holly's corner

as time passes, and hol and i still talk almost every day, i really miss the vocabulary she would introduce to me in conversation in angers and across europe. below is a quick recap of all things hol over the course of the semester (that i remembered to write down) which i intend to grow over the course of our lifetime together as friends. missing you every day you gorgeous kiwi, thanks for being such a pal so far away. 

• i don't give/want a bar of it. meaning: i don't care, doesn't matter to me

• sunnies. meaning: sunglasses

• flash. meaning: fabulous, having it together. "you are looking so flash"

• sussed. meaning: finished, or ready. "are you sussed to go out?"

• waste his ass. meaning: beat him in a tennis match (that was the context)

• swaning. meaning: like frolicking or walking around. "swaning around the house."

• beached as. meaning: tired, toast, just done

• mish. meaning: mission, task

• choca-block. meaning: packed, or busy. the grocery was a choca-block!

• GB. meaning: good bitch

• download. meaning: dish it out, tell the story after we've been apart

• crack it.  meaning: crush it or kill it (you cracked that test today)

• get on. meaning: get along. "we don't get on at all"

• good on ya. meaning: good for you

• aircon. meaning: air conditioning  

• fussed. meaning: bothered. "im not fussed by it

• aerial. meaning:, antenna  

• yonks. meaning: ages. "haven't seen you for yonks!"

• guts. meaning: sucks. "guts for them."

• punnet. meaning: container

• taking the Mickey. meaning: mocking someone

• rowl. meaning: fight

• waffley, or waffle on. meaning: it's fluffy, padded or bull. "The test will be waffley."

• a into g. meaning: ass into gear

• flannel. meaning: washcloth

• avo. meaning: afternoon

• maccas. meaning: McDonald's

• peckish. meaning: hungry, down for a snack

• savlon. meaning: neosporin

• taking the piss. meaning: to mock someone

• togs. meaning: one piece bathing suit

• chilly bin. meaning: cooler  

• wags. meaning: wives and girlfriends on the sidelines (like a soccer mum, but a wife or gf)

• wagged. meaning: skipping school  

• till. meaning: cash register  

• raw. meaning: intense

• dark about something. meaning: pissed, annoyed  

• packed a sad. meaning: being troublesome, throwing a tantrum

• skull it. meaning: chug it  

• motorway. meaning: highway

marseille, fr

last big trip of the semester before I jet home to the US! finished packing Monday morning, and went down to Holly's room to hang with her and Ty for a little while before I took off to the train station. hol and I stood outside of our apartment hugging for about 10 minutes, getting all teary and saying our I love you's and see you soons. I had to run to the post office before I hopped on the tram, and the two of them were going out to buy a new computer charger (90€ later.. !!) and then I picked up the tram by the post office and it pulled up and there hol and Ty were so I got a few extra minutes with her which was needed because as soon as I started walking away the tears set in, hard and heavy. I hopped on my train to Nantes, shuttled to the airport, and off I go!

as I'm sure it's obvious, I'm riding solo on this excursion so there isn't too much to report on but there will be a ton of photos of the things I'm seeing. Tuesday I rolled out and made my way to the tourism office where I made a friend - he was super curious where I was from and he was really helpful for my day ahead.

I ended up walking about 9 miles around the main port and old town of Marseille. Marseille, similar to Nantes, has lines along the road that can guide you along which let me tell you is a travelers dream. the one I followed was pretty worn so I would veer off and eventually find it again. the nice part about water is that it's an incredible guide - facing it vs not and how to get around with the port on your right or left etc. there is fresh produce stands and markets all over the city, which I absolutely love. it smells great and the fruit is so colorful - something I haven't seen much of in angers considering it's been winter time.

as I ventured to the old town, I walked through tiny streets that were so gorgeous. they honestly reminded me a lot of Italy, and that's one thing j always loved about other countries was their colorful buildings and streets. Marseille has that, with the french language and culture - perfect mashup of everything that I love. I've developed a comfort zone in France, where when I leave I have a little anxiety about the language barrier and what to expect. when in France, I find great comfort in knowing I could probably communicate my way out of a situation or directions etc. I wish I would've seen more of France, but time just didn't permit the additional travel. guess I'll just have to come back.. bummer.

