I don't feel like making 2 separate posts, so I will just make one long post of the 2 stories I want to tell.
First, and these are not in chronological order, today I was in Place des Vosges all day. It's my favorite place in Paris. It's the oldest square in Paris, and where Victor Hugo used to live. I love it. The day I found it in January was really the day I fell in love with Le Marais, because I did a walking tour of part of the neighborhood and saw some of the great shops, etc. that were there. But that's not the point.
So I was in Place des Vosges all day, just writing and reading and relaxing in the sun. Keyword: sun. Well, you see, in Paris the sun isn't very strong and doesn't usually stay out often, we have a lot of clouds. I guess just the fact that I was out all day contributed. So yes, I got sunburned. Not bad, at all. Really it probably wouldn't even register on a regular summer day in Texas, but it's just that I'm so pale over here (think Casper/vampires). Also I was wearing a skirt with (gasp) no tights, sandals (!), and I had taken off my cardigan and scarf so I just had a tank top on (for shame). Sorry, over here we really don't show skin, like at all. You're pegged as an American if you wear flip-flops, which I thankfully don't have, or bare your legs or shoulders. That's changing a little for the few warm days we get now, but still, I get looks. I'm used to them at this point though. Anyways, so yes, I should have some real cute tan lines tomorrow or the next day when this turns in- backs of my calves and shoulders (think leotard/Spartie tan). Awesome. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me when I get back to Texas.
Oh, so the point of the title of that story should be obvious- only would happen to me, the redhead. I also now have about 200 new freckles, just from today. Great.
And for story numéro deux (minding that I can't tell a short story):
Last night I was walking home and decided to stop into Monop' to get a bottle of wine. Monop' is like Monoprix, but just food. Best comparison would be a gourmet quickie-mart (kindof). Anyways, so I go to check out and we say "bonsoir" and then she rings me up. All the card machines here are fitted for the chip and pin cards, which I don't have, so I have to swipe and sign, which always takes longer and frustrates everyone (tangent). Right, so I swipe my card, and I'm still holding it, waiting because the machine still says Patientez. She looks at me and goes "It's good." Then, immediately, she corrected herself, and said "C'est bon." And she turned to the guy next to her, and said (in French), something like, I don't know why I just spoke English, haha.
I just laughed and put my card away. Then, she handed me the receipt and a pen and goes "sign here," and then again says "desole, svp signez" and makes another comment to her coworker about how why she keeps doing that. I just smile and laugh with her, sign the receipt, and then say "au revoir, bonne soiree," and walk out of the store, never letting on that I totally speak English. I know it's stupid, and I can see your faces now (Jonah, Josh), that I think I'm so cool and I am so French. But I don't care, it's the little things that count and I got excited. It topped of an excellent day yesterday.
And even a sunburn today couldn't ruin how perfect today was: slept in, went to the park, walked around Le Marais, got falafel and ran into friends while getting it, gelato and Jewish bakery with said friends, wine and movie at home :) Like I said, perfection. Let's do it again tomorrow!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Ummm....
So it's disgusting outside- cold and cloudy. It's been cold for the past few days, but at least sunny. I really do not feel like venturing out much today since all the places I would go on a day like this (museums) are closed. I am going out this afternoon/tonight, but might be a bum during the day.
Or try to get things accomplished, like cleaning my apartment and packing my stuff up. The only problem is, I have started to do that, and it's going to be interesting to see if I can fit everything in the suitcases. And by interesting, I mean almost impossible. Some of my clothes I don't want to wear anymore might be making Paris a permanent home.
This should be fun...
Or try to get things accomplished, like cleaning my apartment and packing my stuff up. The only problem is, I have started to do that, and it's going to be interesting to see if I can fit everything in the suitcases. And by interesting, I mean almost impossible. Some of my clothes I don't want to wear anymore might be making Paris a permanent home.
This should be fun...
Friday, May 1, 2009
It's absolutely gorgeous outside, and I love life!!
Yep, it's probably the prettiest day we've had yet. We're going to the park in about 10 minutes to play, read, drink wine, etc. Probably with the rest of Paris, because it's Labour Day here, so no work. I can't believe it's actually May 1. Like stunned. But it's so beautiful outside, and Syd and I had a wonderful lunch at our favorite little cafe in our neighborhood (which is an old man hang out), so I can't complain about anything. I really don't think it can get better than this.
That is all.
That is all.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
It's rainy outside, and I'm bored
Therefore, I was playing around on my computer and found some quotes I really like. I also have some written down in a notebook in the room, but everyone's asleep in there and I don't get internet unless I'm in the reception area (currently in Venice). So here are some randoms:
“If we are not happy and joyous at this season,for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look?” Abdul-Baha
"Did you know...that when you walk past a flower, whether it be insomebody's garden or on a vacant hillside, the flower will always smile at you. The most polite way to respond, I've been told, is to cheerfully return the smile." Ron Atchison
"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good."
"Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine" Buddha
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."
Friedrich Nietzsche
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Corinthians 13:13
“If we are not happy and joyous at this season,for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look?” Abdul-Baha
"Did you know...that when you walk past a flower, whether it be insomebody's garden or on a vacant hillside, the flower will always smile at you. The most polite way to respond, I've been told, is to cheerfully return the smile." Ron Atchison
"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good."
"Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine" Buddha
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."
Friedrich Nietzsche
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Corinthians 13:13
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Breaking Dawn...
Ok, I just had to with the title. It was so appropriate. On the way to Rome, I was reading out of a tour book and one lady was saying how she went to the Trevi Fountain early in the morning when there were only 5 other people there. So Jess and I decided this would be a really good idea and we would do the same thing today. We got up actually before the break of dawn, at 5 am, so that we could get to the Trevi around 6:30, when it was scheduled for sunrise. Turns out it was raining so that didn't matter, which was actually good because we showed up late anyways.
Still, when we got there, there was nobody there except a police officer walking around. It was simply stunning. We had walked by it a few days ago when there were a 1000 and 1 people there, and so seeing it so empty was awesome. It was so pure, serene, and just gorgeous. I do particularly like fountains though, so this was great for me!
We took pictures all around, and then it was oh, 7:15. Nothing's open, what to do? We still hadn't seen the Spanish Steps yet (though we had walked by them the day before without realizing, oops), so we walked there. And still, no one out but the cleaning crew. These were also wonderful, especially because there were beautiful, bright-colored flowers lining the stairs. And another fountain! Bernini's Sunken Boat Fountain. Fantastic, but I'm not sure I got a good pic. I think Jess did, so I might just steal that from her. Also, walking up the stairs was not too bad after a semester of a 5th floor walkup apartment!
And now, it's 8:00. Woohoo, so late! We walked back to the Piazza del Popolo where there is a church from Angels and Demons (I think). Anyways, we walked into a wonderful church there. It was awesome to see the Romans just coming in before work or the start of there day just to pray. The feeling in there was very cool. There is another church from the book, Santa Maria della Vittoria, that we pass by on the walk back to our hostel. Inside is a statue by Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Probably my fave church I've been in. It's so unique. Everything inside is ornate, but it is actually a very small church. Something about this little church having a Bernini inside and the intense quiet inside is powerful. There is also the juxtaposition of the few tourists taking pictures along with the old ladies holding their rosaries and praying.
Well, so after the Piazza del Popolo we headed back to the hostel for a nap before we went and toured the Villa Borghese and the Borghese Museum. I actually had to leave early to come back and register (there are scheduled times for the museum). Jess got to tour the gardens and then went and walked around the city some more while I was dealing with UT stuff. I've pretty much been in since then because I'm exhausted. I think our trip to Rome should be called Rome 2009:Fit Camp. We have walked everywhere. Literally, all day every day. Up stairs, down stairs, up the hills, over the cobblestones. The only times we sit down are to eat, and that's not that long. It's great, because I'm used to walking a lot from Paris and it's good exercise, but it's dang tiring! Each night I fall into my bed and don't want to get up again.
Tomorrow we head to Florence for a few days, we are going to spend 2 days doing side trips. One day we are going to do the hike in Cinque Terra, and then another day we are going to hit up Pisa and Volterra. Yep, it's a real place, and since it's only a little ways outside Florence, we couldn't not go. They are actually filming there for the 2nd movie, but not till the end of May- just our luck, right? Maybe they'll already be setting up or something. Still, it'll be really cool to see, and it's supposed to be really pretty. After that, possibly Milan, and then Venice! I'm most excited about Venice, just because it's supposed to be amazingly beautiful with all the canals. Ok, and also because it's in the movies. I'm just saying...
Still, when we got there, there was nobody there except a police officer walking around. It was simply stunning. We had walked by it a few days ago when there were a 1000 and 1 people there, and so seeing it so empty was awesome. It was so pure, serene, and just gorgeous. I do particularly like fountains though, so this was great for me!
We took pictures all around, and then it was oh, 7:15. Nothing's open, what to do? We still hadn't seen the Spanish Steps yet (though we had walked by them the day before without realizing, oops), so we walked there. And still, no one out but the cleaning crew. These were also wonderful, especially because there were beautiful, bright-colored flowers lining the stairs. And another fountain! Bernini's Sunken Boat Fountain. Fantastic, but I'm not sure I got a good pic. I think Jess did, so I might just steal that from her. Also, walking up the stairs was not too bad after a semester of a 5th floor walkup apartment!
And now, it's 8:00. Woohoo, so late! We walked back to the Piazza del Popolo where there is a church from Angels and Demons (I think). Anyways, we walked into a wonderful church there. It was awesome to see the Romans just coming in before work or the start of there day just to pray. The feeling in there was very cool. There is another church from the book, Santa Maria della Vittoria, that we pass by on the walk back to our hostel. Inside is a statue by Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Probably my fave church I've been in. It's so unique. Everything inside is ornate, but it is actually a very small church. Something about this little church having a Bernini inside and the intense quiet inside is powerful. There is also the juxtaposition of the few tourists taking pictures along with the old ladies holding their rosaries and praying.
