Thursday, July 26, 2007

La Vie en Rose


I thought that love was just a word
They sang about it songs i heard
It took your kisses to reveal
That i was wrong, and love is real

Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Less Money, More Problems

Geneva is VERY expensive. Like 2-3 times as expensive as the States. I think, when I go back, everything will seem relatively cheaper. Hopefully, it won't turn me into big spender.

So far, I've been pretty good about watching my money here. I probably spend the most money on food. I paid 70 francs for a monthly travel pass. I paid my rent for July. I still have money in the bank. The hard part comes from wanting to travel. Living in Europe is a wonderful opprtunity to travel to other places in Europe. What I didn't know is you can get DEEPLY discounted train fares if you book 2+ months in advance. of course, I didn't know that I'd want to go to all these places and I didn't know who I'd meet until I got here and who I might travel with.

So, I'm kind of bummed that I can't explore Europe like I want. BUT, I keep telling myself that I will be back. With more money (hopefully a job) and more time to take weekend trips all over Europe. I should be grateful that I'm even here for 2 months in the first place!

That being said, I am planning one major trip (more about this later) and I'm ending my stay in the south of france. Other than that, it's day trips to Lyon, Annecy, Bern, Lausanne and other close destinations. I think I can deal with that. As a matter of fact, I'm going to buy my train tix for my one "major" trip today. TODAY.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Yodel-a-he-hoo!


Greetings from Switzerland!

Today makes exactly 3 weeks since I've been here and it's time I blogged about it, no? I'm here working for the summer. I got a great opportunity to come to Geneva and I've been having a great time. Even though I've only been out of the US for a little over 3 weeks (I stopped in Paris before I came to Geneva) I haven't had any huge emotional breakdowns or an major language issues.

It was a little lonely at first but I've made some nice friends at work and I live in an apartment with other students. I don't see my housemates often, but they are quite nice. I'm the only American. Everyone else is French, African or Swiss, so it gives me a good opportunity to practice my language skills.

Geneva is a nice city. It's very diverse but it's not segregated. It's very family oriented. Even though I'm single and childless, I can appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere here. There are SO many designer stores here! Hermes, Chanel, Kookai, Cartier, Rolex, Armani, Dior, etc. The streets are just lined with fashionable stores. And man, can people DRESS here! I love to just don my large sunglasses so I can just people-watch. Today, I even took some photos of storefront windows for inspiration for when I dress.

Geneva is in a lot of ways very simple. If you like shopping, eating out, walking around, window shopping, going to a park, boats, then Geneva is for you. It seems a little lacking in excitement or flashy nightlife. But that is probably why it's considered one of the safest cities in the world. It doesn't attract that kind of crowd. On Sundays, all the stores are closed, so it was kind of a nuisance to deal with at first. However, I discovered a nice farmer's market just down the street from where I live. And restaurants are open. Today, I enjoyed a nice cafe au lait at an outdoor cafe and had lunch at the very affordable but tasty Chez Ma Cousine.

Like I said in my last post, I'm 98% sure I want to be in Paris in the next 2 years, but it will take some careful planning. I'm trying not to be too overzealous because I'm sure there's still a lot I haven't seen yet, and I know I'm just scratching the surface of living abroad.

I feel like I'm growing a lot as a person, though. Coming out of my shell, putting myself out there, living life. I don't know why I had to come over 3000 miles to do that, but hey, I won't question it. Hopefully when I return to the States in a little over a month, I will still retain the same joie de vivre and not fall back into old boring habits.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Bad Blogger

I have so much to update but I don't have to desire to write a lengthy update. Which futher perpetuates the need for an, er, update. Never mind.

Just a quick note to say the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Thank God for a beautiful summer day.

I know when I get back to the US, I will be a lot more appreciative of just being outside and enjoying the general splendor of the day.

