Date: 11/29/12
Playing Hooky in the Latin Quarter
I did this walk with Kayla and Olivia, who were so very kind and did this walk a second time with me. I had been to the Latin Quarter many times (mainly to get kebab for lunch with Cori), but I hadn't officially done the walk so I figured why not? Also, my friend Jared wanted me to go check out this bakery on Rue Buci, and that happened to be on the walk. I think it was meant to be. Anyway, on this walk, you start out at the fountain at Place Saint-Michel, which is actually the first place we met up with Dr. H at the beginning of our trip! How nostalgic :) You see a historic theater, lots of art galleries, and even the place where Dr. Guillotin tested his new invention on live sheep...triste. Yes, that's the guy who invented the thing that chopped people's heads off. My favorite quote from Kayla after reading this fact: "Did they cook the sheep after or..?"
We kind of hope so, so that the sheep didn't die in vain. Does that make us terrible people? I hope not. Another part of the walk takes you along the seine where there are these long green box things set up with old books, postcards, and other tourist-y stuff. It reminds me of what it might have been like back in the old days of Paris, with artists sitting and painting along the Seine, and people selling their goods there. I don't know, it just is pretty. You have to see it I guess. I'm glad I did this walk because I learned a lot about the area that I didn't know about before, like that the Academy Francaise is there! That's the place where all the people who decide what is proper and official in the world of science and language live and work and decide important things....I obviously really know what I'm talking about. It's an important place, just trust me on this one.
Last walk journal, hooray!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Paris Walk #15
Date: 9/27/12 and 10/1/12
Of Art, War, and World's Fairs: Les Invalides, Musee Rodin, La Tour Eiffel
I did this walk with a few different people, and at different times. It's a long walk, so I chose to split it up between days. It starts at the Grand and Petit Palais, which I learned were both built for the World's Fair. I think that is so interesting, because they are extremely beautiful buildings and I had no idea they weren't around that long. I also think it's funny that these things that seem to really be "Paris" for me weren't even originally here. I visited the Petit Palais with Cori, and it has one of the prettiest doors I've ever seen. It is weird to talk about a door like that, but wait til you see the picture. This walk also includes my favorite bridge in the whole world: Pont Alexandre III. (Pont means bridge in French) It is seriously the most beautiful bridge in the world, and another thing that opened for a world's fair! Who knew. I also found out from Sydney that it is the bridge that is featured in the dramatic ending of Anastasia, one of the best movies ever. So many fun facts about this bridge. It is amazing and very memorable. On this walk you also see the Invalides, which is a very large building with a golden dome at the top. It is home to the Musee de l'armee, which houses lots of armor, weapons, and just pretty much everything to do with war. I learned that during WWI, 11% of the French population was killed or wounded from this war. It was really devastating. The walk ends at the Eiffel Tower, which we visited as a group for FHE one night. How lucky is that?! Fun fact for you: it is painted using 60 tons of paint, and it has been painted red, yellow, and now brown. I cannot even imagine a red or yellow Eiffel tower, and I'm really glad they settled on brown!! It was amazing getting to go to the top and see the amazing view of Paris.
Of Art, War, and World's Fairs: Les Invalides, Musee Rodin, La Tour Eiffel
I did this walk with a few different people, and at different times. It's a long walk, so I chose to split it up between days. It starts at the Grand and Petit Palais, which I learned were both built for the World's Fair. I think that is so interesting, because they are extremely beautiful buildings and I had no idea they weren't around that long. I also think it's funny that these things that seem to really be "Paris" for me weren't even originally here. I visited the Petit Palais with Cori, and it has one of the prettiest doors I've ever seen. It is weird to talk about a door like that, but wait til you see the picture. This walk also includes my favorite bridge in the whole world: Pont Alexandre III. (Pont means bridge in French) It is seriously the most beautiful bridge in the world, and another thing that opened for a world's fair! Who knew. I also found out from Sydney that it is the bridge that is featured in the dramatic ending of Anastasia, one of the best movies ever. So many fun facts about this bridge. It is amazing and very memorable. On this walk you also see the Invalides, which is a very large building with a golden dome at the top. It is home to the Musee de l'armee, which houses lots of armor, weapons, and just pretty much everything to do with war. I learned that during WWI, 11% of the French population was killed or wounded from this war. It was really devastating. The walk ends at the Eiffel Tower, which we visited as a group for FHE one night. How lucky is that?! Fun fact for you: it is painted using 60 tons of paint, and it has been painted red, yellow, and now brown. I cannot even imagine a red or yellow Eiffel tower, and I'm really glad they settled on brown!! It was amazing getting to go to the top and see the amazing view of Paris.
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| The Petit Palais...look at the door! |
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| Pont Alexander III |
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| Pont Alexander III |
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| One of the many spectacular views from the top of La Tour Eiffel |
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| Bonding with Nateybabes at the top! (Don't let that smile fool you...he wasn't too enthused about this photo. haha) |
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Conversations (French 311)
When talking with my host family about most of these, we wouldn't necessarily end up sticking with the suggested questions, but talked more about the topic in general. I still learned a lot from them about France and French culture.
Conversation #1: La pureté de la langue française
Date- 11/18/12
People- Caroline and Bernard Devarenne (host parents)
How it started- Random conversation at dinner
Vocab used- L'academie francaise, la dictionnaire, les mots, l'autorité
We talked mostly about the academie francaise, and how they are the people who decide what the official words, spelling, and grammar are of the French language. They determine the country's language also. They asked us if we had anything like that in the U.S., and the only thing we could think of were the people who write the dictionary. We often say things like "according to Webster's dictionary..." or even the Oxford one, which isn't even really American at all. It was interesting to both of us how different our language rules are, and the system that creates them. I wish I could have thought of more examples of who dictates our language, but I think we explained fairly well how there isn't really something like the academie francaise.
Conversation #2: L’influence américaine
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- les emissions, la musique, la radio, le satellite
We started talking about the influence of America on French culture, and it basically turned into a chat about what movies and television shows we liked. This is because there are many American TV shows that apparently play here if you have the right kind of cable. My host mom loves American shows, and not very many French shows, so I think it is pretty apparent how she feels about American influence. My host dad struggles with English, but wants to learn, so he appreciates anything American or English so that he can learn better. He listens to American radio a lot to practice his comprehension. Since this talk was at the beginning of the program, my French was not that great, so if I could have improved it would have been asking them more questions about other parts of America's influence.
Conversation #3: L’Eglise des Saints des derniers jour en France
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- l'Eglise de Jésus-Christ des saints des derniers jours, l’Eglise catholique, une norme culturelle, les temples, les ordinances
Our host family is Catholic, so we often talk about the differences between our church and the Catholic church, or just the Catholic church in general. This time, the thing that started our whole conversation (besides Mitt Romney) was the wedding of their daughter, Aude. She recently got married, and they had a nice ceremony in a Catholic church, but said they preferred American weddings because it was much less serious and more fun. They then asked about our church and how we get married. It was a very complicated conversation, and I wish I knew more church vocabulary, but we did our best to explain temples to them. We tried to explain how not everyone can go in, how you have to be worthy, and how you do special ordinances there. We attempted to explain baptisms for the dead, and I guess we did an okay job because they didn't look at us like we were crazy. We also told them about how they are trying to build a temple in Paris, and they thought it was pretty cool.
Conversation #4: Health Care
Date- 10/29/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- la sécurité sociale, un médecin, un hôpital
With the American election on the news, and all the stuff about Obamacare being talked about, we naturally ended up talking about Health Care. Our host parents explained to us how healthcare works in France, and how it is essentially the same thing as Obamacare. It is provided by the government. They, however, don't really like it, because it is hard to get into hospitals and get taken care of. They don't really think it is a good idea. We talked about what health care is like in America, too, and politely gave our opinions on it. They often like to ask our opinion on political subjects, but we try to avoid it like Dr. H told us to do. If I could have improved, I would have done a little more research about health care because I realized that I don't know as much as I thought I did.
Conversation #5: Les fêtes nationales
Date- 10/28/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Halloween
Vocab used- la fête nationale, une fête religieuse, une tradition familiale
We talked about national holidays right before Halloween, since it was approaching and there isn't such a thing as Halloween in France. They did say that the French people and especially the young adults our age, like to celebrate Halloween more and more like America every year because it is fun, but it technically is not a holiday. We also talked about Thanksgiving, because that was coming up, and what we normally did for that, since Thanksgiving is also not a French holiday. We told them about our traditions and who we ate our big meals with, also what kind of food we ate. They told us about the religious holidays that they have, which include All-Saints Day and Christmas, but they don't have nearly as many as we do. I think that is a little sad, because I really love holidays.
Conversation #6: L’éducation
Date- 10/23/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- les grandes écoles, une université, le collège, le bac, une bourse
I learned so much from this conversation, and it even gave me a glimpse into the socialistic aspects of France that I didn't really understand before. We started talking about universities, and BYU and how much tuition costs, and that basically got them talking about the educational system in France. I learned that going to university in France is free, except for the cost of books, supplies, etc. The government pays for your education. This was amazing to me, especially because I thought that BYU was pretty cheap. They explained how that was just the regular university though, and if you wanted to go to a specialty school, such as a school for medicine or engineering (les grandes ecoles), it was very expensive. It was about as expensive as some of the major universities in the U.S. like Stanford or UCLA. Considering I don't want to go into medicine or engineering, I think it would probably benefit me to go to school in France because it is free. That is one part of the government paying for things that I would really appreciate.
Conversation #7: L’acualité
Date- 10/30/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Upcoming American election
Vocab used- une opinion, la politique, un événement
The election for the president of the U.S. was coming up soon, and apparently it was being discussed on French news shows as well. I think our host parents asked us about it more than anyone at home did. They always wanted to know our opinions, and did not hesitate to tell us they really liked Mitt Romney. I think French people really keep up with current events more than Americans, but that could also just be because they are older. They probably watch a lot more news than I do, so this could be a very unfair judgement. We also talked about voting, if we were going to vote, and the difference between voting systems in America and France. They didn't understand electoral college, and I didn't have the vocabulary to explain it to them, so that was kind of a lost cause to explain. It also just doesn't make sense as a system anyway, so I don't blame them for being confused.
Conversation #8: La religion et l’éducation
Date- 11/12/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- la liberté, chrétien, Catholique, l'eglise
Our host mom is a math teacher, and so she often talks about her school and her students. She teaches at a Catholic school, so her views on education and religion are pretty obvious- she doesn't mind the two combining. This led us to talking about BYU and how that is also a religious school, and a private school. We explained how you don't have to be Mormon to go there, but that you have to attend some sort of religious center based on your religion, and you have to get an ecclesiastical endorsement. She understood this because she teaches at a Catholic school, and while you don't have to have an endorsement or even go to church, it makes sense to her to mix religion and education. They are a very religious family, and we pray before every meal we eat together. I don't know if it's more for us or for them, or both, but I appreciate it regardless.
Conversation #9: L’architecture moderne
Date- 11/19/12
People- Host parents
How it started- I visited La Defense
Vocab used- le style préféré, esthétique
My host parents ask us what we did with our days every time we eat dinner with them. This particular time, I had gone on a walk for the Walking Tour class and it was the one for La Defense. This led us to talk about the area and modern architecture in general. My host parents really think it's a cool place, and very modern. It was funny to me because it actually doesn't look that modern, rather an old attempt at modernizing architecture. Perhaps because they are older, it looks more modern to them. I think they prefer the old style of architecture, but my host dad liked talking about all the other different places in Paris that have modern architecture like La Defense. They also asked us if architecture was more like that in Los Angeles, and we said that yes, that is more what the city looks like.
Conversation #10: La culture des banlieues
Date- 10/7/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- les habitudes, les jeunes, un immeuble
My family lives in Boulogne, which is still technically in Paris on one side of the street, and the suburbs or "banlieues" on the other side. Our host mom explained that to us when she was driving us around the first day, and again during this conversation. However, I still don't know exactly what street is divided like that. Either way, they know a lot about the area and life in the suburbs. One thing they told us about and encouraged us to go to, was the Vide Grenier. (I'm not sure if that's exactly what it's called, but it's something like that). It is basically the French equivalent of a garage sale. There was one that was happening right in our neighborhood, near the church that is within walking distance. They also told us about schools nearby, and how the kids always come home for lunch. Their own grandkids often are home at lunch time, and I think it is so nice that they get to have lunch with them so often.
