Sunday I was doing 1 thing & 1 thing only: taking advantage of these free museums!
I met Grace at the metro exit at Rèpublique so we could walk to Hillsong together! I was glad that I had someone to go with this week! This is their last week at this location before the move further south in the city to Bobino. We sang a song called "Love like a fire" that was soooooooo good!!!! Definitely my new favorite!! Steve Penny from Australia was the guest speaker & he preached about new beginnings since Hillsong Paris was moving to a new location. It was so good! After that, Grace & I went to the cute little café that has pink & orange curtains & orange seats, but after we waited & waited & no one came to take our order, we left & went to McDonalds! I was in the mood for some coffee!! Grace went to ACP & I decided not to go that week & headed towards Place de Vosges to go to some museums. I love walking around the Marais, which is this awesome neighborhood really close to my apartment. I dont think I have ever seen the cafés so full! There were people everywhere! I walked down some backstreets & started realizing (again) just how much I am going to miss this place!!! Even though Paris is a big city, this area has a very "homey" quaint feel! I ran into Megan a few weeks ago at the grocery store & was just minding my business walking through the streets when I heard someone say "HEY!" It was Megan! I love running into people in the streets!!! We stayed & chatted & she was coming back from the nail salon & I was headed in the other direction, but we said our goodbye's & made plans for next week. I thought for sure there was going to be a monster line to get into Victor Hugo's house, but to my surprise I just walked right in! The inside felt very much like a 1920's parlor & you had to walk up windy marble stairs to get to his second floor apt. The first room you walk into is like a foyer/greeting hall & it leads into the Grand room that is all res damask with velour red drapes. This apartment was the longest place Hugo every lived...I believe he was there for about 12 years. Apparently he used to move a lot! All the furniture was moved & some of it sold after he died & before the museum was made so it was decorated based on his personal recollection that he wrote, from friends & from his grandchildren, who also donated most of the furniture they had from him. To rent the entire apartment, which was quite spacious with tall ceilings, was only 1500 francs/year! The grand room led to the Oriental Room & you feel like you just walked into a different world! I felt like I was in a Chinese Tea Garden. Everything was very green & there were plates & lanterns hung around the room. The rest of the rooms were the office, parlor & bedroom...ALL which had very floral wallpaper to match the floral carpet and the floral ceilings. That much matching gave me a headache!!! On the way to Carnavelet, I passed a group of guys singing that "abba ba deeba abbbaaaa" (if you heard the song, you would totally know it!) & I felt so euro!! Then I browsed through some of the local shops & walked down really cute streets & was enjoying every single minute of the sunshine!! The interior courtyard at Carnavalet reminds me of something out of a fairytale. There are perfectly manicured bushes & flowers & vines that go up the side of the walls & the museum itself looks like a castle! The museum is about the history of Paris & has art work & relics from all the time periods & each room is decorated in the decor from that time. I didn't like the really old parts from the Roman times, but when it got to Louis the 13th & 14th...OOH LA LA I loved it! The rooms looked like they came straight off the set of Marie Anotinette, so DUH I was in love! so beautiful!! I wanted to get to Invalides before it closed & I wasn't sure if itclosed at 4 or 6 so I hustled there! Walking into Invalides reminded me a little bit of walking into Versailles because of the big gate entrance. The cobblestone was SOOO difficult to walk on & I was even wearing flat shoes!!! I walked in the center area of Invalides, which is a 4-wall enclosure with an open courtyard in the middle & found the hallway that lead past the military/world war/armour museums because I was just going to see Napolean's tomb. After walking what felt like an eternity, I got to the entrance side of where the tomb is & looked up in awe. Ive taken several pictures of Invalides & walked past it zillions of times, but seeing it up that close was amazing! The gold dome sparkled even brighter & was even more detailed & intricate than I could have ever imagined! I walked in & my jaw hit the floor. The height & beautifully architected dome was astonishing. I have always said that I enjoy looking at the art & detail of the ceilings better than whatever is in display at whatever museum or exhibit I'm at & that was totally the case here! Well, until I looked straight ahead & saw an amaaaaaaaaazing gold & ornate alter!!! holy smokes! EVERYTHING in this place was gorgeous!! I walked up the stairs to the alter then down the swirly stairs to the crypts & the atrium where the Emperor Napolean the 1st is buried. His casket/tomb or whatever its called is MASSIVE!!!! you walk around the outer circle which surrounds the tomb & there is sculptures which tell stories from his life & accomplishments: There was also the tomb for Napolean II down there as well! Upstairs, there were little atrium chambers that branched off the central dome area where Joseph Napolean & other famous people who I didn't know were buried. I walked back into the 4-sided open courtyard & up to the 2nd floor to the Alley of Honor & there were memorials & dedications that lined all 4 walls! Thats when Dad called & told me that Clemson lost in OVERTIME to Auburn :( booooooo!!! That put a damper in my day for about 3 minutes. I went into the Charles de Gualle exhibit & it was very high tech & interesting! There were video clips, images, personal belongings & interactive stations throughout the whole exhibit, which was set up chronoligically by year. After that, it was evening time & I wanted to get some good shots of the Statue of Liberty by Bir Hakeim, so I did that & went back to Chatalet to walk through the vintage thrift shops again before they closed! I wanted to walk through H&M again, but it was closed & I didnt feel like taking the metro since it was still gorgeous outside, so I walked by Rambeauteau, Arts & Metiers & down Rue de Temple all the way until it intersected with Rue Béranger!!!
SUCH a fantastic way to end the weekend & I'm so happy that I got to spend my last weekend in Paris (for this European excursion!!!) doing exactly what I wanted to do! ...Now I have to get in the bed & get prepared for my last week of work! FINALLYYYYY!! There is light at the end of the tunnel!!!!!!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday
Soooo technically I was supposed to be in Geneva, Switzerland but I got sick & there was a 60% chance of rain for the weekend & that was the last thing I needed! I was SO LUCKY & my ticket for Geneva got fully refunded, so now I can use that money in ITALY! :) Guy told me that this weekend was Les Journees du Patrimoine, which is apparently held all over Europe the weekend of September 18th & 19th. TONS of museums and buildings that are usually off limits to the public were open & free of charge! Not to shabby! I couldn't have asked for more perfect weather- it was about 68-70 & sunny with a cool breeze! Heaven! I got up & opted to just stroll through the streets since it was too pretty to be inside. I got off the #11 at Rambeteau right next to Centre Pompidou & saw all sorts of street acts & artists busy at work. All the cafe's were packed & everybody seemed so happy! There was a guy who had drawn this monter portrait out of sidewalk chalk & a magician pulling things out of his throat, which made me want to gag so I left! I stumbled upon a really cool vintage/thrift store called Rags & a new church I had never seen before! I wanted to get over to Hotel de Ville to see if it was open & (from what I saw) it wasn't, but there were people playing Polo on bikes & all sorts of biking activities for little kids. Remi had just mentioned Berthillon last week & since I was so close to I'le Saint Louis & that was one of the places I HAD to go before leaving, I thought "why not go now!" I walked along the Seine & passed 3-guys playing music in the middle of the street & a hugeeee bass player just singing like there was no tomorrow. Could this day be any more perfect? I saw a huggeeeee line wrapped around the corner & thought that all those people were insane for waiting in a line that long just to eat at a restaurant & then I realized that the line was for Berthillon...so I joined them! I got raspberry & coconut gelato/sorbet & YUMMMM! It's really fresh & you feel like you're eating a real raspberry & coconut! There were 2 guys singing "Dream a little dream" & "What a wonderful world" & I almost had to pinch myself to see if I was awake. The sun felt great, the music was wonderful & I was going to one of the most famous places in Paris. I feel so blessed :) Thennnnnn I saw an airplane fly by & I sorta got smacked back into reality...the reality being that this is my last weekend in Paris & in less than 2 weeks I will be back home. I'm trying to absorb all things Parisian before I head back across the little pond. I passed by Pont Sully and crossed the bridge to the Arabe Monde because I saw people standing on a terrace & wanted to go up there! Since it was Les Journees du Patrimoine, it was open! The same architect who built Lancel's offices built this building & what's so cool is that each window has a shade in front of it that opens & closes like a camera! I felt like I was in the matrix when I walked in because everything was glass & super new-age. I got up to the 9th floor & there was a cute little pavillion set up where you could sit under umberellas on pool furniture...then there was the view. OMG! Its right along the Seine & up way high so you could see the top of all the apartments & buildings. There was a perfect view of Notre Dame & the Eiffel Tower! I felt like I was on top of the world! Definitely a view worth seeing! Just across the street is a parc called "Art et Scupltures en pleine air" and its right along the Seine with trees and flowers & abstract art, so I went and checked that out. The art was funky/weird, but the flowers were so pretty that they didnt even look real!!!
