Autumn Already?

I adore alliteration...

No, really...

Another thing I adore is this super-warm autumnal weather that is somewhat surprising to everyone in France!  I visited with my sweet older neighbor this afternoon for a few moments to bring her some flowers as a thank-you for her warm welcome and she remarked about the weather, "We are having the month of April in the month of September!"  I say, so much the better...it's really adding to my current joie de vivre!

I find that I can't help writing a little bit about each day that passes.  My days have been filled to the brim with activities, both touristic and work-related...wait, work?  What work?  I'm here to work?  Oh, that's right...I am here to work!  Although, the French government doesn't seem to remember that it hired me to work for the next few months.  I still do not have my placements; however, I know once I receive them, I'll have to return to reality.  But for now, I'm enjoying this incredible dream...

Sunday evening was a treat because Espérance asked me if I wanted to go for a bike ride.  I had asked earlier if there was a park nearby (for when I can't get into the city).  There is one not far away so she wanted to show me the way to get there (by bike or by foot).  It's a lovely park - surrounding le château de Morsang (less a real castle, more a bourgeois home from long ago), but Savigny sur Orge and neighboring Morsang equally share the park.  There are trails everywhere, a few scattered play structures for the kids, a little lake with ducks and one beautiful white swan and men with fishing poles...It was idyllic!  And the best part of all?  I got to ride the family's electric bike!  It was downhill almost all the way to the park, so the way back was quite easy thanks to a little "horsepower"...well, maybe not horse...

It was decided that on Monday Susy and I would present ourselves au rectorat (basically the headquarters for the schools of Paris) to see if we could learn any more about our placements.  The answer came back:  We're still working on things.  Well, at least we know it's not something inachevé on our part.  Since we were in the same neighborhood as Père-Lachaise, a famous above-ground cemetery in the eastern part of the city, we decided to pay a visit (I'd never been before).  There are maps that show many of the famous burial sites (Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, etc.) but we just walked hither and yon, remarking on the beautiful iron work that was visible on almost every edifice.  Afterwards, we made our way to the neighborhood of my old academic haunts in the 6ème arrondisement...very close to ???  You guessed it - les jardins de Luxembourg!  There are grassy spots everywhere, but you can't sit on all of them.  We found the area where many other students were enjoying the sun and shade and ate our lunch on the edge of the grass.  Susy had an appointment to open her bank account and I decided to go back to my old school building to visit with the director of my university's abroad program (Audrey) who was the assistant director when I was there 10 years ago!  She looked great and the building looked very much the same, with a few updates and changes during the past few years.  It was a bit of nostalgie to be there again!  Susy and I met up again and this time decided to go to another nearby cemetery - La cimitière Montparnasse - it was quite a day for cemeteries!  This one also has many famous "residents" like Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Brancusi, la famille Boucicaut (not really famous, but I recognized the name because he is the man who started Le Bon Marché in Paris - the world's first department store - I almost wrote my Art History thesis about this man!)  I very much enjoyed my day filled with so much walking; however, my feet were less than enthused by the end of it...

I took it a little easier today - I slept in very late and headed out of the house just in time for my own bank account appointment.  Everything went swimmingly and I will soon receive the famous carte bleue - the debit card with the little micro-chip that makes a world of difference in France if you don't have it!  I was so worried about this process during the summer and before my departure, and now I can check it off my list!  Ça y est!  After the bank, I decided to walk back to the park.  I found a spot near the water (that wasn't already occupied - many people had the same idea today!) and as I lay on my back and watched the clouds, listened to the ducks, and felt the breeze I thought to myself that I could spend many hours of my life (and in some ways I already have) in just this way... :)

You'll find some photos of the past three days after the jump...

From Brassens to Saint-Exupéry...

I don't know when I last had such a full Saturday!

On Friday evening, my host family invited me to join them for a cultural tour of the Montrouge area of the 14th arrondisement for the following afternoon.  I'm always interested in such visits and I was pleased to learn that my host "father" is responsible for arranging these sorts of activities for his company.  We had a group of about 25 walking together through numerous streets and alleys and it was such a nice way to spend a beautiful afternoon in Paris!

