Hump Day

I wanted to post this yesterday, but alas the internet was not working. It's hump day here and Paris and will for the next week be known as the day Paris didn't get to host the 2012 olympics. C'est la vie. There was an article in the paper that said the verdict would be announced at 13:42... okay, apparently the couldn't make it an even 13:45. but whatever. So it's been a crazy week already.
Monday night, a well celebrated holiday in states and not celebrated here, was not so bad. Maryanne and I met up for dinner and 3 of her french friends came out to help us celebrate. they were all really nice and lots of fun. Two spoke english really well and the third not-so-much. So we spoke in this grand mix of French and english over a long dinner. then I headed home to do homework and crash.
Last night I had my first ballet class. First of all the school is this studio tucked behind a bunch of stores and what night. It looks identical to something out of Degas' paintings. I mean seriously, a cluttered corner, wooden floors (not like a dance floor, my poor ballet slippers are not going to make it), mirrors all around and the bar. Sure most dance studios look alike, but this is not modern and what I would picture in Degas' time. By no means bad, it has sooooo much character. there ws no mistaking i was in france. and WOW, the language facture is huge. The class was hard work, but not level hard. At first I had to follow someone till i picked up what we were doing. Towards the end it got easier. But by then i was sweating like crazy and my muscles were exhausted!
I talked to the teacher, as best as i could after class, and I think I'm going to take a little harder class, which there are two of. so i can dance twice a week. So dance was so much fun and successful. Plus the commute there is amazing!! the metro line i take there is elevated and it crosses teh seine and passes the eiffel tower and the parks. it's amazing and very Film-esque.
oh yeah, I started class. I thought it was four hours, but it's really 4 1/2 hours Monday-Friday. That's crazy and long. We do get a little break where everyone runs for a cup of coffee in the cafateria. I took up coffee again. And Beth, it is really good :o) Though I get cafe au lait not black coffee. AS for the class itself, apparantly I'm really old. Or so i feel. everyone is around 19/20 years old. There are 3 people from the states and there all about 20. There are 5 people from brazil! and then everyone else is scattered, Spain, georgia (the country), italy, poland, chile, mexico, switzerland, china, i'm sure there are more. it's crazy. so really, you all talk in french b/c a lot of the time it's the only common language. so that's good.
Yesterday i had coffee in teh park by the louvre with the girl from Georgia- Tatia, two sisters from Brazil -Natalia & Lucia, and the italian- Camille (who's 16!!!). It's so crazy but so fun. So i'm getting to know people and that's cool. Directions are getting easier as it really is a much bigger city than i thought. Okay i'm going to end this as it's sooooo long.
ps. no one talks on there cell phone much on the train, they text!! :o) so it's not so bad!