Tourist and Tour Guide

Liza, Taylor, Phoebe and Me in a Park 

Seeing a friend after it has been just a little too long is such a wonderfully indescribable feeling. So far one of my favorite parts about studying abroad has been meeting up with friends in exciting locations and discovering them together. This weekend our friend Phoebe, who is studying abroad in Geneva, came to visit us in Paris. After causing a bit of a scene in Gare de Lyon as we ran through the platform to hug her, we went out to try a new bar and show her some of our favorites. 

The next morning we woke up relatively early to have breakfast at the well-recommended restaurant Breakfast in America in the Marais. One thing I have been missing from the U.S is pancake brunch on the weekends. By the end of last year, Ashley, my big sister in my sorority, and I had become regulars at our favorite diner near school, Pete's. While nothing can replace our Pete's breakfasts, my chocolate chip banana pancakes with a cup of real, American style coffee hit the spot! After satisfying our mutual desire for an American breakfast, we walked around the Marais and stumbled upon a pop-up vintage market (see panoramic photo) and did some shopping. We then continued to walk along the Seine and Rue de Rivoli to enjoy the lovely weather and show Phoebe some Parisian hot spots. 

Later that evening, after a much needed nap and some wine and cheese, we headed back to the Marais to try out another well-suggested pizza restaurant, Pink Flamingo. This cute and quant little cafe served up some unique and delicious pizzas. We ordered a fresh margarita pizza with an arugula salad on top, a fabulous thai-inspired pizza complete with chicken satay and peanut sauce, and, of course, a dessert pizza (see photos). Upon ordering the "Homer Simpson" dessert pizza, topped with marshmallows, chocolate and cookie crumbs, our waiter informed us that he has never seen anyone finish it. Needless to say, we accepted his challenge and proved him wrong. This feat earned us an immortalization on their wall (see photo).

A seating option at Pink Flamingo

Unfortunately, I could not play tourist and tour guide again today because I started my fashion week internship with Reed Krakoff. Fortunately, I am going to see Phoebe again this coming weekend when Taylor and I travel to Geneva! 

Pink Flamingo Infamy! 

Week One: Check!

I have officially begun all of my classes! Almost a month later, and I have finally finalized my schedule. In addition to my 6 hours of French class a week (which I find a little aggressive, since all of our other classes are taught in French as well), I am taking Art History, Political Culture and a joint seminar with the Sorbonne on International Cooperation and Sustainable Development. Both my Art History course and my Political Culture course have field trips around Paris almost every week. This is the perfect alternative classroom in order to maximize our time in Paris and take advantage of its resources. Why talk about Monet in a classroom when we can discuss his techniques in front of the actual painting at the Mussée d'Orsay?

My fourth course, the joint seminar, is slightly more daunting because it is with French grad students. I didn't feel too over my head during this first class, so I am hoping that it is a good sign, and that I can only go up from here! Because my French is still progressing, my class notes are rather interesting. They consist of a unique melange of french and english- sometimes even in the same line. 

Last night my friend Maddi got us on the list for a party where her friend was DJ-ing. After cooking a delicious dinner in her apartment and enjoying a few glasses of wine, we jumped on the metro towards the Seine. On the metro, we saw multiple groups of French students chanting in crazy costumes. When we got off the metro and began walking towards the boat that the party was on, we realized the French students were walking in the same direction. It turned out that the party was for French medical students, and apparently it is a tradition for new students to attend these costume parties thrown by student clubs. The party was rather interesting but fun and reminiscent of an American frat party. We even drank the equivalent of French "jungle juice": vodka and orangina. 

I culminated my first week with an interview for an internship at Reed Krakoff, an American fashion designer. An administrator at my program briefly mentioned an opportunity for a fashion week internship, so I emailed her to receive more information. She proceeded to forward my resume to Reed Krakoff, and today I met with a member of their team. They were looking for an intern to help them with their shows in their showroom this week. About seven minutes into the interview, my interviewer said, "You seem like you're pretty good at managing things and getting stuff done, right?". I tried to humbly reply affirmatively, and she put me to work right then. She assigned me to manage the models for the week. 

