Texas Forever

Growing up I hated Texas.  It represented everything I despised: the heat, country music, and the Dallas Cowboys (I’m going to catch a lot of flak for that last one).  If I had the chance, I would have gotten out of Texas faster than Usain Bolt reaching the finish line in the 100m.  The dream of living in Paris for a year was an opportunity to finally get out of the land of cows, dirty gas stations, and that annoying southern twang that us Texans are known for.  But something funny happened the semester before I arrived here.  A close friend of mine, Scott Johnston, introduced me to the television show Friday Night Lights.  For those of you not familiar with the series, the show follows a high school football team in a small, west Texas town.  Football in Texas in king and even more so in small Texas towns where the only thing the residents have to look forward to is the football team playing each Friday.  My point being, I love Texas and I think since being abroad that passion has grown exponentially.  Other study abroad students have asked me what makes Texas so great and for a while it was hard to answer that question.  But after mulling it over I came up with a few things that’ll maybe give some of you a glimpse as to why the Lone Star State is not only special to me, but my fellow Texans as well.

Whataburger

Do you see that?  24 hour service: a catalyst for a great conversation over great food and one hell of a milkshake.

Friday Night Lights

This show is about more than football.  It epitomizes Texas.

Texas fall weather

Lake Travis deep in the heart of Austin, Texas.

 State Fair

The Texas State Fair: home to Big Tex (above), fried foods, a fantastic car show, and Texas-OU weekend.  Photo courtesy of busbank.com

 

The Republic of Texas:  that's right, republic.  Prior to Texas being annexed into the Union we won our independence from Mexico and were our own country from 1836-1846. 

Tex-Mex

An establishment only found in Dallas.  Rest assured whenever grandma came into town we were going to El Fenix.

And now enough Texas bravado and onto what has been going on in France.  This past week (and month for that matter) has been a lot of fun.  I mean A LOT.  Rather than going through the whole month, I’ll give y’all a rundown on the events this past week.

Monday I slept in more than usual as a result of having gone out to watch some football with David like every Sunday night.  I think I was just trying to sleep off the Eagles loss to the Cardinals…really the Cardinals?  We’ll be playing the Giants next, but with Vick out with broken ribs our chances aren’t looking so hot.  Once I got dressed I took the normal one-hour metro ride to St. Denis to do complete my medical appointment.  That itself was a process itself, however I had an enjoyable, albeit weird, conversation with the doctor about the JFK assassination (because we all know Texans don’t like Democrats).  Following that, I met up with the ‘les gars’ (dudes) in the hangout room to chill for a bit.  I’m really lucky to have found them.  They remind me of some of my friends who I grew up with in Garland.  Now if only I could converse with them fluently…oh well, with time.  Following spending a couple of hours with them I came home and had one of the best dinners yet with my host family.  We had a fun discussion about the talents of classical musicians versus rock musicians.  It was an interesting one, as Maurice seemed adamant that the former were more talented.  Good discussion!  Later that night I met up with Laryssa and her roommates for a cool jazz trio performance at the Piano Vache for a GREAT evening (albeit sans comfortable seats). 

While it was a bit anticlimactic to celebrate the big 21^st birthday in Paris because of the drinking laws here, it was a great experience regardless.  Tuesday started off with me almost being late for an interview for an English teaching job.  Needless to say, once I reached the university I was sweating a bit, but I arrived in the nick of time.  I’ll be teaching French students English in a very non-formal environment.  While I didn’t initially want to do anything that would inhibit my French, this job does pay well enough to go toward travel expenses.  Following the interview I met up with Laryssa at Breakfast in America for a nice brunch.

That night my host family had the family over and once again Laurence prepared a top-notch meal.  I think she out does herself every time with her cooking.  Highlight of the meal?  An onion pie (tarte d’onion) that was out of this world delicious.  The night was capped with a homemade (!!!) birthday cake that was also fantastic.  A few pictures below.

