PaRiS 8

I took the Metro to school today on account of waking up very late. The only problem was that I had to switch trains 3 different times and was still incredibly late. School proved to be quite entertaining though. We played French Taboo and it is probably my new favorite pastime. After school Nicole and I went to our favorite little Israeli shop and sampled "Turkish Delights". If you've never had it before it's basically a gelatinous substance completely covered in powdered sugar combined with 2 or 3 nuts inside.. Disgusting. I threw it in the gutter immediately after. We then made our way down to the Indian market and I bought super glue to fix my sunglasses.. yeah, I'm cheap. That was pretty much the extent of my day besides roaming the streets and taking pictures. Here are a few shots from the day...

Gone with the..afro... PaRiS 7

Today I whined to Nicole and Allison about my afro and converter troubles. Allison suggested that I go to BHV near Hôtel de Ville because apparently they sell everything! I was honestly ecstatic! (Sad, I know). Then Nicole told me she would take me to the flea market tomorrow and buy me a new converter.. YAY!! I'll finally be set!

After school I dropped off my belongings and set off to buy my afro killer!! I was pretty self conscious today. I was feeling mega fat (the baguettes and butter were starting to take their toll) and my afro was maddening. I tried to pop my sunglasses lens into place but while I was walking, the lens shot straight out in front of me. Now I resembled the dog off of Little Rascals-one large black lens and one large black rim. Ridiculous. I picked it up and fussed over it momentarily pretending that it had just broke so that the café stalkers would stop laughing. I just had to keep thinking positively.. the afro would soon be gone.. ahh. 

I arrived at BHV and thoroughly searched 3 levels before I found it in some obscure aisle (next to clothing irons..weird). I honestly let out a little gasp of joy. I tried to quell my excitement but it was difficult :).. I shopped a little longer (they seriously have the CooLest stuff over here!) and rushed home to get rid of the fro. I stopped by Maison Collet to buy (another) baguette..yum. I jumped in the shower, STRAIGHTENED the fro and took the metro down to institute. 

Bro. and Sis. Murray taught the lesson on honesty and had various people translate it to french. One story in particular touched me. He spoke about a family in their old ward in Hawaii that had 10 children and hardly any money. It was 2 days before Christmas and the family went out to do a little shopping. One of the younger boys came across a thick envelope on the floor and gave it to his older brother who opened it and counted $300. They showed their father and asked if they could keep it. The father said it wasn't right and took the whole family to the manager to return the money. Two days later on Christmas morning the family awoke to see their front porch covered with presents and food. The ward had all pitched in to make a memorable Christmas for this family. They had not been aware of the recent experience the family had with finding the money but found out at a testimony meeting the next month. Something had touched the hearts of the people in the ward to come together to take  care of this family. It just goes to show that by living righteously, the Lord will always prepare a way for you to be blessed.

After institute I had some creeper follow me nearly all the way home. It was a little frightening. But I'm here safe and sound and ready to go to bed. 

Versailles.. PaRis 6

I wegged school today (shh) to go to Versailles with Kat and Kemp. We left around 8 am from Gare du Nord and took the RER to the country. Halfway there our train stopped at a station where we apparently had to switch trains (we were unaware of that fact which left us momentarily lost). We were supposed to stay on the platform and wait for the next train but for some reason a random passenger told us otherwise and that we should go to a different track. We left through the "Sortie" and asked the ticket agent where we should go. She ended up pointing us right back in the direction we came. Well we couldn't get on the platform without feeding our ticket into a machine that released a turn style and a push door. We had already used up our tickets which meant we would have to purchase another one just to get back on our previous platform. Well I just wasn't going to have that. Dress and all I swung my leg up on the metal box, squeezed in between the long metal bars and jumped on the other side. The K's got quite a kick out of that and Kitty decided to climb over the turn style and under the door. Kemp couldn't make up his mind but finally got on his hands and knees and crawled under the door as well. It was quite a sight! We definitely had a good laugh.

