Paris (again)

Last night I arrived in Paris for my third visit since moving to Europe. Of course, I flew into Paris in October but only saw the airport, so that hardly counts! Anyway, I am flying out of Paris on Monday, but decided to make the trip up here with all my stuff a bit less stressful by coming a few days early, seeing some sights, and then leaving for the airport early Monday morning.

Yesterday was insane, but worked out just fine. I woke up early in Fez, Morocco and took a taxi to the airport. After a lot of waiting around (the airport wasn't really even open until 9am and security wouldn't let people through until 9:30!) I got on my plane and was in Marseille by 15:30. Then I took a shuttle bus to downtown Marseille and a metro to my friend Becky's apartment, who was kind enough to keep my massive suitcase and my smaller carry-on suitcase while I was on holiday. Becky, who had her 21st birthday yesterday, fed me a piece of pie and saw me off again within an hour of my arrival at her place. I took my large pack, giant suitcase and small suitcase through the metro (very carefully) to the train station to catch my TGV to Paris. Then I could relax a bit. Upon arrival in Paris I allowed myself to splurge on a 22 euro taxi ride to the apartment where I'm staying this weekend. I couldn't imagine trying to carry my suitcases up the metro stairs at 23:30!

Anyway, that was my very long day of traveling, carrying heavy stuff and spending money on transportation. I'm glad it's over. I'm couch surfing in Paris this weekend and my hostess is absolutely wonderful. She's about my age, maybe a few years older, works in advertising, and lives in a beautiful little apartment in the 17th arrondissement with a roommate whom I have yet to meet. She even provided me with a custom-made map and my own key so I can come and go as I like while I'm here. I couldn't have dreamed for a better housing situation this weekend, it's really a perfect way to relax a bit and feel comfortable after so much traveling and confusion.

Today is May Day in France, so I expect most things will be closed. However, I will still try to see and do some things I did not see last time. I just read about a park called Bois de Boulogne, near the University of Paris Dauphine, and I think I will go check it out because it will be open all the time. If that gets dull I'll just take a walk or maybe sit in a cafe for a bit. Hopefully I can find an English bookstore that is open today because I have nothing to read for my plane home on Monday. It would also be helpful to find a post office that is open, but even in the US (where we work ourselves to death) the post office is closed on public holidays, so I'm not holding my breath.

Giving Fez a Chance

Today I was determined to have a good day. I woke up really early with tons of energy, waiting until 9am when breakfast is served here at the Riad (why so late? I have no idea), ate and headed out the door armed with two maps, spending money, and my camera.

I got so lost. Really, really lost. I am staying in a neighborhood called Batha, which is on the edge of the Medina, so I can either go into the Medina (where all the most famous sights and shopping are) or go the wrong direction and end up in Fez-el-Jadid, the former Jewish neighborhood (not a bad thing, just confusing). Guess which direction I went? And guess who convinced herself for probably two hours of walking around that she was, in fact, in the Medina but couldn't figure out the street names because they are written in Arabic?

Yeah, me.

The way I found out I was in the wrong neighborhood was interesting. I walked up and down the same three or four streets about 5 or 6 times, exhausted and sweating and frustrated. I was being called a lot of things, mostly acceptable but obnoxious versions of "mademoiselle" and some people would see me and say something snide about the French (in French), stared at (PS: covering my hair makes me more obvious), etc. Then an older man saw me and either pegged me for a tourist or Jewish and pointed to the left saying "Synagogue that way!"

What Synagogue? So I headed his word and found a Synagogue and also a sign written in French, Thank God. Then I flipped to my bigger map and found that I was in the wrong neighborhood.

After CAREFULLY retracing my steps I found my way to the Medina, then I was really harassed. This time it was everything from offers to show me around, being spoken to in French (everything from "bonjour, ca va" to "si belle!" to "bienvenue." I don't remember everything, but it was pretty daunting). The ones who spoke English were worse. A young man followed me for a few minutes trying to speak to me. I ignored him and he said, "Don't be so stuck up, I just want to show you around!" Not nice. Anyway, a random guy saw me and pointed to the right saying "Medina, that way!" I said, I didn't want a tour guide and he said "I'm not a guide, just helping." That was rare that day, so I said thanks and wound up on a big shopping market area and actually ran into the Riad where my friend Vanessa stayed and her favorite restaurant in Fez. It felt good to see something I had heard of.

Things started getting fun then. I haggled (not very well) in French and bought lots of gifts for people back home. I have a short list started for tomorrow too because I forgot some small things I wanted to look at (and my bags were getting heavy). It was nice to be around people who weren't openly preying on me, most of the time. Some shop owners would offer to let me come in and look and when I just kept walking they would get a little annoyed and call after me. Seriously, that doesn't make me want to buy from you. Anyway, I did pretty well and started having fun.

The best thing that happened to me today was meeting Abdul. For the past two days I have started seeing young Moroccan men as predators. They cat call, follow me around, try to sell me things, and that's the tame ones. I was getting really annoyed. Then I walked by Abdul's textile shop. He asked if I wanted to see how the rugs are made. I told him I couldn't take rugs home with me because I just brought a backpack and he said (in English), "No problem. I'll just show you and we'll chat a bit."

