Month in Paris !! | FindPenguins

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Trip start
June 4, 2023
Month in Paris !!Traveler
Arrival
June 4, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Bonjour!

Obviously, the first things you do when you get to Paris is drink wine and go to the Eiffel tower. Today was a very long day. It was great. It’s only been about 7 hours but I really like Paris so far. I am excited to see what else it has in store for me.

I was very surprised by how large the Eiffel tower is in real life. For some reason, it did not look as large to me in photos. This was really interesting because it showed me how everyone can have different subjective experiences based on visual imaging. Your experience in person is probably always going to be different than you expected based on images and stories. This discovery was also definitely influenced by visual acuity. Since we are so close to the Eiffel Tower, it appears larger than if we were looking at it from a distance. It is interesting to see visual acuity in action.

I can't wait to see it sparkle!

Cheers!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
First day of school!!
June 5, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Bonjour!

Today was the first day of school.
I promptly woke up at the early hour of 3am and stared at the ceiling for awhile. Then I ventured down stairs for about 4 shots of espresso. Then I somehow fell back asleep. Off to a great start.

School was good, the metro was scary. I have zero sense of direction so this will be interesting. I am excited for all of our different activities that we have planned. Hopefully I only get on the wrong metro once or twice.

I think I only got yelled at by one French person today, which is an improvement. I would yell at Americans if they were as clueless as me too, so no hard feelings.

Au revoir!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
Bike tour
June 6, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Bonjour!

Today we did the bike tour. Here is what I realized
1. I am a lot worse at biking than I thought
2. Black pants are the worst thing you can wear in 80 degree weather
3. Europe is much more bike-friendly than America, but cars still won’t stop for you
4. Irish accents are awesome

Besides that, I also realized (like we’re told in our class) that not everything is as it seems. I was really fascinated by these old homes in one of the squares we stopped at, and our guide told us we could peak into their garden if we wanted. Firstly, the “garden” was just grass, albeit beautiful. Secondly, there was another entire house behind the actual home. What?? I was even more shocked when I learned that this was just a guest house for friends of the resident. So cool.

Anyways, there is always more than meets the eye!

Au revoir!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
Day of Dior (and other cool stuff)
June 7, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Bonjour!

Photo 1: little baby Eiffel Tower! Jk it’s massive. Did I fool you? (Def not). Here I am using one of the illusions that we talked about in class to change your perception. By playing with the background and foreground, you can make objects appear a different size than they really are.

Photo 2: the sign outside of the Dior gallery. Thank you for the tickets mom!! This was super cool. I knew pretty much nothing about Dior besides that their stuff is beautiful, so this was awesome

Photo 3 & video 1: here is the Eiffel Tower at night. I really enjoyed this experience and almost didn’t go because I had just put on pjs. It was fascinating to see the tower with the lights on and sparkling. It really does look a little magical. Everyone on the lawn was really friendly and happy to be there. One man was there from Ukraine and celebrating his daughters birthday with the rest of his family. A few of my friends had a bottle of wine they couldn’t get open. He tried, succeeded, but accidentally spilled on his white pants. Luckily I had a tide pen cause I had also been wearing white pants.

Video 2 & photo 4: here’s another great example of how things can look different under different lighting. At the Dior exhibit, there was this room with beautiful dresses. When the lights darkened, all of the fabric seemed to glisten. When the lights were on, you did not notice this same effect. I stood in this room for like 30 minutes and just kept watching it change from light to dark.

Photo 5, 6, & 7: just cool pictures !!

Photo 8: cool people at a fun dinner !!

All in all, good and long day.

Au revoir!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
Dramatic day at D’Orsay
June 8, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Bonjour!

Today was yet another long one (and hasn’t even ended).

First, I woke up. Second, I went to class. Third, I grabbed a baguette with ham and cheese. And fourth, I went back to the hotel.
Now here is where it gets interesting.

Our pysch class planned to go to D’Orsay, but that was a little more difficult than expected. The metro we were on seemingly shut down. We sat there for a while and contemplated our options. Eventually, we decided to take a different metro to a different stop and catch a different train on the same line we were trying to ride. We arrived, the metro arrived, we boarded, and then the metro stopped. After some French announcements over the loudspeakers, no one moved so neither did we. Eventually, the metro started moving. Thank the lord.

The rest of the day was much smoother. I really enjoined the museum and had a lot of fun looking at all the different art. My favorite art was probably Monet’s. I love his use of color and texture to create images; it’s different than other art I’ve seen. A lot of his art used Ariel perspective to create depth. Instead of using haze or shadows to add contrast, he simply changes the colors that he uses. This can be seen in the bridge painting where the space behind the bridge is much darker. The tour was ended with some gelato (and wine), shopping, and a much more successful metro home.

