After arriving on Friday afternoon, I decided that it would be best to try and explore the city. I started by walking around and discovering what was in my neighborhood. After walking past famous monuments like the Louvre, I went and met up with my friend who lives in Paris, and I had the opportunity to meet two of her friends here (all Americans). We got to talking to some French people at a restaurant, and I started to feel a little more at ease.
It just so happened that two of my other friends from back home are studying in London and were visiting Paris for the weekend! I felt so much better being able to see some familiar faces.
On Saturday, I walked to Jardin du Luxembourg and enjoyed reading my book in the sun. After that, my friends and I met up and we all went to Musee D'Orsay, and I did my best to order my tickets in French. After marveling at the works of Manet, Van Gogh, Monet and others, we went to a cafe where the waiters didn't speak English. I had to order for the whole table!
Later that night, we met some French students at a restaurant, and we started to hang out with them. I learned that it is perfectly acceptable and normal for French people to talk about politics with strangers -- something we wouldn't dare do in the U.S.!
