Day 5

New York on Sunday,/Big City taking a nap!/Slow down, it's Sunday!/Life's a ball, let it fall in your lap!/If you've got troubles,/Just take them out for a walk./They'll burst like bubbles/In the fun of a Sunday In New York!/You can spend time without spending a dime,/Watching people watch people pass!

So, Paris isn't exactly New York, but you get the picture. They're both big cities, right? That makes it count! (By the way, this song is a favorite. I guess I'm just an old soul?)

This Sunday was actually quite nice. I woke up before the family, which threw me off a bit, but it was ok, I just stayed in my room until I heard movement elsewhere within the apartment. Breakfast was a roll with Nutella (try it, seriously. It's sold at Walmart, for pete's sake!) & some Earl Gray tea. I love Earl Gray tea, but I like it very strong, and when the family makes tea, it's a bit weaker than what I prefer, but I'll get used to it. I retreated to my room to prepare for church. I haven't quite gotten a grasp on the weather here, so I dressed a bit warmer than I would've wanted, but at least I layered. Today, it was gray herringbone slacks, my blue Polo oxford button-down, black blazer, pink scarf, and black suede high-heeled loafers.

The father was preaching this Sunday, so he rode ahead on his bicycle and then I rode with the mother & children to the church, which used to be a Catholic church. I don't know the history behind it yet, but I do know that all the stained glass windows were replaced with clear glass, which greatly brightens the interior of the church, which is all freshly cleaned limestone. The ceiling was beautifully vaulted, making for a nice space for worship.

The worship was actually very nice, though it was all in French. The flow of the service pretty much matched the flow of my home church, which made being a stranger a little less unnerving. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Apostle's Creed & the Lord's Prayer in this service were pretty much a word-for-word translation of the English version I know & love. Funny thing is, while they were saying both of these in French, I couldn't say out loud (or even think to myself) the version I know. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't saying the same thing as everyone else around me. Another pleasant surprise was that one of the hymns the congregation sang is one that I know I've sung before (though it bothers me that I can't remember it). The service was a pleasant one, and they even served communion today, which made me a little homesick, because I missed the service two weeks ago when they served communion. The biggest difference w/ communion here is that they use real wine, not just grape juice (although I like grape juice just fine, too!), and instead of everyone processing to the front for intinction, or staying seated and waiting for the servers to pass around the trays, everyone stood up, moved to the walls, and the congregation made a big oval, where plates were passed by the worshipers.

After the service, there was a meal with the congregation, which was actually quite pleasant. Before the meal, the mother introduced me to her uncle and sister, since they were both at worship. Also, there was a member I was introduced to who was Scottish! I didn't expect that, and was glad to speak a little English to a native speaker. Anyways, on with lunch. There were many things to choose from, but the ham quiche disappeared quickly, so I had a macaroni pasta salad, some variant of potato salad but with potatoes, eggs, & olive oil, some couscous with tomatoes, cilantro & mint, and some bread with olives & ham chunks. After this, bread & cheese were passed around, and then dessert was served. Dessert was what appeared to be coffee ice cream & bits of biscotti pressed into a loaf mold & frozen, then sliced, served with grapes. Overall, a very pleasant meal.

After changing clothes, I went out on a jaunt to find a yarn store/tea salon that my mom had told me about. I was nervous going on the metro alone, but Paris is really a pretty safe city. I used the first of my metro tickets, and safely got on the first train of my stay. My "metro legs" came back to me, but I discovered that my "metro face" is woefully out of practice. Let me explain: the Metro is Paris' underground subway system, and as such, can be pretty crowded. At no time should one passenger make eye contact with another, unless you know them personally. Eye contact is taken very seriously (at least in France), so a "metro face" should be adopted. A "metro face" is usually an expressionless stare into space (in my case, usually my shoes), made better if you're listening to an iPod (you get Metro points for that). It's not a serious thing, but it ensures that you're left alone on the (sometimes) crowded train. Back to the yarn store though. I had read about this place, L'OisiveThé, online, so I finally stopped just looking at it on Google Maps and went to see it in person. What I found was a cozy tea salon that served American-style cookies & cakes and nice tea. Even though it was pleasant outside, I ordered some tea & a chocolate chip cookie, which was perfect...it was chewy, soft, & just a tad crunchy. After I had placed my order, an old French man walked in, said something about ordering a coffee, and the sat down in the open chair opposite me at my table. The waitress told him that this wouldn't do, because I was a young girl & was alone, and it would be socially not right, so he finally moved. (I think that's what she said...it was all in French, though I caught some of it).

I finished my tea & cookie, then headed back to the apartment. I had a good walk, and am starting to figure out my way around the arrondissement, which is a good thing. Anyways, it's been a nice, mostly calm Sunday. Next week will probably be the Church of Scotland, I think.