Amsterdam!

Last weekend I went to Amsterdam! My best friend lives in the Cité Universitaire here is Paris, and his building organized a super cheap weekend trip to Amsterdam. There were extra spots, so I could go as well. :) We all took a bus at 11pm from Paris, and we got there at 6am. 

After dropping stuff off at our hostel (Stayokay - highly recommend), we walked around a bit. Not much was open before 9am, but it was cool to explore the area by our hostel. I guess everyone trusts everyone in Amsterdam, because almost everyone's windows were open so you could see into their houses. I saw this beautiful cat in someone's window. 

The architecture is interesting as well. The houses are all super thin because people used to get taxed by how much space the houses took up width-wise, so they just made them thin and tall, instead of short and squat.

One of our friends from the residence hall is actually from Amsterdam, so he gave us a walking tour. We started off at Central Station.

Then we went and walked around the canals. It was so gorgeous with all the flowers and trees that started blooming. The weather was kind of on and off sun and rain, but still pretty nonetheless. 

I decided what I'm actually going to do in life: drop out of the world and live in a house boat in Amsterdam. 

Bikes are the most common form of transportation in Amsterdam, but there were some cars (I don't really remember more than five being driven at a time though). 

We of course went to the markets. I was very excited to see that everything here is WAY cheaper than anything in France. It was awesome. There were booths that sold flowers, cheese, olives, other foods, and even clothes and beauty products.  

I got some deeelicious olives, hummus, and stroop waffles. 

My best friend had already been to Amsterdam before, and he went to this café called Winkel that he said had really good apple pie. We kind of wandered around for a long time looking for it, but we found it at last (right after we were about to give up and go somewhere else, actually), and it was so good. Probably the best apple pie I've ever had.

Amsterdam also seemed to have a ton of amazing cafés in general. I have an obsession with French pharmacies, and my best friend has an obsession with cafés. Lets just say it was pretty amusing watching him flip over all the cool cafés there.

We also went to another market (the more touristy one with all the tulip bulbs, refrigerator magnets, and start your own pot plant kits). There was this cheese museum. It's not actually a museum, but a store. I didn't go in, but I took a few selfies with the cow (that will never ever see the internet).

I also had a quest to get me some fries while I was there. They were delicious. Although, I probably need to get my butt to Belgium if I want really exceptional fries. (Belgium is pretty well known for their fries (and chocolate, waffles, and beer of course)). 

Many pictures were taken in front of the I amsterdam thing by the Rijksmuseum. We actually didn't go to any museums while we were here. They're super expensive, and we only had one full day. I prefer what we did anyway: walk around aimlessly. 

Saturday night we also went to the red light district. I was surprised to see that there were actually red lights; I had always thought red light just meant a place you shouldn't go, not actually that there would be red lights there. Woah.

 I didn't take any pictures because this isn't that kind of blog. It was interesting. I kind of found it degrading seeing women sold in windows like meat. But it's just different and something I'm not used to. There are also a lot of pot shops and "cafés." We didn't go to any of those kind of cafés because it's just not our cup of tea, but for those that like that, it's available to you in Amsterdam. 

We left Sunday at 3pm and got back to Paris around 11pm. This is everyone passed out on the bus (except for my high Italian friend here). It was like a class trip from high school. Very nostalgic. :)

Amsterdam is probably one of my favorite cities I've been to in Europe. It just has a nice home-y feel (you really feel like you could live there), it's not too big, it's sustainable, it has all the types of food you would ever want, it's reasonably priced, and overall beautiful. The people there are really nice, too (and really well-dressed btw). Great weekend trip!

Dogs in France

I know that culture always varies and that people from every country are going to be different. However, for some reason I never thought that the animals would be different, too. I mean, dogs have to be the same no matter where they come from, right?

Actually, I find that the dogs in France are just like their owners and follow the same social norms. Weird, but I actually think it's true.

Firstly, on a side note, I should mention that the loyalty of the dogs here is incredible. Most dogs I see here are not on leashes ever, but they still follow their owners wherever and don't come near other people.

That brings me to my next point: they don't really socialize on the streets. In the states, when I'm walking down the streets, the dogs are like the people. They (in the dog way of doing it) always try to say hi to the people crossing the streets, give a tail wag, want attention, etc. Here, the French pets are like the people: they look forward, keep walking, and don't care for strangers. They're not violent or anything. You're never going to have a problem with a dog attacking you here. Sometimes they even approach and look like they want to say hi, but in the end they don't, and they don't even make eye contact. Kind of sad for the dog lover in me, actually.

