I am tired. It is only 11:45pm… I want to crash. I had to
wake up at 6:25am this morning to wake up the boy for school. I probably went
to sleep around midnight-one, and I kept waking up last night (like every hour)
because I was nervous about today. Taking the boy to school and all, and then
driving myself to the train station and going to Paris to sign up for French
classes.
The boy was self-sufficient… I don’t know really why I had
to get him up. That’s the only thing I had to do. It seems if he can feed and
clothe himself… he can get up himself. We left at 7:10am, so I could have just
woken up at 7am and taken him to school. The mom came with us to tell me where
to go and everything. Driving went smoothly… we waited at the bus stop like ten
minutes and then it came. Yellow school buses don’t exist here… they just look
like normal touring/city buses. Interesting. I mean they are nicer than our
buses, but there is no way to distinguish them from a normal bus, so idk about
that.
Anyway, I drove back to the house and got ready because I
had to leave 20 minutes later to give me enough time to take a train to Paris.
I managed to get there (slowly learning my way around), park, and speak French
to buy a round trip ticket to Paris. Go me (spent another freaking 15 euros
though). I wanted to sleep on the train because I was tired, and I kind of
nodded off. I didn’t feel like taking an oral French test for my class
placement. I arrived in Paris (I say this so nonchalantly now…) and took like a
30 minute metro ride to my school. I arrived like 5 minutes late, but I was
proud of myself for nothing going wrong. I left my house at 8am and arrived at
the school at 9:30am…uhg so much transit.
So I then sat awkwardly next to a girl on the couch just
waiting. I wanted to talk to her, but I had no idea if she spoke French or
English (or any language for that matter), so I just kept my mouth shut. Eventually
someone spoke French to us, and I understood most of it. One time she responded
with English, so I immediately started a conversation. She was super friendly
and American! We had a good chat, and then went to our respective teachers for
the oral test.
The lady was really nice and spoke so clearly I understood
like 90% of what she said…woo! It was more of a conversation than test, and in
no time, I was signing up for classes. The whole ordeal took like one hour
though (paying and waiting). I waited more for my new friend to finish up with
her payment, and we set off to buy our books together. It was an easy 5 minute
walk, and after asking 5 different employees where to get our books we finally
found someone who knew what they were talking about. 22 euros later we decided
to get a bite to eat and eventually chose a brasserie right by our school. We
both got croquet madames and the price was good compared to all the other
nearby places. Before we even found the brasserie, we made asses out of
ourselves and sat down at another restaurant, looked at the menu, then left to
find somewhere cheaper. And this is why restaurants in France must legally post
menus outside haha… I usually utilize this.
My new friend was really cool, and I was just so happy to
make a girl friend who just so happens to be American as well. Sorry if I don’t
sound cultured, but I haven’t physically talked to an American in a while. It
is a nice change of pace. We will be good for each other too because she has
met a lot of au pair friends, and I only have French guy friends… parfait. We
need each other!
We then set off on our separate ways, and I took the metro
to Jerome’s job because we were supposed to meet up. I took an RER, which was a
lot faster than a normal metro (good thing because I was going across the
city), and then I took a metro, and the line must have been one of the newest
ones because it was super nice. I surprised Jerome, and he took a 15 minute
break to catch up on each other’s lives the past 2 or so days. Before I knew
it, we said bye, and the only place I had to go was back to my train station. I
was kind of sad (I always am to leave!), but I am glad I had a lot of time to
get there because I needed most of it.
Along the way I was in search of a photo booth (take pics for
Navigo pass) and an ATM. The first photo booth I found would not take my ragged
5 euro bill, but I eventually found another one and took a pretty awful picture
of myself. I also managed to find an ATM had like 20 minutes to spare before my
train back to my village.
Now I really did want to sleep on this train ride, and I did
for maybe 5 minutes but I was scared I would miss my stop, so I didn’t. After a
what seemed like long train ride, I found my car and drove home. I think today
was the first time driving alone… it was a little weird but nice at the same
time. I have an auxiliary port in the
car, so I need to get a cord, so I can listen to my iPod.
So I got home and chilled for a little bit and then had to
go to town to pick up the girl from school. The area was a mob scene. The
school is right in the middle of the cramped town and parking was a huge issue,
but I acted French (I have a tiny car anyway) and made a spot of my own at a
weird angle in the parking lot. I found the girl, and we left soon after. But I
must say my driving skills were put to the ultimate test here…kids, people
everywhere, hills. I feel accomplished I did everything just fine!
We got home and ate a snack, and the girl and I had a good
chat. She asked how I liked it here, and I told her I did like it, but I missed
my friends and family, and she understood saying she missed her parents (not
her brother) when she was away. So that was a nice heart to heart.
(I was a total soccer mom today)… I then went to town to
pick up the boy (seriously I wish I could get the kids at the same time), and
driving went smoothly again. After getting home with him, I rode bikes with the
girl. She taught me how to do tricks on the bike. I told her I was scared, but
Super au Pair came out and managed to do most of the tricks. Now these were
nothing special, but I still felt good about myself. More bonding time. THENNN
I HAD TO DRIVE AGAIN… to take the girl to a friend’s to spend the night. But it
is good because this got me out of cooking! Haha Slacker au Pair is coming out
again…
I hung out with my computer for a bit, then the dad asking
about my Navigo pass options, to which we ended the convo with let’s ask the
mom about this. We waited for the mom for forever to get home, so we could eat.
I was starving. I always am. There are no snacks here. My options are fruit,
the nasty sugarless yogurt (which I totally add spoonfuls of sugar too), bread/cheese,
or organic nutella/bread. All healthy and super fat things. I just want
crackers… popcorn. I don’t know. I feel
weird asking to buy that kinda stuff because I don’t think the dad wants it in
the house (health nut he is). But I don’t wanna spend money on food when I don’t
need to. Idk. I need to go to the store tomorrow, so I will probably buy junk
food haha and hide it in my room.
For dinner…I think ribs (I don’t really at ribs, but that
had to have been what is was), potatoes, baked cauli-flower, and leftover
stuffed mushrooms (yum). Then fresh bread and cheese, a kiwi, and then this
rice, milk, cinnamon dish that tasted and felt like oatmeal. I effed up some
rice the other night, and the dad (never throws food away) decided to make riz
de lait out of it (rice and milk basically—probably don’t have the middle word
right). It was pretty good though!
Then what did I do..? I think messed on my laptop, and I
asked the mom some questions. Apparently I have to mail my Navigo stuff
tomorrow, and go to la poste myself and ask for a stamp (fun times ahead—although
I am self-reliant with French when I don’t have my French friends with me).
Plus I will have the kids with me, so they can decipher for me. I also brought
up spending loads of money (I put it delicately), and she said the dad will go
on Thursday and buy a regular Navigo for the month for me. YAYYYYYYYYYYYY… I
hope he does it. I just remembered… I was supposed to remind him to put gas in
my car oops... I am on empty. And I have a lot of shiz to do driving tomorrow,
and he won’t be here tomorrow because he is going to Paris for work (I really
wonder what he does—I should ask to make conversation soon). That also reminds
me to tell you I think the dad is an insomniac. He was up at odd hours last
night doing who knows what (later I found out that rice dish—took 3 hours to
make).
A minute later
That settles that… he will go tomorrow morning before Paris
to put gas in my car. Well it is 12:45am now. I need sleep. Bonne nuit y’all
(franglais for you).
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