Paris Fashion Week

Yesterday marked the last day of Paris Fashion Week so I decided to try to get in on some of the fun. Basically, the schedule for fashion week is online but only very few of the designers post the address of where the show will take place. You can try to e-mail reps to get an invitation but it's pretty tough stuff. In the case of yesterday, Masha Ma posted their address which enabled us to show up and wait around for the action. Designers do not want an empty show, so I was told to show up and sometimes they'll let you in if it's not full. This wasn't the case for me and my friend Ellie but we had fun people-watching, regardless. The people who attend shows are so amazingly dressed, it's unreal. There were more than enough fashion messes but for the most part, it was pure style and beauty.

We saw a bunch of models (who were quickly swarmed by paparazzi as soon as they exited) and decided to talk to a photographer to get the scoop for the rest of the day. He was able to give us the address to the Miu Miu show (not listed online - score!) and so we headed straight over to the next location. Here, we saw some crazyyy ensembles and a ridiculous amount of paparazzi. Fashion shows only last about 10 minutes so we huddled towards the exit to see if we could catch any celebs. We saw designers from all over, Angie Harmon from Law & Order, and just tons of impeccably dressed, gorgeous humans. Even though I didn't actually get to see any shows, it was really cool to get a little taste of the high fashion world in Paris.

Paparazzi swarming models as they exited shows

Russian designer Ulyana Sergeenko

You might recognize this beauty from Law & Order

Hooked on the Dolls (DJs)

Oktoberfest

Last Friday, my roommate Minh and I hopped on a 7am train to Munich, Germany. After layovers and delays, we got into Munich around 2pm and headed straight for the city center to check everything out. Because of Oktoberfest, the streets were full of people in their lederhosens and dirndls (traditional German outfit/gingerbreadpeople-esque) roaming around, happy and ready for beer. We walked into shops (mostly touristy), saw beautiful churches, famous landmarks and lots of beer gardens. Someone told me I absolutely had to go to Hofbraühaus so we made our way there for some awesome beer (the size of my head) and traditional German sausages! Everyone was singing, yelling and chugging liters of beer - it was delightful.

We met up with our other roommate Allison later that night and stayed with her friends in a Marriott, which was a luxury for an Oktoberfest trip, even if I had to sleep on the floor. 7 of us girls woke up the next morning at 6am to head to the festival and try to get a table. We succeeded, only after an hour of waiting and holding on to each other for our lives as the crowd shoved each other through the entrance. That part was no bueno but as soon as we secured a table and got our first liters of beer, all was right in the world. The drinking commences at 9am with people cheering for those who are brave (or stupid) enough to stand on tables trying to guzzle down an entire liter of beer. If they down the whole beer, people go crazy and yell and sing more but if they don't, pretzels are thrown and boo's are heard throughout the whole tent. Throughout the day, a band played music and everyone sang together, beers up and swaying... the kind of thing you might picture happening when you think of Oktoberfest.

It really is an experience like nothing else in the entire world and I'm super glad I was able to go. The atmosphere is wild and you meet tons of people from around the world, all while enjoying the best beer, pretzels and sausages of Germany. I loved Munich more than I ever imagined and I would love to go back some day and visit more of Bavaria! Here are pictures from the weekend:

Roommates! Allison, me and Minh 

Getting to the festival at 8am

Waiting for the doors to open at 8am

Our first round of beers

The mess of people in the Hofbraü tent at Oktoberfest

There were tons of puppet and magic shows downtown Munich

Awesome architecture

Me in the city center

My first beer in Munich at Hofbraühaus

More beer tents

A really popular beer tent

Better & better

I've been in Paris for three weeks now and each day has been an adventure in some way. The city is so much bigger than San Francisco so it's hard to get a grasp on the land but I'm definitely working on it. School is way less structured so that's taking some getting used to but nothing to complain about. In some ways, it moves faster and in other ways it moves slower than my school in SF. More on that when I have it figured out a little better...

