American in Paris

Let me begin by saying that I hate French keyboards!!! While Italian keyboards may have been a bit difficult, French keyboards have some of the letters in completely different places...making writing a very long process for me. Regardless, it is freezing here and after a couple hours of walking I couldn't move my fingers anymore and I'm not quite brave enough to go back out yet....

I arrived in Paris without a map, translation book, or a plan. My host said she'd be meeting me outside of a metro station so after first making sure I knew where it was, I set off to take pictures of the Effiel Tower. My aimless walk lead me to Jardin des Tuileries, a huge garden in front of the Louvre. The sun was setting right as I entered the park--it was absolutely soulmelting! I took some really amazing photos and then trekked off to find a payphone because I wanted to call Standard (my work) and tell Stephenie about the Effiel Tower. During the phone call, I was able to talk to Steph, Carol, and Maria for a few minutes--this really made my night!!! (I miss all of you at Standard!!)

These days I spend lots of time daydreaming...no, not about Romeo sweeping me up into the sunset...but about leather boots and peacoats! The style of wearing nice boots over your tight jeans is everywhere in Italy and while this is common in Paris too, what's more common are women in dresses, tights, knee length leather boots, and peacoats. I have ALWAYS wanted a pea jacket but always been too broke or too cheap to pay $150 for one. Now, its all I can think about!
I practically drool as woman after woman walks so eloquently by me in their boots and jackets. Women of all ages too, from 16-60....in dresses, boots, peacoats. I walk--wearing the same outfit for 3 days now, with my bite and suck in one hand, map in the other, and have the following daydream:

• Taking a shower, during which I can stretch out my arms (oh, wouldn't it be amazing!)
• Blow dying my hair and then straightening it (crazy!)
• Putting on a cute dress, tights, maybe even jewelry...(for once, not being a dirty hippie!!)
• Pulling on tight knee high black leather boots (oh! how I miss high heeled boots...)
• Walking out the door buttoning up my black peacoat and swinging a scarf over my neck....

Ahhhhh, I must close my eyes now and enjoy this beautiful dream......hmmmmmm....

Of course, the day dream varies. Sometimes I am wearing shades of brown, sometimes I am brave enough to think of actually wearing a beautiful white jacket, sometimes I go casual and wear a jean skirt...but I guess you get the point!! LOL

As in most moments, I was having this fantasy when Lili approached me in front of the metro last night. Can you guess what this extremely beautiful 25 year old French woman was wearing?!?! A dress, tights, black leather boots, and a gray peacoat...but of course!!! I could have died with jealously right then and there!

Lili took me around the corner to a Starbucks. "Great" I mumbled to myself, sooooo glad I flew all the way to Paris to get a freaking Starbucks!!! Ohwell...I'm at the mercy of strangers here, so you smile and just go with it. At Starbucks, Lili gave me her apartment key and explained how to get to her house. She was meeting up with other couchsurfers who are also staying with her but I had my huge pack so we decided it was best that I just head in for the night.

Lili's entire apartment is just a little bit bigger than my bedroom and she has 3 strangers staying with her!! Wow, this woman is even more generous and amazing than I previously thought. Lili's bed is like a bunk bed, only there is just a bed up top and nothing underneath. The couple from Vienna are sleeping on the floor underneath the bed and I'm sleeping with Lili! Its different, but it works! I'm still not feeling a 100% so I immediately went to sleep and slept for 11 hours. I woke up to find myself in the faces of 3 new strangers, threw on my running shoes, and then went for a jog. I returned to the apartment armed with fruit, attempted to shower in the worlds tinniest shower (you have to hold the nozzle and try to wash--how do people do this?), and then headed off into downtown.

On my walk this morning, I went through the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise. Its a huge cemetery where a lot of famous people are buried, including, Jim Morrison. For the heck of it, I tried to find his grave but gave up after I realized I really wanted to eat a power bar (I'm clearly one to follow my gut). Somehow, eating a powerbar did not seem kosher in a place where people come to respect the dead, so I made my way out.

As I continued my walk, I found a thai restaurant and then almost got hit by a car because I immediately jumped to cross the road. The thought of pad thai--oh, its a more realistic fantasy than nice clothes!! Much to my disappointment though, I did not see pad thai on the menu. Did I mention that it's cold?!?! It's really cold....and that's the justification I used for my next stop of the day--which was going into another Starbucks and getting a drink. I find myself being very American in Paris and I can't quite put my finger on why....

In Italy, I enjoyed nothing more than trying everything that is their culture. From espresso to horse steak (ate one in Sicily), to pear shots and squid (which I actually like it)...I pretty much love everything that Italian is or that it represents. But I'm not doing that here....I loved Paris when I was 16 and while it is still very beautiful, I'm finding myself a little disinterested, a little lazy, and really cheap. Alas, my money is draining and even the McDonald's here is $5 Euro for dinner (that's what $8 US?) and I'd know this because its what I ate last night (bad kitty!).

I am going to enjoy my time here though! Lili is a fantastic woman, it makes me smile that every fourth person is carrying a loaf of bread, I'm constantly amazed by the women in their tights (maybe they are so skinny they don't feel the cold like me?), the buildings are impressive and historic, and I know there are plenty of untold treasures yet for me to find....

So now I leave this internet cafe close to Notre Dame, Im going to go into the KFC next door and get mashed potatoes (yes, I do HATE them but my desperation for hot food is overcoming any morals I previously had), and then I'm going to go tour Notre Dame.

As I'd rather be in bella Italia... I end with CIAO! :)