I don't get it!! The weather is nice again. What is UP with this place !? It seems like Florida weather. In that case, I should be feeling at home.
I forgot to mention the other day that Hannah told me that there is such thing in the USA as spreadable cheese. I have to admit, that was one thing at the top of my worry-list about coming home--I've grown quite accustomed to spreadable cheese. The thought that I might not have any when I got home really shook me up!!
Looking forward to leaving tomorrow...
Finally finished proofing that text... didn't take me that long overall, its just tedious because I have NO idea what he's trying to say sometimes, and I'm waiting for him to send me the German version so I can translate from that in an effort to figure out what in the world it all means. He said he'd send it this week, and that was last week, and this week's almost over, so he must not be in too much of a hurry to get it done...and in that case, neither am I!
Mom, I had a margarita for you last night... they messed up the order again though so I ended up with a frozen one instead of a Golden one... but it was still better than the time they messed up the order before and I ended up with a strawberry margarita... lol.
On April 1 I am going to go pick up Lea, who is from Australia, at the train station! I'm excited to meet her! She'll be here in Koblenz for the summer, as well.
Gonna get laundry done and clean this place up a bit so I have a nice home when I get back next week...
Feeling a bit more cheerful,
Caitlin
Friday, March 21, 2008
Sometimes, Holidays SUCK
Holidays suck when you are alone, for one. Holidays suck when EVERYTHING IS CLOSED, and you couldn't leave if you wanted to--the buses aren't running barely at all, all the stores are closed...holidays also suck when its gray, raining, and FREEZING outside. This morning was so perfect, barely a cloud in the sky... and an hour later, my hopes for a nice day (for a change!) were shattered...
So here I sit, alone until tomorrow night at 8pm, with literally nothing to do except the things I have to do... wash laundry, pack, finish proofing this paper...all the while clinging desperately to my sanity...
I should write novels.
So here I sit, alone until tomorrow night at 8pm, with literally nothing to do except the things I have to do... wash laundry, pack, finish proofing this paper...all the while clinging desperately to my sanity...
I should write novels.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Back to the Norm
Got back from Paris on Tuesday night. Lucked out and an earlier train had a delay so we got back to Koblenz a bit earlier than sonst and I made the bus. My computer didn't work when I got back, same problem as last time... Wednesday a friend of mine, David, who fixed it last time, came over and it took him 15 seconds to fix the daggam thing. 15 seconds!! He popped out the battery, dusted it off a bit, snapped it back in, and it worked again! Ridiculous!!
Yesterday I was able to check the following important things off of my to-do list:
My new residence permit pic is so ugly, ha ha... yesterday I wanted to be there at 8am and so I rushed to get ready but did NOT put on any makeup at all. Was first in the office and was told I needed a new picture, UGH. If I had received the right letter from the coordinator in the first place, I would've had my residence permit for two semesters instead of one and I would have saved myself 35 Euros, or over $50!! But, such is life, and I certainly didn't know ahead of time that an extension was going to cost another 30 Euros... so I can't really be too upset.
Last night I had a great looong conversation with Hannah which definitely reminded me why we are friends. We hadn't talked in mooooonths and I think when people don't talk for that long and don't see each other (aside from Facebook!), memories start to fade slightly and you literally forget
Today I am meeting Jenny at 5pm for drinks at happy hour :-) She is a really nice person!! I'm leaving for Ingolstadt on Saturday around 1pm, and I'll be there til Wednesday morning. Then I'm back here till Tuesday, April 1, when I leave for Rome!!!
The time here is going by like flashes of lightning! A speeding bullet! I leave on July 23. Then there are three short weeks before school starts and then...well, school starts! CRAP! Honestly though I am looking forward to getting back into a normal routine in my "regular life".
Caitlin
Yesterday I was able to check the following important things off of my to-do list:
- extend my residence permit
- got my student ID (AND got it laminated!)
- got a new ISIC card
My new residence permit pic is so ugly, ha ha... yesterday I wanted to be there at 8am and so I rushed to get ready but did NOT put on any makeup at all. Was first in the office and was told I needed a new picture, UGH. If I had received the right letter from the coordinator in the first place, I would've had my residence permit for two semesters instead of one and I would have saved myself 35 Euros, or over $50!! But, such is life, and I certainly didn't know ahead of time that an extension was going to cost another 30 Euros... so I can't really be too upset.
