So About the Power...

It's been two years since I have been in la Belle France. And not two days into it, I have realized one very crucial fact. La Belle France never changes. I should have seen this coming. After all, the signs were all there. The buildings from the 17th century, the education system from the 19th century, among other things. But onething is for sure, France is France and it is all that it can be.

Another thing that never changes? Me. I may have been playing sidelines in the great game of traveling for a little while, but that does not change the fact that I am still a total klutz. I have more more mishaps and create more mayhem than most normal American 20 year-olds. Then again, I'm not exactly a normal 20 year-old. But the point is that I arrived not 48 hours in this splendidly beautiful country and have already attacked and annhilated the power of an 18th Century chatau, pissed off enough French people to have a reputation, and found other ways to remain true to the old traveler bug spirit.

Yesterday morning when we arrived in this lovely country, and pulled into the chatau we would be staying out, my first thought besides where I would find a bed to sleep in, was where would I find a shower to freshen up in. I hate the way planes and traveling could turn a completely clean and rational person into a psychotic insomniac that reeks of bad plane food and compressed airplane cabin. The shower was as epic as I figured it would be. Even more so, because this castle even had American-style water pressure. (on a side note: I'm not one of those typical arrogant American folks that complains when there is no ice in the coke, no heat in a wine cave, or no good water-pressure. But I am one of those people that loves having a good shower when the smell of airplane is thoroughly attachedto one's skin.)

After the showerand a quick stroll around the park with Dorothy, I realized it was time to strighten my hair. This is where it gets bad. I understand these electrical voltage issues. I realize that you can notjust shove a plug in the wall when the sockets don't line up. I further realize that Adapters are beautiful things. I did not realize that adaptors only work when the right vltage thing is linked up to them in correspondence to the adaptation in the electronic and wall socket. I only began to relaize this when I shoved my plug/adapter in the wall, heard a loud pop, and watched my straightener explode and the lights in the room go off. Uh oh.

Well you've done it Julie. Congratulations.

It was all made into a better scene when suddenly 10 minutes after it happened, a frantic knock came to the door. The person who knocked peered into the door and began speaking in German.

"Francais?" I asked.

Nothing.

Than suddenly in English, "So you can't use shower. Zis is becuz we lose power in castle."

Not sure how losing power would correspond to losing shower privilieges, I asked, "Um, excuse me, but why? It's not a big deal, because I already took a shower, but still, why?"

She looked at me for a moment and said, "Some idiot blew up the power. Shower not work for power thing."

I pretended to look shocked and horrified, "When will it be back?"

"Not long. Happens very often with Americans."

So now I figured out not only why the rest of the world hates us, but also got to experience another fine classical JujuB mishap.