However, when you visit them in their house (owner's house), I think they're friendly. My host mom from Grenoble's sister's dog, a huge black fluffy Newfie, is the sweetest, most attention loving dog I've met. It could be his breed though, because a friend of mine has a dog of the same breed who is just like him.

One common thing about all the dogs in France though (and in Spain) is that you're not going to see one that's neutered here. It's just not something that happens. If you go to Europe you will see a lot of dog balls. 

It's funny, because even when I lived in Spain, the dogs were like the people, too. Really outgoing and just overall sweet. You'd think animals are the same everywhere, but like people, they have different personalities, too. Animals take on cultural characteristics, too. 

In fact, I vousvoyer-ed a dog I just met the other day, more by accident, but if the dogs are like the people, maybe we should treat them like we treat people...

Although, I think last week when I said pardon to a pigeon that was in my way, I might have been taking it too far...

French Stereotypes: What's true, what's false. Does a truth exist though?? Do I exist????

These are stereotypes that Americans have of French people. This post is made to clarify them.

Disclaimer: These are my experiences after having lived in France for four months. Everyone's experiences are different. This is not meant to offend, in fact I have a whole post about American stereotypes, too. This is made just to have some light fun. Keep in mind, everyone's different. Stereotypes never apply to every single person.

1. The French smell bad.

Fasle(ish). I actually didn't know this was a stereotype until two French people on separate occasions asked me if this one specifically was true. I think they're really self conscious about it actually, because no one wants to smell bad. Obviously this is going to vary from person to person. Not ALL people here smell. In fact, when I was in Grenoble, I never noticed anyone smelling bad, so I definitely can't say all French people smell bad. However, I have to say, I took a little trip to London, and when I came back to Paris I was smacked in the face by the rather unpleasant odors that seem to circulate in the metro. People pee in the metro and stuff, so yeah it smells bad because of that. As for people, BO is something you notice only if you take public transportation and have peoples' armpits shoved in your face for the ride or if you enter a once occupied warm classroom that was filled with sweaty students at a university. It's not like you'll notice it just walking down the street or anything, just when there's a group of people clustered together. Individuals don't smell bad (unless they smoke - all the smokers smell). It just seems to be dense groups of people... And again, I think any noticeable odor just really comes from the ashtray smell that anyone who smokes usually has. 

2. They all wear perfume to cover it up.

False. I've never had trouble breathing because someone dumped a bottle of perfume on themselves. Their perfumes are amazing anyway, so even if that were the case, I wouldn't care.

3. Everyone smokes

True(ish) Not everyone, but way more than in the US, and it's actually socially acceptable here, unfortunately. And yes, this contributes the most to stereotype #1. It's really noticeable though, and it's hard to breathe upon entering the university here. I think literature students (both in France and Spain) just seem to love smoking. (I can't comment on the other parts of the university because I don't go there. I just notice a lot of smokers around ma fac.)

4. They're rude.

False(ish). Only in the metro and other crowded areas. I've lived in the France that's not Paris, and people are so incredibly nice. In Paris, everyone's just stressed out when they're trying to get from A to B. It's like New York. The people in the metro and the bus are the worst during rush hour. At a stop, they'll be like  (in a mean voice) "Je descends ici! PARDON!" Moi aussi, salope. One time this woman barged into the mega-crowded tram, pushed me out of the way, was like "Je dois m'assoir!!!!", and made another woman who was already seated give up her seat for her. I mean, really??? But yeah, this isn't true for all French people. How would you like it if someone said all Americans were rude just because they met some in NYC? And as for the smiling thing, no one is going to smile at you in the streets or wherever you are, but that's because if you smile to someone you don't know it means "Hey lets get it on," and no one wants to be sending that message to strangers in the metro. In America, we think that if someone doesn't smile it's automatically rude, but here smiling to strangers means you're a creep. Also, something I've noticed is that the French are very straight forward. I've never met a French person that beats around the bush for fear of being seen as mean. Brute honesty is just the culture here. Don't take it to heart.

5. They make the best pastries

True. Obviously. They're masters. Masters, I tell you! While we're on this point FAUCHON IS BETTER THAN LADURÉE. In fact, I don't know if this is an actual stereotype, I just like to take every opportunity I can to mention that Ladurée isn't worth the hype because Fauchon kicks its ass. That is all.

6. They have really good style

True. There are going to be those individuals everywhere obviously, but as a whole, people dress really nicely here. It's more formal on a day to day basis. There are some younger guys that will kind of wear more sportier clothes, but they still look put together in general (the track jacket usually matches the sweatpants, and the sneakers are nicer ones). You're never going to see a French person in sweats and sandals with socks or someone that wears New Balance sneakers. If you see someone like that here, he or she is American. 

