Let me open with the statement that I'm afraid of heights. When I was little I used to climb trees and then cry when I realized I had to get down. This fear could also be a result of my scarred childhoood, as my brother threw a football at me when I was sitting in the tree in my backyard and I fell out of it. Luckily I was born stealth and grabbed onto a branch before I hit the ground, but it was still traumatic.
Last Saturday Taylor Stephen and I decided to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Considering we've been here for four months it seems like we should have already been up there multiple times, but every time we wanted to go something came up or the top was closed. We stopped at the first ledge and took some pictures, and of course it started raining because thats just how my life works. We also waited in line to get to the top for about an hour and we got stuck in the middle of a Canadian tour group. How do I know they were a Canadian? Because they were all wearing matching jackets that said "CANADA" on the back. They were very discreet.
Since it took us so long to get up there we were in a hurry to catch an elevator down. By this time it was 9:45pm and the pizza place we wanted to go to for dinner closed at 11pm. There were too many people just standing around so we pushed our way through and cut the line to get on the next elevator. Not going to lie, we felt good about it because there was delicious pizza at the end of that elevator ride and we were not letting any slow walking tourists delay that one more second.
Because of the previously mentioned fear of heights and the fact that the Eiffel Tower stands at 1063 feet, I chose not to look out of the elevator and instead admire the wooden floors. We were in the elevator for not even a minute when all of the sudden it shakes and starts free falling. You read that correctly. FREE FALLING FROM 1000 FEET IN THE AIR. It lasted about 3-5 seconds but felt like it lasted an entire lifetime. It was basically like the Tower of Terror at six flags except instead of being exhilarating it was terrifying. I didn't see my life flash before my eyes, but I did think "dying in the eiffel tower elevator is just ironic enough to be my life". I've wanted to go to the top since I was 8, so it's only fitting that when I finally got to I would die as a result. When it snapped back and stopped falling it was like a movie. Babies screaming, people yelling in different languages, the lady in front of us was doing the sign of the cross, and the girl behind us was crying and sending an email to everyone in her phonebook. We ended up being stuck in there for 40 minutes while they tried to fix it and I'm not sure if I breathed that entire time. The elevator was so cramped everyone was freaking out. All I wanted to do was sit but that was impossible. We asked the operator lady if this happens a lot and she told us "never with this elevator" which was not comforting in the least. When the workers realized they couldn't fix it they somehow pulled the elevator down to a platform so we were able to get off and walk down a million flights of slippery stairs. I've never been so scared in my entire life. And the worst part? We didn't even get to eat our pizza. That will teach me to be in a hurry.
My life has been pretty much uneventful (at least for blogging purposes) except for a few weekends ago when we decided to be american and eat some mcdonalds for dinner. Each table in this section was for two people, and there were five tables open. So Taylor Stephen and I take two tables, and theres a lady sitting next to us by herself. Everything was normal until a family of 5 came up and decided they wanted to use the remaining 5 open seats but they wanted the lady by herself to get up so she wouldn't invade their family time (and also the mom of this family was really fat and I think she needed to take up two spots on the booth). The mom of the family didn't even ask the single lady to get up she just told her she had to leave. So obviously the single lady tells her no, and the brawl begins. The fat mom starts screaming that the single lady is rude and an idiot, the single lady starts screaming back, and before we know it the mom hits the single ladys hand. At this point Taylor and I are hysterically laughing because this is so ridiculous, but because we're scared of the fat mom we're holding it in and tears are just streaming down my face. An employee finally came over but even he was scared of the mom and he didnt do anything except stand with his ass in my face. The entire resturant was just watching and a lady from a few tables over comes and leans inbetween Taylor and I to get to the single lady and tells her that SHE is rude and needs to get up and let the family eat. This was so ridiculous and so unlike the French to start a public screaming match that I think it's one of the funniest things I've seen here. McDonald's is the Chuck E Cheese of France.
So I'm coming home in four days. How bittersweet! I miss everyone but I'm really not interested in life as an adult. I'm waiting for something interesting to happen in my life to direct me down a path but so far I've had no luck. Graduating isn't exciting, it's depressing.
Lombard: prepare yourself for my arrival!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
I can't believe it's almost been a month since I updated. It feels like I just wrote that last week!
I'm getting really depressed that my time here is coming to a close. It'll be nice to be back in America where everything is as it should be and I can yell at people again, but I was just starting to form relationships with the people that I know everyday and I'm sad that has to end. I made a new bff that works at the boulangerie (sandwich place) by school. I go there everyday and he sees me so much he's decided to look past the fact that I'm annoyingly smiley and foreign and like me. Every time I go in there now, I don't even have to say what I want, he just gets it for me. And, here's the kicker - he SMILES when I see him. This may not seem like such a feat, but the fact that the french hate to smile in the first place along with the fact that he hated me when I first went into his boulangerie in January makes it one. Hate might be a strong word. He definitely disliked me because I wasn't sure what I liked and what I didn't like and all I wanted was a fucking turkey sandwich (warning: you will not find one anywhere in Paris, so don't try) and I was just frustrated that I couldn't get one and had to settle for his other sandwiches. Funny part is, this man has the best sandwiches in Paris hahahaha so clearly I got over it. And now, after all of our months together, he actually likes me. I almost want to get him a gift when I leave. hahahahaha
The homeless men at school have even stopped screaming obscenities at me when I walk by and have switched over to a much more civil "bonjour madame!". I'm well aware that this has a lot to do with the fact that I give them spare change every week but it's worth it. One girl got chased down the street by a crazy homeless man with a frying pan because she didn't respond to him when he said hello. Let it be a lesson to everyone.
I've also picked up so many social tricks. For example, the trick on the metro is to look like you're completely dead inside and no one will so much as look at you. It helps to ward off the creepy guys who think they're going to get your number before the next stop (has that EVER worked??) and the crazy homeless people who want to sit next to you and yell. It works like a charm but I don't think I'll be bringing that back to the states. Everyone would just think my dog died and also I would get frown wrinkles. As a side note, all of the french women have frown wrinkles instead of smiling wrinkles and I find it upsetting and I think if I lived here longer I would have to give up the metro face for that fear. The other trick to winning friends is to give up your seat for old people. It should just be known (and if you grew up at Camp Kirby, aka my home, it would be) but it's not and I've seen people get screamed at for not getting up. This girl refused to give her seat up to an older (but not old) woman and the older woman freaked out and I thought she was going to beat her up with her purse. Eventually the girl got up - probably out of embarassment - but I thought it was weird she would even fight it. I gave my seat to a really old lady the other day (I swear she was 98) and when I walked to the back of the bus an old lady stopped me to tell me how nice it was. I also gave my seat to a 98 year old man, who apologized profusely. He literally said "I'm sorry for taking your place ma'am, but I'm so old". hahahahahahahahaha It seems so weird to me that there are those two extremes. Its absolutely expected that you give your seat up, but the people are always very grateful for it and let you know it.
I really like taking the bus more than the metro, but the bus lines are so weird. And Paris doesn't think it's important to list the stops online so the only bus I take is too and from school. It's not that I don't like the metro because I actually really do. My problem is that I have the worst luck with it. Every time I get into a station or to the train I need, one JUST left and I have to wait 5 minutes for the next one. This happens to me EVERY TIME. But another plus as to being here so long is that I know a lot about each metro line. For example: you're going to need to get secure and balanced on line 1 before it starts moving or you will eat shit, line 9 waits for no one, the 14 is from the future, you're bound to see at least one penis on the 8, and never get off and try to switch lines at Chatelet. Also, the entire area around Opera is good for shopping but you WILL get pick pocketed. I'm seriously a wealth of information, hit me up if you need traveling advice (don't worry Sierra I'm compiling a list for you! hahaha)
I just found out that my last final is May 3rd, which is so awesome because I don't fly home until May 15th and I'll have a lot of time to see everything I haven't seen already. Technically I'm supposed to have finals until May 14th since thats when the semester ends but none of my teachers liked that idea so they all changed it to be sooner. The American Business School is so weird and not like the US at all. The teachers are rude (my french teacher tells people to shut up or shes going to kill them) and very unstructured. I don't really like that because I like environments where I know what's expected and how to get a good grade. Here they just give you a sheet of paper with some vague outlines for a project and expect that you know what should be in it and how long it should be. It's really annoying. And they're always playing really loud music and having dance parties in the main lobby. I walked in last tuesday and they were playing "Dancing Queen" (at 8am, mind you) and I walked in yesterday and there's a crowd of people and the song starts "NOD YO FUCKIN HEAD NIGGA, FUCK YOU!" and the group broke into dance. A dance that everyone seemed to know... my life is turning into a weird musical.
This past weekend Taylor and I went to this outdoor market that they have on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and we finally found the ghetto of Paris. I stepped off the metro and it was like an entirely different, much creepier, world. On the plus side of things they have amazing moroccan leather bags that you can haggle down in price. They also have clothes and shoes and all sorts of stuff, but the leather bags were the best finds in my opinion. I recommend that you go there but the earlier the better and definitely during daylight hours.
I've been trying to go and see and do stuff that I haven't done yet, and we've even made a bucket list. The other day Taylor and I had a picnic by the eiffel tower, it was so pretty. It was a really nice day and everything is so green and in bloom. We also went to a really pretty park near my house that has a huge Paris sign (which I obviously took an obnoxious amount of pictures in front of - to be posted soon) and lakes and beautiful flowers. I feel like I need at least 6 more months here to be able to spend enough time in each place to appreciate all of it. all this walking in my flats without socks is killing me. They're cutting up my heels and I've never needed a pedicure so bad in my life. When I go home I'm going to have to go to a different place than I usually do because I'm too embarassed for the girl that normally does my pedicures to see my feet. It's serious emergency status.
