Sondage?

I have discovered the perfect way to avoid people wanting to survey me in the streets. Somehow I always feel very guilty passing up those poor rebuffed souls who just want a few minutes of your time. In the United States I always feel the need to make up some story, going much further than the normal "I just don't have time" speech. And then I feel even guiltier for lying. But in France, it's much easier and partially true. I just tell the women in front of Monoprix, in the middle of the market street, in my best American-trying-to-speak-French accent "Je ne parle pas beaucoup de francais" with a little sad shrug of the shoulders and that is quite enough to scare them off. It's my new best trick - and it really comes in handy, because somehow those survey people always pick me as one to go after that. Now that is something I wish I could figure out.

The Kindly Jehovah's Witnesses of Paris

Well, I've arrived in Paris, with the help of some kind French Jehovah's Witnesses. Because of a "suspicious package" at Charles de Gaulle aiport, I didn't get off the plane until an hour after we were supposed to have landed. My friend Matt was there to help me with my suitcases but unfortunatly he could only get me to Chatelet, otherwise he would've been late for an interview.

That's where the Jehovah's Witnesses come in. Matt helped me onto my metro headed for Villejuif and we awkwardly did the French kiss good-bye - I can never manage to get it right with other Americans, I think because it feels too personal with them but with the Frenchies bring it on! Anyways, I got off at my stop and managed to roll out my very large 50 lb. suitcase and smaller 40 lb.-er, along with my blue Longchamp baise-en-ville and my laptop case. As I was going up the escalator a meekly dressed young woman asked me if I was all alone. That should have been my clue - French people never talk to strangers for no good reason!

I explained that my fiancé was at work and my friend could only take me to Chatelet, and the woman offered to help. Normally, I would say no, but she wooed me in with her praise of my grasp on the French language. So I chatted with her and her friend about their recent missionary trip to bring God to the Chinese, as she rolled my suitcase along the street, until out of nowhere she asks "Vous etes croyant?" (Do you believe in God?). Well, I am, so I told her about my church and she thought all the modern elements like our band and the worship music were a shame. A shame that churches need to use those sort of things to attract people to God. Then she asked me if I knew the bible, if I had found the "bonheur" with God, etc. Then we realized we lived right next door and she sais it must have been fate.

She invited me to her church and I asked if it had a specific name. When she told me I thought it sounded kind of familiar even in French, then her friend said in Engish, Jehovah's Witnesses, you know? He went on "We're the same everywhere you go!". And in that moment, I realised they really were.

I think the help I got from them was mostly good karma because I helped two older American ladies sitting near me on the plane when I realized that they thought Charles de Gaulle Etoile was where the aiport landed.

In any case, Régis is worried now that I'm going to be converted and drag him along to church. I promised him I'll only do that if I find a French church that has a band for their worship music, but that's not so likely.

Little 500

It's too bad Regis can't be here for Little 500. Lance Armstrong called it the greatest college sports weekend, ever. It consists of a Women's Bike Race Friday evening, and the Men's Race on Saturday. My sorority's team is currently 5th out of 30 or so teams, and we hope to take home that trophy Friday night.

What else does Little 500 week consist of ? Lot's of drinking. I wish Regis could be here to see it. He thinks him and his friends go crazy in Paris, but he really has never seen American college students partying. I guess he'll have to wait until Graduation weekend when he'll be here to see me get my diploma! I'm taking him to the French Department Graduation Tea, the big ceremony, and my International Studies Major Brunch.

We'll see if he can really handle an American college weekend on jet lag.

On another note, his team won 1st place out of all of France for the 2007 Euromanager contest. They're flying to Macao on Saturday to participate in the World Finals. I was so hoping he would win because he's worked so hard, but now he has his sites set on winning the World competition, and I don't think I could take it if he gets dissapointed! I guess it'll be a test to see if I can keep him happy even if he doesn't win.

I also learned what a cache-sexe is today. Thrilling.

Still on track..

