TIRED= me.
Woke up about 6 50 just in case and got ready and to the school metro stop about 8 10ish and then got lost of course haha but found the school at 9 and waited around for half hour for the meeting to start. I chatted with some isa-ers as they arrived, seem nice! They’re not usac-cool yet ;)
Had a meeting about our program then wandered with a few people to grab BREBIS cheese a baguette and water then ate lunch in le jardin de Luxembourg which is a hop and skip from our school :) I perceive myself spending lots of time there, sooo pretty.
Went back to school, had meetings about pickpockets, homestay stuff, yada yada. I don’t do anything class-related until MONDAY YAYYY!!! I’m not taking an art class so I get two more days vacation!!
Skipped out of the meetings and walked around le quartier latin with a group of six people, just meandered. Used my visa and bought a 60 buck pass card for the metro which means no more flimsy paper tickets! I have an ID and everything…I’m becoming more parisien by the DAY yayyyy
Walked around, saw notre dame again, took pictures. Got more berthillon famous ice cream, pistachio for me!! happyyy!!!
Walked and chilled for about 3 hours doing nothing specific, no one likes tourist shops and book shops but me I guess so we didn’t stop many places. Had a small pineapple juice, strawberry juice and coco milk drink to be refreshed at happy hour and then we walked to our restaurant. SO NICE, ISA organized a welcome dinner! It was at this nice restaurant, for my appetizer I had my own crepe, then salmon with noodles then chocolate mousse and a lotttt of fanta to drink haha. It was good, French, yumm. I was a riot at dinner, everyone says I remind them of like…Amanda bynes and characters from all that lol.
Took my new buds to the Eiffel tower after dinner…along the way on the metro some big man came up to my friend, he had been staring at us, he said do you speak English, said something quickly about English speaking Americans being whores or something then left. No harm done but im buying pepper spray tomorrow. My friend hates being yelled at so she cried a little! sooo sad. I cheered her up by taking her to la tour Eiffel. We only stayed for a little then split up on metros to go home.
So yeah. A good day, people overall seem nice! Two girls and I are going shopping all day at the sales tomorrow so im EXCITED for that!! Oh also, I told my whole program I came to paris to have fireworks on my birthday haha.
So no classes yet but friends are a-formin!!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Cordially Invited!!
MORNING….slept in till 9am, I’m on vacation don’t you know? It was my last opportunity to sleep in before diving into school, excursions and real Parisien life, so I did!!
Had breakfast with my Venezuelan roommate and host mom, realized I have not seen any movies…like they talked about all these international films from around the world and im like…I’ve seen the American harry potter films? I’m SO lame. I need to be more cultured
Went to buy an adaptor with my roommate, my converter I worry will die so my roommate and I split the cost of an adapter I will use it only for charging my camera. But yay now I have one for my camera!
After that I hopped a metro to le jardin de Luxembourg…got a little lost but was happy cuz im in paris. Stopped at a SUBWAY haha it WAS SO GOOD, had a wrap, vinegar AMAZINGGG chips and a coca light, yummmyy. Total tourist trap but I didn’t care lol
Found my school for tomorrow, it looks pretty from the outside, then found the nearest metro stop. I have to be at school at 9 30, I’ll probably leave here about 7 45 ughhh. I don’t want to be late is all!
Hopped a metro and met up with JESSICA B, an old friend who is from Naperville and is here till June 24th. We then saw her school, bought oranginas and went to l’ile de st Louis for berthillon ice cream, the most famous in france. I WILLLLL be wanting more of that stuff, I got raspberry sorbet and was happy. We lounged a bit next to la seine and then wandered to find some food. We wound up drinking virgin (for me) and alcohol-induced pina coladas and tAPASSS from a small quaint restaurant. They weren’t as good as in spain but I diddd love them. Then I took her to notre dame to see it in all its glory. Shopped a little, got some gooood stuff :)
Soon we were hungry, so I found a small crepe place near notre dame and Jessica tried her 1st crepe, ham and cheese for both of us and we sat and drank fantas and ate crepes in front of notre dame. What an unbelievable thought…notre dame, crepes and fanta. Perfection.
After crepes, we metro-ed over to la tour Eiffel for Jessica to see it and me to visit my favorite batiment of all time <3 I love it so. Finally bought some keychains and a scarf thing I wanted and these two vendors kissed my cheeks when Jessica took my picture by the Eiffel tower haha. It was in good fun they were a blast. We then wandered a bit aways from la tour Eiffel to see the score of the spain game…oh yeah did I mention that right in front of la tour Eiffel, not by le champ de mars but by the aquarium there is a big screen for the game and literally thousands of people sit and watch it together every time there is a game? SOOO cool.
Anyways, metro-ed back to my house b/c oh yeah…even though I’ve been walking hours on end for the past 5 days and today was my relaxing today? I got a blister today. It’s ENORMOUS and bloody and gross and I hate it and want it to leave.
I’m home now, happy, exhausted, nervous for my 1st day and sore still from never ending my walking lol. Maybe it willll be good to have class cuz then I have to sit….and work hard meh. We’ll see about the last thing :)
Started to paris with 300 euro…down to about 100, lunch/dinner yeah…expensive stuff here. I’m hoping there is a nearby lunch place to me at my school so I can spend less on food.
MISSSS my family and friends oooooodles today. Randomly saw a girl from usac who is staying an extra two days in paris with her MOM. HER MOM CAME, I WANT MYYYY MOM TO COMEEEE. Jealous. My other roommate, not Venezuelan, her mom, aunt, cousin and sister are all coming. DEAR PACK FAMILY, YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO FRANCE TO VISIT JANET, COME NOW I MISS YOU ALLLL!!!
I’m not homesick, just miss you guys!!
Okay, so off to bed and then to school in the morning (bah humbug a little, excitement too to meet new people and nervous too, eMOTIONS everywhereeee haha!!)
Had breakfast with my Venezuelan roommate and host mom, realized I have not seen any movies…like they talked about all these international films from around the world and im like…I’ve seen the American harry potter films? I’m SO lame. I need to be more cultured
Went to buy an adaptor with my roommate, my converter I worry will die so my roommate and I split the cost of an adapter I will use it only for charging my camera. But yay now I have one for my camera!
After that I hopped a metro to le jardin de Luxembourg…got a little lost but was happy cuz im in paris. Stopped at a SUBWAY haha it WAS SO GOOD, had a wrap, vinegar AMAZINGGG chips and a coca light, yummmyy. Total tourist trap but I didn’t care lol
Found my school for tomorrow, it looks pretty from the outside, then found the nearest metro stop. I have to be at school at 9 30, I’ll probably leave here about 7 45 ughhh. I don’t want to be late is all!
Hopped a metro and met up with JESSICA B, an old friend who is from Naperville and is here till June 24th. We then saw her school, bought oranginas and went to l’ile de st Louis for berthillon ice cream, the most famous in france. I WILLLLL be wanting more of that stuff, I got raspberry sorbet and was happy. We lounged a bit next to la seine and then wandered to find some food. We wound up drinking virgin (for me) and alcohol-induced pina coladas and tAPASSS from a small quaint restaurant. They weren’t as good as in spain but I diddd love them. Then I took her to notre dame to see it in all its glory. Shopped a little, got some gooood stuff :)
Soon we were hungry, so I found a small crepe place near notre dame and Jessica tried her 1st crepe, ham and cheese for both of us and we sat and drank fantas and ate crepes in front of notre dame. What an unbelievable thought…notre dame, crepes and fanta. Perfection.
After crepes, we metro-ed over to la tour Eiffel for Jessica to see it and me to visit my favorite batiment of all time <3 I love it so. Finally bought some keychains and a scarf thing I wanted and these two vendors kissed my cheeks when Jessica took my picture by the Eiffel tower haha. It was in good fun they were a blast. We then wandered a bit aways from la tour Eiffel to see the score of the spain game…oh yeah did I mention that right in front of la tour Eiffel, not by le champ de mars but by the aquarium there is a big screen for the game and literally thousands of people sit and watch it together every time there is a game? SOOO cool.
Anyways, metro-ed back to my house b/c oh yeah…even though I’ve been walking hours on end for the past 5 days and today was my relaxing today? I got a blister today. It’s ENORMOUS and bloody and gross and I hate it and want it to leave.
I’m home now, happy, exhausted, nervous for my 1st day and sore still from never ending my walking lol. Maybe it willll be good to have class cuz then I have to sit….and work hard meh. We’ll see about the last thing :)
Started to paris with 300 euro…down to about 100, lunch/dinner yeah…expensive stuff here. I’m hoping there is a nearby lunch place to me at my school so I can spend less on food.
MISSSS my family and friends oooooodles today. Randomly saw a girl from usac who is staying an extra two days in paris with her MOM. HER MOM CAME, I WANT MYYYY MOM TO COMEEEE. Jealous. My other roommate, not Venezuelan, her mom, aunt, cousin and sister are all coming. DEAR PACK FAMILY, YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO FRANCE TO VISIT JANET, COME NOW I MISS YOU ALLLL!!!
I’m not homesick, just miss you guys!!
Okay, so off to bed and then to school in the morning (bah humbug a little, excitement too to meet new people and nervous too, eMOTIONS everywhereeee haha!!)
Monday, June 28, 2010
PARISIENNE!!
HELLO WORLD, It’s Janet aka Parisienne Lady :)
I’m thrilled here. THRILLED a lot of the time. Even when I’m lost it’s like..magical. I know there will be a metro or I can ask and everyone is so friendly!
Things I don’t like about Paris
1. My family/friends are not here
2. The gypsies…if someone comes up to you and asks if you speak English you say no b/c they will try to get your money. Sometimes they act very pitiful or hold puppies and I even saw one holding a baby and begging on the streets. I hate that.
3. My family/friends aren’t here.
Okay…that’s all really. I loveee Paris. I LOVE the Metro.
Today, slept in until 8am again, that’s annoying. Met the USAC kids at the Eiffel Tower by walking…I have every intention of haggling some mini Eiffel towers for my friends someday haha there are soooo many venders there walking around being aggressive it makes me laugh. If you scowl and say no they go away. One guy came up to me and said I will draw you nice girl for you it is free, I said no but he was right I am nice lol.
After the Eiffel Tower we metro-ed over to L’Arc de Triomhe, I took a mini video of it sooo beautiful Speaking of videos, I fully finished my first memory card of France today!! IT’S FULL, I have over 1233 pictures of Paris so far…it’s been 5 days…lol
I didn’t go up the arc b/c my museum pass expired yesterday but the view from below was perfect for me. I just relaxed, didn’t go up 300 stairs lol. I’m soreee from notre dame stairs yesterday
Atfer the Arc we hitched a metro to le Marais, one of the oldest parts of Paris and one of the most beautiful. It was fantastic. There, we went to the Jewish section and ate at an Israelian lunch place…YUP FALAFELS and onions and pitas and fries soooooo good. 13 euro for a plate of goodies, I left happy.
A few of us tried to go to the Catacombs after that but it was closed cuz it’s Monday. So I went to la Place Concorde while everyone went to Notre Dame. Sadly, Place de Concorde was blocked off b/c they are doing something in preparation for bastille day…aka my birthday. So, I forgave them. Sat in a nearby grassy area overlooking la place, didn’t go into Jardin des tuileries b/c I want to save that lol. Sooo I walked down rue de rivoli, theres a gazillion souvenir shops there I had to hold back! Got myelf and my brother these like…vinyl scarf things for our rooms, mine is France his Spain, hope he likes it!!
Then, I walked to le louvre. OH.MY.GOODNESSBEAUTIFUL. I loved it, teared up a bit of course. I went inside the big Pyramid cuz it was free and just stood. Then I left b/c I knew id be comng back a lot lol. So then I walked to la comedie francaise for a photo of that and look at the dates of shows there, then I walked to the moliere fountain to pay homage to one of my favorite playwrights…then I strolled, got a fanta (they TASTE SO GOOD HERE it isn’t like usa fanta at ALL) and headed home. Had some delicious chicken for dinner and couscous and an ice cream. There is no brebis cheese here, it makes me sad, I miss brebis a LOTT. I am managing with eating chevre though, that’s goat. It doesn’t taste as bad as it used to, maybe im becoming more and more French!!
Anyways, no big plans tomorrow except im meeting up with Jessica, she is from my hometown of Naperville and we are buds from way back and im excited to see a friendly face. The usac kids leave tomorrow :( tomorrow, I’ll stroll…maybe go check out where my school is and do le jardin du Luxembourg tomorrow I don’t know or maybe tulieries cuz I loved the outside of it haha. We’ll see. The world is at my feet still! But it isss my last day of freedom before classes start ugh. Oh well. When in Paris…learn?
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALLLL
PS Paris is HOT.
I’m thrilled here. THRILLED a lot of the time. Even when I’m lost it’s like..magical. I know there will be a metro or I can ask and everyone is so friendly!
Things I don’t like about Paris
1. My family/friends are not here
2. The gypsies…if someone comes up to you and asks if you speak English you say no b/c they will try to get your money. Sometimes they act very pitiful or hold puppies and I even saw one holding a baby and begging on the streets. I hate that.
3. My family/friends aren’t here.
Okay…that’s all really. I loveee Paris. I LOVE the Metro.
Today, slept in until 8am again, that’s annoying. Met the USAC kids at the Eiffel Tower by walking…I have every intention of haggling some mini Eiffel towers for my friends someday haha there are soooo many venders there walking around being aggressive it makes me laugh. If you scowl and say no they go away. One guy came up to me and said I will draw you nice girl for you it is free, I said no but he was right I am nice lol.
After the Eiffel Tower we metro-ed over to L’Arc de Triomhe, I took a mini video of it sooo beautiful Speaking of videos, I fully finished my first memory card of France today!! IT’S FULL, I have over 1233 pictures of Paris so far…it’s been 5 days…lol
I didn’t go up the arc b/c my museum pass expired yesterday but the view from below was perfect for me. I just relaxed, didn’t go up 300 stairs lol. I’m soreee from notre dame stairs yesterday
Atfer the Arc we hitched a metro to le Marais, one of the oldest parts of Paris and one of the most beautiful. It was fantastic. There, we went to the Jewish section and ate at an Israelian lunch place…YUP FALAFELS and onions and pitas and fries soooooo good. 13 euro for a plate of goodies, I left happy.