Last night I had a great looong conversation with Hannah which definitely reminded me why we are friends. We hadn't talked in mooooonths and I think when people don't talk for that long and don't see each other (aside from Facebook!), memories start to fade slightly and you literally forget
Today I am meeting Jenny at 5pm for drinks at happy hour :-) She is a really nice person!! I'm leaving for Ingolstadt on Saturday around 1pm, and I'll be there til Wednesday morning. Then I'm back here till Tuesday, April 1, when I leave for Rome!!!
The time here is going by like flashes of lightning! A speeding bullet! I leave on July 23. Then there are three short weeks before school starts and then...well, school starts! CRAP! Honestly though I am looking forward to getting back into a normal routine in my "regular life".
Caitlin
Monday, March 17, 2008
Yesterday, Versailles--Today, the World!
Yesterday
Vendy and I slept in and took the train to Versailles. It was crowded. We went inside and checked out the garden and then we left and went to Champs Elysees, where we ate tandoori chicken sandwiches at "Quick", which is like the French version of McDonalds, and they were really good... then we bought tickets to see "The Bucket List" for 3,50 ($5) which, if you're not familiar with the cinema in Europe, is DIRT CHEAP. There are no $1 theaters :-( At least that I've seen. The movie was definitely a tear-jerker...
Afterward we headed to the Eiffel Tower to check it out in the dark. It was beautiful--I filmed the twinkling lights come on :-) We headed homeward toward the hotel and stopped at a hole- in-the-wall Turkish place where I had some bad food and an expired soda. I went home happy.
Today
This morning I had a sluggish start, and it occurred to me that I had not done the one thing that everyone needs to do before they leave Paris--go up the Eiffel Tower. So, I got headed out. I went to the Picasso Museum, first, since I hadn't been yet. He's a cool guy--I appreciate modern art more than the Louvre-ish stuff, because this guy and many others-- Dali, as another example--broke the mold. They realized that art can be anything that comes out of their brains, not just what everyone else told them "art" was supposed to be.
I made it to the Eiffel Tower. I met some really nice people from the States in the snake, which went a lot faster because we talked the whole time. We really had a great chat. I paid 12 Euros to wait in a Disney-style snake and talk to Americans, and it was worth it. I gave them my museum pass, which expires after today, but they're going to Barcelona tomorrow and they never check ID on the passes or anything. It'll save 'em a least a little money.
We parted ways and I went to the movies, again, this time alone--on the way I stopped and got a Nutella crepes with fake Nutella... I couldn't even eat the whole thing, hardly half of it, the guy did such a crappy job. Tasted fine, it just fell apart and all the chocolate came out. The only word I could think of to describe it was "garbage"... on the Champs Elysees I bought another crepes and actually got to eat it, ha ha...
I bought a ticket to see "Taken", starring Liam Neeson (was surprised to find that this film won't be released back home until September!!) and it was GREAT... it was about Albanians who had started to kidnap and traffic young female travellers, even selling them to some sick rich folks. Liam Neeson was awesome in this film--really blew Jack Bauer out of the water. I wonder if that sort of thing really happens... the whole film took place in Paris, it was scary!!
Went to see the movie "10,000 B.C." which was definitely different than "Taken"...also a good film. Interesting how they spoke English that long ago ;-) And, if you're not already laughing at me for going to see two films by myself in Paris, it would have been three films if the third wasn't already sold out :-(.
I liked going to see the movies today. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon. The cinemas on the Champs Elysees are really nice.
Tomorrow we're headed home... our train doesn't leave til 4pm which really bites, because a certain roomie of mine wanted to spend as much time as possible in Paris, and didn't consider we'd have to have all our stuff with us. Ugh. Such is life, though, and we're stuck here until then, and I might have to wait an hour for the bus in Koblenz. But at least I'll be in my nice, clean, quaint little apartment again tomorrow night, that is, at least til Saturday... I'm going to see the relatives in Ingolstadt for Easter. I'm actually really excited to shave my legs, which I haven't done in over a week, since I didn't want to spend any more time in that shower than I had to... no air!!
