Settling In

So the first full week started. The language placement test, well haven't done something like that since high school. The language intensive course feels like high school but i like it because its very much a review of things that I just haven't gone over in a while, so it's nice to have things like very tenses fresh in my mind.
Had a lovely dinner with Cody the other night in the Latin Quarter. We ended up sitting outside Notre Dame later that evening for a good while just talking. There were very few people which just made it so so nice. I also got to see Elizabeth today! She used to go to DePaul and is actually from Yellow Springs, near Dayton. She's been studying in Bordeaux and is in Paris for the weekend. I ended up spending a lovely afternoon in Montmartre with her, and I hadn't been up there yet. The first sunny day made it perfect to go see Sacre Coeur. We walked around a bunch and ended up having a cafe and just talked. It felt fantastically familiar. Paris is beautiful but being able to meet up with Elizabeth and having Cody around help to hold off the loneliness. and not loneliness as in there's no one here, but loneliness as in missing people who just know me and love me and don't have questions or judgments any more. I was glad to hear Elizabeth may be moving back to Chicago. It was also nice to know that I will very likely see her again and that we may even do a bit of traveling.
Bee. Tee. Dubs. There was apparently supposed to be a strike on the metro. strike? whats strike? i guess since no ones using the metro out of fear of it not working, theres few people on it, its still running just fewer trains and frankly if no one had told me there was a strike i wouldnt have known there was one! But so is France. C'est la vie.
My host family is leaving tomorrow night for a ski vacation until Tuesday. Apparently, they're not the only family doing this. I have a feeling throwing a wild party is out of the question, n'est-ce pas?
Oh yes. The shopping. The soldes. January is sale month here. Like, insane sale month. For fifty euros I purchased: three tops, a pair of shoes, a pair of pants, and a skirt. When typically it would have bought me like the shoes. maybe one of the tops and the skirt. So I am rationalizing clothes shopping by telling myself i won't do much more after the sales because i wont want to. too much money. and the clothes are DAMN cute.
Changed my name to Hélène on fbook and apparently people can't handle it. It's french and the perfect combo of ellen and helen. Deal people.

Hélène

I'm A Schmuck, I wake up late

So my first weekend in Paris! Saturday I woke myself up and got ahold of Cody. We went to the chapel with Vinny' corps. He wanted to go and I was impressed withthe fact that I remembered the correct metro station and found it very easily. we arrived just past noon and there was mass at 1230 so we stayed. i figure it counted for sunday, even if it was before five. it was bizarre going to mass in french, just also strangely familiar. because i know what words should be said, it's easier to pick up on the french. what was frustrating was not knowing what to respond with . i have never been more glad that mme smith had us memorize the our father en francais in high school. being able to participate in such a communal part of mass in the right language felt good. we didnt really go to the mother house, but found some quick lunch before cody had to head back to get ready for his uber late bday celebration.
i came home and napped. i was feeling not in the mood to really go out and initially declined to go to oberkampf but when margaux said she was meeting people at champs-elysees i made myself go. i have never been to champs-elysees and decided to push myself. we met some people from her school, jasper and katie. we mostly just walked around for a few hours, and that was fine with me. it was nice just kind of walking talking and people watching. one french guy did try an dkeep talking to us and it was relatively creepy. i never felt threatened but didnt really want to keep talking to him and we finally managed to walk away. but he was definitely a creeper. (dad if you're reading this, don't freak out. it was not a big deal).
i made hte mistake of staying up late once i got home and then margaux had to wake me up this morning in time for lunch. our host parents two kids came for lunch, and the oldest is married with a 2 year old and another on the way. the 2 yr olds name is Sixteen ( though i think they may spell it sixtine). she. is. so. damn. cute. i want to pinch her chubby little cheeks. though rarely 20 minutes after i wake up am i handed a glass of champagne and freshly cooked shrimps. it was really good, and i suppose, very french. lunch was some kind of tasty pot roasty thing, with meet and carrotts and rice. and of course! after all comes cheese and bread ( i went for hte roquefort. dad you'd flip, its SOOOO good). and then the cafe. margaux and i didnt do much chatting but i enjoyed just watching the very pleasant family dynamic and just trying to listen to the conversatoin and not catching all of it but enough ehre and there to kind of follow. the discussion of tv and movies later was fun to listen to. according to charles, their son, Dexter est 'geniale' as is Vicky Cristina Barcelona. it makes me laugh to see giant 'affiches' for Dexter in the metro stations all the time. Dad you're least favorite show for your kids to watch is very popular here! All in all, a very pleasant morning.
I think I may just take a long walk later. I have a pass for the carres rouges, or buses that take a tour through the big touristy sites, but the tourist mood hasn't struck me yet. im still feeling very low key, and i haven't really explored neuilly-sur-seine yet. im going to take my second shower though and see if i can master that damn shower head hose thingy that bested me last time!
a bien tot!

