Typique

Explanation, since I know the photo is blurry: I ate half an avocado with dinner yesterday, wrapped up the rest of it and stuck in the fridge, but in my overtired state, decided it would be a really good idea to leave a note on it so the family would know what it was without opening it. So, naturally, I left a note that said, "Hi there! I'm an avocado" - only to find a second note the next morning from my host mom, which said "Welcome to the fridge!" We're basically made for each other.


Drowning in endless pages of reading for my classes, I have a feeling this will be a reoccurring theme. Why can't I just have five months of living in Paris, obligation-free? Oh. That's a vacation, isn't it. Oops. I also have a feeling that this blog is going to become more and more of a procrastination tool, heh. My entries will probably also become shorter as I become more pressed for time...so, quick updates:

On Monday, I had my first no-good-very-bad-day. Eek! Before that, however, I investigated the Paris III library. So. Tiny! For 20,000 students I was expecting something a little roomier than one floor and a handful of tables. I went during lunch time, though, so I was able to find a spot. I also sat next to a guy wearing a Boston College sweatshirt, but before I could ask him if he was American, he fell asleep. Keep trying, buddy. After some studious-time, I was getting hungry so I walked to a café for lunch. This is where things went downhill a bit... after eating, I figured I should start heading back to school for my next class. However, the waiter and the bartender both disappeared when I wanted to ask for my check, and it took forever to locate them, and then a really long time to actually get the check. I paid as quickly as I could and set off - only to become horribly, horribly lost. I'm still not sure what I did, but I kept walking in what I thought was the direction of the school only to find myself more and more in a residential area. I walked so far I ended up at a métro stop on a completely different line, but I went in because I knew in the subway system I'd be able to find my way back. By the time I got to the school, it was basically halfway into my class, and I was way too scared to enter the classroom at that point (turns out, I had the same class the next day, and it's pretty normal to have students come in an hour late. Oh.) so I just ended up going home. Never a dull moment!

Today, I went to a flute ensemble at the local conservatory (still in the process of trying to find a flute teacher... apparently it's pretty rare to just take private lessons independently, since most people become members of a conservatory and get lessons through the faculty there) where I met other flutists from the area. It was a mix of ages (but actually - from 12 to 25) but everyone was at a decent level. I met a girl from Tunisia who is getting her doctorate in music (she said we should hang out since she "gets me" since we're both foreign) and I shared a stand with a guy who normally plays saxophone, but was really good for just having started flute - it was even more impressive since he was wearing the tightest shirt I've ever seen and I've no idea how he got enough air to play. Just thought y'all should know. It was a fun time, and since it's free and I love to play so much, I might try to squeeze in some ensemble rehearsals from time to time. What was difficult was learning all the words for really simple musical terms - and here I thought I'd be all set, "music is the universal language," etc etc... Well, okay, it kind of is, when you're playing it and not discussing - it was actually kind of cool that the guy I was playing with knew how I wanted to interpret a part and would do the same, even if I wouldn't have been able to verbalize it. Nevertheless, having to ask "What's a quarter note?" since I didn't know the word ("une noire" = "a black"; half note is "une blanche" aka "a white", get it?!) was a little awkward.

In other news, it snowed twice again today. Where is my beautiful, warm Parisian spring? I'm waiting...

Alright, back to work. Blah!

x R.

PS: Sometimes, I'm walking around this city, and it will all of a sudden hit me, that I really live here, that I live in Paris, the city of light is my new home, and it is just the most ridiculous sensation of luck and happiness and excitement and je ne sais quoi. :)