From Sunday to Thursday this week I will be working in the showroom from 9 am to 6 pm, except for when I have class. Even though I don't necessarily see myself working in the fashion industry, I know that this will be fantastic business experience in a fast paced environment. Plus, who would pass up working for a designer in Paris during fashion week? When in Rome...or Paris?!

Cantine California

Tuesdays are the one day of the week that I don't have class, and they will be dedicated to rest, mental health, and adventures around Paris for the next four months.This morning I lied in bed enjoying the ability to sleep in and the feeling of not having anywhere to rush to. I could tell that the rain and gloom continued from Sunday due to the fuzzy, gray light that peaked around my curtains. So instead of rushing to put on my rain boots, I made myself a cup of tea and enjoyed a lazy morning.

After checking Facebook and replying to emails, I scanned some blogs for activities to bookmark for future Tuesdays. Before coming to Paris, I had bookmarked one of two food-trucks in Paris: Cantine California. For those who don't already know: I am a food truck enthusiast. I love First Fridays on Abbot Kinney. I cherish the days when my dad doesn't have lunch meetings so we can find the Grilled Cheese Truck on an off day or try a new truck on Pennsylvania Ave. I have even scoped out some in Baltimore to satisfy my need for grub on the go.

As I was perusing other blogs this morning, I stumbled onto the Cantine California website to see that it was parked at the open market just a few blocks away. This was a perfectly legitimate reason to jump out of bed and check it out. I walked down the block to the market to find a bit of a line. I stood amongst the diverse crowd consisting of university students, couples, old women, Chinese tourists, and other parisians waiting to place my order. After internally debating whether to get a burger or tacos, I settled on a burger (feeling a little iron-deficient) just as it was my turn to order. The flannel-clad guy asked for my name in French. I responded with "Jordan" in my audible American accent. He enthusiastically responded in English, "I'll remember that! My name is Jordan too". We then continued to have a very brief chat and discovered we are both from California. Small win!

I waited for my burger and observed the crowd. Finally my order was up. My "Cali Classic" burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, avocado, lettuce (which I picked off, not a surprise to those who know me), and BBQ sauce was DELICIOUS. I was not disappointed in the slightest! The meat was tender. There was the perfect amount of avocado and BBQ sauce for each bite: never wanting to add more, but never slipping off the sides of the bun. And the bacon reminded me of my favorite burger (other than In-n-Out) from Plan Check back home.This was the perfect mini-adventure, and a delicious way to spend my Tuesday.

Oktoberfest

If you are studying abroad in Europe in the fall, Oktoberfest is basically a right of passage. Anyone who has done so before says it is a must-do, must-see trip. Anyone who is culturally connected, whether it is pop culture or historical culture, will probably concur. Therefore, my friends and I booked our tickets in July to check out the spectacle. 

Flight from Paris to Munich

Most of my closest friends at Hopkins are studying abroad as well. However, we are scattered all over Europe. Being apart for a semester has been a bit easier knowing that we would all see each other sooner than later in Munich. Finally this reunion arrived. Unfortunately, at the last minute one of our friends couldn't make it due to her program. We missed her terribly!!

Pretzel Excitement and Munich Sites

On Friday morning, Taylor and I took the metro to Charles de Gaulle and caught our flight to Munich. We arrived at 2:30 and hopped on the shuttle to the hotel. After attacking our friends in the lobby, we all ventured into Munich to check out the city before the festivities began. While we were fortunate enough to find a reasonably priced room for the weekend, this hotel was a 40 minute train ride away from the city. So after barely enough time to catch up, we climbed up the stairs from the train and into Marienplatz, the center of Munich. We quickly grabbed big bavarian pretzels then wandered around and admired the beautiful buildings.

