a broad dispatch

gassy

2009-03-19T23:44:00.002-07:00

Weird. Gross. I know, but I've been feeling bloated and gassy since opening Tuesday morning, and I'm not sure why. Maybe eating too much protein? Too much low-fat soy milk? Ewww. I'll try using less protein powder tomorrow morning in my smoothie and see what happens. The feeling is hampering my ability to feel good about myself, as I feel fat all the time, even though I know it's not fat.

My group at school is still driving me crazy and wasting my time online. I edited my section of the report and made up a title page (we're past the whole post pictures on it and such nonsense), as nothing else seems to be happening.

I ran 55 minutes yesterday on the treadmill, really pushing myself, and doing some interval stuff for the last half of the workout. I was a sweaty mess at the end, my shirt completely soaked on the back, and about half-wet down the front. I also managed some slight chaffing on my thighs, which just encourages me to run more to lost the fat that's causing the chaffing. Did my upper-body stuff as well, and upped the weight for my bench presses, and I'm a bit sore today, but that might just be from lack of sleep (although I had 6 hours last night).

Watched Ugly Betty tonight (and missed out on the Film Society's screening of Rachel Getting Married). I really like the show, but I feel like every time I watch it, I get a little down, as there's a lot of intimacy in it between someone or other. I think I'm lacking that a lot in my life.

BAHHH!!!!

2009-03-16T21:47:00.003-07:00

Okay. So it's been over three weeks now. And I've been going to the gym EVERY OTHER DAY for those past three weeks. I've been running on the treadmill, 3-4 miles each time, doing all my weight work, core work, every other day. And how much weight have I lost??? NOTHING!!!! BAHH!!!!!! I don't understand what's going on! I'm eating healthier than I was eating before I started the training program, and it's like the scale is stuck at 178 lbs. BAHHHH!!! #@^$#%%@##$@#@! WTF?! I've noticed changes in my muscles in my arms and such, and today, during my core work, when I was doing the V-sit, it was easier than previous times, so stuff must be happening. Stuff not including fat loss, apparently.

My group at school is driving me crazy. I stayed up all night last Thursday night to finish my rough draft, and posted it for everyone, sending out a message that it was posted up there. Well, I got a text this morning from one of the group members saying that we have to meet this week, and wondering if I and the other group member who's doing the sustainability part could get a rough point form report done this week. Ummm, it's been up there since Friday, stupidface. What else do you want? And then I get home tonight after the gym, and check my email, and there's a message from said group member with the subject line of the other sustainability part and other sections of the report. So I go and check, and all that's there is "By so-and-so". That's it. BAH! Don't pretend you did anything when there's nothing done! WTF?!

Okay, rant is done. I went running outside this morning before work for the first time. I only went for 30 minutes, including a one-minute walk break mid-way through. It was fine, although, yes, it was more difficult-seeming than work on the treadmill. I was reading Runner's World online last night, and they had an article about transitioning from the treadmill to outside running after winter. So I've done my outside run for this week. Next week is two runs outside, and I'll up it to 35 minutes.

50 minutes

2009-03-10T23:31:00.002-07:00

Went to the Y this morning. Did 50 minutes of steady running on the treadmill, and usually, the time goes by really quickly, but today, it felt like forever. The one free treadmill upstairs wasn't working because the running mat had slipped on the rollers, and was stuck. I used a machine downstairs, but didn't watch the TV that's attached to the treadmill. Everything felt fine, but after, I did my old strength workout and core stuff (except for the reach and pull because I was running out of time), and after, my upper arms, like around the tris, were all achey, and still are. I don't know why, as I didn't do anything new, and used the same weights and reps. Weird.

Saw "He's Just Not That Into You" tonight with Kim, and she bought my ticket for me, so it didn't cost me anything. Yay! The movie was pretty good, and I was happy to see that they didn't sugarcoat everything, as tends to happen with most rom-coms.

Had to do secret shopping today, and my cover was blown over at the North Shore branch. Bah. However, that means that they'll have to find someone new to do it, which saves me the driving around. Saw Krista at the Sahali branch, though, and we had a brief catch-up. Turns out she's moving to Calgary April 15th, and Dennon is coming later. They're leaving for Cancun on Thursday, so I'll have to go and get something for her tomorrow and drop it off at her parent's place tomorrow night.

new workout

2009-03-08T23:34:00.003-07:00

Met with Kim today at the Y, and got a new strength workout. She gave me five different exercises to do the first time we met two weeks ago. This time, it was seven new, different exercises that I can use to switch up things a bit. She gave me two leg exercises, which should help with leg muscle toning, along with a bunch of new upper-body stuff. We went through the circuit today after a 20-minute run on the treadmill, and not just a "show-me" circuit like the first time, but the full-on thing, with two sets for each one. As a result, we'll see how I am tomorrow. I think it'll be a rest day, as I was at the gym yesterday already and did the full set that I had from before, so that, along with the mini-run today and the sets should be fine. So this week, it's Tuesday, Thursday, and then Saturday again. Kim had me get on the scale this time too, and sadly, I apparently didn't lose any weight. Nothing. However, I noticed when I got off the scale that it was five pounds over 0. I don't know if it was like that last time or not, but if not, then I lost five pounds. Who knows, and really, I don't care, obviously, or I would have been on that scale every time I was at the gym. In good news, I've been given the okay to run outside again, and can go up to 55-minutes on the runs, which is somewhat exciting, somewhat scary, as only two weeks ago, I wasn't running any minutes.

I had a couchsurfer contact me tonight from Mission. He's a French teacher down there, and is coming up for the Spring Break, but I don't know how long he's staying up here to go up to Sun Peaks. He mentioned only one or two nights, and I'm at the bank Friday night and then closing Saturday at Sbux. I could see about covering the shift Saturday night, and then I'd have the whole weekend off to spend with him, but as I get so few shifts at Sbux already, losing a full closing shift would kind of suck and mean that I get only 6.5 hours this week. Boo.

Most of the time, I've found, when couchsurfers contact me, I'm always hesitant to reply back, and if I do reply, I usually make up some excuse as to why I can't host. This is often coörelated to how long they've been a CSer, the number of references, etc. Sadly, in Canada, it seems like a lot of CSers are all new or pretty close, and so have nothing to "speak" to their "quality". However, I hate turning people away, especially when it's been so long since I hosted anyone, or even had contact with any CS-related person. Alex was the last surfer, I think back in August, and then when I went to Montreal, when I met Yann.

I'll think about it and probably reply back tomorrow.

In other thoughts, there's a seat sale on Iberia airlines right now for flights from NYC (JFK) to Barcelona for about $253 USD from now until the end of April, and then again at the end of the year into early February. I'm really tempted to just book it for a month away in November, and figure out getting to NYC later, but haven't. It's a really good fare, even in USD, all taxes/fees included, and I've never been to Spain, plus I could easily rent a car and drive up through France or catch a train or whatever. I have a place to stay in Paris, likely in Tours, and could CS elsewhere, probably pretty easily for that time of the year. I'll have to decide soon.

I've also been checking the WRI website lately, and there are some intern positions posted that I'm going to apply for. Even if things don't work out, I'd like more information, and at least it's something better than what I have now.

in training

2009-03-07T21:37:00.004-08:00

I went to the Y today after work, and I'm feeling better each time that I go. It's been almost two weeks (as of tomorrow), and I'm noticing changes in how my body feels, as well as in my upper-body strength. Even though the latter is a very slow improvement, I do feel more strength in my arms, especially at the end of the sets, at this point as opposed to two weeks ago.

My one concern is my shins. I've been walking to work quickly the last couple days (due to getting downtown late), and when I get to Sbux or TD, muscles at the front of my shins hurt. I really noticed it today when I got to Sbux, and that might be due mainly to my craptastic work shoes.

I booked off time for the SunRun in Vancouver, so I'm now committed to two races in April - the SunRun on April 19th and the Boogie here in Kamloops on the 25th. According to this month's Runner's World, running a "cold run" type run before the big event is helpful as a test to see how ready one is. So, if that's true, I should be okay (if all goes well, that is).

cook

2008-11-30T00:59:00.004-08:00

I'm trying to get back on the cooking train. I picked up Jamie Oliver's "Cook with Jamie" cookbook last week at Shopper's on sale. I remember reading that it was ranked in the top 10 cookbooks of all time (and of course, I can't remember or find via google where I read that). Upon first skim-thru, I find it to be helpful even to an amateur foodie like me. It tells you how to shop for food, what to look for. I always feel intimidated when I walk into butcher shops or fishmongers, because I really have no idea what I'm looking for or what I'm supposed to ask for, in terms of a specific cut of meat or what is best for what. Of course, I know basic type stuff, but ask me to identify where a striploin is cut from, and I'd have no idea. Now I do. As well, the book is full of recipes that use easy-to-find ingredients that you're likely to use again, more so because a lot of the recipes use the ingredients again (i.e. anchovy fillets). I expect to get lots of ideas and success from the book, however, I also think that, with it's emphasis on fresh ingredients and local produce and such, the book is, like most cookbooks, more suitable for city-dwellers than those in rural or smaller centers, or at least those of us who don't have easy access to year-round markets or who don't grow our own food/have four seasons of growing.

I just pulled out two loaves of Amish bread from the oven. Evonne gave me a bag of the starter when I was down in Vancouver. She made muffins out of her's, and I may try that next time. I now have three bags of starter fermenting away on the counter. According to the recipe, only the Amish know the recipe for the starter, although a quick google search just gleaned several sources for the recipe, so...not so secret apparently? In any case, it's tasty stuff, and once you make the starter, it's just a matter of feeding it to keep it going and to maintain a steady supply for your bread-baking fun time needs.

Tomorrow, my one day off this week until next Sunday, is going to be spent writing up Christmas cards and putting together the gift packs to send overseas. I also bought six sets of outdoor lights today, plus a timer stake, so I'll be setting that up tomorrow too. I'd like to find cans of maple syrup, but I've only seen bottles around town. I'd also like to pick up a bottle of ice wine or two, at least for Tim and Joycee for their wedding. Tomorrow may also be spent at the theatre, catching a cheap matinée...maybe, if I get bored of everything else. I also have a couple pieces of tilapia that are crying out for curry fun, so that'll be for dinner with some cauliflower, bird's eye chilies, and fingerling potatoes. Yum!

off to vancouver, again

2008-11-18T23:26:00.003-08:00

Tomorrow I take off to Vancouver until Sunday. Caroline arrived in Vancouver yesterday from Taiwan, which is the main purpose of the trip, to see her and the new bébé. It's supposed to rain the whole time I'm there, and then, of course, sunny on Sunday, but I guess I got the good weather last time. We're supposed to go for dinner at Les Faux Bourgeois, the new bistro that Sarah and I tried to get into last time. I'm excited to check it out, and compare to Montréal/Paris (yes, I know, nothing will compare to those, but just to see how the Vancouver chefs measure up, whether it's a complete slaughter or just a...I don't know what.

Last night I applied for admission to TRU for January. Wow, the admission process has much improved since the last time I applied for higher education, let me tell you. Now, there's just one-stop shopping for admission to any post-secondary institution in BC. I don't know if it's now similar to what Ontario has or not, but I remember when Carter applied to Waterloo that he had to pay a set fee to apply to up to three schools in Ontario. In any case, I sent in my application online, and then made a request for my transcripts from UBC, which I will pick-up tomorrow at Brock Hall. Oh Brock Hall.

Closed tonight with S. My. God. Working with him is like working with a two-year-old. It's like it would be better if he wasn't even there, because it either takes him a) far too long to do things or b) you have to keep checking up on him and making sure he does what you told him to do. He stands around and wonders what he should be doing, and all I can think about when people do that at work is what Auntie Nicole told me, way back when at the lab. If you're at work, you should be keeping your hands busy. You can stand around and talk, but make sure your hands are always busy doing something, anything. Then when I tell those people to do stuff, usually crappy stuff like clean the washrooms or something, I feel like saying, "Gee, if only you'd have looked busy." If you look busy, people usually leave you alone.

Na zdraví

2008-11-14T01:05:00.003-08:00

I went and saw "I Served the King of England" tonight as part of the Kamloops Film Society's Fall Series. Based on the last film, "Flight of the Red Balloon", I had some low expectations. Really, with the Society's films, it seems that it's a crap shoot each time one goes to a screening. In any case, they had showed previews of this one at previous films, and it looked entertaining, so I had at least some hope.

And I was not disappointed. The film was great, entertaining, funny, and with lots of gratuitous nudity of the female variety (along with some amputee and male nudity thrown in for good measure). The movie follows the reminiscing of a former Czech waiter after he is released from prison after spending close to 15 years locked up. The film includes some shots of Prague as well, which brought back memories, especially scenes along the riverfront, where Dave and I walked during my stay in the city back in January.

Worked a long, all-day shift at the bank today, which was good, as I got in lots of practice, more so because it was also busy today. I feel like an idiot most of the time, though, as I'm constantly running around, either getting authorization on cheques or whatever, or asking questions that I feel deep down, I should know the answer to. I'm sure that everyone else has been in my place before, but at the same time, I went through the online training, I went to the orientation course, and I've worked a handful of shifts at the branch now. I should have this by now, but I still feel really slow and like I'm stumbling along. This is especially true when the businesses bring in their deposits or CVSs, and I take about 10 hours to process them through the system.

Tomorrow, we're having lunch with the H's, after which we'll likely be dragged off to see the progress on their new house. Whoopee.

I phoned TRU today to see if I could make an appointment with an advisor for January course selection, but to no avail. Same story as last time, so I think I'm just going to get UBC to send them my transcript, then apply for admission and register for courses. Then, when I finally do get in to see someone, I can just add or drop or change as need be. I can't believe how busy the advising staff is. UBC was never this difficult, and we had about 4-5 times the number of students. Then again, practically all the faculties have their own advisors, whereas at TRU, I think there are just general advisors for the entire university.

was there a full moon i wasn't aware of?

2008-11-10T22:42:00.003-08:00

Ummmm, so people were weird today, and by weird, I mean snarky-bite-your-head-off weird. There was a guy at Sbux who challenged me on the way his caramel macchiato was supposed to be made (won that one...don't argue with a gay barista, especially if you want to be taken seriously while standing in front of me wearing pajama pants), and then the silly, vague lady, wanting "the fruit thing" from the pastry case, and then the guy at the bank, complaining about the $3 cheque cashing fee. Even the regulars were a bit snarky today. Hopefully tomorrow is better.

Although it's Remembrance Day tomorrow, I have to work at Sbux in the morning, just a short 5-hour shift. The shift includes 11 am, though, so who knows if it'll actually be busy or not around that time.

Dad drove down today, as he has a doctor's appointment Wednesday. He'll stay for about a week, and then Mom and him are going back together. I think they're going down to Riverside Park with the H's to watch the Remembrance Day ceremonies tomorrow. I know when I was chatting with Mr. and Mrs. H today after getting off at Sbux, they had mentioned it.

Glad S. updated his blog. It was good to read it after randomly going to check it out and catch up a bit on what's going on. So you so know that this little update was brought on by his posting. If you're reading, S., enjoy :)

someone get me outta here!

2008-08-19T17:47:00.002-07:00

I've decided that I really need to get back to a big city, someway, somehow. Although I enjoy what Kamloops has to offer, I really don't think it's ready for what I have to offer, and by that, I mean in terms of fashion lol! I went to see Pineapple Express last night with Sarah, and wore my new kerchief, tied around my neck, very Euro-style. It was paired with a plain white tee, my straight-leg APCs, and Chucks. Obviously, I got lots and lots of looks from everyone at the theatre, which was somewhat intended, as one doesn't go out in public in North America, methinks, with a neckerchief, and not expect looks, either of amusement or wonder or something else. Hell, one doesn't go out in public anywhere these days with a neckerchief without expecting some looks.

The Danes get it when it comes to energy policy.
If I were ever to do a graduate program, I think I would pick her as my supervisor. I think this would be a great topic to study.

I'm off to Montreal next Friday, and am really looking forward to it, partly because it's Montreal, partly because I'll get to see Caroline again, and partly because I'll get to stuff my face with yummy, fatty, French food. Also, I'll get to catch the tail-end of the Montreal film fest, so that'll be cool. I've contacted a couple other couchsurfers who are going to be in town while I'm there, both from the Queer CS group. There's also a CSer who has contacted me in advance (like last month), but I'm a bit hesitant to meet up with him, as I think there are underlying reasons as to why he wants to meet up, and I'm definitely not attracted.

on the road to injury

2008-06-07T02:40:00.005-07:00

I think I've injured myself again by running, and I think it's the same injury as in the past - IT band syndrome. Fun times. I hate being injured and I hate being sore from running because it takes forever to recover, seemingly, and during that time, I usually get out of shape, and then have to spend even more time getting back into the shape I was in before being injured. Argh! But we'll see. I've been massaging like crazy and rolling my legs with the rolling pin and kneading myself with the ol' Nalgene, so I hope that it's all helping and loosening things up, but I'm not holding my breath.

I went and saw the Helen Hunt film "Then She Found Me". I think I mentioned on this blog when the NYTimes did a review of the film that I wanted to see it but doubted that it'd come to Kamloops. Well, the faithful Paramount here in town brought it in, and surprisingly, it'll be here for another week at least. The movie was a bit strange, as most independent films are, but was somewhat refreshing at the same time because I found that it made the viewer think for themselves as to what was going on and forced one to make assumptions, rather than force-feeding you the plot as so many do. It brings me back to something that Bill Bryson, the travel writer, wrote about in the last book of his that I read, "Notes from a Big Country", where he talks about how America has become stupid and seemingly needs things to be spelled out for it. Stuff like "Scotland, which is north of Britain", obvious stuff, but things that seemingly need to be explained so that people don't get confused for whatever reason. The movie was okay, and Bette Midler gives a great performance as Helen Hunt's character's birth mothers. Matthew Broderick also stars as her husband, but I don't think he gives a very good performance. Probably a 2.5 out of 5 for the film overall.

It's been really cold and dreary in Kamloops the last couple of days. I think it's going to rain all night here. I just finished watching "P.S. I Love You" online, and cried some more, though not the wracking sobs that happened when I saw it in Dublin with Lauren. Good movie, will have to buy it.

Really tired today. I think I overslept this morning, although I got the lie-in that I missed out on on my birthday. Weeded half the garden; will finish the other half tomorrow. Looks much better now that one can actually see the plants for the lack of weeds, although I'm a bit concerned about how I'm supposed to weed the carrots. They're all willy-nilly due to how Mom planted them, so weeding is going to be an issue. I'll have to be extra-careful.

Going to go to the Farmer's Market in the morning and see what I can see. If it's wet, I'll be wearing rubber boots with my skinny jeans. Too bad I don't have any Wellie's, because that would be super-cute. Especially if they're the green ones, comme ça.

Was talking to Sarah yesterday for her birthday, and we started talking about going to see Lauren, or more I brought up the fact that I was talking to Lauren and thinking about visiting her in SF in October. Looked at fares today, and Allegiant Air is posting fares at $78 USD one way from Bellingham to SF, so about $177 or so all taxes included, roundtrip for the September long-weekend. I just hope this job thing gets settled soon, hopefully in the favourable sense, and then this fixed so that I'll one, have money, and two, can go travelling and such again. I miss having a good job, and this would totally fit the bill. I mentioned to Lauren that this would be like working at UBC again in terms of pay. I miss that steady wage, and boy, was it a good one to have. I'm sick of low-paying retail grunt work.

scared stiff

2008-06-01T02:35:00.003-07:00

Apparently, no fewer than ten attorneys general in the US are scared of same-sex couples getting married in California, and then returning home to demand that they be allowed to do the same in their home states.

