1. to ride the train/bus backwards
2. to eat ketchup
3. to drink sparkling water
Saturday, August 2, 2008
quick catch-up
my last 2 weeks in strasbourg sped by. on the weekends we explored the black forest, heidelburg, wrote our papers for the hague, shopped, rode our bikes around town, and ate at a l'observatoire about 5 times a week, minimum.
i already miss it. but not the dorm and the classes, but all my people.
last friday i stopped in munich and then continued to garmisch-partenkirchen to recouperate at my half-brother's house. this involved playing with his 3 babies and searching for summer jobs. on monday morning i left on my whirlwind tour of central/eastern europe.
i spent a few more hours walking around munich and then took the train to vienna. still one of my favorite cities. after dropping my stuff off at my hostel, i went to the town hall for their food and music extravaganza. i ate some fabulous spetzle, drank a radler, and watched classical music on a giant tv screen.
tuesday i met up with ilana and her friend shiri to enjoy some more of vienna.
wednesday morning during breakfast i met a boy/actor from nyc, who accompanied me to bratislava. thank god i wasn't alone. we really had to maneuver our way around the post-soviet capital. all i can really say is that bratislava is nothing like vienna, prague, or budapest. after a day in bratislava, we made our way to budapest.
my arrival in budapest was far from glamorous. it was alreadz 10.30pm and i had to make my way, with no forinths, to my hostel. after being controlled on the metro i finally got to my stop, and then spent close to an hour finding my street, which was completely hidden due to construction. this hour was not fun for several reasons: i was sweating (p.s. i ran out of deoderant), developed a giant blister on the bottom of my foot due to sweat, and was stressed out about being either robbed or my hostel closing down before i got there.
lucky for me, the guy was waiting for my arrival. in the morning i went to meet ilana and shiri for a walking tour. they never showed up, but i miraculously ran into them randomly in the streets and we set a time to meet for dinner. i went on the walking tour. it was the best 3000 huf (approximately 12 euro) i spent all week. there were onlz 3 of us with our private tour guide. after the tour i went to one of the famous baths and then met the girls for a nice dinner.
yesterday i had a very rough start. the atm machine i went to use to get cash to pay my hostel ate my card. because it's expired. so i had to use my credit card to get a cash advance. ugh. then i stood in the wrong line for my train ticket and missed the 11.10 train and had to wait another 2 hours. so i didn't get to salzburg until 8pm.
salzburg is beautiful. it rained all last night and this morning. now the sun is shining and the sky is bright and crystal clear as i prepare to head back to garmisch.
i already miss it. but not the dorm and the classes, but all my people.
last friday i stopped in munich and then continued to garmisch-partenkirchen to recouperate at my half-brother's house. this involved playing with his 3 babies and searching for summer jobs. on monday morning i left on my whirlwind tour of central/eastern europe.
i spent a few more hours walking around munich and then took the train to vienna. still one of my favorite cities. after dropping my stuff off at my hostel, i went to the town hall for their food and music extravaganza. i ate some fabulous spetzle, drank a radler, and watched classical music on a giant tv screen.
tuesday i met up with ilana and her friend shiri to enjoy some more of vienna.
wednesday morning during breakfast i met a boy/actor from nyc, who accompanied me to bratislava. thank god i wasn't alone. we really had to maneuver our way around the post-soviet capital. all i can really say is that bratislava is nothing like vienna, prague, or budapest. after a day in bratislava, we made our way to budapest.
my arrival in budapest was far from glamorous. it was alreadz 10.30pm and i had to make my way, with no forinths, to my hostel. after being controlled on the metro i finally got to my stop, and then spent close to an hour finding my street, which was completely hidden due to construction. this hour was not fun for several reasons: i was sweating (p.s. i ran out of deoderant), developed a giant blister on the bottom of my foot due to sweat, and was stressed out about being either robbed or my hostel closing down before i got there.
lucky for me, the guy was waiting for my arrival. in the morning i went to meet ilana and shiri for a walking tour. they never showed up, but i miraculously ran into them randomly in the streets and we set a time to meet for dinner. i went on the walking tour. it was the best 3000 huf (approximately 12 euro) i spent all week. there were onlz 3 of us with our private tour guide. after the tour i went to one of the famous baths and then met the girls for a nice dinner.
yesterday i had a very rough start. the atm machine i went to use to get cash to pay my hostel ate my card. because it's expired. so i had to use my credit card to get a cash advance. ugh. then i stood in the wrong line for my train ticket and missed the 11.10 train and had to wait another 2 hours. so i didn't get to salzburg until 8pm.
salzburg is beautiful. it rained all last night and this morning. now the sun is shining and the sky is bright and crystal clear as i prepare to head back to garmisch.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
bastille day
yesterday was bastille day. which meant we had no class. which means we have way too much class the rest of the week.
last night we headed into the center of town to watch the fireworks. it felt like the entire city was out on the streets. the fireworks were cool and reminded me of how we basically missed the fourth of july and how i like to sing patriotic songs like god bless america and america the beautiful. it also reminded me of setting off fireworks in cupertino last fourth of july, which was incredibly fun. and slightly dangerous. it seems like every year the fourth of july is more and more bizarre. one can only imagine what next year will bring...
last night we headed into the center of town to watch the fireworks. it felt like the entire city was out on the streets. the fireworks were cool and reminded me of how we basically missed the fourth of july and how i like to sing patriotic songs like god bless america and america the beautiful. it also reminded me of setting off fireworks in cupertino last fourth of july, which was incredibly fun. and slightly dangerous. it seems like every year the fourth of july is more and more bizarre. one can only imagine what next year will bring...