I was apprehensive, but decided to go with it fully prepared to bolt if needed. He showed me the rug/textile machine they use (it's an old loom) and took me to see their storage room/workshop area (not as sketchy as it sounds) where his cousin was installing painted ceiling decorations for a new show room. He showed off their bedspreads, rugs, etc and gave me some tea. I said they were beautiful, but unfortunately I just couldn't buy anything that big. I did, however, notice a few scarves that were gorgeous and bought two as gifts. He made a nice price for me when I told him I only had 90 dirham left to spend today, and then we got to talking and he and his coworker said "are you hungry?"

About three hours after I had gone to see the textiles I emerged fed (fish tangine and a huge glass bottle of Coke), "tea-ed," and renamed "Fatima" (sister, which one of the guys called me the whole time). Plus I was feeling so much better about my time here.

Tomorrow I have been invited to meet with them again so they can show me to the real hammam, find me a "madame" to help with the process, and maybe go see some sights if it's still light out after their shop closes. This way I will get a Moroccan price and an authentic experience, rather than going to one that is basically a spa for tourists. Normally I would be very apprehensive about this, but I mentioned to them how vulnerable I felt traveling alone as a woman and they said several things that put me at ease. First, they said men who prey on women like that are not Muslims, they are animals and they are sick while I am a nice girl that "your education and your religion shows through your face and it is beautiful." This was the first time I'd been called beautiful in Morocco without it making me feel dirty.

Then the older of the two compared these men with terrorists, "but terrorists of a different type." After two days of keeping my guard up and feeling nervous every time a man looks at me, I completely understand what he means. They also said that when a man looks at a woman he should regard her as he would his sister (hence my new name) or his mother until they are married. They also teased me that after I leave the hammam boys would follow me everywhere, but that in life you only need one husband or one wife. To this I said, "when I'm on holiday I don't need any boys following me, just good friends." They agreed. At one point in our visit there was a call to prayer and my new friends excused themselves to pray in the next room. It wasn't a big deal, just a little break in their day.

Amazing- and just to prove that kindness is good for business, I have decided to go back tomorrow also to buy some of their beautiful silk scarves. They fed me so well this afternoon that I didn't spend a penny on food today, so I am free to spend some money in their shop and to bring some of their amazing crafts home to share with others.

This is exactly what I needed today.

Fes, Maroc/Fez, Morocco

After a whirlwind packing up and finding my way to Marseille on Sunday I woke early Monday morning to catch my flight to Fez. Amazingly nothing went wrong, even flying RyanAir. I landed in Fez, went through immigration with no trouble and took a taxi by myself (which cost about 12 euros, just as I had read online. Thank God for rare travel instances when things like taxis really do cost what they should). I haven't decided yet, but if I have time and feel bold enough I might take the airport bus back on Friday because it's only about 2 euros, but the bus is also only once per hour and doesn't really run on a set schedule. If I have extra Dirhams I may as well use them I guess and have the security of knowing I can catch the taxi 2 blocks from my Riad and step out at the airport with plenty of time.

Anyway, I found my Riad easily because the taxi driver handed me off to a university student to walk me into the Medina (and he did NOT expect to be tipped, amazing! I suppose he gets a small cut of the taxi fare). I snoozed for a bit, got settled then took myself to a very elaborate (and kind of pricey) supper nearby. The food was yummy and the service was great, but the whole time I was wishing I had a dinner companion to enjoy the experience with me. I think dining is the one part of traveling solo that is always kind of a bummer, everything else can be tweaked so it's fun on your own but food should always be shared.

On my way back to my Riad last night I somehow managed to get turned around. Keep in mind I literally walked 3-5 blocks away from my Riad and I'm normally pretty talented with navigating cities. A guy wearing an orange vest with a nightstick (neighborhood watch?) asked around for me and we found the place after about 10 minutes of searching. He then said "money?" I gave him the equivalent of 2 euros, the smallest bill in my pocket. The audacity of this tipping business is so strange to me. Not that I mind too much, it wasn't expensive, but the expectation seems so rude. In most places that rely heavily on tourism you'll be hit up for money in any number of more official ways, but generally people in uniforms and working at businesses will be at least begrudgingly helpful because they know tourists are important to their local economies.... but I suppose in their minds I owe them something because I come from a wealthier country. Oh well, that's life and it's part of the experience. I will just have to make greater efforts to find my own way.

Anyway, I slept A LOT last night and today I plan to take my handy Fez City Guide and find my way to the markets and major tourist attractions. If I can manage to see the highlights of the Medina today I'll be pretty pleased. That will free up tomorrow and Thursday for less pressing experiences like visiting a hammam or a side trip to Meknes. In spite of my culture shock and suddenly feeling very white and female (i.e. vulnerable because I'm easily noticed), I am determined to enjoy my days here and make it a good experience. This may mean I have to change myself a bit for the next few days including covering my hair (I'm going to see if wearing a scarf and sunglasses gets me fewer comments like, "hellooo? ca va????" from young boys and old men). I think I will also find this place called Cafe Clock, an English owned cafe near the most famous part of the Medina, in hopes of meeting some other travelers and maybe having someone to walk around with. It can't hurt to poke around, I guess.

