The Adventures of Gigi

You know you're becoming Parisian when... PART 2

2008-11-08T13:36:00.002+11:00

I was just looking through some old e-mails and found this list Michael sent me to add to my own. And I thought seeing as Michael just left our beautiful home away from home I should post it.

So, you know you're becoming Parisian when...

it's not Paris, it's "Paree"
you will wait 30 minutes for an ice cream from Amorino, even though there's a perfectly good ice cream place 20 metres away
you have favourite metro lines
you have favourite metro weirdos
you go to the Champs-Elysées because it's got Virgin Megastore
the question "last metro or first metro" is entirely normal
alcohol downing competitions are with champagne, not beer
you know the cheapest bar in a 10 minute radius, anyway in Paris, any time of night or day
you expect the non-alcoholic content in a cocktail to be truly minimal
flooded gutters simply mean that the cleaners are in the neighbourhood
a red light only means stop if there's someone looking
a yellow light means floor it, not brake
you're no longer baffled by an AZERTY keyboard layout
Luxembourg is a park, not a country
your instinctive reaction to the question "where are you from" is to give your arrondissement

Paris me manque!!!

Not Working Rocks!

2008-01-06T17:24:00.000+11:00

I've had the best 2 weeks off! It has been filled with amazing live music acts (Daft Punk, Groove Armada, Kings of Leon to name a few), gorgeous days at the beach, catching up with friends, a friend visiting from Europe, reading, sleeping, drinking and lovely days (like today) where I have done absolutely nothing. In short, not working is fantastic and I can't believe tomorrow I have to go back.

Unexpected Visitor

2007-12-22T08:22:00.000+11:00

One of the main problems about living in Australia, for me, is that it is very far away and no-one visits, EVER. So I was shocked and very very excited to hear this week that a friend of mine is heading this way. And not is a "planning to visit someday" kind of way but in the "actually booked my tickets" way. And, the MOST exciting part is that she's arriving this month, within two weeks!! It's the most spontaneous thing I've ever seen. I can't wait! YAY!!!

Brisbane

2007-12-09T11:41:00.000+11:00

Last weekend I headed up to Brisbane to visit Jess and enjoy some Queensland sunshine. I had such a great time! Lots of fun hanging out with someone who I don't get to see nearly enough.

Friday night we headed out to Jess' local (pub) in the very happening Chermside. It was a random night which included all of the following:
- drinking
- talking
- dancing
- teasing Jess
- trying to work out what the guy standing near us was doing there, was he really stood up by his internet date?
- making funny of the 'text me baby, text me' guy
- playing with a really cute puppy
- drunken facebooking
- collapsing in bed at about 4am
I think it's fair to say a fun night was had by all (even Rose).

Saturday was fairly slow, Jess showed be around Brisbane a bit which was a bit of fun. My favourite part was the two hour ferry/boat ride we took all the way along the Brisbane river and back again. Plus we almost forgot to get off which would have made it a 4 hour boat ride. For dinner we had south Indian food just like we used to in Paris (well almost). It was so tasty, mmmmm I can't wait to find good south Indian in Sydney!

RANCHO was Saturday night, it's a big dance party/club night/former house party organised by one of the guys a work with. About five other people I work with came up for the party. They're crazy though, catching a 6pm flight into Brisbane and they a 6am flight out 12 hours later. That's commitment to partying, I was very impressed.

Sunday was pretty much a right-off, I think me and Jess spent almost all day in bed. Though I did manage to get up in time for Jess' Mum's Sunday lunch roast which was great. I love roast! I can't believe Jessie slept through it. Sunday evening we went to Brisbane Openair Cinema to see Jess and Anna's new favourite movie All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane. It's a really cute little movie which has some really fantastic 'hit the nail on the head' type moments including blaming the fact that everyone in their twenties wants to live in the inner city on Sesame Street. And to top of the evening my of the cast, the director and the producer were there are we got to meet them all!!!

Meeting up with Jess wouldn't be meeting up with Jess if we didn't do something big so Monday we went to the Big Pineapple, something I can't imagine anywhere else but Australia.

All in all a great weekend!! Who knew somewhere we tease so often could be so much fun?!

Me and Jess cruising through the suburbs of Brisvegas in the Mazd.

I'm moving!!

2007-11-17T01:47:00.000+11:00

Tomorrow!!!!

After being back to Sydney for a few months it's now time to leave the nest (again), I'm finally moving back out of home!!! Not that living at home doesn't have it's pros but it feels like moving out to my own place in Sydney makes my relocating back to Sydney complete. I'm actually setting up my life here rather than just using it to camp out and save money to go away again. I've been feeling like a bit of a nomad recently and I'm hoping moving with make me feel more settled. Strange I haven't really had the desire to feel settled in Sydney in ages, perhaps a new leaf is turning.

So, all my far away friends, start saving so you can come visit and I promise to actually be here (for the next two and a half years anyway...).

facebook-boulot-dodo

2007-10-31T23:30:00.000+11:00

yep, that's pretty much it...

Unexpected pride

2007-09-18T23:15:00.000+10:00

I'm not always the loudest and proudest AIESECer or the loudest and proudest (former) Alcatelienne but this makes me proud, this makes me really proud.

(a bit of a geeky and sentimental post, I know, but I couldn't help it)

Trashbags...

2007-08-18T09:02:00.000+10:00

A friend of mine (aka Bo) send me this in an email, though I have no idea why she thought of me :)
It's a pretty good list, I could probably think of a few more, and for me a true trashbag would participate in way more than 5 of them. Anyway, enjoy!

