Saturday, May 28, 2011

Just a blurb

I was reading Tabitha's blog (because her's is so much more entertaining than mine) and she talked about the Marche des Salopes in Paris which I really really really wanted to go to but forgot thanks to a night of binge drinking, but apparently it wasn't all that great.  Read here.  Marche des Salopes is a French version of the "Slutwalk" started in Toronto and spread worldwide after a police officer made a comment talking about how girls shouldn't dress like sluts if they don't want to get raped.  Oh yeah, I guess while they were there they forgot to tell men NOT TO RAPE PEOPLE.  But that would just be too easy, wouldn't it?  Regardless, I apparently didn't miss out on much by skipping a march to celebrate my right to dress like a slut and not get raped  (should I choose to dress like a slut in the first place, which is the big condition in that statement).  Better that way, I suppose

Oh, and on a completely different note, to the au pairs who went to WOS and told Matty they came after reading about it in my blog, thank you, I feel so famous.  Matty offered a free drink to thank me for the business, so thank you for that as well.  I couldn't have done it without you...whoever you are.  Really, though, I'm just surprised flattered that people actually read this....

Oh yeah, and coming back to edit this: I finally got my strawberry shortcake.  Christine made a cake and we had strawberries and she even bought Chantilly, which is whipped cream in French.  It was perfect, two nights in a row because the cake lasted that long without the boy there to eat half of it himself.  Third time's a charm.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Dreams

So since it's almost 3 am and I should be sleeping but I'm not because the weekend has thrown off my sleep schedule comme d'habitude, I thought it may be worth noting that I had my first French-language dream the other night.  Not the kind where your mind makes up some fake language that you are convinced is French and therefore understand it perfectly because it's your own fake language.  I was actually speaking real French with someone who was speaking real French back.  I can't remember it all now but when I first woke up I could remember what was said and what the conversation was about and I thought, "wow, that was actually right."  I'm sure it was a pretty basic conversation, and I don't think it lasted that long, but I guess dreaming in another language is a good sign, right?  Not that I'm anywhere near fluent and have any hope of becoming fluent in the next several years if ever, but I mean, at least it's in my head.

I'm also thinking that when I get home and have to take calculus for grad school I might also try to sign up for a French class. Or maybe just go to a French class without signing up for it.  I wonder how many people are in a French class at the university near my house.  Maybe they'll never notice.  I'd probably speak French there more than I do here in Paris.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Yeah Yeah, I know...

...it's been a while.  Truth is my life has been a bit bland lately, as I have been avoiding anything that involves spending money so that I would have enough money left to go out the remaining weekends before payday, and I've been doing a good job of it, but that doesn't make for very good story telling, does it?  On the  plus side, though, this saves me from having to sneak food from the family's fridge when no one's around (which I usually do anyway, but to lesser degrees) because I can't afford my own, and taking pieces of bread home in my purse to eat the next day for lunch.  The most exciting thing in my life (and in a bad way, not a fun way ) has been my repeated attempts at making strawberry shortcake for the family.  I swear they are thwarting me on purpose.  For the last 2 months strawberries have been widely available and all I've wanted is some strawberry shortcake.  Attempt 1: made the strawberries (though I didn't have time to let them sit overnight, so they weren't the best) and made a cake.  Left the kitchen to get the Girl.  Come back to see the mom scooping cantelope into my strawberries.  Don't get me wrong, I like cantelope too...but those are my strawberries!  I sighed and just picked around them while the family ate cantelope/strawberry shortcake with no whipped cream because the boy is on a diet (sometimes).  Attempt 2: made strawberries the night before so they could sit overnight and get juicy.  Made cake night before so it would be ready and I wouldn't be thwarted by a lack of prep time.  Came the next day to find that the mom had given my cake to the dad because he was going to the country.  SHE GAVE MY CAKE AWAY.  What is wrong with these people?  Why can't they respect a good thing when they see it?  I'm giving up the dream. Guess I'll just have to get my Strawberry Festival on next year when I'm back in Florida.

Other than that I had a lovely Saturday with the money I haven't been spending all week, at Tribal Cafe with Kristin and then at the WOS bar beach party, where I finally got to wear the new H&M swimsuit I bought but immediately realized I have no use for in Paris.  Wearing a bikini top to a bar has it's perks, I think I only spent about 10 or 11 euros all night, including my 2 beers at Tribal Cafe before hand.  I should do that more often.  I followed that with a picnic on the river by Notre Dame with Kristin and her friend Josie, making a lovely Parisian weekend that is only reminding me of how much I'm going to miss this when I get home.

