Still feeling all the feels from my wonderful stay in Giverny.

Not that I’m struggling being back in Paris. Lol! I returned to ma classe de Grammaire first thing this morning, dashing out in a hurry since I slept in a little bit longer than I intended.

This second half of the Grammar course is FULL. Where we only had 4, then 3 students in the first half, we now have 12! Lovely new students, including many women from Saudi Arabia, and two Americans. La bonne soeur, Mimoza, and I enjoy each other’s company, and we are the only two remaining from the first half of the course.

Side note: I really like the prof, Pauline.

I had lunch at the cafeteria with Kumkum, that’s her name and it’s Indian for Vermilion or “sacred powder” (red). She is a professional writer, and is an American from Boston, Massachusetts, mais elle est née à Bombay.

The afternoon Speaking Class also had quite a few newcomers. Another four women from Saudi Arabia, a guy from Australia, and a young woman from Ukraine. It is interesting to note that the woman from Ukraine and the woman from Moscow were paired for exercises today because they happened to be sitting next to each other. Everything was fine. Because. You know, Women. IDK, but maybe we should give that a try on a global scale? Just sayin.

I headed home to see David on the bench. Je lui ai rendu la monnaie, and told him to buy un café et du pain. We chatted for a bit, and I was excited to tell this gourmand, « J’ai essayé un plat d’escargots le week-end dernier. » He was proud of me. I told him « Je pense que cela signifie que je suis officiellement français maintenant. » He agreed.

There should be a ceremony, n’est-ce pas?

Demain, j’ai un autre événement culturel: le musée Cognacq-Jay for an exposition of Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761-1845). Parisian Chronicles.

« A virtuoso, prolific and unclassifiable artist, Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761-1845) became an enthusiastic chronicler of Paris for sixty years, from one revolution to the dawn of another (1789 and 1848). He is both the portrait painter of Parisians, the painter of urban scenes, the inventor of striking trompe-l’oeil and the author of piquant caricatures. »

« This monographic exhibition explores the abundant career of Boilly through 130 works that invite you to discover the singularity of the artist, his brio, his humor and his inventiveness. It presents several unpublished masterpieces or exhibited for the first time in France. »

« Originally from the North of France, Boilly set out to conquer the capital at the age of 24, in 1785, never to leave it again. Little interested in the great history of Paris, he is fascinated by the modernity of the city, its effervescence and its shows. Boilly, as a chronicler of daily life, draws up the intimate portrait of a generation. »

Click below if interested in learning more:

MuséeCognacqJay.Paris.fr

The wonderful staff in the Cultural Office are having me meet them tomorrow afternoon so we can ride the Metro together. I’m doing fine with the transportation system at this point, but it’s nice to have someone to ride with once in awhile. It’s an amazing and wonderful system.

With time comes growth. It’s interesting to look back at le quartier and remember how confusing it seemed at first — and now it’s just my « hood, » and I actually feel great comfort upon seeing certain sights and establishments. I wave to « Charlie » when I pass by the café, wave to other familiar faces in my favorite produce store, and see David on the bench. What was overwhelming at first, now seems quite manageable. I didn’t even bat an eye when booking my three-day trip to Giverny!

And today, for the first time, I started to think in French FIRST. And, several times today, when looking up something online, I typed it in French without thinking. Often, after speaking French all day, when I break into English, I have a French accent, which is quite amusing to me. The extremes of pronunciation in French require « les gymnastiques de la bouche. » It is quite different from American English, so my mouth gets used to these shapes. I don’t know how else to explain it. It goes away, but it’s funny, and I’ve actually been doing this for awhile. Like I said, it goes away, not to worry.

I’ve also been dreaming in French. I have one of those phone apps for sleep – and it records you during the night noting different sounds, talking, snoring, etc., and it has recorded me speaking a little French in my sleep. Without the app, I would not have known I was doing this.

Just as I start to transition, it’ll be time to return home. Right?

À tout à l’heure! XO