Just a quick update. So, I'm travelling for a week after this and the question is where to? For sure I'm going to Italy (Cinque Terra, Florence, and Venice), Amsterdam, and Germany (Munich and Frankfurt). The thing I have to decide right now is whether to go back to Paris for 2 days or go down to the Cote d'Azur, aka French Riviera. What do you guys think? I've been to both, back when I came with the 8th grade French class. I was in Paris last week for 2 days. What do you think? It would be Bastille Day in Paris, or just the Cote d'Azur a few days before that and I wouldn't even be in France for Bastille Day. Opinions? Post as comments, or email me if you don't have an account. Thanks. Especially helpful from those who have been to both.

Hi folks. I'm supposed to try to make you all jealous about how awesome this city is, because it looks really really nice. I unfortunately have no access to the internet at my host family's house, and only limited access here at school. There are only like half a dozen computers and about 70 computer addicted students seeking any free terminal. Anyway, I've finally been able to grab hold of a computer for long enough to write something substantial.

So, in Paris on the metro on the way to the train station to Montpellier, some random guy came up to me, asked me in French if he could have my water. I had a bottle of water in an outside pocket on my daybag. I say no, because my family friends in Paris gave it to me for my long (4h) train ride to the south. He keeps saying something, (his French is not particularly good, he was probably from the colonies - those who know a reasonable amount of modern French history probably know which continent I'm talking about). Anyway, I keep saying no, but at some point he just takes my bottle and walks away. What the hell. Anyway, that was my weird story.

So I get to Montpellier and go to my host family's house. It's alright, and I have 3 other student roommates in the house. One is from Denmark and speaks English like an American, and the other two are Swiss-German. The Dane showed me around town on Sunday - it is a ridiculously nice town. It's pretty much what you'd imagine from a perfectly picturesque town in the south of France. Yesterday (Monday), we walked around the town. It's really nice, but it's pretty hot around here. Class has been good. Sadly, my French has obviously deteriorated as I got placed in Intermediate 1 after taking a test. That's the first level after Beginners. Yes, you can laugh at my Jas. I asked to move up though, and it's still pretty easy for me. I think I'm only one class from the Advanced now, but I think it's probably enough for me.

We were supposed to go to the beach, but it was threatening to rain, so we didn't and so now I'm using a computer, YAY.

Ok, so stuff is way too expensive here. It's ridiculous. Juice smoothies cost more than Jambas and are much smaller and crappier. And then there are stuff that cost even more. Ridiculous.

anyway, here are my pictures, enjoy!

First of all, a big merci to those who posted comments. I didn't realize you had to have a blogger ID to post a comment ... I will no longer demand comments; however the occasional email would be nice. And, Jason, if you really know who said the quote, good job. I kind of doubt anyone else will get it. Sorry to doubt you guys, but prove me wrong (using google to figure it out doesn't count).

Oh, and I know why Americans are fat and why, in general Europeans aren't. It's not necessarily the diet; In Paris, at least, people walk everywhere. Not just cause drivers here are insane and suck (and I thought LA drivers were bad...), but cause it makes sense to walk and take public trans. And there are a good number of narrow doors and small places where there's no way your average overweight American could fit. That being said, I'm tired cause I've done more walking already than I'm used to. Speaking of subways, look who's at every subway station here...


A friend here showed me around today and took me to buy my railpass. Cost me more than I thought I had read back at home, so note to self - next time by the railpass at home. If it's not actually cheaper, at least the STA Travel people are nicer than the desk people at les Gares here.

Then I wondered around the city on my own, visiting la Tour Eiffel, and l'Hotel des Invalides, which is, of course, home to le tombeau de Napoleon. And anyone who knows me knows my weird obsession with the Empereur des Francais. And, if you happen to be those two Americans I explored the tomb with, email me soon so I can send you your pictures, so I'm not just holding on to pictures of random people. Oh, thanks, Jon C, wearing a Cal shirt today earned me some comments from another fellow alum. He noticed the "Roll on you Bears" part of my shirt and introduced himself even though we were going in opposite directions.