I was heading towards the metro when Grace called, so I met her on Rue de Rennes near Saint-Germain-des-Pres & we sat at a cafe for hours & just talked! We were looking at all the fashion passing by us, wondering why some adults ride Raze scooters here, how we would die if we tried riding a bike in the city and what it would be like growing up in Paris. The weather turned frigid and my teeth were legitimately chattering! Really? It's only September & it felt like December!!!! We said our goodbye's & headed home for the night.
Friday, September 17, 2010
t-minus 2 weeks
T-minus 2 weeks
As if the past MONTH hasn't already FLOWNNNN by, I looked at a calendar & thought to myself, "self, you only have 2 more weeks of work & then after Italy, YOU GO HOME!" The people at work have been VERY difficult to work with & be around because they're sooo "parisian." OK, being Parisian is no excuse for being rude. It's OK to say hello back when someone says hi to you!! I promise! uuhhhhhhhhhh theyre so frustrating!! Anyways, on a happier note...
Jonathan's bday was on Monday so we were all meeting up at Place de Monge to celebrate the big 28 with him. I had to come late because of work & got turned around because I exited the metro onto the wrong street, so Lisa & Elena had to come find me! We ate on a tiny street off Rue Moufftard at a café called Café Français...way to be unique. It reminded me of Belgium because all the restaurants were close together & the street was cobblestone. I ordered authentic French Onion Soup, which was exactly what I needed because it was cold outside, steak with french cut green beans and roasted potatoe wedges & topped it off with the best French dessert ever, crème brulee!! Dinner was lovely! The newt day I was really busy at work helping Guy with the work for the Eccentric Spirit presentation. I was busy compiling the photographs Leonello selected into an eccentric layout & althought they looked quite simple once I was done, it was difficult thinking where the best place, size & so forth for each image!! I LOVED BEING BUSY & ACTUALLY GETTING TO HELP!!!! I was beginning to feel useless! We all went out for fondue Tuesday afternoon to celebrate Thongsavanh's last day. Lee & I were unsure what to order at first, so we just went with plain cheese fondue!! It was quite a meal- apparently its what Europeans from the mountains (especially Swiss ppl) eat to stay warm. It was a hearty lunch & I was about to vom afterwards because I was miserably full!! Tuesday night is usually Bible Study, but after the Rentree (the official end of Summer when everybody is back in town ffrom vacation), Tuesday night switches between Bible Study & Pizza night. I missed out on baking the pizzas this time, but saw lots of new faces & even met 2 guys who go to Furman! South Carolina is getting its fair share of representation at ACP!!! We sat at tables, so we couldn't all really mingle & I sat at a table with people I had never met before. We played games to get to know eachother, then there was the individual game where you had to go around & leap frog over someone or make them sing really loud & whoever got through all 10 tasks first won. I didn't win, but I did manage to make myself bald because one of the things was getting a piece of hair from someone & who did everybody ask? ME! JR said it was because I was tall (I was towering over everyone that night because I had on heels!! oops!) & because my hair is blonde, so it just sticks out! YOUCH!! We had mango ice cream afterwards for dessert!! Wednesday, Guy & Youri were at the accessories thing, so I spent most of the day perfecting my color & material squares for the meeting. That night, I met Lisa at Saint Michel & we ate at a little café in the Latin Quarter near Saint Severin. I ate steak frites AGAIN! ahhh! Since it was Lisa's last night in town, we did some major "metro-tourism" aka we hopped on & off the metro to go see the big sights like the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Concorde & ended up at the Eiffel Tower!!! IT WAS FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We just stood in front of the Eiffel Tower in awe for like 20 minutes. No matter how many times I come here or see the Eiffel Tower, it n-e-v-e-r ceases to amaze me! Stunningly beautiful & one of my favorite things in the whole wide world! I cant think of ANYTHING more beautiful!! We were walking back & I started getting sad because I dont know when I'll see Lisa again & she has been such an incredible friend to me since I arrived in Paris! We made some great memories & had lots of fun & I won't ever forget her! On the way back, something in the sidewalk caught my eyes- the cobblestone sidewalk had chipped & there was a cross where the rock & cement chipped away! I sort of felt like everything was going to be alright after that! Ive already started getting sad about leaving Paris & saying bye to Lisa & it was kind of as if God was like "dont worry! everything is going to be fine! youre going to be fine!!" I had been feeling bad all week, probably because the weather did a 360 change from saturday to tuesday & it felt more like winter that late summer, and it hit me like a ton of bricks on Thursday! ah! i was coughing & congested...EW! There was a meeting at 10 with Leonello & I had confirmation that I am not a complete idoit, like the rest of the style team often makes me feel like. Leonello, THE head creative director said he liked my work & said "really great job" & I even got a thumbs up! SUCK IT STYLE TEAM!!!!! I dont care if I dont impress them because Leonello's opinion outweighs theirs by like a bajillion!! Guy & I worked on the words & cover of the book for the box that was getting presented to Mark ("the big boss" as they like to call him) on Friday so we were all running around doing work. It's cool to think that they chose some of the images I researched & will be presenting work I did to MARK!!! sheesh!!!! I just wish I was going to be here for the BIG presentation in December...well, I wouldnt want to work until then...I'd just want to be here to see the final product! The presentation will without a doubt be incredible!!! It was Lee's 24th bday that day, so we had pastries after the meeting & got desserts with our lunch to celebrate! Wish I could have baked cupcakes & made her blown out candles!!!!! I am SO lucky to have her here! She has been a God-send! for real, I couldnt have gotten through these past 3 weeks without her!!! We have had quite the time dealing with the accountant & I think she's just hating on us because were both tall & have blonde hair! It makes me sad that I only get to work with her for less than a month! Ive only known her a short time, but we have so much fun together! I told her to email me if she gets bored after I'm gone!!!
Im supposed to go to Geneva this weekend & after looking at the weather forecast, which is 60 percent chance of rain both days, I thought to myself "hmmmm maybe thats not the best idea!" On top of feeling like death, Trevor was going to Munich for Oktoberfest, Jess was working & no one could get off work to come with me! I feel run down because I never sleep & I opted to not go brave the rain this weekend & will be in Paris for my REAL last weekend!!! This weekend is Les Journéé des Patrimoine in Paris & allll the museums & private/non public buildings are open FOR FREE! Grace is planning a picnic on Saturday & the weather is supposed to be nice; so I'm excited about staying here!! Im thinking of going to Invalides, Musée Carnavalet & Hotel de Ville!!
Today at work, Ive been planning my big excursion to ITALY! Ive looked at hostels & things to do & trains & everything & now I feel like I have it under control! Get to Pisa at 6:20 on the 25th, take the bus to Florence & stay there until the morning/afternoon of the 27th, take a train to Cinque Terre & hike around there for 2 days, then back to Pisa to actually see the leaning tower of Pisa before boarding my plane back home...to Paris, that is :)
Even though I love this place & all the experiences I've had over here, I can't help but start getting excited to see my family!!!!! This time in 2 weeks, Ill be almost home!!!!!!! Ill probably be flying somewhere inbewteen NYC & Washington! AH!!!! then it's off to Clemson the next day for the homecoming game!!!!!!!! What a great way to come back to the US!!!!
