Bonne Chance

Budapest (a continué)

2013-01-21T16:43:00.001-08:00

Where to begin. Budapest (pronounced "Budapesht" by locals) was one of my all-time favorites. After an extremely alarming discount airline flight, my traveling companions and I arrived in the Hungarian capital. Our first mission: exchange currency.

Since Budapest is not part of the EuroZone, they do not use the Euro as currency which meant that we had to exchange our Euros for Hungarian forinths (I'm not even sure if that is spelled correctly but you probably don't either so ha). The weird thing about Hungarian money is that the denominations of money are HUGE. I can't remember exactly how many Hungarian forinths equal one Euro, but I want to say it's something like 300. Thus, you can eat out at a restaurant and end up paying thousands of forinths for a meal. It's both deceiving and mind-boggling.

After going through that confusing process, we headed to our hostel. The Hungarian train system can only be described by one word. Apocalyptic. The cars were so old, they looked like they came out of some crazy zombie movie, complete with torn seats and cracked windows. Seeing as Hungary has only been out of a communist system for around 20 years, it's understandable that their infrastructure is struggling. Still. Scary.

As we lugged our giant traveling backpacks with us, we set out trying to find our hostel. Budapest isn't big on street signs. It took us 2 hours to find the hostel. Turns out we had the wrong address. Yay.

By the time we finally found the hostel, we were exhausted and wanted nothing more than to collapse, but we were in Eastern Europe! And there's two distinct elements that Eastern Europe has going for it that got us off our beds: cheap, delicious food and night life. What else?

We ate at a HEAVENLY restaurant called Menza. The food was beyond amazing and so, so cheap. We each had a four course meal for the equivalent of 8 Euros, which is unheard of in the rest of Europe. Thank you Budapest.

Hungarian stuffed peppers. Um, yes.

Wow, this is taking forever so I'll speed it up. The next few days consisted of clubs at night and communist monuments by day. Budapest was such a beautiful city and I just couldn't get enough of its troubled history.

A view of the GORGEOUS Parliament building from across the river.

We even made some lovely British friends on our first night there. We arrived back at our hostel late at night on our first night and discovered that we still needed to put sheets on our bed. As I awkwardly failed to stuff my pillow into a pillowcase, two British guys walked in. Naturally, I introduced myself, still holding the pillow and obviously needing help. Without any hesitation, one of the guys just grabbed the pillow from me and expertly stuffed the case. With a charming British accent he said, "Here you go love," and I knew we were going to be best friends.

Our awesome friends from Liverpool.

The boys ended up traveling around with us the entire time we were in Budapest. We went to this AMAZING bar called Szimpla, which is supposedly rated as one of the top 10 bars in the world (don't quote me on that). The place looked like someone had ransacked a thrift store and then meticulously placed everything in a state of organized chaos. If there's one thing that Budapest does well, it's grunge chic.

A view of the bar.

A hangout under the stairs?

Jonny smoking shisha and and blowing smoke rings like a boss.

Aside from a very creepy hostel worker that left flowers for my friend Merryn, the trip was mostly filled with sightseeing and going out at night. Budapest is my second favorite city that I visited (we'll get to my first favorite later) and I would definitely go back there again. Maybe I'll learn Hungarian...

Un Retour

2013-01-21T16:11:00.004-08:00

It has been almost a year since I first left for France and I'm undeniably nostalgic. I decided to read over my old Europe blog posts. However, I was appalled to find that it seems I left off in Budapest and failed to finish anything after that! So much happened after Budapest, so it's only right that I pick up where I left off and finish the saga. After all, maybe I'll write a novel about it one day.

Get ready.

Budapest

2012-05-08T17:14:00.002-07:00

I have good news and semi-disappointing news.

The good news is that I'm going to Budapest tomorrow! Well, I'll be in Paris tomorrow and then I fly to Budapest on Thursday. It will be my first Ryan Air flight, so wish me bonne chance!!! I've heard they're a little sketchy.

