Hello again, everyone! Not much has happened this week, besides school stuff. However, I had a good day today, and I figured that since I actually had something to write about, I might as well not be lazy.
Okay, so basically ever since I got here a month ago (it's been a month already?!), I've been somewhat depressed. It's been really hard for me to deal with being so far from home, and even harder for me to deal with the time difference and having a limited period of time during the day to talk to my friends from home. Also, it's been bothering me a lot that I never have anything to do at night or on the weekends, and I spend most of my free time alone, and usually in my apartment. I've found it somewhat difficult to get to know people here...I'm not like most of the students, and I can guarantee that I'm not like most of the other exchange students that have gone to Monaco from Miami. I wouldn't say it's culture shock...maybe just wealth shock. Almost everyone from around here has money, and I'm one of few people who really doesn't. So it's been hard to deal with that.
But today, I decided that I was not going to sit in my apartment all day. I noticed that it was really nice out; it was really sunny and around 60 degrees. I had been to the beach once before a few weeks ago, but it was kind of chilly. And I really just went to see what it looked like. So today, I packed up my organizational behavior textbook, along with my iPod and a few other things and headed down to the beach. It was so perfect there. I sat on a bench and realized that I was kind of hot. So I took off my jacket and soaked up the sun :) I think today was one of very few times that I wore a short sleeved shirt. I sat on the beach for about an hour and a half and pretended to read for OB. Then, I was getting hungry, so I went to the snack shop right near the beach and got a crepe with Nutella. It was good, but I prefer my Nutella crepes with strawberries :D After I ate the crepe, I went back to the beach and sat down on the ground against a wall, with the sun shining right on me. It was so great to be warm and outside. While I was sitting here and (not) reading for OB, I realized how lucky I am to be here. I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and for the last few weeks, all I've done is complain about how lonely I am. Today I realized that while I may spend a lot of my time alone, that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy myself. How many other people can say that they can walk down to the beach and sit there and do homework in the beginning of February? (Miami people, you don't count :P) I have decided to embrace the rest of the time that I have left here and do what I can to make sure that I enjoy it. While I may not go out a lot, even just having the right mindset can make things a lot better.
After the sun started to go down and I started getting chilly, I packed up my stuff. I didn't want to go home yet, so I walked in the opposite direction I would take to get back to my apartment. I passed some hotels (including Monte Carlo Bay and the infamous Jimmy'z Night Club), and ended up passing the border into Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France. I didn't want to walk too far there, since I had no idea where I was going, so I turned around. Then I walked from there, past the Casino, and up into the Roqueville area of Monaco. Basically...it was a very long walk. But I got to see most of the rest of Monaco that I haven't already seen. When I got near the train station, I turned back around, and walked through Beausoleil back to my apartment.
I had a really good day, for not having anything planned with anyone. I've decided that every Friday that the weather is nice and I don't have other plans, I'm going to go to the beach, just to sit there and do homework or whatever. I think the fresh beach air is good for my mood. :)
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Pizza, Pasta, and Gelato...My Weekend in Rome
Buonasera! Even though I'm not in Italy anymore and now have to get back into attempting to understand French :) The last few days have been some of the most amazing and exhausting of my life. So, here's a day by day synopsis of my trip:
Thursday: I got to the airport in Rome around 4. And then I had to wait for my bag, since according to the website of the airline I flew on (Blue Panorama), I could only bring something weighing less than 5 kilos (about 11 pounds) on the plane with me. I waited almost an hour for my bag...I wasn't too happy at that point. Then I bought a ticket and hopped on a train headed for Termini station. Once I got to Termini, I got kind of lost, since it's really big and I obviously had no idea where anything was. When I got onto the right street, I started walking toward the hostel. Again, I almost got lost, but eventually I found it. I checked in and put my stuff in my room. Then I went downstairs to use my iPad for a little while (since the WiFi signal wasn't very good in my room). Around 7-7:30, I went to find somewhere to eat. I found a nice little restaurant on a side street. I ordered a four cheese pizza and also had some bread. The pizza was good, except I didn't like one of the cheeses, which really started to bother me when I was about halfway done. So I had the waiter take the pizza away and I ordered tiramisu for dessert. This tiramisu wasn't like the kind that you see at the store. It was in a big glass, that was kind of wine glassy-shaped, and was mostly the pudding or custard or whatever it is that's in tiramisu with espresso-soaked ladyfingers in the middle. It was one of the best desserts I've ever had. After I finished dinner, I went back to my hostel and just hung out for a while until I went to bed.