Munich/ München

We checked out the city until we stumbled upon Hofbrauhaus, a well-known German beer house. We weaved around the packed drinking hall through rooms upon rooms trying to find an open table. While it could have been a frustrating situation, we were happy to scope out the various rooms. We finally snagged a table in the hall with the band who supplied festive bavarian music. We ordered our first liters of beer of the weekend and joined in the festivities. The beers were followed by bavarian bites such as pretzels, spaetzle noodles (think bavarian mac'n'cheese), roasted chicken, and pork knuckles. We then headed back to the hotel in preparation for an early morning and a long day ahead.

Hofbrauhaus

We woke up Saturday morning to pouring rain. After grabbing breakfast at the hotel, we decided we wouldn't let it rain on our parade (pun intended), and we head into town. After following lederhosen clad bavarians, we waited in line at 7:30 AM in the rain to get into a tent. Unfortunately we had no luck. We scanned the other tents in search of a dry table, but when it appeared we were out of luck again, we grabbed a table outside under a covered awning (and a heat lamp).

Oktoberfest in the Rain

We sat there and enjoyed pretzels and warm bavarian nuts until the mayor shot his gun at noon to announce the commencement of the 179th Oktoberfest. At 11:45 we realized that we were at the wine tent, where we could not purchase the classic beer steins. After the parade passed, we took advantage of the brief break in the rain to seek out another table.

A Beer Tent, Liz and Me, Bavarian Nuts...yum

We were forced to resort to one outside, but shortly after we ordered our beers, the monsoon commenced. We popped open our 3 umbrellas to create a make-shift tent for the 6 of us. This may sound like a miserable situation to most, but we actually had a great time. Mind over matter, we kept reminding ourselves as we drank and laughed. After toughing it out until my jeans wicked water all the down to my socks, we decided to head out.

Oktoberfest in the Rain

Determined to make the most of our time there, we ventured back into Munich to check out the nightlife. We enjoyed cocktails at a bar with a superb playlist of American tunes from the early 2000's and danced at a German club populated by mostly natives.

Rain vs. Sunshine

Sunday we woke up to sunshine (thank goodness!!) and headed back into Munich with our bags to see what Oktoberfest is really like. It was packed- think county fair on overdrive. Much to my surprise, it wasn't filled with drunk American college students, but instead with generations of Germans dressed in classic bavarian attire. All the rides were up and running. Parades marching through the streets. Masses of people weaving to find their next activity. Carts selling gingerbread, bavarian nuts, pretzels and souvenirs. We fortunately found a table outside and ordered our beers. We enjoyed the sunshine, dry clothes and great company until two-by-two we parted ways to head back to our respective countries.

Pretzels and Beer, Bavarian Families, Beergarten

When Taylor and I finally landed in Paris and got off the metro to walk to our apartments, we walked up the stairs of our St. Placide stop into more rain. Although it wasn't the warmest welcome (pun intended, again), we were happy to be "home" where we could actually read street signs and didn't feel like people were yelling at us when they spoke to us. While this weekend didn't go as ideally as planned, I wouldn't have changed a thing. We had a once in a lifetime adventure filled with lots of laughter, great stories, and beer.

Best Laid Plans

In case you did not already know,  I am a bit of a control freak. I like having lists and concrete plans. I love the idea of spontaneity, but when I try to execute something spontaneous, I just end up planning it out and thinking it through.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things this isn't necessarily the worst trait I could have. It definitely drives me to be more responsible and organized. However, I am learning that this isn't necessarily the European way, or at least it hasn't been so far. Furthermore, this has definitely contributed to the difficulty of my transition.

Finally, there seems to be a little more structure! I have picked my classes (all taught in French): our required French language practicum and academic writing, an art history course, a political culture course and a joint seminar with the Sorbonne on international cooperation and sustainability (right up my alley).

