Requirements of Education in Paris.

Well, Good Morning most famous street in Paris: Champs Elysees! We headed out for an early walk of the main business area in Paris, the famous district. I prefer this time of day because it allows for one to introduce their self to the city before the hussle and buzzle of the city starts It was interesting to see the famous stores just waking up and preparing for the influx of tourists for the day. Many of the jaw dropping things I saw this morning were the store fronts and entrances. The Swarovski  store had stairs made out of the famous crystals. The Louis Vittone store is two floors, way bigger than the store in Rome. The roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe even seemed to be barely awake. A funny fact about this round about is that cars are not insured to drive this area because of how dangerous the roundabout is. Holy Crap. I am glad I don't drive in this city. I loved the subway stop for the Arc. It reminds me a lot of the subway stop for the Coliseum in Rome. Immediately when you come up from below, your breath is taken away by the sheer presence of the arc. Back in the states I had just started working as a pharmacy technician and I had to stop and take a picture in front of the Champs Elysees Pharmacy. I would love to work there. Working in that pharmacy would make up for all of the bad patients that make your day worse.

   
     We then headed over to the Arc La Defense. This arc lies at the opposite end of the Champ. It is an industrial arc commissioned in the 1985 as a modern image of the Arc de Triomphe. This arc lies in the business district of Paris where the sky scrappers help one reach open air to escape the labyrinth of streets down below. This area is so different compared to the grande boulevard of the lower Champs. The power of the "sky scrappers" gives the city a different feel. The arc has this way of standing out like a loud color or similar to forcing a square peg into a round hole. Below the arc is the IESEG International School of Business (as of 2010). (2013 the school moved to a larger building next to the arc). Dr. Fountain never spoke of a stop here to walk through the school but we all followed in his foot steps. I love how he walks into a place like he owns it. Everyone in the school treated us like royalty. The students here take 18 credits each semester. Their first semester consists of creativity courses in painting, drawing and music. These courses connect with the business courses. The main goal is to work within the business world but think more in a creative manner. We walked into the library and there were just a few books on the shelves. All of the rest are e-books. The students do not have to pay for books. Darn, my first semester at Walsh I spent $800 dollars on books. However, I am also a Biology Pre-med major. That kind of bill comes with the territory. I have wised up since then and no longer spend that much on books.

     Every year these students are to go abroad to gain internships. What if this happened in America? We should all be forced to go abroad to better develop our education. Here is the kicker: the cost of school is 2,000 euros. That is what you get when you live in a socialistic country, discounted education. France pays for the rest of the tuition. 2,000 is a student's out of pocket cost. Honestly, if one expects American students to interact internationally, we need to be educated internationally. I also like the fact that these students are required to take "creative courses. I think my views are influenced by my liberal arts education. We are required as students to have many courses outside our main area of study. I also wish university only cost 2,000 dollars. I would not have to worry about working my life away. I love who gave our tour. When Dr. Fountain first went in, he caught this student's mother whom only speaks French. She went a grabbed her daughter to give us a tour. They were both just as much interested in us as we were them. I travel to meet people like this. This is why I travel.
     We headed out and across the river for lunch. I ordered the famous sandwich croque monsuir. This is a sandwich that is technically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich but with amazing cheese on top. There is a madame version that has a fried egg on top. I love this sandwich. We then walked over to the famous cathedral La Notre Dame. All I could picture is the Hunchback of Notre Dame yell "sanctuary" for his beloved Esmeralda. Pardon me, but I grew up a Disney Princess. The funny thing about this all is that I have never been to Disney World. The closest I have been is the Disney Store at the mall. hahah. I have to say that experiencing the church in person takes your breath away. The church is an amazing example of Gothic Architecture. This is probably one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been in. Being Catholic, this is a church that I have wanted to visit. It is the church of the French Catholics. Understanding the church allows one to understand the people. Being Catholic just gave me the advantage to knowing a little bit more about the Catholic Church in general and the building. There was just so much to see in the church.
      I had my parents video camera with me so I filmed the church to view it later. We continued on to San Sulpice. This is the famous church in the book The Davinci Code. The church has been under construction now for three years. From the pictures, it looks badly damaged similar to what it may have sustained during World War 2. The inside looks as if it were neglected and the art never cleaned. Steven pointed out to me that the front altar space was of the same design as Notre Dame. LESSON NUMBER 1: Design is modification of previous successful models. Architecture is consistent and also altered to fit the environment. Alterations are where creativity lies. Creativity defines a culture.

San Sulpice

     
                                                                    I think that I am slowly coming to understand the French. Last time I was abroad I did not appreciate the French. They are starting to rub off on me. My big question is why have I not found any outstandingly handsome men? I think this is because it goes back to the weathered look that seems to be influenced by the current fashion season. I have yet to find a reason why they look this way.
    Dr. Fountain decided to have dinner tonight with his family. The group decided to walk up near the Tour and check out the restaurants. Now, warning: the closer you get to the Tour, the more money your meal will be. We found a restaurant that had a package deal of an appetizer, main meal and dessert. We all decided to split the wine bill and just have a nice time. The best thing about the restaurant was water was free and we could eat all the bread we wanted. The small things in life are always appreciated the most. The restaurant we chose was Le Pierrot. It was really good and had a great atmosphere. I ordered the Pate', had the skirt steak for the main meal and the chocolate moose for dessert. We decided that after dinner we moved to the front of the restaurant under the terrace near the entrance to enjoy the heat lamps, a shot of espresso and more wine. Steve and Mike bought a Cuban cigar and decided to teach us girls how to smoke a cigar. Here I am in Paris, smoking a Cuban, drinking espresso and sharing conversation with six amazing people a block away from the Eiffel Tour. I am a spoiled traveler. We ended up staying at the restaurant until 1:30am and then headed back to the hotel. A round of Eucre started in my room since it was the largest. What a way to end the night.

Steve teaching Bri how to smoke the Cuban