Angela in OZ

OZ!

2010-10-01T22:18:00.004+02:00

One of the few things I hate-the birds. They make the most awful noise at about 5am.

That's right. I am in Sydney. I've been here just a little over a month and I love it! I never want to leave. It's beautiful. There are tons of things to do. The people are fantastic. And there is water all around. It's heaven. How have I just now gotten to know the place? I should have been here my entire life. I've fallen in love-hard.

So that is the big issue on the agenda these days: finding a way I can stay (legally). I am sure I will do it, because where there is a will, there is a way, but I image it will be tough going. At the moment, I am looking for a job which will sponsor me. Hopefully I find one soon.

New Home

2010-09-24T13:54:00.003+02:00

I've moved, not in the blog-o-sphere but physically, which is why I've been so quite in recent months. Can anyone guess where? I imagine the picture is a dead giveaway. Anyway, I am happier than I have ever been here and hope to start blogging again on a regular basis. Hope you'll continue reading!

Giverny Pictorial

2010-05-16T21:44:00.003+02:00

We are obviously not going to have a Spring this year in Paris. Fortunately for me, I spend the one week of nice weather playing tour guide and got to really enjoy the weather. I love flowers and gardens, so being out and about in Paris during this one week of sunshine was wonderful. Lucky for me, we also went to Giverny. If you come to Paris, I definitely recommend you make the trip to this tiny town where Monet painted many of his most famous canvases. It is well worth the trip! For those of you who have never been, here is some of what you are missing.

En Grève

2010-05-08T09:19:00.007+02:00

This week started with a bang! Monday afternoon instead of leaving the office via the lobby, I had exit by the roof. Why? Well because there was a grève chez Otis and the elevators and stairwells were blocked by employees demanding more money.

For those of you who know France, the grève or strike, demonstration, manifestation is a pretty common occurrence. I imagine that if you spend a week in the capital, you will see at least one. Striking is a way a life in France, almost as common as the baguette, wine or cheese.

I remember one time complaining to a colleague about the amount of strikes here and being especially confused because French workers have it so good. They get at least five weeks paid holiday, are almost always guaranteed to keep their job and if they do happen to become unemployed, have a fantastic social system as a means of support during the interim. My colleague kindly explained that these were the precise reasons why her co-patriots organized so many strikes-to keep the norm from changing, to keep from losing the benefits and to show businesses how much damage non-working employees can cause.

But I don't want to comment on this social custom because it exists and nothing I say, feel or do will or could change it, so I will just get back to my most recent up-close and personal experience.

The technicians at Otis decided that a 1% cost of living increase was not enough (in defense of the powers that be at Otis, no technician jobs were cut and everyone got an increase whereas many companies laid-off several employees and/or did not provide any cost of living increase) so they decided to strike. They began at 9:30, blocked the elevators and stairwells (incredible fire hazard, right?!) and would not let the office employees walk the hallways, leave the building, go in between floors, go to the lunch, smoke a cigarette, etc for two days.

Me being me, I basically ignored the creepy guys milling the hallways and entered the stairwell at about 11a.m. in order to go from the 5th floor to the 6th. I was instantly yelled at by a pompier (fireman) and was told I would have to remain in the stairwell because it was too dangerous to change floors. I just looked at the guy, said in English, "I have no idea what you are talking about. I am American and I have an appointment on the 6th floor." Either from exasperation or incomprehension, the pompier banged on the door and demanded that the technicians open the door (yes, they were blocking the doors) so a non-Otis employee could exit the stairwell. Scary incidence #1 dealt with.

After I was finished with my lessons (around 2:30), I had to leave as I had another appointment. I exited via the stairwell and tried to go down the stairs and again a pompier stopped me and told me I was stupid to try to leave, that I was in grave danger of being physically attacked if I tried to leave the building through the lobby, blah, blah, blah. I am not proud to say it, but I pulled the hysterical American card, told him, I didn't speak French, that I demanded to be released, as an American I refused to be held against my will, and other such sentences along that line. And guess what. It worked. Dude promptly said, "Okay, we will leave on the roof like Spiderman." He took me up to the rooftop exit, did the whole peeking around corners, used really exaggerated hand signals for stop and go and wait (because the strikers had been up to the roof and he was afraid we might run into some stragglers), walked me to the next building over, down to the parking garage, welcomed me to France, wished me luck and left me to figure a way out of the garage by foot.

I wish I could say the rest of the week was as exciting, but it really wasn't.

Here's a link of the strike in the lobby. There were many more people outside.

Fellow Blogger's Visit

2010-05-01T07:22:00.005+02:00

Ridiculously rich chocolat chaud at the famous tea house Angelina's

When I first moved to France I used this blog as way to get rid of my frustrations of living in a foreign country, talk about the insecurities of learning the language, point out the bizarre differences between my culture and theirs and as a way to share my life with my friends and family back home. Along the way, I made a few friends, thanks to this blog.

I know that internets aren't exactly the same as real friends, but some days the emails and comments I got from this blog helped me realize that my irritations were small and that I was living a dream most people would love to have a crack at. I would even say that some days these people made my day.

So why this mushy post? Two reasons: I would like to thank the folks who continue to read even though my posts are irregular, but also because I met my first blogger friend! Melissa (from Hello Melissa!) and her husband visited Europe on a work vacation and I got to spend a week with them. They are really lovely people! Apart from generally liking them, I got to play tour guide-probably my favorite part-time job-and was able to see Paris through a first time visitor's eyes.

So there you have it, internet connections don't always produce slimy, creepy men. Sometimes you meet nice, fun people!

Thanks again for visiting Tommy and Melissa!

Who Knew?

2010-04-29T20:53:00.005+02:00

Seriously, I never would have guessed that there was a chapter of the Hell's Angels in Paris. Or that I've walked by it several times without ever noticing it. Granted, it isn't as if it is in a highly visited area of Paris. I would even go so far as to bet most people who live here never venture to that specific area (it's in the Indian grocery area past the two big train stations), but I go there a lot. As a matter of fact, I go shopping there for English, Indian and American products at least twice a month and I have honestly never noticed this building. Isn't it strange how we can be so oblivious to our surroundings? Now I am totally curious as to the type of people who are members of this club and what they do. I didn't think the Hell's Angels advertised their existence so, um, proudly.

Musée Jacquemart-André

2010-04-12T21:36:00.004+02:00

It is still a bit chilly to do the neighborhood visits. I started on the 11th on Saturday but after three hours, I had to come home and warm up. I hope I never live anywhere arctic! Until I can do the visits, I guess you'll just have to be entertained by my little museum visits and/or my bitching.

I went to the Musée Jacquemart-André for the first time last week. I wanted to go because they advertised this exhibit all over the metros for months and for some reason seeing visiting expos advertised has the same affect on me as seeing food advertised has on most people.

The museum, in olden times (like early 1900s), was actually a private house and it is a fantastic work of art itself, complete with a garden room, a wonderful staircase and lots of fresco. I think the museum is worth visiting on its own.

The actual exhibit I wanted so desperately to see was of the Spanish masters from El Greco to Dali and I must admit, it was quite good. I particularly liked the way they organized the works. Instead of grouping similar artists or time periods, they grouped them by theme. I appreciated this organization because I am not that knowledgeable about art so I was forced to actually look at Dali next to El Greco and Picasso next to Goya. It was really rather eye-opening.

The price is a bit steep (11 euros), but you get an audio guide free and considering you don't hear that word a lot in Paris, well, it made me not focus on the price gouge quite so much. FYI the Louvre is only 10 euros and it is MUCH bigger.

Happy Easter (Damn Chocolate)

2010-04-04T20:45:00.004+02:00

Thank goodness Easter is finally here. Now, hopefully all of those beautiful, tempting chocolate eggs, bunnies, ducks and fish will be removed from the display windows and the boring ol' bars of chocolate will find their rightful place, out in the opening, tempting the masses.

I have no idea why Easter chocolate makes my mouth water so much. For the most part, I am not a big chocolate eater. I might have some chocolate once every two months and when I do, it is rarely just a chocolate bar, more often than not, it is a dessert with chocolate as an ingredient. I almost never crave it and when I do, I can usually forget about it before I actually get to a store to purchase some. And believe me, Paris has no shortage of specialty chocolate shops, so it isn't a lack of product that keeps me from consuming cacao, I just don't NEED it like some people do.

But this year, I couldn't help myself. I had to have one of those eggs. I mean, just look at how tempting they are! And of course, I couldn't buy one from Auchan or Monoprix or one of the other grocery stores. No, I had to have one from an artisan. So I ended up paying 14 euros for about 100 grams of chocolate only to be pretty disappointed (as I stated earlier, not a big fan of it). But it was absolutely necessary.

I hope everyone has/had a Happy Easter. I promise those neighborhood posts are coming up real soon, well as soon as the weather learns how to behave itself. We've had rain, hail, wind and unseasonably cold weather the past two weeks.

Coming Soon...

2010-03-27T22:16:00.003+01:00

I've been playing with the idea of doing a review of each arrondissement in Paris. The weather has been nasty so I've put off starting this rather time consuming task, but now I think (hope) I am up to it. There are 20 and it will take a while, but seeing how I've now put it in writing, I will probably do it. Although, I have not finished my initial goal of getting on or off at every metro stop in Paris (I am ever so close though). Stay tuned...

Spring has Sprung

2010-03-23T21:23:00.006+01:00

Near the Chateau de Versailles

I always comment that Spring just sort of hits us in Paris around mid-March. And for the most part, it is true. Usually around the 15th or so, I start noticing that it is light for my morning run (around 6:30 if the weather permits, 7:30 at the gym, if the weather is being a bastard) and all of a sudden the temperature warms up noticeably, we have sunnier days and light past 5 p.m.

However, there are other ways Spring announces itself. The most breathtaking are all of the budding flowers and trees. Not that Paris is really a "green" city or anything, but I do try to get out to the suburbs about two times a month and Versailles is always a nice, Springy city to see. Also, the 13th arrondissement (Asian Quarter) has an excellent boulevard lined with horse chestnut trees which are just breathtaking. I often miss their flowering because the blooms only last about 10 days, or so it seems, but it is always worth the trip to catch a glimpse of them.

But by far, the announcement of Spring's arrival I find most amusing in every sense of the word is the plethora of nude or partially nude advertisements. True to form, the French have no problem with the human body, but sometimes these photos, magazines, ads, etc. just take my breath away. For example the magazine Votre Corps (might be slightly incorrect on this title). For the month of March, they had a completely naked woman on the cover. Full frontal. Don't get me wrong, she was perfect, just a bit shocking to see a nine foot version at the local paper stand. Just today I saw another magazine with a girl, fully dressed, pulling her dress to the side to cheekily expose a breast. And don't even get me started on Tetu, the magazine for the young gay male. I nearly trip every time I see its cover.

Anyway, Spring is here and hopefully with it, pleasant weather for all of the Northern Hemisphere!

If You're French, this Post is Probably Going to Piss You Off

2010-03-15T20:57:00.014+01:00

Looks like a woman from behind, no? Colorful poncho, nice lovely
gray hair pulled back by a wooden barrette...but it's a dude, in a suit.

Throughout the years, I've bitched aplenty on this blog. For the most part, something gets under my skin, I come home, angrily type out a few paragraphs and send my frustration out into the world. More often than not, I feel better after I get whatever is bothering me off my chest and read some angry responses (go home, you're stupid, etc.). For the most part, I prefer living in Paris (even though I have never wanted to stay here) to living in Arkansas. Actually, if I were a praying women, I would send up a request daily begging never to return to my home state. And for the most part, I can handle all the bullshit that comes with being an expat/foreigner with a smile or a small gripe-fest with friends.

However, the one thing I have never, ever gotten over, or will get over for that matter, is how rude some people can be here. I have tons of examples, but the thing that irritates me the most is how almost every French person I speak with feels the need to tell me how badly I speak or pronounce French.

Now, I will openly admit, I don't practice French enough. I don't/haven't taken any classes because I really don't care if I learn French. I know this is a terrible attitude and I am not defending it, but I never expected to live here for more than a year (how it got to be 5 years, I will never understand), so going to classes never appealed to me. When I have spare time, I prefer to spend it at a museum or exercising, not going to a class where a teacher can tell me how badly I speak French. And you'd be surprised how easy it is to live here without speaking the language. So yes, I absolutely, unequivocally admit, I suck at French. I understand damn near everything I hear, but my spoken French is probably not much better than a 4 year old's.

Normally, I do not strike up a conversation with someone I don't know. So if I am speaking to someone in French, I either know them (which makes the whole, "Oh my god, you're French is so terrible," comment even harder to take) or it is some random stranger who starts talking to me in a public place. In the US, I probably wouldn't respond to these people, but here, I just think, "Eh, here's a good chance to practice my conversational skills without feeling too stupid." I should know better. I always end up regretting this thought because without fail the person who started speaking to me ends up making some hateful comment about my level of French.

The most recent occurrence happened last Friday. I went for a walk in a neighborhood I've hitherto avoided because it isn't the best place in the world to go for a promenade. But the weather is getting better and I definitely wanted to see the area before leaving so I decided to suck it up, hide my wallet and brave it. I wasn't on the street for more than two minutes before a guy popped up beside me and started chatting. He walked with for about ten minutes, the whole time conversing in French with me responding in French. I did not say ONE English word. When I'd had enough of the the general, creepy conversation, I told him bye and said I was off to meet my husband (good way to get rid of pesky men fast). At this point, he decided that he should let me know just how badly I spoke French. Not only did he tell me my pronunciation was terrible, but also my conjugation and my verb usage was embarrassing. He even hinted that I might possibly be mentally challenged and should be tested because there are special programs in France for people who have "difficulties".

I hate to say that I will always recall incidences like these after I leave Paris because I have had some really great experiences here, but it just feels like things like this happen all too often for me to remember my time here with much more than a lukewarm feeling. I hope that after I've lived elsewhere for a few years, I will reflect and dreamily say, "Ah, Paris...," but most days I just can't think of many things I will miss once I am gone.

