Paris, Part Deux

Out of all the cities that I've visited in Europe, I think that Paris will always have a special nook in my heart.

The last time I visited, I didn't have the chance to visit the Rodin museum. And, Rodin being my favorite artist of all time, I made the extra trip to go see some of his greatest works. It is probably my favorite museum I've ever visited in Europe. Outside, there is a sculpture garden lined with trees and a huge fountain in the center. It was weird, pairing the serenity of these natural elements with the disturbed and highly emotionally charged sculptures. Just to see his stuff and hang out in the garden was worth the Chunnel ride.

While I was in Paris, there was a short laundry list of things that I really wanted to see/experience. Shakespeare and Co. was definitely up there. It's almost cliché to want to make a mini pilgrimage to this little independent bookstore where greats including Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce stayed in the attic and found inspiration in this beautiful city. But, even with its induction into popular culture and all, it was darling.

Everything from the writer upstairs typing away at his laptop, the old typewriter cubby, the notes on the wall, and of course, the shelves upon shelves of great literature, was beautiful to me. So I ventured there twice during this trip and came away with What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver.

One of the most incredible pastry experiences I've had was at Ladurée with Alanna. We had an assortment of macarons, which was apparently invented by this shop, and it was incredible. From the perfume-y rose flavored one to the rich caramel, every bite was unique and delicious.

What was funny was that everyone in the little square we were sitting in was eating a box of pastries too. It's still a mystery to me how the French manage to produce and consume some of the best pastries and food in the world, and yet manage to stay so fashionably thin.

At the risk of sounding like a complete pig, I must pause here to discuss the best ice cream I've ever had, Berthillon. I had three scoops: pear, chocolate, and raspberry. It was luxurious, subtle, and really tasted like the flavor it was trying to replicate. I've been on many eating adventures with Alanna, especially since touching down in Europe, and this was certainly a major highlight after hearing so much about it from her.

There were so many more memorable moments from Paris, but I will end my account of them here. I hope that Paris will become a regular part of my life as I move on from college and start 'real life.' It's so beautiful, and any time that I spent alone there did not feel lonely, because as cheesy as it sounds the city is vibrant and rich in history and culture, and was as good a companion as I could ask for.

Estrella, Sand, and Gaudi

Even though I have returned from my 9-month stay in beautiful Europe and by now no one is reading this blog, I think I owe it to my experience to write a few more posts to finish up.

On I went to Barcelona, a city that made the most lasting impression on me. Throughout the trip, my skin started to brown from the warm sunlight so unfamiliar to London. My hair was constantly in relaxed disarray from the beach breeze and smelled of salty ocean air. We ate and had incredibly pleasant and involved conversations late into the evenings. And at night...it was surely an adventure if I'd ever had one. We soaked in the Spanish culture and relaxed, completely confusing our internal clocks and necessitating naps before dinner.

It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

Food: Walking along La Rambla, a main central street in Barcelona, we were drawn to this food market which I consider to have been an attraction all on its own. Stalls upon stalls of fish, vegetables, candies, meat, hot foods, coffee, bread, and on and on filled this enormous covered market. Whether it was a quick empanada lunch or an incredible chorizo and cheese pairing we picked up for dinner, this market hosted many delicious and special memories during our stay in Barcelona.
The tiny, inconspicuous local restaurant across the street from our hostel deserves a special mention here. Upon an assured recommendation from our hosts at the hostel, we headed across the street for the food highlight of the entire trip. We were served an enormous seafood paella that personified abundance. There were piles of shrimp, mussels, octopus, vegetables, and everything else you could ask for of a single dish. It was served hot, went right to the soul, and nourished us after another amazing day of wandering in the Spanish sun.

Drink: One of my favorite 'going out' experiences abroad has to be in Barcelona, where we were led by some American friends to Taverna Rustica, an unmarked, plain-looking, German-style beer hall. It felt relaxed, the theme of our vacation. Eight pitchers of sangria later, we were making loads of new friends as we all headed to the beach to the strip of nightclubs positioned right on the sand.

On our last night, we stumbled upon a local bar where we were witness to an impromptu salsa lesson on the dance floor as we sipped our mojitos. The 'class instructor,' an extremely attractive man whose hips moved like I could never even hope for mine to, led a mesmerizing 20 minutes of salsa which made me regret ever buying a return ticket out of Barcelona.

