Sunday, July 24, 2011

Ja sitten suomeksi

Päätin että kirjoitain sillä kielellä riippuen missä maassa olen. Onhan se hyvää vähän suomen kieltäkin harjoitella. Olin viikonlopun Iinan luona Helsingissä. Näin Markuksen eilen baareissa. Ja Isakin tuli käymään tänään täällä. Istuttiin Isan kanssa monessa puistossa ja kaikki pummit tuli meille juttelee. Yksi sanoi meille että tuntuu hyvältä olla selvinpäin. Hänen henki haisi ihan viinalta. Huomenna lähden Ouluun katsomaan kummeja pariksi päiväksi!

I decided that I write in the language, depending on the country where I am. After all, it is a good little Finnish kieltäkin practice. I was visiting this weekend Iina Helsinki, Finland. Thus Mark's bars yesterday. And Isaac came to visit here today. Sat with my father in many bums in the park, and all came to us talking. One told us that it feels good to be sober. His spirit viinalta smelled wonderful. Tomorrow I am going to Oulu to watch sponsors a couple of days!

(Wow google translate sucks with Finnish. Or then I need to learn how to write proper Finnish)


-----
[October 11, 2011]
Below is my profile for the summer that just occurred. Time to move on in my life, but it's good to look back and remember the excitement, the joy, the anticipation, and look forward to it all over again.
[Jonna]

A summer in Europe? Count me in! I signed up for the French LBAT program through Georgia Tech where I'm now- get this- a SENIOR!! I'm trying my best to keep track of everything I do, because how often do you get to live in Paris for a summer.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Suomi Finlandia

I have made it to Finland. Had Kotipizza with Iina and now going out to meet up with Markus for some drinks. It's so hot and humid in Finland. Iina thinks I've officially become homeless after showing her all of the thrift store stuff I've bought. I asked her for laundry detergent so I could wash my jeans while I shower. I didn't even think twice about it!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Last night in Paris

On a more serious note, this is my last night in Paris. Actually since it's 12:40 AM, its my last day in Paris. I have now lived a summer in France. And all I wish is that it would have been longer. I'm not ready to go back home yet. I'm scared of forgetting the French I've learned, and loved picking up French customs that I hope to bring back with me.

My journey continues back up to the North Pole tomorrow as I venture around my homeland even more. Next stop? Helsinki, Finland.

Also, being the last night in Paris, Katherine, Alison and I, have planned our spring break. Can you say backpacking through Eastern Europe for 10 days. I mean, I've never been to Slovenia before. Apparently Ljubljana is supposed to be beautiful!

And Paris, I hope to see you again in October.

Oddly, one of the things I'm most proud of after living a summer in Paris?

I never...
- climbed the Eiffel Tower
- climbed up l'Arc de Triomphe
- went inside the Notre Dame

But I did...
- learn the metro system
- use a velib
- went out in Montmartre with the locals
- made French friends
- ate baguettes daily
- DANCED IN THE SAINT MICHEL FOUNTAIN!
- rode a TGV
- rode the Euroline
- took Parisian showers and did laundry the Parisian way (spray perfume everywhere because there wasn't time for a shower or laundry)
- never bought the same bottle of wine twice
- learned how to get a table in a café

And that's how I know I actually LIVED in Paris and wasn't just a tourist. :)

Need to up this Percentage

So I need to work on getting this percentage higher. Which is why I would like to buy a scratch map as well as just travel for the rest of my life, thanks.


visited 24 states (10.6%)

Bucket List locations?
  • China
  • Russia
  • Africa
  • South America
  • Norway


Thursday, July 21, 2011

GPA? 4.0

'Nuff said.

Ça c'est fini?


J’ai pris mon examen. Et voilà, le LBAT est fini. Je pense que je pleurerai. Comme MAINTENANT. Paris a pleut encore. Après mon examen, Shannon et moi sommes allées au café près de MIJE et ont bu du vin. Je vais boire BEAUCOUP de vin. Bref, j’adore Paris, et il me manquerait – toujours. 

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Comment appropriée - How appropriate

Aujourd’hui en classe, on doit écrire un blog faux. Le topique ? Des soldes en France. Parfait pour moi. Je sais beaucoup de choses des soldes à Paris. Pourquoi ? Je faisais trop du shopping. Juste un peu. En France, il n’y a pas des soldes pour toute l’année. C’est seulement deux fois par année, mais quand il y a des soldes, les magasins deviennent fous ! Comme moi, je faisais beaucoup de shopping à Paris. Presque trop. Je dois acheter une autre valise, je pense. Alors je vais faire du shopping encore ! À Longchamp – ENCORE. Je voudrais acheter un grand sac gris. Ça, c’est coute seulement 70 euros. Ma mère va me tue. Eh, ça va. Au moins j’aurais un nouveau Longchamp.