A trashbag is an Australian invented word, but a global concept. A trashbag is one who engages in excessive behaviour while partying, and generally makes a disgrace of themselves - in a good way. True trashbagging doesn't involve just alcohol. It is a way of life. On a night out, a Trashbag should participate in at least 5 of the following:

Drinking at least a bottle of wine or champagne BEFORE leaving the house.
Downing more than 10 jagerbombs.
Eating in at least three of the major fast food outlets in the course of one evening.
Starting up deep conversations with randoms while waiting in the toilet queue.
Dancing on any available table, not discriminating against pool tables of course.
Requesting so many songs that the music is like your own play list, and the dj hates you.
Screaming I LOVE THIS SONG for every song.
Having the bouncers, bar staff and dj all know you at your local.
Putting your bags on the floor and dancing around them so you have more movement.
Inventing new dance moves, such as the moose, the elephant.
Bringing out old dance moves such as the monkey, the nut bush or the sprinkler.
Clearing the dance floor and getting strange looks from everyone that's not you.
Taking a hip flask of vodka in your handbag or jacket.
Writing things on yourself and everyone around you.
Telling random people that they're hot. And more importantly, that you are.
Drinking Smirnoff blacks because they have 1.9 standard drinks, or Coopers Sparkling, cause it is 5.9% alcohol.
Taking at least 60 photos of yourself.
Taking photos of yourself and your friends on the toilet.
Sucking face with a random on the dance floor. And then another. And another. And, well, you get the picture...
Starting drinking at 3pm or earlier.
Continuing till the next afternoon.
Wearing a skirt so short you need to wear shorts (or special undies) underneath.
Staying somewhere till you get kicked out, then catching a cab to somewhere else that's 5mins down the road.
Walking out of a club and the sun is up, the birds are chirping, and noticing that the person you've been suck facing is not as attractive as you thought.
Being that person on their way home as people are jogging, and going to work/school.
Doing the walk of shame, either home or out of the club, with shoes in hand.
Choosing a corner to dance in so you can dance like mo fos in your own privacy.
Crying/stacking it/booting/all three.
Sustaining an unidentified party injury.
Making emotional phone calls to friends you haven't spoken to in a while. Or worse, family.
Getting into serious conversations with cab drivers that end with you mocking and insulting them.
Pre-drinks before going out is not an idea, it is a necessity.

Everybody needs good neighbours

2007-07-19T20:10:00.000+10:00

Last Sunday, after much partying and foolishness the night before, Amy, Mel and I braved through our hangovers and traveled all the way to Parramatta Westfield to see some of the stars of Neighbours. As I'm sure anyone who knows me would guess we were running late, about an hour and a half late in fact, so when we arrived we were pretty sure we'd missed them. However, after talking to the concierge and we very pleased to hear they were still in the building.

Neighbours is a bit of a guilty pleasure of my so I was quite surprised to see just how many fans there are out there. We were waiting in the line for just over an hour before it was finally our turn to "meet" them. We were in the presence of two stars, a very new character and a veteran. I know that they are real people but it's so much easier to write about them referring to them as there characters so that's what I'll do. Ringo was there, one of the newest characters (I don't really know anything about him) and the highlight of the day Paul Robinson! He even agreed to pretend to be a highly enthused Japanese tourist with us in the photo!!!

Not the most sophisticated day but lots and lots of fun and a great way to kill a lazy hungover Sunday.

Home?

2007-07-11T23:59:00.000+10:00

I'm back in Sydney now, and even back to working already. I thought it would be the best thing to do so as not to have too much time to sit around doing nothing and missing my lives in Paris and Canada. I don't think this was necessarily a bad idea but I have realised that nothing can really make me stop missing them and now I'm just exhausted by work at the same time. Oh well, I am happy to be back I guess it will just take a while to get used to it.

To give a brief update, the rest of my time in Canada was amazing!!! Highlights of my time there include:

spending almost every waking moment hanging out with Anthony
catching up with everyone (Anth, Lacey, Sunita, Tim, Jamie, Michelle, Andre, Jenna and everyone else)
meeting new friends making it even harder to leave but great to know I still really have a life in Canada
going to Tim's cottage for the weekend, without doubt one of the most relaxing weekends of my life
Barrymore's, Helsinki and all the other bars in Ottawa

Going back made me remember that I have not one, not two but three home town.

I've got photos from Tim's cottage on Facebook or if you've been living under a rock for the last 6 months and don't have Facebook you can just click here.

After a sad goodbye in Ottawa, Michelle, Josée and I jumped on a plane to the craziness and most surreal place on earth Las Vegas. I don't even know what to say about Vegas really... it's Disneyland for adults! Once again too lazy to write a paragraph so here's another highlights list:

the greatest roller coaster I've ever been on at the New York New York hotel.
Celine, Josée and Pascale you converted me
"O" by Cirque de Soleil
clubbing at Pure nightclub and the burlesque show at the Pussycat Dolls Lounge
our hotel was shaped like a giant pyramid
I got to go of another summer vacation with Michelle!!!

Once again for photos Facebook or here and here.

The final stop on my voyage was seeing my cousins in LA. It was the PERFECT way to end my trip, I had the best time. Playing with Max and Quinn all day and hanging out with Genitrix and Ghilhaine in the evening, not to mention everyone else. I only wish I could have had more time there. I'm definitely going to take them up on there offer of visiting again for longer.

I was debating whether or not to stop updating my blog now that I'm back but I decided that I'm going to keep it going; living in Sydney is an adventure too!!!

O Canada!

2007-05-30T22:49:00.000+10:00

Everyone keeps asking me whether it's strange to be back in Ottawa, the scene of my university exchange, after being away for two years. I have to say that it only feels strange in that it doesn't feel strange at all. It feels more like 'Gigi the quasi-Canadian' has just been asleep for a while and now she's waking up. I'm very happy to say that Ottawa still feels like home!!

It's a fairly relaxed visit as the only thing on my itinerary is to catch up with friends. This basically means many a beer on many a patio. It's funny how so much has changed yet at the same time nothing has changed at all. It's a fantastic feeling to see a friend that you haven't seen in two years and still get along like you were never apart! I'm yet to have an awkward silence in Canada!!!

It's been a while...

2007-05-11T19:39:00.000+10:00

Lack of free and easy internet access has led me to put my blog into hibernation at the moment. However I am currently locked inside my friend's apartment with nothing to do except browse the net so I thought this would be a good time to write a new post.

I've done quite a bit in the last month; my internship finished, I travelled to Turkey, Amsterdam and Berlin, and after procrastinating about it for about 3 months I finally booked and paid (ouch!) for my flights back to Australia.

