j'habite à Paris...pour maintenant!: finally, some free-time

this morning, i actually woke up on time...which i was glad about. haha.
i woke up at 9:00, got ready pretty quickly and headed out via the métro to see my school this semester, for the first time. i had to make a transfer from the Ligne 8 to the Ligne 12 to get there, which i enjoyed greatly. i don't know why...but the idea of living in a big city, and riding multiple subway trains to school or work every day just makes me feel very urban. i guess that's the word. whatever it is, i like it. i may attempt other routes to school in the future, if i get bored. i mean, there are 16 métro lignes. the possibilities are endless.

once i got there, i met up with the other people and also with our academic director, elisa, who took us on the tour and got us where we needed to be. we walked in, and went directly into a room where we had an oral "exam." i was terrified walking in, but really...it was just a little conversation with one of the professors to see how well you comprehend/speak French. and then they decide whether to move you from the level you were placed in (higher or lower) or leave you at the same place. i was kinda' hoping to go up one level, but they kept me the same. i actually got to do the oral exam with MY professor. she was pretty excited when she saw her name on my course schedule. she seems very nice, and young and fun.
but i'm in the Elementaire 3 level (which is a very low intermediate level) which is ok, i guess, but i really hope that the credit i earn here at ICP (l'Institut Catholique de Paris...i will abbreviate it from now on. learn it.) will be worth anything at Georgia State University. i've already taken 3 semesters of French. i kinda' wanted to be in Intermediate 1. but there's still 2 weeks to decide if or not the class will be too easy or not. and i can change it if that's the case.
but then we walked around the campus...which is basically a bunch of buildings which are connected to form a trapezoidal shape, with a big garden in the middle of it. when you're in the middle...it's so quiet and peaceful, it almost doesn't even feel like you're in a city at all! it's strangely awesome.

the ICP garden/courtyard

it looks so old...i love it

the church on campus

then, FINALLY, we were given free-time! after all the meetings and tours, we were so glad to finally just be let loose to explore. and so we did. the Jardin du Luxembourg (which is a massive park) is only about two blocks away from the ICP, so we walked through it. we stopped and relaxed for a little while and enjoyed the sunshine. i honestly could've fallen asleep where we sat. it was lovely.

Jardin du Luxembourg

tom = very relaxed

fiona, so stylish & pensive

heaven?

unsure why my arm is in this...but that's leah

bought these at a grocery store while exploring

my café au lait, & tom's noisette behind it

then we continued out of it, and just kept walking down random streets as we saw fitting...with the vague goal in mind of eventually getting back toward the Seine area. we walked for a few hours, found some very intriguing little shops and restaurants, and took mental notes of them...for when we'll be in school in this area. i have two-hour lunchbreaks, so i will definitely take advantage of them.
anyway, we finally made it to the city-center...and from there we kinda' split up. leah went to her place, tom and i went back to the CEA office to use the internet...and then krystina and fiona showed up there a little later anyway. haha. i also finally got to meet jacob at CEA as well. he seems very cool and fun. i hope i do make friends with at least some of the Sorbonne people and stuff too...it seems like the "catho" kids are already forming into a little gang. i've been told that it's happened in past semesters too, though...because we get here a month after everyone else. so we're the only people we have. i like them all very much, though. i just hope to hang out with more of the others too, eventually. not just arlinda. :)

i came back home afterwards...relaxed, skyped with josh and roxy, chatted online with some people, and then went out to meet up with the others to find more restaurants and bars. we went to one bar, which i never saw the name of. but it's in the Quartier Latin too (just like last night) and it was nice...just very small and crowded. but it had a good atmosphere, and they were playing American rock songs! then we wandered around some more, looking for some other places...but never found them. not sure why, but we eventually just called it a night.

besides...tomorrow is our first day trip, and it's out to Chantilly! we have to wake up early and meet at the Bastille Opera House at 9:00 am. so...goodnight!