Parisians Are Very Strict

Well my placement exam was supposed to take place today, but it did not. I was waking up but then I realized that I did not necessarily have to go at 10:00 am so I decided to just go after the mates and I went grocery shopping. If you are in Paris and looking to buy inexpensive food, go to Carrefour. They have some great prices! I found a container of jam for ,99€, which comes out to about $1.30. The other thing I love about this store is that they enforce you to bring your own bags! Well I guess this is a Parisian thing, but if at all you need a bag and do not have one, you have to actually buy one. Oh and their wine selection is huge! They have everything, not kidding and well since it is France, at a really good price. 

After groceries, I headed to L'Institute Catholique, my school. The métro ride went smoothly. Well, it took me a few minuets to figure out how to buy a ticket but by watching someone helped out. Once on the train, I did well no problems. But getting off the train, that's a different story. I realized once I went up the stairs and exited the subway that I did not know where the school was located! I did not even know the street name. I recognized the area but just could not find the school, I even remembered seeing the same streets from the time Boris gave us a tour. Basically I was lost for around half an hour. I asked some people but since I did not know the street name, they were not sure. Two girls said I was going in the right direction but even then, I had no luck. I finally ended up in the larger part of the university but I knew that was not the section for the international students. I went inside asked about the program and I was given a map. With the map I walked to the right building but when I got there, I was told they were closed. They close at 16:00h and it was 16:02! They were not even happy about the fact that I asked a question regardless of the fact that they had already sent me away. This was strict Parisian encounter number one. I basically just told to show up the 14th of Feb and take written and my oral exam together. But I'm scared that if I wait until that date, I will get the crap classes. So I am going with Liz tomorrow in the early early am to try and take the test. 

After being sent off by the strict Parisian women, I came back home, but before I made quick stop at a store, the sales are still going on. Looked a round a bit and bought 3 things: a sweater, a shirt, and some funky shiny gold leggings. I am not sure when or with what I will wear them but I could not resist, they are sparkly and only 5€! 

Pizzas marguerite

Meg, Dasom and I

Bastille Métro Stop

For an early ish dinner the girls and I headed to the Bastille area for the first time. We stopped by this little Italian restaurant. We ate pizza and pasta. The food was good but not the best I have had here. I actually think the prices were a bit high for the quality of the food and even the service. I think they charged us the wrong thing so they took the receipt back after they placed it on our table and they even took a long time to return with the tab. However I did learn the word for check, l'addition. After dinner, Dasom and Meg met us up. Sadly, Dasom had to leave early but Meg and the 4 of the Alesiannes went to the cute little place that reminded me of the cheesecake factory for dessert and a drink; both were great! 

Alright so here is the highlight of the day. At the metro So we put our tickets in, except two of the girls get stuck. What do they do, adapt to the Parisian way and slide on in with some other people. Well we take a few step, laughing at our genius ideas when we all of a sudden get stopped. Excuse me, may I see your ticket the police told me. I thought, ha! in your face, I do have a ticket. They take one look at my ticket and ask me to step to the side with them. But why what it wrong? Turns out we were caught, in order to "save" some dinero, one of my flatmates bought a pack of little kid tickets for the metro. Well, this may have been a bad idea. The guy made each of us pay 25€ for this small mistake.

So what did I learn today? Do not try and cheat the system here in Paris. They will  catch you! Not even when you try and explain to them with your puppy eyes that everything was a total mistake. They do not take kindly to foreigners trying to take advantage. 

 

To the right is the reduced price ticket, the one for kids. On the left, was the fine we recieved for being criminals.