As if the past MONTH hasn't already FLOWNNNN by, I looked at a calendar & thought to myself, "self, you only have 2 more weeks of work & then after Italy, YOU GO HOME!" The people at work have been VERY difficult to work with & be around because they're sooo "parisian." OK, being Parisian is no excuse for being rude. It's OK to say hello back when someone says hi to you!! I promise! uuhhhhhhhhhh theyre so frustrating!! Anyways, on a happier note...
Jonathan's bday was on Monday so we were all meeting up at Place de Monge to celebrate the big 28 with him. I had to come late because of work & got turned around because I exited the metro onto the wrong street, so Lisa & Elena had to come find me! We ate on a tiny street off Rue Moufftard at a café called Café Français...way to be unique. It reminded me of Belgium because all the restaurants were close together & the street was cobblestone. I ordered authentic French Onion Soup, which was exactly what I needed because it was cold outside, steak with french cut green beans and roasted potatoe wedges & topped it off with the best French dessert ever, crème brulee!! Dinner was lovely! The newt day I was really busy at work helping Guy with the work for the Eccentric Spirit presentation. I was busy compiling the photographs Leonello selected into an eccentric layout & althought they looked quite simple once I was done, it was difficult thinking where the best place, size & so forth for each image!! I LOVED BEING BUSY & ACTUALLY GETTING TO HELP!!!! I was beginning to feel useless! We all went out for fondue Tuesday afternoon to celebrate Thongsavanh's last day. Lee & I were unsure what to order at first, so we just went with plain cheese fondue!! It was quite a meal- apparently its what Europeans from the mountains (especially Swiss ppl) eat to stay warm. It was a hearty lunch & I was about to vom afterwards because I was miserably full!! Tuesday night is usually Bible Study, but after the Rentree (the official end of Summer when everybody is back in town ffrom vacation), Tuesday night switches between Bible Study & Pizza night. I missed out on baking the pizzas this time, but saw lots of new faces & even met 2 guys who go to Furman! South Carolina is getting its fair share of representation at ACP!!! We sat at tables, so we couldn't all really mingle & I sat at a table with people I had never met before. We played games to get to know eachother, then there was the individual game where you had to go around & leap frog over someone or make them sing really loud & whoever got through all 10 tasks first won. I didn't win, but I did manage to make myself bald because one of the things was getting a piece of hair from someone & who did everybody ask? ME! JR said it was because I was tall (I was towering over everyone that night because I had on heels!! oops!) & because my hair is blonde, so it just sticks out! YOUCH!! We had mango ice cream afterwards for dessert!! Wednesday, Guy & Youri were at the accessories thing, so I spent most of the day perfecting my color & material squares for the meeting. That night, I met Lisa at Saint Michel & we ate at a little café in the Latin Quarter near Saint Severin. I ate steak frites AGAIN! ahhh! Since it was Lisa's last night in town, we did some major "metro-tourism" aka we hopped on & off the metro to go see the big sights like the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Concorde & ended up at the Eiffel Tower!!! IT WAS FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We just stood in front of the Eiffel Tower in awe for like 20 minutes. No matter how many times I come here or see the Eiffel Tower, it n-e-v-e-r ceases to amaze me! Stunningly beautiful & one of my favorite things in the whole wide world! I cant think of ANYTHING more beautiful!! We were walking back & I started getting sad because I dont know when I'll see Lisa again & she has been such an incredible friend to me since I arrived in Paris! We made some great memories & had lots of fun & I won't ever forget her! On the way back, something in the sidewalk caught my eyes- the cobblestone sidewalk had chipped & there was a cross where the rock & cement chipped away! I sort of felt like everything was going to be alright after that! Ive already started getting sad about leaving Paris & saying bye to Lisa & it was kind of as if God was like "dont worry! everything is going to be fine! youre going to be fine!!" I had been feeling bad all week, probably because the weather did a 360 change from saturday to tuesday & it felt more like winter that late summer, and it hit me like a ton of bricks on Thursday! ah! i was coughing & congested...EW! There was a meeting at 10 with Leonello & I had confirmation that I am not a complete idoit, like the rest of the style team often makes me feel like. Leonello, THE head creative director said he liked my work & said "really great job" & I even got a thumbs up! SUCK IT STYLE TEAM!!!!! I dont care if I dont impress them because Leonello's opinion outweighs theirs by like a bajillion!! Guy & I worked on the words & cover of the book for the box that was getting presented to Mark ("the big boss" as they like to call him) on Friday so we were all running around doing work. It's cool to think that they chose some of the images I researched & will be presenting work I did to MARK!!! sheesh!!!! I just wish I was going to be here for the BIG presentation in December...well, I wouldnt want to work until then...I'd just want to be here to see the final product! The presentation will without a doubt be incredible!!! It was Lee's 24th bday that day, so we had pastries after the meeting & got desserts with our lunch to celebrate! Wish I could have baked cupcakes & made her blown out candles!!!!! I am SO lucky to have her here! She has been a God-send! for real, I couldnt have gotten through these past 3 weeks without her!!! We have had quite the time dealing with the accountant & I think she's just hating on us because were both tall & have blonde hair! It makes me sad that I only get to work with her for less than a month! Ive only known her a short time, but we have so much fun together! I told her to email me if she gets bored after I'm gone!!!
Im supposed to go to Geneva this weekend & after looking at the weather forecast, which is 60 percent chance of rain both days, I thought to myself "hmmmm maybe thats not the best idea!" On top of feeling like death, Trevor was going to Munich for Oktoberfest, Jess was working & no one could get off work to come with me! I feel run down because I never sleep & I opted to not go brave the rain this weekend & will be in Paris for my REAL last weekend!!! This weekend is Les Journéé des Patrimoine in Paris & allll the museums & private/non public buildings are open FOR FREE! Grace is planning a picnic on Saturday & the weather is supposed to be nice; so I'm excited about staying here!! Im thinking of going to Invalides, Musée Carnavalet & Hotel de Ville!!
Today at work, Ive been planning my big excursion to ITALY! Ive looked at hostels & things to do & trains & everything & now I feel like I have it under control! Get to Pisa at 6:20 on the 25th, take the bus to Florence & stay there until the morning/afternoon of the 27th, take a train to Cinque Terre & hike around there for 2 days, then back to Pisa to actually see the leaning tower of Pisa before boarding my plane back home...to Paris, that is :)
Even though I love this place & all the experiences I've had over here, I can't help but start getting excited to see my family!!!!! This time in 2 weeks, Ill be almost home!!!!!!! Ill probably be flying somewhere inbewteen NYC & Washington! AH!!!! then it's off to Clemson the next day for the homecoming game!!!!!!!! What a great way to come back to the US!!!!
