Thursday we had class with Mickee and it was pretty interesting because we talked about Hofstede's dimensions of culture. She talked about some of the differences in teaching students from different cultures like how French students talk all during class and the Asian students never talk and don't ask questions. She likes teaching the American students because we interact a lot more. I've already learned about a lot of the stuff we cover in her class, but it is interesting to put it into a different context. Then we had lunch and I got this good pasta with creme brule and something else but I don't remember. It was a good meal. Me, Gabby and Meredith headed home to get our luggage because John, Sallie and Beth all brought theirs to class. Some people went to the Louvre but it was more of a free for all than anything. We all met up at the train station and didn't have to wait long to board.
I was expecting a really shitty train, but it was actually really nice. There were nice lights and the chairs were really comfy and they were red or magenta. It was a classy train for sure. They had the announcements in like four languages so it took a while to figure out what was going on. Nobody was in the seat next to me for about the first 50 minutes and then we stopped at Brussels and this German lady sat down and she was sneezing and coughing on everything. It was sick. I brought my book with me but I felt car sick so I just listened to my ipod and it was really nice. I took some pictures of the scenery. We saw TWO rainbows on the way! I got a picture of them. It was so cool.
We finally got to Amsterdam around 9:30 p.m. and we were greeted with high winds, rain and like 45 degree weather. It was awful and none of us were dressed for it. We took a taxi to the hotel, which was pretty close to the train station and found our hotel. It is this rinky dink place above a restaurant that is never occupied. The stairs are ridiculous; they are at about a 90 degree angle and you have to turn your foot sideways to try and pull yourself up the 2 inch deep stairs. I got a salami and cheese panini that was delish! The bread is really good so that made it. Then we went to the liquor store and I got wine and we came back to the room to drink and hang out. It was actually a lot of fun because this is such a random group that we ended up talking for like two hours and didn't even head out until like 12:30. We didn't realize that everything closes at 1 a.m. so there wasn't much going on. We came back to the room like an hour later and talked for a while and John wanted to kill us all because we wouldn't stop talking and laughing. We stopped by one bar/restaurant that was really nice and I got a Johnny Walker and Coke. It was kind of rough, but I thought Daniel would appreciate it :) The guy that worked there was really friendly and filled us in a lot on Amsterdam. Friday and Saturday things are open till 3 a.m. so they don't really do Thirsty Thursday here. Regardless it was a fun way to kick off the weekend and bond as a group.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Class, class, class
The past couple days have been extremely uneventful and tiring. We had two classes Tuesday and Wednesday and only one today, but that means six hours of lecture back to back. It was kind of awful. I really like the teachers here, but none of us are used to sitting through a lecture for three hours so it's rough. Especially in Thomas' class; he drags on and likes to talk about his new job and how much he knows about marketing and then gives us a five minute break. I have grown very fond of doodling since being in that class. I do feel bad because when I look around at the room almost everyone's head is down and they're doing something else. But I don't blame them because it is so boring.
We are learning about branding and marketing and management which is all interesting, but much of it is pretty basic and things I have learned in a lot of my PR classes. It is always fun to hear more real world stories from the teachers when we can get them talking about their experiences or ask for recommendations. They have some great stories to tell and a few of them actually have a sense of humor. I think Henri is the favorite teacher of everyone here. He is really funny and he makes a lot of jokes and sometimes he tries to explain things but it doesn't translate right so he just laughs because we look so confused. We are doing a wine tasting in his class and then he said he will take us to a little store where they have a great selection and it isn't pricy like some of the specialty shops so he said if we want to bring wine back to get it there.
Yesterday these two french guys came over to our table at lunch and asked if they could sit with us to work on their English. Yeah good line buddy. Anyway they were nice and one of them is named Quinton and he studied in Wisconsin for a semester and it was so funny to hear him talk about it. He kept saying, "Yeah we drank in ze parking lot and did ze beer bongs." And we're like oh you went tailgating haha. He was wearing a Hollister shirt and I asked why so many people where that here and he said it is really cool for people to wear American clothes that they get in the states. Pretty interesting.
I had this interesting pasta for lunch yesterday, it was kind of crunchy but I think it was more like the crust and then I had these little potato things with some sort of spice on them and they were great! I loved those and wolfed them down. Today I got some other type of pasta with cheese and it was really good. I like more plain stuff. I also got an egg salad with some type of cream that was really tasty and then creme brule. It was SO good. The guy was making it with the torch thing right in front of us. Delish.
Some of the class went to the Louvre, but I had to come back here and get all my luggage for Amsterdam because I am leaving today so I'm hoping I can go there with Mom and Dad. I can't believe they're going to be here soon!!! Oh last night I watched Passport to Paris with Mary Kate and Ashley Olson with a few of the girls and it was so funny. I used to love that movie and watching it now it was the dumbest thing ever. It was cool to see all the sites in the movie that we have seen. We are going to try and find some of the cafes they were at. They talked about francs in the movie so it must have been filmed before France adopted the euro.
So like I said I am leaving for Amsterdam in a little bit and I am so excited! Our teacher Mickee is from there and she said we will love it. It is one of the friendliest places in the world AND they speak English! Merciiiii. We get in around 9 tonight so I am not sure what we will do. I would rather rest up so I can get up early tomorrow and go see a lot. We are going to Anne Frank's annex and I am SO excited. I'm bummed we can't take pictures, but it will definitely be an amazing thing to see. We are also going to the Dutch Resistance museum and a Jewish museum. I want to do a boat tour because Mickee was saying it is a great way to see a lot of Amsterdam if we aren't there for a long time. She also mentioned that there is a large Indonesian influence there so we should try one of the restaurants. I am a little nervous for that, but I am bringing my Pepto so I should be okay.
There were five of us going originally and then Sallie decided to come with at the last second. That is totally fine except we are staying in a hotel with five beds and she thinks she is sharing with someone. Hell. No. She is a little feisty so I am nervous for how she is going to react. We have all told her to bring a blanket and pillow and she keeps saying she doesn't need it because she will share...yeah okay. She is going to be a handful. It is kind of an interesting group that is going. Everyone gets along but we don't really hang out so it may be kind weird. Oh well. PMA. There is a lot of really great history there that I am interested in learning about, but a couple of the people seem to have different priorities. I just don't want to get stuck at a club till 4a.m. because they want to stay and I can't walk by myself. But we will see what happens. At least we get breakfast from the hotel. That will be awesome.
