In a matter of 24 hours, I went from the peak of perfect health to dealing with the worst head cold ever. I could barely swallow cuz of the razor blades hacking at my throat, and I woke up every couple hours to spit so I could breath. Sorry, gross, but true. My head pounded and my body ached. And of course, all this settled in on my days off.
After a trip to the local pharmacie, I spent Saturday guzzling herbal tea, doping up on ibuprofen and decongestant, sneezing, fending off hot flashes and chills, experimenting with nasal spray, and coughing up nastiness. (for those of you that have lived with me, this is about 10 times worse than my regular flem-fest)
Although my throat has calmed, my head is still as blocked up as ever. I feel like Adelaide, from 'Guys and Dolls' and I don't think she's too far off. Maybe it's just the feeling I'm getting too old....
Maybe I need to eat more veggies.
Or maybe I'm just exhausted and my immune system has gone on strike.
I'm gonna go with the last one. Although I'm sure my legal single status isn't helping my cold - even if it's more than just psychosomatic symptoms! lol
Sunday, August 2, 2009
This weekend The Paula Nelson Band played at a country saloon/club at Disneyland Paris. They stayed at my hotel. I made a new key and walked her to her room. She signed a free CD for me. They were so American, so chill, and so nice. It was like being back home in cowboy country and actually made me really happy. Who knew that I would miss all that??So who is Paula Nelson, you ask? Don't worry, I didn't know either, and I'm the token American at the hotel.
Well, she is a country singer, a super nice lady, and just happens to be country legend Willie Nelson's daughter.
And I had to be working at Disneyland Paris to figure all that out. Yeehaw.
All in a day's work
Today was a great day.
I got to go to church and drink in the love, testimony, gratitude, and spirit of God that filled the building. I got to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I got to take the sacrament, ponder, pray and sing. And I got lots of hugs and bisous. Yay.
I went straight from church to work, which I started an hour later than normal – so that I could attend church. Because of this, I got a private briefing with my favorite manager. This is the second time just the 2 of us, and we talked for about a half hour – it could have lasted hours and I wouldn’t have complained! He is the most adorably charming French man I have ever met, and quite honestly makes me weak in the knees, in his own humble way. Moving on…
My very first check-in tonight was a Spanish family. Normally they can be a little impatient and disorganized and though I love them, they make me crazy sometimes! Plus, fresh off my days off, my Spanish comprehension was less than stellar. So I warned them about my “poco espanol,” laughed and smiled a lot, gave them all the goods, and survived the check-in. Then they gave me a 10€ tip. I was so confused. That is so not spanish, and besides that, I couldn’t even tell if they liked me! Apparently all the smiling and terribly pronounced, made up verbs are endearing. Muy bien!
For dinner I ate mixed vegetables and barley that were soooo yummy. I know it sounds goofy, but it made me happy. I got home, and actually had the food I was craving. And there are 3 types of ice cream in my freezer. Who wouldn’t be happy about that?!
2 of my favorite work friends just left on vacation, but tonight I got to visit with about a dozen other equally awesome people. Since I worked the mid shift, I got to see people from both the morning and evening shifts. I like getting a little taste of all the different work we do, and the people we cater to. If my job was in America, I could do it for years! Even on the slow nights it’s never boring. And I love my work peeps (almost all of them!). They make me laugh, and we have the most strange and interesting conversations. I want us all to move to Florida. That would so totally rock!
A little girl gave me a sketch of Mickey as a thank you on her way out. So sweet!
I also got a card full of guest compliments and a letter from my management saying that I have been mentioned 5 times now. I would’ve been nice to know when and by whom, but at least I know someone appreciates my efforts!
So yeah, it was a good day, even though I had to work on a Sunday. Can’t wait to see wait the rest of the week holds….
I got to go to church and drink in the love, testimony, gratitude, and spirit of God that filled the building. I got to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I got to take the sacrament, ponder, pray and sing. And I got lots of hugs and bisous. Yay.
