This has no title

Because to be totally honest I have no idea where I am going with this post. Which has seemed to become a bit of a problem when trying to write lately. I have so many things swimming around in my Franglish head that sometimes I have a hard time trying to even complete one thought. So be prepared for anyone who is still even reading this little thought-keeper of mine that this entry and probably for the near future these will be a bit all over the place. For starters in the last few weeks the realisation that I am moving on and hopefully forward is here. I have spent two absolutely amazing and fantastic and unreal years in Paris. Now I am sure almost everyone will tell you the time the spend anywhere in a foreign country is amazing but mine REALLY was. I saw castles, a french Mickey Mouse, was here when the announcement of the new French President was made, partied with firemen and maybe even made out with one (I'll never tell), did some of the best shopping I have ever done, was able to see countries and cities and places that I KNOW I would have NEVER experienced otherwise (riding on and swimming with an elephant for example), I have MC'd an event with over 100 people and pushed myself to not throw up on stage from the butterflies in my stomach, I have been able to show my friends and family that visit around "my city", I have gotten lost again and again and always found my way home, I celebrated my first Christmas without my parents and siblings by my side (thanks though Skype and a few special Christmas Elves), I have seen sunrises while still out drinking and have danced until my feet can't take anymore, I have had my heart broken and fixed and broken again and I am still waiting for the right thing to happen, I have eaten enough bread and pain au chocolat for a lifetime and I have the closest most fantastic friends here now... even though there are only like 4 of them I wouldn't trade it for the world... these friends mean just as much to me now as my family. Which has made the choice to pursue my life in the US incredibly difficult. Really putting yourself out there to someone and relying on them time and time again creates a bond that I have never experienced before in my life and I am not sure I will ever experience again. So trying to get through the incredibly tough decision process of to stay or to go has been impossible. Even right now as I type this I am questioning everything I am doing - even if my choice was in the other direction, I think I would still be feeling exactly the same. See the problem now is I live two lived. They are intertwined in certain instances but for the most part they are just running along side by side with each other. I don't know if any of you have ever had to live two lives or make a choice that will cause you some regret no matter what the outcome but it will throw you for a doozy. No matter how prepared you are for it (or think you are for it)!! But the bottom line is I have chosen to take the next step in this little adventure we call life and along with making that choice comes so many other choices... such as:

What the hell do I do with all of my shoes and how is the poor sucks stuck packing them going to feel about that? Is he (or maybe she) going to treat them with the love and respect they deserve?

Where the heck am I going to live? Ma and Pa??? Room for rent?!?!?!! hahaha.

What exactly is the next step in my career? What do I want to be when I grow up? Because recently the most appealing jobs are my return to being a live in full time Nanny and hot dog sales girl on Church Street?

How do I know if I am making the right choice? Because this one is one question I wake up thinking about every night and I'll be honest the cover up is starting to not be sufficient in covering up the bags under my eyes....

When this all sinks in and I have to actually (well buy the one way ticket home) deal with my choice, will my friends here still embrace me the same way they have over the last two years and can we manage to stay as amazingly close and influential (well at least they have been for me) as we have been?

And who is going to drop me off at the airport and wipe my stupid tears away as I go through that gate at CDG and head back to the US one last time? Because it is a messy job - just ask my Mom... she dropped me on my first trip coming over...

Uh oh... the waterworks are welling up. That is an appropriate stop time for now.