I'm excited to go I think it will be a really great experience. This trip is going by so quickly I can't believe it. I feel like there is still so much that I want to see here! Thankfully I am staying with the fun couple :) I'm bringing my laptop to Amsterdam (fingers crossed that its safe) so I will be able to post about my day. I plan on taking a TON of pics. It is supposed to be cooler and rainy, but never the less I am ready! Adios!
We are learning about branding and marketing and management which is all interesting, but much of it is pretty basic and things I have learned in a lot of my PR classes. It is always fun to hear more real world stories from the teachers when we can get them talking about their experiences or ask for recommendations. They have some great stories to tell and a few of them actually have a sense of humor. I think Henri is the favorite teacher of everyone here. He is really funny and he makes a lot of jokes and sometimes he tries to explain things but it doesn't translate right so he just laughs because we look so confused. We are doing a wine tasting in his class and then he said he will take us to a little store where they have a great selection and it isn't pricy like some of the specialty shops so he said if we want to bring wine back to get it there.
Yesterday these two french guys came over to our table at lunch and asked if they could sit with us to work on their English. Yeah good line buddy. Anyway they were nice and one of them is named Quinton and he studied in Wisconsin for a semester and it was so funny to hear him talk about it. He kept saying, "Yeah we drank in ze parking lot and did ze beer bongs." And we're like oh you went tailgating haha. He was wearing a Hollister shirt and I asked why so many people where that here and he said it is really cool for people to wear American clothes that they get in the states. Pretty interesting.
I had this interesting pasta for lunch yesterday, it was kind of crunchy but I think it was more like the crust and then I had these little potato things with some sort of spice on them and they were great! I loved those and wolfed them down. Today I got some other type of pasta with cheese and it was really good. I like more plain stuff. I also got an egg salad with some type of cream that was really tasty and then creme brule. It was SO good. The guy was making it with the torch thing right in front of us. Delish.
Some of the class went to the Louvre, but I had to come back here and get all my luggage for Amsterdam because I am leaving today so I'm hoping I can go there with Mom and Dad. I can't believe they're going to be here soon!!! Oh last night I watched Passport to Paris with Mary Kate and Ashley Olson with a few of the girls and it was so funny. I used to love that movie and watching it now it was the dumbest thing ever. It was cool to see all the sites in the movie that we have seen. We are going to try and find some of the cafes they were at. They talked about francs in the movie so it must have been filmed before France adopted the euro.
So like I said I am leaving for Amsterdam in a little bit and I am so excited! Our teacher Mickee is from there and she said we will love it. It is one of the friendliest places in the world AND they speak English! Merciiiii. We get in around 9 tonight so I am not sure what we will do. I would rather rest up so I can get up early tomorrow and go see a lot. We are going to Anne Frank's annex and I am SO excited. I'm bummed we can't take pictures, but it will definitely be an amazing thing to see. We are also going to the Dutch Resistance museum and a Jewish museum. I want to do a boat tour because Mickee was saying it is a great way to see a lot of Amsterdam if we aren't there for a long time. She also mentioned that there is a large Indonesian influence there so we should try one of the restaurants. I am a little nervous for that, but I am bringing my Pepto so I should be okay.
There were five of us going originally and then Sallie decided to come with at the last second. That is totally fine except we are staying in a hotel with five beds and she thinks she is sharing with someone. Hell. No. She is a little feisty so I am nervous for how she is going to react. We have all told her to bring a blanket and pillow and she keeps saying she doesn't need it because she will share...yeah okay. She is going to be a handful. It is kind of an interesting group that is going. Everyone gets along but we don't really hang out so it may be kind weird. Oh well. PMA. There is a lot of really great history there that I am interested in learning about, but a couple of the people seem to have different priorities. I just don't want to get stuck at a club till 4a.m. because they want to stay and I can't walk by myself. But we will see what happens. At least we get breakfast from the hotel. That will be awesome.
I'm excited to go I think it will be a really great experience. This trip is going by so quickly I can't believe it. I feel like there is still so much that I want to see here! Thankfully I am staying with the fun couple :) I'm bringing my laptop to Amsterdam (fingers crossed that its safe) so I will be able to post about my day. I plan on taking a TON of pics. It is supposed to be cooler and rainy, but never the less I am ready! Adios!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Notre Dame & Sorbonne
Sunday was pretty lazy. We headed back to Montmarte and I got most of my souveniers so I'm pretty set. We decided to take the side stairs up to the little town and that was the worst idea ever. There easily had to be 150 steps at a ridiculous incline. We were gasping for air after the second set. Awful. We finally got to the top and checked out the artists because a couple people wanted to buy stuff. We went to a cafe that had a special for 12 euro you got a burger, fries, drink and dessert. It was really yummy and it was fun sitting outside but our waiter was a punk. Liz and Attiya ended up buying art and then we headed back home because we were dead. I didn't do much when I got back. I watched Project Runway online for a solid 3 hours.
Monday was alright. We had to meet Armoogum at Notre Dame at 9:30 and we were a solid twenty minutes late. There were a ton of people there too so it was kind of a pain. We had to walk up this tiny staircase and we were already sore from walking up the steps at Montmarte. Everyone was so dizzy and tired. We went out to this viewing area and it was really pretty. Then we crawled through this little door where Quasimoto used to live or something and saw the giant bell. It was way too crowded and people don't know how to move so this trip was really more hassle than it was worth. We went up a little higher and then had to go down the small spiral staircase all the way to the bottom. Some of us went inside the church and I lit a candle. It was very pretty inside, but hard to take pictures without the flash. Then some chamber singers came out all dressed up and started singing so I took a video. We waited for everyone to go through the church and then Armoogum talked a little bit about the area. He said Notre Dame was built where it is because the soil is special and they believe it has the power to connect to Heaven so it is sacred. I'm not sure what he was talking about. It was very pretty none the less.
