3 Days-2 Days

Well, I am writing this on my last full day in Paris...weird. I will post about that later in the day. For now, I am going to recap my days on Saturday and Sunday.

SATURDAY:
The 29th was a day of picnics!! I had been planning to go to a picnic held by Louis and Maggie (Panda's owners) in Buttes Chaumont, the park where I used to walk Panda. By coincidence, when I was in the Marais on Friday, my friends started mentioning how there was this park they kept meaning to go to, and they wanted to have a picnic there on Saturday...turns out it was Buttes Chaumont! So I had two picnics to go to that day. Unfortunately, the weather didn't comply. It rained on and off and in general it was cool and windy out. My friends decided to go through with the picnic, though, so we chilled out, ate, and watched little French kids and French dogs running around. Louis and Maggie moved their picnic to their apartment, which meant I got to relive a little bit of my stay in Belleville! I also got to see Panda and eat more! By the time I got home, I had quite a sugar crash. A wonderful day of picnics and goodbyes.

SUNDAY:
Yesterday, I started at Place de la Concorde and Tuileries gardens. I wanted to be there, at the heart of the city, one last time. I eventually wandered over to the Musée D'Orsay. Now, keep in mind, this was a Sunday. I generally try to avoid going to museums and tourist sights on Sundays, because the lines are about a million times longer. But this was my second to last day in Paris, and it's where I wanted to go! As I approached, the entire front of the museum was covered in SWARMS of people...I had NEVER seen it so crowded. And then suddenly I remembered something. My student ID here says that I am an art history major. The people at Reid Hall did that for situations just like this. I calmly walked past the hundreds of people in line, towards the entrance for "people with reservations," a line consisting of exactly 0 people. When I got inside, I strolled past the ticket booth line, and showed the ticket-takers my student ID. I have never felt like such a VIP. It was beautiful. And it was also nice to enjoy one last trip to the Musée. Afterwards, I strolled over to Les Halles and Place Pompidou, and I watched the acrobat performing on the street there. Overall, a nice day of Parisian wandering.

4 Days

Yesterday was quite the classic Parisian day. I started by going to lunch with a few friends at L'As du Falafel, which is famously the best falafel restaurant in Paris, located in the heart of the Jewish district. You can always identify it by the line of people out the door and the bright green facade.

Then we wandered around the area and looked in lots of vintage clothes shops (usually they were way artsy and expensive). Our friend Kyle then told us about something I had never even heard of before--Berthillon, the ice cream parlour where ice cream was INVENTED! And it was in walking distance, on Ile-St.-Louis. Berthillon was also identifiable by the long line outside:

And let me just say, this ice cream was. AMAZING. Amazing. We ate it while looking out across the Seine. It was pretty darn picturesque.
Now, even though we had just gotten ice cream, my friend Rebecca and I had been planning all day on going to Laduree, the famed patisserie known for having the best macarons in Paris. Now, first of all: macarONS in Paris are not at all like macarOONS in the states. Here is a picture of Parisian macarons:

The quest for the perfect macaron is much like the quest for the perfect cupcake in New York. Laduree comes pretty close to perfect. So, we decided to go to Laduree and stock up ("for later"). We walked along the Seine, waited in line (once again), and achieved success.
At night, I saw my first-cousin-once-removed, Christopher Fleischner, for dinner at his apartment. His partner Esther was at a conference in Copenhaagen, but it was really nice talking with him about Paris, America, and family history.
To wrap up the day, I met my friends again at the Eiffel Tower, where they were camped out with champagne. There is a really nice park leading up to the Eiffel Tower where you can sit and chill, which a bunch of people were doing last night. It was the last night (again) for several people, so we made toasts, talked about our time here, and just enjoyed ourselves.

Amen to a very, very Parisian day.

5 Days

So, last night, my friends and I had a goodbye celebration in the Marais. Our friend Lily is flying back today (Friday), and the rest of us are all leaving within the next few days. We had a lovely dinner at a French-Italian restaurant, which included this AMAZING fondant de chocolat:


Afterwards, we went to a bar in the Marais and enjoyed some beer and some conversation about how weird going back home will be (in both good and bad ways). We are all pretty curious about reverse culture shock. Here's part of the group:

It was a really nice evening, and a nice way to say goodbye to some friends.

