Blonde girls get more chicken...

What a weird heading to a blog entry? Mmmh, maybe - but it's a cheap way to launch directly into my trip to Berlin&Paris : ) So the previously-announced secret mission started off on a Friday afternoon and was almost brought to a sudden, unspectacular and premature end before it had even begun...I was standing at the train station with my backpack and an additional handbag full of excitement and the bloody train just wouldn't come...I had to wait for 70 agonizing minutes. When the train finally decided to show up I was running so late that I had to jump into a cab as soon as I hit Montparnasse. The drive to Gare de l'Est was highly entertaining though (almost worth missing a train for). My cab driver sang loudly&unharmoniously , talked to himself and had the most creative approach to swearing I have ever anticipated. Good thing I only understood half of it or I would have turned proper red. At the train station I had to explain that the pre-booked ticket for the overnight-train to Berlin never made it to my postal address...and had to flog over my credit card to buy a new one. I was the last person that finally jumped on the train - so determined to go to Berlin that I had probably even jumped in front of it if that had stopped it from moving. Out of breath and red-faced I got to the cabin where a small bed was awaiting my tired (and probably by then rather smelly) feet, I thought...But really, the first thing I got was the rather unimpressed and borderline disapproving looks of a couple, both probably around my age. Great: me and these 2 lovebirds for a whole night in a cozy sleeper train. I was equally thrilled. Since it was clear that I was unwanted I grabbed my book and excused myself. This almost led to the next catastrophe - going to Berlin has never seemed so impossible before...I was reading peacefully when the train conductor came to check our tickets and took the opportunity to tell me that I was actually on my way to Hamburg...well, that part of the train was anyways. So I jumped up, ran all the way back to the love nest and told the couple that I had made a big mistake and would never leave them ever again. At least not before we would stand on Berlin soil.

From that moment onwards it was smooth sailing though and I found myself in the lobby of the Holiday Inn, Berlin Mitte the next day...But why was I there again?! Well, enough secrecy - I was there to work as a compere at an event that was put together by an ad agency that a friend of mine works for. The client was Pokemon and the launch of 150 new characters was aimed to make a splash with the help of a massive, interactive light projection. My role was to keep the people in the queue entertained as well as reading out the scores of the people that were having a go at the new game that had been especially designed for the day. It was really good fun - even though the the first 30 minutes were agonizing. The sun hadn't gone down yet and the light projection wasn't visible. So I was given the instruction to "just talk"...without anything of interest happening around me. Once I recovered from a small stroke of inhibition, I started not only talking - but to my own amazement - I started chanting!!! In retrospect this was probably the aftermath of working as a camp counselor in the States in 2008. But yeah, there I was - me and my microphone - chanting at the sun to please set quickly so we could start playing. Luckily, everybody failed to notice my state of temporary insanity - instead lots of people merely joined in. The kids loved it. We actually managed to make enough noise to secure a sufficient number of resident complaints for the police to come as well as the office for public order. The marketing manager from Pokemon got in touch with me a few days later to thank me for drumming up so much business and keeping people patient (some had to queue for 1,5 hours). His exact words were: "Well done in getting so many complaints from the local residents!" In all other circumstances that would be the most peculiar thing to say - but this was actually a compliment and not an ironic statement : ) It even looks as if I will be moderating the Pokemon Championship in Cologne in a few months time...Will leave out the chanting bit though - fingers crossed I won't depend on the sun again to get the right lighting conditions.

I was really relieved that everything had worked out so well. I might have lost a little bit of my dignity that day - but my real concern had been that I would suck so much at this that my friend would loose her job. Okay, that's a bit melodramatic - I really didn't want to embarrass her in front of her client and work colleagues though : )

The next day we spent strolling around Berlin - without effort or purpose. I munched away on an ice cream and couldn't believe my luck. A month ago it was still snowing in Berlin, but that day it was perfect sunshine and a no-jacket day.

