Cheerio!
So Devon and I journeyed over to London this weekend, which was a blast. Though….not at first
First I had to take a midterm that I just found out I had less than 24 hours before (despite me continuously asking the teacher for the date). Then we had to catch the 200 bus to the Nice airport. No big deal, but when we go to get on the bus, they tell us that starting Feb 1 (two days before) the system was changed and we now have to take the 250. Okay, a bit of a bust, but no big deal. A 250 arrives, we go to get on, the bus driver doesn’t let us get on, and all I get out of his massive French rambling is “huit”. Eight. Eight what? Euros? The next buses is in eight minutes? That’s what we think, so we wait. Another arrives after an hour of freezing cold temperatures and insane wind…it slows down, we go to get on it, it accelerates and drives away before we even get to the door! At this point, we’ve waited over an hour and a half in the terrible weather to get a bus to the airport. We finally get on a 20 hoping to move down the road, so we can at least make some progress. We arrive at a train station that we hope we can take to Nice so we can get to the Nice airport. Guess what? Trains are on strike. No cabs either, because we tried calling and they would not pick us up in Biot, only Antibes (even though these are literally 5 km away if even). So Devon and I are standing in the middle of no where, in the dark, the cold, no cab, no bus, no train, no hitch-hiking, plane leaves in two hours. Naturally, we are panic-stricken. Is this trip even going to happen? Omg we’re going to miss it, goodbye plane tickets. Neither of us wanted to be the first to say it, but we didn’t think there was anyway to get there.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel! A 250 is coming our way! We frantically flail our limbs with all the glory of a spastic cheerleader, and miraculously, the bus stops. Thank. God. As usual, we get the “this is not a bus stop!” lecture, but we’ve come to learn that if they still stop, and all you get is a lecture, who cares if it’s not a bus stop. It’s been a while since I’ve been so grateful to hear English. The very kind bus driver explained to us that when the bus systems were changed, the price escalated to 8 euros. OOOOOOOOHhhh. Eight EUROS. Gotcha. A small price to pay to avoid the price-gouging of a cab and a safe trip to the airport on time. She drops us off at the Terminal, I say “thank you will all of my heart!” …though I might have said “thank you with all of my body”. Either way she seemed to appreciate it, so it’s all good. We go through security and get to the terminal, desperate for English and only moderately curious if we’ll get back into the country. (We’re missing some paper work, that we’re technically not supposed to leave the country without. Supposedly, you can’t get back in unless you have documentation of a residency permit, which we have started, but will not receive for 3 months).
Once we get to London, rejoicing that we finally made it, we miss the last train into the city (from Gatwick) by literally 30 seconds. Gotta love it. So we wait 40 minutes and catch the last rail into the city, just in time for the metro to close. Joy. So we make it to a bus station, starving and exhausted, but still grateful to be there. We figure out what night bus (aka Knight Bus! SO awesome J ) to take to our couchsurfer’s stop, but you need exact change. We have no pounds….we just arrived in the country. So we go to Burger King to get exact change, and as soon as we step up, they pull down their metal gate to close up shop. Awesome. Okay, no worries, let’s go ask those cops what to do. Okay…no help there. I ended up (quite audaciously) asking a cab driver for change, which he was very sweet about and gladly helped me out. Our bus takes about an hour or so to arrive, but we finally catch it and trek to our house, arriving at 1:30am. Did I mention we left the apartment at 6pm? Good times.
The house we stayed at was home to seven students who attend London University, and who were all absolutely lovely. They were all so nice and so charming, I just wanted to constantly hug them and them how amazing they are, despite only knowing them for a day. We stayed up with Tim til about 2:30 after getting a grand tour and meeting its occupants, and then passed out.
The next morning….way too early, at 7am, we head out for a full day of cliché tourism. We’re so exhausted and I am incredibly sick. But you know me, being sick is NOT going to stop me from exploring a new place, no sir! Well we start of taking the metro to Trafalgar Square so we can meet up with our tour group for changing of the guard. After almost throwing up on everyone in the metro (I am not exaggerating, but I’ll spare you the rather gross details) we make it to the square, explore, take pictures, and talk with the tourist office guys. They were very nice. They gave us the tour for free if we bought out Tour of London tickets from them, which we had to do anyways, so it was a win-win. So we met for the tour (with me barely surviving. I kept shaking and could hardly stand) and started on our way! The tour was 2 hours, and our guide was very knowledgeable and charming, sprinkling some British humor here and there. As for changing of the guard, it was probably because I was the sickest I’ve been since swine flu, but I was not feeling it. There were like 5 changings of the guard and half the time the ceremony was rather empty (i.e. handing over the keys to Buckingham Palace….but there are no real keys) with lots of short sword movements and yelling. I loved the band, and marching along with them was fun, and the Palace was spectacular. I suppose I’m just not one for empty traditions, especially while on death’s door. Afterwards, we find a place to eat, Devon taking magnificent care of me because he’s amazing like that, and then I have the “there’s no way on Earth I am doing anything else” moment. That’s right. I finally called it quits, and trudged home with Ziploc baggie in hand. Devon stayed out and hit up some sights, and the weather was the best London has seen all winter. When I got back to the house, Sasha answered the door (she didn’t meet me before) and all it took was “Hi, sorry to bother you, I’m the couch-surfer” and before you know it, I had blankets, water, lots of meds, reminders of “our house is your house,” and a good friend. This is where I remind you that people can be absolutely amazing. They truly are. I pass out for three hours, and then Devon comes home! Yay! After that we both take another hour to ourselves, and then head out to Soho for dinner and a comedy show.
I am still rather ill, so I didn’t get to enjoy the meal too much, but it’s undeniable that the adorable Italian restaurant we ate at was amazing. And I LOVED Soho so much! It was so nice to see the city abuzz, actually understanding what they’re all saying (lol), and just walked around, letting our eyes feast on the surplus of culture, color, and lights. We finished dinner a bit early, hit up an internet café, and then headed to the Soho Theater….very small, but there was a nice bar/lounge we could find comfort in while we waited. Finally our 11pm show started, and to my surprise, it was really enjoyable. It was called the Pajama Men, and it was these two guys acting out a comedic skit full of some truly bizarre characters on a train. At first it was really weird. Straight up weird. But as we got into it, embraced our weird side and British side, we really liked it. It was really refreshing to be introduced to a new type of humor, the British can be so witty….and so odd. Loved it. After than we made our way back to the house and PASSED OUT once again at 2:00am (after talking some more with Tim).
