mussels, chocolate, waffles, and beer!

Belgium is pretty awesome. Beer is a PRETTY BIG deal there. They had so many stores dedicated just to beer! (including all types of flavors, from beer made by trappist monks to beers flavored like passion fruit!) On our last night there, we went to this awesome bar called Delirium. Now, I've only been to a handful of bars in my life.... but I imagine this to be the COOLEST BAR EVER! They only have beers, but they have like a million varieties on tap, so it looks like you're in a beer factory. They serve them in all different types of glasses too, so you can drink your beer out of DAS BOOT if you want to! (That's about 3 beers in one! IN A BOOT!) The decorations were very retro and trendy at the same time. They had a downstairs area with live (rock) music and dancing. This place was amazing!

I also spent my last night dragging home my friend to the hotel by myself! It was quite the interesting experience. Jairo put up quite the fight, but it's good to know I can take care of and hold my own against a 180-lb man! 

My last night in EUROPE was spent in the "ghettos" of Paris. (It might not actually be the ghettos, it just looked super sketch.) I'm actually kinda glad I made a mistake in booking my flight a day late, because it was great seeing the side of Paris that wasn't fluffed up for tourists. Even though I was scared for my life most of the time, I got to see Sacre Coeur, one of my favorite places in Paris. The place was beautiful. And that pretty much sums up my trip-- it was beautiful. 

Favorite Barcelona moments: eating Paella every day, Razzmatazz, listening to music at Park Guell, and swimming at the beach 

Favorite Belgian moments: taking a mysterious elevator (with the most spectacular view of Brussels) back to familiar area, after getting lost shopping... and Delirium!

Favorite Parisian moments: exploring the Louvre several times and discovering the Richelieu room at night, bottle service at Queen's, 360 view from Printemps, everything about Sacre Coeur, Mont St. Michel, and eating Berthillon and escargots with Karen.

Despite all my complaints, Europe was pretty great. I'm so glad to be home though. :)

final days

So far in Belgium, 

I visited (and fell asleep at) the European Parliament, had a fabulous (pre-paid by our professor) 3-course meal with mussels at Chez Leon, and went on a boat ride through the canals in Bruges. Belgium is really chill. Other than those class excursions, I've been trapped in my room working on my finals. I'm almost done! I can't wait to go home! (But not before doing some more shopping! Screw being poor! It's my last days in Europe for quite a long time!)

back in brussels

I've been in Brussels before. It's very simple and relaxing-- and just what I need right now. Barcelona kinda took a lot out of me. I'm glad I went, because I love exploring different places.... but I probably won't go back there ever again. 

From my 3 nights there, my impression of Barcelona is that it's a very good party city with an incredible nightlife. The beaches are pretty awesome too. Other than that, I wasn't that impressed. Maybe I was just expecting more, because there are some nice architectural sites there, as well as good food.... but I guess I am too used to the grandeur of Paris, the beauty of Switzerland, or the historical awe I get from Italy. (My favorite places in Europe.) I just didn't get the same feeling being over there. That, in combination with some not-so-good experiences with the people I travelled with, made my Barcelona trip... subpar. I don't like being in a city where I am forced to go all over town wasting cab fare and looking for the "best club," because NOTHING IS EVER GOOD ENOUGH, because it is too dangerous for me to walk back alone to the hotel. I also don't like that my hair (and my purse, and my clothes...) still smells like cigarettes, even after a 30 minute shower. However, I do like Paella! I ate it every day I was in Barcelona :)

I'm really excited to be in Brussels. I don't wanna go out or party or socialize anymore. I just want to relax, get my finals done, and enjoy the city. 

I got a feeling...

Napoleon's tomb, rodin's mansion, notre dame, berthillon ice cream.

Today I went shopping galore! I went with Karen to a bunch of little Parisian shops and got super cheap clothes! I got a whole outfit for 15 euros! Then I went by myself to Galleries de Lafayette again... I spent like 4 hours there and spent lots of euros... I was SO CLOSE to buying a Dior purse... but I realized that my European trip would officially be over after the purchase! Tonight is our last night together in Paris, since some of us are going to BARCELONA tomorrow! We're going to the Eiffel Tower soon one last time and who knows what else...

Tonight's going to be a good night.

La fete Magique de Mickey

I love Disneyland. Any place. Anytime. Anywhere. 

