I'm back!

Wow, that was a great trip. Even if it was work related, I was with younger people all the time so I was always invigorated. I only slept 3-4 hours a day but I surely bonded with the European folks. I love Europe =(. I say that with a pout because I'm having withdrawal syndromes right now. I feel like I don't belong here like I'm supposed to be at a bar or something.

Oh well... that's why I'm gonna start blogging to let the bad air out. pfft. The first few days, I hung out in Paris, eating crepes, duck, escargots. We went to Montmarte (church on a hill), watched a mime show (picture above) and got my caricature at Sacre Coeur (it didn't look like me at all). I also took a picture of Moulin Rouge.

During the week, we were at Euro Disney about 20 km outside of Paris. Our company couldn't find a hotel big enough to house all our seminars and the whole European team. I didn't really explore Disney since I didn't like the whole kid thing, but I'll give them credit for having a Planet Hollywood and a discotheque on site which we frequented every single night.

The thing I love about Europe is that people love to dance. I even danced with one of our VPs. Also, the whole European field loves to dance. It was deja vu to my high school days when we got all crazy whenever there was a dance night.

Thursday night, we went to Paris for dinner and drinks. My co-worker P and I had several beers on empty stomachs before we left Disney so in the middle of the 40-minute train ride we couldn't hold our bladders anymore. We had to go and our French co-worker X just didn't understand us. At the stop, P and I ran out of the station, found a random street and p'd. We were laughing so hard because we tried to avoid the p from touching our shoes while drawing demarcation lines to mark our territories. We laughed so hard at how ridiculous the whole situation was, to the point where I had cramps while p'ing! So I had this awkward p'ing position holding my thing and my cramping stomach, which of course triggered another laugh. P and I laughed and p'd for a good 2 minutes while X swayed his head in laughing disapproval. P, X and I then took the train back to Paris again, then we went to an Italian resto, had food and shots, then headed to another bar, had more drinks then headed back to Disney. Since it was a ritual now, this p'ing thing, we p'd twice on 2 monuments before we headed home. Our territories were all marked. Once we got back to Disney, P and I headed to the discotheque to meet the other guys, and X headed back to his room since he hasn't slept for 2 days. Around 130am, P left and I went on partying til they closed around 3. A couple hours later, I had to open the conference room at 7, set up and get ready to talk for another 6-8 hours. Long tiring day.

That Friday evening, I went back to Paris again, this time with the local French guys. They took me to a gypsy bar. It was really gypsyish. I missed my train and had to sleep at one of the local's apartment. I woke up the next morning to head to another party in the countryside where we played betanque, badminton, had barbecue and anise. It was such a good time. I had to leave to catch my train back to Disney around midnight. I packed my stuff, woke up at 6am to catch my flight out to Barcelona right when I was getting acclimated and used to speaking French.

The whole trip was so surreal yet now so validated by how much I miss Paris. Someday, I want to live there. Je'm Paris.