Just got back from a lovely shopping trip with Sophie and we each came back with new outfits for new years! I actually got 2 dresses because, as Sophie said, "When will you be back in London again?" With my student discounts, total damages were only 63 pounds (about 100 dollars) for 2 party dresses, so it could have been a lot worse. Plus I'll always remember this trip by the 3 dresses I have now bought under the guidance of Sophia and her other friends from fashion school - a much better souvenir of my journey than a mug with big ben on it.
Tonight the big house party kicks off so we've got some cleaning to do around the house before we slip into our new outfits and ring in the new year!
Happy new year everyone!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
London Take 2
As of last night, I'm back in London with Sophie! She just turned 21, so in celebration we ordered in some great indian food, went shopping, and saw Sherlock Holmes. It was awesome! Tomorrow we're shopping in Camden and grabbing drinks with Quincy later in the evening. Then Wednesday we've got plans to go to a bar called 'Cheapskates' with Bonnie for their student night. Then of course Thursday is New Years and the girls are planning a house party. Thank God we'll have a weekend to recover and finish up all the schoolwork we still need to do!
I'm very busy but I'll try to keep the updates coming. It's almost a new year!
I'm very busy but I'll try to keep the updates coming. It's almost a new year!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Woke up to a great Naruto chapter that fullfilled hopes I had been holding onto for quite some time now! One of my favorite characters that was bound to never return to the page has just come back -- the best christmas gift ever! Sarah is still asleep so I'm off to explore a bit on my own. Then we're going to have a large christmas meal and come back to the hotel to skype with the family!
Merry American Christmas everyone!
Merry American Christmas everyone!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
fröhliche Weihnachten!
fröhliche Weihnachten from Germany! I've been having a wonderful white christmas with Quincz and can't wait to tell you about all the fun we've been having and the beautiful things we've seen. There are also quite a few hilarious stories involving things like liverwurst and misunderstandings through the language barrier, but I really am having a great time.
Today is christmas in Germany (they celebrate on the 24th) so Quincy and I picked up some groceries earlier and are planning a quiet night in with some MTV (the only English language channel in our hotel). I wish you all a very merry christmas! Sending lots of love your way!
Today is christmas in Germany (they celebrate on the 24th) so Quincy and I picked up some groceries earlier and are planning a quiet night in with some MTV (the only English language channel in our hotel). I wish you all a very merry christmas! Sending lots of love your way!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Munich day 1
I am right now in Burger King, the land of free internet in Munich, enjoying my 1 EUR coke zero and free internet which is allowing me to write a brief blog entry about my first day in Munich.
After 3 hours of delays in Paris, we finally took off and landed in Munich. The 3 hour wait was really not that terrible. The first hour of delays was in the gate, so I got to take advantage of the playstation system set up in the terminal. Then, once we got on the plane, there was a problem with a group of Japanese tourists, and even though every flight attendant was fluent in at least 5 languages, none of them spoke a word of Japanese. So I stepped up and decided to help sort them out. Apparently they had gotten confused about how the seating worked, and luckily I hadn't forgotten so much Japanese that I lost comand of my numbers, so I organized the tourists successfully.
On the flight, I got a free German beer, sat back, and napped until we landed in a white Munich! I knew I was in the right place because when I exited the airport to find myself already in the middle of a huge christmas market. Wurst, beer, craft booths, ice skating, everything! I walked through the market on my way to the S-Bahn which took me into the city center and to my hotel.
The hotel is gorgeous -- and to top it off, while I was checking in, the receptionist put out a plate of cookies and told me to "help yourself anytime!" Seriously?!?! I don't know if this is a Christmas tradition or if they do this year round, but I love it!
I settled into my hotel before I got a visit from Al, my australian friend that I met in brussels, who invited me out to tour the city and have some good german food and beer at the haufbrahaus. I wanted to go to this beer hall and figured it would be a good place to kick off my trip. After a quick tour of the city, we toured the Haufbrahaus which deserves a good 15 minute walk around itself. There are 3 levels, a beer garden, lots of good german bands, and women carrying huge glasses of beer in beermaid outfits! When the music gets good, the men start banging their steins on the table and singing along. Amazing!
