Le Temps Fou!

In every conversation I've had with a French person, we've turned to "the weather," or le temps. This could be a) because it is the polite topic of discussion that has nothing to do with politics or occupation, or b) because it is the easiest way to converse when I feel like my French has gone out the window.

And every French person I've talked to has mentioned the "Giboulées de mars." Now, I didn't quite understand this phrase's connotations, even though it was explained to me. It is literally "showers of March." In English, we say that "April showers bring May flowers," but after having experienced the concept in French culture that anything French is much more thouroughly and thoughtfully expressed than by anyone else on the planet, I laugh in the face of our phrase. "Giboulées de mars" is a phenomenon that is neurotic, quixotic, and fugitive, and that is the essence of the month of March's weather.

Now you are probably waiting for me to explain this "Giboulées" to you. Well, let me give you a brief weather report for Paris, March 28, 2009 so far:

8:30 am -- Sun brilliantly shining, not a cloud in the sky

9:30 am -- Sun still shining, bright, puffy, rainless clouds dotting the sky

12:00 pm -- Foreboding rain clouds gathering, wind increasing, temperature dropping

1:00 pm -- A slight drizzle, with light shining through the clouds

1:30 pm -- A heavy downpour, darkness has fallen

2:00 pm -- Brilliant sunlight, the sky has opened, spring is here once more!

2:30 pm -- A heavy downpour, the skies are gray

3:00 pm -- The puffy clouds have returned and the birds are singing, basking in golden light

3:30 pm -- Drizzle, steadily turning into rain, oh wait, now it's a downpour

4:30 pm -- Oh hello Mr. Sun!

5:00 pm -- Is that....hail?!?!

5:30 pm -- Well right now as I look outside, there are patches of blue determinedly forcing their way through the clouds, which are a scattering of dense gray and light fluffy white. I think it's going to rain soon.

In other words, don't leave the house without your umbrella!

Haute Couture in Paris

This post is in response to Rica's comment....I have quite a quick turnaround time for requests!

This morning was absolutely beautiful. Not wanting the weather to go to waste (because in March, one never knows how the weather will turn) I hopped out of bed, threw on my running shoes, grabbed my camera, and went for a run to the 8th Arrondisement.




I arrived at Rue Montaigne right as the stores were about to open. Rue Montaigne comes off the Champs-Elysees, and this street, along with Francois 1er and George V, has some of the most incredible couture and fashion houses lining it. I'm glad I went when I did, because as I type this, it has started to pour outside!


What struck me at first was the abrupt change in scenery. Within a matter of 20 minutes, I had stepped into an entirely different world. I would say this area is a fusion between the high-gloss of Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive, and the high-class of New York's 5th Avenue. At only about 9:30 in the morning, the street was very quiet, but the security guards inside each of the stores was already on the lookout, surveying the streets outside from right within each shiny glass door. It was a bit intimidating, but I took out my camera and snapped away.



The clothing isn't exactly the only thing that draws the eye to the windows of these stores and boutiques. It is the way the clothing is displayed, and the gleam of colors and materials that really make each scene pop. There is an extreme art to the ways in which the clothes and the displays are put together, and it really is magical. I think it would be safe to say that Rue de Montaigne is one of my favorite streets in Paris.




I got a few pitying stares as I walked down the street, zigzagging back and forth between windows, in my Nikes and Northface fleece. In fact, I think that some of the employees, opening up shop for the day, thought I was some sort of street urchin. I couldn't help it, but my eyes were wide and my mouth gaped open. The street, stores, and clothes were just so beautiful!




Although the true Haute-Couture is not on display right now, as Paris is just coming out of its ready-to-wear fashion week for Fall, the clothing still makes one gaze in wonder...the materials are crisp and beautiful, and the blouses, pant-suits, dresses and gowns are incredibly made, you can tell by just looking through a pane of glass. Of course my favorite display was in Chanel's windows...although simple, the black, white, and pale pink colors are so classic, and I felt like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." I plan to come back one morning, all dressed up, and sip coffee outside the windows before the stores open (with big black sunglasses on, of course). I could practically hear "Moon River" playing in the background. Window-shopping in the 8e is about as entertaining as sitting on the Seine, watching the pedestrians stroll by.