Once we arrived we walked about 10 minutes and there it was. Grand, decadent, Baroque, elegant, beautiful and incredibly opulent.  There were already so many people for only being 10 am but after the 30 min wait in line the gobs of tourists evenly dispersed throughout the Château. Everything in the Palace was decked out in marble or gold. The Sun King was so self indulgent- In one of my art history classes I learned that before Versailles was built, King Louis's head of finance (I think), built Vaux le Vicomte. It was such a grand château that the King thought it was bad taste that someone beneath him should be living in such luxury. He imprisoned the man and then hired the entire team who built Vaux le Vicomte to build and design Versailles. The end result of 380 million francs, 36,000 laborers and enough paintings, if laid end to end, to equal 7 miles of canvas. The King then summoned thousands of grandees from their own far-flung châteaux to reside at his new seat of government. In doing so, however, he unwittingly triggered the downfall of the monarchy. Each day private invitations were sent out to each of the grandees inviting them to "Watch the King have his breakfast" or being permitted "to take a stroll in the gardens with his highness" I mean this guy was so full of himself! Anyway, a 2 century spree of indulgence in the finest bling-bling of the age by the consecutive reigns of 3 French Kings produced 2 of the world's most historic artifacts: gloriously, the Palace itself and, momentously, the French Revolution.- Ok sorry for the rambling.. I get carried away sometimes. Anyway, the Hall of Mirrors and the incredible art were my favorite things (besides the awesome wallpaper which I would LoVE to have). My absolute favorite part of the trip though was the outdoor gardens. I couldn't have dreamt of anything more picture perfect. The weather was slightly balmy with a cool refreshing breeze ever so often. The trees were trimmed in angles of perfection and the flowers were colorfully beaming everywhere you went. The grand canal was available for paddle boat rental which gave the grounds almost a Great Gatsby feeling. The K's and I began our long walk to the Grand Trianon. We thought we were going to the Queen's hamlet or Marie Antoinette's place but ended up on the other side of the grounds. The Trianon was outfitted in pink marble.. wow. It definitely looked like a woman's residence to me. Everything was floral and PINK!..We realized we didn't have the energy or the mobility to go back and see the Queens Hamlet (our feet were dying.. a days worth of cobblestone will do that to you) so we took the RER back into the city. We finally were on the metro and made a special stop to get our favorite crepes. :) Afterwards I bid farewell to the K's and we went separate ways. I'll miss them!! They've been soo much fun!!

On my walk home I was feeling incredibly self conscious of my awkward look. I felt so ragged next to the chic impossibly thin french women (I still had the fro). But just then a man on a scooter rode by, gave me a little beep and thumbs up. Then he muttered "très belle" and smiled. Ahh.. I felt much better. Even if he was being sarcastic. I love the French.

Rain rain go away.. PaRiS 5

Ugh, it was raining AgAiN today!.. I feel so unprepared being here! I don't have any cute fall/winter clothes (I'm freezing), my hair is HIDEOUS and my favorite sunglasses just broke today (sorry for the melodramatic "Clueless" monologue. I assure you, I do have a brain and don't JuSt care about fashion. Just needed to vent). I need to always remind myself when I'm in a bit of a sour mood that I'm in PaRiS! No need to complain about anything. Ahh.. that's better.

School went well today. We worked on passé composé. Blah. And then I felt terribly sick and went home during the break to rest for an hour or two. At 1:30 I (pinned the fro back) walked down to the chapel to meet up with Kemp and Kitty. We took the metro all the way down to some ghetto stop just to get some "amazing crepes". I ordered a poulet et fromage crepe and it was... TO DIE FOR! No exaggeration here. I was in heaven! It was incredi

