"He who opens a school door, opens a prison" - Victor Hugo

It's Monday June 4, 2012 at 11:55, class starts in five minutes and I have yet to find my class. I felt so proud because I had taken the right metro, gotten all of the turns right and I come across this door which is exactly where the door to my school is. All I see is this lock on the door, and it won't open. Why will this door not open?! I ask a person for directions and of course no one knows where anything is in this city. Luckily, a man walks out of the door and he points me the way to my class. This would be the door to my school which is locked, and I had no idea how to open it until my teacher had to show me how to ring the bell to open this tiny door.

Finally! I find my class! And make it just in time. There are people from all over the world in my class. There's students from Thailand, Japan, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Brazil just everywhere. Now that is the epitome of a truly "diverse" group. Through the little French doors, would be the opening to my class. How I found it, is beyond me.

Then I meet my professor. Her name is Madame Greaves. She could not be any more French: skinny older woman, wears a scarf every single day, dresses très chic. She basically looks like what I thought older women looked like in France. She probably even smokes...That's beside the point. After having class everyday 12-2 for a week, I have yet to hear a word of English from her mouth. So far, school has been so enjoyable and I look forward to it everyday.
The best day thus far was Friday. Every night we are supposed to read out of a book that the Sorbonne gave to us, which consists mostly of poems and letters or extracts from theatrical plays. Everyday she asks us what we read the previous night before, and one of the days I said that I read Demain, dès l'aube... by Victor Hugo. Granted, I already read this for Eastern...but it's probably my favorite poem ever. Madame Greaves was quite excited because apparently the French just love this poem so we spent a good hour and a half on Friday discussing it. We were discussing the rhythm of the poem, and she starts walking around the classroom reciting it by heart. I was completely astonished. I was smiling from ear to ear so happy realizing that I'm able to discuss simple things such as a small poem and feel like I shouldn't even be anywhere else.
Other than that, school is boring grammar. But the best thing about being a student at la Sorbonne...is some of the museums are free. Le Louvre was free....AWESOME. Simply unblelievable. Now that we're on the topic of the Louvre, I came to France to see La Joconde, or the Mona Lisa. Now don't get your hopes up, she's not bigger than a laptop screen. To see her in person though, was simply breath taking. I was just looking at this painting wondering why I hadn't seen it sooner. It's so silly, it's just a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Maybe it's just me, it's such a simple painting. Maybe it's the hype of it being the "Mona Lisa," but to me, nothing could even compare to make me feel whole.
Now that I've expressed my soul on a stupid blog, I'll end with the poem I read for this week, since I just can't keep it to myself.

Demain, dès l'aube...
Demain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne,
Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends.
J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne.
Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.


Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,
Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendu aucun bruit,
Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,
Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.


Je ne regarderai ni l'or du soir qui tombe,
Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,
Et quand j'arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe
Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.
Victor Hugo - 1856