Bonjour! I’m writing this blog post from my favorite coffee shop, Miss Manon. This place is a treasure trove of delicious desserts, pastries, bread, and coffee. Time has flown by this week; it feels like the days here are longer but pass in the blink of an eye. I attribute this partly to the amount of time we spend in the classroom, which means I get to explore the city at night. In today’s blog, I’m thrilled to share all the exciting things I’ve experienced this week.
Paris has truly lived up to its reputation of rich history, iconic landmarks, and a romantic atmosphere. One of the most enjoyable moments was sitting beneath the Eiffel Tower with my friends, playing card games until sunset. On our way there, we noticed a crowd of people dressed in all white, carrying chairs and bags. We were curious about their destination but didn’t dwell on it. However, upon reaching the Eiffel Tower, we were greeted by a massive picnic of over 50 people, all dressed in white, complete with tablecloths, chairs, centerpieces, and four-course meals. It was a sight to behold. Absolutely fabulous. The views and atmosphere were incredible, and we even witnessed a marriage proposal. Despite its cheesiness, the genuine love and energy in the air made it a beautiful moment.
Furthermore, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how Parisians perceive me. On several occasions, shop owners have asked about my ethnicity, assuming I’m Colombian because of my appearance. When I confirm their speculation, their excitement is palpable, leading to engaging conversations. It even allowed for a free pastry at the coffee shop! I will say I’ve made an effort to learn a few phrases in French before resorting to English, and this has helped bridge the language barrier. It has also helped alleviate some of my initial anxiety about being in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language. I took a linguistics class at Rice and I can definitely see how important language is to a sense of belonging and identity. When I was at Paris’s Pride Parade, I made some friends simply because I overheard an American accent and sparked a conversation. I later went to hang out with the girls later that night, all due to a language similarity. It was a wonderful day.
Regarding my project, I’m very excited to begin prototyping! Today, we spent a long day shopping for materials to build our functional cheese prototype. It proved challenging to find certain items, as some stores have limited space and merchandise. For instance, we needed suction cups, the kind typically used in showers, but we couldn’t find a pack of them at Monoprix, Ikea, or Office Depot. Consequently, we had to go back to the drawing board and tweak our ideas based on the available materials in stores. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to dive into this engineering project and get my hands working. I’m certain that this upcoming week will be another remarkable one. I have a jazz night, shopping day, thrifting day, another museum visit, and some more park sitting.