Free Sunday at the Louvre

2010-03-14T19:59:00.004+01:00

The great pyramid of I. M. Pei. Perhaps one of the best thing
about the Da Vinci Code...the whole world got to see this.

The first Sunday of each month is a "free" day at most of the National Museums in France. When I first moved here, I took advantage of these days, sometimes going to as many as three museums in one day (a bit too much, even for an extreme art lover), but the hassle of queuing, the crowds inside the museum and the general overexposure of art kind of killed my desire to venture into a gallery on these days. However, last Sunday, I decided to wait until late in the afternoon, brave the crowds as well as the horribly cold weather and head to the Louvre to see my favorite piece of art.

The crowd is almost enough to keep me away...
this is what it was like 15 minutes before closing.

I know I've blogged about this statue before because I just love it so much, but honestly, until you experience seeing it in person, nothing I can say here, or any picture, will do this piece justice. I am talking about Winged Victory of Samothrace. I don't know exactly what it is about this statue, whether it is the actual craftsmanship, the size or the placement of it (at the top of a huge marble staircase), but I am breathless every time I see it. I am especially confused because from what I understand, this statue was part of a ship, so technically it didn't begin as art. Which always makes me wonder about what people in future decades and centurieswill consider art from this time period. Will they look at the Mercedes emblem and comment on how talented we were in our primitive ways?

As I said, no picture actually does it justice. I believe this wing was
rebuilt based on a hand they found, but I could have that wrong.

Lazy Blogger

2010-03-12T22:20:00.002+01:00

The weather has been crap here and I am suffering from a general malaise so blogging has been the last thing on my mind these days. I hate that I let so much time pass between posts because I see/hear/do crazy things everyday and would love to post each incidence. So I am making a St. Patrick's day resolution (it's the closest holiday). I will post at least one post a week. Since it's in writing and in interspace now, I will do it. Happy Friday everyone!

Bruxelles: Deuxième partie

2010-02-21T23:39:00.006+01:00

For Valentine's weekend, I went to Brussels again, not because it was Valentine's day or anything, I just happened to get a free ticket from a friend and decided to go. With the weather as it was/is in Paris (blah, cold, rainy, snowy) any excuse to get away is a good one. However, the weather in Brussels proved to be just as horrendous, if not more so (incredibly colder and constant wet unpleasant snow).

Some fun artwork adorning a construction site by the European Union headquarters

Unlike last time, this trip I went prepared with a list of things I wanted to see and places to visit. Brussels is a cool city and it has a lot of culture. I did some searching and found a few things that seemed interesting. One of which was a car museum (eh, I am a daughter of the South), but it ended up being too expensive for such a small space, so I opted out. Fortunately, the walk to the museum was beautiful and the park was lovely looking with all of the snow.

The basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels

A couple of the things I wanted to see most were the Basilica and the Atomium. I walked a million miles in the worst temperature to see the Basilica and ended up not going into the chapel because of a funeral. I must admit, I wasn't that impressed with it, even though it is one of the largest churches in Europe. It was rather too austere for my taste.

The Atomium: A very impressive structure just outside the city proper

The Atomium on the other hand, was definitely a cool sight. I didn't go in it because it seemed a bit too costly just to see such a small exhibit. I am sure it is worth the view of Brussels when the weather is nice.

Beautiful stain glass windows at the Falstaff restaurant

I did manage to get to some of the bars on my list where I was able to enjoy some fine Belgian beers. I do love beer. If it weren't so fattening, I'd drink one everyday. And the Belgians know how to make some yummy ones! I particularly like the Trappist beers, but this time I tried a cherry flavored one (Mort Subtile) and it was fantastic! I brought back 20 various brands in my little carry-on suitcase. It was heavy but worth it!

Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's day!

Superbowl Sunday/Monday Paris Style

2010-02-08T19:42:00.003+01:00

Superbowl Sunday-American mini style

I've been in France for four Superbowls (and one in Ireland) and I must say, Paris is getting better at televising big American games. Normally I go to the Great Canadian to watch because it's a sports bar and one of the few places that will stay open until 4 or 5 a.m. in order to show the entire game, but this year I had a lot more places to choose from. After scouting out a few joints, I decided to go to Le Players off of Grands Boulevards and it was quite an experience!

French "Cheerleaders" doing a very random routine

Like all American/Irish/Indian things the French try to do here, they absolutely missed the authentic mark and instead came up with their own little, unique holiday. For example, there were no fattening finger foods but lots of goofy distractions, an annoying d.j. who talked over parts of the game, silly 'cheerleaders' who ran around the club at various intervals and a really cool fire dancer. The show was aired via ESPN America so we only saw a few commercials; it was rather disappointing because as everyone knows, the advertisements are half the fun.

Not really sure what they were supposed to be.

The game itself was disappointing; I was rooting for the Colts and to see them give away a game like that was a bit hard to take, especially as I was surrounded by about 400 Saints fans (for the obvious reasons, the French were cheering for the Saints, though I doubt many of them actually understand the rules of football.). I screamed so much I lost my voice. It was a good thing I decided not to work on Monday.

Awesome American fire dancer

Chinatown

2010-02-05T21:45:00.006+01:00

Tang Freres on a Sunday-My favorite supermarket in Paris.

One of my favorite areas of Paris is Chinatown. It is located in the 13th arrondissement and while there is little there to make it a tourist destination, it is fantastic for finding strange cooking ingredients or if you happen to love the Asian flavor, whether it be the food, the atmosphere or the people. It is particularly fantastic if you go in the Spring when the horse chestnut trees along the main rues are blooming.

I particularly enjoy going on Sundays. Well, I love and hate going on Sunday. Most grocery stores are closed on Sunday, but not the ones in China town so toute la monde is there, dining, shopping and wandering around. I love it because it is one of the few areas of Paris that does not feel absolutely dead on Sunday. Often my laundry does not get done because I opt for a trip to the 13th instead.

I usually take my shopping caddy (I resisted buying one of these things for 4 years because I thought I would feel like a 90 year old lady with it but now I am ever so grateful to have it.), eat some delicious pho, stock up on lots of cheap fruits and veg and end up cursing like a sailor when I have to drag that damn caddy up the zillion steps of the metro. And no my metro does not have an escalator or elevator.

Anyway, I braved the awful weather last Sunday and went with a friend to Chinatown; we ate pho, did the normal rounds of shopping, indulged in lots of fantastic desserts and enjoyed the normal long walk to price check different items at different stores (miss Wal-Mart so much). Along the way, we noticed that the crowd was larger and more aggressive than usual. Finally we figured that it must be because the Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Neither of us had the courage to fight the crowds too much so we gave up sooner than we normally do and headed home.

Apparently if you are Italian and/or drive a Porsche, you get to park on the sidewalk.

The Grand Rex

2010-01-26T20:38:00.005+01:00

The Grand Rex: 1, Boulevard Poissonnière 75002 Paris
Métro Bonne Nouvelle

I was going through my pictures and I am pretty sure I have never posted a picture of the Grand Rex. I've never been in this Grand old theater, but I pass by it about once a month when I go on one of my big walkabouts. I took this picture the opening night of the Michael Jackson show, This Is It. I tried very hard to get some of the images of Michael flashing on the screen (wasn't a big fan, but thought it would be cool to have a photo of the event), but I didn't manage to get any good ones.

I have to admit, the facade of the building is very impressive. The neighborhood is a bit dodgy, but it is sort of a mini-theater district. This being Paris, there are tons of theaters, but I am pretty sure the Grand Rex was one of the first big ones constructed in Paris. It opened in 1932 and at the time was the biggest theaters in Europe (or so the website says). If you are in Paris, you should walk by it as it is near the Opera Garnier.

A Long Overdue Christmas Post

2010-01-19T22:41:00.004+01:00

The magnificent Christmas tree inside Galleries Lafayette. Absolutely worth the crowd to get a look at this.

I am just slightly ashamed that I did post these before Christmas and would be even more so if I hadn't been so busy. But packing, working, buying presents, organizing my apartment so that nothing would be damaged during a month's vacancy, well what can I say? It was a bit much this year. I did however, take photos of some of the Christmas lights in Paris. So here are some belated pictures for those of you who have never seen Paris really lit up. Christmastime is a lovely time to visit!

Lighted chandeliers on the rue leading up to Place Vendome

Place Vendome (kind of disappointed as it was decorated exactly the same as last year)

No idea why this particular street is Canadian-I am sure there is a good reason, though.

Sidewalk outside Printemps. The windows are decorated beautifully but I didn't have the courage to fight the crowd in order to get a good shot.

Job Applications, Life Changes

2010-01-18T23:22:00.003+01:00

I've decided it is time to leave France and have given myself a deadline of six months to find something, somewhere, but I had forgotten how daunting the job application process is. After reworking my CV for the last week, I think it is probably in okay shape to start submitting. If anyone, anywhere knows of any job opportunities, please let me know. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Since I have decided that I am on the last leg of my French journey (I know, I know, things can always change and I might be here longer than I want considering the job market at the moment), I promise to blog at least once a week and to take as many photos of Paris and the surrounding areas as possible. But, if any readers-if there are any left-want to know or see something specific, please let me know and I'll do my best to blog about it.

Hope everyone is having a pleasant New Year!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-15T12:28:00.002+01:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday and will be able to enjoy 2010. Something tells me it's going to be a great year, perhaps I am just being overly optimistic, but I definitely think it will be better than 2009. For the two or three people who read my blog, I apologize for the long absence. I was in the States celebrating the holidays with family and just did not have the chance to blog. I do however have some nice photos to share in the next few posts.

In addition to everyone in my family being healthy and happy, I received the best Christmas gift ever: my Italian citizenship. I've been trying for almost three years to get it (proving that my family is from Italy, having documents translated, etc.) and finally I have the passport to prove that I am indeed Italian. While I have no immediate plans to move to Italy, the passport will enable me to live or work in any countries of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) without having to obtain a visa. I can't even begin to explain how huge this is. It's like getting married and having kid.

I hope everyone else had a good holiday too!

French Stereotypes

2009-11-28T21:43:00.009+01:00

I've lived here for four years and have found many of the French stereotypes to be at least somewhat true. I guess like most things, there is a grain of truth to be found in the continuing existence of some stereotypes. For example, most French people do drink a lot of wine, though usually not at once; a large percentage of the population can be seen carrying a baguette at the end of the day; stinky cheese is usually served at the end of dinner; it seems as though more than half of the population smokes and for the most part, body odor seems to be the norm here. Of course, there are a lot of good stereotypes which are true about the French: they enjoy a heated debate, love art and philosophy, are well-versed in the art of conversation and relaxation and have a fantastic relationship with pleasure (food, wine, appreciation of leisure, etc.).

However, there is one stereotype I find to be particularly true and absolutely annoying. The French are undeniably rude. Certainly not everyone is unpleasant all of the time and I am sure that there are lovely people floating around who never, ever have a rude moment, but I have found an overall disregard for the normal politeness to be the norm here. Perhaps I am too sensitive (after all I was raised in a place where politeness is the ONLY art form), but I am not the first, nor will I be the last to point this out; as a generalization, it seems the Froggies go out of their way sometimes to be particularly unpleasant.

Two recent examples come to mind (the first of which prompted this post). The other day, a new friend and I were on the stationary bikes at the gym. We were talking, in English as we are both Americans, about random things. I would like to point out that we were having a quiet discussion about completely non-offensive things, like exercise and traveling. An older French woman sat down on the bike next to us, looked at us, smiled and then proceeded to tell us that we talk too loud, that she hates our accent and would like us to stop talking and that every Saturday we bother her, basically insisting that we immediately stop speaking. There were about 20 other available bikes, but she sat next to us so she could spew forth this anti-social poison. She even went to the trouble to involve a trainer, ineffectively tattling on us in order to get her point across. Oh, and my friend and I had only met the previous week and had been to the gym together twice, so the crap about us always being rude was a total load of poppycock. I've traveled a lot and I can honestly say, France is one of the few places where somebody would go out of their way to sit next to me in order to tell me I was bothering them.

The second thing was a bit more painful because it involved people I actually know and like. Last week in an attempt to celebrate Thanksgiving with my students (all of whom are older than 30), I made four pumpkin pies to take to work. I handed out 30 slices of homemade (from scratch) pumpkin pie. To be perfectly frank, it was one of the best recipes I have ever tried. Nothing fancy, just fresh pumpkin, condensed sweetened milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and vanilla and eggs. Well, out of the 30 people I gave the pie to at work, two thanked me. TWO PEOPLE said thank you. That's it. I woke up at five in the morning, baked four pies individually in my little microscopic oven and I got two mercis. Even that wouldn't have been so bad if it had just ended like that, but no, the French can't keep opinions to themselves. I had eight people tell me it was disgusting, four people throw it in the trash in front of me and most of the rest ate a bite and looked at me with a pained expression, like the idea of eating something so different from what they are used to would kill them.

I've not always had the best relationship with the French. And if I am completely honest, it has been a supreme effort on my part to remain open-minded (at times failing miserably) through this strange journey of mine. But I try because I do believe there must be some reason why the French lifestyle is respected throughout the world. However, sometimes it just doesn't seem worth it, like maybe there are just personality types that do not belong in certain countries and maybe I have the type of personality that just doesn't sync with France.

Eiffel Tower Celebrates 120 Years

2009-11-20T20:42:00.004+01:00

Normal, nightly light show

For some reason, the city of Paris has decided to celebrate the Eiffel Tower's 120th birthday. I don't really know why the powers that be chose this particular number to celebrate, but they have, and boy, what a show!

I've read different accounts as to how many lights are used, but the number I have seen most frequently is 400. Apparently, they are using LED lights to spotlight the different colors on the Eiffel Tower.

Normally, the show lasts for ten minutes every hour on the hour at night. There are tons of twinkling lights and it is really breathtaking to behold. But until December 31st, there will be an additional 'show' of colored, patterned lights four times a night, on the hour, beginning at 8.

Unfortunately my pictures do not do it justice. Let me just say, it was cold and windy and I had to pee really, really bad but I stayed until the entire show was over (5 minutes for the regular lights and then an additional 12 for the special display).