A few of us tried to go to the Catacombs after that but it was closed cuz it’s Monday. So I went to la Place Concorde while everyone went to Notre Dame. Sadly, Place de Concorde was blocked off b/c they are doing something in preparation for bastille day…aka my birthday. So, I forgave them. Sat in a nearby grassy area overlooking la place, didn’t go into Jardin des tuileries b/c I want to save that lol. Sooo I walked down rue de rivoli, theres a gazillion souvenir shops there I had to hold back! Got myelf and my brother these like…vinyl scarf things for our rooms, mine is France his Spain, hope he likes it!!
Then, I walked to le louvre. OH.MY.GOODNESSBEAUTIFUL. I loved it, teared up a bit of course. I went inside the big Pyramid cuz it was free and just stood. Then I left b/c I knew id be comng back a lot lol. So then I walked to la comedie francaise for a photo of that and look at the dates of shows there, then I walked to the moliere fountain to pay homage to one of my favorite playwrights…then I strolled, got a fanta (they TASTE SO GOOD HERE it isn’t like usa fanta at ALL) and headed home. Had some delicious chicken for dinner and couscous and an ice cream. There is no brebis cheese here, it makes me sad, I miss brebis a LOTT. I am managing with eating chevre though, that’s goat. It doesn’t taste as bad as it used to, maybe im becoming more and more French!!
Anyways, no big plans tomorrow except im meeting up with Jessica, she is from my hometown of Naperville and we are buds from way back and im excited to see a friendly face. The usac kids leave tomorrow :( tomorrow, I’ll stroll…maybe go check out where my school is and do le jardin du Luxembourg tomorrow I don’t know or maybe tulieries cuz I loved the outside of it haha. We’ll see. The world is at my feet still! But it isss my last day of freedom before classes start ugh. Oh well. When in Paris…learn?
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALLLL
PS Paris is HOT.
PARISIENNE!!
HELLO WORLD, It’s Janet aka Parisienne Lady :)
I’m thrilled here. THRILLED a lot of the time. Even when I’m lost it’s like..magical. I know there will be a metro or I can ask and everyone is so friendly!
Things I don’t like about Paris
1. My family/friends are not here
2. The gypsies…if someone comes up to you and asks if you speak English you say no b/c they will try to get your money. Sometimes they act very pitiful or hold puppies and I even saw one holding a baby and begging on the streets. I hate that.
3. My family/friends aren’t here.
Okay…that’s all really. I loveee Paris. I LOVE the Metro.
Today, slept in until 8am again, that’s annoying. Met the USAC kids at the Eiffel Tower by walking…I have every intention of haggling some mini Eiffel towers for my friends someday haha there are soooo many venders there walking around being aggressive it makes me laugh. If you scowl and say no they go away. One guy came up to me and said I will draw you nice girl for you it is free, I said no but he was right I am nice lol.
After the Eiffel Tower we metro-ed over to L’Arc de Triomhe, I took a mini video of it sooo beautiful Speaking of videos, I fully finished my first memory card of France today!! IT’S FULL, I have over 1233 pictures of Paris so far…it’s been 5 days…lol
I didn’t go up the arc b/c my museum pass expired yesterday but the view from below was perfect for me. I just relaxed, didn’t go up 300 stairs lol. I’m soreee from notre dame stairs yesterday
Atfer the Arc we hitched a metro to le Marais, one of the oldest parts of Paris and one of the most beautiful. It was fantastic. There, we went to the Jewish section and ate at an Israelian lunch place…YUP FALAFELS and onions and pitas and fries soooooo good. 13 euro for a plate of goodies, I left happy.
A few of us tried to go to the Catacombs after that but it was closed cuz it’s Monday. So I went to la Place Concorde while everyone went to Notre Dame. Sadly, Place de Concorde was blocked off b/c they are doing something in preparation for bastille day…aka my birthday. So, I forgave them. Sat in a nearby grassy area overlooking la place, didn’t go into Jardin des tuileries b/c I want to save that lol. Sooo I walked down rue de rivoli, theres a gazillion souvenir shops there I had to hold back! Got myelf and my brother these like…vinyl scarf things for our rooms, mine is France his Spain, hope he likes it!!
Then, I walked to le louvre. OH.MY.GOODNESSBEAUTIFUL. I loved it, teared up a bit of course. I went inside the big Pyramid cuz it was free and just stood. Then I left b/c I knew id be comng back a lot lol. So then I walked to la comedie francaise for a photo of that and look at the dates of shows there, then I walked to the moliere fountain to pay homage to one of my favorite playwrights…then I strolled, got a fanta (they TASTE SO GOOD HERE it isn’t like usa fanta at ALL) and headed home. Had some delicious chicken for dinner and couscous and an ice cream. There is no brebis cheese here, it makes me sad, I miss brebis a LOTT. I am managing with eating chevre though, that’s goat. It doesn’t taste as bad as it used to, maybe im becoming more and more French!!
Anyways, no big plans tomorrow except im meeting up with Jessica, she is from my hometown of Naperville and we are buds from way back and im excited to see a friendly face. The usac kids leave tomorrow :( tomorrow, I’ll stroll…maybe go check out where my school is and do le jardin du Luxembourg tomorrow I don’t know or maybe tulieries cuz I loved the outside of it haha. We’ll see. The world is at my feet still! But it isss my last day of freedom before classes start ugh. Oh well. When in Paris…learn?
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALLLL
PS Paris is HOT.
I’m thrilled here. THRILLED a lot of the time. Even when I’m lost it’s like..magical. I know there will be a metro or I can ask and everyone is so friendly!
Things I don’t like about Paris
1. My family/friends are not here
2. The gypsies…if someone comes up to you and asks if you speak English you say no b/c they will try to get your money. Sometimes they act very pitiful or hold puppies and I even saw one holding a baby and begging on the streets. I hate that.
3. My family/friends aren’t here.
Okay…that’s all really. I loveee Paris. I LOVE the Metro.
Today, slept in until 8am again, that’s annoying. Met the USAC kids at the Eiffel Tower by walking…I have every intention of haggling some mini Eiffel towers for my friends someday haha there are soooo many venders there walking around being aggressive it makes me laugh. If you scowl and say no they go away. One guy came up to me and said I will draw you nice girl for you it is free, I said no but he was right I am nice lol.
After the Eiffel Tower we metro-ed over to L’Arc de Triomhe, I took a mini video of it sooo beautiful Speaking of videos, I fully finished my first memory card of France today!! IT’S FULL, I have over 1233 pictures of Paris so far…it’s been 5 days…lol
I didn’t go up the arc b/c my museum pass expired yesterday but the view from below was perfect for me. I just relaxed, didn’t go up 300 stairs lol. I’m soreee from notre dame stairs yesterday
Atfer the Arc we hitched a metro to le Marais, one of the oldest parts of Paris and one of the most beautiful. It was fantastic. There, we went to the Jewish section and ate at an Israelian lunch place…YUP FALAFELS and onions and pitas and fries soooooo good. 13 euro for a plate of goodies, I left happy.
A few of us tried to go to the Catacombs after that but it was closed cuz it’s Monday. So I went to la Place Concorde while everyone went to Notre Dame. Sadly, Place de Concorde was blocked off b/c they are doing something in preparation for bastille day…aka my birthday. So, I forgave them. Sat in a nearby grassy area overlooking la place, didn’t go into Jardin des tuileries b/c I want to save that lol. Sooo I walked down rue de rivoli, theres a gazillion souvenir shops there I had to hold back! Got myelf and my brother these like…vinyl scarf things for our rooms, mine is France his Spain, hope he likes it!!
Then, I walked to le louvre. OH.MY.GOODNESSBEAUTIFUL. I loved it, teared up a bit of course. I went inside the big Pyramid cuz it was free and just stood. Then I left b/c I knew id be comng back a lot lol. So then I walked to la comedie francaise for a photo of that and look at the dates of shows there, then I walked to the moliere fountain to pay homage to one of my favorite playwrights…then I strolled, got a fanta (they TASTE SO GOOD HERE it isn’t like usa fanta at ALL) and headed home. Had some delicious chicken for dinner and couscous and an ice cream. There is no brebis cheese here, it makes me sad, I miss brebis a LOTT. I am managing with eating chevre though, that’s goat. It doesn’t taste as bad as it used to, maybe im becoming more and more French!!
Anyways, no big plans tomorrow except im meeting up with Jessica, she is from my hometown of Naperville and we are buds from way back and im excited to see a friendly face. The usac kids leave tomorrow :( tomorrow, I’ll stroll…maybe go check out where my school is and do le jardin du Luxembourg tomorrow I don’t know or maybe tulieries cuz I loved the outside of it haha. We’ll see. The world is at my feet still! But it isss my last day of freedom before classes start ugh. Oh well. When in Paris…learn?
LOVE AND MISS YOU ALLLL
PS Paris is HOT.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Janet...HATES stairs, loves Paris!!!
WHAT a day and it is only 7:30pm. Okay, so I rolled out of my bed at 8am like a SLACKER I was upset with myself haha, anyways I showered up had some coffee and blackberry jam on baguette bread UM YUM and took the metro out to musee d’orsay…let me just say…I’ve been to several art museums but I don’t usually tear up and I don’t usually stay in one room for 20 minutes…Mr. Monet has my heart, it’s official. I’m going to go to le musee l’orangerie by le jardin de tulieries to see the full water lilies painting but seeing even a part of it and my breath was gone…and the bridge was there. I bought a book, 9 dollars of Monet pieces it was on sale so of course I bought it. Forgot to say, I bought two books yesterday, Le Petit Prince and a Baudelaire Book altogether 16 euro on sale, such a deallll.
In terms of souvenirs, I need to start buying some now? I waited too long in Pau might as well get what I want when I want it haha. This will be my motto for tomorrow, all I bought today was oranginas and my lunch was (at le musee d’orsay) a baguette with ham and cheese and butter, my new fav sandwich.
Anyways, after spending two hours wandering, seeing Monet, Manet, Cezanne, sculptures, Van Gogh…some symbolist pieces, Degas with his beautiful ballet scenes…you know..the most admired paintings ever in the history of LIFE, I jetted off on another metro to le centre pompidou museum…soooo different haha.
I went up the famous escalators and just it was soo freeing and artsy and scary and offensive and there was some REALLY abstract stuff and crazy eccentric presentations on film. like I watched a naked woman on a tv hold a chicken that just got its head cut off upside down until it died….it was her connecting to nature really artsy. Lots and LOTS of nude women, feminist stuff, crazy films and sculptures and just sooo neat. I felt sooo cultured!! My parents might not have, it’s very fresh and naked…literally haha. Then I went to the top of centre pompidou for pictures and strolled around the building a bit, had another orangina of course. I will live on them I’ve decided.
After centre pompidou I saw a sign for notre dame and since it was closed yesterday I figured I could see how long the line was and hop on in! Well, the line to get inside was long but it went fast and the inside was breathtaking, I feel sort of strange not being catholic though not in a bad way but I can’t imagine how spiritual it must be for those of the catholic faith to see it, I saw one man weeping.
After the inside, I found the big one, the bigggg line to the top top of notre dame 400 stairs to the top. Did I wait? Yesss of course! One hour and forty minutes I waited! While in line, I was terrified by this guy in a gargoyle mask who scares people on the street in front of the line and he just like…touches their shoulder and they turn or he walks up to them and they yell. Soo entertaining. The gargoyle guy even grabbed this one guy on the street’s hand and the street guy thought it was his wife and they walked along for a bit and then the guy realized it was a gargoyle haha sooo funny to watch. Got a picture with him.
Also in line I met Beatrice, she is from Brazil studied in Spain (not Aliciente (sp?), somewhere small I’d never heard of) for 5 months and was on holidy. It was her birthday! I also met two people from Florida, a mom and son BONDING together on holiday also and we had fun in line. Beatrice and I got along great and I helped her with English haha. FINALLY, after the long wait and another orangina haha, we started up…100 stairs and then we had to wait 5 minutes in the gift shop lobby place then 250 some stairs and we were in wonderrr, I saw gargoyles, I posed with the big bell, I saw the view of a lifetime. Thennn, we walked up another 150 stairs to the tippppytop and the view there was beyond words. Then we walked all the way down the 400 stairs, I got dizzy but asthma didn’t flare up at all so that was good. Beatrice was patient walking behind me haha and we sang we are the champions by queen on the way to the exit soo happy to be done with stairs!
Beatrice and I walked to a café for a drink and more pictures by notre dame, we both acted as each others photographers it was great! Then we hopped a metro down and up and down and up more stairs haha we hate stairs now! I will be sore for SURE tomorrow!!
Got back to my metro stop, bought an orangina and am sitting here at my computer relaxing. I won’t have a museum pass anymore so I will have to start waiting in actual lines :/ That’s dumb. Oh well, each museum costs like 8 bucks and I spent 32 bucks on a pass…I hit 6 of them so that means I got to see 2 of them for free!!! I planned it out well. I want to relax now, just chill. Eat dinner here at my homestay and maybe skype some people if my internet works haha.
SUCH an incredible day, I’m pinching myself every second in awe. I cannot believe im here but I do in part b/c I don’t worry about being lost I know I will find my way AND im in paris so who cares? Soooo happy. and sweaty, from all those damn stairs!
In terms of souvenirs, I need to start buying some now? I waited too long in Pau might as well get what I want when I want it haha. This will be my motto for tomorrow, all I bought today was oranginas and my lunch was (at le musee d’orsay) a baguette with ham and cheese and butter, my new fav sandwich.
Anyways, after spending two hours wandering, seeing Monet, Manet, Cezanne, sculptures, Van Gogh…some symbolist pieces, Degas with his beautiful ballet scenes…you know..the most admired paintings ever in the history of LIFE, I jetted off on another metro to le centre pompidou museum…soooo different haha.
I went up the famous escalators and just it was soo freeing and artsy and scary and offensive and there was some REALLY abstract stuff and crazy eccentric presentations on film. like I watched a naked woman on a tv hold a chicken that just got its head cut off upside down until it died….it was her connecting to nature really artsy. Lots and LOTS of nude women, feminist stuff, crazy films and sculptures and just sooo neat. I felt sooo cultured!! My parents might not have, it’s very fresh and naked…literally haha. Then I went to the top of centre pompidou for pictures and strolled around the building a bit, had another orangina of course. I will live on them I’ve decided.
