I'm in Paris, bitch!

I HAVE ARRIVED! Actually I arrived on Wednesday, but this is the first chance I have time to sit down and write. So, the first day here we met up with the entire group at the ACCENT center, which is located in the 11th arrondisement. Its a very pretty district that has everything and anything you can want in Paris. We had an orientation and schlepped our bags (2 giant suitcases and a super heavy carry on) to the hotel where we stayed at for one night. I went out with some of the girls in my group and we had a very Parisian dinner complete with some delicious vin. Some guys at the restaurant approached us and told us that they were playing a concert nearby. So afterwards we went to a bar and then the club were the concert was at and had a very good first night in Paris!

The following days have been a whirlwind. There have been multiple orientations, we took our placement tests, and met our host families! My host family is adorable and oh-so-French. They are Monsieur and Madame Dupont, an elderly couple. They have four kids all in their thirties except for their youngest son which is my age and currently studying abroad in the U.S.. They are also hosting another girl. She is an Austrian doing an internship in here. The family lives in the 16th arrondisement which is a very nice area of Paris. Their apartment is enormous for Paris standards. I have my own room and share the bathroom with Julia, the Austian girl. I only speak to my host family in French, so I should be getting better and better everyday!

Yesterday, was my first official Saturday in Paris. I went to the Musee d'Orsay with some friends. From there we headed towards the Galeries Lafayette, where we stumbled across a protest (Parisians take their right to assemble very seriously, there is always a strike or a protest going on). The people were protesting the Israeli occupation of Palestine. It was VERY intense. The riot police were out with their shields and batons looking quite intimidating, but the protest remained peaceful. Anyway, after that we had a very nice meal in St.Michel, which is near Notre Dame and is a very cool area with lots or restaurants and bars. We were planning on going out, so we bought some bottles of wine, orangina, and vodka for a bit of pregaming on along the Seine. It was BEAUTIFUL, but freezing, so I'm really looking forward to the spring! We met some more Americans that were also pregaming on the Seine, and then we headed out to a bar nearby. All in all it was a very fun night! However, I still haven't crossed anything off of my bucket list, but I'm working on it!

So, since I love lists, I figured I would write one about all of the things I have learned about Paris/ France since I've gotten here!

1. Everything is made for miniature people. (i.e. showers, cars, rooms, etc.)
2. All staircases are winding.
3. There are not enough outlets anywhere!
4. French people are ACTUALLY very nice! They just have a haughty expressions.
5. The metro system is freaking enormous! There are a gazillion lines and different train systems. It can be quite confusing!
6. The people are really not that fashionable! I felt like my wardrobe has fit in juuust fine. (I think I was just expecting everyone to be runway ready, but that just doesn't happen in real life. Sex and the City (An American in Paris) really skewed my expectations wrongly).
8. PDA is everywhere! People are always making out all over the place, staring into each others eyes lovingly, and doing all sorts of things that Americans usually reserve for the bedroom. I don't know if its just that I'm bitter because I have no man here, but it is quite annoying!
9. People drive like maniacs and have no regard for pedestrians. Get in their way, and you're fucked.
10. Men can get away with a lot of fashion choices here that just doesn't work for Americans.