The eventfulness of an uneventful week

So this week was pretty calm in terms of classes and adventures, which was nice. I always feel like I am doing so much that a more relaxed week is always a positive thing.

My one class on Monday was shortened so I took that opportunity to spend the rest of the day at the Pompidou, the modern art museum. If you've read my blog, you know my feelings about art. The thing is, I love modern art because I know it has some deeper meaning, but I don't usually care what it is. Modern art is more fun to look at so I am a big fan. But please, if someone tries to tell me a shelf, a coat rack and a chair with a bowling ball on it has a deeper meaning, it's lost on me. I see a chair, a shelf and a coat rack. My favorite piece was a print by Andy Warhol because I absolutely love his work. You see what it is, you know what it is.

I don't get it...

Liz Taylor by Andy Warhol

View of some pointy thing from the Pompidou :)

Tuesday was another laid back adventure. Cara and I decided to take the short bus ride to Versailles to see the chateau de Versailles. Well let me tell you, it is definitely still tourist season here because the line was ridiculously long. And when I mean long, I'm talking loooooooooooong. I'm a patient person, but not that patient. Versailles will still be there in November and not as many tourists will be so I will go back then. 

Wednesday and Thursday were just full of classes. I met another friend Wednesday and had crepes (my sweet addiction) and talked about all the things we miss about Santa Barbara. Surprisingly, even in this amazing city, I still miss my home by the beach and all the people there. But January doesn't seem so far away..

On Thursday I learned how much I hate trying to book travel plans in a foreign language. I have enough trouble as it is trying to book things, I don't want to make it even harder on myself. It looks like the break trip to London, Dublin and Amsterdam will be all booked in the next couple days, which makes me an extremely happy camper. I'm also not a fan of loose ends. 

Ok well today I don't have class so I am going to enjoy the sunshine. It feels like summer here, even though it is almost october. Can you say global warming?

The Metro

My main form of transportation here in Paris is the lovely metro system. It literally will take you anywhere, even if you sometimes didn't want to go there. With my navigo pass in hand, the entire city is open to me. Here are some of the unique things I noticed about the metro.

1. The crowds. You wanna know how many people fit in a metro car? Imagine yourself as the big spoon and little spoon standing with two strangers you have never met and you don't really know if the smell is coming from one of them or any one of the other passengers. Oh look, more want to try and fit in your car...

2. The people asking you for money. Paris is definitely different in terms of the people who ask you to spare some change. When riding the metro, someone will always end up in your car hoping to get you to part with some of that strange change that is sitting at the bottom of your purse. One way they will try to get it is to perform for you. I have seen a singer, a saxophone player, someone with an accordion and a band. And that's only the ones I can think of from this week. You will also get the standard homeless person on your car who will ask for money. In Paris, they have a very unique way of going about this. There is a standard script that they all follow which basically asks for some money to help them eat, drink and bathe. Though this is standard, it comes out in a long rhymed soliloquy that lasts at least 2 stops. It is so elegant that it almost makes up for them asking me for money again.

3. No eye contact or smiling. EVER. This seems to give people the idea that you want to talk to them and have them try and hit on you. So basically you pick a spot on the ceiling to stare at so you don't accidentally look one of the million passengers shoved in your car in the eye. And definitely don't smile. It's like saying, "Hey talk to me! I want to talk to you!" Unfortunately I have poor facial expression control and smile without knowing it sometimes. Bad news bears.

So all in all, if you ever ride the metro you will know what to expect. It is worth it to experience it, no matter what you think. Just watch your wallet!


Also, apparently people are actually reading my blog so to those of you not friends with me on facebook, here are some of the links to my photo galleries that you might be interested in. I will try and always post any new albums so you can check them out!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150296158795772.357747.829255771&l=8630cdc49b&type=1

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150285859640772.354832.829255771&l=e3368119e7&type=1

Rouen and Giverny

Okay so this weekend I got to take a day trip to Rouen and Giverny, not too far from Paris. The trip started out pretty interesting: our bus got hit by a vespa at place de la Bastille. Needless to say somebody had had a little bit too much fun on friday night and didnt quite sleep it off before vespa-ing (which is now a word) around Paris. There was lots of yelling in French followed by police and fire coming to the scene. All in all, we only left 45 minutes late.

