That was acting....thank you

this is going to be a long one...because I have been so so busy I havent been able to update. Tonight finally, I am having a relaxing night in my room all alone! So here is the blog update of the year:

To start off, Patricia and Sam came to visit over Thanksgiving break which you all know. The week ended up being a lot of fun! Unfortunately I still had class and work so I couldnt be with them the whole time, but I tried to show them a good time as best as I could. The got to Paris in the early morning on Saturday..november ???th...and I picked them up at the airport. The first thing we did was go back to my place so they could drop off their stuff, then we headed to the 5th arrondisement because it's close and easy. We walked around Luxembourg garden and down to Notre Dame. I obviously took them to get my favorite ice cream (Berthillon) and...lucky me!...Sam loved it too! So that was one of our many visits to the île-saint-louis that week for some yummy ice cream. At this point, they were both pretty exhausted from the flight and the time difference so we headed back to my place to take a long nap before we went out. That night was one of the first Tokyo Decadence parties of the year..basically a Manga themed party...and the frenchies really get into it! We all dressed as "Sailor Moon"-ish as possible and Sam even made his own outfit...and ended up wearing a pretty sweet pair of Jérôme's yellow pants. The party was fun, and we danced until about 2 or 3 am, then we were all beat. Sunday, I took them to Versailles...and of course it ended being the coldest day of the year, thus far. We got there early and went to the Westin Hotel next door for some bangin hot chocolate and it started snowing! It was FREEZING! Inside the château there is this modern art exhibit if this sculpter, Jeff Koons, which was actually really neat. Trish and Sam both enjoyed the château even though the weather was a little chilly. Starting on monday I had to go to school and stuff, so during the day they went sight-seeing. That night I took them to one of my favorite restaurants on Rue Mouffetard called La Brouette. Caroline came with us also and we had a wonderful (not too expensive) meal with some awesome onion soup. On Tuesday, after work..we made dinner at the Cité then headed out to this old wine bar by Saint Germain des Pres called Chez George! It is now one of my favorite places. It's an old jazz cave from the 1920s, and they play crazy old french jazz music and everyone dances on the tables and it's a lot of fun. Wednesday is my only day off, so I decided to take them to one of my favorite parts of the city, Montmartre. We hung out around up there and ate some yummy crèpes then went down by the Opéra to see the Palais Garnier and the Christmas windows at the Galeries Lafayette. Thursdays and Fridays I have to work ALL DAY...blows. Thursday after work we had Thanksgiving dinner at my director's apt..and it was pretty tasty, and Friday night after work we decided to go to the Louvre because it's free and open until 10. I was exhausted, but Trish and Sam got to see all the main attractions. On Saturday we went shopping during the day, I got most of my Christmas shopping done and Trish got some really cute clothes! Since it was their last night in Paris I took them out to eat at a raclette and fondue restaurant and we ate so much cheese and potatoes, but it was amazing..they even tried escargots! Afterwards, we went to Favela Chic! My first time back there since last year, and it was so much fun...we danced until 3-4 in the morning, even though they had to get up pretty early to catch the plane back to the states. Well, there is a quick summary of my week with Sam and Trish...I am so glad they visited and I hope they had as much fun as I did!

As for the rest of November, I have been working my little butt off. I'm so glad that my Christmas break starts on Friday...I'm actually exhausted! I feel like I havent gotten to enjoy the Christmas decorations and everything because I have been so freaking busy. This past weekend I spent like every waking moment with Caroline..we went to Saint Sulpice and walked around the Christmas market. It was super cute with lots of candies, cakes, hot wine, cider etc...they even had Morrocan pastries..which I love.

