So it looks like it has been a while since my last post, but I promise you're not missing anything too exciting (unless you find French grammar particularly interesting). This week has really been all about getting into a routine, discovering the daily rhythm of living and going to school in Paris. The commute to class is obviously much longer than it would be on a college campus, and some of my classmates are figuring that out the hard way (you know, the ones who usually roll out of bed 10 minutes before their first class). I have a 45 minute commute by metro, though most of the people in the program have to take a train into the city and then transfer to a metro.
Another thing everyone's having a little trouble with is the length of the grammar classes- two whole hours everyday. No matter how great the teacher may be, it is extremely difficult to make conjugating verbs and choosing the right pronoun fun for that amount of time. That's probably why we all tend to gravitate back towards the foyer after class. It's a little bit strange, but I there's some sort of unannounced agreement in our group that if you're by yourself and have nothing to do you should go to the lobby of the foyer, because sure enough someone else will always be there.
Despite the length of the class, I am enjoying being in such an international environment. The other day, somehow animal noises came up and my teacher asked what noise a cow makes. It turns out American cows sound different from French, Turkish, Chinese and Swedish cows. It's really interesting to see how such a little thing like the noise we assign to cows can differ from country to country.
The members of my host family have slowly begun to reappear from their various vacation spots. The other night at dinner, my host mom asked me if I had received a package from my grandmother yet (my grandmother had told me she wants to send me a care package). My host dad became extremely curious as to what sort of things she was sending me, especially any type of food. He asked me something to the effect of, "What things is she sending that we savages don't have over here in France?" I don't think he was actually offended, but he definitly found the idea of a care package comical.
Anyway, I think that pretty much covers the past few days. Like I said, nothing very exciting has happened, but it was definitely time for an update.
Until next time!
Saturday I went to see the Palace of Versaille, which was developed by Louis XIV in the 17th century. When it was first built it was in a small village outside of Paris, but today it's in the middle of a suburb. My host sister actually attends a university which sits pretty much right across the street (can you imagine looking out of your classroom window and seeing a palace?). Anyway, here are some pictures to give you an idea of the size and opulence of the building:
e ballet is a tragedy (the story, not the dancing) which recounts the story of the Roman Emperor Caligula. I admit I definitely had to read a synopsis of the ballet after watching it, because ballet leaves a lot of room for interpretation and guesswork. I think what I enjoyed most about it was the music. It was choreographed to Vivaldi's Four Seasons and the orchestra did an amazing job. Just being in the theatre was a fun experience. It was built in the late 19th century and the decor is extremely intricate, with painted ceilings, all sorts of statues and a very large chandelier. We all sat in elaborate boxes on the 3rd floor (well, I guess that would be the 4th floor in America) that were covered in red velvet and allowed for an awesome view of the stage. 
