Karas in Paris

Ok I figure I have to get this all out before I forget. Today is very fresh in my mind, and I did sooo many things; I have to write it out now even though it's very late.

I woke up at 9 am and drank coffee with Justin in his cute apartment. I did the usual showering and such, and packed my bag with the necessities: sweaters, maps, camera, money, and snacks. Justin wrote out an itinerary for me last night, so I had step by step directions on where to go and how to get there. I began at the Louvre. I spent about 2.5 hours at the museum; I don't think i could have spent much longer...I stopped taking in details. It was information overload. I really enjoyed the paintings (Italian more than French). The Italian Frescos had more expression to them. Of course, I saw the Mona Lisa. Everyone down-talked the size but it was just about as big as I originally thought, so I was pleased.

After the Louvre, I walked through the Jarden des Tuileries (Gardens) and to the Place de la Concorde. I walked along Champs Elysees amongst all the fancy shops like Louis Vuitton and Cartier. A long walk later, I made it to the ARc de Triomphe. At first, I had no idea how to get it. The Arc is surrounded by a circle of MAD traffic. I was prepared to risk my life to get to the beautiful piece of architecture until I realized there was an underground entrance on my side of the circle. I went up to the top of the Arc where I got my first real view of Paris, France. What a beautiful city! You know how colleges are often labeled as red or white campuses depending on the material used to creat the buildings? Well maybe that's just something my mom says, but Paris is definately a white city. All the buildings are very light, and the white buildings create a gorgeous landscape even on an overcast day.

I spent a decent amount of time on top of the Arc planning out the rest of my day and eating a few snacks. I had to get my money's worth! Then it was time for the Eiffel Tower! I took a metro closer to the famous structure, and when I turned the corner my breath was really taken away. I couldn't erase the smile from my face. It wasn't the size or the design that impressed me (not that those aren't amazing!) but one of my life's goals was instantly completed. I always dreamed of coming to Paris, France and climbing the Eiffel Tower, and there I was today doing just that! It felt really good. Before I went all the way to the tower, I stopped and bought a Nutella Crepe and stared at the tower and took it all in.

I didn't go all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but I took the stair tour which got me most of the way up (it was cheaper). I counted 673 steps. I definately gave my legs a workout, but it was definately worth it. The view was yet again very beautiful from the tower.

By this point, I had been walking around for 7 hours. I decided to make one more stop before I called it a day. I went to the Moulin Rouge! I didn't spend too much time there because I wasn't about to go in. The show costs about 120 euros at the cheapest rate! I did walk around the area and found the cafe that Amelie was filmed in. I also found the Australian bar "Cafe Oz" Tom told me about. While I was walking around, Justin called me and I had to go meet him at Pigalle because I had the keys to the apartment. I may head by to that area again tomorrow since I left a little earlier than planned.

Justin and I returned to the apartment and had a few snacks. He had to turn in grades for the presentations he spent all afternoon watching, so I read the paris travel book to plan for tomorrow. I think I will visit the Catacombs for sure. Justin and I shared a bottle of wine and listened to music and watched youtube videos for the remainder of the evening. It really was a great day. While all the sightseeing was done alone, I didn't mind because I was able to go at my own pace. If I wanted to stop and people watch, I did. If I wanted to count every step I walked up in the Eiffel Tower, I could because no one was there to make me loose count. Don't get me wrong, I love people and company and it's weird to be in such a magnificent city and have no one there to oooo and aaaah with you, but I felt like i was in the final scene of the movie "Paris je t'aime." It is the scene directed by Alexander Payne and you follow a woman around who has finally made it to Paris, France after dreaming about it her whole life. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2EbK0NEl5Av=S2EbK0NEl5A )It's a very sweet scene, and I definately felt like that woman except I am fortunate enough to have made it to Paris, France at the young age of 21.

ok it's late and those are all my thoughts. I apologize for all my grammatical mistakes. I do not go back and proof read these posts. I get my ideas out as fast I can before they disappear. I think you understand.

