Bonjour!!

January 13, 2014

11:20 AM

Bonjour! Today I am embarking on a study abroad trip to France to immerse myself in the culture, gain fluency beyond my current cave-man-French abilities, study great works of art in the same place that those artists lived, but most importantly eat good cheese.

At the moment, though, I am still lying on my bed at home while typing this since my flight was cancelled. Instead of flying from Miami to JFK (just to wave to the Washington Square campus) to Orly, I am making a layover in Madrid. No parle español plus. (Frenchspañol?)

Mom, Dad, Joe, and Dori, thanks for letting me do this!!!

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January 14, 2014

8 PM

Today has stretched into one long day, full of airports and time travel. Somehow, I’ve managed to fit a semester’s worth of clothes, books, school supplies, and a good load of snacks into a spinny-wheel suitcase (thanks, Mom and Dad!) and a backpack. This is a vast improvement from the three to four bags I usually haul to school for a semester in New York. Travel cuts down all the excess, and I’m left with the necessities, which apparently include rainbow Goldfish.

My experience in Spain was basically one long winding, never-ending hallway. I had to go through security twice because I forgot to spill out my water. Four years of Spanish, and the only useful words were “hola,” “gracías,” and “los baños.”  It has overall been useful for understanding announcements and reading signs, too.

I finally landed in Paris, welcomed by warm rays of sun slicing through the clouds and reflecting off the shiny black pavement.  Prior to traveling, I purchased a Paris Shuttle ticket to get to the hostel that half of the NYU kids are staying at. I thought this was a good idea, especially since there is currently a taxi strike going on. However, there were problems with the shuttle (mislabeled vans and confusing instructions), so I ended up encountering the beastly and highly efficient French transportation system.  First I took a bus and then the metro, ran up and down too many stairs, and got off at the stop where the hostel is located. 

I stood at the exit of the metro for a while, trying to orient myself and follow the directions to the hostel. It didn’t take long before an older woman approached me and immediately stated (in English), “You’re looking for this hostel, right? Go straight for two streets and then take a left.” Do I look that obviously American?

Since I am directionally disabled, though, I still got turned around. I had used my fragmented French skills since, after the older woman, no one seemed to speak any English or know where the hostel was located. I found it shortly after, though, and quickly got settled into my room and met with other students.  We were ushered into an orientation meeting, fought off jet lag, and received welcome week packets, which included an astoundingly full schedule of weekly meetings and activities. 

We used meal tickets for dinner, served school cafeteria style scooped onto trays.  (I had fish, broccoli, potatoes, fruit, and an interestingly textured dessert, if you were wondering…first meal in France did not include cheese! Conspiracy!) The staff also told us “bon appétit!” This is the greatest sense of community I’ve felt at NYU thus far.

Overall, it was a long day of travel and quite a bit of confusion, but I’m enjoying trying out my French. It’s kind of a game: see how long I can carry on a conversation before the other person switches over to English.

Bonne nuit!