A quality quote.

He aprendido que un hombre sólo tiene derecho a mirar a otro hacia abajo cuando ha de ayudarle a levantarse.

—Gabriel García Márquez

What I packed for D.C.

This is my favorite picture.

I promise the two of us will do this someday. I promise.

A semi-sadistic love letter-turned-screenplay I sent Mia.

Place to be: Kopan Monastery, in Nepal

WHERE IS THIS KOPAN MONASTERY?

Why is there an (s) after Muhammad's name?

   Many of my friends at school are either obsessed with Asians and their culture, or Asian themselves. And you know, I always fancied myself the, well, not the anti-Asian, necessarily, I mean, I'm not some disgusting elitist. I just wasn't all hardcore AAAAAH I WISH I WAS JAPANESE AND ATE DIM SUM EVERY DAY AND BOMBARDED MY EVERYDAY SPEECH WITH RACIAL SLURS! I liked Europe. And don't get me wrong, I still do.

   But I've fallen in love with Asia myself. But not Japan and S.K. like the rest of my friends have. I like India (as if that wasn't blatantly obvious enough... and K doesn't even think I'm a Hinduism aficionado! He thought I didn't know the significance of Shiv's name when I shivved him. Honestly), and the Middle East, and all those. Nepal. Buddhism. Hinduism. Islam.

   I'm in love with Asia now. In love with the most corrupt and poverty-stricken parts of it, of course. Ach, why do I always do this to myself? See, Indian males, you're making me German-sigh. Thanks. 

   But I'm definitely going to travel around Asia like Meredith in Without a Map did. The exact parts. And film something. Make the next Wadjda.

People left me some notes

My boyyyyyfriend left me a note in Korean! Ironically enough, the note on the yellow index card is suggesting that I get married... but not to him...

 


Words of wisdom from one Francesca Ferraro.

My room, part 1

Some pictures I took a few days ago when I was feeling particularly artistic. The scene was probably as follows--I had just finished a nice container of pineapple and papaya Greek yogurt (yogurt and I have a bit of a love-hate relationship. I like eating it before or after I run), No Quarter was playing, I was waiting for the Hongs to come over, and the sun was hitting the floorboards just right. And actually I was watching Gidget when the Hongs came over... sorry. Selective memory, you know.

Into the garbage chute, flyboy

Princess Leia--my style icon and role model...

I was wearing my Princess Leia hairstyle when I met my cool girl neighbor today! It was a fun time.

All the girls around her said she had it coming

    I feel like I'm missing a ton of opportunities to take pictures of street fashion while I'm in Europe, but it feels so weird just taking pictures of people just walking the streets. So I'll put down some memorable ensembles that I saw here, in a list, because that's what I love nose. Did I just write nose? Wowww. Most.

STREET FASHION of KÖLN, PARIS, BAYEUX, and LYON

-guitar case covered in travel and Riot Grrrl-esque stickers of a traveling musician girl!

-thick leather belt with denim shorts and a nasty yellow-brown-orange-coloured t-shirt that I personally loved, on a waitress

-neon pink tights, yeah!

-a bowler hat, a red blazer, and black knee socks on a girl walking along the Seine... my dream outfit.

-Andy Warhol banana shirt that this girl Anna from Blue Tree had

-Neon green baggy cargo pants

-red turtleneck sweater and miniskirt (okay, that wasn't street fashion, that was Marcia Brady...)

-Black Butler t-shirt, not that I can really comment, having never actually WATCHED Black Butler, but it was cute

-fairy-like lacy white shawl on a Japanese girl on Champs-Élysées

-navy blue knit dress with patterned oversized sunflowers on it

-sweater and button-down shirt with Peter Pan collar, basically an outfit that I own... but mine's not as spiffy

    And, well, plenty of other GREAT things that I either (sadly) forgot or am too tired to remember. It's time to play some poker with my youth hostel buddies--just kidding, I'm not that cool, I mean my brother. So this is goodbye! Au revoir. 

    And oooh, I almost forgot, but our plans have changed AGAIN. We're going to Geneva tomorrow! Papá and I are bringing our running sneakzzz so we can have run in 4 countries this trip--Germany, France, Switzerland, and possibly Luxembourg later on. I'll be contemplating this as a contender for my Stuff to Do as a Hermit list...

    And dayyyyyum, the end of episode 15 of Death Note! Light is a freaking genius.

You and me are floating on a tidal wave

    Hi. I've not written in a while, but it's cool because no one reads this except me anyway, so it's kind of relaxing. Not having the obligation, you know?

    We're in the nasty, drab, is-this-actually-France? city of Lyon, and we should have seen the warning signs. It's like the freaking French HOOD or something. It's that bad. It's like a bad German city (no 'ffense, Germans, I love Germany actually). But it's very glittery at night.

    We were in Paris for six days, so I guess I got spoiled from that. We then went on to Normandy and stayed at a Chambres d'Hôtes on a farm! It was so cool. I spoke my minimal French with the little girl whose family owned the place, Anaelle, and I made her a friendship bracelet and we hung out with the horses a lot, and the pony, Achum (supposed to emulate the sound of a sneeze). I really didn't know much useful except adjectives (and how would YOU feel if you hung out with someone and all they said was something along the lines of "it's pretty" or "it's funny!" or "it's very fast"?! Frustrating, no?) and the phrase «comme ça» so there were a lot of jokes I made in which the punch line included "comme ça?" Weak. But hey, she laughed! I was a sensation SOMEWHERE.

    Jesus, I need to sleep. Goodbye. Bonne nuit.

    These'll look great with knee socks! If only I could've gotten the cool pink holographic oxfords from Monoprix, and the Rolling Stones satchel... ah well, there's always tomorrow.

Want to know how I feel?

Je suis TRÉS heureux et pacifique.