Well I realized that I haven't given an update recently on my life here in France.  I'm still alive and enjoying myself.  This weekend began on Sunday night with the Superbowl.  Actually here in France they begin the week and their calendars with Monday and actually that's went the superbowl really started here, Monday night around 12:30.  And Stephen, my housemate and I, watched the entire game until 4:30 am.  It was a good game and we had just met that night so it was nice to hang out.  We caught the night bus as the snow was coming down in Paris.  We got almost 2.5 centimeters!  That is extraordinary for Paris as they very seldom receive any snow at all.  According to Jacques, this is because of the atlantic climate we have here.  Paris, and much of France, remains in the middle of the thermometer year round.  So while the snow lasted kids were scrapping enough off cars or the ground to form snowballs.  It didn't last long and eventually Paris reverted to it's usual raininess and the snow became dirt and water.

It may seem that I've been reticent this week because I have had a french class with homework and readings.  If I'm slightly busy now, I wonder what it'll be like when I have 5 classes.  I feel like this is just a shock of work now relative to my vacation from any necessary deadlines.  The class was good and I had the opportunity to rest at home a little bit in the mornings before heading to class on the 13 line to Gaité.

Other highlights from the week include seeing a man playing accordion on the metro (I want to illustrate this a little bit more.  At one of the metro stops underground a short man with a black cap hopped into our car along with a woman who was shaking a tambourine.  He spouted out several words, which I couldn't understand, but I assumed he said something along the lines of, "For you listening pleasure I'd like to introduce to you Marie! the best dancing tambourine woman in Paris and myself, Jean-Pierre!, world-renowned Accordionist and tight rope walker! Now enjoy the salacious sounds of my Squeezebox!"  And I enjoy them I did.  His fingered zipped over the keys and buttons as he wobbled around, being a little top heavy from the massive music box strapped to his chest.  He grinned and kneaded his accordion with zest and jollity like no other.  I was impressed with the stance he was able to hold as the metro rocked along the rails beneath the city.  I decided to contribute to his cause and flipped him a euro as I left at my station.)

I also met up with some friends at a jazz bar on Tuesday which was good.  There was a house band and different people stood up in front and performed.  Some sang, someone played guitar, everyone was good and listening to french people sing american songs was entertaining.  One of my friends, Sam, was invited to the stage to sing a standard.  He was great and his singing reminded me of Michael Bublé or Harry Connick Jr.  We left after he hit his final notes and walked to a bar with a fantastical name, The Frog and the Princess.  It was nothing like a fantasy at all really.  There were too many people crowded in a space too small and the discotheque lighting was enough to cause epileptic seizures. We had a malty beer and hung out for a while before catching the metro home.

Other quick things that I've done this week: La Guillotine, a bar in the Latin Quarter, attempted to catch a reading at an ancient-looking english bookstore--Shakespeare & Co., ate some sweet food by Jacques--last night we had some amazing omelette with bacon and potatoes.  After I've got a big enough list made up, which can't be too long, I'm going to talk about all of the food I've eaten.  Get jealous.  This weekend -- Barcelona.  Expect to hear about that next.