So this was one of those really lazy Saturdays. We slept in. We did homework. I checked my e-mail. It was so nice. Nothing too exciting though. Then that evening we went out to celebrate one of the girl's birthdays - Savannah! Unfortunately finding a restaurant was a little difficult - we walked and walked and walked. That's the tough thing about Paris - we're not familiar enough with the city right now to know where we want to go or where everything is. So we started out on the Champs-Elysee and started walking looking for a good place to eat. Then one girl thought she knew where a good restaurant was and we tried to track that down for another half an hour. Then we got to the area and decided we didn't want to keep looking for it. So we hopped on the metro and just popped out at a random station and tried to find a restaurant from there. Yeah, it was a little frustrating. I like to have a plan and know exactly where we're going and get there efficiently at a certain time...but when you don't know where to go that's hard to do. Anyway after a bit of grumbling and frustration, we found a good place. The food was great. I thought I'd try something new so I got lamb! (for the first time) One of the other girls ordered steak and when it came out it was still just in its raw completely rare patty form! The guys sitting next to us said that it was really popular in Australia and that the meat had been treated with something so that it was safe to eat and wouldn't make one sick. Supposedly that's the best way to really savor the natural flavor of the meat. Still...ewwww. And she ate some of it! Although after a few bites, just the idea of the meat like made her stomach upset so she didn't finish it. But the guys at the table next to us who had told us about it did! Haha, so I guess some people really do eat their meat like that! After dinner, it was pretty late and since it takes us nearly an hour to get back to our house we just went home. On our way home riding the metro, we passed right by the Eiffel Tower as it was sparkling and glittering - like it does on the hour at night - and it was beautiful. I was just in such awe that this had become a normal site for me, and that it was one to the thousand of Parisiens everyday. What an amazing blessing. I always feel so humbled when I see one of these monuments because it reminds me of the great opportunity and gift this trip is. I can be so easy to take each day at face value and go through the motions, to the events and monuments, ride the metro, eat a baguette. But. I try (often) to stop myself and have a moment of awe and gratitude. This is a trip that I have dreamed about for a good portion of my life. These stone buildings are not just an average occurrence, rather they hold history of centuries. I have a chance to visit a city and country that is beautiful, historical, fun and that opportunity is one I should never take for granted because it is not offered or possible for everyone.
Sunday, May 13th 2013
Sunday was also a very slow day. We had church early in the morning and that was it. It was at 9:30am which meant we had to leave the house by 8:20am. Luckily since we have school at the institute - that is in the church - we already knew the way. Let me just say, you think that high heels wouldn't be that bad for a ten minute walk or so but they were killer! Especially once we got into all that nasty cobblestone business. Church went well. It was all in French but surprisingly I understood pretty much all of it. It helped a lot that at least 50% of the members were actually Americans just living in Paris...which kinda disappointed me a little. It's hard to feel like you're getting a real French experience when some of the members have a stronger American accent than you do...But! The gospel is true in any and every language and I was grateful that I could receive that confirmation while listening. I couldn't always understand every word, or phrase, or sometimes even comment, but you don't need a language to feel the spirit, and it testifies of the truthfulness of the gospel. I even brought my French book of Mormon! But, in Sunday School we are still studying in Doctrine and Covenants (or Doctrines et Alliances) and so I didn't get to use it - not even once! Unfortunately, I started having a sore throat ( more on this later) in church and once we got home promptly took a nap. I felt a little better once I woke up and a few ibuprofen later. And then one of the best events of the trip! I was able to skype with my family back home on Mother's Day! I had really missed the gang so it was great to see them and talk with them. And it was really nice to share with them in person what was happening too. I gotta admit, the sites of Paris are amazing, the beauty is simply breathtaking but there is nothing in comparison to seeing the faces light up of those you love - and I got that treat Sunday evening. :) So all in all, the weekend was pretty slow and average - just like the ones in America. I feel bad that this post was so dull - so enjoy the pretty pictures of my neighborhood! Keep in mind, these are all just pictures of houses around my neighborhood, an average banlieu outside of Paris, nothing spectacular. And these pictures were all just taken with my iPhone BUT they are still some of the most beautiful ever! How can everything be so beautiful!?!
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