Tonight, Madame started off the conversation telling Monsieur (yes - I call them Madame and Monsieur...) that I'm pissed about the strike (obvi). So he asks if I want him to give me a history lesson.
(all in French, obvi)
Me: (hesitantly) yes....
Monsieur: OK, what time period.
Me: 19th century.
Monsieur: OK, what subsection.
Me: All of it.
Monsieur: All of the 19th century during dinner? Ok...
2 hours later:
Madame: Guillaume! Stop! Michelle, you can tell him that you are bored and want to do other stuff.
2.5 hours later:
Monsieur: I think I'm on the 20th century.
Me: You are! OK, let's stop! The End. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Monsieur: ...but there's more...
Me: Good Nightttt! (runs out of the kitchen)
This conversation was punctuated by them teaching me how to peel a pear w/ a knife (did you know that touching the knife with your finger whilst peeling is considered declasse?). Call me an ignant Amuuricaan...I never peel my pears...
Monday, February 16, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Well, it's Def Different than China!
So in stark contrast to the prison which was my room in Beijing, my room here in Paris is quite lovely! It's about the size of a MHC room, for those who want a comparison, but instead of a closet, there are 2 armories...and a fireplace. Once again, I know I live a hard life.
This is my bed. There are birds on the bedspread, which doesn't really go with the pink Paul Frank pillowcase I brought from home. Whatever. The birds also match the drapes on the windows. (The room used to be the youngest son's room.)
My desk , chair, etc. To the left you can see the mantle, and under that is the fireplace. I don't think it's functional - and I'm not going to try it out! - and I have a bar blocking it anyway, so I can hang my coats and stuff. (Remember, no closet.)
The view from the left of my door. (There's a bathroom on the right side of the hallway, and 3 bedrooms on the left side.)
View from in front of my room - leads to the front hallway/foyer/everything else in the house.
What's nice in my room - and I don't know if it's intentional or not - is that there are photos of horses and of asian people. (That last bit came out wrong, I know.) They knew beforehand that I'm a rider and that I speak Chinese (...or I did...) so it's nice that there are those photos in my room.
The walls here are padded too...or I mean, I think they are...there's give in them...or maybe I'm just going crazy...hmmm....
This is my bed. There are birds on the bedspread, which doesn't really go with the pink Paul Frank pillowcase I brought from home. Whatever. The birds also match the drapes on the windows. (The room used to be the youngest son's room.)
My desk , chair, etc. To the left you can see the mantle, and under that is the fireplace. I don't think it's functional - and I'm not going to try it out! - and I have a bar blocking it anyway, so I can hang my coats and stuff. (Remember, no closet.)
The view from the left of my door. (There's a bathroom on the right side of the hallway, and 3 bedrooms on the left side.)
View from in front of my room - leads to the front hallway/foyer/everything else in the house.What's nice in my room - and I don't know if it's intentional or not - is that there are photos of horses and of asian people. (That last bit came out wrong, I know.) They knew beforehand that I'm a rider and that I speak Chinese (...or I did...) so it's nice that there are those photos in my room.
The walls here are padded too...or I mean, I think they are...there's give in them...or maybe I'm just going crazy...hmmm....
Thursday, February 12, 2009
My Toes Hurt...
So as per the sub-header of the blog, I really like foie gras.
I Really, Really like foie gras.
As those who have eaten with me know, I am a big believer in foie gras and don't really care about the way it is produced, simply that I can eat it and enjoy it.
And last week, after I had foie gras 2xs in 1 day (shut up! it's better than smoking!) as well as having it 3 times earlier that week, Sarah proclaimed that I was going to get gout.
She's probably right too, which is the kicker.
And then yesterday, my limbs started to hurt. It's the power of suggestion...but no matter...
So I present you with my new "after-school" snack:
pate de campagne!
I joke, it's not really my new after school snack, it's mainly a "I was bored inbetween phonetics lab and history class" type thing. Which in retrospect, is worse...
I Really, Really like foie gras.
As those who have eaten with me know, I am a big believer in foie gras and don't really care about the way it is produced, simply that I can eat it and enjoy it.
And last week, after I had foie gras 2xs in 1 day (shut up! it's better than smoking!) as well as having it 3 times earlier that week, Sarah proclaimed that I was going to get gout.
She's probably right too, which is the kicker.
And then yesterday, my limbs started to hurt. It's the power of suggestion...but no matter...
So I present you with my new "after-school" snack:
pate de campagne!
I joke, it's not really my new after school snack, it's mainly a "I was bored inbetween phonetics lab and history class" type thing. Which in retrospect, is worse...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
WTF, Mates?
So I walk into Chinese today...and see only 3 other students faces staring back at me.
Cool.
In walks the Professor, who tells us - before she even takes off her coat - she is on strike and will not teach us today, but merely facilitate conversation.
Thanks for deciding to strike a month into the term, Professor!