I stopped at a little cafe bar and had a glass of white wine from cassis (city close to Marseille) and people watched on a small back street. these two boys were on those electric rip stick looking things (I don't know the name but I feel really old and out of touch for saying that as the description) and maneuvered them on the cobble stones and uneven streets - needless to say I was incredibly impressed.

I popped into a souvenir shop as well - I decided a little late in the game I would collect postcards as my token from each place, instead of a keychain or something heavy because let's be honest my bag is heavy enough as it is. I picked out my postcards, and went to check out. the guy working the shop, a Frenchman, was wearing a hat that looked a lot like the new Cleveland Indians new logo (the plain c.. when it should

really be chief wahoo. shoutout to the tribe fans) and I asked him what team he was wearing, to confirm that I was in fact right. HE DIDNT KNOW WHO IT WAS. dude are you serious? he took it off and the label was MLB, so I told him it's definitely the Cleveland Indians. in Ohio. baseball team. like come on mate seriously? I am a huge sports fan, as you may well know, and I have to say this semester has really fired me up when I see every other person wearing a Yankees hat when they probably don't even know what he hell they're wearing. I was/am a Yankees fan, mostly for Derek Jeter my favorite baseball player of all time, but for some reason when I see the Yankee logo on a Europeans' hat I wanted to go under the bill and flick it off as I walk by and say - why don't you try actually watching baseball before you just up and buy a hat with a logo that looks cool? woof

I kept up the walk, saw a gorgeous church but half of it was under construction and the entire thing was fenced in. I'm not sure if there was an entrance, though I walked majority of the fence perimeter and saw nothing. I see little purpose for a big and beautiful church if not to worship in there - unless it's unsafe or something. I moseyed on down to the water where it was wide open with a few museums and monuments - downside to most of the big sites along my little personally guided tour - couldn't get into anything. museums, landmarks, churches you name it.the only thing I could go into was the notre dame de la garde church on the hill where you notice the gorgeous inside and the killer views on its terrace. definitely the highlight of the day seeing Marseille from an aerial view. downside? so windy I was almost blown off the terrace and tumbled down the hill. I cheated a little and took the bus up the hill, but i am thoroughly pleased with that decision. I walked down the hill and by the time I reached the port again my calves were shaking if I stopped walking LOL. 

after my walk down the hill, I sat in a wide open space near the main avenue by the metro entrance watching a few teen boys and a dad kick a soccer ball back and forth, and by kick I mean like a football punt pretty far away. the ball almost hit like 10 people, and it did make contact with about 4. it was hysterical to watch unfold so I stuck around for a while in the sunshine and was thoroughly entertained. I went back to the hostel. grabbed a bag and then went back out to monoprix to grab a few things for dinner and I just ate in the hostel. balling on a budget has been the name of the game all semester, but it's especially evident now as funds are wicked low. I showered and was in bed watching a movie by 10, asleep by 1 (which is pretty good for eurojules.. ask the girls) and slept much more soundly than Monday night so thumbs up for that.

BIG NEWS FRIENDS: someone asked me for directions. let that sink in.. ME! the blondie, for directions. I couldn't freakin help the gal because I'm not a local in Marseille but I was so excited and she was confused why I looked excited, and then said I'm sorry I don't know where that is. usually people know right away "oh, you're American." but directions?? who would ask the american for directions in Marseille? I am fist pumping this win after five months France has accepted me as its own. #blessed

 Wednesday I went to aix-en-Provence for the day, which was really lovely. Thursday I went to the bank in hopes of sorting out my french card not working, but of course that wasn't possible because the banking system here is heinous. they will only help you if that specific building is your branch and your agency. whereas, in the USA if I walked into any chase they would help me the same. in fact, they roll a red carpet out when you walk into a bank in the states but in France you're lucky if you get a second glance. attempt failed and feeling defeated, I made my way to the beach. successfully navigated another public transit (high five for the little wins) and the bus ride along the coast was just gorgeous. in the distance there was a yellow house, one I decided I'd gladly move into anytime soon. upon arrival I laid out my towel, put on some lotion and read for a bit. of course headphones were in, jamming away as well. I was entertained all day by little tots, dogs, and honestly adults just interacting. I stayed until about 515, made my way back to the port, stopped at monoprix for dinner, finally showered off all the sun & sand and realized I had burned to a total crisp. not at all surprising for me, especially as it's the first real sun I've seen all semester. Ibiza we had sunshine but it wasn't all that warm and the sun wasn't end-of-may strong just yet. so I am anxiously awaiting my arrival back into angers where I can buy aloe (because if I bought any today id have to throw it out because of security and their 100ml restrictions) so currently I'm radiating a crap ton of heat..

