Friday, July 29, 2011
"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that's all"
C'est une chose étrange à la fin que le monde
Un jour je m'en irai sans en avoir tout dit
Ces moments de bonheur ces midis d'incendie
La nuit immense et noire aux déchirures blondes.
Rien n'est si précieux peut-être qu'on le croit
D'autres viennent. Ils ont le cœur que j'ai moi-même
Ils savent toucher l'herbe et dire je vous aime
Et rêver dans le soir où s'éteignent des voix.
D'autres qui referont comme moi le voyage
D'autres qui souriront d'un enfant rencontré
Qui se retourneront pour leur nom murmuré
D'autres qui lèveront les yeux vers les nuages.
II y aura toujours un couple frémissant
Pour qui ce matin-là sera l'aube première
II y aura toujours l'eau le vent la lumière
Rien ne passe après tout si ce n'est le passant.
C'est une chose au fond, que je ne puis comprendre
Cette peur de mourir que les gens ont en eux
Comme si ce n'était pas assez merveilleux
Que le ciel un moment nous ait paru si tendre.
Oui je sais cela peut sembler court un moment
Nous sommes ainsi faits que la joie et la peine
Fuient comme un vin menteur de la coupe trop pleine
Et la mer à nos soifs n'est qu'un commencement.
Mais pourtant malgré tout malgré les temps farouches
Le sac lourd à l'échine et le cœur dévasté
Cet impossible choix d'être et d'avoir été
Et la douleur qui laisse une ride à la bouche.
Malgré la guerre et l'injustice et l'insomnie
Où l'on porte rongeant votre cœur ce renard
L'amertume et Dieu sait si je l'ai pour ma part
Porté comme un enfant volé toute ma vie.
Malgré la méchanceté des gens et les rires
Quand on trébuche et les monstrueuses raisons
Qu'on vous oppose pour vous faire une prison
De ce qu'on aime et de ce qu'on croit un martyre.
Malgré les jours maudits qui sont des puits sans fond
Malgré ces nuits sans fin à regarder la haine
Malgré les ennemis les compagnons de chaînes
Mon Dieu mon Dieu qui ne savent pas ce qu'ils font.
Malgré l'âge et lorsque, soudain le cœur vous flanche
L'entourage prêt à tout croire à donner tort
Indifférent à cette chose qui vous mord
Simple histoire de prendre sur vous sa revanche.
La cruauté générale et les saloperies
Qu'on vous jette on ne sait trop qui faisant école
Malgré ce qu'on a pensé souffert les idées folles
Sans pouvoir soulager d'une injure ou d'un cri.
Cet enfer Malgré tout cauchemars et blessures
Les séparations les deuils les camouflets
Et tout ce qu'on voulait pourtant ce qu'on voulait
De toute sa croyance imbécile à l'azur.
Malgré tout je vous dis que cette vie fut telle
Qu'à qui voudra m'entendre à qui je parle ici
N'ayant plus sur la lèvre un seul mot que merci
Je dirai malgré tout que cette vie fut belle.
-- Louis Aragon (1954)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
I know I'm sleeping 'cause this dream's too amazing
I've been sleeping for forty days and
Yeah, I know that I'm sleeping cause this dream's too amazing
She got gold doorknobs where her eyes used to be, yeah
One turn and I learned what it really means to see, yeah
It's the magical mystery kind
Must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oooooh I could die
Oooooh now, I could die
Now I've been sleeping for sixty days and
Nobody better pinch me
Bitch I swear, go crazy
She got jumper cable lips
She got sunset on her breath
I inhaled just a little bit
Now I got no fear of death
It's the magical mystery kind
Must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oooooh I could die
Oooooh now, I could die
It's the magical mystery kind
Must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oooooh I could die
Oooooh now, I could die
Yeah, I know that I'm sleeping cause this dream's too amazing
She got gold doorknobs where her eyes used to be, yeah
One turn and I learned what it really means to see, yeah
It's the magical mystery kind
Must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oooooh I could die
Oooooh now, I could die
Now I've been sleeping for sixty days and
Nobody better pinch me
Bitch I swear, go crazy
She got jumper cable lips
She got sunset on her breath
I inhaled just a little bit
Now I got no fear of death
It's the magical mystery kind
Must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oooooh I could die
Oooooh now, I could die
It's the magical mystery kind
Must be a lie
Bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love
Oooooh I could die
Oooooh now, I could die
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Paris Day 3
Why not post another one right away? It's not like I have two 10-page literature papers to write...
