Day 5 and 6 recaps are on their way... as well as photographs taken during the aforementioned (and still to be mentioned) excursions throughout Paris.
I can see the top of the Eiffel Tour from my room window. It's amazing. I even adore the crazy metro rides and transfers to and from classes and excursions (which generally take up 1-2 hours of my day)... even though they're sometimes cramped and everyone is rushing and things are still very much confusing, it's just incredibly exhilarating to be around the constant idiosyncrasies of Parisians and be a part of the amazing rhythm of a city that so many love to visit, but few have truly mastered to live in.
I'm learning to sleep through the noise of traffic and buses and ambulances, without AC in my room (window open). I've also become accustomed to all the public transportation and miles of walking, and am, not surprisingly, enjoying every bit of French food I eat. As would be expected, not everything is perfect and each day has its difficulties, but I'm loving every moment of it, regardless.
Five more weeks will probably go by in no time at all, but I think the true "culture shock" may actually hit once I finally return back home.
Friday, May 29, 2009
You're not French?!
Day 4: "This way to Jim!"*
Starting to feel a little less like a tourist, and more like a local. Had lunch on the front steps of a nearby museum and our group of four was mistaken for local Parisians three times, as we ate our sandwiches of French baguettes and people-watched. Two of the three people who stopped by were foreigners who needed directions, and we failed miserably at helping them because we didn't know the area very well yet, but it was still so amazing to fit in so well that passersby didn't hesitate to approach us for info in French.
At Pere Lachaise Cemetery, in front of Oscar Wilde's grave
After classes, visited the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery in the afternoon, an iconic resting place of Chopin, Jim Morrison, and, my ultimate favorite, Oscar Wilde (as depicted in Paris, je t'aime). On the way back, smushed like sardines on the metro, there was a group of elderly American ladies behind me on the train. For most of the ride, I was just listening to their horrible pronunciations of Parisian places, not turning or making eye contact with anyone around me (as true Parisians are not supposed to do so). From hearing their conversations, I could tell that these American women not only had an embarrassing grasp of the French language, but also had absolutely no idea how to get to their intended destination, Notre Dame. So, right before my stop, I turned and started showing them what line they needed to take - they were so surprised (and soon very grateful) that I spoke English.
*A chalking on an unmarked grave in Pere Lachaise cemetery.
Starting to feel a little less like a tourist, and more like a local. Had lunch on the front steps of a nearby museum and our group of four was mistaken for local Parisians three times, as we ate our sandwiches of French baguettes and people-watched. Two of the three people who stopped by were foreigners who needed directions, and we failed miserably at helping them because we didn't know the area very well yet, but it was still so amazing to fit in so well that passersby didn't hesitate to approach us for info in French.
At Pere Lachaise Cemetery, in front of Oscar Wilde's graveAfter classes, visited the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery in the afternoon, an iconic resting place of Chopin, Jim Morrison, and, my ultimate favorite, Oscar Wilde (as depicted in Paris, je t'aime). On the way back, smushed like sardines on the metro, there was a group of elderly American ladies behind me on the train. For most of the ride, I was just listening to their horrible pronunciations of Parisian places, not turning or making eye contact with anyone around me (as true Parisians are not supposed to do so). From hearing their conversations, I could tell that these American women not only had an embarrassing grasp of the French language, but also had absolutely no idea how to get to their intended destination, Notre Dame. So, right before my stop, I turned and started showing them what line they needed to take - they were so surprised (and soon very grateful) that I spoke English.
*A chalking on an unmarked grave in Pere Lachaise cemetery.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Class and recuperation.
Day 3: "Have any of you ever had a baby?... And then given it up, since you can't bring a baby to Paris?"
First day of classes, still a bit jet-lagged throughout it all, and then a somewhat interesting but mostly tiring and long afternoon trip to the Hospital Museum, followed by an equally long nap after returning to the dorms. Spent time on campus, catching up on homework and having dinner at the cafeteria (as has been the case with most, if not all, French food establishments that I have been to thus far, the dining hall on campus serves amazingly appetizing and filling food at very reasonable prices - dinner was only 2.89 euros with my student ID).