The semi-disappointing news is that I haven't kept to my promise to keep updating my blog! Of course, this is probably not news to you as I have not had a new post for a while. I've been far too busy with schoolwork here lately since we are getting towards finals. However, I promise that when I return from Budapest, you will get a full report. Until then!

C'est La Vie: Part 1

2012-04-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

After multiple admonishments from friends and family alike, I'm finally updating my blog. I suppose I'm not much of a blogger for the same reason that I'm not much of a picture taker. I'm too busy actually doing stuff to document what I'm doing! Anyways, I'll give you the condensed version of what has happened over the last month or so in several installments.

My first trip after St. Patrick's Day was Paris! Even though I'd already been there with my family, I enjoyed making another trip to see the lovely Marie, who is studying in Italy this semester. She and several of her friends traveled up to London and then to Paris for their spring break. After being separated from Marie for several months, a "run and hug" was in order when we first saw each other. We had a lovely 3 days, surrounded by the magic of Paris and friendship (this sounds cheesy but it's totally true).

A highlight was getting to visit Versailles. I now understand why the French people found it necessary to revolt. The place was disgustingly extravagant...but at the same time I absolutely loved it. I've never seen so much gold or statues in my life.

The grounds of Versailles. This is only one tiny garden.

Mirror pictures in the Versailles Hall of Mirrors! Beat that awkward bathroom mirror pictures!

The Hall of Mirrors (and awkward tourists)

Paris may not be my favorite city, but Marie is one of my favorite people, so the trip was more than worthwhile. We had breakfast on the banks of the Seine and navigated the city like true Parisians. Call us Coco Chanel and Edith Piaf.

St. Patrick's Day

2012-03-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

If you are part of the world at all, you know that this past Saturday was St. Patrick's Day. The only thing better than being in France on that day would be to be in Ireland, but that's expensive, dangerous, and mostly insane. Anyways, I'm glad I got to spend the day with some of my lovely friends here in Vichy. It was certainly a day to remember. Here's the basic rundown in photo form:


Here we are at the park by the river in the afternoon. It was a glorious day!


Next, we returned to our residence to create a delicious rabbit stew (yes rabbit)! It was quite delicious thanks to my the lovely lady shown in this picture with me. Her name is Merryn. She's pretty much the coolest Canadian/person I've ever met (although all the Canadians here are pretty awesome). Please note the clover on my cheek, compliments of my friend Adriana!

Soon after, we walked a short distance to a place called La Gaulois (I'm almost positive that's not how it's spelled). As usual, we travel in a huge pack of English-speakers, so we got some weird looks, especially because we were all wearing SO MUCH green!

Sadly, that's where the picture trail ends. After La Gaulois, we went back to the residence to hang out in the common room (and probably wake up everyone in the building). Noteworthy events included 15 of our people getting stuck in our building's tiny elevator for 40 minutes (it's only supposed to fit 8 people), and the unexplained disappearance of a new friend (I'm still not sure about his whereabouts...but I think he's all right).

As you can see/read, it was probably the most eventful St. Patrick's Day I've ever experienced. Usually, I wear green and try not to get pinched into oblivion. As for the rest of this week, more classes await me! Then this weekend I get to meet the lovely Marie in Paris! She's studying abroad in Italy, so I can't wait to hear about her adventures. You can check them out for yourself at her blog. Just click on the "To Italy" link in the sidebar! That's all for now. Au revoir!

Ah Paris!!!

2012-03-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

After a lovely weekend with my family, I am back in Vichy. We spent Friday to Sunday in Paris, and then proceeded to Vichy for some relaxation. Since it's a small town, there's not much to do here. Mostly we just shopped and slept! However, Paris was very exciting. I'm not sure that I'd like to live there, but visiting was awesome. I'm so glad that I get to go back in just over a week!

Sadly, my mom is not in this picture because she was taking it, but she's there in spirit!

I loved being able to see my family, even if it was just for a short time. Being away from them for so long makes me extra grateful for the time we get to spend together. For me, now it's back to classes and everyday life in Vichy. I'll keep you updated!

