A sad day for Paris.

After the events of yesterday evening, Paris is in mourning. Having been advised not to go out, I'm in my room trying to concentrate on my essay...which is near impossible, because last night countless people lost their lives for no reason other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Paris feels like a warzone.

Last night, we were all gathered in the kitchen until the early hours checking the news and calling friends. I couldn't believe that whilst we were sitting there, free and out of danger, there was a hostage situation taking place just across town, and people were fighting for their lives.
Although the events that were unfolding were horrific, it was heartwarming to hear that all Taxis were made free so that people could get home, and that people were opening up their apartments to strangers who were stranded. It gave me hope that human kindness was prevailing through the chaos and fear.

After spending a while debating whether it was safe or not, I popped to the corner shop one street away, on the usually busy Boulevard du Montparnasse. Today, however, there was almost no traffic and the few people I did see were glancing around them warily. Usually I would take a leisurely stroll listening to music; this time, I walked quickly, on high alert.

I think it will take a while for me, and for countless others, to feel safe in Paris again, or anywhere for that matter. The very vibe of the city is different, I feel. People are terrified, and for that reason all day I've been hearing rumours of a loud bang here, sirens heard there, etc. Fortunately it was just paranoia and nothing serious, but it just shows how deeply this has affected everyone.

It's also important to pray for the other places in the world where attacks have taken place this week, such as Beirut. The tragedy has not been very widely reported in Western media, and this saddens me. This week I'm going to take time to think and pray for everyone affected, and try and donate to a charity. That way I'll at least feel as if I'm doing something to help, however little.

Thank you to everyone that called, texted or messaged to ask if I was okay. I love you all. I'm thinking and praying for the victims families; it's difficult to feel fortunate to be safe when you know that so many others aren't.

K x