*A quote from one of my neuroscience professors, during class.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Paris, je t'aime, rain or shine.
Day 2: "Don't go home with a French man if he asks you, 'Would you like to see my stamp collection?'"*
Orientation at the classroom location, having my first pain chocolat (buttery croissant with fresh chocolate chips baked in - see Google picture above), then getting drenched in the classic summer rain storms of Paris to buy and eat my first Croque-Monsieur (delicious ham and cheese on amazing French bread, grilled to perfection), all followed by a very windy and chilly boat ride on the Seine. Then, a short stop at a small cafe for hot chocolate (the best I've ever had in my entire life - the French serve hot chocolate with a steaming cup of whole milk in one pitcher and a smaller side pitcher of thick, sweet, melted chocolate, which you mix together with pure sugar for a perfect cup of comfort) and a whirlwind of recommendations of things to do while in France, from a very enthusiastic and helpful Parisian local who sat at a nearby table. A few more blocks of walking and a couple metro rides to get back, and then a two-hour long series of asking directions and transfering on the metro (in heels and formal attire) before finally arriving to have a 3-course dinner at Le Grand Colbert, the famous restaurant featured in Something's Gotta Give. Basically, just soaking it all in, literally and figuratively.
*Modified quote from the professional who led our Paris orientation
Orientation at the classroom location, having my first pain chocolat (buttery croissant with fresh chocolate chips baked in - see Google picture above), then getting drenched in the classic summer rain storms of Paris to buy and eat my first Croque-Monsieur (delicious ham and cheese on amazing French bread, grilled to perfection), all followed by a very windy and chilly boat ride on the Seine. Then, a short stop at a small cafe for hot chocolate (the best I've ever had in my entire life - the French serve hot chocolate with a steaming cup of whole milk in one pitcher and a smaller side pitcher of thick, sweet, melted chocolate, which you mix together with pure sugar for a perfect cup of comfort) and a whirlwind of recommendations of things to do while in France, from a very enthusiastic and helpful Parisian local who sat at a nearby table. A few more blocks of walking and a couple metro rides to get back, and then a two-hour long series of asking directions and transfering on the metro (in heels and formal attire) before finally arriving to have a 3-course dinner at Le Grand Colbert, the famous restaurant featured in Something's Gotta Give. Basically, just soaking it all in, literally and figuratively.*Modified quote from the professional who led our Paris orientation
Monday, May 25, 2009
Culture shock, exclamation point.
Here are some entertaining and informative updates on my first few days in Paris, just to keep everyone in the loop. Pardon the lengthiness, as well as the somewhat inadequate and not-so-eloquent descriptions of my travels thus far in Paris - I haven't had much time to collect my thoughts and organize them completely just yet. Also, it's currently 5:25 a.m. here - apparently, my internal clock still hasn't fully reset itself to Paris time, either.
Day 1: "Was your dad a baker? Because he put the stars in your eyes."*
Trans-Atlantic plane ride on Air France - great food, complimentary seatmates (literally, a 14-year-old Algerian boy and his father, both of which were kind enough to continuously speak highly of how I looked and what I'd accomplished and help me practice my French; additionally, it didn't hurt that the 14-year-old was completely infatuated with me and kept hitting on me and trying out really hilarious pick-up lines: "Aww, can you not sleep? There's always my shoulder, if you want!")
Met up with the rest of the group, bit by bit, and took a painfully difficult but enjoyable ride on the metro, complete with transfers, heavy suitcase-lifting, and numerous Parisians coming to my aid to carry my heaviest suitcase up and down the flights of stairs at the stations. Also had my first authentic French quiche and Vitesse bottled water for a mid-afternoon meal near campus - the first of many firsts to come, in fact.
