This week was a bit odd in a few ways. Or I guess just different!
First, I began my week with a trip to a French doctor! Or actually, a clinic. Apparently, I looked pretty sick on Monday morning, because Martine told me that I needed to go see a doctor. She gave me the name of the clinic which was only about a 10-15 minute walk away, and so I went after class. A bit challenging -- she told me it was on the 4th floor....it was definitely on the first (which in America would be the 2nd...) -- and it's kind of like the Wegman's deli counter, in that you take a number and wait for your turn. It was surprisingly much easier than I had expected -- I was one of the first to be called and a very nice lady called me into her office and shortly determined that I had some type of "infection" that refused to go away (for all intents and purposes, I'm pretty sure it was bronchitis or a sinus infection) and so I am now on my last day of taking Zithromax! Which has worked wonders.
So I spent Monday afternoon and all of Tuesday in bed/around the house. Unlike at Amherst where you can walk across the quad to get to a class, going to class here means at least a 20+ minute commute with some portion of that being on the metro...probably not the best thing to expose yourself to while sick.
Wednesday, I began to feel much better, and I decided to go to my architecture visit which was at the Champs Elysee-Clemenceau metro stop so we could visit both the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais! Both of which were built for the International Exposition around the turn of the 20th century. Very cool buildings, and a very different architectural style that most of the other things that we've seen! It was also very cool to see all the little Christmas stands set up along the Avenue Champs Elysees -- lots of fun Christmas stuff and food and music. I'm sure I'll make it back there as we get closer to Christmas.
Yesterday, I believe was probably the first day I was legitimately homesick. Most of us were not too happy to be going to class on Thanksgiving. I tried to go to swimming in the morning, but we were informed promptly at 7am that there was some sort of technical problem, and as a result, there was not enough chlorine in the pool, and we couldn't swim. Apparently, that happens. So I turned around and came home and went out for a little run while it was actually still dark! It was surprisingly warm.
But yes, it was a bit difficult to think of what I would have been doing had I been home and to think about my family and missing the Macy's Day Parade and helping cook and all that stuff. Don't worry though, we did have our very own Thanksgiving! Which I like to call "France-giving", but it's basically all the same. I spent Wednesday making my mommy's wonderful stuffing with sausage and onions and apples (yum!) and brought it along -- everyone did such a wonderful job making different side dishes and desserts to make it truly like Thanksgiving! It was at Martine's apartment (which is GORGEOUS) and she had set out 3 different long tables so that all 31 guests would have a place to sit! She ordered a turkey -- and then spent quite a while reheating everything because the oven was so tiny! I've decided that clearly there's nothing like Thanksgiving here because their kitchens are too small. Or I guess you could reverse that statement...you choose.
But it really was wonderful, and I think Martine even pretended not to hear when we were speaking English some of the time....(how could we not??). But I came home feeling quite well fed -- and actually had to stay up for a bit to digest so I could fall asleep...clearly, France-giving = success. I would describe all of the dishes we had -- but it would literally take numerous paragraphs, so I'll let your imagination do the work!
I'm spending this weekend in Paris and actually have quite a bit of work to get going on. I have a final exam coming up and also a 15 page paper that's due in less than 3 weeks (because it's due before my parents get here, and my parents get here 3 weeks from today!).
Here's a picture from my architecture visit, and then one of my best bud -- who's just too cute for me to resist taking a pcture of. This was today when I came in and found him lying on the couch in my room....
A bientot!
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