Filling In, Part Deux.

Day 9: Première Vision! [Friday]

THE LARGEST TEXTILE EXPOSITION IN THE WORLD, and Lord, I believe it. Imagine a regulation-size football field. With a thousand or more little booths. And in each booth a company. With them, hundreds of fabrics on hangers on bars across the walls. Not facing out, like in a clothing store, but sideways, like in your closet. So each booth had...1000? 2000? fabrics? that's over a million fabrics. And that's one hall out of SIX. Sweet Jesus. It was amazing. Of the 100 passes given to colleges across the world, SCAD got 18, or should I say CHRISTOPHER got 18. He is CONNECTED but never really says it. haha we know now though. We were there literally 11-5p, and it was amazing. In those six hours, I saw almost all of Hall 6 and a bit of Hall 5. They're divided by section, so Hall 6 was the silks, laces, embroideries, Wools, Prints, and Forecasting Services. What the services do ties into my Trends and Forecasting class--we saw the big themes for Fall and some for Spring NEXT YEAR. So we're up on Fashion for the next 6 months and even some of the big trends that will hit the runway in a year. We saw the big colors, and the new fabrics. And the fabrics we were handling will be showing up on Fall Runways in six months and even some on Spring Runways NEXT SEPTEMBER. Crazy Exciting. I can't wait to go "OH MY GOD, I SAW THAT A YEAR AGO!" haha. Understandably, no cameras were allowed in here either. 



By the way, I got to shower this morning, so it had been two days, and all I could do was rinse off because NO SHAMPOO. It worked, though, oddly enough. Paris just...doesn't make you dirty, surprisingly. Maybe that's why the French were notorious for not bathing? I didn't smell at all. I had a lovely dinner after bumping into Nick, Kelsey, Michael, and Reba (who did awful things with Pickled Ginger and her face). 



I hadn't been out for the nightlife yet, so I decided I wanted to go tonight. I gave myself a mohawk (pictures to come), popped on a dayglo orange shirt and headed out, with the AIM to go to Christopher's suggested hot spots back in the Place des Vosges. No luck--the crew, now comprised of Nick, Kelsey, Morgana, and myself--just wanted to wander around for two hours. It was nice, but...you know, crazy hair. It was the night of the Paris/Ireland Rugby match, so it was an energetic night. Right after the leaving the hotel, a SLEW of rollerbladers rocketed down the main street nearest the hotel. The parade of them lasted a good three minutes, it was INSANE. After coming home and combing out the hair, bed, finally, after 8 hours on my feet.

Day 10: Versailles

Ah, the splendor. EVERYONE (optionally) went to the Palace at Versailles, save for some photo people who went gallery-wandering with their professor, Andy, and hit a museum with lots of prehistoric bones. Cool photos from them. As for me and most everyone else, we saw the big palace and the HUGE gardens. Lots of pictures and some videos there. After assembling the lovely panoramas and uploading the videos, I think you all will enjoy them too. Coming soon, like everything else! Sorry sorry. We were there for hours. I was pretty much by myself wandering around. I didn't find Marie Antoinette's little Hamlet though. :( The gardens were lovely, though, with lots of lots of lots of cool fountains and some hilariously inaccurate sea life portrayals. Lots of pictures there, cannot stress that enough. I found Hansel, Nicole, and Caroline by the train station, and we headed back, bumping into Dave (student, as opposed to Daves, Professor), Lyle and Jonathan.

Walking back to the hotel, I saw a houndstooth sweater, and, having bought no clothing so far, decided to go back to the store and give it a look. You might've seen it in my Eiffel Tower picture? That happened tonight! After getting shampoo from Kate and Hansel (THANK YOU GOD) I wanted to look sharp, so I got out the new sweater and my turquoise tie...but the white dress shirt is old and the neck's too small...so no tie. Oh well. Off to the tower, which was lit up green and orange in a show of good sportsmanship for Paris having lost to Ireland. After a hurried ride back with some grumpy people who were really hungry, Nick, Brandon, Kelsey, and I had a lovely sit-down dinner. SO nice. Then, attempt two at my night on the town, last night in Paris, so off to the Long Hop, an "American" Bar (where I had Sprite, thank you), and I befriended the COOLEST person I have met in a long time. Her name was Ryan, currently getting her Masters in International Affairs, and--oh yes, she was my bartender! At the end of the night, she said the bar people wanted to tell me I looked like Anthony Kedis. :) I just friended her on Facebook, AKA MySpace for college kids. Cooooool. Such a sweaty, good time. I spent the night in Dominique's room for reasons only she and Melissa (her roommate) and I need to know. haha SLAP!

