To Bar or To Blog?

To Blog.

I don't feel like socializing or bar-ing right now.

Today was Mardi (fat) Gras (Tuesday) I have fittingly celebrated it: I just treated myself to MacDo (Oh cursed temptation!) vanilla ice cream and fries (I was feeling the midnight salty/sweet combo!) and am now sitting in bed typing. 

I like alone time.

Coming from a relatively close-knit hometown and going to a small college, 

being surrounded by familiar faces and humdrum conversations is my norm. 

The predictability of this close-knight community can be comfortable 

yet at times, it suffocates me from my integrity...

Being in a cosmopolitan complex chock-full of changing faces,

that sense of connection to those around me has diminished.

The irregularity of this urban environment can be lonely 

yet at times, it releases me from monotony…

I think the city life is incredible but I do miss the sense of comfort and security that comes with my calmer and rural hometown.

No matter where I am, alone time here and there is a must. 

That being said, Saturday I had the day to myself. It was nice. It was also the first sunny (or non-grey) day so far in Paris. I walked for a few hours and didn't look at my map until I wanted to head back.
 No (vocal) conversation; no need for it.

AUJOURD’HUI.

Mmm so in addition to the Macdo, today was a memorable one. 

I was dreading and looking forward to this day, the big Fat Tuesday, because it was INTERVIEW DAY. My interview was scheduled with Sandra Ayad, director of the CRIDES (Research Center for International Sexual Exploitation) of Foundation Scelles (non-profit org. fighting against sex trafficking). I had a preliminary Skype interview but the job placement wasn’t certain (I thought it was but they needed a ‘face à face’).

Well to quickly resume, I GOT IT! My nervousness was tranquilized when I met the motivated and passionate people working there, including Mme. Ayad. There are five people working in CRIDES and there will be another French intern. My project will be to work on an annual publication “Rapport mondial sur exploitation sexuelle” in which I will be writing a few sections (en francais!). This rapport will be covering about 60 countries and I am being assigned to do research on sexual exploitation in the United States (woo!), Maghreb countries and possibly some other countries if I have extra time.  This is my first, non-kid -watching, non-food-touching job that I’m truly interested in and excited to start! AH! My first baby step into the adult world!

Lauren S. was on the same (nerve-wracking/research-packing/interview-practicing) boat as me and she had her French interview with the head of collections at the Musée de Rodin on Monday. Her interview went wonderfully and she was offered the internship right away as well!

Leading up to our  interviews, we did a decent amount of research on our respective internships in the library in my Foyer. Yeah, I took a video because it is a SHARP-LOOKING library (see video below).

Musée Carnavalet...ou l'histoire de Paris en héritage.
23 rue de Sévigné
75003 Paris.

Visited it last Wednesday.

- the Musée has works from 4600 avant J.C. to présent!   

-the History of Paris is illuminated through documents/paintings/artifacts from the Celtic Iron Age peoples, the Parisiis (see the root of the capital's name eh?!?)  to the 20th century.

-I didn't stay that long, only about an hour, but I focused my attention on the floor with French Revolution works. (Declaration des Droits de l'Homme: see right).

A Day with DALI 

au Centre Pompidou*.

Exhibition is taking place: 21 Novembre 2012- 25 Mars 2013
I went on FRIDAY.

*Georges Pompidou était Président de la France (1969-74).

First Visual: the Fountain to the Left of the Centre Pompidou

Three men, clad in military attire (not sure whether they were legit or not), enter the scene. There is a fashion shoot of sorts in the foreground; there are Jean Tinguely fountain sculptures bursting with color in the middle ground, cute cafés surrounding the fountain, a mural of Dali in the background and an artist chalking on a sidewalk on the right bank of the fountain. It was a very interesting setting to say the least. I’m glad we stumbled upon it.

Voila, here are some visual representations of the above description:

Christine and Lauren went with me!

Shut down my a mime...

After having walked through the Fountain area, we headed towards the Pompidou Center. Below is a picture of Lauren and me in front of the Pompidou entrance...Fun fact: the mobile in the background was created by Alexander Calder.

Et...here are some pictures of the moderne centre Pompidou. Some think that the architecture is moche (ugly) but I like it. Modernity clashing with the gothic surroundings is an abrupt visual change, but as I said, I like it.