After centre pompidou I saw a sign for notre dame and since it was closed yesterday I figured I could see how long the line was and hop on in! Well, the line to get inside was long but it went fast and the inside was breathtaking, I feel sort of strange not being catholic though not in a bad way but I can’t imagine how spiritual it must be for those of the catholic faith to see it, I saw one man weeping.
After the inside, I found the big one, the bigggg line to the top top of notre dame 400 stairs to the top. Did I wait? Yesss of course! One hour and forty minutes I waited! While in line, I was terrified by this guy in a gargoyle mask who scares people on the street in front of the line and he just like…touches their shoulder and they turn or he walks up to them and they yell. Soo entertaining. The gargoyle guy even grabbed this one guy on the street’s hand and the street guy thought it was his wife and they walked along for a bit and then the guy realized it was a gargoyle haha sooo funny to watch. Got a picture with him.
Also in line I met Beatrice, she is from Brazil studied in Spain (not Aliciente (sp?), somewhere small I’d never heard of) for 5 months and was on holidy. It was her birthday! I also met two people from Florida, a mom and son BONDING together on holiday also and we had fun in line. Beatrice and I got along great and I helped her with English haha. FINALLY, after the long wait and another orangina haha, we started up…100 stairs and then we had to wait 5 minutes in the gift shop lobby place then 250 some stairs and we were in wonderrr, I saw gargoyles, I posed with the big bell, I saw the view of a lifetime. Thennn, we walked up another 150 stairs to the tippppytop and the view there was beyond words. Then we walked all the way down the 400 stairs, I got dizzy but asthma didn’t flare up at all so that was good. Beatrice was patient walking behind me haha and we sang we are the champions by queen on the way to the exit soo happy to be done with stairs!
Beatrice and I walked to a café for a drink and more pictures by notre dame, we both acted as each others photographers it was great! Then we hopped a metro down and up and down and up more stairs haha we hate stairs now! I will be sore for SURE tomorrow!!
Got back to my metro stop, bought an orangina and am sitting here at my computer relaxing. I won’t have a museum pass anymore so I will have to start waiting in actual lines :/ That’s dumb. Oh well, each museum costs like 8 bucks and I spent 32 bucks on a pass…I hit 6 of them so that means I got to see 2 of them for free!!! I planned it out well. I want to relax now, just chill. Eat dinner here at my homestay and maybe skype some people if my internet works haha.
SUCH an incredible day, I’m pinching myself every second in awe. I cannot believe im here but I do in part b/c I don’t worry about being lost I know I will find my way AND im in paris so who cares? Soooo happy. and sweaty, from all those damn stairs!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Paris, Paris, Paris, what do you have in store for me?
Hello blog, it’s JANET, it’s almost 2am and I am feeling happy on champagne, cider and wine that me and three others from USAC drank at THE EIFFEL TOWER watching theglitter show, it was magic and soooo surreal.
Today. I woke up at 7am, got dressed and showered up and went BY METRO to La t Chapelle, god I love how things have signs and are marked clearly!! I loveee the metro, it’s so fast and took me everywhere today!!
Bought a museum pass for 32 bucks and each museum is about 8 bucks and I saw 5 of them today: St Chapelle, Le Concergerie (sp?), L’Opera National (de Garnier), Les Invalides, Le Musee Rodin.
St Chapelle was first, I couldn’t re-attach my jaw the whole time I was there <3 sooo thrilled…even though there were a lot of renovations going on so I couldn’t see it as it originally was, but amazing still.
Walked around l’ile de la cite, found notre dame, took pictures…there were at least 2000 people sitting in front of notre dame listening to a cardinal, I think it was a priest graduation of sorts, the police man I asked had no idea lol but he knew it wasn’t the pope like I originally thought. Either way, I couldn’t go into the cathedral.
Shopped a bit, bought my aunt her scarf I was casually deciding if I should go to the c conciergerie and then I decided I should. Ran into the usac kids from pau outside it, sooo thrilled to see them. I had forgotten my phone at home like an idiot so I didn’t know if id see any of them today! But I did, and then they went to st chapelle while I saw le conciergerie…where people were held before being guillotined. Soooooo cool.
After that we walked down le pont neuf, or the new bridge (not nine) which is the longest and oldest bridge of paris made in part by henri iv. So neat! Then bre and I went to lunch for 8.50 euro I got a croquet monsieur (ham on a sandwich with melted cheese atop the sandwich), fries, a salad and chocolate ice cream with a little whipped cream. YUM.
Shopped around a bit with bre, saw a puppy store and of COURSE went in and looked at their cuteness, saw statues of crocodiles (weird), saw it all. Then, THENNNN I bought a mocha frappacino light tall from STARBUCKS!!! Soooo happy. Almost bought my mom a mug there but it looked strange sort of like le champ de mars was blood by la tour Eiffel, weird. I still am in search of the perfect gifty for my mom. It was her birthday two days ago you know
After that, I took someone’s ticket from USAC who was off to see L’Ecole Militaire instead of the Opera and I sawwwww l’opera garnier and the interieur. It was the opera that inspired phantom and it was beyonddddd amazing. I saw a real ballet practicing in a window and took a million pictures. You cannot go down to the lake unfortunately but it does exist!
After that, we went to Les Invalides, or Napoleon’s Tomb. So cool, my mom would’VE loveeee all the history there.
From there, we walked to le musee rodin where the thinker, other sculptures and the gates of hell by rodin are and also the kiss. I love the kiss, I think it’s the most romantic sculpture I have ever seen. There was a French couple taking a picture of themselves kissing in front it, sooo romance.
Then I walked by myself for a bit and separated from the usac group and sat in a garden overlooking les invalides and just watched. Then I went home, took a power nap. Then I bought a baguette with ham and cheese and mayo at a boulangerie across my street and caught a metro to go to le quartier latin where the usac kids have their hotel. Chilled there for a bit, ate nutella gelato at a stand then walked to a bar with some people and watched the Ghana vs usa game at a bar sadddd usa lost. But I had two glasses of wine for 7 euro and that made me happy.
Then four of us took a metro to la tour Eiffel and I saw it again, it still is surreal. I had champagne, cider and wine. We swindled!!! We got the price of the cider from 25 euro to 10 euro and the price of the champagne down from 20 euro to 5!! It was great, the wine Bre had bought earlier. It was sooo relaxing, surreal. Two of the girls I had never met before and were super nice to talk to.
Took a metro home and am off to bed now! More museums tomorrow for me but I will spend the whole day by myself!!
Today. I woke up at 7am, got dressed and showered up and went BY METRO to La t Chapelle, god I love how things have signs and are marked clearly!! I loveee the metro, it’s so fast and took me everywhere today!!
Bought a museum pass for 32 bucks and each museum is about 8 bucks and I saw 5 of them today: St Chapelle, Le Concergerie (sp?), L’Opera National (de Garnier), Les Invalides, Le Musee Rodin.
St Chapelle was first, I couldn’t re-attach my jaw the whole time I was there <3 sooo thrilled…even though there were a lot of renovations going on so I couldn’t see it as it originally was, but amazing still.
Walked around l’ile de la cite, found notre dame, took pictures…there were at least 2000 people sitting in front of notre dame listening to a cardinal, I think it was a priest graduation of sorts, the police man I asked had no idea lol but he knew it wasn’t the pope like I originally thought. Either way, I couldn’t go into the cathedral.
Shopped a bit, bought my aunt her scarf I was casually deciding if I should go to the c conciergerie and then I decided I should. Ran into the usac kids from pau outside it, sooo thrilled to see them. I had forgotten my phone at home like an idiot so I didn’t know if id see any of them today! But I did, and then they went to st chapelle while I saw le conciergerie…where people were held before being guillotined. Soooooo cool.
After that we walked down le pont neuf, or the new bridge (not nine) which is the longest and oldest bridge of paris made in part by henri iv. So neat! Then bre and I went to lunch for 8.50 euro I got a croquet monsieur (ham on a sandwich with melted cheese atop the sandwich), fries, a salad and chocolate ice cream with a little whipped cream. YUM.
Shopped around a bit with bre, saw a puppy store and of COURSE went in and looked at their cuteness, saw statues of crocodiles (weird), saw it all. Then, THENNNN I bought a mocha frappacino light tall from STARBUCKS!!! Soooo happy. Almost bought my mom a mug there but it looked strange sort of like le champ de mars was blood by la tour Eiffel, weird. I still am in search of the perfect gifty for my mom. It was her birthday two days ago you know
After that, I took someone’s ticket from USAC who was off to see L’Ecole Militaire instead of the Opera and I sawwwww l’opera garnier and the interieur. It was the opera that inspired phantom and it was beyonddddd amazing. I saw a real ballet practicing in a window and took a million pictures. You cannot go down to the lake unfortunately but it does exist!
After that, we went to Les Invalides, or Napoleon’s Tomb. So cool, my mom would’VE loveeee all the history there.
From there, we walked to le musee rodin where the thinker, other sculptures and the gates of hell by rodin are and also the kiss. I love the kiss, I think it’s the most romantic sculpture I have ever seen. There was a French couple taking a picture of themselves kissing in front it, sooo romance.
Then I walked by myself for a bit and separated from the usac group and sat in a garden overlooking les invalides and just watched. Then I went home, took a power nap. Then I bought a baguette with ham and cheese and mayo at a boulangerie across my street and caught a metro to go to le quartier latin where the usac kids have their hotel. Chilled there for a bit, ate nutella gelato at a stand then walked to a bar with some people and watched the Ghana vs usa game at a bar sadddd usa lost. But I had two glasses of wine for 7 euro and that made me happy.
Then four of us took a metro to la tour Eiffel and I saw it again, it still is surreal. I had champagne, cider and wine. We swindled!!! We got the price of the cider from 25 euro to 10 euro and the price of the champagne down from 20 euro to 5!! It was great, the wine Bre had bought earlier. It was sooo relaxing, surreal. Two of the girls I had never met before and were super nice to talk to.
Took a metro home and am off to bed now! More museums tomorrow for me but I will spend the whole day by myself!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Goodnight, Paris
My internet here...not the best? It may not be often that I can skype my friends/parents/etc. and it makes me sad. Keep me updated with facebook messages, emails...even though my email isnt loading now either..dommage.
Had dinner with my host mom, noodles, tomato-y sauce and cheese and ratatouille and baguette with bleu cheese for dessert :)
Walked to the eiffel tower (yes WALKED) it's 15 minutes away, it's beautiful. Tomorrow will be an adventure the city of dreams is at my feet!
I don't like the internet, but I love everything else. On my walk I found a creperie, a pizza place and a sushi restaurant...so much for walking off my France weight here haha.
Off to bed!
Had dinner with my host mom, noodles, tomato-y sauce and cheese and ratatouille and baguette with bleu cheese for dessert :)
Walked to the eiffel tower (yes WALKED) it's 15 minutes away, it's beautiful. Tomorrow will be an adventure the city of dreams is at my feet!
I don't like the internet, but I love everything else. On my walk I found a creperie, a pizza place and a sushi restaurant...so much for walking off my France weight here haha.
Off to bed!
Technology
I already wrote one post and it didnt load so here's a shorter version:
Airport-good flight. Some USAC kids were on it going back to the States but I am staying in Paris WEE!!
Waited around for my bus shuttle for 4 hours cuz they were stuck in traffic and then took a two hour drive to my apartment. Ate poulet and mayo sandwich and flan for lunch. Lifting my bags gives me arm muscles. My host mom is super nice. I'm nervous to go outside I'm going to see Paris...it exists outside my window. I have a roommate from Glen Ellyn she's lovely. My other roommate gets here Monday. My internet cuts in and out but works.
SUMMARY DONE...AHHHH PARIS!!! I'M HEREEEE
Airport-good flight. Some USAC kids were on it going back to the States but I am staying in Paris WEE!!
Waited around for my bus shuttle for 4 hours cuz they were stuck in traffic and then took a two hour drive to my apartment. Ate poulet and mayo sandwich and flan for lunch. Lifting my bags gives me arm muscles. My host mom is super nice. I'm nervous to go outside I'm going to see Paris...it exists outside my window. I have a roommate from Glen Ellyn she's lovely. My other roommate gets here Monday. My internet cuts in and out but works.
SUMMARY DONE...AHHHH PARIS!!! I'M HEREEEE
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Pau No Mau...As in No More...
Sad, I'm leaving Pau tomorrow! It was an interesting last day, a test and sad movie in class (it was about like...a invite-your-idiot party but i don't find those necessarily funny and the guy's wife left him and was crying...i was like...why is this funny to anyone? i don't know. i wanted to watch asterix in egypt and we didnt so i was bummed)
after class we went to a restaurant called magestic and had AMAZINGGG food, i had an avocado and smoked salmon salad, fish with veggies in a creamy sauce for an entree and a rasberry mousse with lemon ice cream dessert yummmm. i miss pau food already!
shopping for a bit, of course one last georgios stop, i had hazelnut oh soooo good. then we sat at a cafe for a bit and lounged around. walked home, started packing at 6 40pm, took a break at 8 for dinner...am still packing and its almost midnight. oh well, i knew it would happen. i get easily distracted and i dont like endings, only beginnings. i only have a few more things to go through though.
I LEAVE FOR PARIS FRANCE TOMORROW AND WILL BE THERE FOR 5 WEEKS. Unbelievable. A part of me really misses home and wishes I could see my mom on her BIRTHDAY today and see my friends from home for a bit, but I do realize that my whole life I've dreamed of Paris and it is happening tomorrow.
The USAC kids will be there for a weekend so I will have friends for 3 days before I have to start over completely with new people. Oh well, it will work out. I just want to see a lottt of things, I made a list of 30 things..basically I want to see EVERYTHING. Hope it happens that way haha. I don't know...it will be amazing I'm sure.
This may be my last post for a while, I hope my homestay has wifi also. Missing everyone, happy birthday mom and gee whizz I'm a jet-setter, here I go!
after class we went to a restaurant called magestic and had AMAZINGGG food, i had an avocado and smoked salmon salad, fish with veggies in a creamy sauce for an entree and a rasberry mousse with lemon ice cream dessert yummmm. i miss pau food already!
shopping for a bit, of course one last georgios stop, i had hazelnut oh soooo good. then we sat at a cafe for a bit and lounged around. walked home, started packing at 6 40pm, took a break at 8 for dinner...am still packing and its almost midnight. oh well, i knew it would happen. i get easily distracted and i dont like endings, only beginnings. i only have a few more things to go through though.
