Paris – Page 6 – GW Blogs from Abroad

As above, so below.

AdminNovember 23, 2014December 14, 2018

One of the good things about writing a blog is that it prompts me to go out and explore. This past Tuesday was November 11th and a national holiday in France, so there was no school. I took the advantage to explore Musée des égouts, namely the sewage system of Paris. Fun side note, Victor Hugo was good friends with the sewage designer back then, so he knew a lot but the Parisian sewage system and Jean Valjean from Les Miserables used the sewage as a hiding place.

The museum is near the RER stop Pont de l'alma. Ticket was about 3.60 euros for students. The smell... was a bit atrocious even at the entrance. I have some really dull senses so the smell wasn't that bad for me. My friend on the other hand was about to faint. According to her, "I was lucky enough not to die from the Beijing poisonous smog and now I land myself in the sewers of Paris." So think before you go.

It was quite an interesting experience and a bit confusing/gross at times. The Parisian sewage system is the only one of its kind in the world, made up of 2100 km of sewers that can be inspected and really well constructed (since Paris is so big), so it's really hard to imagine how it all began on the Cité Island where Notre Dame sits. Yes, the original Paris was that big. An Island. People used to take water from the Seine and dump their wastes back into the Seine, a bit un-sanitary if you ask me. But since the population was small enough back then, it was still under the Seine's capacity to purify the water. As the city grew, water became an urgent concern. Fountains and aqueducts were built to introduce fresh water into the city but the waste water still flowed into the Seine, example of how not to build a sustainable living city. But then again, drastic circumstances calls for drastic actions, which was the main motivation for refining the Parisian sewage system to how it is today. As we were walking inside the Museum, we could actually see the sewage water and the grimy stuff that was floating on the surface. Definitely quite the experience, but not sure if I would recommend that to anyone.

After that, we walked over to the Eiffel Tower because it's right around the corner. It's probably one of the most touristic things one can do in Paris and I've put it off for so long. Walking up the Eiffel Tower is still on my bucket list, not sure if I will be able to cross that off during this time I'm at Paris, but then again, more the reason for returning to Paris, right? We took the elevator to the second viewing deck, and switched elevators to go to the top. You have to have a ticket to the summit, otherwise you will be turned away at the door after being in line for two hours. The people in front of us found this out the hard way.

I love cities by nights. I think it offers a very different view. I haven't been to the top at night so it was definitely an awesome/freezing experience to see Paris at night. No pictures can do it justice, truly. They offer champaign in a brightly lit cup at the top of the tower. Applications are now open for those who would like to buy me a drink at the top of the Eiffel Tower, limited time offer, snatch it up before it's gone.

So from one of the lowest point of Paris to the highest point, as above, so below.

Thank Haussmann for a Picturesque Paris

AdminNovember 15, 2014December 14, 2018

By mcbitter

One of my favorite things about Paris is simply how beautiful it is. The French love their city's detailing, like cast iron balconies, tree-lined streets, and green space. Basically, anywhere you look is a perfect photo for Instagram, even if it's just a random apartment building.

Arguably, one of the most important influences making Paris what it is today was a man named Georges-Eugène Haussmann. In the 1850's, Haussmann was hired by Napoleon III to reorganize the layout of Paris. Prior to his involvement, it was an incredibly crowded, dangerous, and unhealthy place to live. Streets were narrow and dark, there was no waste removal system, and population density only added to the problems. So, Haussmann started by creating large boulevards throughout the city, the most well-known of which is the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. My school here in Paris, Sciences Po, is actually located on one of these large boulevards right next to the Seine, the Boulevard Saint-Germain. Haussmann also put lights on these streets (they don't call it the City of Lights for nothing!) to make it safer, and built new sewer tunnels to combat the rampant disease.

All of these contributions are very important, but when I think of Haussmann, I think of the "Haussmann building." This building, which is usually apartments, is easy to recognize because of its uniform exterior. They were usually built with cream colored stone, with a mansard-style roof, and had balconies on the second and fifth floors. (Keep in mind that the French have a ground floor and then a first floor, so second and fifth is really third and sixth for us!) Although Paris is really expensive now, these buildings were meant to house families of different economic backgrounds under one roof. For example, wealthy families would live on the second floor, or the "étage noble," because it wasn't on the street level but didn't involve too many stairs, either (there were no elevators back then!). On the other hand, the very top floor had individual rooms ("chambres des bonnes") and was occupied by servants of these wealthy families who lived below them.