OK, I'm starving so I should go seek out my breakfast....

Marseille Part 2

Day 1 of my final insane travel plans began with more packing, checking out of my dorm at the CIV, and hauling my 100+ pounds of personal belongings to the school gates. From there I said my goodbyes to my Canadian Counterpart, who will be dutifully finishing out her final week at her three schools, and was transported to the Antibes train station by one of our favorite teachers from this year.

My really excellent day began with said teacher giving me a farewell card, complete with a postcard of a Chagall painting that she said reminds her of me. The painting is entitled La Lutte de Jacob et de l'Ange (The Wrestling of Jacob and the Angel). In the Bible, this story is about Jacob's return to Canaan where he was told that his brother Esau would meet him with an army of 400 men. Assuming the worst, Jacob prayed to God for help and sent gifts of cattle ahead to his brother. One night during his journey Jacob sent his family back across a river to retrieve their possessions and was left alone in communion with God. During the night an angel appeared to Jacob and they wrestled until daylight. Jacob was not defeated, so the Angel touched his thigh giving him a limp. Still Jacob demanded a blessing from the angel, and so the angel changed Jacob's name to mean "one who has prevailed with God." Jacob then renamed the place of this struggle saying, "I have seen God face to face and lived."

The teacher did not tell me why this painting reminded her of me, nor did she tell me the story. Being a Christian who has hardly read the Bible I had to Wiki it (I do intend to better educate myself on these topics soon). The story is interesting and I might read somethings into the gift, but I'm afraid those interpretations might be giving me too much credit. I think this story might require some additional study and reflection. The teacher also gave me part of a note written in French by a French Christian leader. I am still deciphering it for complete understanding, but so far it seems to be very inspirational calling Christians to lead complete, inclusive lives where they are satisfied with themselves and their time on Earth, thus making us all better members of the world community. Maybe I'm totally off the mark, I'll have to get back to you on this one.

After an uneventful train ride to Marseille I struggled through the Gare de St. Charles and the metro system with my three heavy bags and made it safely to my friend Becky's house. She was entertaining a fellow assistant from Seattle and soon another assistant from London popped over. We eventually went to see Alice in Wonderland, which was delightful, and I was very happy to be in good company.

In all an excellent day. Pretty soon I need to find my way to dreamland, however, as I have a rather early flight in the morning to FEZ! So exciting, so nerve-wracking! But I've heard so many stories of good travel experiences in Morocco, so overall I'm pretty pumped about this trip. As long as I can get to my Riad unscathed I think I will be just fine.

Until then, a bientot and wish me bon courage!

Double Post

So yeah, I just posted something a few hours ago. I may seem a little bit pathetic, but please keep in mind that I'm living in a lycee dormitory for a few days with almost nothing to do. At this moment I am waiting for Leigh to get home from work so we can chat while my computer battery lasts. For some reason the outlets in my room short out every time I plug my laptop in, so I have to charge it sometime during the day and hope the battery lasts as long as necessary. My other option is to camp out in the kitchen of this building with the computer plugged in to charge it while I sit on the countertop because there is no seating, which isn't terribly comfortable.

Anyway, I managed to pack all my stuff into my suitcases and am now just kind of waiting around until the hauling of my stuff around France must begin. Not looking forward to that, but my rewards are plenty, so I will deal with it moment by moment. That was a big job and it was after a full day of errands and such, so I feel pretty accomplished today. I even met with my bank to get instructions to transfer my euros to dollars in the US. The woman gave me oral instructions rapidly and answered my questions in great detail. I understood everything she was telling me even if I didn't catch and process every word. 7 months ago this situation would have had me fighting back tears or at least asking for someone to translate. Progress? Yes, perhaps a bit. I am still learning. One day soonish I would like to have a solid handle on French and conversational German. This will take work, but what is life without a self-improvement project or two in the works?

For the past week or so I have been living in denial about my leaving Europe. Then today it really hit me how soon I am going home. Don't get me wrong, I miss my family and am I so excited about the opportunities I have awaiting me, but I can't help but feel quite sad if not a bit depressed about repatriating. I feel like I just got settled, started to get into the rhythm of life here and just now started making real connections with people.

My greatest fear is that I won't be able to continue the inner journey I started here after leaving the Continent. What if I forget all that I learned about the world and myself? What if I go back to being the same person I was before I learned these things? What if my life doesn't bring me back here to continue exploring this Old World that I have come to love so much? What if the people I have met, and come to both admire and care for forget me entirely? What if wanting to stay connected just isn't tangible enough for reality?

