Hey everyone,

This is going to be my last blog post in Paris. As I write this, I definitely have mixed emotions and overall, I am just so glad I did this. Ever since I was in elementary school, I have thought that I should study abroad in Paris and it was a huge dream of mine. It was definitely all I expected and more. I learned so much about French language, culture, and history that I will take back with me to New York and carry with me.

My family was part of what made this so wonderful. I stayed with this older couple who are absolutely some of the best people (definitely in France at least). They open their doors to American students each semester, not for money, but to share in a cultural exchange that they relish. We had so many wonderful discussions about America, Europe, politics, religion, food, and everything in between. I also really bonded with their grandchildren which was such a treat. It probably helps that I gave them toys and played with them, but I am not above buying a child's love with toys. It was so fun to play with such happy, funny children every week when they came to visit their grandparents and it helped me to see how French children live.

French people....what can I even say about them? At their best, I feel they are some of the warmest people with a wonderful sense of humor and great pleasure for life. They really take so much out of life and take the time to enjoy everything. They will use any chance they can get to take off work or eat another slice of tarte, and it can really make you see how Europeans get the most out of everythig. I think I became much more aware of how much Americans work and how different societies take care of their citizens in general. But I will say French people definitely can live up to their somewhat unfavorable reputation. A nasty mix of haughty, passive-aggressive, and distant/cold has been known to ruin a day or two of many American students. The sense of politeness and etiquette of every shop keeper, bureaucrat, and administrator exceeds my grandmother in even her most zealous reading of Emily Post. It is built into the language and every day life to have various, somewhat nonsensical levels of formality and social cues are like a whole different language unto themselves. It is not my favorite part of being her, but I guess it is a lesson learned!

My classes here were great and I feel like my French has improved. Instead of speaking like I am reciting 19th century novels or reading my latest essay out in class, I speak with much more fluency and comfort than ever before. Having all my courses in French was daunting at first, but I have managed to get really high marks just as much as in New York and the teachers were wonderful. In my history of modern art class, we got to see some of the best 20th century art museums in Paris and the teacher really made the most out of the city, taking us to a different exhibit or museum every week. The NYU staff was very caring and organized, arranging some really fun speakers and interesting events for us to attend at the university campus here. I liked that they knew my name and I felt like I got to know many of them. I also got to meet so many other fellow students here I never would have met in New York. We all came to Paris for different reasons with different sets of expectations, but we managed to form some kind of community and I made many very special friends in the past 4 months I plan to keep in touch with this summer and in the fall.

A List of my Top Ten Favorite Paris Things--in no particular order
1) Baguettes







2) Musee d'Orsay









3) Day trip to the Giverny Gardens and Monet's House






4) The Louvre










5) Angelina's Hot Chocolate






6) The Marais (Jewish-gay-really trendy) neighborhood








7) Le Grand Epicerie de Paris at Bon Marche






8) Wandering along the Seine at night












9) Spending hours at a cafe









10) Parc Monceau (the gorgeous public garden near my apartment)







I want to leave and go back to my family, my friends, and my city, but I also could stay a while longer. Overall I feel like this was a tremendous opportunity that I will always remember. Paris is a city where you can feel the history and the sense of pride it has in itself in each and every neighborhood. The food was obviously a perk, and I will miss running to a bakery whenever neccessary for a crusty baguette or flakey butter-based pastry. I hope to have many happy, safe returns to this incredible city and I know that it will still hold the special place in my heart it has since I came here with my family when I was 13 years old. Europe is still my passion and I know I made the most out of my time here.

A special thanks to my parents who encouraged me to write this blog (and read it) and for making this semester even at all a possibility.

Thanks for reading! Au revoir...

Bonjour!
I have a few updates but nothing that exciting. This week and next week we have exams, then I have to pack, and I return home! I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly here. I am really enjoying my time and feel like I have gotten the most out of this experience.

At the end of spring break, I actually spent three days in Toulouse in the south-west of France. I have two French friends who live there and they invited me for a visit. It is a university town with lots of young people and fun shops. It is also the headquarters for AirBus (like the airplanes) so there are lots of people from different countries who live and work there. It is a really charming town and some of the buildings date back to the 1500s and 1600s. While I was there I got to visit an art museum, do some shopping, and relax! My friends are a couple and the girl Sophie is British, so I actually ended up staying at her house, where there was British/American satellite TV. I was in heaven sitting around watching trashy MTV for a few hours every day. My last night, Philippe organized a crepe party with all his friends. We all talked and stuffed ourselves with crepes, then we headed out to the local English pub where everyone hangs out. It was fun to actually meet French people and talk to them about college life here. Overall a wonderful trip!

