Laundry Day

Bonjour mes amies! 

I know I have been a little behind with updates lately, but hey, you want me to have a good time, right? 

I have now been in Paris a month, and am pretty acclimated. My French is still piss poor, but I never have to use it, so of course it isn't getting any better. One lady, however, at my regular creperie has been making an effort to teach me a few different things. I can always place my order in French and exchange casualties, and I have finally figured out what the follow up questions mean, but I still don't know how to answer all the time. Last night I learned how to say 'to go' rather than just reverting back to English..a emporter. Baby steps, right?

Things at the French speaking gym are...interesting. I have decided to step out of my comfort zone and try new classes. Since I can follow along visually it isn't a problem..until they are trying to correct me. I just stare blankly and they eventually physically help me fix the problem. I have finally learned the names of all my regular exercises in Bodypump, which I shouldn't need, but I have one instructor who thinks he should have the liberty to mix up routine order even though it is designed in that order for a reason. Oh well! 

I don't know if you remember how I met the love of my life at the laundromat a couple of weeks ago...the three legged dog? Well, I was putting my clothes in the dryer today, turned around, and there he was!!! I was ecstatic. He is just as awkward as ever, but I am thrilled to know I can actually see him again ;) Last time I did laundry I accidentally selected a wash cycle that took 90 minutes, but not this time. I chose correctly and was in and out of there in no time. 

The weather here seems to be taking a turn toward Spring, and I am THRILLED!!! It has been so gray and gross that I have spent a lot of time cowering inside with copious amounts of hot chocolate, which has its moments. Now it is sunny and I am going to start getting out more.

Upcoming excitement: March 29th going to Barcelona

                                     April 5th going to Belgium

I have made a new group of English speaking friends too, so that is exciting. Anywho, I am wasting sunlight! 

Ciao! 

Kiss and Tell....

I try not to kiss and tell, and that was going to be my motto for Paris, but last night at the pub crawl such ridiculousness occurred that all bets are off. I hate to disappoint, but I was simply a bystander in the physical shenanigans, but after hearing them, you will be pleased. After the first pub crawl experience we learned that Paris is way too expensive for pub crawling, unless you either pregame or pack your own. We were not the only two to learn this lesson, however, because by the time we got the second, yes second stop on the pub crawl many of our companions were falling over themselves and on to us. One deserving, beer sloshing gentlemen got a fist to the back from yours truly. Another one, however, a Kiwi who slurred his name to Liz, got a finger in his mouth. How did this occur, you ask? I asked myself the same question, but sure enough when I looked over I swear to you he was performing fillatio on her finger, and Liz looked appalled. She finally retracted her finger from his throat only to have him grab her hand and start the usually suave kissing of the arm. Unfortunately, his kisses were of the dog variety, as in licks.

As an undergrad I was the 'bodyguard' in bars when unwanted attention was given to my friends for a few reasons...I have hot friends, I was often the most sober, and well, I'm a beast ;) I was thrilled (and Jaime would be proud) when I got to reprise me roll for this evening. I got to literally pull him off of her and force him away. He was a special kind of drunk, however, where he forgot how to speak his native language and kept coming around. After being stiff armed and physically threatened in the street, he got the point. It was quite amusing, however, since we were never in any real danger. It would probably have been funnier if you had been there to see it, but you weren't.

So as the pub crawl wound down we went off in search of Nutella crepes, which we found almost instantly. We got our delicacies and went home. Well, this morning, Liz knew she didn't eat all her crepe and she knew she didn't throw it away, but she had no idea where it was. Thus, a new game was born: find the crepe. We did, eventually, under her bra, under her coat under her bag, in the floor.

In other words, it was a pretty good night.

In more calm news, it is FREEZING here! It has snowed for part of each of the last three days. This inclement weather forced us to cancel our touristy trips and seek warmth inside. We did go shopping, however, only to realize it would cost us our limbs to buy new clothes, so we left empty handed...that was until we discovered the craft store. We spent almost an hour picking out materials for decoupage, which we returned to my apartment and did while watching Chocolat.

OH MY GOD! Speaking of chocolat, yesterday for breakfast we had the world's BEST hot chocolate at Berthillon. I swear to you it was more nirvana than hot chocolate. The delicacy itself was called chocolate affogado, which was a mug with a scoop of ice-cream (I got hazelnut) and a cookie on top, with the hot milk and melted chocolate in separate containers to mix and pour, and then a dish of whipped cream with candied nuts to place on top. It was HEAVEN! Tell you what...this time...I will leave you drooling...enjoy!