Sunday was a perfectly pleasant day spent solo. I woke up late, had a nice little breakfast in the apartment, got ready and decided to go visit one of my favorite museums in Paris: le Musee d'Orsay. Once a train station, the museum houses primarily impressionist paintings and it is home to the majority of the more famous impressionist paintings (see below). There is a welcome tranquil ambiance in the museum and I had a lovely time wandering for a couple hours throughout the various rooms listening to music on my iPod. Yes, folks, I am that pretentious grad student, isn't it fabulous?
After the Musee d'Orsay, I went back to the apartment to relax and take a nap, because that evening I was getting dinner with my friend, Stephane (you'll remember him from Florence and Venice), who lives in one of the Parisian suburbs. We met up outside the Gare du Nord and since I was hungry and craving Indian food no less, we set off on the hunt for some dinner. After turning around the corner from Gare du Nord we stumbled upon a number of Indian restaurants and went inside one that was inexpensive and authentic-looking. For 6 Euro a piece we each got delicious entrees, rice, and naan. I was one happy camper. We had both been wanting to see Woody Allen's new movie, Midnight in Paris, and looked to see if it was playing anywhere close by. After finding that it was playing in a movie theater near Les Halles in the 1st district in about an hour, we decided to go on foot to the theater in order to walk off the filling Indian food dinner and to get some fresh air. I had never walked from my neighborhood in that direction, always preferring to take the metro, and so it was nice to see new sights and catch up with Stephane along the way. Arriving just in time for the movie, we went in to see if Woody's testament to Paris was any good. Although I am a huge Woody Allen fan or rather, because I am a huge Woody Allen fan, Midnight in Paris wasn't my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I laughed constantly, loved the cast (particularly my lady crush, Marion Cotillard), and thought the story was cute, but it just wasn't one of his best. I think I found more amusement in the fact that I was the only one consistently cracking up in the movie theater at the smaller jokes, those Frenchies just didn't get the subtle humor in the movie.
Sunday was a perfectly pleasant day spent solo. I woke up late, had a nice little breakfast in the apartment, got ready and decided to go visit one of my favorite museums in Paris: le Musee d'Orsay. Once a train station, the museum houses primarily impressionist paintings and it is home to the majority of the more famous impressionist paintings (see below). There is a welcome tranquil ambiance in the museum and I had a lovely time wandering for a couple hours throughout the various rooms listening to music on my iPod. Yes, folks, I am that pretentious grad student, isn't it fabulous?
After the Musee d'Orsay, I went back to the apartment to relax and take a nap, because that evening I was getting dinner with my friend, Stephane (you'll remember him from Florence and Venice), who lives in one of the Parisian suburbs. We met up outside the Gare du Nord and since I was hungry and craving Indian food no less, we set off on the hunt for some dinner. After turning around the corner from Gare du Nord we stumbled upon a number of Indian restaurants and went inside one that was inexpensive and authentic-looking. For 6 Euro a piece we each got delicious entrees, rice, and naan. I was one happy camper. We had both been wanting to see Woody Allen's new movie, Midnight in Paris, and looked to see if it was playing anywhere close by. After finding that it was playing in a movie theater near Les Halles in the 1st district in about an hour, we decided to go on foot to the theater in order to walk off the filling Indian food dinner and to get some fresh air. I had never walked from my neighborhood in that direction, always preferring to take the metro, and so it was nice to see new sights and catch up with Stephane along the way. Arriving just in time for the movie, we went in to see if Woody's testament to Paris was any good. Although I am a huge Woody Allen fan or rather, because I am a huge Woody Allen fan, Midnight in Paris wasn't my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I laughed constantly, loved the cast (particularly my lady crush, Marion Cotillard), and thought the story was cute, but it just wasn't one of his best. I think I found more amusement in the fact that I was the only one consistently cracking up in the movie theater at the smaller jokes, those Frenchies just didn't get the subtle humor in the movie.