I rounded up to the Champs-Elysees, where the stores become a bit more flashy, and the displays much more elaborate. The Louis Vuitton store, since I've been here, has had up neon-light roses; the Hugo Boss store has taxidermy animals caught in running-motion...


I walked up to the L'Arc de Triomphe, and then headed East and took a stroll through the 16th Arrondisement. I decided right then and there that if I could live anywhere I wanted, it would be in an apartment in the 16e, right on the edge of the 8e. The buildings are so grand and the boulevards so pristinely lined with trees...it is also quiet, and a nice place to live, while incredibly close to the center of Paris, and a lively hustle and bustle. However, that dream is a little lofty...I am sure that these apartments are among the most pricey in the world.





I passed the Greek Embassy, the Place des Etats-Unis (United States), and came upon an amazing open-air market on Avenue du President Wilson. The stalls stretched all the way down two full blocks, and I spent quite a while wandering through and imbibing the delicious scents of flowers, pastries, cheese, rotisserie, and dried fruit. The clouds were starting to roll over, and while every few minutes there were bright bursts of sunlight, I could tell the weather would soon turn. After being out running and walking for two hours, I was pushing my luck!


I ran home from the Trocadero area, and returned back to the reality of studying for my Art History midterm. But, it was a morning well-spent, and I am still overwhelmed by the extreme change of scene that one can discover within a few blocks in Paris.

Please look at my album to the right, Fashion in Paris, for a full look of everything I saw today! It was really a gorgeous day!







Biz,

Ashley

La Tour Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower (one of the most iconic structures in the world) and I have a little problem with each other. I have become disenchanted by the majestic quality which seems to captivate everyone else standing beneath it, and the Eiffel Tower has decided to loom over me, seemingly wherever I go.



It is not that I don't think the Tower is an incredbile feat of engineering, or a massive accomplishment for the era in which it was built, because it is. It is simply that now that I have been in Paris for a few months, I am no longer captivated by its wonder, nor do I think of it as a representation of Paris.



For me, Paris is more than a picture, a few triangular masses of iron on top of one another. Actually, the Eiffel Tower is a bit contradictory of the city itself. It was, when built, considered a "scar upon the landscape," and when you think about it, it does not blend with the rest of the city. It is an incongruous, grey, massive object in the middle of old stone architecture, delicate trees lining grand avenues, and the sparkling Seine. To me, in Paris, where everything exudes history and classic beauty, the Eiffel Tower stands out as a looming, ugly, thing.



Ok, I'm being a little harsh. The truth is that I didn't really think about the Eiffel Tower in this way until I realized one day, walking to the Metro, that it has been bugging me a little. So I started to think about it, and I began over-analyzing my sentiments towards La Tour Eiffel. I think that now that I have realized that Paris is about more than just an icon, I feel silly for having formerly felt a rush of glee when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. Compared to everything else, the Tower is relatively new, built for a World Fair at the end of the 19th Century.



Although, that exhiliration I felt maybe represents something more...I didn't realize it at the time, but perhaps the Eiffel Tower is a physical manifestation of one's hopes to travel the world and see beauty in foreign cities. When one sees the Eiffel Tower on a postcard, travel brochure, or album cover, maybe it doesn't represent Paris specifically, but travel and adventure in general.



The past few days I've been trying to pinpoint my mixed emotions about this and understand exactly what it is I'm experiencing: am I becoming a pretentious Parisienne, and internally mocking the les touristes who flock in their buses to the Champ du Mars as I walk through, minding my own business? Or am I simply taking the structure for granted now, hardly glancing up at it as I walk to school? Or maybe, it means more to me than I realize, and is a more highly complicated symbol than I can even comprehend...



It's hard for me to figure this out. Last night, before I went out to meet some friends, I walked to the Champ du Mars right as the Eiffel Tower began to sparkle. It is quite a different sight at night from during the day. In the daytime, the metal is dull and harsh, contrasted against either the bright blue or gloomy gray skies. But at night, illuminated by millions of lights, and sparkling once an hour, the Tower comes alive. It glows, and seems to warm up the entire city.



I sat on a bench, and it started to drizzle, but I didn't mind...
I had fallen in love with La Tour Eiffel all over again.

Effects of the Rain:

Bon Weekend!

Today, after a light morning run and a rousing few hours at a library close to my apartment, I headed over to Notre Dame, planning to climb the towers and photograph the gargoyles. For some reason I had it in my head that this was the specific activity I wanted to do this weekend as a study-break.