Well, so after the Piazza del Popolo we headed back to the hostel for a nap before we went and toured the Villa Borghese and the Borghese Museum. I actually had to leave early to come back and register (there are scheduled times for the museum). Jess got to tour the gardens and then went and walked around the city some more while I was dealing with UT stuff. I've pretty much been in since then because I'm exhausted. I think our trip to Rome should be called Rome 2009:Fit Camp. We have walked everywhere. Literally, all day every day. Up stairs, down stairs, up the hills, over the cobblestones. The only times we sit down are to eat, and that's not that long. It's great, because I'm used to walking a lot from Paris and it's good exercise, but it's dang tiring! Each night I fall into my bed and don't want to get up again.
Tomorrow we head to Florence for a few days, we are going to spend 2 days doing side trips. One day we are going to do the hike in Cinque Terra, and then another day we are going to hit up Pisa and Volterra. Yep, it's a real place, and since it's only a little ways outside Florence, we couldn't not go. They are actually filming there for the 2nd movie, but not till the end of May- just our luck, right? Maybe they'll already be setting up or something. Still, it'll be really cool to see, and it's supposed to be really pretty. After that, possibly Milan, and then Venice! I'm most excited about Venice, just because it's supposed to be amazingly beautiful with all the canals. Ok, and also because it's in the movies. I'm just saying...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Texas? Oh! Like Johnny Cash!
Hahaha. No. Last night Jessica and I stopped by a cute little Italian cafe for dinner by the Piazza Navona, and split some lasagna and salad. Yummy! It was funny though, because when the waiter asked us where we were from and we said Texas, he got really excited- as in "Texas! You're from Texas? Hey Johnny Cash! You know Johnny Cash!" Then he proceeded to go back into the restaurant and play some Johnny Cash music. We both acted like this was the coolest thing ever, like yes, Johnny Cash and Texas go hand-in-hand. False. Usually, mostly, we get George Bush, bang bang, Cowboys, Dallas (the show). I was literally asked once if I knew who shot JR. Nope, sorry, I guess I missed that one while I crawling around my playpen. Anyways, it was funny.
Today we went to Naples and got some pizza for lunch, probably the best pizza I have ever had and will ever have. We were going to go to Capri, but couldn't swing the 40e price to ferry to the island and into the Blue Grotto. So then we were going to go by Sorrento and take some pictures, but there weren't any trains there in our time range. So we came back to Rome. So yes, I spent 5 1/2 hours today commuting for a meal. Best time I ever spent.
Tomorrow we are going to tour the Vatican and accompanying areas, then do some more touristy things. I think we are going to try and go to all the places in Angels and Demons. We still have 2 full days in Rome, so we should be able to go see everything we want to.
Otherwise, everything's going great! We've had a few cloudy/semi-rainy days, but nothing too bad, and were going to have great weather in Florence, so I'm really excited for that! Also, we still haven't decided if we're going to Milan or not. Basically we'd just go to see the Last Supper. We have reservations, but we're not sure if we can get to Milan in time to see it. We might just go onto Venice and spend an extra few hours there. I'm not worried. Whatever happens will be just fine!
Arrivederci!
Today we went to Naples and got some pizza for lunch, probably the best pizza I have ever had and will ever have. We were going to go to Capri, but couldn't swing the 40e price to ferry to the island and into the Blue Grotto. So then we were going to go by Sorrento and take some pictures, but there weren't any trains there in our time range. So we came back to Rome. So yes, I spent 5 1/2 hours today commuting for a meal. Best time I ever spent.
Tomorrow we are going to tour the Vatican and accompanying areas, then do some more touristy things. I think we are going to try and go to all the places in Angels and Demons. We still have 2 full days in Rome, so we should be able to go see everything we want to.
Otherwise, everything's going great! We've had a few cloudy/semi-rainy days, but nothing too bad, and were going to have great weather in Florence, so I'm really excited for that! Also, we still haven't decided if we're going to Milan or not. Basically we'd just go to see the Last Supper. We have reservations, but we're not sure if we can get to Milan in time to see it. We might just go onto Venice and spend an extra few hours there. I'm not worried. Whatever happens will be just fine!
Arrivederci!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
OH MY GOODNESS
OK, first of all, I've probably had 5 panic attacks in the past 2 days. It is now a forbidden subject to talk about dates around the middle of May, how much time we have left, etc. I just refuse to accept the fact that I actually have to leave.
On a happier note- I went to Disneyland Paris today! So much fun!!!! I went with Jessica and her mom, and they are Disney park pros. I think Jessica said she has been to Disneyland at least 40 times, and Disneyworld 5 or so times. Seriously. It was AWESOME! I felt like such a kid and such a tourist at the same time. There is no way not to be happy in Disneyland. We got there at 10 when the park opened and left at 8 when it closed. The roller coasters were awesome, I think Rockin' Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith was my favorite (the line was short so Jess and I went on it twice). I also liked one called Crush's Coaster, it's only at the park in Paris. For that one, the line was the longest, about an hour, but it was worth it. It was cool to see the Nemo stuff and the ride was actually good for a roller coaster (medium level intensity).
We hit most of the main rides: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean (which was very cool to see after seeing the movies), and then the other two. Also, one of the coolest things we did was go to a character lunch. It's a buffet and all the characters come out at different intervals and make their way around the room for children (OK, and yes adults) to get excited over and take pictures with. I now have pictures with Mickey, Chip (of Chip and Dale), Pluto (who copped a feel), and Tigger! I realized that my fascination with Tigger as a child was completely unfounded as I have never seen Winnie the Pooh. But yes, the lunch was great- it was so surreal to see the characters walking around right near me! Also, the food was pretty good! Later on, we saw Minnie in the park and got pictures with her, and Jess's mom got a pic with Donald Duck while we were on a ride.
Randomly, we saw one of the shows today was a High School Musical: Party! showing at all different times throughout the day, so we stopped to watch the show around 5. It was hilarious and cool at the same time, they sang around one song from each movie, plus some extras. Definitely an experience. And all the little kids loved it. Oh, it was so great to see all the cute little girls and boys running around today in their costumes; so many princesses, a lot of Mickey ears and capes, and tons of HSM outfits and Hannah Montana memorabilia. Kindof ridiculous, but so presh at the same time. And it was awesome to see the French people and everyone who was visiting from all over really get into the Disney scene.
Basically, I'm so excited I went, it was definitely worth the money and the whole day. I can't wait til the next time I go to a Disney park in the States; I will be a much more experience visitor! It was just so cool because Jessica and her mom are really into the Disney thing, and got really excited about everything we did too.
So yes, I am working on staying busy and being more of a Parisian tourist, as I have negleted that aspect of my time here somewhat. I still have yet to go up the Eiffel Tower, although that's not my fault anymore; the workers are on strike (like I said, a national pasttime). I have made a bucket list of all the things I need to do and see before I go, and I have just started to tick them off. Next Thursday I go to Italy for 2 weeks, but I will still have time when I get back to enjoy the spring weather. I am really excited about Italy- the pasta, pizza, gelato, sunshine-y weather. It all sounds amazing, plus all the awesome sights we get to see!
So for now, ciao and au revoir!
On a happier note- I went to Disneyland Paris today! So much fun!!!! I went with Jessica and her mom, and they are Disney park pros. I think Jessica said she has been to Disneyland at least 40 times, and Disneyworld 5 or so times. Seriously. It was AWESOME! I felt like such a kid and such a tourist at the same time. There is no way not to be happy in Disneyland. We got there at 10 when the park opened and left at 8 when it closed. The roller coasters were awesome, I think Rockin' Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith was my favorite (the line was short so Jess and I went on it twice). I also liked one called Crush's Coaster, it's only at the park in Paris. For that one, the line was the longest, about an hour, but it was worth it. It was cool to see the Nemo stuff and the ride was actually good for a roller coaster (medium level intensity).
We hit most of the main rides: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean (which was very cool to see after seeing the movies), and then the other two. Also, one of the coolest things we did was go to a character lunch. It's a buffet and all the characters come out at different intervals and make their way around the room for children (OK, and yes adults) to get excited over and take pictures with. I now have pictures with Mickey, Chip (of Chip and Dale), Pluto (who copped a feel), and Tigger! I realized that my fascination with Tigger as a child was completely unfounded as I have never seen Winnie the Pooh. But yes, the lunch was great- it was so surreal to see the characters walking around right near me! Also, the food was pretty good! Later on, we saw Minnie in the park and got pictures with her, and Jess's mom got a pic with Donald Duck while we were on a ride.
Randomly, we saw one of the shows today was a High School Musical: Party! showing at all different times throughout the day, so we stopped to watch the show around 5. It was hilarious and cool at the same time, they sang around one song from each movie, plus some extras. Definitely an experience. And all the little kids loved it. Oh, it was so great to see all the cute little girls and boys running around today in their costumes; so many princesses, a lot of Mickey ears and capes, and tons of HSM outfits and Hannah Montana memorabilia. Kindof ridiculous, but so presh at the same time. And it was awesome to see the French people and everyone who was visiting from all over really get into the Disney scene.
Basically, I'm so excited I went, it was definitely worth the money and the whole day. I can't wait til the next time I go to a Disney park in the States; I will be a much more experience visitor! It was just so cool because Jessica and her mom are really into the Disney thing, and got really excited about everything we did too.
