My Trip to Paris (Part Deux) Still ASTIG!

Here is the second installment of my trip to Paris… I think what I will do is cut the blog to a shorter synopsis in order to get everything in. I need to start writing more and I realize that I have been slacking. Sorry fans J Hah!

So back to the trip…

First Day Continued:

Mel continues to show me around and we meet up with Ivan and his lovely girlfriend Emmanuelle. 

Ivan affectionately calls her Manou. Manou is a tourism major in Paris, and is very knowledgeable on the city. After a stint at a quaint café, and hanging out for a bit, Mel parted ways with us, and Manou, Ivan, and myself headed off to dinner. We had Vietnamese that night. Fantastic! I hadn’t had Vietnamese food since I left Dallas. From dinner we dropped Manou off and went back to Ivan’s house to call it a night.

Second Day:

Waking up late is great! I must have slept until 11am. I felt so refreshed. I usually don’t get to sleep in, because of the amount of phone calls I get from students starting in the early morning. But I had my phone shut off because it was my vacation! Suckas!
After getting ready and having a light breakfast of coffee and some bread, which I fixed on my own, because Ivan was still sleeping, I got ready and woke Ivan up from his slumber. Today was the day to go to Lisieux. We left the house at around 11:00am, and we brought Lolo with us. It was quite a drive… rainy, and a little chilly. We got there at around 2:30am. It was a small town. Beautiful. The basilica was spectacular. In front of the Church were two large pictures of St. Terese’s parents who were to be beatified that weekend. We went in and prayed for a while. It was such a powerful experience for me. Words cannot describe.

We got back in the car at around 4:30pm and drove back to Paris. We got into the city at around 6:30pm to pick up Ivan’s mom. At 7:00pm we picked up Manou from her job and went home. Dinner. Long conversation with Ivan and his mom about the homeland, the family, and life in general. Sleep was much welcomed.

 

Third Day:

Slept in again… I love vacation. Ivan and I got up and had lunch, because it was about that time when we woke up. After a good meal, we drove back into downtown. Ivan brought me to Chatelet where we hung out for a while. It was bustling with action. So much stuff going on in that place. We stopped and had a café at Paul, which happened to be a chain. But it was good nonetheless (I am not a fan of chains.).

After the café we met up with Jonah and her very French boyfriend Joris. We all walk around the city for a bit, grabbed some crepes, and then shuffled to the Eiffel Tower. Life suggestion – see the Eiffel Tower at night. So beautiful. After some amazing views and shots, we head home and jam out on guitars till 3 am. Good night!

 

Fourth Day:

Sleeping in is fun… Woke up. Ate a delicious quiche made by Ivan’s mom. We got in the car at around 11am and brought Lolo to Ivan’s uncles house for the day. We met up with Mel and Manou by the obelisk monument. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining and the weather was crisp but not too chilly. 

We all took a stroll in the park towards to Louvre. Ivan and Manou broke off from us so they could grab some food. Mel and I met up with her younger sister Ashley at the Louvre. Special props to the Razonable sisters. What a handful. It’s like hanging out with hamsters on Red Bull… hehe jk sisters. You are so cute! Never a dull moment with the two. They introduced me to a new term. ASTIG!

Anyways… we went into the Louvre which was probably one of the highlights of the trip trying not to laugh the entire time. I felt a little guilty considering we are surrounded by priceless art. But hey, when you are with these sisters and you are on a mission to see the Mona Lisa, things get funny and chaotic.

ASTIG!

After the Louvre we head to the opera house and meet up with Manou and Ivan. Ashley and Mel have to get home and Manou has to go to work, so Ivan and I go to get coffee. This time we went to a familiar place… Starbucks! I know I hate chains, but this Starbucks was special. Apparently it was placed inside an old museum. Pretty cool. Check out the pic. 

Okay… again a long blog… I know. So I’m continuing the final day tommorow. We’ll get through this people. I promise J

My Trip to Paris (Part 1) ASTIG!

Paris… the city of love… of lights, and of many things I am not sure of. But wow… what a city. When I stepped off the plane, grabbed my luggage and hopped in Ivan’s car, I felt a comfort that I have not felt yet in any other European city. Well, maybe in Vienna, but that’s because of my familiarity and close ties with the city.

I arrived in Paris Orly-Sud at around 8:30am and was greeted by a very tardy Ivan Huerto. I forgive you Ivan for leaving me hanging in the airport.  

He arrived at around 9:30am… traffic is killer in Paris apparently. I walked out to meet him and he was standing “cool” by his new Volvo C30. Very nice Ivan. He greeted me… it was good to see him again.

I hopped in the car and we drove towards Paris. The road 

signs were automatically familiar from the cross country road trip that Sean Donovan and I took earlier in the year when, on a whim, decided to drive from Santander, Spain to Lourdes, France, back down to Barcelona. French signs are amusing. We pass the city, which was a beautiful sight, but much to quick to really enjoy, and we arrive at his house at around 10:15am. I bring my stuff down and settle in my room upstairs. Surprisingly, in a good way, I find that I have a roommate for the next five days. It is Ivan’s Lolo. Lolo is Filipino for Grandfather. He is a nice old man. Rock on Lolo. Lolo and I chat for about an hour, and then Ivan and I take off for a tour of Paris…

Let me just say some things about Ivan. Ivan is the kind of guy you want when you are stuck in a tight spot. Yes, he can be a little dramatic ;-) Love you bro… but he never runs out of good ideas (that actually work), and you never have a boring moment with the guy. We became good friends instantly. He is like the brother I never had.

