Fall Break- pt 1

Breakfast. I ran back home. With my suitcase, I met my friends at the bus stop. It was fall break!
We took the tram, staring out the glossy windows and trying to see any glimpse of Edinburgh. We were already delighted with the heavy Scottish accents and friendly people. It was going to be a good few days. We went out to dinner after stopping off at our Hostel. It was themed like a medieval castle, and we took pictures with the suit of armor on the stairs. We walked past cobblestone streets and caught a view of the castle at the top of the hill. After a quick stop for Italian food, we decided to head back to the hostel and rest up for the next day.
We had big plans, lots of time, and a whole list of things to see and do before we had to return home. Starting with the castle, we had a wonderful view of the old city. It stretched onwards into an ocean of mist, and across a small valley we could see towers piercing the sky. Walking down the hill, we listened to bagpipe music and investigated around the town square and church. We traded stories while we meandered between small shops, hidden alleys, and closed-off paths. Eventually we made it to the Scott Monument, a gothic-style tower dedicated to a Scottish author. It was refreshing to simply see something and be able to investigate; Paris life is so rushed it is difficult to accommodate. We also walked to the new Parliament, the Royal Castle, and the base of King Arthur's Seat (which we would do the following day). On our way back up the somewhat torturous hill, we stopped and walked through a lovely garden. Despite the cold weather, the grass was green, flowers bloomed, and people were very much out and about.
The following day began with doughnuts, and then a hike. Feeling very much like city people as we took breathless breaks, the view (and breeze) was worth it. You were at the top of the world- wind whipping your hair while you looked over Edinburgh like you owned it. We frolicked in the lush fields, laughing and yelling. Our feet, so used to stamping over the sacred and well-worn concrete as so many other Parisians do, sprung happily on a bed of fresh grass. After that, and a quick break for baked potatoes, we hit up heritage shops and had a nice look at some markets. I also got to experience very un-Parisian prices at Primark and enjoyed eating some very hearty Scottish cuisine.
It is a grand city, with proud walls and lovely hidden secrets. It is quite unlike Paris; a refreshing and welcome change for the four of us jaded Parisians.

For the Scott Monument:
http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/CMSTemplates/ScottMonumentVirtualTour/index.htm
Edinburgh Castle:
https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/edinburgh-castle-p245821
Royal Palace:
https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse
King Arthur's Seat:
http://kingarthursknights.com/theland/arthursseat.asp

Growing Pains

I had a will. I had a way. I had a pretty good care for myself. I stared blankly at my phone screen; there was really no point, I realized. My grand plan, a plan to ask for permission was promptly cancelled. Instead, I informed my parents of my new decision. It was strange at first, then freeing. I realized I had taken the first step into really being an adult. I knew what I wanted to do, and how to do it. That was all to the story- there was nobody that I needed to ask permission from or argue my case to. I proceeded to make a life for myself, my own life based on things I truly cared about, because I could with a sense of completeness.

Scandanavia Study Trip

A quick word about AUP- they have a great cultural program that includes study trips for hands-on learning. I signed up to learn about sustanability and humanities while going to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Norway's policies were just like the country itself: practical. Equality in Norway is very good. Oslo is clean, and the group of us enjoyed our tour of parlaiment and the national gallery. We learned about the Ombud, a person who leads a non-government agency to ensure all faireness in many matters. It left me pondering the correct responses to world chrises, and the best way to give back. On our free time, we enjoyed walking in the city. The air seemed to have a different quality than in Paris, and even the sunlight was crist and clean.

The Norweigan Nobel Peace Prize Committee- https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/
Parlaiment- https://www.stortinget.no/en/In-English/About-the-Storting/
Ombudsmen- https://www.sivilombudsmannen.no/?lang=en_GB

Denmark was even colder, and the language that much more unintelligeble to us. Having already established a small group of friends, I spend most free time exploring the restaurant scene in the nearby meatpacking district. In Copenhagen our focus moved more to International Law and Sustainable Business. We visited some university lectures and special présentations. At night we sat around the bright common room of our hostel, watching the night unfold by the window. The bikes in Denmark were impressive, to say the least. During every excursion we did not worry about cars. We had to be careful for the bikes instead. The last day in Denmark, and of the trip, was a free day. My friends and I sat at a cafe with a map, planing out the best route: canal tour, castle ruins, walking street, Hans Christian Anderson Museum.

