And then I woke up.
I spent the afternoon doing, well, nothing. And then I discovered a fantastic note left by Madame Borione:
Friday, January 28, 2011
Quoi?!
I walked out into the middle of the nearby park, and I was completely surprised to see my cousin Alyssa and Aunt Laura standing there! They had planned a last minute surprise visit, which was fine because I had already asked my host grand-parents if I could have some family stay with me. After out salutations, we went back to my home to get all situated. I started freaking out because my dad, sister, and many other members of his side of the family were already in the apartment, completely at home. I had no idea how I was going to explain everyone's presence to the host-parentals..
And then I woke up.
I spent the afternoon doing, well, nothing. And then I discovered a fantastic note left by Madame Borione:
And then I woke up.
I spent the afternoon doing, well, nothing. And then I discovered a fantastic note left by Madame Borione:
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Central time zone?
Again, without having to attend classes for such a long period of time, I end up staying online or at least awake until ridiculous hours in the morning, essentially going to bed at a normal hour for those in the Chicago time zone!!
I actually woke up early yesterday morning (11:30am) because I had an appointment for my "carte de sejour." If you are in France for an extended period of time, this meeting is mandatory. I was nearly living here illegally! I took the metro to la Bastille where the appointment was. I wasn't entirely sure what documents I needed because it had been over a month since I made the appointment and such. At the desk, the lady called my name and asked for my documents. No problem. A photo? Zut. Then she spoke to me an an extremely unnecessarily loud level as if I wasn't already standing within spitting distance of her words. Of course this all took place in front of at least 30 other people. However, I kept my cool and even though everyone was staring, she was the one that looked quite foolish. Part of the appointment was an xray. Basically you have to step in a room and wait for them to call you in. They then rush you over to a machine and SHOVE you into a vertical board and rush you right back out. At least I got to keep the xray? After running to a photo booth before they could stamp my passport, I became a legal resident (after only 5 months..).
On the way home, I passed a Subway and smelled its deliciousness. Turkey sub coming up! It wasn't bad and I enjoyed it. I continued my day by babysitting again. It was more fun though because Alex and Dunc were there with me for a bit. The kids love Dunc and his sense of humor, but doesn't everyone! We ended the night by playing UNO, a game you would THINK to be universal. However, they seemed to have convenient rules that helped them win every time..
I stayed up late of course reading and watching my shows. I set my alarm for 10am. I woke up at 3:50, which left me JUST enough time to go pick the kids up from school. Cuttin' it close! For snack, the kids like cereal. It's healthy cereal too with that fake chocolate substance that's good for you. Lou found a giant piece of it, so of course Vic broke it. This only sent Lou RUNNING to her room CRYING. Unbelievable. The rest of the night was fine with them after I coaxed them down from their unnecessary tantrums. The parents stopped home quickly before going out to dinner, so they were able to see what I prepared for the kids' meal. "C'est top !" Win. I stayed late and put the kids to bed, which they surprisingly obliged to rather easily. I met up with some other Sciences Po students and went to a welcome back party thrown by the school. It was fun, especially people watching with Alex. The night ended with me taking a bike home. It is really irritating that the metros stop so early..
Time for my last Friday of break (finally) !
I actually woke up early yesterday morning (11:30am) because I had an appointment for my "carte de sejour." If you are in France for an extended period of time, this meeting is mandatory. I was nearly living here illegally! I took the metro to la Bastille where the appointment was. I wasn't entirely sure what documents I needed because it had been over a month since I made the appointment and such. At the desk, the lady called my name and asked for my documents. No problem. A photo? Zut. Then she spoke to me an an extremely unnecessarily loud level as if I wasn't already standing within spitting distance of her words. Of course this all took place in front of at least 30 other people. However, I kept my cool and even though everyone was staring, she was the one that looked quite foolish. Part of the appointment was an xray. Basically you have to step in a room and wait for them to call you in. They then rush you over to a machine and SHOVE you into a vertical board and rush you right back out. At least I got to keep the xray? After running to a photo booth before they could stamp my passport, I became a legal resident (after only 5 months..).
