THE ARRIVAL
First off, to all those still wondering if I made it safely, why don't you have Facebook or why aren't we friends there? Yes, I made it to Paris in one piece. My flight was smooth and uneventful. I was lucky enough to have a vacant seat next to me, which I used to display my ability to sleep in a variety of contortionist poses. And yes, I did sleep, almost the entire flight. Let's not tell Delta or Air France it was because my body was dead from having the flu the 24 hours before ;)Getting off the plane and through customs was surprisingly painless. When I arrived at baggage claim I had knots in my stomach, scared that all my possessions may be an entire ocean away. Fortunately I saw my giant pink L.L. Bean duffle creep around the conveyor in a matter of minutes. I foolishly forgot to mark my unexceptional black rolling suitcase with a unique identifier, however, and it's spotting was going to be more cumbersome. Apparently the gentleman standing next to me also forgot to mark his bag, because before I could exhale in relief when I miraculously noticed my bag (thanks to the embarrassing amount of dust that even a transatlantic flight couldn't knock off) he picked it off the belt. I patiently watched him examine it, read the baggage label, pause, and finally decide it wasn't his. Of course I moved in to get it the second he replaced the bag on the carousel. The gentleman saw this and apologized for the mix up and even helped me load all my bags on to a cart. I had arrived, found my luggage, and then it was time to find my ride...one Mr. Thierry Fouqué.
I followed the exit signs, heart beating rapidly, through sliding glass doors and saw a middle aged gentleman with a sign reading "Ms. McCluskey." I was thrilled. I was even more excited when he spoke to me in English. He led me to a Mercedes-Benz van, complete with Evian water. The next hour consisted of staring wide eyed and exhausted at the sights of Paris and trying not to be thrown out of the windshield. Thank goodness my stomach bug was gone because the stop and go traffic in Paris is no joke!
We arrived at an undisclosed apartment number at the rue de la Sorbonne, and boy was I excited! My landlady was not there when we arrived, instead the husband of the cleaning lady was? I was unsure about all this, but whatever, as long as I could put down my bags and get inside I was happy. I knew the apartment was on the second floor. I also knew there was a small lift. Well, that lift was so small that one suitcase could fit on it! The trend in size continues, you see, because once me and all three of my bags were in the apartment there was no more floor space! Ha! I had no idea 18 square meters was so small! On the plus side, the apartment was as cute as the pictures, clean, warm, and well stocked with bread, water, butter, coffee, paper products, and the expected amenities. (pics to follow). My landlady did show up and helped me get connected to the internet, taught me how to use the keys, close the blinds, etc. Then, she left. I was on my own. (!)
Of course the first thing I did was update Facebook and send e-mails! Then, like a responsible person, I unpacked two of my bags (mostly so I could have somewhere to sit/stand). Once I got sufficiently settled in I knew it was time to venture out. I needed to figure out how to get to work for the next afternoon. I grabbed my keys, now personalized with a "I wish I was a Gamecock" t-shirt wearing duck named Little Squish, locked my door and headed out...the wrong direction. Oops! I quickly got turned around and headed the right direction. On my way to find the Metro/RER station I realized I desperately needed Chapstick. I decided to stop at the Pharmacy on my corner to get some, no big deal, until I realized I didn't know how to ask for the one I wanted. The saleslady and I definitely had a communication error, but I left with my Cherry Chapstick...which, in case you wondered, cost about $6. oof.
To make a long story short, I found the right train, bought by tickets using garbled French, and got to The American Library in Paris. The library door was hard to notice, since it was behind bars, so I walked by it...twice. I was confident that I would be able to get to work the next day, so I decided I should do something fun. So, I walked two blocks over and visited the Eiffel Tower. Yes, I work two blocks from the Eiffel Tower!!I knew the area from my previous trip to Paris, so around I strolled for a while before getting back on the train home (which I found without any difficulty). When I got back to my 'hood I realized I was hungry and should buy some groceries. I went to the Monoprix around the corner from my apartment. I found what I needed and decided that after my first transaction that I would avoid speaking if possible. Fortunately there was a self-checkout with an English options. I was stoked....until my bananas didn't want to weigh and the machine didn't want to accept my Euros. Of course and attendant came over and spoke rapid French to me an somehow got me to complete my transaction without saying anything intelligible.
