Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Crazies Love Me

Today I went Chez Jean to do my usual studying. I love it there because the coffee is cheap, they have free wifi, they are super nice, and it's not usually busy. I go, get my little window spot and this lady starts yelling at me. At first I didn't get she was yelling at me, but then I turned around and she's swearing and saying she hates people like me. I gave her a glare and then went on with my work. Turns out, she's crazy! She had three plate settings, but it was only her. She was having a conversation with three other people...that were all her. Then she spent 30 minutes moving the table and chairs. Drove me crazy/thought she was going to yell at me again so I left.

Later, I was taking the metro home and going through Chatlet (or shitlet as we fondly call it) and I ask this man if I can walk by him on the moving walkway. He turns around and makes a surprised face and starts running full speed ahead. I thought he was being funny, playing a little joke on me, but then he gets off the escalator and starts yelling at me too! Yelling obscenities as I walked away...great times.

Alright, let's talk about laundry. I HATE doing laundry here. 3.70-6 (!) euro depending on the size of the machine plus 1 euro for NINE minutes of the dryer. I'm sorry, but what the hell dries in 9 minutes? That's right, nothing! Everytime I go to the laundromat I put in an ample amount of soap but it never gets all nice and sudsy! I feel like everyone is judging me on my lack of suds. So, I always look crazy and add more soap, but no suds. It gets clean though! mystery. I also can't keep my eyes of the machine when I'm doing the laundry. Partly because I want to see if suds will appear, but also that circular motion sucks me in. I'm like a cat or a baby...not sure which one is better.

Finally, Christmas trees. The tallest Christmas tree I've seen here was up to my shoulder. So sad. I don't even think that qualifies as a Christmas tree. Anyway, it's what they have. Since I've been back I've seen all of these wimpy little trees on the streets, waiting to get picked up by the garbage men. It looks as if someone beat them to a pulp. Hardly any branches left, slumped on the side of the street. For some reason I find it so depressing. Teeny tiny trees all beaten up and left out to die.

I got to see so much family this weekend! Cousins, great aunts, aunts, more cousins. I love old family stories. Makes me miss St. Paul and my grandparents' old house.

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