I talk too much my mouth hurts

I am getting unblieveable legworks here in Paris, walking everywhere on sight seeing.
Today visited the Invalides, the Orsay museum, to Palais-Royal Gardens, Printemps shopping centre, Angelina's cafe, and even bought myself my first purchase of macarons, of the famously expensive Ladurée shop ! It's so nice, am having the hardest time from scoffing them all at once... which would be very un-French-like..

Just finished putting the boys to bed, it wasn't as easy as I'd hoped... I'm tired as well, lol

Second week in Paris, second week of child minding job.
Once a week I go to the British Embassy for my boys' English lessons. There are so many children, with their Mums and Dads... and also their babysitters, like me. Mostly I know them by sight because they are young, and most of them seem to be Americans. Makes me think of the "Nanny diaries" all the time !

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Also this morning, I went to the Musée Rodin with a fellow Auckland Uni friend S. It was good that I got free entry because I have a student visa here; and I am under 26. Yay ! This was my first time meeting S in person, because we met through a mutual French friend who helped us with our French in Auckland last year. We had a great time taking photos and shopping, and it was so funny to realise how similar our tastes in clothes and hobbies and experiences were ! Dancing, piano, and a summer stint at the Muffin Break were some of them. How funny ! I was almost late for work afterwards because of the shopping, but I am glad we had a good time together and hope she has the best last days in Europe before she returns to the good ole Aotearoa :)

At Sciences Po I have met an American girl D who has similar music tastes as me, so we are going to an Iron and Wine concert together !!! Cool !!!

This is my Paris home. It's tiny, but clean, and quite warm, and the neighbour's not too noisy, and it's all mine!!! I haven't invited anyone as yet, but I hope to have a few dinners with friends, hopefully soon. Which means that I need to brush upon my non existent cooking skills. How is it that during the 3, 4 years I have lived out on my own, I still don't have a "my dish" to whip out to impress others?! Because I don't remember cooking much. Also another thing I will have to organise it seating plans for people. No big companies in my room, please. I only have one stool, which I got from H last night, and the others will have to sit on the bed.. Max two friends at a time, then ;p

Everyone is out having lunch at lunchtimes... which is normal, I guess, but it's annoying when it's your only freetime and you are trying to get some errands done.. and the offices and shops and banks you need to get to are closed!!

I am soooo tired, but sooooo happy in Paris at the moment.
The weekend was soooo busy, what with the Welcome programme at uni, which included a presentation that proved to be such a headache, and a Seine river cruise on a freezing Paris night, a drink with newly made friends after which awaited another adventure of missing the last Metro... thus a 40 minute bike home, at 3 in the morning, LOL, more new friends, and hours of walking around Paris... It's Monday again and my first lecture starts this afternoon. There's still much to be done before hand. So sorry for having neglected you with news, but it can't be helped! I will get settled in asap! I promise I am all good and safe and having the time of my life ;)

I have a job and a new home !
I start the job this afternoon, just getting to know what I have to do. My room is only 10m2, but it's cute and clean, and the best of all, IT'S ALL MINE!!! :)

Haven't met the next door neighbour yet, with whom I share the toilet, but I hope I will soon. It's kind of awkward how I am going to go about it, because I hear him coming in and out, then to and from the toilet.. :p

Orientation week has also started, so I am being bombarded with too much information all at once.. My head is spinning with it all, trying to process everything. So much to do, so much to see !!

Okay, So I have an hour to find something to eat, and then find my next room for another class...
I am starving !

Au Champs Elysees~, au Champs Elysees~~

With the laundry done, and lunch at McDo eaten, M, A and I started our night tour of Paris, starting with the famous Champs Elysees.

As always, there were so many people, and even more cars. Beginning at the Arc de Triomphe end, we made our way down, stopping by at Louis Vuitton, Haagen Dazs for ice cream, a quick glass of beer at a cafe.. Past all the shops and down the lightless rows of trees to the very end, where a Roue of Paris stands, just before the Garden of Tuileries, and after that, the Louvre Museum.
I also saw the Big Palace, Little Palace, City Hall, Pompidou museum, ...