We ended up finding two seats on a long bench on the first level, which is the most casual/ least formal part of the building. I grabed a liter (the smallest they sell it!) of the Haufbrahaus original (you got to start somewhere) and a plate of german sausages. The beer was so good, but with the huge glass stein, it was so heavy! How do these women cary 8 of these in one hand!?
We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly talking about our travels, what we've been up to since Brussels, and quoting 'Bloodsport' back and forth more and more as the steins got less and less full. When we finally left, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge pile of snow. It was snowing! After a significant amount of snowball fights, we went to grab some more drinks at the local "Australian bar" where I learned that no Australian in his right mind would ever drink fosters. We then headed next door to the Irish bar where karaoke was in full force. Yes folks, I found an Irish pub with Karaoke. It was the mecca of all irish pubs.
After some time there, we went in search of a bar near my hotel, called "the Gap" but we found it closed. So we decided we would go to sleep and see eachother at another time.
I woke up this morning at around 11am and still love munich -- everything is covered in snow! Can't wait for Quincy's arrival!
After 3 hours of delays in Paris, we finally took off and landed in Munich. The 3 hour wait was really not that terrible. The first hour of delays was in the gate, so I got to take advantage of the playstation system set up in the terminal. Then, once we got on the plane, there was a problem with a group of Japanese tourists, and even though every flight attendant was fluent in at least 5 languages, none of them spoke a word of Japanese. So I stepped up and decided to help sort them out. Apparently they had gotten confused about how the seating worked, and luckily I hadn't forgotten so much Japanese that I lost comand of my numbers, so I organized the tourists successfully.
On the flight, I got a free German beer, sat back, and napped until we landed in a white Munich! I knew I was in the right place because when I exited the airport to find myself already in the middle of a huge christmas market. Wurst, beer, craft booths, ice skating, everything! I walked through the market on my way to the S-Bahn which took me into the city center and to my hotel.
The hotel is gorgeous -- and to top it off, while I was checking in, the receptionist put out a plate of cookies and told me to "help yourself anytime!" Seriously?!?! I don't know if this is a Christmas tradition or if they do this year round, but I love it!
I settled into my hotel before I got a visit from Al, my australian friend that I met in brussels, who invited me out to tour the city and have some good german food and beer at the haufbrahaus. I wanted to go to this beer hall and figured it would be a good place to kick off my trip. After a quick tour of the city, we toured the Haufbrahaus which deserves a good 15 minute walk around itself. There are 3 levels, a beer garden, lots of good german bands, and women carrying huge glasses of beer in beermaid outfits! When the music gets good, the men start banging their steins on the table and singing along. Amazing!
We ended up finding two seats on a long bench on the first level, which is the most casual/ least formal part of the building. I grabed a liter (the smallest they sell it!) of the Haufbrahaus original (you got to start somewhere) and a plate of german sausages. The beer was so good, but with the huge glass stein, it was so heavy! How do these women cary 8 of these in one hand!?
We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly talking about our travels, what we've been up to since Brussels, and quoting 'Bloodsport' back and forth more and more as the steins got less and less full. When we finally left, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge pile of snow. It was snowing! After a significant amount of snowball fights, we went to grab some more drinks at the local "Australian bar" where I learned that no Australian in his right mind would ever drink fosters. We then headed next door to the Irish bar where karaoke was in full force. Yes folks, I found an Irish pub with Karaoke. It was the mecca of all irish pubs.
After some time there, we went in search of a bar near my hotel, called "the Gap" but we found it closed. So we decided we would go to sleep and see eachother at another time.
I woke up this morning at around 11am and still love munich -- everything is covered in snow! Can't wait for Quincy's arrival!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
** Oh it's magic, you know **
Tonight was my last in Paris for two weeks, but it was also one of my favorites.
It started out with a Christmas concert featuring an organ, a children's choir, and lots of great christmas music. Then we went to a café where I had a vin chaud and warmed up before getting in line to check out ice skates. The hotel de ville has a free ice skating rink, and you can rent a pair of skates for 5 EUR if you don't happen to have your own. Not too bad! We hung out and skated for a while until the frostbite started to set in, at which point we decided to walk over to Au Pied du Cochon for a bowl of the naughty stuff: the BEST french onion soup in Paris. It tates like butter and the cheese baked on top could be a meal in and of itself.
