What is Your Favorite Breed of Horse?

Paris,Paris,Paris... wow two weeks later and I am finally typing on this blog. but back off because I have consumed my life with making this calendar for graphic design and then starting over and making it again.

anyway so the trip started off kind of shaky, but I guess it was a good reading on how the rest of the trip was going to go. 

The "brand" below is one of the first things that I would say officially started this trip. Now what do you see, the letter A with two dots, or two people having sex? 

Must be one of those illusions.. maybe you can see it in one of those books at borders, you know the grandma or the wine glass.. I think thats how that one goes.

Please see the bottom of this blog to find out what your answer means about you.

So here is my native american journal. Currently it holds the key to my thoughts and soul. It also holds some very valuable illustrations, that you are seeing first hand right now before they end up in a museum somewhere..

On the cover it says SPIKHE, which I decided is the international word/question word that anyone from any country (see international) can say to anyone else to ask them what language they speak. Let me explain. So if you are from Germany and you go up to someone and say sprechen sie Deutsch or attempt to say do you speak German... they will most likely answer by saying no because they just don't understand you, plus its complicated enough to learn how you say do you speak English/language of choice in every single language. So here is my international word that should be known by everyone from every culture. Lazy Americans.

First illustration: Artist: Marie Franki

drawing on the right: that is supposed to be me, it was a contest we had on the train to Pisa. She won because of obvious reasons. 

drawing on the left: unicorn contest, this ones name is Sharon

Second illustration: Artist: McKenzie/Me

drawing on the left: swan?

drawing on the right: Marie from the train contest and my unicorn Paul. He is wearing a 24K gold chain. I won that contest. Duh.

Ok so RYANair is cheap for a very good reason. Let me just start off the story. We got to Pisa to catch our flight to Paris and the flight ended up being delayed and then delayed again. Then by the time they finally got a plane for us the airport we were flying into was closed. So then they decided they would fly us into an airport on the border of Belgium and France and then bus us into Paris, which was 4 hours away. So we were supposed to get into Paris at 10pm but actually didn't end up getting there until around 3am.

Ok. Lets dig in.

Day 1:

Started with a nice starbucks. Seems every city in Europe has a starbucks on every corner, but not Florence. Not that that is a bad thing necessarily, but it did make it that much more exciting. I bet when Florentines come to the United States or a big city in Europe they don't spend any money because they are not tempted by things that they have never had before.

Here is Marie.. there is a series of this photo, but I just decided to include this one because as you can tell this is going to be a really long blog.

Next we go to catch the metro to the Louvre. I had the pleasure of sitting next to this fine gentleman who randomly started playing really sweet rap music out loud on his mp3 phone. After his song ended I decided to follow it with some Nelly Country Grammer. He dug it. But really, who wouldn't? We were clearly bfflife afterwards.

We were trying to look... cool?

Outside of the Louvre. If this picture would've worked it would have been a high five, but we missed so this was the result. Good thing I was a cheerleader and as a result have such nice jumping skills.

So the Louvre was full of artwork after artwork followed by little chinese cabinet and norways last toilet paper square. But honestly it was full of a lot of amazing and famous pieces.. Here are some of them.

Look at how huge this painting is. Compare it to the size of Marie. I know it may have been more impressive with a normal sized person, but you get the jist.

On the direct opposite wall from that huge painting is this. The Mona Lisa. The painting that I'm sure everyone and every ant in the farm has heard of, and look how small it is. Funny how no one even knows the name of that gigantic painting and how it probably took a lot of more time and skill to paint than the Mona Lisa. 

But either way, here is the Mona Lisa. I saw it. Here it is. Down there. Do you see it? Or are you still looking at the huge painting? P.S you can click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Oops... Out of order. here is a group shot outside the Louvre.

Picture taken from inside, probably right next to Wish bones first doggy suit.

A Classic. After the Louvre, we wanted to go to the eiffel tower at sunset, but on the way we found this huge pile of leaves. So we tossed them. And took a picture.

