As my time in Paris has now faded into a memory, I have had time to reflect upon my amazing experience and have a few thoughts to share.
My main goals during this program were to learn as much about fashion as possible, as well as to discover if I could imagine myself working in the industry. After studying in Paris for six weeks, I discovered more about myself than I thought I would. I came into the program thinking that I would love being a fashion journalist, but actually found it to be quite unappealing and superficial. Rather, I find myself more interested in working in public relations for fashion companies as it has many responsibilities that deal with many different people. For example, PR includes event planning for fashion shows, sample trafficking for celebrities, keeping in contact with editors and also writing creative press releases. To be even broader, by learning about several different industries throughout my first year at university, I’ve discovered that a title in one industry can carry completely different roles in another. For example, I’m not so interested in fashion journalism but I would love to write about music at a publication like Rolling Stone. Likewise, public relations is very business oriented in the music industry, and more creative and interactive in the fashion industry. Some advice that I would like to give to future participants is to really research this dialogue and talk to people who have experienced it before attending yourself. Before applying to this dialogue, I talked to several students who had gone on this trip the year before and so I think I had more realistic expectations than my other peers. I will not sugarcoat my experience - the classes were hard work, there were many late nights of studying, and not enough personal free time. Having been to Paris and France many times, this was not a big issue for me because I didn’t need to experience the culture or see the tourist sites to feel fulfilled. My priorities were learning in my classes and experiencing Paris through a fashion-related lense. I know that many of my acquaintances were disappointed that we didn’t have more time for activities that were not class-related, so I urge you to consider this before choosing to go on this enriching dialogue. The single greatest benefit about studying abroad is seeing the self-development you made after the trip is over. While studying abroad in Abu Dhabi during high school, I lived in a theocratic monarchy that made me develop a sense of appropriateness and cultural fluidity. While studying abroad in Paris, I developed an understanding of the roommate I wanted to be while sharing an apartment, I improved my french skills, and was enlightened about my new academic and professional goals. The biggest takeaway is that no matter how many times you study abroad, there is something new to be learned in every country you visit because the circumstances will always be different. If you are nervous about studying abroad for the first time, know that you aren’t alone. It can be scary and confusing to be in a place where people don’t speak the same language, dress the same, and treat you differently based on their culture. However, it will be one of the most enriching and enlightening experiences of your life. Maybe not changing your world view but developing yourself as a person, even if you don’t realize it during the process. For the final time // Good luck Marcella
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On my last day in Paris, it feels a little bit silly to be writing about culture shock, a feeling of disorientation in an unfamiliar culture usually experienced during the first few weeks upon arriving in a new city. I think one of the most prominent cultural differences between Paris and Boston or more widely the French and the Americans is a topic I touched on in one of my first blog posts. Americans are taught from a young age to be individuals while the French are taught to fit into a crowd. While both countries are very Western in thinking and the cities operate in mostly the same ways, you can distinctly tell the French from tourists and other foreigners from Americans. Stereotypically Americans tend to speak louder, wear more unique clothing, and treat people they have met only once with a certain kindness that is progressively intimate. On the other hand, Parisians are more quiet, dress cohesively, and act politely but not friendly to people they don’t know. These are subtle differences but if you are really paying attention you can notice. I don’t think either personality is better, but it’s interesting to see the roots of why people, and more largely, certain cultures act in different ways.
