First Day

Hello! I have arrived and settled in Paris. Everything is great!!

The Flight
I flew Aer Lingus to Dublin. The flight was pretty empty and I had 4 seats to myself. I watched the movie Pineapple Express (very disappointing) and 3 episodes of 'Mad Men'. Before I left, I had been feeling pretty sick, I think from a bad burger at Blackie's in Chicago. So I didn't really eat on the plane and got a little bit of sleep. I had a 4 hour layover in Dublin, which was from 2 am to 6 am on my time...a horrible time for a layover. I couldn't really sleep in the airport but I passed out on the hour-long flight from Dublin to Paris. I woke up because the stewardess made me open my blinds for landing (apparently it's some airline regulation). I looked out and the first thing I saw was the Seine River in Paris, clearly recognizable because of the island in the middle. That got me very excited to land and start exploring. I got my bags with no issues, customs was fine (I don't think they even looked at my visa) and I got picked up by a driver with CEA.

Paris: Day One
There was a huge strike that day so traffic in Paris was horrible. Random streets were closed, cars were doing U-Turns everywhere, it took us about 2 hours to get to the CEA office in the 3rd district! I was in the car with a girl from my program, from Boston, goes to Madison, in SDT. There are Jewish connections everywhere! More to come on that later. I recieved the key to my apartment while the driver waited. He then drove me to my apartment . It's on rue des Cordelières in the 13th, a really nice quiet street. I live above a Japanese sword and martial arts shop! I also live across from a Jewish Day School, called Lycée Jacob Safra, and a Kosher meat market! I pulled up to my apartment and saw a mom putting her kid into a Mercedes with a hebrew bumper sticker on it. I brought the luggage upstairs (I live on the 3rd floor, which in France is the 2nd floor - the ground level doesn't count) where I was greeted by my roommate, Justin Johnson from Dallas, TX. He does not have an accent. Justin was there with his girlfriend, who is leaving to study in Prague in a few days. They both were very nice and welcoming. The apartment is good! There is a bedroom with 2 twin beds, 2 dressers, and a closet for hanging stuff and shoes. Then there's a living room with a couch, table, and kitchen. The bathroom is tiny! You can barely close the door and it's hard to move at all, but there is more than enough room for 2 people. And I really like the neighborhood.
I unpacked a little bit and then the 3 of us went out to dinner. We walked to Rue Moufftard, a really fun street with a ton of bars, restaurants, and an open market. We walked around for a little and browsed the restaurants. In France, most of the restaurants post their menus and prices outside so customers can pick where they want to eat with more information. We settled on a small French brasserie and got "le menu", a fixed-price meal where you pick an appetizer, main course and dessert from a list of options. I got escargots, steak roquefort (blue cheese), and sorbet, along with a jug of red wine (not very good wine, but still enjoyable).

We had to talk really quietly because everyone in France talks softly and you really stick out if you're loud. Even when the restaurant is crowded, it's really quiet. The French are all about intimacy. We finished the meal with a digestif or after dinner drink of cognac with a prune in it. It was really good and helps your stomach digest the food. I unpacked some more that night and then went with Justin and his girlfriend to another girl's apartment for a birthday celebration and then the bars/clubs. I got to use the Metro for the first time, which is soo easy. It was free too because it had been closed earlier due to the demonstrations and strikes. I met a ton of girls from Boulder, some doing CEA, some doing AUP (American University in Paris), and some visiting from other cities in Europe. We went to a few bars and a club that played a lot of Mo Town music that my mom would have liked. I met a ton of other people from CEA there and we had a great time.

I spoke in French to the waiter at the restaurant, some random guy on the Metro, and a taxi driver. I held my own and I could understand them and communicate to them. I'm sure they simplified their speaking for me but I am definitely able to get around in French.

Day Two:
I woke up at 8:45 am, having gotten 4 hours of sleep, and went to the CEA headquarters for orientation. There are 9 people on CEA taking classes at La Sorbonne. They all seem great. There is one other guy who goes to Berkley and he seems really cool. I am happy I am not the only guy...something I was legitimately worried about. Everyone wants to speak French and improve their knowledge of the language. We met to talk about transportation, apartment issues, excursions, and just general stuff we needed to know about the program. Then we all had lunch at a brasserie and saw an amazing view of Paris from the top of the Centre Pompidou. I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time (from afar). It is amazing how inspiring the landmarks in Paris are and how they shape the city. I bought my monthly metro pass in French with no problems, which was very nice. I am not really tired yet, which is weird, but I'm sure it will hit me soon. Right now I am just relaxing in the apartment. I will go grocery shopping tomorrow, find some posters for the apartment, maybe find a pouch for change, and I have a bus tour of Paris with my program. Tonight I'm going to a concert with a bunch of people from my program. It's called Busy P, he's a DJ, and it's supposed to be at a really cool venue in Montmarte (near Sacre Coeur).

