Can I just explain something to you about weekends? They are supposed to be relaxing, a way for you to kick back after a stressful week of work and school. A time for families to gather 'round the dinner table, share a meal, and watch the Wonderful World of Disney. A time for finishing your homework late Sunday night, because Saturday was too full, either of obligatory yard work, or roasting marshmallows.
Such weekends do not exist in France.
Why, do you ask?
Because my weekend is longer than my week.
Did you not catch that? Let me repeat it.
My weekend is longer than my week.
That's right.
Study abroad is SO INTENSE that they give you FOUR DAYS TO RECOVER.
BUT THAT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA! DO YOU KNOW WHY? Those four days are never spent recovering. No! That's too many days! Who wants to recover for four days? NO ONE! So do you know what those poor souls with four day weekends do with their time?
FIND NEW WAYS TO BECOME EXHAUSTED!
And this, my friends, is how it's done:
Friday:
1 - Wake up at nine am to skype.
2 - Skype.
3 - Shower.
4 - Take the metro to the 14th Arrondissement to hang out with the cool kids at Foyer Didot.
5 - Learn how to play new chords on the guitar and practice worship music with said cool kids.
6 - Meet Terec- The Moroccan Who Hosts Complete Strangers in His Room through Couchsurfing.com
7 - Go to The Canadian Folk Singer's Free Concert in Montmartre
8 - Leave. Because the room only holds about 5... and 47 are crammed in there. And there's that back room with the red light and the black light and the shag-carpeted chairs... which, you know, is what you always assume a back room looks like, but is not necessarily a back room in which you'd like to hang out.
9 - Eat pizza, and then go back to Montparnasse to have a cappuccino in a French Bar. It's so lovely to have a cappuccino at midnight! And they put chocolate on cappuccinos in France!
10 - Stay the night at Didot, because this is going to be a long weekend, and you absolutely should start it off with a slumber party.
Saturday:
One Saturday every year in all of Europe, something magical happens. It's called "La Nuit Blanche," which literally translates to "White Nights." I heard that every store would be open, and art exhibits, museums, films, dances, and concerts take place all over the city. We were all so excited for this night, to be able to ride bikes around for free and take advantage of the Centre Pompidou at midnight.... But guess what happened...
1 - Wake up at 10 to go to the street market in Montparnasse.
2 - Go to the street market and meet Kiera Knightly!!!! I'm like 72% sure it was her! The others are more skeptical but that's because they don't believe in magic. I do. It's totally logical that Kiera Knightly sells olive tapenade and dried apples at street markets in Montparnasse sometimes. She was probably researching for a role. And she spoke with a British accent! I mean, at first she spoke French but then I made an error (I know, shocker) and she was like, "Oh! You're American!" And then I knew. Because she said it in that Kiera Knightly voice and everything. If you don't believe me... Well... You should.
3 - Buy olive tapenade and dried apples (yes, from Kiera)
4 - Go to an amazing Lebanese restaurant for lunch
5 - Return chez toi to get ready for Nuit Blanche!
6 - Go BACK to Didot for dinner at the Laurier
7 - Find non-alchoholic champagne (It exists in France! It's called: Champagne Sans Alcool Pour les Enfants... That is right. Non-alcoholic champagne for children. That's me!)
and then the second half of Saturday begins...
1 - Go to the Eiffel Tower
2 - Drink non-alcoholic champagne with good friends, people you just met, and the beautiful sparkling lights of La Tour Eiffel at midnight. It's absolutely beautiful.
3 - Decide to go to Montparnasse because there is this HUGE beam of light reaching up into the sky... and that makes one curious!
4 - The problem? Metro closes really, really soon... SO we got to the said HUGE beam of light... and it really was massive. Think the Batman Light times 4 thousand. It's really big. And there was this creepy space music playing, too. And lots of people looked like they really enjoyed it, but... It was just a massive big light. With creepy music. I'm sorry I didn't understand it. (It needed the Batman on it. Then it would've been awesome.)
5 - Decide you really need to go back home, because it's 1:30 and the metro closes at 2 so you have to get moving!
6 - Get stuck in the Montparnasse Metro... because you didn't get moving fast enough. (2:00)
7 - The First Mistake of the Night: Decide to take the bus instead of walking home. (2:20)
8 - The Second Mistake of the Night: Get on the wrong bus. (2:45)
9 - The Third Mistake of the Night: Get off the bus, and get on a different wrong bus. (But this time, someone in an official orange vest told us to do it! Not our fault!) (3:15)
10- Admit you are lost, and get off the bus, and ask a different official orange vest man.
