My happy bubble

It always happens. Winter gives me the blues, I grow weary of mundane gray skies and the gloomy blank stares of passersby. Then spring comes, and I fall back in love with Paris. Spring came twice this year. This morning I went for a jog with someone special along the Champ de Mars behind the Eiffel Tower. The fog hung low in the sky creating a surreal bubble around the park. The trees and flowers were in full bloom, and I couldn't help but think that this was a perfect moment.

(Have to give credit where credit's due. The photo is from dailydolores' photostream on flickr.com.)

Paris is burning

I'm back in Paris after a week in Berlin and I'm still in vacation mode. The music video and photos above are supposed to inspire you to faire la fête (since there's a special event coming up this week). Socks don't inspire you? Well, to each his own. Be sure to check out the link below for photos from my trip to Berlin. I've added quite a few to the collection.

I have ceased to be a productive member of society

I just can't help it. I'm completely distracted because I leave tomorrow to visit one of my favorite people in the world in Berlin : Judith, my Judy. She's planned an Easter brunch despite the fact that she's Jewish. How sweet. ;) I am really excited to have a bit of vacation and not think about Sciences Po for awhile (although I'm still debating about taking along homework).

Last night I had dinner with my tutoring family in Asnières. It was beautiful outside so we had an apéro on the patio. On the way home, I decided not to get my connection at the St Lazare station and I walked the rest of the way home. I forget how close everything is in Paris. I made it home in under an hour. I walked south through the 8th past Blvd Haussmann & Madeleine, crossed the river on Pont Alexandre III and behind les Invalides. The sky was such a murky, pretty blue and the moon was almost full. It was one of those moments when I can't help but fall in love with Paris all over again, as cheesy as that sounds. Yes, I am one of the dorky Americans walking around with a dorky looking smile permanently plastered on her face; although, that may not only be due to the weather. Ohh, mysterious reference. ;)

I love velib'

I'm in such a good mood today! Stephanie convinced me to give the velib' (the bike rental system in Paris) another try, and let me tell you, it was WONDERFUL! We whizzed along the Seine from Jardin des Plantes to the Musée d'Orsay. Then we hiked around the 7th and 6th, finally settling in at Jardin du Luxembourg for a picnic. It was a bit chillier than we expected and had to use my blanket (a present/hand-me-down from Judith) to cover up with rather than sit on. It was still fantastic. I took the bike back to my place, only getting confused by one-way streets a handful of times. I just don't seem to notice those when I'm walking.

For those of you interested, here's just another reason why I love Obama:
Obama's garden

Ooooommmmmmmm

I went to my first ever meditation class today. A friend of mine is going to start offering them at a yoga studio in Paris, and he needed guinea pigs. Meditation instructors don't require licensing as yoga instructors do, so he needed to prove to the management he could run a class. It was actually pretty interesting.

I admit, I was a bit skeptical, but it turned out to be a positive experience. To give you an idea of what was running through my head while meditating, here's a brief recap:

Ok, breathe in, breathe out, clear your head. Hmmm, sigh, phrewwww, *honk* is that a truck? I wonder what it would be like to meditate in the countryside. It'd probably be even louder there, birds squaking, tractors rumbling, . . . stop thinking, ok, I can do this. exhale, inhale. . . . . . . . . . . . Ohh, did I just stop thinking? Crap, I ruined it. Ok, try again. Think about a soothing place. I am a monk living on a remote mountain,. . . . . . . . heeheehee, that's too funny, am I even supposed to visualize something? I know I'm supposed to let the thoughts flow through me, to simply observe. . . . my arm really itches. Can I scratch it? Try not to scratch it. Oh. my. god. I really want to scratch now. Maybe I can just take a peek to see if anyone's watching. Oh good, everyone has their eyes closed. *scratch scratch* Wow, I should have moisturized. My skin sounds like sandpaper! And why is my mouth so full of spit! I feel like if I tried to talk I would start drooling. Maybe that means I'm doing it right. My meditation juices are flowing. Look at me! I'm meditating! Woo! Calm down. Relax. Breathe in. . . . .. . . EXHALE EXHALE, what are you doing, you're not underwater. This meditation stuff is way more complicated than I though!