Welcome to the Country

This past weekend I was lucky enough to travel a little bit south to the Loire Valley with two wonderful companions and see what life in the French Countryside is really like. Let me tell you what, it couldn't get anymore opposite of Paris and I loved every second of it (and not just becuase I ate like a champ all weekend with homemade quiche, pasta, roasted chicken, pizza, omlets and desserts like you would not believe). After taking the TGV only 1 hour south it was like we entered an entirely new world. It looked different, smelled different and the people were totally different (by different I mean super friendly, they offered directions, said hello with a smile and even the man making the crepes at a street side stand refused to let me go without having a crepe sucre "on the house"!!!!). Everything about it had my head turning to look here and there, I really did not want to miss a single thing. Although on a side note - I did try out the local Monoprix becuase some genius packer (c'est moi!)  forgot something really important - pajamas!! Upon our arrival we explored the town of Tours and then picked up the rental car to make our way to our final destination. Once we realised that GPS is not always the smartest thing ever, we made our way out of the city and ended up in Amboise, a sleepy little town where Da Vinici is buried...Where we were lucky enough to stay with two gracious hosts at their newly renovated country home. It was a three story, charming house that was built in the 1800's, a complete transition from the tiny cramped apartments of Paris. Being in this type of atmosphere just reinforced the fact that I am a country girl through and through at heart... I felt just a bit more at home being surrounded by trees and flowers and dirt roads. There were no cars honking and it just smelled fresh (and I don't mean fresh in that gross garbage been sitting in the sun all day fresh, I mean the fresh bread ad laundry drying in the sun fresh!)  You can take the girl out of the country but not the country out of the girl...  Even though the weather wasn't incredibly gorgeous (I think that Spring has gone on vacation and Winter is earning some serious time and half overtime pay because it has been gray, cold and rainy for weeks now...) we had a few brief moments of blue skies and sunshine and managed to stay dry enough to enjoy 3 Chateaus, an awesome little market place, a donkey park, a vineyard, a traditional French lunch in the middle of nowhere in a long house built next to an asparagus farm  and some very breathtaking scenery. Walking through these castles and little towns brought an entirely new appreciation for France and made me realise what a young litte country the US is. The stories that have been made on these tiny country streets and within the castle walls are older than anyplace I have ever experienced. Of course the Asian Tourist part of me came out and I clicked away like these castles and towns were going to dissapear and I needed to have proof they once existed. So for your viewing pleasure, here is a SMALL sampling of the weekend...

DISCLAIMER: there are no wine tasting/vineyard photos because I think that deserves an entire post dedicated just to that!!!!

Cathédrale Saint-Gatien de Tours

The view from the house where we stayed. Simple, quiet and delightful!

 


Chateau Chenonceau



<3

 

Chateau Cheverny

The lunch crew at La Coudraie - a delightful m eal, wonderful conversation and even a little sunshine!

I wish I was back here right now...

Chateau Chambord

Sleepy street in Amboise.

I'll take two, toasted with fresh strawberry preserves, please & thanks!

Radishes, radishes everywhere!!

Every good French girl needs a weaved basket to take to the market...

DINNER!!! QUACK!!!

Thankful

It is that time of year again. a time that should come much more often than once a year, but going back and changing history would be pretty close to impossible (with that said if any one has any leads on where to get a good time machine, make sure you let me know...). It is one of the only days where most of us take some time and reflect on what we are really thankful for in our busy, complicated and sometimes overwhelming lives... and then hopefully we all take the time to share that thanks with those that deserve it and most likely need to hear it. This will be my second Thanksgiving away from home and my first with no family here visiting to help take the edge off of being alone, it seemed like it would be so easy and well honestly until this moment, right here as I sit and realise that everyone is finishing their work day and are heading off to the bar where the inevitable high school reunion will take place or are in the kitchen prepping the tasty trimmings, it was. Family and friends means something different to everyone and well to me they mean the world and not being able to be a part of the smiles, drinks, dinners and fun times (yes, this includes waiting in line at some ungodly hour, still tipsy on margaritas or whatever the drink of the evening was...) that will take place in the next 24 hours is always hard to take in BUT it only makes me more thankful for everything I do have, everything I have experienced in my 26 ... ok that is a lie, my 28 years ;)  and what I am surrounded by now... so after couting one blessing for each of my years, here is what I came up with (in no particular order).

