Holiday season

As I am sitting in my living room watching Gad El Maleh and enjoying the last few days of my xmas vacation in Lebanon, I came to realize that I am actually looking forward to go back to Paris.

Nine days in Lebanon had seen me socially worn out. I have never been involved in so many social activities. Visiting close friends, not so close friends, parents of friends (whom I love as much as my own), ex-professors, future/previous work supervisors, family members, etc, etc…

For those who know me well, nothing tortures me more than social obligations and nothing gives me more pleasure than riding my bike. Well during this holiday season, I have barely ridden my bike and had tons of social obligations! GO FIGURE!

Nonetheless it felt good being away from the bike for a week or so; it's just the winter break that I have been waiting for.

Happy new year everybody!!

 

 

Late December updates

It looks inevitable. Living a student life in Europe has to be financially meager. Yesterday at around 7 p.m my bank agent called me, saying that my student loan was declined. So much for Christmas shopping. I was on my way to get N a nice iPhone. In fact I was about to make the payment when I received the call. Well it seems that it has to wait for few weeks. On a more positive note, we will be leaving Paris to Beirut via Rome in a couple of hours. The "Aeroports de Paris" website shows no flight delays. A nice surprise, a very pleasant one indeed… with Alitalia you never know! "Ils sont fous ces romains". I am just praying not to lose our luggage somewhere between Paris and Rome. I hate travelling.

Lean christmas in Paris?

Living off my scholarship money and the small wage N is earning, doesn't allow for many Christmas festivities in a city where Christmas rhymes very well with its name. Ok perhaps I am pushing it too far here, but who wouldn't associate Christmas to Paris? Shopping at La Fayette (or Val d'Europe), drinking hot chocolate at La Jacobine, visiting the marche de noel at la defense, in addition to the hundred other activities one can do.

This year we are enjoying a different version of Christmas period, a leaner version. Where one doesn't eat foie gras but cheap Carrefour made Pâté. If you go to the cinema, you opt for the 2D version instead of the 3D cause it saves you 3.56 euros per ticket. You keep on spreading yourself too thin, until the bank finally approves your 10,000 euros student loan, and then… just then you decide to make it all up! You go and buy your partner those 300 euros eye glasses, just to give yourself an excuse to buy in iPad, two cycling kits, four books, and brand new pair of camper shoes!

This year, santa (or my drying bank account) has brought us two return tickets to Beirut J with the same amount santa could've gotten us a 3 days trip to Amsterdam and an iPad 2… One can always argue that spending Christmas with family and friends as well as drinking coffee at Starbucks Sassine are priceless, while a fine joint in Amsterdam costs around 10 euros. Don't get me wrong I am psyched by the fact that I will be visiting Lebanon I am just presenting a constructive alternative.

 

 

Reading period

As part of tomorrow's mid-term exam preparations, I have dedicated a significant amount of time to read Houellebecq's latest work as a way to fight the exam related stress.

I'm halfway through with the book and not planning to stop before finishing it entirely. After all, perseverance is the key to success.

If I had to describe Michel Houellebecq based on what I have so far read from his book, I would confidently say that he's one hell of a self-centered author. In fact I think he goes way beyond self-centrism. He redefines the entire ego-centrism and self-centrism concepts. However unlike many other mortal authors, he is actually good at it. I even dare to say that he deserves it. The way he describes and market himself in his book (In short, he's a mess!) is so good that you would actually want to go on amazon and buy his entire collection. Unfortunately that is not going to happen. Books cost a lot of money, and they would cost even more if you decide to ship them back home.

 

 

The Parisian experience chronicles 2

As the screaming of my cousin's two years baby daughter punctures my ear drums, here I am sitting in a modern 60 msq apartment located in the western suburbs of Paris trying to detail my life in Paris. A boring subject for some, but a necessary milestone for my sanity…

So it has almost been three months since I have embarked on this "ironic" journey of mine, thinking that I was through with my relationship with Lebanon. Truth is I was never more involved with Lebanon than I am now. My work is centered in Beirut, I report to my boss residing in Hamra. All my cycling training revolves around the Lebanese national championship and the Arabs championship. After years of procrastination I have finally started (all the way from Paris) the necessary paper work that will allow me to build my house in Lebanon. Last but not least I do watch MTV Lebanon practically all day.

 

Anyway back to what this post was supposed to be about: describing my life in Paris. Well one piece of advice: if you love Paris, stick to the touristic perspective. The daily Parisian life will overshadow its glitter. The Eifel Tower will keep on shining, but not as brightly as seen by the touristic eye. Same thing applies to the Champs Elysees, etc, etc… This being said, you will get to discover one thousand little pleasures in Paris that only a permanent resident would appreciate. These small bookstores concealed from the touristic eye, those small bakeries hidden in some residential neighborhood strange to the feet of tourists.

 

Amidst all these contradictions, I am leading a quiet life. On a non-university day* I wake up at 9 am every morning, have a small French breakfast while watching "MTV alive". Around 10 am I put on some solid two and half hours of work, and then I go out for my daily two-to-three hours ride. Back at 3:30 pm just in time for a quick lunch before I catch the bus to "Rueil" (where N babysits Chloe, which happens to be my cousin's house). I usually use this thirty minutes bus trip to read some statistics material, before I reach my destination. Once at my cousin's I opt for another solid 2 hours of work. At 7 pm N and myself go back home, pass by the supermarket on our way home, cook a fancy dinner (sometimes) or order Japanese food, eat, chat, watch TV. At 10 pm I am back to my computer screen for another two-to-three hours of work.

Weekends are when we play the tourists in Paris. I think that it is the only way to enjoy the city.

 

I always thought that this is the kind of life that suits me better. After trying it, I am not sure this is what I want. All my energy is channeled towards Lebanon. A friend once told me: "you hate Lebanon but you can't live outside it"

To be cont'd(…)

 

*I only go to school one or two days a week.

 

 

 

 

Lethargy

Being a very moody person makes me feel (in a one way or another) incapable of doing anything correctly. Which is not completely true. Nor completely wrong!
Perhaps today is one of those days where I feel down and lethargic. I feel physically and mentally worn out; and it's in situations like this one that questions start to pop up into my mind.
For how long are you going to keep this pattern? When will you grow up and start behaving like a rational adult? When will you seek a fixed job and a stable life? When? What if? Bla bla bla bla…
Unfortunately I don't have the answers for these compulsive questions! I usually try to challenge these voices in my head by trying to define normality, the purpose of life and this entire system. GOOD LUCK with that!

 
…I'm in cold Europe dreaming about Lebanon's blue skies, very typical homesickness syndrome!