Today started at 8:30am with me running to get down stairs and stuff myself with all you can eat breakfast at the hotel. The breakfasts here have been amazing and I’ve come to find myself stock piling calories at breakfast and riding out the rest of the day with snacks.
After breakfast we went on our way to see the Roman amphitheater of Paris. After an interesting and informative lecture by the professors we got silly and took a couple panoramic photos…for the fans.
Next was la Pantheon, which unfortunately was closed today for technical reasons. This was a bummer because I was due to give a presentation on the significance of the site.
I ended up give my presentation in shadow cast by the large dome and for the most part it went well.
Next was the Musee d’Orsay. This museum contained multiple works of art by impressionist artist such as Monet, Manet, and Renoir. The art inside was at times less than impressive but the building itself was interesting.
Following the d’Orsay we walked across the river to see Monet’s “Water Lilies” which was the last event on an enjoyable day in Paris.
On a different topic, there are no bearded men in Paris. Seriously, I can’t help but notice because I’m consciously aware of how people probably perceive me when I travel …and there are NO beards here.
In fact, I would like to take this time to emphasize how serious I am when I say that I LITERALLY have the largest beard I’ve seen since I’ve been here.
Other smaller beards?…70% of the time: foreigners.
Not complaining, it’s just a cultural observation. Maybe beards are just an American “trend”.
Walking around, I feel as though I have no chance of even blending in. The Parisians probably see me and think “American”…or worse “Duck Dynasty.”
In conclusion, my majestically barbate beauty and whimsically whiskered visage are sometimes under appreciated and possibly confused by social norms, a problem that has been further compounded due to my geographical location and cultural standards of the society in which I have currently found myself. Though daunting, and possibly ostracizing, I will face this challenge head on and fully shoulder the duties and responsibilities of a bearded ambassador, a venerated facially flocculent messiah…or in the words of Ron Burgundy, “a miniature Buddha covered in hair.” Like Siddhartha, I will spread the teachings and ways of the enlightened and serve my bohemian brothers as a burly bristled beholder of beauty and virtue.
I didn’t choose this path, thespian apaches abused meek.
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