I'M IN LOVE

This is a story within a story within a story within a blog post. Stay with me here folks. 

Today on my tram ride home from school, a man came on with what appeared to be a large accordion. Automatically, he had my attention. And then when he started playing stereotypical French Accordion music, my hear just about melted from how freakin' picturesque it was. I'm living in France, and here is a Frenchman playing French Accordion music on my tram. Why-oh-why wasn't I sipping coffee at the Eiffel Tower with someone named Pierre?

Probably because the only guy I've met named Pierre had no interesting qualities besides being named Pierre.

Never the less - inspired by this, I came home flipped on the Amélie soundtrack and started searching for some more accordion music. Specifically, some more awesome Yann Tierson stuff. At this point my friends I happened to stumble across the man I want to marry. 

Okay, so when I say I want to marry him, I don't actually mean I am going to go out and 

find where he lives and become his bff just to get into his pants (although if the opportunity to get into his pants were to arise (heh heh) I wouldn't turn it down). I'm just in love with this guy because hands down he is purely talented and has never made the accordion look so good. He name is Dave Thomas, he's from the UK, and he plays the piano and the accordion. Now there are three particular reasons why I am hardcore in love with this kid. They are as follows:

1 - Who can play the accordion looking that fucking sexy?

2 - He apparently plays all of his music by ear. 

3 - Pure unadulterated mother-fucking talent. No joke.

I'm not completely sure of his story, but he's a big fan of Yann Tierson, and has some of his own awesome stuff on his youtube page. He also did some music for the New York Fashion week, which I've heard and is pretty awesome.

Now Dave Thomas has three sites you need to check out, because he's trying to get his name out there. I fully support this, and thus am giving them to you: Check out his Youtube, Myspace, and personal website. 

I am not a fan of paying for music, but I actually shelled out the how-ever-many-dollars-pounds-convert-to so I could get my hands on this stuff. Seriously kids, thats gotta mean something to you.

That being said, why don't more people play the accordion? I personally have an estranged uncle who plays, but he's kind of a weirdo and is deeply in love with polka music (no lie, I couldn't make that shit up). However I find the lovely French-style accordion (RE: Yann Tierson and Dave Thomas) to be particularly beautiful. In fact, I now have decided it is my destiny to marry a skinny man who plays accordion (now, this is not just because I am in awe of Dave Thomas, I happen to love skinny boys and the accordion - I see no downside here). Or maybe I should make it my personal goal to play the accordion too, although there is no way in hell I'll look as cool as the aforementioned prodigy. 

I hope you all enjoyed this issue of Accordion News (oh yes, I will be blogging on this a little more) and I will end this session with Dave Thomas' "Waking Dream".

Enjoy.

TOP FIVE RESONS FOR DATING A SWEDE

I have had my heart set on visiting Sweden for some time now. I mean who wouldn't want to visit Sweden? Okay so the Kronor isn't doing to hot right now, but look at all these other awesome perks! Sweden is a neutral country that has successfully stayed out of two world wars (maybe the US could learn a thing or two from that), has on of the longest life expectancy rates, is probably the least sexist country in the world, plans to be oil-free by 2020 (the US could learn a thing or two about that too), free education and health care, was originally founded by vikings, still has a face monarchy like England, and although its pretty much ass freezing in winter there are long summer days that are somewhat pleasurable (so I've heard)!

Did I also mention that Sweden has probably the most beautiful people in the world and pioneered the whole porn-thing, doncha know!? 

If you can tell where this is about to be headed, you guessed it. My number one reason for wanting to go to Sweden: Men. But come on, I have my reasons! In fact, here's five of them:

1. SKINNY BOYS WITH BLUE EYES

I don't know what it is either, but I have come to understand, after casually being interested in a few people, that there are two things I am physically attracted to above all. Skinny boys with blue eyes. If he is super tall (and Swedes are stereotypically as such), then it is all the more of a bonus for me, but I'm a hardcore sucker for a boy with big baby blues. One look into those and I melt like a marshmallow between chocolate and crackers. Sad.

2. A-FRICKEN-DORABLE

There is something just too perfect about a shy boy for me. Maybe its the fact that I'm a loud mouth who needs someone to balance her out, maybe its because deep down I'm shy too, but its probably because I get off on the whole strong-silent thing. Its interesting. What is he thinking? Why isn't he talking about his day? Why does he keep looking at his hands? Why won't he just tell me for the love of Christ? But something about it is just attractive. Apparently there is some kind of "look" they give out, like they just radiate "I'm a shy boy at heart but really I'm not I just want you to think I'm a shy boy but I'm really thinking normal male things about what your underwear looks like". But hey, fools me. 

3. LIKE OMG HE CAN READ

Since Sweden has free education, Swedes are pretty well educated and its rare that one of them doesn't even finish highschool. Trust me, coming from a girl who goes to a University with predominantly gay men, and those men around the University probably can't count without using there toes, education is a big deal for me. And in America having a highschool diploma doesn't grant you much in the way of smarts, at least in Sweden they have to read at there age level to graduate.