Testing out the new camera

My new favorite Japanese restaurant

Judith

Stephanie

I found a car smaller than the Smart car

Authentic Chinese food

Random thoughts . . .

. . . on working:
I've come to the conclusion that my intentions to work this evening are completely futile. I'm babysitting, so at least it's a restful evening. I'm afraid of getting worn down and falling ill just as I head back to the US. Victoria fell asleep 15 minutes after I arrived, so it's been a peaceful few hours of reflection (and chatting with Stephanie).

. . . on hot chocolate and Christmas decorations:
I went for coffee with a friend today. I love how coffee can turn into a three hour event in Paris. Of course, I think I managed to have a few two-hour coffees in Iowa City. I had a steaming hot chocolate, which was just what I needed on a miserable rainy day such as today. Afterward, we wandered about enjoying the department store Christmas decorations and trying not to get trampled by the mob swarming outside of Printemps and Galeries Lafayette.

. . . on plans for the future:
Many of the conversations I have these days focus on making career plans for the future, more precisely the uncertainty and anxiety that accompanies this grueling process. I've decided to stop worrying; it may be easier said than done.

. . . on blatant generalizations about dating:
I am concerned that my perceptions of the opposite sex have been warped by my encounters with the French. French guys don't hold back when it comes to feelings. If anything they express feelings they don't even have, just to have something to express. If a French guy is interested in you, it's usually quite clear. Other nationalities do not necessarily share this approach. They might actually take the time to get to know you (what a novel idea) before making any sort of move; unfortunately, my experiences with the French have conditioned me to think that if a guy doesn't overtly hit on you in the first 24 hours, you must be meant to remain friends. Additionally, any perception I may have had of nuance or subtlety has been completely lost.

A tale of two cities

Of course, my perception of New York is not quite as romantic as that of Woody Allen's, but I can see how Gershwin's music encapsulates the throbbing pace of the city.

The following trailer for the film Paris by Klapisch (director of L'Auberge Espagnol) is a rather accurate representation for how I see Paris right now. Spring in Paris is another story, but right now it's gray, rainy and quite depressing.

For those of you who thought all I did was study . . .

Stephanie, Elizabeth & Sarah in the Bastille area (the night I defended both Stephanie's AND Matteo's honor)

my "projet co" group for the Model UN simulations; party at Spencer's

It looks serious, but we were actually discussing the mystery of the missing scenes in the French version of Beauty and the Beast.

Stephanie, Ingunn, Judith, Elizabeth & Sarah (I was in full-on homeless mode at this point. I was lucky enough to borrow Stephanie's sweater to avoid being seen in the same outfit 3 days in a row.)
Elizabeth, Matteo & Stephanie.

Floriane, Sarah, Emilie & Gaelle at the BCBG party organized by the Sciences Po BDE

Emilie and I try not to laugh in this photo as the boy to the left trys to dance at us.

All you need is "punkin" pie

We celebrated a belated Thanksgiving this Saturday at Stephanie & Elizabeth's apartment near Bastille. The whole event was just such a treat. I was especially fond of the pumpkin pie, stuffing and sweet potatoes. (I was in charge of the garlic mashed potatoes).

Sarah & Stephanie

Clement, Elizabeth, Stephanie & Khalid

Elizabeth, Stephanie & Clemens

Spencer, Matteo & Sebastian steal Stephanie's move

I'm "installed"

I can officially say, "je suis bien installée" (I'm all settled in).

The electrician came this morning, and I have a fully functioning "chambre de bonne" (traditional servants quarters). Mine has been fully refurbished and furnished with new furniture and dishes. I also have an elevator; I'm on the 7th floor. So, I wouldn't exactly say I'm roughing it.