Armistice Day

2009-11-11T18:26:00.004+01:00

Thanks to all the brave men and women serving their countries throughout the world. Of course, I want to express special graditude to the Americans but don't want to forget the sacrifices other make either. So a big, heartfelt thanks to all those in uniform!

I honestly had every intention of going to the Arc de Triomphe today to see Sarko and Merkel lay a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier but a very rich dinner (raclette: fatty, stinky cheese melted in an awesome table grill, served over potatoes and a multitude of hams-none of which does my tummy any favors) eaten late last night prevented me from keeping my schedule today. Instead of being up and out the door by 8:30, I slinked to the gym at 11:30...not a productive morning for me. Although on the way to the gym, I was pleased to several bouquets placed on historic plaques in remembrance of those who died during the country's several wars.

I have to admit, the relationship between German and France surprised me when I first arrived, considering the recent history of the two countries. I expected the Frogs to hate the former invaders but haven't found that to be so. For the most part, the Germans and French seem to like each other very much. Culturally, there is at least one television station which promotes the Franco-German relationship through joint ventures and politically they agree on almost everything. I guess it is normal to try to get along with your neighbors but it seems to me that the French and Germans go out of their way to heal the wounds of the past. Bravo!

Fun With Pornographic Cake Toppers

2009-11-09T20:41:00.004+01:00

Warning: The picture is at the bottom of this post so if you don't want to see it, you should NOT scroll down.

So I've been carrying around my camera the past few days because I have the lofty goal of catching the celebratory light show at the Eiffel Tower. I've seen pictures and it looks really awesome but since I have until the end of December to see it, I've managed to find an excuse every night to go home before the 8 o'clock show. I know, lame, but it is so cold these days that I just can't seem to make myself stay out just for the purpose of taking pictures of ol' Tour Eiffel. Hopefully this will be the week.

Anyway, in the meantime, I've gotten some, um, interesting photos of Paris. I do a lot of walking and by that, I mean close to 2 or 3 miles a day outside the gym so I see various things a lot of normal folks miss like: the space invaders on buildings all over the city, crazy street art, homeless people fornicating (where else are they going to?), all sorts of demonstration/manifestations, etc, but this is the first time I've seen the crazy cake toppers pictured below. And just to be perfectly clear, this store is on a major street, at a major intersection. I walk by it all the time and never, ever have I seen the wares that were in the window this weekend. Mickey, Hello Kitty!, Barbie yes, but the very accurate genitalia on the second shelf, no.

Now I realize that I am exactly the type of person who would buy stuff like this for a prank or to shock someone, but I absolutely expect to go into some dark, dank, seedy room to buy such an item, not stand in front of the window and point it out to the nice old lady who hand crafts them (okay, I am sure it is a mold, but still!). I just can't help but wonder, is there such a huge market for them that they have to be in the front window right next to St. Nick?

La Defense

2009-10-30T08:11:00.004+01:00

I don't know if I've ever actually posted pictures of La Defense or not so here are some of the 'business district of Paris, although it is not actually in the city. Anyway, here is a quick pictorial of where I work. I tried to take the pictures on a non-rainy day, but it's Paris and it's Autumn so the likelihood of that happening is rare.

If you are not into modern building, then you probably wouldn't appreciate La Defense, but I love this area. Most of the buildings are quite artistic (I didn't get a shot of my favorite which is bent).
And being France, there is plenty of artwork sprinkled throughout the area, both modern (Calder) and classical. I believe there are three fountains which are quite pleasant in summer, not so nice in winter.
I should also point out that while La Defense is cram-packed from 8a.m. - 7p.m. every workday, it is a ghost town on the weekend and at night. About the only attraction then is the fabulous Quatre Temps mall and the American style grocery store Auchan.

Brussels!

2009-10-25T10:22:00.006+01:00

Belgian Waffle anyone?

Let me explain the exclamation point in the title. I went to Brussels last weekend (with a friend and to visit another friend who lives there) and had an amazing time despite having a swollen tongue for the majority of the visit. I was lucky enough to stay sans charge because my friend's mother-in-law owns a chambre d'hote so essential it was a 'free' trip.

It's a lovely city and a great representation of Europe-good as it is the E.U. capital. Normally I would give a brief history of the city and add a few interesting factoids, but I think for this post, I will let the photos speak for the city. Suffice it to say, it is full of interesting, international, nice people, great beer, good food and awesome views. I really hope I get to go back and see more of this fantastic city (it's only about 1.5 hours by train from gay Paree).

Public transportation can be so much fun in Europe!

I just love these old churches. I can't get enough of them!

Church sign in all the 'major' languages of the city.

Lovely stained glass windows inside the church.

Manneken pis: famous statue near the Royal Plaza. There was an incredibly crowd around him everyday. Tourist are very lucky to see him 'dressed up' like this. The real challenge is to find his dog and girlfriend.

A celebration of Chinese culture and art?

The breathtaking Royal Square

More of the Square

View of the Centre Ville

Cool building, isn't it?

Rain, Rain and More Rain

2009-10-08T07:06:00.004+02:00

Paris at this time of year is not pretty or beautiful. Everyone is back from vacation and back to work. The days get drastically shorter and the rain comes. And the rain just smears all the dirt around, making traveling through the city more than a little unpleasant. Yesterday I got soaked walking from work to the metro. All things considered, this time period in Gay Paree makes me want to move someplace tropical.

However, there are a lot of interesting things to do. All the concert halls start their new season with interesting plays, ballets, symphonies, etc. The first weekend of October is Nuit Blanche which literally means 'sleepless night' but is in fact a celebration of art, or at least it is supposed to be. All of the museums are open until the wee hours of the morning and there are tons of people on the streets all night.
But for some reason everyone treats the night as a big party. I've gone out every year except this year and have noticed that a rather large number of people get totally tanked. For the most part, I find the French really responsible (boring) concerning alcohol consumption. They have 1- 2 glasses with meals and that's it, but during the Fête de la Musique and Nuit Blanche they just let loose. For the Fête de la Musique I understand the party mentality, but for Nuit Blanche? I just don't get how art appreciation and drinking go together. Maybe I am missing something but when I go to museums the only thing that makes me want to drink is the suffocating amount of people.

Market Day

2009-09-27T10:48:00.004+02:00

A gianormous Arkansas tomato

When I first moved to Paris from Cergy (horrible, terrible place), I used to go to the open air markets for all of my fruits and vegetables. The produce is better at these markets than at supermarkets and the atmosphere is very vivant and animée. However, I fell out of the habit because it eats up a large part of my day (there are about 40 produce stands at my market and I am a tightwad so I spend about an hour price checking), I can never just buy one of anything and it is usually very crowded unless it is early in the morning.

Today though, I grabbed my bags, opting to leave the granny shopping cart at home which turned out to be a mistake, and headed to the market. I just wanted figs (I have eaten about 5 kilos since coming back from vacation), broccoli and mushrooms. I ended up with a kilo of figs, a kilo of mushrooms, 4 peaches, a kilo of red peppers, green beans, a kilo of grapes, a kilo of tomatoes and no broccoli. I don't know what happens to me when I go to the market but I never buy just what I want. I end up with random things like beets or fennel because it just all looks so good. So now for the next two or three days I will be stuffing myself with fresh produce, not a bad thing, I know, but a silly lesson I should have learned several times over by now.

If you are coming to France, I suggest you find one of these markets as they are a wonderful experience and a great French lesson combined. I am sure you can find a listing for the markets in other towns (all places have them) but if you are coming to Paris, you can find the dates and times of all area markets on this site: Paris markets.

Je suis une 'Country' Fille au Cœur

2009-09-21T19:01:00.003+02:00

Fountain at Jardin du Luxembourg-I guess the guy is monitoring the fish-Ain't it purty?

So this reentré has been very difficult. I don't really know why except for the fact that I had an awesome vacation in the States. And now I acutely miss it and all the great and horrible things that make it the "States". It doesn't help that I came back to terrible weather. But luckily I don't have time to brood because I jumped right back into to work, seeing friends and visiting museums.

Cool Tiffany Chandelier

Today I went to the Musée du Luxembourg to see the Tiffany exhibit. It was nice, but definitely not worth the 11 euros I paid for the ticket. I managed to take about 30 pictures before I was told photography wasn't allowed (what can I say, there were no signs).

One of two rooms of the exhibit

It was a pathetically small exhibit. I read all the of the informative blurbs and really studied some of the pieces and was completely done in 35 minutes. Another annoying thing was that everything was in French. Granted it was pretty easy French (I understood about 95%), but for all the tourists who don't speak French, well I guess the museum made a lot of extra money off them by offering the audio guide for 4.50...such a racket!

My favorite lamp of the exhibit

I wouldn't recommend the exhibit only because the price is the same for Louvre and D'Orsay and they are much more exciting and interesting. However, it was nice seeing Tiffany pieces and learning how Tiffany came to be Tiffany & Co, but as I said, I am a country girl at heart and couldn't help but think, "It's just a bunch of broken glass glued together."

I'm Back

2009-09-17T08:50:00.002+02:00

My country alter-ego

I hope everyone had a good summer. I had a great vacation in the States and enjoyed every minute of my French duration vacation (more than five weeks). I had hoped to blog some while I was home, but I really just didn't have the time. Between going to the gym, visiting with friends and family and all the shopping I did, there wasn't a moment to spare.

The transition back to Paris was hard the first day. I was sad to be back and the weather is completely depressing at the moment, but after the second day and a full day of jet-lagged work, Paris seemed more welcoming. Plus I have some big plans for this year in Paris so I am looking forward to getting everything in motion.

I hope everyone had a great summer and the return to school, work, real life, etc. wasn't too hard.

Hiatus

2009-08-20T14:55:00.002+02:00

I apologize for not posting or visiting my favorite blogs. I am on vacation and have been having so much fun that the internet has become a distant memory. I will be posting photos of Arkansas life (I know, excitement can hardly be contained) soon. I hope everyone is having a good summer. I can't wait to catch up on everyone's posts.

Interesting Photos from Paris

2009-07-28T13:16:00.004+02:00

I am not being neglectful, I promise. I am just incredibly busy with work. Everyone is preparing to flee Paris for the month of August, so I've been run ragged with work and social events. Instead of posting anything meaningful, here are a few 'cool' photos I caught with my crappy phone.

My street's homeless man's digs. Don't know how he expects to actually watch the television as there is not an electrically outlet.

One of the many reasons I love Paris. This advertisement is sponsored by the Mayor of Paris. Imagine such an ad in the U.S. Yeah, I can't either. At first, I really liked it because it is cheeky and a bit classy but after I thought about it for a while...well, why is it the woman's best friend? Shouldn't it also be the man's best friend?

My neighborhood bonbon vendor's hub. Notice the 'I want crack from Noy York' and 'I got macaroni cheese.' No idea what the little vandals were thinking.

Bastille Day

2009-07-15T22:19:00.005+02:00

French firemen taking a hard-earned break from chatting up women.

I am sure most of you know that the 14th of July is Bastille day, the fête nationale celebrated by French people (and those of us residing in France). In Paris, there is a pretty standard military parade down Avenue des Champs-Élysées complete with military planes flying overhead. I've been to this parade a few times and while it is grand and on a lovely avenue, I just wasn't feeling it this year.

For the past 24 years there has also been a huge fireworks display around the Eiffel tower. This year marked the 25th anniversary. Johny Hallyday performed in front of a crowd of one million (according to papers) screaming fans and then there were a lot of fireworks. But again, I just wasn't feeling it this year. Will I regret not going in the years to come, maybe, but I doubt it. Really, how cool can fireworks be? And that crowd, not for all the tea in China and I really, really love tea.

What did I do, you might ask. A big bowl of nothing. Went to the park for some exercise, caught some sun, read and just enjoyed the one day when silence reined in my apartment.

However, the night before. Well that is another story. You see, the 14th juillet is proceeded by the Bal des Pompiers. Now that was something else. This year was the first year I attended the firemen's ball and I really hope I get to go to another. Theoretically, it is a neighborhood gathering at the local fire station with food, games and a band. Technically, I think it is just an excuse for the firemen to chat up pretty girls and vice versa. But whatever. It was great fun. I danced all night to mostly old American songs and just a little accordian music.

Shopping in Paris

2009-07-11T21:50:00.002+02:00

There are national sales in France twice a year. All the stores participate in these sales and if you are diligent, you can find super bargains. Normally, I wait until the very end, the troisième réduction but this year I have been spending money like I actually have some (which I don't). I have been to BHV and Galeries Lafayette way too much recently. To date, I have bought several items of the underwear persuation, too much jewelry, some dresses and some hair product, but not shoes which I desperately need. Seems my feet are way too big to squash into the petit French shoes.

On a funny note...One day I tried on a bra without looking at the price and only after I had taken it off realized it was 275 euros. That's about 350 dollars. I almost had a heart attack, although I must admit, I think it made me a better person. Needless to say, I did not buy it.

Independence Day in Parc Monceau

2009-07-06T22:02:00.004+02:00

Cake made by a fellow expat and good friend.

July 4th is a special day for all of us Expats. We miss the bbq, the fireworks, the time spent with families, the day off work, etc. Usually we try to get together and have a picnic somewhere nice, like one of the many (although small) Parisian parks. Often there are several groups of Americans picnicing and it is a nice way to celebrate La Vie Americain in Paris. This year, we had a lot of Frenchies and Canadians who crashed our picnic, but the more the merrier, although at one point we (not me) and the Canadians did get into a bit of a pissing contest.

My friend Kally and I have spent the last three Independence days together. One of those years was in Romania (we were really creative with that cake, using flavored yogurt which resulted in a very pastel looking cake). Anyway, I realized how cool it is that although I've now spent 4 Independence days outside of the U.S., I've always managed to celebrate with cool people.

I hope everyone else got to celebrate with cool people, ate a lot and watched lots of fireworks.

