It's been a while!

Now that it's officially the second half of November (How did that happen?! *dumbfounded astonishment*), I suppose it's about time for an update. I haven't written too much lateley, I suppose because I've found myself settling into the dailiness of life, not being involved in too much outside of what has become my "ordinary." I will now proceed with the generic update of Emilee's vie Parisienne:

School is...just school. I know that sounds completely anticlimactic, since I am technically here to "study." But we all know that my learning experience this year is very loosely based on my formal studies. This is probably the easiest semester, academically, that I've had in a looooong time. I'm enrolled in nine hours of French Language, three hours of Oral French, and three hours of History of French Cinema--for those of you who were interested in my coursework. Technically a full-time student, but in reality, there is much less required of me by my professors here. I have a feeling this is partly due to the fact that they know each student is foreign, and is therefore quite consumed with trying to carry on some semblance of normal life while adapting to a new environment--a large part of which is putting into practice the concepts we learn in grammar class. Of course, I'm thankful that the academics are not demanding--because the rest of my "learning" experience (ie my entire life here) requires quite a bit of energy. Speaking and hearing French constantly, slowly assimilating my little American self into Parisian culture, etc--these things can be quite draining, but are nonetheless rewarding. I think that's enough about school.

This past week has brought winter to Paris. It's been a very unusually temperate/warm autumn here, but it is finally time for scarves and gloves and sore throats and rosy cheeks--for good. The change in season brings with it all the typical sensations and memories that a change in season does, with the exception that this year, it's happening in Paris, and I'm adding new "winter signs" to my reperatoire. Now, in addition to hot chocolate and fog and soup, winter smells like roasting chestnuts at my metro stop (yes, like in the song), feels like sweat dripping down my back on line 4 (half the population of Paris in one metro car + winter layers - air conditioning = HOT), tastes like hot crepes on the street (ok, so maybe every season so far has its share of crepes ;) well...I suppose you get the idea.

To be honest, I'm just not very much in a writing mood, so ideas are neither flowing nor presenting themselves in an interesting manner. Maybe someday soon. For now, you'll all just have to content yourselves with half-done descriptions of daily life.

Thanksgiving is coming up (as I'm sure I don't need to inform you), but the French, in general, do need informing of this fact. To help our host family appreciate this great holiday, D'yon, Matt, and I are preparing to cook a special meal for them. Well, as close as we can get, anyway. I'll have to let you know how it all turns out--at the very least, there should be some pumpkin pie!

I like French food. That's really all that needs to be said about that.

Quoi d'autre...? Speaking French is still hard, and quite the frustrating process. I feel like (as I've been told is completely normal) that I've hit a plateau in learning and improving my communication skills--but fortunately, there are people around me who attest to my progress, even though it's very hard for me to see at this point. And I suppose they're right. It's the same with anything one learns--when you start, things seem to be going along just smashingly, everything attainable, but there comes a point where the true education begins--when you start to realize just how much you don't know, after all. The more you learn, the more painfully aware you are of the mistakes you've been making all along, and it's easy not to see the improvement that comes along with recognizing those errors. The same thing happened when I played flute. To everyone else, you sound like you're improving, though somehow, to yourself, you sound worse than ever. So, all that to say I think it's a good thing that I'm constantly being confronted by my incompetence in this language. I think it's safe to bet that that means I'm learning.

Oh, I almost forgot! Last weekend we (meaning the ISA crew) went to Normandy. Did the Normandy stuff--Mont-St-Michel (one of the seven wonders of the modern world, I believe), D-Day beaches and American cemetery, cidre et fromage, saw lots and lots of cows, realized that the countryside of Normandy resembles very much the hills in Tennessee, etc. It was a good weekend, overall. I hope I'm not sounding blasée about all that, because that's certainly not the case. It's just that I'm tiring of writing, and hope to expand a little more on what we saw when I get some pictures up.

Alright, after quite a few lines of mundane updateness, I'm going to go to sleep. It has been long enough since the last update, that's for sure. So...

Bonne Nuit, tout le monde!

Bonnes Fêtes de Toussaints!

To celebrate All Saints' Day (a national holiday in France, which means, once again, NO SCHOOL), I have decided to grace you all with some more random pictures. Sorry, don't have any from Barcelona, yet--but I do have quite a few sitting in little files from weeks gone by that need posting! So (in no particular order)...

A view of Paris from the Seine. What more do I need to say here? I could mention that if you look carefully to the left, you'll see a spire and a tower--that's Notre Dame, on the other end of the Ile de France.

On the side of the pathway leading to Chenonceau, one of the Chateaux we visited earlier this month on the trip to the Loire Valley. Nothing too special, just sweet and idyllic-looking. The biggest deal for me that day was that it wasn't asphalt or concrete! (I'm finding that I enjoy life in the city much more than I ever expected, but I still do miss the open outdoors from time to time.)

Notre Dame on Nuit Blanche (The night in October that I wrote about earlier--where everything stays open). The blue you see is a projection of Jesus, with outstretched arms, if you can't quite tell. This was just for Nuit Blanche...and I must admit we found it a bit bizarre.

I really enjoyed taking pictures of the flamethrowers who had situated themselves just in front of Notre Dame on Nuit Blanche. Nothing could have thrilled this little pyromaniac's heart more! If I let myself go crazy, you'd probably have quite a few pictures of the flamethrowers to look at, but I'm going to exert a little self control, and move onto something else! Oh, also--if you see the little blue blobs in the background, they're streetlamps whose bulbs had been replaced with blue ones for the festivities.

Ok, my computer has officially refused to upload any more pictures. I don't know why. I think I'll publish these, and see if it will cooperate if I start a new entry...

Let's try this one more time...

Hopefully I'll be able to finish uploading pictured. *crosses fingers*

Yessssssssss...I'll pick back up with the Loire, I think.

Chateau Chambord. This place is massive--it even has a moat! Mostly constructed during the 16th century, I think, and built on a really marshy area, where the hunting was good for good ol' Roi Francois 1er.

This is a small chapel at another chateau, Amboise. This building is where Leonardo da Vinci lives. Or rather, where his bones live. just to the left of the picture, and in the floor, is the artist/inventor's grave.

Cathedral of St. Martin, in Tours. It's really a beautiful building, and was made that much more amazing by the fact that clear morning light was streaming in through all of the stained-glass and regular glass windows. And the choir was having practice while we were there, which was beautiful. Have I ever mentioned that I'm becoming somewhat of a cathedral junkie? I love being in them, especially when there is music echoing back and forth through the vaults and columns and domed ceilings...

A little part of the same cathedral. Just some columns and some morning!

Another "cathedral" of sorts--where faithful worshipers gather regularly...Stade de France. Suffice it to say--soccer is BIG here. Maybe even bigger than American football is in the States. Fun, fun night, though.

This is the courtyard at "La Catho"--ie, school. Somewhere that I haven't spent very much time, comparatively ;) This is where we usually meet up for lunch before heading around back for classes. Nothing really spectacular, but there it is.

And finally, just some fun pictures of friends!

Maureen in the wine cave in the Loire.

Emilee and Amy, also in the cave!

David and Joanna facing Notre Dame on Nuit Blanche. I really like this picture :)

Let's see...I know this will mean nothing to you, but...for my own satisfaction and entertainment, I'm going to name everybody in the picture who's standing on the Eiffel tower! Left to right: Joanna, Courtney, Amy, Matt, Emilee, D'yon, and Alexis.