求遊其巡

Paris and my Eurotrip 2010 Overall.

Despite some major crappy experiences, I liked it overall. It was good to see my old buddy, and despite the fact that we didn’t go out partying all that much, it was alright.

Yesterday (or shall I say 2 days ago), I was back in Paris, and this time, I actually got to see the city. And as with Lille, it was pretty friggin’ dirty. Plus, it still smelled like piss and crap. But that’s ok. Because, instead of taking the subway station (which was much quicker), we were stupid enough to follow the information we received at the tourist info center. Stupid, but cool at the same time. Sure, we wasted a shit-ton of hours in traffic, on a smelly bus filled with dirty windows and smelly people. But you know what? It was cool! We saw how this bus driver narrowly skimmed his way through a traffic of people going the wrong way. At some points, he had to stop, but in doing so, used some highly negotiative skills (very loudly), and got other people to move out of the way. Heck, it was even more cool, when we saw another bus (also going the wrong way) pass by us. I wasn’t scared for my life, but damn, that was amazing!

We dropped our stuff off at the hotel, and then went to see the Eiffel Tower. That was pretty awesome! There were a crap-ton of peddlers trying to sell us stupid little trinkets. It was funny when we all saw them running away in giant groups though. We were like, “What the hell is going on?” But when we turned the other way, one of the guys was getting a pile-drive from a group of police. Then I thought, “Ah… Peace and quiet at last!” But I was wrong. Within a minute, they all came back as if nothing happened. This guy behind me got 7 little Eiffel tower keychains for 1€. For a moment, I even thought of getting something too. The guy’s name was Seung-Hwan, and he was actually studying in Thailand. Pretty cool guy!
It sucked I didn’t have a girlfriend to come with me. But oh well! It was so cold, and the wind was blowing so hard, my buddy said the most romantic I’ve heard in a while: “You know? I’m just about ready to open up your coat, and climb in it! I don’t care what other people say!”
Wow, how romantic! Unfortunately, why couldn’t one of the other hot girls that were part of the crowd tell me that instead? No, I had to be stuck there with two guys. Luckily, I didn’t have to share my coat, keeping it all to myself. But yeah, it was so cold and windy, that two German girls who paid the 13.50€ ($20.88 USD) price to go all the way up, stopped half way, got out of the line and just went down.

Afterwards the whole ordeal, I got a chocolate crepe, and we tried to head back on the subway. Unfortunately, it was closing on us, and when we got to an open entrance, the police officer just said, “No entrance!” And closed it just like that. So we were forced to walk back, and ended up taking a taxi (which other people were fighting for as well) back to the hotel. Most expensive hotel right I’ve ever had –almost 49€($66.02USD). This beats that cab ride I took from Kadena to Naha in Okinawa ($44USD) back in 2007. But it was pretty cool, seeing the way this guy weave his way through slow traffic, onto oncoming traffic, and even going around people in the loop. Almost rivaled the bus ride we had earlier (but the bus ride was still way cooler).

Then I flew home, and had a late layover in Houston where I went through Customs again, and had my baggage checked for the second time (apparently, they didn’t trust the French who also checked everything twice in the same airport). Then our connecting flight got delay another hour. I didn’t get back home until 9:24pm. Wow!

Overall, the trip had many bad moments. But it was okay. Renting bikes and riding them around Frankfurt was pretty awesome. Heck, Germany in general, was just pretty awesome! It was clean (for the most part), and the wilderness was beautiful. Plus, it really makes you appreciate the things you do have that much more. Helps put many things in perspective. There’s still a lot more I haven’t seen of Europe. Next time, I’ll hit up Southern France, the Iberian Peninsula, and all those Mediterranean states. (I’ll save Eastern Europe for another trip, when I go to central Asia).

Little Things

So yesterday, I missed the early train to get to the main station that would get me to Milan, Italy. So when I finally did wake up and tried to catch a later train, they were all out of seats. Apparently, I’d forgotten about Easter Day Weekend (Unlike in America, it’s an actual holiday here), and apparently Milano’s the place to go during this time.

Because here in Frankfurt, Germany, almost EVERYTHING shuts down. But according to my buddy, they all go out, party, and get drunk during Christmas. So why not Easter too?

In Europe, everything shuts down early, and it fuckin’ blows. But now, especially after yesterday, I realize why: Customer service sucks balls. It sucks so bad, people want to stay home and not deal with these fuckers. Fuck! Should’ve just gone back to Griesheim, and ate at that pizza place close by. If I’d known that they were miraculously open….

That restaurant that we did go to though, was pretty bad. The food was mediocre, and it was the second time that day, that I asked for plain old water, and the mineral water I got was more mineral than water. Then, the guy kept saying that I ordered a beer for my buddy. No, I ordered a Cola Light (“Diet Coke” for the Americans)! But he insisted we ordered the beer, and then, charged us up the ass $20 more than the actual price of everything. We only found this out, after checking the prices with the menu up front. GREAT! So we were ripped off too!

