Nuit Blanche

Literally, NUIT BLANCHE, means white night. If you have had a wonderful meal that lasts for hours, walk the Champs Elysee, dance to endless streams of electronic music, walk like orphans in the street where the city sleeps, sit in the only bar open, drinking chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) then finally, with all the saturday morning workers, catching the FIRST METRO of the day, then MISS your stop because you could not resist falling asleep, showering, then in bed at 7:30 in the morning......you have had a nuit blanche!

Yesterday was the last day of our class. Our little troupe is made up of 5. I will introduce them with words and then later with photos. We are 20,20, 26, and 46. Our countries are USA, Germany, England. Sweden. Voila Marcella, Ramin, Inka, and Christopher.

I think the best dynamic of any group is diversity jumping on a trampoline of continuity and successfully doing airborn stunts that surprises even itself. Still with me? Not bad for a rant just hours after a nuit blanche!

That's to say that any group needs just the right amount of tension to keep it dynamic. We have spent quite a few moments together as a group. There is no doubt that we are explorers at heart to even find each other away from home and enrolled in an odd ball class with Madame Mim as ring leader. I should add, that by the end, she was really MAD Madame Mim! but that is another story.

The coolest trick this troupe was able to pull off was fluidity. As we walked the streets, shopped, ate, explored, I noticed that we constantly paired up differently; conversation never stagnated, exchange upon exchange. Whether in french, in english, or speckled with the spice of langue maternal, our conversations were always a nice frolic somewhere.

Yesterday there was a definite sense of our last time together. We had our LAST lunch at the cafeteria at school. Even as we went through the line grabbing dishes and chattering in our error ridden french we were being corrected by profs inline with us! Excusez moi mais non...c 'est j'aime LE FROMAGE, mais tu dois dire, je vais prendre DU FROMAGE! D'accord!! Just trying eat here! Mais non, il faut apprendre tout le temps! lol ok ok!

When we were classmates we sat with our trays and politely chatted. As a troupe we had our food out and forks were flying...je peux essayer ton fromage...mais oui et ton dessert a l'air de bon..bien sur..goute le! et ce saumon est fume? oui oui, et avec de l'avocat c'est meilleur..and so went the little leaps and twirls with this troupe airborn.

After lunch we decided to go for a cup of coffee. The metro. Saint Michel. Chatting and walking, now promenade. It felt a little like a good ol square dance. We continued with our last days celebrations with conversation, and me insisting on taking photos.

I am going left at every right, and right at every left. That means that I am forcing myself to do things DIFFERENTLY. At lunch I spoke to the woman who corrected our french. She turned out to be a young prof at Alliance Francaise. I can't tell you how intimidating it is to speak FRENCH to a french teacher! In my head I am screaming...JUMP, DAMN IT JUMP!!! My parachute is set but my legs are frozen...and then AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH. Our conversation contiunes and I am noticing that she is MERCILESS. She speaks quickly, its easier for her. I am listening as quicly as possible, successfully. The chord is pulled, I am drifting towards my mark..ok, I like the view!

All of a sudden, the troupe notices and now the others are parachuting too! Conversation starts flowing..she just went to Sweden last weekend...oui , oui j'adore, c'est vraiment genial! ...and then its Ramin's turn. Where did you go, what did you see? Yeah call me next time you are there. Numbers are exchanged. Chris jumps in. He wants to be an english teacher in france. They discuss it and again, numbers exchanged, advice is given. I ask her how to pronounce je m'ennuie. (That means, I'm bored) ..she tells me and then says, you are bored in Paris? ( no, when I'm in class I sometimes what to whisper that...) but she then tells us about an all night rave that she is going to. This time when I decided to go right instead of left, we met a really cool person and I got my wish to go to a disco in Paris.

It's 7:30, the time for our rendez-vous. We will meet on the Champs Elysee..the grand boulevard that runs right into l'Arc de Triomphe. I exit the metro and instantly receive two msg and then a call. We somehow are all arriving on time; it's a small miracle.

It's Friday evening, it's the Champs Elysee, can you imagine just how many peoople are on the streets??? There are many exits from the metro, and finding each other becomes a work in communication!!! Inka sees the Arc, but not me. We are playing phone tag..I see this..no I see that..and thank god she speak english because cell time is expensive. I stand on a little patch of sanity in the middle of the road. Its the halfway mark of the crosswalk. INKA I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, DO YOU SEE ME???

