It's hard to believe I'm here after all this time and preparation. I left DFW on Feb 10 and made it to Paris on Feb 11 at 11:30 am. I found my apartment without any difficulty and am getting settle. (The pic below is the door to my apartment building). Its a small but very functional apartment on the six floor of my building. From my balcony I can see over rooftops of my neighborhood. As I write this, I can hear two different church bells tolling in the neighborhood. Luckily, I have an elevator that reaches the fifth floor so I only have to walk up one flight. The oddest part of my apartment is that from the front door you can literally step into the shower. It is immediately on the left as you walk through the front door. It cracks me up. The shower is so narrow that I can't bend over to wash my feet. It's tricky but I still have clean feet. No worries.
My landlady is a very nice woman named Claire-Marie and she is about 60, I'm guessing. She's an artist. She speaks a little English which has been helpful. She is showing me the ropes and has pointed out the best grocery store, the best Boulangerie (bakery) to buy a baguette, and the best Patisserie to buy pastries, and the best butcher.
Paris is divided into 20 Arrond
issements, or districts, each with its own mayor. The 1st through 8th are considered the center of Paris. My apartment is in the
3rd Arrondissement near the Centre Pompidou. I'm only a 10 min walk from Notre Dame. It is quaint and quiet. I'm pleasantly surprised at how quiet things are at night. My school, the Institut Catholique, is located in the 6th Arrondissement and it is a really cool part of town. Tons of cafes, pubs, restaurants and narrow streets. It will be a fun place to explore.
On Monday I went to my school and registered for my classes. I'll be in class about 24 hours a week. I'll be taking General French for 12 hours, French Writing for 6 hours, Conversational French for 3 hours, and French Media for 3 hours. We'll watch the news, read newspapers and discuss current events. My classes start on Feb 22. I'm ready to get busy.
I've been a tourist this week. It has been fun walking around town. I've clocked at least 3 hours a day. Yesterday was sunny and a bit warmer. It was beautiful. I walked up the Champs Elysee and saw the Arc de Triomphe. I tried to go to the Louvre but it was closed. This is just a great city to walk in.
More to come...
Jason, have been meaning to send a donation for your support, but needed to get through the Christmas Holidays. With that behind us, I would now like to make a donation. I found that I could not download the support card shown on your blog, so I wondered if I could just send a check, with a notation that it was designated for you. If so, let me know and where to send it...if not, maybe I can get a donation card through another source. Paris sounds wonderful...well except for your shower! Ha! I can't even imagine! Hopefully all the French you learned as a child will come back to you and help you with your studies. I'm sure you'll ace it! I guess you must've heard about the record-breaking snowfall here in Texas. I had about 13" here at our ranch, which is about 12 miles north of Mineral Wells. It was incredible! I'll keep researching for ways to get a donation card in case you don't check this blog often. Best of luck to you with your classes and your stay in Paris, and God bless you for what you're doing! Love, Peggy
ReplyDeleteJason ~ We miss knowing you're on the same continent, but it sounds like you are getting settled in wonderfully! Your apartment sounds like it has lots of charm and character; glad you are still able to keep your feet clean! :) Visit the Centre Pompidou for me--I love that place! We're praying for you as you begin classes and look forward to more news.
ReplyDeleteFun getting to skype with you Jas.
ReplyDeleteScooter remains diligent in praying for "Dr. Jas". I'm pretty sure Sarah misses you too. I, on the other hand, have practically forgotten all about you. All except for the sweet sweet memories of the countless occasions me and whatever "passer-by" makeshift volleyball partner I happened to have been thrashing your pride in the sand with, while, for the most part, we just worked on our tans and tried not to yawn too much.
Hmmm... in fact, come to think of it... you are pretty unforgettable Foster. You and Mohlman both. It turns out gross depravity (of skill) is actually as memorable as excellence so your surely not to suffer as any unforgotten missionary syndrome on at least my account.
But hey, don't bother thanking me for all this. We'll just say you owe me one and you can take heart in knowing there's people out there like me that practically care about you.
Your very best friend,
Ryan
Hi Dr. Foster! We sure miss you here in NW AR, but are so excited for your upcoming opportunities to serve less fortunate than us! I'm glad you are liking living in Paris! Keep us updated!
ReplyDeleteOh... a little update (Baylee - you know your 1st Hypertension child) had a Heart Cath in January and her numbers are down from high 50's to 31!!!!!! We are so excited that the medicine is working!
Hugs - Tiffany, Baylee and Blair Morris
Love your Blog....enjoyed readlng today and wlLL read some more ln the days to come...hope all ls well wlth you! lt's really warm and beautlful ln ltaly now....so be thlnklng lf you'd Llke to make a journey over to Venlce maybe end of June before l go stateslde? Once ln states...you are also welcome to come and vlslt : ) Have mlsslonarles that could plck you up and you could use my car and stay at my place....l'll be ln the states thls summer for about 5 weeks or so....anyway....let me know. Take care! Praylng for you and all that ls ahead of you! ang
ReplyDelete