PARIS DAY 3 (CHRISTMAS)

Christmas day was really great. On Christmas I had my friend Greyson woke me up through a succession of phone calls and facebook messages (since I have started to sleep in extremely late). So Greyson and I got up Christmas morning and decided that we wanted to take a walk around the city for a bit for Christmas. We started out at the Luxembourg Gardens and sat down on some chairs and had some strawberries and a we bit of breakfast while enjoying the Gardens and somewhat resting before we went on our long walk around Paris. I really like Luxembourg. It’s really cute and it reminds me somewhat of Golden Gate park though less trees and more fountains and such.

Picture (courtesy of Greyson ) of me eating breakfast in the Luxembourg Gardens...

Greyson and I decided that we wanted to walk around the Eiffel Tower and that district for a while so we took a wee bit of a metro trip over to that area (yes we cheated) and then started walking around. I absolutely love that area of Paris, yes its extremely touristy/extremely posh but it is just absolutely soooo charming. We walked around the area of the Eiffel tower for a while but then decided that we weren’t going to go up despite the fact that it would be super cute to be on the Eiffel Tower on Christmas. We decided that too many other people thought it would be cute to be up there too and that it was just a little to cold and pricey to be worth our while when we had both been up there before. We took some super cool pictures in front of it though jumping off a bench (haha) which was super fun…. very unFrench some of my friends (Jonathan) would tell me but lets be honest I’m not French and I’ve never been one for following what is socially acceptable but alas he wasn’t with us, or he would have probably been mortified..... but it was tons of fun.

Pictures (again courtesy of Greyson) of the Christmas morning walk...

By this time Greyson and I were absolutely starving so we went searching in the surrounding neighbourhoods for a restaurant to eat at. Since it was pretty early in the day most of the nice restaurants were closed (though later they would open which is something I will talk about). As a “half-jew” (as some of my friends so fondly refer to me) I got a real kick out of eating Chinese food in Paris for lunch on Christmas day. It’s kind of a cliché: What do Jewish people do on Christmas?..... Go to Chinese food and a movie. So in that respect it was only proper that I fulfil half of my nature and eat Chinese food. The Chinese food wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t China town you know?

 

After walking around for about an hour more (it was about  1 pm –ish) we decided that we needed a nap before our big Christmas dinner with Jonathan and his brother Darryl so we went back to Greyson’s hotel and took a nap. His hotel is super cute right across from Luxembourg Gardens and the best croissant place. I slept a bit longer then Greyson but I finally woke up around 3:30-ish more refreshed and bright eyed. We then headed over to Darryl’s flat for an absolutely great Christmas dinner.

 

As we were heading over to Darryl’s flat we started to notice that more and more of the French were coming out later to go to café’s and restaurants after the morning Christmas celebration. This to me is very different from Christmas in the states where usually you open presents in the morning and then go to your extended family’s house or have a large Christmas dinner at your house…. so imagine my surprise that when I see a ton of French people meeting their friends later in the day.

 

Dinner at Darryl’s flat was absolutely amazing. We started with cheese and wine (though that’s not necessarily how the French do it but, hey, our Christmas meal, our rules). The  cheese that we bought the other day was absolutely AMAZING. Oh my gosh we bought this one cheese that I had never had before and it was absolutely amazing, like melt in your mouth (that was Jonathan’s favourite which is why we bought it and what a good choice!). We also got a aged goats milk that was fab with the red wine we bought and a type of blue that I cannot recall the name of and do not want to butcher.

Greyson and Jonathan (and below Daryl and Jonathan) at Christmas at our lovely meal in Daryl's flat!

 

After our “appetizer of cheese” we moved on to the turkey, stuffing and green beans (all of which were absolutely amazing)… the stuffing made me decided that fresh French bread is the best in stuffing…. EVER. And that if I don’t get into law school, along with learning how to make cheese I will also open up a French bakery.