bly filling, I couldn't even finish it. Afterwards we took

the train up to Montmartre and did a little shopping at the coolest boutiques. 62 euros later the K's and I walked up what felt like 20 flights of stairs and arrived in Painters Square. It was ridiculously charming. Artist's were everywhere showing off their best work, competing for the most reasonable price and they were all sheltered by umbrellas preciously guarding their masterpieces from the storm.   I considered getting a portrait by maybe the next Toulouse-Lautrec but then I couldn't figure out why in the world I would want a portrait of myself and where on earth would I put it? Hanging in my room? Hmm.. I think not. We started walking towards Sacré Coeur and it resembled an enormous, decadent wedding cake that over looked the entire city. The view was incredible. All of Paris was laid out before me. I was a bit overwhelmed as to the size of the city but it was beautiful. I was pretty impressed by the 

building until Kemp

 told me it was built in 1895. I was no longer interested

it was practically brand new! A little over the top too. We finally came to the decision to climb to the top of the dome. Oh my.. it took FoRever! If you've ever climbed the bell tower in Florence, this was nearly the same. An extremely small staircase that I expect only the Japanese could fit through complete with never ending steps. My legs

had turned to wobbly jelly when I finally reached the top but I was able to savour the view (and sit down) for a while. We took loads of pictures and finally made our descent ALL THE WAY down. I got soo dizzy just staring at the worn, spiraling steps below me. After what felt like an hour we were in the crypt. Pretty lame. It wasn't worth the extra euros to visit. We left and hung around Painters Square for a bit and stopped in a little café to sample their nutella crepes. Mmmmm... Delicious!! Well we were worn out so we called it a day and I'm home studying, writing in the journal, eating a baguette and watching Sabrina. I couldn't be happier :).

Shopping and Luxembourg Jardin..PaRiS 4

Well today was my first day of school. Class was difficult at first (mainly because it's taught completely in french) but I soon got the hang of it and understood what the teacher was saying. My class is pretty small. There's: Peter from Australia, Allison from New York, Fünda from Turkey, Felix from Spain, Olivia from Seattle and Nicole from North Carolina. It's a really fun group :).  

After school I went home and met up with Kat and Kemp and we all went out to find a place to get lunch. Kat was really craving duck and wanted me to sample it as well. So after checking a few local café menus we found one serving duck with raspberry sauce. I ordered chicken tandoori which looked a little scary but wasn't too bad. We had a great chat about our lives, 

school and such and then they paid for my meal! They were so nice :)

Well the rest of the day we went to various shops on St. Germain des Près and St. Michel. I only bought a few items but it's SOLDES season in Paris right now and I'll definitely be going out to get more! Kitty and I found a little Vintage shop near the 

Hôtel de Ville that had the best stuff for 5-30 euros, I'll be heading back there too. We stopped at an internet café for a bit to catch up on life and then made our way over to Luxembourg gardens. Gorgeous. I was in love and had found my new designated 

"reading place". The sky was partly overcast and the weather was amazing. The lighting was perfect so I was able to snap some sweet shots. We lingered a bit and took the subway back and we separated at different stops. When I went above ground I was completely lost. I knew I wasn't far from home but I was pretty turned around. ( I hadn't figured out that there was a closer metro to my house yet.) I started walking and then the wind picked up and the rain started in on a steady down pour. I opened my obnoxious green umbrella with large brown polka dots to attempt to shield myself from the cold rain. Well, the wind was quite strong and by quite strong I mean I could've been Mary Poppins if my umbrella had been opened for 30 more seconds. The wind sucked my umbrella inside out I began to pull it away from me with an alarming amount of force. So here I am, standing on a corner, lost, and wrestling with my polka dot umbrella while getting drenched. Life was good. I finally found my way back to Rue Montorguiel and stopped into a Boulangerie to get a baguette (of course). I also purchased un éclair chocolat for good measure ( I felt I earned it). After I got home I ate my incredibly rich éclair and nearly ate the WhOLe Baguette!! It was as long as my arm! But skinnier so I don't feel too guilty. Well tomorrow is Montmartre with the K's!.. Oh.. and I'm STILL sporting the fro.. this has got to end.

