15-Oct-88: Je vais essayer d'ecrire en francais, au moins un peu. Non -- je prefere toujours l'anglais. I am now living in an apartment with a spectacular view of Paris. The outside of the apartment building is tall and square and 50s -- something I detest in principle -- but the inside is modern, convenient and tastefully decorated. It's really quite nice not to feel uncomfortable. I live with a mother who is 57 and her 19 year old son. The mother has problems with nerves in her neck and I thought that I heard her talking (no, I heard her, I just didn't get the exact sense) about me. I'm not sure if I eat here too much or if I keep my room clean enough or what. I think I'll ask her, but what the hell anyway? My classes have started, and I'm basically taking only one class with all foreigners -- but I'm making a lot of progress by living here with Guillaume and his mother, Madeleine.
16-Oct-88: The other day I was in the phone booth when this total jerk started tapping his foot outside, like there weren't 10,000 other phone booths in a five-minute radius, I'm not kidding! Then the other day I went to this place for lunch and hot chocolate and of course they sat us in the back of the room, but then, in the middle of taking our order, they cleared the settings of our table and placed them on another. What total dicks. Went out Friday night with Pam and Rebecca, couldn't seem to get served anywhere. Rebecca and Pam are getting on my nerves. Finished my first ever book, Le Parfum, in French today, I'm not kidding. It was pretty weird. It would be nice to get in touch with old Mary Claire.
10-17-1988: Spoke beaucoup de francais aujourd'hui. En fait, c'etait peut-etre le premier jour ou j'ai parle plus francaise qu'anglais. C'est rigolo parce que Guilluame a decide de parler 'toujours plus vite, toujours plus complique.' La mere de Guillaume lui a dit de secouer le nap et il l'a fait sur le balcon, mais il l'a lasse tombe de la seizieme etage. Nous descendions et Guillaume a demande au concierge s'il avait vu un nap et qu'on cherchait un nap. De plus, le concierge avait l'air d'un gorilla!
10-25-88: Went to Brussels on Sunday with Susu and Nina. Ugly first impressions, day improved. Blah blah.
10-29-88: I am now in Holland, the Hague, chez Cristoffe, le cousin de Guillaume. Il est tres sympatique. We went out to eat and G and I watched his cousin dance 'Rock and Roll.' Interesting. Marilyn Monroe: queen of the world?
10-30-88: Holly, Nina and Susa gave us the big blow-off in Amsterdam. Oh well. Amsterdam -- big and beautiful -- lots of lights, sort of touristy. Holland has big people for such a small country.
10-31-88: Went speed-skating today -- rather fun -- Helen wore clogs -- all ages speed-skating -- very graceful, lots of colors -- ugly buildings in the Hague. Tomorrow I go to Delf peut-etre. Watched (2) American films.
Nov 5, 1988: Another week has gone by, my french is really starting to come together as I can just about comprehend anything as long as it's not completely random and very fast. Nadia was here at the beginning of the week, but I didn't see her until Wednesday morning, when we went to the Orangerie to see Monet's 'nenufares.' We went out that night to the underground jazz club -- very fun. Yesterday, Brian showed up with one of his friends from Italy. As Nadia said, 'Bill's just a little too cool for me.' His mother's french (West Indies) and his father's American, and his family has LOTS of money. I've seen his attitude a million times and it makes me sick. He talked about his various schools like potato chips, saying things like: 'I was going to apply to Choate but they changed the rules about smoking and I really didn't want to go -- I had so many friends there who said that it was a total drag. I swear, every year the freshman class gets nerdier -- I mean, they have fun but they don't shake up the administration or anything.' He said 'righteous' a lot, too. He hung out in Boulder for a couple of years doing nothings. 'But they have really hardcore punks there.' Anyway, he could talk English and French perfectly, which is more than I can say.
Last night I went to some art exhibition for artists and people who have lots of money to pay so they can exhibit their paintings (like Guillaume's uncle). It was worth it, though, because we went to an amazing French restaurant after -- I ate snails and white fish and chocolate mousse -- all very good, although I was sweating bullets before I had to order. I think that I'll go to Italy in a couple of weeks, but I need to buy tickets and get a hotel for my parents. I also have to read a lot of Balzac. And get my carte de sejour (again, but this time it should be rather pleasant, knock on wood). Expressions are rather hard to remember. I'm still glad that I'm not staying for a whole year, because it will be nice to get back and study in a manner that I am used to.
Richie wrote a very disturbing letter. I'm disappointed that he thinks that he needs to reintroduce himself to his friends. He knows it's not like that with Cranbrook, and it never will be if I see him the day that I die.
Marilyn Monroe: queen of the world?
Are you scanning these old images? Who's the handsome boy?
Posted by: cfl | 09/13/2009 at 12:56 PM