On the way home, I passed a Subway and smelled its deliciousness. Turkey sub coming up! It wasn't bad and I enjoyed it. I continued my day by babysitting again. It was more fun though because Alex and Dunc were there with me for a bit. The kids love Dunc and his sense of humor, but doesn't everyone! We ended the night by playing UNO, a game you would THINK to be universal. However, they seemed to have convenient rules that helped them win every time..
I stayed up late of course reading and watching my shows. I set my alarm for 10am. I woke up at 3:50, which left me JUST enough time to go pick the kids up from school. Cuttin' it close! For snack, the kids like cereal. It's healthy cereal too with that fake chocolate substance that's good for you. Lou found a giant piece of it, so of course Vic broke it. This only sent Lou RUNNING to her room CRYING. Unbelievable. The rest of the night was fine with them after I coaxed them down from their unnecessary tantrums. The parents stopped home quickly before going out to dinner, so they were able to see what I prepared for the kids' meal. "C'est top !" Win. I stayed late and put the kids to bed, which they surprisingly obliged to rather easily. I met up with some other Sciences Po students and went to a welcome back party thrown by the school. It was fun, especially people watching with Alex. The night ended with me taking a bike home. It is really irritating that the metros stop so early..
Time for my last Friday of break (finally) !
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Last Week of Break
So yesterday (Monday) marked the first day of my last week on break. To be quite honest, it's a good thing. I don't know what to do with myself during a break that lasts a month and a half!
I woke up rather early to help Carrie off to the train station. We decided it best to take the direct bus instead of transferring on the metro. It worked out a lot better than I anticipated. I made sure she was all set on her train to Grenoble before heading home. On the bus, I suddenly woke up near my stop. Yep. I've turned into THAT guy, the one who feels comfortable enough on public transportation to sleep and automatically wakes up before the right stop. Cool.
Of course I took a nap without setting my alarm, so I really just set myself up for a night without sleep. It was ok though, I took care of some things and watched a French movie. After that I continued my Sherlock Holmes addiction and watched the BBC series "Sherlock." I definitely recommend it to any Sherlock Holmes fans..
I woke up this morning (by morning I mean afternoon of course), grabbed a quick jambon-crudite' sandwich, and babysat the children. Nothing too exciting today. Afterwards I met up with some friends to say goodbye to Joan who is leaving Paris this semester to continue her studies in China! Before heading home on the last metro, Dunc and I had to grab a quick bite to eat: a crepe and a panini, respectively!
I woke up rather early to help Carrie off to the train station. We decided it best to take the direct bus instead of transferring on the metro. It worked out a lot better than I anticipated. I made sure she was all set on her train to Grenoble before heading home. On the bus, I suddenly woke up near my stop. Yep. I've turned into THAT guy, the one who feels comfortable enough on public transportation to sleep and automatically wakes up before the right stop. Cool.
Of course I took a nap without setting my alarm, so I really just set myself up for a night without sleep. It was ok though, I took care of some things and watched a French movie. After that I continued my Sherlock Holmes addiction and watched the BBC series "Sherlock." I definitely recommend it to any Sherlock Holmes fans..
I woke up this morning (by morning I mean afternoon of course), grabbed a quick jambon-crudite' sandwich, and babysat the children. Nothing too exciting today. Afterwards I met up with some friends to say goodbye to Joan who is leaving Paris this semester to continue her studies in China! Before heading home on the last metro, Dunc and I had to grab a quick bite to eat: a crepe and a panini, respectively!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Around town with Carrie
I went back to Marion's house in the afternoon to pick up Carrie. They had me for lunch, which they claimed was "nothing special." Apparently a giant meal does not constitute for very much..
Carrie and I met up with Dunc at the top of the Champs-Elysees, starting at the Arc de Triomphe. We went down the avenue just window-shopping for the most part. We thought it was really interesting that there are so many more stores for men only here; that many would never last very long stateside! We made our way to my university, Sciences-Po, just for her to have a look. We walked around a bit more and got pizza at a really good Italian restaurant I've been to 3 times now. I got the "Ovidio" with ham, peppers, and breaded eggplant. Granted, it's not as good as my dad's homemade pizza, but it was definitely delicious. We continued walking around and Carrie bought herself a new scarf to add to her already over-packed suitcases.
