thoughts on america

So after a day of doing nothing, I decided that I was going to quit being a hermit. I got off the phone with Abby and no more than five minutes later I met a few people from Fort Collins, Colorado, where Abby goes to school. Crazy world. It's amazing the kind of people I've met. In breakfast yesterday, in a room no bigger than an average American kitchen, there were around 15 people, all speaking different languages in the hostel. Of the people I spoke with, I met people from France, Germany, Catalon (spain), Ecuador, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain. Last night a bunch of us played cards and then decided to go to a bar. The majority of the people we were with were speaking Spanish, but most spoke English. I spent a long time talking to a German guy about laws and cultures of our countries. He's from East Germany and said there are a lot of people in small towns that are still pretty neo-Nazi and have strong feelings against Jews. I was able to relate easily with him and my experience of many people from the small towns in the south. Some things will never change.

I've realized that Americans are really hard on themselves. We spend a lot of time blaming ourselves for our media and its influence on young people. Today I went to Montmartre, and passed by the Moulin Rouge and similar sex shops, which solicit customers in the middle of a Sunday. Having spoken with a lot of people, the real critique of American legislature is our attempt to keep our citizens safe from potentially dangerous experiences. At 18 Americans can drive, buy cigarettes, own guns, buy fireworks, die for their country, vote, yet they can't drink? You can buy beers here at fastfood restaurants, and the beer is much cheaper than sodas and bottled water. I have yet to see anyone fall down drunk (although tonight is New Years Eve, it may be different). I think we need to trust the intuition of young people and know that they'll learn how to deal with potentially dangerous things like drinking, sex, and drugs instead of glorifying them to a point where the law attempts to make them untouchable. Anyways, I have more on that topic, but any of my friends most likely agree.

So tonight a bunch of us that are staying at the hostel have decided to go ahead and buy some food and champagne and just have a big party before going down the the Champs-Elysees and Eiffel Tower to watch the fireworks. Too bad the metro closes at 1, I'm not walking home in heels...looks like the Birks will just have to be my party shoes tonight ;)

Meillures Voeux, Bonne Annee!

getting into the swing of things

Here I am at another cafe, much closer to the hostel where I'm staying. It's raining outside but I'm at a cafe watching people promenade in the Place de la Contrescarpe on Rue Mouffetard. It's been less than 24 hours and I'm already feeling like I could get away with this whole France thing. I certainly wish my hostel were better. I'm sharing a room with 3 other men, not even boys cloe to my age. Two burly Australians came in and introduced themselves as brothers: Douglas and Bear. Bear snored like a grizzly, and I have barely slept a wink. It definitely sucks to not have privacy, especially since the men kindof creep me out. They arrived yesterday and said they had no plans but were willing to do whatever. There was a bar that I wanted to go to and I made the mistake of saying, "you all can come if you want" followed by a jump out of the bed-get-your-coat-on movement. What's worse is that only one of the brothers wanted to come. Oh well, it was a nice companion on the metro, and an even better companion on the walk home through afterhours-Paris. (side note:: it has just started pouring down raining just as my hot french onion soup arrived... ahh.) Earlier that evening I went to the Louvre for the under-26 free admission on Friday nights. There's only so much walking around you can do. I've never understood the facination with the Mona Lisa...really, there are so many more incredible paintings by DaVinci and his fellow Italian artists. After many naked classical Greek sculptures, I decided to go to a bar that I read about that I never convinced my cousins to go to with me. It's described as a chill, mellow place with fake grass on the upstairs bar and a free jam session Sunday-Thursday and free concerts Friday and Saturday downstairs. We got there and I realized it was just another tiny bar, and it wasn't really that crowded until 10:00 when the show started. Luckily I was there early enough to get a seat but people were lining the stairs, stage, it was really cool, yet the size of a tiny bar. I sat with these two french guys about my age and the burly austrailian and they all ordered absinthe. Never had the stuff, don't think I ever will, especially since the real absinthe with wormwood is illegal in France, but they have a nice substitute that smells like licorice. it came with the flaming sugar cube on top and everything. I ended up spending the majority of the night with one of the French guys named Thibaut who was really friendly and rather handsome. He lives in Reims (Champagne country) and asked if I wanted to go with him tomorrow just for the evening. I was all for it, packed and everything, but I found out that they dont have tours of the Champagne caves on the weekends, plus I already paid for tonight's stay in the hostel. Another time, I guess I'll just wait for Meagan to come, when we aren't booked for rooms in advance. It's only been one night and I've already met a hot French guy. Vive la France!

alone in france...

And so the adventure begins. I've spent the last eight days in Paris with my family and various significant others. We've had an incredible time as ex-patriots for a week, extravagant meals, four apartments, fabulous shopping, wine, beer, spirits. The family left me today, and it's starting to sink in that the extravagant meals and unlimited alcohol will not be feasable from my measly account. I went across Paris with a huge suitcase that I dropped off at a hostel I'm staying at later, and walked the other direction with my backpack to the hostel I'm staying at for the next few nights, which doesn't happen to open until 16h. So I found myself a brasserie with free wifi and got a caraffe of wine and a green salad. Paris is so expensive...I think I'm going to eat lettuce all week long on account that it's all that I should be spending my money on. The hostels cost 21-29 euros a night...so much for a cheap backpacking trip! As of now, I have no idea what I'm going to be doing all day by myself. It's going to be weird to not have my 4 cousins, 2 of their boyfriends, my aunt, uncle, and mom to entertain me all day. I've already seen most of Paris anyway...I guess I'll just find a nice book, right? I'll be spending the next two days trying to figure out where the party's at for new years.

No pictures quite yet, it seems I've left my USB cord in the US and won't get it until my mom gets time to ship it to me. Oops. I'll be sure to get some up soon!

<3 gabby