I'm back! I don't think I've gotten so many requests to write another post before, but it makes me glad that people want to keep reading. Count it! Sorry that the "Bitch Blog" has sat there on my page for a while now, but I'm happy to say that while yes, these things still bug me, I just returned from a lovely weekend in PARIS that will definitely prove to be more positive material than what I was working with last week.
PARIS - I stayed in an absurdly luxurious hotel, thanks to the generosity of one of my travel companions, drank delicious champagne and red wine, and ate decadent food. I could see the Eiffel Tower out of my bedroom window, and when I walked out of our hotel and looked right, I was staring straight at the Arc d'Triomphe. Since both girls I was traveling with had been to Paris previously (and not in below-freezing temperatures) I split off to do some more touristy things while they took advantage of the Marais district, which is full of funky boutiques (I eventually met up with them - I can never totally pass up shopping). I hit the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Musee d'Orsay, and Notre Dame on Saturday, and then the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre Coeur, and the Montmarte district Sunday.
While the sights were stunning, I completely underestimated the swarms of people that would be in Paris on VALENTINE'S DAY weekend. And not just people. Face-sucking couples. I would be lying if I said that my weekend couldn't have been better, since it would have been nice to have my shugah there with me, but I powered through. The worst might have been Sunday morning walking down the steps of the Sacre Coeur with a man playing a harp and all of these couple sitting and listening to him. The swarms of couples also made it impossible for me to get into the Musee d'Orsay (I tried twice), but that just means I'll have to go back, which is totally fine by me (preferably in the summer).
I would say that my most positive experiences in Paris were my interactions with the locals. I don't have many means of comparison, but the French guys seem to have found a good balance of being friendly and outgoing, but not creepy. The first night we stopped into a hole-in-the-wall bar around the corner from the restaurant we ate in, and when we went to order drink, the bartender was American! He'd lived in Paris for about 12 years, but he's from Cleveland originally. We turned around and then this guy (Julian) leans in and say to me, "Excuse me, my friend Stephen is trying to practice English. Will you speak with him?" We all start chatting and the interaction is very normal and not creepy at all. Then at one point, Julian says something-something "Barney Stinson". I whip around and say, "You know who Barney Stinson is?" And He says in this awkward French accent, "Haaave you met Ted?" It was hilarious. Talk about How I Met Your Mother bringing people together. The following night we were at The Social Club - the cross between a rave and a normal bar - and we were almost immediately approached by our new friend Gaber who bought us B-52s (flaming shots) and then invited us to his table for drinks. We chatted with all of his friends and just had a really fun night. When we left the club, these two guys who were outside for a smoke helped us get a cab for 45 minutes. I don't remember their names, but they were also just genuinely nice. Re-reading it,this paragraph sounds somewhat naive, but I think my instinct are pretty good about that kind of thing, and nothing bad happened. New friends that I'll never see again. I call that a win.
I guess I have deviated a little from my "New Things", but I am returning with a little installment called "Monday the 15th of February 2010, the Best Night Ever".
First, I got to see Anne Marie! (She's visiting London this week before she heads to Venice for her study abroad program) So we go out and get a drink and catch up at The Dovetail, and then head over to one of my favorite place ever, the Exmouth Arms. It's a small pub with a really friendly regular staff, and they do student discounts on Monday nights. Clutch. Kevin, my bartender friend, is working, and he and I have a common passion for Guinness. Whenever I go there, I always order a Guinness, and he says, "I love a woman who loves her Guinness". As the night went on, I was standing at the bar and I said to him, "Hey Kev, do think that before I leave in May you would teach me how to pour a Guinness?" He says, "Give me five minutes." Five minutes later, Kevin pulls me back behind the bar, and he teaches me how to pour a Guinness! Not only did I pour a Guinness, I basically helped him tend bar the rest of the night, and as a nightcap, Kev gives me a free Guinness. Not too shabby! I'll keep you posted on if they actually decide to hire me, because I think they were legitimately considering it...
Those have been my past few days. I'm headed to Prague on Friday, and have some (gasp!) homework to do for Monday and Tuesday, but hopefully I'll have another post for you on Tuesday! Also, I appreciate the nagging about posting. It keeps me in line. And you informed.
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