Where was I? Oh yes...we're on a train!
After sitting in our 3x3 cell for about 10.5 seconds, James and I ventured out to the common meeting area, otherwise known as the bar. This is where James' evening started to look up, he found ham flavored Ruffles. For those of you that are interested, his birthday is at the end of this month and apparently anything ham is a big hit.
We headed to the dining coach around 8:00 and were seated next to two young guys from Denmark. They both spoke English very well, but their accent was very similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Come to find out, our new friends (Kasper and Christian) had graduated from high school and were traveling around Europe for a few months before they went to college. They picked up English from watching American TV and after talking to them for about 15 minutes, it was very obvious.
Speaking of TV (see how I just made that transition?), we all started talking about our favorite movies and TV shows when Kasper excitingly said, "Oh!!! I freakin' love Back to the Future!" To which Christian started singing, "It's the Power if Love." James and I couldn't stop laughing. Yes...they really just watched that movie and yes, they really just heard of Huey Lewis and the News. Since the 80's are back here in Europe, they must have not noticed how dated all the clothing was in the movie. I told James that I wasn't going to be the one to tell them that a flux capacitor was not a real car part. They have to find out the same way I did...the Honda service department.
Their favorite TV shows are How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory. Basically the Thursday night line up. I asked if they knew of Charlie Sheen and they both yelled, "WINNING!!" Apparently they do.
We chatted with the boys for two more hours. It was so fun. The only basketball players they know of is Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley and that is because of the movie Space Jams. Until this trip, they thought all Americans were 500 pounds, gun toting, Jesus loving, conservatives. After they met us I think they now know how wrong they were. Not ALL Americans weigh 500 lbs. : )
We learned that college in Denmark is completely free and so is health care, which Kasper and Christian thought was "winning", however the poor are taxed at 40% and the rich at 60%. The boys were very sweet, but very worldly. That pretty much sums up all of Europe.
Around 11:00 we said our good nights and headed back to our cabin. Low and behold our chairs had been converted into bunk beds. We both though the safer bet was for James to take the upper bunk since there was more head room. What we didn't account for was the added bonus of one and a half inches of extra room on either side of his shoulders. I looked on the bright side and thought of it as an extra safety measure. He's not going to fall off of the top bunk because he's wedged in so tight.
James did not sleep a wink and every time I would roll over, cough, or breath, he'd yell from the top bunk, "Are you awake? I can't sleep at all!" Well now that makes two of us.
After a very long evening, 7:00am rolled around and it was time to attempt the shower. James decided to go first. He put on his little paper shower shoes and his big toe busted straight through. I couldn't stop laughing. Finally he cracked a smile and started laughing too. When he got done he said, "the water pressure's really good and the water's nice and hot." Obviously he accidentally drank some of the water or he took a different shower because I had to keep pressing a button every five seconds for the water to stay on or hot!
After maneuvering around our cell for another hour, we arrived in Paris. Apparently Charlie (Vietcong, not Sheen) got the message as well and all 20 of them and their luggage got off with us. Winning!!
Love from Paris... The Barnett's
After sitting in our 3x3 cell for about 10.5 seconds, James and I ventured out to the common meeting area, otherwise known as the bar. This is where James' evening started to look up, he found ham flavored Ruffles. For those of you that are interested, his birthday is at the end of this month and apparently anything ham is a big hit.
We headed to the dining coach around 8:00 and were seated next to two young guys from Denmark. They both spoke English very well, but their accent was very similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Come to find out, our new friends (Kasper and Christian) had graduated from high school and were traveling around Europe for a few months before they went to college. They picked up English from watching American TV and after talking to them for about 15 minutes, it was very obvious.
Speaking of TV (see how I just made that transition?), we all started talking about our favorite movies and TV shows when Kasper excitingly said, "Oh!!! I freakin' love Back to the Future!" To which Christian started singing, "It's the Power if Love." James and I couldn't stop laughing. Yes...they really just watched that movie and yes, they really just heard of Huey Lewis and the News. Since the 80's are back here in Europe, they must have not noticed how dated all the clothing was in the movie. I told James that I wasn't going to be the one to tell them that a flux capacitor was not a real car part. They have to find out the same way I did...the Honda service department.
Their favorite TV shows are How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory. Basically the Thursday night line up. I asked if they knew of Charlie Sheen and they both yelled, "WINNING!!" Apparently they do.
We chatted with the boys for two more hours. It was so fun. The only basketball players they know of is Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley and that is because of the movie Space Jams. Until this trip, they thought all Americans were 500 pounds, gun toting, Jesus loving, conservatives. After they met us I think they now know how wrong they were. Not ALL Americans weigh 500 lbs. : )
We learned that college in Denmark is completely free and so is health care, which Kasper and Christian thought was "winning", however the poor are taxed at 40% and the rich at 60%. The boys were very sweet, but very worldly. That pretty much sums up all of Europe.
Around 11:00 we said our good nights and headed back to our cabin. Low and behold our chairs had been converted into bunk beds. We both though the safer bet was for James to take the upper bunk since there was more head room. What we didn't account for was the added bonus of one and a half inches of extra room on either side of his shoulders. I looked on the bright side and thought of it as an extra safety measure. He's not going to fall off of the top bunk because he's wedged in so tight.
James did not sleep a wink and every time I would roll over, cough, or breath, he'd yell from the top bunk, "Are you awake? I can't sleep at all!" Well now that makes two of us.
After a very long evening, 7:00am rolled around and it was time to attempt the shower. James decided to go first. He put on his little paper shower shoes and his big toe busted straight through. I couldn't stop laughing. Finally he cracked a smile and started laughing too. When he got done he said, "the water pressure's really good and the water's nice and hot." Obviously he accidentally drank some of the water or he took a different shower because I had to keep pressing a button every five seconds for the water to stay on or hot!
After maneuvering around our cell for another hour, we arrived in Paris. Apparently Charlie (Vietcong, not Sheen) got the message as well and all 20 of them and their luggage got off with us. Winning!!
Love from Paris... The Barnett's
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