After stopping at home, we made our way to the Coppermann's where I babysit. It was the dad's birthday party and they invited all of their friends and said I could come along. No kids! It was a lot of fun to see all the adults socializing, especially in the place where I'm usually watching the kids. Music was blasting and everyone was having a great time. We finally left around 4 in the morning with a large group that invited us to their house for pasta. We ultimately decided that it would be too weird and started home. Unfortunately, all of the public transport in the area was closed. Thank the Lord for the Velib stations that have bikes to rent! We made it home perfectly safe and I made us a pasta/potato snack before going to sleep.
Of course we slept into the afternoon; after that we headed to an area called Le Marais to eat its renowned "falafel," an Israeli vegetarian dish. Delicious. We walked around the area which was very much alive at the moment due to all of the boutiques and stores still being open. After walking through and past Notre Dame, we went into the Great Canadian Pub to get ready to watch the Bears-Packers game. After eating, Dunc and his new "host-cousin" met up with us, as well as Aaron, Oscar, Ethan, Brian, and Andrea. It quickly filled up with Bears and Packers fans alike. We were 'lucky' enough to be near a giant group of Packers. They were incredibly obnoxious as well. I'm glad Carrie was stuck in between people at the booth, otherwise her rage may have been unleashed! It was a good time despite the stress and loss. And if nothing else we found our destination for future American sporting events.
Carrie heads to Grenoble tomorrow, and it's gonna be a grand time trying to get her luggage from my room to the train..
Friday, January 21, 2011
Another Day of the Neverending Break
I'm not quite sure how Sciences Po expects me to jump back into the swing of school after a month and a half of break. I guess I'll see soon..
Yesterday was another typical day in my ridiculously scheduled life. I stayed awake until 7am talking with my sister Natalie and friend Aimee (who were together or course, Natalie always stealing my friends!). I woke up in the afternoon, said hello and goodbye to the host-grandparents, and went to get the kids from school. Vic was in a rather rambunctious mood today. He didn't want to listen or clean up after himself. He spilled a lot of cheese onto the floor during dinner. When I asked him to clean it up, he threw it in the corner when I wasn't looking. I was not impressed, especially after I made the kids garlic cheesebread!
For the rest of the night we (meaning I) built a tower together out of building blocks and it almost reached the ceiling. Vic wanted nothing more than to knock it down. He did.
At the end of the night I met up with Dunc, Oscar, Maria, and Nissa from U of I to spend time with Maria on her last night. We went on a barcrawl in the Moulin Rouge area. Unfortunately, we felt a little ripped off by the prices, but we ignored the feeling and had a good time together for her last night in Paris. I had to leave early for today's activities.
I woke up at the ungodly hour of 8am ('ungodly' considering my previous sleep schedule!) to go to the airport to get Carrie! She will be studying in Grenoble (south of Paris) for the semester. It was great to see her again, but not so great to see all of her luggage! She brought 3 fully loaded bags-including her extremely awkwardly shaped snowboard bag which rendered us plenty of questioning looks. It was definitely an adventure back to my room to store her things..
We ventured out into the streets and had a sandwich at a nearby bakery (there's always a nearby bakery..). We saw the Eiffel Tower, had coffee and hot chocolate, and continued to Sacre Coeur. Dunc met up with us and we walked through Montmartre, an awesome little nook of the area with artists everywhere painting and selling their own works. Carrie and I were both tempted to by something, but we decided against it. I know I will buy something from there by the end of my trip; it'd be a genuine souvenir.
I had a nap while Carrie checked in with friends and family, then we headed to our friend from the Share America program of the last 3 summers. Marion and her family welcomed us for a delicious dinner where I ate spiced duck for the first time. We also had mushrooms that weren't too bad, especially considering my general dislike of them. But you have to have an open mind here, and it really helps me enjoy French cuisine!
Carrie is staying the night at their house, and we're continuing our adventures tomorrow and Sunday. It's really cool that she's sharing this experience with me; we started French at the same time in high school and became friends through the program. Many years later we're sitting by the Eiffel Tower in a little cafe, surrounded by and in the middle of French life.