The next day we wake up, take forever to get to the Tower of London, and hit that up for a bit. It was a bit crowed, but we did the audio tour (only 1 pound for us to share it- haha!), and had a pretty good time. My favorite part was seeing where the Boleyn sisters were executed and hearing all the other gruesome details of the Britian’s past. Afterwards, we went to the British Museum, checked out the Rosetta Stone, and….FOUND BAGELS!!! That’s right, out of all the cafes on the road, Devon and I randomly select one that has crepes and bagels. Most expensive, and most desired bagel of my life. So. Good. Then we headed over to King’s Cross so we could see Platform 9 and ¾, and not going to lie, that was REALLY exciting (even though the Harry Potter part was moved due to renovation…so it was technically platform 12 and ½). We then headed to our hotel. That’s right…no more couchsurfing for us. We love doing it, but it must be done in moderation, combined with hotels or it will drive you crazy. There comes a point where you want to have your own room and reserve the right not to be sociable. So we dropped our stuff off (and got comped a free breakfast and upgrade to the biggest room in the hotel since they gave us two separate rooms instead of one double) and went Westminster Square. I missed it while ill and couldn’t go to London without seeing Big Ben. Then we went to dinner. We wanted to go to the Red Lion Pub on my Dad’s suggestion, but it was closed. So we went to this stakehouse across from our hotel because…behold….they had chicken wings and potato skins! Well….it turns out they only have BBQ wings, not buffalo, so that was disappointing, but whatevs. I got a bagel and potato skins, so I can’t really complain. It was good, but expensive, and then we retired to the hotel, watched ENGLISH TELEVISION (Family Guy!!!) and drank rather good English tea. It was a fabulous night of relaxation.
The next day we got up bright and early and bused over to Nottingham! It was really cool to get out of London and I was SO excited to see Shae! We met at the bus station, had a fabulously cheap lunch, and then went to the Nottingham Castle. It was a lot of fun learning about Robin Hood and the history of Nottingham and all its glory. There’s an extensive cave system under the city and we took a tour through that, which was pretty sweet. We were told this crazy story about the bisexual King of England, King James, and his 14 year old wife. It was chalk full of betrayal and danger. Feel free to read more on it here if you don’t believe me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_England. We checked out Shae’s university, which was really nice (though it has a full bar in the student union-shocking!), and headed to the nearby village of Beeston. Since it was Sunday and there was little activity, we went back to the main square of Nottingham where we found an AMAZING meal (where I had my first fish and chips! (and nachos. Good, real nachos!)) and then we went our separate ways. It was SOOOOOO fun hanging out with Shae, we had such a lovely time, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
So yeah, we caught the bust back to London, to our nice, cozy hotel, where we stayed in the biggest room of the hotel and watched the Super Bowl! It was so funny because I was sincerely excited to see the game, because either way, America wins. It’s sad, but I was so excited. That, and I really missed football, especially since I didn’t get to see the BCS or the Senior Bowl. We only watched a quarter and a half (it started at 11pm in the UK), and then we went to bed in preparation for our last day in London.
First thing we did was hit up Westminster Abbey which was AMAZING. Hands down my favorite attraction in all of London. It was really cool to see the architecture of the interior and the graves of people like Charles Dickenson, Queen Elizabeth, Darwin, and Newton. Plus, when we left and thanked the doorman, he realized we were American and commented, “the Super Bowl was a great game, no?!” It made us laugh really hard. My response was “Go Saints!” It was pretty funny. Afterwards we went to St. Paul, and then we headed to the airport. All in all, other than my health issues, it was a really nice trip. We LOVED talking in English, what with being able to have conversations with waiters and ask for directions, so we were pretty sorry to leave. We also both felt like we needed more time there, at least one or two more days. The people are SO nice and there is so much to do! Oh well, I have a feeling it will be there for a while.
Coming back in, we weren’t even checked for anything, we just flashed our visas and were pointed through to continue. It felt so nice to be home (except for the pending Midterms which are rather difficult) and getting there went smoothly. We’re so tired though, so broke, (I’m still sick), have so much to do, and yet we’re so excited for spring break on Friday. For those of you who don’t know, Devon and I are taking on Spain and Morocco! We’re SO excited and it’ll be a great time fo sho! Sorry this post was so long, I hope it wasn’t too painful! I can’t wait to hear about how you all are doing, as usual, I hope you’re having an amazing time and doing well. I love you all more than words!!!!
Katie
P.S. I’ll post up pictures later, for the moment it’ll have to wait
P.S.S.....I tripped about 50 times this weekend, no lie :)
P.S.S.S It totally snowed when we were in London on Monday!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
can't think of a language-appropriate song lyric
But just know that no matter where in the world you travel, the total inadequacies of so called "higher education" will follow you.
...That is all.
...That is all.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Another Sunny day....
Hey everybody! Here's the song I chose to reflect how I felt about Ventimiglia, Italy:
This trip was pretty random, as we decided at 8 oclock on Thursday night that we should take the train 9 oclock Friday morning to Ventimiglia, Italy to catch the morning market they have there on Fridays. It was such a beautiful place, and the market was MASSIVE. Literally about a mile long. It was seaside, which was really cute, and it was really cheap. It was like an outdoor flea market (and yes I did buy something. A happy dress!) which we explored for a good hour or so. We had a FABULOUS authentic Italian meal at a street-side cafe (for me it was ensalada caprese, gnocchi, and tiramisu, yum!) and then continued on our way. Not before asking our server where the church was, however. Marit heard it was nice, so we figured it was worth asking about. Since Vintimiglia is on the border of France and Italy, it's common to find both French and Italian spoken there, and boy was that rough trying to keep the two straight! The host at our cafe spoke Italian, English, and French! I kept telling him "oui" instead of "si" and then correcting myself. Finally I asked him "Dove il duomo grande?" -"where is the big church?" and he was like, "Oh! You talk to me in italian, and I'll talk to you in english!" Success!
So we went into old town (because every city seems to have one here) and we just walked around, found the church, strolled through peoples yards, etc. It was beautiful for most of the day (until it got cloudy) and it was a bit cold, but it was a lot of fun.
It was just another sunny day, going off to Italy with some friends :) I absolutely LOVE Italy. Like, with all of my heart. But more on this later, for now, pictures!
http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac43/kolormekatie/Vintimiglia%20Italy/
Love you all beyond words!
This trip was pretty random, as we decided at 8 oclock on Thursday night that we should take the train 9 oclock Friday morning to Ventimiglia, Italy to catch the morning market they have there on Fridays. It was such a beautiful place, and the market was MASSIVE. Literally about a mile long. It was seaside, which was really cute, and it was really cheap. It was like an outdoor flea market (and yes I did buy something. A happy dress!) which we explored for a good hour or so. We had a FABULOUS authentic Italian meal at a street-side cafe (for me it was ensalada caprese, gnocchi, and tiramisu, yum!) and then continued on our way. Not before asking our server where the church was, however. Marit heard it was nice, so we figured it was worth asking about. Since Vintimiglia is on the border of France and Italy, it's common to find both French and Italian spoken there, and boy was that rough trying to keep the two straight! The host at our cafe spoke Italian, English, and French! I kept telling him "oui" instead of "si" and then correcting myself. Finally I asked him "Dove il duomo grande?" -"where is the big church?" and he was like, "Oh! You talk to me in italian, and I'll talk to you in english!" Success!
So we went into old town (because every city seems to have one here) and we just walked around, found the church, strolled through peoples yards, etc. It was beautiful for most of the day (until it got cloudy) and it was a bit cold, but it was a lot of fun.
It was just another sunny day, going off to Italy with some friends :) I absolutely LOVE Italy. Like, with all of my heart. But more on this later, for now, pictures!
http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac43/kolormekatie/Vintimiglia%20Italy/
Love you all beyond words!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Aux Champs Elysees...