We quickly sat ourselves down, ordered a pair of bowls and gorged. Feeling warm and full, we went for a walk through the snow-covered louvre, down the seine, into the latin quarter, past the Fontaine St. Michel, and Notre Dame before heading home to a warm apt and a cold glass of beer.
What a perfect night.
Germany tomorrow!
It started out with a Christmas concert featuring an organ, a children's choir, and lots of great christmas music. Then we went to a café where I had a vin chaud and warmed up before getting in line to check out ice skates. The hotel de ville has a free ice skating rink, and you can rent a pair of skates for 5 EUR if you don't happen to have your own. Not too bad! We hung out and skated for a while until the frostbite started to set in, at which point we decided to walk over to Au Pied du Cochon for a bowl of the naughty stuff: the BEST french onion soup in Paris. It tates like butter and the cheese baked on top could be a meal in and of itself.
We quickly sat ourselves down, ordered a pair of bowls and gorged. Feeling warm and full, we went for a walk through the snow-covered louvre, down the seine, into the latin quarter, past the Fontaine St. Michel, and Notre Dame before heading home to a warm apt and a cold glass of beer.
What a perfect night.
Germany tomorrow!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Travel Plans
It's hard to believe it, but it's been snowing in Paris. Everything is covered in a light powder and the Christmas markets are out. There's an ice skating rink at the Hotel de Ville that I'm planning to go to tomorrow, and a whole bunch of arcades are set up all along Bastille (so I can get my button mashing fix).
It's also been snowing in Germany, where I will be this Sunday! I arrive around noon, take the 45 minute train to the hotel, check in, and then plan to meet up with one of the guys I met on my trip to Brussels. Although he's Australian, he's been in Europe for a long time now and knows Munich pretty well. He's going to be there Sunday as well and offered to show me around the city. Exciting!
Then Sarah is set to arrive on Monday and the two of us are bound to have fun making snow balls, snow men, and snow angels like the little kids we really are. I haven't planned out much more than that for Munich, but I know whatever we do it will be fun, so I'm just keeping myself open.
Then on the 26th, it's a flight back to Paris where I'll get to meet up with my friend Bailey, who will be visiting from London. Bailey always seems to be doing something fun, so I'm sure whatever we do will be awesome. After a nice visit, I have a day to do my laundry and pack for london. Sophie turned 21 while I've been in Paris, so I can't wait to see her and celebrate her birthday as well as New Years with some champagne, fois gras, and delicious French cheese that I'll be putting into one giant suitcase.
And then, I'm going to Dijon on Jan 8th. Just a little cherry on top. Sure to be an exciting few weeks, I'll try to keep you updated.
It's also been snowing in Germany, where I will be this Sunday! I arrive around noon, take the 45 minute train to the hotel, check in, and then plan to meet up with one of the guys I met on my trip to Brussels. Although he's Australian, he's been in Europe for a long time now and knows Munich pretty well. He's going to be there Sunday as well and offered to show me around the city. Exciting!
Then Sarah is set to arrive on Monday and the two of us are bound to have fun making snow balls, snow men, and snow angels like the little kids we really are. I haven't planned out much more than that for Munich, but I know whatever we do it will be fun, so I'm just keeping myself open.
Then on the 26th, it's a flight back to Paris where I'll get to meet up with my friend Bailey, who will be visiting from London. Bailey always seems to be doing something fun, so I'm sure whatever we do will be awesome. After a nice visit, I have a day to do my laundry and pack for london. Sophie turned 21 while I've been in Paris, so I can't wait to see her and celebrate her birthday as well as New Years with some champagne, fois gras, and delicious French cheese that I'll be putting into one giant suitcase.
And then, I'm going to Dijon on Jan 8th. Just a little cherry on top. Sure to be an exciting few weeks, I'll try to keep you updated.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Queen
This week is Taylor, my roommate's, last week in Paris. To make sure she gives the city it's proper goodbye, tonight we're heading over to ladies night at Queen, a popular bar/ dance club on the Champs Elysées. Queen really does ladies night right: free entry, a makeover, and 5 cosmos for anyone without a Y chromosome. Lucky us!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Learning to drive
Today I learned what driving is really like. I could have watched as much anime as I wanted, read as many theoretical books, talked to as many professionals as were out there, and I still wouldn't have learned what I learned today.
