Antiquity

So the last 2 weekends I took my time and explored Paris a wee bit and found myself in cute little markets...but before I begin, a little information about May 1, May Day in France.

This little flower is called Lilies-of-the-Valley

On May 1st... we were walking around, and EVERYONE had them!!! We were so confused as to what was going on...so we asked a lady at an antique market. She said they brings you luck and good fortune. According to wiki:

France

On May 1, 1561 King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the Ladies of the Court. At the beginning of the 20th Century it became the custom on the 1st of May to give someone a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of Springtime. The government permits individuals and workers' organisations to sell them free of taxation. It is also traditional for the Lady receiving the spray of lily of valley to give a kiss in return. Nowadays people may present loved ones with bunches of lily of the valley or dog rose flowers ^[5]

Thank goodness I didn't have to give a kiss in return though :)

Here were the vendors near the metro:

Okay... So I would love to invest in a cute antique tea pot or tea cup...but they are RIDICULOUSLY expensive here! All of the markets are totally catered to tourists... maybe i'll have to head to a small town outside of Paris and go into a second hand store. I'm excited...the thrill of the hunt! But get this...even the pictures are expensive at these markets! I asked a lady if I could take a picture of her hat, she paused, gave me an evil look, and said, "Only ONE." lol... well, I took that one...and I love this picture :) Plus... if we weren't in digital ages, I would have only taken one anyways :op... how technology has changed.

So...that was one market...then a couple of weeks later (last weekend) I found myself at another market! And so took pictures veerrryyyy discretely! I got some good ones though!

You never know what you're going to see when you're walking out of the metro... I come out from the underground...AND BAM! A show of dancers! hahaha

Don't ask me what the occasion was!!!!! Some things are just best to be left classified as a 'random' event.

Oh how excited I am to share these next pictures with you of me exploring a street market... look at these!

So cool 'eh?!

FAMILIA

Where do I begin?!

Oh my goodness... Words can't describe how lovely my family has been to me.

A big thank you to the support I have received from my family in Canada. I am so very blessed to have such a wonderful group of people around me back home. My mother and father, grandmother Gamiet and grandparents Reid, siblings, aunts and uncles, and cousins have been so very supportive.

I would also like to acknowledge my lovely cousins in London for housing me for my first week in London- Alia and Reyan, you were so very kind and warm. Thank you for giving me keys to your home and letting me plan the beginning of my European tour from your home! Reyan- I am loving Entourage! I will need the next couple of seasons next time I see you!!!!

Thank you to my cousin Ayesha for the tour of your school and the beautiful lunch in London!

Thank you to Aunty Miriam, Uncle Arshad, Ziemmie, and kiddies for the lunch on Friday afternoon- I really enjoyed the tea on the patio too!

Thank you to Aunty Farida and Uncle Dougie and Sammy for the DELICIOUS dinner!!! MMmmmm.. I'm still dreaming about how amazing the flavours of that meat was... must eat there again upon my return to London... sound good Alia?!?!?

Thank you to Zee, Hash, and Aya for the most amazing stay in Dublin. Allowing me to have a key to your home also was so wonderful. I really enjoyed our mini road trips and the late night chats... the older sister I never had. xoxox Aya-- you are such a ball of joy, do you think your mom and dad would notice if I put you in my pocket and brought you to France and Canada with me?! ;) I have so much love for you!

Thank you to my cousin Mikail in Cork for the lovely weekend. We work well as a team, me as the driver, you as the navigator. MMmmm..your cooking and baking skills came in handy! Loved the gnocchi! I need to find me one of you, a doctor/chef/baker.

Thank you to my Aunty Miriam and cousin Ayesha for the lovely visit in Paris. It was so wonderful seeing familiar faces before I start up here... it was such a breath of fresh air!

I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful group of friends too... all of you reading this, I appreciate you.

xoxoxoxo

Can't believe I'm saying this...

But I have been hanging out in McDonald's lately.

Okay...there is something so strange about this massive monopolizing fast food chain. Back home, I hardly, if ever eat there, but since having been abroad, I have found myself here more often than I would like to admit.

Now I don't think you people back home will understand why... I know you're probably shaking your heads at me right now saying, "What are you doing? You're in a foreign country!!!! Enjoy their food!!!!" Don't worry... I have been.

But you really have a different opinion about this ff giant because it is seen from a different perspective.

Let me explain:

A safe haven

There is always a guarantee that there are tons of people in McDonald's. So...for a young girl travelling on her own, it is a safe establishment to be in. There is always lots of staff and lots of customers.

FREE INTERNET

This is 98.7% of the reason I come here. I don't have internet at my new flat yet so when I need to surf the web and write emails, I am guaranteed a free connection. It is like Vancouver's Starbucks'. They are everywhere and they have free wifi.

Familiarity

No matter where you go in the world...you are familiar with the menu. You can order a Filet-o-Fish and know what's on it and know that your taste buds will enjoy it.

