Losing and gaining things in Spring: I went to Paris and then I lost my phone


Yes, you read the title right. Technically, I'm pretty sure my phone was stolen after I left it on the bus. According to Find My iPhone, when I began this blog post it was 10 miles away; a couple of days ago it is 2 miles away. Though I tried my best to get it back, I ultimately got a secondhand phone about a week later, and have since regained access to my contacts and WhatsApp. 

Unfortunately, my photos from 20 February to 23 May were lost. But I'm trying not to be too upset about that: photos are not a necessity; they are just nice to have. 

Nevertheless, that's no excuse for my delay in blogging. With only one month left of my grant, it's time to reflect on some of the things I have lost and gained lately, from objects, to experiences and wisdom. The last time I published, I was enjoying my first night of spring break with my mother at the Opera Ambassador Hotel in Paris. 

Part 1: Paris (please read as "Pa'REE")

On la rue, just doing how I do.

Gaining (limited) insights into French history

Basically every corner of Paris has informational plaques commemorating important people and events associated with the site. Unfortunately, the descriptions are all in French. But I didn't take three (coerced) years of Latin in high school to not give every sign I came across my best shot. Mom was mostly patient. I thought I would go back and translate the signs into English but I lost those photos... and I was probably never going to translate them anyway. 

Losing track of time in the Louvre

My mom and I spent six hours in the Louvre. It's her you should really be impressed with for tagging along as we thread through Antiquities, Italian masters, French masters, Napolean III's furniture... essentially every open part of the museum, which is the largest in the world.

No, I didn't stay in line to get a closer look at Da Vinci's famed Mona Lisa. The Tour Guide, however, gave me the best presentation of the work I could ask for by zooming into it on an iPad. Apparently, if you compare the left and right sides of the portrait, the message about the cycle of life and death and youth versus decline becomes clear.

The vast collections of Egyptian works from more than 3,000 BC to 300 CE stood out to me, especially the figures of gods and goddesses, mythological creatures, and royalty or nobility through the eras. As a history and Greek/Roman mythology fan, I was fascinated by the transitions in deities due to the influence of the Greeks and later the Roman Empire. 

Of course, I also enjoyed the masterpieces. My favorite was "Victory of Samothrace."

I got teary-eyed noticing the DRAMA, the MOTION, the DYNAMICS. This is the definition of sculpture "ahead of its time." Her Greek name is Nike, and she serves as the inspiration for the Nike "Swoosh" symbol.
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Gaining religion

A drawing by me of the view of the Sacre Coeur de Montmartre from our hotel.

Is it really a blog post if I don't mention church architecture? Catholic churches just have that religious flair that the Protestant interiors of my upbringing never supplied. The most picturesque basilica in Paris (and one that is the most fun to say) is the Sacre Coeur, dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus. Begun in 1875, It sits on top of Montmartre in the hills overlooking the city. Notre Dame de Paris, the French Gothic jewel of the city dating back to 1163, is still under reconstruction since a fire devastated its main tower in 2017. But the smaller churches that stole my heart were: 

1. The Church of Saint-Séverin: charming, "flamboyant new Gothic," smelled of wonderful incense upon entering.

2. Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont: This is where the patron saint St. Genevieve's bones were until the people threw them in the Seine during the French Revolution. Her shrine is still there though. 

3. The Pantheon: originally a church honoring St. Genevieve, it was converted to a mausoleum for the country's most honorable citizens, first during the French Revolution and then permanently in 1881. 

Down in the crypt, you can find the tombs of Marie Sklodowska-Curie, (who won two noble prizes in physics and chemistry), Victor Hugo, (writer of Les Miserables, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and many more works), and Alexander Dumas, (writer of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers), and about 80 other national heroes. Which I feel isn't that many if you imagine which upstanding citizens were denied over the past 250 years. I mean there are 365 people in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alone. 