Hélène

(val - helen and ellen are pronounced hte same here. thought you'd like to know!)

Day Two

Ok, so day two began. And because my life can never be simple, it begin with an adventure: SHOWERING! I am sorry, I should be more clear. Bathing. Because there is no shower. There is a giant tub (and Delphine continues to encourage Margaux and I to take baths. I make take her up on that). This giant tub has a shower head, but its attached via a hose, and has no wall mount. So I literally hose myself down. Sans shower curtain. I decided sitting in the tub would be easiest but it did not stop me from getting water all over the bathroom. I mean, it wasn't a flood, but it wasn't dry in there. When I got in I just thought it was wet from Margaux's shower since there was no bathmat. It's going to take some finesse is all.
I am quite glad I figured out cell phone stuff before getting here. Thanks mom! Went in at like 930 even though orientation wasnt until 130. margaux had to be there then, so we just took the metro together to make sure we both could find it okay. cody was supposed to meet me at 930, but in true cody fashion was late and arrived after 10. I have never been so happy to see that bearded face! i keep rubbing my hand on his beard. the ies people were a little confused by my rubbing my cheek on his beard. anyone who knows me knows i do this to cody's beard all the time. orientation so far is kind of ok. lots of pledges to sign. language, alcohol, etc. clearly we can drink, but not at school. or at ies events. or have it in our homestays. im not really excited about having to register every detail of any trips i take. I'm trying not to be a brat since it's a small price for such wonderful opportunities but I am so accustomed to decided when and where I go, and I dunno. Takes a tiny sense of adventure out of it. Brianna, you would do just fine 'cause you always have every detail in order.
Stopped at the supermarche on the way home. Reminder: weigh produce. I didn't see the sign and looked like a stupid americaine. mistake will not happen again! i should know better, I shop at Treasure Island!
I suppose that's all for now. Cody and I are going to St. Vincent's Chapel tomorrow. I kind of want to nap before dinner. I love naps. Some things will just never change.

I made it. Somehow.

I am putting this out there immediately that I understand how lame my blog is, but I'm not good at figuring out this shit, so until someone explains to me how, this is what you get.

I am here. Kind of sleepy. Yet terribly alert. Flying through Chicago made me a little sad. Paticuarly when I flew in and I could see this incredibly reflection of the skyline on the lake, but none of the buildings. It was breathtaking. It just so happened the girl sitting next to me is also in IES! So that was a pleasant surprise. Her name is Jenny. Nice girl...
Immediately found the other girl I'm living with , Margaux after getting me luggage. The taxi wasn't even too expensive, twenty euro apiece. My host mom is so nice. We didn't even immediately go to our rooms, we sat down and had tea and coffee. AFTER she told us we could just put our coats on the chair in the foyer or on the stair rail. my kind of lady! The house is just lovely. Lovely jardin, and a great porch. I cannot WAIT for spring to come here. It's rainy and gray and I find it lovely, I can't imagine how wonderful it must be in full bloom.
I may never leave my room. I have the smaller of the two rooms and don't care one bit. I have a preciously lofted bed, and I've never slept on a lofted/bunked bed, so this will be an adventure. I have a little chest built into the wall up there with extra blankets and a little light. There is a terrace outside mine and Margaux's rooms, and I have this squishy chair thing (that I am sitting in currently) that I've turned to look out the window/door. It's just perfect. And pink! which is totally not me, so I'm excited for it. We will see how well I manage trying ot keep clean. I don't have a lot of stuff so it shouldn't be too complicated. There is a big bookshelf and I immediately spotted TWO jodi picoult books, that someone must have left. I will do just fine here.
I get to see Cody in the am. My mind wasn't processing all the French very quickly, but I think later this afternoon we are walking to the stores in the neighborhood and the metro stop.
It's all so overwhelming and pleasantly lovely. I haven't felt sad yet, so we will see if that hits at all.

Procrastination

I am leaving in under 24 hours. and I haven't packed yet. or done laundry. and I am going out to dinner in an hour. Sweeeeeet.