The Dark Ages, yet again.

Quickly, since my internet trial in this random library at the Mairie of the 1e arrondissement is limited ...

Monday: Made my first croque madame! That, for those of you who haven’t experienced it, is merely a grilled cheese with an egg on top. I think the French put eggs and ham on EVERYTHING. Everything, I tell you! Anyway, I think it came out quite well … I mean, I know how to make grilled cheese, and I know how to make a fried egg, so this was no test of my skills, really.

After that, I worked on some wine … and my personal statement. In no particular order. I finished up a rough draft to impose on my unwitting editors (incidentally, thanks). One potential essay down, who knows how many to go.

Tuesday: Nothing too interesting to report, mostly wasted the day on uneventful activities. I did, however, feel it necessary to take a picture of this store’s display … apparently 7 years or so later, they think they can bring Uggs to France. God help us all.

Wednesday: Lost my patience with the lack of internet chez moi, so I decided to make sure that it was really the network and not my computer having a moment. I tried it in a café and found that it STILL didn’t work, and that’s when I got nervous. I next went to my old dorm (foyer). I installed myself in the library, where I connected to the wireless sans problem until midafternoon, when the Nazi librarian booted me out because I lived there too long ago to be allowed in the library. Why are librarians always terrible people?! Getting a degree in library science must just tear out your soul, that’s the only explanation I can think of.

When I went down to the main desk to chat with the people who work in the foyer before I left, I discovered that my friend Sophia who used to live in the foyer with me is now one of the people at the front desk! AND, even better, my friend Sarah, who lived next door to me, showed up to return library books and visit!!! Perfect!

After we hung out and talked (our other friend Colline joined us) for quite a while, I walked to Sarah’s new apartment to check it out. She has a balcony (lucky!!!) that looks in on a huge, beautiful courtyard. We had tea and cookies and hung out for awhile, and then I headed out on my next errand: The Arc de Triomphe.

This requires some explanation. As per Molly Clark’s request, I went with the express purpose of bringing back a picture, so that she could see the real Arc, to go with the print that the Clarks have in their house. I arrived just before it got too dark to come out well, and had some of the bajillion (yes, bajillion) other tourists take a picture of me with the tower. It was really humid today (Lourde, or “heavy” as they say), so I was just about melting, but fortunately the picture came out more or less OK … certainly well enough for little Molly to be able to see the real thing!

Spent the rest of the evening writing an essay about my goals and my academic background for Penn State. Blergh. I can’t wait to be finished with these applications, I can’t take all this serious writing, I’m going nuts!

Maybe that's just the lack of internet access talking.

Today I went to foyer for a bit of internet bonding time, then to the bank (still don't have my bank card, ugh) and then adventuring. I cruised to the Louvre and got my Carte Jeune subscription, which means I get to go anytime I want any day I want all year :) And it's only 15 euros! By cruised I mean to say that I waited in a line that was at a standstill for close to an hour in order to get my card. Then I headed to a library near the Louvre, in the Mairie of the 1e arrondissement for the wireless hotspot :) Now I'm headed home to eat dinner and go to orchestra!