La fin- really

Well,

I'm currently in Newburyport, watching the snow lightly fall. It's quite a beautiful scene; I'm now back in my little colonial city by the sea, all decorated for Christmas.

Getting through the airport was much more smooth, though my flight kept getting delayed. But we took off!

Now, it's time to readjust to American life. I'm worried it will be harder. Readjusting from college life to home life isn't so hard; adjusting from living in Paris, France to Newburyport is well, a whole different story.

I just wish I could have a week to settle back, as in a week before Christmas. The fact that the holiday is fast approaching has caught me completely off guard. I had so much Christmas spirit back in Paris; here it may need a reboot.

Reverse cultural shock? Not exactly a present I was wanting for Christmas.

Miss you already Paris!

Ready to duel with CDG

I leave the homestay at 10:30 AM my time, and my flight has been delayed until 3:30.

But delayed means it's still on! So I'm holding on to that!

Mon cadeau de Noël

Mes amis,

Today was like a Christmas gift. Having this extra day in Paris refreshed my spirit and I'm ready to brace for tomorrow. 

I tried to sleep in, but still woke up at 9:30. Oh well. It was just nice to have my room and such to myself. After getting ready, I headed to the Marais and went to the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme. It was in an old hôtel particulier and chronicled Jewish life in Europe from the Middle Ages to present day. Wow, just incredible. It's such a nice break from the Gothic, Madonna and Childs of Catholicism. The art is much more nature inspired, plus the use of calligraphy is also beautiful. Hebrew and Yiddish is a nice break from Latin. Overall, just a beautiful museum with beautiful objects. It really was like learning of a whole new world and culture.

After, I ventured to Angelina and got my wonderful hot coco to go. I got the most evil stares from people waiting in line to eat. They clearly new I got the hot coco, and I was happy. Oh well, a line is what you get when you decide to eat at a celebrated tea room on a Sunday. Plus, I would have gone all American on their butt considering the hell I went through on Saturday.

Anywho! I then decided to go through the jardin de Tuileries, which was more of a trudge. The snow and sleet made for quite the walking mess. Realizing I needed shelter, and a good place to read A Moveable Feast, I was able to silently walk into the Église de Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois and read some Hemingway in a side chapel with great light and few people. 

After that, the weather got better, so I ventured to the Arc de Triomphe! I got to climb for free and see the beautiful view of Paris. The sky was amazing: blue sky with fast moving clouds and a setting sun. My eyes welled up! 


After that, I went to a specific memorial, dedicated to the victims of the Velodrome d'Hiver disaster. Look it up to find out more; it's such a tragic event. The memorial was moving, and also the tears came again. But to lighten up the day, I ventured to Le Bon Marché which I LOVED!! A totally different atmosphere. I finished my day at the Chapelle de la Médaille Miraculeuse. 


Overall, this day was a gift. Say prayers that I get home tomorrow!

La fin? Au contraire!

Mes amis!

I don't know if this was an act of God, Mother Nature, or a bit of both. Bit somehow, my stay in Paris is a bit longer. Let's begin this epic.

So, saying goodbye, got that out of the way. The drive down to the airport was fine, everything looked fine. Until I see in read letters, next to my flight number, "Canceled."

For a second, I panicked.

As I saw a massive line of people waiting to get their flights changed, I saw some other students from AIFS. Honestly, thank God they were there. I joined them, and it was nice to be with familiar faces. We also made friends with two other passengers; one very nice Irishman on his way to Shannon, and a students named Annie.

We were in line, and kept waiting...and waiting... and waiting. In total? Just over 7 hours in line. It was like being in the inner most circle of Hell. And the line got long, so long that I bet people are currently sleeping on the floor of Charles de Gaulle.

When I got to the desk, the best they could do would be a Monday flight, with a layover in Montreal. I said no thank you.

Luckily, La Merveilleuse Danica was able to finagle flights. I have a Monday flight, DIRECT!! It leaves at 1ish and I'll be on Boston for 3ish. Doogie shall be awaiting me.

Getting back from the airport was a struggle. Me and Greta had to lug our heavy luggage on the RER, then to the Metro to get home. I don't know how I did it on my own... in the Metro... and the snow.

Needless to say, seeing my host family again brightened up my day. They made me a wonderful dinner, and are just going on with life. What touched me the most was when my host dad said, "But Ben, you're home!"