Conversation #11: Les Etats-Unis
Date- Many times
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversations
Vocab used- les temps, la plage, San Francisco, les banlieues, San Diego
Our host family is really good friends with an American family, so they have been to the U.S. many times. They have also been to California many times, so they are always excited to talk to us about places they have been there. We have talked about Disneyland, San Diego, and San Francisco so many times I can't even remember how many. They love San Francisco, and it reminds them a lot of France due to the architecture of the buildings, and how the neighborhoods are set up with the buildings all squished together. They have visited Florida as well, and love to compare the weather in all of the cities they've visited with France's weather. They ask us about the beach almost every dinner. When Caitie and I discovered Carrefour, we also talked about the similarities between stores, but how there is not really anything like Carrefour in America. We have talked about how eco-friendly America is, which kind of ice cream is the best, which TV shows we like, pretty much everything. They really love the United States which is really fun.
Conversation #12: La Famille
Date- 9/16/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Getting to know you dinner
Vocab used- les enfants, les filles, les freres, l'age
When we first met our host family, they and we talked about our personal families, including number of kids, how old they are, etc. What I learned about my host family is that they have 5 daughters, and about 11 grandkids (I think). I can't ever remember all of the girls' names, but I know that one is Anne-Claire, and another one is Aude. Aude is the youngest, and is recently married. Her husband works for the military, and just recently left until April as part of his military duties. She has had dinner with us a couple times, and she is very nice. They asked us about all of our siblings, and if we get along, and what our ages were in comparison to the others. It was nice getting to know about their family, because they loved to talk about them and show us pictures of their grandkids.
Conversation #13: Les Sports
Date- Many times
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversations
Vocab used- Bois de Boulogne, le tennis, le golf, faire du jogging
I like to run (sort of) and when I told my host parents about that, my host dad immediately asked me if I played other sports. I told him I didn't, but that my dad played tennis and golf, and my brothers play other sports, and apparently me having a knowledge of sports makes me "active" (sporty). They could not be more wrong, I am, in fact, athletically challenged. But they were very impressed that I knew what Roland Garros is, the tennis stadium right by our house here. My host dad likes to talk to me about golf, and how he took his grandkids a few times. He asked my what my dad's handicap is, and I wish I had actually known that. I have since found out, and I plan to tell him tonight at dinner. They have also talked to us about "football" (soccer) and rugby, since there is another stadium nearby where both of those are played. My host mom prefers rugby, because the fans and players of that sport are much more calm and respectful. We shared a love of rugby even though my reasons were different.
Conversation #1: La pureté de la langue française
Date- 11/18/12
People- Caroline and Bernard Devarenne (host parents)
How it started- Random conversation at dinner
Vocab used- L'academie francaise, la dictionnaire, les mots, l'autorité
We talked mostly about the academie francaise, and how they are the people who decide what the official words, spelling, and grammar are of the French language. They determine the country's language also. They asked us if we had anything like that in the U.S., and the only thing we could think of were the people who write the dictionary. We often say things like "according to Webster's dictionary..." or even the Oxford one, which isn't even really American at all. It was interesting to both of us how different our language rules are, and the system that creates them. I wish I could have thought of more examples of who dictates our language, but I think we explained fairly well how there isn't really something like the academie francaise.
Conversation #2: L’influence américaine
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- les emissions, la musique, la radio, le satellite
We started talking about the influence of America on French culture, and it basically turned into a chat about what movies and television shows we liked. This is because there are many American TV shows that apparently play here if you have the right kind of cable. My host mom loves American shows, and not very many French shows, so I think it is pretty apparent how she feels about American influence. My host dad struggles with English, but wants to learn, so he appreciates anything American or English so that he can learn better. He listens to American radio a lot to practice his comprehension. Since this talk was at the beginning of the program, my French was not that great, so if I could have improved it would have been asking them more questions about other parts of America's influence.
Conversation #3: L’Eglise des Saints des derniers jour en France
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- l'Eglise de Jésus-Christ des saints des derniers jours, l’Eglise catholique, une norme culturelle, les temples, les ordinances
Our host family is Catholic, so we often talk about the differences between our church and the Catholic church, or just the Catholic church in general. This time, the thing that started our whole conversation (besides Mitt Romney) was the wedding of their daughter, Aude. She recently got married, and they had a nice ceremony in a Catholic church, but said they preferred American weddings because it was much less serious and more fun. They then asked about our church and how we get married. It was a very complicated conversation, and I wish I knew more church vocabulary, but we did our best to explain temples to them. We tried to explain how not everyone can go in, how you have to be worthy, and how you do special ordinances there. We attempted to explain baptisms for the dead, and I guess we did an okay job because they didn't look at us like we were crazy. We also told them about how they are trying to build a temple in Paris, and they thought it was pretty cool.
Conversation #4: Health Care
Date- 10/29/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- la sécurité sociale, un médecin, un hôpital
With the American election on the news, and all the stuff about Obamacare being talked about, we naturally ended up talking about Health Care. Our host parents explained to us how healthcare works in France, and how it is essentially the same thing as Obamacare. It is provided by the government. They, however, don't really like it, because it is hard to get into hospitals and get taken care of. They don't really think it is a good idea. We talked about what health care is like in America, too, and politely gave our opinions on it. They often like to ask our opinion on political subjects, but we try to avoid it like Dr. H told us to do. If I could have improved, I would have done a little more research about health care because I realized that I don't know as much as I thought I did.
Conversation #5: Les fêtes nationales
Date- 10/28/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Halloween
Vocab used- la fête nationale, une fête religieuse, une tradition familiale
We talked about national holidays right before Halloween, since it was approaching and there isn't such a thing as Halloween in France. They did say that the French people and especially the young adults our age, like to celebrate Halloween more and more like America every year because it is fun, but it technically is not a holiday. We also talked about Thanksgiving, because that was coming up, and what we normally did for that, since Thanksgiving is also not a French holiday. We told them about our traditions and who we ate our big meals with, also what kind of food we ate. They told us about the religious holidays that they have, which include All-Saints Day and Christmas, but they don't have nearly as many as we do. I think that is a little sad, because I really love holidays.
Conversation #6: L’éducation
Date- 10/23/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- les grandes écoles, une université, le collège, le bac, une bourse
I learned so much from this conversation, and it even gave me a glimpse into the socialistic aspects of France that I didn't really understand before. We started talking about universities, and BYU and how much tuition costs, and that basically got them talking about the educational system in France. I learned that going to university in France is free, except for the cost of books, supplies, etc. The government pays for your education. This was amazing to me, especially because I thought that BYU was pretty cheap. They explained how that was just the regular university though, and if you wanted to go to a specialty school, such as a school for medicine or engineering (les grandes ecoles), it was very expensive. It was about as expensive as some of the major universities in the U.S. like Stanford or UCLA. Considering I don't want to go into medicine or engineering, I think it would probably benefit me to go to school in France because it is free. That is one part of the government paying for things that I would really appreciate.
Conversation #7: L’acualité
Date- 10/30/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Upcoming American election
Vocab used- une opinion, la politique, un événement
The election for the president of the U.S. was coming up soon, and apparently it was being discussed on French news shows as well. I think our host parents asked us about it more than anyone at home did. They always wanted to know our opinions, and did not hesitate to tell us they really liked Mitt Romney. I think French people really keep up with current events more than Americans, but that could also just be because they are older. They probably watch a lot more news than I do, so this could be a very unfair judgement. We also talked about voting, if we were going to vote, and the difference between voting systems in America and France. They didn't understand electoral college, and I didn't have the vocabulary to explain it to them, so that was kind of a lost cause to explain. It also just doesn't make sense as a system anyway, so I don't blame them for being confused.
Conversation #8: La religion et l’éducation
Date- 11/12/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- la liberté, chrétien, Catholique, l'eglise
Our host mom is a math teacher, and so she often talks about her school and her students. She teaches at a Catholic school, so her views on education and religion are pretty obvious- she doesn't mind the two combining. This led us to talking about BYU and how that is also a religious school, and a private school. We explained how you don't have to be Mormon to go there, but that you have to attend some sort of religious center based on your religion, and you have to get an ecclesiastical endorsement. She understood this because she teaches at a Catholic school, and while you don't have to have an endorsement or even go to church, it makes sense to her to mix religion and education. They are a very religious family, and we pray before every meal we eat together. I don't know if it's more for us or for them, or both, but I appreciate it regardless.
Conversation #9: L’architecture moderne
Date- 11/19/12
People- Host parents
How it started- I visited La Defense
Vocab used- le style préféré, esthétique
My host parents ask us what we did with our days every time we eat dinner with them. This particular time, I had gone on a walk for the Walking Tour class and it was the one for La Defense. This led us to talk about the area and modern architecture in general. My host parents really think it's a cool place, and very modern. It was funny to me because it actually doesn't look that modern, rather an old attempt at modernizing architecture. Perhaps because they are older, it looks more modern to them. I think they prefer the old style of architecture, but my host dad liked talking about all the other different places in Paris that have modern architecture like La Defense. They also asked us if architecture was more like that in Los Angeles, and we said that yes, that is more what the city looks like.
Conversation #10: La culture des banlieues
Date- 10/7/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversation
Vocab used- les habitudes, les jeunes, un immeuble
My family lives in Boulogne, which is still technically in Paris on one side of the street, and the suburbs or "banlieues" on the other side. Our host mom explained that to us when she was driving us around the first day, and again during this conversation. However, I still don't know exactly what street is divided like that. Either way, they know a lot about the area and life in the suburbs. One thing they told us about and encouraged us to go to, was the Vide Grenier. (I'm not sure if that's exactly what it's called, but it's something like that). It is basically the French equivalent of a garage sale. There was one that was happening right in our neighborhood, near the church that is within walking distance. They also told us about schools nearby, and how the kids always come home for lunch. Their own grandkids often are home at lunch time, and I think it is so nice that they get to have lunch with them so often.
Conversation #11: Les Etats-Unis
Date- Many times
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversations
Vocab used- les temps, la plage, San Francisco, les banlieues, San Diego
Our host family is really good friends with an American family, so they have been to the U.S. many times. They have also been to California many times, so they are always excited to talk to us about places they have been there. We have talked about Disneyland, San Diego, and San Francisco so many times I can't even remember how many. They love San Francisco, and it reminds them a lot of France due to the architecture of the buildings, and how the neighborhoods are set up with the buildings all squished together. They have visited Florida as well, and love to compare the weather in all of the cities they've visited with France's weather. They ask us about the beach almost every dinner. When Caitie and I discovered Carrefour, we also talked about the similarities between stores, but how there is not really anything like Carrefour in America. We have talked about how eco-friendly America is, which kind of ice cream is the best, which TV shows we like, pretty much everything. They really love the United States which is really fun.
Conversation #12: La Famille
Date- 9/16/12
People- Host parents
How it started- Getting to know you dinner
Vocab used- les enfants, les filles, les freres, l'age
When we first met our host family, they and we talked about our personal families, including number of kids, how old they are, etc. What I learned about my host family is that they have 5 daughters, and about 11 grandkids (I think). I can't ever remember all of the girls' names, but I know that one is Anne-Claire, and another one is Aude. Aude is the youngest, and is recently married. Her husband works for the military, and just recently left until April as part of his military duties. She has had dinner with us a couple times, and she is very nice. They asked us about all of our siblings, and if we get along, and what our ages were in comparison to the others. It was nice getting to know about their family, because they loved to talk about them and show us pictures of their grandkids.
Conversation #13: Les Sports
Date- Many times
People- Host parents
How it started- Dinner conversations
Vocab used- Bois de Boulogne, le tennis, le golf, faire du jogging
I like to run (sort of) and when I told my host parents about that, my host dad immediately asked me if I played other sports. I told him I didn't, but that my dad played tennis and golf, and my brothers play other sports, and apparently me having a knowledge of sports makes me "active" (sporty). They could not be more wrong, I am, in fact, athletically challenged. But they were very impressed that I knew what Roland Garros is, the tennis stadium right by our house here. My host dad likes to talk to me about golf, and how he took his grandkids a few times. He asked my what my dad's handicap is, and I wish I had actually known that. I have since found out, and I plan to tell him tonight at dinner. They have also talked to us about "football" (soccer) and rugby, since there is another stadium nearby where both of those are played. My host mom prefers rugby, because the fans and players of that sport are much more calm and respectful. We shared a love of rugby even though my reasons were different.
