i finally took a shower last night. this is worth saying because it had been a couple days, which just is not okay in paris, where everyone is dirty and moving quickly and crammed. but due to a faulty washer and dryer, my clothes came out semi-clean and only semi-dry on thursday afternoon, leaving me with my bedroom turned into one ginormous clothesline. i turned my heater up and covered my floor with socks and underwear. its all over now- almost, got to clean up the socks- but it sure is a pain.
i usually come back from 'au pairing' around 745 or 8- sometimes later- which puts me in quite a flurry as far as dinner, which is at the foyer [dorm] from 714-815. so a typical night is me rushing in, cold and tired and absolutely starving, crossing my fingers that there is something for me to eat besides bread and an accompanying starch, and then eating semi-rapidly while talking with hannah and anna, or some british friends, or of course the frenchies. and usually, i have some long story that describes something that is not going how i want it to, causing me stress and maybe anxiety, for example, the above laundry scenario.
and for example. my camera. if you read my earlier posts, you know that my camera came to its end in the montmarte cemetery- its a pretty good ironic story. anyway, i eventually decided that yes, i do indeed need a new camera- badly. so mom and dad picked it out at home, because even with the cost of shipping, its still cheaper to buy it in the states [thank you, exchange rate]. this camera was sent 6-day air to arrive a few days before my trip to switzerland last weekend. guess what? i still dont have it. so the past week of dinners has consisted of me giving updates about how i got an illegible letter in my mailbox telling me to call a number because my package didnt make it through customs [took me about half an hour to figure that out, during most of which i was trying to decipher the characters of the phone number]. i had to call a number, which caused me to use up all the minutes left on my phone . i had to email the company, declaring the contents, worth, and my willing to pay any extra taxes. they emailed me back. i had to send another email doing the same thing but more officially. they emailed me back. i have to wait. this saga has not yet ended.
another example, my boots. 'all i want for christmas is a pair of boots.' well, now i have two. thanks to me not knowing that the return policy was really only an exchange policy. so when i decided that the boots i bought were too big and then found another pair somewhere else and bought them, upon returning the first pair, i found myself stopped, and trying on a whole new round of boots to find a replacement. one is a christmas present, the other is a christmas present...on me. happy christmas, steph! you now have two really nice pairs of boots! not complaining about that part, its just that miss thrifty is freaking out for her bank account here.
i have not yet finished my puzzle, which is good, because it means i am getting out of my room more than hiding in it. good progress though- all the border and a significant portion of the top.
mom and dad get in tomorrow morning CROSS YOUR FINGERS. they fly through DC and its a big snowstorm there, so thats where the problems might begin- or before, if they are stuck in seattle. so if everyone crosses their fingers reeeeeeally hard, we might be able to influence fate and get them here on time, or at least on the right day...
time to go finish my laundry from thursday, i think those socks are dry now, or at least good enough.
ps if you know what this post's title is quoted from, 10 points. you know me well.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
l'hiver à Paris [winter in Paris]
life couldn't get too much better right now. as i ate my breakfast this morning, i noticed that the rain looked a little different than normal. needless to say, it was not rain at all, but snow. good thing i didnt decide to break in my new boots- they would have gotten dirty on their first outing.
its quite cozy, the snow in paris. i stopped at a boulangerie on my way to school through the blizzard, waving bonjour to the baker behind the window as he kneaded the next loaf, and buying a delicious apple-filled sugar-covered bread. i couldnt get over the fact that the windows were actually fogging up- none of this fake spray-on fog that we do to give the impression of warmth- this was real, bread-baking/snow falling window fog. if only i had had a pumpkin spice latte at the time, too. just kidding.
last weekend was switzerland. youd think it would have been snowing there, too, but no, just the ultimate cold front accompanied by reckless wind. had i not brought my hat or gloves, guaranteed i would now have two of each. but courtney and i loaded up on chocolate, and i also bought...a puzzle. BECAUSE WHO DOESN'T LOVE PUZZLES?!?! so i warned everyone that if they dont see me for several hours- or days- on end, please come tear me from my puzzle. way too addicting.
all the people who highly recommended the seine boat cruise were not exaggerating AT ALL. last night, gonzaga paid for a 97euro dinner cruise, beginning with amazing kir, followed by an appetizer, entree, and the best chocolate dessert i can think of ever having. this little triangle that bursted with flavor from the crispy bottom to the moosy middle and the chocolaty covering. heaven. worth the effort right there. going with the fam again on christmas, and am looking forward to the dessert most of all, unsurprisingly.
speaking of the family, THE PARENTS COME ON SUNDAY! i have never been so excited. it will not be a lazy morning, since their flight gets in at 635am, but i would never leave them stranded so ill be waking up soon before then to take the RER [as long as there is no strike] to CDG.
nap time.
its quite cozy, the snow in paris. i stopped at a boulangerie on my way to school through the blizzard, waving bonjour to the baker behind the window as he kneaded the next loaf, and buying a delicious apple-filled sugar-covered bread. i couldnt get over the fact that the windows were actually fogging up- none of this fake spray-on fog that we do to give the impression of warmth- this was real, bread-baking/snow falling window fog. if only i had had a pumpkin spice latte at the time, too. just kidding.
last weekend was switzerland. youd think it would have been snowing there, too, but no, just the ultimate cold front accompanied by reckless wind. had i not brought my hat or gloves, guaranteed i would now have two of each. but courtney and i loaded up on chocolate, and i also bought...a puzzle. BECAUSE WHO DOESN'T LOVE PUZZLES?!?! so i warned everyone that if they dont see me for several hours- or days- on end, please come tear me from my puzzle. way too addicting.
all the people who highly recommended the seine boat cruise were not exaggerating AT ALL. last night, gonzaga paid for a 97euro dinner cruise, beginning with amazing kir, followed by an appetizer, entree, and the best chocolate dessert i can think of ever having. this little triangle that bursted with flavor from the crispy bottom to the moosy middle and the chocolaty covering. heaven. worth the effort right there. going with the fam again on christmas, and am looking forward to the dessert most of all, unsurprisingly.
speaking of the family, THE PARENTS COME ON SUNDAY! i have never been so excited. it will not be a lazy morning, since their flight gets in at 635am, but i would never leave them stranded so ill be waking up soon before then to take the RER [as long as there is no strike] to CDG.
nap time.