I LEAVE FOR PARIS FRANCE TOMORROW AND WILL BE THERE FOR 5 WEEKS. Unbelievable. A part of me really misses home and wishes I could see my mom on her BIRTHDAY today and see my friends from home for a bit, but I do realize that my whole life I've dreamed of Paris and it is happening tomorrow.
The USAC kids will be there for a weekend so I will have friends for 3 days before I have to start over completely with new people. Oh well, it will work out. I just want to see a lottt of things, I made a list of 30 things..basically I want to see EVERYTHING. Hope it happens that way haha. I don't know...it will be amazing I'm sure.
This may be my last post for a while, I hope my homestay has wifi also. Missing everyone, happy birthday mom and gee whizz I'm a jet-setter, here I go!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Piscine, piscine, piscine
Woke up today, had class. Did you know they have like vending machines for coffee and some breakfast stuff like waffles that have chocolate on one side? W/e, I'm spoiled ROTTEN.
after class i had some fish and carrots and blackberry yogurt at le vague and then we bought some stuff at leclerc food-wise, i used my visa for it, and then headed over to a friend's house to hang at her pool. her host family is her real life best friend from usa's family so they were kind enough to let her invite us over and we lounged by the pool alll afternoon, i'm mildly burnt but pleased about it.
then we made them PUPPY CHOW french-style in thanks. i made it, being the girl scout camp counselor that i am, with chocolate, pb, butter and rice krispies b/c leclerc had no chex. it was delicious, we taste-tested it.
after lounging all day, i hit up a cyber cafe to print off some isa stuff for paris which i leave for in ONE DAY. i was just having issues w/ printing a document and i got the lady to help me and i found out she is trying to learn english and she basically gave me her email and wants to be penpals!she's algerian and belge. i think i may email her but when i get back to the states.
did some laundry, dinner with my family was salmon again and this stuff they call cereal that i love and salad. for dessert i FINAllyyy tried goat yogurt and honey...not my favorite. but i needed to taste it before i left pau!
skype is being funky tonight and so is me, i miss my friends in pau already and am nervous for paris.
well, my last day is tomorrow! hopefully in paris i will have internet as well and can continue to blog, but i will blog tomorrow for sure, even though i will be burying myself in clothes and packing for hours which will feel like years ;)
A demain!
after class i had some fish and carrots and blackberry yogurt at le vague and then we bought some stuff at leclerc food-wise, i used my visa for it, and then headed over to a friend's house to hang at her pool. her host family is her real life best friend from usa's family so they were kind enough to let her invite us over and we lounged by the pool alll afternoon, i'm mildly burnt but pleased about it.
then we made them PUPPY CHOW french-style in thanks. i made it, being the girl scout camp counselor that i am, with chocolate, pb, butter and rice krispies b/c leclerc had no chex. it was delicious, we taste-tested it.
after lounging all day, i hit up a cyber cafe to print off some isa stuff for paris which i leave for in ONE DAY. i was just having issues w/ printing a document and i got the lady to help me and i found out she is trying to learn english and she basically gave me her email and wants to be penpals!she's algerian and belge. i think i may email her but when i get back to the states.
did some laundry, dinner with my family was salmon again and this stuff they call cereal that i love and salad. for dessert i FINAllyyy tried goat yogurt and honey...not my favorite. but i needed to taste it before i left pau!
skype is being funky tonight and so is me, i miss my friends in pau already and am nervous for paris.
well, my last day is tomorrow! hopefully in paris i will have internet as well and can continue to blog, but i will blog tomorrow for sure, even though i will be burying myself in clothes and packing for hours which will feel like years ;)
A demain!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Quel Jour!
Monday was la fete de la musique so we bought wine, cheese, fresh baguettes and chocolate bars downtown and had a merry little time downtown. Not much to add about Monday....I had a case of the Mondays on Monday.
Today-Class. I don't know what we talked about really...grammar, yada yada. We have a test on Thursday I'm dreading for our final. Did some work on phonetics, I have trouble with the words Lulu and LouLou...can you hear the difference? I cannottt.
after class, we had a quick dessert with the rest of the usac group, i miss everyone. watched a quick slideshow and ate cake.
Anyways, today was the shopping day I've been waiting for...it wasnt as eventful as I'd hoped. We ate a quick fish stew (with mussels...you know...at the university cafeteria what up mac attack!), at le vague and scooted downtown. We went to a couple clothing shops and a grocery store and some other small shops. Overall, I bought more minutes for my phone, shampoo/conditioner, a wine opener (it's necessary), scotch tape so I can tape things when I pack them, a pair of French shorts like...they're big but comfy and I need one more bottom for myself b/c a pair of pants ripped anyway cool, two things I cant say cuz my mom reads this and they are the same and one is for herrrr, and then a ring. my mom said i should buy things that remind me of france and when i think of pau again, i will think of roses on the streets and palm trees so my ring has a rose on it :)
ate georgios- pistache and tiramisu, i'm allowed b/c it's one of my last days in pau and ill miss him! here's a subject to discuss: ice cream. I've tried real Italian gelato, georgios and I will probably try some at la place des vosges...how will i return to coldstone and dq? i must find a way...
not much other shopping luck, paris will be better and there will be nationwide clearance time from june 30th to august 2nd i think while im in paris soooo SALESSSS.
went then w/ bre to VIETNAMESE food, good lordy. my 1st time with this cuisine but i'm in loveee. we had crab/asparagus-flavored soup that had crab and shrimp in it, for my main course i had duck in a sauce of pineapple with onions and yellow noodles with some spices on them and dessert was a carmalized banana and a mango scoop of ice cream. we died, it was fantastic! i loveddd it. so glad we went! we also spoke to a french family/friends group next to us who laughed at my jokes and thought we were french for a while before they talked to us haha. they liked my accent, so that was nice to hear.
then i went home and took the isa placement exam which seriously was harder than any other french test ive taken...and it wasnt stressful during it...things could be multiple answers and grammar was gross and i understood the oral stuff but messed up a thing or two it just was so incredibly, incredibly discouraging when i know i am skilled in french. i don't suck, i do nottttt. meh. i skyped with some friends from home for a while after to cheer up but am still a bit down, b/c i know im getting the most out of my experience in france and spoken french is different from written but i am doing well and learning in class and etc. etc. i am trying.
anyway, tomorrow we wanted to go to a beach but plans fell through so we are going to a friends pool for the day, i hope it is sunnyyyy. her host family is actually her best friend from the usa's family so they're more easygoing. i am excited, i just need to relax, not worry. i need to remember that i am going to paris for my dreams to come true and see the things i could only hope to see, i'm not going for a grade i'm going for the experience, the immersion in the culture and to better develop my skills. indeed, i'm determined!
meanwhile, i got an email saying my host mom in paris cant meet me when i get to paris so i am going to the isa office for an hour or so before i can go to my homestay. buzzkill. bad news after bad news a little bit after an amazing, amazing day.
Today-Class. I don't know what we talked about really...grammar, yada yada. We have a test on Thursday I'm dreading for our final. Did some work on phonetics, I have trouble with the words Lulu and LouLou...can you hear the difference? I cannottt.
after class, we had a quick dessert with the rest of the usac group, i miss everyone. watched a quick slideshow and ate cake.
Anyways, today was the shopping day I've been waiting for...it wasnt as eventful as I'd hoped. We ate a quick fish stew (with mussels...you know...at the university cafeteria what up mac attack!), at le vague and scooted downtown. We went to a couple clothing shops and a grocery store and some other small shops. Overall, I bought more minutes for my phone, shampoo/conditioner, a wine opener (it's necessary), scotch tape so I can tape things when I pack them, a pair of French shorts like...they're big but comfy and I need one more bottom for myself b/c a pair of pants ripped anyway cool, two things I cant say cuz my mom reads this and they are the same and one is for herrrr, and then a ring. my mom said i should buy things that remind me of france and when i think of pau again, i will think of roses on the streets and palm trees so my ring has a rose on it :)
ate georgios- pistache and tiramisu, i'm allowed b/c it's one of my last days in pau and ill miss him! here's a subject to discuss: ice cream. I've tried real Italian gelato, georgios and I will probably try some at la place des vosges...how will i return to coldstone and dq? i must find a way...
not much other shopping luck, paris will be better and there will be nationwide clearance time from june 30th to august 2nd i think while im in paris soooo SALESSSS.
went then w/ bre to VIETNAMESE food, good lordy. my 1st time with this cuisine but i'm in loveee. we had crab/asparagus-flavored soup that had crab and shrimp in it, for my main course i had duck in a sauce of pineapple with onions and yellow noodles with some spices on them and dessert was a carmalized banana and a mango scoop of ice cream. we died, it was fantastic! i loveddd it. so glad we went! we also spoke to a french family/friends group next to us who laughed at my jokes and thought we were french for a while before they talked to us haha. they liked my accent, so that was nice to hear.
then i went home and took the isa placement exam which seriously was harder than any other french test ive taken...and it wasnt stressful during it...things could be multiple answers and grammar was gross and i understood the oral stuff but messed up a thing or two it just was so incredibly, incredibly discouraging when i know i am skilled in french. i don't suck, i do nottttt. meh. i skyped with some friends from home for a while after to cheer up but am still a bit down, b/c i know im getting the most out of my experience in france and spoken french is different from written but i am doing well and learning in class and etc. etc. i am trying.
anyway, tomorrow we wanted to go to a beach but plans fell through so we are going to a friends pool for the day, i hope it is sunnyyyy. her host family is actually her best friend from the usa's family so they're more easygoing. i am excited, i just need to relax, not worry. i need to remember that i am going to paris for my dreams to come true and see the things i could only hope to see, i'm not going for a grade i'm going for the experience, the immersion in the culture and to better develop my skills. indeed, i'm determined!
meanwhile, i got an email saying my host mom in paris cant meet me when i get to paris so i am going to the isa office for an hour or so before i can go to my homestay. buzzkill. bad news after bad news a little bit after an amazing, amazing day.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Fun Facts
Oh yeah and at the pizza place I TRIED ESCARGOT bah! I also saw snails earlier that day at the Pyrenees and then later I ATE THEM, not awful...odd to think about but not awful! Sort of the texture of mussels but saltier and grosser to think about cuz its a snail. Just a fun fact!
It is sunny today! Soo surprised. Hope it keeps it up!
It is sunny today! Soo surprised. Hope it keeps it up!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Dimanche encore!!
It's the beginning of the end, people, my last week in Pau. I've wanted to say a few things:
Saturday- we also went to a wildlife zoo and I saw a trained bear wave at me for an apple, I called him Jerry. there was a horned deer thing on the trail too and it almost horn-ed me and Laura and I saw a real sheep and it bahhed at me and i gobbled with and to a turkey and we had a nice conversation
Saturday night- i also went downtown and ate a brebis fromage/onion/ and ham pizza that was almost if not better than italian pizza...yum. and then it poured rain and i got super soaked even with an umbrella. oh well, an early night.
today was an early morning with some coffee and a smile on my face. read a book, ate some couscous, salad, CHEESE AND HAM CREPES and some brebis fromage called brick which is in the shape of a brick.
read up more about paris...i need to do EVERYTHING.
my host dad called me downstairs and then i helped him make some flan!!! learned the recipe a little..dunno if i can make it in the states cuz our ovens are different. anyways, took a nap then dinner was omelettes that had zucchini and onions and potatoes in them, had it before but it was just as amazing. also, i had more couscous.
skyped with my mom for a bit to catch up. bonne fete des peres by the way, happy father's day! maybe skyping my dad later :) my host dad didnt get any presents b/c he bought himself four antique bicycles for his collection haha.
Saturday- we also went to a wildlife zoo and I saw a trained bear wave at me for an apple, I called him Jerry. there was a horned deer thing on the trail too and it almost horn-ed me and Laura and I saw a real sheep and it bahhed at me and i gobbled with and to a turkey and we had a nice conversation
Saturday night- i also went downtown and ate a brebis fromage/onion/ and ham pizza that was almost if not better than italian pizza...yum. and then it poured rain and i got super soaked even with an umbrella. oh well, an early night.
today was an early morning with some coffee and a smile on my face. read a book, ate some couscous, salad, CHEESE AND HAM CREPES and some brebis fromage called brick which is in the shape of a brick.
read up more about paris...i need to do EVERYTHING.
my host dad called me downstairs and then i helped him make some flan!!! learned the recipe a little..dunno if i can make it in the states cuz our ovens are different. anyways, took a nap then dinner was omelettes that had zucchini and onions and potatoes in them, had it before but it was just as amazing. also, i had more couscous.
skyped with my mom for a bit to catch up. bonne fete des peres by the way, happy father's day! maybe skyping my dad later :) my host dad didnt get any presents b/c he bought himself four antique bicycles for his collection haha.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Blogging Time again!!!
Well it’s that blogging time again! I’ve been a slacker, have not blogged since Friday!! Not much difference in the weather here since my last post, but it’s maybe gotten colder and rainier. I'm actually an icicle in my room right now, like...I'm frozen. I cannot wait to get under the covers and just snuggggleee.
Friday night was a blast, after class a bunch of us went downtown to the art museum, which was fantastic, heard a French tour guide who fell in love with my insights on impressionism (haha) and saw everything from realism to modern works. I even saw a painting of the pau chateau, which was neat. I do love art, it relaxes me and makes me feel smart haha. After that, we shopped around a bit then two friends and I picked up some grub and went to cook our own meal! By that I mean my one friend cooked while my other friend and I drank wine it was sooo fun. We had shrimp, rice and these janky but DELICIOUS crepes made with real lemon zest and nutella and I bought us fresh raspberries and it was delicious with two bottles of wine for three people. After dinner, we went downtown (in the rain- surprise?) and hung out at the irish pub, we actually talked with a Nigerian man who hated pau for a long time and he had lived in pau for 6 weeks and was leaving the next day so he was interesting. Walked home in the rain…it was gross out.