all in all, beautiful day on the beach to really finish up my time here in Marseille. I LOVED it, and will definitely be back so I can explore more in the city and additional beaches. France, you've officially stolen my heart and I am forever grateful.

cheers, jkro

aix-en-provence

I got upon Wednesday morning, had a little cereal downstairs in the hostel, threw on some makeup and some clothes (I scared everyone the night before. went downstairs to grab my fruit out of the fridge in my nightgown, Nike crew socks and tennis shoes. was NOT expecting a full kitchen of people hanging out but that's what I got.) I had checked the day before for trains to aix en Provence, and I was psyched because there were a ton of time options, they were cheap, and really quick.

after breakfast, I walked to the metro, reloaded my card, and hopped on. an older french man told me I had beautiful eyes, and then asked me to coffee. I was torn between being flattered and really freakin confused..

when I got to the station, an hour before the train I had planned to catch, I went to the desk to reload my card for the bus/shuttle to the airport for Friday. after I tried using my card to buy the train tickets, I realized reloading at the desk with cash was a power move because for some reason my french visa won't work today. I had mailed info to close the account, but not until next week and I definitely have plenty of funds in there so I am VERY put off by the card fiasco. thank g I bought the shuttle pass today, because there's no way there would be someone at the desk to accept cash on Friday morning at 5am.

because my card is packing a sad, I had to go to the sncf ticket counter where there was a substantial line. finally getting to the front, I asked for a round trip to aix en Provence, where she proceeded to show me like 3 options for the day (when there's usually 5 options an hour since its relatively close) because the french are striking - again. so trains are incredibly scarce, and I'm thankful I'm not training back to angers because the likelihood of that happening with the strike would be incredibly slim. so I had to wait about 2 hours for the train, that was double the initial price and double the time sitting on the train as well. trains don't bother me much, I just prefer to sit facing the direction the train is moving.

side note: train stations are so interesting. you are asked for money every few minutes, people try selling you random papers, birds are flying all over the place, people are running full speed (which can be humorous but only because we've all been there and it's really the worst) and some people sauntering around letting their children run loose like chickens. it's also impossible to eat healthy when you travel.. the jeans are snug not only because the french love their carbs, but also because airport and train station options are usually a baguette sandwich, McDonald's, or just snack foods. it's proven to be quite rough on the waistline lemme tell ya.

while waiting for the train, I popped into a bookstore. I asked (in french - as I always speak it when talking to any employee in this country) if they had any English books. I can understand the language but I really don't have a burning desire to struggle through a novel in french. I found one that looked pretty funny, a year in the life of a Brit who moved to Paris. I've been reading a few books on my iPad, but I like to leave that locked up in my bag because 1 its heavy and 2 I don't need to carry more valuables.

upon arrival, I found the tourism office (a real treasure to eurojules) got myself a map, and started my adventure around the city. only a few substantial landmarks to visit, so I made sure those were on my saunter around the city. it was gorgeous - very very similar to Italy architecture. it was quaint, small, and cozy. I picked up a few postcards for the collection along the way, but mostly I just walked along the streets. I stopped at a fountain (one of many - fountains are popular in aix) and read my book for a few minutes. the author had me chuckling which warranted a few looks from passerby. I snagged a pain au chocolat because the boulangerie smell was divine. it'll be one of my last.. now that is sad.

I went into a few shops close to the station, and time got away from me so I quickly hustled to the train station and hopped my train back to Marseilles. going to run to monoprix for a few things for dinner, maybe read some more on the port and head to bed. this whole tourist thing is tiring..

cheers, jkro

the week of walks & lasts

i was getting a little restless in my room studying earlier last week, and messaged the girls to see if they wanted to take a walk. sar and mary said they were going to walk to carmes by the river to study for econ. i figured why not go for the walk, so we moseyed our way down along the river and then stopped at a cafe while we waited for the econ people to show up. they had a glass of sauvignon for like 2.50 euros, so ry and i ordered a glass of that and mary and sar ordered a red. it was lovely, the weather was nice and just enjoying a little wine (and not studying, the best part) 

decided to take a walk/run solo because the sun was peeping out on Monday night. I walked across the bridge and kept straight, seeing the large campus of the hospital (hadn't realized how large it was.) I walked toward what I determined to be the chapel, and when I got to the top of the stairs I saw a dad and his two little girls playing hide and seek and running around. reminded me of dad with Tessie and I no doubt, but then I started thinking about why they were there. I hoped he was just taking them on a walk (mom and dad did that when we were small - so fun) and stopped to play, but I hoped wished and prayed that they weren't passing the time waiting for someone on the inside of the hospital doors. 