I gave him a look, and he replied, "You yourself mentioned in the Christmas card you gave us, that Paris is now like a second home. Well, you are home now." Ladies and gentlemen, let the tears flow! So now I'm going to read a little Hemingway (A Moveable Feast) and sleep in. But obviously I'm not wasting a full day in Paris. It shall be the Museum of Jewish History and Art, then Angelina's!

La fin

Joyce Jonathan is currently playing in the background. Snow is lightly falling outside. My luggage is almost completely packed, and almost to full capacity. British Airways will definitely be making extra money off of me. The room looks almost bare with our stuff back in our luggage. It just seemed like yesterday I was awing at the size of our room.

Today was a day that I was expecting, but still took me off guard. Today was, unfortunately, about goodbyes.

I said goodbye to Père Lachaise and the illustrious names on tombstones. I said goodbye to my classroom building. To the baker and her son. I said goodbye to the Musée d'Orsay, sending my regards to Renoir, Monet, Manet, van Gogh and Sisley as I walked along the corridors of art. I said goodbye to Notre-Dame, who, while always flooded with tourists, still offered a little calm today. I said goodbye to the glittering Tour Eiffel, which still amazes me. I said goodbye to the Seine that flows through this city that I've fallen in love with.

I said goodbye to Les Merveilleuses Alexia, Danica and Jane, three women who made my experience so wonderful. I said goodbye to my fellow students, and goodbye to the few close friends I made on this trip. Tomorrow I will say goodbye to Monsieur et Madame d'Ollone, who I am hoping will continue to be a part of my life through email and phone chats.

But, as hard as the goodbyes are, another door opens.

I will say hello to New England, to Massachusetts, to Boston! I will say hello to my mom, my dad, Doogie, my grandparents. I will say hello to my cousins that I haven't seen in over a year. I will say hello to Newburyport, to the brick downtown. I will say hello to the Merrimack River, to the Atlantic Ocean. I will say hello to my dearest friends from childhood and high school. I'll then say hello to Newport, to Salve. Hello to my beloved college friends and professors. And, I'll say hello to myself, changed and unchanged, as I reenter my country.

I wish I could put into words my love for the USA and for France. Unfortunately I can't, but someone I know can. Take it away fellow Francophile Jamie:

"That’s the trouble, isn’t it - that it’s not about one or the other? It’s just always going to be like this.  Missing baguettes or baseball.  Missing la vie à Paris or life in Boston." 

To all who have kept up with this blog and reading, I send my warmest regards. 

My time in Paris has been some of the happiest moments of my life. If only I could clone myself so I could experience la vie Parisienne and la vie Américaine. But I know, I know in my heart of hearts, I will return. I'll see some of my favorite sights and visit some things I never got to see. (surprising isn't it?)

As I have said all day, c'est toujours à bientôt, ne jamais adieu. It's always see you soon, never farewell. 

Merci beaucoup, Paris. 

Avec amour,

Ben

A Consumer Christmas?

Today, I ventured to Galeries Lafayette, perhaps one of the most famous department stores in the world. It happens to be right next to Au Printemps, another famous department store.

Well first off, they don't call them les grands magasins for nothing. GL was HUGE and put Macy's to shame. Shame shame shame on you Macy's.

Like my mom said when she was here, the GL is a museum... of globalization, consumerism, and wealth. This isn't a place where you'll find Martha Stewart brand tablecloths. Burberry, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Hermes, Prada, all of the big world leaders in luxury under one roof. One beautiful roof.

But frankly, I maybe spent 15 minutes in there, because it was SWAMPED. So many people running around in different directions to buy that Burberry scarf or new Chanel perfume. I got so overwhelmed and just ran like a bat out of Hell.

Tomorrow I'm going to go to Le Bon Marché, another department store but with a totally different attitude. I've been told it's much quieter and a total different experience. So, I shall go.


The clock is ticking!! 

Venez divin Messie

Ah, mes amis! Noel is almost here! And that is why my title for this post is the wonderful hymn, O Come Divine Messiah. I didn't know it was French; I sung it when I was at Mass on Sunday. When I finally recognized what the song was, I joined in full blast. Here's hoping I didn't butcher the words!

 For some reason I had a rush of Christmas spirit today; of course, shopping was involved. Let's begin.

I started off the day with visiting a church that my host dad has recommended for weeks now. It's called Saint-Eustache, considered to be a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. I had no idea about the latter. Nor did I know that Louis XIV received his First Communion there, or that it was where the funeral of Mozart's mother was, or that both Moliere and Madame Pompadour were christened there.

Why aren't places like this talked about in Paris guide books?!

