Promenade in the Park

Today is the first day that I came home not, according to my fitbit, having walked well over 10,000 steps. This should tell you something. I warn you in advance.

I should have taken pictures of my breakfast this morning, as a) it was quite different from usual, and b) it may have been the third most interesting part of the day! That is not necessarily to say it was not an interesting day, but rather that I consumed hardened toast (sort of like melba toast, but baguette-style) with mousse de marrons on top. It really was quite something, and not bad, either. Of course, I had sliced fruit and coffee as well, and some of last night's cake, but that is all normal.

I lingered over breakfast, taking the time to (try to) finish my reading. The problem is, breakfast consumption proves quite distracting when one is trying to read (and take notes on!) a book for class. Suffice it to say, I did not finish the reading until I was installed in the study room at ISEP.

Customary morning image. Today's light is worthless.

The study room part 1. i.e. where I spent my entire day

Study room part 2: i.e. the books, where I would gladly spend the day...

My morning class was cancelled because the professor was, unfortunately, ill, so I had the morning to do readings, to do research for my CS internship, and to be distracted by the other students as they filtered in. I took a break to visit Coeur de Blé with a friend; after purchasing our food, we went on a walk through Jardin du Luxembourg to eat it surrounded by greenery.

My sandwich. Tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto, something else?

The wildest part of the park. The trees aren't aligned here!

Okay, back to tree lanes

Even the benches are aligned? Impressive.

And the trees go forever, and ever… No, there is no mirror.

The one course I had was art history, which was, of course, fascinating. Straight afterwards, I met up with the professor for my CS research internship, and we discussed what I had done so far (preliminary research) and what I need to do for next week (30min-1hour presentation explaining the SAMOA library, in the style of a class lecture, to deliver to her next week, and a program that does something with the data set). Slightly intimidated by the workload but excited to get started, I went back upstairs, met with the French professor to finalize the details of my "Independent Study" (I will be studying french pronunciation and accent under her, individually!), and then, you may have guessed, went back to work. Note that the work would not take nearly so long if I were to find a slightly less distracting location. Note, too, that the social vibes in the study room are a worthy distraction and that to establish bonds with ones peers is a valuable activity that should not be condemned (and that most definitely should never be referred to as "procrastination"!).

Tour de Montparnasse. Out the window.

Kids playing soccer. Out the window.

Clouds. Out the window.

The out-the-window theme is my new expression for what to do when 30 more pages of David: L'Art et le Politique seems impossible. That is, even the most interesting read can occasionally be less alluring than the outside world, especially when that outside world is Paris.

We all hung around because of the preparation session for the Bing trip this weekend: we're going to the Alps! I won't give you details now, because they will come in real time (ish), but it will be amazing.

Dinner consisted of an excellent carottes rapées with diced apple in it; great recipe! To any reader who may be considering making a similar dish (I know at least one of you does so habitually), the inclusion of apples is an excellent idea. Then, we had some sort of white meat (poulet?) with courgettes and aubergines (i.e. chicken with zucchini and eggplant, for those of you who don't make french food terms a priority), followed by a chève salée cheese and some sort of concoction for dessert (I honestly do not know how better to describe it. It was coffee-flavored, and I know for a fact it contained coffee and eggs, and probably creme, but beyond that, it is a mystery food).

Then, after watching the news with my famille d'accueil, I sat down to work. It is 23h41. I still do not have 10,000 steps. What a shame.