Sometimes it just feels like today...

Is just not my day. And today IS not my day. I shouldn't be in this country, I should be back home in my hometown to celebrate carnaval (this is the first time in a very very very long time that I haven't celebrated and I'm getting very antsy), what am I doing here? Yesterday felt sort of the same, since Sunday's the day of the big float in my hometown, and I've either been in it or watching it for the last oh... 26 years. It feels so odd not being there (although dad sent me some great pictures, thanks!). So I decided to take some radical measures yesterday. First I booked my ticket to fly home to my parents over the spring break (which starts in three weeks' time). And second, I booked Eurostar tickets and an apartment to spend a week in Paris in the first week of spring break. I'm going to Paris! And live there for a week :-) I'm so looking forward to it, I can hardly contain myself. And it's nice to have something to sink my teeth into, figuring out where to go (Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Palais de Tokyo, and as many department stores and chocolate shops as I can fit in are on the list) and where to stay (I found this lovely apartment, but I'm still negotiating). Anyone got any more good tips on what to see and do keeping in mind that I'm foodie and biblioholic?

If you happen to be in London and love art, I can highly recommend the 'Canaletto in Venice' exhibition at the Queen's Gallery (see this link for the whole exhibition online). It contains 14 paintings and 40 odd drawings by Canaletto, and I really loved it. It's a small exhibit, but well laid out, and with a great audioguide. I fell in love with the Venice of Canaletto, and Venice has definitely moved up the list of 1001 things to do before I die.

And to top this cosmopolitan list off, I'm now trying to figure out how to get hiragana on my trusted laptop. I'm taking the follow-up basic Japanese course (a steal at 10 pounds for 6 lessons) put on by the Japanese Interest Club, and I'm slowly starting to recognize my hiragana. Slowly.

[update: I've found the hiragana. Woohooo.]