I was in such high spirits the whole day, just being back at "home"-- for the first time since Daniel quit working there. I was kinda sad spending it with people who don't really understand the Disney magic that I feel so strongly about. It made me really miss jumjektjod. Disney is so important to me because of ya'll-- don't forget it.

I Found Gold!

Yesterday I had a delightful French meal with....... Gold! I don't have meals with Gold in LA, so it seemed like Paris would be a good time to start. It was nice seeing a familiar face... It was HILARIOUS seeing Gold aka "Dominique" haggle with the souvenir shop people. 

Today was a good day. I went to a cafe with my roommate and friend for brunch, finished my midterms, chilled with people still stressed out about midterms, and got free champagne and sangria at dinner! Our hotel is right by the Latin Quarter, where there are hundreds of restaurants, bars, shops, etc. My friends wanted to eat Italian, so we went down this little alleyway filled with Italian restaurants and it was literally like a bidding war. Everyone wanted us to eat at their restaurant. They would grab at us and yell things like "My pizza is bigger!" and "Seats with a view!" We ended up going to the place that offered free alcohol..... 

Tomorrow we're going to Euro Disneyland! For free! :)

liberty equality fraternity

... those words are written boldly across the Palais de Justice, where we got to go in to see some real French criminal cases. (It's pretty boring if you don't speak French. On second thought, it's pretty boring period.) It's interesting that they include "fraternity" as one of their three main ideals. The French really love their history and culture-- and they definitely don't have the same freedoms and rights that we have in America. Did you know that in France, you aren't allowed to wear religious garments in school? (And on a completely unrelated note, did you know that you get taxed 2000 Euros a year for buying a TV?! 2000 EUROS! EVERY YEAR YOU OWN A TV!) That is insane to me. 

My second trip to the Louvre was amazing. I went with one other person, so there was minimal drama. I got to see a lot of stuff I never knew even existed in the Louvre before. Afterwards, I got my mussels and frites dinner. Yum!

I still need to close the gap-- The rest of my Saturday will be dedicated to finishing my midterm(s). Fun stuff! I hate that we have work to do over our 4-day break. It really puts a damper on my "relaxing weekend." It's not that big of a deal not going out with everyone all day though... for the most part, I like being in Paris alone. My antisocial behavior may seem pitiful, but I like being able to do whatever I want, when I want.  I don't like people telling me what to do-- or worse!-- telling me who to be. I know my way of thinking isn't always right, because I'm a pretty stubborn person... but that doesn't mean my thoughts and actions aren't valid. 

It is obvious to me now that I should stop wasting time on trifling matters. Paris awaits!

love the louvre!

St. Chappelle Church, Pompidou Center, Musee Paris, Victor Hugo's home, and shopping!!! That's what I did yesterday. I LOVE SHOPPING! I was in low spirits after Victor Hugo's house, but shopping made everything better :)

I also found this one English language bookstore, called Shakespeare &Co. It was amazing. It was filled with new AND vintage books... and little study lounges/corners. There was a piano there and someone just walked in and started playing! I really wanna go back and study there some time!

Today was our last class before our 4-day weekend. We have take-home midterms to do before next week... but other than that and all the stressing (Yup, unfortunately Paris can't stop me from stressing about school!), I plan to just CHILLLLLLLLL in Paris. Today I went to the Louvre for my 2nd time ever and actually went on a tour. It was fun... I really liked hearing about the history of everything, especially my favorite painting (The Coronation of Josephine). But the people I went with wanted to leave after, so I planned to come back later that night, since the ticket is valid all day and I really wanted to see EVERYTHING at the Louvre! I ended up taking a long time at dinner and didn't get to the Louvre until 15 minutes before the exhibits close. I ran into the wing I didn't get to see the first time and was... absolutely... mesmerized. The ceiling was made out of glass so you could see the stars... and the room was filled with staircases, statues, plants, and lights. I felt like I was in a magical indoor garden! Anyways, I'll probably be going back to the Louvre on Friday night (when it's free!) The Louvre remains my favorite part of Paris-- hands down. 