11- Realize that the other bus was indeed correct, and get back on it. (3:45)
12- Get to the metro. "But I thought it was closed!" "Well, no, Silly American Girl. Line 14 is never closed." "That should be written down somewhere..." Then the man points to the sign... *sigh* ... (4:15)
13- Take the metro, fend off a tall man trying to steal your purple hat (I know! I was appalled, too!) and walk home.
14- Collapse into bed at the comfortable hour of 5:15 in the morning.
End of the First Half of the Weekend
Sunday:
Thank goodness it's Sunday! Pastor Pete sent me a link for Calvary Chapel of Paris, and my good friend Sean and I checked it out. It wasn't a long metro ride, and we were full from our crepe luncheon, ready to worship and read the Word! We found the building no problem, and walked in, and I instantly smiled.
This is what I have really been missing during my adventures.
The church is so tiny, but everyone is so stoked to be there! I literally met everyone who attends CCParis; there are only 18. Pastor Mike leads worship and gives the message, two of his daughters sing (really well, actually!) at the top of their lungs, and his other two children sit in the back of the very humble, very small room.
I loved that the atmosphere of the service was very open, and honest, and unapolagetically simple. Pastor Mike said alot about what it means to have a relationship with God, something that I've been working on this semester, especially. It was exactly what I was looking for, and Sean and I stayed for about an hour afterward to talk with and lean about the people there. Pastor Mike and his wife are actually from Seattle! All their kids are fluent in French, and his oldest daughter actually corrected my French quite a bit. I liked that, though. It's good to know I'm at about a fourth grade level!
I'm excited to go there again.
That night, Terec cooked a fabulous Morrocan dinner at Foyer Didot, and Sean took me all the way back home... It's a much longer walk than the one I used to complain about, from Goller to Twohy back at GU! My campus is so much bigger now!
I went to sleep on Sunday full of good food and fellowship... and that was amazing.
Monday:
1 - Phone date with the cousin!
2 - Lunch at the Creperie Sarrasin, on my Ile St. Louis.
3 - Shopping around the little island with some of the Foyer Vigie girls... It was lovely to walk around our little island and pretend to be toursits. (Okay, so we were actually tourists... but that's fun, too).
4 - I finally got HAND LOTION! My passion. I absoultely love hand lotion. It's a strange obsession, I know... but I can think of many unhealthier addictions. Like shoe shopping. Which I also have, but let's not go into that...
5 - Dinner
6 - Skype
7 - To bed at 1.
CONCLUSION
Weekends in Paris are brutal!
Sorry for the dramatically long post, but I love and miss you all!
Don't forget to comment!
Bisous!
Alyssa
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Ode to Mom
5 Things Mom Told Me to Bring that I Didn't... and Wished I Had!
5) Pens. Goodness, they're expensive in Europe! Four (worse than BIC) pens for 1.50 euro? Yeah, I know!
4) Vitamins, because I don't get enough nutrients from chocolate croissants.
3) Sheets ("Mom, they'll have them there..." Yeah. But they're not purple jersey knit sheets. They're incomprehensibly uncomfortable.)
2) That beautiful REI down jacket that collapses into a little tiny bag. ("Mom, it's Paris, not the wilderness!" ... Except for I DID go to the wilderness... the Scottish wilderness... and I really wanted the jacket. Mom, you were so right)
1) Closet organizers, because there are no dresser drawers... and your underwear has to go somewhere!
2 Things Mom Told Me Not to Bring that I Did... and Wished I Hadn't...
2) That sweater I'd never worn in my entire life. Doesn't matter if it's nice, it's uncomfortable, and just because it's Paris doesn't mean you'll suddenly become fashionable. (Mom, you're so wise.)
1) Another pair of heels, because I'd rather buy them here! I'd have an excuse! Now I feel guilty when I shoe shop, so I don't! MOM! I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED!
Mom, I'm sorry for doubting your infinite wisdom. I'm sure these lists will get longer as my time here continues!
Je vous aime beaucoup!
-lyss
5) Pens. Goodness, they're expensive in Europe! Four (worse than BIC) pens for 1.50 euro? Yeah, I know!
4) Vitamins, because I don't get enough nutrients from chocolate croissants.
3) Sheets ("Mom, they'll have them there..." Yeah. But they're not purple jersey knit sheets. They're incomprehensibly uncomfortable.)
2) That beautiful REI down jacket that collapses into a little tiny bag. ("Mom, it's Paris, not the wilderness!" ... Except for I DID go to the wilderness... the Scottish wilderness... and I really wanted the jacket. Mom, you were so right)
1) Closet organizers, because there are no dresser drawers... and your underwear has to go somewhere!
