pictures pictures

Keep scrolling down--I'm adding pictures a little at a time, tonight in the entry "Quelle belle journée!" This is, as always, a slow process, so it will probably take me a while to catch up with myself. I've still got some pictures from Italy that I haven't put on this computer, as well as pics from the Musée D'Orsay, my room, and of course the Eiffel Tower!

As for an update--not too much to say at the moment. Visited the Catacombs under the streets of southern Paris, walked a lot, rode the metro, napped, ate dinner with the Family. The usual. Perhaps soon I won't be using up all my blogging fuel in posting pictures, and will feel like giving more interesting updates. But for now, it's my bed time. I'm always sleepy here. Good thing I have a ridiculously comfy bed!

with zzzz's,

em

:::edit:::

Time for more pictures!

You know what this one is...Isn't it pretty? Ok, maybe you aren't that blown away by it, as I never was. That is, until I came to Paris and actually saw the thing. It's okay during the day, but at night, when the Eiffel Tower is all lit up and especially when it sparkles, it's one of my favorite parts of Paris. Another one of those things you have to see in person. Sitting in the lawn next to the tower, drinking wine in good company, or just walking around and seeing it unexpectedly--so fun. And when it all lights up, it's like being a little kid again, on a much bigger scale--Dazzly, as I believe I called it when I was little. There's something fun when both the structure, and the lights are there for no other purpose than to be looked at and look pretty. Kind of festive, one might say.

You can see just a few sparkles here, from almost underneath the tower. I guess that's all there really is to say about that.

pictures are coming...!

Just a quick note--it's time to start looking for pictures! I just posted a few from Italy, by editing my entry "Finally in Firenze." So scroll down and look at them!

PS--I finally saw the Eiffel Tower today--went all the way up, and back down to admire it later in the evening. It sparkles on the hour every hour after dusk!

Quelle belle journée!

"...Because on and off/the clouds have fought for control over the sky/and
lately the weather has been so bipolar/and consequently so have I...Now I'm
sunny with a high of 75 since you took my heavy heart, and made it light/and
it's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be
alive..."--Relient K, who else?

So those lyrics basically put my day into a few concise phrases. If you skimmed over them, read them again, because that's almost a perfect description of my frame of mind today. Not just my frame of mind--it really was sunny with a high of 75 today (24 celsius). Perfect. So, to compliment this perfect weather, I met a few friends at Notre Dame for lunch, and we made our way up to Montmartre for the afternoon. I don't really know what to tell you about this day. Nothing super-amazing happened, it was just a beautiful, spirit-lifting day.

After climbing up the hill (quite a climb, but not too much), we were met with the sight of the pristine, majestic Basilique du Sacré Cœur drawing the tourists, the faithful, and those in search of an afternoon repose. It was just below this church that we found a little spot of soft, fragrant grass to rest on. The grass was one of the best parts of the day--my first chance to enjoy that familiar pleasure since I was last in the States. Not to mention that this little spot of grass faced a panoramic view of the entire city below us. You know...Paris isn't cool, or anything. *winks*

I even got to see the carousel some steps below that is in Amélie. The steps up the hill, Sacre Coeur, the carousel...I even walked past the Video Palace where Nino worked in the movie...So that was fun. I felt quite touristy, and enjoyed every minute of it. After leaving Montmartre, the four of us went back towards the middle of the city, to kill time sitting on a bridge spanning the Seine until leaving for our respective host families and dinners.

Beautiful, beautiful day. The kind of day that makes you glad to be alive, and even think you might just make it through this crazy, challenging thing that I am realizing is my life. Bon soir, mes chers!

Oh, yes--pictures are still coming...As soon as I have a chance!

:::edit:::

Pictures from Montmartre!!

I actually took this in front of Notre Dame, waiting on some friends that we were meeting before heading up to Montmartre. If you don't think about how disgusting those pigeons are, it's really quite a sweet picture. I wish it was a better picture, honestly, but it was a hard one to get, and it captures enough of the scene to satisfy me. Hope you think it's fun, too.