Friday: I woke up a little later than I wanted to, so I got ready and ate breakfast fast, and then headed out. I walked to Termini to find a tour bus that I had seen online, but I didn't know where it was. So I walked around near the city busses and ended up talking to a guy who worked for a tour bus company. He didn't try to sell me the tour or anything, we just had a conversation about my shoes and what I was doing in Rome. Then he told me how to get to the Colosseum by walking. So I walked for about 20 minutes, and was trying to figure out which street I was supposed to keep walking on when I turned to my left, and BAM. There was the Colosseum. I couldn't believe it. I walked up that street and then down some steps until I was right in front of the Colosseum. I was walking around it when some guys dressed up as Roman gladiators told me to take a picture with them. So I got 3 pictures taken with them, and then one of the guys dressed up handed me my camera and said, "20 Euros, please." I literally looked at him and said, "Are you serious?" He ended up telling me that I could pay 15 Euros because I'm a student. But I was really upset after that. I guess it was my fault for assuming I could take pictures with them for free. So I continued around the Colosseum and was getting to the entrance, when I was persuaded into taking a tour. I didn't mind paying extra for the tour though, since I would have had to wait at least an hour in line just to buy a ticket. We did the tour around the Colosseum and the guide explained some of the history and stuff. The tour was shorter than I wanted it to be, but we had to meet another guide who was giving a tour of the Roman Forum. We met up with him and walked to the Roman Forum. This was one of my favorite parts of Rome. After the tour, I walked around the Forum itself for about 45 minutes and then walked up the Palatine Hill to the Palatine Museum, which I believe Mussolini built when he was in power. The view from the Palatine Hill is absolutely gorgeous. And seeing all of the remains of the buildings was amazing. It blew my mind that these buildings were constructed thousands of years ago. I think I also really enjoyed it because I took Latin. And I don't care if that makes me sound like a nerd. :) After I walked back down, I got a panini for lunch and bought some souveniers. Then I walked to the Circus Maximus. I was kind of disappointed though, because there isn't really anything left. From there, I hopped on the Metro (which kind of creeped me out the first time I rode it), and went back to Termini station. I finally decided on a tour bus I wanted to take and rode around the city, which was so beautiful. I got off at the last stop before going back to Termini, which was the Trevi fountain. I walked down a side street and found a gelateria. I ordered coffee and stracciatella (chocolate chip). It was soooo delicious. I found the Trevi fountain and was again, amazed. It was interesting to see such a famous fountain in the middle of a bunch of small streets. I took some pictures, and like a true tourist, threw a coin over my shoulder in the fountain so that I'll go back to Rome again. :) After the Trevi fountain, I walked to the Pantheon. I think my favorite part of this was the big hole in the roof, and whenever it rains, it falls onto the floor. It was pretty cool. I stayed there for a few minutes and then walked to Piazza Navona. There wasn't too much there, except a nice fountain and of course, weird guys trying to sell you stuff. Then I saw a building across the street that was open, so I walked in. It turned out to be a church, which was gorgeous. The art in Roman churches is simply amazing. After staying there for a little while, I headed back toward the Trevi fountain. I ended up stopping at a bar, and ordering a glass of Italian sparkling wine. Because you have to order wine when you're in Italy. Then I went back to where the tour bus dropped me off. By this time, it was 7 pm and the bus service stops at 7:30. I waited there until 7:25 and realized that the bus wasn't coming. I found my way to a Metro station and took it to Termini. I went back to my hostel for a few minutes, and then went to have dinner. I went to a different restaurant and ordered lasagna. It was of course, delicious. For dessert, I had a cannoli. I never had one in the US before, but I really really enjoyed the one I had in Rome. After dinner, I went back to the hostel and surfed the web on my iPad until I decided to go to sleep.
Saturday: I woke up early (7:15) and got ready/ate breakfast and left for Vatican City. I walked to a different Metro stop, which I think is actually closer to my hostel, called Repubblica. On my way there, I passed what used to be a church. I was amazed that the ruins are just in the middle of the city. I took the train to Cipro station and when I got off I realized I had no idea where I was going. I had a map, but Vatican City was on the very edge of it. Somehow I ended up wandering in the right direction (partially by following a large group of students) and got to the Vatican Museum around 8:45. The museum opened at 9 and I was in by 9:30. I'm glad I got there early! I spent close to 5 hours just walking around the Vatican Museum. I could have done a tour, but I wanted to take my time and really look at everything. So I made sure that I did. After a while I got to the Sistine Chapel. I couldn't believe where I was. I stood and just looked at the ceiling for about 15 minutes, until my neck started to hurt. I will never be able to understand how Michelangelo painted such beautiful work on a ceiling. After I finally convinced myself that I had to leave the chapel, I continued through the rest of the museum. I had a huge slice of pizza for lunch (it wasn't that good, but it was really big and cheap for the price). After I finished the museum, I started my journey to find St. Peter's Basilica. On my way there, I stopped for gelato. I found it after asking several people which way I was supposed to go. I got in line for the security checkpoint to get into the basilica. I decided first that I would walk around inside the church for a little while. I can honestly say that St. Peter's Basilica is the most beautiful place that I have ever seen. I don't consider myself to be religious in any way, but I actually started to cry when I walked inside. It's just that overwhelmingly gorgeous. I walked around for a while, but my camera died while I was in the museum, so I couldn't take any pictures. Then I left the church and went to climb to the top of the dome. I decided to take the elevator, which lets you skip 230 steps. I had to walk up 320 steps after the elevator. When I thought the stairs were never going to end, I finally reached the top. I could see almost the whole city from up there. It was again, another amazing experience that I will never forget. I stayed up there for about 20 minutes and walked around the dome about 5 times. Then I began the long trek back down. When I got to the same level I got off of the elevator from, I stopped at the souvenir shop and bought a postcard and a stamp. I wrote a postcard to my family and sent it from there, so it will have the mark of the Vatican City post office. I thought that was pretty cool :) I walked down the stairs the whole way down, instead of taking the elevator again. I was going to go into the crypt with the tombs of the previous popes, but it was closing as I was walking toward it. It was still somewhat early, so I decided to walk to Piazza del Popolo. This ended up being a lot longer walk than I had originally thought it would be. It didn't help that my legs and feet were already in extreme pain. There wasn't much there, besides a fountain, an obelisk, and tons of teenagers. So I continued walking until I reached Piazza di Spagna. There was a really cool fountain here and the Spanish steps. I walked to the top of the Spanish steps and had a really good view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. I stood up there for a little bit and then walked down and took the metro back to Termini. I went back to my hostel to rest my feet for a bit and then went to get dinner. I ordered spaghetti with tomato sauce, since I thought it was necessary to have at least one plate of spaghetti while in Italy. I should have picked a different restaurant though, because my waiter was a creep. After I finished eating, he came up and in broken English asked me if I wanted to go to the disco (club) with him. I politely declined, saying that I was really tired since I had been walking around all day. Which was the truth. But he was also not attractive and I got a creepy vibe from him. So I went back to my hostel, took a shower, and went to bed.
