La Défense

For one of my classes you have to go on little walks around the city.

    I decided to do one at La Défense because it's super close to where I live, and I had no idea what it was. I learned from my stroll that it is a huge commercial center with lots of offices and the most giant mall I have ever been in. 

    La Défense is so sleek and sterile feeling, it made me feel like I had stepped into some dystopian cyber punk movie. Most of the buildings are made out of glass and in the bright sunlight are almost blinding.

 There are lots of modern sculptures all over the place, which adds to the surreal effect.

   There is a huge arch that lines up with the Arc de Triumph, in an attempt to blend the old and new Paris. I am personally more of a fan of the old bit, but seeing such sleek modernity was also nice.

I feel there is a lack of hovercrafts and robots in this scene.

   I also went to the big mall Les Quatres Temps--hoo boy was I overwhelmed! I still can't get over how massive it was, or at least appeared to be. The way the mall is set up makes you feel like you're in a maze! It may have not really been too crazy, but the way the space is used and the flow of shoppers made me feel like it was a place you could get lost in for a day or two. So that's La D. for you, I am exited to have finally gone there, and would advise that if you ever pay a visit that you bring sunglasses and Ariadne's thread to help you out with the mall navigation. 

An interesting title to be put here eventually

 

     Every time I come from or to the apartment I can't get over how beautiful it is! Our apartment block looks like something in the AristoCats! Speaking of which, I think you've forgotten how much you love that movie, so be a dear and watch it for me? Because I am dying to see it and can't...

And here is my favorite street art de la journée

The other day I went with some of the gals to an antique street market...

  It was so lovely, but also sad because there were so many things that I loved and couldn't have or fit in my suitcase! One of my favorite pieces was a art nouveau soap dish...which was unusual for me 'cause I'm not usually a soap dish person--the art nouveau bit was the deciding factor.

Can I please have a bike like this for Christmas? Thanks.

   So I have this problem with putting on makeup... and it happens too often to be acceptable behavior (from me or the mascara brush, I can't exactly determine who is at fault). So I just wanted to raise awareness about this issue and also felt like complaining about something, so there you have it...yep.

This Friday

    Because I didn't have any class I decided to go on a nice leisurely jog in the park by our apartment. It was such a pretty day! As I was just trotting along a guy ran after me and called for me to stop (note: this was in French) he then explained that he was a student at a reflexology school and that he needed to massage 8 joggers feet before his upcoming exam and that I was number 7...if I had the time. I was very suspicious, questioned him back, tried to look for any unsavory motives, and decided that I may as well give it a go because the park was super crowded and I didn't have anything on me he could steal, and who doesn't want a foot massage? So we went to a park bench and he proceeded to give me a 10 min foot massage. He was super nice and I really hope that he truly was a reflexology student and not a creeper with a foot fetish. Either way, the foot massage was really nice. As I continued my jog I couldn't stop giggling at the odd way the morning had started, yay big cities!

  A couple of us (the SAG) had some reading homework to do so we went to the Tuileries to get some nice vitamin D and pretend to be productive. 

   We also saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle!

Magic!

   

Notre Dame de Paris

  After class the other day we decided to have a look at Notre Dame....

      It was super! We also braved the long line to go up to the bell tower...the view was worth the wait!

Yummy...

I love the goofy expression of this gargoyle!

    I personally prefer the view of Paris better from Notre Dame than the Arc de Triumph, the magical gargoyles may have a very large influence on that though...

 I wish that the tour allowed you to explore more of the tower! Oh well, one day when I'm a famous something-or-other I'll get a backstage pass to all of the towers.

Tasty treats

    This is a passionfruit tart from Jean Noel Julien, and it just looked so pretty I couldn't resist. Rating: good. It looked really pretty but I wished I had picked something else, which means that it can't get a super high rating. It tasted very similar to your average trifle: some nice passionfruit flavored mousse with cake and of course the fruit garnish. So nothing super exciting, just nice and light, although I do say the presentation was beautiful!

Minty strawberry (or raspberry, I can't remember)

Passionfruit chocolate

Cafe

   Rating: hmmm, pretty much the same as the passionfruit thing: good. They look absolutely divine and so cute, but they're really just not a "to die for dish". They didn't leave me wanting to try them again, just super sweet and not super interesting. I personally would have preferred to have gotten some delicious creamy chocolaty flaky pastry or some lovely frozen yoghurt/gelato, but a lot of people in my group love them, so I guess I'm just an odd one. Well, better luck next time!

   I also had sushi for the first time today and I really liked it! We went to a place called Rice and Fish that was pretty good, again, nothing extraordinary, but I really enjoyed it. My friends suggested starting with a California roll because it's a very safe sushi to start out with, I thought it was a bit boring, so now I'm ready for something that tickles my taste-buds a bit more. I'm hoping to convince someone to come to a Moroccan or Indian restaurant next, you can't go too wrong with one of those!

Song you must listen to: Ne Me Quitter Pas~ Regina Spektor 

Some things from today

  So I haven't washed my hair in 5 days, cool huh? I can just imagine all of the rain forests I have saved with my water-conserving toilette...so the question is: continue to conserve until my hair mats itself into dreadlocks? or wash it in the sink because the water pressure for the shower is such that it just pleasantly trickles? Also, it's really cold outside in the mornings and cold,wet hair and a breeze--burr! And if I have wet hair at night and it dries funnily it will become somewhat reminiscent of the pyramids. (Life is so difficult, isn't it?) Maybe dreadlocks would be pretty cool, I think Shakira had some at one stage? Well, I'll deliberate some more and probably not tell you my conclusion because although I'm pretty sure it's super fascinating...I mainly just wanted to say I'm doing a good job feeling European (fyi: most people in France wash daily, they just wash their hair less often and try super hard to keep things short and snappy to conserve on energy). 

These are some things I looked at today:

Then I walked on this bridge... 

and saw the famed "love locks"

P.S.  You should check out this song, I hope you laugh at as much as I did!

I love London, I love France, and I really want to dance!

  I am dying to *dance, I have all of this suppressed happiness and excitement that I need to express! I am waiting to ask some locals about which discotheque (club) is the best for a young crowd and in a non-dodgy location...now all I have to do is actually meet some locals...

life is beautiful!

   One of my favorite things about France is their yogurt section, it stretches on for miles! Also it is yummy and has an amazing texture...unlike American yogurt. 

   My biggest problem at the moment: deciding which one out of the million things I want to see/do first

   Classes: My schedule is pretty much the best (ie: laid back) I will ever have 

until grad school. I don't even have any classes on Wednesdays or Fridays!

   Something I love: 

street art. It is everywhere! It adds so much to the character of Paris. I love how (for lack of better adjectives) bohemian and grunge it is.

A thing you have to do:

Try falafel. Why? Because it is super yummy!

       I went to this falafel place today--so great! It's located on Rue des Rosiers and the surrounding street is so full of character.

I love Paris!!!!!!!

P.S. This song Atlas Hands by Benjamin Francis Leftwich is amazing and happens to be free on iTunes this week! It's also worth watching the music video because it is pretty.

* And by dance I mean wave my arms around like a maniac and pretend to shuffle...I can't really dance.

Versailles

So we got on a:

and went to Versailles!

It was so beautiful!

and I also found a setting on my camera that makes things look like film!

It made me very happy!