International Law- http://www.un.org/en/sections/what-we-do/uphold-international-law/index.html
Sustainable Business- http://sustainablescandinavia.com/

The day trip to Sweden was wonderful. We took a train across the ocean, looking above the waves. Our only stop on the map was Malmo, which had created the world's first 100% sustainable neighbourhood. The busses ran on gas produced by garbage, and every building was designed to benifit others. Additionally, every view included water, art, or a garden. We were walked throught the design to transform the entire city, and the process of creating such a sustainable neighbourhood for a world show. Malmo also houses Sweden's first skyscraper, and Sweden's tallest skyscraper.

Sustainable Malmo- https://crcresearch.org/community-research-connections/climate-change-adaptation-and-mitigation/malm%C3%B6-sweden-integrating-pol
http://depts.washington.edu/open2100/Resources/1_OpenSpaceSystems/Open_Space_Systems/Malmo_Case_Study.pdf
http://www.energy-cities.eu/db/malmo_579_en.pdf

This City and How to Live in it

Paris is gold. Tan buildings rise high into the sky, the many stories and faceted windows beautiful but uneven like the butter-brushed layers of carefully baked pastries. Gilded archways, balconies wrought with black roses and delicate patterns built up from large wooden doors that make you feel like an ant.
Paris is glass and diamonds. Sunlight shining, shimmering, reflected from French windows standing proud. Light running bouncing off of car windows from motorcycle doors and glinting off of polished jewelry. The seine, the crown jewel, flows like liquid glass. It throws back twisted memories of gilded bridges, proud houses, museums, trees, and is that the Eiffel Tower in the distance?
Parisians are the people melting the gold, mining the diamonds. The people are a little rougher than the fine-hewn city itself. We scuttle underground in the metro, getting from A to B in the most efficient way. No matter how many warnings I have had about the rudeness of Parisians, I have never had one neglect to hold the door for me (and I return the favor). No, I don't worry about getting mugged in an alley while I am walking home. I am more worried about dying of boredom if I finish my book on the ride.
Paris.

Exploring Paris- Gardens and Parks

When I closed my eyes it was easy to forget where I was. I smelled dark, moist earth and luscious green leaves; delicate purple flowers swaying in the brisk breeze; strong old wood of the trees which surrounded me. I walked along the stone path through tunnels of trees, weaving in between colorful patches of garden and wet grass. Each garden was arranged according to color, giving somebody the impression that they were walking along a rainbow. There were wooded paths, and a sky bridge running in between laden branches to my right. The distant sound of waterfalls tickled my ears. I turned left in the labyrinth, coming to the wide lawn which was reminiscent of the broad strokes of an artist. I blinked at the dazzling blue sky as sunlight glinted off of the massive glass greenhouse. It was a strange meeting place of plants, trees, glass, concrete, water, and people.

the parc andre-citroen: http://equipement.paris.fr/parc-andre-citroen-1791

I walked quickly, hugging the side of the building. Cold fingers tucked into the folds of the leather jacket which was acting as my second skin. I looked to my left, the buildings gone. There was a gate, a path, a garden. Plump foliage strained against the hold of the slender metal railing, reaching up to grasp the wind. I smelled roses briefly, like a hint of sweet in an ocean of savory. The ivy-clad walls were tall enough to block out the sounds of nearby traffic, and it was quiet except for my own footsteps. Above my head, beige dandruff floated from a tall tree. The fluffy material seemed to melt into the sight of the cloud, and for a second I was in the sky.

the local garden/square at rue de la tocqueville

Urban Survival

Field Entry.

I have been living the great urban jungle for two months now. This is the true fight against wilderness, and there are a few tricks of the trade I have picked up in order to survive. When on the street you learn a specific way of walking in order to avoid dangerous parts of the trail- garbage, bottles, runoff water, and dog poop are just a few obstacles. When waiting to cross a pavement river, always keep an eye (or two) on the metal monsters with wheels. They are unpedictable at times.

With no working data on my phone, navigation is key. If you gets lost, it might be the last thing you ever see. The natural indicators of direction, maps, grow on the back of bus stops. If you see a bus or a metro, you are saved! Another life saver is the wonderful oasis, the Parisian cafe! If you go to a cafe all of your needs can be satisfied. For a student, coffee is what flows through our veins.

These are some things you might need to know when going on your own expidition. Good luck.

Thanks for reading guys, between fall break and midterms I haven't been online much, but I'll start posting more. Merci!