Traveling to Prague involved two very, very bad ideas.We were in for a six hour train ride. Luckily there were very few people in the compartment the entire length of the journey. Somehow, I couldn't fall asleep. I read The Protector's War by SM Stirling and watched the countryside pass me by out of the window.
Now for the bad ideas. Number one, not eating enough breakfast. Second, writing the directions to the hostel down in my notebook instead of finding somewhere to print a map. Herp. Derp.
The train we were on did not have an eating car, so from 8AM until 4PM I had a piece of bread, nutella, a banana, and some water in my stomach. This would not have been so bad if we were able to go straight to the hostel. Unfortunately, my not-so-brilliant sense of direction led us in the wrong direction for about an hour. I was a mess. Hunger, fatigue, and frustration set in and my friend had to lead us through Prague and ask an Asian student, who luckily spoke a little English, for directions. We arrived by 5PM and when the receptionist saw me she immediately asked what was wrong and offered me a banana to eat. Not everyone hates Americans.
After settling down for ten minutes, we got a map, I made a call to my dad, and we were on our way to the souvenir shop to pick up our concert tickets for the next day. Everything was better from then on. I had half a pizza for dinner. After that we went sight-seeing. We walked across the Charles Bridge and up to the Old Prague Castle. The view from the latter is magnificent; one can see the entire city as well as ruins of a military fortress.
After our sight-seeing, we went out for a real, Czech budweiser beer at a restaurant across the street from our hostel. It came on-tap as a 0.5L glass. I barely scratched the surface on mine. After that, we went to a kebab place and shared some fries with mayonaise. The "guy behind the counter" was pretty drunk and hit on us. And on that slightly disconcerting note, we ended our night.
26 May 2011
25 May 2011
The Full Story: Day Two
We arrived in Munich around noon. Due to my impatience, we did not get off at the main station. We got off the stop before the main station. It was an easily resolved situation, as Germany has local lines that take one to different train stations in the same city and within the region. We arrived at Munich HBH about fifteen minutes later than we were expecting.
Our hostel (called Wombats Youth Hostel) was within three blocks of the main station, very easy to find. The staff had us give up our metro cards in order to get our keys but, they were very nice people. After we acquired a map we set off in search of some cool, but nearby sights. First up was the shopping district. A large pedestrian boulevard leads straight to the Karlsplatz, which is a plaza area plus giant cathedral plus astronomical clock. Next we decided to take the Munich underground to the Olympic park. It was a beautiful area. The park has lanes with room enough for runners and tourists, the training ground for the German olympic swimming team, a giant lake on which one can take their boat, and a hill which gives a bird's-eye view of Munich.
After that, we were pretty exhausted. Heading back to the hostel, we stopped into a small restaurant where I ordered a doner kebab for the first time. It's lamb meat in thick bread, essentially. Most of the time it's served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and a garlic sauce on the inside. My verdict - delicious! I have become addicted.
We rested up in our room for a while, then decided to embark on a bar-hopping adventure. The hostel was the first leg of the journey, as a ticket for a free drink comes with the price of the room. We sat in the lounge drinking our German beer when we met another American student studying in Spain from the University of Virginia. She spent most of the night attempting to convince us that even though her school was filled with old-money white families, she wasn't one of them. It didn't necessarily work.
We stopped at two bars and a beer garden before the night was over. The night ended with drinking on-tap German beer, sampling four types of sausage, and eating saurkraut. Verdict - German sausage = best sausage.
By this time it was midnight and time to rest up for the next leg of our international trek.
Our hostel (called Wombats Youth Hostel) was within three blocks of the main station, very easy to find. The staff had us give up our metro cards in order to get our keys but, they were very nice people. After we acquired a map we set off in search of some cool, but nearby sights. First up was the shopping district. A large pedestrian boulevard leads straight to the Karlsplatz, which is a plaza area plus giant cathedral plus astronomical clock. Next we decided to take the Munich underground to the Olympic park. It was a beautiful area. The park has lanes with room enough for runners and tourists, the training ground for the German olympic swimming team, a giant lake on which one can take their boat, and a hill which gives a bird's-eye view of Munich.
After that, we were pretty exhausted. Heading back to the hostel, we stopped into a small restaurant where I ordered a doner kebab for the first time. It's lamb meat in thick bread, essentially. Most of the time it's served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and a garlic sauce on the inside. My verdict - delicious! I have become addicted.
