un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq,...

I have finally started French classes!!!  A.K.A. I learned how to count to 100, how to tell people my name and age, and the months of the year.  I am a seasoned pro now!  It's so great, it feels like Kindergarten all over again, minus the time-outs and nap times, which come with work instead.  Seriously though, I have had 2 days of class and am in love.  My teacher is great, so funny, yet strict about the "only French" rule.  My class is a representation of the world.  We have girls from England, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Guatemala, Israel, and India, and then one lone boy from Sweden.  I was quite nervous for my first day of class because I literally didn't know a word of French besides my 2 favorite phrases: "Je ne parle pas Français" and "Parle vous Anglais?"--"I don't speak French" and "Do you speak English?".  I was afraid the teacher would only speak French and everything would go right over my head and I would be completely lost.  I was truly more scared for my first day here than any other first day of school in my life.  However, I found myself leaving class Tuesday feeling totally energized and excited for the next year.  There were a few moments when I was like oh no, everyone's laughing, what did she just say, why are they laughing.  For the most part, though, I was able to keep up and follow along quite well, and I know it is all because of my knowledge of Spanish.  If I hadn't taken years upon years upon YEARS of Spanish, I would be hiding in a hole crying myself through the next year (like I'm pretty sure the Israeli girl is going to do...poor thing, she just doesn't get the most simple concepts).  It was quite a relief to realize that everyone telling me that I will come home fluent in a year may actually happen!  It will be a lot of work, determination, and focus, but I want this!

In other news, I will soon be willfully enrolling in Shopaholics Anonymous, along with every other beloved soul who lives in this amazingly fashion-forward city.  I have been doing quite a lot of shopping, but in a city where people don't wear the same thing twice and, by the looks of others, I have the ability to be as creative or risk-taking as I choose to be with my wardrobe (I mean, purple corduroy skinny jeans, are you SERIOUS?!)  Lucky for me, I consider myself to be a gumptious bargain shopper (a trait that I got from my mama..she could win a medal I swear) so the majority of my purchases have been quite reasonable.  I am beginning to blend in and actually look the part of a Parisian...I think once I finally buy some MC Hammer pants it will be official. 

Exhibit 1: MC Hammer pants

Last night marked the end to Paris Fashion Week and man am I happy to say that!  Everything has been over crowded this week, the metros are super busy, and I'm tired of seeing stick thin models walking around.  I will however, miss all the gorgeous...cars I have seen this week (got ya, didn't I?  ya, the men are gorgeous too).  Insane cars with tinted windows escorting Paris's finest around to various events has been truly an experience in itself!

I am also excited to announce my second official friend/family visitors to France!  My family will be joining me in Paris for Christmas this year, which I could not be more excited about!  Soon after, my favorite ginger/college roomie/bff Shannon and her boyfriend Erik will be visiting me in March for two weeks!  I'm so excited to have visitors here so I can show them around my new home and introduce them to all my new favorite patisseries, boulangeries, brasseries, bars, etc! 

Speaking of holidays, Thanksgiving is coming up soon (kind of) and boy do I have BIG plans!!  Ally and I have decided to recreate a traditional Thanksgiving meal from both of our families/countries combined.  We found an American store here called, you'll never guess...Thanksgiving!  We can order turkeys through them and buy stuffing, pumpkin pie filling, etc.  We are also making mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans, peas and carrots, carrot cake, apple pie, and more!  With all this food, we needed some people to cook for, so after speaking to our French families, we have decided to introduce them to each other and have a huge Thanksgiving feast at Ally's house!  So it will be Ally, the mom Marie-Eve and the dad Sam, and their 3 kids: Mahe, Baptiste, and Gustave, and then me, Nico, Val, Lucien, and Alice.  Plus we are also inviting our two British friends, Ellie and Lauren, and any other cool Americans or Canadians we meet between now and then!  We are so so excited, I don't know if I can wait 2 months!

Well, this is all the updating I can do for now!  I will write back soon with more tales from the 10th :)