2 Things Mom Told Me Not to Bring that I Did... and Wished I Hadn't...
2) That sweater I'd never worn in my entire life. Doesn't matter if it's nice, it's uncomfortable, and just because it's Paris doesn't mean you'll suddenly become fashionable. (Mom, you're so wise.)
1) Another pair of heels, because I'd rather buy them here! I'd have an excuse! Now I feel guilty when I shoe shop, so I don't! MOM! I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED!
Mom, I'm sorry for doubting your infinite wisdom. I'm sure these lists will get longer as my time here continues!
Je vous aime beaucoup!
-lyss
Friday, September 26, 2008
Let's play catch-up!
Meet Renan.
Renan is the epitome of "The Nice French Man." He is slender, well dressed, and well spoken. His gait, we have decided, is more of a "slink" than a "stride," partly because he carries his coat over his right shoulder, and, well, that just makes it classier. When he wants to point something out, he uses two fingers, and he gets really excited about architecture (that's what he studies at Versailles). He lounges when he eats, and he is surprisingly athletic, throwing a frisbee forehand style perfectly. He's like your best friend's older brother: sooo out of your league... but that doesn't mean you can't try, anyway. If you're looking for a French man to treat you to a lovely candle-light evening, some would say that Renan is most likely your guy. I can't speak for that.
But I can say that as a tour guide, he's pretty goood! Except for one thing:
We walk in a lot of circles.
Renan's guide to Paris: a circular walking tour that lasts 9 days
Day One
4ieme Arrondissement
This was lovely! As everyone in the Whole Wide World had arrived in Paris before me, I was labeled the "lost girl" of the group. Thankfully, Renan took us around our little Ile St. Louis, and pointed out helpful things such as the post office, market, bank, and that English-speaking pub over yonder, before popping us on the metro (this was when I got stuck in the doors) and taking us to the...
14ieme Arrondissement
Where the rest of the Gonzaga in Paris students live. We all ate for lunch, I ran into one of those poles, and I headed home to bed.
Day Two
The Zoo
In a park, the name of which I forget. But it is very famous, and very lovely, and has some very large buildings that I did not go into, and a very nice zoo, I think, because I looked through the gate and saw some kangaroo and some deer. And if you ask me, any zoo that has deer must be very nice, indeed. After that, we walked through the...
Quartier Latin
Super fun! Lots of great teensy streets and restaurants, shops and vespas, scarves and pubs. Definitely a fun place to go, whether during the day, or at night. It's really close to the Pantheon, and also the Sorbonne.
Day Three
Montparnasse
I still don't really know why we went here, or why it took so long, because it's actually not too too far from our school, but we took little spirals to get to the large tower of Montparnasse and its train station, and it took about five hours. I did see some very nice shoes in very nice windows in very nice shops I scurried past to keep up with the Renan Slink. I also found a coffee shop open past 10! Essentially, the goal of today, I believe, was to learn how to take the train. (It's not Renan's fault... He didn't know just exactly how experienced I am with trains... which is plenty, if you ask me.)
Le Catho
My brand-new school! When I say brand-new, I mean it's brand-new for me. It's actually been around since... a long time. It's made of brick and tile and I love it. Courtyards with big trees, bike racks, and a fountain?!? Yes, please! I'm so excited to start taking classes there on Tuesday.
Le Week-End
St. Milo and Mont St. Michel... But those deserve their own post!
Day Six
Versailles
Start in the 14th and take the RER to Versailles, where you approach, but do not enter the chateau. Yeah, I was disappointed too, at first, but the gardens are SO massive and SO beautiful that the four hours we had there were barely enough! I totally understand where Marie Antoinette was coming from when she suggested cake as an alternative to bread. Hey. If I'd lived in Versailles, that probably would have been my answer to everything. ("Madame high majesty the great, would you prefer the salmon, or the veal?" "Pierre, how many times do I have to tell you that my answer to everything is cake?")
Day Seven
The Louvre, Champs-Elysees, and L'Arc De Triomphe
... I missed this day... Because I helped a friend retrieve a lost metro-pass and missed the meeting time... I hear it's a big bummer I missed it too, because this day was especially full of circles, and everyone got to walk six miles. Too bad I stayed on my island, bought Berthillion (the best ice-cream, ever), and found a present for my sister. Zut alorhs!