I went straight from church to work, which I started an hour later than normal – so that I could attend church. Because of this, I got a private briefing with my favorite manager. This is the second time just the 2 of us, and we talked for about a half hour – it could have lasted hours and I wouldn’t have complained! He is the most adorably charming French man I have ever met, and quite honestly makes me weak in the knees, in his own humble way. Moving on…
My very first check-in tonight was a Spanish family. Normally they can be a little impatient and disorganized and though I love them, they make me crazy sometimes! Plus, fresh off my days off, my Spanish comprehension was less than stellar. So I warned them about my “poco espanol,” laughed and smiled a lot, gave them all the goods, and survived the check-in. Then they gave me a 10€ tip. I was so confused. That is so not spanish, and besides that, I couldn’t even tell if they liked me! Apparently all the smiling and terribly pronounced, made up verbs are endearing. Muy bien!
For dinner I ate mixed vegetables and barley that were soooo yummy. I know it sounds goofy, but it made me happy. I got home, and actually had the food I was craving. And there are 3 types of ice cream in my freezer. Who wouldn’t be happy about that?!
2 of my favorite work friends just left on vacation, but tonight I got to visit with about a dozen other equally awesome people. Since I worked the mid shift, I got to see people from both the morning and evening shifts. I like getting a little taste of all the different work we do, and the people we cater to. If my job was in America, I could do it for years! Even on the slow nights it’s never boring. And I love my work peeps (almost all of them!). They make me laugh, and we have the most strange and interesting conversations. I want us all to move to Florida. That would so totally rock!
A little girl gave me a sketch of Mickey as a thank you on her way out. So sweet!
I also got a card full of guest compliments and a letter from my management saying that I have been mentioned 5 times now. I would’ve been nice to know when and by whom, but at least I know someone appreciates my efforts!
So yeah, it was a good day, even though I had to work on a Sunday. Can’t wait to see wait the rest of the week holds….
Saturday, August 1, 2009
En francais, s'il vous plait!
So the french are pretty protective of their language. They even have something called the French Academy that basically polices the language. It doesn't make it in the dictionary unless they say so. They are especially weary of all the english words and slang sneeking into the daily french vocabulary. So to make it truly, officially french, they change the spelling.
Example: splatch and smatch. Yep, those are words in french, and they mean what they look like: splash and smash. But they are spelled differently and that makes it officially acceptable french. Or maybe it's just cuz they can't say the "sh" sound so they go for a "ch."
Hmmmm....
Example: splatch and smatch. Yep, those are words in french, and they mean what they look like: splash and smash. But they are spelled differently and that makes it officially acceptable french. Or maybe it's just cuz they can't say the "sh" sound so they go for a "ch."
Hmmmm....
Friday, July 24, 2009
Mamma Mia!!!
I tell you what, it made me ever so slightly sad, for a few reasons. I just ache for my best friends! I hate that the women who know and love me most are so very far away. No matter how many people you know, sometimes a girl just needs her besties!
I really would love to find my own man - like, the forever kind. A combination of the men in the movie would be great: a man who looks great in a swimsuit like Sky, ages as well as Pierce Brosnan, has a boat, sings passionately, and loves me enough to chase me down on the other side of the world even 20 years later. Adorable! I'm not seeking perfection, I just want to find someone I can love more than anything in the world - who loves me back the same way. Is that really too much to ask?lol
And oh my goodness, I have to go to Greece someday. It is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!! Hopefully I'll get to go there with that dreamy man I'm gonna find soon ;)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Amy, we love you, don't go back to Canada!
That's what one of my coworkers said to me tonight - in english! It was so sweet! And my favorite manager has noticed my good work lately, and was impressed at my knowledge of our hotel and front office operations. He made the comment to another coworker - She is good, but she's leaving us...
It feels good to feel wanted and needed! I feel like I am contributing and have a place. It took a little longer here cuz Europeans are tough to crack, but I finally found it. And I go home in less than 2 months. Yep, that's my life for ya.
It feels good to feel wanted and needed! I feel like I am contributing and have a place. It took a little longer here cuz Europeans are tough to crack, but I finally found it. And I go home in less than 2 months. Yep, that's my life for ya.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Oh what's in a name?
