Je ne parle pas Francaise.

Today during my placement test for la Sorbonne, I discovered an important lesson- I can understand some French-- when simple and spoken slowly enough, but I can't speak it AT ALL.  When I do try to speak I sometimes mix in Spanish with the French..which is not good!  I think struggling to communicate will be the #1 challenge I face while I'm here.  Besides that the placement test went fine, since I'm expecting to place into a low level I didn't have to stress about it a bit.  

Then it was off to take a boat cruise to see Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay and a few more things from the water- it was super cold and snowed on and off today so we sat inside.   It was really pretty as the sun was setting- and everyone was excited to actually feel like we were in Paris.  

Tomorrow all we have is a 10 minute meeting with our academic advisor- mine's at 9:50 and the rest of the day I think I'll stroll, shop, and explore.  We found out today that in March we have tickets to the ballet, and in March we have a day trip to chateux Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte.  In April we have a day trip to Rouen and Giverny, which is where Monet's gardens are.  

Anyway, I need some input & suggestions: where should I go?  I am definitely going to Brussels and Amsterdam with my family, to Madrid to visit Kim, and to Interlaken.  I for sure want to go to Prague.  Also, I'm thinking of visiting Justine's family in Italy OR possibly meeting up with her when she comes for her cousin's wedding!  Any other suggestions? Merci beaucoup!  

Je suis arrive!

I'm here!  Getting here was quite miserable as my flight was delayed nearly four hours and I spotted a bunch of mice in the airport, but I'm just glad I made it!  Actually, the friend I was going to meet also experienced delays since it was snowing when we arrived, so despite being 3 hours later than expected, our flights came in within ten minutes of each other.  We cabbed to the ACCENT student center and had about a half hour to check into our hotel before a short walking tour.

Yesterday afternoon and all day today were a flurry of orientations, group meals, and little errands.  Seven of us went out for a walk and some wine last night, but we stuck to a glass or two since we were feeling pretty jet lagged.  I got my cell phone and Navigo metro pass, and picked up a contact case since I couldn't find mine.  This afternoon we found out some very basic info on our homestays: the family members ages, and the location of the home.  

I was a bit bummed to find out that I was the only student not living within Paris: I'm doomed to life in the suburbs.  But in reality it's not really suburbia at all so even though I'll have a farther commute than everyone, it shouldn't be too bad.

Finally this evening we met the homestay coordinator at our hotel and met our families!  My family is a recently divorced woman, her 21 and 17 year old daughters, and a cat.  Their names are Emmanuelle (mom), Anne Gaelle (21), Charlotte (17), and Noisette (cat).   It's a 3 bedroom, 1 bath apartment and it's about a block from the metro station Pont de Levallois.   Anne Gaelle doesn't live at home-- she's studying abroad in Seoul this year and leaves in 2 weeks.  

Tomorrow we have an academic orientation in the morning, placement tests at the Sorbonne, and then an afternoon boat cruise on the Seine.  Lots of the girls (and 2 boys) in my program haven't been to Paris before so I think they are all itching to have time to actually see the sights!

Au Revoir!

Today, I won't be watching the Superbowl and gorging on mini hot dogs and chex mix.  Instead, I'll be gorging on benadryl and other sleep-inducing fare as I make a quick stop in Philly and then head to Paris!  

There's so many unknowns (schedule? where I'm living?) that while I'm really excited, I'm also pretty anxious.  I'm definitely a planner but hopefully throughout this trip I'll be able to embrace the spontaneous.  

In other news, I'm meeting a friend at the airport to share a cab with, and it was quite puzzling when I realized we wouldn't have cell phones to get ahold of each other once we arrived.  So we're meeting at my baggage claim (I get in later) and hoping for the best- no delayed flights or lost luggage s'il vous plait!  

Passport to Paris

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you." -Ernest Hemingway

Hi family and friends and welcome to my blog, where I will chronicle my travels to Paris and throughout Europe over the next four months. As you probably know, from February-May I will be studying at the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne and living in a homestay with a family.

I am getting pretty excited although it doesn't quite feel real just yet. Getting my visa last Monday in NYC was a trip all in itself. After watching about 2/3 of the people get turned away and told to be back by 9am the following day, I felt pretty discouraged despite my careful collection of everything I needed. Two and a half hours of waiting later, I was scolded for not having my insurance company draft a letter but instead printing out the comprehensive chart of my coverage. Luckily, I didn't "get the guillotine," and I was granted access to study in Paris! (You need a visa if you'll be studying there for more than 90 days)

You might notice that there are quite a few entries below, last semester I used this space as part of my Visual Literacy class. Now as my life changes this will adapt with me and turn into a great way to keep everyone updated on what I'm up to.

I'm crossing my fingers that I'll have internet access in my homestay so I can update this with photos and stories as much as possible. Below is some additional info on how to contact/stay in touch with my while I'm gone.

• Email- lauren.belisle@american.edu
• Skype (video conferencing)- laurenbelisle

Here's some important dates!

• Leave for DC: January 29
• Leave for Paris: February 1
• Family visits & travel to Brussels, Amsterdam: April 9-18
• Spring break: April 11-26
• Depart Paris for Hartford: May 31
  

I'll receive mail at the student center at this address:

Lauren Belisle
c/o ACCENT Student Mail
89 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine
75011 Paris FRANCE

Final Photo Essay

For my final photo essay I chose Eugène Delacroix's 1824 painting, Girl Seated in a Cemetery. I was assigned to come up with a story inspired by the painting and illustrate the story in a series of seven photos, edited appropriately in Photoshop. Here is a link to all of the photos I took before narrowing things down and really deciding my story. Here's what I came up with for my final seven images. As you can see, the final photo is the reference to the painting.

Here are the alterations I made to each image:
1) Adjusted brightness/contrast
2) Adjusted brightness/contrast
3) Adjusted brightness/contrast
4) Converted to sepia, added grain texture filter
5) Converted to sepia, adjusted brightness/contrast, added grain texture filter
6) Converted to sepia, adjusted brightness/contrasted & sharpened, added grain texture filter
7) Adjusted brightness/contrast

I adjusted brightness and contrast to make sure it looked pretty gloomy (luckily, it was also a gloomy day when we photographed,) but to not lose the details in the shot. I made the fourth, fifth and sixth images sepia toned and added a grainy filter to indicate that they were a dream/flashback/remembrance and not actually occurring.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the turnout! If it weren't for the title of the painting, you wouldn't even know that it took place in a cemetery--but I was able to come up with a story (if you take a peek at all of my 70+ initial photos, you'll see that I edited it down quite a lot) and express it visually.