Art: The great thing about Europe is that it is an art-lover's paradise. Without even stepping into a museum, the time-tested buildings scattered throughout the historic cities are incredible in themselves. This is especially true of Barcelona, a city with Gaudi written all over it.

It was a surreal experience, from the perplexing Sagrada Familia to the wonderland that is Park Guell. Gaudi's architecture made me feel like liquid, like I was melting into the world that he created. It was confusing, magical, awe-inspiring, and absolutely amazing as I'm sure most people who visit will tell you.

There are so many things that I loved about Barcelona. By the end, I felt addicted to the simple pleasures and childlike joy and wonder I was able to experience throughout my time there. I would love to sit here and list every meaningful bite, drink, and moment that I had there (and there were many) but to spare any scarce readers I will leave it at that. And maybe in the not-so-distant future I'll be back to enjoy it all over again.

Chin Chin

It's weird, after traveling with Alanna for 18 straight days and constantly being around people, you would think that I needed some alone time.

So I thought it would be perfect to go to Cinque Terre, a cluster of five little fishing villages on the western coast of Italy, and chill out for a few days before heading back to the craziness that is London.
Five days of no internet, no texting, no phone calls, no television later, I was pretty ready to get back to civilization. As much as I enjoyed a different pace of life, hanging out at the beach and making friends with some more strangers, it became crystal clear to me that I'm not cut out for small town life.

Cats!
They were everywhere! A note about Italian cats: they are the friendliest, most emotionally expressive cats I've ever encountered! The ones that we met along the way were meowing like crazy, as if they were trying to say something really pressing or important.

In Monterosso, one stray cat followed me for about half an hour, meowing continuously, along the beach...
In Riomaggiore, the town I was staying in, one cat kept making a really aggressive meowing noise, almost a bark, at all the strangers walking down the street. Then he chilled with me and the other guys staying at my hostel for a while...
And finally, the sweetest cat followed us during a midnight stroll along Via dell'Amore, leading the way since it was so dark and dimly lit...
All three of these cats were huge attention whores and meowed more than any American cat I've ever met. I am definitely a dog person and don't usually like cats, but these guys were so sweet, friendly, and talkative that they somehow won me over.

Monterosso
This small beachfront town was probably my favorite of the five towns that make up Cinque Terre. The sand has little gold flecks that sparkle in the sunlight. The rocks were made up of so many different colors...red, orange, green, purple... The water was so many different shades of beautiful blue.

What was the most charming about Monterosso, especially visiting it during the off-season, was the sense of authenticity the small town had. There were children getting out of school, old men strolling along the beach, men in cafes bickering boisterously about the latest soccer match... It was the first time I didn't really feel like a tourist, more like a guest.

A "small world" moment happened in Monterosso when I stopped in at a cafe where I chatted a bit with the owner, who ended up being from Chicago! We bonded over having family in Southern California, Chicago in the Fall, and learning different languages.

All the Love
I can see why so many people fall in love in Cinque Terre. Just along the Via dell'Amore, there are locks attached to all the fences, netting, EVERYWHERE. I only found out on the last night that these locks represent wedlock. How could you not fall in love here? These five towns are so beautiful, protected as a national park and uncorrupted by the hordes of enterprising salesmen who would like to capitalize on the tourist value of this national treasure. Everything about it is romantic, dreamy, and makes all the stresses and troubles of everyday life seem so far away.

But beyond romantic love, the locals that I met during my stay were all so friendly both to me and to each other. There was a real sense of community. Everyone knew everyone. It was certainly different from anything I'd ever experienced.

I had a lot of time to think and reflect during my 5 days in Cinque Terre. I realize how lucky I am to have friends and family who love me as much as you guys do, and how you all make my life so much richer. Traveling, seeing and experiencing new places and people are definitely rewarding and worthwhile experiences, but I feel as though the farther and longer you're away from a sense of home, the more you realize how important and valuable it is.

The fellow travelers I roomed with at the hostel were all in a transition period in their lives. One had quit his job in London 3 days before. One was preparing to leave his office job for life as a chef in San Francisco. And the other was moving to the Netherlands to begin an artistic career. I was the baby of the group, and one thing they talked about really resonated with me. Traveling and escaping from your everyday life is great and oftentimes necessary. But, it better serves you when done with a purpose, an intention of bringing back the ideas and realizations you have during your journey and turning them into something concrete and productive in your real life.

