Amsterdam, Anyone?

I am trying to plan a weekend trip to Amsterdam for my cousin-in-law's birthday, but am having a horrible time finding a flight under 175 euros. Anyone know of a cheap airline? I have tried most of the search engines, but if anyone knows of any tricks or maybe some airlines I might not have thought of (I know, how do you know if I thought of them or not. Just assume I didn't), I would love your imput.

What a Week!

This week was incredibly busy. On top of teaching everyday, I had a Habitat for Humanity meeting Tuesday night until 10 p.m. and a cocktail party Thursday. I was nine kids of exhausted last night, but I still went out. It's fine though because there is nothing to do today; it is a holiday so everything is closed.

Speaking of Habitat for Humanity, does anyone have any good fund raising ideas? We are going to have a gala dinner, but we need other ways to make money. This year, the Paris division of Habitat is going to Romania and we need something like 500-600 euros per person.

I am busy planning my trip home. I can't wait! I will be home for a whole three weeks and I will have so much to do. On the top of my list is a huge shoe shopping trip. I love shoes in Paris; they are beautiful, but my feet are too big for them. I went shopping for 4 hours last weekend and I couldn't find anything. Last year, I wanted shoes, this year I NEED shoes. Other than that, I am just looking forward to visiting with everyone.

A Virtual Welcome

Finally, I can post pictures of my apartment. I am going to give everyone a semi-virtual tour because I am only semi-computer literate.


Supposedly my building is one of the oldest in the neighborhood. I love it because it is all very old fashioned, but I am just beginning to realize "old" means cold.


This is my hallway outside my apartment. I love the red tiles everywhere (I have them inside my apartment as well), but they are also very cold.


This is my "hallway" inside my apartment. I loved my door until I realized that it is paper thin and every bit of cold air and noise comes right into my apartment. The toilet is on the left and the shower is on the right. I know my decorations are a little cheesy, but I am poor.


My bed and some artwork from my friend, Dan. Funny story about the mattress. When I moved in, I slept on the mattress for about 30 minutes before I figured out there was no way I was going to be able to spend a year on it, so I bought a mattress from a fellow expat. But because I have no car, I had to trick a friend into helping me lug it about 10 blocks.

Notice the beams in the ceiling. They are old as dirt and add to the charm of the apartment. I love them! They are UNESCO protected.

This is my huge kitchen. Please don't judge me! I know it is messy, but when there is such a small place, it is hard to be really tidy.












My very large table and a huge mirror. Nice idea, I can watch myself eat.













Finally, my view. I have to say this is the only major downside to this apartment. I have no view and I am very close to my neighbors. Also, because the buildings are so close, no air circulates.

Well, that's about it. There isn't much to show because it is only 20 square meters (all that I could afford), but trust me, it is a huge improvement to what I had last year.

A Missed Opportunity

I WAS going to post pictures of my apartment, but blogger won't let me, so I will just say how incredibly cold it is today (why is it that the weather is always nasty on November 1st?) and how I am not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. I have had 5 days to prepare my classes for Thursday and Friday and for some reason, I thought it would be nice to wait until about 12 hours before classes begin to prepare. I am such a imposture; I am no teacher! I am a day dreamer...How in the world am I supposed to be in charge of other people's minds when I can't even get a handle on mine?