*Direct quote from the Algerian boy who sat next to me on my flight.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple.*
College was good. College was bad. College was easy and college was difficult. College was crazy and apathetic, exhilarating and boring, surprising and predictable, painful and reassuring. It was nothing and it was everything.
As humans, we have an often-unrealized desire to define our experiences with labels, to assign singular categories to pluralities, and to endeavor to simplify incomprehensibly complex phenomena. Classifications bring about a superficial sense of stability, but they often fail to provide a truly accurate representation of the events in our lives.
I remember freshman year like it was just yesterday: the boys crowding into our iconic Smith 114 room, never ceasing to exasperate, entertain, enlighten, and, ultimately, endear us all through the unpredictability of their actions; the late-night conversations about love long-lost and life lessons learned and all that the uncertain future might hold; and, most of all, the ways in which we allowed ourselves to fall, to tumble to the ground in uncontrollable laughter and collapse into each other’s arms in irrepressible tears, because we knew we had a family of friends that would find a way to pull us back up in the end.
And, yet, at the very same time, it feels so long ago.
It’s as if yesterday was both a recent present and a distant past – composed of a million unforgettable, undeniable memories – memories that continually resurface when I least expect it. The nostalgia hits when I unconsciously breathe in the pages of a newly-published book in true Namrata-fashion, when the off-key recordings of Ashwin’s guitar-playing and singing randomly come on my iTunes, and especially when someone yells “EXPECTO PATRONUM” in a Harry Potter movie.
For me, the smallest things have always held the strongest meanings; and now, more than ever, they give me something to hold onto until we see each other again. College was more than the sum of my classes, and definitely much more than my GPA and my GRE or MCAT scores. It was four years of intricately intertwined, unquantifiable moments – moments that defined me even though I can’t define them.
In the meantime, I can look forward to detecting honesty in games of mafia, spending an amazing six weeks in Paris, and adjusting to new modes of communication to keep in touch, regardless of where we are or what we end up doing post-graduation.
*"Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park (Minutes to Midnight Album)
As humans, we have an often-unrealized desire to define our experiences with labels, to assign singular categories to pluralities, and to endeavor to simplify incomprehensibly complex phenomena. Classifications bring about a superficial sense of stability, but they often fail to provide a truly accurate representation of the events in our lives.
I remember freshman year like it was just yesterday: the boys crowding into our iconic Smith 114 room, never ceasing to exasperate, entertain, enlighten, and, ultimately, endear us all through the unpredictability of their actions; the late-night conversations about love long-lost and life lessons learned and all that the uncertain future might hold; and, most of all, the ways in which we allowed ourselves to fall, to tumble to the ground in uncontrollable laughter and collapse into each other’s arms in irrepressible tears, because we knew we had a family of friends that would find a way to pull us back up in the end.
And, yet, at the very same time, it feels so long ago.
It’s as if yesterday was both a recent present and a distant past – composed of a million unforgettable, undeniable memories – memories that continually resurface when I least expect it. The nostalgia hits when I unconsciously breathe in the pages of a newly-published book in true Namrata-fashion, when the off-key recordings of Ashwin’s guitar-playing and singing randomly come on my iTunes, and especially when someone yells “EXPECTO PATRONUM” in a Harry Potter movie.
For me, the smallest things have always held the strongest meanings; and now, more than ever, they give me something to hold onto until we see each other again. College was more than the sum of my classes, and definitely much more than my GPA and my GRE or MCAT scores. It was four years of intricately intertwined, unquantifiable moments – moments that defined me even though I can’t define them.
In the meantime, I can look forward to detecting honesty in games of mafia, spending an amazing six weeks in Paris, and adjusting to new modes of communication to keep in touch, regardless of where we are or what we end up doing post-graduation.*"Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park (Minutes to Midnight Album)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tonight's the night the world begins again.*
A graduation update, complete with nostalgic descriptions of college memories and photographs of friends and family, is coming soon...
But, in the meantime, here's a preview of how I'll be spending the first half of my summer - in PARIS. Although it's probably obvious, dates are in bold and semi-elaborate explanations and/or descriptions of events and places are italicized.
