Home Sweet Home

Hello from Essex! I'm currently sitting in my living room by my Christmas tree, drinking tea and watching Mock the Week. It really doesn't feel like I've been away for 3 months but I'm sure it will hit me tomorrow when I go into town for Christmas shopping...I've already been shocked by the politeness of the Tube, the friendly banter of a cab driver and the beautiful taste of semi-skimmed pasteurised milk. But what will I miss about Paris? Here's a nice list for you, to round off the first part of my Year Abroad.

The people I've met
I've literally met some brilliant people in the last 3 months and without them, it wouldn't have been very bearable. It also feels quite cool (soz) to say I have contacts in South America. 

The amount of bakeries
Self explanatory really. Tesco croissants have got nothing on the real deal. Anywhere, any time.

Cheaper tobacco
As a dirty smoker, this is something I will really miss. 30g of Pall Mall Red cost me €6,90, (£5.51) here 25g of the same costs just over £7.

Living on the same train line as Notre Dame
There's something pretty special getting on a train 5 mins from where you live and 15 mins later arriving in front of Notre Dame and of course, Saint Michel....

Saint-Michel
I know this place is teeming with tourists but there are some really cheap places to eat and the best crepes, in my opinion.

Mr Gould and Frau Horstmann
Easily the best teachers at ISIT. Gould's lessons were hilarious- I particularly enjoyed 'What's a sex nun?'. Horstmann is one of the most adorable people EVER and I wish I could just bring her back to Nottingham. EMPLOY HER PLEASE

Free'p'star
One of the best shops I've ever been to. It looks like your average vintage shop but climb a practically vertical ladder at the back of the shop and you'll find 3 huge boxes of of clothes, which you can rummage through to your heart's content. Best part is that everything the boxes is €1! There are three shops but the best one is on rue de la Verrerie in the Marais.

Hearing 'putain' all the time
'Putain' is a bit like 'fuck', in that you can say it on it's own or describing something but it actually means 'whore'. I literally it  heard thousands of times a day and actually found myself saying it quite a lot too. I missed the last train home once and loudly said it in response to being told I'd have to get a bus. I actually also said it today, to my suitcase when it got stuck on a corner. Am I Parisian yet?


And the things I wont' be missing....

The lack of manners
Parisians are just so rude and don't seem to grasp the concept of basic etiquette. They will literally push you with their hands and literally shove you. The other day, I very nearly slipped down the gap between train and platform because they are just incapable. They'll just barge past you and won't say excuse me. You'll normally only get a reticent 'pardon' if you breathe loudly and agitatedly. 

The price of everything!
Paris is ridiculously expensive, to the point where I now think a meal for 15 quid is the deal of a century.

Slimy men
I don't understand why people think it's normal to walk past someone and say 'oooh bonjour' whilst winking. Just let me walk to the station please without being propositioned by the scabbiest men this side of the Seine.

The stench of some metro stations
Some metro stations would have been condemned by British authorities. One of these was line 4 at Chatelet. There was a homeless man who was there for like, 6 weeks and he had an unfortunate habit of pissing and shitting himself. You literally had to hold your breath on that platform.

The lack of pie
WHY DON'T FRENCH PEOPLE EAT STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE?
that is all.

I'll add more as they come to me! This'll be my last post before Christmas, so Merry Christmas!

x

Crying, sprinting, puking, climbing - lots of extreme verbs this week

Salut tout le monde! I've now been here a month and am now a 21 year old honorary Parisian. My birthday weekend was brilliant and I'm so pleased Lewis came to visit. We've now been tolerating each other for six years, and here's to sixty more!

I love you man

The beginning of the week was spent in a constant state of excitement and impatience. I realised that our uni is really close to the Jardin du Luxembourg, thanks to Niamh who took me there on Tuesday afternoon. I really need to stop taking the metro everywhere and walk. On Wednesday, I had a German presentation on Til Schweiger, which went down an absolute treat actually. I've been a bit concerned about my German, but after a few grammar lessons and that presentation, I feel much better and even managed a whole conversation in German with Joachim and Polymnia tonight. Granted, it was about chocolate but it counts, okay?

I have finally eaten some pie! It's been pretty impossible to find something even slightly resembling a steak and kidney pie here, but thanks to Joe, there was pie. Took us about three hours to cook (what is it with blokes and instructions) but it was so damn good. 

This is actually a gross picture, but it was really nice

I spent Friday wandering around Paris waiting for Lewis to arrive. I've found my new favourite shop: Freepstar. It is fantastic. I bought 2 shirts and 3 jumpers for 5 euros. I think it's my new home. Anyway, Friday was a bit of a nightmare actually because guess what? The RER B was on strike. Thanks guys. Thanks a lot. Me and Lewis had to come home super early because the trains were all messed up, nice one.

So my actual birthday was Saturday and I'm pretty privileged to have spent it by the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Couer and the Arc de Triomphe. Sacre Coeur was absolutely beautiful and well worth the climb- the view of the city from the top is actually breathtaking.

I should climb stuff more often

We had a couple of beers in an Irish pub round the corner from Sacre Coeur, where a very jolly french man played the accordion and sang 'champs elysees' and 'la vie en rose'. It was pretty French and I loved it. We were supposed to be meeting Joe at the Arc de Triomphe but we were so late, mainly because Lewis needed the toilet and I lost him in a crowd. Both my phones were dead, so I had no way of contacting them. After sprinting through the tunnel to the arch (yes, you read sprinting correctly), I asked this French man if I could use his phone. I must have told him it was an English number about 20 times, but it was all okay and we all found each other and started my birthday celebrations looking at a glittery Eiffel Tower. Pas mal!

Why do I always tilt my head like this?

We headed over to Saint Michel (which is fast becoming my favourite part of Paris, I always seem to be there) and had too many pints at a bar called Polly Magoo or something. Lewis and Joe clubbed together and bought me a white rose, which I lost later :(

It's my birthday, I'll look insane if I want to

I'm a camera hog, soz

I was worried (of course I was) about how we were going to get home as we'd long missed the RER and I had no idea how much a taxi would be, but it turned out to be 17 euros! Perfect.

Unfortunately, I spent the next morning feeling a little worse for wear and actually ended up throwing up against a tree on the way to the train station. Stay classy, Kirsty. Lewis and I did have a nice day though and ended the evening with a beer at a gay bar in le Marais. Of course we did!

I left Lewis wandering on his own today while I was at uni, and collected him afterwards. We just wandered around again, had another beer, lost Lewis' tabacco and very nearly missed his train. My room is far too empty now :(

On the brighter side of things, I HAVE A TOASTER. It was my birthday present from Joe, what a diamond. No more fried crumpets for me!

FRIED EGG ON TOAST HERE I COME

I apologise for the capitals, but maybe you don't understand. I haven't had toast in a month. That isn't right.

I also have a little job, go me right. The woman at reception here wants me to help her with her English and is going to pay me 10 euros an hour, I am actually so grateful for this!

Sadly, it's back to the real world in the morning, no more romping around Paris with my bezzer. C'est la vie.