As I am preparing to leave Paris, I am actually expecting some reverse culture shock upon arriving in America. Even though I grew up in Chicago and now attend school in Boston, there are some American sets of attitudes that always tend to catch me off guard. Just the other day, I said “Thank you” and was so surprised because I hadn’t spoken a word of English (outside of class) since I had arrived in Paris. As you’ve read before, there are also some things I liked better about Paris than Boston, so I’ll be disappointed to leave, but I am also really excited to go back home soon! Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella 1. Carry a working cell phone
Whether you’re in town for a day or just a few weeks, it’s important for people to be able to contact you and vice versa. Besides freaking out your dialogue director when you don’t arrive to class or the museum visit on time, it could be really troubling if you find yourself in a dangerous situation. Just a few weeks ago, there was an incident at the Cathedral Notre Dame, which is very close to our program housing. As per Northeastern protocol, our TA is required to contact everyone to confirm their locations and a few people didn’t have their phones on. Luckily everybody was completely fine but it was stressful for those in charge of our safety not to know where we were when they needed that information the most. 2. Pay attention to your bags Pickpocketing is the most common danger to tourists in Paris. For girls, I suggest wearing a cross-body bag close to your body and keep your hand on it at all times. When you’re at a restaurant, always keep your bag on your lap, putting it on the floor or on the back of your chair makes it susceptible to robbery. As for guys, hold your backpacks on your stomachs and put your valuables into deep pockets when in crowded streets or on the metro. Our dialogue group has pranked each other by “stealing” stuff from backpack pockets when no one was paying attention - this shows just how easy a professional could take your items! 3. Avoid Cultural Faux Pas Every country has their own specific customs and traditions. Try to research some of the major faux-pas that happen in your travel destination. Even if something seems normal to you, it could be highly offensive to locals. For example, the French get easily surprised by hugs although kisses are totally fine. Forgetting manners such as entering a store and not saying bonjour or addressing someone by their first name or informally (like the pharmacist, or your teacher) can make locals angry and you don’t want to find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. 4. Watch out for fake taxis In many cities just like Paris, there are many people trying to make an income and will try to haggle you for money. It is really important that you know how to spot out a certified taxi. Upon arriving in Paris, my friend paid 100 euro to get from the airport into the city, when French law states it is illegal for taxi drivers to request more than 60. He was unfortunately cat-fished by a fake taxi. There are many ways to indicate whether a taxi is certified or not, make sure to know these distinctions (license location, id numbers, etc) before getting into a car. It is also very important to always check the name and license plate number when getting into an Uber. On our first weekend in Paris, an Uber driver was preventing my friends from getting out of the car unless they paid him more money. After finally escaping the car, they were unable to press charges on the Uber driver since they had actually gotten the wrong ride. 5. Enroll in STEP The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is a government initiative and website that keeps Americans safe abroad. This free service allows you to register with STEP to get travel warnings and alerts for a particular country and helps the government assist you better in case of an emergency. While I have been in Europe, we have unfortunately been near many of the accidents that have been happening during the summer. For example, my dialogue program was at Borough Market the same day of the Attack on London Bridge and we were all out in the city the night the accident occurred. I received an email and text notification on my phone from STEP that told me about the incident, what areas to avoid, and how to get back to safety. While we were in no immediate danger it was important to know about the situation and everyone was able to get connected and stay safe. I am not saying any of this information to scare you from visiting Paris, but there are some precautions that everyone can forget about every now and then when they are having fun and exploring an unfamiliar city. As long as you are practicing common sense, your safety should be of no concern during your vacation! Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella What is a typical weekday like for Marcella in Paris? I usually wake up around 9:00 a.m., make myself a fresh smoothie, get dressed and leave the house around 9:25am. As long as I leave from my metro stop before 9:35 a.m., I always have enough time to grab a croissant and get to my first class on time at 10:00 a.m. In 19th and 20th Century History of Fashion, we always begin class by going over announcements, handing back assignment grades, and discussing the plan for the rest of the week. We also look at exemplary blog posts written by our classmates to take a look at everyone’s critiques of gallery visits and photography development. Then around 10:30 a.m. we start a series of lectures taught by Professor Frances McSherry. For example, last Monday we learned about fashion during the Roaring Twenties and by Wednesday we were already learning about the Swinging Sixties! It’s absolutely crazy how much material we cover in such a short amount of time, but Prof. McSherry is super organized so I definitely recommend her classes! Around 11:30 a.m. we usually have a ten to fifteen minute break where we sunbathe in the courtyard of our school since sitting in our air-conditioned classroom can be quite freezing. Some people take a smoke-break while others go to the nearby cafés to pick up a coffee and then we continue the second part of our class until 12:30 p.m. We have an hour for lunch everyday, which unfortunately I think is a bit too short. Usually I just pick up a pre-made sandwich or salad but if we get out of class even five minutes early, me and my friends try to go to a sit-down restaurant to eat and relax. Lately we’ve been trying different cuisines. For example, this week, we went to a Peruvian-Japanese place for sushi, an açai bowl café and a Italian bistro. But other times, we stay in the classroom and catch up on readings we didn’t have time to do the night before. At 1:30 p.m. our Mass Media class starts and we work directly until 4 p.m. It can be a bit strenuous not to have a small break in between classes, but like I mentioned before, there is just so much material that we have to get through before our dialogue finishes next week. I like that class because we can approach the content in a multitude of ways. We have already watched several documentaries, we usually have a class discussion about readings, and sometimes we go on field trips. We are also allotted a bit of time to work on our three major projects at the end of class which takes some pressure off of doing work at home later. After classes end, we usually go straight home via the metro, complete homework, eat dinner and go to bed. It might seem uninteresting but that’s just the reality when you take two eight-credit classes in six-weeks. At the same time, I can’t say that is the norm. I would say that on half our weekdays we have extra activities after classes. For example, we have an hour-long french class on Mondays and Wednesdays, we go on two-hour walking tours on Tuesdays, and then we have had guest lecturers on Thursdays or Fridays. Last Thursday, we spoke to René Célestin, founder of OBO Paris, an event management company that has organized fashion shows for clients such as Victoria’s Secret, Kanye West, and Gucci. That same day we had a Cheese and Mineral Water tasting held by our host university - it was informative and delicious but it also ran so long that we didn’t have a lot of time to do homework after getting home around 8:30 p.m. It is hard to believe that we have been working hard for 12 straight hours when the sun stays up until 11:00 p.m. every night. Sometimes I don’t even eat dinner because I have so much work to do. But honestly, I have done everything in my power to avoid being stressed, so even though it is a lot of work, I have been enjoying myself and getting good grades. I’m just glad that I have 20 other friends to experience this with, otherwise, I think I’d go insane!
Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella Images from walking around my neighborhood This past Saturday, our host university bought us tickets to attend a one man show called How to Become Parisian in One Hour. The comedian, Olivier Giraud, teaches the audience how to act like a real Parisian in every situation that would be encountered during their stay in Paris: in restaurants, during shopping, in the nightclub and even in the bedroom! While the show was a solid two out of five stars, it did effectively show us the difference between Parisians and tourists, especially when it comes to behavior and facial expressions in everyday life. So you may be thinking: how do you live like a local in Paris?
I think the best advice, for any country you are visiting, is to blend in and act like you know what’s going on even if you have no clue what you’re doing! Observing the locals is the best way to adopt their mannerisms and fall less victim to tourist problems (pickpockets, rude waiters, conniving cab drivers, etc,.). As Olivier Giraud explained it for the Parisians, act like you absolutely hate everything about Paris; the terrible service, the dirty metro, your small apartment, and of course the ugly Eiffel Tower. I have also learned to not speak loudly, avoid tourist areas, wear neutral colored clothes, and act like I don’t care ( about my look, service, tourist sites, etc.)! Over the past few weeks, I’ve found it difficult to maintain a budget. Even though I live here, it still feels like I am on an extended vacation, so I think I’ve been spending too much money on food and activities. There are so many delicious restaurants in Paris that it is difficult to not eat out at restaurants, especially when there is barely anytime to go grocery shopping and cook! However, adjusting to a new currency isn’t difficult and I love being able to whip out a 1 or 2 euro coin when buying my daily morning croissant! Since the fashion program is very extensive, there hasn’t been a lot of time to go out and meet locals. Although, I always try to strike up conversations with my taxi drivers or store clerks to learn a little bit about their life and practice my french. The best way I have found to meet locals is by going out to bars or clubs. This past weekend, my friends and I went to a discotheque and had fun dancing and talking to a bunch of different people. Even though we haven’t met anyone we would properly see again, it is nice to socialize and hang out with people outside of our program. I am hoping that I will be able to meet more locals during my last few weeks in Paris. It would be interesting to see how their lives differ from my own despite living in the same city. Wish me luck with more authentic local living! Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella One of the main reasons I chose Exploring Fashion in Paris as my dialogue was so that I could practice my french with locals. I have been studying french in school since 5th grade and up to the end of my senior year, I was speaking pretty fluently. When I was 15, I spent a summer living in the Cote d’Azur practicing my french and upon entering Northeastern, I passed out of the language requirements as a “native speaker”. While living in Paris, however, I have realized that things do not come as easily to me as they did before. I am really out of practice! For example, sometimes I will have a brain-freeze and forget little words, which can be embarrassing when speaking to the locals. What’s even worse is that my writing has gotten significantly deficient. I have forced myself to spend unreasonable amounts of time writing my History of Fashion blog posts in french and english. An assortment of photographs taken around the city After two weeks, I’m starting to increase my vocabulary once again, especially since I have found myself in unpredictable situations where I have had to help out my classmates. For example, today I went to the pharmacy with Ziqi because she sprained her ankle and I learned so many new words just by speaking with the pharmacists! I also got into a heated discussion with my uber driver the other evening about Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. There were many mistakes but at least he didn’t start speaking in English. That’s probably the worst part about living in Paris for me - when store clerks or waiters begin speaking to you in french because you made one grammatical mistake or mispronounced something. It truly feels more patronizing than helpful. For instance, the other day I was in a clothing store with Kelley and I didn’t know the name of a certain garment. From that point on, the store clerk was only speaking to me in English, while I continued to speak to her in French. I didn’t want to forfeit our tiny war and let her “convert me” when she obviously understood everything I was saying. I’ll just pretend it was her way of practicing english!
