Paris day 1

Taken from excerpts of a diary I wrote whilst in Paris.

"I am currently on the train to London St Pancras to catch the 8:20 train into Paris and I couldn't be more excited. I have actually downloaded a whole playlist of French music to get me even more excited. I am suffering so badly of Wanderlust right now. 

I have decided that seeing as I am basically broke I will try to see Paris for what it really is rather then just another shopping centre. With a country road bag, my SLR and a notebook and pen. I want to explore Paris, keeping my heart and mind open to whatever may come my way. And no matter what I will keep writing what I see, what I feel, what I smell, what I touch..

La Vie En Rose by Edith Piaf just came on my ipod. Reminds me of the film Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn which is such a beautiful movie. I so badly wish I could have her figure but apparently she had 2 of her ribs broken so she could have a slimmer waist which kind of destroys my perfect image in my mind of her and her perfect little french waist. My point is that in the movie she is writing a letter to her father and this song is playing in the background.

 "It is the French way of saying I am looking at the world through rose coloured glasses. And it says everything I feel" -Sabrina

She goes on to explain what she has learnt being in Paris. I hope Paris can insight some wisdom on my spongelike self. Train is here.

Au Revoir"

"On the Eurostar now trying to plan my next 4 days. I don't know how I am going to fo this I am legitimately poor. I may as well just join the beggars on the street. I am approaching that level of desperation. I am already regretting not making a sandwich or something at home to take with me. Plus I have no spare change. And I really don't think the food cart will take card.

I sort of wish someone was adventuring with me to Paris. But I guess everyone needs to take at least one trip to a completely different country where they don't speak the language alone, just to experience that 'lost in translation' feeling. I think that's when people truly learn their strengths and weaknesses. Maybe it can even provide a confidence boost as one who is in this situation often needs to step out of their comfort zones and interact, even converse with complete strangers. Whether it be to ask for directions or advice on a good place to have lunch.

I feel that packing up and moving my life to London has had a truly positive effect on me in this sense. It has boosted my confidence a initiating conversations with strangers, although I still get pretty shy if a  stranger talks to me in the street. You know the ruby cheeks, watching your feet swing type of shy...yep that's me. But if I need something I won't even think twice before asking someone. 

Dying to put my eye make up on. Didn't get a chance before because I was rushing out of the house. Ended up 30minutes early because I actually live ridiculously close to the Eurostar station. Well I can't exactly do my eyeliner right now because I am sitting across from a young French guy who is relatively cute but he keeps hogging the leg room.

Not going to lie, I am wishing pretty badly that I went to sleep earlier last night. Stupid me. So I basically have no clue where to go when i get off this train. I want to get to the hostel as soon as possible to dump my bag. Even though once the camera is removed it is relatively light anyway.

Oh and the hostel I am staying at tonight is in a shared dorm of 10 guys and girls mixed. I could have had a better room but I am an idiot and left booking to the last minute. Could be interesting. And I guess it adds to the whole old fashioned backpacker tourist cliche. I think I will go to the Louvre tomorrow. The weather is pretty terrible at the moment. Fingers crossed it heats up a little. Would love to see the Eiffel Tower on a lovely sunny day. 

Not sure what my plans are for the day.

Au Revoir

"

My favourite form of street art. Stencils & stickers.

"I painted fragments of our environment, daily topics related to the transport and technical construction which cares refer to this link and the reality of our representet villers."

I tried typing it into google translate and this is what I got.

"Ok a lot has happened in the space of two hours. I got lost looking for the hostel, saw my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, went to the theatre, it started raining, and apparently I won't be seeing Bon Iver tonight. 

First things first. The boys here are just incredible. I mean you hear it all the time but you never really understand until you actually come to Paris and see for yourself. It's just a smorgasbord of beautiful men, and I thought London boys were 'hot', boy do I have a thing or two to learn.

My parents gave me the worst impression of French people and how they acted towards tourists. All day everyone has been so ridiculously helpful. I had a shopkeeper look up directions for me on his computer, and a man on the train tell me how many stops I had to go because I was looking confused, I didn't even have to ask him! And my oh my the trains! I don't know how I will ever be able to go back to Australian trains having experienced the London underground and the Paris metro. They are so fast! I am literally across the city in 5minutes, although it could be because the city is kind of small. 

