ahhh amsterdam

I headed off to Amsterdam last weekend on an impromptu sort of… well, everyone is leaving except me, so I might as well go somewhere….kind of a thing. This girl that I know from school Martha and I went. We arrived and put our stuff down and immediately went off in search of all many things that Amsterdam has to offer. We passed the rest of the weekend in a sort of hazy state of consciousness.

And I think that perhaps the most quintessentially ‘amsterdam’ moment we had was the first night that we were staying in our hostel. Our roommates came home at 6 and 7am. The first arrivee managed to get into his bed, and then he began the oh so noticeable sounds of vomiting. On himself, in his bed, right next to me. I think he managed to hold it all in until he got to the toilet though. And it was histerical trying to listen to him getting back up into his bed. There were no ladders for the bed, so it was hard even when you were sober. Needless to say, it took about 4 tries. And one or two falls. But he made it. Then the other roommates got home at 7ish. One of the guys started talking on his phone to his ‘mate’ back in Australia. The conversation went as follows:
‘oy, dude, I can’t come downtown, I’m in Amsterdam.’
‘no, I’m in Amsterdam, but dude, the walls. They’re eating me.’
‘okay, I’ll talk to you later, I’m gonna go find a place to hide so the walls can’t find me.’

Hilarity I tell you. I wasn’t even upset that I hadn’t gotten any sleep. Met everyone the next morning and actually wished that they would’ve stayed for another night. They were super nice, and cute. So lame they had to leave. Anyways, only in Amsterdam…..

le foot!

We went to a proper ‘football’ match the other day. Meaning soccer for all the folks back home. It was a France vs. Tunisia match. We all piled on the RER (metro thing) and it was absolutely packed with people all heading to the game. It arrived at the station and it was just exactly like a mass migration to the stadium. We got out of the maylay and over to the side. Prepared our beverages (vodka mostly) and began the duty of preparing ourselves to be with a bunch of really really drunk football fans cheering for two teams that we really know nothing about. It was brilliant. We showed up a bit late for the game. Made new friends outside the stadium that wound up sitting right exactly in front of us by one row. Totally fun. Oh, and did I mention we were in the 9th row right behind the goal? And also that it only cost 10euro. Because, we were, and it did.

It wound up being just exactly like an American football game back home. I got really drunk, barely watched the game, and socialized a whole bunch. Although, I never missed a goal! Tunisia went up first, and then I realized that the entire stadium was for Tunisia. Literally, there were about 500 France fans, and the rest 19500 were all for Tunisia. We were a minority for sure. In any case, we cheered for Tunisia, we cheered for France, we pretty much just cheered when we got to. France won though, so we got bragging rights in the end. It was chaos back on the RER afterwards too. It was absolutely packed to the gills, I don’t think another person could’ve fit on the train. Seriously, I have lost any semblance of personal space here. Well, after arriving back in paris it was off to the bars to celebrate the win. And then off to bed come 5am when I realized that it was still Tuesday and I had 6.5 hours of class the next day. That was fun. I even seem to remember something about dancing on a table with a girl from ohio. But I’m not sure how accurate that is……

deux chateaux

So last weekend I took a trip with the group that runs my housing (ACCENT) and we went to two chateaux right outside paris. The first one is Fontainebleau, which was an old hunting lodge back in the time of kings and queens, and the infamous napoleon. The thing was absolutely massive. I think it has 1500 rooms and such. And every king or nobleman that lived there added on a different part of the chateau so the whole thing was pretty much a hodgepodge of every type of architecture imaginable. And the thing is, the chateau was in utter disrepair and the French govt couldn’t afford to fix it, so until last year, no one could get in it. And even still today some of the rooms are still under plastic while they’re trying to update them. Oh, and while we were there a modern art display was going on throughout the entire chateau, so at one point you walk into a room and there’s an elephant upside down, balancing on its trunk. Another room has a cat that’s floating on the ceiling because its attached to a helium tank. Very very odd. Also, Fontainebleau was the last place that Napoleon was before his exile to elba, so he actually gave his farewell speech in the back courtyard. Interesting tidbit of info.

Okay, so the prettier, and overall just better one of the two chateaux was by far vaux le vicomte. The story goes: this man, Nicolas Fouquet, who was the minister of finance back in the days of King Louis the 14th, had this chateau designed by three men. Le brun, le vau, and le nôtre, who were ‘THE’ designers of the day. They made this absolutely fabulous chateau, and in order to celebrate Fouquet threw a lavish party to celebrate its completion. He even invited the King, who actually showed up and everything. Well, Louis the 14th was a rather immature person, and throughout the night became more and more jealous of this amazing chateau, so much so that before the party was over he had Fouquet arrested, and the three designers kidnapped. Fouquet was taken to court for something ridiculous like heresy, or something, more or less, just for the fact that he had a better chateau, and the court freed him, but the king overturned the ruling and instead sentenced him to death…. Or maybe it was life imprisonment. Either way, no more sunshine for mr. fouquet.