Snow :)

The snowflakes started falling when I was about halfway to work this morning. They were the light, get stuck in your lashes kind, not the stick to the ground and gunk up your boots kind. This is the second time I have seen snow in Paris since I arrived a mere 18 days ago. I still think it is sweet and romantic to walk through the snow flurries. When I leave work this afternoon and there is slush on the ground and it is wet out, I will not feel the same way. Oh well!

I did something new and exciting yesterday. I went to the movies at a very tiny (two screen cinema) that is just around the corner from my apartment. I did this...alone. I have only seen two movies alone in the theater before, and it is not a hobby I am usually fond of. A few days ago someone recommended I watch Miller's Crossing, so when I saw that this theater, Le Champo, was showing it this week I took it as a sign. I ventured out of the apartment early to get a ticket and seat, only to be told, in French that they start selling tickets 10 minutes before the show. Thank goodness I live so close, because I just went home and waited.  I went back in, and of course the lady recognized me. I bought my ticket (in French) and went and took a seat. Although the previews were in French, the movie was in its original form with French subtitles. If you haven't seen it, I recommend watching Miller's Crossing. It was a pretty badass movie, full of double crosses, bribery, and crime. I think it is neat that while there are theaters that show new movie releases, there are tons that do show older movies. I mean, Miller's Crossing came out in 1990! 

This weekend is full of promise and potential adventure. An event at Shakespeare and Company, a late night movie, a trip to Pere Lachaise Cemetery, a pub crawl, and who knows what other shenanigans. Sorry for being so brief, but I must get back to it!

Au revoir mes amies!

Seeing Hearts....

It took my 14 days to fall in love.

It all started with a very necessary trip to the laundromat. I have been putting off doing laundry since I had no idea where to do it. My landlady suggested that her cleaning lady could do it for me and return my clothes in a week. First off, I don't have enough clothes for that nonsense. Secondly,  I don't want to pay someone 13 euro/hr to do so. The closest 'laverie' is a 7-8 minute walk and is called Saint-Germain Lav' Club. It makes doing laundry seem exclusive, so I was totally game.

I scoped out the joint sans clothes first, in case a) I got lost b) I couldn't figure out how to use the machines and needed to do translations c) I didn't have the proper type/amount of money. It turned out to be a good idea, since I got a little turned around. Fortunately there were English directions, so that wasn't a problem either. I went back to collect my clothes. I saw a couple of bakeries, so I decided I would get breakfast while my clothes washed.

I got my clothes started and headed to the bakery. This is where I met my first love...the maxi pan au chocolat...aka a giant chocolate filled croissant. It was fifteen kinds of phenomenal and twice the size of my usual breakfast treat.

I devoured the treat while waiting for my laundry...which I accidentally put on a 95 minute cycle...the English directions didn't explain the setting options :( I did bring a book, so the time flew by. My next infatuation also walked in off the street.

I am sad to report I will never see him again, but it was love at first sight. He was the perfect mix of cute and awkward. He wasn't my usual type, either, since he only had three legs, but he was the perfect size and level of fluffy-ness. The way his tongue constantly lolled out of his mouth sideways was endearing and perfect. We bonded for the entire 15 minutes or so it took his owner to get her laundry going. I am sad to report I didn't even get his name...I do know that he spoke French, so we would have had a language barrier anyway. ;)

I tired to get a picture of this stud, but there was no way to do so discreetly with my dinosaur of a camera. I guess I will just have to remember my first Parisian puppy love.... ;)

I Remember Now...

Today has been one of those days that reminds me why I hate children...and most of their parents too. I am impressed that this day didn't arrive sooner, since I have been working in the children's library for two full weeks now.

Please, dear friends of mine, please teach your children what their indoor voice is. Then, after you tell them once to use it, fucking enforce it! Telling your child 1,000 times to be quiet and use their indoor voice doesn't help if they don't listen! Then, not only do I have to listen to them yelling, but I am forced to hear you repeatedly telling them to be quiet.