Great coffee

I didn't know this, but my cousin Zee in Ireland introduced me to their cappuccinos. Not too shabby I must say! (Don't curse me.. I am also enjoying my café au lait in little french coffee shops too)

Cheap

Bottom line... doesn't burn a hole in the traveller's pocket.

I made a little rhyme/game:

What's your slang

For this fast food chain?

While consuming, tastes like it's the thang

But give it 30 minutes and it comes out with a BANG!

hahahahahaha... hope you liked that one :)

Anyways...I've heard these names for McDonalds so far:

McDo (French)

McDycks

The Golden Arch

Micky D's

....?

Trying to find a home in Paris=DIFFICULT

Okay... so it was super difficult trying to find a home here in Paris. I registered with various websites: craigslist in France (not very popular), pap.fr, and appartager.com-- this is the one where I found my flat. I am sharing it with two girls: Amélie (26) et Lucie (24)...both very nice!

Here are some of the obstacles:

You need a guarantor: someone in France who is willing to sign for you- to state that they'll pay for anything if you get up and leave or break something, don't make the payments, etc.

You need to pay loads of money up front: you need to pay an agency if they're involved, sign documents, register your name on the lease, pay a damage deposit of sometimes up to 3 months rent!!!!!

The many others viewing with you: there are always others viewing with you...why would they take me? someone with no guarantor and only here for.....

The fact I'm only here for a limited time: see above. yes... many people want commitments of over 1 year

EXPENSIVE- places in Paris average at about 700euro a month. ridiculous!!!!

Wide range: I saw really gross dirty places with the teeniest bedrooms, but I also saw some really beautiful ones too!

Trust: important in every shared flat.

The random phone call: Okay...so I had my advert on appartager.com- some information about me and my situation, so I would call people looking for someone, and sometimes I had people call me... like this one guy. He calls me at around 7:30 at night (in French), asking if I have found a place or not ... and I said I hadn't, so he was telling me the information about his flat, and asking if I wanted to set up a viewing...so I said sure, he gave me his phone number, address, etc. And then right before I hang up he says, "So in my advertisement I specified that need to be able to massage your feet, it's a requirement for living with me." ?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?! I WAS LIKE.... WHAT? Then he says, "You know, like Shitsu, massage, your feet." and I was like, "You want me to massage your feet?" and he said no, "I need to massage your feet." I asked him, "Is this a joke?" And he said... "No." So I said, "Yes okay, well, I will call you tomorrow to arrange a viewing, thank you, bye!" But of course..NEVER called!!!

I am actually quite thankful that he told me that over the phone! If he hadn't, I would have gone there, maybe liked it, moved in, and then I wake up in the middle of the night to my random room mate massaging my feet. hahahahaha... yUK!

It was so funny, I was telling Kathrin this story on the metro one night after dinner and we were laughing so hard and there was a guy behind us that was eavesdropping and he started chuckling to himself. I turned around and asked him, "Is everyone in Paris like this?!??!" and he started laughing, he said, "No way! Good job for not contacting him! hahaha" so funnY!!!

Anyways, that's my funny story for the day.

Now...here are some pictures of my new flat!!!!!!

The outside:

The kitchen:

The bathroom= super teenY!

My bedroom! It came unfurnished...so I don't have much! lol... I was able to buy a mattress, sheets, and a pillow, and my flat mates leant me their blanket!

Check out my mini patio!!! It is so Parisian!!!

This is the light coming in at night!

And the best part...other than the cheap rent... is the view from my bedroom window: Can you see it?!?!? The Eiffel Tower!!!!

And...this is the street my work is on!!!!! There are a few things that make this street interesting: It's got a view of the tip of the Eiffel Tower, it's surrounded by beautiful trees, it's right in the high-end shopping district...les Champs-Elysees! Gucci is a couple of doors down! Expensive window shopping will be taking place on my way to and from work! hahaha...
Find the 2 flags in the picture!

Parisians...where do I begin?

Well.... having been here for a week now, I have met my fair share of parisians. Here are some of my experiences in point form:

The man at the Market

So a German- Kathrin, Australian- Cora, and I decided to check out this world famous market last weekend. We were walking around, checking out the African jewelry, antiques, shoes, leather items, and then I saw a stand with a hats. I decided to try on a really cute one and my friends were like "Hey, that looks good on you" so I asked to see the mirror. He passed the mirror over and said (in French) "It is a 12 euro hat, but today, I will give it to you for 10euro." So I was humming and hawing, looking in the mirror for a minute or two and then casually asked him if I could buy it for 8euro. Is this not what you're supposed to do at markets?! Bargain?! This is what I thought you were supposed to do... but then all of a sudden..................wait for it............. he started yelling at me (in English) "GIVE IT TO ME, GIVE ME THE HAT, NO! NO! NO! GET OUT, GO, GET OUT." I was so shocked, my mouth dropped, was standing there, stunned, and looked at my friends...Kathrin picked up a fancier type hat and then he yelled at her too, "GET OUT, YOU TOO, GO. TOO EXPENSIVE FOR YOU 20 EURO FOR THAT HAT, TOO EXPENSIVE, GO!"

oh my gosh.... you don't understand. we were shocked. absolutely shocked.

