Little Bits

I love cemetaries. To truly know a place, you've got to visit their graveyards. I am a firm believer of this. As such, I was in heaven at Père Lachaise, the world renowned Parisian cemetary.

I don't even know if "cemetary" is the right word to use. It's more like a city. A city of tombs and graves. New and old, famous and unknown, intermingling in tranquil harmony. We spent our time wandering it's streets and still only experienced a small portion. We visited such famous residents as Yves Montand (my personal favorite), Frédéric Chopin, Collette, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison. Edith Piaf eluded us, we searched and searched but couldn't seem to find her exact location. Despite this failure, the day was perfect and beautiful. The old trees gave us a feeling of having left the city behind, but in reality, we had just found our own little oasis right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. It just happened to be full of dead people.

I recently celebrated my 21st birthday here in Paris. It was a perfect day, beginning with a Skype birthday party with all my friends back home. Later, my roommates and I took a bottle of champagne, baguettes, jam, and chocolate to the Eiffel Tower and picnicked by it's sparkling glory. Wandering the city with a bouquet of flowers, I was wished a "bon anniversaire!" by many a local frenchman informed of the day's significance. I really did feel like the city was mine, and everyone in it was there to celebrate for me. I'm not sure what I've done to deserve such attention, but nevertheless, it was mine. A truly unforgettable day.

I feel like I've hit a bit of a wall with my french. I've learned as much as I can as long as I am keeping conversations to a one minute-two minute maximum. I can ask your name, your age, who your favorite disney princess is, how your day has been, tell you how beautiful you look, and ask for a kiss. However, I may desire to speak to someone over the age of 8 someday, and as such, I've got some work to do. I've recently acquired a French pen pal ; ), so that has inspired me to pick up a book and actually study. I have a lot to re-learn, it's amazing how much french I've forgotten since I moved to France.

I have been neglecting this site, and I apologize. Life has been a whirlwind of parades. Now that the summer season has ended, I hope to have more free time. But then again, we're starting rehearsals for Halloween soon. Never a dull moment.

Upcoming Events: Next weekend...Ireland. After that...visit from mama.