We rested up in our room for a while, then decided to embark on a bar-hopping adventure. The hostel was the first leg of the journey, as a ticket for a free drink comes with the price of the room. We sat in the lounge drinking our German beer when we met another American student studying in Spain from the University of Virginia. She spent most of the night attempting to convince us that even though her school was filled with old-money white families, she wasn't one of them. It didn't necessarily work.
We stopped at two bars and a beer garden before the night was over. The night ended with drinking on-tap German beer, sampling four types of sausage, and eating saurkraut. Verdict - German sausage = best sausage.
By this time it was midnight and time to rest up for the next leg of our international trek.
21 May 2011
Checking In
Hello all! I am back in the United States. My sincerest apologies for the unexpected hiatus. My laptop decided to break down on me eight days before my departure. A netbook is now in my possession; hopefully it will last awhile. Starting tomorrow I will make up for lost time as well as, give a little insight into reverse culture shock and my personal experience with it.
05 May 2011
The Full Story: Day One
I began my journey at 9:31 getting on a train to Strasbourg. I thought the train ride would only be three hours long but, I had read the timetables wrong and we would be arriving at 14:30. It wasn't so bad. We were super hungry by the time we got to the train station. We ended up stopping at a sandwich place before finding our hostel. On the way to our lodging, we got lost. The directions indicated that we would see the "Palais de Justice", which at first we couldn't find because we thought we would come across it fairly quickly. The long walk caused us to stop a woman and ask her for directions. Turns out it was the giant building with the green roof straight ahead of us.
After settling in, we walked around in a park area called "Place de la Republique." After that we hopped on the tram to see the headquarters of the European Union. Heading back to the center of the city, two Mormon men hopped on the tram right behind us.
Our next major stop was the cathedral located in the old town. There was a artisan cookie shop on our way there, so we ordered some. I got two chocolate and pistachio cookies and they were delicious. I had a jambon crepe for dinner, as well as my first creme brulee at an Italian restaurant.
When we got back to the hostel, an older French woman was there. She had taken my backpack off my bed and moved it to the desk, and she had set her stuff in my bed instead. Whatever. I just took another one; I didn't really want to start any problems. After getting situated, we spent some time in the hostel bar. Unfortunately, it was closed. No drinks for us. Our night ended around 11 so we could catch the early train the next day.
After settling in, we walked around in a park area called "Place de la Republique." After that we hopped on the tram to see the headquarters of the European Union. Heading back to the center of the city, two Mormon men hopped on the tram right behind us.
Our next major stop was the cathedral located in the old town. There was a artisan cookie shop on our way there, so we ordered some. I got two chocolate and pistachio cookies and they were delicious. I had a jambon crepe for dinner, as well as my first creme brulee at an Italian restaurant.
When we got back to the hostel, an older French woman was there. She had taken my backpack off my bed and moved it to the desk, and she had set her stuff in my bed instead. Whatever. I just took another one; I didn't really want to start any problems. After getting situated, we spent some time in the hostel bar. Unfortunately, it was closed. No drinks for us. Our night ended around 11 so we could catch the early train the next day.
03 May 2011
Vacation in Photographs
Day 1 - Strasbourg
Strasbourg is located on the French-German border in the Alsace region. It serves as the location for meetings of the European Union, has a beautiful cathedral and touristy old town, and the cleanest rivers I have seen in a French city. We arrived in the afternoon and made our way up to the EU headquarters (right) around 4 pm.
Day 2 - Munich
The above picture is a statue dedicated to John Paul the Second with the Marianplaz in the background. Munich is located in southern Germany, which is heavily Catholic. The city was the site of the 1976 Olympics and is in the running for hosting the 2018 games.
Day 3 - Prague
From where I am standing, the Old Prague Castle is within my line of sight. This picture was taken after my climb up to the top of the hill. It was tiring, but as you can see the view is worth it. You may also notice that I'm wearing a scarf. Turns out that it is pretty cold in the Czech Republic, so I bought it for 100 Kc at a store that was also selling candy and absinthe.
Day 4 - Brno
So basically, the entire point of being in Brno was to see Boyce Avenue at the Carodelas 2011 music festival. I would also say that it was the reason I wanted to go to Germany and the Czech Republic in the first place. After a day of hellish navigation of the Brno tram system and random rain in the afternoon, I finally got to see my new music obsession at 11PM Thursday night, knowing full well that I had to be awake at 5 AM Friday morning. Daniel is on the left, Alejandro is on the right, and Fabien is missing. Two out of three isn't bad. Especially when I was making other Czech fangirls mad by being the American fangirl in the front row.
