Happy Bastille Day!! I’m so glad I could be here to celebrate such an incredible holiday!
Yesterday I woke up in time for a
breakfast of bread, bread, and more bread (Not really, but there was still a
lot of bread).The group went by foot to the American University in Paris to
attend a brief academic orientation. Afterwards, I had lunch at the hostel and
went with a group of friends to Notre Dame. No big deal, right? We were
completely astounded when we took the stairs back up from the underground
tunnel. The district where our hostel is located is completely different from
the Notre Dame district. People from all walks of life crowded everywhere in
order to witness the absolutely breathtaking architecture all around them.
Stepping out from the dank Metro, we could see a large river flowing towards
Notre Dame. To our left, we observed a large fountain that poured water that
was stained a pink color. Once we arrived at Notre Dame, we all took note of
the many people walking about the area. There was one woman who stood with her
arms outstretched, brandishing a bandana across her eyes and a sign at her feet
that read “I trust you. Do you trust me? Hug me.” I was extremely skeptical of
this lady, especially after hearing about the famous pickpockets of France.
However, after watching her give hugs to several complete strangers, I was
convinced that she was completely harmless. I walked over to her and gave her a
huge hug. After talking with a person who was filming the woman, our group
learned that she is a singer who is trying to make a name for herself by
creating a music video. It was refreshing to see someone simply giving hugs
without any negative ulterior motives.We rushed excitedly to catch the
remaining fireworks that were going off at the Eiffel Tower to commemorate
Bastille Day. Unfortunately, we could not make it in time, but were still
rewarded by the fantastic presence of the Tower itself. We were completely flabbergasted by the
excited and hectic atmosphere surrounding the Tower. That was truly an
experience.
