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AndiVK03
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Name: Andi
Country: United States
State: Michigan
Metro: Grand Rapids
Birthday: 2/9/1985
Gender: Female
Interests: Politics, laying around, drinking copious amounts of coffee, online shopping, spending horrifying amounts of time on Facebook and Xanga, eating ice cream and watching movies with Trae, going to Meijer, recycling, attempting to speak Arabic, watching movies with subtitles, eating Garden Herb Triscuits, procrastinating, complaining, wearing striped and colorful toe socks, acing political science classes, reading cheesy romance novels, buying flip-flops and wearing them in the winter, VH1, arguing about movies, hanging out with friends, making Slow and Low: That is the Tempo CDs, hugging trees, drunk dialing, writing Vern Ehlers and getting bullshit replies, fantasizing about Edward Norton, eating orange chicken and crab rangoon, listening to BBC NewsHour, buying movies I can't afford, making fun of conservatives, dreaming of escape to exotic places, and sleeping.
Expertise: Going into debt.
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  AndiVK03
Member Since:
3/9/2004
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"I like to be terrible!" -Stéphanie
Sorry that I have not been posting often, especially seeing as I have had consistent access to the internet and plenty of time. However, I have been enjoying myself so much that it is hard to tear myself away to write about it.
Our last day in Paris was great, we wandered around Le Marais and took a tour of probably five or six gorgeous churches, and ended walking along the river. Paris was just so awesome I can't wait to go back for a longer time!
Since then, we have been at Stéphanie's place in Bordeaux, easily the most gorgeous countryside I have ever seen. We have wandered Libourne, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, and Stéphanie's village, Villegouge. We went to the beach yesterday, and even though it was a bit chilly it was quite nice to relax on the beach, smelling the salt air and enjoying the breeze off the Atlantic.
While all of this has been going on, I have been treated to the hospitality of Stéph's parents Aline and Gerard, who are wonderful and have made me feel very welcome. I am learning a lot about wine and cheese, and Gerard delights in making delicious food for every meal.
All in all it has been a insanely cool two weeks of utter bliss and I am sad to leave so soon, but excited to get my chance to show Stéphanie my home!
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"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." -Ernest Hemingway
So, another amazing day in Paris!
We started our day in Montmarte, which was beautiful. Everything about it was photographable, from the buildings and the streets to the churches and the people. In Montmarte we saw Sacré-Coeur, a beautiful view of Paris, the Moulin Rouge, the place where the Black Cat used to be, and had an amazing lunch of crêpes.
After Montmarte we headed to the Closerie des Lilas which is the cafe that Ernest Hemingway used to write in, and have meetings in coffee with all the expat "Lost Generation". Ever since I read a Moveable Feast I've really wanted to see it, and it was really pretty. It was expensive but one of the waiters gave us postcards for free of the way the cafe looked when Hemingway wrote there.
Finally we took a trip to the Mosquée de Paris and Les Arènes de Paris, both beautiful, and peaceful.
And oh by the way, I love the Paris Metro.
After a long day Philippe and Bruno took us to dinner at a restaurant that their friend owns, and I had escargot and duck, with a dessert of crême brulee. Delicious! I feel like in terms of food I have been sleeping all my life and have suddenly woken up. I can't believe the crap that Americans settle for. I think when I get home I am going to try and find better food. | | |
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"I wanna walk this earth like it is mine!" -Gogol Bordello
Well my feet hate me, but Paris is awesome!
And that's the last I can remember of a massive post I wrote, which was then predictably erased!
So here is the shortened version of my first day in Paris, which was utterly amazing!
We started with the Eiffel Tower, took a bunch of pictures then almost immediately left for the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elyseés. We walked the Champs Elyseés to le Concorde and the Jardin des Tuileries and finishing at le Louvre. We finally collapsed in a little restaurant on the streets outside le Louvre, where we had lunch and coffee before heading out to Notre Dame.
Notre Dame was probably my favorite place. We went inside and sat, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and I lit a candle, which I always do if I can when I visit places like that. Then Stéphanie and I walked to the bridge, and on the way I bought my souvenirs, a couple of prints of old advertisements and coasters with similar prints on them. Then we spent about twenty minutes trying to recreate my favorite "Hippie Mom" picture, of my Mom sitting on the bridge with Notre Dame in the background. It was really hard without the picture, but we found the place pretty easily and took a handful of pictures, so I hope we did ok.
After Notre Dame we went to Place Vendôme which had a lot of jewelry stores, the Ritz bar that Ernest Hemingway frequented, and a bunch of people striking the Ministry of Justice! It was really fun to see actually, the strikers had really catchy music and we got to see the Paris cops in riot gear. Plus they blocked the whole place off so we got to take pictures from the middle of the street because there were no cars!
Lastly we went to Place des Vosges, a park built by Louis XIII, and Stéphanie's favorite place in Paris, where we chilled out before picking up dessert and heading back to our apartment.
We are staying with friends of Stéphanie's brother, two guys who have an extra apartment that we get to ourselves, and it is BEAUTIFUL. They made us a meal last night which was easily the most delicious food I have ever had, and I got to try a bunch of french cheese and wine, as well as a delicious meal of horse. I was sad for the horse, but it was insanely good.
All in all, it was one of the best days of my life. We have another jam packed day in front of us, so I have to go and experience more of Paris! | | |
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"Yup. Staying in again. Home all comfy and shit." -Gogol Bordello
Finals are NEXT WEEK. Wowwowwowza. This weekend shall be devoted to study while I try to pull it off. In other news, I have been reading a lot. I finished The Places in Between, Death Comes for the Archbishop, the White Castle, and Go Tell It On the Mountain. All very different, all very good. Being completely isolated from books of the 'cheap romance persuasion' has meant that the quality of the books that I read has improved considerably. That doesn't mean I don't look forward to going to the East Library and picking up a giant stack of crappy novels as soon as I get back! I also have become completely obsessed with a Gypsy Punk band called Gogol Bordello. Basically, they fuse traditional Ukrainian gypsy music with a peculiar brand of New York inspired punk. It is the catchiest shit ever, with inflammatory and political lyrics. The lead singer is beyond awesome. His name is Eugene Hutz, and anyone who had ever seen Everything is Illuminated knows him as Alexander Perchov. He's supposed to be absolutely crazy live, and I am trying to get Stéphanie and I tickets to see him at Lollapalooza when they are in Chicago. I have a lot to do in my last couple weeks here, and I look forward more every day to my eventual exile to France. | | |
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"People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither." -Benjamin Franklin
A couple of thoughts from the last couple days... 1) Waffles and blueberries in an American breakfast place in Amman = crazy delicious. 2) Smoking is icky. 3) Baking is fun... and I look forward to Pie Day. 4) Writing is hard, and even Ernest Hemingway agrees. | | |
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