Excuse my list, but there were heaps I saw tonight! It was a quick taster of all the things I will get to see in time, because tonight there wasn't time to go into any of the buildings, and it was too dark to see anything much.

Yesterday I went to the centre of France to look at the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Tonight I went to the highest point of Paris, on the top of the Montmatre hill, to the Sacre Coeur church. It was a beautiful modern church.. Going up to it required a bit of leg work, though ;) But it was okay, because we got to get our energy back, and more, at a French restaurant down below, where we had mussels and listened to live jazz. The atmosphere was so good, we almost didn't mind the ridiculous price!

Afterwards, we decided to get into more jazz by going to the famous cellar jazz bar, in the Latin Quarter, La Caveau de la Huchette. It was packed with dancers, heating up the place. I also gave it a go a few times, but I don't think I improved much... and all I had to do was follow! They also give lessons, apparently, and A decided to come back so he could lead his lady properly next time. How cute!!!

So here I am, at 4 o'clock in the morning, updating my photos and blog.

Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe

Roue de Paris, Luxor Obelisk, Place de la Concorde

La Caveau de la Huchette

Sacre Coeur on Montmatre, highest point of Paris



Very happy at present



Had my first McDonald's in France for lunch today.
I chose the HappyMeal, but, I don't know if it was the quantity thing, I could not finish it.

I couldn't even finish a HappyMeal! What?!!

HappyMeal here consists of a burger, of which I had a CroqueMcDo, a French thing but which looks like two thin English muffins with cheese and ham inside, a small drink, a side, where I chose to have potato wedges, and a dessert, and I had a yoghurt drink.

I think that's more than what you get in NZ, though I can't remember for sure. Plus, of course, I got a toy, which was a Hello Kitty in a pink apple shaped case.

I am so full right now...

Je suis à Paris tout le monde !

The flight was quite comfortable, being able to stretch out, but too long, with babies on each side who took turns to cry and scream, lol.

The train trip to Paris from the Charles de Gaulle Airport was a bit of a mission, starting with a guy who tried to help me but I thought he shouldn't be trusted, I thought he was just playing with me because I clearly wasn't familiar with the Paris metro system! But after this glitch I got on well,  lugging my two heavy bags up and down stairs through two transfers until my final destination in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.. The Metro does not have neither escalators nor lifts for travellers like moi. :(

E and her bf A are taking good care of me.

My first meal in France was at a crêperie, where I had a galette and ice cream with sweet cider. Afterwards we went to Notre Dame Cathedral, where I couldn't stop awing at the grandness of the size and its charming old beauty. Good thing Paris today is not cold at all, and the weather was fine-ish.

I now also have a phone no, with the Orange network! After our afternoon outing I was so exhausted I had to knock out for a few hours, but little by little I am getting ready to start my Parisian life, with the help of my French friends.

Wish me bonne chance and bonne courage, mes amis!

So after two extra days in LA,
I'm finally, hopefully without any more trouble, going to Paris!!!
Quite excited, I must say, and who wouldn't be?!
HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! lol;;;;

Paris, J'arrive finalement!

Can you believe, my flight to NYC got cancelled?!

I was sad to leave my cousins in LA, sure, but I was still very much looking forward to seeing my destined city in the East Coast! Broadway! The Statue of Liberty! Central Park! Oh, so many things I had planned to do in your Manhattan, New York!

But it wasn't meant to be. I got dropped off at the airport to learn that ALL flights to NY were cancelled, due to heavy weather conditions. Too much snow again. I got deferred to another flight tomorrow afternoon, then waitlisted to one in the early morning, but also tomorrow. It doesn't seem like they will fly out, either, though, because there's another heavy weather warning on for tonight in NYC. So, not wanting to get to the city late without a chance to explore it, only to miss my other flight to the actual final destination of Paris, I am hoping to catch a more direct flight straight to Paris itself from LA.