last weekend
Saturday was BEAUTIFUL! it was entirely too pretty to tale the metro anywhere, so since this was one of my last weekends in Paris, I decided to walk around the city & soak up as much of it as I can while I can. I walked towards Strasbourg Saint Denis & passes Arts et Metiers and then began to notice exactly where I was when I was walking. We had met on the same street last year before we went to the Comedie Francaise & I remember the Indiana & McDonalds near Christina's house! I was at Bonne Nouvelle!! I saw 2 structures that vagualy resembled a much smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe! SO cool! Bonne Nouvelle runs into Grands Boulevards, which is a really good district to do some serious shopping damage! I found amazing panorama postcards that fold into 3's so OFCOURSE I had to buy them! You coud see a Lancel store in the one displaying the Opèra, which I thought was super neat! There was a really cool store & ofcourse I forgot the name, but they hand made all their clothes! They were all very colorful & looked like patchwork but in a really eclectic vintage way! You could even see the little station where some of the workers were sewing the clothes! Everything was SOOOOO expensive! I love being by the Seine on days like this, so once I got to the Opèra, I hung a left and headed straight for Tuilleries & passed the cute café area where Mrs Marty took me to dinner. I saw a lilac purple doodle bug & several bedazzled skull heads that looked SO Ed Hardy. I got to walk across the really metro/modern bridge that I love so much! For the next 20 minutes, I just sat on the ledge of the river & tried to soak it all in. It was breathtaking. How in the world have I already been here for 3 months? It was getting close to 5:45 & I still had to go home to change before meeting everyone at the Thurbur room for Chris & Lisa's going away party. I got there relatively on time (GO ME! I'm never on time anywhere!) & started helping with the pizza making. Everyone was chopping & slicing & dicing & heating the marinara sauce! I ofcourse couldnt wait to take pictures!!! I immediately put on an apron so I would "look the part." I was in charge of putting the cheese on top of the pizza! Destiny & Jimmy set up the tables & everyone was hustling & bustling around to get everything ready. We all said a prayer for Chris as he heads back to University in Toulousse & Lisa as she heads to school in Wales. The pizza was SO good! I overheard one of the new girls, who I had never seen before, mention that she was an American & I started eaves dropping once she said she was from NC. Naturally, I had to ask her what she was doing here & it turns out she arrived 2 weeks earlier & is an au pair in France for a year. She is from Raleigh, NC & went to PC!! SMALL WORLD!!!! Jimy accidentally froze the Coke, but by the time we ate it had turned into a slurpee & reminded me of 7Eleven! I sat next to Kimmy & Raphaela who was dying to get back home to watch the US Open! She is German & working in Paris as a sports journalist! Did I mention that she speaks 5 languages & English is like her 3rd best & her english is better than mine? Things like that amaze me! I barely speak 2 languages!!! She knows German, Portuguese, Spanish, French & English...amazing! We all had the best time! After, we hopped over to the Eiffel Tower to see the Advertising Exhibition at Champs des Mars & ofcourse we missed it! BUMMER! However, there was HUGE crowd of people gathered around a guy singing so we decided to go check it out. He was singing GREAT songs like, I will survive, Summer of 69, Youre Beautiful by James Blunt (I couldnt help but giggle & think of Ash because that is one of my favorite impersonations she does) & then he sang Hey Jude. Just as we all chimed in "naaaaaaaa na na nananana, nananana, hey jude" the eiffel tower started twinkling! I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE HERE!!!
Sunday I got up early because someone at church told me that Hillsong of Paris is really close to Rèpublique. I googled it & it's not only close, it's literally right across the Place from my apt! I walked there in 5 minutes! It was raining & cold & dreary that morning & all I wanted to do was sleep, but this is the last opportunity I have to go to church there & I wasnt going to miss it! The building they hold service in is very eclectic & funky! There was a very cool chandalier type thing hanging & it was decorated in a shabby chic decor. It used to be a cinèma, so all the seats were red velour & they had big 1950's-esque paintings of Marilyn Monroe & Bob Marley. When the band came on, I felt like I was at a rock concert! They were full of life & energy & jumping up & down & everybody was SO into it! They sing some english songs, some French songs & it was just amazing! I feel so lucky & blessed to get to experience something like that! The preacher is Australian & there is a translator, so every 30 seconds you hear english then french then english then french. It was great! I tried to grab a croissant or pain au chocolate & a café before I went to ACP, but nothing was open! There is Paris on a Sunday for ya...NOTHING IS OPEN!! Not even the grocery store!!! I was so sleepy that I kept nodding off in church! ah! I met up with everyone for coffee & snacks afterwards & had another interesting conversation with the French guy who called me a liar a few months back. Apparently he is crazy, but he was telling me how he has lymphoma & sometimes gets depressed, so I felt bad not talking to him. He wants American pen pals & wanted me to try to find him some, so I had to take his business cards & promised I would give them out...weird! I didnt know how to react!!
We went to EXKI near the bibliothèque where I visited last year & had some yummy tomato honey soup!!! I was sleepy & some of the other girls were going to watch a french film, but HELLO why would I want to watch a movie in french when it was pretty outside? Lisa & I went back to her flat & had coffee & just spent some time together! She is leaving Paris on Thursday :( After the coffee was done, I walked through the streets & passed the Eiffel Tower, the Suisse Village (which was built for the World Fair in 1900) & ended up near Emilé Zola. I spied a patisserie that was open & bee-lined it over there & bought a baguette because I had been craving one! I was in search of a cute little park bench to sit on & ended up back on the Seine near the Eiffel Tower. I was having dèja-vu when I passed a certain mètro stop because it was the first metro stop I used last year! It was right around the corner from Hotel Novotel- which is where we stayed last year before going to Brussels then moving in with our host families!!! I was walking walking walking walking & cross the road when suddenly, I felt like I was dreaming! I looked up & saw where they filmed the part in Inception under the metro tracks when there are the big mirrors! I was like "WHOA" then proceeded to take 21540 pictures! Just before that, I saw the replica of the Statue of Liberty so I was seeing all sorts of cool stuff today! There was a monument from one of the panoramic postcards I had bought that I hadn't ever seen before I what do you know, there it was right across the street from the Inception sight!!! It's in the Bir Hakeim area & it was to commemorate all the Jews in Paris during WWII. There was a beautiful 1/2 moon & a perfect orange sunset! SEE- God is a CLEMSON fan :) It was getting cold, so I had to pry myself away & head back to Rèpublique and get ready for work tomorrow..BOO
Sunday I got up early because someone at church told me that Hillsong of Paris is really close to Rèpublique. I googled it & it's not only close, it's literally right across the Place from my apt! I walked there in 5 minutes! It was raining & cold & dreary that morning & all I wanted to do was sleep, but this is the last opportunity I have to go to church there & I wasnt going to miss it! The building they hold service in is very eclectic & funky! There was a very cool chandalier type thing hanging & it was decorated in a shabby chic decor. It used to be a cinèma, so all the seats were red velour & they had big 1950's-esque paintings of Marilyn Monroe & Bob Marley. When the band came on, I felt like I was at a rock concert! They were full of life & energy & jumping up & down & everybody was SO into it! They sing some english songs, some French songs & it was just amazing! I feel so lucky & blessed to get to experience something like that! The preacher is Australian & there is a translator, so every 30 seconds you hear english then french then english then french. It was great! I tried to grab a croissant or pain au chocolate & a café before I went to ACP, but nothing was open! There is Paris on a Sunday for ya...NOTHING IS OPEN!! Not even the grocery store!!! I was so sleepy that I kept nodding off in church! ah! I met up with everyone for coffee & snacks afterwards & had another interesting conversation with the French guy who called me a liar a few months back. Apparently he is crazy, but he was telling me how he has lymphoma & sometimes gets depressed, so I felt bad not talking to him. He wants American pen pals & wanted me to try to find him some, so I had to take his business cards & promised I would give them out...weird! I didnt know how to react!!
We went to EXKI near the bibliothèque where I visited last year & had some yummy tomato honey soup!!! I was sleepy & some of the other girls were going to watch a french film, but HELLO why would I want to watch a movie in french when it was pretty outside? Lisa & I went back to her flat & had coffee & just spent some time together! She is leaving Paris on Thursday :( After the coffee was done, I walked through the streets & passed the Eiffel Tower, the Suisse Village (which was built for the World Fair in 1900) & ended up near Emilé Zola. I spied a patisserie that was open & bee-lined it over there & bought a baguette because I had been craving one! I was in search of a cute little park bench to sit on & ended up back on the Seine near the Eiffel Tower. I was having dèja-vu when I passed a certain mètro stop because it was the first metro stop I used last year! It was right around the corner from Hotel Novotel- which is where we stayed last year before going to Brussels then moving in with our host families!!! I was walking walking walking walking & cross the road when suddenly, I felt like I was dreaming! I looked up & saw where they filmed the part in Inception under the metro tracks when there are the big mirrors! I was like "WHOA" then proceeded to take 21540 pictures! Just before that, I saw the replica of the Statue of Liberty so I was seeing all sorts of cool stuff today! There was a monument from one of the panoramic postcards I had bought that I hadn't ever seen before I what do you know, there it was right across the street from the Inception sight!!! It's in the Bir Hakeim area & it was to commemorate all the Jews in Paris during WWII. There was a beautiful 1/2 moon & a perfect orange sunset! SEE- God is a CLEMSON fan :) It was getting cold, so I had to pry myself away & head back to Rèpublique and get ready for work tomorrow..BOO
Friday, September 3, 2010
PEPSI
This whole Pepsi situation has been rolling around in the back of my mind since the first e-mail I got from Lisa Frazier about the position on June 29th! I immediately e-mailed heronce I got to Paris because jobs like these dont come around all the time!! After speaking with her on the phone, I finally (literally it took me a week) figured out how to formally apply for the job online & made a profile/uploaded my résumé/applied for the Associate Specialist in the Graphics Commercialization Dept! I remember her telling me it takes some time for the résumé & application to get through HR, so I was thinking somewhere around the 3 week range.
