Paris - The Signs (Volume 1)

I have dragging this post (and few posts to come) for quite sometimes. I am not sure whether it was suitable for general viewing. Few of my readers may be offended by it and think I am just like to brag about my family. So, if you're easily offended by people experiences, please don't continue reading. This post may contain excessively high dose of self experiences, family wealth and personal health and easily be considered as highly inappropriate for this everything-is-high-price year reading material. You have been warned.

Paris, why it sound so special? I actually opposed the idea to go here at first time. I prefer to go London, which my family went for summer holiday last year (which is a perfect place for shopaholic a dedicated shopper like me). Plus, not one of us know a single word of French, except Bonjour and café. How do you want to enjoy your holiday if you can’t understand their people? We actually planned to go to Switzerland, but considering the influx of people when the Euro starts, we changed it to Paris.

There are many signs that against us for this trip. We have to change the flight’s ticket more than twice, three accidents and broken ankle, limped and stitches.

The chronology of those bad signs

• My little brother has a short semester – he later decided not to follow us
• Changed the flight date as I have to fly alone on the different flight (my dad, mom and big brother already bought their tickets before me, as I don’t know when will my exam finish) – I don’t really like the idea of arriving to a country that I don’t understand a damn word, alone
• Changed the apartment booking
• My big brother changed his flight date as he just knows that he has examination the day of departure – he will fly a day later than us
• My mom broke her ankle when she missed step and fall
• I had a small accident (my first car accident) – scratched my mom’s car
• My brother received a notice that he supposed to be exam will be postponed two weeks after we back to Malaysia – he decided not change his flight (which we thanked later)
• We received an email detailing our apartment which was on the sixth floor. Oh, and the apartment doesn’t has a lift - a fact that was conveniently left untold by the owner
• There was news about public transportation’s strikes in France
• My brother had a bad accident a day before our flight
• My limped and stitched brother flies alone to Paris
  

My mom sure that those were signs that we shouldn’t go to Paris. Nevertheless, we continue our plan. We arrived at Aeroport Charles de Gaulle after 13 hours of flight. The weather was bad until the belt sign was on for most of our flight. My seat was next to a 5 or 6 years-old boy, who father is a MAS worker – most probably an engineer or pilot (handsomely build and soft spoken). The entire stewardesses were very friendly with his father. I even saw some of them flirting with him! Meanwhile, his wife was very nice with me. We had a few chat and about where have we been for holidays – she said the most interesting place she had been was to Rome, Italy. Although at first she assumed that I was a student in Paris and fly alone as my mom and dad were at the front row. My brother arrived safely a day after.

Some of the pictures (which I release step by step considering all 3000 plus pictures. lol). As always, let the page fully loaded first before click the pictures. It will be a slideshow pictures. Just click Next and Prev button at the left or right of the slideshow. Enjoy..

Other bad incidents during past holiday:

• My grandmother, last year, at the time she was 70-years-old, broke one of her ribcage during her Hajj at Mecca with my parents. She didn't noticed it until her back to Malaysia, has a prolonged fever, chest pained and later, x-ray showed the broken bone.
• Few years back, my grandmother also kicked by a kangaroo during a zoo walking in Queensland. Her doesn't suffer from any injuries but that incident caught by taped :)
• My brother nearly pick pocketed on the tube in London during last year summer vacation. That fella already open his bag. Thank God he noticed.
• One of my mother trolley bags (oh my, I wonder sometimes why she always carry lots of bags during holiday) slide out from one of Turkey's train last couple years. Luckily, she managed to bring it inside the train just in the time for its departure.
  

How about your holiday? Has any mishap but interesting incident happen? Share with us! Oh, and do let me know if you want to the next post, Paris - The First Impression? Enjoy the pictures (it is a slideshow, just click next and previous button when it's loaded. If you can't refresh your page. You could always tell me if you still can't see the pictures. But please let the page fully loaded first :)

Bluecrystaldude