Here Comes the Sun

Alright, so maybe it hasn't been that sunny in Paris this past week, but it was pretty sunny and warm for a few days, meaning that the weather can only keep improving...right? Anyway, as the weather becomes nicer as we progress into the spring season, so too does my time spent here in Paris. As I think back on all of the tedious orientations that I was forced to sit through that mentioned the ideas of culture shock, I begin to realize more and more how directly I have been following the trends of the concept. While I don't want to go into too much detail of all these steps, I can already check off some of the phases of the culture shock process such as: 1. The Honeymoon Period (usually experienced at the very beginning of the study abroad experience where wide-eyed students marvel at the wonders of their new host country) 2. Crisis/Culture Shock Period (One of the lowest points of the experience where cultural differences take over, inducing feelings of homesickness, helplessness, discontent, etc...as seen already in my blog, woops) 3. Recovery (the period in which I believe I am currently where one begins to bounce back from the depressing and exhausting emotions of the preceding stage, excepts the differences of their host country, and then moves their way towards cultural adaptation). There you have it, while I refused to believe all those facts they gave us at the numerous orientations I attended, it turns out that I am living here and following them in perfect order right down to the "T"...hooray for recovery!

Enjoying some sunshine in Parc Montsouris, right across the street from my dorm

More of Parc Montsouris

So, what's been going on this past week other than cultural nonsense? Well, to be honest, not too much other than the usual routine of class and the never ending exploring of the city. However, I did have a day this past week where I was able to share my new temporary home with some familiar faces from back home that made it to Paris for their spring break! My friend Logan from CofC decided to have a european adventure this spring with her mother where they split the week long break between Paris and Rome, pretty good choices right? Anyway they arrived early in the week when I was luckily able to meet them one day after class to have a good ole CofC reunion, as well as a massive walking tour of the city. I must say that we were a rather productive group of American tourists (yep, I still look like one as I walk around everywhere with my BRIGHT yellow North Face backpack) with visits to Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge, the Champs-Elysées and L'Arc de Triomphe, Le Tour Eiffel, some of the Latin Quarter, and a last minute happy hour in my dorm room. All in all, it was a great day to be able to see some friends from home even for just day, and a treat to be able to show them around the city as a resident with some experience!

Stolen Photo: Outside the Moulin Rouge

Taking a break at the top of Montmartre and enjoying the beautiful sunshine

Naturally.

Song, song of the South

As the title suggests, today's update is about the South! No, this is not another rant of my homesickness that I encountered last (again, sorry about that), but rather my recent and dare I say amazing venture to the south of France this past weekend. Before we get into any details, let me start by first saying that this trip could honestly not have come at a better time. With certain things having been wearing down on me lately, a weekend away from the big city to catch a breeze or two of fresh air was exactly what the doctor ordered, and the fact that the air was not only fresh, but also southern and from the sea made this trip and I a match made in heaven. Furthermore, the weather gods were certainly smiling down on us this past weekend by bestowing each and every day of our trip with plentiful amounts of sunshine and temperatures that allowed me to walk around in a t-shirt. Needless to say I was as happy as I could be while others wondered why I couldn't wipe the perpetual grin off my face for a solid 72 hours.

