...and a Happy New Year!

Monday, December 31:
Woke up, read while my friend Thomas spent a few hours doing some sort of verbal exam for an internship application. After he finished, he wasn't too happy about how he thought it went, and we proceeded to have a good, long talk about standardized tests, the working world, and life in general, which was quite enjoyable. Eventually, we went to the famous Parisian cemetery Père-Lachaise, where we saw the grave of Oscar Wilde (covered, indeed, by lipstick marks), Jean-Baptiste Molière and the adjacent Jean de La Fontaine. It was a pretty cool place to go, and Thomas told me it sort of gave him a new view of his neighborhood, as he was seeing the place for the first time.
Afterwards, Thomas and I headed to the store to buy some champagne for the evenings festivities and went to the apartment of his friend Cecile. I ate foie gras for (I think) the first time, and it was decent, although I'm generally not a fan of the paté texture.
After a bit, more people showed up, and the party was themed Macs et Putes. Few males were dressed as macs, but there were a couple putes (teupus). It was quite fun being amongst that many French people, and I saw a few familiar faces from the last time I was in Paris. When midnight finally hit, the champagne began popping, "Bonne Année" was flying left and right, and everybody was giving the bis. Although I've never cheek kissed that many people in my life, it was a good time.
Eventually, around 4 or 5 we all tired and decided to head out. Metro was open (and free) all night, so we took that back toward Thomas's digs, but it was pretty packed. Recognizing an opportunity when it presents itself, I decided to remind Thomas's roommate, Manu, of our ongoing joke about dancing Tecktonik. So, as we were crammed in the metro at 5am, I turned to the poor girl who happened to be next to me (a stranger, of course) and politely said in my best French, "Excuse me, miss. My friend and I have a bet to see who can dance Tecktonik better, and I would like to know if you could decide for us?" I commenced my best dance in about 1 square foot of space while the girl stared at me as if I'd just gone into a bank and tried to deposit a wad of dirty socks. Manu, too ashamed to Teck' it in publique (as all French people seem to be), immediately gave up and proclaimed me the winner of our bet.
Shortly thereafter, we descended from the train and, of course, paid attention to our step in doing so ("Attention a la marche en descendant du train"). When everyone had left our platform, I stayed back with one of our friends and, noting that the other platform was completely full, decided to display some mad skill. So, there I was, 5 hours into 2009, dancing Tecktonik all by myself across the rails from a ton of strangers in line 9 of the Paris metro (at Voltaire, should you care to recreate this yourself). This left me thinking...sometimes you gotta ask yourself what your life has come to and how you've fallen from such great heights. Sometimes, you gotta sit back and ask yourself "How I get so good, dawg? How I get so good?"

Tuesday, January 1:
I wake up around 11 to my phone ringing. "Oui? Hallo?"
"Oui, yes, Mr. Robert Cenzon? We are waiting for you outside Terminal A Gate 2E."
"En fait, this is his friend. Shall I tell this to Robert?"
"Yes."
Call Bert, no response. Turns out his phone isn't working. Great...I know at this point that Robby's going through the usual hell of arriving in a foreign country with all of your luggage. His phone doesn't work, the shuttle provided by the school can't find him, and he's got enough in his suitcases to live in Paris for 2 years (he's returned to the City of Lights to do a Master's). Eventually, I get another call from the company, they can't find him. Great. I try calling him, texting, whatever, nothing works. I give up, hose the smell of French cigarette smoke off of me from last night's party, and begin the waiting game.
After quite a debacle of having to run across Charles de Gaulle aeroport 2 times, Bert couldn't find his shuttle, gave up and took a taxi. Exhausted. Welcome back to France, my friend.
Thomas and peeps peace out for a lunch chez Cecile, while Bert and I hang around and rest for a bit. Eventually we walked around and ate at a Chinese place with a 5 euro menu. Bert remarked that it was strange to be back, but that it also felt like he'd never left. I can sort of imagine the feeling he had. It'd been a year and a half for him, and 2 years before he'd welcomed me to Paris. The tables had turned, and we went wandering to Buttes Chaumont (a pretty park). To combat the cold, I bought this sweet piece of chocolate cake with chocolate chips (for some reason, a pastry I've rarely seen in France), and it was ankle-spraining delicioso. Bert and I proceeded to have a seat on a park bench and play the role of two longtime friends who have grown to be old men and spend their days talking and playing pétanque in the park. I don't know if it's funny or not, but I almost feel like this could happen later down the line. Robby and I often think about our elementary school days and question how we ended up where we are, and if we ever could have imagined our current experiences at a point in time 5 years before. Often, the answers are 1) not sure and 2) no way.
Eventually we returned, and dinner that night was with Thomas and co. at an Indian restaurant in the 10th arrondissement, near Matt Damon's favorite train station, Gare du Nord.