I kept waiting...
and waiting...
and waiting...
then I got to thinking, "did I apply correcly? OMG what if I didn't submit it correctly?"So I freaked out & looked through my profile & all the Pepsi Job setting on my account & felt so good when I saw the confirmation again! Right after I did that, I e-mailed Lisa like Mom & Dad told me & she replied by saying that HR had received my résumé & would be contacting me shortly!!! ahhhh!!!!!!!!! The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
FINALLY 5.5-6 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST INITIAL INTERVIEW I HEARD BACK!!!!!!!!!!! What perfect timing! I had JUST prayed about it in small group after bible study & had just gotten back to Paris from having a wonderful weekend in Paris!! I had to give the lady who e-mailed me my availability for this week & next week & not just for one, but 3 interviews!! I thought for sure the interviews would be early next week, but they were scheduled to take place in 48 hours!!! AH! Now everything is moving so quickly!! Last time I had to call them & even though my phone had €25 worth of minutes, it ran out after talking for only 20 minutes. So, factoring in 3 interviews that were 45 minutes each...BANK BREAKER! I freaked out & emailed Allie & explained to her how costly it is for me to make international phone calls & suggested skype, but she said NO & then informed me that they would be calling me this time! PHEW! I had spent like an hour at work trying to get an online # for skype & then bought skype credit & all that worrying was for nothing!
I spent all day Thursday at work googling Pepsi facts/stats/awards/stock info so I would be super prepared for the biggest interviews of my life. If this goes well, I could be employed! That would be SO nice to not have to go on the job search when I get back home! ...besides, its not like I have any better offers going on right now!! I searched encouraging bible verses & wrote them down & read over them/prayed ALL DAY LONG!!!! I wasn't even worried or nervous about this interview because I know it is in God's hands & if He wants me to have this job, then it will work out & if not, then something better will come along.
I KNOCKED THE INTERVIEW OUT OF THE PARK! I was on the phone from 7:30-10:45 except for about 30 minutes! I talked to Lisa (who interviewed me last time), Marty (her boss who was on vacation in Miami & took the time to interview me) & Kelly from HR. alllll day yesterday I was googling Pepsi news & facts & stuff so I could spat some of that off casually during the interview. They all were SO nice & very easy to talk to & I wasnt nervous or scared at all. The job is DOPE! Working in the Graphics dept & meeting with the Marketing & Art Director almost daily, not to mention LOTS OF TRAVELING!! They go all over, but mainly DC, Baltimore, Perry GA, Shirah SC, Tampa, Colorado & a little place you might have heard of called NAPA VALLEY CALIFORNIA!!! They also do international trips...Lisa is about to go to Belgium & Switzerland & a girl who works under her (which is where I would be working) got to go to the Caribbean!!! HELLO!! Then there are wonderful benefits, relocation compensation & they hook you up with a real estate agent to help you find an apt when you get here! Apparently White Plains, NY is a cool town close by & they suggested living there (IF i get the job ofcourse) because Somers, NY is really la-de-da/fancy/expensive...Martha freaking Stuart lives there for crying out loud! But they have a mentor program where you get matched with someone who is 2 levels above you & helps you prepare for "going to the next level" & there is even a farmers market at the facility on Tuesday! The work environment is fast paced & they said youre NEVER sitting at your desk for long which I like because thats all I do right now & it starts to wear on ya after a while! Salary is going to be discussed at the next interview & I told them that I know the cost of living is high & that I didn't feel comfortable accepting a job if I couldnt fully support myself. They said all that is taken into account when determining the salary.
SO I hear back next week as to whether I get to move on in this process! The next thing would be meeting them at their facility in NY! I asked lisa how many people they were interviewing & she said a few, but not a lot. SO THAT MAKES ME CHANCES BETTER! However, like mom said, I'm not competing with anyone but myself! After talking with Marty the boss, I feel 100 percent totally capable of doing this job & am definitely qualified! It puts my heart at rest that I understood everything he was talking about & the fact that they are the ones who sought me out. And I had really good comments from the experience I have had in the industry to add onto what they were saying :)
And as if it couldnt get any better, there is a guy who played on Dad's football team at Clemson who works there & there is a really strong Clemson Alumni group!!! Pepsi was named one of "the most ethical companies in the world" & one of "the best places to start a career" so im hoping & praying that everything works out!
I kept waiting...
and waiting...
and waiting...
then I got to thinking, "did I apply correcly? OMG what if I didn't submit it correctly?"So I freaked out & looked through my profile & all the Pepsi Job setting on my account & felt so good when I saw the confirmation again! Right after I did that, I e-mailed Lisa like Mom & Dad told me & she replied by saying that HR had received my résumé & would be contacting me shortly!!! ahhhh!!!!!!!!! The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
FINALLY 5.5-6 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST INITIAL INTERVIEW I HEARD BACK!!!!!!!!!!! What perfect timing! I had JUST prayed about it in small group after bible study & had just gotten back to Paris from having a wonderful weekend in Paris!! I had to give the lady who e-mailed me my availability for this week & next week & not just for one, but 3 interviews!! I thought for sure the interviews would be early next week, but they were scheduled to take place in 48 hours!!! AH! Now everything is moving so quickly!! Last time I had to call them & even though my phone had €25 worth of minutes, it ran out after talking for only 20 minutes. So, factoring in 3 interviews that were 45 minutes each...BANK BREAKER! I freaked out & emailed Allie & explained to her how costly it is for me to make international phone calls & suggested skype, but she said NO & then informed me that they would be calling me this time! PHEW! I had spent like an hour at work trying to get an online # for skype & then bought skype credit & all that worrying was for nothing!
I spent all day Thursday at work googling Pepsi facts/stats/awards/stock info so I would be super prepared for the biggest interviews of my life. If this goes well, I could be employed! That would be SO nice to not have to go on the job search when I get back home! ...besides, its not like I have any better offers going on right now!! I searched encouraging bible verses & wrote them down & read over them/prayed ALL DAY LONG!!!! I wasn't even worried or nervous about this interview because I know it is in God's hands & if He wants me to have this job, then it will work out & if not, then something better will come along.
I KNOCKED THE INTERVIEW OUT OF THE PARK! I was on the phone from 7:30-10:45 except for about 30 minutes! I talked to Lisa (who interviewed me last time), Marty (her boss who was on vacation in Miami & took the time to interview me) & Kelly from HR. alllll day yesterday I was googling Pepsi news & facts & stuff so I could spat some of that off casually during the interview. They all were SO nice & very easy to talk to & I wasnt nervous or scared at all. The job is DOPE! Working in the Graphics dept & meeting with the Marketing & Art Director almost daily, not to mention LOTS OF TRAVELING!! They go all over, but mainly DC, Baltimore, Perry GA, Shirah SC, Tampa, Colorado & a little place you might have heard of called NAPA VALLEY CALIFORNIA!!! They also do international trips...Lisa is about to go to Belgium & Switzerland & a girl who works under her (which is where I would be working) got to go to the Caribbean!!! HELLO!! Then there are wonderful benefits, relocation compensation & they hook you up with a real estate agent to help you find an apt when you get here! Apparently White Plains, NY is a cool town close by & they suggested living there (IF i get the job ofcourse) because Somers, NY is really la-de-da/fancy/expensive...Martha freaking Stuart lives there for crying out loud! But they have a mentor program where you get matched with someone who is 2 levels above you & helps you prepare for "going to the next level" & there is even a farmers market at the facility on Tuesday! The work environment is fast paced & they said youre NEVER sitting at your desk for long which I like because thats all I do right now & it starts to wear on ya after a while! Salary is going to be discussed at the next interview & I told them that I know the cost of living is high & that I didn't feel comfortable accepting a job if I couldnt fully support myself. They said all that is taken into account when determining the salary.