The famous steps up to the top of the hill--Montmartre. There are quite a few of these steps, but they are absolutely worth the climb! If you ever come to Paris, and you are physically able, I would tell you to skip the funiculaire and work for the reward that awaits you at the top--Sacre Coeur and a view of the city! I think you'll appreciate it all more--and you'll get to look behind and before you in this pretty, tree-lined ascent!

This is one (right) of my favorite pictures from the afternoon in Montmartre. It's the same old Sacre Coeur, but upside down. While we were all just sitting around on some grass facing the view of Paris laid out in front, I lay all the way back, tilted my head and camera, and took this just for the sake of a moment's entertainment. I was surprised that it actually came out pretty well, and like that I have an upside-down picture of this place. Every time I look at it, my brain gets confused, and slightly concerned for the guy sitting on the grass--I always feel like he's going to fall!

Ok, ok--the obligatory picture of something cool with me in the foreground--proving that I was actually there. It's not a very good picture, because of the shade where we were standing, and how bright it was up on the hill with the white Basilique. Nonetheless, there stand I, Amy, and a friend of ours through the organization, Courtney. Just as a side note, off to the left, behind us, is the carousel that's in Amélie. The church is in it, too, of course. Did I mention to those of you who don't know, that being in Montmartre is being in Amélie's neighborhood? I think that's cool. Well, that's all you get for today!

and life continues...

mmm...I can smell dinner being cooked right now--there must be some crazy ventilation system here, because every night in my third-floor attic room, I can smell the food cooking almost as strongly as if I was right in the kitchen. *Prepare yourself, this is probably going to be one of those "stream of consciousness" entries.*

So, since I've mentioned the smell of dinner, I suppose this would be an opportune time to talk a little bit about my host family and our dinners. The two go together at this point, in my mind, because dinner is the only time of day that I spend with my host parents at this point. It is quite the fun (and sometimes tiring) experience. The food itself so far has been out of this world. Or maybe just out of what my world used to be ;) There is always a TON of food to be eaten, and it is quite, quite scrumptious. For example--one night this week, we had (in no particular order): red beans, couscous, stewed vegetables, lamb, salad, bread (of course--our family goes through five or six baguettes each day, between breakfast and bedtime), and potatos. That was the main course. This was accompanied (as always) by peppermint tea, red wine, and water. Then comes the cheese--probably my favorite part of the meal. Four or five different kinds, usually, and then fresh raspberries, too! J'adore les framboises fraiches! Finally, there's coffee. Usually it takes us around two hours to eat all of this! It's nice to have such a nice dinner, since during the day, I have found it awkward to stop and eat very much, and I'm always very hungry by dinner time!

The atmosphere at dinner is something I really enjoy--it's perfectly suited to my natural preferences. We eat late, usually after 8:00, and haven't yet left the table before 10:00. Though the food is amazing, the presentation and eating of it is very laid-back, very animated, and just kind of homey. Conversation is always interesting, but for now I do much more listening than talking--since it's all in French, and we all know how timid I can be. I am glad to be able to say that I rarely misunderstand conversations--knowing what is being said and what I'm listening for is very good for my language skills (and lack thereof), even if I'm only practicing my own speaking from time to time. My host parents usually eat with us, and one or two of their children (who are between the ages of 17 and 30-something). Another great thing--Madame Chantal is a French teacher at a collège here (middle school), and so she never hesitates to correct us when we make mistakes, and is patient in explaining things we miss. I think my host family situation is very good--I'm very thankful for where I was placed!

Jean-Jacques, the father, is a nice man--a bit eccentric, perhaps, but very interesting and quite entertaining. The top of his head is bare, but he has fuzzy, curly, white hair growing to his shoulders from the sides. He wears thick glasses that make his eyes look perpetually, if mildly, astonished. A magnifying glass around his neck, speaks in a gravelly deep voice, and is always very expressive about most aspects of eating--which cheeses are the best, why meat should always be rare, how you simply cannot have a decent meal without wine or good company, etc. Very French, in general.

