Paris again. I woke up with butterflies strongly fluttering in my stomach. My first thought was, “Today’s my job interview” – the last interview I would have for the Technical Writing position. I was dreading it. My hair was a mess because my blow dryer wouldn’t work with the outlet switch and the hotel blow dryer was not working. Super. It was ok. Think positive. I wore a business suit for the first time in so many years. My boyfriend was reassuring me all the time that I was gonna get the job and kick a lot of ass.
So I did. They emailed me the next day and I accepted the job offer. I hope that this will be a very good experience for me. We celebrated by going to all the good places of Paris – The Louvre, Eiffel, Notre Dame, Montmartre, etc etc.
The Sacré-Coeur basilica in Montmartre
View from the Sacré-Coeur basilica in Montmartre
We also saw a film shooting in Montmartre and a famous French actor, Gerard Lanvin, who played Moltes in Le Boulet!
Gerard Lanvin (in the black suit) -Moltes of Le Boulet
Most of my friends asked me if I have been to the Louvre. Well, not yet but here is the outside view! I have yet to go inside and get a 3-day pass.
Outside the Louvre Museum
The famous Moulin Rouge! A few steps more is the Pigalle Place, the red light district of Paris.
Moulin Rouge
When I was a kid, I have watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame several times. Looking at this place, I imagined the gargoyles on the rooftop going alive.
Notre Dame
Gargoyles on the roof
The Champs Elysees reminds me of New York’s Fifth Avenue, where all the expensive shops are. It’s a shopper’s dream, but you gotta have the dough. Otherwise, it becomes a nightmare. To look at all those shops without having to buy! But oh…strolling down Champs-Elysees at night! Aux Champs-Elysées, aux Champs-Elysées!
Champs-Elysees at night
Another favorite is the Eiffel Tower. If you stand underneath the Eiffel in a windy day, it feels like the tower is swaying right in top of you. As the night falls, it becomes blue and it sparkles…like the stars, contributing to the many, many lights of Paris. Its history also fascinates me. It was built by Gustave Eiffel in 1889 for the International Exhibition of Paris and was supposed to be taken down after 20 years. According to my boyfriend, excuses kept coming up for the Eiffel Tower not to be destroyed such as its antenna is used for military purposes..blah blah. And well, it just looks so damned good.
It has also become a national symbol because during WWII, The Eiffel Tower was so great that when Paris fell to the Nazis, French rebels cut the cables to the elevator of the tower so Hitler would have to climb the stairs. When the Nazis hung their swastika flag from its summit, a determined Frenchman climbed up the tower and replaced it with the French flag. Despite poor acceptance during its first few years, the Eiffel Tower has been embraced by French citizens, and stands as one of the most recognizable structures in the world. (Source: http://weuropeanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_eiffel_tower)
The Eiffel Tower becomes a starry blue at night
The 12 stars in the Eiffel tower symbolize the stars in the EU flag
