...except i can't do it here anymore. it's not really "de france" anymore, and because i'm back in school with the stresses that go along with it, i can't always promise "avec amour" either. but i really grew attached to my blog. i would look forward to writing about a bizarre day in the blog; if i ever needed to procrastinate, the blog was right there. so you see now why i want it back.
the new* blog is pathetically average. enjoy.
*it's not really new. i've been posting there for quite some time now. i forget now what kind of stuff i posted over there (if i were smarter, i'd check it out), but instead of deleting/starting over, i'll just tell you not to get offended at the other stuff i have written. actually, better yet, get pissed. then write about it.
06 January, 2008
25 December, 2007
and i'll always come back home
to reassure you, i made it back across the atlantic and over the US safely. i'm currently sitting in my living room in san ramon, watching newport harbor with mom and kate (btw, they're totally NOT on the ucsb campus) and enjoying the all day fire.
i love california and home and christmas. this is so right where i'm supposed to be.
i love california and home and christmas. this is so right where i'm supposed to be.
23 December, 2007
wait, does the shuttle think it's picking me up from the airport?!
what if my alarms don't wake me up? what if i forget my computer? what if i don't have my passport? what if i can't find the gate? what if this stupid cold gets me before i even reach the plane?
i can't sleep. it's 4:53 am in paris, which makes it about 8 pm in california. oooo that means i'll be in california in 24 hours! oh, crap, that seems like a REALLY long time. there is so much flying/aiport time between me and the wonderful california soil.
i'm so freaking anxious right now. i want time to pass faster. i tried to pass it by sleeping but i'm way too nervous about sleeping too much..and now i have this cold in my nose and in my throat. SUCKFEST.
ah, i'll watch some newport harbor to pass the time.
i can't sleep. it's 4:53 am in paris, which makes it about 8 pm in california. oooo that means i'll be in california in 24 hours! oh, crap, that seems like a REALLY long time. there is so much flying/aiport time between me and the wonderful california soil.
i'm so freaking anxious right now. i want time to pass faster. i tried to pass it by sleeping but i'm way too nervous about sleeping too much..and now i have this cold in my nose and in my throat. SUCKFEST.
ah, i'll watch some newport harbor to pass the time.
22 December, 2007
this is just like nature intended
tonight mal, maddy, chris, jv, jessie, jay and i went out to this fondue place in montmartre. they serve wine in--get this--baby bottles. seriously. so you're sucking alcohol out of something that is designed to be like a woman's nipple. hahahah. it's a really small place (on rue des trois freres, if you know paris) and it looks kind of dumpy from the outside...but don't all the best places? the sangria place we've gone to a couple times in the latin quarter looks like shit from the outside, but man do they have good sangria (le 10 bar!)
oh, i'm off topic. back to the fondue place. so it's small, and there are only two long tables. if you come in and only part of your party is there, they won't seat you. the guy got kind of mad at us when we tried to come in with 5 out of 7 of us. oops. once we finally got seated, mal, maddy and i had to climb over the tables (seriously) to get into our seats on the bench on the wall.
this is the kind of place with no menu. you get two choices: meat or cheese fondue, and white or red wine (white, for sure. red would have put me to sleep). they bring out a plate of tiny foods and a bowl of bread chunks, all perfect sized for dipping. then they light the fondue lamp on fire and set down a bowl of cheese on top the flame thingy (it's complicated to explain and not really important to the story...just picture a fonude bowl and whatever it looks like in your head is fine).
by the end of the dinner, you're stuffed with cheese and more drunk than you expect...who the heck knows how much wine is in a baby bottle, anyway?
oh, i'm off topic. back to the fondue place. so it's small, and there are only two long tables. if you come in and only part of your party is there, they won't seat you. the guy got kind of mad at us when we tried to come in with 5 out of 7 of us. oops. once we finally got seated, mal, maddy and i had to climb over the tables (seriously) to get into our seats on the bench on the wall.
this is the kind of place with no menu. you get two choices: meat or cheese fondue, and white or red wine (white, for sure. red would have put me to sleep). they bring out a plate of tiny foods and a bowl of bread chunks, all perfect sized for dipping. then they light the fondue lamp on fire and set down a bowl of cheese on top the flame thingy (it's complicated to explain and not really important to the story...just picture a fonude bowl and whatever it looks like in your head is fine).
by the end of the dinner, you're stuffed with cheese and more drunk than you expect...who the heck knows how much wine is in a baby bottle, anyway?
21 December, 2007
finals are done, craigslist here i come!
i finished my econ final about 6 hours ago. i wandered around the city for a while, picked up some last minute souvenirs (and at the same time stressed over how to get it all home) and came home around 315. i gave the jeansons my thank you gift (choclate=always a winner) and now they're out the door. it's just me now. there are a million things i could do with my time: read my new book, watch newport harbor, watch a movie, take a nap, pack.
but all i REALLY want to do on my first day of christmas break is craigslist!* i've been browsing for 3 minutes and i already found a gem: a spinal decompression chair. the description says this: "Rotates to suspend you upside down from hips, naturally seperating compressed spine." WTF kind of chair is this?
someone in IV is giving away a gold couch...the name is deceiving, because the couch isn't gold at all. it's barf mustard yellow from the 70s.
see..ugly. now that craigslist has blessed us with an apartment (and maybe two...shady conquest), i figure maybe the craigslist gods will shine down on us again in the form of a couch...preferably one without germs, but i'm not picky.
*i love the verbification of nouns, like photoshop...though i think adobe gets mad at you when you say "that looks photoshopped."
(and i'm TERRIBLY sorry i put that asterisk and then didn't explain it. i HATE HATE HATE when people do that. it leaves me searching all around like "ohmigod, where is it? where is the asterisk? IS THIS A FLOATING ASTERISK!?")
but all i REALLY want to do on my first day of christmas break is craigslist!* i've been browsing for 3 minutes and i already found a gem: a spinal decompression chair. the description says this: "Rotates to suspend you upside down from hips, naturally seperating compressed spine." WTF kind of chair is this?
someone in IV is giving away a gold couch...the name is deceiving, because the couch isn't gold at all. it's barf mustard yellow from the 70s.
see..ugly. now that craigslist has blessed us with an apartment (and maybe two...shady conquest), i figure maybe the craigslist gods will shine down on us again in the form of a couch...preferably one without germs, but i'm not picky.
