Yesterday, our school held a mixer for French students learning English at 2 or 3 Universities and us at the U of C compound. As anyone who has been a college student can imagine, there were a lot of people there for the free food and wine (honestly, that's why I went). At first I was mortified to talk to people, but finally I joined a conversation with one of my friends. We would speak in French and they would speak in English unless one of us couldn't remember how to say something or were incomprehensible, then we would switch. It was sort of sadistically adorable to watch the students who know as much English as I know French turn pink and sweat and shake as they were trying to make sentences. Oh French people... there just like us!
Love,
Violet
Next thing you're going to tell us that they had clean hair and weren't impeccably dressed!
ReplyDeleteAw, you're such a linguist. I remember our beginning attempts at Hindi.
ReplyDeleteI had a dream about our Jodhpur adventure the other night. I wish we could go back to that time again. I also love how you keep up with your blog!
Hi Violet--
ReplyDeleteLove the new blog.
I have to resist bombarding you with all my old favorite places but your post about chocolat chaud chez Angelina's just brought back such a rush---
Cold Chocolate:
Glacier Berthillion
On the Ile de St. Louis
Walk along the Rue St Louis en L’ile (w/ N.D. behind you - the central rue on the island)
Look for the little shingles hanging
Chocolat incroyable!
Hot Chocolate: See if it compares to Angelina's - I think so!
On a barge on the banks of The Seine
at The Port de La Gare opposite the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris
I think it is only open on weekends - like Thurs- Sun
the barge is called “Au Route de Cacao”
13th Arrondissement
Metro: Quai de La Gare
Cheapest way to see the city (without being a tourist) from the 7th Arrondissement to the 20th-
Take the No.69 Public Bus from near the Eiffel Tower at Av. Joseph Bouvard all the way to Pere Lachaise Cemetary (approx 1 hour).
You pass by Les Invalides, Le Marais, The Hotel de Ville (one of my personal fave buildings at night), and The Bastille. Then you end at the Cemetery which is beautiful and old and can be spooky too.
You can wander and see the graves of:
Moliere
Abelard & Heloise (tres romantique)
Jim Morrison
Chopin
Delacroix
Edith Piaf
Camille Pissaro
Oscar Wilde
Marcel Proust
Dead People! Fun! L’enfer!!
Need to practice your French (en privee??) The Library in the Pompidou Center is free and has a great language lab – you get your own cubicle, choose a program, wear headphones and record your own voice for playback – it is great. I did it once a week when I first arrived to live in Paris – it was so helpful...
It used to be open till 10p.
OK I'll stop. I look forward to hearing YOUR faves list before I next get to go to Paris....
He was definitely well dressed, but his hair as pretty clean-looking.
ReplyDeleteNafeeza, I'm so glad you are keeping up with it! It's keeping me going. It's so much harder to get up the nerve to practice here, but I am trying and trying to push past people trying to speak english.
Kate, Thanks so much for the advice! I am excited to take the "tour" on Saturday as a break from working on my midterm.
Love you all!
-v