Later at night, I went to a "Boat Club." It was awesome-- simply because it was free! On a boat! Haha, other than that.... it was alright. Everyone on the upper level was smoking. I was so annoyed... my hair still smells like cigarettes. There were a bunch of creepers too. French guys are so aggressive and forward. They don't bother to talk to you, they just grab at you or wave drinks in front of you. Ugh. Such sleazeballs. The dance floor at the bottom would have been cool if it weren't so stuffy... and if they weren't playing funky techno/hip hop/ folk music. But whatevers... free is hard to come by in Paris, so I enjoyed it :)

I'm super tired now. I hope I find time this weekend to really relax.... and study!

kangaroo and snails

Yesterday I woke up early to go on a walking tour with my class. We went to the Orangerie Museum and looked at lots of Monets and Picassos. Then we went to the Madeleine Church and the Parisian Opera House. The Opera House is SO beautiful. I'm putting watching a performance at the Palais Garnier as one of my things to do before I die. 

At night, I caved under peer pressure and went out again. I really wanted to just stay in and do homework... but decided that I should make the most of my Parisian adventure instead. We went out to the Montmartre district-- home to Moulin Rouge, Le Chat Noir, and 19th century artists. It is more commonly known as the Parisian red light district. We went to eat at Quick Restaurant (a wannabe McDonald's) and went to another Irish Pub. The pub was super nice. I didn't order anything, but it was a lot of fun. After that, the R-side boys wanted to go to a strip club. So after haggling with a bunch of sleazy nightclub owners, we went to one that let in all the boys for half off and a free drink. (Girls get to go for free of course!) None of the girls have been to a strip club before... and needless to say, we were quite disappointed. The boys were quite disappointed as well. The strippers were super ugly and untalented. It was really funny because the boys were so disgusted that they wouldn't even look at them and actually asked to leave. It was such a rip-off-- they wouldn't even give the free drinks! So just as a word of advice... unless you're willing to shed a lot of euros... DON'T GO TO A STRIP CLUB IN MONTMARTRE! 

Today I went to the Eglise St. Sulpice. You may have heard of this church from such books like The Da Vinci Code! We looked at the "Meridian Line" and Priory of Scion "symbology". The church had a notice posted next to the line stating that "fanciful allegations in a recent best-selling novel" are completely imaginary. I thought it was hilarious. Afterwards, I went grocery shopping and added tomato soup and spinach into my diet. Then I went to the Galleries de Lafayette to do some MAJOR window shopping. I didn't buy anything, but I think I'm going to go back to get some tax-free Swarovski... and possibly a watch. I was kinda annoyed because the R-side boys came with us and decided to smoke right before we left. I honestly felt dumber after leaving the mall. It was so weird, because I felt DRUNK after hanging out with them for so long. Everything and nothing seemed funny to me- all at the same time. The walk back to the hotel took forever because they kept stopping to look at things. They're a fun group, but they're pretty ridiculous. They are ALWAYS drunk or high... and they only come out at night! Justin would get along perfectly with them. :)

I had my first real French meal today! I ate with my friend Karen and ordered escargots.... and Kangaroo steak! I didn't even know that people ate Kangaroo, but apparently Europeans do! It tasted like any other steak to me... and I'm actually kinda sad because I finally realized that I ate part of a Kangaroo. Oh yea, I also discovered that my new favorite beer is Desperados! It's like Corona, but ten times better! Alright, now I must get on with my readings. I feel very behind, because everyone here seems so studious! I gotta stop hanging out with the R-side boys and Karen, the PWC-bound UCLA graduate. Ugh! I shouldn't feel so stressed in Paris! I think I shall relax and study the rest of the week!

day and night- all night

Today I spent the WHOLE day doing absolutely nothing. I woke up to my roommate getting ready to leave for Versailles and spent the next hour reading my "Paris for Dummies" book to find something to do for one of my few Saturdays in Paris. My friends called me and said they would cook me brunch so I went up to their room and spent the next 5 hours planning our trip to either Barcelona, Berlin, or Amsterdam. We ended up deciding to go to Barcelona, after finding a relatively cheap flight. I'm very excited to go to Spain. It is the last major country in Western Europe that I've never visited. I still can't believe I wasted a perfectly fine Saturday... but I guess I've already seen most of the sites in Paris, so it's not too big of a loss.