Yesterday was another typical day in my ridiculously scheduled life. I stayed awake until 7am talking with my sister Natalie and friend Aimee (who were together or course, Natalie always stealing my friends!). I woke up in the afternoon, said hello and goodbye to the host-grandparents, and went to get the kids from school. Vic was in a rather rambunctious mood today. He didn't want to listen or clean up after himself. He spilled a lot of cheese onto the floor during dinner. When I asked him to clean it up, he threw it in the corner when I wasn't looking. I was not impressed, especially after I made the kids garlic cheesebread!
For the rest of the night we (meaning I) built a tower together out of building blocks and it almost reached the ceiling. Vic wanted nothing more than to knock it down. He did.
At the end of the night I met up with Dunc, Oscar, Maria, and Nissa from U of I to spend time with Maria on her last night. We went on a barcrawl in the Moulin Rouge area. Unfortunately, we felt a little ripped off by the prices, but we ignored the feeling and had a good time together for her last night in Paris. I had to leave early for today's activities.
I woke up at the ungodly hour of 8am ('ungodly' considering my previous sleep schedule!) to go to the airport to get Carrie! She will be studying in Grenoble (south of Paris) for the semester. It was great to see her again, but not so great to see all of her luggage! She brought 3 fully loaded bags-including her extremely awkwardly shaped snowboard bag which rendered us plenty of questioning looks. It was definitely an adventure back to my room to store her things..
We ventured out into the streets and had a sandwich at a nearby bakery (there's always a nearby bakery..). We saw the Eiffel Tower, had coffee and hot chocolate, and continued to Sacre Coeur. Dunc met up with us and we walked through Montmartre, an awesome little nook of the area with artists everywhere painting and selling their own works. Carrie and I were both tempted to by something, but we decided against it. I know I will buy something from there by the end of my trip; it'd be a genuine souvenir.
I had a nap while Carrie checked in with friends and family, then we headed to our friend from the Share America program of the last 3 summers. Marion and her family welcomed us for a delicious dinner where I ate spiced duck for the first time. We also had mushrooms that weren't too bad, especially considering my general dislike of them. But you have to have an open mind here, and it really helps me enjoy French cuisine!
Carrie is staying the night at their house, and we're continuing our adventures tomorrow and Sunday. It's really cool that she's sharing this experience with me; we started French at the same time in high school and became friends through the program. Many years later we're sitting by the Eiffel Tower in a little cafe, surrounded by and in the middle of French life.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
First Post (halfway through my trip!)
I started thinking that I would probably regret not having a written account of my adventures in Paris and Europe. Of course my vlog is able to capture the highlights of my time here, but these anecdotes are not quite enough to get an idea of my vie quotiedienne (daily life).
Granted, starting this at the halfway point between my arrival and departure isn't ideal, but it's better late then never.
At this point, I've spent 4.5 months in Europe, mainly in Paris; I've also had the chance to visit London, Barcelona, and Dublin in addition to some locations in France such as Mont. St. Michel, Saint Malo, Normandy, Reims, and Nantes. I am fortunate enough to have more time to visit more sites overseas; Toulouse in the south of France is planned for February, as well as Sarlat and Colmar in the near future. Outside of France, I want to make my way to Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and anywhere else I might find interesting. I'm always up for suggestions!
Alright, I guess I'll dive in to the point of a blog: what's been going on? I returned to Paris a few days ago after a short stay in Dublin, Ireland with Patricia. It's definitely a pleasant city with a lot to offer, especially when it isn't raining, which was an all-too-common occurrence during my stay. I stayed at the University College of Dublin, a redundantly titled institution that is a quick busride to the city center, or downtown. From there, most things are within walking distance, which is more than I can say for Paris! They had some great places for window shopping and eating along the cobblestone roads. Pat and I started right off with a Guinness beef sandwich with fresh horseradish and a pint of the beer too (not, her. though, she's a vegetarian =P )
Trinity College is a famous university in Ireland as it dates back many years. I overheard a tour guide explaining some bizarre rules of the past: on the date of an exam, a student with a sword and armor could request a meal with the exam and the instructor had to comply. I wouldn't be opposed to eating a cheeseburger during my finals..
The Dublin Castle was a cool sight to see just for the fact that it was a castle within a city. On one side, the walls were painted bright colors, so it took away from some of the appeal but was still generally a cool thing to see. The river that flows through the city allowed for a Venetian looking scene. There is a great area called Temple Bar (not just one big bar as I had imagined) with a lot of unique shops and restaurants that also serves as great nightlife in the later hours.
