Paris, je t'aime...and other European Adventures!: First things first...to backtrack a bit...

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't updated for awhile. Once the weekend hit, I became very busy, walking around, seeing the sites this beautiful city has to offer, and so far this week, I've been really busy with homework, class, and other various activities. You will read about all of this very soon, but first, here are some snapshots of my Parisian abode (taken while my "family" was gone, so as not to offend/confuse/annoy them...yes, that's the theme of the Parisian homestay, constant awkward encounters and uncertainty, for me and my friends.) But more about that later...

I guess I'll just comment on following pictures a bit...

...ummm, they should all be pretty self-explanatory. I am showing you the microwave (le micron) because I haven't the slightest clue as to how it works. There are no numbers, and the nobs you turn have nothing to do with duration of cook time. So when I use it to heat water for me tea, I just push things, see the time that comes up, and then stand there until the right amount of time has passed, and then stop it and take my stuff out. Normally, it wants to go for 3:18. I should probably ask my "mom", but it's more of an adventure this way, right?

Oh, and the picture of the calendar is where my host mom writes down when I'm going to have dinner here (I eat 3 dinners per week with the family.) Also, you can see a tiny picture of her. (It's one of those personalized calendars full of travels photos of her and her family...they've been all over...Nigeria, India, the U.S...several other places, I'm sure...)

I guess the only other comments I have on the pictures are that the kitchen is very large for a French/Parisian kitchen. In fact, the apartment is very large, in general. (I'm pretty sure my host family isn't in this for the money.) However, I haven't even seen the entire apartment, just the common areas and my room...I've never seen the family members' bedrooms, and mine is on the opposite side of the apartment. Also, the shower is TINY. I still smack my elbows everywhere during my morning showers. Oh, and I have a wonderfully large window in my room that overlooks a busy street. The upside is the nice view and the city-feel. The downside is the noise at night. Despite the shudders, it is REALLY loud. I've contemplated investing in earplugs, but I'm usually so tired anyway that it doesn't take that long to fall asleep. However, last night, at 3 am, there were 3 drunk people right outside my window (we're on the 2nd floor) who were stumbling around, struggling to lock up their bicycles, singing, chanting, laughing, screaming at each other. I wanted to open the window and throw something at them. Finally, a police officer (on bike) came over and took care of it...

Fear not! There is MUCH more to come soon. I just want to break up these posts to be more reader-friendly. :-)