Rouen has an interesting history. It is home to France's tallest cathedral spire, which survived the bombing during WWII without too much damage. An entire has been reconstructed but considering that, it has definitely survived the test of time. It is a beautiful cathedral which is easy to find from anywhere in Rouen. Not far from the cathedral is the spot where Joan of Arc was tried as well as the spot where she was burned at the stake. Though the girl was kind of crazy, she accomplished more before she was 20 than I did, so therefore she is a badass in my books.

looking at the cathedral from where Joan's trial took place

From Rouen we traveled to Giverny, home to painter Claude Monet. We got to visit his house and gardens, where he painted many of his most famous paintings, including the water lilies. Touring his garden was like a dream. I have never seen so many beautiful colors in one place! And the lily pond was incredible. Somehow even surrounded by tourists, it felt like a tropical oasis. I can understand why he wanted to live there so badly. His house itself was even full of color, each room painted in a different hue.

Part of Monet's house

The most beautiful pond in the world

It was really nice to get out of the city for a while, but it was definitely a nice treat to get to ride in the bus along the Seine on our way back passing the mini Statue of Liberty, the bridge from Inception and the Eiffel Tower. I then got dinner with a friend before making my way to la Grande Arche for a fireworks and light show to the words of Le Petit Prince. Magical. It was such an amazing experience. The mom in my homestay can't figure out how I find so many fireworks in Paris. Obviously she doesn't know me that well

So now that I've quickly updated about my weekend, I need to go to sleep because I have a french test tomorrow. Proof that its not all fun and games here in Paris. 

The Art of Paris

So today I didn't have any classes and decided to go to Musee D'Orsay with just me and my iPod. This museum  houses some seriously famous art, including many of Monet's works as well as Van Gogh's self portrait. Getting into the museum for free was a serious perk because I didn't feel the need to see absolutely everything or try and "get my money's worth."

Degas sculpture. Favorite piece in the museum,
but I did not take this picture because they told me
not to :(

The museum seemed very crowded, especially around the more popular pieces, which made me feel a little claustrophobic in the small dark rooms that the paintings are kept in. I also noticed how little of the art I actually liked. No, I am not saying it is bad art, it just did not speak to me in any way. I had that feeling of, "oh another painting of people in dresses." It really made me think of what each person thinks of as art and how many different kinds of art there are in this amazing city.

The art of the perfect croissant: I can say I have tried many croissants in the pursuit of the perfect one with the right amount of butter and flaky-ness. Bakers here take a lot of pride in their work and what they serve to the public. Every one says they have the best baguette in all of Paris. There is an art form to baked goods that I have never seen anywhere else.

The art of taking people's money: Pick pocketing is extremely common in Paris and there are even schools on the outskirts of Paris that teach it to young children who then go out and try their new tricks on unsuspecting tourists. This art has led to another art- the art of protecting your wallet without making yourself look like a tourist.

The art of love: It is the city of love, and Paris takes this very seriously. You can't hide from love here, it's everywhere-on the metro, on the sidewalk, at the cafes. Love is in the air and its in the streets and its on the brain. Even on the bridge Pont Des Arts there is love. People come to affix the bridge with locks inscribed with their name and their amours name. It is supposed to symbolize that your love for each other is locked and will never stop. The bridge has become its own piece of functional art that I find quite nice.

Just a few of the many locks on Pont Des Arts

I may not be an art major, but I know what art is for me in Paris, it is going to the boulangerie, ordering pain au chocolat and sitting somewhere with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower+The Seine=pure magic

What do you consider to be art?

The one with the really long weekend.

This weekend has seemed like the longest weekend in the entire world. It started thursday night, which meant meeting up with friends at a restaurant I love. Ended up at said restaurant until 2:30 in the morning. Start of a great weekend.

On Friday I finally got to see the one thing I've wanted to see for a long time: The catacombs. They are so amazingly detailed and beautiful that it is sometimes hard to remember that every bone that makes up the walls once belonged to someone. Every skull was specially placed in the pattern, but long ago it was someone's head. Tres bizarre. I absolutely loved the catacombs and will for sure be going back again, as I get in free with my student card.

My new boyfriend.