Parents, learn how to read and follow instructions; doing this sets a good example for your children. We have very visible signage that asks patrons to return unwanted books to a cart or the desk to be reshelved. We also make a very strong effort to tell patrons to leave the books for us to worry about, especially when we see them go to put one back (incorrectly). This one family today was not being receptive. Not only did both little girls pull and haphazardly put back dozens of books AFTER being asked not to, but their mom did too. She was also corrected but ignored the advice. I mean, come on!!!

There were teddy bears strewn around the room, bean bags on top of each other on top of books, and just general mayhem all day. I guess, that is the job...but I don't have to like it. It was a beautiful day today though, and the end of the weekend, so I understand the additional excitement. Again, I don't have to like it. 

Time to go sweep up all the hair I have pulled out and thrown on the floor!

Ciao!

New Friends and Haunts

Yesterday morning I rolled out of bed to my usual alarm clock of construction workers yelling French and pounding away on the outside of my building. Liz spent the previous night, so once we were all acceptable looking we headed a short distance down the street to try what David Lebovitz called the best hot chocolate in Paris. He was not wrong. It was thick and creamy and delicious. It is interesting to me that you actually have to sweeten your own hot chocolate with sugar here, but it was still phenomenal. I also had the best croissant that I've had yet, so that was exciting. The lady working there was not what you would call friendly to us when we arrived, but by the time we were leaving she seemed to warm up. I think we caught her right when she was going to take a smoke break. 

After our high calorie breakfast I ventured back to Health City for French BodyPump. Fortunately for me, it was the teacher I can actually follow. Although I don't know what she is saying between tracks and the rest of the commentary is lost on me, she does a great job counting and saying what I hear as superlow (which means super slow). I am recognizing the same cues over and over again too, even though I am not 100% sure what they are. I spent the rest of my afternoon resting up and  getting ready for GAME NIGHT!!!

Most folks know the affection that my family has for board, card, word and most other games. When I found out that ALP was holding a game night I was stoked. Liz and I made plans to go together, but her au pair duties required her to miss out. I took my usual route to the library and helped my coworkers set up the event. I think our library events would be as highly attended as this one if we were allowed to have mini-kegs of Heineken. I personally played rounds of Scrabble, Scattergories, and Apples to Apples. I met expats from Ohio, Wisconsin, and Arizona; a couple of Frenchies, a couple of Brits, and a handful of other folks. It was really fun and once we cleaned up I wandered the less crowded streets of Paris home.

Today I got to sleep in sans interruption, and it was glorious! I also found a new amazing lunch spot. I finally decided to be brave and order a formule, or what we call a combo, from this little deli place. I got a fantastic mozzarella and tomato panini, Nutella crepe, and coke zero for less than 5 euros. 

I am now about to head out of the city to the suburbs to watch Les Mis with Liz and her family. I had to buy special Metro tickets to get to the burbs, and there are a few different train switches that I have never done before, so it should be an adventure. We will see how it goes!

Ciao for now! 

Valentine's Day Abroad

Usually the couples interrupting my brisk walks to and from work with their public displays of affection are annoying. Today, however, on the day devoted to love, they are not. Rather than rolling my eyes and sighing loudly as I diverted my initial path, I smiled. I am a sucker for love and romance. Everyone who knows me knows that.  Since I am not with a "special someone" this year I will choose to live vicariously through those I see in, arguably, the most romantic city in the world.

Valentine's Day:  A holiday loved by many, hated my more, and attributed to the greed and cunning of Hallmark. Or, as I like to think of it, a day to wear fancy red undies (just for you or for someone else's viewing pleasure) and eats lots of sweets.

I may not have romantic plans in the city of light and love tonight, but I am not going to sit around eating Double Stuff Oreos and watching Sex and the City. I am going out on the town with my new friend. We are going to get dinner and watch the psychological thriller Passion...appropriately named for the day, no? And guess what else...she is even going to spend the night ;)

I hope y'all enjoy your holiday!

Just remember, giving a heart on Valentine's signifies giving the most important part of yourself to someone!

GAG!! Don't worry, it's from a children's book that we read at story time yesterday! Still, it is kind of sweet.

Happy Valentine's Day friends!

Bisous!

What they don't tell you about French food...

You know how people say you aren't supposed to go grocery shopping hungry? They should also say don't go grocery shopping immediately after working out.