This past Thursday, the study abroad organization put together an outing at an Australian bar called Cafe Oz which was really fun. There was tons of people and even more dancing. Bars and clubs in Paris don't get really going until later so after the bar, me and a few friends went to a club where they played a lot of old-ish American songs mixed in with today's hits so that was super fun too. Friday, I saw the most amazing firework show ever. It was at La Defense which is a huge business area with awesomely constructed buildings and big statues/sculptures. The firework show was narrated by this almighty French voice and even though I couldn't understand what the voice was saying, the fireworks and visuals explained the start and evolution of the universe. It was incredibly unique and went through the big bang and first organisms on Earth, etc. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. After the show, I went with a group of friends to an area called Oberkampf where there are a lot of bars. We hung out at a couple bars but kept it pretty low key, just talking and laughing the night away.

Saturday night was one of the most fun nights I've had in Paris so far. Me and a group of about 7 girls went to a club called quinze quinze (1515) near the Champs Elyseé. We met up with some French friends from our school and danced allllll night. It was awesome. Then on Sunday, I slept in late and met up with my culture class for a walking tour of the 5th arrondissement. We visited the jardin du luxembourg, pantheon, Hemingway's old apartment, roman ruins, a famous mosque, jardin des plantes, l'institue du monde arabe and the cute neighborhood surrounding all these great places. After the pretty walking tour, I met up with my friend Sebastian at the Notre Dame. He's a chef, so he knows all the best places to eat and I'm basically a professional eater so we have an easy friendship. We got the best ice cream I've ever had then walked around a Jewish/gay area called la marais which I fell in love with. The streets are narrow and there's tons of food and shopping - it's quintessentially Parisian. Later, I met up with some other friends to see a movie which was nice and made me feel at home. It was an amazing weekend and I can't wait for later this coming week - Cindy & Drew (Matt & Megan's good friends) will be here and then I'm going to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest! Stay tuned for beer and weinerschnitzels ;)

the amazing jardin du luxembourg

on the roof of l'institut du monde arabe w/a view of notre dame

Notre Dame!

walking along the river, saw a dance class going on

Vogue's Fashion Night Out

Last night, Vogue hosted its 5th annual "Fashion Night Out" in the 1st arrondissement (fancy neighborhood) of Paris. It's a night of impeccably dressed Parisians, free champagne, DJs and luxury couture. Anyone is able to attend the event - you just have to buy a Vogue or GQ magazine to get the ticket. So, upon buying the September issue of Vogue on my way to class, I naturally started panicking about what to wear. My roommates Allison and Minh felt the same so we all spent a solid hour changing outfits, attempting to find the perfect ensembles and then obsessing about our hair. We met up with our international group/culture class and started the walk down Rue du Faubourg Sainte Honoré, where only the best of the best luxury brands have their "maisons."

Allison and I somehow (or maybe purposely) got detached from the group early on and started visiting designers such as Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Prada, to name a few. We strolled from store to store, drinking free champagne, enamored with all the beautiful and well-crafted clothes and accessories. I fell in love with a pair of Prada booties that I still can't stop thinking about. (Only 650 euros if anyone's feeling generous!) The whole event was just a fashionista's dream come true and for me it was just really cool to watch the Parisian fashion scene light up like it did. It was a really special night and a fabulous excuse to throw on my fur coat, faux leather leggings and red lipstick. Allison and I ended the night with some friends at a Canadian bar where everyone speaks English, American football is on TV and you can get the best poutine (gravy & cheese fries) of your life. Needless to say, it's our new favorite place.