Then we walked to Sorbonne which is a University in Paris that was the sight of the student's revolution in the 1960s. They shut down the school because they wanted better education and as a result they now have dorms for men and women that are closer and school is a heck of a lot cheaper than it is in the U.S. It is a beautiful area and has a lot of historic meaning. I think ISU needs to have a revolt so we don't have to pay so damn much for school.
We left Armoogum and headed to school for lunch. Negocia and Accent clearly don't know how to make our schedule because we had an hour to get back to school and to eat lunch before class but it takes a solid forty minutes to get there. I ate a rushed and crappy lunch of rice and fries and chocolate pudding and all the bread was gone. What a disappointment. We had class with Henri and it was kind of a snoozefest. He is really nice and tries to make jokes but it was so hot in the classroom and we were walking around so much that everyone was ready for sleep. Not to mention we were still hungry. We did a few exercises in class and then were done at 4:30 where we had to get back on the Metro and head to Accent for a meeting. Dumb.
We finally got to Accent and everyone was drained. They gave us weird cookies and warm drinks. Thanks for that. We had a meeting with the director of Accent who wanted to see how everything was going. She is kind of annoying. Nobody really had much to say. She did mention that a volcano in Iceland is erupting and the volcanic cloud is supposed to be here by Thursday so flights may be canceled. It was only like a 15 minute meeting and it was stupid so afterwards a bunch of us got Subway because it was close and American. It was delicious. I got a footlong, which here is 30 cm or something and I inhaled it. I am so hungry all the time here. They don't make eating a priority like we do. After that I mailed some postcards and came home to watch the finale of Project Runway. Me and Kara and John wanted to go out so we sat in my room with Meredith and Gabby and drank for a bit and hung out. It was fun. We decided to go out because we didn't have class today until 1:30. We went to Iguana again because it is familiar and we had a good time. We saw some familiar people there which was funny. The music wasn't as good as it has been and none of us wanted to stay too late so we didn't get too crazy. We walked to this food place and got a bite to eat and the people working were pretty amused with us. I came home and went to sleep hoping to sleep till noon and instead my roommate woke up at 9 to do laundry with Gabby and they thought talking loudly and turning the lights on and slamming doors was a good idea. I'm so. freaking. tired. I will write about today later.
Monday was alright. We had to meet Armoogum at Notre Dame at 9:30 and we were a solid twenty minutes late. There were a ton of people there too so it was kind of a pain. We had to walk up this tiny staircase and we were already sore from walking up the steps at Montmarte. Everyone was so dizzy and tired. We went out to this viewing area and it was really pretty. Then we crawled through this little door where Quasimoto used to live or something and saw the giant bell. It was way too crowded and people don't know how to move so this trip was really more hassle than it was worth. We went up a little higher and then had to go down the small spiral staircase all the way to the bottom. Some of us went inside the church and I lit a candle. It was very pretty inside, but hard to take pictures without the flash. Then some chamber singers came out all dressed up and started singing so I took a video. We waited for everyone to go through the church and then Armoogum talked a little bit about the area. He said Notre Dame was built where it is because the soil is special and they believe it has the power to connect to Heaven so it is sacred. I'm not sure what he was talking about. It was very pretty none the less.
Then we walked to Sorbonne which is a University in Paris that was the sight of the student's revolution in the 1960s. They shut down the school because they wanted better education and as a result they now have dorms for men and women that are closer and school is a heck of a lot cheaper than it is in the U.S. It is a beautiful area and has a lot of historic meaning. I think ISU needs to have a revolt so we don't have to pay so damn much for school.
We left Armoogum and headed to school for lunch. Negocia and Accent clearly don't know how to make our schedule because we had an hour to get back to school and to eat lunch before class but it takes a solid forty minutes to get there. I ate a rushed and crappy lunch of rice and fries and chocolate pudding and all the bread was gone. What a disappointment. We had class with Henri and it was kind of a snoozefest. He is really nice and tries to make jokes but it was so hot in the classroom and we were walking around so much that everyone was ready for sleep. Not to mention we were still hungry. We did a few exercises in class and then were done at 4:30 where we had to get back on the Metro and head to Accent for a meeting. Dumb.
We finally got to Accent and everyone was drained. They gave us weird cookies and warm drinks. Thanks for that. We had a meeting with the director of Accent who wanted to see how everything was going. She is kind of annoying. Nobody really had much to say. She did mention that a volcano in Iceland is erupting and the volcanic cloud is supposed to be here by Thursday so flights may be canceled. It was only like a 15 minute meeting and it was stupid so afterwards a bunch of us got Subway because it was close and American. It was delicious. I got a footlong, which here is 30 cm or something and I inhaled it. I am so hungry all the time here. They don't make eating a priority like we do. After that I mailed some postcards and came home to watch the finale of Project Runway. Me and Kara and John wanted to go out so we sat in my room with Meredith and Gabby and drank for a bit and hung out. It was fun. We decided to go out because we didn't have class today until 1:30. We went to Iguana again because it is familiar and we had a good time. We saw some familiar people there which was funny. The music wasn't as good as it has been and none of us wanted to stay too late so we didn't get too crazy. We walked to this food place and got a bite to eat and the people working were pretty amused with us. I came home and went to sleep hoping to sleep till noon and instead my roommate woke up at 9 to do laundry with Gabby and they thought talking loudly and turning the lights on and slamming doors was a good idea. I'm so. freaking. tired. I will write about today later.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
TGIF
Friday morning was hard to wake up after going out the night before. It was worth it though. We headed to school and met our marketing teacher, Thomas Misslin. It was the most painful three hours of my life. Thomas Misslin is very nice and he was born in New Jersey so I could actually understand him. By the end of the day I wish he was speaking Japanese so I could have an excuse to fall asleep. He wore the ugliest pleated pants that were so short I couldn't believe he was for real. He decided to tuck this puffy checkered shirt into the pants, which made his outfit so distracting I had no idea what he was talking about. To be honest, I'm not sure what he talked about for the entire time. It was the most basic class that I thought it was a joke. I know how to put a resume together. I have a general knowledge about marketing. I don't need to give my resume to someone else and have them critique it because I already know I am better then them. I was not amused.