Happy New Year, from Robert, Thomas, and Greg.

Wednesday, January 2: (prepositions will be misused, determination of meaning is up to the reader)
I wake down early in the morning, and it's time to greet Kevin and Scott as they arrive below Paris except a crazy one day tour since the city. We meet across Gare du Nord, along which the Jason Bourne/Paris tour begins.
We head north against Montmartre and mount the hill between Sacre Coeur. We battle the snow/ice after the ground and enjoy the view underneath the city.
We then go see Moulin Rouge and the dirty establishments before the 18th.
Afterwards, we walk south behind Opera and eventually arrive out of the Louvre/Jardin des Tuileries. We walk above that and meet Bert off Notre Dame. See the church, make a circle like it, get hungry, eat a kebab just south, upon St. Michel area.
Later, we see the Louvre and walk about Tuileries, where we have some good "leisure" time. Behind what I remember, Robby "out-leised" us all. He also offered me 1 million euros to pee in the middle of a fountain and catch a bird into my bare hands. I did not get rich on January 2, 2009.
We met our friend Meadow (fellow language assistant, lives in Paris, also studied with Robby in Paris) down Place Concorde. *This was quite a moment of crazy coincidences, the 3 of us being in Paris together, and it was rather good.*
The 5 Americans in Paris then walked the Champs Elysées, stopping toward McDonald's. I had a cheeseburger and milk shake. Following this, Meadz peaced in, and for us it was Arc de Triomphe time, but no one wanted to cross the Place d'Etoile on top of foot before me, which was disappointing.
We headed south to see Trocadero and Eiffel tower, but line was too long for Eiffel, so Scott and Kevin didn't go beside it. I lost my French phone, but fortunately an honest Frenchman had picked it through, and I was able to use Kevin's phone to find him and retrieve it (about a short bit of confusion).
Eventually, we left, ate dinner, 10th arrondissement, Italian. I had pizza. Kevin and Scott bought wine post-dinner and Bert and I bid them adieu, Gare du Nord. :( Won't see them Jan-May.
Helped Bert move things, chez Meadow. Went sleep.
That was really hard. I hate prepositions.

Million Dollar Bird



La Tour St. Jacques


Thursday, January 3:
I wake up, train it to Firminy (tiny town next to St. Etienne), where Leila's smiling face greets me. We go to her mom's apartment in Firminy and hang out there. I think we talked with her mom for a really long time (I made them taste the deliciousness of Jif brand American peanut butter, which Scott generously brought me), then went to the store and bought some chocolates. Hung out and talked some more, watched a French/Moroccan comedian that I love, Gad Elmaleh, and then started watching a French movie, but I fell asleep on the couch.

Friday, January 4:
Wake up, Leila claims I snore like crazy. I am proud to follow in my father's footsteps.
We hang out and talk, eventually I go with her brother to McDonald's and get lunch. First time I've ever eaten 2 Big-Macs in one sitting, along with fries. Guys, they think we do that regularly. In terms of eating habits, I am a total lardo compared to a lot of Americans, and they're like...you people don't do that all the time? I'm trying to perpetuate (by example) the stereotype that Americans are all grossly obese, but geez, Europeans have damn near impossible expectations for us.
Anywho, we hang out the rest of the day inside b/c it's kinda cold. Evening arrives and Leila takes me to the train station to catch my night train, and we say goodbye for what might be a long time. She encourages me to meet her next weekend in Marseille, where she'll be visiting her aunt. That's for another entry.

Leila's little half brother, Wahil

Leila, always looking chipper

Also, Scott and Kevin came bearing gifts that my parents had sent along for Christmas, which was very kind of them. Thank you, 'rents. I appreciate it.
At the end of the voyage, my parents informed me by email that I had a $995 phone bill. Umm, merde? Seeing as how I hadn't used my American phone in weeks, this was surprising. All of the calls originated from Spain, so apparently I lost it in the Madrid airport, but I don't know how this happened. Regardless, we're in a waiting game, but hoping that we won't have to pay this bill.
In the Rome hostel, someone left some body wash, a long sleeve shirt, and some foot cream. The latter would appear to be a good cure for Kevin and Scott's foot-Celcius. However, all 3 products now belong to me.

In the end, the 18 day voyage was a great experience. I saw a lot of friends (and sort of got homesick for the States for the first time in a long time), saw lots of cool things, learned some things about myself, ate way too much, and spent way too much money. Many, many thanks to all involved (either by making it possible or simply adding to the experience by showing up with a glowing face)...parents, Marta, Scott, Kevin, Thomas, Hélène, Robert, Meadow, and Leila.