Monday, November 26, 2012
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (French 345)
Chapter 1: The Way Over
The first chapter discusses the types of people who came over to France in the early 1800's to pursue their artistic and intellectual dreams, and grow and learn from the culture. Some of these people included James Fenimore Cooper, the author of The Last of the Mohicans; Samuel F.B. Morse, a portrait painter; and Emma Willard, the first woman to take a stand for women's higher education. All of the people coming over had different interests or motives, but all were relatively similar in the fact that they did not know much about the language or culture they were about to immerse themselves in.
It talked about how they could take two different routes: a direct route to Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine, or the route to England and then across the channel to Calais or Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was really interesting to read about those places, because I have now learned about or visited all of them. At the early start of the church in France, we learned in religion class that there was a Le Havre branch that was one of the first. Also, when I went on a weekend trip to London, we took a ferry across the Channel the left from Calais. I liked being able to picture these places. Once the people arrived in France, one of the first landmarks they talk about seeing is the cathedral in Rouen. I also had the opportunity to see that, and share in their excitement. It is a very gothic, very large cathedral, and would have been very different than the things they were used to seeing.
Chapter 2: Voila Paris!
This chapter focused on the visitor's initial feelings when finally arriving in Paris. It seems that they went through a sort of cycle once they got here. They were shocked and maybe a little disappointed at what they saw. It was not entirely what they expected it to look like or feel like. Things were scary, and they didn't know how to say much. Eventually, they discovered the things like the Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre, Palais Royal, Montmartre, and the beautiful bridges, and realized how much they loved it. They also became more accustomed to the language and branched out into using sentences as opposed to just a few words here and there. They discuss the difference between French and American eating habits, how the French eat for the food, and Americans eat to fill the appetite.
I thought it was very interesting to see the similarities between how they felt upon arriving in Paris, and how I did for the first and even second time. The first ever time I was here, I was a little overwhelmed and not blown away by what I saw. I had a picture in my head and it didn't look like that. It has taken me all through this second trip to really SEE Paris, and it looks much more like the image I had in my head. I also struggled with the language, and was blown away by the bridges here. It's funny to hear about how the beggars are pretty much the same, and how much classier people seemed to dress even back then. It's nice to know that I am not the only one who has struggled coming to Paris, and I definitely won't be the last.
Chapter 3: Morse at the Louvre
This chapter is all about Morse and Cooper. Morse and Cooper were both very good friends, who had different interests and talents, but became very good at both of them. Morse was an artist, and the biggest achievement he worked on while in Paris was his painting of the Louvre. What he did was walk around the Louvre for days, picking out his favorite pieces. Then, he painted them as though they were all hanging in the same hall. He put together his own exhibit sort of, and it was a huge hit. Cooper used to come hang out with him in the Louvre all the time. Cooper himself was a writer. He was not very good at the beginning, and his first book was not a success. He gained success though with his book The Last of the Mohicans.
I liked reading about these two friends. They were different, but managed to get along and support each other in their talents. I especially liked hearing about Morse and his painting, because it is somewhat like the project we had to do for French class. Although he didn't have to analyze each painting and explain why they were put in the same exhibition, he went through and picked ones that he though should go together just like we had to. It is often hard for me to put time into perspective, especially with how old art is. Hearing about him painting them makes them seem new enough for me to wrap my head around, but still old enough to be impressive. I didn't like reading about Cooper as much, because I have never read that book, and the movie version confused me.
Chapter 4: The Medicals
This chapter was all about medicine, hospitals, and the Ecole du Medecin. Back in the 1800's, Paris' medical system was much more advanced and larger than most anything in America. The chapter before talked about the outbreak of cholera and the devastating effects it had on the people of the world. Paris hospitals treated close to 6,000 people, whereas hospitals in the U.S. treated only about 800. There were more hospitals in Paris, and they were all free of charge. The Ecole du Medecin was the largest school of medicine and much more advanced than in America. There wasn't actually much schooling going on in the U.S. at that time. It also talks about a man named Mason Warren, who was one of the best surgeons and doctor's in Paris at the time. He was renowned, and was also an instructor at the Ecole.
I was always under the impression that America was really advanced when it came to medicine and schooling, but apparently that was not always the case. It was very interesting to see how far along France was before America even really had any schooling for medicine. The parts about the bodies and the diseases that killed so many people was pretty gross and disturbing, and overall these two chapters combined has made me that much more grateful for modern medicine.
Chapter 5: American Sensations
The two men who were mainly highlighted in this chapter were George Healy and Samuel Morse. What we learn about Healy was that he came to France with the intention of being a master of portraiture. He was very talented and well received, especially for an American. He followed in the footsteps of and learned from Thomas Couture, and they became good friends. He painted the portraits of King Louis-Philippe, President Andrew Jackson, Foreign Minister Francois Guizot, and John Quincy Adams. Morse on the other hand, who had also travelled to Paris to practice painting, never made it as an artist. He was not very talented and eventually gave up. However, he would become known for something truly groundbreaking: the Morse code system, and the invention of the telegraph. He was disappointed by art, but created something that would last for years and change the lives of many people.
I was a little bit sad reading about Morse. He was so passionate about art and painting and he really gave it his best effort. I don't actually know what made him decide to invent the telegraph. It seems really strange that he would go from art to something so mechanical, but maybe he just wanted a complete change because art made him sad. It is sad to think that sometimes your passions may not be the same things as your talents. It was funny though, because the whole time I though he was the same guy who invented Morse code and the telegraph, but I was confused because he was being described as a painter. I had no idea that he was an artist ever in his life, or that he traveled to Paris.
Chapter 6: Change at Hand
This chapter is about the end of monarchy in France. The year was 1847, and Louis-Philippe was king. Not many French citizens liked him, and there was actually a lot of revolting and complaining. However, when the American minister came to Paris, he was surprised at how clean and nice and peaceful everything was. It didn't seem like there was that much of a problem. But, little did he know, that the economy was in a bad state, and the gap between the rich and the poor had become extremely large. Taxes were high, and people were just generally unhappy. The leaders in Paris didn't think that much would happen, but they were warned by Tocqueville that they were "sleeping on a volcano". The change that happened was very rapid and it happened faster than they thought. There were riots and barricades, and people were killed in the gunfire that ensued. Just the next day, Louis-Philippe abdicated the throne, and fled to England. He was the last king of France.
I did not know when the last monarchy was in France, or when it ended. Nor did I know who the last king was. It was a very educational chapter that really informed me well on what events took place that changed the whole governmental system of France to be what it is today. They mentioned Hotel de Ville, which is the center of local government right now, and very close to the institute. I have never been inside, but it was cool to realize that it has been a governmental building for centuries, and not just recently.
Chapter 7: A City Transformed
After Louis-Philippe fled, Louis Napoleon, the brother of Napoleon Bonaparte became the "prince-president" of France. He held many parties, was exiled twice, spent time in America, and escaped from prison. He was known as a bit of a womanizer as well. After a little time with things being relatively okay, he suddenly held a coup, and forced himself into power as the dictator Emperor Napoleon III, which began the 2nd empire. Apparently I was wrong about the end of the monarchy in France... You might think that the people would not be okay with this, but they voted in approval of this coup d'etat. Some people were very outraged however, including Victor Hugo who exiled himself to the Isle of Guernsey.
I learned that Napoleon III was the one who implemented many of the things about Paris that I love. For example, the radiating streets that surround the Arc de Triomphe were built by him. I love that part of Paris, and the view of all the streets from the top is fantastic. He really wanted to beautify things in Paris, and I appreciate that. I don't know if I would have cared that much if I was an actual citizen and resident here, but as a visitor, I appreciate a lot of the physical and structural changes he made to the city.
Chapter 8: Bound to Succeed
One of the men talked about in this chapter was named Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He was one of many people who came from America "bound to succeed" as the chapter title suggests. He was determined to make it as an artist, and nothing would stop him. More specifically, he wanted to be a sculptor. He was born in Ireland, but his family moved to New York when he was young. He started working at the age of 13, helping out at a cameo cutting shop. He was extremely talented, and loved working and taking classes in Paris.
This chapter also mentions the world expo, where many inventions and artists were put on display. I would have loved to see a world exposition. It sounds so exciting! All those extraordinary people and ideas, and people from all over the world would be there. I can't believe that something like the Eiffel Tower was at the world expo. First, that seems like a huge project just to have around for only a few years. But also, it is now an incredibly famous monument! I can't even imagine what it would have been like to see something like that when it was first made. It would be a great story to tell.
Chapter 9: Under Siege
The most interesting thing from this chapter was reading about how the Germans imprisoned all of Paris. It was the start of the war, and once it started, all of Paris turned into a "prison camp". No communication went in or out and people didn't go in or out. People were starving and dying but could not do anything because the entire area was surrounded by guards. They were up and down the streets and on the borders so no one could escape. People were constantly being accused as spies. George Healy became a generous helper to those in need, as well as Elihu Washburne. He was in charge of helping people get out of Paris, and helped many Germans escape to freedom. His family was poor, and he never forgot the example of hard work he had been given growing up.
This whole section of the book reminded me of Berlin and when the Berlin wall was built. It was a similar situation, in that people couldn't go in or out, and they were literally trapped. I guess the only difference was that this was not meant to be long term (I don't think) and there was no physical wall keeping the people in and out; just a wall of soldiers. It was cool to read about the area near the Bois de Boulogne, because that is where I am living right now. I think it would be really weird to see so many guards and soldiers around, however when there are soccer games here, there are many many police officers out with their full gear, and I can kind of imagine what it would have been like.
Chapter 10: Madness
Eventually, after the blockades of Paris, the Germans demanded a surrender from Paris. They promised that if Paris surrendered and gave up all their arms, they would not invade the city. The Parisians didn't have much of a choice. The areas of Alsace and Lorraine were turned over to Germany, however, as they were right on the German border. It was really neat to read about that, because we just visited Alsace. When we were there, I could definitely see and feel the German influence on the town. Much of the food was German, street signs and town names were in German, and I'm sure most people there speak German as well as French. It was really fascinating because now it is French, and probably will be forever, but at one point for however long, it was German. I feel a little bad for that town being passed around so much.
Another key point from this chapter was the Paris Commune. The commune was started when the citizens of Paris turned on each other. There was extreme violence against the war generals, and rioting and killings occurred at Montmartre. That was really the starting point for it all. The Paris Commune was a group that forced themselves to be in charge of Paris. They were "devoted to politics more representative of the will of the people". There were many protests, and general chaos overall. This whole thing sounded really confusing and frustrating. I don't like protesting or rioting, and I'm glad that it doesn't happen as much today as it has in the past. At least not in such a violent way. Paris just sounded like it was really out of control, which is really scary to think of.
Chapter 11: Paris Again
This chapter mentions the gift of the statue of Liberty from France to America, and why they did it. The French people really loved America and Americans, and really liked the idea of the American Republic. That form of government really appealed to them. In order to keep good relations with the U.S., they decided to create a monument called Liberty Lighting the World; also known as, the statue of Liberty. The French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi designed it. I knew most of these facts about Lady Liberty, but what I didn't know was that there were so many copies of it around Paris. It was really cool to see the large one in the 16th arrondissement, and the smaller one in the Jardin du Luxembourg. I have heard there is one more, but I'm not entirely sure where it is.
Another thing mentioned in this chapter was the impressionist painters. Mary Cassat was intrigued by artists like Degas, Monet, Renoir, Manet, and many others. She thought their style was extremely interesting but also a little strange. She ended up copying their style eventually. Her first impressionist piece was a portrait, and after that she really liked the influence of Velazquez. I, too, am a fan of impressionism. It seems funny to me that at the time, that was what was considered "modern art" and now we look at it as something that happened so long ago.