The thing is that I know if I make the time and space for something in my life then I can have it. If I am willing to make some sacrifices then I can certainly return to Europe on a semi-regular basis for any number of reasons to continue what I have begun. There's typical trips, cultural exchanges, religious exchanges, Taize, language schools, and working abroad in any number of capacities. For some reason I have wanted to work abroad all my life at various stages, then the reality of America and immigration set in and I forgot about this desire. It seems it has come full circle after having a taste of life outside of our colossal America and, in my experience, it is best to follow one's instincts in all matters so important as life-altering decisions.

I have to remind myself that this is like every other challenge I have faced in my life- I just have to face it head-on and remember how important it is to me. I am so excited to start my adult life, my career, to try out Alaska full time and see how it goes. I have a lot of wonderful opportunities ahead in the next 18 months. After that, who knows? At this point I'm prepared to consider that I might have to take another [shorter] gap between real jobs if the market still sucks in the fall of 2011, or maybe look outside of Alaska if I can't find something there that will teach me enough quickly enough. I must remain flexible, always, and never settle for anything less than an opportunity that is both exciting and educational (with the sacrifice often being lack of a high salary).

The bottom line is that, while I'm so sad to be leaving now, I am also very excited about my quickly approaching future and I have so much life and career left to experience, both at home and abroad.

Antibes, once again

My Canadian Counterpart and I made it safely back to Nice late Tuesday night after being stranded in Barcelona due to the extremely well-publicized eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull. For those of you living under a rock, this eruption kept flights grounded all over Europe for a few days last week and even effected flights to and from the USA. We were pretty surprised to learn that our flight was cancelled because the airspace around the airport in Nice remained open almost the entire time. Spanish airspace was closed the morning of our flight, but was open several hours before our scheduled departure. To add to the difficulties, there was a national strike of the French rail system. I ask myself why the rail employees couldn't postpone their strike in the interest of human decency so people could travel who really needed to, but this question has yet to be answered to my satisfaction.

At any rate, we were supposed to fly back to Nice on Sunday night but wound up staying in Barcelona until Tuesday night. The good news is that there was ample space at our very comfy hostel for those days (probably because everyone who had been there had to stay and no new people could fly in). It also gave us more time to poke around the city and really get into the groove of the place. During our week (it was meant to be 4 days) in Barcelona we enjoyed the beach, the old port, the Dali Museum in Figueres, the Parc Guell (Gaudi Park), Montjuic, the Sagrada Familia, La Ramblas, mojitos, tapas, daquiris, people watching, wandering through the Barri Gottic, and a number of other small pleasures that I can't quite recall at the moment. We even got to see Castellers in action (teams that build human castles by standing on each other's shoulders- very cool!).

Since returning to France both the Canadian and I have been staying in the dorms at the CIV. I stayed here for two nights back in October when I was still jetlagged and very confused as my whereabouts. I remember it very differently, but in a way that favors my current situation. The showers are all functioning and so far my key card has worked 90% of the time, this is nothing short of amazing! We are also indulging in cafeteria food a la boarding school, which has only been really disgusting once. Needless to say my portion sizes are much bigger here since I'm fed the same amount as the teenage boys so I'm always full!

This week has really flown by. I've been sleeping a good bit and getting organized for the end of my time in Europe. I only taught one normal lesson this week (long story) but taught 4 tutoring sessions in my free time, so it was ultimately worth my coming back here to see my pupils once more. I have no emotional attachment to this part of France. In fact, I don't think I could ever live here again. I love most of Europe, but Cote d'Azur just isn't on my list. However, it was important for me to come back here for a few days to collect my thoughts, myself, and my belongings before my next adventure. It reminds me of a quote I hear from Alec via Sam (who I'm pretty sure stole it from a book): "Protect the Earth, it's where I keep my stuff!"

So that's where I've been hiding the past several days. Tomorrow Sam and I have a date with our friend Katrina for one last outing before we both disappear into the ether. Sunday I take the train to Marseille and Monday I fly to Morocco. I will admit that I am a bit nervous about Morocco, but also very excited to see this place I have heard so much about! With any luck it will be a very positive experience. I have done all that I can to simplify this trip by not trying to see the whole country in 4 days, as I tend to do, and by keeping my expectations to things like enjoying the architecture, eating good food, and taking lots of pictures. With this in mind I just have to keep my wits about me enough to use what French I have to get through the week and to stay sharp since I am a woman traveling alone in a very traditional country. If I can make it through this unscathed I think it will show quite a bit of growth on my part in the past year. If not, it will be just another experience I can learn from.

With that said, I have to spend some time trying to fit a year of my life into a single suitcase...

Barcelona en plus

So a volcano erupted in Iceland. Did you hear about it?

Most flights to and within Europe have been cancelled for the past few days, including my flight back to Nice. So inconvenient. Normally I would think, "extra days in Barcelona? No fear of retribution for missing work? Fewer days living in the dorms at CIV? Sign me up!!!"

But I've been traveling for over two weeks non-stop and I'm pretty tired, so I was ready to go back to France. Plus I have appointments this week and lots to do before Morocco--> Paris--> USA, so this is actually compacting an already busy week.

Oh well, c'est la vie, non? Things could be so much worse.