Today: I got up around 8 and then had breakfast. After breakfast, I went back up to my room to pack. The two guys I shared a room with had already checked out. I think they were from Dubai...at least that's what the airport code on their luggage said. I checked out of the hostel, but they let me leave my bag in the lobby, so I went back to St. Peter's to take pictures. I went inside the church while mass was going on. The echoing of the voices and singing was beautiful. I took a lot of pictures inside the church, and then went down to the tombs. When I passed the tomb of the last pope, I almost cried. I honestly couldn't tell you why. I'm getting chills now just thinking about being in the presence of someone who meant so much to so many people. After I saw the tombs, I went back up to the top of the basilica, since I had enough time. I took a lot of pictures up there too. By the time I got back down, it was about 12:15 and the pope was making his usual Sunday blessing from his apartment window. It was really really cool to see that. After that, I took the metro back, went to my hostel to pick up my luggage, and left for Termini to get the train to the airport. As I was walking down the street, I passed the restaurant that I went to last night. Except I was on the opposite side of the street. I heard someone yelling something, so instinctively, I turned around. It was the same waiter that invited me to the club, waving to me. I waved back and kept walking to the train station. Once I got there, I had gelato for the last time and got on a train to the airport. I got back to Monaco around 7. I definitely was not ready to leave Rome, but it was nice to be back in a place where I felt really safe.
Other random things from my trip:
1. SOOOO many people looked at my shoes like they were the weirdest things they had ever seen. Most people didn't even try to be discreet when talking about me...they pointed at my feet and showed whoever they were with. I usually just stared at them until they looked up and realized that I knew they were talking about me. And then I smiled. But seriously...I thought these shoes were supposed to be popular in Europe.
2. Italian men aren't that attractive. It was really sad. And a lot of them are also kinda creepy. Maybe that's just the way the Romans are.
I thought I had more that I wanted to say, but I'm really tired and can't remember. If there's anything else I think of, I'll update this post. I will say that this was one of the best weekends of my life, and by far one of my favorite vacations. I can't wait to go back. :)
Thursday: I got to the airport in Rome around 4. And then I had to wait for my bag, since according to the website of the airline I flew on (Blue Panorama), I could only bring something weighing less than 5 kilos (about 11 pounds) on the plane with me. I waited almost an hour for my bag...I wasn't too happy at that point. Then I bought a ticket and hopped on a train headed for Termini station. Once I got to Termini, I got kind of lost, since it's really big and I obviously had no idea where anything was. When I got onto the right street, I started walking toward the hostel. Again, I almost got lost, but eventually I found it. I checked in and put my stuff in my room. Then I went downstairs to use my iPad for a little while (since the WiFi signal wasn't very good in my room). Around 7-7:30, I went to find somewhere to eat. I found a nice little restaurant on a side street. I ordered a four cheese pizza and also had some bread. The pizza was good, except I didn't like one of the cheeses, which really started to bother me when I was about halfway done. So I had the waiter take the pizza away and I ordered tiramisu for dessert. This tiramisu wasn't like the kind that you see at the store. It was in a big glass, that was kind of wine glassy-shaped, and was mostly the pudding or custard or whatever it is that's in tiramisu with espresso-soaked ladyfingers in the middle. It was one of the best desserts I've ever had. After I finished dinner, I went back to my hostel and just hung out for a while until I went to bed.