I had my doubts, but I made it to the early train

Now, down to the details. This past weekend, I participated in an excursion organized by my program  that took myself and other students to the southern region of France known as Provence, or paradise as far as I'm concerned. Our adventure began early Friday morning at around 5:30 AM when I had to prepare to catch a train that was scheduled to depart at 7:25 AM, and though I wasn't at all enthusiastic to be riding the metro at such an early hour, it proved to be worth the trouble tenfold. After a 3 hour train ride and a 20 minute bus ride, we arrived in the small town of Aix-en-Provence, or Aix as many locals call it, which is located only about 45 minutes by bus away from the coastal capital of Marseille. Immediately upon arriving in Aix, I starting falling in love with the quaint, picturesque town that exhibited the standard Mediterranean colored buildings and beautiful, intricate water fountains located in the countless tiny squares scattered among its winding, cobblestone streets. Needless to say, the town gave off a completely different vibe than Paris, a very fresh and relaxed change that I welcomed with arms wide open. Once settled into our hotel, we were provided with some time to freely explore the city and grab some lunch (which included bread nevertheless), before meeting as a group to partake in professional tours of the area led by Provence natives who raved about the relaxing, charming culture of the south, an idea I was definitely already accustomed too and that only made me love the town even more. Later that evening, we were again provided with free time to do as we pleased, during which some friends and I decided to split the remainder of the night between an amazing tapas bar where I had my first taste of authentic sangria (or as authentic as sangria can get in France) and another bar offering free karaoke where I surprisingly learned of my tone-deafness while trying to sing "Don't go breaking my heart" after sufficient peer pressure, as well as some liquid courage.

First views of Aix-en-Provence. The whole town is filled with these quaint, winding streets

Fountain in the city center of Aix

Yet another fountain of the many in Aix

Caught in action during karaoke from the first night

On Saturday, the trip only got better as we were greeted with another beautiful sunshine filled day and some of the warmest weather I have encountered thus far in France. For the first half of the day, we were able to peruse around Aix's famous "Grande Marché", or big market in english, an amazing outdoor presentation of more products ranging anywhere from seafood to soaps than one could ever imagine. Honestly, I could have utilized the entire day exploring each and every square in Aix that housed a different market from the last, taking picture after picture of all the brightly colored flowers, vintage trinkets, cheap clothes, and assorted foods (all of which were both beautiful and DELICIOUS). Moving on, later that day around 3 PM the whole group of API students gathered again to take a bus to where we would be spending the remainder of the day in the small harbor town of Cassis. Now, to say that Cassis is absolutely amazing would be an understatement in my opinion. Whether it was because I got my first views of the perfectly blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea or the fact that the area containing the old harbor and rock-lined beach was surrounded by high-rising sea cliffs, the picturesque scenery of Cassis literally resembled a page out of a travel magazine with only the words "Welcome to Paradise" written across the top. As I could go on forever about Cassis, I will let the pictures do the talking for me, however I will say that even though I was only in Cassis for a total of maybe 3-4 hours, I feel that I must return one day to find the part of my soul that I lost when we left to go back to Aix.

Le grande marché

Delicious Paella bought at the marché for lunch

Translation: I love Provence. It's true

Video of a one man band we saw in the streets during Saturday's markets

View right off the main beach of Cassis, absolutely beautiful

Very excited to be back on the coast

Waterfront restaurants and homes of Cassis

Old harbor of Cassis, surrounded by hills and seaside cliffs

Unfortunately, Sunday was our last day in Provence, and after waking up early to have breakfast and move out of our hotel, we hopped back on our bus to make our way to the city of Marseille. Unlike our days in Aix and Cassis, our tour through Marseille was a bit different in that we were in a bus for nearly the majority just because the city is rather large and less manageable on foot. However, even though bus tours can prove to be a bit boring and redundant, the beautiful scenery and weather of Marseille delivered far beyond the stuffy bus ride. Throughout the tour we were able to see major sites of the city such as the vieux port, gorgeous residential areas of town adorned with the typical 3 window townhouse (covered in all shades of Mediterranean yellows, oranges, and pinks), and the hill-top basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde which offers one the most breath-taking views of France's southern, coastal capital. Finally, we ended the day with some free time along one of Marseille's downtown beach areas where I was able to have the traditional salade nicoise for lunch and sit along the waters of the ocean as we caught the last few hours of afternoon light before the sun would set and we would be on our return train  towards Paris.