I really have no idea what goes through these peoples' minds. What is the problem here? So what if people get married in another state and then come home, demanding the same thing? The real problem here is that the respective AGs don't want gay people to get married, period. They would rather keep marriage between a man and a woman. Which is fine. Keep marriage in the religious sense between people of opposite sex. But please don't deny your fellow citizens the basic rights, like visiting rights in the hospital, right to a partner's pension, parental rights, and a host of other things that heterosexual people take for granted.

vindication

2008-06-01T00:50:00.003-07:00

So much has happened since the last time I posted, I don't know where to begin. However, there is one major thing that I do want to get off my chest. We went down to Vancouver for Geoff and Debra's wedding, and while in town, I was able to go to Ikea to get a small desk for my computer/room, as well as make a trip downtown to the new H&M and the Holt's, the latter which opened while I was over in Europe. I also got to check out The Perfume Shoppe, a fantastic store in Sinclair Centre that helped me select a fragrance, and has me further educated in the art of perfume. It'll definitely be a place to visit each time I'm in town.

Anyways, while at Holt's, I passed by the fragrance counter, and asked for a bit of assistance. The sales assistants were pretty much useless, trying to sell me crap that smelled just like every other fragrance for men out there, nothing new, nothing bold or interesting. One of the least crappy was Terre d'Hermès, by Hermès. I mentioned to the evil SA that it smelled like grapefruit to me, to which she responded that no no, citrus maybe, but "definitely not grapefruit". Well, at the Perfume Shoppe, I was able to snag a cheap copy of Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's tome "Perfumes: The Guide". Next to Terre d'Hermès, the review reads:

A delightfully fresh grapefruit-geranium confection, with no terre in sight. Harmless and pleasant at all times.

Did that not just say "grapefruit"???? ARGH! Take that, stupid useless Holt's SA!!!! I win!

Over at The Perfume Shoppe, I snagged a bottle of Comme des Garçons Jaisalmer from their Incense series. It's fantastic, and pretty much all the perfumes that I sniffed there were unlike anything that I'd smelled before. In the various department stores I've been in, all the mens' fragrances smell similar, like variations on a theme. Nazrin, the owner of TPS, was extremely helpful, and showed me a variety of fragrances, was patient with my lack of knowledge of what I liked and disliked or my general lack of knowledge of perfume in general, and helped guide me in the right direction. I had brought in a list of some fragrances that I thought I might like to try (and still might), but she said that they're likely all too strong for me. In any case, along with the bottle of Jaisalmer, I got samples of Parfumerie Générale's L'eau Guerriere, a new fragrance, CdG's Harissa from their Red series, and Montale's Soleil de Capri, one that Naz selected for me to try out. She also sent me out with five samples of Serge Lutens fragrances. I've tried two so far, Chypre Rouge (too sweet and candy-like for me) and Ambre Sultan (fantastic, and has me thinking of getting a full bottle, it's that fantastic, and reminds me of Istanbul and the idea of far-off exotic lands).

I went and watched a matinée of the new Sex and the City movie this afternoon. I wouldn't say it was super-fantastic or life-changing or anything like that, and I wasn't expecting it to be, but oh. my. god. the fashions in that movie are reason enough to see it. The dresses are jaw-droppingly beautiful. I have one question, though. What happened to Stanford's boyfriend Marcus? He's nowhere to be found/seen in the entire movie, and it makes it seem like Stanford and Anthony are trying to get together or that because they're the only two gay men in the film, that they have no choice but to get together, despite the fact that in the series, they hated each other with a passion. Anyways, I enjoyed it, along with the mainly female audience. There were maybe three other guys there, all dragged to it by their wives/girlfriends.

Went for a long run today for 45 minutes, and covered close to 9 km, which is great. My fitness is slowly improving and I'm feeling better, plus the fat is disappearing from around my waist, and I'm starting to regain the muscle tone in my legs. However, I'm starting to get recurring pain in my right thigh, sort of right where the femur attaches to the pelvis, on the inner side of the joint. I don't know what's causing it, but I think I may need to go see a physio soon before it gets too bad. I can pretty much control the pain with my stride/running posture when I'm running, so at the moment, it's more of an inconvenience, but one that I could do without. I hate soreness when I'm running, and even after the runs, like this evening, if I walk a certain way or get up and start walking right away, I can feel a bit of a twinge there. I'm going to try massaging the front of my thigh and such to see if that does anything to loosen the muscles. I have a feeling it's just tight muscles (like every other injury I've had), especially as it's only on the right-hand side.

And that's about it. Time for some links:

This video is hilarious. I wonder how long they both had to practice to get the arm and leg movements down pat?
One regret of many I have of my time in Europe is that I never made it down to North Africa. EasyJet and other airlines all had cheap seat fares down to Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, but I never went. This article from the NYTimes paints a lovely picture of Tunis. Next time...
Apparently, ricotta cheese is making a star appearance in many a NY restaurant. Here's a recipe from the Little Owl.
This brought back so many memories of my life in Paris. I lived in the 10th, just a two minute walk away from the Canal St-Martin, where I had many a picnic and used to run. I miss it a lot, and this blog entry was fantastic. I love the idea of renting out an apartment for a week instead of staying at a hotel, and having this impromptu dinner party with new Parisian/pretend-Parisian friends. Great.
In today's hard times, people are looking to spend less to look great. Thanks to H&M, Uniqlo, and other fast-fashion brands, this can be done easily (as long as you're not living in Canada where these brands have yet to make a major appearance, anyways).
31 Places to Go this summer, including a few Canadian picks. I still would like to visit the Oregon coast. Perhaps this summer? We'll see. I've been shortlisted for a job, and will know soon enough whether I'll be continuing to work as a lowly barista or something more challenging, in which case I'll actually be able to afford trips and vacations and such.
I loved wandering about Venice on foot when I was there last year, but this, travelling the canals in your very own inflatable kayak, sounds like even more fun! I didn't really think about the sewage issue when I was there, probably because it didn't smell or anything to make me actually think about it.
Perhaps Lauren and I will have to do a farm tour of Sonoma County when I go to visit her. I have enough miles to cash in for a roundtrip ticket, but I can't believe that you still have to pay extra to cover the taxes and crap, pretty much half of your ticket price anyways. Again, if I get this better job, it'll be more likely that I'll go to visit (and more likely that I'll also go visit other people/places as well).

linky linky fun times

2008-05-08T17:52:00.010-07:00

There are a whole crapload of links that are clogging up my screen, so, without further ado...

I love this part of the FabCrush interview with The Manolo (of shoeblog fame) the most. He was asked what, in his opinion, is the ugliest shoe in history. I think he sums the disgustingness of the Croc up pretty well:
The Croc, with out the doubt , the Croc. It represents all that is evil about the modern world; the ugly, cheap plastic object that infantilizes the wearer and abuses the eyes of the beholder. They are peasant clown shoes, for clownish peasants.
NowSmellThis does a review of Jo Malone's new Kohdo Wood collection, which sounds promising. I'll have to try it out at Holt's in two weeks, if I get a chance.
San Francisco kicks ass in the recycling department, and still wants to do more. Gavin Newsom, you're my hero.
The NYTimes guides you closer to the grown-up sneaker, appropriate for kicking back as well as for the office (depending...).
A review of Madonna's concert at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC.
What a fantastic house. This is pretty close to my ideal future home - character, cozy, in the country, surrounded by nature, beautiful, and a mix of old and new. Nice work.
The NYTimes Magazine compiles reviews from the international press for Men's Fall 08 fashion. Most of the pictures are great and the fashion good...until you get to Prada. What the hell was going through Miuccia's head???
A little while ago, I mentioned that the Chinese need a good reality shock kick in the pants. Well, ask and thou shalt receive, as a child labour ring is uncovered.
America's answer to H&M is Steve & Barry's.
Yikes! What a horrible promo photo for the upcoming SATC movie. To echo the comments, THAT's the best picture you could come up with???
Chandler Burr of the NYTimes Magazine reviews Jo Malone's "Red Roses" perfume, giving it four stars.
The Oxford shirt makes a comeback this spring. Yay to no more loud stripes on ANYbody. Plus, check out this YouTube user for videos of tie knots other than the four-in-hand and Windsor.
John Varvatos opens his new store in the Bowery in NYC, in the former CBGB site, and the NYTimes goes in to check it out.

That's all. Sooooo tired tonight... |(

*image from www.howtobrushyourteeth.co.uk (seriously)

waste

2008-05-08T02:33:00.004-07:00

I went out with Crystal, Heather, Robyn and her boyfriend Jeff, and Crystal's friend Chris to see "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". What a waste of two hours and $10. I can't believe that they stretched it to two hours. Granted, there were some funny moments in the film, but the funniness of the film is mainly in the shock value of most of the jokes (and the groan-inducing full-frontal male nudity), rather than actually being genuinely funny. I also get somewhat confused after a movie when people have reactions that are totally opposite to your's. In this case, those reactions were "That was a really great movie!" and "Wasn't that the funniest movie ever?". Um, no.

I was talking to Lauren tonight after I got home, and talking about her new job, her upcoming trip, the fun and joy of moving to a new place and all the searching and stuff to do when that happens, and what's new. She told me that Joey has moved in permanently to Sarah's condo. I think they're moving ridiculously fast, having known each other for less than a year. Oh well. Like Lauren said, she's happy that Sarah is happy. Apparently Joey tried to console Lauren with some yoga bullsh*t something or other, and Lauren had pretty much the same reaction that I would have had.

*image from Castelreagh Borough Council.

day off

2008-05-01T00:48:00.003-07:00

I really love days off, when there are no expectations of things to do and you can just laze around in bed all day long...if you really want to. Went for a run today, upping the time to 25 minutes (whoopie!). I think I actually ran faster today than in the past three runs, and was able to make it almost all the way to Juniper Ridge (or at least I think I did, as I was able to look up the hill from the trail and see the house on the very edge of the closest subdivision) before turning back. Also, when I made it back to the trailhead, I had just over a minute left on the timer, and so started to run back up the hill to the house, and was able to do so without any muscle stiffness or that sort of thing. The breathing is still relatively heavy, compared to what it used to be when I was running regularly, but hopefully that'll improve soon as the respiratory and circulatory systems get back into shape.

I had the curry from the Men's Health magazine that I bought back in Dublin tonight for dinner. Again, I expected the sauce to be thicker, and I didn't expect there to be so much of it, but it was not too bad. It tasted a lot of coriander, mainly because I think I might have put too much in, but according to the picture, the chicken (they used turkey, but I really don't think that would make much of a difference) looks just covered a bit in the green sauce, and not drowning in it, as mine was. Meh. The jalapeños didn't add too much heat to it, just enough to make it a little warm, so that was good.

Mom finally found the receipt for my MacBook, so hopefully I can now get it repaired and not have to worry about the warranty or whatever. I've put a piece of tape over the crack on the case so that it doesn't get any bigger. It was starting to get caught on my sleeves and such, so...

Links:

Even the crazies have to wear underwear...just not the "evil and immoral underwear that entices me and my brothers and sisters to sin". Keep that in mind the next time you undress someone and their underwear is lame-o.
A profile of the man who designs Chuck Taylors and who claims to have invented the boxer brief (that hottest-of-them-all male underwear style): John Varvatos. Frankly, I find all his stuff over-priced, but I do enjoy looking at and dreaming about wearing it.
To wear or not to wear? The debate over "larger" men in speedos continues. I wear a speedo, and I don't claim to be a male model or have washboard abs, but I would prefer not to be weighed down by a bulky pair of board shorts. If I want a training suit, I'll wear a training suit, thanks much. Plus, I think it looks far more sexy than swim trunks, and in all the swimming pools I went to around Europe, you have no choice but to wear a speedo-style suit. I'm pleased to see that the commenters think alike.
Great Nike ad directed by Guy Ritchie. Parts of it made me laugh out-loud. Oh hot footballers, why do you torture me so???
This whole story is disgusting, and I can't imagine what the people of the town, let alone the same apartment building or its neighbours, could be going through or their thoughts on the whole thing. The poor woman, Elisabeth. Can you imagine having your father rape you, and then having to raise his children? Sick.
I love love love Little Britain! Tyler was the first person to tell me about it, and we were supposed to get together in Paris at his place to watch/introduce me to it, but never got around to it. You can watch episodes on YouTube, but this new stuff is super-exciting. Can't wait!!! Yah but, no but, yah but, no but, yah but everyone saw Debbie's spider...don't be givin' me evils!
The Chinese really need to look a little closer at their own country. There is a reason why everyone accuses the government of human rights abuses and environmental destruction. There is a reason why there are documentaries like "Manufactured Landscapes". The nationalists in this article seem to think that there is nothing wrong with their country. I'm not saying that any country is perfect, but there's also something to be said about going about and saying that your country doesn't have any problems or things to be embarrassed about, when there are clearly lots of things to be embarrassed about.
Do you like pigeons or bald-headed eagles better? This story raises an interesting point about how people think and the biases that seem to crop up without us realizing them.
This makes you wonder whether Obama or Hillary can even win.
Kudos to the governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano. Having allowed this bill to go through would have ushered in a sort of gestapo. I really don't think it would be much different from racial profiling, as stated in the article. What else can you call the placement of 160 officers in mainly Hispanic neighbourhoods?
Not that Canada's energy policies are much better, but this is ridiculous. You can hear the author's sarcasm, especially in the middle of the article. BC has a carbon tax that is set to start July 1st, adding 2.4¢ to each liter of gasoline, and that will rise annually until 2012, when it reaches 7.2¢. The premier has continually emphasized that this is a correct decision, and I agree, even though it will cost everyone more for everything. That's the price to pay when you're addicted to something like oil that impacts practically every single point in our modern lives (I don't necessarily agree with what is going to happen with all that extra money collected, but that's another story).
Maureen Dowd always makes me laugh with her op-ed columns. As this campaign wears on, I keep wondering how much Obama wants the nomination, and whether he can really weather all types of storms. The whole Reverend Wright scandal seems to be testing him to the limit when it really shouldn't be such a big deal.

*image from The Visual Dictionary.

free music

2008-05-01T00:29:00.004-07:00

Coldplay is giving away a single off their new album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, entitled "Violet Hill". You can get the free download by going to the band's website and clicking on the "Song" tab. After entering your information into the fields, you'll receive an email with download instructions. The album will be released June 12, and the band will play two free concerts, one in London and the other in New York City, later in the month. I've heard their new song, and it's a good one, very much in the same vein as their earlier stuff.

*image from Coldplay.com

finally

2008-04-29T01:10:00.005-07:00

Matt and I went out to Milestones last night for dinner, and got all caught up. We had a really good chat, and I was really happy to lay it all out for him and tell him all about the disaster that was and is Justin and all the other crap that happened after that mess, along with some stuff from Paris and such. I think I really needed that, a friendly face who wouldn't judge and who would understand and listen. I think we really became closer last night just by talking. It's something that we never really did in Vancouver - get to know each other better - and I'm glad that we were able to do a bit of it last night.

Worked yesterday and today (and will again tomorrow) with Crystal, a super-fun girl who used to work at Waterfront down in Vancouver. It's nice to have someone else in the store who actually understands what it's like to work in a busy store (like the ones down in Vancouver) and how things work and what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. She's going to Italy in about 15 days, so I've been telling her all about it. Turns out that Krista and Dennon aren't going anymore, preferring to spend their money on a new car instead. A new car? You've got to be f*ing kidding me. Oh well, each has their own priorities, I guess.

Some guy dropped an application off at the store today, and according to Crystal, he was super-hot. I saw the application, and I have never seen guy's writing as neat as this was. I told Robyn, another new-to-me coworker that I should demand he be hired just so that I'm not the only gay in the village anymore.

Mom and Dad got an offer on the house, and were talking back and forth with the real estate this morning, getting things settled. It all hinges on the buyers selling their house by May 23rd or something around that date. The offer is less than what they were asking for, but I guess it's fine. I hope it all works out, as this going back and forth is starting to annoy Dad a bit, and it would be good to get rid of it just for that reason alone, never mind the extra set of bills and insurance and such. They're both going up tomorrow to pack more stuff and get rid of more junk in preparation.

I got the invitation to Evonne's surprise birthday party today. I'm a bit torn, but in the end, think I won't be going. It's supposed to be the weekend right after Geoff and Debra's wedding, which would mean that we'd be going down for the wedding, and then the following weekend, I'd be going down again for Evonne's bash. It's a bit too much, and I highly doubt I'd be able to get two weekends off in a row, especially as I barely got the weekend off to go to the wedding. I don't know why Emily didn't just organize the party for the same weekend or closer to the time of Geoff's wedding, especially as we'll all be in town anyways for that, and especially with Caroline coming from Montreal and all (maybe...still have no confirmation on her attendance). In any case, I still haven't looked on the availability of possible days off for that weekend, and I keep forgetting when I'm at the store, which means that it obviously doesn't mean that much to me in order to remember it.

Link tiiiiiiiiiime:

I had no idea that Ugly Betty had a podcast going! This week was the first official video podcast, and it was great. Amanda and Marc singing is always fun, and I will obviously be wasting hours away to catch up on all the podcasts in the next week or two.
Ummmm...why? I think there must be better ways to raise awareness than this. I had my chest waxed once five years ago and that was the first and last time I'll ever do it.
Another reason to love London, as if I (or the rest of you) needed another. I think it's already one of the more gay-friendly cities in the world, and this reputation should continue if this is any indication.
The first time I saw this, it sent chills up my spine and brought tears to my eyes. Watching it still does. Amazing voice and good attitude, but Simon is right on the self-esteem/confidence. However, if you're bullied because of your singing, what other character are you going to present when you're singing?
I've been neglecting David's blog for a while, and went back last night randomly. He mentioned a bit on dulce de leche, that oh-so-sinful caramel dessert courtesy of our Spanish-speaking friends down south. I remember having it for the first time with Sarah back in the dorms. Her friend had baked a can of condensed milk and made it that way, and ever since, I've been trying to figure out just how he did it. Well, David demystifies the process, making it less dangerous, but I did a google of the whole boil-the-can technique and found oodles of resources. I'll have to give it a try this weekend, when the parentals are out of the house and I can experiment without their supervision.

And that's it. Can you believe it, no links from the NYTimes? It's cuz I haven't had a chance to actually read it in detail. Maybe tomorrow.

*image from Whats4eats.com

time for links

2008-04-27T00:05:00.006-07:00

Matt arrives tomorrow evening on his way to Vancouver from Edmonton. I don't know what to expect, but I'm excited to see him. I told him to be prepared, as "I might throw myself" at him, having been away from any gay male for the past few months, to which he responded that he "doesn't mind men throwing themselves" at him "at all". Who knows what will happen, but it's highly unlikely that anything will happen other than us hanging out tomorrow night and having brunch Monday morning, as discussed. In any case, I think I need to apologize to him about the way that I treated him occasionally when we were working together at Starbucks and I was still pining over Justin.