And on the subject of him taking away the designers… well, he kept them hostage until they designed an even greater chateau for him…. Namely, Versailles. Go figure.

oh, and did i mention that vaux was used in not one, but TWO movies. man in the iron mask and count of monte cristo. and for all you celebrity gossip people, it was also where eva longoria and tony parker got married. and no lies, there's even a little display about their wedding at the chateau. totally ridic.

i'm going to disneyland!

Last Friday, carly, sam, and jess, and victor and I all traveled the one hour outside of paris to go to Disneyland Paris. And for this I must begin when we got off the train. So we had to take the RER, which is the suburb train. And for that we technically went out of range of the validation of our metro passes. Well so we get up to the exit… and realize this fact. So we look around, there’s no one who works for the metro that we can talk to. literally, no one. But I had been reading all about Disneyland in my travel book and it told me that to go out to Disneyland should only cost about 8€. Which is totally fine. 8 euro, big deal. In any case so we go find this machine where you can buy tickets. And we ring up 5 tickets, and you know how much it tells us that’s gonna cost. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE EUROS. That’s correct. 125€. Hell no. so we don’t buy those, and go look for a person again. This time we instead find a sign. (note: by this point another couple has joined us in the search for a way to exit.) so the sign says, more or less: your ticket will not work. You bought the wrong one. Tough shit. No go buy a ridiculously expensive ticket from the only machine in the entire place which is right behind you. Oh, and no, there is no one here to help you or to talk to.

So we have a pow-wow and decide that we’re just gonna try and sneak out behind some nice people when they’re leaving. Also, for anyone who hasn’t been on the metro in paris, this is common practice. But the timing must be right because the doors shut very soon after the first person walks through, so only about 2 people at a time can go. And doors will shut on you (or your luggage) if you’re not through in the allotted time that they give you. Its very fun to watch. In any case, jess tries to sneak through, she was the third person. There was a couple in front of her who were using the same ticket. Needless to say, she didn’t make it, and instead walked smack into the door. Made a huge noise. We cracked up. Totally hilarious.

Well so then we decide that we’re going to just buy the tickets. Except we try that and carly’s card gets rejected twice. So on to plan C…

So we’re still just standing around in the metro station. Unable to get out. There’s another couple still there in the same situation. And we start to watch the exits again. We notice that there’s a handicapped/stroller exit on one of the sides, and that if you time it right when someone is coming in, you can sneak out. Needless to say, we try it. The first time, we had the timing off, and the woman with her stroller took too long to get through so jess made it through, but we all got stuck again. So we wait around for another two minutes or so and a business man comes up to the door. The remaining 4 of us, along with the other couple, are all standing right near the door, ready to bolt through when it opens. Door opens, we run. We all make it. And the business man just stares at us with this, ‘oh I am so not amused’ look on his face. But you can’t tell me that that man has never hopped a metro in paris. Its practically a right of passage here.


But anywho, after much amusement and adventure just trying to get off the stupid train we arrive in Disneyland!!!!!!! Disneyland paris is very very similar to Disneyland or Disneyworld in the states. Different castle, different country, but all the rides, all the characters, everything is identical. EXCEPT, Disneyland paris isn’t popular so there are NO LINES. Not a one. Longest we waited was 15 minutes. Absolutely brilliant. Oh, and Disneyland paris is missing splash mountain. Real lame. In any case, we were by far the oldest ‘kids’ there. but we acted just like little kids, we even bought Minnie and mickey mouse ears. So so so fun. Also, everything was decked out for Halloween so there were pumpkin-headed painter statues all over that were ‘painting the town orange’. Just something fun and cute for the holiday that no one seems to care about over here. (really its awful, I have yet to see a Halloween decoration, or for that matter even a freaking pumpkin)


So we spent the day in disneyland, and then it was off to the metro again to attempt to get back on the train without a ticket. This time sam got stuck in much the same fashion as jess did earlier, but she made it, and we didn’t get caught. It was a perfect Friday.

classy dinner parties

So before one of the fiestas at school the girls (sam and jess) threw a dinner party and we invited pretty much everyone we know. (there were about 15 of us there) it was amazing. Everyone brought food or liquor or wine. We drank, we ate, there was paella, pasta, tomatoes and mozzarella, Jason made curry. It was a feast for starving poor children in paris. And there was plenty enough to drink. Needless to say, so so so so so fun. Can’t wait until we do it again.

more school parties...

