Tidbits

Happy December 31st! It's weird that 2011 is almost over. It's been a good year, though, I feel like I've accomplished a lot. I graduated from college, received the Blanche Z. Greenberger Award (the highest honor that my national sorority gives to one undergraduate a year), and I made the decision to move to Paris for 10 months. So I can't say I wasted the year ;)

The last week has been fun. My AEPhi Little Sis Lauren was in town visiting with her family, and it was so nice to see her for the first time since June. I got a taste of home when my parents visited a few weeks ago, but it was also nice to have a sorority sister visit, and especially Lauren at that. I'm pretty sure she liked Paris...we definitely ate our way through the city on the day we got together....

My American friend Nathalie and I have started watching French movies -- it's SO much better watching movies that take place in Paris when you live there. She had recently seen the new movie Drive with Ryan Gosling (I haven't seen it yet, it's on my list), so first we watched Le Samourai, which Drive was apparently based on, and which was interesting but not really my kind of movie. Then last night we watched Rabbi Jacob, which we had to watch with French subtitles because the DVD didn't have them in English, but it was still easy to understand and really funny. I'm planning on watching it again during the day because I think I'll be more awake and will catch more of the French details. I liked it a lot though, especially the scenes when the characters are running around The Marais.

When I studied abroad in France last time, I arrived exactly 2 years ago today. There's definitely something weird going on, though...last time when I spent these few days two years ago in Paris before going to Bordeaux, I was DYING of cold....yes, my coat probably wasn't warm enough, but even when I was wearing gloves, my fingers were numb. The last few days however, I've been totally fine...I was doing errands the other day in Clamart, and everyone I passed was wearing super heavy winter coats, and I was perfectly fine in a light sweater and jean jacket (definitely less warm than the coat I brought with me to study abroad). And today when Nathalie and I went into the city today, I was totally fine in a light blazer and no sweater. Weird, right? I don't know if it's actually warmer this year if I'm just bizarrely over-adjusted.


Happy New Year to all!