We have also scheduled a good chunk of our trips: Munich this weekend for Oktoberfest (expect a delay in posts, but hopefully an exciting recap after), Geneva the first weekend in October, Barcelona the following weekend, Brussels the following weekend, and London for Thanksgiving. We are also looking into Rome, Strasbourg in December for their fantastic Christmas fair, and possibly Ireland!

As lame as it may sound, filling in my calendar with flights and assignments has helped me relax and begin to feel more settled here. That being said, I am also trying to learn to be a bit more spontaneous and to appreciate the adventures life may throw my way. I have been encouraging myself to lay in the gardens, sit in cafes, make observations, wander museums, take the long way home,  appreciate the big experiences and the small moments, etc...

As everyone, including myself, keeps reminding me: this is a once in a lifetime experience, so make the most of it! Everyday is an unknown adventure, you just have to approach it that way. Therefore, I am attempting to maintain my more-or-less responsible, list-loving personality while embracing my growing sense of spontaneity and adventure. If I did not, I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to make a crepe in a crepe stand tonight! (Definitely something I have always wanted to do!) As fun, and delicious, as it was, I am going to keep my crepe making as a passion, not a profession.

Baby Bottles, Secret Doors, and a Little Taste of Home

Haley and Me along the Seine

I apologize for the delay in posts; I was busy showing around a visitor this weekend! Hopefully this extra long post will make up for it! One of my little sisters in my sorority Haley came all the way from Baltimore to visit me this weekend!! There are no words to express the amazing feeling of having a taste of home when you're 5,662 miles away. It was exactly what I needed (including the literal taste of the Carmas snickerdoodle cookies she brought with her. Thanks Ashley!).

Initially I was a bit nervous because I, myself, am still figuring out my way around the city, and I wanted to her have the best 4 days imaginable. Instead, this  mutual novelty allowed us to discover new places and pockets of the city together. After impressing me with her lack of jet lag, we began our weekend of eating and shopping with delicious tartines at Cuisine de Bar. This delicious cafe is conveniently located next to the famous Poilane bakery, which allows them to serve up their tartines on fresh, outstanding bread.

We then continued to do some shopping, sight-seeing and lots of walking. Later, we checked out a notorious bar: Zero de Conduite. Before coming to Paris, we had heard a lot about 2 establishments that serve drinks in baby bottles. Our curiosity spiked, as I'm sure yours is right now, so we had to try it out.

The bar itself was pretty small and dark with only about 8 tables. All of the drinks were named after cartoon characters, and in order to order your beverage of choice, you had to draw the character on a mini white board. Fortunately one of our friends is an art major! The drinks were delicious (think: gin with passion fruit juice and strawberry or vodka with mint, lemonade and soda water) and accompanied by a round of cartoon trivia (of which we were too slow to answer, unfortunately).

The next day we continued the shopping and eating which included more tartines, a cute pair of boots and a cozy scarf. That night, we tried the second baby bottle restaurant, mainly because it is also famous for their delicious fondue. Refuge des Fondues provided a unique, yet classic French experience of wine and fondue, perfect for Haley's speedy trip. The food, the ambiance, and the waiters were delicious, fun and entertaining. We definitely enjoyed the wine and cheese, and like many before us, left our mark (see photo above).

Saturday began with a fresh pain au chocolat and was filled with lots of shopping and a little bit of fashion-related culture. Patterned pants, statement necklaces, comfy sweaters and trendy tees awaited! But, before filling up shopping bags, we checked out the history of some very famous bags at the Mussee des Arts Decoratifs.

This museum, situated right next to the Louvre, hosted an exhibit honoring Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton. It displayed designs from both designers and painted a stunning picture of the history of this iconic brand. Everything from the lighting to the music to the mannequins contributed to the unforgettable nature of the exhibit. I am so glad we fit it in because this was the last weekend of the exhibit.

After the exhibit, we enjoyed the gorgeous day and relaxed on the lawn outside with a view of the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the picturesque sky (see if you can spot them all in my panoramic picture above).

