Day 13: Just Another Day

Listening to: "You're the Top" from Anything Goes

I decided that you guys didn't sign on to read a whiny, despairing account, so I jaunted out the apartment this morning with a happy face. Given that I didn't have to get up at 7:30 am, it was much easier to do.

I armed myself with all my talismans this morning: my Gatsby shirt, my China 11 necklace, my Cape Cod bracelet, my clunking boots, and my Wicked socks (not "wicked" the adjective, as New Englanders would say). Silly stuff, but they make me seem like I"m confident. Though if you have to fake a smile, it will still release all the good emotional triggers from a genuine smile. So I did just that until I headed out the door.

Admittedly, I was brooding as I walked down the street, but then I saw the tip of the Eiffel Tower. At first, I thought, Whoa, cool, the Seattle Space Needle. Then, Wait a minute... It was an unexpected reminder that I'm in another country, and suddenly, I just feel good again.

And despite ups and downs while living in Paris, I can always guarantee that life will never be boring. For instance, I was waiting on the RER, flipping through songs on my iPod, before it occurred to me that the train hadn't moved for a while. I glanced up only to see rows of empty seats, on both levels, before me. I turned around and thankfully saw two students who looked equally confused. "Bonding" is a strong word, so I need to think of a word for that special relationship you form with people when your'e stuck in a oh-crap-what-are-we-going-to-do situation. Maybe the French have a word for it. (If you want a whole discussion on this "lost in translation" phenomenon, you can take Fiction Writing at GW with Professor Bayard. We'd spend classes talking about that kind of stuff.)

Art History was like a gigantic inside joke. The painting she used for an example was called La belle jardinière... by Raphael Santi! So, of course, now I have to share this creepy picture:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Self-portrait_by_Raphael.jpg

I mean, I see it. Nick is definitely the reincarnation of Raphael, if not Raphael himself. 

I had a big goofy smile just thinking about learning about the Renaissance in World Survey I class at Plainville High. Now, starting next week, we're going to spend that class period at a different museum each week. We'll begin with the Louvre and return four more times, but also on the list is the Musée d'Orsay and Centre Georges Pompidou. I guess I'll have to seek advice from my friends who've taken Art History classes.

For dinner, Nicole and I went to a little Italian place on Rue de Grenelle. I was able to get my lasagna and a hearty Arancini de Riso (aka fried risotto ball), and I was able to enjoy the Arancini without my mother complaining about the burnt oil smell permeating the kitchen.

So now I must go read Much Ado About Nothing; have a silent, somber shower; and compile a Feel Good playlist. (And no, I will not be including Jennifer Hudson's "I Feel Good" from the Weight Watchers commercials.) If you're so inclined, please send me a cheesy song title in a message. Examples include: "Put on a Happy Face," "Come Out of the Dumpster," and "So What." It would be greatly appreciated. To put aside all the sarcasm/cheekiness/snarkiness, I want to say in a truly "Honestly Sincere" way that you all mean a lot to me, and it means a lot to me that you actually take the time to even skim through this. (I know, my genuine sentiment is scaring me too. Don't worry, I'll return to my wry sense of humor tomorrow.)