Dinner was great and the company was amazing too! We just sat around talking and eating for a good two hours and it was absolutely amazing.

A bit later Jonathan, Greyson and I decided to go out and have a drink at one of the fun gay bars around the corner. Fridj as its called was super fun. We ended up meeting some really cool Australians there and had a great time with them talking and eventually doing a little bit of dancing.

When I got home I got on skype but was unable to reach any of my family or friends on it so that was a bit of a downer but I went to bed happy and content.

 

All in all it was a really good Christmas and I had a great time with Daryl, Greyson, Jonathan and the Australians. Though it wasn’t like my normal Christmas in California I enjoyed myself though I think next year I would really like to be home. And in the end though I didn’t get any present from Santa I well made up for it by buying myself a purse a few days later (which I will talk about laters). I miss you and love you all and hope you had a great Christmas!!!

 

xoxo

Glatty

Paris Day 2/CHRISTMAS EVE

Today was my second day in Paris and it happened to also be Christmas Eve. It was nice because I stayed relatively busy walking all over Paris, which was necessary. But I mentioned my family a lot and I am sure my friends were getting rather annoyed. Everyone will get a kick out of this at home. This morning when I got up I really had to go to the bathroom (and thus had to walk down the hall since my friend shares a communal bathroom) but couldn’t unlock his door from the inside. I ended up having to climb out his window (since he lives on the first floor and his window basically opens on to the courtyard). I just had to because I had to go so bad and didn’t want to have an accident. But it was so embarrassing, the whole time I prayed that a French person wouldn’t come out and see me climbing out of his window. I made it to the bathroom and took his key with me and opened it from the outside, which is much easier. After about twenty minutes of tinkering I was able to open it from the inside too, so thank god I won’t have to do that again.

The most EXCITING piece of news today is that I accomplished a life goal of mine (no joke, I am serious). Today I ate French oysters in Paris, and it felt wonderful. They were brine-y and delicious (as my dad pointed out they would tasted different then Kumamoto, the ones in San Francisco that I am use to, but they were still great). They guy at the oyster stall told me that I should have them with lemon or some type of sauce but I just had the straight, just the way I like them. They were rather hard to open but Jonathan came to my rescue and opened them for me! I’m pretty sure that Jonathan and Greyson thought I was absolutely nuts when I told them that it was my dream to eat oysters in Paris, but it really made my day (slash my life!). It will definitely be a memory I’ll never forget… sitting on the steps down to Jonathans apartment, hearing some children talking and playing in French over the wall next to his building, sitting in the courtyard and enjoying the slight sunshine on a winter day in Paris, and eating yummy, earthy oysters.

 

Ok so I just had to get that out of the way and tell those who know about this lifetime aspiration of mine, I wont babble on about oysters any longer I promise. This morning I woke up a bit later then I had hoped but I was out the door by 11 and met Greyson and Jonathan down by Saint Michel. We walked around for a bit then stopped in a café for lunch. I got some toasted baguette with country pâté on it. Then we walked around for a bit longer then went to Daryl (Jonathan’s brother)’s flat to pick him up so that we could go Christmas shopping at the market by Jonathan’s flat.

These are pictures from Daryl's flat...

 

The market by Jonathan’s house usually is there so its not just a Christmas thing but there were a lot of people out shopping for Christmas and such and everything was done up a bit festively. There where meat stalls with whole baby pigs and chickens still with there heads and feathers (somewhat to the horror of Greyson) but I think if I ever had a well set up kitchen near by and had access to those kind of ingredients I wouldn’t let the opportunity pass me by since they are so fresh. There was also a cheese shop that filled the air with the smell of cheese (sooo good) and we got a couple kinds for Christmas tomorrow. There was also a vegetable stand where I got some fruit for myself (persimmons, figs and lychee) and the old man that was there poked fun at me and my lack of French but he was cute and sweet and gave me some cherries for free. I also bought a bit of marzipan for a Christmas morning treat. We then proceeded to buy me my oysters (sorry I mentioned theme again) with the help of Jonathan interpreting (again to the horror of all three of them who couldn’t believe I was going to eat them). All three of the boys (Daryl, Jonathan and Greyson) and I proceeded to walk back to Jonathans flat and drop our stuff of (and I then ate my oysters) and we had a bit of a rest.

