à Lutèce

Well, I am going to France in a few days... you know. (screaming inside!). I will be interning at a web magazine in Neuilly sur Seine —where Nicolas Sarkozy was mayor! Apparently I will be helping plan events for the launch of the e-mag, be the liaison (or as they say in Britain in verb form, liaise) with British, American and Spanish bloggers and do something to do with design. It's part of my master's program in French Studies and the main goal is to get my French to be much much better than it is at this point.

I won't be living in the Paris city limits, but in Suresnes, a western suburb just across the Seine from the Bois de Boulogne. I will officially be in the Versailles ward for church, and since the Paris ward will be inundated with underclassmen on a history study abroad, I might just bike to church on Sundays as M. Sprenger suggested, at least until the weather gets rainy. I mapped it on Google maps:

I have to admit I am bloody nervous. And not just about the language... I am making a pencil skirt tomorrow (with my mom's help) and I bought a few basics like a white blouse, black dress pants and some gold flats to see me through the first week at work. How can I just walk into the chic-est city in the world and not worry about being frumpy?

As far as language is concerned, I still trap myself in self-doubt when listening to native speakers. I usually DO understand but have zero confidence and thus still have the most stupefied look on my face. One of the things I really want to get a handle on is intonation. It's so hard! It's something that is so subtle and innate. With any luck, I will come home sounding like Leslie Caron when I speak English.

There will be so much to do while I am there! I will have a theater class and a Francophone lit class in addition to my internship (supposedly a 35-hour work week). But I have a nice long list of other things I want to do to meet all kinds of new people and immerse myself in Parisian life:

• Practice figure drawing at La Grande Chaumière at least 3 times while I'm there and get as good as this lady (careful! nudes! NSFW!). I suspect I will go more than that, but I will only be able to go to their Saturday sessions.
• Walk around and SKETCH in my spare time, like this amazing person. I can't get over how awesome his drawings are.
• Buy some new underclothing at Prima Donna (NSFW!)
• Go dancing at a boîte de nuit... maybe.
• Rent a bike from Paris Bikes and cycle around the countryside like this
• Meander around the flea markets. Maybe I can find something beautiful like this vintage jewelry.
• For meals, hit up some of the places on Clothilde's list. Plus, ask other locals their favorite bistros and bakeries.
• Go to some debates or conferences.
• Go to the bookstore in the evenings.
• Sit in on some theater lectures at the Sorbonne (and probably sketch while doing so because my brain works so much better when I am drawing.)
• Buy my food at the marché de Suresnes. Quel plaisir!
• Talk to everyone.

And now for some mood music...