Mauric, Zach, Laurence, Camille

Camille and Bertrand

I think Thursday is probably my favorite day of the week since I’ve been in Paris.  The day starts off with my theatre class, which needless to say, has been interesting.  I don’t think I’ll ever have an appreciation for the theatre, however the people in the class are what make it worthwhile.  Doing improv acting in French is also a lot of fun (albeit scary) because you’ve got to be on your toes and thinking in a language that isn’t your native tongue.  Following theatre is football practice.  This is without a doubt the highlight of the week.  We’ve already received our pads and playbook, so it looks like we’ll be going full steam ahead within the next coming weeks.  We’ll be using a run-heavy offense that uses single back, offset I and the I formation.  It seems like football in France isn’t quite ready to embrace the spread offense like the States have.  I’ll be rehashing the old Webb Middle School days by playing tight end for the Black Jacks, so fingers crossed coach throws some ‘Y-Hot’ plays into the playbook.

If Tuesday’s birthday celebration was the cake, then Friday’s bar outing was the icing.  I was lucky  to have my friends come out and celebrate at the Violon Dingue for my 21^st birthday.  Pictures below.

My teammates aka mes frères

The ladies

Lucas and David

 And there you have it, a wrap-up of what has been going on the past week.  I’ll figure out a better way to keep y’all updated because at the moment the method of posting every month isn’t working.  I have a terrible memory, so I think it’s also essential that I update this blog as regularly as I can because I don’t want to forget this experience.  It seems too good to be true to actually be living here in Paris.  Those of you who even have the slightest interest in studying abroad, DO IT.

 As much as I miss my friends and family back home, I can’t help but realize that Paris really does feel like home now.  It’s premature to say that now only three months into this journey, however I’m having the time of my life and I don’t want it to end.  But sappy words aside, I’ll talk to y’all soon.  And in the words of Drake, take care.

New vocabulary:  querelleur (quarrelsome, also incredibly difficult to pronounce), squelettique (a really skinny person), brêle (a terrible team, i.e. the Eagles)

Most listened to song : Devil Town- Bright Eyes

Street Lights

Growing up as kids we are always told by our parents that the decisions we make will have consequences.  Let’s be honest though, who REALLY listens to their parents when they say this?  It usually takes some event for the light bulb to come on.  Events that usually have consequences:

-Eating too much Whataburger.  While this may seem like an excellent idea, unfortunately this will certainly have some sort of side affect down the road.

-Cheering for the Eagles.  See 1-4 season.  Even in Paris it still hurts.

-Borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars.  Yup, the US government (and the rest of the world) is learning the hard way.

-Listening to Justin Bieber.  This is an obvious one.

Consequences of listening to him:  public ridicule, possible deafness, loss of dignity.

 But consequences don’t always have to be bad:

-Believing in your dreams.  Sooner or later, the cards will fall in the right direction.  It just takes being stubborn and never giving up.

He knows a thing or two about never giving up.

-Buying a baguette.  Your stomach and wallet will be eternally thankful.  90 cents is never an offer to turn down.

-Spontaneity.  Walking into a random café in the hopes of finding cheap drinks but leaving with a new network of friends.  Sometimes life takes a little curiosity and luck to reap its benefits.

Laryssa, Lucas, and me.

Now onto the top ten things that I’ve done or found interesting the past several weeks.

1) Fall is finally here in Paris.  While the leaves have been changing since I arrived at the beginning of September, it certainly hasn’t felt like it as temperatures have fluctuated between the high 70s and mid 80s.  Sunday morning saw the city transform into the Paris we all know: rainy and cold.  Now we’re talkin’.

2) After a month of what felt like a vacation within a vacation, school has finally started.  I’m taking what’s roughly the equivalent of 15 hours in the states.  The difference being that each class meets once a week and is two and a half hours long.  In terms of classes I’ll be taking: art history in France, Middle East relations in relation to the US and France, an oral speaking class, a film class, and a theatre class (improv in French should be interesting…).

3) I signed up to play for an American tackle (yes ,you read that right) football team at my university.  Somehow my French university got it right in comparison to UT’s flag football.  I’ll be playing with all French students in what looks like a great opportunity.  

4) Paris really is a sight to see at night.  Those who believe the city is too dirty, crowded, etc., obviously they aren’t doing something right.  Nothing compares to walking along a beautifully lit Pont Alexandre by night with its golden flourishes and detailing with the Seine on each side.

