Wow I am writing with a full week of returning from Turkey. Getting back into the swing of things in my Parisian life makes that trip seem like a dream. Although, I felt that dream was very educational because it completes my studies on the European Union being that Turkey is thinking about joining the EU. Just a few days ago, the EU said that Turkey will forever stay out of the union as long as they have their repressive laws on free speech in that they throw people in jail for speaking out against “Turkishness.” Turkey vowed to change the law, but I have a feeling that it will be a watered-down version that slips under the door. I hope they truly do away with the law, but I feel that some of the other brainwashing needs to go as well if the want to be accepted…Enough on that.
It is about getting that time during my stay in Europe that I realize that it is coming to an end relatively soon. I know I have over another month to live here but still considering holidays are coming up, my sister is visiting me and I have to write a 8pg and 25 pg paper, there will not be much more time left. It is like I am missing Paris, but I am still here which is odd because I am missing home as well. Well at least for one thing, I had my last major midterm yesterday which went well considering at the beginning of the quarter I knew nothing about economics and had to reason/teach myself throughout the quarter. So I in lieu of all of this I decided to first try and see a late night movie, but that didn’t work so I instead thought I was going to go to sleep early especially with the torrential downpour outside. My mind changed when I got a phone call telling me to get my ass up and come out. So I did and went to Duplex next to the Arc de Triumphe on the Champs Ellysees. I spent a few hours there and they were worth it because the club was a lot smaller and actually had two rooms where one, the main, was techno and the other was more American music (rap and hip hop). Even though I wasn’t a fan, it was just nice to hear American songs although I adore European techno. The best part of the night though and I can’t really decide if I am being sarcastic or not was walking the 1hr 30 min marathon across Paris back to my apartment. It was a nice night with the stars showing, but it took forever. Maybe that was because I took the scenic route: down the Champs Ellysees to the Tour Eiffel and then to Montparnasse. I had to wake up early so I went to bed early 3:30AM for my day trip today.
Aujourd’hui, we went to the Chateau de Malmasion, which is a funny ironic name for the house of Josephine, Napoleon’s first wife. The chateau itself looks like a mansion from the East Coast with gardens that are made up of color changed trees. The visit was interesting and the inside of the house was a lot less ornate than say Versailles or the palace I visited in Turkey. One thing that I thought was interesting that when Napoleon was still married with Josephine, his rooms were made to look like military tents with big golden eagle emblems. I guess that guy was just obsessed. Well not with Josephine because he divorced her after she couldn’t provide for him in the means of children. Even though she was divorced, she was still technically the Empress of France claiming some sort of right to royalty. Her descendants now include: the King of Belgium, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Queen and Princess of Denmark, and the kings of Norway and Sweden. Not bad considering before she married Napoleon, she came from a family in the West Indies.
Today also included a visit to the La Defence section of the outskirts of Paris where most of the economic and financial centers of France are. With the Arch and surrounding building and squares, it looks like one huge Millennium Park. The buildings will still be modern in 2100. La Defence also boasts a large shopping mall, which I have to say I visited and will be back because the prices are relatively cheap compared to the center of Paris. A perfect place to take my sister. I do have to say I bought a man bag because the strap on mine broke and I got tired of carrying around my computer like a briefcase. I also was beginning to feel too old with a briefcase and taking the metro to work (Sciences Po). Haha, coming up this weekend hopefully and on Monday: movie, PSG soccer game, soccer practice, and Strasburg to see the European Parliament and Council of Ministers.
It is about getting that time during my stay in Europe that I realize that it is coming to an end relatively soon. I know I have over another month to live here but still considering holidays are coming up, my sister is visiting me and I have to write a 8pg and 25 pg paper, there will not be much more time left. It is like I am missing Paris, but I am still here which is odd because I am missing home as well. Well at least for one thing, I had my last major midterm yesterday which went well considering at the beginning of the quarter I knew nothing about economics and had to reason/teach myself throughout the quarter. So I in lieu of all of this I decided to first try and see a late night movie, but that didn’t work so I instead thought I was going to go to sleep early especially with the torrential downpour outside. My mind changed when I got a phone call telling me to get my ass up and come out. So I did and went to Duplex next to the Arc de Triumphe on the Champs Ellysees. I spent a few hours there and they were worth it because the club was a lot smaller and actually had two rooms where one, the main, was techno and the other was more American music (rap and hip hop). Even though I wasn’t a fan, it was just nice to hear American songs although I adore European techno. The best part of the night though and I can’t really decide if I am being sarcastic or not was walking the 1hr 30 min marathon across Paris back to my apartment. It was a nice night with the stars showing, but it took forever. Maybe that was because I took the scenic route: down the Champs Ellysees to the Tour Eiffel and then to Montparnasse. I had to wake up early so I went to bed early 3:30AM for my day trip today.
Aujourd’hui, we went to the Chateau de Malmasion, which is a funny ironic name for the house of Josephine, Napoleon’s first wife. The chateau itself looks like a mansion from the East Coast with gardens that are made up of color changed trees. The visit was interesting and the inside of the house was a lot less ornate than say Versailles or the palace I visited in Turkey. One thing that I thought was interesting that when Napoleon was still married with Josephine, his rooms were made to look like military tents with big golden eagle emblems. I guess that guy was just obsessed. Well not with Josephine because he divorced her after she couldn’t provide for him in the means of children. Even though she was divorced, she was still technically the Empress of France claiming some sort of right to royalty. Her descendants now include: the King of Belgium, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Queen and Princess of Denmark, and the kings of Norway and Sweden. Not bad considering before she married Napoleon, she came from a family in the West Indies.
Today also included a visit to the La Defence section of the outskirts of Paris where most of the economic and financial centers of France are. With the Arch and surrounding building and squares, it looks like one huge Millennium Park. The buildings will still be modern in 2100. La Defence also boasts a large shopping mall, which I have to say I visited and will be back because the prices are relatively cheap compared to the center of Paris. A perfect place to take my sister. I do have to say I bought a man bag because the strap on mine broke and I got tired of carrying around my computer like a briefcase. I also was beginning to feel too old with a briefcase and taking the metro to work (Sciences Po). Haha, coming up this weekend hopefully and on Monday: movie, PSG soccer game, soccer practice, and Strasburg to see the European Parliament and Council of Ministers.
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