The class was putting everyone to sleep and the teacher noticed quite easily when at least three people fell asleep. I don't blame them. I tried taking notes just to keep myself busy but instead I wound up writing about how bored I was. He gave us a five minute break. In the span of three hours. Seriously? I thought it was a joke. Thankfully I brought my bacon flavored pringles so I could snack. He spent about thirty minutes explaining how his class and Henri's class were different. I figured that out thank you. Thank goodness Penny called Accent and told them we were getting lunch before we stopped there because I was flippin ravenous. They served plain pasta which I love so I was a happy camper. I put a little cheese on top and got some pudding and bread and was set.
We had to stop by Accent to drop off our Metro cards to be charged. Checked a few emails, talked to Stephen Graff who is quite easily the most energetic person I have ever known. I also talked to my friend Scott who is in Cologne, Germany and we may be going to visit him on our four day weekend. He mentioned he is going to Berlin so we may meet him there or do a night in Cologne and then all go together to Berlin. It is really up in the air at this point.
We left Accent and headed home where everyone took naps. I was so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. I woke up at five to shower and then Skype with Anthony for a bit. It was really nice to hear from him and I was excited to tell him about all the things I have been doing. I got ready and met the girls down stairs. Everyone wanted to go out, but we wanted to hit up happy hour because we wanted to get the deals so we hurried to the bars because it ends at 9p.m. Me, Kara, Liz, Lynn, Sally and Attiya went to Iguana and we each got two drinks. I got a Jaeger bomb and I think a Bull Island which is like a Long Island but has redbull in it? I may have made that up. It was tasty though. We stayed there for a little while before checking out the surrounding bars. We decided to split a few drinks because they are so expensive so I got a Sex on the Beach, which was a little too fruity and pineappley for me. I also had a whiskey coke which was hella strong and not that good but for 5 euro it was legit.
We ended up going back to Iguana around 11 or so and saw some people from our group. They were not in good moods and apparently don't like to smile or talk to anyone so we did our own thing. Me, Kara and Liz decided to go back to the bar with the 5 euro whiskey cokes and ended up talking to people there for a while. Everyone thinks it is interesting that we are from America. They did point out though that they don't binge drink like Americans do so people may make fun of us for that. Whatev. We headed back to Iguana after a while and everybody left so we sat for a bit and met people from California and Rhode Island. Is anyone in Paris actually FROM Paris? We didn't stay long and decided to walk around and saw more people from our group who had just come from a bar where they ran into Dr. Long and Penny. I guess they were dancing with them and getting drinks which is a little odd considering they both have to be 60. Little late don't you think? We all went to the bar with the whiskey cokes and some people got drinks but most of us were pretty tired. We headed back after a little bit and I went to sleep.
I woke up today and haven't done much. I like being lazy after doing so much during the week. I read Water for Elephants and then watched some tv on my lappy. Me and Liz went to franprix to get some food because I am starving here. Then we came back and I cleaned my room and took a shower. I haven't been doing much since. It is almost 7:30pm here so it is practically time to get ready to go out for the night. I think the whole group may go out to a dancing club which would be super fun. Kara and Lynn ended up going to Normandy for the day because a family friend of Kara's is in Paris. They left before I even woke up so I didn't really care. They should be back around 9 tonight so I'm not sure if they will come out with us. It is really hot here today so hopefully it will be warm when we go out.
Some people were talking about some club that's on a boat and cost ten euro to get in. Um what? I don't really want to do that. I need to save some mons here. Tomorrow we may go back to Montmarte but I am not sure. It will probably be a pretty mellow day because we have a long week ahead of us. That's all for now. I wish I had On Demand and fast food here. And wifi. That would be great.
The class was putting everyone to sleep and the teacher noticed quite easily when at least three people fell asleep. I don't blame them. I tried taking notes just to keep myself busy but instead I wound up writing about how bored I was. He gave us a five minute break. In the span of three hours. Seriously? I thought it was a joke. Thankfully I brought my bacon flavored pringles so I could snack. He spent about thirty minutes explaining how his class and Henri's class were different. I figured that out thank you. Thank goodness Penny called Accent and told them we were getting lunch before we stopped there because I was flippin ravenous. They served plain pasta which I love so I was a happy camper. I put a little cheese on top and got some pudding and bread and was set.
We had to stop by Accent to drop off our Metro cards to be charged. Checked a few emails, talked to Stephen Graff who is quite easily the most energetic person I have ever known. I also talked to my friend Scott who is in Cologne, Germany and we may be going to visit him on our four day weekend. He mentioned he is going to Berlin so we may meet him there or do a night in Cologne and then all go together to Berlin. It is really up in the air at this point.
We left Accent and headed home where everyone took naps. I was so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. I woke up at five to shower and then Skype with Anthony for a bit. It was really nice to hear from him and I was excited to tell him about all the things I have been doing. I got ready and met the girls down stairs. Everyone wanted to go out, but we wanted to hit up happy hour because we wanted to get the deals so we hurried to the bars because it ends at 9p.m. Me, Kara, Liz, Lynn, Sally and Attiya went to Iguana and we each got two drinks. I got a Jaeger bomb and I think a Bull Island which is like a Long Island but has redbull in it? I may have made that up. It was tasty though. We stayed there for a little while before checking out the surrounding bars. We decided to split a few drinks because they are so expensive so I got a Sex on the Beach, which was a little too fruity and pineappley for me. I also had a whiskey coke which was hella strong and not that good but for 5 euro it was legit.
We ended up going back to Iguana around 11 or so and saw some people from our group. They were not in good moods and apparently don't like to smile or talk to anyone so we did our own thing. Me, Kara and Liz decided to go back to the bar with the 5 euro whiskey cokes and ended up talking to people there for a while. Everyone thinks it is interesting that we are from America. They did point out though that they don't binge drink like Americans do so people may make fun of us for that. Whatev. We headed back to Iguana after a while and everybody left so we sat for a bit and met people from California and Rhode Island. Is anyone in Paris actually FROM Paris? We didn't stay long and decided to walk around and saw more people from our group who had just come from a bar where they ran into Dr. Long and Penny. I guess they were dancing with them and getting drinks which is a little odd considering they both have to be 60. Little late don't you think? We all went to the bar with the whiskey cokes and some people got drinks but most of us were pretty tired. We headed back after a little bit and I went to sleep.
