Family Comes to Paris

During the first week of April, I was very fortunate to have my family (minus Alexa, sadly) travel from California to visit me here in Paris for 6 days. It was great not only see them (as it had been a long time,) but also be able to guide and translate for them during their stay here. As expected, Kathleen had put together a great agenda for us and Elizabeth's 4 friends, and while I wasn't able to attend every event (as I was quite busy with my school work), I was able to enjoy the times I could be with them and oh what fun we had!

Friday: the crew arrives, we go to dinner, everyone is so exhausted that they can't talk or keep their eyes open, they return to their apartment while I go to a club with my Parisian friends until early next morning...

Saturday: Because Mom and Dad were incredibly tired not only from jet lag but from their busy work schedules, they asked me to entertain the girls from 12:00 until dinner at 8:00 (let's keep in mind I am running on 4 hours of sleep myself). So, since the girls wanted to be outside and see some of the city, I decided to lead them on a walk along the Champs-Elysées, starting with the Arc de Triumphe, passing famous monuments and museums such as the Grand/Petit Palais, Place de la Concorde, la Madeleine, les Invalides, l'Assemblée Nationale, among others, and ending at the Louvre. We had a nice, leisurely stroll along this grand boulevard and in the Tuileries, and it was nice to get to know some of Elizabeth's friends from St. Margaret's that I had never had to opportunity to talk to or spend time with.

Buying Nutella and banana crepes 

The Eiffel Tower and the Pont Alexandre III in the background 

Tuileries and the Louvre

 Sunday: Since it was Easter Sunday, Mom wanted to briefly attend mass at Notre Dame before going on a tour of the Eiffel Tower. Thus, we did so, and the sun shined for the occasion!

(Insert Alexa on Natalie's left)

Tour of the Eiffel Tower

 For easter dinner, we ate on top of the Musée de Quai Branly (Ancient civilizations museum) for not only its fine cuisine, but also for its view of the Eiffel Tower.

Mom's friend, Kim Donahue, joined us for dinner that night
as it was she who had recommended this endroit. She and Mom
would later on in the week pair up (after Dad left with the girls)
to explore different parts of Paris together, along with a
day trip to the ever-alluring Mont Saint Michel. 

"Top Chef" quality:
Let's just say that with my parents in town,
I was able to eat at much more upscale places than before...

Monday: Chocolate and Pastry Tour in the Latin Quarter

Mom thought it would be fun (and different) for the group to go on a chocolate and pastry tour to not only taste the different varieties, flavors, and tastes of the sweets, but also to learn a little history about chocolate and the places and sights that we passed along the way in the Latin Quarter.

First stop: La Maison du Chocolate and two samples of chocolate of one's preference

Dark Chocolate Easter Fish 

Smiles all around

Second stop: Poilâne, the 400 year old French bakery- one slice of sour dough bread and half of an apple pastry

Fresh-made chaussons de pommes

A Chandelier made of Bread

Third Stop: Pierre Hermé, Ladurée's rival- two luscious macaroons of choice

4th stop: Arnaud Larher and two samples of chocolates of choice

Fifth and final stop: Un Dimanche à Paris- a melted piece of chocolate as hot chocolate; let's just say that by the end of the tour, we no longer were hungry for dinner

Beads of chocolates that can be melted
on meats or stews to add flavor.
Flavors included thyme, parsley, garlic,
paprika, rosemary among others

 Tuesday: Family- Bike tour of Paris; Natalie- school work/ Dinner- chez moi!

My most favorite experience with my family during the time that they were here was for them to meet my French family and to see where I lived. We all had such a great time together, Muriel had prepared some delicious French cuisine for us, including a traditional, French dinner for Easter, and Elizabeth was also able to practice her French with them (as we spoke in English for most of the time).

Wednesday: Family- Shop and Walk in the Marais/ Natalie- work, work, work/ Dinner- At Café Bonaparte, Mom's favorite restaurant of all time in Paris

The infamous chocolate soufflé 

As I said before, it was great to see all of them again, and while Alexa unfortunately couldn't make it, it will be nice to return to California to be with all of them again.

That being said, I am not quite ready to leave Paris just yet... ;)

Spring, Spring, Spring in Paris: Gardens, Art, and Fashion Excursions

After one of my classes, I decided to check out the Lanvin exhibit at the Musée de la Mode
(Fashion Museum) in the 16th arrondissement. My host mother had recommended it to me,
as she knows that I am always looking for nice, little things to do and visit
apart from visiting the main tourist attractions, and thus, I took
her suggestion. The museum was entirely dedicated to this current
exhibit, and the clothes that were on display were just inc

Even though photos were not allowed, I snapped a photo before the guard could take notice.
Mrs. Lanvin was incredibly popular in Paris during the 1920s and 1930s, and her pieces were incredibly
reflective of the flare and fashion from that time period. A truly awe-inspiring exhibit of workmanship and
highly recommended to visit or view online. 

Right across the street from the Musée de la Mode are two modern art museums. The
right wing is called the Tokyo Palace, home to cutting-edge
contemporary art exhibitions, and the left wing is called the Paris
Museum of Modern Art, a permanent (and free) collection of modern art
for the appreciative, the curious, and the enthusiasts. I visited the
PMMA first (and enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the Eiffel Tower from
their café) and visited the Tokyo Palace another time with my French
language partner. 