Without a cell phone, you will not make it in Paris for very long!!! Finally we are all but one. Ramin miraculously pops up out of the exact exit we are standing at. Now where is Marcella, the only one without a cell. She is never late. I'm sure she is lost in the crush of people pounding the sidewalks. In a crazy moment of go right not left, I call her dorm room. It is almost 8pm. She is lost in the crowd without a cell. The phone rings, SHE ANSWERS! What! I'm late, how do I find you guys?

By some miracle, she is out of money, can't make calls, and I call her and it works. The resto is just down the street from the disney store. She makes notes and half an hour later we are all at the same table grinning. WE did it again! ..more tricks on the trampoline.

Why bother with this rant? Because I am learning over and over that the go left not right, go right if always left, has got to be an even better lesson than anything I have learned in class.

The restaurant is Flam's. They serve a very particular menu. Flam is the concept of a pizza on a cracker thin dough. It is not quite crispy but very light and yummy. For 12 euro, you can eat all the FLAM you want!!! and when you have done that, you can choose a dessert. That is the best restaurant deal in Paris!!!!!

It's not a buffet. They bring you a cutting board with a flam. You take knife and fork to it, then eat with your hands. Ramin is my eating partner. We flam away. Inka has her friend from germany who is leaving on the train so they flam lightly; we sneak them free flam as we get it. Chris orders one flam..not the all you can eat flam plan. When he realizes that he really likes, he changes is order..MORE FLAM!!! Marcella shows up and she is FLAMISHISHED..so they partner up on the flam. You will see in the photos that we sit across each other carving out pieces. The waitress brings the flam and we eat it. We have till midnight and Ramin and I are determined to do some real damage. The others slow down but we are flamming like crazy...onions..this wonderful ham/bacon meat, mushrooms...white sauce, we have all the varieties brought to us fresh from the oven. The waitress asks..are you done? Chris is done. Marcella request a half flam. Ramin and I look at each other...we are not done!!!! We were perhaps on our 8th flam, still appreciating the subtle differences and found that the best one, was the last one. It was wonderful.

After a flam meal, we had the after flam dessert. Our choice from the menu: flam flambe? We decided to all choose different thing so we could try everything. This has become our enduring trick, sharing. Creme Brulee, 3 scoops of sorbee, cream puffs filled with ice cream topped with chocolate sauce, and rum raison coffee ice cream and sauce. Spoons were everywhere along with smiles. Yummy.

Its imperative that one walk. The Champs Elysee, is lined with designer stores and tourists. On the one end is the Louvre and the gardens, on the other, l'Arc de Triomphe. We walked up to the arc and marveled at its beauty..more pictures..more memories. Wherever we turn there is something beautiful to gaze at.

At midnight we finally enter the disco. It was a special DJ night hosting all sorts of electronique music..drums and base, indian influences, etc. The schedule was set till 5am. Drinks were 6-10 euro..8-14 dollars! The entrance fee was 5 euro before midnight, 12 euro after! This was hardly a classy club, Paris is just expensive!

Its a day later and I'm trying to finish the endless blog on the neverending night. Marcella is asleep on the couch. After our crazy night, she ended up at Inka's, then back to her place at 10:30am, fell asleep, woke up late to pack for Nice (she is moving down there), and got to Gare de Lyon 10 minutes after the train left. So after a call at 5:30 in the afteroon..a teary..wahhh i missed my train...then a crazy 1 hour of trying to get to her we meet at the train station (thank god I can now speak sufficient french to explain a problem and understand the answer, if not I would not have found her)..we hauled her suitcases to a locker and returned here..oouff!

Our dancing troupe had fun grooooving to the sounds. It was the first time I had ever seen so many guys on the floor. In fact there were a lot of guys. Bart, a friend of Chris' from italy was dancing with Chris and us girls but then I noticed they also didnt mind grooving on the floor on their own. So I just thought, well in Paris guys like to dance!!! Just about that time Marcella comments: Hey this must be a gay bar...duh!

So we found out that normally the disco was a bit on the gay side. That's cool because I loved seeing guys finally on the dance floor!!! So that's the secret! Anyway, it was cool, guys, girls, bee bopping bodies, we were all just flowing with the beat.

