Franglais

I went to Boston this weekend (until Wed) to help out Marion (from Sciences Po) get settled into Boston College.
She was so excited about being in the US, but she was having quite a bit of culture shock, and she wasn't understanding English very well. So I was talking with her in French, and everyone else in English. I had to translate everything back and forth all weekend. It became a struggle for me to manage between the two languages, and I started messing up with my English-speaking family and friends. For example, on a car ride, I was trying to tell something to Marion in French while directing my mom in English. I started giving my mom directions in French, where she had to remind me that she spoke English, not French. Oops.
Marion's friend and classmate from SciPo, Thomas, was with us a lot of the time, too. His English was really good, so he didn't need me to help him very much. But we spoke in French because we were with Marion. Let me tell you, that guy was adorable. And cute! Too bad I didn't know him in Paris. Hopefully we'll hang out next time I'm up there, or if he ever visits. Sweet guy.
They really didn't like the weather, though.
When we picked them up at the airport, we offered to bring Thomas to his temporary stay in Cambridge. It took us 2 hours (and lots of turning around) to find this little itty bitty dead end street in the middle of nowhere, Cambridge. I had to finally stop at a store and ask for directions, upon which we were forced to Googlemap it. That was exhausting.

We met up with Eugene (one of the exchange students with me in Sciences Po last spring) in Boston, and we gave the French kids a little tour around Boston. We made Marion eat chowder, and gave a grand tour from the Aquarium to Copley Square. I think they liked Brookstone the most. Eugene and I had a lot of fun because we were laughing about American customs and things that the French kids didn't understand. It was like having an inside joke, but not being able to explain it because, "You had to be there...." Sad, but they understood.
We also hauled ourselves to the BC campus. It's a really nice (and small) campus. Very beautiful. But campuses still freak me out, so I still do not regret having a campus to live and breathe on constantly. The French kids LOVED it, though. They went completely ga ga about it all. Even though we got lost quite a bit.

Saw some friends in town. Went shopping, got a haircut, ate too much food. Went to the gym and ran outside. I had one day booked back to back with doctor's appointments, where I finally came home with a bruised arm from an inoculation, sore gums from a cleaning, and a numb nasal cavity & vocal chord for 2 hours (where I couldn't swallow well for that time period).

Before I went to Boston, I saw the Shakespeare in Central Park. Midsummer Night's Dream. It was really great. And free! They made the faeries little children in slightly Gothic Victorian outfits, singing and dancing; kinda freaky, but well appreciated. A pretty good cast, and a completely coherent attempt at Shakespeare. Even if I hadn't seen or read the play a million times, I would have been able to understand it.

Useless things I didn't know how to save...

Which Action Hero Are You?
	You are Daniel Craig. Bond, James Bond. Keep up your suave style but don't forget to remain a bad ass. Money and romance is more your style, so don't get your hands too dirty.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which Sex and the City Character Are You?
	You are Carrie. You know what you want out of a relationship and you're not afraid to keep moving until you get it. Wit and charm are your biggest turn-ons, and you like guys who appreciate you for your mind as much as your body. You have fun playing the dating game, but secretly you just can't wait to find the guy who sweeps you off your feet and carries you into the sunset.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which College Major Should You Be?
	Your major should be Art. You are sensitive, creative, and you don't follow established rules. Unfortunately, you'll have to follow some rules if you ever want that promotion at Starbucks.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which Disney Villain Are You?
	You are Jafar. "How many times do I have to kill you boy?" You just want to be big and powerful... Is that so much to ask? I mean, you deserve it.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which Friends Character Are You?
	You are Ross. You're intelligent and adored by your parents. However, your lack of social skills causes you to talk too much and try too hard. While your friends pick on you for your nerdiness, they better watch our for your rage.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Coagulate

Deej is right. I have been doing things.
Like writing this sentence in my blog.
That's about it.

Really, my life is not productive right now.

Gyming...eating....cleaning...being boring....sleeping.....getting lost and stuck on Roosevelt Island until odd hours of the night and then having to go into Queens to find a Manhattan-bound train home.
That. Is. It.

