Monday, January 26, 2009
I'm still in Paris!
Bonjour Ya’ll!
Well, week 3 is over and done with and Paris is…well…Paris. It is still the City of Lights, it’s still a romantic city, and it is still where I am spending the next 11 months of my life. Ha I wish I could tell you that I have had some amazing adventures but I haven’t yet, but like I said before, I still have 11 months! I have however met some really cool people and seen some really cool places. I have been hanging out with a group of au pairs from different parts of the world which has been so much fun. The only downside is the fact that we speak English to each other so we aren’t practicing our French! But I think there will plenty of time for me to practice my French. I am the newest girl in the group. Everyone else has been here since August or September. That fact alone has helped me realize that everything that I have been feeling and/or will feel is totally normal and everyone has gone through it. I also met a guy while I was waiting in line to apply for my green card(the 2nd time) who is from Portland, Oregon and a girl from Texas while waiting in the same line(the 1st time). It’s amazing who you can meet while waiting in a line, over and over and over again! Haha
Let’s see…since my last blog, I’ve gone to the U.S. Embassy and was irritated for the first time since I’ve been here….and I was dealing with Americans!!! I had an issue with the kiosk that gives you a number so you can wait to be seen. Apparently the woman I spoke to about the kiosk thought I was an idiot and that I didn’t know how to work it. I told her it was probably out of paper and after 20 minutes of having to check, double check, getting 2 random men to check the kiosk with me(that is their policy), guess what the consensus was…..the kiosk was out of paper!! I finally got a number and after another 45 minutes, the same woman asked why I was still there….that all the numbers had been called. I made it very clear that my number had definitely not been called. Luckily there was a woman who was there with me whose number hadn’t been called either. Turns out, the Embassy couldn’t help me with what I came for anyway! Haha C’est la vie!!! And... I successfully applied for my green card last week, after the 4th try. FINALLY!!
I started my French classes last week and they are going well. I can’t believe how much you forget if you don’t use it. I also went to a new church on Friday and I loved it!! It’s the Hillsong Church-Paris so I will probably start going there. It was great to be in a room filled with people who love Jesus. I also watched the inauguration on CNN. It was an indescribable feeling being in another country, watching my country swear in my new president. Let’s just say I prayed a lot that day! Oh, and I move into my apartment this weekend!! I got a chance to see it this past Saturday and I’m excited to have a place of my own. I’ll post pictures when I am completely settled in.
Well, I think that’s all for now. I think I'm going to have to start writing myself notes throughout the week to remind myself of what I want to share with everyone! That or just write more often...I haven't decided what to do yet! I still don't know why God so graciously handed me this amazing opportunity and I'm starting to realize that it's probably not for me to know why...well, at least not now anyway. I am supposed to enjoy this experience and receive this blessing and know that God only does good and IS good. That alone is what I will stand on throughout my time here…and beyond!
Love you and miss you all!!
Jessi
Well, week 3 is over and done with and Paris is…well…Paris. It is still the City of Lights, it’s still a romantic city, and it is still where I am spending the next 11 months of my life. Ha I wish I could tell you that I have had some amazing adventures but I haven’t yet, but like I said before, I still have 11 months! I have however met some really cool people and seen some really cool places. I have been hanging out with a group of au pairs from different parts of the world which has been so much fun. The only downside is the fact that we speak English to each other so we aren’t practicing our French! But I think there will plenty of time for me to practice my French. I am the newest girl in the group. Everyone else has been here since August or September. That fact alone has helped me realize that everything that I have been feeling and/or will feel is totally normal and everyone has gone through it. I also met a guy while I was waiting in line to apply for my green card(the 2nd time) who is from Portland, Oregon and a girl from Texas while waiting in the same line(the 1st time). It’s amazing who you can meet while waiting in a line, over and over and over again! Haha
Let’s see…since my last blog, I’ve gone to the U.S. Embassy and was irritated for the first time since I’ve been here….and I was dealing with Americans!!! I had an issue with the kiosk that gives you a number so you can wait to be seen. Apparently the woman I spoke to about the kiosk thought I was an idiot and that I didn’t know how to work it. I told her it was probably out of paper and after 20 minutes of having to check, double check, getting 2 random men to check the kiosk with me(that is their policy), guess what the consensus was…..the kiosk was out of paper!! I finally got a number and after another 45 minutes, the same woman asked why I was still there….that all the numbers had been called. I made it very clear that my number had definitely not been called. Luckily there was a woman who was there with me whose number hadn’t been called either. Turns out, the Embassy couldn’t help me with what I came for anyway! Haha C’est la vie!!! And... I successfully applied for my green card last week, after the 4th try. FINALLY!!
