You're not French?!

Day 4: "This way to Jim!"*

Starting to feel a little less like a tourist, and more like a local. Had lunch on the front steps of a nearby museum and our group of four was mistaken for local Parisians three times, as we ate our sandwiches of French baguettes and people-watched. Two of the three people who stopped by were foreigners who needed directions, and we failed miserably at helping them because we didn't know the area very well yet, but it was still so amazing to fit in so well that passersby didn't hesitate to approach us for info in French.

At Pere Lachaise Cemetery, in front of Oscar Wilde's grave

After classes, visited the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery in the afternoon, an iconic resting place of Chopin, Jim Morrison, and, my ultimate favorite, Oscar Wilde (as depicted in Paris, je t'aime). On the way back, smushed like sardines on the metro, there was a group of elderly American ladies behind me on the train. For most of the ride, I was just listening to their horrible pronunciations of Parisian places, not turning or making eye contact with anyone around me (as true Parisians are not supposed to do so). From hearing their conversations, I could tell that these American women not only had an embarrassing grasp of the French language, but also had absolutely no idea how to get to their intended destination, Notre Dame. So, right before my stop, I turned and started showing them what line they needed to take - they were so surprised (and soon very grateful) that I spoke English.

*A chalking on an unmarked grave in Pere Lachaise cemetery.