So...later that evening the German girl and I went to a club and we were sitting beside this guy. He asked me how my time was so far in Paris, and I told him about what happened earlier today at the market. We got into a mini debate/discussion (in French) about French people being rude, and he was telling me that he probably has a wife and family to feed. And yes, fine, I understand that. But I would have GLADLY payed the 10euro had he said, "I'm sorry, I can't go any lower than 10 euro." And... lets just say, I had the last word. That was my longest conversation in French so far this trip.

The woman and young man trying to help me find my way

I am hopeless at reading these maps. In Canada I have such a good sense of direction...not here. Anyways, I was trying to find my way in this neighbourhood to view a flat... and this wonderful woman stopped and asked me if I needed help. I said, yes please, and she took the book and was trying to figure out where we were and how to get to my destination. Then this nice young man came over and saw we needed help, so he got on his Blackberry and put on the GPS and pointed me in the right direction. Two nice people to cancel out the mean hat man.

The taxi driver

My second longest conversation in French was in the taxi on the way back to our hostel after a night of dancing. The man was very nice, we were talking about how he has family in Toronto and all sorts of stuff.

The sales people

There are some sales people that have been quite friendly. they have been providing me with the proper vocabulary and that understand that I'm trying OR there are people that respond in English, then I respond in French, them in English, and voila... a conversation where we BOTH get to practice our 2nd language!

When trying to set up an appointment

It is ridiculous. I tried to view so many places where people cancelled, delayed, didn't respond... not very punctual...that's for sure!

Men in Bars

It's wonderful... I walk by bars and see groups of men standing at the bar, having a beer or espresso, gambling on horse racing, screaming and yelling. The best part about this picture is their feet. They're all standing around the bar (not sitting on bar stools) with litter all over the floor- sugar packets from the coffee, papers scrunched up where they lost a bet, etc. I will get a picture.. I am determined. Wait for it!

3pm-6pm Pedestrians

From 3-6pm - aka pedestrian rush hour, people are on their way home from work, baguette in hand for their dinner. I don't know why more seagulls don't immigrate here.... there's always half baguettes over the side walk.

That's it for now!!!

Appreciation

Today is a day where I am going to share my appreciation for various things:

1- 3 years ago today I was hired at the ppt office. I am incredibly grateful for the job and the opportunity they have given me to take a one year leave (I am due back to my position April 1, 2011). So many people in the world are either not working, working for minimal wages, are slaving away physically, have to work 12+ hours a day, or just got layed off last week. I do not take my job for granted. We always find something to complain about, but remember that you are very fortunate compared to most people in the world. I am taking this day and every day to appreciate it....you should too!

2- Today marks it exactly 1 month since I have been in Europe. Just the opportunity to be here in Paris at all is amazing... not many people ever get the opporunity to travel like I have. Special thanks.

3- I am grateful for my two legs. After having travelled around Europe a bit, you really do need 2 functioning legs. There are so many offices, apartment buildings, houses, museums, metro stations that are not wheel chair accessible. While in Europe, you do a lot of walking around. I would not be able to enjoy these things without the two very legs I am standing on. Therefore, I am also grateful for my limbs.

4- I am going to say thank you to my parents. Thank you for putting me in French Immersion when I started school. Although my french is super rusty, the fact that I'm not totally lost in this city is amazing. I am looking forward to becoming super fluent after I get out of this English Speaking hostel!!!

The list goes on...but I wanted to mention these ones.

My last day in Ireland...

I know. I am super delayed... I haven't blogged in a while. So here's making up for lost time.

So my last day in Ireland- Monday April 26, 2010, I woke up around 7am... was out the door by 8am. I had the car until 5pm and my cousin was off to work. I decided to take another mini road trip up to County Kerry (see purple line on map above). So glad I did. The main town is Kilarney where I got out of the car, asked the tourism office what I should do with 5 hours in the area. The gentleman was very nice, and he gave me a list. He first suggested I walk around the National Park... on my way there......

a bird pooped on me. Is this good luck? Or is it only good luck if they poop on your head?! Either way... what a great way to start the day.

First stop... the National Park...such a beautiful little walk.

walked around the lake...

And made my way to the waterfall... stunning!

After the walk, I decided to take more of a scenic route back to Cork... stunning rolling hills, cute little towns, beautiful scenery.

I was told from my uncle that I had to go to Skibereen...a very cute town.

I made it back to Cork in time to return the car, caught my flight, and went to London for 2 nights to pick up my stuff and make my way to Paris.