Le jour premier, Samedi 28 et Dimanche 29, Juin 2008

A word

*With a word, I share the little details of the day.

In the last two days, I made my way to Paris with some difficulty. The flight originating in the United States and flying to Montreal was cancelled due to weather. Air Canada then transfered me to a United flight that arrived late in Montreal, too late to meet the 7:55 p.m. flight to Paris. So, I waited and was instructed to "stand by" for a later 10:30 p.m. If I did not make the flight, the Air Canada representative instructed me that I was booked for a 7:55 p.m. flight the next evening. I worried about this as I would then miss Monday's 9:00 a.m. language exam. Thankfully, I waited with a lovely woman from Baltimore who had also missed the earlier flight as a result of the first cancellation. As you might imagine, I leapt with delight upon hearing the good news that I was offered a seat on Saturday night's late night flight. Very tired and still anxious about getting to Paris in a timely manner, I still had the pleasure of meeting two lovely folk during this time. First, of course, was the woman to whom I had been allied since Washington D.C.'s flight and, secondly was a gentleman who sat beside me on the plane who ended up being a human rights activist from Quebec. He and his beloved wife were traveling to Salsburg where the Institute for Human Rights meets every summer for the month of July. So, despite the stress of the day's changes, incredible people walked into journey's path. For this, I am thankful.

Upon arriving to Paris safely and with all my baggage (literally and figuratively :) ), I tried to use the phone to call my host family and explain why I was much later than expected. The phones were not cooperating, so I just decided to call for a cab and make my way to the suburbs of Paris where I would stay for the next two weeks.

My cab driver, or chauffeur (en francais), ended up being a lovely man with whom I practiced my very feeble french. Interestingly enough, he ended up being a Parisian who had moved to Paris from Haiti when he was 18 years old. We spoke in depth and with much affection for our mutually beloved country, Haiti. 50 Euros later, he kindly dropped me off at my homestay.

The family with whom I am staying are from Morocco and Algeria. They have three precious children who are 12, 11 and 7. I met also my roommates for the stay, three women from Poland, Korea, and Mexico. We spent the late afternoon getting ourselves settled and ready for Monday's commute into Paris by way of tram and metro. The commute will take about 45 minutes, from home to school. The little village where we stay is a quiet, tightly packed residential part of the city. It is a bit what Queens is to New York City. Though New York City and Paris are the same place, the two do spark a similar fire in me. At about 9:00 p.m., we shared a meal of curried chicken, vegetables, fava beans, and watermelon. Also, bread, cheese, butter, and mineral water "with gas" seem to be staples of both lunch and dinner, here at this home and in the whole of Paris.

Finally, after 32 hours with no sleep, save 2 on the plane, I fell into a deep slumber until the following morning. At home, speaking a little french, and getting my bearings, I felt that the first day was a small accomplishment and felt excited about all that was to be and become for the rest of the journey.

A thought

*With a thought, I share a bit of creative imagining.

As a result of my fatigue, I promise to delve deeper as the days pass. Until then, continue to keep me in your prayers.

A hope

*With a hope, I ask you for your piece of participation in the journey.

If you have traveled to Paris and been some place that you believe should not be missed, I am glad to receive your experiences, thoughts, and/or recommendations.