28 October 2009

Crazies On The Métro


Once again, taking public transportation never fails to be entertaining. Like the San Diego trolley, the Paris métro and RER system always has it’s fair share of weirdoes and crazy people who like to talk to anyone who will listen. Most of the time you can push them off with a simple ‘non merci’ and a wave of the hand to go away. Normally yes. Then there are the people who lovvvve to talk about anything. These ones are the best, as long as they seem harmless. Last night we were riding the metro back home from being at a few bars that night. Group of about 10 of us having a really good time coming home from a grand night out in Paris. First…we were sitting there chatting away when we heard what sounded like a waterfall in the area by the doors. We all look over and this drunk ass guy is puking his guts out…seriously like a waterfall. Everyone on the metro was like ‘ahhhhhhh nonnnnn’ and we all migrated down the train to another car in case it started to smell. OMG so gross. Thanks for dirtying the metro for the rest of the world and the poor soul who has to clean it up later when the metro is being inspected at the station. Our next encounter (same night) was this arab guy who was SOOOOO chatty with our friend Johana (who entertains most conversations….hilarious to watch by the way), then he wanted to know all about us, where we were from, what we were doing, etc. Such a funny train ride home. This guy talked all shorts of crap like france, politics, the US, ethnicites (I told him I was Russian), socialism, Paris…oh man, the topics were endless. It was great. Then he got reeeaaaaalllllly annoying because Georgina wouldn’t let him kiss her cheeks and he kept telling her she wasn’t cute. Hahaha. He also kept telling me how lucky I am to roll with so many ‘belles filles’ (pretty girls).. haha. I responded…well, I guess I just have that charm. So great. The guy got off at his stop (far before ours…thankfully) and he waved to us as the metro zoomed onward. Pretty much the night ended on a great note of hilarity and laughter. Always the best way to end a night out with friends.



Right now I am in my Entrepreneurship class talking about cash flows of a case study we are working on today. BLAH. The professor is really nice and knowledgeable, but yeah….financial statements aren’t exactly my favorite past time. Needless to say, I chose to write emails and a blog instead.

Just got a really wonderful package in the mail from my parents today..full of fun really nice gifts to remind me of home and make my room more like home. Finally got the new 32G iPod Touch which is GREAT, I am loving it already and it’s only a few hours old. Thanks Mom and Dad <3


I hope all is well back in San Diego, and wherever you are reading this…
This Saturday is Halloween and I am really missing the US Halloween culture. It doesn’t exist here in France. … SO LAME! Halloween is my favorite holiday (close tie with Christmas) so quite a bummer not dressing up and going to downtown San Diego. Next year for sure though =)

So have a great and spooky Halloween this Saturday, have fun, be safe, and take lots of pictures so I can see and show my international friends to show them how we do Halloween.

Much love from Paris

17 October 2009

Getting cold..Fall has arrived


So, I'm definitely starting to experience what autumn weather is really like outside of southern California. Last night it hit -2C so about 28F. OMG what the hell is going on? But we were walking around Paris yesterday afternoon and it was just really nice to be able to put on a coat, a big scarf, and see your breath in the air. Fall is my favorite season so I am actually much enjoying this change of weather here. The heat in our dorm is FINALLY on, but quite unpredictable. They are radiators, which is funny, because this is a NEW building. Very odd to me that a new building wouldnt have a central ventilation system. Whatever. Who knows what the French think when building things. But so far nights have been quite comfortable. I like looking out my window and seeing it sprinkling outside and the wind moving the trees. Feels nice. Nights thought are a tad frigged for me. Still not quite used to the extremem temperature difference. -2C is like mountain weather for me! AH! haha. My friends from Canada totally make fun of me because they apparently have 3 feet of snow already (OMG).

As of now, Paris has calmed down significantly. Pretty much all the tourists are gone except for random families taking a trip to Paris for the weekend (mostly other European people). The nice part about all the tourists being gone, all the café waiters and business owners know we actually LIVE in Paris and aren't just here for a tour. Nice feeling =)

Yesterday, a small group of us went out for a day in Paris. Walked around the Opera arrondisement and window shopped, bought random stuff like GLOVES (so cold!), scarfs, Helen got a nice winter jacket, and just all those essentials that we dont really know about with these temperatures. Helen, Johanna, and Gareth are from Sydney Australia so we can all talk and laugh about not understanding this bizarre concept known as winter. HAHA. We get a lot of good laughed at ourselves.