Today I learned to see the road differently. I learned to see the road as something that I don't need to follow, but something that I can use. Instead of looking at where I am, I look at where I'm going to be, where I want to be, and how to get there by using the road but not necessarily by following it.
I learned how to pick my own path out of the track that's been given me, to manipulate the road to my own needs. It was a whole new way of seeing things. I saw my own eyes change.
I learned how to push the engines to their limits, stop my foot from hovering over the break, how to keep pushing harder and faster against all possible logic, how to not let the speed get in the way of my path, how to use that speed to make my path better.
I learned that the worst thing that can happen is that you spin out, recover, and start again. It's not that bad. And you learn from it.
I learned what it feels like to have a guy pass you and how to take that frustration and turn it into something valuable. I learned to copy his lines, to drive behind him and figure out his secret.
I learned what it feels like to pass someone and know that you took the right path. Know that you didn't get caught up in the moment and follow the mistakes they made. Know that you don't conform so easily, that you're not that malleable.
Just hours earlier, I had seen a baby cow that was born that morning, I had seen the eyes of a little boy open wide with curiosity as I showed him my house in Santa Monica on GoogleMaps, I had screamed out my lungs across la Loire and heard my echo call me back, but nothing compared to this experience that changed how I now see driving and changed how I see the world.
Today I learned to see the road differently. I learned to see the road as something that I don't need to follow, but something that I can use. Instead of looking at where I am, I look at where I'm going to be, where I want to be, and how to get there by using the road but not necessarily by following it.
I learned how to pick my own path out of the track that's been given me, to manipulate the road to my own needs. It was a whole new way of seeing things. I saw my own eyes change.
I learned how to push the engines to their limits, stop my foot from hovering over the break, how to keep pushing harder and faster against all possible logic, how to not let the speed get in the way of my path, how to use that speed to make my path better.
I learned that the worst thing that can happen is that you spin out, recover, and start again. It's not that bad. And you learn from it.
I learned what it feels like to have a guy pass you and how to take that frustration and turn it into something valuable. I learned to copy his lines, to drive behind him and figure out his secret.
I learned what it feels like to pass someone and know that you took the right path. Know that you didn't get caught up in the moment and follow the mistakes they made. Know that you don't conform so easily, that you're not that malleable.
Just hours earlier, I had seen a baby cow that was born that morning, I had seen the eyes of a little boy open wide with curiosity as I showed him my house in Santa Monica on GoogleMaps, I had screamed out my lungs across la Loire and heard my echo call me back, but nothing compared to this experience that changed how I now see driving and changed how I see the world.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Greetings from Bourgogne
I have eaten more in the past 24 hours than I have eaten in the past 2 weeks in Paris, I think. It's so relaxing, but I do worry about fitting into my clothes by the end of the weekend!
Tonight we ate fois gras and are planning to set up a Christmas tree. It also snowed for about 1 minute! Apparently snow will be arriving on Sunday with the Christmas market. YAY!
Tonight we ate fois gras and are planning to set up a Christmas tree. It also snowed for about 1 minute! Apparently snow will be arriving on Sunday with the Christmas market. YAY!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Bad day turned good
Today started off pretty shitty but ended amazingly well!
I overslept, and in a hurry to get to school on time, I accidentally left my sandwich on the metro! I was really bummed because it was in one of my cute tupperware containers and I really wanted to take it home as a souvenir. However, I got a kick out of thinking of the Parisian police finding this sandwich and stopping the entire ligne 4 because of a "paquet suspet."
But my day got much better when I found out my French test was postponed until Monday. After class I had coffee with a French friend and got to catch up on our lives (we hadn't seen each other for a year and a half!). It was really great to see this friend, and I even got invited to spend a weekend in Burgundy! I really can't say no -- he has a car and is willing to drive me down on thursday night, after my photo exhibition -- how do you say no to that?
To top it all off, when I came home, I found my sandwich waiting for me! I guess I had never taken it out of the apt at all!
