Becoming oriented to orientation

Life gets simple amazingly quickly. A shower helps. I fully expected the type of shower I have used every other time I have stayed in a French house. This type of shower consists of a bath tub with a shower head, arranged such that the user must somehow contort herself, while keeping low in the tub to avoid spillage, and soap up below the angled stream of water.

This one, for example

The shower here is much closer to what I have gradually mastered over the course of a lifetime, so the morning went smoothly. There is a distinct pleasure in walking to class/work/etc., one that I have never truly experienced on a daily basis. One shows up quite refreshed, if overheated. As France is in a state of Vigipirate (the highest security alert level), all institutions check bags upon entry (schools, stores, museums, etc.), which was a change from Saturday.

A three-hour-long intensive language course is indeed more interesting than a quarter's worth of language classes, in part because we spent most of it discussing interesting things like politics and our experiences en France thus far. Still, it was a pleasure to break for lunch, and to stroll over to the nearby boulangerie for a sandwich, or a croque-monsieur, or, in my case, a quiche à l'épinard. The greatest challenge by far was finding a seat in the foyer, or student lounge/cafeteria in the basement. Only four of us attempted it, brave souls that we were, as the deed involved asking several unknown French students to please move their coats so we could cram ourselves onto a bench in the corner. That said, it was more enjoyable than I let on.

We learned more than we will ever (hopefully!) need to know about security, so rest assured that, just in case the gendarmes with sub-machine guns can't protect me, I am know brimming with knowledge about national security, French girls under 14 who pick-pocket on the side, and not to let French men sit next to me on park benches.

When my attempts to replace my international phone were foiled by technical difficulties (a euphemism for ineptitude on my part), the day's march ended so I could go home and figure out how the heck to make my phone work. After a lovely fish dinner, and a brief news-watching (EVERYTHING was Charlie Hebdo, which is understandable and yet there are people being killed in Nigeria by Boko Haram  and other things I want to know about that I haven't just read on the Le Monde website), I left again for a walk.

It is amazing how one can walk comfortably at night in Paris; as a Chicagoan, I find it one of the hardest cultural adjustments, but it is not accepted but expected that I do so, to take full advantage of the city, and I marvel at how safe it is compared to my good ol' home town.

Originally hoping to return to the Jardins du Luxembourg, I was drawn in by the beautifully illuminated Tour Eiffel, and headed in that direction instead.

Important buildings in Paris are, evidently, well illuminated at night,

Especially the Eiffel Tower, which you can see from the corner of my street here, like this.

You could even see it from the park bench where I sat down for a bit to read my book in the crisp night air.

The Eiffel Tower is so revered, it even has a halo.

The streets of Paris are beautiful at night. If I had changed the exposure, you would see the cobblestones. I didn't. You can imagine them. I promise they were there.

It was hard to take photos at night, since long exposure times don't play well with a lack of patience, but I thought I would give you something, at least. However, I return quite past my bedtime, and I am off. Bonne nuit!