We then headed over to what our day was aimed for, The Monet Museum. It is a small private exhibit in an old bourgeois manor. It was definitely a highlight of my trip so far. Even though it was TINY compared to something like the Louvre or d'Orsay, it marvels in its collection. Mostly Monet works, Degas, Manet, and other impressionists. For me this museum was like free therapy.





The feeling of being lost within the paintings is something that one cannot describe. For me, the world of Monet evokes a certain dreaminess and lucidity that can only relax one's self. Despite the small size of the museum, we spend well over three hours there. Sitting, standing, and mostly starring for what seemed like endlessness at such wonderful works of art. Priceless, is what can be attributed to the museum and the experience we had yesterday. I will definitely be returning when I feel stressed and in need of an escape.

13 October 2009

Land of the Irish

Hello everyone, sorry for the long absence from the blog. I haven't really had anything quite exciting to write about for awhile. Have had a pretty bad cold also, so yeah, not much in the life of Matt. BUT! I have been waiting to blog until after my trip to Dublin, Ireland this past long weekend.

We left Paris suuuuper late because our flight wasnt until 10:50pm, which turned out to kind of a hurdle for all of us, we were all quite tired from the day. I myself was feeling like death. You totally know you are living in university housing when you are sick all the time when the weather is cold. It was the same thing at SDSU when I was a freshman. But eh, that's life in the dorm. Shared air system and all. Last two years in San Diego at my own place with Nate, I was nevvvvver sick. So on the bus to the airport I just kept trying to remind myself...okay, you bought tickets a month ago, suck it up and enjoy this trip, you may never go back to Ireland, never know. So that was my theme for the 4 days in Dublin, enjoy this trip and dont let the common cold get in the way =)

We arrived in Dublin around midnight and got onto the airport shuttle to the main part of the city and it was oh so quiet out in the city...Wednesday night of course. We found out hostel which was actually a nice place that was well known in Dublin for being a good one, and they offer their own tours of the city, etc. The nice guy checked us in and I asked him 'hey, so... what time do all the bars close? 5ish?'and he looked at me like I was absolutely crazy!!!! haha. 'What, I said...oh sorry, we are coming from Paris, everything is open til dawn'. The nice guy in his THICK Irish accent responded 'oh my boy, everything closes at 2 here, last call at 1:30, then you have to go home and sleep it off so you can do it again the next night!'

So great. I just laughed with him and said, 'oh, totally like in the States', and let him know we are technically from San Diego, CA, but Parisians for our stay in Europe studying.

Left to find a pub so we could have an inaugural Guinness to start the trip off then head back to sleep, but to our demise, everything was closed! Sad sad.

Thursday started early so we could get a head start on the day. We left the hostel and went to get a light breakfast to save room for lunch. Walked around the main square and found a normal looking coffee shop and got a good ol' cup of Joe. Actual drip COFFEE in Dublin. Yessss... The man who helped us at the register was SO INSANELY NICE. Even coming from southern california, I am not used to such genuine kindness from strangers. Quoting the man 'morning lads! You enjoy that coffee there, your trip going well?'....more conversation...'well have a grrrrreat time in Dublin boys, do come back'... okay so right then and there, the tone for our trip was set. It was official, the Irish are the nicest people I have ever met.

Walking through Dublin with a hot coffee in hand, check, walking shoes on, check, ready for my day.

Walked over to Trinity College, which is a major University in the city and it instantly trumped ESSEC in the looks category. This place looks like an old Irish castle, very VERY much to my liking. The students were all bustling around with books in their hand and looking very collegiate. Not so much at ESSEC, everyone runs around, but with a cigarette in the hand...très Français haha. I would love to say I go to this school, ahhhh, the feel of going to school in a castle. Would be so great. Though, I'm pretty sure their student housing might have issues with it being so old. HAHA I guess I have a better living situation.

