I Haven't Forgotten About Ya'll

Here I sit in our room in the Royal Hotel in Paris (our last night in town) and I feel like I need to explain ya'll why ya'll haven't heard from me in a week (again).

• Thursday night was the Christmas party.
• I spent all of Friday recuperating from the Christmas party (no one went to or was expected to go to work the next day).
• Saturday was Kadija and I's last day in Frankfurt before leaving for Paris, and I needed to pack as well.
• Sunday we arrived in Paris. Yes, I could have blogged in Word on the train but I chose to read this long article I copied into Word from this website (it came out to be around 30 pages long) that explains the basics of photography because yes I plan to get a Digital SLR and try and step my game up. Unfortunately, around page 11 I fell asleep (we had to get up early for the train). The weather was lovely once we finally got checked into the hotel so we immediately went out onto the Champs-Elysees (Paris' 5th Avenue). That night we went out to this hookah bar at this place called the Egyptian Cafe. The 4 ladies and one dude that were at the booth next to us could not stop laughing (I believe they were shishain' up their own "tobacco" concoction. They did however take the time out to laugh at me and then help us with how to properly light a new coal. Once we got back, I went to sleep cause I had to get up somewhat early as I was to visit the Paris office the next day.
• Monday I went to the Paris office during the day, Champs-Elysees during the afternoon (for faux-Christmas Eve shopping) and to Kadija's model friend Mahady's home for Christmas Eve dinner. Although we got home before 12, I didn't blog that night because the next day was Christmas and Kadija and I had already established that, outside of Skyping relatives back home (which we really didn't have to start doing til 3pm our time--9am east coast time), exchanging gifts and loafing, this was going to be our blog day.
• Tuesday (Christmas Day) started out with such promise, but was quickly derailed when the internet for the hotel went out. And since no one at the internet provider they use was working that day, we had no choice but to wait til the next day. Yes we still exchanged gifts and did our fair share of loafing, but we ended up having to call all of our relatives on my German cell phone. By the way, I had planned on putting up a "Merry Christmas" blog, but couldn't do it when it mattered (i.e. yesterday). I sent out texts to the phone numbers I had memorized though (hope ya'll got them)...for those that didn't get it, I'm sorry and Merry Belated Christmas. Oh yeah, check this out...
  

Kadija, taken Christmas 2007 from the middle of the Champs-Elysees with the Arc d' Triomphe in the distance

• Wednesday was Kadija and I's "token" day through Paris (we walked to the Arc d' Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and Lourve) and surprise, surprise...it was the first day of bad weather for the trip. Not to say it was horrid, but compared to the beautiful days we had prior...overcast was not a good look.

So anyways, here I sit Wednesday evening and I still have to write post cards, pack and get dinner (it's now 11pm). Not to mention that we need to be in Brussels tomorrow by 12pm, so we need to get to bed at somewhat of a decent hour. Needless to say, this blog will have to suffice for now. I'm sorry. Hopefully before everythings said and done, you'll get 3 to 4 more blogs out of me in relation to this Paris trip. Until then...

Cheers.

P.S. The Lisboa (part 2) blog is written, it just takes forever to upload pictures to blogger and I haven't gotten my patience around to it yet.