Part 2: Back in Berlin, baby

A drawing I did while sitting at a park on the way to a nearby graveyard. I have too many graveyards to visit (all of them), so I don't always have that much time to just sit and draw what I see. At least the weather is finally nice!

Losing my inhibitions; gaining respect

Not that I was very inhibited in the first place. I'm quite spontan.

I'm getting along marvelously with the school children, especially the eighth graders, and I feel less self-conscious about bringing my high energy into the classroom. Instead, I just am myself and hope my enthusiasm rubs off on the students around me. I think it works. My heart is always warmed when they stop and wave at me in the courtyard and even start a conversation with me using their English skills. 

Since October, I've been helping out with the children's morning service at my church, which is for ages 3 to 12. It can be chaotic but its a rewarding challenge. I've even shared the story in German twice. But I mainly enjoy playing and connecting with the children. According to psychology -- and this is probably a paraphrase -- play awakens the part of the brain that shriveled up during adolescence when the school teachers took away the crayons and said "Grow up, take economics!" Though I am easily bored, I try to stay super engaged and curious, which I think the children appreciate. 

As you can see, I take coloring very seriously.

I like feeling like a valued member of a team at the children's service, something I didn't feel at the start of my English Teaching Assistantship gig. It helps when my supervisors also tell me they value me. But overall, have more peace that I contribute plenty just by showing up as my excited self.

Gaining minimal skills and maximum friendship at a Fulbright conference

My prominent feature in promotional material.

The consensus (among the folks that I spoke to at least) is that the Fulbright ETA Conference should have happened toward the beginning of the grant period, and not April 21-24, two months before its end. The theme of the seminars was how we could introduce media literacy into the classroom. 

But the real Fulbright Media Literacy Seminar was the friends we made along the way.

The attendees included American English teaching assistants in Germany as well as future German Fulbright graduate students who are going to America this year, so maybe several hundred people? Even I, an extra-extrovert was overwhelmed by all the socialization. Still, I caught up with Berlin folks and made a handful of American friends I genuinely hope to see again. I also got invaluable, specific advice from ETAS with actual education degrees on how I could better help students who were struggling, and I even successfully networked with the professional journalists who were present.

Me and a bunch of Germans whom I just met at an immersive art experience.

But the moment that will go down in Fulbright ETA history was the Open Mic Night. Most everyone was fabulous, but this blog isn't about them. My performance of my "The Bongo Man" spoken word poem gained monstrous applause and admiration. (Eventually, I'll record it for the rest of the world to also enjoy.) Then a new friend/singer/future medical student and I finished the night with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee. "It wasn't love at first bright, it was love at Fulbright," was how we introduced our act, which included a dance break. 

Losing money, gaining pleasures


A drawing I did while at the market.

I have spent quite a few Euros these past few Saturdays at the lovely market in the park right outside my door. Do I need any more postcards? No, but I really love buying from local artists, and maybe they'll incentivize me to actually send words and gifts to loved ones. (Though it seems likelier now that I'll distribute them after I'm back in the States.)

 Nevertheless, here are some of my favorite indulgences over the past few weeks.

  • Fine-flavored sausage from a French lady. That garlic sausage hits.  
  • In-season apricots and strawberries.
  • Funky earrings. I never need them, but you can't stop me from buying them. I also ran into one of the artists who sold me a pair I happened to be wearing. I love that for her. 
  • Hot sauces from an outdoor chili festival. My tongue had been yearning for the sweet smoky sizzle of artisan hot sauces. The Germans do not do spicy.
  • +500 grams of Loose tea. I have to #treatmyself and take care of my pollen-allergy-plagued throat.

Conclusion

Back in March, applied to do a second year of English teaching, and the word through the grapevine was that I won't find out until June. It's June, I still don't know. The main concern is that the Berlin cultural exchange office could ignore my preference to stay at the same school and assign me anywhere in Germany. 

I will update you on the outcome when the time comes-- until then. 

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen bis in ein Paar Wochen.



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