Oh it feels so good to be home! As some as you may have noticed, the titles to my posts have been song lyrics :) So I think I'll start putting up a link to the song so you guys can check it out if you're not already familiar with it.
The title for this post is a famous French song by Joe Dassin about the Champs Elysees- it was the very first thing I learned about this year in french class lol Its also in a lot of movies, including the Darjingling Limited, and it's pretty popular here in France. Here's the link (and you better believe we listened to it on the Champs Elysees :) )!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAMuNfs89yE
So, about Paris. I will admit, the city was definitely better the second time around. Not only was my french and knowledge of the french culture better (though still minimal), but it was a weekend of casual tourism, which I really liked. When we went over the summer, we did and saw a lot, but I feel I got more of an appreciation for the city with more time. This trip we stayed with Hugo and Auxence who we met via couchsurfing, and they were fabulous! Their english was great, they were friendly, and they took us out to the club with their friends. They even left us a key to their apt because they were going to be out when we arrived in the city! All in all, it was a really nice time. Did I mention they had a cotton candy machine in their kitchen?
So the first day (Friday) we spent at Versailles, which was really pretty but we're definitely going back in the spring. The city was still beautiful, but Paris in the spring is pretty cold, cloudy, and grey like the rest of Europe, so a trip back when the flowers are in bloom is a must! Now I don't remember exactly when we hit up the clubs, but maybe it was the first night? Anyways, the boys had half a dozen friends or so over to socialize and pregame before we hit the clubs. At first everyone avoided Devon and I because not only were we strangers, but we weren't french speakers. This was a bit unnerving, but then they all eventually made their way over one by one to see what we were like lol they literally came by one by one to do this. They were all pretty nice, their english was fabulous and they were curious about America. One even knew about Tim Tebow! lol it was so funny. Apparently ever since Joakim Noah (whose mom was french), UF sports have been put on the map. They also knew UF to be a big party school because it's one of the schools available to be an exchange student at. Interesting fact: many schools over here require all their students to go abroad their third year and to get internships. It's really well done in my opinion. Anyways, we hit up the club (the theme was flourescent, and there was glow sticks and paint everywhere) and came back to the apt earlier than the rest (we are playing the tourists after all).
The next day....*gasp* we slept in til 11:30. This would NEVER happen on family vacation lol which made both of us feel guilty, but there was no denying that we needed sleep after staying out late! We started the morning with a metro ride out to the Arc de Triomphe (which we climbed!) and then we walked the Champs Elysees. We decided to eat lunch there, though we were banished to the bottom level of the restaurant with the other english speakers even though the first floor with windows had PLENTY of room. Oh well. After that we walked to the Louvre, which is by far my absolute favorite tourist attraction the city has to offer. I love it there SO much. Afterwards, we wondered around and made our way to the Eiffel Tower, which sparkles at night. Not going to lie, I'm kind of surprised how gaudy that monument is considering the elegance of the city. Once we checked that out, we were kinda lost on what to do. When you're with the family and you're only out til 9 or so, you don't need to have plans because you're going to bed. We, however, were not going to bed because we 1. were not tired and wanted to see more of the city and 2. sleep in the boys living room and cant go to bed until they do. So we went back to the apt (right in the heart of the city! It was amazing!!) and caught a bite to eat on the main stretch for a decent price. This is where I discovered beef with fried egg over it- SO GOOD. We also had hot chocolate and coffee and planned out the rest of the days ahead.
Sunday: I really wanted to see a service in the Notre Dame so that's we decided to do first thing the next morning. We got there in the middle of a service, but they keep the church open while it goes on, so we got to soak that in. They still have a Christmas tree and nativity scene up, so that was a new happy sight there. What I was most excited for, however, was the big organ (5 organs put together) that they play. Boy was I in for a shock! Alright, so the Notre Dame means "our lady" referring to Mary, the mother of COMPASSION. The music they played that morning was wrath of god music. Like...horror movie scary lol I still feel it was an angry message to the tourists to leave. We also had crepes for breakfast! SOOOOOOO good. It was Devon's first crepe and he talked about it for an hour afterwards lol Then we walked through the latin quarter, which we both found a bit unimpressive and both originally thought was a section of the city Latinos lived in haha...yeah, I guess that shows how different our country's culture and history are. After that we headed over to Monmarte which was a great time! Amelie was made there, I believe, it was definitely a cute artsy place (though again, probably better when not in the off season and with better weather). We saw sacre course, walked around, ate, and saw the Moulin Rouge. I must admit....I was not impressed by that at all. I didn't get to go inside, so that is probably why, but I thought it to be very small and the outside totally looked like some cheap strip club. Nothing like the colorful place where Ewan McGregor serenades Nicole Kidman as seen in the american media! :) So at this point...it's Sunday....which means even Paris shuts down. The boys called it "their day of rest" Auxence didn't even get out of bed until 6 lol Just when Devon and I are realizing everything is closing...we pass a movie theater! That's right, I saw Avatar in 3d in Paris. It was in english, THANK GOD, and I absolutely loved the movie. It was absolutely brilliant! It was also fun to get the french movie-going experience, and we apparently had the right idea because the theater was packed full....nothing else to do on Sundays I suppose. Once we got home we just hung out with Hugo and Auxence and watched Lyon vs. Monaco soccer and then a show on the party scene of American campuses (it was called Cheerleaders, alchool, and hazing)...oh yeah, it was a great reflection of our culture. That really is the only kind of information they get about our culture though, so it's no surprise when get asked if that's what it's really like back in the states.
Monday: We woke up early the nexy day so we could get shots of the Eiffel Tower in the daylight. We were the only ones there! It was 9, the city was asleep, and there were on a dozen people on the whole plaza. It was pretty amazing, though still too cold for my liking (but I suppose I should get used to that), and we got some great shots! After that we headed over to the Notre Dame to get some more crepes for breakfast (omg. best.thing.ever) and sat on a bench on a bridge to eat. This epitomizes my favorite thing about Paris. I love being able to just walk around, eat crepes, and soak in the surroundings. The scenery and the food is what does it to me (but then again, you could say that for most of France), not the Eiffel Tour. As we headed back to the apt so get our stuff for the train ride home, we kept our eye out for a place where we could find a "golden book". Here's my new experience with French culture. Apparently over here they have "golden books" which you leave at a party or a house and people sign and say how much they enjoyed the event. Devon and I stumbled upon an BH, and not going to lie, this made the top of my list of things to do in Paris lol. This store is a 7 story dept store, that has the COOLEST THINGS EVER to buy. Devon and I both agreed we could easily stay half a day just rummaging through everything. It was really cool to see how the average Parisian shopped and the uniquely french things they have. Plus, everything there was really classy and fun and ON SALE (during the entire month of Jan the ENTIRE COUNTRY puts everything on sale). So yeah, as a thank you gift, Devon and I got the boys a " live d'or" which they really seemed to like. We figured it'd be good for the couch surfers that come through (and boy do they have a lot).