SuNdAy...Paris 3

Well my attempts to sleep last night were again interrupted by the Karaoke bars and clubs. The last thing I heard before finally downing a sleeping pill was "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. Everyone in the street was singing along (just the chorus) in their prominent french accents. It definitely had me laughing because it's one of my favorite songs and I really enjoyed hearing it in that  setting.

This morning I had my first walk to church. I left a little early (pinned the afro back) because I wasn't sure how long it would take me. I ended up getting there 30 min early so I decided to walk a little further and see the Hôtel de Ville and go across the Seine and visit the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was beautiful. I also 

happened to go at the perfect time. Tourists apparently aren't up at 9 on a Sunday morning. I took a few pictures of the Seine and made my way back to church. I met this awesome girl named Kathleen in Relief Society who was on vacation from her home in New Zealand. She is seriously the nicest girl! She introduced me to her brother Kemp after church who is equally as nice. They invited me out for shopping after I get out of school tomorrow and we're going to Montmartre on Tuesday. I can't wait!

After church I went home, changed clothes and decided to navigate my way to school for a test run. It turned out to only be a 15 min walk! Then on my way back I didn't really feel like going home yet so I walked all the way back to the Notre Dame and it was packed with tourists.

I decided to avoid the crowds and went along the little side streets to capture photos of quaint storefronts and the back of Notre Dame. A jazzy band was playing which made the atmosphere all the more enjoyable. I explored a little side path and found a little shaded seating area looking over the Seine and sat there for half an hour just enjoying the warm and cool windy weather.

I decided to end the day because my feet were hurting SO badly. I hate breaking in shoes!I walked home, showered, tried to calm the afro and had some milk and baguette for dinner..mmmm...Well school starts tomorrow. I'm a little nervous but excited to be speaking french!

First Day! Paris 2

Today was my first whole day in Paris. I got an early start waking up at 6:30 am -my body is not yet used to time difference. I was awake until 12 the previous night but was repeatedly woken up by the sound of crazy parties and loud motorbikes going down my street. Apparently people don't go to bed until 5:30 am on the weekends- I should've gone to bed at that time because it was dead quiet. When I woke, I studied french (like a good student) and had my morning tea. After that I was at a loss at what I should do. I mean, this is PARIS!! There should be oodles for me to see! I was hoping for beautiful Parisian sunshine but much to my dismay, threatening storm clouds decided to hover :(. Now my wardrobe consisted of shorts, skirts, dresses, T-shirts, 2 pairs of pants and a light jacket. I opened my window to test the weather and it was FREEEEZING! Yeah, I was unprepared. I threw on my skinny jeans, ballet flats, T and jacket (I was attempting to look Parisian.. You have know idea what they say behind your back if they can tell you're American). I also put in the ipod to appear "occupé" (didn't really want anyone speaking french to me either!). I left my apartment and struggled (no joke) for 5 min tying to lock my stupid door. There isn't a doorknob so you pull on the door knocker thing while pushing at the same time to turn your key which requires more upper body strength than I have. I worked up a little sweat ( OVER LOCKING A DOOR!) and descended down the spiral staircase 3 levels (I don't have a lift in my building.. good work out though) and met the resident cat that apparently loves me and became my first friend in Paris (Patrick, tell Jackie I have the foreign cat gift as well). THEN I couldn't figure out how to get out of the complex!! I was finally in Paris and was locked in my apartment complex. What the heck was I gonna do??.. Well after looking like an idiot (thank goodness no one was around) and feeling the entire door thinking there might be a hidden or secret latch to release me, I turned to my right and saw a glowing button the stated "Porte" above it. Duh! Obviously there was no hidden, secret Indiana Jones way to get out of here.. simply press a button. I pushed it and opened the large blue door and I was out in the chilly rainy weather. I live right off Rue Montorgueil which is a pedestrian street and just the most charming thing I had ever seen. So I decided to take a walk down it and explore. All of the Boulangerie's and Fromage et Vin shops were opening and the air was soon filled with the smell of warm baguettes and croissants. I was instantly famished. I did a little grocery shopping and hurried back to my apartment to get a bite to eat before I met with the Sister Missionaries.