I have met two of their daughters--no, three. Maude, Jen, and Anne. They are sweet and always make rapid conversation. Manu (a boyfriend) lives out in the back of the house (there are three apartment-like areas, occupied by family members who are grown up and pretty much lead their own lives) with Jen. He seems very nice, and is good with computers. He repaired the internet connection on the computer that we Americans share, and has in this way won my undying loyalty and affection.

Rameses is one of the dogs--the one who lives in this part of the house. He like to sit up in my attic room and keep watch for D'yon and I in the evenings. Oh, and I can't forget--we also have a pregnant guinea pig. So--life here is bustling to say the least, which I thoroughly enjoy.

So, that's my living situation. My day? A good one. The weather here has warmed up to a pleasant 23 degrees celsius--perfect for a morning in the Musée D'Orsay and an afternoon with some new friends in the Luxembourg Gardens. I suppose that's all I have to tell for today (It was rather a lot), except to say that I *might* be able to post some pictures tomorrow if I can get to the ISA office with my laptop.

A bientôt!

home sweet home?

What a week I've had. Last night was another big milestone--my first night in my host family's house! Yes, folks, believe it or not, Amy and I survived our entire trip to Italy, and made it back to Paris late last night in one piece. So much is different in my life here that I hardly know what to tell you all.

I suppose I should do a quick wrap up of Italy, before I launch into this current phase of my year. Florence was beautiful, and the weather was nice almost the entire time. After having such a hard time getting there, though, Amy and I decided to cancel our plans to travel around a lot in favor of resting (dealing with sickness for both of us) in Florence with Amy's friends. I suppose I regret not seeing Cinque Terre, or Rome or Venice, but good ol' Firenze was quite enough to keep us occupied, and I enjoyed my time there immensely. We ate lots of good food, drank lots of good wine, and enjoyed some amazing Italian treats--gelato and tiramisu, mainly.

I think my favorite place was San Miniato al Monte, a monastery/church/cemetery that we accidentally hiked to one afternoon. There's no way I could describe our experience of this place on this blog, but I will say that it was...I don't have a word for it. This place is up a high hill, and has a view of the city of Florence--you can see it nestled in among the mountains, with its red roofs, bridges, and of course, il Duomo (cathedral). But the view, though breathtaking, wasn't the most incredible part. This church was built in the 13th century, and has also served as a monastery for as long. The cemetery was like nothing I had ever seen before--centuries-worth of people buried with statues or portraits on marble, or in the most ornate mosoleums. There was no grass, and the cemetery was so full. Ok, I can see that I am doing a terrible job of describing it. I took some pictures, and as soon as I can recharge my camera and use my own pictures, I'll post them. The coolest part, though, was hearing the bells ring for mass, and then later walking past a low window and hearing the monks (Benedictine, I think) chanting. So we walked around to the front, entered, and sat in semi-darkness, beneath low, graceful arches (amazing acoustics!), and listened to the mélange of chanted sacred Latin and spoken Italian. The room was thick with a reverence that you could practically smell. Maybe this doesn't sound incredible to you, but if you had been there...

Ok, I'm running out of time (as always, it seems), so I should finish up. It is sunny (and cold!) in Paris today, and I am feeling a mixture of excitement and dread at the prospect of an entire year here. I still get upset sometimes, missing friends and family from home (and free water, tehe). I am also dealing with a cold, which has been discouraging, but I will meet my host mom tonight, and hopefully she will want to take care of me ;) My roommates tell me that she is quite the motherly type, which is a good sign. I'll update more on the house situation and family when I have actually met them all--but I have been told that the mom and dad, two daughters, one boyfriend, two dogs, and one grandmother (in addition to the three Americans) now live in the old house. It is quite a fun house, I must say--full of interesting clutter. D'yon is my roommate, and we live in what used to be the attic--we discovered last night that what we thought was a desk was really a piano, covered in papers and books. I'll have to post a picture of the room, it is quite unique.

