Back to blogging + first 3 weeks in Paris
A few years ago I created a blog entitled 5monthsinbrussels. When I look back on it, I'm happy that I wrote it, because it really takes me back.
Those 5 months meant the world to me and those friends, well, they became family. We are still in touch, I visit them, they come visit me, we go to each others weddings and break up drinks - we've shared so much.
At the time I was doing an internship and my life has really taken me to different places since.
The major change was that I left Hannover and Germany and moved back to Portugal. It will be 7 years this year.
I've been working for the same company for almost 6 years and, what can I say, it is not in a field that I had ever considered working in before, but it has definitely been challenging. And, most importantly, it has brought me here: to Paris!
These last couple of years I came to Paris for work for some days or even 3 weeks, but this time I'm here on a mission and this stay will be longer: 6 months. Practically speaking, it will be 3 months - 3 weeks off - then the last 3 months again.
I guess I am lucky that I arrived with the start of Spring, so the colder months have passed.
It has been mostly sunny, so I am thankful for that too. Today it is colder and rainy.
So, yes, I am starting this blog with some delay, as I arrived already on the 26th March (3 weeks and one day). I wonder if I will be able to keep up on it, but I'll try.
Week 1
What can I say about the first week?
On the first day I got to the aparhotel, settled in and went for a nice walk down to the Louvre (I love it!) and Tuileries. You can see the Eiffel Tower from afar.
A couple of days later I went to Fnac and got myself tickets for 5 concerts. Yes, 5! And some of these bands I have never seen live before - exciting!
I had the first weird encounter with a guy that I will call Creep Nr 1.
On the way home from work I can 1) take a tram and then get the metro or 2) walk 10 minutes and then take the metro. I normally take option 1), because I like the walk. Or liked. Hhhmmm... I'm kinda half way when a guy that was walking in the opposite direction starts talking to and walk with me. Yes, he started walking with me and would not shut up. I answered a couple of his questions and continued walking of course. I went to a supermarket and he still continued to follow me. He complained that I did not say "hello" to people when I entered the supermarket, because I was being rude. Seriously?! I didn't find what I was looking for, so I left the supermarket and then he complained that I wasn't getting anything. Come on.... He only left me alone when I passed the metro tourniquet, but not before having asked several times my name, my number, all sorts of contacts and even implying that I was being prejudiced because he was black. Guys, if a girl doesn't want to talk, fuck off! Really, it's annoying and upsetting. And that is stalking!
Moving on...
During the weekend I went back to some familiar places and some new ones as well, such as Jardin du Luxembourg.
Here I have an encounter again. An older man, probably in his 60s, algerian. I was siting, trying to read my book (A Clash of Kings) and the man asked if he could sit on the chair next to mine. Fine. Then he started talking. It was ok to talk to him for a while, he seemed nice. He talked about Paris and how much he loved it here, but how people are so disconnected these days and not going to the gardens anymore but staying at home (which is also funny, because when it's sunny in Paris it seems like the whole world is out!), and not talking to each other, etc etc. And how pretty I was and if we could go grab a cup of coffee to get to know each other better. He was old enough to be my father. I tried to be as polite as possible, but as soon as I got the chance (which was some guys asking if he was bothering me) I said "bonne soirée" and got out of there. I found somewhere else to sit and read my book quietly.
Afterwards I met some friends for some drinks and at least that was quite relaxing.
Cinema Sunday: Lion
I loved this movie, but cried my eyes out.
Week 2
On the second week I finally manage to get a ticket for a sold out show: Ghost.
It had been sold out for a couple of months at least, but I had not lost hope and managed to get a good ticket.
I went out for lunch with girls from work (there's not many of us) and had a salmon tartare, which pretty much tastes like sushi. Delicious!
I had the first encounterwith Creep Nr 2.
On my way to work this time, so even before 9 a.m. I'm listening to my music, walking to work and this guy starts randomly talking to me. Bonjour, blah blah. I recall him saying something like " I need to know two things: your age and your phone number" - I basically disconnected, put my headphone back on and ignored him. I don't like being rude to people, but this kind of approach really pisses me off. He continued to talk, even though I wasn't listening...
Moving one...
First Thrusday back at Cafe Oz with the guys.
On Friday when I left work I went to the park and laid down on the grass, looking at the beautiful blue sky and funny clouds. On the way there I saw Creep Nr 1 that tried to talk to me from afar, but that was ok, he was even helpful.
This was a very warm weekend.
On Saturday we had something like 23º and then 25º on Sunday (Paris spoiling me!)
On Saturday I walked something like 15km around the centre. I had lunch in a cool vietnamise place called Do et Riz:
I also went briefly to Jardin des Plantes, but even though I saw beautiful flowers, most of them have not yet started to bloom.
I think about my mother when I take these flower pictures. I know how much she loves them.
