Day 5 in Europe (Paris)

Went to see the Eiffel Tower this morning. Had no intention to actually go up the tower (queues etc, you'll notice I don't handle sights very well) but figured it was the most recognizable landmark in Paris, so why not? Anyway, as expected, by the time the viewing platform was opened the line was waaaaay too long, but it was ok as I ran into another expat kiwi and we hung out for a bit.

Afterwards I walked through 7e, 6e, 5e arrondissements. It's my favorite part of traveling really, wandering semi-aimlessly through various places and today I discovered almost by accident l'Hôtel des Invalides, le Jardin de Luxembourg, and le Panthéon.

M11 went on sale, but Paris seems to be missing decent games stores - found a couple, one didn't allow for playing and the other was cramped and hot. Add to that my complete lack of knowledge of MTG-related French and I decided the best play was probably to take a siesta at the hotel.

Random remark about the city: why aren't there more traffic accidents? Most of the multi-lane roads aren't marked with multiple lanes, and often this happens at roundabouts. On top of that, if you're on a roundabout you have to give way to those entering. I would not be able to drive here without going insane!

I took one final walk along the entirety of the Champs-Elysées. It's a very long walk but the view from either end is amazing! Ah well, I think I've done my share of sightseeing now. One day left and I still need to do some shopping. Time sure flies!

Day 4 in Europe (Paris)

Headed to the Louvre early today! Though the intention was to avoid the crowds, it probably wasn't necessary as it seems to be a lot less packed when it isn't free entry (14 juillet).

The place is huge! Well obviously, everyone says so. But I had my preconceptions about what 'huge' entails. I don't think you can really understand the scope of the place until you're there; let's just say that I didn't really stop moving to admire certain pieces of art, and I skipped most of hr Denon wing, and it still took a good six hours to get through.

Yep, I'm all museum'd out, and I've only been to one!

At night went looking for some Chinese food via l'Arc de Triomphe. Managed to get in a couple of nice photos before it got dark (this was at 9pm).

Then started my food-finding mission down the Champs-Elysées. No luck. Ended up at Belleville, the 'new Chinatown' to finally find some decent Chinese food. I'm amazed at how difficult it was to find! By the time I got home it was midnight. So yeah, late dinner heh.

I'd have to say that discovering the room of Rubens' artworks for Mairie de Medicis was the highlight of the day; can't think of any low points!

Day 3 in Europe (Paris)

While I was planning my trip I had thought that being in Paris during the Fête Nationale was a great idea. The truth is, it really isn't!

Parade and fireworks aside (neither of which I am a fan of) the day is defined by an almost toxic concentration of American and Chinese tourists at the Champs-Élysées, Musée du Louvre, Cathedrale de Notre Dame, and essentially every place that's open. It seems even more potent than normal because the locals clearly were smarter than I and stayed home instead.

So anyway after my escapades the night before resulting in a substantial lack of sleep, I unwisely decided to go see what the défilé militaire was all about. I expected the crowds to be huge and he weather report predicted rain, and neither the heavens nor the other million or so people disappointed. Still, I had to go for the experience and I suppose at the very least I saw live the aircraft set the tone of the parade. I did leave early before it started raining hard, and happily watched the remainder of the parade on tv. Smart me :)

After a post-parade nap the skies were clear and I went to explore the Louvre and Notre Dame, and the queues were a bit long so I retired early. At night I watched French Big Brother and a new show that was similar to the Amazing Race, while it decided to rain again. This weather sure is confusing!

Day 2 in Europe (Paris)

Wow, I knew my French was lacking but never realized fully the extent until I tried speaking to someone who didn't speak a word of English. It's not the reading or writing or speaking that gets me, it's when they speak at a blistering pace and I can't keep up!

On my way to Montmartre there was a busker on the metro, which I found to be appropriate and yet reminiscent of NY.

The Sacre-Coeur was a bit underwhelming, but the location certainly made up for it. Paris is a rather flat city, so up in the bohemian Montmartre you get the best wonderful panoramic views.

I briefly strayed into the red-light district of Pigalle (I always seem to run into these places wherever I go) but like all the others I found it to be a depressing place to be.

I also explored Paris's old 'Chinatown' way down in the 13e, and I must admit I was rather disappointed. Firstly the wide Parisian streets just doesn't play well into my idea of Chinatowns, and secondly it was more Vietnamese than Chinese! Makes sense given France's history in Asia, but still...

At night there was a free Concert de la Diversité and the atmosphere was great (a mostly well-behaved crowd, something you don't get in Australia) but unfortunately I was only familiar with maybe three songs, so it wasn't that great for me personally.

After midnight I had some nighttime fun, which I won't go into detail here but it was definitely the highlight of my day!

The low point of my day was when I was in Chinatown and realizing that I was most certainly in the minority, not only for my Asian-ness but also for being Chinese. Imagine that!

By the way, I do have pics but I can't load them via iPhone so they'll have to wait!

Day 1 in Europe (Paris)

Blog's been dead for a while now, I know, but what better way to restart it than posting about my Europe trip? So here goes, taken from my iPhone notes:

Much fun, with a few embarrassing moments! Nothing in Paris comes with a sound! Kept swiping my weekly metro pass only to realise that it worked the first time.

Took a few trips on the metro. Walked everywhere, didn't take many photos because my hair was awful and all these sights were out of bounds due to prep for Bastille day. Scouted out Marais and Beauborg for possible night time fun.

Low point of the day was having some chick trying to scab money off me and then trying to pickpocket me. I owned her good but she was awful at what she was doing. I should look out in case I come across someone more proficient.
 
Highlight of the day was walking out front of Centre Pompidou and watching all these awesome performers do their thing.

Very hot and quite a humid day too. Retiring early, very tired after the flight!

Signing in to say that:

1) The 10-10-5 result of Tasmania's state election is quite impressive in demonstrating the power of a preferential open-list system at work. Not only is the ratio pretty close to the overall primary vote, but a bunch of sitting Labor MPs were defeated by members of their own party. Seems fair to me.

2) The third gender, irregular plural forms, and too much conjugation is making German difficult to learn. Makes French seem like child's play.

3) I posted this on my Facebook already, but in my opinion, Green Zone is fail. I don't know why I didn't watch Hurt Locker instead.

Signing out.

What I've been watching

Some of my brief thoughts....

The Wolfman

This is mediocre in every aspect. The acting wasn't lacking but it's not going to win awards. The visual effects were sometimes good and at other times awful - lol @ costumes especially. The plot was done to the classic horror/thriller formula which fulfilled requirements but simply wasn't memorable. etc. etc.

District 9

Novel concept, decent graphics, brings up a bunch of touchy race-relation concepts but then fails to adequately address them in a really shallow storyline. It's a fun enough film but I'm not sure it's really satisfying. I also thought the whole humanoid insect thing was a bit weird and awkward because I wasn't sure if it was intended to be funny. I'd probably class this in the "watch for entertainment only" category.

Zodiac

As far as biopics can be riveting (see Milk), this is the exact opposite. A story that could've gone the thriller route instead gets driven into the ground by a plot that takes far too long to resolve. Skip this.

Shelter

Out of all the gay-themed movies I've watched, this one sticks out the most because it's a coming out story where the main conflict doesn't derive from coming out. I found the whole movie absolutely charming; the acting, the plot, the art, the music. Totally watchable even if you're not specifically looking for a gay film.

Were the World Mine

I've been watching some really great gay-themed films and this is another. It's not quite a musical but some of the pieces are great. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a classic, and this take on it is a whole lotta fun. Meaningless fun, but fun nonetheless. Loved it but probably intended for a queer-friendly audience ;)