Day Eight
La Tour Eiffel
Ever elusive, the Eiffel Tower was always just out of sight. You'd occasionally spot the spinning light, or a sparkle here or there, or the tippy top as you're walking around... but this day we actually saw it. And not from the gardens. You know that place in Funny Face where Audrey Hepburn is running in the rain and she lets go of all the balloons? We saw the tower from there! I think one of my favorite things about Paris is that all the buildings are like wrapping paper. They hide little presents for you all over the city. All of a sudden, when you get to the end of a street, BOOM! Notre Dame. Right there in front of you. Or perhaps, oh! The Louvre! Just what I always wanted! I love that you can turn a corner and see the Eiffel Tower, but other than that you catch glimpses. It makes it that much more special each time you see it.
Day Nine
Moulin Rouge
Start at 11 in the morning. Ask Renan for food. ("But it's only eleven!" "Renan, pretend it's America.") Take said food to the park. Attempt to lounge, but fail, shadowed by the excellence of the "lounge" performed by every other French person in the park. Take the metro to Pigalle. Giggle, but then become extremely embarrassed of the various "shops" on the street. See, but do not enter the Moulin Rouge. Walk past the Moulin Rouge to...
Monmartre
Which is where I would live if I was to live in Paris. It is up several steep steps to the top of the hill, but once you're there the view is unmatched! It looks kind of like google earth from above, I'm not lying. Maybe exaggerating, but it comes really close. Because we were with Renan, he had us circle back down the hill, around a few houses, past a park, and back up the hill to the same place we had been. I didn't really mind this time though, because this time I had my inhaler (thanks, Mom!), and I really did enjoy the neighborhood. We walked through the cobblestone and admittadly touristy streets, spotted a gelato place to which we vowed to return, and wound our way to...
Sacre Coeur
Which is a beautiful cathedral on the top of the hill. I could literally spend hours gazing at the mosaic in the spire (would you call it a spire?) of the church. It must have taken so long to complete! I loved looking at it after having taken my Catholicism class, because some of what I'd studied in religious imagery and spiritualization was represented in the mosaic. I really respected that the ones who maintain the cathedral work hard to make it a house of prayer. There are colorful candles, quiet chapels, and plenty of seats for those who want to, or who already are praying. It was peaceful, beautiful, and quiet. Quite a contrast from what was below!
Sadly, this was Renan's last day with us. He kind of became a mama hen to us in this past week and a half, and it was a bit hard to say good bye. I know the next time we'll see him, however, is Thanksgiving. Soon, we shall all be sitting around the table: turkey, mashed potatoes, and Renan, lounging, in that so-very-Renan way, thinking about all the things we are thankful for.
I'm thankful for you!
Until next time,
lyss
Renan is the epitome of "The Nice French Man." He is slender, well dressed, and well spoken. His gait, we have decided, is more of a "slink" than a "stride," partly because he carries his coat over his right shoulder, and, well, that just makes it classier. When he wants to point something out, he uses two fingers, and he gets really excited about architecture (that's what he studies at Versailles). He lounges when he eats, and he is surprisingly athletic, throwing a frisbee forehand style perfectly. He's like your best friend's older brother: sooo out of your league... but that doesn't mean you can't try, anyway. If you're looking for a French man to treat you to a lovely candle-light evening, some would say that Renan is most likely your guy. I can't speak for that.
But I can say that as a tour guide, he's pretty goood! Except for one thing:
We walk in a lot of circles.
Renan's guide to Paris: a circular walking tour that lasts 9 days
Day One
4ieme Arrondissement
This was lovely! As everyone in the Whole Wide World had arrived in Paris before me, I was labeled the "lost girl" of the group. Thankfully, Renan took us around our little Ile St. Louis, and pointed out helpful things such as the post office, market, bank, and that English-speaking pub over yonder, before popping us on the metro (this was when I got stuck in the doors) and taking us to the...
14ieme Arrondissement
Where the rest of the Gonzaga in Paris students live. We all ate for lunch, I ran into one of those poles, and I headed home to bed.
Day Two
The Zoo
In a park, the name of which I forget. But it is very famous, and very lovely, and has some very large buildings that I did not go into, and a very nice zoo, I think, because I looked through the gate and saw some kangaroo and some deer. And if you ask me, any zoo that has deer must be very nice, indeed. After that, we walked through the...
Quartier Latin
Super fun! Lots of great teensy streets and restaurants, shops and vespas, scarves and pubs. Definitely a fun place to go, whether during the day, or at night. It's really close to the Pantheon, and also the Sorbonne.
Day Three
Montparnasse
I still don't really know why we went here, or why it took so long, because it's actually not too too far from our school, but we took little spirals to get to the large tower of Montparnasse and its train station, and it took about five hours. I did see some very nice shoes in very nice windows in very nice shops I scurried past to keep up with the Renan Slink. I also found a coffee shop open past 10! Essentially, the goal of today, I believe, was to learn how to take the train. (It's not Renan's fault... He didn't know just exactly how experienced I am with trains... which is plenty, if you ask me.)
