R e - P e t e

Eurotrip, Part Deux

Hey guys!!

I’m still in Europe. I just arrived into London after being in Paris for the first part of the week. Oh so many stories!!

I can’t go through them all but I just wanted to mention the contrasts of europeans I have met. Just like my last trip, there have been a few sour apples. Last time it was the train guy who told us to get off the train but wouldn’t try to explain to us why. This time it was: 1) the server who simply said, “Non!” very abruptly and walked away when we asked if they were still serving petit dejeuner and 2) the customs guy who was berating us and then told us we were holding up the line because we forgot to fill out one portion of the card you fill out when you visit a country (it’s the address of the person you stay with.. i haven’t found this to be the biggest deal as when i went to korea they didn’t care). I can understand the need for security and thoroughness, but what’s the deal with giving us the attitude? First person to meet on UK soil. Pas de bien!!

[Much later. The next day.]

But there have been redeeming people who make me love the Europeans. I met with Julienne (Eugene’s cousin) in Paris and she, as usual, was the lovely parissienne. Very charming company and checking up on us was very nice of her. Right now, in London, we’re staying with my brother’s friends who are the most charming hosts ever. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed with anybody who has been more welcoming. Jean-Cristophe has amazing humor (which goes great with the french accent) and Yota, a greek beauty, is quite deft with her sarcasm.

I went through London today and it’s a fabulous city!! It’s definitely a place I’d like to live someday. It can be very fast-paced though but the city is very beautiful despite the gloomy weather.

I wish I could post pictures… maybe later.

From Londonium with Love,
Peter

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. What am I thankful for? Tout! Life is great. I’m happy to be traveling again. I’m happy to be with my brother and happy for my parents back home. I’m happy for my friends and my cousins abroad. I’m happy for my new job and to be blessed with cool roommates. I’m happy for the love of my life and the thought that tomorrow I will wake up and explore a city that is foreign to me, yet filled with excitement. Thanksgiving is always interesting because it comes around my birthday. I can’t believe I’m 27. In many ways I still feel like a kid.

Exits and Entrances

Bonjour, bonjour my readers (all 2.3 of you). A few life updates for me.

1) Today was the LAST day of my job!!! Sometimes it feels so good just to QUIT!!! Heck, I was already cleaning my desk yesterday and throwing a bunch of junk away (just a couple of papers someone may need someday, but it won’t be me). I was ITCHING to leave all day! My boss tried to dump some stuff on me at the last minute but he couldn’t keep me from leaving.

2) Tomorrow I go to London and Paris. I’m going to show my solidarity with my British brothers by: having some fish and chips; drinking a Guiness; watch some soccer (and fight some hooligans); and who knows what else?? The first part of the week will be in Paris, the city of Love (and racially-motivated riots) and the second part will be spent in the city of colour/labour/theatre/you get the idea.

I’m really excited about my new job. I start in December! Yes, yes, I know this is my 5th job (OH wait.. it’s my 6th!!!). Hey, I always say jobs are like dating/relationships. You gotta find a right fit! Otherwise it just doesn’t work out. Hmm.. let’s see if I can carry this analogy:

1st job: Man, when things started out she was so great! It wasn’t much about her personality, but she just looked awesome. Unfortunately, after a year the relationship just began falling apart. Her life fell apart and suddenly she didnt’ want me anymore. Well her attitude was getting piss-poor by that time anyway.

2nd job: Things were cool until one day she totally freaked out. She thought I cheated on her! And I couldn’t convince her otherwise. Screw that. What a nut.

3rd job: I was getting desperate by this point. I admit it! I didn’t plan this to be long term. She was supposed to hold me over until I found something better. In the end the relationship didnt’ work and it just fell apart.

4th job: Standards totally lowered by this point. Better than my last one, but worse than the first two. Not putting much effort into this relationship cuz I know it’s going nowhere.

5th job: I thought there was potential but after a year in it I figured out that it’s really going nowhere. Oh well.. I’m getting used to this.

And now, the 6th job! I’m really positive and excited about it. All the people I met were great and the company seems quite promising. I’m hoping that this will be the right fit. After any sort of dating around, sometimes you feel like you want to settle.

What’s the deal with… pick-up lines?!

What’s the deal with pick-up lines? This is not so much of a gripe, but more of an amused interest. Have any of you used a pick up line? Or been the victim of a good/horrible one?

So I was at the gym yesterday and this girl was stretching next to me. And she asked me, “Do I know you from somewhere?” Blah blah and so on. I really just wanted to laugh. Is this ever a genuine line?

The funny this is that twice in the past the girl has actually known me! The first time was in a different gym. I had met the girl earlier through a friend of a friend at some little get together several years prior. I know she wasn’t trying to pick up on me because as we talked more she mentioned how she was sick of working abroad because she couldn’t be here with her bf. I did find myself amused that she actually knew me. That was easy to put together because she remembered where it was from.

The second time was also funny. I was at the airport waiting for my flight from OAK to LAX. This girl sitting a couple seats down from me says, “Do I know you?” I couldn’t help myself from grinning and laughing internally. But, hey, she did know who I was! Pooh!! It turns out we used to go to church together we were really little kids. It gets more funny because it turns out she’s several years older. At the time she was seeing my older brother’s friend who I know. They actually just got married about a year ago.

So what is up with that? Quit.. quit telling the truth! You do know me! hahahaha

In other news, I saw The Notebook. Man, was this movie overrated! I had heard it was a good chick-flick from the ladies, but it so wasn’t. If I were to give it an entertainment rating, I’d give it a “yo-yo.” I was mildly entertained but glad it wasn’t any longer.

Where Music Can Take You, part 2

Last March I wrote a blog entry on a mystery song I’ve been on the search for since 1999/2000. It’s one of those songs you hear on a Volkswagen commercial and maybe in random places but it’s not super popular.

In my previous blog entry, I wrote about how I thought I had found it. I re-read the entry today and realized that something about about Moondog’s Bird’s Lament was close but not exactly spot on.

Thanks to soma.fm I’ve finally found the track!! After all this time! Of course I’m the only one who cares about this but the track is Mr Scruff’s Get a Move On. Wow. Who knew a song could elude me for so long?

In other news, read about the flash mob pillow fight in London!

Harold & Kumar

We’ve found a new roommate and his name is Sim. Ian thinks he’s jewish. If he is, then that means we’ve come that much closer to replicating Harold & Kumar which has been a house theme. (Ian is pretty sure he’s got some Polish Jew somewhere down the line.)

Harold -> Peter
Kumar -> Mahyar (note Kumar is indian and Mahyar is purrrsian)
Goldstein & Rosenberg, the jewish guys who live down the hall -> Ian & Sim