4. BECAUSE I AM THAT SHALLOW...

....and because I think indie elitist douche-bags are sexy, I like a man with some fashion sense. What else can I expect from the country that brought us H&M? I like a man who wears those obnoxious slightly heeled leather shoes with the pointed toe, straight legged jeans, and a crisp pea coat. Call me an indie elitist snob (and if you know me you probably have), but its extraordinarily sexy. Also, take a look at the model in this picture. Can you say Kat's dream boy? 

5. HE DOES WHAT?!

Dishes! You heard right! He does the dishes, and the laundry, and cleans the bathroom or the living room or anything else you possible could wish for him to clean - as long as you do your far share of cleaning too, that is. And the best part of that is that I'm not making it up, its true! Swedish men have been taught that they need to share all the work between a man and a woman (or man/man woman/woman depending on your preference). This goes along with Sweden being the least Sexist country in the world, consider it to be your California of Europe, Sweden is the testing ground for liberal movement and women's rights are a BIG one here. Just don't expect him to pay for your date.... (Best part of the cleaning thing, some study that I read some where a long time ago but I KNOW exists shows that men who do more housework have more sex. As long as the man is mine and the house is mine and the sex is mine, I see no down side here).

And I KNOW whats on the inside of someone is what really makes them attractive, but its always fun to make out these lists and who knows: maybe some Swede will read this and think we'll be perfect together. All I know is that my game plan here at the University de Grenoble is to make friends with the Swedes and bag me a hot Swedish boy... since I've heard the best place to grab one is outside of Sweden, and since this is France.....

GRENOBLE

So if I start this blog with the next sentence, I know someone is going to kill me. But here it is:

I am so crazy homesick right now, its not even funny. 

Maybe I should back up a little bit.

See that picture in the corner? That would be yours truly with the Eiffel Tower, which was epic of course because its the Eiffel Tower. 

So I left the day before new years eve, and got here on new years eve. I got to my hostel and slept, Happy new year! 

My program didn't start until the fourth, so as far as the program goes, I've been here for about a week. My first thought when I woke up in the morning, after getting in on new years eve and crashing was that I should have waited to leave. 

When I booked my ticket, I got the one on new years eve because right after there was a huge spike in ticket prices. It didn't really occur to me that the couple hundred dollars I saved on that ticket I would be spending on hostels and food. Mistake number one. It would have been better worth it to me to waste that couple hundred bucks anyway and spend a little more time with my family and friends. I barely saw my family because I was stuck in Seattle due to all that stupid snow. I didn't get to finally move out of my apartment until the day before I left (also because of that stupid snow) and I packed right before I left for the airport (because I couldn't pack until I'd moved out of my apartment). I didn't get to spend any time with my family at all, and now I just wish that I could have spent more time with them before I left. I was rushing around so much that I didn't have time to remember I was leaving. And when I remembered I was so depressed about it that I couldn't stand to be around the people I was leaving.

I know I should be so happy. I mean for Christ's sake I'm in France! But I feel so lonely. I miss my family more then words can describe.

I don't know why, but I keep feeling like I am going to be home soon. And then I realize I won't be and it just kills me. Part of me wonders if its just too late to come back home and start back at Seattle University. And I know that I won't go back, and I know that I won't give up, I just don't really want to stay.

So I was looking online about culture shock, which they told us about before I left. According to some random website, there are apparently four stages. The honeymoon period, rejection, regression and isolation, and finally adjustment and adaptation. So the honeymoon period which is when someone is really super excited about there new country lasted about five minutes for me. I know, horrible. But I think its because I knew I wasn't coming home soon, so the whole reality thing set in for me. See when I went to Ireland that whole honeymoon period lasted pretty much up until the last few days, when I was just ready to go home. But I wont be in France for three weeks, I'll be here for six months. Thats a little longer. Just sayin'.

According to my unprofessional experience, I am probably in between the second and third stage. Now the almighty internet says a few different things but in either two or three, someone will begin feeling isolated, homesick, and anger or resentment towards the culture they are in. I am three for three.

When I am doing my homework, I seriously look at it and say "whatever I don't want to know french anyways" 

What the fuck!? I love French! Anyone who knows me knows that I love French! But I think that, seriously. And I am just annoyed at everyone who passes by me. This absolutely sucks. I just want to get to the part where I like where I live!

I hope that understanding that this is just culture shock will make this a little easier for me. I mean most people take about a month or two to even get passed phase one. That either means that I am way ahead of the curve or a total baby. But I like to think I got through that whole PTSD phase rather quickly, that only took a year when it usually takes at least two or three. So maybe I can just handle things better. 

But its probably just that I am a huge baby and I want my mommy. Did I mention I want my mommy?

I feel like a huge dumb ass. I mean I'm in France for Christ's sake. I should be enjoy this. But you know what I did today? I went for a walk. I left after everyone in my host family did and then got back before them all. They aren't even back yet. They're going to think I didn't leave at all and then I get the happy task of telling them about how I'm homesick. Which I haven't figured out if its Je suis nastalgique or J'ai mal au pays (I hope its the latter because it literally translates to I have pain in my country). 

Thing that really gets me is that I have lived abroad before. Remember Greece? 

I'm sorry, I'll stop complaining about being in France. Because for Christ's sake I am in France I SHOULDN'T be unhappy! 

But I just miss home, thats all there is to it.