Monday and Tuesday

Monday morning, we had Sewing with Muriel, and we all basically worked on our evening dresses. I finished tracing my 2 largest pieces from the back, and began notching. I was trying to get it done quickly, since it seemed like everyone had already started on cutting out their pieces from the fabric. So I notched away the rest of the afternoon.
While Muriel was taking roll, she asked me what kind of name "Ewald" was. I told her it was German and supposedly meant "eastern forest" (no lie). After she asked if I was all German, I added that I was also part Hungarian and part Ukranian. That led to an interesting conversation on how America is a huge "melting Pot" of various origins, and she asked Liz and Ashley about their respective heritages (heritagii?) as well. That somehow segued into talking about how there were a lot of French students in Belgium doing their "bac" (sort of the big test to determine if/what college you'll attend) because it's cheaper and easier.
During Art History, we talked about Neo-Expressionism. It was pretty interesting, but I did (part of) my embroidery sample. I hadn't really had any good ideas of what I wanted to do for it (since it was supposed to be done in the way we wanted the bag to be), even though I had made a research file and based some sketches off that. We ended up waiting about half an hour for Agnes to show up, and while we were waiting, I finally got an idea that I was excited about. It involved 3 panels (one using a technique that has been pretty time-consuming), and so would probably take a long time, so I got started right away. By the time class was over, I had the difficult panel about halfway done, and was relieved since I knew that the other 2 panels (which used the same technique, involving batting stuffed between fabric layers) wouldn't take as long.
After class, I went to Monoprix and worked more on my samples. I managed to get it done to the point I wanted, thinking that I would do some of it in class the next day. (It was one of those things where I wasn't sure how exactly I wanted it to look.) I got them done around 9 pm, and them spent some time drawing croquis (which looked better than my usual ones, I must say) and 10 beachwear outfits. I ended up drawing 12, 6 swimsuits and 6 dresses for eating at a resort restaurant. I also talked to Erin for awhile, and eventually went to bed around 2 am.
Tuesday morning was Stylism with Susan. First, she spoke with people individually about their progress on the evening bag project. I was a little apprehensive about this, since I had heard her tell some people that they had done virtually nothing since about 5 weeks ago (the last time we saw her before our break). But it ended up going really well. I first reminded her of what she had told me to do, and showed her my research file from the Bibliotheque Forney. She was very pleased that I had gone there, and said that everyone should be going there, as well as the fact that designers look for people with good research skills (since they themselves don't have the time to do so), so it'd be likely that I'd get a good job. So that was really good to hear. We then discussed my samples and examined my 10 bag sketches to see which one would be best for me to (attempt to) make. She was going on about one bag, drawing out how it would go, and I had to stop her and point out that my sample was more in line with another. So then she told me how I should go about doing that one, and I was instructed to make a paper maquette of what it would look like. I spent the rest of the class doing so, and finished near the end. I conferred with Susan about it, and she told me to change up the curved lines radiating outwards from the center so as not to line up with the vertical chevrons of the center part. On that note, class was over.
We got out at 1 pm, and my French class was canceled, so Nisa and I planned to go look for fabric that afternoon. We, along with her boyfriend Redza, left around 3 pm and went to the Marche Saint-Pierre, where we looked for specific fabrics in Reine, Dreyfus and a few other places. After we got back, I worked on planning out how much fabric I would need for my bag, not only for the outside pieces, but also for the inner layer of jersey and the gauze backing certain pieces of it. I also drew up another version of the bag, where the lines on the side panels were more curvy and less an extension of the center chevrons. (Somehow, this bag seems more promising than Jen's bag. I don't know why, maybe it's because it doesn't seem too terribly complicated.)
I'm going to ask Muriel tomorrow about what I should potentially look for (a letter? an email?) in response to my internship requests, and also how long it usually takes to get an answer...

The Rest of the Week and Weekend

Wednesday was Sewing with Muriel. I worked more on my dress, lifting the pattern pieces directly from the dress (it took quite awhile). After class and lunch, I met back with Muriel in the computer lab to polish up my letter of motivation. She gave me envelopes to address them, and I did so, for Lanvin, Balenciaga, LVMH, Yves Saint Laurent and Nina Ricci. At one point, I had to ask Peter something, and so went to the office. He was talking to Muriel, and I mentioned that I had seen on the Lanvin website that letters were being accepted over the Internet. I was unsure as to which way was better, and asked. Peter said that it would be best to send it directly, and then alluded to Muriel having already talked to someone. So, I was really excited. I went back to the computer lab and finished compiling my letters and envelopes and then created my fabric and finishings board for Jen's class. I finished that at about 3 pm and then went to the post office to mail my letters. (Now, we wait...) I also went to Monoprix to buy groceries.
Thursday was working with Anne for Flat Pattern. It was more of the same, just lifting pattern pieces, tracing and cutting them out. I got about 6 pieces done (some are huge and some are really small), and when I was tired of that, I started cutting them out along the actual pattern lines. I still have two of the larger pieces from the back to do, so I'll do that Monday.
Friday was Stylism with Jen. We first had a quiz on the types of bags and shoes lifted directly from a handout we had been given in the class before break. All the names were in French, and since I've always been good at vocabulary (better than at verbs), I had just looked over it the night before and was fine. We got the sheet, and I was expecting that same sheet with the names (about 15-20 of them) deleted. But instead we got a sheet with a combined total of 6 bags and shoes, and had to fill in the blanks. I am not exaggerating when I say that I was done within 10 seconds. Right after I turned it over to make sure there was nothing on the back (which there was not), I looked over and said, "Jen, seriously, is this it?" She said that it was, and so I turned it in, the second one to do so. (Liz had beaten me to it, having evidently figured out that yes, that was indeed all of it.) When everyone was finished and had turned theirs in, Jen went over the answers, using my answer sheet as the answer key.
Then she went around visiting with everyone and gaging their progress, and I was first. I showed her all of the shoes and bags I had done over the break, and the first thing she said was that she really liked my shoes and special pieces (for which I had done mostly jewelry), but my bags needed a little work. (I felt the same way, since I liked designing the jewelry and shoes but definitely not the bags.) She signed off on all of my shoes except for the sandals (mine were too simplistic), told me to pick whichever jewelry pieces I liked best, and redesign my bags (to "go further" and "don't be afraid", 2 of her big expressions). (It's funny, one week I'm told I'm "too literal" and then I get the exact opposite the next week.) (I have to say, I'm not really liking designing these bags too much. These terms of "medium commercial", "weekend" and "oversize" bags all sound the same to me; I don't get a clear idea of what they should be when I think about them. I do really like the shoes and jewelry, that was fun for me, not to mention a lot easier. Incidentally, when I had my sketchbook open to those pages, Sharon and Po-Lan both told me that they really liked them. I really respect Po-Lan's opinion, since he has these awesome construction skills that made me jealous. So...possible future career option? We'll see.)