Moving on - lets focus on this volcano for one second. Never did I think that a volcano would affect my life, much less one in Iceland. That's all we've been talking about in class for days and a ton of people are stuck in random countries without a way to get back to Paris because all the trains are packed. The other students studying abroad at the Sorbonne have their Spring Break now and can't go anywhere which totally sucks. The Paris airport was supposed to open at 8pm tonight but I'm not sure how well that worked out, and people are saying that the ash might delay our flights in the middle of May if it doesn't clear. And apparently there's talk that it might keep errupting or that the one next to it is going to? I'm not sure. I don't even know what I would do in Paris for extra time, where would I stay? My host family is moving! I would have to live at the airport and be homeless. I could probably do it because they have excellent food and shopping, but I don't really care for sleeping on airport floors. Been there, done that, not my thing.
On a final note, the thought of buying people souvenirs is really stressing me out. Partly because I'm extremely low on cash and partly because there's just too many things here and it's hard for me to decide who would want what. With that being said (haha, for anyone who watches curb your enthusiasm), I'm really not going to buy anyone anything unless you ask me for something specifically. It's not that I don't love you (this message only apply to those that I'm AWARE are reading my blog... it might actually be that I don't love you) but I just don't want the stress of having to find everyone the perfect gift. So there, its out. You're getting nothing from me except my love and a warm hug upon my return. Hope we can still be friends.
Hopefully I'll write again soon, but if not don't hate. It's been too pretty in Paris to spend my time at my laptop writing! And besides... I'll see you soon!
I'm getting really depressed that my time here is coming to a close. It'll be nice to be back in America where everything is as it should be and I can yell at people again, but I was just starting to form relationships with the people that I know everyday and I'm sad that has to end. I made a new bff that works at the boulangerie (sandwich place) by school. I go there everyday and he sees me so much he's decided to look past the fact that I'm annoyingly smiley and foreign and like me. Every time I go in there now, I don't even have to say what I want, he just gets it for me. And, here's the kicker - he SMILES when I see him. This may not seem like such a feat, but the fact that the french hate to smile in the first place along with the fact that he hated me when I first went into his boulangerie in January makes it one. Hate might be a strong word. He definitely disliked me because I wasn't sure what I liked and what I didn't like and all I wanted was a fucking turkey sandwich (warning: you will not find one anywhere in Paris, so don't try) and I was just frustrated that I couldn't get one and had to settle for his other sandwiches. Funny part is, this man has the best sandwiches in Paris hahahaha so clearly I got over it. And now, after all of our months together, he actually likes me. I almost want to get him a gift when I leave. hahahahaha
The homeless men at school have even stopped screaming obscenities at me when I walk by and have switched over to a much more civil "bonjour madame!". I'm well aware that this has a lot to do with the fact that I give them spare change every week but it's worth it. One girl got chased down the street by a crazy homeless man with a frying pan because she didn't respond to him when he said hello. Let it be a lesson to everyone.
I've also picked up so many social tricks. For example, the trick on the metro is to look like you're completely dead inside and no one will so much as look at you. It helps to ward off the creepy guys who think they're going to get your number before the next stop (has that EVER worked??) and the crazy homeless people who want to sit next to you and yell. It works like a charm but I don't think I'll be bringing that back to the states. Everyone would just think my dog died and also I would get frown wrinkles. As a side note, all of the french women have frown wrinkles instead of smiling wrinkles and I find it upsetting and I think if I lived here longer I would have to give up the metro face for that fear. The other trick to winning friends is to give up your seat for old people. It should just be known (and if you grew up at Camp Kirby, aka my home, it would be) but it's not and I've seen people get screamed at for not getting up. This girl refused to give her seat up to an older (but not old) woman and the older woman freaked out and I thought she was going to beat her up with her purse. Eventually the girl got up - probably out of embarassment - but I thought it was weird she would even fight it. I gave my seat to a really old lady the other day (I swear she was 98) and when I walked to the back of the bus an old lady stopped me to tell me how nice it was. I also gave my seat to a 98 year old man, who apologized profusely. He literally said "I'm sorry for taking your place ma'am, but I'm so old". hahahahahahahahaha It seems so weird to me that there are those two extremes. Its absolutely expected that you give your seat up, but the people are always very grateful for it and let you know it.
I really like taking the bus more than the metro, but the bus lines are so weird. And Paris doesn't think it's important to list the stops online so the only bus I take is too and from school. It's not that I don't like the metro because I actually really do. My problem is that I have the worst luck with it. Every time I get into a station or to the train I need, one JUST left and I have to wait 5 minutes for the next one. This happens to me EVERY TIME. But another plus as to being here so long is that I know a lot about each metro line. For example: you're going to need to get secure and balanced on line 1 before it starts moving or you will eat shit, line 9 waits for no one, the 14 is from the future, you're bound to see at least one penis on the 8, and never get off and try to switch lines at Chatelet. Also, the entire area around Opera is good for shopping but you WILL get pick pocketed. I'm seriously a wealth of information, hit me up if you need traveling advice (don't worry Sierra I'm compiling a list for you! hahaha)
I just found out that my last final is May 3rd, which is so awesome because I don't fly home until May 15th and I'll have a lot of time to see everything I haven't seen already. Technically I'm supposed to have finals until May 14th since thats when the semester ends but none of my teachers liked that idea so they all changed it to be sooner. The American Business School is so weird and not like the US at all. The teachers are rude (my french teacher tells people to shut up or shes going to kill them) and very unstructured. I don't really like that because I like environments where I know what's expected and how to get a good grade. Here they just give you a sheet of paper with some vague outlines for a project and expect that you know what should be in it and how long it should be. It's really annoying. And they're always playing really loud music and having dance parties in the main lobby. I walked in last tuesday and they were playing "Dancing Queen" (at 8am, mind you) and I walked in yesterday and there's a crowd of people and the song starts "NOD YO FUCKIN HEAD NIGGA, FUCK YOU!" and the group broke into dance. A dance that everyone seemed to know... my life is turning into a weird musical.
This past weekend Taylor and I went to this outdoor market that they have on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and we finally found the ghetto of Paris. I stepped off the metro and it was like an entirely different, much creepier, world. On the plus side of things they have amazing moroccan leather bags that you can haggle down in price. They also have clothes and shoes and all sorts of stuff, but the leather bags were the best finds in my opinion. I recommend that you go there but the earlier the better and definitely during daylight hours.
I've been trying to go and see and do stuff that I haven't done yet, and we've even made a bucket list. The other day Taylor and I had a picnic by the eiffel tower, it was so pretty. It was a really nice day and everything is so green and in bloom. We also went to a really pretty park near my house that has a huge Paris sign (which I obviously took an obnoxious amount of pictures in front of - to be posted soon) and lakes and beautiful flowers. I feel like I need at least 6 more months here to be able to spend enough time in each place to appreciate all of it. all this walking in my flats without socks is killing me. They're cutting up my heels and I've never needed a pedicure so bad in my life. When I go home I'm going to have to go to a different place than I usually do because I'm too embarassed for the girl that normally does my pedicures to see my feet. It's serious emergency status.
Moving on - lets focus on this volcano for one second. Never did I think that a volcano would affect my life, much less one in Iceland. That's all we've been talking about in class for days and a ton of people are stuck in random countries without a way to get back to Paris because all the trains are packed. The other students studying abroad at the Sorbonne have their Spring Break now and can't go anywhere which totally sucks. The Paris airport was supposed to open at 8pm tonight but I'm not sure how well that worked out, and people are saying that the ash might delay our flights in the middle of May if it doesn't clear. And apparently there's talk that it might keep errupting or that the one next to it is going to? I'm not sure. I don't even know what I would do in Paris for extra time, where would I stay? My host family is moving! I would have to live at the airport and be homeless. I could probably do it because they have excellent food and shopping, but I don't really care for sleeping on airport floors. Been there, done that, not my thing.
On a final note, the thought of buying people souvenirs is really stressing me out. Partly because I'm extremely low on cash and partly because there's just too many things here and it's hard for me to decide who would want what. With that being said (haha, for anyone who watches curb your enthusiasm), I'm really not going to buy anyone anything unless you ask me for something specifically. It's not that I don't love you (this message only apply to those that I'm AWARE are reading my blog... it might actually be that I don't love you) but I just don't want the stress of having to find everyone the perfect gift. So there, its out. You're getting nothing from me except my love and a warm hug upon my return. Hope we can still be friends.
Hopefully I'll write again soon, but if not don't hate. It's been too pretty in Paris to spend my time at my laptop writing! And besides... I'll see you soon!
Monday, March 29, 2010
This Blog Post is Overdue and Painfully Long
Could my blog be anymore overdue? Let me start off by saying that my spring break was the most amazing time of my life and I don’t think it will ever be topped. Except maybe by my wedding, which will be held at Loch Lomond in Scotland by the way. More on that later…
LONDON March 12th – March 15th
We were planning to leave for our train to London right after my class and since the train station is so close I lugged my suitcase all the way to school, only to find out that my class was cancelled. There’s definitely worse things that could have happened, but had I know my teacher was going to cancel I could have booked an earlier, cheaper train, and would have been much happier, but oh well.
We took the chunnel to London (the train that goes under water) which was just like any other train hahaha. There really weren’t a lot of people on our train at all so we got to be loud and play cards. We got there in about 2 hours and so the adventure began.
Luckily the hostel that Taylor booked was close to the train station, so we were able to walk to it. We checked in and everything was fine until I went to check the window (half because I have obsessive compulsive disorder about locks and half because I saw the movie hostel) only to find out that the lock didn’t work. This room was on the ground floor in the back of the building away from the street with a broken window. Everything about this situation screamed “YOU WILL BE MURDERED” so we wasted no time and went back to reception to demand a different room. Luckily the guy had one room left and it turned out to be bigger and better than the last one so all was well. To celebrate our first night out we went to a bar near our hostel and got some wine. Let me tell you this about that: London knows how to pour a glass of wine, and the French could learn something from them. They pour a glass of wine like I pour it – almost to the top (as it should be). I hated that the UK still uses the pound because they’re such weird looking coins. The 2 cent piece (or should I say 2 pence piece?) was the size of a silver dollar and the 20 cent piece was smaller than a penny. It also happened to look almost exactly like the 10 pence piece. It was too confusing and I’m glad I didn’t get wasted the first night because I had a hard enough time trying to pay my bar tab sober. Oh, and on that note, I didn’t stay sober on purpose - the bar closed at 11:15pm, even though it was Friday, so we just went back to the hostel to sleep. Talk about a buzz kill.