Les Règles

2012-03-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

Dear ~~readers~~ Mom and Dad,
I'd like to apologize for the radio silence recently. It seems I'm not a very good blogger, or at lease a very faithful one. To be fair, not much has happened since my last post. I've been a good little student, going to classes and studying (sort of). The classes are really laid back, so there's not much homework.

After almost two weeks of "trial classes" I've picked the classes I will take for the semester. They are "The European Union," "France as a Tourist Destination," and "International Marketing." OK, those might not be the exact titles, but they're pretty close.

For the two or three of you reading who aren't my mother or father, you should know that I'll be meeting my family in Paris this weekend! It will be a magical adventure, filled with too much patriotism from my father, and the exhausted ramblings of my sisters, who will most likely detest French food. I'm super excited. But really, their craziness is going to make it even more fun and unique. After all, what's a family vacation without a few (or about ten) roadblocks? If family vacations in America (where everyone speaks English) are interesting, a family vacation in a foreign country should give me enough material to write my own novel.

Anyways, that's all I've got for now. Since I don't want this post to be completely pointless, here are a few useful facts I've learned about France:

1.) You must bring your own bags to grocery shop. They don't supply bags...ever.
2.) At restaurants, tips are never required. They are appreciated occasionally, but not necessary.
3.) When going out at night, ladies should never have bare legs. Apparently pantyhose are still a thing in France (yuck).
4.) There are few (if any) rules about bringing pets into stores. Dogs are allowed and even welcomed into most places, even clothing stores!
5.) Parking rules are not enforced (if there are any). Don't be surprised if you're walking down the sidewalk and a car decides to park right in front of you. Sidewalks are equal opportunity parking spaces.

Le Premier Voyage

2012-02-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend I took my first "official" trip in France! We went to a nearby town called Clermont-Ferrand. It's much bigger than Vichy, so the shopping is better. Plus, there's this AMAZING church built entirely out of rock from the region. It's some sort of lava rock, so it's a dark, black color.

Pretty impressive, huh? I could have stared at it for hours, but I'll do that some other time. The rest of our trip involved a lot of shopping, an Irish pub, some partying (don't worry mom, nothing major), and a VERY crowded hotel room. We had two hotel rooms that were supposed to be for three people each. There were nineteen of us. Yeah. I slept on the floor with a blanket and used someone's bag as a pillow. I'm a bit sore today, but at least it added to the adventure!

To top it all off, we found out that the buses don't run on Sunday (or so we thought), so we had to walk a lot to get to a tram station to take us to the train station. I'm sure we painted an interesting picture, with all nineteen (I think?) of us meandering down the road with backpacks and bedhead. We finally made it back in the afternoon, and I think most of us just crashed for a much-needed nap.

I must say I'm pretty happy with my first trip in France. Not everything went as planned, but that's what makes it an adventure!

Je Suis Désolée

2012-02-24T05:48:00.000-08:00

Bonjour! I'm sorry I haven't gotten to post in a while. It's not that I haven't had the time, it's just that not much has happened over the past few days. Things have been pretty normal. Today I finished my last day of our two weeks of French classes. I'm interested to see what my test results will be!

Tomorrow we are taking the train to Clermont-Ferrand, a nearby town, to shop and have fun. I haven't been to Clermont yet, so I'm excited. It will be my first official trip in France! Sort of. Anyways, I'll let you know how that goes!

La Baiser

2012-02-18T07:04:00.001-08:00

I am an American. Nay, I am a Texan. We Texans (and most other Americans as well) like our personal space. It's a known fact. Maybe that's why youth hostels don't exist in America. Even teenagers frown upon the possibility of having to SHARE a room with people they don't know (despite the dirt cheapness of hostels).

Thus, some French customs are still taking me a little time to adjust to. For example, the air kiss. If you've ever seen any movie or TV show ever, you know what this is (see the EXTREMELY awkward picture to the left for reference. I found it on a wikihow article called "How to Air Kiss." No joke). When you greet someone (even someone you're barely acquainted with), you kiss the air next to each side of their face, one side then the other. You might think it sounds easy. You would be wrong. This stuff takes practice. A good air kisser keeps these tips in mind:

1.) Be sure to swing wide when moving to the other side. Nose bumping is awkward and to be avoided.
2.) Loud kissing noises are NOT appreciated.
3.) Have confidence. The worst air kisses occur when you display inadequate faith in your air kissing abilities.
4.) When in doubt, don't do it. Catching someone off guard with an air kiss can be dangerous, and may cause you to accidentally kiss something other than just the air beside someone's face...like their face.
5.) Think fast. Some air kissers prefer the dive bomb effect. If you're not careful, a face collision could occur.