This is a view of part of the cemetery at San Mininato. Can you see how crowded it is, how ornate the mosoleums are?

Inside the church, it was beautiful--but not over the top--especially compared to the grandeur of il Duomo. The place where we sat and listened is actually behind and a little below the altar you see. If you're carefuly, you can see some of the lower vaults in the back--really a rather quiet, private place to listen.

Still grateful for your care and prayers,

em

looking up!

Two nights of sleep, two days of sun, and a couple gelatos later...I can say that things are definitely going better for now! I am so so excited to be able to enjoy Firenze (Florence). Yesterday was a major milestone: the first tearless day in Europe! The weather here is absolutely beautiful, and I love listening to all the Italian, and just wandering the streets to see what will reveal itself around the next corner. Sometimes it is spectacular, like Il Duomo, other times just part of "normal" life here that is so different from home (like windows full of fresh fruit and decadent gelato stacked to gravity-defying heights). Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures next week, when I can use my own computer. I love that Florence has a river running down the middle of it (Arno). Rivers, for some reason, like Sprites and American shampoo, are familiar and somewhat comforting. I suppose that's one good thing about Paris that I hadn't appreciated yet (nor have I seen)--the Seine. Oh, man, I hope I like Paris when we go back...maybe the sun will be out...and Amy and I have decided that it will be a very different experience once we have seen the nicer parts of the city...have places to settle down, and just experience more of Parisian life than the smelly metro and the two blocks surrounding the Gare du Nord.

Well, for now I suppose that will have to be all--I'm using the computer at Saci, the Art school where Amy's friends are studying, and am hoping to go explore for a while on my own, since it is broad, beautiful daylight in the morning, and I am beginning to be able to find my way around!

Ciao!

A replica of the David, in Piazza...well, I don't remeber which Piazza. It was up on a hill. Beautiful, no?

Dinner table one night, in Fiesole. That's a little town on a hill just outside of florence. Your typical stereotypical Italian meal. Mmm...tiramisù...

Well, that's all the pictures for now. I suppose that's all I have to say about them, as well. So...until my next picture-posting!

FINALLY in Firenze!

I am at another internet café, this time in Florence, Italy. Their keyboards are more like the American keyboards, and I am now finding myself still trying to type on a French one. My poor confused fingers!

Anyway, today has been very, very, very hard. After unloading some of our luggage, Amy and I went to a little Brasserie on the south side of Paris, near the ISA office. The simple meals that we ordered were amazing, and the water was NOT free. I suppose I will get used to this soon. I took for granted how much we get free or in large quantities at home. Anyway, I only have thirty minutes on this computer, and need to hurry. We boarded our train to Milano from Paris around 20:30, and found our "couchettes" or sleepers for the eleven hour ride. We ended up in the top, where it must have been ninety degrees, and smelled like the four stinky men sleeping below us. One of the men was Indian (well, two of them were, but I only liked one), a grad student who has lived in California the last few years. He was very nice, spoke perfect English, and it was good to have a conversation with someone else from the States. And he smelled American. He and the Italian man in charge of our train car were the only good things about that trip. Poor Amy was sick all night, throwing up. After we left the couchette room, we sat together in the freezing, cramped hall for the entire eleven hour train ride. This is because we were locked out of our room by some weird guy who, we were informed later by our Indian/American friend, apparently drank all night and was weird. I have no idea how we made it through the night, and then onto our connection in Milano to Firenze. Only by the grace of God. But we made it (albeit feeling more miserable than we have ever felt) to Amys friends apartment (I cant find the apostrophe key here). We cried a lot, for a long time--homesickness, real sickness, and utter exhaustion. But Anna finally got there and let us in. She fed us pasta and hot tea, and let us shower and just rest. Things are getting better.

Florence is beautiful--much friendlier-seeming than Paris. We had our first real Italian pizze tonight, it was amazing. After I finish here, we are all going out for our first gelato! I am so thankful that we are a bit rested and feeling better physically. And it helps the morale so much just not to smell bad. (had not showered since friday--no opportunities!

