So tomorrow-- demain-- is THE DAY. Tomorrow I go out to the Université de Cergy-Pontoise and register for classes, hopefully buy some books, and hopefully have a better sense of what I will be doing for the next several months! I am simultaneously happy-excited-nervous. This is a phenomenon once referred to as "hervous."
Updates on my schedule to follow, particularly those of you in London/Lyon/Noyant/etc. that have been clamouring for a visit from me! This is probably contingent upon the cost of books, etc., but I do hope to travel some throughout this semester. After registering tomorrow, I should have about one week until classes actually commence. Maybe even in that time I might meander a little.... There is so much to discover close by, too!
The past few days have been very nice. Yesterday I went with Susan (mother in the family I'm staying with here, not to be confused with Susan in Maine who is my biological mother-- to avoid further confusion let us start referring to Susan here as "S" and Susan in Maine as "Z") to Versailles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles).
Why am I so challenged by formatting with this blog and integrating photos, which seem to take centuries to upload? Somebody please help me! I am clearly a blogspot-novice! I would upload more photos if this did not take so infernally long.... Really, I enjoy photography! Don't ruin that for me, blogspot!
Oh, and why am I so challenged by French, too? Or maybe not so much challenged as just impatient with myself?! Okay, in case you did not know, I have something of a reputation for impatience. Like I was born a month early. Like I was given the "fastest camper" award at Girl Scout Camp when I was 8. Like I graduated high school early. Like I paced up and down my sophomore year residence hall at Brandeis frustrated that the RA (query: does that stand for Residence Assistant? Repressed memories, no doubt...) was delayed in coming to do the final inspection to let me check out at the end of the year. Doris can confirm that pretty-boy-South-African-RA (pretty-boy?) was only like 5 minutes delayed. So, impatience. Impatience is a virtue. Right? Now, though, I am particularly impatient!! Particularly because my comprehension is strong when I am reading French. It is even okay when I hear French...but I just cannot speak!
I was proud of myself, though. Today I ventured into Paris solo. I visited the Louvre--yay Picasso exhibit...not to mention the Mona Lisa-- and all around that area and managed to negotiate the day entirely in French, including struggling with the train ticket machine and my credit card(http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en).
I had a panini and espresso. Okay, so being partially Italian it seems to not matter where you geographically situate me, I am always going to eat more like an Italian.... Later I bought a bottle of water. On the way back via Gare Saint Lazare I even verified that I was on the right train and had a brief conversation with a gentleman. All of this all in French! Mostly I am self-conscious. But I keep trying...tenacity...tenacity.... Have I mentioned I am impatient?
I had a panini and espresso. Okay, so being partially Italian it seems to not matter where you geographically situate me, I am always going to eat more like an Italian.... Later I bought a bottle of water. On the way back via Gare Saint Lazare I even verified that I was on the right train and had a brief conversation with a gentleman. All of this all in French! Mostly I am self-conscious. But I keep trying...tenacity...tenacity.... Have I mentioned I am impatient? 
It all takes so much thought. Like when I listen to news on the radio I have to give it my undivided attention to comprehend anything. The good news is that French media has the same endearing (endearing?) tendency as American media-- playing the same news story 5 million times. This is great since by the 5th millionth time I generally have the gist of the story, especially if I apply myself and listen most carefully!
Well, I am also heureuse because a French student at the commerce school at Cergy was looking for somebody to practice English conversation, in exchange that he would practice French conversation with them. So, naturally, I immediately inquired into that. Hopefully that will help me progress faster. Again...impatience!
A proverb seems fitting: tout vient à temps à qui sait attendre-- everything comes to him who waits. So we wait...we wait....
Until Later,
A
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