Monday, November 30, 2009
shout outs
to the youngest cashier at the franprix- i would rather not wait for you to finish your text message before buying my dinner. thanks.
to the shoe cobbler- where are you located? i really need you. i'd like to start wearing my camel boots again.
to the workers at Le Laurier restaurant- i really appreciate the vegetarian plate you always make for me. really.
to the night watchmen- thank you for maintaining the most boring job in the world to keep me safe. sorry about that one time i woke you up at 4am [it was a fun night though]
to the homeless man with two puppies- yes, you have sparked pity. no, you should not own animals when you cannot even feed yourself.
to my language professor- THANK YOU.
to the cell phone company- i'd like it if the service worked all the time, not just part of the time.
to deloitte- thank you for offering me an internship. i am so excited.
to mom and dad- twenty days!
to baguettes- could you please include more grains?
to europe- thank you for being so generous with student discounts. free is the only way to go.
to the ukrainian girl in class- if you dont put a smile on your face next week, i might just start to cry. also, next time your sick, please stay home.
to baudelaire- i hope your work sells for more than the predicted value at the auction tomorrow.
to my jeans- please stop shrinking every time i wash you. it always makes the first three hours of wearing you quite detrimental to my self image.
to père noël- all i want for christmas is my family and a pair of boots
to seattle- i still have not bought an umbrella. going strong.
to everyone who thinks they own the sidewalk and therefore don't need to even move an inch to let me pass by- i dont fancy walking in the streets with the crazy drivers just so you can swing your bag and chat spaciously.
to gonzaga- i envy not your upcoming snowstorms.
to ella- please please PLEASE jump in the suitcase and visit me.
to trader joes- you should go international. ie, paris.
to coca-cola zero- im becoming addicted to you. this must stop.
to the economists- why is everyone telling me that the pound has dropped to the value of the euro? why does every site i check tell me otherwise, that it is just as horribly $1=1.65£ as always???
to the shoe cobbler- where are you located? i really need you. i'd like to start wearing my camel boots again.
to the workers at Le Laurier restaurant- i really appreciate the vegetarian plate you always make for me. really.
to the night watchmen- thank you for maintaining the most boring job in the world to keep me safe. sorry about that one time i woke you up at 4am [it was a fun night though]
to the homeless man with two puppies- yes, you have sparked pity. no, you should not own animals when you cannot even feed yourself.
to my language professor- THANK YOU.
to the cell phone company- i'd like it if the service worked all the time, not just part of the time.
to deloitte- thank you for offering me an internship. i am so excited.
to mom and dad- twenty days!
to baguettes- could you please include more grains?
to europe- thank you for being so generous with student discounts. free is the only way to go.
to the ukrainian girl in class- if you dont put a smile on your face next week, i might just start to cry. also, next time your sick, please stay home.
to baudelaire- i hope your work sells for more than the predicted value at the auction tomorrow.
to my jeans- please stop shrinking every time i wash you. it always makes the first three hours of wearing you quite detrimental to my self image.
to père noël- all i want for christmas is my family and a pair of boots
to seattle- i still have not bought an umbrella. going strong.
to everyone who thinks they own the sidewalk and therefore don't need to even move an inch to let me pass by- i dont fancy walking in the streets with the crazy drivers just so you can swing your bag and chat spaciously.
to gonzaga- i envy not your upcoming snowstorms.
to ella- please please PLEASE jump in the suitcase and visit me.
to trader joes- you should go international. ie, paris.
to coca-cola zero- im becoming addicted to you. this must stop.
to the economists- why is everyone telling me that the pound has dropped to the value of the euro? why does every site i check tell me otherwise, that it is just as horribly $1=1.65£ as always???
Thursday, November 26, 2009
joyeux thanksgiving
reflecting back on all the thanksgivings i have had, this one is definitely memorable- for reasons quite untypical. there was no turkey, but that itself has not changed since last year, due to the whole veggie thing. but this time, i did not even see- not even smell- a turkey. nor did i see the pumpkin pie, the mashed potatoes, or any celebratory drinks. i ate what i think was cous cous, as well as bread, a celery/corn salad, an orange, and some sort of citrus fluff. welcome to france. did i mention i ate in the company of two british girls? let alone surrounded by people from france and who knows where else in the world. i think this thanksgiving is one for the books. or at least for this blog.
i also had to go to school today! gasp! en plus, i had to work! [and unfortunately eleanor decided to misbehave- great timing. she doesnt get to go on my what-i-am-thankful-for list, unfortunately. not until she stops refusing to hold my hand when we cross the street.]
this completely flabbergasted me today: i saw the same woman on the metro whom i saw on monday. i know. i mean really though! what are the chances? thats never happened before, that ive noticed. considering that the trains leave every 2-5 minutes, and each train has about 8 cars, what are the chances that i was on exactly the same train and in the same cabin as her twice in a week?! i would have introduced myself to her and attempted to make a friend, but alas, the reason that i knew it was her was because she has two incredibly misbehaved boys...and yet doesnt seem to notice. not friend material. on monday, another woman sitting in the same little group of four seats as the mother and her two sons got so fed up with their misbehaving that she got up, mumbling about how the children were 'savages' and how the mom didnt know how to control her sons. she was completely right. the whole thing was quite entertaining.