Pictures of the building where Jonathan's flat is (and where I am staying) In the first picture in the left corner you can kind of see the window I climbed out of this morning...

 

Pictures from the market and me enjoying my oysters....

Daryl went back to his flat to get some work done but Greyson, Jonathan and I went and walked around town and had some drinks. The first bar we went to was in a really touristy street and was cute, but scared me because whenever someone ordered a cocktail they lit a sparkler inside and brought it to them (oh those crazy French).

Pictures of us walking around and Notre Dame... (the last one is my attempt at taking a picture of the cocktail sparkler indoors at a bar...)

  

We then walked around for quite a while and visited the Cathédrale Notre Dame and explored the streets a bit more. Then we all had to go to the bathroom so bad that we popped into a bar called Mixer, which was completely different. Since we were walking around what is the equivalent to the Castro District in Paris I wasn’t surprised that I wasn’t the clientele that they were use to catering too but the music was a wee too loud and the lights a wee too flashing for me for a beer at 6 pm. We then eventually went to dinner at this really cute Japanese restaurant in the same district (yes Japanese two days in a row but I love sushi what can I say, I thought it was good). We went back to his brothers flat for a while and relaxed before finally going out one last time to a bar down the street. As Jonathan pointed out to me once we were inside I was lucky to get in (and I really was since I was the only girl inside this bar for a little while). Eventually we were done and all very tired. Jonathan went back to his brothers apartment and Greyson and I tried to find our way back to the subway.

 

Needless to say it was an adventure, he and I decided to walk all the way back to Saint Michel passing Notre Dame one last time. It was actually really cool because the square was packed with people trying to get in for mass and there were police everywhere trying to keep things orderly. We kind of got lost on our way back but Greyson’s Italian skills and my Spanish skills (and my propencity to ask strangers for directions) got us back to the station in time to catch out trains since the trains closed from what I could tell thirty minutes early since it was the holiday season.

 

On the train an old French couple wished me a merry Christmas in French. I couldn’t answer them but knew what they were saying and wished them a merry Christmas in English, which made them smile. I’m finally at home laying in bed and want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas Eve! I miss you all and hope you all are doing well! My skype will be on all night so please call me if you want to exchange Christmas wishes (tomorrow I am getting up early and walking with Greyson). Drink some hot chocolate or hot buttered rum for me tonight! 

 

Xoxo

Glatty

Paris Day 1

-------------AIRPORT----------------

Currently I am sitting in the airport waiting to board my plane in thirty minutes. I already hear people talking around me in rapid French. I am extremely excited to go back to Paris but its bitter sweet because part of me wishes that I was home for Christmas more than anything. Yesterday I came very close to breaking down and buying a ticket back to San Francisco, but I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn’t take advantage of having Christmas in another country. I arrive in Charles De Gaulle at 3 and I hopped on the RER to meet my friend Jonathan (Docta Shoes for my friends from USF) in his ‘hood. 

I was really excited  to eat and haven’t eaten in a while since I think that eating in Paris is far superior to eating anything in Scotland (don’t get me wrong I love Scotland but the food in Paris is far superior).

Me on the train to airport at like 7:30 am.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I much prefer to travel alone. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy vacationing with my family but I prefer travelling (like flying) by myself. Its so much easier to check in when there is only one of you and getting through security so much quicker. After I got through security I wandered around the shops for a bit looking at all the cheap perfume in the duty free stores. Maybe my whole family should travel separately whenever we go on vacation to avoid the eventual fights that always occur. Flying by myself is just much easier. And I enjoy it much more. But I wish I was meeting my family in Paris. I’ll let you know how it is to fly on Air France by the way (since I couldn’t get a flight on my favourite airline BMI).