Something Cool

2009-06-15T19:11:00.003+02:00

Annual American Festival in Jardin d'Acclimatation

Since I've lived in Paris, I've seen lots of really cool things, been to a lot of awesome museums, visited interesting buildings and have just thoroughly enjoyed the art of exploring and discovery. But the longer I live here, the more I realize that people hardly ever take the full advantage of their city, town or village. I know every time I mention some of my favorite places in Paris (Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, Les Egouts de Paris, Musée d'Orsay, etc.) I am completely shocked to find that a lot of French people haven't ever seen these places. I just can't imagine living in a place as interesting as Paris and not seeing everything. I am still disappointment in my lack of completing my original goal of visiting all the metro stops.

Anyway, my blog has never really been that interactive, but I would love to know something cool about your town, city, state, village or community. I realize that while I do know Paris rather well, I have no real grasp of the history of my hometown and that makes me a little sad. So go on, tell me something amazing about where you live.

William Blake at the Petit Palais

2009-06-05T10:57:00.005+02:00

Garden at the Petit Palais

It’s springtime in Paris and once again, I am hopelessly enamored with this city. It’s amazing how in just one week the weather completely changes as well as the attitude of the inhabitants.

Inside the Petit Palais

All of a sudden, we have fantastic temperatures and lots of sun. Last night the sun did not set until after 9. I am often amazed what copious amounts of sun will do to my attitude. It’s all I can do to keep from hugging perfect strangers and walking around with a silly smile on my face.

Blake's artwork

Anyway, enough with all the gushing. I’ve been busy these past few weeks doing lots of cultural things. One of my best visits was to the Petit Palais. For some odd reason, I’ve never been, although I’ve been to the Grand Palais, which is right across the street many, many times.

Some of the permanent collection

Currently there is an exposition of William Blake’s drawings and etchings. Being the nerd that I am, I had to go. I have distinct memories of reading Blake’s poetry and couldn’t miss the chance to see some of his visual representations of his writings.

Tiny, tiny etching of Blake's (Songs of Innocence)

Luckily for me, I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to take photos, so I was able to snap a few before the security guards yelled at me (I would have never taken photos in the first place had I seen the sign).

Portrait of the greatest poet in English history - Milton by William Blake

Even if it weren’t for the exhibit, I would have enjoyed the visit because the Petit Palais is wonderful. There is a great café in the tiny garden and the overall layout of the museum is beautiful. I will definitely go back soon.

St. Germain en-Laye

2009-05-25T10:10:00.003+02:00

Chateau at St. Germain

I went to St. Germain en-Laye with my friend the other day to visit her hospital bound husband. It was a holiday so I didn't expect anything to be open, but surprisingly the town was buzzing. It's a really cute place and has a very large expat community because of the American school. I can't say I would recommend making a special trip out there, but if you live in Paris or the suburbs, it's a nice little break from the 'city'.

I took this photo of the hospital in order to catch its dilapidated state but the photo is a little flattering. Trust me, it was horrifying! And the nurses, orderlies, etc. were not wearing gloves. I know I am a little obsessed with germs, but give me a break!

Gripes, Part Two

2009-05-23T11:47:00.002+02:00

For the French, the month of May is packed full of holidays and since I work here, the same also applies to my work schedule even though I am not technically in the French system. Almost every week has at least one bank holiday and often when the holiday falls on a Thursday, the French will take Friday off as well. All these vacation days have allowed me to do lots of things and I do intend to post about the exhibits I've seen and all about my several lazy afternoons, but not in this post. Unfortunately, this post is going to be another rant, but after this one, I promise to post some pictures of Paris and talk about good things.

So I mentioned before that my building is going through its 10 year resurfacing process. Well, along the way, we are also experiencing plumbing and electrical updates. Not so much fun when the water is turned off for 9-10 hours each day. And yes, normally most people would be at work between 8 and 6 but since this is May, many of us aren't. I digress, but this information will be necessary later. One night, I came home rather late (11:30) and found I was locked out of my apartment. My landlord lives in the building so I called him and when he didn't answer, I knocked on his door, which he didn't answer. Luckily for me, I had a nice friend who was still awake who told me I could crash at her house. I ran to catch the last metro and then ran to catch my connecting metro (last one being around midnight). For my entertainment, there were a bunch of drunken guys on the metro who desperately wanted to tell me how much the U.S. sucks, how crappy Americans are, etc. This is a relatively common occurrence, so I am never offended, just annoyed by being yelled at. When I got off, they got off with me and continued to harass me and block my way. After being locked out, running to catch the metro and being harassed by a bunch of thugs, you can imagine I wasn't in the best of moods.

The next day I didn't get into my apartment until 4:30. Turns out, the plumber had locked my bottom lock after checking to see if my water was working properly. Locking the bottom lock is a big no-no because the mechanism in said lock is older than God and just refuses to function properly. It took two men to unlock the door (one lifting the door up to align the lock and the other using some kind of tool to get a better grip on the key).

Fast-forward to 1 a.m. I went to my friend's new apartment for a drink and some nibbles. THE drink turned into 3 bottles of wine between two and I had to stumble home. My friend's apartment is in an interesting area...interesting during the day, downright frightening at night. A guy grabbed me two feet away from my friend's doorway and wouldn't let go of me. He insisted on walking me home, holding my hand, kissing me, etc. Now, I know had I been sober I could have neutralized the situation sooner or at least handled it a bit better, but being rather drunk, I couldn't suss out how to extract myself from his grip. I finally got home and literally had to throw my entire body weight against my entryway door to keep the bastard from following me into my apartment building. Very, very scary stuff.

But, the bad stuff doesn't end there. The next day, I went with my friend to a neighboring city to visit her hospital-bound husband. On my return journey, I noticed a man staring at me. It made me very uncomfortable so I decided to switch cars at a stop. Of course he followed me and continued to stare at me and make me uncomfortable. When I got off at Chatelet (biggest stop in Paris), he followed me and actually approached me and asked for my phone number. When I wouldn't answer or acknowledge him (it really is best not to engage these types of people), he started touching my arm. I tried to get away from him; I even stopped, turned around, changed course, etc., but he just would not leave me alone. Not wanting a repeat of the night before, I decided to stay in the station until I could get rid of the guy. I found a transportation cop and in what I am sure was very bad French, told him I was scared, that the man had been following me, staring at me, touching me for a while and that I was worried he would follow me home. I repeated that I was scared about 10 times, in case my accent and bad conjugation was unintelligible. The cop's response? Perhaps he just likes you. And with that, the cop walked away, leaving me with my newly acquired stalker. Now, if I had be watching this on television, it would have been funny, but as it happened to me, let me assure you, it was not.

I finally found a female employee and after walking with her a bit, the man left me alone, but still, scary. Anyway, those were my three bad days. Hopefully that adage, "bad things happen in threes," will prove itself true and I will have nothing but sunshiny days for a bit.

Full of Gripes

2009-05-12T08:56:00.002+02:00

All the buildings in Paris must be resurfaced, repainted, cleaned, etc. every ten years. Technically I know this, but until they started cleaning mine, I didn't actually KNOW this. For the past three weeks, about four men have been building the scaffolding (just building it, mind you) and I do believe I might go crazy.

They start everyday at 7:30, which is incredibly surprising because nothing 'starts' at 7:30 in France, and they bang metal until about 10, at which time, they take an hour break. Then they bang around for another hour or so and take a two-hour break. (Honestly, if it weren't for the ridiculously long breaks, I wouldn't know I was in France.) Then at 2 they come back and start again, but with much less vigor, and continue until 5.

It's just waking up to banging metal or the noise that is driving me insane, it's the fact that I now have no natural sunlight in my apartment. And I am sure it is going to be like that for the duration of the summer which really, really depresses me. I won't be able to open my curtains (leering workmen abound) or my windows so if it ever gets hot, I will have no air. Things like this make me think Paris isn't as charming as it seems.

Blog Award

2009-05-05T09:24:00.003+02:00

I would like to thank Jules at Lovely Las Vegas for her kind shout out and this award. It is the first blog award I've received. I looked at the rules for this award:

*List 7 Things That Make You Awe-Summm!
*Pass It On To 7 Bloggers Who Are Awe-Summm!
*Be Sure To Tag Your Awe-Summm Bloggers To Let Them Know!
*Then Link Back To The Queen That Tagged You

I'm afraid it is quite difficult to list 7 awesome things about my blog. I can only come up with two things: the pictures and it has basically served as a complaint forum for me over the years (kept me sane).

I can however, list 7 awesome blogs. Here they are:

Jen at Expat Travels for her great photography and for being such a great gal!

Lotus at Lotus Reads for giving me great reading ideas and a whole new set of friends.

Pardon my French for being a fellow expat to commiserate with over the years and for her insight on having a child in France.

Random Attention Disorder for giving us all a look at life in a Corsican village.

Betty C. at La France Profonde whom I have just recently discovered but still really appreciate her photos and commentary.

Starbender at This S#%t drives me CRAZY!!! for always making me chuckle.

And most recently Buffalodick for the great recipes.

And again, a big thank you to Jules and her great blog!

T.A.G.

2009-04-29T18:59:00.004+02:00

Lately, it seems like I've been going to museums and art exhibits a lot, well at least more than usual. This isn't a bad thing as Paris is definitely a city that caters to art lovers, but I keep forgetting to post pictures from all of the visits.

One of the most fascinating and most recent ones was the T.A.G. exhibit at Grand Palais. It displayed a collection of graffiti art collected by some type of art historian/profiteer (not really sure which because I couldn't understand everything he said) in a really awesome space in one of the smaller sections of G.P. With the exception of my visit to l'Orangerie, it was the longest I have ever queued for art.

Anyway, this man found some of the best known 'artists' throughout the world (but mainly NYC), gave them two panels each and told them to 'tag' one and paint their interpretation of love on the other.

Not being too into graffiti, I thought this exhibit was going to be a waste of time, but I was pleasantly surprised. I actually really appreciated all of the colors and designs and came to realize that some of the little delinquents who deface public property are indeed artists.

And while I am still not crazy about randomly damaging walls, metro, buildings, etc., it was nice to see that a lot of these people are crazy romantics. Yeah, sure there were a few paintings with messages of 'love kills', but for the most part, it was all hearts and butterflies. Who knew?

Arts et Métiers

2009-04-26T11:40:00.003+02:00

Car suspended in the Arts et Métiers church.

I live next to Arts et Métiers museum. Not only is it a museum, it is also a school. I must admit, I am kind of jealous of the students because I can only imagine what it most be like to attend classes full-time in a museum.

Inside the church.

It is one of the more interesting museums because it displays a lot of technology throughout the ages. I love this museum because even for a non-scientific person (me), it is interesting.

Along with the normal science stuff, the museum also has computers, robots, clocks, cameras and doll houses. They even have a room with the bridges and models of the Statue of Liberty. It is so cool seeing the building process for the monuments. But the coolest space is the church. The museum had the inside of a church transformed to display airplanes and cars and the set-up is awesome! There is also a small likeness of the Statue of Liberty. You can go in this statue and see Ellis Island the way immigrants saw it as they were arriving by boat.

My Brainless Act of the Month

2009-04-20T20:45:00.005+02:00

Interesting traveler at the metro Nation.

At least once a month I do something absolutely stupid, something that really takes the biscuit. This month was no different. And not only was the thing stupid, it was also quite painful.

I love most types of food (with the exception of Chinese) and one of my greatest pleasures is learning how to prepare, cook and serve each type properly. Recently, I've been on a pho kick. It's a fantastically healthy, delicious Vietnamese soup.

Because I like to know how to make stuff, I decided to do it at home. I found a decent recipe, bought all the ingredients and started the process of making a relatively cheap soup from scrap (I probably could have bought about 5 prepared soups for the price I paid for all the ingredients).

One of the garnishes is a Thai chili pepper prik kee noo (translates to mouse shit pepper-attractive, huh). I always put some in my soup and have never had any problems with the heat of the pepper.

Like a first time cook, I forgot to wear gloves whilst cutting up the little mouse shit. At first, nothing happened, but as the night wore on, my hands, cuticles, fingers, fingernails, etc. started burning. The sensation was horrible and got so bad at one point, I thought I might cry (not a big crier). I couldn't keep my hands out of cold water long enough to search on WebMD to find a cure/home remedy/voodoo curse/prayer to a saint.

After trying vegetable oil, milk, tomato juice, burn cream and onions, I decided to coat my hands with plain yogurt. This, or the combination of all the other cures, did the trick and I finally got some relief, although I am still missing a layer of skin.

Lesson learned.

I Bet My Day Was Stranger Than Yours

2009-04-18T11:58:00.004+02:00

The last few weeks have been busy and odd. Probably one of the strangest days occurred a few weeks ago and it was bizarre even by my standards.

We’d been having wonderful weather so I wanted to have a picnic (I always want to have a picnic if the sun is out. It’s one of the nicest things about Paris). Paris has two major parks, Vincennes on the southeast side and Boulogne on the northwest side. I normally go to Vincennes with a friend for 2 hour walks so on this particular day, my friends and I decided to go to Bois de Boulogne.

For those of you unfamiliar with the reputation of this particular bois, it’s probably most famous for the beautiful Brazilian trannies who work there. As far as I know, they only come out at night so I figured since we were going during the day, we’d be fine.

We stayed on the main roads and for the first twenty minutes, everything was normal. We saw lots of people jogging, walking their dogs, having public liaisons, etc, but I started noticing a bunch of white vans with blacked out windows parked on the side of the road. On closer inspection (but not too close), we realized they were full of working girls and not so girly working girls. Some were downright foul, with beer guts and obvious Adam’s apples but others were decent looking for street workers.

Not being in the market to purchase any of their services, we decided to get off the beaten path and find some better scenery. It took some work because the park is riddled with paved roads, but we found a well-worn path that had some traffic. I think we’d been on the path for about 10 minutes or so when we saw a man pleasuring himself with frantic energy (Yes, I laughed). Needless to say, we didn’t continue on the path.