1. My parents - because well I wouldn't be here without them (duh) but because the four of them have made me a person that I think they are proud to call their daughter and that is one of my highest priorities in life.
2. My health - even if gracefulness doesn't fit into that category.
3. My love of trying new things - because well without that, I think I would have had a pretty boring 28 years and I would be missing out on some pretty awesome things like Thai food, the view from the top of the Arc de Triumph, meeting new friends, writing this silly little blog or my Franglish skills.
4. Burlington, VT - because this town and the years I spent there changed my life, it forced me to start trying new things (see point above), grow up, make my own choices and it brought me to some of the most amazing and best friends (and one really big punk) that I will EVER have in my entire life - this I know for a fact.
5. My sisters and brothers - because even though we may not see each other all the time, they motivate me to be the best that I can be without even trying. They make me proud to say I am the oldest of 7 and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.
6. Shoes - you all knew this one was happening and was happening early on, come on now. It doesn't even need an explination but I'll give you one - THEY ARE AWESOME.
7. My iPhone or more specifically Google Maps on my iPhone - maybe that sounds materialistic but I dare you to get around Paris on your own (especially after a drink or two) without instant access to the Metro schedule and map and without Google Maps guiding you and let me know where you end up... I dare you...
8. My iPhone (again) because it keeps the best tunes constantly pumping in my ears and music is something that has ALWAYS been able to fill me up on even my worst days. I can't live without it.
9. A certain gentleman who offered me the experience of a lifetime by believing in me enough to move me to Paris and then support me (constantly) as an honest friend and mentor.
10. The rest of my family, because well they are amazing, all of them - I have the coolest grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and everything else in between a person could ask for, we laugh, we cry, we talk, we do it all and most of the time with a smile and someone telling some cheesy joke ;)
11. My bed - because some days well I just need it and there are some folks out there who don't know how comforting it is to have a place that really is all your own.
12. My job - even though sometimes it is beyond demanding and recently I have been spending 12 - 14 hours a day in the office, it has given me an invaluable amount of experience and I know that the amount of time I spend laughing and being happy at work is a million times more than a lot of people experience.
13. Being blond - because I always have an excuse when the occasional stupid thing slips out from my mouth, which as a surprise to most of you does happen.. .but only evey once in a while..
14. Skype - an instant connection that can dull the pain of homesickness in just a quick mimunte.
15. Peanut Butter and Bacon - another random one, ok I guess two, but seriously, they both really deserve to be on here.
16. My camera/pictures ,  because for me there is nothing better than sitting down and flipping through memories on a good day, a bad day or any day in-between.
17. My PIC (partner in crime) and her kiddos - they make me feel like even though I am thousands of miles from home that I have a home here too, they make me smile on my worst days and have completely accepted me as a part of them. I can't be thankful enough for this. (DAMN IT - I started crying again, I had been doing great since I started the list!!)
18. Tissues - for a few reasons, one being the above reference to tears and because the paper business has been keeping my family busy for as long as I can remember and we are super lucky for that.
19. Kisses good night - they are perfect and always a delightful finishing touch to the day, I may not be getting any of those currently but it doesn't even matter, I look forward to the day that I am and then I will be thankful for that.
20. Mail - not the bills and junk crap that is always coming but the handwritten cards I still get in the mail from a few people and the letters and pictures that show up under my door when I get home from work. A little letter always brings a smile to my face.
21. The last ten years I have known my bestie - No matter what she has NEVER wavered, even when she had every right to. Hell some marriages don't even last this long. She is truly a solid rock in my life and I wouldn't ever change that. 
22. Sundays - because Sundays are fundays. To me they are the one day in a week when you can go all out and crazy or just lay in bed all day and not feel bad for it. Sundays are even better when spent with some of your favorites. There really isn't anything wrong with a Sunday - you can not hold the fact that it's the day before Monday against it. It isn't Sunday's fault!!
23. Lilies - just because they are beautiful, smell amazing and can brighten up any room, any time, any where. 
24. Being able to read - yeah this is probably a given, but reading is something that truly relaxes me and can whisk me away to another place when I need an escape, so maybe I am not thankful that I can read but that I love to read. 
25. The people that I can truly call my friends - there are a lot of people I know out there and many that I care about but only a handful that I would put myself on the line for and think about every day.
26. Red Velvet Cake - I can't help it the stuff makes me crazy. Seriously I am drooling just thinking about it and I am super thankful that I can now whip up a tasty batch of my own. 
27. The time I got to spend with an amazing woman I will forever hold dear in my heart and cherish like my mother, and especially getting to tell her how much I loved her one last time. 
28. That I am only 28 and have years and years and years left to travel, laugh, read, eat, cry, visit, adventure .... you get the point!!

