So I think I have reached the point in my school work where I can't write this blog every day. I have to say though, I am really proud that I have been as diligent as I have. I know that future A.J. is going to be happy about that. But let me catch up on what's been happening.
So I am at my new homestay. As I said, it feels a lot more like a boarding house than a homestay. I can't complain though, mainly because I'm only here for a week. I have to say, I still don't understand how I got so lucky to stay with Michele. Her homestay was amazing, her location was great and there was always something to do in her area. I have yet to go exploring here, but the area seems pretty dead. There isn't very much activity, except for the church bells that ring and can definitely wake me up (the house is located about thirty feet from this church).
There are four other students here. Three are from the University of Washington and one is from Russia. All are girls. They all seem very nice. Andrea, the most outgoing of the UW girls is the one I have gotten to know the best. I'm not sure why, but I've run into a lot of people associated with Seattle. Trish, Michele's old friend who visited her, lives there. Aliya, my future roommate is from Vancouver, super close to Seattle. And now these girls. It is really weird. Not in a bad way though.
I had my presentation this morning. That seems like ages ago. Normally on Mondays I can take a nap. But since I have another presentation Wednesday and then again on Monday, I didn't get a chance to nap. I spent this afternoon in the library (I also may or may not have gone for the wifi...). But thinking back to this morning, it does seem like an eternity ago. My mexican food lunch with Kellyn (a UCSB girl doing UC Paris, who also has the voice of an angel - she sang in VoMo) seems like forever ago too.
I was talking to my dad today, and I told him that I feel like I've lived a whole life in my time in Paris. Even now, if I were to return to the US, I would be a better, stronger person. I also feel that France likes to play mind games with me. For a few days, it will be incredibly nice to me. I'll have those days where I am care free and can wander around the city, maybe take a nap in a park, maybe go see the Mona Lisa just because I can. Then there are those days where all I want to do is have someone take all of this from me.
But this last Saturday night was one of the nights that reminded me why Paris is such an incredible city. It was called La Nuit Blanche, and basically was a HUGE performance art show throughout the center of the city. Exhibitions included a guy reading the dictionary, a 1940's themed life size diorama where, depending on a coin flip anyone could enter and flirt with the characters (heads meant you had to flirt with men, tails was women, and no, your sex didn't matter). By far the best one though was the free pastries on Ile Saint Louis. It was the best bread I have ever tasted in my life.
And the best part about it is that I was out with my friends. I was with some people from my orientation group, plus people they knew. Allison, an Australian girl from my orientation group invited along two of her friends who lived outside of Versailles. It was really fun talking in French to them. I have gotten to the point where I can have full conversations in French with normal people and not feel lost. If we are talking about something particular, like in a class I still have a lot of trouble though.
And that brings be back to my presentation. In order to stop myself from freaking out, I went about trying to find a French tutor. I basically wanted someone who could tell me if what I wrote made sense, if someone who was French would say that. So for this presentation, I wrote it all up and e-mailed it to her. The next morning, I got her corrections. And to my surprise she didn't really change all that much. So in class, I basically read what she and I had worked on. My professor seemed to be okay with what I had said. But what I was really worried about was the questions the students were going to ask me.
I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to understand them, and even if I did, I wasn't sure if I could answer their questions. Luckily I was presenting on the legal procedure in the Common Law system. Since that is what we use in the US, and having listened to my dad describe (sometimes asked for, other times not so much) the legal procedures, I had a decent idea of what things like "discovery" and "precedents" were. So, again, to my astonishment, I was able to answer their questions somewhat satisfactorily.
I don't really care what grade I get on that presentation. It was the only first french presentation I will ever give here, so just having it done is a huge check on my list. Now I need to get through these next two and then I'll be sitting pretty. I have a paper due on October 28 and another presentation on the 14th, but those are in English. Turns out this country isn't as unconquerable as I thought.
Oh, and I can now officially watch a new movie in French and understand it, sans subtitles.
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