*i love the verbification of nouns, like photoshop...though i think adobe gets mad at you when you say "that looks photoshopped."
(and i'm TERRIBLY sorry i put that asterisk and then didn't explain it. i HATE HATE HATE when people do that. it leaves me searching all around like "ohmigod, where is it? where is the asterisk? IS THIS A FLOATING ASTERISK!?")
20 December, 2007
no more skyscrapers in paris. they're ugly.
i went up montparnasse by myself today (well, not really completely by myself...ira glass was with me on my ipod and in my ears). i heard it was a gorgeous view up there, and the sun was shining, and i only have a couple days left, so i was like hell, why not.
i'm not sure what they're going for with the montparnasse 360 tour thingy, but they didn't hit it (unless "it" is bizarre and weird...then they got it spot on). i walk up to the building and look for a line of people waiting to get in. even though it's thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm, i figure there's still gotta be a big demand for montparnasse. i mean, come on, it's the only skyscraper in paris. so anyway, i get there and i don't see a line, but i see some signs that point to "tour montparnasse 360" so i'm like cool, i think i found it.
i walk to the doors and there's a guy standing outside smoking, just kind of looking at me. i'm used to people giving me funny looks now, so i didn't really think much of it. i tried to open the door, but i couldn't. well, dammit, what should i do? the smoking guy was like "no, you have to pull it hard." so i did, blushed, mumbled, "merci" and headed inside.
i still saw no line (HELLO? nobody wants montparnasse right now?!), so i kind of poked around the lobby area for a while. i looked at what was probably a ticket booth with a girl sitting inside, but she didn't even glance at me, so i figured i must have been in the wrong place. but then i looked around the corner and saw nothing promising, so that girl must be the one i get my ticket from. i walked up and i go, "j'achete mon billet ici?" i figured out that this was the wrong thing to say because she responds to me, "sorry?" oh, whatever, screw the french language attempts. i bought my ticket and made my way to the elevators.
it's weird in montparnasse because it's only a tourist attraction on the 56th floor. the other 55 are just regular floors with offices and workers. so i was wandering around with fanny and my camera, making my way around the important businesswomen on their way to whatever was more important.
anyway, i get in the elevator with three other people, one of which may or may not have been a worker. the elevator goes up really fast (that's like montparnasse's "thing," next to being really freakin tall). i pop out and nobody greets me, nothing says where to go...you just enter this café/gift shop area.
the good thing was that there were some more people up there (not a lot...some)...the odd thing was that they were all old. you know, like 80 years old. i guess that's what you do when you're old and retired in paris...hang out at the top of montparnasse. there was NOBODY in the indoor viewing room, and only 4 people on the very top terrace outside.
i couldn't decide if they were trying to do the old paris/historical thing or if they were trying to do a new fangled concept (they=whatever untalented souls designed tour montparnasse 360). there are old pictures of paris and maps through the times showing how paris has changed, so there's the history part. but then, on the elevator to the top and the steps to the terrace, there are these neon blue and green lights, like you're in some back to the future dealy. OH and on the steps there are two randomly really nice flat screen tvs that show pictures of things totally unrelated to paris...boats on some bay, a waterfall, other nature things.
i don't get it. maybe it was because i went up on a thursday afternoon by myself, or maybe it's because there was poor visibility, but i just wasn't a fan of montparnasse. i'd go up the eiffel tower over that anyday.
i'm not sure what they're going for with the montparnasse 360 tour thingy, but they didn't hit it (unless "it" is bizarre and weird...then they got it spot on). i walk up to the building and look for a line of people waiting to get in. even though it's thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm, i figure there's still gotta be a big demand for montparnasse. i mean, come on, it's the only skyscraper in paris. so anyway, i get there and i don't see a line, but i see some signs that point to "tour montparnasse 360" so i'm like cool, i think i found it.
i walk to the doors and there's a guy standing outside smoking, just kind of looking at me. i'm used to people giving me funny looks now, so i didn't really think much of it. i tried to open the door, but i couldn't. well, dammit, what should i do? the smoking guy was like "no, you have to pull it hard." so i did, blushed, mumbled, "merci" and headed inside.
i still saw no line (HELLO? nobody wants montparnasse right now?!), so i kind of poked around the lobby area for a while. i looked at what was probably a ticket booth with a girl sitting inside, but she didn't even glance at me, so i figured i must have been in the wrong place. but then i looked around the corner and saw nothing promising, so that girl must be the one i get my ticket from. i walked up and i go, "j'achete mon billet ici?" i figured out that this was the wrong thing to say because she responds to me, "sorry?" oh, whatever, screw the french language attempts. i bought my ticket and made my way to the elevators.
it's weird in montparnasse because it's only a tourist attraction on the 56th floor. the other 55 are just regular floors with offices and workers. so i was wandering around with fanny and my camera, making my way around the important businesswomen on their way to whatever was more important.
anyway, i get in the elevator with three other people, one of which may or may not have been a worker. the elevator goes up really fast (that's like montparnasse's "thing," next to being really freakin tall). i pop out and nobody greets me, nothing says where to go...you just enter this café/gift shop area.
the good thing was that there were some more people up there (not a lot...some)...the odd thing was that they were all old. you know, like 80 years old. i guess that's what you do when you're old and retired in paris...hang out at the top of montparnasse. there was NOBODY in the indoor viewing room, and only 4 people on the very top terrace outside. i couldn't decide if they were trying to do the old paris/historical thing or if they were trying to do a new fangled concept (they=whatever untalented souls designed tour montparnasse 360). there are old pictures of paris and maps through the times showing how paris has changed, so there's the history part. but then, on the elevator to the top and the steps to the terrace, there are these neon blue and green lights, like you're in some back to the future dealy. OH and on the steps there are two randomly really nice flat screen tvs that show pictures of things totally unrelated to paris...boats on some bay, a waterfall, other nature things.