You see, last night after Zumba and BodyPump I stopped at Monoprix to pick up something for dinner and some cereal. My land lady was nice enough to buy me some milk and I kept forgetting to buy something to put it on. Well I walked in to the store for these two items and walked out with them plus cookies, and chips, and soda. My gluttonous shopping habits aren't the lesson here, however. The lesson is this...

Generic is generic, but foreign generic of an originally American product is worse. When I found myself on the cereal aisle last night I saw my favorite: Special K Red Berries. I would be damned, however, if you thought I would spend $6.50 on a box of it. Then, lucky me, I saw the Monoprix version. I was stoked. That was, until this morning when I got to eat cardboard. On the plus side, my knock off Pringles were tolerable.

Today I also found myself coming down with a cold and not feeling that great. I came home after work and decided I would attempt to get take out for dinner. Take out options are limited so I went for something easy and basic...pizza. There is a little Italian restaurant conveniently located around my corner and the words Take Away are printed on their window. I went in, ordered my pizza and French and waited until it was ready. After playing in my iPod for a few minutes my pizza was done and I ventured home. Of course I got distracted with e-mails and what not and neglected my pizza for a while. Once I could not ignore my hunger any longer I opened the box to reach for a slice. Guess what....they hadn't cut my pizza. hahahahah. It gave me a good giggle, and I hope it gave you one too.

I now have a stomach ache to accompany my cold. What did you expect thought? They just have me one really big piece! ;)

Bisous!

Home is Where the Beat Is

Home is not where the heart is.....no, home is where they play loud latino music and obnoxious remakes of popular songs like Come on Eileen.

Home is anywhere I can do ZUMBA!!

That's right folks, Zumba Paris was a smashing success!!!

No, I did not understand anything the teacher said, but I didn't need to! I could follow the moves, I knew the music, and I could keep up.

The most amusing part was wondering if anyone in the class knew what the hell they were listening to and singing/screaming while doing a rodeo pony move to a remix of From the Windows to the Wall!!!

One dance also had the Charleston in it, which really reminded me of home.

I have no doubt that Andrea, my Zumba teacher in Columbia, would have been proud of the songs and dances I already knew and the show I put on.

Round 2 of BodyPump went well....except for an overwhelming scent of BO that I know was not coming from me. I guess the French shouldn't just be known for stinky cheese!

Ciao mis amies!

1 Week's Time

It took me a little over a week to get incredibly lost. You know that map I was bragging about always having? Well it doesn't quite cover all of Paris...mostly the place I ended up today. How did this happen, you ask? Let me tell you...

Liz is volunteering at Shakespeare and Company...you know, that super famous bookstore. Well today was her first day, and since I was off I was going to stop in and say hey and see how it was going. When I got there her boss sent her out on errands. Since I had nothing to do, I decided I would accompany her. The first stop sounded relatively easy....make some copies of keys made.

We were told to go to BHV...which is like Belk and Lowe's all in the same store. Weird, I know.  So we headed to the basement where DYI and hardware is. We found a key counter and tried to say that we needed copies made. He understood us, but we did not understand his response. He said what sounded like up one floor, outside, lamp. He also told us that they could not copy one of the two keys we needed. We left the department confused and went outside hoping to see a magic key making stall like he promised. Of course, we didn't. So...we decided to try again. We went back to the counter where a different employee only said to us outside, rue du temp. This at least translated to a street name to us. Of course we didn't know where the street was! We headed back out, turned a different direction, and there it was Rue de Temple, and there was a sign hanging there with clef and a picture of a key! We dropped the key off and ten minutes and 22 euros later ( I KNOW RIGHT!!!) we were done. We headed back across the river to the store.

Errand 2 found us delivering a mysterious package to someone in the 14th arrondissement. This required us to take the metro...not a big deal. It was difficult, however, because the street we needed wasn't on my map. We still managed to get to our destination and drop off the package after a very jumbled conversation with a receptionist via call box. Liz had to head back to the burbs to tutor her kids and I decided that I would walk home based on the map at the subway and I would eventually get back to my map's territory. Unfortunately for me...this never happened.

I wandered, and wandered, and roamed. I consulted maps at metro stops and the pay to use toilets I passed, but I wasn't getting anywhere. Eventually I found a commercial shopping center/mall and I threw in the towel. I found a metro stop and rode back to my hood.

