Week Eight: J'Adore Paris

Paris, France

Hotel Modern with Reka

Eiffel Tower 

With every picture I snapped and mental note I took down, I quickly became aware that I would never be able to capture Paris through my camera lenses or through words alone. When browsing through my memory to think of words to describe the gigantic city, I think of ornate, lavish, rich, delicious, grandiose, historical, romantic, and absolutely breathtaking. Although I’ll try my best to recreate my weekend through words, Paris is really one of those places you are just going to have to venture to yourself. And trust me, it will be well worth it.

We (being myself, Bri, Reka, Noah, Josh, and Michelle) headed out of Preston bright and early Friday morning, and after a train, plane, bus, and terrifying taxi, we were finally in Paris! Considering it was relatively late and none of us had the energy to navigate the labyrinth of a metro system, we stayed in the area surrounding our hotel and enjoyed some delicious pizza and a cheesy magic show, compliments of our waiter. After dinner we enjoyed some overpriced beer at a local bar and then headed back to our hotel with a few bottles of cheap champagne to finish off the night and celebrate our arrival.

The next day began bright and early, for most of us that is. Noah, Josh, and Michelle opted to sleep in while Reka, Bri, and I headed off into the Latin Quarter (the intellectual’s quarter) for a four hour walking tour of France’s finest. During the tour our charismatic guide took us all around the city pointing out major landmarks, and keeping us entertained with some of the not so well facts about Paris’s rich history. When the tour finally came to a close and we bid au revior, the three of us girls headed down every girls shopping dream… Champs Elysees.  Champs Elysees is the Rodeo Drive, the Fifth Avenue of Paris. It is lined with the most expensive designer shops, overpriced restaurants, and window-shopping galore. The street seemed to go on forever, not that any of us were complaining, and finally ended at the Arc de Triumph, which was absolutely gorgeous. You would never guess how enormous it really is until you see in person, engraved in the finest detail. Again, this is really just one of the things that words don’t do justice to.

Now the Eiffel Tower looked relatively close, so we thought we would mosey on over…easy as that. What we soon discovered was that however close we thought we were, we were really quite far. Even when it was in eyesight, we could never manage to find our way through the twists and turns of the many streets. After what seemed like hours and a nice panini pit stop, we finally made it… and was it ever worth the trek. Since it was dark by that time the tower was all lit up and it was such an amazing sight to see. We bit the bullet and paid the twelve Euros to go all the way to the tippy top. The line was worse than the Matterhorn, but the view completely made up for it. Overlooking all of Paris from every direction, all lit up at night, was again indescribable and an experience to last a lifetime. The night finally came to an end with the group coming together over a few crepes, drinks, and a view of the Eiffel tower sparkling through the trees.

The next day we got another early start and headed off to the Louvre. Just as everything else described was gigantic, the Louvre tops them all: an enormous horse shoe museum stretching floors high and underground with the most detailed sculptures and designs carved into the entire thing. If you were to take thirty seconds looking at every piece of work in the Louvre, it would take you three weeks to get through it all. We on the other hand, opted for three hours of key works including the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, and the Code of Hammurabi. From there we all ventured over the bridge covered in lover’s locks, down the river lined with the best vendors, and finally to the Notre Dame Cathedral, home to our beloved Quasimoto haha just kidding J. Anyways, just like everything else, words just will not do it justice: the endless panes of stain glass, the statues, the high ceilings… I could go on and on. I lit a candle in memory of Nay and thought he would think that was pretty sik to be recognized all the way in Paris… pretty legit if I don’t say so myself.  By that time it was getting dark so we made our way over to Sacre Coeur, the artist district.

