Middkids Meet Paris

Today we had our first orientation meeting at the Centre Madelaine. I met Jess and we walked over together. Everyone on the Middlebury staff was extremely nice and helpful. David Paoli, the director spoke to use for several hours about our schedule, rules, the language pledge (and its brilliance), etc. We met 5 french students (our "animateurs") who are basically our orientation leaders, who are taking us around Paris for the next week. We were divided into 5 groups - mine includes James Davis, Althea, and Patrick. Our leader, Ouli (sp?) is super cute and sweet. She seems a bit out of it (she was the only group leader without a schedule) but our time together should be fun.

In the afternoon we discussed classes. Apparently the universities that we chose back whenever at Midd were our final choices and the school was prepared for us to attend them (and not prepared for 7 people to want to change schools today). I want to change to Paris 3, to study linguistics and translation, and to start next week and end a month early. The director gave me a really hard time, saying I should study sociology since that's my major and I'm already familiar with it. Unfortunately I have little interest in any of the soc classes offered, plus I want to study something new while i can. Even though i didn't argue with him, he could tell I was disappoined and said I could study wherever I wanted as long as I figured out what classes to take. Hopefully everything will work out tomorrow.

After school I wandered home via the grocery store (Monoprix). I didn't arrive there until 6 p.m., which is apparently the craziest time of the day, with everyone stopping there on their way home from work. I was completely overwhelmed, both by the crowd and my first experience in a huge French grocery store. I wanted to wander there forever and look at everything, and I probably would have if I wasn't tired and starving. I made an excellent find...caffeine-free diet soda! It does exist in France. I bought Fanta Citron (Lemon) Free, Sprite Free, and Coke Lite Sans Caffeine. tres bien. I waited in line for half an hour to pay, and ate a third of my baguette while waiting. In the spirit of Paris and of Kristen-laziness/unwillingness to cook, I ate a baguette and brie for dinner. It was delicious. Combined with a clementine and a few French cookies, it was a perfect meal for me.