Life after my internship is bitter sweet. It's really nice not to have to go to work everyday, I've been able to do a lot of stuff in Paris that I didn't have time to do before as well as go on a few trips. I've been able to explore new neighbourhoods and visit a whole bunch of different museums (there are SO many museums in Paris!!). However at the same time not working anymore sucks. I really miss all the social aspects of the office, I worked with some of my best friends in Paris and I really miss not getting to see them everyday. Worst of all, the end of my internship marks the beginning of the end of my life in Paris. I've really really grown to love Paris and living here. The city has a really amazing and unique feel to it, life here is always exciting and it's hard to be in a bad mood when you live here. It really breaks my heart knowing that I have to leave and all I can do to console myself is promise myself that I will be back and that I WILL live here again.

At the end of last month I went to Gallipoli for Anzac Day. I'm not sure how to begin to describe this, it's one of those things that I always wanted to do but never actually thought I would do. It was really amazing. I always get goosebumps and a strange feeling come over me at dawn service in Australia, at Gallipoli it was like that but a thousand times more. I'm so glad that I made 'the pilgrimage'. I didn't get to see that much more of Turkey only Istanbul. However Istanbul really blew me away and I'd really like to go back and see more of the entire country.

My trips to Amsterdam and Berlin were more to visit friends as I'd already been to both cities before and 'done' all the big tourist type stuff. Highlights of these trips were catching up with Aafke and Rita (!!!!!!!!!!), Queen's Day celebrations in Amsterdam and clubbing in Berlin.

I don't have any more trips planned before leaving Europe. I just really want to hang out in Paris and soak it up as much as I can while I can. Anyway I better go, I think I can here the key turning in the lock meaning that I'm once again free to roam the streets of this incredible city.

Paris je t'aime.

Spring is here!!!

2007-04-03T23:57:00.000+10:00

And it's ohh so pretty! C'est beau, c'est vraiment beau.

*The photo is from when I was relaxing in Jardin des Plantes last Sunday.

You know you're becoming Parisian when....

2007-04-03T00:15:00.001+10:00

you get angry if you have to wait more than 2 minutes for the metro
you are recognised by your boulanger
everybody thinks that you know every street in town, little do they know you secretly carry a tiny plan de Paris in your handbag at all times
the end of zone 2 marks the end of the world as you know it
you always open the door and jump off the metro before it has come to a complete stop
4 to 5 flights of stairs is nothing (although I don't care how long I live here 7 will always be too many)
though it is in no way appreciated, you have accepted public urination
you have also accepted that parks are for looking at, not playing in, and you therefore always remember to keep off the grass
8 euros for a pint of beer is, not exactly reasonable, but not exorbitant either
you find yourself having a stronger and stronger opinion on the left bank versus right bank debate
50 square metres is a lot of space
you always have a baguette, wine and cheese in your kitchen
you push past people without apologising but you always hold the door open for the person behind you even if they're over 5 metres away
un cafe equals a short black, no questions
you introduce yourself to people as Ghislaine

Les Alpes Françaises

2007-03-22T00:51:00.000+11:00

After initially banning myself from snowboarding while living in Paris in an effort to conserve cash and suitcase space, I ended up giving in about a month ago when it hit me that it's the Alps!! How could I not go?

It was a bit of a whirlwind trip involving an overnight bus on Friday, two days on the slopes, and then another overnight bus Sunday dropping us back to Paris just in time to shower, take a quick nap and still be at work on time.

It may be the warmest winter Europe has ever had (just my luck, the year I lived in Canada there was no snow in the Rockies and the year I live here there's no snow in Europe) but the Alps didn't disappoint. I spent the weekend at Les Trois Vallées which is the largest ski-able area in the world! I don't think I even got to ride a quarter of what was on offer. The Alps are so different to anywhere else I've ever skied before, most of the runs are above the tree line so when you look around it's just white in every direction and the only thing dividing one run from another is a line of marker poles. The lack of trees led to amazing views, especially on the two beautiful days we were there. The only thing was that the lack of tree also led to a lack of tree runs and I have to say that I really missed narrowly dodging giant pine tree after giant pine tree.

Two days was definitely not enough and it was really hard to head back to Paris but I'm so glad that I was able to visit the Alps, it was a fantastic weekend and totally worth the 20 hours on the bus it took to get there and back.

Quote of the Day

2007-03-14T03:26:00.000+11:00

Michelle: Speaking french without le subjonctif is like painting without colour.

La Vie En Rose

2007-03-10T02:35:00.000+11:00

In the midst of what can only be described as Edith Piaf mania in Paris with the the release of the film La Môme Marina and I went to see a small musical theatre production about her life. You couldn't have invented a more french sounding evening, a french theatre show about a very famous (probably the most famous) french singer, at a playhouse on the Champs Élysées. Practically too french.

Frustratingly for about the first 20 minutes of the play (and the story of the first 20 years of her life) I didn't really understand much, but then something in my head clicked and I understood most of the rest of it (I still don't quite get how this learning a language thing works but this seems to happen fairly often).

It was a really cute little musical, even if it paled in comparison to the film which I saw a few days later. Though it has to be said there is something priceless about a entire theatre audience of Frenchies singing along.

I wish I lived on this street...

2007-02-27T02:09:00.000+11:00

Cimetière du Père Lachaise

2007-02-24T02:22:00.000+11:00

I always think it's kind of strange that a cemetery can become a tourist attraction but I have to say that after visiting, it is why to understand why Père Lachaise is so popular. The place is massive, gorgeous, and (the factor that lures most of the tourists) it is full of famous people; we literally kept stumbling across them without even trying. The person whose grave I found most interesting was not the cemetery's most famous residents (Jim Morrison or Oscar Wilde) but rather the grave of VICTOR NOIR, a journalist from the 19th century. It stood out because it has a life size bronze statue of him, and what made it stand out even more was that the statue appeared to be rather worn and tarnished in some specific areas, namely the feet, lips and genitals. It seems the story goes that touching the statue will bring you increased fertility.

We never would have know any of this if it wasn't for a random guy who walked by and stopped just long enough to explain the whole story to us. We weren't sure whether to believe it or not but being techno-savvy and living in this modern age afterwards I did a quick search on wikipedia, which confirmed the whole story.

A New Post

2007-02-06T03:06:00.000+11:00

Well I've kind of fallen off the boat recently with my blog (and my travel diary too actually, bad Gigi!). So much so that my most avid reader, my Mum, is complaining and requesting a new post, so here goes...

