Europe 2012 Part Dos

I know I never got around to doing a second blog post about Europe, so I've do something I should do more of - shut up and tell my story through photos. But first, a little background - for those of you who don't remember, my Europe vacation came about due to this wedding of two British friends. Well, after Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Reupblic, the whole purpose of my journey finally came to a culmination. Not only was I going to travel to the English countryside for the first time, but I was going to be reunited with the 12 amazing people I met five years ago during my study abroad in Mexico! I was super psyched. Alas, with all of the excitement and catching up on everyone's lives, plus having a very good photographer in the bunch, I didn't take that many photos. But I believe you can still piece together the story. 

 The wedding wasn't taking place just a bit outside London as I had falsely presumed, it was 4 hours away. Lucky for Australian Emma and I we had our very own chauffer, Kieran, who rented a car to bring in the strays (besides some of the bride's family, we were the only ones who flew in internationally!). Only problem was that he hadn't driven in 6 years! I cringed everytime he ground the clutch, though I must say he did do well with the whole drving-on-the-other-side-of-the-road thing.

 Getting ready for the wedding, the groom!

 Part of the group, Charlie and Joe-boy (photoboy), looking snazzy.

 More of the group: Alicia, Cherry, Charlie again and Rachel in the corner.

 At the ceremony, praying that the rain will hold off.

Luckily we all knew had to enjoy ourselves, even in the 50 degree weather and mist.

 Anddd, the day after. I know, horrible! I didn't take any photos of the bride, nor the reception. Boo. But if you want to see one gorgeous event, you can see the photos I would have taken here.

So here is one of the cottages on the estate where we had a bbq the next day. It was fully decked out as a hunting lodge with furs, saws, rifles, and a fireplace. Since it was still pretty cold outside, we all cozied up around the dining table and fireplace.

There was still plenty of booze leftover from the evening before, though many of us were not quite ready to begin that again.

 Here we have Kieran, Steph (bridesmaid), Julia (the bride!!), Jo-girl, and Emma.

 We really didn't move from that table for the next 6 hours.

The lovely invitation that Julia drew/designed herself!

Classy winery hopping

Even if a bachelorette partyis not in Vegas, does the saying "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" still apply? I'm going to assume, for my purposes, it doesn't.
This bachelorette party doesn't have too much juicy gossip, besides the fact that we got kicked out of a winery and got told off at the hotel pool for cursing (you'd think we were at the bachelor party!).

But let me start from the beginning. The day before the bachelorette party I flew into San Francisco where I spent the afternoon tagging along with my cousin T, the bride, to her hair and nail appointments (don't worry, she bought me chocolate to keep me from getting grumpy!). I went out there for her bachelorette party that weekend, and two weeks later, her wedding. For the first week I stayed at her place (which isn't really hers but her in-laws' one-story house already packed with 2 sons, 1 soon to be daughter-in-law, and an exchange student), getting up early to stick with my east coast work schedule.

At least we did see some gorgeous scenery

Shots in the limo could have contributed to the drunkness so early in the day

On Friday night her fiance's bachelor party entourage plus T's to play some exhilarating boy v. girl Pictionary. Surprisingly the boys won. In our defense, we had to be up bright and early the next day to head to Napa (Sonoma actually), so by 10 p.m. just 3 points behind, we set aside our feminist urges of continuing the game in order to beat the men, and went to bed.

All the girls looking great, before we were asked to leave

The last winery

So on Saturday, there we were, eight of us girls on our way to Sonoma, in two cars with 10 suitcases - we were staying for one whole night! Of course we had to figure out seating arrangements beforehand since, as I was filled in by T, not everyone got along. As the only one from out of town I was able to strategically place myself in a matter of seconds so the maid of honor wasn't in the car with E nor M, while BFF's E and K rode together. Perfect.

Chilling after a day of touring the wineries

We got to Napa a little late, but our limo driver was waiting patiently. We headed to a champagne winery which served us four different champagnes, and as it was only 11 a.m., we promptly got tipsy. Even though we threw lunch in there, by the fourth place we were properly drunk. Which is why it should come as no surprise that our exit from the last winery came after a longwinded conversation between the bride and the manager. Back at the hotel wasn't any better with T still recounting the story for all of the pool guests to hear. After ordering another bottle of champagne from the hotel in a drunken rant, we decided all of us, and T especially, needed a nap. And as you would assume from a two hour nap at 6 p.m. nap, it was a struggle to rally the troops after that. We managed to get a late dinner at the hotel restaurant, but then just decided to hang in our rooms, wondering what the boys were up to on their bachelor party during gay pride week in San Francisco.