I spent the rest of the class doodling bags and not feeling too inspired, while talking with Sharon who was doing pretty much the same thing. (It appears that Jen has cottoned on to the fact that Sharon's designs aren't "girly", since the initial criticism leveled at her equestrienne theme was that it was not so. I'm pretty sure that she said the same thing for her Yohji designs. I love her equestrienne designs though, they're awesome. I thought it was kind of funny that Sharon's been here for nearly 2 years, and she still has teachers telling her her designs aren't "girly". I've been here a mere 3 months and I haven't gotten that at all. Maybe my ill skill at embroidery broadcasted that loud and clear.)
That afternoon, we had Hats, where we basically finished the ones we started before the break. We cut a length of ribbon to go inside our hats and spent the whole time sewing it to the inside brim so that it was invisible. We got onto a fun topic of conversation though, one that Tu brought up. He was looking at Ashley's skirt and underlying crinoline (I tried it on, and I felt like Scarlett O'Hara), and wondering aloud how she was going to take that one the plane. We then started joking about how we were all going to wear our evening wear on the plane to save packing space.
It turned out to be our last day for Hats, as Jean-Pierre found out and told us near the end of class. So I'm a little sad that we're finished with it, but at the same time, it does free up some time to get some work done and/or go out and explore!
After class, I decided to go to get swimsuit and sundress fabric samples for Susan, so I took the metro up to Marche Saint-Pierre and got a couple at Dreyfus fabrics (avoiding the usual guy on the 2nd floor who hated it when we ask for samples). After that, I remembered Nisa saying that she had gotten her dress for the Embassy gala around that area for cheap. After seeing her dress (a pretty midnight blue Cinderella-type gown), I realized that my more casual dresses were not going to cut it. She said it cost her 100 Euro, and I set that as my absolute maximum price. I first found one that was 35 Euro, and was wine red with sequins, but it didn't fit exactly right and some of the beads and sequins were hanging off by threads. I kept walking and eventually tried on a bronze halter with pleating around the bust and ruffle cascading down the front. It was only 45 Euro, so I bought it. I just relaxed that night, not doing too much.
(I also saw some great, cheap shoes up there, so I believe I will have to make a return visit up there.)
Saturday, I needed to go to the Bibliotheque Forney to do some research into Art Deco for revising my evening bag designs and motifs. I got there about 12 pm, and read on a sign affixed to the door that they don't open until 1 pm on Saturdays. It being a nice day (I didn't need a winter coat), I decided to walk around until it opened. I decided to walk up to the Centre Georges Pompidou, the modern art center, since we have an Art History class there in a couple of weeks and I wanted to do a re-con mission before then. On the way I stopped in a jewelry-supply shop (maybe I can convince Jen to let me make earrings or something instead of a bag). I walked around the Pompidou building and ate a banana an nutella crepe while sitting on the large slanted brick relaxing space (I seriously have no idea what to call it). By the time I finished, it was almost 1 pm, so I walked back. I was at the Forney for about an hour and a half, finding a lot of good books and copying pages from them.
When I was finished, it was so nice outside that I decided to walk back. I strolled along the Seine (bypassing everyone selling touristy stuff), and walked up Saint-Michel. Since I didn't need to be anywhere, I strolled into a lot of boutiques. I got back around 5 pm and took a nap. I felt like going out to dinner and so walked to the Cafe Soufflot. (It's in a great location, right in front of the Pantheon and facing the direction of the Tour Eiffel, which you can see on a clear day since it's on a hill.) I sat outside and enjoyed the weather. I got the confit de canard with the caramel ice cream for dessert, and got entertainment from eavesdropping on a table near me. (It was an American guy with some relatives, telling them about the kid he looks after here. It was pretty amusing.) I went out around 8 pm, and finished around 9:30 pm. I loved that it didn't start to get dark until after 9 pm. After getting back, I called both of my grandparents, and it was great to talk with them, as always.
Today, I slept in the latest yet here (11:30 am). After eating breakfast, I did some sketches for evening bags based on shapes I had found in my research. I also redid all of my bags (I surprised myself with that one), as well as redid my Yohji sketches by coming up with nearly 15 completely new designs. I didn't do any quilting since I was kind of burned out from all of the drawing (although I did muster up enough strength to cut out some pattern pieces). I also talked with my parents on Skype, which was nice.
We have a public holiday Thursday, I'm looking forward to that...

Catching Up With...Me!

Wow, I haven't updated in a few. Funny, I've actually been missing writing my 2-page entries. (My parents recently gave Grandma some of my pages-ones written after February 19th, and it apparently ran about 60 pages.) I love writing, and I'd like to do it more often.
That being said, let's have an update! (Now's a good time, the iTunes is on shuffle, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" just began so I have a nice long stretch of music to write to.)
Friday...what did I even do? Umm...is it bad I can't remember? I know I was still feeling under the weather and so didn't go out or anything. I that that was the day I went to the computer lab and put together my moodboard for Susan's class (also images from Umberto Boccioni, Italian Futurist painter). Sharon came in for a bit and we talked about our classes and trying to find internships and whatnot. I probably applied for (more) internships that day too.
I also talked with my friend Adam on Skype for awhile. I was telling him about using retro-futurism about inspiration for Jen's accessories project, and he was a fan. We had a great discussion about that and "The Venture Brothers". We talked for awhile, about 2 and a half hours. It's always good to talk to him.
Saturday morning, I took the metro to BHV so that I could get embroidery thread for Susan's moodboard and wandered around on the kitchenwares floor for a bit. (I don't know why, I sometimes like to look at that stuff. Maybe I like to make my mental list of what I'll get when I have my own place and/or what I'll get if/after I learn to cook.) I then went back to the apartment to begin work on our 2 quilting samples (needed by Tuesday). I knew the methods that I was going to do, so it was just a matter of executing them. I knew that one method was going to take a REALLY long time, so I started that one. I started it at about 5 pm. I made it my goal to get it done by 9:30 pm. I got it done at 9:22 pm, go me. After I made dinner for myself (the faux-Maggi noodles of which I am...not especially fond of, but they're convenient and cheap), I decided to watch a movie online. I had been wanting to see "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" for awhile, but hadn't been able to find it. It was pretty interesting. (For those of you interested in checking it out, it's about Chuck Barris, who created and hosted "The Dating Game", "The Newlywed Game" and "The Gong Show". He has also claimed to work for the CIA, going on hit missions for them while in Europe chaperoning winners of "The Dating Game". The CIA vehemently denies this. Who knows for sure? Only one man, and he's had his say. But I think it's worth checking out because I love sharp personal contrasts like that. Also, it was written by Charlie Kaufman, who also wrote "Adaptation" and "Being John Malkovich". It also has some pretty interesting shots, which makes sense seeing as it was directed by George Clooney.)
Sunday, I did my other quilting sample, which took a surprisingly short time (as in about an hour), so I think I know the method I'll be using for that evening bag. I also finished hemming each leg of my pants. Other than that, I started looking up stuff for the finishing board that Jen is having us do.