Day 5 - Berlin
This is the Brandenburg Gate, located near the Tiergarten. The Berlin Wall was constructed directly behind the gate, separating the eastern and western parts of the city. When looking through old photographs of this area as it was 20 years ago, the difference from now is striking. The street leading to the gate is a major shopping and tourist district now, but just before I was born it was abandoned and bleak-looking. Berlin is a great example of how fast people can combine their strengths to come out of the ashes of a violent history.
Day 6 - Berlin
Since we were able to stay another day in Berlin, we decided today would be a good day to see some museums and major sites. We left the hostel around 10:30AM and saw the Parliament building, Soviet Memorial, the Topography of Terror exhibit, a Salvador Dali exhibit, and finally made our way to the Olympic Stadium. I find the concept of the games fascinating. Nations gather to compete in friendly competition despite political turmoil or international rivalries. History has given us lessons in the hypocrisy sometimes associated with the Olympics, but knowing that they continue gives me hope for a stable world.
Day 2 - Munich
Day 3 - Prague
Day 4 - Brno
Day 5 - Berlin
Day 6 - Berlin
02 May 2011
Pas Mal
Duration: 45 minutes preparation, 5 minutes staring at a wall, 3 minutes of speaking to the professor.
Number of Questions: One
Confusion Level: Moderate
Today was my exam in foreign literature (yes, vacation was awesome, but those stories will come tomorrow). I drew the slip of paper with the following question: "Robinson Crusoe: adventure novel or a morality book?" It took me the whole time just to write a page and a half worth of answers, but I was not as lost as I thought I would be. I wrote it, then read directly from my notes to the professor. After that, he asked me where I was from, said that he understood that I would have problems explaining myself since French is not my first language. He said I spoke a little fast and that my pronunciation of "chritien(ne)" fell victim to my English habit of saying "christian" but that I was the middle of the other two international students and my answer was good. I'll take it.
Number of Questions: One
Confusion Level: Moderate
Today was my exam in foreign literature (yes, vacation was awesome, but those stories will come tomorrow). I drew the slip of paper with the following question: "Robinson Crusoe: adventure novel or a morality book?" It took me the whole time just to write a page and a half worth of answers, but I was not as lost as I thought I would be. I wrote it, then read directly from my notes to the professor. After that, he asked me where I was from, said that he understood that I would have problems explaining myself since French is not my first language. He said I spoke a little fast and that my pronunciation of "chritien(ne)" fell victim to my English habit of saying "christian" but that I was the middle of the other two international students and my answer was good. I'll take it.
24 April 2011
Joyeuse Paques
Today is Easter. Pretty much all I've done today is watch mass on TV and have a three hour lunch. That and get ready for my vacation. I've got everything packed, a list of major sites, a list of decent bars, and all of our train times recorded in the official travel notebook. I won't be around until the first of May. I'll definitely have a lot of exciting train stories and pictures to post. See you in a week!
22 April 2011
My First French Exam
Duration: 20 minutes
Number of questions: Four
Confusion Level: High
I get to room 134. It's me, another international student, and three French women. We go in, sign off on our names, take a white sheet of paper and a pink sheet of paper. There are three questions on the white sheet of paper. Our professor tells us to write however much we can in ten minutes about Italian cinema. I do not write in complete sentences. Then he tells us to stop because he will show us an excerpt from a film. What comes on the screen is the beginning of an NYPD Blue episode. Lucky for me, not so lucky for the Japanese guy. He stops the clip and tells us to write. One of the French women asks "What do you want us to say?" He responds "Just tell me about the cinematic aspects." Hmmm. Ok.
Number of questions: Four
Confusion Level: High
I get to room 134. It's me, another international student, and three French women. We go in, sign off on our names, take a white sheet of paper and a pink sheet of paper. There are three questions on the white sheet of paper. Our professor tells us to write however much we can in ten minutes about Italian cinema. I do not write in complete sentences. Then he tells us to stop because he will show us an excerpt from a film. What comes on the screen is the beginning of an NYPD Blue episode. Lucky for me, not so lucky for the Japanese guy. He stops the clip and tells us to write. One of the French women asks "What do you want us to say?" He responds "Just tell me about the cinematic aspects." Hmmm. Ok.