Friday: I woke up a little later than I wanted to, so I got ready and ate breakfast fast, and then headed out. I walked to Termini to find a tour bus that I had seen online, but I didn't know where it was. So I walked around near the city busses and ended up talking to a guy who worked for a tour bus company. He didn't try to sell me the tour or anything, we just had a conversation about my shoes and what I was doing in Rome. Then he told me how to get to the Colosseum by walking. So I walked for about 20 minutes, and was trying to figure out which street I was supposed to keep walking on when I turned to my left, and BAM. There was the Colosseum. I couldn't believe it. I walked up that street and then down some steps until I was right in front of the Colosseum. I was walking around it when some guys dressed up as Roman gladiators told me to take a picture with them. So I got 3 pictures taken with them, and then one of the guys dressed up handed me my camera and said, "20 Euros, please." I literally looked at him and said, "Are you serious?" He ended up telling me that I could pay 15 Euros because I'm a student. But I was really upset after that. I guess it was my fault for assuming I could take pictures with them for free. So I continued around the Colosseum and was getting to the entrance, when I was persuaded into taking a tour. I didn't mind paying extra for the tour though, since I would have had to wait at least an hour in line just to buy a ticket. We did the tour around the Colosseum and the guide explained some of the history and stuff. The tour was shorter than I wanted it to be, but we had to meet another guide who was giving a tour of the Roman Forum. We met up with him and walked to the Roman Forum. This was one of my favorite parts of Rome. After the tour, I walked around the Forum itself for about 45 minutes and then walked up the Palatine Hill to the Palatine Museum, which I believe Mussolini built when he was in power. The view from the Palatine Hill is absolutely gorgeous. And seeing all of the remains of the buildings was amazing. It blew my mind that these buildings were constructed thousands of years ago. I think I also really enjoyed it because I took Latin. And I don't care if that makes me sound like a nerd. :) After I walked back down, I got a panini for lunch and bought some souveniers. Then I walked to the Circus Maximus. I was kind of disappointed though, because there isn't really anything left. From there, I hopped on the Metro (which kind of creeped me out the first time I rode it), and went back to Termini station. I finally decided on a tour bus I wanted to take and rode around the city, which was so beautiful. I got off at the last stop before going back to Termini, which was the Trevi fountain. I walked down a side street and found a gelateria. I ordered coffee and stracciatella (chocolate chip). It was soooo delicious. I found the Trevi fountain and was again, amazed. It was interesting to see such a famous fountain in the middle of a bunch of small streets. I took some pictures, and like a true tourist, threw a coin over my shoulder in the fountain so that I'll go back to Rome again. :) After the Trevi fountain, I walked to the Pantheon. I think my favorite part of this was the big hole in the roof, and whenever it rains, it falls onto the floor. It was pretty cool. I stayed there for a few minutes and then walked to Piazza Navona. There wasn't too much there, except a nice fountain and of course, weird guys trying to sell you stuff. Then I saw a building across the street that was open, so I walked in. It turned out to be a church, which was gorgeous. The art in Roman churches is simply amazing. After staying there for a little while, I headed back toward the Trevi fountain. I ended up stopping at a bar, and ordering a glass of Italian sparkling wine. Because you have to order wine when you're in Italy. Then I went back to where the tour bus dropped me off. By this time, it was 7 pm and the bus service stops at 7:30. I waited there until 7:25 and realized that the bus wasn't coming. I found my way to a Metro station and took it to Termini. I went back to my hostel for a few minutes, and then went to have dinner. I went to a different restaurant and ordered lasagna. It was of course, delicious. For dessert, I had a cannoli. I never had one in the US before, but I really really enjoyed the one I had in Rome. After dinner, I went back to the hostel and surfed the web on my iPad until I decided to go to sleep.
Saturday: I woke up early (7:15) and got ready/ate breakfast and left for Vatican City. I walked to a different Metro stop, which I think is actually closer to my hostel, called Repubblica. On my way there, I passed what used to be a church. I was amazed that the ruins are just in the middle of the city. I took the train to Cipro station and when I got off I realized I had no idea where I was going. I had a map, but Vatican City was on the very edge of it. Somehow I ended up wandering in the right direction (partially by following a large group of students) and got to the Vatican Museum around 8:45. The museum opened at 9 and I was in by 9:30. I'm glad I got there early! I spent close to 5 hours just walking around the Vatican Museum. I could have done a tour, but I wanted to take my time and really look at everything. So I made sure that I did. After a while I got to the Sistine Chapel. I couldn't believe where I was. I stood and just looked at the ceiling for about 15 minutes, until my neck started to hurt. I will never be able to understand how Michelangelo painted such beautiful work on a ceiling. After I finally convinced myself that I had to leave the chapel, I continued through the rest of the museum. I had a huge slice of pizza for lunch (it wasn't that good, but it was really big and cheap for the price). After I finished the museum, I started my journey to find St. Peter's Basilica. On my way there, I stopped for gelato. I found it after asking several people which way I was supposed to go. I got in line for the security checkpoint to get into the basilica. I decided first that I would walk around inside the church for a little while. I can honestly say that St. Peter's Basilica is the most beautiful place that I have ever seen. I don't consider myself to be religious in any way, but I actually started to cry when I walked inside. It's just that overwhelmingly gorgeous. I walked around for a while, but my camera died while I was in the museum, so I couldn't take any pictures. Then I left the church and went to climb to the top of the dome. I decided to take the elevator, which lets you skip 230 steps. I had to walk up 320 steps after the elevator. When I thought the stairs were never going to end, I finally reached the top. I could see almost the whole city from up there. It was again, another amazing experience that I will never forget. I stayed up there for about 20 minutes and walked around the dome about 5 times. Then I began the long trek back down. When I got to the same level I got off of the elevator from, I stopped at the souvenir shop and bought a postcard and a stamp. I wrote a postcard to my family and sent it from there, so it will have the mark of the Vatican City post office. I thought that was pretty cool :) I walked down the stairs the whole way down, instead of taking the elevator again. I was going to go into the crypt with the tombs of the previous popes, but it was closing as I was walking toward it. It was still somewhat early, so I decided to walk to Piazza del Popolo. This ended up being a lot longer walk than I had originally thought it would be. It didn't help that my legs and feet were already in extreme pain. There wasn't much there, besides a fountain, an obelisk, and tons of teenagers. So I continued walking until I reached Piazza di Spagna. There was a really cool fountain here and the Spanish steps. I walked to the top of the Spanish steps and had a really good view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. I stood up there for a little bit and then walked down and took the metro back to Termini. I went back to my hostel to rest my feet for a bit and then went to get dinner. I ordered spaghetti with tomato sauce, since I thought it was necessary to have at least one plate of spaghetti while in Italy. I should have picked a different restaurant though, because my waiter was a creep. After I finished eating, he came up and in broken English asked me if I wanted to go to the disco (club) with him. I politely declined, saying that I was really tired since I had been walking around all day. Which was the truth. But he was also not attractive and I got a creepy vibe from him. So I went back to my hostel, took a shower, and went to bed.