Ideally I would like to fly out ASAP, and stay a few extra days in Paris, since I don't want to take more of my cousins' time as I have already done, but it seems like I will get to know them better for two more days. It will cost me more, but at least I have taken care of the Broadway and hostelling issues in NYC. So just the flight to sort out, and I will be better again. So tired from all the hectic international calls and waiting and replannings... But, hey, c'est la vie :)

Today is my last full day to spend with my cousins in LA, before I fly to the other side of the country, to NY! We're taking it slow today, or slower in comparison, and so it's a lazy morning for all of us. I'm absolutely sure today will be an awesome day as all the other days in LA have been for me. I am going to miss spending time with them so much!!

Looking forward to the lunch today at Uncle E and Aunt J's house!
Sadly will be leaving cousin J and J's place this morning; hope their babies come out alright later this month!!




It was a long wait til the flight out. A gameof patience...

 


I found Vivien Leigh's star, the actress I am named after!

 

22:51

me: hey karen, do you think watching billy elliot on broadway will be worth it? opinion please!


Karen: YES

22:52

me: ok.. lol buying ticket now!

Karen: GOOD
are you buying an advance ticket or a rush ticket?

me: what's the diff?
i'm buying it online for a performance on the 12th

22:53

Karen: rush tickets are cheap
but you can only buy them a couple of hours in advance
so you run the risk of missing out

22:54

me: so i guess i'm buying an advance ticket?

Karen: yeah

me: i'm buying it off playbill, so still get a bit of discount
it's 85.50 or something incl service charge and all that,
whereas normally it's around 130.
is that a good bargain?

Karen: oh that's pretty good
In Toronto I got a rush ticket for $25

me: can't really be bothered to look elsewhere really.
WOW that's so cheap! what did you go see?

Karen: when actual prices were aout $90
the sound of music

me: oh! that would have been so good!

Karen: yeah
and the set was amazing

me: but i don't have too much time to risk not seeing anything, so..

22:56

Karen: yeah that's fair enough

me: i only have 12th 2pm to see anything at all

Karen: oh wow
yeah
buy the ticket now

me: i wanted to see the lion king or chicago but they didn't have matinee shows on that day. or any that day at all. yea
i was about to but time expired. lol
hang on

22:57
Karen: I have to go anyway - got to pick up some ant poison off a friend - I'll talk to you later yeah? I want to hear all your plans and what you've done so far!
bye!

me: ok, thanks, cu!!


-------------------45 minutes----------------------------


23:43

Karen: hello again :)
did you buy the ticket?

23:44

me: no, some error thing came up..
at the very last step
so hopefully i wasn't charged, but maybe i'll try again tomorrow or something.

23:47

Karen: ah that sucks
i'm sure you weren't charged
you using a credit card?

me: yea,
the error thing came up so i backspaced and clicked it once more but the same error came up. it said to ring this number but it's not a 24 h one, so i just sent them an email. i'm pretty sure i won't be charged though.. twice... right?! lol

23:49

Karen: I doubt it
they'd have a confirmation page thing if you were charged

me: yea.
i googled it and it said that there aren't any 'best seats' in the theatre, most seats seem to be fine, so hopefully i'll be able to get a good one. it's a matinee show so not many people may go, and get sold out, whatever, yea.

23:52

Karen: I'm sure it'll be fine :)
so where are you now?

me: i'm in irvine, the oc.
:)
i got here this afternoon, and will be leaving after tomorrow night, to fullerton
for a day, then back to la
until the 11th, when i leave for nyc

23:54

Karen: oh nice!
so what have you been up to?

me: ok, so
went up to auckland really early, too early, with a 7 hour gap til my international flight
transit in nadi, fiji, where we were welcomed by a warm evening breeze and so many birds like in the hitchcock movie
the ten hour flight between fiji and la was so bumpy,
but by then i was used to it, though at times i still had to hold onto both the armrests on either side of me
didn't help that i got really motion sick, so had some pills, some wine
didn't really get to sleep much, but finally i landed in lax
got out of the customs, about an hour later, worrying that my cousins would be worried i didn't come out
found them after a bit, an emotional reunion, since this was our first time meeting in person!
they showed me around the tourist sites after first doing a taste of the food trucks, had my first american tacos..