Now, I am tired. Super tired. Not sure what my dinner plans so I shall see where the night takes me.

Au revoir!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
loving the louvre
June 9, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Bonjour!

photo 1: I started my day with the first Diet Coke spotted in Paris. Thank goodness! I don’t think Coke Zero is nearly as good (sorry Lindy). I was really excited to go to the Louvre so I wanted to make sure I had enough energy. The second I cracked the DC can, I felt like myself again.

photo 2: next, I boarded the metro. As usual, it was stinky, hot, and crowded. I think I get 20% dirtier every time I scan my metro card. This morning was super sunny and I had a great time plugging my nose and looking out the window.

photo 3 & 4: as cool as the art in the museum was, I think the ceiling was cooler. Architecture is just so fascinating. I cannot understand how people were capable of building these intricate buildings without modern technology. All of the architecture was a great example of different gestalt principles like symmetry. In photo 4, the symmetry is extremely prevalent. It is crazy how perfect and detailed everything is. Blows my mind 🤯

photo 5: here is me with the Mona Lisa. It would be a super cute photo if it weren’t for the dude photobombing me.

Photo 6: famous hot chocolate!! This was a slightly questionable decision since it was indeed 80 degrees out, but still very tasty. Maddie and I decided that it reminds us of the filling of the chocolate din tai fung dumplings. Random, but super accurate. Psa: one is definitely enough for two people to share unless you want some serious stomach issues.

photo 7,8,9: today was my third day hanging out at the Eiffel Tower. I simply cannot get enough. I had so much fun hanging out with everybody and wish every day could be filled with that much happiness. Besides almost falling down the hill into the water, it was a lovely evening. I could do that every darn day. Kate kept on insisting I needed to use her red lipstick so I included a photo of them ambushing me.

Photo 10: ended the day with a lot of dancing and a lot of love !!

Au revoir !!Read more
TravelerIMO, confused-looking photobomber makes the picture. Creates balance in the composition! 😂
6/15/23Reply
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
silly little saturday
June 10, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Bonjour !!

Today was the first real day of sleeping in and it was lovely. I think I made it till 10am which is pretty decent. Upon waking, we all walked to go get crepes and coffee but somehow didn’t take a single photo. Next, we got on the metro to go look at some vintage stores. They were all super cool! I ended up getting a skirt and a blouse that I am sure I will wear soon.

However, it was about 20 million degrees outside. We were all dripping in sweat and dying for shade. This made the process of trying on clothes about 10 times harder. Once we had sweat every ounce of water out of our bodies, we decided to make a little cafe stop.

At this cafe, we met our waiter Juan. He was the best. He spoke great English and had a super confusing accent. We all were impacted by Qualia as we tried to guess where he was from. We relied on our visual and hearing cues to make our guesses. It was quite hard and we all had different opinions. I thought he was maybe from Canada at first, but turns out he was from Peru. He was super nice and funny and we want to go back to visit him again.

We then continued to shop for a little while longer, eventually made it back to the hotel, and then went on a big group dinner next door. This was a ton of fun. The restaurant was some of the best food I’ve had which was surprising because it is so close to us. I had a pizza and a Caesar, with an espresso Martinez (sub tequila for vodka) because I was exhausted from all of our walking.

Surprise surprise, we ended up at the same club again. I absolutely destroyed my feet because I was wearing little kitten heels. I will never ever do that again. We were very concerned at first because the club was very empty, but turns out people don’t party on saturdays until about 1:30am. Insanity.

All in all, a great day.

Au revoir !!Read more
TravelerLove the mirror selfie
6/12/23Reply
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
sunday scaries
June 11, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Bonjour !!

I also was able to sleep in a decent amount today which was a major plus. Again, I made it to about 10:00am. Today involved more shopping, but we went to a market instead. The layout was slightly confusing and we weren’t in the safest area, but it was still fun!! I got this pretty silk scarf that I’m really excited about because I’ve been loving polka dots (I proceeded to wear it to dinner a few hours later).

Then we walked 30 minutes to a restaurant with a slightly strange menu, so we just got drinks and a charcuterie board (typical). After that, we spent a couple hours in the sun working on our portfolio assignment before grabbing a late dinner with fun friends. We went to the same place as the night before, which has quickly become our favorite restaurant.