Had a great pre-close shift tonight with Aja and Seanna at Sbux. Seanna is super-cynical, and reminds me a lot of Candice in Ottawa, but somehow not as negative. Aja is reminding me a lot of Dee, especially as they're both shifts and such. In any case, the pre-close went very well and we each helped each other out. Aja also introduced me to two guys, Jordan and Carl. Carl used to work at the store, and both were setting my gaydar off, so it appears that I am not the only gay in the village after all. Youpée!

Went for a run today on the trail by the house. I followed the route that Mom, Dad, and I took yesterday, the one through the gravel pit rather than the switchbacks up the hill, far better in general for that reason. I only went 20 minutes again, and it felt good. I was breathing harder than usual (or at least harder than I remember breathing when I used to run regularly), but that's to be expected until I get back into running shape. I hope to be at the 50-60 minute point by the time of Geoff's wedding at the end of May. I want to be able to run down at the coast when we go down. I miss running along Kits beach and around my old place in Kits and on the trails out at UBC. I went on a side trail today, one that hugs the side of the hill, and hence, there's less up and down action. The trail is really narrow, a single-track, and that totally reminded me of the trails in Pacific Spirit Park, with the trees and bushes so close, and having to duck and dodge branches and twigs. 20 minutes again on Monday, and then I can move up if that goes well.

Time for linky fun times:

Some people in the comments for this say that they can't concentrate on the shoes when Gwyneth's legs are looking so fabulous, but I beg to differ. Her legs look gigantor for some reason, and I think the too-short dress combined with the shoes make her legs, and especially the thigh regions, look fat. Why, Gwyneth, why???
This has got to be, IMO, one of the ugliest shoes I've ever seen. That being said, I want to know why anyone in their right mind would want to copy it (as they have apparently done several times before, and not just with Balenciaga's, or by bothering to make it their own either). I don't care that it was designed by Balenciaga either. They should stick to gowns and bags, and leave the shoes to Louboutin and Manolo and Choo.
It appears that people are finally coming to their senses and rejecting THE ugliest shoe in history - the croc. What a ridiculous shoe, and I can't believe how head-over-heels people have gone over it. I also can't believe, from this article, how high the company's stock once was. The croc really was a phenomenon, and with all the reports of injury and such, people still flocked to buy them up. For something that was originally designed for use in the garden, it sure exceeded its maker's highest expectations.
I first saw these when I drove down to Bellingham to pick up my suitcase from Jason. They are really disgusting to see as you're driving down the road, and I have no idea why anyone would buy them in the first place, let alone hang them on their vehicle. I enjoyed this part of the article:

Critics of the ban included the Senate Rules Chairman, Sen. Jim King, a Jacksonville Republican whose truck sported a pair until his wife protested.

Well, of course she protested. They're disgusting, numbnuts.

This is mainly for me, as I wouldn't mind seeing this film by Helen Hunt of Mad About You fame (at least, that's how I always associate her). Having included Bette Midler in the film only helps to make me want to see it even more, although the good review by the NYTimes helps as well.
The Clinton campaign's people are always talking about how Obama keeps complaining about how tough Clinton is being on him and how she's not playing fair or whathaveyou. This article says pretty much what they have been saying and what other NYTimes columnists have talked about: how can Obama ever claim to be ready for this election when he's complaining about petty name-calling? The G.O.P. will rip him to shreds come November and use his hide to make the election ballots.
I remember when I had to buy textbooks back in university. I used to dread going to the bookstore to buy them every September and again in January when the second semester would start up. You always had to set aside around $1000 for textbooks, which is ridiculous when you think that you only have about 10 courses at most, and when I was going through, most of the time, it was only 8 for the whole year. I can't believe that the cost of textbooks at university has become such an issue that the paper will even write an article about it.
This was interesting to come across today in the Travel section, a story about the rise in popularity of nude travel. I had no idea that the lifestyle was becoming so popular. I only know the stuff that I used to see at Wreck Beach by UBC, and very rarely was it nice to look at. I remember running down there from Tower Beach over to Wreck, or going down there out of curiosity or just because it would get so hot in the summertime (and I was curious at the same time). I never got up the courage to take off more than my top, and really, the most naked I've been at a beach is in my speedo at Kits beach when Silent Y and I used to go down there. I think the only thing that I would be interested in are the full-service resorts where you can go, shed all clothing, and just relax. The cruises and flights and such just seem like a waste of time, mainly because you still have to be clothed when you're embarking and disembarking and eating dinner. What's the point if you're not going to be nude the entire time? You might as well just strut about naked at home. As in all things, go big or go home. And the son mentioned in the article is rightly justified - I wouldn't want to see my parents naked either, especially not while I'm trying to relax and enjoy a vacation.
Air Canada and its spokesperson got some space in this about airline travel and the unhappiness of passengers. A lot of the feelings are justified though, and it is true, that when we travel now, we're taking a lot more risks than we used to. The article quotes a reader, K from Brooklyn, who wrote:
A reader who signed off as K from Brooklyn stressed preparedness: “When we fly, we fly defensively — we try to take direct flights only to minimize the time wasted and the stress endured trying to make a connecting flight. We take only carry-on bags to avoid lost luggage. If we fly internationally, we get travel insurance.”
When I was travelling around in Europe, especially when I was travelling through in January, I tried to limit myself to the carry-on as well, partly because of Mom's experience coming back from Copenhagen to Paris and losing her luggage, and the hassle of having to deal with delayed baggage delivery after landing and such. I was also a bit frightened of my stuff getting lost on the flight back to Canada, seeing as the busiest hub in Europe is Heathrow, and that airport, followed by CDG in Paris, has the highest rate of lost luggage in Europe.

*image from GreatOutdoors.com.

i can't hear you

2008-04-24T23:28:00.004-07:00

I may get into a whole load of trouble for posting this, but it's been bothering me ever since I started working at the new Sbux. There is a coworker there, X., who has a hearing disability. Having worked in a university department where disability was a major component of our portfolio, and where my direct supervisor also had a hearing disability, I can understand her difficulties somewhat. I can also work around this type of thing and have it not be a "disability" or "handicap" in an office type setting.

However, my main issue here is that we're working in a fast-paced food service/customer service-based industry/workplace. We constantly have to call out to each other, be it drink orders, questions, position in the workplace to avoid accidents. And this is my main concern, especially because what we're doing involves a whole lot of hot liquids, many near the boiling point. X. needs to ask customers and confirm orders with them at least twice when they are at the till, and when a coworker is calling down the line, or calling drink orders to her, she needs to do the same. I'm not entirely sure on the degree of her disability (if she can hear a bit, or to what degree can can, or if she mainly lip reads), but have been in several situations where I've called my position, and I'm pretty sure she hasn't heard (no acknowledgment that I'm behind her or whatever, or she'll have to ask me to repeat one or two times). All of this has the potential to cause serious workplace safety issues.

I have no problems personally with X. She's a lovely person, and I enjoy working with her, but the hearing disability has the potential to hurt other people. My supervisor at the university had a type of amplifier that she used that allowed her to hear people no problem, but that sort of thing isn't going to work at Sbux, where we're calling things out or saying things at random times. Unfortunately, our workplace isn't a place that's very conducive to people with a disability, no matter Sbux's best intentions to be equal opportunity or its commitments to diversity in the workplace.

On to happier topics.

Went for a run today, just for 20 minutes, around downtown after work. I ran down to Rivershore Park and along the river, then back, just over 4 km. I'm trying to get back into running, and have a pretty good idea that the last time, I was pushing it like crazy and doing it all wrong. So, based on handy dandy internet research, this week will be three runs of 20 minutes each, and if that's fine, I'll increase it to 25 minutes next week, and so on. The run was quite good, no huffing and puffing like what was happening on my runs around home, and the scenery was quite nice. There was pretty much no one out on the trail, only a guy hiking and a couple with their baby in a stroller and their two dogs. The pedestrian bridge at 3rd Avenue has a bunch of encouraging things painted onto the steps up to the top, and it's quite motivational at the end of your run, stuff like "Challenge Yourself" and "You're almost there!" and when you get to the top, "You did it!". Just the kick in the pants needed to get you going and get stronger.

Ugly Betty was on again tonight, finally. Such a great show, and Betty's character is so great, always optimistic and perky. I passed out downstairs shortly after, but not after seeing a show on the Knowledge Network about Italy. It started off in Rome, which is why I initially was interested, as they toured the Palazzo Borghese, and they were talking about the Bernini sculptures there. Ahh, memories.

Link fun from the NYTimes:

Apparently the death of the dress is being foreseen for September. Well, obviously, seeing as by September and after, the temperatures will start to fall and people won't want their hoo-hah frozen off by brisk fall winds blowing up their skirt. Regardless of what fashion editors think, I think that the dress will always be part of the female wardrobe, mainly because of its popularity. This view is likely the same type of thing that makes classics like blue jeans classics.
I can see lots of disasters occurring because of the stamp of approval that this article on mixing styles and patterns is lending to men. Unless you have a really good eye for what goes together (like the author honed after his mistake way back when), you could be getting yourself into a lot of trouble with the fashion police.
I had no idea that Colombia had such a huge flower industry. Good on the president for turning his country around. 85% approval rating? That never happens in modern politics! This article really shines the spotlight on the free-trade deal being pushed for by Colombia, and opens up a point that hasn't really been heard (really all we normally hear about or at least associate with Colombia, as pointed out in the article, is murder and cocaine).
Roger Cohen provides an interesting point on biofuels to add to the debate. I, for one, keep forgetting about the huge subsidies that these fuels receive from western governments.

*image from the New York Times.

one of thooooosssse couples

2008-04-23T19:52:00.005-07:00

I just got off the phone with some family friends (we'll call them A. and Z.), and one of the things that came up was the relationship between their brother (B.) and his girlfriend (Y.) and his friends. I guess that some of B's friends came over, and Z. remarked that it had been a long time since they had seen them. The friends replied that since B. now had a girlfriend, they don't hang out as often. Z. remarked that when the friend had a girlfriend, they still saw him frequently, and he replied that he always chose his friends before his girlfriend. B. was in the room at the time, but who knows if he got the message.

We've all heard the expression "bros before hos" and such. Although not necessarily a fan of that phrase, I think the key, as in all things, is moderation. I think if you're in a relationship, you need to have a good balance between spending time with your significant other and spending time with your friends, and the main reason behind that is that your friends are the ones you're going to be needing when your significant other leaves you for greener pastures. Yes, a bit pessimistic, that, but let's prepare for the worst, shall we? Plus, if you end up spending way too much time with your partner, it's likely to be viewed (as in this case) that they are ridiculously clingy and seemingly can't spend one waking moment away from you. Ewww.

Time for linky linky fun times. The NYTimes was particularly full of good stuff (IMHO) today.

Time to cook with "spring ingredients", although I'm not sure that apricots (!), artichokes, or kohlrabi are considered even thought of in the spring (at least not in Canada).
Just because no one ever seems to have any time, especially not for cooking (or at least I don't, most of the time).
Las Vegas is building a new, second, better downtown. The fact that it'll be sitting on a former chemical dumping ground doesn't seem to concern anyone.
Recipes for pudding. I had no idea that ice cream was a type of pudding (actually, a frozen form of custard, which is the food family that pudding belongs in). That, and I thought that a flan was a type of cake...missed that one, apparently.
Yes, I'll have the prime rib in a test tube, please. Ewww...another great idea from PETA. I'm all for the humane treatment of animals and such, but this is ridiculous.
Poor Obama can't eat his waffles and pancakes in peace. Suck it up, monsieurno. If you ever become president, you likely won't have time to take a piss let alone eat your waffles.

Did some gardening work today, including digging up the entire garden by pitchfork and pruning the rosebushes. I have a bit of a kink in my neck, and I don't know what caused it. Hopefully it'll be gone by morning. Back to work tomorrow, but just a short shift. I want to go for a run after, mainly to see what running downtown is like, but we'll see how I feel.

*image from gizmodo.com.

random links re: la france

2008-04-22T22:40:00.007-07:00

This is a bit outdated, but it was an article regarding the visit of French president Nicolas Sarkozy to Britain in March. My favourite part was the comparison between when the Queen came to visit Chirac and prior to that, when she went to visit George W. Bush.

The British do pomp better than anyone else, by far. If the Elysée Palace resembles a "fading grand hotel", which it does, a White House dinner must seem like eating out in a bristro! [sic]

Pretty much around the same time, the New York Times' Paris bureau chief, Elaine Sciolino, did an article entitled "A Guide to the French. Handle with Care." Even after living amongst them for a year, some things on this list made me stop and do the obvious "ah hah!". Excellent, and a must-read for any future trips you might be planning to France.

Often, Roger Cohen, an op-ed columnist for the NYTImes, tends to hits things right on the head, and, having spent a bit of time on leave in Europe recently, has written several articles about life in Europe and the difference between "them" and "us". This article talks about the difference in pace between North Americans (read = Americans and Canadians) and Europeans. It highlights one of my favourite aspects about dining out in Europe - the fact that you can sit there all day if you want and no one rushes you or threatens to kick you out, even if you're the only one left in the joint.

in search of a scent

2008-04-21T16:39:00.006-07:00

I'm on a search for a scent. I remember, many moons ago, I came across a website that had a kind of "scent profiler" feature on it. Basically you answered a bunch of questions about your preferences, not just related to scent but to a whole pile of things, and in the end, it told you what scent bases it thought would be most compatible with you. Think I can find it again? That would be a no.

A couple days ago, I came across an article in the New York Times (when do I not come across great articles in the NYTimes?) that was talking about a recent event in NYC called Sniffapalooza, basically a huge meeting of people in the perfume and fragrance industry. Apparently it's an annual event.

Update: I just did a google of Sniffapalooza, and am sadly mistaken. It's actually a several-times-a-year event, and travels around to various places. It was in Paris just last year, and I obviously missed it. It would have been fun to go, mainly just to get a quick education, as I clearly know nothing about perfume or fragrance (but I'm getting better, as of the last few days).

Anywhoodidlydooses, that article opened up a whole wide world that I knew nothing about. I had no idea that there were so many perfumeurs out there. I got on the Jo Malone bandwagon while Caroline and I were in Istanbul and both of us fell in love with the Wild Fig and Cassis cologne, and I thought that was daring enough, being that Jo Malone doesn't sell in any old department store, but mainly through select department stores and through her own boutiques. Well, Jo, you're barely the tip of the iceberg. Actually, you're likely more the water that surrounds the iceberg. I was reading some article or something the other day that was introducing the new Comme des Garçons perfume, 8 88, and was intrigued by the "notes", basically the notes about what the fragrance smells like the major notes, or main scents that can be smelled in the fragrance, but knew that I would never be able to find it in Kamloops, or probably not even in Vancouver unless I searched high and low and then some. It turns out that CdG has constructed various other perfumes, and I am most interested in the before-mentioned 8 88, as well as Sequoia from the CdG Series 2: Red line, plus Avignon, from the CdG Series 3: Incense line. Other companies have opened my eyes to the wonders of scent, and brought back memories of the film "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" and the visit that Sarah and I made to the Johann Maria Farina factory in Cologne and the artifacts and such that were kept there of what Farina used to create fragrances. If you haven't seen the movie, it really opens your eyes to what goes into creating scent and fragrance (or at least what used to go into creating scent and fragrance before a lot of the industry became synthetic).

Since reading the various blogs and websites, such as LuckyScent, Now Smell This, Perfume - Smellin' Things, Bois de Jasmine and Perfume Posse, I have seen the light. Fragrance really is about individuality, and I really hate it when people smell the same, such as what is occurring with every man drowning themselves in Acqua di Gio or some other easily-accessible scent. That's all well and good, as I do enjoy the smell of AdG, but when everyone starts smelling like it, it gets a bit annoying and boring. I don't believe that all those men are really identical.

I am very much intrigued by the fragrances created by Christopher Brosius of CB I Hate Perfume, based in Brooklyn. The names of the scents just seem to evoke great pictures and scenes, like his "Burning Leaves" or "In the Summer Kitchen". The notes on these perfumes sound absolutely fantastic, and according to the reviews on various sites, CB seems to have got the scents just right. I'm interested in "Burning Leaves" and "In the Library" most of all, mainly because the first reminds me (just the name and the notes) of when Dad used to take his blowtorch to the brush around the house and yard in the summer/fall to avoid forest fires. In the Library makes me think of the used book stores I love to peruse whenever I'm travelling or in big cities. CB has loads of accords, which is basically single scents, which you can then layer to create multi-layered perfumes, many more than are available to the wide public and are only in his stores or gallery. I'd also be interested in his M#2: Black March, which apparently smells like soil after a rainstorm. I love the smell of the air and the earth after a good rain, so would think that I would like this. The fragrance "Après l'ondée" from Guerlain is also drawing me, but that may be just the name and the visions that it brings up as well.

A couple other scents, mainly for my notes, that I'd like to try out, are Antico Caruso by Profumum, which evokes an old-fashioned barbershop; Passage d'Enfer by l'Artisan Parfumeur, which is like CdG Avignon, but not as strong on the incense smell and cut with a bit of florals; and L'Air du desert marocain by Tauer Perfumes, which is just as its name implies.

*images from The Scented Salamander and LuckyScent.

like a movie

2008-03-09T00:28:00.003-08:00

We're off to Manitoba tomorrow. Auntie Alice is going downhill fast with esophageal cancer, and the stroke last week didn't help matters. The decision was made this morning. Mom and I had just driven back to Williams Lake yesterday afternoon with the intention of my staying for the weekend, and Mom and Dad driving back down closer to Easter. So, instead we're driving out tomorrow, and picking up Barb and her daughter on the way in Stony Plain. I haven't seen Barb in forever, and it's always somewhat sad that funerals bring the whole family together, when everyone finally gets a chance to be together, but not for happy reasons. Auntie Alice is still in the hospital, but they expect that a funeral will be held next week, seeing how things are going at the moment.

Bought an FM transmitter today when I got back into town so that I don't have to bring along oodles of CDs or listen to them more than once on the 1.5 day drive east and then back again. I haven't been to Manitoba to see the family for what must be around 10 years. I keep having these feelings like it's similar to the movie Elizabethtown. I never saw the movie, but I know the premise, and it feels like we're the kids who moved far away from the small town, and are now coming back from the big city. I feel like that more so because of the whole Europe experience.

Remember to set your clocks ahead tonight!

the only gay in the village

2008-03-01T02:21:00.003-08:00

Mom and I went and saw Breakfast with Scot last week. The film was okay, just okay. Nothing over the top, nothing too crazy sexual, so Mom was okay lol! The theatre was surprisingly full, around three-quarters full, and lots of older people, which was a bit shocking as well. There weren't a whole lot of obviously gay people there, that I could tell, other than a couple people near the front and a gay couple sitting in the row in front of us. Mom thought it was a good movie, so that was the main thing.

The film festival started two days ago, and Mom bought us tickets to go and see The Kite Runner on Sunday. I'm prepared to be shedding some tears, as I nearly started just during the preview at the Breakfast with Scot screening. Such a sap.

The Chinese gang came and went, and it was a really great weekend. I really didn't want them all to leave. We went up to Sun Peaks on Saturday, but only skied for a half day. We only did a couple blue runs, which was somewhat disappointing, considering it cost close to $100 per person including the lift ticket and the rentals. Got to spend somewhat more time with Anne, Carter's new girl, and got to hear a whole crapload of gossip from everyone about her. I don't know what to think, but according to what everyone is saying, I'm a bit worried about Carter. She seems to be getting him wrapped nice and tight around her fingers, very clingy and dependent and I think she expects a lot out of him, and he seems more than willing to deliver. Meh...what do I know?

