Wow it's been almost a month...
Hi all!
So I figured that it was about time that I caught you up. As you know, I have been interning for almost a month now. The reason I have been unable to post anything is for that same reason. I get up every day (except today since it is a holiday here) at 7:30A—sometimes at 7:45—to get to work by 9:30A. From then on, until about 1 in the afternoon, I take an hour to two hour lunch, since it really depends on with whom I eat lunch. Afterwards, I keep on working until about 6:30P. That is of course from Tuesday to Friday, otherwise on Mondays, I have class from 5P to 7P. At work, I keep up with any and every article that mentions us- from advertising our event to complete stories; I have pretty much seen it all. I translate for the newsletters, I translate for others in Spanish and English, and I make phone calls in French. When I first started out, it was a bit difficult to wholly-integrate myself into my work place. It was about trying to find the balance between getting to know the individuals with whom I work and trying to get work done to show that I was interested in my tasks. The first week I was there was my birthday and I was somewhat scared because not only did we have the inauguration of one of our exhibitions (was taken down Monday) but I also hardly knew anyone there. It was great though. At the inauguration, we had so many glasses of champagne and wine and then we went to a bar to keep celebrating. The downfall of it all was that the next day, I had to get up for work at 7:30. It was a bit rough, but I got through the day. Not only did I get to celebrate with my coworkers though, I also go to celebrate with people from my group and that was not bad either. It was definitely a way to reinforce friendship ties and it was also a great time to talk about our first week on the job. Well to say the very least, I did not stop celebrating my birthday until that Sunday!
Sorry to cut this short, but I remembered that I had told you I would not write pages of what is going on here. Unfortunately, by now that may be a bit necessary if I want to catch you up at the very least. I cannot tell you how many times I have started to write a post so that I could “keep you up to date” and then never got around to finishing it. By now, those posts make no sense since I never finished and then they tend to spark so many more memories. All I can really say is that, with all of the work and with the amount of time that I get to spend with my coworkers and students from my program, I can only wonder how in the world I am going to finish this paper. The great thing about it is that I at least enjoy the topic. So for my 30 page paper, I am going to write about Les Halles, a very famous area of Paris- essentially the heart (or the “stomach” as Voltaire described it) of the city. It will be going through some renovations- completely new set-up thanks to urban development studies, and so I will be making a comparison and seeing some of the reasons for why this project is going to be undertaken.
Unfortunately, I leave you now as research, food, coffee, baguettes, and a night out are calling my name. Frankly, just looking at this post, I realize how much I have yet to tell you and how much I will be unable to tell you as a result of lack of time. In that sense, you know that I am enjoying myself here. I really am at the point where I would not mind staying here much longer, and I cannot bear to think that I will be leaving so soon. The good news? I will have plenty of stories to share once I get back to the US- so many that coffee dates, lunch/dinner dates, and anything and everything else will be necessary. I leave you now until who knows when—probably until I decide to procrastinate on my paper. Have a great rest of the week and a wonderful weekend!
PS
I also just put up more links to pictures that I have taken. If one does not work, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
So I figured that it was about time that I caught you up. As you know, I have been interning for almost a month now. The reason I have been unable to post anything is for that same reason. I get up every day (except today since it is a holiday here) at 7:30A—sometimes at 7:45—to get to work by 9:30A. From then on, until about 1 in the afternoon, I take an hour to two hour lunch, since it really depends on with whom I eat lunch. Afterwards, I keep on working until about 6:30P. That is of course from Tuesday to Friday, otherwise on Mondays, I have class from 5P to 7P. At work, I keep up with any and every article that mentions us- from advertising our event to complete stories; I have pretty much seen it all. I translate for the newsletters, I translate for others in Spanish and English, and I make phone calls in French. When I first started out, it was a bit difficult to wholly-integrate myself into my work place. It was about trying to find the balance between getting to know the individuals with whom I work and trying to get work done to show that I was interested in my tasks. The first week I was there was my birthday and I was somewhat scared because not only did we have the inauguration of one of our exhibitions (was taken down Monday) but I also hardly knew anyone there. It was great though. At the inauguration, we had so many glasses of champagne and wine and then we went to a bar to keep celebrating. The downfall of it all was that the next day, I had to get up for work at 7:30. It was a bit rough, but I got through the day. Not only did I get to celebrate with my coworkers though, I also go to celebrate with people from my group and that was not bad either. It was definitely a way to reinforce friendship ties and it was also a great time to talk about our first week on the job. Well to say the very least, I did not stop celebrating my birthday until that Sunday!
Sorry to cut this short, but I remembered that I had told you I would not write pages of what is going on here. Unfortunately, by now that may be a bit necessary if I want to catch you up at the very least. I cannot tell you how many times I have started to write a post so that I could “keep you up to date” and then never got around to finishing it. By now, those posts make no sense since I never finished and then they tend to spark so many more memories. All I can really say is that, with all of the work and with the amount of time that I get to spend with my coworkers and students from my program, I can only wonder how in the world I am going to finish this paper. The great thing about it is that I at least enjoy the topic. So for my 30 page paper, I am going to write about Les Halles, a very famous area of Paris- essentially the heart (or the “stomach” as Voltaire described it) of the city. It will be going through some renovations- completely new set-up thanks to urban development studies, and so I will be making a comparison and seeing some of the reasons for why this project is going to be undertaken.
Unfortunately, I leave you now as research, food, coffee, baguettes, and a night out are calling my name. Frankly, just looking at this post, I realize how much I have yet to tell you and how much I will be unable to tell you as a result of lack of time. In that sense, you know that I am enjoying myself here. I really am at the point where I would not mind staying here much longer, and I cannot bear to think that I will be leaving so soon. The good news? I will have plenty of stories to share once I get back to the US- so many that coffee dates, lunch/dinner dates, and anything and everything else will be necessary. I leave you now until who knows when—probably until I decide to procrastinate on my paper. Have a great rest of the week and a wonderful weekend!
PS
I also just put up more links to pictures that I have taken. If one does not work, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
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| My birthday with colleagues |
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| The Louvre with more Carls |
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| A dinner party with friends from IFE, Carleton, and Parson's Paris |
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