7. They hate Americans

False. I've never gotten hate just because I'm American. Younger people like Americans actually. Obviously, if you show up anywhere and say, "I'm American, I'm the best, worship me," everyone is going to hate you. So just don't be the loud obnoxious American (especially in the metro. Even I hate hearing that in the metro...), and you should be fine. 

8. The waiters are rude

False(ish). They don't get tips, so don't expect the same customer service you'd get in America, but in my experience, all of the waiters I've had have been fine and always ready to help a sister out. Busy restaurants will be more stressful than smaller ones with fewer customers, so yeah the waiter's not going to have time to stay for a nice chat, but if they go out of their way to be actually rude to you, you're probably just a rude customer and need to reevaluate your life.

9. People will hate you if you don't speak French
False. You should probably open up your conversations in French, but that's just a sign of respect for their language, in my opinion. If a tourist in the US just started talking to me in a language they expected me to understand just because it's a powerful language, I wouldn't know what to do with myself, and things would get awkward real fast.

10. You can't be a vegetarian in Paris
WAY false. I've been a vegetarian for 13 years now (and not a pescatarian), and I have never ever had trouble eating out in France. French cuisine is a bit more difficult because the people love them some meat, but the great thing about Paris is that it's so diverse, you can find any food you want here. What I eat when I go out tends to be not French, but that still means that I've been able to find food. Great for survival, problem for fitting in jeans. If I do want French food though (aside from just desserts), I find that there's always a good vegetarian crêpe or a tarte or something. By the way, I'm going to be doing a whole post on eating in Paris. Food here is too damn good.

Segovia

Wow. It's been a long time. Sorry y'all. 

If you're wondering where I've been, I've actually been studying in Paris. I've been here since January 2nd. 

I'm horrible.

But really, I'm horrible. En fait, I'm only writing on this blog right now because A) One of my friends updated his, and I got a huge guilt trip, and B) I'm procrastinating going to sleep. Do you ever do that? I have to go to sleep and wake up for my 8am class tomorrow (that might not happen...), but I just don't feel like going through those last before bed processes. Mais c'est la vie, quoi...

So here I am, realizing that I never told y'all about what happened towards the end of my semester in Spain (I was the weirdo that decided to study abroad in two countries in one year. It's difficult, but the best of both worlds - the French world is really nice, btw...).

To be honest, the semester in Spain as a whole was one of the hardest things I've been through. I had always envisioned study abroad as being this wonderful perfect journey, but it wasn't. In a good way of course. I'm glad it was difficult, because in the end I think I'm a better person for it, more aware of what's actually going on in other places (Spain specifically, and no it's not the dream wonderland I had envisioned), and more prepared for any situation. It definitely made me expect nothing when coming to Paris, which has done wonders to not get too culture-shocked here. In fact, in life as a whole, we should all just expect nothing. Whassapoint? It's always different from what you think.

On that expect nothing note, I'm glad I expected nothing when going to Segovia. 

Because it was all the more INCREDIBLE for it. I think.

I day-tripped there from Madrid. I had to go back to Madrid a few days earlier than my flight home to the US to pick up my French visa, so why not, right?

I took the train there because it was cheap and quick. The train station is kind of dans le milieu de nul part so a bus to the city from there was necessary. And my was it lovely to have a bus drop you off in front of those aqueducts. I mean look at them! I was completely blown away. 

And look! The classic Roma statue. Because Spain was Rome once, too.

Could you imagine looking out your window every morning and seeing that? Me neither. Woah.

The city, as my host mom from Sevilla would say, is preciosa. It's slightly like Toledo, in the way that it's a cute little village situated geographically higher up (military purposes y'all, gotta protect yoself) and surrounded by a wall, although this side was just the aqueduct... ha just the aqueduct. Casual. Mountains border the city and its surroundings. That is pretty damn preciosa.

The main events aside from the aqueducts (according to Rick Steves at least) were the cathedral and the Alcazar. The cathedral was cool. It was mainly the art there that touched me. Especially the painting in the bottom right of this next photo...

I mean, life is just so fleeting. Ya know?

The main event for me though was just walking around aimlessly (aka with no main event in mind). You see below the city, and all the cars down there look like Hot Wheels.

But the Alcazar was pretty cool. I do love me some history.

They also had military chemistry things there, because that's what went down there a while back (this is a picture of a diorama).

After the Alcazar, I just walked around and enjoyed the city. It was beautiful and a great note upon which I could finish my semester in Spain.

I will try to update this blog more. I have some great things to write about Paris, and I of course would love to answer other questions about my experience in Spain, France, or study abroad in general.

Peace out, y'all. It's bed time.