Chapter 12: The Farragut
I liked this chapter because it talked about the romantic love story between Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Augusta Homer, otherwise known as "Gus and Gussie". Both were American artists, and they fell in love while in Rome. Gussie wrote letters home to her mother describing how much she really liked Gus, and once it was official, Gus wrote to her parents asking for her hand in marriage. They were mainly okay with it, but did not approve the marriage until Gus got an art job that would bring in lots of commission. This is where the Farragut comes in. Gus was asked to create a memorial to Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, a Civil War hero. It was a big job, and Gus was lucky to be chosen. Gus made a large drawing of him, as well as a bust. He was successful, and was able to marry Gussie. A quote I really liked from this chapter is "His career and his marriage were riding on it. And he got it." I was so happy to read that! I really like Gus from his description in this book, and so I was really happy to hear that it all worked out well for them. Also, I think their names being so similar is strangely cute too.
Chapter 13: Genius in Abundance
This chapter dedicates a section to the 1884 Paris Salon. The Paris Salon was an exhibition that filled 31 of the giant rooms in the Palais de l'Industrie. There was a huge number of painters and other artists represented in the Salon, and it was extremely important to their career to be featured there. It was especially important to the American painters who became very prevalent in Paris. There were paintings on every wall, but the main painting that was talked about the most was the portrait of Amelie Gautreau. It was not received very well at all, because although she was dressed fully clothed, it showed her in a rather erotic way. Eventually it became popular, but after Sargent, the artist, had renamed it Madame X. We have talked about the Salon many times in Art History class and what works got accepted and rejected there, and I would love to see that painting in person to put it in perspective.
This chapter also talks about the Eiffel tower and it's being built. The tower was being built for the World Expo, and it was originally thought to be ugly and dangerous, and too large. It was also not meant to be permanent, but taken down sometime in the future. It was going to be the highest edifice ever built, which was definitely something impressive. I am really glad that it ended up being a permanent thing, because it is definitely iconic and one of my favorite monuments in Paris.
Chapter 14: Au Revoir, Paris!
This chapter was essentially a chapter about even more people who have come and gone from Paris. There have literally been so many people who made a permanent home, or just went for a visit to gain some experience, and who have become a household name. George Healy, who we read about earlier, eventually returned to America for good, settling down in Chicago with his wife Louisa. Unfortunately, also in this chapter, it talks about problems with Gus and Gussie's marriage. Gus had family issues that took a toll on him, and there was also rumors of an affair. They both struggled with health but still traveled back and forth from Paris to New York fairly often.
The thing that I really took away from this chapter could be easily summed up in one quote that was said about Healy, by his granddaughter Marie de Mare: "His love of France and the French never changed him from an out-and-out American." That is how I feel about my experience here in Paris. I think I have grown to really love it, and I have learned so much about it, but it has also made me really appreciate being an American. Another quote that I liked says, "Live all you can. It's a mistake not to. It doesn't matter what you do- but live. This place makes it all come over me. I see it now. I haven't done so- and now I'm old. It's too late. It has gone past me- I've lost it. You have time. You are young. Live!" I feel like this is what I decided to do by coming to Paris, and I intend to hold that with me as I go back home and continue my life. I need to hold onto the things that I have learned and felt here, and go back home and LIVE!
The first chapter discusses the types of people who came over to France in the early 1800's to pursue their artistic and intellectual dreams, and grow and learn from the culture. Some of these people included James Fenimore Cooper, the author of The Last of the Mohicans; Samuel F.B. Morse, a portrait painter; and Emma Willard, the first woman to take a stand for women's higher education. All of the people coming over had different interests or motives, but all were relatively similar in the fact that they did not know much about the language or culture they were about to immerse themselves in.
It talked about how they could take two different routes: a direct route to Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine, or the route to England and then across the channel to Calais or Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was really interesting to read about those places, because I have now learned about or visited all of them. At the early start of the church in France, we learned in religion class that there was a Le Havre branch that was one of the first. Also, when I went on a weekend trip to London, we took a ferry across the Channel the left from Calais. I liked being able to picture these places. Once the people arrived in France, one of the first landmarks they talk about seeing is the cathedral in Rouen. I also had the opportunity to see that, and share in their excitement. It is a very gothic, very large cathedral, and would have been very different than the things they were used to seeing.
Chapter 2: Voila Paris!
This chapter focused on the visitor's initial feelings when finally arriving in Paris. It seems that they went through a sort of cycle once they got here. They were shocked and maybe a little disappointed at what they saw. It was not entirely what they expected it to look like or feel like. Things were scary, and they didn't know how to say much. Eventually, they discovered the things like the Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre, Palais Royal, Montmartre, and the beautiful bridges, and realized how much they loved it. They also became more accustomed to the language and branched out into using sentences as opposed to just a few words here and there. They discuss the difference between French and American eating habits, how the French eat for the food, and Americans eat to fill the appetite.
I thought it was very interesting to see the similarities between how they felt upon arriving in Paris, and how I did for the first and even second time. The first ever time I was here, I was a little overwhelmed and not blown away by what I saw. I had a picture in my head and it didn't look like that. It has taken me all through this second trip to really SEE Paris, and it looks much more like the image I had in my head. I also struggled with the language, and was blown away by the bridges here. It's funny to hear about how the beggars are pretty much the same, and how much classier people seemed to dress even back then. It's nice to know that I am not the only one who has struggled coming to Paris, and I definitely won't be the last.
Chapter 3: Morse at the Louvre
This chapter is all about Morse and Cooper. Morse and Cooper were both very good friends, who had different interests and talents, but became very good at both of them. Morse was an artist, and the biggest achievement he worked on while in Paris was his painting of the Louvre. What he did was walk around the Louvre for days, picking out his favorite pieces. Then, he painted them as though they were all hanging in the same hall. He put together his own exhibit sort of, and it was a huge hit. Cooper used to come hang out with him in the Louvre all the time. Cooper himself was a writer. He was not very good at the beginning, and his first book was not a success. He gained success though with his book The Last of the Mohicans.
I liked reading about these two friends. They were different, but managed to get along and support each other in their talents. I especially liked hearing about Morse and his painting, because it is somewhat like the project we had to do for French class. Although he didn't have to analyze each painting and explain why they were put in the same exhibition, he went through and picked ones that he though should go together just like we had to. It is often hard for me to put time into perspective, especially with how old art is. Hearing about him painting them makes them seem new enough for me to wrap my head around, but still old enough to be impressive. I didn't like reading about Cooper as much, because I have never read that book, and the movie version confused me.
Chapter 4: The Medicals
This chapter was all about medicine, hospitals, and the Ecole du Medecin. Back in the 1800's, Paris' medical system was much more advanced and larger than most anything in America. The chapter before talked about the outbreak of cholera and the devastating effects it had on the people of the world. Paris hospitals treated close to 6,000 people, whereas hospitals in the U.S. treated only about 800. There were more hospitals in Paris, and they were all free of charge. The Ecole du Medecin was the largest school of medicine and much more advanced than in America. There wasn't actually much schooling going on in the U.S. at that time. It also talks about a man named Mason Warren, who was one of the best surgeons and doctor's in Paris at the time. He was renowned, and was also an instructor at the Ecole.
I was always under the impression that America was really advanced when it came to medicine and schooling, but apparently that was not always the case. It was very interesting to see how far along France was before America even really had any schooling for medicine. The parts about the bodies and the diseases that killed so many people was pretty gross and disturbing, and overall these two chapters combined has made me that much more grateful for modern medicine.
Chapter 5: American Sensations
The two men who were mainly highlighted in this chapter were George Healy and Samuel Morse. What we learn about Healy was that he came to France with the intention of being a master of portraiture. He was very talented and well received, especially for an American. He followed in the footsteps of and learned from Thomas Couture, and they became good friends. He painted the portraits of King Louis-Philippe, President Andrew Jackson, Foreign Minister Francois Guizot, and John Quincy Adams. Morse on the other hand, who had also travelled to Paris to practice painting, never made it as an artist. He was not very talented and eventually gave up. However, he would become known for something truly groundbreaking: the Morse code system, and the invention of the telegraph. He was disappointed by art, but created something that would last for years and change the lives of many people.
I was a little bit sad reading about Morse. He was so passionate about art and painting and he really gave it his best effort. I don't actually know what made him decide to invent the telegraph. It seems really strange that he would go from art to something so mechanical, but maybe he just wanted a complete change because art made him sad. It is sad to think that sometimes your passions may not be the same things as your talents. It was funny though, because the whole time I though he was the same guy who invented Morse code and the telegraph, but I was confused because he was being described as a painter. I had no idea that he was an artist ever in his life, or that he traveled to Paris.
Chapter 6: Change at Hand
This chapter is about the end of monarchy in France. The year was 1847, and Louis-Philippe was king. Not many French citizens liked him, and there was actually a lot of revolting and complaining. However, when the American minister came to Paris, he was surprised at how clean and nice and peaceful everything was. It didn't seem like there was that much of a problem. But, little did he know, that the economy was in a bad state, and the gap between the rich and the poor had become extremely large. Taxes were high, and people were just generally unhappy. The leaders in Paris didn't think that much would happen, but they were warned by Tocqueville that they were "sleeping on a volcano". The change that happened was very rapid and it happened faster than they thought. There were riots and barricades, and people were killed in the gunfire that ensued. Just the next day, Louis-Philippe abdicated the throne, and fled to England. He was the last king of France.
I did not know when the last monarchy was in France, or when it ended. Nor did I know who the last king was. It was a very educational chapter that really informed me well on what events took place that changed the whole governmental system of France to be what it is today. They mentioned Hotel de Ville, which is the center of local government right now, and very close to the institute. I have never been inside, but it was cool to realize that it has been a governmental building for centuries, and not just recently.
Chapter 7: A City Transformed
After Louis-Philippe fled, Louis Napoleon, the brother of Napoleon Bonaparte became the "prince-president" of France. He held many parties, was exiled twice, spent time in America, and escaped from prison. He was known as a bit of a womanizer as well. After a little time with things being relatively okay, he suddenly held a coup, and forced himself into power as the dictator Emperor Napoleon III, which began the 2nd empire. Apparently I was wrong about the end of the monarchy in France... You might think that the people would not be okay with this, but they voted in approval of this coup d'etat. Some people were very outraged however, including Victor Hugo who exiled himself to the Isle of Guernsey.
I learned that Napoleon III was the one who implemented many of the things about Paris that I love. For example, the radiating streets that surround the Arc de Triomphe were built by him. I love that part of Paris, and the view of all the streets from the top is fantastic. He really wanted to beautify things in Paris, and I appreciate that. I don't know if I would have cared that much if I was an actual citizen and resident here, but as a visitor, I appreciate a lot of the physical and structural changes he made to the city.
Chapter 8: Bound to Succeed
One of the men talked about in this chapter was named Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He was one of many people who came from America "bound to succeed" as the chapter title suggests. He was determined to make it as an artist, and nothing would stop him. More specifically, he wanted to be a sculptor. He was born in Ireland, but his family moved to New York when he was young. He started working at the age of 13, helping out at a cameo cutting shop. He was extremely talented, and loved working and taking classes in Paris.
This chapter also mentions the world expo, where many inventions and artists were put on display. I would have loved to see a world exposition. It sounds so exciting! All those extraordinary people and ideas, and people from all over the world would be there. I can't believe that something like the Eiffel Tower was at the world expo. First, that seems like a huge project just to have around for only a few years. But also, it is now an incredibly famous monument! I can't even imagine what it would have been like to see something like that when it was first made. It would be a great story to tell.
Chapter 9: Under Siege
The most interesting thing from this chapter was reading about how the Germans imprisoned all of Paris. It was the start of the war, and once it started, all of Paris turned into a "prison camp". No communication went in or out and people didn't go in or out. People were starving and dying but could not do anything because the entire area was surrounded by guards. They were up and down the streets and on the borders so no one could escape. People were constantly being accused as spies. George Healy became a generous helper to those in need, as well as Elihu Washburne. He was in charge of helping people get out of Paris, and helped many Germans escape to freedom. His family was poor, and he never forgot the example of hard work he had been given growing up.
