Thankful

Music: Graham Colton

Anesha came to visit for Thanksgiving!!! Despite the reality that we were both somewhat tired and sleep-deprived, it was simply wonderful to see her after almost a year!! It was also great to have her here to share my first Thanksgiving away from home! Luckily enough, we were invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the apartment of someone who works at the US Embassy. And so, my first Thanksgiving abroad [probably one of many over my life], was spent in a beautiful apartment, eating absolutely delicious traditional food [the pecan pie was heavenly], and discussing a wide range of topics with interesting expats. We finished off the night with a sip of cognac and headed off, Anesha and I carrying a bag of generous leftovers!

The next day we took the opportunity to explore Montmarte, walking around the hill, going into Sacre Coeur, visiting the Salvador Dali museum [he really is one of my favorite artists], walking around the area. The last remaining vineyard in Paris is located on the hill, and we also visited a museum about the zone. Despite enjoying the day, I was not particularly impressed, especially in comparison with some of my favorite areas in Paris. We came back into the center of the city in the afternoon, had a dinner of crepes at Place de Clichy, which is always alive with cars, lights, people, and music, and headed out to Café Universel for a night of winding down with a glass of wine and live jazz.

The next day we started off by visiting the Rodin museum, which I personally enjoyed because it showcased so many of his works, that I was able to finally give specific meaning to the ambiguous admiration I have felt for him as a sculptor. He loves horizontal lines and very curved backs, and the movement with which the bodies in his sculptures connect to each other, regardless of whether it’s two hands, two faces, two backs, is charged with the electric of real human touch. After this, we walked over to Dome Church, where the King moved Napoleon’s remains from St. Helena nineteen years after his death as a gesture of reconciliation. The church is an impressive, gilded building in the middle of Les Invalides, designed and reserved for the Sun King. It still retains much of its regal feel, especially since Napoleon’s presence adds a degree of somber formality. Napoleon’s remains were placed in a series of coffins, the outermost of which is made of a beautiful red stone. In addition, the altar is breathtaking, the marble statues are imposing, and there is a striking inscription that quotes from Napoleon’s will that he wished to be buried near the Seine, close to the Parisian people he loved so much.

Afterwards, Anesha and I walked around the arrondissement, taking a walk to the Eiffel Tower which, coincidentally, I had yet to visit. We crossed a bridge to Trocadero, where we bought not one, but two crepes each. And then, after a day of touristic exploration, we split up: Anesha to go see the Louvre, and me to trek to Bellville to buy green plantains. In a couple of hours, we met up and headed to Bourg-la-Reine where, with everyone’s help, I prepared a Cuban “feast” for the ex-roommates, complete with fried plantains, white rice, garbanzos, fried pork, mojo de ajo, and a salad. Surprisingly, they are every last piece, which I took to be a great compliment!

And then, after a couple of days of late-night catching up sessions and Paris wanderings, Anesha went back home, returning both of us to our respective realities: school and work. As for me, I began another workweek, but this time significantly more tired than the one before [read: I am too tired to make this post anything interesting and am instead, resorting to a mere retelling of the occurred].