Le Catho
My brand-new school! When I say brand-new, I mean it's brand-new for me. It's actually been around since... a long time. It's made of brick and tile and I love it. Courtyards with big trees, bike racks, and a fountain?!? Yes, please! I'm so excited to start taking classes there on Tuesday.
Le Week-End
St. Milo and Mont St. Michel... But those deserve their own post!
Day Six
Versailles
Start in the 14th and take the RER to Versailles, where you approach, but do not enter the chateau. Yeah, I was disappointed too, at first, but the gardens are SO massive and SO beautiful that the four hours we had there were barely enough! I totally understand where Marie Antoinette was coming from when she suggested cake as an alternative to bread. Hey. If I'd lived in Versailles, that probably would have been my answer to everything. ("Madame high majesty the great, would you prefer the salmon, or the veal?" "Pierre, how many times do I have to tell you that my answer to everything is cake?")
Day Seven
The Louvre, Champs-Elysees, and L'Arc De Triomphe
... I missed this day... Because I helped a friend retrieve a lost metro-pass and missed the meeting time... I hear it's a big bummer I missed it too, because this day was especially full of circles, and everyone got to walk six miles. Too bad I stayed on my island, bought Berthillion (the best ice-cream, ever), and found a present for my sister. Zut alorhs!
Day Eight
La Tour Eiffel
Ever elusive, the Eiffel Tower was always just out of sight. You'd occasionally spot the spinning light, or a sparkle here or there, or the tippy top as you're walking around... but this day we actually saw it. And not from the gardens. You know that place in Funny Face where Audrey Hepburn is running in the rain and she lets go of all the balloons? We saw the tower from there! I think one of my favorite things about Paris is that all the buildings are like wrapping paper. They hide little presents for you all over the city. All of a sudden, when you get to the end of a street, BOOM! Notre Dame. Right there in front of you. Or perhaps, oh! The Louvre! Just what I always wanted! I love that you can turn a corner and see the Eiffel Tower, but other than that you catch glimpses. It makes it that much more special each time you see it.
Day Nine
Moulin Rouge
Start at 11 in the morning. Ask Renan for food. ("But it's only eleven!" "Renan, pretend it's America.") Take said food to the park. Attempt to lounge, but fail, shadowed by the excellence of the "lounge" performed by every other French person in the park. Take the metro to Pigalle. Giggle, but then become extremely embarrassed of the various "shops" on the street. See, but do not enter the Moulin Rouge. Walk past the Moulin Rouge to...
Monmartre
Which is where I would live if I was to live in Paris. It is up several steep steps to the top of the hill, but once you're there the view is unmatched! It looks kind of like google earth from above, I'm not lying. Maybe exaggerating, but it comes really close. Because we were with Renan, he had us circle back down the hill, around a few houses, past a park, and back up the hill to the same place we had been. I didn't really mind this time though, because this time I had my inhaler (thanks, Mom!), and I really did enjoy the neighborhood. We walked through the cobblestone and admittadly touristy streets, spotted a gelato place to which we vowed to return, and wound our way to...
Sacre Coeur
Which is a beautiful cathedral on the top of the hill. I could literally spend hours gazing at the mosaic in the spire (would you call it a spire?) of the church. It must have taken so long to complete! I loved looking at it after having taken my Catholicism class, because some of what I'd studied in religious imagery and spiritualization was represented in the mosaic. I really respected that the ones who maintain the cathedral work hard to make it a house of prayer. There are colorful candles, quiet chapels, and plenty of seats for those who want to, or who already are praying. It was peaceful, beautiful, and quiet. Quite a contrast from what was below!
Sadly, this was Renan's last day with us. He kind of became a mama hen to us in this past week and a half, and it was a bit hard to say good bye. I know the next time we'll see him, however, is Thanksgiving. Soon, we shall all be sitting around the table: turkey, mashed potatoes, and Renan, lounging, in that so-very-Renan way, thinking about all the things we are thankful for.
I'm thankful for you!
Until next time,
lyss
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
There's no place like home!
Yes, I'm in the city of lights. Yes, it's the most romantic city in the whole wide world. Yes, it has cheese and chocolate, fashion and photography, cathedrals and crepes. What more could you want? This is a list of little things that bug me about this near perfect, beautiful city.
10)Everyone knows your American, and that's before they hear your accent! And normally I wouldn't mind... Except for I'm in France... and I'm American... Do I really need to explain?