Speaking of home, save the date:  July 20th I will be arriving back in Amurica to finish doing Amurican things with my life that don't involve moving to Paris and being a waste of space and money for a year but that do include living with my parents and waiting tables like a useless bum of a college graduate.  I'm having mixed feelings about this.

Unfortunately in my posting hiatus I have accumulated a bunch of P365 photos that aren't of any particular interest but would only make this post obnoxiously long so I'm not going to post them for now, they are on facebook if anyone cares.

A tout a l'heure, pay day in just over a week, thank goodness for fun times to come back!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

My last night with a roommate

for a while anyway.  My Parisian hotel/air mattress is finally closing it's doors for a much-needed hiatus, after an ex-study-abroad refugee, a family of 3 who had a penchant for fist fights, and a backpacker waiting to ship out, as of tomorrow at 8 pm I will finally have my apartment to myself once more.  Oh solitude, how I've missed you.

Day 82: 5-6-11 - Really, who comes up with these movie titles?  They couldn't come up with anything better? If you're going to change the name, at least change it to something French.

Day 83: 5-7-11 - Kristin and a new friend at Canal St. Martin on a Saturday night.  My new favorite broke nightspot.

Day 84: 5-8-11 - Fountains in the gardens at Versailles, which we apparently need to pay to get into during the summer (lame).  Had a nice picnic with Alex and some random FSU kids we saw on the Champs Elysees that Alex knew from the VIC. 

Day 85: 5-9-11 - Amurica OFY.  Magazine ad in the metro.


Day 86: 5-10-11 - Napoleon's tomb at the church at the Invalides.  It's really quite big, I don't know where they get the whole short thing from. I'd definitely fit in there with some room to spare.

That's all for now.  Gotta get to bed and get back on a normal sleep schedule after "accidentally" missing the metro Sunday night to go to the VD (yes it's really called that) and play darts til 5 am.  Winning.

Friday, May 6, 2011

New batteries!

Ok so I went a week without batteries for my camera but I bought more on Saturday, the day Savannah and her family came to visit, so commence P365!

Day 76, 4-30-11:  Savannah and her sister and mother arrived Saturday morning, we explored Paris then went back to Refuge des Fondues for meat and cheese and baby bottles.  How could you not love it?  Finished the night at WOS for the Disney party.

Day 77, 5-1-11:  went to Sacre Coeur for a picnic, then wandered around Montmartre, saw the Moulin Rouge and went to the sex museum in Pigalle (it was...interesting).  Went to find some Scottish boyfriends at the Thistle, then went to the highlander with a group of hockey players.  A bit of drama, but a good night.

Day 78, 5-2-11: I had to work, the girls went shopping, then they put a lock on the bridge at Post des Arts and we went back to the Highlander where Abby met William and Jude Law (his name was really Hubert but I like Jude Law better)

Day 79: 5-3-11: Savannah and Co left, Rachel and Courtney's sister come to live with me, and I finally buy the blush I've been putting off for months!  I missed you, NARS, though you are ridiculously expensive.

Day 80: 5-4-11: French people eat hamburgers with forks and knives.  I have proof.

Day 81:  10 euro swimsuit from H&M.  Now all I need is a beach somewhere nearby...oh wait...

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

I'm running a hotel.

Savannah came back to Paris and stayed with me again...this time with her sister and her mom in tow.  I have had 4 people in my studio for the last 3 days, and I have 2 more tonight now that they're gone (Rachel and her friend who are homeless), Rachel will be staying til the 7th, then I'm housing Alex til the 11th.  I should start charging.  I need my space and I won't be getting it.  Pray for me.

Not a whole lot happened, just showed Savannah and Co. around all weekend.  I'll post P365 pics later.

To the person who searched for "is it legal for au pairs to work more than 30 hours in France," the answer is no. Does anyone regulate this?  No.  Do many au pairs work more?  Yes.  Will you get paid more?  Cross your fingers.

To the person who searched for "24 hour McDonalds in Paris,"  they don't exist.  Trust me, if 24 hour eating establishments existed here, I'd know about it by now.  This is why they're so skinny I think, they can't binge on drunk food on the way home from the bar.