Day 11: Au Revoir, Paris! [Sunday]

Aw, last day. We slept in until 11:08! That's the latest I had slept since I got to France, my first day sleeping in. We had to check out at noon, so ...oops. I was good by 11:30, though. I went with a group (mostly photo) to the Pompidou Center, a Contemporary Arts Museum in Paris. That was nice--see the Picassos, the DuChamps, the Calders. Good pictures there, and of the museum itself, all tall and with a bare front, kind of scary. On the way back to get our bags at the hotel, I passed a great street performer and watched him for a good twenty minutes. I took a video, which will be posted. I don't want to ruin the surprise. :) Off we go, and THIS time we took the Metro to the Train Station. The TGV left at 19:20, headed to Avignon at 200 miles an hour, coming in around 23:00. The bus got us back to Lacoste by 23:30, an bed came not too much longer after that.

Day 12: Class? Riiiiiiight [Monday]

So after three days in Paradise, then two days of classes, then five days in Paris, it was hard to remember why we were here. But, we're here for learning, and classes finally started teaching us things today. Now at 13:00, Current Trends and Forecasting recapped the Première Vision experience, talked about the small project due Wednesday, and looked at the magazines we all got for the class. I think something else happened here, but I've forgotten. Oh well. Then Dinner, then bed.

Day 13: The Swing of Things [Tuesday]

TWO classes today. Business with Christopher was nice, learned things there. Can't think of anything to point out now, though. After lunch, Treasures of Provence, which brought us on the first of almost-every-class field trips. This time, to Bories and a church with baby graves. Creeeeepy. Nick laid down in the adult one. :/ Peeking through the keyhole presented you with a little surprise vision. [Insert picture here, but i don't have one] I guess you'll have to come see it yourself to find out what. :) I started a drawing of some sculpted plants at Versailles, and then FRENCH CLASSES started. The teacher is really nice (but I've forgotten her name), and I was comforted by the fact that everything she taught, I already knew. Not every word she SAID, as she was talking in French, but everything she stopped and TAUGHT. and I did get the gist of her monologue. She's funny too. Dinner, and then working on my plants and hanging out in the lab way too late.

Day 14: Work-laden Wednesday

First assignment due in Current Trends and Forecasting, a write-up of a Runway show from the current Season, for a magazine of our choosing--that's US writing it for them in their style, and to match them visually. I chose Charles Nolan--whose simple and unassuming line could please everyone from Heather to Virginia to Mom, and has pieces to look great on all of them. I think designers sometimes forget that bottom-line, clothes are meant to be worn. After Christopher's "magazine editor" read-through, I was good to fix it, although my one-page article was now a two-page spread after staying and working on it after class with opera for three hours. I like it though. (Picture here soon) FRENCH CLASS AGAIN, this time how to order drinks in a bar or café, then dinner, and more computer lab time. On the way to bed, I ran into Nick and Kelsey in the Library, and worked on Journal stuff for my Treasures of Provence class journal. Bed around 3:00?

Day 15: Whoops! [Thursday]

Woke up at 9:07 for my 9a class. My clock is set many minutes ahead, so maybe I woke up right at nine? In a setting where one absence probably means a failed class, not good. Sleep Apnea, ahoy! Oh well, I think I've got myself a system now in case that's going to happen again so that it ...doesn't. In Business of Fashion we learned that if you want to know how much a garment cost the designer to make, pretty much divide the price by 5. For many things in the business world. Keep that in mind when you go out next! Scary some of the markup things he told us, and a great story about the family who owns DeBeers. By the way, India has the most solid gold Rolls Royces of anywhere in the world. Retail price? Approximately $9,000,000 (that's Nine MILLION Dollars. for a car, and yes it works. And I'm sure someone has two in case they scratch one. haha) Meanwhile people starve to death mere miles away. Sad.