Stopping off at the Tourism Office, which is housed in an old cathedral which has the interior remolded for the store, office, and cafe on the second floor. Really awesome remodel. Definitely a cool welcoming point for visitors to Dublin. All the employees were of course...VERY NICE and helpful with all our questions about what to do and where it all is on the map. I bought some fun things from the gift shop to remember Ireland.



Heading over to Temple Bar which is the main point for all buy pubs and things to do literally all day and all night until closing. Temple Bar is a really famous pub in the area and we were lucky enough to stop in just as the owner was hanging out in the main bar area. We had mentioned to the bar tender who had welcomed us in with 5 Guinness' where we were from and all that jazz, and he said 'oh our owner would love to meet people from San Diego'! Fun to chat with the guy and tell him his pub is awesome. He even let us take a picture with all of us behind the bar holding the taps like we were pouring a Guinness. So fun. It is on John's camera I think, so I will have to track it down. CLASSIC picture.






One of the highlights for me was going to the GUINNESS STOREHOUSE, birthplace of the wonderful stout, Guinness. The old storehouse has been fully converted into a modern tour house and was amazing to see what all goes into the making of this drink. All so interesting. This building was HUGE by the way, I dont remember how many floors, but so very large. At the top, which is the end of the tour, you get to the 'Gravity Bar' where you get your free pint of guinness for finishing the tour. The Gravity bar is one of the best bars I have seen so far. It is at the top of the storehouse with a 360degree glass view of Dublin. Filled with people and a bar tender woman on the mic welcoming everyone into her bar and to cheers to the new visitors to Dublin. So fun. My default facebook picture right now is from the Gravity Bar.

We then headed back to the hostel for a good nap before going out that night. Heading out that night we of course headed back to Temple Bar and John said it was a must to start the night off with a Guinness and a shot of Jameson Whiskey (we had done that tour also). Oh man, it is going to be this kind of night. Despite the tour at Jameson speaking of the sweet honey and vanilla notes in the whiskey, I have never tasted them because I shoot it down fast and follow with a beer. Sorry Jameson, I have never tasted you...i'm not a fan.. But, When i Rome, right?

Great live music in every pub we went to. We headed over to this other pub called 'The Porterhouse' which ended up being our favorite place for the weekend and we returned every night. We made best friends with one of the bar tenders who was a great gal. This 'pub' was pretty big, three stories, and a stage on the second for musicians. Such fun. They had booked great bands that weekend.

This weekend was special because it was and Ireland vs. Italy soccer match on Saturday night, so the Irish were a buzz and Dublin was invaded by hoards of Italians to watch it at the stadium. We felt it a MUST to get Ireland shirts, so that is what we did! Have to represent our host country! We had dinner and our waitress LOVED that we had our green on.





She ended up being so great John and I gave her our emails and said if she is ever in San Diego to contact us. We totally want our friends from around the world to come see our beautiful city. Especially because a lot of Europeans say they tend to meet Americans who arent that nice and what not... John and I definitely want to change that for everyone that we meet. We want the people we meet on our travels to think we are nice and welcoming people, just as they all have been for us.

We ended the trip the next morning with...(which was on the TOP of my to-do list) a Full Irish Breakfast. Oh yes, the best morning after...well for me, whenever meal! haha. It consisted of a fried egg, toast, two regular sausages, then one black sausgage, then one white sausage also, beans, ham, a slice of tomato, and some potatoes. ... Someone call the cardiologist in advance please. All I have to say is that it was AMAZZZZZING. A definite must if you like meat and all that is on the list =)

My conclusions on Dublin: I will definitely be returning here many times in my life and definitely returning this spring in March for St. Patrick's day. Dublin isn't as beautiful as Paris or have as many cool monuments, but what makes Dublin great are the people and the inviting pub culture that made us not feel foreign for once in our Euro adventures. I will also have to travel to the west, which is where we heard from many Dubliners is where the real Ireland is...ahhh, the Irish. Such a great feeling when I left. Honestly I didnt want to leave, but heading home was a nice feeling too. Getting back on the Metro felt familiar, like home, like Paris has become my home.

Much love from Paris, I will try to write more often.