Overall, Haussmann changed the face of Paris for centuries to come. Unfortunately, he had a number of critics as well, many of whom complained that his architecture was too uniform and that he was overtaking the city with construction. This resulted in his dismissal in 1870, though his work continued for many years after.

Down to the underworld we go. Allons-y!

AdminNovember 9, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

In the spirits of Halloween, my friend and I decided to go visit the infamous Catacombs of Paris. It has always been on the top of my to-do-list since the previous two times I have visited Paris, I missed out the opportunity to check this supposedly spooky place so, why not do it during one of the scariest weekend of the year?

The Catacombs (Les Catacombs in French), is located in the 14th arrondisement in Paris, metro stop is Denfert Rochereau (Line 6.) We got there at around 12:30pm and the line was already all the way around the park. Probably because it was Sunday. The wait was ... hideous. We basically stood in line for almost four hours, so definitely remember to bring a book with you to avoid death from boredom. However, I did made tremendous progress in my Gender Equality in the Welfare States book while waiting in line <-- Another reason why you gotta love the city: the wait is so insanely long that it makes you very productive.

The ticket was 8 euros with a student ID and 3 euros extra if you want an audio guide. After that, it was down to the underworld we go.

After winding stairs which seemed to be forever long, we landed in a small room that had a few descriptions of the Parisian underground and how the place was first used as a quarry. P.S., if you're claustrophobic, this is probably not your thing. We walked through a lot of winding tunnels that were quite cramped. Also, don't wear heals, or you'd probably die in case if something starts chasing after you. Jk, but seriously. No heels. (Because you'd probably hit the roof if you're taller than 5'11)

unnamed — "Arrete! C'est ici l'empire de la mort” The entrance to the catacombs

The quarry walk took a while, long enough to made me doubt whether I had really signed up to visit the massive human grave of Paris. Then, there it was, the gate to the Underworld. It had a plaque over it in French, saying: stop, here is the empire of the dead. Too bad, movin' on.

The view once you enter, was quite stunning. The amount of skulls and shin bones that were neatly piled up was un-imaginable. I had once been to the Catacomb in Lima, Peru, and that one looked like a tiny playground in comparison to this sprawling underground maze. Approximately six million people were buried in the Catacombs because during the Bubonic Plague, too many people were dying that they had nowhere to put them but underground. Then later in the 17th century, someone decided to make a neat pile of them and voila. The French took after the Roman Catacombs in terms of naming their own Empire of the Dead, and I'm very excited to visit the one in Rome when my program ends in December.

While we were down in the tunnel, I heard this ruffling sound coming from beside me and I peered into the piles of bones and saw nothing. The ruffling sound kept on moving along with me and out of instinct, I jumped a mile away from my friend who was walking next to me, nearly falling onto another pile of bones in the process. My friend looked at me with bewilderment: "Bev the heck are you doing?". "Shh.... I hear a ghost I think." She then raised her plastic bag, which was the source of the ruffling sound. Ok. Not a ghost.

unnamed (3) — Setting for the concert of Mozart’s Funeral March.

We then reached a spot where they once held a concert there and played Mozart's Funeral March, how wicked cool is that?!

Later when we exited, the workers asked us to open our bags for them to check, in case we have stolen some bones from the Catacombs coz you know, I'd love to give some 700 hundred-year-old bones as house-warming gifts.

Street Art in Paris

AdminNovember 1, 2014December 14, 2018

By mcbitter

Paris is well known for its numerous art museums, including the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, and the Centre Pompidou. Even in this small handful you can find different kinds of art - the Musee d’Orsay is known for its impressionism, the Centre Pompidou all about modern art, and the Louvre is home to many famous and historical pieces. Of course you should spend a good amount of time at these sites, but Paris is also home to other forms of creativity as well - and not just the kind in museums.

This weekend, I got off at the Belleville metro stop with a friend in search of a new area to explore. We ended up finding the Rue Denoyez, which is lined with tons of incredible street art! Graffiti is something that has always intrigued me, especially when there is so much of it in one place, like on Denoyez. It was all varied in purpose - some had a social message, others were portraits, some I didn’t understand at all - but they were all really intriguing.

