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Published: January 23rd 2007
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Christmas
Christmas market in Cologne I just realized I haven't updated since November -almost 2 months ! what a record! hmm, what I can remember best is the week of holidays. I decided to go to Germany last minute (Olesia, my Russian-German friend invited me), and it was simply amazing there. Olesia lives in Cologne, with her family. They all were extremely nice to me, and I was so touched by this inivitation, since it is always hard to be away from family for the holidays. Of course, we did some sightseeing in Cologne, as well as Bonn, but apart from that I felt like I was in Russia. We ate russian food, watched russian tv, listened to russian music, met with Russians, went to russian clubs and bars, and heard russian everywhere! Christmas dinner was very nice, some very warm things were said, great gifts were exchanged and everyone seemed to like the cheese and wine I brought from France. I was actually sad to be returning to Paris - it seemed so cold and distant when I got back.
But I didn't have much time for sadness - New year's coming up and all that. For New Year's eve we got together with Camila,
Christmas
View of Rhine from the Cologne Cathedral our friends, and her parents for dinner, then went to Champs Elysees for some fireworks, but there were none 😞 i was actually a bit disappointed - that is not how I expected the new year's to be in Paris - just lots of drunk people and nothing special. And my friend Ania was crying next to me (personal drama) so I was sad with her. Everything got better afterwards, we quickly drunk 3 bottles of champagne (that stuff is EXPENSIVE, if it is real and it was) and decided to go to a party thrown by a friend of someone. After a little drinking competition, we went to a brazilian bar to dance a bit - but party was already over, so then (at 6AM) we find this restaurant where people are still dancing! some guy is waving to us and Ania and I (the only ones still alive) decide to come in. We dance until 9AM, meet some random guys, have meaningless conversations with them and leave somewhat happy and very exhausted.
The saddest part is that our classes started the 2nd of january, and the two weeks after the vacations were hell! I had so many essays,
Christmas
Dinner with Olesia's family tests and I don't remember what that I hardly had time to breathe. the semester here is different than in US, it goes on until February, and then the real vacations begin (when I go to Russia). Now that I think about it, I did manage to do some cool things since vacations, but they were a bit low-key, like a concert there, an expo here, some random parties and lots of nights out in bars. I now have a thursday night tradition of going out with my Brazilian friends to dance samba at this little bar (they have a band playing some old-style authentic samba) - the drinks are cheap, people are great and I actually manage to dance what resembles samba 😊 It is also a month of sales in Paris, so I have been going shopping every weekend, hoping to find something warm for my trip to Russia - in vain. It has been getting a little colder here but no snow yet... I don't think I will see Paris under snow. Well, last weekend Camila and I decided to leave Paris for a bit of time in countryside, Dourdan. I love this kind of trips -
Christmas
in Bonn, for more photos of Germany, there is a link at the end of the entry an hour by train and you are in another world, where people are nice and welcoming, where coffee is cheap and good, where there is nothing to do after 5PM. We talked with locals, shopped at Dourdan market, bought some wine and flirted with the winesellers-makers. We also saw the local sights, of course - a XII century castle and a church.
I find myself happier and happier with my life in France. It took about 5 months, but I finally have what I came here for (even if I am still not sure what that was exactly). I have some amazing and close friends, my french doesn't give me too many worries, and I am relatively successful with my studies, but most importantly, Paris starts to feel like home. yes, it is still cold and foreign sometimes, but there are places here I can call my own, buildings are starting to have a soul, a meaning. I cannot imagine myself leaving at the end of semester (if I had to) - yes, I miss my friends and family, but my life here is so much more than that. And I will see them one day - Paris, like that,
New Year's
Dinner with Camis, her family and our friends when you are young and careless, once in a lifetime. I know I would try to stay here as long as possible. Some of my friends are leaving at the end of semester (maybe even Camila, I would be so sad) and they all say how 5 months is too little and just gives you a glimpse of what could be. Well, I will finish here, hopefully I will have time to post some pics, if not, a bit of patience - they are coming.
OK, pictures from Germany and New Year's can be found here:
http://git.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058759&l=e21c7&id=12800335
Pictures from my trip to Dourdan coming up!
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