6 Days

OK, so this post is coming a day late, but as of Thursday morning, I am officially DONE DONE DONE with my schoolwork this semester!! I took my Arts in Paris final yesterday, and I sent in my Jean Renoir essay today! It hasn't quite sunk in yet, but I am going to do my best to take advantage of my FREE TIME between now and Tuesday.

For the record, this was one longgggg semester. It lasted almost five whole months, as opposed to the three and a half month schedule at Columbia.

HOORAH!

7 Days (1 Week?!?)

So I spent my day today writing the rough draft of my Jean Renoir essay and doing all of the logistical work it takes to close my French bank account, wire money to the US, etc. I know, I know, it doesn't make for very exciting blogging! BUT, it DID make me feel very productive!!! Not gonna lie, I'm kind of going to miss dealing with strangers in French, in situations like this bank account stuff. It's always a challenge that I feel like I lived up to when I can communicate successfully and accomplish what I want. It's a little pleasure that just isn't there when you're speaking in your native tongue.

I did fit in one more goodbye, when I walked through the Jardin de Luxembourg today. Tomorrow will be my last day at Reid Hall, and it's supposed to rain then, so I figured I'd better do it today. As usual, it was gorgeous.

Also, as of about ten minutes ago, there is a summer thunderstorm here in Paris! If there's one thing I love, it's a good summer thunderstorm! It's so cozy and fun (when you're inside, that is). It's supposed to rain tomorrow too, which will be fitting for my final and (hopefully) last day of essay-writing.

A demain!

8 Days

Today was supposed to be a study/essay-writing day, but this summer weather is really preventing me from being a diligent student. I decided to have my lunch at Place Pompidou, a big wide-open area in front of the Pompidou Center, where street performers and artists congregate, and where there is always a lively spirit. While I was there, I couldn't miss the opportunity to go into the Museum one last time (I can't believe I am already at the stage of "last times"--eek!). I have really developed a love for and a keen interest in modern art throughout this semester. It's one that I really want to pursue back in the US as well, though I don't know exactly how yet. Anyways, the last thing we learned about in my Arts in Paris class was the Nouveau Réalisme movement ("New Realism"), so I focused my attention on that. It will be cool going back whenever I'm next in Paris (whenever that may be), with a new perspective (hopefully) on art. Goodbye, Pompidou!

9 Days

So, I spent most of my day studying for my Arts in Paris final. But it was actually pretty relaxing and wonderful. It was summery out, so I kept my giant, Parisian windows open all day, and a cool breeze wafted in, as did sounds of a little French kid's birthday party. Additionally, Arts in Paris ended up being one of my favorite classes this semester, so studying for the final was--dare I say it--kind of enjoyable.

Later in the day, I went to a free organ concert at St. Eustache. Wasn't a huge fan of the piece, but it is always pretty dramatic to hear that pipe organ fill the cathedral. Pretty cool.

In other news, Jean Paul is moving to another apartment this summer! So he has actually started packing for that. It feels a little weird, since I haven't started packing yet...

10 days

Alright, so on Saturday, with only 10 days left in France, I went to Versailles with my friends Toni and Rebecca. I had been to Versailles twice before--once when I was 14, and once in January. In the winter, there was a wonderful exhibition on Louis XIV, but the trade-off was that we couldn't appreciate the beautiful gardens. This time around, we made full use of the grounds. First of all, there was a lovely manmade pond where we rented a boat and rowed around. Here is the view above it all:

Here are some pictures from us boating:




There was also a labyrinthine maze of tall, tall shrubbery, very à la Triwizard Tournament. I kept expecting a dragon to jump out at us at any time. Instead, we kept happening upon beautiful fountains!

Eventually, we took a wrong turn and ended up in a dramatic, peaceful grove full of elm trees! We decided to sit down and rest there for awhile (which ended up turning into a nap).



