Train face: the face everyone wears on the metro and trains here in France. It is comprised of closed lips and dull eyes which sneak from window to window, reflection to reflection, blank stare to no where. Everyone wears it and if you don't you stick out. The only time its ok to wipe it off is if your cell rings or if you are in company of a friend or group of friends. Only then can your eyes light up or your lips crack even a smile. Even the people who religiously read books and magazines where train face. They crowd the RELAY vendor in the big stations to buy Vogue, Marie Claire, and other popular magazines, not to mention all the papers available.



Today I sucessfully bought my first "carte orange" for 5 zones and good for one month. I asked for it in the heart of the city since I was there saying goodbye to my friends. I put it on the carte banciare and grabbed my metro then RER. I was sopping wet from the rain in Paris. The rain comes down in large crocodile sized raindrops that thoroughly soak upon landing. My jeans were wet midway up my calf and my shoes were soaked by the time I arrived chez moi. I put on tea, lit a candle and cut out a little picture to apply to my carte orange and made it valid with my nom, prenom and address and signature. I even found a tiny metro map that I cut out and put in the plastic sleeve of my carte orange. I'm ready for Monday!



Life will begin to deroule on monday with the commencement of my classes. I'll begin speaking more and more franglais which will evolve into purer french. Already I found myself mixing french words into the sentences I was tossing at my american friends (sorry guys).



I'm praying to the Great Healer to fix my stomach from its little problems. Can't explain it....