January...
...A month so dire I couldn't even find a picture to accompany it. A New Year. A fresh start. Loads of ideas. Tons of motivation. No Money. Cold weather. Boredom. Tiredness. On the one hand since arriving in Paris I feel inspired and really ready for some hard graft. On the other hand...can I just stay in bed and sleep until pay day?
So after a predictable over spend at Christmas, some of which is Eurostars fault, and some more surprise expenditure at school...I do love how they give you about two days notice of the need to spend money, that as a student you don't happen to have, I have a grand total of six Euros left for the month. Possibly seven if I scrape together the small change. What does this mean? Well firstly it looks like I may be doing a January detox after all. Secondly I have lots of time to get on with the school work, personal projects and fundraising I want/need to do. Thirdly, well it probably means I will hibernate after all. Just me, my bed and hours and hours of sleep. Plus it's too cold to go out. Paris can wait.
One of the school tasks set this weekend was to visit Art galleries. Now, as anyone under 26 will tell you this is a great way to spend a weekend without money as it is free. Dare to be a student over the age of 26 and you have to pay full price. I actually object to National Galleries charging for their collection. Paintings bought with tax payers money should be free to all. Rented paintings in the collection should be exhibited separately and charged for. And all independent galleries who must charge should offer their visitors something they cannot get for free. Rant done. So I queued at the Musee D'Orsay and decided after much moralising that I would not claim to be under 26 unless it came up. A risky move seen as the ticket was 9.50 Euros and I would also be required to buy a book on an artist after to bring to school. I was well aware that this would cost me no less than 10 Euros if I wanted it with an English text and therefore actually useful to me. I had 19 Euros in my account. And said six or seven Euros in my purse. Worth it for school I thought. I arrive at the desk 'Un Billet sil vous plait.' 'Quel et vous?' 'J'ai 24 ans mais je n'ai pas un piece d'intite maintenant'. I was ready with an elaborate lie about leaving my ID in the bag I used to go out last night. An event that never happened as I was busy studying the Artists I was now attempting to see for free, online. She said that it was free for under 26's and promptly handed me a free ticket whilst explaining this was true of all museums. I feigned delighted surprise and with a self satisfied grin began my journey with the Impressionists.
To my absolute joy I bumped into two fellow pupils, both well under 26, who hadn't realised it was free for under 26's but thought only under 18's as advertised in the actual gallery and had claimed the student discount which meant they had paid 7 euros each. Oh what a bit of online research and a lie or two can get you. Morally, I am not remotely ashamed. It also means that I clearly look younger than them both. The youngest of which is 20. Yipee to the round face gene! Thanks Nan.
I was correct, the book on Van Gogh which I finally went for was 10 Euros. And the toiletries I desperately needed came to 8 Euros something. And I had to leave out deodorant so if you smell something funny in Paris, it may well be me.
On the plus, project get Hannah into year two has commenced...that is if term three's money appears.
So after a predictable over spend at Christmas, some of which is Eurostars fault, and some more surprise expenditure at school...I do love how they give you about two days notice of the need to spend money, that as a student you don't happen to have, I have a grand total of six Euros left for the month. Possibly seven if I scrape together the small change. What does this mean? Well firstly it looks like I may be doing a January detox after all. Secondly I have lots of time to get on with the school work, personal projects and fundraising I want/need to do. Thirdly, well it probably means I will hibernate after all. Just me, my bed and hours and hours of sleep. Plus it's too cold to go out. Paris can wait.
One of the school tasks set this weekend was to visit Art galleries. Now, as anyone under 26 will tell you this is a great way to spend a weekend without money as it is free. Dare to be a student over the age of 26 and you have to pay full price. I actually object to National Galleries charging for their collection. Paintings bought with tax payers money should be free to all. Rented paintings in the collection should be exhibited separately and charged for. And all independent galleries who must charge should offer their visitors something they cannot get for free. Rant done. So I queued at the Musee D'Orsay and decided after much moralising that I would not claim to be under 26 unless it came up. A risky move seen as the ticket was 9.50 Euros and I would also be required to buy a book on an artist after to bring to school. I was well aware that this would cost me no less than 10 Euros if I wanted it with an English text and therefore actually useful to me. I had 19 Euros in my account. And said six or seven Euros in my purse. Worth it for school I thought. I arrive at the desk 'Un Billet sil vous plait.' 'Quel et vous?' 'J'ai 24 ans mais je n'ai pas un piece d'intite maintenant'. I was ready with an elaborate lie about leaving my ID in the bag I used to go out last night. An event that never happened as I was busy studying the Artists I was now attempting to see for free, online. She said that it was free for under 26's and promptly handed me a free ticket whilst explaining this was true of all museums. I feigned delighted surprise and with a self satisfied grin began my journey with the Impressionists.
To my absolute joy I bumped into two fellow pupils, both well under 26, who hadn't realised it was free for under 26's but thought only under 18's as advertised in the actual gallery and had claimed the student discount which meant they had paid 7 euros each. Oh what a bit of online research and a lie or two can get you. Morally, I am not remotely ashamed. It also means that I clearly look younger than them both. The youngest of which is 20. Yipee to the round face gene! Thanks Nan.
I was correct, the book on Van Gogh which I finally went for was 10 Euros. And the toiletries I desperately needed came to 8 Euros something. And I had to leave out deodorant so if you smell something funny in Paris, it may well be me.
On the plus, project get Hannah into year two has commenced...that is if term three's money appears.
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