We have four nights in Florence, which is wonderful! Having a consistent place to stay for that long is something I have a much better appreciation for!

I have to go--but thank you all for your prayers. It is so very hard right now, but I know I am where God wants me right now, and I am certainly learning to trust him more!

em

:::edit:::

PICTURES!


This picture is from the Ponte Vecchio, our first night in Florence. I'm not sure how well it captures the atmosphere that was there, but it definitely reminds me enough of the "ambiance" to bring to mind the live violin and guitar music we heard. The taste of my first gelato (tiramisu flavored). Quietness of being over a river at night. This night was much less influenced by all things touristy than a lot of our time in Florence, since it was a week night. I suppose I just like this picture a lot, and hope it conveys a little of what it was like to spend nights on the Arno with new friends and that very unique "italianity" that we got to experience!

Not that you can tell from this picture, but the four of us are sitting on the Ponte Vecchio, facing what you see in the first picture. From left to right, that's Katie, Anna, Amy, and me. These are the people I spent my time in Italy with--all Berry students. Anna and Katie actually opened up their apartment to Amy and I for the entire week--we don't know what we would have done without them!

This is the courtyard of an old church in Florence called Santa Maria Novella. It was right by the school that Anna and Katie go to, so Amy and I wandered into it one beautiful morning. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but it was beautiful. Because it is not quite so frequented as il Duomo, spending some time here was very relaxed, with a very reverent atmosphere. Amy and I really enjoyed this place quite a lot.

Il Duomo. This cathedral was amazing. I know that everyone always says that words and pictures can't do things justice, but that's just the way it is. This place is MASSIVE. Amy and I know this quite well--we climbed all 463 steps to the top of the dome for panoramic view of Florence. Thinking about the creative energy, the physical labor, the planning that went into building this place really just boggles the mind. And to think that it was all built over 800 years ago. There is a room where some of the tools used to build it are displayed--seeing such rudimentary machinery juxtaposed with such grandeur made this place that much more amazing. Of course, it was also a bit sobering/convicting. Realizing how much effort and money and time went into the building of a lavish, ostentatious cathedral while so many people starved and suffered back then...It put into perspective a bit of how we do the same things today. Spending crazy amounts of all sorts of resources on things that don't really matter when people are suffering...No bones about it--we have our own "cathedrals" today. And we also often associate our excess with the Glory of God. It is an interesting balance--using the creative gifts we have while not neglecting our responsibilities to fellow human beings. All that to say, il Duomo is breathtaking, but with a tinge of bitterness that comes with conviction.

I took this from near the top of the Dome, on our way up. Look waaaay down, and you'll see little shadows that are really people. I like this picture a lot because you can see how ridiculously huge this space is. It's a little fuzzy, though, because I had to take it through some thick plexiglass that I guess keeps people from toppling over...

I think that's all for now. I have more Italy pictures, and of course Paris pictures, but they take a looong time to load on the computer I'm using, so I'll hopefully be able to do a chunk at a time fairly consistently!

one step closer...

I wish I was able to give a good update here--maybe those will come soon. For the time being, I'm glad to be able to give quick updates, if only because it makes me feel less disconnected from everything that's familiar. I picture you guys reading this, and I feel less isolated here.

So, what should I tell you to convey this crazy experience? I don't think anythin I write would do it justice, but I think I can succeed at giving you a general idea of my new life, such as it is at the moment. First off, if you guys don't realize this, the French have a very different keyboard than we do in the states. This is why I haven't written much even though I have so much to say. I'm getting faster, but it is still rather a laborious process, this typing.