I always hate the first couple of hours in a new city because I don’t know where anything is and I don’t understand their transportation. London’s underground was one of the first ones (if not the first, I can’t remember) built and it looks like they’ve changed nothing. Out of the 11 lines running, 5 were closed because they were working on them. Needless to say we did a lot of walking.
Taylor’s cousin Laura arrived from New York the next day, and I hated her immediately. Hahahahahahaha totally kidding – we’re bffs now. (As a matter of fact I miss her dearly and wish she could come to Paris for a visit, but it’s too expensive, so we’ll be taking donations). We picked her up from the train station and went to the hostel where we met her friend Jon, who is studying in one of the suburbs. He came to spend the weekend in London with us and turned out to be quite the asset. He was in London the week before so he knew how to navigate around and took us to all the places we wanted to see. We went to changing of the guards (which was so pointless because I was too short to see anything) and all of the beautiful parks. We also went to the Tower of London, Big Ben, and the outside of Westminster Abbey.
Our time in London was well spent and I really did like it, but I must point out a few things that were weird. For one, there were people dressed like wolves walking down the street (see facebook photos). I understand that not everyone is like the French and doesn’t care about style, but really? Wolves? I don’t get it. There were at least 20 of them hanging out downtown. Second, the people were really not that attractive at all. For the most part everyone was hideous with a few normal looking people here and there, but I didn’t see one man or woman that I thought was gorgeous. And also they all really do have fucked up teeth, that’s not an exaggeration or stereotype. Talk about a gold mine for cosmetic dentistry! London also doesn’t seem believe in garbage cans. I couldn’t find one ANYWHERE, and even in the train station there was a recording asking you to please take your garbage home with you. Do Londoners just carry their garbage around with them all day? I’ll never be quite sure.
DUBLIN MARCH 15TH – 18TH
Ah, my homeland at last. Before we even got out of the airport I counted 6 gingers – more than the entire country of France, I’m sure. That morning we got up at 5:15 to head to the airport which was way too early for me but we were so excited I don’t think anyone cared.
Once we got into Dublin we headed to the hostel, showered, and then went to walk around and get lunch. I was really surprised at how widely used Gaelic still is. I don’t know where my idea that it was a lost language except in the countryside came from, but I’ll blame the American school system for now. All of the signs were in Gaelic and English. Oh, and I’m not sure what it is about Europe in general, but these people are bathroom Nazis. Anywhere you go you have to travel through the entire establishment down into the basement to use the bathroom and sometimes there’s a code. At the McDonalds in Dublin there was a security guard. I don’t know what went wrong in his life that he had to become a McDonald’s bathroom guard but he took his job very seriously. He wouldn’t let you in unless you could prove you purchased something. I get it, they don’t want people to use their bathrooms unless they’re customers, but how much money are they saving if they have to hire someone to enforce this rule? It’s so stupid. And for someone who pees as much as I do, also very annoying.
The food in Dublin was amazing. The first day there I got stuffed chicken with carrots and cabbage and – get this – mashed potatoes AND baked potatoes. Hahahaha I really have been missing my potatoes while I’m in Paris. That night we went to a bar in the Temple Bar area which is where all the nightlife is, and it was really fun. There was a good band and we brought cards so we could play circle of death. It was probably one of the funniest nights we had I think. And the bar had strawberry beer which was DELICIOUS, but I’m also convinced that it contained no alcohol because I had about 6 and didn’t even feel buzzed.
The next day we had a tour of the Irish countryside at 9am so we called it an early night and got up bright and early. While we were waiting for the bus to leave I was standing outside of the bus and this lady started telling me that her sister was running late, so I told her not to worry about it and I’m sure the bus driver would wait a few minutes if she asked. I didn’t realize until after she kept updating me on the situation and asking me more questions that she thought I worked for the tour hahahaha. That’s what I get for having red hair in Ireland I guess?
The tour itself was absolutely gorgeous. I’ll post the links for all of my albums at the end of this post so you can see them, but it was really breath taking. We also went to the oldest cemetery in Ireland which I loved. For lunch we also ate in someone’s dining room. Hahahaha we stopped in the middle of nowhere for lunch and since the only restaurant was packed we decided to go across the street to a place that had sandwiches. We walked in and were so confused as to where to go so this guy points us to a room which is about the size of a normal dining room with tables in it, and we realized that it was just a mom and son making all the food out of their house and charging people for it lol. The final confirmation that it wasn’t a restaurant was when Stephen went to use the bathroom and sure enough there was a bathtub in it.
The next day was St Patricks Day so went to the Parade, which was alright. I liked the bagpipes but everything else in it was weird and I didn’t understand. It looked like cartoon characters and people were in weird costumes. After the parade we went to the Guinness factory because they were having Irish dancers and a bad and extra free Guinness. Surprisingly, I didn’t hate normal Guinness as much as I would have thought. I thought the extra stout was one of the worst things I’ve ever had in my life, but the regular wasn’t so bad. And the first one we tried was probably the best but I don’t remember what it was called – it was paler than the original which is probably why I liked it. I’ve never been one for dark beer.
After Guinness we went back to temple bar to eat and drink at all the bars. It was really fun, and I loved that everyone was dressed up as leprechauns and there was face painters. If I ever get the chance again I’d love to come back to Dublin for St Patricks Day!
Going out of Dublin was an interesting experience – the security guards took my shampoo and conditioner but never said anything about the razors I had in my purse. Also after we got through security there were people handing out free shots of Jameson. My kind of airport!
SCOTLAND MARCH 18TH – 21ST
I immediately loved Edinburgh. It was straight out of a fairytale – all of the old buildings are still there and there are still castles on hills, it was amazing. The first night we were there was kind of cloudy and rainy looking, and it fit right in with the atmosphere. It was so oldey timey looking. We went on a walk around the city and went to the Grassmarket area, which is in the center of town. They still have the platform up from when they used to hang people. It was creepy but still cool to see. Cody also told me that while we were there we had to climb the hill that’s right on the outskirts, so obviously we took his advice. It’s this huge hill that’s just right in the middle of everyone’s daily lives, it was awesome. Cody told me it used to be a volcano back in the day, but its not active anymore and hasn’t been for a long time. Climbing up took forever and I wish I had brought hiking boots instead of wearing flat boots but I still made it. It was SO beautiful from up there. You could see everything – the castles, the English Channel, some islands, everything. It was also so windy that it knocked me over (not an exaggeration) but definitely worth it. I could have stayed up there all day (if I wasn’t afraid for my life).
After the mountain we walked the rest of the city and saw all the sights. We weren’t able to go into the Edinburgh Castle because it was too late by then, but that’s ok. We went to an area where there’s a lot of shops and the gardens and while we were sitting there we saw a 13 year old girl (my estimation) getting arrested with no shoes on, screaming at the police. And when the cops opened her bag they pulled out three bottles of wine. This all took place at about 4pm. Anyone else know who she reminds me of? I would definitely fit in there.
We only stayed in Edinburgh for a day and a half, then took a train to Glasgow. Glasgow was… not impressive. I felt like I was going to get stabbed. Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot of nightlife, but not the kind of nightlife I would enjoy. It was kind of a dirty city and there were more creepy people there than there are in all of Paris. Since we decided there was nothing to see there, we booked an all day tour to the countryside for the next day. We went to Glencoe, Lochness, and some of the highlands. It was really pretty. We stopped for coffee at Loch Lomond and I fell in love with it. There are mountains all around it and the water was so still that you could see a perfect reflection of them in the water. And guess what? They do weddings. Everyone start saving up, because that’s where I’m getting married.
Lochness was also gorgeous, but no I didn’t see the Lochness monster (how disappointing, right? Hahahaha). Our tour guide was really well educated on the history of Scotland (probably because hes been doing these tours for the past 40 years) and it was really interesting to listen to him tell us the importance of everything we were seeing and the history behind it. I’ve never been interested in history but after this trip I definitely am. So much that I’m probably going to start looking stuff up on my own to get more of the stories. Spring break has turned me into a loser. Hahahaha
The tour was an 8am – 8pm type deal, so we were all exhausted when we came home. This was also the night that I started getting sick (and I’m still not over it). Everyone knows I have the worst immune system ever, so I’m surprised it took me 9 days of travelling before I got sick but I’m really glad it worked out that way. We left to come home to Paris, and after that all travelling I was kind of glad to get back and sleep in my own bed. Its funny to consider Paris “home”, but that’s how it feels these days.
CONCLUSION OF THE BEST 9 DAYS EVER
If I get the chance (which I would like to make possible) I’d love to go back to Ireland and Scotland. If I go to Ireland I’d like to go to smaller cities and see more countryside, and if I go back to Scotland I want to go on a real tour of the Highlands and go to the Isle of Skye (all of those tours required at least 5 days). Don’t get me wrong, I liked London, but after living in Paris its just second rate. I feel like I would have liked it a lot more had I gone there before Paris.
We did so much walking over these nine days that I’ve ruined yet ANOTHER pair of shoes. I’ve never gone through so many pairs of shoes in such a short time in my life! Although, even though I’ve been doing all this walking I’ve also been eating a lot of carbs so I’m 99% positive that if I don’t cut back on the baguettes I’m going to turn into one of those weird shaped girls who has tiny legs and a huge stomach. Don’t worry – I won’t let it happen. Hahahaha
I also noticed the drastic difference between Europe and the US with energy conservation and recycling. One of our hostels only had one outlet, all of them had hardly any lights, most of the time the bathrooms had Kleenex type toilet paper (so that you couldn’t take more than you needed), every bathroom had an air hand dryer, and our hostels made us wash our own dishes in the sink after breakfast instead of just using paper plates or having a dishwasher. It was pretty eye opening to see how much I waste in my life. Thanks for making me feel guilty, Europe.