Sending giant Turkey hugs and stuffing kisses to my family, friends and every one in between.

 Happy Thanksgiving <3

The rest of my jet setting adventure...

Ok as mentioned earlier, I just returned from the US and the 3rd Annual Alstom University People Quest event ... which took place in Philadelphia. I may have hinted at some adventerous activities that took place while I was there... While I won't bore you with major details I will provide you a quick recap:

1. A monster snow storm hits the east coast the day after I arrive (some places with 30+ inches and no power for 10+ days...) YIKES
2. 360 degree slide/ nail biting moment,  with my driver as we try and make our way to Target to get some final supplies for the upcoming event
3. A power outage while I am at the King of Prussia mall right outside of Philly - wanna see a mad house, flip the power switch at your local mall and let me know how great of a time that is...
4. A power outage at the hotel while expecting 70 participants and guest speakers - of course this happens after I promise all is well to everyone who has checked in from their powerless homes in CT and MA ... timing is certainly a bitch in this case. But with flashlights, space heaters and a positive attitude we prevailed
5. No heat on the first morning of training - revert back to space heaters and extra blankets, never letting that positive attitude fluster
6. When we finally get the heat back, whatever switched it on, also switched on some flames... in turn requiring for an evacuation of the hotel along with all my lovely participants - good times had by all. BUT any of you who know me also know I have a thing for fireman, so I turned this situation around quite quickly...
7. This is not a road block at all but something super awesome we did - our first ever Alstom Chili cook-off. I laughed so hard my face hurt for the entire night. What a blast!!

I am sure I am forgetting something somewhere, but those wrap up the major road blocks and obstacles. Leaving  me to be able to look back on this event as one of the most interesting, adventorous and challenging events I have yet to work on. Lucky for me I was lucky enough to have the most fantastic group pf participants ever, they managed to smile, support and laugh right along with me, which honestly made all of the difference in the world. I am hoping to stay in touch with most of these participants and there are a few I hope to even become better friends with. All in all, I love my job and after an event like this and seeing the excitement in the participants faces, I couldn't ask for anything better (well except for no fires, snowstorms, power outages...) Below is a little recap of our 5 days together.

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My Lucy Moment ...

 This past Saturday I woke up, had my coffee and then got ready to go to, what I thought was going to be, a lunch of catching up with some friends. But when I arrived at the location (CaféMelac) I was very much surprised to hear lots of music, see groups of people dancing in the street and seated at tables all along the streets (which were closed off for pedestrians only) and to find I was attending not just a lunch but the "Les Vendanges du Château Charonne" (this means: Charonne Castle Wine Harvest) –  which perhaps if I had read my invitation more closely and clicked on the link it had included I would have known this… but honestly… the surprise was just what I needed!! It was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine, perfect weather to sit, make new friends, eat, drink and be merry and let me tell you make friends, eat and drink and be merry is what we did!! The food was very traditional – and the wine went down quite easily, but then again I have never had much of a problem with food or wine…. I even serenaded the little wine stomping festival with my own rendition of Happy Birthday, on the microphone and everything, talk about being in the right place at the right time!! I have to be honest, as I am typing, I am having a very hard time deciding what the absolute highlight was of this incredible day was because honestly it was just an all-around perfect day. You tell me if you can think of a way to top a day with old friends smiling, new friends laughing and stomping on grapes that will eventually be someone’s glass of relaxation?? Seriously…I think not… 

The man in the blue glasses is Michou, the owner of a famous French drag cabaret show... Club Michou

Ps. If you are wondering why I called this post "My Lucy Moment" ... watch this...

