#JeSuisCharlie

I was going to write a poem about this important moment for Paris and France because it is difficult to capture the many thoughts and sentiments that the Charlie Hebdo incident provokes  (an apparent lack of talent, and a reality check dissuaded me from doing so). However,  in encountering the difficulty of articulating the space…

Into the Parisian Woods

It is January, temperatures are low. However, for the determined jogger, reasonable layering and minimal precautions against the cold  are all you need to jog without doing yourself damage in and around Paris. The region’s climate, at least over the most recent winters, seems not be inhibitive to outdoor movement (relative to weather further North in the…

Changed Relationship Status: A Parisian New Year’s Eve

A fourth New Years’ Eve in Paris was a landmark for this blogger: I realized that the city had grown on me. The marvel of first being in Paris has faded, the honeymoon is over. We’re officially committed to each other now. Rather than an artifact to dissect, and sing praises, the city has become…

2014 – Exploring the History of Paris through the senses

This year this blog will explore the history of Paris, and seek out the tastes, smells, sounds, sights – and maybe the tactile dimension – of different eras. In short, the blog will feel its way through the history of Paris via the senses. It is becoming clearer that moving to Paris was also a…

Paris and London Websites and Blogs

Grateful Graduate Project 2013: Reasons to be grateful 306-325 Each of these sites have forced me to look at Paris and London anew, and see them from a more profound perspective. I am grateful for each of these for providing light, deepening the joy of, and  even balancing my romantic ideas of the cities with…

Paris and London in Writing, Song, and on screen

Grateful Graduate Project 2013: Reasons 286-305 to be thankful    Now that 2013 is over, it is possible to reap the benefits of hindsight and  finish off the list of 365 things that contribute to making Paris and London great places to live, work, and study. Paris and London have inspired books, art, cinema, and…

The Cafe at the métro stop

Paris – le cafe, metro St. Mich image from easyart.fr It is an institution of social life for many people in Paris – the corner café, right at the entrance of the metro station. For this blogger, there are a few unique things that make the corner cafe an enriching component of Parisian sociality: 1….

Bois de Vincennes: Sanctuary, Invigoration, Enchantment

At this time of year, just before autumn, a walk through the Bois de Vincennes is a revelatory experience. There are a few dimensions of a walk in the woods to be appreciated by an otherwise computer bound student: 1. I am grateful that Vincennes is a dramatic break from the urbanised surrounding region. It…

Three happiness boosting places to eat/drink in Paris (emotive geographies 13)

This past week has come with interesting places to eat, drink, and be merry. Food and drink are probably two of the most reliable means of shifting emotions and our perceptions about the places in which we live and work, almost instantly. Alcohol in moderation, preferably consumed in wine form, seems to have a particularly…

Stillness and depth: River Thames (emotive geographies 12)

The old adage asserts that still waters run deep. The river Thames communicates this point poignantly. It always reminds this blogger to “keep calm and….” study, persist, explore, live fully, experience life, and so forth. If the Seine inspires movement, the Thames brings a sense of emotional balance. Calm. Poise. Stillness. An unruffled state of…