I've been finding all kinds of fun surprises.

First surprise - I found pillows and a comforter in the closet still in the packaging. I just had to get a duvet cover and pillow cases.

Second surprise - I went to buy sheets for my sofa bed and the man at the store told me I needed a double. I looked skeptically at the exact model of my Muji sofa bed in the store. I know things are bigger in the US, but honestly, how on earth could this be a double. A few seconds later, the man had the cushions pulled out and fashioned into a double bed. I felt silly.

Third surprise - Gifts in the microwave! My landlords are so sweet. They even bought a plastic cover for reheating dishes and a special microwave dish for steaming vegetables.



The most satisfying part of my weekend was seeing my landlord just about lose his cool with the good-for-nothing electricians. It makes me feel better that I'm not the only one to have problems with the utility companies in France. It would have been months before my electricity worked if it had been up to me, but M. Collignon (my landlord) refused to let them leave until they came up with a solution. This was the 6th time someone had come to the apartment and determined that the cable was not their responsibility. M. Collignon ended up paying for a private electrician to come by. He was quite disgusted with the whole ordeal.

New apartment!

I get electricity tomorrow (fingers crossed). Until then, I'm chillin' chez Stephanie & Elizabeth. What nice friends I have! And they have a sofa bed!

Oops. . .

I showed up Thursday with my luggage to an apartment cloaked in darkness. Turns out the electricity guys forgot one cable, and so the electricity wasn't ready. Therefore, my landlord wasn't able to install the shelves and curtains because it's kind of hard to do in the dark. I was able to drop off my bags at least, and I'm currently staying with a couple girlfriends.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the presence of mind to grab a few clothes and a toothbrush for the weekend. I remembered ALL of my homework, my laptop, and textbooks. One pair of socks? Not so much.

I'm still really happy I'm out of Christine's place. I really don't know what happened. A month ago she was sharing soup and apple compote and now she's sending me e-mails saying how she is shocked by the state in which I left the room and bathroom. I know I can be messy, but I think you guys know that I'm not the type of person to leave a mess behind in someone else's home. There certainly wasn't anything "shocking" about the room. The trash room was locked in the building so I left it in a sack next to the laundry basket with towels. Dirty towels and trash in a bag, ohhh, I'm such a pig.

I get to ACTUALLY move in and be reunited with my 4 suitcases & 2 bags of possessions on SUNDAY!!!

New neighborhood

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You must be my lucky star . . .

Life is just so great sometimes. :) So, Wednesday I was kicked to the curb. Well, I had some time to sort things out with my living situation, but it certainly wasn't a very happy atmosphere in the Cornanguer residence. I have a feeling something is going on that doesn't even involve me.

The apartment quest began with a whimper but ended with a bang. The only replies I received from my craigslist inquiries were scams to deposit money in sketchy accounts to prove my "genuine interest" in the apartment. There was one apartment that was real, but I wouldn't say it was legit. I showed up and a girl my age showed me around. Quite, ahem, below my usual standards, but I was feeling desperate. Then she introduced me to one the roomies: a 60+ year old man!!! He SLEPT ON A BED IN THE KITCHEN!!!! It was his friends place, he was subleasing, and then renting out the two closet-sized bedrooms for 630 euros/month. Creeptastic is all I have to say.

I was feeling pretty blue after the visit, and my friends really pulled through for me. My two American friends were ready to lend me their pull-out couch near Bastille for an indefinite amount of time, and 3 other friends volunteered spare beds and couches. As much as I'm ok with couch surfing, it's easier when I can live out of my car as I did in Iowa City. As it is in Paris, I have about 4 large suitcases full of stuff. It's hard to surf with baggage.

By chance I happened to lunch with a new gal pal on Friday who recommended I check out the BDE (a student organization at science po) website, and she gave me her log-on information. A phone call in the morning, a call back in the evening, a visit this afternoon and voila voilou, I have an apartment!