Signing off,
Caitlin
Vendy and I slept in and took the train to Versailles. It was crowded. We went inside and checked out the garden and then we left and went to Champs Elysees, where we ate tandoori chicken sandwiches at "Quick", which is like the French version of McDonalds, and they were really good... then we bought tickets to see "The Bucket List" for 3,50 ($5) which, if you're not familiar with the cinema in Europe, is DIRT CHEAP. There are no $1 theaters :-( At least that I've seen. The movie was definitely a tear-jerker...
Afterward we headed to the Eiffel Tower to check it out in the dark. It was beautiful--I filmed the twinkling lights come on :-) We headed homeward toward the hotel and stopped at a hole- in-the-wall Turkish place where I had some bad food and an expired soda. I went home happy.
Today
This morning I had a sluggish start, and it occurred to me that I had not done the one thing that everyone needs to do before they leave Paris--go up the Eiffel Tower. So, I got headed out. I went to the Picasso Museum, first, since I hadn't been yet. He's a cool guy--I appreciate modern art more than the Louvre-ish stuff, because this guy and many others-- Dali, as another example--broke the mold. They realized that art can be anything that comes out of their brains, not just what everyone else told them "art" was supposed to be.
I made it to the Eiffel Tower. I met some really nice people from the States in the snake, which went a lot faster because we talked the whole time. We really had a great chat. I paid 12 Euros to wait in a Disney-style snake and talk to Americans, and it was worth it. I gave them my museum pass, which expires after today, but they're going to Barcelona tomorrow and they never check ID on the passes or anything. It'll save 'em a least a little money.
We parted ways and I went to the movies, again, this time alone--on the way I stopped and got a Nutella crepes with fake Nutella... I couldn't even eat the whole thing, hardly half of it, the guy did such a crappy job. Tasted fine, it just fell apart and all the chocolate came out. The only word I could think of to describe it was "garbage"... on the Champs Elysees I bought another crepes and actually got to eat it, ha ha...
I bought a ticket to see "Taken", starring Liam Neeson (was surprised to find that this film won't be released back home until September!!) and it was GREAT... it was about Albanians who had started to kidnap and traffic young female travellers, even selling them to some sick rich folks. Liam Neeson was awesome in this film--really blew Jack Bauer out of the water. I wonder if that sort of thing really happens... the whole film took place in Paris, it was scary!!
Went to see the movie "10,000 B.C." which was definitely different than "Taken"...also a good film. Interesting how they spoke English that long ago ;-) And, if you're not already laughing at me for going to see two films by myself in Paris, it would have been three films if the third wasn't already sold out :-(.
I liked going to see the movies today. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon. The cinemas on the Champs Elysees are really nice.
Tomorrow we're headed home... our train doesn't leave til 4pm which really bites, because a certain roomie of mine wanted to spend as much time as possible in Paris, and didn't consider we'd have to have all our stuff with us. Ugh. Such is life, though, and we're stuck here until then, and I might have to wait an hour for the bus in Koblenz. But at least I'll be in my nice, clean, quaint little apartment again tomorrow night, that is, at least til Saturday... I'm going to see the relatives in Ingolstadt for Easter. I'm actually really excited to shave my legs, which I haven't done in over a week, since I didn't want to spend any more time in that shower than I had to... no air!!
Signing off,
Caitlin
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Montmartre, Champs Elysees
We met our friend Margriet at Gare du Nord at 10am and headed to Montmartre, which can be described as the "typical" French area in Paris, or as one imagines it. That's where I went last night, so spontaneously, and there were significantly more people there than last night. A ton. Inside the church it wasn't as pretty as last night; no music, way too many humans, just crazy.
Then, we
...spent some time in Montmartre, avoided a slew of black men harassing us and everyone else to buy handmade bracelets (we have sexy booties)...non, merci!... visited the Moulin Rouge, and ate pizza sitting on the steps of the Sacre Coeur listening to a violinist strum a string of beautiful songs. It was romantic in a way.