9) When you get your class schedule only 5 days before school is supposed to start
8) Whenever someone says, "Don't worry! Don't worry!" It happens all the time! Whenever there's a hint of trouble, or even a lot of trouble, the first thing out of any French person's mouth is, "It's not a big deal, don't worry about it!" Sometimes, things like the lack of class schedule worries one. And sometimes one gets more worried the more one tells one not to. So just once, one would want one to worry with one. (With me?)
7) The dollar. It's not as much as the euro.
6) Sometimes you eat bread, all day long. And miss hamburgers.
5) Everyone looks so chic in heels! But wearing heels... for a four hour long walking tour.... much more difficult.
4) There is NO concept of "to go" coffee!
3) Okay. There are plenty of these poles that are waist-high, and situated about every 10 feet on the sidewalk. Let's just say that sometimes, you should look DOWN when you're walking! Ouch.
2) Another reason that you should not look up: lots of little dogs... Oops...
1) Public Displays of Affection (otherwise known as PDA) are as frequent as baguettes. Beware of park benches, bridges, the Seine, the Metro, the market, etc.
A Bientot!
-lyss
10)Everyone knows your American, and that's before they hear your accent! And normally I wouldn't mind... Except for I'm in France... and I'm American... Do I really need to explain?
9) When you get your class schedule only 5 days before school is supposed to start
8) Whenever someone says, "Don't worry! Don't worry!" It happens all the time! Whenever there's a hint of trouble, or even a lot of trouble, the first thing out of any French person's mouth is, "It's not a big deal, don't worry about it!" Sometimes, things like the lack of class schedule worries one. And sometimes one gets more worried the more one tells one not to. So just once, one would want one to worry with one. (With me?)
7) The dollar. It's not as much as the euro.
6) Sometimes you eat bread, all day long. And miss hamburgers.
5) Everyone looks so chic in heels! But wearing heels... for a four hour long walking tour.... much more difficult.
4) There is NO concept of "to go" coffee!
3) Okay. There are plenty of these poles that are waist-high, and situated about every 10 feet on the sidewalk. Let's just say that sometimes, you should look DOWN when you're walking! Ouch.
2) Another reason that you should not look up: lots of little dogs... Oops...
1) Public Displays of Affection (otherwise known as PDA) are as frequent as baguettes. Beware of park benches, bridges, the Seine, the Metro, the market, etc.
A Bientot!
-lyss
Friday, September 19, 2008
Bonjour from Paris!
Hello!
So sorry it's taken so long to update this blog! I've had sketchy internet connection since leaving the US, and the story hasn't changed here, but I woke up early, walked down the street for du pain au chocolat (a chocolate croissant!) and came back here to write you all. I won't begin with Scotland... There's too much to say in too little time! So one of these boring days (yeah, right!) I'll have to talk about my many wonderful Scottish adventures. For now, I'll relay the adventure that was my first night in Paris...
Months ago, I booked a ticket from London to Paris so I could take the channel tunnel. Unfortunately, last week there was a FIRE in the tunnel! http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Channel-Tunnel-Closed-Due-To-A-Fire/Article/200809215097705
So when I arrived to check in for my 2 o clock train, they said I could be on the 6 o clock. No worries! Helen, my good friend from an exchange program four years ago, met me at Platform 9 and 3/4 to lunch and window shop. It was so much fun until she dropped me back off at the station, and when I checked in for my 6 o clock train, they put me on the 8 o clock. Joy!
To make matters worse, my international cell phone wasn't working! Thank goodness for debit cards and pay phones is all I can say. I had the number of the place I would stay once I got to Paris, so I called it, and a man answered who could not speak English. You know when they say that desperate situations call for desperate measures? Well, my desperation meant that it was now or never that I begin speaking French, so I did. And do you know what? He understood me! I would be on the 8 o clock train, arriving in Paris at 10. Perfect.
Except for not really.
Because Paris is one hour ahead of London.
So I got of the train at La Gare du Nord (the North Train Station) and waited about 30 minutes for a taxi. (Time is now 11:30 in Paris). I got in the taxi, told him the address of the Foyer where I would stay, and borrowed his cell phone to call Marie Claire, the directrice of the program.
No one answered. I called again.
No one answered. I called the foyer.
No one answered!
Commence the panicking! We got to the foyer and I was so close to tears. I knew, though, that I would knock on the door and everything would be alright! So I knocked. And no body answered. I knocked for a good ten minutes, and the poor taxi driver tried to comfort a sobbing American girl with rapidly disintigrating French and a 65 pound bag she can hardly lift. His words of comfort roughly translate to: "Oh, don't worry, this isn't a problem! I'll take you to the police, you can sleep at the station!"