It's soooo pretty. The couple that owns it lives in the building and they own one of the former maids chambers on the 6th floor. If you don't know about classical French architecture, here's a brief explanation. The first floor (our 2nd floor) is the prime real estate because back in the days before elevators it was the most accessible and still elevated from the grime of the street. French Haussmannian style (named after the architect Haussmann active in the latter half of the 19th century) style usually consists of 5-7 stories, of which the last one or two stories were normally reserved for "the help". Many buildings have tiny hallways and separate entrances to access all of the floors and the uppermost floors so that the help didn't intrude in daily life.

Now these little lofts are being refurbished and turned into studios for students and artists. Access to elevators has improved (I won't have to use the service stairs) and the quality of the lodging has been upgraded in some cases (Although I've seen a few that make you wonder if you wouldn't be better off under a bridge).

My new landlady is an architect, so my apartment is immaculate. I will take pictures when I move in Thursday. I can't move in yet because they have yet to hook up the electricity, install some shelving, move in more furniture and hang curtains.

The best part of my place is the lighting. I have a skylight! I was afraid I would end up living in a cave, which makes Paris living quite depressing, but that will not be the problem at this place.

For those of you curious enough to check out my locale on Google Earth, type in Metro Segur, Paris 75007, France. I'm right next to the metro on Avenue de Suffren. The neighborhood is very residential, quite calm (from what I can tell) and about 5 min from school by metro (30 min walking). I can't wait to move in!

Crisis/Opportunity

Christine wants me to move out because her boyfriend, who doesn't even live permanently in our apartment, doesn't feel "comfortable" knowing I might show up at any time with friends (Because Sciences Po friends are sooo sketchy).

For some reason I feel like that's not really the issue.

1) Christine never established house rules, and this is the first I'm hearing of the "disruptive nature" of my friends. Rather than establishing new boundaries, she would rather just encourage me to find a new place to live.

2) I bring friends (no more than 3) over for lunch or tea during the day (1-2 times/week) when people are normally at work.

3) The two occasions when friends came over in the evening, we stayed in my room so as not to disturb Christine in the kitchen.

4) I am cleaner than Christine, I am more energy conscious than Christine (definitely not running up the bills) and I am quieter than Christine.

She said I can stay while I look for a new place, perhaps until the end of the year, but I want to get out as soon as possible. I don't want to give her any more of my money. I'm paying as much as I would for a studio in Paris and this is no longer an inhabitable environment.

Montmartre

Today in French class we talked about the financial crisis and the presidential elections in the US. It was horribly depressing. I can't even talk about it.
Fortunately, Ingunn invited me to go check out an apartment with her in Montmartre where we found the corner grocery store used in the film Amelie! Awww. Nadja joined us soon after for a bit more strolling and exploring. It never gets old.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

Today my French class went on walking tour of the neighborhood around our school. We all presented facts about different sites, and it was amazing how many historical sites I have passed dozens of times without noticing. We checked out one of the towers still standing from a wall that encircled Paris in the twelfth century. How crazy is that!?

Some other sites we stopped by include the following:

Musée National Eugène Delacroix : This painter would not have been successful in a post Janet Jackson USA. (Viola & Nadja, German)














l'Académie française - where the language police reside

La Sorbonne: famous alum include Sartre, Marie Curie and Philippe Guibal (our French professor pictured below with Zoe from China and Lieke from the Netherlands)















Just a touch of the 17th century (relatively new)

Jardin du Luxembourg: my jogging park












Café le Procope - founded in 1686, this café managed to get a thumbs-up from Benjamin Franklin (Anna - Denmark & Ingunn - Norway [my favorite from the class])

Room videos

Sneak preview:

I've moved into my new room! I just love fresh starts and the feeling of having everything organized. I will post a video of it tomorrow, but for now, I'll leave you with a preview.

My favorite part of the room: