new years resolutions

It's time to see what our next year's resolutions will be. What do we want to do this 2012? Let's see, in my 2011, I have spent my summer in Paris and continued my fall semester in Angers. I have traveled to Belgium, I have eaten escargots and tartar a thousand times, I have played paintball and gone skiing, I have even ice skated on top of the Eiffel Tower...wow!! 

This year has actually been pretty cool!! I have done so much more than I ever expected and I have enjoyed every moment of it. 

Since it's the last day of the year, I can't help it looking back at what has happened in my live and in the world this year. I can't help see what has changed about me and what I have learned along the way. 

If I had to describe this whole year in one word it would have to be: FRENCH, after all, I have spent almost six months in the land of Asterix. 

What will 2012 hold for me? Maybe my first actual job with "good" pay and hours? A super rich and cute prince just for me? Ooor maybe I'll become the next Steve jobs, maybe invent the next big thing...who knows!! There is one thing I DO know: 

LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE!! 

It doesn't matter if you have a plan, life changes with every little moment and hopefully we can make a good change along the way. I can only say I hope this 2012 is as good (or better if possible) than this 2011. 

I invite you all to do a small ritual I do every year: tonight, right after the clock reaches 00:00h, I will go outside, like I do every year, I look at the sky and hope there is a starry night above me, letting me know that 2012 will be amazing!! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO

happy holidays

a simple goodbye...

I have not completely realized this is almost over. Angers, ESSCA, ERASMUS, La Maine…this whole period has been short yet incredibly meaningful for me and I am sure it has been very special for many of you, too. I have been able to learn so many new things, not only about “management” and “compatabilité” but also about life. A month or so I wrote about this day. How I still had some time, how I had met so many incredible people, how we all had grown together and alone into someone else. I still believe that. No matter where we come from, we have been able to unite so many different cultures into one.

It was not too long ago when we were still meeting each other and learning strange foreign names, and now, we have lunch and we get drunk with those same people with weird names from strange places. It will certainly feel weird going back home and not sharing a kitchen…not having to wash the dishes…or using my car to go grocery shopping or, actually, NOT having to go grocery shopping at all. I will also remember the Saturday market, where we buy the fresh fruit and scargots of the weekend. There are so many things I will miss.

If someone was to ask me what I liked most about my unique experience in this small town, I would have to say what I have learned. Sure the drunken nights in the Irish house and shopping dates at H&M were amazing, but what we have learned from everyone and everyday here is much more valuable, because we will remember them forever. Thank you to all of you, because you have made this period truly awesome. We have become a small and unique family, we have found amazing friends that will last forever and some have even found some love.

Today, we said goodbye to a very very special friend of ours. Seeing him leave in the train made me realize, this is really coming to an end. We have all finished exams, we only have one more Irish party left, and some of us will probably not need to go grocery shopping at Carrefour again…

Even though, I still have one more week in French territory, this will probably be my last blog from Angers. So, today, sitting in the wooden chair in my room, I wish you all a good trip back home and hope, one day, we can all meet up again in Angers and go to SOFT to drink the night off, remembering all the fantastic memories from these past few months.

A very very big hug to all of you,

Llopis

extremely loud & incredibly close

A few years ago, in my junior year in high school, I had the opportunity of reading a book called: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer. 

The book is about a boy who loses his father in 9/11, and the boy discovers a key in a vase that belonged to his father which inspires him to search all around New York for information about the key and meet wonderful people. 

The book was so good! Truly magical! If, during the holidays, you have some time in your hands, you should read it! I am sure you will like it. But read it soon, because the film will be coming out soon. 

brugge

naughty or nice

Last night, 3rd of December of 2011, the Christmas lights in the small city of Angers went on. There was music to celebrate the fantastic weeks that are about to start and in the main plaza, la Place du Ralliement, the Christmas market was put up.

This is definitely my favorite period of the year, because, so many cities and towns around the world dress up their buildings, houses and trees with lights of all kind and wonderful decorations to celebrate the holiday season. There is a magical feeling all around. Rockefeller Center in NYC is beautifully decorated. Cortilandia in Madrid displays figurines singing and dancing. Even the trees and stores of the Champs-Élysées of Paris feel the Christmas vive.