This tiny picture of Wikipedia suffices here, but must really be seen in person to get the full effect.

5) Laryssa and I were having a conversation a couple of days on the subject of Paris as the city of love.  She believes people think this because of the way the city lights up at night.  Me being the romantic, I’m in the other camp.  I certainly don’t think Paris will make two people fall in love, however if you need the tools, they’re everywhere.  Long boulevards, cafés, irresistible monuments all contribute to what I like to call the ‘Paris enzyme.’

6) I took a couple of trips since we last visited to see Monet’s house (holy moly, Batman) in Giverny and a trip to Champagne to, well, learn about champagne.  Pictures below on the Giverny trip.  Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos while in Champagne.

Part of the front yard

Monet's crib

Looking from the front to the entrance.  More photos on Facebook.

7) After being in the routine of working out every week at UT, it’s ‘un petit peu’ difficult to break the habit.  Fortunately the idea of (semi-) reasonable gyms exists in Paris.  I was able to find a gym in the 15^th arrondissment.  It’s actually not too bad, however with it being reasonable, one can expect to get what they pay for.  The space is pretty limited, however it gets the job done.  A few things I noticed:  everyone uses a towel on each machine, and water is NOT free. 

8) Next to my ‘Paris Pratique’ (the city guide), my parents have been an incredible supportive since my first day in Paris.  Note to all future study abroad students, no crêpe, weekend trip, or night out will offer the same warmth and love as your family.

9) The concept of ‘time’ doesn’t exist here.  The quicker one (especially Americans) realizes this the happier they’ll be.  The French know how to live.  They’re more likely to put their personal happiness in front of yours whether it comes to getting a form signed or waiting in line for 30 minutes at a fast food restaurant.  Enjoy the moment.  It’s more about living live than accomplishing things on a checklist. 

10) My host dad, Maurice introduced me to French tongue twisters.  And we thought ‘Shelly skipped seashells by the seashore’ was bad.  Check these out. 

Song of the blog:  Streetlight - Kanye West

Don't Think Twice It's Alright

It’s been a while since we last talked (over twenty days to be exact), but I’ll try too fill y’all in the best that I can.  I originally envisioned this post being a lot longer.  However, procrastination took its toll and as a result this post is more abbreviated than originally planned.  Next post will be better and more thorough…pinky promise.  As usual an introduction followed by the top ten things that have caught my eye.

One of my favorite writers, Matthew Berry of ESPN.com, posted an article a few weekends ago titled ‘A Little Faith Goes A Long Way.’  In it he talks about not giving up on underperforming players on your fantasy football team since the season just started.  Now wait, this isn’t a fantasy football post, so don’t go back to Facebook just yet.  I'll explain.    

Every time we travel somewhere there is a wonder, mystique that we associate with the place:  Cairo for its mysterious pyramids; New York as the city that never sleeps; and Paris as the city of love.  In some way all of those descriptions are true, but when visiting these great cities we are never given the time to truly LIVE while there.  As study abroad students I think we fail to realize this upon arrival.  Our romantic ideas about each location hide the fact that where we live now is a lot different from home.  I can’t change someone's thinking to fit the way I think something should be done.  It’s impossible.  There are some things we can never change, whether it's

Michael Vick getting injured.  Photo courtesy of Detroitnews.com

bustling Parisians in the Metro.  Photo courtesy of Matternetwork.com

or the people we love.  Photo courtesy of Newyorktimes.com

How do you cope then?  Live your life and work around it, but given time maybe you get lucky and people will surprise you.  It just takes perseverance.  Now onto the juicy stuff i.e. the top ten.

1) Forget getting around the city via the Metro.  It’s too hot and beyond crowded during rush hour.  Besides, what better way to explore a city than on a bike?  The Velib bike service provided by the city is an awesome, inexpensive alternative to really see the city.  Words of warning: this is not for the weak of heart i.e. crazy, Parisian motorists.

Velib station in my arrondissment.