I started my French classes last week and they are going well. I can’t believe how much you forget if you don’t use it. I also went to a new church on Friday and I loved it!! It’s the Hillsong Church-Paris so I will probably start going there. It was great to be in a room filled with people who love Jesus. I also watched the inauguration on CNN. It was an indescribable feeling being in another country, watching my country swear in my new president. Let’s just say I prayed a lot that day! Oh, and I move into my apartment this weekend!! I got a chance to see it this past Saturday and I’m excited to have a place of my own. I’ll post pictures when I am completely settled in.
Well, I think that’s all for now. I think I'm going to have to start writing myself notes throughout the week to remind myself of what I want to share with everyone! That or just write more often...I haven't decided what to do yet! I still don't know why God so graciously handed me this amazing opportunity and I'm starting to realize that it's probably not for me to know why...well, at least not now anyway. I am supposed to enjoy this experience and receive this blessing and know that God only does good and IS good. That alone is what I will stand on throughout my time here…and beyond!
Love you and miss you all!!
Jessi
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
1st Week in Paris
Bonjour Y’all!!
I thought I’d put a little southern flare on the French Hello! As asked for by many of you, I have finally gotten around to updating everyone on how it’s going here in Paris. I have been here a week and I can honestly say that I love it here! All of my anxiety and fears have been replaced with excitement and curiosity. God has totally blessed me with this amazing opportunity and I’m enjoying finding Him in everything I see and do.
For those of you who don’t know, I moved to Paris, France on January 5 to be an au pair, which is a fancy word for nanny. If you know all of this already you can skip to the next paragraph:). I met the family (Olivier-dad, Orelie-mom, Capucine, and Rose-children) in Nashville while the 2 girls, Capucine and Rose, were going to school at FRA. They are from Paris but were in Nashville for 2 years for Olivier’s job. I received an email about how they were moving back to Paris and were looking for a native English speaking girl to come to Paris with them and watch the girls and help them continue to use their English. It sounded interesting so I emailed the mom to ask her about it. That was the beginning of September and by mid-October, I had committed to moving to Paris for a year. I still can’t believe I’m here. I think I have one of the best set-ups that an au-pair can have. The family is paying for most everything, including my own apartment. It was too great of an opportunity to pass up. So that leads you into me actually arriving in Paris.
My first task was to make my way through the Paris airport, go through customs, get my luggage AND find a taxi…all by myself!! As soon as I stepped off the plane though, my fears were laid to rest because everything was really easy to find. Everything was well marked, in French and in English, and there were pictures that corresponded with each sign. Yay me!! The only thing I had trouble with was the darn payphone at the airport. It seriously took me 20 minutes to figure it out! I eventually made it to my family’s apartment, by taxi. Seeing Orelie was a relief because I felt like I could relax….and accomplished. I actually did this…all by myself!! The next couple of days were filled with errands and paperwork. Orelie went with me for some things, the others I had to do on my own. Apparently paperwork and legalization is a pain in every country. As of now, I have applied for my green card twice, and each time they told me I needed something else. I’m hoping by this time next week the 3rd time will be the charm.
On to lighter news, the food here is amazing!! Everything I have eaten has been great. I buy fresh bread everyday for the family, which is a must here. There are pastry shops and chocolate shops everywhere. I am in heaven! I have also become a fan of Nutella. It seriously is amazing. I had a crepe nutella on Sunday as I was walking near the Eiffel Tower. I ended up getting a sugar headache but it was well worth it.
As for transportation, I have become a big fan of the Metro, which is the subway system here. I have been very proud of myself for being able to navigate it so well. And, I walk….a lot. Which is why I don’t mind having the bread and chocolate because I eventually walk it off!!! Once you know what you’re looking for and if you know how to read a map, getting around the city is a piece of cake. I haven’t done many touristy things yet but I will eventually. On Sunday I went to church at the American Church in Paris. It was good and I’ll probably go back, but I still want to explore the other churches here. The American Church is really close to the Eiffel Tower so I walked there after church. From a distance I thought, “It’s not so big”. But as I actually walked up to it, I was mistaken! The bottom part of it makes it huge, in my opinion. And, I didn’t realize you could walk underneath it, but you can. I can’t wait to see it lit up at night. I can see why they call this a romantic city. There are parks everywhere and even during the winter, when the trees are bare and there is snow and ice on the ground, it’s peaceful and relaxing and you take your time and enjoy being here.