Oh and just a random fact – there are apparently no rules of the road in any of the aforementioned countries. You can drive as you please and it must just be suggested that you stop for pedestrians. I almost died at least 8 times.
Last fun fact - Europe is actually cheaper than the US if you were to get paid in their currency, which just makes me more motivated to come back here and work some day. After being to all the different places, I still think I’m partial to Paris. Edinburgh was my favorite place to visit and I could see myself living there, but it doesn’t have the city atmosphere of Paris that I love so much. I’m so happy that I got this opportunity – it was the best decision of my life!
PICTURES (they’re my facebook albums, in case you’ve already seen them)
London - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54294&id=1008212994&l=3cf55a2e36
Ireland - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54313&id=1008212994&l=57a0d693f8
Scotland - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54319&id=1008212994&l=7c44050dd6
LONDON March 12th – March 15th
We were planning to leave for our train to London right after my class and since the train station is so close I lugged my suitcase all the way to school, only to find out that my class was cancelled. There’s definitely worse things that could have happened, but had I know my teacher was going to cancel I could have booked an earlier, cheaper train, and would have been much happier, but oh well.
We took the chunnel to London (the train that goes under water) which was just like any other train hahaha. There really weren’t a lot of people on our train at all so we got to be loud and play cards. We got there in about 2 hours and so the adventure began.
Luckily the hostel that Taylor booked was close to the train station, so we were able to walk to it. We checked in and everything was fine until I went to check the window (half because I have obsessive compulsive disorder about locks and half because I saw the movie hostel) only to find out that the lock didn’t work. This room was on the ground floor in the back of the building away from the street with a broken window. Everything about this situation screamed “YOU WILL BE MURDERED” so we wasted no time and went back to reception to demand a different room. Luckily the guy had one room left and it turned out to be bigger and better than the last one so all was well. To celebrate our first night out we went to a bar near our hostel and got some wine. Let me tell you this about that: London knows how to pour a glass of wine, and the French could learn something from them. They pour a glass of wine like I pour it – almost to the top (as it should be). I hated that the UK still uses the pound because they’re such weird looking coins. The 2 cent piece (or should I say 2 pence piece?) was the size of a silver dollar and the 20 cent piece was smaller than a penny. It also happened to look almost exactly like the 10 pence piece. It was too confusing and I’m glad I didn’t get wasted the first night because I had a hard enough time trying to pay my bar tab sober. Oh, and on that note, I didn’t stay sober on purpose - the bar closed at 11:15pm, even though it was Friday, so we just went back to the hostel to sleep. Talk about a buzz kill.
I always hate the first couple of hours in a new city because I don’t know where anything is and I don’t understand their transportation. London’s underground was one of the first ones (if not the first, I can’t remember) built and it looks like they’ve changed nothing. Out of the 11 lines running, 5 were closed because they were working on them. Needless to say we did a lot of walking.
Taylor’s cousin Laura arrived from New York the next day, and I hated her immediately. Hahahahahahaha totally kidding – we’re bffs now. (As a matter of fact I miss her dearly and wish she could come to Paris for a visit, but it’s too expensive, so we’ll be taking donations). We picked her up from the train station and went to the hostel where we met her friend Jon, who is studying in one of the suburbs. He came to spend the weekend in London with us and turned out to be quite the asset. He was in London the week before so he knew how to navigate around and took us to all the places we wanted to see. We went to changing of the guards (which was so pointless because I was too short to see anything) and all of the beautiful parks. We also went to the Tower of London, Big Ben, and the outside of Westminster Abbey.
Our time in London was well spent and I really did like it, but I must point out a few things that were weird. For one, there were people dressed like wolves walking down the street (see facebook photos). I understand that not everyone is like the French and doesn’t care about style, but really? Wolves? I don’t get it. There were at least 20 of them hanging out downtown. Second, the people were really not that attractive at all. For the most part everyone was hideous with a few normal looking people here and there, but I didn’t see one man or woman that I thought was gorgeous. And also they all really do have fucked up teeth, that’s not an exaggeration or stereotype. Talk about a gold mine for cosmetic dentistry! London also doesn’t seem believe in garbage cans. I couldn’t find one ANYWHERE, and even in the train station there was a recording asking you to please take your garbage home with you. Do Londoners just carry their garbage around with them all day? I’ll never be quite sure.
DUBLIN MARCH 15TH – 18TH
Ah, my homeland at last. Before we even got out of the airport I counted 6 gingers – more than the entire country of France, I’m sure. That morning we got up at 5:15 to head to the airport which was way too early for me but we were so excited I don’t think anyone cared.
Once we got into Dublin we headed to the hostel, showered, and then went to walk around and get lunch. I was really surprised at how widely used Gaelic still is. I don’t know where my idea that it was a lost language except in the countryside came from, but I’ll blame the American school system for now. All of the signs were in Gaelic and English. Oh, and I’m not sure what it is about Europe in general, but these people are bathroom Nazis. Anywhere you go you have to travel through the entire establishment down into the basement to use the bathroom and sometimes there’s a code. At the McDonalds in Dublin there was a security guard. I don’t know what went wrong in his life that he had to become a McDonald’s bathroom guard but he took his job very seriously. He wouldn’t let you in unless you could prove you purchased something. I get it, they don’t want people to use their bathrooms unless they’re customers, but how much money are they saving if they have to hire someone to enforce this rule? It’s so stupid. And for someone who pees as much as I do, also very annoying.
The food in Dublin was amazing. The first day there I got stuffed chicken with carrots and cabbage and – get this – mashed potatoes AND baked potatoes. Hahahaha I really have been missing my potatoes while I’m in Paris. That night we went to a bar in the Temple Bar area which is where all the nightlife is, and it was really fun. There was a good band and we brought cards so we could play circle of death. It was probably one of the funniest nights we had I think. And the bar had strawberry beer which was DELICIOUS, but I’m also convinced that it contained no alcohol because I had about 6 and didn’t even feel buzzed.
The next day we had a tour of the Irish countryside at 9am so we called it an early night and got up bright and early. While we were waiting for the bus to leave I was standing outside of the bus and this lady started telling me that her sister was running late, so I told her not to worry about it and I’m sure the bus driver would wait a few minutes if she asked. I didn’t realize until after she kept updating me on the situation and asking me more questions that she thought I worked for the tour hahahaha. That’s what I get for having red hair in Ireland I guess?
The tour itself was absolutely gorgeous. I’ll post the links for all of my albums at the end of this post so you can see them, but it was really breath taking. We also went to the oldest cemetery in Ireland which I loved. For lunch we also ate in someone’s dining room. Hahahaha we stopped in the middle of nowhere for lunch and since the only restaurant was packed we decided to go across the street to a place that had sandwiches. We walked in and were so confused as to where to go so this guy points us to a room which is about the size of a normal dining room with tables in it, and we realized that it was just a mom and son making all the food out of their house and charging people for it lol. The final confirmation that it wasn’t a restaurant was when Stephen went to use the bathroom and sure enough there was a bathtub in it.
The next day was St Patricks Day so went to the Parade, which was alright. I liked the bagpipes but everything else in it was weird and I didn’t understand. It looked like cartoon characters and people were in weird costumes. After the parade we went to the Guinness factory because they were having Irish dancers and a bad and extra free Guinness. Surprisingly, I didn’t hate normal Guinness as much as I would have thought. I thought the extra stout was one of the worst things I’ve ever had in my life, but the regular wasn’t so bad. And the first one we tried was probably the best but I don’t remember what it was called – it was paler than the original which is probably why I liked it. I’ve never been one for dark beer.
After Guinness we went back to temple bar to eat and drink at all the bars. It was really fun, and I loved that everyone was dressed up as leprechauns and there was face painters. If I ever get the chance again I’d love to come back to Dublin for St Patricks Day!
Going out of Dublin was an interesting experience – the security guards took my shampoo and conditioner but never said anything about the razors I had in my purse. Also after we got through security there were people handing out free shots of Jameson. My kind of airport!
SCOTLAND MARCH 18TH – 21ST
I immediately loved Edinburgh. It was straight out of a fairytale – all of the old buildings are still there and there are still castles on hills, it was amazing. The first night we were there was kind of cloudy and rainy looking, and it fit right in with the atmosphere. It was so oldey timey looking. We went on a walk around the city and went to the Grassmarket area, which is in the center of town. They still have the platform up from when they used to hang people. It was creepy but still cool to see. Cody also told me that while we were there we had to climb the hill that’s right on the outskirts, so obviously we took his advice. It’s this huge hill that’s just right in the middle of everyone’s daily lives, it was awesome. Cody told me it used to be a volcano back in the day, but its not active anymore and hasn’t been for a long time. Climbing up took forever and I wish I had brought hiking boots instead of wearing flat boots but I still made it. It was SO beautiful from up there. You could see everything – the castles, the English Channel, some islands, everything. It was also so windy that it knocked me over (not an exaggeration) but definitely worth it. I could have stayed up there all day (if I wasn’t afraid for my life).
After the mountain we walked the rest of the city and saw all the sights. We weren’t able to go into the Edinburgh Castle because it was too late by then, but that’s ok. We went to an area where there’s a lot of shops and the gardens and while we were sitting there we saw a 13 year old girl (my estimation) getting arrested with no shoes on, screaming at the police. And when the cops opened her bag they pulled out three bottles of wine. This all took place at about 4pm. Anyone else know who she reminds me of? I would definitely fit in there.
We only stayed in Edinburgh for a day and a half, then took a train to Glasgow. Glasgow was… not impressive. I felt like I was going to get stabbed. Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot of nightlife, but not the kind of nightlife I would enjoy. It was kind of a dirty city and there were more creepy people there than there are in all of Paris. Since we decided there was nothing to see there, we booked an all day tour to the countryside for the next day. We went to Glencoe, Lochness, and some of the highlands. It was really pretty. We stopped for coffee at Loch Lomond and I fell in love with it. There are mountains all around it and the water was so still that you could see a perfect reflection of them in the water. And guess what? They do weddings. Everyone start saving up, because that’s where I’m getting married.