There is only so much random walking I can do when I don't have a clue where I am.

I am now going to rest my poor little feet until Zumba and BodyPump this evening.

à bientôt!

First Times (and maybe some lasts?)

Happy Sunday friends! Today marks my first full week in Paris, and well, I survived!!!

My first week goals (before I arrived):
*make it to my apartment in one piece (check)
*learn how to get to work by foot and metro (check and check)
*find a gym (check)
*find a local bar and bar tending friend
*eat crepes and pan au chocolat (check check check)
*figure out how to do laundry
*make a friend (check)
*not get taken (check)

Okay, so clearly my first week has gone pretty well...a lot of goals have been made and a few haven't, but I'm not too broken up about it.

I am kind of sore about my first BodyPump in Paris, however, mostly because, as I should have expected, it was entirely in French.  Oh, and because I haven't worked out in a week ;). I thought working out was universal, and that since I knew Body Pump in the States I would be okay. Well, I was wrong.  The music was the same (I was pretty stoked when Flo Rida started playing), but I was not so excited when the motivational yelling wasn't motivational. I could follow along using my eyes, until we were on the bench and I couldn't see anymore, or when he was walking around critiquing people and I was scared he would say something to me that I wouldn't even comprehend. I did make it through the class, however, and I only stumbled a few times. I am not sure if the new release we were doing was just easy, or if the French dumb down the routines. Either way, I am going back tomorrow to try again. I am also going to attempt to do Zumba in French. We'll see how that goes!

After my BodyPump experience I met up with my friend for a fun filled shopping day. We went to H&M, Etam, Mango, Texto, Cote a Cote, Naf Naf, pim kle, and half a dozen other stores. Liz finally found a suitable pair of replacement boots while I found an adorable, and not too overpriced leather (pleather) jacket. I must admit, it sure is cute, but it is not really warm or practical the current Parisian weather. Which I found out, when we went to our first Meet Up event.

I had never heard of Meet Up until I got here, but it is an internationally used site that allows people in different cities to organize planned events where, well, you meet up with other people. They are organized by topic like Dining Out, Art and Culture, Pub Crawls, etc. Well, of course, being young, fun loving ladies we selected a pub crawl for our first event.

We got all ready, and walked across the Seine to meet Nick in the orange shirt at the Auld Alliance Scottish Pub. It was a pretty amusing night. We met Aussies, Dutch, Brits, Canadians, Spaniards, and other Americans. We all had to wear garish yellow name tags in order to get specials, and let me tell you; there is nothing special about Parisian drink specials. While we got a chance to meet and make nice with a lot of neat folks, most of the people we met are just passing through Paris for a few days, not hanging out for months like we are.

The brevity of our friendships didn't limit our good time, however. We developed inside jokes including the ridiculousness of hashtags and the stupidity of YOLO and we had an entire yelled discussion about chocolate biscuits across the metro tracks at 1:30 a.m. at which time we also spelled out our names so we could make sure we would cement our friendships in Facebook.

We finally got on the line 5 train at Bastille toward Gare d'Austerlitz so we could get on the 10 train home. Well, we got there two minutes too late, and we missed the LAST metro of the night. We were stranded in the 13th arrondissement,  in the dark, in the cold, with sore feet and freezing bodies, because of course, I wore my cute, new jacket and not my warm one. Fortunately, like the nerd that I am, I had a map in my bag.

As we strolled down the Seine toward home we reminisced how we should have left prior to the last stop on the pub crawl, which was a club that was playing music circa 2005. Had we left when I gave the 'I'm freezing let's leave in 45 seconds if we aren't inside yet' countdown we would have had a 15 minute walk instead of a 30 minute one. That being said, we would have not gotten to see the secret French night school that meets at 2:00 am in a random classroom with a dog. I mean, what?! We also got to see a drunk group of Americans throwing glass bottles on the cobblestone streets. Which just reminds us why the French aren't our biggest fans. Anyway, it was quite the night and early morning, and it was a great way to end my first week in Paris.

So, to recap: meet ups are a yes and a repeat, as is BodyPump, but missing the train is not, nor is dressing for cute and not for warmth.

Bisous mes amies.