When we went out Saturday night a guy tried to pickpocket me at around 2 a.m. in the metro. I was entering the train and I felt a soft touch around my waist. None of my friends would touch me that way, so I was suspicious straight away. I had my mobile in the front pocket of my jeans, so I pressed my handbag closely against me and this pocket and stared the guy in the eye. Once he saw I was on to him, he moved away and eventually sat down. When we exited the metro one stop later, a lady came to talk to me and tell me that he and another guy were trying to pickpocket me. I thanked her (thank you lady!) and told her I was aware. My friends were like "oh why didn't you say anything" but... was it really worth saying something? I'm unsure... I was lucky, nothing was stolen.
I got to see the Moulin Rouge from the outside at night (events there are super expensive!).
Cinema Sunday: Power Rangers
This was good entertainment and not as ridiculous as it used to be :)
Week 3
After seeing this picture days in a row in the metro, I took a photo of it, because it did impact me:
#fishforward
I went to see Ghost on Tuesday.
The band is going through a lot of issues and controversy at the moment and it was a little hard to not think about this, but they did put up a good show. It was different from the show I saw back in 2015, but it was still quite good. Opening band was Zombi and I was pleasantly surprised with them.
The rest of the week I had drinks at Hanoï Cà Phê with a friend from Portugal who was here for a training. I went to Cafe Oz again with the guys, in a sort of bachelor party - one of my friends is getting married next week, so it was his last Thursday as a "single" man. I went to work on Friday, even though for me it is a holiday - but this allows me not to work on Monday (today) that is a holiday here.
Sometime during the week Creep Nr 2 was (apparently) waiting for me on the way to work and, even though I ignored him the first time, he still thought it was a good idea to try to talk to me again. And he talked and talked and I listened to my music and ignored him. Wtf....
On Saturday I tried an Italian place and it was so good and not expensive! Pizzeria Popolare:
Again I walked quite a lot and spent the afternoon and evening with a "local" German friend.
Sunday was a mostly stay at home day and I watched a few movies that I'd been meaning to watch for quite some time:
Kubo and the Two Strings - beautiful though sad story, amazing stop motion picture
The Secret Life of Pets - awesome soundtrack
Grace of Monaco - thought it would be better
At the end of the day I walked to Sacré-Cœur. I needed a walk and I hadn't been back up there since December 2013. It's so beautiful and that view, wow!
When I was leaving and coming down the stairs, one of the guys that is probably normally there selling things started to talk to me and he was even trying to grab my arm.
Guys this is not ok! What the fuck is wrong with these people.... Maybe this is normal here in Paris, but, man, I'm having a hard time accepting this.
Instead of cinema Sunday, today I had...
Cinema Monday: Ghost in the Shell
I don't know the manga or the animated series, so I cannot compare.
I thought it was a quite good. Predictable, yes, but ok. Amazing special effects.
During these weeks I was also watching a Netflix series called 13 Reasons Why. It is based on an eponymous book and... well... It is a really good series, but it is heavy, sad and disturbing. It focuses on a lot of difficult topics and problems, and I recommend everyone to watch it. But you need to be ready to face what it throws at you.
Well, that was a long post! :)
Those 5 months meant the world to me and those friends, well, they became family. We are still in touch, I visit them, they come visit me, we go to each others weddings and break up drinks - we've shared so much.
At the time I was doing an internship and my life has really taken me to different places since.
The major change was that I left Hannover and Germany and moved back to Portugal. It will be 7 years this year.
I've been working for the same company for almost 6 years and, what can I say, it is not in a field that I had ever considered working in before, but it has definitely been challenging. And, most importantly, it has brought me here: to Paris!
These last couple of years I came to Paris for work for some days or even 3 weeks, but this time I'm here on a mission and this stay will be longer: 6 months. Practically speaking, it will be 3 months - 3 weeks off - then the last 3 months again.
I guess I am lucky that I arrived with the start of Spring, so the colder months have passed.
It has been mostly sunny, so I am thankful for that too. Today it is colder and rainy.
So, yes, I am starting this blog with some delay, as I arrived already on the 26th March (3 weeks and one day). I wonder if I will be able to keep up on it, but I'll try.
Week 1
What can I say about the first week?
On the first day I got to the aparhotel, settled in and went for a nice walk down to the Louvre (I love it!) and Tuileries. You can see the Eiffel Tower from afar.
A couple of days later I went to Fnac and got myself tickets for 5 concerts. Yes, 5! And some of these bands I have never seen live before - exciting!
I had the first weird encounter with a guy that I will call Creep Nr 1.
On the way home from work I can 1) take a tram and then get the metro or 2) walk 10 minutes and then take the metro. I normally take option 1), because I like the walk. Or liked. Hhhmmm... I'm kinda half way when a guy that was walking in the opposite direction starts talking to and walk with me. Yes, he started walking with me and would not shut up. I answered a couple of his questions and continued walking of course. I went to a supermarket and he still continued to follow me. He complained that I did not say "hello" to people when I entered the supermarket, because I was being rude. Seriously?! I didn't find what I was looking for, so I left the supermarket and then he complained that I wasn't getting anything. Come on.... He only left me alone when I passed the metro tourniquet, but not before having asked several times my name, my number, all sorts of contacts and even implying that I was being prejudiced because he was black. Guys, if a girl doesn't want to talk, fuck off! Really, it's annoying and upsetting. And that is stalking!
