If You Steal A Bone, We Will Arrest You
Trip Start
Jul 28, 2008
1
12
17
Trip End
Aug 30, 2008
Paris,
France
Friday, August 22, 2008
I woke up and it was pouring out, tearing down all of my hopes and dreams of going to Pere Lachaise Cemetery today. I mean, I suppose I could have still gone, at the risk of my slipping down a cobblestoned hill or catching some sort of pneumonia. Therefore, my plans changed slightly to include a museum.
I went to class and had a great discussion about the war, economy, pop culture and Batman with my fellow classmates. They were all traumatized at the news of Heath Ledger's death, saying that it was a "terrible event for women everywhere." In all, I've decided that my very favorite thing about class is the wonderful safe space that a class like this creates which forges connections among all of the nationalities. I have friends from all over the world now- even from places that the great big institution of America doesn't necessarily get along with. In saying this, I'm not turning expatriot and saying America is bad. I'm more saying that I'm coloring outside the lines or thinking outside of the box and that kind of cultural awareness, knowledge, and growth has become really valuable to me in the few weeks that I have been here. I think that at some point in the future, I might be interested in doing the whole ESL thing, and becoming certified to teach English as Second Language to people living in my area. I think that would be the best of both worlds- I could be home but learning and interacting with foreign cultures at the same time.
After class, a couple of the girls and I walked over to the Catacoms which are actually right by our dorm. I have been meaning to go there since I got here and I know I can say that I braved the bones and survived! The catacombs are tunnels underneath the city (that are in no way affiliated with the metro) in which thousands of people from a nearby neighborhood were quarantined and subsequently died a few hundred years ago. After a while, they decided to turn this underground monstrocity into an organized tunnel system for bone storage. I find it amazing that there are enough people who have the similar morbid and grotesque curiousity that I do to actually make it a tourist attraction. After waiting a while, in the rain, to get inside, we walked about 1.5 miles underground, surrounded by bones and skulls. It was creepy even for me and that sort of stuff does not normally get me. I just kept imagining those poor men underground with their candles dragging bodies through this very complex tunnel system. I did, however, think it a little humorous that there was a sign warning us against stealing the bones. I think its so sad that there could be a problem like that. It would be one fantastic souvenir though... Just kidding on that one.
After the Catacombs, we all parted ways and I went to the Picasso museum since that's one of the only museums left on my list. It was really really super vachement cool! I really like Picasso so it was a treasure trove of paintings, sculptures, photographs, etc by the man who conceived modern art. I don't have that many pictures because we weren't allowed to take pictures in the museum. I might have snapped a few when the guards were distracted. This might be the closest of ever really gotten to breaking a rule. **gasp**
I wandered around that area afterwards despite of the rain, because it was still absolutely beautiful in the city. I poked my head into a few shops, poked my head in at my program's office to say hi, and then found a place to have dinner. What an experience. Yesterday I said I wanted pizza right? Well, I still did so I decided not to be the boring American and just get cheese, so I got one that had an acceptable list of toppings- cheese, tomatoes, onions, beef, and egg. Strange but frenchified pizza. I get it, and im about 2/3 through it, when my waiter comes running out and cracks a raw egg on to my pizza and apoligizes frantically for forgetting the egg. At first, I'm just shocked at his worry over the customer's feelings, as that is not a normal concern here in Paris. Secondly, I realized he just cracked an egg on my pizza. A raw egg. I am not a raw anything eater, let alone a raw egg eater. I was just like, "no, no, that's fine, I was actually just finished, could I please have the check?" It did not say anywhere that the egg would be raw (I double checked), but I was only slightly disturbed by this. At least the pizza didn't come out with the egg on it.
That's been my day. I'm calling it an early night because tomorrow we are meeting at the train station at 8 AM for our trip to Rouen! So excited!!!!!
Also, just wanted to note that tonight, Friday, August 22nd, 2008, I have officially finished all 1306 pages of War and Peace, quite possibly the longest book ever. And of course I lug it around everywhere I go :). I love it. That's my confession..
The Catacombs!