 

-------- THE FLIGHT-------

Ok so I officially am in LOVE with Air France! Nice big seats, small sandwiches on a two hour flight and free wine (not that I had any because I wanted to be sober for customs and what not) but still. Absolutely amazing. And so much leg room. Will definitely be booking with Air France in the future for my trips to France.

 

The downside? The customs line at the Paris Airport was absolutely horrendous. It took me about an hour and a half to get through. It was so hot that eventually I had to start fanning myself with the book I was reading. Ugh. And then the customs guy literally looked at my passport for five seconds, only looked at the fact that I recently travelled to Copenhagen and the UK (which he looked and with interest but didn’t ask me any questions about) and then he didn’t even stamp my passport. ARGGHHHH. I was sooo pissed. I feel like if I am going to wait in a customs line for an hour and a half I should at least get a nice fancy stamp in my passport but I guess not.

 

On the bright side since it took so long to go through customs it was relatively easy to find my bag since there was no one on the carousel. I got my bags just fine and then headed to RER which is one of the main lines of transportation to Paris the city from Charles De Gaulle. It was hard to figure out how to buy a ticket but eventually I did it and got on the train to central Where I eventually met my friend at his stop Denfert-Rocherau. 

Me in the underground.

The train ride there was so much different then I remembered Paris to be. Maybe since the first time I went to Paris I took a taxi and saw the nicer parts of town…. Or maybe I was just to enthralled and excited but I don’t remember that much graffiti and somewhat ghetto-ness. I didn't mind though really. It only really made me love Paris more since it reminded me slightly of San Francisco. I’m starting to think that Paris can do no wrong with me. Except I have started to realize that underneath the strong French nationalistic attitude still lies a somewhat strong division between black and white French  people which somewhat delusions my perceptions of France.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

I met my friend Jonathan (aka Docta Shoes) in the underground station and he proceeded to walk me through the cutest market right by his flat. It had a tong of shellfish and lobsters and oysters (which you know that I’ll have to have all of). He took me to his flat, which I will be staying at while I am in Paris. It absolutely love his flat it is sooo cute. The only downside is the communal toilet (which you have to rub rubbing alcohol on every time you need to go to the bathroom). I took a shower and then we went and met his brother at his flat in Marais. I love his brother Daryl, he is soooo nice! I am starting to learn how to get myself around the Paris through the underground.

 

Daryl, Jonathan and I went to the Japanese district and for the first time in 5 months I had Asian food! It was so nice to finally have Asian food even if it was in Paris! We had the best Ramen. I ate ALL of mine I was so happy to finally have food in my belly especially of the Asian persuasion. Lucky Jonathan is getting really good at French so he can order for us and generally get us around. The ramen (or Lamen as they call it here in Paris was so good).

 

After Japanese we went out for a drink to one of Jonathan’s favourite spots. It was soo cute and very French. They made us cold Sangria, which was really good.  The bar was darkly lit and had old French posters decorating the walls. After our drink we went and walked around Saint Michel for a while (saw a really drunk boy who I helped across the street but later on who hit his head and had to have an ambulance called for him, it was very scary). Jonathan and his brother got a crepe from this side shop that smelled absolutely divine but I knew that I wanted to save my calories for tomorrow.  His brother ended up going home early but Jonathan and I met up with our friend Greyson from USF. Greyson, Jonathan and I went for a drink and a local bar to welcome Greyson to the city. We had to run to the underground and catch our lines back to our respective sleeping areas (Jonathan with his brother, Greyson in his hotel, an me at Jonathans flat). I got back to the flat fine…. eventually. I got a little lost on the streets but it was quite and nice out so though I got lost I didn’t mind it much.  I walked home by myself it really wasn’t that bad and the streets were so still it was amazing.