After we said goodbye and took pictures with the French flag (LOVE IT), we got to the Train station and almost missed it due to lack of a ticket and lack of english speakers to help us. It was very scary and nostalgic of almost missing every flight over the summer lol
Well there you have it! Sorry I have nothing too exciting to report. It feels wonderful to be home and we'll probably be going to a club/bar in Juan les pins tonight to attend a school-organized event :)
Take care and take it easy and know that I love you all bunches and bunches!
As far as pictures go, I think I'll just join an online photo sharing site, as it takes way too long to post them all here. Okay. It's done lol I don't have it in me to go through and label all these pictures, but I trust you can figure most of them out. Also...I apologize if this blog post is choppy, I have so much stuff going on and I'm losing patience to edit...I have to be up for class in less than 6 hours...ugh
LOVE!
Here's all the pictures I have from the trip:
http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac43/kolormekatie/Paris%20Jan%202010/
Here's a slideshow if you don't want to sort through all 145 pics:
http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac43/kolormekatie/
The title for this post is a famous French song by Joe Dassin about the Champs Elysees- it was the very first thing I learned about this year in french class lol Its also in a lot of movies, including the Darjingling Limited, and it's pretty popular here in France. Here's the link (and you better believe we listened to it on the Champs Elysees :) )!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAMuNfs89yE
So, about Paris. I will admit, the city was definitely better the second time around. Not only was my french and knowledge of the french culture better (though still minimal), but it was a weekend of casual tourism, which I really liked. When we went over the summer, we did and saw a lot, but I feel I got more of an appreciation for the city with more time. This trip we stayed with Hugo and Auxence who we met via couchsurfing, and they were fabulous! Their english was great, they were friendly, and they took us out to the club with their friends. They even left us a key to their apt because they were going to be out when we arrived in the city! All in all, it was a really nice time. Did I mention they had a cotton candy machine in their kitchen?
So the first day (Friday) we spent at Versailles, which was really pretty but we're definitely going back in the spring. The city was still beautiful, but Paris in the spring is pretty cold, cloudy, and grey like the rest of Europe, so a trip back when the flowers are in bloom is a must! Now I don't remember exactly when we hit up the clubs, but maybe it was the first night? Anyways, the boys had half a dozen friends or so over to socialize and pregame before we hit the clubs. At first everyone avoided Devon and I because not only were we strangers, but we weren't french speakers. This was a bit unnerving, but then they all eventually made their way over one by one to see what we were like lol they literally came by one by one to do this. They were all pretty nice, their english was fabulous and they were curious about America. One even knew about Tim Tebow! lol it was so funny. Apparently ever since Joakim Noah (whose mom was french), UF sports have been put on the map. They also knew UF to be a big party school because it's one of the schools available to be an exchange student at. Interesting fact: many schools over here require all their students to go abroad their third year and to get internships. It's really well done in my opinion. Anyways, we hit up the club (the theme was flourescent, and there was glow sticks and paint everywhere) and came back to the apt earlier than the rest (we are playing the tourists after all).
The next day....*gasp* we slept in til 11:30. This would NEVER happen on family vacation lol which made both of us feel guilty, but there was no denying that we needed sleep after staying out late! We started the morning with a metro ride out to the Arc de Triomphe (which we climbed!) and then we walked the Champs Elysees. We decided to eat lunch there, though we were banished to the bottom level of the restaurant with the other english speakers even though the first floor with windows had PLENTY of room. Oh well. After that we walked to the Louvre, which is by far my absolute favorite tourist attraction the city has to offer. I love it there SO much. Afterwards, we wondered around and made our way to the Eiffel Tower, which sparkles at night. Not going to lie, I'm kind of surprised how gaudy that monument is considering the elegance of the city. Once we checked that out, we were kinda lost on what to do. When you're with the family and you're only out til 9 or so, you don't need to have plans because you're going to bed. We, however, were not going to bed because we 1. were not tired and wanted to see more of the city and 2. sleep in the boys living room and cant go to bed until they do. So we went back to the apt (right in the heart of the city! It was amazing!!) and caught a bite to eat on the main stretch for a decent price. This is where I discovered beef with fried egg over it- SO GOOD. We also had hot chocolate and coffee and planned out the rest of the days ahead.
Sunday: I really wanted to see a service in the Notre Dame so that's we decided to do first thing the next morning. We got there in the middle of a service, but they keep the church open while it goes on, so we got to soak that in. They still have a Christmas tree and nativity scene up, so that was a new happy sight there. What I was most excited for, however, was the big organ (5 organs put together) that they play. Boy was I in for a shock! Alright, so the Notre Dame means "our lady" referring to Mary, the mother of COMPASSION. The music they played that morning was wrath of god music. Like...horror movie scary lol I still feel it was an angry message to the tourists to leave. We also had crepes for breakfast! SOOOOOOO good. It was Devon's first crepe and he talked about it for an hour afterwards lol Then we walked through the latin quarter, which we both found a bit unimpressive and both originally thought was a section of the city Latinos lived in haha...yeah, I guess that shows how different our country's culture and history are. After that we headed over to Monmarte which was a great time! Amelie was made there, I believe, it was definitely a cute artsy place (though again, probably better when not in the off season and with better weather). We saw sacre course, walked around, ate, and saw the Moulin Rouge. I must admit....I was not impressed by that at all. I didn't get to go inside, so that is probably why, but I thought it to be very small and the outside totally looked like some cheap strip club. Nothing like the colorful place where Ewan McGregor serenades Nicole Kidman as seen in the american media! :) So at this point...it's Sunday....which means even Paris shuts down. The boys called it "their day of rest" Auxence didn't even get out of bed until 6 lol Just when Devon and I are realizing everything is closing...we pass a movie theater! That's right, I saw Avatar in 3d in Paris. It was in english, THANK GOD, and I absolutely loved the movie. It was absolutely brilliant! It was also fun to get the french movie-going experience, and we apparently had the right idea because the theater was packed full....nothing else to do on Sundays I suppose. Once we got home we just hung out with Hugo and Auxence and watched Lyon vs. Monaco soccer and then a show on the party scene of American campuses (it was called Cheerleaders, alchool, and hazing)...oh yeah, it was a great reflection of our culture. That really is the only kind of information they get about our culture though, so it's no surprise when get asked if that's what it's really like back in the states.
Monday: We woke up early the nexy day so we could get shots of the Eiffel Tower in the daylight. We were the only ones there! It was 9, the city was asleep, and there were on a dozen people on the whole plaza. It was pretty amazing, though still too cold for my liking (but I suppose I should get used to that), and we got some great shots! After that we headed over to the Notre Dame to get some more crepes for breakfast (omg. best.thing.ever) and sat on a bench on a bridge to eat. This epitomizes my favorite thing about Paris. I love being able to just walk around, eat crepes, and soak in the surroundings. The scenery and the food is what does it to me (but then again, you could say that for most of France), not the Eiffel Tour. As we headed back to the apt so get our stuff for the train ride home, we kept our eye out for a place where we could find a "golden book". Here's my new experience with French culture. Apparently over here they have "golden books" which you leave at a party or a house and people sign and say how much they enjoyed the event. Devon and I stumbled upon an BH, and not going to lie, this made the top of my list of things to do in Paris lol. This store is a 7 story dept store, that has the COOLEST THINGS EVER to buy. Devon and I both agreed we could easily stay half a day just rummaging through everything. It was really cool to see how the average Parisian shopped and the uniquely french things they have. Plus, everything there was really classy and fun and ON SALE (during the entire month of Jan the ENTIRE COUNTRY puts everything on sale). So yeah, as a thank you gift, Devon and I got the boys a " live d'or" which they really seemed to like. We figured it'd be good for the couch surfers that come through (and boy do they have a lot).
