular, tiny restaurunt requires reservations, and once you get there, you have to climb over tables to get to your seat. You then eat your dinner practically sitting on your neighbor. But it is all worth it, because you get to drink out of baby bottles. Why? The story is the restaurunt once began serving drinks in baby bottles to evade a certain tax of the time. After the laws changed, it had become a tradition, so they kept it that way.

This morning I ventured into the cold and went to the far west of Paris to the modern arch called "La Defense." The touring structure lines up with l'Arc de Triomphe. I explored the Christmas market set up in front of it.

Tara and I have been talking about going up l'Arc de Triomphe all semester and finally got to cross it off our list today. It provides an excellent view of Paris that isn't too high up. A star of roads converge into a hectic circular traffic scene below.

Tonight we had a small Christmas party at Angie's apartment. It was the last time all of us will be together! We drank tea and ate cookies. Then a few of us walked down Le Champs Elysees, which is lined with trees drapped with lights. A Christmas market hugs the sidewalk leading up to La Concorde.

I'll spend the next few days bundled up visiting the places I haven't been to yet or call my favorite. After that, I get to shove too much stuff into too little suitcase, and then I'll be home for Christmas.

French Fact: Approximately 46% of a French person's salary goes to taxes.

Bringing America to Paris

I know I've been a slacker lately. I haven't been updating you on my life, but this only proves how busy I've been.

My intensive week with Professor Deanna Pelfrey ended last week. After our trip to Belgium we had a week of long classes, mulitple PR firm visits, and visits like the U.S. Embassy in Paris. On Thanksgiving we went to Le Monde, one of France's major newspapers. Between the economy and the rise of news readership online, they are hurting.



Speaking of Thanksgiving, I had the most bizarre one I've ever had! (And please do not be that person who asks if the French celebrate this holiday. Think about it - the whole pilgrim-indian thing is a bit unique to the U.S.) On Thursday night I got together with my friends Amber and Alison. We attempted to make our own American-like dinner. It was interesting to say the least. We ate on Amber's bed in her extremely small apartment. At least the mashed potatoes were yummy!



That Friday made up for any loss of tradition. Our PR class went to Disneyland Paris. (Yes, this was educational!) We spent the morning speaking with two women who work on communications for Disney. We learned all about their cultural bloopers and the anti-American resentment they were faced with when they opened. Disney was pegged as a "cultrual Chernobyl."






With a complementary pair of Mickey ears we spend the afternoon in their two parks, riding the familiar Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Tower of Terror, and the Rock n' Roll roller coaster. We felt like we were back home in Florida. There were even palm trees! There were hardly any lines either.



After Disney we took the RER back to Paris and then went to Gayle's house for some real Thanksgiving food. My professor set us up with all the essentials (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.). The French professors wife, who works in a restaurunt, made tart-like pies that were to die for. I think that was the best apple pie I've eaten. The UF architecture program joined us too.



Right now we are jealous of the architecture program because they are officially finished. We did end classes Friday, but now I have a list of papers to write. I've got a chunk done already, but I'm really dreading the paper I have to write in French for my independent study!



This week we have a few more activities, and then it's over! I still have about 10 days to go to all the Parisian places I haven't made it to yet. The thought of leaving Paris is even more depressing than that pitiful Gator's game last night!

French Fact: This week many museums in Paris have been closed because museum workers are on strike. They are protesting reduces in staff. A class visit to the Centre de Pompidou was cancelled this week because it was closed. They French will go on strike for anything.

Brussels and Bruges

Here are a couple of highlights from my program's trip to Brussels and Bruges, Belgium.

• We heard speakers at NATO.




• We meant with EU lobbyists from the company Diageo, one of the largest alcohol companies. They told us about their job.




• We went to La Grande Place, saw the Manneken Pis, and found a girl version of the statue!




• I ate a delicious dinner of mussels.




• We went to the European Commission and the European Parliament and heard multiple speakers on the EU.