TOOOOOOODAY!! Wowza- had our 2nd USAC excursion this time to this town called Gavernie (sp?>) and its this town in the middle of the Pyrenees!! And yes, I did, I hiked up a mountain (with the help of my handy, dandy inhaler) and saw goats and waterfalls and almost cried at how beautiful it all was. Plenty of pictures to come. We had lunch, traditional Gavernie a soup with duck and veggies kind of tasted like a French version of chicken noodle without noodles…and then we had this tarte that is known in the region which has BLACKBERRY jam on top of it, I was in lovvveee. After hiking, we bus-ed home, I slept the whole way, and then I got ready and went out with two people for dinner, had French pizza! It was of course pouring rain and we couldn’t decide and we got sooo hungry that we just stopped and ate the pizza but mine had onions, tomato sauce, mozzarella and BREBIS fromage or ewe cheese which is a female sheep cheese and is the Pyrenees cheese known in the bearn region aka pau. Gahhhh it was as if not more amazing than Italian pizza. Love brebis fromage, LOVE IT. Hope I can find some in the states. Anyways, we had Bordeaux wine and mousse chocolate for dessert.
We trekked home b/c my one friend was tired and the other is going to Bordeaux in the morning to drink more of the wine we drank today haha. I thought about going, but im trying to be conservative with my money, especially since I spent 7. 50 euros today on A BERETTTTT that has a goat on it and is red and I will wear it in ada everyday. I wont wear it here everyday b/c I got on the bus and some other girl bought one too, I was like what??? lamesauce.
Anyways, tomorrow will be lazy. I will hopefully do laundry and it’s fathers day but I didn’t get to the market today so my host dad wont get anything yet. but I plan on sleeping in and reading and doing more research on paris and maybe going to a drag show tomorrow night!!
Love from Pau <3 five days till paris!
Friday night was a blast, after class a bunch of us went downtown to the art museum, which was fantastic, heard a French tour guide who fell in love with my insights on impressionism (haha) and saw everything from realism to modern works. I even saw a painting of the pau chateau, which was neat. I do love art, it relaxes me and makes me feel smart haha. After that, we shopped around a bit then two friends and I picked up some grub and went to cook our own meal! By that I mean my one friend cooked while my other friend and I drank wine it was sooo fun. We had shrimp, rice and these janky but DELICIOUS crepes made with real lemon zest and nutella and I bought us fresh raspberries and it was delicious with two bottles of wine for three people. After dinner, we went downtown (in the rain- surprise?) and hung out at the irish pub, we actually talked with a Nigerian man who hated pau for a long time and he had lived in pau for 6 weeks and was leaving the next day so he was interesting. Walked home in the rain…it was gross out.
TOOOOOOODAY!! Wowza- had our 2nd USAC excursion this time to this town called Gavernie (sp?>) and its this town in the middle of the Pyrenees!! And yes, I did, I hiked up a mountain (with the help of my handy, dandy inhaler) and saw goats and waterfalls and almost cried at how beautiful it all was. Plenty of pictures to come. We had lunch, traditional Gavernie a soup with duck and veggies kind of tasted like a French version of chicken noodle without noodles…and then we had this tarte that is known in the region which has BLACKBERRY jam on top of it, I was in lovvveee. After hiking, we bus-ed home, I slept the whole way, and then I got ready and went out with two people for dinner, had French pizza! It was of course pouring rain and we couldn’t decide and we got sooo hungry that we just stopped and ate the pizza but mine had onions, tomato sauce, mozzarella and BREBIS fromage or ewe cheese which is a female sheep cheese and is the Pyrenees cheese known in the bearn region aka pau. Gahhhh it was as if not more amazing than Italian pizza. Love brebis fromage, LOVE IT. Hope I can find some in the states. Anyways, we had Bordeaux wine and mousse chocolate for dessert.
We trekked home b/c my one friend was tired and the other is going to Bordeaux in the morning to drink more of the wine we drank today haha. I thought about going, but im trying to be conservative with my money, especially since I spent 7. 50 euros today on A BERETTTTT that has a goat on it and is red and I will wear it in ada everyday. I wont wear it here everyday b/c I got on the bus and some other girl bought one too, I was like what??? lamesauce.
Anyways, tomorrow will be lazy. I will hopefully do laundry and it’s fathers day but I didn’t get to the market today so my host dad wont get anything yet. but I plan on sleeping in and reading and doing more research on paris and maybe going to a drag show tomorrow night!!
Love from Pau <3 five days till paris!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
CHEESE
Class, blah, then we all hung out until bus-ing it over to a fromagerie for a CHEESE TASTING!!!
Cheese tasting today. Yum. Yum.yummm. And I learned all it takes to age cheese is milk, salt and water being rubbed on it a lot by fromagerie men. A bunch of us had some wine with our cheese, UMMMYUM.
Dinner was sheep with some spanish mustard/mayo thing and noodles and salad :) An easygoing night with some fun skyping :)
Cheese tasting today. Yum. Yum.yummm. And I learned all it takes to age cheese is milk, salt and water being rubbed on it a lot by fromagerie men. A bunch of us had some wine with our cheese, UMMMYUM.
Dinner was sheep with some spanish mustard/mayo thing and noodles and salad :) An easygoing night with some fun skyping :)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Whammm
Woke up, realized it was the Thursday before my Thursday final and my Friday departure to Paris. Wham= my realization. Wow, wow, wow, Paris soon! Sad to be leaving...need to do everything before i leave!!
Gimme me a BREAK, gimme a break..break me off a piece of that KITKATBAR
Woke up this morning feeling like -3 bucks instead of my usual 100 but it was a fun night salsa-ing so it had been worth the fatigue. Being tired made class go on for days though. We talked a lot about the PACs system in class living together before marriage, etc. and some people talked about gay marriage too. I just love everyone and want everyone to have LOVE FOREVER. I didnt say that though, I was sleeping with my eyes open.
After class, we ate turkey, potatoes and broccoli and yogurt and brie cheese at le vague and it was good and i had ketchup for the 1st time in france! thats an accomplishment to be proud of for sure!
Then, a bunch of us were a-craving something sweet so we checked out leclerc's supermarket candy aisle and i bought a pack of four kitKATS and split them up with friends. it's unreal how different and amazing chocolate tastes here...it tastes...like real and authentic and creamier, richer, gooder. Some of those things arent words but its all true.
some people in nice/toulouse area died yesterday due to heavy rains/flooding so we were warned to stay in, plus i was exhaUSTED, so I went home, napped, did hmwk and had dinner with my family here: some pizza-ish tarte made with bacon and cheese and pie crust i think, and brocolli/cauliflower/bacon-y meat/onion vegetable mix, wine (yumm), two sunny side up eggs with salt and brebis cheese for dessert. A pleasant little dinner. After dinner, I had a kitkat :) and now I am currently reading a novel and relaxing in my bed. it's chilly chilly BURRRR in Pau but cozy in my covers.
I think Im starting to worry about souvenirs for people too much...I just want to bring you all EVERYTHINGGGGG b/c I love everything here, every little shop has something precious. I feel frugal, I want to stay frugal but I dont want to miss out on fun stuff and I dont know when ill be in europe again, u know? sooo im hoping to find some deals when my friends and i decide to actually shop instead of just window shop. i think ill go into town with 50 euro total and then just blow it on me, my friends and I. i doooo want to get everyone a little something...its frustrating. i should be friends with only myself so i didnt have to buy presents...but then...my friendships to me are worth more than ZILLIONS OF DOLLARS :)
also, my mom and dad and brother. i want to buy them new cars, gadgets, horses, montains. not all of those things i will be able to afford...
BREAKFAST- I almost forgot. I had POUND CAKE essentially for breakfast with apple jam and butter and it made me meltttttt. man, i am thoroughly divulging my sweet tooth here, non? oh well, i worked it off last night salsa-ing :)
Missing people at home today a lot, like my close friends and family. Im getting excited for my senior year...sad ill be a senior but cant wait to live with heather and eric honestly I LOVE THEM SOOO. also, im nervousssssexcitttteeddd for hamlet in the fall. its all coming up! its weird to think about life in the states when my life here is so different! like...will i be able to eat with my hands under the table ever again? here, it's rude if you do. will i smile at strangers? you do not make eye contact here and you purposefully walk to avoid people. will i pet strangers dogs? i missss that. i miss my dog a lotttt. gee whizz.
oh well, it is a relaxing night though. its normal to be slightly melancholy in the rain even though its calming and beautiful.
9 days till Paris!!!!
After class, we ate turkey, potatoes and broccoli and yogurt and brie cheese at le vague and it was good and i had ketchup for the 1st time in france! thats an accomplishment to be proud of for sure!
Then, a bunch of us were a-craving something sweet so we checked out leclerc's supermarket candy aisle and i bought a pack of four kitKATS and split them up with friends. it's unreal how different and amazing chocolate tastes here...it tastes...like real and authentic and creamier, richer, gooder. Some of those things arent words but its all true.
some people in nice/toulouse area died yesterday due to heavy rains/flooding so we were warned to stay in, plus i was exhaUSTED, so I went home, napped, did hmwk and had dinner with my family here: some pizza-ish tarte made with bacon and cheese and pie crust i think, and brocolli/cauliflower/bacon-y meat/onion vegetable mix, wine (yumm), two sunny side up eggs with salt and brebis cheese for dessert. A pleasant little dinner. After dinner, I had a kitkat :) and now I am currently reading a novel and relaxing in my bed. it's chilly chilly BURRRR in Pau but cozy in my covers.
I think Im starting to worry about souvenirs for people too much...I just want to bring you all EVERYTHINGGGGG b/c I love everything here, every little shop has something precious. I feel frugal, I want to stay frugal but I dont want to miss out on fun stuff and I dont know when ill be in europe again, u know? sooo im hoping to find some deals when my friends and i decide to actually shop instead of just window shop. i think ill go into town with 50 euro total and then just blow it on me, my friends and I. i doooo want to get everyone a little something...its frustrating. i should be friends with only myself so i didnt have to buy presents...but then...my friendships to me are worth more than ZILLIONS OF DOLLARS :)
also, my mom and dad and brother. i want to buy them new cars, gadgets, horses, montains. not all of those things i will be able to afford...
BREAKFAST- I almost forgot. I had POUND CAKE essentially for breakfast with apple jam and butter and it made me meltttttt. man, i am thoroughly divulging my sweet tooth here, non? oh well, i worked it off last night salsa-ing :)
Missing people at home today a lot, like my close friends and family. Im getting excited for my senior year...sad ill be a senior but cant wait to live with heather and eric honestly I LOVE THEM SOOO. also, im nervousssssexcitttteeddd for hamlet in the fall. its all coming up! its weird to think about life in the states when my life here is so different! like...will i be able to eat with my hands under the table ever again? here, it's rude if you do. will i smile at strangers? you do not make eye contact here and you purposefully walk to avoid people. will i pet strangers dogs? i missss that. i miss my dog a lotttt. gee whizz.
oh well, it is a relaxing night though. its normal to be slightly melancholy in the rain even though its calming and beautiful.
9 days till Paris!!!!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Italy Photos
This photo is illegal...but amazing and it made me cry in person.
Me in front of the famous Duomo
I love italian food!!
Me in front of the famous Duomo
I love italian food!!
Days pass
Class, doo,doo, dah. Then we went to a french restuarant where I got a saucisson (or sausage..basically it was a plate of porc stuff) plate with foie gras YUM, some burnt turkey..not the best, amazing fries and flan and a coffee for 12 euro. i.was.pleased.
worked on getting photos to my computer ALL day. there are still some that didnt load but oh well, most are up and on fbook. ill choose three for here in a bit.
dinner was fish, the same kind that got me sick before but it was cooked and yum so i hope no problems ensue. petits pois, and an apple for dessert and delightful conversation about zoos and the PACS system in france, no one here prefers traditional marriage, did u know? my host daughter said she didnt want to be with one person forever so she just wanted to be pacsed.its weird to think about just getting the rights not having a traditional marriage for me. everything is so traditional in the states, white dress and a party.
anyway, am off to salsa tonight for a friends bday :) i am officially 10 days away from paris! start the countdown but i am sad about leaving beautiful pau and fabulous people here. i got my homestay assignment for paris though, everything looks good so here's hoping my lady in 2 weeks loves me!
worked on getting photos to my computer ALL day. there are still some that didnt load but oh well, most are up and on fbook. ill choose three for here in a bit.
dinner was fish, the same kind that got me sick before but it was cooked and yum so i hope no problems ensue. petits pois, and an apple for dessert and delightful conversation about zoos and the PACS system in france, no one here prefers traditional marriage, did u know? my host daughter said she didnt want to be with one person forever so she just wanted to be pacsed.its weird to think about just getting the rights not having a traditional marriage for me. everything is so traditional in the states, white dress and a party.
anyway, am off to salsa tonight for a friends bday :) i am officially 10 days away from paris! start the countdown but i am sad about leaving beautiful pau and fabulous people here. i got my homestay assignment for paris though, everything looks good so here's hoping my lady in 2 weeks loves me!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Chantant quand il pleut...
Well it’s been a lazy and chilly day in Pau, but I’ve enjoyed it.
Woke up early early for class, worn out from Italy and traveling still but with pep in my step! Had delicious bread and kiwi jam…surprisingly I LOVE IT :)
Anyways, class learning blah de blah subjontif blah and I gave my presentation on cheese, wine and foie gras of the bearn region, which is the region pau is in. during the middle of my presentation there was a fire alarm that went off, but such is my life. I continued shortly after it went off…as it continued to go off…yeah I talked over a fire alarm. Soon, it ended though. I did great, like…I was amazing. Anyway, we ate all of the above after my presentation…oh yeah I HAD FOUR SMALL CUPS OF WINE INNNNN CLASSSSS I do not miss onu right now haha they never let me drink in class and munch on cheese, bread, dark cherry jam, and foie gras. I was pleased.
After class, laura and I hopped over the vague for some chocolate gateau and some more cheese and an orangina which hit the spot. Then, her and I and some other students went to a phonetics class where we listened to and repeated French phrases with a recording. The teacher interviewed u first to give u a level to start out at and I started with the last chapter and finished in 20 minutes and she interviewed me again with a short reading aloud and then said I was super, excellente, tres excellente, and I left haha. It was fine…i do need work on saying prune vs. brune…
After phonetics, I went home for a long, luxurious nap and I sang singing in the rain in French on the walk home which made me happy b/c it was raining. I rarely sing walking places here…it’s like…not French. Oh well, it was joyful and not many people were on the streets so I did. Then, I slept to the sound of rain and woke up, did hmwk and had dinner. I’m so pleased with my dinner it like…was a flushing out of rich food I ate all weekend. I had petits pois, corn, a piece of chicken and a piece of cold ham and a carrot casserole thingy. Dessert was flan…which is just eggs and milk so basically I’m not eating super rich carbonera here which is good for my waist haha. I am trying to not to worry too much about diet though…which is why I enjoyed some cake and flan today.