Paris Day 2
Well, team, time to get back to blogging about Paris. I should probably finish blogging about that week before I go BACK to Paris in 7 days (let's hope no little girl who drowned in a well makes me watch a video today). Did you guys know I love Paris? I bet you had no idea.
I woke up early on Day 2 in Paris to walk from my host family's apartment to the hotel where the rest of the students from my study abroad program were staying. After talking with the program director, I made the decision to stay the rest of the week in Paris at my host family's apartment instead of in the hotel with the other students and I also asked if it would be okay if I could get out of the excursions to places that I had already seen. Being that I had been in Paris for an extended period of time 3 years prior I preferred to spend my time going to places I hadn't been to instead of hitting up the standard tourist sites. The program director kindly acquiesced to my request. Baller.
Once everyone got to the lobby, we headed off to explore the city stopping first at Gare du Nord to get metro tickets for the week for everyone. The plan for the day was to go to l'Arc de Triomphe, to walk down les Champs-Elysees, to go to la Place de la Concorde, to les Tuileries, and then to get lunch. Needless to say, it was a very tiring morning spent walking everywhere in the Paris heat, particularly for those who had just flown into Paris less than 24 hours before. After our jam-packed morning, we were all famished and decided to get lunch in the St. Michel area. Kyra, Sabrina, our program director and I got galettes (similar to savory crepes, but made with buckwheat) for lunch while the rest of the group went elsewhere. After lunch we went to the Malongo Cafe (I love you) and got coffee and rested our legs for a bit before meeting up with everyone again.
Since we were in the Latin Quarter area, we decided the next thing on the agenda would be to walk over to see Notre Dame. After walking around in the crypt area for fifteen minutes or so, we went inside the actual cathedral. So beautiful. After Notre Dame everyone was wiped out so we headed back to our respective corners, me to the apartment, the group to the hotel and planned to meet up for dinner at a Thai restaurant later that evening. After dinner, Kyra and I wanted to go out, because it was a Saturday night and we were in Paris. No brainer. We spent the later evening in the Bastille district where we had a great time meeting people and dancing. Also, I had what was quite possibly the best galette of my life before we hailed a taxi and headed home thoroughly content after a fun night in one of the best cities in the world, nay, the universe. Yeah, I said it, COME AT ME, BRO!
I woke up early on Day 2 in Paris to walk from my host family's apartment to the hotel where the rest of the students from my study abroad program were staying. After talking with the program director, I made the decision to stay the rest of the week in Paris at my host family's apartment instead of in the hotel with the other students and I also asked if it would be okay if I could get out of the excursions to places that I had already seen. Being that I had been in Paris for an extended period of time 3 years prior I preferred to spend my time going to places I hadn't been to instead of hitting up the standard tourist sites. The program director kindly acquiesced to my request. Baller.
Once everyone got to the lobby, we headed off to explore the city stopping first at Gare du Nord to get metro tickets for the week for everyone. The plan for the day was to go to l'Arc de Triomphe, to walk down les Champs-Elysees, to go to la Place de la Concorde, to les Tuileries, and then to get lunch. Needless to say, it was a very tiring morning spent walking everywhere in the Paris heat, particularly for those who had just flown into Paris less than 24 hours before. After our jam-packed morning, we were all famished and decided to get lunch in the St. Michel area. Kyra, Sabrina, our program director and I got galettes (similar to savory crepes, but made with buckwheat) for lunch while the rest of the group went elsewhere. After lunch we went to the Malongo Cafe (I love you) and got coffee and rested our legs for a bit before meeting up with everyone again.
Since we were in the Latin Quarter area, we decided the next thing on the agenda would be to walk over to see Notre Dame. After walking around in the crypt area for fifteen minutes or so, we went inside the actual cathedral. So beautiful. After Notre Dame everyone was wiped out so we headed back to our respective corners, me to the apartment, the group to the hotel and planned to meet up for dinner at a Thai restaurant later that evening. After dinner, Kyra and I wanted to go out, because it was a Saturday night and we were in Paris. No brainer. We spent the later evening in the Bastille district where we had a great time meeting people and dancing. Also, I had what was quite possibly the best galette of my life before we hailed a taxi and headed home thoroughly content after a fun night in one of the best cities in the world, nay, the universe. Yeah, I said it, COME AT ME, BRO!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
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