I think I'll start off with a quick recap of the hard things, so that I can end up on a good note by retelling all of the things I'm so thankful for. Basically, everything that we have done the since we arrived has been made much harder because of complete exhaustion. I don't think I am really jet-lagged, because it seems perfectly natural that it is 16:30 here, and bizarre that it could be only10:30 at home. Just worn out from the travel and language and unfamiliarity. Not to mention all that luggage that we have been carting all around the metro and the streets of Paris. We definitely both had an emotional breakdown last night after sleeping for a few hours and waking up at around 3:00. We took turns encouraging each other, and after a good cry, we both went back to sleep amidst the city noises. It feels worse being here at night, when I have more time to think about how displaced and lonely I feel right now--it's always better in the daylight, and each day we are a little bit closer to figuring out how this crazy city works. I know it will be hard for a while, but I knew that when I signed on for all of this. I covet your prayers right now, though!

There are so many things to be thankful for. It's amazing how we have been provided for in so many areas. For one, I'm writing from the computers at the ISA office. Which means that Amy and I managed to navigate our way to a place where we can drop off our bags before heading off to Florence. It is such a relief to our aching bodies to be rid of our extra hundred pounds or so each. We are definitely so glad to be taking one big backpack between the two of us. Another thing to be thankful for is that we carried every imortant part of our lives around on our backs and in our hands in a large, unfamiliar city for two days, and haven't had any of it lost or stolen. Another blessing was just having a place to settle for a while at the hostel. I have never been so glad to have a place to stretch out and relax.

I have so much more to say, so much more good stuff to say--but Amy is about ready to go (we're hungry), so I'll try to wrap up. Things I have learned in the last 24 hours:

The French are not rude in general, if they see that you are at least attempting to speak to them in French, or at least ask permission to speak English. We have been met with so many people who have been quite gracious to us--from the innkeeper at the hotel who understood why we slept through checkout to the dozen or so men helping Amy and I up and down stairs with luggage in the metro to the people willing to give us directions and then repeat those same directions to confused Americans.

I really can only depend on my heavenly Father for protection and provision. Amy and I arrived with no idea what was ahead of us, but so far we've been safe and fed and in the places we need to be. And we can only give him credit for that, because we really are the only ones here in Paris looking out for us. Trusting is a good thing to learn.

I am capable of more than I would have thought.

Lastly: The world does not come to an end if you board the right metro line going in the wrong direction.

Time to eat--first food of the day at 17:00!

Missing home,

em

from the "cybercafé"

So...I am officially in the city of Paris. Getting here was certainly one of the more challenging things I've done--it has taken close to two days. Amy and I are exhausted after lugging our year's worth of luggage (epiphany: that's why they call it LUGgage) around the Paris train system today and trying to sort through the barrage of French assailing our brains. But this all is, of course, to be expected, and under the circumstances we're managing pretty well. To be honest, today has been very disorienting and frustrating, and I would appreciate your prayers. I'm still so thankful to get to do this, and I hope to have more entertaining things to tell soon! I love and miss you all already--

em

so. yes. i'm leaving TOMORROW.

I am leaving good ol' Chatty tomorrow afternoon. And look at me, I'm not even typing in all caps. That's because it still doesn't seem real. I suppose that will change soon, though. Like when I board the plane. Or maybe when I get OFF of the plane in Paris. PARIS. I don't have much else to say right now. Except that I'm beginning my journey to PARIS (not to mention ITALY) tomorrow. Or perhaps I mentioned that already. I think I'm going to go re-finagle my packing now.

*cue suspenseful music*

It's almost Sunday. Soon I can say that I leave for Europe THIS WEEK. Ok, ok--I know that's basically all I've been posting about--silly, intermittent countdowns with no really interesting information. I've just been rather uninspired lately. There is a purpose to this post, however. I have three things to say:

Thing number one: I have an address! Send me fun mail at--

Emilee Head
c/o Famille Reversat
10, rue du Dessous des Berges
75013 Paris
FRANCE

Thing number two: I finally got a hair cut. This is exciting, and also somewhat freeing...now washing my hair takes about a quarter of the time! Plus my neck feels less weighted.

Thing number three: This time next week, I'll hopefully be dozing somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, which is INSANE! and cool.

Well, that's it for tonight. I've got to get some sleep before my last day at church...