Blogging from the airport while waiting to go home!

First half of the year is done and I’m back to DC a month for Christmas break!

The last week has been hectic, but nothing was comparable to yesterday, where I had a final at NYU in the morning, hectic last-minute Christmas shopping, packing and putting the room in order (think a college student’s place during finals week… yeah, I don’t need to do a more precise description) AND getting ready for Swan Lake (choreographed by Nureyev) at Opera Bastille.

A word on getting Christmas presents to the two crazy baby cousins: after getting out of my last exam and bidding farewell to NYU in Paris – at least for 2010, I visited three toy stores and a book store on Rue de Passy and got out empty-handed. One must understand that my dear A., 5, and J., 3 are not your average sweet little girls, even though at first sight, they look like angels fallen from Heaven.

One salesperson insisted to give me advice on what to choose and lead me to the dolls. I started an uncontrollable laughter – the idea of A. or J. dressing up Barbie dolls and brushing their hair, or pretending to be the mothers of Baby Corolle and dress them, feed them, take them to the park… in other words, how I used to play with dolls in my childhood, is absolutely risible. Instead, the poor dolls will more than likely end up bald then loose their members one by one. And probably, as my mum would say, end up “being transformed into monsters”! So there is no point for bringing them from France.

Then the salesperson takes me to arts and crafts. She suggests that I get a knitting kit for the oldest one – something age-appropriate with colorful patterns to teach the child how to make their own fashion accessories. Laughter, again, while people look at me weirdly (I am a grownup cracking up in a toy store), because the idea of buying A. knitting material is insane: when she’d be bored with scrambling up the yarn into shapeless knots, she’d simply go back to her favourite occupation, which is to hunt her little sister with the  knitting needles. The fact that little J. is learning more and more to defend herself would lead to a serious fight, which would lead to the confiscation of the toys and grounding. One doesn’t want that at Christmas!

Hello-Kitty pens, modeling paste, child jewelry… forget it. Then finally, almost about to let go of all hope and decide to just run to Target once I land in DC, get the kind of stuff they’d like and simply wrap it in Eiffel Tower giftwrap (that’s a joke, I don’t even have Eiffel Tower giftwrap), I find the ideal thing at Nature et Découvertes, a hippy, eco-friendly store that sells all sort of gadgets, lifestyle manuals, essential oils and authentic cultural artifacts.

Marbles.

They wouldn’t choke on it since they both stopped putting stuff in their mouth long ago, and they’ve never had any so they’d have some fun with it. Besides, unlike the heavy xylophone I saw right next to the Treasure, one cannot hit someone with marbles or use them to climb and reach forbidden objects or cupboards.

I should simply remember not to give them this in the car, though.

At the register, I laugh for a different reason. Reminiscing a childhood memory where I enjoyed the delight of racking grownups’ nerves, I thought, thank goodness I wasn’t evil enough to buy them bouncy balls…

Then the day went fast and I headed at around 7 to Opéra Bastille for Swan Lake. Since I will be writing a review on it, I will not talk about it too much now (my flight is in half an hour!!). I will simply say how excited I was to watch my favourite ballet, how magical it seemed to have this happen right under my eyes (literally, I seriously splurged on the ticket and was seated in the first rows), and how the version of Nureyev is interesting, deeply psychological and would challenge anyone who pretends that Swan Lake is too traditional and known, and the story so naïve that it gets boring. Although I am quite a purist when it comes to ballet (some scenes did shock me at first), I must admit that this version was the most interesting I had ever seen, because when you got the hang of it, you knew that there was more surprises to expect from Nureyev’s choreography and interpretation of the ballet (hint: look his own personal life, and maybe even his darkness…).

After Swan Lake, I headed back home and kept tidying up the room, not nearly getting enough sleep. So I intend to zone out completely in the plane today – I am landing at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, and I’ve missed my car. I’m thinking an outing with the babies would be a good way to start what promises to be a very fun vacation! I cannot wait to see all my friends from High School and hang out and have looaads of fun!

As a conclusion: Paris this semester was amazing, although challenging: there are particularly problematic aspects of the society that I didn’t get to experiment enough last time I stayed there, given the fact that I hardly got out of the 8^th Arrondissement, my daily outing being a walk from Avenue Montaigne to the Champs-Elysées. Then again, I was too young to be allowed to take the metro, and it’s probably a good thing.).

I am thankful for NYU Paris to be a tiny American society there, a place where you feel at home. I don’t think I would have had such a positive experience if I went on my own, without any contacts or friends or community to live in.

2010, (if I don’t get to blog until the New Year), was a very interesting year. Despite a few personal problems that come along with life, it brought me life changing experiences and many happy moments, successes such as the Mention Très Bien on the Bac that helped me realize what I am worth. I met amazing people, learned so much about the world and about myself since I was challenged to new situations.

And guess what? I cannot wait for more!!!

I wish all my readers excellent holidays and hope that you will be many many more next year!

Finals, packing and nostalgy...

The first half of the Parisian Adventure will be over next Friday morning, when I'll be heading to the airport to fly back to DC. For a month, only, but still, I have the feeling something is over and I dread a little bit the moment when I'll be leaving Paris for real.
I guess this semester I focused on settling down and working with the big changes (starting college, living on my own for the first time, living in a foreign country... dealing with broken lightbulbs), not to mention the huuuuuge workload that comes with being an NYU student (Columbia kids, seriously, don't you say a word), rather than taking risks and playing it adventurous. As much as I've wandered outside Paris this semester, I intend to hop around in Europe next Spring, with my must-sees being London, Athens, Rome, Berlin..... and maybe some formerly-communist, Eastern-European capital. Maybe I'll even make it to Moscow...
As for conclusions, I do intend to blog more regularly (hard enough... now for example, huuuge guilt because I am supposed to 1) be producing finals flashcards at a rate of 193/second, 2) be preparing my place for a fríend's cousin who will be staying there while I'm in DC, 3) be doing laundry and figure out what to pack....

I guess you'll hear of me next Thursday, whereas I'll be freaking out about my possible grade on Political Theory final exam, getting ready for Swan Lake at Opera Bastille, and getting my suitcase ready for the next day whereas I'm trying to find a hairstyle that will stay fresh after 7 or 8 hours of flight and God knows how much waiting in line in airports. I'm thinking wavy curls, now that my hair is getting longer...



Sur ce, dear readers, off I am!
A bientôt,
S