23:59

Karen: did the tacos have sliced beef in them or mince?

me: took photos of the hollywood sign, the star walk of fame, got the vivien leigh one, went to the chinese theatre and did the whole handprint thing..

Karen: kind of random..
nice!!

me: the tacos i had rib pork, but there were also beed, pork and chicken as well

Karen: ah yup - someonehad told me that tacos weren't supposed to have mince in them and that the US did better tacos than s'pore
sorry for the digression..

me: went to the rodeo drive, sunset ave?!, went to the hotel where richard gere stayed with julia roberts in pretty woman
lol

Karen: coo :)
cool*

me: there are tacos here everywhere

Karen: did you reenact any of the movie?
try to snap someone's fingers in a jewellery box?

00:02

me: no, lol, will do in nyc though, the whole bfast at tiffany's thing

Karen: awesome :)
NYC has a whole diamond area thing
like a street full of diamond shops

me: which is the jewellery box movie?
oh, real!?

Karen: pretty woman

me: oh. lol. don't remember that part

00:03

Karen: when julia roberts is getting fancied up

me: oh yea, with the necklace?!

Karen: yeah I think it was a necklace

00:04

me: nah, didn't get to touch any jewellery boxes, lol
for dinner they took me to a really nice pub like burger place called Father's Office. think it was my first real hamburger, and it was so nice, and gave them extra points for not making it full of greens in strips that fall out or fly everwhere.. i hate eating to have the other end just fall to the plate, and getting my fingers covered in sauce.
we were pretty tired by this time, but decided to watch a movie anyways.
saw black swan starring natalie portman, woke us right up, it was incredibly good, i really really recommend it! good story, good acting, good visuals, everything!
because i really like natalie portman and i really like ballet dance, it was perfect :)
had an awesome night's sleep, too
not too much jet lags i don't think
then today did a tour of uc irvine by myself.

Karen: :)
I really want to see black swan

me: you must you must

Karen: I wil!
It's good you don't have jetlag
especially if you didn't sleep on the plane

me: yea, i'm always a little tired but not too much from the jetlag as opposed to travelling, you know, sightseeing and walking heaps.

Karen: yeah for sure
walking around a city all day is super tiring
hope you've got good shoes :P

00:12

me: yea, had to leave behind all my heels because the 20kg limit, been walking in my chucks and its pretty solid.
california is really warm
like, warmer than an average christchurch day. in summer.

00:17

Karen: nice
it's really spread out right?
like you have to drive everywhere?

me: yea, definitely

Karen: have you been to the beach?

me: driving here's quite weird.
not yet, but will go to newport tomorrow and venice beach on saturday
maybe santa monica, too, or disneyland or universal. haven't decided yet

Karen: oh cool
how long are you there for?

me: in la? until the 11th.
this is so going on my blog post. can i? do you mind? lol

Karen: haha sure..

me: cool thanks ;)

Karen: so you don't have to type it all out twice?

me: nope, lol, i'll just copy and paste.
i'll catch up with you later? i'm knackered, time to sleep
!!!

Karen: ok
sleep well!!

me: goodnight!!

Karen: night :)
 
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Also saw CLIFF CURTIS at the movies when my cousins and I were walking into buy tickets for 'Black Swan'! I remember looking up at him, thinking, 'He looks familiar. He looks Maori. He's really tall.' LOL!! What are the chances that the first celebrity I sight is a KIWI! So cool!

I stayed at Borders to pass time between saying goodbye to an ex-Flattie and work, and saw a man crouched on the floor reading a book avidly in concentration. What was odd about him was that he had his head so close to the pages. It was a book about car engines, with not especially big prints. Leaning on the bookcase near him was a walking stick.

Even blind people love to read books, even the ones without the Braille system.

Le 1 janvier, j'ai rêvé en français - ouiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, c'est toujours possible !!
Le 2 janvier, j'ai découvert que j'ai reçu un cadeau de la fac, un peu de sou à dépenser en europe !!
Le 3 janvier, la dernière journée au boulot de vacances !! Génial !!

On prend un bon départ de 2011 ! Fantastique !