Around 3:30 we started walking. Choices were: go to another club (too expensive), sit and wait for the metro at a coffee shop ( none in Paris), walk around and try to find home. This last option lasted for the next 2 hours. Its curious that even when you are homeless in Paris there are a lot of pretty monuments to look at!!! By 4am we were ready to divide up the bodies. Inka took Marcella, they would share her bed in a tiny apt that she shared with another girl. Chris went home, he rents a room from a granny like french woman. That left Ramin and I, on the street looking for a night bus, these ghostly apparitions that appear from nowhere and drift away. No...dont wanna do that. Night buses are freaky. Instead we sat at the one bar that was open. It was FILLED with people drinking and laughing and talking. We drank hot chocolate and struggled to hear each other over the din. It was louder than the club!!!

5:45 am. The final wait was for the metro. The stations are now unlocked but empty. It was silent. The trains have not started to run. Then a mountain of a man moves towards us. Ramin is a little over 6ft. This guy towered over him. He is burly with a real big ol GET IN MY BELLY look. He barrels over to us with his big body and his huge back pack. He needs help with directions. Ramin speaks 5 or 6 languages (english like an american) swede, finlandise, iranian, spanish, and french. This big ol guy is from Brazil. HE SPEAK PORTUGUESE! In the game of language it is sometimes impossible to win! So Ramin very politely tries to explain in spanish how to get to where with the metro. The guy appears very lame. HE IS DRUNK! lol All we want to do is get home but there is a greater need, get this guy home. He is shaking our hands and thanking us. It appears he just got in from brazil. He leaves.

Our brains are pretty much mush. Ramin figures out his metro path and helps me with mine..i take 8 then 6 then 10, no 8 then 1 then 10, no I could take 9 after 8 then 10. kinda like that. His final words were..Leona, remember start with 8 and you are going in the opposited direction of that guy!

The guy shows up again...NO TICKET he says with glee. Glee because he is drunk. Ramin very nicely says no prob, with my ticket you can slide in with me. So my last vision for the night is a very slender Ramin, with a very Fat Bastard SSSQQUEEEZING through a turnstyle, then past a flap together. It was hilarious...and then the night was complete.

A Night at the Palais Royal

This is a quick look at what I saw last night. I am Alice in a wonderland. Last night I stood on the stage of the beautiful and famous Palais Royal. This is the home of La Comedie Francaise. I had met Annette the night before and she gave me a tour of backstage, the waiting room, dressing room, and then later I watched a play by Anton Tchekhov. A tale of 3 women and their love for a man, unworthy. It was 3 1/2 hours long..a night swimming in drama.

What priviledge! I know its hard to imagine. But last night I realized that americans do not normally come to see the plays because they are in french. There I sat, expecting to understand very little..but bit by bit it started sinking in. In just one meeting with Christian, my actor friend, I have slipped into a bit of the underground of parisian life. The other parisians that I know respond with "Bof! Leona, you are seeing what even the parisians do not see!" Oh, this is how I know how fortunate I am. My teacher at the alliance francaise ( my school) has a hard time believing that I am invited. How I irritate the french!!!!

The Circle of Liars. I was invited to see this improv last night. One of the actors is a casual friend and fellow painter online so this was a blast of reality. I not only got to learn his REAL name, but I had the unbelievable opportunity to enter into his REAL world..Incroyable!!!! Friends from my french class were busy so I was forced to go alone. I walked several very seedy blocks and was getting ready to hop back on the metro. I had forgotten my cel phone and thought oooh non..this is the end of my trip!!!

I got there..my comp tickets were miraculously there and I entered the theatre in the crush of the crowd. There I sat, surrounded by enthusiastic theatre goers..the buzz of french was all around me and I smiled to myself. The internet is very cool. I may be sitting here alone but I know someone who will soon be on stage!

The lights go out except for a single flame on the stage..the 'fire of imagination'. It begins. The man who steps forward from the comedy troup looks familiar. In fact I realize its Christian..the Mark of the internet. lol The show is like saturday night live./Drew Carey, but very classy.

A random word is pulled from a giant bowl. Someone from the audience volunteers. The five comedians/actors then do 10 seconds on the word..like an idea for a story. The audience member then pics which interpretation she/he liked..and voila, the skit begins!!!

Fade to gray...

Is it the weather or me? The color gray seems so appealing. It doesn't make much noise and is a good space for thoughts. I was wondering why it was so quiet in my apartment. Now I know its because I am in an old buidling. All the others around me are big and new apartments by comparison. Here,the walls are really thick. Crazy thick. If you tapped on the walls your knuckles would bruise! It's a gray building. It makes very little noise.