i did some walking today [like every day] but tried this time to make some more connections in my brain as to what road links to what. its great when i can figure my way to a destination without looking at a map- or just peeking once. but really! i feel like i am close to conquering the left bank of paris. there is a whole other semester to conquer the right bank, thank god. that one is even bigger. i better get started early.
i was in a couple of used book stores today, and came to a somewhat depressing and yet cool situation. most interesting novels in french bookstores are translations from english, most often an american author specifically. this is depressing because i was looking to read a real french novel, not a translated one. this is cool because...GO America! the creativity is absolutely flowing from our country! [the english-french translators must be busy! potential job??] but i will keep looking for a true french novel. although the french dont fancy writing novels and mysteries, im sure i can find a couple that merit my eager eyes.
i was told by my kind old french conversation instructor that i speak without an accent! whoohoo! if thats not progress, i dont know what is. probably my proudest moment yet.
its raining like seattle here. but cooler. because its not seattle; its PARIS.
i also had to go to school today! gasp! en plus, i had to work! [and unfortunately eleanor decided to misbehave- great timing. she doesnt get to go on my what-i-am-thankful-for list, unfortunately. not until she stops refusing to hold my hand when we cross the street.]
this completely flabbergasted me today: i saw the same woman on the metro whom i saw on monday. i know. i mean really though! what are the chances? thats never happened before, that ive noticed. considering that the trains leave every 2-5 minutes, and each train has about 8 cars, what are the chances that i was on exactly the same train and in the same cabin as her twice in a week?! i would have introduced myself to her and attempted to make a friend, but alas, the reason that i knew it was her was because she has two incredibly misbehaved boys...and yet doesnt seem to notice. not friend material. on monday, another woman sitting in the same little group of four seats as the mother and her two sons got so fed up with their misbehaving that she got up, mumbling about how the children were 'savages' and how the mom didnt know how to control her sons. she was completely right. the whole thing was quite entertaining.
i did some walking today [like every day] but tried this time to make some more connections in my brain as to what road links to what. its great when i can figure my way to a destination without looking at a map- or just peeking once. but really! i feel like i am close to conquering the left bank of paris. there is a whole other semester to conquer the right bank, thank god. that one is even bigger. i better get started early.
i was in a couple of used book stores today, and came to a somewhat depressing and yet cool situation. most interesting novels in french bookstores are translations from english, most often an american author specifically. this is depressing because i was looking to read a real french novel, not a translated one. this is cool because...GO America! the creativity is absolutely flowing from our country! [the english-french translators must be busy! potential job??] but i will keep looking for a true french novel. although the french dont fancy writing novels and mysteries, im sure i can find a couple that merit my eager eyes.
i was told by my kind old french conversation instructor that i speak without an accent! whoohoo! if thats not progress, i dont know what is. probably my proudest moment yet.
its raining like seattle here. but cooler. because its not seattle; its PARIS.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
foreign exhaustion
it's just tiring existing sometimes. ive been realizing more and more that sometimes, i get tired because the whole day, i'm...listening. of course speaking, too. but even if i was prohibited to speak a word of french, i would still be listening to it. all day. and it wears on you! constantly thinking in a foreign language is not at all the same as the automatic english thoughts ive been contentedly having for the past twenty [nineteen? eighteen? when did i start thinking in english?] years.
of course, i could be feeling a bit tired lately due to all of the explorations. what i have done in the past 2 weeks:
museums-
Musee Rodin
Centre George Pompidou
Musee du Quai Branley
Musee Ganne, Barbizon
historic sites-
Chateau de Vincennes
St. Denis Basilica
Chateau de Fontainebleau
Barbizon
La Grande Arche/La Defense
good eats-
Laduree [macarons]
Pierre Hermé [more macarons]
Angelina [hot chocolate to die for]
nutella crepes [not anything unusual, BUT it was at this little stand, around 1am, where hannah and i got 2 for 1 because i told the guy it was her birthday the night before. score! so glad we finally got something free out of her birthday!
odd but great situations-
-teaching a 6-year-old french girl [eleanore] how to read in french. never thought i would be doing that.
-having a conversation about US economics with three men- one french, one italian, one turkish.
-giving a young french woman and her child instructions to get to the Luxembourg gardens. way to go, steph!
-receiving a call in which i get an offer to my top-choice internship, at 11pm, as im getting ready for bed!
-soirée on a boat- basically a big dance party with 100euro champagne bottles. ALL american/english music. ALL. and i dont think anyone else spoke english as a first language, if at all. but whatever. fun experience, to do once. didnt buy the champagne. did eat the free candy.
-biking through the former hunting grounds of Fontainebleau Forest, from Chateau de Fontainebleau to Barbizon. Probably one of my favorite adventures ever.
-going to the French International film festival for the Environment. I love film festivals. i love free things. THIS WAS FANTASTIC. ive seen 3 movies so far. i finally saw Food, Inc. which i had wanted to see for months back home, but never got around to it. so seeing it in france with french subtitles and for free...lets just say it was worth the wait. i also saw 'la ville au futur,' a french film about numbers and technology and how we are all being watched and all the underground systems in paris. it was cool because afterward, there was a Q/A session with the director and producer and, well, the audience didnt hesitate to critique their work! it was very academic of me.
so yeah, its a lot! especially with classes and work. there is only so much museuming one can do in a certain number of hours. best of all, everything ive visited is free! i should write a book- "frugal paris."
i dont know what to narrow-in on for this post. so much has happened, and ive been horrible at blogging because i havent had reliable internet. for some reason, the french do not see internet on the same level as air and water, as the US does. its really quite frustrating.
i have thought of some other names for this blog that i could have chosen, equally as accurate as the current name:
une année sans...