Caroline, Evonne, and I went to Bikram yoga Monday, and that was hell. It really wasn't that that bad, but just not used to it like I used to be. I kind of just kept wishing that it would end, especially some of the harder asanas. It also doesn't help that I'm all hairy, due to no waxing or trimming since the beginning of January. But then again, I'm in Kamloops, so really just fitting in nicely, lol! We were all so sore the next day, it was ridiculous, and sore in all these weird places.

I bought a month pass to the pool/Tournament Capital Center, which includes the pool, track, and gym. I've gone a bunch of times, and it's been good, although only to the pool, as I don't have runners yet or anything like that to use the gym or track, unfortunately. My body keeps craving every once and a while for a good run. I think I've seen maybe one obvious gay guy there, but who knows. Likely in a small town like this, the guys would be a bit more butch than say in a city, where more feminine types would be more expected. Just a theory. In related news, in any case, the swimming appears to be improving, despite being on hiatus. The dolphin kick is particularly impressive, in my opinion, and I can do several lengths without dying or having muscle exhaustion, or even without using the flutter board, as I did today. I think the rugrats in the next lanes, doing their own drills with their coach were definitely a motivating factor.

It's a bit of a strange feeling, having lived in large cities for the past eight years, to be back in a small town, and feel sort of like being back in high school, but not really. It's like there doesn't seem to be a real "community" here, although there must be, as there's GALA and such, so I just obviously haven't found it, but it's just not as obvious and out there as I'm used to. It's not really like in high school, as I wasn't out in high school, so it's not like I'm missing having community in that sense or anything, but because I came out in uni, and there was always that community available there and such, both at the uni and in the city, I guess I miss having it easily accessible and there and such. Like in Vancouver, I could just go down to Davie, and in Ottawa, it was Bank, and in Paris, well, it was the whole city, really, and especially the Marais, but here, I really have no idea. I doubt there's an actual "village", but I just miss seeing gay people out there and about. It really does feel like I'm the only gay in the village, although, of course, that's ridiculous. Just a bit lonely, that's all, and a bit apprehensive. Like, I think there's just that constant thinking and watching that comes with being in a small town and such, just like back in Williams Lake, and not having the freedom to just do whatever or be myself. Although I'm being myself and all, and not being so much afraid of that, it's just being apprehensive about how close-minded people could possibly be, and I haven't been here long enough to really know how or if people are as close-minded as I think they could be. Saying that, however, the attendance at Breakfast with Scot begs to differ with that opinion, especially the number of people with grey hair who were there...

home

2008-02-20T00:35:00.004-08:00

I'm now living in central BC, which, as you can imagine, a far cry from the loveliness that is Paris (or Europe, for that matter). In any case, the new house is lovely, with lots of room (but not too much in that "useless waste of space" sense), and the views from the back of the house of the river, valley, and the hills beyond are stunning, especially in the evening, when the sun sets and turns them a nice shade of pink/violet. The Chinese groupies are invading this Friday for some skiing up at Sun Peaks, so that should be fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing Caroline and the rest and getting a chance to really visit. When I arrived back in Vancouver at the beginning of the month, there just wasn't enough time to really visit with people - a dinner here, a lunch there, and Mom was in a hurry to leave and get me back home, so we only stayed a few days in the city.

The town is...okay. It's sort of what I expected it to be, and I don't really know what I was expecting, or really how to put it in words. I guess I was expecting something similar to back home, but just bigger, with more stores and conveniences, but other than that, not a whole lot more. I went to the Canada Games pool today, my first exercise since leaving Paris, and surprisingly didn't die from muscle exhaustion, which was the case the first day I went swimming in Paris. The pool is in a complex called the Tournament Capital Centre (the city being Tournament Capital of Canada and all), which includes a track, the pool, and a gym, along with meeting rooms and a gymnastics and trampoline center. I think I'm going to sign up for a monthly pass tomorrow, $50, which is strange, seeing as a pass for just the pool and track for a month is $49.50. Then hopefully I can start to reduce the spare tire that has started to mysteriously form around my torso as a result of too many European pastries and such in the last month lol!

The job search has also begun. I need to pick up ink cartridges tomorrow for the printer so that I can start printing out resumés and taking them around. There's a job for a grasslands program that I'm really interested in, so have my fingers crossed for that one. The rest are pretty much not related at all to my degree, but as I'm hoping to be here only temporarily and not looking for an actual "career"-type job, will suit fine. Really, any income at this point will be more than welcome.

A friend just announced via email today that she just bought a condo in Vancouver. It's strange because I thought it would affect me more with the whole "everyone is moving on with their lives" and all, but really, I didn't have much of a reaction other than, oh yeah, that's nice. Hmm...not sure why that is, as before, back in Paris, I kept having thoughts about how people I went to school with are all settled in good jobs and settling down in general, while I was swanning about across Europe, spending away my savings and such, and am now living back with the parents and all that. I don't know why the thoughts have changed, but they have.

The film "Breakfast with Scot" is playing this Thursday night, courtesy of the Kamloops Film Society (gasp!). I think Mom is planning on joining me for it, but I haven't mentioned to her yet that it's a film with gay content (not sexual, that I know of, but gay in any case). I don't know how she'll react, but at this point, I don't really care how she'll react, as long as I can go and see it (i.e. that I get the car to drive to see it). She's so strange, I really can never know what she thinks about gay anything. After I'd just moved here, we were in the Royal Bank downtown, and she said to me, something to the effect, "That guy over there, do you think he's gay?". The guy in question is an employee at the bank, and she recalled to me that one day she was in the branch, and saw him walking around, and apparently thought to herself, "I think he might be gay". I first asked her why it mattered whether he was or not, whether she was going to try to set me up with him, and then told her that maybe she should ask one of the other people at the branch if he was. I reminded her today to ask the lady she was meeting with at the bank to ask. She's so all over the place that I don't really know what's going on inside her head. In some cases, I think she accepts, and on the other hand, I think she doesn't. It's only slightly disconcerting.

off to Vancouver

2008-02-03T22:33:00.000-08:00

I head out to Vancouver tomorrow at noon (Monday). It feels weird to be going home, but also a slight relief to be taking my last plane ride hopefully in a while. I was thinking about it tonight, and just in the month of January alone, I travelled on eight different flights. Tomorrow will be the ninth. That's likely more than some people have taken in their entire lives. Sick.

Toronto has been weird. The reverse culture shock (or what I think is culture shock) is rearing it's ugly head at every opportunity. I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to hearing English spoken all the time. In London, when I would visit, it would be weird already, but at least I'd always hear other languages spoken anyways. However, here, it's English all the time, and without any accent as well, so really, it just all sounds like garbage, like a bit crude and almost "trailer-trash-ish"? I really don't know how to describe it. I find the fashion here absolutely horrible, as in most people are dressed like eww, like, I don't know how to describe it other than "Canadian". I guess, to be fair, it's wintertime, so not exactly easy to be chic when you've got parka and such on. I'm missing Europe a lot, as you can tell, and I don't want it to seem snooty or such, but that's sort of what it feels like, when I'm having these flashbacks and making these comparisons between Europe/France and Canada.

Marvin and Lyann are driving me to the airport tomorrow morning. That'll be far better than taking the airport express bus or public transit. Mom will be picking me up at the airport in Vancouver, and then I'm trying to get people together for dinner at Shabusen at 7 pm. We'll see how many actually turn up. It's proving difficult just to get people to respond with a date that works for them.

Jason is having trouble getting my suitcase up to me from the States. Apparently he was turned away at the border because it wasn't his suitcase and such, so I'll have to go and collect it myself. Thank goodness he doesn't live miles away from the border, so a trip down there isn't totally out of the question. Getting the stuff back shouldn't be too hard after that, as it's all my stuff anyways.

back in canadooland

2008-02-01T21:57:00.001-08:00

Arrived back in Toronto this evening. Yes, this evening as opposed to the scheduled afternoon. I got up at 7 am this morning to see Tim and Joyce off to work and say goodbye, and then got ready and had a shower. 10 minutes before I was going to leave to walk to the tube, Tim calls. He had forgotten his work laptop at home, so called me a cab, and I took his laptop to him and met him with my stuff at Green Park, which is where I would've had to transfer anyways to the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow. Luggage and security were no problem, with my suitcase being the heavier and weighing just under 23 kilos. The flight was delayed two and a half hours leaving London due to a faulty front wheel leaking oil for the strut. So, they had to drain the remaining oil, switch over to the back up, fill up the oil and fix it properly.

I'm falling asleep typing this, so short and sweet, and off to dreamland.

back to canada

2008-01-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

It's my last post from Europe :'( I'm in London at the moment, staying with Tim and Joyce again. I met up with my friend Sonia and her friend Jo from Australia. Sonia and I used to hang around in Paris, and we met at the Aquarius agency, the place that was helping us find jobs, apartments, and basically get settled quickly in France/Paris. It was super-fun to see her again, and hang out in London, where she used to live for 18 months way back when.

I'm all packed up, but there's a winter storm advisory for Toronto for tomorrow, so don't really know the flight situation, and the Air Canada website and phone lines are most unhelpful. I'm also trying to confirm my flight, and that's to no avail, no one to pick up the phones, and the internet thing apparently can't find my flight confirmation/reference number, which is slightly worrying. Although I'd rather stay in Europe, I'd also rather not bum around Heathrow tomorrow morning, trying to figure out flight details.

Toronto is not as cold as I had thought, only about -5 on average. I was expecting something closer to -20 or so. Thank goodness, don't really need to pack so much clothes in the overnight/carry-on bag. The check-in bags are feeling under-weight, so hopefully they actually are when I put them on the scales tomorrow. Tim said that as long as I'm one of the first to check in, usually they just turn a blind eye; apparently him and Joyce checked in 35 kg bags on their trip to Helsinki/Shanghai/Melbourne, and the person at the counter said nothing. Hopefully I will be so lucky.

Excited about the flight tomorrow. I feel like I completed/did everything I wanted to do in Europe. No regrets, no could'a should'a would'as, which is a nice feeling to have. Tim and Joyce took me on the ferry on the Thames tonight, a different perspective to see the city. A nice memory of my last night in London.

ich bin ein Berliner

2008-01-26T16:04:00.001-08:00

As the title suggests, I'm in Berlin at the moment, just until Monday afternoon. I'm at the tail-end of my last swing through Europe, and it's quite sad to know that I have less than a week on the continent before heading back to Canada. Not sad in the sense that I'll get to see all my friends and family again, but sad in the sense that I'm leaving this amazing place, where travel is so easy, there is oodles of places to visit, history to learn, and culture to take in, and where I've come to feel at home. I will really miss Europe, and especially Paris.

Let's start at the beginning. For the month of January, the travel has been thus:

January 4-7th: Move to London, flight to Dublin, Ireland, in Dublin for the weekend.
January 10th: Eurostar to Paris
January 11th: Flight to Rome.
January 14th: Flight to Paris.
January 15th: Eurostar to London.
January 16th: Flight to Prague (Praha), Czech Republic.
January 19th: Bus to Vienna (Wien), Austria.
January 22nd: Bus to Budapest, Hungary.
January 25th: Flight to Berlin.

Dublin was okay. HUGE drinking culture, and the city is very easy to walk. Basically, all the attractions are centered downtown, so getting from one to the other is literally a five- to ten-minute walk. Lauren and I stayed in a brand-new hostel just a couple blocks north of the Liffey River. We never made it out far enough to see the harbour or the sea. Met an Australian guy in our room at the hostel, so he hung out with us for our first day, seeing some of the sights (St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Castle, St. Stephen's Green, Trinity College). The rest of the weekend, we saw the Guinness Storehouse, Christchurch Cathedral, and wandered around. Lauren and I, on a whim, went and saw the movie "P.S. I Love You" and cried our respective eyes out. Holy God, I was full-on sobbing. Flew back to London Monday afternoon.

Spent two days in London. On the 9th, Lauren and I rented a car and drove down to Stonehenge and Bath. Lauren borrowed Jamie's (her ex) GPS, so we had that to help us navigate the British highway system. Of course, we still managed to get turned-around, but we survived (clearly). Stonehenge was impressive, although the stones look a bit small from the distance. Once you get up to them, it becomes clear how impressive it really is, how a society long ago managed to construct something so huge and massive. Bath was quite beautiful, and it was interesting to learn about the Roman baths from which the city takes its name. On the 10th, I took the Eurostar back to Paris, as I had booked a flight back in September to go to Rome as a result of a RyanAir seat sale.

Rome was amazing. It's clear why it has the nickname "The Eternal City". So much history for one city. Seeing the Roman ruins in the Forum was very cool, and walking out into the sunlight through the walls of the Colosseum was quite a powerful experience. I stayed with two different Couchsurfers while there. The first one was my first Queer Couchsurfer experience, and it was a bit weird. I had to leave his place early the next morning, as he had a flight to Madrid, so took my stuff over to the other Couchsurfer's house, and took off to the Vatican. This worked out well, as because it was so early, there was no one there. The Vatican was crazy impressive. St. Peter's is gigantic, and the amount of art hoarded in the Vatican Museums is shocking. The Sistine Chapel was breath-taking, just so many amazing paintings concentrated in one room. The city itself was also very fun to walk around. It was a bit like Venice in that sense, that it was very easy to get lost, but not a huge deal if you did. Around every corner, there is a church, and each one is more beautiful than the one before, with more paintings or sculptures or gold leaf. Great place to see, and hope that my parents come someday soon to see it as well, as I think they'd enjoy it.

Stayed with Gilles on the way back to London, as I had the stop in Paris. It was a bit weird to stay in the apartment as a guest rather than as an inhabitant. Will stay again when I go back from Berlin.

Packed up the room in London so that Tim and Joyce could show it while I took off on this trip. I somehow have lots more room now than I had going over to London on the 4th, which is great.

Prague was fun. I stayed in a super-wonderful hostel the first night, up in Holesovice, a working-class northern part of the city. The hostel, Sir Toby's, was nice and clean, lots of character, and when you check in, they give you a little guidebook of the neighbourhood, with shops and restaurants and such. The first night, after settling in, I went out for dinner to this great restaurant/pub that was recommended, and had traditional Czech food. This included a pickled sausage with onions, venison goulash, and 50 cL of beer, all for around $8 CDN. I was very impressed. Really, everything in Prague is cheap, a nice change from the ridiculousness that is the British Pound and the Euro. Met up with my Couchsurfing host, Dave, the next night, and we had a great time. His roommates were, unfortunately, like the stereotypical drunken frat boys, so kept me up the night before I left, and were generally stupid, but Dave was great. We spent the third day wandering around the city, exploring all the sights. I had a ticket to see the Czech Philharmonic that night, so left him and went and saw a great performance.

Vienna was a disappointment. The city is fine, but just not a lot of spirit, pride, or sense of energy at all. Most of the time, I was left feeling like, "Is that all?". I met up with Giovanna, my host, after getting off the bus, and had breakfast brunch with her, her boyfriend, and two other CS girls from Paris. It was a bit weird, as the host and her boyfriend, Josef, pretty much were together all the time I was there, so although I signed up for only her as my host, I got both of them, but they were all over each other most of the time, it was kind of gross. Actually, not kind of, it was gross. I don't care if you're gay or straight or whatever, please, no PDAs in front of me. Ewwww, get a room. The host had to work while I was there, which made seeing the city a bit lonely, more so being a bit boring as it was. I went and saw the Vienna Boys' Choir Sunday morning at the Hofburg Palace. I had no idea that boys could sing so high. Impressive in that sense, although in the chapel, you don't really see them, being mass and all. Saw the Palace...the Silver Collection was extensive, but the rest of the stuff was kind of bleh, especially when compared to, say, Versailles or other palaces I've now seen. Went to the Vienna Opera as well, and got a standing room ticket to see Don Giovanni. The opera, again, was okay, but the Opera House was disappointing. Being Vienna, and being the Opera House, I expected something really impressive, something to rival the giltfest that is the Paris Opera House. Inside, it's plain, with a crystal chandelier the only really glitter. It felt like I could have seen the opera anywhere else, and it would have been just as good. In general, I kept thinking, while in Vienna, that I've been spoiled or perhaps have become jaded or overwhelmed by the stuff in the rest of Europe or in France even, and when compared to that, Vienna was pasty pale.

Another thing to add to Vienna was that my host had two cats, which I knew. What I didn't know was that she never cleans her apartment, so there was cat hair literally everywhere. And not just cat hair, but just garbage and mess everywhere. I'm not a clean freak, but I expect a somewhat-clean apartment or place if you're having me as a guest in your home. I don't want to feel like I'm going to catch something nasty just because I decide to have a glass of water in your place, mainly because your dishes are dirty or your kitchen is a mess.

Budapest was good. My host, Andras, met up with me at the bus depot with his friend, Istvan. Being during the week, he also had to work the whole time I was there, but that was fine. We went out during the nights together, meeting up with his friends and drinking cheap Hungarian beer. Fun times. Saw the main sights, but didn't make it to the baths. Luckily, I was told on the plane to Berlin by a Canadian girl that the baths were nothing special, so I don't feel so bad about not seeing them. Went and saw the opera, but the surtitles were in Hungarian only, so I understood nothing of La Boheme, although the sets were some of the most amazing things I've ever seen in terms of performances (musical theatre, opera, plays, etc.). Just absolutely incredible and very detailed. One scene was an Italian street scene, and they had buildings, roads, a square, and a sidewalk cafe/terrace. People would come out of the roads and mingle around in the square, all the time with people coming and going, and the sense of depth in the set itself was perfect. However, because of such inticate and detailed sets, the time between each set was about 15 minutes, which made for a longer-than-needed opera. That said, each time the lights dimmed and the curtain was drawn, I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what the next scene would look like.

Berlin is the last stop. So far, the city has not failed to impress. I met up with my host, Birgit, who happens to also be a lesbian (had no idea beforehand). That works out perfectly, and she's a lot of fun, humourous and great company. Last night, she left me sightsee, but told me exactly what to do, so I was fine. I went to the Reichstag and up to the dome, which was not crowded at all, as it was around 9 pm when I went. Walked over to the Brandenburger Tor, where I was trapped by a Chinese couple into taking a gagillion photos of them until they got one that was better than perfect. Passed by the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which was moving and oh-so-quiet, to Potsdamer Platz and the Sony Center, whose architecture is crazy. The city is so old, over 775 years, but is very modern and cosmopolitan. Lots of new, beautiful buildings, and lots of old ones too, mainly due to most of the city being destroyed during World War II, like a lot of other German cities. Birgit made me a great breakfast this morning, and then I set off sightseeing again, hitting up the KaDeWe department store, then over to Gendarmesmarkt. Tonight was the Lange Nacht dem Musees, or Long Night at the Museums, when a lot of the museums open until 2 am, and for 15€, you can see them all. Birgit, however, is part of this two ticket club, where she pays 10€ per month, and gets a pairs of tickets for free to whatever she wants on this special website, including this museum event. So, we went to the Neue Gallerie, then to the Dom (Berlin church) for an organ concert, then to the Alte Museum to see the Egyptian collection, including Nefirtiti's bust, and then to the Kennedy Museum. It was a great night. Tomorrow, as part of the same thing, she got tickets to see a show with three Australian women, some sort of singing song something or other. I'll be hitting up the Berlin Wall Documentation Centre, then the Jewish Memorial Museum. Monday, I have no idea what I'll be doing, but I have most of the day, as I don't fly back to Paris until about 4 pm.