Sunday, July 6, 2008
maginot line
sunday, we took the car up through northern alsace. we went through towns famous for pottery and then ended up in hatten, where we visited a museum/fort of the maginot line. the 3 euros we spent made for a much larger experience than we had anticipated.
baths-baths
saturday morning, we rented a car and headed off to baden-baden, a resort town in germany. when we arrived, we hiked around the alte schloss.
we had a great german lunch and then off we went to the baths, which were incredibly relaxing. the three hours we spent there just flew by.
we tried to go to the casino, but were not dressed well enough. but through the glass doors, it basically looked like casino royale. lucky for us, outside the casino was some kind of summer concert with really good food.
oh, and our car is super cute.
we had a great german lunch and then off we went to the baths, which were incredibly relaxing. the three hours we spent there just flew by.
we tried to go to the casino, but were not dressed well enough. but through the glass doors, it basically looked like casino royale. lucky for us, outside the casino was some kind of summer concert with really good food.
oh, and our car is super cute.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
velocation.
on tuesday we rented bikes. 20 euro for the whole month. basically, the best possible transportation. it's so flat and biker-friendly here in strasbourg, and it doesn't even matter that the bike is a one speed :)
i only live about 5 minutes away from school by bike, which, for the most part, is a pleasant way to start the morning. however, it's so hot and humid here that after the 5 minute ride, entering our stagnant classroom is miserable.
last night i watched no country for old men with lisa. after she left my room, thunder and lighting hit. thank god. unfortunately, i still had to wipe the sweat off my body this morning. you know, because even though it's rainy and coolish outside, the air in every building is stagnant. i don't understand how europeans seem to be comfortable with non-moving air. i'm not even talking about air-conditioning, but, come on, get some vents open and moving air!
i only live about 5 minutes away from school by bike, which, for the most part, is a pleasant way to start the morning. however, it's so hot and humid here that after the 5 minute ride, entering our stagnant classroom is miserable.
last night i watched no country for old men with lisa. after she left my room, thunder and lighting hit. thank god. unfortunately, i still had to wipe the sweat off my body this morning. you know, because even though it's rainy and coolish outside, the air in every building is stagnant. i don't understand how europeans seem to be comfortable with non-moving air. i'm not even talking about air-conditioning, but, come on, get some vents open and moving air!
Monday, June 30, 2008
screw you la somme.
before we came to strasbourg, we were on strict instructions to, under no circumstances, allow ourselves to be put in the dorm paul appell. so after my 5 hr train ride, the 3 trams to get here (which, it turns out, could have been 1 if i hadn't followed the "instructions"), and the aimless wandering with luggage to find my street, i am told that la somme, my dorm where the rest of my classmates are already checked in, is full. no keys. "see, no keys." i might have cried. but all my friends were very positive and helped me carry my stuff up to their rooms so i could go at a leisurely pace to paul appell.
when i get to paul appell, woman is a bitch. sends me to registration. "registration closed at 7." "you have to register." so i go out and stare at the locked building and head back in to check in, now for the third time that day. i get my key to my unmarked room across from a stairwell that faces a ghetto apartment building. yay. i'm also told to register monday morning at 9am at the university. which part? i'm not sure. but it doesn't matter since i really can't register until tuesday. thanks bitch.
at around 8.30, ilana, lisa, and i head out of la somme with my luggage. our plan is to get dinner along the way to paul appell, maybe catch some of the soccer game. as we pass through the "lobby," ilana spies the desk guy who had assured her the previous night that he would "reserve" me a room. so we waited in line to speak with the man.
this man is a character. speaks spanish and some french. ilana questions him about my "reserved" room. "no, no keys. no rooms. all gone. sorry. paul appell. oh wait, but there is this one room, 317. but you don't want it, there's nothing there." "what do you mean nothing there? no bed?" "yes bed, but it's dirty." so we take the keys to look at the BAD room. it's "perfect." so i weasel my way into la somme. the building with stagnant air and no pillows and dirty floors.
oh and we can't forget about the 2 phone calls i got this morning from INDIA. the man was trying to call someone in room 315. why couldn't i take a message or get her? i'm sorry, i'm not the front desk (although i did try knocking on the door).
when i get to paul appell, woman is a bitch. sends me to registration. "registration closed at 7." "you have to register." so i go out and stare at the locked building and head back in to check in, now for the third time that day. i get my key to my unmarked room across from a stairwell that faces a ghetto apartment building. yay. i'm also told to register monday morning at 9am at the university. which part? i'm not sure. but it doesn't matter since i really can't register until tuesday. thanks bitch.
at around 8.30, ilana, lisa, and i head out of la somme with my luggage. our plan is to get dinner along the way to paul appell, maybe catch some of the soccer game. as we pass through the "lobby," ilana spies the desk guy who had assured her the previous night that he would "reserve" me a room. so we waited in line to speak with the man.
this man is a character. speaks spanish and some french. ilana questions him about my "reserved" room. "no, no keys. no rooms. all gone. sorry. paul appell. oh wait, but there is this one room, 317. but you don't want it, there's nothing there." "what do you mean nothing there? no bed?" "yes bed, but it's dirty." so we take the keys to look at the BAD room. it's "perfect." so i weasel my way into la somme. the building with stagnant air and no pillows and dirty floors.
oh and we can't forget about the 2 phone calls i got this morning from INDIA. the man was trying to call someone in room 315. why couldn't i take a message or get her? i'm sorry, i'm not the front desk (although i did try knocking on the door).
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