Paris no. 2

I’ve been in Paris for over three weeks now, which means I have about a week to go before I return to Scotland. I have enjoyed my time here thoroughly and am definitely glad that I chose to do this program. The beautiful summer days of Paris will be fond memories for years to come, no doubt. As a small window into some of these memories, here are some of the things I’ve enjoyed the most (in no particular order):

1. Aimless sauntering through Paris. The city invites you to get lost in its myriad of small, crooked alleyways and streets spread out through the various Parisian neighbourhoods. There is another PhD student from New College here named Greg, and several days after our morning classes we have explored the city together.

One of Paris’ most famous bookstores

Looking down the Seine

Resting of place of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and his wife and fellow-philosopher, Simone de Beauvoir

At a train station on the way to Versailles

In the Jardin des Tuileries

Street in the Montemarte area

Rue Daguerre, a pedestrian street around the corner from my apartment

…And what would walking through a large city be without a street act?

2. The bridges of Paris. The Seine River weaves its way through the city, necessitating the dozens of Parisian bridges.

The Simone de Beauvoir Bridge, near the National Library of France

Passerelle des Arts, a pedestrian bridge leading to the Louvre

Pont de Bercy

Pont de La Concorde by night

Pont Neuf, quite possibly the most famous Parisian bridge, both due to its architecture and its appearances in several films (remember the scene here from The Bourne Identity?)

3. Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (”Basilica of the Sacred Heart”) is a Roman-Catholic basilica that sits on a hill in the northern section of Paris. Resting atop Montmartre Butte it is the city’s highest point. It therefore can be seen from numerous places throughout Paris and affords one of the most amazing views of the city. I went there in my first week here and visited both the inside of the basilica and upper parts of its dome. The inside was nice, but the view from the dome was easily one of my all-time favourites.

Looking up at the Sacré-Cœur

These are the stairs from which I initially approached the basilica

Close-up of the basilica

The winding and enclosed stairs to the top of the dome suddenly reward you with this breathtaking view. Here you can see, of course, the Eiffel Tower, but the view from the dome also allows you to look in virtually every direction.

I really liked this creature

If ever in Paris, make visiting the Sacré-Cœur a top priority

 

A little over a week to go and Katie comes tomorrow…can’t believe my July in Paris is almost over.

 

Paris no. 1

Bonjour de Paris!

Given that I have been in Paris since the beginning of the month, I suppose I am overdue to give an update on my time here thus far. So here is a brief overview of what I am doing here, my living arrangements, and some of the things that I have done in my first couple of weeks.

I arrived in Paris on June 30, and since I couldn’t get into my apartment until July 1, I stayed in a cheap hotel on the outskirts of Paris near the Charles de Gaulle airport. The next day I had to be at the university where I am studying, the Institut Catholique de Paris, to register for my class. This meant that I had to haul all my bags onto the over-ground train and take up several seats, while many Parisians gave me a scornful look for occupying their prospective seat. Needless to say, I was relieved to get off the train once in Paris. And though I was in awe of my first glimpses of France’s famous city, the frustration of dragging my luggage along the street in 90 degree weather while dodging oncoming pedestrians and trying not to feel too abashed for looking the part of an American tourist—map fully open, always a dead giveaway—hardly matched the descriptions given in the guide books I’d thumbed through the last couple of months.

Eventually I arrived at the university with little difficulty and straightened out my class registration. After killing a couple of hours at the Institut Catholique de Paris, I then met up with landlord of the apartment I was to rent. The guy I had been in communication with was still at work, so his wife came by and showed me the place. The apartment itself is perfect for my needs. It is a nice little studio, with a suitable kitchenette and futon bed. It sits on the 6th floor, and like most Parisian apartments, is reachable only via stairs. Climbing up up the staircase to my apartment each day is quite the workout. The view from my window, however, is worth the effort alone. It overlooks a sea of apartment rooftops and has afforded me the perfect view of a number of stunning sunsets.

Each day I have class from 9:00am to 12:00pm. In my class there are a couple of other PhD candidates from Scotland, several undergrads from the States here with university programs, and one or two Catholique priests in training. Our teacher speaks to us only in French and the class is moving at a decent pace. So far I feel as though I am comprehending everything we have learned, but pronunciation of the French language is the trickiest part. And though I won’t be anywhere near fluent by the end of the month, hopefully I will be able to tackle some articles and chapters written in French for my research.

Most days after class I end up wandering through different neighbourhoods, exploring their winding streets and various stores. There is another guy here from New College, and several days we have done some of our exploring together. I have avoided some of the major touristy spots so far, preferring to first get a grasp of the city’s layout and its lesser-known niceties. But one can only avoid sites such as the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower for so long.