• We had a roudtable discussion with representatives from Coca-Cola Europe, the President of the Parliament, and the European-American Business Council in an EU Parliament cafeteria.




• On Thursday, while we were in Brussels, Belgian Prime Minister Mr. Van Rompuy was elected the President of the European Council. He is little known, but this is actually a plus. The EU wanted a person with few enemies or interests to fill the position.




• Pieces of the Berlin Wall were on display near the EU.




• We took a boat tour through Bruges, "the little Venice of the north."




• A Christmas market in Bruges had just been set up in the town square. I bought a bratwurst and watched people ice skate.




• I ate more Belgian waffles and learned to seek out places that plop the dough on the the waffle-maker and hand it to you hot. Don't give me a reheated one that tastes like Eggo.




• One chocolate shop was hand making truffles. Of course we couldn't resist and bought one to taste. That was a minute of bliss.

I saw the President!

While everyone was celebrating Veterans' Day back home, I was celebrating Armistice Day with the French. November 11 marks the day of the armistice that ended WWI.

I went with my friends Alison, Alex and Kate to L'Arc de Triomphe this morning and piled into the crowd waiting for President Nicolas Sarkozy to arrive at 11h. An enormous blue, white and red flag hung from the center of the monument. Sarkozy's wife was the first to arrive. She recieved quite a cheer.

Then we could see Sarkozy's sleek, black vehicle on the large television screen, moving slowly down Les Champs-Elysees, surrounded by motorcycle protectors. He arrived with Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.

The two circled the monument and then stoof seriously as a band played the Marseillaise, France's national anthem. Then they laid a flowery wreath on the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier and lit a flame in the torch beside it.

After a few more songs, Sarkozy gave a short speech. We watched him on the screen with German subtitles (What a help!). Merkel gave a speech as well, this time in German with French subtitles. They both talked about the countries' past and current friendly relations. According to Wikipedia, Forbes Magazine named Merkel the msot powerful woman in the world freom 2006 to 2009.

The ceremony ended with instruments playing Ode to Joy. We slipped away before the metro became a mob scene and went to visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery. It is the most famous one in Paris. We got lost; it's so big. Many famous people are buried there. We saw Balzac's grave, and Alison pretended to kiss Oscar Wilds' tomb, which is covered in red lipstick.

Tonight I went to a connect group from Paris Hillsong, the church I have been attending here. A small group of about 10 young adults met together at Starbucks. Everyone spoke some English, but once the group discussion began it was all in French, so it was more good practice.

French Fact: Twelve roads spill into a roundabout encircling L'Arc de Triomphe. Napoleon I had the monument commissioned, and it was later dedicated to an unknown soldier killed during WWI.

Back to where my life began

A very stressful 48 hours preceded our 6-hour bus ride to Liege, Belgium. Finding out about the train strike in Belgium was only the beginning of our problems. Caroline and I had actually been given tickets for the wrong month. We thought we had lost a chunk of money, but my host dad came to the rescue and worked some magic. Even he was surprised they cooperated with us. We got our money back and bought bus tickets. We had to leave a day later, but we were just thankful it worked out! This was my most stressful experience yet. In the end, God answered out prayers!

We went to Liege, and Caroline's friend Audrey picked us up. Caroline met her when she was an exchange student in Florida during high school. We stayed with her family in the small rural town of Melen. They had an adorable, cozy house, although it's still heated with a wood stove.

On Friday night we went to a fair in Liege. It was like an American county fair. I ate Belgian fries with mayonnaise and a chocolate, coconut covered apple. We tasted hot wine with cinnamon. Audrey's boyfriend Entienne went with us, along with a group of their Belgian friends.

In the morning Audrey's mom drove us to an aunt and uncle's house. The uncle then drove us to Aachen, Germany. Cousin Rachelle stayed with us and showed us around the shops and ornate church. Her German was helpful. We ate pretzels, hot chocolate, gingerbread, and bratwurst (on a circular bun that was too short).

