What a Week

My husband and I marvel at how quickly each day seems to pass. We are enjoying this experience so much! I can't believe how much I learn every day!!!!!

This week we spent Monday through Thursday in French immersion classes for seven hours each day. 

We take the metro(subway) to our teacher's apartment on the outskirts of Paris in Clichy. The metro is very crowded to this location during our commuting hours, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. One morning we had an especially tight fit to make it onto the train...I remember the doors brushing the backside of my body as I pushed forward into the mass of people already on the train. I made it! Smashed into strangers.

We are quite fortunate to live in the heart of Paris and rarely have to experience tight fits on the trains for most of our regular travels around the city. I feel like we have had a greater taste of what most Parisians experience in their daily lives...more typical "big city life." Some parts are not so fun. 

A part of our lesson each day is to go out to lunch with one of our teachers...we are supposed to try  and only speak in French...slowly...we are getting better at spending more time trying to converse in French. There are so many words that are exactly the same in French and English but our vowel pronunciations are very different. And they don't pronounce the last consonants most of the time...unless the next word starts with a vowel! So much to remember!

Some days I am amazed at how much I have learned...other days I feel so frustrated! I can't make my mouth create the sounds I hear! The "R" sound is the biggest struggle....I feel like I need to have a much more sultry or earthy quality to my nasal American timbre.

Friday and Saturday morning we met for only three hours of French. Friday afternoon we had our appointment to get the final step done for our visa to live in France. It was a typical, bureaucratic experience...hurry up and wait. But...we are officially sanctioned to live in Paris and that is a good thing. 

We thought spring was on its way but the cold and snow have returned to Paris. Darn! I am so anxious to see all of the gardens in bloom. There is not enough snow to stick but it feels so cold walking around ...even though we are Alaskans we are chilled! I think it is mainly because in Alaska we do a better job of layering up in the winter. I need my wool socks!

I got some sewing done today...a nice treat.

Of course my mind has started to think of changes to make to the pattern...but it is a kit! I think I can make one of my concepts work with the fabric I have left.  I will try and figure that out today.