Many of you know, or I think so anyway, that I am moving into a new apartment on January 6th after I get back from my trip in Spain. It's so beautiful and it is located in the 12th arrondissment on Avenue Daumesnil near Nation...for those of you who don't know Paris by heart that is the south eastern part of the city. Jérôme, me and Caroline are moving in together...and the apt. is huge so everyone should come and visit! I am leaving for Spain this Friday (the 19th) and I wont be back until January 4th. Jérôme and I are going to Barcelona for a week, and spending Christmas there then backpacking around the Catalonia region. I am very excited to see all the contemporary spanish art...and Gaudi architecture. We leave Friday night after work...FINALLY. So I wont be able to update again, until next year anyway! This time it will be sooner rather than later!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

ciao:):):)

getting prepared for the holidays

Hello all,
I know I havent written in a couple of weeks, I have been super busy with work and school. I literally feel like there arent enough hours in a day. Not too many exciting things have happened in the last 14 days or so. But here's the scoop:

Last weekend I went to an Arthur H concert at the Elysée Montmartre which was surprisingly awesome. I have one of his cds and I do like him, but now I love his music and his voice in general. It is funny because he is a geeky looking guy with big ears, but his voice is so sexy. He was also a great performer and lucky me, I got front row!

On saturday I went to Versailles with the Uconn group. We got a private guided tour of the private living chambers that you don't get to see on a normal tour! It was actually really interesting and I am glad I went. The tour guide was very well informed and had answers to all of the questions that we asked. Also, Jeff Koontz, the artist who makes the giant shiny balloon like sculptures, has an exhibit there right now...a cool mixture of classical art and modern art.

This week I have been getting a little into the holiday season. I have some spicy smelling candles burning and I put my tiny strand of christmas lights up around my window. Tomorrow, I am celebrating Jérôme's 37th birthday, WOW, and making him a really nice dinner. Then on Saturday Trish ans Sam get here! They are staying here for a week, and I am so excited to have some visitors, espescially on Thanksgiving. I have a couple of things already planned, but I figured we would make an itinerary once they got here. Saturday night is a Tokyo Decadence party, which could be fun...but it depends on how tired they are and if Jérôme can get them in. Then on Sunday we are going to go to Versailles. So that's all that is planned for now...unfortunately I dont have a break so I still have to work and go to school, but it should be a blast nonetheless.

I mentioned in my earlier post that I am going to Barcelona for Christmas! Well, I am super excited. We got a hotel room for the 24th-26th at this very fancy hotel right across the street from Gaudi's "Le Perdrera" and the rest of the time we plan on backpacking around the entire Catalonia region. I'm definitely ready for a little adventure. I may also go to Strasbourg before I leave for Spain to go to the famous Christmas market. Strasbourg is a town in France right near Germany that is considered to be the "Capitale de Noel" (the capital of christmas)...in Europe anyway..and I definitely wanna see that, and maybe eat some choucroute!

okay until next time....CIAO<33

A weekend of hors d'oeuvres and the Hippodrome!

This weekend was a busy one where I was never actually able to sit in front of my computer. I like those weekends where you are never bored enough to go on Facebook for hours doing nothing. This weekend felt particularly busy because I didn't spend one night in my room!

Friday is a busy day in general. I work at the high school from 8am to 5pm and I am exhausted afterwards. Jérôme, Caroline, Jonas and I decided to go and see Hellboy 2 at the ciné...it was good, except I was so tired I fell asleep...I woke up just in time for the end though...ha. After the movie we all headed back to Jérôme's apt. and played a game of Dungeon Twister...this french board game that is addicting...and I won of course! bwa haha. Caroline wasn't too happy about it. We all passed out over at the apt. and on Saturday I spent the morning just cleaning and doing some laundry then I met up with Caroline and John for a fantastic (and cheap) American lunch...SUBWAY...gotta love Subway, at least I do. After our little lunch date I left straight for Sevres and met up with Jérôme and his best friend Arnaud. We chatted and had some tea before we ended up being late for Jérôme's mother's birthday dinner. She made a delicious array of hors d'oeuvres for her birthday...I stuffed my face...free food is the best, espescially here. There were little brochettes of cheese, ham and tomato, wraps filled with chevre smoked ham and chives, mini salami pizza rolls etc etc...so basically I was in heaven. We all sat and chatted on the couch and started to play games, but me..being very fatigued as I was FELL ASLEEP AGAIN..on the couch int he middle of everything...c'est fou. Anyway, we all ended up staying over night at his mom's place.