And that's about that for now. I'll have to post pictures and links and such later.

As a final note, Berlin men have some fantastic fashion sense. I have seen more artfully tied scarfs and ties here than in other cities, including Paris, and I saw a guy today at KaDeWe with a handkerchief or some sort of short scarf tied around his neck that made me do a 360. It was, really, fabulous. Trying to look for the same thing to use back home, but had no luck in the store today, so will have to look elsewhere. Ridiculously windy here as well, like crazy blow-you-off-the-sidewalk wind.

happy 2008!

2008-01-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

Lauren arrived safe and sound from LA, and was immediately whisked off to the bistro for dessert with my friends, a "sort-of" final farewell to everyone before I leave Paris. I'll probably see Sonia and Sam again before I actually leave, but in terms of getting everyone around together, that was it. So nice to go to the bistro now that they know who I am and such... :)

Spent New Years Eve with Paula and a bunch of other MeetIn people at her apartment. Xavier, Chris, Sonia, Aurelia, Lu, and some others were there, about 10 in total. Lots of drinking of champagne and general carrying on. I think Lauren was a bit disappointed that we didn't do the typical fireworks at the Eiffel Tower thing or something like that, but I tried to convince her after that it would have been really crowded and not really a whole lot of fun. I had a good time; it was just what I was looking for - low-key, quiet evening with friends. We didn't leave until after 6 am.

Slept all day, a result of closing the shutters while still half-drunk last night, so didn't wake up until after 5 pm. Ate some crèpes, then took a wander down to the Moulin Rouge, then to the Eiffel Tower to see the light show. It was kind of foggy tonight, so the top was in the clouds. Found a café after, but although the smoking ban went into effect today, and despite the fact that they have a no smoking sticker on their door, there were still people smoking inside. Typically French.

Going to cram in as much as we can tomorrow, as only two more days left (*sob!*). Booked a hostel for Dublin, as no responses from Couchsurfing. Argh...likely left it too late. Looking for Rome as a result right now.

Note: The smoking ban actually didn't go into effect until January 2nd, so that's why everyone was still smoking on the 1st. Bah!

die, cold, die

2007-12-29T09:08:00.001-08:00

So, after lazing in bed after the initial post, and not going running, I literally dragged myself out, shivering like hell, and got ready. Trekked it over to the pharmacy across the street, and now I have something for my nose, something for my cough/throat, and Vitamin C for everything else, including the cold and muscle pains (although the paracetamol might be taking care of the muscle pains. Thanks to wikipedia, I now know that Paracetamol is the same as acetaminophen. So there, likely the paracetamol taking care of the muscle pains). Took the cough medicine (the taste is pretty much exactly the same as the cough medicine I used to take when I was really young, the banana yellow stuff) in the métro station, popped the Vitamin C on the way to the métro station, and took the nose stuff at the spa.

All waxed up and ready to go around Europe. Now just need to run so everything else can be man-scaped. Had the last obligatory chat in French with the esthetician, although being sick and the fact that she doesn't really like the holidays put a damper on most of the conversation.

Went to the English grocery store before the appointment and picked up three packages of oatcakes, one bottle of lime cordial, and a package of Maynard winegums. Maynard winegums!!!! Oh, how I have missed you. I should go and watch a movie tonight, just to celebrate the discovery. It'll be just like old times back home.

gee, that was fun

2007-12-28T22:39:00.000-08:00

What a crap-ass night. I went to bed early, having contracted some deadly virus of doom, likely from some rugrat on the métro, and feeling all aches and pains since waking up yesterday. Ate some soup, had a hot hot shower, went to bed around 8 pm. Woke up over and over again, heart racing like crazy, body covered in sweat, and unable to sleep/concentrate. I should also mention that I took two Ibuprofen before going to bed to help with the worsening aches and pains over my body, so perhaps this was all the side effects of that horrible mistake. In any case, things didn't improve until about 6 am this morning, which is when I woke up finally, feeling fully-rested, but left with a horrible cough. I'll need to go to the pharmacist today and get something to calm it down. The whole brown-sugar/strong alcohol combination has done nothing to help, so perhaps it's just Dad's secret of how to prepare it, I don't know. Didn't think there was anything special involved, but apparently.

I need to get on applying for hosts in Dublin for Lauren's and my trip there in less than a week! Thankfully, it'll be a weekend, so we shouldn't have too many problems, but you never know.

Look at this great video about French fashion through the 1900s. It was on Frogsmoke, and although all in French, the video and pictures themselves are enough, even if you don't understand. You should be able to pick up the names of several designers mentioned, in any case (i.e. Chanel, Christian Dior, etc.).

Picked up Gilles a bottle of framboise eau de vie for Christmas/New Years, and he was supposed to drop in yesterday at some point, but no show. Good thing, as he likely would have been kept up all night by my hacking and dying in the bedroom. No matter.

Was supposed to go running this morning down at the Champs de Mars. So not happening, with me coughing up my lungs and dying. Although the aches and pains have gone away, and I feel fine except for the hacking, I think it's better to lay low, especially as it's supposed to rain today (lovely).

Bill Maher aime les français:

And that's a wrap.

an abyss of disappointment

2007-12-27T15:26:00.000-08:00

Went to the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle to see the Abysses exhibit. I was expecting specimens with phosphorescence, sparkling lights, video and audio installations, and all that jazz. Instead, for 5€, reduced student-under-26 rate, I got a single room, full of photos and glass aquariums filled with what looked like high school science lab specimens. All the animals were either translucent (the translucence somewhat diminished by the preservatives), or black or brown or some variant of grey. There was one video of various things seen on deep-water expeditions. I had forgotten that it was still school holidays, and as a result, there was a line, and the place was full of rugrats. Being France, all the parents just let the kids run around with their cameras and camcorders or just run around in general. And of course the useless security guards did nothing. So no, it wasn't that great, and most of the stuff I had read before or knew, so there wasn't anything really eye-opening, other than the odd fish or organism with huge fangs or interesting way of catching food or staying alive.

Posted the box to the 'rents today, finally. It was cheaper than I had thought, and will arrive in around 9-11 days, according to the La Poste employee. Mailed away all the cards that I have addresses for as well.

Still on the hunt for the elusive Moleskine planner for next year. Time is running out. The Gibert Jeune yesterday had them, but not in the big size, so will keep hunting, potentially at the other locations. I'm looking for the 12-month weekly planner notebook. Why is this so hard?

Going to go to the opera house tomorrow and see if I can take a tour. It's been on my list of things to do for a while. Failing that, I'm going to go to the Rodin museum, and then check out the Petit Palais, as it's free all the time. Debating waiting for Lauren to get here to do the L'enfer library exhibit or just do it on my own before she arrives.

merry ho ho ho!

2007-12-25T05:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that you're spending the holidays with people that you love, and if not, that you're thinking about the ones that you love in your life.

I thought I'd have a bit of a hard time with being away from home for the holidays, but so far, so good. Tonight, I'm off to Carmen's sister's place over by Pigalle. Her mother is in town from Toronto, and so she invited me over for Christmas dinner. We'll see what the food is like. I picked up foie gras and some fig bread yesterday, and I'll take along a bottle of champagne. There'll be only one bottle coming along with me, as I'm keeping the rest for New Years. I'll have to buy a couple more bottles now that I'm supposed to go over to Paula's for New Years, yay!

Last night, went over to Paula's place for a bit of a Christmas party. Sonia was there, so got to catch up a bit. There were about 7 or 8 of us. We had some food, and I brought along three bottles of cider and stuff for galettes. I bought the galettes this time, and let's just say that store-bought galettes are crap. Ewwww. I don't know what I'm going to do with the left-overs, but maybe in a frying pan with a bit of butter and an egg and such, they're better? Here's hoping...

We drank, watched "The Nightmare Before Christmas", and did a Secret Santa thing. I bought a small package of chocolates from Jeff de Bruges, put them in the mug I bought way back when, got a gift bag, and also burned a copy of "La musique de Paris Dernière" Fun present, me thinks.

c'est terminé!

2007-12-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

That's it, I'm all done work in France. I can't believe it...it doesn't feel like that long ago that I started working at the school. I was a bit melancholy this afternoon, leaving the school. I'll miss the students every week (most of them), their eagerness and enthusiasm to learn (can you tell that we had a couple weeks of great great great students???). It was also sad to say goodbye to a lot of the colleagues, especially Denise, Eliza, Kim, and Alice. I'll see Denise and Eliza again, as Eliza is here all during the holidays, and Denise is back in the New Year, but still sad.

Went out for dinner with Chrystelle and her friends Benjamin and his boyfriend (can't remember his name at the moment). We went for Vietnamese, which is kind of bad, as I'll be going for more Vietnamese tomorrow night with Quincy, who is back in town from the Philippines visiting. Meh. Forgot my wallet at home (stupid), but thankfully Chrystelle covered me, and I just paid her back when we got back to my apartment, as she's just around the corner. She's off to Brittany, and then will be back late Christmas Day, so we made tentative plans to meet for coffee on the 26th.

Going to try to go to Fontainebleau tomorrow with Quincy, as the SNCF has made the Transilien network free this weekend (if I don't go with her tomorrow, I'll go by myself on Sunday). Originally, we were going to go to Malmaison and Vincennes, but Malmaison is really just a country mansion, and Vincennes can be done with just my Navigo, so not a huge deal, and I'd rather take advantage of the free trip to the castle. We could also do Provins tomorrow, which is one of the last stops on one of the lines from Gare de l'Est.

Need to do a whole crapload of stuff tomorrow as well, or on Sunday. I need to buy some champagne (would like to get some for Christmas, and will get more for New Years later, sort of do it in batches). Would also like to pick up some foie gras for Christmas and some other treats (don't know what else, but...). Was in a cavist today with Sharon, and the woman was recommending different champagnes to me, so will likely go back and buy from them, rather than Nicolas. Smaller producers, likely better selections (in terms of quality, not quantity). Also need to post the package to the 'rents and the Christmas/New Year cards. Found out today from the other teachers that the New Year cards sent in France can be sent up to the 31st of January, which is apparently the unofficial cut-off date for sending. So I have every excuse to be late with my cards this year. Hah!

2007-12-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

Alice is worrying about money for the trip. I can understand in some ways, and in others, I'm sort of on the wavelength that if you can't afford to come to Europe, then don't come to Europe. Go somewhere else. She spent about $1200 on the airfare alone for the open-jaw tickets from Toronto to Paris and then from Paris back to Vancouver. Lauren paid about half that amount for an open-jaw ticket from LA to Paris, then London back to LA. We're thinking of taking the Eurostar across to London to move my stuff over there, but the date is up in the air at the moment, partly because we're waiting to see what Tim can find us and also because we're unsure if we should go that soon (January 2nd at the earliest) or wait until Alice leaves to help her save money (although, in the long run, if she really wants to spend time in the sun or whatever, she's probably going to be spending that and more). Argh. If we wait, it'll severely cut into the time that we spend traveling around England/Ireland, and I'd really like to do that, having not had the chance all year, and nor has Lauren.

Had the most difficult student today. He absolutely refused to do anything, claiming that it wasn't "come together" and saying that "zis eeez not my cup of tea" to every exercise. BS, and I really don't care. Everyone else is getting it, no problem. He was basically difficult, nothing more, but difficult to the point that if I didn't have the patience, I would have smacked him across the room if I hadn't throttled him first.

what comes around...

2007-12-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

All is set for me to leave Paris at the beginning of January, sauf buying my Eurostar tickets (probably will be done this week). The tickets are at $116 USD at the moment, and are for Leisure Select, which means I'll be wined and dined on the way over to London. I could also book my return ticket back for the trip to Rome, which is at only $58 USD at the moment, so super cheap.

I'm excited and scared at the same time. Tim and Joyce have offered their apartment to me to house-sit, and I'm excited about the prospect of living in London, but also worried about the cost of living in British Pounds, as well as whether I'll really get in as much traveling as I want to before leaving the continent. I'm also excited about Lauren and Alice coming, and also for the fact that we will have the run of the apartment before I leave Paris, as Gilles is going away for the holidays. I found that out tonight when I told him that I was leaving the place sooner than expected. He is going to give me a refund of the rent for this month by next week. I was hoping that he would give me the refund at the end of the month instead, so that I wouldn't be tempted to spend it. I'll be getting my last paycheque and my holiday pay at the end of the month (hopefully before Christmas, but who knows), but I can always lay off putting the rent cheque in the bank until later so that it's not there, waiting for me to spend it. It can be like a guarantee before I leave for London. I want to have Euros left over for when I get back to Canada, as the exchange on them will be super-great.

I need to look at options for travel once I get to London. Lauren is all for the idea of renting a car and traveling around the UK (Bath, Cornwall, Stonehenge, etc.), and maybe a trip over to Ireland on the ferry or up into Scotland and Wales. I need to book flights for Prague as well, and perhaps for Berlin too. I was talking to students today, and I apparently "need to visit the Loire Valley and the chateaux there" or I will "die". Lovely. Maybe that'll be my trip over the Christmas break? Supposedly it can be done in a day, with a car from Paris. We'll look into it.

Going to go watch the Golden Compass with Sam tomorrow night. I'm excited! I watched the preview a while ago, and I've been wanting to extra see it since Steven told me about it. Fun!

less than a month...

2007-12-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

Plans have changed in the last 24 hours. Tim and Joyce, the couchsurfing couple I stayed with last weekend in London, came to visit me this weekend in Paris. We had a great time, and I think I gained about 15 pounds in two days, quite possibly a world record of gluttony and excess. Eww.

They offered me their place in London while they're away in Helsinki/Shanghai. That means that I save the month of January's rent, plus am more centrally located for travel around the rest of Europe. I should be able to make it to Prague and god-knows-where-else before leaving the continent. While I'll be sad to leave France earlier than expected, I can also get cheap tickets on the Eurostar via Tim, and that will allow me to travel back at least once or twice before actually going back to North America. I was thinking that I should probably do a day trip or something like that just before going back to pick up the typical stuff to take back for friends/family.

un cadeau de tendresse

2007-11-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

I went to pick up the package at the post office today after work. The thing weighs six kilos! Packed it home, and I'm pretty sure everyone down the three blocks from the apartment now knows who I am and where I live, as my name and address were plastered all over the box. I got it home and ripped through the ten layers of tape, packing paper, cardboard, and string to get to the inside. It was everything that's great about home - meaning home baking.

Inside were two bottles of maple syrup (I really either need to start using these up, as I now have four bottles sitting in my room), a container full of Jelly Bellies, Dubble Bubble gum (120 pieces), homemade caramel corn, homemade cookies, a little teacher Christmas ornament, three bags of trail mix, a copy of British Columbia magazine, and two copies of the Tribune, a copy of the Weekender, and a copy of the Vancouver Sun. Yes, all the newspapers are over a month old now, but editorials never expire really, and some of the stuff should be interesting. I could even photocopy them and torture advanced students by making them read about cowboys or cattle sales or slopitch tournaments or something.

Went for a run this evening after three/four weeks of sedentary BS. Felt great, especially after, as it usually does, but especially today, as my body was likely craving the endorphins. No pain, and no huffing and puffing, although I definitely wasn't going as fast as usual, as I finished the run in 50 minutes, about ten minutes slower than usual, if not more. In any case, I'm all nice and warm tonight for a change.

Wore the new cashmere sweater from the Gap today, and I love love love the way it fits. It seriously fits like a dream, and it's softer than I thought it was. I may crack out the Reiss cardigan tomorrow, but we'll see. I'm meeting up with Sam after work tomorrow (I think...he still hasn't gotten back to me regarding a time), so need to dress up a bit, or at least look like I put in some effort.

I am loving loving loving the new jacket. It fits oh-so-well, better than anything else I've seen here. I've started taking note of the other jackets people are wearing, and a lot of the men are either wearing potato sacks or jackets that are too tight in an effort to look fitted. I'm still waiting for the elusive compliments, though, and am a bit disappointed that they haven't appeared yet. However, I better get something with the cardigan. It's too unique to not receive anything.

I got another compliment on the hair today. It's like I don't do anything with it besides put a bit of product in in the morning to bring the unruly curls to bear, and everyone is all over it. A student was complimenting it, saying that it was so dark and black and curly. I seriously have no idea where the curl comes from, as Dad and Mom both have un-curly hair.

back from londres

2007-11-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

Came back from London this morning after missing the Eurostar. Argh. Cost me 50 Pounds as a result. Going to London made me really realize just how rude everyone in Paris really is. I really hadn't believed it before, but really, French people are rude. Not rude to your face rude, but just that they don't put in any effort to be nice to other people. I think that's probably why people are so surprised when I hold doors open for them or help them with bags or whatever. It's always the "c'est gentil" phrase that I get. In London, people so much as nudge you or brush your jacket, and they're practically falling over themselves to say sorry and excuse me. I moved out of a guy's way this morning on the tube, and he couldn't say enough to thank me ("cheers, thank you very much" and a big smile). In stores, the customer service is perfect, everyone there to help you if you so need, they won't let you put things back for them, and people are basically at your beck-and-call at all times. If you need another size, they are more than happy to jump and go to the back room to search for one for you. So, all that to say that I don't really think that French people are actually rude in the sense, but that they just don't put any effort into being considerate or nice to their fellow Parisian or neighbour. All of that makes me really want to go back as soon as possible, even before the end of January, but with Eurostar prices the way they are, I don't think that's going to happen.

The couple I stayed with in London, Tim and Joyce, are coming to Paris this weekend, and I'll be hosting them. They will be my first Couchsurfing guests. They are lovely, and I'm looking forward to spending some more time with them and taking them to the Bistro. Gilles is going to be away this weekend, so it's perfect.

Lauren and Alice are supposed to be coming to visit. They both sent me separate emails saying that they are looking into tickets for the end of December into January. Fun times, at least I won't be alone for NYE. I still have no idea what I want to do, but I better decide soon, as things are going to book up fast, if they haven't already.

Cheap ticket to Cologne and Aachen on Thalys if I book before Thursday, 10 Euros one way from Paris. Thinking Aachen, as I haven't been there before, and it's where Charlemagne is buried, so could be cool. Nice weekend trip, I think, maybe before I leave work. I kind of want to leave January open to go to Prague and elsewhere.

Talked to the parents tonight. The package they sent has finally arrived at the post office, so I'll go and pick it up tomorrow. Geez, that only took over a month. :(

more new friends

2007-11-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

I met up with a guy named S. after work today. He contacted me through Couchsurfing initially. We met up at the top of the Butte Montmartre, and I managed to avoid the African scammers at the bottom, completely ignoring their "Hello"s and yelling out "Non!" when one of them tried to grab my arm. Sooooo sneaky. Beware them and their stupid bracelets. You'll scam me once, messieurs, never again!

We walked down through Montmartre, over to A l'Etoile d'Or, where we picked up some SBCs, some SBC chocolates, and some mirabelle chocolates. Denise seemed to be in a bit of a tired mood, not nearly as chatty as usual. Don't know what was up with her, meh. Walked from there down through the 9th, then over to the 10th down Faubourg Saint Denis, down to the arch that is in the film "Paris, je t'aime". S. is a huuuuuuge fan, maybe as much of a fan as I am. We picked up dinner down there, then walked back to my place. I've never walked back from that direction, only down from my place, so there were a couple times when I had to pull out the ol' plan. Had dinner at the apartment, then watched the second half of Paris before I put him in a taxi and sent him back to his hosts' apartment down in the 11th. Nice guy, great conversation. Maybe we'll meet up again when we're both back in North America.