In my own home, each of the grandchildren has to cook a special meal for the Christmas Eve dinner and present it to the family as a Christmas gift. Parents later give out some smaaaall presents, since the real good ones are brought by Santa Claus, on Christmas night, and the Three Kings, on the 6th of January.

It’s at this time of the year when we go into a shop and everything we see seems to be made for someone we love. All those present we so eagerly wished for throughout the year are now written down into our Christmas list and maybe, but just maybe, we will get that thing we were hoping for…of maybe not…

…have you been good this year?

the pink panther

Exams are close and I now spend my nights watching interesting movies. Tonight’s choice has been the 1963 original Pink Panther movie. FANTASTIC! It has always been one of my favorite films. It keeps that old Hollywood glam and that easy yet good comedy. I find these old Hollywood classics to be real movies, unlike nowadays, where you find vampires all around...It feels like they come with magic!

I wonder what tomorrows film will be? Any suggestions?

old memories from Paris

I spent one month this past summer walking around the streets of the most romantic and bohemian city in the world. I want to show you all some of my most inspiring pictures. They are not amazing, but they mean so much to me. I had a beautiful blog for it, showing the most amazing things of my month in the city of art, but I lost it...too bad! I really loved it. But, since I can't find what I had in my old one, I am trying to give my new blog a new vive that shows me in my most natural side.

After all, a blog is just that: it is the way of talking about oneself without fear and with total freedom. In it, you are your own voice, boss and editor all in one. It's the beauty of this art. I get to write about the things I love the most, those things I feel passionate about. I still have to learn a lot about myself and the world that surrounds me, but I'm in no rush, I eager to learn and discover all the little things our world was to show.

    



A little nap sitting in the green chairs and a walk in the Park of Luxemburg heals all problems...

on sundays, there is nothing like going to the market, buying some delicious food, maybe steak tartare and macaroons and going for a picnic to my favourite spot

 I love sitting at the Pont des Arts, otherwise known as the couple's bridge, and seeing the sun hide and the Eiffel Tower (in front of us) and Notre Dame (behind us) light up

 Every night, the first 5 minutes of every hour, the Eiffel Tower blinks, you can feel

You +1'd this publicly. Undo

goosebumps every time it happens

 after a little tourism at the Louvre, nothing like a croissant from Paul and a little fashion lesson from GLAMOUR in the Tuileries Gardens

 a quick stop at SEPHORA is always fun...who doesn't love trying all their make-up?

the secret spot in the Louis Vuitton store in Champs-Elysées, with beautiful books all around

These are just some of the things I love about the "City of Love". Hope you enjoy it! Bisous!

the angers lifestyle

I have now spent my two months and almost a half in Angers. When I first embarked in this adventure, I must admit, I was pretty scared.

I do not think I was scared for going to a different country, after all, our generation spends more time in a plane jumping from country to country than home; yet, I think my fear came from leaving my home.

Leaving your nest is never an easy task. We might fake to be strong but in our darkest moments HOME is the only place you want to be in, sometimes.

In my case, I was scared of missing out on so many experiences and, specially, of leaving those who make home feel like such, but luckily for me, I have been able to find another kind of family, here in Angers. A family that has made these past two months amazing. I live day and night with these people, with whom I share everything, from long drunk funny nights and dirty little secrets to library hours and class presentations. I have gone to the north and will go to the east (we will even cross the frontier). I will even celebrate one of my precious birthdays with them.

Together, this unconventional family unit is discovering a little of France, a little of the world and its people and a little bit more about themselves. We are all learning to cook, not just a simple easy-oven pizza but elaborated "mom-style" food. We are learning different languages: English, Spanish or, even, Swedish...and, of course, a liiiiitle French. We are learning to grocery shop and to manage our monthly savings. We are growing up!

I only have around one more month left and I am sure it will go by as fast as these two months have gone by and the experiences learned, the trips, the languages, the recepies learned and, specially, the people met will never be forgotten.

paradise

When she was just a girl

She expected the world

But it flew away from her reach so

She ran away in her sleep

and dreamed of

Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise

Every time she closed her eyes

When she was just a girl

She expected the world

But it flew away from her reach

and the bullets catch in her teeth

Life goes on, it gets so heavy

The wheel breaks the butterfly

Every tear a waterfall             

In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes

In the night the stormy night away she'd fly



oh! the things that make me happy...

 

the great views...

 

those unforgettable moments with friends...

 those unique people...

 oh! the things that make me happy...