Before you left your garrison you'd had a drink maybe two, you don't remember Paris, hon, but it remembers you
Remember how in Cinqueterre I ran into three people I know from law school? Remember also how I met two girls there that I ran into again in Rome? And then ran into them again in Warsaw?
Yesterday in Chamonix, while leaving my hostel I ran into this Australian guy that I had met in the same hostel in Cinqueterre! Seems that he is now working in Nice and was up in Chamonix for a visit. Again goes to prove that people one does not expect to reappear will do exactly that. We talked for 5-10 minutes and I used words like "flabbergasted" and "shocked" and "gosh!" but no matter how much I shook my head, the moment could not be explained with satisfaction.
I had an espresso in town and realized that unfortunately, when I return to L.A., I will at least temporarily become one of those jerks who complain about "how hard it is to get a decent coffee in America."
Within seconds of getting on the train to St. Gervais, I realized that I was much more dehydrated than I would safely have planned to be. I drank the remainder of my magnesium enriched bottle of water but knew that without more and soon my approaching headache and sickish feeling in my stomach would not get better.
I had to resort to drinking the water on the train, happily labeled "do not drink". After a few centiliters of this, and an extremely overpriced bottle of Vittel at the next station (and more "do not drink" water on the next train) I felt fine. Disaster averted. Phew!
On the rapid train from Annecy (where I happily checked my email) to Paris I sat next to a French dude who upon realizing that I was American informed me that he had lived for two years near Century City! I was intrigued. "Where exactly?!" and "why!?," I asked. This led to more questions. It turns out that this guy had gone to law school in France, had completed an L.L.M. at B.U. law school and had just taken the New York state bar exam in July. We exchanged stories about taking the bar (the word "sucked" was used repeatedly) and tried half successfully to recall the meaning of terms like "fee simple," "piercing the corporate veil" and "burden on interstate commerce."
I arrived happily in Paris (although not happy to again shoulder my travel bag, which had just become one book heavier -- join the pile, Umberto!) and found my way with amazing grace and ease to Julien's apartment. I know Julien from one encounter in Hollywood's Beauty Bar, after being introduced by my brother. What fortune! I think he and his mother were a bit surprised by my appearance, which was worn. They provided me with a delicious dinner of potatoes, quiche Lorraine (and water! so hard to find!) with a selection of cheese and my laundry being done for dessert.
Yesterday in Chamonix, while leaving my hostel I ran into this Australian guy that I had met in the same hostel in Cinqueterre! Seems that he is now working in Nice and was up in Chamonix for a visit. Again goes to prove that people one does not expect to reappear will do exactly that. We talked for 5-10 minutes and I used words like "flabbergasted" and "shocked" and "gosh!" but no matter how much I shook my head, the moment could not be explained with satisfaction.
I had an espresso in town and realized that unfortunately, when I return to L.A., I will at least temporarily become one of those jerks who complain about "how hard it is to get a decent coffee in America."
Within seconds of getting on the train to St. Gervais, I realized that I was much more dehydrated than I would safely have planned to be. I drank the remainder of my magnesium enriched bottle of water but knew that without more and soon my approaching headache and sickish feeling in my stomach would not get better.
I had to resort to drinking the water on the train, happily labeled "do not drink". After a few centiliters of this, and an extremely overpriced bottle of Vittel at the next station (and more "do not drink" water on the next train) I felt fine. Disaster averted. Phew!
On the rapid train from Annecy (where I happily checked my email) to Paris I sat next to a French dude who upon realizing that I was American informed me that he had lived for two years near Century City! I was intrigued. "Where exactly?!" and "why!?," I asked. This led to more questions. It turns out that this guy had gone to law school in France, had completed an L.L.M. at B.U. law school and had just taken the New York state bar exam in July. We exchanged stories about taking the bar (the word "sucked" was used repeatedly) and tried half successfully to recall the meaning of terms like "fee simple," "piercing the corporate veil" and "burden on interstate commerce."
I arrived happily in Paris (although not happy to again shoulder my travel bag, which had just become one book heavier -- join the pile, Umberto!) and found my way with amazing grace and ease to Julien's apartment. I know Julien from one encounter in Hollywood's Beauty Bar, after being introduced by my brother. What fortune! I think he and his mother were a bit surprised by my appearance, which was worn. They provided me with a delicious dinner of potatoes, quiche Lorraine (and water! so hard to find!) with a selection of cheese and my laundry being done for dessert.
posted by Jed at 4:46 PM
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