After another night on the train - this time unfortunately no couple to annoy - I was back in Paris. This time not in a rush, but with the whole day in front of me. I wandered around, took lots of pictures. Backpack, camera in one hand, map in the other hand and the word "tourist" written across my forehead. I was eagerly waiting for some rude Parisians to bump into me-but it just didn't happen. Instead they simply kicked this little stereotype's ass...For starters, they just wouldn't allow me to loose my map even though I seemed determined. On several occasions I would put the map to the side and take pictures, wandering off completely oblivious to the fact that I had left my sense of direction behind. And every single time -to my amazement-someone would run after me and stuff it right back into my hand. They made it impossible for me to get lost. I was still thinking that they were probably acting in their own self-interest...since this way I had no excuse to bother anyone by asking for directions ; ) But this didn't remain the only gesture of kindness...Every time I sat down to have a meal, somebody would start chatting to me, asking me where I was from, what my plans were etc. One waiter went as far as to take my plate away mid-chew, only to return with an extra portion of chicken on top of my salad. Reserved? Arrogant? Rude? Nope - not the Parisians I had the pleasure of meeting. I probably shouldn't ever return to Paris - after this experience, it can only go downhill : )

Back in Poitiers things were as always - just better. The happychappy Poitiers bubble seems an even happier place. Or maybe it's not the bubble, but me in it. By now I genuinely love the people from my course I hang out with. They make me laugh all the time, make me think differently, make me wanna cuddle them, make me not want to ever stop living this student life in this lovely, sleepy town where I spent half my days in the park. Of course there's deadlines and uni work and a few worries and also some annoying stuff. But mostly I am enjoying to be around people that are kind to me, in a place where nobody ever feels lost or alone.

That was the case till Friday anyways - since then literally everyone has deserted me. Not without keeping tabs on me though. I haven't been looked after this well for ages. So I'm using this week-long break to catch up on my reading as well as meeting some new people. Today I met the Couchsurfing peeps and we drove to Saint Savin. What a cheerful bunch...determined to enjoy the moment whatever life throws at them. I was especially impressed by Cedric who had become half-blind in a near-fatal accident and got out of it with a new thirst for life. Isabella was similarly inspiring. Her husband that she loved so deeply had left her for another woman recently. Juggling her job and two kids during the week and spending the weekends by herself whilst her daughter and son stayed with their father didn't seem to be her dream scenario. Yet, she was positive, chatty, bright and smiley. I laughed a lot today and really appreciated that even though I was the only non-French, everyone spoke in English.

Sascha&Lisa will come to visit this week...I am really excited about it and very much hope that the long drive from Germany will be a worthwhile effort in their view. We already have a few things planned...but more of that in a little while : )

One pizza with fries please! Aka I put a salad leaf on my croissant – please don’t judge me.

About 4 weeks ago I borrowed a book with the engaging title “Living and Working in France”. I really and truly wanted to make an effort to get to know la France. Reading it made me realize two completely contradicting things: Firstly, there is no way you can describe a country and its inhabitants by stating a few common behaviours and turning them into facts. Secondly, you absolutely can... or so it seems. I always felt disappointed when clichés turn out to be accurate...but maybe I totally misinterpreted that! Maybe clichés should merely be perceived as helpful guidelines and not annoying predictions that totally kill any element of surprise. If I was to write a small guide as to how to survive in France it would include the following three statements:

1.) Don’t mess with somebody else’s lunch break.

2.) Don’t buy a pastry without asking what’s in it...you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.

3.) Opening hours are not binding and you shouldn’t rely on other individuals to stick to them.

So how did I gain these valuable insights? Well, there are derived from my own extremely subjective experiences. Meaning, there are as valid as an expired parking ticket. And I think this is exactly the basis of books such as the one I borrowed in my attempt to be open and learn something about a different culture. Just because some people only want marmalade on their croissant cause this is what the French do, does not make them purely French. At the same time just because I seemingly ruin a croissant by putting a salad leaf beneath it and some French cheese does not make me ignorant. It’s not as simple as that...in order to be truly ignorant you at least need to put ketchup on top, too. Ketchup is like the one ingredient that makes you look ignorant almost anywhere in the world. I recommend if you aim to provoke, carry a small bottle with you wherever you go.

