Tick Tock

In theory, time should be pretty easy to keep track of.  Between watches, clocks, microwaves, computers, and cellphones, we are basically surrounded with timekeepers all the time.  It moves forward at a constant rate, so it should be easy to keep track of, and one would think that after 20 years of life, I would be able to tell how much time has passed in any given interval.  In reality, this skill evades me.  For something that is supposed to be so stable, time is actually really volatile.  At least my perception of it is.  


I remember that one time, in preschool, we had to be quiet for a whole minute and it felt so long! Then we were allowed to talk for a minute and it passed quickly.  Nothing has really changed since then! I may know now that my perception of time changes based on what I am doing, but I still have no control over what a given increment of time feels like.  My guess is that I probably won't be able to any time soon, either. A class always seems to pass much more quickly during a test than during a lecture. The time I spend waiting for something always seems to go faster than the time I spend actually doing that thing. Four months seems like a huge amount of time before it starts, but as I approach the end, it seems like four months may as well have been four days! 


This week, it seems like somebody hit the accelerator on time! On one hand, last Sunday night seems ages away because I have been so busy since then, but on the other hand, I feel like this week passed in the blink of an eye.  They say that time flies when you are having fun, and I guess that must be what is happening here!!  This week, I have discovered new monuments and sites in Paris, explored new areas, and come to love this city even more!!  I have three weeks left here, but if they pass as quickly as this past one did, I feel like I will be back stateside in no time flat! 

This church is less than 5 minutes' walk from my school, but I hadn't been yet, so I stopped in on my way to class! Tuesday, I visited Saint Sulpice, which is the second largest church in Paris (after Notre Dame Cathedral).  It is known for it's uneven towers, which were not actually a design, but happened because they were only able to finish one of the towers before the French Revolution.

On Thursday (aka Thanksgiving), our program organized a dinner for us at a restaurant.  We had pumpkin soup, green beans, potatoes au gratin, turkey, and a chestnut mousse-ish pie with chocolate for dessert.  The french take on Thanksgiving proved to be delicious! After dinner, we headed to Moose, a Canadian bar, so that we could watch the Cowboys play the Dolphins.  It was good to spend Thanksgiving with friends and fellow Americans! 

On Friday, I went to Les Invalides, which is where Napoléon is buried. This is his tomb.  It is kind of hard to tell in this picture, but his tomb is HUGE!!! It is visible from the main floor even though it is on the basement level.  He definitely wanted to make an impression.  

The Invalides are best known for the golden dome.  They served as a hospital for wounded soldiers under Napoléon, and now there are several museums, including his tomb, there.  

Fun Fact #31: There is still a working hospital on the grounds of Les Invalides.  

Saturday, I had work to do.  Fortunately, this meant meeting my friends at the Louvre so that we could each describe and take notes on the painting that we had chosen to write a paper on for art history class.  I surprised myself because I enjoyed sitting and looking at one painting for two hours! A relaxing morning!

My friend Anna and I left the Louvre to go meet two other friends at the Comédie Française to see Molière's "École des femmes."  Three of us are reading it for a literature class we are in, so it was really cool to see how it was acted on stage! Plus the inside of Salle Richelieu (the theater) was beautiful!!

Fun Fact #32: The Comédie Française is one of only a few state-run theaters in France, and it is the only one to have its' own troupe of actors. 

After the play, I went to dinner with Anna and her friend Sarah and then met up with some others to see a movie.  We saw Les Adoptés, directed by Mélanie Laurent, and we all loved it! It was really sad but so well acted! This picture was taken as I walked back to the metro from the theater, after Anna pointed out how cool it looked with the leaves there! 

Fun Fact #33: The water fountain in this picture is one of 67 "Wallace fountains" in Paris.  These fountains were designed by Charles Auguste Lebourg and paid for by Sir Richard Wallace, a philanthropist who wanted Parisians, even poor Parisians, to have access to clean drinking water. 

This morning I got up early to go to Mass at Notre Dame for the first Sunday in Advent! The service was really cool, and the church was as beautiful as ever! 

After church, we explored the various christmas markets in Paris. My personal favorite was the market at La Défense, which is not technically in Paris but is accessible by metro and only 4 stops from my house. It was all decorated and had a definitely "Christmas" feel despite the leaves that are still falling and 50 degree cloudy weather! This is the Christmas Tree in the plaza in front of Notre Dame.  It is huge! 

This week has been super busy but totally wonderful!! I can only hope that the next three pass in a similar fashion!! 


May your week be filled with fun and holiday cheer! 


~SKS~