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.