Big day in Paris

Well, Thursday I had a big day. Woke up really early, like 7:30, and hit the streets. Took the metro to Arc de Triomphe and hung out there with the school kids pushing me around. Apparently it is the season for all teh school groups to go sightseeing, and at every attraction ther are like hundreds of grade school kids. I've decided that no matter where you are, middle schoolers are annoying brats. I don't care if you might have cooler clothes than most Americans, you are the same. (0h my god I'm officially old)

I don't find the French as mean as you expect when you come here. When I was at Versailles, the Australian girl was just livid half teh time about "how rude everyone was to her." After seeing the kinds of things she was complaining about, I just realized she must be really used to people going out of their way to help her or something, because I don't notice anything really different. You ask for something, they give it to you, they answer your question, end of story. No small talk, but I am incapable of that anyways, and when I can't speak a word of French I prefer to just go along with whatever I'm doing, usually walking down the street quickly as if I have important places to be. That method has worked so far, Yesterday alone I was asked questions by 3 people, and I don't even think they were asking the tourist for money! Victory! This results in me saying "non france" (god, I don't even know how to spell french in french!!) and shaking my head a lot with the most apologitic look I can manage.

Wow, that was a wierd little rant. I just drank a cup of coffee on an empty stomach, and I must admit that my hands are shaking.

OK, so after I hung around the Arc de Triomphe taking pictures and trying to enjoy it, I started off on my hike down Champs Elysees. I was hoping for a nice stroll, but it was raining the entire time, so I just walked quickly, got to the end and hopped on the metro. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. The rain wasn't so bad and I had a raincoat. It is raining right now, which is why I'm writing this, waiting to leave the hostel for Grenoble. I'm trying to wait for it to stop.

I imagine it would have been nice to walk slower and check things out, then walk to the Eiffel Tower from there, but the rain ruined my hours of walking and looking.

It was about time for the Pompidou to open anyways at 11:30. I was really sad! I mean, I saw picassos and pollocks and matisses, and other cool famous things, but the really wild and wacky stuff I've seen pictures of weren't there. I went there with one exhibit in mind where a sheet of fabric was hanging from teh ceiling and it was made to look like it was dripping down like mud, or slime, and I searched the place for it, and it wasn't there. Nothing like that was there. It was cool though, I liked the museum, but I really wanted to see the crazy things. I hung out there for a few hours, then headed to teh train station to get my ticket to Grenoble the next day.

The train station is gigantic and very cool. I ended up being there a long time, because I decided it would be a good idea to know what I was doing. I watched some trains depart, and figured out how to know where to get on, things like that. Then I played on the ticket buying macines to see if the train I wanted was still available. It was, so I got in a line that says "tickets." But, everyone in line with me has tickets. hm. I think, well, this will take 10 min and I'll just ask them if I buy them here, if not, I'll just move to the right line, I've got no where to be until 8. This line takes like 30 minutes to get through, because it is just people complaining and asking questions about the tickets they already have or something. The complainers take the longest. I finally get to a window, say hello and ask if he speaks english. (while standing in line, I notice that the 3 people at the windows seem like the most friendly people I've seen yet, smiling at everyone and joking around). He's grinning at me as he says no, and he jumps up and leaves the window before I can start saying anything more. I assume he's going to find someone who speaks english, and I'm feeling stupid, because if he had stayed, I could at least tell him where I'm going and see if we can't get somewhere from there. So I find a piece of paper and write "Grenoble. Mai 15 16:38" and wait for him to return. He does, like 5-7 minutes later (with only 3 open windows and a giant line this seemed like hours) and he's got 2 other people in tow, but no one is coming over to talk to me, they all look worried. So I just slide my paper through the window and point to it, he smiles, types on the computer, shows me the train, I nod, seeing it is the same train that I know I want, and he prints out a ticket, I pay, and away I go. like, 1 minute tops. No problems.

Came back to the hostel because I was so tired, saying I would take a nap, but I didn't. I just read my book and played on the internet, then headed out to meet my Canadian friends at the Eiffel Tower to see it all lit up!

We had arranged to meet at a metro stop at 8pm, and it actually worked! I couldn't believe we found each other without cellphones. This must be what you did when you were here mom. I don't know how you survived.

We climbed to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower on the stairs. Oh my god, I thought Notre Dame was bad. And of course, we get to the 2nd level, and you look west, and a giant storm is heading our way. We take a bunch of pictures of it, hang out for a bit looking around the city, and as it starts to pour we head back down the stairs. It was pretty funny watching the rain get closer and closer. It was already completely cloudy and a little dark, but you could distinctly see the rain, and watch it get closer and closer to us.

So there it was, my action packed day. Today I haven't done anything but write emails and read David Sedaris. This is my vacation, if I want to read a book all day, I'm going to do it dammit. It is cold outside, and raining. although right now it looks like the rain has let up. Maybe it is my chance to run to the metro. it is like less than 5 minutes, but I don't want to sit on the train for 3 hours in wet clothes. Plus I need to eat something.

My train leaves at 4:38, and at 7:33 I will be safe with Cindy and maybe I will finally eat some good food. I've been living off bakery sandwiches (very good sandwiches though) because I can't order anything in a restaurant. And I don't feel stupid eating them, because EVERYONE is walking around here eating these things. It has helped me save a lot of money too, because most are less than 5 euros. The only things I have spent money on are admission to museums, a place to sleep, and sandwiches. Now in Grenoble I can save money on hostels but spend money on food!

I think I want to go shopping with Cindy. I haven't spent nearly as much money as I was expecting to, and I feel like I should get something cool and fashionable while I'm here. I've taken to wearing black to try and fit in a little more. Having curly hair is not helping my cause. I also need a pair of boots. and scarves. and skinny jeans. and tights. and a nice fitted tiny leather jacket. then I'll be all set until I have to speak.