Stickers, Swan Lake, and Salon de l'Agriculture

A statue on Boulevard Saint-Germain, photographed after a (very) late lunch

Hello!

This post is a bit more scattered than my usual content, because it was initially formatted as a numbered list in an attempt to curb my temptation to go into long tangents about stationary.

On Sunday, I noticed that the blanket on my chair was moving. Please enjoy this footage of an adorable stowaway and a Very High-Pitched Lydia voice.

I bought some new stickers! The dinosaurs were an exciting find, and they have already gotten some positive attention from my classmates. I saw the animals dressed like Native American people stickers, and was oddly amused by the peculiar ignorance and image of the Americas that has to go into a French company marketing these stickers to French people. However, the weird irony of it all was lost when I (an American who understands why appropriating Native American cultures is wrong) purchased them, and now they are a guiltily-used bullet journal accessory.

On Monday, I visited Muji, a Japanese store that sells minimalist basics. It has kind of an Ikea vibe, and it was yet another store that was an unnecessarily cool place to browse. I purchased a 0.5 black gel pen (to replace my now dead Pilot G1), an unnecessarily luxurious mechanical pencil, and a pen loop for my wallet's interior.

Aesthetically-pleasing awnings at Muji

A display featuring Muji products

My gastronomy class went on a field trip to the Salon de l'Agriculture, a giant agricultural fair with dozens of displays and vendors. I got to try several French specialities and learn about La Bretagne, the region I will be presenting on later in the semester.

I got to sample several of the different sausages pictured above.

I am a heathen who doesn't really like wine, but this rosé from Champagne is very aesthetically pleasing.

On Wednesday, after visiting the fair, I went to see Swan Lake (Le Lac des Cygnes) at Opéra Bastille with people from my program. It was beautifully executed, and the costumes were amazing. The dresses got lots of well-deserved praise from the people in my group, but my personal favorite was the knee-length maroon dress robe and long matching cape that the sorcerer wore at the beginning of the show. Before the show started, I took this panoramic video of the venue.

Otherwise, I have been taking it easy this week. Despite having mostly recovered from my cold, I have a lingering cough and a bit of a raspy voice. Hopefully, I will recover completely soon and be able to operate at 100% again.

Best wishes,

Lydia

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