This whole section of the book reminded me of Berlin and when the Berlin wall was built. It was a similar situation, in that people couldn't go in or out, and they were literally trapped. I guess the only difference was that this was not meant to be long term (I don't think) and there was no physical wall keeping the people in and out; just a wall of soldiers. It was cool to read about the area near the Bois de Boulogne, because that is where I am living right now. I think it would be really weird to see so many guards and soldiers around, however when there are soccer games here, there are many many police officers out with their full gear, and I can kind of imagine what it would have been like.
Chapter 10: Madness
Eventually, after the blockades of Paris, the Germans demanded a surrender from Paris. They promised that if Paris surrendered and gave up all their arms, they would not invade the city. The Parisians didn't have much of a choice. The areas of Alsace and Lorraine were turned over to Germany, however, as they were right on the German border. It was really neat to read about that, because we just visited Alsace. When we were there, I could definitely see and feel the German influence on the town. Much of the food was German, street signs and town names were in German, and I'm sure most people there speak German as well as French. It was really fascinating because now it is French, and probably will be forever, but at one point for however long, it was German. I feel a little bad for that town being passed around so much.
Another key point from this chapter was the Paris Commune. The commune was started when the citizens of Paris turned on each other. There was extreme violence against the war generals, and rioting and killings occurred at Montmartre. That was really the starting point for it all. The Paris Commune was a group that forced themselves to be in charge of Paris. They were "devoted to politics more representative of the will of the people". There were many protests, and general chaos overall. This whole thing sounded really confusing and frustrating. I don't like protesting or rioting, and I'm glad that it doesn't happen as much today as it has in the past. At least not in such a violent way. Paris just sounded like it was really out of control, which is really scary to think of.
Chapter 11: Paris Again
This chapter mentions the gift of the statue of Liberty from France to America, and why they did it. The French people really loved America and Americans, and really liked the idea of the American Republic. That form of government really appealed to them. In order to keep good relations with the U.S., they decided to create a monument called Liberty Lighting the World; also known as, the statue of Liberty. The French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi designed it. I knew most of these facts about Lady Liberty, but what I didn't know was that there were so many copies of it around Paris. It was really cool to see the large one in the 16th arrondissement, and the smaller one in the Jardin du Luxembourg. I have heard there is one more, but I'm not entirely sure where it is.
Another thing mentioned in this chapter was the impressionist painters. Mary Cassat was intrigued by artists like Degas, Monet, Renoir, Manet, and many others. She thought their style was extremely interesting but also a little strange. She ended up copying their style eventually. Her first impressionist piece was a portrait, and after that she really liked the influence of Velazquez. I, too, am a fan of impressionism. It seems funny to me that at the time, that was what was considered "modern art" and now we look at it as something that happened so long ago.
Chapter 12: The Farragut
I liked this chapter because it talked about the romantic love story between Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Augusta Homer, otherwise known as "Gus and Gussie". Both were American artists, and they fell in love while in Rome. Gussie wrote letters home to her mother describing how much she really liked Gus, and once it was official, Gus wrote to her parents asking for her hand in marriage. They were mainly okay with it, but did not approve the marriage until Gus got an art job that would bring in lots of commission. This is where the Farragut comes in. Gus was asked to create a memorial to Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, a Civil War hero. It was a big job, and Gus was lucky to be chosen. Gus made a large drawing of him, as well as a bust. He was successful, and was able to marry Gussie. A quote I really liked from this chapter is "His career and his marriage were riding on it. And he got it." I was so happy to read that! I really like Gus from his description in this book, and so I was really happy to hear that it all worked out well for them. Also, I think their names being so similar is strangely cute too.
Chapter 13: Genius in Abundance
This chapter dedicates a section to the 1884 Paris Salon. The Paris Salon was an exhibition that filled 31 of the giant rooms in the Palais de l'Industrie. There was a huge number of painters and other artists represented in the Salon, and it was extremely important to their career to be featured there. It was especially important to the American painters who became very prevalent in Paris. There were paintings on every wall, but the main painting that was talked about the most was the portrait of Amelie Gautreau. It was not received very well at all, because although she was dressed fully clothed, it showed her in a rather erotic way. Eventually it became popular, but after Sargent, the artist, had renamed it Madame X. We have talked about the Salon many times in Art History class and what works got accepted and rejected there, and I would love to see that painting in person to put it in perspective.
This chapter also talks about the Eiffel tower and it's being built. The tower was being built for the World Expo, and it was originally thought to be ugly and dangerous, and too large. It was also not meant to be permanent, but taken down sometime in the future. It was going to be the highest edifice ever built, which was definitely something impressive. I am really glad that it ended up being a permanent thing, because it is definitely iconic and one of my favorite monuments in Paris.
Chapter 14: Au Revoir, Paris!
This chapter was essentially a chapter about even more people who have come and gone from Paris. There have literally been so many people who made a permanent home, or just went for a visit to gain some experience, and who have become a household name. George Healy, who we read about earlier, eventually returned to America for good, settling down in Chicago with his wife Louisa. Unfortunately, also in this chapter, it talks about problems with Gus and Gussie's marriage. Gus had family issues that took a toll on him, and there was also rumors of an affair. They both struggled with health but still traveled back and forth from Paris to New York fairly often.
The thing that I really took away from this chapter could be easily summed up in one quote that was said about Healy, by his granddaughter Marie de Mare: "His love of France and the French never changed him from an out-and-out American." That is how I feel about my experience here in Paris. I think I have grown to really love it, and I have learned so much about it, but it has also made me really appreciate being an American. Another quote that I liked says, "Live all you can. It's a mistake not to. It doesn't matter what you do- but live. This place makes it all come over me. I see it now. I haven't done so- and now I'm old. It's too late. It has gone past me- I've lost it. You have time. You are young. Live!" I feel like this is what I decided to do by coming to Paris, and I intend to hold that with me as I go back home and continue my life. I need to hold onto the things that I have learned and felt here, and go back home and LIVE!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Home of the Bretzel: The Alsace
I know what you're thinking..."Heather, you spelled pretzel wrong." Well, YOU are wrong. That is how you spell/say pretzel in French! The weird thing though, is that when you say that to them, they just repeat Pretzel with a P and look at you funny. Oh well.
This past week we took a trip to the Alsace area, which is right on the border of Germany. More specifically, we spent time in Strasbourg, Kaysersberg, and Reims. These towns are really small, but super cute. They are all about pretzels, storks, gingerbread, and all the buildings look like they are straight out of Beauty and the Beast. We didn't actually find that much to do, except look at the cathedrals and go on a boat ride, but it was still a good time. I unfortunately was sick for the trip, so I spent most of the trip in my bed or in the bathroom. Too much information? #sorrynotsorry
We also bought a giant gingerbread heart and shared it between like 10 of us. It was interesting because it was like actual gingerbread, not the crunchy cardboard crap we have in the U.S. It was like bread-like and much softer. It was a little stale, but even their stale stuff is better than ours. I ate literally the best pretzel of my life there, too. It had absolutely nothing on it except for like 3 pieces of salt, but it was amazing. There is also a Christmas market that is apparently pretty famous and goes on there every year, but we missed it by a few days. We were too early. We got to see them setting up for it though, and see some shops that had Christmas stuff.
We visited the Strasbourg cathedral, and the cathedral in Reims which were both very impressive. I have a cool picture pinned on Pinterest of the Reims one so it was really cool seeing yet another thing on my Pinterest board in real life. The one in Strasbourg was enormous, and I really liked that one. Oh, something else fun, it got dark at 5 pm. By the time it was like 9, it felt like midnight. It really messes with you.
It was a very relaxed trip, and exactly what I needed. It was really nice to get away from Paris for just a little bit before we had to come back to classes and exams. Wish us luck!
(Pictures to come...no one has posted any yet. And mine are really terrible.)
This past week we took a trip to the Alsace area, which is right on the border of Germany. More specifically, we spent time in Strasbourg, Kaysersberg, and Reims. These towns are really small, but super cute. They are all about pretzels, storks, gingerbread, and all the buildings look like they are straight out of Beauty and the Beast. We didn't actually find that much to do, except look at the cathedrals and go on a boat ride, but it was still a good time. I unfortunately was sick for the trip, so I spent most of the trip in my bed or in the bathroom. Too much information? #sorrynotsorry
We also bought a giant gingerbread heart and shared it between like 10 of us. It was interesting because it was like actual gingerbread, not the crunchy cardboard crap we have in the U.S. It was like bread-like and much softer. It was a little stale, but even their stale stuff is better than ours. I ate literally the best pretzel of my life there, too. It had absolutely nothing on it except for like 3 pieces of salt, but it was amazing. There is also a Christmas market that is apparently pretty famous and goes on there every year, but we missed it by a few days. We were too early. We got to see them setting up for it though, and see some shops that had Christmas stuff.
We visited the Strasbourg cathedral, and the cathedral in Reims which were both very impressive. I have a cool picture pinned on Pinterest of the Reims one so it was really cool seeing yet another thing on my Pinterest board in real life. The one in Strasbourg was enormous, and I really liked that one. Oh, something else fun, it got dark at 5 pm. By the time it was like 9, it felt like midnight. It really messes with you.
It was a very relaxed trip, and exactly what I needed. It was really nice to get away from Paris for just a little bit before we had to come back to classes and exams. Wish us luck!
(Pictures to come...no one has posted any yet. And mine are really terrible.)
Cultural Activity #3: Parc Asterix
Halloween in Paris is a bust. There actually isn't even such a thing, but people attempt to have some festivities mainly because they think it's fun to be like America sometimes. I have to give them credit for trying, but I have so many tips for them on how to improve it and actually make me scared.
Anyway, the reason I'm so critical is because of my Halloween experience. (DISCLAIMER: I had a really fun time. Don't get me wrong.) For one of my cultural activities, and for just a fun Halloween activity, Kayla, Sydney, and I went to Parc Asterix. If you've read my Two Monthiversary post, you know a little bit about how it was. You can read that post, here.
Parc Asterix is an amusement park that is about an hour outside of Paris. You have to take the RER to get there, and then take a shuttle bus. It's very nice that they provide all this transportation, but it is kind of expensive. It wouldn't have been so bad if our metro cards worked out that far, but they didn't. The park is based off of the French comic "Asterix & Obelix".
The comic is about their ancient adventures in Gaul (France before it was called France) and the crazy antics they get into. The park is decorated in this fashion, with columns and cave paintings and giant sculptures of Zeus. It looks really cool. You know what else looked cool? And scary? Their website for "Peur sur le Parc". It was 4 days of what seemed to be a really scary fun experience. What it ended up being was one haunted house that was like 2 seconds long, and a few rides that were open that happened to have fake spiderwebs decorating them.
Here's where they could improve. There was a buggy ride that we went on, and we thought it might be a scary one. Nope. It had scarecrows and fake animatronic witches, but nothing that actually scared us (Except when Syd almost drove us off the road). What they should have done, was have REAL people hiding in the bushes in scary costumes jumping out at us. It would have been terrifying. They also should have had more than one short haunted maze thing. They also should have had more creepy werewolf guys or a chainsaw man running around the park. Basically they should have been more like Knotts Scary Farm. I guess I'm just really spoiled. I must say though, I do give them an A+ for effort, because they could have not had anything at all. I was a little spooked, I went on a roller coaster, and I got a huge barbe a papa (cotton candy en francais) and so it ended up being a pretty fun night after all. :)
Anyway, the reason I'm so critical is because of my Halloween experience. (DISCLAIMER: I had a really fun time. Don't get me wrong.) For one of my cultural activities, and for just a fun Halloween activity, Kayla, Sydney, and I went to Parc Asterix. If you've read my Two Monthiversary post, you know a little bit about how it was. You can read that post, here.
Parc Asterix is an amusement park that is about an hour outside of Paris. You have to take the RER to get there, and then take a shuttle bus. It's very nice that they provide all this transportation, but it is kind of expensive. It wouldn't have been so bad if our metro cards worked out that far, but they didn't. The park is based off of the French comic "Asterix & Obelix".
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| Asterix is the little one, and Obelix is the big one. |
The comic is about their ancient adventures in Gaul (France before it was called France) and the crazy antics they get into. The park is decorated in this fashion, with columns and cave paintings and giant sculptures of Zeus. It looks really cool. You know what else looked cool? And scary? Their website for "Peur sur le Parc". It was 4 days of what seemed to be a really scary fun experience. What it ended up being was one haunted house that was like 2 seconds long, and a few rides that were open that happened to have fake spiderwebs decorating them.