You see, the big problem with Paris is the bruit..the noise..il y a des bruit partout...the cars, the voices, the everything..its busy out there..but here in Boulogne its very quiet. So quiet that a friend said, Leona, you live all alone in Boulogne! There is no one else here! Ah yes, Boulogne is also gray...in a good way. The streets are void of the usual rift raft of la centre ville.

In the midst of the gray..
the quiet, not the color of the day,
there are the birds.
They sing. They are my bruit!
I have a suitor
who is always just out of sight,
he sings to me
in the morning
and just before night.
He is clever to know when to peek in
and when to go,
because he is always heard
and never seen..
he is my bit of green :)

Has anyone seen my baby??? I have seen every kind of dirty shaggy lapdog on the street. They have one thing in common, they are not Cosmo!!! Where is my baby!

It was so beautiful at the gardens, we struck a few poses and decided that it was a good thing to be in Pars during the springtime. Later we went to Marcella's for lunch. With one plate, one pot, one of everything else, Marcella bravely prepared a nice lil lunch for us. Make the sauce, empty the pot, make the pasta, empty the pot. Its amazing how you can feast and have so much with so little!

C'est Ramin!!!! We had a great time today walking in the gardens (Jardin du Luxembourg). We did some living statue poses but this one has got to be the BEST!!! We are living works of art and there's the proof!

UNE SOIREE AT PHILIPPES. Cuban cigars are illegal in the USA, but not in France. So we ended the night with cuban cigars, cuban rum and sometime after I left, I'm sure they also ate the cake! We had a spanish rice dish with shrimp and chicken, then bread and cheese, of course a lot of water and wine, and then when it got to politics, a lot of dissension!!! C'est NORMAL!!!

UNE SOIREE AT PHILIPPES. Cuban cigars are illegal in the USA, but not in France. So we ended the night with cuban cigars, cuban rum and sometime after I left, I'm sure they also ate the cake! We had a spanish rice dish with shrimp and chicken, then bread and cheese, of course a lot of water and wine, and then when it got to politics, a lot of dissension!!! C'est NORMAL!!!

We had a great time we had!!!! Here are my classmates, mes camarades! These are the mignons de Madame Mim! We finally decided to teach ourselves a bit and spent four silly hours mangling the french language! We all speak english fluently, specially the 2 americans (inc. me) and the one brit. The others, german, austrian, and swede. Crumbs were flying as we shared a typical french meal in our own way. It was such fun. We began with baguettes and cream chees and salmon with peach juice, tea, and expresso, then progressed to pasta and salad, with wine which unbelievably was named BELLEVUE, the name of the street i live on! Beautiful View. We finished with the favorite pudding in french families, Danette and also some crepes with Nutella. Miam!

Alas i had to play the paparazzi to grab a few shots of MADAME MIM in action! Look at the one on the far bottom left..if you were in class and you understood french, you would know that was the moment when Mim asked Ramin if he could find some 'scotch' (tape) for Michelle's mouth!!! Mim Mim Mim, what will you do next????

She's got a lot of anger and she WILL use it on YOU!!!

Okay..I don't even know where to begin. I'm trying to figure out how to write this without using curse words. Okay so lets plan. Every time I say, freaking..you can think that OTHER word because I am!!! And when I write 'uncool' person, you think of the worse thing you could call someone. Now if that's settled I can start.

Last night, my very good friend Philippe invited me to his house for dinner with friends. Now the last time he attempted this I ended up in tears, so we dont have a good track record. On our own, Philippe and I can pass the evening laughing and talking about anything. But geeee..not so true when it comes to these dinner parties. So this couple joins us for dinner. And I'm already wondering about this guy. He is IRRITATING. But hey, I'm cool with it; I pass the time chatting with his girlfriend who is very nice. As the dinner progresses and I can see that this uncool person is the classic know-it-all. He can yak on anything...origin of champagne..where the best cheese is from..the truth about americans..oh my gawd. So then he started launching in on me..so who did you vote for..etc. And by the way all this was in french and dude I understooooood just about everything..it was cool. But when he went after me, I let him HAVE IT. lol I can't explain but it was gooooooood. He was fuming; I left the dinner victorious.