So yes, I am working on staying busy and being more of a Parisian tourist, as I have negleted that aspect of my time here somewhat. I still have yet to go up the Eiffel Tower, although that's not my fault anymore; the workers are on strike (like I said, a national pasttime). I have made a bucket list of all the things I need to do and see before I go, and I have just started to tick them off. Next Thursday I go to Italy for 2 weeks, but I will still have time when I get back to enjoy the spring weather. I am really excited about Italy- the pasta, pizza, gelato, sunshine-y weather. It all sounds amazing, plus all the awesome sights we get to see!
So for now, ciao and au revoir!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Something New
Through all that has happened,
Though I may not have succeeded;
In life’s little disappointments,
Or bends in the road,
I remain, now and forevermore,
Hopeful.
Though I may not have succeeded;
In life’s little disappointments,
Or bends in the road,
I remain, now and forevermore,
Hopeful.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sidenote:
I realized I never posted about London and Dublin, so in as few words as possible:
Dublin- eh. Guinness Storehouse, very cool. The rest would be nicer if it had been a tad warmer outside and I hadn't already seen every church in Europe. Literally, I've seen them all.
London- Packing my bags as we speak, I'm on the next train there. AMAZING. WONDERFUL. FUN. BEAUTIFUL. LIVELY. NICE. Basically, I didn't enjoy my time at all.
Dublin- eh. Guinness Storehouse, very cool. The rest would be nicer if it had been a tad warmer outside and I hadn't already seen every church in Europe. Literally, I've seen them all.
London- Packing my bags as we speak, I'm on the next train there. AMAZING. WONDERFUL. FUN. BEAUTIFUL. LIVELY. NICE. Basically, I didn't enjoy my time at all.
Did I mention that I'm cool?
I've been a very good Parisian the past 2 weeks, now that I actually live in the city all week instead of Tuesday-Thursday. Louvre? check. Arc de Triomphe? check. Sacre Coeur? Opera House? Love Wall? check. check. check.
Hmm, now what will I do for the next 2 months, since school is over in 2 weeks (and let's face it, that really is a non-issue) and I'm here for the next 2 months? Oh right, I guess I'll just have to continue being fabulous in Europe, maybe pop over to Italy for a few weeks.
P.S. I knew it couldn't last- the last 2 days have been chilly again and today it was cloudy. It's OK though, because now I know there is hope.
Oh also (aka p.p.s.): last night I ate at a fondue restaurant that serves wine in baby bottles. Some loophole about not having to have an alcohol license that way...whatever, it's strange but cool.
Hmm, now what will I do for the next 2 months, since school is over in 2 weeks (and let's face it, that really is a non-issue) and I'm here for the next 2 months? Oh right, I guess I'll just have to continue being fabulous in Europe, maybe pop over to Italy for a few weeks.
P.S. I knew it couldn't last- the last 2 days have been chilly again and today it was cloudy. It's OK though, because now I know there is hope.
Oh also (aka p.p.s.): last night I ate at a fondue restaurant that serves wine in baby bottles. Some loophole about not having to have an alcohol license that way...whatever, it's strange but cool.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Right, well, umm, fail.
So I fail at writing on blog. I do. I admit it. Hi, my name is Christy and I have a problem writing on my blog. It's just not the top of my to-do list once I open my computer and get on the internet. Somehow, even though I do it multiple times a day, I'm like a kid in the candy store. All of a sudden, I'm distracted by Facebook, People, Perez, McCombs, Facebook, Facebook, and maybe even a little news (ugh). Somehow, that link up in the top right corner of my computer that says vivant la vie doesn't quite catch my interest as much as the brighter, flashy links leading me to information on the girl I sat next to in English sophomore year of high school or what LC, Miley, Zefron and R-Patz (thank you, Perez) are all wearing and doing today. Really, I have a life. I think?
Haha it is funny though how I get quite easily bored of all of the fun, flashy pop-culture sites and yet I still don't end up at my blog that often. I actually do think about it some. Usually it's something like "Oh hey, that interesting thing that happened to me yesterday, today, last week, I should write about it...hmmm what movies are on Movie6.net today?" Yeah, something like that.
So, now that a) I've gotten off topic and not written about what I meant to (again) and b) I'm hot and need to go take a shower before I go to sleep, I now must sum up some of the past week or two's events in a few short lines.
-Party in the school last thursday (in, as in by the cafeteria and student mail boxes), complete with 3 bars and strippers.
-2 camels in school on Monday- it was "around the world" theme, there was also fake snow and John Wayne cutouts
-I got to ride in the conducter's seat of a freight/work Metro train home from said school party last Thursday. Don't ask, I'm not sure how it happened, because I don't speak French. I do have photographic evidence though.
-Movie filmed on my street last week, they blew-up a car. Glass. Everywhere.
-Tour of the Opera House. Dream come true, but I wish I could have seen the lake underneath the stage. Oh, duh and the Phantom.
-It has been absolutely gorgeous here the past few days. Like 55-60 and SUNNY. Like, there is that yellow orange thing in the sky that shines. I'm still adjusting to the amazingness. I did lie in a park for 2 hours today though.
-There are currently 9 girls living in my apartment. 1 shower. 1 toilet. 9. 21 year old girls. Who needs camels at school, I live in the circus. Hair dryer, makeup, perfume, anyone?
Oh, did I mention there are 9 girls living in my apartment right now? Mehemehemhe. It's a good thing we like each other and get along and aren't dramatic. And I'm not sarcastic.
For those of you in Group B, think about that last one for a second and then get back to me.
lovelove.
Haha it is funny though how I get quite easily bored of all of the fun, flashy pop-culture sites and yet I still don't end up at my blog that often. I actually do think about it some. Usually it's something like "Oh hey, that interesting thing that happened to me yesterday, today, last week, I should write about it...hmmm what movies are on Movie6.net today?" Yeah, something like that.
So, now that a) I've gotten off topic and not written about what I meant to (again) and b) I'm hot and need to go take a shower before I go to sleep, I now must sum up some of the past week or two's events in a few short lines.
-Party in the school last thursday (in, as in by the cafeteria and student mail boxes), complete with 3 bars and strippers.
-2 camels in school on Monday- it was "around the world" theme, there was also fake snow and John Wayne cutouts
-I got to ride in the conducter's seat of a freight/work Metro train home from said school party last Thursday. Don't ask, I'm not sure how it happened, because I don't speak French. I do have photographic evidence though.
-Movie filmed on my street last week, they blew-up a car. Glass. Everywhere.
-Tour of the Opera House. Dream come true, but I wish I could have seen the lake underneath the stage. Oh, duh and the Phantom.
-It has been absolutely gorgeous here the past few days. Like 55-60 and SUNNY. Like, there is that yellow orange thing in the sky that shines. I'm still adjusting to the amazingness. I did lie in a park for 2 hours today though.
-There are currently 9 girls living in my apartment. 1 shower. 1 toilet. 9. 21 year old girls. Who needs camels at school, I live in the circus. Hair dryer, makeup, perfume, anyone?
Oh, did I mention there are 9 girls living in my apartment right now? Mehemehemhe. It's a good thing we like each other and get along and aren't dramatic. And I'm not sarcastic.
For those of you in Group B, think about that last one for a second and then get back to me.
lovelove.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Ok, so...
Since I apparantly am not as good at this whole blog thing as I would like to be (aka is anyone really surprised that Rebecca, and not I, am the writer in the family?), I will try to post shorter, more frequent posts, but they might be a little less life-altering. Or I say this, but nothing will really change. Who knows?
So since I really don't want to spend a long time writing about my last trip, I will try to sum it up in a few short words. Key word being TRY.
Brussels: Not what I expected, much cooler. They have a really cool underground art scene, and amazing food. As previously mentioned: waffles, fries, beer, chocolate. It's probably a good thing for my arteries sake that I don't live there. We ended up skipping all the EU stuff due to exhaustion, weather, and not wanting to die of boredom (sorry, but we hear about it every day in school!).
Amsterdam: Pretty much exactly what I was expecting, minus the canals. I have seen movies, etc. so I knew to expect the Red Light District, and walking past "coffee shops" really wasn't as exciting/funny/disgusting as I thought it would be. The city is absolutely beautiful; I loved seeing all the house boats and riding through the canals. The Van Gogh Museum can't be beat though.
Berlin: Right, so we stayed in East Berlin. I know the Wall came down (saw it) and Berlin is one city and all that now, but it is definitely still divided. Where we stayed, the favorite type of architecture seemed to be poured concrete. Umm, pretty? Seriously though, I liked Berlin. Despite the heinous weather and the utter depression that sweeps over you as you go from cultural site to site, it was important to go to, and extremely interesting. Also, the people definitely make the city, and the music and fashion vibe in the city is AWESOME. A lot of techno/punk/80s LA grunge, but done in a very modern way that works for them. You (I) can tell that the people there spend hours putting outfits together to make it look like they don't care at all. We also met a bunch (as in 15 or so) Irish boys who were really cool. They were a little younger, but still cool to hang out with. And I loved going to the zoo; it was only my second time!
Munich: Probably my fave place on the trip, though it's hard to say. Basically the whole reason I wanted to go was to see Cinderella's castle (Disney's inspiration for), which we didn't get to do. The weather and a public transportation strike had a little to do with that. Here we met a really cool group of people, mostly the people who were on our tour to the concentration camp Dachau the first day. That is something I think everyone should do. Even if you don't want to (Rebecca), I honestly am at a loss for words to explain the changes that take place in a person once you physically stand in the camp, in the gas chamber, see just how they were tortured and worked literally to the bone. It's not fun or enjoyable, per se, but it's one of the most important things I've ever done, and I hopefully took some lasting knowledge from it. We ended up hanging out with Canadians, Australians, and Kiwis, plus a few other nationalities, obvi. It was great- hanging out with a bunch of native speakers was so refreshing, even with the slight differences in our speech patterns. We all went to the BMW museum after Dachau to relax a little bit. And you really can't beat the Happy Hour prices at our hostel. It's great for me- have a beer or 2, then go get dinner, come back, shower, talk to strangers, go to sleep. I can do that. One night we did end up getting convinced to dress up in togas, but that's another story.
