The flight was long, and I didn't get a lot of sleep, but we all arrived in Paris this morning excited to be here. No one's luggage was lost either. We went to the French school and were greeted with a snack of pastries, candy, and cakes. The students all met their hosts, who were wearing either Saints jerseys or Country Day apparel. While they had one last class, we went on a tour of the school.
During the tour, the kids and I were surprised to find out that the library at the school stays open until 7pm for all students, and til 11pm for older students in more rigorous courses. Of course, the kids go to school until 5:00 everyday. They can then work in the library if they need to, may eat dinner at the school, and then return to the library until 11. Whaaatt? These are very dedicated librarians! Also a tour highlight-the place where they practice high jumping and pole vaulting. It's on top of a terrace, three floors above the cement courtyard. The mats were right up against the fence/barricade, and we all gasped in horror thinking about if you just went too far on that jump you'd be flat as a crepe on the ground below.
At noon we all went home with our "Frenchies." I gave Fabienne presents, and then in order to try to keep me awake, she took me out shopping. Hmm, why not? What else would I do in the first three hours of being in Paris? I didn't actually buy anything, but it did keep me up. The weirdest part of this outing was that Fabienne casually said to me "I have to stop by the Pharmacy to bring back medicine." I responded, "Oh, did it not work or something?" in a befuddled tone. She said, "Don't you take unused medicine back to the pharmacy in the U.S.??" "um, NO!" So apparently, even if the box is open, you can't throw away any medicine. You have to take it to the pharmacist. Over the counter, prescription, etc. Fabienne say they recycle it. Oh my god!! I'll never take French meds. Ok, ok. She said they didn't give it to people. But I'm not so sure. She thought it was odd that we just throw them away, even if the box is unopened. I asked, "How do they know someone didn't poison it?" To which she said, "Huh? Why would you do that?" See, clearly France is not full of crazies who go around tampering with medicine and give it back to the drugstore to be recycled. But is it?!
I am now anxiously awaiting her to get back from a meeting, cook dinner, and go to bed. I'm becoming delirious. More tomorrow when I can think more clearly.
The warmest thing that you wrote was that the hosts were wearing Saints jerseys or Country Day attire. How sweet. How thoughtful. How welcoming! I think you were thinking clearly enough when you said that if a high jumper did not land on the mat and went to far he would be flat as a crepe. Such a clever choice of visual imagery, Shay. In France one is as flat as a crepe, of course! Now the real good info was the library open until 11:OO PM. I love that idea - almost as much as eating dinner at Country Day. Eating CD dinner should definitely be an option for the students and especially the hard-working teachers (Unfortunately, that would not yet include you, Shay) but for the hard-working teachers it would be great. Have fun and eat a crepe! Miss you, love, dad
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