The next 30 minutes or so were relatively uneventful, that is until we saw the elephant. Yes, an elephant. I know, logically, it had to be there for some type of circus, but it didn’t diminish the weirdness factor. Imagine it, walking, running and then suddenly spying an elephant…in the middle of a park. It was a bit arresting to say the least.

Anyway, that was my weird day of the month: a walk in the park that turned in to a sightseeing tour which included prostitutes, transvestites, a masturbating man and an elephant.

Trying New Things

2009-03-23T21:17:00.001+01:00

Soja yogurt: not as delicious as one might think.

Springtime in Paris

2009-03-21T11:24:00.004+01:00

This week has been busy and I don't even really know why. It just flew by without much to note except that Spring has finally arrived and it came with a bang. We've had lovely weather pretty much all week with lots of sun and moderate temperatures. It's so funny seeing how everyone reacts to the arrival of the preferred season. I've seen people in various degrees of undress trying to soak on the sun on their lunch hour (yours truly included). But hey, who can blame them when the previous three months have been dark and rainy?

I went to an art exhibit at a new gallery near Madeleine. I was prepared to be floored, grossed out, mystified and informed but instead I ended up just being vaguely irritated that I spent so much money. (15 euros is an incredible amount when compared to the 10 euro entrance fee at the Louvre.) The exhibit was all about how the body functions and the displays were actual bodies that had been formaldehyded and pickled and manipulated to display all the different systems. Instead of learning anything new, I was just reminded of high school biology class and instead of being horrified that I was looking at actual dead people I was reminded of cheap plastic toys. So neither informative or disgustingly entertaining.

There was also a massive transport strike scheduled for Thursday. I lost a few appointments because of this strike but I saw little evidence of it on the metro. I was able to get to work with the greatest ease because many people took a holiday on said day because of the mistakenly perceived difficulties. I could have done a cartwheel in the metro.

And finally I found this great menu at a restaurant in the Marais. It took me a few seconds to realize that the pizza advertised is actually what we call the Hawaiian. Go figure. I am sure Obama would probably be pleased. He seems like the type of bloke who would like having a food named after him. Although I am quite sure Toulouse-Lautrec would probably prefer to has his name designated to an STD or drink, not a pizza.

Cool Bus at Chatelet

2009-03-08T18:21:00.003+01:00

I could complain so much right now about all the rude people I encountered this weekend, but I won't because that seems counterproductive to any good vibes I might have. Instead I will just post this picture of a really cool, old bus I saw last weekend (when we had some sun and warm weather on the same day) for everyone to enjoy.

Salon International de l'Agriculture 2009

2009-03-08T00:11:00.003+01:00

Yummy dried ham displayed at one of the stands.

The agriculture salon, or any salon for that matter, is fantastic. I spent quite a lot of time at the convention center at Porte de Versailles last Saturday looking at cows, pigs, sheep, etc. and learning about the various foodstuffs from the different regions of France. The salon is also a great place to gain weight because everyone is all too willing to give you samples of their products. I can't remember everything I ate, but I know I had a lot of cheese, meat, olives, sausages, bread and ice cream and a whole lot of fantastic wine. I even got to do a tasting in a completely blackened room. All in all, it was an excellent day.

30th Birthday Party in Paris

2009-03-04T20:50:00.008+01:00

Being the fantastic technological whiz that I am, I completely erased the post that had pictures of my 30th birthday party. It's just as well, because I posted a picture of my friends without getting their permission first. I can't remember what I wrote in the post so I will just improvise.

The table before the carnage.

I wanted to do something grand and exciting for my birthday like go ski-diving or skinny-dipping in ice cold water, but I didn't have those options so I decided to invite a few of my closest friends-I had to limit the party to eight because I simply did not have room for anymore people-and have a glutton-fest.

Just in case you are unable to guess the theme, it was pink. And yes, I made a cookie for everyone with their name on it.

I had seven bottles of champagne, shrimp, nine different types of cheese, macarons, chocolate, lots of really great smoked meats, pear tarts, fantastic bread, tapenade, blinis, stuff from Picard, huge olives, salmon and carrot cake. It was fantastic! I was so happy to spend the day with my friends, eating and drinking!

An eighth of the food.

One of my flower arrangements. I did them both.

A fire hazard.

Istanbul

2009-03-01T18:36:00.005+01:00

So here are some more pictures from Istanbul. I will never be able to post them all as I took about 350. It is impossible for me to choose my favorites because everything there was so great. I definitely have to go back.

A fisherman weaving a net. How cool is this? Just out in the street, in the middle of the day, weaving a fishing net.

Now, I know these children look harmless but a few minutes after I took this picture, they swarmed me. Death by children is not how I want to exit this world. Luckily they left after they realized they couldn't get my camera away from me.

Inside the Blue Mosque. If you have never read about this beautiful building, you really should. It has an amazing history and it is probably one of the most beautiful religious places I have ever visited. My friend and I were on a terribly misguided mission the first day to see this building. We walked round and round Istanbul following the mirages of other mosques and then we finally found this one. It was breath-taking!

Neglectful

2009-02-25T23:10:00.004+01:00

Me in front of a wonderful palace.

I have been woefully neglectful about my blog. What with Facebook, writing for pay (as little as it may be), trying to get my Italian citizenship and working full-time, I just haven't had much time to post. But I have lots of pictures and comments so I've decided to start blogging again. This first post after a terribly long absence is from Istanbul. I will post more pictures later.

The sea that I did not get to swim in. It was much too cold!

One of many, many Mosques in Istanbul.

Bath

2008-06-26T10:18:00.011+02:00

Beautiful view in Bath, England. Too bad the weather didn't want to cooperate.

While I was in Bristol a few months ago, I went to Bath. It is the site of a remaining Roman bathhouse. And after you visit the bathhouse, you can go take a bath in the disgusting mineral water (yes, I drank the gross stuff). The town itself was quite charming, but very touristy and very, very tiny.

Dirty, dirty roman bathwater!

I only spent about 6 hours in the town so I didn't get to do much, but I saw a lot. After paying an arm and a leg to visit the Roman Baths, I got to go on a FREE tour of the city. I know, you're thinking 'a free tour, it couldn't have been that good,' but it was. A little retired man took us all around the city and told us a ton about the architecture and the history of most of the major buildings.

Projections of Romans on the walls of the cool bath room. Oddly enough, all the scenes were a bit homo-erotic...I wonder why.

Maybe the most fascinating thing for me was looking at and hearing the history of Jane Austen's house. I actually learned quite a lot about her from the tour guide and it was really cool seeing where she lived, walked, etc. I also really appreciated all the Georgian houses and the columns. They're really lovely.

The most photographed view in Bath. A beautiful semi-circular set of private houses.

I'm not sure I would recommend a trip to Bath. If you are in the area, it's a great little half-day visit, but I don't think I would make a special trip just to see it. After all, you can go to Rome to see Roman baths and there are several other interesting small towns in England.

Whoah

2008-06-25T21:21:00.002+02:00

I just think this is fantastic! Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody is the first woman to be nominated for the rank of 4-star general. It's about freakin' time!

Bristol

2008-06-04T10:38:00.010+02:00

About a month ago, I went to Bristol, England for a job fair. Unfortunately, it didn't produce any results except to make me feel like I am actually an attractive candidate. I've been unemployed since August of last year and I have gotten more job rejections to last ten lifetimes. Talking to the people at the job fair and being told that I am actually employable made me feel much better.

Old brewery building in the financial district of Bristol.

Anyway, I really enjoyed Bristol. Other than being verbally abused at airport security, I found everyone to be extremely nice and helpful. Of course that could be because I tend to speak to everyone I encounter in an English speaking area, and I do love English men. The town is small enough to walk everywhere, but most people opt for public transport.

Clifton Village

One of the things I enjoyed most about Bristol is the surrounding nature. I lucked out with the weather and enjoyed some really beautiful days and views. I forget how much I miss the countryside because I guess I am finally used to the dirt and grim of Paris. Bristol has a lovely, hilly landscape, a rather nice river and plenty of trees.

Kitchen in one of the Georgian houses in downtown Bristol.

The second or third day I was there, I met a woman from Cheddar and an Aussie. They were great fun and I ended up spending the entire day and most of the night with them. The Aussie paid for most of the entertainment for the night and ended up finding 100 pounds on the ground. Karma, huh?

Some more of Clifton Village

I realized two things when I was looking at my pictures from Bristol; I don't take nearly as many pictures as I used to and I can't take a straight picture to save my life.

Some random stuff in a park on the edge of Bristol.

Parc Asterix

2008-05-24T10:05:00.002+02:00

Last weekend some friends and I went to Parc Asterix. It's a type of amusement park outside of Paris. Unfortunately the weather was really unpleasant and we weren't able to enjoy all the water rides (there were four). But the park has some really good roller coasters.

I'm glad I went because I've wanted to go since I got here. Asterix is a famous French comic/cartoon that all French people know and love and I wanted to see the park before I left but I have to admit, I prefer EuroDisney. Maybe it's because I am American or maybe EuroDisney's just better, but I would definitely go back to Disney and I have no desire to visit Asterix again. Tickets to the two parks cost about the same so if I'm going to spend that kind of money (around 60 dollars) I think I'd prefer spending the day at Disney.

I'm a BAD Blogger!

2008-05-19T22:08:00.002+02:00

I just realized that my last post was almost a year ago. I am still alive and kicking. Unfortunately, I do a lot of freelance now so when I am done for the day, I have no desire to sit at the computer and write. But I am going to try to be better!

Family Visit and Ireland

2007-07-24T21:51:00.001+02:00

Random view from our daily hike from our hotel to town.

My cousin and his wife came to visit me in June and I am just now posting about it. They stayed in my painfully tiny apartment but we made do. Unfortunately being the low person on the totem pole at my job, I didn't get my requested days off and wasn't able to accompany them a lot. They went to Rome and spent a lot of time wandering around Paris by themselves.

View of the Cliffs of Moher

However, we did get to spend a few days in Ireland. Being the savvy traveller (insert laughter), I booked a flight to Dublin. We then took a bus to Galway which is on the other side of Ireland.

Castle on the Cliffs of Moher

Public transportation in Ireland isn't as advanced as other places and the trip took much longer than I had anticipated. We shared the ride with some very annoying people, but after reaching Galway, all misery was mostly forgotten.

View from the Aran Islands and proof of how green Ireland really is.

While in Galway, we took a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher and then a ferry to the Aran Islands. I was pretty happy with both outings as they were both on my "must see" list. The Aran Island we visited was incredibly fantastic. We rented bikes and road all over the largest of the three islands. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great but the outing was fabulous none the less.

Another view from the Aran Islands.

Overall, the weather was mostly gorgeous and highly unseasonable to the point of when I asked our very knowledgeable bus tour guide if there was any extreme weather in Ireland, he replied, "Yup, this." We had four days of mostly sunny, hot weather.

Picture of Galway city center.

Because the weather was so nice, people were sunning themselves at all times. The above picture shows the place where the locals seemed to enjoy the sun the most. There was a constant "Thank God it is sunny and beautiful" celebration feel to this area with picnics and beer drinking.

Random church at sunset in Galway.

Speaking of beer....Yum! I could really get used to the Irish way of life. They are such fun-loving party goers. Makes me wish I had done a year abroad there!

Old burial grounds and view of the sandstone ground.

This might sound like a really quaint observation, but Ireland is very green. I am pretty happy with my camera but the desire for a better quality camera never hit me harder than when I was in Ireland. I just could not capture all of the beauty with mine!

A real thatched roof house.

Ireland was one of my favorite trips. I hope to go back someday. While I generally like traveling by myself, it was really great sharing the trip with my cousins. It was a first for all three of us!

Picture from a cliff on the Aran Islands. There were no bars around this ledge and people could literally jump off if so inclined. However, throwing rocks off the edge is a strict no-no as some obnoxious boys found out.

I am really glad some of my family came over to visit. I wish everyone had a chance to come. I think my cousins had as good of a time as I did!

Two Posts in Two Weeks!

2007-06-28T16:28:00.000+02:00

Recently I went to Lille, France for a weekend with a friend. This city has a really strange history because it has belonged to different countries throughout the years. Because of this, it has some really cool architecture. Although it is the fourth largest city in France, it still has a small-village feel to it and most of the people we encountered were relatively friendly and nice. We stayed for three days but I think we could have seen everything in two days.

This photo is from the Swimming pool museum. It houses a lot of textiles and statues as well as some great paintings. It was really nice and I discovered some artists I had never seen.

Overall, it was a nice weekend away from Paris; the weather was terrible for the majority of the trip but the food and beer we enjoyed made up for the constant drizzle.

I still have to post about my cousins' trip and our visit to Ireland, but I am super busy trying to finish the book I am editing and getting ready for Romania. By the way, if anyone wants a postcard from Romania, send me your address.

Chantilly

2007-06-21T18:46:00.000+02:00

Busy, busy, busy, busy. I am not complaining because I like being busy, but I haven't had time to do anything I need to do-like apply for jobs-for a long time. However, I have gone to a few cool places recently. Located outside of Paris, The Chateau at Chantilly is beautiful and is one of the places a friend (Betsy) and I visited since my last post. Unfortunately, it is not the place where whipped cream was invented like I thought. However, it is a beautiful castle where a lot of famous people choose to get married.

As a matter of fact, we saw an awful lot of brides the day we went. Overall, it is a pretty cool place, although after seeing it once there is no need to see it again. After all, it is no Chateau of Versailles

How Do You Spell D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R

2007-05-15T07:17:00.000+02:00

I have been waiting to write about the Habitat for Humanity fund raising dinner for a while because I thought with time the horror of the night would wear off. I think I am finally ready to write about it, although I still haven’t recovered completely.

First of all, we organized this dinner to raise money for our trip to Romania in July. We need quite a bit of money and we counted on this dinner providing about 10,000 euros. We rented a private room at a Chinese Karaoke restaurant and planned on selling 120 tickets at 50 euros a seat, providing entertainment from around the world (with yours truly as the m.c.) and having a silent auction. We had to pay 30 euros a seat, so that was a 20 euro profit on each ticket. We also planned on making about 7000 on the auction and donantions.