Drunk Baking

Big week this week. Monday Alstom University was honored at the HR Initiative of the Year awards for AUtube. A handy little peer generated, video sharing platform (I really hope the PIC doesn't read this as she will be incredibly upset with my misuse of technological words) that was launched in the office last September.  We all worked incredibly hard on this project and so it was fantastic to all get together and celebrate it. Even though the ceremony was all in French, I understood just enough to understand and had a wonderful translator next to me filling me in on all the important details I was missing. For example ... that guy just said something was fantastic... It was great. We finished the evening off with a dinner at Indiana Cafe. The only place in Paris you can find proper nachos, mozzerella sticks and all sorts of dirty American style bar food!! The rest of the week continued with French lessons, Annual Report planning, meetings about communications and events and just a lot of work. Which all helped play into my excitement and anxiousness to get home on Monday - yup that's right this Monday!! YAY!! I can not wait. I am sure you are wondering why this lead me to title the post Drunk Baking but I am about to spill it. I am so excited to go home and really just spend some quality time with my favorite people in life - my family and my friends who may as well be my family. One of those lovely ladies shared this video with me and said something about it reminded her of me. At first I was skeptical until I began watching and now I fully understand where she was coming from. This is exactly what I miss about being home and I plan on reinacting this video with my best girlfriends as soon as possible ;)))))))))

One year later...

This time last year I was waiting in line at customs in a lovely little (ok little is a lie) airport we like to call CDG just outside of Paris. I was about to start what has turned out to be one of the most challenging, rewarding and amazing things I have ever done in my life - and this has only been the first year. I have to admit when I left I was scared as hell, nervous I would never make friends, fit in and get over how much I was sue I would miss home - this was a huge veer off of the course I had been moving in a year ago but I have been sitting here just playing back everything that has happened in the last 12 months and I do not even know where to begin to explain it all. The amount of memories I have been lucky enough to create is almost unfair. I have been able to travel to places in Europe I had never even dreamed of being (on that note I leave for Geneva in an hour)... I have final gotten over my fear of entering a boulangerie if there is anyone else in there and hey now I can actually even order bread and treats and carry on a conversation with the lovely madame behind the counter... I can find a metro almost anywhere in this city now and can actually even wander around for days on a time with only a minimal amount of confusion and misdirection ... I have tried more wine and food and desserts than one could even imagine, but still miss a good Weber made cheeseburger and corn on the cob... I am a master of walking on cobblestone in heels and have managed to stay upright on all flights of stairs since the one incident almost a year ago (I think everyone is happy about this talent)... I have met some of the most incredible people ever since being here, really though, I know it sounds cheesy and that I have said it before but I know that I am a better person because of them and that no matter what they will be there (just like the PIC and I were there for the little old lady that had fallen and couldn't get up in my building on Thursday night... more details on this later but it was a very rewarding good deed and I think she was happy to not be stuck on the floor of her apartment anymore!) for me, I have even been lucky enough to be let into some of their families which gives me a feeling of overwhelming appreciation and happiness <3 ... I have purchased more shoes than is rationally healthy for a 27 year old girl but hey I need lots of options to go with all of the amazing clothes I have bought here too... I have been able to experience music, art and lots of long walks taking in some of the most beautiful and intricate sights the City of Lights has to offer... I have been challenged and then some personally and professionally making big changes to lots of things in my life... but now I know I can do this and come out in a better place as long as I know what I am doing is right for me... I have realised that there are also no words to explain how important my family and my friends at home (who are pretty much my family) are to me, not that I didn't see this before because I have always been a huge fan but seriously I can't even describe the amount of gratitude I have for them - they listen, they care, they support, the give me reality checks when I am being a bit crazy and they constantly remind me how loved I am... so I hope they all know how loved they are. I have had my eyes opened by a few of these people and know that no matter where I am or what mood I am in I will NEVER be able to live without them... now I just need to get the ones who haven't made the hop across the pond over here because I can only imagine the ruckus we could cause in this little ville. But seriously enough of what I have already done now it is time to focus on what is left to do and that my friends is how I will start my next year in Paris... focusing on the adventures I will be taking, the challenges I will be faced with, the laughter and memories I can't wait to start making, the food and wine I will try (I am considering a  cooking class), the new summer shoes I will purchase, the late night conversations (and occasional drunk dials) with my favorite people at home and just continuing to appreciate the opportunity I have been given and truly making the most out of it mistakes, successes, tears, laughter, kisses, quietness, singing, dancing ... all of it....  so that little change in direction I took exactly one year ago has turned out to be as far away from the wrong direction as one could possibly get...

"Perhaps if we never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do cites. People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away."

