“I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel.” - E. B. White

Hello everyone! I hope you had an incredible Valentine's day! I know I've not updated in a while (I realize you hear that every blog post) but I really haven't done much of anything this week apart from school.

So Friday after school I had a little bit of light still so I walked around and saw a bunch of couples holding hands and it struck me that there was no better place on earth to make a valentine's day video than the city of love! Now, apparently a lot of you thought that I got the clips from somewhere else so just to clear that up I do all the filming and editing for my videos myself.
So for those of you that don't have a facebook here's the video:

I only had a couple hours before it got dark so it's sort of short. Then Sunday was church and it was also Jonathan's birthday so we all walked to a Kebab restaurant, and then hung out at a cafe. I left to go to church at 10 a.m. and didn't end up getting home til 6:30! It was incredible! I didn't even realize it until I came up the metro steps and it was pitch black! Since then it's pretty much been school and cleaning. 

Then yesterday I needed to write a letter so I stopped by BHV (a department store) and picked up some stationary, a notebook for notes in church, and some pens. While I was there I decided to check to see if there were any new clothes on sale and after about ten minutes of walking around I ducked into a dressing room and took off my giant sweater and tights and boots and cooled off for a little while. Call me crazy but you try walking around a department store with no air conditioning for hours on end. You get desperate and creative.  So then today I got home and decided I was getting really sick of microwaveable foods ( I haven't got an oven so that's really my only option) and since the day I've been here I have REFUSED to go anywhere near red meat that wasn't cooked. But like I said, desperation takes me down new paths. I went to the store and found hamburger meat that was already shaped like a patty so all I had to do was plop it into the pan and wait! It was DELICIOUS! Here's a photo of it! I also made some roasted potatoes for a side dish.

....Sorry that the hamburger is already half eaten. It looked so delicious I couldn't wait to dig in and taste my first hamburger! Then when I finished mom suggested I go down and take a ride on the ferris wheel and thus the adventure begins..... I took the metro to Concorde and switched over at Tuileries. Then I exit at Tuileries and its pitch black by this point. So I didn't see the ferris wheel so I walked down the street for about three blocks trying to find it and finally had to give in and ask a woman. She had no clue what I was asking, and she tried to tell me that the ferris wheel was closed this time of year and I was like "well, I just saw it...." so I walked back to the metro station and while I was about to cross the street I saw it. Lit up, tall and beautiful, with the Eiffel tower illuminated behind it. With a big smile on my face I walked two blocks down to the spot where it was. While I was standing in line to pay, there were about ten fifteen year olds all looking towards me and talking. Thinking they were telling me I could go ahead, I took out my headphones to get a better listen. They were speaking French 90 miles an hour and so I told them I didn't speak French and one of the girls goes "We think you are very beautiful." and I was like Oh, thank you :) and then they all started laughing and speaking in French again and that made me a little suspicious.  So then I paid ten euros, and I was standing, waiting for an empty car, and the guy operating the machines (about 39, greek looking) and he smiles a big smile at me and says "Bon soir!" (Good evening) and I said Bon soir. :) and so he goes Il fait trés froid, non? (it's very cold, no?) and I said Oui! and so he holds out his hand for me to shake and I shake it and he doesn't let go for several minutes and I was like ............ so finally my car comes and he points and says We go together? and I was like No thank you. :) and he goes Okay, you go by yourself :D and so I get in and it only lasted about 5 minutes and I was like For real? I just paid 10 euros for that? So I get to the bottom to get out and he just opens up the door, walks inside my car, and sits down. He looked up at me and said, Okay, now we go together. You sit down and we talk. (Meanwhile his short, stubby friend is peaking his head through rooting him on). The stocky one asked me where I was from, and several other small questions like that. I just stared, wide eyed at him trying to figure out what was going on. Finally he gave up and said Okay okay, I let you go one more time free. So I got to take two rides for one which made it worth ten euros. Then I got off, walked to the metro and I was standing, waiting for a train to come when all of these announcements come on in French. Totally lost and confused I asked someone what they said and they said they couldn't tell me. Thinking it wouldn't affect me I got on the metro anyway. I asked again, only to find out that the metro wasn't making stops after Republique. Just my luck, my stop is one after Republique. ........ so I got off there and had NO clue what direction to head to walk to my apartment. I asked some people at a kebab stand and they pointed the way! It took me about 16 minutes to get back to my apartment. So that's where we've left off! Here's a few photos and a video from tonight!

I thought that statue looked so beautiful lit up in the dark.

My gorgeous ferris wheel. 

Hope you enjoy the videos!

Au demain,

Lauren!