After we said goodbye and took pictures with the French flag (LOVE IT), we got to the Train station and almost missed it due to lack of a ticket and lack of english speakers to help us. It was very scary and nostalgic of almost missing every flight over the summer lol
Well there you have it! Sorry I have nothing too exciting to report. It feels wonderful to be home and we'll probably be going to a club/bar in Juan les pins tonight to attend a school-organized event :)
Take care and take it easy and know that I love you all bunches and bunches!
As far as pictures go, I think I'll just join an online photo sharing site, as it takes way too long to post them all here. Okay. It's done lol I don't have it in me to go through and label all these pictures, but I trust you can figure most of them out. Also...I apologize if this blog post is choppy, I have so much stuff going on and I'm losing patience to edit...I have to be up for class in less than 6 hours...ugh
LOVE!
Here's all the pictures I have from the trip:
http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac43/kolormekatie/Paris%20Jan%202010/
Here's a slideshow if you don't want to sort through all 145 pics:
http://s884.photobucket.com/albums/ac43/kolormekatie/
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I keep on fallin' in and out of love with....
....France!
First off, I'm writing this in the apt which is pretty much the best thing ever (though the quality of skype is pretty terrible)
So not much really happened this weekend, a bit of clubbing and partying, but nothing major.
On Saturday Devon, Nicole, Marit, and I went to Nice :) It was a pretty good time, but we were all exhausted from the night before. It was crazy being back in Nice, not only because I've been there before, but because how different it is in the off seeason. It was grey and empty. No gelato stands or sunshine or flowers. It was still very beautiful, though, and it definitely holds the title for my favorite place in France so far. I just feel...a susprising reverence when I go there, I suppose because of the history? Its a peaceful place with lots of character, and I CANNOT WAIT til the spring weather arrives! This past trip, we ate at the usual over-priced cafe and walked around old town, which I absolutely adore. The best thing we did all day, however, was splurging for a ferris wheel ride. The sun was setting, and between the view of the mountains, the layers of the city, and the water, it was absolutely breathtaking. I'll post some pictures, though there's no way it'll even compare. OMG it was amazing!
Yesterday Devon and I found the big Carrefour in the city. Carrefour is the commercial grocery store (but of course not nearly as extensive as Publix because they eat almost everything fresh and from local markets/bakerys), and theres an averaged-sized one closer but we kept hearing we just had to go to this one. Holy smokes it was MASSIVE. Not only was the size absolutely overwhelming, but all of Antibes was there. You know how you go to a hick town where all they have is a super walmart, so it's the most populated and frustrating place to be? Yeah. That's how it is. Only this time it was worse because we had to navigate all 60 or so aisles (not exaggerating) of labels we couldn't read. That was rough because people were really pissed off. Plus, Devon and I got stuck with a cart that had a mind of its own lol It was a beast of a trip (but it was
successful!)
Also, I made pork chops with a cinnamon/apple dressing tonight for dinner- it was amazing. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I've totally been kicking ass in the kitchen lately. Heck yes!
So you may be wondering what the title of this post has to do with any of what I've written...well the answer would be nothing lol It does relate to what's coming up, however :) I came to France with heavy, hypocritical anti-France sentiments. I resented it because it was one of my only options, I had bad experiences in Paris over the summer, and mostly because I took the language class at UF and wasn't taught well and struggled and hated it. However, it has only taken two weeks for me to fall absolutely in love with the France I've lived in. I have this mentality for a good day or two, and then something happens where the opposite mood takes over. Let me explain :)
Reasons I absolutely love this country:
-its beautiful. I'm in awe constantly. From school (gorgeous, scenic forested-mountains), Nice, Cannes, Paris (yes, even Paris), all cast in the stunning sunlight France seems to have half the time, it's hard not to appreciate what I'm surrounded by
-the food is OMG SO GOOD. I've already talked about this, so I digress. But seriously, its going to be hard to go back (plus the cheese and crackers here have become like crack to me)
-the people. They're amazing and happy and nice and cute. Especially the cliche ones :)
-This is silly, but I've found the perfect album to listen to while absorbing all this in- the Garden State Soundtrack. I know, it's ridiculous, but I love it.
-its culture of saying hello to strangers and placing value on what really matters is comforting.
-it's location. Easy access to other countries....just a flight or train ride away!
-I'm sure there will be more to come :)
and then after I sit there, riding the bus to school idealizing this new nation I live in, it hits me:
- I have to go to the grocery store annoyingly frequently
-which would be fine, but its SO EXPENSIVE!! And not just because of the terrible conversion rate, a few of our international friends have complained about how much more it is in comparison to where they come from
-entire cities shut down of Sunday...not cool at all
-nothing is really open late at night
-so much paperwork and bs fees
-buses don't run after 8pm...also really not cool (and they hardly run at all on Sundays)
-the trees without leaves make me sad. They look like giant hands reaching from the ground, but have nothing to hold or grab at. I'll try to find a pic. Okay, I just looked and couldn't find one. I'll go take a picture of one though, so you don't think I'm crazy lol
-It would not surprise me if I die from lung cancer caused by second hand smoke
- I really want a bagel, one of dad's hamburgers, a real american breakfast, cheese fries, chicken wings, burrito bros...
-the cups here are so small
All in all, the things I've complained about really aren't that of a big deal...well...not the last four anyways, and I really do like it here a lot. I'm so excited for the rest of the semester and am already worried that it's going by WAY to fast. It also makes me consider wanting to live here at some point in my life (Europe in general, not France specifically). So yeah, life is good. Devon and I are going to Paris this weekend, and I think it's going to rock pretty hard. I've forced his expectations of the city down so hopefully he won't be as disappointed as every single person I know who's ever been. It's pretty, but the people there can be so rude, and the media builds up our expectations so high, it could never live up to it, ya know?
I'm glad to hear you're all doing so well! It makes me happy to read what you write and I really appreciate you all taking time out of your day to share with me!
Til next time mes cheres! avec l'amour!
Katie
P.S. This is my shout out to Uncle Matt (like I told you at Stonewood)! Wassup?! :) They have potato chips here that are rotisserie chicken flavored and it tastes just like the skin. It reminded me of you lol Love you!
So these pictures are of the flower market in Nice ( I would just like to note, that they really should make an air freshener that smells like a flower markert and fresh baguettes. That combo was amazing when we walked through!), me in downtown Nice, views from the ferris wheel, and the club we went to Friday night.
First off, I'm writing this in the apt which is pretty much the best thing ever (though the quality of skype is pretty terrible)
So not much really happened this weekend, a bit of clubbing and partying, but nothing major.
