Marrakech
March 14, 2016
I was in the red city this weekend. Marrakech is a vibrant maze. Its dusty streets are pulsating with life and there are hardly any signs so when you ask a Moroccan for directions, it goes something like this: -Excuse me, how do you find La Maison Arabe? -Ah! That’s easy. You go straight, then you make a left, take a right, and another right! You’ll see an alley, you go down and it’ll be right on your right. If you hit the Mosque, you've gone too far. It is almost impossible not to buy something at the souk, but bargaining is a must. Thick woven carpets, paintings, carvings, jewelry. The colors are rich and deep. Snake charmers, henna tattoo artists and traditional dancers will beckon to you, as well as those sitting in front of piles of fruit, bundles of herbs, clay tagines, steaming piles of nuts and grilled meat. On one of our days, we took a road trip to the nearby Berber villages in the Atlas Mountains. As our guide called it: La vrai Maroc. The government subsidizes... Read More
La Loi Travail
March 14, 2016
The French love a good protest. I’ve passed by numerous manifestations, people chanting, holding up signs, making impassioned speeches. On one hand, it is impressive how sure people are that there individual voices will make a difference to causes they care about, on the... Read More
Moscow-Amsterdam-Maastricht-Bruges
March 6, 2016
February break went too quickly! After a few days in Moscow, I flew into Amsterdam to meet up with friends from back home. We stayed in Clink Noord, a warehouse now hip hostel, just a ferry ride away from the city center. I highly recommend the Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank... Read More
Meeting People
March 2, 2016
One of the most pressing concerns for incoming students is making French friends. The stereotype is that Parisians are closed off and that it is difficult to establish a relationship. First and foremost, I would recommend not stressing out about being alone. You will naturally... Read More
Place de la République
February 27, 2016
The most impressionable thing I have seen so far is the statue at République, now a place of tribute to the victims of the November 13 terrorist attacks. Nearby is the venue where one of the coordinated attacks occurred, boarded up, also decorated with flowers and letters. On a... Read More
The Study in Study Abroad
February 27, 2016
Studying abroad in Paris – meeting new people, exploring your new city like a tourist and a local, going on crazy adventures! The flipside is the actual studying part. It is really easy to get caught up in the excitement and completely forget that you’re still in college and... Read More
Marché aux puces
February 20, 2016
Flea marketing near Porte de Clignancourt was an experience. If you go, be aware that you’re entering a not so nice part of Paris. Nothing major, you just have to be a little more careful with your things. I was not that impressed with the actual market – too many Chinese... Read More
Les Catacombes de Paris
February 20, 2016
The Catacombs were a lot less disturbing than I expected. Perhaps it was the museum-like order of the skulls and bones neatly stacked one on top the other, the desensitizing effect of how many there were… I strongly suspect it was our crew because we couldn’t keep it... Read More
Le Roi est Mort
February 13, 2016
At Versaille, there is an entire exhibit dedicated to Louis XIV death: La mort du roi. French monarchs were bearers of absolute and divine power. After his death, everyone wanted a piece of the Sun King. His body was buried in the Saint-Denis Basilica, his entrails sent to Notre... Read More
Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture
February 9, 2016
If you’re looking for an alternative activity away from the crowds, visit Paris’s abandoned railway, The Petite Ceinture, which stopped operation in 1934. There is no formal entrance: The way in was a simple swing over a barrier, but the way out, I am proud to say, I... Read More
Cider Taste Test
February 3, 2016
We took cover from the rain in the Coeur de Lion, one of Normandy’s famed cider distilleries. Who knew the apple had this many uses. The tasting was a great finish to the tour – apple and pear brandy, calvados, gin. Then came the puzzle: How do you get the apple inside... Read More
Carmen à tout prix at the Théâtre Trévise !
February 3, 2016
The perks of having a friend in the program whose host mother is an opera singer, actor and comedian: front row seats to the show! A spin on Carmen, the show starts with an announcement of its cancellation. What comes next is a hilariously thrown together production. The... Read More
Visite Montmartre
January 24, 2016
The cobblestone streets here start climbing upward and require a good amount of leg work. At the summit is the Sacre-Coeur overlooking all of Paris where tourists mill around taking pictures of the sprawling view. We were lucky to have our first visit here accompanied by... Read More
The Packing One
December 31, 2015
NOTE: this post speaks more directly to girls, as they tend to have a much more difficult job of packing to do than boys. Sorry, guys. Now that the holidays are nearly over, I’m sure many of you are overrun with new clothes. In addition to all the super cute new... Read More
A Word from the Wise
December 25, 2015
These are some pieces of advice directly from the girls of this past semester. Heed their word! Don’t be afraid to ask for help even if you’re not sure if you’ll need it. About literally anything. (The APA directors are super available, really helpful, and... Read More