For now all I can say is that my people-meeting skills are at their prime right now, and I had an epiphany or 2 over the week about who I want to be and what I want from life. Haven't figured it all out by any means yet, but then again, I still have 2+ months over here to work on that...I guess I'll go get started.
PS-Can you see how I can't tell a short story?
So since I really don't want to spend a long time writing about my last trip, I will try to sum it up in a few short words. Key word being TRY.
Brussels: Not what I expected, much cooler. They have a really cool underground art scene, and amazing food. As previously mentioned: waffles, fries, beer, chocolate. It's probably a good thing for my arteries sake that I don't live there. We ended up skipping all the EU stuff due to exhaustion, weather, and not wanting to die of boredom (sorry, but we hear about it every day in school!).
Amsterdam: Pretty much exactly what I was expecting, minus the canals. I have seen movies, etc. so I knew to expect the Red Light District, and walking past "coffee shops" really wasn't as exciting/funny/disgusting as I thought it would be. The city is absolutely beautiful; I loved seeing all the house boats and riding through the canals. The Van Gogh Museum can't be beat though.
Berlin: Right, so we stayed in East Berlin. I know the Wall came down (saw it) and Berlin is one city and all that now, but it is definitely still divided. Where we stayed, the favorite type of architecture seemed to be poured concrete. Umm, pretty? Seriously though, I liked Berlin. Despite the heinous weather and the utter depression that sweeps over you as you go from cultural site to site, it was important to go to, and extremely interesting. Also, the people definitely make the city, and the music and fashion vibe in the city is AWESOME. A lot of techno/punk/80s LA grunge, but done in a very modern way that works for them. You (I) can tell that the people there spend hours putting outfits together to make it look like they don't care at all. We also met a bunch (as in 15 or so) Irish boys who were really cool. They were a little younger, but still cool to hang out with. And I loved going to the zoo; it was only my second time!
Munich: Probably my fave place on the trip, though it's hard to say. Basically the whole reason I wanted to go was to see Cinderella's castle (Disney's inspiration for), which we didn't get to do. The weather and a public transportation strike had a little to do with that. Here we met a really cool group of people, mostly the people who were on our tour to the concentration camp Dachau the first day. That is something I think everyone should do. Even if you don't want to (Rebecca), I honestly am at a loss for words to explain the changes that take place in a person once you physically stand in the camp, in the gas chamber, see just how they were tortured and worked literally to the bone. It's not fun or enjoyable, per se, but it's one of the most important things I've ever done, and I hopefully took some lasting knowledge from it. We ended up hanging out with Canadians, Australians, and Kiwis, plus a few other nationalities, obvi. It was great- hanging out with a bunch of native speakers was so refreshing, even with the slight differences in our speech patterns. We all went to the BMW museum after Dachau to relax a little bit. And you really can't beat the Happy Hour prices at our hostel. It's great for me- have a beer or 2, then go get dinner, come back, shower, talk to strangers, go to sleep. I can do that. One night we did end up getting convinced to dress up in togas, but that's another story.
For now all I can say is that my people-meeting skills are at their prime right now, and I had an epiphany or 2 over the week about who I want to be and what I want from life. Haven't figured it all out by any means yet, but then again, I still have 2+ months over here to work on that...I guess I'll go get started.
PS-Can you see how I can't tell a short story?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Success. Done. Part 1.
I did it. 10 days, 4 countries, 5 cities.
It makes me tired just to think about it.
Right, so I have returned from winter break and it was AWESOME. Met some of the coolest people, saw some amazing places and sights, and walked around in a lot, a lot of snow. Like I said, awesome.
More to follow once I have sufficiently showered (bless you hot water and a razor), laundried(anything and everything in my suitcase, regardless of if I wore it-it'll smell like I did), unpacked (it's amazing the stuff you accumulate traveling across Europe for 10 days), and of course- slept (the people we met were too interesting for us to bother with something so insignificant as sleep, and those 6am trains didn't help either).
done and done.
It makes me tired just to think about it.
Right, so I have returned from winter break and it was AWESOME. Met some of the coolest people, saw some amazing places and sights, and walked around in a lot, a lot of snow. Like I said, awesome.
More to follow once I have sufficiently showered (bless you hot water and a razor), laundried(anything and everything in my suitcase, regardless of if I wore it-it'll smell like I did), unpacked (it's amazing the stuff you accumulate traveling across Europe for 10 days), and of course- slept (the people we met were too interesting for us to bother with something so insignificant as sleep, and those 6am trains didn't help either).
done and done.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
I'm a girl from the suburbs. I don't belong in the suburbs.
(Long) Explanation: The suburbs of Paris are not nice, someone un-PC would call them ghetto. And so they are.
I realized yesterday that I had still not received my Eurail pass for the trip I am going on tomorrow, and without that, I could not travel to all the countries I am going to without buying full-fare tickets (blech.) So this morning, I called UPS France, and they so kindly told me that my pass was just sitting in a parcel center in France, that they had tried to deliver it 6 days ago, but since they didn't have the code to get into my building, they just gave up, didn't try to contact me. Sure, just ignore that "Express Shipping." It's probably not important anyway.
So, I decided to ignore all the things I needed to do today, like getting things for my trip and going to a group meeting, just so I could go out to the UPS center to get my pass. The lady I spoke to on the phone said she could order it to come to my apartment tomorrow, but no guarantee it would be there by the time I left in the afternoon. She also gave me what sounded like detailed directions to get there, not a problem, right?
Wrong. I was supposed to take the Metro to a certain station where I can catch a train out to the particular suburb and then take a bus from there to the industrial area, where I "walk a little bit down to the end of the street and UPS is at the end." False.
Metro, obviously no problem. Do that multiple times daily. Train, simple. Done it before. Bus- it wouldn't be difficult, if I hadn't gotten on going the wrong direction. I ended up spending 2 hours riding the bus around the neighborhood. Well, I got some reading done. Not like I needed to read New Moon. Again. I became friends with the bus driver though. I had thought that the bus would end up going back the opposite direction, or in some semblance of a circle, like they do in Austin. Nope, at the end of the line, he simply turned around and said, "C'est tout." I was like, what? "That's all?" But I have no more money! Well, too bad, I had to get on a different bus and go the opposite direction. Awesome. No problem, really.
The problem came when I got off the bus, and I was supposed to "walk a little bit down the end of the street," but the street was nowhere in sight, and I was in a NOT good area of town. Like a scene from a movie. I started walking in one direction, but turned quickly when I saw some heavily graffitied tents and a barbeque pit with fire- straight out of the slums from Batman. I actually found a lady to ask for directions (in this industrial area, it was 99% male). From my broken French, I understood "go under bridge, turn right, then right again." Turns out that's NOT exactly what she said. I had to go back by the fire pit, which I literally ran by, and kept going till I got to a round-a-bout, which had 5 streets coming off it, none of which was the one I needed. At this point, my fear for my life turn into anger at the UPS people and the people of La Courneuve for not labeling their streets correctly. My temper's been a little short this week, due to a series of unforeseen events.
After some more wandering, I found the "Lotissement Industriel," or the Warehouse District. YAY! Now I only had to walk about another mile, according to a map (!) that I found, and I would be there. I definitely did not belong in this neighborhood. It was all workers, and they would look at me as though I had two heads. Not the usual leering that I used to in Paris, but simple staring, like "what the hell is that young, pale red-headed girl doing HERE?" Yeah, I was wondering the same thing myself. By the time I found the warehouse/shipment center, which by the way was gated off and I had to go through Fort Knox security just to get my package, I was livid, like shaking mad. You know how I can get a little angry sometimes. And the security guards had the nerve to laugh at me when I walked up to the wrong entrance? Not after taking one look at my face.
So I get my pass (finally) and make it out of the industrial area, by the way I saw where they service the double-decker tour buses, if you were wondering. I still have a little problem of I have no money and I don't want to walk back to the train station. Well, some rummaging around in my purse produced a small miracle- a 10 € bill! And when the bus pulled up, it was the same bus driver and his friend from earlier. We all started laughing when I stepped on. When the driver's friend asked me if I was on holiday out there, I wanted to ask who on earth would holiday in that forsaken place? But I instead explained, in French I might add, that I was studying in Paris.
But what would this afternoon from hell be without one more thing, right? So when I get back into Paris, into the largest Metro station, I have to walk from one station to another, all underground, of course. Of course, there are usually the assistance of the walking escalators, or whatever they're called. But no, these of course are all turned off/not working. And it's rush hour. So everyone in Paris is in this station, and I'm trekking a mile or so across the stations to get to my line. Let's just say I was practicing my breathing excercises to keep myself from screaming at this point. But at least now I know- for my next Eurail pass, order it at least a month in advance, in case UPS decides to be idiots again, so that I can just wait for them to deliver it to me.
Whew, that took it out of me a little. Like therapy. And I'm still procrastinating packing...something about packing for 10 days in a tiny suitcase is not appealing.
I realized yesterday that I had still not received my Eurail pass for the trip I am going on tomorrow, and without that, I could not travel to all the countries I am going to without buying full-fare tickets (blech.) So this morning, I called UPS France, and they so kindly told me that my pass was just sitting in a parcel center in France, that they had tried to deliver it 6 days ago, but since they didn't have the code to get into my building, they just gave up, didn't try to contact me. Sure, just ignore that "Express Shipping." It's probably not important anyway.
