Blue Skies in Paris

Tonight was another record-setting dinner. First, it lasted until 10:30 (started around 8:20), and second, I had ratatouille (:D) and crème brûlée for dinner, whoo. The dinner lasted two hours partially because we sat in front of the TV watching Nicolas Sarcozy answer hardball questions on the economic crisis on national television. It was just him and journalists on a stage (they each got 20 min to ask as many Qs as they want, but it's kind of sketch cuz according to my Madame, he got to choose the journalists). I have to say I really like Sarcozy...and so do the majority of the French. His diction might not be as great as Obama's, but he has presence, eloquence (in the manner of his delivery), and is very knowledgeable and confidant of what's going on right now (which, on the most part, should be standard for all politicians, but then we all experienced Palin-itis. Gross.). I asked my host-parents, "Sarcozy, il a une bonne réputation?" and Brigitte responded, "Mais oui, nous l'aimons bien." "Bien qu'il ait eu une liason avec Carla Bruni et il a divorcé???" -"Oui. Elle est jolie." SHE IS PRETTY. She legitimized his would-be-wavering-reputation-if-in-the-U.S. by commenting on his new wife's beauty, haha. This is why I love the French; they could care less what politicians do privately. Having an affair is NOT NEWS, which I agree wholeheartedly on.

Anyway, we had some wine and mini samplers (the same pork meat-loaf thing from a few days ago, cherry tomatoes, cornichons, and small cubes of cheese) for appetizers, ratatouille quiche (vegetables like bell peppers and string beans mixed with tuna and baked into a crusty shell?), salad with a veggie I've never seen before, a cheese platter, and crème brûlée for dessert. See pics below.


Appetizers & Ratatouille (quiche-style)

my plate with the mystery veggie

Dessert (the family had their own flame torch...)

So far, I am digging the wine and bread, but I still find no fondness for fromage (check out the alliteration on that baby). Since I was little, I was told that cheese is a spawn of the devil. According to my mom, it is the cause of obesity, hormone-overload, pimples, world wars and bad hygiene. Well, we all know that isn't true, but for some reason, a part of me still believes it. Thus I lay off it as much as I can.

Today, I woke up at 7:30 so I could get to Institut Catholique by 8:30am to find my 9am class. Here were some ominous signs that this class would be a no-go:

1) It was in a gloomy convent-ish abandoned-looking area.
2) Rosary beads were hung EVERYWHERE. Nothing against them and it IS a catholic school of course... I am just not used to it.
3) The teacher was late, resulting in students crammed into a small couloir (hallway) stuffing the area up with a mélange of weird smells. I have major problems with bad smells.

Hahaha but anyway, our professor was this little 3-4 ft tall woman who my friend, Catherine, and I could not follow due to her complete obliviousness to the world around her, constant brain-farting, and mouse-like voice. It's already pretty tough translating continuous French in general, but those three things put together literally fondued our brains (hahahah get it, get it?). In a high-pitched and nasal-y voice, she lectured on Victor Hugo, but would sporadically pause for a good 3-4 seconds cuz she couldn't remember what she was saying? And that would be followed by a one-woman monologue on how she should save that for a different lesson, etc. That, or she had to blow her nose. The French students in the back were like "zomg" too, so they would just start talking mid-lecture. Talk about a rough class. Catherine and I bolted out of there when we we got a 5-min break, and decided our best option was to try another Institut Catholique class sometime next week.

We passed one of our favorite boulangerie-pâtisseries. It is a beauty of a site.

some fruit tart cake; smorgasbord of desserts

more desserts; cheese-covered panini/sandwich thing

Later, a large group of us headed to the American Library in Paris, where we got library cards for the semester. There, we can check out books and DVDs, so good resource! I also got to place Obama's "Dreams From my Father" on hold. Leah, Bonnie and I still had a few hours to spare before we had to go home so we walked around the area, which was très proche à la Tour d'Eiffel. We walked around there, to the Ecole Militaire, and then Bonnie and I proceeded to go to the Rue de Commerce and shop to kill time. I ended up getting... H&M Long Johns and a lint roller. Exciting! [Twice a year, France has these humongo sales that last for five weeks. The winter sale is ending the 10th, so very explainable, mom!]


At the base; on the bridge with me, Bonnie, and Leah


Champs de Mars; Walking around Eiffel area


Ecole Militaire

That's all for tonight. We have 10am Travel Seminar and a "Very Contemporary France" lecture (they are literally training us to be more French. No joke.). For all pics, cliquez-ici.

Bon soirée tout le monde!