Couettes, baguettes and a whole lot of billets

It's been a week now since I left good old Angleterre and I'm still functioning without a duvet, who would have thought? Carrefour still don't have any and it's the only place I've found in Cachan that has the shelf space for them. I even asked today. Another night of sleeping in my thermals, but at least I have a pillow, even if it is square and twice the size of my head.

Carrefour did provide me with some amusement on Saturday though, in the form of a man angrily throwing his baguettes onto the conveyor belt. Couldn't get more French than that really, can you? That very same day, I signed up for a choir at that forum des associations I mentioned. I was quite proud of conducting the whole thing in French, until the man thought I was German. Why? I don't get it.

the choir...youngest one? Okay.

I met up with Hannah on Thursday, who's from Nottingham too and is going to ISIT, so it was nice to see an English face! We did a bit of sightseeing; Marché aux Puces, Louvre courtyard and to the Conciergerie. We were so excited for this, because they were handing out free tickets at the door, but when we got inside, it was fini and we could only wander around the main hall. Oh well. We decided that we'd come back when there are less tourists! We did find the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop! It was beautiful and I will be going back there, definitely.

Cheesy photo on Pont Neuf, grâce à Hannah

We ventured to ISIT yesterday, as we weren't sure whether we had a meeting or not that day, no. No, that meeting was not for us and it lasted three hours. Oh well, at least we know where we're going next time! It is a lovely place as well, so it wasn't an afternoon wasted. I have an appointment with the Bank on Thursday at 3 and I've just signed up to visit the Arc de Triomphe with Erasmus Paris, yay, look me, with plans and stuff.

I've also decided I need a Navigo Pass for the RER and Metro. It's only like 4◘ for there and back, but it's just going to stack up. There are used tickets in nearly all of my pockets and floating around the bottom of my handbag. Sigh.

Suddenly, I'm finding it easier to talk to people, which is a relief. I now know two Germans, Joachim and Nina (YES!), a Greek/German called Polymnia who can't speak English so I spoke to her completely in French (I impressed myself that night, I can tell you), a really nice French girl called Leah, two Spanish girls called Maria and Ines and an Egyptian called Malo. I'm so continental.

Salut tout le monde!

I think I can safely say I'm pretty settled now, I know my way around, I'm all good with the train ticket machines (today, I even started to get annoyed with slow people in front of me! Am I a local?!) and apart from not making any French amis yet, I'm good. I was a bit sad on the first night, naturally, but I've got a bit less fearful and am trying my best to just get on with it.

There are two things that I'm still hopelessly confused by though. 1) Why the hell are there no LINED notepads/workbooks here?!!?! It's all this strange graph paper stuff and 2) phone rates. As most of you know, I'm able to survive pretty well by myself but when it comes to stuff like that....I'm like a rat in a maze.


I ventured into Paris on Tuesday afternoon and got off at Gare du Nord, stupid really as there's not much touristy around there. I did, however, see a little homeware shop (Dad, if you're reading this, it was like Ray's) and decided to go in and ask if they had any small kettles. (There are no kettles in my accommodation, so I'm having to make tea in the microwave.) So this conversation was all going very well and I was so pleased he understood me, until he took me downstairs and gave me a packet of small, plastic spoons. Well then. I was so embarrassed, I just paid for the spoons and left! Turned out I'd mixed up cuillère with bouilloire. Basically, what I did, right, I went into a shop and asked for a small spoon.

A very peculiar kettle

Anyway, the rest of the afternoon was nice and I actually tried a macaroon (favourite is pistachio, so far) so that's one thing crossed off the bucket list. When I got back to Cachan, the market was still on so I ordered a café au lait s'il vous plaît and watched the world go by for a while. While I was eating my strange microwaved sausage for dinner, I met a Swedish girl called Eleanor. She's really nice and I've bumped into her a couple of times since. She can't speak French though, and considering I only know how to say things like 'salmon, thank you, grandad' in Swedish, we have to speak in English. Damn.

The people here are all really polite though, they all say bonjour/bonsoir when you pass them, I'm just yet to have a conversation with one of them...though I did work up the courage to ask a girl in the kitchen if she was French. She is in fact Spanish and cannot speak French. Do I see a pattern emerging? She seems nice though and laughed when I awkwardly said 'Hola' and dropped my tea towel. 