The Riverside boys on our trip found this concert/club event that they were SUPER excited about, so we all decided to go. It was a hip hop/trance clubbing event, called SHAKE DAT ASS. That's right. I went to something called SHAKE DAT ASS. It was alright. It was the first time I've really been out with my roommate all week! But I definitely liked the Gay club, Queen, a whole lot better. This club was super packed and smelly and sweaty and... you get the drift. This one black chick was performing and ripped off her shirt half way through, so everyone saw her boobs! It was quite shocking. I left early with two other people... and now I am back in my room making pasta, because I am super hungry and only had a chunk of salami for dinner. Oh yea, apparently my sister thinks that "cooking" pasta isn't really considered cooking. But now I am short on cash after my Barcelona plans.... so I think I have to starve myself as much as possible....

Queen

Our class went on a 2 day excursion to Normandy. We visited Monet's house, the D-day site/Omaha Beach, and Mont St. Michel (which was my favorite place in France so far). Mont St. Michel is an abbey on an island with a bunch of sheep and beautiful views. At night time it looks like the Disneyland castle! I got to spend the day with my new friends, who I spent the previous night watching 'How I Met Your Mother" with. After we got back from Normandy, we decided to go clubbing. We went all over the place... wasted 2 metro tickets and visited two clubs... before finally taking a taxi ride to Queen (which is most likely a gay club). We got into an altercation with the bitchy French taxi driver, but the night was very fun, even though I spent over 40 euros! It is 5AM in the morning right now... The weekend awaits! :)

bonsoir!

I like Irish pubs... and walking around at night, whilst talking to Parisians in French. (I speak French!) Our room is littered with empty wine bottles. (2 euro wine bottles!)

Today we went to the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, and walked outside the Louvre in a big group. I've decided that I want to explore Paris alone. Big groups suck. 

homesick

I enjoy exploring Paris. The people here are nice. My class is interesting. Yet it all seems so blah to me. Maybe I am just more boring of a person than I thought. I just want to relax by myself. I don't know what's wrong with me. Today we had a walking tour to the Pantheon and Catacombes. Being in a cave full of bones was pretty dang cool. Then I promised I would go "pub crawling" with some of the girls.... So I forced myself out of my nap, got dressed up, put on makeup, went downstairs..... but then we decided to go out later to a bar instead. So I went back up to my room and haven't left it since. I never thought I would be THAT girl. That girl who sits alone in the room at night-- reading and going online. Yet I'm perfectly happy doing so. I feel very peaceful right now. Alas, I have yet to have a real meal. I'm a bit concerned for my health right now. My diet consists of bread, salami, and caffeine. 

I have never been homesick in my life. I didn't think that feeling was possible. But here I am 3 days into my trip-- and I am beyond homesick. Time to go out.... !

jour de bosse

Today was our first day of class and my professor is so funny and relaxed-- its amazing. His hobbies are traveling and buying his students wine. Class is pretty interesting so far. I actually enjoy learning about international regulations, bodies, and laws. Its nothing like accounting-- and I love it.

After class, our professor took us to Carefourre (?), a grocery store where you can buy wine for a euro! I'm assuming it's a really big chain, since I saw a lot of these all over Taiwan. (Although the store is WAY cooler and bigger in Taiwan.) I had a lot of fun grocery shopping. I got a bunch of pasta, tomato sauce, butter, baguettes, wine, salami, and a 6-pack of beer for 15 euros! I was so surprised when I saw the price. I was even more surprised that they accepted my Debit card! You may be wondering why I bought a 6-pack of beer. The answer is that it was 3 euros, and it won me over with all the pictures of cherries on the box! I think it was a cross between beer and champagne. It got super bubbly and foamy after every sip! You may be further wondering why I bought pasta and tomato sauce. In an attempt to conserve money and not eat out for every meal, I have decided to no longer be a cooking virgin. I'm going to cook!!! See how much France is expanding my horizons? (I've eaten nothing but salami and bread for the past 5 meals.)

My roommate is super healthy. It's pretty annoying. Next to my salami, butter, and orangina is her whole grain cereal, fresh vegetables, and soy milk. I also no longer like my roommate as much as yesterday. The sorority girl/ cheerleader inside her is coming out. She seems to be really into meeting every person in Paris and finding the cutest boy in Europe. She is also constantly on Facebook, which is annoying because: a) we share an ethernet cable in the room, so I rarely get to go online when I want to, and b) her Facebook doesn't even work right now and she keeps complaining about it. 

