Always so much to tell!

Coucou! Howdy-do!

Well, I feel that so much has happened lately, that it is time for an update...
My test went well, I will get the results in a bit, and hopefully my note is comme-ci, comme-ca. But, in a preemptive celebration, I went out with several other people from this class and we had a blast (if I may use this 90's term)! Cocktails at Montparnasse, dancing at St. Michel... it was really fun to let loose!

Then I spent Sunday cleaning, cleaning, cleaning... momma's coming to town! After some delay on my behalf, due to a Metro strike, I received my mom on her first trip back here in many years, of course with a pain au chocolate in hand. Since then, mom and I have been really seeing and doing everything there is to do, and catching up on some much needed sleep. I keep saying that I am using my mom's jet lag to my advantage! Who loves naps!

So, while this week was my last week before vacation, I had a few classes in the afternoons, which has left Susie to do some wandering. And boy, she was wandered all around! The Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Marais (the most amazing quartier: old, chic, new-age, gay and Jewish), the American church, and many unnamed petits rues.

With school only in the afternoons, that left us the evenings free... the first two of which we slept away (oh the jet lag) but yesterday and today have been magnificent! Yesterday, I bought tickets to go see a modern dance performance a la Theatre de la Ville. It was based on Dante's Divine Comedy and the performance was superb: interesting, moving, bright, dark, innovative, and with electric guitars. We topped off the evening with wine at a nearby cafe on the Seine. Parfait!

Today was a bit stressful for me: first of all I had registration for my next semester at Sciences Po... not a fun process as classes fill up in the blink of an eye and the system kept crashing, then I had my medical exam for my Carte de Sejours, so to become a semi-permanent resident. Sadly, French waiting rooms are no less dreary and stressful, everyone waiting for their mispronounced name to be called. Then, you have to do some tests and take off you top to get an X-ray (which they let you keep!), but in the end I got my card and now am free to travel and work as I please! Hooray!

Well, I have decided to put up a few unrelated to anything photos, in case you're interested. Enjoy!

Here is an interesting view of the Louvre from the Ferris wheel that they put up for the holidays... had it not been so foggy, the view would have been incredible!

Here I am in my Frenchie-BonBon hat down by the Seine.... if you look carefully in the distance, you can see the Tour Eiffel. Cool.

Here is my favorite shop in Paris by far... Marriage Freres, a lovely tea shop.

Here is me and my beau, David, looking rather monochromatic and romantic...

Here is the lovely Strasbourg, also known as the capital of Christmas. It has one of the most magnificent Christmas markets, something we Americans know nothing about, where the vin chaud is great, the people are friendly, and the shoes are beautiful!

Here is the amazing Thanksgiving meal David and I cooked totally from scratch for some friends in Germany... other than the fact that my turkey was a goose, everything was traditional and delicious!

Here are Monet's Lillies at the Orangerie in Paris. I had no idea what to expect, then I was taken aback by the intensity, purity and shear beauty of these pieces.

Here I am, again, on the Pont des Arts, again with a Eiffel Tour in the deep distance. This was my favorite place to be during fall, especially at this time, sunset... the bright colors of the leaves, and the rosy color of the sky was breathtaking.

Until next time! Bisous! Kisses!