For the past 5 days, Alissa was here in Paris. She is one of my very best friends and it was her first time here, so it was a pleasure to take her around and see the sights. I also had class so she was on her own part of the time but we both had so much fun. The two major things we did together that I really loved were Versailles and the Cluny Museum. Versailles I had seen before, but it was under a lot of rennovation. I got to see the whole thing this time and many rooms were open that I was not able to see before. It is really an amazing place and it's crazy that kings only lived there for 3 generations (I had thought it was much longer). The Cluny Museum is the largest museum of the Medieval period in Paris...possible in France. They have a great collection of everyday objects from the period which is pretty rare. They also had some great art and sculpture. When you go to Notre Dame Cathedral, you see that in the front a lot of the figures are missing their heads because they were knocked off during the Revolution. I had always wondered where all those heads went and apparently it was in the Cluny! I was really excited to see them there some of them are really remarkable, still with traces of their original painting. We also both loved the main attraction, which are the tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn. They are a set of 6, representing an allegory of each of the 5 senses plus one very mysterious one. They were gorgeous and we spent a lot of time there sitting and staring, and obviously left with lots of postcards and merchandise. We also had great dinners, fun shopping, and nice girly talks together and it was a wonderful trip.

Last night I got to have a lovely final dinner with Bruno and family. The food was delicious and we talked about my time here, my rabbinic studies, religion, and lots of other things. I am hoping to be able to see Astrid this summer and when I come back to Paris I will definitely come visit them! They are great people and fun to be with.

Right now, I am trying to figure out packing and studying. The last thing I want to do before I leave is get to Giverny and see Monet's gardens with my roomate. We had been planning on it and it never happpened. I am hoping we can go the Friday before we go home at least for half the day. We will see...

What We Learned on Googley-Elmo Marconi Street...

Hi everyone!

I just returned with my friend Jonah from a wonderful trip to Rome. It was my first time ever even in Italy so I was really pleased and excited that I was able to do this over our spring break from Paris. The city itself had a great, laid-back feeling. It is huge and ancient, but it does not have as much of an ego or an attitude as New York or Paris. I pretty much love every city ever, but this one was very warm, pretty easy to navigate, great food, and helpful people all made it work. I think I ended up creating a pretty packed and busy itinerary, and we basically hit all the major sites and most of the city's neighborhoods. It also happened to be Cultural Week, a week in Rome where all the national museums are free and others offer significant discounts. We definitely saved a lot there (which I am pretty sure I ended up spending on food and my souvenirs anyway). Sit tight and read the whole post. I only felt like writing this up once.

When I arrived from Paris, I took a lovely relaxing cab ride and got to see some of the country side...then I talked to Jonah. Apparently our hostel was under renovation and with no notification we were going to be asked to go to their sister hostel (also known as a hostel we specifically didn't book in the first place because it sounded gross). We decided to cancel that and ended up finding a great hotel south of the city center, located a 5 minute walk from a Metro stop. It ended up working out well, had a free breakfast, and a free computer/internet.

I am now just going to give a day-by-day list of the things we did, and elaborate on the stuff I liked best or found to be most interesting. If I sat and wrote about every little thing, I would definitely lose all patience. If you look at my Facebook photos in order it pretty much follows this. Feel free to take a look and comment on anything. I would be glad to talk about any of this more in person!

THURSDAY (Day 1)
Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli- the church where the chains that bound St. Peter in jail are held; also the home of some fabulous Michelangelo sculpture work, including the Moses with horns and some other great stuff.

Spanish Steps/Piazza Espagna- lots of tourists sitting on Rococo steps that are near the Spanish embassy (hence the name). good to see but not as impressive as I'd imagine.

Keats-Shelley House- the home of Keats, a museum dedicated to his life, the circle of British poets and writers in Rome, Romanticism, and lots of books and history.

Via dei Condotti- a very ritzy shopping street where all the major designers have their boutiques. major window shopping and drooling.

the Trevi Fountain- an amazing Rococo fountain. really breathtaking and so many pretty details.
went back again another day so we could see it lit up at night...even more impressive.

