Doug's Adventure Begins!

I think the saying JAI VOOO DRAAAAAA (with a slight southern drawl) sums up my cultural experience for this past week. It might sound funny in the face of all the enriching places we have been, but it makes sense because I would like so many things! I pretty much want to buy every little cookie or jacket that peers longingly out at me from the storefront windows, and more importantly, I would like to really interact with French people without being intimidated. But much like the “americanness” of my accent I can’t seem to communicate my desires to get a clear understanding of French customs. I actually kind of like when waiters make fun of our pronunciations because it tends to lighten the mood dramatically! Humor has definitely proven to be the best vehicle in connecting with the locals. Laughing seems to transcend our deviations and bring us back to our sameness—when something is funny (like Nicole’s dance moves) it doesn’t matter if you are French or American, or say  JAI VOOO DRAAA instead of Je voudrais s’il vous plait, we are all just looking for a good laugh.

On Wednesday of last week I split apart from the group and went on a tiny adventure of my own. I took the metro to Tuileries, and wondered through the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries to take pictures of the huge purple irises that are blooming all along the wide open pathways and fountains. I also got some ice cream at a really swanky hotel off rue de Revoli, but unfortunately I asked for hazelnut instead of vanilla—I hate hazelnut ice cream! After that I made my way down to Palais Royal, and in typical Doug fashion, I walked right by it and got lost for a long time. But when I managed to become un-lost, I was pleasantly surprised. Last semester I took an installation art class, and I remembered talking about a work by Daniel Buren that is installed in one of the courtyards of Palais Royal, so I figured might as well go see it in person. The piece is simply a bunch of different sized stone columns with black and white stripes (which is Daniel Buren’s specialty) laid out in a grid-like formation. I didn’t really understand the work when I first studied it last semester, but actually seeing it changed everything. The way the sunlight works with the columns in casting shadows across the courtyard floor was really interesting. Also there were tons of little kids! They were jumping off the columns, and climbing up the larger ones while their friends all screamed and laughed, trying to get them to jump. Everyone was having a great time! Even the parents were interacting with the columns. I found it really interesting how a simple artwork like this could bring so much joy to both the art community as well as the local community. I would highly recommend going if you are interested in both public and installation art, because it is a pretty good example of how an artwork can be more than just something you admire from a distance. Paris has been absolutely mind blowing, and I absolutely love every place we have been so far. I am very much looking forward to the rest of this amazing trip!