I have my french exam tonight for the evening classes I've been taking (hence this post which is really just a form of procrastination from studying). The classes have been pretty good, I do them through the Mairie de Paris so they're cheap and because my class is held in a "not very nice" part of Paris my class is quite small (usually less than 10 people). I know that my french has improved A LOT since I first arrived but I still think it's fairly sub-par. It really is just so easy to live in Paris speaking english, and a lot of it is my fault because I get tired and lazy and generally choose to be in a comfortable situation with my english speaking friends rather than pushing myself into french ones.

Many of my friends from my first six months here have left, though a couple of them have returned (!!!). It's been a bit weird adjusting to life without them but c'est la vie, especially the life of a trainee. But being a trainee also means having trainee friends and I recently found out that a friend from Ottawa just accepted a traineeship in Berlin (Go Rita!!!), I can't wait to visit her!!!!

I've already been here 9 months which is kind of freaking the hell out of me. It only hit me a few days ago that I'm definitely not one of the newbies anymore, in fact I'm one of the old hats. It's good and bad, I love that I feel comfortable in Paris and that it feels like home and know my way around but I hate it that I'm not as excited about 'Paris stuff' as I used to be. But most of all I hate that being here 9 months on a 12 month contract means that I only have 3 months to go. Scary! I'm definitely going to have to make it count and try not to think about it too much.

Anyway, at the moment my hope is that I can come back to Paris in a few years and live here again. And to do that it means I'll have to improve my french, so enough procrastinating and back to the books it is for me!

Amsterdam!!!!

2007-01-13T02:30:00.000+11:00

Just as beautiful as I remember it (except with more rain).

Mmmm herring...

I love Jules!!!

The girls! I love them too.

Poland = Awesome

2007-01-10T21:22:00.000+11:00

I had THE GREATEST TIME in Poland!!! I stayed with possibly the nicest, most welcoming family ever. I experienced, not one, but two Polish Christmas dinners. As well as hanging out with Jacek I got to see Pawel on three of the four days I was in town. I discovered the best post-drinking food ever, zapiekanki. I ate so many delicious homemade creations that I could barely move.

Seriously, I had a really fantastic time. It was such an interesting place to visit and somewhere I'm sure I never would have gone if I hadn't come to Paris and met all my wonderful Polish friends. I only slightly disappointing was that there was no snow so I didn't get a white Christmas (but that can't be helped seeing as there isn't any snow anywhere at the moment, damn global warming!!!). Now I really want to go back to Poland is the summer to see it when it's bright and green and beautiful. Actually, I'd be happy to go back to Poland anytime, especially for Christmas!!!!!

Thanks so much for inviting me Jacek!!!

Christmas in Poland?

2006-12-22T01:25:00.000+11:00

Yep!

Tomorrow morning I'm jumping on a plane, and after a 'try and squeeze everything in Berlin into 24 hours' day I'm heading to Poznan, Poland. My wonderful friend, and fellow trainee in Paris (well technically not anymore) has very very kindly invited to back for Christmas with his family. I can't wait, I'm so excited!!! Polish carols, home cooked meals, snow (hopefully), seeing Pawel!!! Polish food, vodka, hot cups of tea.

I think Christmas is going to be really great this year. It's so nice to spend Christmas with family, even if it's not my own (lounging by the pool drinking champagne).

Quote of the Day

2006-12-20T23:36:00.000+11:00

Juliana: (about France) This is the first english speaking country I've lived in or even visited.

And I thought one of the reasons we all moved here was to improve our french?? It's kind of disgusting how easy it is to make yourself a life in Paris with very little or even no french.

Note to self: Must make more of an effort to use my french.

Do you ever wonder why? I do, ALL the time...

2006-12-06T02:51:00.001+11:00

This has got to be one of my most over used phrases now that I live it Paris. It just perfectly sums up so many moments here. I wish I could take credit for it but Jess was saying it way before I was.
Here is a list of some of the 'do you ever wonder why' moments we've witnessed so far (though I have to admit I didn't see all of these first hand, I can assure you that they actually happened):

trail of raw chicken wings (like bread crumbs in Hansel & Gretel) in the metro station
flyer for someone's lost pet, but not a bird or a dog or a cat, an asian elephant
man walking a goat on the metro
there is always a queue out the door and down the street for the butcher on my street (how can the meat be that good?)
a man walking down the street with an i.v. drip coming out of his arm
the Malaysia non-french speaking magician at our favourite indian restaurant performing magic tricks for us
the guy that runs our favourite indian place speaking 9 languages including farsi
a guy wearing only his underwear standing outside the AirFrance building near Le Grand Palais
watching parents encourage their children to pee in public

Oh my god, there have been so many more than just these! I wish I could remember, but I think you get the idea.

I live here...

2006-11-30T01:00:00.000+11:00

...sometimes I forget.

You know you've been working in an office too long when...

2006-11-27T21:13:00.000+11:00

The highlight of your day is that the coffee machine is giving away free coffee.

A year older but none the wiser...

2006-11-24T21:07:00.000+11:00

Quote of the Day

2006-11-17T21:06:00.000+11:00

Kate: Oh, your husband is French?
Claudia: Yes, but he's nice.

Highlights from Ireland

2006-11-17T03:20:00.000+11:00

All signs, newspapers, announcements, ads, instructions etc being in English, and everyone speaking English - I did actually miss French but it was so nice not having to think before speaking and being able to express yourself fully and have proper conversations with anyone you wanted.
Fish'n'chips and proper full breakfast everyday with bacon, eggs, hashbrown, sausage, baked beans, toast and scones. If they'd had vegemite it would have been home.
The Cliffs of Moher!! They are so spectacular!!!! And as you can see from the photos below we sat right on the edge.
Beer - Ales, stouts and lagers.
Dancing with the locals to Irish music in a pub in Galway.
All the castles, there are SO many castles in Ireland!
All the random locals we met and chatted to. Everyone had a story to tell, whether it be about the history of Dublin or how much they love Home & Away.
Seeing live stand-up comedy in Dublin, even though we only got about 60% of the jokes.
Watching Australia slaughter Ireland in the International Rules Football match.
Finally buying a pair of boots.
Buying a pair of gloves for only 75 cents, they're not the most attractive gloves but they got the job done.
Going crazy on the last night with the girls on the df*

*df = dancefloor (but shame on you if you didn't know that!!!)

