A rainy week in Paris

Today is Wednesday?

I just woke up from a nap...it was glorious. My "sleep as little as possible" regime was catching up with me. 

Class on Monday blew my mind. One of the French professors came and lectured in, as he titled it, "concentric circles." He described: my school, Paris, France, and then Europe.  It's strange seeing socialism in action. The groceries are pretty inexpensive though--so yay for no disposable income?

Highlights from his lecture: EU current problems, the school system in France (Americans give the Sorbonne WAY too much credit...why did I not know this?), he pointed out that Paris is a city that is actually lived in--which is interesting, true, and awesome, the way space is divided by class throughout Paris, French obsession with solidarity, the fact that "charity" is tainted (the church's doing) and how that brought about the state to take on more and more control, etc. 

Mortifying moment of the lecture: Moler asked all the students when the US became its own country...silence. One poor soul suggested 1776 but the rest of us just put our heads between our legs. 1783. 1783. 1783. got it. won't ever forget it. again. pride lost in admitting i had forgotten before. aaahhhhh.

Professor Moler lectured in the morning and then one of the professors from UT lectured in the afternoon. Hoyer's a marketing professor at McCombs. Fairly engaging class--"international consumer behavior." He shows us a lot of ads, and then breaks down the marketing strategy behind them. Part painful, part useful sitting through a discussion of advertising that goes against most of what I learn in Creative. Utility in that I now know WHY the client side is so reluctant to accept the decisions made by creatives. Hoyer says an ad needs a big headline, color...animals? STRONG VISUAL CLUES. Someone needs to better sync the business side and the creative side of advertising...a whole lot of good ads would be spared turning in to crappy ones.

Aside from that bit of cognitive dissonance, Hoyer's class is entertaining. He's a bit heavy on the sexual marketing material... leaves sort of a weird taste in the mouth. But a decent class nonetheless.

Other than school, I have started on my walking tour of Paris! Props to Gammy on the book choice. Walk #2 took me to and through the church of St-Roch and then through the Tuileries gardens, around the Louvre, more churches, and a few Galleries. 

Reasons I love Paris:

- It is a bustling city without the harsh angles and metallic elements of other cities. 

- Parisians are interesting looking; i.e. good people watching. 

- Being surrounded by beauty constantly does something for me soul. 

...I've thought a lot about why I think Paris is beautiful. I decided it's a combination of the details in every facade, the obvious amount of care with which the buildings were constructed, the giant old trees, and the dedication to aesthetics above other things--like convenience maybe. Plus. this city is decorated with gold :) something i always enjoy being. 

Also. I like being an American in Paris. I'm not walking around wishing I was Parisian--I'm just walking around loving it all. Living here has somehow increased my attachment to the states while simultaneously increasing my obsession with this city. And my affection for America doesn't come from a longing to be there, but instead I think just from an appreciation for certain aspects of the US. 

best French conversation from this week:

Me (to a little gourmet shop owner): pardon, ou est le cafe d'internet?

Shop Owner: ah, cafe d'internet? ah oui, ici. 

....he walks over and points to a small package of coffee, or rather, "cafe d'internet" on the shelf :) 

Cont. on Thurs:

Class 9-4 today with a German woman who lives in the Netherlands teaching business professionals negotiation skills. Long day but engaging and entertaining. 

After class, mosied over to Pere-Lachaise cemetary. Beautiful. Saw Chopin's grave. 

After graves, another walk! Tonight, my friend Gina came with me and we walked the Montmartre walk. Gloriousness. Sitting on the steps, in the sun (finally), listening to some crazy beating on a drum, and staring in a daze at the poetically cramped city...could do it every day for the rest of my life. 

blogger picture upload is taking too long. Time for sleep.