Monday was back to school, so it's more regular, jam-packed blog updates! I started tracing my pattern pieces onto paper from the dress. I worked the whole time and got about 7 of them traced.
Exciting news, though: You might remember that some weeks back, Muriel had asked me to draw up a list of places to apply for internships, along with addresses. She saw me during class and asked me to come back before the afternoon session so that we could begin drafting it. She had left some papers relating to drafting a lettre de motivation (NOT the same thing as a cover letter, I discovered), so I shuffled through them, seeing if there was anything I'd need to know. On the bottom half of one sheet, was scribbled a name and a phone number. The name was...Alber Elbaz, who happens to be head designer of...LANVIN!!! Sooo...who knows. I don't want to get my hopes up or anything, but how sweet would a stage at Lanvin be?!
I cam back from lunch, and I talked with Muriel about what I had done in fashion and art thus far, and she wrote it all down. Agnes was there too, helping us draft it. After class was over, Muriel told me to draft it (in complete sentences) and email it to her so that we can get ready to send them out Wednesday. So hopefully, something good will come of this...
In Art History, we discussed Super-Realism, also known as Photo-Realism. It was pretty interesting. After class, I got my stuff together for Tuesday and watched an episode of "Gossip Girl", as well as started drafting my letter.
Tuesday morning was class with Susan. One of the first few things she said was that she was cutting down on her teaching by an hour, soon to cut all of it out. She said that we'd be having 4 hours of class instead of 5, and we'd go 9 am-1 pm (instead of 9 am-12 pm and then 1 pm-2 pm). So that was a very pleasant surprise. She then talked to each of us about our quilting samples. She liked both of mine, and then suggested that I incorporate both of them into my evening bag. (That is the first time one of my samples have gone over THAT well, much less both of them.) I was then told to do more research into things from the 1930s (like architecture, furniture, glassware, etc) to get ideas about my bag (since my sketches were too simplistic). After she was done with everyone's quilting and bags, it was time for looking at our beachwear. She told me to take my ideas further, get my fabric samples and then get ideas for silhouettes.
A few funny things happened in class as well. Since Po-Lan had gotten his computer stolen about a month ago, he had gotten a new one. I was actually there in the studio when it arrived last week, and it's one of those new-fangled ultra-thin jobs. It looked pretty Jetson-esque. I guess today he mentioned that he had gotten it to Susan, and Susan really wanted to see it, so he brought it out. She was asking all about the built-in webcam and then she decided to call Tenzin, who was sick at home. So they called her, and we're pretty sure that Tenzin hung up on her (probably out of shock that her teacher was calling her at home). At this point, Susan was getting excited about every technological feature that the rest of us have enjoyed for a mere 7 years or so. I had to ask, "So Susan, I take it your computer doesn't have these features?" She replied, "No, mine is from the early '80s".
A little later near the end of class, she was telling us what she had planned to do for her sabbatical. In response to a question, she first said "I'm going to do nothing". I waited a beat and then said, "Will you embroider?", which got a big laugh out of everyone, which was fun. She then said that she was going to travel around India for awhile, and I asked about getting vaccinations since she's been there quite a few times before. (My question was if she needed to get vaccinations each time she went, or if one time covered it all. She responded by saying that as long as you didn't go into the rural area, you didn't need vaccinations.)
During our lovely 2-hour lunch break, I ate lunch and began typing my lettre de motivation. I got a little lost with Muriel's handwriting, so I did what I could until I went to French.
In French, we talked about falling in love and all that vocabulary that goes along with it.
After class, I came back and finished my letter and e-mailed it to Muriel to look at for tomorrow.
I really hope stuff will come together for me here.

The Past Few Days (OK, More Like A Week)

I know I haven't been diligent about updating lately. That's actually because nothing has really been going on.
Last Friday, I did internship stuff. I did follow-ups on stuff that I had found from FashionInternships.net. I had arrived back from my trip to find an email from a lady wanting a phone interview dated early Thursday. I emailed her back Friday morning, asking when it was convenient for me to call her, and got a response back saying that the company had the interns they needed, and would keep me in mind "just in case". Of the places I sent follow-up letters to, only about 2-3 sent me word back. One asked me if I was coming to New York soon, and I said no, and said I would be happy to do a phone interview. I then got an email back saying that the designer "doesn't do phone interviews" (because who knows, I could have a great "phone voice" and a terrible personality). But way NOT to keep in me the loop on your decisions, New York companies!
I also started applying to places here in Paris. I used a website that Jen had recommended, FashionJob.fr, similar to FashionInternships.net but I find it a lot better in a lot of ways. For one thing, they send you notices of postings you might want to apply to, which I've taken advantage of.
I applied to Lanvin (quality assistant), Christian Lacroix (illustrator), Barbara Bui, and Zadig et Voltaire. Zadig et Voltaire is a company geared towards the youth. Based on their current designs, I have a feeling I could do subversive stuff and have it be taken seriously (since some of their designs feature cannabis leaves). That's certainly a top choice.
(Another great thing about FashionJob.Fr: They keep a list of where you've applied and for what position that you can see when you log in. It's also listed to show whether employers have looked at your information.)
I also needed a photo of myself, since employers here like to know what you look like (along with other socially taboo stuff in the U.S., like if you're single or what). I found one from Christmas and cropped it and used it. (It's funny, I thought that I would find the notion of a photo in a job interview offensive. I did only until I found a flattering picture of myself.)
Saturday, I didn't do too much. I wasn't feeling too great, and so just mostly hung out in the room. I started sketching bags and shoes for Jen's project. I also took a walk into Montparnasse, right near the tower. The reason for the this was because I was looking for a theater that was playing "There Will Be Blood" in English (version originale -v.o.), and the address showed it to be right near there. I decided to see it Sunday (the next day), and wanted to do a little re-con walk to see exactly where it was and how long it took to get there. It was really easy to find (it was the Montparnasse Bienvenue, near the metro stop of the same name), and next to the shops that are right in front of the tower, and took me about 15-20 minutes to walk there.
Sunday, I lazed about until walking to the movie theater. I got there about 10-15 minutes before it started at 5:20 pm, and was amazed to see that there was a line. (Somehow I had thought that since it was a V.O. movie and a Sunday, not many people would be out. But I guess since it was rainy, a lot of people decided to go to the movies.) The line moved quickly, and I went inside. It was playing in one of 2 theaters. I sat down in the lower level, and was surprised to see it fill up (my whole row was filled). After sitting through the commercials (one of which involved highly sexualized anthropomorphic giraffes and bears, which would have been disturbing merely on its own, but even more so when they're advertising an innocuous soft drink), the movie began. I learned that with V.O. films, there's still subtitles. I didn't mind this at all. In a few scenes where there was a crowd commotion, I focused on reading the subtitles rather than trying to pick out individual voices. I also learned new vocabulary (bruit being barrel and petrolier being oilman, among others). It was interesting to see that whenever there was talk of "miles" as a term of measurement, the subtitles converted it to kilometers for the audience.