D. at work was super-excited today, as she took Velib' home yesterday for the first time, and then again this morning. So cute. I've been riding the bikes all week, ever since this stupid strike started. The first days were a bit sketchy, with all the traffic everywhere and me being out of practice. Now, we're much better, no problems. I had to help two different people on Monday figure things out. Do I look like I work for JC Decaux? My karma better be sky-high, dammit!

Going to London this weekend, and finally found a host. A guy had offered his place to me, but he's already hosting another guy, and told me himself that it was a bit crowded already, so luckily, another guy contacted me today, and offered his place to me. I'm so relieved, as staying with him and his girlfriend will be much better, methinks. They say they like food, so should be fine! They're supposed to be coming to Paris the following weekend, and are looking for a place to stay, but we'll see.

visitors everywhere!

2007-11-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

Quick update needed.

Went to Istanbul with C., a childhood friend from Williams Lake, from November 3-9th. C. had won a stay at a 5-star hotel in the heart of the tourist district of Istanbul for a week for two, and asked me if I wanted to go. The main tourist district is around Eminonu/Sirkeci. We were steps away from the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Aya Sofya. I had put out a call to three specific people and a general posting on the Istanbul board on Couchsurfing before leaving Paris, and when we arrived, had a couple responses. We met up with various people while in Istanbul, and it was super-great to have personal local guides show us around and take us to great restaurants. I went to two different hammams (Turkish baths), and it took C. and I about two days to finally learn how to say teshekur edirim (thank you). It rained for the most part while we were there, but we had a great time anyways.

We got back Friday afternoon, and another friend from home, C., came to Paris to surprise the other C. I had him come over to the apartment, and so opened the door and C. was completely shocked. We went for dinner at the Bistro Ste-Marthe, my favourite. J. and his sister E. had returned early from their whirlwind tour of France, Italy, and Switzerland, and were waiting outside the apartment when we arrived off the train from the airport. They offered to take stuff back home for me, which was super-great, as I was starting to wonder what I was going to do with all my books, CDs, summer clothes, and shoes. I was worried that it would be too heavy, but I haven't heard anything from them, so I assume that it all made it back to North America safe and sound. If all is well with the suitcase of stuff, that's 25€ well-spent (I bought the suitcase the night before leaving for Istanbul, as I have no suitcase over here, having packed everything around Europe with my big backpack.

Tomorrow afternoon, I'm out at a company teaching, so in the morning, we're going to go to Mariage Freres by work, then to a cheese shop to pick up stuff, mainly for C., as he's leaving Tuesday afternoon to go back to Vancouver. Tuesday, J., another friend of C.'s, is coming from the Hague for work, and then will be staying with me starting Thursday, so it's going to be a full house again.

I've been contacted by a S. from Couchsurfing. I'm almost sad that I can't host him, as he seems like a really great guy. He's from Germany, a total Harry Potter geek, but all his pictures make him look like a really fun guy, like just a really great person to be around. He was asking me about places from the movie Paris, je t'aime, one of my favourite movies, and so I sent him the big list of stuff that I sent J. and A. from Stockholm, and added locations from the movie to it for him. All the messages from him have been very pleasant, and I'm looking forward to meeting him (even though I can't host him, I offered to meet up with him and perhaps go and see the movie with him again).

S. met up with C. and C. and me for dinner tonight. We went to the Bistro des Dames. I mentioned that I was super-excited to be going to London in two weeks, and she tells me that she might not be able to go! Apparently there's some problem with her sister, and her sister needs money, so as a result, S. might have to send her the money she'd have used in London, and may not be able to go because of this. In some ways, that may be okay, as then I won't feel so guilty about staying (hopefully) with J., but on the other hand, it would be super-fun to go with her, as she lived there for a year and knows her way around. le sigh

play that funky music

2007-10-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

I was in the new store, Le 66, on the Champs Elysées, still in hunt of a great winter jacket before I freeze my arse off, and heard some fantastic music. It was by the British singer Just Jack, and I immediately loved it. It's sort of loungy-style rap music, but not crap rap music. You can actually relate to the lyrics, and they are completely understandable, with no hoes, pimps, or f-bombs present. Not finding any suitable jackets (although lots of other potential future purchases), I walked down to the Virgin Megastore, and bought the CD. While browsing the racks, I also rediscovered La musique de Paris Dernière, the cover album that I first heard at T.'s place during the picnic way back in the summer. Both were on sale, and I was excited to play them and put them on the ol' iPod.

Here's a video of Just Jack's "Writer's Block". Fun times.

Tonight, S. and I went to the launch party for the online magazine "OpiumEurope". The magazine was started in the States, and tonight was the launch of the European counterpart. Because of my laziness regarding actually leaving work after 6 pm, we were ridiculously late (early by Parisian standards), and only caught the second and third band and one session of readings. The readings were a bit boring, but the first band was fantastic (the second band, not so much, playing lots of slower songs). It was held at Le Reservoir, this fun dinner/music venue east of Bastille. For some reason, the coat check lady didn't charge me for my coat, and didn't give me a ticket either, saying "je me rappellerai votre sourire". Okay...I best be getting my coat back, or someone is going to die. I don't care how good your memory is.

I finally re-discovered the link to the website that lists authentic Japanese restaurants in Paris! YAY sushi fun times have returned.

Check out this great website from the Paris tourism office located in England. The campaign is C'est so paris! and it is hilarious. The clips for learning French are particularly wonderful - here's just one for your amusement:

Le 66
66, avenue des Champs Elysées
75008 Paris
Tél: 01.53.53.33.80

eating and more eating...and some art

2007-10-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

I keep doing this lately, leaving these posts and then having to try to remember what's happened since the last post. Argh!

FIAC and the S alon du Chocolat were both on the weekend. FIAC was fun, mainly because it was free (tickets were actually 25€, reduced to 12,50€ for students and such), so the fact that we didn't have to pay to see crazy contemporary art was a much easier pill to swallow and perhaps allowed us to enjoy the art rather than criticize it. S. was ridiculously late due to lingering problems with the métro. I guess she was at a station, and people were pushing and shoving to get on the already-crowded train, and someone fell between the platform and the train, causing a bit of a panic. Things are back to normal now, but never have I been happy to have spent the money and become the holder of a Velib' subscription.

Saturday, we went to the Salon du Chocolat down at Porte de Versailles. Of course, the métro directly to the exhibition park was the only one in the city with problems. I ended up biking all the way down there, as the métro was ridiculous, running properly or not. In the process, I also managed to fall off my bike when the tire caught against the curb as I was trying to turn onto the bikepath that was along the sidewalk. Didn't hurt myself, thank goodness. It could have been ugly. S. and I stuffed our faces with chocolate for three hours, me moreso than S., who called it quits about half-way through. Sissy.

After the Salon du Chocolat, we met up with J. and I led us over to the Pierre Hermé on rue de Vaugirard. This was mainly for S.'s belated birthday present, so I treated both her and J., but they only picked a large macaron each. I finally got to try an Ispahan, which I must say is absolutely amazing and worth all the hype that surrounds it. It's made of two large raspberry macarons, and in the middle is a whole raspberry, surrounded by lychee- and rose-flavoured butter cream, surrounded by more whole raspberries. On the top is another raspberry and a whole rose petal, all "glued" into place with glucose syrup. The butter cream actually has pieces of lychee throughout. Amazing. Of course, I also bought a few petits macarons, and got to try some of the new flavours, including marron et thé vert matcha, huile d'olive et vanille, chocolat et caramel "plénitude", and truffe blanche et noisette. Out of those, the best were the chestnut and green tea and the chocolate and caramel (honestly, how could you go wrong with that combination?). I was sad to discover that abricot pistache "arabesque" is finished for the season. Boo hiss.

Went to Le Fleche d'Or in the 20th for the first time with S. and her friend J. who was visiting from London Saturday night. It was okay. We just got in to see the band perform it's last song, and then the house music started, which got boring fast (no lyrics, just sounds, which easily turn into noise after a bit). Missed the last métro home, but luckily, the 20th isn't far from the apartment (I actually realised tonight while out on my run that I go right past the place during my longer route), and it only took me 15 minutes to bike home.

Met up with J. and A. from Stockholm on Sunday for lunch. I wanted to take them to Fromagerie 31, but the place ended up only being open for buying, not for eating. We got three types of cheese, then some ham at Da Rosa next door. Off to Paul's to get a baguette, and then desserts from Gérard Mulot. We took it all to Jardin du Luxembourg, and had a wonderful picnic. The weather was nice and warm, and two French ladies even remarked while passing us in the park that it was great that we had adopted the "French habits" and that it was "a good idea". I left A. and J. and met up with S. and J. at A Priori Thé. I don't really know why S. is so in love with that place. I feel a bit disappointed each time we go, and it keeps getting worse. It's super-expensive, and for the same prices, you could get much better food and service at Ladurée or another tea salon. The space is nice, the place is not, and the servers, all except the young girl, are crap and never smile.

Got a lovely email from A. once they got back to Stockholm, thanking me for all the suggestions and saying that "truly, our best memories of Paris are from things you recommended" and that "Le Sainte Marthe was wonderful", apparently opening up the kitchen early for them, translating the menu, and the food was excellent, with J. declaring "the chocolate cake the best he ever had". So great! I'm so happy that they had such a great time here and that I was able to have a hand in that. It's a great feeling.

J. and his twin sister are coming Sunday from the US for a week before I head off to Istanbul. They're actually staying in Europe until November 10th, so will go to Italy as well, and perhaps other places around France. I have laundry and such to do before they arrive, although most other stuff, like food, will be bought Saturday morning at the Barbès market, and perhaps some little things Sunday morning at the Richard Lenoir market.

Bought cheap Eurostar tickets to London for November 23-26. I'm going with S. Don't know if I should stay at J.'s place or just tag along and stay with S. at her friend's(') place(s). We'll see.

Magazine launch party Friday night. It's a MeetIn event, but S. and I are of the opinion that we'll go, perhaps with T. in tow, and ditch the group as we don't really want to be roving around in a huge group, and instead would rather move freely throughout the event. Must be dressing my absolute cutest, as perhaps there will be some fun artsy guys there for fun times ;)

Harry Potter comes out in French as of midnight Thursday. There were barricades set up along the Champs Elysées in front of the Virgin Megastore and the FNAC. Fun times.

Pierre Hermé
185, rue de Vaugirard
75015 Paris
Tél: 01.47.83.89.96

the weekend has made me diabetic

2007-10-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Friday night, I went to FIAC with S. Because of the strike on Thursday, things were still not operating properly on Friday, so I took a bike. S. decided to take the métro (she really has no other choice, as she doesn't know how to ride a bike, and the buses were also affected by the strike, so that wasn't an option). Apparently, at one of the stations, there was such a rush to get on the already-crowded train that someone fell between the train and the platform. Scary. We didn't end up going in until after 7 pm as a result.

The exhibition was basically galleries from all over the world, showing the works of various artists. It was kind of neat to see the various art on display, even if some of it was a bit off or strange. Contemporary art is so subjective (or really, art in general), it's hard to know what's actually good. We were both blown away by the fact that the price of admission to FIAC is supposed to be 25€, and were quite pleased that we got in for free. The other people inside were so artsy-fartsy and fashionable, it hurt. I was wearing skinny jean fun, so I didn't feel out-of-place in that regard.

After FIAC, we caught the métro up to Gare du Nord, a 40-minute trip that normally would take 15 minutes. We picked up S.'s friend J., who was visiting from London for the weekend. Went for Indian at New Pondicherry, and then S. and J. took the métro home to her place. I walked the two blocks home. I love how close I am to most things. Super-convenient.

Saturday, S. and I went to the Salon du Chocolat at Porte de Versailles. The plan was to meet at noon at the Porte de Versailles métro station. The strike was still affecting the system, and line 12, the line that goes directly there, was still not working properly, so we decided to meet at Balard instead on line 8. I got on the métro, and after taking far too long to get to Charles de Gaulle-Etoile, grabbed a bike, and biked the long distance down to the southwest corner of the city. Once down there, I missed the Velib' station, and ended up falling off the bike while trying to get onto the bike lane that was on the sidewalk (there was a lip between the curb and the street, even though the curb was lowered to allow people to get onto the bike lane). Thankfully, didn't hurt myself, and a man asked if I was okay. Alternatively, his evil wife looked at me, pursed her lips, and shook her head. I don't know if the look was directed at me, the bike, my riding skills, or the people who designed the sidewalk. Walked the bike back down the hill to the docking station and met up with S.

Inside, it was crazy. The smell of chocolate was everywhere, and there must have been about 100 different stands. Chocolatiers from France, Japan, Canada (yay Bernard Callebaut!), and all the countries that produce cacao beans were represented. Some of the packaging, especially that from Japanese and some French producers was so beautiful, I don't think I'd be able to open the package to eat the chocolate inside. Maybe.

After the Salon du Chocolat, S. and I met up with J. and I took them to Pierre Hermé's location on rue de Vaugirard. I had no idea where it actually was, but turns out it's right by the métro station. It's actually on the same street as the CIJP office, so in my usual rush to get there on time before for the French-English conversation group, I'd miss it (plus the fact that, like the other location on rue Bonaparte, this one is also poorly marked, and if you didn't know the address, you'd miss it anyways, especially if it were closed, which would be the case during the time of the conversation group). Gorged ourselves on petits macarons (really, it was mainly me that gorged themselves, and I also bought an Ispahan, having never tried it before). Once I got the Ispahan home, it took me about a day before breaking it open. Oh. My. God. It's amazing, and worthy of all the hype. It's basically two raspberry macarons (full size), which sandwich a rose and lychee ganache, with actual pieces of lychee fruit inside the ganache. Around the outside of this ganache are full-size raspberries, and on top, affixed using glucose syrup, so it looks like dew drops, are a rose petal, Hermé's decal, and a raspberry. The taste is amazing...a good substitute is the rose-flavoured petit macaron at Ladurée, but you miss out on the pieces of lychee.

stockholm calling and other news

2007-10-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

This post is going to be all over the place, so you'll have to bear with me as I recount the weekend of Nuit Blanche, my trip to Stockholm, Sweden, and visits from my first Couchsurfers (although I didn't host them).

Nuit Blanche was the night of October 6th, from 7 pm to 7 am (the 7 am being Sunday morning). It also happened to be the night of the quarter finals of the rugby World Cup, which France miraculously won (literally, miraculously, as they beat New Zealand, the favourites in the tournament, and who were thought to be a far better team). I went to S.'s place for dinner with her, A. from S.'s work, and S.'s roommate J. S. made spicy Indian food, and I stuffed my face as per usual, and perhaps more so, as it was so super-tasty and spicy fun times. From there, we headed out to the Jardin de Tuileries, where they had hundreds upon hundreds of clay flowerpots set on fire lining the paths and arranged into sculptures, including a giant chandelier that was hanging from a crane over the main entrance to the park by Place de la Concorde. It was really cool, and they had huge torches set up around the park as well, and floating fires in the fountains. From there, A. left us, and S. and I wandered through the Marais (boring, as most stuff was closing early, except for the intensely spooky installation set up inside the Musée de Victor Hugo in Place des Vosges. From the Marais, we went up to Saint-Lazare, and dragged ourselves up the street to the SNCF yards to watch a bunch of short films. After nearly killing ourselves from exhaustion and cold (it became suddenly really cold while we were up in the railyards), we went back to S.'s place, and I took the metro home. In the process, I managed to lose my plan de Paris. I slept all day Sunday, only getting up around 5 pm. What fun!

Paris was the first to start Nuit Blanche six years ago, and since then, various European cities have developed their own versions. Toronto is the only city in North America to have one, which is only two years old this year. There was an article in the NY Times a couple months or so ago talking about the various nuits blanches around the world, and how in Europe, there is an actual organization being set up by the various participating cities, so that they can eventually organize the nights on consecutive weekends in the fall, and people will be able to travel to a different one every weekend, and so they also don't compete with each other, as it's super-easy to travel around Europe, and making a circuit of nuits blanches cities would be totally easy and relatively cheap to do.

Then it was Eid al-Fitr. Read all about it here, because I'm an idiot and got ahead of myself.

After some confusion with my planning for last Friday, October 12th, I managed to get the whole day off, and was able to take my time in the morning preparing for my trip to Stockholm, Sweden. It was my first time in the country, and I was looking forward to it as a result. Scott is there usually a couple times during the year, and his pictures (about half-way down) of the Stockholmians are always amazingly beautiful. The sense of fashion always blows me away, and the Nordic blood is always evident (read tall, blond, and lean). That, plus I'd read a 36-hour fe ature in the NY Times about the city, and it sounded so wonderful. I'm happy to report that everything lived up to my expectations.

I flew to Stockholm on Ryanair, having gotten a great price in a seat sale - 32€ round trip, including all taxes and fees. The fare was basically 0.01€ (one centime) for each leg of the trip, so basically you paid just the taxes and fees. The only problem with Ryanair is that you have to fly from Beauvais, which is about 100 km north of Paris, and requires that you take a shuttle bus from Porte Maillot for 13€ one-way, catching it 3 hours and 15 minutes before your flight time. This proved to be a ridiculously ahead-of-time schedule, as likely 2 hours would be sufficient, although cutting things close, I suppose. I caught my delayed-getting-to-Beauvais-and-delayed-leaving-Beauvais plane, and arrived at Skavsta Airport at just after 6 pm (instead of the originally-planned 4:45 pm). Again, Skavsta is about 100 km southwest of Stockholm, so another shuttle bus trip is required into the city. Flying into Skavsta reminded me a lot of flying into Williams Lake. The landscape is similar, and the airport is about twice the size of the small one back home. You have to walk from the plane to the terminal building in the open air, and getting off the plane, I was hit with gusts of cold air. A bit of nostalgia kicked in...

This trip was also my first experience using the Couchsurfing system. Basically, you join the site for free, set up a profile, and start searching for couches available in the area that you are traveling to. I found a couch with a guy named M. M. is divorced, 40, and works in national defence for Sweden. He met me at the central station, T-Centralen, and from there, it was off to his apartment, 10 minutes south of the city center. It was great to have a local there right from the get-go, as he was able to speak Swedish to the transit people, get me the right transit pass, and all that. Upon arrival at his apartment, he presented me with my own set of keys, told me that I could have friends over if I wanted, "mi casa es su casa", gave me permission to use the internet and phone, and gave up his queen-sized bed to me and slept on a pad in the living room, as he "didn't want to wake you in the morning when I get up early to go to work". I could not believe the level of trust from this man (let alone the high level of generosity and selflessness), right off the bat! I mean, we've known each other for maybe 30 minutes. And by know each other, I mean we know each other's names and nationalities, and that's about it. I really could not believe it, and was completely in awe at the sense of friendship and welcoming that he provided.

I had brought M. some chocolates and caramels from J eff de Bruges (warning: site has music), some cheese (Mont d'Or and chevre St-Maure), and gros sel and fleur de sel as thank you/host gifts. However, upon passing through security at Beauvais, I was informed that apparently cheese is a liquid, and so they confiscated my 15€ worth of fromage. Apparently it's fine if you check it, but not fine in your hand luggage. The chocolates, they left alone, but the cheese, not so much. The salt had been checked, so that was safe. As I was now left with only two gifts, I bought a bottle of wine at the duty free, about three times the price I would have paid for it back in Paris. I was so frustrated...one of those situations where everything is suddenly out of your control and you must just stand and obey.