Le vieux port of Marseille

Your typical style of home in Marseille

View of Marseille from the hill top Cathedral of Notre-Dame de la Garde

Inside the cathedral with mosaics everywhere

Notre-Dame de la Garde

View of Marseille from the beach in downtown

View from the beach in downtown Marseille

So, would I recommend visiting any of these places, or anywhere in the south of France for that matter? Absolutely. While Paris is always a staple in the itinerary of someone visiting this country, the slower-paced and sun-soaked shores of provence are definitely places to include where you'll be able to experience southern comfort and hospitality, French style.

Put Provence on your list of places to visit, hopefully you'll love it just as much as I did

Semi-Charmed Life

My first attempt as a French teacher: Repeat after me, "le choc culturelle". Qu'est ce que c'est? No, not some bourgeois french saying that I learned this past week in my grammar class. Rather, it's a simple term frequently used among travelers, whether they be professionals, students, adults, or adolescents, that when translated back to English simply means "culture shock". All of us have seen this expression before and all of us know what it means, and as told to me by the staff of Academic Programs International, culture shock affects different individuals in different ways, as well as at different times during their study abroad experience whether it be at the beginning, at the end, or somewhere in between. Furthermore, this sense of emotional shock can be categorized into different phases that can generate an array of different emotions ranging anywhere from extreme joy, to discontent, confusion, helplessness, etc...you get the idea.

Missing family

Anyway, what does all of this nonsense have to do with me and my time here in Paris? Well everyone to put it simply, I've been hit by culture shock, and I've been hit hard. Not only this, but while I tried to ready myself for the negative effects of said scenario, no amount of preparation could have braced me for the emotions I encountered over the past 10 days or so. To spare you unnecessary and lengthy details, lately Paris has not been living up to the bar of expectations I had set during the time leading up to my departure, something that while you are told never to do before studying abroad, it's almost nearly impossible not to. After hearing detailed accounts of others' amazing experiences abroad I couldn't help but fantasize about a glorious 4 months in a glamorous metropolis with travels on the side to some of the most beautiful and culturally rich places in Europe, an experience that I could share with others for the rest of my life. This unrealistic dream, however, was short-lived upon my arrival to Paris, a city that even with its re-known reputation as a beautiful, high fashion, historically rich capital, is still an absurdly large, nearly unmanageable metro area densely populated by the sometimes the less than hospitable French.

Missing friends

Atop the geographical differences, the factors associated with being in a foreign country that also accompany this journey have also added to the stress of culture shock. From the language barrier, to the nonchalant approach to hygiene, to the supplier oriented economy that stereotypes the French culture, countless aspects of life here have brought upon me a feeling a homesickness unlike any other, making the charming, southern way of life I grew up with seem like the soul solution to all my problems here in France. I say "yall" whenever I can, I bring out the drawl whenever I talk to my parents, and I certainly wish everyday to be in a place as warm and sunny as I believe Augusta, GA or Charleston, SC to be at the very moment I see the forecast to be another overcast, cold, and dreary Parisian day. Let me go ahead and say it: I MISS THE SOUTH (and all the family, friends, sunshine, food, etc. that came with it).

Missing school

There you have it, I not only admitted, but published my longing to be back home in my comfort zone. BUT, now that I have sufficiently bitched enough about my experience abroad so far, it's now time to practice being an optimist and turn this situation around. Yes, I have been frustrated with the weather, the cleanliness and weird toilets of France, the rudeness of the people on the metro, the challenge of going on a simple run in the city, and countless other things. However, I have realized that while I feel helpless, stressed, and sad, there is still nothing I can do about any of these things that are bringing me down. Rather, I can only accept them for what they are and adapt to this new environment that I have been presented with. My experience thus far has not yet been what I envisioned by any means, but it still remains what studying abroad is all about: a LEARNING experience that challenges one to open their mind to new perspectives of the world. Whether or not I will have embraced Paris and all its glory by the end of these next 3 months it is hard to tell (although, I am hoping for an absolute yes), but one thing I know is still for certain: that this experience will help me to learn more about myself than any other I have had thus far in my 20 years, and that I will always be appreciative of no matter what.