Afterwards, I went to dinner with the family I'm staying with here - good Italian place in the Latin Quarter. And then hung out with my friend with his friends by the Seine. Even though I think all of them knew English, they all spoke French to me. Which, I guess is good for me, but I yearn to be lazy and fall back to English.

I leave tommorrow morning for a 3.5hr trip to the south. It's been nice staying with these family friends here in Paris. A good home base that's safe, and i can trust leaving my stuff here. also, they tend to speak cantonese at home, so i've gotten a chance to work on two languages at which i'm rusty. also, they speak English, so I always have a fallback. Now I have to rely on my French. This sounds arrogant, well the first part anyway, but I don't mean it in an arrogant way - it's not the greatest thing to have a good French accent but limited vocab and poor grammar. People have told me I have a good accent (the sentence after they say this is usually when i totally don't understand what they said), but I've thought about it like this. You meet someone with a perfect American accent, but speaks like a foreigner. Wouldn't that be weird? I think I'd just think he was stupid or very poorly educated. I should work on crapping out my French accent. Or work on my voab and grammar, but the former is easier.

Ok, that,s enough for me. If you think I've talked too much, its cause the primary purpose of this is a journal for myself and i want to remember everything ive done/thought so far. So there. Instead of Herman's Head, you get Jon's Head.

And, if I remember, from now on I'll post the times in local times. The other ones werent, I think they were in PST. Damn, I gotta wake up soon. (7am)

Hi all... Sorry for the delay in posting. After leaving late on Thursday night, I didnt get to my destination in Paris until late late Friday night, pretty much Saturday morning.

Ok. I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes. The keyboards here are weird and I feel like I'm learning how to type all over again.

So, Iceland was cool. Or, at least the airport . The Icelandic language is pretty crazy . Not totally sure what it sounds like. The first picture is from KEF, the major international airport in Reykjavik. It's Mr. Leif Eriksson, and as the side panel states, discoverer of North America.

So far no problem meeting people whose English is better than my French. Met a French guy on the plane who zent to Cal - perfect opportunity for me to start practicing my French, but I chickened out and went with English. While waiting in line for the plane's facilities, I met two more Berkeley people: one a current student, and one who had graduated several years ago. We're everywhere. Or maybe just a lot of us on that flight from SFO to Iceland to Paris.

At Charles de Gaulle, I managed to find a New Zealander and another American with whom I stumbled haphazardly to catch a train to Paris. Luckily, a French guy on the train helped us out with a map. Damn, those trains really need some A/C.

So, I get to Paris, and as I leave the Metro station, what do I hear? Yes, rain. Whoever said <Paris vaut bien une masse> definitely was wrong. (Bonus points for getting this reference - much harder than my blog title) At least, for that moment. There was thunder and lightning, and, although it wasn't very very frightening, it certainly was wet. The second picture shows the Parisian <Bienvenue> I got.

Went out with a friend I'm staying with afterwards. This city sure does stay awake late. Thats probably about it for me for now. Off to discover the city a bit - this time sans la pluie.

And, oh yeah, I want some comments this time. Just would be nice to know I'm not just writing out into mid-cyberspace for naught.

Seacrest, OUT. Err... I mean, bye.

First post!

Hi readers. I've never wanted to do any sort of blog before, but since I'm heading off to Europe for a month, I figure, what better way to keep a photojournal/diary/update on my trip. So that's what this will be. Frequency of updates during my trip will vary depending on my schedule, and my ability to find computers with Internet connections. Frequency of updates after my trip will probably be very very low. So enjoy it while it lasts. I leave tonight, so expect updates after I get there.

Bonus points go to the first person who figures out the sources of the Blog title and URL.

23/06/05 - 24/06/05 - in transit 24/06/05 - 26/06/05 - Paris * 26/06/05 - 09/07/05 - Montpellier * ??? 20/07/05 - in transit