Europeans

What can I say about them? First, Europeans are definitely very different from Americans. It's not something you notice at first, but spend a significant amount of time really absorbing their culture and you really start to notice the disparity between how you expect people to act and how they actually do.

Let's start with the French. My experiences with them have been mostly well. I have learned that they have a lot of pride. They can seem cold and distant at first but if you really get to know them they can be very friendly. They walk with a ton of confidence everywhere they go and at times they can be intimidating; standing on the street corner smoking their cigarettes, you can get the impression that they are staring you down. If you hurt their pride, they become extremely offended. At the same time, though, they are very smart and cultured people. They are fiercely independent and very educated and they care a lot about their friends. I feel like I would have to spend more than just a semester here in order to really get to know them to be honest, but I feel like it would be time well spent.

I was surprised at first because Paris is not a city with a really crazy nightlife. I have only had a few experiences where I actually went out in Paris, and those times I went with such big groups of people that it didn't really matter where we went because we brought the party with us. Also, speaking French is a lot harder that you think, even if you have taken it as long as I have. I'm still not always entirely comfortable going up to a French person and speaking their language at times. When I do go out, I am usually with Americans and we will buy cheap bottle of wine (wine here is literally cheaper than water) and find a bar close by. Unfortunately, the trains and metro stop running at around one in the morning, so its impossible to stay out unless you want to party until the sun comes up (which I have done a few occasions now).

I am remaining open-minded about the city and its people. Until now, I have mostly been with American and Dutch friends (Dutch people are amazing), but I'm hoping that now that it's warm I will get the opportunity to meet more French people.

The simplicity of life in Europe

Daily life in Paris moves at a much different pace than in America. I don't have a dishwasher, a microwave, a TV, amongst other modern luxuries. I do all my dishes by hand, cook with the stove, and once a week sit at the laundromat for an hour with a book while my clothes wash. I buy all my groceries not from a supermarket, but from a small market across the street where the owner and I are now on a first name basis. 

Life feels languid here at times; everything is done on purpose. Food takes time to prepare, you can't just pick it up and eat it. I take public transportation, so I have to plan out my trips accordingly. When we go out, usually in the Latin Quarter, we will go to bars or cafes and have some wine. There is a lot of time for discussion and contemplation.

I like this way of living. There are things I miss about the fast pace life in America, but here I never feel rushed. I have time to eat well, exercise, study, relax, and go places with friends. I feels like a much more adult way of living, particularly because I am responsible for making sure everything is taken care of on my own. 

The warm weather has really made me enjoy the city again. It was rough during the cold because I never wanted to leave my apartment, but now I get out and explore nearly every day. I am looking forward to going home but I think I will miss it here when I return.

Hot Wine

I finally tried hot wine today for the first time. I am a big wine fan but I was so confused every time I saw "hot wine" on the menu at a cafe because it's definitely not something that seems logically. I was understandably a bit wary. However, today I was at a coffee shop with my friends and I couldn't take the curiosity any longer. It is actually pretty good! They prepared it with an orange slice and some cinnamon and when you sip it, it is actually very sweet.

School is still going very well. I had to give a presentation yesterday and I was a bit nervous, which usually never happens to me. People complimented me about it so I hope that is a good sign. Things are starting to be a bit warmer here which is always awesome for me. Today was one of those days where I wish I wasn't leaving so soon. It all feels like it's not real sometimes; I know that eventually I'll have to confront the real world back home but for now I'm enjoying myself right where I am.

Well, tonight I think I am going to see the Hunger Games, officially a day earlier than everyone else I know. 

Au revior!

Amsterdam

Wow, what a city. My trip to Amsterdam was both relaxing and fun. First off, the city reminds me a lot of America. I literally walked off the train knowing nothing and no one in the city and had the time of my life. Everyone there speaks English and is very friendly. They smile at you and are more than willing to help you out with anything you need, much unlike the Parisians.

The hostel I stayed out was very nice, which was good because I was nervous. I had never stayed in a hostel before that, but I ended up with one where the staff was very friendly, the residents were very quiet, and it was close to the city center. Amsterdam is not a very big city and one can pretty much walk anywhere if you know where the Dam Square is.

Of course, there are marijuana coffee shops everywhere. I don't personally smoke but I think it was cool that I was in a country where it was legal. You will be literally walking down a random street and smell weed. The red light district is interesting as well. Amsterdam is a very liberal city and there are sex shops everywhere. The district is cool at night when all the red lights light up.

The buildings have a very unique style and they fit really well as a backdrop against the canals, which the city is built on. There is a lot of history in Amsterdam and it is neat to see the Anne Frank house and other monuments. Of course, there is also the Heineken factory which is cool. It is really a hassle to find anything other than Heineken in Amsterdam though.

