The crepes of Paris

Paris is awesome. Point made. I had no idea how great the city of Paris was until I was there for (only) three days just last week with Rolf (thanks Baby!). The reason we headed out that direction was because my best friend Chelsea was there with her boyfriend (also his sister and his mom).

The summer weather in Munich is not really what a Californian knows of summer weather. We're talkin' rain, thunder, cold......That is NOT summer! We get to Paris and it's beautiful! Sunny and warm.....Ya know, real summer weather. Plus #1.

The most common stereotypes of French people are that they are rude and don't like Americans, don't like to speak English and are very nationalistic. Not true. At least by my experience....It couldn't be further from the truth. Paris peeps smile and laugh and like to help people (even lost tourists), apologize for their English (which is crazy because they can speak very clearly). One night it poured rain. Buckets. Cute little Paris girls in their going-out dresses looked as though they had just jumped in a lake, but were laughing and really finding the fun in being caught in a downpour. That to me, really shows what kind of people French people are.

The food. Holy crap is it deeeelicious! The restaurants really know how to make an experience when you eat out. They know how to prepare and serve their guests, and they know what tastes good and how to cook it. I had a very happy belly. Although, I didn't notice any real difference between the croissonts I get at Costco in bulk and the ones in the city of romance.

The atmosphere of the city is so lively and charming. There isn't a single "dry" part of the city. There's something new around every corner it seemed. Rolf and I had one clearned defined intention while we stayed there and that was to walk as much as possible to see as much of the city as possible. When you take the subway for instance, you miss everything that's on top and there are lots of special places that aren't noted in any tourist guide. Gardens, restaurants, creperies, boutique shops, museums, night clubs and bars. The possibilites are endless.

I really felt as though Paris struck a harmonic balance between maintaining its Parisian image while still keeping doors open for international character. It seemed all blended together but still very authentic. You can get real Thai food in Paris. You can find a Latin bar. And you can have English translations.

Surprisingly, Paris is cheaper than Munich. I first noticed that with subway ticket prices. It's almost 1 Euro cheaper! Huge difference. Then I noticed that haircuts are almost half as expensive as they are here in Munich. And there is much more to choose from in terms of shopping, whether that be for clothes or food. I didn't check out rent prices but I imagine that is the one thing that is more.

Basically, Paris is the best. I fell in love with the city and all its charm. I will be anxious for trip number #2 and hopefully for longer.

P.S. I was accepted into the university that I applied for. I will start in October in Nurnburg studying for a MA degree in International Business. Found out yesterday. Pretty happy 'bout that.

To be or not to be a Roman

Most everyone is familiar with the saying, "When in Rome...." and although I'm not in Rome, to an extent there are waysof being that I simply must adjust to in Germany. To get along in any society that is different from your own, there are a variety of ways which you may be used to that need to be sacraficed. For instance, language. Of course it's better to speak German in a German speaking country. My personal opinion is that it would be disrespectful to avoid speaking the language of the host country which you may be living in. Think of how irritated people in the States can get when a foreigner doesn't speak English.....But the language is just one example. Another one for you.......Nonverbal gestures. In the States, I think about how many times I smile everyday at strangers. It almost feels unnatural to not smile at a passerbyer. Here in Germany (at least in Munich), smiling does not translate. Friendliness does not translate. People seem to think you're crazy or have some sort of psychologial malfunction if you walk through the streets with a smile on your face. This is a difficult concept to swallow for me and one that I don't feel inclined to adjust to. This is where the dilema presents itself.

When I was in Thailand, I was becoming more and more "Thai-like" everyday. The Thai way was fulfilling and helped to make me what I thought was a more grounded and peaceful person. Then I enter the Deutsche kingdom where people walk around with frowns, snap and get angry at the littlest things, are constantly impatient and monitoring their watches, and keep wide distances from strangers. People avoiding people.

Just the other day, a lady actually got mad at me because I opened the door for her and motioned for her to go ahead of me. I was met with hostility and frustration because as she told me, "I can do it myself."

Of course while I live here I don't want to be the fish-out-of-water, but I also don't want to become so much of a German. I would like to preserve my friendly character and not to forget how to smile. I would like to keep enjoying the small things in life, like a cute dog or pretty clouds in the sky. I still want to be American-Thai.

But, I live here.....How much of this world do I let consume me? How can I make sure that I don't become sharp and edgy like most of the population here? How can I still be me, when "me" doesn't translate???