Fully oriented?

Due to the fact that orientation week at Middlebury is done, it seems we are completely ready to enter the Parisian school system.  Someone needs to check those figures because classes start tomorrow and I happen to be a bit nervous.  Luckily, though, with school comes structure, and as dorky as it sounds I could use some structure right now; using the excuse that it is my first week in Paris to just wander and not really do anything is no longer valid.  Tomorrow, I plan on at least walking the Promenade Plantée if not more outdoor exploration; I'm done with classes at noon and needing some good sights.  

Went swimming at Piscine Roger le Gall today, and already got yelled at.  Apparently, it is necessary to wear a swim cap, so the lifeguard came over and scolded me for not wearing one.  Luckily he was nice enough to give me one so that I did not have to stop after 7 minutes of swimming.  Found out two things: I hate having to swim 50 meters (but I already knew that), and outdoor pools are far superior to indoor pools (for the most part).

Petite histoire (little story): Friday night, I had dinner with my host mom, my host brother, one of his friends (who is a female but not his girlfriend) and her mom.  Her mom speaks a ton of languages, but french is not one of them, so she used English for most of the night.  My host mom, on the other hand, speaks very little english but is obviously fluent in french.  What came to pass could have been a scene in a movie: at any given time someone was left out and not understanding, giving off a blank stare and smiling, something I am very familiar with. Luckily it wasn't that awkward and we still tried to let the conversation flow, so I'd mark the night as a success and quite the different experience from what I'm used to.  Also, sauerkraut is much better than I thought...

Saturday consisted of some test taking, some café chillin, some gyro eating, some more café chillin, and a photo expo for Paul Strand's Mexico in the 30's portfolio.  Twas delightful.

It'll be strange starting a new semester not at Pomona; get to get lost on the way to my first class all over again!

À la prochaine fois!