-a hairdryer
-really good music
-the gym
-home-cooked meals
-The Office
-the dollar
-cereal
im sure more will come up. for now, those are the ones that affect me most. [seriously though- no hairdryer! impressive, if you ask me.]
of course, i could be feeling a bit tired lately due to all of the explorations. what i have done in the past 2 weeks:
museums-
Musee Rodin
Centre George Pompidou
Musee du Quai Branley
Musee Ganne, Barbizon
historic sites-
Chateau de Vincennes
St. Denis Basilica
Chateau de Fontainebleau
Barbizon
La Grande Arche/La Defense
good eats-
Laduree [macarons]
Pierre Hermé [more macarons]
Angelina [hot chocolate to die for]
nutella crepes [not anything unusual, BUT it was at this little stand, around 1am, where hannah and i got 2 for 1 because i told the guy it was her birthday the night before. score! so glad we finally got something free out of her birthday!
odd but great situations-
-teaching a 6-year-old french girl [eleanore] how to read in french. never thought i would be doing that.
-having a conversation about US economics with three men- one french, one italian, one turkish.
-giving a young french woman and her child instructions to get to the Luxembourg gardens. way to go, steph!
-receiving a call in which i get an offer to my top-choice internship, at 11pm, as im getting ready for bed!
-soirée on a boat- basically a big dance party with 100euro champagne bottles. ALL american/english music. ALL. and i dont think anyone else spoke english as a first language, if at all. but whatever. fun experience, to do once. didnt buy the champagne. did eat the free candy.
-biking through the former hunting grounds of Fontainebleau Forest, from Chateau de Fontainebleau to Barbizon. Probably one of my favorite adventures ever.
-going to the French International film festival for the Environment. I love film festivals. i love free things. THIS WAS FANTASTIC. ive seen 3 movies so far. i finally saw Food, Inc. which i had wanted to see for months back home, but never got around to it. so seeing it in france with french subtitles and for free...lets just say it was worth the wait. i also saw 'la ville au futur,' a french film about numbers and technology and how we are all being watched and all the underground systems in paris. it was cool because afterward, there was a Q/A session with the director and producer and, well, the audience didnt hesitate to critique their work! it was very academic of me.
so yeah, its a lot! especially with classes and work. there is only so much museuming one can do in a certain number of hours. best of all, everything ive visited is free! i should write a book- "frugal paris."
i dont know what to narrow-in on for this post. so much has happened, and ive been horrible at blogging because i havent had reliable internet. for some reason, the french do not see internet on the same level as air and water, as the US does. its really quite frustrating.
i have thought of some other names for this blog that i could have chosen, equally as accurate as the current name:
une année sans...
-a hairdryer
-really good music
-the gym
-home-cooked meals
-The Office
-the dollar
-cereal
im sure more will come up. for now, those are the ones that affect me most. [seriously though- no hairdryer! impressive, if you ask me.]
Thursday, November 5, 2009
but first, let's trouve* it on the map
the above title my a direct quote, and serves as a bon example of a common mistake when speaking english in france: the incorporation of french vocabulary into english. i also find myself phrasing sentences 'french-style.' for example, i might find myself saying 'that is missed by me' for 'i miss that,' due to the french way of saying that you miss something, which is completely backward [ma maison me manque=i miss my house]. anyway. good times.
marseille was what kept me away from this blog last week, as hannah, kelley, and i trecked down to southern france for a week of 75 degree weather and smelly streets. it was great. a wonderful escape from the city [well the smelly streets are universal, but everything else was a nice change.]
we stayed in a hostel in marseille, on a tiny sketch street without a clear marking of the address nor the name of the hostel itself. fortunately we are college students and therefore had the intuition to look more closely next to each door, and were able trouver [*to find] the teensy-weensy name of the hostel written on a in-need-of-polishing plaque. is that right? plaque? or is that the french word? both? i dont even know anymore. but anyway, we thought we would be in the company of 9 others, as the website said it was a 12-bedroom space, but no, it was just us and julia, a spanish girl who was living there until she got a flat,
julia: she didnt speak french and barely understood english-always making this HEHHH??? sound when she didnt understand us and causing us to act out in detail everything we did- kelley making the mountain sign, me pretending to hike, and hannah almost yelling 'HIKING!!' [it really is easier to speak louder instead of just more clearly when someone understands you not AH ...when someone doesn't understand you. silly french phrasing.] and she smelled, like what i dont know.
but thats not really important, since we spent only the hours of sleeping and showering in the hostel- usually 9pm-730am. we wasted no time with late nights, it was all about the early mornings so we could spend the most time possible everywhere we went. it was great.
highlights:
monday: hiking the calanques. pictures describe it much better than words.
tuesday: aix-en-provence. farmer's market=adorable.
wednesday: cassis. nudist beach
thursday: avignon. hanging out in a town that is encircled completely by a very old wall could never be dull! pope's palace [palais des papes.]
friday: marseille. chateau d'if- where the count of monte cristo is based. so freakin sweet.
i have to give a shout out to mom and dad, for all the vacations we have ever been on. because this, as my first real vacation on my own in europe [or anywhere really], has shown me how freaking cher [expensive] it is. oh my. even when we went to grocery stores and i [the ultimate frugal shopper] would get 2euro rice things, inevitably, i would somehow manage to spend spend spend! if only we could just not eat for a week. that would have made my wallet a little happier.
so where to next? the travel bug has fully taken over my body. and europe is just hanging out waiting for me with open arms. italy and greece? poland and hungary? ireland, scotland, and england? morocco, spain, and portugal? the choice is hard. and takes forever. like that was my yesterday from after lunch until dinner. if anyone would like to plan my vacations for me, you know how to contact me.