Photos from Ireland!!!

2006-11-08T04:05:00.001+11:00

I'm too lazy to write a real entry right now but here are some photos from my trip to Ireland last week. I promise to post accompanying stories within the next couple days.

Le Bonjourer (Part III)

2006-10-25T18:09:00.000+10:00

Wow, I really didn't think I'd ever be writing about these guys again.

Jess has a friend (seulement un ami?) living in Beijing at the moment and according to her last blog post there are lots of bonjourers there too. Unbelievable!!!

Please stay, just a little bit longer...

2006-10-20T01:20:00.000+10:00

My friends in Paris are starting to buy one-way tickets home :(

Please don't go!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!

ROMA!!!

2006-10-18T23:51:00.000+10:00

Rome was so much fun!!! We had a great time. It's such a beautiful city and the people are so so friendly. For me, highlights of our fabulous trip include:

The weather! Being in Europe when it's not the middle of winter in still such a novelty for me. On Sunday it was 27 degrees!
Staying in one big hotel suite with all five of us, so much better than a hostel (though sharing one bathroom not so much)
Having a bottle of champagne waiting for us in our room when we arrived
Piazza Venezia - the first big landmark type thing we saw
Hanging out on the Spanish Steps
Friday night dinner and bar hopping/clubbing (even if we went home eariler than I wanted)
The Colosseum!!! I LOVE it, I think it is my favourite thing in Rome
Gelato. Need I say more
Mass in the Pantheon
Brunch on Sunday at this really lovely cafe, I only wish I'd eaten more
The fact that Marina speaks fluent Italian, it made such a difference

And so so many other things....I think I could go on forever. It was one fantastic weekend. I still can't believe I live somewhere where it's possible to go to Rome (the Rome) for the weekend.

Petra, I hoped you liked your present as much as I did....

ROMA prossimamente!!!

2006-10-12T01:39:00.000+10:00

I'm off to Rome tomorrow and I can't wait!!! I'm going for a long weekend with Petra, Aafke, Marina and Issa. The whole trip was planned as a surprise birthday present for Petra. I can't wait to party in Rome and walk all around town when it's not January and fucking freezing. Well that's really all I have to say...I'm going to Rome tomorrow!!!!! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!

Greatest T-Shirt Ever....

2006-10-06T18:22:00.000+10:00

Jay-Z à Le Zenith

2006-10-05T22:17:00.000+10:00

Saw Jay-Z live last week with Michelle and Aafke. We bought our tickets a couple months ago and were really excited about the concert, in fact Michelle purposely made her trip coincide with it. It was pretty good but it really reminded me of when I saw James Brown last summer; not really the greatest concert in the world but I knew I was really seeing a really amazing talent and that it would probably be the only opportunity I would have to see them. Strange seeing an english speaking artist with a non-english (or not fantastic english) speaking crowd, there wasn't that much crowd interaction and he spoke quite fast with quite a bit of slang so I'm pretty sure that they couldn't understand that much. All in all it was a good night out but it really does reinforce just how amazingly fantastic Kanye West was in Sydney. I can't believe Georg gets to see him again in a couple months, I'm so so jealous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paris by Bike

2006-09-13T23:02:00.000+10:00

Last Saturday afternoon some friends and I rented bicycles to ride around Paris. It was SO much fun!!! It was a fantastic way to see Paris, Paris is so much friendlier by bike. Also, it made me realise just how condensed Paris is, we were able to see so much in such a short space of time. We started at Bastille heading off along the Seine to Notre Dame before heading to Jardin Luxembourg for a quick break followed by Saint Sulpice, Tour Eiffel and then just out of Paris proper to Bois de Boulogne. It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon until...I fell.

Riding through the park I came off my bike straight into the gravel, hitting my head and badly scratching my hands and arms. I thought I was fine but within a couple seconds there was blood coming down my face. But my friends took very good care of me and the ambulance was called. Petra came with in to the hospital where I was glued back together (seriously glued, no stitches required), patched up and given a tetanus shot. We then caught a taxi back to my apartment where Petra made me dinner and put me to bed (thanks Petra!!! I really appreciated it, more than you know).

It’s been a few days now and I’m feeling a lot better, definitely on the mend. I just can’t wait to heal so I can get back on a bike! I really want to cycle around Paris again before it gets too cold and miserable.

Ma station sera fermée!!!!

2006-08-29T01:47:00.000+10:00

Pour 10 semaines!!!!

Non!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ce n'est pas juste!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Qu'est-ce je ferai??

Ok, so maybe I'm over-reacting a little because the next metro station is only a five minute walk further down the road. But I don't care, I can whinge if I want to!!!

San Sebastián

2006-08-25T22:08:00.000+10:00

Spain!!! well kind of...ask any local and they'll say that you're not in San Sebastián, Spain but in Donostia, Pays-Basque. It is like nothing I've ever seen before, a huge protected bay with a big island in the middle. The water is a greeny colour yet perfectly clear even when it is really deep. On our third day there Marina, Juliet, Petra and I swam out to the island, it seemed like a very natural thing to do but when we reached the island the lady sitting there looked at us like we were a little insane.

Biarritz

2006-08-25T19:56:00.000+10:00

...was gorgeous!!!! (when it wasn't storming). It was so nice to hear the sound of the ocean everyday, I didn't realise how much I missed it. And I also discovered that people from landlocked countries ARE able to swim in the surf without drowning (Go Janet!!).
How cute is the beach with all the umbrellas??

This is France??

2006-08-24T19:34:00.000+10:00

I couldn't believe it either.

This photo is taken from the Dune de Pyla, on the French Atlantic coast, 60km west of Bordeaux. It is the tallest sand dune in Europe (Europe has sand dunes?) reaching 117m at its highest point. It is so so beautiful there, just stunning! We just wished we could have had more time there (and that Brittany could have been there). Next time we do the trip we'll definitely spend more time there.

Mozart in Sainte Chapelle

2006-08-10T20:00:00.000+10:00

So, not the greatest pictures in the world but I thought it would help you get an idea. Last night Petra, Chris, Jacek, Marina and I went to watch a small orchestra play classical music in Sainte Chapelle. I'm not going to pretend to be knowledgeable about classical music but I really enjoyed it.

