... en descendant du train.

The other day when I came out of the métro at Sèvres-Babylone, I found half of Boulevard Raspail closed down for ... oh right, a strike. Not sure who the disgruntled party was this time.

Urban wind chimes? Métro with a pearl earring? Someone hung a random earring from part of the métro's door, and watching it flutter in the subterranean breeze on my way to work made me giggle.

Coming out of the 4 at Saint-Germain-des-Près this afternoon, I noticed this on the sidewalk. Not sure I agree with the message, but I was nevertheless amused.

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike ...

Upon quitting babysitting tonight, I contemplated the Velib' station that faces the Kobrin's apartment. 'Why not?' I thought, 'Sooner or later you'll try it.'

I thus embarked upon my first harrowing Vélib' experience. Vélib' is the bicycle service in Paris and it's surrounding areas. You can get short term or long term subscriptions that allow you to rent out bikes from stations all around Paris. Seeing as there are a bunch near my house, I've always wanted to try, but I'm afraid of, oh, you know, BEING FLATTENED BY A BUS.

Still.

I popped in my snazzy bankcard, hopped a bike and started pedaling in what had to be roughly the correct direction. After some crazed weaving I was on the Iéna bridge over the Seine, staring at the Eiffel Tower lit up right smack in front of me. Picturesque comes to mind here.

After a panicked moment in the middle of 730 pm traffic on the Quai Branly, I ended up on the Avenue de Suffren, from which I cut across the Champ de Mars and wove erratically until I made it to Avenue La Motte-Piquet, and right next to the M° La Tour Maubourg, I ditched my bike at another Vélib' stand. I now see that I had actually navigated most of the tricky part by then, but that leaves me excitement for the next time I get ambitious.

I forgot how annoying one-way streets are when you aren't on foot.

Upcoming concerts that have caught my eye:

1. Whitney Houston

2. The Temptations with The Four Tops

3. Jarule

4. Boyz to Men

Wait, WHAT?

Not sure which one of those is illiciting the biggest what, and the tone varies, but ...

WHAT?!

Also, isn't boys to men more like middle-aged to old men at this point? There can't possibly be any boys left ... Can there?

Can you find the pattern?

Lin, Emma and tequila are responsible for this, if that helps you any.

AND THE THEME IS ... Drumroll please ...

Light. Things that are light, be it light in calories, light in weight, a provider of light, or any other permutation.

I laughed my head off. I loved all of it, even though Lin told me under no circumstances should I eat the popcorn, because apparently it is old. The marshmallows are fair game though, and the airhead is already history :)

For the record, Lin was, shall we say, general, in her description of the items for customs. Not that they would have understood anyway.

Love you both, mysterious packages are great fun!!!

PENN STATE LET ME INNNNNNN!!!

Scene: Me, considering the fact that I need to leave in 10 minutes to go on a party boat tonight with friends, contemplating an outfit. Finishing gchat conversations.

Cue -- Frantic Gennie, via my mom's gmail account -- BE THERE NOOWWWWWW ... WHAT'S YOUR PHONE NUMBER IN FRANCE? Penn State is on the phone and she wants to call you!!!

Me: ... WHAT?! ... [Gives number]

Penn State : Hello, Margaret? Oh right, I wanted to let you know personally that you've been OFFERED A FULL ASSISTANTSHIP!

Excuse me while I have an ecstatic seizure and dance around my apartment screaming. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Probably sounded like SUCH a ditz, but I've never been offered a position in a school that wanted to PAY me. Just saying. OH RIGHT, AND MAYBE BECAUSE YOU JUST OFFERED ME A PLACE IN YOUR PHD PROGRAM AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

OK, I'm fine, I promise. Yay!

Post-script: I missed the party boat. Hahaha, oops :)

Support Public Radio?

If only this graffiti artist knew what NPR means to me ...

To market to market ... (Sunday)

Sunday morning we woke up pretty late, because we'd been out pretty late. So I met up with my friend Mathieu, who lives near Liverpool Street. We wandered the markets of Brick Lane, which is really cool (like the flea markets in Paris, but it seemed like it was even MORE fun). Lots of Bangledeshi and Indian restaurants, and we grabbed lunch at the indoor market on Brick Lane. Mmmm, chicken marsala.

Then we wandered over to the Spitalfields market, and to the Columbia flower market. I really, really like markets.

This sign made me laugh.

This part of London is a strange blend of old and new, modern business construction and dated residential buildings. I really liked it, the character makes it all the more interesting. That rounded building at the vanishing point of this picture is called "the gerkin." Yes, like the pickle.

Jane and I got dinner at a pub practically next door to her hotel, and then went back to Tesco to find dessert. I got Cadbury milk chocolate bars (man, Cadbury is SO good) and she got bourbon cookies. I think all food should have types of alcohol written on it. Naturally I'm not sure what the bourbon in the title was about, unless they were suggesting that these cookies go well with it - they were chocolate cookies with chocolate filling.

Then Jane and I took advantage of our planned 'study time,' since I had lesson planning to do and she needed to read/grade. It turned into girl talk, as one might have expected. Then we finally went to sleep, and I woke us both up at 3h55 to get my life together before my 5h25 train back to Paris Monday morning. From there, straight back to a full day of school.

Phew. French was a little slow to come back, and NATURALLY I caught a cold. Otherwise, I held up better than expected! Great visit, and well worth it -- I loved London, and I was so happy to see Jane!!!