Lochness was also gorgeous, but no I didn’t see the Lochness monster (how disappointing, right? Hahahaha). Our tour guide was really well educated on the history of Scotland (probably because hes been doing these tours for the past 40 years) and it was really interesting to listen to him tell us the importance of everything we were seeing and the history behind it. I’ve never been interested in history but after this trip I definitely am. So much that I’m probably going to start looking stuff up on my own to get more of the stories. Spring break has turned me into a loser. Hahahaha
The tour was an 8am – 8pm type deal, so we were all exhausted when we came home. This was also the night that I started getting sick (and I’m still not over it). Everyone knows I have the worst immune system ever, so I’m surprised it took me 9 days of travelling before I got sick but I’m really glad it worked out that way. We left to come home to Paris, and after that all travelling I was kind of glad to get back and sleep in my own bed. Its funny to consider Paris “home”, but that’s how it feels these days.
CONCLUSION OF THE BEST 9 DAYS EVER
If I get the chance (which I would like to make possible) I’d love to go back to Ireland and Scotland. If I go to Ireland I’d like to go to smaller cities and see more countryside, and if I go back to Scotland I want to go on a real tour of the Highlands and go to the Isle of Skye (all of those tours required at least 5 days). Don’t get me wrong, I liked London, but after living in Paris its just second rate. I feel like I would have liked it a lot more had I gone there before Paris.
We did so much walking over these nine days that I’ve ruined yet ANOTHER pair of shoes. I’ve never gone through so many pairs of shoes in such a short time in my life! Although, even though I’ve been doing all this walking I’ve also been eating a lot of carbs so I’m 99% positive that if I don’t cut back on the baguettes I’m going to turn into one of those weird shaped girls who has tiny legs and a huge stomach. Don’t worry – I won’t let it happen. Hahahaha
I also noticed the drastic difference between Europe and the US with energy conservation and recycling. One of our hostels only had one outlet, all of them had hardly any lights, most of the time the bathrooms had Kleenex type toilet paper (so that you couldn’t take more than you needed), every bathroom had an air hand dryer, and our hostels made us wash our own dishes in the sink after breakfast instead of just using paper plates or having a dishwasher. It was pretty eye opening to see how much I waste in my life. Thanks for making me feel guilty, Europe.
Oh and just a random fact – there are apparently no rules of the road in any of the aforementioned countries. You can drive as you please and it must just be suggested that you stop for pedestrians. I almost died at least 8 times.
Last fun fact - Europe is actually cheaper than the US if you were to get paid in their currency, which just makes me more motivated to come back here and work some day. After being to all the different places, I still think I’m partial to Paris. Edinburgh was my favorite place to visit and I could see myself living there, but it doesn’t have the city atmosphere of Paris that I love so much. I’m so happy that I got this opportunity – it was the best decision of my life!
PICTURES (they’re my facebook albums, in case you’ve already seen them)
London - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54294&id=1008212994&l=3cf55a2e36
Ireland - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54313&id=1008212994&l=57a0d693f8
Scotland - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54319&id=1008212994&l=7c44050dd6
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
"I'm going to blog about this later"
Bonjour mes amis (and stalkers, too)! Last week was pretty uneventful until Thursday. School is getting more intense and it's annoying me that I have to worry about reading and projects when I'm in the most amazing city in all the world, but I'm keeping up because I'll off myself if I become a 6th year senior at Eastern Illinois University. I couldn't handle another year in methville.
Thursday the ISA group went to the Opera Garnier which is a huge opera house in the middle of Paris and it's gorgeous. We were supposed to see "La Dame aux Camélias" which I was really looking forward to, but unfortunately I didn't end up going. This opera house was so old and everything was so cramped together. In a room where there should be been 200 people there were 500. and My seat was right in the middle of it, and there were no fire exits and I couldn't breathe. Not to be acting as the fire marshall of Paris (a profession that clearly must not exist here), if there was a fire I would literally have been the first one dead and the last possible person out of there. There wasn't even a center isle! When my panic attack got full fledged I tried getting out and it took me like 20 minutes because I had to climb over everyone and their things (did I mention there was an inch of foot room before the next row of seats??). The people at the ISA office said we could switch seats whenever we wanted, and some of the kids got boxed seats (so unfair) so Taylor and I left to go seat in some open ones on a lower level. You would think this wouldnt be a problem since ISA bought all the seats anyway and no one was sitting there, but the hall nazis wouldn't let us go and by this time the show was starting and there was no way we would be able to get back to our seats. It was really depressing - here we were all dressed up with nowhere to go. Where would one go by the Opera in Paris? Allow me.
Two words: Hardrock Cafe. hahahahaha how American are we? But I don't even care because I had the best time ever. They were playing some serious oldies (Jesse's girl, old michael jackson from when he was still black, etc). One of the waiters ended up being from Brooklyn. He said he came here 5 years ago and decided to just never leave, which isn't hard for me to imagine (don't worry Mom & Dad, I'm still planning on coming home! hahaha). Stephen came to join us because even though he was in the box seats, he couldn't see anything unless it was on the left side of the stage because his seat was too close to the wall. So we hung out at the hardrock for a couple of hours just talking and singing along to the sweet music, then we decided to stop by the international club since it opened in a new place. (Side note: the international club is a party every thursday thats run by one of the kids at school, so all international students get in for free before 1am and theres good music and cheap drinks!). That was really fun, I never went to the old place but this new place was pretty cool.
Saturday I went to get falafels with taylor and stephen but of course it was closed. This is the 3rd time Ive attempted to get a falafel and something has gone awry. But instead of getting upset we just walked down the block to a restaurant called "Breakfast in America". The line was out the door but it was no surprise. They have American type (and sized!) breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We shared the most amazing chili cheese fries. I thought I died and went to Heaven. Now don't get me wrong, french food is good, but you never realize how much you'll miss the comfort of chili cheese fries until they're in your mouth.
Saturday night we hung out at Taylors, drank some wine, and booked our train tickets to London on Friday(nothing like waiting til the last minute). We were going to book more weekends but travel planning is surprisingly stressful, so we opted for wine and funny stories instead. I know I've said it before but I'm going to say it again - I'M SO EXCITED FOR SPRING BREAK. My itinerary is as follows:
London - March 12th - 15th
Dublin - March 15th - 18th
Edinburgh - March 18th - 19th
Glasgow - March 19th - 21st
And yes, you read that correctly. St Patricks Day in Dublin? Don't mind if I do. hahahha I'm going back to the homeland! Some girls went to Ireland last weekend and they said it's their favorite place so far so I know I have a lot to look forward to. And we're taking the Chunnel to London (the train that goes under water) so that should be quite the experience.
I'm also kind of excited to be in places that speak English for an entire 9 days, it'll be nice to give my brain a break haha. And all of the construction around my building has been AWFUL recently (I don't know where they think they're digging to, the core of the Earth??) so it'll be relaxing to get away from that too. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I've never met the neighbor that I share a wall with and I'm not quite sure what he does for a living. He's always there, because I can hear him coughing. I can hear his doors creaking all the time (which gets kind of freaky when I'm home alone and I think it's my doors) and he's always watching what I assume to be war movies because I can hear the bombs and guns. There's a possibility he's just a history buff, or maybe he's an animal trainer (as I hear cats, birds, and dogs at all hours of the day/night). Or maybe he does construction, because I hear him yelling and jackhammering things as well. OR, he could be famous, as he's always entertaining what sounds like 1000 people until the wee hours of the morning. Or, finally, he's a serial killer with weird habits such as an obsession with wars, inviting a ton of people over so he has his pick of who to kill, and hiding the bodies in his walls/floor (that would certainly explain the yelling and jackahmmering, right?) Before I leave I'd like to get to the bottom of it, so stay tuned. (As a side note, I will not be attending any parties that this man has in case my last conclusion is correct).
Everything is still going swimmingly with the host family. Yesterday Sophie was bitching about how some lady took the parking spot she was waiting for and her imitation was hilarious. I'm lucky I'm with such a normal family. Yesterday was also "Women's Day" which apparently is celebrated in France because Nelson cleaned, cooked, and did the dishes, and when I tried to bring my plate to the kitchen he told me "NON! C'est la journée de la femme!" and Sophie agreed. I could get used to this - perhaps the US should start celebrating?
Since I'll be a world traveler come friday, I probably won't update this again until the 22nd or so. However, if you want to keep up to date on my life you can facebook stalk me. Can't wait to share all my adventures with you! hahaha :) Bonne journée!
Thursday the ISA group went to the Opera Garnier which is a huge opera house in the middle of Paris and it's gorgeous. We were supposed to see "La Dame aux Camélias" which I was really looking forward to, but unfortunately I didn't end up going. This opera house was so old and everything was so cramped together. In a room where there should be been 200 people there were 500. and My seat was right in the middle of it, and there were no fire exits and I couldn't breathe. Not to be acting as the fire marshall of Paris (a profession that clearly must not exist here), if there was a fire I would literally have been the first one dead and the last possible person out of there. There wasn't even a center isle! When my panic attack got full fledged I tried getting out and it took me like 20 minutes because I had to climb over everyone and their things (did I mention there was an inch of foot room before the next row of seats??). The people at the ISA office said we could switch seats whenever we wanted, and some of the kids got boxed seats (so unfair) so Taylor and I left to go seat in some open ones on a lower level. You would think this wouldnt be a problem since ISA bought all the seats anyway and no one was sitting there, but the hall nazis wouldn't let us go and by this time the show was starting and there was no way we would be able to get back to our seats. It was really depressing - here we were all dressed up with nowhere to go. Where would one go by the Opera in Paris? Allow me.
