jeremy

Today I am making a salute to our BNP Paribas worker, Jérémy. We don’t know his surname, or anything else about him, but he’s awesome. At the beginning of our school year he was the guy that opened our accounts, and we think that we were his first clients. He was really nervous and fumbly with everything; but Ginette and I are basically just fighting over who was making him uncomfortable. Money is on me, because I have that affect on a large number of people, surprisingly.

Anyways, I ran into him a few weeks ago at Esplanade, because that’s where he lives I find out, and he acutally remembered my name, and not Ginettes. Take that skanky bitch; mwahaha. I win. Now I would normally ask for money, but since you are broke and always asking to borrow money from me that you won’t ever return, (ie. that 20€ at the beginning of the year) I expect nothing from you. I’ll just gloat in your face, or your psycik presence whilst you are in Berlin. He wants me and not you; na-na-na-na-boo-boo!

Anyways, on a happier note the photo above was taken at Christmas and has been on Facebook for awhile. I promised myself I had to get a picture of the one we were stalking, so I did and now its on my blog. Go me! I freaking rock.

After today I am at a loss for words with many things. I frankly just don’t know what to think or feel about hobos anymore. I’ve had good experiences, I’ve had bad experiences, but all in all the experiences have been more eye-opening than anything. Hobos are in every major city, and even in smaller towns. A hobo, by unofficial definition (at least for me) is someone who wanders or lives on the street and dresses (generally) poorly, and begs for money or food. There is a fine line between a beggar and a hobo, but I don’t really want to get into a debate about it all at this point in my life.

Anyways, the day started at 06.00 becasue I had to get an early start on doing the laundry. I was surprised to find out that people were doing laundry before me. What are they crazy? I thought I was crazy waking up at that hour when the garbage men aren’t even out, but especially on a Friday when all French students go home to their parent’s house, and I would assume could take their laundry home with them. Apparently I’m wrong, but no matter, I was able to purchase a ticket for 4€ bloody much money! The woman was in a bitchy mood as always, but I think I made he smile when I couldn’t figure out how to start the machine. I had to ask her to help and after a huge sigh like it was the end of the world to get off her fat ass, she said “Ugh, Je viens” and then came and showed me. So I went back to bed and set the timer on my mobile so that I could wake up, and then Í ran down to put into the dryer which was a bit more straight forward. but by this time we were getting close to my 10.30 class, so I was panicing. Eventually I took it out at about 20 past 10.00 and threw it in my room and ran to class (and was still late).

Class was interesting as we had oral presentations, and I was clearly the best as most people can’t even pronouce the words. I wish I could be moved up in a group or something, but at the same time I like the people in my group as they are really funny, and generally really nice. I got to pretend that I was some Swiss Francophone guy named Nils who is torn between being French speaking, living in Alcase where they only speak German. It was interesting, but my masculine / feminine forms was the only problem, Alain (my teacher) told me. I don’t understand why he insists we call him Alain, but still insists on vous-voyezing each other for ‘practice.’ I don’t need practice for that as I’m always vous-voyezing everyone anyways, so it’s just the rest of the world that’s screwed up. Anyways, he’s really just like a student who speaks French really well, but he’s been wearing the same outfit all week, which is a bit weird, but who notices besides me?!

(more…)

After classes on Tuesday, which lasts forever we met this guy Nic from California who seemed interested to hang out with us, and after Ginette rode his bike home, and we were talking about how we were going to a theater presentation thing, he joined us. I think he might have even been fishing for an invitation, and then took the invitation as an invitation to a date, because when he showed up he was dressed to the nines and looked to kill. No matter, we all had fun, and the next day I had off so I went to the mall and did some other stuff. This Nic character seems to be popping up all the time, because we were walking back from the bookstore and he called my mobile asking if I wanted to go to the mall, which was eerie becasue I was going there anyways. So Beckie and I met up with him and we went over to the mall, and once again he was dressed like he had something to prove for some reason.

