Well I've closed my eyes, walked slower, breathed deeper, and listened intently.
Which means I interrupted some Parisian strutting, got a lung full of glorious pollution / cigarette smoke, and heard some unpolite words. But, I'm still overwhelmed, and terribly sad, that I'm leaving Paris in 4 hours.
Spring Break anyone? :)
See ya soon!
Love from Paris, for the last time this trip,
g
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
reality bites
I've been all weepy and sentimental about Paris for a decent amount of time but these past few days have really been difficult. I think maybe it's just something that happens to all study abroaders - sadness about leaving the friends, the good times, the home away from home - the reality is, nobody I know is ready to close this chapter in their lives. One of my friends has even been here for 7 months and she is as heartbroken to leave Paris as the rest of us. In the past few weeks I've gotten really close to these girls and while one had left on Tuesday, the realization that I would actually be alone today was really hard. Last night was definitely the Minnesota long goodbye though, we just couldn't do it.
Deciding what has been the most rewarding part of study abroad is going to take me forever? if it's even possible. There are so many changes I've made that I am proud of, so many amazing friends and even more amazing memories with them, so many experiences that will affect me forever. Study abroad has been an like a life overhaul or something for me. It's been strange, but in a very very good way.
I am really in shock that tomorrow is already Saturday. I leave in no time at all. Oh it's just so strange...
Deciding what has been the most rewarding part of study abroad is going to take me forever? if it's even possible. There are so many changes I've made that I am proud of, so many amazing friends and even more amazing memories with them, so many experiences that will affect me forever. Study abroad has been an like a life overhaul or something for me. It's been strange, but in a very very good way.
I am really in shock that tomorrow is already Saturday. I leave in no time at all. Oh it's just so strange...
Monday, December 17, 2007
en fin...
Exactly one week from the moment that I am typing these words I will be 7 hours 38 minutes away from home. Which would put me somewhere over .... Oh who knows. I won't even make it past factoring in all the delays I'm sure to have. Well anyway my point is..... " AH! Where's all the time gone." I think I'll save some of these stories of goings on over the past week or so for when I get home because well, I think there won't be anybody with any questions for me when I get home!? Sadness.
Oh by the way, anyone want to be a proofreader for me? Mom doesn't want to do it. It's a pretty killer paper. What's it about? Oh just a little something I threw together on the iconography found within the three portals of the occidental façcade of Notre Dame de Paris. No big. Oh and I suppose basic french would help.
Oh my Sorbonne stories will surely last a lifetime. :)
This time tomorrow, I'll be done!
Crazy love from the Sorbonne,
g
Oh by the way, anyone want to be a proofreader for me? Mom doesn't want to do it. It's a pretty killer paper. What's it about? Oh just a little something I threw together on the iconography found within the three portals of the occidental façcade of Notre Dame de Paris. No big. Oh and I suppose basic french would help.
Oh my Sorbonne stories will surely last a lifetime. :)
This time tomorrow, I'll be done!
Crazy love from the Sorbonne,
g
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Guess what today was!?
It was another day of transportation strikes! Yay!
Except when I got to Gare du Nord this morning to figure out the best route to school, I found my normal mode of transport, RER B, running normally without issue. In fact, when I got on, I got a seat! Which is indeed a rarity. Normally I have to fight for the right to stumble around in between the groups of seats so that I can have a shot at getting a seat when somebody gets off at another stop. Which usually doesn't happen or if it does, I get one at Port Royal which is approximately 2 minutes to my stop at Denfert. Well anyway, point is that not only did I have no trouble getting to school, I arrived there early, and in comfort. Apparently, RATP, decided not to really truly strike. Everything is running at 80% or so which is basically just the equivalent of a Sunday schedule.
Unfortunately it looks like the SNCF [ the railway] and AirFrance workers are going on strike again next week. On the 20th. Needless to say we have some pretty upset people at school, since that's the day everyone leaves. It'll just be a nice going away present for them. Also about 50 times less stressful than the issues I'm already having with my trek home. We'llll see.