Two words: Hardrock Cafe. hahahahaha how American are we? But I don't even care because I had the best time ever. They were playing some serious oldies (Jesse's girl, old michael jackson from when he was still black, etc). One of the waiters ended up being from Brooklyn. He said he came here 5 years ago and decided to just never leave, which isn't hard for me to imagine (don't worry Mom & Dad, I'm still planning on coming home! hahaha). Stephen came to join us because even though he was in the box seats, he couldn't see anything unless it was on the left side of the stage because his seat was too close to the wall. So we hung out at the hardrock for a couple of hours just talking and singing along to the sweet music, then we decided to stop by the international club since it opened in a new place. (Side note: the international club is a party every thursday thats run by one of the kids at school, so all international students get in for free before 1am and theres good music and cheap drinks!). That was really fun, I never went to the old place but this new place was pretty cool.
Saturday I went to get falafels with taylor and stephen but of course it was closed. This is the 3rd time Ive attempted to get a falafel and something has gone awry. But instead of getting upset we just walked down the block to a restaurant called "Breakfast in America". The line was out the door but it was no surprise. They have American type (and sized!) breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We shared the most amazing chili cheese fries. I thought I died and went to Heaven. Now don't get me wrong, french food is good, but you never realize how much you'll miss the comfort of chili cheese fries until they're in your mouth.
Saturday night we hung out at Taylors, drank some wine, and booked our train tickets to London on Friday(nothing like waiting til the last minute). We were going to book more weekends but travel planning is surprisingly stressful, so we opted for wine and funny stories instead. I know I've said it before but I'm going to say it again - I'M SO EXCITED FOR SPRING BREAK. My itinerary is as follows:
London - March 12th - 15th
Dublin - March 15th - 18th
Edinburgh - March 18th - 19th
Glasgow - March 19th - 21st
And yes, you read that correctly. St Patricks Day in Dublin? Don't mind if I do. hahahha I'm going back to the homeland! Some girls went to Ireland last weekend and they said it's their favorite place so far so I know I have a lot to look forward to. And we're taking the Chunnel to London (the train that goes under water) so that should be quite the experience.
I'm also kind of excited to be in places that speak English for an entire 9 days, it'll be nice to give my brain a break haha. And all of the construction around my building has been AWFUL recently (I don't know where they think they're digging to, the core of the Earth??) so it'll be relaxing to get away from that too. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I've never met the neighbor that I share a wall with and I'm not quite sure what he does for a living. He's always there, because I can hear him coughing. I can hear his doors creaking all the time (which gets kind of freaky when I'm home alone and I think it's my doors) and he's always watching what I assume to be war movies because I can hear the bombs and guns. There's a possibility he's just a history buff, or maybe he's an animal trainer (as I hear cats, birds, and dogs at all hours of the day/night). Or maybe he does construction, because I hear him yelling and jackhammering things as well. OR, he could be famous, as he's always entertaining what sounds like 1000 people until the wee hours of the morning. Or, finally, he's a serial killer with weird habits such as an obsession with wars, inviting a ton of people over so he has his pick of who to kill, and hiding the bodies in his walls/floor (that would certainly explain the yelling and jackahmmering, right?) Before I leave I'd like to get to the bottom of it, so stay tuned. (As a side note, I will not be attending any parties that this man has in case my last conclusion is correct).
Everything is still going swimmingly with the host family. Yesterday Sophie was bitching about how some lady took the parking spot she was waiting for and her imitation was hilarious. I'm lucky I'm with such a normal family. Yesterday was also "Women's Day" which apparently is celebrated in France because Nelson cleaned, cooked, and did the dishes, and when I tried to bring my plate to the kitchen he told me "NON! C'est la journée de la femme!" and Sophie agreed. I could get used to this - perhaps the US should start celebrating?
Since I'll be a world traveler come friday, I probably won't update this again until the 22nd or so. However, if you want to keep up to date on my life you can facebook stalk me. Can't wait to share all my adventures with you! hahaha :) Bonne journée!
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round.
I figured that was an appropriate title given the fact that I spent close to 15 of the last 48 hours on a bus. This weekend was the ISA trip to Normandy and Mont St Michel. It was absolutely amazing, I don't even know how I would start to describe it.
The first place we went to was a memorial museum and they definitely didn't give us enough time there. We were only there for 2 hours and that included two movies, our lunch time, and time to see the museum. I didn't get all the way through the museum and I'm still pissed about that. After the museum we went to the American Cemetary at Normandy. It's US soil so normally you have to have a passport to go into it but I guess since we were a group (perhaps pre-approved?) we didn't need ours. This is probably the quietest place I've ever been. They have a sign that says "Silence and Respect" when you first walk in, but it was weird to see that people are actually following those rules. Seeing all those crosses were really depressing but also eye opening, breath taking, and humbling. I'm glad I got to see a part of history first hand. The cemetary was gorgeous - it had ponds and flowers and everything was green. I think that was my favorite part of this trip. After that we took to trecherous walk down to the beach. I took some really good pictures but my internet connection isn't working so well so I'll have to do a separate post of them later. We got really lucky with the weather that day too, it was sunny and probably 45 degrees.
After the beach we had a "surprise". We went to an apple farm. I don't know if that's what its called but that's what it will be according to my blog hahaha. It ended up being fun, but the directors should have known better than to take us for a "surprise" after the long day we had. They made us eat at 11am but we weren't getting back to the hotel until 8pm so by the time we got to the apple farm I was tired, starving, and really crabby. They made us go through a tour where we learned how apple cider is made (alcoholic and non) and it smelled awful. It smelled like a bar on a Saturday morning and it was really making me nauseas. But, after the tour it got a lot better. We got to try different types of cider which were AMAZING and different types of jelly/jams that they made and sold there. The jelly was probably my favorite part, this stuff was so delicious. They have everything from apple cinnamon to apple pear, to apple orange...etc. And they had some apple bread that they started passing around that was also delcious. Given that it was about 7pm when this was happening that bread was gone in like 2 seconds. Everyone was vulturing it up on the counter while Taylor and I are trying to scream for people to grab the fucking plate and bring it to the back of the room and it took 5 minutes before anyone realized that our way was easier. We were all so hungry that I'm honestly surprised there was no blood shed. Had that plate not gotten to me when it did, I may have hurt someone. hahahahaha
We finally got to our hotel around 8pm and I was so tired then I just wanted to grab food and go to sleep so that's what I did, with the exception of making time for an hour long shower. The hotel we stayed in had a water fall shower faucet and I basked in the glory of not having to hold it and also making it as hot as it could possibly go.
The next morning we weren't so lucky with the weather. It was pouring and the winds felt like they were 50 mph. When we got off the bus to go to Mont Saint-Michel it was raining so hard and so windy I couldnt even see where I was running I was just following peoples voices. I just found out today that at least 55 people were killed from the storms that hit the coast. With how fast the winds were I can't say that I'm surprised but I can't believe it ended up being such a violent storm (the worst happened after we were on our way home).
Mont St Michel was fun and interesting but we ditched the tour guide about 5 minutes into it. All he was doing was making lame jokes that MIGHT have been funny (but probably not) had we all not been soaking wet and freezing to death. He was also moving at a glacial pace. So while I miss not hearing all of the history of all of the rooms in St Michel, I still had a good time. And at one point we ended up in the same room as another tour group and we listened to their guide for a little while but he was speaking in French and history tends to get a little confusing in another language. However he did make a joke about Japanese people and how they take so many pictures and it was pretty funny.
It finally started to get sunny when we were leaving so that was depressing. The wind still didnt let up though and it was a pain in the ass to get back to the bus. Not to mention that everyones feet were soaking wet by the time we were done, so everyone was trying to find their bags on the bottom of the bus to get a change of socks.
The bus ride home was supposed to be four and half hours and ended up turning into more like six hours. We made it fun though. I don't know how it started but we were all singing and the top of the bus was singing awful songs into the microphone on the top deck so a kid from the bottom deck took the microphone and started rapping. hahahahahah you definitely had to be there but it was really funny and not as horrible of a ride as I would have thought. We were forced to take a half hour break so they bus driver could rest and so we could all pee (because for some reason they locked the bus bathroom??? worst idea ever). A half hour turned into forty five minutes and we were all just standing around the gas station pissed off. I understand that the bus driver wanted to take a break but it would have been better if they let us go back into the bus. We were all standing there squished between random people and not being able to move. Then it's still pouring rain and the bus driver wouldnt open all the doors, just one. So once again we're all standing there getting soaking wet. I hope he really enjoyed our singing on the way home.
So that sums up the weekend. Today was boring, I only had one class and I always dread going to it. But I did make another observation that I know everyone likes to hear so much. All of the French students carry 3 or more pens with them. It seems so weird to me. You can only write with one at a time, why do you have to have so many? They have blue, black, and red, and then usually a pencil. And they sit with them all out on their desk next to them as if they're going to need them at any given moment but always end up just writing with one. And another observation is that everyone doodles. I was sitting in class today wondering why everyone was furiously writing when the notes were online and thats when I realized everyone was drawing pictures. There were pictures of people, trees, flowers, what I think was a tattoo design, and a bunch of other random stuff. I guess since we can't eat, drink, or get up to go to the bathroom this is how people pass the time. Since I can't draw I just prefer to work on my brick breaking skills.
I forgot to mention that I was finally a part of a bus raid! Hahahaha there are security guards (I guess that's what you would call them) that get on random metros and buses to check your tickets and make sure you paid to be on it and if you don't have a ticket its an immediate fine (I dont know how much it is, I think 40 euros) and if you can't pay it immediately you have to go to the Police Station. They don't fuck around. Hahaha well anyway I was on my way home from school and I got on the bus and a few seconds later the guards came on and told everyone they were going to be checking tickets so the bus driver closed the exiting doors. I wish I had pictures of some of the peoples faces. They either looked terrified or extremely pissed off. This one lady started SCREAMING at the guards, it was an interesting thing to watch. I have a monthly pass so they just scanned it to see that I swiped it on my way in and everything was fine. The guy was really nice and told me that his daughter had red hair too. Always nice to know there's a fellow ginger around
On a more exciting note, I know what I'm doing for Spring Break! I'm going to London, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Glasow. We'll be in Ireland for St Patricks Day too which I'm stoked for. Those are the places I really wanted to go so I'm glad it's actually happening. I still have to get a carry-on suitcase to bring because the bag I brought for weekend trips can not possibly hold all of the things I'll need for a weeks time. Spring break is two weeks away, I can't wait!!!
