Oui, je suis français...

I'm loving how much independence NYU gives us. Aside from a few mandatory orientation meetings, the day is ours to shop, walk around, and acquaint ourselves with Paris. Today I had to hide my excitement when I realized that I actually knew where I was going on the metro. Two line changes? No problem. I experienced an even bigger thrill when I was riding back to the apartment building and I offered an elderly woman my seat. She was clearly Parisian, so I asked in French, voulez-vous asseoir? I then noticed a girl and her mother whom I had earlier heard speaking English staring at me. At first, I was worried I had a hole in my shirt or maybe food on my face, but then it hit me. No, there wasn't anything wrong, they just thought I was French. THEY THOUGHT I WAS FRENCH. Needless to say I was walking on clouds all the way back to les estudines.

Later the same day, I discovered an organic supermarket a block from the NYU Campus. As if that isn't great enough, the woman who owns it moved to Paris from San Francisco and speaks perfect English. It's safe to say I'll be returning there.

Around lunchtime, we got a two-hour break from orientation, my new friend Ethan and I decided to go wandering. We ended up crossing the famous lock bridge, where we encountered a couple clumsily attempting to take a selfie on an iPad with Notre Dame in the background. Still feeling confidence from my previous faux-French episode, I offered, je peux prendre une photo! They accepted gratefully and even asked me how to get to le Marais. Thank goodness we went exploring there yesterday or else I wouldn't have been able to answer them. Pretending to be French is fun :)

Once we made it across the bridge, we encountered a scene that looked like it came straight out of a movie. An elderly man wearing a beret sat playing an accordion as boats rolled by along the Seine.

Just across the bridge was Notre Dame. I still can't get over the fact that all this beauty and history is a 5 minute walk from the building that houses my classrooms!

We sat and ate lunch here. Not a bad view for a little midday rest! Disclaimer: my lunch may or may not have included a pain au chocolat.

Alright, it did. I'm not even ashamed.

After we finished impersonating authentic Frenchies and eating pastries in the shadow of the Cathedral, we went to check out Shakespeare & Co., hoping to soak up some of the genius of Hemingway and his pals through osmosis perhaps. We stayed in the shop for close to an hour, and it wasn't near enough time. They have every book you could imagine, from the most recent publications to books written in Latin dating back to the 1500's. Just to clarify, reprints of those ancient books.

The bottom floor is all books for sale, but when you walk up a wonderfully old wooden staircase, the atmosphere transforms. Below is all hustle and bustle, people browsing and searching for particular titles, trying to worm their way through narrow aisles and reach the highest shelves. Upstairs is a library, a silent sanctuary with shelves and shelves of books which you can choose from and then read in one of the many nooks and cozy chairs available. You can stay for hours, reading classic works of literature in one of the most famous bookstores FOR FREE.

I sat reading Simone de Beauvouir in front of a window overlooking Notre Dame. Pretty darned cool in my opinion, but then again, I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to books.

Coming up next: a report on how my first attempt to cook with friends goes, lots of pictures from our boat cruise on the seine, and a summary of our last orientation seminar, entitled "Finding your French chéri(e): guidelines to dating in France." Ooh la la!