It's been really ugly here lately. It's too warm to snow, usually in the high 30s/low 40s, so it has been raining all day every day. That's great because I need to stay in an get stuff done but I usually just end up reading my book and napping haha Not the kind of productiveness I need right now. Although the Sorbonne isn't helping me out much, my class was cancelled again yesterday for the 3rd week in a row. Which means I'll have missed the last 5 weeks [I can't go next week because I have a final]. Which is pretty ridiculous. Oh the french school system is just so glorious.
I was supposed to go to a christmas market with Camille's mom tonight but we cancelled because of the greves haha. Oops. We are going on Friday though so hopefully it will be a fun time. Until then, homework homework homework. :)
Love from gloomy Paris,
g
Except when I got to Gare du Nord this morning to figure out the best route to school, I found my normal mode of transport, RER B, running normally without issue. In fact, when I got on, I got a seat! Which is indeed a rarity. Normally I have to fight for the right to stumble around in between the groups of seats so that I can have a shot at getting a seat when somebody gets off at another stop. Which usually doesn't happen or if it does, I get one at Port Royal which is approximately 2 minutes to my stop at Denfert. Well anyway, point is that not only did I have no trouble getting to school, I arrived there early, and in comfort. Apparently, RATP, decided not to really truly strike. Everything is running at 80% or so which is basically just the equivalent of a Sunday schedule.
Unfortunately it looks like the SNCF [ the railway] and AirFrance workers are going on strike again next week. On the 20th. Needless to say we have some pretty upset people at school, since that's the day everyone leaves. It'll just be a nice going away present for them. Also about 50 times less stressful than the issues I'm already having with my trek home. We'llll see.
It's been really ugly here lately. It's too warm to snow, usually in the high 30s/low 40s, so it has been raining all day every day. That's great because I need to stay in an get stuff done but I usually just end up reading my book and napping haha Not the kind of productiveness I need right now. Although the Sorbonne isn't helping me out much, my class was cancelled again yesterday for the 3rd week in a row. Which means I'll have missed the last 5 weeks [I can't go next week because I have a final]. Which is pretty ridiculous. Oh the french school system is just so glorious.
I was supposed to go to a christmas market with Camille's mom tonight but we cancelled because of the greves haha. Oops. We are going on Friday though so hopefully it will be a fun time. Until then, homework homework homework. :)
Love from gloomy Paris,
g
Monday, December 3, 2007
Time Flies
I only have 3 more weeks!
Most days I can't even decide if that's too long or too short though so I'm trying to forget about it. Unfortunately this "Returning to America" countdown corresponds with a slightly less important but apparently more celebrated event. As I see my local florist stock an increasing number of christmas shrubs [ which unfortunately does not have a nice little path running down the middle ] and make trips to newly adorned Paris landmarks ... I'm reminded that 21 days from now I'll be back behind the wheel, playing in the snow with Nala, and watching some real TV shows on a real TV screen with the family! ... Ah but to be so far away from Camembert, legal consumption of amazing wines, and well ... Europe [ which is probably the saddest part ... just behind not having camembert ]. I'm even hesitant to trade my pre-metro walk for pre-driving windshield scraping - and I think I'd rather be smashed against smelly frenchmen than stuck in traffic on 36.
Ah but I don't have any time to be sentimental, 3 weeks to departure means 2 weeks to final exams - and believe you me, I gots stuff to do. Unfortunately the whole, "Write these immensely simple papers in french while you're at it" thing doesn't keep me from procrastinating. I think it actually makes it worse. I may be able to whip out 7 page papers on International Political Theory overnight but add in the extra step of manual spell / syntax check and it's just not possible.
Anyway, I haven't been up to anything interesting lately because of all these school issues. It was fun to talk to everyone on Thanksgiving - I hope everyone had fun at my house without me :*(. haha Well anyway I went to Rome so ... yeah ... jealous? I can guarantee not as jealous as I am of missing cream corn and wild rice and stuffing and mashed potatoes and turkey and ....