 

As I finish this blog I am laying in Jonathan’s bed listening to a French lady sing somewhere near me. Paris is amazing and I am already back in love with it.

Me and Jonathan

xoxo

Glatty

I LOVE

MARMITE

One of my new UK obsessions.

I'm going to have to get this stuff shipped back to me.

xoxo

Glatty

Back To Paris.

I head back to Paris in less then four days and I couldn't be more excited. It is undoubtedly my favourite place in the entire world with the exception of siting in front of the kelp forest tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (especially with my ipod in listening to Clair De Lune or Eluvium's Talk Amongst Trees album). Oh the simple life. I must soon start revising (aka studying) for my exams that are in January.

This weekend my friend Mr. Strehl from home and his friend Ollie came up to Scotland from London (where they study) and visited. It was a good time. We went to Edinburgh which I really like, and went to some stores. I bought a jumper (sweater) from H&M and found the cutest organic (greenly produced dress) in Top Shop that I may given and buy online. I also spent a lot of quid on books. I know I should be reading more of my globalisation books and less of my leisure books but a girl can only absorb so much on globalisation before her head will explode. Ollie and Mr. Strehl left today. I think they missed London (but really who wouldn't though) and I could sympathise (probably more then they realised) from my own longing to be back in San Francisco.  I guess that makes it very well that I go to Paris in 4 days because I miss the big city life dearly and since Paris is my favourite it is only proper. (By the way I'll post the rest of the pictures of Mr. Strehl and Ollie's visit later)

Today I went to Church for a carol service with my friends it was the first time I have been to Church in years and I probably wont be back for sometime. Don't get me wrong the carol service was lovely and they church was nicer then all I have been to in America in terms of trying to not force religion down your throat. But I have come to the conclusion that I know what I believe and that Christian church just isn't my cup of tea. I'm going to try and make Latkas for my friends tomorrow (and I hope I don't epically fail), though I have a sneaking suspicion that they are more excited about driedel then Latkas (which I am the most excited about, hahah).

I had mulled wine and minced pies today with them which according to Katharine, Jen and Katie (my friends)  minced pies and mulled wine are a tradition in the UK. And I have concluded that it is a tradition that I am going to bring back with me, as well as roasting chestnuts because all three are absolutely fab.

I love and miss you all. I wish I could be home right now. I just want to give a special shout out to the Franklins (especially my second mommy) and tell you all that I love you and wish I was home with you!

I love and miss you all at home. Travel safe this holiday season!

xoxo

Glatty 

It's beginning to look a lot like....

The holiday season....

It really is my first properly cold holiday season and I have to say  that though I am glad that I am experiencing it and going to visit my friend Jonathan in Paris for Christmas/Hanukkah, that I really miss being home in California. This is my first Christmas/Hanukkah not at home so it's really weird. I feel so strange being a ALMOST 21 year-old and still missing home and wishing I was there for Christmas/Hanukkah (hence forth referred to as CH/HA) like a little kid. I guess I am not always as mature as I wish I was. I recently got Ms. Salvi's CH/HA present and the Franklin's CH/HA present in the post and I just wanted to thank them for making my day and say that though I much rather be with you guys getting something in the post from you guys really lifted my spirits!  We had a New Hall Christmas party the other day, it was a good time but I miss all the Christmas parties at home and the one that I have with all my girlies every year... *tear*

I've taken to roasting chestnuts lately since they are cheap in the grocery store and it seems Holiday-ish.... and I absolutely love them. I'm kind of addicted to roasting chestnuts now. So weird I know but it's fun and I recommend it to everyone at home who thinks is just part of that one Christmas song. I mentioned trying to make Latkes for some friends so they could experience Hanukkah and most of them didn't know what they were so I guess I'm going to be wrangled in to making my Latkes (that never seem to compare to my dads) again this year....

School is going ok.... to much reading though but hopefully I make it through and can still get into Law School in the end. 

