Stylin'

So, I just got a new haircut. I'll admit I think I look pretty sweet. It's kinda short and kinda chunky.

It pretty much rocks to be a student in Paris. There are discounts for students everywhere. My haircut was 18 euros. Yeah for hair!

Erin and I went together, and the guy that cut Erin's hair was tall, very very ashy*, and had red hair. Ok, now his ashiness was probably the palest white I have ever seen on a person's skin. And, his hair was not red...it was orange. Like the fruit orange. No joke.

Craziness...


*ashy...I think this is slang for pale...but I could be wrong. If you know...please inform me.

I heart the Alps

Grenoble: City in the Alps. Getaway for so many French!

Erin and I found lots of retreat here in this wonderful town last weekend! Erin's dad had business in Grenoble, so we took a TGV train down and met him there.
Immediately after getting off the train, Erin's dad had a hike all planned for us! It was awesome! Let me preface this hike by saying that Erin's dad is a Naval Pilot...hmmm.... interesting...

Well, we hiked like crazy! We probably hiked over 10 miles! We were up in the mountains and saw some of the most beautiful sights! We ended up on this off-the-path hike, where we were climbing all over these huge boulders and rocks! It was out of control! I felt like a real Alps Woman!



At one point in our hike, we somehow ended up in a flock of sheep! There was a herd coming through! Oh my! It was awesome! There was this little man with a stick herding the sheep into the pen! I couldn't believe one little man in a wool sweater could control thousands of sheep and goats! It was awesome!

You know the common phrase, "chillin in a sea of sheep"*...well that's what we were doing! : )

All day Saturday we hiked...It was so peaceful and wonderful to see such a huge sky. I will say though...my legs and rump area were hurtin...

Sunday, we hung out around the city of Grenoble. We first took these crazy "bubbles" up to a huge fortress on the side of a mountain, called the Bastille. It was such a spectacular view! The Bastille was awesome! It was so neat to think of all the soldiers who were up there!

After the Bastille, we found ourselves stuck in a deluge!** We then ran through the rain to the Dauphinois Museum...which was an old Nun's Convent. The museum was gorgeous.

After that, we went to the Bishop's Palace and saw some sweet old Roman ruins! The Ancient Romans were really into the whole Baptism stuff! They had a huge building made just to house baptisms. We got to see the ruins were actual Romans walked! The Palace was attached to the Baptism Building. It was awesome seeing all the history and beauty!




The hotel Erin and I stayed at was awesome! It was so modern and the bathroom was so cool! The shower was crazy sweet!

We went to this awesome Bretagne Restaurant one night for dinner...and I swear the entire room became silent the second Erin, her dad, or I opened my mouth! It was hilarious!

The weekend was awesome. It was so nice to relax and see some nature! I'm back in Paris now and I still enjoying this city life!








*And by "common phrase"...I mean, I just made that up...
**Totally massive flood! (Lots of rain!)

My New Photos!

I have a sweet new photo albulm online!!! Please check it out! I'll be updating it lots and lots! Also, I have a link to the site on the right side of my Blog (under links)

(My Flickr* site is out of room for this month! But, if you check back Oct. 1, I will add more pictures of Flickr!)




*Hi Molly! Hi Jake!

Dirty French!

So, there are two types of stereotypical French talk...There is the poodle French (I like to call it)...where there are little French girls saying Oh La La! and wearing light pink, black, and white and are walking their little poodles down the Champs Elysees...















Then, there is my prefered stereotypical French talk...the dirty French talk...This type of dirty French comes out of the mouths of hairy, old French men saying Hon Han Hon in an outrageously French accent. They're smoking their cigarette and drinking their red wine...

Well, I'd like to give you a glimpse of the real, Dirty, France that I have encountered...so far...

Real Dirty French:

-Taking the bus is incredibly hard...Do not stand up when the bus moves...YOU WILL FALL...and there will be a baby stroller in your way that you will fall flat on...(not like that's happened or anything...)