On Saturday Devon, Nicole, Marit, and I went to Nice :) It was a pretty good time, but we were all exhausted from the night before. It was crazy being back in Nice, not only because I've been there before, but because how different it is in the off seeason. It was grey and empty. No gelato stands or sunshine or flowers. It was still very beautiful, though, and it definitely holds the title for my favorite place in France so far. I just feel...a susprising reverence when I go there, I suppose because of the history? Its a peaceful place with lots of character, and I CANNOT WAIT til the spring weather arrives! This past trip, we ate at the usual over-priced cafe and walked around old town, which I absolutely adore. The best thing we did all day, however, was splurging for a ferris wheel ride. The sun was setting, and between the view of the mountains, the layers of the city, and the water, it was absolutely breathtaking. I'll post some pictures, though there's no way it'll even compare. OMG it was amazing!
Yesterday Devon and I found the big Carrefour in the city. Carrefour is the commercial grocery store (but of course not nearly as extensive as Publix because they eat almost everything fresh and from local markets/bakerys), and theres an averaged-sized one closer but we kept hearing we just had to go to this one. Holy smokes it was MASSIVE. Not only was the size absolutely overwhelming, but all of Antibes was there. You know how you go to a hick town where all they have is a super walmart, so it's the most populated and frustrating place to be? Yeah. That's how it is. Only this time it was worse because we had to navigate all 60 or so aisles (not exaggerating) of labels we couldn't read. That was rough because people were really pissed off. Plus, Devon and I got stuck with a cart that had a mind of its own lol It was a beast of a trip (but it was
successful!)
Also, I made pork chops with a cinnamon/apple dressing tonight for dinner- it was amazing. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I've totally been kicking ass in the kitchen lately. Heck yes!
So you may be wondering what the title of this post has to do with any of what I've written...well the answer would be nothing lol It does relate to what's coming up, however :) I came to France with heavy, hypocritical anti-France sentiments. I resented it because it was one of my only options, I had bad experiences in Paris over the summer, and mostly because I took the language class at UF and wasn't taught well and struggled and hated it. However, it has only taken two weeks for me to fall absolutely in love with the France I've lived in. I have this mentality for a good day or two, and then something happens where the opposite mood takes over. Let me explain :)
Reasons I absolutely love this country:
-its beautiful. I'm in awe constantly. From school (gorgeous, scenic forested-mountains), Nice, Cannes, Paris (yes, even Paris), all cast in the stunning sunlight France seems to have half the time, it's hard not to appreciate what I'm surrounded by
-the food is OMG SO GOOD. I've already talked about this, so I digress. But seriously, its going to be hard to go back (plus the cheese and crackers here have become like crack to me)
-the people. They're amazing and happy and nice and cute. Especially the cliche ones :)
-This is silly, but I've found the perfect album to listen to while absorbing all this in- the Garden State Soundtrack. I know, it's ridiculous, but I love it.
-its culture of saying hello to strangers and placing value on what really matters is comforting.
-it's location. Easy access to other countries....just a flight or train ride away!
-I'm sure there will be more to come :)
and then after I sit there, riding the bus to school idealizing this new nation I live in, it hits me:
- I have to go to the grocery store annoyingly frequently
-which would be fine, but its SO EXPENSIVE!! And not just because of the terrible conversion rate, a few of our international friends have complained about how much more it is in comparison to where they come from
-entire cities shut down of Sunday...not cool at all
-nothing is really open late at night
-so much paperwork and bs fees
-buses don't run after 8pm...also really not cool (and they hardly run at all on Sundays)
-the trees without leaves make me sad. They look like giant hands reaching from the ground, but have nothing to hold or grab at. I'll try to find a pic. Okay, I just looked and couldn't find one. I'll go take a picture of one though, so you don't think I'm crazy lol
-It would not surprise me if I die from lung cancer caused by second hand smoke
- I really want a bagel, one of dad's hamburgers, a real american breakfast, cheese fries, chicken wings, burrito bros...
-the cups here are so small
All in all, the things I've complained about really aren't that of a big deal...well...not the last four anyways, and I really do like it here a lot. I'm so excited for the rest of the semester and am already worried that it's going by WAY to fast. It also makes me consider wanting to live here at some point in my life (Europe in general, not France specifically). So yeah, life is good. Devon and I are going to Paris this weekend, and I think it's going to rock pretty hard. I've forced his expectations of the city down so hopefully he won't be as disappointed as every single person I know who's ever been. It's pretty, but the people there can be so rude, and the media builds up our expectations so high, it could never live up to it, ya know?
I'm glad to hear you're all doing so well! It makes me happy to read what you write and I really appreciate you all taking time out of your day to share with me!
Til next time mes cheres! avec l'amour!
Katie
P.S. This is my shout out to Uncle Matt (like I told you at Stonewood)! Wassup?! :) They have potato chips here that are rotisserie chicken flavored and it tastes just like the skin. It reminded me of you lol Love you!
So these pictures are of the flower market in Nice ( I would just like to note, that they really should make an air freshener that smells like a flower markert and fresh baguettes. That combo was amazing when we walked through!), me in downtown Nice, views from the ferris wheel, and the club we went to Friday night.
Monday, January 18, 2010
I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it....
Because Devon and I FINALLY have internet in the apartment now! WOOOO! I'll post a real update later tonight, but for now I just thought I'd let you know the great news! I'll also start leaving skype on 24/7 (or at least while at home) so we can chat :)
Love you all beyond words and have a fabulous day!
<3!
Katie
Love you all beyond words and have a fabulous day!
<3!
Katie
Monday, January 11, 2010
A whole new world! (don't you dare close your eyes)
Hey everybody! This entry is going to be a bit lengthy, just FYI.
SO... Devon and I are settled in the apt (still no internet though), and all is well. I guess I'll start off by telling you about France as far as I know:
1. OMG the food is SO GOOD! The baguettes are out of this world, as are all their breakfast pastries ( I had this raspberry tart a few days ago that was just to die for). Plus, I absolutely LOVE their dairy and fruit here. It's so fresh, and so amazing. It's like an entirely new food group. The milk, cheese, and ice cream is fabulous and the fruit is so amazing, that it's no wonder they eat it for dessert here! You really do go to the market every few days here, if not every day. The bread is made daily, and the fruit only lasts a few days (due to the lack of preservatives) so you have to keep going back for more. It's kind of nice because you get to know your shopkeepers and bakers and all the food is wonderful, but at the same time it's annoying to have to go so frequently. It's a new type of dining routine, but there's no denying the superb quality of the food. (plus, the other day Devon, some other friends, and I went out to eat, and we ordered mussels. We literally got 70 for 8 euros, and they were the best things EVER). The most annoying thing so far when it comes to dining here, other than paying for water, is the small cups. They're literally a cup. Which is what the rest of the world uses, but since we're used to our 2.5 cup glasses, it's been an annoying adjustment. But it's cool, we have a sense of humor, and we're just going to search for bigger glasses for the apt. Grocery shopping is always interesting (as we can't tell what half of it is), and cooking can be even more so if it's a product we've never heard of before. Thank goodness for pictures on the boxes! :)
2. The people have been surprisingly nice here. After coming to Paris in the summer and hearing all the hype about antiamerican sentiment, I'm pleasantly surprised by French hospitality. When Devon and I arrived at the airport, a CERAM student named Claire picked us up and drove us to Antibes, spoke with our landlord, helped us find bus stops and stores, and left all her info to contact whenever she could be of help. Also, CERAM (now SKEMA), has a group called INTERCULTURE here with the sole purpose of helping international students integrate into French society and feel at home. They've thrown a bunch of parties and they're all incredibly friendly. UF hardly helps us, let alone international students. Also, when we had to set up a french bank account, the tellers stayed after close to help us! The guy at the front didn't speak english at all, and my french is both minimal and terrible, but after a decent effort on my part he found two tellers who spoke english and they were absolutely wonderful! It seems to me that if the effort is made to speak french, they're inclined to be a lot nicer. It's also standard practice to say hello to strangers you interact with through out the day. I really like this a lot. Get on the bus? Say hello to the bus driver! Same when you enter a store, cross by someone on the street, etc. When you leave you say goodbye and thank you. It's so cute and happy.