Yesterday was a tough day. Sam and I were really tired from traveling, staying out late and getting up early to see things. We got a little lost looking for the Gaudi park and gave up. Then we decided to go to the airport to talk to an actual human being about our flight status because Vueling's website and phone numbers are completely useless. Instead of taking the correct train to the airport, or any of the many airport buses, I managed to get us on a train going to some random suburb an hour away from Barcelona without any stops.

This was frustrating. We eventually made it to the airport, exhausted and disheartened, and were rebooked for a flight on Tuesday night. We won't be back at work until Thursday (for Sam) or Friday (for me), so basically I am only working one more day at my job ever. Weird. I'm also having to rearrange some tutoring for this week so I can see all of my pupils one last time before I bugger off to Africa and then America.

Anyway, Barcelona has been a good time aside from the past 24 hours. We enjoyed the beach, the Sagrada Familia Gaudi church, the Dali museum in Figueres (probably the highlight for me), some good international food and some weird Spanish food complete with the unnecessary and random addition of a fried egg. I can't complain. Today we have wild plans including doing laundry (I have no clean clothes and I stink), getting some good food and maybe even doing something fun with our stolen day in Spain. I am tempted to go shoe shopping, but will probably be able to placate myself with gelato or falafel instead to save my money for Morocco, The Land of Shoes and Slippers. Tomorrow we have pretty much all day to hang out too, so maybe something touristic then too. I understand there is an opera house on La Ramblas, nearish to our hostel, that does daily tours. That might be cool.

Aside from this little hiccup, which honestly could have been really catastrophic if it has happened last week, therefore screwing up ALL of my flights, etc, my trip has been epic. I have visited four countries in two weeks, five if you include that I started in France, met up with friends along the way and had solo experiences as well. It was a great balance of personal adventure and sharing with others. I keep flipping through the photos on my camera to remind myself all that I have seen and experienced in such a short period of time. I know I have been gone a while doing a lot of things because for the past week I have woken up each morning a little bit confused, wondering where I am and what my plans were for that day. I am essentially experiencing the existential life question of "why am I here?" on a very regular basis.

And we're not finished yet, folks! After a very short sejour in France I'm off to Fes for some more solo travel. Luckily I am sharing a private twin room with another solo traveler, so maybe we will hit it off and hang out a bit. This was set up through the Riad, kind of weird but very functional. Then it's Paris, again solo but couchsurfing which should be fun, and then America for the duration, but I'm already making more plans.

I think I will try to spend some time at German language school after my clerkship. I've always been curious about the language school experience and the ones in Germany have fairly cheap tuition. Plus I now LOVE Germany and want to see more of it. Who says you can't take a gap between jobs every year or so to do something amazing and learn something new? In fact, I would argue (in fact I will argue) that doing something like a language school can be seen in the same light as doing an internship or career training program. Being multilingual will make me more marketable to employers and more mobile as a professional.

I rest my case.

Barcelona!

Yesterday morning I flew from Berlin to Barcelona. I was so sad to leave Berlin after a wonderful 4 days visiting my high school friend Kate and getting to know such an interesting and vibrant city. Berlin is amazing and still up and coming after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was almost shocking to see such modern buildings after several months of living in the Old World of Europe. I met a few locals and really enjoyed their company, got a feel for a few neighborhoods and learned about the long, sad, and dynamic history of the city. After such a positive experience visiting Berlin I cannot wait to return sometime soon and see other parts of Germany too.

My flight to Barcelona left Berlin at 8:50 and I landed just before noon. I had made plans to meet my Canadian Counterpart in the Barcelona airport because she was flying from London that same morning. Unfortunately we failed to make this plan beyond basically saying "we will meet at the airport." I walked very slowly from my arrival gate to the exit looking in every corner to see if she was hanging out inside the security checkpoint. It wasn't until I was nearly out of the gates area that I remembered that the UK is not part of the Schengen Region, and therefore she would have gone through passport control and then been summarily directed outside of the secured part of the airport. Just as I realized this I exited the secured area myself and she was standing there dutifully waiting for me. Perhaps one day I will realize that other people can be as anal and meticulous as I am about plans and meeting times so I should worry less and trust them to do there thing.

Anyway, it took us a full hour or so to figure out the trains to get into the city and then we found our hostel pretty easily. We spent our first few hours getting settled including buying groceries (because I am moments away from being flat broke for this trip) for the hostel, claiming our beds and then napping a bit after long mornings of traveling. In the afternoon we walked down to Las Ramblas, the main drag of the city complete with touristy booths for postcards and the like, street performers and a fantastic food market. I think we'll try to wander through Las Ramblas every day just for the spectacle. We cooked a pizza at the hostel for supper, which was a well spent 2 euros. Who needs money/a restaurant???