At first we just wandered the streets, strolling past vendors, creperies, and plenty of little shops. We eventually found ourselves climbing endless stairs to this Arabian looking church at the top of the district that overlooks all of Paris. We sat for a while enjoying the musicians, and made our way down to France’s version of the red light district. It was nothing compared to Amsterdam’s, more like an abundance of neon lights offering porn and peep shows; however, it is home the infamous Moulin Rouge. We found the Moulin Rouge and had a nice photo shoot in front, although I must warn you, it is nothing compared to how the movie portrays it. With the church overlooking Paris in mind, we grabbed a baguette and a bottle of wine and made our way to the top, indulging and thoroughly enjoying our last night in Paris.

Sadly the trip came to an end on Monday, but we were sure to snag a few chocolate filled croissants and snacks for the journey. The trip back seemed to take ages, but we finally arrived back safe and sound in Preston after a long day of travel. Rereading this I know there is so much that I left out, and thinking about my trip and all that there is to see, I know that there is so much that I missed and wished I could have seen. This only means that one day, hopefully in the not too distant future, I will be lucky enough to travel back and say Bonjour to Paris once again. 

Week Four: Roaring into my 20s

20th Birthday Celebrations

Man-U Match

Haslam Park

From the guitar strumming and “Kumbayah” currently echoing through my window, the not so melodious chorus of roommates singing “Happy Birthday”, to the rowdy chants of “Glory, glory Man- United!”, this week has been filled with not only music, but busy days and busier nights. I continued my school week with Poetry on Wednesday that did not fall short the stereotype by hair: holding class in the upstairs of a café with a professor that borders a cross between Johnny Depp in both Pirates of the Caribbean and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… I think he will grow on me. Friday’s Renaissance Literature course was just about as dull as it sounds, and lasted the full three hours even on the first day, lovely. Now for the fun stuff…

The festivities began on Thursday with another trip to (big shocker here) the school club, 53 Degrees. It was UV Rave themed, but continued to produce the same people, music, and general vibe as always (which is not bad, just nothing out of the ordinary). I actually think I may have had more fun beforehand. The usual group all came up to our room for a bit of pre-gaming and the question game where you have a celebrity stuck to your forehead and have to ask “yes” or “no” questions to figure out who you are. I ended up being Obama and then Megan Fox (I think they were trying to think American for my benefit). Surprisingly enough, Friday nights are the “quiet” night (if there is such a thing) here at Uni (what they call university). Therefore, I welcomed my 20^th birthday in at midnight on skype with Danny (very presh, I am aware). The good news is that earlier on in the day I officially booked a ticket to France! My fellow travelers will include, Bri, Reka, Michelle, Noah, and Josh, all other exchange students. All we have is the tickets booked for the first weekend in November so far, but we will plan more in depth as the date approaches. Now onto my big bad birthday…

After a much needed skype date with Kristen and my other Nookers, I started getting ready for what the night had in store. My roommates and I took Jessica’s car to ASDA (owned by Walmart) in hopes to find some Mexican food, which is near impossible to find here. The car ride alone felt like I was on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland, fearing that we would get into a head on collision at every twist, turn, and inevitable roundabout. It’s safe to say that where I have grown accustom to everyone calling me “Love” or saying “Ta” or “cheers” instead of  “thanks”, I have most definitely not gotten used to driving in bumper-cart sized cars that drive on the left side of the road. Anyways, the trip was successful; we were set for the night’s fiesta. Everyone from flat 62 came up around 7:00 for tea (dinner) and we had a great time thanks to some tasty tacos, cakes, and even some good ole flip cup. Eventually we headed over to, you guessed it, 53 Degrees for the final official night of Freshers, the paint glow party. To make a long night seem short, the club was the same as always but with giant guns spraying the dancing crowd with UV glow paint periodically throughout the night. Use your imagination.