Friday night was my friends birthday so we decided to go to this boat party we saw online. It sounded awesome, a boat on the Seine at night. Then we found out the boat didn't move and I wasn't as excited. Then we got there and they wouldn't let us in so I was even less excited. We ended up at a really cool Australian bar which was amazing! So much fun! Ended up dancing until 4:30 when they closed and caught the first metro home at 5:30. 

So basically I fell asleep at 6 and didn't wake up until 1 and didn't leave my room until 2:30 on saturday. My homestay family basically thinks I'm super lazy or super trashy (not quite sure) but I have decided I am neither. I'm a rockstar. The problem with being a rockstar is that when you wake up that late, it is basically already time to figure out dinner.

Cara and I met a friend for fondue at this awesome place in Montmartre where the menu has two options and they serve your wine in baby bottles. It was awesome. I absolutely adore this place. We decided to go somewhere else for dessert, stayed until after the metro closed and failed at getting a cab. This ended up meaning getting home at 4 after finding and riding the night bus. Rockstars.

Slept in again (sorry I'm not sorry host family) and spent today searching the many streets of Paris for Dr. Pepper. Now I have to do homework because even rockstars have tests monday morning.

No Pictures...

Hokay so (hokay is one of the many things Cara says that has rubbed off on me) today was the first week of my classes that weren't french. I know! I've been here over 3 weeks and this is my first week of the classes I picked. My schedule is pretty easy too, which is great and gives me lots of free time to do fun things!

On mondays I have to get up disgustingly early to catch the metro to school for my 9:00 french class.The good news is this is my only class today. The bad news is that its super early. I usually end up eating lunch at the restaurante universitaire which is delicious! and cheap too which is great.

Tuesdays are class free!! This tuesday that meant buying tickets to Brussels and Dijon and hanging out with Cara , who also doesn't have class. I love getting to explore different parts of the city every day. Tuesdays are perfect for this, where I have nowhere to be except exploring.

Wednesdays are French in the morning, which isnt as bad the second day, and histories of Paris in the afternoon. My histories of Paris teacher is awesome. She kind of reminds me of a cat because she seems to like to curl up and sit on top of the desk at the front. She knows so much about everything and I am always engaged in her class, so I am excited to keep learning about all the places I have been visiting.

More French on thursdays and the excursion for history too. With the excursions we get to see all of the things that the professor is talking about. I love being somewhere with that much history! We didn't have an excursion this week, which is fine by me because it will be followed every week by my French Media class, which is 3 hours long. The French Media professor is a cross between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards with a french-ish accent. He is awesome and kind of crazy, which I love. So far the class hasn't been interesting but I think it will get there.

So Thursday night is the start of my weekend and tonight I'm going out with friends. Bonne Nuit!!

Weekend!

So it's finally the weekend which means I am finished with French Practicum! no more 3 hour french classes every morning! After our final yesterday, me and a few other girls went to Laduree, where the macaron was invented. All I can say is YUM! I may or may not have bought a box of 8 and may or may not have had any left after we ate. They were delicious! We ate them on the steps of this really neat building facing the spot where Marie Antoinette was executed. Morbid, but also neat.

After Laduree, we had a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower. I have decided that the Eiffel Tower is my favorite thing in all of the world. Once it gets dark, they make it all sparkly on the hour for 5 minutes. I get excited every time, even though I know what's coming. We had wine, cheese and baguettes and everything was wonderful. There is nothing I love more than good food, good company and the Eiffel Tower.

Sparkly!

Today Cara and I got to explore more of St. Germain, my favorite part of Paris. It was beautiful and amazing. we saw Diane Kruger at the Monoprix, and yes I was a little starstruck but totally kept my cool :) We then had lunch at Cafe de Flore, which used to be famous for its customers, which included Camus and Picasso. It is still famous for its hot chocolate, which I tried out. Best. Hot Chocolate. EVER! It was like a melted chocolate bar but not too thick or too runny.

I later explored more of St. Germain by myself. It is amazing how everything in Paris seems so far apart but ends up so close together. I tried to get lost in St. Germain and ended up back at Notre Dame. By then I was exhausted and far too hot as it was like 90 degrees here today. Maybe I'll get more exploring in soon.

