Clear clear blue sky...
today it twas.
As I was walking in the Tuilerie, the sky was just so fiercely bright. The flowers are blooming unabashedly, well.. actually very pretentiously. As if they're self aware of their own splendor. Plus, as the whole, the entire gardens was a very unapproachable, abstractly and legally. Guards are there to maintain the teeming crowds of gawkers. The arrogance is a tad disgusting for me, but the aesthetics sometimes is enough for me to overlook its evil. Which makes me aware at how bad it is for be to be forgiving to such things. Damn my fickle inconstant self. Too bad, I don't really want to change too much now. I'm okay with my inconsistencies. They make me special. Plus, it takes away the burden of conviction. I'm paradoxical enough to almost justify anything!
And so, I superfluously digress.... (just like the usage of that word.)
But now, it's over. I apologize. I walked through the entire Ile St Louis yesterday. It was very windy and nippy... not chilly. But, overall enjoyable. I read some French and then some Laclos. Les Liaisons Dangereuses is tedious. Very very long and tedious. I guess that was the point. I re-watched "Cruel Intentions" or for the French "Sex Intentions." Needless to say, it was interesting. And Sarah Michelle Gellar, she's a petite girl but damn! she has really huge, huge eyes. Reese Witherspoon was dry.
I also went to l'Opera Garnier yesterday to see Cendrillon (Cinderella) by Nureyev. Though not utterly spectacular, it was very enjoyable. First off, this opera house is way (over the fence down the river and into China) overdone. It's Rococo gone crazy - it's like... imagine how a "fat kid loves cake." now, imagine that while this fat kid was in his prime age for the eating of cakes, he develops acute diabetes. But, adhering to the justice of childhood, he is granted by his tooth fairy a day to eat anything he wants without consequence. Now, imagine the kid rolling around in layers and layers of cake - stuffing his face in the process. Now, for the hell of it, pour crude oil on him and sprinkle in lots of sparkly diamonds (say he also developed a taste for oil and diamonds as well). The opera house would feel like that.
There is a thematic motif to this post, bear with me now.
Second, the ballet was very playful and creative. It was set in 1950's Hollywood. And had a modern twist at the end. The dancing was ballet twinged with lots of contemporary elements. I liked it. It was a good way to start the night. Some of us got some beer afterwards. I tried my first white beer last night at an overpriced bar. It was good. It was wheat instead of barley. I was hungry, so, it didn't take much. I got home, ate a late dinner at midnight and wen to bed. Glorious indeed.
Last week, we had our welcome dinner at a small cous cous restaurant in the 10th. Then we all wanted to go this a club on the Champs because we got free ticks. Only Grace and I got it. It was mildly fun. I got home very late because the Noctilien is slow and sucks.
On Friday, I went and drank at the Eiffel tower. Boy was I in for a surprise! It sparkles at the hour. It was incroyable! Some french wannabes dropped by to give us the words up the streets yall. They were "gansta for life man." That was probably even more enjoyable than the sparkling tower. They meant well. They were just starved for authentic american validation for their exterior existence. Little did they know that being a gangsta is all about being true in the heart. It's all about being real with your hommies. It takes no need of approval, but only a sincere belief of your values and brand of clothing. Plus, we were a bunch of kids from Stanford eating an assortment of chocolates while drinking wine on a picnic cloth. Yeah, we real thug!
Saturday, I went out with partying with my language partner again. Now, this time with Grace's language partner as well. It was fun. I started with dinner with John at a Thailandais restaurant near the Pantheon. Then, we went to this really cool irish pub called the Bombardier right across from St. Etienne-du-Mont. It was very genial. Then, we went to a rock club that I forgot the name of then we went to Triptik. I want to go back to the rock club... someday... prob. the following week.
So, that's been my week so far. For all the time I didn't account for, insert "Tri sitting by the Seine reading or staring into the water listlessly or both." Now you've completely experienced my last week.
Back to the motif, I'm going to the Loire valley this weekend and staying in a castle, having boat tours with dinners, and touring other castles. Superfluous?
Enough said.