I had heard from another Stockholm host that there was a weekly event on Fridays in Stockholm, so M. and I headed out to a bar in the northern part of the city called Grappa Matsal and Bar. It was M.'s first time at a CS event as well. There were about 15 people there when we arrived around 9:30 pm. We chatted with everyone, had some good discussions, and some of us planned to meet the next day to go mushroom picking near M.'s place, as he lives by a large park that stretches from his place out to the sea. As M. had to work, he lent me a pair of rubber boots and this crazy metal container that is used to hold butterflies when one goes butterfly hunting and that can easily second as a container for holding all of one's picked mushrooms.

The next day, about 8 fellow CSers from Stockholm and elsewhere, including a French English teacher from near Nancy, one of my "must-do" cities in France, met up to pick mushrooms. We picked for about two hours, after which my fingers and toes were frozen. After the mushroom adventure, B., one of the main Stockholm CS organizers, invited us back to her place to cook them up. However, as much as I enjoyed the company of the other people, I decided to leave and do other stuff, as I still really hadn't seen any parts of the city or attractions yet. I went back to the apartment, stopping to pick up some Swedish goodies at the Coop store a block away. It was like Ikea, but ten gagillion times better! I got Singoalla cookies, Bilar candies, and other treats like Punschrulle and Biskvi. So great!

After grabbing a bite to eat at the apartment, I headed to Södermalm, an area just to the south of Gamla Stan (the old town), and considered one of the most trendiest and hip neighbourhoods in the city. Part of the area has been named "SoFo", or South of Folkungagatan, in homage to the SoHo neighbourhood of New York. It reminded me a lot of Queen Street West in Toronto, or Main Street/Broadway/Commercial Drive in Vancouver. Lots of little boutiques and restaurants. Swedes have the most amazing fashion sense. Whereas French people dress very classically and refined, the Swedes take many more chances with fashion, and I found the fashion more interesting and fascinating as a result. So many guys wear skinny jeans, gay or straight, coupled or single, and so many also were out pushing baby carriages, it was amazing. I was talking to L., and she thinks it's because the look works better for them. They're all tall, skinny, and lean, and so wearing skinny jeans just emphasizes this, and she's right. Fantastic. I was in Galleries Lafayette and the other stores around Haussmann today, and all the fashion looks boring compared to the stuff in Stockholm. To me, it all just looks very ordinary and safe here, very bleh, whereas in Stockholm, it was all fresh, new, and pushed the boundaries a bit. I know there are two places in Paris that sell Filippa K clothes for men, so am going to try to find them. There's a sweater and a jacket that I tried on, and the jacket in particular has been haunting me all the time since I got back. Wandered through to Gamla Stan, then up to the Central Station. That's when I found out that my stupid Lonely Planet guidebook doesn't have street indexes for its maps! Have you ever heard of anything so stupid? What kind of guidebook is this? And apparently they're all like that, so why is it that they are the most popular? Useless...completely and utterly useless. I made the switch from my usual DK Travel guidebooks that I've used in the past. That was a mistake. So I trekked it back to the apartment, used Google Maps to find the address to P.A. & Co., a restaurant in the NY Times article, and went up to Östermalm to find it.

The restaurant was packed. I was able to squeeze in at the bar, and the woman behind the bar, A., was super-nice. She translated the menu for me, which I think they make up every night, or at least fairly frequently, as she was reading from a thick notepad, where the menu was written out in pen. I had a potato pancake to start with, which came with whitefish caviar (löjrom), sour cream, and chopped chives and shallots. This was followed by an Italian rustic dish of cow sweetbreads, a type of sausage, cow tongue, and chicken, along with a type of risotto. It was my first time eating sweetbreads and tongue, and I can say that I actually really enjoyed the taste of tongue. One of the regular clients was standing next to me, and chatted away to both me and A. all night, mainly bugging A., and just making smalltalk with me. I asked A. for recommendations for places to eat for Sunday night, and then went my merry way, thanking her profusely for all her help. Got back to the apartment, and stayed up chatting and drinking tea with M. until about 1 or 2 in the morning.

Sunday, I got up early and went to Skansen, on an island in the eastern part of the city. Skansen is a park that contains examples of homesteads and villages, a Sami village (the Sami are the aboriginal people of northern Europe, herding reindeer for food and other materials) and other anthropological and cultural artifacts from around Sweden, as well as animals that can be found throughout the country, like reindeer, brown bear, lynx, various birds of prey, etc. I spent about 2 hours there, then went off to Gamla Stan to see the wooden sculpture of St. George and the Dragon inside the Storkyrkan, the church on the island. I got there, and there were signs on the doors saying "No sightseeing, come back at 9 am tomorrow". I was quite upset, as I had skipped the Vasamuseet back in Djurgården in order to rush over to Gamla Stan to see the church. So, wandered around Gamla Stan again, saw the Swedish Academy, where the Nobel Prizes are given out, and the Royal Palace, Kungliga Slottet, before heading back to Södermalm for some shopping. The stores are only open from 12 noon until 4 pm on Sundays, so had about an hour left. I stumbled upon an Acne Jeans store, where I bought my own pair of skinny jeans that fit fantastically, and then asked for recommendations for other stores to check out from the very friendly and super-helpful salesgirl. Wandered a bit more, then headed north to find one of the places recommended by A. for dinner. However, as warned, the place was closed, so resorted to the Lonely Planet guide, and found myself at Grill!, a restaurant specializing, yup, in grilled everything. Sunday night, though, they have a buffet-style dinner, so I had that, and was very pleased with the low cost of the meal in the end, especially because I went back several times to refill my plate. Again, got back to M.'s and chatted until about 1 am.

I had to be up around 2:30 am to catch the nightbus from M.'s place to T-Centralen in order to catch the 4 am shuttle to Skavsta for my 7:10 am flight. Of course, why did I even bother going to bed? I slept through the alarms (I remember waking up and turning off my phone alarm, but that was all), and so missed the night bus, which resulted in me frantically phoning a taxi after being refused by one because of my Canadian credit card and lack of puce (I get charged extra with my French one because I'm outside the Euro zone) and trying to pronounce the Swedish street names over the phone to the taxi dispatcher. A taxi arrived in 5 minutes, whisked me away to the main station, and I got on the airport bus, no problem.

Once we were back around Beauvais, that's when the real problems started. The airport was fogged in, so after circling for about an hour, we were diverted to Lille. Landed in Lille, which was putting us now around 11 am, whereas I was supposed to be in Beauvais at 9:25 am. After sitting on the runway for about 45 minutes while they decided what to do with all the diverted passengers (we weren't the only plane diverted), they decided to put us on shuttle buses back to Beauvais, where we'd catch other buses back to Paris. Then they decided some buses would go to Beauvais, as some passengers had to catch connecting flights, and some other buses would go directly back to Paris. However, we had to stop along the way for lunch, so I was frantically phoning the school this entire time, from the moment we landed to the moment I got on the bus, trying to see what classes I wasn't going to be able to teach and ones that I might be able to be there for. I ended up getting to Porte Maillot at 3:50 pm, just enough time to walk the 10 minutes to the school in time for my 4 pm class. Having spent all day traveling on buses and planes, I was not in the best shape/appearance, but really didn't care at that point.

Tuesday, I met up with some visiting CSers here in Paris after work. R. and his friend Q. are from the Philippines, both medical doctors specializing in stem cell research and therapies dealing with anti-aging. We met at the Eiffel Tower, and then went to the Musée d'Orsay. From there, it was over to Tuileries/Concorde, and up to Ladurée and over to Rubis Wine Bar. I had my little black book on me this time, so we found it, no problem. From there, another couple of CSers joined us, and we went off to rue Charonne for Vietnamese food. I got my fill of phó and fried noodles and sautéed beef. Soooo good.

Today was the day of the SNCF/RATP strike. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The roads weren't any more crowded with cars this morning, although there were far more bikes and walkers around. Got to the school super-early. Most students were there, and only two teachers were late.

Tomorrow, I'm going to the Foire internationale d'art contemporain (FIAC), a huge gathering of art galleries from around the world (as far as I can tell/understand). I think it's main purpose is to allow various artists to network with various galleries around the world in the effort to have their pieces shown there. It's another perk from the Louvre card, so I get in for free, only tomorrow evening. S. is going with me, of course. Tomorrow is also the start of the Salon du chocolat. So fun! S. and I will go to that on Saturday. A couple from Stockholm that I contacted through CS are coming to Paris for the weekend, their first time, so I'm supposed to meet up with them at some point. They aren't staying with me, but I passed along a whole crapload of notes and tips about places to eat, places to visit, and just general tips about Paris and French culture.

Speaking of French culture, I knocked my karma level into the deepest of the deep negative areas today. Because of the transit strike, all the metros are shut down or barely running (except line 14, as it's fully automated). So, when I finished at Haussmann, I went to find a Velib' to ride home. Three stations, and only at the last one was there one bike left. I ran over, placed by Navigo/Velib' pass on the attachment point for the bike, and poof! released and ready to go. This was done even though there were two people at the actual machine, fiddling around with abonnements and such. The one guy had some choice words in French for me, and I just sort of shrugged and half pretended I didn't understand/didn't care. I told him that there were plenty of other stations around the area. I really wanted to tell him that you-snooze-you-lose, and that I have a year subscription, and it's not my fault that I don't have to wait in line to do the punch thing at the machine, and that I didn't know he was wanting a bike, as he was at the subscription side of the machine. In some cases, I know I'm in the wrong, and in others, I'm just kind of whatever, I had total right to swoop in and take the bike, as that's what having a year subscription entitles me to do, to have the convenience of not standing in line and of being much faster than the paper-ticket-based system.

So going to be hit and squashed by a delivery truck tomorrow morning on my way to work in the hell that is Place de Clichy.

Grappa Matsal & Bar
Sandt Eriksgatan 86
11362 Stockholm
T-bana: S:t Ericksplan

P.A. & Co.
Riddargatan 8
11457 Stockholm
T-bana: Ostermalmstorg

Grill!
Drottninggatan 89
Stockholm
T-bana: Rådmansgatan

Mondän
Tulegatan 10
11358 Stockholm
T-bana: Rådmansgatan

Le Rubis
10, rue du Marché St-Honoré
75001 Paris
Tél: 01.42.61.03.34
Métro: Tuileries

Paris Hanoï
74, rue de Charonne
75011 Paris
Tél: 01.47.00.47.59
Métro: Charonne

j'ai gagné, j'ai gagné!!!!

2007-10-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

I've been getting these emails from the Louvre about my Louvre Carte Jeunes, but I haven't been actually reading them, as they're all in French, and I thought they were just about upcoming exhibits and such. Well, stupid Colin, it turns out that they're actually all about concerts and special events that you can win free tickets to, plus invitations/free entry to certain events on certain nights/days. I discovered this wonderful fact late Tuesday night, and there was a notice for free tickets available to be won for the Orchestre de Paris, which gave a concert tonight. All you had to do was reply to the email with your name and such, similar to Videomatica's contests back home, and wait for the call saying you'd won. I expected more of an email, but no, it's actually this very nice French girl who calls you personally and tells you that you've won and that the tickets will be waiting at the event for you, as well as informing you that she will send directions to the concert hall to you via email. Clearly, I managed to win (how, I have no idea, unless it's sort of like a "new member/new participant" kind of deal, where you win at first, and then you never win ever again). I invited S. along to the concert, which was in the Salle Pleyel, right by my work (I had no idea it even existed, nor that rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré is actually the continuation of avenue des Ternes. It was a fantastic concert. Our seats were in the first balcony, right at the front of the rows of seats, so we could overlook everything without people in the way. They played Concerto pour violon et orchestre en ré majeur, opus 35 by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, followed by Symphonie no. 1 en ré majeur, "Titan" by Gustav Mahler. Both pieces were excellent, especially the Mahler, as it was filled with drums and cymbals and other fun. The Third Movement is a theme and variations, and the theme sounds very much like "Three Blind Mice" or "Frère Jacques".

It was a lot of fun, especially because it was the symphony in Paris. One thing that made it clear that we were in Paris and not elsewhere was that there was a large number of young kids present. I'm talking like 15 year olds. And not just one or two, but actual groups of them, like groups of friends, all coming to see and listen to the symphony. Sure, a lot of them weren't all dressed up like the older people present, but just the fact that they were all there, at the symphony on a Thursday night, and not out at the movies or at a club or at home or whatever was completely eye-opening. It's like there's this entire level of culture and refinement that French people grow up with that just doesn't exist or isn't encouraged back in North America.

I always loved going to see the VSO in Vancouver at the Orpheum, for the music and also for the fact that it was like you were part of some society level. All the old people get all dressed up, and I remember my friend S. and I would go around during intermission and watch all the old ladies in their furs and nice dresses.

eid al-fitr is finally here

2007-10-08T13:16:00.001-07:00

Although I'm not Muslim in any sense of the word, and neither is my landlord, he invited me on a tour of the Barbès neighbourhood near our apartment this evening to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan and therefore, the end of fasting for the month. Eid al-Fitr means the "Feast of Breaking Fast". It was an experience that I would never have seen on my own, or understood in any real sense. It truly was something away from anything one might find in a guidebook or that even most Parisians likely know about their own city.

We started by going into various shops, watching as they prepared the sweets and other foods typical of Eid al-Fitr. When I asked if it was okay to take pictures, they kind of laughed, thinking it a little strange that I would want to take pictures of something that I think they probably find so ordinary, so "un-foreign" or "not unusual" to warrant a picture. Gilles, my landlord, kept explaining to everyone that I'm Canadian and that this was a bit of a tourist tour, as I hadn't seen anything like it in my own country. Although I know that there are Muslims in Canada, there is not a population like in Paris where entire neighbourhoods celebrate altogether, or where, as soon as the hour of Eid al-Fitr hits, the neighbourhoods become like ghost towns, as people come together with their families to eat after the long month of fasting.

We bought "brick", "plack", and some other meat- and onion-filled pastry, as well as a loaf of bread and a pancake for breakfast. The brick can be filled with either meat (probably beef or lamb) or tuna, as well as potato, harissa, onion, parsley, olives, egg, and the cheese from "le vache qui rit" (the laughing cow cheese...I can't remember the exact English name of the cheese, other than it's basically the same cheese that is used for fondue and for tartines here in France UPDATE: It is called Laughing Cow). The ingredients are folded inside a pastry shell, similar to a philo pastry, and fried in oil. The other meat-filled pastry is basically a thin, stretchy dough that is folded around a filling of harissa, meat, and onions, then folded again over more ingredients and fried in oil. The taste reminds me a lot of Shake and Bake BBQ chicken or even just BBQ chicken. The plack is a dough that is deep-fried (yes, again...practically everything is deep-fried, it seems), then soaked in honey. It's made almost like a pancake, but the batter is placed directly in the hot oil, and forms a kind of thick rope that is formed back and forth in the oil, then cut apart. I ate most of the food, and I think Gilles was a bit surprised (or sickened?) by the amount I ate. I had gone running during a break between a morning class out at a company and classes back at the school, so maybe that helped boost my already-large appetite? He said that I was now a real Arab, as I ate like I'd been fasting all day, just like a Muslim would. I don't know if that's a compliment or not, but whatever. It was tasty tasty fun times!

I'm out at companies every day this week. Today, I was out in Courbevoie, across the Seine from Levallois-Perret. It was a little strange to be out in that part of the city again. When I first arrived in Paris after the five-week holiday through Europe back in February, I spent a week at a budget hotel out in Levallois. When I booked it, I had no real idea where it was going to be located, as I was desperate and had really no other choice for a place to stay. The hotel was near the metro, and so I assumed it was still in Paris. Clearly not so much, but it was a good place to be, as it was super-quiet, and I was up on the top floor in a double room to myself.

While I was getting ready for my run at lunchtime, I saw a police office outside, and a huge traffic jam. Now, normally around 5 or 6 pm, my street turns into complete chaos as people try to leave the city/get to the Péripherique. Around lunchtime is a little weird. I got ready, went outside, and tried to figure out what was going on. Unsuccessful in this regard, of course a little old Madame asks me what's happening, so I have a good excuse to now actually ask the police officer. Turns out they found un colis suspect in the station, so evacuated everyone and blocked off the streets. I surprised myself by how easy-going I was when I heard. It was that kind of "just another day" type of reaction.

the horses are not what they seem

2007-10-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

I was having lunch with some super-advanced students today, and they were asking for the expression that is the opposite of "early bird" (so "night owl"). Owl is a funny word, as it can sound like "howl" for French people, who never aspirate their "H"s, or like "hour" or any number of other words. Anyways, okay, "night owl". One of the students says, "Oh! Like in Twin Peaks, 'the owls are not what they seem'". 1) I've never seen Twin Peaks. I remember hearing about the show when I was in school, but mainly in jokes regarding female breasts. 2) When he said "the owls", it sounded more like "the horse" or "the house", which made absolutely no sense. One of the other students also heard "the horse", and we were both looking at each other like, what did he just say? It also didn't help that the student has a bit of a lisp when he speaks English. For some reason, after we figured out what it was he was trying to say, we all burst into crazy laughter, the other classes and teachers in the bistro were looking at us funny.

On my way to work, I had my first "wow, she's really sexy" situation. I was walking behind this woman, and she was wearing black leggings under a sort of grey shirt dress. Now, this look is not particularly special, and most woman here pull it off, but as she was walking down the street, she reached back to pull up her hair and tie it up, and in that moment, I thought, "wow, she's really sexy". Just the way she was moving, the way her body looked in the clothes. A guy on a motorcycle on rue Pierre Demours was watching her at the light, and actually pulled his bike over and kept watching her as she walked down the street.

au revoir to you there

2007-10-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

L. and K. left this morning, back to Canada, but not before K. picked up a nasty bout of food poisoning four days ago. I guess they went to eat dinner some place around their hotel, and K. ate some beef carpaccio something or other, and as far as what L. has told me, that's what I think is the culprit, as L. is not sick, and ate other food from the restaurant, and is healthy as always. We went out for a farewell dinner to the Duc de Richelieu, by Gare de Lyon, and K. couldn't eat anything, spending most of the dinner bursting into tears instead. Poor girl, what a crappy way to end a holiday, especially one in Paris, one of the foodie capitals of the world. The restaurant was worse than I remember when D. and I went when she visited in May. The entrée was okay, a salade des gesiers (chicken livers), and it kind of went downhill from there. I had a daube de boeuf, which was three chunks of beef with three potatoes in gravy (a daube is a stew with beef, lamb, or mutton and red wine, onions, and/or tomatoes; clearly, none of those last ingredients in mine), and then a crème brulée, which was cold except for the burnt crust on top, which was obviously just burnt, so the desserts are all made ahead of time. That's fine, but I shouldn't be able to tell so easily. I'll have to cross it off the list. Update: I was just looking to see if there was an actual website for the place, and it seems that the bistrot was sold. Many customers are bemoaning this fact and how much the place has gone downhill since. One person put it perfectly - "c'est devenu triste comme un resto devant une gare" (it's become sad like a restaurant in front of a station). How true.