The City of Love

Being on the metro all the time without listening to my music (Jim says we must "listen to the sounds of the city") has given me a lot of time to reflect and to think about everything. Paris in general has made me think a lot. And due to all this thinking, I have come to a conclusion about myself: I long for a world that no longer exists.

Paris, in my opinion, is the most romantic place in the world. Everything about this city screams love. From the two gazing longingly at each other on the metro to all the stories of people who fell in love in this incredible city. I miss the days when people worked to show how much they loved someone. Flowers could be given to say "I was thinking of you" rather than just as "I'm sorry." Long phone calls have been replaced by texts with winky faces. Random hook ups weren't just a sign of indecision. 

I miss a time when music meant Edith Piaf and Frank Sinatra, not Ke$ha and Miley Cyrus. Movie stars were famous for their class rather than infamous for whatever scandal they were causing. Bad publicity was being seen twice in the same dress, not having naked pictures you took on your phone being released to the public. I feel like the class of the past has disappeared almost completely from today. 

And what happened to letters? I remember as a kid I mailed myself a letter to see if I would get it (nobody ever said I was a smart child). I am back to that mindset where I almost want to send myself a letter just to remember what it feels like to receive one. I have been writing postcards and letters to friends because it just seems more fitting in Paris than to send someone an email.

I feel like a lot of the class missing from the world has been absorbed my some of the old parts of Paris. Montmartre, St. Germain and parts of Latin Quarter help bring me back to this time that seems to have disappeared from life in America. Maybe someday it will come back. But until then, you can be expecting anything I have to say to you to end up in your mailbox :)

L'Opera Garnier.

So today may have been the most awesome day ever. Our excursion today was to L'Opera Garnier. You may think "whoopie, an opera house." I think "YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!! Phantom of the Opera!" Okay so maybe everyone on the metro didn't want to hear how excited I was about going to the Opera House, but I just couldn't hold it in.

For those of you who aren't giant nerds and don't already know this, L'Opera Garnier was commissioned by Napoleon to be made by Charles Garnier and was to become the main Opera House of Paris. Unfortunately for that little guy, he died in exile before his masterpiece was ever finished. There is no other way to describe this building than as a masterpiece. Everything in it is so ornate and detailed that many took to calling it Le Palais Garnier (because it was so much like a palace rather than an opera house.

See what I mean?

So this place is pretty epic just in its beauty, but it also has a very interesting history. It was not uncommon for people to go to the opera but never watch the show. They were far more interested in watching each other. It was gossip central: who was with who? Who was wearing what? Those Parisians gossiped more than Perez Hilton! One year the chandelier fell into the audience and killed one person which is what started the idea for the book, Phantom of the Opera. The opera house even has an underground reservoir, not unlike the underground lake in the book. Fun fact that only Kirsten cares about: Audrey Hepburn also walked down the stairs in the film Funny Face. So basically this was the most amazing thing to get to see today.

Audrey stood here!

So it may seem like all I do in Paris is eat, shop, walk, and eat but I really get to see some of the coolest history that is here! Who knows what I'll see tomorrow.

Two Weeks In

So my blogging has gotten much more sporadic. School is going really well. We just have french classes right now with excursions in the afternoon. I'm glad to get the practice with my french, but I still have problems. I have realized why I can read and write in French but I have an extremely hard time listening and speaking: I learned french in english. It made me think about how much some language programs need to change. If a kid takes french in high school but only ever learns to read and write it, they will never truly learn the language. My homestay family is trying to help so I hope that I get better at french for sure.

Studying at the Eiffel Tower

Today is my lazy day. I haven't gone to a museum or gone shopping or walked anywhere. All this walking is making me so exhausted that I think I need a day just to recover. I need to keep reminding myself that there is still tomorrow. I don't need to pack everything into one day. I do need to start planning my trips that I want to take. I really want to go to London, Rome and Venice. Those are my big three. There are super cheap flights around Europe so I am for sure gonna make it happen.

A Street in Belleville

So one of our excursions was to Belleville, a neighborhood in Paris. There is a street there where street art is allowed by the police, unlike the rest of Paris. We met an artist on the street there who explained to us how the street art will change overnight as new artists paint over what was put there the day before. Unfortunately the street may soon be closed down. The housing on this street is not up to code so the police want everyone to move out. It is sad to think that someday this street will not be there.