But, in the meantime, here's a preview of how I'll be spending the first half of my summer - in PARIS. Although it's probably obvious, dates are in bold and semi-elaborate explanations and/or descriptions of events and places are italicized.
A sample of what's already on the itinerary:
Afternoon boat ride down the Seine
May 28
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise/Père Lachaise Cemetery
Chopin, Jim Morrison, Jean-Dominique Bauby (see my blog post from Feb. 26th: "Three months of winter and wealth"), and Oscar Wilde (recall the short film on the XXe arrondisement in Paris, Je t'aime) are just four famous individuals who are buried there.
June 2
Cité des Sciences et d'Industrie/The Science Museum of Paris
Exhibitions and interactives that highlight absolutely amazing scientific discoveries; my favorite as of now is the "current" science exhibit that has all things scientifically relevant to our lives today, "Science Actualités".
June 5
VERSAILLES
June 9
Musée Fragonard/Fragonard Museum
A museum within the National Veterinarian School in the Maisons-Alfort suburb of Paris
June 16
Musée d’histoire de la médecine/The museum for the history of medicine
June 18
Palais de la découverte
An extraordinary science museum in the 8th arrondisement, with exhibits on physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, and everything and anything in between.
Other must-see sights/excursions for the weekends:
TBA
Le musée Rodin (Museum that houses the works of Rodin)
Two words: The Thinker.
TBA
Le château de Fontainebleau/The Fontainebleau Castle.
EIGHT centuries of royal history.
June 21st (a.k.a., the day after my birthday/the summer solstice!):
World Music Day/Fête de la Musique
It's almost as if the city of Paris knew all about my trip and decided to reward me for living 21 amazing years by further propagating my love of music, as well as my rarely realized desire to attend (free) live concerts.
Oh, and sometime in between all the sight-seeing and cultural excursions, I'll be taking (and occasionally studying for) two upper-level neuroscience classes - one on primary research literature in French neuroscience (with special topics like the impact of nationalized healthcare on basic science research) and a second class on the molecular mechanisms of neurological disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's and ALS).
Hands down, the most memorable way to celebrate the end of my undergraduate career and my subsequent (legal) entrance into adulthood. Freshly-baked croissants, heavenly pastries, and made-to-order crêpes with fruit filling await...
*Title quote from "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
"Just get back up when it knocks you down."
Maybe I should've joined a girl group at age 14 and then decided to be a theater major at Emory...
Because then I'd have a better chance at being more like Keri Hilson.
She's a 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Decatur, Georgia - her debut solo album was released about a month ago, and four of her songs ("Hero" from Nas's quickly untitled album, "Energy", "Turnin' Me On", and "Knock You Down") have been on the Billboard Charts in the past year or so.
Since it's too late and too unlikely that I'll ever get close to being more like her, let's hope she might be a part of Emory's "Art of Songwriting" panel again in the future, so I could at least meet her one day...
I'm feeling knackered right now, but, I think I may need to re-figure things out soon. In the words of Keri Hilson's songwriters (Louis Biancaniello, Rico Love, Sam Watters, and Wayne Wilkins), "I can't afford to slip much further from the person I was meant to be."
*Lyrics from Keri Hilson (ft. Kanye West and Ne-Yo)'s "Knock You Down" and "Energy", respectively.
Because then I'd have a better chance at being more like Keri Hilson.
She's a 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Decatur, Georgia - her debut solo album was released about a month ago, and four of her songs ("Hero" from Nas's quickly untitled album, "Energy", "Turnin' Me On", and "Knock You Down") have been on the Billboard Charts in the past year or so.
Since it's too late and too unlikely that I'll ever get close to being more like her, let's hope she might be a part of Emory's "Art of Songwriting" panel again in the future, so I could at least meet her one day...