As for the movie...holy crap, it blew me away. SO INTENSE. (I realize I'm late to the party with this.) Did Daniel Day-Lewis EVER deserve that Oscar. I'm so glad I saw it on the big screen.
(Next up, at some point: No Country for Old Men.)
After I got back, I did some more work and talked with my parents on Skype.
Monday morning, following the advice of the parentals to drink non-dairy liquids, I traipsed down to Monoprix to get some soda (some Wink-esque citrus number called Gini, not to be confused with the Canadian performing awards) and some juice (I decided on grapefruit). I spent that whole day doing internship stuff and Jen's work, in addition to drinking copious amount of Gini. I tried some of the grapefruit juice, HATED it and decided to get some grape juice (since I've always been a fan of Ocean Spray's).
Tuesday morning, I went back to Monoprix to get Gouda cheese, grape fruit juice and more Gini (since I had drank nearly the entire 1.5 liter the day before). More of the same that day: internships, doing work, drinking (not alcohol). I did have an interlude of about 45 minutes where I went to school and made a storyboard of my retro-futuristic inspiration in the computer lab. I also tried the grape fruit juice and thought that was also disgusting; I couldn't even finish an entire glass. (I guess I'm just used to the artificality of Ocean Spray.)
I had also gotten some follow-up questions from a place I had applied called the Little Fashion Gallery. It sells high-end childrens' wear. It's more of a sales thing than design, so I'm not really excited about it. I didn't feel too confident answering those questions, either.
Wednesday morning, I went into the classroom in the morning to do some work with my dress. I hadn't finished defining where the pattern pieces were; I had the ribbons still marking them. I finished outlining them and traced them with my French curve and ruler. After that, I made yet another trip to my favorite grocery store, and this time got 2 bottles of Gini (I wanted a couple days from the 'prix.) That afternoon, I finally finished my Jen sketches.
This morning (that would be Thursday), I went to Reine fabrics to get my fabric for the evening dress we've started. I had been told to measure my mannequin top to bottom, and multiply that number by 3 (I need more room because my pieces will be on the bias). I ended up getting 5 meters and then a 10 cm sample for the quilting samples Susan wants. I then went to BHV (it felt like a long time since I had last been there) and purchased sewing and embroidery threads for the dress, as well as thread that matches the fabric for the buttonholes that Muriel had us start.
Back in the room, I worked on the 3 buttonholes I had left, and tried to come up with some inspiration for Susan's beachwear (which I'm still looking for).
Really, that's about it, nothing super exciting...
I want to do something tomorrow or Saturday, but we'll see how it goes...

Observations from the Trip

I just wanted to jot down some things I noticed while I was traveling:
1) In terms of ages of each of the cities I visited, I feel that Rome is the oldest, Paris is in the middle and Madrid is the youngest. Rome feeling the oldest probably has something to do with all of its ancient architecture/history prominently on display, maybe because they also have only 2 metro lines. (Someone told me that they try to dig for more lines, but they keep discovering more ruins, so they have to stop. I don't know if this is true and/or how often this occurs.) Madrid might have felt so young since I seemed to be in the trendy/cosmopolitan area.
2) Rome didn't seem quite real to me. It's difficult to explain what I mean. I guess I mean that it didn't seem like there are any actual inhabitants in the city. It's all boutiques, pasta/pizza places, and fantastic architecture. I don't know, just go there and see if you see what I mean.
3) Rome also seems "sleepier" than Paris, maybe because Paris is quite a bit bigger and seems to have more inhabitants. This might also be because the colors of the Roman buildings are all these muted pastels, and/or the abundant foliage.
4) For some reason, I noticed a lot more damage to the architecture in Rome than I did in Madrid and currently do in Paris. I don't know if this is because it's older or what, but it did look like there had been a lot of acid rain damage over the years.
5) When talking and listening to people in both cities, I felt that, given some time, I would be able to pick up Italian easier than Spanish. This was a surprise to me, since I thought the reverse would be true. I've never before had exposure to Italian, but I felt I could get the gist of what people were saying. I had to go to get some antibiotique gel, and when a lady tried to help me, I said that I didn't speak Italian, and explained in French what I needed.
I was also noticing similarities between French and Italian. Anything that had "ph" in French had "f" in Italian. Anything with "ie" in French became "ia" in Italian. Both of these principles are demonstrated in the French and Italian words for "pharmacy": "pharmacie" and "farmacia", respectively. Also, the double "s" is replaced with a double "c", like "patisserie" becomes "paticceria"
6) I also loved that in Rome, there were regularly nuns and friars (I guess that's the correct term) walking around, and it's normal. (I sometimes think that in the U.S., a religious calling is looked on as...well, not a bad thing, but maybe less than desirable.) You see them taking the morning bus, drinking coffee in a cafe, and nobody says anything. I took one picture of a nun talking with a young guy about my age in a shoe store, because I just really liked the contrast.
For me, in terms of vibrant cities, in descending order:
1) Madrid
2) Paris
3) Rome
In terms of places I'd visit again, though, Rome is definitely above Madrid. I'm glad I went to Madrid to see it, but the only thing I wanted to do there was visit the Prado, and that's done.
OK, I think that's about it for that. That's just what I found interesting.

My Trip!!!

I had an AMAZING 5-day trip to Rome and Madrid! Want to hear about it? Just read on...
Sunday morning, I got up at 4:45 am, since I was told that the shuttle would be arriving between 6-6:20 am. I got out to the meeting point at 6 am, and waited...and waited and waited. The shuttle showed up more around 6:50 am. I got to Beauvais airport to check in, and was told that I'd need to check my bag since it was too big to use as a carry-on. I paid 18 Euro to do so, went through security (I had to take my boots off there), and had a croissant while I waited to board the plane.
Our flight took off at 9:30 am, and we arrived in Rome at 11:00 am. After picking up my bag, I went to information and asked about the best way to get to my hostel. I found out that the hostel is in the middle of Rome, where the 2 metro lines intersect and where all the buses run from, so I just took a shuttle bus to the Termini station. The whole ride into the city, I was looking out the windows; it was so beautiful, and looked like a still from a movie. (Of course, my next thought was that it was bad that I was thinking in terms of life imitating art rather than vice versa.)
My hostel was very easy to find, being 3 streets away (on Via Varese) from Termini. I first almost walked past it, since it looked to be a laundromat with Internet, with an apartment next door. (It was the Funny Palace Hostel, and I highly recommend it. If anyone's interested, just ask me about it.) I then saw a tiny "Funny Palace" sticker stuck in the corner of the doorway, so I figured that I must be in the right place. I met Elisabeth, the girl who worked the front. After I paid my amount, she sat down with me and helped me plan out what I would see and when, as well as the bus route(s) I would take there. Then, she walked me to my room, showing me which of the 3 keys to use at any given door. I then dropped my stuff, and went to lunch at a pizza place one street over that Elisabeth had recommended. It was an older guy and a younger guy working the place, and the younger guy immediately came up and started talking to me, asking me my name and where I was from and everything. Then, in the middle of my meal, he came to check on me and asked me to come back that night around 8:50 pm (when he got off work), and he'd take me out to dinner and go shopping. I was a little put-off by the fact that he was so (to use an 18th century word) forward, and so was noncommittal in saying that I didn't know what I was doing that night.
