Attack of the bumblebees

I could not believe I did not take any pictures on Saturday night. I just realized this when I thought “today I’ll write a blog about the weekend”… so you’ll just have to believe me when I say:

I went to a Birthday party on Saturday for a friend who lives just around here. It was really quite fun to catch up with some people as I haven’t seen any of them for some time, and it was great to eat some really delicious food!

The only downfall was that I had to leave early, as I wanted to go to church in the morning with a Russian au pair-friend I met in this area. Especially because it was Easter, and I really wanted to check out the service in a Parisian-Russian Orthodox church*

The service was so lovely, and as my friend put it, almost meditational. We definitely walked away very happy and ready to enjoy the rest of the sunny day.

We met up with an old friend I met back in University. We really had such a great time. I don’t know whether it was that we were in such a good mood, or that his jokes were so funny but I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in a full day. We really could not get over the fact of how great the time was! Like even now I can sit here and think back and still laugh… creeping out my work buddy.

A tiny example of the fun we were having at the Invalides. 

Once I got home I was just so exhausted… I went to bed at 9:30 and fell asleep by probably 10 (but then again I might be a bit too generous with my time… it could have been 9:35).

Also today I came to a realization. I have a defense-less defense mode. I am quite disappointed in myself.

I bumble-bee flew into my room and then turned and flew right at my face, and you know what I did?! I just closed my eyes! How freaking useless is that! Like why was my instinct neither fight nor flight but just stand there with my eyes closed under the impression of “if I don’t see it, it doesn’t see me”. So clearly I should start taking some self-defense classes or something, because that just won’t fly with me.

And yes I come up with loads of epiphanies like that when I’m under attack… by bumblebees.

*Do understand I am a scientist. I also very much believe in evolution and that the world is much older than 3 000 years. However I was born and raised in a very religious culture, so it’s almost like a habit now. I’ve also been through things in my life that I could not have gotten over without the feeling that I wasn’t totally alone, even though physically I was.

Dear Apple Store,

I am sorry for having spent almost a month stealing your internet. I am not so sorry for how you tried to subtly kick me out of your store after I’ve been sitting in there for two hours. The “genius” kept telling me to move, so I did… to another table, and like that it would go for about an hour; of me just shuffling around the store.

Quick Rant:

You know what is one thing that frustrates me about driving in France, the stupid roundabouts. Now it isn’t the roundabouts themselves (in reality they are a great concept for smoothly moving traffic along), but it is the people in them! Not everyone knows how to use roundabouts or is simply too lazy to do it right. Well sometimes people are just plain stupid and try to cut me off while I am in the roundabout, doing my roundabout thing, and they are trying get in without looking even though it clearly says at every entrance “Vous n’avez pas la priorité”, you don’t have to be an idiot to understand that YOU DO NOT HAVE THE PRIORITY to get in the stupid roundabout. So calm down and wait for me to pass rather than cutting me of and almost causing an accident.

Secondly, the people who don’t know how to use their clicker, really piss me off too. If you are exiting the roundabout please let me know so I could advance. It is really annoying when there is traffic and no one is showing that they are exiting right beside you (meaning you could have advanced). I am giving you the priority, but you don’t deserve it!

Anyways, it has been so sunny here in France…. Except when it came to the weekend… But that doesn’t mean that I’ll stay at home and sulk. On Saturday I wasn’t feeling so great so what do I do? Shopping, obviously. Food, clothes, jewelry; while I didn’t buy it all, I was definitely tempted (except for the food… I always buy the food. It’s like it calls to me).

Next I went to meet with some people. One of the people who was with us was a man from Africa who spoke fluent Russian (he lived in the USSR for 13 years, or something like that, when he was young). He then began to aggressively hit on me, which made me incredibly uncomfortable. So I told him I was unavailable. To which he replied with a “well I am married, and yet I am still available”, and then continued to lecture me on how life is short and we should enjoy it. He kept calling the other women his “lovers” (he had many). It made things even more uncomfortable! So I got annoyed and straight out told him that not only am I unavailable, but he can definitely count me out of his “lovers circle”.  Unfortunately that did not work as well as I planned, but thankfully my station was coming up and I was getting off the train before him.

The next day I went with a group to the REX cinema. It is the oldest cinema in Paris, built in the 1930’s. It has had lots of famous visitors from Jennifer Lawrence to Bradley Cooper (did you know he speaks French?!) and many others. What made the experience much more exciting was how the museum is an interactive museum! So at one point I got to be in a movie… I know pretty badass, you can start lining up for autographs.

Oh I also met another Russian man here, but he was much better than the one from the previous one. We had just a regular conversation. And it was quite funny how we met, as he came in right when I was explaining to people where Volgograd is (my go to explanation is always “Well do you know Stalingrad? Yeah it’s the same thing, they renamed it), at which point he comes in and is like “cool I am from Leningrad”. Some historical Russian humour for you here.

Like 1/5 of the wall showing the artists that have come by the REX

Also got up close and personal with superman

Some creepy guy who freaked me out, as he just opened the door suddenly.

Tunnel of spinny lights that make you feel like you are drunk walking through.

Then I ate a pizza bigger than my head. But it was delicious.

All is good overall. Kids seem to grow in energy as the sun stays longer up in the sky, which is quite fun. And the older girl is going through some changes into adolescence, which is a treat. Was I really like this when I was younger? I imagined myself as this quite kid, but I think I’ve been lying to myself. I think I was just as energetic and moody.

Also Leo is obsessed when ever I get ready for the day in Paris, she loves watching me put on makeup and get all jewelled up. So we figured we would do the same for her (minus the makeup obviously). The love the way she poses.

Oh and speaking of children who give attitude, I recently found out my sister has been role playing as me… which included taking the contacts that I’ve left at home and playing with them. Yes that is contacts that I’ve paid over $300 for… and yet she still has the nerve to give me attitude for being mad at her! Oh for god sakes, why are kids so difficult sometimes?!