Mona Lisas and Mad-Hatters

"It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change." -Alice In Wonderland

Of course the point of studying abroad is to experience new things, new people, new surroundings, new languages...new everything. But sometimes...it's too much new. Sometimes the littlest things can be incredibly overwhelming. But I've found the best way to deal with these types of situations is to laugh at them. I firmly believe that it's imperative to find humor in almost everything. You can't take life too seriously.

I made my first note-worthy language blunder of the trip on Saturday night. We were out in the Bastille area (which is probably the most happening quartier we've been out in so far) and were in a very crowded bar. In the rush of trying to decide which drink to order and calculating which would be the better deal, I mistakenly order an entire liter of beer. Gabi caught the mistake before I did, asking "Did you really mean to order a liter?" "Um, no" I replied as the bartender handed me my pitcher. Oops. Needless to say I had the hiccups the whole metro ride home.

Sunday we decided to try to go to a Robert Doisneau exhibit. We planned out our metro ride, found directions, and met with Carolin only to arrive to a line that twisted outside and around the block. Okay plan B. We traveled all this way so we might as well wander for a bit and grab a cafe or something. We head down what looks to be a decently busy street for a Sunday in hopes of finding a quaint Parisian coffee shop. What we stumbled across instead were sex shops and "theatres." Hmm. We finally find a decent looking restaurant to sit in only to be greeted by puppets and Christmas decorations, large women in fur coats, and strange looking candies everywhere. I half expected the Queen of hearts to emerge from behind the counter. But we decide to give it a shot. Despite our obnoxiously whimsical setting, we managed to have a decent cup of coffee and good conversation. However, that part of Paris is not one I'm looking to return to anytime soon.



Sundays in Paris are different than any other day of the week. Many of the streets are closed to traffic, and the atmosphere of the city changes completely. Paris is a city that likes to breathe, it's inhabitants really live outside. People bear the cold and sit outside of the cafes in order to better watch the world go by. Parks are bustling all day long. People walk with no particular destination in mind, just to take a little break from their Monday through Friday lives. It's very refreshing. I'm constantly reminding myself to slow down. Especially on Sundays. No one is walking quickly...what's the rush? The metros don't come as frequently and no one seems to mind. People mull for hours of a cup of coffee that could easily have easily disappeared in two sips.

So yes, sometimes as much as I don't like to admit it I wish everything made sense to me, like at home. Sometimes I wish everyone could just speak my language. Sometimes I wish could go into a Target and buy everything I ever needed in one place. Sometimes I wish people were in more of a rush to get to their destinations. But all in all, I'm enjoying the cultural differences. I'm getting used to it, learning to appreciate it, and most of the time...really liking it.