Since Paris is my fantasy city to live in, wouldn't it be great to have a fantasy job? I've always loved fashion and dreamed of being a designer. Now, I have no desire to run a fashion label or start one, but a short-term job at a magazine or at a design house would be fabulous! It doesn't even have to pay well. . .I would just need to be able to live (but NO struggling from paycheck to paycheck). My family would probably hate me, but like I said, Paris is going to happen, and it might as well be the way I've always dreamed it could be. Well, I'm going to start searching message boards, and seeing what I can find. Even if such a perfect job exists, I'm sure it will take hard work and dedication to get it. Hey, it took me a YEAR to earn my current internship! Yes, slow and steady is my motto. Like a true Cancer, I may move sideways towards a goal, but everything usually works out.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Making my Move

I made the decision "officially" yesterday that I will be moving to Paris by mid 2009! I know, that seems a ifetime away, but think about it, we're already into the second half of 2007 and the year feels like it just started.

If I didn't have 2 years of school left, I would probably cancel my lease and set up permanent residence in Paris. But I can't do that. . .(right?)

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Will update

as soon as I can get my internet situation straightened out. Can't wait to update you!

Monday, July 2, 2007

Saturday Night Fever

So, I did end up going out on my last night in Paris. I gathered up my courage, and got all dolled up. My style is sorta lady like/preppy and I don't like showing a lot of skin, so I ended up wearing a sky-blue dress I would wear to work, huge pearls (too big to wear in the day) and taupe flats. I also threw on a sky blue pashmina. I definitely didn't feel that I looked catcall worthy even though I felt I looked nice (this will become relevant later). Anyhoo, I decided to go to the Eiffel Tower to see the view:



It was nice. I was wistful because I was alone in Paris and single amid all the couples around me. It was a bit hard. Then this guy came and sat next to me, and started talking to me. He didn't speak much english, so I was forced to really try to speak the best french that I could. Well, we ended up talking and walking a bit. He wanted to walk along the Seine but I was like, um, no. I'm a woman alone in a foreign country, so there was no way I was about to walk along the dark, dimly lit Seine with him. LOL. I know that interactions between men and women are probably different in Europe (ie the men seem more forward) but that's something that I hope to get used to over time. Anyway, I really wanted to be by myself (I know, after I said that I was tired of being alone; I'm such a contradiction) so we parted ways after he walked me to the metro.

I wanted to go back to St Germain but I got LOST! I have a hard time finding my way around my own country, so I should have known better. But there were people out, so I felt safe. Somehow, I ended up walking to Invalides and then turned around to head back to the Seine (my landmark lol). I crossed bridge and ended up getting to the Champs-Elysees. But I can't tell you how LOL. I walked up and down it. Even though I told myself I would go home soon, I couldn't leave. I just kept walking up and down. By the time I was ready to go, the metro was closed (or so I thought). I got SO lost. I couldn't figure out where I was and no one could tell me how to get back to the Opera district. A couple guys pulled me to the side and tried to dance with me, but it was scary more than anything. I started to feel very transparent and silly for being out alone at night by myself. Anyway, I couldnt' seem to flag down a taxi, so I kept walking. Another guy smiled at me and said "hi" so I practically ran to him, and asked him for help. He said, just take the metro and I said, "isn't it closed?" but apparently it wasn't. I could have sworn I saw the gates closed. Anyway, I got on (where I was solicited by another man--he wanted to give me a massage) and got off at the right stop. When I tried to make my way to the transfer point, I was stopped by the metro man who said the metro was closed. My American brain couldn't quite process it fast enough, so I still tried to walk down. He was pretty annoyed. Perhaps that's why he wouldn't help me figure out a way to get home. Fortunately for me, I temembered that I had my map, and found my way to Avenue L'Opera. It was pretty much a straight shot back to the hotel. By this point, my feet were literally dead. I really thought they would just fall off.

I think I made it to bed by 2am and got up an 7am to catch my train. To be continued. . .