I woke up today and haven't done much. I like being lazy after doing so much during the week. I read Water for Elephants and then watched some tv on my lappy. Me and Liz went to franprix to get some food because I am starving here. Then we came back and I cleaned my room and took a shower. I haven't been doing much since. It is almost 7:30pm here so it is practically time to get ready to go out for the night. I think the whole group may go out to a dancing club which would be super fun. Kara and Lynn ended up going to Normandy for the day because a family friend of Kara's is in Paris. They left before I even woke up so I didn't really care. They should be back around 9 tonight so I'm not sure if they will come out with us. It is really hot here today so hopefully it will be warm when we go out.
Some people were talking about some club that's on a boat and cost ten euro to get in. Um what? I don't really want to do that. I need to save some mons here. Tomorrow we may go back to Montmarte but I am not sure. It will probably be a pretty mellow day because we have a long week ahead of us. That's all for now. I wish I had On Demand and fast food here. And wifi. That would be great.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Opera House
This post will probably be short because I can't remember everything from yesterday and I am tired. We had class for part of the day and met our teacher Henri Simmonet who teaches global branding. He was really funny and interesting so class didn't drag. He was really interested in what we are doing while we are here and recommended a lot of things to do. We did an exercise about branding and had to give personalities to brands like Audie, Jeep and BMW. It was fun and relevant and the whole class really liked him.
Then we had lunch and I got some sick egg and spinach thing with some sort of rice thing that sucked. I was not happy. So I stocked up on free bread.
Then we had to meet Armoogum at the opera house and we got on the metro and hear someone say, "You are on the right train," and it was Armoogum. So that was pretty funny and at least we figured out how to get there. We walked around and saw a few theaters including one that is like a French comedy theater that was used to show plays that made fun of the government and were off the beaten path. We stopped by another theater and they wouldn't let us in so we got to look at some dumb pictures.
We made our way back to the opera house and there was this gypsy child in a chicken costume that would hop in pictures and then make you pay her. I didn't fall for it. We got to go through the ball room and the main areas in the opera house and it was so ornate and beautiful. It was for royals only, but now it is obviously open to the public as there is no royal family. We had to tell the ticket people that we were art students from Chicago so they would let us in for free. It worked so it saved me some euroooo. They were rehearsing so we only had a limited amount of time to look around. We got to go in one of the balconies that is actually inside the theater and take a few pictures. It is really pretty and the ceiling is very ornate. It was pretty cool but there were like 30 people jammed in this tiny space.
For some reason everyone was really tired and didn't want to walk around so after we were done with the opera we all wanted to leave. We headed home and a few of us went to Accent to print resumes for class today and then I mailed some postcards and we went out to eat. Everyone got margherita pizza except for me. I got some cheese gnocchi that was ballin. I couldn't eat it all so I brought it home and I'm going to eat it in just a little bit for dinner. Then I called mom and chatted with her and we tried to Skype. That was an experience. The internet here is really slow so the connection sucks. I think the sound is really delayed. It is a pain to Skype with anyone.
I had an migraine and didn't want to do much, but I sucked it up and went out with Lynn, Kara, Liz, Meredith and Josh. It was really fun. We went to this bar called Iguana and there was like nobody there so we brought the party. Drinks were hella expensive so I stuck with the cheapest thing I liked which was jaeger bombs for 6.50. Ouch. I only got 2 drinks because they were so expensive. We tried checking out prices at other bars but everything was more expensive than Iguana. Of all the places in the world, we are in a bar in Paris and met people from Wheaton. It was the strangest thing. We didn't stay too late because we had class early today and I was exhausted so we headed back and went to bed. It was a really fun night and I am glad that I made myself go out because it was such a fun night with everyone. Waking up this morning..was not so fun....
Then we had lunch and I got some sick egg and spinach thing with some sort of rice thing that sucked. I was not happy. So I stocked up on free bread.
Then we had to meet Armoogum at the opera house and we got on the metro and hear someone say, "You are on the right train," and it was Armoogum. So that was pretty funny and at least we figured out how to get there. We walked around and saw a few theaters including one that is like a French comedy theater that was used to show plays that made fun of the government and were off the beaten path. We stopped by another theater and they wouldn't let us in so we got to look at some dumb pictures.
We made our way back to the opera house and there was this gypsy child in a chicken costume that would hop in pictures and then make you pay her. I didn't fall for it. We got to go through the ball room and the main areas in the opera house and it was so ornate and beautiful. It was for royals only, but now it is obviously open to the public as there is no royal family. We had to tell the ticket people that we were art students from Chicago so they would let us in for free. It worked so it saved me some euroooo. They were rehearsing so we only had a limited amount of time to look around. We got to go in one of the balconies that is actually inside the theater and take a few pictures. It is really pretty and the ceiling is very ornate. It was pretty cool but there were like 30 people jammed in this tiny space.
For some reason everyone was really tired and didn't want to walk around so after we were done with the opera we all wanted to leave. We headed home and a few of us went to Accent to print resumes for class today and then I mailed some postcards and we went out to eat. Everyone got margherita pizza except for me. I got some cheese gnocchi that was ballin. I couldn't eat it all so I brought it home and I'm going to eat it in just a little bit for dinner. Then I called mom and chatted with her and we tried to Skype. That was an experience. The internet here is really slow so the connection sucks. I think the sound is really delayed. It is a pain to Skype with anyone.
I had an migraine and didn't want to do much, but I sucked it up and went out with Lynn, Kara, Liz, Meredith and Josh. It was really fun. We went to this bar called Iguana and there was like nobody there so we brought the party. Drinks were hella expensive so I stuck with the cheapest thing I liked which was jaeger bombs for 6.50. Ouch. I only got 2 drinks because they were so expensive. We tried checking out prices at other bars but everything was more expensive than Iguana. Of all the places in the world, we are in a bar in Paris and met people from Wheaton. It was the strangest thing. We didn't stay too late because we had class early today and I was exhausted so we headed back and went to bed. It was a really fun night and I am glad that I made myself go out because it was such a fun night with everyone. Waking up this morning..was not so fun....