Chiesa della Trinita dei Monti- the big church at the top of the Spanish Steps. It was fine, we just needed something to do.

FRIDAY (Day 2)
St. Peter's Basilica- We got up early to head to Vatican City. Seeing the early morning sun on the Basilica was really beautiful and it was quite peaceful and not so crowded. We went and saw the basilica itself when it opened, and got to walk around while various groups were saying morning mass which was nice. Got to see some great art, including Michelangelo's Pieta and the Baroque bronze canopy over St. Peter's Tomb. Also climbed all the way to the top of it, seeing some wonderful views of Rome in the morning. Looottss of stairs but we made it. Picked up some things for Irene and John then headed back down.

Vatican Museums- Where to even begin? We sat on line for a while and got to go see all the museums inside the complex we wanted. At a certain point you are forced to follow a one-way itinerary to the major sites like the Sistene Chapel...it was kind of annoying, but makes sense since before that there were thousands of people going both ways and probably much much more chaos. I took a bunch of pictures, but I also invested in a book that has all the major masterpieces and highlights because it was hard to get in everything! Anyone who sees me at home is welcome to take a look.
Pinoteca: The gallery of the Vatican devoted to paintings. All the big names.
Gallery of Modern Religious Art: a little bit weird but welcome relief in style after a few hours of the same Renaissance New Testament scenes.
Greek and Roman Sculpture Galleries: Some beautiful pieces, but my favorites were the mosaics...so detailed and impressive.
Raphael Rooms: A series of rooms with various frescoes painted, including that absolutely stunning School of Athens and some others. I never really learned much about Raphael but I have always been a fan and it was impressive to see it in person!
Sistine Chapel: Can't even really put into words. I have never seen so much painting and perfect art in one place in my whole life. If you go there and aren't even a little blown away, there must be something wrong with you. They try to make everyone quiet and not take pictures, but people were pretty bad at following directions. So many great compositions and the famous ceiling was kind of hard to see. Saw all the famous panels and moved along...that's what my book is for.

Chiesa de Santa Maria della Vittoria- Home of Bernini's the Ecstacy of St. Theresa and a little sign with her story. Walked into the church, were awed, walked out.

Palazzo Massimo Museum- A Roman palazzo filled with a great Greco-Roman collection. Not too big but good.

Ostiense- After a well-deserved nap, we went over to a neighborhood near us in Southern Rome that is supposedly the new hot neighborhood and needed to be checked out. Wouldn't want to stay there forever but it was cool. Had a delicious dinner at a trendy restaurant in an even trendier hotel and headed back to the hotel.

SATURDAY (Day 3)
Decided to follow my guidebook's walking tour of Ancient Rome

Il Vittorio- a massive white marble monument to a united Italy and has the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Romans hate it...we weren't sure why.

The Capitoline Museums- an endless collection of Greek and Roman sculpture, artifacts, frescoes, etc. This one took way longer than we thought it would (it needs two whole palaces to hold it), but we both thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very extensive and the terrace of the museum cafe had a great view of the city.

the Forum- for two really bright people, it took us way too long to find the real entrance to this place. Got to see all the arches, temples, and everything in between. Lots of pretty cool stuff, but really badly explained...I didn't know what I was looking at half the time. The guidebook warned us it would take some imagination to see it as the center of the world, but I did just fine. It was cool to see and it felt very historical and important to me!

Palantino- the hill that was once home to many of ancient Rome's elite with villas galore. We went and saw them but it was up a hill and we were tired and I couldn't figure out how you actually get to go in and see them. We lived.

Colosseum- We had seen it from the outside, but going inside was pretty cool. I was really engrossed in the history read almost all the signs. All of the history of the site and the explinations of the events that took place there made it more interesting to me, including all the different gladiator events and the structure of the games. It was pretty massive and I was glad we got to walk around and see it.

Had a super late lunch, took a nap, then headed out again.

San Lorenzo- this was a neighborhood in the east of Rome, know for its bohemian, student vibe and used to be a hotspot for political activity. It is definitely a university area and had a fun feel (once we crossed through Sketchy-ville and the train tracks). Had some good dinner and drinks at bar that is also a vintage shop and bookstore. Good times were had.

SUNDAY (Day 4)
Our plan was messed up for the day when it started to rain and didn't stop. We managed and saw some good things that let us stay inside.