Day 1 in Paris

This morning, I got on a train in Aachen, Germany, and three hours later, I was in Paris, France. Isn’t Europe wonderful?! You can switch countries so easily. I met up with Justin this afternoon at the train station (platform 10 to be exact) and it was just like old times! He just makes me laugh so easily, he shared stories about last night’s events and people he’s met recently. Justin kept me very busy this afternoon; we walked to the grocery store and got his laundry. Then we did some spring cleaning in his apartment because he’s giving his key away on Monday when I leave.

Around 7:30, Justin met his friend Chris so they could go to the gym, and I went to the canals. Now I ask you, “is it possible to get lost finding the canals when you are two blocks away?” Cleary, I am living proof that it is possible. It took me about 45 minutes, with a map mind you, to find them. I literally walked right by them, but I really didn’t mind because it allowed me to take in the local color. I spent about an hour walking up and down the canals. I even skipped some rocks like Amelie does in my favorite movie. See the video of my adventure. After we got home, Justin made us some dinner (salad with a fried egg on top which is very French), and it was very good. Then, we sat around and checked Justin’s emails from his students. They are expected to make a ten minute presentation tomorrow and over half the class e-mailed him claiming they were sick and unable to make the presentation. It was quite hilarious to read the e-mails because the illnesses are sooooo over the top. He wants to “kill them all!” haha.

Tomorrow, Justin has to teach for most of the day (aka watch presentations), but I have plenty of things to do. I am heading out towards the Louvre and markets. I’ll spend most of the day on my own, but I don’t mind that. I have my camera which always keeps me company.

The adventure continues

The first chapter of my journey comes to a close today. I am spending my last night in Germany in Aachen with Kirsten. I had a lazy morning and afternoon in Duisburg. I packed up my suitcases and watched Gladiator with Dominik. Around 6pm Dominik, Lothar, and I headed to Aachen. Dominik and I met up with Kirsten, and the three of us went to dinner at the Nu/Co. The restaurant is really great. For only 9 euros, you can order as many courses from the menu and you can eat. I ordered enchiladas first, spring rolls w/ rice and curry sauce second, burrito third, and then I helped Kirsten finish her pizza. I am still stuffed as I write this blog! The three of us came back to Kirsten's apartment and smoked hookah. Now it's 11:06 here, and most of my friends are probably sitting down to dinner now.

Just a short summary of yersterday. I got to plaz PitPat! Only my family really knows what this game is, but it really is the best. Its like mini golf but on a pool table. There are 4 different balls each a little bouncier than the next. Using a cue stick you must get the ball around the obstacles and into the hole. This isn't a prevalent game in Germany either, but I always had fond memories of PitPat from the last time I was in Germany ten years ago.

Germany has really been great! I tried lots of new foods, and learned a little German. I can definately see how spending a year or a semester in a foreign country can make someone fluent in the language. In only 10 days, I understand the language much better. I don't pick up details, but I can usually figure out the subject of a conversation. I am sure if I were to spend more time here I would start associating words and sounds with those subjects, and sooner or later, I might be able to speak a little German myself.

Tomorrow I head to Paris. I will be living with a friend Justin. I am nervous because I do not speak French, but I've learned a few phrases to help me get around. Wish me luck and keep reading!
with love,
anna

Two Cities Two Days

Friday:
Yesterday, I spent the morning with Kirsten and Birgit in town of Venlo in the Netherlands. Considering it was just us women, we spent the day shopping through out the quaint streets. I didn't buy much, but my most notable purchase was a Kinder Surpise Chocolate Egg. I felt like a little kid opening up the chocolate egg to see what prize was trapped inside. I got a pretty cool top which I am sure will keep me entertained during my train and plane rides coming up this week. I also bought a mug with a ladybug on it (my favorite creature). The mug says ladybug in Dutch (liefebees). The day consisted of eating Dutch food and drinking coffee as well. Shopping and food, I really couldn't ask for much more.

Friday evening I went with Dominik and Marina to their friend's house for a barbecue. Again, lots of food, but it was fun because everyone brought a different salad and meats to grill. We smoked hookah while we waited for the grill to heat up. I also brough ingrediants to make the infamous drink amoung my friends, Red Headed Sluts. For those who do not know, a red headed slut can be taken as a shot or drink with Peach Schnapps, Jagermeister, and Cranberry Juice. Everyone seemed to enjoy the new concoction.