I put my pictures up! Enjoy! :)
[ Florence and Pisa ]
http://minnesota.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173219&l=1bc40&id=16916077
[ Rome : Part 1 ]
http://minnesota.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173250&l=93e53&id=16916077
[ Rome : Part 2 ]
http://minnesota.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173306&l=51a23&id=16916077
Love from A Very Noël-y Paris :)
g
Most days I can't even decide if that's too long or too short though so I'm trying to forget about it. Unfortunately this "Returning to America" countdown corresponds with a slightly less important but apparently more celebrated event. As I see my local florist stock an increasing number of christmas shrubs [ which unfortunately does not have a nice little path running down the middle ] and make trips to newly adorned Paris landmarks ... I'm reminded that 21 days from now I'll be back behind the wheel, playing in the snow with Nala, and watching some real TV shows on a real TV screen with the family! ... Ah but to be so far away from Camembert, legal consumption of amazing wines, and well ... Europe [ which is probably the saddest part ... just behind not having camembert ]. I'm even hesitant to trade my pre-metro walk for pre-driving windshield scraping - and I think I'd rather be smashed against smelly frenchmen than stuck in traffic on 36.
Ah but I don't have any time to be sentimental, 3 weeks to departure means 2 weeks to final exams - and believe you me, I gots stuff to do. Unfortunately the whole, "Write these immensely simple papers in french while you're at it" thing doesn't keep me from procrastinating. I think it actually makes it worse. I may be able to whip out 7 page papers on International Political Theory overnight but add in the extra step of manual spell / syntax check and it's just not possible.
Anyway, I haven't been up to anything interesting lately because of all these school issues. It was fun to talk to everyone on Thanksgiving - I hope everyone had fun at my house without me :*(. haha Well anyway I went to Rome so ... yeah ... jealous? I can guarantee not as jealous as I am of missing cream corn and wild rice and stuffing and mashed potatoes and turkey and ....
I put my pictures up! Enjoy! :)
[ Florence and Pisa ]
http://minnesota.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173219&l=1bc40&id=16916077
[ Rome : Part 1 ]
http://minnesota.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173250&l=93e53&id=16916077
[ Rome : Part 2 ]
http://minnesota.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173306&l=51a23&id=16916077
Love from A Very Noël-y Paris :)
g
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Study Abroad Thanksgiving
This thanksgiving I'm thankful for a few things [ let's see how this goes ]:
1. I'm thankful for McDonald's being everywhere I look because when it comes down to it, that McChicken sandwich will never taste good back home no matter how hard I try to enjoy it. Also because I feel like McDonald's is a born-and-raised American all the way but when it got sidetracked studying abroad in college and never went back home. MacDo is a global citizen and so I can go there guilt free or at least balance out the guilt with a nutella crêpe down the road.
2. I'm thankful for Fanpop, because without it ... I would have free time.
3. I'm thankful for RyanAir and its commitment to low cost airfare and that it's taking me away to avoid dealing with missing my favorite holiday by drowning it in Renaissance art / architecture, pasta, and gelato. Furthermore, I'm thankful everytime we touch down.
4. Finally, I'm thankful for everyone's emails / mail / blog comments / "Hi"s! Keep 'em coming, they're my favorite!
love and thanks from paris and florence!
g
1. I'm thankful for McDonald's being everywhere I look because when it comes down to it, that McChicken sandwich will never taste good back home no matter how hard I try to enjoy it. Also because I feel like McDonald's is a born-and-raised American all the way but when it got sidetracked studying abroad in college and never went back home. MacDo is a global citizen and so I can go there guilt free or at least balance out the guilt with a nutella crêpe down the road.
2. I'm thankful for Fanpop, because without it ... I would have free time.
3. I'm thankful for RyanAir and its commitment to low cost airfare and that it's taking me away to avoid dealing with missing my favorite holiday by drowning it in Renaissance art / architecture, pasta, and gelato. Furthermore, I'm thankful everytime we touch down.