During a freestyle walking tour of the city, I found the "National Leprechaun Museum." This is obviously made for tourists, but I had to go through it. It was quite amusing, explaining the origins and (mis)representations of the stereotypical character in green. The tour included a room with large furniture to make me feel like I myself was only a few feet tall. Ending with a pot of gold, it proved to be an interesting visit. However, I enjoyed my second tour of the day much more: the Guinness Storehouse where the beer was created and is currently produced. They walked us through the entire history and process behind the entity. I was able to pour my own pint-and drink it too! It has such a unique taste that is hard to get used to, but straight from the source complemented with a 360 degree view of the city the beer proved to be delicious. Stopping for some "famous" fish 'n' chips before heading back to the airport, I felt that I had a pretty good feel for the city given the short period of my stay.
Being the week before courses started at UCD, I was able to meet a lot of international and Irish students. This is my favorite thing about being in Europe. You meet such an interesting crowd of students, travelers, and natives. I find it easier to make friends here-even if only temporary-because everyone is just as excited and open for new experiences as the next person. On the flight home aboard the classy Ryanair, I met a couple from Australia that were my age on their way to Paris for the first time. We started talking right away and held conversation for the entire 4 hours it took to get from Dublin to the center of Paris. I had to help them out because they didn't know where their hotel was and couldn't speak more than 10 words of French!
It was nice to get back to my home away from home. I'm comfortable here now with a good group of friends. I'm back into French-speaking mode-it was a bit difficult during my first attempt to jump back in the language after 7 days hearing English everywhere!
I've essentially been on break since December 17 and I do not resume courses until January 31. So my daily life consists of going to sleep at ridiculous hours, waking up, leaving the house and making the host family aware that I'm finally awake, and babysitting the three kids. They were really happy to see me again. One of the hardest parts about leaving at the end of May will definitely be saying goodbye to them. They are (usually) really well-behaved and great to be around. Their parents are really happy that I'm able to continue the same schedule during the next semester, and they've been asking me to babysit more frequently when they have planned activities. They invited me to the dad's birthday party on Saturday, sans the kids! It'll be a great experience to meet their friends and be a guest instead of an employee! I'm bringing my friend from home as well. Carrie is coming to Paris on Friday before she studies in Grenoble for the semester. I can't wait to see her of course. I love having a fresh familiar face every few weeks!
Aside from babysitting, I spend time online, obviously, but I also have been reading a lot of books lately, namely the Sherlock Holmes series which I am almost finished with. Then of course there are my American TV shows-gotta love NBC comedy night! A lot of people ask me if I'm homesick at all. My answer? yes and no. Yes, I miss my family and my friends so much, as well as the comfort of familiarity. But at the same time, I'm having such a great time meeting new people and seeing new things, all that cheesy stuff. I am definitely glad that I chose the year program because I don't feel like one semester would have been long enough. I just had to say goodbye to one of my best friends here because she wasn't able to stay for 2 semesters, and that was hard enough! I'm glad that I still have about 4.5 months left to continue these experiences. Having the internet certainly helps because I can stay in constant communication with the people I miss!
This post is much longer than I anticipated. And if you've read to this point, thanks so much. If not though, it's still worth writing for my future self!
Granted, starting this at the halfway point between my arrival and departure isn't ideal, but it's better late then never.
At this point, I've spent 4.5 months in Europe, mainly in Paris; I've also had the chance to visit London, Barcelona, and Dublin in addition to some locations in France such as Mont. St. Michel, Saint Malo, Normandy, Reims, and Nantes. I am fortunate enough to have more time to visit more sites overseas; Toulouse in the south of France is planned for February, as well as Sarlat and Colmar in the near future. Outside of France, I want to make my way to Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and anywhere else I might find interesting. I'm always up for suggestions!
