''Everybody Poops'' & ''The Engagement Story''

For anybody abnormally sqeamish, you might want to skip the first section of this blog posting. Although, it is hilarious.

After dinner, we got on the metro toward the Latin Quarter. We had to switch at Chatelet, which is the biggest, craziest metro station in Paris. The first time I ever went there, I almost cried, it was confusing and there were quite a few crazies. Well at 11:30 p.m. on a Saturday night, the crazies were out in fine form.

We were walking along minding our own business when this man jumps (literally) out in front of us, arms spread, singing, I'm flying!!! We laugh and try to move around him which was not an easy feat considering we were on a narrow platform. Apparently, he took a liking to us and decided to accompany us on the 15 minute journey from our line 7 train to the line 4 train (I repeat...these underground metro stations are huge). We quickly concede that, although, slightly crazy, he is harmless. So we laugh along as he tells us (in a quite mumbly, slurred voice) how he is Jamaican but lives in Paris and wants to sing us songs. So between swigs of beer, he sings showtunes and some tunes that were not quite as recognizable. As long as he kept to his own personal space, we were ok. THEN, he leaned in and touched Brittany's cheek with his grimy fingers. It was around that point that we decided to bid Mr. Crazy adieu and make a break for line 4. He waved goodbye for a full 5 minutes, watching us walk down the platform...sweet really.

We got on the metro train, and inspected Brit's face, remarking how he probably has some un-appetizing bodily fluids on his hands. Brittany, calm at that moment, says, ''well, everybody poops!'' However, one of us countered, ''not everyone has Hepatitis B.'' Fortunately, Erin had an anti-bacterial baby wipe in her purse and we were able to clean the offensive bacterias off Brit's face before we arrived in the Latin Quarter.

In the Latin Quarter, we took Missy and Erin to our favorite piano bar with our friendly bartenders, Takis and Ali. Well, the second we walked in everybody started shushing us. We made our way to our table and soon realized everyone was incredibly quiet because the guy on stage was about to propose to his girlfriend. It was one of the sweetest things I have ever witnessed, and we all had tears in our eyes before our first glasses of wine arrived. When the engagement event was over, we settled in for some drinking and fun. We were seated next to a couple of Brits, two guys, Dan and Ed, and a very drunk girl, Becca, who kept stealing the pictures off the walls. Along with the songs and the crowd, they were lots of fun and kept us entertained for awhile. Apparently, we were having too much fun as one of the (had to be) Parisien girls next to us kept shushing us...in...a...bar! It never ceases to amaze me!

When the bar closed, Takis and Ali recommended a good late-night crepe restaurant where we could sit and eat our crepes rather than standing and devouring them on a street corner. Takis and Ali joined us after they closed down the bar and we commenced our late-night eating, Parisien style. Luckily the waiters were patient when we decided it was the perfect opportunity to teach Missy and Erin all the bad French words...

Missy, Erin and I woke up quite tired Sunday morning, but after eating brunch in the Marais, proceeded to Versailles to learn about Marie Antoinette and her extravagancies. Sunday was quite the day of eating. We stopped at a cafe near Versailles for a snack, then went to McDonalds for another snack so they could have the French McDonalds experience (not the best experience since it was packed and they decided to close the bathrooms to clean them for an hour!). After resting at my apartment for a few hours, we headed out for their last dinner in Paris. It was only appropriate that I took them to Odeon, where we dined at a cafe right next to Snack Time. They finally got to eat their steak and frites (big in Paris) and drink their French chocolat chaud. And of course, I capped off their trip by taking them to Snack Time for cookies.

Thanks for visiting girls!


MISSY'S PERSPECTIVE: My first time… in Paris!

So, Michelle has asked that I write a “guest blog entry” to add to her Paris blog site. I am definitely not a captivating writer nor have I ever had a desire to “blog” about anything, but for Michelle, I will give it a try.

When I heard Michelle had scored an awesome rotational assignment in Paris for four months, I was totally jealous! But soon I realized that I too could benefit from her good fortune. Not only could I visit Michelle in Paris, but I would get a free place to stay and a free French-speaking tour guide (thank you, Michelle)!!! At that point, I called my mom to brag that I was going to Europe for the first time. Ten minutes later, my older sister, who lives 800 miles away from me, called to say that mom told her I was going to Paris, and she wanted to see if she could tag-along. I was really excited to have someone to sightsee with me during the day while Michelle was at work, so of course, she could come.

After thanking Michelle profusely for letting us visit, we bought our tickets and were off to see Paris. We took the overnight flight and landed in Paris at 8am. Michelle was at work, so we picked up her keys and went straight to her apartment. It was so cute, but I never imagined it would be so tiny. I thought DC apartments were small! But it was really compact and fit her needs. I was shocked that the toilet was in a separate location than the bathroom. In order to wash your hands after using it, you had to leave the little toilet room, walk across the living room and enter the bathroom. Very strange and makes me wonder about Parisian hand-sanitation…

After our first Parisian lunch, which proudly we were able to order all by ourselves, and a nice nap to get rid of jet lag, Michelle came home from work and took us sightseeing. The city was so beautiful, and the food we had that night was yummy with the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had! After our first night, we began three days of whirlwind sightseeing during the day and hanging out with Michelle and her friends at night. Of course, we ate till it hurt and then would get Nutella and banana crepes to add to the misery! Michelle was so gracious in hosting us and her friends were very welcoming! One night, she threw a dinner party, and then the next night, she took us to a house party! We went to dinner at a fancy restaurant one night and to a classic French place another. Thank goodness for her friends, as the menus were all in French! The duck confit was yummy, and now I can say I’ve had something that they make on Top Chef!

On Saturday, Michelle and Brittany took us to the flea market and around the city. On Sunday, Michelle took us to brunch and then Versailles. Of course, we went out every evening. During our adventures, we certainly had some hilarious moments. One of the funniest was the time a homeless man with really dirty hands touched Brittany’s face. We all laughed at her reaction when she realized the she probably had poop on her face!!! Another hilarious moment was when my sister asked Michelle for her laundry soap. It was at that point that Michelle realized she had been “washing” her clothes for two months with only fabric softener.

We also had some misadventures as well. The first night, we blew up the air mattress we brought to sleep on only to have the air pump start smoking before it filled the mattress. We had to use a hairdryer for the rest of the time and the mattress never actually got full. And, of course, when you put sisters together for 24 hours a day for 7 days, tensions rise. My sister and I had a few spats that poor Michelle had to witness. I could tell she felt pretty awkward at times! Sorry Michelle!!

Over all, it was a great trip. I loved the city and the people. Other than a few rude waiters, everyone was really nice and helpful. Michelle and her friends were great hosts, and it was obvious they were really enjoying their time in Paris. Thank you, Michelle, for everything. It was a trip I will always remember.