4. Finally, I'm thankful for everyone's emails / mail / blog comments / "Hi"s! Keep 'em coming, they're my favorite!
love and thanks from paris and florence!
g
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I have to walk 20 miles uphill to school ... both ways!
Does anyone share in my frustration with the strikes? Maybe my excessive posts on the subject with emote this anger...
Here in Paris it's day .... who knows ... and the metro / bus / train situation seems to be getting worse. I decided to forgo any attempt at dealing with being mashed between doors and smelly frenchmen. I took my chances with the sidewalks and walked my way across town. Walking really isn't the issue and the time is not as bad as it could be - the problem with walking to school is the fact that I'm exhausted before I even set out and end up slowing down to a stroll by the time I hit Chatlet [ oh about 45 minutes into my commute ]. By the time I got to Luxembourg Gardens [ about 1 hour 15 minutes ] I was swaying like a drunkard trying to stay awake until I at least made it to the sanctuary of the boulangerie with the amazing Pain au Chocolats by school. Somehow I managed to make it in 1 hour 45 minutes which was well under the time I allowed and I found myself excessively early again with nothing to do. At least I worked off the entire block of camembert that I ate yesterday for lunch [ I'm addicted - send me to rehab ]. I got my breakfast and went to the metro station to get myself a newspaper [ in the mornings there are free newspapers and I always get Metro if only for the sudoku... ] but apparently the newspaper people are on strike?
Actually, apparently, everyone is on strike now. Everyone being on strike works out for me in that the combined student strikes and [ newly commenced ] teachers strikes mean that my Sorbonne class is cancelled. So we have the teachers and students, transportation and now today civil servants and airline workers are going on strike. This spells problems for a lot of people at my school who are awaiting family and friends who are unlucky enough to be traveling via Air France - who are all going on strike.
On top of all this, the weather is terrible. It's freezing and it's rainy - two issues I failed to prepare for this morning due to laundry issues and the fact that I shut my curtains at night because they drown out the light absolutely - one should always look outside before venturing into the unkown.
Hopefully these french people get it together soon - I miss loving the metro.
Here in Paris it's day .... who knows ... and the metro / bus / train situation seems to be getting worse. I decided to forgo any attempt at dealing with being mashed between doors and smelly frenchmen. I took my chances with the sidewalks and walked my way across town. Walking really isn't the issue and the time is not as bad as it could be - the problem with walking to school is the fact that I'm exhausted before I even set out and end up slowing down to a stroll by the time I hit Chatlet [ oh about 45 minutes into my commute ]. By the time I got to Luxembourg Gardens [ about 1 hour 15 minutes ] I was swaying like a drunkard trying to stay awake until I at least made it to the sanctuary of the boulangerie with the amazing Pain au Chocolats by school. Somehow I managed to make it in 1 hour 45 minutes which was well under the time I allowed and I found myself excessively early again with nothing to do. At least I worked off the entire block of camembert that I ate yesterday for lunch [ I'm addicted - send me to rehab ]. I got my breakfast and went to the metro station to get myself a newspaper [ in the mornings there are free newspapers and I always get Metro if only for the sudoku... ] but apparently the newspaper people are on strike?
Actually, apparently, everyone is on strike now. Everyone being on strike works out for me in that the combined student strikes and [ newly commenced ] teachers strikes mean that my Sorbonne class is cancelled. So we have the teachers and students, transportation and now today civil servants and airline workers are going on strike. This spells problems for a lot of people at my school who are awaiting family and friends who are unlucky enough to be traveling via Air France - who are all going on strike.
On top of all this, the weather is terrible. It's freezing and it's rainy - two issues I failed to prepare for this morning due to laundry issues and the fact that I shut my curtains at night because they drown out the light absolutely - one should always look outside before venturing into the unkown.
Hopefully these french people get it together soon - I miss loving the metro.
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