Our trip to the eiffel tower was a little delayed because we came upon another famous person leaving a building and a ton of anxious people outside to see who it was (remember the italian pop star we waited forever for? See blog My firenze and me in October). Anyway so we waited and waited and yet again it ended up being someone none of us had ever heard of; however, he was famous. It was the Prime minister of France and he was dining with the Palestine Prime minister. Jealous? He signed my arm.

The eiffel tower is blue at night. I wish it was always blue because it is a lot more beautiful at night and even more amazing looking when they turn on the white lights that make it look like its sparkling.

Vivi and I are roommates in love. I just happen to love her a little bit more.

Here it is sparkling. 

Following the eiffel tower experience we headed home to get ready for the big night on the town. And I can't wait to type to you how BIG it was. Well first of all it was Alissa's 21st birthday that night so there was a celebration that needed to be had.

She drank a little bit, but then by the time dinner was over she was already sober. We first headed to this young and thriving dance club called "red light" and it only cost 20 euros to get it! Geez what a deal! Of course we paid, but then 5 minutes after walking in we looked around and realized everyone was wearing all white and that it was a white party. On this note we decided we didn't want to be there because we weren't going to pay 20 euros for a white party that we weren't even wearing white at. 

Naturally they wouldn't give us our money back so we headed to the street to sell our tickets, which after long conversations of trying to persuade people to buy our tickets from us.. in english.. to french people may i add... we finally did it and headed on our way

Then while walking, Vivi and a few others found this random guy walking home from probably his very sketchy night shift and decided to ask him where all the hoppin bars were. Enthused he told us he knew of a really good street and that he would show us where it was. Again, of course we followed him.. let me add in here. Stupid Americans. and he led us down several quiet streets and finally landed on this one street that was full of bars, but the kicker was that not one person was under the age of 35. The first bar we went in was again only 35+ and they only sold 11 euro drinks and no shots so we left. The next bar he took us to he told us was very private and hard to get into and you have to wear "smart shoes" to get in. Some how we got in even though we weren't.

Below is a picture of the second club called "Castel" here is a website link for it.. please check this out http://petitebrigitte.com/2007/03/12/chez-castel-hot-boite-or-shmeless-brothel

Anyway so we walk into this very exclusive club and first of all notice the mood lighting, drapery and fancy carpet. Think moulin rouge.. I'm pretty sure that is what they were going for actually. Inside was men anywhere from 50 to 70 years old and women of all ages, but we were definitely the youngest ones. Vivi bought a drink for only 18 euro (vodka and sour) and then we danced the night away with our grandpas. 
 

On the left: the infamous prune face, made popular by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson

On the right: Sigrid gettin down Norway style

 

Below is the best example of what this club was like. Do you understand now?

Statue we decided to pose with on the way home from the night we will never forget.

Day 2: Hannah Arrives

So let me start with this note: there were 6 of us staying in a 5 person hotel room. In the U.S this is no big deal and sometimes you have 20 person in a hotel room that only has two double beds, but in Europe this is a big deal. The first night we tried to get away with one extra person, but it was just the beginning of us being very far from getting away with anything at all. Walking into the hotel the door man immediately notices we have one extra person, and says that if we have an extra person to come talk to him. So Sigrid and Vivi go and talk to the guy and end up having to pay him personally 20 euro extra for the 2 nights that we would be there. Of course hannah coming the next day would be a new challenge.

So lets start out the day. First we all met for lunch at the eiffel tower because now today was Vivi's 21st Birthday. Below hannah and I are romantically drinking our champagne.

Then following lunch we went to the top of the eiffel tower, which I don't really think was worth it considering it was completely cloudy that day and I couldn't really see a clear view of paris. Group shot!

However at least we got to write our names on it, and maybe the weather won't erase it for a couple years.

Next we headed to the Arch de Triumph. We were really cold so we basically just got off the metro, looked at it, took pictures such as this one, and another one with some asian guys. I don't have that picture because it is on Alissa's camera.... Maybe some other time bloggers.

Last stop of the day was the Notre Dame. We even got to meet the hunchback who was just sneaking home from spying on his lady friend.