Saturday:
The highlight for today was Koln (Cologne)! I got to see Germany's largest cathedral, and it was absolutely gorgeous! For me, the cathedral was a chance to see beautiful architecture. I enjoyed especially the stained glass windows. While the cathedral was not a religious experience for me, I observed how important the visit was for other tourists. Many people took time in the pews or at prayer stations around the cathedral. After the cathedral, Domink, Marina, Alex, and I walked along the Rhein river to the Chocolate Factory in Koln. Oh the smells that lingered in the air. It's amazing how much history chocolate has! Of course, the best part of the museum was the free chocolate samples!

We were supposed to go to the club P.M. tonight but we were all too exhausted from our long day in the city. Instead, we rented movies and ordered pizza. We watched Blades of Glory and Harold and Kumar escape Guatanamo Bay, both very funny movies. I only have two full more days in Germany until I head for France. I'll keep you updated. Take care!

German Food

I went to a brunch this afternoon with Kirsten, and it inspired me to write a short entry about German cuisine.

Breakfast:
For Americans breakfast typically consists of sweet things. We eat cereal, muffins with jam, waffles, pancakes, french toast, and donuts. Of course, larger breakfasts have bacon and sausage or an egg sandwich, but generally breakfast is sweet.
A german breakfast if very different. I can best describe it as being similiar to our lunch. They have brotchen which is like a bread roll. On brotchen they put butter, cheese, salami, turkey, ham, etc. This is very good tasting, but definately different.

Biggest Meal:
In America, our largest meal is dinner. We eat it sometime between 5pm and 8pm depending on work schedules, school, family yada yada yada. Dinner can really be any type of food, but we eat a lot of whatever is on the menu. Again, this is not the case in Germany.
Here, the main meal is lunch. Germans eat lunch around 1:30 when schools get their 65 minute break. The menu is very similiar to our dinner. However, it's served in the afternoon. This is just another food observation.

I have been trying my best to try new foods here in Europe. At home, I do not eat red meat, but I told myself food is culture, so I eliminated this absense in my diet for these three months in Europe. It's a good thing I made this decision because Germans eat a lot of meat. I asked Kirsten and Dominik if there are many vegetarians in Germany, and Kirsten seemed to think so, but Dominik did not. I guess it just depends...I am glad I haven't been a picky eater because I've learned about so many great foods, most of them are Turkish. Doner which I've already described in earlier entries and Lahmacun (pronounced Lacmajoon) which is Turkish pizza have been my favorites.

All this talk of food has made me hungry...

Aachen

I finally had a great night's sleep Tuesday night! I went to bed at 10:00 and literally woke up in the same position at 7:00 am Wednesday morning. It felt so good to be well rested!

I went with Birgit to school for the last time. She had a very easy today because her lessons revolved around me. Basically, I shadowed her from class to class, and her students interviewed me. German schools are set up very differently. The students all remain the same classroom and the teacher changes. Birgit must be prepared to teach every grade and every subject. She has no homeroom. It seems this would be difficult because as a teacher she has no room to call her own. Her preparation space is about 3 square feet in the teachers' room. The students asked very good questions and their English was excellent. I could tell many of them were very shy to speak up, but in every room, there was one very eager student. Some of the questions were surprising, but I answered them nonetheless. Questions included:
Do you like Germany?
Where are you from?
Do you have brothers or sisters?
How old are you?
Who did you vote for Obama or McCain?
What do you like most and least about America?
What do you think about the death penalty?

After school, Birgit and I went to Aachen to visit Dominik and Kirsten. Aachen is a B.E.A.Utiful city. It's quaintness reminds me of West Chester a bit. I visited the large Cathedral in Aachen with Dominik. I wasn't allowed to take pictures without paying 2 Euros so I bought a few post cards instead. Maybe some of you will be lucky enough to recieve one....