When I first visited Paris a couple years ago Sainte Chapelle was one of my favourite things here. It's a small church hidden within the Parisian Law Courts. It was built in 1248 by Louis IX (can you tell I read my lonely planet last night?) . I remember the first time I saw it I was completely transfixed by the stained glass windows that cover all 4 walls.

I think Mozart is perfect accompaniment.

Direct Translations...

2006-08-09T19:38:00.000+10:00

Le Tour de France

2006-07-29T00:01:00.000+10:00

Ok, so this photo might just look like a whole lot of bikes speeding by but they aren't just any bikes, it's the Tour de France. Last Sunday we braved the heat and the crowds to watch the riders go up and down and Champs Elysees for the final part of the final stage. I never really been that interested in the Tour de France but it was pretty cool. I can't believe how many really really dedicated fans there are. We met a group of people that had come all the way from Townsville (yes, that Townsville, in Queensland, Australia) just to see the Tour.

Le Bonjourer (Part II)

2006-07-25T19:34:00.000+10:00

So I quick little update about "le bonjourer" which I mentioned and described in a post a few weeks ago.

We were talking about them again at work today, and it turns out that they already have a name for them in France. Romain, the token Frenchy in our office, informed us this morning. In typical french style it is un jeu des mots (a play on words). It is a play on the phrase vas y (pronounced va-z), the French call bonjourers y-vas (pronounced zy-va), reversing the syllables. It can't really been written correctly as in vas y there is an liaison between the s and the y (making the 'z' sound) which doesn't exist when you write the words in the other order.

They have this title because one of the things they always say is "vas y, vas y", inviting you to come with them. And in true French slang fashion they've simply reversed the syllables.

Personally I prefer the term bonjourer, but I have a feeling that is just because it is easier on my English-speaking brain.

La Fête Nationale

2006-07-19T02:17:00.001+10:00

Friday afternoon I headed down to Champs de Mars to meet friends and get a good spot for the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. By the time I arrived at 6 o'clock Champs de Mars was packed, and amazingly not just by tourists. By the time the fireworks started at 10:30pm you couldn't see one pack of grass, just bodies and blankets.

The fireworks were fantastic! so so beautiful!! They were designed to be watched from Champs de Mars with giant speakers set up all the way down to Ecole Militaire playing Mozart. It was perfectly timed, like a ballet of fireworks. The whole thing went for about half an hour and it was amazing.

Here is about 20 seconds on the fireworks that I filmed, enjoy:

Zidane y va marquer!!!!

2006-07-11T23:43:00.000+10:00

(Zidane is going to score)

Not sure what to say about this except that I love this song!!! And so does France! (sorry Jess, I know you already blogged this but I just love it too much not to blog it too.)

Paris is Silent

2006-07-10T22:01:00.000+10:00

The city was so quiet last night. I don't know if I have ever known it so quiet. It's like the whole country is in mourning. It's been so alive for the past few weeks and in a moment it was over. Zidane is a hero here. One of the common chants yelled by the crowd here is "Zizou pour Président". He can do no wrong and everyone believes he must have been severely provoked to react the way he did.

I just can’t believe the World Cup is over. I can't remember what life was like without it.

Le Bonjourer

2006-07-08T01:38:00.000+10:00

Definition: A bonjourer is a man who (if you're lucky) says “bonjour” to you as you pass him on the street/metro, or (if you're unlucky) says “bonjour” and they continues to harass you as the try your very best to ignore them.

Bonjourers are generally harmless but can be very annoying and sometimes very sleazy. Our standard response is to ignore them, which sometimes works but generally isn't very affective and sometimes even garners the respond “Quand je dis bonjour, tu dois dire bonjour!!” (when I say hello, you must say hello!!!) in a very angry tone. Bonjourers usually follow the “bonjour” with something like “vous été très belle” (you are very beautiful), "vous été très gentille" (you are very nice). I know this sounds all well and good now but think of it more as the "Hello Beautiful" that you get from the weird, creepy, drunk guy in the dark corner of the bar at home.
Some of them aren't creepy at all and are just plain hilarious. Jess and I were once bonjoured by a guy at La Chapelle metro station who asked us "Quel est ton nom?" (What is your name?) to which Jess replied "J'ai pas un nom, mes parents sont fous" (I don't have a name, my parents are crazy). However, sometimes they are really really creepy like the guy that followed Alexis (Canadian Alexis, not Lek) and I as we transferred between metro lines and then when we changed carriages too.

Bonjourers are everywhere in Paris and always seem to find you when you least expect them, and even more when you're really not in the mood to be bonjoured. They'll never strike if you have a guy with you, especially if he's Polish (miss you Szymona!!!), but being with another girl just ensures that they come in pairs (or will offer to call their friend if they're alone).

I even have a friend who, while catching the night bus, told a bonjourer that she only spoke Portuguese, after he tried to talk to her in French and English. She thought she had found the perfect excuse when he walked away...but he only returned a minute later with a guy who spoke Portuguese to translate for him (seriously!!). There is no stopping these guys!!!! I'm glad we can laugh about it.

Qui ne saute pas n'est pas Français!!!!!

2006-07-06T22:23:00.000+10:00

Champs Elysées after France beat Portugal

After France beat Portugal last night to make the final of the World Cup everyone headed to the Champs Elysées to celebrate. There were people all the way from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. The atmosphere was aaamazing!!! Even more aaamazing than Saturday. There were flares and fireworks going off everywhere and everyone was chanting. I can't wait until Sunday night, I can't even imagine what it will be like if they win. After the final in the 1998 World Cup there were over a million people on the Champs Elysées. I really really hope they win on Sunday!!!

The Crowd's Reaction

2006-07-06T00:55:00.000+10:00

This is a video I recorded of the reaction of the crowd in the stadium, Stade Charlety, after France scored it's first goal against Spain on 27 June 2006 in the World Cup. These guys next to us were awesome, and so passionate about football, I love their reaction. I showed them the video afterwards and they asked for (and took) a copy for themselves.