Actually, it wasn't 1/2 bad, all things considered...but the moral of the story is, we are on strike until next Tuesday, and at that time there will be a "re-evaluation" of what LCAO will do. (LCAO is the college w/in Paris 7 that I am enrolled in.)
Bu hao y'all, bu hao...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Apologies, and more
In the last week or so I've been getting e-mails about my updating, or more specifically, lack thereof.
My bad.
As I stated in the last post, my internet in the apartment is rather shitty. I can get good signal in the living room (which is like sitting in a museum and where I'm still not 100% sure if I can hang out in...) and in the bathroom (why yes, I multi-task, thanks for asking). The internet in my room? Not so much.
But I've been here for a month now, so I guess it's good to recap what's been going on with me:
Paris 7 is still on strike, so I have dropped my history classes at Paris 7 for ones at Sweet Briar. Which is kinda nice, cause it's def easier and less work than at Paris 7. What remains are my Chinese courses, which are killers, but will let me continue learning Chinese.
The first day of Chinese class was kinda rough:
Professor: Vous, la fille en noir, la question 1, SVP.
Me: UGHHHHHHH
Moral of the story: always identify that you are a foreign student and that you didn't show up to the first class.
Perf.
Otherwise, the Sweet Briar classes are good and I think I'll learn alot there.
And even though I only have Chinese at Paris 7, I still get to use my fancy-schmancy student ID card/debit card.
The Homestay front is going well, too.
I mean, there are times when I want to blend in the w/ the wallpaper, but the family is good and they treat me well. And Madame can COOK. I mean, really, really well. It's still a bit awkward at times (like right now, I have a ton of laundry to do but don't want to start it right now 'cause I don't know if she's OK with me using the laundry machine w/o asking...) but they tell good stories.
So, dear reader, I promise I will try to update more often, and with more pictures and videos...I guess I'll just have to start to use the bathroom more often.
:)
My bad.
As I stated in the last post, my internet in the apartment is rather shitty. I can get good signal in the living room (which is like sitting in a museum and where I'm still not 100% sure if I can hang out in...) and in the bathroom (why yes, I multi-task, thanks for asking). The internet in my room? Not so much.
But I've been here for a month now, so I guess it's good to recap what's been going on with me:
Paris 7 is still on strike, so I have dropped my history classes at Paris 7 for ones at Sweet Briar. Which is kinda nice, cause it's def easier and less work than at Paris 7. What remains are my Chinese courses, which are killers, but will let me continue learning Chinese.
The first day of Chinese class was kinda rough:
Professor: Vous, la fille en noir, la question 1, SVP.
Me: UGHHHHHHH
Moral of the story: always identify that you are a foreign student and that you didn't show up to the first class.
Perf.
Otherwise, the Sweet Briar classes are good and I think I'll learn alot there.
And even though I only have Chinese at Paris 7, I still get to use my fancy-schmancy student ID card/debit card.
The Homestay front is going well, too.
I mean, there are times when I want to blend in the w/ the wallpaper, but the family is good and they treat me well. And Madame can COOK. I mean, really, really well. It's still a bit awkward at times (like right now, I have a ton of laundry to do but don't want to start it right now 'cause I don't know if she's OK with me using the laundry machine w/o asking...) but they tell good stories.
So, dear reader, I promise I will try to update more often, and with more pictures and videos...I guess I'll just have to start to use the bathroom more often.
:)
Friday, February 6, 2009
Ugh
I promise, I am still alive. However, the internet sucks here. Sigh. Will try to do a longer, more photo/video intensive post soon.
Monday, February 2, 2009
And Then My Umbrella Flipped Inside Out
So 2 Friday's ago, Sweet Briar took us to Versailles, about a 1/2 hour outside of Paris.
It sucked.
No fault of Sweet Briar or the Palace itself, but the weather sucked. Example 1:
It was sometime after this picture was taken that my umbrella flipped inside out. Bummer.
The photos I got inside were mediocre and we couldn't really snap photos in the garden (it was still pouring out) but for the 2 non-rain filled minutes going from the Palace to lunch, Sarah managed to snap this photo of me, making it look like I actually had fun and making my legs look really long. Score!
In all honesty, it was very interesting there, and the Art History teacher at SB gave us a really good tour (in French, bien sur!) but I think I will have to come back on a day with better weather, to best appreciate the palace.
It sucked.
No fault of Sweet Briar or the Palace itself, but the weather sucked. Example 1:
It was sometime after this picture was taken that my umbrella flipped inside out. Bummer.
The photos I got inside were mediocre and we couldn't really snap photos in the garden (it was still pouring out) but for the 2 non-rain filled minutes going from the Palace to lunch, Sarah managed to snap this photo of me, making it look like I actually had fun and making my legs look really long. Score!
In all honesty, it was very interesting there, and the Art History teacher at SB gave us a really good tour (in French, bien sur!) but I think I will have to come back on a day with better weather, to best appreciate the palace.
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