Finishing from scratch.

Somewhere between not posting, attempting to keep up with grad school and work, and completely forgetting about the existence of this blog, I've gained 21 followers - how awesome.

Two months, two never-before taken whirlwind trips - to Calcutta and NYC - and way too many updates to summarize in one post. In an effort to blog smarter and not harder, here's a very brief recap of choice memories from 2010 thus far:

1) Favorite street side snapshots from abroad:

Missionaries in a foreign field

Trying to change the city's infrastructure is like Chasing Pirates.

2) Favorite places/eats in NYC:
- Westville, between Bleecker and West 4th. Try the veggie burger with bacon on a Portuguese muffin... the best contradiction you'll ever consume.

Red Velvet Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery

- Mamoun's falafel in Greenwich Village
- And, of course, no NYC trip would be complete without a visit to... the NY Public Library!

3) Noteworthy developments & accomplishments:

Finished with PhD apps... in pre-interview, post-interview, & post-acceptance stages for various schools now.

- Checked a couple things off the iconic "should've done this in college (or just earlier in life)" list: ice skating for the first time, brunch at Rise & Dine with an amazing group of Emory students (see above photo), and dinner at Mary Mac's in Atlanta (the closest I'll get to real Southern food until I visit home again in a few months)

- Last, but not least...

The adorable bridesmaid dress for Nick & Emily's wedding!

Reverse cultural shock.

Five or so weeks in Paris can completely change your outlook on life in the States - like I wrote once before, the real cultural shock hits after you get home from a foreign country. The following are observations in point:

Paris is a city where...
... people spend more hours on the important things in life: eating and enjoying their meals with friends, relaxing in parks and at neighborhood cafés, and walking instead of driving to purchase warm baguettes and pains au chocolat that are baked fresh daily from the local boulangerie.

Atlanta is a city where...
... people waste a lot of hours on unimportant things and then rush through the rest of life: speeding through the drive-thru of fast-food establishments, grabbing artificially-sweet-calorie-filled custard danishes and cups of coffee to go, and then sitting in traffic while commuting to work in their cars.

Paris is a city where...
... if you're a woman and you exist, men hit on you on every street corner, metro stop, café, store front, etc., etc... and sometimes keep following you for blocks, until they get a chance to hit on you.

Atlanta is a city where...
...if you're a woman and you dress provocatively in public, men glance over but don't say anything at all, because saying something remotely offensive might constitute a sexual harassment lawsuit.

The three things that I miss most about Paris:

The métro

Despite its initially claustrophobic-inducing qualities, its lack of air conditioning, and its gritty-watch-where-you're-sitting atmosphere, it's an unbelievably efficient and all-around relaxing commute once you get the hang of things. Even at its most crowded, sardine-packed times, you get the sense that you're only truly Parisian if you can handle the everyday idiosyncrasies of the métro to navigate your way through the city.

The food

Simply put, it's fresh, it's French, and it's fantastic. Every meal I had seemed like the best meal I'd ever had - above is a picture of the amazing four-cheese pasta we had at a restaurant that we stumbled upon during our escapades in Montmartre.

The weather

Compared to the sweltering summer heat and humidity of Atlanta, summer in Paris was a haven of temperate afternoons and relatively cool evenings. Although the weather patterns were somewhat unpredictable and the rainstorms were often unexpected, at least the sun never burnt you to a crisp the moment you walked outside.

Paris isn't perpetually perfect, and Atlanta isn't absolutely abominable, but it'll just take awhile longer for me to really adjust to being back. Though, I think my Parisian perspectives on most of the aforementioned things will always influence my decisions here in the States.


In other miscellaneous news, Dr. Pauline Chen's latest article in the NY Times ("When Doctors Make Mistakes") propelled me to start researching public health practicums that focus on physician-in-training and patient outcomes. I remember reading her book, Final Exam, when it first came out about two years ago - it was incredibly honest and well-written, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who's considering medical school or any reader who just wants to better understand patient care from the physician perspective.

Culture shock, question mark?

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.

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.

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

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.