No matter, Beckie was being indecicive and annoying so I ditched her after she felt guilty, and I went to H&M with Nic to buy socks, only socks, and he insists they are from H&M. I didn’t ask, and then he went to buy his Speedo for swimming reasons (or something along those lines), and again I didn’t ask. He’s a bit odd, but he’s super nice and cool to have around. Then on top of that, he asks if I wanna go dancing to the Salamander that night, and I said sure cause I was bored senseless and I didn’t have any homework at all. So I called Ginette and she reluctantly agreeded, but I told her that I wasn’t going if she wasn’t because I didn’t want to get ditched, which I knew I would be.

So we were supposed to meet Nic outside our residence at 22.00 but Ginette was making plans to go to Greece, and I was being a loser and showering getting ready for going out, and as soon as I walk out of the shower Nic sends me an SMS telling me he’s downstairs waiting for me. I literally yell out ‘MERDE’ and run into my room to get dressed and ready. So I prepared myself, but I realized my jeans were having a ‘wardrobe malfunction’ and for some reason I really wanted to look half decent, so I somehow managed to get it into control and then I ran downstairs to meet him. Ginette calls me and tells me she will be 45 mins, so I tell that to Nic and he rides around on Buddy Eli’s longboard for the next while and I tell him that I’ll ‘brb’ and run back upstairs to reapply all clothing and get it sorted. All in all, jeans are too big and too long and I need to shrink them. Apparently size 28 isn’t small enough, which in my opinion is sick, but oh welll. In any case, pins, belt, and a little bit of tape kept the outfit together for the evening and frankly I looked hot. Nice jeans, a nice new black shirt I bought, and I was totally hot. Anyways, I run back downstairs and feel sooo guilty for keeping him, but he seemed amused with his stuff, and then Ginette comes out and we get lost going to the disco.

(more…)

BNP Paribas sucks, we went there and Jeremy was waiting for Ginette, and hopped up quicker than I’ve ever seen anyone jump up before in my life! It was really cute, and then he got her to sign some stuff and gave her some stuff also, plus I had to cash some travelers cheques (the woman got confused). Plus Ginette was too chicken shit to ask out Jeremy to show us around or anything, so I was sour all day. I wanted to make new friends and she just bitched at me about being awkward and such, but we were dressed nice and ready to impress.

Then we went to IKEA, and I bought a lot of things. Useful things, very very useful things, and that’s alwasy a positive note! We looked around and then I saw the most amazing thing; a huge whale plush animal. I simply had to have it, but I didn’t want to fork out 29€ for it, however I did, and we walked home with it under my shoulder and it was amazing. I loved it, and I made so many people smile because I was carrying a huge plush whale. Who wouldn’t love that (end rhetorical question)!!

Anyways, we got back inside and I think that I napped (not sure) and then we went to go to dinner, but I couldn’t find my CROUS card, in other words my meal card. What a pain in the ass it is to rip my entire room open for it, and not find a bloody thing. I will continue to look, but I’ve lost all hope and I doubt that I will be able to find it ! 🙁 This means that on Friday I will have to go and cancel my old card and obtain a new one. Such a pain in the ass for such a small thing. I wish I could just not have to worry about it like old meal hall. *sigh wiggle wiggle*

I’ve also noticed a really ugly girl across the window that sits at her windowsill and smokes. Firstly, I don’t like people who smoke because it’s annoying in at least in Canada there are some laws about it preventing people from doing it (which is nice), but here in France it’s so widespread I can’t understand!

The day started with our meetings with Dr. Lee where he told us what we should do and what the course offerings are, the only thing he didn’t tell me is how to choose my option courses (but that will be figured out in time). He recommended that I look into some of the courses in the ‘normal’ university, so I went to ‘La Portique’ where the department is, but all the offices are closed and they aren’t very nice to students. So we will come back the next day, becasue we had to meet to go to the bank. So we get to the bank and we go in pairs to set up our accounts, Ginette and I go with this really really young guy, and he sits us down and talks to us about the accounts and such. Really nice, but really slow, and we were joking the whole time. We just about had to ask him to repeat everything because he talks so quietly it’s difficult to hear what the heck he’s saying.