As seen in the first photo, we were originally sitting outside. However, a torrential downpour occurred out of nowhere. Luckily I stayed somewhat dry, but not everyone was that lucky 🫣 I used my hearing ques to identify that the rain was coming on strong. At first, I only noticed a little pitter patter on the awning. When this was quickly followed by thunder, I knew we were screwed. About 5 seconds later, the rain came on strong and we rushed for cover.

I enjoyed some great pasta and great company, and then headed back to the hotel for a little girls night. We shared chocolate, wine, lots of laughs, and a few tumbles before calling it a night and hitting the hay. Again, great day.

Au revoir !!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
to be or not to be?
June 12, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Bonjour !

My biggest takeaways from today
1. French bandaids are much better than American ones
2. French ice cream is much better than American ice cream
3. French gardens are much better than American gardens
4. Diabetes can make your toes go numb

Alright besides that, today was a mad dash all over town. We began our day at school, as per usual, and Maddie and Abby showed me this new route with a cool wall mural. It was a really fun class! Afterwards, we headed to cafe de Flore for lunch. I know this place is famous, but I was just a tiny bit underwhelmed. I think it make be more famous for its history and pastries/coffee than food, but I’m still glad we went.

We all meandered around town after lunch on our way to Shakespeare & Company, and stopped to get some flower-shaped ice cream. We all tried some unique flavors and (most) of them were super delicious. The gelato and sorbet here is always so flavorful and smooth. We stopped at Le Labo, one of my favorite perfume stores, and I somehow stopped myself from buying anything. We eventually made it to the bookstore, but there was about a 50 person line so we dipped.

However, the fomo quickly set in. After working on some homework for awhile, we decided to go right before close and hopefully avoid a line. This was overall a successful plan, but 15 minutes is definitely not enough time to be there so we plan on going back. Lindy also immediately lost the book she bought for her dad so we are going to retrace our steps anyways.

Lastly, we got some really cool shirts but it’s a surprise, so stay tuned.

I ended my day with some homework and left over pasta, and a very content heart.

Au revoir !!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
pretty in pink (mama)
June 13, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Bonjour!

today we went to pink mama and it was a tastebud and olfactory galore.
We all agreed that, so far, this is the best food we have had in Paris. We ordered burrata with red pesto, truffle pasta, a Greek salad, a margarita pizza, and some drinks. The compensation of bitter, sweet, salty, and umami of everything we ordered was delicious. It was a very fulfilling meal. Everything was +A, along with the decor. The building itself was so beautiful as well.

Later that night, we had a picnic at the Eiffel Tower where we also combined a lot of different smells and tastes. Turns out, this is what results in the best meals. The Eiffel Tower was so much fun, i hope the hotel doesn’t mind that we borrowed a sheet!

Au revoir !!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
slaphappy at science and Shakespeare
June 14, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Bonjour !!

Today we went to the science museum to learn about all sorts of cool things. While we were technically there for the hearing exhibit where we learned a bunch of new information (like how baby babbles have accents), we were also really fascinated by the fish in the greenhouse area.

All of this learning really tuckered us out, so we decided to act even more American and went to McDonald’s. Here, we used taste properties, such as recognization, and compared French McDonald’s to American McDonald’s. We were a little disappointed that there was not an abundance of new things on the menu, but we still tried the macaroons and the mcflurries. Overall, both were very different and relatively good.

After this, we headed back to Shakespeare to make up for our previously rushed visit. This time around was much more fulfilling and the line moved surprisingly fast. After this, we made i quick pit stop at brandy Melville. Kind of embarrassing.

Lastly, we ate dinner next door for the millionth time. It was not till after the dinner that we learned you are supposed to sip limoncello, not take it like a shot. You live and you learn.

Au revoir !!Read more
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Month in Paris !!Traveler
lost in limoncello
June 15, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Bonjour !!

Today was the day of the food tour. Honestly, I was a little nervous. I had heard very mixed feelings from people who went the day before, but we had an absolute blast. Our tour guide was hilarious and we ate so much food. The highlight for me was the cheese for sure.

The area that we were in was also super cool. I had not spent a ton of time there before so I enjoyed walking around and spotting fun places.

After the tour, we decided to stop by Stüssy because I wanted to get my brother a birthday gift. To our surprise, it just happened to be closed for only that day. What a fail. Oh well. We were in the “pride district” and had a lot of fun looking at all the decor anyways.

I ended the night by celebrating my roomates birthday, kind of getting scammed, and unexpectedly drinking limoncello the right way. However, it’s still way too strong.

Au revoir !!Read more
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Trip end
July 1, 2023