i can see my breath all day long

when i wake up and stick my head out of my window, i can see my breath. when i walk between buildings at 2 pm, i can almost make smoke rings with my breath. when i walk home from the metro station at 9pm, my breath makes little clouds in front of my face. IT'S SO COLD HERE.

when i woke up this morning i decided that i'd go exploring after french, so i stuffed my fanny pack (i'm 35% less happy when i have a purse slung around my shoulder) and left my books at home. whatever, not like i needed them...it was just a TA day.

after french, i went to shakespeare and company near notre dame. that is hands down my favorite bookstore in the world. i intended on just dashing in and out, but as usual, i got caught up in reading the back covers of the books.

oh, wait. before that, i tried to sell a book back to this other book store, gilbert jeune. i'm not gonna link you cuz it's nothing special. they have 3 or 4 stores, all within a block of each other. i walk into two bookstores before i'm finally directed to the place where they buy back the books. it was this weird place that reminded me more of a post office than anything. when i got to the front of the line, i had to give the guy my driver's license and address...i dont know why. then he told me i'd get only 8 stupid euros back, so i was like thanks but no thanks. i 'll take this bad boy to shakespeare and co.

so anyway, after much wandering and reading, i left shakespeare and co, intending to make it to pere lachaise (sp?) cemetery before dark...damn 5pm sunset. but then i saw a big christmas tree in front of notre dame, so i went to see that instead.

there were a million thousand pigeons out there. they were landing all over this homeless guy, which was gross. i was taking pictures when this guy taps me on the shoulder and starts speaking to me in french. i had my headphones on, but i wasn't that weirded out that he approached me...apparently, in paris, when you have your headphones on, that is actually an invitation for others to ask you for directions. here it's not an "iso-pod," but a "social-pod." haha, i'm funny.

anyway, this creepy french man did NOT want directions. he instead wanted to be creepy and take a picture with me and the birds. i figured i'd make more of a scene and a hassle if i said no, so i meekly was like "d'accord..." he put his arm around me (awk) and smiled for the camera. as soon as he let go, i was outta there. bleh *shakes off* luckily there were a million thousand tourists around, so i never really felt in danger. just shaken up. to be on the safe side, i sought refuge inside notre dame. this doubled as a defrosting time for me, because i was freaking cold.

when i decided to leave, it was getting dark and because the cemetery is far away, i didnt quite have enough time to make it there. i saw jardin des plantes on the metro map and went there. but, because it was nearing 5 pm in november, everything was closing and most of the flowers were dead. but i do love me a good park, so i'm not complaining.

once i was good and frozen, i made my way back to school to research (barf). i left at 830, when the gates to the building were closed. i couldn't figure'em out and the passersby on the street must have had a good laugh watching me try to open a huge metal gate...lol. turns out there was a door just two feet next to the gate. go figure.