Yesterday was progress on the language side of things though! I was posting a card for my sister but realised I needed 5 euros in coins and I only had a note, so I dashed across to the newsagents and asked for change. I didn't even think about it! This is a pretty big deal for me; usually I stand outside a shop for like 5 mins planning what I have to say.

A bit of Cachan, bit like Stratford or sumfink

I attempted to wake up early today, but I still can't quite manage it. Maybe it's the time difference, instead of waking up at 7.45, it's actually 6.45 for my body...hmm, maybe I'm just very fatiguée. Anyway, I headed into Paris again, only takes about 10/15 mins, so that's amazing! I got off at Saint-Michel Notre Dame, and boom, there it was. I've seen it before, but it was actually more impressive this time. Go figure.

Moi, taken by some very nice Chinese people #foreveralone

I was going to try and find the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, but I ended up wandering around St.Germain for like, an hour? Then I crossed the river again and completely lost sight of Notre Dame. I was like, quoi? And that's how I ended up walking aimlessly for about 2 hours until I admitted defeat and Metro'd it from Republique to Opera and walked down Rue de la Paix. That road is dripping with money. Seriously, someone needs to inform Dick Whittington. This led onto the Place Vendôme, et voila, CHANEL.

Oui, I went in!

I sat in Jardin des Tuileries for a bit, caught a few glimpses of the le Louvre, before heading to Place de la Concorde. I was morbidly excited to see where the guillotine stood. Thrilling stuff. Standing there, you could see the top half of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe in the distance. But today, it was misty and raining. 

A very misty Arc de Triomphe

I eventually made it back to Notre Dame where I rounded the day off nicely with a 5 euro coffee. Indeed. Tomorrow, I'm going to the forum des associations down the road, where I'm hoping to sign up for some clubs and meet some interesting characters. Hoping!

Je suis arrivée!

I made it alive everyone! Few metaphorical bruises, but I got there. The flight was fine, excepting the fact that we were delayed by 20 minutes because the workers were striking at Charles de Gaulle Airport...I know, right, I was evidently on my way to embracing French culture. I also got a free breakfast on the plane,which I knew nothing about so that was pretty nice. Shame my first croissant of the Year Abroad was on a plane, but whatever.

Lugging a giant 23kg suitcase on the RER B train wasn't fun though. I stood on the platform staring at the screen for a while, totally bewildered by Paris Nord. Did you know that's the same as Gare du Nord. Idiot.  It's especially rubbish when you get off the train thinking you have to change and then after you've dragged the bastard case into the lift, you realise you actually just could stay on that train....Cue a lot of huffing and puffing and excusez-mois as I ferociously u-turned. I arrived at Arcueil Cachan and got the case stuck in the barrier. I was seconds away from climbing over the turnstile when a kind woman helped me. Cue lots of 'mercis'.

And so I knew the address of my accommodation but I got confused (I'm blaming miniscule street signs) and ended up walking around for like, an hour. I was getting so hot and bothered, my hands were red raw from dragging the case and my feet were sore. On the upside, I now already know Cachan quite well and half an hour ago, navigated my way to the supermarket successfully. Lesson One has been learnt; man the hell up and ask for directions! In my defence, I did eventually ask but the guy had no idea where it was. I just ended up finding it.

 The woman at reception was really sweet though, but I couldn't understand her accent so we ended up speaking in English (I know, slap me on the wrist). She thought I was German anyway, so we're all in the wrong. My room is SO nice and definitely worth the rent I'm paying. She took me to my room and showed me my en-suite. I didn't even know I had one! And I have a fridge.

Voici my very flat and bedding-less bed

So far, I've been to two supermarkets. I've bought some basic stuff, as well as a mug. Because I'll need a cuppa soon, obviously. Though I couldn't find anywhere to buy a duvet...or a sheet...or a pillow. That's tomorrow's job I think.

I also have a mail box, with my NAME on it, which makes me feel quite important. Hopefully, it will see some action! I've acknowledged other people here, but they seem quite aloof and very French and all in their own groups already. Not too fussed, as I'm a smoker and I'm bound to gain some companionship fairly soon. You get dinner and breakfast here as well, if you pay, I'm thinking about doing that, but I'm worried it'll be like Mean Girls and I'll end up eating in the toilet. Well, at least mine is an en-suite....