Monday, July 18, 2011

London and Centre Pompidou

Went to London last weekend. Saw some friends like Ross, Doug and Richard. Our hostel was straight up ghetto. Went on a pub crawl. Realized that London may in fact be the most expensive city in all of Europe. Literally double the price of the USA. It sucked. Had a horrible motto for the trip: Pack nothing, buy everything. Took a ferry across the English Channel in the middle of the night. Slept horribly. Was super tired. Saw Elizabeth's humble home. Saw the London Tower and London Bridge. London was everything I expected. Cold. Rainy. Expensive.

Came back home to Paris Sunday morning. Went to Centre Pompidou. Realized that the President of France in the 1970s must have been on some kind of drugs. (See picture below: It was a room in the Elysées)

Obama needs to get on that and revamp the White House.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

J'ai couru 11 km aujourd'hui!!! (I ran 7 miles today!!!)

En Français:
Aujourd’hui j’ai couru 11 km. Je pense que c’était seulement 5 km parce qu’il y a beaucoup de chose qui m’ont distrait. Comme le Louvre, Hôtel de Ville, Notre Dame, Concorde et l’Arc de Triomphe. Je suis fière de moi ! Demain serai le dernier jour de classe pour cette semaine. Et jeudi serai jour de Bastille ! Et jeudi soir, Shannon et moi allons aller à Londres pour 2 jours. En France, pendant le jour de Bastille, il y avait beaucoup de fêtes avec des pompiers ! Et ils sont très beaux en France. TRÈS TRÈS beaux. Shannon et moi avons fait une nouvelle coutume – étudions au bar avec notre vocabulaire ! Donc, je le ferai maintenant avec elle à Auld Scottish.  

En Anglais:

(GOTTA LOVE ME SOME GOOGLE TRANSLATE - This is why google translate never worked for me in HS French)
Today I ran 11 km. I think it was only 5 km because there are lots of thing thatdistracted me. Like the Louvre, Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame, Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. I am proud of myself! Tomorrow will be the last day of school for that week. And Thursday will be Bastille Day! And Thursday night, Shannon and I willgo to London for two days. In France, during the Bastille Day, there were manyparties with fire! And they are very beautiful in France. Very very beautiful.Shannon and I made a new custom - look at the bar with our vocabulary! So, I will do now with her Scottish Auld.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Qu'est-ce que je faisais hier soir?

Hier soir, au théâtre, nous nous sommes amusés quand nous n’avons pas compris tout ce qu’ils ont dit à la scène. J’ai assise au premier rang. À mon avis, c’est un peu trop près de la scène. La salle du théâtre était très petite aussi. Juste pour environ 30 personnes ou quelque chose comme ça. La pièce était par Eugène Ionesco et elle s'appelle "La Cantatrice Chauve". La pièce a été un peu bizarre et court. Au début, j’ai compris les conversations, mais à la fin j’ai réalisé que je n’ai pas compris pourquoi le deuxième couple fait les mêmes choses que le premier couple. Mais nous le discutions juste après la pièce. Ensuite on est allé au restaurant avec notre professeur. Nous avons dinés les repas très bons. Je mange du saumon, et pour le dessert j’ai choisi une tarte framboise. C’est magnifique ! Quand le diner est fini, le group de « pub crawl » - Shannon, Anton, Christian et moi, sont allés au bar. Christian a acheté 4 bières au premier bar et nous les avons bu. Après cet, nous avons commencé marcher chez nous, mais quand nous avons arrivé au métro de Saint Paul, nous avons décidé d’aller pour une autre boisson à notre bar locale – Le Auld Scottish. J’ai acheté une bière pour chaque personne là-bas. Et à 1h30 ou quelque chose comme ça, nous avons retourné chez nous. Ce matin, il était un peu difficile se réveiller, parce que je ne dormais pas beaucoup. Mais j’ai dû aller à la classe près de Bastille. Pour le petit déjeuner, j’ai acheté une baguette de Manon qui était très bon. Pour le déjeuner, Shannon et moi avons marché à une boulangerie et acheté des baguettes du jambon fromage pour 3 euro. Après la classe, je faisait mes devoirs un peu et a pris un sommeil. Le diner va être à 19h45. Je ne sais pas ce quoi je vais faire ce soir. Demain nous devrons nous réveiller très tôt parce que nous allons visiter la maison du vitrail.

