Exactly One Month Until My Birthday!!!!

The title has nothing to do with this post but I am so excited!

The July session is going so well! I really like everyone I have met in my classes. Today I had a 4 hour photography class and a 4 hour painting class. The photo class was kinda boring. I didn't know what a lot of what the professor was talking about but one of my friends is really good with cameras and everyone else except me and my friend Nicole aren't beginners sooo hopefully they can help us. We had an assignment due today and we were supposed to tell a story about our home away from home. Here are the pictures I took of the cutest apartment ever! 

I love the living room. This is where we have a 3 course dinner every week day. "Three course meal" sounds incredibly fancy but it's just how the French eat. Meal time is taken seriously and the table is set perfectly every night. The meals aren't always what I would choose to cook for myself, but I have honestly liked almost every single thing that we've had. 

 Adorable breakfast every morning!

 The metro stop that is less than a block away from the door to our building and I use it every single day! I like this stop because it's so close and only one line stops there so it's small. 

 This napkin ring says Monsieur. I wanted to some how show that I was living with a couple. The napkins and napkin rings are a bid deal in France. When I asked my host dad if I could borrow their napkins so I could take a picture, he gave me several weird looks and said "Ok... but I didn't think these  napkins were so important" with his French accent. But I laughed and then showed him the picture later and he understood. 

 Mine and Allies room. My bed is closest to the window.

The painting class was fun! I have never painted with oils and I was expecting them to be different. I bought all of my many supplies last night and the only easel they had that folded was huge! There was no bag or strap or easy way of carrying it, but because it was the only one, so I had to buy it. But after carrying it out from the 5th floor of the store, on the metro, on the boat tour ride, and back onto the metro, I decided that I could not do that every day I had class. So I got a smaller option from a different store and this one is tiny that AND has a bag. We met at the Musee de l'Orangerie for class but the electricity was out in the building so we couldn't go in. We toured the gardens, watched the professor do a demonstration and then found our own spot and started painting! On the way to start the tour of the garden I though I saw Ryan Gosling. I had a mini panic attack and my hands were full of painting stuff so I couldn't get my camera out so I just freaked out to my friends as we continued on the tour. Buuuuut when I got home to my apartment, I googled and googled and couldn't find any news about him being in Paris, but I was about 98% sure that it was him at the time! But there is still hope and if it's not him, there is one very blessed man walking around Paris because they could be twins. 

This is my painting spot and the progress of my painting so far. It looks horrible now, but it is a process. I had people come up to me and ask If I was professional while I was setting up, just stand behind me, and one group of guys were laughing behind me so I turned around and they were makin fun of my painting (but why shouldn't they? It looks horrible right now) but I just glared at them and they left :)

Yesterday, we went on a boat tour of Paris. This was my second time but the first time I didn't have my camera and I thought it would be a good way to meet more people. 

 A gift to France from the US. It's a flame like on the Statue of Liberty that France gave us, and it is sitting on top of the bridge where Princess Diana passed away. The ledge of cement or stone on the left of the flame is filled with signatures and messages in memory of Princess Diana. 

 Jen, Maddy and Nicole 

 My fave! Notre Dame

I have the perfect patriotic outfit picked out for tomorrow since I will not be in America for its birthday. I don't think I have ever been out of town for the 4th or missed the Rupert parade and now I am out of the country! I'm glad I will be with Americans so we can celebrate together :)

Bonne Nuit!