4-15-11 (Paris, France)
Went to the Espace B venue tonight to see a band from Portland, Oregon called Blind Pilot. Definitely some very chill music with a lineup that included a trumpet player. I would say that over half the crowd were Americans or other English speakers. It was really nice to be surrounded by US culture and music for an evening. It kind of reminded me of seeing live music back in Austin, Texas. I also met a nice couple from the Northeast part of the US (Vermont and Philadelphia). Good times were had by all and there were some very nice looking American girls to boot ;)
3 Rounds and a Sound by Blind Pilot
Showing posts with label paris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paris. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
A now from something completely different....
2-18-11 (Paris, France)
I'm getting ready to go to my first live rock concert in Paris. And what better way to see live music than with a beautiful date by my side. I've not heard of the bands, but they all sound like pretty mellow indie rock groups. Shouldn't be too bad of a show, especially live. I'm definitely pining for my old concert-going days in Austin. Also, for some reason, I really miss my blue hair from college. Maybe I just have a spring in my step as of late, as pointed out by some classmates today.
Updates about the concert/date forthcoming...
Song of the evening: Float On by Modest Mouse
Talk about an unexpected evening. No tickets left at the concert, good times at the bar, new friends to be found. Fun times :)
-C-
I'm getting ready to go to my first live rock concert in Paris. And what better way to see live music than with a beautiful date by my side. I've not heard of the bands, but they all sound like pretty mellow indie rock groups. Shouldn't be too bad of a show, especially live. I'm definitely pining for my old concert-going days in Austin. Also, for some reason, I really miss my blue hair from college. Maybe I just have a spring in my step as of late, as pointed out by some classmates today.
Updates about the concert/date forthcoming...
Song of the evening: Float On by Modest Mouse
Talk about an unexpected evening. No tickets left at the concert, good times at the bar, new friends to be found. Fun times :)
-C-
Sunday, January 23, 2011
At Least Half my Evening was Cool (1-22-11)
1-23-11 (RM, France; Paris, France)
Where to even begin? Yesterday was incredibly long and filled with many ups and downs. First off, David, Valerie, Anna, Nick, and I went to the Pompidou modern art museum in Paris. Most of the exhibit was boring and repetitive crap on canvas, but they had a few good pieces which I found worthy to be in a museum. Usually students are given a free ticket to enter the main exhibit but I guess my age disqualified me from getting the discount. I grudgingly had to shell out 12 euro. Nick commented that, being a modern art museum, there were going to be plenty of giant vaginas and breasts on canvas. Funny because it's true.
After the museum we walked over to a cathedral that was right in the area. I'm not even sure which one it was, but the architecture was beautiful and for some reason I just felt like we should go inside and check it out. As luck would have it, a free concert was about to commence inside. Two pianists were going to perform various pieces by Brahms and Schubert. Our group stayed for a few songs as well as an organ performance. It was definitely a treat.
Following our encounter with the divine, the group decided to get smaller and more rowdy. Nick, Anna, and myself went to our friend Mattieu's apartment in Paris to have drinks, eat pizza, and mingle with friends. The night turned into an impromptu karaoke event when Anna asked me, in a oh-so convincing way by batting her eyes and smiling at me, to sing her a song. I chose the classic, Piano Man, as my first live performance piece. I also had a request from Aleksandra to sing Moon River to her.
Due to the size of Mattieu's flat, it was actually really fun to try and cram as many of our friends into his place as possible. Later in the evening, Mattieu insisted that we all leave and go to a club party located on a boat parked along the Siene. This decision later proved to be, well, mixed.
As many of you probably already know, I hate clubs. Hate 'em. At least being with my group of friends made it more pleasurable than it otherwise would have been and there wasn't a cover charge for IFP students that night. Things went down like they usually do in clubs, drinks got made and were overpriced, people danced, some people tried to dance, etc. Damn it all though when everyone wanted to leave and wouldn't wait for me to get my coat at the coat check. For no particular reason, it took maybe a good 20-30 minutes to get my coat when there were only 6-8 people in front of me in line. Only Ben and Dounia remained outside to wait for me. Thank goodness they did, kind of. The next hour or so was spent walking from the club to another district in Paris trying to find a taxi that would actually take us to Rueil. French taxi drivers apparently hate making money by driving slightly outside Paris. Dounia was finally able to convince one driver to take us all back to Rueil.
Where to even begin? Yesterday was incredibly long and filled with many ups and downs. First off, David, Valerie, Anna, Nick, and I went to the Pompidou modern art museum in Paris. Most of the exhibit was boring and repetitive crap on canvas, but they had a few good pieces which I found worthy to be in a museum. Usually students are given a free ticket to enter the main exhibit but I guess my age disqualified me from getting the discount. I grudgingly had to shell out 12 euro. Nick commented that, being a modern art museum, there were going to be plenty of giant vaginas and breasts on canvas. Funny because it's true.
After the museum we walked over to a cathedral that was right in the area. I'm not even sure which one it was, but the architecture was beautiful and for some reason I just felt like we should go inside and check it out. As luck would have it, a free concert was about to commence inside. Two pianists were going to perform various pieces by Brahms and Schubert. Our group stayed for a few songs as well as an organ performance. It was definitely a treat.
Following our encounter with the divine, the group decided to get smaller and more rowdy. Nick, Anna, and myself went to our friend Mattieu's apartment in Paris to have drinks, eat pizza, and mingle with friends. The night turned into an impromptu karaoke event when Anna asked me, in a oh-so convincing way by batting her eyes and smiling at me, to sing her a song. I chose the classic, Piano Man, as my first live performance piece. I also had a request from Aleksandra to sing Moon River to her.
