End of week 1(.5)

I'm sitting in the Stanford Center, checking e-mail and trying to get myself organized for the weekend. It's been a wonderful week, and Paris is beginning to feel more like home. I took some pictures, too, as you can see.

Yesterday (Thursday), I went with the Contemporary Arts class to Meca Musique, a contemporary music workshop run by Jacques Rémus, a very prominent contemporary musician. It was unbelievable. It was in the 13e, which is a more industrial part of Paris, in a building that used to be a refrigerator during World War II. I've included some pictures of the graffiti that decorated the stairwell, as well as of Jacques playing his music-machines, which were mind-blowing. There is an "instrument" you "play" by moving your hands in front of an infrared camera; the sound responds to your movement.
There were crazy canons that resonate when you heat the air inside of them, bells connected to crazy circuits that could be played via a keyboard, and much more. I'm glad we got to see a side of Paris that is usually dwarfed by the city's incredible legacy of classical art.

Last night was the Welcome Dinner, one of the many wonderful Bing events, at Le Grand Colbert. The food was delicious, and it was nice to be with the whole group. I had to retire early, however, since the health class was at 9am this morning!


Ok, off to lunch now. I'll write again soon!