The interior of the Paris Museum of Modern Art 

Russian Easter: Given that my host father is half Russian, his entire family gathers together the morning after Russian Easter (the Saturday following Christian Easter) to take part in a Russian tradition that is both central to Russian religion and culture. Small cakes called Kulich are baked and decorated with icing, sprinkles, and different candies. It is a dessert that is only eaten between Easter and Pentecost and is often blessed by a priest for good fortune. Even though my family does not ascribe to the Russian Orthodox religion, they still take part in this holiday and use it as more of a time to get together and celebrate each other's company instead of strictly following the religious guidelines. Nonetheless, a prayer is said for the eating of the cake, and after that, a feast filled with cakes, chocolates, candies, and laughs follows suit.

 Manon Lescaut at the Opera: My Middlebury program gave us the opportunity to see a full dress-rehearsal of the new ballet, "Manon Lescaut," debuting at the end of this month at the Opera House. Not only was the ballet free of charge for us, but the auditorium was filled to half capacity because only a selected number of groups were let in to see this special performance as it was put on to film and photograph all of the advertisements. Thus, I was able to really see and admire the Opera's architecture and splendor, including the Mark Chagall's ceiling painting and the infamous chandelier from the Phantom of the Opera. What's more, I already was familiar with the story of Manon given that I had read the book in French for my "Men, Women, and Power in 17-18th century France" class at Pomona last semester, and thus, I acted as an interpreter for all of the other students. It was a truly memorable experience, and the Opera itself is definitely worth a visit!

A photo of my fellow partners at Paris 3: we were assigned to present Calixthe Beyala's
"Femme Nue, Femme Noire" for our Feminist, Francophone Literature class and
were meeting before to go over what we had written on this subject. Given that
4 of the 5 were foreign students (two Americans, two Irelandais), the
French student kindly offered to read all of our reports for
grammar mistakes and clarity, and with her help and the hard work of the others,
we were able to rock our presentation! 

The Exhibitions at the Tokyo Palace:

#1 Takis' Magnetic Fields

Given his fascination with magnetic fields and the supernatural, Takis designed the start of
his exposition in the following way. The viewer is given a magnetic compass and asked to walk
in a straight line and towards the North. Given the presence of the magnetic wall, the compass'
dial spins and completes circles even though the viewer consciously knows that
he/she is walking in a straight line toward the North.

The music of the cosmos: Takis put different chords on sheets of
white paper and attached "drum sticks" of different weights and lengths to
hit the chords at different intervals. What was produced was a sound
and a sort of music that has never been heard before, hence the name
of this exposition. 

"The drum stick" hitting the chord and causing it to vibrate and produce
the music of the cosmos. 

Other art by Takis

 Exposition #2: Rock Balancing

To achieve harmony with nature through rocks, a Portland-based artist (whose name I unfortunately
no longer remember) balances rocks on top of one another and on top of
cement blocks simply by using her hands. She believes that through concentration
and inartistic knowing, she will be able to find the position at which the rock and/or
the cement block will find harmony, and thus, be balanced. Fortunately, I was able
to witness her daily rock balancing seance, and it was quite cool to observe how
she was able to go about creating her art, not only through this process
but also watching her continually change the layout of the rocks
and blocks. It was a true work of art in progress
and a highlight of my visit. 

The final product. 

#3 Tear Analysis

An LA based-artist collects tear from all walks of life to observe the differences
in tear formation and shape through the use of a microscope. Whether the tears are from
a discontent newborn, a young man in love, an elder woman remembering her troubled past, or from
any other combination of age and emotion, each tear is different in appearance and in shape,
and her work makes us reflect on the nature and meaning of crying. 

Exposition #4: Fashions for the Future (and for Lady Gaga...)

Exposition #5: Modern Creatures

A Dutch artists creates truck-sized creatures from wood, wheels, and paper that
possess the capacity to move and operate on their own when released into
the wilderness. These creatures have been seen roaming a
certain beach in Holland every summer, and watching the film
on how they move autonomously and quietly along the beach was
quite spectacular. 

The cherry tree that blossomed right outside of my apartment

After class snack with Aaat Angelina's, one of Paris' most famous tea salons

Fine Patisseries, Flavorful Tea, and Decadent Hot Chocolate 

Last day of my internship!

My 8 week internship at Planète Enfants, a NGO that fights against child trafficking and women and children's sexual exploitation in Nepal, came to an end in early April, and to celebrate, my boss bought some French cookies and lemonade to celebrate the occasion!

Me, my boss, and the other intern

The cookies and lemonade

It was a great little party. Stephanie gave me some nice compliments in a
little speech she prepared for me and allowed me to choose
two bags that some of the victims had sewn in Nepal to raise money
for themselves and for the organization. 

Visiting le Musée Marmitton, home to the largest collection
of Claude Monet paintings and an equally fine collection
of Impressionist work in the 16e arrondissement. 

Following the museum, I quickly toured the lake of the ever-expansive Bois de Boulogne

The Tuileries at its finest

Palais Royale

The Garden of Palais Royale

One of the directors at my program centers considers this park
to be one of the chicest of Paris!

Jardin de Ile-de-Saint Germain: the park right next to my apartment

The warm weather brought out all the families of
Boulogne-Billancourt

My running path that encircles this enchanting park 

The darling, little French children