Mon Quartier/My Neighborhood

To start, a few photos of my home in Paris, chez Charoy, in the 9th arrondissement. Below is my building; you can see my room on the second floor with the window open - the sounds of the neighborhood filter in during the day, just another way to enjoy the atmosphere of Paris.

The intersection near my host family's home. Our street is rue de Clichy.

The view from down the street. I love the architecture of the buildings - the wrought-iron railings and the carved embellishments give off are so charming and romantic. Cafés line rue de Clichy, as they do every other street in Paris.

The spire of L'église de la Sainte-Trinité, and the iconic métro.

Clever city-planning: Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements, or districts, the first of which is located in the center of the city. The rest of the arrondissements spiral clockwise around the city like a snail. (Escargot!)

The 9th arrondissement, where I am staying, is home to many famous sights, including the old opera house, Opéra Garnier, and the magnificent Galeries Lafayette, granddaddy (or should I say grandmother?) of the modern shopping mall.

An interesting note: the shopping malls in Beijing and Shanghai, and even some of the smaller cities in China, are laid out just like Galeries Lafayette, with the individual stores arranged by theme on each level, unlike the American megamalls that house each vendor in an individual storefront. With less space used for walkways, this mall can fit more vendors, and with that, more variety, into a smaller space. Makes sense that the Chinese took their shopping inspiration from Paris - just the fashion capital of the world. :P

I spent my afternoon observing French weekend life, first at a bustling street market and then in the picturesque Luxembourg Gardens. No conclusions yet, but I'm beginning to see what all the fuss is about. Relaxed lifestyle, quality living, sophistication all around - I could get use to this! Nonetheless, the industrious American in me wants to cry, "But work! When do they work??" That, we shall see on Monday, when I officially begin my program here in Paris and the Parisians begin their working week.

Till then, bon journée!

Ah Paris, que tu es belle!

I've just arrived in Paris today - quite proud of myself as I managed to find my way from the airport to my homestay without much problem, except that it took me a bit to find the house number because, voilà, I didn't look high enough on the building to notice the sign. Luckily two very polite French children let me in and showed me how to use the intercom to phone my family. Mishap numéro 1. We'll count how many more I make before my month here is up :)

First thoughts upon descending into Charles de Gaulle airport this morning: "Man, this land is FLAT." Far different from the hills and valleys (and water) of the Bay Area, the areas surrounding the city are flat and mostly covered in farmland - adorable patches of land laid out like a patchwork quilt with little clusters of houses sprinkled here and there at the intersections of its seams. Caught my first glimpse of the Seine curving through the city as well - can't wait until Sunday's bateau mouche cruise on the Seine with the other SBC students.

One site that doesn't change from country to country that I've visited - the suburbs. In China, in the U.S., and as I saw today, in France too, suburbia looks much the same - manicured, planned, curving streets and cookie-cutter houses - and I get the same Truman Show/Stepford Wives feeling everytime I see these communities from above. It's very interesting the way people spread out from cities into the suburbs in similar ways all over the world, it seems.

No pictures yet today - I was too jetlagged to do any sightseeing save for the 20 minute walk over from the shuttle bus stop to la maison, but tomorrow, armed with just my camera and a map of Paris, I plan to venture out into the city without any agenda at all but to see Paris. First stop - likely the Galeries Lafayette, birthplace of the modern shopping mall (haha, yes i know), which is just a couple minutes' walk from my place.

My homestay family, the Charoys, are very nice people, and I adore the father, Bruno, already. Today, after my nap, I woke up to find him getting ready to bake chocolate cake. He let me pour the sugar, butter the pan, and lick the spatula. Wonderful man :) He has a French cooking degree too - I hope by the end of this month I'll have picked up enough French cooking skills to keep myself fed when I get back to Berkeley this fall.

I feel my French improving already - Bruno and the rest of the family are incredibly patient with my choppy French and don't hesitate to correct my conjugations and agreements, etc. We talk about politics and world news a great deal - the French keep very well informed, and apparently they are big Obama fans. I'm going to learn so much this month - keep you posted!

A bientôt!