We said au revoir to Rachelle and took a train to Maastricht in The Netherlands. Our first impression was questionable, as we smelled marijuana as we left the train station! They are known for their "coffee shops," where people smoke weed. It's legal there.

We found a map and followed a walking tour of the old Maastricht. It was so enjoyable we only got through half of it. Christmas garland decorated the cobblestone streets lined with old traditional houses turned into classy shops. We wandered along the ancient city wall and into a church devoted to the Virgin Mary.

When the sun set we treated ourselves to "La Bonne Femme." The year 1696 was etched in the building. They gave us a tiny celery soup on the house. Caroline had goulosh, and I had a pea soup with vegetables and sausage. She ate tender duck. I ordered some "wild" meat that we never identified. Our Dutch waiter didn't know the name in English. All I know is that it was the best, succuelent meat in a delicious sauce. My plate came with sauerkraut, potatoes, and a tasty, marinated apple-half. They gave us free fries as well.

We took the train back and tasted some treats with Audrey's family. Everyone woke up early the next morning and bundled up in layers to brave the 3-degree Celsius air. They furnished boots. We got in their truck and took their two horses to a trail. The horse Elsa stepped on Caroline's poor toe. Audrey's dad took us on a carriage ride through the green hills with splashes of autumn trees and into charming, old, Belgian towns. Our destination was a farm, where a group was meeting to baptize their horses for good luck. We left before witnessing this tradition, but we ate a homemade Belgian waffle with coffee. It was the best waffle I've eaten, and it didn't even have anything on it!

Audrey brought us back to her old farm house for a lunch of various cheeses and meats and even squash soup. On the way we had stopped to buy some chocolate too. After lunch we headed to the train station and took the first one to Brussels.

I was thrilled to be in the city of my birth! I had dreamed of going there since I was little. Unfortuantely we didn't have much time, but we made it to La Grande Place and Le Manneken Pis. Old Brussels' architecture is elaborate. We saw a few churches and the Opera. I ate a Belgian waffle with Chantilly cream and chocolate. Mmm.

And then we were off, on a 4-hour bus ride back home to Paris. I slept for most of it.

French Fact: President Nicolas Sarkozy is largely unpopular among the French. Even the middle schoolers I tutor in English don't like him! My host dad once joked that there would be another revolution. The general consensus is he is "not French" enough.

Busy, Busy

A smattering of things I've done since my last blog:

• I got sick with a cold.



• I went to a comtemporary art fair/market.



• There's been a lot of studying. I'm glad midterms are over.

• My program visited l'Assemblee Nationale, the French National Assembly. It is similar to the House of Representatives in America. We saw the semi-circular chamber, a library, press rooms, and more.



• I ate my first "sandwhich grec" in one of the many Turkish restaurants all over Paris.



• I dressed up as a ballerina and went to a Halloween party with friends from my program. The metro rides were fun that night.



• My host brother Hugo had a birthday party, which meant 50 French teenagers in what is normally my bedroom.



• I visited the Musee des Arts et Metiers-Techniques. It was filled with cool technology related articles like airplanes, clocks, cameras, cars, etc.



• My program went to the Immigration Museum.



• I wandered around the charming Monmartre, possibly my favorite area of Paris. (Minus the sharp incline. It's on a hill.)



• Today, some French celebrate Toussaint, a Catholic holiday to celebrate all the Saints. I went to Notre Dame and listened to an organ concert, heard a cardinal speak about the Church in Africa, and attended a mass.



• I visited the Pantheon with my program. Lots of famous people are buried their.

French Fact: France passed laws in 1905 to create a separation of church and state.

Cyclopes

On a small plot of land in the Fontainbleau Forest, there rests a Cyclopes. The eye of this sculpture moves, as does its giant ear. In fact, this is more than a sculpture. It's now a museum, and it's also a large toy. The tongue of this mirror-covered creature is a water slide. The inner-workings, which resemble its brain, work and turn. It's like a giant version of the board game Mousetrap. There is even what resembles an enormous pinball machine. Large metal balls follow a track when put into movement.