I wandered around, taking photos and stopping to light a candle for a much needed intention. The chapel of the Virgin in the rear of the church was GORGEOUS, along with this beautiful window of blue, yellow and white stained glass. Not only that, one of the rose windows had parts in the shape of hearts. Sweet.

After class (ugh, side note. I have linguistically checked out. I can't learn any more French. I need to look over all the new French I've learned over break to fully comprehend!), I booked it back home to then undergo my Parisian Christmas shopping.

First stop was Longchamp, on the rue Saint-Honoré of course. I need to explore this street more, because the more westward you go, the more wonderful places you'll find like Hermes or the palace of the President. 

After that little stop, I continued down the rue, going up and down Place Vendôme and finishing off on rue de Rivoli. Just being in that area, it's being in a completely different world. You're transported to the world of luxurious, glamorous, fabulous Paris. Couples walking with shopping bags from the most revered stores like Charvet, Bulgari, Guerlain; women walking around in their beautiful fur coats and pearls; the elegant window displays, lights and wreaths. This kind of glamour cosmopolitan Christmas is one I'm not really used to seeing. Needless to say, it's quite a spectacle. But it is strange to not see more rustic, evergreen decorations I see so often back home. But in any case, I'll be seeing them soon next week!

I went to Angelina to scoop up some of their hot chocolate to bring home. Right next door is Gagliani, the oldest English bookstore in the continent of Europe. Walking in, I preferred it to Shakespeare & Co. It carries English but French as well. But what I loved about this place was the massive amounts of books on French and British history, including royal history. I must have looked through 5 or 6 books. One was this giant one dedicated to Elizabeth II, it was just photos of her throughout her life. It was so beautifully done, and had so many photos of her I've never seen. I wrote down a few of the titles so I'll take them out at the library, or get them at Border's. Whichever comes first. 

It's funny, it just doesn't feel like my last days in Paris. It probably won't hit me until Friday or Saturday morning, but I feel like it's a normal week. If only that could be true. 

Ma famille francaise

Tonight, Monsieur and Madame hosted myself and my roommate for dinner tonight.

Needless to say, tonight was one of my favorite nights I've had in Paris.

Madame cooked a wonderful dinner, and this time around, I spoke more French and asked more questions. It was fascinating to hear stories about both their families, their brothers and sisters, other relatives, their children, etc. They also got us a little Christmas gift, a little calendar of Paris photographs. So sweet!

They insisted on me playing some piano, so I played a little. Had a few mistakes, but oh well. It went well.

But I didn't realize how much I'm going to miss them until I started going upstairs to my room. I got this giant lump in my throat and could feel my post-meal smile turning into a frown. They are the sweetest people in the world who have been so hospitable and wonderful.

Now or Never

It's my last weekend in Paris.

Where did the time go? Now it's going to be a matter of finishing up my sightseeing, buying some last minute souvenirs and Christmas gifts, and trying soaking in this wonderful city before going back to the states.

These past two days I've been able to see some places which I'll write about later. Today is a Champs/Arc/Sorbonne/Walking day. Tomorrow is Madeleine/Grand Palais/Galeries Lafayettes day.


Oh good Lord. Today was so not the day of meeting objectives. The three of us (me, Kirstie and Mandi) were so tried. Plus, Sorbonne bookstore was closed. We just weren't feeling it. But I did get some more macaroons at Laduree; I shall return again. God help my waistline.

Oh, and packing? I've already accepted the fact that my luggage shall be overweight. I think my souvenirs way more than my clothes.

La Neige!!

Mes amis! L'hiver est ici dans la ville de Paris!

I'm currently sitting in my room, watching the snow swirl around, sipping on my hot chocolate. And I have Christmas music playing in the background. It's like a dream!

But this morning was anything but. Our class had a walking tour... at 8:30 in the morning... for 3 hours... in the cold... and it was semi sleeting, then hailing.

MISERABLE.

But as soon as I got to cours pratiques, the snow started. That was probably between 12:30 and 1. It's 15 minutes until 4, and it's still snowing. It's keeps going in and out of heaviness, and I'm hoping it stops because tomorrow I want to take more pictures. I think we will definitely get a few inches. Isn't that insane? Sorry New England, but Paris wins so far with snow this season. We've had days of flurries and such, but today is a real snowstorm. 

Suffice to say, I'm skipping phonetics class tonight. Because while the snow is lovely, walking through snow and slush... without my snow boats... is quite vexing. 