At some point my Canadian Counterpart, a very shy and normally stay at home kind of girl, said to me: "I don't want to have a crazy night out, but it would be really lame if we didn't leave the hostel tonight." Fair enough. So we left the hostel around 22:00 and started walking toward Las Ramblas again, Rough Guide in hand, in search of a cheap drink. Basically we let ourselves get pretty lost in the Barri Gotic, but felt very safe the whole time as we kept passing pockets of young locals out for some good fun and there were lots of well-lit areas where we could stop and check our map, etc. In all I was pleasantly surprised with how secure we felt walking around late at night in a strange city.

After over an hour of poking our heads into random side streets and generally going in the same direction, we found ourselves sort of making a giant circle, which was good because we knew where we were. We also ran into a bar not listed anywhere in our book or online called tres floras serving 2 euro beers and 3.50 mojitos. Sold. We went in and it was a small place with interesting decor and a very pretty bar tender. We ordered a drink each and sat down near a poker game. It was noisy and crowded but had a friendly atmosphere. I really enjoyed just people watching and catching up with my old roommate whom I hadn't seen for over a week (and, for me, 3 countries ago). My beer was something local on tap, pretty yummy, and Sam's mojito was really good for being so cheap. If we don't get any bright ideas for other places to hang out at night I can definitely see us going back there.

We got back to the hostel a bit after 01:00 and hit the hay hard. This morning we let ourselves sleep in and then Sam realized she needed clothes and wanted to go to the Mango Outlet. I'm poor and still exhausted from travel so I'm hanging out in the hostel until she gets back. Then we have plans to hike Montjuic. It's a bit cloudy today so not great for the beach, so we figured it would be nice for a hike and seeing the city from above, plus Montjuic is home to some old Jewish structures (maybe even a neighborhood, not sure) and leftover buildings and gardens from the Olympics. Should be fun.

Berlin in List Form

In the past four days I have accomplished the following:
1. caught a nearly impossible flight at 6am
2. attended a kick-ass concert for one of my favorite bands and discovered a new band I like pretty well
3. Met the members of one of my favorite bands and I have the pictures to prove it!
4. visited countless Berlin points of interest varying from the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate, and the largest department store in Europe.
5. completed a Free Tour
6. visited Humboldt University, the Harvard of Germany
7. visited Sachenhausen, the concentration camp about an hour from Berlin and where the events in the movie The Counterfeiters took place
8. visited Charlottenburg Schlotts (Castle)
9. ate a currywurst (OK) and a schnitzel (not OK) followed by gelato (pretty darn good)
10. got a haircut on the fly from a place called Magic Cutters for 10 euros and it looks so much better than the 20 euro hack job I got at the end of January! Further proof that Germany is a cooler country than France (even though French food and wine is vastly superior to that of Germany, but I guess you can't have everything, eh?)
11. completely exhausted myself running around Europe and then realized I'm not nearly finished!

Good thing I have 4 days in Barcelona where laying on the beach and doing nothing is totally OK with me..... except I also need to see that architecture, Gaudi Garden, Dali Museum, etc etc etc...

I guess I can sleep when I'm dead :-)

Berlin!

After safely arriving in Berlin on Friday morning (just barely!) I settled in and started enjoying myself almost immediately. By 15:00 Kate delivered me safely to her apartment and then headed out for some work stuff at her church. I had a few hours to shower, do laundry and relax. Within about 20 minutes I had done all of those things and was completely passed out in her living room. I did not wake up until nearly 18:30! It was one of the better naps of my life.

Kate got home soon after I woke up and we headed out for a concert in a bar/club across the city called Magnet, kind of near the East Side Gallery of the Berlin wall. The show was An Horse opening for Simon den Hartog. I'm a big fan of An Horse but had never heard of Simon den Hartog. Both acts were excellent, though An Horse only played for about 30 minutes since they were the opening act. After An Horse's set I bought a t-shirt from them, had it signed and got a photo with them. We chatted for about a minute and a half about what part of the states I'm from, why I live in France, etc. I think Kate Cooper was a tiny bit drunk and/or exhausted from touring, which just made her a little funnier than normal and just as friendly as I had imagined. Damon is very quiet, also as I imagined, and easy-going. One of my favorite things about loving semi-weird rock music is that I get to see bands play tiny venues and meet them sometimes and tell them how much I enjoyed the show. With big groups like The Cranberries (who I will love till the day I die) I just get to enjoy their music from afar and it's less of an exchange of appreciation... but I digress (big time).

Anyway, yesterday Kate took me around Berlin and showed me a lot of stuff I won't be seeing on the Free Walking Tour on Tuesday. We visited places near her apartment in Charlottenburg like the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtniskirche (a church bombed during the war and now rebuilt so it's really beautiful but still a testament to the war), KaDeWe (the biggest department store in Europe), and the East Side Gallery among other small stops along the way. We also had the most amazing chocolate concoction consisting of drinking chocolate, ice cream, cream, and a few other additions to make sure it had plenty of sugar and fat. Yum! After the chocolate we went to Kreuzberg to check out the hipster/revolutionary/youth/Turkish/gay neighborhood (yes, all of those together). We walked a bit and found a cool store selling a lot of funky "Earth Mother" style clothes. I broke down and spoiled myself with a 39 euro zippy jacket that is just too cool and too "Kreuzberg" to pass up. It will be my primary souvenir along with lots of amazing pictures.