My professor only discovered this hidden art this year. The monstrous museum is only open about four months a year, so we got lucky. It's not well-known and hasn't seen many visitors. We requested a visit after Gayle told us about it, so she rented a bus for the hour trek outside Paris. I don't think I could convince you how cool this was!

The Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely secretly began the 22.5-meter creature in 1969. His wife Niki and over 15 other artists built the statue with scrap metal. You can see where many artists left their marks with small art within Le Cyclop.

Reluctantly, they turned it over to the French state in 1987 so that it could be preserved. It was declared complete in 1994. The Cyclopes took over 20 years to mature. It's a product of New Surrealism.

On the top back, next to a reflection pool on the roof, there is a two-ton train car jutting out. It represents the carriages used to transport people to concentration camps during the Holocaust. It symbolically leads to nowhere.

French Fact: France is not a federalist country like America, which has state and federal laws. France does not have any regional laws, only national laws. Mayors do have power to make minor laws.

In a Word: Chocolate

My pores are oozing chocolate. I spent the afternoon at Le Salon du Chocolat, eating, smelling, and staring at chocolate. As my friend Elizabeth would say, "This is my happy face."

Think dark, white, and milk chocolates, mixed with spices or nuts or nougat, that snap when you break them or melt like a kiss on your tongue.

There's an entrance fee, but almost every booth at this exhibition will give you a free taste. I visited a lot of booths. I'm currently digesting truffles and candy bars and chocolate liquids and chocolate covered nuts and rich candies…. Is your mouth watering yet?

Apart from gorging yourself on chocolates from around the world, there is entertainment for the chocalateur. We saw a fabulous fashion show featuring models dressed as chocolate treats. Parts of their attire were genuine chocolate. I applaud our friend Alex, the only boy in my program, for putting up with Caroline and me! (Although we all know he secretly enjoyed it.)

We also sat through a couple cooking demos by Parisian cooks, all young males I might add. I felt like I was watching the food network. The best part about this was the free samples at the end.

Now I am a true chocolate connoisseur.

French Fact: French women won the right to vote in 1944.

Can it get any better?

I had a delightful evening watching the movie Fame, which premiers in Paris next week, for free. The best part wasn't the cookies I nibbled on afterwards but the fact that I was in the American Ambassador Charles Rivkin's house! The house was beautiful and ornate as usual. I received an invitation because of the Gilman Scholarship that I received for study abroad through the State Department. There were many different kinds of people in attendance, including the Ambassador and his wife. I chatted with a lawyer woman from New York for a while afterwards.

I'm making a habit of waking up early on Monday mornings. I've started tutoring children in English at Jean Moulin College, which is a middle school. This morning I spent two hours conversing with two 14-year-old boys. It's a great opportunity because French schools are generally very closed. Parents aren't even allowed into schools like they are in America. The teens have been telling me all about their lives and school system, so it's a cultural lesson for me. A few others in my program have been volunteering there too since my professor Gayle suggested it.

On Sunday I went with my friend Caroline to Sainte-Chapelle, the prettiest church I have ever seen. It's colorful and full of stained glass. We happened to arrive just as a free tour was beginning in English. The High Gothic church was originally part of the royal residences, along with the Conciergerie that we also visited. The church has not operated as such since it was trashed during the French Revolution. The Conciergerie housed famous prisoners including Marie-Antoinette and Robespierre.

Saturday night was Nuit Blanche, a Paris festival where artistic light exhibits were displayed along with other entertainment. Cydney and I went to Notre Dame where large illuminated crystals were randomly placed and a concert was going on, a bridge where big, blue, lit-up cubes were, and Luxembourg Gardens where a giant disco ball hung in the air. During the day I had went to Rodin's Gardens and Museum to study. I think it's so cool that I can sit on a bench by The Thinker and do my homework!