Today: I got up around 8 and then had breakfast. After breakfast, I went back up to my room to pack. The two guys I shared a room with had already checked out. I think they were from Dubai...at least that's what the airport code on their luggage said. I checked out of the hostel, but they let me leave my bag in the lobby, so I went back to St. Peter's to take pictures. I went inside the church while mass was going on. The echoing of the voices and singing was beautiful. I took a lot of pictures inside the church, and then went down to the tombs. When I passed the tomb of the last pope, I almost cried. I honestly couldn't tell you why. I'm getting chills now just thinking about being in the presence of someone who meant so much to so many people. After I saw the tombs, I went back up to the top of the basilica, since I had enough time. I took a lot of pictures up there too. By the time I got back down, it was about 12:15 and the pope was making his usual Sunday blessing from his apartment window. It was really really cool to see that. After that, I took the metro back, went to my hostel to pick up my luggage, and left for Termini to get the train to the airport. As I was walking down the street, I passed the restaurant that I went to last night. Except I was on the opposite side of the street. I heard someone yelling something, so instinctively, I turned around. It was the same waiter that invited me to the club, waving to me. I waved back and kept walking to the train station. Once I got there, I had gelato for the last time and got on a train to the airport. I got back to Monaco around 7. I definitely was not ready to leave Rome, but it was nice to be back in a place where I felt really safe.
Other random things from my trip:
1. SOOOO many people looked at my shoes like they were the weirdest things they had ever seen. Most people didn't even try to be discreet when talking about me...they pointed at my feet and showed whoever they were with. I usually just stared at them until they looked up and realized that I knew they were talking about me. And then I smiled. But seriously...I thought these shoes were supposed to be popular in Europe.
2. Italian men aren't that attractive. It was really sad. And a lot of them are also kinda creepy. Maybe that's just the way the Romans are.
I thought I had more that I wanted to say, but I'm really tired and can't remember. If there's anything else I think of, I'll update this post. I will say that this was one of the best weekends of my life, and by far one of my favorite vacations. I can't wait to go back. :)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
oh boy!
Wow okay, so I haven't posted in a really long time. School has been busy and I haven't done very much since my last post anyway. I'm going to keep this short since I'm on my iPad and it's not as easy to type as it is on my laptop. Tomorrow is a public holiday in Monaco, so I don't have classes until Monday. Therefore, I decided to take advantage of the time off and book a trip to Rome :) so I'll be in Rome from tomorrow until Sunday. But after I get back, I will definitely be updating my blog to let everyone know how my trip was. See you guys back here in a few days! :)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Exploring Monaco...and food.
Bonsoir everyone! Sorry it has been so long since the last time I posted...I got busy with school work, and then I was tired, and sometimes I just didn't feel like posting. But I'm here now, avoiding doing homework :) So here's what I have done, day by day, since Friday.
Saturday: I slept until 1 pm. I have these shutters that completely block the doors in my room, so there's no sun to wake me up...or at least give me any indication that it's not 4 AM. Anyway, I finally got up and got ready, and left my apartment around 2. I decided not to go the same way I do everyday, so I exited through the front of my building and walked down the street in Beausoleil. I saw some shops and potential places to eat. However, it looks kind of sketchy to be around at night, so I probably won't be going that way too often. Then I walked down some stairs and ended up on a side street off of the main one that I walk on basically every day in Monaco. I found a Nike store, and I walked in for a minute. But there weren't any prices on the sneakers, so I took that as a sign that they were very expensive and I left. I was close to where I was planning on going, so I continued onto the main street and after a few minutes, got to the tourist office and garden area. I walked by some fountains and found a Haagen-Dazs that I never noticed before. I continued to the gardens (which are gorgeous), and walked over near the casino. I stopped to take some pictures in front of it, but I felt like I was supposed to be giving them money just to look at it, so I left after a minute. Then I ended up walking behind the casino, and onto the top of the Fairmont Monte Carlo. I had some amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains. After I finished walking around there, I walked down the street to Port Hercule because I was really hungry and I knew there were some "snack bars"/cafes there. I ended up going to the cheapest place (which was also the busiest) and ordered a croque-monsieur for €4. It was really good, and I think I can find an even better one. :) After I finished my lunch, I went to grocery store across the street to buy a drink and then I took the bus home. That night I did nothing...just relaxed since I was really tired from all of the walking that I did!