Jewish Museum of Rome- Located in the Jewish Ghetto area under the major synagogue of Rome, the museum did a nice job telling the history of the Jewish people in Italy and Rome. Some of the explanations were kind of silly and told us stuff about Judaism we already knew, but there were some interesting stories and beautiful Judaic items like torah crowns and handmade wedding contracts. Saw the big synagogue which I really liked but wanted more time. I was being shooed by an Italian AND Jewish woman, so I thought it was best not to mess around with her. Afterwards we went to lunch and had traditional Jewish Roman kosher food.

Pantheon- a humongous site full of history, it was built on the site where according to Roman legend Romulus (the city's founder) was taken up to the gods. Used to be a temple to all the gods and goddesses, it was then turned into a church for the Virgin Mary and the Christian Martyrs. It is such an impressive space and an architectural gem. I sort of wish it wasn't turned into a church, but I got over it. It is also the resting place of the unified Italy's first king and queen. (If you didn't know Italy was divided in the first place, we can talk about that another time haha)

Piazza Navono- a great square with Bernini's famous fountain of the 4 Rivers (the Nile, the Ganges, the Plata, and the Danube). Really cool and some very fun details.

Palazzo Altemps- Another small palace/museum with great sculpture and Greco-Roman artifacts. It was inside and not too big, and we were happy.

MONDAY (Day 5)
Trastevere- went over to explore this very charming and postcard-ish neighborhood. Lots of cute alleys, shops, and old houses. Used to be a worker's neighborhood, now very elegant and wealthier...also the home of an American university in Rome so we saw lots of students. Wandered around. Found things to do and had lunch.
Villa Farnesina- a prime example of a Renaissance villa. Fantastic building and lots of frescoes. Had a good time wandering staring at the ceilings.
Palazzo Corsini- A great museum with Greco-Roman sculpture and some good paintings. We thought it was closed, wandered in anyway, and had a good time. The lady who worked their told us the museum we thought we had to miss was in fact open and even called and got us a reservation.
Villa Borghese- Oh my god. Loved it. The gallery there has a great collection of Renaissance, Roman, and Baroque art, including some of Bernini's best sculptures. Saw that and walked around the grounds. Was so impressed I bought another book-guide.

TUESDAY- LAST DAY
We just went to the train station and went home....no time.

I was a little sad to go. I have always wanted to go to Rome and it worked out perfectly. It was so pleasant and I think the only other place where I have seen such a range of history was probably Israel. I would say it was also a place where I would take kids as like a first time of Europe trip because there is so much they can do...just had a general good feeling about it.

Things we learned:
1) Gelato is best eaten when of high quality and sitting somewhere
2) I can't pronounce Italian at all.
3) We don't know how to actually pronounce Guglielmo Marconi.
4) When climbing ancient hills, proper footwear is a good idea.
5) Rome is cheaper than Paris and they aren't mean about it.
6) Between our combined knowledge of the Bible and Christianity and a strong grasp of the Greek and Roman mythology, we pretty much figured out what everything was and didn't need a guide...except the saints or when a room was blatantly mislabled. That was harder.
7) Bernini is one of my new favorite people. I don't care for the Baroque gold-leaf-just-threw-up-on-you look, but he and I can be friends.

Now I am relaxing in Paris and heading down to the south of France to visit my friends Sophie and Philippe. Phew, ok. Bye.

The walled city-Carcasonne


Hey everyone,

I don't like to blog unless I have something to say so here is an update on some of my latest travels: Montpellier

Last weekend, I was on one of the NYU-sponsored weekend trips. They organize 3 each semester for a Friday-Saturday overnight trip and this semester they were all to the south of France. I chose to go to the cities of Montpellier, Carcasonne, and Septe. Unfortunately, somehow all of my photos from this trip got lost in cyberspace :( but I will try to post others.


Montpellier and Carcasonne are some of the oldest cities in France. Montpellier is home to a small Arc of Triumph that we climbed up. It is so so tiny! Only 96 steps up! We got to see a good overview of the town. The town has a distinctly Mediterranean feel, with the typical architecture of the south of France, a beautiful opera house, and lots of palm trees. It is also a university town with tons of students, young people, and the oldest medical school in the Western world. We did a walking tour and got some free time to have lunch and explore.

