Waiting on a Rainy Day

Yesterday I was caught by surprise when the sunny Paris weather suddenly took a drastic turn and it started to rain and I was sans parapluie. I had a follow-up interview for my internship (just some paper work) and then lunch with Amy.

While taking refuge from the rain I came across this very nice courtyard opening. They are quite frequent in Paris. They are always unexpected, almost like a secret hideaway and it is always a pleasure to come across one like a surprise.  Combined with the slight drizzle and my love for surprises, I couldn't stop taking pictures. I loved the lighting, very Jane Austen. However, my samsung (although I love you) could not capture the exact lighting.

Rainy days always make me reflect... to me they are just days when you sit at home, wrapped in a wool knit and think about good times, think about what you want to do, what you will do and just gather your thoughts. So as I was waiting for Amy i started reflecting on my week in Paris. First of all, I cannot believe I have already been here a week! I feel that a part of me is still stuck in Rwanda with the children and my friends. I also feel the cultural shock. Suddenly I am in this environment where I have to learn the language and also the subtle cultural nuances, which is almost like a silent understanding amongst the parisians. I think it will take me a while to just jump into the french culture and make friends, but this makes me think was I a very naive american to think that I will be able to understand french culture in a short 8 week stay, or is it a culture that takes years to master?