La Coupe du Monde de Football

2006-07-04T18:07:00.000+10:00

Is everyone amazed that France beat Spain and then Brazil?? The French definitely are!!! We (some other trainees and Juliet and I) made an effort to go watch France v Spain surrounded by an many French people as possible so soak up the atmosphere while it lasted because we were fairly certain that it would be there last game. We went to a big outdoor stadium in the South of Paris where it is broadcast on a big screen. The entire place was packed, both the field and pretty much all the stands too. I don't think I actually saw any of the French goals because every time they scored (or looked like they were about to) everyone jumped to their feet and started yelling and screaming and jumping around. People were letting off flares all around the place. The feeling inside the stadium was amazing, and afterwards on the streets it was just as nuts. As we were walking back to the metro the guy next to us said that it was the same ambiance as the World Cup in 1998.

On Saturday night after France beat Brazil we jumped straight on the metro and followed the crowd to the Champs Elyseés. It was, as Petra put it, AAAMAZING!!! There were people as far as the eye could see, all the way for the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde. Everyone was chanting and letting off flares (they love those flares, apparently it’s a European football thing) and gathering around. To tell the truth I wasn’t really sure exactly what they were doing and I don’t think they knew either. We joked that no one knew what to do because the French are so used to losing they don’t know how to celebrate a win. I really hope they win now, I can’t even imagine what it would be like.

I'm just so glad I still have a team to support. ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!!!

Aussie Party!

2006-06-15T22:01:00.000+10:00

Invitation to our Australia Party (written in Aussie slang, english translation underneath in red):

G'day Mate!!!
Hello Friend!!!
Get ready Freddy and make sure you've got someone to watch the ankle biters so you can bring ya Missus
Get ready and make sure you arrange a babysitter so that you are able to bring your significant other
'cos we're all keen as mustard for the fair dinkum party that will be the bee's knees this Saturday night!!!!
because we are all very excited for a genuine party that will be the absolute best this Saturday night!!!!
It's gonna be crazier than a cut snake, ridgie didge!! And all youse happy little vegemites are welcome!!!
It is going to be extremely crazy, truly!! And all of you cheerful people are welcome!!!
Wazza and Geige would like to invite youse Sheilas and Blokes to a true blue Aussie piss up.
Jess and I would like to invite all you ladies and gentlemen to a genuine Australian party involving drinking.
We're gonna hit the turps like we're on schoolies!!
We are going to drink and party like we have just finished high school and our finishing school exams and we are really excited about it!!
It's at mine:
The party will take place to my apartment:
Make tracks to ** rue Riquet, 75019
Head to ** rue Riquet, 75019
Metro: RIQUET (line 7)
Gate code: ****
remember to use your noggin and buzz *** (no. **)
Remember to think about what you're doing and buzz *** (no. **)
on the 7th floor, turn right out of the lift.
Be a dead set legend and BYO (VB, XXXX & NEW stubbies preferred)
Be someone who everyone loves and respects and Bring Your Own alcohol (Australian beer in 375ml bottles preferred)
There'll be some munchies for if you get peckish, but remember eatin's cheatin though we don't want ya to go A over T.
There will be some snacks for if you get hungry, but remember you won't get as drunk if you eat too much though we don't want you to go Arse over Tits and fall over.
We'll also have a pash-n-dash comp for all youse yobbos.
We'll also have a catch and kiss competition for all you uncouth people.
From 8:30pm, straight after arvo tea.
From 8:30pm, straight after afternoon tea.
Get there quick smart so youse can get a good possie before the place gets chockers.
Be there on time so that you can get a good position before the place gets too full.
Don't forget your togs.
Don't forget your bathing suit.
Blokes make sure you have a Dad'n'Dave and Sheilas scrub up and put your face on.
Guys make sure you have a shave and girls dress nicely and put you make-up on.
Cheers big ears, be there or be square! We'll see youse when we're lookin at youse!!
Thank you everyone, be there or you are not cool! We'll see you there!!
Ta!
Thanks!
PS. No worries if ya wanna bring some mates but don't leave us in the dark.
PS. No problem if you'd like to bring your friends but please let us know first.
PPS. No derros.
PPS. No derelicts (loser,people who ruin parties etc)
PPPS. Any probs just ring us (06 82 50 43 82 or 06 19 74 89 39)
PPPS. If you have any problems just call us (06 82 50 43 82 or 06 19 74 89 39)

Quote of the Day

2006-06-07T19:16:00.000+10:00

Niharika: The British made Indians prudes.
Gigi: Yes and the British made Australians racist drunks.

!Vodka Party!

2006-05-23T19:25:00.000+10:00

It was the greatest house party I’ve been to in years and definitely the most fun I’ve had since arriving in Paris. It was crazy we were up all night and all caught the metro home at 6am. I don’t know how but we ran out of vodka, but luckily I was prepared and had hidden some beers amongst the fruit and vegetables in the fridge (like the wine hidden behind the coffee machine at EY Gen). Everyone was in fine form, especially Petra (the genius who came up with the Vodka theme, Lek I can’t believe we never thought of that). People were still arriving at 3am, and it didn’t even seem odd. Anyway, all in all it was just a fantastic party, though thinking back I can’t pin point exactly what made it so great. I think part of it was that it was the first time where I felt like I was equal with the other trainees, like I’m not the newbie anymore.
A couple photos from the party:

From left to right: Marina, Aafke, Petra, me, and Juliet (Dan's cousin).

Not a drop left!?!

On the board...

2006-05-23T19:23:00.000+10:00

tally update: I

I'll send an email with more details.

Normandie

2006-05-18T23:20:00.000+10:00

I went to Normandy a couple weekends ago. I saw three towns, Etretat, Honfleur and Deauville, on the north west coast of France. I think the absolute highlight of the trip was where we stayed on the second night. It was a bit like a Bed & Breakfast but not really, it's called a Chambre d'hôtes in french but now we just call them grandma houses. Basically you stay in someone's house. The one we stayed at was run by an old French couple that rent out the top level of their house, they said (from what I could gather with my terrible terrible French) that they decided to do it after their children grew up. Anyway they were the cutest couple ever and the best part was for breakfast we had fresh, still hot from the oven, homemade brioche! Best brioche I've ever had, ever!!! Of course, we insisted on having a photo with them.

Deauville

2006-05-18T23:12:00.000+10:00

I don't really have that much to say about Deauville other than it had the ugliest beach I have ever seen. The sand was kind of grey coloured and went forever and the sea was flat and uninviting. Though I think Deauville is a town where really really rich people have their weekend houses because the streets there were filled with really really expensive cars and all the shop windows were filled with really really expensive brands.

