The Prince Charming

- category: poem/observation -

One last tribute to my memory of Italy trip. On one of my previous posts, I mentioned that I met a friend in Florence, right after I got robbed on the train. Well, he was very sweet and downright flirtatious with me the whole evening, and I sincerely enjoyed his company that night. He confessed that he fell for me that night (even though I still doubt if he really meant it) but I told him it was not meant to be. Still, here is a poem as a tribute for our encounter at Firenzi (Florence) that night. Once again, my Italy trip album can be found here.

I'm not a Cinderella
but a magical night
I did have,
when I met a Prince Charming

I'm not a Cinderella
but the night was magical
As we stared into the romantic glitters
that fell upon the night of Firenzi

I'm not a Cinderella
She did not eat pizza for dinner
and her prince did not flirst endlessly with her

I'm not a Cinderella
He's not my Prince Charming
He's too late but...
perhaps that night I wished I was...

I'm not your Cinderella
I lost my mind to someone else
and you're not my Prince Charming
Because my King is waiting for me
at the other side of the ocean

-fin-

Of Things Lost

- category: observation -

My process of mourning following the theft that occurred in Italy (I know, it takes a while to let go - I've been whining about this) and trying to let go. But just now (December 3), I received the news that my grandma passed away...Such a wonderful woman; I am proud to be one of her grandchildren. I hope she can be proud of me too. Rest in peace, grandma, say hi to grandpa for me.


For a moment,
let me soak in my despair
lament of things lost
over the three sunsets

The horror and trembles
forgiven not forgotten,
relieved but bitter.

So pray....calm down...
..then let go.

But wait...
For a moment, remind me
of the times we were together
over thousands of sunrise

The smiles and gentle caresses
cherished not forgotten,
remembered but bitter.

So pray....pray some more...
...then let go.


-fin-

Notes:
The picture was taken at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France (the famous cemetery where famous people like Chopin, Haussman, Isadora Duncan, Jim Morrison rest). My visit to this cemetery was brief, but this cemetery was really peaceful and calm. OK, perhaps a bit eerie if you walk down the huge complex by yourself, but that was not the case. The complete album is accessible here.

Until next time...

Things that are hard to get over with in Europe..

1) Easy Europe travel & train strike in Paris

OK, compared to US, it is very easy to travel across Europe via train. For non-Europe residents, Eurail is a great deal to travel (and InterRail for Europe residents. Check those two websites for more information and feel free to drop me a comment if you need more convincing about Eurail. I'll give you one right now: monthly train RER/bus/Metro pass in Paris is 104.45 Euros for Zone 1 - 5, whereas 2-month Eurail pass that's valid for all public transportation in 18 European countries costs 798 Euros.

HOWEVER! Living in Paris gives its diadvantage when there is train strikes. People said it doesn't happen often but apparently I did experience it. During the strike, basically you don't know when or whether a bus, a metro, or a train operates. Of course you can consult RATP, but sometimes it only gives you "suggestions" instead of facts on the public transportation condition. For me, since ESSEC is located at Cergy (Zone 5), traveling from Paris (Zone 1) to Cergy took me at least 2 hours during the strike. And it's not straightforward route either. When I normally only do 1-2 train transfers, I have to do 3-5 train transfers during the strike, depending whether the train is going to their initial destination or stopping somewhere along the route. One word about train strike in Paris: TROUBLESOME. Waiting 30 minutes for a train that's unsure to come? Oui, c'est normal!

A picture of how waiting 25 minutes for a train that doesn't even its doors when it comes like:


2) People's craziness with Nutella

Nutella wasn't a new brand for me at all; I've known it since I was little. I never necessarily favored or hated the brand, it's just...there. But nutella is such a crazy thing here. I ate crepes a lot, and nutella is a must ingredient for making a chocolate crepe. And now I'm falling victim to the nutella-worshipping cult. Look at these pictures if you don't believe me how awesome nutella is.

The 5 kg nutella jar in Naples, Italy:



nutella in Chocolate Museum, Cologne, Germany:




3) Church issues:

The churches here are very gorgeous, it's almost a crime how gorgeous they are. However, unfortunately for many of them, they failed to make me feel more religious. Many of them become tourist sites, where people pouring in, being loud sometimes, pointing and "ooh-aah"ing, buying souvenirs, and other touristy things.

Many of them also do not know church rules and how people should behave whenever there's a mass (or other sacraments) going on, so perhaps that's why churches have hefty, mafia-looking security guards. They would stop you if they think you break the rules (if the sign says "No pictures", then it means ABSOLUTELY NO PICTURES). They would prevent you from going to places preserved for prayers (such as cripts and sometimes, the altar), and sometime they even replace the altar boys. In Rome, Italy, I was surprised to see the priests accompanied by a security guard to enter and leave the St. Maria Maggiore Church. A very interesting sight, I must say.

The last thing about church issues is that there is seldom a kneeling pad. There are kneeling wooden plank, but don't expect them to be cushy like I am used to in US. I learned it the hard way. Ouch! And some churches don't even have the wooden plank, so you have to kneel on the floor. God have mercy.

4) Thiefry in Italy

As much as I wanted to refute this and said something otherwise, the fact is my luggage got stolen in a train from Rome to Florence in Italy. Those thiefs have skills and I encountered at least 3 people in Rome who had their stuff stolen from them while they walked around. Some people said those thiefs would watch you for some time first to see whether you're vulnerable or not, then decide to rob you if you fall to the first category. Well, whatever, just be EXTREMELY careful in Italy (no matter where you are) and keep your belongings close to you, especially if you travel alone like I was. This is quite a pity since I actually love Italy a lot...I wish I can enjoy it with my guard set at "medium-high security" and not at "maximum security".

6) Different versions of keyboards

I love English keyboard. I did not realize it until I go to Europe. France has its own keyboard version where they jumble the letters around, Italy probably has it too (I am not sure; I was distracted by the thiefry), Germany has one. Gods, I am close to having a carpal tunnel from using a French keyboard for a day!
Here's a picture of German keyboard:



7) Toilet problems

No, it's not that you have to use plunger all the time, but I was sure was confused when I saw a "bidet" for the first time. I wasn't sure what it's for. And trust me, it's not a toilet. It's for...uh...cleaning your private parts. OK, moving on.

Also in Germany, many public toilets require you to pay, typically 50 cents. While it's generally well-maintained, it is still quite a pain (for me) to dig down my pockets for some change whenever nature calls.

Don't expect to always see paper napkins, too. France uses rolling cloth towel or blow-dry after you wash your hands, Germany and Italy generaly uses blow-dry. I might be wrong, but I had some difficulties finding paper napkins.

- that's it for now -