So, I decided to ignore all the things I needed to do today, like getting things for my trip and going to a group meeting, just so I could go out to the UPS center to get my pass. The lady I spoke to on the phone said she could order it to come to my apartment tomorrow, but no guarantee it would be there by the time I left in the afternoon. She also gave me what sounded like detailed directions to get there, not a problem, right?
Wrong. I was supposed to take the Metro to a certain station where I can catch a train out to the particular suburb and then take a bus from there to the industrial area, where I "walk a little bit down to the end of the street and UPS is at the end." False.
Metro, obviously no problem. Do that multiple times daily. Train, simple. Done it before. Bus- it wouldn't be difficult, if I hadn't gotten on going the wrong direction. I ended up spending 2 hours riding the bus around the neighborhood. Well, I got some reading done. Not like I needed to read New Moon. Again. I became friends with the bus driver though. I had thought that the bus would end up going back the opposite direction, or in some semblance of a circle, like they do in Austin. Nope, at the end of the line, he simply turned around and said, "C'est tout." I was like, what? "That's all?" But I have no more money! Well, too bad, I had to get on a different bus and go the opposite direction. Awesome. No problem, really.
The problem came when I got off the bus, and I was supposed to "walk a little bit down the end of the street," but the street was nowhere in sight, and I was in a NOT good area of town. Like a scene from a movie. I started walking in one direction, but turned quickly when I saw some heavily graffitied tents and a barbeque pit with fire- straight out of the slums from Batman. I actually found a lady to ask for directions (in this industrial area, it was 99% male). From my broken French, I understood "go under bridge, turn right, then right again." Turns out that's NOT exactly what she said. I had to go back by the fire pit, which I literally ran by, and kept going till I got to a round-a-bout, which had 5 streets coming off it, none of which was the one I needed. At this point, my fear for my life turn into anger at the UPS people and the people of La Courneuve for not labeling their streets correctly. My temper's been a little short this week, due to a series of unforeseen events.
After some more wandering, I found the "Lotissement Industriel," or the Warehouse District. YAY! Now I only had to walk about another mile, according to a map (!) that I found, and I would be there. I definitely did not belong in this neighborhood. It was all workers, and they would look at me as though I had two heads. Not the usual leering that I used to in Paris, but simple staring, like "what the hell is that young, pale red-headed girl doing HERE?" Yeah, I was wondering the same thing myself. By the time I found the warehouse/shipment center, which by the way was gated off and I had to go through Fort Knox security just to get my package, I was livid, like shaking mad. You know how I can get a little angry sometimes. And the security guards had the nerve to laugh at me when I walked up to the wrong entrance? Not after taking one look at my face.
So I get my pass (finally) and make it out of the industrial area, by the way I saw where they service the double-decker tour buses, if you were wondering. I still have a little problem of I have no money and I don't want to walk back to the train station. Well, some rummaging around in my purse produced a small miracle- a 10 € bill! And when the bus pulled up, it was the same bus driver and his friend from earlier. We all started laughing when I stepped on. When the driver's friend asked me if I was on holiday out there, I wanted to ask who on earth would holiday in that forsaken place? But I instead explained, in French I might add, that I was studying in Paris.
But what would this afternoon from hell be without one more thing, right? So when I get back into Paris, into the largest Metro station, I have to walk from one station to another, all underground, of course. Of course, there are usually the assistance of the walking escalators, or whatever they're called. But no, these of course are all turned off/not working. And it's rush hour. So everyone in Paris is in this station, and I'm trekking a mile or so across the stations to get to my line. Let's just say I was practicing my breathing excercises to keep myself from screaming at this point. But at least now I know- for my next Eurail pass, order it at least a month in advance, in case UPS decides to be idiots again, so that I can just wait for them to deliver it to me.
Whew, that took it out of me a little. Like therapy. And I'm still procrastinating packing...something about packing for 10 days in a tiny suitcase is not appealing.
Monday, February 2, 2009
So We Broke Into A Mental Hospital...
This is my journal entry from January 23, the day we toured Avignon, Les Baux, and St. Remy:
Today we (Jess and I) had a tour of the Avignon region. What a day for it. It started out raining, and when we arrived at the train station from Paris, there was no one to pick us up for our bus tour. Turns out there are 2 train stations, and we were supposed to know the difference? False. In the car, an 8-passenger can, were the two of us and a couple from Taiwan. Not too bad, except that the most interaction we had with the couple came when the man offered up some sort of honey-candy (bleh.).
First off was visiting the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct built in the year 50 A.D.. 50! Impressive. It was beautiful, as I love Roman architecture, and the fog/mist of the day created a great backdrop for our pictures. In these pictures, we learned that we could actually take our coats off and not have the same picture as every other we've taken. Postcards? Check.
After that, we went to this little pedestrian town called Les Baux. So cute and quaint, but empty. Seriously, where are all the people? There were only a few shops open, but one of them was this cookie/candy shop. Basically heaven. The owner let us try an olive with chocolate in it/chocolate covered olive (?) for free. Surprisingly delicious. We also each bought 4 or 5 cookies, a little overpriced, but so good. I overdid my blood-sugar limit a little with those cookies plus the sugary drink I had had earlier at the train station. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We also went to a little shop with homemade soaps from the region-smell so good. Lots of lavender used as it is the Provence region. The area is also known for its olives and olive oil. The whole town was really cute, some remnants of an old castle, and the land is owned by the Grimaldi family, the royal family from Monaco. Lots of pics of empty alleys that are typical small town European. Cute. Quaint. Foggy/misty.
Our last stop on the tour was to some more Roman monuments and the mental hospital Vincent Van Gogh stayed at in Saint Remy for a year. The Roman monuments were such: an archway and a mausoleum. Nice pics, but nothing too special compared to everything else we see daily in Paris, etc (I know, I'm spoiled). A walk down the lane was to the mental hospital thought, with reproductions of some of Van Gogh's work lining the path. Emphasis on reproduction. Like from my printer. The sun decided to make a last effort at this point, thought, and provided a nice opportunity for a picture over some mountains in the distance through the mist. Since it's January, the original (aka: tourist) section of the hospital is closed, so we were just supposed to see is from down the lane, through gate. Try again. A walk up to the gate provided a look through, and I realized that a door on the side was not as locked as it perhaps should have been. Curiosity got the better of us (and our cameras), and a few seconds later we were enjoying taking pictures of the place Van Gogh actually stayed. Of course, then a worker came to lock up, and our tour guide realized we were inside- basically, we walk quickly back out the door, only mildly ashamed (if that).
Side note: That night, after traveling to Marseille, we had a delicious meal. Marseille is a port town, and so the seafood is amazing. What it is really known for is the Bouillabaisse, or fish soup, and our creepy hotel receptionist told us that "if you don't eat it, you don't come to Marseille." Oops. Guess I never actually went then. It's because they also told us that good bouillabaisse cost about 25-30 euro per person, and I am a broke college student. Sorry about that. We did try the seafood though. Jess and I wandered around the restaurant area of the Vieux Port and found a cute place to eat, where we ordered a ham and cheese pizza and spaghetti with prawns. These were full-size, head-attached, delicious shrimp. Basically, yum!
The following 2 nights in Marseille, we had McDonald's. Also amazing, but for different reasons. I've now eaten McD's 3 times since I've been in France, which is oh, about 3 times more than in the past 10 years. It's just SO GOOD (and cheap)!
Also: That cute cookie and candy shop in Les Baux was not family-owned like we thought. Nope, it's actually a chain store, which we've now also seen in Marseille and Aix. Fantastic.
Today we (Jess and I) had a tour of the Avignon region. What a day for it. It started out raining, and when we arrived at the train station from Paris, there was no one to pick us up for our bus tour. Turns out there are 2 train stations, and we were supposed to know the difference? False. In the car, an 8-passenger can, were the two of us and a couple from Taiwan. Not too bad, except that the most interaction we had with the couple came when the man offered up some sort of honey-candy (bleh.).
First off was visiting the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct built in the year 50 A.D.. 50! Impressive. It was beautiful, as I love Roman architecture, and the fog/mist of the day created a great backdrop for our pictures. In these pictures, we learned that we could actually take our coats off and not have the same picture as every other we've taken. Postcards? Check.
After that, we went to this little pedestrian town called Les Baux. So cute and quaint, but empty. Seriously, where are all the people? There were only a few shops open, but one of them was this cookie/candy shop. Basically heaven. The owner let us try an olive with chocolate in it/chocolate covered olive (?) for free. Surprisingly delicious. We also each bought 4 or 5 cookies, a little overpriced, but so good. I overdid my blood-sugar limit a little with those cookies plus the sugary drink I had had earlier at the train station. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We also went to a little shop with homemade soaps from the region-smell so good. Lots of lavender used as it is the Provence region. The area is also known for its olives and olive oil. The whole town was really cute, some remnants of an old castle, and the land is owned by the Grimaldi family, the royal family from Monaco. Lots of pics of empty alleys that are typical small town European. Cute. Quaint. Foggy/misty.
Our last stop on the tour was to some more Roman monuments and the mental hospital Vincent Van Gogh stayed at in Saint Remy for a year. The Roman monuments were such: an archway and a mausoleum. Nice pics, but nothing too special compared to everything else we see daily in Paris, etc (I know, I'm spoiled). A walk down the lane was to the mental hospital thought, with reproductions of some of Van Gogh's work lining the path. Emphasis on reproduction. Like from my printer. The sun decided to make a last effort at this point, thought, and provided a nice opportunity for a picture over some mountains in the distance through the mist. Since it's January, the original (aka: tourist) section of the hospital is closed, so we were just supposed to see is from down the lane, through gate. Try again. A walk up to the gate provided a look through, and I realized that a door on the side was not as locked as it perhaps should have been. Curiosity got the better of us (and our cameras), and a few seconds later we were enjoying taking pictures of the place Van Gogh actually stayed. Of course, then a worker came to lock up, and our tour guide realized we were inside- basically, we walk quickly back out the door, only mildly ashamed (if that).
