Did I Mention My Life is a Roller Coaster?

 July 9, 2013. 3:05pm.

You would think things would have started feeling normal, I'd have gotten a little more used to my life, and it wouldn't be every single day I feel like weird crazy things happen to me. But nah.

It's 3:10pm on Tuesday now. Which means I have work in less than 3 hours. I'm a little overwhelmed about the thought of writing everything about the past two days...but I'll first give a very brief overview.

Sunday night: I talked to mom and dad, who suggested all kinds of things I could do over my weekend. Mom suggested Paris, but I was pretty turned off the idea of doing anything.

Monday morning: woke up pretty late, biked into Vernon and explored the town.

Monday noon: went to a little café and met this really friendly French woman who helped me decide what to order, gave me a taste of her beef tartar, and gave me her number and email address. She has a car, so it's easy for her to get around and could maybe get me from my place. She lives in a hotel and suggested we play tennis there sometime or something. She speaks English though we still spoke mostly French. She's here for a month because of work. I'm really excited about the prospect of getting together with her sometime :)

Monday afternoon: I ended up decided to go to Paris. Yep. So I bought round trip tickets for 21 euros total...not bad! I left at 2:45, arrived to the Paris station at around 3:40, and my return train was to leave Paris at around 8:20.

Paris: I ended up pretty much wandering the whole time. I knew I wanted to relax in Luxembourg gardens so I metro-ed there immediately, but just explored the streets for a couple hours before even going to the gardens. I went to a little organic epicerie (basically a little grocery store), got two chocolate bars, and asked about cheap places to stay in Paris. Yeah, I thought about staying overnight in Paris since work Tuesday doesn't start until evening. But they said everything is very expensive, I could look on this site called tripadvisor. Yeah, I know about that...I'm pretty sure I'm better at finding accommodations than them I decided. But I didn't have internet and it just seemed maybe a little too last minute. So I wanted more, got a macaroon and tiny bit of chocolate from this chocolate shop - I just had to go in because it was a chocolate shop me and Adrienne went to last year!!! I also got a little cup of ice cream from Amorino - half yogurt and half Nocciola. Jeezus, yeah I guess I did eat a lot of sweets...sorry mom. But I didn't actually each the chocolate bars, so just the ice cream, a macaroon, and a couple bites of chocolate. And then a yogurt later. While exploring Paris I saw so many things that excited me because I've been there with other people: I went by La Petite Suiss, the cute little café Hobbs took me to. I passed by Le Comptoir and this other nearby restuarant, both of which I went to with Adrienne (Adrienne, I took pictures so I could send them to you and see if you remember!) The other one (not Le Comptoir) was I think the first restaurant we ate at in France - I remember it was FREAKING good - when we went there we talked about how there really was something special about how the French cook.. Le Compoir was the place where they have really good green beans, and we asked for a separate order but they were out I think. I stopped by a phone place to see about getting one. It would be $40 for the phone itself (with the annoying, simple kind of dialpad - they said they can't put a new SIM card in my phone), and $30 per month for unlimited texting and calls within France. Maybe that's a good option...but I am thinking if I can just get data on my phone now then I can use WhatApp. French is hard enough to speak, harder by far to type in, and even worse with a bad dialpad.. :/

So then I hung out in Luxembourg Gardens, just lying on the grass and listening to the various French and American groups of friends around me, talking, drinking, playing charades. I thought about trying to find people to befriend or something. But to be honest, the groups around me seemed kind of not thrilling. It was enjoyable to relax there and people-spy though. I left in order to get a small bite to eat before my train. I am so bad at decisions it's not even funny. I spend the longest time walking back and forth around all the restaurants. Eventually I sat down at one, and then snuck out because I decided against it. Jeezus. Then I finally made a decision which I think ended up being the worst. I got a salad and it just wasn't that great. Damn it. Lol. Oh well. It was fine.

Monday Journey Back to Giverny: This is where the nightmare started. I got back to the Paris station with plenty of time til 8:20. But on the timetable there were no more trains listed as going to Vernon. Wtf. So I ask the information center, who says I can take the 8:13 train to Mante La Jolie, and then from there a train goes to Vernon 10 minutes after I get there. And I would arrive at like 9:10 in Vernon. Perfect, that's probably what I was looking for. The gate isn't up yet - it's like 8:00. I went to the little monoprix right next to the gates, and buy myself this cute jar of nocciola yogurt. I really liked jarred yogurts. They're really cute. It's like 8:07 and I hear an announcement about the train to Manta La Jolie. I ask at information and they tell me to go to gate 20. I didn't understand what else she said, but I'm assuming it was that the train was delayed - because the new departure time was like 8:20 or something. I try not to think about my connection. Well, I take the train, run out when we get to Mante La Jolie, and sure enough, missed the train to Vernon. Freaking out a little, I ran to the information room where the guy was just locking the door. NO! He saw my frantic face and asked me what I needed, and then told me (as well as all the other crowded around people at this point) that buses go to Vernon at the other side of the station. So I start going over there, then start running because there's a bus  already there and everyone's running. Well, the bus is not going to Vernon. And the next one that does leaves in an hour and a half...uuughhh. Soooo I walk around this little town. Which is not a cute town, seems pretty darn sketch, most things are closed, and the people still out are just dudes who I think started hitting on me. Anyway, I found a little food store thing - not a very nice one, but whatever. I got a four pack of regular yogurts. And I got three cans of vegetables - green beans, carrots, mushrooms.