I also need to mention the fashion "show" I went to on Friday. Someone got everyone in my program passes, so a group of us went. We received badges that said we were "buyers" - as if! Then we strolled through designers' booths and pretended to shop for accessories and clothes, most of which didn't even have sizes or price tags (can we say unaffordable?). It was designed for people to order articles in bulk to sell.

French Fact: In the 6th century, the first king, Clovis, made Ile-de-la-Cité his home. It was the traditional seat of power for centuries. Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame are still located on this island in the Seine.

Normandy: A Region Flowing with Cream and Apples

There's a critical act that helped the Allies win WWII that none of us had ever learned about. On Tuesday my program visited the Arromanches and a D-Day museum devoted to explaining its role.

The Allies knew that securing a harbor along France's northern border in the English Channel was essential for equipping soldiers with supplies. The problem was the Germans understood this. They heavily enforced all the ports and attempts at liberating any of them had been a failure.

Winston Churchill decided they should make their own. In 1943, 30,000 men worked in Great Britain on pieces of the port. In Normandy, 15 old ships were sunk onto the sea bed to form a foundation. Then 7,000 tons of concrete breakwaters were drug across the English Channel and installed to keep waves from pounding the piers. Within 12 days, the experiment was nearly complete.

Then a gale errupted and attacked the ports for three days. The British Port Arromanches, coded Marbury B, was damaged, but still operable. A second American port, Marbury A, was destroyed because it had not been secured well. This may be why this engineering feat is ignored in our history books.

We were able to make out many of the large breakwaters lining the horizon. Then we visited Omaha Beach, the American cemetery, and Pointe du Hoc where the lunar landscape gives witness to Ally bombings. During the war, American soldiers were given temporary burials. Then two-thirds of families requested their loved ones' bodies to be returned. The remaining 9, 387 soldiers were buried in an American cemetery with white crosses facing west towards the USA.

That night I ate a delicious French dinner of chicken in heavenly cream with mushrooms, tasty mashed potatoes, an onion dish we never identified, and, of course, French bread. Then I had my first crème
brûlée, which is a sweet cream like pudding topped with a bitter layer of hardened sugar.

Yesterday we spent the morning at a museum in Caen. It's supposed to be a peace memorial, but its focus is on war. We walked through exhibits on WWII, the Cold War, Nobel Peace Prizes, and children of the Shoah. Shoah is the term the French use for Holocaust.

We climbed up Mont-Saint-Michel and explored the Abbey the dominates it in the afternoon. The beach and prairie landscape is disrupted by a little mountain, which is surrounded by sand at low tide and sea at high tide. The Abbey honors Saint Michael and has lasted centuries of construction and reconstruction.

Woosh! A month has already passed. The longer I stay in France, the more I love it. My group is bonding well. I returned last night to my own room for the first time. This is a long story, but my own space is refreshing.

French Fact: The tides in France are not like those I'm used to in Florida. The sea easily retreats 30 feet during low tide. Special floating docks at the Ally's port had to adapt to this, and when we visited Mont-Saint-Michel, we couldn't see the shore line.

War, Destruction, and the Countryside

Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian. Austria declares war on Serbia. Suddenly a network of alliances draw a chunk of Europe into war. WWI, "the war to end all wars," kills 20 million and leaves eight million wounded. Every day, there is an average of 1,000 casualties.

In France alone, 1.3 million are killed. One-third of the male population between 20 and 27 years old is gone.

Today my program took a bus to Soissons, a rich-in-history town 50 miles northeast of Paris. Our tour guide explained how four years of bombings left 80 percent of this town in ruins. In was rebuilt in 1923.

We wandered through the gothic cathedral of Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais, which was lucky enough to experience minor damages. A stroll up the hill through this French town brought us to the ruins of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes. Gapping holes reminiscent of stain glass windows stare at you sadly. We had a picnic in the beautiful sunshine on the grass behind this abbey.

