Orientation to Luxembourg

You see before you the newest pledge class of EuroFrat 2007. Our names just happen to be Jessica, Allison, Alison, Jessica...and yes, we realize how particularly obnoxious this is. Within the first 7 minutes of our orientation we fell in love and have not separated since.

Ok, enough of that. Day one of our orientation took us through a tour of the Chateau and details about classes, travel, etc. We took a quick walking tour of Differdage, Luxembourg then hopped on a train to Lux city to explore. We got general history on the bus tour, then we were let loose on the city. Me and my lady-friends shopped and the boys enjoyed their new beverage privledges (however, i think we both spent around the same amounts of $). We got back around 8 and decided that everyone needed to join us at the Halfway house (which is evidentally always the pub of choice among Miami students). Halfway house is about a block away from Allie and I. We hung out, met some new people, made some travel plans, and enjoyed being euro.


This is at a castle somewhere in Luxembourg ->

I know my sister is wondering about my host family!! Well...there is Mmde. Stumpf who is 36 and is single or widowed, Michelle her daughter is 12, and Lyon her son is 8. They are incredibly sweet, however, they speak absolutely no english. We communicate mostly in the french that i happened to retain from my fenwick educational experience...which is not a pleasant thought. Allie talks to them in "allie-french" which isn't french at all, its just english with a frenchlike accent. Their house is decorated in a industrial modern style, its very new and clean. It is small, but has three floors. My room is on the third, and i will probably fall down the steep marble stairs anyday now. I have a double bed, desk, and dresser, and plenty of space. They provide us with continental breakfast in the mornings; coffee, cereal, bread, nutella, weird fruit juices.

<- Allie and I doing wall sits for our EuroFrat pledge ed, Cody at Halfway House.

On Sunday for orientation we went to the German and American cemetaries from WWII. We then went on a boat cruise on a river between Germany and Lux, which was awesome...amazing food, new friends. And Monday we went to Trier, the former Capital of the Roman Empire. We saw some Roman ruins, however the Rome clearly puts Trier to shame. We had an authentic German dinner complete with Sun, a light german beer. I don't think im a big fan of german food.

"I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad." ~George Bernard Shaw


So here is the plan starting with the first weekend:
Munich, Germany
Prague, Czech Republic
Interlauken, Switzerland
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Barcelona Spain

Currently Listening to: Different Names for the Same Thing- Death Cab (cliche i know)
The Future-Motion City Soundtrack
xoxo Jessica

Transatlanticism

Finally i've gotten to a place with working internet! It's been a week since I have been here, so I have lots to write...so i'll have to spare some details! I arrived at Charles DeGaulle a little after 8 and was greeted with pain du chocolat and Nick :)
We caught the train into Paris and locked up my ridiculously large suitcase in the Gare D'Nord and hit the town. We basically did a worldwind tour of Paris...hit the Louve, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Sacre-Coure, and walked along the Seine until I was about ready to fall over. Oh, and it was Armistence Day, randomly, which meant that there was a parade of the Frence Armed Forces down the Chance de Lese (sp). Outfits were ridiculous, stolling down the street conspicuous.

After 5 intense hours in Paris we caught the train back to Nick's humble abode in Rouen, France. And although i was a little skeptical about attending his "international students dorm party," it was a great time and i met some very interesting personalities...

Day two in France we went euro shopping at CarreFore, which was incredible! Heinekin 12-pack is literally about $6US, and is NOT considered a luxury item, as in Oxford. However, that is not all i learned. Europeans do not provide shopping bags, as it is wasteful...oh and milk is not refridgerated which is disgusting. We got back to his dorm and played a little futbol with some internationals, my favorite of which, happens to be the italian. That night we went to dinner in downtown Rouen, and then stopped by their favorite bar for 1 euro shots.

Day three Nick took me shopping in downtown Rouen where I experienced an anti-Sarkozy demonstration by some crazy french teenagers. I felt a little like I was in Beruit. We bought tickets to the party that night...little did i know what that entailed, but it was great fun.

The next day I travelled all day to arrive in Luxembourg around 8p.m....

"You can't escape the past in Paris, and yet what's so wonderful about it is that the past and present intermingle so intangibly that it doesn't seem to burden."-Allen Ginsberg "In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their language."-Mark Twain Currently Listening to: Living Life-Ben Kweller xoxo jessica