Anyways, today we went to Notre Dame and stalked the gypsies to see how they really steal people's monies, but still couldn't figure it out. There is also another scam where a guy ties a string bracelet around your wrist when you're not paying attention and then forces you to pay him because it's impossible to take off. It happened to one of the guys in our program, so now I always walk around with my arms crossed. After Notre Dame, I went on a long adventure to find a European plug converter. Then at night, we went to the Eiffel Tower. It was very pretty, but for my 3rd time seeing it, I still couldn't see why everyone was SO mesmerized by it. The trip was actually quite annoying, because a few of the loud obnoxious guys were drunk and well... being obnoxious on the metro ride. All the Parisians were giving us dirty looks so I felt really bad. It was also super hard to manage such a large group. Our "navigator" got super fed up and wanted to just leave all those drunkards who lagged behind. Her name is Jordan. I really like her because she seems so down-to-earth. Another girl I met today was named Ida. She seemed super cute, nice and perky. Then I found out she was 26 years old! Amazing, she looked 18! I wish Kevin Siu wasn't "dating" someone, because then I could set them up! She's gonna be a lawyer too! Cash-monies!

So today was like my hump day, because I had gotten kinda used to the novelty of being in a foreign country. Then I saw pictures from Long Beach race and got really sad because I missed it. Then I had a so-so day with some so-so people. Then I found super annoying green bugs in my room. I killed two already, but I keep hearing that annoying firecracker screeching noise. Ugh. But my hump day will end soon. I just need time to really get to know and connect with people. Also, I have an extra free day at the end of my trip, so I just booked a nice hotel by the airport and am going to take a personal spa/relaxation day for myself. Just thinking about it brightens my mood! :)

premier jour

Although I was excited to fly to another country (by myself!), I quickly realized how scary it is to travel alone in France -- without knowing any French. This realization came quicker than expected. I was surrounded by French-speaking people, as soon as I got onto the plane. (Who knew Air Tahiti had so many Frenchies!) I felt very alone on the plane ride and didn’t talk to anybody, because I felt like a retard who didn’t understand what anyone was saying. I survived the flight, however, distracting myself with ’17 Again’ and “He’s Just Not That Into You.’

 

The first thing I noticed about France was how questionable their customs/security system is. They let anyone who appears to have a passport into their nation—no questions asked. I was expecting to be interrogated or at least fill out a form, but I was quickly shuffled through into baggage claim. The French people at the airport were kinda rude. Everyone seemed to be very pushy and had no sense of personal space. However, when I got to Paris, everyone seemed to be friendly and helpful. (You know…. Besides those people that harass you for money.) It took me a long time to find my hotel, and I had to lug all my bags for what seemed like a million blocks. Our hotel is very nice though. It is like an apartment, equipped with kitchen and everything. We are about 3 blocks away from Notre Dame and a minute away from crazy shopping and nightlife.

 

I was pretty lonely the first few hours here, because I didn’t know where everyone in my program was… So I explored a bit by myself, and it was exhilarating. I feel so independent being alone in a new place. I went back to the hotel after buying a sandwich and took the best nap of my life. I woke up to my roommate’s arrival. Her name is Kristin and is incredibly cool. We are very similar—or at least compatible. She shares my passion for bike rides, souvenirs, event planning, coffee, and cheap things! (I am proud to say that she may be cheaper than I am.) I’m really glad to have her as a roommate. She speaks a little French, so she helps me order and buy things! Kristin’s only downside is that she doesn’t like junk food (!!!) and she loves country music. There’s an espresso machine in the lobby, and we get a cup every time we pass by. I’ve had 4 coffees already!! Wooooooooooo!

 

We were going to go out to a bar/restaurant tonight (because it looks so fun here…. Live music! Strobe lights! 8 hours of happy hour! Crazy guy in a mask outside telling us to dance!), but we got tired and were just gonna buy wine from the supermarket to celebrate our first night. But that failed, because they stopped selling alcohol at 10:30 PM…. So went back to the hotel and got more coffee!

 

But anyways, even though we didn’t do much today… I love Paris. There is so much going on and I really love the Bohemian lifestyle. The only thing I am bummed about is that I don’t have a VISA or Mastercard. All I have is my lousy Discover and debit card, so I may have to keep exchanging for Euros. I wish I had thought about this more before. Discover is barely accepted in America… why would Europeans take it?? That’s all for now. Tomorrow is our first day of class and I’m excited to meet everyone else. I’m getting hungry…..