England=Quaint Buildings, Homely Structures. I Miss Paris!

I feel guilty that I haven't fallen head over heels for the quaint buildings and homely structures surrounding England. I miss the fast-paced, glamour, and pizzazz of mon chéri Paris. England, my quiet friend is a different world. Cars drive on the left, pubs dominate the country, and the people are rather unique. Sadly, the manors, and plethora of sheep on the countryside haven't much warmed my heart. I'm still trying to discover the English patriotism and identity amongst a region so scattered with such diversity and internationals. Even here at Newbold College, there are only 3 British students enrolled. The rest of school is comprised of specks from the many countries of the world.

For now, I'm not convinced. But for the remainder of this journey, England I'll keep an open mind and give you a second try.

Bring da Beat Back

I'm sitting here in International Business, looking at the Powerpoint presentation pretending to be busily taking notes. The class is interesting but I've also diagnosed myself with a mild condition of ADHD. SO, I can't pay attention for prolonged periods of time. Its been almost two hours sitting in class, so yea. My Attention Span is Gone.

So far, we've travelled to Collonges-sous-Salève France, hopped across the border to Geneva, Switzerland, took a train to London, UK, rode the EuroRail to Paris, France and finally piled on a bus to Bracknell, UK. Talk about road trip.

So now we are still located in Bracknell, the country town. Not much to see or do except walk up the road and grab some fish and chips which L and I did yesterday. We also took a 8£ trip to Reading. Not Reading, PA but Reading, UK. It was a nice trip. I didn't shop. I like to browse, bargain, then purchase. So I'll keep looking around for better prices.

Today, we're going to Windsor Castle. Hopefully the lovely Queen is home and will grace us with her presence. :yea right: Chances of us ever seeing the Queen are zero to none. The crowd will also probably be unbearable, considering the hordes of people standing outside of Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

In honor of a good day, I'm wearing a busy polka dot ridden button up, and complimentary polka dot tights with navy shorts. Sounds crazy, I think its cool.

Ciao!

Oh yes, and plans are in the making for a day trip to Scotland!!! Bring out the kilts and keg--I mean bagpipes ;)

Photo from: http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merchandiser/27243.jpg

No Me's, No I's

For this entry, its not about the girl writing this blog. It's about everyone else. The 25 people that make up everyone else. College undergrads, some graduated, some just beginning their adventures, business students, and others from mixed fields, a business secretary, and a business professor. And let's not forget the unannounced arrival of the secretary's husband who will go unnamed. Briefly put, a character in himself.

The Group: Some came as a group, already formed possessing their own history, dynamics, and sort of clique. Others came in two's and three's, somewhat familiar with each other but no defined boundaries of friendships had been in place. Others came with no strings attached; an acquaintance here, a companion there, perhaps a familiar face somewhere but no cliques, and no bff's along for the ride.

Lovely.

Describes the outcome. Although some bonds have been harder to meld and integrate, and others slower to form, as a group the dynamics have been lovely. Not entirely, but definitely good for a group with so many different backgrounds, cultures, and distinctions. While the group hasn't completely molded into one diverse family, the option remains open to any who dare attempt to bridge the various gaps.

Versailles

It's been almost a week since my feet landed on the exuberant palace of Versailles.

It's magnificence can be summed up in 3 words: extravagant, big, memorable. Not the best three words I could think of without killing my brain @ 9:23 AM in Business class, but it pretty much nails the essence of Versailles.

Each room large and elaborately decorated, painted ceilings, marble walls, and one room dedicated to mirrors. Beautiful.

Paris

Its ironic how my blog initially began as a way to track the events of my European excursion. As I read back, I notice I have very few details on my day to day experiences with the differences in culture and overall the trip to Europe!

So, for a few moments, allow me to take you to Paris.

Bienvenue à Paris. For a moment I thought I got dropped off in Greenwich village or some artsy strip in the heart of Manhattan. Beautiful, but everything is in French. I was fooled, because Paris outshines Manhattan. Don't get me wrong. I love my little island in NY, but the city of Paris captures an art and beauty unknown to the Big Apple.