Carcasonne

After that we hopped on the bus and went down to Carcasonne, a town known for its old town inside the medieval fortress. It used to be the seat of the local ruling nobles. We all decided it was actually the town they based Belle's town on in Beauty and the Beast. It was literally the same. A sing along of the opening song may or may not have happened. That night we went for a group dinner where we had cassoulet, the local regional dish that consists of sausage, white beans and duck confit. It smelled delicious but I stuck with the vegetarian fare which was very very good. The next day we took a walking tour of the old city and walked along the old ramparts.

Then we took a bus down to Sete, a harbor town right on the sea. We basically just got to do whatever we wanted. A group of us went to get some sandwiches and then we split in two: those who were going to die if they didn't sit on the rocky beach , or those of us who wanted to see the town. I obviously wanted to see the town. We walked along the canals, saw one of the fishing docks, and got some yummy ice cream. It was fun to see that town and apparently in France it is very well known for the fishing and gorgeous views of the Mediterranean. I got to see the beach anyway just before we left and it was great!


Sete

Today I decided to take a trip by myself. A while ago I was just getting tired of sitting around and waiting for other people to do things I wanted to do, so I just did some research and found something pretty great! I decided to go to Caen, which is located in Normandy in the north of France. I signed up for a full day group tour there. It is the home of the memorial and museum about World War Two and D-Day. There are many in France, but this one is in the actual region where the Allies came to liberate Europe. I learned little in the museum because I have studied it a lot, but the guide was great and we got to see a cool movie with footage of the invasion and saw some interesting artifacts, including newspapers published by the French Resistance and propaganda posters. We got some little books about D-Day included a cool comic book version I am sure Nate would love. Of course I am reading it too.


For the afternoon we had lunch at the museum, then went on a van ride through the area and out to the coast, seeing some of the major sights we talked about in the museum. We were able to walk around in abandoned German bunkers, see the British and American landing beaches and some ruins of the artificial harbors they built on the coast, and the American cemetary which was given to American by France to bury their dead soldiers. I saw quite a few Stars of David and even 4 women were allowed to be buried there which was interesting. They have a beautiful memorial there and seeing the beaches where the landings took place was pretty remarkable. You can definitely feel the spirits of the soldiers---no wonder nobody wanted to swim there again. I think if you are interested in modern history or have any connection to it, it will definitely interest you. Our guide was a local and she talked all about the history of the region as well. Normandy is very green and beautiful, mostly because it rains constantly. Even in the pouring rain our group had a very nice visit together and I would love to go back to the north again and see some of the famous cathedrals and such up there. Another time...I do have pictures from this however! They will be on Facebook soon.

Passover was also good here. I definitely missed being home, but it was an experience! The first night was wonderful thanks to my friend who got me a spot at his boss's Passover table, with a mix of French and Americans and everything else... delicious dinner! Second night I went to a community seder of the liberal synagogue I go to here. It was nice, but I was sitting at a table with lots of babies so I was very busy. I have learned that any seder that involves a microphone is not for me, but I definitely appreciated the kindness and generousity of the community. I left after dinner as most of the kids are falling apart and there was no Lori-friendly food option. Walking home in the warm spring night over the Seine with everything all lit up was definitely not a bad way to end my celebration of the holiday. Now I just have to avoid all the pastries and baguettes until Wednesday!

Spring Break is on. Paris then Rome for 5 days, Toulouse for 3. Write again soon.

This weekend, my friend Anna and I took a marvelous trip to Belgium. It was quick (1 day in Brussels and 1 in the Flemish city of Brugges) but so fun! It was the first time I'd left France since I got here, so it was good.

We left Paris at 7:55 am so we could have the whole day in Brussels. We arrived after only an hour and twenty minutes. We took a cab to our hotel which Anna found right in the historical center of the city. After we got rid of our stuff and settled in, we went out right away to find an authentic Belgian waffle. They are really delicious and better than any other waffle we'd ever had. We then proceeded to the Grand Place, where the City Hall and the historical old home of the King used to be. The old King's House is now a museum of the city of Brussels. It gave us a crash course in the history of the city as well as Belgian architecture, history, art, etc. After we finished there we headed over to a treasured city sight, the Manneken Pis. It is a small fountain in a little corner that is a small boy peeing, the water coming out of just where it makes sense it would. It was so silly but worth seeing.