SO I hear back next week as to whether I get to move on in this process! The next thing would be meeting them at their facility in NY! I asked lisa how many people they were interviewing & she said a few, but not a lot. SO THAT MAKES ME CHANCES BETTER! However, like mom said, I'm not competing with anyone but myself! After talking with Marty the boss, I feel 100 percent totally capable of doing this job & am definitely qualified! It puts my heart at rest that I understood everything he was talking about & the fact that they are the ones who sought me out. And I had really good comments from the experience I have had in the industry to add onto what they were saying :)
And as if it couldnt get any better, there is a guy who played on Dad's football team at Clemson who works there & there is a really strong Clemson Alumni group!!! Pepsi was named one of "the most ethical companies in the world" & one of "the best places to start a career" so im hoping & praying that everything works out!
English
I was told earlier in the week that we were getting a new intern from Italy & Meghan, the girl Mrs Marty had told me about, from Coach! I knew that she was from the States & didn't speak French and I was thrilled! I miss being able to speak English all the time & its SO fun to have someone who you can speak to easily!!
I got to work Wednesday AM & both the Style & Marketing teams assembled in our side of the office to welcome the 3 new interns during the breakfast party with Leonello. Turns out that Remy is french & speaks perfect english & there was another girl from South Africa who speaks English & NO french!!! She looks like a cross between Olivia Newton John as Sandy in Greese & Kylie Monogue. YAY--MORE FUN PEOPLE AT WORK!! I got to meet Meghan & she is so sweet & trendy! I couldn't be happier!!! We ate croissants, OJ & these DELISH coconut cookie things for breakfast & pretty much spent the rest of the day getting to know eachother because there was no work to do. Lee & Remy have lived in Milan for the past 6 months & were studying fashion at a Masters Program. Remy is really good at drawing shoes & material and Lee's focus is jewelery...so the purse world is completely new for them both. Meghan has been working in Surrey, England for the past year & a half & spent 9 years working in NYC. She is from Kansas City & went to Missou! Before I knew she has spent 9 years in NYC, i would have guessed she was about 25 & it turns out she is 31! What is the deal with Lancel employees looking younger than they are??!! I hope I still look young when I'm 31!! That day, Eric, Thongsavanh, Youri, Lee & Remy were going to lunch & I thought we would grab a sandwich but like clockwork, they started walking in the direction of Camilou...the restaurant/café I swore I would NEVER go to again! When they started walking in, I said "uuh Im NOT going here! yall can, but Im not! Im going to eat lunch somewhere else because I hate this place!" So they ate there & I grabbed the yummiest italian sandwich (yummy sesame bread with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, banana pappers, pickles, lettuce & sauteed zucchini) & took it to a shady park then went shopping for the rest of my break.
I am only going to be here for another month, but it is SO NICE to have english speakers who's first language isnt french! I try to understand them at lunch the best I can, but most of the time I just tune them out! Now I dont have to go to lunch with Eric anymore & be bored out of my mind!!! YAY! When Lee got back from Camilou, she was like "now I understand when you said its annoying to go to lunch when everyone is speaking french!!"
I can't wait to hang out with them! They are all SO nice!!
I got to work Wednesday AM & both the Style & Marketing teams assembled in our side of the office to welcome the 3 new interns during the breakfast party with Leonello. Turns out that Remy is french & speaks perfect english & there was another girl from South Africa who speaks English & NO french!!! She looks like a cross between Olivia Newton John as Sandy in Greese & Kylie Monogue. YAY--MORE FUN PEOPLE AT WORK!! I got to meet Meghan & she is so sweet & trendy! I couldn't be happier!!! We ate croissants, OJ & these DELISH coconut cookie things for breakfast & pretty much spent the rest of the day getting to know eachother because there was no work to do. Lee & Remy have lived in Milan for the past 6 months & were studying fashion at a Masters Program. Remy is really good at drawing shoes & material and Lee's focus is jewelery...so the purse world is completely new for them both. Meghan has been working in Surrey, England for the past year & a half & spent 9 years working in NYC. She is from Kansas City & went to Missou! Before I knew she has spent 9 years in NYC, i would have guessed she was about 25 & it turns out she is 31! What is the deal with Lancel employees looking younger than they are??!! I hope I still look young when I'm 31!! That day, Eric, Thongsavanh, Youri, Lee & Remy were going to lunch & I thought we would grab a sandwich but like clockwork, they started walking in the direction of Camilou...the restaurant/café I swore I would NEVER go to again! When they started walking in, I said "uuh Im NOT going here! yall can, but Im not! Im going to eat lunch somewhere else because I hate this place!" So they ate there & I grabbed the yummiest italian sandwich (yummy sesame bread with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, banana pappers, pickles, lettuce & sauteed zucchini) & took it to a shady park then went shopping for the rest of my break.
I am only going to be here for another month, but it is SO NICE to have english speakers who's first language isnt french! I try to understand them at lunch the best I can, but most of the time I just tune them out! Now I dont have to go to lunch with Eric anymore & be bored out of my mind!!! YAY! When Lee got back from Camilou, she was like "now I understand when you said its annoying to go to lunch when everyone is speaking french!!"
I can't wait to hang out with them! They are all SO nice!!
Amsterdam!
I was SO busy alll week doing work on men's travel bags & luggage aka man purses, but all I could think about was getting to see Jessica on Friday!! I did all my laundry, put clean sheets on the bed & straightened my room up so everything would be good to go when I got back home. I actually got to leave work early, so around 5:30 pm I headed home to grab my suitcase then off to Gare de Nord! I had to tell Ken bye before I left because he was leaving in the morning & he was so sweet! I was about to leave then it occured to me that I needed a picture with the tiny "crasian." He got very excited & got his camera as well. It had started to rain as I was leaving :( I must be so used to heading towards Place d'Italie on the #5 because that is how I get to work each morning so I was on the metro & noticed that the next stop was Oberkampf. Panic struck...IM HEADING THE WRONG WAY! I couldnt help but think that I was going to miss my train! I remember reading that there were no formalities with this train, but I always second guess myself when it comes to travel. I got to the train station about 35-40 minutes before the Thalys train left & went hunting for the big sign to tell us the platform #. I waited & waited & waited and looked at my ticket no less than 9 times to make sure I was at the correct station & that the destination, time, train #, etc were matching what I saw on the big sign. FINALLY 15 minutes before the train took off, the board displayed platfor 8 & I saw it immediately out of the corner of my eye. I hadn't eaten dinner & bought BBQ chips & a coke to take on the train with me. Just like the Eurostar, my carriage was at the completely other end of the train & I had to run past 17 other carriages before I got to carriage #18 & nestled into seat #36. I felt the biggest sigh of relief when I sat down!! This was by far the most spacious train I had EVER been on! There was so much leg room that I could stretch my legs out entirely! ...and the seats were hot pink, so that was cool too! I sat next to a girl who was in Paris studying fashion & I thought she was 18 & it turns out she was 25! She was from Brazil. I read nearly the entire way there, then I got soo excited to be reunited with Jess that I could barely sit still! We stopped in Brussels, Antwerp & some other places before stopping at Amsterdam Centraal. Thats when things began to get fun...