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Catacombs
Today we had to be at school and it was not fun waking up at 7:20 a.m. I hate waking up early. But it was supposed to be 77 degrees today so I can't complain. We all went together and have to make a few changes on the metro. We got on at Auber I believe and Kaitie was by me and then there were a ton of people on my car so she decided to get on the other car. We got off only a couple stops later and we step off the train and Kaitlin yells, "Look out for the gypsys!" We turn around and Kaitie was sobbing because there was a group of kids that shoved her right before they got off and they stole her camera. Another girl tried grabbing Kaitlin's wallet and she grabbed the girls arm and snatched it back. I felt so bad. Kallie said right when she got on the train there was a girl that reached into her back and she slapped the girls hand and yelled at her. Hahaha. Actually it isn't funny because I would be devastated if someone stole something from me. Me, Lauren and Kallie waited with Kaitie as she talked to the guy at the Information desk and told the people downstairs in the metro area and told Kaitie where to go to file a police report and then go back to the Auber station because they have cameras in the station and on the train.
The people at Accent warned us about all the kids on the train. They said that it is a huge problem on the Metro and they just busted two of the main people in this group. They are usually kids and sometimes an adult and they create a distraction by either shoving someone or having a doll that looks like a baby and dropping it to distract people and then taking their stuff. Kaitlin's bag doesn't have a zipper and was wide open and Kaitie's bag was behind her and unzipped, which is exactly what they told us not to do. I flip my bag towards me and hold it to me so nobody's getting in here. I felt really bad because it is scary more than anything to know that someone is in your stuff.
We walked to school and we were only like two minutes late. We met our teacher Mickey Keeren who teaches Intercultural Management. She gave us a brief history of Europe and the EU and it was so boring. It was hard to stay awake. Then we got a 30 minute break and came back to finish up some notes about cultural difference and what makes people different. Then she explained that we have a final project to do in pairs and we have to research a cluster of countries and explain the similarities and differences in business practices compared to the U.S. I am working with Liz and we got the Low Countries which are like the Netherlands or something. Of course we get the place that the teacher is originally from so that is great. Again, people were really disrespectful in class and like putting on makeup or lotion and talking and passing notes. Really? So stupid. Then we got lunch; I had a pork chop, some rice pilaf or something, mozarella and tomato salad, chocolate pudding and bread with olive oil. Delicious. Absolutely delish. And only 5 euro. Even better.
The pork chop was pretty good but I never have them with the bone in so it was a little weird. Kind of dry and not as good as dad's, but it was like the first real meat that I've had. Everything else was really good. It is such a good price that it makes everything taste better.
We headed back home and met up with some people and made our way to the Catacombs. It was a pretty short metro trip there and it was right across the street where we got off. It was only four euro too. The sign said it may not be good for children or those with a nervous disposition so of course I started to get nervous. You have to walk down 130 stairs to get to the bottom and 80 some stairs back up. It's like 20 meters down and the staircase is this spiral that feels like it is never going to end. I got really scared and worried about having enough air but it was fine. You have to walk 500 meters to get to the actual start and you're in this tiny hallway with uneven footing and it gets really chilly and there are drops of water falling. It was so creepy. You'd think they'd put a few more lights in there, but apparently that's not in the budget.
There were engravings on the wall to signify when that part was built and which pillar it belonged too. Also there original markings from the workers and their tools. People used to be able to go down there by candlelight so there are a lot of black markings on the ceiling so they knew where they were. There are also street signs on the walls so you know which street your walking under.
It was pretty creepy to be down there and actually seeing the bones was a strange feeling. There was one sign right before you enter the area with the bones that mentioned to be respectful as so many people are buried there. I almost felt bad taking pictures because I don't want to be disrespectful. It was very interesting to see and I couldn't believe how many bones were there. Everything was arranged so neatly and in such order, I don't know who would have had the patience to do that. It only takes about 45 minutes to go through the whole Catacombs so we weren't there for very long. We stopped in the gift shop after but everything just had skulls on it. Nothing historic or cool looking. Just overpriced and tacky. A few people stopped to get ice cream and then we got back on the metro to come home.
A few of us stayed in the Gare dy Lyon metro station because they have a bunch of cute shops and one store had a ton of beauty products and they were all 2 euro so I got some Pantene shampoo and conditioner because the stuff I brought isn't enough for one shower. Then we walked home and I've been sitting here uploading pictures and updating my blog. I will be going to bed early tonite. Some of us want to go out tomorrow night because come Friday, everyone's schedule is different and people are going different places all the time. I only have my trip to Amsterdam next weekend. I was talking to Kara about going to the South of France for our long weekend, but if it is too expensive then I will stay here. I can't justify spending a ton of money on travel to a lower part of the country I'm in. We'll see.
I can't wait for lunch tomorrow. I can't wait to be home and have Walmart and Target and Taco Bell. Convenience doesn't seem to be a big thing here. There are no one stop shops really. Our teacher today was explaining how a lot of people hate the euro because they used to use the French Franc here and when they switched to the euro it was six times only one franc. Crazy. Needless to say the cost of living here went through the roof.
I'm already tired. I hope I can fall asleep around 10. Au revoir? I think that's bye.
The people at Accent warned us about all the kids on the train. They said that it is a huge problem on the Metro and they just busted two of the main people in this group. They are usually kids and sometimes an adult and they create a distraction by either shoving someone or having a doll that looks like a baby and dropping it to distract people and then taking their stuff. Kaitlin's bag doesn't have a zipper and was wide open and Kaitie's bag was behind her and unzipped, which is exactly what they told us not to do. I flip my bag towards me and hold it to me so nobody's getting in here. I felt really bad because it is scary more than anything to know that someone is in your stuff.
We walked to school and we were only like two minutes late. We met our teacher Mickey Keeren who teaches Intercultural Management. She gave us a brief history of Europe and the EU and it was so boring. It was hard to stay awake. Then we got a 30 minute break and came back to finish up some notes about cultural difference and what makes people different. Then she explained that we have a final project to do in pairs and we have to research a cluster of countries and explain the similarities and differences in business practices compared to the U.S. I am working with Liz and we got the Low Countries which are like the Netherlands or something. Of course we get the place that the teacher is originally from so that is great. Again, people were really disrespectful in class and like putting on makeup or lotion and talking and passing notes. Really? So stupid. Then we got lunch; I had a pork chop, some rice pilaf or something, mozarella and tomato salad, chocolate pudding and bread with olive oil. Delicious. Absolutely delish. And only 5 euro. Even better.