19 April 2011
C'est rigolo!
Every Tuesday night, one of the French channels has sketch comedy featuring three couples. One in their 20s, one in their 40s, and one after retirement. Most nights I just smile whenever my host family laughs to give the impression that I know what's going on. Tonight I actually laughed! I may still have issues communicating my personal thoughts, but my listening abilities have vastly improved. Here are the two scenarios I understood fully.
The first was the man and wife in their 40s. The man comes home with a present for his wife. She opens it, finds out it's a vibrator, giggles about it while her husband explains "It's for washing your face." And after realizing that his wife is right "Oh shit, I have to go. I bought one for my mother."
The second was the young couple playing poker. The man bluffs, then wins the hand. Then they have dinner. The woman says she has an apple tarte, but she made it. He doesn't know whether she's bluffing or not. Then he says something to make her leave the kitchen, tries the tarte, and while spitting out the tarte says "You weren't bluffing. You made this!"
I love it.
The first was the man and wife in their 40s. The man comes home with a present for his wife. She opens it, finds out it's a vibrator, giggles about it while her husband explains "It's for washing your face." And after realizing that his wife is right "Oh shit, I have to go. I bought one for my mother."
The second was the young couple playing poker. The man bluffs, then wins the hand. Then they have dinner. The woman says she has an apple tarte, but she made it. He doesn't know whether she's bluffing or not. Then he says something to make her leave the kitchen, tries the tarte, and while spitting out the tarte says "You weren't bluffing. You made this!"
I love it.
17 April 2011
Must Do List
So this weekend I've been thinking of starting a list of everything an international student has to do while they are in Lyon.
1) Attend a party on the steps of Guillotiere
2) Take a day trip (no more than an hour and a half train/bus ride away)
3) Tan at Parc de la Tete d'Or
4) Eat chocolate from Voisin
5) Get fries at McDonald's (especially if you're American, not joking, the "pommes frites" sauce is worth it)
6) Attend at least one cultural event, such as: a theatre production, a night at the opera, a festival/special market
These are all I have so far. As for my weekend, I'm working on plans for my upcoming trip as well as stressing over exams. I'm used to my professors telling me where and when exactly my exams are and, if I forget there's always a syllabus. Well, in France there is no syllabus. The professors don't even know when the exams are scheduled. For example, my cinema professor thought our exam would be the 27th of April. When all Jean Moulin students are on Easter break. At the moment, I find it more amusing than most of my peers as the hours and credits I receive here won't impact when I graduate. However, it does take an attitude adjustment. C'est la vie francaise.
Saturday I took time to relax a little. I went to read one of my books by the Rhone river. The steps between Bellecour and the Rhone is my favorite spot in the entire city. In the late afternoon with the sun shining, the view is absolutely breathtaking. Most of the time, I was just staring at the water. That's one thing I know I'll miss when I come back home.
1) Attend a party on the steps of Guillotiere
2) Take a day trip (no more than an hour and a half train/bus ride away)
3) Tan at Parc de la Tete d'Or
4) Eat chocolate from Voisin
5) Get fries at McDonald's (especially if you're American, not joking, the "pommes frites" sauce is worth it)
6) Attend at least one cultural event, such as: a theatre production, a night at the opera, a festival/special market
These are all I have so far. As for my weekend, I'm working on plans for my upcoming trip as well as stressing over exams. I'm used to my professors telling me where and when exactly my exams are and, if I forget there's always a syllabus. Well, in France there is no syllabus. The professors don't even know when the exams are scheduled. For example, my cinema professor thought our exam would be the 27th of April. When all Jean Moulin students are on Easter break. At the moment, I find it more amusing than most of my peers as the hours and credits I receive here won't impact when I graduate. However, it does take an attitude adjustment. C'est la vie francaise.
Saturday I took time to relax a little. I went to read one of my books by the Rhone river. The steps between Bellecour and the Rhone is my favorite spot in the entire city. In the late afternoon with the sun shining, the view is absolutely breathtaking. Most of the time, I was just staring at the water. That's one thing I know I'll miss when I come back home.
13 April 2011
Life is Lovely
Today I finished the last assignment I had before I take all of my finals. I have a few more lectures, but pretty much everything is over. So what to do in between studying? Plan my Easter break trip, of course!