It's already starting to get warmer and its making me get Spring fever. All I want to do is buy sandals and bright pink nail polish and summer dresses. I almost went shopping after class today but I stopped myself. It never ends well when I'm on a shopping mission because I end up spending way too much money on things I don't even need. I think I'm going to go Wednesday when I'm less excited and my heart rate has finally slowed down. Spring in Paris is going to be gorgeous.
This blog was way too long and I apologize. I'll post again probably Thursday after the Opera. We're going to see a ballet and I get to dress up!
The first place we went to was a memorial museum and they definitely didn't give us enough time there. We were only there for 2 hours and that included two movies, our lunch time, and time to see the museum. I didn't get all the way through the museum and I'm still pissed about that. After the museum we went to the American Cemetary at Normandy. It's US soil so normally you have to have a passport to go into it but I guess since we were a group (perhaps pre-approved?) we didn't need ours. This is probably the quietest place I've ever been. They have a sign that says "Silence and Respect" when you first walk in, but it was weird to see that people are actually following those rules. Seeing all those crosses were really depressing but also eye opening, breath taking, and humbling. I'm glad I got to see a part of history first hand. The cemetary was gorgeous - it had ponds and flowers and everything was green. I think that was my favorite part of this trip. After that we took to trecherous walk down to the beach. I took some really good pictures but my internet connection isn't working so well so I'll have to do a separate post of them later. We got really lucky with the weather that day too, it was sunny and probably 45 degrees.
After the beach we had a "surprise". We went to an apple farm. I don't know if that's what its called but that's what it will be according to my blog hahaha. It ended up being fun, but the directors should have known better than to take us for a "surprise" after the long day we had. They made us eat at 11am but we weren't getting back to the hotel until 8pm so by the time we got to the apple farm I was tired, starving, and really crabby. They made us go through a tour where we learned how apple cider is made (alcoholic and non) and it smelled awful. It smelled like a bar on a Saturday morning and it was really making me nauseas. But, after the tour it got a lot better. We got to try different types of cider which were AMAZING and different types of jelly/jams that they made and sold there. The jelly was probably my favorite part, this stuff was so delicious. They have everything from apple cinnamon to apple pear, to apple orange...etc. And they had some apple bread that they started passing around that was also delcious. Given that it was about 7pm when this was happening that bread was gone in like 2 seconds. Everyone was vulturing it up on the counter while Taylor and I are trying to scream for people to grab the fucking plate and bring it to the back of the room and it took 5 minutes before anyone realized that our way was easier. We were all so hungry that I'm honestly surprised there was no blood shed. Had that plate not gotten to me when it did, I may have hurt someone. hahahahaha
We finally got to our hotel around 8pm and I was so tired then I just wanted to grab food and go to sleep so that's what I did, with the exception of making time for an hour long shower. The hotel we stayed in had a water fall shower faucet and I basked in the glory of not having to hold it and also making it as hot as it could possibly go.
The next morning we weren't so lucky with the weather. It was pouring and the winds felt like they were 50 mph. When we got off the bus to go to Mont Saint-Michel it was raining so hard and so windy I couldnt even see where I was running I was just following peoples voices. I just found out today that at least 55 people were killed from the storms that hit the coast. With how fast the winds were I can't say that I'm surprised but I can't believe it ended up being such a violent storm (the worst happened after we were on our way home).
Mont St Michel was fun and interesting but we ditched the tour guide about 5 minutes into it. All he was doing was making lame jokes that MIGHT have been funny (but probably not) had we all not been soaking wet and freezing to death. He was also moving at a glacial pace. So while I miss not hearing all of the history of all of the rooms in St Michel, I still had a good time. And at one point we ended up in the same room as another tour group and we listened to their guide for a little while but he was speaking in French and history tends to get a little confusing in another language. However he did make a joke about Japanese people and how they take so many pictures and it was pretty funny.
It finally started to get sunny when we were leaving so that was depressing. The wind still didnt let up though and it was a pain in the ass to get back to the bus. Not to mention that everyones feet were soaking wet by the time we were done, so everyone was trying to find their bags on the bottom of the bus to get a change of socks.
The bus ride home was supposed to be four and half hours and ended up turning into more like six hours. We made it fun though. I don't know how it started but we were all singing and the top of the bus was singing awful songs into the microphone on the top deck so a kid from the bottom deck took the microphone and started rapping. hahahahahah you definitely had to be there but it was really funny and not as horrible of a ride as I would have thought. We were forced to take a half hour break so they bus driver could rest and so we could all pee (because for some reason they locked the bus bathroom??? worst idea ever). A half hour turned into forty five minutes and we were all just standing around the gas station pissed off. I understand that the bus driver wanted to take a break but it would have been better if they let us go back into the bus. We were all standing there squished between random people and not being able to move. Then it's still pouring rain and the bus driver wouldnt open all the doors, just one. So once again we're all standing there getting soaking wet. I hope he really enjoyed our singing on the way home.
So that sums up the weekend. Today was boring, I only had one class and I always dread going to it. But I did make another observation that I know everyone likes to hear so much. All of the French students carry 3 or more pens with them. It seems so weird to me. You can only write with one at a time, why do you have to have so many? They have blue, black, and red, and then usually a pencil. And they sit with them all out on their desk next to them as if they're going to need them at any given moment but always end up just writing with one. And another observation is that everyone doodles. I was sitting in class today wondering why everyone was furiously writing when the notes were online and thats when I realized everyone was drawing pictures. There were pictures of people, trees, flowers, what I think was a tattoo design, and a bunch of other random stuff. I guess since we can't eat, drink, or get up to go to the bathroom this is how people pass the time. Since I can't draw I just prefer to work on my brick breaking skills.
I forgot to mention that I was finally a part of a bus raid! Hahahaha there are security guards (I guess that's what you would call them) that get on random metros and buses to check your tickets and make sure you paid to be on it and if you don't have a ticket its an immediate fine (I dont know how much it is, I think 40 euros) and if you can't pay it immediately you have to go to the Police Station. They don't fuck around. Hahaha well anyway I was on my way home from school and I got on the bus and a few seconds later the guards came on and told everyone they were going to be checking tickets so the bus driver closed the exiting doors. I wish I had pictures of some of the peoples faces. They either looked terrified or extremely pissed off. This one lady started SCREAMING at the guards, it was an interesting thing to watch. I have a monthly pass so they just scanned it to see that I swiped it on my way in and everything was fine. The guy was really nice and told me that his daughter had red hair too. Always nice to know there's a fellow ginger around
On a more exciting note, I know what I'm doing for Spring Break! I'm going to London, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Glasow. We'll be in Ireland for St Patricks Day too which I'm stoked for. Those are the places I really wanted to go so I'm glad it's actually happening. I still have to get a carry-on suitcase to bring because the bag I brought for weekend trips can not possibly hold all of the things I'll need for a weeks time. Spring break is two weeks away, I can't wait!!!
It's already starting to get warmer and its making me get Spring fever. All I want to do is buy sandals and bright pink nail polish and summer dresses. I almost went shopping after class today but I stopped myself. It never ends well when I'm on a shopping mission because I end up spending way too much money on things I don't even need. I think I'm going to go Wednesday when I'm less excited and my heart rate has finally slowed down. Spring in Paris is going to be gorgeous.
This blog was way too long and I apologize. I'll post again probably Thursday after the Opera. We're going to see a ballet and I get to dress up!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
What a week!
So much has happened this past week. I'm finally starting to feel like I live in Paris and I'm not just here on vacation. I haven't felt culture shock yet but I'm not surprised. I think if you go to another country understanding their differences and expecting them then its not so hard. I heard from someone that a girl they know said "theres too much french spoken here" hahahaa really? Too much French in France? Weird.
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So last Tuesday I went to a party on the Champs-Elysees held by the school and this was 1000 times better than the boat party. The music was awesome (aka they played lady gaga which I have been wanting to hear for weeks now), the drinks were cheap (tequila only 5 euros??? SOLD) and the place was nice. I havent been going out much because I haven't figured out the night bus and I don't want to get home alone at 3am. I would like to be famous but I'd prefer if it wasn't because my life is now a Law & Order SVU episode or because its grounds for "Taken 2".
The rest of the week flew by because my classes were cancelled. I had class on Monday and Tuesday and that was it. I could certainly get used to this lifestyle, and cancelled classes every other week are just a plus of going to a very unorganized school hahaha.
Saturday I FINALLY went to Sacre-Coeur and it was amazing. Its absolutely gorgeous and in my opinion, which is obviously correct, it's a lot prettier than Notre Dame. You're not allowed to take pictures inside and I wasn't feeling like much of a rebel that day. Here's some pictures, and first I'd like to show you how many stairs you have to climb up to get there:
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I didn't count, but lets say it felt like there was a million. Here's a picture of the church up close:
And finally, here's a picture from the top of the hill looking over Paris:
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We also saw Moulin Rouge since we were right in that area. That particular area of Paris is so sketchy. There's literally a sex shop, a strip club, a sex shop, a strip club.... aaaaaaaaaand so on. hahahaha and there was a supermaket that was advertising booby tassles (dont worry I picked up a pair for everyone). It was creepy, and so were the people there.
After that I went to the Eiffel tower because I actually hadnt seen it during the day. Its still amazing but I have to say I love it the most at night when it's all lit up. We saw a couple there that were taking wedding pictures and luckily it was a gorgeous day. A picture for your viewing pleasure:
(I dont know why this picture refuses to be centered but I dont care enough to figure it out)
Then we went shopping. Unfortunately there happens to be a lot of pick pocketing gypsies in Paris and my friend got her wallet stolen. Luckily she was able to cancel her card before any charges were made but its still upsetting. I must say I was impressed with her composure because she didn't start screaming, yelling, or crying and I'm positive I would have done all of the above. Lets fast forward to later that evening...
