Kai visits Paris!

I'm sorry that I'm not posting as often as I promised. Kai is in Paris for reading week and we've been busy touring around. Because of the teaching strike, I had the entire afternoon of Tuesday and Wednesday all to myself. By the time we get home from our outings, I would be tired out of my mind and motivation does not come easy at those times.

On Tuesday, we hopped on a train to Versailles to visit the famous Château de Versailles, place of residence of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette! This is the second time I go to the Château but what's different this time is that I decided to not be a cheapo and pay 10 euros to enter. The palace was very ornate and beautiful, but I feel like the lifestyles of French monarchs were only bourgeois compared to the Chinese imperial family. Their bedchambers are tiny compared to what I'm used to see on Chinese soap operas!



Tip for travelers: entry after 3pm is 10 euros instead of 13.50! Also, avoid the huge line-up and buy your tickets at a computer stand!

On Wednesday (today), I spent quite a bit of money (HUGE sighh). We ate at McDonald's for lunch (~5E), went to the Medieval Art Museum (5E), to Modern Art Museum - Centre Pompidou (8E), and ate supper at La Muraille du Phenix (~8E). We met up with Kai's friend from summer camp, who seems like he's doing a world tour but I'm not too sure since he was very very secretive about what's going on in his life. Everytime we happen to ask a detail about his life, he covers his mouth and starts giggling!! lol A very funny guy indeed.


Tip for travelers: feel like a good Chinese meal? Get off at Luxembourg on RER B and go to La muraille de Phenix. You can fill your stomach with only 3-4 euros!



A few words about French people... some are quite xenophobic. Others just don't realize how dumbass they sound. More than once have I had a group of young adults walk/drive by and greeting me with "Ching Chang Chong Chong!!!". Even today, as Kai, her friend and I were lining-up for starbucks, a lady stopped behind me and repetitively chanted at least 3 times: "T'es plus à l'aise ici que dans les mines de Chine hein! (you're more comfortable here than in Chinese mines!)'' I regret to not have turned around and said something. (I was actually exhausted from visiting Pompidou and turning around required too much energy. This is not a lie!) They've been happening often enough that these attitudes are really starting to bother me...


(The picture above was taken at Versailles. I loved the bright colors of the girl's potato bag (*high give for new expressions!*) and sneakers!)