Friday Funday

It's FRIDAY!
Normally this would mean a day off, but today it consisted of my first shift manning the children's library completely alone. All and all it was a very slow morning, which meant it went well :)

After my very short morning shift I hopped back on the RER C to the apartment (I didn't wear my walking shoes today).  I tried out a new bakery near my house for a light lunch and then headed to my new gym. :) Of course my membership card wasn't ready yet and of course the people working didn't speak English, but I still got to work out without any real problem. I am super excited because tomorrow I will be going to my favorite class for the first time :)

After the gym I got all freshened up and went to the very famous Shakespeare and Co. bookstore to meet my friend Liz for a little shopping trip en route to a library event. The bookstore itself is very cute and very small, and although it is one of the touristy trap things, I had a nice time. We then ventured off to find an H&M, so we could find reasonably priced attire. On our way to the store we passed a crepe vendor, and since I have little self control we stopped. I ordered my first (and far too delayed) crepe avec Nutella. It was phenomenal. We noshed as we walked and eventually made it to H&M. Liz had a goal of finding new shoes, since she ventured out of the house in heels today, but failed to find any worth her 9.95€. We painstakingly set off for The ALP. 

We arrived to the library just in time for the event to start. Tonight's event featured author Anne Heltzel as she gave a brief book reading and a speech on how to get published. This was intended to be a teen event, but was opened up to patrons of all ages and drew a pretty good size, mixed age crowd. I bet more people would attend library programs in the States if we had wine like they did tonight (and do at all of their adult programs!). 

Post-event Liz and I went back to my neighborhood where we had our first full service dinner in Paris. We went to a restaurant called Le Sainsev' on the Rue Severin. We made it for the last 30 minutes of happy hour, which entitled us to 5€ cocktails. They also had an express menu option that allowed us to get an appetizer, entree, and dessert for 12€. Not a bad deal at all! We had a very nice time.

I am now very tired and must hit the hay so I can be up for BodyPump in the a.m.

I am learning my way around the city more and more each day, and getting less shy about the language barrier. 

Until next time...

xox

Jeudi the Great

Today was just fantastic.
I woke up before my alarm went off, which means I was fully rested for the first time in ages.
Since I was up so early I got to take time to consider what lovely outfit I would wear. I settled on a new sleeveless dress with a blue top and black bottom, grey tights, and sparkly flats. For warmth I added a black and white scarf and my red CK peacoat. I don't normally consider details like this important, but today they made a world of difference. You see, as I trekked my way to work, I was stopped and asked directions. Yes, I looked like I knew where I was enough to help someone else! HA! Unfortunately they asked me in French, and of course I didn't understand what they needed or the answer anyway, but the fact that they thought I might know the answer put me over the moon.

With a new spring in my step I continued to work. Of course I arrived at my destination a little too early. This wasn't a problem, however, because there is a bakery around the corner I have been too nervous to try, and I have been longing for pan au chocolat. My new found confidence and I went for it. The cashier and I exchanged pleasantries, and I hesitated before repeating my practiced line. I feigned indecisiveness rather than fear when ordering, however, which made the cashier tell a little joke. I didn't understand what he said of course, but I could tell I should laugh and it seemed good natured, so I obliged. I left the shop rather pleased.

Work was work, but not in a bad sense. It was what I expected...shelving books, helping patrons, participating in a lap sit, working on crafts and other projects, etc.

The volunteer I made friends with worked today too, and we actually made concrete plans to meet up and hang out tomorrow, which is super exciting.  I am also going to attend a library event tomorrow night called 'how to get published.' It should be pretty neat.

Since the morning went so well, I decided I would turn lunch in to another adventure. The first time I came to Paris I could have sworn we ate crepes at a stall on Rue Cler (she can tell you if I am wrong). When I realized yesterday that the street was so close I decided I would check it out during my lunch break today. So, that is what I did. The street seemed familiar, but I could not find the place where we got crepes. I left empty handed and returned to my familiar boulangerie.

The work day came to an end and I headed back towards me hood. The walk was pleasant and the same as the night before. Of course, however, I managed to turn the wrong direction when I finally got back to my connecting street. It turns out, however, that this mistake was not a mistake, but good fortune. You see friends, I found a gym a block from my apartment. Not only is it a gym, but it is a gym that offers Zumba and BodyPump and allowed me to get a three month membership. I was ecstatic! I even got to use the gym tonight.