We took the Metro to the Champs Elysees, a wildly famous shopping street for people with lots of money (or with little money to spend so frivolously). We walked up and down and back up again, ending up on a bench eating Nutella crepes and drinking Coke. Lunch of champions.
Walked around Richville for another hour or so, even past the French president's house (name?), and ended up on the steps of the Madeleine for a bit before heading to Gare Montparnasse where Margriet caught her train at 7:30 back to her hometown.
Tomorrow? Versailles.
Monday? Whatever the heck we want. I think we'll go see original version movies on the Champs Elysees! For some reason in France there's this cinema promo going on where this Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, all showings cost only 3,50. I think we'll see TWO movies.
Then, we
...spent some time in Montmartre, avoided a slew of black men harassing us and everyone else to buy handmade bracelets (we have sexy booties)...non, merci!... visited the Moulin Rouge, and ate pizza sitting on the steps of the Sacre Coeur listening to a violinist strum a string of beautiful songs. It was romantic in a way.
We took the Metro to the Champs Elysees, a wildly famous shopping street for people with lots of money (or with little money to spend so frivolously). We walked up and down and back up again, ending up on a bench eating Nutella crepes and drinking Coke. Lunch of champions.
Walked around Richville for another hour or so, even past the French president's house (name?), and ended up on the steps of the Madeleine for a bit before heading to Gare Montparnasse where Margriet caught her train at 7:30 back to her hometown.
Tomorrow? Versailles.
Monday? Whatever the heck we want. I think we'll go see original version movies on the Champs Elysees! For some reason in France there's this cinema promo going on where this Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, all showings cost only 3,50. I think we'll see TWO movies.
Friday, March 14, 2008
By Myself in Paris
I was by myself today.
I liked it that way.
I climbed a lot of stairs, ate a lot of bread and cheese... and it was fabulous.
Some interesting things about today:
1. in the Musee d'Orsay, this guy got a business call on his cell phone and this older French gentleman/coot starts going off in bad English about how inappropriate it is to have a conversation in the middle of a museum, and after the guy leaves to continue his call elsewhere, the older French gentleman/coot continues going off to the guy's wife, who is obviously feeling a little intimidated by the French gentleman's/coot's audacity to make such a scene...
2. i saw this younger dude on the Metro on the way home and I totally wanted to take a picture of him, his hair was AWESOME.. it was longer, and he just had so much of it... i guess you had to have been there.
3. Musicians like to hang out in metro stations...and on the metros themselves. they even come around with a cup expecting you to give them money for the service, lol... it is kind of neat to have a sax or clarinet in the metro while you're riding, i'll admit
4. I have not had anything stolen from me this entire trip so far
5. I ate too much today and I don't really give a hoot nor holler. French bread and cheese is amazing and i know I'll burn everything off when I get home!
All in all it is really awesome to be able to travel like this. Quite an expensive hobby, i must admit, though. But it's a cool feeling when you suddenly become aware for a moment you're in the middle of a city with so much history. you're really there. I am really here. it was cool today to just sit. i made it a point to just sit. if I felt like doing something, I did it. I wanted to eat bread and cheese, i did it, I wanted to leave the museum, I left. I wanted to buy a book, I did. I wanted to take the stairs instead of the escalator? I DID.
And the whole day, well, it just rocked.
I liked it that way.
- Breakfast: totally french. Baguette with Camembert cheese... amazing.
- waited in line for almost an hour to climb 400 stairs up the Towers of Notre Dame. view was great, liked the "gargoyles".
- Ate Nutella crepes on a park bench by Notre Dame
- Visited the Museum d'Orsay
- Ate another baguette with Camembert cheese
- Visited the Rodin Museum...
- Bought a trashy novel in the famous bookstore "Shakespeare and Co."
- Ate expensive ice cream in a little cafe
- Laid on a park bench near the Eiffel Tower and read some of my bad fiction
- Caught the metro to Montmartre
- Visited the Basilica Sacre Coeur in the middle of a Mass, the church is so beautiful and the ambiance during the mass was amazing--they sung and prayed (in french). it didn't even have that churchy musty smell!
- Browsed cheap gift shops in Montmartre-- realized I got ripped off paying 1 Euro for my Eiffel tower keychain AND 30 cents for postcards... oh well.