The pork chop was pretty good but I never have them with the bone in so it was a little weird. Kind of dry and not as good as dad's, but it was like the first real meat that I've had. Everything else was really good. It is such a good price that it makes everything taste better.
We headed back home and met up with some people and made our way to the Catacombs. It was a pretty short metro trip there and it was right across the street where we got off. It was only four euro too. The sign said it may not be good for children or those with a nervous disposition so of course I started to get nervous. You have to walk down 130 stairs to get to the bottom and 80 some stairs back up. It's like 20 meters down and the staircase is this spiral that feels like it is never going to end. I got really scared and worried about having enough air but it was fine. You have to walk 500 meters to get to the actual start and you're in this tiny hallway with uneven footing and it gets really chilly and there are drops of water falling. It was so creepy. You'd think they'd put a few more lights in there, but apparently that's not in the budget.
There were engravings on the wall to signify when that part was built and which pillar it belonged too. Also there original markings from the workers and their tools. People used to be able to go down there by candlelight so there are a lot of black markings on the ceiling so they knew where they were. There are also street signs on the walls so you know which street your walking under.
It was pretty creepy to be down there and actually seeing the bones was a strange feeling. There was one sign right before you enter the area with the bones that mentioned to be respectful as so many people are buried there. I almost felt bad taking pictures because I don't want to be disrespectful. It was very interesting to see and I couldn't believe how many bones were there. Everything was arranged so neatly and in such order, I don't know who would have had the patience to do that. It only takes about 45 minutes to go through the whole Catacombs so we weren't there for very long. We stopped in the gift shop after but everything just had skulls on it. Nothing historic or cool looking. Just overpriced and tacky. A few people stopped to get ice cream and then we got back on the metro to come home.
A few of us stayed in the Gare dy Lyon metro station because they have a bunch of cute shops and one store had a ton of beauty products and they were all 2 euro so I got some Pantene shampoo and conditioner because the stuff I brought isn't enough for one shower. Then we walked home and I've been sitting here uploading pictures and updating my blog. I will be going to bed early tonite. Some of us want to go out tomorrow night because come Friday, everyone's schedule is different and people are going different places all the time. I only have my trip to Amsterdam next weekend. I was talking to Kara about going to the South of France for our long weekend, but if it is too expensive then I will stay here. I can't justify spending a ton of money on travel to a lower part of the country I'm in. We'll see.
I can't wait for lunch tomorrow. I can't wait to be home and have Walmart and Target and Taco Bell. Convenience doesn't seem to be a big thing here. There are no one stop shops really. Our teacher today was explaining how a lot of people hate the euro because they used to use the French Franc here and when they switched to the euro it was six times only one franc. Crazy. Needless to say the cost of living here went through the roof.
I'm already tired. I hope I can fall asleep around 10. Au revoir? I think that's bye.
Victor Hugo's Apartment
Yesterday was our first real day of class. We met at 10 a.m. and Armoogum lectured for a bit about Paris and what we would be doing in the class. We have 6 sessions with him and we meet him at different locations and he teaches us about the culture around Paris. We were all pretty tired in class, but I felt bad because one girl actually fell asleep and acted to rude when he told her to pay attention. I'm not sure what people thought they were signing up for, but apparently class wasn't part of it.
He explained that our first visit was to Des Vosges and we would go to Marais and see where a lot of royalty lived and then Victor Hugo's apartment. I had my first lunch in the cafeteria, which is pretty tiny but the salads and desserts are delicious and really pretty. I got a burger without a bun (?) and a butt ton of fries. I got a mini salad and water too. The burger was a huge disappointment because it was REALLY pink on the inside and weird to eat so I only had a bite. They give you so many fries, which was kind of nice since I didn't have much else to eat. The salad was okay, except it had some nuts in it that I didn't like. But the water was free and they have free bread and olive oil so I stocked up.
Then we left to met Armoogum. It was a pretty easy metro ride but we couldn't figure out how to get to the exact location but luckily we saw him on the street. As we walked to the first location we passed a school for Torah and a few Jewish restaurants. There were a lot of Orthodox Jews around. I found this surprising.
We arrived at this beautiful garden that is where royals used to pass the time. Armoogum explained the differences in the architecture that was for the wealthy and the common. There are a lot of arches around the rich people and their apartments and houses are higher up than the commoners. They have 3 or more levels usually. We got to go into the museum attached to it and look around. It had a lot of random paintings and a section for the French Revolution. All the signs were in French so I couldn't read them so I had no idea what I was looking at.
Next we headed just down the street to a park in the middle of a bunch of apartments that royalty stays at. You have to be of high status to stay there. Ministers and ambassadors stay at these residences. It had a few fountains in it and there were a ton of people outside so it was nice to sit for a few minutes.
Then we went to Victor Hugo's apartment, which was just across the park. I don't know how nobody has heard of him or Les Mis. I was really excited to go. We sat in the waiting room and there was some weird movie playing made by like little French kids. We weren't sure if that was part of the exhibit or not. My guess is not. The tour is pretty short since it is only an apartment and they are pretty small. Leading up the stairs are a lot of political posters and pieces of art. Then inside there are a few different relics including paintings and chairs. There was a group of little kids there and they took up a bunch of space so it was hard to move around. His windows look out on the park we sat in earlier.
The whole thing took about 10 minutes so I hope we didn't miss anything, but the apartment was pretty slow. It was really annoying because so many people kept complaining how bored they were. I don't get it. Whatever then we walked for what felt like forever and were going to get ice cream. We stopped by a school where a bunch of kids were hanging out and Armoogum asked one girl to read the sign out loud to us because it is one of the last remaining pieces from the 16th century or something.