However, I must say that as charming as Poitiers is, it is also truly inflexible. If it wasn’t, it would have made more of an effort with me by now and at least borrowed a book with the title “Accepting and appreciating Christin”. I made the effort after all!

Re-reading the paragraph above makes two things clear to me. Firstly, I have way too much time to think in Poitiers. And two, these reflective diary entries that I have to write for uni have some serious side-effects. Arghh!!! But since I am at it already and not much else is happening, I am gonna continue to reflect away...I have one more amazing revelation:

I realized that: The less you have to do, the less you do do.

Since being here I am seriously questioning myself how I ever managed to earn a living whilst studying full-time. I wouldn’t know how to cramp in a job in between going for coffee with friends, playing badminton, going for a run in the park or spending another day in my bath robe. I thought I have all this time to write my dissertation, already start my job hunt and all the rest of it whilst here. But really, I am as busy as always, substituting my normal working hours with colouring in my nails or watching another episode of “Who’s the Boss”. I didn’t even manage to return that one book I borrowed in time...this has never happened to me in London! But no, I don’t actually feel lazy – it’s the last few months of being a student after all and I am determined to spend as much time as I can sleeping in and turning up late for lectures. Okay, that might be a little exaggerated – but the tendency is there ; )

But now a few a little more exciting things that happened over the course of the last 2 weeks.

For instance that eagerly anticipated trip to Bordeaux: We were incredibly lucky with the weather as well as it turned out... the city. Bordeaux is breath-takingly beautiful. I was not at all prepared for that! I didn’t have any expectations and must have annoyed the hell out of my travel companions since I practically started shooting away with my camera once we hit the platform at the train station in Bordeaux. This resulted in the taking of 700 pictures over a two day period and a borderline-obsessive Christin that was so happy that she was determined to capture every single moment. A description that I kept on using was that Bordeaux was as pretty as Paris, but minus the attitude. And I am sticking to it! I loved every minute of it. My highlights included a 3-course meal including mussels and snails in open day-light and for a mere 15 Euros, a colourful carnival procession with lots of awesome costumes and happychappy kids and Ruby’s and mine wine tasting experience. I might have felt sophisticated for a second then munching away on cheese and drinking out of extravagant wine glasses, but I compensated for that later the same evening when I spent the night sleeping in the bath tub. Well, if you are on a student budget you better be ready to share your hotel room...good thing I am so small ; )

The other exciting thing that happened was that when back in Poitiers we found a restaurant that served pizza with fries on top. A truly life-changing experience...I considered whether becoming excessively overweight might not be totally worth the shortened life-span and breathing difficulty if only I could have pizza with fries every day for the rest of my life. The only thing that is holding me back is the fact that I really want to pay back my student loan before I develop self-imposed diabetes.

Quite literally “too cool for school” was our professor for our negotiation work shop this week: An aging Harvard alumnus that seemed to never have kicked his habit of smoking "wheat" ; ). He would turn up 30 minutes late for every lecture with the promise to finish the class early. We didn’t exactly protest since the sun was shining all week. But I think it is safe to say that we took his class a lot more seriously than he did himself. That was until we found out that our exam would be to write a journal about how we felt about negotiating...I think the ideal preparation for the exam would actually be to consume some illegal substances in order to be on the same level playing field as our lovely professor...One less exam I am dreading!

I also tried to make a few friends outside the university walls. I found out that there is a rather active Couchsurfing group in Poitiers. On the way to meet one of them, a guy called Will, I ran into 3 of my course mates which really made me think: I have to meet new people ; ) Anyways, Will turned out to be extremely pleasant and sweet. He drew a map for me that neither he nor me could decipher anymore in the end – but it is a piece of art that is totally worth framing. A few other Couchsurfers with cars are planning to take as Poitiers newbies on a trip in 2 weeks time...so I am excited to see what else the area has to offer. Such pleasant people, the Couchsurfers!

Other than that I am leaving France on Friday to go on a secret mission to Berlin...I am incredibly excited about that...but till I’m back my lips will be sealed : )