My name is a constant cause of confusion. But like all things in my life, if it wasn't so complicated, it would be downright boring, and goodness knows I wouldn't want that! I kinda like it - it's one of the things that make me unique. Most people don't even know this about me. So just to clear the air, here's the scoop:
Second, Amy just never comes out right in a french accent. It always sounds a little painful, with emphasis on all the wrong sounds. On the contrary, Amanda, which sounds kinda whiney in American accents, flows beautifully in the many European dialects I hear everyday (french, italian, spanish, even british). The name can be found in virtually any language too, so I feel an instant connection to my hotel guests. And my coworkers have begun using variances like Amandalire, Amandita, and Amandina. I LOVE that, mostly because I feel like they are adopting me into their cultures. The funniest part is that I respond to Amanda in a european accent, but I don't recognize it in standard american. I know, I'm strange...
I love that! It's like reading into my soul. It inspires me to reach for my true potential (in combination with the revelations of my Patriarchal blessing, of course).
So what's in a name? I don't know exactly, but I do know that they say a lot about who you are. I think they are meant for us as individuals, and that they are divinely inspired. They are a part of who we are, not just a title. And I have 2. Doesn't that tell you something else about me...?
My full name is Amanda Patricia Doreen Harper, but I've gone by Amy since I was 8. Yeah, I have 4 names and I go by another one all together. See, my mom originally wanted to name me Amy, after her great grandmother, Amy Overend Wade. My dad thought it was too short, so they agreed on Amanda. Well when I was old enough to know the story, and know what was best, I decided that everyone should call me Amy. I thought it was more glamorous or something. I was a Diva child and I knew everything. Hello?
We moved and I started at a new school, so my parents let me decide what I would go by. I still remember the first time I introduced myself as Amy. Before long, that's what everyone - even my family - called me. Amanda is a formality. Amy is who I am.
However, something strange has happened since I have been living in France. The people here call me Amanda. Shocking, I know.
There are a couple reasons for this: First, there is so much paperwork and legal mumbo jumbo and bureaucracy here, that it wasn't worth the complication of going by another name. I also didn't feel like explaining why every time.
Second, Amy just never comes out right in a french accent. It always sounds a little painful, with emphasis on all the wrong sounds. On the contrary, Amanda, which sounds kinda whiney in American accents, flows beautifully in the many European dialects I hear everyday (french, italian, spanish, even british). The name can be found in virtually any language too, so I feel an instant connection to my hotel guests. And my coworkers have begun using variances like Amandalire, Amandita, and Amandina. I LOVE that, mostly because I feel like they are adopting me into their cultures. The funniest part is that I respond to Amanda in a european accent, but I don't recognize it in standard american. I know, I'm strange...
My names come from the Latin word “amare,” which is the verb “to love.” Amy means 'Beloved.' Some related names are: Aimee, Aimie, Aimy, Aimée, Ama, Amada, Amanda, Amata, Amber, Amecia, Amee, Amelia, Ami, Amia, Amiah, Amice, Amie, Amil, Amita, Ammie, Amya, Amye, Amé, Aymee, Aymi, Emily, Emma, Esma, Esmé (notice Amanda is in there people? Amy is a completely justifiable derivative of Amanda.)
This was on a card my Grandma Harper Sent me during my mission. It's crazy close to who I am at heart.
"Amy's most important quest in life is to fulfill all her dreams, from the simplest to the most
extravagant.
She sets goals and reaches them, whether she lays out a rigid plan or acts in the spur of the moment.
She will realize that fairy tales come true, as she lives a love story as profound as her intuition and generosity.
Though she is involved in countless activities and projects, she always makes time for her friends and loved ones.
She showers those dear to her heart with affection and niceties.
She is a beautiful soul who wins every one's respect and admiration, and truly deserves all the love that she receives."
So what's in a name? I don't know exactly, but I do know that they say a lot about who you are. I think they are meant for us as individuals, and that they are divinely inspired. They are a part of who we are, not just a title. And I have 2. Doesn't that tell you something else about me...?
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