Today, Sunday, I attended the American Church in Berlin where Kate is interning to become a pastor. The service was nice and the church itself is really gorgeous. Everyone at the church was very friendly and from varied backgrounds. After church Kate was feeling ill so I went to lunch with the young adults (meaning my age roughly), which was a lot of fun, while Kate finished up at church with the youth and then went back to the apartment for a much-needed nap.

Tomorrow I have plans to visit Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp that is now a sort of museum about an hour from Berlin, and Tuesday I'll take the Free Walking Tour. In all I think I will leave Berlin with a good sense of the city and lots of great photos and memories. In the past few months I have been toying with the idea of trying to move back to Europe after working in the US for some time. Though I can't imagine living in France (maybe Paris, but only maybe if anywhere in France) as an attorney, I have come up with a handful of other places I might consider and now I can safely add Berlin to this mental list. It's an interesting, friendly, international city with a lot to offer many types of people. I was told today that Berlin is not typical of German cities, but not typical in ways that makes it more comfortable for non-Germans to enjoy living here more than elsewhere in the country. This is not to say that non-Germans wouldn't like other cities, but that Berlin is especially conducive to living as an ex-pat. Other countries that have made the list include Belgium (because they speak French), the Netherlands, Germany (of course), and today Switzerland was suggested to me because of the number of NGOs and the strong international culture to be found there. I shall bear all of this in mind as my career (and hopefully my language skills) develops in the next few years.

Oh, and I've chosen German as my third language :-) I just love how it sounds and it's so useful around Europe! So I shall continue to develop my French in the coming years and start some rudimentary German also. So many projects! Such fun!

Berlin- by the skin of my teeth!

After a lovely dinner with a friend from college I went to bed early last night in Edinburgh because I knew I needed to catch the 4:30ish bus to the airport. Unfortunately my roommates in the hostel decided it was more important to have the light on in the room so they could read until midnight or so. I'm pretty sure there are reading areas elsewhere in the building, but far be it from me to let my sleeping disturb their reading.

Anyway, I woke up at 4am this morning after very little rest and found my way to the bus. All was going well. I had a Ryan Air flight to Berlin at 6:30 but no bags to check so I went through security and to my gate. I sat around waiting for my flight. After nearly 1 hour of waiting we are about to board the plane when I am told, for the first time, that I had to check in at the front desk (before security) regardless of having a bag to check because I'm not European. This was written rather small on my printed boarding pass, but in my defense I had never flown Ryan Air before and all other European airlines allow you to just go straight to the gate as part of the online check-in+no bags preferential treatment.

I was told at that point that I had to take myself and my backpack all the way back through security to the front desk, have my boarding pass stamped, then go back through security and make my way to the far end of the terminal again within about 5 or 10 minutes or I would miss my flight.

To this I said, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" and a few other things and then started running with all my strength (not much at 6am without having eaten or drank anything since about 12 hours before at dinner) and extremely heaving backpack strapped on.

While I ran toward the check-in area I was calculating what a new flight would cost me, how this would ruin today and maybe tomorrow, and mostly was so angry with the situation and myself that I could cry... but I didn't, of course, because that would have only made things worse. I got lost a few times looking for the check-in counter because I had never been in this airport before, but eventually found it. I got my boarding pass stamped and high-tailed it back toward security and a very, very long line of people removing their coats and picking out liquids and gels from their bags. Thinking I had no hope, I plead my case to two or three guards who let me skip the line and I was through within about 3 minutes! It's a small miracle!

As my boots, coat, liquids and gels, and backpack came through the X-Ray machine I shoved my feet into my boots and all other odds and ends back into my pack and took off. I just had to get to my gate, number 21, at the complete other end of the terminal. I ran like my life depended on it, stopping to walk only when I started getting dizzy from being overheated (I was wearing a coat, scarf, and 2 tops) and exhausted from the experience. By some stroke of luck I ran up to the gate to find a still very long line of people waiting to board and took my place at the end of it, dripping with sweat, my heart pounding, my stomache turning over slowly.

I made it! As a result of my running in boots with an extra 20-25 pounds strapped to my back I now have very sore legs and a massive blister on the bottom of my left foot. Ick! Oh well, it's better than being stuck in Edinburgh all day hoping for a flight, right?

The rest of the morning went well. My flight was uneventful and my high school friend who lives here now was waiting for me at the arrivals door. We took the transit into the city and now I am enjoying some real internet time at her office while she takes a meeting. At some point today I will eat a real meal, take a shower, have clean clothes and relax. That will be amazing. What is even more amazing is that I get to see one of my favorite bands play tonight, An Horse! So exciting!

Well, that's all for now. I'm sure I have many German adventures awaiting me in the next few days. More to come...