So my school literally has a party at least once a week, and I say that in utter seriousness. This past week they turned the entire school into a dance club. Complete with smog, lasers, two dance floors, three bars, and porta-poties. I managed to leave my ticket at the girls house, as ususal, so sam and I made the pilgrimage all the way back across the city to go fetch it. And finish some more liquor along the way. (I have a vague recollection of giving some nice teenager on the metro the rest of my drink because I didn’t want it anymore… ) in any case, we make it back to the party, can’t find a one of our friends. So we hang out the two of us. and then we get separated. I wound up with sam’s camera for a long time, somehow, which wound up being really amazing because the next morning when none of us could really remember what happened we looked through the photos, and it turned out to be a pretty good documentation of everything that happened. Turns out I talked to 3 random boys who go to school where I go, I don’t remember them, I don’t recognize them, but I’m sure they were nice because I apparently talked to them for the better part of an hour. Oh the joys of drunken, un-remembered friendships. Oh, and on a funnier note, it was really slippery, and many people fell down. Myself included. About 6 times.

Oh, and on an even funnier note, at the end of the night there was a really nice boy on top of the bar…. In his birthday suit. Man I love my school. nowhere else will you be allowed to convert the entire school into a dance club, and then allow entire nudity because everyone is so belligerently drunk at that point that no one finds it weird, or wrong, or really out of the ordinary. In fact, two nights before this party, I was down in the school bar, and another nice young fellow (on a dare from one of his friends I’m assuming) got naked too. The French. Nudity. It goes so well together.

chateau, chateau, chateau

The gang and I went to tours a few weekends ago (seeing as I’m an absolutely awful blogger, this is far out of date) and we went and saw loads of chateaux, including chenoceaux, Chambord, Amboise, and for a random turn of events, Leonardo da Vinci’s old home. Pretty much amazing. I’ll let the photos talk for themselves…

Le Clos Luce (daVinci's house)
Amboise

Chambord
Chenauceaux
Also, the last photo (which will be posted as soon as i get it...) is the ‘supplies we bought for the three days we were gonna be there. I really enjoy that the people I’ve met have the exact same sorts of priorities that I do…. It’s brilliant.

team time

So for the classes that I’m taking here, the grades tend to consist of one of two things. Either the class will have an end of the year exam, and 100% of my grade is based on that, OR I will have a group project. In my marketing and communication class (in French) we have a group project. So the teacher is lecturing for the first half of class, and then we have a ‘pause’ (a short break), we all come back from the pause and the professor then says, alright, now find groups and start coming up with some ideas for the project. And my first reaction was, well shit. So three nice people sitting near me turned around and we sort of formed a group. They all started talking to one another throwing out ideas for the project. And the entire time I sat there with this stupid look on my face. And then one of the girls looks at me, and says, ‘well, what do you think, what ideas do you have.’ To which I managed to muster the response… ‘well, ahh… I’m American, so I uhhh, don’t really know French brands.’ And they all sort of go, ‘oh. Well.’ And that was that. Me, the sole American, with loads of frenchies. Oh joy. And when I talk with each of them one on one I’m fine, but the second that you put all of us in a group together they all talk so fast that most of the time I just sit there mute, like the awkward staring person who sits alone in a corner at a party. Yeah, I’m that guy. Entirely devoid of a personality because of a lack of vocabulary. Alas, things are going better now though. They have started to say to one another, ‘hey guys, maybe we should talk slower, I think she’s lost.’ (note: this is only after I start to get a really really really super confused look on my face, and cease to talk) but on the bright side, they’re all super nice when I can understand them.

techno + parade = brilliant

Alright, so this is where the story (meaning the ridiculousness that is my life in paris) gets even better. We wake up on Saturday morning. Me spooning Samantha in my lower bunk, and a very cute French boy (Seb) sleeping in my upper bunk. (Something I could wake up to everyday and be totally content with) in any case, seb and we wake up, and more or less the first thing out of his mouth is ‘do you guys want to go to the techno parade?’ to which we respond with a resounding, ‘what the hell are you talking about?’

Turns out there’s this thing once a year in paris aptly named the techno parade. This glorious concept was elaborated upon by seb, when eddy asked him, ‘what’s a techno parade?’ the conversation was something as follows:
Eddy: ‘what’s a techno parade?’
Seb: ‘do you know what techno is?’
Eddy: ‘yeah’
Seb: ‘do you know what a parade is?’
Eddy: ‘yeah’
Seb: ‘ put them together. It’s something like that.’
And that it was.

Jess, eddy, sam, seb and I arrived at the techno parade (all except eddy and I dressed in the clothing choices of the night before). Pretty much if I had to sum it up it was a massive pack of adolescent teenagers between the age of 13 and 16 drunk and high on ecstasy dancing to really massively loud techno music that was being played on a sort of driving float-bus-thing that had a world famous dj on it. Pretty much awesome. Oh, and there were people climbing on just about everything they could to either get a better view or a better dance floor. And when I say they were climbing on everything I mean it—telephone booths, windowsills, construction crates, cars—you name it, they climbed on it. It was totally ridiculous, and nothing like anything I’ve ever seen back at home. Moving DJs, meaning they each had their own floats and such. Totally bizarre. Only in paris.