Tuesday, January 17, 2012

La Vie Parisienne

The first week in Paris has flown by in a whirlwind of baguettes, fromage, and sight-seeing. It has practically slapped me across the face how little time I actually have in this beautiful place and how fast it is going to slip through my fingers.

This week has been, first and foremost, a discovery through my taste buds. I am proud to say that I have found the most amazing boulangerie with the freshest baguettes just down the street from me. I have reacquainted myself with my love for Nutella...on absolutely anything. My diet consists mainly of bread products and cheese. Oh, and crepes, let's not forget crepes. My liquid diet has been a learning process, as well, as I have grown a taste for wine - the most famous French produce- and am in the process of learning how to distinguish between the numerous types. In France, a good bottle of wine can be cheaper than a soda, and definitely much more exciting to drink. Whether sipping on a glass while doing tedious grammar lessons, or pairing some Bourgeuil with a fresh baguette and Camembert, wine is exactly what I need to warm my Parisienne-in-training belly.

If there is one thing I have learned so far in terms of la nourriture it is that you must always have a fresh baguette and a bottle of wine on hand. After that, life will be good.

Classes have begun for me as well, which has honestly been a struggle. It is bad enough motivating myself in Boston. But now, with a whole world of things to explore, I feel like a prisoner in my Marie Antoniette-esque study lounge, doing homework rather than uncovering every nook and cranny of Parisien life.

A positive, though, is that in this week or so, I have definitely seen my French improve. After being acquainted to lectures entirely in French, signing a contract that prohibits me from speaking English at any point on the BU Paris premises, and just striking up conversation with the locals, I am inching toward my ultimate goal of fluidity in French. (Although, I'm sure the Franglish I speak with my friends here is totally not helping. i.e., I need to prendre un douche).

As each day passes, I find my worries slipping away. I have already been offered a possible internship, I am starting to master the metro, I am working my way up to solidifying the Parisian girl "bitch face" to deter creepy men, and I am making a life for myself here. I have found that I am a pretty adaptable person which, without this journey, I would have most likely never been able to see. Of course, there are people and things I miss back in the States, but at this moment, I think la vie Parisienne is suiting me just fine.


<If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast. -Ernest Hemingway

2 comments:

  1. I love your blog! I'm majoring in Public Relations also (at Arizona State) and I want to study abroad this summer..finding the link to your blog on Twitter definitely made me even more excited to look into it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great compliment! I am happy to inspire you and give you insight into what life will be like abroad. What would you like me to hit on? I'd love to write some posts on topics that interest you!

    ReplyDelete