As I was walking in the Tuilerie, the sky was just so fiercely bright. The flowers are blooming unabashedly, well.. actually very pretentiously. As if they're self aware of their own splendor. Plus, as the whole, the entire gardens was a very unapproachable, abstractly and legally. Guards are there to maintain the teeming crowds of gawkers. The arrogance is a tad disgusting for me, but the aesthetics sometimes is enough for me to overlook its evil. Which makes me aware at how bad it is for be to be forgiving to such things. Damn my fickle inconstant self. Too bad, I don't really want to change too much now. I'm okay with my inconsistencies. They make me special. Plus, it takes away the burden of conviction. I'm paradoxical enough to almost justify anything!
And so, I superfluously digress.... (just like the usage of that word.)
But now, it's over. I apologize. I walked through the entire Ile St Louis yesterday. It was very windy and nippy... not chilly. But, overall enjoyable. I read some French and then some Laclos. Les Liaisons Dangereuses is tedious. Very very long and tedious. I guess that was the point. I re-watched "Cruel Intentions" or for the French "Sex Intentions." Needless to say, it was interesting. And Sarah Michelle Gellar, she's a petite girl but damn! she has really huge, huge eyes. Reese Witherspoon was dry.
I also went to l'Opera Garnier yesterday to see Cendrillon (Cinderella) by Nureyev. Though not utterly spectacular, it was very enjoyable. First off, this opera house is way (over the fence down the river and into China) overdone. It's Rococo gone crazy - it's like... imagine how a "fat kid loves cake." now, imagine that while this fat kid was in his prime age for the eating of cakes, he develops acute diabetes. But, adhering to the justice of childhood, he is granted by his tooth fairy a day to eat anything he wants without consequence. Now, imagine the kid rolling around in layers and layers of cake - stuffing his face in the process. Now, for the hell of it, pour crude oil on him and sprinkle in lots of sparkly diamonds (say he also developed a taste for oil and diamonds as well). The opera house would feel like that.
There is a thematic motif to this post, bear with me now.
Second, the ballet was very playful and creative. It was set in 1950's Hollywood. And had a modern twist at the end. The dancing was ballet twinged with lots of contemporary elements. I liked it. It was a good way to start the night. Some of us got some beer afterwards. I tried my first white beer last night at an overpriced bar. It was good. It was wheat instead of barley. I was hungry, so, it didn't take much. I got home, ate a late dinner at midnight and wen to bed. Glorious indeed.
Last week, we had our welcome dinner at a small cous cous restaurant in the 10th. Then we all wanted to go this a club on the Champs because we got free ticks. Only Grace and I got it. It was mildly fun. I got home very late because the Noctilien is slow and sucks.
On Friday, I went and drank at the Eiffel tower. Boy was I in for a surprise! It sparkles at the hour. It was incroyable! Some french wannabes dropped by to give us the words up the streets yall. They were "gansta for life man." That was probably even more enjoyable than the sparkling tower. They meant well. They were just starved for authentic american validation for their exterior existence. Little did they know that being a gangsta is all about being true in the heart. It's all about being real with your hommies. It takes no need of approval, but only a sincere belief of your values and brand of clothing. Plus, we were a bunch of kids from Stanford eating an assortment of chocolates while drinking wine on a picnic cloth. Yeah, we real thug!
Saturday, I went out with partying with my language partner again. Now, this time with Grace's language partner as well. It was fun. I started with dinner with John at a Thailandais restaurant near the Pantheon. Then, we went to this really cool irish pub called the Bombardier right across from St. Etienne-du-Mont. It was very genial. Then, we went to a rock club that I forgot the name of then we went to Triptik. I want to go back to the rock club... someday... prob. the following week.
So, that's been my week so far. For all the time I didn't account for, insert "Tri sitting by the Seine reading or staring into the water listlessly or both." Now you've completely experienced my last week.
Back to the motif, I'm going to the Loire valley this weekend and staying in a castle, having boat tours with dinners, and touring other castles. Superfluous?
Enough said.
posted by Tri Luong at 1:44 AM
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