A solution preferable to sleeping on the street, oui, but I would much rather sleep INSIDE the iron-gated building! There's a reason they have big, heavy gates!
Thank the Lord, and I really mean thank the Lord, my beautiful angel named Sylvie happened to walk by at that exact moment when I was sure I'd have to go make friends with police men. She lived in the foyer, let me in, carried my bag, and let me point to the names of various Gonzaga girls who lived in the same building.
Eventually, we found Audra, a Gonzaga junior who was instructed to give me my keys when I arrived. She had been sitting there for 3 hours poor girl, and finally decided she really really had to use the bathroom right as I was arriving! (The bathroom is on the 7th floor, up 120 steps). She and Sylvie helped me with my huge bag, showed me my room, gave me big hugs, and told me goodnight.
And then I sat in my room and praised God I had a room! Especially when I looked out my window; being on the seventh floor has its benefits. I look North accross the courtyard in the middle of the Foyer to a pretty cathedral I have yet to find, see rooftops and chimmneys, and the ever changing sky. Beautiful.
I hope that you can come visit me when I'm here, but I can already tell you that once I leave I will be trying to get back! So I promise I'll be an excellent tour guide for the future.
I love you all!
-lyss
So sorry it's taken so long to update this blog! I've had sketchy internet connection since leaving the US, and the story hasn't changed here, but I woke up early, walked down the street for du pain au chocolat (a chocolate croissant!) and came back here to write you all. I won't begin with Scotland... There's too much to say in too little time! So one of these boring days (yeah, right!) I'll have to talk about my many wonderful Scottish adventures. For now, I'll relay the adventure that was my first night in Paris...
Months ago, I booked a ticket from London to Paris so I could take the channel tunnel. Unfortunately, last week there was a FIRE in the tunnel! http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Channel-Tunnel-Closed-Due-To-A-Fire/Article/200809215097705
So when I arrived to check in for my 2 o clock train, they said I could be on the 6 o clock. No worries! Helen, my good friend from an exchange program four years ago, met me at Platform 9 and 3/4 to lunch and window shop. It was so much fun until she dropped me back off at the station, and when I checked in for my 6 o clock train, they put me on the 8 o clock. Joy!
To make matters worse, my international cell phone wasn't working! Thank goodness for debit cards and pay phones is all I can say. I had the number of the place I would stay once I got to Paris, so I called it, and a man answered who could not speak English. You know when they say that desperate situations call for desperate measures? Well, my desperation meant that it was now or never that I begin speaking French, so I did. And do you know what? He understood me! I would be on the 8 o clock train, arriving in Paris at 10. Perfect.
Except for not really.
Because Paris is one hour ahead of London.
So I got of the train at La Gare du Nord (the North Train Station) and waited about 30 minutes for a taxi. (Time is now 11:30 in Paris). I got in the taxi, told him the address of the Foyer where I would stay, and borrowed his cell phone to call Marie Claire, the directrice of the program.
No one answered. I called again.
No one answered. I called the foyer.
No one answered!
Commence the panicking! We got to the foyer and I was so close to tears. I knew, though, that I would knock on the door and everything would be alright! So I knocked. And no body answered. I knocked for a good ten minutes, and the poor taxi driver tried to comfort a sobbing American girl with rapidly disintigrating French and a 65 pound bag she can hardly lift. His words of comfort roughly translate to: "Oh, don't worry, this isn't a problem! I'll take you to the police, you can sleep at the station!"
A solution preferable to sleeping on the street, oui, but I would much rather sleep INSIDE the iron-gated building! There's a reason they have big, heavy gates!
Thank the Lord, and I really mean thank the Lord, my beautiful angel named Sylvie happened to walk by at that exact moment when I was sure I'd have to go make friends with police men. She lived in the foyer, let me in, carried my bag, and let me point to the names of various Gonzaga girls who lived in the same building.
Eventually, we found Audra, a Gonzaga junior who was instructed to give me my keys when I arrived. She had been sitting there for 3 hours poor girl, and finally decided she really really had to use the bathroom right as I was arriving! (The bathroom is on the 7th floor, up 120 steps). She and Sylvie helped me with my huge bag, showed me my room, gave me big hugs, and told me goodnight.
And then I sat in my room and praised God I had a room! Especially when I looked out my window; being on the seventh floor has its benefits. I look North accross the courtyard in the middle of the Foyer to a pretty cathedral I have yet to find, see rooftops and chimmneys, and the ever changing sky. Beautiful.