Yesterday, we went to the Longchamps Hippodrome...the very famous horse race track in Paris. This past weekend it was free so we decided to go, since normally we couldn't afford to. The racetrack is in the missle of the 16th arrondissment which is the wealthiest quarter of Paris. We stayed for the races and even won a few that we bet on...we only gambled with about 2 euros a race, but it was fun to just play along. There was also free cotton candy, hot chocolate and fondue...mm yum yum. My camera died so I wasn't able to take any photos unfortunately, but it was a fun experience.

Today I started planning my Christmas vacation and guess where we decided to go?!?!

Barcelona, Spain!

more details on that to come:):):)

à plus

Barack Obama- "Yes We Can"

Today I am so excited and so happy for our country. I have never been so excited about the outcome of an election...even from over here across the ocean. I think the fact that we elected our first minority president is a great feat! And I also forsee that the world is going to change along with our country. I didnt realize how much I actually was hoping for this change...i argued against it even at times, but now I realize that it will do wonders internally and externally for our country. The minorities, both ethnic and religous, willbe more integrated and our foriegn politics and relations will change drastically. And on a lighter note, I think it will raise American spirits in this hard economic recession. Not only that, I think it says something that our country is not even 200 years old and along with all of our racial crisis and problems in the past, we have maybe gotten over that bump...at least a little bit hopefully.

So, YAY for Obama!!!

Yesterday, I went to buy a chess set for Jérome's birthday and I got a really nice one! Caroline also bought a small cheap set to so we can improve our skills. So we spent the afternoon in the park by Notre Dame, ate Berthillon ice cream and played chess on a bench. The weather was beautiful and th leaves are floating from the trees in all different Fall colors.

Later in the afternoon we all went to see a movie, The Visitor, which is an American film about our immigration problems...as a very general synopsis...but it was very good and I recommend it to everyone who can see it. I dont know any of the actors, but it was a very well made film.

After the movie we decided to go to the bar and watch the election. We headed over the Wide Open Spaces by rue de l'estrapade then went to the Violin Dingue to visit Momo..i had an amaretto sprite, hung out a bit, then headed home.

Today I am heading to the Grand Palais to see the Picasso exhibit...it should be neat, theyve been raving about it for a while.

so à plus for now!

Le Cirque d'Hiver (Bourglione)

I would like to preface this e-mail by saying that the past week has been particularly crappy, until yesterday that is. I have ANOTHER kidney infection. On Thursday morning on the way to work I puked in the bus...at 8am during rush hour. Then Friday in the middle of the night I woke up in unbearable pain in my kidney so I had to get an ambulance and go to the hospital. Now, this was a cultural experience because the hospitals in France are not like the ones we have in America. So even though we pay like 5 million dollars for our health care..at least we have nice nurses right? Now i'm taking antibiotics for a week...etc etc.

So in good news,
Last night Jérôme and I went to the Cirque d'Hiver. It is the oldest and most famous circus in France..and probably one of the most famous ones in the world I suspect. Last night was their 150 year anniversary and the opening night of their new show "Étoiles." I had never been to a circus before..and let me tell you..I LOVED it! I didn't want it to end. There were so many cool acts, and the things they did were amazing. There was tigers, horses, flying trapeze, burlesque, juggling, clowns etc..it was very cool needless to say. I would love to go again.


Here are just a couple pictures I took last night..I took like a million more but my internet is being slow so I will make a Facebook album of the rest! ENJOY!


After the show we went to eat at this really good restaurant called "Le Relais de l'Entrecote"..it's one of his favorites...near Saint Germain des Près. They don't have a menu, they always serve the same thing...a l'entrecote (which is a very nice piece of steak) served in this super yummy sauce and fries...and you get a salad as well...all of which is very tasty.

