First of all, here is the list we came up with in class today regarding "how to look":
-Don't use a car (use alternate forms of transportation)
-Avoid the main roads
-Allow your observations to stimulate your interest and inspire the impetus for further research and observation
-Consider the ordinary in terms of their overarching historical contexts.
-Try following train tracks or other offbeat trails and see what interesting vistas you discover.
-Don't settle for one view of an edifice; explore it from all angles and vantage points.
-Attempt to understand the subtext in signage.

I also wanted to include an observation I vocalized to Katerie earlier. While we were exploring the numerous attractions Paris has to offer, such as the Opera House and Luxembourg Gardens we visited today, I was overwhelmed by the grandeur and spectacle of our surroundings. In America, there is nothing remotely equivalent to the buildings, sculptures, etc. that we viewed today (and will view over the next two weeks). We stood transfixed, snapping picture after picture of architecture and landscape, drinking in all that we could of the monuments and landmarks that make Paris famous. What was intriguing to me was the native Parisians did not seem to interact with or even acknowledge their surroundings at all. Countless people used the Luxembourg Gardens as a recreational locale to jog and exercise. They did not appear to appreciate or even notice the grandeur of their surroundings. I was struck by the concept that regardless of how spectacular a setting or how impressive a locale, it all blends into the fabric of everyday life. Where we were impressed and amazed by the Palais du Luxembourg, natives of the area simply walk past, having seen the structure before and secure in the knowledge that they will see it again. The extraordinary becomes the ordinary when exposure is prolonged.

This musing is probably overly verbose and may not make a lot of sense, but that was my overarching impression/amusement for today. Have a nice night, everybody!