I left, but I still had to find the metro station. At night, its dark and all the streets start looking alike. I took the wrong street and as I was walking, these guys slowed down and started talking..and the HATER in me was RISING up!!! Crap, that's right guys, I'm walking alone on a the street and I really wanna get picked up by YOU. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. I continued down the road without talking. This had better have a happy ending! Where is the metro!!!

It's great that I can ask directions and actually understand what people are saying. I find the metro and just barely get the last train to Boulogne, my quarter. The trains stop running at 1am. I lived almost an hour away on the metro. Since it was night time, there are less trains. Everyone was running up and down stairs knowing that the last train might be getting ready to leave. I had 3 different trains to catch and thankfully I made it!

The day went well but then this afternoon, the cloudless blue skies demanded that I go for a walk in the city. I wandered, took zillions of pics, went to mass at the Notre Dame (a tiny nap during the 40 min sermon) and then headed for home. First one guy called out to me, he was just at the stairs that go down to the river. He actually asked I wanted to go for a walk with him down there!!!! Geeez. Of course everyone is speaking french, but since I'm asian they are not sure what I speak. Because of this I have the option of understanding them and remaining mute while they fumble throught their list of languages..BELIEVE ME..some are very determined. But at this point I am really getting psssssd.

Okay so he is calling out to me as I am racing through the Sunday crowd. Zip, zip, zip. I hear a voice next to me. I'm thinking, there is no way that guy is here...I turn. Its a different man. Ooooooooohhhhhh. I am enraged. So I give him a good look full of grrrrrrrrrr and I take off. I'm zipping again and down into the metro station I slip like Alice in wonderland. I am about to go down the black hole when I hear, "so you speak english, japonaise, flemishe....etc" this is why one says AD NAUSEUM. I realize that I can't go forward without have things VERY UNCOOL person following me on the train. So I literally stand there and wait. I have said nothing other than pointing to my ring. Now I'm standing with my arms crossed..I am psssssd, this jerk had better start walking! So we are fact to face..he finds my behavior curious. I am GLARING AT HIM. She's got a lot of anger and she WILL use it on YOU. So he keeps talking. Is this guy really that dumb? I mean he is dressed nicely, he is not a lunatic, or maybe he is! So I stand there and glare. I look around for the Police. People are walking all around us. I FUME. He tries again..and slowly realizes that this is no chick he is dealing with..I am glaring without a word. I refuse to let him know what language I speak. Finally he gives up and leaves the station. I go home. The lesson to be learned? she's got a lot of anger and she WILL use it on YOU.

Paris is beautiful in blue.

Le Metro - Ligne 14 I love this metro line. I could wander about all day. Its cool, metallic, dimly lit atmosphere with a splash of green invites one to imagine a life streamlined to infinity and appropriately, this line has no driver.

Madame Mim!

There is a character in the animation of Sword in the Stone , named Madame Mim, she is lovely and young and then in an instant, a haggard , baggy old woman, and at this moment,she is my teacher! Her real name is Geraldine, but in my mind I have named her Madame Mim! She is animated, she is articulate, she is adamant, she is kind, she is charming , she is whitty, she says WHAT'S ON HER MIND. She's MIM, I tell you! If ever I was accused of being animated and unpredictable, Mim has outdone me..AND I LOVE IT! When a cell phone rings in the class, the cheshire's grin appears on her face..go ahead, take that call, of course we have all been waiting for it! And when someone sheepishly enters the class 45 minutes late..she grins and welcomes them robustly..yes yes enter! and if there was even 15 minutes left, come and learn..no and if there were just 10 minutes left, even a morsel of information will help you..and if you are so late that there are just 5 minutes left,,,COME IN and at least say hello for that too is so important!!!

After 2 hours of Mim, we are all a bit ragged from so much wind of mim blowing us away! But I love it because in her heart..learning is everything, growing is what we do, and to NOT learn, to NOT desire to learn, is something that cannot be imagined. She, this Mim, is a delight.

And what about the students of Mim? Ahh they are an assorted bunch. I always feel like I am in sitcom in these situations. I am living 'Head of the Class' or 'Welcome Back Kotter'. There is the american student who has been in france for a year, who has yet to buy the books for the class, who reads the metro plan, goes to the bathroom, then drinks more water to then leave again. There is the chinese woman with such a pronounced french rrrrrr its amazing. She want to read aloud for everything, she wants the class to herself, she is tooooo noisy. Mim quickly put an end to all that. She writes on the board, This one does not take the time to breathe!!! hahaha and we all wonder...gee, Mim has got BALLS! The rest of the students are assorted whites, not unlike laundry. There is the starched white shirt, the off white sweater, the white t shirt with stains, you get the idea. And there I am, the eager student too chicken to raise her hand. ouf..hold on, I'm getting braver but I'm not about to catch the lovely wrath of MiM!

