la ville cosmopolite

"i came that they may have life, and have it to the full"(jesus of nazareth)

So, two weeks ago my wallet was stolen. Crap, yes. But, my dad cancelled my bank card from the computer (time difference working in our favor) while I looked for my keys, so nothing was purchased with it. And the next morning I got my keys and driver license back because the thief dropped 'em on the ground. I hate to be such a shameless optimist, but this event brought about several mini wonderful things: 1)Getting to hang out and listen to lots of Jackson family songs with Emma, a girl in my program whose camera was also stolen and who stayed with me at the club until seven 2)Bonding with my host mom who wasn't, in fact, angry with my like I thought she might be, but quite compassionate. She gave me a real american hug and made me tea and an endive salad after letting me in the next morning. 3) I now have a french bank account which means I can subscribe to the Paris bike rental program, velib, and pedal around the city instead being sous terre on the metro.

However, there were a few days where I was living life in Paris without any money. I had about a hundred euro in my room, which slipped away pretty quickly after recharging my NaviGO metro pass (60e/month), using some of it to put into the new bank account (20e) and buying minutes for my cell phone (20e/3 weeks). One Tuesday, I found myself with only 27 centième left. This was upsetting because I wanted to buy a baguette on the way home but the small ones are usually at least 50 centime. The thing is, I was never actually without money at all. Several students bought me food that week, my director and host mom offered to lend me money until my new bank card came through. I'd like to say it was interesting to experience life without money, but when it got down to it became obvious that I really had plenty of resources all along. In fact, on the 27c night I figured out how to take out cash with my dad's credit card.  Even as a 'poor' student, I'm very well provided for. It was a good reminder of the reality in which I live, and how much I really have as compared to most the world, including the many homeless and beggars I pass everyday.
Actually, that Tuesday was interesting in another way. After class I visited Ladurée, a fancy schmance boulangerie on the Champs-élysée that specializes in macarons. Apparently this is the maison that made all the macaroons for the Sofia Copola film, Marie Antionette. I spent the last of my money on expensive cookies (I know,  really wise and rational decision) and they were realllly good. Cassis, chocolat de Madagascar, caramel avec fleur du sel are some of the tops. 

those are indeed golden macaroons. 

my cassis mac

Later that evening I had my first session tutoring high schoolers in english on the north side of Paris. The north side of Paris is kind of rough. In fact, the difference between the Champs-élysée and Barbès was almost as pronounced as it was the day I spent the afternoon in the heart of Amsterdam and the evening in a garbage village in Cairo. Only instead of 5 hour flight, a twenty minute metro ride is all is takes to traverse these two worlds. Tutoring was wonderful, and I think I'm really going to enjoy my time there. It takes place in an Islam center, Club Barbès, which provides teens from 'difficile' areas with academic support.  We read and wrote and worked on english homework. And then, to celebrate one girl's birthday, we each got a little piece of homemade chocolate cake. And it was even tastier than the macarons.

la fac + le centre

I take half my courses at Paris Sorbonne VII: Diderot. It's actually quite 'campus-like' for a french university, which is nice. Located in the 13th arrondissement on the Seine, it has an old industrial feel from the flour trading days of this area. The two central buildings are an old flour mill (left: grandes moulins) and old flour exchange hall or something (right: halle aux farnies). Gotta love warehouse refurb. I have a few friends from church and GBU (french Intervarstiy) who go here, too, so sometimes we get lunch in the cafeteria or a cup of coffee.

Campus is on rue Thomas Mann. People love him here. And it always reminds me of Thomas Mahn :)

So far, two weeks into school, I've only had one class. This is because I wasn't yet registered the first week for one of my classes, and the other class the professor has not shown up either week. I don't really know what gives, but no one here seems very surprised about that situation. However, it did make for a pretty anticlimactic 'first day of class.'  Anticlimactic, but still full of french bureaucracy. Also, I pulled one of those moves where you open a classroom door to a room full of people in the middle of their class, who all turn and look at you at once. "Est-ce que ça 'La terre est bleu comme une orange'?" I asked ("Is this 'The world is blue like an orange'"-that's the title of the ecology course I'm taking). "Non, ce n'est pas 'La terre est bleu comme une orange', madame" replied the professor, with a you're-very-cute-and-dumb smile. It was a masters course in genetic biotechnology. "J'suis désolé," I muttered, closing the door behind me. Awesome.

So far, the university class is pretty difficult. What i'm most concerned about is the group presentation I have to give and the in class essay, each one-third of our grade. ehhhhh.

My other courses take place here, at the program center in the 2nd arrondissement. These courses are in French, but with American students. Much less intimidating.

This is the road of the Center- rue du Sentier. The center is down on the right. 

In other recent news, I went to a chinese new year celebration in chinatown yesterday after church. It was bright and aromatic and loud and fun.

bonne sante!

families watch the parade from an apartment building

too many firecrackers.

And here's that view from my hallway that I mentioned:

I live in the 20th arrondissement

Paris is a micromanaged city. On most fronts, this is a good thing:  it's very easy to identify where anything is located by stating its arrondissement, every area has a cute name which identifies it as unique and interesting and there is excellent public transportation-you're never more than about a 4 minute walk from a metro station. But, in some ways I think it's a little much. This city, which is only about 8 miles east to west, is divided into 20 administrative municipalities, called arrondissements. People speak of everything in terms of arrondissements, as if each is its own city. So, for a while I thought being that two arrondissements away from something indicated a pretty significant distance. Then I got lost with a friend walking around one day and landed four arrondissements away in about 20 minutes and realized the dense and intricate map is on a much smaller scale than I'm used to for american cities. Yet each arrondissement has its own EVERYTHING including a large, beautiful mairie building where the administration goes down.  Maybe micromanagement is why everyone has time for a 2 hour lunch in this city.

Paris by arrondissement. starts in the center and spirals out, like a snail's shell. 

Anyway, I live with my host family in the last arrondissement, the 20th. My metro stop is Gambetta, which is also the name of my quartier, or neighborhood. It's pretty great and fitting. Being further out, rent is less expensive and thus attractive to students, immigrants and artists. My elevator rides attest to this. This lends to there being a lot of art, dance, music studios and theaters around, often with diverse cultural offerings.  And lots of diverse eateries. Mmm. Right now I'm a little sore at the theater on my block because I got my keys stolen there this Saturday, but I can't deny that it's a pretty tight spot. Plus I got my keys back.
 Probably the most famous sight in the 20th is the Cimetiere du Père Lachaise. I have yet to spend much time there-I actually got chased out last time because I was running, oops- but I plan to hang out there more when the weather lightens up a bit. Some famous graves include Chopin, Balzac, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Richard Wright. Oh, here's a wikipedia list if you want to read more of the names: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Père_Lachaise_Cemetery. There's a lot in there.

I also spend a lot of time in the 19th in the the Parc des Buttes chaumont, cause it's the nearest park that is good for running. Wrapped around a hill (butte),  the park was designed in the anglo-saxon, as opposed to traditional french, style which may be why it reminds of New York City. Aldona told me that.  Here are some photos of the area:

The Mairie of the 20th arrondissement. At Place de Gambetta, my metro  stop. I saw a motorcycle accident there this afternoon. Eek.

Rue de Ménilemontant, which goes right past my house.

A pedestrian road. 

A local fromagerie (ie cheese shop). 

Me in Parc des Buttes chaumont.