Alors… je sais que cet ici n’est pas mon meilleur français, mais je suis fatiguée maintenant et je ne le veux pas corriger maintenant. J’ai faim aussi. J’ai toujours faim à Paris. 

et en anglais, comme toujours:
Last night at the theater, we had fun when we did not understand anything they said at the scene. I sat in the front row. I think it's a little too close to the scene. The auditorium was very small too. Just for about 30 people or something like that. The room was by Eugene Ionesco and it is called "The Bald Soprano." The play was a little weird and short. At first I understood the conversations, but in the end I realized I did not understand why the second pair does the same things the first couple. But we were talking just after the play. Then we went to dinner with our professor. We Diné meals very good. I eat salmon, and for dessert I chose a raspberry tart. It's beautiful! When dinner is finished, the group of "pub crawl" - Shannon, Anton, Christian and I went to the bar. Christian bought four beers in the first bar and we drank. After that, we started walking home, but when we arrived at the Metro Saint Paul, we decided to go for another drink at our bar local - The Auld Scottish. I bought a beer for each person there. And at 1:30 or something like that, we returned home. This morning he was a little hard to wake up, because I did not sleep much. But I had to go to class near Bastille. For breakfast, I bought a loaf of Manon was very good. For lunch, Shannon and I walked to a bakery and bought the ham and cheese sticks for 3 euro. After class, I did my homework and took a little sleep. The dinner will be at 19:45. I do not know what I'll do tonight. Tomorrow we will wake up very early because we will visit the house of stained glass.

So ... I know that this here is not my best French, but I'm tired now and I do not want to fix now. I'm hungry too. I'm always hungry in Paris.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Musée d'Orsay

Aujourd’hui nous avons visité Musée d’Orsay. J’ai décidé c’est ma nouvelle musée favorite. Il y a des tableaux de Renoir et de Monet. Nous avons dû un petit projet de Musée d’Orsay pour classe, et écrire quelque chose de cette musée. J’ai écrive de 2 tableaux de Monet. Une avec des nymphéas, et une avec le parlement de Londres.

C’est ici :
Mon tableau favorite au Musée d’ Orsay est « Le bassin aux nymphéas, harmonie verte » par le peintre impressionniste, Claude Monet. C’est un peintre français, qui habitait en France. Il est né à Paris et avait Édouard Manet comme ami, qui est également un peintre célèbre. Le tableau était au Musée d’Orsay depuis 1986. Avant cela, de 1914 à 1947, il était au Louvre. Dans le tableau, nous pouvons voir un pont japonais et devant le pont il y a beaucoup de nymphéas. La technique que Claude Monet utilisait est la peinture à l’huile. Il a peint ce tableau en 1899. J’aime beaucoup ce tableau parce qu’il donne une impression de calme. On retrouve la même vue dans le jardin de Monet à Giverny. En effet il peignait souvent plusieurs tableaux avec la même vue, mais avec des couleurs différentes. Par exemple, il y a un tableau comme celui-ci au Modern Museum of Art à New York City et un autre au Musée d’Orsay, qui est dans les tons verts. Je pense que Monet aimait bien les nymphéas, parce qu’il a peint un grand tableau seulement avec des nymphéas qui est exposé à MoMa. Dans le tableau, la verdure autour du bassin est vraiment magnifique et le bassin est complètement recouvert de nymphéas. Il y a beaucoup d’autres tableaux de Claude Monet que j’aime, comme le tableau de « Londres, le Parlement ». Il est un peu difficile de reconnaître tout de suite ce que représente le tableau, mais si on regarde plus précisément on y voit le Parlement de Londres dans le brouillard. Il n’y a pas beaucoup de couleurs dans ce tableau. Monet a utilisé beaucoup de gris et de violet. Il l’a peint en 1904. Je l’aime parce que c’est une vraie représentation de Londres car il pleut souvent donc il fait gris et triste là-bas.

Ce soir, nous irons au théâtre et dîner avec tous le group. Il sera très intéressant parce que je ne sais pas si je comprendrai beaucoup de cette pièce.


And in English...

Today we visited the Orsay Museum. I decided this is my new favorite museum. There are paintings by Renoir and Monet. We had a small project of the Musée d'Orsay in class, and write something of this museum. I write of two paintings by Monet. One with water lilies, and with the parliament in London.

Here:
My favorite painting at the Musée d'Orsay is "The Water Lily Pond, Green Harmony" by the Impressionist painter Claude Monet. It is a French painter, who lived in France. He was born in Paris and Edouard Manet was a friend, who is also a famous painter. The picture was the Musée d'Orsay since 1986. Before that, from 1914 to 1947 he was at the Louvre. In the table we can see a Japanese bridge and before the bridge there are many water lilies. The technique used is the Claude Monet oil painting. He painted this picture in 1899. I love this picture because it gives a sense of calm. The same view in the garden of Monet in Giverny. Indeed he often painted several paintings with the same view but with different colors. For example, there is a table like this at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and another at the Musée d'Orsay, which is in green. I think that Monet liked the water lilies, because he painted a large painting only with water lilies that is exposed to MoMa. In the table, the greenery around the pool is really beautiful and the pool is completely covered with water lilies. There are many other paintings by Claude Monet that I love, as the table of "Houses of Parliament." It is somewhat difficult to recognize immediately what is the picture, but if we look more specifically it shows the British Parliament in the fog. There are not many colors in this picture. Monet used a lot of gray and purple. It was painted in 1904. I like it because it is a true representation of London as it often rains so it's gray and gloomy out there.