But please enjoy the photos! The last one is the view from outside my window. 

So it begins

The week before the final stretch, oh my. How am I supposed to leave a city where in some parts, I'm a local? Just today I gave a wave to the man who runs my favorite bakery. He waved back with a wink and a smile. How can I leave that? But I digress.

So this weekend Sarah and her friend came to visit! We were able to do a few things, but I'm disappointed in that we didn't see as much as we wanted. From trying to find each other to missing certain Metro stops, it was adventurous none the less.

Sunday after they left I ventured to Napoleon's tomb, which was quite a site! Even in death his ego reigns with high relief carvings of himself doing wonderful things for France. After a successful find at the gift shop, I went home to do some hw and some chats with the parents.

Today, for some reason, has been great. After class I went back to this church we visited in architecture, L'eglise de Saint-Germain 'Auxerrois. It was once the parish of the French kings, since it's right next to the Louvre which for centuries was the official royal residence. I loved it, a mix of different styles, a bit dark. Some parts looked unfinished or partly deconsecrated because of the Revolution. Basically, it had character. I have found this church and others to have character, unlike Notre-Dame.

Yes, Notre-Dame is greatly tied with the history of Paris, but I find now that sometimes, the holiness of the place is lessened by the insane amounts of tourists taking photos. I realize I have mentioned that in my opinion, churches are fine to take photos of. But when it's hundred of loud talking tourists interrupting people at prayer or during Mass, it's a different story. No photos should be allowed. And, so much of Notre-Dame is restored. It's an unauthentic authentic church. I also find that Notre-Dame tries to pry as much money out of tourists and the faithful as possible. I understand churches need money, no shit sherlock. But there are more respectable and honorable ways of getting that money.

Have a gift shop, but perhaps put it downstairs or something, because it really disrupts the doings of a church. A church or any place of worship, needs to have a level of sanctity and solitude. I think Notre-Dame has frankly lost it. It only happens during Mass or Veneration of the Relics of the Passion. Once that is over, Notre-Dame is just a noisy loud building with the sounds of camera's clicking away.

What?

Two weeks from today, I fly back home.

Not okay. Not okay at all.

Magic in the Air & A Reflection on December

Imagine this:

Stepping outside after class, the iPod playing The Nutcracker, and a light snow is falling from the sky. You turn the corner and the street has Christmas lights hanging from the tops of buildings. And as you stand in line at the grocery store, you watch and listen as two women talk about the trials and tribulations of motherhood, as the woman in line looks at her rambunctious 3 year old.

How life can sometimes feel unreal! But it's been magical watching Paris welcome the Christmas season.

And as magical as it is, I find it to always have a tinge of sadness, but especially now with the economic crisis, seeing people sleeping on the street. I just read in the Globe about people who will be loosing unemployment benefits on Christmas.

It's absolutely tragic, and it's anathema to the pictures of people shopping on Black Friday, or seeing giant groups of people walking down the Champs-Elysees with shopping bags.

I think this is the drawback of living in a major city. You see extremes: from economic status to belief systems. Most of the time, it's exhilarating, eye opening and incredible. But other times, like now, it's incredibly sad, gut wrenching, and humbling.

Being here in Paris, just being here abroad, has been one of the best things I could ever do for myself. How lucky am I to be here. And it only gets better with Sarah coming this weekend, and some fun excursions for my last 2 weeks in Paris. Let's roll out of here with a bang!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!!

17 days left... I think I need to get dual citizenship.

Well, the title sums up my feelings on my departure in almost 2 weeks. Ugh, the thought kills me.

Anyway, since Thanksgiving, some wonderful events.

*H&M on the Champs, naturally.
*Went to the apartment of Irene Nemirovsky.
*Paris is decorated for Christmas!!
*Went on a wonderful tour of the Memorial de la Shoah.
*Went to a Bach concert at Notre-Dame!!!!
*I've seen Harry Potter... TWICE!

So things in Paris are wonderful. I've realized that my time here has become like the purchase of my chocolate chocolate chip brioche. Here's why:

Paris, like the brioche, is wonderful and when you take a bite out of it, you instantly feel wonderful. You then want more, and take more, until before you know it, it's all gone. This is a real story, as I bought said brioche on Monday. It's now Wednesday, and it's all gone.

Luckily, I still have many more chances of buying said brioche in the 17 days I have left. My last weeks here are going to be full of food shopping, shopping, and site seeing... plus shopping.

Oh, and a Salve friend is coming this weekend. YAY!!