Here's where they could improve. There was a buggy ride that we went on, and we thought it might be a scary one. Nope. It had scarecrows and fake animatronic witches, but nothing that actually scared us (Except when Syd almost drove us off the road). What they should have done, was have REAL people hiding in the bushes in scary costumes jumping out at us. It would have been terrifying. They also should have had more than one short haunted maze thing. They also should have had more creepy werewolf guys or a chainsaw man running around the park. Basically they should have been more like Knotts Scary Farm. I guess I'm just really spoiled. I must say though, I do give them an A+ for effort, because they could have not had anything at all. I was a little spooked, I went on a roller coaster, and I got a huge barbe a papa (cotton candy en francais) and so it ended up being a pretty fun night after all. :)
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| cave paintings...Lascaux III? |
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| our ridiculous rollercoaster picture...look at me holding onto Kayla's hat! hahaha |
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| melting cotton candy in the rain with Kayla |
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Joyeux Thanksgiving!
So, it's 3:30 in the morning here in Paris, but I have to write this post while it's still Thanksgiving, at least at home. I just finished skyping my family, and I may or may not have started crying when I heard how my little brother's voice has changed. (Hint: I did cry.) I was super lucky and got to have an actual Thanksgiving meal today with our whole study abroad group. We didn't get to have dinner because we had an art history class tonight, but we had a huge meal before, hung out and played games, slept, and after class got to hang out some more and eat leftovers. I ate so much food and I have zero regrets. The past two years I have had to be away from my family for Thanksgiving, but I have been so lucky to have such fun experiences with my study abroad family, and Kelsie's family last year. It just proves that you can be thankful and feel the love no matter where you are or who you are with!
My life right now is pretty much amazing, and the best part is that I have finally realized how amazing it has always been. I don't mean to brag at all, I just mean that I have learned how to count all the little blessings in my life, and I truly appreciate all the things I am given; good and bad. I want to make a list of some of the things I am grateful for, just to share a little piece of my happiness with everyone. I obviously can't list everything, but here are some things that come to mind:
-my family
-my friends from home
-my friends from BYU
-my study abroad friends
-America
-sweatpants
-One Direction
-hugs
-Disneyland
-food
-smiles
-technology (so I can "be with" my family all the way across the world!)
-the gospel and the church
-the priesthood
-experiences that help me to grow
-music
-Ellen Degeneres, her show, and her many youtube videos that keep me up too late
-Kelsie and Corbin, individually and together
-Cori
-my host family
-my body
-being healthy
-dancing
-pictures
-birthdays
-princesses
-cough drops
-fuzzy socks
-the beach
-California in general
-temples
-the atonement
-my Heavenly Father
-and last, and most importantly, my savior Jesus Christ
That list could literally go on forever, but I think you get the idea. I don't mean to get really serious or preachy and I kind of hate when people do this, but I have to say it. Honestly, my life wouldn't be so amazing and I wouldn't be able to have any of these things (however small) without my Heavenly Father and Jesus. I know that everything I'm going through is a challenge or a blessing that will help me grow in some way, to help me become the best me that I can be, and that is what I am grateful for most of all.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)
My life right now is pretty much amazing, and the best part is that I have finally realized how amazing it has always been. I don't mean to brag at all, I just mean that I have learned how to count all the little blessings in my life, and I truly appreciate all the things I am given; good and bad. I want to make a list of some of the things I am grateful for, just to share a little piece of my happiness with everyone. I obviously can't list everything, but here are some things that come to mind:
-my family
-my friends from home
-my friends from BYU
-my study abroad friends
-America
-sweatpants
-One Direction
-hugs
-Disneyland
-food
-smiles
-technology (so I can "be with" my family all the way across the world!)
-the gospel and the church
-the priesthood
-experiences that help me to grow
-music
-Ellen Degeneres, her show, and her many youtube videos that keep me up too late
-Kelsie and Corbin, individually and together
-Cori
-my host family
-my body
-being healthy
-dancing
-pictures
-birthdays
-princesses
-cough drops
-fuzzy socks
-the beach
-California in general
-temples
-the atonement
-my Heavenly Father
-and last, and most importantly, my savior Jesus Christ
That list could literally go on forever, but I think you get the idea. I don't mean to get really serious or preachy and I kind of hate when people do this, but I have to say it. Honestly, my life wouldn't be so amazing and I wouldn't be able to have any of these things (however small) without my Heavenly Father and Jesus. I know that everything I'm going through is a challenge or a blessing that will help me grow in some way, to help me become the best me that I can be, and that is what I am grateful for most of all.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Paris Walk #14
Date: 11/14/12
La Route des Manifs: Canal Saint-Martin, Republique, Bastille, Viaduc des Arts
Me, Kaitlin, and Olivia were determined to get these walks done, so at maybe too late an hour, we decided to start this walk. The first thing the walk tells you to go see is the Canal Saint-Martin, which kind of just looks like a big dirty river. Apparently this is where people used to like to protest a long long time ago. It reminded me a little bit of Les Miserables, and so we obviously started singing "Can You Hear the People Sing" from it. It really did look like a sewer because it flowed into this creepy tunnel. We crossed over a bridge which was pretty cool, and then continued. We were headed toward the Bastille, but there were a lot of really creepy people around, and I just was really sketched out by that area. Then, Olivia tells us that it says to do the walk during the day; it was about 5pm and getting dark. Seriously, that area is really skeevy. We decided that since we had already seen the Bastille before, we would just read about it and go home. Better safe than sorry, right? I will still write about what I learned. It column at the Bastille was built in 1833 in honor of those who fought in the Revolution of 1830. The statue on top of it is called the Genie of Liberty. There is also a large building there which is the Bastille Opera house, home to many operas and ballets.
La Route des Manifs: Canal Saint-Martin, Republique, Bastille, Viaduc des Arts
Me, Kaitlin, and Olivia were determined to get these walks done, so at maybe too late an hour, we decided to start this walk. The first thing the walk tells you to go see is the Canal Saint-Martin, which kind of just looks like a big dirty river. Apparently this is where people used to like to protest a long long time ago. It reminded me a little bit of Les Miserables, and so we obviously started singing "Can You Hear the People Sing" from it. It really did look like a sewer because it flowed into this creepy tunnel. We crossed over a bridge which was pretty cool, and then continued. We were headed toward the Bastille, but there were a lot of really creepy people around, and I just was really sketched out by that area. Then, Olivia tells us that it says to do the walk during the day; it was about 5pm and getting dark. Seriously, that area is really skeevy. We decided that since we had already seen the Bastille before, we would just read about it and go home. Better safe than sorry, right? I will still write about what I learned. It column at the Bastille was built in 1833 in honor of those who fought in the Revolution of 1830. The statue on top of it is called the Genie of Liberty. There is also a large building there which is the Bastille Opera house, home to many operas and ballets.
Paris Walk #13
Date: 11/14/12
Marchez le nez au vent: Sights and Smells around the Madeleine
I set out today on a mission to get at least two more walks done. I am SO close to being finished! I met up with Kaitlin, Carine, and Olivia for this walk. It started at the Madeleine church and it was so cool. It is nothing like the other churches I've seen, except for maybe Saint Sulpice. It looks a little like that, but still different. It isn't Gothic which I loved. I love Gothic, but after seeing about a million cathedrals and churches that look like that it is a nice change of pace to see something else. The next part of our walk led us right by Laduree, in my opinion the fanciest dessert place/cafe in Paris. I bought two macarons (Rose and Salted Caramel flavored) and we continued. After that, we went to the Fragonard parfumerie. We didn't get a tour of the place, but we did stay and test lots of perfumes. Testing perfumes is actually one of my favorite activities. It was a little awkward though because we were the only ones in there with about the same number of employees as us. We were just tip-toe-ing around and whispering and it was kind of funny. I tried two different perfumes on myself which is what Bro. Olivier suggested, and after wearing them all day, I think I like the combination of the two the best! It was a very nice smelling walk for sure.
Marchez le nez au vent: Sights and Smells around the Madeleine
I set out today on a mission to get at least two more walks done. I am SO close to being finished! I met up with Kaitlin, Carine, and Olivia for this walk. It started at the Madeleine church and it was so cool. It is nothing like the other churches I've seen, except for maybe Saint Sulpice. It looks a little like that, but still different. It isn't Gothic which I loved. I love Gothic, but after seeing about a million cathedrals and churches that look like that it is a nice change of pace to see something else. The next part of our walk led us right by Laduree, in my opinion the fanciest dessert place/cafe in Paris. I bought two macarons (Rose and Salted Caramel flavored) and we continued. After that, we went to the Fragonard parfumerie. We didn't get a tour of the place, but we did stay and test lots of perfumes. Testing perfumes is actually one of my favorite activities. It was a little awkward though because we were the only ones in there with about the same number of employees as us. We were just tip-toe-ing around and whispering and it was kind of funny. I tried two different perfumes on myself which is what Bro. Olivier suggested, and after wearing them all day, I think I like the combination of the two the best! It was a very nice smelling walk for sure.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
My Two Monthiversary with Paris
Two months. I have officially been here for a solid 2 months! (Almost 2 and a half now) Where in the world did the time go? I have exactly 1 month left until I am back on U.S. soil. That is absolutely crazy.
A lot has happened since I last blogged. If you are friends with me on Facebook, you obviously know that, but if not, or I have managed to leave stuff out, I will do my best to update things on here as well. I think the easiest way (to start, anyway) is with a couple lists. We know how I love lists.
The Good Things:
-2 amazing Family Home Evenings: For those who don't know, FHE (for short) is a Mormon thing that we do with our families every week. It's basically just family night, but here we do it with our group. I was so lucky to have had two activities that I will never forget: one, a boat ride on the Seine, and the other, going up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Sorry Mom, I don't think you can top those.
-French Week: We had to speak only French for a whole week, and if we did well each day, we got a macaron. Although it was super hard, I think it really helped my French. I may not be fluent, but I can understand so much more than before and I have gotten over my fear of speaking which is the most important part.
-Discovering Chipotle: I miss Mexican food more than any other food, and when it comes to Mexican, Chipotle is the best. I am fully aware that it's not "real" Mexican, but I just don't care. It was a very emotional experience, in a good way. How they can have a Chipotle in Paris but not in Provo is beyond me.
-Nuit Blanche: super fun night. You can read more about it here.
-Halloween: There's actually no such thing as Halloween here, but we made our own fun. Sydney, Kayla, and I went to this theme park called Parc Asterix, which is based off of the French comic Asterix and Obelix. It was quite the adventure, with lots of travelling and navigating, and it ended up being kind of ridiculous. The French don't exactly know how to do Halloween. But I had a lot of fun and I loved bonding with those girls :)
-The "Non-Clique": bonding with these people has been the best. You know who you are. So many fun fun times. I have seriously made some amazing friends here.
The Bad Things:
-Art History: I just can't get into it. I feel like such a snob for saying it, but I am sick to death of the Louvre. Maybe it's just class, but every time I go there I end up feeling sick and getting a headache and feeling too hot. I think I might be art-intolerant. Don't get me wrong, I know how lucky I am to be going there so often, but it doesn't mean I love it...
-Getting my phone stolen: This was the most traumatic experience of my life thus far. Let's hope nothing worse ever happens to me. Especially because of how I reacted to this. Here's what happened. I had just finished babysitting for a family in the ward, and I was heading home at about 11pm. I had been on the metro millions of times at that hour, and I always listen to my iPod. Everyone does. It's just the thing that you do. I normally take a different way home, but I decided to take the easier way. It involved stopping at La Motte-Picquet Grenelle, a pretty big metro stop. I now avoid that place like the plague. Anyway, I was just sitting on the platform, listening to music, and looking at my phone which was in my hands, and a man came up, grabbed it, and started running away. The combination of me not really seeing him, having music blasting in my ears, and just the fact that that kind of thing is not a normal experience, made it really hard for me to quickly process what was happening. It took me way too long to realize, and by the time my brain had figured out to get up and run, my voice and legs had not caught up. Seriously, he was so far ahead of me, and the sounds coming out of my mouth were not human. I couldn't make enough noise, and I did not sound like myself trying to yell at him to stop and tell the other people on the platform to get him. That was the other crazy part- there were other people around! I guess not enough apparently. I followed him all the way outside, only to find my empty case and headphones on the ground. I was like, heaving and dry-sobbing and so scared. A really nice man who spoke English asked me if I was okay, and if I wanted to borrow his phone to call anyone. I didn't have anyone's number so I just went home and cried a lot. After trying to track down my phone and going to the police, there's nothing I can do. The phone is gone. I was really shaken up for a couple days, but I got a blessing from Noah and my director and I felt a lot better. I am now a lot more cautious and maybe a little paranoid, but this experience has been strangely a good one. I'm still including it in the bad list because it was scary, and let's be real. I want my phone. But, I've learned to not be so completely reliant on technology, and so obsessed with being connected to home. It's been slightly liberating. I miss listening to music though.
