Day 10- Sniff Sniff

The scent is always so strong. It is worse when you are running. Not worse. Nothing is ever bad here. The scent is just gladiator strong when running, its not just one scent either, every corner, and every person smells so different. I smell food, dog poop, human B.O. and smoke (and lots of it).  I made my way over to the Vendome garden right when I woke up. Finding a good place to run here is harder than NYC because there is no Central Park. I thought Vendome would be my central park, not quite. It was beautiful, but only the size of a football field, with people that were 1/4^th of a football player’s size. They don’t do big here. I believe that if i would have started running, people would have believed something was wrong, I walked around the park looking like a silly american in her gym clothes with no purpose. So my run was short and interrupted, I am starting to worry I may never have a decent work out during my stay here.  (p.s. everything does happen for a reason, just as I was leaving vandom park, and Australian couple –who spoke NO French- needed help reading a sign, and navigating the city, I was able to help them with every question, at least something was accomplished)

After running I made some scents of my own with fresh veggies from the market. Before I knew it was time to go to class. I am in love with this class, but I hate writing. Sort of ironic I even have this blog. A little work inside class, then to a café to sit and write out on the streets. 4 girls drinking espresso with their heads buried in their books making blank paper turn into art, something that may be held onto forever.  It was so nice.

We headed over to a reception for our school after class; it was more of an opening celebration where they served wine, which was the weirdest part for me. You mean I can have wine with my teachers and director? Uhm, okay! We stayed for a little then went to get dinner with Danielle and Megan.

Greek food was the choice, my first experience. We went and sat at a table out side and waited for someone to come with menus. After sitting for a bit Megan went inside and asked for 4 menus, and he asked if we want beer and of course she said yes, about 15 minutes later the owner came out with 4 sandwiches and french-fries. After arguing that we had not ordered any food yet and we just wanted a menu we decided we might as well just eat it, we were starving, When we went inside to pay we noticed a sign that said the special of the day was “menu grec” DOH. Oh well it was delicious and a good deal so again I am sure it was partially gods doing.

We went out at night where all of the students from our program were going it was a ball. In France, you dance like you are at a wedding kind of. Basically its lots of “mom dancing” but it rocked, we were all about it. All of the dance floors were in caves underground at every bar, but they are still very sweaty, maybe this is we there is so much B.O. smell on my morning runs.

Before our night out

We are really silly