Some more artwork:

Contest: Book cover 

On the left: Marie's: savage mistress book

On the right: My book cover: Bunny visits Amsterdam

Result: Tie

I suggest you click on these to get a closer look
   

Night 2: Vivi's 21st Birthday

Now this night was probably a more traditional 21st birthday, not nearly as exciting as Castel, but a close second.

Vivi and Alissa got very drunk and did some very hilarious things. Which brings me to the meaning of the title of this blog. Eventually I was feeding Vivi random questions to ask this big group of people and one of them happened to be , What is your favorite breed of horse? Some other good ones were: Which color is your favorite (said exactly like that) and What is your favorite sex position (to the bartender).....

This man bought all of us roses, and vivi for some reason really liked playing with his long greasy hair.

Prune face.. Hannah didn't get the memo

Rose series... only one of many

Other examples of the night:

Vivi likes to speak to people in random languages when she is drunk, so one group she was speaking "new zealandish" to them, which I believe they speak English. They told her she looked like a Mongolian and that she sounded stupid. She replied: I'm taking offense to that (in a New Zealand/ robotic sort of way. Also this same group of guys told Abbey she was beautiful and offered her 100 euro to "come home with them" and at one time I turned around and next thing I knew they were showing me a picture they had taken of me. Oh Frenchies.

At another bar Vivi put on Marie's red gloves and was pretending to be a mime.... For about 5 minutes.... 

Happy birthday! haha :)

Day 3:

Ok so these first set of pictures aren't actually mine because I forgot about the Moulin Rouge and instead went to the flea market with Hannah and Marie; however, I decided to include them on my blog so that you could get a taste of what it actually looked like.

  

You may recognize this church from the top of the hill in the Moulin Rouge movie. If not, then watch it again and you might get excited. It could be the highlight of your day. Then you can send me a facebook message and tell me about it. 

So here is how my day actually went:

First Hannah and I walked around a little bit looking for lingerie for my sister, but came home empty handed. Then we sat at this creperie and waited for them to open. In the mean time they decided to give us free champagne. Just our luck because Hannah and I love to drink and on top of that the taste of alcohol! But when we actually got to eat there it was well worth it because the crepes were amazing and definitely stomped stomping grounds crepes (har har).

After lunch Marie, Hannah and I headed to the dirty side of Paris. It was supposedly a place with really good vintage shops that hannah and I had found online. We ended up getting a few good finds: I bought 3 pairs of shoes, marie bought a pair of shoes and a bag, and hannah bought a dress and a wallet. 

It was also full of these really creepy "statues"

Yet another drawing contest:

contest: Hannah in her ugliest state in Paris

first drawing: mine.. I won.. look how bad my eiffel tower is.. but check out hannah's thighs!

second drawing: maries: aww close second but not as disgusting as mine

Another set of creepy mannequins ... if only I had a beard. A white one.

One of the streets, not inside the flea market but in the little town next to it.

See what I'm talking about yet?

End of the day, and thank god last picture of the blog:

We got churros.. which were amazing. At the end we decided to try out the life of a beggar and made a sign that said we were hungry in 3 different languages. Right next to my bag with my 3 pairs of shoes I just bought. Hey they are vintage so I could still be poor.

Which brings me to my next point: I hate the word vintage. 

the end

And to sum up the hotel situation: we ended up having to pay another 30 euro because we had 2 extra people now.. I hope that guy is putting the 70 euro we gave him into his savings account!

In summary:

Paris was a lot of fun. I'm not that fond of French people and their confusing language, but France on it's own was really nice. Highlight of the trip: Castel and Vivi's drunken ways. Downside of the trip: not understanding any french.. at all.. and Marie not understanding it either.. and having to pay the hotel man off... Maybe we should have offered sewing him a nice new suit jacket.... hmmmm

miss you all and see you in 21 days.. That is if anyone is still reading this blog and if not.. good job mckenzie, pat on the back, good job at finding the motivation to write this really long blog that no one is probably going to read for 2 different reasons 1. its been two weeks and 2. you have a london blog on top of this so no one will probably even see this one

chunk a lunk

McK