Finalement, La Tour Eiffel (Finally, the Eiffel Tower)

La Tour Eiffel! Today, after our visit to the National Library of Paris, three of my friends and I went to see the Eiffel Tower. We didn't venture closer today, we rested and took photos from a nearby park but we definitely intend to get to the Eiffel Tower and go to the top sometime in the next nine months! This is one of four buildings of the National Library of Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, where I will be spending many afternoons and maybe weekends, studying and using the many resource rooms to assist my French studies. Also, this library is very close to the university where I will be studying in a few weeks. (Hopefully pictures of Universite Paris VII, will come this weekend.) A cool fact about these buildings, the current president, Nicolas Sarkozy, had a hand in the design of these buildings and he wanted it to look like an open book. So there are four buildings shaped like an open book and in the center of the buildings there is a large garden. It is quite a nice place to study and relax.

A statue taken of the Academie Nationale de la Musique. More photos of this gorgeous building to follow soon.
A very pretty and very old apartment building (un immeuble.) Lots of the buildings in Europe are designed in a Gothic style such as this one.
These stars make up the symbol of the European Union, (l'Union Europeen), and it if you've been to the Eiffel Tower before and have not seen these stars, as was the case with me, that is because currently, France holds the presidency of the Union. The country switches every two years, as I am told by my friend. I thought it was quite cool, especially since we learned about the Union yesterday in my contemporary France course. So I am almost at the end of my first week of orientation courses and I must say that I love my Communication orale (oral communication,) and my Phonetique appliquee courses because they really help me improve my French pronunciations and I am better able to ennunciate the correct voyelle sounds. I begin my university courses in two weeks and I feel that, thanks to my introduction courses, I will not be too overwhelmed and nervous. Now, I do know that these professors will not be informed ahead of time that we are American students so nothing will be watered down for us. In this way, I need to thank my two professors from the other day who overwhelmed me because they, in turn, are helping me prepare for my French uni courses.

Furthermore, I must say, I am quite a pro at the metro by now and thanks to my mothers' advice, I am able to recognize landmarks that will assist me one I get out of my metro exit so I will not get lost again. Things are coming together and I am feeling very accomplished if I do say so myself. Tomorrow I have an interview with a French family who wants me to teach English to their children, A (9) and R (11) and bring them to their sports lessons and cook for them. It will be a lot of fun and I will also feel a little more at home being able to speak English some of the time. I must go to bed now but I am happy to report a wonderful and very informative day!

A tout a l'heure (Until Next Time, See You a Little Later.)