First place we went to was Sacre Coeur. This Church was beautiful. As soon as you walked in, you are taken back by the fact that the Eucharist is exposed.

The exposition of Jesus in the Eucharist has been around for a long time in Sacre Coeur. The unusual architecture of the basilica was powerful. Ivan and I spent some time in prayer and then walked outside. 

The steps outside of the Church was filled with tourists. My favorite part was when an African street musician started singing American pop covers. After a couple of songs Ivan and I headed to Montmartre. This part of Paris marks the highest point in the city. It was filled with tiny outdoor shops and local artists. We didn’t stay to long, but I know someday I’ll be back there. Next stop, the city center. We arrived in the city at around 1:30ish and tried to find parking. Finding parking in Paris is like waiting for that one pretty girl at a dance. You want to dance with her all night, but she is always taken by some other dude. Anyways… we found parking and had lunch at this quaint restaurant. It was tiny, about the size of my apartment. We ordered mussels for appetizers. Great! They tasted so fresh… My entrée was a turkey breast in the traditional cream sauce that seems to be so prevalent in French cuisine. The meal was topped off with a Carmel Crème dessert that was fantastic.

During lunch, we were graced by Melanie Razonable. She is a little pistol. Her laugh made me laugh- almost every time. Mels… I do miss your laugh, and your spirit. She really has a great head on her shoulders, and she is beautiful as well… She took me around Paris and showed me the Notre Dame Cathedral. 

This place is amazing, and I believe that everyone should try to make it out to this Church at some point in your life. The gothic structure was simply breathtaking with its ancient stone and stained glass windows. The only complaint I have of Notre Dame is the fact that the feeling of sacredness has been lost, because of the sheer number of masses that come through the Church. After some time in the Cathedral, Mel takes me through more of the streets of Paris. Mel, I wish I could remember all that you told me, and now I am super embarrassed, but it was a good tour J

I am going to end my blog here for today… I will put another installment in tommorow… 

Chris Lim, my new little brother, and being Multilingual...

Let me just say that Chris Lim has become like a little brother to me.

I think one of the funniest times we had so far was when we went to a Chinese restaurant in Scheibbs yesterday. It's the next town over, and it is funny that some small dinky town in Austria has a Chinese restaurant. The best part is that the Chinese restaurant has actual Chinese people there. I love hearing Asian people speak European languages. I think Asians can adapt anywhere. Not that I am biased or anything.

So back to the story. We go to this Chinese restaurant, and I order in German. As we eat, Chris notices that they are speaking Chinese. I tell him to ask for water in Chinese. He asks, they are suprised, and we get water. Three different languages being spoken at a table. How is that for multilingual. Chris and I are speaking English to each other. I speak to the waitress in German. Chris speaks to her in Chinese.

Languages rock. It was like the other day when I had to take a student to the hospital. I spoke to the receptionist in German and spoke to the student in English. All of a sudden as I was speaking to the receptionist, I get a phone call. I answer it when I don't recognize the number. It is my friend Ana from Vienna with whom I took German with over the summer. She greets me in Spanish and so I start speaking in Spanish. The student is amazed, and the receptionist is confused.

Here are my goals:

Learn more German
Strengthen my Spanish
Learn Italian
Learn French
Strengthen my Tagalog

Anyways... back to Chris Lim. He has grown on me. Sometimes I was to throw his butt in to the camp fire, but most of the time we're cool. Just kidding Chris... kinda.

We had an adventure today. We drove to Mariazell, which had to be one of the curviest roads I've ever drove on. Wow... I must have dodged three cars and multiple times came close to driving off the side of a mountain. But it was way worth it. Check out some of these pictures.

Everyone is gone...

Today was the first day of ten-day. Ten-day is ten days where the students get to travel wherever they want to in Europe. Many of them went to Greece, Spain, and France. I might run in to some of them in Paris. Who knows?

But I am here in the Kartause, enjoying the silence and peace of the 650 year old monastery. Life is good. I feel the stress leaving my body :-)

How amazing is His mercy...

One of the thing that puts me in awe is the mercy of God.

Let's all reflect on this for a moment...

We are all sinners. From the moment we reach the age of reason, we turn away from the Lord. Some of us more than others. But none of us are exempt. We have all sinned. Furthermore, the wages of our sins is death. How could it be anything less? We turn away from a perfect loving Being, who came to earth to teach us to love, form a body of believers, and put to death our sin so that we may have eternal life. Yet we turn away. I turn away.

Yet at every moment the Lord pursues us. He pursues our sinful selves, not with vengeance or justification, but with love. He pursues us so that we will turn from our sin, and come back to Him. He never stops. He never gets impatient with us. He never stops. What an amazing God we have.

Father Brad, one of the Friars living in the Kartause says to me almost daily that we must constantly bath in God's mercy. It is being in this mercy that we learn not only how good we have it with the Lord, but how we must be with others. I know I grow impatient with my brothes and sisters. I live with them. I see their weaknesses. They see mine. Sometimes I want to just shut myself out. Sometimes I want to judge them harshly when I encounter their mistakes. But is this how the Lord treats me. I mean, I understand we must hold people to higher standards, but is it done out of love or out of annoyance. Lord grant me the grace to be merciful. Grant me the grace to be patient.

You are so merciful to us... No matter how great and terrible our sin is, it is nothing but a drop in the ocean of your mercy...