I've been informed of my neglect (I believe it was called "slacking") of the blog, for which I apologize. I assure you that I've really been enjoying myself and all is more than well. Outside of the job hunt, of course. The issue of finding work is not one of a lack of jobs, or lack of jobs I would qualify for. It's a matter of finding an employer who would be willing to put in the time and effort to aid me in obtaining my work permit...which many do not want to do unless you possess skills at the top echelon of a particular field. Whatev. If I don't procure a job soon, I will return to the US, and continue my search for work here, which is actually easier. I know, pretty lame, mais c'est la vie!
Last week I embarked on a journey to the center of the wine universe...Bordeaux. Prepare for a letdown my enophile friends..I didn't have one glass of wine while I was there. I went to Bordeaux to go to a concert of a band that I had met in a club in Paris. Unfortunately, I feel that I'm getting a little too confident in my skills of jaunting around France. That was, literally, painfully obvious on my trip to Bordeaux. Strapped with a backpack weighing at least 20lbs...I spent the first hour making my way through three metro transfers before I arrived at Montparnasse Bienvenue to catch the TVG (train a Grande Vitesse), the 200mph bullet train.
If you ever go to Paris, buy a ticket on one of the TGVs and go anywhere. It's a strange combination of train travel and flying. Even the most nervous of passengers can handle it, unless you are placed in a rear-facing seat, which some people have trouble with.
Upon arriving in Bordeaux, I had a simple plan. Find the venue, find the closest hotel to that venue, check in, chill out, get ready to rock! It didn't quite work out that way. One wrong turn led to wandering frightneningly empty streets with unexplicably empty shops...for almost 3 hours with backpack straps slicing into my shoulders and a knee making very unnatural noises. I ended up taking a bus back to Gare St. Jean (the Bordeaux train station) and checking into a hotel 100 yards away from where I originally exited the station three hours previous.
At the venue, I was invited by the band to join in their pre-show festivities. These were really down-to-earth guys that are having the time of their lives touring France. The show was absolutely amazing and the college age Bordelais really got into it. They love any and all American music over here. I'm convinced that's how most of them learn English. Post show, we had a great time chatting and drinking Ricard. After returning late, I spent the first night in a real bed for five weeks.
I had originally planned to spend the next day taking in the city, but from what I saw the day before, I was nonplussed. There were more sex shops and peep shows and seedy joints in Bordeaux than there are in Montmartre. And that's saying something. I've walked around NYC, LA, Montreal, London and other large cities at night and Bordeaux did not feel safe. I'm afraid I was on the wrong side of town, but I've read the same stories on other blogs as well, that the only items of interest and beauty are the Chateaus and wineries out of town. These are only accessible by car or the very few bus excursions that leave the city. After the night before, I really had no interest.
Every time I leave Paris, I feel at home when I return. As I pulled into Montparnasse Bienvenue station, I had a feeling of comfort take over me, which is strange being that I've only been here for five weeks. Getting back on the metro line one in the Chateau de Vincennes direction felt even better. I had a blast, but it was good to be back.
In the last week, I have written more than I have in all the weeks previous combined. Just not here on this blog. So far, I feel it's the best I've done, minus the spelling errors and poor grammar that comes along with churning it out at a break-neck pace...
The weather is turning beautiful and I hope to have some better pics up soon! I am attempting to tackle the Louvre this week, which should prove to be quite an undertaking.
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