First week in Paris

Everything is fine in Paris. I moved in with my host family yesterday (Sunday) and they are really nice. I have my own room and I have a toilet outside my room and then I use the shower upstairs that the daughters use. It's a weird shower and this morning I didn't wash my hair because I couldn't figure it out. It's a tub with a shower head connected to the hose but its not mounted on the wall. There's no shower curtain either. I've been told you need to sit down in the tub and wash yourself that way. HOW STRANGE.

I'll try it tomorrow...

My host mom cooks amazing food. We've had chicken and vegetables, salmon and vegetables and some amazing desserts. I'm enjoying her food a lot. I will eat with them every Monday and Wednesday--the other nights I will do my own thing.

I start classes tomorrow. I have Art and Literature at 12 and at 2 I have French Grammar. We all had to take a placement exam to see which Grammar class we'd be in and I placed into Advanced so I was excited about that although it will be difficult.

I'm getting better about conversing with my host family. When they're not talking directly to me and talking to eachother its really difficult to understand because they blend all their words together but sometimes I can understand.

My host mom is taking me tomorrow to get a hairdryer. Mom gave me hers to take and I'm pretty sure I blew it up. Not good.

I got a cold from some people in my group so right now my nose is like a faucet and I have a bunch of sinus stuff. My host mom gave me medicine and some stuff to take for bed to help me sleep and feel better.

The first week was orientation and it was crazy. We even did a walking tour the day we got there. We went to Marais- where we stood on the square where Marie Antoinnette and Louis the 16th were beheaded...now it's an ice skating rink. Also in Marais is the most expensive restaurant in the world--we were told by our tour guide.

We did a tour at Montmartre where we visited the Sacre Coeur and also saw Moulin Rouge.

I've walked the Champs-Elysees a little bit and I ride the Metro everyday and that's my mode of transportation. My host family lives about 40 minutes away by train and metro. I live right beside Amanda and Emily who are in the program and we met at the Trainstation today and rode together.
It's not bad. The culture is very different and Americans are treated differently but hopefully soon I'll fit in better with the French.

One of the most frustrating things is when you ask them a question in French and they answer in English. You're not sure if they're trying to be nice or if they're being rude. Maybe soon it'll change.

The time difference is a huge shock---especially when I want to call back home on the webcam or something....I'll get used to it eventually.
Hope all is well on yalls side of the world. Miss you all.

Love Amber

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