Birgit, Dominik, and I went to their favorite restaurant called the Chicken Pont. I had Doner for my second time.

They dropped me off at Kirsten's new apartment, and after some time Kirsten and I decided to smoke some Hookah. She is quite the expert, so I wanted to experience smoking with her. We smoke coconut tobacco...yum.

The night concludes with "Crossing Aachen." Basically, this is a bar crawl. You buy a card for 5 euros and at each bar you can get two drinks for free. There were five bars, but we were out from 10-3, so don't worry mom I wasn't out of control. :-) It was a great time, and Kirsten's friends were very nice. At the last bar Kirsten entered a Fuzball table tournament and won 5 games in a row. Good Job Kirsten!

As you can see, I am having a really great time, but there are a few things I miss about America. They are:
1. Daily conversation with my family and friends
2. My CELL PHONE
3. watching movies online (internet won't allow it here)
4. Peaco (my ugly doll)
5. English (everyone speaks it here so well! However, I miss being able to walk into a restaurant and order my own food. I am trying to learn some German, but it's not nearly enough in just 1.5 weeks)

Bon Qui Qui signs out. Peace.

Education, Botanical Garden, Castle, and Green Beer...all on 5 hours of sleep

An update of the past few days. I am still trying to get over jet lag believe it not. Usually around 2 pm Germany time (8 am America time), I feel absolutely exhausted. I struggle to stay awake on car rides, and I yawn a lot. Last night (Monday night), I only got 2.5 hours of sleep. I planned to go to bed around 10:30 pm because I had to be up at 6 am. I called my mom on Skype in order to say hello but she wasn't done with work and asked me to call later. I decided the best option would be to sleep and set an alarm to wake up at midnight and call again. I did just that, but unfortnately after our talk, I was unable to sleep. I tried reading, laying in the dark, checking my email, but nothing seemed to work. I decided if I was up I might as well call more friends and say "hello." No one answered except for my Dad and Tom. Thanks you two! So tonight I plan to sleep heavily and possibly catch up. I have a very busy week ahead with lots of plans.

Monday:

So I spent two days visiting schools in Krefeld. The first consisted of older grades and the other was an elementary school. I sat in on a 7th grade English class. The students were great and the teach had me read a passage so the students could hear the difference between and American accent and an "English" accent. They were very amused especially by how I say the A vowel. At the elementary school I watched a math class in german and a 1st grade English class. After all this I was done with schools for the day, so I took a walk until Birgit was finished teaching.

I took a visit to a Botanical Garden near the school. It was really beautiful. You can see some pictures I posted. After being around so many people it was nice to have a moment alone and collect my thoughts. The rest of the day was pretty lazy. I read on a couch and talked with Birgit. We also unsuccessfully looked for a European cell phone for me.

Tuesday:

After hardly any sleep, I went back to school today. I went with the younger school to their Sports Festival. We walked about a mile with the students, I escorted 4th grade, to a track field. During the walk I spoke to some very eager 4th graders. I was absolutely amazed by how much English they could speak. Communicating was definately a challenge, but we did a fairly good job. A young girl Laura was definately a fan of me and English, very sweet. At the field, they kids went around and did sport stations. I helped with the long jumb. Other sports included soccer and sprinting. At 10:15am Alexander picked me up at the field.

Alexander, his friend Jonas, and I went to get breakfast. We ate so much and still had lots left over. Again, look at the picture...it is of our left overs! Then we went to their friend's Christina's house. We watched some television and had some great laughs. We took a stroll and bought some ice cream.

Then Alexander and I went to visit the Burg Linn Castle in Krefeld. It was great to see such old architecture. The castle's construction because during the 12th century but went through many stages of development.

Finally, the day's main events ended with a trip to the park with Christina, Alexander, and Jonas. They treated me to pretzles and a Beliner Kindl beer flavored with Waldmeister. The beer is green and has a sweet flavor. We aren't sure was Waldmeister is, but it is some type of fruit. So the day leaves me here. I am very exhausted, very full, and very wishful that I could speak a little more German than I do which is basically none.

I miss you all and I will write again soon.

love, me