Spring Break Tour so far

On Friday I flew to London and stayed at a house in Surrey that Jescy was housesitting for a few days. It was a cute little house with an even cuter cat, LuLu. Each morning Jescy and I slept in, had tea, then meandered down to the train station and made our way to London. During our 3ish days there we went to the Tate Modern, visited Camden Gardens, had proper English tea, walked the Queens Walk, visited the Globe Theater (but only the bookstore), and took a boat trip to Greenwich with Jescy's Londoner friend Kate. We also did a bit of drinking in Greenwich, which was fun, and saw a terrible heavy metal show at a semi-famous pub at King's Cross, which turned out to be fun but also kind of a shit show.

On our last night in London Jescy and I slept at a hostel in King's Cross so we could get to our trains/planes easier the next morning. The place we chose was called Clink 261 and it really lived up to its name. Our beds cost £15 each and we knew they would be in big rooms. What we didn't know was that the room had about 18 bunk beds stuffed in a too small room so it wasn't just crowded but the person sleeping on either side of me was literrally sleeping NEXT to me. Jescy and I essentially shared our beds with 10 other people, male and female alike. Also turns out that the 35 years old age maximum is not followed at all because the next morning I found I had been sleeping within 2 feet of a man in his mid 50's. Needless to say we didn't sleep much and it's just lucky I had no need for much energy or cheeriness the next day.

On Tuesday morning I caught a train to Edinburgh, which took about 5 hours. Before getting on the train I went to WH Smith to replace yet another pair of headphones (I am cursed) and wound up with a very expensive pair of shitty headphones that actually cause pain, which I believe makes them the headphones from Hell. Anyway, they kept me mildly entertained if not a little annoyed during the trip and I also had time to read my new travel guide on Fes. By the time I got to Edinburgh I was pretty exhausted, but rallied long enough to wander around the city a tiny bit, which it turns out is very small and very easy to navigate. It was a bit rainy and I was really tired, so after eating something and having a pint I called it an early evening.

My hostel in Edinburgh is pretty nice and very comfy, which is amazing considering it only costs £9 per night. This morning I woke up with tons of energy and very happy to see the sun shining. I went on a Free Tour, which was lovely as usual, took lots of pictures, ate haggis, and did some gift shopping on the Royal Mile. Tomorrow I have plans to attend a service at St. John's Episcopal (just around the corner from my hostel) at 11am, then I will hike Arthurs Seat before finding my way to the (free admission) Scottish National Gallery.

Tomorrow evening I have plans to meet a friend from college and then turn in early again for my incredibly early flight on Friday morning to BERLIN! After having so many positive experiences meeting new German friends at Taize I am even more excited than before to visit this city. PLUS my dear friend from high school is living there now and it's been much too long since we have had a good visit. I am really enjoying Edinburgh and also so excited for the rest of my trip.

A Really Tough Week

I literally leave for London in just over 6 hours. This will be my first visit to an English speaking country since leaving the USA on the first day of October. Dont get me wrong, I speak a lot of English every day (more than I would like, in fact) but I am curious as to whether it will be strange for me to walk into a store or public space and hear fluent English everywhere.

As per the title of this post, I have had a really tough week. After a fun weekend in Cinque Terre I had a lot on my plate including work, tutoring, hosting a guest, preparing for my spring break holiday and moving out of my apartment. Altogether these things made me pretty crabby and sensitive to just about every little upset. I dont think I have been sleeping well either. Moving by itself required purging half my stuff, packing and making two trips to Sophia Antipolis by bus to haul everything there. Needless to say I will be purging some more before I pack for my flight to the USA. Anyway, I managed to get moved out of the apartment and now all of my belongings are locked up at the lycée until I get back from the holidays.

I think the thing that really tipped me over the edge this week was work. Tuesday I showed up for my first lesson only to have it cancelled last minute, so I waited around for my second lesson which I taught. My third lesson was also cancelled without warning and my fourth lesson was cut short after 20 minutes. I spent 2 hours total on the bus and 8 hours on campus to teach for less than 2 hours. Thursday my morning lesson was cancelled without warning so I took the bus home to pack. When I returned in the afternoon my first lesson had to be cancelled because the professor was absent (no call, no email, no note for me) so I couldnt teach the students because I am uninsured without supervision. My final lesson was volunteer tutoring and nobody showed up. On Thursday I spent a total of 4 hours on the bus and about 3 hours on campus but taught zero hours in lessons.

Ridiculous? I think so. As a result I wrote a note to the absent professor that I wont be teaching her class ever again (Since I am only working one more week after the holidays, in reality I am only skipping out on one lesson, but it gets the point across) because she didnt have the decency to call me. The rest of the teachers more or less had good reasons, but I am having a really hard time not feeling completely useless around here. Maybe I should have just planned to quit my job now, ship my bags home and backpack for a whole month? I could have done another week at Taizé or extended my upcoming trip to include Prague like I originally had planned to. This is all unneccessary speculation, but my mind naturally wanders to other/better options when I realize that my actual situation is not the best use of my time.

Alas, this is all nearly in the past. I will teach one lesson at 17:00, then take the bus to the airport and my vacation can begin! London plans include tea at Harrod's, the Tate, the Natural History Museum, some market shopping and an Easter Sunday Service.