3. A few french cliches I've heard are totally valid, take smoking for example. Our entire school smells of smoke. Everyone here smokes, for real. We drove by a high school and these 14 year old kids are lighting it up. We also have 25 minute breaks between class, which most chose to use as a smoke break. And my favorite example, when we were given a school tour, the kid who lead it had a cigarette in his hand the ENTIRE time. It wasn't even lit, he just used to point things out nonchalantly. Another cliche is the french paradox. Totally true, but with this one, I feel like it's not really a paradox. You know how everyone says, "oh the French are so skinny but all they do is eat that amazing fatty food all day! How is this so?" Seriously, I've even read articles on yahoo about this. Yes, they eat fattening pastries and bread all the time (as obvious by everyone carrying baguettes around on the street), but they walk everywhere. Or at least a heck of a lot more than we do. Also, they smoke ALL the time. They also eat fruit for dessert and all their portions (except for our crazy amount of moussels) are smaller compared to ours. I mean, we got icecream at the grocery store (the big one that has frozen stuff), and the icecream bars I got are half the size of the ones back in the states. Furthermore, I think my favorite part of the school day is eating lunch. All classes are stopped between 11:45 and 2 so the school can eat (just like French society does), and the food is pretty good. It's only 2.80 Euro a meal, which consists of an entree, a side, and a dessert (a steal, I assure you), and it's a high quality and cheap way to be exposed to real french cuisine. I also think it's absolutely adorable how they have the glass pitchers/vases of water (I forgot the actual term for them. Starts with an e I think?) for each table. You fill them up with water at the front and then bring them to your table, and use it to refill your glass. Also, they were black here almost every day. As if the weather wasn't dreary enough! I'm tempted to find a yellow raincoat or something :)
4. The weather isn't the bad here really (except for yesterday), especially from what I hear is going on down south in the states! It is in the 30's here almost all the time, but the cold here doesn't feel as bad as in FL. I also layer a lot, and wear a hat and a scarf every day. What gets me here is how cloudy it is. Since there are no leaves and no sun, it can be quite dreary, but I suppose it's no different from the northern states. Also, it's sunny about every 3rd day, and when it is, it's gorgeous and warmer. Like today! WOOOO! It's probably just the Floridian in me, but it makes all the difference. Yesterday was painfully cold, like I was physically in pain, but it seems like all of Eastern Europe got hit pretty badly.
5. Everything closes on Sunday. This epically sucks. We have no idea what we're supposed to do with ourselves.
So about SKEMA, CERAM, or whatever you want to call it. What a HUGE change from UF, omg. First off, it's in the mountains. Literally. We take a 45 minute bus ride into the mountainside to get here lol It's gorgeous and scenic, and SO SMALL. They say they have 6000 students, but I'm pretty sure they're skewing those stats some how because it seems like maybe 2000. I want to say more like 1000. Also, there are only 3 buildings here! Seriously! It's the size of a spread out elementary school! And you think the buildings would be full of classrooms. Nope. There's like....8 in each building. Maybe a dozen. It's insane. Classes are 3 hours long and we can only miss 2 days or they flat out fail you. however, there's a 25 minute break in between classes the classes are simple and easy. The 3 hour classes are really hard to sit through, especially when at least one wall of each class room entirely consists of windows, providing a stunning mountainside view. There's a cap of 30 students per class, and since most students are being taught in their second language, they really aren't that difficult. In fact, there's never homework, and we have open book quizes (which we can share books on), and I've only been to two classes so far, but the teacher said the tests are created from the textbook bank. Apparently we're also a party school, which I absolutely love. You should see the emails we get from INTERCULTURE. The first student event was meeting in a pub. Then it was a house party where it said, "by 12 you'll be so drunk you won't even remember coming to the party! wooo!" and then there was a get together at a club where the first line of the email is "let's get drunk! PARTY BABY!!!!" Omg it's so funny. Can you imagine the legal repercussions is UF sent out emails like that? Unfortunately, Devon and I have only made it to a few get togethers because of the bus schedule, but the onse we've made were pretty fun. We've become pretty good friends with these two girls from Holland and two other students from American University. There's also a school-wide ski trip next weekend. Glad to know the French have their priorities in order!
I think that's pretty much all I have that's worth sharing. Devon and I are DESPERATE for internet in the apt and for better, more frequent transportation. School's been well (all two classes anyways) and we've eaten like kings! It's really expensive to live here, which has been increasingly frustrating, but there's nothing we can do about it. Well there you have it! A summary of our first 5 days or so in France! I'll be sure to keep you all posted and share any good stories that I can think of. I expect some sharing from you in return! I miss hearing from you and about all your lives (especially with no internet) and as this is one of my only sources of communicating I expect some details of what's going on with my favorite people ever! I miss you all so much and look forward to hearing from you soon! I'm going to lunch now, but when I get back I'll post some pictures.
Love you all immensely!
Here's a video of Devon and I's apartment:
And here's a few pictures from the past couple days:
Me being sad at our sad bus stop.
Best meal in France so far! The mussels were pretty much the best thing ever (cooked and seasoned SO well) and there were so many of them!
Old town Antibes. On our way to the Picasso museum (where there were no Picassos lol). Us and Marit and Nicole outside oldtown!