So anyways, we are trying to figure out how old he is, and my guess is he’s a tad bit younger than us, but it’s tough to say because he’s tall and skinny (like all other French guys) and he’s being kind of coy with us. So all is swell and we were about to do my account, but then he (who we found out was named Jeremy) moved me to this other woman named Delores, who frankly spoke no English, and a type of French that was completely un-comprehendable. She kept trying to say words in English but they weren’t working out right, and I coudln’t understand anything, so it was a major struggle the whole time. All worked out (at least I think) and we just have to bring back one of the documents, and then we will be set. Now I just have to wait for that page from the Gallia. So we were walking to the Palais Univérsitaire, when Ginnette gets a call, then I get a call and it says ‘Blocked’ so I thought it was weird. I answered it and it was someone speaking French, but with an accent I couldn’t understand, and the reception was quite bad. It turned out to be Birahim my conversation partner, who was calling me, but he spoke horrible English, and I spoke horrible French, so communication was a major barrier for us. Eventually I mannaged to tell him that I would send him an email about when we can meet since the next days are very busy for me. He said okay and then we ended the conversation, then Ginette and I freaked out because it was Jeremy that called her. Apparently she ‘forgot’ to sign some papers, so we have to go back tomorrow to get them done. We were excited and convinced that he just wanted to see her/us again, so we came up with this huge plan to dress up really nice, and go over there, and ask him if he wants to show us around, because we are new, and then like hang out with us (after we find out how old he is). We, more specifically I, and most convinced that it will fail, but we figure that if anything bad happens we can just never go back to that agency again. *LOL*

We vowed not to tell anyone about this, and then we hope that we can start to form our own little French possie without the other Anglophones! I am exicted, because new friends are awesome, but I’m nervous that it will go over horribly. We will find out tomorrow!

So we decided to go to Kehl again at spur of the moment, and took a bus and then ended up ditching Crystal and Amber accidentally in a shoe store, then we shopped for awhile. I found an umbrella for less than 5€ (which is great compared to in Strasbourg), and we decided that tomorrow would be a busy day because we had to get some course info, go to the bank, get food, possibly go to Kehl, and definantly figure out where IKEA is and go there ourselves. So we took the tram back and then found our British friends at the Gallia resteraunt, and looking like idiots we asked them where the line starts and how it works here (as it’s different and confusing). So we ate and then decided that we were going for a drink with Jon, a guy from North Carolina who we met in the street. He’s studying his Masters programme here in International Relations, so Ginette is obsessed with him.

We met up with him, but Amber and her weiner 18 year old French Friends didn’t show up, so we were worried, but went to a café instead. The wine was wonderful, and we were there for hours just talking about tons of things! We walked over to Amber’s residence to see if she was there, as she didn’t answer her mobile, and we were worried. Ginette and I are convinced that she’s pissed off at us for avoiding her in Kehl, but it was accidental. Then we got invited to go out for drinks the next night with the British girls and guy, so we are doing that too. Jon was really nice and super polite, but I feel as if Ginette totally got drunk and was monopolizing the conversation. I couldn’t care less, but it was annoying to hear her voice for the whole evening. She’s soo smart, which is amazing to listen to, but I think that we disagree on some political level issues and that sort of irritates me, but she’s awesome anyways!

So as I said, Ginette and I have a hot date with the banker, and then we are going to IKEA. Woot woot, let’s just hope it doesn’t blow up in our faces!

PS: We were in Kehl and I couldn’t find a damned thing to buy to wear, as I don’t understand the sizes and they make them bigger here! So I am convinced that I need to find a pair of womens jeans just to get something that fits.. Bugger!