The theme of the tour was discovering the quartier of the French singer-songwriter George Brassens (1921-1981).  He was a popular singer (accompanied by his guitar) in his day and his lyrics were often a little controversial, so many assume (incorrectly) that he was an anarchist.  His neighborhood was brimming with artistic creativity, and as we walked around we saw many old buildings with large windows for letting in plenty of light.  Once upon a time, many well-known artists had their workshops, atéliers, in this neighborhood.  It was lovely to see many Art Nouveau touches (my favorite design period) here and there, as well.

After the tour, I continued on my own and made my way back to the Luxembourg Gardens...quelle surprise! (Honestly, I could spend all day just people-watching in that spot!)  I had a rendez-vous with my friend Susy in the Odéon area (another favorite) and we ate at a delicious Japanese restaurant.  She shared with me a special event that was happening at La Défense later in the evening and we decided that we'd walk around a little and then jump on the metro and head that way.  The special event was truly spectacular - a musical/light show/firework re-enactment of Antoine de Saint Exupéry's Le Petit Prince.  I've never seen anything like it!  There were images projected onto the arch of La Défense, classical music interludes, strobe lights, light-emitting balloons that changed color depending on the storyline, bursts of fire, and best of all, fireworks!  I don't know exactly how many people were there - there certainly was a crush of humanity - I don't think I would be exaggerating if I guessed that there were close to 5,000 people (or more) in that spot!  What a special experience!

I can't believe the weather that I've been treated to since my arrival.  It has really been gorgeous - I'd say mid- to upper-70s all week.  And it might get up to the 80s on Tuesday!  Tant mieux!  We've eaten many meals on the little patio in full sunlight - it's been heavenly!  I even did a load of laundry and hung my things up to dry outside.  Don't laugh - that's the first time I've dried things on a true clothesline.  Americans are so used to having a washer/dryer combo, but many French households have only a (tiny) washer.  I'm feeling like a true française!  I know my days won't always be so relaxed in the weeks ahead, but I am trying to soak all of this up for as long as I can!  Il faut profiter! (You have to take advantage of it!)

Check out my photos from the weekend after the jump...

École Maternelle...

My "host mother" invited me to join her at the school where she was working today.  The class consisted of twenty-six 5-year olds...little French babies...they were adorable!  I joined her after lunch because I'm still dealing with jet-lag and there was no way I would have been ready for the first part of the morning!

(School begins at 830am with a break for lunch from about 1145-115pm, then the afternoon lasts until 430pm.  Definitely longer than the average US school day, but preschool/primary school-age children don't go to school on Wednesdays (or Saturdays, like some of the older French students) - I'm sure it all evens out in the end!)

I was welcomed with open arms (literally) and given many pecks on the cheek from the little ones!  They don't refer to their teachers by titles, such as Madame/Mademoiselle (like I thought they would)  Everyone is called "maîtresse"...similar to being called "teacher" all day long...but it sounds somewhat sweeter here because their little French voices are priceless!  (My host mother said that the French feel the same way about hearing American children speak English!)

These children are younger than the ones that I will be working with, but it was still such a treat to spend the afternoon in a school so soon after my arrival!  After the jump, you will find some pictures from my first day in a French school...

Bienvenue à Paris!

To those of you in the know, it comes as no surprise that I have made my way back to the city closest to my heart.  As I have said all along, this is a dream come true...10 years in the making!  I am truly blessed!!

Let me begin by saying that I arrived two days ago and already I feel quite at home.  I know that I still have many different logistical things to take care of in the near future, but for now I am quite content after arriving to fine weather, warm hosts, a charming town just outside of Paris, and a new friend from California with whom I corresponded all summer long.  I imagine that, at first, I may regale you with more pictures and captions than text, but I think that is a nice way to get started, don't you?  I have much to learn about the process of blogging, and I am looking forward to it. Hopefully, for now, these pictures will communicate the beginning of mon séjour à Paris! (after the jump)...