So I realize that it is now April and this was written in February, but I have been so busy I almost forgot I had a duty to uphold...not really, but here's what I've been up to!
Feb. 18:
Today I had class and packing for Paris! It was a long day (and night), but all the hastle was totally worth it. Class actually went by really fast, which was a little sad because I wanted to keep talking about last night’s play (Every Good Boy Deserves Favor), but then again I needed to get ready for Paris. I meant to that morning, but I was watching this British TV show called “Skins” and I got caught up with the amazingness so I didn’t have time to pack till I got home. Our bus didn’t leave until 10:30, but we had to be at the bus station an hour early to check in. As excited as I was that I was taking A BUS to Paris (so fun, so cheap) on the infamous chunnel, I needed to sleep. Tonight I slept on a bus. Wow.
Feb. 19: WEEKEND IN PARIS, FRANCE J J J J J JJ J J
Holy crap! Dans Paris! We made it to our hostel, took a little nap, and then Nandine, Lily, and I got up and just kind of walked around a bit. We got crepes with nutella for breakfast. (Duh. How could we not do that?! It’s France.) We explored the area we lived in a bit, found the opera house (wow) and then worked up the courage to figure out the metro. Once we did that we made our way to Champs Elysee and did a little shopping. I got this really rad Manchester United jersey, a Paris football team poster and roster, some presents for my mom (not gonna tell you yet, ma! Haha) and a bracelet from this little boutique on some side street. The lady in the store was really sweet, she spoke to us in French, but I felt bad that I couldn’t chat back to her in French. It was interesting, though, because I understood most of what she was saying. We ended up in this little café later and started a conversation with one of the owners. He was American, but he had been living in France for a really long time. He was nice and his friends who he was eating lunch with were cool. It was so chill. He was running the place pretty much, serving people, and eating lunch with his buddies. That’s retirement for you, I guess, though.
Nandine, Lily, and I split up and I went back to my hostel to freshen up a bit before meeting Tracey, my friend from school. We made plans to meet under the Eiffel Tower! I didn’t have much time to get ready, but I caught some of the Olympics in Vancouver while I got ready so that was neat. I had almost forgotten that those were even going on.
I finally found Tracey under the Eiffel Tower. She said she spotted me because of my (quite awesome) moon boots. We ran into each other’s arms and I could see people laughing at me out of the corner of my eye, but it was better than that scene in Field of Dreams…. So yeah.
We rode to the top, took some beautiful pictures of the “City of Lights”—I finally get why they call it that… wow. And then we climbed back down for some dinner. We went to this café thing and I got some Frenchy Frencher kind of salad. It was weird. Those cubes were definitely NOT cheese.
Oh yeah, Also, if you go to the Eiffel Tower, get ready for people to FOLLOW YOU on the way there selling you little Eiffel tower key chains and crap in really sketch ways… just saying. Those dudes kinda scared me. ..
Feb. 20:
Okay this is gonna sound crazy, but today I spent the day in the graveyards. I went to Montparnasse and Pere Lachaise and never have I felt so at peace with just walking around and seeing the beauty in mere objects. Everything was beautiful. I about lost it when I ran into Rossini’s tomb and then Oscar Wilde’s grave made me laugh out loud. I also saw Notre Dame cathedral (went inside for a sec, but I left quickly because I feel like once you’ve seen one cathedral you’ve seen them all… just saying, I was ready to move on). Next, I walked along Le Seine River. It was such a beautiful day and I got myself lost in looking at the sky and at the architecture of the city. I was also on a crazy high from having seen Jim Morrison’s grave. I listened to music from the Doors all day and I probably won’t stop listening to this amazing music for a while. A group of true artists, they were…. I had such a wonderful day.
Feb. 21:
After a delicious breakfast in the hostel, today was the day I spent my time in the Louvre museum. I spent almost the entire day there and I still didn’t see the whole thing. I was taking my time, though, so no big deal. I was very impressed, but then again, who wouldn’t be by the greatest art museum in the world. After the museum, I found the river again and a bunch of really cool bookshop like things set up against the sidewalk. Everything was in French, but it was good because I could read a few titles. The only book I really looked into and almost got suckered into buying was a book on Charlie Chaplin. (I had recently watched City Lights for the first time and I was still feeling particularly sentimental whenever I thought about this brilliant brilliant brilliant actor.)
Feb 22:
Today, I came home from Paris only to discover the terrible destruction to my room caused by bed bugs. Merde.
Not actually that big of a deal, but I did spend most of today washing my clothes and sheets and I waited for the exterminator… It was the first time I genuinely started to feel homesick… well, not homesick, I was just ready to be back in MY bed. Not such a good day, but I still have Paris…
Feb 23:
I had work this morning and then I went straight to class as I was running a bit late. I had to take the tube, which was weirdly fun because it was just one of those Lauren-takes-on-the-city-of-London moments. I basically got across town in 10 minutes. Baller. Shakespeare class was decent, but the real cherry on top of this Sunday was seeing Measure for Measure in Angel. It was such a great production! And so intense! And so funny! I didn’t get hold of a programme, but I looked the actors up later and some of them are big deal UK actors, so I was excited that I got to be a part of that… even if it was as a measly audience member J
Feb. 24:
Today’s highlight was seeing Off the Endz, a play about a couple and their struggle to get out of a rather crooked part of London (US equivalent of the ghetto) and their best friend, Dave who gets out of jail and provides them an offer to sell drugs to get them some money to get out. It was brilliant the way the characters were all so smart, but yet, still challenged. Even Dave, the jailbird, made some really good points. AND it was really nice to see an all black company for once. I kept thinking of my brother when I was watching this show. He would love it.
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