PARIS!

So, I just came back from Paris. I went from this last Thursday through this Sunday night. It was really amazing, and I'm in love with that city. The weather was beautiful, and this time I went I actually saw the Tour Eiffel. Both in the day and night. I went up at night, and the view was spectacular. There was also an Australian girl, Lauren staying at my aunts house for a mini vacation and a chance to "improve" her french. So, it was nice to have someone to go out and do stuff with. I did lots of other fun things, including, attending a Techno Parade downtown Paris. I went with my cousin, one of his friends, and Lauren. It was basically a bunch of drug addicts and 15 year olds that drink too much following busses throughout the streets of Paris that play too loud of music. It was definitely some "French Culture". There were passed out drunk people just laying in the streets, and the ambulance just did laps to pick them up and take the to the "a coma tent". I had some weird encounters, and have learned there are some realllllly odd people on the metro/RER. Oh, and I got a huge "EFF YOU" on the Champs-Élysées, because I refused to talk to some man about his scam. Anyways, Enjoy the pictures below, I took lots...but these aren't all of them. The city is just sooo beautiful!

ps. To view the pictures, click on the actual "window" the pictures are in. It will take you to my picsa web page where you can view them as a slideshow.

Paris

I Love Waking Up To The Smell of Manure. Soo Awesome.

I'm leaving for Paris on the 17th of this month, to visit my aunt. It was kind of short notice, as I had time off and my aunt offered to buy me a ticket. So, essentially it being 'free' for me to go, kind of made the decision for me. I'm really excited, I haven't seen her or my cousins for a while now, and now that I'm over here in Holland I'll probably see them often, which is nice. It's really awesome that she booked me a ticket on her her points, because on short notice plane and train tickets were fairly expensive. I'm also going to meet an Australian girl that is staying with them while I'm there. She's an exchange student for a couple weeks there, so I think that it will be fun. I've only been to Paris once, and I didn't really do any of the "touristy" stuff, because unfortunately my cousin was sick in the hospital. But I knew that I would have the chance to go back someday, so it wasn't really an issue. I'll be seeing Tour Eiffel for the first time, and all the other obligatory places. Yayyyy. So excited. Oh, and I'll also apparently have a cab waiting for me, with a sign with my face and name on it. My life sucks, right?

I started swimming last night. It was really fun, I'm really glad that I'm joining. Everyone was very nice, and a few of the girls in my lanes were awesome about telling me what the sets were. It's VERY relaxed here. Practice is only an hour long, and the sets aren't even that hard. It's a good workout though because there really isn't much rest. I am apparently being signed up to swim in my first meet on October 4th, so we'll see how that goes. The meets are weird here. I was explained that they are only about 2 and a 1/2 hours long. And, only two events. Everyone swims the same one. This one I believe is a relay, and 100 meter breaststroke..so we'll see. There is just one weird part. Everyone showers and changes together (like, coed I mean)...? The change rooms look like jail cells. Seriously. You walk in and there are pink & blue lockers "separating" the girls and boys. And you have to lock down a bench to secure the "door" that is see-through. It's very odd. Once you lock it, there is another room surrounded by walls so when you're actually changing it's separated into girls and boys. But, the showers are all unisex, and it's like one big group shower and changing room. I guess I'll get used to it. But uhhh, okay.

Apparently the first Monday of every month at 12:00 pm a "town alarm" goes off. This was kind of like the window washers..how I found out they come AFTER the dude with chains was standing at my window with a ladder. I heard this "alarm", really it sounded like carnival ride starting up. It was weird. I had noooo idea what this was, so I went outside. Only, no one else was outside. I was starting to imagine if I was the only one hearing this. People we're still going about their business like nothing was happening. Umm, HELLO is there a giant carnival in town that I didn't know was coming? It finally stopped. When Marja got home I asked her about it, and it's basically the same thing as the tsunami warnings in Hawaii. Except here it's obviously not for tsunami's. I really have no idea what it is for. What could you possibly need a giant alarm for? This town is surrounded by farms. Which REALLY stinks in the morning. I love waking up to the smell of manure. It's actually really awesome rolling out of bed, and feeling like you want to vomit. It's very strong. Something like a cow is actually in your house, or came by to drop off a goodie for you. I've kind of gotten used to it by now, but it's bad when it's windy.

I have also grown a giant love/HATE relationship with the wind. For many reasons.

I love the wind because:

a.) When you're biking with the wind, you don't have to pedal much.