Hotel Banke

This week has been another big one. I have been to my favourite pizza place twice (Da Carmine.. I have mentioned this lovely Italian hole in the wall in previous entries and I STILL highly recommend it when you are craving an amazing and authentic italian pizza) AND I was able to catch up with a friend over amazing cucumber and gin martinis followed by a fantastic meal. You can find these delightfully refreshing drinks at the Hotel Banke right across from Galleries Lafayette. The hotel itself is beautiful and the bar and restaurant area are relaxing and filled with smiling and friendly staff (this is not something you stumble across too often here…) In fact one of the waiters noticed how short I was compared to the table after sitting on the banquets side of a table and brought me a lovely gold pillow to boost me up higher at the table. Talk about service!!! Aside from the delightful service the food was delicious and the conversation and catch up was beyond satisfying. It was one of those moments that made me realise how far I have come since I have been here and how important some people have been in helping me achieve everything I have thus far. So a big super thanks to my dinner “date” for recommending the location, sharing your delish garlic encrusted filet de boeuf and the always inspiring and genuine conversation.

Derby Hotel - 4**** and definitely worth it - well at least the martinis are : )))

FINALLY!!!!!

I found a place to get ROOTBEER and a delish real-deal American style breakfast. Two things that have been missing from my life for almost a year now. Ok I did NOT find this, a friend had told me about it awhile ago, but I was finally lucky enough to have a delightful dinner companion who knew I was in dire need of pancakes... so alas I am now in love - with the pancakes of course!!!

Now when I say a real-deal American breakfast, I am talking, pncakes, French toast, a delightful amount of omelette combinations and BACON – not this ham like stuff they think is bacon but good old crispy, fatty clog your arteries up bacon!!! Aside from breakfast (and ROOTBEER) you can also get chilli, an endless amount of serious burgers and CHICKEN NUGGETS. I think I may quit my job and go work there… ok I won’t quit but I may become a regular at this place. It is designed to look like an old school diner and with the comfy booths, cool decoration and delish food – I can’t think about much of anything that is wrong. Maybe I am being biased because I had chocolate& peanut butter filled pancakes for dinner last night but … hey… it is the little things in life ; )

Take a look and you will see why I am so enamoured .....



Click to see the menu, read the story behind BIA and other tasty tidbits!!



Lots and Lots and Lots has happened ...

It has been awhile again… I really have to cut down on these hiatus periods. It isn’t like nothing happens, its just that I can’t seem to A. Keep my eyes open when I am finished to write about it, B.Take a ten minute break in front of my computer to write enough to give whatever it is I am writing about justice, or C.I just don’t stop… ever… that is what it really feels like lately. Wow actually as I am writing this I can’t even remember the last juicy Parisian details I shared… and let me tell you what the last 2 weeks have been JAM-packed. I have done everything from go to a rugby game at the Stade de France, make it up to the 2^nd level of the Eiffel Tower (finally- 11 months later), fly to the states on an American airline (I will admit, I am a snob, I fly Air France and I love the free champagne and wine, it truly helps my sleep for the 7 hours) met a whole new side of my crazy family, got my butt kicked in a few hands of Pitch (a sweet card game you play in teams and try to collect points, I used to be the master champ.. it has been awhile), met two angelic little babies and was able to spend time with some of my best friends and enjoy all the baby babble,  took square dancing lessons (not so much a champ at that) and celebrated 10 years of friendship with my love Miss. Ashlee Carter, had a mini family photo session after a lovely Easter breakfast, and upon my return to this lovely ville I ate Pakistani, Lebanese and Moroccan in a three day period, said good bye and good luck to my boss, mentor and friend (while eating Moroccan),  baked chocolate chip cookies for the first time since my arrival and had a lovely picnic with two of the most amazing kids I have ever met. PHEW – I am tired just from typing that… I think a photo review post is in need to help document all of these delightful things ….   

The reason you stayed tune...