i don't get it. maybe it was because i went up on a thursday afternoon by myself, or maybe it's because there was poor visibility, but i just wasn't a fan of montparnasse. i'd go up the eiffel tower over that anyday.
i am a queen! now where is my crown?
i don't think i've ever told you guys how much i love queen...or if i did, i totally forget. if i forgot, then you probably forgot, too.
queen is the gay club we go to on wednesdays for ladies night. no, not every wednesday...i'm not that fun or cool or whatever you are if you go out all the time. i think i've been like 4 times. anyway, wednesdays are free for girls, but plenty of boys still show up...actually, quite a few straight ones, too. but lots and lots and lots of super gay guys in there too. last night, there was an ultra gay guy dancing/flinging his body about on a platform, his shirt unbuttoned to show his sexy tats. one of the tattoos outline his left boob (scuse me, pec) and the others followed those V lines that not-so-discreetly pointed to you know what. of course.
the club makes for great people watching. there was this other guy there last night who looked like he was on a date with a girl. i guess date because it was just the two of them, and he was looking REALLY awkward..you know, typical date stuff. it was extra awk because this guy was the biggest nerd i've seen in paris. he was visibly uncomfortable in his extra tall body, his face was speckled with acne, and he just had the face of a geek...you know what i'm saying. he's like those guys from "beauty and the geek." anyway, the girls and i didn't think that he had a CHANCE with the girl he was with...i mean, he was doing the point-your-fingers dance, where you do this white man jig with no beat and point your fingers in the air.
well, about 2 hours later, we see him on the steps, MAKING OUT WITH THE GIRL. we did this excited hop (totally unbeknownst to him) and felt victorious...even though we didn't do a dang thing.
oh, so back to queen. at 130 am, they open up the bar for the girls. "OPEN BAR POUR LES FILLES!" the announcement in the club yells. all the girls at the bar are given a plastic cup (or, rather, we all fight for them and snarl our teeth at bitches who cut in) and two clearly gay bartenders bust open bottles of champagne. but this is no formal affair. to get your cup filled, you have to yell as LOUD as you can, shoving your arms in the air, screaming like you've never wanted anything more in your life. there are about 100 girls crowding around a bar that must be the size of the serving thing at freebirds, all pushing up against each other and covered in champagne, because the bartenders think it's SO funny to pour champagne all over everyone. the whole open bar is animalistic and kind of gross if i think about it, so i just don't. it's gotta be one of my favorite parts of queen, so i'd rather not hear all your criticism ("nicki, you're more mature than that!" no, i'm not).
after that, things really start to heat up. around 2 am, the strippers come out. male strippers (duh). usually they're wearing some sort of nice suit and they do their strippy dance for about 10 minutes. but last night...no, last night was special. when we saw the platforms cleared out, mal, maddy and i made our way to the front (it's gross, but again, just don't think about it. it's more fun to get in to it and laugh your ass off). the stripper walks up on the platform decked out in--get this--a SANTA costume. NO FREAKING WAY. and...it gets better...mariah carey comes on the speakers. "i don't want a lot for christmas...there is just one thing i need..." hahahahaa. so now when i hear that song, i think of that cute little girl from "love actually" and male strippers. awk.
around 230 we decided to head home, but our plans were foiled when we couldn't find a taxi for an hour. in the middle of december. on a wednesday. at 230 am. on the champs elysees. WHERE WERE ALL THE TAXIS?!
oh, gosh, i forgot to tell you the best part of my night. it has nothing to do with dancing or clubs or gay at all. i had dinner with the jeansons and the girl from upstairs. throughout dinner, paul was all whispering to christophe and isabelle, then looking at me. what's this kid got up his sleeve? well, after dinner, paul and christophe go to the kitchen, and come out singing happy birthday (in english) and holding a homemade chocolate cake! i'm gonna miss this family.
oh, wait, one more thing. i found out christophe is one of 8 siblings. 8! can you believe that?!
queen is the gay club we go to on wednesdays for ladies night. no, not every wednesday...i'm not that fun or cool or whatever you are if you go out all the time. i think i've been like 4 times. anyway, wednesdays are free for girls, but plenty of boys still show up...actually, quite a few straight ones, too. but lots and lots and lots of super gay guys in there too. last night, there was an ultra gay guy dancing/flinging his body about on a platform, his shirt unbuttoned to show his sexy tats. one of the tattoos outline his left boob (scuse me, pec) and the others followed those V lines that not-so-discreetly pointed to you know what. of course.
the club makes for great people watching. there was this other guy there last night who looked like he was on a date with a girl. i guess date because it was just the two of them, and he was looking REALLY awkward..you know, typical date stuff. it was extra awk because this guy was the biggest nerd i've seen in paris. he was visibly uncomfortable in his extra tall body, his face was speckled with acne, and he just had the face of a geek...you know what i'm saying. he's like those guys from "beauty and the geek." anyway, the girls and i didn't think that he had a CHANCE with the girl he was with...i mean, he was doing the point-your-fingers dance, where you do this white man jig with no beat and point your fingers in the air.
well, about 2 hours later, we see him on the steps, MAKING OUT WITH THE GIRL. we did this excited hop (totally unbeknownst to him) and felt victorious...even though we didn't do a dang thing.
oh, so back to queen. at 130 am, they open up the bar for the girls. "OPEN BAR POUR LES FILLES!" the announcement in the club yells. all the girls at the bar are given a plastic cup (or, rather, we all fight for them and snarl our teeth at bitches who cut in) and two clearly gay bartenders bust open bottles of champagne. but this is no formal affair. to get your cup filled, you have to yell as LOUD as you can, shoving your arms in the air, screaming like you've never wanted anything more in your life. there are about 100 girls crowding around a bar that must be the size of the serving thing at freebirds, all pushing up against each other and covered in champagne, because the bartenders think it's SO funny to pour champagne all over everyone. the whole open bar is animalistic and kind of gross if i think about it, so i just don't. it's gotta be one of my favorite parts of queen, so i'd rather not hear all your criticism ("nicki, you're more mature than that!" no, i'm not).
