Knock. I will open.

"I was born by the river, in a little tent, and oh and just like the river I've been running ever since. It's been a long, long time comin, but I know, change is gonna come" - Gavin De Graw

January has been a strange month thus far, because I cannot help but feel two seemingly contradictory emotional pulls:
a.) A sad, melancholic feeling because I am leaving in less than a month, which drives me to want to, in the words of Thoreau, “suck all the marrow out of life” and see/do every possible thing Paris has to offer.
b.) A strange, calm sensation assuring me that Paris has been, and will continue to be, home, that I will be back soon enough, and that sadness is a completely wasted and useless emotion.

My greatest companion on this rollercoaster has been a great Jazz bar on the East of Paris, where I like to go [sometimes with friends] to have a beer and write. Write about Paris, write about home, write about work, or do actual work and preparation for my return, while lively gypsy jazz is being played approximately five feet away from my table. I’ve finally given in to the second outlook, partly because I know I will be back for 2 weeks in a matter of months and that the same people and places and things will be here and I will be granted the opportunity to discover them anew (and speak better French while I do so). What a rare gift, to be able to come back so soon!

Work has been great, although sad because it is coming to an end and our new campaign is JUST launching and I’d love to see it pan out, especially in Russia because I’ve done so much work with their adaptations, etc. I’ve also had several genuinely interesting projects that I will miss, and I am thankful to these people for treating me as more than just an intern and for giving me legitimate work to do. Luckily, I have already liaisoned [this is not the proper conjugation of “liaison”…is liaison even a verb?] with the Worldwide Creative Director and will hopefully be able to do some “freelance” work from the US.

One of the most notable highlights of this month has been seeing the ballet flamenco rendition of “Carmen” at the Theatre Champs-Elysees. Speechless, breathless, half-dizzy, Sinead, Chine, and I were absolutely blown away by Laura Rivas’ choreography, which I had heard about but never seen in person. In-credible: live guitars, live singing, and an absolutely flooring [pun intended] flamenco performance. The only “Carmen” I’ve enjoyed more has been listening to Maria Callas sitting on my porch at home on a chilly Florida evening.

Other fun things included a sleepover at Sinead’s, during which we ate an inordinate amount of humus and then spent the night being productive, each in our respective ways.

I also spent a day walking around the Latin quarter [again] and the Jardin des Plantes quarter, which I love. Asia, Helena, and I walked up Rue Mouffetard, which is one of my favorite and liveliest places in the city, then we headed over to the Mosque of Paris for some of tea and baklava, before going to L’Institut du Monde Arab for a contemporary art exhibition. I had never sought out specifically Arab art, and I was happy to discover a bit more of what has defined art movements in places like Tunisia, Iran, and Morocco over the past couple of decades. One of the most memorable moments was going to Arenes de Lutece, a Roman amphitheatre that was used for burials in the 4th century. It is located in between businesses and apartment buildings, and its entrance is almost completely hidden from the street. Once inside, however, this ancient ruin is brimming with life, as thongs of children play soccer with makeshift goals and their elders sit and play checkers on the ground, all on the dirt of a Roman amphitheatre. It’s startling, and borderline miraculous, to see worlds and centuries collide.

I also saw an exhibition of Alberto Giacometti’s work at the Centre Pompidiou. I feel a particular (although arbitrary) tie to him because in Geneva, I lived in a street that bore his name. But I discovered that there are certain pieces of his that I really enjoy, in addition to admiring his approach to sculpture in general. I appreciate when museums show entire collections by a single artist, because the spectator is actually given the opportunity to see the progressions, the changes, the inner monologue of the artist, as opposed to trying to place meaning onto a piece of art hanging on a wall and pretending to understand why it was ever important enough to be purchased in the first place. I also felt this way at the Holder exhibition I saw at the Musee d’Orsay earlier this month. Having seen some of his work at the Kulturmuseum in Bern in 2006 [obviously, since he was the pride and joy of Switzerland], but not being incredibly familiar with his periods, his affinity with nature, etc, I really enjoyed the rather comprehensive and long exhibition, even though some of his landscapes made me miss Lac Leman…

Gladis’ going away dinner was quite the culinary experience, which I feel obliged to mention, although briefly. I had never eaten escargot before, but since they are a French delicacy, I decided to try it. These were cooked in the style of Southern France, meaning the snails had been taken out of their shells and cooked in a sauce. I was surprised to discover that they are delicious, absolutely delicious, despite the slight “earthy” taste! I also had Steak Tartare, which the girls thought was a crazy purchase because it is 100% uncooked beef. As in, the piece of meat has not been exposed to any heat. This was also incredible, especially with a dab of mustard and some potatoes! See my pictures if you don’t believe the beef was actually uncooked…

And here we are, now, jumping ahead, stepping forward, trying to take this city before I exchange it for another favorite, Boston.