We ended up by the Seine and Notre Dame and got ice cream at this little shop. It was poppin off. I got dark chocolate and it was delish. Kara got pear and it was so refreshing. I tried some of Lynn's grapefruit and it was so good. It was one of the moments where I felt like we were actually in Paris because we were eating our ice cream, sitting on the ledge and there was a man playing an accordion. It was really cool. The weather was perfect too and the Seine looked beautiful. We were free to go after our ice cream so me, Lynn, Kara and Liz walked around for a little bit and looked at a few stores. There was a vintage designer shop that had the most beautiful Louis Vuitton bags but I don't have 600 euro for a handbag. We were pretty tired so we started heading back and ended up just walking down the Seine and got home. We couldn't find a metro and it was so nice out that we didn't mind. I don't know why people can't take five minutes to look at map and figure out where we are and where a street is on a map, but I find myself always being the one to figure out directions.
When I got home I talked with Meredith for a while and then uploaded pictures and before I knew it, it was like 9:30 p.m. Since we had to be at school at 9 a.m. today I wanted to shower and go to bed. Meredith hopped in the shower.....for 20 minutes.....yes, all the hot water was gone. I went in after her and it was ice cold. I tried waiting 15 minutes and it was still freezing so I went down to Kara and Lynn's room and used their shower. I tried their hair dryer too but my hair is out of control. I came back up and read for a little bit then went to sleep around 10:45. I took benadryl but that didn't help for some reason. I was exhausted but couldn't fall asleep so I only got around six hours of sleep.
It was a long day, but it was really interesting. I wish Armoogum could come everywhere with us because he knows so much. He is funny too so he tries to keep things interesting. I appreciate it but there are a lot of people on the trip that are rude and complain all day. I've noticed that a ton of people have dogs here and none of them are on leashes, the dog just trots in front of the owner. It's so cute. There are also a lot of blind people around our apartment. And some other people with disabilities that have to use those poles that brace on their forearms. It's interesting.
He explained that our first visit was to Des Vosges and we would go to Marais and see where a lot of royalty lived and then Victor Hugo's apartment. I had my first lunch in the cafeteria, which is pretty tiny but the salads and desserts are delicious and really pretty. I got a burger without a bun (?) and a butt ton of fries. I got a mini salad and water too. The burger was a huge disappointment because it was REALLY pink on the inside and weird to eat so I only had a bite. They give you so many fries, which was kind of nice since I didn't have much else to eat. The salad was okay, except it had some nuts in it that I didn't like. But the water was free and they have free bread and olive oil so I stocked up.
Then we left to met Armoogum. It was a pretty easy metro ride but we couldn't figure out how to get to the exact location but luckily we saw him on the street. As we walked to the first location we passed a school for Torah and a few Jewish restaurants. There were a lot of Orthodox Jews around. I found this surprising.
We arrived at this beautiful garden that is where royals used to pass the time. Armoogum explained the differences in the architecture that was for the wealthy and the common. There are a lot of arches around the rich people and their apartments and houses are higher up than the commoners. They have 3 or more levels usually. We got to go into the museum attached to it and look around. It had a lot of random paintings and a section for the French Revolution. All the signs were in French so I couldn't read them so I had no idea what I was looking at.
Next we headed just down the street to a park in the middle of a bunch of apartments that royalty stays at. You have to be of high status to stay there. Ministers and ambassadors stay at these residences. It had a few fountains in it and there were a ton of people outside so it was nice to sit for a few minutes.
Then we went to Victor Hugo's apartment, which was just across the park. I don't know how nobody has heard of him or Les Mis. I was really excited to go. We sat in the waiting room and there was some weird movie playing made by like little French kids. We weren't sure if that was part of the exhibit or not. My guess is not. The tour is pretty short since it is only an apartment and they are pretty small. Leading up the stairs are a lot of political posters and pieces of art. Then inside there are a few different relics including paintings and chairs. There was a group of little kids there and they took up a bunch of space so it was hard to move around. His windows look out on the park we sat in earlier.
The whole thing took about 10 minutes so I hope we didn't miss anything, but the apartment was pretty slow. It was really annoying because so many people kept complaining how bored they were. I don't get it. Whatever then we walked for what felt like forever and were going to get ice cream. We stopped by a school where a bunch of kids were hanging out and Armoogum asked one girl to read the sign out loud to us because it is one of the last remaining pieces from the 16th century or something.
We ended up by the Seine and Notre Dame and got ice cream at this little shop. It was poppin off. I got dark chocolate and it was delish. Kara got pear and it was so refreshing. I tried some of Lynn's grapefruit and it was so good. It was one of the moments where I felt like we were actually in Paris because we were eating our ice cream, sitting on the ledge and there was a man playing an accordion. It was really cool. The weather was perfect too and the Seine looked beautiful. We were free to go after our ice cream so me, Lynn, Kara and Liz walked around for a little bit and looked at a few stores. There was a vintage designer shop that had the most beautiful Louis Vuitton bags but I don't have 600 euro for a handbag. We were pretty tired so we started heading back and ended up just walking down the Seine and got home. We couldn't find a metro and it was so nice out that we didn't mind. I don't know why people can't take five minutes to look at map and figure out where we are and where a street is on a map, but I find myself always being the one to figure out directions.
When I got home I talked with Meredith for a while and then uploaded pictures and before I knew it, it was like 9:30 p.m. Since we had to be at school at 9 a.m. today I wanted to shower and go to bed. Meredith hopped in the shower.....for 20 minutes.....yes, all the hot water was gone. I went in after her and it was ice cold. I tried waiting 15 minutes and it was still freezing so I went down to Kara and Lynn's room and used their shower. I tried their hair dryer too but my hair is out of control. I came back up and read for a little bit then went to sleep around 10:45. I took benadryl but that didn't help for some reason. I was exhausted but couldn't fall asleep so I only got around six hours of sleep.
It was a long day, but it was really interesting. I wish Armoogum could come everywhere with us because he knows so much. He is funny too so he tries to keep things interesting. I appreciate it but there are a lot of people on the trip that are rude and complain all day. I've noticed that a ton of people have dogs here and none of them are on leashes, the dog just trots in front of the owner. It's so cute. There are also a lot of blind people around our apartment. And some other people with disabilities that have to use those poles that brace on their forearms. It's interesting.
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