After, we walked around the city historical central and did some shopping. I made a pilgramage to my favorite Belgian chocolate store, Leonidas. I got a box of truffles and had a special no-nuts box made for my mommy. There were chocolate and lace stores like every 10 feet....some more touristy than others but it was fun to look. We walked up through the historical part of the city up to the Mont Des Arts, the home of the Belgian Royal Library, the Museum of Musical Instruments, and the Museum of Fine Arts. We chose to go to the Museum of Fine Arts, only the old part dating from the Renaissance to the 1800s. We saw all the best Flemish paintersm including Van Eyck, Ruebens, and Breuguel. After that, finally worked up an appetite for lunch and ate at an authentic Belgian restaurant, sampling the frites (french fries) and a Belgian beer that is flavored with raspberry juice and was so yummy.

After that I dragged any to the business-government district of the city so I could see the European Parliament. I study the EU a lot and just wanted to make sure it was really there! The elections for the European Parliament are coming up soon so we got to see the posters up in like 5 different languages encouraging people to vote. All the different buildings in the complex are named after different European politicians which was pretty funny to me because I knew who they all were . We wandered around a bit and took a taxi back to the center of the city. We had the most ridiculous time trying to figure out the public transportation. It just made no sense to us! So we really just walked everywhere and took a cab twice. That evening after a short rest we headed over to the main plaza again and wandered down some side streets to grab dinner. Since we are both vegetarian, the mussels/seafood places for the tourists weren't really an option, so we went for pasta at a touristy Italian place instead. We then just spent the night out on the town going to some different bars and seeing one or two different neighborhoods we were told were cool for going out.

The next day we got up pretty early and took the local train to Brugges. Belgium, for those of you not in the know, is basically divided in two, one region that is French and the other that is Flemish. Brugges is in the Flemish part and is known as the Venice of the North because of its canals and great beauty. When we arrived we wandered into town from the train and ended up at the Church of Our Savior, the oldest cathedral in the city and dates back to the 10th century. It was pretty phenomenal and you can see how beautiful it used to be with faded paint on the walls. The stained glass windows were still pretty impressive and it was beautiful overall. When that was all done we decided we needed a snack, so we got some frites with mayonnaise (the traditional way to eat them in Belgium) and they were so tasty! After that, we headed to the city's historical main marketplace and the Belfry (belltower) which was supposed to offer a great view. We decided to climb and 366 winding stairs later we were at the top seeing a panoramic view of the city and surrounding countryside. It was worth the shaking legs and the 4 euros!!

We got down adn walked past the city hall and managed to find a boat tour, the thing we'd been looking for since we got to town. We got to go through many of the canals, seeing some amazing examples of Flemish architecture and saw old homes, taverns, poor houses, squares, and everything in between. It was definitely a highlight and it allowed us to see parts of the city we never would have found on our own! After that, we did some more chocolate shopping, more walking, and had our last waffle in Belgium. We took a long walk through the city's most beautiful park and then headed back to the train for Brussels. From there we grabbed our stuff, had a light dinner, and got on the train back to Paris!

It was definitely a great break from work and Paris. I would say if I had to compare it: Paris is like New York and Brussels is like Washington D.C. in terms of the lifestyle, the atmosphere, and the general tone. I would definitely go and spend some more time in Belgium. People were so outgoing, friendly, and helpful and we packed a lot into two days!

Pictures on Facebook are coming in the next 24 hours!! Go ahead and take a look. I was really good! I think I took almost 75 photos...then my camera batteries died.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while! It has been exams and I basically spent all my time studying. I feel good about how I did on all of them and I think my grades are good so far in most of my classes. I think I am doing a pretty good job with caring about school and also really enjoying Paris. Starting this week it has really felt like spring! Today my host parents sat out sunbathing (!) for over an hour and I sat on our terrace all afternoon reading and doing work.

This past week I got to play with Adelaide (the baby) again and as usual and we had a good time together. She is starting to talk and I amuse her so I am allowed to be around. The three older boys were here to sleep over this past Tuesday night as they do every week. Kids everywhere are really the same! The oldest one was told to leave the other toys alone and to go play somewhere else because he was making his brother cry. He started to get mad, then he went back over and promptly took the one toy he was told not to and his brother started to cry. Then the younger one felt left out so he had to get in on the action and cried about something else. It's always fun when they come but they were even annoying their grandparents so it was pretty bad. My poor sick roomate just decided to hibernate while they were here.