To celebrate my successes I bought my first bottle of wine and headed home, which is where I am now. It's almost 11 here, and I have to be at work in the morning.

Bonsoir mes amies.

Bisous.

Three Days Later...

Well, as my third day in Paris comes to a close I have decided I have laughed enough at myself to share my woes with my friends, family, and even a lucky stranger or two.  This is going to be an exceptionally long post, so I am sorry. I will try to divide it in to bite sized pieces for my ADD friends.

THE ARRIVAL

First off, to all those still wondering  if I made it safely, why don't you have Facebook or why aren't we friends there? Yes, I made it to Paris in one piece. My flight was smooth and uneventful. I was  lucky enough to have a vacant seat next to me, which I used to display my ability to sleep in a variety of contortionist poses. And yes, I did sleep, almost the entire flight. Let's not tell Delta or Air France it was because my body was dead from having the flu the 24 hours before ;)

Getting off the plane and through customs was surprisingly painless. When I arrived at baggage claim I had knots in my stomach, scared that all my possessions may be an entire ocean away. Fortunately I saw my giant pink L.L. Bean duffle creep around the conveyor in a matter of minutes. I foolishly forgot to mark my unexceptional black rolling suitcase with a unique identifier, however, and it's spotting was going to be more cumbersome. Apparently the gentleman standing next to me also forgot to mark his bag, because before I could exhale in relief when I miraculously noticed my bag (thanks to the embarrassing amount of dust that even a transatlantic flight couldn't knock off) he picked it off the belt. I patiently watched him examine it, read the baggage label, pause, and finally decide it wasn't his. Of course I moved in to get it the second he replaced the bag on the carousel. The gentleman saw this and apologized for the mix up and even helped me load all my bags on to a cart. I had arrived, found my luggage, and then it was time to find my ride...one Mr. Thierry Fouqué. 


I followed the exit signs, heart beating rapidly, through sliding glass doors and saw a middle aged gentleman with a sign reading "Ms. McCluskey." I was thrilled. I was even more excited when he spoke to me in English. He led me to a Mercedes-Benz van, complete with Evian water. The next hour consisted of staring wide eyed and exhausted at the sights of Paris and trying not to be thrown out of the windshield. Thank goodness my stomach bug was gone because the stop and go traffic in Paris is no joke!

We arrived at an undisclosed apartment number at the rue de la Sorbonne, and boy was I excited! My landlady was not there when we arrived, instead the husband of the cleaning lady was? I was unsure about all this, but whatever, as long as I could put down my bags and get inside I was happy. I knew the apartment was on the second floor. I also knew there was a small lift. Well, that lift was so small that one suitcase could fit on it! The trend in size continues, you see, because once me and all three of my bags were in the apartment there was no more floor space! Ha! I had no idea 18 square meters was so small! On the plus side, the apartment was as cute as the pictures, clean, warm, and well stocked with bread, water, butter, coffee, paper products, and the expected amenities. (pics to follow). My landlady did show up and helped me get connected to the internet, taught me how to use the keys, close the blinds, etc. Then, she left. I was on my own. (!)


Of course the first thing I did was update Facebook and send e-mails! Then, like a responsible person, I unpacked two of my bags (mostly so I could have somewhere to sit/stand). Once I got sufficiently settled in I knew it was time to venture out. I needed to figure out how to get to work for the next afternoon. I grabbed my keys, now personalized with a "I wish I was a Gamecock" t-shirt wearing duck named Little Squish, locked my door and headed out...the wrong direction. Oops! I quickly got turned around and headed the right direction. On my way to find the Metro/RER station I realized I desperately needed Chapstick. I decided to stop at the Pharmacy on my corner to get some, no big deal, until I realized I didn't know how to ask for the one I wanted. The saleslady and I definitely had a communication error, but I left with my Cherry Chapstick...which, in case you wondered, cost about $6. oof.

To make a long story short, I found the right train, bought by tickets using garbled French, and got to The American Library in Paris. The library door was hard to notice, since it was behind bars, so I walked by it...twice. I was confident that I would be able to get to work the next day, so I decided I should do something fun. So, I walked two blocks over and visited the Eiffel Tower. Yes, I work two blocks from the Eiffel Tower!!I knew the area from my previous trip to Paris, so around I strolled for a while before getting back on the train home (which I found without any difficulty). When I got back to my 'hood I realized I was hungry and should buy some groceries. I went to the Monoprix around the corner from my apartment. I found what I needed and decided that after my first transaction that I would avoid speaking if possible. Fortunately there was a self-checkout with an English options. I was stoked....until my bananas didn't want to weigh and the machine didn't want to accept my Euros. Of course and attendant came over and spoke rapid French to me an somehow got me to complete my transaction without saying anything intelligible.  