I've been missing for awhile! But it's only because I've been working so hard on my capstone project for my International Studies major. Here it is.. http://mypage.iu.edu/~bangrick . Uncompleted of course, but by next Wednesday it should be in at least the rough draft version!

I'm also getting more and more excited about returning to Paris this summer. I'm going to continue to update and expand my website and maybe try to get some advertisers! I also need to take a lot more personal pictures to add to the site, as it is I had to steal some pictures from Le Grand Vefour's website to visualize fine French dining.

This Saturday my mom is coming into town and we're going to go taste-test menu items and wine from the wine bar, Tutto Bene, where we're hosting my graduation/engagement party the day after my graduation. I also can't wait for Regis to get here. I know I just saw him (three weeks ago!!!) but I miss him already. And he'll actually be in my college town during the school year (at least the last day of it) so we'll be able to go out to dinner and the bars with all my friends.

The end of this semester is shaping up to be not too shabby, besides all the hard work. After next week it should be better.. but to get to the end of next week I have to finish my website, take a French essay exam on Proust, and do a 75 minute presentation on 3M. Mon dieu ca va etre dur.

Smashed flowers

Regis's reaction to my awful dream: Terry, c'est un nom de garcon, non? [Isn't Terry a guy's name?] .. obviously he missed the point.

Me: You sent me some smashed flowers, too.

Regis: [laughs for about 5 minutes] But I would never send you smashed flowers!

Typical.. because what I was most worried about after the dream was getting smashed flowers in the mail.

First nightmare?

Last night I had an awful dream. It was like I'd been punched in the gut, I may have actually been crying in my sleep. In my dream Regis stopped returning my calls and then my mom found some smashed roses and a card outside our house. The card related how he had met a 36-year old American girl named Terry who was a journalist, and she was ready to move in with him and start on his 4 year plan to change his life (I don't believe he has one at this point). Anyways, the gist was that he was leaving me and never wanted to speak to me again. It felt so real, too.

I think maybe this stemmed from when another French guy broke up with me suddenly during winter break one year, when we were still across the ocean from each other. I really did not see that one coming, even more so than I might possibly ever expect it from Regis! Anyways, I was glad to wake up and realize it was just a dream, but still, I can't wait till Regis is done with classes today so I can make sure he didn't meet a 36 yr old American named Terry the journalist.

Language Lessons

The days when Regis teaches me new words are always interesting. Today: flairing. His explanation: Haven't you seen the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise? It's when he throws the glasses in the air, it's called flair...

As far as I knew, flair should bring to mind what you have to wear to work at TGI Friday's and the movie reference Office Space, not Cocktail. The movies French people come up with as references always crack me up.. granted, I'm sure Cocktail was big in it's day. I've only ever seen it playing in the background of Landsharks bar in Broadripple, Indiana. The bartender tried to copy Cruise and luckily my drink didn't land on the floor.

I got another language lesson, this evening. I walked into Noodle Town to pick up my Chicken Mai Fun (mmm.. I love that they give you enough for three meals for only $6.95) and had to wait for a few minutes. I was chatting away to Regis on my mobile in French, and one of the workers came out from behind the counter and said "You speaking English? What language?". I replied.. "It's French actually"... then the killer..

He asked me if I was French. I'll always go back to Noodle Town now. It's my sick guilty pleasure when people mistake me for being French, although it will most likely never be a French person who makes the mistake. Oh well, maybe after I've lived there a few years. Although I think I'll continue to get "Ecosse! Irlandais!" (Scottish, Irish) yelled at me oustide Centre Pompidou. Someone should tell those artists that yelling your nationality doesn't really make you want to get your portrait done. Yelling "Francaise!" at me would probably work better.

Anyways, my language lesson. After I hung up with Regis, I signed my receipt and my friend over at Noodle Town said "Merci!" then "Its thank you!". I mumbled "Merci a toi aussi" but it was so cute I was almost at a loss for words. Almost. ;)