Learning French in Paris!

Katie and I drove up to Paris on Saturday, July 12th. It took about all day and we even had to drive around part of the country to avoid a big wreck. That same night we went into the city and ate at our favorite Chinese restaurant. Yes, I said Chinese restaurant and Paris in the same sentence. What did you expect me to eat? Towards the end of the meal, a man behind us was very upset about his food and his bill. Unfortunately, I think he was American and started cussing up a storm and then yelled at some people before making his exit while everyone in the restaurant began laughing and talking about him in French. It was a great start.

Sunday afternoon – I headed into the city to meet up with the girls. We walked around before renting some city bikes and riding around. Then, we found Domino’s Pizza and ordered some pizzas to take with us to the park by Les Halles. The night finished up with us watching the Bourne Identity….great flick.

Monday, July 14th was Bastille Day. This is a lot like our Fourth of July holiday. I woke up and watched the parades on televisions because I really didn’t feel like going into the city and dealing with masses. My friends Chad and Amy and myself headed into the city around 2:30pm and immediately went to the Arc du Triomphe which I had not seen yet. We thought it was free but it ended up being 9 euros but well worth it. Next was a leisurely stroll down the Champs Elysees. That night was a big fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower. We headed over there around 7:45pm and set up with a blanket right on the ground near the Tower to check out the big concert. The concert was not very good except a short appearance by James Blunt. After the concert, the fireworks were set to start at 10:45pm or so. Unfortunately, everyone that was on our side of the Tower near the concert was on the wrong side for the fireworks. So, we mainly saw the fireworks as they were shot off in the background of the Eiffel Tower. It wasn’t bad.

After the fireworks, it was utter chaos. There might have been a million people there and all of us were heading for the metros and trains. It was nuts!!! We walked miles until we found a metro/train station that did not have many people going in. THEN, we had to push ourselves into the masses on the train without getting caught in the doors. Not a good situation if you are closterphobic.

Tuesday was the start of language school. My class is good. My teacher is great and have met a lot of cool people from all over the world. There are people from the U.S., Canada, England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and Holland. Friday night, I went with a group to see Shakespeare in the Park and enjoyed it even though the French was spoken too fast to understand. Saturday, a big group of us went to Fontainebleu which was the home of the Royal Palace. Photos to come soon. Today (Sunday), we went into Paris and attended Hillsong Church Paris which is a church from Australia. It was okay.
My French is coming along great. At the school, you have to speak French all the time in the building and it helps a lot. I will be here until the end of the month.