Rain, rain, rain....
That's the general run of the mill here in Chambéry. It's been raining for about 4 days straight now. I'm not talking about general rain. It's tricky rain. It won't rain hard until you decide to go somewhere, but then the bottom falls out. Oh yeah, and it's cold. Yes... It's about 53 degrees outside and tonight it will get down to around 38!!!! ugh... i'm ready for some snow already. The clouds here are sooo low. You can't even see the tops of the mountains :-(
oooo. good news!!! I have pics posted now. there are quite a few. there are also some on facebook too. so this is a really short post, but now it's time to go for some café.
28 September 2007
20 September 2007
Chambery. Home Sweet Home
So I'm finally here! It took a while and took me a long time to get settled, but I absolutely love it! The views are spectacular! (I promise to post pics as soon as I can connect to WiFi). The first morning of trying to get moved in was uber stressful. OMG!!! I actually almost broke down into tears. First, there is soooo much paper work in France (i just love the bureaucracy). After lugging 105lbs of luggage, a backpack and a bassoon up the huge ass hill to campus, the housing office proceeded to tell me that I needed to go back to town and buy housing insurance (40 euro) and that the housing deposit was 350 euro!!!!!! I definitely was not expecting that. That's the main reason I was almost in tears. I'm actually very surprised that the ATM let me withdraw that much at once. The secretary tried to comfort me by telling me that I would get it back at the end of the year. Geez, thanks a lot. That really helps me NOW.
But, all is good now. When I was going back to the office to get sheet and blankets, I ran into the two girls from TN, one from Knoxville and one from Chattanooga. I realize that I didn't want to hang out with Americains all the time, but they have been a huge help. They have kept me sane. We have also been hanging out with a girl from Mexico, a guy from England and a girl from Italy. They have all been really nice.
I still haven't really met my roommates yet. There names are Mohammed and Pierre and they are rarely ever at the apt when I am. However, the first night we met the neighbors who were really nice. We went over to their apt and drank with Greg, Jonas, and Thomas. Greg doesn't live there, but he is there a lot. Jonas was very keen to practice his English, and sought out Jean as a target. Meanwhile, Claire and I were talking to Greg and Thomas. They were really cool. We downed the two bottles of wine, a bottle of whisky and quite a bit of pastisse. mmmm tastes like licorice.
well i have to go to a meeting now and i'm sure the other internationals want to use the computers now. i'll write more later.
ciao.
But, all is good now. When I was going back to the office to get sheet and blankets, I ran into the two girls from TN, one from Knoxville and one from Chattanooga. I realize that I didn't want to hang out with Americains all the time, but they have been a huge help. They have kept me sane. We have also been hanging out with a girl from Mexico, a guy from England and a girl from Italy. They have all been really nice.
I still haven't really met my roommates yet. There names are Mohammed and Pierre and they are rarely ever at the apt when I am. However, the first night we met the neighbors who were really nice. We went over to their apt and drank with Greg, Jonas, and Thomas. Greg doesn't live there, but he is there a lot. Jonas was very keen to practice his English, and sought out Jean as a target. Meanwhile, Claire and I were talking to Greg and Thomas. They were really cool. We downed the two bottles of wine, a bottle of whisky and quite a bit of pastisse. mmmm tastes like licorice.
well i have to go to a meeting now and i'm sure the other internationals want to use the computers now. i'll write more later.
ciao.
15 September 2007
i LOVE Geneva!!
So i could probably make this the longest post ever, but considering i'm running out of time and i'm really freaking tired, it probably won't be very long. first, internet over the next few days could be sketch. stupid eric didn't even look at his transformer that he bought from radioshack. my comp has a three-prong plug, but the transformer only has place for two. this should be interesting. anywho, geneva is amazing.
i was really tired when i got here, but i forced myself to go explore. and boy am i glad i did. by far the thing i was most excited to see was the united nations, otherwise known as my future employer. :-) i really wanted to run through the fountain, but i controlled mzself (i realiye that i tzped a z instead of a y and vica versa, but until i'm back on mz computer, just switch them :-)) anywho, the onlz bad experiences i've had have been mostlz of mz own doing. first off, i packed waaaaz too much, which caused me to take a taxi a few blocks to mz hostel, because i looked like a fool trzing to carrz mz luggage. second, despite what the sncf website might have zou believe, there is definitelz NOT, i repeat, there is NOT an automatic ticket machine for sncf passengers in this train station. there is a sncf office next door, but alas, thez are closed on sundazs. so, i had to buz a cff ticket to chambérz and cancel mz ticket from sncf. luckilz i did this 4 hrs before the train leaves, so crisis averted.