Last week I also went to the Palais de Tokyp, the exhibit sucked a little bit, but we did get to hang out by the Eiffel Tower and guess what....Hello Kitty is visiting! There are these 3 huge sculptures of Hello Kitty and 2 other Sanrio characters on tehTrocadero right now...they're pretty sweet...and they are also fountains, there are streams of water coming from they're little black eyes. ahh I love Paris!

at the lycée

Right now I am at work strenuously typing on a french keyboard to make this post. I have an hour in between the classes I teach and, therefore, I must blog.

The past week has just been spent getting into a routine of school and work...Over the weekend I went to the countryside AGAIN (i love it there) and spent my time working on various art projects including a moulage of Jérome's hand. He is teaching me how to play Chess...and I love it, I cant wait until I can actually play well.

Tonight I am going to my favorite contemporary art museum the Palais de Tokyo which is near the Eiffel Tower. It only costs me 1 euro and they always have crazy exhibits. We will definitely be taking pictures in the Photomaton and I may have to buy some cool art book...because they have an awesome bookstore; and as always we wxill probably do our little photo shoot thing and take cool pictures in the exhibit, which I will post asap..along with the Nuit Blanche photos I promised like 5 million years ago.

In Food news:

Jérome took me to a mexican restaurant here in Paris that was actually very good. Of course it was nothing like the real Mexican food Im used to, but it was very gourmet and tasty, and i had a yummy margarita and an agua fresca Jamaica.

Lately though because I am a lazy ass, I dont like going to the grocery store so I just eat cereal in my room or get a croissant aux amandes at the boulangerie. What happens is I eat super good over the weekends in the country and then I eat crap during the week..

well, back to work...

I should have a more interesting life right?

i pray to someday look like Penelope.

I haven't had the chance to update in about a week...I just started my classes and my job last week and I have been quite busy making the commute. Here's the deal-io..I needed to take studio art classes this semester, therefore, I had to register at Paris VIII instead of Paris IV. The fact that I get to take studio art in Paris is amazing, BUT the university is in the complete opposite side of the city so it takes me an hour just to get there. The school is not my favorite, it's very overcrowded, but it's only for one semester. The classes I am taking are pretty chouette...i have courses in drawing, sculpture, history of photography and the philosophy of art esthetics. In the past week I have had to haggle my way into these classes..but things finally seem to be settling. I get to carry a big portfolio case around Paris like a real life art student...but honestly I feel like a poser...hah

in other news, I saw 2 plays last week...one was a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" and the other was a musical based on the band "Queen"...one of my students was playing Freddy Mercury so I obviously had to go. The theater was completely packed so I had to sit in the very front row and center..which was awkward because I was literally face to face with my student while he was singing. Otherwise it was cute. Espescially the fact that mini frenchies were singing Queen songs...with little frenchie accents.

Over the weekend I went back to the ountryside and got some homework done. I also went horseback riding with Jérôme, which was a lot of fun. The weather was perfect and we went on a ballad for 2 hours.

Entertainment wise...I am currently addicted to The Office..I have watched seasons 1, 2 and most of 3. Caroline is a life saver and is ordering season 4...why didn't i watch this series before? Last night I went and saw Vicky Christina Barcelona and i loved it! It was very true to European mentality on love adn relationships and Penelope Cruz was awesome. I's alowly realizing that I may never leave Europe...or at least not anytime soon, I really love it here and I feel I can be more myself and less restricted to what is "expected" of me. There is this very cool quote from the song "The Healer" by Erykah Badu that says: "You don't have to believe everything you think"...it seems simple, but if you think about it..it makes a lot of sense(God. I would kill to look like her or to marry Jim...and that is a request)

In the past 3 weeks I have read 2 books and now I have started "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck...which I am enjoying very much. It is the first Steinbeck book I've read since "The Red Pony" in the 8th grade (which I hated)...next I plan on reading "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Hemingway, then I will have read all the books I brought with me. HELP.
if any of you are feeling overly compassionate and rich please send me a present of a good book and some peanut butter M&Ms...not likely but I thought I'd throw it in there.