I hope that you can come visit me when I'm here, but I can already tell you that once I leave I will be trying to get back! So I promise I'll be an excellent tour guide for the future.
I love you all!
-lyss
Things to do on your first day in Paris
10: Eat Pain au Chocolat for breakfast
9: Make friends with your handsome and intelligent French tour guide named Renault.
8: Buy band-aids, because you will be walking around all day
7: Get stuck in the doors of the Metro (If you do it the first day, then you'll never have to do it again! At least that's what I tell myself)
6: Try to speak only in French
5: Take lots of pictures
4: Find the bathroom, kitchen, and internet source in the foyer- they are all important places.
3: Walk along the Seine at night. I cannot stress how beautiful it is.
2: Dance with someone if they ask you!
1: Soak it all in. It is Paris, after all.
9: Make friends with your handsome and intelligent French tour guide named Renault.
8: Buy band-aids, because you will be walking around all day
7: Get stuck in the doors of the Metro (If you do it the first day, then you'll never have to do it again! At least that's what I tell myself)
6: Try to speak only in French
5: Take lots of pictures
4: Find the bathroom, kitchen, and internet source in the foyer- they are all important places.
3: Walk along the Seine at night. I cannot stress how beautiful it is.
2: Dance with someone if they ask you!
1: Soak it all in. It is Paris, after all.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
How to get from here to there
I leave for a short trip to Spokane in... 3 days. And I want to have EVERYTHING done for Paris so I can kick back with the fam before hand. That means it's time to pack! So, needless to say, I have begun packing by procrastinating in the form of writing a packing list.
(Special thanks to M for her remarkable travel wisdom.)
CLOTHES TO PACK:
unmentionables, socks, swimsuit + cover-up, dresses, 2 nice blouses, jeans (but only 3 pairs), trousers, wool coat, sweatpants and shirt, sweaters/cardigans, slacks, and various assortments of tanks, short, and long sleeved shirts. (not to mention the 6 (only 6?!?) pairs of shoes...)
NON CLOTHES TO PACK:
towel, ibuprofen (the dancing, it gets to me!), toiletries, camera, watch, laptop + cord, dvds, pictures of family and friends, extra bag, passport et all.
AND FOR THE KICKER:
It will fit in one bag, ONE bag, under 50 pounds.
One bag?
ONE BAG?
So they tell me. I plan to use the "flat method," which means that I'll layer everything making the least amount of folds I can get away with, and put much of it in hefty bags, which takes the air away. Who knew? (Besides M, I mean...)
I'll let you know how it works!
(Special thanks to M for her remarkable travel wisdom.)
CLOTHES TO PACK:
unmentionables, socks, swimsuit + cover-up, dresses, 2 nice blouses, jeans (but only 3 pairs), trousers, wool coat, sweatpants and shirt, sweaters/cardigans, slacks, and various assortments of tanks, short, and long sleeved shirts. (not to mention the 6 (only 6?!?) pairs of shoes...)
NON CLOTHES TO PACK:
towel, ibuprofen (the dancing, it gets to me!), toiletries, camera, watch, laptop + cord, dvds, pictures of family and friends, extra bag, passport et all.
AND FOR THE KICKER:
It will fit in one bag, ONE bag, under 50 pounds.
One bag?
ONE BAG?
So they tell me. I plan to use the "flat method," which means that I'll layer everything making the least amount of folds I can get away with, and put much of it in hefty bags, which takes the air away. Who knew? (Besides M, I mean...)
I'll let you know how it works!
Friday, August 22, 2008
New day, new adventuers, new format???
Hello!
This is the first time I have ever blogged. EVER. (Okay, so I had a livejournal in high school... but didn't everybody?) I qualify as a first-time blogger. I don't even know what the word "blog" means, but I do know it's something that people do when they're anticipating adventures. And if you know me, you know I love adventures.
You may also know that I love writing about my adventures (even if I'm not very good at it). Hopefully, this blog will allow me to keep in touch with you, learn how to write better, and will serve as a chronicle of my next great adventure:
PARIS!
Until next time,
lyss
This is the first time I have ever blogged. EVER. (Okay, so I had a livejournal in high school... but didn't everybody?) I qualify as a first-time blogger. I don't even know what the word "blog" means, but I do know it's something that people do when they're anticipating adventures. And if you know me, you know I love adventures.
You may also know that I love writing about my adventures (even if I'm not very good at it). Hopefully, this blog will allow me to keep in touch with you, learn how to write better, and will serve as a chronicle of my next great adventure:
PARIS!
Until next time,
lyss
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