Ofcourse I forgot that my little ghetto French phone only works in France & I promised Jessica I would call her when I left & got to the train station so we could find eachother. I had tried dialing her earlier in the day & never reached her, so I just assumed that she was working. When I got to the train station, I wasnt sure where she was then thought "self, youll see her right away!" I got down the platform & started walking towards one of the many exits & had my eyes peeled for brown curly hair. No such luck. The train got in a little early, so I started walking down the length of the station looking at everyone as they passed by. I saw on weather.com that it was supposed to be chilly this weekend, but it was straight up FREEZING! I kept walking & walking & got to a dead end & still no jess. Great. My phone doesnt work, I dont know her address & have no way of getting back in touch with her. I thought it would be smartest to back track & wait where my train stopped just incase she was there waiting. I walked back down the terminal & even past my train stop & still didnt see her. I had bad thoughts pop into my head, like "what if I never find her? What if she didnt come pick me up because she didnt hear from me & doesnt think Im coming anymore?" I decided the best thing to do was get my jacket out of my suitcase before I froze. Right as I leaned over to unzip my suitcase to get my jacket I hear someone yell "AAAAAMMMMANDAA!!!!" I whirled around & there was Crazy Hair Don't Care!!!! AHHH!!! I ran to her & we gave eachother THE BIGGEST hug ever. People were staring! I couldnt believe that we were reunited in Europe! After all those night of sitting on her couch dreaming of how much fun it would be to reunite & it was finally happening!!! Its always so good to see a familiar face!! A friend of a friend had just arrived in Amsterdam from Charleston & her & Jess had been hanging out so somewhere inbetween updating Jess on everything at 500 miles an hour, I introduced myself & we were all giggling about how worried we all were that I wouldnt find them & they wouldnt find me!!!!
We hopped in a cab who's driver was extremely rude & headed to Jessica's new home in the Old South section of Amsterdam. There was construction going on in the streets & sidewalks & everything was blocked off/sandy. The first thing I remember seeing everywhere were bikes....LOTS of bikes & most with strange baskets on the front. When Jess opened the door to her apt I nearly gasped. I am no longer allowed to complain about French steps because the Dutch take the cake on having THE WORLDS WORST STEPS! I dont even know if I would call them steps because slanted ladder is more appropriate. It was one straight flight up 3 stories. I felt like I was climbing a ladder & the steps were so small that only your toes could fit on them! How did people move in? How did old people get up these things? If you fell, you would free fall & break every bone in your body. SCARY! Her apartment was lovely & just the perfect size! I wobbled my suitcase up the stairs & plopped it down by her kitchen table. Her little teeny room was so cute & ofcourse organized to a tee because that's Jess for ya!! I think her room & the room I slept in used to be one & were split into two. They looked like little nook's & I was just happy to sleep in a comfortable bed!
The next morning, we got up & showered & headed off to do a canal tour because the weather was nice! We walked through Vondel Park & everyone was out & about either riding a bike or running. It was amazing to see all the tall (SUPER SUPER tall is more like it!!) blonde people! Now I understand why everyone thinks I am Dutch! All the little children are beautiful & have Barbie blonde hair & ice blue eyes. We passed fountains & parks & picasso pieces & it was all so picturesque! I had NO idea Amsterdam was this beautiful! It took my breath away! We stopped at a little outdoor patio restaurant & I got tomatoe/mozzarella/pesto sandwiches on ciabatta bread with a Pepsi! Next up: CANAL TOUR! We hopped on the boat, which was conveniently right next to the restaurant & took our seats in the very back which was outside so we could see everything. The city of amsterdam is located on the water & is shaped like a rainbow with canals othroughout the entire city! it was incredible! Amsterdam is known for being "the Venise of the North" & now I know why. Each bridge over the water is so quaint & boats & houseboats line both sides of the canal. Amsterdam was actually built on a dam near Amstel, which is where it got its name...Amstel+dam=Amsteldal, which turned into Amsterdam (and according to our book is actually pronounced Umsterdam.) We saw all the cute cookie-cutter buildings & the Anne Frank house & the rest of the beauty the city has to offer. The best part of the tour was when we were weaving through the canals, then we went out into the open water (not quite sure why, there wasnt anything to see) & our crazy boat driver almost ran us into a cruise ship! We looked up & the deck of the Queen Victoria was looming overhead. Slightly frightening!
After that, Amelia headed back to her village & Jess & I went to rent bikes! I got a cute little red bike & we walked over to Rembrantplein (yes, like Rembrant the painter) to pick up Jessica's bike. Jess is a pro biker & was off to the races. I had to pedal with all my might to keep up! We went to Dom Square, saw the shopping district, the art district where Van Gogh lived (apparently the painters used to do alot of drugs & would get cracked out & one night decided to paint everything so its VERY colorful & there are drawings & paintings all over the walls & apt buildings) & then we were thirsty so we biked over to a café called Café de Luxembourg & got cokes! It was getting chilly outside, but I wanted to see more of the city so we rode over to Jordaan, which is comparable to SOHO in NY, & walked through the beautiful streets. We went home to warm up & wanted to grab dinner in the uuber trendy De Pijp (pronounced like "da pipe"), but all the chef's stopped cooking at 10! We went over near Leiszeplein & found a cute little pizzaria called Peppino's & decided we HAD to go there in honor of Pepino's in Clemmy! IT WAS DELISH! I ordered margharita pizza & after a while, we got cold while we were sitting outside so we had to move inside! There was a table of about 10 cougars & apparently it was one of their birthdays, so the waiters started playing the "Happy Birthday to You" song by Stevie Wonder & also the 50 cent Go Shawtyy song...one of the ladies started dancing on the tables! The staff put some decorations up & even brought out sparklers! Jess & I were laughing the entire time! After that, we went to meet up with her 2 au pair friends Laura & Ashley at Luxe...SO COOL!
Sunday was cold & rainy & we had already decided we were going to see the Anne Frank house. There was a big line yesterday & we were crossing our fingers that no one besides us wanted to see her house. We couldnt have been more wrong...the line didnt look long at first, until we walked around the corner & kept walking & walking & walking until we got to the end of the line. The signs said the wait was 2 hours. I went & got us hot chocolates & we made friends with a guy from Philadelphia who was passing out promotional books. 45 minutes flew by & before you knew it, we were in the museum! There were so many original pieces from when the Franks & the other family of 4 lived there...which blew my mind. The space was so small & the windows were blacked out & they could hardly move during the day & then did that for 4 years! It blew my mind. It makes me want to read her diary again so I can visualize what she is talking about. Sadly, Anne died 1 month before they all got released & her dad was the only one to survive. It was hands down one of the neatest experiences I have ever had in Europe! We spent the rest of the afternoon in a museum because the weather was bad & when we got done & looked outside, the weather had gotten WORSE! It was getting time to return my bike & although we waited for the rain to die dow, the guy at the meseum said it was supposed to monsoon like that for 4 more hours! AH! we bit the bullet & ran outside! whats a little rain, right? we tied out scarves over our heads like muslims & that didnt help one little bit. We looked like we had juped in a pool once we got to the bike place. Rather than taking the bus home, we hopped in a cab & I didnt think we were going to make it home alive. The driver must have thought it was the Daytona 500 because he was FLYING through the tiny streets & almost hit 3 people!!! I just closed my eyes! We changes & packed up my things & we headed to Centraal. I hated to go ;( We had THE weekend of all weekends. This time, my carriage was the very first one so I didnt have to run!! I said bye & slept nearly the entire way back home. Jess is going to come visit very soon & I cannot waitttt to be reunited again!!!
Everyone rides bikes there or walks everywhere. AND EVERYBODY IS TALL! I have never been to a place where I feel short. And ALL THE GUYS ARE GIANTS...like, 6'8". I felt like I was in heaven! I could TOTALLY live there! The reputation preceeds the actual vibe of the town & whatever preconceived notions/impressions/stereotypes you have about Amsterdam are mostlikely WRONG! I fell in love with the city & would definitely go back!
