May -Golden Week!

Hi All,

Wow this time; it’s been a really long time…

Well as it is often the case with life, things come up and priorities take over. Some times just plain old procrastination and laziness…

But let’s talk about May!!

May came quickly after things picked up in April having found new friends and starting a brand new semester. Exciting!

First week of May brought us about a week of holidays, in which a colossal amount of people take a vacation and it is known as Golden Week….

I found myself with opportunities; I jumped on them and ended up spending that time in Paris, France (Yay!).

After spending a little over 7 months in Asia –Japan, going back to a Western world is a BIG cultural "de-shock"…

....or a brand new one as it was my first time in France. But somethings to be noted:

-It was comforting to not have people stare at you.

-It was pleasant to find that people didn’t automatically know/assumed you were foreign.

-The food was more closely to what I am accustomed to.

-Using primarily Spanish over English

- Being hit on!

…Then come the habits you don’t realize you’ve picked up

-Bowing when introducing yourself

-Bowing when you apologize

-Bowing when you say thank you

-Feeling weird walking around inside with shoes

-Not using multiple utensils when eating

…Then there is the cultural shock

-Eating a burger with a fork and knife

-Kissing people 2-4 times as a greeting/goodbye

-Drinking wine daily (this is a big deal when your tolerance for alcohol is zero!)

-Eating a million and one types of cheeses

-Returning to not understanding a word of what is being said around you

I’ve heard a lot about Paris from Damien (exchange student from France Fall 10), mostly bad things. Though of course the city is the most visited place in the world and this holds a charm and the whole “romance” image.

Architecturally I found the city beautiful –as impressive as its reputation.

The people seemed to be as diverse as in NYC so it was nostalgic in a way with all the pros and cons of that.

Disney Paris! =)

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My experience there was a beautiful and unforgettable one. It’s a biased view as I only saw the light of Paris. I was well taken care of by friends and that too contributed to a remarkable time.

I can only be grateful to have had the experience and hope to re-experience in the future.

‎"透き通る夢を見ていた..."

Later.