Devon on a sidestreet of Antibes
Us at a really happy bar after our get together
SO... Devon and I are settled in the apt (still no internet though), and all is well. I guess I'll start off by telling you about France as far as I know:
1. OMG the food is SO GOOD! The baguettes are out of this world, as are all their breakfast pastries ( I had this raspberry tart a few days ago that was just to die for). Plus, I absolutely LOVE their dairy and fruit here. It's so fresh, and so amazing. It's like an entirely new food group. The milk, cheese, and ice cream is fabulous and the fruit is so amazing, that it's no wonder they eat it for dessert here! You really do go to the market every few days here, if not every day. The bread is made daily, and the fruit only lasts a few days (due to the lack of preservatives) so you have to keep going back for more. It's kind of nice because you get to know your shopkeepers and bakers and all the food is wonderful, but at the same time it's annoying to have to go so frequently. It's a new type of dining routine, but there's no denying the superb quality of the food. (plus, the other day Devon, some other friends, and I went out to eat, and we ordered mussels. We literally got 70 for 8 euros, and they were the best things EVER). The most annoying thing so far when it comes to dining here, other than paying for water, is the small cups. They're literally a cup. Which is what the rest of the world uses, but since we're used to our 2.5 cup glasses, it's been an annoying adjustment. But it's cool, we have a sense of humor, and we're just going to search for bigger glasses for the apt. Grocery shopping is always interesting (as we can't tell what half of it is), and cooking can be even more so if it's a product we've never heard of before. Thank goodness for pictures on the boxes! :)
2. The people have been surprisingly nice here. After coming to Paris in the summer and hearing all the hype about antiamerican sentiment, I'm pleasantly surprised by French hospitality. When Devon and I arrived at the airport, a CERAM student named Claire picked us up and drove us to Antibes, spoke with our landlord, helped us find bus stops and stores, and left all her info to contact whenever she could be of help. Also, CERAM (now SKEMA), has a group called INTERCULTURE here with the sole purpose of helping international students integrate into French society and feel at home. They've thrown a bunch of parties and they're all incredibly friendly. UF hardly helps us, let alone international students. Also, when we had to set up a french bank account, the tellers stayed after close to help us! The guy at the front didn't speak english at all, and my french is both minimal and terrible, but after a decent effort on my part he found two tellers who spoke english and they were absolutely wonderful! It seems to me that if the effort is made to speak french, they're inclined to be a lot nicer. It's also standard practice to say hello to strangers you interact with through out the day. I really like this a lot. Get on the bus? Say hello to the bus driver! Same when you enter a store, cross by someone on the street, etc. When you leave you say goodbye and thank you. It's so cute and happy.
3. A few french cliches I've heard are totally valid, take smoking for example. Our entire school smells of smoke. Everyone here smokes, for real. We drove by a high school and these 14 year old kids are lighting it up. We also have 25 minute breaks between class, which most chose to use as a smoke break. And my favorite example, when we were given a school tour, the kid who lead it had a cigarette in his hand the ENTIRE time. It wasn't even lit, he just used to point things out nonchalantly. Another cliche is the french paradox. Totally true, but with this one, I feel like it's not really a paradox. You know how everyone says, "oh the French are so skinny but all they do is eat that amazing fatty food all day! How is this so?" Seriously, I've even read articles on yahoo about this. Yes, they eat fattening pastries and bread all the time (as obvious by everyone carrying baguettes around on the street), but they walk everywhere. Or at least a heck of a lot more than we do. Also, they smoke ALL the time. They also eat fruit for dessert and all their portions (except for our crazy amount of moussels) are smaller compared to ours. I mean, we got icecream at the grocery store (the big one that has frozen stuff), and the icecream bars I got are half the size of the ones back in the states. Furthermore, I think my favorite part of the school day is eating lunch. All classes are stopped between 11:45 and 2 so the school can eat (just like French society does), and the food is pretty good. It's only 2.80 Euro a meal, which consists of an entree, a side, and a dessert (a steal, I assure you), and it's a high quality and cheap way to be exposed to real french cuisine. I also think it's absolutely adorable how they have the glass pitchers/vases of water (I forgot the actual term for them. Starts with an e I think?) for each table. You fill them up with water at the front and then bring them to your table, and use it to refill your glass. Also, they were black here almost every day. As if the weather wasn't dreary enough! I'm tempted to find a yellow raincoat or something :)
4. The weather isn't the bad here really (except for yesterday), especially from what I hear is going on down south in the states! It is in the 30's here almost all the time, but the cold here doesn't feel as bad as in FL. I also layer a lot, and wear a hat and a scarf every day. What gets me here is how cloudy it is. Since there are no leaves and no sun, it can be quite dreary, but I suppose it's no different from the northern states. Also, it's sunny about every 3rd day, and when it is, it's gorgeous and warmer. Like today! WOOOO! It's probably just the Floridian in me, but it makes all the difference. Yesterday was painfully cold, like I was physically in pain, but it seems like all of Eastern Europe got hit pretty badly.
5. Everything closes on Sunday. This epically sucks. We have no idea what we're supposed to do with ourselves.
So about SKEMA, CERAM, or whatever you want to call it. What a HUGE change from UF, omg. First off, it's in the mountains. Literally. We take a 45 minute bus ride into the mountainside to get here lol It's gorgeous and scenic, and SO SMALL. They say they have 6000 students, but I'm pretty sure they're skewing those stats some how because it seems like maybe 2000. I want to say more like 1000. Also, there are only 3 buildings here! Seriously! It's the size of a spread out elementary school! And you think the buildings would be full of classrooms. Nope. There's like....8 in each building. Maybe a dozen. It's insane. Classes are 3 hours long and we can only miss 2 days or they flat out fail you. however, there's a 25 minute break in between classes the classes are simple and easy. The 3 hour classes are really hard to sit through, especially when at least one wall of each class room entirely consists of windows, providing a stunning mountainside view. There's a cap of 30 students per class, and since most students are being taught in their second language, they really aren't that difficult. In fact, there's never homework, and we have open book quizes (which we can share books on), and I've only been to two classes so far, but the teacher said the tests are created from the textbook bank. Apparently we're also a party school, which I absolutely love. You should see the emails we get from INTERCULTURE. The first student event was meeting in a pub. Then it was a house party where it said, "by 12 you'll be so drunk you won't even remember coming to the party! wooo!" and then there was a get together at a club where the first line of the email is "let's get drunk! PARTY BABY!!!!" Omg it's so funny. Can you imagine the legal repercussions is UF sent out emails like that? Unfortunately, Devon and I have only made it to a few get togethers because of the bus schedule, but the onse we've made were pretty fun. We've become pretty good friends with these two girls from Holland and two other students from American University. There's also a school-wide ski trip next weekend. Glad to know the French have their priorities in order!
I think that's pretty much all I have that's worth sharing. Devon and I are DESPERATE for internet in the apt and for better, more frequent transportation. School's been well (all two classes anyways) and we've eaten like kings! It's really expensive to live here, which has been increasingly frustrating, but there's nothing we can do about it. Well there you have it! A summary of our first 5 days or so in France! I'll be sure to keep you all posted and share any good stories that I can think of. I expect some sharing from you in return! I miss hearing from you and about all your lives (especially with no internet) and as this is one of my only sources of communicating I expect some details of what's going on with my favorite people ever! I miss you all so much and look forward to hearing from you soon! I'm going to lunch now, but when I get back I'll post some pictures.
Love you all immensely!
Here's a video of Devon and I's apartment:
And here's a few pictures from the past couple days:
Me being sad at our sad bus stop.
Best meal in France so far! The mussels were pretty much the best thing ever (cooked and seasoned SO well) and there were so many of them!
Old town Antibes. On our way to the Picasso museum (where there were no Picassos lol). Us and Marit and Nicole outside oldtown!Devon on a sidestreet of Antibes
Us at a really happy bar after our get together
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