i walk around all day thinking of my actions in terms of my facebook status.
"nicki is getting on the metro."
"nicki is sitting in econ."
"nicki is bored." (this one happens a lot)
"nicki is wandering through a cemetery."
i also think about what i'm gonna write in my blog, too. i get all these great ideas and witty/insightful single lines. of course, i never remember any of them once i sit at my computer and get to writing. i'm gonna miss this blog when i get home.
what? keep up the blogging in sb? blasphemy!
i'm off to amsterdam this weekend. expect stories/photos on monday.
p.s. if we're not fbook friends, you're missing out on the fun part of the story: my pictures.
29 November, 2007
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.
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.
27 November, 2007
parce que je peux!
today was my long tuesday, class from 9-3. i usually make it through by focusing on what i'll do after class. sometimes i decide to walk home, sometimes i think about a movie/tv show i wanna watch, sometimes i go real crazy and go shopping. well, today, i decided to go on a run. i haven't been on a run in a while.
i came up with this plan in poli sci, so probably around 10 am. as the day went on, i got more and more excited. "yeah! running! this is gonna be great!"
when i got out of comm at 3, i got this brilliant idea. what if i run up the steps of the eiffel tower? YEAH! instant good idea. why do it? because i mother effing can. i'm young, i'm living in paris, and it's cheap. so i got home, i plugged my ipod in (damn lost charge) and got pumped up. seriously, i did. i put on rilo kiley and got real excited about running. and going up the eiffel tower. and being in good enough shape to do this.
i got to trocadero at 4:15 and dashed to the eiffel tower. i paid my 3 euro 10 and climbed up the steps, huffing and puffing after like 5 steps. i must have been quite a spectacle, because almost every group that passed me on their way down sort of giggled at me. maybe it was my outfit...long sleeved black shirt, gray shorts, brown leggings, bright pink past-my-ankle socks that say "love" on them (thanks mom!) and my tennis shoes. i tried to be fashionable when i first got here, but i've given up. i'm just not stylish.
anyway, i made it up to the second floor in time to watch the sun go down (behind some clouds...semi-disappointing). i took my time just staring at the city, amazed at how many things i've done already (and at how many things i HAVEN'T done...crap, there's a lot to do here). i decided to stay to watch the first twinkling of the night, at 6 pm. it was only like 5:20, but i had a new "this american life" podcast to listen to, so i popped that on and waited.
it was freaking freezing up there. my outfit was clearly not chosen for its warmness capabilities.
once 6 pm rolled around, i switched my ipod to my "here comes santa claus!" playlist and listened to that little girl sing "all i want for christmas is you" (which, btw, is a mariah carey original). the lights started sparkling, and everything was just perfect. but then i got really cold, so it was time to get the heck off this freaking cold structure and back to a heated house. when i was running down the steps, i was all by myself, so i started dancing and singing. and the eiffel tower was still sparkling. and it was a stupendous moment in my life.
i came up with this plan in poli sci, so probably around 10 am. as the day went on, i got more and more excited. "yeah! running! this is gonna be great!"
when i got out of comm at 3, i got this brilliant idea. what if i run up the steps of the eiffel tower? YEAH! instant good idea. why do it? because i mother effing can. i'm young, i'm living in paris, and it's cheap. so i got home, i plugged my ipod in (damn lost charge) and got pumped up. seriously, i did. i put on rilo kiley and got real excited about running. and going up the eiffel tower. and being in good enough shape to do this.
i got to trocadero at 4:15 and dashed to the eiffel tower. i paid my 3 euro 10 and climbed up the steps, huffing and puffing after like 5 steps. i must have been quite a spectacle, because almost every group that passed me on their way down sort of giggled at me. maybe it was my outfit...long sleeved black shirt, gray shorts, brown leggings, bright pink past-my-ankle socks that say "love" on them (thanks mom!) and my tennis shoes. i tried to be fashionable when i first got here, but i've given up. i'm just not stylish.
anyway, i made it up to the second floor in time to watch the sun go down (behind some clouds...semi-disappointing). i took my time just staring at the city, amazed at how many things i've done already (and at how many things i HAVEN'T done...crap, there's a lot to do here). i decided to stay to watch the first twinkling of the night, at 6 pm. it was only like 5:20, but i had a new "this american life" podcast to listen to, so i popped that on and waited.
it was freaking freezing up there. my outfit was clearly not chosen for its warmness capabilities.
once 6 pm rolled around, i switched my ipod to my "here comes santa claus!" playlist and listened to that little girl sing "all i want for christmas is you" (which, btw, is a mariah carey original). the lights started sparkling, and everything was just perfect. but then i got really cold, so it was time to get the heck off this freaking cold structure and back to a heated house. when i was running down the steps, i was all by myself, so i started dancing and singing. and the eiffel tower was still sparkling. and it was a stupendous moment in my life.