After I finished eating, I wanted to go exploring more, and decided to go back and change out of my boots and into my Chucks. I got through the building and apartment doors fine, but a small problem occurred when I was attempting to open the room door. I was twisting it within the keyhole, and heard a crack. I pulled the key back, and my fears were confirmed: I had twisted the key off, and part of it was lodged in the keyhole. I left the suite, intending to go tell Elisabeth, but was stopped when I got to the apartment door that led outside. Why? I had broken the apartment door key in the room keyhole, and so could not get out. I then went back upstairs , and had a bit of a time getting back inside the apartment, getting frustrated to the point of banging on the door a few times. The reason I went back upstairs was that I remembered something that could be potentially helpful: As I was about to leave, I had seen a guy leave the room next to mine going to the shower. I knew he had to come out of the shower sometime, so I planned to wait for him to come back to his room and ask to borrow his keys. I waited for what felt like half an hour, and then as he came back, I was like, "Um, hi, I'm really sorry, I know this is really random, but I just broke my room key (holding up said key), and I was wondering if I could borrow your keys to get out and get someone, I'll return them right after". He held out his keys and was like, "Yeah, you better", and I felt really bad. (To make things worse, I looked like shit, and since he had just come from the shower, he only had a towel around his waist. Looking back on this scenario, I'm surprised Hollywood hasn't latched onto that meet-cute for our demographic. I swear, I felt out of place in my own life there.)
I got Elisabeth, she came up to look at the key, and then we went back down because she had to call her supervisor to see what we needed to do. (I also returned the guy's keys, handing them around his door and thanking him.) It turned out that he wasn't going to be in until later in the afternoon (it was around 2 pm at that point), so Elisabeth said I should probably just go out and explore until the evening.
I first just wandered up and down a few streets stemming from Termini Station, taking pictures (it seemed that every building was pale pink, pale green or pale yellow). One thing I rapidly found out: If you merely look an Italian guy in the eye, he will feel free to say, "ciao bella" to you, so I just avoided people's eyes (and maybe blended in). (Maybe it was the boots playing a part as well.) I stopped at one place, U. Guiliani's to 1) rest my feet and 2) get some real tiramisu (which had some sort of extra dimension of flavor to it that I can't describe, but made it the best tiramisu I'd ever had). It was a really nice place, with all of the dishes displayed at glass counters, and you sit on wicker chairs at white-clothed tables to eat, and all the waiters wearing white shirts and black vests.
After my dessert, I wandered around a bit more, going to a couple of gardens that were attached to museums and taking lots of pictures. As I was walking around, it really struck me that Rome was reminding me a lot of Savannah and Charleston. It was something about the combination of the lush foliage with the smooth, pastel-colored buildings (like Charleston's Rainbow Row). I don't know if the looks of Charleston and Savannah were planned to be modeled after Rome, but it seems likely.
I also went to a couple of fountains. One was the Repubblica, which was in the middle of a circle, where half the sides were hotels and the other half was an ancient church. That one was pretty. I then hiked up to another fountain (whose name I can't remember, and am currently too lazy to look up). It featured a merman on a shell, also in the middle of a traffic circle. I think I took pictures of that one from all sides, which shows you how much I liked it.
I also walked up and down the main street, Via Cavour, for a good while. I saw a church that Elisabeth had marked out for me, and then meandered, going into shops occasionally. I went into one and really liked one dress, a green faux-wrap with a v-neck and cap sleeves. I tried it on, it looked great, and was on sale! I had to get it (and can't wait for the weather to warm up so that I can wear it).
I got back to the hostel around 6:30-7 pm, and they had gotten my key fixed! I went up to my room to get changed (into more comfortable shoes) and walked down the street to find somewhere to eat. I found a small, inexpensive restaurant a street over and had some pasta. After that, it was a bit late and I went back to the hostel. I found the owner, Mabri, there and explained about the key situation, and he was really nice about it, and said I didn't need to apy for it or anything.
I then went up and decided to take a shower and get ready for bed. After my shower, I was in the bathroom, doing the usual teeth-brushing/contacts routine, when the guy whose keys I had borrowed earlier came up and we started talking, first about my keys and then about other stuff. His name was Jonathan and he was from Ireland, and had been all over the world. We ended up talking in the common area for about an hour, and he asked me to get dinner with him the next night. With that, I went to bed to prepare for an upcoming busy day.
Monday, I got up at 7:30 am, having not been able to sleep well the night before and consequently still a little tired. I got dressed and went to look for some breakfast, since the hostel didn't provide any. I got what I thought was a croissant, but turned out to have some lemon custard inside. (I didn't know the name, I just pointed to what I wanted.) I then walked to Termini, where I boarded the #40 bus, which would take me to St. Peter's Basilica. I had originally planned to eat on the bus, but it was so packed that I didn't get a chance to even move my elbows from my sides until halfway through the ride. I did finish it before the ride ended, and then I got off and walked up the street with everyone else to Saint Peter's.
Elisabeth had told me to get there early in the morning, and I was there around 9:10 am. I was surprised, the line moved really fast, so that I was inside around 9:30 am. I spent some time wandering around, taking pictures of the fantastic architecture and decoration. Afterwards, I went to the gift shop, where I got some postcards for my Grandma. I had been told to allow about 4 hours in order to see it "properly", so guess how long I spent there. That's right, 45 minutes. I'm efficient like that.
(For some reason, this thought struck me at the Vatican: I was thinking of the traditional papal vestments, how they're white with gold embroidery. Then I thought how Elvis's jumpsuits in his later career were white with gold sequins. The 2 outfits are similar. I wondered if Elvis somehow became the Pope in some twisted cosmic joke, he could just wear those jumpsuits and it would probably look the same, nobody would be able to call him out.)
I had decided to see the Vatican Museum, but after spending half an hour in line and then seeing that it was a regular museum, I ducked out and walked back in the direction of the nearest metro station. On my way, I stopped and ate a cheese pizza (yes, a whole one, since it was really thin and I didn't eat the crusts) for lunch. I walked along the street to the station, and stopped and looked around in some of the clothing boutiques. At one, I saw this purple long-sleeved shirt with short puffed sleeves at the top, with a cowl neck that revealed a black sewn-in tank with ribbons decorating it. I tried it on, it fit, and was only 10 Euro! I was on a roll with the clothing in Rome there.
