Merry Christmas!

It's a white Christmas in central PA! Merry Christmas to everyone!!!!

Got My Lunch Money Back

Miracle of Miracles! The Lycee just refunded my lunch money! It has been 8 months since my contract ended! 8 months. Ah France, I've waited a long time for that 14 euro!

Joseph Abboud

I have no idea who Joseph Abboud is. Is the man still alive? All I know is that the brand is sold in high end department stores and the quality of his luggage is low. Low enough that one suitcase did not last a ONE week trip to Paris. A seam is ripping and the bottom legs/handle fell off. Merde.

Goodbye Party, Bruises and the MaryRose machine.

I have 38 bruises on my body. 38! Both knees are brownish purple. That's what I get for moving suitcases across the city of lights. If I were a more adventurous soul, I'd connect the dots/bruises.

My goodbye party was at Cafe Place Verte on rue Oberkampf. Great place. Chill. Laid-back. Serves food late late late. Photos coming soon. Thanks to everyone who came out. Was uber awesome to see you.

Cafe Place Verte

105, Rue Oberkampf
75011 Paris

01.43.57.34.10

The MaryRose machine was responsible for getting me up this morning and I am forever in her debt. She also, rather graciously, agreed to help me out with my 5kg luggage overage charges when my Carte Bleue didn't work. I was in tears. I had no cash. No credit cards. No check book. Nothing. Thankfully the nice lady at the Air France desk took pity and made an exception for me!!! After all this time, I finally got an exception made IN MY FAVOR! I wanted to hug the Air France lady. ...it was probably all a ruse to get me return to France again sooner than anticipated. ha.

On another note, this is one of the funniest photos I've seen in a long time.

Goodbye Oberkampf

We've shared a lot. The crappy pipes. The toilet from space. The irritated lady downstairs. I'm going to miss the view of the Eiffel tower, the skylight, the 118 stairs, and the crowds in front of the Bataclan. I'm feeling a tinge of sadness. The next time I live in Paris, I want to live near Oberkampf. It's a great neighborhood. Sniffles.

On other news, the landlord took out over 200 euros from my security deposit. Apparently the bed was no longer in prefect condition. So upset! That place was spotless. I totally felt walked on. That constant, on at least a weekly basis, horrible gut feeling was one of the reasons I wasn't sure I wanted to return to Paris. I hate feeling used and helpless! Worst feeling in the world. On top of that, it cost 55 euros to forward my mail. And it will probably cost another 200 for electric as there's a difference of 2000 units between EDF's estimation and the actual meter reading. Great! The person with little money and no job will be dishing out around 500 euros to France... leaving me with two student loans to pay ($600), insurance to buy ($600) as well as several other moving around the world costs.

The breakdown?

Actual Security Deposit: 1140 euros (was supposed to be my income for the rest of 2008)

Security Deposit Received: 919 euros

Things are not adding up. I need a miracle. I cannot wait to be NOT poor again.


So goodbye Oberkampf! And good riddance! ...I mean that in the best of ways.

Poopy Luggage

My hostess discovered brown stuff on her hands. She washed it off. I discovered brown stuff on my hands. I washed it off. Her housemate discovered brown stuff on his hands. He washed it off. Turns out the top of my luggage was smeared with poop. Blasted Parisian dogs!

Throw It Out

The fridge has a bottle of hot ketchup that my subleasee left behind. I don't want to throw it out. There are a million pieces of scrap paper. Don't want to throw those out either. I have two bottles of laundry detergent that everyone said they didn't want. Hmm. Might leave those in the hallway... in case someone else needs detergent. I also have three bottles of fabric softener.

I've taken my parent's bad habits to the extreme. I am a pack rat. I like to save things "for later." Except later never comes. In fact the only later I ever seem to get to is figuring out what to do with the stuff when I move. Wow. I've done a lot of moving this year. My university apartment -> My parents -> Nemours -> Little J's -> Oberkampf -> My parents -> Charise's -> Jays' -> Amanda's -> Ruth Ann's -> Oberkampf/Paris -> Parents -> Australia. One would think I wouldn't be such a hoarder. BF has been known to sew his shoes back together, among other things. Two peas in a pod perhaps?

On other news, I think the building across the street caught on fire.