If you read this, then I'm pretty sure that you know me very well. Music is my life. I have lots of interests but I cannot live without music, that includes going to shows, reading blogs and finding new artists. Before my life here in Paris, I was a radio DJ. I knew that in Paris I would not have the opportunity to do such and in addition, it proved to be very hard to find music blogs to keep me up to date on French artists. To this day, it is still extremely difficult to find blogs, but I have found many venues but they all play English artists (Animal Collective, Asobi Sesku, Friendly Fires, Metronomy, Neko Case, Passion Pit, Ra Ra Riot, etc...). While it's great that these artists are performing here and I won't feel like I'm missing out that much of the NYC music scene, it becomes a bit frustrating when I am trying to make an effort to get to know this culture, these people, their music and most especially, their language and I fail miserably. It really is hard to make French friends!
With all that being said, walking around this city with my headphones on has developed new experiences and associations with specific songs and certain streets. It also has made me deeply nostalgic for certain periods in my life. But I'm happy where I am right now, I think that I made the right choice studying abroad even though sometimes I miss Columbia beaucoup.
Anywho, the strike continues. The French university system is quite the experience. Education here has a different significance I feel. Classes here are packed and the students chat amongst themselves freely and loudly while the professor lectures. It's actually very rude and frustrating for me, especially when I am trying to catch up to what the professor is saying. For the moment, my classes at Reid Hall are a-okay, but I've been running around so many different buildings (aka campuses), and getting lost in the Paris universities that I'm kind of over it. Paris IV, one of the unis where I was shopping around for a class is shutdown until March as a form of protest. La Sorbonne is still open, and I'm taking a class there but they arrest students regularly there because the protests are so fierce. I guess I'm not really living in France until I experience a grève that is completely inconvenient for you to complete your day to day activities. The funny thing is, French Unis just started class two weeks ago and they have vacation already! What a life!
The weather in Paris is changing! It's finally starting to feel a bit warmer and there are hints of sun every so often. This week I took advantage of that and ditched my winter coat for a few days, whipped out my sunglasses and walked around enjoying the sun! I went to Les Invalides where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried (did not get to see him, museum was closed) and I went to Père Lachaise, where I saw some famous people buried. Today I wanted to go out and do something since I kind of wasted my day yesterday, but I have homework to do that I do not want to do at all tomorrow because it is my birthday!
To be quite honest, I'm not all that excited about celebrating my birthday, although it is the big 21. I think it's a combination of being away from home/friends/a country where 21 is significant.
À toute l'heure!
Les Invalides
Statue of Napoleon at Les Invalides
Oscar Wilde's grave, Père Lachaise