So I'm standing in the metro waiting for my train to come and I notice a bunch of police officers. Its not really that weird because they get on the metro to check tickets and make sure everyone paid, but it seemed like there was a lot. So the metro is coming and I can hear it before I can see it hahaa there was a soccer game that night and I think France won because everyone was screaming and cheering and jumping up and down. In the car that they were in the lights actually went out, it was like a riot hahaha so the police pulled out their costco sized mace cans and started spraying people so they would get out and shut up. As Im getting onto the metro I feel someoen stick their hand in my pocket WHILE MY HAND IS ALREADY IN MY POCKET. hahahahahaha nothing was taken, I grabbed his hands and he turned around and ran away. Funny thing though, he was wearing an orange jacket. Why would a man wearing an orange jacket plan to pick pocket the only redhead? Could he draw any more attention to himself?
Speaking of gypsies, I have to let everyone know I was a victim of the ring trick. I think I mentioned this before, but just to recap: a guy pretends to pick up a ring and ask you if its yours, and when you say its not he tries to give it to you. Gotta be honest, Ive never seen one succeed so I dont know exactly what the trick is. I think maybe theres an accomplice that waits until you're distracted to steal your shit, but I don't know for sure. Anyway, I was standing alone waiting for a friend when I see a kid walking toward me. He literally takes the ring out of his pocket, pretends to place it on the ground, picks it up all confused, and then looks at me. I just looked at him and said "I saw you" (en francais, bien sur) and he looked and me and ran away. This kid was probably 18 and if hes planning a career as a theif I think he has a long way to go. Had he stuck around I might have requested to speak to his supervisor slash mob boss, because he needs proper training.
Even though this week was full of thieves and people trying to scam everyone, there were also a lot of nice people. My card didnt work in the metro so the guy working just let me in through the stroller gate, the guy at the boulangerie gave me a free chocolate croissant, and everyone I dealt with on a business level (restaurants and shops) were really nice and helpful.
This weekend the ISA group is going to Normandy and I'm really excited. I'll be sure to post pictures! I feel like I had more to say but I can't think of anything else I had in mind. I'll update again soon :)
Monday, February 15, 2010
These boots were made for sitting.
I tried to be all Parisian today and wore heels to class. They were too small to begin with, but they were also only 20 euros so size really didnt matter to me at that exact point in time. I am impressed with how long they stayed on for though. I left my house at 12 and didn't get back until 7:30, and all considered I think they handeled themselves pretty well. But my feet are absolutely killing me now that I took them off and I may have to wait a recovery period of at least 2 weeks before wearing them again. Just thought it was important that everyone know I tired hahaha.
After class I went to buy a camera, having no idea how incredibly stressful this situation would be. First of all, I didn't have my sister with me to tell me what to buy (she's a camera expert after her job at circuit city hahaha) and second of all I couldn't understand all of the details of each camera. Also, you can't actually play with any of the cameras. You can't turn them on or take pictures so how the fuck am I supposed to know if I like it or not? After standing there for probably 20 minutes I finally reminded myself that it doesn't matter what kind of camera I get because inevitably I'm just going to break it. Obviously I chose the cheapest one.
You may think that having chose the camera the hardest part was done. Well, my friend, you are incorrect. I didn't know exactly where to go from there so I tried to find someone who worked there. SURPRISE!!!! Every employee must have been on their break at the exact same time because I couldn't find anyone. So I walked around the store aimlessly pretending to be interested at other electronics, all the while trying to make it obvious that I wasn't trying to steal anything. Finally someone came up and was bombarded by 90 people all wanting to ask questions about everything and it took forever.
When the guy got around to helping me I realized he didn't speak a work of English (which really is to be expected. I understand I'm not in America and I take for granted the fact that everyone speaks English in the touristy parts). It was a little hard at first to get my wants and needs across but I did. Then he told me that I didn't really want that camera, I would much prefer this other camera at 299 euros instead of 129 euros. If I my language skills were better I would have laughed in his face and kindly explained my history with cameras, but I didn't feel up to the task. I just repeated (about 43 times in a row) that I was positive I wanted the cheap camera even though I appreciated his opinion. So he took me to a computer and looked up that they had the camera I wanted, then printed me out a receipt and started walking away. What the hell am I supposed to do with that? When I asked him he acted like I should have KNOWN I have to pick it up in another department. I went to where I was supposed to pick it up and they told me I have to buy it first, and then come back. Sooooooooooo I paid for a product that I didn't have in my possession, then waited in line for 20 minutes to pick it up. Buying a camera is exhausting work. And I don't know why they make you jump through hoops to get the electronics because its not like I could have stolen it anyway - they have people waiting right outside of the detectors so that if they buzz you can't run away. Difficult task but it appears to have been worth the trouble. My new camera is really cute and so far it seems to take good pictures (although I'm not really sure how bad the test pictures of my room could have turned out haha)
I was feeling kind of annoyed when I left though, because I just spent an hour of my day trying to buy a camera that would have taken me a total of 15 minutes at Target or Best Buy (and most of that time would be spent waiting in line). On my way onto the metro I noticed there was a guy on crutch-type things so I waited for him to go ahead of me but he told me to go first and waited which I thought was really nice and also unnecessary, so I got him a seat. hahahaha I thought that was a fair trade. And as long as I've mentioned one person on crutches I need to mention something else, and I mean this in the most politically correct way possible - I have never seen so many disabled people in my life. I don't even know if "disabled" is the word I'm looking for, but everyone has these crutch things. Literally, if you're in the metro you'll see at least 5 people with them and I find that so weird because how many times do you see people with walking problems in the US? Hardly ever. In my opinion this is a direct result of all the metro stairs. Let it be known that I said it first!
Sophie didn't get home until late today so we didn't have dinner until 9:15pm. She must have felt guilty about it because she made the biggest dinner ever AND bought eclairs for dessert. I'm stuffed and have never been more satisfied with a meal in my life. Perhaps before I leave I'll have her teach me a few things hahaha Conversation at dinner went well today too. I really am starting to understand more. Since tomorrow is Mardi Gras, Sophie was telling me that in Martinique (where she's originally from) they have today and tomorrow off and there's a carnival and everybody celebrates. Wtf is this? I wish it was the same in Paris hahahaha
On that note, since I DO have class tomorrow, I'm going to go tackle some of that French grammar I've been avoiding. Au revoir!
After class I went to buy a camera, having no idea how incredibly stressful this situation would be. First of all, I didn't have my sister with me to tell me what to buy (she's a camera expert after her job at circuit city hahaha) and second of all I couldn't understand all of the details of each camera. Also, you can't actually play with any of the cameras. You can't turn them on or take pictures so how the fuck am I supposed to know if I like it or not? After standing there for probably 20 minutes I finally reminded myself that it doesn't matter what kind of camera I get because inevitably I'm just going to break it. Obviously I chose the cheapest one.
You may think that having chose the camera the hardest part was done. Well, my friend, you are incorrect. I didn't know exactly where to go from there so I tried to find someone who worked there. SURPRISE!!!! Every employee must have been on their break at the exact same time because I couldn't find anyone. So I walked around the store aimlessly pretending to be interested at other electronics, all the while trying to make it obvious that I wasn't trying to steal anything. Finally someone came up and was bombarded by 90 people all wanting to ask questions about everything and it took forever.
When the guy got around to helping me I realized he didn't speak a work of English (which really is to be expected. I understand I'm not in America and I take for granted the fact that everyone speaks English in the touristy parts). It was a little hard at first to get my wants and needs across but I did. Then he told me that I didn't really want that camera, I would much prefer this other camera at 299 euros instead of 129 euros. If I my language skills were better I would have laughed in his face and kindly explained my history with cameras, but I didn't feel up to the task. I just repeated (about 43 times in a row) that I was positive I wanted the cheap camera even though I appreciated his opinion. So he took me to a computer and looked up that they had the camera I wanted, then printed me out a receipt and started walking away. What the hell am I supposed to do with that? When I asked him he acted like I should have KNOWN I have to pick it up in another department. I went to where I was supposed to pick it up and they told me I have to buy it first, and then come back. Sooooooooooo I paid for a product that I didn't have in my possession, then waited in line for 20 minutes to pick it up. Buying a camera is exhausting work. And I don't know why they make you jump through hoops to get the electronics because its not like I could have stolen it anyway - they have people waiting right outside of the detectors so that if they buzz you can't run away. Difficult task but it appears to have been worth the trouble. My new camera is really cute and so far it seems to take good pictures (although I'm not really sure how bad the test pictures of my room could have turned out haha)
I was feeling kind of annoyed when I left though, because I just spent an hour of my day trying to buy a camera that would have taken me a total of 15 minutes at Target or Best Buy (and most of that time would be spent waiting in line). On my way onto the metro I noticed there was a guy on crutch-type things so I waited for him to go ahead of me but he told me to go first and waited which I thought was really nice and also unnecessary, so I got him a seat. hahahaha I thought that was a fair trade. And as long as I've mentioned one person on crutches I need to mention something else, and I mean this in the most politically correct way possible - I have never seen so many disabled people in my life. I don't even know if "disabled" is the word I'm looking for, but everyone has these crutch things. Literally, if you're in the metro you'll see at least 5 people with them and I find that so weird because how many times do you see people with walking problems in the US? Hardly ever. In my opinion this is a direct result of all the metro stairs. Let it be known that I said it first!
Sophie didn't get home until late today so we didn't have dinner until 9:15pm. She must have felt guilty about it because she made the biggest dinner ever AND bought eclairs for dessert. I'm stuffed and have never been more satisfied with a meal in my life. Perhaps before I leave I'll have her teach me a few things hahaha Conversation at dinner went well today too. I really am starting to understand more. Since tomorrow is Mardi Gras, Sophie was telling me that in Martinique (where she's originally from) they have today and tomorrow off and there's a carnival and everybody celebrates. Wtf is this? I wish it was the same in Paris hahahaha
On that note, since I DO have class tomorrow, I'm going to go tackle some of that French grammar I've been avoiding. Au revoir!
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