This 'n That

Some quickies before I crash and burn on this here bed:

1) Went out karaoke with some friends on Friday. It was really fun, but kind of crazy. I sang "Sweet Home Alabama" with a Dannish woman. Hung out with friends. Let's just say...lots of things happened and most of it I will keep inside my brain somewhere.

2) Felix's brother, Tobi, came to visit me for a few days. We had a great time! He's basically JSUT LIKE Felix, only a bit taller, completely Aryan (blond hair, my god!), a lot calmer and relaxed, and younger. But their little quirks and expressions and characteristics are just the same. I kept forgetting who I was with.
I basically wore him down by walking him all over, but he tired me out too by doing all of the tourist things all over again. Regardless, fun times. His accent made me giggle sometimes (Felix doesn't have as much of one, it's true). And he can sure pack in the food! It was like we were quasi-dating, and I thought that made it all very entertaining. This woman at the Seaport told us that we looked like siblings because our eye colors were the same, and his response was, "But I'm from Germany..."

3) I saw Bourne Ultimatum with Nate and Tobi. AMAZING!!! I love that trilogy so much! In love with it, really. I only wish I could do those things...

4) Peter called me in a bit of a drunken stupor (and other substance influences) before the movie. It was 2 hours of him calling, me listening and hanging up, him calling back. He was crazy. Telling me existential stuff, stuff about me, stuff about him....him asking for help from me while he's in Scotland and I'm in NYC...That was highly intriguing, yet worrisome at the same time. I hope he's OK now...

5) Gym men...need to start letting me work out. Today I went to the gym, doing my own thing, when this strange trainer guy comes over in the middle of my situps to talk to me about "Why haven't I seen you around here?" 30 minutes of me trying to get back to my workout, while he tries to talk nicely and sweetly to me and offer his help and trying to get to know me better. By the end, he offers to take me upstairs on his free time and help me out, and I had to say, "Maybe next time, when I'm NOT in the middle of my workout already." Seriously, people? I go to the gym to workout, not to mingle and flirt. Please, let me do my thing.

Right now, my job is on a break because my boss is out of state for a few weeks. This means I have nothing to do now.

Moishe's Bakery

Why I love small mom & pop shops, run by Jewish people:
Deej and I were walking around in the sweltering heat after a great lunch at Pangea, when we decided that we wanted some challah bread (the good little Jews that we are). We go into Moishe's around the corner from our place, and order our challah. This boisterous yarmulke-donned older guy with the beard and curls bursts out of the kitchen with a steaming plate, yelling, "Fresh cinnamon sticks!...You two look too thin, and hungry! Here!" And he breaks a large, steaming cinnamon stick and gives them to both of us. Our eyes wide, like two children given a Wonka bar in a 1950s candy shop, take the AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS sticks from this kind man, and slowly (and in awe) savor our new favorite bakery in all of Manhattan's free treat.

On two separate notes:
I've been wooed! By a gym!!!! Long story short, Lauren and I went to try out the NY Health & Racquet Club for free. The guy there wooed us with free smoothies, and an irresistible semester-long plan. I now am a member. Oh lord, save me from my ways!!!! But it's an amazing place...
AND
I have never sweat pools for yoga before in my life, until today. Yoga to the People! It's suggested donation-based, and by the end of the hour, not only was I feeling tired and not keeping up, but my mat was wet and I looked like I had taken a shower while in down facing dog. It was actually funny looking. The guy walked around and tried to get me to stop gripping onto the edge of my yoga mat, while I had to tell him, "It's too wet, I'll slip if I don't." My outfit is still dripping on my door right now.

Anything else happening? Hmmm work, reading, and........some drama here or there. Meetings, mingling....not much really to discuss. I enjoy the smaller stories in life right now more than the overall hour-by-hour.

Sorry For The Lack Of Writing

I swear I'm just not doing much with myself.

Also, I haven't felt like blogging lately.