Miss you all. I know that once I go to Paris my posts will be more exciting so just wait another 12 days!!!

xoxo

Glatty

ps. I just want to say a happy birthday to Ms. Salvi who has been one of my best friends for about 19,835,793,248,075,349,870 gajillion billion trillion years now. Love you forever. Happy 21st, make it count babe it only happens once. 

Feed people...

If your bored you should go to this website and play this word game. 

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

This site donates 100 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program. I've been doing it for a couple of months now and I figured I'd share it with you guys. So if you have a little extra time play the game for a couple minutes and help feed people!

xoxo

Glatty

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's taken me so long to write on this thing. These last couple of weeks were really rough. I had those two 5,000 word essays due on the same day and Raisin weekend. Needless to say life has been pretty stressful, though my stress level has gone down a bit, but now I'm now trying to deal with the whole buying Christmas presents for people while also trying to have enough money to travel (which has been re-raising my stress level. I have plans to go to Paris for Christmas, and back to Edinburgh and North Scotland for New Years and then to Amsterdam with my friends after exams and from Amsterdam to London where I'll meet my parents and travel a bit with them. Needles to stay the whole planning thing is a little stressful especially in light of the current economy... arggg.

This weekend before this was Raisin weekend here in St. Andrews which was so much fun. Basically when your a first year or a study abroad student at St. Andrews you get adopted by a 3rd or 4th year student into an academic family and those 3rd/4th year parents become your academic family. I was adopted by my academic Father (Jai) and his Academic Wife (Autumn) and I have two other sisters Brynn and Katrina. Its called raisin weekend because you use to give your academic father a pound of raisins as a give but now people are more likely to give wine (we gave our academic Dad some DVD's). On the Sunday of Raisin weekend Mums throw tea parties for their kids (though usually very little tea is drank, usually in the exchange of booze) and then later on in the night fathers throw parties too (also usually with more booze). On Monday morning of Raisin weekend Mums dress you up in costumes and Dads give your your raisin receipts and then you go to the quad for a huge foam fight. Don't worry Mom (my real biological mother) I didn't have as many drinks as I would have liked because unfortunately I had to do my papers the next day. We had a party at my Dads house on Sunday night and then Monday morning we all went back to his flat and he and my Mum dressed Katrina, Brynn and I as the three musketeers and we headed off to the foam fight with six VERY full cans of shaving foam between us. It was actually really interesting just from the perspective of being an American who is not quite 21. The school acknowledges that there will be drinking and sets up special measures and posts wardens at the front of halls with sandwiches and blankets and medical help for those who might be too drunk. Needless to say students are much better taken care of then they are on drinking holidays then in America, where lets be honest students drink anyways. These pictures I have posted will better explain the carnage then I have been able to. Needless to say there is still spots of shaving foam all over St. Andrews nearly a week later and my hair hasn't quite looked right since last monday....

Brynn and I after the foam fight

Valarie and I after the foam fight... 

"Just dont get any on us"

(why my hair still doesnt look the same)

Me full of FOAM!

ME feeling a little rough after the foam fight

foam fight in the quad

Foam fight in the quad

Other costumes

The three musketeers before the foam fight with our academic dad.

The three musketeers before the foam fight with our mum. 

The three musketeers (I as always am the most flamboyant)

A raisin party 

Me and my sisters (& above with my dad)

So today was St. Andrews day in Scotland. It was exciting. I got to officially try haggis which I actually really like and would eat like once a week if I could. There was also a carnival in town which was really cute and for the first time ever I got to try roasted chestnuts (YEAAA like the Christmas song!!!). The roasted chestnuts where AMAZING, they were sweet and salty and warm which was nice since there is like a permanent frost here now that looks like snow but isn't. I also got to watch as they lit the town Christmas lights up which was super cute.

Christmas lights in town

more Christmas lights

FROST that looks like snow

Hope all is well at home! Promise my posts will become more frequent again now that I do not have as much to do!

xoxo
Glatty