I'm feeling knackered right now, but, I think I may need to re-figure things out soon. In the words of Keri Hilson's songwriters (Louis Biancaniello, Rico Love, Sam Watters, and Wayne Wilkins), "I can't afford to slip much further from the person I was meant to be."
*Lyrics from Keri Hilson (ft. Kanye West and Ne-Yo)'s "Knock You Down" and "Energy", respectively.
Friday, May 1, 2009
You could be happy.*
5 Random Things that Make Me Happy...
... because writing out 100 things would take too long, and no one would want to read all of them. But mostly because grand endings and amazing new beginnings call for a little bit of nostalgia.
1. 1 psuedo-made-up word: imeem. It's the concept of YouTube (by the public for the pubilc) combined with the intuition and originality of Pandora - a.k.a., a music lover's heaven. It's where I found Elliott Smith's cover of Jimmy Eat World's "Half Right", one of my all-time-favorite songs, and Leona Lewis's cover of Snow Patrol's "Run".
2. Discovering new music. Recent favorites: Adele, Laura Izibor (I found her and her songs before VH1 did... her song, "Shine" was in the credits for the movie The Nanny Diaries about 2 years ago), and acoustic versions/covers of popular songs (sometimes they sound better than the originals - like the piano version of "Pokerface" and Lily Allen's cover of "Womanizer").
3. Celebrating noteworthy occassions with friends and food. Some memorable and delicious places from this year (and previous years): Baraonda, Chow Baby, Fogo de Chao, and Sun Dial (they have a live jazz trio on Wednesday nights!).
4. Finding answers to questions. If there's a problem, I like figuring out a solution. If there's a blank crossword puzzle, I have this unstoppable urge to write in all the correct answers... "soupcon" was definitely a soupcon.
5. Doing (or making) nice things for other people. There's an argument that no one's truly altruistic and all of us just do nice things because charitable acts make us feel better about ourselves. Sometimes, it's what you do, not why you do it - if it makes me happy to make you happy, why question the motives? (See photo collage below as an example. Also, if you have access and/or a subscription to The New Yorker - or Google Scholar - check out "The Gift" by Ian Parker, from August 2, 2004. The first time I read the article was in high school, but it's still just as mind-boggling today as it was then.)
*Purposeful reference to Snow Patrol.
... because writing out 100 things would take too long, and no one would want to read all of them. But mostly because grand endings and amazing new beginnings call for a little bit of nostalgia.
1. 1 psuedo-made-up word: imeem. It's the concept of YouTube (by the public for the pubilc) combined with the intuition and originality of Pandora - a.k.a., a music lover's heaven. It's where I found Elliott Smith's cover of Jimmy Eat World's "Half Right", one of my all-time-favorite songs, and Leona Lewis's cover of Snow Patrol's "Run".
2. Discovering new music. Recent favorites: Adele, Laura Izibor (I found her and her songs before VH1 did... her song, "Shine" was in the credits for the movie The Nanny Diaries about 2 years ago), and acoustic versions/covers of popular songs (sometimes they sound better than the originals - like the piano version of "Pokerface" and Lily Allen's cover of "Womanizer").3. Celebrating noteworthy occassions with friends and food. Some memorable and delicious places from this year (and previous years): Baraonda, Chow Baby, Fogo de Chao, and Sun Dial (they have a live jazz trio on Wednesday nights!).
4. Finding answers to questions. If there's a problem, I like figuring out a solution. If there's a blank crossword puzzle, I have this unstoppable urge to write in all the correct answers... "soupcon" was definitely a soupcon.
5. Doing (or making) nice things for other people. There's an argument that no one's truly altruistic and all of us just do nice things because charitable acts make us feel better about ourselves. Sometimes, it's what you do, not why you do it - if it makes me happy to make you happy, why question the motives? (See photo collage below as an example. Also, if you have access and/or a subscription to The New Yorker - or Google Scholar - check out "The Gift" by Ian Parker, from August 2, 2004. The first time I read the article was in high school, but it's still just as mind-boggling today as it was then.)
*Purposeful reference to Snow Patrol.
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