There is a really cool square called Leideseplein where all the popular bars and clubs are, which is another thing that reminded me of America. In Paris it seems like the all the bars young people go to are spread out around the city. In Amsterdam there is a huge crowd of really attractive and lively young people that gather at the bars at night. I met some really awesome friends at the hostel and we went out every night and had a really great time. After dark, the city is really safe and taxis to just about anywhere are really cheap.

I would definitely recommend Amsterdam to anyone who wanted to visit a cool European city without the hassle of learning a different language or navigating a complicated metro system. The Burger King alone is definitely worth the trip.

Shakespeare and Co

My Impressions of Paris so far

Hey all,

I've spent a good month here now and feel pretty settled in to my daily routine. Whether that's a good thing or not I don't know. Sometimes I feel the need to be a bit more spontaneous and get out and see things. Of what I have seen though, there are some things I really appreciate and some things I prefer from home.

First off, the food here is pretty great. It is a bunch of sandwiches, pastries, and breads. They really like their ham and cheese as well. One of my favorite things though is how fresh everything is here. Very few times do I ever see anything that is packaged or pre-prepared, the French really love to take their time making something worth eating. I will be much fatter when you all see me next.

The party scene so far has been a bit underwhelming. Last weekend me and my friends got turned away from a bar because we were Americans. Plus the metro stops running at around 1, so if you wanna make it back home at a decent hour you pretty much have to call it quits at 12:30. Also, the drinks are way too expensive. It's cool to go to some hole in the war European bar once or twice, but mostly we have just been getting wine and having our own house parties with the other students.

Once you stay here for a while, the tourist attractions start to loose their novelty and you feel a bit more like a citizen of the city would feel. So many Americans come here expecting it to be radically different than America in one way or another but really life here is only different in small ways. I think the most interesting thing really is getting to see the way another culture functions. They are, contrary to what you've heard, not unfriendly at all. They are just much more private than Americans are and honestly I prefer it that way.

One last thing, I went to Shakespeare and Company this weekend and lit-nerded pretty hard. For those of you who don't aren't familiar with it, Shakespeare and Co is a famous bookstore owned by Sylvia Beach in the 1920's where writers such as Fitzgerald, James Joyce, Hemingway and others would frequent during the so called "Lost Generation" period of literature. I'm a big Hemingway fan and standing in this place (which inside honestly looks more like some wizard's apothecary than a bookstore) was a really memorable occasion for me.

Anyway, tomorrow I head off to Amsterdam so next time I write I will have a whole new city to talk about.

Au revior

My first month in Paris

Salut everybody!

So after weeks of procrastination I have finally decided to get around to this whole blogging in Europe thing. Blah blah blah I hope you read it and find it interesting. So I moved into my own apartment about 2 weeks ago after living with friends for a while and let me tell you, I love it. I would have posted pictures but I live alone, which means that its not in a state where I would want any of you to see it. More will come, I promise.

So let's get down to what everybody cares about: the city. Paris is a city with two faces. There is a beautiful, romantic Paris that you see walking down the Champs-Elysees at night; the storefront displays at Armani and the couple dressed in black holding hands and smoking cigarettes at a bright cafe as the lights of the Eiffel Tower shine off the Seine. This Paris does in fact exist and it is breathtaking. There is, however, a Paris of packed metros where the people look like they would kill someone just to get home while the drunk hobo walks up and down the aisle begging for a euro.

The thing to remember about Paris is that it is a very old city with a very long tradition. The people here take great pride in their appearance and for the most part keep to themselves. Gone are the days of rolling out of bed in a hoodie and basketball shorts and jumping on the first bus to class. Here, it is obvious that people live life very purposefully, and that includes taking the time to get up in the morning and dress themselves for success. The weather here is extremely cold; for those of you in Texas I don't even think I can express it to you. It's just really really cold. 

My university is incredible. All of my professors are very well studied and extremely professional. My favorite part of this university system is the discussion sections led by teaching assistants. I have one discussion every Wednesday on Coping with Multipolarity in US Foreign Policy and another on Thursday on Introduction to World Politics and it is incredible the perspective one gets about global affairs when discussing them with students from all over the world. I have met friends in my classes from Brazil, Turkey, and Jerusalem just to name a few places. Everyone here is very focused and the work is challenging and rewarding. More to come on my academics in the future.

Anyway, I am adjusting well and I miss everyone from back home. I wish I could bring you all here to stay with me. I will keep updating this blog with posts, pics, and videos from time to time to keep everyone updated.

À Bientôt,

Garrett