I don't speak French!

Well the flat was pretty much empty today - lots of people left yesterday and a lot more this morning. I hung around for a little while with the few people that were left and then made my way to the airport. I landed in France and took a bus into Paris. of course there was some kind of strike going on and the bus that I needed wasn't running - ha! so I had to take a different bus then the metro to get to the train station I needed.
Now there is something that you need to know- I dont speak French. (oh wait did the title of my blog give that away!?) Now usually this wouldn't be a problem...but I am in France- and guess what language they speak here. HA! are you understanding my problem?
There are a lot of people here that know English - and a lot of people that do not want to speak English to the Americans that coem into their country. Understandable I am in their country - but common! lets be nice people! I have been told that if you make some sort of effort to speak French to them they are more willing to speak to you in English - So I came here knowing how to say:
-Hello
-Thank-you
-Excuse me sir/mam do you know how to speak English
(these 3 phrases in French helped me A LOT!!)

I met a nice man who was Latin - he gave me some good advice about the French and getting around and such.
The bus dropped us off in the middle of Paris and this is the first thing that I saw-
wasn't sure what it was at the time- but it looked cool. Its the Arch of Triumph.

I then was able to find the Metro and made my way over to the train station so I could go to my friends house in Blois which is about an hour and 1/2 south of Paris.
this was a nice little view from one of the metro stops.
I got to the train station. I went to the ticket counter and waited in line- a woman came up to me and another woman in line and started speaking in French and asking me and the other woman who was standing behind me a question-of course I couldn't understand a word she was saying- I just shrugged my shoulders.
I got up to the ticket counter and asked the man (in French) if he speaks English - he looked at me and said "No!"
I said, "okay, I need a train ticket to here"- and I pointed at the name of the town I needed a ticket to on my paper. The man looked at the paper and he looked at me and distainfully said, "If I do not speak English how do you expect me to read English" - wow! that caught me off guard! this was in English that he said that to me mind you. - this guy totally knew English! He was just being a jerk and didn't want to talk to me! I said, well I just need a ticket. and he said "why do you not know French!" I said, cause I havn't learned it yet.
So he let me buy my ticket- I was a bit distressed.
I called George as I walked over to the platform which my train was leaving from. He answered his phone and I said "Oh my goodness! It is so good to hear English!" I can't even explain how I felt when I heard George's voice. So happy! So grateful! at that point I was feeling quite lost and a little scared and I was so relieved and comforted to hear him on the phone. I talked to him for a little bit - and he really helped me to feel better. Something else that you need to know is that George LOVES France- espically Paris...which is funny cause he has never been. But he loves it and is SO excited for me to be here and he is really worried that me thinking of him will be a distraction for me to have fun on my trip- so he keeps on telling me to not think of him and to just have fun.
When I said goodbye and hung up the phone I started to tear up a bit. I think that it was a mixture of things - I was disconcerted by the language barrier, and I was alone and at that moment I realized how much I missed George. It made me so happy to talk to him and to hear his voice and I had been fine when I said goodbye to him before - but at that point I really missed him.
The sunset was nice though- I took a picutre through the train window

I was going down to Blois cause I know someone who lives there. Julie- she was one of my efy girls last year in Ephriam. When I was planning to come to France I remembered that she was the one connection that I have to France- so I contacted her and told her I was comming and she invited me to stay with her family. Julie and her dad picked me up from the Train Station and brought me home. It was getting late by the time I got there. They gave me something to eat- some kind of yummy salad and Julie gave me her room to use while I am here. I called and talked to George again for a minute and then called and talked with my dad then went to bed.