First thing that went wrong: we only sold about 40 tickets (remember this part as it will be important later). So right off the bat, we came up 1600 short of our initial projection.

Despite the negative beginning, everyone soldiered on and put more effort into getting really cool stuff to auction (thanks to everyone who sent stuff!). We had all sorts of neat items, including a week sailing trip off the coast of Nice. We figured we could easily make about 6000 on the auction stuff because we had such great items donated.

For the entertainment we had African dancing, a French band, a saxophonist, and a guitar soloist. The saxophonist and the French band were my contacts; the saxophonist is a friend and the band members were my students. I felt really strange about asking my students to perform, but in the end, we were too desperate not ask them, because my saxophonist ended up not being able to come because of confusion over the dates.

The day of the dinner, I arrived at the restaurant about 30 minutes late. When I walked in, everyone was oddly quiet and I thought they were upset because I was so late. We really didn’t have time to chat because we had to start setting things up.

The guitarist showed up drunk (no, I am not kidding). He could barely walk straight. I thought, “Great, a nice kink in our plans.” I finagled the program around and placed him last so he would have time to sober up.

About 30 minutes later, my students showed up carrying their amps and instruments. As soon as they walked in, the wait staff started freaking out and yelling. Apparently, since we didn’t sell all the tickets for the seats, the room was no longer private and we couldn’t have live entertainment because it would disturb the other patrons!

Nobody thought to double check with the restaurant about the entertainment. I almost started crying because, in the first place, I felt strange about asking my students to perform and secondly, because they drove so far for no reason. What’s worse, everyone had found out that night before I arrived, but nobody bothered to tell me. Nobody!

I wish this was the end of the sad tale, but it gets worse. Since the room was no longer private, the karaoke machine was brought out in all its glory. I don’t know if you have ever had to listen to Chinese karaoke for any length of time, but let me tell you, it isn’t nice. Not only did it continue non-stop for 4 hours, it was also at a volume that made my ears bleed. Conversation was impossible. My speech that I stressed and worked on for days was quickly scrapped.

Next disaster: for some reason, some of the people who sold tickets failed to tell the people they sold the tickets to what the menu would include. It was seven courses, five of which consisted of some type of seafood. Three of the 10 people at my table were allergic to seafood so that means we had at least three, probably more, really unhappy people.

Final disaster of the evening: the auction only made us about 3000 euros. The nail in the coffin.

After it was all said and done, I tried to look on the bright side of things, but being delusional or optimistic or delusionally optimistic or optimistically delusional is not really my style.

See, I Am Not Dead

2007-05-03T11:19:00.000+02:00

I have a lot to catch up on and originally I thought I would put it all in one post, but after I got finished writing the Crete post, I decided to break it up. My trip to Crete…it was fabulous, although I didn’t do much. Crete, from what I can tell, is a beautiful country. I stayed in the town of Rethymnon, which is about a 90 minute drive from Iraklion. It is a port city and has a lot of mixed history from the Roman, Greeks, Turks and oddly enough, the Germans. I walked into town everyday just to get some exercise because the trip was half board, which I have found is an extremely dangerous thing. I mean, really a breakfast and dinner buffet, free of charge?! Anyway, the town was small and charming and the people were lovely.

Crete is really famous for feta cheese, olives, honey, mushrooms, goats, mythology, certain herbs, and its history. All the stores catered these areas of interest. I came back with a ton of olive based skin and hair care products, honey and olive oil.

I went shopping and exploring the two days it rained and was cold; the other days I spent lying by the beach or the pool. I know, it seems really boring, but I NEEDED the sun. The hotel was great and the people who worked there were really nice and helpful and not Greek! One of the women was Dutch and the other was German. I think Crete probably attracts all sorts of people.

I had two exceptional experiences while I was there, one good and one, well, rather strange.

The strange thing happened my first day on the beach. I was lying out, reading a book when I man walked up and asked if he could lay by me. I didn’t know what to say, so I think I said something like, “Um, sure, ok.” He practically laid down on top of me. I tried to be politely rude to show him he was unwelcome, but he kept talking, asking me such questions such as, “Are you married; do you have a boyfriend; would you like to go out tonight; how long are you going to be here, etc?” I tried to get rid of him by telling him I was on vacation with my boyfriend and I was just waiting for him….that didn’t work. After about 5 minutes of chitchat, he wanted to rub oil on me and I thought, well I don’t want to print what I thought, but it wasn’t a nice thought. I told him I didn’t need any oil. This seemed to appease him for about two seconds until he grabbed my bum a few times and said something about giving me a massage. That really made me uncomfortable and there was nobody else on the beach to help or intervene, so I turned over and started gathering my things up in order to make a quick getaway. He started moving around too and I just happened to glace over and he was very graciously showing me his manhood. I remember saying, “Ah Jesus!,” before getting up and practically running back to the hotel. However, in retrospect, I wish I had pointed and laughed.
The second thing was fantastic! I met a woman at a restaurant. She was my waitress; we just started talking and she invited me to her house for dinner one night. I half expected not to hear from her, but she called me a few days later and invited me to her house for dinner. It was fantastic. She prepared a feast. I think we ate for four hours. We had the best conversations; she told me all about the myths and history of the island and her family. I was really, really pleased to be in invited and that I said yes! Usually, I wouldn’t do something like that, but it turned out to be a great experience. I have to send her a “care” package from Paris as a thank you.

All in all, I loved Crete! It was beautiful and the people were fantastic. I hope I can go back someday when the water is warmer.

I Am Not DEAD

2007-04-27T16:05:00.000+02:00

The last week and a half has been hectic and busy and stressful and sleepless, but I am still alive. I have a lot to post: Crete and the Habitat Dinner (tomorrow night) being the biggest. I hope everyone is well and I promise pictures and commentary in the next few days.

Wow

2007-04-08T14:06:00.000+02:00

This article describes most of my gripes with France, only in a much nicer way than I usually verbalize them....
http://www.bonjourparis.com/Articles/Culture_and_Lifestyle/Do_They_Mean_Me/%20?source=enews_20070408/

And the Winner Is.....

2007-04-04T11:21:00.000+02:00

I booked a vacation to Crete. I looked and looked and it was the cheapest and potentially the warmest. I was torn between Cyprus and Crete but ended up with the later because of timing. I am very excited....except I am worried about the weather. I just looked at the five day forecast and it seems to be rather chilly there right now. I leave on the 10th and I just hope it has warmed up by then. Thanks for all the suggestions!

My So Called Life

2007-03-29T22:04:00.000+02:00

I really have been busy lately, but nothing exciting enough to blog about. I have been working like crazy, editing a book, raising money for Habitat, going to the gym and enjoying the few days of sunshine we have been granted.

I only have two weeks left at the University, one week before the two week April vacation and one after. Still don't have a job for September and I have no idea what I am going to do. Oddly enough, I am not really stressed about it yet.

Right now I am just really concerned about where and how I am going to go on vacation. I am leaning towards Croatia, but I want to go somewhere warm and cheap. Any suggestions?

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-03-20T22:31:00.000+01:00

I haven't been posting lately because I have been super busy. Last week was fun. I went to the Hemingway bar at the Ritz, took a Salsa lesson and went to a fund raiser on a river boat. This week is all work with my jobs, Habitat and the book I am editing. Plus, to top off all this fun stuff, the weather has taken a turn for the worse and not only have we had nice cold temperatures but also rain, sleet and snow.

Shamelessly Begging for Money

2007-03-07T18:33:00.000+01:00

I swore I wouldn't do this, but I am really desperate. I found myself sending out a mass email this morning thinking the same thing. However, here I am, doing it again. I am working for Habitat for Humanity at the American Church here in Paris and we have a "build" planned in Romania for July 2007. Unfortunately, we still need 20,000 Euros which is a little more than 26,000 dollars for the trip.

If you donate to charity, and would like to donate to someplace different this year, would you consider donating to our Habitat for Humanity fund. If you feel so inclined to donate money, you can go to this website https://www.habitat.org/giving/donate.aspx?link=2. After filling in all your information, fill this part in with our information:
Name ( American Church Paris )
ID number (6237-6872)
GV Event Code (GV8962)

Or just go to this website: http://www.habitat.org/cd/gv/participant/participant.aspx?pid=6237-6872

If you choose to donate money this way, please either email this address lferent@habitat.org and let them know you have made a donation to the American Church or let me know. If you want to donate money but don't feel comfortable donating this way, email me and I will give you other options.

If you do not want to donate money but would still like to help us raise the money, you could always mail me cool American things from home (such as peanut butter, bisquick, microwave popcorn, gum, beef jerky, etc) we could auction at our dinner fund raiser in April. I promise I will not keep any of the items that you donate!

Thanks in advance to any help and thanks to those who have already helped!

Slacker

2007-03-05T20:00:00.000+01:00

I had all the time in the world last week during vacation to catch up my posts, look for jobs, grade papers, plan lessons, go to museums, clean my apartment, etc., but I did very little of that stuff. Instead, I choose to sleep and go to the gym a lot. And you know what, it was pretty enjoyable just being lazy for once.

The Grand Palais is the large building on the left. It has an amazing amount of windows and it is quite beautiful.

However, I did manage to keep my new found tradition of Cultural Wednesday alive by visiting this exhibit. I have to say, I wasn't crazy about it. Displayed are things discovered underwater off the shore Istanbul, so I was initially exciting about learning about the history as well as seeing some of the treasures. Entering was really cool. There was a corridor with huge pictures of the ocean and great oceanic sound effects, but that was the best part. The artifacts were displayed badly and there were about 4 million people crowded around each one. I was stepped on, pushed, ran into and also had my bottom pinched more than I care to think about.

Too Much To Do

2007-03-03T00:00:00.000+01:00

I have a lot to post, but I just haven't had time to post it. Here is an interview I did for an expat blog. Please ignore my horrible grammar; I was in a hurry and didn't proofread it at all.

And for this answer,"I think there are nice and nasty people everywhere. I have had experiences with both types in Paris, probably more of the negative than positive. I think Parisians are less friendly than other people." I should have said, ". . . probably more of the negative than positive in the beginning." Again, things are much better now than they were last year.

Birthday Flowers

2007-02-23T23:03:00.000+01:00

Alright, I will admit it, I love flowers. I don't care who buys them or even if I buy them for myself, it always brightens my day knowing I have a bouquet at home. I know they are impractical and short-lived, but I adore them. I always have and more than likely always will. My dear friend, Marion, brought me flowers for my birthday and they are beautiful. Thanks Marion. I have them on my computer desk, which is just big enough for my computer, but I want to look at them while I work.

Happy New Year!

2007-02-20T21:11:00.000+01:00

I wanted to post on New Year's day and tell everyone "Happy Year of the Golden Pig," but blogger was not working for me and this is the first chance I have had since then to sit down and write a post.

Since I already mentioned the Chinese New Year and have never really told a story backwards, I will start with Sunday and work my way back. I live in the Asian area of the gay/Jewish quarter. This means I have quick access to fantastic places to eat, nice clothes and loads of jewelry shops. It also means that my little area of Paris exploded with life Sunday. There were parades, confetti, a ton of fair food and balloons. I had seen lots of Chinese decorations for about a week, but failed to make the connection. Silly me! I just wish I had my camera battery charged. It was all very cool and exciting.

Saturday I went out with my friends for dinner at a nice Turkish place. We became captives of the owner of this restaurant and had to listen to all his tales of being Turkish/Kurdish and how he had given up drinking (all said over a very large quantity of alcohol). Before dinner we had a little "hair of the dog" hour and ended up with a bar tab of 60 something euros because we decided it would be a good idea to drink at Gare du Nord, one of the major train stations.

Friday (and the reason for the "hair of the dog" on Saturday) my friends had a party. While it was to celebrate a promotion, it was also a surprise, early birthday party for me (fantastic friends! They did the same thing last year). Anyway, I mixed my alcohol and ended up feeling very much like a college student on a Friday night.

There you have it; my weekend in review.

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T10:37:00.000+01:00

I know I just posted this in the last entry, but here is the alabaster Kiss in the Rodin Museum. Call me romantic.

l'Orangerie

2007-02-10T01:42:00.000+01:00

Well, here it is, my visit to l'Orangerie. First of all, take a look at the line. It was a super long wait, about 45 minutes, and I went without my coat. I hate checking my coat, so I thought, I would leave it at home. Bad idea. I froze and was more than a little anxious about catching a cold.

After the wait, I had to fight with the woman at the ticket office for my reduced fair because I do not have a card saying I am a teacher (teachers get in at a reduced rate to some museums, others are free). She was rather mad I only had an attestation from the university and not a professional card. Because I was feeling rather feisty, I told her I was upset about it too, but everything takes ages in France. I know, not the best approach when you want someone to do you a favor, in this case, letting me in for free, but I couldn't help it because I was cold and a little irritated from the windy, wet wait.

But all the hassle was worth it to see this. Monet's finest in a wonderful setting. I wish I could take everyone to this museum because just seeing pictures of how these panels are displayed is not enough. There are eight, huge wall length paintings of Monet's water lilies in beautiful white oval rooms with great light, even on a overcast day.

There was no way I could take any pictures that would do the rooms or the paintings justice. Apparently, Monet painted these in order that they be displayed in exactly the way they are displayed. The paintings are curved along with the wall. It was just fantastic museum experience. Honestly, I felt like I was surrounded by art and nature.

I have to also give a big thumbs up to the audio guide. I usually don't like using them because I find myself just listening to the words and not really looking at the paintings, but this is the one exception which I was glad I rented one because it told of how the museum was built and how it was redesigned to accommodate Monet's masterpieces.

I am definitely planning on going back to this museum if for no other reason than to just enjoy the Monet rooms. However, the permanent collection has a lot of nice paintings of Renior, Matisse, Cezanne, Picasso, Utrillo as well as another artist I know nothing about but who I found very appealing, Laurencin.
And just to end this post on a romantic note because Valentine's day is around the corner, The Kiss by Rodin which is in front of the entrance of the museum.

