Blog Stories
Winter in Paris
Since I live in Paris, I experience all the seasons of the city. You’ve probably heard the song “April in Paris, chestnuts and blossoms, holiday tables under the trees . . .” Well, sometimes it’s like that in April and sometimes it’s not. Here they have a little rhyme which says, En mars et avril ne te decouvre pas un fil, which means in March and April you better keep your coats on! That’s pretty much true, although it has been known to be sunny and nice in the spring, (just don’t count on it during that April vacation) and cold and rainy in summer. It happens.
What about winter? Most people don’t think of coming to Paris in the winter, unless they get fantastic off-season deals or want to avoid the crowds, or have free tickets from a relative. I’ll be honest, I dislike winter in general, but forced myself to open up my eyes and my spirit to see Paris in the winter as frozen picturesque, but picturesque all the same.
Therefore, I Am
17th century mathematician and philosopher Rene Descartes is best known for his phrase, “I think, therefore I am.” He was called the father of modern philosophy, and his brain was clearly his strongest feature. He came up with analytical geometry in his free time, for example. So let’s return to this phrase. I think, therefore I am? Do you think it’s true? Does this thinking prove that we exist? I’m tempted to think that the opposite is sometimes true: thinking can be an obstacle to being....