Ofcourse I forgot that my little ghetto French phone only works in France & I promised Jessica I would call her when I left & got to the train station so we could find eachother. I had tried dialing her earlier in the day & never reached her, so I just assumed that she was working. When I got to the train station, I wasnt sure where she was then thought "self, youll see her right away!" I got down the platform & started walking towards one of the many exits & had my eyes peeled for brown curly hair. No such luck. The train got in a little early, so I started walking down the length of the station looking at everyone as they passed by. I saw on weather.com that it was supposed to be chilly this weekend, but it was straight up FREEZING! I kept walking & walking & got to a dead end & still no jess. Great. My phone doesnt work, I dont know her address & have no way of getting back in touch with her. I thought it would be smartest to back track & wait where my train stopped just incase she was there waiting. I walked back down the terminal & even past my train stop & still didnt see her. I had bad thoughts pop into my head, like "what if I never find her? What if she didnt come pick me up because she didnt hear from me & doesnt think Im coming anymore?" I decided the best thing to do was get my jacket out of my suitcase before I froze. Right as I leaned over to unzip my suitcase to get my jacket I hear someone yell "AAAAAMMMMANDAA!!!!" I whirled around & there was Crazy Hair Don't Care!!!! AHHH!!! I ran to her & we gave eachother THE BIGGEST hug ever. People were staring! I couldnt believe that we were reunited in Europe! After all those night of sitting on her couch dreaming of how much fun it would be to reunite & it was finally happening!!! Its always so good to see a familiar face!! A friend of a friend had just arrived in Amsterdam from Charleston & her & Jess had been hanging out so somewhere inbetween updating Jess on everything at 500 miles an hour, I introduced myself & we were all giggling about how worried we all were that I wouldnt find them & they wouldnt find me!!!!
We hopped in a cab who's driver was extremely rude & headed to Jessica's new home in the Old South section of Amsterdam. There was construction going on in the streets & sidewalks & everything was blocked off/sandy. The first thing I remember seeing everywhere were bikes....LOTS of bikes & most with strange baskets on the front. When Jess opened the door to her apt I nearly gasped. I am no longer allowed to complain about French steps because the Dutch take the cake on having THE WORLDS WORST STEPS! I dont even know if I would call them steps because slanted ladder is more appropriate. It was one straight flight up 3 stories. I felt like I was climbing a ladder & the steps were so small that only your toes could fit on them! How did people move in? How did old people get up these things? If you fell, you would free fall & break every bone in your body. SCARY! Her apartment was lovely & just the perfect size! I wobbled my suitcase up the stairs & plopped it down by her kitchen table. Her little teeny room was so cute & ofcourse organized to a tee because that's Jess for ya!! I think her room & the room I slept in used to be one & were split into two. They looked like little nook's & I was just happy to sleep in a comfortable bed!
The next morning, we got up & showered & headed off to do a canal tour because the weather was nice! We walked through Vondel Park & everyone was out & about either riding a bike or running. It was amazing to see all the tall (SUPER SUPER tall is more like it!!) blonde people! Now I understand why everyone thinks I am Dutch! All the little children are beautiful & have Barbie blonde hair & ice blue eyes. We passed fountains & parks & picasso pieces & it was all so picturesque! I had NO idea Amsterdam was this beautiful! It took my breath away! We stopped at a little outdoor patio restaurant & I got tomatoe/mozzarella/pesto sandwiches on ciabatta bread with a Pepsi! Next up: CANAL TOUR! We hopped on the boat, which was conveniently right next to the restaurant & took our seats in the very back which was outside so we could see everything. The city of amsterdam is located on the water & is shaped like a rainbow with canals othroughout the entire city! it was incredible! Amsterdam is known for being "the Venise of the North" & now I know why. Each bridge over the water is so quaint & boats & houseboats line both sides of the canal. Amsterdam was actually built on a dam near Amstel, which is where it got its name...Amstel+dam=Amsteldal, which turned into Amsterdam (and according to our book is actually pronounced Umsterdam.) We saw all the cute cookie-cutter buildings & the Anne Frank house & the rest of the beauty the city has to offer. The best part of the tour was when we were weaving through the canals, then we went out into the open water (not quite sure why, there wasnt anything to see) & our crazy boat driver almost ran us into a cruise ship! We looked up & the deck of the Queen Victoria was looming overhead. Slightly frightening!
After that, Amelia headed back to her village & Jess & I went to rent bikes! I got a cute little red bike & we walked over to Rembrantplein (yes, like Rembrant the painter) to pick up Jessica's bike. Jess is a pro biker & was off to the races. I had to pedal with all my might to keep up! We went to Dom Square, saw the shopping district, the art district where Van Gogh lived (apparently the painters used to do alot of drugs & would get cracked out & one night decided to paint everything so its VERY colorful & there are drawings & paintings all over the walls & apt buildings) & then we were thirsty so we biked over to a café called Café de Luxembourg & got cokes! It was getting chilly outside, but I wanted to see more of the city so we rode over to Jordaan, which is comparable to SOHO in NY, & walked through the beautiful streets. We went home to warm up & wanted to grab dinner in the uuber trendy De Pijp (pronounced like "da pipe"), but all the chef's stopped cooking at 10! We went over near Leiszeplein & found a cute little pizzaria called Peppino's & decided we HAD to go there in honor of Pepino's in Clemmy! IT WAS DELISH! I ordered margharita pizza & after a while, we got cold while we were sitting outside so we had to move inside! There was a table of about 10 cougars & apparently it was one of their birthdays, so the waiters started playing the "Happy Birthday to You" song by Stevie Wonder & also the 50 cent Go Shawtyy song...one of the ladies started dancing on the tables! The staff put some decorations up & even brought out sparklers! Jess & I were laughing the entire time! After that, we went to meet up with her 2 au pair friends Laura & Ashley at Luxe...SO COOL!
Sunday was cold & rainy & we had already decided we were going to see the Anne Frank house. There was a big line yesterday & we were crossing our fingers that no one besides us wanted to see her house. We couldnt have been more wrong...the line didnt look long at first, until we walked around the corner & kept walking & walking & walking until we got to the end of the line. The signs said the wait was 2 hours. I went & got us hot chocolates & we made friends with a guy from Philadelphia who was passing out promotional books. 45 minutes flew by & before you knew it, we were in the museum! There were so many original pieces from when the Franks & the other family of 4 lived there...which blew my mind. The space was so small & the windows were blacked out & they could hardly move during the day & then did that for 4 years! It blew my mind. It makes me want to read her diary again so I can visualize what she is talking about. Sadly, Anne died 1 month before they all got released & her dad was the only one to survive. It was hands down one of the neatest experiences I have ever had in Europe! We spent the rest of the afternoon in a museum because the weather was bad & when we got done & looked outside, the weather had gotten WORSE! It was getting time to return my bike & although we waited for the rain to die dow, the guy at the meseum said it was supposed to monsoon like that for 4 more hours! AH! we bit the bullet & ran outside! whats a little rain, right? we tied out scarves over our heads like muslims & that didnt help one little bit. We looked like we had juped in a pool once we got to the bike place. Rather than taking the bus home, we hopped in a cab & I didnt think we were going to make it home alive. The driver must have thought it was the Daytona 500 because he was FLYING through the tiny streets & almost hit 3 people!!! I just closed my eyes! We changes & packed up my things & we headed to Centraal. I hated to go ;( We had THE weekend of all weekends. This time, my carriage was the very first one so I didnt have to run!! I said bye & slept nearly the entire way back home. Jess is going to come visit very soon & I cannot waitttt to be reunited again!!!
Everyone rides bikes there or walks everywhere. AND EVERYBODY IS TALL! I have never been to a place where I feel short. And ALL THE GUYS ARE GIANTS...like, 6'8". I felt like I was in heaven! I could TOTALLY live there! The reputation preceeds the actual vibe of the town & whatever preconceived notions/impressions/stereotypes you have about Amsterdam are mostlikely WRONG! I fell in love with the city & would definitely go back!
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