Anyways, I finished mes devoirs so I’m just going to relax tonight and read a book and soak up the atmosphere of pau when it rains :) Bon soir!
Woke up early early for class, worn out from Italy and traveling still but with pep in my step! Had delicious bread and kiwi jam…surprisingly I LOVE IT :)
Anyways, class learning blah de blah subjontif blah and I gave my presentation on cheese, wine and foie gras of the bearn region, which is the region pau is in. during the middle of my presentation there was a fire alarm that went off, but such is my life. I continued shortly after it went off…as it continued to go off…yeah I talked over a fire alarm. Soon, it ended though. I did great, like…I was amazing. Anyway, we ate all of the above after my presentation…oh yeah I HAD FOUR SMALL CUPS OF WINE INNNNN CLASSSSS I do not miss onu right now haha they never let me drink in class and munch on cheese, bread, dark cherry jam, and foie gras. I was pleased.
After class, laura and I hopped over the vague for some chocolate gateau and some more cheese and an orangina which hit the spot. Then, her and I and some other students went to a phonetics class where we listened to and repeated French phrases with a recording. The teacher interviewed u first to give u a level to start out at and I started with the last chapter and finished in 20 minutes and she interviewed me again with a short reading aloud and then said I was super, excellente, tres excellente, and I left haha. It was fine…i do need work on saying prune vs. brune…
After phonetics, I went home for a long, luxurious nap and I sang singing in the rain in French on the walk home which made me happy b/c it was raining. I rarely sing walking places here…it’s like…not French. Oh well, it was joyful and not many people were on the streets so I did. Then, I slept to the sound of rain and woke up, did hmwk and had dinner. I’m so pleased with my dinner it like…was a flushing out of rich food I ate all weekend. I had petits pois, corn, a piece of chicken and a piece of cold ham and a carrot casserole thingy. Dessert was flan…which is just eggs and milk so basically I’m not eating super rich carbonera here which is good for my waist haha. I am trying to not to worry too much about diet though…which is why I enjoyed some cake and flan today.
Anyways, I finished mes devoirs so I’m just going to relax tonight and read a book and soak up the atmosphere of pau when it rains :) Bon soir!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
EUROPE ADVENTURES
Okay time for UPDATES on my life in Europe!!
Thursday- class and had calamari and amazing zucchini/potato/onion mixture of veggies, packed and did hmwk
FRIDAY-
Class…which typically flies…went on for days. DAYS. I was so antsy I couldn’t stand it. And we had a test that everyone bombed horribly, including me. oh well. After class, my two friends and I flew out of the room and we stopped by leclerc to grab a bagette and get some serious bank money. Then off we flew! Took a 2pm train to Bordeaux and thought we’d just chill and take an easygoing taxi to the airport from the train station but turns out there was some huge traffic issue and we had to take backroads to the airport which took about 40 minutes…I was having panic attacks that we would miss our flight all the way to the airport. We made it to the airport about 5 30 for a 6 10 flight. We ran upstairs, waited in line for security but we asked the guy if he thought we’d be fine making our flight or if we could go through early, he said no worries. So we waited, then we got up front and found out we were in the WRONG airport for Ryanair and then we all panicked and ran around the airport till I asked the same guy we’d asked earlier for security and he told us to go next to the airport. So we ran. It was 5 50, I was having almost a literal asthma attack and the airport security was sort of giggling at the incredibleness of our timing. A flight attendant walked over to us and showed us where the boarding was and we got on, sweat, near tears and all. We had MADE IT.
So yes. The flight. Ears were a popping and strangers sitting next to me were grumpy and airplane food was expensive but we got to bologna on time. 98% of all ryanair flights land…on time. We thought they might say safely but it was on time haha.
Got to bologna, had some issues figuring out what to do and where to find a friends bf that studies in Italy that we met up with but we wound up taking a taxi to our 1st beautiful hostel and by then it was 10ish and we needed grub. The hostel man, who clearly loved me, recommended a nearby place and we went. OH MON DIEU I had mussels and noodles…it was called spaghetti (Italian word) mussels and we all split a sausage pizza and vino. It was amazing! I was in heaven. Then after dinner the waiter gave us free melon cello and biscuit lemon cookies b/c I was charming I guess Delicious and a treat!
Quickly, we started out on my goal list which was : scarves, see David and eat gelato every hour on the hour (didn’t happen every hour but we did eat a lot). But my 1st flavor, we stopped after dinner, was nutella and I was in heaven, dear lordy lord. I never tried nutella until france on a crepe but as a aGELATOO flavor gahhhh I died.
SATURDAY-
Okay! So, we went to sleep, woke up early, early for coffee and a pastry chocolate croissant yummm and then hit the train station for Florence. WHAT a city. So gorgeous, so much history, so much gelato. Don’t judge me for how much food I ate, I honestly kept saying im only in Italy for two days so I must try everything my stomach can hold haha.
Okay so we started off the day just me and my friend laura cuz my other friend wanted to spend the day alone with her bf. So I bought my 1st scarf right away and then laura and I hit the 1st gelatorium we saw- my 1st was tiramisu yummmmm. Then we walked to our hostel to drop off our bags and walked in the town and my jaw never was closed, so gorgeous! Hazenut and chocolate gelato was next and then we stood in line the Accademia museum to see michelangelo’s david…we walked inside and I cried when I saw it…honestly it was so perfect and beautiful and out of a dream, my dreams. I took 3 illegal pictures, oh well. It was so beautiful and perfectly sculpted and flawless.
After the david, laura and I shopped a LOT, seeing the giant lines of shops in the big market and scarves and scarves..I wound up with 4 total for myself total of $20, a splurge but it was necessary I LOVE THEM! Anyway, we munched on nutella/whipped cream fried waffles, zucchini pizza, fanta (it doesn’t have artificial sweetener here!! tastes amazing), raspberry and pineapple gelato. Yum galore. My taste buds were pleased, not so much my belt…oh well. We walked the whole day!
Saw everything in Florence, we walked along the river and it was a dream with men playing guitars and Italian sultry music on the streets and funny-dressed people. We wound up napping for a bit and then met up with my friend and her bf for dinner, I had spaghetti alla carbonara OH GOODNESS MIO I loved it soooo. It was like…creamy sauce made with eggs, some pork strips and deliciousness noodles yum. I was so happy with our meal.
Laura and I went back to our hostel to get ready and then went out with our friends dancing, it was very different from in the states and we all have stories of funny men in the bars now. On the streets walking places, men were always shouting ciao, bella to us everywhere! I guess we are all just so bella they cannot resist! On our way home from the bars, laura and I had another gelato, pistachio for me! my favorite! I dread the day that I go into a usa ice cream shop and I don’t see pistachio, it never happens in Europe!
SUNDAY-
Went to bed about 4am and slept till 8am, had a shower that felt amazing and we bought authentic Italian breakfast pastries and water. Met up with our other friends and had fresh cherries and then hopped a train to bologna, then aerobused to the airport in bologna. In bologna airport, we ate at the food court, pesto risotto for me with artichoke hearts and a coffee, then we went through the long ordeal of waiting in lines to get things validated, etc. relaxed, drank a fanta and hopped a plane ride to Bordeaux that I slept on for the full hour and a half.
In Bordeaux, we took an expensive taxi ride to the train station and grabbed sandwiches made with French fries? So delicious and a fanta! We did our hmwk on the train….mine still isn’t all the way done and it is midnight…I’m off to work on stuff now!
Overall, amazing, I achieved my goals of buying scarves, seeing david and eating gelato and I LOVE LOVE LOVED Italy and am so thrilled I can say I have been there! It was unreal, surreal and beyond my wildest expectations.
It is my 4th week in pau, only 9 more days of class before I leave for my 2nd program in paris!
Thursday- class and had calamari and amazing zucchini/potato/onion mixture of veggies, packed and did hmwk
FRIDAY-
Class…which typically flies…went on for days. DAYS. I was so antsy I couldn’t stand it. And we had a test that everyone bombed horribly, including me. oh well. After class, my two friends and I flew out of the room and we stopped by leclerc to grab a bagette and get some serious bank money. Then off we flew! Took a 2pm train to Bordeaux and thought we’d just chill and take an easygoing taxi to the airport from the train station but turns out there was some huge traffic issue and we had to take backroads to the airport which took about 40 minutes…I was having panic attacks that we would miss our flight all the way to the airport. We made it to the airport about 5 30 for a 6 10 flight. We ran upstairs, waited in line for security but we asked the guy if he thought we’d be fine making our flight or if we could go through early, he said no worries. So we waited, then we got up front and found out we were in the WRONG airport for Ryanair and then we all panicked and ran around the airport till I asked the same guy we’d asked earlier for security and he told us to go next to the airport. So we ran. It was 5 50, I was having almost a literal asthma attack and the airport security was sort of giggling at the incredibleness of our timing. A flight attendant walked over to us and showed us where the boarding was and we got on, sweat, near tears and all. We had MADE IT.
So yes. The flight. Ears were a popping and strangers sitting next to me were grumpy and airplane food was expensive but we got to bologna on time. 98% of all ryanair flights land…on time. We thought they might say safely but it was on time haha.
Got to bologna, had some issues figuring out what to do and where to find a friends bf that studies in Italy that we met up with but we wound up taking a taxi to our 1st beautiful hostel and by then it was 10ish and we needed grub. The hostel man, who clearly loved me, recommended a nearby place and we went. OH MON DIEU I had mussels and noodles…it was called spaghetti (Italian word) mussels and we all split a sausage pizza and vino. It was amazing! I was in heaven. Then after dinner the waiter gave us free melon cello and biscuit lemon cookies b/c I was charming I guess Delicious and a treat!
Quickly, we started out on my goal list which was : scarves, see David and eat gelato every hour on the hour (didn’t happen every hour but we did eat a lot). But my 1st flavor, we stopped after dinner, was nutella and I was in heaven, dear lordy lord. I never tried nutella until france on a crepe but as a aGELATOO flavor gahhhh I died.
SATURDAY-
Okay! So, we went to sleep, woke up early, early for coffee and a pastry chocolate croissant yummm and then hit the train station for Florence. WHAT a city. So gorgeous, so much history, so much gelato. Don’t judge me for how much food I ate, I honestly kept saying im only in Italy for two days so I must try everything my stomach can hold haha.
Okay so we started off the day just me and my friend laura cuz my other friend wanted to spend the day alone with her bf. So I bought my 1st scarf right away and then laura and I hit the 1st gelatorium we saw- my 1st was tiramisu yummmmm. Then we walked to our hostel to drop off our bags and walked in the town and my jaw never was closed, so gorgeous! Hazenut and chocolate gelato was next and then we stood in line the Accademia museum to see michelangelo’s david…we walked inside and I cried when I saw it…honestly it was so perfect and beautiful and out of a dream, my dreams. I took 3 illegal pictures, oh well. It was so beautiful and perfectly sculpted and flawless.
After the david, laura and I shopped a LOT, seeing the giant lines of shops in the big market and scarves and scarves..I wound up with 4 total for myself total of $20, a splurge but it was necessary I LOVE THEM! Anyway, we munched on nutella/whipped cream fried waffles, zucchini pizza, fanta (it doesn’t have artificial sweetener here!! tastes amazing), raspberry and pineapple gelato. Yum galore. My taste buds were pleased, not so much my belt…oh well. We walked the whole day!
Saw everything in Florence, we walked along the river and it was a dream with men playing guitars and Italian sultry music on the streets and funny-dressed people. We wound up napping for a bit and then met up with my friend and her bf for dinner, I had spaghetti alla carbonara OH GOODNESS MIO I loved it soooo. It was like…creamy sauce made with eggs, some pork strips and deliciousness noodles yum. I was so happy with our meal.
Laura and I went back to our hostel to get ready and then went out with our friends dancing, it was very different from in the states and we all have stories of funny men in the bars now. On the streets walking places, men were always shouting ciao, bella to us everywhere! I guess we are all just so bella they cannot resist! On our way home from the bars, laura and I had another gelato, pistachio for me! my favorite! I dread the day that I go into a usa ice cream shop and I don’t see pistachio, it never happens in Europe!
SUNDAY-
Went to bed about 4am and slept till 8am, had a shower that felt amazing and we bought authentic Italian breakfast pastries and water. Met up with our other friends and had fresh cherries and then hopped a train to bologna, then aerobused to the airport in bologna. In bologna airport, we ate at the food court, pesto risotto for me with artichoke hearts and a coffee, then we went through the long ordeal of waiting in lines to get things validated, etc. relaxed, drank a fanta and hopped a plane ride to Bordeaux that I slept on for the full hour and a half.
In Bordeaux, we took an expensive taxi ride to the train station and grabbed sandwiches made with French fries? So delicious and a fanta! We did our hmwk on the train….mine still isn’t all the way done and it is midnight…I’m off to work on stuff now!
Overall, amazing, I achieved my goals of buying scarves, seeing david and eating gelato and I LOVE LOVE LOVED Italy and am so thrilled I can say I have been there! It was unreal, surreal and beyond my wildest expectations.
It is my 4th week in pau, only 9 more days of class before I leave for my 2nd program in paris!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
GREETINGS FROM ITALY
It is a miracle we made our flight yesterday, i literally had an asthma attack almost running to ctach it after going to the wrong airport we got on our plane with 10 minutes till it left bahh! a miracle!!
right now we are in florence after spending yesterday in bologna. i will write more details later. it is GORGEOUS HERE. i cried when i saw the david! oh mon dieu.
out tonight and more gelato...its embarassing how many scarves i bought lol. 4. oh well, when in italy!!!
off to dinner now! OH YEAH IM IN ITALY!
right now we are in florence after spending yesterday in bologna. i will write more details later. it is GORGEOUS HERE. i cried when i saw the david! oh mon dieu.
out tonight and more gelato...its embarassing how many scarves i bought lol. 4. oh well, when in italy!!!
off to dinner now! OH YEAH IM IN ITALY!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Skip the last post
My computer says my battery is in good condition again!! Yay!! It might've helped me rooting for the hp total care advisor chanting healthy, healthy, healthy...i win!
off to class!!
off to class!!