halloween was nothing worth talking about. but ill mention it anyway. exhausted from traveling home the night before, i was not up for a wild night, especially because everyone in france had already celebrated- its all about oct 30th over here. so hannah and i shared some red wine while reflecting on our voyage and planning new ones. then i went to bed around midnight. SO WILD! oh well. i didnt have a costume anyway.
i have begun to hide my walls. in each city of southern france, i took as many colorful fliers at each tourist office as i could, and then spent a good couple hours putting the 'posters' on my wall. its a little crooked [character!] but its much better than white walls. however, it is annoying when the pictures fall down. i am using brown packaging tape, because thats all i have, and its just not the best in combination with the not-so-adhesive walls. oh well. [adds more character?] it will just be a never-ending project to maintain it. but what else have i got to focus on? with only 15 credits, a job, extra french groups, reading harry potter, seeing all of europe and taking a dance class, what else am i gonna do with my time? thats like half of the schedule im used to. [more on the dance class later- for now, lets just say its harder to learn weird dance moves in another language.]
oh! mashed potatoes here should be called 'salt with a side of creamed potato paste.' at least at the foyer. dont try it. you might finish the bottle of water after one bite, and then proceed to feel full, yet completely unsatisfied, for the next hour, when you realize that youre starving. im not going to form my opinion on french cuisine based on what is served at the dorm. or else i might just have to go home and eat at the COG. and we all know thats just out of the question.
plus tard,
stephanie
marseille was what kept me away from this blog last week, as hannah, kelley, and i trecked down to southern france for a week of 75 degree weather and smelly streets. it was great. a wonderful escape from the city [well the smelly streets are universal, but everything else was a nice change.]
we stayed in a hostel in marseille, on a tiny sketch street without a clear marking of the address nor the name of the hostel itself. fortunately we are college students and therefore had the intuition to look more closely next to each door, and were able trouver [*to find] the teensy-weensy name of the hostel written on a in-need-of-polishing plaque. is that right? plaque? or is that the french word? both? i dont even know anymore. but anyway, we thought we would be in the company of 9 others, as the website said it was a 12-bedroom space, but no, it was just us and julia, a spanish girl who was living there until she got a flat,
julia: she didnt speak french and barely understood english-always making this HEHHH??? sound when she didnt understand us and causing us to act out in detail everything we did- kelley making the mountain sign, me pretending to hike, and hannah almost yelling 'HIKING!!' [it really is easier to speak louder instead of just more clearly when someone understands you not AH ...when someone doesn't understand you. silly french phrasing.] and she smelled, like what i dont know.
but thats not really important, since we spent only the hours of sleeping and showering in the hostel- usually 9pm-730am. we wasted no time with late nights, it was all about the early mornings so we could spend the most time possible everywhere we went. it was great.
highlights:
monday: hiking the calanques. pictures describe it much better than words.
tuesday: aix-en-provence. farmer's market=adorable.
wednesday: cassis. nudist beach
thursday: avignon. hanging out in a town that is encircled completely by a very old wall could never be dull! pope's palace [palais des papes.]
friday: marseille. chateau d'if- where the count of monte cristo is based. so freakin sweet.
i have to give a shout out to mom and dad, for all the vacations we have ever been on. because this, as my first real vacation on my own in europe [or anywhere really], has shown me how freaking cher [expensive] it is. oh my. even when we went to grocery stores and i [the ultimate frugal shopper] would get 2euro rice things, inevitably, i would somehow manage to spend spend spend! if only we could just not eat for a week. that would have made my wallet a little happier.
so where to next? the travel bug has fully taken over my body. and europe is just hanging out waiting for me with open arms. italy and greece? poland and hungary? ireland, scotland, and england? morocco, spain, and portugal? the choice is hard. and takes forever. like that was my yesterday from after lunch until dinner. if anyone would like to plan my vacations for me, you know how to contact me.
halloween was nothing worth talking about. but ill mention it anyway. exhausted from traveling home the night before, i was not up for a wild night, especially because everyone in france had already celebrated- its all about oct 30th over here. so hannah and i shared some red wine while reflecting on our voyage and planning new ones. then i went to bed around midnight. SO WILD! oh well. i didnt have a costume anyway.
i have begun to hide my walls. in each city of southern france, i took as many colorful fliers at each tourist office as i could, and then spent a good couple hours putting the 'posters' on my wall. its a little crooked [character!] but its much better than white walls. however, it is annoying when the pictures fall down. i am using brown packaging tape, because thats all i have, and its just not the best in combination with the not-so-adhesive walls. oh well. [adds more character?] it will just be a never-ending project to maintain it. but what else have i got to focus on? with only 15 credits, a job, extra french groups, reading harry potter, seeing all of europe and taking a dance class, what else am i gonna do with my time? thats like half of the schedule im used to. [more on the dance class later- for now, lets just say its harder to learn weird dance moves in another language.]
oh! mashed potatoes here should be called 'salt with a side of creamed potato paste.' at least at the foyer. dont try it. you might finish the bottle of water after one bite, and then proceed to feel full, yet completely unsatisfied, for the next hour, when you realize that youre starving. im not going to form my opinion on french cuisine based on what is served at the dorm. or else i might just have to go home and eat at the COG. and we all know thats just out of the question.
plus tard,
stephanie
Thursday, October 22, 2009
the metro/reflections
The most entertaining metro excursion s’est passé yesterday night. Anna and I returned from dinner on the 4, unaware that we were to be treated to a Mexican puppet show. [what country are we in?] At about the third or fourth stop, a man came on the car, swiftly put a colorful drape up between two of the poles, turned on some fiesta music, and began to make his three puppets…dance around. Im not sure if I am too ignorant to see his talent, or if he just didn’t have any, but despite that confusion, it was nevertheless anything but boring. We just stared, wondering if this was really going on in front of us [Anna pinched me at one point, so I know it actually did happen]. I had not a single cent in my pockets, or else I would have rewarded the young gentlemen for his…performance?