Moving on...
During the weekend I went back to some familiar places and some new ones as well, such as Jardin du Luxembourg.
Here I have an encounter again. An older man, probably in his 60s, algerian. I was siting, trying to read my book (A Clash of Kings) and the man asked if he could sit on the chair next to mine. Fine. Then he started talking. It was ok to talk to him for a while, he seemed nice. He talked about Paris and how much he loved it here, but how people are so disconnected these days and not going to the gardens anymore but staying at home (which is also funny, because when it's sunny in Paris it seems like the whole world is out!), and not talking to each other, etc etc. And how pretty I was and if we could go grab a cup of coffee to get to know each other better. He was old enough to be my father. I tried to be as polite as possible, but as soon as I got the chance (which was some guys asking if he was bothering me) I said "bonne soirée" and got out of there. I found somewhere else to sit and read my book quietly.
Afterwards I met some friends for some drinks and at least that was quite relaxing.
Cinema Sunday: Lion
I loved this movie, but cried my eyes out.
Week 2
On the second week I finally manage to get a ticket for a sold out show: Ghost.
It had been sold out for a couple of months at least, but I had not lost hope and managed to get a good ticket.
I went out for lunch with girls from work (there's not many of us) and had a salmon tartare, which pretty much tastes like sushi. Delicious!
On my way to work this time, so even before 9 a.m. I'm listening to my music, walking to work and this guy starts randomly talking to me. Bonjour, blah blah. I recall him saying something like " I need to know two things: your age and your phone number" - I basically disconnected, put my headphone back on and ignored him. I don't like being rude to people, but this kind of approach really pisses me off. He continued to talk, even though I wasn't listening...
Moving one...
First Thrusday back at Cafe Oz with the guys.
On Friday when I left work I went to the park and laid down on the grass, looking at the beautiful blue sky and funny clouds. On the way there I saw Creep Nr 1 that tried to talk to me from afar, but that was ok, he was even helpful.
This was a very warm weekend.
On Saturday we had something like 23º and then 25º on Sunday (Paris spoiling me!)
On Saturday I walked something like 15km around the centre. I had lunch in a cool vietnamise place called Do et Riz:
I also went briefly to Jardin des Plantes, but even though I saw beautiful flowers, most of them have not yet started to bloom.
I think about my mother when I take these flower pictures. I know how much she loves them.
When we went out Saturday night a guy tried to pickpocket me at around 2 a.m. in the metro. I was entering the train and I felt a soft touch around my waist. None of my friends would touch me that way, so I was suspicious straight away. I had my mobile in the front pocket of my jeans, so I pressed my handbag closely against me and this pocket and stared the guy in the eye. Once he saw I was on to him, he moved away and eventually sat down. When we exited the metro one stop later, a lady came to talk to me and tell me that he and another guy were trying to pickpocket me. I thanked her (thank you lady!) and told her I was aware. My friends were like "oh why didn't you say anything" but... was it really worth saying something? I'm unsure... I was lucky, nothing was stolen.
I got to see the Moulin Rouge from the outside at night (events there are super expensive!).
Cinema Sunday: Power Rangers
This was good entertainment and not as ridiculous as it used to be :)
Week 3
After seeing this picture days in a row in the metro, I took a photo of it, because it did impact me:
I went to see Ghost on Tuesday.
The band is going through a lot of issues and controversy at the moment and it was a little hard to not think about this, but they did put up a good show. It was different from the show I saw back in 2015, but it was still quite good. Opening band was Zombi and I was pleasantly surprised with them.
Sometime during the week Creep Nr 2 was (apparently) waiting for me on the way to work and, even though I ignored him the first time, he still thought it was a good idea to try to talk to me again. And he talked and talked and I listened to my music and ignored him. Wtf....
On Saturday I tried an Italian place and it was so good and not expensive! Pizzeria Popolare:
Again I walked quite a lot and spent the afternoon and evening with a "local" German friend.
Sunday was a mostly stay at home day and I watched a few movies that I'd been meaning to watch for quite some time:
Kubo and the Two Strings - beautiful though sad story, amazing stop motion picture
The Secret Life of Pets - awesome soundtrack
Grace of Monaco - thought it would be better
At the end of the day I walked to Sacré-Cœur. I needed a walk and I hadn't been back up there since December 2013. It's so beautiful and that view, wow!
Guys this is not ok! What the fuck is wrong with these people.... Maybe this is normal here in Paris, but, man, I'm having a hard time accepting this.
Instead of cinema Sunday, today I had...
Cinema Monday: Ghost in the Shell
I don't know the manga or the animated series, so I cannot compare.
I thought it was a quite good. Predictable, yes, but ok. Amazing special effects.
During these weeks I was also watching a Netflix series called 13 Reasons Why. It is based on an eponymous book and... well... It is a really good series, but it is heavy, sad and disturbing. It focuses on a lot of difficult topics and problems, and I recommend everyone to watch it. But you need to be ready to face what it throws at you.
Well, that was a long post! :)
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