 2) I had always wanted to have a host family before coming abroad and to this day I don’t regret it.  Granted, it can be difficult at times talking to them because of the constant worry of making mistakes, but I think all study abroad students have that anxiety.  Anyhow, last Saturday night we celebrated Laurence’s birthday…French style.  I probably understood about half of what everyone was talking about, but hot dog it was a lot of fun.  We started out with champagne and then moved into the dining room for crayfish (langouste).  This was followed by duck and then a selection of cheeses with wine and finally cake.  It really was a night to remember. 

3) I was able to make it to Germany for several days to visit an old friend.  I didn’t know what to expect going over, but let’s just say I didn’t want to come back.  What a great, beautiful country.  Paris is great, but at the end of the day I’ll take the small villages over a sprawling city.  

Jaca and I at the top of Kolner Dom in Koln.

 4) Just a little tid bit, but it’s interesting to see what the Parisians wear on a day-to-day basis.  It has been abnormally hot here for September (70s to 80s, I know, I shouldn’t be complaining), yet I still see people bundle up with coats and scarves…even on the furnace that is the Metro.

5) Well, two interviews later and it’s looking like a no go when it comes to working at the Ralph Lauren on Saint Germaine (i.e. the dream store).  I think it came down to my ability to speak French, and frankly my level of fluency isn’t where it should be to work there.  This is the guy who mistakenly pronounced canard (duck) as connard (***hole) at the dinner table. However, it was great to have the opportunity to even GET an interview.  Fingers crossed I hit the ball next time it comes my way.  In the mean time, I’ve been reading Wikipedia articles in French to improve my fluency.  It’s really cool to see the street you live on has its own Wikipedia article.  Good stuff!

6) School is just NOW about to start on Monday for me, which is kind of frustrating.  I miss the feeling of what all of you are experiencing right now with exams.  Anyhow, my school, Paris VIII, looks like it came straight out of the 60s.  The only real presence of a student organization I’ve seen on campus is the communist club and their posters declaring that capitalism is dead…and we all thought UT was liberal.

And we thought the PCL looked bad.

 7) My buddy Lucas and I went to visit Château Fontainebleu which is 30 minutes outside of Paris by train.  Pictures below.

Lucas and I in front of the château.

Wouldn't y'all like to have this as your backyard?

8) The bars here are quite the places to go for students.  Last night a few friends and I went to a bar called The Wall in the Latin Quarter.  How cool was this place?  Well before leaving we were treated to a student who busted out his guitar and started playing jams to songs by Bob Dylan and the Beatles.  Obviously everyone sang along.

9) Speaking of bars, Paris does have some that caters to us roudy Americans who love football.  Another exchange student, David who goes to University of Wisconsin, and I went to a South African bar to watch the Eagles play.  It was bittersweet, no just bitter, because the Eagles lost and Michael Vick got injured, again (see introduction).  Nevertheless it was a lot of fun.

10) Haircuts here are expensive.  Jim’s Barbershop where are you with your 10 dollar haircuts when I need them?  20 Euros is NOT a bargain for a buzz cut.

So there you have it gang.  I’ll try to update this baby each week.  Thanks for reading and I hope all of you are doing well.  If you're interested in reading the Matthew Berry article I mentioned, click here.  Just read the intro as the rest is about fantasy football. 

Song of the blog:  Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright – Bob Dylan

A week in review

I’ve never been to Tokyo, nor have I starred in a Sofia Copolla produced film, much less a film period.  However, I am studying abroad in a foreign country that speaks a language I thought I knew, so I guess Bill Murray and I do have something in common.

I’ve been meaning to write this blog since arriving, so it seems now is the best time to write it seeing as how if I wait any longer I probably won’t do it.  A quick rundown for anyone in the dark - this blog will be dedicated to my nine to ten months that I’ll be studying in Paris as well as my adventures within the city and across Europe.  Many of you know that I’ve always wanted to do this, so the fact that it is happening right now is, quite frankly, surreal.  I would have never been able to do this without the love and support from my parents.  Initially it was difficult to get them onboard, but once they understood the benefits of studying abroad they were all for it.  Another shout out to former UT student, Alina Slavik, who did the same program I’m doing.  It was through her that I was able to get in touch with my host mother.  A big thank you to Alina for guiding me through the process of applying for study abroad and getting prepared for coming over here.  Her blog was also a huge inspiration, too. 

Now on to what’s been going on over here.