Last break, I basically hung out at home and traveled around Lyon. I definitely am not going to do that again! So me and another American student are planning a train expedition of Germany and the Czech Republic. We each have one travel goal. Mine is to go to a music festival in Brno and see Boyce Avenue (with the bonus of listening to Czech bands I'll never get to hear in the US). My friend's is to see the castle in Germany after which the Disney castle was modeled. We'll also be sampling some authentic German beer. I like to think of it as an education opportunity. Don't want to embarrass myself when I turn 21.
The point is I'm really excited. I've never planned anything this involved before, but now that I have my Eurail Pass and concert tickets, everything's coming together. The next step is to book trains and hostels. I'm a little nervous, but I know that this will be one week to remember.
Last break, I basically hung out at home and traveled around Lyon. I definitely am not going to do that again! So me and another American student are planning a train expedition of Germany and the Czech Republic. We each have one travel goal. Mine is to go to a music festival in Brno and see Boyce Avenue (with the bonus of listening to Czech bands I'll never get to hear in the US). My friend's is to see the castle in Germany after which the Disney castle was modeled. We'll also be sampling some authentic German beer. I like to think of it as an education opportunity. Don't want to embarrass myself when I turn 21.
The point is I'm really excited. I've never planned anything this involved before, but now that I have my Eurail Pass and concert tickets, everything's coming together. The next step is to book trains and hostels. I'm a little nervous, but I know that this will be one week to remember.
11 April 2011
Running Out of Time
Spring has been in Lyon for a couple of weeks now. The weather is beautiful; I don't have to wear pants or sweaters anymore! All but one of my lectures ended last week or will end this week. It means I'm on the downhill slide of my time in Europe.
While I don't necessarily have as many close friends as some of the other Erasmus students, and haven't traveled around as much, I have definitely gained a lot from coming to France. Lyon feels like a home. I know my way around the major areas and can even offer lost travelers directions and advice. I can understand the radio and news programs and hold my own in conversations with native speakers. I've taken the TGV to southern France, seen some of the mountains in the north. I've met people from all over the world who are just as serious about learning about other cultures as I am.
I still have 39 days left here. Six of those will be spent gallivanting across Germany and the Czech Republic. About half of those nights will be devoted to studying for my finals. My days? Still unsure. But great things have happened when I've least expected it. I have a feeling that my last month in France will be well spent.
While I don't necessarily have as many close friends as some of the other Erasmus students, and haven't traveled around as much, I have definitely gained a lot from coming to France. Lyon feels like a home. I know my way around the major areas and can even offer lost travelers directions and advice. I can understand the radio and news programs and hold my own in conversations with native speakers. I've taken the TGV to southern France, seen some of the mountains in the north. I've met people from all over the world who are just as serious about learning about other cultures as I am.
I still have 39 days left here. Six of those will be spent gallivanting across Germany and the Czech Republic. About half of those nights will be devoted to studying for my finals. My days? Still unsure. But great things have happened when I've least expected it. I have a feeling that my last month in France will be well spent.
10 April 2011
My Dog Jake Who Lives In France
Photography project! I took my stuffed dog for an afternoon in Lyon. Pretty sure I looked insane, but it was all in good fun.
06 April 2011
Le Grand Journal
So Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillipe were on the French news program "Le Grand Jouranal" promoting their upcoming film. The anchors asked their questions in French, but both of the actors responded in English. Where are their translators?! I really want to know, because I didn't see them with any ear pieces. But then again, maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.
Side note, Matthew McConaughey looked super ridiculous wearing a beret.
Side note, Matthew McConaughey looked super ridiculous wearing a beret.
03 April 2011
Juste Une Illusion
Last night I went to the Theatre de la Croix-Rousse to see a production of "La Vraie Fiancee", or "The True Bride", or the most bizarre adaptation of the Cinderella story I've ever seen in my life.
So imagine you're staring into the sun. One second goes by. Ow. Another second goes by. Burning. Another second goes by. You need to close your eyes immediately.
The director had set up the stage with three flats of all tiny yellow lightbulbs, that could be extremely bright or dimmed. Most of the play was spent at the "burning your eyes" level. In addition, there was a large three part mirror panel that was dragged out during two of the scenes. Did not help at all.
