ENGLAND!

Hey everyone! I'm just writing a quick post, because I don't have much time. I just handed in the last paper I had to write before our first break. This evening, I'm getting on a bus to go to London for 2 or 3 days. I'll then be making my way up to Edinburgh to visit a friend, then back down to Norwich to visit another friend. I'm not sure if I'm going to try haggis in Edinburgh (there's a place that makes a vegetarian one), but I do know that I'm going to try to soak in as much of the UK as is physically possible in a week. I'll be getting to London at 6:15 tomorrow morning, and will be back on Sunday, March 7. I will have limited internet access during the week, so I'll post any pictures, updates, etc., when I get back. Until then, cheers!

Finally!

Hey everybody! So, it's been much longer than I would have liked to wait to write this post. I've been super super busy (in a good way). I've been trying to see as much of the city as possible while also taking classes and doing the work for them. For one of my classes, we go to a different museum each week to apply what we've learned earlier in the week. So far, we've gone to the Quai Branly (a world art museum) and an immigration museum called the Musée de la Cité. On my own or with friends, I've also gone to the Centre Pompidou, which is the modern art museum, as well as a couple of smaller ones.
Thursday night, I went with some friends to a play called "La Maison de Poupée," a French rendition of Henrik Ibsen's "Dollhouse." It starred Audrey Tautou, a French film actress who you might recognize from the movie Amelie. Although film actors and actresses often don't translate well to theater, I thought she did a good job with the role, and the production and stage direction were amazing.
As far as settling in, I feel that I'm really starting to be absorbed into Parisian life--my French has improved in leaps and bounds, and I've gotten into the routine of living like a true Parisian. One thing that sounds banal but is actually a ton of fun is going grocery shopping, since most people still go to markets with vendors selling produce. I discovered a wonderful market right near my homestay house, and the smells, sounds, and colors are quite a sight. Vendors are constantly calling out the places where their vegetables are from, while the poisonnières (fish sellers) yell out the specials of the day. There's a stand with about 80 different kinds of cheese, and a flea market right next to the food market. It's really an experience to pick out your vegetables and see all the hectic action.
That's about all that's happened recently with me. I'm going to try (for real!) to write more often, so as to make posts more manageable and also to keep you all updated. À bientôt!

More Pictures!!!

Hey everyone! So, I'm guessing that you're probably wondering what I've been up to lately. Well, the answer is a whole lot. So, I'm going to put up a real written post when I have the time (aka this weekend). For now, enjoy some more photos from Pah-ree....

Best/Love,
Jon

Pictures:
>La Grande Arche (in the La Défense business district; it mirrors the Arc de Triomphe)
>L'Arc de Triomphe
>Grave of Guillaume Apollinaire (one of my heroes; he's buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery)
>Grave of Oscar Wilde (someone stole the angel's genitalia; also at Père Lachaise)
>The Louvre

Pictures!!!

>Luxembourg Gardens (above)
>Palais de Luxembourg (Now the French Senate)
>The Eiffel Tower at night (Of course!)