3 hours ago
The Bastille day in Paris, to celebrate that day during the French Revolution back in the 18th century, when the People of France rebelled against the Monarchy.
The Eiffel Tower tonight looked the most beautiful it's ever been, to me, with amazing fireworks. The music wasn't really up to the whole French theme, but I had fun trying to guess and to sing along to all the musical numbers. Didn't get to go to the parade this morning because I woke up too late, though.
Tomorrow I'm taking an early train to Reims, for a bit of a champagne tasting. Hopefully I won't miss the train, and actually be able to do some tours, since I didn't book ahead, or anything. On va voir.
The Eiffel Tower tonight looked the most beautiful it's ever been, to me, with amazing fireworks. The music wasn't really up to the whole French theme, but I had fun trying to guess and to sing along to all the musical numbers. Didn't get to go to the parade this morning because I woke up too late, though.
Tomorrow I'm taking an early train to Reims, for a bit of a champagne tasting. Hopefully I won't miss the train, and actually be able to do some tours, since I didn't book ahead, or anything. On va voir.
I have online TV working again!
French TV is not that great, especially on the available free channels, but at least the options are still there, and at least now I can catch the TV news if I wanted to, so I can actually hear some more French, aside from the, 'Bonjour Madame. Ca va?' that I hear everyday in real life..
French TV is not that great, especially on the available free channels, but at least the options are still there, and at least now I can catch the TV news if I wanted to, so I can actually hear some more French, aside from the, 'Bonjour Madame. Ca va?' that I hear everyday in real life..
Where did the bruise the size of my palm on my shin come from?
It'd nice to be swimming right now... But can't, the pool's closed. Tomorrow? Hmm..
How come I can never see the moon from my window, or even my floor, outside?
I need to get some more food.. I am so full... But still feel like eating and drinking more. Thirsty..
How come I can never see the moon from my window, or even my floor, outside?
I need to get some more food.. I am so full... But still feel like eating and drinking more. Thirsty..
V and I are room mates in a studio on the attic floor of a building. In our home under the slanting rooftop, the floors are wooden, and we have a vintage stove set, from which V has her single bed and I have mine on the other side of the room. Our next door neighbour on the left side are two French guys, one tall dark curly haired guy that kind of reminds me of one of my previous CouchSurfing hosts, or could just be one of the other acquaintances somewhere else, and his friend, friendly and easy going.
One weekend night I find that all the other neighbours on my floor have changed, since it's the start of a new school year. Mostly guys, but who knows, there are so many of them, loud and crazy in full party mode, like one massive frat party on the floor. These random guys barge into my studio trying to take some chairs. Oh no, you don't! They get angry at me for being a bad sport, but I don't care, I love my chairs, and they are not going to take them, I may never see those chairs again, like my map book. Where is V, anyway?! Partying with the rest of them.. lol.
One weekend night I find that all the other neighbours on my floor have changed, since it's the start of a new school year. Mostly guys, but who knows, there are so many of them, loud and crazy in full party mode, like one massive frat party on the floor. These random guys barge into my studio trying to take some chairs. Oh no, you don't! They get angry at me for being a bad sport, but I don't care, I love my chairs, and they are not going to take them, I may never see those chairs again, like my map book. Where is V, anyway?! Partying with the rest of them.. lol.
Had an afternoon tea, sort of, at this tea place after visiting my favourite museum. Had a "de l'Opéra" tea with a madeleine and a scone. The vanilla based tea was wonderful. The scone was nice but too crumbly, and madeleing was good, but nothing beats the pistache one from la Grande Epicerie.
This company was created by two brothers with the last name Mariage, thus the name, the Mariage Brothers. Apparently there are over 500 varieties of tea served. I can believe that.
Spent hours here, just drinking and eating and drawing in my notebook, by myself. It was good, though I think the waiters must have wondered when I was going to leave, haha. Oh, the waiters here are all male and quite the lookers ! But, no, that is not the only reason I lingered around.. ;)
I really want to take a tin with me when I go back home. I would love to try as many tea here as possible, but it's just so expensive :(
Going over to their website to learn more about them...
*After note. I did not realise this before, but the two 'jams' served with the scone must have been actually tea jellies, invented by the company. I should have paid more attention..
