Thoughtful Thursday

I was packing for lux this morning (4 more days!!!!!!!!!) when I hear a knock on the door... I see my dad approach the door with a spoonful of rice in his mouth, drinking coffee (awfulcombination). It turns out to be the UPS man so my dad signs the electronic gadget, eyes the box to find that it has my name on it. He chucks the huge box at me and says "your sister buys you too many things" and goes back to drinking his coffee. Ah, I love packages! So I plop on the floor and rip the package open like it's Christmas to find 1) neck massager for the plane ride 2) fuzzy toe-socks 3) an intense voltage/converter 4) $500 in travelers checks. HOLY SHIT. My sister called me a couple days ago and told me to keep my eyes out for package but I seriously thought she was going to send me some underwear and peanut butter so this was far beyond anything I had imagined. My parents are right, my sister is way too nice to me and definitely buys me too many things. Thank you Patti, the package was honestly so so SO thoughtful and wonderful and I'll make sure to wear those toe socks on the plane and make good use of the neck massager!!!

Photos...

The "bon voyage" card my sister drew with highlighters

Classic Toe-socks

Close-up of the girl with the neck massager. Thought it was necessary.

$500 & 7-piece voltage /converter

I'm off to eat some Thai food for lunch! Yum!

J.

SEND ME LETTERS!... please? :)

I can't give you the address to my host family ...because she would probably be really annoyed and confused so I have to give you the address to my school! Please send me letters/ postcards /packages / love notes ;) And if you want me to send you letters/ postcards/ packages/ love notes then e-mail me your address and I will gladly send you some mail! :)

jeonjs@muohio.edu-- e-mail address

Address-- Do NOT shorten anything or it will not go to the right place!!!

Jessica Jeon

c/o Dolibois European Center

Chateau De Differdange

1, Impasse du Chateau

L-4524 Differdange

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Party Ponchos

Spotted @ Target.

Really?? One size fits all? Highly doubtful.

Even though this raincoat is absolutely hideous, I feel like I would really love it if I was slightly inebriated/felt like being annoying and yelling "PARTAY PONCHOOOOooo TIME!!!!" the whole night.

I remember my mom bought me something like this in elementary school with matching yellow rainboots. Despite the fact that I would have to wear 3 layers of clothes underneath the raincoat... she still insisted that I "bundle up" in the 65 degree weather. Why not wear a wind/rainproof jacket? Hm, I don't know. Instead I sloshed around looking like an overfed canary in the rain. Always appreciated.

J.

REI

Went to REI to buy a couple things for Lux and I found my mom in the luggage section trying on several "passport pouches". hahah She's the best

Midnight munchies

I saw my dad salivating over the take-out that I ordered tonight and I told him I already ate dinner so he would eat it without feeling guilty... now I'm here...12:19am, starving.

I thought, why not make this awful experience educational? I decided to translate a couple foods that I am craving... into french... you know, for later reference.

fried chicken- poulet frit

vanilla ice cream- vanille crème glacée

churros-...nothing

pizza- pizza (boring..)

steak- bifteck

milkshake- ...nothing, should have known.

wine- vin

peanut butter- beurre d'arachide

apple- pomme

sausage- saucisse

butter- beurre

olive oil- huile d'olive

bread- pain (whyyy is the translation for the most basic, beautiful food 'pain'?)

mango- mangue

crisp (if you're talking about a biscuit)- croustillant

cornbread- la farine de maïs

coffee with milk- cafe au lait

toast- paine grille

squid- calmar

spinach- épinard

soup- soupe

salmon- saumon

lobster- homard

fudge/toffee/caramel-caramel

Lilli: guys do not satisfy the way food does.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I think my dad is making me a midnight snack. Goodnight!

J.

Je veux du poulet frit et de la bière...

Languages down? English. Korean. Conversational Spanish.

Problem: out of those three, neither of them are French nor German. The people of Luxembourg speak French, German and Luxembourgish (a mix of the two) and I know none of those three languages. In attempts to smoothly transition into a non-English speaking country, I thought I should try and teach myself French. I mean, that's the least I can do.