The actual story is as follows. Mother is dead, dad is getting married, stepmother comes into the picture with her daughter (who is a doll played by a doll), main character is downtrodden. Main character meets Prince Charming, he promises never to forget her. Stepmother intervenes, Prince forgets main character then falls in love with the doll. Main character concocts a plan with some imprisoned actors to make Prince remember that they're engaged. It works. The end.
There actors were all fairly talented. I was especially amused by the man who played as the stepmother. However, besides having my eyes tortured, the director decided to break the fourth wall as many times as he possibly could. So instead of actually paying attention to how main character's father is led astray by the drag queen, I'm wondering why there are two people in black moving the flats and messing with the curtains. And then there was the scene where the Prince made out with the doll (believe me, I wish I was exaggerating).
It was an interesting experience.
So imagine you're staring into the sun. One second goes by. Ow. Another second goes by. Burning. Another second goes by. You need to close your eyes immediately.
The director had set up the stage with three flats of all tiny yellow lightbulbs, that could be extremely bright or dimmed. Most of the play was spent at the "burning your eyes" level. In addition, there was a large three part mirror panel that was dragged out during two of the scenes. Did not help at all.
The actual story is as follows. Mother is dead, dad is getting married, stepmother comes into the picture with her daughter (who is a doll played by a doll), main character is downtrodden. Main character meets Prince Charming, he promises never to forget her. Stepmother intervenes, Prince forgets main character then falls in love with the doll. Main character concocts a plan with some imprisoned actors to make Prince remember that they're engaged. It works. The end.
There actors were all fairly talented. I was especially amused by the man who played as the stepmother. However, besides having my eyes tortured, the director decided to break the fourth wall as many times as he possibly could. So instead of actually paying attention to how main character's father is led astray by the drag queen, I'm wondering why there are two people in black moving the flats and messing with the curtains. And then there was the scene where the Prince made out with the doll (believe me, I wish I was exaggerating).
It was an interesting experience.
29 March 2011
SCHOOL
Good news - I have the easiest homework load known to mankind.
Bad news - Five out of seven of my finals have to be done in French
Good news - I have until May 15th to complete one of my finals
Bad news - It's a 7-page paper about a play. That's it. Just talk about it.
Good news - I have my French writing intensive next semester. If I can pull this off, that class will be cake.
And now I'm craving cake.
Here's some pictures from a walk I took recently.
Bad news - Five out of seven of my finals have to be done in French
Good news - I have until May 15th to complete one of my finals
Bad news - It's a 7-page paper about a play. That's it. Just talk about it.
Good news - I have my French writing intensive next semester. If I can pull this off, that class will be cake.
And now I'm craving cake.
Here's some pictures from a walk I took recently.
26 March 2011
Updates On Life
My right leg has three bruises, my left elbow has two, and my left foot has one. Sparring with only a chest protector against 20-25 year-olds who have as much control over their kicks as a yellow belt is not a good idea.
The presentation on Friday went well. My professor had seen the movie that one of my video clips came from and said that it was well organized. Huzzah!
Today I've spent three hours taking advantage of the beautiful weather. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Also, DST hits France at 2AM, so I'll be back to being seven hours ahead of Missouri.
I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon reading (for fun and for school) and then watching a movie at night. If anyone knows anything about Bollywood film, I could use some suggestions for what to watch.
The presentation on Friday went well. My professor had seen the movie that one of my video clips came from and said that it was well organized. Huzzah!
Today I've spent three hours taking advantage of the beautiful weather. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Also, DST hits France at 2AM, so I'll be back to being seven hours ahead of Missouri.
I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon reading (for fun and for school) and then watching a movie at night. If anyone knows anything about Bollywood film, I could use some suggestions for what to watch.
23 March 2011
A Change of Pace
Today I had my first sit-down-at-a-restaurant-and-socialize meal since I've been in France. My contemporary Indian society class was canceled for the day, so three other women in my class and I decided to head to Bellecour for food. We ended up at Hippopotamus on Rue de la Republique which serves steaks, burgers, and delicious-looking desserts. Of course, all desserts look delicious in France, but that's not the point.
We began our meal by ordering a bottle of white wine, along with some free rolls, fried potato slices, and water. I also ordered a Coke zero as part of my menu. We spent about an hour chatting, people watching, gossiping about some of our drunken escapades (especially of those who participated in St. Patrick's Day festivities). Then our food arrived. I ordered a burger, and it was actually good. They cooked it all the way, it came with normal condiments, and I got a huge side of "frites" (French fries). I know that I ordered American food, but to be fair it was a steak and burger place. Besides, the rolls + glass of wine + Coke + fries + burger cost me 10 euros. Not bad I say.