However, when I arrived, they had already closed the line for the towers, an hour before the actual closing time! I guess the weekends are probably the worst time to go, because it is a popular activity for tourists and today was a particularly clear day. So instead, I spent about an hour walking around the Cathedral and the two Iles, people watching and photographing various slices of life that indicate spring is coming...birds, flowers, people reading outside...all in all it was a nice way to get away from my books for a bit, before heading home to continue writing my paper on "Baudelairian critiques on 'la vie moderne' of the 19th century."

Here are some of the shots, and the album from today is on the right, "Le Printemps à Paris."

Biz,

Ashley

Springtime continued...

Tuileries

Jardins du Luxembourg

Spring is Coming!

Happy First Day of Spring everyone!



The past weekend and this week have been so warm and beautiful! I have worn just a sweater to school every day; today as I walked to the Cordonnier to have my shoes repaired, I only had to wear a sleeveless shirt! In my bedroom, the sun beaming in makes it so hot that I have to close the blinds when I'm home at midday.



The birds are singing, the daffodils are blooming, the sky is blue, couples are coming out everywhere -- Spring is really here!



I realize that this is of course, a false alarm. I would be naive to believe that there will be no more rain and that it will only get better from here. But it is a nice break, and has really seemed to raise everyone's spirits. I hope the weather holds up at least until my family comes to visit!



I've been able to walk a lot this week because it's been so pleasant. Last Sunday, I walked all the way from my apartment to Tuileries, read a book there for a while (without a coat, I will add), then walked to Hotel de Ville in the Marais, to Notre Dame, and to Jardin du Luxembourg, where I read some more. It was so beautiful there -- there were children playing with toy boats in the fountains, people wandering around, and sitting by the little chairs all over the park. I was reading a slightly trashy but completely absorbing British romantic novel as a brain-break from the Baudelaire, Apollinaire, and Rimbaud that I've been absorbing for weeks, and it was the perfect day. Sometimes it is so nice to spend the day alone, and observe your surroundings in a beautiful setting, with some entertaining reading material.



This week was not too eventful, I've just had a lot of school work to do. The next couple of weeks are a bombardment of midterms and papers/projects, but after that, things wind down again, and then comes spring break! I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. I hardly feel like I have time to just sit and think, I am always moving somewhere, doing something...I sit in my chair at my desk with one leg out like I have to get up right away and be somewhere, I realized. That is a perfect reflection of how I feel all the time. I love it, and am glad to be kept busy, but I have run out of time to reflect, blog, and be aware of how quickly the weeks have flown by! I have already been here 8 weeks, and I only have about 10 weeks left, 2 of which (approximately) will be spent elsewhere (Spring Break). I need to make a list of the things I still need/want to do in Paris before I go, because my mindset has been that I have forever, but I am already halfway done with the program :(.



In terms of my French, I think that I have improved tremendously without really realizing. Taking an intensive grammar class at Sorbonne makes me overthink things a lot of times, and feel like I am not speaking as well as I should be. But then I step back and realize that I can speak with ease, I just frustrate myself by sometimes not being able to express my thoughts with the nuance I would like. Madame said that I do correct myself, however, and so even when I say things incorrectly, she never has to correct me because I automatically do it on my own. I guess that is good. While I feel that by the time I leave here, I will still not be fluent to the degree I would have liked, I will be fluent by general standards. That is very exciting, especially when I think that when I interviewed to come to Paris, I was so nervous and scared to speak in French at all, and had a much harder time.



I am also getting very used to the culture and ways of life here. I've heard that when people come back home after a semester or year abroad, they often feel a type of reverse culture shock. I anticipate that happening to me, because even as I talk to my friends back home on skype or facebook, I find myself being almost surprised, or mystified, by the things they are doing, or the ways they go about their day. It's kind of funny to think that someone can adjust to a new environment so easily!



In the next few weeks, there are some exciting things coming up...my family's coming in two weeks' time, I get to go to Normandy the weekend after next, in ten days is my 21st birthday...with my school program we are going to see a Bach performance, a theater show, and for spring break in April, I am going to Greece! All of these benchmarks in the next weeks make the jump from one day to the next seem so short. It is for that reason that time is flying by, which is exciting but also a little sad. I'm just trying to live each day to the fullest!