But the oddness ended not. For Anna and I soon began to wonder if we had somehow unknowingly boarded platform 9 ¾ [one chapter left til I start book 2]. The people on this car, and I don’t mean to be rude but, they were just all freaky looking. Capes and wands would not have been out of place! One girl had jet-black hair that spiraled to a bun right on top of her head, kind of poofing out around her cheeks, and was wearing a big black jacket with tall, laced boots. Another woman had the most piercing eyes Ive ever seen. And she used them to pierce me, that’s for sure. The man behind us had fangs. And his friend was so gaunt you almost didn’t see him from the front. another woman just…well she just looked like she knew how to cast spells! Im sorry but that’s what I saw. And anna agreed. So again, that might have sounded a little harsh, but really. He had fangs.
Finally, there was a really strange bug crawling on the pole in front of us. Okay so that’s not that cool when you just hear about it, but it was a REALLY COOL BUG. Like lime-green and a mix between a grasshopper and preying mantis. And the best part was when we both stood up to stare at it: from the point of view of anyone else, it looked like we were just staring intently at…the pole. If only they could have seen it.
Had a nutella crepe today, nothing new. Also bought tickets to Marseille for fall break. Expensive, but will be worth it. Southern france, anyone?
so i cant stop hearing that line from that advice column, 'advice, like youth, probably wasted on the young,' [better known as 'the sunscreen song' as it became] that is: 'live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.'
and when i substitute 'paris' for 'nyc,' it really makes sense. because i feel myself hardening toward the city's tougher parts. every day i pass the same homeless people on the street, and its just sad, but i have to tell myself to be emotionless, because i cannot help everyone. during class i hear cars honking repeatedly at each other and cant help but wonder, what is the big deal? how much of a rush can one be in? then there is just the general dodging through crowds on the street, in the metro, on the tiny sidewalks, where everyone- with an ipod or not- is just in their own world. its fascinating, its exciting, but its also tiring. im so disconnected from the hundreds of people i see every day. not that ive never been in this position before, but its magnified by a thousand in a city as large as paris. just something ive been thinking about, nothing too deep or earth-changing. i suppose im looking forward to the southern france break- hopefully a slower pace will greet me there.for the rest of the quote, northern california, i can do without. but travel is an obvious must, as im demonstrating at this very moment.
Friday, October 16, 2009
eléanore
NEVER AGAIN will i be fooled by the angelic smile of a tiny-tot shuffling off to bed. because the next visit will probably reveal a screaming, wailing, bossy, unshowered mess of a french six-year-old. apparently showers are just the worst ordeal ever. nobody told me. and why isnt a bubble bath tempting anymore?? i sure enjoyed them when i was six. it seems that being a brat is much more fun.
after a disaster of a night with eléanore, today was somewhat better. she made a face at me when i greeted her at her school, tried to walk home without holding my hand until i made her wait too long that she gave in, and snuck a glass of orange juice behind my back after i told her that she couldnt eat anything else before her shower. BUT. it was better than the tantrum of a night yesterday. this whole au pair thing is anything but glorious. and the whole language-barrier thing is not exactly helpful.
ive found my book- harry potter et l'école des sorciers- to be a great aid. whenever she doesnt listen to me, either by walking away, not changing her clothes, or generally being annoying- i would proceed to read my book, and eventually she would realize that i could care less how long i need to wait for her and she would come over to see what the heck is so interesting. im pretty proud of that tactic. for fun, we did things like, see-how-small-eléanore-can-write 'maman,' see-how-well-stephanie-can-pronounce 'maman,' 2-square in the living room with a sliding haphazard rug, pretend-eléanore-has-fallen-asleep-and-mock-freak-out, and tie-this-string-into-a-really-big-knot. i know. it was absolutely thrilling. but there were no tears, so i left quite elated. and as a reward, i treated myself to not just a baguette for dinner, but a baguette with an apple and diet caffeine-free coke. what a night.
some other interesting happenings of the week:
-i discovered an interesting french radio program that consists of people calling in and giving personal ads, leaving their phone number and desired type of person to respond. its like match.com. only french. only better.
-at the france/austria game [which was awesome], i ate french 'fast food' --those donuts with nutella and carmel by far outdid any super pretzel ive ever downed. and part two of that night, i learned that the worst job in the world by far would have to be the people who sit right next to the field the entire time, but stare at the crowd, never the field, as if theyre searching for the Golden Snitch [ive been reading too much HP]. they will do this until someone- or two people- actually gets rowdy and then they have to get up and chase them down. WORST JOB EVER.
-when i said 'oui' to someone on the metro, im pretty sure they didnt immediately know that i am not french. it was a pretty proud moment, considering most people know im not french before i even open my mouth.
-somehow, ive yet to figure out how, one must always hide the fact that one is going to or from exercising of any sort. i did see one woman wearing a wool coat and scarf over her leggings and tennis shoes [i felt like i caught her in the act of exercising itself!] but i cant pull that off because i would have nowhere to put my wool coat and scarf since i run outside in public spaces. i even saw someone going into the doors of a legitimate gym and... i would have never guessed they were about to do anything more active than walking. ill just have to suck it up, being the sweaty american on the metro, returning from an awkward run around the city streets.
-a text love-message from an unknown sender caused me to be more overwhelmed than one might expect, as it was written in french AND bad spanish, making my language neurons basically throw up their hands in exasperation. as if one foreign language isnt enough, thanks.