For her last night we checked out a Mexican restaurant with a secret door. I know what you're thinking, Mexican food in Paris... really?! I was skeptical myself, but we really wanted to check out the secret door situation. We arrived to a small restaurant in the Marais with one table and a bar with 8 stools. We were pleasantly surprised to hear the cooks, who slipped past each other in the cozy cooking space, speaking spanish, and hoped it was a good sign, There was barely enough space for us to enjoy our chips and guacamole (which definitely met my California standards) while we waited for seats to open up.

The restaurant itself was reminiscent of a little hole in the wall that could have been found in L.A. or Brooklyn. After a quarter of the seats (2) opened up at the bar, we enjoyed fantastic tacos and tostadas that surpassed my expectations. Once we finished our food, we snuck through the secret door (pictured) to find a super hip bar. The atmosphere could not have been more different from the restaurant. It was as though we stepped into a hip little cave lit by candles and decorated with modern variations of mexican paraphernalia (even the bathroom was cool! See photo below).

Middle Photo: Secret Door!!

After some fantastic people watching, we went to Briezh cafe for highly recommended crepes and hard cider. When my mom was here, we probably had a crepe everyday. While I could taste slight variations (such as sweetness of the batter, butter or no butter with sugar, etc...), they were all delicious. How could they not be?

Therefore, I was rather skeptical as to just how amazing these crepes were going to be. I am very happy to say that I was proven wrong. The crepes were unbelievable. I ordered a crepe with vanilla ice cream, salted caramel, and banana, and Haley ordered a crepe with vanilla ice cream, salted caramel and apples. They both had the perfect amount of ice cream that allowed you to have a small bite to accompany each bit of crepe and didn't leave a puddle of sweet milk at the end. The salted caramel, also in perfect proportion, complemented the fruit perfectly. It was the perfect end to a fabulous weekend.

This morning, before sending her to the airport and going against my every desire to hold her hostage with me for the semester, we stopped at the farmers market near my apartment to pick up fresh goodies for a picnic brunch in Luxembourg gardens.  While it was hard to say goodbye, I am so grateful that she came and that we had this wonderful and unforgettable opportunity to explore Paris ensemble!!

Paris in the Rain

I stumbled upon many quotes that cite how extraordinarily beautiful Paris is in the rain. Yesterday, the weather allowed me to draw my own conclusion. Yes, it is very beautiful... but, Paris is always beautiful. To be perfectly honest, I much prefer it when the sun is shining.

Nonetheless, I took it as an opportunity to do appropriate rainy day activities, which included trying a soup bar. After some google searching and blog browsing, Taylor and I met at Giraudet soup bar just a couple metro stops away.

Their butternut squash soup and quenelles (similar to gnocchi) with tomato soup were exactly what we needed. I can't forget to mention that the slices of baguette that accompanied it was some of the best we've had yet.

Later in the evening we had the unique opportunity to attend a rehearsal of the "Les Noces de Figaro" at the Paris Opera. The space was beautiful, the costumes were stunning, and the lighting appeared as though we were seeing it in sepia tone. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This also means that I don't think I need to return to the Opera. Checked off the bucket list!

Le Weekend

In France, Sunday is a day of rest. Many of the stores are closed, and on days like today when the weather is reminiscent of summer, everyone is out.

My day of rest was not all relaxation. I finally moved into the room I will be living in this semester and feel much more settled.

After a lovely weekend that included an afternoon along the Seine and a picnic under the Eiffel Tower, I enjoyed an afternoon of rest in Luxembourg Gardens.

The temperature spiked back up to a toasty 82 degrees, so I tried to enjoy the warm weather as much as I could. I decided to jog around Luxembourg gardens and was mildly surprised to see that it was packed!

So, after circling the perimeter, I jogged back home to shower and put on appropriate clothing (pink nike shorts don't exactly fit in amongst the Parisians).I then met my friends to enjoy the sun, the view, the company, and some more delicious gelato.