So by the end of my time in Italy, I was ready to return and buckle down, not just on work but taking advantage of my time here in London and making the most out of everything.

That's the end of my Italian adventure! Cheers (or Chin Chin)!

A Different Kind of Christmas

Because Alanna always beats me to writing about the cities we visit (and uses my pictures, and includes most of the funny/interesting things I would say about it), I feel a little pointless writing about the same experience...

But, for continuity's sake I will continue writing about my 23 day journey in Italy.

After Florence we were off to spend Christmas in Rome with our best friend, Pope Benedict XVI (aka Benny). A note about religion in Italy: they celebrate literally every single Christian holiday ever! Oh! It's a Tuesday! Jesus loves Tuesdays! Let's take the day off and go to the beach!! I'm sure there is much more religious significance to these random holidays than I'll ever care to comprehend and that many people take them seriously, but I thought the most interesting part was all the time everyone gets to take off from work.

Christmas with Benny:


Christmas day we headed over to the Vatican to receive our personal blessing from Benny. We got there a little early to beat the crowds, unexpectedly got 10th row seats, and I was actually able to make out darling old Benny's hands reaching out to send us God's love. I went there thinking that it would be a very pious event with serious and reserved undertones, but it was quite the opposite. There were school girls in their seats waving posters with "We love the pope!" written across as they chanted short little love cheers for Benny. Others waved their respective countries' flags and sang fight song-esque melodies to cheer on the pope's appearance. If anything, it was more like sitting in a crowd at a soccer match than at a religious service.

When the pope finally did come out, everyone went crazy! This whole experience made me realize the true magnitude of Benny's celebrity and the adoration and ecstasy he manages to inspire in millions across the globe.


Things I like about Benny:

• Even though he is technically God's representative on Earth to Catholics and is a kind of a big deal, he gave off a really friendly, buddy-buddy kind of vibe (hence, my nickname for him, Benny).
• He gives blessings in every language, and when he was speaking Korean, his accent wasn't half bad. In fact, I was able to make out maybe 40% of what he was trying to say in the language. Not too shabby.
• He wears designer loafers (Fendi, I think). It's nice to have a fashionable pope.
• Even after getting mauled by a crazy woman the night before at midnight mass, he still came out Christmas day to see us little people for the afternoon blessing. What a champ.

I like the way Romans think:

On one of our 5 days in Rome, we went on a tour of the Colosseum and the Palatine. At the Colosseum, rather than listing off interesting facts about the construction and use of the Colosseum, he decided to offer us a 20 minute philosophical musing about the Roman way of thinking and how that would translate to modern life. One quote he said kind of summed it up: "You take my money, I take your life." Then he asked us to envision the bank CEOs of the world being thrown into the pit with the lions as punishment for their part in creating the current economic crisis...which the merciless bitch in me found really amusing. I really enjoyed that he gave us a mini course on the character of the Roman people, which helped put the Colosseum and everything it represents in context.


Also, our Palatine tour guide had the most epic narration voice. It's the kind of voice that you imagine narrating really awesome quests or battles in movies.

The Award for Creepiest Church Ever Goes to...

The Capuchin Crypt in Rome. Alanna's mother had mentioned this church that houses sculptures made out of human bone as being an "interesting" experience worth a look. This description did not prepare us for what we would find.

Rows and rows of skulls lined up against the walls. Full human skeletons, sometimes with skin still on the face, dressed up in monks robes. A skeleton version of the grim reaper peering down at us from the ceiling. IT WAS THE CREEPIEST THING EVER!!!!



And, at the end of the crypt, was an inscription that, combined with all the bones and skeletons and halfway decomposed skin, sent chills through my body: "What you are now we used to be; what we are now you will be..."


Yeah...so be prepared for an emotional disturbance if you ever visit this Capuchin monastery in Rome...It was so affecting that we needed heaps of delicious gelato to recover.

The Awesome Nativity Scenes!

Okay, being a little bit of a Christmas decorations fan, I think I can decently appreciate a good nativity scene. Rome was definitely the place to find the most elaborate and well designed ones ever.


I guess there's not much else to say about this...I just really enjoyed them.

Favorite Food Moment:

In Trastevere, we ended up going to this really great place called Pizzeria Sisini where I had suppli for the first time. They're little fried balls filled with risotto and some meat and tomato sauce and it was the best street food I had in Rome hands down.