10euro (reduced for students; normal is 13euro) to go see a Dali retrospective exhibit with over a hundred of his great paintings, drawings, objects, sketches and films?

Ok, I’m in.

Friday, Christine, Lauren S. and I headed to Pompidou after our class, at around 1pm. We waited in line for about a half an hour…we thought we would have to wait longer but we went at a good time (before the elders got out of work/before the weekend tourists arrive). 

Going up...up...up the elevator, to wait in line!

The view from the top floor of the Centre was incroyable...we could see le Sacre Coeur et la Tour Eiffel. The beauty of the view was not tainted by the dull rainy weather...it almost enhanced it!

"La paranoïa se sert du monde extérieur pour faire valoir l'idée obsédante, avec la troublante particularité de rendre valable la réalité de cette idée pour les autres." S. Dali.

I love this picture of Sacré Coeur (above).

                  

Moi et la 'petite' Tour Eiffel. Lauren et moi et le 'petit' Sacre Coeur.

I am no Dali expert; I only knew a few of his works before coming to the exhibit. But he is fascinating and this exhibit opened me up, for a few hours, to his exceptional mind.  This exhibit not only gave a historical timeline of events in his life but also gave information as to why he uses the repeated image of keys…severed limbs…Jesus…etc., etc.

Although the exposition proves utile in understanding DALI, or this savant surrealist meets paranoiac artist meets provocative political activist, he still remains an enigma. Or at least he does for me. I have just started reading one of his books “Les Moustaches Radar…” when I finish I might give a petit résumé of what I think!

Christine took these pictures, I didn't take any during the exhibit, so I'm glad she took a few.

 "A six ans je voulais être cuisiner  A sept ans, Napoléon  Depuis, mon ambition n'a cessé de croitre comme ma folie des grandeurs." S. Dali

"Je suis comme Leonardo, je veux tout savoir, mettre les choses en relation est ma préoccupation constante." S. Dali

"Il est très important pour un artiste d'avoir un sens développé du cosmos. Je suis beaucoup plus important comme génie cosmique que comme peintre." S. Dali.

Most of his work confuses the heck out of me. Visually I think it is amazing but I don’t know what most of it stands for, what he wanted to show. So what I did here and there, during my exploration of the exhibit, was listen to the art historians, leading student groups, talk about the symbolism in the paintings. I just nestled myself in with the high school groups and listened to the art historian explain how this clenched fist represents the tension in the Spanish civil war, or how the flower pot represents fertility or how this person’s neck is a phallic symbol…

On my way out I took a short video of the last room of the exhibit. I loved the quote that was lining the ceiling...

The French people who go to these exhibitions actually take the time to soak up the works; they observe it for a minute or two before moving on. The American museum experience consists of(in general) enjoying a work for a few moments, then scuffling off to the next work. Anyways, this is just what we remarked.

Apres Pompidou...Shakespeare&Co.

http://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/

When I visited Paris three years ago,I stayed with my friend Alex who was studying at the NYU campus in Paris. When he had class, he recommended that I go to the Shakespeare&Co. bookstore. The upstairs is really cozy and I remember reading up there a few years ago. It was amazing to go there again. It's not just a bookstore with Shakespearian literature, it is an English bookstore. Many English and American authors pass through for book readings. 

Christine,an avid Shakespeare fan, has read the first Folio of Shakespeare (a compilation of over thirty of his plays)and I took a snap of her looking through the Shakespeare section.

I love this picture!

Good Eats

 I tried my darn best to cook my own food, économiser un peu! Although, I went to the Creperie once then went out to a Chinese Resto on Sunday.

Earlier this week(Thursday) I stopped by the crepe stand on my street with Lena. My friend Zach recommended this stand to me, so I went for it. I had a spinach, feta and tomato and olive oil crepe....it was sooosoo good. Coincidentally, the crepe guy was from Greece but his mom is from Buffalo, NY...interesting.

       

My'Pantry'

Eggs/Spinach/Tomatos/Pesto/Cheese/Avocados...the bulk of what I've been eating...plus lotsa chocolat!