We even made our way over to the "Queen's Hamlet," aka the little country house where Marie Antoinette would go when she wanted to "get away from it all." But alas, it was 6:00pm, and the house was closed. Overall, an amazing, summery day, though, even down to the trip home: turns out our RER train was canceled, so we stayed in town and had a classy dinner, then ended up accidentally taking a train home that took only 10 minutes!! (The way out took about 40.) Anyways, with only 10 days left, I consider this a day well spent.

Finished! (Kind of...)

Hooray, so I am done with my Jean Renoir final, which means that the hardest and most stressful parts of my workload (BY FAR) are done! I still have a final and a paper, but they will be much easier. I am celebrating the end of my film classes by going out to Iron Man 2 tonight...I feel that after watching 25 Jean Renoir films this semester, as well as 12 obscure, slow-paced films from the 1970s (all of them in French, with no subtitles, mind you), I deserve an action-packed, entertaining popcorn flick. Hear that, Robert Downey Jr.? You better live up to my expectations! Please be entertaining and good-looking for the full two hours! That's all I ask.

In other news, I only have 12 days left in Paris!!! I am starting to freak out about the diminishing amount of time left. Starting Saturday (the 10-day mark), I will post every day with a description of how I am taking full advantage of my last ten days here!!!

Things That Would Make My Jean Renoir Final Easier

1) If it weren't three hours long.
2) If it weren't in French.
3) If it were pass/fail (as opposed to for an actual grade-Reid Hall is one of the only study abroad programs that does this)
4) If I had the energy to study.
5) If it weren't at 8:30 am.

ARGH. Life will be so much better starting at 11:30am tomorrow!

Whew!

I am officially done with my most crazy and stressful day! Yesterday, I had to give a presentation in my Arts in Paris class (on the way Schoenberg influenced Kandinsky), and then straight from there, I had to go take my final exam for French Cinema in the 1970s (a three-hour long essay/dissertation). On top of that, the 1970s class was BY FAR my least favorite class of the semester. A bunch of us American students took it, and basically, the teacher was just horrible and made our lives as difficult as possible. Even our tutor at Reid Hall, who is ALSO a professor at Paris VII, could hardly contain his frustration with her. But it's all done now!! I still have two finals and one paper to go, but they won't be quite as bad.

In other news, it is exactly two weeks from today that I fly home! I have very mixed feelings about it. Overall, it has been an AMAZING time here, but at this point, I am very ready to head back to the good ol' US. I have talked to my friends here about it, and most of them feel the same. It has just been a long time to be away from our home country (5 whole months!), and longer than any semester at Columbia. I miss my US friends, family, and the comforts of being in my home country. That being said, I am starting to feel pressed that I only have two more weeks to fit in whatever Parisian things I want to do!! I need to make the most of my remaining time here!

When French Food Gets Too Frenchy...

So, my friends and I have a secret getaway when we start to get tired of crêpes, quiches, baguettes, omelettes, and cheese. It's called Higuma, and it is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Paris. And in fact, it's actually a not-so-secret getaway, as the line there always stretches around the corner. Here's a pic:

They have real Japanese ramen (or "lamen," as the translation reads on the menus), yaki-soba, delicious dumplings, and every salty, noodly food imaginable. We went last night, for our last excursion there while in Paris, and we feasted like only American-study-abroad-students-in-Paris can!

The Work Factor

Boo. So I have been able to get through enormous amounts of this semester in denial of any sort of schoolwork. Sure, there was a period of time in February when I had to study for midterms, and lightyears ago in January, I was studying the French language pretty avidly for my practicum course. But ever since about March, I've been coasting on the apathy of the Parisian university system and the generosity of the teachers at Reid Hall. When my sister and friends visited, I pretended it was vacation. When I was staying in Belleville, I pretended it was vacation. When my parents visited...you can see the trend. Then, for two weeks in April, it actually WAS vacation! But now...with three weeks left to my time in la gaie Paree, I am smacked in the face with three finals, one final paper, and one final presentation. Paris, I thought we had a pact.

What's worse, all of my friends at home are DONE with their finals and starting in on SUMMER! My last final is not until May 26.

