Today I decided to keep my camera in my hand for pretty much the whole day to take you along for the day. Well, not so typical. I’ve mentioned before that we are in the midst of a two week intensive module course about global communication and advertising. The days have been long and there is lots of work to be done.
Of course, I’ve still managed to find time to blog. Obviously. Oooh. And eat. Here’s the play-by-play.
6:48am Up and at ‘em.
7:15am Coffee. Must make coffee.
7:16am Oooh. And oatmeal.
7:25am Sippin’ coffee, eatin’ oatmeal. Life is good.
Typical Tuesday
7:50am Time to get ready for a longggggggggg day. Lots of layers. Fahreeezing out.
8:30am Off to Ketchum, a PR company, for a class field trip. Step outside – realize I don’t have enough layers on. Zut.
8:58am Right on time.
9:00am Meeting starts – We talked to one of our professors students who now works, and then the European social media manager. Pretty awesome! We are focusing a lot on cultural differences in advertising in communication between Europe and the US, and also how social media is becoming an important tool for communicating information. Go bloggers!
11:20am Our class leaves, and we make our way over to Musée de la Publicité. We learned the hard way that trying to get 12 students in and out of the metro, with no idea of where we are going I might add, is a very difficult task.
11:35am Curse all stairs in Paris. After today’s adventures, I’m fairly certain it’s impossible to leave this city with out a firm hiney and very strong hamstrings. Typical Tuesday
11:40am Must. Have. Snack. Running through the metro works up quite the appetite. Café crème and yaourt aux fruits sec from a little corner cafe does the trick.
12:00pm Museum visit. But not without more stairs. Seriously!?
This exhibit featured a bunch of French public service ads. We watched a bunch of commercials and read a bunch of ads about everything from safe sex to domestic abuse to world hunger. It was really neat to compare the cultural differences in advertising…many of the images and ideas used in French advertising would never fly in US culture. Lots of explicit pictures and video – mon dieu!
1:00pm Finally leave museum, famished. My roommate and I race back home which is about 30 minutes away from where we are, and then another 30 minutes away from school, giving us about 15 minutes to devour lunch. First, the metro.
1:30pm Home sweet home. Thank God for leftovers.
Mixed lettuce with a dressing of dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, topped with leftover quinoa and a little bit of stir fried onion and bell pepper, and rotisserie chicken. Devoured in 10 minutes flat. Yumz.
1:50pm Dessert.
2:05pm Back to school we go. Of course it’s gorgeous outside. We soaked in the sunshine while we could on our 25ish minute walk.
2:30pm Class starts. Blah, blah, blah culture. Blah, blah,blah advertising. Must. Pay. Attention. But so darn tired.
2:32pm Distracted. Playing with my planner. Obviously.
2:40pm Must. Focus.
2:45pm What was the name of that song I was listening to earlier? Something with Ane Brun…but wait…hmmm..can’t remember. Ooooh, right. Class. Got it.
2:50pm But really. How do you poach an egg? Earth to Courtney. Did the teacher just ask me a question? Ooops.
3:30pm Break. Yes. Time for chocolate. Obviously. And some walnuts and a love note from my darling. Gotta lover her.
3:45pm Back to class. Must. Concentrate. In the homestretch. Will I make it!? Fingers crossed.
4:45 Another break. Well, we are almost done for the day. But I won’t turn down another break. Time to get crazy and make some bad decisions.
5:30pm Class is over, time for our cheese class. Oooooh, yes. Cheese class. We learned a little bit about the cheeses in France, the regions they come from like Camembert from Normandy, Brie from…well, Brie, and some of the regulations on naming certain cheeses and other foods in France. Along the same lines of champagne can only be called champagne when it is, in fact, from Champagne. France is very proud of it’s regional foods!
I, of course, being the mature adult that I am, laughed hysterically when our teacher exclaimed “Ok it’s time for a tasting. I’ve cut the cheese.” with the most serious face I’ve ever seen in my life. You know you would have laughed too…
We started with the milder cheeses like the goat milk cheeses, working through the brie and camembert (that had been washed in calvados, an apple brandy also from Normandy. Yum) and ended with the strongest of the cheeses – a Roquefort cheese with walnuts and dried currants. Le sighhhhh.
Mmmm. Stinks so good. Wink I went back for several other taste… you know – for learning purposes. And of course, it wouldn’t be a cheese tasting without a glass of wine. Or two. Et voila! Dinner!
I’m fairly certain my skin and stomach will hate me for eating bread – mais c’est la vie!
6:30pm Cheese class is over. Time for a presentation from our photography teacher – she showed us a bunch of her art projects and is really inspiring me to get the ball rolling on some of my own photography projects – I’m thinking something yoga themed. It would only be appropriate, yes? I’ve already started scoping out volunteers for this Summer when I’m home. Muahahaha.
8:00pm Presentation is over, and I’m pooped. My roommate and I drag ourselves to the metro, and can’t wait to get home.
8:30pm Finally home. Time to shower, put on comfy clothes, plop myself in front of the computer…and eat licorice. Yum.
10:31pm In my mind, this post was going to be a lot more creative. But once home, showered and in my PJ’s, my brain has turned to mush. The days have certainly been long for the last week and a half and I’m counting down the seconds until Spring Break! Only three more days of class. Yesssssssssss.