The weekend :: A beautiful (and quite honestly my favourite) part of the week, as I am sure most people would agree. I know I have said (again and again) that I had the most amazing weekend ever, but seriously they just keep topping the one before!! Although I feel like I could write pages and pages about this past weekend I will keep it to a quick review. I do call the right to have the possibility of a follow up post. Let’s start with Friday – a night in a new area of town I have never explored – The Zenith, a lovely little concert house in the 16th. Where I was given the great pleasure of seeing Ben l’Oncle Soul… anyone who knows me is aware that I have been in love with this singer since the first time I heard his music. It is an incredible mix of jazz and soul with a nice mix of English and French as well. Allowing me the opportunity to practice my French language skills (always a plus). The show was just unreal. The set up was like a big band show complete with dancers, guest appearances and a totally random crowd – making for great people watching… not only was Uncle Ben awesome but the opening act Imany was a great new discovery. Her voice is gorgeous and soulful and I highly recommend you Google or YouTube or whatever it is you do to find her music. As most of the things I do here in Paris are – it was also a learning experience. The first lesson was just a reminder about how important it is for me to improve my speaking skills – within minutes of being seated Annee had an ice cream salesman (I have no better term to describe him) going down to the floor to buy us a beer, he didn’t even ask for the money upfront – fantastic start to the evening. The most interesting part came next though., I was completely shocked that everyone stayed in his or her seats for almost the entire show. Even the people on the floor were just standing and sitting where they chose. It was crazy – especially with such good tunes blasting all around us!! Being the party package we are though Annee and I made it a point to get up and bust a move. Ensuring that we had nothing but a fantastic time. Now I said before that this concert was in an area I am not overly familiar with but the walk back to the Metro was filled with some serious characters – most of them being men trying to pick up anything that walked by. My favourite catcall/pick up line of the evening goes as follows “Mademoiselle your face is so much prettier than your boots” normally this being spoken in French would have me flattered and at my feet but after having three other randoms tell me their address to go sleep with them I just wanted OUT OF THERE. I will keep that gem of a line in my repertoire for a later date though… The rest of the weekend was simply filled with the typical spring/summer activities’ including shopping (for the two beautiful babies I am so excited to meet in a week!!!), drinks on a variety of terraces and lots of walking in the sunshine. Oh and an incredible little dinner with some very good company - which is the reason I was out past my bedtime last night... 

The longer I stay here and the more weekends that pass the deeper in love I fall with this city and the friends I have made in it : )

Men ... French vs. American

Since I have arrived in France this topic has come up at least once (or twice or even three times) a week. Sometimes because I am surrounded by French and American friends, so it is an easy thing to debate, sometimes because I am trying to over analyse what a text or gesture actually meant, sometimes it is just simply because well French men have an incredible presence that I find rather intriguing. Now that I am exploring this world a a bit more, I find that there is always a question of culture, what to expect, what is considered normal here and what is simply American ... because let me tell you what, dating here is a whollllllllllle new ballgame baby. A few weeks ago during a rather intense conversation  my good buddy and I were discussing a recent encounter I had with a gentleman...  which of course lead to the always present question of who is better - French or American guys. Although I can not give a 100% answer currently, the jury is still out on this one. We did a little search to try and figure out why the French man is so irresistible this is what we found....

Why are French men so irresistible???

Don't be scared - click it and take a peek...

A few highlights for those of you that don't have time to read at this very moment:

•  A Parisian has no competitors for fashion sense. Ordinarily you would never buy an orange scarf for your boyfriend, until you see a Parisian walking along the Champs Elysees with an orange silk scarf complementing his "decontracte" style. (I never thought I would double take a man in a scarf and tight jeans, I am continually proven very, very wrong ...)
• It does not matter what a French man tells you, if he says it in French you will be at his feet. Their accent, pronunciation and who knows what else are so irresistible (Ding, ding, ding ... we have a winner)
• Attitude, French guys look straight into your eyes when they are talking to you. (At first this is almost intimidating unless you are talking to someone with gorgeous eyes)
• With French men you can talk about anything you talk with your girlfriends. ( Yup - it's true, anything and everything, periods, sex, clothes, shopping, you name it they can chat about it)
• A French man actually appreciates your selection of toiletries. They can even recognize your perfume by name. (This is for sure a true story...)
• French men are still gentlemen (mmmmhhhhmmmmm, I'm talking opening doors, giving you the jacket, and carrying your purse)
• Their life does not revolve around football matches.  - Ok this is the only thing I MUST dispute, even though I don't have much to go on from what I have seen, this quality is built - in trait, no matter where you are ...

