Here is, just for fun, two pictures of the Panthéon that I took before I broke my camera. That contemporain artpiece you see in the first picture isn't there anymore... someone probably realized that it will not stand the test of a line of people sitting and slowly picking it apart all day long. I have been walking by this monument twice almost daily, going to and fro between campus and residence, but only today did I finally go in. However, I embarassed myself pretty severely at the ticket counter.See, a new regulation in France abolished the cost of museums and monuments for anyone with an EU citizenship under the age of 25. Although I have no real EU citizenship, I have been successfully sneaking in plenty of places with only my student card and then pretending that I forgot my citizenship card if anyone ever asked. But today, the woman at the ticket counter actually asked for me to give her my card, and asked me if I was a French citizen. Since she already had the card in her hands, I was
afraid she would turn it over and see the words "international exchange student" written clearly on the back. I said "no" (I really surprised myself with that one too). She asked from which country I was from, and after stuttering for a couple of seconds and still not being able to think of ONE SINGLE country in the EU, I said "Italy". Awkward! I can't speak a single word in Italian so I would have looked real smart right there if she wanted to test it out. I got lucky this time, but it was obvious that she knew I was lying. Next time, I better stick with countries from which I know the language, like Belgium!
At night, my friend Zuzanna and I joined Vincent's group of friends at the Pont des Arts for a late-night picnic before he goes back to the Réunion (a French island in the Indian Ocean, near Madagascar) for the summer. Alors Vincent, si tu arrives sur cette page, juste pour te dire que je sais où se trouve la Réunion! =P
Le pont des Arts bridges over the Seine and is where young people gather, very strategically I have to add, to chill with friends and meet new people! It's such a great concept, and beautiful too! I also got to see Jeanne and Chen (my friends/neighbours from residence) and her lovely girlfriends, Maro, Maya, Céline and Xiaole. Although a couple of us had to leave before midnight, it was a good evening with a very awesome group of people! Okay, enough ass-sucking for today =P
Bonne nuit les amis!
Yeah, we had a good time on that bridge. Too bad you and Suzana had to leave early.
ReplyDeleteAs for that woman, had she spoken Italian, you still could have gotten away with a disdainful look concerning her poor accent (God, how French of me).
Okay, I'm done using your blog to procrastinate sleeping.
Like I said, it's a pleasure to read you. You've had me laughing quite a few times, girl.