- Ate a cheese and tomato panini for dinner (YUM)
- Avoided strange black men
- Took the metro home... i love the metro
I climbed a lot of stairs, ate a lot of bread and cheese... and it was fabulous.
Some interesting things about today:
1. in the Musee d'Orsay, this guy got a business call on his cell phone and this older French gentleman/coot starts going off in bad English about how inappropriate it is to have a conversation in the middle of a museum, and after the guy leaves to continue his call elsewhere, the older French gentleman/coot continues going off to the guy's wife, who is obviously feeling a little intimidated by the French gentleman's/coot's audacity to make such a scene...
2. i saw this younger dude on the Metro on the way home and I totally wanted to take a picture of him, his hair was AWESOME.. it was longer, and he just had so much of it... i guess you had to have been there.
3. Musicians like to hang out in metro stations...and on the metros themselves. they even come around with a cup expecting you to give them money for the service, lol... it is kind of neat to have a sax or clarinet in the metro while you're riding, i'll admit
4. I have not had anything stolen from me this entire trip so far
5. I ate too much today and I don't really give a hoot nor holler. French bread and cheese is amazing and i know I'll burn everything off when I get home!
All in all it is really awesome to be able to travel like this. Quite an expensive hobby, i must admit, though. But it's a cool feeling when you suddenly become aware for a moment you're in the middle of a city with so much history. you're really there. I am really here. it was cool today to just sit. i made it a point to just sit. if I felt like doing something, I did it. I wanted to eat bread and cheese, i did it, I wanted to leave the museum, I left. I wanted to buy a book, I did. I wanted to take the stairs instead of the escalator? I DID.
And the whole day, well, it just rocked.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Practicing Brevity in Paris
Today
1. Notre Dame
2. Didn't go up the tower; line too long
3. Crypt underground, not that great
4. Conciergerie, Marie Antoinettes supposed cell
5. Pantheon
6. Tried to go to the Catacombes, but it was closed for renovation. Dumb.
7. Went to the Science Center which was huge and kind of confusing, so I left.
8. Museum of Modern Art (Centre G. Pompidou), lots of crazy stuff made out of anything and everything. My sock taped to a poster board could pass as a masterpiece. They also had some pieces from Picasso, Dali, and Andy Warhol.
9. Went home because my feet hurt.
Other Highlights in the case that anyone is remotely interested
1. I ate chocolate covered waffles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why? I don't know.
2. Vendy and I split up after the Pantheon, since she doesn't like modern art or science, allegedly, so I went to see those things on my own.
3. French paninis are delicious
4. new pictures online (see links to the left)
5. Rashid's postcard love note just for giggles
Tomorrow
1. Vendy is going to spend the entire day in the Louvre.
2. I plan to...
Caitlin
1. Notre Dame
2. Didn't go up the tower; line too long
3. Crypt underground, not that great
4. Conciergerie, Marie Antoinettes supposed cell
5. Pantheon
6. Tried to go to the Catacombes, but it was closed for renovation. Dumb.
7. Went to the Science Center which was huge and kind of confusing, so I left.
8. Museum of Modern Art (Centre G. Pompidou), lots of crazy stuff made out of anything and everything. My sock taped to a poster board could pass as a masterpiece. They also had some pieces from Picasso, Dali, and Andy Warhol.
9. Went home because my feet hurt.
Other Highlights in the case that anyone is remotely interested
1. I ate chocolate covered waffles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why? I don't know.
2. Vendy and I split up after the Pantheon, since she doesn't like modern art or science, allegedly, so I went to see those things on my own.
3. French paninis are delicious
4. new pictures online (see links to the left)
5. Rashid's postcard love note just for giggles
Tomorrow
1. Vendy is going to spend the entire day in the Louvre.
2. I plan to...
- go back to Notre Dame to go up the tower
- go to Musee d'Orsay
- go back to Rodin museum (I didn't get to go in last time)
- go to the aquarium
- go to the Louvre last since its open late head back to the Arc de Triomphe and climb up to see the city at night from up there
- go take a picture of the Eiffel Tower at night because it rocks
Caitlin
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