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Published: March 3rd 2008
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Arc de Triomphe
Up the Champs Elysees Hi guys! So I've been completely swamped here in London with all my work, but I've had a couple of very cool trips in the last few weeks, and Easter Break is just around the corner and I've got some neat stuff planned, so I figured it was time to resurrect the blog. First on my list is the trip I took to Paris a couple of weeks ago for the International Chamber of Commerce Commercial Mediation Moot (try saying that three times fast). Since I am taking a law class here at LSE, I was able to join LSE's commercial mediation team and compete against other teams from around the world in mock mediation sessions, but more on that later.
I took the Eurostar from London's newly refurbished St. Pancras station, which might be the best train station I've ever been in. The check-in process was smooth, the "concourse" had great shops, and the building has such fantastic architecture; I found it a much more pleasant way to start a trip than being poked and prodded by cranky TSA agents. The trip was incredibly smooth, and since the Eurostar now leaves from St. Pancras, the whole trip was only
2 hours and 15 mins. All over Europe, I am continually impressed with the public transportation in a way that I've never been in North America. I hear people complain about the Tube, for instance, and I must admit there are lots of delays (not good when you're trying to get to work...more on that later too), but even the New York Metro pales in comparison.
At any rate, back to Paris. I ended up with a totally different itinerary than the other girls, so I arrived alone and managed to find my way to the hotel. LSE was (mercifully) footing the bill for our trip, so we stayed right on the Champs Elysees. Our location could not have been better! Once my teammate Tanvi arrived, we got down to preparing for the competition.
Mediation is sort of like a guided negotiation, with an impartial mediator working to keep both parties on track. It's becoming more and more popular as a dispute resolution tool when companies are seeking to avoid litigation, and it's a useful skill for would-be lawyers. Our first round was against Harvard Law, which of course had us quite nervous. I think we did really
well, all considered (we didn't have a coach, and Tanvi and I only met a few times before the competition to prepare). We lost that round, but apparently only by a few points! Our second competitor was Hong Kong University, with whom we tied. We were eliminated after the first round, but hey, so was Harvard, so I don't feel too bad! Going to the competition was particularly nice for me since American undergraduates don't get to do that sort of thing often. Anyway, once we were eliminated, we had two free days in Paris to explore, and that was when the real fun began!
The first thing Tanvi and I did on our free day was head over to this restaurant supply store mentioned in Tanvi's guidebook. I think we could have spent our whole trip in that store. The shop was cramped, crowded, and overflowing with cook's tools. Tanvi poked around the bakeware while I tried out knives. Then, I went down a creaky twisted staircase into the ancient cellar, and what do I find but stacks and stacks of Le Creuset and Mauviel cookware. Back upstairs, I bought a light, thin chef's knife and a couple
of other sundry bits, and Tanvi and I headed back out into the cold to browse around Paris. We had a bit of lunch, and spent the rest of the day just wandering, doing some shopping, and generally soaking up the atmosphere.
The next day was a mainly tourist day, with trips to the Arc d'Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and my favorite little street, Rue Cler. Tanvi and I did the same thing Brian and I did over the summer, picking our way along shops and getting bites to eat here and there for a picnic on the Champs de Mars underneath the Eiffel Tower. Then Tanvi headed off to the top of the Tower, while I went to the Centre Pompidou, Paris's modern art museum.
Ever since I saw a picture of the Centre Pompidou in my 7th grade French text book, I have wanted to visit this museum. Each time I came to Paris, some complication (usually long lines) prevented me from going, but there were no lines on this Monday afternoon, and I was happy to see that the museum exceeded my expectations. The art was fantastic of course, but the best thing is the
building itself. It's built "inside-out," so the pipes and other bits of the building's skeleton are on the outside. My favorite part are the escalators encased in clear plastic tubes. The views from the top-most escalators over Paris are just stunning.
It's funny, but when I was younger (say early high-school aged), I hated Paris. When I was 14, my dad and I came to Paris and I was miserable the whole time. Infamously, when the airline lost my bag for several days, I insisted that we go to Gap to find me some replacement clothes (oh you silly, silly girl....what a lost opportunity). Now, Paris is one of my favorite cities. Maybe I wasn't mature enough for Paris. Or maybe as my French improved I found Paris easier to enjoy. I can't really say. But each time I go to Paris I find something new to love about it. Ok, enough with the waxing poetic about Paris. It's soooo overdone. On to the next blog!
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karen
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rhinocerous decor
Love the idea of the large animal art for your room. You could put it by the front door, kind of like Angus saying hello. Not the same effect as a wet dog nose, exactly! Loved the pix of St. Chapelle--you're right no pictures ever do it justice! Love K