Then i left the store and made the acquaintance of an Italian/Moroccan drug dealer named Youness. He gave me his number, we chatted for a little...my bus came in like 20 minutes so what else was I to do. He was more than friendly enough and seemed pretty harmless. He wanted me to go out, not take this bus, etc. So I missed the bus and stayed with him. Just kidding. I left to go to the bus. He asked when we were going to meet again, and as I was leaving he said various things including "call me baby!" Right before getting on the bus I opened my canned vegetables. I opened the mushrooms first. I had a bite, wanted to barf, and threw away the rest. Next, the green beans. They were a little better and I ate several bites before realizing they were really shitty too. The carrots were last, and I had a few of those, but then realized, what am doing?? When buying them, I thought - oh I'm being so good, getting vegetables as my snack! But why was I eating disgusting canned vegetables??? Ugh. I ate my noccolia yogurt which was pretty disappointing too actually.

On the bus a took out a piece of gum and a dude across the aisle asked for one, so I gave it to him. I asked if the final stop what Vernon, he said yes, and then we started chatting. I was so exhausted my French was even worse than usual. But he was really into me, that part I got easily enough. He is a plumber, comes from Lille, but is here because there's work here - he likes it here though. He gave me his name and number (his name is Juba) and told me if I needed anything at all to call him. He tried to plan a time to meet me, and asked for where I worked so he could come to the restaurant at least and see me there. I did not tell him the name of the restaurant. He told me "tu me plait" or "you please me", that my eyes are savage like his, that I'm sexy, and that my body is really nice. I was kind of happy when he got off. Well I finally did make it to Vernon. It was about a half hour bus ride. So I got to Vernon at about 11 instead when I was supposed to, at 9:10. Then I had to bike back. Ugh. It's like 4 km away, so not that bad, but not what you feel like doing along a dark deserted rode at 11pm. Some police stopped next to me at some point and said my back light wasn't on. Whoops. I also kinda broke the front light - it still worked kinda but you have to hold the front on/it's basically just falling off. I'll buy a new one (I finally bought a bike lock for it in Vernon today).

Tying To Sleep: Well I got back and skyped with my family which was so nice. Then I hung up and tried to sleep, but I was absolutely freezing. I wanted to take a bath but we just have a shower. So I took a shower and then just sat on the shower floor while running hot water over myself. I must have been in the shower for at least 45 minutes I think. Every time I ran water over my body, my legs started freezing, every time I ran it over my legs, my body started freezing. Finally I got out, but on my pjs and a pair of socks, and got into bed. I felt warm better (though I had a mild headache) and I fell asleep. Just to wake up again at 4:30am. Only this time, I had a throbbing headache, I was covered in sweat, I felt thirsty and feint, and I wasn't sure whether I was hot or cold. I got up and hobbled to the bathroom to drink water from the sink. I was glad I made it there because I kind of crashed into the wall and door on the way, and felt pretty close to feinting or falling because my legs wanted to give out. I went back to my bad and collapsed diagonally, face down on my mattress. I just lay there for a little while, and then leaned down to open my computer, relieved that it was like 8:30 Califlornia time because mom and dad were on skype. So I called them and was so happy they picked up. I think I looked like a disaster. I had the computer on the floor, facing up to my head hanging over the edge of the bed. My family is so incredible. Even from across the Earth they're so comforting and loving. I couldn't talk much because I felt so awful. But I told them what was going on, etc. My mom started talking to me soothingly, about massaging my head, giving me imagery of how she always takes care of me at home when I'm sick. It really was calming. I could just imagine her scratching my head, massaging my pressure points, sitting in my bed with me. Nathan came home at some point. This was the first time I'd seen or even talked to him since leaving home. Not the state of mind I would have liked to be in...but he was so great. My brother can seem kind of tough sometimes, but he has such a good heart. He talked to me some, I asked him a couple questions and talked a little too. Then he started reading me poems and stories. He first read my Benjamin Jones. I think they weren't sure if I was asleep, but asked if I wanted a story. I said yeah, I would love one - and then said that I might not respond for awhile even if I'm still awake, but I would love if you still read a little after, and then stayed on the line after they were done reading because I might still be awake, I just couldn't really talk. So Nathan started reading the Duchess Bakes a Cake. I don't know what happened after he started reading it. I would assume he finished, but I don't remember anything further than the fact that he was reading me The Duchess Bakes a Cake. I remember him reading something to me, so I get I made it into the first page. But it was like magic. Like I said, my family members are the most incredible people I know.

Tuesday: So I woke up a couple times today. And went back to sleep a couple time today. I think I woke up and went back to sleep at around 9:30, then around 11, and then around 1...before finally waking up at 2:30 and deciding I'd slept enough. One of the times thought I kind of rolled over and then heard my computer hit the ground. Fuck. Good thing this bed is really low to the ground..I think it's fine though...thank god. But wow. What a day. I think I slept almost 13 hours...wow. So I woke up for real at 2:30, and then watched an episode of Modern Family :) What would I do without you, Modern Family? It's really amazing how perfectly it serves me as an escape from stress, exhaustion, and brain activity. I just zone out, don't have to think (which is just such a well needed break from having to think so hard to understand every sentence that's said to me during the day in French), and thoroughly amuse myself watching. I was pretty terrified that I was going to run out, and when I tried to download things before from a café, it didn't work at all..! But with the internet now working at the house, I was able to download (very, very slowly) Modern Family Season 2!!!! Yay :)

Well it's 4:15 now. Work starts in less than two hours. I still feel kind of tired but that's probably just because I've slept so much. I still have a mild headache, but feel pretty much fine. I'm also hot, but I think this time it's actually hot for real. I'm starving. I haven't eaten for awhile so I guess that makes sense. (I almost just spelled that "since" and then was glad I caught myself so that Maya wouldn't catch me making such a mistake... :P ) I think I'm going to take two more ibuprofen and eat a little bit. Maybe some quail eggs. Thinking about canned vegetables makes me want to throw up.

Lots of Love,

Monisha