Then we explored the surrounding area with multiple stops at battle sites and cemeteries. We passed "red zone" woods, which are so polluted from the war, that they are declared unsafe for 1,000 years. We were puzzled at fields of sugar beats and crops across the road from these forests. Needless to say, I'm avoiding sugar beats.

We descended into the Caverne du Dragon, which is an old query along the Chemin des Dames were costly battles ensued. This cave-like maze oscillated between French and German possession during the war. At times, both sides held up to half. It was a sought-after stronghold.

We didn't think the destruction at Soissons could get any worse until we visited what used to be the town of Craonne. An arboretum now covers the leveled town, which was rebuilt in the nearby valley. We walked over mounds which rest on crumbled houses. We saw into one cellar buried in the landscape .

My professor Gayle pointed out how she had began the week with a leadership seminar and ended with this, which was more than a day in the countryside. It caused us to think about the impact of decisions.

Next week we are visiting Normandy. Tomorrow, I'm going to the Chateau de Fontainebleau, which is a short train ride outside of Paris.

French Fact: At the start of WWI, French soldiers wore bright red trousers. After a stint of German target practice, the French Minister of War was persuaded to change uniforms to less vibrant colors.

Simple Art, Rich History, and Opulent Government Buildings

A white stripe on a black canvass. I don't mean to judge, but how is that art? I went to a modern art museum in the Centre Georges Pompidou with a few friends today. Unoriginal modern art is better than about half of the museum, which featured anything naked. I did see a few Picasso paintings that made it all worth it.

This morning we went to the Palais du Luxembourg in the Luxembourg Gardens. It houses the senate, offices, and ornately decorated rooms. The "conference room" would have been fancy for balls. This was a treat, because it is normally closed to the public. This weekend is the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine. In English, this means normally closed important buildings are open to the public for free.

I spent yesterday at Les Invalides. It was orignially built by Louis XIV to house wounded soldiers. Now it houses a number of war related museums. I saw WWI and WWII artifacts, medieval armor, and Napoleon I's red tomb, which lies beneath the Église du Dôme.

Tonight I'm going to an American sports bar with a group to watch the Gator game. Let's beat Tennessee!

French Fact: The French Senate has eight vice-presidents. We were confused today when we saw three separate offices for the vice-president.

Greatness Everywhere You Look

One of the highlights of this week was visiting the Sacre Coeur, which means sacred heart. It's immense. Europe's largest mosaic decorates the ceiling behind the alter. I'd show a photo, but you weren't allowed to talk to take pictures inside.

Yesterday I stopped by the Museum of the Middle Ages with some friends and saw giant tapestries in excellent condition. Then we went and attempted to descend into the catacombs, but they were closed due to technical difficulties. Hopefully we'll have a chance to go again. Half of the girls decided to go home, and a few of us took the metro to Lafayette, a giant mall full of fashionable, exorbitantly priced stores. Needless to say, we only window shopped. Dior, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and many other big names were there. An average price for a jacket, for instance, was 700 Euros. The only thing we bought was MacDonald's, which has better quality food and smaller portions, doesn't give refills, and sells beer here.

Today I went to Marché aux Puces, an outdoor market, with my roommate Amelia. There was a man in the street there doing tricks with three black disks. One had a white circle on one side. People kept putting up money and guessing where the white circle was. If they were right, they won money, and if they didn't, then they lost it. We watched for a while and kept guessing right. Once Amelia and I were certain we knew where it was, and she decided to put 20 Euros on it. Somehow we were wrong, and she lost the money. She was pretty crushed.

This afternoon we got a visit from grandma, Monsieur Laloux's mom. She is a very proper, stylish French lady who likes to talk. She told us all about the new pants she bought and lost on the metro when she set them down.

I take this antique elevator to the fourth floor each day. It makes me feel like I'm a bellhop in a black-and-white movie. Luckily the landlord was there when I arrived with my luggage the first day, because I couldn't figure out how to open the doors and operate it.