And one more thing to whine about...apparently a normal part of the Parisian annual weather cycle is that is gets much colder in May right before it heats up for summer in June. There is a word for it and everything (although I forget it and will try very hard never to learn it again). Bring back Morocco weather!

That is all. Apart from these minor annoyances, things continue to go well.

MOROCCO!

So, last weekend, my friends and I went to Marrakesh. And let me tell you. It was AMAZING. After getting to know a city for several months that is quintessentially European, it was an unbelievable experience to explore a Muslim, North African city for the first time. Here are some of my favorite things about the city:

1) The main square (Dja el-Fnaa). They say that this square is what makes Marrakesh cooler than your average Moroccon city. The action starts after dark. There are rows upon rows of outdoor restaurants, fancy orange juice stands, and spice cake stands. What's more, as the sun sets, entertainers begin to pop up around the square and attract large crowds as they play music, tell stories, charm snakes, or perform magic tricks. Others set up shop in order to sell jewelry or henna tattoos. As you walk around, it is a sensory overload of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. It is impossible to walk two steps without being addressed by a Marrakshi resident trying to sell you something, place a snake on your arm, get you to go to their restaurant, or give you directions (for a fee, of course). I have never experienced anything like it before, and I assume I never will anywhere else (not quite like this, anyways).

2) My hostel's roof. The hostel we stayed in was one of the only hostels directly in the middle of town. The old part of town mainly consists of souqs, which are basically passageways filled with vendors, that branch out from the main square. These souks redefine the word "labyrinthine," as they make no sense at all, have no names, and aren't even specified on maps! You really have to embrace getting lost. As you walk around, vendors will call out to you to get you to buy things. Apparently there are a high number of Spanish tourists, because the most frequent shout we got was, "Hola, Maria!!" Anyways, our hostel was located in the midst of this craziness, and one of the best places to hang out was the roof. There was a strange sense of tranquility, yet it still felt like the center of the world. Not to mention the Marrakshi roofscape is incredibly beautiful and makes me feel like I'm in Aladdin. Sadly, no one flew by on a magic carpet.

3)The Dutch students staying in our hostel. There was a group of about 40 of them, all in medical school together, taking a school-sponsored trip. We would always hang out and talk with them on the roof. They were the strangest people. They were all really skeptical of Moroccan culture and had the weirdest strong opinions. One time when my friend Lily stated this was her first time in Africa, a Dutch girl retorted with, "Well this isn't REAL Africa! I once spent a summer in Tanzania! That's REAL Africa!" Nevertheless, they gave us good advice on where to go and what to see. They also recommended us to the best orange juice stand in the main square--#49. When we went back, we quickly made friends with the vendor and returned every day.

4) Muslim culture. There is nothing like getting woken up at 5am every morning by a guy on a loudspeaker down the road chanting the call the prayer. We would then hear the loudspeaker four more times throughout the day. Islam permeates SO MUCH of their culture, which was interesting in so many ways. First of all, the architecture of the entire city was distinctly Muslim, and there were Mosques everywhere. Second of all, there were women in traditional Muslim dress everywhere (i.e. everything was covered except for their eyes). The entire gender dynamic was different--I thought that catcalls were worse in Paris, but they were nowhere near the level there. Most of all, it was so wonderful to see a perfectly normal, healthy, functioning city that is almost entirely Muslim. I feel like ever since 9/11, it is almost impossible to separate Islam and terrorism in our American minds, even when we know it's just a small percentage. Now, for the first time since I was 12, the first thing I will think of when I hear the word "Islam" is something other than Al Qaeda.

5) Tajine and couscous! Alright. I could not get enough. My friends and I would wake up and the first thing we would talk about was whether we would eat tajine or couscous that night for dinner. Then the debate would ensue all day. It would finally come down to the moment when we ordered. And we were never, not once, disappointed.

6) The warmth. It was in the 80s every day. We spent a large part of our days on the roof. I even kind of got a tan--which is a big accomplishment for me. On our way back to the airport, our cab driver told us we had come at the absolute best time of year. After April, it gets too hot, he said. But that weekend, the flowers were in bloom, the days were hot and the nights were cool, and there was a definite Moroccan magic in the air...