Sunday, September 6, 2009

My love affair with the Twin Cities

To cope with my recent move away from Paris and my quirkyaloneness in general, I have decided to romance Minneapolis (with a few dates with Saint Paul).

When I moved down here last week, I got hopelessly lost for awhile, and I sadly realized how much better I know Paris compared to my own city.

Well, this year, I'm going to change that. I am going to take Minneapolis like I did Paris, with to-do lists, pictures, and writing.

So far this week, I have ventured to the Saint-Paul Farmer's Market, where I Holga'd and got free sunflowers, to the Bulldog bar in Uptown, where I tried some Belgium Hoegarden beer and also got a glass of my trusty Leffe that brought back so many memories (or lack there-of...), and the Falafel King place on Lyndale, where I ordered the "appetizer" Maza, which is actually 2 meals in itself.

I had a lovely reunion with the Minneapolis Central Library, where I checked out a bunch of French novels, French films, and an American memoirs about time spent in France. Also the aforementioned Supercapitalism & Quirkyalone books.

I've scoped out the new and improved Seward Co-Op, where I was blown away! We then picnicked by Lake Calhoun, and it was lovely. I took my cuz & sis to Pizza Luce on Seward and consumed an entire Mashed potato pizza by myself. I ventured downtown to have lunch with Teddy - we had Jimmy John's at the park by the Orchestra Hall. Over in Dinkytown, I ate at the newly (new to me, anyway) expanded Mesa Pizza, had my favorite Southwest Beans slice, with a Mountain Dew, and felt wonderfully at home, despite missing fresh croissants with some French coffee like Phantom Limb Syndrome.

To-Do List
Sonic! (Even better after dark)
the Titanic exhibit
the M.I.A. and the Walker / Sculpture Gardens
Much Ado About Nothing at Theater in the Round
(500) Days of Summer
Caffetto's, Cupcake, Bordertown
that French restaurant on Lyndale
Galactic Pizza
(So much food!)
read, write, and take pictures
find more things to add to this list.

I think this list ever-expanding list, with school and work, will be more than enough to prevent me from slipping into a reverse-culture shock depression.

So Minneapolis, will you go out with me?

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Currently

Living in: a cute little house in Uptown
Eating: spoonfuls of hummus (I ran out of pita bread)
Listening to: French radio station online out of Lille (http://www.mycontact.fr/player.html)
Reading: Supercapitalism by Robert B. Reich
Wearing: Charlotte Russe top that I haven't worn in years, same pair of Vanity jeans for the fourth day in a row, and purple ballet flats I just bought.
Contemplating: my life as a quirkyalone (Quirkyalone: a Manifesto for uncompromising romantics, by Sasha Cagen)
Talking to: Tara (London), via skype, and Shana, via thin walls
Dreading: the start of school and work
Fearing: greek olives and sharp objects
Healing: stitched arm, wisdom teeth gaps, and a disappointed heart
Loving: solitude, coffee, electro music, anything French
Wanting: a mac, an ipod, a quirkytogether relationship
Believing in: friendship, poetry, environmentalism