Tonight we will go to the theater and dinner with all the group. It will be interesting because I do not know if I'll understand much of this piece.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Retour à la réalité - en français. (Reality check - in French)

Nous avons dit "bonjour" à notre nouvelle professeure aujourd'hui. Maintenant on doit parler en français seulement ET avec des phrases complètes. Je pense que ce serait mieux pour nous. Je devrai apprendre à répondre plus rapidement que maintenant en français. Au début de la classe c’était un peu difficile mais à la fin c’est facile. Je pense que mon français serait mieux après les trois semaines prochaines avec Dr. Cottille-Foley. Elle nous a donné beaucoup de devoirs, donc j’ai fait ma grammaire aujourd’hui. Je vais faire mon cahier et livre de texte demain après Musée d’Orsay et le théâtre. Pour la reste de ma visite à Paris, je vraiment essaie d’écrire seulement en français. Je serai très fière si je peut le faire.

J’ai réalisé aujourd’hui que je devrai acheter des souvenirs pour ma famille aussi ! Quelque chose pour mon frère et quelque chose pour mon père. Je ne sais pas quoi, mais quand je l’ai trouvé, je l’achèterai. Peut-être une tire-bouchon ou quelque chose comme ça. Ou un t-shirt qui dit ‘Paris’.

Le photo est moi devant le Moulin Rouge à Montmartre


Same in English: (google translated- got the idea from Christian, a fellow techie in my group, since it's how his entire blog is written - translationliteral.blogspot.com)

We said "hello" to our new teacher today. Now we must speak French only and with complete sentences. I think it would be best for us. I will learn to respond more quickly now in French. At the beginning of the class was a little difficult but in the end it's easy. I think my French is better after the next three weeks with Dr. Cottilla-Foley. She gave us a lot of homework, so I made my grammar today. I will do my notebook and textbook tomorrow after the Orsay Museum and the theater. For the rest of my visit to Paris, I really try to write only in French. I will be very proud if I can.

I realized today that I will buy souvenirs for my family too! Something for my brother and something for my father. I do not know what, but when I found it, I'll buy. Perhaps a corkscrew or something like that. Or a t-shirt that says 'Paris'.

The picture is me in front of the Moulin Rouge in Montmartre!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Oh where to begin...

Experienced Montmartre night life. Which turned into breakfast the next day. Went out last night with some of my roommates friends and got home at 8 AM. We left our place at 9 PM the night before. Also went to the erotic museum in Pigalle, which was rather interesting to say the least. I of course found something Finnish in there.

Then we went to a bar area where locals go to drink. It's crazy how it's just on the other side of Sacre Coeur. We went to this cool bar that had a terrace, and indoor bar as well as a full club in the basement. It was packed, but everyone was French. There were no tourists.

By staying up until 8 AM we at least saved money on a cab ride, since the metros opened up at 5:30. Best part? Line 1 to get home is closed Sunday mornings until 10 AM. So Shannon and I got our daily cardio in. Everytime we have to walk somewhere we get lost. But you can't say we haven't seen Paris.

I will also love my washing machine when I get back home. I've been doing laundry in the sink and hanging clothes up to dry in the window. Très french.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Lame old Saturday

Today was embarressingly spent mostly in bed recovering from the night before- in the sense of lack of sleep. And I officially have no self control when it comes to shopping. I bought ANOTHER pair of shorts. But they were super cute, so I had to get them. And only 15 euros. I think tonight a group of us is going out. We have to enjoy the fact that we have no homework!

Friday, July 1, 2011

My Wallet is Going into Hibernation

I'm officially not leaving my room with my credit card anymore. Just 20e of cash at a time. But today was a good day of site seeing. Went and saw Les Invalides and Napoleon's tomb and L'Arc de Triomphe. I now understand why local Parisians avoid all tourist attractions. Even after living here for an entire summer, I doubt I will ever climb up the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame or L'Arc de Triomphe. The lines are just way too long, and I have better things to do with my time- like sit in the park next to it and just people watch.

Today I realized once again how nice it is to be an EU citizen. If you're under 26, you get into some museums for FREE. So some of us went out this morning and at Les Invalides, Alison, her brother and I got in for free, while others paid 9e. Not big savings, but still.

Also learned why Napoleon's grave is the way it is. It's in this huge room with an opening in the center, so that when people look down, they can see his grave, and bow their heads to him. Well Alison told us this before we went, so we DELIBERATLY did not bow our heads.