French Fact: Le Marais district means "the swamp." Once a marchland, it was cleared and became a residence for aristocracy. Today it is a center for the Jewish community in Paris.

What's Un-American about Paris?

Here are a few different things I've noticed about Paris and the French.

• If you want to eat out fast, then don't. It's impossible to get out of a restaurant quickly. It's a social experience.
  


• You sit down in the shower and spray yourself. The shower is in a separate room. The toilet always has its own room. The toilet I use is in a tiny room with no sink. The whole family shares.
  


• The French didn't get the smoking's-not-cool-anymore memo. I'm getting my fair share of second-hand smoke!
  


• If something breaks, you can bet on it taking a while to get fixed.
  


• Everything is smaller.
  


• Waste is minimal. The only paper product where I live is toilet paper. There aren't tissues, paper towels, or napkins.
  


• It's never too early to start drinking here. There's usually someone outside of cafes at 11 a.m. with a glass of wine or beer. And alcohol is served everywhere all the time. Plus, there is no drinking age.
  


• French people use their cars sparingly. Everyone walks.
  


• Apparently I can't sit in my window to read. That's what I was doing when my host mom came home this week. She told me it was illegal. Once another student she had was fined 350 Euros by three policemen. She said neighbors will think I'm watching them.
  


• Paris has lots of random rules. For instance, our housing organizer said only one party is allowed per month in apartments. I asked my host mom about it, and she laughed, "You mean once a year!"
  


• Don't look a stranger in the eye. It can be interpreted as a form of aggression. Don't smile at strangers either. It means you want to get to know them better.
  


• In Paris, you can make out just about anywhere. I've seen it in the metro, in the street, in restaurants, in stores, in parks, etc.
  


• The French lower their voices when they talk. Being loud is rude.

French Fact: Paris has 21 mayors: one head mayor and one for each of the 20 arrondissements.

Versailles

My program began last week. It's me, one boy, and eight other girls. We met for the first time on Wednesday, and our program treated us to dinner at an old restaurant called Chez Christine. Our schedule consists of class, excursions, tours, speakers, and a few treats. I drank the best hot chocolate in the world at Angelina's. I'm serious when I say it's the best.

The other UF group, a landscape architecture program, accompanied us to Versailles yesterday. We met up early and took the RER, a French train, outside of Paris.

The architecture professor took us on a tour of the gardens in the morning. The many fountains only flow a few hours on weekends to conserve water, and we were able to witness them. After their construction, the fountains drained three entire rivers.

The place is immense. King Louis XIV began construction in 1669. He required all French royalty to come and live with him there. It was his way of keeping control and keeping everyone else out of trouble. They were undoubtably entertained at Versailles. Louis XIV made a show out of everything. He made other royalty sit in his bedroom each night and watch him fall asleep and return in the morning to watch him rise.

I visited the rest of Versaille with four other girls. We walked to Marie Antoinette's "cottage" and village where she would pretend to be a peasant. The village looked like something out of Disney World.

We wandered around the palace until they kicked us out. Most rooms are decorated in different colors and covered in paintings. Many rooms had magnificnetly painted ceilings or at least a chandalier. I'd never seen so many different colored marbles. The Hall of Mirrors was impressive. The hall is a pattern of mirrors, windows, and chandaliers. We were lucky enough to have a very sunny day, which made it all sing.

French Fact: Louis-Philippe, who reigned until 1848, was the last French King.

I'm here!

It's 25 degrees here.

I'm smiling because half of you just freaked out. It's okay; I'm trying to get used to the metric system too. Celcius means nothing to me. It's actually a perfect 77 degrees Farenheit with a sunny breeze.

I arrived Saturday morning after the most punctual, problem-free flights I've ever had. I like Air Canada! I took a bus to the Gare de Lyon and walked a couple minutes to my apartment.

M. Laloux, my French dad, answered. He was there with another American girl named Amelia. It turns out Amelia is another study abroad student staying with me! M. Laloux was unaware... Mme. Laloux, my French mom, never told him!