This is a practice I am still working on perfecting. Honestly, I try to avoid it whenever possible, but if I occasionally see a face rapidly approaching my own, I must oblige.

La Solitude

2012-02-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I think some of the shiny newness of being in France has rubbed off a little bit. Now I have to start thinking about important things like my classes and travel plans. It's difficult when you go to a totally new place and have to make completely new friends. When I got here, some of the students had arrived a week earlier and had already formed a little group, so it's been tough to relate with them.

As usual, I'll keep going! After all, I am in a gorgeous little town and able to have the chance of a lifetime. Still, I am a little lonely. I only hope I will find a close friend or two soon. Who else am I going to tear up Europe with?

I knew that this trip wouldn't be all good times, so I created this blog with the purpose of recording both the ups and downs of my experience. Right now might not be so great, but I'm hoping tomorrow will be better! Until then, I'll just enjoy the solitude.

Excusez-moi?!

2012-02-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day of class! The way class works here is that we have intensive French language classes for the first two weeks, and then we take classes in English. We took the placement test for French today. There are three levels of French classes. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be in the most advanced class! And yet, defying all natural and universal laws, I am. I'm ready for the challenge. I just hope French Class no. 3 is ready for me...

Anyways, aside from a 30 minute trek through a blizzard...with two Canadians...to a French grocery store...the day was mostly uneventful. To make up for my boring material, I present you with this picture:

SOLDES!!!

2012-02-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

France has really got everything figured out when it comes to shopping.  Especially Vichy.  Vichy is the only town (that I know of) in the area that has clothing stores open on Sunday, so it's a busy day in town.  Today we went shopping, and I am soooooo glad that there will never be any shortage of stores to peruse.  They do this awesome thing called "Soldes" (which basically means "sale") and it ends this week.  Luckily, I got to the sale items before they were lost forever.  One scarf and a pair of boots later, I am one warm, happy girl, filled with the endorphins (yeah, that's right) that come from a successful shopping trip.

I walked past the Vichy town hall on my way back and couldn't help stopping to take a picture like a true tourist.  You probably can't tell from my weirdly angled picture, but it is so beautiful.  I was too lazy to walk around to the front to get a better angle.  Besides, it's cold.

Pretty huh?

La Cuisine

2012-02-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

So...I just attempted to cook in my apartment.  Granted, I'm not a good cook even when I have the amenities of a full kitchen.  Here I have a hot plate.  This is the result:

I suppose it doesn't look too bad. I haven't tasted it yet, so we'll see...

Update: After tasting, I have decided that I should never cook again. I cooked everything too long and it was chewy. This just proves that looks aren't everything. Oh well, back to the drawing board...

J'ai Froid!

2012-02-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are not French speakers, I'll translate the title of this post to you.  Translated directly into English, it literally says "I have cold."  However, in French it is the equivalent of saying "I am cold" in English.  I think the literal translation is the best description of what I'm feeling right now.  My hands are shaking as I try to type (oops, I just had to try to type the word "type" four times).  No joke.  I'm not just cold.  I HAVE cold.  It is me.  I am the cold.  I'm going to go grab another coat and then continue.

Part of this cold is due to the fact that I didn't learn how to fully close my window until late today.  Turns out it wasn't complicated but the window sits crooked on its hinges and you have to push it up to lock it into place.  Anyways, to get past this unbearable cold, I'd like to share this survival guide from my friend Marie's blog.  She is much more clever than me, so her post about surviving the cold is better than anything I could think up.  She's a natural Witmaster.  To see the original post, click here.  Here is an excerpt:

How to Survive a Cold Apartment

Wear lots of layers (including, but not limited to: sweaters, hats, scarves, blankets, long johns, etc.).