Breakfast Sunday morning at the hotel

My fabulous huevos rancheros at the Marriott restaurant

Europe in the Springtime Part 1

So I never really gave a proper update of my time in Europe. By the time it was over I had more great things to write about! And before I'm off to San Francisco for two weeks for my cousin's wedding I figured I would describe my travels across the pond, mainly so I can come back to this blog in one year's time when I've forgotten everything.

So let's see, I made a little list here of observations along my way (I had a lot of time to think, more than I've had all year!). First things first, the whole purpose of my 2-week vacation was to go to a wedding in England. An English friend who I had met in Mexico took it upon herself to use organize her wedding nicely so we could have a 5 year reunion for our 14-person Girl City group (one night when we were all hanging out someone walked into the room and saw 9 girls + 5 guys, all of whom except 1 were gay, and exclaimed "It's like girl city in here!" and the name just stuck). Instead of flying to England for the weekend and then back to Miami, I decided to take advantage of Europe's compact countries and my having friends in various cities in those countries.

So the journey started in Zurich, Switzerland where a college friend who I met while studying abroad in Argentina (I guess I can't really meet internationally-minded people in the US can I?) was living. I hadn't seen Cait in 2+ years and so it was really nice to reconnect with her. She's from Connecticut too and had just moved to Zurich a month before so she was happy to explore the place with me. Observations included:

• There are a lot of bicycles, I mean a LOT of bicycles in Europe
• The bike parking lots are even covered, whereas the car parking lots aren't necessarily
• Swiss people mind each other's business, which when taken to the extreme can mean they don't seem as friendly. Example: at an outdoor pasta place when Cait and I asked for tap water the waitress looked at as confused, and then after our mediocre hand gestures brought back 2 half-filled glasses of water and brusquely placed them on the table, water spilling all over my menu.
• The Swiss don't offer tap water in restaurants
• Zurich's expensive! ($20+ for any meal, not even at a fancy place)
• Geographically-speaking I found it similar to Colombia, hills, lakes and valleys.
• No chocolate tours (and the Lindt factory is located in Zurich)!
• There are lots of Audis and European cars, I rarely saw a Ford
• The guidebook says you get organization and order but unfriendly people. I would trade any day.

 I was only in Zurich for 4 days, 2 of which I spent jetlagged and hungover, but I still felt I had seen most of Zurich, though not much of Switzerland. But then it was on to Munich! I took the train through the Swiss countryside, and am pretty sure I passed through Liechtenstein on the way, but alas the rolling European hills all look the same after a few minutes.

In Munich I stayed with a couchsurfer. Since I was only going to be there for 2 nights I figured why pay for a hostel when I can soak up some of that couchsurfing love. I met Stef at her office after I got off the train. She handed me the key to her place along with directions, and I was on my way. When I've told people that story some find it very bizarre that a stranger would give me the keys to her house with no one home, while others just quip "Oh isn't couchsurfing amazing?!" Her place was clean and well located, so I was happy. The first day I just walked around, had some Turkish donner and somewhat followed the NYT's "36 hours in Munich" guide. The next day I went on a free walking tour to see the historic stuff and then met up with the Hungarian boyfriend of a friend, who had been living in Munich for 4 years. The friend was more like someone who I work with at another company, but is from Munich and gave me great tips. And here we have Munich observations:

• People are friendly, but still mind their own business
• You should never flag down a waiter - it's rude!
• They serve pretzels at the table like we do bread, but then charge you a euro per pretzel if you eat them
• You never cross the street until the pedestrian sign is green - no J walking!!
• You can surf on a river in Munich (and use a handy attachable surfboard carrier on your bike)
• I cannot wait for the Olympics! (I visited the site of the 1972 Munich Olympics, still very much intact, and hosting the Special Olympics)

Ok, Part 2 of the saga, which includes Berlin, Prague, and Shropshire, England, to come soon!