Yesterday for the first time I had lunch with the assorted whites. It was very very funny. Here we are, all grown ups, talking in painstakingly slowly constructed phrases because we are supposed to be chatting in french. We are 2 americans, 1 german, 1 swede, 1 brit and one italian. I assure you, even to gather this info is not easy..swede in french sound like schwed and geez what is that? So after all the grinding about, we spill into english. It becomes evident that everyone is wonderfully fluent in english, and this is the first time I am hearing ENGLISH spoken by some native speakers. Wow. It hit me like fresh water, all these words that I could understand in the core of my being..meaning EFFORTLESSLY!! The brit next to me..ah beautiful accent...my ears are dancing..it sounds so good! lol We quickly exchange bunches of info..it all flows..and then we climb back into the french buggy and bump around a bit. One of the girls gives a guy her number in french. zero-six, quarant-cinq, quatre-vingt- dix-neuf, soixante-douze, cinquante-huit. That took a good 5 minutes and you can see why! There we were, adults playing the game of language, and loving it.

Mon amant, my lover.

Everyone knows that when in Paris you must have a lover. In fact someone once told me that the best way to learn french was to sleep with a french dictionary...get it??? Mon amant is the metro of Paris. I love hopping on and hopping off. I love scurrying around in all the tunnels and knowing that each stop will take no more than 45 seconds! I love the music that filters through the passages. I love the anonymous humanity. Its like the faucet has been turned on and the water is spurting from everywhere! People are running up and down stairs, the escalator is never fast enought, RUN..RUNN..RUNNN. The french say..boulot, metro, dodo (work/metro/sleep). It's the endless daily cycle. But I love it...no traffic, no parking, no tickets, and almost no waiting, I am content with mon amant.

But like all couples, we don't always get along. Yesterday I was on ligne 14..so beautiful, austere and efficient. Ligne 14 is the heart of mon amour! I was excited to have returned. After taking numerous pictures of the station, I hopped on and was just about to sit down when the train took off. WWWWHHHOOOOOSH! Its an express train with just 5 stops across paris and it is operated without a driver. Before I realized it, I WWHHHOOSSHED RIGHT ONTO THE FLOOR!!!! LOL...thank God I dont know anyone is this city! And because of the speed, I couldn't get up easily! My legs were pointing in two different directions. I was wearing heels and a SKIRT, and because of the G FORCES of the train I couldn't just hop back onto my feet! In fact it took a tiny older french woman to help HOIST ME up!!! ITS COOOOOOOLLL no one saw me ..right?

Today I didnt have class so I decided to hit the stores to find des chaussures brillantes..sparkly shoes. I went to Les Halles an underground shopping center in the center of paris.

Can I stop and say that its strange that I am often HOT in paris. For some reason the parisiens think nothing of wearing a sweater and coat in a store that is 78-85 degrees. What is up with that??? I am in a tshirt with my sweater wrapped around my hips and if I could sweat I would be , because it is hot in there! But nooooo....everyone keeps their winter coats on as if the snow would somehow find them.

Okay I tried on 500 pairs and nothing was quite right. So when in doubt, shop for groceries! I decided to go to chinatown , my old quarter. I took a different route and ended up on An RER. This is the train system that works outside of Paris but is intergrated with the metro system. The trains are double decker and are like amtrak trains..BIG, FAST, and very quiet. Only one problem. I was going the wrong way. EEEEEEEkkk. If I dont watch out I will be in FRANCE but I will not be in paris! Fais attention! Station names were passing me by and I got off quick!!!

I eventually got on the right line and found my way to the ultimate chinese grocery store. I only go there for one thing, NEMS. That may not mean anything to you, but NEMS are the deep friend spring rolls that are really expensive at most thai restaurants. Well in paris you can buy the 'nems' already made and with the dipping sauce. I already know how good it is..yuummmmm. My bag was full of NEMS, nem sauce, red chilis, and lettuce. Spring rolls for lunch tomorrow!

A droite ou a gauche?