Every time people ask me how I like Paris, I tell them it's an amazing experience being able to call this city home for the year, where others only dream of coming once in their lives. Seeing the revered Eiffel Tower everyday, until it is now so common that I don't feel so awed by it any more; going to the Louvre during my lunch break, just because I can, because it's so near and it's also free for me.
I'm not trying to make people jealous, it's the truth. But, sometimes, they also ask me what my favourite places in Paris are, such as museums. Now, I do have a favourite café, even if I don't have a favourite French food, which would be too difficult to decide. The café is not too French, either, though. I prefer Ladurée over Pierre Hermé, as well, for example. But I didn't have a particular museum that I liked, thus far. I liked the d'Orsay, le Louvre, sure...
But now I have found a favourite museum! Les musées des Arts Décoratifs (, de mode et textile, de publicité). So, okay, actually it's a collection of museums. Which explains why I've been getting so lost inside! I've already visited it twice this week, and I still haven't seen all of it. I am sure to be going back sometime soon. Just found out that the audioguides are free, oh, only if I had known! Now I have to go through everything again, more slowly, so I can actually understand the meanings and significances behind each work.
I love how the museum covers everything that interests me, the arts, the interior, furniture, toys, history, fashion, media, etc, and it's interesting for children as well as adults. The first time I came here was actually for the children that I am looking after, because they had a workshop session here, it being the school holidays for them now. After taking the bus with them (for the first time !) and dropping off at the museum, they came out two hours later with their metal jewellery brooch artwork. So cute !
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| A view from a window |
The museum guards are more pleasant here than in the other places, I think. It's definitely less crowded than Louvre, but so close. Plus, the view from the windows here, of the Tuileries gardens and the Eiffel Tower, etc, is so surprisingly good here. I love !
6am.
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The registration went well, surprisingly so than last semester's. I actually got all the courses I had wanted !
However, I must still wait for confirmation from my home university to tell me that these classes will be actually credited back once I return... Please!!!
Brief wake up, contemplating whether I should call D now, since it's evening time her time and she would have returned from work by now... Sorry, I am still too tired. Back to sleep.
8.30am.
Get up, but this doesn't mean much since my bedside table is my desk, and the bed my seat. On the laptop, eating breakfast.. Cold rice soup. For some reason, the microwave stops to have the ability to heat, though it still 'works'. Is it time for a new one? Will wait to find out.
9.30am.
Call Mum and Sis. They are both tired and ready for bed, so the conversations are kept short. I miss them.
11am.
Reading e-articles, stretching, chatting on FB, making weekend plans. Going to go visit more museums and gardens on my list, which never seems to shorten. Baklavas and black tea for lunch..
Contemplating if I should go on more out of town trips next week... Need to check out the SNCF website.
2pm.
The room needs a bit of a clean. Too much clutter. Start with the laundry, then will work through the list, the kitchen, the floor, the mirror, etc.
2.30pm
Waiting for the 3pm registration madness... Within 5 minutes, it will be decided if my future plans need to be altered drastically, or, hopefully, not. In the least, whether I will have to do another year when back in Aotearoa, instead of just one semester. In which case, I will be very unhappy.
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The registration went well, surprisingly so than last semester's. I actually got all the courses I had wanted !
However, I must still wait for confirmation from my home university to tell me that these classes will be actually credited back once I return... Please!!!
I remember learning to write haikus during English at school. It's a Japanese poetry style, where the three lines have a 5, 7, and 5 syllables rule, respectively. Haiku is a mood poem and it does not use any metaphors or similes.
Flying out to Prague tonight.
Was going to say that it will be my first flight trip, but then remembered that Hamburg trip I took earlier in the year. The weather forecast says rain, rain, rain, so I'm packing an umbrella. Trying not to be too disappointed, I'm sure the rain will bring out the romantic side of the already fairy tale like town of Prague everyone has been telling me about :)
It's definitely a first in that I'll be staying in a hostel this time, and not in a friend's or a Couchsurfer's. It's more like a bed and breakfast though. I'm looking forward to it, the lady owner seemed nice when I had to ring her.
Also, it's my first non-EU country, as well as my first Eastern European country.
Excited !