proud to be an american
yeah, sometimes we all have a good laugh about how "dumb" americans are (you mean you DON'T know the 27 member states of the EU? you don't know a country that begins with "u"?), and we are home to guy who we love to hate, but god if i'm not proud to call the states my home.
watch this video. then tell me how much you love america.
watch this video. then tell me how much you love america.
breaking more blog promises
i know i told you i'd fill you in on my weekend here, but i'm too tired to do that now. i spent the last 2 or 3 hours talking to my best friends in the world, and i was too caught up in catching up to make it over to the blog. so you'll have to excuse me.
i was in a sad, homesick mood earlier...i get like this whenever i have work to do (yeah, even when i'm in sb). i just wanna go home and be with friends and family. but then i started talking to elisa and amber, and things got better. then kate and i talked on skype and we laughed (of course i laughed...it was after 10 pm, aka laughing time). then nat got online, and once she finally got on aim (more of a hassle than you know!), the four of us got to talking. we were all so excited to talk that we stepped all over each other's words and interrupted stories and the like.
i love those girls. i'm the luckiest person in the world.
(aw, shit, france HAS made me all gushy!)
i was in a sad, homesick mood earlier...i get like this whenever i have work to do (yeah, even when i'm in sb). i just wanna go home and be with friends and family. but then i started talking to elisa and amber, and things got better. then kate and i talked on skype and we laughed (of course i laughed...it was after 10 pm, aka laughing time). then nat got online, and once she finally got on aim (more of a hassle than you know!), the four of us got to talking. we were all so excited to talk that we stepped all over each other's words and interrupted stories and the like.
i love those girls. i'm the luckiest person in the world.
(aw, shit, france HAS made me all gushy!)
26 November, 2007
redneck yacht club
one of my favorite things to do is walk around chic paris listening to country music. the clash of cultures is just....oh, there's nothing better.
today i wore a bright blue tank top with leggings, boots and a jacket, my hair in braids. i must have screamed california, because everyone spoke to me in english today. ah, such is life. i like to spread my smiley, california nature all over the world :-)
oh, and i also owe you a full blog about my weekend, but i've been putting it off cuz i SHOULD be studying for my french test/econ quiz/writing my comm paper. but maybe later tonight i'll give myself a break (ha, like those 3 hours of shopping weren't a break)
today i wore a bright blue tank top with leggings, boots and a jacket, my hair in braids. i must have screamed california, because everyone spoke to me in english today. ah, such is life. i like to spread my smiley, california nature all over the world :-)
oh, and i also owe you a full blog about my weekend, but i've been putting it off cuz i SHOULD be studying for my french test/econ quiz/writing my comm paper. but maybe later tonight i'll give myself a break (ha, like those 3 hours of shopping weren't a break)
25 November, 2007
happy 20th maddy!
okay, so it wasn't "techincally" her birthday, but we went out for maddy's bday tonight. some sort of asian food in the latin quarter, then a bar after. we wandered for a while before we finally settled on a place. me, jv, chris and maddy drank and attempted playing drinking games, but without cards or red cups, we were kind of SOL. i can't freaking wait to play drinking games when i get back home to IV.
after a couple drinks at the first bar, we wandered down to an irish pub (where people are more lively and speak our language). we went downstairs and started chatting with the bartenders/other guys at the bar. maddy had "birthday princess" pin stuck in her hair, which attracted attention. at 11:55, we ordered our shots so we'd be prepared for our midnight drinking. right at midnight, a guy sitting at the bar goes, "it's midnight!" the dj stops the music and yells, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" the music starts playing again, and the four of us started shouting the "happy birthday" song...then everyone in the bar started singing along. once the song ended, we took our shots and started dancing.
to sum it up: our night was phenomenal. on the way home on the metros, maddy told everyone it was her birthday. in typical parisian fashion, most ignored her. lol.
after a couple drinks at the first bar, we wandered down to an irish pub (where people are more lively and speak our language). we went downstairs and started chatting with the bartenders/other guys at the bar. maddy had "birthday princess" pin stuck in her hair, which attracted attention. at 11:55, we ordered our shots so we'd be prepared for our midnight drinking. right at midnight, a guy sitting at the bar goes, "it's midnight!" the dj stops the music and yells, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" the music starts playing again, and the four of us started shouting the "happy birthday" song...then everyone in the bar started singing along. once the song ended, we took our shots and started dancing.
to sum it up: our night was phenomenal. on the way home on the metros, maddy told everyone it was her birthday. in typical parisian fashion, most ignored her. lol.
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