Missing home

P.S. Don't worry, a much less morbid/annoying post is on its way..sorry for getting homesick!

Oh, That Smell

Bonjour, tout le monde. So tomorrow is the last day of February/Fevrier, thus marking the end of my first whole month in Paris. Honestly, I've got mixed feeling about this. While one side of me is excited to see the spring days become longer with more appearances from the stranger known as sunlight, the other side can't believe that time seems to be passing by at an alarming rate, leaving me with only 3 more months to finish my European bucket list. Luckily, this past week was devoted to mainly 2 things: class and testing my skills as a travel agent by booking my spring break voyage. Because we won't be taking many weekend trips this semester, my friends and I decided to take advantage of the 17 day long vacation that the Sorbonne has granted us by traveling during the entirety of the break. However, determining where we wanted to go and how long we wanted to stay was much easier said than done, and after much discussion we finally came to mutual itinerary. Week one will consist of a tour of Italy beginning with 3 nights in Venice, followed by 3 nights in Florence, and ending with 4 nights in Rome where I'll be drawing inspiration from "Eat, Pray, Love", especially the part of the story that involves eating everything in sight. Next, the following week will begin with 3 nights in Prague and end with the last 3 nights in Amsterdam. Needless to say we are riddled with excitement and cannot wait for the break to get here, however we still need to start looking into travel accommodations since they currently only consist of cheap hostels and the goodwill of individuals listed of Couchsurfing.com...I definitely sense some good stories resulting from this trip already. 

Other than the travel plans, nothing too exciting has come from this past week. Classes continue to go well, even though I'm still waiting to one day wake up with the ability to speak impeccable French so I can begin making my way into the high-class Parisian social circles...but alas, it's still a work in progress. Also, my friends and I have been finding some VERY entertaining places to go out in several different arrondissements (neighborhoods) of the city, one of which includes one of my new favorites, "Le Pantalon". This tiny bar is located in the 5th arrondissement, also known as the Latin Quarter, and boasts an inside that looks like everyone's crazy grandmother was hired as the interior decorator. Although strange and bizarre, Le Pantalon (literally meaning "the pant") has proven to be a very popular spot among local students who live within the area and almost always exclusively speak French, making a visit to be good practice for us Americans. Another fun and populated area that we've discovered is The Bastille area (here's some wiki info if you want to know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_de_la_Bastille) which is filled with bars, clubs, cafes, and of course creperies which provide the absolute best late night snacks. Just last night even, we discovered a sort of "indy" bar with a really cool atmosphere that reminded me of AC's back home, only with a much more "hole in the wall" appearance with a bathroom that vaguely reminded me of a movie set from Saw...but again, that's Paris for you.

Unfortunately the weather here has been less than impressive with many cloudy/rainy days, making it difficult to lug a camera around everywhere to take pictures. BUT, here are some random snapshots of some fun places around the city that will have to suffice until the weather makes a comeback. They even include a picture from a visit to a perfume museum we found one day while walking around. Yes, it's strange and random, but it was also FREE, something I can't pass up anymore since Paris has been literally eating through my wallet lately. Regardless, it turned out to be a very interesting visit, and I can now say that I am much less in the dark when understanding the process through which perfumes are produced. Not to mention that being able to smell scents of almost every flower and fruit imaginable provided a nice break to my nose that has been filled with the usual odors of cigarette smoke, dog poop (Parisians absolutely love their dogs, just not enough to always pick up after them), and whatever else the streets of Paris have to offer one's sense of smell. Thinking back, it's probably a blessing in disguise that I had gotten used to living in Charleston before I came to France since nothing here has quite come close to the smell of carriage tours or King St. on Sunday morning.

Until next time, À bientôt and a safe and fun spring break to everyone back at the College of Charleston and elsewhere. 

My favorite metro stop that I have encountered, located near the neighborhood known as the Marais.

Inside the perfume museum. Our guide said this was called the perfume organ because perfumes are composed from those oils like music. Questionable.

