vagranting

after months of abuse, and working off foreign power sources — yesterday my laptop power adapter died!

never a perfect time for that kind of thing, but it wasn’t a pleasant surprise. so today i had to go down to the local computer store and try to buy a new one. pleasingly, they tested the old one first.

“this is working fine!” the technician said, “it is your notebook that is, how you say, broken?”

not what i wanted to hear. “can we try it with another power adapter anyway? just to be sure?”

“ok, but it will not be necessary.”

well, i’m glad to be 75 euros poorer, but right in my assertions. having a, how you say, broken laptop? would not be a good thing right now. not at all. just hold together for a couple more months!

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went out exploring lyon today — it was cloudy, then windy, then pouring. oh well, i suppose that’s part of the experience. i’ve been in lyon too long not really achieving much, trying to figure out my next move.

so tomorrow i depart for nice. i stay for 2 nights and then i’m off to barcelona for 3. i’m looking forward to it, though i think i’ll try to buy some shorts before i get there. it was over 30 degrees the other day. i’m sure it’ll only get warmer towards portugal.

anyhow, a few observations on the culture of france:

• they really haven’t gotten the concept of fast food here. everything takes at least 10 minutes wait, even at mcdonalds. i guess that happens when everyone takes a 2 hour lunch break.
• they take the sabbath seriously. 95% of everything is shut on sunday.
• they don’t take no smoking signs seriously.
• the french can be very friendly — when drivers change shifts on the bus, the new driver says “bon jour” and the whole bus says “bon jour” back.
• the french can be very temperamental. i observed a waiter drop a coffee cup the other day. of course, he then proceeded to smash the saucer in disgust.

anyhow, i rather hope i’ll be able to afford a day trip to morocco — that seems the most likely to be struck from the itinerary if funds are short. bus and train transport through france has been the most surprisingly expensive. i still have most of that bag of muesli left.

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it seems it’s always the things they don’t mention that surprise you. i had a very pleasant day around town today. had lunch with a friend and we walked around town stopping in little parks, a few landmarks, a tea shop and a chocolaterie. it was a laid back, enjoyable day right up until i nearly got robbed.

so it turns out that this area, saint-denis, is a ghetto. part of the municipality where the 2005 paris riots started. thanks, wikipedia, you didn’t help me out with that one! not knowing this, i had taken my ipod out of my pocket to change albums when a guy ran past me and made a grab for it, ripping the jack off my headphones. he didn’t manage to get it from me, he looked it me and then ran off. there were 3 onlookers — i stood in disbelief, then one of the “onlookers” also made an unsuccessful grab for it. classy.

the other 2, a couple, not in cahoots with the robbers, told me to get out of the area. he said “this is the brooklyn of france!” i’m sure he meant harlem, but point taken none the less. it was a rather surprising, considering it was the first real attempted theft on me in my journey. i’m glad none of them tried to physically harm me. i’m not sure i would have reacted appropriately.

anyhow, i know now, so i’ll be sure to take my large, skull-crackingly rugged monopod with me tomorrow. i was going to ask to stay an extra night, but now i don’t think so. i’ll remember to google the suburb name and the word “ghetto” for the next place i stay. the rudeness of the french indeed!

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despite an all time low in finances (though credits should appear in the next few days), tonight i will sit waiting in waterloo station for the chunnel train to paris!

decided to skip ireland for the moment. hopefully i’ll get a chance before i get back, but i’d rather see the places outside the uk first. i’m kind of excited and also nervous. i’m not sure about the rest of my journey yet either, as only the expensive bullet train services within france can be bought online, as opposed to the cheaper local services. adventure!

i am, however, booked in the luxurious hotel formule 1. it seems a little counter intuitive, but the high-season costs of a hostel bed is actually dearer than a single room at the budget hotel franchise.

anyhow, things here in london have been good. elliott’s chances of employment have surged in the last week or so. hopefully he’ll be with an exciting new employer long before i see him again in september.

anyhow, i still need to finish some more work. here’s hoping i won’t be living off bowls of museli and water for a week!

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