Growing up as kids we are always told by our parents that the decisions we make will have consequences. Let’s be honest though, who REALLY listens to their parents when they say this? It usually takes some event for the light bulb to come on. Events that usually have consequences:
-Eating too much Whataburger. While this may seem like an excellent idea, unfortunately this will certainly have some sort of side affect down the road.
-Cheering for the Eagles. See 1-4 season. Even in Paris it still hurts.
-Borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars. Yup, the US government (and the rest of the world) is learning the hard way.
-Listening to Justin Bieber. This is an obvious one.
But consequences don’t always have to be bad:
-Believing in your dreams. Sooner or later, the cards will fall in the right direction. It just takes being stubborn and never giving up.
-Buying a baguette. Your stomach and wallet will be eternally thankful. 90 cents is never an offer to turn down.
-Spontaneity. Walking into a random café in the hopes of finding cheap drinks but leaving with a new network of friends. Sometimes life takes a little curiosity and luck to reap its benefits.
Now onto the top ten things that I’ve done or found interesting the past several weeks.
1) Fall is finally here in Paris. While the leaves have been changing since I arrived at the beginning of September, it certainly hasn’t felt like it as temperatures have fluctuated between the high 70s and mid 80s. Sunday morning saw the city transform into the Paris we all know: rainy and cold. Now we’re talkin’.
2) After a month of what felt like a vacation within a vacation, school has finally started. I’m taking what’s roughly the equivalent of 15 hours in the states. The difference being that each class meets once a week and is two and a half hours long. In terms of classes I’ll be taking: art history in France, Middle East relations in relation to the US and France, an oral speaking class, a film class, and a theatre class (improv in French should be interesting…).
3) I signed up to play for an American tackle (yes ,you read that right) football team at my university. Somehow my French university got it right in comparison to UT’s flag football. I’ll be playing with all French students in what looks like a great opportunity.
4) Paris really is a sight to see at night. Those who believe the city is too dirty, crowded, etc., obviously they aren’t doing something right. Nothing compares to walking along a beautifully lit Pont Alexandre by night with its golden flourishes and detailing with the Seine on each side.
5) Laryssa and I were having a conversation a couple of days on the subject of Paris as the city of love. She believes people think this because of the way the city lights up at night. Me being the romantic, I’m in the other camp. I certainly don’t think Paris will make two people fall in love, however if you need the tools, they’re everywhere. Long boulevards, cafés, irresistible monuments all contribute to what I like to call the ‘Paris enzyme.’
6) I took a couple of trips since we last visited to see Monet’s house (holy moly, Batman) in Giverny and a trip to Champagne to, well, learn about champagne. Pictures below on the Giverny trip. Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos while in Champagne.
7) After being in the routine of working out every week at UT, it’s ‘un petit peu’ difficult to break the habit. Fortunately the idea of (semi-) reasonable gyms exists in Paris. I was able to find a gym in the 15th arrondissment. It’s actually not too bad, however with it being reasonable, one can expect to get what they pay for. The space is pretty limited, however it gets the job done. A few things I noticed: everyone uses a towel on each machine, and water is NOT free.
8) Next to my ‘Paris Pratique’ (the city guide), my parents have been an incredible supportive since my first day in Paris. Note to all future study abroad students, no crêpe, weekend trip, or night out will offer the same warmth and love as your family.
9) The concept of ‘time’ doesn’t exist here. The quicker one (especially Americans) realizes this the happier they’ll be. The French know how to live. They’re more likely to put their personal happiness in front of yours whether it comes to getting a form signed or waiting in line for 30 minutes at a fast food restaurant. Enjoy the moment. It’s more about living live than accomplishing things on a checklist.
-Cheering for the Eagles. See 1-4 season. Even in Paris it still hurts.
-Borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars. Yup, the US government (and the rest of the world) is learning the hard way.
-Listening to Justin Bieber. This is an obvious one.
 |
| Consequences of listening to him: public ridicule, possible deafness, loss of dignity. |
-Believing in your dreams. Sooner or later, the cards will fall in the right direction. It just takes being stubborn and never giving up.
 |
| He knows a thing or two about never giving up. |
-Spontaneity. Walking into a random café in the hopes of finding cheap drinks but leaving with a new network of friends. Sometimes life takes a little curiosity and luck to reap its benefits.
 |
| Laryssa, Lucas, and me. |
1) Fall is finally here in Paris. While the leaves have been changing since I arrived at the beginning of September, it certainly hasn’t felt like it as temperatures have fluctuated between the high 70s and mid 80s. Sunday morning saw the city transform into the Paris we all know: rainy and cold. Now we’re talkin’.
2) After a month of what felt like a vacation within a vacation, school has finally started. I’m taking what’s roughly the equivalent of 15 hours in the states. The difference being that each class meets once a week and is two and a half hours long. In terms of classes I’ll be taking: art history in France, Middle East relations in relation to the US and France, an oral speaking class, a film class, and a theatre class (improv in French should be interesting…).
3) I signed up to play for an American tackle (yes ,you read that right) football team at my university. Somehow my French university got it right in comparison to UT’s flag football. I’ll be playing with all French students in what looks like a great opportunity.
4) Paris really is a sight to see at night. Those who believe the city is too dirty, crowded, etc., obviously they aren’t doing something right. Nothing compares to walking along a beautifully lit Pont Alexandre by night with its golden flourishes and detailing with the Seine on each side.
 |
| This tiny picture of Wikipedia suffices here, but must really be seen in person to get the full effect. |
5) Laryssa and I were having a conversation a couple of days on the subject of Paris as the city of love. She believes people think this because of the way the city lights up at night. Me being the romantic, I’m in the other camp. I certainly don’t think Paris will make two people fall in love, however if you need the tools, they’re everywhere. Long boulevards, cafés, irresistible monuments all contribute to what I like to call the ‘Paris enzyme.’
6) I took a couple of trips since we last visited to see Monet’s house (holy moly, Batman) in Giverny and a trip to Champagne to, well, learn about champagne. Pictures below on the Giverny trip. Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos while in Champagne.
 |
| Part of the front yard |
 |
| Monet's crib |
 |
| Looking from the front to the entrance. More photos on Facebook. |
7) After being in the routine of working out every week at UT, it’s ‘un petit peu’ difficult to break the habit. Fortunately the idea of (semi-) reasonable gyms exists in Paris. I was able to find a gym in the 15th arrondissment. It’s actually not too bad, however with it being reasonable, one can expect to get what they pay for. The space is pretty limited, however it gets the job done. A few things I noticed: everyone uses a towel on each machine, and water is NOT free.
8) Next to my ‘Paris Pratique’ (the city guide), my parents have been an incredible supportive since my first day in Paris. Note to all future study abroad students, no crêpe, weekend trip, or night out will offer the same warmth and love as your family.
9) The concept of ‘time’ doesn’t exist here. The quicker one (especially Americans) realizes this the happier they’ll be. The French know how to live. They’re more likely to put their personal happiness in front of yours whether it comes to getting a form signed or waiting in line for 30 minutes at a fast food restaurant. Enjoy the moment. It’s more about living live than accomplishing things on a checklist.
10) My host dad, Maurice introduced me to French tongue twisters. And we thought ‘Shelly skipped seashells by the seashore’ was bad. Check these out.
Song of the blog: Streetlight - Kanye West