i have determined the favorite pasttime here in geneva is lzing on a bench on a bridge with zour significant other's head in zour lap. guzs and girls both do it. dogs are verz popular here. thez are all soooo cute (except for one reallz old ladz's dog who apparentlz had never been groomed, pauvre chien) and i want to pet them, but worrz that that might be a little awkward. i haven't been talking a lot because it seems weird to just start talking to strangers walking down the street, but it's fun to eavesdrop on buses.
there's lots more i could write about genève, but i'll wait til i can post pics and when i don't have to paz for internet. ciao
ps. in case zou were wondering, the kezboard here is almost exactlz the same as home, but the z and y are switched. it has a couple of extras too but obviouslz for zou guzs the z and y are the most noticeable. :-)
i was really tired when i got here, but i forced myself to go explore. and boy am i glad i did. by far the thing i was most excited to see was the united nations, otherwise known as my future employer. :-) i really wanted to run through the fountain, but i controlled mzself (i realiye that i tzped a z instead of a y and vica versa, but until i'm back on mz computer, just switch them :-)) anywho, the onlz bad experiences i've had have been mostlz of mz own doing. first off, i packed waaaaz too much, which caused me to take a taxi a few blocks to mz hostel, because i looked like a fool trzing to carrz mz luggage. second, despite what the sncf website might have zou believe, there is definitelz NOT, i repeat, there is NOT an automatic ticket machine for sncf passengers in this train station. there is a sncf office next door, but alas, thez are closed on sundazs. so, i had to buz a cff ticket to chambérz and cancel mz ticket from sncf. luckilz i did this 4 hrs before the train leaves, so crisis averted.
i have determined the favorite pasttime here in geneva is lzing on a bench on a bridge with zour significant other's head in zour lap. guzs and girls both do it. dogs are verz popular here. thez are all soooo cute (except for one reallz old ladz's dog who apparentlz had never been groomed, pauvre chien) and i want to pet them, but worrz that that might be a little awkward. i haven't been talking a lot because it seems weird to just start talking to strangers walking down the street, but it's fun to eavesdrop on buses.
there's lots more i could write about genève, but i'll wait til i can post pics and when i don't have to paz for internet. ciao
ps. in case zou were wondering, the kezboard here is almost exactlz the same as home, but the z and y are switched. it has a couple of extras too but obviouslz for zou guzs the z and y are the most noticeable. :-)
Flughafen frustration
So here I sit in the Frankfurt airport. damn i wish i spoke some german... where are you, Liz, when i need you? anywho, apparently blogspot likes to switch over to the german version when you're in germany. i know. imagine that. convenient if you're german, not if your last name is german, but don't speak the language. i'm pretty much in love with the appel soda, lift. apfel-schorle, mmmm.... well, this was a very short and pointless post, but at least you guys know i'm alive. and in EUROPE!!! needless to say, the 15 minutes of internet that i paid 2 euro for is about to run out, so i will try to post when i get to genève and can actually communicate with people.
ciao
ciao
13 September 2007
Demain!!!!
Yes. That is correct, everyone. I leave tomorrow!!!! Sure it might be helpful if I already had all of the stuff I needed and didn't have to make a Walmart run. Sure it might have been a good idea to already be packed, but for anyone who knows me, that's not how I operate. *Cut to me starting my 5 page French paper at 11pm the night before it's due. That being said, let's recap the last few days.
Tues PM.
My family all went out to celebrate my bday/leaving (or as they like to call it, abandoning them). My mom had this wonderful cake made:
So just to let you know, my mom doesn't know the slightest bit of French, so this cake was quite an undertaking. While I was in Knoxville for the weekend, she rummaged my room and took a French-English dictionary and one of my hs french books. She tried to compose "Happy Birthday and Goodbye" on her own and produced this, "Heureux anniversaire bon adieu." So apparently she wanted to personify my bday and thinks it's a good thing that she won't ever see me again. Hooray for translation. Needless to say, she broke down and called my hs french teacher, Elaine Thompson (Madame). Let me just say that she was almost my fav hs teacher, a close tie with my AP English teacher, Mrs. Joiner. Madame was able to offer some help to ma mère and you can see the finished product. Oh, and my mom almost used the Union Jack instead of the Tricolore. :-(
Wed.
