Settling In

It's 2 weeks down, and I have to say, they've treated me well. Paris has been everything I've been yearning - the quiet and beautiful order that opposes Cairo's (also charming) clamour and chaos. For me the city has fulfilled all the stereotypes of food, fashion, gorgeous architecture and stellar public transportation.

But Paris has also surprised me with traits that I was either too ignorant or preoccupied to expect. It's diverse (my neighborhood is full of Muslim butcheries, bookstores, and clothing shops), tirelessly rainy (I'd estimate 4-5 sudden downpours per day), and most amazingly of all, friendly. When I stutter with my order at a shop or restaurant, the server/employee smiles and blinks and generally freezes in place until I finally make my desires clear. Everyone I've asked for help has courteously stopped and attended to my needs, even speaking slower for me. One man stopped in the middle of the street as we were jaywalking just to pick up a 5-cent coin I'd dropped. One server welcomed me to France, doted on me, and proclaimed that he hoped to be "votre favoreet serveur!"

Classes have also been pleasantly surprising. My class is a lovely melange of nationalities, mostly students my age and hoping to stay in France for awhile. Class is 9 AM - 1 PM (largely waking hours, for me), and afterward most of the class goes out to lunch together. You may not believe this (Mathieu hardly could, until we hosted my classmates for drinks last weekend), but we speak solely in French. I know for a fact that many of them speak impeccable English, but they're determined to quickly build up their French and staying within the language is amusing but proving effective. Mathieu's also helping to speak with me, show me silly French films, and read news with me. I love being a student again.

Here are a couple pictures of our very cosy apartment, but we don't want to get too attached because it's short-term. We're browsing for a year-long rental but, just as we'd be forewarned, it's super tough! Mathieu's hoping we find a place closer to his work (the 50-min commute is the only thing he doesn't love about his new job) and I'll ensure that there's a fold-out couch to accommodate future guests whom I'll be so excited to welcome (hint hint!)