Views from the Seine!

Well, here we are in Paris! I'm Hawley Ruppel, one of the Program Leaders, signing on after a marvelous day 1.

Students are settling in at their homestays, and yesterday they had their first language class. Each day students have the chance to use what they've learned in everyday conversation, through an "Ozlefrançais" ("dare to speak French"), and yesterday's focused on describing our families back home: telling the ages of brothers and sisters, what our parents do for work, and sharing funny stories of household pets. My group, and many others, practiced these conversations during a walk on "la coulée verte", which is a converted-railroad greenway that crosses just a block away from the CIEE Paris Center. It brought me great joy and satisfaction to watch my students talking animatedly in French, five pairs in a line, so absorbed in getting to know each other that they hardly noticed the verdant late spring foliage and blooming rose trellises through which they passed. Despite the jetlag, despite the overstimulation of a new city, these students are ready to be here--are jumping in with both feet.

There have been some metro adventures, as each student learns their particular route to and from the homestay. Even Alana (another PL) and I had our own metro mishap, when we took the wrong train in the wrong direction trying to get to Luxembourg Gardens and ending up back where we'd started instead. It's easy to get on the right train in the wrong direction, and it's easy to get on the wrong train in the right direction, but somehow we--experienced travelers both of us--managed to do both. Ha! Still, we're all learning to think on our feet, observe what's around us, and find our way. So much of these first few days is about making connections. Piecing together different mental maps, dusting off unused vocabulary, remembering details of history and place. The best connection is between morning and afternoon: when we learn about something in class, and then we go see it in person.

Yesterday, all students took a boat ride on the river Seine through central Paris, with many of us getting our first look at the Eiffel Tower. Today, we'll go to the top. :)

We also saw the Musée du Louvre, which is larger than you'd expect, spanning blocks and blocks of riverside real estate. Other highlights for my students were Notre Dame, the Grand Palais, and of course, the real-life restaurant inspiration for the cinematic classic Ratatouille. After a warm morning, it was nice to feel the breeze on the river, and chat in a more relaxed manner with members of other classroom groups.

Madeleine, Haley, Ava Lynn, Vivienne, and Kindal

Aiwyn, Julia, Sophie, and Tate

Bianca, Naima, and Hannah

After a quick debrief, students were off to enjoy their free time--"set loose" on the city of Paris, as it were! Off to run errands, tour the neighborhood, go home to rest, and in at least one case, check out the French McDonald's.

There's plenty more to come--this first week is a grand slam of greatest hits, if you'll forgive me mixing my metaphors. Next up's the Eiffel Tower; tomorrow the Louvre, then Montmartre, and Versailles on the weekend. Stay tuned for our next update from here at CIEE Paris, and keep practicing your French!