This morning I started off my day by babysitting my niece, Layla, for a while.
We watched the new Charlotte's Web movie and then I had to take her to the hospital, because ma grand-mère was having knee surgery. They told her to be at the hospital at 8h30, but she just waited in her bed until they took her back to the OR at 13h30. Slightly ridiculous. During this wait time however I went to visit Madame. In case you have never gone back to visit your hs after graduating, it is a VERY weird feeling. Anywho, she was very shocked and happy to see me. We exchanged contact info and talked all about my year abroad. She said that she expects postcards so I guess I'll have to send her some. OH, and her daughter lives in Karlsruhe, Germany so I'll probably need to make a stop there to say hey.
Then, last night consisted of packing. By packing, I mean I took all of my clothes, books, etc that I'm carrying with me and spread them across the living room and opened my suitcases. Tonight will consist of filling these suitcases and praying to God that they meet the weight restrictions.
Well now it's time for the dreaded Walmart run. I'll post again when I get to Europe and have internet access.
Salut!
Tues PM.
My family all went out to celebrate my bday/leaving (or as they like to call it, abandoning them). My mom had this wonderful cake made:
So just to let you know, my mom doesn't know the slightest bit of French, so this cake was quite an undertaking. While I was in Knoxville for the weekend, she rummaged my room and took a French-English dictionary and one of my hs french books. She tried to compose "Happy Birthday and Goodbye" on her own and produced this, "Heureux anniversaire bon adieu." So apparently she wanted to personify my bday and thinks it's a good thing that she won't ever see me again. Hooray for translation. Needless to say, she broke down and called my hs french teacher, Elaine Thompson (Madame). Let me just say that she was almost my fav hs teacher, a close tie with my AP English teacher, Mrs. Joiner. Madame was able to offer some help to ma mère and you can see the finished product. Oh, and my mom almost used the Union Jack instead of the Tricolore. :-(
Wed.
This morning I started off my day by babysitting my niece, Layla, for a while.
We watched the new Charlotte's Web movie and then I had to take her to the hospital, because ma grand-mère was having knee surgery. They told her to be at the hospital at 8h30, but she just waited in her bed until they took her back to the OR at 13h30. Slightly ridiculous. During this wait time however I went to visit Madame. In case you have never gone back to visit your hs after graduating, it is a VERY weird feeling. Anywho, she was very shocked and happy to see me. We exchanged contact info and talked all about my year abroad. She said that she expects postcards so I guess I'll have to send her some. OH, and her daughter lives in Karlsruhe, Germany so I'll probably need to make a stop there to say hey.
Then, last night consisted of packing. By packing, I mean I took all of my clothes, books, etc that I'm carrying with me and spread them across the living room and opened my suitcases. Tonight will consist of filling these suitcases and praying to God that they meet the weight restrictions.
Well now it's time for the dreaded Walmart run. I'll post again when I get to Europe and have internet access.
Salut!
05 September 2007
Only 9 more days....
Tick tock... It seems like each passing day is going by slower than the last. I only have 9 days left in the states and it is sort of surreal. It seems like I have sooo much to do and yet, I'm not worried. For once in my life, I'm just letting things work themselves out. I've wasted too much time in the past worrying myself to death over little teeny tiny unimportant minuscule details and I've had enough. The past two weeks I have decided to just breathe and enjoy myself, and I have. I've made to trips to Knoxville and they have been incredibly enjoyable. I reconnected with my long lost love, sushi. If you haven't met her yet, you should. She will do things to your mouth you never dreamed possible...
So now we're leaving the slightly philosophical, preachy, and beginning to get creepy part of the blog to get to more substance. aka. The Life of Eric. After all, who really needs the Life of Pi??