I got to the Ottaviano metro stop, changed lines at Termini, and got off at Cavour station. I then walked in the direction of the Colosseum and the Ruins. On my way, a lady stopped me and asked which direction the Trevi Fountain was in. I couldn't tell if she was speaking Italian (since she prefaced it by saying "scuzi") or French (since she referred to directions as "la"), but either way, it was flattering as always.
I got to Ruins, and spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get inside so that I could go down into them and walk around. I found what I thought was the entrance, but it turned out to be the exit. I just kept looking to see which direction people were walking to, and eventually found it. I walked around and took lots of pictures.
I left and went to the Colusseum, which was practically right next door. Since I had gotten the ticket to see both at the Ruins, I skipped the line and went inside right away. It was interesting, and I kept wanting to do the Russell Crowe in Gladiator thing and yell, "Are you not amused?!" into its depths (but I refrained). In circling around, there seemed to be a lot of school groups there (imagine just being able to pop over to the Colusseum for ancient history!). One group in particular caught my eye. It was a big group of 8-year-olds, and some were sitting on steps, and some were clustered on the ground (this was on one of the levels). They all had pencil and paper, and were drawing! I leaned over to look at some of the drawings, and took some pictures. Once in awhile, one kid would go up to the teacher with his drawing, and she'd say something like, "That's good, keep going in that direction" (I just inferred this, since I don't speak Italian). It was so cute, though.
After finishing there, I wandered over around the Vittorio Emmanuel palace, and ran into Jonathan sitting there on the steps. We talked for about half an hour, and he ended up joining me in my quest to go to the artist's square for what Elisabeth said was "the best gelato in the city". It was a good thing he was there, since he was pretty good at the whole map-reading thing; it was also good to have someone else to talk to. So we walked along and talked, and eventually found our way there. Sure enough, a lot of people were painting or singing and playing the guitar. We both both gelato (I got a mix of mint and straciatella) and sat on the curb to eat it. After we were done, we went to go see the Trevi Fountain, where I did the requisite "throw a coin over your right shoulder and make a wish" (why not?).
After that, neither of us had anywhere else we were dying to see, so we decided to wander around for awhile. Somehow, we ended in this really nice section of Rome, where all the 4-star hotels and fancy foreign cars were, so that was interesting. (Incidentally, it was also relatively near the hostel).
We got back to the hostel around 6 pm, and I went to take a nap that ended up lasting about an hour. (Apparently, Jonathan had knocked on my door twice, so I must have been completely out that whole hour.) Right before I left to go out to dinner with him, a guy named Robert from Vienna came in, who was going to stay for 3 nights. We talked some, and he offered to write down his address later if I ever wanted to come to Vienna.
Jonathan and I ended up going to the same restaurant I had been to the night before. We had some good conversation over dinner, and went to a bar for a bit since he wanted a drink. We got back to the hostel around midnight, and it appeared that we were the only ones awake. Since I was leaving the next morning, he said to just knock on his door when I was about to leave.
The next morning (Tuesday), I went to a breakfast bar I had seen the day before, and got a pastry and cappuchino. (It 's interesting the way that I've noticed breakfast is done in Italy: Everyone stands at the long bar, or at a couple of high tables, and eats and drinks. Nobody sits down. But everyone just stands shoulder to shoulder. I saw a few businessmen share counter-space with some nuns.) I then went back to pack. Robert was up so we exchanged addresses, and he expressed surprise that I had packed light. I finished packing, went downstairs to drop my bag and found Jonathan there. He was about to go get some breakfast and invited me to join him. We ended up going to the same place I had been, and we exchanged contact information.
We walked back so that I could get my bags (Jonathan also was impressed at my packing efficiency), and then walked to Termini to wait for the bus. One of the workers there told me that catching the next bus might cut it too close for me, so I opted to take a taxi to the Ciampino airport. I said goodbye to Jonathan, and was at the airport within 30 minutes. I checked my bag and boarded the plane for my 2 and a half hour flight.
Once I got off the plane in Madrid, I got my bag and took the metro to the Tribunal station. I found the Albergue Juvenil hostel easily, settled into my room a bit and went down to ask where I could buy a new memory stick for my camera (since I had used up most of mine in Rome), and the lady at the desk directed me to FNAC, the same electronics store we have in France. (For some reason, I assumed FNAC to be an exclusively French store. I think it's because I assumed the "F" to stand for "French" and the "N" to stand for "National".) I found it easily, taking one street (with lots of little shops) down to (what I assumed was) the commercial center. I found a memory stick, paid for it, and went in search of some dinner. I stopped in a little cafe, where I got a pizza with pepperoni and strips of bacon on it. (I had been wanting a pepperoni pizza while I was in Italy, but somehow it was never available.) After dinner, I went to the computer lab to check my email. As I logged into my account, the girl next to me asked if I went to N.C. State. After I answered in the affirmative, she said that her brother went there for grad school. We talked a bit more, and it turned out that she taught English to young kids in a small town in France (one that I had not heard of). We talked more about ourselves and our experiences until she left. I then went back to my room and relaxed and went to bed early in preparation for the next day.
Wednesday morning, I got up early, showered and had breakfast before leaving for the Prado Museum. I walked there, stopping many times to take photos of the amazing architecture. I got there around 10 am, and spent a good 2 and 1/2 hours wandering through the rooms and up and down the floors. My main goal in going to the Prado was to see the work of Hieronymous Bosch (or El Boscho, as he was called in print there), specifically the "Heaven, Hell, Garden of Earthly Delights" triptych. It was beautiful, I just stood for awhile and looked at it, taking in every person and relationship depicted. Also in that same room was his "Seven Deadly Sins", painted in a circular fashion. There was also another painter that I had not heard of before, Joachim Patinir, whose style was similar to Bosch's, and who I'd like to find out more about. I had forgotten that Velasquez's masterpiece "Las Meninas" was there, so that was a pleasant surprise to see. After I was done with the collection, I went to the giftshop and bought the museum catalogue, along with a few postcards for my Grandma. I also had a very good lunch at the cafe.
After that, I wandered around and took some pictures in the botanical garden. Then, I decided to see the Royal Palace, which was about on the other side of the city. I walked there, enjoying the view. I eventually found it and got some good shots. By then, it was late afternoon and I was about done for the day. I walked over to Callou Square, near the FNAC, and got some mint ice cream. I then went to my room for a bit before going out and looking for something to eat for dinner. I had wanted to try some paella, but every menu said that it was a dish for at least 2 people. I ended up at the Zahara Cafe back in Callou Square, where I got salmon on scrambled eggs with fries. It was pretty late by the time I was finished, so I went back to the hostel and read before going to bed.
Thursday morning, I got up early and had breakfast, and packed my things. I talked with another one of the guys in the room who was from Napoli (Naples), and gave me his address in case I wanted to visit there. I also found out that another girl there was studying in Aix-en-Provence and was originally from California, so that was cool.
I checked out and left my stuff. I then killed time by browsing the many shops that lined the nearest long street. I happened to eat the same meal at the same restaurant for lunch, and then I went back to get my things.