Side note: That night, after traveling to Marseille, we had a delicious meal. Marseille is a port town, and so the seafood is amazing. What it is really known for is the Bouillabaisse, or fish soup, and our creepy hotel receptionist told us that "if you don't eat it, you don't come to Marseille." Oops. Guess I never actually went then. It's because they also told us that good bouillabaisse cost about 25-30 euro per person, and I am a broke college student. Sorry about that. We did try the seafood though. Jess and I wandered around the restaurant area of the Vieux Port and found a cute place to eat, where we ordered a ham and cheese pizza and spaghetti with prawns. These were full-size, head-attached, delicious shrimp. Basically, yum!
The following 2 nights in Marseille, we had McDonald's. Also amazing, but for different reasons. I've now eaten McD's 3 times since I've been in France, which is oh, about 3 times more than in the past 10 years. It's just SO GOOD (and cheap)!
Also: That cute cookie and candy shop in Les Baux was not family-owned like we thought. Nope, it's actually a chain store, which we've now also seen in Marseille and Aix. Fantastic.
Just Call Me Harry
I absolutely love trains. Love them. And they're not even exactly what I thought they would be (as nothing portrayed in movies ever is, duh). I, of course, was picturing cute little compartments to sit in and privately watch the scenery with my friends. False. More like nice, comfortable airplanes (not that those exist, but then again, I've only ever ridden coach). Seats 2x2, with little pods of 4 facing each other and a table in the middle. Those are my favorite. I especially love riding the opposite direction than the train is going; I don't know, it's just something about going against the way you're supposed to that is appealing. This works out well, because Jessica likes to ride the way the train IS going, make sure her equilibrium is right. I love that trains are (mostly) quiet. People don't (aren't supposed to) talk- most people sleep, read, listen to music, or just sit. It really is lovely. But the best thing I like about trains is simply putting on my iPod, listening to The Weepies, and staring out the window. So we've only been in France so far, but we've covered a fair bit of it, and it's gorgeous. It makes me so pensive, and then makes me want to write. I've filled quite a few pages in my journal just sitting on trains and thinking about our travels, etc. while listening to chill music. The following are three short entries from the very first train I took:
January 23
Green. Beautifully green, softly rolling hills, reminiscent of Tolkien. It is just before sunrise in the French countryside outside of Paris. Every so often there are dots of houses, lit from those waking to the new dawn. "Living in between sunset, and sunrise." Yeah, I'm OK with that.
What? Like, What? It still hasn't hit yet. We pass by a flock of sheep on a hill, followed by what appears to be a many-hundred year old farmhouse. And everything, including the picturesque small towns we pass, is covered in the perfect gray fog. "Your hands are cold"- type morning mist. Beyond incredible. And I am sitting on a train(!), taking in all the sights.
Note to self: don't sit on train cars with babies. Probably be safe to avoid kids too.
January 23
Green. Beautifully green, softly rolling hills, reminiscent of Tolkien. It is just before sunrise in the French countryside outside of Paris. Every so often there are dots of houses, lit from those waking to the new dawn. "Living in between sunset, and sunrise." Yeah, I'm OK with that.
What? Like, What? It still hasn't hit yet. We pass by a flock of sheep on a hill, followed by what appears to be a many-hundred year old farmhouse. And everything, including the picturesque small towns we pass, is covered in the perfect gray fog. "Your hands are cold"- type morning mist. Beyond incredible. And I am sitting on a train(!), taking in all the sights.
Note to self: don't sit on train cars with babies. Probably be safe to avoid kids too.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Rarrg, Mr. Mistral
So it's been a few days, but I will catch up from the last week (probably).
Today in Marseille, summed up in one word: windy. Not your average "Oh shoot my hair's in my face wind." No this is hurricane-force, I physically cannot take one more step wine because I have hit a wall of air. The Mistral wind is a wind that only occurs in the Provence region, and our tour guide actually told us about it yesterday, but of course I didn't think it would happen while we were here. I think on Wikipedia it said something about getting up to 90 km/hour. Sounds about right.
It was also rainy, which together created a lovely day to be a tourist :).Right.
We started out a little late today, a result of our exhaustion from yesterday's travels. From what I had looked up, everything was centered around the Vieux Port, or Old Port. Turns out that was where we had dinner last night and we had just stumbled upon it because that is where all the restaurants are. On the way to the port, I realized I had left my umbrella in the hotel and so we stopped in the shopping center to get a new one. 2 hours later, tada- umbrella! Did I mention due to the winds that umbrella is now probably non-functioning? Better it than my good one.
Right, so in my researching last night on what to do in Marseille today, I found out that the Chateau d'If is just off the coast here! I was so excited; you can take a ferry boat to the island and walk around the prison Alexandre Dumas' used as inspiration for The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite books and movies. Guess what happens when the winds come into town though? Oh yeah, the ferries don't run, the water is too rough. Awesome.
From the port, we could see the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde, a church built in the 1850's that is one of the landmarks of the city. It looks really pretty, but was an hour walk up the hill and we were in no mood to do that. So a nice picture from the port sufficed. I was still determined to see Chateau d'If, though at this point I could tell I would not get to actually go. We walked up one side of the port, one the opposite side than last night, which in itself it a feat. When we thought we were close to the ocean, we were rounding and old building, a monument of some sort, and just got a view of the sea before literally being slammed by the winds. After standing there and figuring out we could not physically walk all the way to the water, we took shelter behind a van to catch our breath.
Still determined, we walked back around the other side of the port, where all the restaurants are. At this point, the heavier rain has stopped and it is just drizzling sparatically. We all the way to the end of this side of the port, and though I still would like to at least see the Chateau d'If, I am starting to lose hope. Just as we are about to give up, a man taps me on the shoulder and starts chattering away in French. He is the cutest short old man. He obviously could tell that we were either lost or getting there. Through a conversation in our broken French, he tells us that the ferries were not running because of the weather, and when we asked him if there was a place we could see the Chateau, he asked different people on the street until he found a man who spoke both French and English and could tell us how to get there. Then he just walked away. It was literally the perfect timing and he was easily the nicest person I have met in France.
The place from where you can see the Chateau is the Catalan Beach, about a mile walk from where we were. Getting there was easy, and actually seeing the island was awesome. It was hard to get a good picture with the wind blowing my arms all around, but I'm not going for any sort of prize, so it should be fine. You definitely could see all the water slamming against the rocks all around the island and against where we were. Another man walked up to us while we were taking pictures, and I gathered from his French and his gesturing that there was somewhere that provided a better view of the island, but Jess and I were both too tired to try to find it.
At this point, we are just tired of being outside, it is just plain miserable. I had seen that there was a Virgin Megastore and so we stopped in the tourism office and asked where it was. Once in there, we found the English book section, which included about 500 books. Basically, Harry Potter, Stephen King, Twilight, and your classics like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Though I would like to have a Harry Potter book with the British words in it, I really am trying to save money and couldn't reason spending 15 euro for a book I've read multiple times and have in the States.
After wandering around in the store for a little bit with what appeared to be the rest of Marseille, we decided to head back to our hotel. My feet were hurting, and we were both wind-weary. I probably got a really good workout just walking around today. We'll see how my back holds up. It's already talking to me a little bit.
I can tell that this city would be really nice when it is warmer and sunny. It is probably great in the summer when the beaches are open and there aren't the death-winds. It was really cool to see the port full of boats and some of the shops on the side selling fresh fish. I can tell why people vacation in the South of France in the summer, not the winter.
Gerta has surprisingly held up well this trip and is doing fine with the internet here. She is not plugged in right now though, and she's probably not too happy about that.
Tomorrow we are going to Aix-en-Provence for the day, not far from Marseille. The weather is supposed to be nice, which I am excited about. I'm sure we won't see any lavender actually growing in the fields as it is the winter, but it should still be interesting there.
Now it is off to find dinner and then maybe walk around more or go to a cafe if the weather is nice. We might just go to sleep early and get an early start tomorrow. I guess that depends on your definition of early.
Today in Marseille, summed up in one word: windy. Not your average "Oh shoot my hair's in my face wind." No this is hurricane-force, I physically cannot take one more step wine because I have hit a wall of air. The Mistral wind is a wind that only occurs in the Provence region, and our tour guide actually told us about it yesterday, but of course I didn't think it would happen while we were here. I think on Wikipedia it said something about getting up to 90 km/hour. Sounds about right.
It was also rainy, which together created a lovely day to be a tourist :).Right.
We started out a little late today, a result of our exhaustion from yesterday's travels. From what I had looked up, everything was centered around the Vieux Port, or Old Port. Turns out that was where we had dinner last night and we had just stumbled upon it because that is where all the restaurants are. On the way to the port, I realized I had left my umbrella in the hotel and so we stopped in the shopping center to get a new one. 2 hours later, tada- umbrella! Did I mention due to the winds that umbrella is now probably non-functioning? Better it than my good one.
Right, so in my researching last night on what to do in Marseille today, I found out that the Chateau d'If is just off the coast here! I was so excited; you can take a ferry boat to the island and walk around the prison Alexandre Dumas' used as inspiration for The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite books and movies. Guess what happens when the winds come into town though? Oh yeah, the ferries don't run, the water is too rough. Awesome.