Revisiting Rome was definitely a worthwhile experience. The dozens of piazzas, monuments, statues, art galleries, and historical spots can definitely be overwhelming to tourists, but it was really pleasant to walk around leisurely and take our time with the city. Christmas definitely didn't feel the same without being home, but it was memorable, special, and totally worth it. We weren't sick of pasta and pizza or each other yet (in fact, we had a huge moment when I asked Alanna what poisson reminded me of and she guessed The Little Mermaid correctly on the first try!). So, off we went to Venice to ring in 2010.

Horrifying but Delicious

I haven't blogged in a bit because I've been a little preoccupied (sorry Michael!) but I promise to be more diligent from now on.

I just got back from the most wonderful holiday vacation in Italy with my therapist/rock/compass/leppy Alanna, and instead of doing a play-by-play of my three weeks (which would be too tedious and take forever), I will do a greatest hits version.

Florence:

Teatro di Sale

With a suggestion from our guidebook, we walked into this restaurant/theatre to grab dinner on our last night in Florence. The seating area was blocked by a velvet rope and a 'For Members Only' sign. After some awkward questioning of the bemused lady behind the counter, we successfully made reservations and returned at 7:30 for dinner.

But before we could wait with the dinner crowd in the lobby, we had to become members of the club. We signed up for our 5 euro memberships, were given secret rules, and initiated into the Teatro di Sale family. Inside, the red velvet curtains finally opened and the crowd rushed into the theatre/dining area. Little clusters of tables filled the auditorium. We found ourselves a little two-seater in the corner near the stage and waited...

Then, out of the steamy shadows of the kitchen emerged a round-bellied, white-bearded, Santa-like figure with a red apron. He clanged a ridiculously loud bronze bell for a good 70 seconds and belted out what was to be served as the first course in his deep, booming, opera singer-esque baritone voice. Then, the hungry herd of Italians rushed over to the serving table to grab plates of delicious polenta with nutmeg, 5 different types of potatoes, and yummy yummy bread.

This went on for maybe 13 courses. The chef would ring the bell, yell out the next course, and everyone would stampede to the kitchen. Course after delicious course we filled our bellies with tripe, fish with lemon sauce, potato stuffed chicken, perfect pasta with meat sauce, meatballs, breadsticks, and the list goes on...

A lover of food, my first reaction was delight at the range and volume of food that we were offered for our 30 pounds...but then delight soon turned to horror as Alanna and I both became so full we literally thought we would explode. See, we made the amateur move of actually finishing each dish instead of "sampling" each like the bemused lady at the counter told us when we first made reservations. We underestimated our readiness for an experience like this. Seriously, I estimate that one should undergo at least two weeks of training to increase their intake before going to a place like this.

After having the best whipped cream, cookies and brownies for dessert, it was time for the show. The auditorium was transformed from a restaurant to a theatre and everyone laughed hysterically at the one woman show that came onstage. I'm sure it was a hilarious show...except it was 100% in Italian so we couldn't exactly follow along...

Overall, I highly recommend this place if you're ever in Florence. It was definitely my most vivid memory from my time there this trip. I wish I had pictures of the food and the chef...but photos were strictly prohibited.

Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

Wow is all I need to say to describe this amazing, amazing museum...if you're into shoes. After getting lost looking for something much less significant than what we found, we stumbled upon the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo. See, to explain the pure ecstasy that I felt when I saw this place, you may need a little background on mine and Mr. Ferragamo's relationship...but I could never express the purity of our relationship accurately in words so I will move on to our little detour into the museum.

From celebrity shoe molds to his most classic color combinations and styles, the museum really captured the magnificence of this man's craftsmanship and contribution to the fashion world. One interesting thing that I learned about Mr. Ferragamo's philosophy on women is that he put them in three categories according to shoe size, and had a bit to say about each type's personality. I am a "Cinderella" who loves jewels and furs, and can only be truly happy if I'm loved. I'm not sure how true that statement is, but I'm not in a position to argue with Mr. Ferragamo.

Anyways, it was a little slice of shoe heaven for me, and I really appreciate Alanna's willingness to shell out the five euro to visit this mecca with me. The philosophy, careful craftsmanship, artistic vision, and love that this designer poured into each shoe design made it clear to me why I love fashion, and uphold Mr. Ferragamo as one of its heroes.

