In 2012, I took a break from Project 365 after running it for a couple of years – that of 2010 as a personal project known to a handful few friends, and that of 2011 hosted on this very blog itself. During the break, I found myself spending significantly less time exploring parts of Paris which I don’t yet know well, which is a shame really.

It’s time to be more pro-active again, and hopefully with Project 365, I’ll get that extra dose of motivation to be out and about, particularly when it is dark/wet/dull outside and certain neighbourhoods lie just a little far/inconvenient to reach from where I am. Instead of updating photo daily, I will do so as a weekly photo blog post. Enjoy!

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30 Dec: Nico was visiting us and we took the opportunity to hit Dalí retrospective at the Centre Pompidou. We took advantage of late night opening hours to avoid long queues, and while waiting to enter, we were treated to the beautiful view of Paris by night. Eiffel Tower quite easily dominated the skyline.

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The totem sculptures thing are just too funny. I’ve seen them around each time I go to/fro my tango classes, but I never quite figure them out. I’m also too lazy to check if there is any description of these totems nearby. My imagination runs wild and what I perceived are some colourful ciggies in the guise of totems. And it’s not even commercial ciggies but home-rolled.

I’ve finalised everything at Cité U today, handed back my keys and all. It’s so strange to see the studio apartment like how it was eight months ago. It’s as if I’ve never been there even. The cleaning lady of my floor was nice, wishing me good luck and approving that the apartment is in good order. Funny there was no état des lieux being held though. Just a quick glance through.

This is a bit poignant. As I stand here at the window (of my bathroom), I realise this is the last time I get to enjoy this afternoon sunshine from this viewpoint. This time tomorrow, I would be busy unpacking over at my new apartment, taking that one step closer to playing the role of a Parisienne. Still an imposter, but maybe less? I still have much to learn on how to be a true Parisienne.

Those little lanes down there has been part of my jogging route since early this summer, so I will miss having such vast green space literally at my backyard. While the new apartment is slightly closer to work and very central (with Pierre Hermé now a mere 5 minutes walk away), it is a good bit of a way out for me before I hit any green area to do a spot of jogging. Oh well… I’m sure I’ll get adjusted soon enough.

For now, goodbye Cité U.

This blog is starting to look a tad more somber that I’d like it to be, what with all the night (and not particularly interesting) shots. And tonight’s shot is even starting to somewhat reflect my mood. It has been a long day, and my arrival back from Dublin late last night is not helping at all. At this point, I just want to be back in my apartment, sit down, and do nothing at all.

But I can’t do that. See, amusingly (to me, at least), while it was the colour contrasts of the leaves that caught my attention in the first place, my head keeps pinging back to waraqat sajara (i.e. tree leaves) that I’ve been learning in Arabic classes. What a timely reminder that I have revision to do before tomorrow’s class. There is simply no rest for the greedy?

Since I moved here, I’ve seen this bookseller at the main gate of Cité U nearly daily in the evening, either setting up the “stall” by displaying the books on the staircase (there are numerous editions of Petit Prince and in different languages), or chatting with punters (serious or otherwise), or trying to sell packets of tissue paper (10 cents each).

With his latest advertisement hung on the tree, I finally know name his name (Fabien). It has been a tad disconcerting walking past someone who regularly says hi to you but you haven’t a clue of who they are. I admire his tenacity, of staying outside and let fate chose the way things go. I also once saw him leaving in the evening – his bicycle was stacked with more books and he looked almost comical as he pedalled hard to go home for the night.

I don’t normally go to a bar at 10am, least to say on a Sunday morning at that too. Today is an exception. My friends and I need a place to watch the Rugby World Cup final match between host New Zealand and the challenger France. Our original intended location had problem with their tv set so there was a small frantic search for a new place nearby and quickly.

We found a bar that is quite sports-themed, in particular, motorsports. It doesn’t really matter, as long as there are live broadcast of the match. But during the break, I surveyed around. It is a rather impressive interiors that they’ve got here, complete with even a car right smack in the middle of the bar. In a city where space is at a premium all the time, this form of use of space is unusual, but I guess that’s also what makes it special. They’ve definitely got the passion for all thing auto.

Perhaps the autumn weather is not as bad as I thought. I can manage grey skies during the week while I’m at work, as long as every weekend is as sunny as today. Enough for me to sit outside with a good book and read for a few hours and I’m pleased as punch. What can I say? I’m a simple girl, enjoying simple things of life.

Clealy I am not the only one taking advantage of this pleasant weather. Families are out in throng. Couples too, whispering sweet nothing (or so I am assuming) to each other. And those of us flying solo, we’re content just to have our own me-time. I, for one, needed this, since I am a little stressed out from work. Here’s to oh sunny sunny day :)

Another monument at public square for you today – it’s a miniature of the Lion of Belfort. It sits rather prominently at Place Denfert-Rochereau, with plenty of after office vehicles zooming around in their rush to get home, or make it for dinner appointments, or whats not. At the same time, there was a vanful of police next to me so I just made a quick job of photographing this and left.

The Lion of Belfort was sculpted in celebration of France’s resistance during the siege of Belfort, led by none others than Colonel Denfert-Rochereau. Given this square in the 14th arrondissement is already name after the colonel, why not place a miniature of the famous lion that commemorates the effort at the square, right?

It is another grey autumn day in Paris (I best get used to it), but not particularly cold, so still alright to wander around a little in the evening on a long walk. Somehow, my aimless stroll took me to the historic main building of Observatoire de Paris. The one the famously aligns with Fontaine de l’Observatoire and Jardin du Luxembourg.

So this quilted looking dome of the Perrault building is the Arago dome, named after François Arago, the director of the Observatory from 1834-1853. It houses an astronomical telescope, and may be visited as part of a 2-hour guided tour (reservation required) of the entire building. The tour also takes you floor by floor, to see the talking clocks room (ground floor), the grand gallery (first floor) and the Cassini Hall (second floor) where the Paris meridian is marked. I should try to book myself in for a tour.

Ps: hmmm, the French version says reservation is currently not available.

From boulevard Jourdan, I have on a number of occasions noted this particular building, hidden away on rue Faguet. Curiosity abound, I detoured through today to check for the significance of the building. It turns out that this is actually one of the many houses within Cité U. This is the South-East Asian House.

Prior to this revelation, I was wondering if it’s a temple of some sort. Afterall, Buddhism is the third largest religion in the country and a friend previously told me that there are a couple of hundred Buddhist meditation centers and temples here. I admit to being a tad disappointed that my initial theory was not a correct one. Still, it’s a rather nice building and photos from Cité U website show impressive interiors too.