-if you dont smoke, you must be holding your breath 24/7. and therefore are dead. so you do smoke. you cannot not smoke here. because everyone does, and whether you like it or not, you will inhale, first-hand or second-hand, some sweet sweet nicotine. [breathing through your sleeve surprisingly does absolutely nothing to filter the air.]
and some pictures from the past couple weeks...
vineyards at nitray:
st malo/mt st michel
annnnnnd FOOD
after a disaster of a night with eléanore, today was somewhat better. she made a face at me when i greeted her at her school, tried to walk home without holding my hand until i made her wait too long that she gave in, and snuck a glass of orange juice behind my back after i told her that she couldnt eat anything else before her shower. BUT. it was better than the tantrum of a night yesterday. this whole au pair thing is anything but glorious. and the whole language-barrier thing is not exactly helpful.
ive found my book- harry potter et l'école des sorciers- to be a great aid. whenever she doesnt listen to me, either by walking away, not changing her clothes, or generally being annoying- i would proceed to read my book, and eventually she would realize that i could care less how long i need to wait for her and she would come over to see what the heck is so interesting. im pretty proud of that tactic. for fun, we did things like, see-how-small-eléanore-can-write 'maman,' see-how-well-stephanie-can-pronounce 'maman,' 2-square in the living room with a sliding haphazard rug, pretend-eléanore-has-fallen-asleep-and-mock-freak-out, and tie-this-string-into-a-really-big-knot. i know. it was absolutely thrilling. but there were no tears, so i left quite elated. and as a reward, i treated myself to not just a baguette for dinner, but a baguette with an apple and diet caffeine-free coke. what a night.
some other interesting happenings of the week:
-i discovered an interesting french radio program that consists of people calling in and giving personal ads, leaving their phone number and desired type of person to respond. its like match.com. only french. only better.
-at the france/austria game [which was awesome], i ate french 'fast food' --those donuts with nutella and carmel by far outdid any super pretzel ive ever downed. and part two of that night, i learned that the worst job in the world by far would have to be the people who sit right next to the field the entire time, but stare at the crowd, never the field, as if theyre searching for the Golden Snitch [ive been reading too much HP]. they will do this until someone- or two people- actually gets rowdy and then they have to get up and chase them down. WORST JOB EVER.
-when i said 'oui' to someone on the metro, im pretty sure they didnt immediately know that i am not french. it was a pretty proud moment, considering most people know im not french before i even open my mouth.
-somehow, ive yet to figure out how, one must always hide the fact that one is going to or from exercising of any sort. i did see one woman wearing a wool coat and scarf over her leggings and tennis shoes [i felt like i caught her in the act of exercising itself!] but i cant pull that off because i would have nowhere to put my wool coat and scarf since i run outside in public spaces. i even saw someone going into the doors of a legitimate gym and... i would have never guessed they were about to do anything more active than walking. ill just have to suck it up, being the sweaty american on the metro, returning from an awkward run around the city streets.
-a text love-message from an unknown sender caused me to be more overwhelmed than one might expect, as it was written in french AND bad spanish, making my language neurons basically throw up their hands in exasperation. as if one foreign language isnt enough, thanks.
-if you dont smoke, you must be holding your breath 24/7. and therefore are dead. so you do smoke. you cannot not smoke here. because everyone does, and whether you like it or not, you will inhale, first-hand or second-hand, some sweet sweet nicotine. [breathing through your sleeve surprisingly does absolutely nothing to filter the air.]
and some pictures from the past couple weeks...
vineyards at nitray:
st malo/mt st michel
annnnnnd FOOD
Friday, October 2, 2009
the 4 step program and other follies
French phonetics class sounds unnervingly similar to a barn. Which made the first hour of three very entertaining. Then it was just annoying.
And what is it with the bold pigeons here? And how come they never fly into the faces of the Parisians? Do even the pigeons know I'm foreign, therefore choosing to take advantage of my exaggerated reactions of surprise by taking flight into my face?
Yesterday tops at least 2/3 of my days here so far, which is saying a lot, because it has definitely been more fun than not since my arrival on September 15. The highlight of yesterday was opening a bank account. But before losing all faith in my sense of what is fun, hear me out. There were three of us who went in on this adventure together. We learned, with many laughs, how to open a bank account in France. There are four steps:
1. Open first door
2. Fit into space between first and second door
3. Open second door
4. Make appointment with the banker
The first three steps were by far the most difficult, but also the most hilarious. They started with figuring out which button to press to alert the teller that the Americans have arrived, then progressed to trying to fit three of us [and our purses] into a space meant for one skinny French adult, and finally, wondering how hard someone is currently laughing at our confusion. [The teller was laughing pretty hard, as he told us once we actually made it inside.]
The actual opening of an account was fabulous with a super-friendly French woman who just delighted us right and left with diagrams and second-explanations when 'nous n'avons pas compris.' No big deal.
The second most exciting event was obtaining a library card, the third most exciting, buying a pack of gum for under 2Euro. Isn't Paris thrilling?! I swear I actually like to have fun. But if only others could know how hard we were laughing the whole day...
Tonight is quite memorable because not only did I NOT have a baguette's-worth of bread with dinner, but I had french fries -des frites- with ketchup. Who would have thunk.
Mont St. Michel and St. Malo tomorrow/Sunday!
Friday, September 25, 2009
just keep walking
Paris is without doubt the most confusing city I have ever been to. Even when I orient myself with a map, pointing to North and South, I take a few steps and am somehow immediately lost again. Something about being on the opposite side of the world, not having an ocean nearby, and having street signs either missing or hidden on the walls of buildings. Fortunately, I am not alone in this confusion, and the Parisians must be aware of my naive tourist knowledge, as there are maps on every other street corner, as well as friendly policemen scattered about. [And friendly musicians...one of whom creeped me out so much that I had to pretend to get a phone call so that I could run away as fast as possible, despite not knowing where the nearest metro was.] Anyway, what is good about the intersections that have seven entrances and the streets that never line up parallel or perpendicular is that the confusion forces us to walk well out of our way and often unknowingly make circles. Which helps us to walk off the nutella crepes and fromage-this and baguette-that from the past day's meals. Which helps us to stay fit. Because you wouldnt think I could eat bread, soup, fish, apple tart, bread, two crepes, soup, bread, and probably more bread... and still fit into my pants. but alas, do as the parisians do. Even the metro is a bit of an excursion when you must hurriedly join the crowd of people up and down stairs and on those freaky moving walkways to get to the next bus, on which you might need to have more than a light grip in order to prevent falling into your neighbor's lap as the train jerks to a stop or start.
