Just some deliciousness

Do I like Paris? 

Hmmm... nah, definitely not enough chocolate!

What's this? A letter!? Let's see whom it's addressed to!

Hmm... I can't quite read that. Let's try again.

What's that? It's for a Mademoiselle Caiqian WU? Me? Mademoiselle?  SWEET!

Something I meant to remember but forgot to post here was something that happened a few weeks ago. My gardien (superintendent/caretaker) for the building I live in told me he needed to talk to me. Being the clumsy gets-in-trouble-easily girl that I am, I was scared that I was getting kicked out! So the gardien prefaces with "I  like you very much..." and tells me about how a trashcan I put in the bathroom was technically not allowed since "private property" weren't allowed in "public space", a.k.a. the shared bathrooms. All this while I'm wondering where I'll go if I lose the apartment. Then I zone in and hear "... I was so moved that I called my mother". Huh? "What day would you be free for dinner?". HUH? Apparently I'd just been invited to dinner for being a caring and inspirational soul. Huh, and all I was trying to do was have somewhere to toss my toilet paper. Hey, I never turn down a free home-cooked meal!

While we're on the subject of home-cooked meals...
Did you think that I could cook? No? That's alright, I didn't think so either. Until.....

What!? WHO made this? I DID? REALLY? 

Yeah, I was surprised that it wasn't burnt, too. 

 I don't even have measuring cups! I don't even have tablespoons! I didn't even follow a recipe! I just magicked some "creme fleurette" and some milk together with some butter and flour, with some garlic, salt, mushrooms, penne rigate, and chicken (ok, that was precooked)! What!? Ok. Don't worry, it probably wont happen again. I'll go back to eating my burnt foods now.

Dear Bryan, Paris has...

that's right! Come back soon :)

(Longer post to be followed... soon)

Crepe day!

Yesterday I got something in the mail :)

what could it be?!

:)

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

and more shopping-ness (knife, mixing bowl, whisk, pitcher, flat spatula, miscellaneous CHOCOLATE)

...but I had to go to class :( and didn't get home until 10:30pm...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SO TODAY

IS

CREPE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

I gave up my only chair to be a crepe table

FIRST (holey) CREPE on my new crepe maker! A bit on the crispy side, but a crepe nonetheless

SECOND CREPE! Shabbier, I know... but nothing a little nutella can't fix :) I sure didn't discriminate - I ate it all the same!

THIRD CREPE - this time it's serious(ly BIG)!!!

Definitely edible :)

That's all for today, folks!!

(Except for Bryan - I need to remind you to come back to Paris)

French TV4! Just for Bryan - come back to Paris every Saturday at 8:35PM!

P.S. I will GLADLY make crepes for anyone who wants to visit!!

Bubble wrap & INTERNET (for real this time)

Bubble wrap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUBBLE WRAP!!!!!! So much bubble wrap!!!!!!! This is the result of having to mail in my laptop to get it fixed - lots of bubble wrap. WHICH WAS GOOD, because my laptop came back with a brand new hard drive but no operating system and no drivers, and I DEFINITELY needed all that bubble wrap to vent out my frustration. (*pop*)

Right, REWIND! So I was dumb and dropped a glass of curry powder on my laptop. Not on purpose, mind you! But apparently I dropped it hard enough that my hard drive died. Completely. (*pop*) SOOOO I called my parents, Toshiba international warranty something center (*pop*), Bryan, Toshiba's French branch (*pop*), more dumb French people (*POP*), and.....more dumb French people!!! (*POP POP*). Then I proceeded to run around looking for a printer, followed by trying to fill out repair forms in indecipherable technical French computer language. Then! I went to the post office, and bothered the worker for about an hour while she found me enough bubble wrap and a large enough box to mail my laptop safely (with insurance!) (*POP*).

Anyway, upon getting the laptop back, the most wonderful Croppers helped me get my laptop functional again, and it has been lovely since then :)


SO! Classes!!!

Let's just begin by saying that it's hard to find classes - no, not just course selection, but actually finding what classes are being offered. It's more like a scavenger hunt. Posted around the school are these:

These suck (and are located in different parts of the campus) and sometimes even lie!

I've finally found 4 classes to take, and may have to find one more just in case I don't get enough credits from the 4. The consequence of not having 12 or more credits transferred to UT? Losing about $24K in scholarships. Eek. I'd rather take an extra class just in case. Good thing my university offers ONE class in English.
So I'll probably be taking a class on Napoleon III, a general psychology class, a Parisian history class, and a French cinema class (IN FRENCH), and an international relations class in, (hallelujah,) English!!!