The day has finally arrived... and by the day I mean my bassoon. Yes. I'm sooo happy. When it arrived today at my grandmother's I was very sad, because I ripped open the box and realized I didn't have a reed with me to try it. I know... sad times. So I proceed to drive home, bassoon in tow, and practically run everyone else off the road in the process by driving 80 mph all the way. (Yes, I know my life is boring when I am that excited to play a new bassoon). Anywho. I get home, soak a reed, put my baby together, begin to play and beautiful music erupt from the horn until I play that ill-fated note. No, not an Eb, but alas, a G. That is correct folks, probably the first note I ever played on the bassoon will not play. In a prolific panic (isn't alliteration fun?) I call my stepmom and she calms me down. I notice what is wrong, the spring isn't working right, but surprise surprise, I don't know how to fix it. Luckily, after 10 minutes of conversation with Barry Trent (thank you, Mr. Trent) I am able to readjust the spring and all is right in the world. Except for this post which most of you have quit reading at this point.
Now onto France related news...
One word.... Skype. Download it. It is quite amazing. I can call any other Skype users anywhere in the world for free. I bought a USB phone today and made my first call to France to reserve a hotel room. It is amazing that the desk attendant understood everything that I said just fine, yet he had trouble with BEUERLEIN. Looks like my name is hard for everyone, not just US Americans. I actually had to spell my name for him 5 times. But finally he got it right and I now have une chambre simple pour une nuit when I arrive in Chambéry the night before I can move into my dorm.
Time to go to sleep, so that I can wake up early in the morning and make some gas money to go back to Knoxville yet again for football weekend!!!! Heck yes for going to the game as a normal student and not wearing a uniform. But I might shed the slightest tear during pregame. For now....
Bonne nuit
Ciao
Auf Wiedersehen
So now we're leaving the slightly philosophical, preachy, and beginning to get creepy part of the blog to get to more substance. aka. The Life of Eric. After all, who really needs the Life of Pi??
The day has finally arrived... and by the day I mean my bassoon. Yes. I'm sooo happy. When it arrived today at my grandmother's I was very sad, because I ripped open the box and realized I didn't have a reed with me to try it. I know... sad times. So I proceed to drive home, bassoon in tow, and practically run everyone else off the road in the process by driving 80 mph all the way. (Yes, I know my life is boring when I am that excited to play a new bassoon). Anywho. I get home, soak a reed, put my baby together, begin to play and beautiful music erupt from the horn until I play that ill-fated note. No, not an Eb, but alas, a G. That is correct folks, probably the first note I ever played on the bassoon will not play. In a prolific panic (isn't alliteration fun?) I call my stepmom and she calms me down. I notice what is wrong, the spring isn't working right, but surprise surprise, I don't know how to fix it. Luckily, after 10 minutes of conversation with Barry Trent (thank you, Mr. Trent) I am able to readjust the spring and all is right in the world. Except for this post which most of you have quit reading at this point.
Now onto France related news...
One word.... Skype. Download it. It is quite amazing. I can call any other Skype users anywhere in the world for free. I bought a USB phone today and made my first call to France to reserve a hotel room. It is amazing that the desk attendant understood everything that I said just fine, yet he had trouble with BEUERLEIN. Looks like my name is hard for everyone, not just US Americans. I actually had to spell my name for him 5 times. But finally he got it right and I now have une chambre simple pour une nuit when I arrive in Chambéry the night before I can move into my dorm.
Time to go to sleep, so that I can wake up early in the morning and make some gas money to go back to Knoxville yet again for football weekend!!!! Heck yes for going to the game as a normal student and not wearing a uniform. But I might shed the slightest tear during pregame. For now....
Bonne nuit
Ciao
Auf Wiedersehen
01 September 2007
How fast can I laufen through the Munich Flughafen??
So yesterday was fun. Well, if you consider spending $800+ on an airplane ticket. The good news is that now I can make it back to France for my second semester. The only issue that I'm concerned about is the depressingly short layover that I have in Deutschland. Typically I wouldn't be concerned about making a connection with 45 mins between the flights, but due to USAirways horrible delay record I'm slightly besorgt.* Liz, I know how proud you must be of my progress with the German language :-). I leave the states for the second time on Dec 29 and won't be back until June 30!!! Did I mention that I'm slightly excited? In case you're wondering, my flights for the second leg are Nashville>Philly>Munich>Geneva. Now it is time to schlafen**. Gute Nacht.
ps. I'm STILL waiting on my bassoon...
*worried
**to sleep
ps. I'm STILL waiting on my bassoon...
*worried
**to sleep
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