Vendredi soir: Lasagne chez Laura

Laura, another girl studying abroad in our program, invited us to her aunt's apartment for dinner. It was delish! So much good food. We had issues  getting there (Lauren, Christine and I)...not going into the details. But we made it there an hour late, and the food was so worth the wait!


Some SUNY folk.

Will and Lauren E. (Egg).

 lil hostess Laura in the middle with le fromage.

                                                             Egg was happy.

                                             Mmm...dessert has been served. Attack!

Lauren goes for the yogurt cake!

 hehe.

tarte aux pommes, miam!

Sunday lunch: 

The Green Garden

20 Rue Nationale, 75013 Paris

Danny, Ryan, Mei-Lin, Christine and I went to a vegetarian Chinese restaurant to celebrate the Chinese New Years. It was yummy (minus Ryan's soup). Really good prices! My coconut tofu basil noodles was 7euro. Spring rolls was 3euro.

Spring Rolls

  

 Mei lin and Christine's food (above).

Ryan's tofu chicken dumplings.

Danny's fried lomein and veggies.

My coconut-tofu-basil rice noods.

La Lucha Libre

10 Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève 

Saturday night, Lauren, Talia (studying abroad with Skidmore) 

and I had some Mojitos near my place. 

It was an awesome bar. The mojitos were pricy at 8 euro, but they were delicioso. I had a mango one.

Bar tenders were fun!

Human wrestling ring in the basement?

                                       

Talia took the following pics:

Sunday:Chinese New Years.

Notre Dame in the am, Green Garden for lunch and a lil suprise!

Mass at Notre Dame was peaceful. The organ/bell ringing was beautifully haunting!

Christine/Me/Mei-lin/Danny.

 After we went out to lunch...we went to get some tea in an indoor shopping center. When we walked out of the tea shop, we saw some children burning paper and then, children dressing up as dragons.

So...the paper burning

And...the dragon-dressing

Then...the dancing.  It was amazing. I know there were people in the dragon outfits but that doesn't mean I wasn't a little frightened.

Chinatown is only a 10min metro ride away for me, it was cool being transported to this celebration. It was a mini-vacation in Paris.

IT'S NOT FAIR.
Poverty-
     I've been having a lot of trouble dealing with the amount of beggars I see in the roads. I'm not accustomed to seeing so many helpless people struggling to survive. If I think about it too much, I feel sick to my stomach...and I'm clearly not the only one, I've had discussions with many in my program about this. 
     When someone is begging for money, I hesitate to give them change directly because I don't know where it will go. Will it go to buying drugs, alcohol...or food?
 I wonder if this person is able to work or if they are mentally handicapped, if they have a family or if they are all alone, if they have tried to find work and failed or if they have just given up hope? 
Christine is going to be working at a soup kitchen in Paris soon and I want to try to help her on some weekends. I think the best way to give back to those in need of economic security is to inform them of available resources such as soup kitchens and shelters where they can seek refuge. Giving food is better than giving money to them.
    I was talking about this with Christine earlier but, for us, what is just as bad as seeing someone begging for money, is seeing their pet alongside them. Animals are so helpless...they don't have a say. It's almost more difficult seeing the starving dog then the person...because we know that the dog doesn't have a sliver of hope and is dependant on the human.

Prostitution-
     Also...I was visiting Lena in the 19th arrondisement and saw many middle-aged Chinese prostitutes in the road. It was heart-breaking to see them looking at the ground or blankly straight ahead. I talked to Lena's host mom about why they are here. They are normally faced with difficult economic shortenings in their home country and believe that they are coming to Paris to work as tailors or seamstresses. It is really a ploy. 
     These criminal ploys linked with various prostitution rings trick desperate workers to come to another country to work in a certain field such as fashion, or child-care. These women are illegal citizens and have to fufill their work as prostitutes if they want to have a chance of rejoing their families...
This was my first eye-to-eye with the problem that I will be doing research on. No, I don't think it will be resolved any time soon, prostitution is one of the oldest exploitations in existence...but things aren't going to get better if no action is taken. These women need a way out of this vicious life.



I didn't mean to end this post on a somber note, hm...

Well, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, le 14 feb, St. Valentin.

I'm going to: do my laundry for the first time (it needs to happen, one pair of undies left), go to my first class at the Sorbonne, make dinner with Lena and eat chocolat!

à la prochaine, FSC.