So much for posting every Sunday, huh? Between fickle wifi that seems to give out EVERY WEEKEND and juggling my time, it just hasn't worked out how I planned. I'm back to posting weekly- or given that it's been a over a week since my last post- TRYING to post weekly. I didn't realize how much time a blog takes up, even if it is just posting once a week. Not to mention, the past 6 days have been the most stressful and time-consuming since I've been here. Now that it's all over, I can look forward to my weekend trip and FINALLY POST AGAIN. Here goes!

I MISS HOME.

I miss home. I'm not ashamed to say that I've been counting down the days till I return. This is not to say that I haven't been enjoying my time here, absolutely not. I LOVE IT HERE. I've wanted to study here so long and it's finally happening, of course I'm enjoying every minute being in the wonderful place. However, I still miss home. This is the first time I've ever been able to say I truly miss being in California. Usually I'm singing the tune of missing Jamaica, which is still true but I digress.

I realize that what I miss most, aside from my family, are probably some of the most clichéd aspects of LA. I miss waking up to the bright sun, while some days can be sunny here, it's just not the same as in LA. Back home I'd awake to blue skies, white cotton clouds, warm breeze; ok so I just described an ideal LA day which doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's PERFECT.. I know many days the sun is so hot that I don't even want to sit down in my car at the risk of burning my thighs on the leather,. Before coming here I was so sick of perpetual heat that I am so surprised that I'm actually admitting this.

I miss my actual home. My house. My family that lives in that house. The Watsons. I miss them.

I miss the traffic. NO. I am not insane. Let me explain what I mean. I have not sat in a car since the day I first arrived in Paris and my super shuttle van dropped my off in front of my apartment. I MISS BEING IN A CAR AND DRIVING AROUND- even if that means I am stuck in 405 traffic on a Friday at 5 pm. I'LL TAKE IT ( Come June I know I'll regret saying that, however this is how I feel at the moment so I will own it.) Everyday I am subjected to metro rides where I do not get to see anything other than hurried faces, and while it's amusing to watch, I would love to see outside where I'm going (Thank God for Metro line 2 where I can actually see where I'm going for a couple of stops!) Unless I'm walking or on the bus, I literally have no idea where I'm going and I will NEVER get used to that.

THE BEACH. That is all. No further explanation needed.

Disneyland. (Yea, I know there's one here, but I don't think I should spend money on Disneyland when I can spend it doing something else here that I've never done before. (Never thought I'd say THAT either) Plus, Cali has the OG Disney location so.....)

SMILING FACES. I know you all are probably sick and tired of hearing me ramble on about how no one smiles here so I'll make it short. NO ONE SMILES HERE. PEOPLE SMILE (usually) IN LA. I MISS IT. I NEED IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I DO.

MY ROUTINE. I miss my routine. Going to church Saturday morning, Aunt's house later in the evening, something else later that night. Annoying my sister any possible chance I get, I know she misses that too, don't ya, PJ? Geeking out to 90s boy-band tunes with Moe and Andrea, pretty much acting absolutely ridiculously at any point in time with Andrea and Maria. Watching my parents interact, they're so amusing, love them to death. My political science classes. Yes. Classes. MY BED, my gosh I miss my bed. There are so many other things that I couldn't possibly list here, and I realized how much I genuinely enjoy doing each of them and took them for granted.

Aside from the minuscule details I've listed, LA has so much more to offer; much more that I myself haven't experienced and I've lived there for so long. That'll all change once I get home. Being away has really given me a newfound appreciation for my city and I can't wait to get back to it.

Quick Note! Apparently instead of posting this latest update, it was saved instead (I'm assuming there was an issue with my internet connection or something of the sort.) Better late than never? Lol, hope you like the pictures. I may add more eventually!



Had a week of vacation and now I'm back to my Parisian routine. I spent a couple WONDERFUL days in Lyon. The differences between the two cities are immense (people actually SMILE on public transport there lol), but I will have to blog about that later, as I am currently pressed for time. Here are a few pictures from my mini-vacay!

Hélena, my travel buddy, and I 

Parc de tête d'or with Hélena and Devina (met her at the hostel we stayed in )

View of La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière  

Outside of l'Institut Lumiere

LE CINÉMATOGRAPHE (1895) I was super stoked to see this after my french cinema classes (Go Mme. Chirol!) At the house of the Lumière brothers. No biggie, just the fathers of cinema. ;)

At the Roman Amphitheatre

Roman Amphitheatre

View from La Musée de Confluences

Where la Saône meets la Rhône

Memorial de la Prison Militaire de Montluc

Inside the walls of the prison memorial

Mur peint de la resistance (The man depicted in the photo is Jean Moulin)

Mur Peint de la resistance (outside of the prison memorial)

Inside the memorial de la Prison Militaire de Montluc  

La Rhône 

Cathedral de Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Vieux Lyon

For this post, I decided to do a bit of "people watching" Choosing the location was difficult because I wanted to find somewhere that really grasped the spirit of Paris, you know? Then I asked myself, what is the spirit of Paris? Long story short, I realized that by starting out with that question, rather than ending with it, I would tarnish the "spirit" that I searched for. Instead of finding the true spirit, I would seek out some romanticized idea of Paris and Parisians that I, like so many of us, have developed over time, rather than really embracing Paris for what is is. That being said, I decided to do my people watching at Sacre Coeur.

