C'est la vie de Bethany: May 2005

la coiffeuse

Yesterday I decided that it was finally time to go get a haircut. The last one I got was in Turkey back at the beginning of January, so you could say that I was long overdue...but you would have put if off too if you could see some of the crazy ways people wear their hair here! It is hard to tell where it starts, do these people go in thinking they would look good with one of the mullets advertised in the window, or are there just shops that give everyone the same terrible style no matter what you ask for? Okay, back to my story...so I decided to face the challenge and go to a place in my neighborhood. I called a friend to brush up on my haircutting vocabulary and set out to the "Mega Coiffure" down the road. I told the lady, in French, that I wanted a few layers...some around my face, and some around the bottom to add volume...she seemed to understand...but instead of "a few layers" she decided what I wanted was about 87 layers around my face, accomplished by pulling out the front of my hair and cutting it at a diagonal line all the way down...not exactly anything like I said. After she finished giving me the worst haircut I can remember, she asked if I wanted her to style it for me...I said "no thanks, I live close and will fix it at home", which she to took to mean that I wanted her to fix it with a big round brush and lots of hair products (which ironically looked very similar to a picture on the wall of a lady from about 1984). Oh well, it keeps things interesting around here and at least I didn't get a mullet...though now I am officially a victim of the French coiffuse, thankfully hair grows back :)

Micah & I at the Tour Eiffel...we took this one ourselves and didn't really get the tower in the background, but you can see one of the legs just behind Micah's head :)

ummm...may the best city win! (casually showing off my Madrid 2012 shirt at the Hotel de Ville of Paris on Saturday)

Madrid...(finally...)

So last weekend I went to Spain, or better known here as Espana. I technically flew into and out of Madrid, but did not really get to see any of that city. I went for a conference which was held in El Escorial. I got to spend Saturday afternoon in Avila, a really old city 55km outside of El Escorial. It was beautiful and refreshing and a trip that I don't think I could duplicate. I heard some great teaching, singing, and met lots of interesting people from all over Europe. Enjoy the pics :)

El Escorial is known as the home of this large monastary, just 50 km outside of Madrid. Though I did not get to take the tour of this building it was reported to me that the monks there wear cream colored robes, not brown as you might imagine.

this was taken from the midevil city wall of Avila built in 1090...we hiked all the way around the old part of the city and enjoyed the views of the mountains in the distance

Ruth & I on top of the wall overlooking Avila

this has got to be the coolest Jesus poster I have ever seen...He has a six-pack and is giving the peace sign...currently located in a cathedral in Spain

hmmm....

(Dr.) Joshua Langston

yes ladies and gentlemen, the long awaited world traveler has returned to the western hemisphere...only one night in France and then off to Italy, Germany, etc. Bon voyage!

Click here for "blackpeopleloveus.com"

this hilarious and random link was sent to my by my friend Carrie who lives in Africa...and is posted in honor of my friend Curtis who just this week said "I’m really excited that there are black people that you get to hang out with there" :)

Music suggestions anyone? I feel disconnected from the scene where I was hearing about new bands and CDs that were must-haves. Feel free to let me know what you are currently listening to so I can get it onto my IPod and be cool again ;)

Loni & I had dinner with some friends this past week at a Greek restaurant in the Latin quarter of the city (Latin refers to those people back in the day who spoke the language in this area close to the University for academic purposes)

this is a pile of broken plates just outside of the restaurant, yes they do throw them and yell "OOPAAA" while dancing around in a circle...just like the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"

Memos...

To the person who lost their soul yesterday (shoe soul that is), I saw it in the Parc Departemental de la Courneuve close to the big pond. To the Americans I saw on the metro today, just because you are in France does not mean that others don't understand your English conversations. To the ladies I had a picnic with yesterday, sorry that my kickball skills are a bit rusty and that I was wearing sandals...I had no idea that, as the French say, vous avez aimé jouer des sports. To my French professor, congratulations on wearing a new pair of pants...that other pair you have worn every day for the past 3 months must have been due for a wash.

August 13, 2005...

...a day that will be hard to miss as Erin & Aaron tie the knot, i love you and miss you!!

Okay, I will admit that I have some strage phobias. I see no reason to explain or be ashamed that there are certain things (though seemingly normal to others) that completely freak me out (ex: raw wood in the mouth, expecially on the teeth). So, as you know living in a big city like Paris I spend a lot of time on the Metro. It is not uncommon to have the trains stop somewhere in the tunnels, sometimes the lights go out, sometimes they turn off the train (or at least it sounds like they do)...anyway, all that to say that I have developed a new fear of someday being forced to get off the metro car and walk through the dark, nasty, creepy tunnels. I realize this may sound far fetched to you, but it kinda freaks me out and every time my trains stop for a while in the tunnels. My friends here think it is funny and will make remarks about what a long walk that would be and who knows what is down there...but I know that I am not alone in the strange phobias (real or imagined), what are yours??

Dialect test

My roommate had a link to this site on her page, the short test tells you what kind of American English you speak...I am proud to say that my General American English ranked the highest. I have been told that the way I talk does not exactly indicate being raised in Texas and this shows that I could pretty much fit in (speech-wise) all over the U.S.