paris, london & brussels
November 12, 2007 10:49 pmby slypark
i don’t like….
October 16, 2007 8:19 pmby slypark
we’re back!
October 7, 2007 10:53 amby slypark
We’re BACK from our holiday in Europe! There’s a lot to say… Europe felt very different from the States in so many ways. Pictures to come… but for now, some thoughts:
Paris:
- The food was SO delicious, especially the fresh baked goods! Mmmm… crisp, flaky, warm chocolate croissant, how I loved thee.
- The 2-button flushing system for the toilets was really cool. They had the #1 button and the #2 button so the amount of water differs depending on the need. So cool. I know we have these too, but these toilets are everywhere… including random cafes.
- I
the Musee d’Orsay and the l’Orangerie and Monet. 
- Parisians are crazy well-dressed people! I constantly felt underdressed… and I don’t think it was just cause it was Fashion Week.
- It was Fashion Week in Paris while we were there… I think I saw Gizelle (like Tom Brady’s gf) and Christian Dior walking to their respective limos.
- I’m okay with duck pate with toast but maybe in less large sizes.
- Mmmmmm….. Parisian coffee. So yummy.
- The French use very explicit and funny pictorial ‘warning’ signs… like this yellow triangle with a lightning bolt and a man falling down screaming. Hahaha. Nice. Unfortunately, the train came so we couldn’t get a picture. There was also a picture of a bunny dressed in a suit on the trains showing how to NOT get off a train. Hahaha.
- I like Parisian weddings.
London:
- Architecturally speaking, London felt a lot like Boston….. I guess that’s why we’re called “New England”.
- Eating at pubs is a Delight in London. So are their beers. I had SO much beer starting in London and going to Brussels. YUM.
- The Underground / Tube / subway is freakin’ really far down underground, and unfortunately, for those who were dragging luggage, half the time they only had stairs. They’re also surprisingly short. We all kept hitting our heads on the ceiling while standing in certain places.
- The people were really really really diverse. Let’s put it this way.. there’s no actual majority culture of people in London.
- The real estate was *crazy* expensive in London. Esp since the pound is now over 2:1 over the US dollar. Wow.
Brussels:
- If we had more time, we should have seen Bruges, the idyllic countryside town. And eaten more homemade chocolates there. Apparently, Bruges is the hometown of Dr. Evil.
- Their beers ROCK. And their chocolate is amazing. We brought some back if you want some.
- Belgium waffles……. WOW. They made them right there as we ordered and cut the fruit after we ordered. Mmmmm…… so fresh.
- Belgian people are a strange mix… some speak French, some speak Dutch, and they all look very diverse (like they originally came from different parts of Europe/Russia/Middle East and settled there).
preparing..
September 20, 2007 11:35 pmby slypark
Our trip planning for Paris/London/Brussels is nearly complete! We’re getting there at like 8am after a direct flight, and we’re hitting the ground walking… a TON. We’re doing THREE recommended Rick Steve’s walking tours on the first day while also doing a river boat tour down the Seine. :-D I can’t wait!! Now we’re figuring out random little things like electric plug converters. Eh. I’ll let the boys take care of it. In the meantime… I leave you all with lovely Parisian food pictures:
Protected: split no longer
August 26, 2007 11:34 amby slypark
Protected: split
August 8, 2007 11:23 amby slypark
trip planning!
July 16, 2007 6:46 pmby slypark
3 more months… and we’re going to Europe! Woohooo!!
Does anyone have any ideas of what to do in Paris, London and Brussels?? :-D :-D 
weekend update
July 3, 2007 10:13 amby slypark
Considering the circumstances… I had a pretty cool weekend. My house guests were awesome! Some funny/cool things I learned….
- This Sprint plan (see point #3) with the free data plan and more minutes than I have now isn’t a bad deal for $30/mo. I can’t believe I’ll be able to check my email from wherever soon. Dood.
- Indeed, character is more important than giftedness in ministry.
- The new MIT buildings are really amazing… but they do not resemble the Institute I went to school at though!
- I’d love to have more talks with people who have thoughts on management organization (I think that’s the phrase).
- I clearly still work with undergrads, since I’m the only one who notices events with potentially free food.
- And last but not least, having a fridge stocked with cold sodas for guests is a great idea. So are mud pies and shaved ice. I also have a new appreciation for minivans. Thank you, b10, for the ways you loved us.
adventures in grown-up-ness
June 16, 2007 11:44 pmby slypark
So much has happened in this past week! It’s called “rolling with the punches”, I guess. Being grown-up is crazy!
Today, we had a bunch of people over for dp’s birthday party grilling, which was really fun! Our 2nd floor neighbors even came down to hang out for a little bit. We got to use the new-to-us grill and picnic table in our backyard. I managed to prepare a variety of meats and vegetables for 16 people. 
We also got to enjoy the beautiful sun and nice weather out. It was grrrreat!
The adventures began yesterday when we found out the freezer is no longer freezing. In fact, the meats & ice creams were decidedly melted and staying that way. We sorta hoped that re-setting the fridge by unplugging it and replugging it in again would work….? Something like what happens with computers? So we waited overnight since changes in fridge temperatures happen slowly, apparently… but this morning, we found this long trail of dark liquid flowing out of the freezer and leaving a puddle on the kitchen floor. Ewwww….. So I quickly threw out the still not-cold meats, and dp went into “what do we do now” mode. After consulting the parents, we decided to buy a new fridge!!! Wow, crazy.
So tonight, yes tonight as in 8 hrs after we found our pool of mystery dark fluid from the freezer, we went fridge shopping and even hit 3 different stores in 2 hours. Not bad, eh? Conveniently, our space restrictions make fridge shopping sorta easy/fast. We also have some ideas of what kind of fridge configuration we’d be interested in. The past 2 days have been crazy but quite the adventure!
As well, we were also really blessed by friends who happened to have an old college fridge cube sitting around and able to lend us! So we’ve packed it totally full with the foods we thought were still okay to keep and will continue to use it until our new fridge gets delivered. Yay for cool friends! Ah, the adventures of homeownership!
Protected: relieved..
June 4, 2007 10:27 pmby slypark