Alright, I guess I'll dive in to the point of a blog: what's been going on? I returned to Paris a few days ago after a short stay in Dublin, Ireland with Patricia. It's definitely a pleasant city with a lot to offer, especially when it isn't raining, which was an all-too-common occurrence during my stay. I stayed at the University College of Dublin, a redundantly titled institution that is a quick busride to the city center, or downtown. From there, most things are within walking distance, which is more than I can say for Paris! They had some great places for window shopping and eating along the cobblestone roads. Pat and I started right off with a Guinness beef sandwich with fresh horseradish and a pint of the beer too (not, her. though, she's a vegetarian =P )
Trinity College is a famous university in Ireland as it dates back many years. I overheard a tour guide explaining some bizarre rules of the past: on the date of an exam, a student with a sword and armor could request a meal with the exam and the instructor had to comply. I wouldn't be opposed to eating a cheeseburger during my finals..
The Dublin Castle was a cool sight to see just for the fact that it was a castle within a city. On one side, the walls were painted bright colors, so it took away from some of the appeal but was still generally a cool thing to see. The river that flows through the city allowed for a Venetian looking scene. There is a great area called Temple Bar (not just one big bar as I had imagined) with a lot of unique shops and restaurants that also serves as great nightlife in the later hours.
During a freestyle walking tour of the city, I found the "National Leprechaun Museum." This is obviously made for tourists, but I had to go through it. It was quite amusing, explaining the origins and (mis)representations of the stereotypical character in green. The tour included a room with large furniture to make me feel like I myself was only a few feet tall. Ending with a pot of gold, it proved to be an interesting visit. However, I enjoyed my second tour of the day much more: the Guinness Storehouse where the beer was created and is currently produced. They walked us through the entire history and process behind the entity. I was able to pour my own pint-and drink it too! It has such a unique taste that is hard to get used to, but straight from the source complemented with a 360 degree view of the city the beer proved to be delicious. Stopping for some "famous" fish 'n' chips before heading back to the airport, I felt that I had a pretty good feel for the city given the short period of my stay.
Being the week before courses started at UCD, I was able to meet a lot of international and Irish students. This is my favorite thing about being in Europe. You meet such an interesting crowd of students, travelers, and natives. I find it easier to make friends here-even if only temporary-because everyone is just as excited and open for new experiences as the next person. On the flight home aboard the classy Ryanair, I met a couple from Australia that were my age on their way to Paris for the first time. We started talking right away and held conversation for the entire 4 hours it took to get from Dublin to the center of Paris. I had to help them out because they didn't know where their hotel was and couldn't speak more than 10 words of French!
It was nice to get back to my home away from home. I'm comfortable here now with a good group of friends. I'm back into French-speaking mode-it was a bit difficult during my first attempt to jump back in the language after 7 days hearing English everywhere!
I've essentially been on break since December 17 and I do not resume courses until January 31. So my daily life consists of going to sleep at ridiculous hours, waking up, leaving the house and making the host family aware that I'm finally awake, and babysitting the three kids. They were really happy to see me again. One of the hardest parts about leaving at the end of May will definitely be saying goodbye to them. They are (usually) really well-behaved and great to be around. Their parents are really happy that I'm able to continue the same schedule during the next semester, and they've been asking me to babysit more frequently when they have planned activities. They invited me to the dad's birthday party on Saturday, sans the kids! It'll be a great experience to meet their friends and be a guest instead of an employee! I'm bringing my friend from home as well. Carrie is coming to Paris on Friday before she studies in Grenoble for the semester. I can't wait to see her of course. I love having a fresh familiar face every few weeks!
Aside from babysitting, I spend time online, obviously, but I also have been reading a lot of books lately, namely the Sherlock Holmes series which I am almost finished with. Then of course there are my American TV shows-gotta love NBC comedy night! A lot of people ask me if I'm homesick at all. My answer? yes and no. Yes, I miss my family and my friends so much, as well as the comfort of familiarity. But at the same time, I'm having such a great time meeting new people and seeing new things, all that cheesy stuff. I am definitely glad that I chose the year program because I don't feel like one semester would have been long enough. I just had to say goodbye to one of my best friends here because she wasn't able to stay for 2 semesters, and that was hard enough! I'm glad that I still have about 4.5 months left to continue these experiences. Having the internet certainly helps because I can stay in constant communication with the people I miss!
This post is much longer than I anticipated. And if you've read to this point, thanks so much. If not though, it's still worth writing for my future self!
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