I bought a "french conversational" cd that I listen to in my car and a French and English Dictionary...but I cannot seem to properly pronounce anything. French seems to have such a throaty feeling to it... every time I try and say something, I feel like I'm coughing up a loogey. That sounds disgusting, I know. But that's how I sound trying to speak French. The only phrases that I have memorized so far are "hello", "sorry", "do you have fried chicken and beer?", and "bathroom?". I thought I should memorize the important phrases first.

Oh and the funniest thing about trying to teach yourself French? You get a variety of stares while you're stopped at a red light. I was repeating numbers 1-10 to myself when I looked to my right and saw this cute businessman (late 20's, perhaps) in his champagne-colored BMW wildly staring at me while I looked like I was talking to my radio.

Another awkward moment?

I was trying to order my McFlurry. The man on the friendly McDonalds speaker kept asking me to repeat my order... and I just thought to myself "really?? McFlurry with Reeses. Not that hard. You want me to crawl in there and make it for you?" Then I pulled up to the window and he seemed utterly confused/disappointed when the person who pulled up was a petite asian girl and not some smolerding blonde whispering sweet nothings to him in French. I know, I'm such a McTease. ;)

au revoir!

J.

Side Note

I saw this in a magazine then on a blog... men in NY wearing leggings. They're called "meggings". hahaha I thought it was so cute I just had to post it! In my opinion, they look absolutely awful but at least they're more comfortable than skinny jeans. And and and, at least they are wearing something OVER their little wa-hoo's so it's not awkward for all of us who are taking a gander. I know this has nothing to do with Lux... but I thought it would be a good laugh. :)

J.

photo from StyleSightings

The Hooker, the Transvestite, and the Middle-aged Mother

I wrote a letter to my host family telling them about Adrienne, Kensie, and I...letting her know that how we met and became such good friends. :) Unfortunately, I didn't have a picture that I could attach at the time... so I used the markers that I had near me and drew a photo of all of us. From the illustration, Adrienne is a hooker, I am a transvestite, and Kens is a middle-aged mother. Hopefully she will understand that I am not the best artist and does not revoke our stay at her house after viewing my letter.

Thus far... I have packed...

Nothing. I am in denial that Luxembourg is only in two weeks! I received my beautiful waterproof Northface black Borealis backpack in the mail last week and I have been finding excuses to use it...even though there is no need to wear it to the market, I have. I go to the library more than anyone on summer break should. And the people at the Starbucks near my house probably wonder why I wear a huge backpack when the only thing I take out are my car keys, journal, and a reading book ...three things that I could have easily carried in a mini tote.

I think people assume I am on a constant mission. Hah. Well, they're right.

J.

Introductions are always necessary.

Hello! Welcome to my blog dedicated to eating& traveling. I am a third year student at Miami University of Oxford, OH and my best friends and I are traveling Europe for approximately four months under a study abroad program. We will be living with a host family in Bettembourg, Lux., attending class from Monday-Friday, and traveling to different countries on the weekends. Classes will be held in a nearby chateau and the poppin parties will probably be in LuxCity (from what i've heard).

I primarily made this blog for my friends and family at home who wanted to keep up with my travels and long, drawn-out stories. Besides, scrolling down and viewing photos is far easier on a blog than clicking one-by-one on facebook! And because bad luck seems to follow me like food coma follows a huge meal, I will have many interesting stories for you to read.

The game plan? So far, my friends and I have made a list of countries... some of which include: Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Czech Republic, England, Croatia, Austria, Switzerland, and possibly Ireland. The events? Okoberfest, baby. Shopping in Paris and Prague. Wine tasting in Italy. I'm sure there are more but I cannot think of them off the top of my head.

Anyway, this entry is getting too long but I will land on European soil on Sept. 2nd so look forward to stories and photo journaling around that time! Goodbye!

J.