Time is flying

I just realized almost an entire week has passed and I haven't updated a thing. I don't know if it is because I am getting older, am living in another country and am always on the go, or if I just never noticed it before but time is just flying by me. It is like they strapped the days on a TGV and then shot if off on a rocket ship. Seriously though - it has been almost 7 MONTHS since I arrived here in Paris and I look back and wonder, if those months went by so quickly are the rest of the months I have in front of me going to go even faster?? Eeeeek. I hope not because I am not ready for that at all. Or maybe time just feels especially fast over the last week since it has been so jam packed. Now that I think about it, it has been packed to the brim!! I gave my first speech - in front of people, not just at my reflection in the mirror, in French last week. Which was an incredible feeling, mostly because I was so nervous I hardly remember speaking and the rush after was almost exhausting. I co-hosted the first Alstom University AUtube Awards show, our very own, Oscar themed evening full of stars. Which I thought I would be just as nervous for but really actually had one of the best times ever on stage.  It helps my co-host is a pro at this kind of stuff ; ) AND I have been running around trying to get my life in order because in 6 days I am flying off back to the US, for my favorite holiday season (aside from my birthday and yes that is a holiday) to see my family and bestest friends ever. So maybe at least for tonight I will blame time taking off on all of the above mentioned.

Jet Lag

Made a super quick trip back to the states last week. I mean really quick about three days - so quick in fact I thought I was really going to make it without screwing up my sleep schedule too much. But as I lay here almost hungry for dinner again - I think I was wrong!!!!! It was nice to head home although I definitely did not get to fit everyone that I very much wanted to see in. Unfortunately I missed almost all of the beautiful leaves, from what I could tell all of the bright red and gold colors were piled up on the ground waiting for the mass of rakes to attack!! But the weather was lovely which was a very refreshing break from the sogginess of the city for the last week or so. Even though I missed the leaves, I was able to pull off my first successful surprise attack on one of my very favorite lovely ladies and spend some quality time with ALL of my parents and my little brother, who well isn't really very little anymore. To make it even more enjoyable, I ate every single thing I had been craving for the last three months, even when I wasn't hungry and........ to top it off a quick visit from the bestie before hoping back on a plane to Paris.  So even though I am laying here WIDE awake it really was well worth it to see some pretty and very familiar faces.

Sunshine and Silly Words

It was another remarkable weekend here in "Gay" Paris. It started off with a fantastic Friday Lunch/Afternoon at work. Lunch is one of the best times of day for me  - not just because I love to eat but because I really get to experience everyone I work with a bit more personally, plus they try and make me learn as much French as possible while we eat so it always turns into something hysterical. This week - I really am not sure how it came up but I was introduced to the word - Vachement, which literally translated means "Cowly" like mooo cow with an ly written at the end of it. Apparently the word is used when something is very very good or bad or big or small or anything that can be described with a very very type of adjective (I think that is the right word). You can use your imagination but pretty much everything that we had during the rest of the lunch was cowly. Good times. Now the weekend progresses Saturday was great - I truly love Skype. Spent about 5 hours in front of the computer and saw most of my family and of course one of the most special girls ever. I was able to catch up with so many people that I miss dearly!! And now Sunday night, I am sitting on my couch trying to ease my sunburn that I was so lucky to get while reading in the Luxembourg Gardens today. Oh not to mention that Sundays are my favorite days to explore because when I walk down the market street right next to mine it is just the best sensory overload ever. Bread baking, chicken roasting, wine displays out, ice cream being scooped and a sweet old man and his wife playing a trombone and singing.... ok sidetracked and we return to the gardens - I loved it so much last weekend I just had to go back. It really is the best way to spend an afternoon. Sunshine, sandwich and a good book - next time I will seriously need to remember the sunscreen. It would have been key to success today.  Sunburn aside while I was walking around today and after talking with the family yesterday and laughing at lunch so much on Friday, I realized how lucky and how amazing this is. Cool experience, the most supportive family and I am starting to "fit in" here with my friends at work.