Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog! After a couple of weeks of officially living in Paris, I decided it was about time I introduce myself, recount a couple of my adventures, and write about what I want to accomplish with this blog.
I’m a journalism student from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, and I decided to devote my junior year to studying abroad. First I will be studying here, in Paris, and next semester in Brazil. Right now I’m at taking classes at the American University of Paris. Although the university officially operates in English, I wanted to take full advantage practicing French (that is why I’m here!), so three of my classes are in French. So far they are interesting because I’m not learning about the language, as I did in my other classes, but learning about a subject (literature, photography, and cinema) in the language.
In an orientation workshop about adapting to life in France, one professor said, “I love learning a foreign language because it is the most destabilizing thing in the world. And I love being destabilized because it stops making you think the way you think.” This has been my exact experience in other trips abroad, and I hope I will be able to communicate when I come to these realizations.
Which brings me to the blog: why the name Pallan’s Pixels? I like that name because I’m here to show you a tidbit of Paris—you won’t get the full picture unless you come and experience it for yourself. But in the meantime, I’ll act as a medium for the cultural differences and quirky discoveries of living in France.
My photojournalism professor once told our class: “A picture is not worth a thousand words. They got that wrong. A great image conveys something that can’t be put into words.” Hopefully with both my picture and words, I will be able to give you a clearer understanding of life here (albeit from my point of view).
But the great thing about a blog is that it is interactive. I not only get to write about my quotidian adventures, but you get to respond. And I hope you will. Remember, I’m a journalism student so I need assignments and investigate work to keep me sharp! Ask me any question about Parisian neighborhoods, fashion, or habits and I will go find out and report back to you.
I’ll be updating with pictures and stories of my adventures as soon as I finish a paper I have due Monday, so check back soon!
à bientôt,
-Karelia
