dim. 12 août

I've been in France five days now, and have seen quite a lot!  The first day in the city I did the obligatory visit to Tour L'Eiffel and saw the Place de la Concorde.  The second visit into the city, J, took me to the market in Belleville.....

Dire Quoi?

"In an old house in Paris, covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..."  and I could keep going.  Madeline held a permanent  spot in my five-year old-reading repertoire and still today I beg the children I watch to let me read it to them.  But, my (apparently American-centric) world started to crumble two days ago when I found out a French friend of mine had never even heard of the book. The book that features classic Parisian settings from The Luxembourg Gardens to the Place de la Concorde... the book that has names like "Miss Clavel"... the book that has the Eiffel Tower on the front.  How could he not know Madeline? 

I was shocked to learn that Madeline was neither published in France nor originally written in French.  It is only now that I am realizing what pitiful logic that was..."it is set in Paris ergo it must be French."  

The Austrian author, Ludwig Bemelmans was born in Italy and lived there until he moved to the United States working as an illustrator until he eventually wrote and published his beloved children's books.  Qui sait? 

Still, I feel sorry for the French children who are missing out on such a classic story about their country. Instead, they are reading these absolutely terrifying books. America wins! Just kidding...But, this same friend, was also not familiar with my favorite little elephant, Babar. Research confirmed that Histoire de Babar is most definitely French. So perhaps I shouldn't take his word for it...

Straight From France!

Here are some beautiful pictures taken in Paris this evening! Tonight the theme to the fire work show was Disco! Oh là là! What do you think they listened to?  The BeeGees? Abba?  Donna Summer?  Surely Gloria Gaynor...
Thanks, Julien!

Une Autre Vidéo

So I feel like I have been posting a lot of videos rather than writing some insightful posts.  My last excuse was that I was on vacation. This time, my excuse is that I am suffering from a minor medical procedure and the pain meds aren't quite as strong as I like.
Alors!  Here is a great video of Paris shot entirely on an iPhone.  Enjoy.

Louvre

Les Fleurs

Parisian flower markets.  Just because. 

Les Macarons

Before the idea of moving to Paris even entered my mind, it seems like the entire world was going crazy for  les macarons.  Brides were incorporating them in their wedding cakes, books were being published solely about these pretty little cookies.  I was tempted to buy a print of one and I've never even tasted them.  Luckily, I am about to move to the city that is the mecca of macarons:

La Vie Sucrée en Paris

Well, I said I was moving to Paris earlier...but now I am really moving because I bought a one way plane ticket to Charles de Gaulle for August 7, 2012.  Yowza... or shall I say, Sacre Bleu!
In preparation for my upcoming trip, I have been trying to relearn what elementary French skills I soaked up in high school and college: "je m'appelle Lindsay, comment vous vous appelez?"; listen to lots of French music hoping for some kind of language osmosis; and read everything I can about Parisian life.
I was torn between quite a few books at B&N but ultimately decided on David Lebovitz's book "The Sweet Life in Paris."  I tore through it in a weeks time, and while Lebovitz paints a tres belle picture of Paris and becoming Parisian, he offers a few unsettling tips...

1.  And this was the worst.  According to Lebovitz, if you leave your house you should be dressed.  As in, Parisians don't think it's okay to run errands or go shopping in pajamas, sweats or yoga attire.  Even if it is $160 lululemon outfit?  Oui.  He says he wouldn't even think about taking out the garbage (la poubelle!) in sweats. I am okay with the pj rule.  I wore that out in college, and when I look back am a little ashamed of how many classes I went to in fuzzy christmas jammies.  But yoga pants?  I practically live in yoga clothes if I'm not at work, and as I type am trying to remember where I put mine so I can go to the grocery store.

2. Bad coffee.  Who would have thought Paris had only comme ci comme ca coffee?  Some of the first vocabulary I was taught in French 101 was cafe au lait.  And that is only to be ordered before noon says D.L.  Oh Woe.

3.  Ne touchez pas!  If you touch something in a store or market, consider it yours.  Only pick something up if you are serious about making the purchase.

4. Resquillage.  Apparently Parisians are horrible line cutters or otherwise known as "resquillage" or "taking the risk".  I would not stand for this in America, so I am not sure how I would react with my less than deft language skills and being impossibly offended and angered.  Lebovitz answer is to stand uncomfortable close to the person in front of you.

5.  Toujours...always always greet the first person you lock eyes with when walking into a room, restaurant, elevator, etc...and then everyone else. It's considered extremely rude not to do so and the only exception is in the "grand magasin" or something similar to a grocery store or department store where the service is terrible.  And we think Parisians are rude.


Right now I am in the midst of "My Life in France" by Julia Child and meandering through "A Moveable Feast" by Hemingway.