Tomorrow I have a presentation over a news article in my French language class, then Friday I have a presentation over immigration in my French culture class. Don't worry, I'm prepared for both! I think.
We began our meal by ordering a bottle of white wine, along with some free rolls, fried potato slices, and water. I also ordered a Coke zero as part of my menu. We spent about an hour chatting, people watching, gossiping about some of our drunken escapades (especially of those who participated in St. Patrick's Day festivities). Then our food arrived. I ordered a burger, and it was actually good. They cooked it all the way, it came with normal condiments, and I got a huge side of "frites" (French fries). I know that I ordered American food, but to be fair it was a steak and burger place. Besides, the rolls + glass of wine + Coke + fries + burger cost me 10 euros. Not bad I say.
Tomorrow I have a presentation over a news article in my French language class, then Friday I have a presentation over immigration in my French culture class. Don't worry, I'm prepared for both! I think.
20 March 2011
Aix-En-Provence
So I finally got out of Lyon for a weekend. WHOA! It was amazing.
Friday: Woke up at 6AM. Got to Part-Dieu station at 8AM, picked up my tickets, met my friend, got on the TGV at 9:07 and arrived in Aix by 11AM. We couldn't check into our hotel until 1, so we stopped by the tourist office, got a map and decided to spend some time wondering around the city. We ate lunch at a place called Toran where I had my first tiramisu. Delicious. After checking in around 1:30, we explored some of the major tourist attractions such as: the boulevard Cours Maribeau, la fontaine de Roi Rene, the Musee Granet, and the remains of an ancient thermal bath. Our aimless wondering also led us to a store specializing in making macaroons and a dessert shop where I had nutella-flavored ice cream. We ate dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant. The staff actually spoke Italian! Which makes sense, as southern France used to be part of Italian territory. After all this, I managed to crash in bed around 11PM.
Saturday was full of surprises. We walked through a huge market at Place des Precheurs, where I managed to find my boyfriend a birthday present and find my brother some Magic cards. Now the only people left on my souvenir list are my parents. (Tell me what wine you want already!) Anyway, there was a lot to see. There were many vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, pastries, and spices. One booth was selling about 8 different types of honey. There were also quite a few clothing booths. Lots of cute things for reasonable prices, but I didn't really have the cash to spend on anything. I don't mind, though. I enjoyed looking through everything and watching others haggle over prices.
Other notable occurrences: a rally for the local communist party, street performances on the main square, young French people vandalizing plastic, high-end window shopping, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle.
I'll be making a separate post for the videos I took over the weekend later today. Hopefully I don't forget.
Friday: Woke up at 6AM. Got to Part-Dieu station at 8AM, picked up my tickets, met my friend, got on the TGV at 9:07 and arrived in Aix by 11AM. We couldn't check into our hotel until 1, so we stopped by the tourist office, got a map and decided to spend some time wondering around the city. We ate lunch at a place called Toran where I had my first tiramisu. Delicious. After checking in around 1:30, we explored some of the major tourist attractions such as: the boulevard Cours Maribeau, la fontaine de Roi Rene, the Musee Granet, and the remains of an ancient thermal bath. Our aimless wondering also led us to a store specializing in making macaroons and a dessert shop where I had nutella-flavored ice cream. We ate dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant. The staff actually spoke Italian! Which makes sense, as southern France used to be part of Italian territory. After all this, I managed to crash in bed around 11PM.
Saturday was full of surprises. We walked through a huge market at Place des Precheurs, where I managed to find my boyfriend a birthday present and find my brother some Magic cards. Now the only people left on my souvenir list are my parents. (Tell me what wine you want already!) Anyway, there was a lot to see. There were many vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, pastries, and spices. One booth was selling about 8 different types of honey. There were also quite a few clothing booths. Lots of cute things for reasonable prices, but I didn't really have the cash to spend on anything. I don't mind, though. I enjoyed looking through everything and watching others haggle over prices.
Other notable occurrences: a rally for the local communist party, street performances on the main square, young French people vandalizing plastic, high-end window shopping, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle.
I'll be making a separate post for the videos I took over the weekend later today. Hopefully I don't forget.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)