Reflections on Paris Thus Far

So the 8th of January (my sister's birthday) I said goodbye to my family at the hotel. After they left, I took a taxi to the hostel where I was to stay with other Stanford students. Orientation went by in a whirlwind. Needless to say, the Bing family was excessively generous in the gifts they have given to us students. I thought of my sister (who was given few or no tools for her 6-month stay in Paris) as we were given an entire packet of information, Navigo cards, BNP account cards, money, free trips, free tickets, and des tas de remboursements deStanford. (I might lapse into French a little bit as I am now leading a double life. Also, my English might be rusty/incorrect!) All in all, students from our school are very lucky, and very spoiled, to have access to all of the wonderful opportunities and information given to us by our school. (Thankfully our group is very conscious of that.)

After orientation, our group disbanded to head to our familles d'acceuil (host families). I was surprised (and BEYOND excited) to find out that I would be living in the 7th arrondissement, in fact, right down the street from Melissa's old school! I live on the same street as Prada, YSL, Christian Louboutin, (etc.), and across the street from Moschino! In fact, I live kiddy corner (sp?) to a cafe where my family and I ate last summer. I am a ten to fifteen minute walk from school, and only two metro stops away. If I travel 2 blocks, I am at a Laduree, and 4 blocks take me to the edge of the Seine, facing the exact middle of the Louvre. Yesterday, I read a biography of David in which he was said to have been walking down my street pondering his next big painting. This is vraiment le paradis.

The family I am living with is lovely. As you might have guessed by my description of our area, they are anciens aristocrats: their last name, de Gatellier (emphasis on the DE) indicates that they are so. I have taken several pictures of their apartment. It is in the Louis XIV style, I would say, "Belle Epoque", with a formal salon and dining room. My room is very spacious, and the bed is lofted and recessed into the wall. I am currently experiencing problems connecting with their wifi, but hopefully this will be resolved by next Tuesday. In terms of who is in the family, I am staying with an older couple, whose four children are married and have left the house. The man's name is Bernard, and his wife's name is Claire. Their children range from old (I don't know how old but she has 3 kids), to young (22). My favourite of their offspring is Charles (who was the first de Gatellier I met and carried my luggage up all of the stairs), and his wife, Diane. Charles likes to hunt (everything that moves), and studied for some time in England. Diane is an English teacher who still takes classes with the hope of one day becoming a translator. (The contract does not permit us to speak in English. I wouldn't mind, but they are the strict type.) My host mother told me that Diane had a miscarriage a short time ago, and that her and Charles have been very torn up about it. I like spending time with them, because I think it helps them to be distracted for a little while.

I suppose space doesn't permit me to expand on every single anecdote (of which there are many), and also there are a few involving my being severely lost late at night which will not be included (because my mum won't like reading about it). Suffice it to say that I am adjusting semi-quickly to life here in Paris, though I get lost multiple times, in multiple directions, daily. (Even though I carry three maps with me.)

Highlights thus far, you beg? Well, here is a point-form, sparknotes-style rundown of some of my fav memories thus far:

-spending the day touring a small museum in the Marais district with Charles and Diane, then having tea, hot chocolate, and macarons with them at Laduree

-going to a PSG game and seeing the crazy fans (video to follow)

-visiting a museum of experimental instruments with Mark Applebaum (our professor in residence 

who is researching this field at Stanford) (video to follow)

-going places with Midori

-eating formal dinners with the 

extended de Gatellier family (or their friends)

-staying out late with my peeps Ali, Ashley, Farrah, Hei Munn, JW, Midori, Mike

-walking through a Parisian market

-the walk to my painting class (best croque of my life)

-eating real ratatouille made for me by my host mum (who is from ratatouille central)

-being immersed in a land of art (and attempting to soak it all up)

-being the only one in my painting class at the advanced art school who has never painted (though my teachers tell me that my lemon was "very well done")

-window shopping. everywhere.

-watching Obama's inauguration with Americans

-getting a lesson on "how to properly cut cheese from the cheese platter" from my host parents

-learning that my host dad was scared to meet me because the description said I was "very athletic" and he thought that meant I would be an Amazon

-speaking French everywhere, and feeling it slowly seep back

-enjoying young guys playing/singing acoustic Rolling Stones (they were awesome!) on a train in the metro, then getting off the train and hearing some kind of Russian folk music in the station (also awesome, full ensemble) --> art in the metro is awesome!

-things I am forgetting!!

Hopefully I will be able to add to this list soon as things start coming back to me. It's taken me far too long to get a start on this, but hopefully I'll be able to make further (and better) use of this as the quarter progresses. For now, chers readers, au revoir! Look forward to updates, especially from this weekend in Dublin! (I am not looking forward to getting on my return flight, on my birthday, at 6am Dublin time! :)  )

bisous from France,

Jen