Maybe it's the coffee, maybe it's the sandwich, maybe it's burgundy, I don't know -- but things feel pretty damn awesome right now despite the hellish amounts of work I have to do for school!
Onward and outward!
I overslept, and in a hurry to get to school on time, I accidentally left my sandwich on the metro! I was really bummed because it was in one of my cute tupperware containers and I really wanted to take it home as a souvenir. However, I got a kick out of thinking of the Parisian police finding this sandwich and stopping the entire ligne 4 because of a "paquet suspet."
But my day got much better when I found out my French test was postponed until Monday. After class I had coffee with a French friend and got to catch up on our lives (we hadn't seen each other for a year and a half!). It was really great to see this friend, and I even got invited to spend a weekend in Burgundy! I really can't say no -- he has a car and is willing to drive me down on thursday night, after my photo exhibition -- how do you say no to that?
To top it all off, when I came home, I found my sandwich waiting for me! I guess I had never taken it out of the apt at all!
Maybe it's the coffee, maybe it's the sandwich, maybe it's burgundy, I don't know -- but things feel pretty damn awesome right now despite the hellish amounts of work I have to do for school!
Onward and outward!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Back in Paris (again!)
Got in this morning and I'm already back at school! Such is the life of a student abroad.
This weekend was amazing -- I got to hang out with old friends, make new friends, dye my hair, drink amazingly delicious beer, and go shopping (there was a LOT of good shopping in Camden, as my Aunt Vickie had properly forewarned me). I absolutely love my friend, Sophia's, flatmates: Bonnie and Dani. The four of us really bonded and had some great times together. Staying with Sophie meant we could cook for ourselves a lot, and we took advantage of her amazing kitchen to do things we haven't done since high school: make brownies!
But aside from chilling in the flat, we got to go out quite a bit and show off the new outfits we had gotten shopping at vintage markets in Camden and at London's famous Topshop, where both Bonnie and Dani work. Hanging out in London's pub scene, I met some great people and had a lot of laughs. The nightlife is quite fun. :) I'll post pictures soon.
I'm thinking of going back for New Years, and possibly forever. But until then, I have to finish up some schoolwork and go to Munich. I know, it's a rough life.
This weekend was amazing -- I got to hang out with old friends, make new friends, dye my hair, drink amazingly delicious beer, and go shopping (there was a LOT of good shopping in Camden, as my Aunt Vickie had properly forewarned me). I absolutely love my friend, Sophia's, flatmates: Bonnie and Dani. The four of us really bonded and had some great times together. Staying with Sophie meant we could cook for ourselves a lot, and we took advantage of her amazing kitchen to do things we haven't done since high school: make brownies!
But aside from chilling in the flat, we got to go out quite a bit and show off the new outfits we had gotten shopping at vintage markets in Camden and at London's famous Topshop, where both Bonnie and Dani work. Hanging out in London's pub scene, I met some great people and had a lot of laughs. The nightlife is quite fun. :) I'll post pictures soon.
I'm thinking of going back for New Years, and possibly forever. But until then, I have to finish up some schoolwork and go to Munich. I know, it's a rough life.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Joyeuese Noel
The hotel de ville has more sparkles than a drag queen's eyelids.
It is December first, 6pm, and the city is already in Christmas frenzy.
How do I know this? Well since I'm traveling so much this month, I've decided to forgo the usual unlimited monthly metro pass for the "carnet" (a pack of 10 tickets). That means I have to use the metro less than 50 times this month in order for me to save money. So I've been walking a lot. And tonight, on my walk home, I saw this city become one giant disco ball.
Only 2 more days until London!!!
Christmas in Paris does bring better food, though. Vin chaud anyone? It's pretty much the best alternative to apple cider I've found anywhere.
It is December first, 6pm, and the city is already in Christmas frenzy.
How do I know this? Well since I'm traveling so much this month, I've decided to forgo the usual unlimited monthly metro pass for the "carnet" (a pack of 10 tickets). That means I have to use the metro less than 50 times this month in order for me to save money. So I've been walking a lot. And tonight, on my walk home, I saw this city become one giant disco ball.
Only 2 more days until London!!!
Christmas in Paris does bring better food, though. Vin chaud anyone? It's pretty much the best alternative to apple cider I've found anywhere.
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