Put on more layers.

Wear, at minimum, 4 pairs of socks.

Make coffee; cradle hot mug as if it were your firstborn.

Laugh about how cold it is.

Complain about how cold it is.

Hug radiator.

Google frostbite symptoms.

Repeat Step 2.

Make a how-to survival guide to pass the time.

Vichy!

2012-02-10T04:26:00.000-08:00

I'm finally in Vichy!  My travel buddy Brendan and I arrived yesterday at about 5 p.m.  The journey was...interesting.  Let's just say I'm glad it's over.  With two luggage malfunctions and the mistake of taking two suitcases instead of one, my arms still hurt from lugging them around all day.  Here's a general rundown of the trip:

First, we had about a nine hour flight.  It wasn't bad except for the fact that I didn't sleep AT ALL.  Also, whoever chooses movies for the flights made a terrible choice in picking Unstoppable.  It was a movie about a runaway train that nearly demolishes a whole town.  Being on a plane, I wasn't really happy with the "transportation malfunction disasters" theme.  Not to mention, the next leg of the trip was a train ride.  Awesome.

After landing, we went through customs.  The guy looked sleepy and barely even glanced at my passport.  I must look French.  We then needed to get onto a metro train to take us to a stop where we would then get on another train that would take us to the actual train station.  Unfortunately, we bought the wrong ticket initially, but we eventually figured it out.  Mastering the turnstiles with my massive suitcases was tricky, but I'm an expert now.  Brendan helped a lot too, so I definitely would have been completely overwhelmed if I had been alone. 

FINALLY, after two train trips, we arrived at the train station where we got on a train that took us to Vichy.  I sat next to a nice-looking old man who smelled very strongly of tangerines.  It was entertaining at least because he was reading a book and every once in a while he would kind of giggle (about something in the book I guess).  Then I would want to laugh, but I didn't because that would have been awkward.  I should've laughed though because the awkwardness wouldn't have made a difference.  Awkward is pretty much the one word that sums up my life.

Anyways, when we got to Vichy, there were friendly faces to meet us.  Several of the students in the program arrived a week earlier, and were there to show us straight to the apartment building.  It's called Claudius Petite, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised with my room.  Here are some terrible lit and mostly blurry (you can go ahead and expect all of my photos to be blurry because I'm awful at photography) photos I took:

I've been told that I got the big room. It does seem rather roomy.

The view from my window. Traffic on the street is sometimes really loud!

This is a sink, hot plate, and mini fridge.

That's all for now! We are going to the store today to get supplies, and then I'll be officially settled in. Au revoir!

Au Revoir!

2012-02-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

The day has finally come.  Today, I leave for France.  Granted, it's 1:04 a.m., but it's still today.  After getting a bit of rest I will wake to frantically rearrange my suitcase hoping to make it weigh less (unless I defy the laws of physics, I don't see this happening).  Then I will head to the airport for my departure in the afternoon.  When I arrive in two days, I will hopefully have more interesting things to share than my favorite French song.  I can hardly navigate the subway in the United States, let alone public transportation in France, so it should be interesting.  Wish me luck!

Une Chanson

2012-01-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite French songs. I'll admit it's partly because it was on the soundtrack to "500 Days of Summer," but it is also so soothing and relaxing. I listen to it just to wind down after a long day.

Carla Bruni-Quelqu'un M'a Dit by siouxsiebee

FUN FACT! The singer, Carla Bruni, is the current first lady of France. She is a model, singer, and actress, and recently appeared in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris," which is one of my new favorite movies! You have to admit she's quite accomplished.

Visa La France!!!

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

I was standing in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.  My French Bulldog, Dozer, sprinted to the door, displaying his ferocity with a vociferous bark.  When I looked out the window and saw the FedEx delivery man walking away, I thought, "Could it be?  Is my visa finally here?" 