Treasures of Provence had a sickening hour-long car ride right after lunch to a fantastic old Roman village originally founded by Celts. We dipped our hands in the "healing spring" (read: stagnant water with a staircase. The dead bugs on top didn't look too healed to me, but whatever.), and walked around for an extra hour. We got back at 17:10 (instead of 16:00) and I took a nice, long shower to warm up from today's wintery chill in the air and light sprinkling all afternoon. Dinner (which was good and Provencial, like always), and then hanging out in the Mac Lab. I didn't do laundry (yet again), so I HAVE to do it tomorrow when I get back from Avignon. I finally got to update the blog and send some Emails, so ...enjoy? Hopefully y'all still check this. Adam seems to be the only commenter.

Filling In!

WEEK ONE!

Day 5: Manic Monday

Ah, a reminder we're here for school: a class, and at 9a! Current Trends and Forecasting, with Christopher, my History of Fashion Teacher in the Spring. I found out afterwards that it is an  ELECTIVE, so there goes one of my two, oops. Oh well. Should be fun, it's about reading the market and following predictions and making some of your own, which adds up to how designers seem to have consistent themes when they present their runway shows, or how certain colors magically appear on every runway. Good stuff. I'm out of class by noon, and, wonderfully, Christopher announces the class will be moved to the 1-4p slot, AKA 13:00-16:00 here in Lacoste. As far as I remember, I did nothing else all day. Haha

Day 6: Two-Class Tuesday

Day two of classes, one at 9:00, one at 13:00. The first, also with Christopher, is Business of Fashion, about the moneys and ...well, business of the apparel industry. After lunch is Treasures of Provence with Daves (yes, as in plural, but it's one guy). He talks too much and repeats himself a lot, but he's very knowledgeable. SO...that's good? Afterwards, a lot of frantic running around as a good half-dozen of the Fashion kids packed together, but in their separate rooms in their separate dorms and one after the other. Crazy and hilarious.

Day 7: To the TGV! [Wednesday]

Off to Paris! Up at FIVE am. Which is still 5:00 in France, yes. and it feels like it, in our little village without the sun up. THREE minutes for all 60 of us to board the TGV at 7:20 (which turned out to be plenty of time to get on, but oh well), and in PARIS by 10:00! We walked to the Hotel, got some lunch (picture to follow), and then came back to check in. Then, Fashion (as opposed to Photo or Illustration, the other two majors) went off on our merry way with Christopher at 9:30. We headed off to Yves Saint Laurent's original showroom house, now a museum for him...that was closed because most of the exhibit was out getting ready for a shipping to New York. Christopher knew about this and was assured he had another week before they'd close down the building. Oops. Off to Museum two! ......also closed. Poor Christopher. "That's Paris," he said [with humour]. On the way to the Louvre's Decorative Arts addition wing, we passed the Toyota dealership with some fascinating models (i.e. Gold Leather Hybrid car? Pictures coming soon), and saw the Champs Elysée, with the Ferris Wheel and Arc de Triomphe--but we didn't get up close to it. :( The Louvre addition was lovely, though, with a Gaultier costume exhibit and some of the most beautiful jewelry I have seen in my entire life. Exploring Paris for the evening was nice, but lots of big days to follow means early to bed.  OH and in the hustle, I didn't pack my shampoo. I THINK it was intentional, to save room...? Either way, a mistake. Five days to come...