Random Observations:

• Parisians walk very fast - which is great because I love fast walkers
• Everyone has been very friendly, but going out in big groups brings a lot of annoyed attention
• When I speak in French to French people, they've been responding to me in French
• People are very quiet in public - on the metro, in restaurants. Don't even think about using a cell phone in those places
• Meals take a long time. Everyone is very relaxed at meals times and nobody will ever rush you out of a restaurant
• The dijon mustard is really really strong here
  

The Start

Hi All.

Welcome to my blog of my adventures in Paris. I'll give you a little information about the trip first. I have wanted to go to Paris to study since high school. I am going through a program called CEA (I actually have no idea what it stands for). They set up my housing, classes, etc.

I'm taking all of my classes in French. Naturally, I'm a little nervous about this part. A lot of people going through my program are taking classes in English, with all American kids in American style classrooms. I am here for immersion. I am here to understand what it's like to live in another country, to look at the world from a completely different point of view. Without learning the language and really trying to understand the culture, I won't experience the full benefits of being abroad.

The program is called: University of Paris IV – Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne. It's through La Sorbonne, the oldest school in France. Classes are taught by professors from La Sorbonne and my classmates come from all over the world (not France though). My French language class is 2 hours a day, 5 days a week. Once every week I'll also have a phonetics class to improve my accent. Then I'll be taking 2 other classes at the school, both in French. Those will be 2 days a week. As of now, I plan on taking Paris: Architecture & History and Political & Economic Issues in Modern France. I don't pick my classes until I'm there, after I take my placement exam to determine which exact level I will be in.

CEA arranged my housing. My apartment is in the 13th arrondisement, next to the Latin Quarter and about a 20 minute walk from my school. It's near the Metro Stations Les Gobelins and Glacière, Chinatown, and the Luxembourg Gardens. The 13th is an up-and-coming neighborhood in Paris. It isn't too expensive (which is really nice) and it's not touristy at all. I'm living with another guy from CEA, named Justin Johnson. He goes to Boulder and is from Dallas, TX. He seems like a very nice guy. I really don't know much about him and I won't meet him until I get to my apartment in Paris. I'm trying to learn how to cook because I'll have a kitchen in my apartment. I am pretty close to Rue Moufftard, an extremely popular market place in Paris, where I will buy groceries. I will have a pretty small apartment: a bedroom, a living room, a kitchenette and a bathroom. Low expectations can't disappoint, right? You can see the door to my apartment here:

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I don't know many people in Paris. A few people from Michigan, a few from Highland Park, and a few random connections. But I'm excited to go to a city without knowing many people. I can't wait to meet so many people from so many different countries. I have friends studying in Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, London, Prague, and many other places all over the world. Those visits are going to be very fun. I have a 2 week spring break in mid-April and I hope to make many weekend trips, while still taking time to explore Paris and France. I really want to travel to Israel some time during my time in Europe. My ideal trip would be Paris to Greece, Greece to Turkey, Turkey to Israel and then back to Paris. I have a bunch of friends in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and I would love to visit the country again, just a year after my first time there on Birthright. My program lasts from January 29 until May 30. I'm hoping to stay later than that to travel and possibly work at a winery.

How to Stay in Touch:
I will keep you all updated on my classes and travels throughout the semester. Feel free to leave posts or e-mail me at any time (Admiller15@gmail.com).
BBM: I'll have my blackberry so I will be accessible easily by e-mail and BlackBerry Messenger (pin:2453b3c).
Skype: Skype is probably the best way to have conversations. If you download Skype (it's Free), you can talk to be through voice or video chat for no charge. Click here to download Skype: Skype. My Skype name is Admiller15.
French Cell Phone: I get free incoming calls to my french cell phone. To call from the states, dial 011 33 6 14 28 05 41. If you're in France, dial 06 14 28 05 41. If you're in Europe, dial + 33 6 14 28 05 41.

I've been busy collecting all the random items I'll need when abroad: adapters for electricity, a new raincoat, walking shoes, headphones, etc. Other than that, this 5 week break is the longest break I've had in the past 4 years. It's been great to really relax and get ready for Paris. A bientôt!