Still Lifes and Fist Fights

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This was my first week of classes and I'm SO excited about them. I'm taking an English class that focuses on expatriate writers living in Paris after WWI. It's cool because, well, I'm kind of an expat at the moment! And I'm also taking a beginning drawing class. It's going to be amazing. The teacher says we're going to make sketches at the Louvre next week- The LOUVRE! I'll be one of those kids with the gargantuan sketch pads holding my little pencil and eraser, replicating the works of the masters- terribly!

We worked on a sketch of a basket full of newspapers today. Mine looked more like a basket full of lines slanted at different angles when I was done with it, but some other people's were really good. He told me my work was "quite flat" and that he'd teach me how to make it look more 3D, but at the same time the fact that I had tried to make a shadow beneath the basket was "at least a correct thought" lol!

Then after class we went and got nutella crepes and ate them on the Metro. Then I wanted something salty so I went into the McDonals again for some fries only there was a man there who must have been very angry about either the service or the food or maybe just about the presentation of the meal, I'm not sure, but he was yelling at the poor girl working at the counter, loudly, and people were starting to stare. I switched lines, so as to not have to wait for him to finish yelling before I got to order my fries. He continued. A man working behind the counter came to the girls defense. This seemed to anger mr. angry man even more.

Then something happened that would never, ever have happened in the States: the McDonalds employee jumped over the counter and lunged at Mr. Angry Man. He got him by the shirt collar and kicked him with his foot, then proceeded to spit at him. I'd just recieved my fries at that point and was quite annoyed that they were in the way of my exit. It would have been nice to eat them outside on the terrace, but it was not to be. I sat down at the nearest table and hoped they wouldn't come towards me. Everyone was silent. Everyone was staring.

A second McDonalds employee jumped the counter to hold back the first. A lot of yelling in French. A lot of lunging of the first employee and holding back by the second. I opened my packet of ketchup.

A third employee dragged Mr. Angry man out of the building. The first employee was still yelling and lunging, checked by the second.

I decided the special sauce they have for the fries here is quite delicious.

The three male employees return to their registers and business resumes as usual.

So, an afternoon snack and a show for less that two Euro. That's what I call a value meal.



The pictures I've added are of the Seine and also of my room here (the one of the eiffel tower is the view)! I'll write back soon. No more McDonalds stories for a while, promise!

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