Due to the size of Mattieu's flat, it was actually really fun to try and cram as many of our friends into his place as possible. Later in the evening, Mattieu insisted that we all leave and go to a club party located on a boat parked along the Siene. This decision later proved to be, well, mixed.
As many of you probably already know, I hate clubs. Hate 'em. At least being with my group of friends made it more pleasurable than it otherwise would have been and there wasn't a cover charge for IFP students that night. Things went down like they usually do in clubs, drinks got made and were overpriced, people danced, some people tried to dance, etc. Damn it all though when everyone wanted to leave and wouldn't wait for me to get my coat at the coat check. For no particular reason, it took maybe a good 20-30 minutes to get my coat when there were only 6-8 people in front of me in line. Only Ben and Dounia remained outside to wait for me. Thank goodness they did, kind of. The next hour or so was spent walking from the club to another district in Paris trying to find a taxi that would actually take us to Rueil. French taxi drivers apparently hate making money by driving slightly outside Paris. Dounia was finally able to convince one driver to take us all back to Rueil.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sunday was Beautiful 1-16-11
1-17-11 (RM, France; Paris, France) (updated with picture)
Yesterday (Sunday) I went to Paris to visit Notre Dame Cathedral. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sun was actually out! This made the trip so much better since the stained glass windows were lit up and sparkling. I was amazed at how tall the Cathedral actually was inside and how beautiful it was. I was stupid and forgot my camera but the tour is free so I'll probably wind up going back when the weather is nice again.
I walked along the Seine River for a good hour or so through the city. Everyone was out running/jogging, roller-blading, riding bikes, or just walking their dogs. After coming out of a long tunnel, I swung back around into a park and wound up in front of the Louvre where the pyramid is located. Next I wandered around until I found a small cafe where I had a sandwich and some fries. Not really too much else to say other than the architecture here is amazing and the sun really lights up the whole city when it isn't cloudy. I'm looking forward to Spring.
Here is a picture of some street art I got for ten euro. It is actually much cooler in person.
I've Got the World on a String - Sinatra
Yesterday (Sunday) I went to Paris to visit Notre Dame Cathedral. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sun was actually out! This made the trip so much better since the stained glass windows were lit up and sparkling. I was amazed at how tall the Cathedral actually was inside and how beautiful it was. I was stupid and forgot my camera but the tour is free so I'll probably wind up going back when the weather is nice again.
I walked along the Seine River for a good hour or so through the city. Everyone was out running/jogging, roller-blading, riding bikes, or just walking their dogs. After coming out of a long tunnel, I swung back around into a park and wound up in front of the Louvre where the pyramid is located. Next I wandered around until I found a small cafe where I had a sandwich and some fries. Not really too much else to say other than the architecture here is amazing and the sun really lights up the whole city when it isn't cloudy. I'm looking forward to Spring.
Here is a picture of some street art I got for ten euro. It is actually much cooler in person.
I've Got the World on a String - Sinatra
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Birthday in Paris! 27 years OLD.
1-15-11 (RM, France; Paris, France)
Birthday plans in Paris tonight at a hoppin' British-style pub. Details to follow tomorrow...
Enjoy this birthday song written by NOFX in the meantime (NSFW)
Yay birthdays with new friends! I started out my evening with a quick gin and tonic at the apartment and the proceeded to the Pub in Paris. Things started out kind of slow but eventually all my classmates started to trickle in 1 and 2 at a time. I think I paid for my first drink and that was it. Someone bought me a shot of caramel flavored vodka which was really, really sugary. After that I stuck to British bitters (beer). I think later I had two green apple vodka shots and ended the night with a disgusting beer known as Desperado. It is a lime/tequila flavored beer that seems to be popular here. It is too strange for me to enjoy. However, it came as a free gift from a new friend I met out at the bar.
My new friends in the PEM program are AMAZING! Not only did they bring me a cake with candles, but they collectively gathered money to buy me a nice french dress shirt, tie, and zippo lighter. Everyone smokes here so I thought it would be cool to have a nice lighter as a conversation starter on the street. I had no idea that they were even planning on getting me anything since I had insisted that it wasn't necessary.
I think I'll try and start a database with everyone's names, contact information, and birthdays so that our class can continue to plan events around people's birthdays while they are living here.
Birthday plans in Paris tonight at a hoppin' British-style pub. Details to follow tomorrow...
Enjoy this birthday song written by NOFX in the meantime (NSFW)
Yay birthdays with new friends! I started out my evening with a quick gin and tonic at the apartment and the proceeded to the Pub in Paris. Things started out kind of slow but eventually all my classmates started to trickle in 1 and 2 at a time. I think I paid for my first drink and that was it. Someone bought me a shot of caramel flavored vodka which was really, really sugary. After that I stuck to British bitters (beer). I think later I had two green apple vodka shots and ended the night with a disgusting beer known as Desperado. It is a lime/tequila flavored beer that seems to be popular here. It is too strange for me to enjoy. However, it came as a free gift from a new friend I met out at the bar.
My new friends in the PEM program are AMAZING! Not only did they bring me a cake with candles, but they collectively gathered money to buy me a nice french dress shirt, tie, and zippo lighter. Everyone smokes here so I thought it would be cool to have a nice lighter as a conversation starter on the street. I had no idea that they were even planning on getting me anything since I had insisted that it wasn't necessary.
I think I'll try and start a database with everyone's names, contact information, and birthdays so that our class can continue to plan events around people's birthdays while they are living here.
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