It is hard to believe that is has already been almost two weeks since my arrival. I’m sure I’ll be back in Scotland before I know it. First, though, Katie will visit in a couple of weeks, which will be nice since we can see some of Paris together and, of course, because I miss her dearly. (Thank God for Skype.)

That is all for now, but here is a sample of pics from Paris.

Luxembourg Garden

French pastry shop

Fromage

Musée d'Orsay (quite possibly my new favourite museum)

Sunset from my window

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur which overlooks the city

The view from the Sacré-Cœur

One of the many Parisian bridges on the Seine

Looking up the Champs Elysées at the Arc de Triomphe

And, of course, the Eiffel Tower, here lit up in blue for (I think) France's independence day (14 July)

 

A single gal in Edinburgh

Derek has been in Paris for nearly 2 weeks now which has left me all by my lonesome here in Edinburgh.  Thanks everyone for your emails and checking in to see how I am doing. Truthfully, I have been doing just fine. I have been keeping busy and enjoying my days. Work keeps me occupied most days of the week and it really has been keeping me busy the past couple weeks with meetings to attend, proposals to write and everyday work stresses. My evening events have been varying, I have been spending a lot of time with my friend Lisa as her husband was out of town for 2 weeks (but just got back yesterday). So we enjoyed a few nights out after work and some fun nights in, including a sleepover! I have also been busy making new cards (it’s been nice to just leave my card stuff out), shopping and watching girlie movies. I wish I could show you some pics of what I have been up to but Derek has the camera in Paris so you will just have to imagine it

In a week and a half I will venture to Paris to spend 5 days with Derek. I am very excited to see Paris, Disneyland and of course, my husband!

 

11.00pm

A great thing about living here in Edinburgh at the 55th parallel is that even though the summer days aren’t warm, they sure are long.

Edinburgh, 20th June 2008, 11.00pm

 

Another year older

Well, it’s official…I am now another year older and no longer in my ‘early 20s’. Although it’s a tough reality, the day was great and Derek did a wonderful job making it special for me. It was fun that my birthday happened to fall on a Saturday so I didn’t even have to think about work. The day started with a nice cup of coffee and a couple gifts from afar. A gift from Derek’s dad and stepmom and also a big birthday box from my mom and sister, Annie. It was a birthday ‘beach box’ filled with lots of summery clothes, jewelry and other miscellaneous goods (such as the Spice Girls Greatest Hits CD!). The rest of the day included breakfast made by Derek, my friend Trudy then took me out for lunch and to get pedicures, that was followed up by a long walk with Derek in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Unfortunately, right as we got home from the gardens the rain came down and did not stop. But we made our way out and Derek took me to dinner at The Granary. It was the perfect atmosphere and we enjoyed a nice long meal together. At dinner, Derek decided to give me my ‘big’ birthday gift. I had no idea what to expect and was so happily surprised when I opened the gift and found tickets to Disneyland Paris! Cannot even tell you how excited I am! We will go when I visit Derek for a long weekend during his stay in Paris. I really love Disneyland and always talk about how fun it would be to go together, but I never thought we would go to the one in Paris!

In addition to the fun activities of the day I also received many email and Facebook birthday wishes and several cards in the mail. Thank you all for making my day special, even though I am separated from most of you by an ocean.

Of course we captured the day with pictures:

Katie’s 25th Birthday Day

 

birthday girl

It is June 21, which means Katie’s birthday has successfully arrived once again this year. She is now 25 years young! Happy birthday, my wonderful wife.

So how to celebrate a birthday in Scotland? Well, I know of no specific Scottish birthday traditions, but I reckon the best way to spend one’s birthday in the UK is by hoping and praying for a full day of sun and warmth—especially since it’s the end of June! If you want to know what we are actually doing, I guess you will have to wait and ask her after the fact.

The small print: this blog entry was inspired by the creativity of Mrs. Shelley Simpson, who honoured Levi’s birthday on June 11 with a similar post.

 

Those hot wives of postgrad students who meet fortnightly

When we moved to Scotland I was quite eager to meet some friends and get our social life moving forward. I met a few other American girls who were here for the same reason as me and we started up our own little ‘girls group’ (aka ‘those hot wives of postgrad students who meet fortnightly’). We got together twice a month and alternated houses that we met at. It’s been a great time to get to know each other, eat and laugh together. Trudy, Cheryl, Patrice and I have become good friends over the past nine(ish) months and I think I can speak for all of when I say that the group has been a blessing.

Sadly, one of our members, Patrice, and her husband, Matt, will be moving back to Kentucky at the end of June. They were here for just 1 year for Matt to do a Masters degree at New College. We will miss them a lot but are excited for their next adventure of becoming parents and of settling back in the States.

A couple weeks ago we had our last gathering with all 4 of us. Cheryl was headed back to the States for a visit and by the time she gets back, Patrice will have moved away. We decided to celebrate Scotland so Cheryl cooked an authentic Scottish meal and Trudy brought an array of Scottish treats. After dinner we gave presents and words of encouragement to send Patrice on her way. She will be missed.