I needed to take the metro to the airport, but ended up getting off at the wrong station. Fortunately, I wasn't too far from the airport, and guy in the station was nice enough to walk me there. I got to check in, and went to go pay for my checked luggage. At the stand, I was told that I needed to come back in 20 minutes, the 20 minutes later which was when the boarding call was scheduled. I came back to tell the ticket lady, and she was really nice about it and said I didn't have to pay and to just go through security. I did, and then we spent about 45 minutes waiting to board the plane. The plane was early arriving into Beauvais, and I found the guy from the shuttle company easily. I rode with a family with 2 boys, and they got dropped off first. (I don't know if it was the driver or that I was really hungry, but I almost felt like I was getting motion sickness near the end dropping the family off. I had to get out of the car and get some air for some minutes as we dropped them off.)
I then got dropped off around 9 pm, and my trip was over. I had to run out to Monoprix to get some food (since I had eaten everything perishable before I left), and relaxed the rest of the night.
I'm so glad that I went on my trip, and even more so that it was just me! I did everything by myself, and look, I'm still alive to tell about it. I was also more spontaneous and open to new things. I'm just sad it's over, I already want to go back to Rome/Italy!

Last Week Before Break!!!

So this past week was...well, you read the title.
Monday, we had Muriel in class. We worked on our pants/skirt. I had put in the zipper, hemmed each pants cuff, and attached the belt facing to the pants (which took me about 5 hours) over the weekend. I got into class, showed it to Muriel, and was promptly told that I would need to redo it. I spent the morning taking the zipper out, and attempting to redo it. On my first try, I veered off too far away from the zipper. When Muriel looked at it, she asked me if I needed my eyes checked. I replied that I had my contacts in and last eye appointment I had had was last August. So naturally, I had to rip that out and start over. Muriel also showed me the correct way to do the hems.
In Art History, we talked about Pop Art, which is always fun. After class, I printed out my moodboard and color story for Susan's class. (We would see her Wednesday, and see Muriel again on Tuesday.) I redid my illustrations (i.e. put legs on the drawings) and drew up one more (because she was fine with the other 11).
Tuesday was more Muriel. We kept on with our pants. I spent the whole time (hand-) sewing gloves onto the pants (and occasionally talking with Nisa). It was pretty hard, since the gloves were made out of thick leather and I was using a thin needle and thread.
During class, Muriel asked me if I had looked up couture houses to contact for an internship. I had not, so I made a list of potential places, and tried to find addresses (I found ones for over half of them). I brought it to her after lunch, and she then asked me some questions about how long I'd been studying fashion and what kind of techniques I'd learned. She also mentioned that a lot of Americans applying for une stage (what an internship is called here) don't speak French, so that fact works in my favor. She also took down my email address, and told me that she'd look around for me! So I feel like Muriel is going to really help me in this search, and I hope it's true!
In French class that afternoon, it was just Pablo and I, and Nolwenn (so it's not like we could avoid answering questions). We watched a video on the history of Paris, and Nolwenn would periodically pause the video to ask us questions. I felt lucky that I had known about Parisian history previously (mostly gleaned from hearing Mom talk about "Caesar's Women"), but it was really interesting, and I learned a lot of new vocabulary.
Wednesday morning, we had Susan, and she first looked at our quilting samples. She said that my all-overall sample was "lovely", but that I did the other two wrong. So I began to redo that one, as she saw other people. After Susan was done reviewing everyone else's quilting samples, she re-circled around to look at our evening-wear project changes. She didn't say too much about mine, but then, she didn't tell me to redo anything again, so I took that as a good sign.
She had also asked to see our pants/skirt projects. I showed her my pants, and she first asked whether I had had much sewing experience. I said no, and she immediately said, "That's what I had guessed". It apparently was too lumpy, and I needed to steam it. There was also a problem with my gloves, since they were too long. Susan suggested a way of wrapping them together with a button. I didn't follow what she was saying at all, and since we have to have these finished for the first class after break, I'm not really sure what to do...
(I didn't really feel too bad about doing poorly on the pants, since it was Liz and Sharon's first times as well, and she told all of us the same thing: "It was a good learning experience, wasn't it?")
Since we were having Susan on a Wednesday instead of on a Tuesday, she asked that those of us who didn't have French to come for 2 hours in the afternoon. I got there and talked a bit with Beliz while we waited for Susan. I worked more on my quilting sample, doing one of the revised ones correctly and Susan liked it. She also asked to see what we'd been working on for our evening dress, and I showed her my progress on the draping. She told me to watch out so that the sides meeting weren't creating points.
After class, I asked her about places to intern, and the first thing she said was, "What are you looking for? Since sewing's not your strong point..." (well, certainly not yet, but there's no need to mention it over and over). I said that I'd like design, and she said I wouldn't be likely to do that as a lowly intern. She then said, "I don't know what Peter's telling you to ask me, he's the one with so many more contacts".
That afternoon, I needed to go to Monoprix and decided to stop in the Gibert Joseph bookstore on my way. I had seen a book of the complete works of Moliere, and had wanted to get it at some point, but wanted to make sure that it was still there. I got to the shelf where it normally was and didn't see it. I was disappointed, but decided to look around a bit before I left. I circled around, browsing a nearby table, and guess what I saw? The complete works of Moliere...but better! The previous one I'd had my eye on was a regular book-size book, with only text. On this table was displayed a new, improved version. It was oversize and came encased in a box (that's how you know it's serious). I took the book out, and paged through it. It has everything I love in reading stuff from the past: historical context and background, telling who played which part in the original productions, as well as drawings of the period of some of the characters. I mostly looked through it to see if the plays I really liked were included (The School for Wives, The Precious Idiots, Tartuffe and The Misanthrope), and sure enough they were (along with others I hadn't heard of)! So I'm definitely doing back, probably sometime during the break, and getting it. I'm pretty sure that it won't sell out, since it's a bit of a higher price point, and I've gone to see it a couple of times since then and nobody's bought one yet (this is based on me counting the number of books on the table, the number's holding steady at 6).
(One thing I did notice: of the plays that I saw who played who back in its heyday, Moliere was the male lead in just about all of them. The man clearly wore many hats, or he was so unsure about anyone else's ability to perform the role to his liking. Maybe he was a perfectionist. Also, the woman who would become his-much younger-wife, Armande Bejart, was usually playing the supporting female, if not the lead. Moliere originally had had a long-term relationship with her mother, so I wonder when he began throwing over the mother for the younger, more nubile model.)
Coming back, I made dinner. (By which I mean, Maggi-like rice cooked 2 minutes on the stove. I'm preferring to eat the faux-Maggi, not only because it's easy to make, but because it's really cheap and I can spend more money on real(ly) good French food!) I'm somehow not feeling inspired lately, and I think it's because we've had to be so inspired 24/7. I've just felt drained.