after that, things really start to heat up. around 2 am, the strippers come out. male strippers (duh). usually they're wearing some sort of nice suit and they do their strippy dance for about 10 minutes. but last night...no, last night was special. when we saw the platforms cleared out, mal, maddy and i made our way to the front (it's gross, but again, just don't think about it. it's more fun to get in to it and laugh your ass off). the stripper walks up on the platform decked out in--get this--a SANTA costume. NO FREAKING WAY. and...it gets better...mariah carey comes on the speakers. "i don't want a lot for christmas...there is just one thing i need..." hahahahaa. so now when i hear that song, i think of that cute little girl from "love actually" and male strippers. awk.
around 230 we decided to head home, but our plans were foiled when we couldn't find a taxi for an hour. in the middle of december. on a wednesday. at 230 am. on the champs elysees. WHERE WERE ALL THE TAXIS?!
oh, gosh, i forgot to tell you the best part of my night. it has nothing to do with dancing or clubs or gay at all. i had dinner with the jeansons and the girl from upstairs. throughout dinner, paul was all whispering to christophe and isabelle, then looking at me. what's this kid got up his sleeve? well, after dinner, paul and christophe go to the kitchen, and come out singing happy birthday (in english) and holding a homemade chocolate cake! i'm gonna miss this family.
oh, wait, one more thing. i found out christophe is one of 8 siblings. 8! can you believe that?!
19 December, 2007
oh, heavens
i'm nearing the end of my trip. you knew that because i've been mentioning it for the last like month. i don't mean to get all sentimental and gushy, but i'm a girl, so i can't realy help it. when i look back later, though, i don't wanna barf when i read my blog, so i'm gonna try to keep this upbeat. none of that "oh my gosh, i'm gonna miss paris so much and nothing will ever be the same again and my life is totally different" crap. it's SO cliché, and i find myself being a walking cliché way too much lately.
i have this big problem when i buy things (oh, wait, back up. it's not big in the way that poverty or political corruption are..more like a kind of minor issue in my life). i see it, think about it for a long time, then finally decide to buy it. then 63% of the time, i regret it. "ugh, nicki, you didn't really NEED that shirt. you already have plenty of shirts. you're not made of money."
i'm sort of doing that right now, except really trying to remind myself that i need to buy things now because it's a heck of a lot less expensive to get it now than fly back in a couple months to get it then (thanks for the perspective, mom).
on that note, i bought this book today that i've been thinking about for a couple weeks..i wish someone were waiting for me somewhere by anna gavalda. okay, yeah, it's chick lit. cry about it. it'll make for GREAT flight reading.
i have this big problem when i buy things (oh, wait, back up. it's not big in the way that poverty or political corruption are..more like a kind of minor issue in my life). i see it, think about it for a long time, then finally decide to buy it. then 63% of the time, i regret it. "ugh, nicki, you didn't really NEED that shirt. you already have plenty of shirts. you're not made of money."
i'm sort of doing that right now, except really trying to remind myself that i need to buy things now because it's a heck of a lot less expensive to get it now than fly back in a couple months to get it then (thanks for the perspective, mom).
on that note, i bought this book today that i've been thinking about for a couple weeks..i wish someone were waiting for me somewhere by anna gavalda. okay, yeah, it's chick lit. cry about it. it'll make for GREAT flight reading.
17 December, 2007
you have to flick your ash, nat.
because nat and elisa are here, i get to play tour guide/tourist again. it's making me nostalgic for paris already. please excuse me when i do that annoying "i was there!" thing. i know i'll be doing it too much. you can slap me, but just understand and forgive me :-)
oh, man, we had a fun filled (but ABSOLUTELY FREEZING/almost snowing) day. i'll make a list of things that we did so when nat and elisa ask later, i can reel it off.
1. montmartre (sacré-coeur, artist's square, crappy crepes/expensive water, cutsey shops, amelie café, a naughty habit :-X)
2. pigalle/red light district (moulin rouge)
3. arc de triomphe
4. eiffel tower (chinese food, stairs, trocadero gardens, sparkling tower, frozen appendages)
5. champagne/bread/cheese/nutella/pretzels at my house
6. printemps (prettier pink lights)/galleries lafayette (better window displays for the french families to visit)
7. champs elysees (lighted trees, disney store)
*phew* and i've got a final in the morning! lol. oddly enough, i don't feel bad that i spent my whole day with two of my best friends in a phenomenal city. i feel like i'm already looking back at my life and i'm really happy that i chose paris exploration over studying for a class i don't care about.
see you in 6 days, california :-)
oh, man, we had a fun filled (but ABSOLUTELY FREEZING/almost snowing) day. i'll make a list of things that we did so when nat and elisa ask later, i can reel it off.
1. montmartre (sacré-coeur, artist's square, crappy crepes/expensive water, cutsey shops, amelie café, a naughty habit :-X)
2. pigalle/red light district (moulin rouge)
3. arc de triomphe
4. eiffel tower (chinese food, stairs, trocadero gardens, sparkling tower, frozen appendages)
5. champagne/bread/cheese/nutella/pretzels at my house
6. printemps (prettier pink lights)/galleries lafayette (better window displays for the french families to visit)
7. champs elysees (lighted trees, disney store)
*phew* and i've got a final in the morning! lol. oddly enough, i don't feel bad that i spent my whole day with two of my best friends in a phenomenal city. i feel like i'm already looking back at my life and i'm really happy that i chose paris exploration over studying for a class i don't care about.
see you in 6 days, california :-)
things are so wonderfully the same
nat and elisa are here! we went to dinner and just hung out tonight. it was so ordinary and easy to laugh and talk with them. i love that some things don't change :-D
16 December, 2007
wait a second...