Embarrassed, I skulked home to eat dinner. After dinner I decided to shower, which was pretty amusing. I am a small, some would say munchkin-like individual. My shower, however, is designed for an actual munchkin, because even I ran my elbows, knees, and even forehead in to its walls. If I was above average height I might even be taller that the glass doors! At least the water pressure and heat were right! After my amusing shower I finished unpacking and passed out...only to wake up at 1:30 am!! This did allow me to have my first FaceTime conversation though, which was comforting and fun. I finally got back to bed around 3:00. I needed a good night's sleep since I had my first day of work in the morning....
MY FIRST DAY
On my first day I woke up late! I didn't have time to shower, or eat breakfast, or put any thought in to what I was going to wear. I did, however, manage to catch the train and get to the library on time. Everyone I met was really nice, and they all spoke English, which was a huge plus. I did expect this, however, since it is the AMERICAN library in Paris. I did make a friend with one of the volunteers. She is in Paris as an au pair and doesn't know anyone or speak French either. I busied myself throughout the day with your usual library work. I worked on a booklist, did some shelving, attended a social media meeting. I did take a lunch break, which allowed me to visit a local boulangerie. I tried to order a sandwich and a Fanta. The sandwich ordering went fine, but the soda caused a dilemma. You see, I chose Fanta so I could say it in English. Well, the saleslady didn't understand it in English, so I had to say it with a ridiculous French accent!! That, she got, and I got my lunch and returned to work. The rest of the day passed as expected. I did attend a program at the library that evening. Max Mulhern was the speaker and he presented on his project called Aqua Dice. It's pretty cool...look it up. I was exhausted after the long day, so I took the train home. Although I mastered which train to take and what direction to take it in, I have failed to learn which exit out of the metro to take. Fortunately they are all relatively close together. My mistake this evening was an exciting one, because it allowed me to accidentally wander to Notre Dame. After admiring the beautiful architecture, I went home and intended to go to bed. Of course I was excited about my new discovery so I wasn't tired. I decided watching Netflix would make me sleepy. I soon found out that I can't watch Netflix internationally. Boo. So then I decided to watch French television. Of course I didn't understand anything and there wasn't anything on, so I decided I would make an effort to lay down my futon, rather than sleep on it like a couch like I did the night before. Well, I got it down, decided I hated how it looked and that I preferred the smaller surface. Unfortunately I could NOT figure out how to get it to fold again. I tried and fought and struggled with this damn bed for 30 minutes. During the struggle I managed to step on shard of glass. I didn't realize how bad the wound was until I looked down to see a trail of blood spots! Of course I didn't have a bandaid and was forced to use a make-up pad and a sock. After tending to my wound I did indeed get the bed in to its original position. Then, I finally went to bed.
DAY TWO
Today is now drawing to a close, and I must say it was less stressful and anxiety ridden than the days before. I woke up early, for example, ate breakfast and showered. I decided that since I had so much extra time that I would walk all the way to work. It was a great decision, granted I took the longest route possible. I did get to walk along the Seine for almost an hour though, which was nice.
Wednesdays are busy days at the library because children only go to school for half the day, so we hold two story hours. The first starts at 10:30. There were 18 children in attendance, which, if you've been to library programs, you know is a lot. We had an outer space themed program. It was cute. The second program was at 2:30 and it had 28 children! Yeah, I know. In addition to helping with the programs I got to create two Valentine's Day themed book displays, make Valentine's Day Cards for the kids, finish a book list on fairy tales and fables, and shelve books today. I also revisited the same boulangerie for lunch and this time the same saleslady and I had no problems communicating. I took a different route home and walked down Boulevard Saint-Germain until it hit Boulevard Saint-Michel and I was virtually home. Tonight's grocery extravaganza went more smoothly and now, here I am, telling all of you about my goings on. I am getting sleepy and it is time for me to read and go to bed.
More updates and pictures soon.
Bisous!
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