Rescheduled

2007-02-07T17:25:00.000+01:00

Cultural Wednesday has been rescheduled this week due to the author's early morning procrastination and the ungodly amount of time spent at the gym. However, tomorrow I am going here Musée de l'Orangerie which will be great fun because I have wanted to go ever since I arrived in Paris. It was closed for 3 years (I think) for renovations, so I am sure it is going to be busy any day I choose to go. Funny, when I moved to Paris, I didn't know that much about art and now I know all sorts of stuff about the Impressionists. Hopefully, I will get to take pictures tomorrow.

Thanks

2007-02-07T11:04:00.000+01:00

Monday ended and its nastiness did not leak into Tuesday. Seriously, Monday was a mean day. Thanks for all the well wishes and suggestions!

Will Today Ever End?

2007-02-05T18:09:00.000+01:00

Ever notice how when you are having a bad day things just start to go down hill very quickly? It is like the powers that be hone in on the one person who needs a break and say, "Nope, let's mess with her; let's push all of her buttons and see if we can't make her go psycho today." Generally, one bad thing happens and I shrug it off; two bad things happen, I get a headache, three bad things happen, I start to curse, four bad things happen, I go back to bed, if I can. Today was just a mess! I hope it is not an upcoming attraction for the week ahead! I am hoping I can work some of my frustrations out at the gym. Oh, if only they had a punching bag!

Let Cultural Wednesdays Commence!

2007-01-31T22:54:00.000+01:00

I went to the Institut du Monde Arabe today and saw the Venise & l'Orient exhibit. It was nice, lots of old stuff, but nothing fantastic. The coolest thing was seeing the influence each of the two cultures had on one another. Apparently, both cultures were quite fascinated with each other and more importantly, they respected each other and were open to trade. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures in the museum, but I took some from the top of the building.

There is a tea room at the top and it is slightly tacky but also slightly classy. It is very expensive, but has a great view. This picture doesn't do it justice, honest! Maybe next week I will have some better pictures.

Is This Culture?

2007-01-27T15:17:00.001+01:00

I went to a French version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show last night. The actors and audience were slightly more X-rated than those I have seen in the States, but all in all, it was good fun. Halloween is my favorite holiday and since I have not celebrated it in the last two years, it was great dressing up for one night even if the only “dressing up” I did was putting on a ton of make-up.

I Am Boring

2007-01-25T20:14:00.001+01:00

Cultural Wednesdays did not get off to a good start. I spent some of the day at the gym and the rest of the day grading tests. So far I have spent about 7 hours grading tests. I don’t get paid for grading tests, nor do I get paid for prep time; I am only paid for the amount of hours I teach, so basically I have been working incredibly long, hard hours for free. I really have a problem with working for free. I think I should get paid for grading the tests because it is actually harder than teaching class. And to make matters worse, 40 tests got lost in the mail. I just got them last night and they are due Monday. Sheesh, I know what I am going to be doing all weekend. Ahhh, life in chic Paris, grading papers all the live long day.

Speaking of mail, guess what finally arrived Wednesday, January 24, 2007. My carte Vitale. 482 days after I applied for it. Talk about fast service! Anyway, now I can go to the doctor, if I am so inclined, and pay very little.

Hopefully next Wednesday will be more entertaining. I am pretty sure I won’t be grading tests.

Hello Paris

2007-01-18T18:57:00.000+01:00

I made it back to Paris safe and sound, if not a little tired, yesterday morning. The flight was quick, a mere 6 hours, but extremely bumpy. I made the crazy mistake of taking a nap once I arrived at my apartment and then couldn't sleep last night. I had 3 classes to teach today and loads of commuting which I did in a tired, jet lagged haze. My poor students had to suffer through my worst lesson to date.

I enjoyed my vacation immensely. I got to visit with just about everyone. I wish I could have stayed longer, but my jobs demanded I come back. Actually, I should have come back a few days sooner, but since it was my first visit back, I wanted to take as much time as possible.

I have my new schedule for this semester and it looks as if I will be free Wednesdays, so I have dedicated it as my cultural day for each week. There are still so many things I want to visit and re-visit with my time left in Paris. Plus I have a ton of stuff to do for Habitat for Humanity. We have to raise something around the amount of 22,000 Euros for this year's blitz build.

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Belated Christmas Greetings

2006-12-28T17:59:00.000+01:00

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. I know I did. Here is a picture of my mom's/my Christmas tree. It was nice having a normal size tree this year.

I was lucky last year because I got to spend Christmas with my family in Germany, but it was nice being around my brothers and parents for Christmas.

It was also fun looking at all the lights. I especially like the lights on this tractor. Yes, I am definitely from the country.

I Made It

2006-12-21T15:31:00.000+01:00

I made it home with everything! Customs did a lot of snooping, but left everything alone...well, kind of. They unwrapped most of my presents and put customs tape all over them, but they didn't touch the stuff that could have gotten me in trouble. Amazing. I just want to take this opportunity to thank them for not fining me.

I went shopping the second night I was home until 9 p.m., just because I could. People actually smiled and talked to me. I know I will get tired of this soon, but right now I am loving it. I have been to Wal-Mart twice and I do love that store. They really do have everything. And they are open all the time. If I want buy hairspray at 2:35 a.m., I can.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas preparations as much as I am.

Home!

2006-12-14T18:44:00.000+01:00

It's Sunday, this Sunday at 2. Arrival time is 9:20 p.m. CST. Everyone send my plane, pilot and security workers good thoughts, please. Let's all make a quick wish that my very illegal suitcase makes it Stateside.

I am looking forward to going home. No, that is the understatement of the year; I need to go home; I have to go home; I want to go home. Aside for all the normal reasons for wanting to go home (family, friends, driving, clean clothes, normal sized bath tubs, soy, absence of public transportation, etc.), there is the added bonus getting out of Paris for a while. I have rarely spent more than 3 months in France without a break. Last year, I went to Germany a lot, Italy, and London. 3 months living in Paris is about this country girl's limit; all the little annoyances become huge, unbearable frustrations. I have been in France waaaaay too long this time and I need a good break.

Amsterdam

2006-12-11T22:55:00.001+01:00

As predicted, I had a blast in Amsterdam. It is a fun city. I got to eat at a Japanese restaurant twice. I glad I got to go and I think everyone had a good time. It was a rather unique way to celebrate a birthday (not mine).

Unfortunately, I did not take many pictures. It was too cold and wet to get my camera out much and we spent most of Saturday in the Van Gogh museum. It is a beautiful city though.

Hope you had a good birthday, Deb! Thanks for the invitation.

An Almost Non-Christmas Post

2006-12-06T19:00:00.000+01:00

I am really excited about Christmas and not just because I am going home. Paris really does Christmas fantastically! There are a ton of lights everywhere; I live right by the mayor so the streets around me are so pretty. I can't wait to see Amsterdam (going on Friday and I expect to have so much fun I won't be able to put any of it in print); I bet it looks amazing.

I went to this antique (junk) market last week and got some stuff. It was literally right out my front door and I couldn't help myself. It was cool seeing all the old French stuff as well as vintaged Americana. I was able to buy a few things for Christmas, but not a lot. I kept thinking I would find something amazing, but I guess all of the amazing stuff was gone.

Phew!

2006-12-03T23:30:00.000+01:00

Wow, what a busy few weeks! I have been running around like a madwoman lately! Last weekend I celebrated Thanksgiving 3 times. First there was the Thanksgiving lunch with my students (a fantastic time was had by all). We ate Lebanese, Armenian, French, American and Moroccan food and I think all my students enjoyed themselves. Then, that night I had Thanksgiving with a lovely American/French family. Yeah, Thanksgiving twice in one day is a bit much. I spent about 3 hours in the gym between lunch and dinner. Just to make sure I was properly sick and tired of Thanksgiving, I spent all night Friday and all day Saturday cooking at the American Church in Paris with other expats for their Thanksgiving dinner. I chopped onions for 4 hours nonstop on Friday, and for some reason, on Saturday was in charge of the turkeys which would not cook. Frantic and panicky are the only two words I can think of which describe how I felt most of Saturday. I can’t remember the last time I ate so much, but it was a lovely weekend.

In between, I taught a record number of classes, had a Habitat meeting, became editor of a book and formally disciplined two students. I am superwoman.

This weekend was spent making tests and shopping. The tests part was boring and dull but the shopping was great! Friends and family will be so excited if my luggage makes it to the States (quick prayer to the airline gods for a safe and expedient delivery). I had so much fun shopping for everyone, trying to get them Paris stuff without hitting the souvenir shops.

The only bad thing is that I have decided not to put up a Christmas tree this year. I am going to Amsterdam this coming weekend and the next weekend I am going home so it would be really silly to put one up. At least I keep telling myself that, but I am a little unhappy. It will be my first Christmas without a tree. I have told myself that I will just go and look at as many trees as possible, so Saturday I went to Galleries Lafayette and saw their beautiful tree.

I hope everyone else is enjoying the season as much as I am!

Gobble, Gobble

2006-11-23T18:07:00.000+01:00

I hope everyone who is celebrating Thanksgiving has a lot to be thankful for. I know I do. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2006-11-21T22:32:00.000+01:00

I didn’t write a post this weekend because I had a whole lot of anger to express and I am actively trying to be more positive (in writing because in real life I am a great big ball of sunshine). So here goes.

I am going to start with the good. Thursday was good because my students and I decided to do Thanksgiving. It was basically their idea (well, ok, I suggested it) and we are going to all bring things and have an international day of thanks after our lesson. Lucky them, they get to eat and have two lessons because, oh yes, I am creative enough to turn Thanksgiving into a lesson.

The other really good thing happened Friday morning. I live in a really populated type of crossroads and there are a ton of homeless people about two blocks from my apartment. One of them found his way to my street camped out under an apartment window Thursday night. I know this because I saw him when I came back from the gym. Friday morning I saw the woman who lives in the apartment lean out of her window and give the man a coffee, complete with a saucer and sugar. It was really a lovely gesture and I am still giving the woman two great big thumbs up.

Let’s quickly shift to the bad, because that is how it happened in reality. Friday afternoon I had the worst class experience. I teach post high school students, around my age, (for you teaching expats, post BTS students) for two hours every Friday. These students are terrible, don’t understand English and don’t have any incentive to learn. By no incentive, I mean they will have no exams, no grade, etc. thus no reason to pay attention to yours truly. I basically just treat them like a pack of wild dogs. I try to keep them happy and I never make eye contact.

I have one male student who thinks he is quite cute. He calls me baby, asks for my phone number, and says, “Ooh, la, la,” anytime I take off my jacket. He is just a disgusting slime ball and I try to ignore him completely. Friday, he and a female student got into an argument. I was working with the 3 students who actually want to learn and didn’t really pay much attention to what was going on, until he stood up. What went on next is a little bit unclear because they were yelling and speaking very fast, but I understood him to say he would kill her, cute her face, kill her mother, etc. He had to be physically restrained by two of the other students and every time the students let go of him, he tried to crawl over the desks to get to her.

I yelled, got some order and told everyone to get their books out. The two students settled down and I thought I would be able to teach and keep everyone calm, but no. The two students started again and he actually climbed over two desks trying to get to her and only had one desk left to go before some students stopped him. I freaked and told both of the students to get out. He told me to be quiet, he wasn’t talking to me and she said she shouldn’t have to leave because she didn’t start it. I said, “Fine, everyone can leave then; class dismissed.” And I left. Not because I was really scared or because I was afraid he would hurt me, but because I was on the verge of tears. I have had many negative things happen in my class, but this one takes the cake for scary. I realized I have no control or any authority over the class and it is not likely to change, so I was really bummed Friday night.

Now, on to the ugly, and this is really ugly. I had to ride the metro (not something I willingly do on my days off because of my unfortunate experience). It was around 3 p.m. on a Saturday so it was nice and packed. All of the sudden I heard yelling and a loud smack behind me. I have been a little jumpy since my experience and freaked out immediately. I looked behind me about the same time I grabbed my pepper spray (thank you to people who will remain unnamed to avoid any kind of legal issues for shipping me that stuff…it makes me feel so much better) and saw a man attacking a teenage boy. Now granted, I don’t know what was said or done before this attack started, but the man was really slapping, hitting and humiliating the teenager and didn’t show any signs of stopping. It was a full metro car but nobody was trying to intervene. That is what gets to me about this city. All these people were watching a skinny teenager get attacked and nobody even said anything. I am constantly amazed by the complete apathy and utter lack of courage in this country. I got off at the next stop because I am personally familiar with French violence and didn’t want to experience it again.

So there you are, the good, the bad and the ugly, in less than 4 days.

Beaujolais Nouveau

2006-11-16T21:18:00.000+01:00

Today is the day the year’s new wine, Beaujolais Nouveau, is unveiled to the public. I love this time of year at home and in Paris as well. The fall colors, the crisp weather, and the excitement of the approaching holiday season just gets to me.

I arrived in France August 27, 2005. I remember liking Paris and being impressed with it, but having an overall feeling of disappointment that I didn’t find the city to be breathtaking. Granted, I had a serious of horrible experiences (which now seem really comical) in France that I am sure tainted my feelings for Paris, but I still expected to love the city. And I didn’t. I wanted to, but I couldn’t force myself to have an emotional connection with the city.

But, the night I went out to celebrate the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, I fell in love with the city. It was a bitterly cold night and I remember feeling some sort of excitement in the air. I stayed out until the wee hours of the morning barhopping with my friends and was completely enamored with the beauty of Paris. (It really is better in the winter!) Yes, I was three sheets to the wind, but it was the first time I didn’t feel like an outsider. Feeling like maybe I wasn’t a tourist anymore made me see the real beauty of the city.

What the......

2006-11-14T21:46:00.000+01:00

I went to the post office today to pick up a package and guess what?! They French postal workers are on strike. How can the national post go on strike? What are the protesting against? 35 hour work weeks? 5 week annual vacations? 11 federal paid holidays? One of the highest minimum wages in Europe? Life must be horrible for them.