Sometimes the best things are right in front of you. Or perhaps to the left? It's been a week since I have moved to Paris. And I'm leaving bread crumbed paths everywhere.

Each day has been rich. Some people come to Paris to shop, or visit monuments, or taste their way throught this beautiful city. Not me. No, I'm out there on the street with my big lavender wheeled FOOD CARRIER buying FOOD! I love grocery shopping in Paris. There are so many fun and new things to try! I'm curious; I want to try everything. And although I have had a few friends over for dinner, how much can a person eat? But that doesn't stop me. I buy food. I cook food. And if there is anyone around, I serve food. I had begun to feel a bit smug. I'm like any other local here with my groceries on wheels, right? No. Not quite. Just a couple days ago I found out that while always proceeding left to the grocery store, I had missed the fact that one of the best boulangeries (bakery) was right there on my street 25 steps away from my door! If only I had gone right! In fact, the bread there is not only incredible (and cheap..70 cents) but the tarts made there (also cheap) are the best I have eaten in my life! Take a lesson. If you are content to go left, you must on ocassion GO RIGHT..donc, a droit ou a gauche? Les deux, alors!

It's not necessary to recount my days blow by blow but perhaps its helpful to reflect. I'm here to learn and with the luxury of all things having changed, just keeping my eyes open is enough to fill my days with ponderings. I am a hibiscus in Paris. Where are all the creative thinkers in this city? Where are all the rebels? On the street everyone seems to follow an unwritten code that someone forgot to not write on my wall. Why is it that simply no one wears shoes that show their toes? Yes! That diffence alone will draw attention.
And where does it not say (in this unwritten code) that if its 55 degrees out, one does not wear a skirt!? Blue/red hair or a face brilliant with piercings, will not turn a head like a skirt and sandals when it is 55 degrees. The other day when I walking through Saint Michel, where the streets are filled with little restaurants, a man called out to me from the door of his restaurant ,"Tahiiiiitii! Taaahiiiiiti!" I couldn't help smiling to myself. I'm not a local here but I AM the local hibiscus.

On parle francais.

It's been a few days now. And as the french would say, je suis bien installee. That means that I'm settled, dug in actually, frankly even mourning the thought of leaving! Ok ,ok je me calme . It's just that the weather was so perfect this weekend and everything seemed to celebrate the coming of spring. The locals are amazed that just two weeks ago, everything was white with snow.

I forgot my camera on Sunday. What a mistake. Paris never looked prettier. I took the metro into the center of the city 'pour dire bonjour' to my old quarter. It's known as le Marais, le quatrieme. It's also the place where you find L'Hotel de Ville et la cathedrale Notre Dame. I lived in that area for a month in 2002 and its like my old home town. When I wandered into the Notre Dame I had forgotten that the Pope had just died the day before. There was a huge banner of his photo in the front. What amazes me is that the crowds weren't any bigger than usual. This is the wonderful thing about the Notre Dame, nothing seems to phase her. There are always huge crowds touring the perimeter of the interior. Yet in the interior of that, the faithful press on with their worship and praise! There is such a humble and unpretentious air about the congregation of the Notre Dame. And that Sunday, as the people raised their voices in song, it really was magnificent. Again, I felt like I had come home. Let the tourist gawk at the murals and monuments. I rather sit and absorb the essence of the 900 years of prayer which fills that place.

Content and saturated, I left the church and the many news reporters outside the church and the hustle and bustle of the ever present tours and their tour guides, and made my way across the Seine to my other favorite place.

Saint Michel. I will take pictures of this wonderful world of gastromic delight later..but on sunday I was just looking for really good fries with a 'donner' or gyro. Ahh the delights of being a female in Paris! As the guy was making my lunch..with a very greasy smile on his face, he showed me how special I was...he pulled a fresh batch of fries from the fryer for me. Now that is what I call a SMART MAN. lol I walked away munching with delight. I had spotted a place earlier next to the seine river. Blue skies over head, people were scattered everywhere to take in the gorgeous weather. I sat on one of the huge step edges about 50 feet above the river. EEEk..do not lean back! I kept telling myself. Not to worry, I was very aware of the distance and the beauty..ahhhh.