I had a kind of epiphony the other day as I walked to school because of a transport strike (an hour and a half walk from the 15th to Bastille...good exercise!). I finally realized that I am here...in Paris, halfway around the world. When will I ever have another opportunity like this? I am not sure, and that kind of overwhelms me. But I am so appreciative to be here! Who knows, maybe I'll become an ex-pat and live here after school!



Only time will tell....



Biz,

Ashley

* I'm having a little trouble adding pictures, so I'll try again in a couple hours :)

Palais Garnier for Le Ballet!

The other night we went to see "Le Parc," a ballet by Angelin Preljocaj, which is inspired by both "La Princesse de Cleves" and "Les Liasons Dangereuses" (Dangerous Liasons). It was an interesting blend of modern and modern-tinged ballet, and was decorated with beautiful costumes and very austere, grand sets. The ballet itself was not necessarily to my taste, as I do love a classic ballet, but it was interesting to go see, and fun to dress up for! And of course, any opportunity to go to the Palais Garnier I will take with pleasure.

Dressed up for the ballet...

The dancers did a good job, and I especially enjoyed the last third of the ballet, which took place at "night," and had a couple really passionate pas de deuxs. I thought that the choreography and costumes were a little too much, but I still enjoyed the overall ballet, and it made me want to dance!

On Wednesday, I got to have lunch with Allison and Paul, who are visiting Paris right now, and it was so nice to see them! We had a wonderful lunch at Angelina's on Rue du Rivoli, where I had not yet been. The food was delicious and the hot chocolate was to die for.

A bit blurry, but you get the idea!

I love the 1st Arrondisement, so it was a nice walk back to the metro station along the Tuilleries Gardens.

Yesterday I went on a very interesting school trip with my International Relations class to the Cite d'Immigration on the Eastern end of Paris. Our class title is "Islam in France," and it was really cool to see the exhibit set up at the Cite of all the immigrant statistics and art. It was a neat fusion of photography, design, video, and personal stories, that made it very memorable. I would suggest a visit there to anyone visiting Paris; France is composed of so many immigrant families, that it is important to understand all the different cultures, and not just the classically French one.

Today (Friday), I met Morgan at her apartment and decided to run there. It was nice to get the exercise because I have been travelling so much, and haven't had a chance, and also nice to run across the river and into the 16th Arrondisement. I'm so happy to be here for the weekend, and feel like I've gotten a lot more organized in just the afternoon--I was able to write in my journal, clean my room, make a nice lunch...and plan out the rest of my weekend.

I have a lot of writing and research to do this weekend, but hopefully I'll also do something worth writing about. Stay tuned for a blog entry soon!

Bisous,

Ashley

BARCELONA!!

*For more Barcelona Pictures, look at my photo albums to the right!*

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted! I apologize for the delay; but now that I am taking a break from travelling in the next few weeks, I should be posting much more regularly!

This past weekend, we went to Barcelona! It was my first time in Spain, and I am itching to go back already. I'm pretty sure that Barcelona is the most perfect honeymoon spot on the planet. There is so much to do, and the mood is both exotic and cosmopolitan, relaxed, and romantic...

We arrived in Barcelona late Thursday night last week, and went to our hostel from the bus station. All I will elaborate on in terms of our lodging was that it was...well...a hostel, in every sense of the word. Not too clean, not too safe, and not too relaxing. But, we did meet some interesting people, and it made us want to get up and out early every morning, which is a definite benefit! There were four of us on the trip, and we stayed in an 8-man room, in which there were four other college-students travelling. They were all nice, so it was manageable to stay there.

Friday morning, we walked around our neighborhood a bit, which was near the main street of La Rambla, right next to the Gothic area. We took a metro up to Temple de la Sagrada Familia, which is the church that the architect Antoni Gaudi spent the last 40 years of his life working on. It is still under construction, and although Gaudi's orginal plans were burned, there have been great efforts to maintain the integrity of his original plans and architectural style. Everything on the cathedral is based off of nature; for example, there are patterns in the towers that are supposed to resemble honeycomb, and turrets that look like stalks of lavender. There are also huge ceramic bowls of fruit on one part of the church. It is an incredibly intricate building, and very gaudy...Actually, I learned while in Barcelona (which is known mostly for its abundance of Gaudi architecture) that the word Gaudy comes from Gaudi's name! So one can only imagine how excessive it is. The inside of the cathedral has the most brightly colored stained glass I have ever seen...it is so beautiful and light is reflected everywhere inside. The church is still under construction, but completion is anticipated for 2010! So, hopefully it will be done the next time I am back.