Sunday: I woke up a little after 12. I took a shower, did half of the laundry that I needed to (since that was all that would fit in the washing machine), and picked up my apartment a bit. Then I pretended to do homework basically all day, until I realized that it was almost midnight and really did need to at least finish my management information systems (such a boring class) homework. I was in bed around 1:30, but probably didn't fall asleep until almost 2. Also, I downloaded the Amazon Kindle app for my iPad and starting reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
Monday: Waking up was terrible...I was so exhausted. I hate having to wake up at 7:15 so I can be at school in time for my 9 AM class. I can sleep until 7:30 if I decide to get ready fast. I fell asleep for like 15 minutes in my second class (management information systems) and woke up realizing that we had only covered 4 or 5 slides. Then, I was absolutely starving and needed something fast to eat that I had experience with. So I went to McDonald's and ordered chicken nuggets. As soon as I finished eating, I regretted it. The french fries were really good though. I went back to school for my last class of the day, and we watched a movie about "discovering psychology". The only reason I stayed awake was because we had questions to answer about it. I finished classes, went to the store to buy a prepaid phone, and then went to Carrefour to buy laundry detergent, a drying rack, and cookies. After I got home, I took a short nap, and attempted to read for business ethics, but it was too boring. I went to bed around 11:30 and read some of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo until midnight. I passed out as soon as I turned off my iPad.
Today: Today wasn't too bad...I only had business ethics this morning. Something funny that happened: my professor could not figure out how to get onto Google...all I could think was, "She needs Google to find Google..." :) I left after class and went to Carrefour again, this time to buy food. Also, I ordered a sandwich with ham and cheese (or in French, demi-baguette avec jambon et fromage), and it was absolutely delicious. After I got back to my apartment, I took a 3 hour nap, and then woke up and did some web surfing. At 5:00, I gathered up my laundry, detergent, and a nice (but really cheap!) bottle of rose wine, and headed just across the street to Noël and David's apartment. They agreed to let me do laundry every once in a while, in exchange for buying wine or doing dishes. I was happy to accept Noël's proposal, since it would cost me like €12 a week to do all of my laundry. So I got there and put my laundry in, and Noël and I watched Bolt together. Such a super cute movie! (Thanks again, Noël and David!!) After I got back, I attempted to make a cheese quesadilla, but the cheese I used isn't good for quesadilla making :( I also tried to make some kind of microwavable tortellini thing, but it was disgusting. I couldn't even attempt to eat it. So I had some tortilla chips and salsa for dinner. Yay nutrition!
On a side note...I have learned so much about the world in the last week and a half that I've been here. Why? Because the only channel I get on TV in English is CNN. In fact, I've watched CNN so much that I'm starting to recognize the songs on the commercials. It's getting bad.
Things coming up this week: I believe playing Mafia on Thursday (and Noël's birthday!), and Friday night, the Student Association is throwing a Welcome Back Happy Hours event at a local bar. I'm finally starting to do stuff with my life! :D
I'll be posting again within the next few days, and I'll continue to take pictures and put them on Facebook. I'm also planning to make a Flickr account soon, but that will be so my family can see the pictures I'm taking. For now, I don't think I have anything else to write about, so au revoir! :)
Saturday: I slept until 1 pm. I have these shutters that completely block the doors in my room, so there's no sun to wake me up...or at least give me any indication that it's not 4 AM. Anyway, I finally got up and got ready, and left my apartment around 2. I decided not to go the same way I do everyday, so I exited through the front of my building and walked down the street in Beausoleil. I saw some shops and potential places to eat. However, it looks kind of sketchy to be around at night, so I probably won't be going that way too often. Then I walked down some stairs and ended up on a side street off of the main one that I walk on basically every day in Monaco. I found a Nike store, and I walked in for a minute. But there weren't any prices on the sneakers, so I took that as a sign that they were very expensive and I left. I was close to where I was planning on going, so I continued onto the main street and after a few minutes, got to the tourist office and garden area. I walked by some fountains and found a Haagen-Dazs that I never noticed before. I continued to the gardens (which are gorgeous), and walked over near the casino. I stopped to take some pictures in front of it, but I felt like I was supposed to be giving them money just to look at it, so I left after a minute. Then I ended up walking behind the casino, and onto the top of the Fairmont Monte Carlo. I had some amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains. After I finished walking around there, I walked down the street to Port Hercule because I was really hungry and I knew there were some "snack bars"/cafes there. I ended up going to the cheapest place (which was also the busiest) and ordered a croque-monsieur for €4. It was really good, and I think I can find an even better one. :) After I finished my lunch, I went to grocery store across the street to buy a drink and then I took the bus home. That night I did nothing...just relaxed since I was really tired from all of the walking that I did!