Honfleur

2006-05-18T23:01:00.000+10:00

Honfleur was my favourite of the towns we saw. It was just so cute and gorgeous. It didn't have a beach but it had a harbour in the middle of town and all these little old winding streets leading away from it. The buildings were all beautiful and old and were generally either cute little stores selling conserves or little art galleries. I couldn't afford any art so I settled for some homemade apple and kiwi jam and some chutney. I decided that if I was a wealthy Parisian I would have my weekend house in Honfleur.

Etretat

2006-05-18T22:21:00.000+10:00

Etretat has these huge cliffs and rock formations on the coast. It kind of reminded me of the Gap in Sydney but greener, colder, without fishermen on the rocks and not sandstone. It was stunning though, especially when we walked up to the point and could look down of the beach. Apparently on a clear day it's possible to see England, though I can hardly imagine that, it was so foggy when we were there.

The beach was one of those European pebble beaches. Harder to walk on than sand but if was nice that you didn't get sand all in your shoes. Also it sounds so different from a beach back home; the crashing noise that the waves made so completely different and you could hear the water draining through the pebbles every time the waves went out too. I was so excited to see the ocean and really wanted to touch it but the beach was quite steep and it's hard to run on pebbles so I accidentally soaked my entire right foot, shoe and everything. (Pictured: clockwise it's me, Liv, Marina and Christian. They are all trainees in Paris too)

Mes Compagnons de Bureau

2006-05-16T00:26:00.000+10:00

These are my office buddies! From left to right it's Petra and Stefanie (both from Austria), Romain (our token Frenchy), yours truly, Marius (from Estonia) and Abhishek (from India).

Mon bureau

2006-05-16T00:13:00.000+10:00

This is me "working hard" at the office. I've actually moved desks now so I get to sit next to the window which is really nice, especially on sunny days.

J'ai un appartement

2006-05-10T19:27:00.000+10:00

I moved in last weekend. My french family helped me find it. It was just good timing really, my second cousin's boyfriend just moved in with her so I moved into his place. It is not 100% above board because subletting isn't really allowed in Paris, but I have an affordable furnished apartment in Paris so who cares? At first I was a little disappointed because it isn't in one of those beautiful old Parisian buildings but now that I've finally been able to start packing I don't really care anymore, plus I get to look at pretty Parisian buildings all day.
I live in the 19th arrondissement, which is north-east Paris. I live about 100 metres from the Metro station Riquet and about a 5 minute walk to the supermarket (though if I was feeling really lazy I could take the metro one stop). I haven't really had much time to explore the area but I already have a local boulanger (baker) of course.
I was going to post my address here but it seems much more sensible not to, so if you'd like it just email me and I'll let you know.

Ma Famille Française

2006-05-02T20:01:00.000+10:00

This Sunday I went to a family lunch with some of my 'long lost' french relatives. I met my mother's aunt and uncle, their children and their children. It was really lovely. I'd never met any of them before but I was welcomed with open arms. And between their english, my french and a bit of wine the conversation managed to keep flowing. I haven't really met that much of Mum's side of the family before, in fact I generally tend to forget that she has such a large extended family. It was so strange to meet relatives from Mum's side - you could definitely see the family resemblance. We had all the same features; eye, hair and skin colour. I've never really had that with anyone other than George and Mum before.

Most of them aren't from Paris and were just visiting for the weekend. But they all invited me back to their home towns for a weekend if I get the chance. Also my second cousin is helping me get an apartment, hopefully I'll be moving into her boyfriend's place when he moves out this week. (fingers crossed).

The whole day was pretty exhausting though. I'd completely forgotten how tiring trying to understand and speak french all day is. But it was one of those days where I could feel my french improving which was great. Everyone speaks english in my office and unfortunately it is proving very easy to not speak any french here so I'm trying to make a really effort to speak french when I can.

Ma Première Semaine

2006-04-21T05:30:00.000+10:00

Well I've been here a week now, I can’t tell if it has gone really fast or really slow. It was a little bit difficult in the first few days but now I'm having a really good time (even if I do have to go to work everyday).

Things didn't started out the best as I managed to loose my wallet/have it pick pocketed on the metro within half an hour of being in the country. I was pretty upset and distressed at the time but now I'm just plain annoyed because I have to wait a whole another week before I get my bank card back. I have enough money to get by but this makes life a little difficult. Not the mention the “spot the ‘we accept American express’ sticker game” is so much harder in France.

I met a few of the other trainees over the weekend. I was invited to an informal Easter lunch with them and then a small party on Sunday night which was lots of fun. The party was in the nicest apartment, right downtown near the Hotel de Ville, really big and with a balcony. I was such a tease, I think it was the holy grail of Parisian apartments.

The best thing so far about being in Paris is seeing Nives and Olivier, two friends from my university exchange in Ottawa. They are kindly letting me stay with them until I find my own place. It is so fantastic to see them!!! I can’t believe it had been over a year since we parted ways in Canada, it felt like yesterday when I first saw them. I’m so excited about living in the same city as them again. And they are also helping me do all the things that my stuttering French needs help with like find an apartment, get a mobile number etc.

Work is….well actually looks like it could be quite a bit of work. I think it is going to be quite a challenge; there is a lot to learn about boring budget maintenance type stuff as well as all this telecommunications/information systems jargon. But there are a lot of other trainees and young people in the office, I think it is going to be a fun place to work. And Alcatel has its own big cafeteria with good inexpensive food where everyone eats together everyday. A billion times better than that tiny food cart that used to come around to Doubleday’s offices.

Other than that, Paris is gorgeous in the spring. Everything is turning green again, I can’t even imagine how pretty it will be in a month. It’s hard to be in a bad mood long here, all you have to do is go for a short walk and you’ll be amazed by something’s beauty.

When I first arrived I had what I guess I would call Australian withdrawal symptoms, everything was very overwhelming and I wasn’t sure I’d cope. But now that I’ve been here a week I’m feeling a lot more settled and I’m feeling quite grateful to be here. I just can’t wait to find my own place so I can finally unpack!!

Hello World

2006-03-30T23:56:00.000+11:00

Well I now have a blog. I'm not sure whether this means I'm computer savvy or a computer geek but I have feeling it's the latter.