San Francisco Giants, World Champions

Not really anything else awesome going on.

It's Monday today

We didn't have school today because it's Toussaint, which is more or less like Dia de los Muertos but without the awesome sugar skulls. My sleep schedule is all messed up because I've been staying up to listen to the radio broadcast of the Giants games, so I got up at noon today and went to find lunch in the 13th arrondissement, because that's where I read that there were Chinese restaurants and I've been craving Chinese food. So I found this little place and it was fine, but not awesome. Anyway at least I know where there're Chinese restaurants now, so I can try to find somewhere that's good.

The last few days have been a little bit of a bust. Staying up until four or five in the morning is not a good way to get things done. So pretty much the only things that I have to write about from the last few days are times when I went out to find food after waking up late. And studying for the GRE. Studying is not really the right term, actually, so I'm going to go with "browsing a GRE prep book." Turns out that there's pretty much nothing hard about the GRE, as far as I can tell, so I'm not really stressing out about it anymore.

I went to Breafast in America for dinner last night. It's this diner that's run by American people and they serve regular diner food. It was nice to be somewhere that felt a little more like home. Also I was craving that kind of food. Anyway it's a good restaurant and I really enjoy diner food so I'm probably gonna head back later this week and get a patty melt or something, because you definitely can't get that anywhere else.

It also happened to be Halloween last night, which French people don't actually celebrate (in terms of going out and getting candy from the neighbors), but I saw a few people dressed up around town. There was a pirate in the metro and a group of vampires sitting under a tree in the park, and this girl that looked like she might've been dressed up as Alice from Alice in Wonderland but I wasn't really sure. There were also a fair number of people with devil horns and little stuff like that. And a guy in a Michael Jackson mask. Yeah...

Skipping back to last Friday, the six of us who live at the Fondation des Etats-Unis (plus one) had a taco night. It was a successful gathering and a semi-successful meal. If I can make one recommendation for people shopping in Paris in October, it's to not buy avocados. They are not good. And if I can make one recommendation to the people who did the shopping for our taco night, it's to buy more food when you know there're seven people to feed. But you live and learn, I guess. It was the best night ever, everything was great.

So the Giants are up 3-1 in the World Series, and even though I have to be up at nine tomorrow morning to go to my internship, I'm going to stay up and listen to the broadcast because I would be terribly disappointed if I missed the Giants winning.

Allez Géants!

I went to the opera last night. We saw The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart but the behind-the-scenes opera workers were on strike so there weren't really any sets or lighting or stuff. I have no idea why the opera workers are on strike too, but the performers and the orchestra and stuff was all good so it was overall a very enjoyable experience.

Not too much else is going on in Paris. However, aux Etats-Unis, the Giants have now won the first two games of the World Series. I bought myself an MLB.tv postseason account so I can listen to the games at night (my internet is too bad to actually watch them), so the last two nights have been nights of not a whole lot of sleep. (First pitch is at 2am here.) So I'm happy about that, and it always makes it just a little bit easier to wake up in the morning. I'm also wearing my Giants cap around Paris. Gotta represent.

So anyway the grève continues and it is eternally not ideal commuting conditions, but it works out. We had a cathedral class lecture at the Basilique St. Denis on Wednesday and it was really pretty even though it was out in the banlieue and really cold. So yeah. Not too much going on.

It just seems kind of necessary

I have no reason in particular to be writing this post but it seems like everyone else who's written anything about Paris has written it up, so I feel like I probably should too.

I went to L'As du Fallafel ("the ace of falafel," rue des Rosiers, 75004) on Sunday with a bunch of other people. That was probably like the fifth time I'd been there since coming here. Anyway, it's by far and away the best falafel I've ever had, so I've been going back at least once a week. I don't really have anything particularly interesting to say about it except that it's damn good and I want it in my belly right now.

Also it's way better if you get to sit down inside. So wait for a table.

In other news, I've spent all the money I was allotted for food this month, so now I'm spending my own money and I'm finally realizing how badly I'm getting screwed over by the exchange rate. Prices aren't so bad when you look at them in euros but once you do the conversion--WOW. I feel like eating canned soup and baguettes. Except I'm not going to. I am in France, I will continue to eat delicious French food while I can. Like L'As du Fallafel.