FNAC and St. Germain

Last night I conked out around 19:30 and then woke up around midnight and then again at 2:30. After an unexpectedly long 12+ hour fast since dinner, my stomach raged at me upon waking and I scurried downstairs to the lobby to look for some hot water for the oatmeal I'd bought the day before. I discovered the most amazing European continental breakfast nestled into a well-lit nook around the corner and was pleased to discover that the USC program included breakfast in our accommodations! I very nearly abandoned my roommate Samira for the tasty spread, but managed to regain self-control and ran back up to the third floor to tell her about it. She quickly pulled on clothes and sandals and then we hurried downstairs to reap the rewards of an early wake-up: food aplenty and a quiet breakfast, marred only by the trickling arrival of other people. After stuffing myself with croissant, marble cake, bon maman preserves on baguette and the freshest of yogurts, Samira and I waited it out in our room until 9:45. At 9:45 we were to meet in the lobby with the other 12 people in our program to go to the Accent Center and get briefed on our semester itineraries, excursions, the logistics of the program including transportation, money, safety, etc, and finally a baguette sandwich lunch. After the lunch, I was itching to use our first carnet of Metro tickets, so Samira and I headed back to the hotel where we prepared our things and then headed out! I returned something to the local Monoprix (which was much more difficult than expected, seeing as I'd only just purchased the thing the day before...) and then we hit the Metro for Chatelet, where the FNAC was located inside a semi-indoor mall. Last night I had asked the front desk where I could find and buy a Paris Pratique guide, the small pocket Paris guide that all the Parisian natives use as a reference guide to all modes of transportation along with detailed maps of each "arrondissement." It took some walking around and asking directions of strangers, but we eventually made it to the FNAC! The FNAC was the most interesting fusion of medias: a Barnes and Noble, Brookstone, Apple store, Lou's Records and library all-in-one! I picked up my Paris Pratique and then we walked around the mall. After the FNAC adventure, we enjoyed the Chatelet square with an immense fountain and then hit the Metro again, this time headed for St. Germain! We walked around the area people-watching and finally settled at a small cafe for espresso and Syrah Rose. During the whole outing I was exceedingly pleased with how my decent French improved (probably out of necessity) and managed to dredge up all kinds of vocabulary previously thought derelict. I brushed the dust off the old neurons and soaked it up! For now, I'm sitting on the bed and blogging before 19:00, when we're all supposed to meet in the lobby to go out to dinner together (again comped by the program)! More later...!