Photos to go with the post:  MULTICULTURAL EATS IN AIX-ASIAN

MULTICULTURAL EATS IN AIX: ASIAN

The good thing about being in France is that it, like America, is a place that many different people of many different origins call home. This is very good for American students, students from Cali in particular, because people of different origins means a wide variety of food. We all know that the bottom line of any study abroad experience is the food. You can love France until the cows come home but you can only sustain yourself on a bread and cheese diet for like two weeks, tops. Trust me…..trying to go longer than that results in certain death.

Walking around Aix one can find many different offerings from many many different countries. Personally I have spotted Thai, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Indian, Viet, Chinese, Italian, and many many other exotic choices like Senegalese and Palestinian (?????)

Me and my friends decided to try one of the Asian restaurants here in town called LE NIRVANA… you know like the band….and the state of being. One of the major draws to this restaurant was the fact that not only did it represent Chinese cuisine but Indian and Thai as well. We figured we might aw well knock out as many as we could with one stone.

The restaurant itself was hella cool and it reminded me so much of Princess Garden back at home with dragons on the wall and the super heavy wood chairs. The food was good too and not that expensive in comparison to the other bullshiteries that can be found around Aix. I got duck with black mushrooms.

The owner was hella friendly too and when he found out we were from California he gave us free drinks because he said that he loved California. I felt obligated to drink the wine that he gave us because I didn’t want to be rude but ahhhhh still not feeling the whole whine thing. It was hella funny though because I’m pretty sure that he slipped ruffies in our drinks and he was planning on harvesting our organs for the black market. We also think that the Asian restaurant thing is just a cover for the illegal drug operation that was going on in the back cuz the owner kept disappearing alone in to the back of the restaurant, only returning to escort men with large black briefcases into secluded areas. So drugs or illegal sex trafficking. Either one…not really on the up-and-up.

All in all it was a pretty good experience!

MY NEW FACEBOOK BADGE!

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THE FUNNIEST QUOTES FROM GLEE (EP. 4)

EPISODE: PREGGERS

1)

Kurt: Finn….I needed to ask you something

Finn: Thanks but I already have a date to prom… but I’m flattered! I know how important dances are to teen gays.

Kurt: I’m not gay

Finn: ……..oh

2)

Kurt: My body is like a rum chocolate soufflé. If I don’t warm it up right, it doesn’t rise!

3)

Sue: I will not rest until ever inch of our fair state is covered in garbage. Thats why I pay taxes. It keeps garbage men earning a living. SO THEY CAN AFFORD TACOS…….FOR THEIR FAMILY!

4)

Terri: What kind of prenatal vitamins are you taking?

Quinn: …………

Terri: Yeah, here. Three times a day or your baby will be ugly.

5)

Kurt: …….I’m gay

Kurt’s Dad: I know

Kurt: Really?

Kurt’s Dad: Ive know since you were three……..All you wanted for your birthday was a pair of sensible heels.

NIGHT OF A THOUSAND FOUNTAINS

Aix is most widely known for two things. First, the open air markets and second, the crazy amount of fountains that are located throughout the center of the city. While my friends were drinking one night we decided that our next adventure would be to tackle every fountain in Aix and take pictures at every stop. After marking off a map to guide us on our journey to every fountain we were set.

Notice that in all the pictures we’re carrying bottles (wine for my homies and orangina for me). The mission was to start drinking at the first fountain, continue at every fountain after that and still be able to walk by the end of it all. There are 22 fountains in Aix, located all over the center of town. All in all it took us about two hours from the first fountain to the last. Two very fun, long and intense hours. Lets just say that some of us weren’t able to drink all the way through 22 fountains and still walk. I was cool though orangina got me through the night. LOL. After a job well done and a mission complete I am glad that we did it and glad to have seen parts of Aix I would have never seen otherwise.

HOOKAH NIGHTS: CHEZ WHITE CHICKS

A couple weeks after being in Aix, when we all moved into our apartments and stuff, the CSUS office held an auctions where all the students who are renting got to chose items that previous study abroad students left behind. A couple of my friends were lucky enough to pick up one of the more desired items. A HOOKAH PIPE!!!! It looked like a genii lamp to me so when people were freaking out about it I didn’t know what the deal was. I heard of hookah before but I was never really too keen about it and I never thought that I would smoke anything, let alone pineapple and chocolate mint shisha (thats what the stuff you smoke is called).

