Il fait froid!
Trip Start
Jan 17, 2010
1
7
42
Trip End
May 18, 2010
Paris 15 Vaugirard, Île-de-France, France
Saturday, January 30, 2010
I went for a run yesterday, in the rain, throughout le Parc d'Andre Citroen. Paris is a very active city, even in the winter months. Many people still run, bike, take their dogs for long walks, and walk pretty much everywhere. It's probably much easier to do this when the coldest it gets is 25F at night and it rarely snows. I did wake up this morning and find a thin layer of snow on many of the parked cars, but nothing sticks to the ground. After I returned back to my apartment, when finished with the run, I was soaked and the face on my home-stay father was priceless. He just smirked when I walked in through the door; holding my shoes, straight for a hot tub.
There is many things I am fortunate to have while living with this home stay family. They have wireless Internet, my home stay mom does my laundry every Wednesday (just washing, since there is no dryer and the washing machine is half the size of a US washer and is squished between their tiny stove and dishwasher in the kitchen). They also have plenty of hot water and I have yet to take a cold or luke-warm shower. Many of my classmates who live in home stays, do not have wireless or get their laundry done! My home stay mother also offered me any food in her kitchen to eat when I am home during lunch or dinner. However, she buys groceries on a daily basis for the daily meals, so there is very little, besides some chocolate biscuits, white bread, jam and yogurt. Whenever the jam jar that is currently being used for the breakfast toast and such starts getting empty, she moves a new jam jar right behind it in the cabinet to be opened next. I noticed this afternoon that the jam I brought her from home (that I believe my grandma Willers made, rhubarb and raspberries) was moved right behind her current one. I can't wait to find out what she thinks of the jam! She's a very opinionated woman and she Will tell you what she thinks, so we will see...
So recently, I visited the Cimetiere du Pere LaChaise, which is in the far north-east corner of Paris (20th arrondisement). Buried here is Jim Morrison from the American band, the Doors. He lived in Paris for the last few months of his life to get away from all the fans in the US. Also buried here is Oscar Wilde, the gay author. His tombstone was absolutely fascinating: it had a man with long wings on the top portion of the tombstone and then his name underneath. It is known for women (or men) to apply bright pink or red lipstick and kiss his tombstone. Therefore, all over the tombstone is kisses from his admirers!
I also visited the giant shopping complexes of Le Printemps and Les Galeries LaFayette. You walk into these shopping complexes, which are side-by-side, and it is just wall-to-wall designer/name-brand stores. Every famous label you can think of (and not afford) is in there! There is also a grocery store, which as the looks of it, many people use as their "regular" grocery store, with dozens of expensive, gourmet pre-made food. And a section of global products, with an American row of Skippy peanut butter, Jack Daniels bar-b-que sauce, and maple syrup.
In my last class of French at St. Thomas, I studied a French Poem, Le Pont Mirabeau by Guillaume Apollinaire. It is a very romantic poem and the bridge that is described in this poem truly does exist. And I found it! (Quite close to my home stay.) I've copied the poem into English below for you all to enjoy:
Mirabeau Bridge
Under Mirabeau Bridge runs the Seine
with all our loves,
which I must recall,
joy forever following pain.
Night sounds the hours, days depart, I remain.
Hand in hand let us stand face to face
while under
the bridge of our arms pass
our time-locked eyes in a lazy wave.
Night sounds the hours, days depart, I remain.
And love runs like this running water,
love runs,
sure as life drags,
sure as hope forces.
Night sounds the hours, days depart, I remain.
Days pass into weeks that pass.
Neither times passed
nor my love return.
Under Mirabeau Bridge runs the Seine.
Night sounds the hours, days depart, I remain.
Today, I visited the National Opera House of Paris. Known by many from the famous worldwide show, Phantom of the Opera (where the opera takes place). The auditorium was closed due to rehearsals, however to see an exhibit of old costumes and stage sets designed by Picasso was still amazing. Plus my friend Jamie and I were able to sneak a peek through one of the auditorium door windows and watch the rehearsal take place. It was fun to watch a scene from an actual National Opera production in full dress!
I also walked from the Tuileries (the famous garden outside the Louvre Museum) all the way up to the Grand Palais exhibit hall (not quite but the Champs Elysees- but I have plenty of time to visit that). The Tuileries are really well known for their grand fountains and it is common to see little French children rent small sailboats and play with them in the over-sized fountain pools.
Cultural Insights:
-The French people love dogs, especially Parisians. They are everywhere and are taken on the metro as well. However, one downside, there is no law that owners or walkers have to clean-up after their dog, therefore mind your step! (Seriously, there is dog poo everywhere.)
-On that note, if you are visiting a giant park, like the Tuileries, also watch out for horse poo from the police on horses, in those areas.
New Vocabulary:
"Je commence a etre un peu pompette." - I am starting to feel a little tipsy. (from drinking)
-mignon(e)- cute (attractiveness of a man or woman)
"Je t'aime bien" - I already knew this phrase, but I thought I would share. To say you like someone, just like them (as a person, friend, etc.) then say "Je t'aime bien". You only say "Je t'aime" "I like you" when that person is your boyfriend/girlfriend, person you will spend the rest of your life with, etc.