Another night trying to figure out the complicated system that is the Paris nightbus.

Fellow API'ers at The Hideout in Chatelet, naturally.

Le Patalon's menu. If you've ever get the chance to drink Delirium beer, do it. Delicious.

You never know what you'll find on the streets of Chinatown.

Get Into the Groove

Let's start this off with a little fact of reality that took me by surprise this past week: you have to take classes while studying abroad. After about a week and a half in Paris with a complete lack of academic responsibility, the time finally came for the vacation to end and for the studies to begin. However, I have to say that not only I am excited to begin the classes that will hopefully greatly improve my French, but I am also ecstatic to be forced to develop some sort of routine, or groove if you will, for my days here in Paris. Vacations are great, but sooner or later they must come to an end.

This past Friday was the first day of classes for our program with the Sorbonne, and I think all of us would agree with the fact that it went pretty well. I share a class with a couple other API students taught by Monsieur Antoni-Gautier, a very small, old, and quintessentially French man. At first I was skeptical of how I would like him as a teacher, but after only a few minutes, he eased all our nerves with his surprisingly good senses of humor, enthusiasm, and organization. He even gave us syllabi (something that French professors are NEVER known to do), and then told us to be happy because we would be getting our daily exercise by climbing the 10 long flights of stairs that lead to our classroom...at least we get a view of the Eiffel Tower he says. Though his class is everyday of the week for 2 hours each day, I'm pretty confident that we'll all enjoy his class, and that it won't be too difficult (hopefully). Other than the grammar class, I've also registered for a phonetics lab and two conference classes (History of French Art and the Cultural Geography of France) that will begin next week, so it looks like I now have to become a legitimate student again after my nearly 3 month hiatus from school.

Other than classes, this past week and a half has also been full of my continued explorations of the city. Needless to say, Paris is absolutely beautiful, but it's a different kind of beauty that I am used to for sure. Back home, especially in Charleston, I marvel at the natural beauty of my surroundings. Just thinking about it now, I definitely miss the golden marshes, sand dune-lined beaches, and the humid southern weather that characterizes my lowcountry home back in the US. Here in Paris, my appreciation stems more from the all too amazing architecture, art, and even fashion that can be seen at every street corner and metro stop. Speaking of fashion, it never ceases to amaze me to see how everyone dresses here! Every single day I see men, women, and even children that are dressed so well I feel like I need to spend an obscene amount of money to update my wardrobe to meet Paris' "chic" standards. I guess it just goes to show that while Parisians don't really care about exercise or hygiene (yes, the stereotype is true; it smells like no one showers here) they will go the extra mile to make sure that what they're wearing makes up for it...or so they might think.

Regardless of the differences however, I am finally starting to feel at home here. I won't pretend like these first two weeks weren't pretty difficult in terms of trying to adjust to everything, but now with both the daily schedule provided by the start of classes and the familiarity of the city provided by the non-stop walking around, things are becoming more second nature. Also, I'm getting very excited to start the process of traveling to other places. So far I've only booked a weekend getaway to Barcelona to meet Shannon in March, but I plan to make some serious progress this weekend by booking some more weekend trips and finalizing my two and a half week spring break ...needless to say I'll be booking a lot flight with RyanAir to accommodate my college budget!

Until next time, here are some pictures from around the city including a walk through the catacombs...creepy, no?

Jardins de Luxembourg on beautiful sunny day, something you must take advantage of while in Paris

Le Sorbonne, where I take classes...or at least where I wish I took classes

Thousand year old bones on the Catacombs. I'll admit it, I was scared.

At least it's sort of religious display, right?

Found these at the exit above ground. Maybe some got caught trying to take a souvenir. 

The bridge seen in Inception. One of the coolest I've seen thus far.

Can't ever get sick of Eiffel Tower

Possibly obsessed

Imma get me one of these house boats one day.