Onto more fun things....

So I spent another hour looking for chicken broth...
...even with two people pointing me in the direction that it's supposed to be at
... until I finally found this!

Bouillon de poule-au-pot

... which is apparently chicken broth in powdered? square? form. cool, though. I like them! it's like having 15 cans of chicken broth in one little package :)

Something fun I did: TOUR DE CUISINE

cool place

me and my partner Nick's work station

making caramel!

...and other ingredients :)

making croissants

...brushing on egg yellows with the coolest brush ever!

....and we made.....

just kidding! this is the yummy stuff the last class made ;)
a yummy shrimp-avocado-pineapple shot
and an olive dip

Our croissants!!! All yummily baked. It's not even burnt! (which you know means that I didn't do the baking)

...and as for our other recipe? Let's just say that IF there so should be a time that chocolate caramel mousse is made in a French kitchen, it tends to disappear before a certain gluttonous girl remembers to whip out her camera.

INTERNET

Living and studying in Paris is more than just another tourist trip – it’s the second time I’m trying to integrate myself into a different culture, and it’s a big step in embracing responsibilities. This lodging in Paris is my first independent apartment. I negotiated with the landlord, and I’m dealing with the paperwork. I’m working on my legal status here in France. I’m getting myself registered at the appropriate university. I’m calling the internet companies and making the room hospitable. I’m making a list, checking it twice, and buying all the daily essentials from shampoo to fitted sheets to a microwave to groceries. I’m living alone and learning to take care of myself. I’m balancing school, a part-time job, and life in a foreign country where – if I don’t try really hard – I have no idea what anyone is trying to say to me.

Surprise: I GOT INTERNET SET UP in my room!! (Finally) It's day 22 of my Paris adventures - which means I've gone 3 weeks without internet in this day and age.

Ok ok, I know what's in high demand: pictures of my room. Here they are:

The door-side of my room: with its little kitchenette, mirror, and coat-hangers

What I call the "shower-side" of my room: equipped with a (duh) shower, foldable desk, chair, a bad, and an ever-looming slanted ceiling. They call this sort of lodgement a "chambre de bonne" - what used to be a maid's chamber. I share a bathroom with a lady downstairs in the hallway. 

Now, this is a definite upgrade from my hostel lodging - which, despite being a room shared with three other girls, had its share of benefits. For instance, I could take a shower there (albeit having to press the water button to have a stream) without a time limit. Here, my hot shower time runs 3 minutes on full water pressure and 7-8 minutes on wimpy. 

Hostel room sink: decent

hostel room: 4 girls, 8 suitcases, 10 days, and a heck lot of stress = not so good

This the St. Germain church literally half a block away from where I live - one example of the fine historical architecture found all over Paris.

I live on this street: diagonally above a Dior and across the street from a Louis Vuitton  

My first Metro (subway) ticket!!

I walked past a chocolatier right by Odéon

... and of course had to go in!

But most excitingly, Bryan! Arriving in 5 hours. I'll be taking the RER to the airport to pick him up before he has the chance to get himself lost in scary Paris. We all know he'd rather drop out than speak a word of French... We'll be having delicious crêpes and crème brulée and enjoying the scenery.

Pics!

These are the first few pics my friend took of me in Paris! Here they are:

With Margaret! She's from UT - we're at a little café right outside of Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle) where we were having our intensive French courses 

With my friend Lauren! She's also from UT. We're by the boats on a dock on the Seine, super close to the Eiffel Towel

See! You can see the towel in this one :) 

Will send more pics from my own camera once I get internet in my own room - hopefully next week!!

Waiting...

Still taking care of business!
-getting myself registered at l'Institut Catholique de Paris (a traditional old Parisian school in a historical old building located in the heart of Paris - also a brisk 10 minutes' walk from my home in Paris)
-getting my Visa VLSTS done for my "carte de sejour" a.k.a. being able to legally stay in France
-potentially need to get a visa for going to the UK after the French visa VLSTS... once in a while it's inconvenient not being a US citizen :(
-STILL WAITING on the snail-paced service typical of France - my internet will get here... eventually! (within the next 2 weeks, if nothing goes wrong, I'll be able to access the internet from home)