Amelia and I walked all over that first day to try to forget how tired we were. We walked along the Seine, to Notre Dame and the Pantheon, and back home. Apparently the new "comfortable" shoes I wore weren't so comfortable. Now I'm stuck wearing my boots until these blisters go away.

On Sunday I slept in late and woke up to the rest of the family returning from vacation: Mme. Laloux, Hugo, almost 18, and the 14-year-old twins, Heloise and Jeremy. They are all very kind.

That afternoon I went to La Maison de Victor Hugo, one of Hugo's homes, which is full of paintings and documents. I sat for a while in the square where it's located. Le Place de Vosges is the oldest square in Paris. It's very charming.

I gave the Laloux family a Gator Snuggie. They were excited. Jeremy, especially, enjoyed it. Mme. Laloux liked the American box. She raved about the letter and picture of my family I had sent them. Apparently she showed it to everyone she is related to on vacation! I think a Grandma still has them. The funny thing is this. She asked me who the pastor was in the picture. I was very confused. Then I realized they had confused Matthew's graduation robe with a minister's. "That was my brother Matthew," I said!

This morning I watched Spongebob Squarepants in French with the twins. Then I walked to Reid Hall where I will be taking classes. Mme. Laloux said it was a 20 minute walk, but it took about an hour. Either I missed a shortcut, or she's dreaming. I enjoyed it though. I met a couple people helping with my program and my French professor. I spoke French with them the whole time. They are very welcoming. On Wednesday I will meet the students in my program.

My French family knows English very well, but I've been trying to speak as much French as I can. I actually do know enough to communicate, and my French is already improving. I just ordered a sandwich and Orangina with no problem!

This picture is the view from my window, which we leave open to let in the breeze. Amelia and I are sharing a room. Our building looks like this one. Carved in the stone outside is an architect's name and the date 1900. It is old, beautiful, and very Parisian.

There is so much more I could tell you! They are fixing the internet at home, so I should be online more frequently in the future.

French Fact: July 14 is Bastille Day, France's national holiday, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which was a fortress prison in Paris. Le Bastille, a huge pillar monument, is very close to where I live.

Au Revoir

Yesterday my friend Alex Schmitt, with the help of Emma Lauren, threw me a going-away party. Friends from Gainesville and Keystone Heights stopped by Alex's new apartment.

We had an arm wrestling competition and played psychiatrist, mafia and Apples to Apples. Everyone ate snacks and signed a scrapbook that I will easily fill up. It was a fun gathering because some people had just returned to "G-ville" for classes that start tomorrow. (I'm really crushed I can't join them.)

Glen Flores took this picture. Everyone was amused by how ripped I look, but it's an illusion. Those muscles are not good for much because Katie Cardinale defeated me. I did, however, put up a good two minute fight.

In five days I'll be using my muscles to carry luggage into the Orlando airport. Packing should be a lovely challenge.

French Fact: Paris is divided into 20 clockwise-spiralling dristricts called arrondissements.

Paris Awaits Me

It hasn't sunk in yet. I'm studying abroad.

Two weeks remain. Then I climb onto a plane without keys or a familiar face. Everything will be different. I will leave my comfort zones behind.

The Gator Nation is everywhere. The other UF students with International Affairs and the Public Sphere and I have Paris covered.

I'll have three and a half months to explore, to take interactive classes, to soak up French, to devour tasty cuisine, to stare at art, to make friends, to travel, and to uncover new history and culture.

My goal is to dream in French. I hear this means you're fluent. My French family should help me pick up the language and make The City of Lights my home. I will reside in their apartment with their three teenagers.

My life began in Europe; now I return as a 20-year-old to live there again. The above picture is of one of my first vacations. My parents bundled me up and brought me to the Palace of Versailles.

My passport came back to me today with a fresh visa stamped in it. Now I just have to pack and wait expectantly.

French Fact: Paris is the second largest city in Western Europe.