Global Girl Takes Paris

It’s official, Global Semester has begun! Over the course of the semester, 19 other Oles and I will be traveling to 6 countries: France, Egypt, Tanzania, India, China, and Argentina. We’ll be studying comparative global education over the whole semester, with month-long classes in political economy, public health, and interdisciplinary arts. But enough of the explaining, let’s get right into the travels!

Our first stop was the magical city of Paris. I left Portland, met our group in Minneapolis, and then arrived at the CDG at 11am. Although we were sleepy, there was a whole afternoon of adventuring to do! Our hotel was just a 5 minute walk from Notre Dame, so a group of globies dropped our bags off and headed straight for the cathedral. Although the square was blocked off due to the restoration work being done, the cathedral still took my breath away. I feel so lucky to have been able to spend some time inside in January before the fire. Notre Dame is certainly something of a tourist trap, but even the bustling people couldn’t take away from my experience sitting in the pews bathed in the purple light from the stained glass.

My true Parisian sacred place, however, is across the street at Shakespeare & Company. In this legendary bookstore, literary giants like Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Kerouak, and more came to share their work and soak up the inspiration of this great city. On the second floor of the store is a red velvet reading bench next to a large mirror where patrons are encouraged to leave notes taped to the glass. I was heartened to see that the poem I has put up the last time I visited was still there! The opportunity to reflect on the growth I’ve undergone since my last visit to this special shop was just as much a spiritual experience for me as my time under the vaulted ceilings of Notre Dame. This shop is my cathedral and pilgrimage site.

The next day we split up into small groups for a sight-seeing scavenger hunt all around the city! My group (obviously the best group) consisted of myself, Annika, Aml, Johnny, and Noah. If you don’t recognize these names, don’t worry! If you keep following along throughout the semester, I’m sure you’ll get to know everyone almost as well as I will. We walked over 14 miles from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower, stopping at the Louvre, le Jardin de Tuileries, the Champs Elysees, and grabbing lunch at a lovely boulangerie. Learning to navigate the streets of Paris as well as the confusing Metro system was a great way to test our ability to work together as a group, and I think these photos can attest to the fact that we passed with flying colors.

The next day we took a class trip to the UNESCO headquarters were we spent time with Edem Adubra, one of the education directors. We discussed the challenges involved in increasing the number of qualified teachers in countries that lack them, as well as the ways in which UNESCO works to bolster the status of teachers worldwide. Throughout this presentation, it was a bit embarrassing to be an American. The United States recently pulled out of UNESCO due to their approval of the Palestine as a member despite the benefits that the organization gives to so many nations. Not to mention, UNESCO is one of the only international organizations to advocate for comprehensive Holocaust education. It‘s disappointing to know that America is so quick to let political alliances get in the way of promoting peace through education. Still, UNESCO’s work gives me great hope for the state of education on a worldwide scale despite our country’s refusal to participate.

In the afternoon we visited the Catacombs, a creepy but intriguing look into the history of Paris. Did you know that in the 1910’s there was a secret concert with a 45 piece orchestra down there? Had I been invited, I definitely would have been in the audience! (Parking my carriage down the street of course, wouldn’t want to attract any unwanted attention to the secret entrance)

Our final morning in the city was one of my favorites. A small group of us took the Metro over to the Musee d’Orsay, which is housed in a former train station. Immediately upon entering I was hit with major Hugo Cabret nostalgia! So many clocks that could be hiding exciting Parisian mysteries!

As for the art itself, it was surreal to be seeing Van Goghs and Monets and Degas in person. Ms. Martin, if you’re reading this, all my 1st grade Van Gogh knowledge didn’t go to waste! In addition to the famous impressionists, the museum was featuring numerous female artists in an exhibit exploring the relationship between womanhood and power. It was so exciting to see such an important museum elevating women in the art world!

Before loading up the bus to catch our flight to Cairo, Zibby, Annika, and I stopped for coffee and croissants at a little cafe. I even ordered successfully in French and had the waiter respond in French as well! We took a few quiet moments just to people watch and soak up as much of the city as we could before the adrenaline rush of the airport snatched us up once again.

The next time you hear from me I’ll be in Egypt! You can enter your email below to get updates when I post if you don’t want to miss out on any stories. Thanks for reading!

-GMH

P.S. My apologies if this post looks weird! I had to write and format it on my phone due to some WiFi issues.