Katie Doyle, Girl About Town

Friday, Jul. 14, 2006 - 7:45 a.m.

I'm here. And typing on a french keyboard. I had forgotten the dysfunction involved in that. so this entry will be short. I hope.

The flights here were night and day from each other. I spent the first flight seated next to a shrewish woman who shrieked at her husband and child sporadically the entire flight while the kid behind me kicked my seatback (and kidneys) the entire time we were on the plane and threw a temper tantrum that lasted approximately 6, and possibly 7, hours, and the kid in front of me continually rocked his seatback forward and back, which made it pretty hard to watch the movie or comfortably position my legs, and pretty much impossible to ever get anything out of my pack under the seat...which was kind of impossible anyway, becoz the seats were so close together, once that baby was finally under the seat, it was not coming out again until London. As for the meals, they were only passably edible and were the worst airplane food I've ever eaten, bar none. Seriously, it was beyond awful. Imagine the most inedible tv dinner you've ever had and then amp that up a little, and you migh approach the horrendousness of this food. They were also really stingy with the drinks, so I was severely dehydrated by the time I got here, and I'm still trying to catch up.

At Heathrow, several people congratulated me on my calm and cheery demeanor after sitting next to all the screaming (both young and otherwise) for the entire flight; half of them expressed a particular wish for violence which seemed at odds with their niceness. I guess the family was worse if they weren't sitting next to you and idly chatting between the bouts of screaming/threatening.

I met some nice people in London; two men who had bikes and are planning to chase the Tour around France for 9 days, starting in the Alps (dayam; good luck, fellas!), a nice couple from Scotland who were adorable, a woman whose last laptop was actually driven over and a girl from India, both of whom I watched CNN with, and a couple from Peru who were very nice and are visiting Paris for the first time. They're only here for 2 days, so I perused their list and helped them figure out where to go and what to do. They didn't know about the fireworks, so I explained the Fete Nationale to them, and tonight, me and Marie-Pierre are going to meet up with them to go there. They invited me to come to Peru and visit, and I think I will. :) I have been wanting to see Machu Picchu. :)

My second flight - aside from the insane and disturbing turbulence that hit right as we were finishing lunch - was very pleasant. From the staff to the lunch to the seating arrangements. The girl who shared my side of the row (Lia) is Indonesian but lives in Sydney now. She was very personable and nice, and we had no one between us, so we had all kinds of room. I also told her about the fireworks. and she and her family (who were in the row ahead of us) will be going. :) She introduced me to her father when we reached Paris. He's a geneticist who is currently making the lecture circuit. He and his wife and Lia's younger sister have homes in Jakarta and I forget where else, and he invited me to stay with them, should I ever find myself in Sydney or Indonesia. I gave them my email address, and we all deplaned. And since I know you're wondering, lunch was the single best sandwich I've ever had in my life. :)

In Paris, Marie-Pierre met me just outside baggage claims and helped Carlos and Theresa, the nice couple from Peru, with directions to their hotel. She gave them her cell number in case they have trouble, because that's how cool and nice she is. :) Then we drove to her aunt and uncle's and put my stuff away and then went to her new apartment, where her mom was waiting for the workmen. We ran some errands and then came home, I got a shower (becoz A, i'd been travelling, and B, it's 90 and humid as all hell here, and frankly, i needed one), we ate dinner with her mom and dad, whom I love, and then I pretty much passed out.

Today is the Fete Nationale. I have to go change money and then pick up the keys to my apartment, and then at some point meet up with Carlos and Theresa.

So that's it for now. Adventure Girl, she is back. :)

xo,
katie

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