Thursday was Draping with Anne. I worked the whole time on the skirt part of my dress. Since it tightens at the knee and then flares out from there, I had to take off some centimeters in the back and add some to the bottom of the dress. I did this kind of hurriedly, since I hadn't placed the ribbons on the skirt yet. I did finish this in the afternoon, so I'm going to come in during the break so that I can take off the ribbons and trace the lines in pencil (since that's about all I can do without anyone's help). I also asked Anne about how much fabric I'd need, and she told me to measure my model top to bottom, and multiply that measurement by 3, since all of my pieces are curved and will be on the bias.
After class, I talked with my parents on Skype and then stared at some blank sketchbook pages before starting Jen's required 10 sketches a week. I had already decided on my theme (retrofuturism), and had looked at a great blog that had some cool pictures, but I was still feeling just uninspired. I drew a bag inspired by a jetpack, but that was about the only one I really liked. I eventually drew my 10, but didn't feel great about them.
The next morning (that would be Friday), Jen outlined what we'd be doing for the next weeks after our break, and then she walked around and looked at our drawings. She told me that I was being too-literal and that I should tone it down so that it'd be able (hypothetically) to sell. (Once again, I'm told to rein it in.) So I drew a few more sketches, until Jen called us all over, and did a demonstration on making patterns for bags (which is pretty intense, it took her about 30 minutes just to make a basic square).
After lunch, we had Hats with Jean-Pierre. We used our felt hat that we had bought a few weeks before, and first wet all sides of the wrong side of the hat, and then wrung it out a few (hundred) times. After it was (relatively) dry, we stood over a modern (plastic) kettle, and steamed the crown for a few minutes. Then we had to jam it down over a wooden model and stretch it down all the way around. We tied a band of twine around it, and then steamed the brim below the twine to open it up. I kept steaming it inadequately, and had to keep returning to the kettle.
Around this time, Nisa came in to get her stuff, and asked if I wanted to go to Chanel with her after class (she needed to get something for her friend). I said sure, and we decided we'd meet up after class. She left, and I returned my attention to my hat. I decided to make mine a bowler (un chapeau melon) and Jean-Pierre showed me how to shape it. We were done before class, so I used the time to measure my model so that I could get fabric. (Jean-Pierre was interested and asked what I was doing. He was probably wondering why I put my model on the table.)
After I dropped my stuff, I went to Nisa's room and we left for Chanel! We first went to the boutique in Galleries Lafayette, but they didn't have what she was looking for, so we went down a few streets to the actual store. We got a little lost and asked a few people for directions (rather, Nisa had me ask, since she somehow thinks she can't speak it, even though she's really good). We finally found the street, and walked down it to Chanel. (I love how all these big-name stores are all hidden down deserted streets. The message is clear: We only want those who are serious about shopping at This Big-Name Store. It's like a club: If you have to ask, you're not the target Big-Name Brand customer.) We went in and looked around (at the impeccable craftsmanship, of course). While Nisa was being helped, I watched the loop of the most runway show. (During this show, I came to the conclusion that I love Natalia Viadanova, this uber-Russian model. She's just awesome. I hadn't been sure for years whether I liked her or not, but somehow now, I really do.)
After that, we decided to have dinner together, but it was only about 6 pm, so we walked around a bit. We went into Zara to look around, and then went to this one trendy (because of its lounge-like decor) cafe Bertie on Rue Edouard VII. I got a hot chocolate, and Nisa got first a citron presse; on finding that too sour (even with nearly the entire sugar cup dumped in) she got a red mojito (which tasted exactly like a regular mojito). We had some great girl talk (as usual), and decided to go around Saint-Severin for dinner. When we had finished, we took the metro there. We walked around and eventually decided on La Taverne de la Huchette, near the Theatre de la Huchette.
(I forgot to add that I got stopped by some officers at the Chatelat station on our way to Chanel. You have to swipe your ticket to get from one end of the station to the other. Apparently, I was following Nisa too closely, and I was asked-in French-to step aside. One of them swiped my card, and I guess everything turned out OK since I was allowed to leave. At the beginning, one of them asked me something, and I looked to Nisa, and she didn't have any idea of what he said either. So that was...interesting..)
Back at the restaurant, we each got the 12 Euro fixed-price menu. I got the green salade to start, with the fish in some slightly mustourd-esque sauce. (The waiter was so happy and/or surprised that we spoke French that he remarked on it.) For dessert, we each got Neopolitaine ice cream, 2 boules of strawberry and vanilla. (My god, that was the best vanilla ice cream I've ever tasted. I don't know what was in it, but there was some extra thing which made it fantastic.)
After our meal, we took the metro back and hung out in her apartment for awhile, talking (to each other, as well as her boyfriend Redza via web-cam), as well as watching this show "Qui est la meillure sosie?", which roughly translates to "who's the best impersonator?" (although I don't actually know what sosie means, I was using that 3rd grade standby: context clues). Basically, they would have 2-3 people impersonate 1 celebrity (we saw Bruce Willis, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and French singer Mylene Farmer), and the audience voted for their favorite. (They actually had this on at the restaurant. I happened to see faux Whoopi Goldberg in her Sister Act garb, as well as Michael Jackson, and wondered what station this was.) I was actually really proud of myself in that I understood the gist, if not the entirety of what was being said. (Apparently, Friday is a big TV night in France, so much so that they can host a show requiring audience participation, and it will be successful). I went back to mine about an hour and a half later, and went to bed soon after.
Today (Saturday), I got up a little earlier since I had a few things to do to get ready for my trip! I first took the metro to Rue de Rennes, since I had wanted to get some boots and had been told that that was a good place to get some cheap ones. I walked in what I thought was the correct direction, until I reached the Tour Montparnasse (which is in the south direction, not the north, the one I wanted). I checked my map, and sure enough, I had gone the wrong way. I turned around, going into shops here and there without seeing anything that I really, really liked. (I was frustrated at myself for waiting until the tail-end of the season to get boots, instead of going one of the first few weeks we were here.) I walked up toward the north without seeing anything, and decided to go down Rue de Four, since I had wanted to go to the Village Voice bookstore and it was in that direction. Near it, I saw a shop that advertised having shoes as 15 Euros. I went in, and asked to try on a black pair of boots that had a few shiny strips, along with matte ones, criss-crossing the boot. I really liked them, and the lady got the other boot for me to try on. I was told that they were the last pair, and they were my size (36)! So I bought them, and will break them in on my trip!
Having accomplished that, I went to the Village Voice bookshop, and browsed around a bit. I'm interested in getting F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Love of the Last Tycoon" (his last unfinished novel, about the Hollywood studio system at that time-awesome) at some point to read, but not now.
I then went down Saint-Michel, where I bought a notebook, so I could write/plan when I'm in the hostel at night. I also went down Rue Claude Bernard to Avenue des Gobelins, where I got shampoo at Monoprix and purchased a money belt. I hiked back to my apartment, and did laundry, and packed.
My flight leaves at 9:30 am, and the shuttle is picking me up around 6-6:20 am in front of the school. I'm going to bed early tonight...