I hesitantly opened the door and spied the pre-paid envelope that I left at the French Consulate for the return of my passport.  In a haze of anxious anticipation, I ripped open the envelope and dumped out the passport with blatant disregard of its safety.  I flipped to the visa pages, and there it was.  My visa had arrived, complete with a picture that makes me look like a haggard frequent flier on some sort of narcotic.  Regardless, I breathed a loud sigh of relief.  Thankfully, my nightmares of being arrested by the French police because of a case of mistaken identity or flaw in my background check have yet to be fulfilled (and let's hope it stays that way.  I've seen way too many movies). 

Anyways, the moral of this overly descriptive story is this:  don't freak out about the French police.  Oh, and also, getting a visa isn't that big of a deal.  My overly active imagination created a paranoia that rivaled the Red Scare, when I had nothing to worry about.  Thus, the last step of my preparation (besides packing) is complete! 

Mon Amie, Marie!

2012-01-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

I like to think that I'm pretty cool, but really the thing that makes me cool is my fantastic friends. I'm envious of my friend Marie, in particular, because right now she is breathing in the European air of Arezzo, Italy.

Marie (on left) and me during Snowmageddon!

Eventually, I'll get to meet her in Europe for incredible adventures, but for now, I advise that you follow her blog, cleverly named "Que Sará Sará." Click here or check out the sweet link I've created for it over on the sidebar (courtesy of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in "Roman Holiday").

Parlez-vous Français?

2012-01-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

This is how I feel sometimes when I try to teach people French words. Actually, this is how I feel most of the time when I try to speak French. My Texan accent doesn't exactly mesh with the "French" sound.

La Mode

2012-01-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

One thing I love about France is fashion. Inexplicably, polka dots have always seemed so French to me, and thankfully, the trend is back in full force just in time for my trip. Looks like I'm going to get my money's worth and then some out of my thrift store polka dot skirt!

image courtesy of Nylon Magazine

En L'avion

2012-01-06T12:16:00.001-08:00

En L'avion by meggiejennie featuring a long trench coat

Long trench coat
$50 - target.com

American Eagle Outfitters dark wash jeans
$30 - ae.com

Shoes
$35 - keds.com

Fossil bag
$158 - fossil.com

Ray-Ban aviator shades
$189 - ray-ban.com

Scarve
$11 - forever21.com

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray 4 oz
$29 - sephora.com

Boy shirt in mint vintage camp flannel
$78 - jcrew.com

BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK Color™
$199 - barnesandnoble.com

Activités

2012-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

photo taken from Gadling

Before I go to Vichy, I want to compile a list of activities I'd like to do while I'm there.  Number 1 on the list is the Festival de Cannes.  Even though it will be near the end of my stay, it's IMPERATIVE that I go for at least one day.

According to the Festival de Cannes website, this international film festival was set to be held in Cannes in 1939, but did not take place until a year after the war in 1946.  For a while, the festival was in September, but now it is held every May. 

Cannes belongs to each and every one of us who, year after year, from wherever we are and in our own individual way, contributes towards creating it step by step. It is only by constantly analyzing the Festival, adapting its function and encouraging debate about it that we will continue to make it the very best it can be. Cannes must be open to new ideas, while remaining faithful to its past, of course. Diversity can only enrich it. That´s what makes the Festival de Cannes our festival. --Thierry Frémaux

I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little bit excited about possibly seeing a celebrity or two at the festival, but mostly I can't wait to experience such an essential part of French history. 

À la France

2012-01-05T16:15:00.001-08:00

À la France by meggiejennie featuring mini handbags

FOSSIL mini handbag
$55 - fossil.com

Jewelry
$40 - fossil.com

Grant Plated Stainless Steel Watch – Rose
$135 - fossil.com

BARNES & NOBLE | Moleskine Classic Large Ruled Reporter Notebook by...
$18 - barnesandnoble.com

Key-Per Zip Top Train Case
$65 - fossil.com

Palladium Boots - Pampa Oxford Canvas: boue
$50 - palladiumboots.com

Ms. & Mrs. Minimergency® Kit for Her Silver Minimergency Kit for Her...
$13 - sephora.com

BARNES & NOBLE | Moleskine Classic Pocket Ruled Reporter Notebook by...
$12 - barnesandnoble.com