update!

I'm sorry I haven't been able to update this very often. Not having a charger a.k.a. not being able to use my computer makes homework, travel planning, facebook-surfing, and blog-updating quite difficult. And expensive.

Things I have done in the past week that I haven't blogged about:

1) Toured Notre Dame, went up to the top of Notre Dame and admired Paris from above. Took pictures of creepy and strange gargoyles (one was eating enormous grapes!)

2) Held a dinner party at my host family's apartment because my entire host family was gone for the weekend. I won't see my host parents again until 2 weeks from now, but my host-sister just got back last night. I made ratatouille and pasta, and people brought cheeses, baguettes, wine, salad, and a berry tart. It was delicious.

3) Visited several artsy libraries, one at the Centre Pompidou, to do research for a project on Kader Attia, a French modern artist who focuses mostly on society's replacement of religion with consumerism and commercialism. Cool, very strange installations. Look him up.

4) Picasso Museum. Unfortunately half of the museum's collection is in Madrid, but it was great nonetheless.

5) Went to the Montreuil flea market. It was less of a legitimate flea market, more just a giant clothes and electronics street market, but it was fun. I bought a pair of pointy beige/gold heels for 15 euro, some great red nike hightops for 20. What a deal! I love markets.

6) Today, went to Montmartre, wandered through the sex shop/strip show/Moulin Rouge streets, visited Sacre Coeur and the artists' district, and had some delicious goat cheese and mint (I know, strange) pastries. This weather is really getting everyone down. Even in this beautiful area, the cold, cloudy, windy weather makes people grumpy. It's hard to avoid.

Things are fine in general. We only have 4 days of classes and then...Barcelona! And then, a day after we get back, we're off to Nice on a train. And when we get back, Alex (Sciuto) will be in Paris for a couple days, so I get to show him 'round these parts, and then I only really have 3 weeks left in Paris. Time flies, it's true.

Some good news! I finally have a place to live in Geneva! I'll be staying at Centre Protestant 2, in the center of the city. This student housing is in a suite, so I will be in one of 3-5 singles with a shared kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Can't wait! Also, I'll be overlapping for almost a week and a half with Sarah, my friend from high school who has been living in Geneva all year. I'm so excited to see her.

So that's that. Now I have to go pay 5 euros for using the internet. GOSH.