Day 8: And we're off...on our own. [Thursday]

Fashion followed the herd today to the Louvre itself, which was spectacular. I saw the Mona Lisa, Delacroix's Scenes from the Massacre of Chios, The Grande Odalisque, The Crowning of Napoleon, The Raft of the Medusa, and some other great classic paintings (but unfortunately nothing Flemish, or Reubens or anything as the second floor was CLOSED!). I also saw some great sculpture pieces, like the Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory of Samothrace, AKA the Winged Nike, and other classic Greek goodies. NO PICTURES THOUGH, as I was told we weren't allowed to take photos in the Louvre. Luckily, I bumped into Nick who snapped a statue for me that I loved, and I can get Mona Lisa from Kate, since we saw it together. We had a great shot too. Everything is pretty much memory-only, but that's why you have Google. :)

After three? hours there, Fashion took off to a long square that was lovely, but whose name escapes me, to see John Paul Gaultier's big store and the new Marc Jacobs. After a ride on the Metro, we were at the Avenue, Montagne, or Money Row in Paris. Virtually EVERY name in Fashion was there, and in such large buildings! Lots of pictures and a video at Dior. :) No, I didn't buy anything, Mom--WANTED TO, but didn't. I should've priced that silver necklace though at Dior Homme. There's no picture of that, but it was a bee silhouette. Afterwards, we went to La Marais, a newly trendy old neighborhood with the gorgeous Place des Vosges Park. I bought two ties, both 100% silk, one for 10 Euro, one for 20 Euro. Not bad, and the color of the plush 20 Euro one is such a vibrant turquoise--I literally saw it from across the street and had to go in to see it. It was 25 Euro, but the whole "I only have a twenty" worked fine. I mean, it was true, but still. 

Then, we split up, but Jason, Fatima and I followed Christopher to La Gallerie Lafayette, a GIANT Designer Department store, although many of the prices were the same. Pierre Cardin NICE dress shirts for 60 Euro though? I almost got out the credit card for two. Oh well. Again, I bought nothing, Mom. Finally, back to the hotel, some misunderstandings and paths that DIDN'T cross in the lobby led to two seperate dinners, but oh well. After twelve hours on our feet, bedtime, because tomorrow...

PARIS

This is ALL that I have to say tonight:

Bonjour from Provence!

NOTE: Apologies in advance for spelling or grammar errors, the dictionary is kind of...half-French, half-English, so if it auto-corrects something to not make sense as I type, I do apologize.

Ok, so I'm attempting to Blog now. NO PICTURES THIS TIME for the simple reason that I am not on my laptop, and I only just now got my pictures uploaded onto it back down the hill in my room. In under an hour, we're having a tour of the class buildings here in Lacoste, so I didn't want to worry about managing the laptop up the hill, down the hill, toying with the connection, making it on time, etc.

I have pictures, though, and they're gorgeous. You'll be super jealous and want to visit, and that's cool. Be envious. I'm also planning to take videos and upload them onto YouTube which can then be watched by y'all. However, I didn't realize that I hadn't installed my camera software onto my "new" replacement MacBook Pro this summer, so while the pictures upload just fine into iPhoto, the videos are currently trapped on my camera until fortune smiles upon me and I can work out some way to get them onto my computer. Don't worry though; lovely panoramas await you, assuming I don't screw it all up horribly. Also, I'm here with the Fashion Program; the other majors this quarter are Illustration and Photography...so with any luck, some gifted photo kiddos will snapshot me and some lovely scenery, and then I'll post those on here too to share with you all.

Day 1/2: Leaving Houston

My flight left at 4p, or 11p France time, or, more accurately, 23:00 France time, Thursday September 13. Before leaving, I tried to exchange money, with two disappointing roadbumps: a horribly inflated exchange fee (like, 20% higher than it should be), and a new development where apparently my debit card has a new pin number, and I don't know it. Suffice it to say, no money exchanged. I landed in Paris after a 9.5 hour flight, which was exactly 5000 miles. Super cool. I napped approximately ONE hour on the plane. I caught the connection to Marseilles at the gorgeous and industrial Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, and sat in the EXIT row, right next to the door. No problems, though. I met up with Justine and Nicole while boarding the flight, the first two SCAD students I had seen. I also sat next to a nice couple, he from Marseilles, she from Singapore (worked for Google, very cool). They told me the great places to hit in Paris (Maison du Chocolat...best in the world? we'll see) and complimented me on my accent when I spoke to them in [broken] French to ensure I was adequately prepared should I be stranded in a train station. In Marseilles, Nicole, Justine, and I walked out and met pretty much everyone else. I SUCCESSFULLY got us food with vocabulary and some pointing (hella awesome), and then I finally got to exchange my money for the some overblown markup as in the Houston airport. Oh well. I got 130 € for my $200 cash.