...i have to leave in a week? but i was just starting to get used to it! what they said was true: just as i'm getting ready to get outta paris, i'm finally getting in the groove of things. it's not that i've been confused/uncomfortable/awkward/whatever for the last 3.5 months or anything. it's just that...well, i've finally found my fit in the jeanson's house, i've got the map of the city imprinted in my head, and i know how the routines of the people go. if i were to stay next semester, it'd be a thousand times easier and i'm sure i'd be able to really delve into the culture more because i wouldn't be so worried about how to do things. spring semester would be quite different from the fall.
but this doesn't in the LEAST mean i'm not ready to get back to california :-)
but this doesn't in the LEAST mean i'm not ready to get back to california :-)
oh, man...
...i dropped a half full bottle of wine in the metro tonight. suckfest.
oh, i never told you the story about getting to the barcelona airport. our flight left at 3:20 pm, so we figured we should get to the airport around 2 pm. to get there, we had to leave the hostel around 1230 or 1245. we ended up leaving the hostel at 1215, so we had plenty of time. mal and i were even getting excited about the great airport shopping we'd get to do (seriously, we love it). we made our way to the train station and asked the ladies at the questions booth which one was the train to the airport. she looks at us confused (because we asked in english), so we repeated, then she responded in perfectly clear english, "platform 9."
rockin, platform 9. we make it there and see that the train is coming in 2 minutes. even better. we hop on and because there are no seats, we have to sit in the front part for luggage and bikes. i made lots of jokes about the boxcar children because i'm witty. the conductor comes down and asks maddy for the tickets (in spanish). she's like uhhh do you speak english? no, he says. luckily, there's this other guy sitting by us who knows some english, so he helps us translate. we were told by the ladies at the ticket booth that we didn't need to buy tickets for the train, maddy said (and the guy translated).
you're not going to the airport on this train, the conductor/the translator said.
we just laughed, because really, what can you do? the translator guy told us we'd be able to switch at the next station about 30 minutes away, and the airport would be about 10 minutes from there. we left early and had plenty of time to get to the airport, so we weren't freaking out. actually, we quite enjoyed the ride because it took us past the sunny mediterranean so we got to see some spanish countryside.
we get off at the next stop--villanova--to change cars. we figure out which one takes us to the airport (and double check this time) and hop on. some nice old spanish ladies with a cute puppy tell us where to get off. once we got off, we looked for airplanes and find none. oh, no, those old bitches totally screwed us! no, false...we actually just had to change trains there. we asked more security guards if we were getting on the right train because now it's 2:20 and we should probably be checking in. the train to the airport will come at 2:39 and will take maybe 6 minutes, says a security guard in broken english.
at this point, the delay isn't fun anymore. none of us are laughing and we're getting tense. we started figuring that we wouldnt be able to check our bags, so we start thinking about ways to save our liquids or something.
2:39 on the dot, the train comes. on the ride over, ben lee's "catch my disease" comes on and it oddly calms me. like...there's no point in freaking out. i'm either going to the plane or i'm not, whether i'm stressed or not.
the train arrived at the airport and we sprinted to the check in counter for last minute check in. after a little tiff about paying for baggage, the woman let us put our bags on the plane free of charge (as she should). we found our gate, saw that the plane was delayed (of course) and actually calmed down.
*sigh* flying can be so difficult sometimes. only one trip left--to the US!
oh, i never told you the story about getting to the barcelona airport. our flight left at 3:20 pm, so we figured we should get to the airport around 2 pm. to get there, we had to leave the hostel around 1230 or 1245. we ended up leaving the hostel at 1215, so we had plenty of time. mal and i were even getting excited about the great airport shopping we'd get to do (seriously, we love it). we made our way to the train station and asked the ladies at the questions booth which one was the train to the airport. she looks at us confused (because we asked in english), so we repeated, then she responded in perfectly clear english, "platform 9."
rockin, platform 9. we make it there and see that the train is coming in 2 minutes. even better. we hop on and because there are no seats, we have to sit in the front part for luggage and bikes. i made lots of jokes about the boxcar children because i'm witty. the conductor comes down and asks maddy for the tickets (in spanish). she's like uhhh do you speak english? no, he says. luckily, there's this other guy sitting by us who knows some english, so he helps us translate. we were told by the ladies at the ticket booth that we didn't need to buy tickets for the train, maddy said (and the guy translated).
you're not going to the airport on this train, the conductor/the translator said.
we just laughed, because really, what can you do? the translator guy told us we'd be able to switch at the next station about 30 minutes away, and the airport would be about 10 minutes from there. we left early and had plenty of time to get to the airport, so we weren't freaking out. actually, we quite enjoyed the ride because it took us past the sunny mediterranean so we got to see some spanish countryside.
we get off at the next stop--villanova--to change cars. we figure out which one takes us to the airport (and double check this time) and hop on. some nice old spanish ladies with a cute puppy tell us where to get off. once we got off, we looked for airplanes and find none. oh, no, those old bitches totally screwed us! no, false...we actually just had to change trains there. we asked more security guards if we were getting on the right train because now it's 2:20 and we should probably be checking in. the train to the airport will come at 2:39 and will take maybe 6 minutes, says a security guard in broken english.
at this point, the delay isn't fun anymore. none of us are laughing and we're getting tense. we started figuring that we wouldnt be able to check our bags, so we start thinking about ways to save our liquids or something.
2:39 on the dot, the train comes. on the ride over, ben lee's "catch my disease" comes on and it oddly calms me. like...there's no point in freaking out. i'm either going to the plane or i'm not, whether i'm stressed or not.
the train arrived at the airport and we sprinted to the check in counter for last minute check in. after a little tiff about paying for baggage, the woman let us put our bags on the plane free of charge (as she should). we found our gate, saw that the plane was delayed (of course) and actually calmed down.
*sigh* flying can be so difficult sometimes. only one trip left--to the US!