-Dr. and Sister Hurlbut leaving: Our fantastic director and his wife unexpectedly had to leave us a few weeks ago. We got about a week's notice, and we got to have a last dinner with them which was nice, but we were all still pretty devastated. While this meant we got to blog in English and travel to other places, it was (in my opinion) not worth the exchange. I really really miss them. (P.S. We have a great new director, Dr. Erickson! I just still miss them)
-Being homesick: As much as I love Paris and France and the study abroad and all the great things that come with it, I miss America. I miss my friends and my family, being able to call people on the phone, driving a car, sweatpants being socially acceptable, Reeses peanut butter cups, my bed, and about a hundred other things.
I was worried before I came on this trip that I wouldn't love it, or it wouldn't change my life like every other person to ever study abroad has said it would. I came with completely different expectations, and I don't think one of my preconceptions actually was true. As much as I want to go home right now, I don't regret coming here at all. I think this was absolutely the best thing I could have done for myself, and the right choice. When I applied, this was literally the last thing I thought I would be doing, it was just an option for the upcoming year. If you had told me then, how I would feel about myself and life right now, I would not have believed you for a second. It has only been about 8 months since then, and I feel like in so many ways my life is so different. I may not become fluent in French, I may not make a million French pen pals, and I may not remember every little thing I saw or did, but I have grown more in these 2 months than I have in all my years at BYU, in high school, or any other experience that's supposed to change your life. I cannot even explain how happy I am; to be here, to have the life that I have, and most importantly: to be me. :)
A lot has happened since I last blogged. If you are friends with me on Facebook, you obviously know that, but if not, or I have managed to leave stuff out, I will do my best to update things on here as well. I think the easiest way (to start, anyway) is with a couple lists. We know how I love lists.
The Good Things:
-2 amazing Family Home Evenings: For those who don't know, FHE (for short) is a Mormon thing that we do with our families every week. It's basically just family night, but here we do it with our group. I was so lucky to have had two activities that I will never forget: one, a boat ride on the Seine, and the other, going up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Sorry Mom, I don't think you can top those.
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| on the boat! |
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| on top of the Eiffel Tower! |
-French Week: We had to speak only French for a whole week, and if we did well each day, we got a macaron. Although it was super hard, I think it really helped my French. I may not be fluent, but I can understand so much more than before and I have gotten over my fear of speaking which is the most important part.
-Discovering Chipotle: I miss Mexican food more than any other food, and when it comes to Mexican, Chipotle is the best. I am fully aware that it's not "real" Mexican, but I just don't care. It was a very emotional experience, in a good way. How they can have a Chipotle in Paris but not in Provo is beyond me.
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| SO HAPPY |
-Nuit Blanche: super fun night. You can read more about it here.
-Halloween: There's actually no such thing as Halloween here, but we made our own fun. Sydney, Kayla, and I went to this theme park called Parc Asterix, which is based off of the French comic Asterix and Obelix. It was quite the adventure, with lots of travelling and navigating, and it ended up being kind of ridiculous. The French don't exactly know how to do Halloween. But I had a lot of fun and I loved bonding with those girls :)
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| sporting our Asterix helmets! |
The Bad Things:
-Art History: I just can't get into it. I feel like such a snob for saying it, but I am sick to death of the Louvre. Maybe it's just class, but every time I go there I end up feeling sick and getting a headache and feeling too hot. I think I might be art-intolerant. Don't get me wrong, I know how lucky I am to be going there so often, but it doesn't mean I love it...
-Getting my phone stolen: This was the most traumatic experience of my life thus far. Let's hope nothing worse ever happens to me. Especially because of how I reacted to this. Here's what happened. I had just finished babysitting for a family in the ward, and I was heading home at about 11pm. I had been on the metro millions of times at that hour, and I always listen to my iPod. Everyone does. It's just the thing that you do. I normally take a different way home, but I decided to take the easier way. It involved stopping at La Motte-Picquet Grenelle, a pretty big metro stop. I now avoid that place like the plague. Anyway, I was just sitting on the platform, listening to music, and looking at my phone which was in my hands, and a man came up, grabbed it, and started running away. The combination of me not really seeing him, having music blasting in my ears, and just the fact that that kind of thing is not a normal experience, made it really hard for me to quickly process what was happening. It took me way too long to realize, and by the time my brain had figured out to get up and run, my voice and legs had not caught up. Seriously, he was so far ahead of me, and the sounds coming out of my mouth were not human. I couldn't make enough noise, and I did not sound like myself trying to yell at him to stop and tell the other people on the platform to get him. That was the other crazy part- there were other people around! I guess not enough apparently. I followed him all the way outside, only to find my empty case and headphones on the ground. I was like, heaving and dry-sobbing and so scared. A really nice man who spoke English asked me if I was okay, and if I wanted to borrow his phone to call anyone. I didn't have anyone's number so I just went home and cried a lot. After trying to track down my phone and going to the police, there's nothing I can do. The phone is gone. I was really shaken up for a couple days, but I got a blessing from Noah and my director and I felt a lot better. I am now a lot more cautious and maybe a little paranoid, but this experience has been strangely a good one. I'm still including it in the bad list because it was scary, and let's be real. I want my phone. But, I've learned to not be so completely reliant on technology, and so obsessed with being connected to home. It's been slightly liberating. I miss listening to music though.
-Dr. and Sister Hurlbut leaving: Our fantastic director and his wife unexpectedly had to leave us a few weeks ago. We got about a week's notice, and we got to have a last dinner with them which was nice, but we were all still pretty devastated. While this meant we got to blog in English and travel to other places, it was (in my opinion) not worth the exchange. I really really miss them. (P.S. We have a great new director, Dr. Erickson! I just still miss them)
-Being homesick: As much as I love Paris and France and the study abroad and all the great things that come with it, I miss America. I miss my friends and my family, being able to call people on the phone, driving a car, sweatpants being socially acceptable, Reeses peanut butter cups, my bed, and about a hundred other things.
I was worried before I came on this trip that I wouldn't love it, or it wouldn't change my life like every other person to ever study abroad has said it would. I came with completely different expectations, and I don't think one of my preconceptions actually was true. As much as I want to go home right now, I don't regret coming here at all. I think this was absolutely the best thing I could have done for myself, and the right choice. When I applied, this was literally the last thing I thought I would be doing, it was just an option for the upcoming year. If you had told me then, how I would feel about myself and life right now, I would not have believed you for a second. It has only been about 8 months since then, and I feel like in so many ways my life is so different. I may not become fluent in French, I may not make a million French pen pals, and I may not remember every little thing I saw or did, but I have grown more in these 2 months than I have in all my years at BYU, in high school, or any other experience that's supposed to change your life. I cannot even explain how happy I am; to be here, to have the life that I have, and most importantly: to be me. :)
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| "Our Town!" -Dr. H |
Cultural Activity #2: Nuit Blanche
Date: 10/6/12
Location: All around Paris
People who went: Me, Noah, Olivia, Kaitlin, Caitlyn, Mallory, and Lucy
I don't know if this is technically on the list of approved cultural activities, but I am definitely going to count it, as it was probably the most cultural I've felt while here.
Nuit Blanche is basically a free, all-night, cultural party. It feels like the whole city is awake and outside walking around. What happens is pretty much all the museums and monuments stay open almost all night, and let people go on them or in them for free. There are also other spectacles going on, such as a fire show on the Seine (which we sadly missed) or a techno concert at the Pompidou (which is where we spent most of our time). We chose not to go into any of the museums or anything because the lines were ridiculously long, and we can pretty much get into all of them for free with our student ID's. Hooray! Instead, we hung around the Pompidou pretty much the whole time. It's the modern art museum, and it fittingly had a techno concert going on outside. There was a DJ up on a balcony thing with lights going all over the place. There were tons of people just dancing and having a good time. After we had spent some time there, we decided to see what was going on at Notre Dame and Hotel de Ville. Unfortunately, Kaitlin, Noah, and Olivia had to leave because although most metro lines were staying open all night, theirs closed early. Caitlyn, Mallory, Lucy and I got ice cream, and walked over to the Eiffel Tower, and then went home.
This night was seriously so much fun. It was so cool to see SO many people up at a time when Paris would usually be pretty dead. There was something for everyone going on, and the fact that it was all free was an amazing perk. For people other than students, this is one night where they could really experience the museums and things not on a Sunday. I loved the energy and atmosphere of the city, and with the little bit of rain we got, everything really was just so sparkly and exciting. It was quite the nuit.
Location: All around Paris
People who went: Me, Noah, Olivia, Kaitlin, Caitlyn, Mallory, and Lucy
I don't know if this is technically on the list of approved cultural activities, but I am definitely going to count it, as it was probably the most cultural I've felt while here.
Nuit Blanche is basically a free, all-night, cultural party. It feels like the whole city is awake and outside walking around. What happens is pretty much all the museums and monuments stay open almost all night, and let people go on them or in them for free. There are also other spectacles going on, such as a fire show on the Seine (which we sadly missed) or a techno concert at the Pompidou (which is where we spent most of our time). We chose not to go into any of the museums or anything because the lines were ridiculously long, and we can pretty much get into all of them for free with our student ID's. Hooray! Instead, we hung around the Pompidou pretty much the whole time. It's the modern art museum, and it fittingly had a techno concert going on outside. There was a DJ up on a balcony thing with lights going all over the place. There were tons of people just dancing and having a good time. After we had spent some time there, we decided to see what was going on at Notre Dame and Hotel de Ville. Unfortunately, Kaitlin, Noah, and Olivia had to leave because although most metro lines were staying open all night, theirs closed early. Caitlyn, Mallory, Lucy and I got ice cream, and walked over to the Eiffel Tower, and then went home.
This night was seriously so much fun. It was so cool to see SO many people up at a time when Paris would usually be pretty dead. There was something for everyone going on, and the fact that it was all free was an amazing perk. For people other than students, this is one night where they could really experience the museums and things not on a Sunday. I loved the energy and atmosphere of the city, and with the little bit of rain we got, everything really was just so sparkly and exciting. It was quite the nuit.
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| making some friends? |
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| it was quite the night. this picture just really makes me laugh. oh lucy. |
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| 2am stroll to the Eiffel Tower with Lu :) |
Les Chateaux
For our 4th excursion, we took another day trip. This time, to 2 beautiful chateaus! Yes, we got to go explore 2 huge palaces, and it was school. I'm aware of how magical my life is.
The first one we visited was Fontainebleu, which is where important people used to live. I'm really sorry, I am seriously horrible at French history. Too many Henry's and Charles's and Louis's. I have never seen so much decoration inside a building before in my life. It was weird to think that people actually lived here, because it just was so extravagant and seemed so much like a museum. In one bedroom (Marie Antoinette? Did I make that up? Probably.) I was trying to picture me living there. Sitting on the bed with my laptop, crap all over the floor, and I just couldn't even picture it. I'm pretty sure I could sit in that room forever and never leave and never get bored because there was so much to look at. It was amazing. We also pretended to waltz around in the ballroom and that was a lot of fun. I just want to live in a chateau, is that too much to ask?