Who knows? It's like a crazy labyrinth of cigarette butts an flower covered windowsills to me. I have to admit one thing I don't like about these trains are the doors. You have to open them with some knoblike door handle contraption. And its not like a do it yourself, push it open door. No. And it's not a door that slides gracefully open either. These doors are pure evil. They basically slam open taking anyone unaware with them. I have caught at least 5 trains today and yet I still make the exact same face every time they open. And I just know the French are looking at me thinking 'You silly tourist'.

Skipping ahead. I got to the theatre and has a long chat with the ticket attendant who could not locate the ticket in his pile. Then he checked the computer and found my name there. Proof that I had paid. Although because I have no physical ticket they are refusing me entry tonight. He told me to come back before the show and talk to the manager. Fingers crossed he thinks I'm pretty and sad and lets me go see the artist that I came to Paris specifically to see. 

Decided to go to the Museum D' Orsay before Bon Iver. It started raining as I was walking which really reflected my mood at the time, good one Paris. And then of course I manage to get the biggest gush of wind not only sweep off my hat but also blew my skirt up. Again, cheers Paris.

All negatives aside. I did not come to Paris to be negative. I am currently sitting in the cafe at the Museum, starving but I am also an idiot for thinking there would be something in my price range here. But I wanted to sit down and think for a bit so I got a tea for 4.10 euros. To be honest it is worth it. It is vanilla caramel tea and I actually feel like I am eating a creme caramel, it is delicious. I actually looked around my table when the waitress bought it too me because I was wondering where that incredible smell was coming from. 

They aren't kidding when they say the lines are long in Paris...wow. I ended up behind a ridiculously lucky 15year old from California who's Grandfather was just casually taking her for a trip around Europe. She was nice, but the whole time I couldn't help thinking:

1. What an ungrateful little bitch (excuse my language) - She literally said to me when I told her I hated not having much time to enjoy this museum that she only wanted to stay in here "for an hour tops"!!! What is wrong with you! It takes almost that long to get inside!

2. I wonder if her parents are famous. I kept imagining her as like Kendall and Kylie Jenner's best friend. Or in a weird reality show about being a rich kid in California. Which is basically MTV. Rich with minimum purpose in life.

3.  You don't have facebook? Quote her:

"Facebook is for old people. People use it but most people think it's old. Most people use KIK where you like have conversations and send nude photos to eachother."

Subpoint 1. Not even in underwear, just birthday suits.

Subpoint 2. I am having such a culture shock, I just assumed the whole world was desperately obsessed with facebook. Is Australia the most obsessed? Trying to keep up to date but are still outdated by years? Maybe its the isolation thing, being so far away from everything else. Maybe we feel that if we know everything about eachother, what everyone is doing every minute of the day via facebook status', we will feel more united as a country. Or maybe I am just having too much time to think right now.

4.  She didn't know what instagram was. I know it is obviously less popular then facebook, but still? I am a self admitted shameless addict of the more visual less judgemental alternative of facebook. 

Not to gloat or anything but the waiter just said I am very beautiful. Well Merci Monsieur!

Shoot! I have been writing for a long time! I really need to go inject myself with that lovely drug known as art. Just quickly...

The girl who put her name and number in my phone but I will definitely never be calling, mainly due to the fact that I don't know how to dial American numbers and she seems like a waste of time to be honest. She proceeded to tell me how her boyfriend is a hollister model and is 18. Kids start drinking in America when they are 12 and the greatest thing about her life right now is partying and her life ambition is to become a pharmacist. Not the type that needs a uni degree. Just the one that stands behind the counter. Life lesson learnt: Never raise your kids in California. 

Au Revoir"   

This is the comfiest and greatest way to avoid awkward social situations like eye contact.

"I love Impressionism, I truly do. It feels like you are exploring through someone else's dreams. Some details are fuzzy but the basic picture is there. It is just such an ethereal feeling. My messy standing up writing. I found some new artists which I have absolutely fallen in love with. Sadly the museum closes at 5pm so I truly did not have time to look.

- Paul Cézanne 

- Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec

- Edouard Vuillard

On se parle plus tard

(Talk to you later)

People where actually lining up to get inside this cupcake place!!