I really love helping my classmates learn the french language. I think it’s wonderful that they try to order their food in french and have started saying bonjour and bonsoir without hesitation. Even though I find the SOS french class by our host university valueless for myself, I like sitting in and watching my friends adapting to their new city. It is really funny listening to their accents and cringingly remembering how horrible I was at french when I started learning the language almost nine years ago. Honestly though, it makes me happy seeing my friends put effort into adapting into the french culture and speaking with locals. I really hope that they see the beauty in the language and will want to continue after we leave. As for me, let’s hope I can be fully confident with my french skills before the end of our trip. Wish me luck! Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella Studying in the epicenter of high fashion, where haute couture ateliers like Coco Chanel and Christian Dior have been based, is a great advantage of the program because we have access to primary sources (paintings, textiles, garments, magazines) from the periods being studied in our classes. It has only been two weeks, yet we have already been to seven museums, a boat cruise, two walking tours in Paris, and two walking tours in London. Time is flying by, we are experiencing so much in the city and learning so much in the classroom. Our first excursion was a visit to the Musée d’Orsay where we looked at paintings from the impressionist and art nouveau periods to understand the 18th century dress we had studied in class that week. Not only did the paintings give us more examples of the type of dress women and men wore, but it also gave us context to what was happening in the time period. For example, we looked at Portrait de famille by Edgar Degas which was a prime example of mourning dress developed in the mid-1800s. It showed us a glimpse of family life and a background of cultural norms. Our second excursion was a visit to the Palais Galliera for an exhibition on Dalida, an Italian-French singer and actress who was the Madonna of her time. This was one of my favorites because we got to see both her personal town clothes and show outfits that were designed by famous couturiers like Jacques Esterel, Pierre Balmain, and Loris Azzaro. The exhibition was so thorough and magnificent that, in my mind, it definitely competes with the Manus x Machina exhibition featured at The Metropolitan Museum in NYC in summer 2016. Two other galleries I really enjoyed were those we visited in London. On our first night, we visited The World of Anna Sui at the Fashion and Textile Museum in southeast London. The gallery featured over 100 looks from the designer’s archive, presenting different looks from punk-grunge to americana and hippies. While I really loved the intricacies of her designs, the exhibition was disorganized which detracted from the experience. However, the next day was absolutely incredible when we visited the Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum. We got to discover how Cristobal Balenciaga’s craftsmanship and innovative designs shaped fashion and left a legacy for modern designers to follow. Our trip to London was also a chance for us to visit the fashion houses of designers we have chosen to do presentations on. For example, some people are presenting on Gucci, Comme des Garcons, and Valentino. Now that we are back in Paris, we will be writing a comparative essay on how and why the flagship stores in London and Paris are similar and different. Along with the museum visits, we have taken many walking tours of both cities. One of my favorites was actually our Coco Chanel and Rue St. Honore tour that we walked through today in the pouring rain. Our guide, Rochelle, was very experienced in the fashion industry having worked for the House of Dior and so she shared a lot of information with us that wasn’t as thoroughly covered in class. Despite the rain, I loved walking around and gaining a better understanding of where Coco Chanel took inspiration from, lived, and worked in the city. We walked past her flagship store, down two of the most luxurious streets in Paris (Rue St. Honore and Rue Cambon) and past the Ritz Carlton, where she lived for most of her life. It is one thing to hear about in class, but it is another to learn about these fashion topics in an engaging and interactive setting. We also obviously pass by famous monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysées, and Église de Madeleine, so our walking tours are a great way of incorporating normal sightseeing with class field trips. As for our next excursions, I am really looking forward to our upcoming cheese and mineral water tasting which is apart of our french culture class at our host university. While it can be a bit overwhelming to have classes, excursions, alumni talks, and homework all in one day, I feel like I am learning in so much depth that would be lost by just sitting in a classroom. I think that all of our excursions have had a positive result for learning our curriculum, which is good because there is no time to waste with such a busy schedule. Even though I wish we had more time to relax, we have so much more to do in the next three weeks before our program ends! Here’s to hoping that I come out of this program happy, healthy, and with 8 credits in my hand!
Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella Oh, Paris! Your food is way too good! I’m pretty sure that I’ve already gained five pounds by eating all the buttery croissants. There are just so many pastries, breads, quiches, tartines! I think I’ve finally decided that the French do indeed make both the best breakfasts and the best desserts in the world. All the food is just so clean, fresh, and perfectly plated! Even when I eat a cheese sandwich I feel like I’m eating at a 5 star Michelin restaurant! So what makes the French cuisine so delectable? I think that any good food starts with the ingredients. France is one of the only countries in the world that still has a majority of foods that are made free of pesticides, preservatives, and genetically modified organisms. With a necessity to be fresh, food is always perfectly ripe and flavorful and always going bad just a bit too early. I’m serious - if you leave your strawberries in the fridge over night then they will most definitely be moldy in the morning! Last week, I forgot to eat my baguette and it was so stale that I spent half of the next day banging it against different surfaces in my apartment to see if it would break... it never did. Needless to say, if you are going to live in Paris, you will need to embrace the lifestyle of going grocery shopping every day. It can be a bit tiresome but at least I know I am putting healthy food into my system. I would say that the biggest difference between eating in the U.S. versus eating in France is the customer service. Like I mentioned in one of my other posts, a good waiter in France is one that does not exist. Service can be very slow since waiters don’t tend to check up on your table frequently. I’ve learned that if I’m in a rush, restaurants are not the way to go! Picking up fast food or pre-made sandwiches at a café is much better in a timely situation. Mealtimes in France tend to be on the later side - Parisians having lunch around 1pm and eating dinner around 8pm. The structure of dining is almost completely the same, but I’ve noticed one key difference. My friends typically order their coffees when they order their food, but this is not common in any European countries. Coffee and teas are always taken after meals, as if it is a desert that needs to be savored on its own. The portion sizes are also different. My friend, Ziqi, is exasperated that she can’t get an adequate size of coffee unless she goes to a Starbucks or Costa. If you live in Paris, expect a shot of espresso or a small cappuccino because you will definitely not be getting a standard mug of black! Etiquette is also very similar, but note that using your hands is usually not seen well (and that’s in most European countries). For example, if you’re at an Italian restaurant, eat pizza with a fork and knife. On a typical weekday, I eat most of my meals at home and on the weekend I eat all my meals out. I usually make a smoothie for breakfast and I make a balanced meal (protein, carbs, veggies) for dinner. I always go out to eat for lunch because we have an hour in between our classes and our school is next to so many amazing restaurants. Last week I tried several french cafés but also went to a Lebanese kebab cart and a sushi restaurant. Hopefully this week I can try a nearby Vietnamese place since I am craving some pho! Overall, I would say that Paris has amazing food but it is lacking slightly in diversity. You can definitely find what you are looking for but the vast majority of restaurants focus on french cuisine. One traditional french food that I love is a tartine. It is an open toast with different toppings like avocado or smoked salmon with cream or tomatoes (like a bruschetta). Another popular lunch dish is the Croque Madame, which is a piece of toasted white bread with ham, a combination of melted cheese, and a fried egg on top. On our first weekend in Paris, I went to La Durée with my roommate, Kelley, and our other classmate, Essence. Neither of them had macarons before so I was so excited for them to (1) eat the best dessert on this planet and (2) experience the magic of eating at La Durée. We began our expedition drinking hot chocolate at their downstairs coffee bar, which was an exquisite room with embossments of butterfly wings on the walls. We then were led upstairs for a three-hour brunch which consisted of drinking peach bellinis, macaron-flavored rosé, eating a delicious set of dishes (I had citrus salad, pea soup, and sirloin) and finishing off with four delicate macarons and a pot of tea. I have to admit that we may have gone overboard but it was simply exquisite. One terrible yet hilarious thing to mention is that after exclaiming to my friends how well you could taste the almonds in our macarons, Kelley screamed that she was allergic to nuts! My heart legitimately skipped a beat. In the end, Kelley was fine because she only ate half the pastry, I was so glad I hadn’t accidentally poisoned her...and that she got to enjoy the pastry while it lasted!