15 December, 2007
barthelona, te quiero!
the reviews are in: barcelona was my favorite city. i don't know if it's that i've finally gotten used to traveling and can get the most out of it now, or because i'm getting sentimental at the end of my trip, or if it's because i'm spanish at heart, but i loved barcelona. it was the first place i really didn't want to leave. (it's not like i was DYING to get out of the other places...just never quite as disappointed to get back on the plane).
barcelona was europe's version of california...everyone was a bit more laid back, the sun was shining on a bright blue backdrop, the beach ran right up to the city, and i was comfortable walking around in a light jacket. okay, to be fair, it was more like so cal. i know that chico and eureka and weed aren't anything like what i described.
maybe barcelona charmed me so because it was like getting a little drop of home, which i just miss oh so much. 1 week and 1 day!
ah, but back to barcelona. we stayed in a small hostel with an adorable hostel keeper. me, mal, maddy and chris stayed in a four person room, which is WAY better than the 8 person in rome and 32 person in amsterdam (though, oddly, the 32 person was not quite as awk...). jasmin stayed in the party hostel down the street. we ended up going out with people from her hostel on wednesday night (aka my birthday!). we went to a bar with 500 different shots for only 180 euro each, and oh boy did we take advantage. everyone in the party hostel somehow knew it was my birthday, so the hostel keeper bought me a shot, then all my friends bought me shots, and i didn't have to buy myself a drink the whole night :-D
when my birthday shot came, there was a sparkler stuck in it. the bartender lit the sparkler, and everyone started singing...yeah, even strangers. i love that stuff. anyway, the birthday song came to an end, but the sparkler didnt. uh oh. what do i do? i tried to blow it out, but couldn't. everyone was looking at me sort of expectantly, and some people were even shouting, "come on, take it!" well, i CAN'T because there's fire on it. i couldn't blow it out. i looked over at my friends at one point with a look that was like, "uhm, hello, what do i do?" finally the catastrophe came to an end and the sparkler went out. shot number one down with ease ;-)
the other shots we took were: harry potter, boy scout (complete with marshmellow to roast!), acid, noel and princess (which was really just scotch, which is the opposite of a princess drink). one guy we went out with was from canada...he was wearing a sport jacket and a button down shirt with about 5 buttons undone. and he had brown hair with frosted tips (and was thus dubbed "frosty.") seven years ago, i thought my perfect man would have blue eyes and frosted tips...but today, that's just sort of ridiculous. anyway, frosty had this crazy theory that if he waited to enter the job market for like, oh, 4 or 5 years, he'd be able to get a job no problem cuz that's when the baby boomers were retired. so he's not doing anything till then, really. he told both me AND mal this exact same story. this is his line. frosty has no moves.
this other guy we met was from colorado. he was 19 and traveling around europe, "taking a break from school." you need a break already?
the hostel owner-mauro-had some of the best stories (most of which are too explicit to repeat). he also hooked up with one of the girls staying in the hostel. ahhh the life of the hostel keeper.
i love meeting new crazies in hostels. i poke fun, but really, they're all good people.
before we went to barcelona, everyone was like OMG YOU HAVE TO GET TAPAS!!! so we wandered around the city, starving and tired, looking for a good place to eat tapas. we finally settled on this little place near barcelona's arc de triopmf (aka the standard european monument) and we thought that because it looked pretty traditionally spanish, it must be good. we were confused about the tapas, so we asked the waiter for tapas in a mixture of awful spanish on our part and struggling english on his part. he gestured to the bar area, where the tapas were displayed. okay...i guess we pick tapas from under the glass. me, jasmin, maddy and mal each picked one. they served, and we ate.
i don't get tapas. they were just snacks, and they weren't that good. i would describe them, but it doesn't matter, becauset tapas can be ANYTHING. that's why i dont get why everyone was like, "OMG EAT TAPAS." it's just food, guys. that like saying to someone, "hey, when you go to california, eat stuff. yeah, anything. just eat stuff." tapas are totally not special. they're just snacks. don't give a fancy name to something that is just a stupid snack.
anyway, after the tapas incident, we were determined to get some good spanish food. luckily we ran into a friend of a friend in a park (like i say after every trip...small world) and she pointed us toward a place with cheap paella. mmmmm that's delicious. not in a unique way...paella is just rice and veggies and meat. but it was warm and the flavoring was good and it complimented our sangria quite well ;-)
oh, gosh, i have a funny story about getting to the airport and screwing up traveling, but that will wait until tomorrow. i'm just too tired for now.
8 days to home.
barcelona was europe's version of california...everyone was a bit more laid back, the sun was shining on a bright blue backdrop, the beach ran right up to the city, and i was comfortable walking around in a light jacket. okay, to be fair, it was more like so cal. i know that chico and eureka and weed aren't anything like what i described.
maybe barcelona charmed me so because it was like getting a little drop of home, which i just miss oh so much. 1 week and 1 day!
ah, but back to barcelona. we stayed in a small hostel with an adorable hostel keeper. me, mal, maddy and chris stayed in a four person room, which is WAY better than the 8 person in rome and 32 person in amsterdam (though, oddly, the 32 person was not quite as awk...). jasmin stayed in the party hostel down the street. we ended up going out with people from her hostel on wednesday night (aka my birthday!). we went to a bar with 500 different shots for only 180 euro each, and oh boy did we take advantage. everyone in the party hostel somehow knew it was my birthday, so the hostel keeper bought me a shot, then all my friends bought me shots, and i didn't have to buy myself a drink the whole night :-D
when my birthday shot came, there was a sparkler stuck in it. the bartender lit the sparkler, and everyone started singing...yeah, even strangers. i love that stuff. anyway, the birthday song came to an end, but the sparkler didnt. uh oh. what do i do? i tried to blow it out, but couldn't. everyone was looking at me sort of expectantly, and some people were even shouting, "come on, take it!" well, i CAN'T because there's fire on it. i couldn't blow it out. i looked over at my friends at one point with a look that was like, "uhm, hello, what do i do?" finally the catastrophe came to an end and the sparkler went out. shot number one down with ease ;-)
the other shots we took were: harry potter, boy scout (complete with marshmellow to roast!), acid, noel and princess (which was really just scotch, which is the opposite of a princess drink). one guy we went out with was from canada...he was wearing a sport jacket and a button down shirt with about 5 buttons undone. and he had brown hair with frosted tips (and was thus dubbed "frosty.") seven years ago, i thought my perfect man would have blue eyes and frosted tips...but today, that's just sort of ridiculous. anyway, frosty had this crazy theory that if he waited to enter the job market for like, oh, 4 or 5 years, he'd be able to get a job no problem cuz that's when the baby boomers were retired. so he's not doing anything till then, really. he told both me AND mal this exact same story. this is his line. frosty has no moves.