"I caught the Metro back to Opera to go to the Bon Iver concert. Basically went up to the ticket office and got into a huge fight with the idiot manager. Mind my language. My name was on the computer, right in front of his face proving that I had paid for the ticket. But no. Because it was a a standing ticket I could not get it reprinted. Mate, I booked this in London and because I never received it in the mail I now couldn't go? Well you know what, I was the bigger man woman in all of this and sucked up my pride and took out my basically empty wallet and bought another ticket. 

You know what, I don't even care because it was honestly the greatest live performance I have ever been lucky enough to go to. But before I get ahead of myself. Outside the concert I proceeded to have a pre-show cigarette. And I heard 2 girls speaking english, so of course I instantly magnetised towards them, natural tourist reaction obviously. 

Being lovely as they are they took my photo and I went into the show with them. It was so sweet everyone was sitting on the floor because we had an hour before the show started, so we joined. Once I started talking to these girls hearing about their lives I couldn't seem to pick my jaw off the floor. Morgan is living in Paris! Living here, she is on exchange studying photography!! Kaitlin is in Paris for I think 2 months studying fashion design!! I couldn't believe the serendipity of it all. I felt so lucky to have met these 2 beautiful girls, not only were they cool for what they were doing but they were also the most lovely people! They were so positive. They really cheered me up after my somewhat stressful day.

There cheerfulness definitely rubbed off a bit which is good, I needed it. The lights went down and the smell of pot mixed with the sense of excitement was strong in the air. Annoyingly there was a fat disgusting old guy behind me. He reminded me of a older version of the comic book guy from the Simpson's. You know those dirty seedy old men, the kind where they are losing the hair on the top pf their head so they try to compensate for it on their face. But to add to the confusion the facial hair was tied in an elastic? And he had no hair on the top of his head yet his pony tail was longer then mine? 

He kept bumping into me and my friend throughout and trying to get us to stop filming because apparently he couldn't see? You're at a music gig? That happens, build a bridge. He wasn't the only one struggling. Sadly my new found friends and I became surrounded by a herd of giraffes and the only way we could see at times was with our cameras. 

My oh my I cannot express how much I loved that concert. I guess the only downfall was that silly beard of his. Just keep going! Why does Bon Iver just shave it in the middle? It either looks like his sideburns have started taking over his face or the opposite of a bikini wax on his face. I mean don't get me wrong, the man is a musical genius! Although I think when I listen to his picture I will picture a Ryan Gosling-esque man playing. 

I find it really beautiful how people seem to fit together in concerts. Like a puzzle. Well most of the time. It's as if there is a gap for every person. The concert was amazing and the lighting was truly spectacular. The lighting could of had it's own show, it really was eerily beautiful. The only hard thing about the concert was it made me really badly homesick. 

There were so many couples. Not just the 'Oh look they are holding hands they must be together' couples. These were genuine 'I am so infatuated with you we could be anywhere in the world and I would be happy as long as I am with you' couples. The ones that don't make you feel queasy from the excessive amount of public displays of sexual activities affection, the actual lovers you find yourself genuinely jealous of. For the whole concert I kept wanting to rest my head on the guy in front's shoulder, and have him cuddle me.

Sadly his arms were already around someone else. And he wasn't actually attractive, it's just in Paris you don't really see things for what they are, you just see love. "The world through rose coloured glasses". I think I really like a boy from back home. I know right come to Paris and fall in love with a boy from Australia. That makes sense right. Well I couldn't stop thinking of him and wishing he was with me throughout the whole concert. I just wish he was with me in Paris. It really is the city of love, I understand now and I feel like I am missing out. I just have cute little thoughts of going and sitting under the Eiffel Tower and just people watching and eating croissants, putting locks on the bridges and throwing away the keys, and going for strolls at night and watching the city sparkle. 

My new friends Kaitlin & Morgan (taking a photo of me above) sadly parted at the Metro. I truly hope to see them again they are such beautiful people! Got home to the hostel no troubles. Literally didn't have a single Euro on me for the key so I had to get the receptionist to let me in. I really should have taken advantage of the experience of the hostel. Everyone was sitting in the lobby drinking beers and laughing. It was quite a funny thing to see. A table with people sitting around it all from different places in the world uniting in conversation and sharing stories. I was just too tired to function normally. I messaged mum to make sure she knew I was alive.

Avec l'amour de Paris

Bonne Nuit"