Elaborate architecture, memorable monuments...for days, chic, trés Jolie people everywhere. If I wasn't observing the intricate detail of the Notre-Dame or beholding Le Sainte-Chapelle of Paris, my eyes were busily scanning the crowd of tailored suits, leather jackets, and beautiful faces.

There are always two sides to an equation, of course.

Aside from the constant outpouring of European beauty, I was faced with a not so glorious side in the subways. They stink. Coming from a New Yorker fluent in subway stench, that means they had to be bad. While not riding the subways, (which became a daily adventure) I was walking, and walking, and walking. However strenuous, it wasn't too horrible because of the many sites to see.

Overall, my stay in Paris was well spent, full of life, little sleep, and constant enjoyment. C'est la Vie!

Be Positive

Last night in the midst of a self-esteem drop, I came across a Facebook page called the Be Positive Campaign. I was reminded of the power of the mind over circumstance and was reminded essentially to "Love yourself, accept the flaws, be yourself, and nothing more".

Wow, easier said than done right? Don't worry, it is reachable. The thoughts we have today determine our actions for tomorrow. Promote positive thinking today and reap the rewards tomorrow.

We all come into this world unsure, naked, and naive. We don't know what it means to be liked or loved or to give love until that love has been shown to us. Even in our infancy we mess up--we fall, we cry, we stumble. We crawl until we learn to walk. We walk until we build the strength to run. But in each process we stumble.


Have you ever watched a baby crawl as they learn to walk? They wobble and wobble and fall but each time with drive in their eyes, they get back up. No wonder Jesus calls us to become like children. In order to walk, we have to persist. We have to hunger for success, possess drive, and desire to progress.

So, when negativity rings in your ear like that annoying buzzing fly, swat it, move away, get it out of your ear!

No matter the circumstance, Be Positive! And along the journey, love yourself so that you can in return love God and others :)

Naked

I've never been one to wear my emotions on my sleeves, bare all, or entirely unmask my feelings.

"Keep your guard up" has somewhat been my motto throughout the years. Gradually this intricately built, clever wall has s l o w l y began to crumble.

Throughout the years, even past couple of days, I have changed. We all change. Change is inevitable. Progress is not.

I strive to advance, and progress. And in this pursuit, I think being metaphorically naked, in thoughts and expression is valuable.

Being naked leads to the risk of vulnerability. For now, I am willing to take that risk and see where it leads me :)

A good friend is hard to find

"a good friend is a connection to life- a tie to the past,a road to the future,the key to sanity in a totally insane world"

One of my good friends left the quote above on my Facebook wall.

Maybe because of my lack of sleep and mild cold, it took me a while and a couple times reading over to fully grasp it. A good friend is:

A connection to life. A good friend is someone that inhabits your present life.
A tie to the past. Someone who you share memories with.
A road to the future. Someone included in your journey of life, who helps bring you to a promising future
The key to sanity- Simply said. Someone to keep you sane in the roller coaster of emotions and events in everyday living.

By becoming good friends, we too can attract good friends.

Live, love, and learn

Side note: The picture is completely random, because I AM random! :)

J'aime Paris

The city of love, lights, fine French men, beautiful women, crêpes, boulangeries, Le Tour Eiffel, quiche, fromage, croix monsieur, vin in every shop or restaurant you enter. I love Paris.
First impression, Not so much. What’s the hype about, I thought to myself. I'm basically in Manhattan but everything is in French. Wrong. Later that night of our arrival into the beautiful city, we decided to explore and fully engage in acts of tourism. With a map in hand, we went upon the city via le Metro and got a taste of Au Printemps, Place du Nord, Arche de Triomphe, and plus more!
My conclusion, Paris is not a replica of N.Y. In Paris lies beauties and intricacies only natural to a European culture. Demi-sec and Parfait.

J'aime Paris.