Paris isn’t as well known for its street art as cities like Berlin or London, but it has a fair amount to share! Here’s a link to where you can find street art in Paris: http://www.paris-streetart.com/

How Easy Traveling Can Be Too Overwhelming

AdminNovember 1, 2014December 17, 2018

By Jess Yacovelle

One of the beautiful things about studying abroad in England is that London is one of the biggest centers of travel in Europe. People from all over the world journey to London in relatively large numbers, and the transportation systems within and surrounding the London area are superb. You have a myriad of different choices each and every time you wish to travel, no matter where you want to go. You can travel by bus, train, plane... In fact, it's almost overwhelming.

My grandfather's brother and his wife have recently moved to Paris from the states, and my family has mutually decided that we should check up on each other whilst I'm studying abroad. As a result, I had the rather interesting experience of single-handedly planning my travel from London to Paris. To make my life more difficult, I also arbitrarily decided to stop off in Nantes along the way to visit a GW friend.

Did you know you can get from England to France by using four different modes of transportation? I didn't either. You can take a train, a plane, a bus, or a boat (though the latter option is ill-advised). Picking a mode of transportation sounds intuitive; just book the cheapest tickets. But, as I've discovered, there's more to it than that, especially when you're leaving from London.

To begin with, there's the element of time to consider. Planes may technically offer the shortest amount of travel time, but you also have to pass through airport security before you fly and customs after you land. Recently, England has also decided to start screening for Ebola at all of their airports, so that now adds another time constraint to airport travel. And, if you're leaving from London, the cheapest flights leave from well outside of the city, meaning you have to pay cab or train fairs to get to the airport.

Trains are a little more expensive and they take longer, but they're generally more comfortable, and you only need to be at the train station half an hour or so before your train departs. The bus is obviously the cheapest (seven pounds from London to Cardiff!), but it can take forever. A Megabus journey from London to Amsterdam can take half a day, especially if the bus has to make stops along the way.

So what's the cheapest, easiest, and fastest way to travel around Europe from London? Honestly... it depends on where you're going. For me, I use the bus to travel from London to the rest of the UK, the train to travel from London to the far west of Europe, and a plane to go to countries as far away as Italy. In the end, I suppose saving some money by taking a bus is nice, but it isn't always the answer.

Public Transportations in France

AdminOctober 5, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

On Saturday, I took the SNCF (the French national railway) to Rouen so this week I’m going to talk about how to take the public transports here in Paris.

Paris has an extensive web of metros and railways to take and it is super easy once you get it all figured out. The intertwined web of lines might appear daunting at first but I found this app called “Paris Metro” in the iphone app store and it’s like, God’s gift to those who are lost in Paris. Basically you just need to enter the start and end stations and the app will give you a detailed itinerary, including where you should change lines and how much time approximately it will take for you to get to your destination.

A lot of people buy the “Navigo” pass for the metro. They are kinda like smart trip cards except that you pay it monthly. It’s around 68 euros per month I think but you can take the metro however you want; there is no limit on how many times you can enter the metro. Since I live very close to campus, I don’t have a Navigo because it is just cheaper to purchase tickets at the machine. There are ticket-vending machines at the entrance of every metro station. Unlike DC metro where the price of the fare depends on where you go, there is a set price of 1.7 euro for a one-way ticket in Paris. I usually buy the “carnet”. It’s a set of ten tickets and the price is 13.70 euros, a bit cheaper if you do the math. You can also use the same type of ticket to take the bus, but usually people opt for the metro because it’s easier and faster.

Like DC, there are public bikes to rent here in Paris. Apparently it’s easier to ride than in DC and a lot of people use them to go to school/work. The only problem is that usually during rush hours, either there are no bikes at the bike stands around you because people have taken them out already or you can’t find a place to return your bike once you’re at your destination.

I went to Rouen by SNCF this saturday. SNCF is the French national railway system and it basically operates all the trains within France, including the TGV (the high speed rail). The SNCF station in Paris is at the metro station Saint-Lazarre. You go up the escalators once you’re out of the metro and there’s the SNCF station. There are ticket vending machines around the station so you can just pay at the machines. HOWEVER! They only take cards that have a sim chip. I don’t even know how to explain it because I’ve never seen it before, but apparently here in France, the credit/debit cards here have a visible sim chip on the card, whereas in the US or in China, most cards (at least the ones I have) only have the magnetic slide thingy on the back. So I was unable to purchase my ticket via the machine and had to go in-line at the counter. I got a “carte de jeune”. It’s a discount card for people between 12 to 26 and a lot of the times it cuts the price of the ticket in half. The card itself costs 50 euros and is effective for one year. But if you are planning on traveling around France then it’s definitely a good way to save money because my trip to Rouen was originally gonna cost around 46 euros round trip. With the “carte de jeune”, I paid 23. So that’s 23 euros I made up with the cost of the carte de jeune already. You will need your passport and an ID photo of yourself when you go purchase the the carte de jeune.