I hate the wind because:

a.) When you're biking against the wind, it's pure hell.

b.) It makes the 'manure smell' come in wafts. Unpleasant.

c.) When you're riding your bike and maintenance is being done, aka cutting grass, it blows into your eyes. Sunglasses don't help. Same goes with street cleaners for the bike paths (?) Yeah, I also questioned that. You have no choice but to pass them, and you get a giant gust of exhaust/dirt/stench/whatever was on the ground in your face.

d.) It can be cold.

I think that it's safe to say that I HATE THE WIND.

September Sunset

Today the weather was sheets of rain. I loved it. I love when it's dark and rainy outside. Yes, I know most people enjoy the sun, I do too, but I love when it gets dark at 4:30 p.m. and it's cold. I've been going for bike rides every night after dinner, it's awesome. It's actually really relaxing by the river with some good music. Some nights, when the sun has been out (like tonight) I bring my camera and take some pictures. The ones that you see above are on the way into town. The tall pointy building is one of the churches. It's so cool, it's really old and medieval looking. Surprisingly, there are about 3 churches in this little town. The other pictures you see are of a little restaurant in town. I think there is only one decent one. There are tons of little cafés, but this one is an actual sit down restaurant. It smells good, maybe I'll have to try it sometime. I usually get some pretty good pictures when the sun is setting, except when it's been cloudy then don't turn out very well. I made a flickr account. For those of you who don't know what that is it's a photography site that you can post on. There are some superb pictures on there. I can spend hours just looking at random photos. People are so talented. My link is here. The pictures are able to viewed larger, and I have more on there that I don't post on my blog.

I was informed yesterday by Marja (my host mum) that I need to go to the 'City Hall' and register with 'them'. I questioned her in this and asked "What do I need to register for?" She said that they basically just have to keep tabs on you. Why the hell someone would need that information, I don't know, and for 'them' to know where I am at all times is pretty creepy. I really don't understand why they need to know all my information. Talk about invasion. I go on Monday, so I'm sure it will be interesting. If I decide to move cities within Holland too, I have to take all my information to 'them' and register again. I've never heard of this. My mum will probably read this and know all about it, since she came from a farm town in The Praries with a total of probably 100 people. I just think it's extremely weird. A lot of things are extremely weird here. On my bike ride down the river, every night, I see a rabbit on the side of the road in a cage...across from someone's house. Why wouldn't you just keep your pet in your house? Or on your lawn? Not ACROSS the road in a cage. Beats me. It's really cute, I just want to let it out because I feel bad for it. Maybe I'll bring it some carrots next time or something. The people here are weird too. I was taking pictures the other night at some horse stables because they had really cool gates with awesome detail and I looked up and a man was standing there just STARING at me blankly. I kinda just put up my camera to show him I wasn't trying to break his fence or something because I was hidden behind a bunch of flowers. He stared me down, and I eventually just left on my bike. I think he thought I was doing something to his fences because it definitely wasn't a friendly look.

Rain, Rain, Rain.

There has been INTENSE thunderstorms this week with hail and tons of lightening. It's actually really awesome when you're inside. I start swimming next week, and have been in contact with the coach via e-mail and she actually graduated from WSU. Small world. I'm looking forward to meeting her, she seems really nice and I'm sure there will be people on the team the same age as I am. Apparently, as she stressed to me, the teams here are really really relaxed. Not sure what they mean by "relaxed" because The Netherlands spits out some of the best swimmers in the world. So, we'll see. Practice is only an hour long..so I may come back without an arm or something. Who knows.

Are You 10?

It's so scary here when you kids (10-14) driving scooters or mopeds. It just looks weird when you pass someone, and they are literally 10 driving a moped. There are also these weird ghetto bikes people have made them into a moped by attaching a motor. It's really strange. I'm trying to plan my first big trip since I've been here. Right now the options are Croatia, Budapest, Istanbul, or Switzerland. I'm not sure. Whatever is cheapest is what I'll take. I really would like to go to Croatia, but I think in October would be iffy, and if I was paying I'd like to go when the weather is nice. One of my good friends is planning to come visit in the spring, so maybe we'll go then when the weather is decent. If you have any suggestions, or input please e-mail me because I'm having a hard time narrowing it down!

Stroopvafels

These are Stroopvafels (strooop-wafels). They are extremely addicting, especially when they are warm & fresh. They are thin "wafels" with a carmel like syrup inside. I'm sure they are really healthy for you. It doesn't help much that there is a bakery in my town that makes them fresh every morning. I think that by riding my bike 7 minutes each way it will make up for a couple bites of them. I always get the mini ones that come in small packages, but they are so good I end up eating almost all of them. I've only done this twice, so it's not THAT bad. I really enjoy going to the bakery to get the fresh bread. It's so much better here. Ahhh I could live here forever, off bread & cheese. Swimming for me starts next week, THANK GOD.