The Ballet, Feb 14 at Opera Garnier

Can't say I've ever seen a ballet before. I've watched Swan Lake countless times on the internet but I had never been to one in person, let alone at the Opera Garnier, aka where Phantom of the Opera and scenes from the Fox cartoon movie Anastasia took place!

 The ballet we saw, Kaguyahime, was completely different from anything I had ever seen before and a new experience as far as modern  dance goes. My cousin was involved in several hiphop dance teams so I had seen her perform a couple times in the States, and I'd seen my best friend perform in her college recitals at our university's concert hall, but this Parisien experience was completely different from that.

First of all the setting : the Opera Garnier is beyond ornate and unbelievably beautiful in the most over the top way. It's like the Notre Dame for music! Beautiful carvings of angels, muses, and sculptures both inside and outside of the classical greats like Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, etc. the upmost inspired setting for the most inspired performances. A huge upgrade from the usual hotel ballrooms, convention centers, and modern but uninteresting performance halls typical for young performers in the States:

 The ballet was not as I had expected- despite the classical / baroque architecture the ballet itself was modern. The Opera Garnier, though it is classical, is first and foremost a performance hall. The ballet was called Kaguyahime, the story of a moon princess who came to Earth and grew to extraordinary beauty. She had earthly suitors who were made to present her with unearthly treasures, and even the emperor who could not win her love. There were also several scenes with warring villagers that were really cool, but I thought the most effective message was the contrast between ancient world and modernity.
The story of Kaguyahime is a Japanese folktale dating back to the 10th century, and the fact that it was being presented in Paris, a city of equal age but of diametrically different heritage was cool. The orchestra was also presented in the same manner, traditional with invited taiko drummers and the gagaku wind trio against the setting of plush velvet and guilded seats and balconies of 18th century Paris finery. And then the story itself -presented in modern interpretation, with minimalism and appropriate balance between extravagant flourish and calm composure. The most modern aspects about Kaguyahime ballet, other than the choreography, was the lighting and the jarring use of bold light and color to express what was not said with costume and set. It reminded me a lot of my cousin's hiphop shows back in the States where colors drowning the stage in vibrance were an extension of the dance itself.
Overall, it was a pretty cool ballet. I wouldn't have chosen it myself so I'm really glad to have been exposed to something out of my element. Afterwards we snuck into one of the private rooms because again, it was a scene in Anastasia where Dimitri was trying to get the Dowager Empress to check out Anastasia, lawlz.

Super cool!

End of Week 3 in Paris

And what a long week it's been! In the first couple weeks it's easy to forget we came to Paris to study, but with the homework load building up, its definitely hitting me. Not sure I can complain though I can complain though, seeing as we go on field trips every week. One that I wasn't expecting was la Grande Mosquee de Paris, a central hub for Muslims in Paris.

One thing most people don't expect of Paris is the long history of colonisation and the populations of North African and Middle Eastern people who have immigrated here after the decline of imperialism. During the Occupation of World War II when France was mostly under German command under the Vichy puppet government, many soldiers were recruited from the colonies and helped liberate France from the Nazis. As a thank you to these colonial soldiers, this mosque was built in the Islam tradition and it is so beautiful you don't  even have to be Muslim to appreciate it.

 This is the courtyard you walk into upon entering. First thing about Paris and it being so cold, stone floors get really cold and STAY cold. It goes right through your boots and doubled up socks! But our guide was saying that all of the marble, the decor, and the mosaic was contributed from countries like Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algerie, etc. for its completion.

 This is the prayer room in which you are not allowed to wear shoes. The faithful also wash themselves and purify themselves before entering. The shapes on the floor are for each individual to pray upon and face Mecca. The giant chandelier in the top right hand corner was hand made and donated from a North African country. It was cool to get to understand what Islam is all about beyond the veils and the burka, the media, and the wars in the Middle East.

 This mosaic wall and the bordering above it was all hand done by mosaic artists, each color representing a different thing. It was so mindblowing to see that every tile was laid out by hand. Not pictured : the lattice work that was also hand done. All of this covers the walls of the mosque. Like the stained glass windows of Christian cathedrals its absolutely amazing to see what faith can motivate a person to do.

 The Koran that was hand written and hand decorated located in the Mosquee's library.

 This library contains 2,000 books on Islam and Muslim literature, all in Arabic, French, and English. It was pretty cool. Even the cedar wood that the ceiling is made of is symbolic of Muslim ideals. The outside gardens:

Hand embroidered prayer mats and the chandeliers were also beautiful, commissioned in the Middle East and brought to the Mosquee.

The tea room where we had mint tea with honey afterwards. In Paris, it is always good to look upwards. Ceilings are incredible beautiful and ornate in any monument.