I was shocked by the amount of people that were on the train… Life lesson here: so I was walking and I saw various seats on the train through the window and I was like hmm… maybe there are better seats ahead so I kept on walking but I ended up sitting on the stairs because the doors were about to close and I had to jump in a random coach. I had a seat on the train in India… INDIA!! So if you see something in life that you like, take it, don’t wait around to see if anything better comes up. (so philosophical these days.)

Things that I miss about the U.S.

AdminSeptember 11, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

Three things I miss about the U.S/ GW

I never thought I would say this, but I actually miss Gelman… Sciences Po is kind of like GW. It does not have an actual campus; instead it has several academic buildings randomly scattered around in the 6eme arrondissement of Paris. That being said, space is quite scarce. Therefore, finding a desk to sit down and do some work is quite the challenge. For once in my life, I am actually motivated to do work and here I am, unable to even set a foot in the library because it’s so packed. Why Sciences Po, whyyyy. I also miss being able to physically go into the aisles and find books that I want because most of the books in Sciences Po are being stored underground that stretches miles and miles under Paris, so it requires some time to get the requested book transferred above ground.

Big Portions

Maybe I have been spoiled, but I am constantly starving in Paris because food is so expensive and the portions are tiny in comparison. 3 euros for a bottle of coke? What is this, capitalism! No refills? Blasphemous! I’m not a big fan of bread, wine, or cheese. So I honestly don’t know what I’m doing here in Paris.

The way I dressed.

The weather drops down to the 50s in the mornings here… while it’s been in the 80s in DC. It’s the first week of September. It’s barely fall yet. I should not be breaking out my llama sweater when I wake up for my 8am class. Also, I’m a pretty casual-dress person, so all the posh clothing and Louis Vuitton make me feel a little under-dressed at times. What I don’t understand is the Parisians’ need to dress up for badminton. Badminton! I went to my badminton class on Tuesday, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, I considered myself as dressed appropriately. But I was confused by the group of students in khakis, loafers, skirts, and flats when I reached the gym. I double-checked the address and came into realization that these poshly dressed people are, indeed, my fellow badminton players.

The teacher later cancelled class which was when I realized that my fellow posh badminton players immediately blended in with the Parisians on the street because of their way of dressing and I was left looking like I was going to the Olympics in my sports attire. Not to mention the amount of stares I have received again because of my shorts, God forbid that a girl should not show some skin when it is 82 degrees out!

Une Semaine à Paris

AdminSeptember 10, 2014December 17, 2018

10551715_10204688994124558_8803891680268067634_o — Picnic at the Eiffel Tower

If I had to choose one word to describe my first week in Paris, I would choose fantastique! It's hard to believe that we've been in the City of Lights for a week already. Just like at GW, everyone in my program (GW Paris Fall Business Studies) is really diverse and brings a lot to the table. There are people from each region of the States, plus Puerto Rico and Switzerland. We've gotten to know each other pretty well over the past week, which has been something like a “welcome week.” There have been a lot of small excursions, during which we’ve explored the campus, met professors, and enjoyed a lot that the city has to offer. Some other highlights include:

A picnic under the Eiffel Tower
A wine and cheese tasting on a rooftop overlooking the city
A guided tour of the Musée d'Orsay

During these excursions, I think a lot of people (myself included) have discovered one particular challenge of living in Paris: navigating the metro. You'd think that we would be able to do it easily, as there's a metro in DC, but the Paris metro is rather tricky with many different tunnels and ways to exit. On top of that, all of the station and direction names are unfamiliar to us, which applies to city streets as well. (When I went on a run in my neighborhood yesterday, I made sure to write down each street that I turned on should I need to retrace my steps!) So far, no one has gotten terribly lost (yet!) and it will undoubtedly get easier as the semester goes along.

10542979_10204662457741165_7482595510021754390_o — GW Paris students in front of the Muse d'Orsay

Despite the looming threat of classes starting tomorrow, one thing that I'm really looking forward to is spending more time with the five French SciencesPo students in our group, both in and out of class. Each of them is really interested in learning more about us and American culture, and they're more than welcoming to us. In my opinion, this has made the transition to Parisian life a lot easier. We will be taking all of our classes with them (three GW business courses and two SciencesPo electives), so it will be interesting to see the differences between American and French academic settings.