 Bicycle parking lot in Zurich

Apfelspritzer drink with Cait

Yep, they're surfing in Munich, on a real (not artificial) river!

Site of the Munich Olympics

Thermostat Wars

Is this something that you normally fight over with your roommate/partner? When I was living in Medellin there wasn't any temperature control device to fight over, so no problems there. When I lived in a house in DC with 5 roommates we were all college students and so everyone understood the need to freeze their fingers while they typed away into 4 in the morning on their laptops in a 60 degree house in the middle of February.

Nowadays though, it's the opposite. Living in Miami without air conditioning is impossible, but having it set at 68 degrees all day is not necessary, nor something we can afford. We have the same down comforter I used during those chilly nights in DC on our bed here in Miami, something I keep urging us to throw into the closet. "Why do you think we're getting so hot in the middle of the night?" I ask Gio. "It doesn't mean we have to make the apartment even colder!"

Last night I had had enough. For the past week I would wake up in the middle of the night freezing and go to the thermostat to turn it up. I told him our number was 72, 72 was reasonable! So last night I said ok that's enough, I'm tired of having this thermostat war, can we just agree that it makes sense to put it on 72? 4 degrees less = $25 a month more in our electric bill (I even showed him the math!). He agreed, he looked me in the eye and said seventy-two, yes, you're right. So I went to bed earlier than him as I usually do, and as I'm laying there listening to my audiobook and he's asleep, as usually happens, I felt it getting way too cold. So I crept out of bed and went to the thermostat to find it at 70. Seventy!! Just an hour earlier he had looked me in the EYE and told me he agreed with my perfect number of 72. Oh, my blood boiled. I got into bed and immediately pulled my pillow to the edge of the bed and turned my back to him, thinking how I was going to handle this. From now on, I decided, I just can't go to bed earlier than him. I will have to be an A/C nazi, not a role I wanted to take on, but my logic is correct, my number is perfect, and the numbers don't lie. I'll go to bed after him, wake up before him. I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, but as his favorite dumb TV show Storage Wars shows us, if someone really cares about something you can't let them have it.

And yes, this is how exciting my life is right now that I am prone to scheming to beat my boyfriend over $25. I need a cat.

Berlin brings it out in me

When you go to Berlin there's no avoiding that spark that wakes up the left side (or is it the right?) of the brain that screams for some out-of-the-box thinking and creativity. Everyone in the city is either "working on their music/art/film" or studying, and those that do have actual jobs are boring ol' graphic designers. My friend Emma who I stayed with and her roommates have "construction days" in their apartment in which actual wood and tools are involved! So instead of denying the hipster-gentrified neighborhood I was in, I embraced it and picked up some some markers, construction paper, and stickers to put together an original recipe I should have done a month before for this wedding I went to in England 4 days later. It was exciting, my friend and I spent 3 hours working into the wee hours in her kitchen, talking about racism and Scandinavian babes, while pouring every last ounce of creativity we had into our works. I hadn't felt that creative since high school field hockey when I would spend hours (ok really 10 minutes) working on the biggest and most glitter-fied"secret psych" gift for my fellow teammates (to "psych" them up for a game, not that kind of "psych"). 

So along with pounds of chocolate and English tea I brought home some of that creative spark I rediscovered in Berlin. "I love maps, and why not take that love of maps and decorate a little with them. Make our place feel a bit more 'lived in?" I suggested to Gio. It turned out we only had the maps from the 4 cities I visited on my trip, plus a map of San Francisco and a map of the Everglades we didn't really much care for. But it didn't matter, we were off to the hardware store! Before that we went through postcards, photos, beer coasters and other memorable items we had collected that were now on our bedroom floor (a bookcase is the next item on our furniture shopping list!). Seeing as we have many a blank wall to decorate we immediately thought of the numerous guests who come over during our non-existent dinner parties, and decided to give them a little something to look at while relieving themselves, making good use of our worldly postcards.

Of course after we got back from the hardware store we were tired and didn't feel like continuing with the Berlin project. So instead I left the layout of the maps and postcards on the floor, right in the middle of the living room, for the day. Waking up the next morning, I stepped around my short-lived inspiration, and only after going to the mall and buying myself a pretty dress did I come back reinvigorated to finish the weekend's project.