So that’s why shit shuts down early in Germany. Because customer service sucks so bad, people would much rather eat at home. So it’s probably safe to say that the businesses that stay open late enough, usually don’t get enough business and HAVE to stay open to try to attract a few more customers.

Amsterdam

First thing I noticed was that I shrunk about 3 inches. Damn, Dutch girls are tall! Only had an hour there, and that was more than enough. It was dirty, and all their “modern” buildings actually looked like they were from 1970s “postmodern” designs. Wierd.

But the people that worked at the Amsterdam station were pretty damn mean. AND it was the dirtiest and oldest-looking train station I’ve seen thus far. Then, it all came together over the loudspeaker, when it was announced that the cleaning crew was on strike. Usually people dump so much shit onto cleaning crews anyways, that it doesn’t matter. Because people that work that kind of job unfortunately just take it. So someone REALLY fucked up on this one when those guys have decided to strike. What do you have to do to piss off one janitor, let alone the whole damn crew?

Honestly, aside from the hookers and potsmoking, what else does Amsterdam offer?

Threats

So after merely spending an hour in Amsterdam, I went back home. Along the way, I heard a couple speaking in Mandarin. Specifically, they were northeastern. Plus, I noticed they were playing cards. I was contemplating whether or not to ask them to include me, but then I heard the guy make a snide little comment, “不知道那小子到底在瞧甚麼！再瞧的話。。。”. So much for finding compatriots. Maybe I was being creepy like that other guy, or maybe people should learn that what they say in public should be kept to a low volume. Even with that creepy guy from two days ago, when my buddy and I were talking, we were already lowering our voices a lot, and anyone who knows me can testify that I really don’t have a projecting voice.

But back to these FOBs… This fucker was loud enough, that I could hear he had a eurail pass that goes until April 30th. Only rich fucker’s could afford that kind of shit. I’m already tightening the belt after just a few days in Europe. So most likely aside from being born rich, he was probably an only child that received a shit-ton of attention and appeasement from his parents and grandparents. Or else he wouldn’t be quick to make cocky comments like that. Plus, I rarely judge people by their physical appearance, but seeing that this kid has unkempt hair, and really thick glasses, he’s trying to sport the “sheeky geeky” look. And if anyone is trying to give themselves any type of look, then that means they’re douches.

And what the fuck was that threat at the end from that guy? Shit man, if you’re trying to scare someone, talk to someone who hasn’t had a gun pointed to his head at the age of 10!

Money!

So I forgot to take out some cash beforehand, and because I couldn’t go to London (the very city my bank is based from), I’m forced to freeload from my friend. That feeling sucks! Moreover, most of these places don’t take Visa. Great! So now I have to wire myself some money, and pay a wiring fee. Hopefully the Germans don’t give me too much crap over this.

UPDATE:
After I’d gotten off the wrong station (1 station before the right stop, got off, then got back on to the right one) only to walk around in circles to the next train station in the next line, took the train back, walked around some more, realized I’d been walking in the wrong direction, and then I walked back again. All this time was being wasted, and I thought: “Oh no! It’s past 3pm, and the banks here close early! I gotta’ get to this thing FAST!”

So I’m walking around, getting lost some more, and then, I found it…

I went inside, and asked a lady, if she could help me in withdrawing some money from my account. She said, “We don’t do retail banking at this HSBC like you’re used to in your country.” B2B investing, funds, and all that, just not the thing I need. So my buddy Barry was right. Just call up my bank, and tellem’ to wire the damn money over to me. I’ll do that the next morning. -_-, Defeat.

Bad Wild Bad, and the outlying areas of the Blackforest

BEAUTIFUL! Need I say more? Most of all, it’s called “Bad Wild Bad”! Can’t get more Bad-ass than that!

It reminds me of the Pacific northwest, but without the giant redwoods that you drive your cars through. It was pretty cool that there was a tram that used energy from the other tram to pull us up. No electricity used at all. Just gravity. Nice dinky little town with cafes and shops, and natural spring water spas for old people to soak themselves in, in attempts to heal their arthritis. If you hate the sight of nearly naked old people, Japanese tourists like to come for the natural spring waters too! Yes, that means young Japanese women who’re probably rich enough to afford to travel outside their island chain.

wierd people

So on my way from Stutgardt to Pforzheim, there was a wierd British guy that kept looking straight at me. It was very uncomfortable. I mean I’ve had people that tried to look away because my face was that ugly before. However, it was like this fat old Brit wanted my Asian cock meat or some shit. It was fuckin’ wierd. He didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping onto our conversation. He just kept staring. My buddy Barry noticed this first, and I thought maybe he was just looking out at the window or something. No. I’m sitting in the aisle seat, and this fucker is looking straight at me. Even when me and Barry were trying to keep our voices low, this fat fucker with a bald head and molestacchio, leaned in towards us and tried to listen to what we were saying. What the fuck is wrong with this fucker? I actually decided to leave this cart and take up a different seat. First the Brits don’t let me into their country, now they send a gay perv/shitty spy to track me down? Fuck you!