Embarrassed, I skulked home to eat dinner. After dinner I decided to shower, which was pretty amusing. I am a small, some would say munchkin-like individual. My shower, however, is designed for an actual munchkin, because even I ran my elbows, knees, and even forehead in to its walls. If I was above average height I might even be taller that the glass doors! At least the water pressure and heat were right! After my amusing shower I finished unpacking and passed out...only to wake up at 1:30 am!! This did allow me to have my first FaceTime conversation though, which was comforting and fun. I finally got back to bed around 3:00. I needed a good night's sleep since I had my first day of work in the morning....

MY FIRST DAY

On my first day I woke up late! I didn't have time to shower, or eat breakfast, or put any thought in to what I was going to wear. I did, however, manage to catch the train and get to the library on time. Everyone I met was really nice, and they all spoke English, which was a huge plus. I did expect this, however, since it is the AMERICAN library in Paris. I did make a friend with one of the volunteers. She is in Paris as an au pair and doesn't  know anyone or speak French either. I busied myself throughout the day with your usual library work. I worked on a booklist, did some shelving, attended a social media meeting. I did take a lunch break, which allowed me to visit a local boulangerie. I tried to order a sandwich and a Fanta. The sandwich ordering went fine, but the soda caused a dilemma. You see, I chose Fanta so I could say it in English. Well, the saleslady didn't understand it in English, so I had to say it with a ridiculous French accent!! That, she got, and I got my lunch and returned to work. The rest of the day passed as expected. I did attend a program at the library that evening. Max Mulhern was the speaker and he presented on his project called Aqua Dice. It's pretty cool...look it up. I was exhausted after the long day, so I took the train home. Although I mastered which train to take and what direction to take it in, I have failed to learn which exit out of the metro to take. Fortunately they are all relatively close together. My mistake this evening was an exciting one, because it allowed me to accidentally wander to Notre Dame. After admiring the beautiful architecture, I went home and intended to go to bed. Of course I was excited about my new discovery so I wasn't tired. I decided watching Netflix would make me sleepy. I soon found out that I can't watch Netflix internationally. Boo. So then I decided to watch French television. Of course I didn't understand anything and there wasn't anything on, so I decided I would make an effort to lay down my futon, rather than sleep on it like a couch like I did the night before. Well, I got it down, decided I hated how it looked and that I preferred the smaller surface. Unfortunately I could NOT figure out how to get it to fold again. I tried and fought and struggled with this damn bed for 30 minutes. During the struggle I managed to step on  shard of glass. I didn't realize how bad the wound was until I looked down to see a trail of blood spots! Of course I didn't have a bandaid and was forced to use a make-up pad and a sock. After tending to my wound I did indeed get the bed in to its original position. Then, I finally went to bed.  

DAY TWO 

Today is now drawing to a close, and I must say it was less stressful and anxiety ridden than the days before. I woke up early, for example, ate breakfast and showered. I decided that since I had so much extra time that I would walk all the way to work. It was a great decision, granted I took the longest route possible. I did get to walk along the Seine for almost an hour though, which was nice. 

Wednesdays are busy days at the library because children only go to school for half the day, so we hold two story hours. The first starts at 10:30. There were 18 children in attendance, which, if you've been to library programs, you know is a lot. We had an outer space themed program. It was cute. The second program was at 2:30 and it had 28 children! Yeah, I know. In addition to helping with the programs I got to create two Valentine's Day themed book displays, make Valentine's Day Cards for the kids, finish a book list on fairy tales and fables, and shelve books today. I also revisited the same boulangerie for lunch and this time the same saleslady and I had no problems communicating. I took a different route home and walked down Boulevard Saint-Germain until it hit Boulevard Saint-Michel and I was virtually home. Tonight's grocery extravaganza went more smoothly and now, here I am, telling all of you about my goings on. I am getting sleepy and it is time for me to read and go to bed.

More updates and pictures soon.

Bisous!