Postcards decorating the bathroom wall

Still adding to our map collection... of course the idea here was to use one whole wall as a big map of the world, placing each map in its place within the world, i.e. maps of Europe east of the Everglades map. It's a concept in progress

Berlin inspiration: Emma's improvised clothes wardrobe using hooks already in the wall and chains. 

Just cruising...

You know, I really didn't want to get a car. I was dreading it. For the last 7 years I took public transportation or walked. Getting into a car, even as a passenger, was novel. And I'm from a small town (just 2 stoplights in the whole place!), but I would have to drive 10 minutes just to get to my friend's house on the other side of the town. It's not cornfields or desert, the houses just have a lot of land, and there are trees and woods. But I came to dislike driving. As much as I grew tired of standing up everyday during my 20-minute bus ride to work in Medellin and having to push my way to get out, the bus was pretty convenient. There weren't many places it didn't go. So here in Miami, where people get in the car to go to their neighbor's (which is an entirely different story, and one that is finally coming to America's attention), I was not pleased with having to buy a car. Of course I bought a car (because I'm not that crazy to enjoy walking around in 100-degree heat and 105% humidity is a good idea), and I do really like the car I bought: a salsa-red Jetta. But besides the cost of the car, insurance, and registration, I do not like that I have already paid the city of Miami $421 in parking and driving fines. That's right, I've had my car for 2 months and I've already gotten towed once, received 2 parking tickets, and a stoplight camera violation (ok, that one was Giovanni). What really bothers me is that I barely use my car except on the weekends, which seem to be when all of the meter-maids are patrolling. What bothers me even more is that I was towed by a company that has a horrible reality show on TruTV that I can't peel my eyes away from! HELP!

Ah, but isn't she so cute?

If a tree falls in the forest...

What happens when you cut 6 inches of hair off and get highlights for the first time but have no geographically close friends to say anything? Did it still happen?

Visitors

It's been busy! Between Gio almost not coming to the US, getting settled into the apartment, and figuring out all of the highways and malls here in Miami, we've come to know Miami just enough to be able to welcome out first visitors here in April. Two weekends ago one of my best friends from Smalltown, Connecticut came to visit. After I picked her up from the airport we proceeded to talk for the entire night non-stop (we hadn't seen in each other for more than 12 hours at a time for at least 3 years!), gossiping about family, friends, and the latest "oh-my-god-no-she-didn't!'s" (though we have talked online everyday for almost all of those 3 years). Among other things we saw the Hunger Games movie (book club!), lounged by the pool, went shopping in Miami Beach, gorged on Easter candy, and had our fair share of wine.

Then the next weekend my mom and stepdad came for 4 days! Excursions with them included Easter brunch (Gio tried french toast for the first time and I revisited my Mexican fondness for huevos rancheros), an Everglades hike, Argentinian and Colombian food, Cuban coffee, Miami beach seafood, and pedicures (just my mom and I!). They got to spend more time with Gio (only their 2nd time meeting him!) and he got to learn more what went into raising this kooky girl.

(ok so we were bad about taking photos!)

Next up we have a traveling-buddy who I met in Costa Rica and now lives in Chicago, then in May my other family - dad, stepmom, and sister! On the list of to-do's with them is more shopping and eating, visiting some Jewish neighborhoods (with my friend), and going to the beach.

Living la vida sola

My first weekend truly alone in this city. And surprisingly, with no car, no apartment, no boyfriend, no internet, no TV – I’m doing just fine! Given my circumstances, this past week between coming home from work and going to bed I’ve taken to reading with a newfound enthusiasm. I’ve gotten through a 470-page book in a week and a half with this zeal! To add to my intellectual stimulation I’ve discovered the closest library around (within walking distance!), experienced Miami’s tourist season outside of Miami Beach (heard at least 5 different languages on Saturday), and discovered where the muscularly-enhanced men and women of the greater Miami area hang out (Crossfit?).

Whereas my bookishness has been sparked even further during my time here in Miami, I fear that my social capacities have fallen below par. My social interactions at work are minimal, and the last time I had a real conversation with someone was 1 week ago with my new Hollywood friends. Today as I was walking around on numerous occasions I caught myself just blatantly staring at social interactions between couples, families, friends, and even strangers. I would actually stop walking, stand there and just stare as nonchalantly as I could. Last week over lunch with my coworker, lacking for any other kind of face-to-face conversation, I relayed the entire plot of the aforementioned 470-page book I was reading to your typical American man who listens to sports radio and doesn’t read!