Day 2: En Provence

We got on the bus at 15:00 and took off for Lacoste, about an hour drive. The scenery was lovely (lots of pictures, lots of houses with blue shutters). Arriving in Lacoste, we were presented with our home for the the next two months: a graudal incline littered with houses on slanted tiers up the side of the hill. At the top, the Marquis de Sade's former Chateau, now property (and home) of Pierre Cardin, who's turning it into a museum for its famous former owner. He's bought a lot of homes in the village, empty buildings, but no one's sure exactly of his plans. He walks around though, apparently, 86 years young, sharp as a tack and with the personality of a teenager. I'm ecstatic to meet him. We moved into our awesome rooms, all sorts of variations of stone-walled crypts mixed with plaster-walled lodges. My favorite building (of SCAD's) so far is by far the library. It's three stories, converted from the old Boulangerie, or Bakery, and incerdibly modern in its décor. I plan on taking pictures and a video in there for a virtual tour sort of experience for you all. I sat up there ...well, that's Sunday. We met for dinner, walked around and settled in.

Day 3: Apt Entertainment (Saturday)

Our first full day in Lacoste, we woke up EARLY for an 8:30a trip to nearby town Apt. We strolled through a market, featuring everything from vintage posters to fabric bolts to vegetables to coin banks to homemade soaps...and more. I bought three stock-card poster things with vintage designs [re]printed on them, and a present! for someone. I went by the bank, still with no pin number, so I couldn't get any additional money (damn). I had to give 100 € as a deposit when we got here, so I've got about 20 € left. We also hit the grocery store before heading back, where the girls and I stocked UP on some coffee pudding and some chocolate pudding, and I got something called "Agrùm Schweppes" with orange, mandarin, grapefruit, and "citron vert", which I thought meant limes, but apparently just means green lemons. :\ I haven't cracked it open yet, though, but our candy bar with crazy filling is AMAZING. Elizabeth is from Canada (Toronto?) and is VERY good with the French. She's been super helpful with translating for the parts we don't know. Funnily enough, those of us with French experience all hang out together: Elizabeth, Hansel, me, and sometimes Gwen. Callie also knows French, but she's clustered up with other people. For dinner we went to Café de Sade, operated by Lily, who apparently welcomes SCAD to Lacoste every quarter with a wonderful meal. We had an authentic French soup which takes eight hours to make. It had pasta and the kinds of beans and some sort of Egyptian plant...Balsilic? I don't remember the name, but I hadn't heard it before. Anyway, the soup was awesome. The night was bittersweet, though, as Pierre Cardin had bought her restaurant, and after 32 years, she is retiring in one week. We were her last SCAD dinner. She was so sweet and the faculty gave her a picture that she apparently recognized from ...maybe a former Lacoste student? She said something about "Stephanie" when she saw the framed photo, and it was apparently just the right gift. Crazy afterparty of Uno in the girls' room, then walking around and enjoying the night in random groups that sort of met up and grew outside my room, and then bed around 3:24.

Day 4: Lazy Lacoste

Sunday Sunday, and I'm up by 8:30 for breakfast, but I chose not to go on the deep-into-the-valley nature hike for three hours. Even after hearing that they possibly saw Demi Moore's house with the pool and tennis court, I'm still not disappointed in my choice. It was also the first day of hunting season, so there were a few feathers littering the sides of the road and a couple of gunshots, I was told by the hikers. I finally got to get on the computer and let people know I'm alive (the internet had been down), and then I went to the Library and sat in "my window" (picture soon) and read a book of Christian Dior's beginnings as a designer on and off for about an hour and a half. I put it in my room later for finishing. We don't have to check books out of this library with stamps or anything, so that's cool.'ve been typing for about thirty minutes, and there's a tour coming up where we're going around the classes at 14:00, and it's 13:54 right now. So, thanks for reading, pictures soon, and à bientôt (see you later)!