Yesterday my camera decided to end its life in the Monmartre cemetary. [Ironic??] As I leaned through the bridge's gate to snap a perhaps not-so-respectful shot of the amazingly grande tombstones, I failed to realize that as I kept walking, my hand would inevitably hit the pole of the gate, causing my fingers to lose their grip, and therefore toss my camera into the depths of...a cemetery, where it lost its screen life and knocked out a small bulge at its base. So I can still take pictures, but just not see what I am snapping in the shot. Oh well. Perhaps we will get some surprising photos that turn out even better than before!. But seriously- my camera died in a cemetery. I still think its a great story. La fin.
Friday, September 18, 2009
fashion whoops
apparently french women are ectotherms, because they can stand mingling in a crowded bar wearing tights, boots, two layered shirts, a scarf, and a blazer. meanwhile, the three americans prance into the place with a pair of pants and one shirt [each], perfectly comfortable, if not a little toasty. why are we made so differently? so i now know, to be cool, to dress for the outside, despite spending most of my time inside, when 'going out' at night.
the french boys didnt seem to mind our fashion faux pas however, and after speaking with us for a few minutes, tibault et sebastian told us oh so convincingly how great our french is... for americans. im not sure exactly how to take that, especially since after we said things they smiled all-knowlingly. or after they said things and we stared blankly before asking 'comment?,' they did this little snort-giggle that i think only a french guy could pull off, while glancing at each other. oh well. i do think they meant it, that we speak better than most americans. so i guess that says a lot about...les autres americains? if only they believed us when we would tell them that the main reason we didnt understand what they were saying most of the time was because of all the other conversations going on around us and of course the blaring 'love shack' or 'pretty woman' [i know, what country is this?] pumping through the speakers. apparently that handicap isnt a legit excuse.
i got the boots part of my outfit right! but next time, dressing down is the way to go, surprisingly. however, its not like they were wearing plaid shirts from goodwill or hand-me-down worn leather belts. this is still paris. it was this odd kind of upper-class polished seattle grungish atmosphere. like when hollywood celebrities buy jeans with more holes than fabric... for $700.
all in all, the martini was lovely, the whole street was lively, and we didnt miss the metro stop on the way back. [on the way out...maybe.] i turned down the offers to smoke cigarettes, but im sure i could not have convinced anyone of my good decisions, judging by the aroma that overtook my clothes and hair.
yellow tights paired with teased hair is back in style. expect to see it in the usa next year.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
in other news, pictures from day 1:
this is everywhere. its really getting to be no big deal.
les invalides, on the way to la tour eiffel
our sneak peak of the destination. about 20 minutes til we got there.
in all its glory, from the exact center. this positioning caused some near-accidents with my fellow tourists.
peace wall close by.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
day one in france
I didn’t think that I would make it to the Eiffel Tower on my first day in Paris, but it just so happened that, after scrounging up our first baguette of the trip, Hannah and I decided to go for a walk to “see the neighborhood.” Well, la Tour Eiffel is not exactly in our neighborhood- we could see it from the road, but that does not mean much about its distance from us, considering how huge it is. During our very long walk, I thought of the things I have learned about French culture since arriving in this foggy little place, less than 24 hours ago.
1. The French do not wear all black. But they do wear a heck of a lot of it.
2. When in doubt or confused, “c’est bon” is a good guess at an appropriate response.
3. Small ten-year-old boys smoke cigarettes. And it is not abnormal.
4. Unlike in the US, the internet is not, much to my frustration, as essential as food.
5. Crossing the street is downright scary. Even when the little green walking man is lit up ahead of you, look both ways.
6. Tuna and sunflower oil go well together [I did not test this, I'm just trusting the label on the can].
7. There are reasons why you never see pictures of the underside of the Eiffel Tower- it reminded me of looking at the underside of an octopus…just not pretty.
In other news, all of my bags arrived safely and on time, much to my relief. We wandered about a bit before being greeted by Marie Claire, the program director, who led us to the parking garage where we loaded approximately 30 large bags into one minivan. Then we took the metro, accompanied by Renault. He’s the “cute French guy” we have been hearing about who is basically our tour guide for the next week and a half and is indeed cute, but more importantly, he speaks slowly and knows just about everything about everything in Paris. We arrived in the middle of the city, close to l’Ile Seine Louis and Notre Dame. We toured La Vigie, where some of the girls are staying, before Hannah and I left for Didot, where we are staying. Every five minutes I would look at my watch and not be able to believe that it was still so early in the day. Living through 7am to 3pm twice in what is somehow one day makes for a very long day indeed.
And, I am obviously still awake, which is good, thanks to the Advil PM on the second leg of our trip, and, more recently, some caffeine. However, I am crossing my fingers that I can get all the sleep I need tonight since I will be sleeping on the floor of Hannah’s room. Mine is occupied until tomorrow [better planning next time, dorm people?] so I think the ‘go with the flow’ outlook is the necessary approach to take for this one.
We’ve got more Paris knowledge to learn with Renault tomorrow, as well as me moving into my dorm and hopefully getting internet connection so that I can actually post this online. All in all, I would say I’m exhausted, overwhelmed, excited, and- in this gigantic city- feeling very small. C’est bon.
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