The follies of being a foreigner.
First day in Paris.
I'm going to try and write everyday.
1045am. Arrived, late, by plane. I did not sleep on the flight at all due to the annoying child beside me. He kept encroaching into my area. He was seriously half in my seat. Then he'd touch my damn touch screen tv. He would choose movies for me, and he'd reset the movie when I paused it. Thanks, I know how to use the damn thing. I want it paused actually.
Okay, lets not talk about that because I dislike children, and am getting mad again.
So, I disembark from the plane. I wait in line for a hilarious door that apparently was so hard for people to use. It was like a giant version of the revolving doors we're used to at the bay. But electronic and there was only one pane of glass that divided a circle across its diameter. There was a little sign that counted the people who boarded it, 8 people were supposed to fit, then once it had 8 people on it, the sign turned red and would pause a second then start turning. Though 1 in 9 people did not understand this concept and while the door was turning tried to walk through it and got squished, or a mother would leave their child walking behind them and would get separated, or a hand would get caught. Fun.
11. Customs. I have my first visa stamp!
1120. Waiting for my baggage in the line up. Its scary and I start to begin to wonder what if someone steals my baggage? It would be so easy!
1130. I wander around for a little while, trying to find the RER that connects the city with the airport. I am tired, physically exhausted from carrying my luggage and navigating the crowds, so I take a taxi against my better judgment.
1220. Finally arrive at 72 rue de la colonie. The place I am staying. Yes, thats right it was a 45 minute cab ride. Lots of traffic. 55eur fare.
A kid enters the gated courtyard before me and holds open the door.
I have no idea what i'm doing so I punch in part of the door code into the door code panel thinking i'm calling the apartment. I'm not.
So I just mutter something incomphrensible to the kid, and step inside.
Not knowing where to go or what to do I stand there awhile. I circle the courtyard, and decide that the C I have written down must correspond to the C I see on a building, I start walking up to it and, who should come up behind me? The girl i'm renting the apartment from.
We do the double kiss thing on the cheeks and she helps me with my luggage.
I meet the girl I will be staying with and a bit of the apartment.
I'm sticky, I probably smell, so I shower and after a bit I go to sleep.
I awake at 830. Get dressed and prepare myself for my first jaunt into the parisian walkways.
I think a boy rides by me fast on a bike saying (in french) "I am 8 years old, watch out for me!"
It was very .... endearing.
I find my way down to a cafe and have a the best crepe i've had yet. Sorry Montreal. Nutella, banana and almonds. It wasn't the filling I loved (but I do love nutella in a crepe), but it was the crepe. It was so flavourful.
I eat it at, like I said a cafe, but i'm unsure whether the cafe and the crepe stand were one and the same. Someone asked me if i'd like something to drink, and having no more money, I declined. And I felt bad.
So I wander back home, stopping at a grocery store to buy a bottle of water (.40eur) some boiled eggs which had mayo and veggies on them and olives.
I got lost on the way home, not remembering many landmarks I was just so absorbed in sights, and having no map and poorly labeled streets. I follow the direction I think I should take. At one point in time I go to far, so I turn around, and the next block is the street I want.
1130. Then Oriane and I figured out the internet, and now i'm writing this. at 3am.
There are many dogs who wander the street, not many to be exact, but I saw two without an owner and I think i've only seen that a couple of times living in winnipeg.
I am tired, and therefore will go to sleep now, as Natacha just came home and would probably like her couch.
I'm going to try and write everyday.
1045am. Arrived, late, by plane. I did not sleep on the flight at all due to the annoying child beside me. He kept encroaching into my area. He was seriously half in my seat. Then he'd touch my damn touch screen tv. He would choose movies for me, and he'd reset the movie when I paused it. Thanks, I know how to use the damn thing. I want it paused actually.
Okay, lets not talk about that because I dislike children, and am getting mad again.
So, I disembark from the plane. I wait in line for a hilarious door that apparently was so hard for people to use. It was like a giant version of the revolving doors we're used to at the bay. But electronic and there was only one pane of glass that divided a circle across its diameter. There was a little sign that counted the people who boarded it, 8 people were supposed to fit, then once it had 8 people on it, the sign turned red and would pause a second then start turning. Though 1 in 9 people did not understand this concept and while the door was turning tried to walk through it and got squished, or a mother would leave their child walking behind them and would get separated, or a hand would get caught. Fun.
11. Customs. I have my first visa stamp!
1120. Waiting for my baggage in the line up. Its scary and I start to begin to wonder what if someone steals my baggage? It would be so easy!
1130. I wander around for a little while, trying to find the RER that connects the city with the airport. I am tired, physically exhausted from carrying my luggage and navigating the crowds, so I take a taxi against my better judgment.
1220. Finally arrive at 72 rue de la colonie. The place I am staying. Yes, thats right it was a 45 minute cab ride. Lots of traffic. 55eur fare.
A kid enters the gated courtyard before me and holds open the door.
I have no idea what i'm doing so I punch in part of the door code into the door code panel thinking i'm calling the apartment. I'm not.
So I just mutter something incomphrensible to the kid, and step inside.
Not knowing where to go or what to do I stand there awhile. I circle the courtyard, and decide that the C I have written down must correspond to the C I see on a building, I start walking up to it and, who should come up behind me? The girl i'm renting the apartment from.
We do the double kiss thing on the cheeks and she helps me with my luggage.
I meet the girl I will be staying with and a bit of the apartment.
I'm sticky, I probably smell, so I shower and after a bit I go to sleep.
I awake at 830. Get dressed and prepare myself for my first jaunt into the parisian walkways.
I think a boy rides by me fast on a bike saying (in french) "I am 8 years old, watch out for me!"
It was very .... endearing.
I find my way down to a cafe and have a the best crepe i've had yet. Sorry Montreal. Nutella, banana and almonds. It wasn't the filling I loved (but I do love nutella in a crepe), but it was the crepe. It was so flavourful.
I eat it at, like I said a cafe, but i'm unsure whether the cafe and the crepe stand were one and the same. Someone asked me if i'd like something to drink, and having no more money, I declined. And I felt bad.
So I wander back home, stopping at a grocery store to buy a bottle of water (.40eur) some boiled eggs which had mayo and veggies on them and olives.
I got lost on the way home, not remembering many landmarks I was just so absorbed in sights, and having no map and poorly labeled streets. I follow the direction I think I should take. At one point in time I go to far, so I turn around, and the next block is the street I want.
1130. Then Oriane and I figured out the internet, and now i'm writing this. at 3am.
There are many dogs who wander the street, not many to be exact, but I saw two without an owner and I think i've only seen that a couple of times living in winnipeg.
I am tired, and therefore will go to sleep now, as Natacha just came home and would probably like her couch.