Days Go By

Hello everyone from Paris...FINALLY. Since getting here on Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, I haven't had internet so I apologize for the delay of entries into "Da Blog". Anyway, here we go:

It's hard to believe I've already been here for a week, but what an eventful and interesting week it has been thus far. For the first two nights here, all of the API students in my certain program (The language and Culture Studies Program through the Sorbonne) were housed in the Hotel Citadines right in the middle of the city, the 1st arrondissement. The area was absolutely amazing, being located only a few blocks from Notre Dame, La Seine, and tons of other landmarks. Naturally, we immediately started sightseeing for a bit, however it was a pretty busy first two days with various orientation activities scheduled by API that ranged anywhere from housing information sessions to welcome dinners, all the while running on very VERY few hours of sleep thanks to my intense case of jet-lag, which seems to finally be coming to a halt.

Other than all the meetings that had been scheduled, the first few days were also spent socializing with and getting to know the other students within the program by performing the greatest of all ice-breakers: going out. Needless to say it's been a great bonding experience to be able to explore this new and amazing place with people from all over the country. Though I won't go into too much detail, it seems that my friends and I have already established some stomping grounds in the area near our program center in the 1st Arrondissement, especially at two bars known as "The Hideout" (1st floor = Bar. Basement = underground dungeon mini dance club complete with strobe lights) and "BeHo" (small karaoke café with a great happy hour) that have kept us out until ALL hours of the night, forcing me to ride the Paris métro home at 5:30 AM while many adults are just now commuting to work..c'est la vie, n'est pas?

The beloved Hideout

Lastly, this past week has also been full of various excursions throughout the city put on by our program providers. While most of them involve tours of different sites and areas such as the Louvre, Montmartre, and the Latin Quarter, one excursion in particular has definitely stood out among the rest: Le Cirque D'Hiver. Why would we go to a circus you may ask? Good question. I personally have no idea why the circus was chosen, however it did in fact provide a few good laughs as we watched some of the most bizarre talents I've ever seen. If you've seen my photo album on facebook, you might have noticed the numerous acts of the night that ranged from lion-taming, to some cirque du soleil action, to the ever so erotic striptease performed by a woman being suspended in the air by a giant hula hoop. All in all, the show was definitely a "spectacle" of some sorts so here's a video for you to have some idea of the talents Parisians have to offer...

You say Goodbye, and I say Hello

DISCLAIMER: I pre-wrote this in the ATL Airport as I was about to board my plane to Paris, however I am just now posting it because I haven't had internet at my current apartment...so here you go!

Well everyone, the day has finally arrived! As we speak, or I guess type, I am sitting right outside gate E11 of the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport of Atlanta, GA, waiting to board my 6:05PM flight to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Even though I’ve been counting down to this very moment for what seems like a lifetime, it’s still hard to believe that this voyage has actually begun. I feel like it was only yesterday when my roommate Shannon and I were sitting on the couch of our apartment back in Charleston trying to decide where we wanted to study abroad, a process that you could say way a struggle at best. Maybe it’s because I’ve become such a pro at doing absolutely NOTHING these past two months by living back home in GA with no job, no school work, and absolutely no motivation to do anything other than get ready for this trip or take a weekend visit back to Charleston...Regardless, it’s been quite an interesting past few days as I prepared for today with my embarrassing attempts to pack my belongings, and the various “farewell dinners” I had with my family and friends, especially since my father has been trying to serve me very generous amounts of alcohol every night. Needless to say he was successful.

Anyway, I just wanted to give a quick and last minute goodbye to all you in the States, and say a big ‘ole hello to France! I’ll try to give an update as soon as possible, however I’m very unsure to whether or not I’ll have access to internet so fingers crossed. Right now I’m going to go try to find some Tylenol PM to take on the plane in hopes of getting some sleep since I’ll be arriving in France at around 8:25 AM and barely got any sleep last night...definitely not surprised that my nerves kept me up.

See you soon, Europe. 

Horrible last minute packing

The one item I made sure not to forget