Well, I think I’ve written enough for now. I’ll try and write something every week, or at least every couple of weeks. New and interesting things happen all of the time so I can’t wait to share them with you! For example, the power went out while I was typing this. It was off for about an hour. It came on just in time for me to post it!!
I hope this finds all of you well!! If you have any questions that I didn’t answer in this, please ask me! I don’t mind answering questions. I’ll try and fill you in as much as I can. I love ya’ll and I can’t wait to share more soon!
Au revoir!
Jessi
I thought I’d put a little southern flare on the French Hello! As asked for by many of you, I have finally gotten around to updating everyone on how it’s going here in Paris. I have been here a week and I can honestly say that I love it here! All of my anxiety and fears have been replaced with excitement and curiosity. God has totally blessed me with this amazing opportunity and I’m enjoying finding Him in everything I see and do.
For those of you who don’t know, I moved to Paris, France on January 5 to be an au pair, which is a fancy word for nanny. If you know all of this already you can skip to the next paragraph:). I met the family (Olivier-dad, Orelie-mom, Capucine, and Rose-children) in Nashville while the 2 girls, Capucine and Rose, were going to school at FRA. They are from Paris but were in Nashville for 2 years for Olivier’s job. I received an email about how they were moving back to Paris and were looking for a native English speaking girl to come to Paris with them and watch the girls and help them continue to use their English. It sounded interesting so I emailed the mom to ask her about it. That was the beginning of September and by mid-October, I had committed to moving to Paris for a year. I still can’t believe I’m here. I think I have one of the best set-ups that an au-pair can have. The family is paying for most everything, including my own apartment. It was too great of an opportunity to pass up. So that leads you into me actually arriving in Paris.
My first task was to make my way through the Paris airport, go through customs, get my luggage AND find a taxi…all by myself!! As soon as I stepped off the plane though, my fears were laid to rest because everything was really easy to find. Everything was well marked, in French and in English, and there were pictures that corresponded with each sign. Yay me!! The only thing I had trouble with was the darn payphone at the airport. It seriously took me 20 minutes to figure it out! I eventually made it to my family’s apartment, by taxi. Seeing Orelie was a relief because I felt like I could relax….and accomplished. I actually did this…all by myself!! The next couple of days were filled with errands and paperwork. Orelie went with me for some things, the others I had to do on my own. Apparently paperwork and legalization is a pain in every country. As of now, I have applied for my green card twice, and each time they told me I needed something else. I’m hoping by this time next week the 3rd time will be the charm.
On to lighter news, the food here is amazing!! Everything I have eaten has been great. I buy fresh bread everyday for the family, which is a must here. There are pastry shops and chocolate shops everywhere. I am in heaven! I have also become a fan of Nutella. It seriously is amazing. I had a crepe nutella on Sunday as I was walking near the Eiffel Tower. I ended up getting a sugar headache but it was well worth it.
As for transportation, I have become a big fan of the Metro, which is the subway system here. I have been very proud of myself for being able to navigate it so well. And, I walk….a lot. Which is why I don’t mind having the bread and chocolate because I eventually walk it off!!! Once you know what you’re looking for and if you know how to read a map, getting around the city is a piece of cake. I haven’t done many touristy things yet but I will eventually. On Sunday I went to church at the American Church in Paris. It was good and I’ll probably go back, but I still want to explore the other churches here. The American Church is really close to the Eiffel Tower so I walked there after church. From a distance I thought, “It’s not so big”. But as I actually walked up to it, I was mistaken! The bottom part of it makes it huge, in my opinion. And, I didn’t realize you could walk underneath it, but you can. I can’t wait to see it lit up at night. I can see why they call this a romantic city. There are parks everywhere and even during the winter, when the trees are bare and there is snow and ice on the ground, it’s peaceful and relaxing and you take your time and enjoy being here.
Well, I think I’ve written enough for now. I’ll try and write something every week, or at least every couple of weeks. New and interesting things happen all of the time so I can’t wait to share them with you! For example, the power went out while I was typing this. It was off for about an hour. It came on just in time for me to post it!!
I hope this finds all of you well!! If you have any questions that I didn’t answer in this, please ask me! I don’t mind answering questions. I’ll try and fill you in as much as I can. I love ya’ll and I can’t wait to share more soon!
Au revoir!
Jessi
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