Strike

It is Saturday evening, and I have had a nice day so far. I met up with Meghan at the Gallery Lafayette to start off the day. I forgot y charger, and my phone was dying and she has run out of credit with her phone, so finding each other was a little bit difficult. I called her twice when I got there, and she answered the second time thank god. So we messed around in the nearby H&M, and I was bad and bought clothes. Just a black dress and some sparkly blue tights. I never buy clothes, so I deserve it. Paige met up with her friend Lisa at H&M, and then we went into the Gallery Lafayette, which is basically a mall type store with really nice/expensive brands. It was built inside an opera house, so it is really pretty at the center with this dome. There was also a Christmas tree in the dome, and I wanted to see that. They also had displays on the outside sponsored by Dior, Louis Viton, etc., and they were crazy! France is all about mechanical displays; there were animals doing all sorts of things. Penguins wearing sunglasses, upside down pandas, lemurs, and all of these were fake of course.

We then ventured to Printemps, similar to Gallery Lafayette, because Paige mentioned you could go to the top for a view of Paris, and there was a café up there. So we got some lunch and enjoyed the gorgeous views along with nice weather (sunny, no clouds, but cold). It was beautiful.

After we headed to La Défense for the Xmas markets, but Paige and Lisa continued home. Me and Meghan wandered around, and I showed her La Défense for the first time. I am there all the time, so I was surprised it was her first time. Anyways the markets were little cottages built in a square type deal with all sorts of venders. We got some vin chaud, hot wine, and wandered around looking at everything. Towards the end, we found a Xmas themed shop, and I found a little mini Xmas tree for eight euros, which I bought to put in Jérome’s apt. I also bought little, gold ball ornaments to go with it. We then went our separate ways.

I am back at Jerome’s now. I decorated the tree and wrote all of our names on the ornaments. Maybe a little cheesy, but I think it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself. Vincent just came home, and I showed it to him, and he liked it, so that is good.

Tonight their good friend, Nico, is moving in for a few months. I look forward to meeting Nico tonight, and we will go out together afterwards. They say he is really nice and positive, so it should be nice!

Yesterday was somewhat of a fiasco. I was dropped off at the station for the 6:30pm train, which never showed up. I was so mad because I was like, this is REALLY happening again? Like last week. So I waited for the 7:30pm train, which didn’t show up either! It was literally 32 degrees, probably colder outside, and I was getting so upset. Meanwhile Jerome called me, and I told him my situation, and he wasn’t sympathetic, which made things worse. I then called my host dad to see my options, and he checked the trains saying there was a strike, but the 8:30pm would be there. He mentioned a bar across the street, so I headed there because I was so cold.

During all this, this crazy black man was motioning for me to follow him, and he just kept ranting in French when I told him French was my 2^nd language, so I asked some Indian guys for help and if they spoke English. They spoke a little, and told me the guy was mental. So I went back to sit down to continue waiting, and eventually one of the Indian guys came and asked if he could practice English, which I said yes, but he turned out creepy saying my friendship with him was very dear to him and asking if I was married.

Anyway fast forward to when I went to the bar, which was actually a pizza joint. I just bought a Fanta and sat myself down to enjoy not being in the cold. I luckily connected my phone to wifi and was texting Elizabeth complaining about my situation, but it made the time go by fast. Eventually it was 8:30pm, and the train came, and I arrived to Paris.

I went to Jerome’s, but the boys were gone seeing a friend, so I hung out until Clare was ready to meet up with me with her friends. I met them at le Marais, and had a drink at a bar, and then went home because Jerome was back, and I didn’t want to get back while he was sleeping. It was somewhat late, so we went to sleep soon after.

On Thursday when I saw him, he told me we will speak in French from now on with each other, and that is what we have been doing. It is frustrating sometimes, but I know it is good, and I do like it. And we have talked 95% French and 5% English since Thursday. So hopefully I will progress a little faster than I have been.

Well… that is everything for now!