Mechanical Issues...
My computer says it is 100% battery-charged but the battery condition is poor. I dont know what this means. Grr.
anyway, an early morning for a day of studying for tomorrows test, and practicing for my presentation. have the best day!
anyway, an early morning for a day of studying for tomorrows test, and practicing for my presentation. have the best day!
Dans la Lune
It was an in the moon day, everyone was sleepy in class today and i skipped coffee this morning for fear for my stomach but hot chocolate gave me some caffeine. class went on about prepositions, etc. and then we watched the asterix movie that used real people and was set in egypt with cleopatra, i loved it mucho...or beaucoup...
after class i tried to upload my pics onto other computers using my memory card switcher thing- didnt work. i was bummedddd. tomorrow my friend will take my memory card and try to put my pics on her computer so i hopes that works.
then we hit the buses to pick up our tickets for fridays train ride to bordeaux.
after we do bordeaux we fly to bologna. plans changed a bit and we are staying in bologna for a night and taking an early bus to florence. i am excited to get a taste of two italian citys!
anyways, after getting our tickets we ate some georgios, the famous ice cream, i splurged and allowed myself pistachio and chocolate again MY FAVORITE plus i needed some ice cream cheer for a chillyish day of work ahead.
went home, had this like..pie thing with zucchini, onions, pork and red peppers she made from SCRATCH, fresh pork meat, cow cheese and a fresh mango for dessert. i love her cooking oodles.
off to study and prep for my presentation friday on bearn cheese, wine and foie gras.
after class i tried to upload my pics onto other computers using my memory card switcher thing- didnt work. i was bummedddd. tomorrow my friend will take my memory card and try to put my pics on her computer so i hopes that works.
then we hit the buses to pick up our tickets for fridays train ride to bordeaux.
after we do bordeaux we fly to bologna. plans changed a bit and we are staying in bologna for a night and taking an early bus to florence. i am excited to get a taste of two italian citys!
anyways, after getting our tickets we ate some georgios, the famous ice cream, i splurged and allowed myself pistachio and chocolate again MY FAVORITE plus i needed some ice cream cheer for a chillyish day of work ahead.
went home, had this like..pie thing with zucchini, onions, pork and red peppers she made from SCRATCH, fresh pork meat, cow cheese and a fresh mango for dessert. i love her cooking oodles.
off to study and prep for my presentation friday on bearn cheese, wine and foie gras.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Dreams :)
yesterday...
Yesterday was a blur of class, everyone, including me, was feeling kind of sickish. after class, i had ham for lunch real bona fide ham, delicious. and an orangina and a rasberry yaourt.
we are working on phonetics in class in this weird lab...its hard for me to say prune and brune. u try it with the cheee in ur throat, its hard non? im working on it
went with laura downtown for a bit for my 2nd georgios, a mint/chocolate cone dear lord the man is genius and i think he remembered me from last week b/c he gave me a smile of friendliness, it's that or im gorgeous either one ;)
dinner was this sort of french bacon that is made the same but uses the belly i think of the pig? my host mom tried to explain. also over-easy eggs, yum! bread and leftover legumes from last night yum.
i had a dream last night that i was home in naperville with like...no souvenirs...none and i couldnt go back to france and the time like...sped up extraordinarily quick and i cried b/c i had nothing to remember it by...i dont think this will happen. ive already bought some souvenirs and am stocking up on postcards lol. odd dream tho...then we were all at a pool at girl scout camp and i didnt want to work at the pavilion and sort food. bah, hilarity. i miss my truddy <3
plans of traveling to florence are all set for this weekend, it will dent my bank account but be worth it. i told my host daughter this but i've always dreamed of going to france and i've always dreamed of going to italy...its weird to have dreams come true like this. you never could imagine how amazing it felt to wake up today from that dream and realize im still in pau, it hasnt even been five weeks. i was so happy. i do love it here, minus the sick-thing.
well, im off to class!!! have a swell day!
Yesterday was a blur of class, everyone, including me, was feeling kind of sickish. after class, i had ham for lunch real bona fide ham, delicious. and an orangina and a rasberry yaourt.
we are working on phonetics in class in this weird lab...its hard for me to say prune and brune. u try it with the cheee in ur throat, its hard non? im working on it
went with laura downtown for a bit for my 2nd georgios, a mint/chocolate cone dear lord the man is genius and i think he remembered me from last week b/c he gave me a smile of friendliness, it's that or im gorgeous either one ;)
dinner was this sort of french bacon that is made the same but uses the belly i think of the pig? my host mom tried to explain. also over-easy eggs, yum! bread and leftover legumes from last night yum.
i had a dream last night that i was home in naperville with like...no souvenirs...none and i couldnt go back to france and the time like...sped up extraordinarily quick and i cried b/c i had nothing to remember it by...i dont think this will happen. ive already bought some souvenirs and am stocking up on postcards lol. odd dream tho...then we were all at a pool at girl scout camp and i didnt want to work at the pavilion and sort food. bah, hilarity. i miss my truddy <3
plans of traveling to florence are all set for this weekend, it will dent my bank account but be worth it. i told my host daughter this but i've always dreamed of going to france and i've always dreamed of going to italy...its weird to have dreams come true like this. you never could imagine how amazing it felt to wake up today from that dream and realize im still in pau, it hasnt even been five weeks. i was so happy. i do love it here, minus the sick-thing.
well, im off to class!!! have a swell day!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Lazy Mondays
Leftover duck and AMAZING legumes or veggies. Since when do i love green beans, broccoli and mushrooms? Since France seasoned them. thee end.
hmwk was done tonight and laundry and i'm feeling much better. an early night before an early morning.
did u know that foie gras was banned in chicago for a couple years? ducks are force-fed for 12-18 days before slaughter to enlarge their livers so chicago took on a banning of it for a period. i'm doing a presentation friday on bearnaise cheese, wine and foie gras..oh yeah and we will get to try everything in class THAT MEANS DRINK WINE IN CLASS, i'm excited. anyway, i love foie gras but not so much the force-feeding thing.
did u also know that there is a law in france banning women from wearing burqas? much dicussion was held in class and my host parents tonight talked with me about how they are against the burqa and for the law b/c religion is so private here. they are all for private religious practicing.
did u know my hands are sore from typing/writing in class so much? i better stop.
also i am at a peak with my french. i want to learn more but i am not absorbing things...am working on it.
hmwk was done tonight and laundry and i'm feeling much better. an early night before an early morning.
did u know that foie gras was banned in chicago for a couple years? ducks are force-fed for 12-18 days before slaughter to enlarge their livers so chicago took on a banning of it for a period. i'm doing a presentation friday on bearnaise cheese, wine and foie gras..oh yeah and we will get to try everything in class THAT MEANS DRINK WINE IN CLASS, i'm excited. anyway, i love foie gras but not so much the force-feeding thing.
did u also know that there is a law in france banning women from wearing burqas? much dicussion was held in class and my host parents tonight talked with me about how they are against the burqa and for the law b/c religion is so private here. they are all for private religious practicing.
did u know my hands are sore from typing/writing in class so much? i better stop.
also i am at a peak with my french. i want to learn more but i am not absorbing things...am working on it.
malade, malade, malade
My body hurts today, my tummy from the fish i ate last night i think, my head and throat from allergies/swallowing ocean water/being around smokers and my shoulder b/c i slept on it wrong. sick,sick,sick. grabbed a quick breakfast and struggled through staying awake in class, grabbed an orangina and piece of bread then napped. may have food poisoning? its possible.
hmwk today and laundry. mondays are not my favorites but i was in a good mood all day despite my ill-feelings.
also, did u know that after u wash pants here they dont shrink up? my pants are hugeeee on me. needed a belt today b/c i couldve easily been de-pantsed. a bunch of people threatened, i love everyone.
hmwk today and laundry. mondays are not my favorites but i was in a good mood all day despite my ill-feelings.
also, did u know that after u wash pants here they dont shrink up? my pants are hugeeee on me. needed a belt today b/c i couldve easily been de-pantsed. a bunch of people threatened, i love everyone.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Note before Nap
Lunch: AUTHENTIC duck with buttery spice-full potatoes, a specialty du sud-ouest and FOIE GRAS, twas delicious and then some apricot cake thing and 4 glasses of delicious wine (all before 3pm, i am tired haha) at lunch, we had a guest and we all talked politics so naturally i missed grandma, but it was fun. i felt so french when i agreed on so many issues with all of them, but i made sure to say i love the USA cuz i dont think our guest loved it as much as me and he made some interesting comments but i said our gov. is working on things right now and will do great work! go usa! vive la france! i love everywhere.
talked with my mom for an hour-homesickness is less. i am off to take a nap and do hmwk for the day.
talked with my mom for an hour-homesickness is less. i am off to take a nap and do hmwk for the day.
Random blurbs
Also, some small things i never wrote about:
My every-morning breakfast is REAL fresh bread, REAL butter with omega 3s and REAL, REAL, REALLLL apple confiture or jam. i love mornings.
i dont think i could live in france unless my family/friends moved with me. so if i fall in love here, it will be with someone who will live in the usa. at least for now. and i might ;) lol
my bed is so comfy, sleeping in feels amazing.
i love that i always wake up to my alarm clock, it is quieter than my alarm at home but i always wake up. i love that.
i wish i had more time/energy to read, i brought too many books.
dogs don't come up to you in france like at home. i have yet to pet a strangers dog and it sort of makes me sad b/c dogs are everywhere, everywhere. once though, a baby poodley pup came up to me then i teared up, im such a sap and i miss my pup at home. its weird that a dog coming up to me made me homesick?
everything tastes so fresh here, like without corn syrup and other added things. my one friend said you will never be able to eat at olive garden again, i said i probably still would but i would miss out on the freshness of france.
i want to cook. only french food. but i want to learn french cuisine, especially pays basque and bearnaise cuisine, hopefully someone (cough mom cough) will help me when i get home.
i found out i can only pack 2 bottles of wine to bring home with me on the plane. boo. i will bring one speciality of pau (jurancon) and buy another in paris before i leave in about 7 weeks.
it is already my 3rd week HOW STRANGE. time fliessss.
everyone here is getting sick w/ this weird, lose your voice and cough a little and have a headache thing. it makes me nervous b/c everyone here tries each others food and drinks. i mean, we all do it to get the most tastes of france as possible but i have stopped sharing drinks with people that are feeling ill.
this post was random but i thought i would write it for fyi stuff.
My every-morning breakfast is REAL fresh bread, REAL butter with omega 3s and REAL, REAL, REALLLL apple confiture or jam. i love mornings.
i dont think i could live in france unless my family/friends moved with me. so if i fall in love here, it will be with someone who will live in the usa. at least for now. and i might ;) lol
my bed is so comfy, sleeping in feels amazing.
i love that i always wake up to my alarm clock, it is quieter than my alarm at home but i always wake up. i love that.
i wish i had more time/energy to read, i brought too many books.
dogs don't come up to you in france like at home. i have yet to pet a strangers dog and it sort of makes me sad b/c dogs are everywhere, everywhere. once though, a baby poodley pup came up to me then i teared up, im such a sap and i miss my pup at home. its weird that a dog coming up to me made me homesick?
everything tastes so fresh here, like without corn syrup and other added things. my one friend said you will never be able to eat at olive garden again, i said i probably still would but i would miss out on the freshness of france.
i want to cook. only french food. but i want to learn french cuisine, especially pays basque and bearnaise cuisine, hopefully someone (cough mom cough) will help me when i get home.
i found out i can only pack 2 bottles of wine to bring home with me on the plane. boo. i will bring one speciality of pau (jurancon) and buy another in paris before i leave in about 7 weeks.
it is already my 3rd week HOW STRANGE. time fliessss.
everyone here is getting sick w/ this weird, lose your voice and cough a little and have a headache thing. it makes me nervous b/c everyone here tries each others food and drinks. i mean, we all do it to get the most tastes of france as possible but i have stopped sharing drinks with people that are feeling ill.
this post was random but i thought i would write it for fyi stuff.
FRIDAY NIGHT AND THE FEELING’S RIGHT
Friday, woke up, had class. In class we had lunch sort of b/c there were presenatations on traditional Basque dishes, next week I will do a presentation of Bearnaise dishes so MORE FOOD IN CLASS! Anyway, we had some salsa-type dish and pays basque gateau or cake yumm. After class, I had some cheese and an orangina from le vague then fixed my cell phone at leclerc…meaning I told them I couldn’t find the code the phone was asking for and he showed me how it was right inside my phone box, cool.
After leclerc, went home and got ready and then met up with some friends for some juice boxes. OF WINE, and three of them cost 1.50 euro, I was pleased. Then we went to an AMAZING, AMAZING creperie, my 1st real creperie!!! I had a special cheese sauce, egg and ham crepe with amazing cidre, or cider, BLACKBERRY flavored and also just plain cidre without flavoring, both were amazing mon dieu. I was a riot at dinner, obviously b/w the juice boxes and yummy cider. My friend had brought her host family brother and his gf to the dinner and they later said I was an expert at franglais, or French/English mixture haha.
The nighttime was the right time, we all went to some bars together and met up with more friends. Escapades ensued, and it was a blast. I am a hot commodity in france too! So fun, we actually met up with our server from the 1st Friday we were here and he hung out with us for the night he was so nice and totally crushed on my friend, so cute. Also, we are best friends now so that is a blast.
OHHHH SATURDAY, how I adored thee.
The USAC group visited Bayonne and Biarritz in the Basque country. Pau is Bearn, those two are Basque, there is even a separate Basque language but most people in Bayonne/Biarritz spoke French too. Lots of history there. In bayonne, we got a guided tour which was good with lots of history. We went to NOTRE DAME…of Bayonne lol, it was still insanely gorgeous, too many photos. Whyyyyyyy aren’t the churches in USA this fantasticly beautiful? No idea.
Lunch in Bayonne was at Le Victor Hugo and it was miserable (bahhh get it, cuz he wrote les mis?) Bahh. But anywwayss, it was delicious with a traditional basque menu: basque chicken (whole chicken with bone and spiced chunks of tomatoes, bell peppers), frites, or fries, bread bread bread and gateau basque!! It sorta tasted like a pound cake, and I do adore pound cake. Or any cake.