 This tea room allowed for birds to come in and fly back and forth as they please, they mostly just hung out on the chandelier. But sometimes they would perch on the empty tables and hang out. I don't think the people in there were Muslim, but they were just sitting and enjoying a cup of tea. I think that although in the US there is a strong taboo of Muslims, France has some of these taboos but at the same time it is so ingrained in the history since the time of the colonies that for the most part, it is appreciated at least as a culture site or a grand art piece. While we were there there was a group of young French children on their own field trip on our same tour. I think it helps that children here are groomed in culture and art from a very young age, and that it helps cultivate an appreciation and understanding of the differences around them. It was very cool to see the Mosquee and understand the depth behind Islam, I don't think I would've visited one in San Diego.

 Afterwards we took a walk in the garden and along the Seine as we went to catch a bus. I asked the professor why trees are so square in French gardens, because it is the same at Jardin des Tuileries, and she said that it's because it is the French aesthetic prefers square trees, simply put. lol coolio!

Overall, cool trip. I thoroughly enjoy these field trips and look forward to taking more!

First Week in Paris Complete!

Wow, what a week its been! I feel like we've done so much but we've barely scratched the surface!

These past few days we've been settling into the apartments, wandering around our new abodes, and getting to know the area we're in. For a few more days we were plagued by jetlag. It's gotten better but I still wake up at 7:30 every morning surprised to find that even the sun hasn't gotten up yet. In fact  the sun doesn't rise until about 8:30 and until then, the streets are quiet and the city is still only thinking about waking up. I think it sets the leisurely tone that is so prevalent in French culture and daily routine. I could get used to this.

My second day here one of my friends, a foreign exchange student we hosted a couple years back, came to Paris to visit me in Montparnasse. He's a baker's apprentice and was on his way to Strausbourg in the east to stage a few weeks in a bakery as part of his apprenticeship. It was so great to see a familiar face! It was when he came that I had the guts to go into a sit-down restaurant and go through the process of ordering a meal for myself from a French server. As it turns out, the French eat much later in the day than Americans do. Lunch is typically around noon but has a tendency to be drawn out until about 2 or 3. Dinner is around 7pm with most people coming out at around 8 or 9.

Since my first time in a restaurant and arriving at the dorms, my friends and I have tried different brasseries wherever we are. I've tried classics like croque madame and soup a l'ognion gratinee, and of course plenty of coffee. None have disappointed and always the service is the most courteous and unobtrusive. It's been the best way to just enjoy new found friends while trying la cuisine francaise. I don't even wanna think about the day I have to leave this all behind :

 First meal: Savory tarte (eggy, but not dense and cheesy like a quiche) with chicken and mushrooms, sweet and tangy carrot salad, tomato couscous, green salad comes with most every meal usually with a light mystery dressing.

 Croque Madames are a bistro classic- either open face like this or like a sandwich with ham in the middle and broiled on top with a fried egg. Amaaaazing. Croque Monsieurs are the same thing but without the egg. Still yummy either way! Bakeries across town also sell them premade and cheaper for you to bring home (emporter) and warm up and have at home.

 Creme Brulee- No meal would be complete without dessert! Even if you aren't in a patisserie all restaurants have amazing desserts that probably come from the surrounding patisseries anyways. Same with the wine, same with the bread. Nothing in Paris disappoints!

I had been dying to try this for so long! Soup a l'ognion gratinee is French onion soup usually made with caramelized onions and beef stock. Topped with cheese and toasted bread, it was perfect for the super chilly windy days that we've been having. And of course, fries. I dipped them in my soup :)

Speaking of bread, one Parisien tradition that is so easy to get accustomed to is buying our daily bread at the local  bakeries (boulangeries). In the morning we stop by to grab a croissant or brioche before class, and in the afternoon or evening we come back for a baguette for meals. And this is normal! The bakeries and patisseries also sell mouthwatering pastries and sandwiches to go. Fast food is something different here, even the McDonalds (MacDo) seem more gourmet than in the States. There are also an abundance of Middle Eastern and Chinese to go shops along the streets as well selling everything from dim sum specialties to halal and gyros. Now that I've mastered the restaurant process, it's time to try more ethnic cuisine from the different nationalities that have immigrated here over time. French colonization has brought North African, Turkish, Jewish, and Carribbean fast food here for quite cheap. This weekend is Chinese New Year, and being Vietnamese I'm making it a mission to find pho in Paris when we go to the 13e arrondissement for celebrations and amazing Asian food.

Looking forward to discovering the rest of Paris as a touring student. It's definitely worth coming here as a student and actually living here for a while, immersing in the student life as opposed to being a tourist and relying on hearsay and curiosity.