The final pic of the 4 of us: Cheryl, me, Patrice, Trudy

 

To wear or not to wear

Every morning when I am getting ready to go to work, it is always a big question of what coat and what shoes to wear. It has become routine for either Derek or I to check the temperature outside and if the forecast predicts rain (or peek out the curtains to see if it is currently raining). When we had a car, the decision was not quite so difficult…you could run to your car in whatever coat you felt like wearing and you probably wouldn’t get too wet. You could go ahead and wear those uncomfortable shoes because, after all, you only had to walk to the car.

Now, car less in a big city, so many factors come into play. Weather is the obvious one of course. But then there is the matter of the distance I need to walk to get to the bus (before and after work) and if I am feeling like I could handle the pain of uncomfortable shoes today or if I should just wear my cozy new Alice Crocs…again. Then the coat is often questionable: is it too warm for my heavy winter coat? is it too cold for just my rain coat? Do I need a coat at all? I also have the habit of keeping several items in my coat pockets for easy access…my bus pass, my iPod and my mobile phone are necessities. Without a proper coat that has pockets I find myself in the awkward situation of having to hold my bus pass in my hand while I walk or even forgetting it altogether. I do have a messenger bag I take to work with me each day, usually jammed full with my lunch, a book and whatever work papers have made their way in, but I just can’t quite bring myself to permanently store my bus pass or phone in there as I hate having to get into it frequently while I am walking.

So many decisions, so little time. It’s amazing that I actually make it to work each day.

 

No clever title sounded that great; but this entry is about my review board

According to my “This Day in History” widget, on May 30 in 1431 Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Later that century on the same day in 1498 Christopher Columbus began his third voyage. Well move over Joan and Christopher, because on May 30 2008 Derek Brown passed his PhD first-year review board!

That’s right, as of last Friday I am now over the single largest hurdle before I submit my final dissertation in a couple of years or so. Here is how it works (at least at the Univ. of Edinburgh; it’s a bit different elsewhere I am told): at the end of the first year of PhD studies, each candidate has to submit an official proposal, a writing sample of their work (typically an excerpt from one of their chapters), and a working bibliography. Then, a week later they have to meet with a few of the professors in the department who have read the papers turned in the week before. This is a rather nerve racking process, as you can imagine.

The morning of my review board I was quite edgy and stressed–just ask my dear wife. As the moment in which my eternal fate was be decided drew near (okay-but that is how it felt!), anxiety took over my thoughts, causing me to fear the worst. (Secretly, I feared that like on American Idol, after my review board the panel would ask me the dreaded question, “so, what else do you like to do?”) If it wasn’t for a new suit and new shoes (always a confidence booster) and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” (no joke), who knows how things would have unfolded. But any fears that I did have were allayed by the time I got down to the main floor of the building on account of a conversation with my secondary supervisor who had just come down the stairs to join my review board. At the beginning of our brief but friendly chat she noted that I seemed to be “getting along well” with my work. Beautiful. Confidence reset, I was good to go from that point onward.

A couple of questions into the actual meeting and I was sure that all would go well, as it did. Later on I even started to enjoy the process, soaking up the helpful insights of the board members and standing my ground when needed. After all, you only get one shot and you better not miss your chance, right?

Celebrations were, of course, in order that evening. So Katie took me out to one of our new favourite restaurants in town, First Coast. It was superb, not only because of the fine food but also due to the emancipation of my mind from all things related to my dissertation. The bottle of wine and chocolate hazelnut cake didn’t hurt either.

One step down, and several more to be taken for sure. But this is the last official step for a while, so I am relieved to have passed without any trouble and even a few compliments.

 

Sunny Saturday

Today was an amazing day. We woke up around 9am, the sun was shining bright and it was already 16 degrees (about 60F) outside. We enjoyed a lazy morning at home and then headed out at about noon. We walked to the Saturday Market (we try to make this a weekly tradition) and enjoyed some ostrich burgers for lunch and some fruit ice (non dairy/non fat) as a treat. There were loads of people out as the weather was so nice (and rare). After the market we walked down the hill to Princes Street gardens to enjoy the sunshine. We brought a blanket, some books and a bag of skittles…we were set! The sun was so warm that we just kept commenting on what an amazing day it was. About an hour later our friends, Dave and Lisa, joined us in the sun. We spent the next hour or so just enjoying each others company and soaking up the sunshine. Our craving for an ice cold beer soon kicked in so we all decided it was time to move on. We walked around for a while and ended up in the Stockbridge neighbourhood where we enjoyed some pizza and beer together. From there we wound up back at our flat to enjoy some more time hanging with Dave and Lisa. All in all a fantastic Saturday filled with sun, food and friends (and even a wee sunburn!).