hol, ty, jibri, juan, sarah, kerst mary and i all went for a walk last week and were throwing ty's new rugby ball around. as fate would have it, it went bouncing into the river - one that isn't very clean and is definitely cold. the boys ran upstream to try to snag a boat (terrible idea, we know, but boys..) and we eventually were able to snah it on the other side of the river (photo below, directly behind us in those trees off the highway) and thank goodness because hol and ty had quite the mish trying to find a rugby ball to begin with. hol snapped a little photo shoot for the dayton girls, as it was the last time we'd all be together in angers. kerst left thursday, mary left for good friday morning with sarah, but sar is coming back and going to paris with me to fly home. holly and ty leave the 25th, so i have to do goodbyes with hol monday as i fly out for a quick trip to marseille.. yes everyone, it's going to be a rough one. stay tuned

so i've been wanting to get into the fountain by the bus stop, but the other night when we were walking home from our squad excursion, hol and i played what are the odds that i'd get into the fountain. we both kept saying different numbers, and i said screw it hol i'm going in. above is a picture of me standing in the center of the freezing cold fountain near our apartment. no time like the present to be silly, right?

a big group of us went out on thursday night, as a last hoorah, because quite a few faces would be leaving friday. we played a little flip cup taught ty how to play as the game was happening, told him what to do and to step in for me so he could play. "fill it, chug it, flip it, WIN TY." "ok no pressure or anything jules." LOL it was a blast. we all walked to a bar by Foch, danced the night away, and i managed to lose my footing getting down from dancing on a barrel with sarahjane, and about flipped backwards. luckily i half caught myself, and so did a few of the girls. hol was too busy cracking up to ask me if i was alright, but no fear i am alive and well. my thigh and backside are pretty black and blue - battle scars, amirite? nini and i were singing up a storm, threw back a few drinks and headed home. not without stopping for a kebab of course.. 

so there's a grocery store across from ESSCA, which is pretty much the only food option around school. we (pretty much the whole squad) have come to LOVE the baguette sandwiches they make - but they're only available from like noon to 12:45.. they go so quickly. they're fresh baguettes, and hol and i's favorite is the chicken lettuce and mayo. SO GOOD. well nini had never had one (loon) so she tried it and of course loved it. we conquered finals (or so we hope) and threw up the deuces to ESSCA on thursday, happy to never see it again - ever again. worst academic institution known to man

holly's corner: 

• wagged. meaning: skipping school  
• till. meaning: cash register  
• raw. meaning: intense
• dark about something. meaning: pissed, annoyed  
• packed a sad. meaning: being troublesome, throwing a tantrum
• skull it. meaning: chug it  

after everyone else took off, i had the weekend to myself with ty and hol. we made dinner a few nights, we went out for a walk during the day on saturday and saw the gay pride festival, as well as a ton of other people. we wanted to rent bikes to take them to the lake, but as luck (or french lifestyle) would have it, the bike rental place was closed. on a saturday. in may. WHY. so instead we walked around and saw a ton of hustle and bustle in the city. it's like the weather finally shapes up in angers and people come out of the woodwork and start living. we popped into one of our favorite boulangeries and their pain au chocolat was so fresh and incredible the three of us were swooning. we laid in the grass and giggled for a while, went home and had a lovely dinner together and ice cream (ty and i's favorite) afterward. cherishing my time with these two as goodbyes come tomorrow - and no way in hell am i ready for that. it's been a real blast seeing the two of them together, their love so evident and so kind. they take care of one another, and just play around like old pals. thank you, richard tyrone for sharing your incredible woman with me the last few months. looking forward to the wedding and all the big milestones to come for the two of you. cheers cheers cheers, love you both forever. 

off to marseille tomorrow for a few days - excited for maybe a beach and definitely a lot of sunshine as angers is back to it's good ol self with chilly and rainy weather. 9 days (single digits!!) left until eurojules is back on the home soil..

cheers, jkro