25mars2010

Stuck in Lille. Once again, John was right. I shouldn’t have even bothered trying to go to England. As he said, “In many ways they’re worse than us [Americans].

I couldn’t provide them an address on their stupid application, because I was gonna’ book a hotel once I got there. It went something like this…

INT. Lille, France Train Station – Day

British Customs Officer

Where do you plan on staying?

Me

I don’t know. I was gonna’ get there, choose the nearest hotel I find, and go with that one. I didn’t reserve a spot.

The man didn’t like my James Bond attitude of going up to a hotel and paying for a place on the spot.

British Customs Officer

So what is it you want to see in London?

Me

Anything I can see. I’m traveling to see stuff

They apparently didn’t like my carefree attitude about traveling.

Me

What if I´d said “Big Ben”?

His serious complexion didn’t change one bit.

British Customs Officer

What do you have in the bag?

Me

Clothes.

I point to where the shirts, underwear, and socks are held in each compartment.

British Customs Officer

You’re traveling for two weeks, and you only have about a week’s worth of clothes in your bag? You mean you don’t have enough clothes?!

Apparently, these guys haven’t heard of laundry service. Or an invention called alaundry machine.

British Customs Officer

You’re trying to come to London, and you don’t know what you want to see. You don’t have enough clothes. Don’t you see something wrong with this?

Me

So you’re saying there’s something wrong with traveling and seeing the world for the sake of traveling and seeing the world?

British Customs Officer

yes, there is.

Upon hearing this, I wanted to to just leave for another country and not even bother. Unfortunately, they held my passport, took my fingerprints, and basically sat there for 3 hours for them to deny me entry into their stupid island nation (stupid like fuckin’ Hawaii!). The French police then had to detain me and make a log entry, then they were like, “OK, you’re free to go!”. That doesn’t solve the fact that those tickets cost $226USD, and are non-refundable! So I said, “fuck it! I’m going to Germany then!”

To be honest, this really is a result of my “take it as it comes” attitude. I didn’t plan out what I’d see in London, didn’t book a hotel, and am unemployed. Apparently, the Brits like to plan out every single thing. “Ah yes! After tea-time, I will use the latrine 20 minutes after, where I will release about 20CCs of fecal matter, Any more, and I might clog the toilets. Any less, well, that just doesn’t match up with my plan, so I would have to eat some more as a contingency plan!”

But admittedly, the other officer noted that the US Immigration would give them Brits the same amount of hassle. Fair enough. However, I’m traveling outside America to get away from it for a reason, not to meet up with “America Minor Floating off the European Continent”. Yeah, that’s right, I went there. And if anyone believes otherwise, Tony Blaire sure makes my argument look pretty damn convincing!

ON MY WAY TO LILLE

Paris, unlike other capital cities I’ve seen, actually has a lot of lusciously green countryside Surrounding it all over. Now, it wasn’t the kind of artificial green grass you find in Japan, where who knows? Maybe it was genetically enhanced (which I’m ok with, if that really is true)! But it looked more natural and unkempt like the countryside in Korea. Then it got me thinking about my own hypocrisy. Why is it that the countryside outside the US is romanticized as being simple, and a nice contrast to the complex urban lifestyle, while in the US itself, it’s viewed negatively, with images of mobs carrying pitchforks and torches watching a bunch of NASCAR cars going around in circles, or people who innocently give away what little money they have to megachurches? Hm…

Then, I actually got to Lille. It’s a nice dinky little town. A bunch of freeloading beggars all over the place. One of them was a mother, who’s two kids came up to me and one of them tried to take my my water bottle from me! Fuck you kid, I paid €2.5 for that 1liter bottle of water, and now you’ve dirtied it with your grimy hands! A lot of these beggars are from the middle east, but I’m surprise the police don’t do anything about the loitering. If they are illegal immigrants, they probably don’t qualify for the social services that the government has to offer, but I saw French girls and boys asking for money. What the fuck? This added to a very dirty façade, sure there was some nice artchitecture of buildings from several hundred years ago, but they’re all so dirty. It really reminded me of Vladivostok. But then when night came about, the beggars went away (where to, I have no clue. Probably at home watching American TV dubbed in French like all the others). All the dirt wasn’t apparent with the darkness of the night, and the colored lighting in key positions of every building gave the place a nice makeup. But in the end, the question that comes to mind in every city I visit is: behind all this facade, what is there behind this city?

24mars2010

So I landed in Charles Degaulle Airport in Paris, France. As if it wasn’t enough that I forgot my camera, I realized that the local Paris subway doesn’t connect up with the Eurail line. Or, at least the stops to the Eurail line connected to the Airport is limited in choice as opposed to the other Paris Nord stop on the Eurail line. Yeah, I guess they don’t link up. As a result, I’m now in Lille, France. Definately going to hit up London tomorrow. We’ll see how this can go.