Food, Fashion and the French

It's been a long and busy week. We do so many things in such short periods of time, I really think each week feels like two.

Saturday morning was the day we worked the fashion show. It was Elie Saab's 2008 Fall Ready-to-Wear collection; the pieces were beautiful and I wish I could have taken one home, let's forget they were probably all over ten thousand dollars! I worked as a dresser and was assigned a model who would wear two looks during the show. My model was Laura, I believe she was 17(!) and Russian. One of the first times I've felt old; no getting angry I know I'm young! It's just weird to think the girl is 17 and a recognized model throughout the world. These two pictures are of the looks she wore; they weren't my favorite pieces in the whole collection but were both really quite beautiful.

Before the show started we had to wait around for over an hour as they prepped everything, but once it started it was only about 15 minutes that passed in a flash. The girls went out, ran back in and had to rush through changing, then we back out to walk again. I don't know how the girl do it! My model had to leave immediately after she got off the runway the second time to go to another show she was going to work. Poor thing must be exhausted, fashion week is intense! I was busy helping my model head out when the other girls in the program were taking pictures of the designer with his models. I've stolen a few of their pictures to show you what he and the rest of the collection looked like!

In the spirit of fashion week we few friends and I also used our connections to get into a rather exclusive party at a club near the Tour Eiffel. Let's just say it was fun to say we went to a fashion-show after party... the cost, no so much. We were on the list, so luckily we didn't have to pay cover. The space was gigantic, with a huge aquarium as one entire wall. My friends and I thought we'd stay a while, but after I ordered one drink and the cost was rang up we decided that we were too cheap for these fashionistas. 15 euro for one drink! Absurd! Heading home at that time was nice though, we got great views of the Tour Eiffel and felt rested by the time it was morning.

My tourist escapades have slowed down a bit. One place which I've gone to frequently and loved is the Marais. It's both the Jewish and the gay district of Paris, which basically means great food and great clothes. The falafel there is to die for. I plan on taking every person who visit me to my favorite falafel stand; they throw massive amounts of falafel, cabbage, eggplant, cucumber, tomatoes (if you want those foul things) and sauces into a pita, hand you a napkin and fork and you're ready to go! For only 5 euro, it's really quite a good deal. I found a really great vintage store too. Have yet to buy anything there, but I plan to be on the lookout for great stuff!

Food is always a focus for fun. We did fondue not too long ago, it was interesting to say the least. Matt and I (in the picture) decided to try a "fondue" in which you cook your own meat on a hot plate. It tasted pretty good, but in the future I think I'll stick to a pot of cheese or chocolate! Being very French, I've discovered what I think is the best bakery in my neighborhood. I've also come to realize that the crepes one can get on the street are always going to be better than any crepe you can get in a restaurant. By the end of my stay here I may have eaten my weight in nutella and bananas, my preferred crepe filling.

Classes have officially started, which is both very exciting and nerve-racking. The courses do not seem too difficult, but they are challenging in a different way than courses at GWU. There is a much greater focus on discussion in my courses here, even in the large lecture classes. Workload seems fairly similar to GWU, with either papers, exams, or strict presentations called "exposés" to make up our grade for the semester. The only tough part is scheduling all these different projects throughout the semester. I think most of mine are spread during a five-week period, in the middle of which is spring break.

Thus far, the classes that interest me the most are "Legal Interpretations of Major International Crises" and "International Organizations." The first because the topic is very interesting, the latter because I think it will be a bit easier than the rest. Most of my professors have quite a bit of personality, although some have trouble with their English and it makes it very difficult to pay attention during class. One thing I really appreciate here is that they do not have students buy textbooks. Thank goodness I won't have that expense! Instead they print readers which cost less than 5 euro each, my friends and I are debating whether that practice it legal.

The travel portion of my stay here is slowly developing. It seems people here want to go someplace new every weekend, which I will be declining. Simply too expensive! However, I will be traveling to Madrid at the end of the month for a few days. Pamela, Lauren and I decided to book a flight and hostel last night; none of us have ever been there before but Pamela has a friend there to show us around the city. We booked our flights with a European discount airline, RyanAir. A little bit hesitant about there service... one of my flights only cost 20 euro (taxes and fees included!). Can't beat flights that cheap!

Spring break plans are not settled yet, I know we need to get that done soon. My largest concern is that people are expecting to take a extravagant trip, but I'd like to avoid excess at all costs. The top few places I'm looking at to go are Greece, Marrocco, and Eastern Europe. Let me know if you have any cheap suggestions!

To conclude, here's a picture I particulary like that I friend took. Yes, that is my foot. What I am stepping on is the word "dreams" in French. Basically, I'm walking all over someone's dreams! (Note: I wouldn't mean to do that! Just a funny happening!) I'll update again this weekend. Sorry for the delay, the internet was broken for a week! I don't quite know how I survived without it. Miss you all!