Sunday: I woke up a little after 12. I took a shower, did half of the laundry that I needed to (since that was all that would fit in the washing machine), and picked up my apartment a bit. Then I pretended to do homework basically all day, until I realized that it was almost midnight and really did need to at least finish my management information systems (such a boring class) homework. I was in bed around 1:30, but probably didn't fall asleep until almost 2. Also, I downloaded the Amazon Kindle app for my iPad and starting reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
Monday: Waking up was terrible...I was so exhausted. I hate having to wake up at 7:15 so I can be at school in time for my 9 AM class. I can sleep until 7:30 if I decide to get ready fast. I fell asleep for like 15 minutes in my second class (management information systems) and woke up realizing that we had only covered 4 or 5 slides. Then, I was absolutely starving and needed something fast to eat that I had experience with. So I went to McDonald's and ordered chicken nuggets. As soon as I finished eating, I regretted it. The french fries were really good though. I went back to school for my last class of the day, and we watched a movie about "discovering psychology". The only reason I stayed awake was because we had questions to answer about it. I finished classes, went to the store to buy a prepaid phone, and then went to Carrefour to buy laundry detergent, a drying rack, and cookies. After I got home, I took a short nap, and attempted to read for business ethics, but it was too boring. I went to bed around 11:30 and read some of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo until midnight. I passed out as soon as I turned off my iPad.
Today: Today wasn't too bad...I only had business ethics this morning. Something funny that happened: my professor could not figure out how to get onto Google...all I could think was, "She needs Google to find Google..." :) I left after class and went to Carrefour again, this time to buy food. Also, I ordered a sandwich with ham and cheese (or in French, demi-baguette avec jambon et fromage), and it was absolutely delicious. After I got back to my apartment, I took a 3 hour nap, and then woke up and did some web surfing. At 5:00, I gathered up my laundry, detergent, and a nice (but really cheap!) bottle of rose wine, and headed just across the street to Noël and David's apartment. They agreed to let me do laundry every once in a while, in exchange for buying wine or doing dishes. I was happy to accept Noël's proposal, since it would cost me like €12 a week to do all of my laundry. So I got there and put my laundry in, and Noël and I watched Bolt together. Such a super cute movie! (Thanks again, Noël and David!!) After I got back, I attempted to make a cheese quesadilla, but the cheese I used isn't good for quesadilla making :( I also tried to make some kind of microwavable tortellini thing, but it was disgusting. I couldn't even attempt to eat it. So I had some tortilla chips and salsa for dinner. Yay nutrition!
On a side note...I have learned so much about the world in the last week and a half that I've been here. Why? Because the only channel I get on TV in English is CNN. In fact, I've watched CNN so much that I'm starting to recognize the songs on the commercials. It's getting bad.
Things coming up this week: I believe playing Mafia on Thursday (and Noël's birthday!), and Friday night, the Student Association is throwing a Welcome Back Happy Hours event at a local bar. I'm finally starting to do stuff with my life! :D
I'll be posting again within the next few days, and I'll continue to take pictures and put them on Facebook. I'm also planning to make a Flickr account soon, but that will be so my family can see the pictures I'm taking. For now, I don't think I have anything else to write about, so au revoir! :)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Yay for starting a blog!
I decided to start a blog so I could have something to do when I'm not busy, and mostly because there have already been some really interesting things I've encountered in my few days of travel throughout southeastern France and Monaco that I want to remember in the future. And now everyone can read about what I'm doing at the same time and I don't have to update everyone individually! :)
I will say that I already feel like I have changed as a person, and I've only been here since Sunday. It's been a humbling experience. I definitely feel more sympathetic toward people who immigrate to the United States and don't know English. It is really hard to learn another language. I've learned a "lot" of French since I arrived though...especially from going to the grocery store and having my mini dictionary out so I know what I'm buying. :)
I've learned to use the bus in Monaco...the first time I got on the bus to go to school, I got off at the wrong stop and was completely lost. Luckily, I had a general idea of how to read the map, and I found the right bus. The first two days were super stressful trying to figure out where I was going. And of course the people I attempted to ask barely spoke English. Whoever said that English is widely spoken and understood in Monaco and France was wrong. Or maybe I've just talked to the wrong people.
My first day at the grocery store was very interesting. It's called Carrefour, and it's right down the street from the school, in a mall type thing. It's kind of like a Walmart, with all of the electronics upstairs, and all of the food downstairs. Here, they make you pay for grocery bags, so it's good to have those reusable ones. And no matter what time of day I've gone there, it is a zoo, especially at the cash registers. But here are some things I've learned about the French, just from my experiences at the grocery store:
1. By far the weirdest thing I've seen so far...their milk isn't refrigerated. I have no idea how that works and why it doesn't go bad. Is it not from cows? Does it have special preservatives? I don't know, but I was extremely afraid to buy milk. The milk I did buy was in a cooler spot than the rest, which was just sitting on shelves like warm soda or something. Strange.
2. They take their cheese seriously. I'm not kidding. There is a deli section just for cheese. I have never seen anything like it. They're also pretty big on fish...but I guess maybe that has something to do with being right on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
3. The wine section is huge! I think they have more selections of wine than a lot of liquor stores back in the States do. That makes sense though, since I believe that in France, the drinking age for wine and beer is 16. United States: get with the times.
4. I guess peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren't popular here...I had to legit search for peanut butter. I found some, but it was expensive, and doesn't taste as good. Sad day :(
I'm sure I've discovered other things too, but I can't remember them right now.
