A bit of exploring....

Well, I guess I'll recount the triumphs and embarassments of the day. I found the school, which is good. The people there were very nice. They were probably wondering why I was there so early asking these random questions, but they were very kind and helpful.

The biggest mistake I made today was in the metro. I caught on pretty fast and (miraculously) didn't get on the wrong train or anything. However....the first time I rode it I noticed that it is a little different from the metros I've been on in the city as you have to push a button on the door if you want to get off of the train. The first time I got off I was so concentrated on getting off at the right stop and pushing the button (looking confident, of course), that I didn't realize that I was trying to exit on the wrong side! Had the door let me (which it didn't--I just looked like an idiot), I would have stepped out onto the tracks of the other train. Good job Jessica.
Oh well...learning experience I guess.

Later this evening I took the metro to the Concorde station to meet a girl from the St. Michaels English church. I had been talking to her online and she had said she would meet me at the station. Unfortunately, she failed to mention that there are about 5 stops in the area. I had to wander around for quite awhile looking for her.

It was worth it however, because I got my first sights of the city. The architechture is absolutely gorgeous, but on top of that, as soon as I came out of the metro there was the Tour D'Eiffel and the giant Ferris Wheel right in front of me. Also, I didn't know this then, but apparently they have started to illuminate the Eiffel Tower at the top of every hour. I was walking around looking for Liz and all of a sudden it was sparkling like it was set ablaze with fireworks. It was so beautiful. When I finally met Liz she said it was one of her favorite things to see in the city.

She then took me to the church where they were having a social. Everyone was very nice--there were about ten people there, from Germany, England, Australia, and the UK. We just sat and drank wine and ate sandwiches and talked. They were really nice and afterwards a few of them walked me back to the metro. I'm so glad to have people I can talk to (in English) here!