Seriously, I don't understand this culture; the public transportation workers go on strike about every two months; teachers go on strike about every 5 months; students go on strike whenever there is anything to protest....how do the French ever get anything done?

I cannot imagine this happening in the U.S. because nobody would put up with things being closed due to strikes. I don't think I had ever even seen a strike until I came here. I know I am from a small town but shesh, give me a break. The French have it really good and I can't imagine what they could possibly find reason to strike about.

Amsterdam, Anyone?

2006-11-13T22:26:00.000+01:00

I am trying to plan a weekend trip to Amsterdam for my cousin-in-law's birthday, but am having a horrible time finding a flight under 175 euros. Anyone know of a cheap airline? I have tried most of the search engines, but if anyone knows of any tricks or maybe some airlines I might not have thought of (I know, how do you know if I thought of them or not. Just assume I didn't), I would love your imput.

What a Week!

2006-11-11T11:35:00.000+01:00

This week was incredibly busy. On top of teaching everyday, I had a Habitat for Humanity meeting Tuesday night until 10 p.m. and a cocktail party Thursday. I was nine kids of exhausted last night, but I still went out. It's fine though because there is nothing to do today; it is a holiday so everything is closed.

Speaking of Habitat for Humanity, does anyone have any good fund raising ideas? We are going to have a gala dinner, but we need other ways to make money. This year, the Paris division of Habitat is going to Romania and we need something like 500-600 euros per person.

I am busy planning my trip home. I can't wait! I will be home for a whole three weeks and I will have so much to do. On the top of my list is a huge shoe shopping trip. I love shoes in Paris; they are beautiful, but my feet are too big for them. I went shopping for 4 hours last weekend and I couldn't find anything. Last year, I wanted shoes, this year I NEED shoes. Other than that, I am just looking forward to visiting with everyone.

A Virtual Welcome

2006-11-02T14:35:00.000+01:00

Finally, I can post pictures of my apartment. I am going to give everyone a semi-virtual tour because I am only semi-computer literate.

Supposedly my building is one of the oldest in the neighborhood. I love it because it is all very old fashioned, but I am just beginning to realize "old" means cold.

This is my hallway outside my apartment. I love the red tiles everywhere (I have them inside my apartment as well), but they are also very cold.

This is my "hallway" inside my apartment. I loved my door until I realized that it is paper thin and every bit of cold air and noise comes right into my apartment. The toilet is on the left and the shower is on the right. I know my decorations are a little cheesy, but I am poor.

My bed and some artwork from my friend, Dan. Funny story about the mattress. When I moved in, I slept on the mattress for about 30 minutes before I figured out there was no way I was going to be able to spend a year on it, so I bought a mattress from a fellow expat. But because I have no car, I had to trick a friend into helping me lug it about 10 blocks.

Notice the beams in the ceiling. They are old as dirt and add to the charm of the apartment. I love them! They are UNESCO protected.

This is my huge kitchen. Please don't judge me! I know it is messy, but when there is such a small place, it is hard to be really tidy.

My very large table and a huge mirror. Nice idea, I can watch myself eat.

Finally, my view. I have to say this is the only major downside to this apartment. I have no view and I am very close to my neighbors. Also, because the buildings are so close, no air circulates.

Well, that's about it. There isn't much to show because it is only 20 square meters (all that I could afford), but trust me, it is a huge improvement to what I had last year.

A Missed Opportunity

2006-11-01T21:09:00.000+01:00

I WAS going to post pictures of my apartment, but blogger won't let me, so I will just say how incredibly cold it is today (why is it that the weather is always nasty on November 1st?) and how I am not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. I have had 5 days to prepare my classes for Thursday and Friday and for some reason, I thought it would be nice to wait until about 12 hours before classes begin to prepare. I am such a imposture; I am no teacher! I am a day dreamer...How in the world am I supposed to be in charge of other people's minds when I can't even get a handle on mine?

Another Example of Why the French Are So Popular Throughout the World

2006-10-31T23:56:00.000+01:00

This company only employs really evil, nasty, hateful people. Beware!

I was kind of bummed today because I didn’t have any plans for Halloween and it is my favorite holiday. I decided to cheer myself up by grocery shopping at one of the major, cheap supermarkets in France, Carrefour. It is quite a trek and I thought it would keep my mind off of not celebrating Halloween. I wanted make an afternoon/night of it and actually look at everything in the store, thinking tonight would be a convenient time as it was Halloween and most people would be out drinking because tomorrow is a holiday.

I am into serious price checking these days because Christmas is coming up, and well, because I am not rich, so I took my time, comparing prices and looking at everything. By the time I was ready to leave it was already 8:00 p.m. I took my checkbook because I lost my a.t.m. card about a week ago (kind of taken care of, just have to wait about 5 thousand days for a new one). Writing a check is difficult for me because while I know how to pronounce all the numbers in French, I sometimes don’t know how to spell them correctly. I am always a little anxious when I know I am going to use a check in a busy store because the cashiers aren’t always the most patient people in the world.

Enter bad experience number 9,567. Wait, before I go on my tirade, let me explain a little something about supermarkets in France. The queues are unbelievable. You know how in the States if there more than 5 people are waiting to check out, a new cashier will come and open another aisle? Never happens in France. As a matter of fact, when there are 5 or 6 people queuing, at least four cashiers will go on break. No lie, no exaggeration, I have seen it happen every time I go shopping. See what I am getting at? Horrible ending experience to your shopping no matter how you slice it.

Tonight, I changed queues twice. I wasn’t sure about the first one I was in; I thought maybe I was in a 10 items or less aisle (not that anyone EVER pays attention to that), so I moved to another line. After I queued for about 10 minutes, the cashier decided it was high time for a break. I moved to the next queue and read over everything about the types of accepted payment to ensure I was in the correct queue. Credit cards, bank cards, checks over 15 euros, and cash. Ok, everything was good to go; I read the small print, I was in the correct queue and I was pretty pleased with the bargains I had found.

When it was my turn, I told the woman my French was bad, but that I wanted to write a check. Immediately she started yelling at me, telling me it was the wrong queue and that I wasn’t allowed to write a check in that particular queue. This is after I told her my French wasn’t so great. Yelling at me! I had a ton of stuff and she wanted me to pick everything up and go wait for another cashier! I just looked at her blankly, mainly because I have never been yelled at by an employee at an establishment where I was a paying customer, but also because I couldn’t follow all of her French. I wasn’t really sure whether to laugh, leave all my stuff there and exit the store, or to slap the silly cow.

Finally, she quit yelling and started ringing up my purchases, throughout which she muttered stuff about stupid foreigners and how we should all be sent home while she threw my stuff around. To my utter horror, the man next to me in line agreed with her and turned around and started telling his wife/girlfriend that “stupid American foreigners” should go on holiday to England where they speak they same language.?!

When she finished and told me the amount, I painfully wrote out the check. She saw me and jerked, JERKED, the check away from me and told me the machine printed the checks. She stuck it in the machine and after it had printed, she slapped it down in front of me and told me to sign it. I had already signed it, and told her so, but she insisted I sign it again. So I signed my check twice. I sure my bank is going to think I am a straight moron. But, amazingly nothing major happened. The aisle didn’t open up and swallow her or anything, so I fail to see why it was such a big deal that I used a check.

It’s Halloween and I guess maybe since this woman couldn’t dress up, she decided to embody her costume. I am sure you all can guess what she was trying to be. And let me tell you, in my book she really, really pulled the costume off! I am/was torn between wanting to curse her or waiting for her after work with my pepper spray……But I think I will just wish and pray really hard that she always works at Carrefour and that every hour of everyday somebody comes through her aisle and uses a check. Meanwhile, I am banning Carrefour for life. I don’t care what anyone says, Wal-Mart is waaaayyy better.

You know why people are allowed to act like this in France? It is because they cannot be fired once they are hired. Well, they can, but it is awfully hard to get rid of an employee after they have a permanent contract. Basically, they can be rude, unhelpful, and just a downright horrible employee and have no fear of ever losing their job. Remarkable, isn’t it?

I Am Easily Entertained

2006-10-29T23:41:00.000+01:00

I found this at a local market for 2 euros. I was really excited because all the pumpkins I had seen were 8-10 euros and as money is kind of tight right now, I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much for something I would throw out in a few days.

I know this isn't artistic or even original, but I love it. I had such a blast carving my pumpkin; it kept me entertained for about 2 hours. Then I cooked the pumpkins seeds. I love Halloween! I wish I had a party or something planned for the big day, but I don't, so this jack-o-lantern will have to do. Although it is a feast for my bionic gnats, I hope it lasts until Halloween.

What's French for Gross Incompetence?

2006-10-28T00:11:00.000+02:00

I put off writing this post for a few days because I was so seething mad, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to write a profanity-less post, but I think I am up to the challenge now.

I am sure if you look up ineptitude in the dictionary you will find a description of the French bureaucracy. I cannot even begin to explain how absolutely comical these “official” offices are. Well, they would be funny if it didn’t involve me and affect my daily life in France. Nothing is logical, nobody is nice, nothing is efficient and yet everyone accepts this as being totally normal. When French people go to get their birth certificates or driver’s license, they wait all day and this is completely normal to them.

Let me explain my situation so everyone can understand why I am so irritated with French bureaucracy. In order to work in this country, I have to have a carte de sejour. This card is a magical and mysterious card which the French government rewards you only have after you have killed dragons and pulled swords out of stones. If it was only that easy perhaps I wouldn’t be complaining. In reality getting a carte de sejour (a lamenated card with your picture on it, very similar to an American driver’s license in its shape and design, the difference being you get an American driver’s license the very day you apply for it if you pass your test) is a much more time consuming process.

First, you must have a contract with a French company. With this contract and 14 copies of every official document you have ever been issued in your entire life, you go to an office in the far ends of the earth to get an authorization to work. Then you have to take this authorization to the prefecture and get a “recepissee de demande de carte de sejour”.

When you go to get this receipt which says you have officially asked for a carte de sejour, you have to have 4 passport photos which cost 4 euros a set. You have to take off of work the entire day because you will queue for at least 4 hours to get a number then you will queue another 4 hours after that in order to see a real person. Sometimes after you stand in the first line for 4 hours, the people in charge of giving out the numbers will tell you to go home and come back another day when there are less people in line. I can’t tell you the tingles of joy I got the first 3 times I heard this.

After they are satisfied they have made you wait enough time and that you are not going to go away, they will give you the receipt with a date two or three months in the future as an expiration date. The idea (I think, but I really can’t grasp the way the French administration thinks) is that you will have your actual carte de sejour before this receipt expires. The receipt allows you to work, but does not allow you to get your medical card or housing assistance or any of the other good things that you will pay for month after month if you are contracted with a French company. Between the time you get the receipt and the time you get the card, you have to go to the doctor which will also take about 8 hours.

Let me tell you what actually happens and keep in mind this is the second time I have had to endure all of this. I only need a renewal of my original carte de sejour. I got two receipts at the end of August, one in Cergy and one in Paris (8 euros for pictures and 22 hours of queuing time). These receipts expired October 24th. I had an appointment at the Paris prefecture for 1:00 on October 24th to get my new carte de sejour. Although, I had to reschedule a ton of classes and I had to get up at 5 a.m. for two days to teach the rescheduled classes, I was excited because this was the very first appointment I had ever had with an official French office.

I got to the office early and waited in line until 1:45, never mind I had an appointment, I expected nothing less. It was okay though, because a very unattractive man with the worst breath ever decided he would work his French magic on me and make me love him. This consisted of him pushing up on me, winking at me, brushing my hair away from my face and eventually taking my phone number off of my file.

I finally got my number (so I could wait yet some more) and sat next to some really flashy cross dressers. I figured I was safe next to them. However, I was directly behind a couple who thought the prefecture was the perfect place to practice their kissing skills. And just as an aside, I have finally figured out why people who make out in public bother me so much. It is because they remind me of “trailer trash.” For those who aren’t familiar with this term, it is used to describe people who may or may not live in trailers, but who are just trashy and manner less in general. So this was a lot of fun for me for the two hours I waited for my number to be called. Let me take this time to remind everyone, I had a FREAKING appointment.

My number was finally called and I went to the appointed window and was greeted by a gum-chewing, grouchy, fast talking, bitter French woman. She went through all my paper work and told me I couldn’t have my carte de sejour, and that I needed a new recepissee which would expire in the middle of December. Then I could come and wait some more and get my carte de sejour. Running total of wasted money: 12 euros. Number of wasted hours: 25.

Let me clarify why this delay irritates me so much. I do not now have nor have ever had a carte vitale. This is a major important card because it allows me to go to the doctor and get reimbursed for the visit. This is not a free thing. I pay 101.09 euros a month (and have always paid this much) for my health insurance and it is totally wasted. I won’t get my carte vitale until after I have my carte de sejour. I won’t have my carte de sejour until December because the French government can’t laminate a card in less than 4 months which means I can’t even apply for my carte vitale until after December. Not to mention the fact that I cannot apply for housing assistance until after I have my carte de sejour.

Are you starting to understand why I have a problem with this country’s bureaucracy?

Speechless

2006-10-22T21:58:00.000+02:00

I don't really have much to say about this picture except that out of all the famous people I have seen, I was the most uncool with him. Talk about a stuttering idiot.

Actually, I should thank my friend Rachael for letting me pose with John and for taking the picture with her camera. I felt rather bad afterward because we didn't get a picture of her with him.

A Food Post

2006-10-17T22:31:00.001+02:00

I had a pretty fantastic weekend. I went to the French market twice for food and it was amazing. I had never gone by myself and I loved haggling with the merchants. I think my French is really improving, and if it isn’t, at least I think it is and that is all that matters. I won’t list everything I bought, but I will mention the fish. I bought some salmon and it was the best fish I have ever tasted. I don’t even think I would have to be a decent cook to make the fish from the market taste good. I am a convert. When I first arrived, I remember thinking, “I will never buy fish from a market,” because they handle it bare handed and it sits out in the open all day. Eating is believing and it banished all doubts. Yummmm. I will never go back to supermarket fish.

Pictures of my apartment are coming, I just have to clean first.