My empire (http://www.leonard-paris.com/)

View of the street from the top floor of a boutique

After the event

Exploring

I am entering week three of my adventure in Paris and can't believe how fast it's all flying by. It has been super rainy pretty much everyday but it hasn't stopped me from seeing the city. As a class, we visited the famous Louvre museum which, in my opinion, was incredibly overwhelming. The art there is SO old and holds so much history that you can't possibly just visit once. Once I saw the Mona Lisa and walked through one wing of the museum, I was pooped and ready to go. There is so much history all over Paris that it's hard not to stop and look at every building you pass by. The architecture everywhere is incredibly beautiful - I'm sure my friends are tired of hearing me say "Oh my god, that's gorgeous!"

I've gotten a better handle on buying and cooking food here. There is a huge market called Carrefour not too far from my apartment that has everything you could ever need. (It's probably half the size of Costco) The food here is the same, but different - It's hard to explain but it took me a little while to figure out what some stuff was and to get into the groove of grocery shopping and cooking for myself. It's tempting to take the easy way out and just buy pastries and baguette sandwiches all day but let's be real... You wouldn't recognize me when I came back. One night, my roommate Allison and I decided to go out to a bar that serves free mussels and fries when you order a beer. This was my first mussel experience and I am most definitely a fan... but still not ready to try snails.

Yesterday, I went to an event for Paris Design Week at an exhibition hall by the river. It featured innovative and funky designs for all types of things - watches, chairs, light fixtures, etc. It was cool and interesting to see what kinds of things Parisian designers are cooking up, from reusable materials to unique manufacturing processes. After the event, I hung out with my friends from Paraguay and Venezuela... which explains why my Spanish is getting better than my French. Later, about 15 of us international students went out for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday and had a relaxing Sunday night. Here are a few photos from the week:

Try walking by this everyday...

This view is just a hop away from my apartment

The Louvre

Innovative creations at Paris Design Week

Pub fun

Here are a couple pictures from the night at the pub with all the international students. The two on the left are Bob and Brianna (married, from Canada) and on the right is Alejandro from Spain (my beer pong partner). 

After a couple hours in the pub, I asked if I could work there. This is me trying out for the job. Don't mind the foam....

Alejandro again on the left, Ana from Spain, me and our awesome culture teacher/tour guide/funny guy, Stephen Muse from Boston.

One week down

I have been going non-stop since I got to Paris last Monday. Every single day has been a new adventure, whether it's going to a museum, a nightclub or even just a cafe in my neighborhood. I've been surviving the language barrier better than I thought but it's mostly because Parisians are super nice and know at least a little English if you ask. The past week has been a blur and it's actually hard to imagine I've only been here for a week since I've done so much! One evening, all the international students from my school went on a cruise in the river and saw a bunch of famous Parisian landmarks like Musée d'Orsay and Notre Dame. After, we all went to my professor's favorite Irish pub in the 1st arrondissement to get to know each other... and to drink beer, obvi. My professor told me ahead of time that we'd be doing this so I planned for some good ol' American fun: Beer pong and flip cup. All the international students caught on quickly and had so much fun... and I will probably forever be known as the crazy American. I guess there's worse to be called.

I started school yesterday and am already excited for the semester. My classes are: Luxury Brand Management, Entrepreneurship, New Marking Trends, Advertising, and French Culture. I have one class a day and most of them start at 2pm so if you know me well,  you know I'm in heaven. So far, my teachers have been incredibly passionate and smart about what they're teaching. My school is super small so you see all the same people everyday which facilitates easy friend-making. It's almost like a high school... but smaller. I really, really like it so far.

The pictures below are from a walking tour I went on as a part of my "French Culture & Civilization" class. The class is all the international students aforementioned, forever ruined by flip cup. On the walking tour, we went to the Grand Palais and the Petite Palais, Pont Alexandre III, Hotel Des Invalides and Musée Rodin. The architecture here is incredible and not just at these famous places but literally everywhere. After the walking tour, I went with some new friends to St. Germain, a gorgeous neighborhood with tons of cute restaurants and really well dressed people. It's definitely the place to be. My sleeping schedule is all off so that's it for now but another update will come soon! xo

Musée Rodin

"The Thinker"

The Seine