Paris, day 1-2
I'm in Paris!!! This is a mean feat by any stretch if you leave it to weather and the fates, who shirked me once by putting me on a stopover in Heathrow and then twice with the British Airways food. Such a low psychological and desperate point for the typical bourgeois (non business-class) human being, don't you think, those hours in the air when you will eat any styrofoam cinnamon spice bar they plop in front of you, with the knowledge that your snack bars will only hold you over for 3 more hours of delay. Cinnamon crumb loaf, oh yeah BritAirways? If you're lucky I'll be lost to diabetic heart failure before I get the chance to contact the proper human rights violation authorities.
Oh oh but, I met some really sweet people in the missed connections line at Heathrow during my 12 hour detour! A 33-year-old contractor living in Afghanistan (used to be in the military, now he flies helicopters in there for supplies) named Paul, who has convinced me that all they teach you in the military is smooth talking and how to travel well. These two kids around my age, Kirstie and god strike me down if I don't remember the other guy's name eventually, were trying to make their final destination of Aberdeen and were also in line. Also met a Polish PhD student studying at the Uni. of Arizona (optical science, fiberoptics, and such! Are these related? I need a proofreader.). We were all determined to keep spirits in the line positive.
Sooo I finally arrived at my temp.housing in the 12th of Paris (arrondissement, that is) at 11 pm on the 7th Jan. Only to find I couldn't get inside the housing building. Thoughts of sleeping outside in the 15 degree Parisian night didn't seem so impossible, but kind of annoying, yeah? I found two french women though who helped me get in, and then I didn't have a room assignment because the place was shut down for the night, so I found some students on the first floor and this guy from Brooklyn, Ben, had an extra bed that I assaulted and fell upon unconscious in a good five minutes.
Yesterday, orientation, reunion with Miro, housing leads. Today, I visit an appartement, have lunch with Miro and some friends of hers, go to bon marche to get groceries, then go on a group bateau mouche ride. Oh, it's snowing in Paris!
ps creating a new blog for paris related posts only, getting on the in my usual sluggardly fashion..keep those hopes pinned down and feathered..
Oh oh but, I met some really sweet people in the missed connections line at Heathrow during my 12 hour detour! A 33-year-old contractor living in Afghanistan (used to be in the military, now he flies helicopters in there for supplies) named Paul, who has convinced me that all they teach you in the military is smooth talking and how to travel well. These two kids around my age, Kirstie and god strike me down if I don't remember the other guy's name eventually, were trying to make their final destination of Aberdeen and were also in line. Also met a Polish PhD student studying at the Uni. of Arizona (optical science, fiberoptics, and such! Are these related? I need a proofreader.). We were all determined to keep spirits in the line positive.
Sooo I finally arrived at my temp.housing in the 12th of Paris (arrondissement, that is) at 11 pm on the 7th Jan. Only to find I couldn't get inside the housing building. Thoughts of sleeping outside in the 15 degree Parisian night didn't seem so impossible, but kind of annoying, yeah? I found two french women though who helped me get in, and then I didn't have a room assignment because the place was shut down for the night, so I found some students on the first floor and this guy from Brooklyn, Ben, had an extra bed that I assaulted and fell upon unconscious in a good five minutes.
Yesterday, orientation, reunion with Miro, housing leads. Today, I visit an appartement, have lunch with Miro and some friends of hers, go to bon marche to get groceries, then go on a group bateau mouche ride. Oh, it's snowing in Paris!
ps creating a new blog for paris related posts only, getting on the in my usual sluggardly fashion..keep those hopes pinned down and feathered..