What did I see? Besides the breath-taking cathedral of course? An immense number of people, French and foreigners alike, who stood around, taking in the gorgeous atmosphere. It was cold, but was sunny something that I can't see myself growing accustomed to anytime soon. Small pockets of people- couples and groups, climbed the stairs up to the church; each group-mate only concerned with those in his entourage, either member of a couple only concern with his or her date. It was amazing to see how these people had no clue that I stood there watching them, yes, I did come for the scenery as well, but I also came for them. Each and every one of them. 

I spotted a couple, They were on their way back down. As they marched down the steps hand in hand, they laughed and talked and the young woman nestled closer to her mate. For them, it was obvious that there was simply no one else in that crowded area besides them (it seriously is no surprise that they call Paris the city of love, it's absolutely adorable the things you see here).

As I walked further up, I was met with a man from Ghana who approached me, speaking in French of course. He asked for my hand, and after noticing my hesitation, he showed me his yarn for which he makes bracelets. While he strung a blue, yellow, and white bracelet on my wrist, he continued to talk to me (however, now in English once he realized I am not a native French speaker). He called me "African Princess" about three times that I can remember and insisted that I visit his homeland after leaving France...in due time sir. He worked, swiftly, never making eye-contact, as he was focused on his work. He mentioned places that I need to visit, both in France and abroad, places he said he knew from both his own travels and television. Once he was done, I expected him to ask for pay for a job well done, however, he sent me on my way and said whenever I come back, to remember him. I will. 

I found myself standing against a railing, and in my point of view were two young men speaking in very fast, and very slurred French. I understood absolutely nothing. Well, maybe a few words, but nothing meaningful for the conversation. What I did understand was their body language. One man's hands moved in excited flurries and his speech patterns mimicked that of an angry person's. They were both so deep in conversation, while eating their sandwiches and can only imagine what it was that angered this young man. The other young man sat, listening, and every so often, he would interject (to ask a question or make a statement in agreement I presume). Much like the young couple in love, they were lost in their own world. They didn't even notice me looking directly at them for those few minutes. 

In summation, I don't know if this project helped me capture this elusive spirit of Paris I mentioned. Frankly, I don't even know if that's a real thing or if once again, it's just another romanticized idea. What I do know is, after a few months of being here, I will certainly develop my own "spirit of Paris" and THAT is what I look forward to. G'night guys. 

I've neglected the blog for a couple of days. From now on, I'll post weekly (I'm leaning towards doing it on Sundays since that happens to be the day that I have the most time. If that changes, I'll be sure to post the changes.) Depending on what happens during the week, if time allows, I might be able to add a new post, but for now, look for posts every Sunday! :) That being said, it's about time I fill you in on what's going on...

Glory to God, I've survived my first month in Paris! It came quicker than expected, however, I've had all of the mishaps you'd expect...getting lost, taking the wrong metro, not understanding a thing someone says to me in French (yes, even after 6 years of studying the language!)....however, I am working on all of them. I'm adjusting and I've really been enjoying my "sejour" so far.

There are a few things that are still taking some accustomed to however. The main ones for me are 1. the metro and 2. the fact that no one smiles or even says hello on the street.

Coming from Los Angeles where our public transit is only recently starting to grow, I have had a bit of trouble adjusting to the metro. I miss the convenience of my car, of knowing where I'm going, heck, of SEEING where I'm going lol. Not to mention, the metro isn't the cleanest of places. :-/ I'm not used to having to travel with so many other people. I especially dislike it in the morning when I have no desire to see people yet I'm squished between non-smiling strangers who I nearly have to scream "PARDON" at so I can get out at my exit. I must admit though, it sure does beat having to pay for gas.

Also, no one smiles on the streets here. In both Jamaica and California (my homes), when walking on the street, you say "Hello", "How are you" "Hi" in order to be polite...and you say it with a smile. HERE, no. you just walk. Keep it pushing. Try not to bump into the other person, but if you do, mumble a "pardon" or "excusez-moi" and KEEP IT PUSHING. I still forget that sometimes and say "bonjour"in a fairly enthusiastic Californian way, however, my bonjour is not returned with the same, if any, enthusiasm lol. This simple thing has been by far one of the hardest to get used to. Los Angeles is a big city, but little interactions like saying hi or acknowledging's someone's presence with a smile makes it seem a little smaller. Paris, in stark contrast, just seems bigger and bigger.

Who knows, maybe by May I'll be one of the non-smiling, metro users. Integrating back into the LA lifestyle will be interesting...

Haven't forgotten about this blog. Now that school has begun, I have almost no time for myself. Between metro rides, TDs and CMs (I am still a bit uncertain of the meaning behind those acronyms lol), stressing because I apparently know less French that I thought, attempting to figure out what exactly my professors said by listening to the recordings I make in class, exploring bits of this wonderful city, and you know, sleeping, I rarely use my computer (oh, and I forgot to mention, the wifi is FICKLE)

I hope to go back to the luxembourg gardens or the champs de mars to do some people watching and actually take in the beauty....sometime this week.

Few pictures from my visit to le Musée du Louvre

panoramic pic on the seine

 Pont de l'Alma.  Flame de la liberté. (also a memorial for Princess Diana)

 

 

Pont de l'Alma tunnel where Princess Diana died.

 Notre Dame in the distance

Notre Dame, closer view