Dinner at the Eiffel Tower

  Three days ago my family and I were invited by this really nice lady to eat dinner with her and some other people at the Eiffel Tower. The metro ride took at least a half hour and by the time we got there it was dark and rainy outside. We waited for the other people to show up that she invited then together we went up the lift to the top of the Eiffel Tower. When we got up to the top the view was incredible. You can see the whole of Paris and it is so beautiful to see all the lights of the city. It was very cold and windy and it was raining as well. Some of the people in the group pointed out the different monuments in the city and showed us different parts of Paris. Then the lady who had invited us paid for each of us to get a glass of champagne. The man pouring the champagne was eccentric and friendly and he was playing funky music. The champagne tasted great.
  When we went back inside we then went down to the second floor and walked around a bit. It was significantly lower than the top level because some of the skyscrapers in the city were higher. After looking around a bit we went into the cafe and ordered hot mulled wine. If you have never had it before, it's sweet and has a great spiced taste. When we were finished we all got back onto the elevator and went down to the first floor.
  On the first floor there is an ice skating rink and a fancy restaurant. We went into the restaurant and got a table. The food was pre-ordered because the Eiffel Tower is always crowded with people, so it came to us quickly. A nice appetizer came first with two slices of smoked salmon. The main course was the most delicious duck and potatoes I've ever had. I also had a some fancy Bordeaux wine and to top everything off beautifully, a rich chocolate dessert with coffee. It was a memorable night that I will never forget.

French people smoke a lot...

When I arrived in Paris I was shocked to see that not just grown-ups smoke, but kids as young as ten years old! Apparently smoking here is a social norm and kids as well as teenagers want to look cool by smoking like the other kids. My brother said that a while ago he saw some ten year old boys smoking a bong! About a week ago a girl in my class asked the teacher if she could step outside and smoke and he allowed her to. Teachers don't prohibit students to smoke and they themselves do it. I see them in the corner of the school smoking away all the time. The teachers also smoke with the kids outside during break. How strange. I don't think I've seen many kids in my school back at home smoking cigarettes. Anyway, thought I'd share that because I found it interesting.

The rebellious French

While living here in Paris for nearly 3 months, I've been paying close attention to the French people. First of all I must say that the French culture is much different from American culture. The French have always had a long history of protests against their government, and I have noticed that it seems to have impacted all of the French people in some way or another. For example, in school the French kids are much more loud and crazy in class. While the teacher is talking the whole class is talking and laughing amongst themselves, and the teacher has to yell and swear at them to stop. But the kids just ignore the teacher most of the time, especially if the teacher is a nice one with a kind disposition.

I think that it is really cool that the French are so passionate about their opinions. There are protests all the time in the streets with many people. They are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Compared to the French, Americans don't protest as much. I wish that Americans protested more about injustices. If they did then the government and country would improve, and if enough people stood up for what they believed in then they could actually make a change. Because of all of the constant protests here in France things have changed and gone a long way. Many of the French people as a result have developed a rebellious spirit. They are determined for change. The only negative thing about constant rebellion is that there can be a lack of respect. In my opinion rebellion is natural and healthy, but it's a matter of balancing that and respect for others that can become a problem.

French markets

One thing, out of the many things I appreciate about Paris is that there are always lots of open markets. The French culture has really been into setting up markets in the streets, and they have been doing this for hundreds of years. It amazes me how you wake up one morning and just over night there are loads of stands set up that sell every kind of produce you could imagine. There is a market up the street from our apartment that has an entire stand of just olives alone. There is also a meat stand with practically every kind of sausage, a wine stand (where we got a nice bottle of wine), a bakery stand which sells lots of pastries and such,  and many other interesting stands. The French really know how to live. 

3rd day of school

Today was exhausting for me. In my first class the teacher spoke very fast so I didn't catch anything she said. School here in Paris is challenging and I am a little bit worried about passing my classes this year. It's hard being the new kid. These first few days I have been feeling quite a bit confused.
I heard that the first week is hard and this has definitely proven itself to be true. I know now what the exchange students back at home have to go through. It's overwhelming.
On the bright side of today I met a girl who just moved here to Paris from Missouri. She is just as lost and confused as I am so that made me feel like I wasn't alone. She is a grade ahead of me though so we don't share any of the same classes.
I'm expecting the next few months to be hard, but I'm still up for the challenge!