The second chateau we visited was Vaux-le-Vicomte. I was most excited for this one, because the gardens are absolutely beautiful, and I had unknowingly pinned a picture of it on Pinterest. I had decided to go back and look at my travel board and see how many of the places I had pinned I had ended up going to without even realizing. Well, I saw this pin and I realized that's where we were going THAT weekend! So exciting. Looking back again, I'm realizing we are going to even more places. How many people can say they've checked off places on their Pinterest board?! Anyway, Vaux-le-Vicomte did not disappoint. The inside of it is impressive for sure; it's huge. But the best part really was the gardens. They were enormous and so well kept. The designs they made with the plants and flowers are amazing, and we were lucky enough to get to go up to the top of the building and see them from above.
Overall, it was a very rainy, beautiful, historical trip. Here are some more pictures for you to enjoy!
The first one we visited was Fontainebleu, which is where important people used to live. I'm really sorry, I am seriously horrible at French history. Too many Henry's and Charles's and Louis's. I have never seen so much decoration inside a building before in my life. It was weird to think that people actually lived here, because it just was so extravagant and seemed so much like a museum. In one bedroom (Marie Antoinette? Did I make that up? Probably.) I was trying to picture me living there. Sitting on the bed with my laptop, crap all over the floor, and I just couldn't even picture it. I'm pretty sure I could sit in that room forever and never leave and never get bored because there was so much to look at. It was amazing. We also pretended to waltz around in the ballroom and that was a lot of fun. I just want to live in a chateau, is that too much to ask?
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| seriously, who doesn't want that as their room? |
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| that's just the ceiling. who even thinks about the ceiling that much!? |
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| such a cool staircase |
The second chateau we visited was Vaux-le-Vicomte. I was most excited for this one, because the gardens are absolutely beautiful, and I had unknowingly pinned a picture of it on Pinterest. I had decided to go back and look at my travel board and see how many of the places I had pinned I had ended up going to without even realizing. Well, I saw this pin and I realized that's where we were going THAT weekend! So exciting. Looking back again, I'm realizing we are going to even more places. How many people can say they've checked off places on their Pinterest board?! Anyway, Vaux-le-Vicomte did not disappoint. The inside of it is impressive for sure; it's huge. But the best part really was the gardens. They were enormous and so well kept. The designs they made with the plants and flowers are amazing, and we were lucky enough to get to go up to the top of the building and see them from above.
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| aren't they amazing?! |
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| Vaux-le-Vicomte |
Overall, it was a very rainy, beautiful, historical trip. Here are some more pictures for you to enjoy!
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| waltzing in the ballroom! |
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| in the attic type thing at Vaux-le-Vicomte with Carine, Olivia, and Alicia |
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| #helpimtrappedwithnoahveloz hahah jk. i love noah. |
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| life is fun :) |
Chartres
A while back we had our 3rd "excursion", if you can call it that. What it was, was a day trip to Chartres Cathedral. We woke up early to meet Chez Hurlbut, had a "roll call" which is a genius idea (buy one less pastry than there are people...don't be late or you don't get a pastry), and then headed on a short train ride to Chartres. I sat with Olivia and we played a game with our iPods called "try to match the songs so we're listening to music at the exact same time". It was really fun. Lots of boy bands and Disney music was listened to that day. This was our view the whole ride there:
When we got to Chartres, we had a tour from this delightfully British man who knew literally everything there is to know about this cathedral. The crazy part is that he claimed to not know everything, and said he learned new things about it every day. I guess that's totally possible, it's just that he seriously knew so much. Even little tiny details that the average person wouldn't ever notice. That part was a little long, and I accidentally may have dozed a few times...I blame it on the fact that it was super dark in there. It's a good thing I did get a snooze in though, because the next part was intense. We hiked up about a million stairs to the bell tower at the top of the cathedral. It was really cool, but the stairs were insane. I don't know how many but it was really tiring. The view was amazing, though you wouldn't be able to tell from this picture: (I seriously am still laughing at this...I don't remember making this face or being so completely un-thrilled hahaha)
I felt a little bit like I was the hunchback of Notre-Dame up there, due to the bells being so close and how completely gross I looked that day...even though I wasn't even at Notre-Dame. After we got some lunch, we headed back to Paris where I probably took a nap. It was just one of those days.
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| Train ride lovin' with Noah and Kaitlin. |
When we got to Chartres, we had a tour from this delightfully British man who knew literally everything there is to know about this cathedral. The crazy part is that he claimed to not know everything, and said he learned new things about it every day. I guess that's totally possible, it's just that he seriously knew so much. Even little tiny details that the average person wouldn't ever notice. That part was a little long, and I accidentally may have dozed a few times...I blame it on the fact that it was super dark in there. It's a good thing I did get a snooze in though, because the next part was intense. We hiked up about a million stairs to the bell tower at the top of the cathedral. It was really cool, but the stairs were insane. I don't know how many but it was really tiring. The view was amazing, though you wouldn't be able to tell from this picture: (I seriously am still laughing at this...I don't remember making this face or being so completely un-thrilled hahaha)
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| I swear it wasn't THAT boring... |
I felt a little bit like I was the hunchback of Notre-Dame up there, due to the bells being so close and how completely gross I looked that day...even though I wasn't even at Notre-Dame. After we got some lunch, we headed back to Paris where I probably took a nap. It was just one of those days.
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| Annie, Sage, Alicia, Lucy, Me at the top of Chartres |
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| there really was quite a view. |
Paris Walk #12
Date: 10/27/12 (?)
Saint-Ouen's Labyrinth: Navigating the World's Largest Flea Market
This walk was spent with Caitie, Mallory, Lucy, Nate, and Candace (Kayla's friend). It literally consists of just wandering around the biggest flea market in the world, with the only requirement being that you have to visit the antique section. Didn't have to tell me twice! I love old things. This flea market really is huge. You think you're finished with it, and it just keeps going somewhere else. I don't think we even saw half of it. My favorite part really was the antique section. They had all these vintage clothes from every era, amazing furniture, actual postcards with old letters on them, and my favorite: the records. There was one shop with tons of old albums, and a place to play them. I found the most exciting and best purchase of my life there: 4 Beatles albums consisting of over 100 songs. FOR 25 EUROS. I literally felt like I was stealing. The guy let me play them a little too, and I was actually freaking out. It sounded amazing! I can't wait to go home and play them all.
Saint-Ouen's Labyrinth: Navigating the World's Largest Flea Market
This walk was spent with Caitie, Mallory, Lucy, Nate, and Candace (Kayla's friend). It literally consists of just wandering around the biggest flea market in the world, with the only requirement being that you have to visit the antique section. Didn't have to tell me twice! I love old things. This flea market really is huge. You think you're finished with it, and it just keeps going somewhere else. I don't think we even saw half of it. My favorite part really was the antique section. They had all these vintage clothes from every era, amazing furniture, actual postcards with old letters on them, and my favorite: the records. There was one shop with tons of old albums, and a place to play them. I found the most exciting and best purchase of my life there: 4 Beatles albums consisting of over 100 songs. FOR 25 EUROS. I literally felt like I was stealing. The guy let me play them a little too, and I was actually freaking out. It sounded amazing! I can't wait to go home and play them all.
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| This picture makes me laugh. |
Paris Walk #11
Date: 10/27/12
Time Travel, Tricks, and Treats around Saint-Sulpice
This was another walk I did by myself. It was also another one I did so I would be out of the house more and my host mom wouldn't think I was depressed (see previous post). I decided I kind of really like doing walks by myself, because I can go at my own pace and just speed through things I don't really care about. This walk was already short, and I intended on skipping the Saint-Sulpice, but once I found out it was the 2nd biggest church in Paris, and featured in the Da Vinci Code, I had to go inside. I am really glad I did, because it is so different from any cathedral I've seen so far. It wasn't gothic at all, which was new for me, and I loved it. It was so extravagant and huge. I sat outside by a fountain reading about it, and this couple came up and asked me about it...in English. I talked to them for a little bit, and the girl was from Turkey, but studied at school in Irvine, an hour from my house in California! I thought that was really cool. I also passed a little shop that specializes in miniature figurines. I think I found the place where they make everything for the millions of dioramas around France...I also found an actual Ben and Jerry's shop, so I obviously had to stop and get ice cream- my favorite: Phish Phood! Don't knock it til you try it ;)
I had pictures of this, but they're now gone/somewhere lost on my computer because some creep stole my phone.
Time Travel, Tricks, and Treats around Saint-Sulpice
This was another walk I did by myself. It was also another one I did so I would be out of the house more and my host mom wouldn't think I was depressed (see previous post). I decided I kind of really like doing walks by myself, because I can go at my own pace and just speed through things I don't really care about. This walk was already short, and I intended on skipping the Saint-Sulpice, but once I found out it was the 2nd biggest church in Paris, and featured in the Da Vinci Code, I had to go inside. I am really glad I did, because it is so different from any cathedral I've seen so far. It wasn't gothic at all, which was new for me, and I loved it. It was so extravagant and huge. I sat outside by a fountain reading about it, and this couple came up and asked me about it...in English. I talked to them for a little bit, and the girl was from Turkey, but studied at school in Irvine, an hour from my house in California! I thought that was really cool. I also passed a little shop that specializes in miniature figurines. I think I found the place where they make everything for the millions of dioramas around France...I also found an actual Ben and Jerry's shop, so I obviously had to stop and get ice cream- my favorite: Phish Phood! Don't knock it til you try it ;)
I had pictures of this, but they're now gone/somewhere lost on my computer because some creep stole my phone.
Paris Walk #10
Date: 10/26/12
Get Lost! The "Anti-Walk"
This is one of two walks I have done by myself, and I didn't even really start it on purpose. My host mom doesn't like when I sit home by myself and watch movies or sleep or do any other normal college student activity, because she thinks I'm dying or wasting my parents' money, or just absolutely nuts. She doesn't understand what I want my experience here to be, or the fact that sometimes everyone else is at home too, and I don't wanna go wander by myself. However, this time, she had apparently been crying about it or something, so I decided that even though there was NOTHING to do, I'd go find something to do. Alone. So dumb. But hey, I ended up doing a walk, so that's positive right? I left my house with the intent on getting gelato from a place near the director's house, and then coming home. Well, the place looked closed, and instead of further investigating, I decided to give up and go somewhere else: McDonald's. I just really wanted a McFlurry all of a sudden. Don't judge me. I walked around Ecole Militaire and didn't find anything, so I jumped on the nearest bus and decided to ride it til I found a McDonalds or somewhere else I knew. It ended up taking me to part of the Champs-Elysees. I knew there was a McDonald's there, so I got off. I walked up the street, saw a huge mob of chanting joggers (very weird) and ended up settling for a Quick instead (French version of McDo). I got my ice cream, messaged my real mom about how dumb I felt, then left and found the nearest metro- Champs-Elysees Clemenceau. I took that home, and ended up spending about 2 1/2 hours wandering around, when I wanted to spend about 1, maybe 1 1/2. I really hope my host mom was happy.
Get Lost! The "Anti-Walk"
This is one of two walks I have done by myself, and I didn't even really start it on purpose. My host mom doesn't like when I sit home by myself and watch movies or sleep or do any other normal college student activity, because she thinks I'm dying or wasting my parents' money, or just absolutely nuts. She doesn't understand what I want my experience here to be, or the fact that sometimes everyone else is at home too, and I don't wanna go wander by myself. However, this time, she had apparently been crying about it or something, so I decided that even though there was NOTHING to do, I'd go find something to do. Alone. So dumb. But hey, I ended up doing a walk, so that's positive right? I left my house with the intent on getting gelato from a place near the director's house, and then coming home. Well, the place looked closed, and instead of further investigating, I decided to give up and go somewhere else: McDonald's. I just really wanted a McFlurry all of a sudden. Don't judge me. I walked around Ecole Militaire and didn't find anything, so I jumped on the nearest bus and decided to ride it til I found a McDonalds or somewhere else I knew. It ended up taking me to part of the Champs-Elysees. I knew there was a McDonald's there, so I got off. I walked up the street, saw a huge mob of chanting joggers (very weird) and ended up settling for a Quick instead (French version of McDo). I got my ice cream, messaged my real mom about how dumb I felt, then left and found the nearest metro- Champs-Elysees Clemenceau. I took that home, and ended up spending about 2 1/2 hours wandering around, when I wanted to spend about 1, maybe 1 1/2. I really hope my host mom was happy.
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