After reading a travel book on Miami, which for the most part focuses on another city called Miami Beach and all of its wonderful art-deco buildings you should see, celebrities you might happen upon, and nightclubs you must go to (no wonder everyone raves about Miami!), I’ve actually found myself wondering if I should just go out, alone. Get myself dressed up, go to a bar, sit down, and see what happens. No, no, even I am not that embarrassment-proof! And I don’t mean just ANY kind of going out, why just today I ventured off of this island I’m lazily staying on (by lazy I mean because it is a 3 minute walk to my office on the other side of the island, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had made the 5 minute walk across the bridge to the ‘mainland’). Honestly I didn’t go far. My checkbook and new strappy sandals didn’t allow me to stray too far, so I took the free Metro Mover, transportation that I’d heard only tourists and immigrants take; which, as a devoted rider these past 2 weeks, I would like to point out is false! No my friends, on weekday mornings between 8 and 9, that small airport shuttle-like monorail is bustling, sometimes I would even have to say “excuse me” to someone standing in front of the door to make my way out!

If you’re confused how I would know the public transportation system during rush hour when I previously stated I was staying at a place just 3 minutes walking distance from my office, well it’s because I haven’t kept you up to date on all of the places I’ve stayed here in Miami. With a closet at my office storing my material possessions, I’ve managed to nomadically make my way from one accommodating abode to the other – even to a different continent altogether! From my current pad to a hotel to a friend of a friend’s place in Hollywood for the weekend and finally back here to the island apartment that has everything a $800,000 apartment could provide, except internet. Now back to the abysmal silence and another book…

Oh yeah, it's still January

The past 3 weeks have been a whirlwind to say the least, here's a little update:

• Moved to Miami with 3 checked bags, 2 carry-ons and a hopeful disposition to find my place in this weird Latin American city
• Mom came after 4 days, spent 4 days helping me get my bearings, find an apartment and a car.
• Found a car. 2009 "salsa red" VW Jetta. Still don't have it in my possession, financing and car insurance holding everything up (who sends papers through the MAIL anymore??). Really need to get a Florida driver's license, but need a Florida resident for that first.
• Day Mom left I flew to London. Spent 1 hour in customs, 2 hours at my former boss's flat, 3 hours in a meeting, then flew to Helsinki.
• Screwed up from the time difference (Helsinki is +7 hours!!), my first opportunity for a real night's sleep in Europe, couldn't go to bed until 3 a.m. Wake up to cleaning lady knocking on door of my hotel room at 12 p.m. Work all afternoon from the hotel, check out Helsinki center in the evening. Shop at H&M, eat a delicious burger with olive tapenade, goats cheese, and a Finnish beer.
• Meeting the next day (what day? Friday?) with our most important client. Did surprisingly well. During the afternoon, walked around Helsinki with our CEO and his wife. Saw the water, boats, market full of cheeses and meats, snow (obvs), pretty lights, pretty Finns. Was pure euphoria.
• Friday night flew to London for weekend with my babez (friends from Mexico 2007 study abroad). K picked me up at Heathrow, took the tube to our friends' place in Camden Town, gossiped the whole way there. Surprised friends with elaborate story, wished I had filmed it to put on youtube and get millions of views, was that good.
• Fabulous friend-filled weekend in London. Got drunk. Saw the Olympic Stadium.
• Came back to Miami on Monday, got to the office in the afternoon, had a breakdown. Saw an apartment on Monday night, found the place.
• Breakdown continued on Tuesday morning, emotions, tears at work, no good. Bosses helped me sort everything out, felt like a child, but we're OK now.
• Finished 500 page book, discussed it over phone with friend for Book Club.
• Sent in financing papers to buy car, hope to pick up salsa Jetta next week.
• Approved for the apartment that I found in the midst of my breakdown, move in February 17.
• Got invited to a Superbowl party, hope to drive my salsa red Jetta there.
• Giovanni's 30th birthday spent in Bogota, alone. Me sad :( Giovanni's visa appointment in ONE week. Me happy :)
• Started new Book Club with friend in London.
• Spending weekend with Couchsurfing people who I had never met. They're nice, took me to Mexican food, showed me pictures of their worldly adventures, let me stay in their bedroom for the weekend. We're gonna go out and ride bikes later.