-In the Metro today, I had to ride for about 20 long minutes with two smelly French men's armpits in my face.

-Sexy Poodle French Woman Caught Picking Her Nose in Park by the Palace of Luxembourg*

-Don't say "Je m'oublie" to your French professor...it doesn't mean...I forgot...but, it actually means "My bowel movements are really heavy and out of control." Oops!

-Don't tell a guy he is "tres mignon" (for girls that means cute....but for guys it is a sexual connotation meaning he looks gay!)

-Don't tell a liberal, crazy French man that you are A. A Conservative Christian B. A Bush Supporter or C. From Texas. (I didn't do this one...by my lovely housemate, Erin, did!)

-Number of Mullhawks seen: 4

-I saw another awkwardly old man (but not old enough for this to be funny) performing a puppet show on the Metro. Whatever! Paris is so freakin sweet!

-I was talking to this guy by the Eiffle Tower (and by talking to this guy...I mean trying to tell a vendor that I didn't want to buy a light-up Eiffle Tower) and he thought I was from Holland!! Yeah! I was so excited that my French didn't sound so terrible American!

-I asked, "Est-ce que vous avez un stylo?" to two people (which means "Do you have a pen?") And, they laughed incredibly hard...I still have no idea what was so dang funny...maybe it's some sort of weird French slang that I don't know yet...

-I saw the crypt where Voltaire and Rousseau's body are!! I guess you could say I saw them
"chillin" haha

-The French (particularly Parisians) think George W. Bush made/created/directed Hurricane Katrina to New Orleans because of the black population...whatever...

-I saw a lady totally hit another car the other day while she was parking...and by "a lady" I mean almost every Parisian driver!

-Real French! I like living here with all of the dirty, reality found everywhere!



*see picture above
**Mullhawk= Half mullet/ Half Mohawk

even at the ballet, He stole the show

Les Etoiles du XXIE Siecle was the title.
Translation: Stars of the 21st Century.
Ballet was the matter of entertainment.

Erin and I watched some of the most prestigious, spectacular dancers from all over the world dance their hearts out at the Champs-Elysees Theater. All of the dances were Pas De Deux, and were amazing. There were traditional dances, modern dances, African dances, and even some comedy dances. What held the night together was the cavalier level of ballet performed by each ballerina.

While watching the ballet, so many thoughts raced through my mind. It is crazy to think that just watching mere movements could evoke such thought.

The ballet stole so many emotions from me: there was, of course, smiling, crying, laughing...and more deeply, I even felt some bliss, grief, determination, love, confidence, and joy.

My favorite dance was performed by two amazing ballerinas from Munich.* The dance was entitled, La Prisionere. Translation: The Prisioner (in feminine form). The dance commenced with a girl alone in her bedroom, sleeping and living her normal life. Suddenly, a man comes onto the stage and rescues the girl from her hum-drum life. They dance a beautiful, modern dance. Each dancer complemented the other one so well, and at times, I felt as if they were one ballerina. The dance was one of celebration, new beginnins, and optimism. At times the girl appeared to be the star of the dance, and she would dance like crazy all over the stage.
But, it was always the guy who made her look wonderful. By the end of the dance, it was the man who stood tall as the star of the dance...and it was clear to the audience that he was, indeed, the star.

While watching this 10 minutes of dance, I couldn't help but see the parallel between the dance and my relationship with Christ. I feel just like that girl. Jesus and I are dancing this beautiful dance of my life, and it was only because of Him that I sometimes appear the star. But, in reality, I do nothing. Without Him, there is no show. Without Him, I am just laying lifelessly in my bedroom. To the audience, for a moment, it appears that I am the wonderful dancer, but, it is a lie.

Truth be told...I am a worthless dancer. Jesus, gratiously, allows me to receive some praise and admiration by the audience, but it really is His show.

The dance ended and I smiled. Bliss. Love. Confidence...Joy.



*See couple bowing in picture above.