this other guy we met was from colorado. he was 19 and traveling around europe, "taking a break from school." you need a break already?
the hostel owner-mauro-had some of the best stories (most of which are too explicit to repeat). he also hooked up with one of the girls staying in the hostel. ahhh the life of the hostel keeper.
i love meeting new crazies in hostels. i poke fun, but really, they're all good people.
before we went to barcelona, everyone was like OMG YOU HAVE TO GET TAPAS!!! so we wandered around the city, starving and tired, looking for a good place to eat tapas. we finally settled on this little place near barcelona's arc de triopmf (aka the standard european monument) and we thought that because it looked pretty traditionally spanish, it must be good. we were confused about the tapas, so we asked the waiter for tapas in a mixture of awful spanish on our part and struggling english on his part. he gestured to the bar area, where the tapas were displayed. okay...i guess we pick tapas from under the glass. me, jasmin, maddy and mal each picked one. they served, and we ate.
i don't get tapas. they were just snacks, and they weren't that good. i would describe them, but it doesn't matter, becauset tapas can be ANYTHING. that's why i dont get why everyone was like, "OMG EAT TAPAS." it's just food, guys. that like saying to someone, "hey, when you go to california, eat stuff. yeah, anything. just eat stuff." tapas are totally not special. they're just snacks. don't give a fancy name to something that is just a stupid snack.
anyway, after the tapas incident, we were determined to get some good spanish food. luckily we ran into a friend of a friend in a park (like i say after every trip...small world) and she pointed us toward a place with cheap paella. mmmmm that's delicious. not in a unique way...paella is just rice and veggies and meat. but it was warm and the flavoring was good and it complimented our sangria quite well ;-)
oh, gosh, i have a funny story about getting to the airport and screwing up traveling, but that will wait until tomorrow. i'm just too tired for now.
8 days to home.
11 December, 2007
want a beer?
i'm about to turn 21 and guess what i'm doing...BLOGGING! and nothing could help ring in the new year of ME better.
ah, this is bizarre. when i wrote that first line, i was 20*. these sentences are my first ones written as a person who can drink alcohol legally in the united states and iceland. can't you tell the difference? i can.
anyway, i've gotta leave the house in 5 hours to get on the metro to catch a plane to barcelona. i need to get some rest. yeah, even 21-yr-olds need sleep.
*i looked back at it when i turned 21 1 minute later, and decided it needed editing. 21-yr-old me is a better writer.
ah, this is bizarre. when i wrote that first line, i was 20*. these sentences are my first ones written as a person who can drink alcohol legally in the united states and iceland. can't you tell the difference? i can.
anyway, i've gotta leave the house in 5 hours to get on the metro to catch a plane to barcelona. i need to get some rest. yeah, even 21-yr-olds need sleep.
*i looked back at it when i turned 21 1 minute later, and decided it needed editing. 21-yr-old me is a better writer.
what? it's my birthday?
i've been doing this weird thing the last couple years. i sort of forget about my birthday. i mean, it's not like i totally forget...it's just like it's no big deal. yeah, there's my birthday, a couple weeks away. whatev.
and then it gets up real close to the actual day and i start to get more excited. it's not even like i want to DO anything big on my birthday. it's just like..ooo, here's a special day where everyone's nicer to me and i get lots of wall posts. nothing making me happier than some good wall postings.
this is the big birthday...the big 2-1. it's the age that everyone wants to be. and now i'm there. I'M SO OLD.
and then it gets up real close to the actual day and i start to get more excited. it's not even like i want to DO anything big on my birthday. it's just like..ooo, here's a special day where everyone's nicer to me and i get lots of wall posts. nothing making me happier than some good wall postings.
this is the big birthday...the big 2-1. it's the age that everyone wants to be. and now i'm there. I'M SO OLD.
10 December, 2007
so, what was your favorite part of the trip?
hell, i don't know. you're asking me to take every experience i had in the last 3.5 incredibly packed, phenomenal months, rank them instantly, and spit out my response. i can't do that very well. that's why i don't answer these sort of questions well.
"uhhh...uhmm...i dunno, the eiffel tower?"
see, that's a totally lame answer 1) because you were expecting something more in depth and 2) because that's not even true! *sigh* i think i'm gonna make a list of my favorite things in this blog and then, when people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, i'll retort, "defranceavecamour.blogspot.com...read it."
lol. how excited are you to have me home?! btw, i'm not saying don't ask me...please, please do ask me about my trip. just don't expect beautifully insightful answers :-P
<2 weeks
"uhhh...uhmm...i dunno, the eiffel tower?"
see, that's a totally lame answer 1) because you were expecting something more in depth and 2) because that's not even true! *sigh* i think i'm gonna make a list of my favorite things in this blog and then, when people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, i'll retort, "defranceavecamour.blogspot.com...read it."
lol. how excited are you to have me home?! btw, i'm not saying don't ask me...please, please do ask me about my trip. just don't expect beautifully insightful answers :-P
<2 weeks
09 December, 2007
faire le dessin!
paul and i have been playing on the computer a lot lately. well, really, he plays and tells me what to do. whatever. we both have a grand ol' time. mr and mme jeanson usually just leave us alone, unless paul's gotta go take a bath or work on his homework or eat.
tonight while paul and i were doing some sort of christmas game, mme jeanson pops her head in and just sort of laughs at us (this little boy's sitting on my lap and we're both SO FOCUSED on getting every bulb lit on the virtual christmas tree, so we must look pretty funny). i smile back and she goes, "you're like the perfect big sister." i laughed and made some joke (because i don't take compliments well), and she chuckled and went back to her work.