After lunch with the group, a bunch of us went to THE MOST GORGEOUS…chocolate shop ever. In the history of the world. There was a giant ostrich in the store, I loved it and I took pictures. Why isn’t fannie mae like this shop? I had an amazing,amazing chocolate called Biarritz with this creamy, creamy darker chocolate in milk chocolate and I DIED it was so good and I also had hot chocolate with cinnamon that has bona fide chocolate in it. I died. I DIED, sooo yum.
Back on the bus to Biarritz to visit the beach. People were surfing, laying out and accidentally drinking the ocean like me. oh well, got a nice tan and had a super blast. Had raspberry sorbet. I may be fatter when I get home…but it will be worth a sorbet. Dropped most of the sorbet down my shirt though…oh well. Also found chocolate inside my shirt. I am a little mess. Anyway, a relaxing afternoon.
We got home about 7 30ish, rushed home and didn’t shower my hair so that made me feel a little yucky. But we had delicious (and CHEAP) pizza for dinner that tasted like home minus the fact the cheese was super real. A little bit of time was spent at two bars for me, but I pooped out after a while b/c I had started w/ beer and beer makes me mellow. I wasn’t being myself, aka I wasn’t being the LIFEEEE of the party b/c I got kind of down.
I don’t know, I also finally got homesick and downright missed my friends and family. My friends walked me home and then I talked on skype a bit and went to sleep a little happier but I know I am still a little down today. But it’s beautiful here and raining and my host family invited me to lunch and I slept in and will do hmwk today. I think I just need to relax, have fun and push through this middle point. Lunch w/ my family should help, I just got kind of down and little things in the night made me feel a little down more so it wasn’t the best night in pau. This week will be amazing I hope and know and I just need a pick-me-up or two. And everyone gets to this sad point, people say. It will be a good day today.
After leclerc, went home and got ready and then met up with some friends for some juice boxes. OF WINE, and three of them cost 1.50 euro, I was pleased. Then we went to an AMAZING, AMAZING creperie, my 1st real creperie!!! I had a special cheese sauce, egg and ham crepe with amazing cidre, or cider, BLACKBERRY flavored and also just plain cidre without flavoring, both were amazing mon dieu. I was a riot at dinner, obviously b/w the juice boxes and yummy cider. My friend had brought her host family brother and his gf to the dinner and they later said I was an expert at franglais, or French/English mixture haha.
The nighttime was the right time, we all went to some bars together and met up with more friends. Escapades ensued, and it was a blast. I am a hot commodity in france too! So fun, we actually met up with our server from the 1st Friday we were here and he hung out with us for the night he was so nice and totally crushed on my friend, so cute. Also, we are best friends now so that is a blast.
OHHHH SATURDAY, how I adored thee.
The USAC group visited Bayonne and Biarritz in the Basque country. Pau is Bearn, those two are Basque, there is even a separate Basque language but most people in Bayonne/Biarritz spoke French too. Lots of history there. In bayonne, we got a guided tour which was good with lots of history. We went to NOTRE DAME…of Bayonne lol, it was still insanely gorgeous, too many photos. Whyyyyyyy aren’t the churches in USA this fantasticly beautiful? No idea.
Lunch in Bayonne was at Le Victor Hugo and it was miserable (bahhh get it, cuz he wrote les mis?) Bahh. But anywwayss, it was delicious with a traditional basque menu: basque chicken (whole chicken with bone and spiced chunks of tomatoes, bell peppers), frites, or fries, bread bread bread and gateau basque!! It sorta tasted like a pound cake, and I do adore pound cake. Or any cake.
After lunch with the group, a bunch of us went to THE MOST GORGEOUS…chocolate shop ever. In the history of the world. There was a giant ostrich in the store, I loved it and I took pictures. Why isn’t fannie mae like this shop? I had an amazing,amazing chocolate called Biarritz with this creamy, creamy darker chocolate in milk chocolate and I DIED it was so good and I also had hot chocolate with cinnamon that has bona fide chocolate in it. I died. I DIED, sooo yum.
Back on the bus to Biarritz to visit the beach. People were surfing, laying out and accidentally drinking the ocean like me. oh well, got a nice tan and had a super blast. Had raspberry sorbet. I may be fatter when I get home…but it will be worth a sorbet. Dropped most of the sorbet down my shirt though…oh well. Also found chocolate inside my shirt. I am a little mess. Anyway, a relaxing afternoon.
We got home about 7 30ish, rushed home and didn’t shower my hair so that made me feel a little yucky. But we had delicious (and CHEAP) pizza for dinner that tasted like home minus the fact the cheese was super real. A little bit of time was spent at two bars for me, but I pooped out after a while b/c I had started w/ beer and beer makes me mellow. I wasn’t being myself, aka I wasn’t being the LIFEEEE of the party b/c I got kind of down.
I don’t know, I also finally got homesick and downright missed my friends and family. My friends walked me home and then I talked on skype a bit and went to sleep a little happier but I know I am still a little down today. But it’s beautiful here and raining and my host family invited me to lunch and I slept in and will do hmwk today. I think I just need to relax, have fun and push through this middle point. Lunch w/ my family should help, I just got kind of down and little things in the night made me feel a little down more so it wasn’t the best night in pau. This week will be amazing I hope and know and I just need a pick-me-up or two. And everyone gets to this sad point, people say. It will be a good day today.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Hier et aujourd'hui
Hier,
- An early, early morning with soreness from salsa!!! Class was fine, I am always dans la lune though!!
- Lunch was amazing chicken with this dill sauce, veggies, brie cheese and probably one of the best desserts in life this sort of ice cream sort of whipped cream with fresh strawberries and chocolate
- MON DIEU, after class, we all hopped two trains to a Juracon winery!!! It is a speciality of Pau and we got a tour behind-the-scenes and tasted some wines together, pictures to come!! I bought a bottle for 5 euro, I must buy more and bring them home with me from france! MON DIEU delicious!!!
- dinner was fish soup with mussels and I think tilapia of sorts, SO AMAZING and noodles and bread with sheep cheese for dessert.
- We tried to do karaoke but the place that normally has it is closed for summer b/c he doesn’t make enough money with the lack of students in town SO disappointed. Instead, we went to a bar downtown and drank pina coladas and spoke with French people. One guy said his least favorite American English word is “hug” lol. He likes to faire le bise or do the kiss on both cheeks.
- To end this day, I love pina coladas. And dancing. In the rain. Or on the streets of pau.
Aujourd’hui
- Class…blah. But an interesting discussion about the law France has that women cannot wear full-on burcas (sp?). I really spoke my mind today about respecting every culture whilst maintaining your own values and the struggle that ensues. I also used my issues in org. comm. globalization class as a reference…it’s the only class I ever talk about lol, one class out of how many? It gave me real life knowledge though. And the jimmy getting social youtube video!!
- After class, we ate pork, cheese, and yummy garlic-y potatoes at le vague very quickly and then jumped two buses to get to the shady-est part of Pau I’ve seen yet! there is this hUGEEEE building literally covered in graffiti and it had all broken windows, etc. so, so shady. But we just walked by it to the stades de l’eau vive, or stadium of living water. People who professionally kayak or compete go there, I was so excited. We all got in teams, I was with three others…one guy, one girl with muscles (ME) and two other girls who I ADORE but muscles…lol not so much ;) we worked HARD getting through those rough waves, like I’m extremely sore and have blisters on my hands but WHAT A BLASTTT!!! Soooo much fun, so exhausting.
- After rafting, we walked downtown up a huge hill (asthma is a stinker, it wore me out going up that hill!), and went to la liberation, which is this huge square and every now and then this super-famous ice cream truck is there that is soooo delicious and the LUCK!! It was there!! It is called Georgio and it makes everyone’s mouths water. I had pistachio and chocolate (surprise, every time there is pistachio it is a requirement for me to get it b/c I so rarely see that flavor in the states and it is my absolute favorite)!!! I tried everyone else’s flavors though, all amazing. I want raspberry sorbet if we go again and catch georgio!! I was thrilled. We all sat in the shade and chit-chatted happy.
- After that, me and two other girls walked to a bus and went back to the university. We bought some tickets online, we are trying and will succeed in going to Florence the weekend of the 11th, I cannot WAIT!! We had to do some research so yeah.
- After that, dinner at my house was mushroom sauce and chicken and couscous and cucumbers/tomatoes drenched in wine, YUM. Dessert was of course cheese and bread, I told my host mom I love that about france and we discussed the pays basque region for a good 20 minutes, I really enjoy her.
- Now it’s time for hmwk…lots of it. Boo. Why is there hmwk? Anyways, bon nuit!!
- An early, early morning with soreness from salsa!!! Class was fine, I am always dans la lune though!!
- Lunch was amazing chicken with this dill sauce, veggies, brie cheese and probably one of the best desserts in life this sort of ice cream sort of whipped cream with fresh strawberries and chocolate
- MON DIEU, after class, we all hopped two trains to a Juracon winery!!! It is a speciality of Pau and we got a tour behind-the-scenes and tasted some wines together, pictures to come!! I bought a bottle for 5 euro, I must buy more and bring them home with me from france! MON DIEU delicious!!!
- dinner was fish soup with mussels and I think tilapia of sorts, SO AMAZING and noodles and bread with sheep cheese for dessert.
- We tried to do karaoke but the place that normally has it is closed for summer b/c he doesn’t make enough money with the lack of students in town SO disappointed. Instead, we went to a bar downtown and drank pina coladas and spoke with French people. One guy said his least favorite American English word is “hug” lol. He likes to faire le bise or do the kiss on both cheeks.
- To end this day, I love pina coladas. And dancing. In the rain. Or on the streets of pau.
Aujourd’hui
- Class…blah. But an interesting discussion about the law France has that women cannot wear full-on burcas (sp?). I really spoke my mind today about respecting every culture whilst maintaining your own values and the struggle that ensues. I also used my issues in org. comm. globalization class as a reference…it’s the only class I ever talk about lol, one class out of how many? It gave me real life knowledge though. And the jimmy getting social youtube video!!
- After class, we ate pork, cheese, and yummy garlic-y potatoes at le vague very quickly and then jumped two buses to get to the shady-est part of Pau I’ve seen yet! there is this hUGEEEE building literally covered in graffiti and it had all broken windows, etc. so, so shady. But we just walked by it to the stades de l’eau vive, or stadium of living water. People who professionally kayak or compete go there, I was so excited. We all got in teams, I was with three others…one guy, one girl with muscles (ME) and two other girls who I ADORE but muscles…lol not so much ;) we worked HARD getting through those rough waves, like I’m extremely sore and have blisters on my hands but WHAT A BLASTTT!!! Soooo much fun, so exhausting.
- After rafting, we walked downtown up a huge hill (asthma is a stinker, it wore me out going up that hill!), and went to la liberation, which is this huge square and every now and then this super-famous ice cream truck is there that is soooo delicious and the LUCK!! It was there!! It is called Georgio and it makes everyone’s mouths water. I had pistachio and chocolate (surprise, every time there is pistachio it is a requirement for me to get it b/c I so rarely see that flavor in the states and it is my absolute favorite)!!! I tried everyone else’s flavors though, all amazing. I want raspberry sorbet if we go again and catch georgio!! I was thrilled. We all sat in the shade and chit-chatted happy.
- After that, me and two other girls walked to a bus and went back to the university. We bought some tickets online, we are trying and will succeed in going to Florence the weekend of the 11th, I cannot WAIT!! We had to do some research so yeah.
- After that, dinner at my house was mushroom sauce and chicken and couscous and cucumbers/tomatoes drenched in wine, YUM. Dessert was of course cheese and bread, I told my host mom I love that about france and we discussed the pays basque region for a good 20 minutes, I really enjoy her.
- Now it’s time for hmwk…lots of it. Boo. Why is there hmwk? Anyways, bon nuit!!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
SALSAAAAAAAA
What a fun day!! I don’t mean class or any regular stuff, but it had a fab ending.
Class blah learning French. Studying phonetics is interesting and all new so that is worth noting.
Lunch at the vague was delicious pork thing and coucous and brie cheese and some pudding then we all went to a French/English student mixer with all the chocolate of france!!! We tried every possible candy bar and boxed cookie that exists! But they all were amazing and we all left bloated and then some of us went downtown to shop. I bought 3 french cds for 6 euro, I just need more French music in my life! I want to blare it in my room all next year <3 charles trenet and georges bizet were two of them and then one of them has various artists on it.
After shopping, we waited 8 years for the bus and then I took another nap and we had leftover omelette, freshly made rice and onion/tomato thing, fresh strawberries and more wine for dinner.
After dinner, a couple of us went to a brasserie with a bar and had fun drinks with champagne in them :)
then, we went to hoegarden for salsa dancing!! SO FUN! We stayed there about 2 hours, we obviously were not as good as everyone else but I did dance with this one guy who literally threw me around the floor. SO much more spinning and fastness in salsa then I previously thought. Social dance class in high school didn’t prepare me enough. Strong mojitos helped though haha. But I adored salsa dancing and even though it was really hot, there were fans and even though I am not a pro, I did my best and had a blast!!
A good evening to an overall good day. And yeah, anyway, that was my day! Not too much to say, just happy to be here and exhausted!
Class blah learning French. Studying phonetics is interesting and all new so that is worth noting.
Lunch at the vague was delicious pork thing and coucous and brie cheese and some pudding then we all went to a French/English student mixer with all the chocolate of france!!! We tried every possible candy bar and boxed cookie that exists! But they all were amazing and we all left bloated and then some of us went downtown to shop. I bought 3 french cds for 6 euro, I just need more French music in my life! I want to blare it in my room all next year <3 charles trenet and georges bizet were two of them and then one of them has various artists on it.
After shopping, we waited 8 years for the bus and then I took another nap and we had leftover omelette, freshly made rice and onion/tomato thing, fresh strawberries and more wine for dinner.
After dinner, a couple of us went to a brasserie with a bar and had fun drinks with champagne in them :)
then, we went to hoegarden for salsa dancing!! SO FUN! We stayed there about 2 hours, we obviously were not as good as everyone else but I did dance with this one guy who literally threw me around the floor. SO much more spinning and fastness in salsa then I previously thought. Social dance class in high school didn’t prepare me enough. Strong mojitos helped though haha. But I adored salsa dancing and even though it was really hot, there were fans and even though I am not a pro, I did my best and had a blast!!
A good evening to an overall good day. And yeah, anyway, that was my day! Not too much to say, just happy to be here and exhausted!
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