OH, and one last thing about Florence...Trippa sandwiches are freaking amazing! We ate them at this hole-in-the-wall (literally) place near Casa di Dante where all these locals were grabbing a quick bite. SO GOOD.


There are so many more memorable moments from Florence, but it would be impossible to list them all off here. Most memorable was probably the marathon conversations that Alanna and I had, but that is true of the whole vacation and I plan to write an ode to my beloved travel buddy and dear friend in a later entry.

Tales from Rome to come later!

Beating Seasonal Depression

In the U.K., about 20% of residents suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is due to the dwindling daylight hours during the winter and our bodies' natural instinct to hibernate, which is basically code for eat lots of carbs and stay indoors.

This is what I've been waking up to the past few mornings:
Indeed, waking up to these grey skies and rain doesn't exactly put me in the cheeriest of moods, but I'm feeling as excited and privileged to be here as ever.

My meeting with the editor of the Le Monde English Edition didn't really go as I had planned. Everything that newspaper needs to function is outsourced. The print design is outsourced to a company just outside London, their online subscription services and Web design is outsourced to a company in Cambridge, they have a publisher that prints and distributes all of their papers, and their writers all work from home and don't even come in for brainstorming sessions. In fact, there wouldn't even be anywhere for them to come in to because there's no office! The English Edition's "office" consists of the editorial director, at her home, on a single iMac taking care of business.

It was definitely a novel experience for me, seeing this sort of structure in the journalism field. The editor kept describing how efficient this process is, and no one really can afford the "luxury of face-to-face contact" anymore. And, though I do believe her when she says this process is efficient and that they get a finished product out there every month, I couldn't help feel that some vital element was missing from this particular publication.

In the limited experience that I've had, there's nothing more exciting than the collaborative, creative processes that go into putting together a news product. Feeding off each others' ideas, popping your head into the design team's operating room to see what they're adding to enhance your article, and feeling your heart racing as you type up your last graph before making deadline is all part of an experience. Collaboration and support for one another to get a completed paper to press is what gives a publication life. It's what sparks innovation and creativity, and this vitality is not something I'd like to see the industry sacrifice in the name of efficiency.

Needless to say, I pretty much immediately lost interest in working there. Besides, she basically wanted me to sell IP subscription services to different organizations, which sounds like nothing I want to be involved in.

Flash forward a week, and I am now working in collaboration with the UCL Media Relations (PR) office on a body donation project. It's a public awareness, not activist, campaign that will hopefully educate the local community about body donation and shine light on options for those individuals who might be interested. I'll be helping to create a media press kit, do original research, and organize a big public event where a panel will be leading a dialogue on the topic. This, I really feel I can get excited about.

Since the last time I've blogged, Halloween passed, which was fun, but celebrations definitely weren't as big here as they usually are at home. I dressed up as Daisy Buchanan from the Great Gatsby, and my friend Brendan was Jay Gatsby. Here's a picture of my full outfit:
Not exactly as costume-y as it should have been, but it worked for my shoestring budget. To recap, Halloween was the usual drinking, smoking, hysterical laughing hoo-hah but with the volume turned down a couple notches from what I'm used to.

I've been focusing a lot more on my classes the past week or so, and everything about them suddenly seem so much more interesting. Maybe it's the booze leaving my system since toning the partying down, but these ideas that are being thrown at me about ethics, welfare, equality, globalization, the environment, and so on are really coming together to make me consider my potential impact on the world.

The university students in my classes are so much more interested in taking in what they're learning from a global perspective. They care so much more about (or at least are more vocal about) contributing to the improved welfare of countries they have no material connection to, but feel in touch with just by sharing this planet. Another cool thing is what a mixed bag this university really is. Just walking to class, I hear at least three other languages other than English. When I get to class, I have such a unique opportunity to hear the day's topic from a truly global perspective, with input from students from all over the world.

Also, I'm really getting into the swing of cooking for myself. My friend Alison and I made this delicious pasta meal a little while back courtesy of Emeril's recipe on the Food Network Web site.
So despite the S.A.D. going around, I'm feeling good.

It helps that in less than 48 hours, I will be embarking on my first European trip since I've been here. Six of us are headed to Paris (can't wait to see you Alanna!), Brussels, Bruges, and Amsterdam during our school's Reading Week, and I'm super stoked. I'm sure there will be plenty of fun stories to tell upon our return.

'Till then...