From the port, we could see the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde, a church built in the 1850's that is one of the landmarks of the city. It looks really pretty, but was an hour walk up the hill and we were in no mood to do that. So a nice picture from the port sufficed. I was still determined to see Chateau d'If, though at this point I could tell I would not get to actually go. We walked up one side of the port, one the opposite side than last night, which in itself it a feat. When we thought we were close to the ocean, we were rounding and old building, a monument of some sort, and just got a view of the sea before literally being slammed by the winds. After standing there and figuring out we could not physically walk all the way to the water, we took shelter behind a van to catch our breath.
Still determined, we walked back around the other side of the port, where all the restaurants are. At this point, the heavier rain has stopped and it is just drizzling sparatically. We all the way to the end of this side of the port, and though I still would like to at least see the Chateau d'If, I am starting to lose hope. Just as we are about to give up, a man taps me on the shoulder and starts chattering away in French. He is the cutest short old man. He obviously could tell that we were either lost or getting there. Through a conversation in our broken French, he tells us that the ferries were not running because of the weather, and when we asked him if there was a place we could see the Chateau, he asked different people on the street until he found a man who spoke both French and English and could tell us how to get there. Then he just walked away. It was literally the perfect timing and he was easily the nicest person I have met in France.
The place from where you can see the Chateau is the Catalan Beach, about a mile walk from where we were. Getting there was easy, and actually seeing the island was awesome. It was hard to get a good picture with the wind blowing my arms all around, but I'm not going for any sort of prize, so it should be fine. You definitely could see all the water slamming against the rocks all around the island and against where we were. Another man walked up to us while we were taking pictures, and I gathered from his French and his gesturing that there was somewhere that provided a better view of the island, but Jess and I were both too tired to try to find it.
At this point, we are just tired of being outside, it is just plain miserable. I had seen that there was a Virgin Megastore and so we stopped in the tourism office and asked where it was. Once in there, we found the English book section, which included about 500 books. Basically, Harry Potter, Stephen King, Twilight, and your classics like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Though I would like to have a Harry Potter book with the British words in it, I really am trying to save money and couldn't reason spending 15 euro for a book I've read multiple times and have in the States.
After wandering around in the store for a little bit with what appeared to be the rest of Marseille, we decided to head back to our hotel. My feet were hurting, and we were both wind-weary. I probably got a really good workout just walking around today. We'll see how my back holds up. It's already talking to me a little bit.
I can tell that this city would be really nice when it is warmer and sunny. It is probably great in the summer when the beaches are open and there aren't the death-winds. It was really cool to see the port full of boats and some of the shops on the side selling fresh fish. I can tell why people vacation in the South of France in the summer, not the winter.
Gerta has surprisingly held up well this trip and is doing fine with the internet here. She is not plugged in right now though, and she's probably not too happy about that.
Tomorrow we are going to Aix-en-Provence for the day, not far from Marseille. The weather is supposed to be nice, which I am excited about. I'm sure we won't see any lavender actually growing in the fields as it is the winter, but it should still be interesting there.
Now it is off to find dinner and then maybe walk around more or go to a cafe if the weather is nice. We might just go to sleep early and get an early start tomorrow. I guess that depends on your definition of early.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Who Would've Thought 43 Degrees Would Be Warm?
This week has been walking-zombie week. I can't seem to get un-tired. I have no idea how I handle 8am classes at UT when I can’t seem to be awake for 8:30 seminars all this week. It was rough. Let’s just say the history of French kings isn’t exactly exhilarating. Yesterday we had a test on all of the seminars we attended all week long, and it was basically writing 5 essays in 5 different blue books. Tons of fun for the second week here. At least it counts as a class!
Last night, we went to a typical European club, called Club Mix. I know, already it’s cliché. The lights, the techno music, the strange dancing. It was great! On Thursdays, the club only lets international students in, and you can wear a sticker that has the flag of your home country. Let’s just say some get a little into it, and weird people plus alcohol = 3+ stickers on some people. We left early, trying to catch the Metro back to our neighborhood, but of course, we run into the train station and hear the last Metro leaving. That meant walking or taxi at 1am in Paris in 30 degree weather. In heels. Hmmm, TAXI! After talking to our friends from school this morning, we found that the thing to do is actually to stay out until the Metro starts running again around 5:30 or 6 am. Yeah, maybe I'll try that once. Maybe.
Today Jennie, Jessica, David and I went to Versailles. Note to self: don't go to Versailles on a soggy day in the middle of winter. Though inside the palace and Marie Antoinette's living areas were beautiful and the whole place was stunning, the ground was very muddy and a lot of it was under construction. Today it wasn't raining, but it was kind of like the sky was just dripping/snotting (eww) on us. At random times you would feel a drop, and it was uncomfortably windy today, the kind that chills you to the bones. In addition, none of the fountains were on or even had water in them, obviously since it is winter here, and those were actually semi-creepy all exposed. I think what we decided was that we wanted to take the train back out there in the spring when all the flowers bloom and it is warmer, because it is free just to walk around the gardens.
This whole week has been a walking cliché: going to the Euro club, realizing most/all of the Paris stereotypes are true (people really do walk down the street eating baguettes, and everyone wears all black!), going to the tourist-y spots (Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Versailles), and then, to top it all off, Jennie lost/had her wallet stolen as we were on the way back from Versailles. Not a terrible situation, nothing very valuable in there, just makes us all that much more cautious now.
For now, I really can't think of anything but sleeping or just sitting and just watching a movie for the rest of the weekend, though as I live in Paris, I know I should take advantage and at least explore some more or go out with my new friends from school. Maybe tomorrow.
Last night, we went to a typical European club, called Club Mix. I know, already it’s cliché. The lights, the techno music, the strange dancing. It was great! On Thursdays, the club only lets international students in, and you can wear a sticker that has the flag of your home country. Let’s just say some get a little into it, and weird people plus alcohol = 3+ stickers on some people. We left early, trying to catch the Metro back to our neighborhood, but of course, we run into the train station and hear the last Metro leaving. That meant walking or taxi at 1am in Paris in 30 degree weather. In heels. Hmmm, TAXI! After talking to our friends from school this morning, we found that the thing to do is actually to stay out until the Metro starts running again around 5:30 or 6 am. Yeah, maybe I'll try that once. Maybe.
Today Jennie, Jessica, David and I went to Versailles. Note to self: don't go to Versailles on a soggy day in the middle of winter. Though inside the palace and Marie Antoinette's living areas were beautiful and the whole place was stunning, the ground was very muddy and a lot of it was under construction. Today it wasn't raining, but it was kind of like the sky was just dripping/snotting (eww) on us. At random times you would feel a drop, and it was uncomfortably windy today, the kind that chills you to the bones. In addition, none of the fountains were on or even had water in them, obviously since it is winter here, and those were actually semi-creepy all exposed. I think what we decided was that we wanted to take the train back out there in the spring when all the flowers bloom and it is warmer, because it is free just to walk around the gardens.
This whole week has been a walking cliché: going to the Euro club, realizing most/all of the Paris stereotypes are true (people really do walk down the street eating baguettes, and everyone wears all black!), going to the tourist-y spots (Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Versailles), and then, to top it all off, Jennie lost/had her wallet stolen as we were on the way back from Versailles. Not a terrible situation, nothing very valuable in there, just makes us all that much more cautious now.
For now, I really can't think of anything but sleeping or just sitting and just watching a movie for the rest of the weekend, though as I live in Paris, I know I should take advantage and at least explore some more or go out with my new friends from school. Maybe tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Random Musings...
I like the rain. It melts the snow and it is actually something I can handle, being from Houston.
Lessons in international relations: Americans are outgoing, which can frequently be perceived as arrogance. Ok, so sometimes it is...
On second thought: Americans arrogant? The French define the word (at least my professor)!
Tip: Days when I have class- don't wear tights under my pants. It's too hot!
Oops. Fell asleep again. Guess classes aren't any more interesting in France than in Texas...ruhroh
Something they have in Sweden and Finland that they don't in America: naturally blonde hair.
Lessons in international relations: Americans are outgoing, which can frequently be perceived as arrogance. Ok, so sometimes it is...
On second thought: Americans arrogant? The French define the word (at least my professor)!
Tip: Days when I have class- don't wear tights under my pants. It's too hot!
Oops. Fell asleep again. Guess classes aren't any more interesting in France than in Texas...ruhroh
Something they have in Sweden and Finland that they don't in America: naturally blonde hair.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What Country Are You From? -Texas.
We started orientation yesterday at our school, ESCP-EAP. The first half of the day was typical orientation-like stuff, introducing the school, the program, etc. The second half was a seminar on the history of Paris. This could all have been interesting if I had not been dead-tired. For some reason, maybe lingering jet lag, I could not get tired on Sunday and go to sleep, and this of course led to extremely exhausted Monday morning. Jessica and I decided to start the semester out right and skipped lunch and part of a tour to go home and take a nap. We're already stellar students. This helped, but just enough to keep me from literally falling over during the afternoon lecture. After that, Jenn, Jess and I went to get cell phones and to the department store to get a few necessities we had left at home/not been able to travel with. Those seem to keep popping up.
With a regular night's sleep in me, I thought I was armed and ready to go for a full day of lectures on France. WRONG. Still a night of sleep behind, my body's usual routine kicked in whenever placed in a classroom: fall asleep. I swear, I had mono 4 years ago and it refuses to leave. Not that I was alone in the classroom. At least 10 of the about 100 students were asleep, most were doodling, and only a select few were paying attention to the monotonous droning of the professors. Our seminars today were about French education, Language and Communication, and French Style of Management. Somehow, in the last seminar, the professor got into the topic of religion and related that to money. Let's just say he offended more than a few people. During one of the morning seminars, I listed out all 50 states in alphabetical order and then their capitals (with a little help on those). Productive.