The Sisters arrived at my apartment to show me around a little bit so I wouldn't feel completely lost. One was from California and the other was French. They took me to visit a less active member that lives nearby. She is a middle aged convert, unmarried and the typical "cat lady". She didn't speak any english and my french was pretty poor so Sis. Marshall (CA) translated a lot.  We sang "I love to see the Temple" in french of course. ( I think I prefer hymns and primary songs in french) and taught her a lesson on genealogy. Afterwards the Sisters and I went to the church building (gorgeous, 18th century, right next to Centre Pompidou) to have lunch and to teach an english class. The rain kept most of the students at home but nonetheless we had a good time. The Sisters walked me home because I obviously didn't know where I was going and on the way I witnessed my first demonstration. It was as if every filthy grunge loving teenager in Paris gathered to smoke pot and push a Van down the street that was waving a banner with very colorful words on it. The police were everywhere! It was definitely a new

experience. 

When I got home home I showered, took a nap, and decided to curl my hair when I woke up. Not 3 minutes into curling my afro I heard a "POP!". My converter/adapter had blown. NOW I have this afro hairdo for my first day of church tomorrow! I look RiDiCuLoUs! And yes I like big hair but not when it's frizzy!! It looks like I stuck my finger in the light socket! I think this is my first trial but it's a little funny when I think about it. I can't be mad. I'm in Paris!.. Well it's about 12 am and everyone is out partying! I live on a pretty popular street I guess. I can hear the "bump bump" of The Cardigans "Lovefool" (I can't help but think of "The Office") and "American Boy" being played over and over. We'll see if I can sleep through all this partying tonight.

Je suis arrivée!! - Paris 1

Well I am finally here. I've wanted to come to Paris for the longest time and now I am living in the cutest apartment in the heart of the city. Today is America's Birthday and I am celebrating it in Europe. Not the best planning on my part. I flew out of Phoenix last night and took a flight to London which would then connect to Paris. I sat next to the most adorable German gentleman and his partner- a British chap- that were so polite. They thought I was British (probably because my traveling outfit resembled a British school girl uniform) and were shocked when I said I was American. One of the men said I was too nice to be American mainly because the girls sitting in front of us were of USA blood and they kept leaning their seats back into our laps BEFORE dinner... very rude. The girls even called the flight attendant over to complain that our knees were digging into their backs. Now I know why a large amount of Europeans can't stand Americans. On another note, I am going to do everything in my power never to fly coach again. There was honestly zero room. On the upside, the on-flight meal actually smelled pretty good.. and then I tasted it. I still do not know what the yellow mush in the middle of the plate was. Maybe Saffron mashed potatoes? Hmmm I think I was just trying to be optimistic and sound like Top Chef. The cheesecake wasn't too bad but that was the only decent thing on the tray. 

After we landed I had to rush to my connecting flight to Paris and barely made it. The flight was very brief and once we had landed I could hardly contain my excitement. I made my way over to customs and the guard looked me up and down and proceeded to speak in rapid french I mumbled that I could only speak a little and he said I was Mignonne... noo idea what that meant. I then gathered my bags, waved goodbye to the friendly custom agents and went upstairs to find my ride into the city. I pushed through a sea of people and was relieved to see my name on a clipboard. I went over and he introduced himself as Vincent and handed me my new cell phone (pre ordered). I couldn't stop smiling. Everything was perfect! 

Instead of taking me straight to my apartment he drove to my school so I could get an idea of it's location and showed me various historical sites while giving me mini lessons on the city's history. We finally arrived at the apartment and met the owner of the school I am attending. His name is Ignacio and he is the nicest person one could ever meet, he was the one who found my apartment for me.

After everyone left I settled in and I am now watching the movie "French Kiss" to get in the Parisian mood. I think I'll attempt to sleep now because tomorrow I am going out with the Sister Missionaries! :)