My first week in the city of lights has been a rush to say the least.  I arrived at Charles de Gaulle Friday afternoon and immediately taxied over to the MICEFA office (the exchange program).  The cab ride in itself was an adventure because it involved two people (the cab driver and myself) trying to speak to each other in broken French.  Needless to say, it was a nice, quiet ride once she understood the directions.  A few hours later I was able to make it over to my host family’s apartment and get settled in.

Six flights of winding stairs later with baggage in tow, I finally made it up to my new home.  I’ll be living in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, also know as the Marais.  When I say I was fortunate to get such a space I really do mean it.  I’m living in one of the oldest parts of Paris, so old in fact that part of it wasn’t touched during Napoleon III’s reconstruction of the city in the early 1800s.  Pretty awesome!  Plus, it’s cool to be a five-minute walk from Notre Dame and Bastille.  My host mother, Laurence Dubaut, works for a museum near the Louvre and her son, Camille, 18, has just started what we would call undergraduate school in the states.  Baseball runs in the family as Camille plays for the French national team and Laurence used to coach AND play until this year.  Maybe their love for the game will rub off on me?  We’ll see with time.  I’m hoping I can get them into American football but that might be too optimistic on my part.  I mean, I’ve got to have someone to talk to about fantasy football, right?

My room

Le salon i.e. the living room

Looking out over the balcony

Other than that most of my days have consisted of walking around and touring this amazing city.  The long boulevards adorned with little cafés and shops really are a sight to behold.  Pictures really don’t do it justice unfortunately.  I was planning on giving a rundown of my adventures here the past week, however, I don’t want to bore all of you so I’ll just give/show ten of the highlights and things I’ve noticed.

1) Visited the Ralph Lauren on Saint Germain.  WOW.  Somehow the store transcends being just another retail store and turns into an experience.  I spoke to the manager in RRL and Blue Label about a part-time position and they said once I get my school schedule figured out to come in for an interview.  Talk about opportunity of a lifetime.  Fingers crossed it all works out.
 

Directory of floors within the store....yes floors.  Photo courtesy of materialiste.com

RRL room.  All RRL i.e. all awesomeness.  Photo courtesy of materialiste.com

Staircase if you so choose not to take the elevator adjacent.  Photo courtesy of materialiste.com

 2) My big ‘sight seeings’ thus far has been the Eiffel and the cemetery in Montmarte.  Pictures below.

Cat within Cemetery Montmarte

It really is a sight to behold.  An acre of graves and mausoleums mushed together

3) The French really do like their expresso.  It’s pretty damn good I might add.

4) Missing orientation to get a cheaper flight might have been a mistake because I was not able to meet the other North American exchange students in my program, however I stand by it (gotta save that cash!). 

5) I don’t know as much French as I thought I did.  My host family must think I didn’t learn any prior to coming over.  I think with time though it'll all come together once my brain can catch up with the rate at which the language is spoken.  The two biggest hurdles have been learning all of this vocabulary as well as not making silly mistakes whilst talking (that’s been the norm since arriving).

6) Don’t order wine at the bar in a restaurant.  I learned the hard way when I first arrived.  I said, ‘Je voudrais un vin rouge’ to the bartender and the elderly woman sitting at the bar just shook her head.  On the plus side, the two of us ended up having a nice conversation in the end.

7) The French love their sports, however they don’t wear it like we do in the states.  I was the only person who was wearing a French soccer jersey when national team played Romania for Euro 2012 qualifiers.  I somehow must have looked the part of a tourist too because a homeless man asked for a euro in English.  Fail on my part. 

8) Subway is a lot more expensive in Europe.  In the States, I would rely on the company of Jared to save me some cash for a quick meal during finals.  Here however, not so much.  8 Euros for a foot-long sub?  In the words of Keyshawn Johnson, ‘C’mon man.’

9) Everyone dresses nice.  See number 7 on what not to wear.

10) As much as I do love it here, I do miss the States and friends.  I know I made the right decision in coming over, so this is probably the culture shock talking right now.

I’ll try to keep this updated as much as possible but for now ‘a bientôt’ as the French say.  Once again, thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of this experience.  It has been great to have such fantastic support.