Whether you’re just visiting or living in Paris for a semester, it is so important to take advantage of all the delicious food that you simply cannot find anywhere else. The ingredients, the sauces, and even the presentation can make any foodie cry. It might be hard for you to switch up your diet at first, but food is such a big part of french culture and it’s so interesting to understand its legacy on chefs and international cuisine. As for me, I will be eating every quiche, tartine, and éclair that come my way! Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella If you knew me, you would know that when it comes to arriving on time in the mornings, I cut it really close. I have always wanted as much sleep as possible, so after having hit snooze for the past hour, I usually wake up in a frenzy and end up rushing to class. Growing up, I lived very close to school so I was well-versed in when I needed to walk, jog, or sprint to arrive to school on time. Now that I have a morning metro commute, this self-paced dash doesn’t work so well! It’s required me to get up earlier and schedule my mornings ahead of time, which I suppose is a good thing. Every morning, I walk about two minutes from my apartment building to my local metro station. As I’ve been getting accustomed to my new home, I have realized that Paris has one of the best metro systems in the world. Unlike New York or Boston where trains are 8 minutes apart on average, the RATP (Paris Metro) has trains come every 1-2 minutes. If a train is overcrowded, you don’t need to worry about waiting a long time for the next one to come around. For example, Tuesdays have heavy commuter traffic, so I skipped three trains before getting in a less crowded subway car. My commute is very easy. I take twelve stops on Line 8, and two on Line 11. You know how switching lines in New York can sometimes be difficult? You’ll have to go above ground, walk across the street, and then use another $2.50 metro-swipe before getting on your connecting train. That’s not an issue in Paris because of the complex RATP tunnel system that can continue for blocks underground, leading you to the right line for only €1.90. The transportation in Paris really is superb; walk just a few blocks and you will find a bus, metro, or commuter station nearby. Not to mention, Uber and taxi cabs are always readily available as well. If you’re accustomed to public transportation, you will know that no transportation stations are clean. They frequently smell like urine, they have trash everywhere, and even some of the track-side seats are stolen. You see homeless people sleeping on the sides of the tunnels and there are quite a few vendors pestering for cash, but that’s unfortunately expected. Having a positive attitude and the ability to laugh at yourself is always a good trait to have in a big city where mishaps are inevitable. Unpleasantly, a drunkard sneezed on my leg on my commute back home, but I guess now I have a funny story... right? Although I would prefer not wasting an hour on the subway, I am starting to enjoy my commuter lifestyle. I like trying to find familiar faces and it’s always amusing when I bump into classmates. On my five-minute walk from the station to school, I enjoy observing the early morning processes of boutiques and cafés. Walking past patisseries that have just taken their croissants out of the ovens. It makes me feel like I am apart of a small community, enjoying all the day has to offer.
Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella I don’t know how they did it, but we are staying in one of the nicest neighborhoods and apartments in Paris. If you haven’t heard, apartments in Paris are like apartments in New York. Paris has approximately 2.2 million residents, meaning that there are a lot of people in a limited space. My sister lives in a traditional apartment where the kitchen, bathroom, and living room are all semi-combined with a separate bedroom on the side. Authentic Parisian apartments usually have the washing machine located in the kitchen, no air conditioning, a mini-fridge, a clothing line-dry, and non-existent closets. However, our apartment is very Americanized. We are living in a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment with a separate kitchen, living, and dining room space. This was a fantastic surprise as we were told we would have small apartments before arriving. Our apartment complex is on Avenue de Suffren, an affluent street bordering the Eiffel Tower park. The area is surrounded by many patisseries, supermarchés, and bars. Everything we need - food, pharmacies, greenspace - is closeby! Since our neighborhood is close to one of the most famous tourist spots in the world, there are a few street sellers who can be a bit pesky, but it isn’t very much of an issue. Overall, the area is beautiful and lively, and our apartment is spacious and clean! aAt first, I thought it would be difficult to make friends since I didn’t travel on the group-flight. But since the fashion program at Northeastern is new, I think most people came on the trip expecting to meet people with this common interest. As of now, we haven’t done typical orientation games that introduce names, hometowns, and interests of the other students. I wish we had done this a bit sooner but Facebook has been a really helpful method for socializing. Most of my classmates are living around the park too, so it is easy to message the group and meet up for dinner and drinks at night. Our first museum excursion was also a good way to make small chit-chat with other people. It seems as though everyone on the trip is really passionate about the program, so I am excited to start learning and getting to know everyone better.
Until Next Time // À Bientôt Marcella |
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