September 9 – 14, 2019. It was my first day of class last Monday! It was so surreal that it was finally happening. I’ve never been in a completely international environment with classmates from all over the world, so it was fascinating having the opportunity to be in a class with classmates from Europe, the U.S. and Asia. In the morning we first had our introductory session to the LL.M. program with the director and with some of our would-be professors. After that session, we were free to do our own thing. Most of the class decided to have lunch together. Since we were unfamiliar with the neighborhood, we ended up at one of the first cafes we found–Le Bonaparte at Saint-Germain des-Près–which turned out to be a bit fancier that we expected. I cannot (afford to) eat like this every after class, I thought.
Over lunch we decided to have our preliminary introductions, at least of those who joined us for the meal. I have four German classmates, four Americans, an Italian, a Japanese, and a Vietnamese. Later on we would likewise be acquainted with classmates from Russia, Greece and Belgium.
After lunch I didn’t want to go home all the way to Suresnes so I decided to roam around Paris, around Trocadero specifically because I am not yet over seeing the Eiffel Tower, and because yes I still am a tourist in this city. As an introvert I was still too shy to make friends with my classmates right away and hang out with them on first day.
Later that evening, we had school-sponsored dinner at À La Petite Chaise. Conversations over dinner were fascinating and eye-opening. There’s so much to learn from other countries’ experiences and legal systems.
We didn’t have class until Thursday, so the next two days was spent doing errands, studying for the next class, and exploring more of Suresnes and Paris. I realized that living 45-50 minutes commute from school is not so bad after all, if the trade off is some tranquility of a Parisian suburbia. Anyway, on Wednesday I also met up with a fraternity brod, Yael, who also started studying in Paris this September. He is taking up his masters at SciencesPo. We had dinner and drinks around Saint-Germain-des-Prés because it turns out our schools are just in front of each other along Rue Saint-Guillaume and Rue de Buci was just a few minutes walk.
August 29-30, 2019. We started off our third day (August 29) in Paris with a morning stroll at the Place de Trocadero to have our photos taken with the Eiffel Tower. It still is very surreal for me finally seeing such an iconic monument I’ve only seen in photos, movies and TV shows all my life till then.
From Trocadero we walked to Champ de Mars and had more photos of us taken. We continued walking all the way to Pont Alexandre III until we reached the banks of the Seine near Musée d’Orsay. From there, we boarded a river cruise which also served lunch. A very tourist thing to do, but that was exactly what we were. I still couldn’t get over how I am finally here in this city.
August 27 – 28, 2019. I’ve never been to Paris, let alone Europe. It was my first time in the old continent! I was so happy to have spent it with my parents, to whom I owe this grand privilege I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I’d like to believe it was also a very proud moment for them to ‘send’ their son to study in Paris, and they were only too happy to see me off from the city themselves.
My first reaction upon landing at the Charles de Gaule airport was that–wow, I never realized how hot it could be! As someone who had only always imagined Europe through countless movies and stories, I had always expected it to be a cold place. Not right now!
As we drove off from the airport to our hotel in Paris, I couldn’t contain my enchantment. It’s like my dream and a lifetime’s worth of imagining Paris, coming to life right before my very eyes. It’s an outstanding feeling.
Our first full day (August 28) was spent visiting Musée d’Orsay, Saint-Germain-des-Près, the Panthéon, Jardin de Luxembourg, and then ending the day on top of Tour de Montparnasse. Tiring day! Happy that my parents survived the itinerary I made. I realized it must have taken them a lot of effort to walk everywhere.