After visiting the church, we walked to the Passeig de Gracia, which is a long boulevard covered in Gaudi's buildings. It was such a nice day--sunny and warm--and walking down the street was so nice. We stopped at a Tapas restaurant and sat at lunch for about two hours, just enjoying the sunlight, the people-watching, and the amazing dishes!

We walked through the Gothic area towards the seafront, and then along the docks. It felt like a summer's day in San Francisco, but the people milling about made the water's edge remniscent of Santa Monica. It felt like home! After walking all day, we took a siesta at the hostel before heading out for the night.

The nightlife in Barcelona is so fun! They definitely start the nights later there, which is very tiring and would not be a very healthy lifestyle continuously, but it was fun for just the weekend. We hung out at our hostel with several foreign people for a while (some of them were probably a little too old to be at a "youth" hostel...it was a bit strange, and all I'll say is I'm glad our doors locked!). Then, we headed out to the Rambla area, and met up with some other Tri Delts who were visiting from London.

We ended up at a really fun dance club and danced for hours! Just walking around at nighttime was really fun and we met a lot of nice people.

The next day, we started out with lunch by the beach (Barceloneta), at Salamanca, a delicious paella restaurant that a sorority sister told me about. It was divine! We sat outside, by the ocean, and spent a couple hours enjoying the breeze and the amazing paella. It was served in a huge pan, and even though we ordered for four people (there were four of us), we probably could have just ordered for two and had enough! After gorging ourselves, we went to the beach and relaxed there for a while. It was such a nice day.

Before sunset, we headed up to the north side of Barcelona to see Parc Guell, another site with lots of Gaudi architecture. It was so beautiful up there, the plants and stonework and tile...and the views of Barcelona as well! This part of the trip felt the most like the movie "Vicki Christina Barcelona," if you've seen it (if you haven't, I'd suggest you watch it...a great twist on Woody Allen!).

On our last day in Barca, we didn't have much time, so we went on a walking tour of the Gothic area that we had been told about at the hostel. I am so glad we did it! It was a free tour, and the tour guides work for tips, so they are very funny and entertaining, and actually teach you a lot! We learned all about the oldest part of the city, and several facts about the Catalan culture. Barcelona is so beautiful, and I think I really benefitted from this tour. If you're ever there, the tour is with Travel Bar, a place for travellers to meet and mingle. We really enjoyed the experience!

I am so glad I visited Barca, and hope to go back soon. I am happy because now, after travelling so much in the past month, I will have a bit of a break and can profit from visiting more of Paris! And my family comes in just about two weeks!

A Street Performer in the Gothic area:

A Weekend in Provence

As many of you are probably aware, I spent the past weekend in Provence. It was incredible, right out of the postcards and movies, but better! The countryside in France is just exquisite--when you are there, and especially in the South of France as I now know, you begin to understand the inspiration that fueled the Impressionist movement. There is light and color everywhere, and this weekend in particular, it was sunny and warm!

We started our trip with a three hour train ride on Friday down to Avignon, and arrived in the early afternoon. After wandering around for a while and having lunch, we went on a tour of the Palais des Papes, the Palace where the Pope was located for a couple hundred years from the 14th century after a division in the Catholic church. There are two different portions of the building, older and "newer" (still quite old) which form the palace's entirety. We walked through the inside of the structure, and were able to see some of the old frescoes and tiles that are still quite intact. But my favorite part of the visit was going up to the top of the turrets to see all of Avignon from the top. I love views, and on this trip to Provence we got to "climb" up a lot of structures!

Afterwards, we wandered around the city a bit longer and visited a pretty park on top of a cliff-like structure...the Provencial countryside is covered in rocky areas such as that one, and you can see for tens or hundreds of miles (I'm not quite sure) in all directions from these types of areas. It was gusty and beautiful up there.

Our hotel in Avignon was very charming, and had terra cotta floors and metal-framed beds. A lovely place to take a small nap before dinner! We went to dinner in a group at a really delicious-looking pizza place (I can't eat gluten so the pizza was not an option, but I did try the top of Morgan's pizza, which was absolutely delicious!), and then called it a night.