At lunch, we sat with a girl from Sweden, Linea, who is really nice. She was talking about how much she liked Americans because she had worked on private yachts (think P. Diddy-style), and Americans tip the best and are the nicest/have the most fun. Most of the students seem to be really nice. They are from all over: Sweden, Finland, Mexico, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Africa, Portugal, Brazil, Illinois, South Carolina, Minnesota, Switzerland, Slovakia. The sad thing is that they all speak their native language, English, and usually one other, either French, Spanish, German... it really makes me feel inadequate, though as I was not taught another language steadily from early on, I do not feel as much to blame for not speaking 3 languages. 2, yes, that's all my fault. I should have kept up with Spanish and/or worked harder on French. It is just a little embarrassing when the Finnish can speak your language as well as you can, and are fluent in French as well. Oh well, not too much I can do about it now except practice as much as possible.
Tomorrow's another long day of seminars, and on Thursday I have to take a test over the material to get credit for orientation on my transcript. Because I'm taking a half-semester class, this orientation counts as the other part of a class. I guess I better study, though it really can't be too hard, from what I've heard.
Au revoir for now, I've got to go be fabulous in the City of Lights!
With a regular night's sleep in me, I thought I was armed and ready to go for a full day of lectures on France. WRONG. Still a night of sleep behind, my body's usual routine kicked in whenever placed in a classroom: fall asleep. I swear, I had mono 4 years ago and it refuses to leave. Not that I was alone in the classroom. At least 10 of the about 100 students were asleep, most were doodling, and only a select few were paying attention to the monotonous droning of the professors. Our seminars today were about French education, Language and Communication, and French Style of Management. Somehow, in the last seminar, the professor got into the topic of religion and related that to money. Let's just say he offended more than a few people. During one of the morning seminars, I listed out all 50 states in alphabetical order and then their capitals (with a little help on those). Productive.
At lunch, we sat with a girl from Sweden, Linea, who is really nice. She was talking about how much she liked Americans because she had worked on private yachts (think P. Diddy-style), and Americans tip the best and are the nicest/have the most fun. Most of the students seem to be really nice. They are from all over: Sweden, Finland, Mexico, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Africa, Portugal, Brazil, Illinois, South Carolina, Minnesota, Switzerland, Slovakia. The sad thing is that they all speak their native language, English, and usually one other, either French, Spanish, German... it really makes me feel inadequate, though as I was not taught another language steadily from early on, I do not feel as much to blame for not speaking 3 languages. 2, yes, that's all my fault. I should have kept up with Spanish and/or worked harder on French. It is just a little embarrassing when the Finnish can speak your language as well as you can, and are fluent in French as well. Oh well, not too much I can do about it now except practice as much as possible.
Tomorrow's another long day of seminars, and on Thursday I have to take a test over the material to get credit for orientation on my transcript. Because I'm taking a half-semester class, this orientation counts as the other part of a class. I guess I better study, though it really can't be too hard, from what I've heard.
Au revoir for now, I've got to go be fabulous in the City of Lights!
Muy Bien...Or Something Like That
The next day was sleeping in and visiting Notre Dame, which, despite all of the people there on a Saturday, still is beautiful and very powerful. Later was drinks at a local bar/cafe in my neighborhood where we got some great advice on studying abroad from an American living in Vienna/holiday-ing in Paris, and then in which some cheesy Frenchmen proceeded to buy Jessica, Jennie and me champagne and talk to us until early in the morning. I have decided that sitting and talking over a drink is my favorite pasttime. People are so interesting.
Sunday the 11th was a very lazy day for me. Paris shuts down on Sundays. Literally- restaurants, stores, businesses. Almost everything. I like that. It gives me an excuse to stay in bed, in my pj's, and not shower. Though lazy, it was surprisingly productive. I actually got a solid sketch of where I will be traveling this semester. I figured out I can't go to Vienna next weekend; it's a little late to book train tickets, and flying is $$$.
Let's just say my wallet will be much lighter after this semester and I might be going back to Pick-a-Prof after all...
Jennie speaks French well, she is just a little timid to use it around the native speakers, justifiably. From hanging around her, I have picked up a few phrases here and there and can even order something off a menu or tell someone that "I don't speak French." And, my pronunciation is good, too. For Spanish, that is. Wherever we are, a Metro stop, restaurant, etc., if I say something aloud, it is in a Texas-French accent with Spanish pronunciation. I'm sure she's a little tired of it, but she's a very patient teacher. Hopefully I'll improve in the next few months (just in time to come back to Texas and use Spanish again).
Sunday the 11th was a very lazy day for me. Paris shuts down on Sundays. Literally- restaurants, stores, businesses. Almost everything. I like that. It gives me an excuse to stay in bed, in my pj's, and not shower. Though lazy, it was surprisingly productive. I actually got a solid sketch of where I will be traveling this semester. I figured out I can't go to Vienna next weekend; it's a little late to book train tickets, and flying is $$$.
Let's just say my wallet will be much lighter after this semester and I might be going back to Pick-a-Prof after all...
Jennie speaks French well, she is just a little timid to use it around the native speakers, justifiably. From hanging around her, I have picked up a few phrases here and there and can even order something off a menu or tell someone that "I don't speak French." And, my pronunciation is good, too. For Spanish, that is. Wherever we are, a Metro stop, restaurant, etc., if I say something aloud, it is in a Texas-French accent with Spanish pronunciation. I'm sure she's a little tired of it, but she's a very patient teacher. Hopefully I'll improve in the next few months (just in time to come back to Texas and use Spanish again).
Testing the Water
This is my journal entry from January 11.
Interesting. I'm glad I didn't have a journal the first 2 days I was here, because the content would be pleasant to re-read. From the time the plane landed until my 2 remaining roommates, Jessica and Jennie, arrived, I was absolutely sure that this, spending a semester abroad in Paris, was the biggest mistake I had ever made, and I was certain that I would be miserable the whole time here.
Luckily, those 2 1/2 days were just enough time to begin to acclimate myself to the unfamiliar city, culture, and language. Also to the very unseasonably cold weather (in the teens). Getting over a stomach bug and jet lag helped too. Definitely not being able to eat for the first 2 days in a foreign city does not already help the already-shaky feeling. By the way, I am pretty sure I got sick from drinking the water, so I am sticking to bottled from now on (no matter how much it costs, and yes, I recycle).
My fourth full day in the city, Friday the 9th, was the first day I woke up not hating the city, and it turned out to be a really great day. Jennie and I got our Carte Orange's, passes to ride the Metro an unlimited amount of times for an entire month, and then we went exploring. Not sure how we did it exactly, but we went the wrong way down the Champs-Elysees, and ended up walking through some beautiful streets and a small park covered in snow. The whole city is covered in snow. It snowed the day before I came and blanketed the city, something that has not happened in many years. It has not yet gotten warm enough to melt any of it, and now most of the streets are covered in dangerous ice (I have the bruises on my behind to prove it!)
So we were walking through Paris, apparently away from the Champs-Elysees, and just happen upon the Eiffel Tower. THE EIFFEL TOWER! Beautiful, even on a bleak, below-freezing day surrounded by the usual bustle of tourists from all over the world. Things I learned: NO, I do not speak English and cannot donate money to you and NO I would not like to buy some tourist-y souvenir for "ONLY 1 EURO!" Got some great pictures, and I can't wait to go back when it's a little warmer to picnic and to go up to the top and look over all of Paris!
The rest of the day was spent wandering around and then eating sushi in a little restaurant off the beaten path in the 12e (arrondissement). The end.
Interesting. I'm glad I didn't have a journal the first 2 days I was here, because the content would be pleasant to re-read. From the time the plane landed until my 2 remaining roommates, Jessica and Jennie, arrived, I was absolutely sure that this, spending a semester abroad in Paris, was the biggest mistake I had ever made, and I was certain that I would be miserable the whole time here.
Luckily, those 2 1/2 days were just enough time to begin to acclimate myself to the unfamiliar city, culture, and language. Also to the very unseasonably cold weather (in the teens). Getting over a stomach bug and jet lag helped too. Definitely not being able to eat for the first 2 days in a foreign city does not already help the already-shaky feeling. By the way, I am pretty sure I got sick from drinking the water, so I am sticking to bottled from now on (no matter how much it costs, and yes, I recycle).
My fourth full day in the city, Friday the 9th, was the first day I woke up not hating the city, and it turned out to be a really great day. Jennie and I got our Carte Orange's, passes to ride the Metro an unlimited amount of times for an entire month, and then we went exploring. Not sure how we did it exactly, but we went the wrong way down the Champs-Elysees, and ended up walking through some beautiful streets and a small park covered in snow. The whole city is covered in snow. It snowed the day before I came and blanketed the city, something that has not happened in many years. It has not yet gotten warm enough to melt any of it, and now most of the streets are covered in dangerous ice (I have the bruises on my behind to prove it!)
So we were walking through Paris, apparently away from the Champs-Elysees, and just happen upon the Eiffel Tower. THE EIFFEL TOWER! Beautiful, even on a bleak, below-freezing day surrounded by the usual bustle of tourists from all over the world. Things I learned: NO, I do not speak English and cannot donate money to you and NO I would not like to buy some tourist-y souvenir for "ONLY 1 EURO!" Got some great pictures, and I can't wait to go back when it's a little warmer to picnic and to go up to the top and look over all of Paris!
The rest of the day was spent wandering around and then eating sushi in a little restaurant off the beaten path in the 12e (arrondissement). The end.
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