I have not experienced a real French cafe yet, but hopefully that will change after this weekend. I'm on a journey to find the highly reviewed croque-monsieur (aka grilled ham and cheese). I love grilled ham and cheese back home...I can only imagine how it's going to taste with real French cheese and amazing French bread! :D
Lastly, I've found out how truly expensive Monaco is. Every day on my way to the bus stop, I pass a Tesla car dealership, and tonight I found a Maserati dealership. Like seriously? These people are so rich, it is ridiculous. I'm afraid to walk into a clothing store and look at how much something costs. Hopefully the clothes I brought will suffice for when I want to go out. And I discovered the other day that everytime I want to do one load of laundry, it's going to cost me 6 (yes, that's SIX) Euros. WTF?!?! Guess I won't be doing laundry more than once a week...
Anyway, it's been tough getting used to the cultural differences and not being able to communicate with a majority of the people here, but I feel like I'm starting to look less like an obvious American. Actually, at the grocery store the other day, an older woman was asking me something about the shoes I was wearing in French, and I said, "Je ne parle pas Francais." (I don't speak French). So, then she said "Italiano?" I was mistaken for an Italian! That's probably a result of the tan I still have from Miami :)
Being at the school has also really kept me sane, since all of my classes are in English. I've met some extremely nice people. Not everyone has the stereotypical French attitude :)
Okay, I've talked enough for now...as long as the rain isn't too terrible tomorrow, I'm going to start exploring Monaco. I hope to at least see the gardens and also pass by the casino (heyyyyy super very extremely intensely rich people). Maybe I'll get to a museum sometime in the next week too. I plan to update this at least every few days, so be on the lookout for a new post soon! For now, au revoir! :)
I will say that I already feel like I have changed as a person, and I've only been here since Sunday. It's been a humbling experience. I definitely feel more sympathetic toward people who immigrate to the United States and don't know English. It is really hard to learn another language. I've learned a "lot" of French since I arrived though...especially from going to the grocery store and having my mini dictionary out so I know what I'm buying. :)
I've learned to use the bus in Monaco...the first time I got on the bus to go to school, I got off at the wrong stop and was completely lost. Luckily, I had a general idea of how to read the map, and I found the right bus. The first two days were super stressful trying to figure out where I was going. And of course the people I attempted to ask barely spoke English. Whoever said that English is widely spoken and understood in Monaco and France was wrong. Or maybe I've just talked to the wrong people.
My first day at the grocery store was very interesting. It's called Carrefour, and it's right down the street from the school, in a mall type thing. It's kind of like a Walmart, with all of the electronics upstairs, and all of the food downstairs. Here, they make you pay for grocery bags, so it's good to have those reusable ones. And no matter what time of day I've gone there, it is a zoo, especially at the cash registers. But here are some things I've learned about the French, just from my experiences at the grocery store:
1. By far the weirdest thing I've seen so far...their milk isn't refrigerated. I have no idea how that works and why it doesn't go bad. Is it not from cows? Does it have special preservatives? I don't know, but I was extremely afraid to buy milk. The milk I did buy was in a cooler spot than the rest, which was just sitting on shelves like warm soda or something. Strange.
2. They take their cheese seriously. I'm not kidding. There is a deli section just for cheese. I have never seen anything like it. They're also pretty big on fish...but I guess maybe that has something to do with being right on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
3. The wine section is huge! I think they have more selections of wine than a lot of liquor stores back in the States do. That makes sense though, since I believe that in France, the drinking age for wine and beer is 16. United States: get with the times.
4. I guess peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren't popular here...I had to legit search for peanut butter. I found some, but it was expensive, and doesn't taste as good. Sad day :(
I'm sure I've discovered other things too, but I can't remember them right now.
I have not experienced a real French cafe yet, but hopefully that will change after this weekend. I'm on a journey to find the highly reviewed croque-monsieur (aka grilled ham and cheese). I love grilled ham and cheese back home...I can only imagine how it's going to taste with real French cheese and amazing French bread! :D
Lastly, I've found out how truly expensive Monaco is. Every day on my way to the bus stop, I pass a Tesla car dealership, and tonight I found a Maserati dealership. Like seriously? These people are so rich, it is ridiculous. I'm afraid to walk into a clothing store and look at how much something costs. Hopefully the clothes I brought will suffice for when I want to go out. And I discovered the other day that everytime I want to do one load of laundry, it's going to cost me 6 (yes, that's SIX) Euros. WTF?!?! Guess I won't be doing laundry more than once a week...
Anyway, it's been tough getting used to the cultural differences and not being able to communicate with a majority of the people here, but I feel like I'm starting to look less like an obvious American. Actually, at the grocery store the other day, an older woman was asking me something about the shoes I was wearing in French, and I said, "Je ne parle pas Francais." (I don't speak French). So, then she said "Italiano?" I was mistaken for an Italian! That's probably a result of the tan I still have from Miami :)
Being at the school has also really kept me sane, since all of my classes are in English. I've met some extremely nice people. Not everyone has the stereotypical French attitude :)
Okay, I've talked enough for now...as long as the rain isn't too terrible tomorrow, I'm going to start exploring Monaco. I hope to at least see the gardens and also pass by the casino (heyyyyy super very extremely intensely rich people). Maybe I'll get to a museum sometime in the next week too. I plan to update this at least every few days, so be on the lookout for a new post soon! For now, au revoir! :)
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