I was hella scared that I was gonna take a puff and then suffocate or choke and everyone was gonna point and laugh….and I did pretty much cough a lot but no one laughed. It was hella weird because I had no idea what to expect. People said that smoking hookah is a lot smoother than smoking anything else I guess because of the water in the bottom of the genii lamp or whatever. I don’t know. Hanging out was hella fun. It was a cool experience. So now I’m ready to become a drug addict.

Ok so I have no idea what this pastry is called but when I went into the bakery I seriously turned into a little kid at the sight of it and couldn’t speak any way. I was reduced to pointing and drooling in the direction of the best looking pastry I have ever seen in my life. I might be biased because this was also the very first pastry I tried after arriving in France but it was perfect! The first bite that I took literary changed my life in many ways. I saw colors more clearly, smells filled the air and I felt alive. I found out that the bakery where I bought this pastry is also open at the craziest hours of the night. When everything in Aix is closing around 8 or 9, something open for a late night snack is a God send. Its strange, when your coming home from a bar or a club, to not have a Denys or an IHOP to turn to. Although, this bakery makes things a lot easier and brings me a little closer to home. French tip: I want one like that./Je veux un comme Ça /[Je voos-unn comb sa.] View high resolution

Ok so I have no idea what this pastry is called but when I went into the bakery I seriously turned into a little kid at the sight of it and couldn’t speak any way. I was reduced to pointing and drooling in the direction of the best looking pastry I have ever seen in my life. I might be biased because this was also the very first pastry I tried after arriving in France but it was perfect! The first bite that I took literary changed my life in many ways. I saw colors more clearly, smells filled the air and I felt alive.

I found out that the bakery where I bought this pastry is also open at the craziest hours of the night. When everything in Aix is closing around 8 or 9, something open for a late night snack is a God send. Its strange, when your coming home from a bar or a club, to not have a Denys or an IHOP to turn to. Although, this bakery makes things a lot easier and brings me a little closer to home.

French tip: I want one like that./Je veux un comme Ça /[Je voos-unn comb sa.]

This is a video walk through of my new place in France so that you guys can see where I’m living when I’m away from home!

FINALY SETTLED DOWN

So after three weeks of living in France I have finnaly moved into a permanent residence. I am staying in a beautiful apartment (not at all like the appartments you guys are thinking about) with an American room mate and a French room mate. My American room mate is also from Cali and is also Filipino so that is hella awesome but we havent met the French room mate yet because he is still on holiday(ohhhhhh i said holiday instead of vacation….im hella European now) until the end of this week. All I know is that his name is Raphael, he is a political studies major and he is supposed to be very very nice.

I will put up pictures of our appartment when my camerica is actualy charged. The pictures will include the garden and surrounding building ans all of my appartments many wierd and quarky french-icities that make American feel wierd and squirm. Like the fact that the toilet is not in the bathroom but actualy down the hall from the bathroom all the rooms have the mildly heartwarming scent of eggs in the morning because of the old gas heaters. But despite everything that is different, I love it here and I think that it will be a wonderful place to live. Everyone who lives here, in the same complex as us, both American and French are very nice.

The best part is that we are on the first floor so during the day when the windows and shutters are all open you can hear everything that people are doing in the garden area. Is cool to watch people painting and talking or eathing and sitting in the grass. Its so freakin French you wouldnt believe. I cant wait for you guys to see it.

Lets Dance…

So on our class field trip a couple of days ago we went to PAVILLON NOIR. I didnt know what it was when we were told that we were going there but I was pleased to find out it was the contemporary Dance studio of Aix-en-Provence. The building itself was very artsy and had modern touches everywhere. The company was practicing for their next big show Neige blanc (Snow white) and we got to sit in on their practice. SO OF COURSE I TOOK THIS CHANCE TO GET PICTURES OF ALL THE MALE DANCERS STRETCHING. Oh and I also got some pictures of the girls dancing but thats whatev. I cant wait to see the finished product. The dancing that we did get to see looked amazing.

I will be posting pictures of this event when I get a better internet connection. The one at the hotel sucks. I cant wait to move out tomorrow!!!!!