Boy January's a long month.

Why is it always winter when I visit Europe?

Two days in Helsinki and I’m in love. It’s as if I’m back where I belong, which sounds silly because the quarter Finnish in me doesn’t really justify that, nor does being in Colombia for the past 3 years and also loving it there! But walking around the city center on Thursday night, I don’t know; the combination of the European city center, freezing temperatures warmed by a white snowy landscape inhabited by the happy Finns just walking around (jogging and cycling in fact!) in 25 degree temperatures – well, who wouldn’t feel content? I’ve already started to imagine myself living here, enduring the harsh winters and little daylight, but then venturing off to see the Northern Lights and explore the Baltic islands during the summertime. I’ll dye my hair blonde (I was already contemplating this – living outside of Latin America now I feel enabled), learn Finnish, have lovely blonde-haired blue-eyed children (ok with my Colombian boyfriend that might be difficult, but we can adopt!).

Ok, ok, enough with my fantasies, here are a few fun facts that I’ve learned about Helsinki/Finland in the past few days:

• Usually at this time in January there are 3 feet of snow on the ground and the temperatures drop to -10°C (°F – I’ve been lucky this time around with temperatures only reaching -3°C and only about a foot of snow on the ground
• Women receive one year paid maternity leave. Women may have up to 7 years maternity leave (on a lower paid salary of course) after which employers legally have to give them their job back
• Children start school at age 7, finishing high school at around 19.
• The metro in Helsinki is on the honor system. No one/place checks that you’ve paid.
• Finns pay about >30% in taxes
• Although the country is very northern, you can only see the Northern Lights when you go past the Artic Circle, about 700 km from Helsinki
• Mercedes seem to be America’s Toyota
• Everyone knows how to drive in the snow and it is not a deterring factor nor does it slow down drivers
• Everyone speaks English, even the older folks. And everyone is just really friendly.

sarita does Helsinki (more photos to come)

We love us some public transportation!

One and a half years in the making and finally they opened the Metroplus, a new bus line in Medellin. What makes this bus line so special is that it's state-owned, unlike the other bus lines that are run by a handful of private organizations. It was also constructed to give support to the neighborhoods around the metro and has its own lanes, like Bogota's Transmilenio. So on our 2nd to last weekend in Medellin, Gio and I took to the buses!

One of the Metroplus stops

Entering the metroplus platform

Yay, we love public transportation!

Very similar to the Transmilenio and European 2-car buses

Metroplus platform from the outside

Family time

As our time here is coming to an end, Giovanni's family is realizing that we really have spent very little together. So this past week they've been trying to pack lots of activities in, renting a finca (country house) and making reservations for paintball. I was able to take Thursday afternoon off work and Gio and I joined them that day until Friday morning. Besides the typical freak show role that I play at family gatherings ("What languages do you speak?!"; "Where are you from, you're not from here right?!"), I also had the joy of being the victim of a practical joke and had water thrown at me, along with being sprayed with foam later in the evening (ok well everyone was a victim of that joke). Usually I'm a good sport, but this time I was cold from a 5-hour long downpour and lack of warm clothing - I did not sign on to play the role of wet dog at this family reunion!

I enjoyed myself nonetheless, and am glad that Giovanni got to spend time with his family, something he rarely did before he was with me, so at least I'm somewhat of a good influence on him! Then, two days later we met up with Giovanni's sister, 2 children, and boyfriend for a round of paintball - a first for everyone! There were bruises, paint in ears, mouths, and noses, but we all loved it! We made plans to all buy the gear for next time, so we wouldn't have to rent smelly masks!

Pool time!

Even Giovanni's mom got in on the action, albeit with all her clothes on

Playing cards with the nephew, sister and brother-in-law

Giovanni's sister and her boyfriend

Giovanni's sister and her daughter

Mom and nephew

Giovanni's sister with her 2 kids and mother

Aww

Gio and his two chicas!

This is when it got ugly, yet these moms, aunts, and grandmas had fun with it and started dancing!

Paintball!!

Badass face