In the morning, we walked to another part of town to get to a bus that would tour us around the rest of the day. It was such a bright, cheerful day, and you could tell everyone in the group, and in the town, felt so happy! It was also very warm, and to be able to take off our coats is a special treat after the freezing cold weather we've been having in Paris.

We took the bus to the Pont du Gard, the most famous Ancient Roman aqueduct. We were able to walk across it even, on the top level! It is an amazing feat of architecture and of technology, and it was so exciting to see it in real life! After we walked around and on it, we were set free for a bit and explored the hiking paths and hillsides around the Pont. It really reminded me of a summer's day in Northern California, actually!

We headed to Avres, the town which is famous for its Roman Colliseum where they still stage bullfights, and for being the place where Vincent Van Gough cut off his ear. We had lunch at an adorable outdoor brasserie, and walked around the city. It reminded me a lot of Bath, England, because of all the remnants of Roman architecture. I think that is my favorite aspect of Provence, the Roman influences--those were the aspects of Bath that I enjoyed so much when we visited last summer.

The last stop of the day before heading to our final destination was by far the most incredible-- Les Baux. Les Baux is a medeival, hill-top settlement that looks like the home of princesses and knights. There are the ruins of an old castle, and the little village extends up the hill towards the summit, where you can climb the ruins and be at the highest point in the region for miles. We went up there right before sunset, which was absolutely gorgeous. The stairs up the sides of the buildings were so worn down from thousands of feet going up that it was a bit slippery and dangerous, but it felt like such an adventure, running around the top of the cliffs, and exploring all the ruins. I loved it there, and the wind carried all the sound away, which made you feel like you were in the middle of nowhere.

We finally arrived at our hotel in Aix-en-Provence, where we deposited our belongings and then headed to a three-course dinner as a group. We went to a nice bistro in the center of town, and I had an amazing tomato, mozzerella, olive oil and lavendar salad, a lavendar-braised lamb shank, and apple tart.

The next day, we went on a walking tour of Aix, exploring both the 19th century and Medieval sides, and then trudged up a large hill to visit Cezanne's Atelier in the hills of Aix! It was so neat to see the actual studio where he worked, and the inspirations in real life of many of his still-live paintings. The light in Aix is very condusive to art as well, and I can see why he chose to buy an atelier there.

After the walking tour, we visited an amazing open-air market in town that had hundreds of stalls of cheeses, meat, fish, vegetables, oil, lavendar, herbs de provence, and more. It was so fun to wander through and try samples, and to just smell the smells and observe everyone milling about with their children and dogs.

We took a train from Aix to Marseilles, where we were able to look out on the city and get a taste of what it's like (I really want to go back and visit!) and then took another train from Marseilles to Paris! It was a long, tiring weekend, but so incredible, and I cannot wait to visit Provence again one day soon!

For pictures, look to the albums on the right; I should have about 3 or 4 Provence albums up soon!

Bisous, Ashley

Making French Friends

I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time at my friend Morgan’s host family’s apartment (they are the family who owns the Chateau in Boran). It has been interesting because I’ve gotten to spend time with her host brother and his friends, and just being in their precense gives me a little extra insight on the younger French culture. We all listen to French music, play French card games, watch French TV…and teach each other slang in French and English! It’s been good practice, and it’s really useful to mix speaking French with Madame and with people my own age.

Some of the things that are lost in translation are so funny. There are several moments when we’ll all be talking to each other and literally be talking about two completely different things; or, one person will use a figure of speech which the other will take literally. But all in all, it’s been really fun to hang out with these kids.

The other night, after a couple weeks of craving Mexican food, a few of the girls made fajitas at Morgan’s apartment, and then watched a movie after. We decided to put on “Vanilla Sky,” with Tom Cruise, and only after the movie had started did we realize that it was dubbed in French…we watched it anyways! Even though it was strange to see American actors with different voices, it was also highly entertaining, and further practice in French.

I’m so glad that I’ve had these tiny experiences, as well as the big opportunities here. Interacting at lower levels with all different sorts of French people by simply hanging out, as well as being able to travel (for example, this weekend to Provence), has been invaluable in increasing my comprehension of French language and culture. Even just five weeks in, I can speak so much more fluidly than before, and understand so much more.