Don’t worry, I am almost done… pinky promise. Last but definitely not least, Tori, Dan, and I went to the Manchester United game Tuesday night. We caught the train from Preston down to Manchester and took a tram to the Old Trafford stadium from there. When we first arrived I could not figure out why numerous police on foot and horseback were escorting a large group of rowdy guests, and was later informed that they were the away fans who flew in all the way from Switzerland. Talk about dedication. The police escort them for both their safety, and the safety of the Man-U fans. Scary? In the spirit of tourism, Tori and I bought scarves and some traditional fish and chips while waiting for the game. Inside the stadium was amazing: grass more perfect than a country club’s, red seats from floor to ceiling, and seas of fans filing into every seat.

The game started with the “Glory, glory Man- Uniteddd!” anthem and the noise did not stop from there. At every pass, possession change, kick, and call, the crowd would clap, lean forward, boo, or yell as appropriate. To save you the reading (I know it’s getting a bit excessive), the game ended in a tie in the last 30 seconds; however, I was far from disappointed. It was a great experience going to a match where everyone is so passionate about the sport, getting to know the transportation system a little more, and spending a good amount of time reminiscing on the California sunshine with Tori and Dan. All the reminiscing must have done some good because the last two days have seen temperatures of 70 degrees (record heat for September here), and I am soaking up every second of it: doing homework outside and taking walks in the park. Congratulations if you made it to the end of this very winded blog! I will try to blog more often and be less wordy in the future.. Cheers! Xxx 

Poisonwood Perspective

                                                            Photo Credit: David Wallace 

                                                            Photo Credit: Jamie Shaw 

                                                        Photo Credit: shesingsrebellion

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbra Kingsolver is a novel that takes place in the African Congo during a time of political chaos. The Price family ventures into the Congo on a Baptist mission, completely unaware of the trials and tribulations they are about to encounter. But this is not about religion, the Price family, or The Poisonwood Bible at all, no, this is about perspective.

The only reason I mention the novel is because it was the catalyst that got me into seriously thinking about perspective and what happens when we awkwardly and usually unwillingly slip from our happy little comfort zones into the unknown, where we are forced to see life from a different perspective. When what is left of the Price family eventually make their way back to the States, they found that what was once commonplace is now another superfluous, material object. After years of living off whatever food they could scrounge up and trying to remain alive in a third world country facing poverty, political unrest, and resistance, an air-conditioned supermarket with ten different types of teeth whitener and air freshener is simply overwhelming. In the extreme case of the Price family, what were once everyday items are now a symbol of how ungrateful, materialistic, and unaware citizens of first world countries are of the lifestyle, or more so the survival style, of those in other countries. The thought of how people live in other countries then lead me down the rabbit hole of how my perspective will change when I leave to Mother England.

I am not going to pretend that moving to a different country on a continent I have never set foot on is going to be a walk in the park. In all honesty, I am really quite nervous. Why? Well besides the flight, the matter of getting to school, starting a new school with an entirely different system, moving in, becoming accustom to the new monetary and legal system, and learning the local lingo (just to mention a few), what really concerns me is leaving behind a world of friends, family, and comforts that I am entirely and completely content with.  Right now it is hard to imagine not going home every so often to BBQ with the family and bringing along the special people in my life, but soon it is going to be a reality. I do not plan on making this a sob story, but more of an inquiry as to how I am going to view the UK based on my current perspective and then how my perspective on the US will change once I am back.

I feel like my experience will be comparable to moving away to college. There is of course an ample amount of excitement and curiosity, but at the same time the butterflies just don’t fly away that easily. When I moved out I certainly gained a whole new respect for my parents, all their love and responsibilities, and in addition to the multitude of other revelations, I learned a lot about myself in the process. That is what I hope to gain from going to Preston, England. I mean, it would be a blatant lie to say that I am not besides myself with the thought of travel, new friends, and an entirely new chapter, but my main goal is to use my changed perspective to learn—learn about culture, people, countries, myself, anything really—as long as my perspective is expanding.

It is a big leap to take. Whether it is moving away from home, truly and openly listening to an opposing viewpoint, or taking off to study abroad, expanding your perspective means a step toward learning, a step toward understanding, and a step away from ignorance.