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Comme Ci Comme Ça


It may look like I was looking out near the top of a verdant hill, but it's actually a wall with moss on it.

Bonjour!

I'm going to format this post a little differently, by dividing it into three sections: "What's going well?", "What's going poorly?", and "What do I want to do during the upcoming week?". I feel like I haven't been doing as many new and exciting things recently, so I am including the last list to encourage myself to branch out a little bit more.

What's going well?

    I found a Chipotle in Paris!
  • I am getting better at navigating my daily life here in Paris. Using the metro, walking around without getting lost, being mindful of my homestay's rules...all of it is getting easier.
Please enjoy this video of me navigating my building's elevator
  • I chose to take 18 hours of class per week, in the hopes of improving my French and having some sense of routine. Thus far, I have not fallen behind, and I do not regret my decision.
This building at the Catho looks like it came from the pages of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
  • My primary French professor is very kind, and she has many helpful tips for navigating Paris.
  • I have a library card for France's national library! There are several elements of this experience that I'm including on the "What's going poorly?" list, but I'm happy to finally have access to a quiet, book-filled space away from school or my homestay.
A beautiful sunset outside the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand
  • Overall, I'm still getting sufficient sleep and my mental health hasn't completely detonated even though I'm in a completely different country.
Before we move on to the negatives, take a moment to enjoy this colorful street art.

What's going poorly?
  • As I previously alluded to, getting a library card was a very tedious process. First, I had to stand in the security line. Once I got to the checkpoint, the security officer was speaking French in a low voice that made it challenging to understand what he was saying. This led to him asking "Do you not speak French?" (in French), which was frustrating. Then, I had to stand in a much slower line before speaking to a helpful library employee who gave me my library card and some additional information about the library's services. At last, I chose a quiet study spot, which I was soon kicked out of by a library employee who watched me as I picked up my stuff and micromanaged which spot I relocated to. 
  • Sometimes, my attempts to speak French are successful. Other times, people just seem very confused and ask me to speak English.
  • I am simultaneously lonely and burnt out from social interaction, which is a lose/lose situation. 
  • I definitely underestimated how much living a homestay would feel like a sacrifice of my autonomy and independence.
What do I want to do during the upcoming week?
  • Visit the Musée d'Orsay.
  • Contact the local Quaker meeting about attending meeting there.
  • See the Eiffel Tower. (Like, literally just see the exterior.)
  • Participate in my study abroad program's "Harry Potter Game" by finding Fantastic Beasts around the city and taking pictures with them.
  • Encourage myself to have more conversations with people in French outside of class.
Au revoir,
Lydia

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