two days down

So day two went well! I'm back now from having a glass of wine at this restaurant near the hostel, but I guess I should talk about day one first. Well, we got picked up from the airport and driven to the FIAP hostel--the ride over here was a little unnerving I'd say just because the airport is on the outskirts/the suburbs of Paris, so it didn't look that nice, and the FIAP isn't located in the best neighborhood...it might have been asking for much, but we didn't see the eiffel tower on our drive over here or anything--which would have made us feel more in France (I'm partially kidding). So we arrived at the FIAP and were immediately bombarded with orientation materials and free food at the dining hall (not so good). The FIAP is this weird combination of part-hostel, part-convention center, with apparently a nun convention going on. That was a nice introduction. And so we had a quick break and then more orientation meetings, even though we were all jet lagged and so not interested. What's more is that half of the orientation was conducted in French, and my brain was way too tired to try and keep up. But it's interesting to see how different this program is already feeling compared to Florence (I guess that's a duh), since I hardly ever heard the staff speak Italian, let alone expect us to speak Italian, save in our actual Italian language classes. But everyone seems really nice and friendly, and eager to meet new people, since we're all in the same situation. We get free breakfast and dinner in the hostel until Saturday, which is nice, and I get my own room because my roommate actually moved out the first night since she got to move into her homestay early. So lucky me. Even though the FIAP doesn't seem to be in the greatest location (it's in the 14th arrondissement, or so I believe), it's nice to have everyone in the same place. It'll feel weird once we all move into our different locations across the city.

So day two started really early and there were NYU helpers that took us on the metro to campus, which is beauuutiful, in the 16th arrondissement, right near the eiffel tower. The night before we had been sent in groups with French helpers to get metro cards and phones, but now I'm kind of feeling a little poor and ripped off since our people apparently sent us to the more expensive phone store (10 euros more expensive than everyone else for the SAME phone) and we were somehow forced into buying a monthly metro pass, yet it's still not clear whether or not it's a month meaning for January or a month meaning 30 days...(people are leaning towards January) and plus, I just found out I'm not going to be needing to take the metro to class every day (which is good), but I just spent 60 euro on a card I apparently don't need. Oh well. I guess that's just a lesson to keep us on our toes maybe? I'm trying to be optimistic. And keep my wallet closer to myself, that's all. If that makes any sense. But anyways, I got offtrack. So we went to campus and had so many more orientation meetings but ones that were actually helpful after having sleep. The most important (or so I believe) that I learned: THE MUSEE D'ORSAY IS CLOSED. Indefinitely. For Construction. I KNOW. My favorite museum in the ENTIRE WORLD (so far) is closed. But I'm being optimistic! This will just force me to go to museums that I haven't been to yet! But still...

The only other thing that you might find interesting is that I found out my housing assignment today and I'm in a homestay. I'm living in the 16th arrondissement, walking distance from campus, with this older lady who has grandchildren that live right next door. She was so cute, as soon as we walked in to the courtyard (yes, I said it: we have a personal courtyard) her 6 year-old granddaughter Zoey greeted us and our homestay mother had orange juice, macrons, and some dough goods for us, it was too cute. And she literally said we were to be like her daughters, since her children are all grown up. I couldn't have asked for more. Did I mention that we're paying a lot less than NYU in New York rent??? I might move here for good. Plus we live in this ritsy neighborhood with some famous garden across the street, and her apartment (or house, rather, I should say, because it's pretty big and doesn't feel like a New York apartment in the slightest) is fabulously decorated with all these paintings. And she's going to cook us dinner twice a week, do our laundry, give us breakfast every day, and basically be this cute woman who makes us speak in French! I seriously don't think it could get any better.

I can already feel my French getting a little better. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but if I'm going to be speaking French at home, it definitely will. So yeah, everything's great here. I'm moving out of the FIAP and into the homestay (in the neighborhood called Passy) Friday afternoon, so that's exciting. And more orientation is in store for tomorrow. I'm excited for classes to start...February 1st. Orientation might get a little old, but whatever. It's Paris.
Bonne nuit!