it was probably a bit sarcastic, but it was the best compliment i've gotten in a while (and someone told me i looked like miss america today, too!). yeah, i'm gonna miss this little family when i leave. i mean, look at the kid...he's a frickin baller.
tonight while paul and i were doing some sort of christmas game, mme jeanson pops her head in and just sort of laughs at us (this little boy's sitting on my lap and we're both SO FOCUSED on getting every bulb lit on the virtual christmas tree, so we must look pretty funny). i smile back and she goes, "you're like the perfect big sister." i laughed and made some joke (because i don't take compliments well), and she chuckled and went back to her work.
it was probably a bit sarcastic, but it was the best compliment i've gotten in a while (and someone told me i looked like miss america today, too!). yeah, i'm gonna miss this little family when i leave. i mean, look at the kid...he's a frickin baller.
go away, rain
i'd be fine with the rain if i were in san ramon or sb right now. when it rains at home, i take that as i sign that i should stay inside all day and not feel guilty because only crazies go out in the rain.
but here, i have so much wandering left to do and so many christmas wonders to see. i try going out in the rain, but then my boots get soaked with water and my pants get drenched and sometimes, when i'm really lucky, all the water from the roof falls on my head. (that last thing seriously happened to me today...i shrieked then laughed hysterically, because seriously, when does that happen in real life?)
so i spent most of the day inside with my roommate facebook. once i did go outside to the christmas market at la defense (HUGE and wonderful), i got wet. the only good part about rain is that it makes changing into my pajamas better (and you thought that wasn't possible).
at the christmas market, this nice guy gave me one of his handmade metal ornament dealies for free. to be honest, i have no idea what i'll do with this, but it was the nicest thing that happened to me all day, so i'm thankful for it.
imagine this row of booths and times it by like 10. gigantor. i should have expected that...it's la defense. everything's bigger there.
but here, i have so much wandering left to do and so many christmas wonders to see. i try going out in the rain, but then my boots get soaked with water and my pants get drenched and sometimes, when i'm really lucky, all the water from the roof falls on my head. (that last thing seriously happened to me today...i shrieked then laughed hysterically, because seriously, when does that happen in real life?)
so i spent most of the day inside with my roommate facebook. once i did go outside to the christmas market at la defense (HUGE and wonderful), i got wet. the only good part about rain is that it makes changing into my pajamas better (and you thought that wasn't possible).
at the christmas market, this nice guy gave me one of his handmade metal ornament dealies for free. to be honest, i have no idea what i'll do with this, but it was the nicest thing that happened to me all day, so i'm thankful for it.
imagine this row of booths and times it by like 10. gigantor. i should have expected that...it's la defense. everything's bigger there.
08 December, 2007
a bookstore, a piano bar and cheap sangria
you know, this city isn't THAT expensive if you look hard enough...or maybe i've just been here too long and am now convinced that a 6 euro cocktail isn't "that bad."
last night began at shakespeare and company. if you know me (and i think you do, loyal readers), then you know i was excited about this. there's this book called "i wish someone were waiting for me somewhere" by anna gavalda that i've picked up the last 2 times i've been in there. it's a great little read, but the only thing stopping me from actually buying the book like a regular person is that it cost 13.50 euro. and it's a small book. so no, i'm not gonna pay like $20 for a book. i'll just go in the shop and steal some reading.
afterward we went to a wine bar that turned out to be a piano bar for happy hour cocktails. the guy sang some french songs and then some english songs and attempted that louis armstrong thing...you know, that thing where it sounds like he's kinda got a loogi he's trying to get out? that's the second french performer i've heard attempt that. what's with people? ah, louis armstrong voice or not, the guy was great and mal, maddy, chris and i agreed that we were new fans of piano bars.
in search of a dry place (where the heck did all the rain come from?!) with cheap drinks, we headed to le 10 bar, where there were rumored pitchers of cheap sangria. it was true! about 13 euro for a 4-person pitcher, which gave us all 2 glasses of sangria. we busted out our paris souvenir cards and played a few rounds of BS. THAT GAME IS CRAZY. i hate when people have four of a card, because then there's NO WAY that anybody else can lie. i at least want the option of lying if i feel like it, because that's the freaking point of the game, people.
aw, crap, i'm getting all worked up and saying "people" like mom does when she's trying to get us off the couch in san clemente (clapclap "come on, people!"). i think that means it's time to end the post.
last night began at shakespeare and company. if you know me (and i think you do, loyal readers), then you know i was excited about this. there's this book called "i wish someone were waiting for me somewhere" by anna gavalda that i've picked up the last 2 times i've been in there. it's a great little read, but the only thing stopping me from actually buying the book like a regular person is that it cost 13.50 euro. and it's a small book. so no, i'm not gonna pay like $20 for a book. i'll just go in the shop and steal some reading.
afterward we went to a wine bar that turned out to be a piano bar for happy hour cocktails. the guy sang some french songs and then some english songs and attempted that louis armstrong thing...you know, that thing where it sounds like he's kinda got a loogi he's trying to get out? that's the second french performer i've heard attempt that. what's with people? ah, louis armstrong voice or not, the guy was great and mal, maddy, chris and i agreed that we were new fans of piano bars.
in search of a dry place (where the heck did all the rain come from?!) with cheap drinks, we headed to le 10 bar, where there were rumored pitchers of cheap sangria. it was true! about 13 euro for a 4-person pitcher, which gave us all 2 glasses of sangria. we busted out our paris souvenir cards and played a few rounds of BS. THAT GAME IS CRAZY. i hate when people have four of a card, because then there's NO WAY that anybody else can lie. i at least want the option of lying if i feel like it, because that's the freaking point of the game, people.
aw, crap, i'm getting all worked up and saying "people" like mom does when she's trying to get us off the couch in san clemente (clapclap "come on, people!"). i think that means it's time to end the post.
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