Overall, this week has had a lot crammed into it, but I wouldn't have it any other way! All of the activities have served as a great introduction to the city that will be our home for the next three months. See you next week!

Pre-Departure Thoughts

AdminSeptember 3, 2014December 14, 2018

By mcbitter

In less than 24 hours, I will be boarding a plane to Paris! It seems like many of my peers have already left for their programs, but my departure date was perfect for me - it allowed me to spend about two weeks with family and friends at home, as I had stayed at GW the majority of the summer for an internship.

One question I've been asked a lot is "What are you most looking forward to in Paris?" That's an easy one for me (and no, it's not sampling all the croissants and macaroons I can find, though that's a close contender!). After paying a visit to all the typical tourist attractions and sites, I'm really excited to discover what we can call 'city gems,' or the niches that locals enjoy regularly and that a tourist might stumble upon while exploring a neighborhood. (Hopefully, finding these places will help me feel like less of a tourist!) Although I'm not originally from the area, I've found many places like this during my time in Washington, DC, and they've really made me feel like I have my own grasp on the city over the years. (For example, if you have a sugar craving and need a cupcake in Georgetown, go to Baked & Wired rather than Georgetown Cupcake! GW students practically swear by this.)

Another thing that I'm excited to enjoy is one advantage of participating in the GW Paris Fall Business Program (which is for GW Business students). Though we have classes Monday through Thursday, each Friday includes a "site visit" (aka field trip!). Some of this year's highlights include visiting the European Union, paying a visit to Normandy, and seeing Monet's Giverny estate. It should be a lot of fun!

I could probably go on for many more paragraphs, but I'm going to limit it to this - gotta get some sleep before the big day! Safe travels to all the other GW students out there!

Paris At Last!

AdminAugust 28, 2014

photo 1 (1) — Playing chess by the Seine

It still feels unreal, but I am solidly, on Parisian ground.

My visa came two days later than what was expected so I booked the next available flight and hopped on the plane. Talk about reckless, eh? I am staying with a friend at the moment while trying to find housing for myself, which made me kind of regret not taking GW's offer on housing. (A little advice reference for future GW students)

It feels very weird to be in Paris again. I have never expected myself to be living in a European country for a period of time that requires a long-stay visa. I walk on the streets and wonder how just two days ago, I was at home in China. And how 46 days ago, I was in Peru. And three months ago, I was in DC. I don't know why but the way waiters first address me in French and then switching to English after seeing me struggling with my order really annoys me. I think I was more frustrated at myself that two years of not speaking French had made me felt less confident. But the discomfort quickly faded away after I conversed in French with someone and he complimented my french. (Maybe to him, me speaking French is like the equivalent of a monkey speaking English, simply astounding and unexpected that he felt the need to "wow" in encouragement.)

My friend and I explored the center of Paris in the past two days. I tried to get my bank account and phone set up but since I arrived on saturday, nothing was open. Sciences Po mentioned how there are some banks that have partnerships with them that will give you 80 euros or something. I'll blog about it next week when I have everything set up.

Today we were walking on Quai d'Orsay along the Seine and we had a lot of fun. Along the riverbank, there was this street that was full of entertainment including photo galleries and chalk wall and tepees to chill in. We settled down for a game of chess, which was for free. There were games like backgammon and uno and other board games around us as well, which we thought was a very nice idea for a family outing. Next to the free board games there was free badminton playing. It was the weirdest sport I have ever played haha. We used a squash racket to hit a shuttlecock that had a bottom similar to a tennis ball. I thought, me with my Asian heritage plus being the president for club badminton, I'd be able to show off my crazy badminton skills but no. Low and behold, it was windy and I almost smashed a Russian girl in the face and her dad did not look to pleased. We quickly slithered away after that.

We walked along Champs-Elysee after that and saw this impressive golden gate. We stopped and realized it was the entrance to Abercrombie and Fitch. Fanciest place I've been in Paris yet. For a moment I thought I was walking in the gardens of Versailles, if not for the strong cologne that always infuses the air around Abercrombie and Fitch within a five mile radius.

The welcome program starts tomorrow. Apparently the French has a really different system than the States and the welcome program is mainly about teaching the methodologies that are going to be used for French studies. I’m excited, yet a bit scared, because I heard it’s quite hard, the French wanting to be precise and elegant and everything, but we will see. This time next week, I’d be able to tell you more about the educational difference between France and the United States. Until then!