Grocery shopping ( faire les courses) is something that has to be planned. Imagine that whatever you buy must be then carried. And whatever is carried, must be carried UP the stairs. There is no such thing as hoping to get a parking space close to the door so you don't have to roll the cart too far!!! Okay so strategy is important. Liquids are heavy! Actually everything is heavy after awhile. And then there is the question of the distance between the store and your front door. Do you see what I mean? Happily (heureusement) Laurence has a cart. Its big and lavendar and the first time I went shopping it just didnt fit in with my little tiny purse image. Instead I used my backpack with wheels. That's the same one that likes to slide on its side. In no time I was toting the big purple bag with glee!!! Today I had that thing slung over my back trying to get it up the stairs. I had 4 litres of water, 5 lbs of apples and other assorted things. oooohhhh my gaaawd..I was so afraid of the one step forward two steps back type progression that would lead to an aaaaaaaaaaaaaalll the way back down. I went carefully, the stairs are very narrow, and finally got to my door. The second floor in france is the third floor in the usa, so I am thrilled my apt is not at the top floor, the 6th! Up there they must just eat a lot of crepes!

There is a flip side to my story. Laurence, the girl who's apt I have rented, is now in NYC. We are like aberrant twins. When we chat online, she writes in english and I write in french! I dunno why! And yet when we were together in paris we spoke just french. Now that she is in NYC, she is going through her paces...getting loss trying to find her apt, leaving her suitcases to run after the taxi, then realizing that her suitcase were behind the locked door of the lobby that she ran out of. And dont forget, she is not fluent in english! On the plane she was offered chicken or steak. She had no idea what 'chicken' meant because the american chicken dish in Paris is KFC!!! lol It's a long road for both of us!

Today I went to my first class. Just next to me, the students were from Libya and the Ukraine. Believe me, these people are appalled if you do not know where their country is, not to mention my difficulty in recognizing the NAME of their country in french. Par example, United States is Les Etats Unis..and believe me, even that is a mouthful! But as I looked around the room I could see that the United Nations was present. I knew that I am the only american even if I looked like the other asians who are from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, and other assorted asian countries. One thing we had in common was that blank frightened look students have when they don't understand what is going on and are trying to hide it but are doing a really poor job at it! I KNOW that look! I had that look! But my teacher is very animated and fun and I am looking forward to being challenged! grrrrrrrr! (This is a lie but its what I tell myself.)

Alors, profitez de la vie et faire les belle choses!

On Saturday, Stephan bravely volunteered to haul his two boys to the 'mall' so that he could help me buy a sim card for my phone (une puce en francais). Needless to say by the time we had to walk back to the metro a second time, he was justly punished! It was quite an adventure, like a field trip gone mad, but in the end I had my local french number so I was happy!!

Martin, Stephan, et Ulysee. There were lots of words of protest when the boys heard what their weekend adventure would be. What? Go get what? Why? When we finally left the apt and were almost to the metro, Stephan realized that he had forgetten his check book. We managed to walk back peacefully, but when we got back on our path the boys decided to make a human totem pole.

C'est Ulysee. He is only ready to do what he wants. His favorite english words: NO WAY! Jamais dans la vie!

C'est si typique de paris..prendre un boire dans la rue et regarder les gens qui passsent.

Another thing that is always going on, is eating! So many choices and just one stomach!!!

..even in the midst of all the tourism and sales, there is always a protest brewing, like this one, fighting for the rights represented in the flags.

The weather has been incredible ...this is a photo of a grand magasin, Le Printemps. Its a department store that spans a couple blocks and is several stories high!

The sun was the perfect time to do laundry. No one uses dryers here. So like everyone else..I hung my laundry by the window. Everything was dry with a few hours!

The weather was so perfect today. Not even one cloud in the sky! This was the view from my window..

Looking down from my bedroom window, I can see the street and the petit jardin that is at the entrance. It reminds me of Bali.

mmmm c'est parfait

voila..je suis la!

C'est si bon. Ma chambre with wireless internet..a junkies dream :)

La cuisine. The meal hub. I have everything I need. Can you see the espresso machine? It's awesome! And another fench luxury, a washing machine so I can do my laundry in the apt :)

Le salon. A window to my world. I'm on the second floor of a quaint lil building. There is another window on the opposite side and when both are open I get an air-conditioned hawaiian breeze. cool :)

Pensant. This is not a gallery, just a beautiful piece of art in the apartment.

This is a satellite photo of the plane's approach to France. The pink path indicates that it is being flown by a female pilot. (pilotte)

My first sunrise :) flying into Paris.