After class on Tuesday, some friends invited me to go see a movie and grab dinner. One of the movie theaters (no where near my house) had tickets for like 4 euros but I had nothing else to do and it sounded like a good deal. We ended up getting pasta and seeing Milk. Sean Penn definitely earned that Oscar. I have studied the gay rights movement a lot so I have been wanted to see this for a long time. I knew what was going to happen but it was so well-acted and really respected the material. We were all really impressed. The pasta was good too hehe.

Today, I woke up and headed out for the weekly visit for my art history class. We all got there on time and teacher went in to tell them our group reservation was here. When she came back, she told us that apparently, though nobody notified her, the house was closed for renovations! So we saw another building in the same neighborhood from the same architectural movement so it was fine. I definitely didn't need to go over there for nothing though!

Tomorrow is yet another strike. In the papers, union leaders were threatening it would be worse than last time and that people should be prepared for big delays on the metro. That is all well and good but last time it was not that bad! I think that they are just frustrated, not getting paid, and the financial crisis has been the government's response to all of their demand. I also live near one of the Sorbonne campuses, and they have been on strike as well in opposition to some new laws that would eliminate research positions at their university and impose on a number of other academic freedoms by privatizing administrators and involving the government more than the school. I read their pamphlet because I was curious and it turns out that they oppose this law and are also frustrated with the government's dealing with the financial crisis. Most people know that it is going to be a difficult time but they continue to try to vocalize their demands and concerns. Some Parisians want them to stop because they think it is useless and it ruins other peoples' days. Those participating in the strike are still determined to fight the good fight. I feel like Sarkozy won't give in to their demands and it is somewhat futile, but I don't think that means the concerns are invalid. I guess we will see if anything happens tomorrow.

In addition I am also starting to have some solid summer plans. For a month I will be working as a Resident Advisor and the Israel Education Specialist at the URJ Kutz Camp, the Reform movement's teen leadership summer program. I will get to work with a lot of very dear friends and respected colleagues. I think it will be a lot of fun!! Kutz, as much as I mock NFTY, truly is a special place and I think a pretty exciting place in the summer. I am glad to be able to work their. I will also have an internship in NYC, but I am still working on the details.


Coming up, my friend Jonah is going to be in Paris and I am so excited! Astrid and I are also trying to go to the movies. She really wants to see "He's Just Not That Into You" or as it is translated in French "What Men Think." Kind of a sad translation haha More updates soon...

I can't believe I am almost halfway done with my time in Paris. This was really the right place and time for me and I am very happy.

My parents just left this weekend from a week-long visit along with my Aunt Sharon. They did a ton of sight-seeing without me and some with me as well. I got to show them the NYU campus, my favorite hot chocolate place, and some fun shopping and eating out. We also went to my favorite museum (the D'Orsay). I think one of the biggest highlights for me was the day trip to Chateau de Fountainbleu. It has been a residence for kings from as far back as the 12th century and was the main hunting lodge for French kings. Various kings added on wings, decor, and renovations over the years, so each room and wing of the castle is truly unique. Beautifully planned gardens, amazing architecture, and so many details made it very impressive and special. Once my dad downloads his pictures I hope to post some here.

In addition to all the running around my family was treated to two homecooked French meals. The first was with my host family and it was a ball. As usual for Karina (my roomie) and I every week, there was a lot of alcohol and food in general, so we were in our habitual food coma by 11 pm and my parents went home just as full. My host parents absolutely love my family and my host dad is absolutely smitten with my aunt..he asks about her ALL the time it's a little creepy fr us but we humor him. Friday night we had a great dinner with Astrid and Bruno and family which was so fun. I finally got to meet her (really cute) brothers and spend some more time with them. Bruno cooked a lot of it and made us a foie gras that was delicious. It was really fun and I think it is a special way to add to a trip to meet natives and spend some time in French culture.

This week and next I have midterms so I really don't have a ton of time outside of studying. I am trying to plan some travel for the weeks ahead, maybe even just by myself. I am getting tired of waiting for people but I think I will be able to work it in so I get to Brussels and one more place in France before I leave Paris.

Today I also went to the Megillah reading at my English-French synagogue. I really enjoyed the fun atmosphere and everyone was nice as usual. The people I met at Shabbat said hi again and I met this couple living here for the year who are from the city and the husband is getting his PhD from Columbia, so we reminisced about NYC a bit. I hope to get to services this week and study a lot before Sunday afternoon, which is the Purim Carnival. It is the first time all the Jewish liberal communities have collaborated on something like this and I am excited to see it even if it is just for a little while. I will try to update again after I hit the books!