I had lunch today at work with a student who works for Richemont, a luxury brands company. She is Italian, and her husband is an official of some sort in the French Basket Federation. He was invited to Tony Parker and Eva Longoria's wedding, and she actually got to meet Eva. She told me that Eva is very nice, very down to earth, and also very short. Apparently, Eva went to one of the basketball games in the same bus as a group of fans. We talked all about luxury goods, as Lancel and Chloé are two of the brands in the group, as well as running, swimming, and sailing. The company gives the employees various things to wear as advertisement (watches, jewelry, etc. - like they do for actors at awards ceremonies), and I asked what brand her purse was, out of curiosity. She told me that it was Italian, and that the best bags and shoes are made in Italy, where brands are not so important as here in France, and that you can pick up a good bag and pair of shoes for cheap. So, I will wait until January, when I go to Rome, or I will squeeze in an extra trip to Milan or Florence or some other Italian area before January to pick up some shoes and my man bag.

In other news...

I'm sure everyone knows about the problems of dog shit on the trottoirs (sidewalks) in Paris, let alone in the entire country. Well, Toulouse is apparently bent on doing something about it. Paris put out a bunch of ads earlier in the summer, but I don't know how much good they did, as I still see dog crap occasionally, as well as owners allowing their dogs to relieve themselves wherever and not picking up the merde after. Enjoy the funny video spot on the website at the link above (WARNING: video contains sound).

I've gotten two requests from Couchsurfing. One is from a Polish girl who is coming to Paris, but her profile is pretty much empty, so I'm going to say no to her. The other is from a guy from the Philippines, just asking me to hang out and show him around, so that seems pretty harmless, and I'll respond positively to that one. Kind of exciting!

I haven't spoken to the German since the disaster last Friday, and I really haven't even been thinking about him or have any real desire to call except just for the sake of calling. The Romanian in Limoges, however, called Monday night, and we've been sort of playing phone tag since. Not sure what he wants.

Went over to S.'s loft of doom in Belleville Monday night, as V. was in town. Went later, as I cooked and ate dinner after getting home from work. D. was there, and I allowed him to bore me for a couple minutes with inane chatter. Seriously, that guy needs to get out more or loosen up or I don't know. Nothing really interesting to say, or if he does say something, it's really not that interesting for most people. Met S.'s Italian roommate and her new Paraguayan roommate.

S. got her hair cut, and it looks very cute. She braved the French hairdresser, taking pictures along with her. It's about half the length it was, and flips out at the ends. She even brought a beret to show me what it looks like, and it very Frenchie French French, very cute. I need to get my hair cut soon, as it's starting to annoy me around the ears, plus the fact that I haven't really cut it for almost two months, so it's getting nice and long everywhere else, including along my neck, which is starting to get close to Mulletville. Ewww.

Le Duc de Richelieu
5, rue Parrot
75012 Paris
Tél: 01.43.43.05.64

french red tape, part 1

2007-09-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

I ran the Paris-Versailles race this morning, a 10-mile (16-km) route that goes from the Eiffel Tower to Avenue de Paris in Versailles, just blocks from the Chateau de Versailles. I ran with the MeetUp running group, and the beginning of the race was spent running and chatting with A., the coordinator for the group. I finished the race in 1:21, quite good, in my opinion, for not having run at all this week, and not having run that distance since the marathon last May.

However, French red tape played into the race in every possible way. Before even getting to the race start or meeting up with A. and the rest of the group, I had to check my bag. They had a bunch of vans parked and were collecting bags. However, once the vans were full, they slammed the doors shut and just sent you to some other van that had room left. Only two people were staffing each van - one to tag your bag, the other to staple the tag to your bag and toss it in the van. I got passed to two different vans before finally getting my stuff in Van F.

There was no wave start, which is strange for an event with close to 20,000 participants. Once we started running, this lack of a wave start meant that runners were jostling with each other to pass or go faster. In many cases, I was not able to run at a fast pace, especially going downhill, where I should have been able to make up for lost time. As well, before leaving the city, there were sections of the course where we were in traffic tunnels, serving as bottlenecks and slowing everyone down. There were water and aid stations along the way, but people were running across traffic to get to them, and then throwing their often-unempty bottles everywhere, on the road, in the ditch, in the forest on either side. A. said that he saw two people wipe out due to stepping on discarded bottles. The food tables were no different (they were giving out oranges and prunes...yes, prunes. During a run. Hello runners trots). There was an ambulance at one point, coming down the road to help someone further back, and everyone had to run on both sides of it, as the road was a backroad in the forest, with no hazard lanes. Once we reached the finish line at Versailles, they were trying to direct everyone to the right side, even though the chips beep along the entire line. Once you got through, there was no room to cool down or stretch. Everyone joined this huge queue to first:

Get your medal for finishing.
Have someone mark your race bib with permanent marker to show that you did indeed finish the race and that you got your medal.
Get a good whiff of said permanent marker, as no one is moving and the air is thick with the fumes from all of the markers being used.
Have your puce (chip) cut off your shoe (if the person in charge is actually paying attention and not texting her friend and if her partner-in-crime is not watching her doing said activity).
Turn in your chip yourself (why this station and #4 were not combined, I have no idea).
Have someone else mark your race bib with permanent marker again to show that you did indeed turn in your puce.
Get another whiff of permanent marker.
Get a bag of goodies, including an apple, a bottle of carbonated energy drink of doom, an energy bar, and two cubes of white sugar. Yes, sugar.
Tell someone the brand of shoes you are wearing for a marketing survey or something.
Battle some more lines to get your bag back from the bag check.

Luckily I finished somewhat early, as once K., another runner, finished, there was a line-up to cross the finish line. Yes. People had to wait a good ten minutes before they could actually cross the line, which means that their times are all wrong. A. said that when he came through, people were booing, and rightly so (he finished around 1:23). This is not the first time this race has been held. In fact, it's not the tenth time either. This year was the 30th anniversary. Sad sad sad.

There was a big group stretch/yoga area after, but it was way back from the finish line, after the meeting places, so by the time you actually get to it, your muscles are cold, and it's no use. I chose not to get my medal engraved, as it was 3€. Why not free? I gave you 25€ already! Medals, electronic timing chips, prunes, and apples are not that expensive. Everything else was donated, I'm sure, so what happened to the rest of the money?

The metro station for the ride back was not much better. Of course, there was a line-up to buy tickets, but only one person distributing and one person dealing with money. Again, an event with close to 20,000 people. Come on! Get your act together! You've been doing this for 30 years! Get your system in place already!

No water anywhere, either. When I finish running, whether it's a race or not, I don't want some carbonated energy drink. I want cold water. That's all. Something that I can gulp down. You cannot gulp down carbonated anything. Ridiculous. They were giving out bottles of Volvic along the course. Why wasn't there any at the finish line?

When I met up with M., A.'s girlfriend, I was ranting up such a storm, all the French people were staring at me like I was a crazy man. I don't care. I was upset. I can't believe this race was so poorly organized, full of such logistical nightmares and mistakes. I could understand if this was the first time the race was held. Actually, I don't think I could have understood if it was the first time. There are countless numbers of races held everywhere around the world, races that are successfully carried out. Even if you didn't know the course layout, you know the number of people and the facilities that you have, plus the number of volunteers that you have (the scouts or some such organization was volunteering all the way along the route). Take a formula that has worked at other events and apply it to this one. Even the simple idea of putting the bag check tag on the bib number, so that you don't have to have the separate piece of paper at the vans, just the people stapling. Then you have an extra set of hands to staple. Put the puce collection buckets at the same station as the people taking the chips off peoples' shoes. Have the goodie bags stuffed already before the race day. Those two last points would have eliminated a good two bottlenecks at the finish line. The race had almost the entire Avenue de Paris at their disposal, yet only used about half the available area. Why cram everything into a small area when you have such a big area to use? That could have eliminated the line-ups to cross the finish line, and provided a cool-down area/place for people to stretch.

Did I mention there were only 12 portapotties at the starting area? And only two along the race? Four more at the end? That's only 18 portapotties in total. For 20,000 people. Let's just say that all the vegetation and a few concrete walls got a good watering all along the route of the race.

I just checked the results. My own timed time (1:21:52) was right on, ranking me 7488/17638 in total, and 4413/14544 in sex. Note how few of the runners were female.

Oh, and no one cheers along the route. Okay, people cheer for Antoine or Julien or whoever other random person they know running, but that's it. There's no general cheering of the runners like back home. It's more an every-man/woman-for-themselves kind of mentality, I guess. Even at the finish line. No cheering. A. and M. chalk that up to more Versailles snootiness than anything, but apparently the lack of cheering is a French thing in general. This all goes back to the whole discreetness of the French, the unwritten rule that people be quiet and soft-spoken. I found it all a little weird and not at all encouraging, which is what the crowds are supposed to be doing.

In better news, while waiting with M. for A. and K. to finish under the "Los Angeles" sign (they named the meeting places after Olympic host cities), I saw my future husband. He stood around, then called his brother (?), whose wife appeared later. Shirtless, fresh from a 16-km run, taller than me, blond, blue-eyed beautifulness...and he speaks English. We exchanged a good many looks. Of course, I talked to him and we're getting married next year. You're all invited, I'm registered everywhere, and there will be dancing.

Yesterday, Saturday, I spent the later morning and early afternoon with my cousin L. K. was still feeling sick (and was also apparently in a bad mood), so L. left her at the hotel and met me at St-Germain-des-Prés. We went to Ladurée for drinks first, then wandered around the galleries on rue de Seine down to the Institut Francais, had lunch at Fromagerie 31, then back to bd. St-Germain-des-Prés, over to Pierre Hermé (the line up was ridiculous, so we took a pass), and over to the Jardin du Luxembourg, where we just sat and enjoyed the view. The weather was crummy to start with, and by the time we were finishing lunch, the sun finally came out, and the day turned quite nice. However, walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg really showed just how much the seasons have changed. It's fall in Paris.

On the walk over to the Jardin, we passed by the police office and on the outside, they have all the legal notices for the arrondissement - things like construction notices as well as notices for weddings. In France, you have to have a civil and then a religious ceremony (if you choose), but a civil ceremony has to be performed at the mairie. L. was saying that they used to walk pass the city hall in Aix when they lived there, and it was always neat to read the names of the people getting married. They list the names of the bride and groom, their professions, and where they currently live, even if not in France or Paris. Kind of fun to see and read the different peoples' names and the bits of information about them.

Ladurée Bonaparte
21, rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
Tél: 01.44.07.64.87

Fromagerie 31
64, rue de Seine
75006 Paris
Tél: 01.43.26.50.31

just say no

2007-09-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's best just to say "no". I got back tonight after a short, disastrous outing with the German. The more and more time I spend with him (which has been very little in the past week or so), the more and more uncomfortable I feel. It's getting very much like the episode of SATC called "The Caste System". To me, it seems like he has a fair amount of disposable income, what with his 800€/month rent for a smaller apartment than time, just because he couldn't be bothered to find something better/cheaper and all, and because of that, I feel that we have this completely different outlook on life and an entirely different set of expectations and desires out of life. I feel very much like Steve in the relationship with Miranda, and tonight, all I could think about was how much I wanted to tell him how being with him makes me feel not good about myself. We were supposed to go out to eat tonight, and I suggested three places around my apartment - the bistro in Belleville, any Indian place in the neighbourhood, or the brasserie by the Gare du Nord, all of which he pooh-pooed, especially the Indian option. Instead, he suggested we go down to the Marais.

Now, being gay and all, I should have been all over this. However, I get extremely uncomfortable in mainly-gay situations, and walking through the Marais, let alone eating somewhere in it, is one of my most dreaded activities. I don't know what it is, but I just do, and it's not just the Marais, but really any gay district in any city of the world, or any gay-dominant setting. I feel like I'm being judged or something, and get extremely self-conscious. Being with the German made this only more so, and by the time we were wandering down rue du Temple, one of the main gay streets in the Marais, I felt like bolting for the closest metro station and crawling under the covers when I got home. As the evening wore on, during the walk down to the Marais from my place, I became increasingly silent, and the German asked me honestly if I had wanted to originally just stay at home tonight, which I actually had thought about earlier in the day. This was partly due to the crappy weather we've been having lately, and also due to the previously-mentioned fact that he makes me feel inadequate in some way. Usually when it's raining or the weather is crappy, I just want to curl up in my bed, wrap the duvet around me, and enjoy the warmth.

He brought over a bottle of pastis that he apparently bought on the walk over. As I have the race on Sunday, I didn't want to partake in any, and I don't really like pastis anyways, but he insisted on leaving it. I have a mind to put it in a paper bag, staple the top shut, and leave it at his office for him next week.

I don't know what to do about the situation. On the one hand, it's kind of nice to be around a good-looking guy, but on the other hand, I'd prefer to surround myself with people who don't make me feel bad about myself or who don't make me feel intimidated. Plus, there are all the things that I've started to pick at, like the fact that he doesn't cook/can't cook (this is so beyond my level of comprehension, I don't know what to think. I seriously don't understand people who can't cook.), the fact that we really have nothing in common other than the whole "I'm gay, you're gay" business, and his whole "greater-than-thou" outlook that seems to break through every once in a while. I refuse to believe that those are all jokes; that type of thinking, especially when it's so prevalent, has to come from somewhere, and I'm very much of the school of thought of live and let live.

Well, after that, it's obvious I do know what I need to do, I just lack the will at the moment to actually do it.

In other news...

I bought a new cell phone, a cheapo model, mobicarte fun for 39€. It's from Sagem, a brand I've never heard of, but I asked some students about it, and apparently it's a very large French company that specializes in military equipment. Cell phones are kind of a spin-off type of deal with them. It's nice and thin, about half the width of any other model, and does the basic stuff I need it to do on a large screen. The second choice was a Sony Ericsson, which was recommended by the salesperson and by students, but the screen is teensy, and seeing as I mainly use the phone for texting, I need me a big screen. Plus the Sagem is prettier.

I had my appointment, all in French, with the doctor. A few questions about how often I run/exercise, my lifestyle, listened to my breathing, took my blood pressure, wrote out the note...cinquante euros, s'il vous plaît. I don't believe it. Went and picked up my race package today, and they asked for the medical certificate. I had photocopied it a bunch of times at work, which was good, because that's what they asked for, and kept with my file number. The guy beside me wasn't so clever, as they asked him for a photocopy, and he didn't have one. Dommage.

I met up with G. and L., visiting from back home. They arrived in Paris on Tuesday from Canada, but because my cell phone was broken, I didn't actually get in contact with them until Wednesday night. We met out at Versailles, and wandered around the village, which I've never actually done. The village is basically the buildings in front of the grounds and chateau, but because I just go from the train station to the chateau and back, I miss all of it. In any case, it's all mainly tourist traps, which L. and G. fell right into, but they don't seem very picky anyways, so I don't think they would have known the difference between a good place and a bad one. They didn't know about the no tips rule in France, so...

Met up with L. and K. at their time-share out at Porte de Montreuil tonight. I'd been trying to leave messages for them for the past two days, as the landlord was asking for the green electronic key from the spare set for some reason, and they had taken the spare set of keys with them when they left on Monday (why, I don't know). The hotel kept saying that there was no one staying there under the last name, and I tried a bunch of times in French, and then phoned back later and asked again in English, just to make sure it wasn't my French that was throwing them off. So, as a last resort, after sending an email, I went to the actual hotel, and asked again. Lo and behold, of course there is someone there with that name. I waited for about 30 minutes in the lobby, and in comes K., in a bit of a rush (she ate something not-so-good). So, got the key back, but still can't find the adapter for my iPod, which is annoying, as I lent it to K, who then found hers, but still kept her iPod plugged into mine, and then it was gone when they left on Monday. So, she's going to look through her stuff again. I'm meeting them tomorrow morning at St-Germain-des-Près, so hopefully I'll be getting it back.

I really don't know what to think about some of the students that we get. There's one guy this week, N., who I find really cute (of course, he's a smoker...they all are). I think he's either late 20s or very very early thirties. He was always dressed nicely, but nicely-casual, not so much nicely-office casual like the German. He was always very friendly, asking me all sorts of questions and such, and then this morning, during the coffee break, he said something to me or something happened, and F., the only woman in the group, gave me this kind of knowing smirky smile, as if to say, "He likes you, you know?". Weird. They're all weird.

Next week, I have stage with the newbies, basically to finally learn how to teach the advanced classes. Why now, after I've been teaching the advanced levels all week, three times this week, including the same class twice? Today's class went wonderfully, and apparently the teaching previously was good enough that the teacher right after didn't even notice that it was less than good (in my opinion). Looking forward to seeing/learning how to actually do it properly.

when it rains, it pours

2007-09-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

My cell phone has kicked the bucket. The SIM card (I think) has been going on the spritz for the last couple of days, so that the phone keeps saying "card error!". So, I took it into France Telecom today, and they changed the SIM card...only to have the phone refuse to start up again after. They sent me home with it, telling me to charge it around an hour and try it again. And nothing. I get a blue screen of death, and then a sad beep of doom before the screen goes dead. So looks like I'm going to have to shell out for a new one. Great.

Went to the doctor today, as I need to get a form of permission from one, a certificat médical that says I'm fit enough to run in a race in France, specifically the Paris-Versailles race this Sunday. The doctor was not exactly the nicest, but I'll just go and get it over with. My appointment is Wednesday before lunch, and will cost me 50€. Boo hiss to that.

So, along with the cell phone and medical certificate, I'll be broke once again. So depressing. Plus I'll need to buy my transit pass at the end of the month and pay rent. Only ten days to go before a paycheck!

passez un bon week-end!

2007-09-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Because of guests and plain being tired, I haven't updated all weekend. Therefore, this will be a longer-than-usual-but-not-epic post. Tu as chanceux!

Friday, I went out to Suresnes nice and early to teach. We did review all morning, during which I was asked my opinion about one of the new teachers who apparently was running around the classroom during class, standing on chairs, and going crazy acting out skits. Now, I know we're supposed to be all over the role-plays and such, but that's just not me. If I wanted to act, I'd be an actor, not an English teacher. In any case, I don't know the teacher well enough to give a non-biased answer, so just gave a vague one instead, something along the lines of "Well, that's a little strange."

Do you ever have people wink at you? Like, people you don't know all that well? Some students have been doing it to me at the end of class, and it throws me right off. In my books, winking at someone either means a) you're trying to assume they're trying toget them in on some BS you're talking about or b) they're trying to flirt with you. Seeing as it's been done to me by other guys, I flirt with me, although on Friday, one of the students did it to me at the end of class, and he wears a wedding ring, so I have no idea what's going on. Maybe it's just a French thing?

I'm on the hunt for a plain black blazer. Just a plain black blazer, something versatile that I can dress up or down, especially now with the days getting cold and fall-like. Of course, this is not so easy, at least not at the stores that I've been checking out. The closest options are at Zara, but the one jacket that is plain is only single-button, which looks funny on me (the shoulders/chest bulge out, as there's nothing up higher to keep them in close to the body), and the other that could work is a little too styled to dress up. Argh. Someone needs to hit these designers over the head with the KISS rule. Simple, people! Simple!

The German came over Friday night, as L. and K. were out in Yvelines at a friend's place for dinner. We were originally supposed to go out to the 20th, to a bistro there, but he got tied up at work, then had to go to a going-away soirée after, so I just invited him over to help finish some food from the fridge. He was a little drunkety-drunk when he arrived, and was acting kind of strange. I don't know about him, but I feel like I'm moving closer to just wanting him as a friend and not as something else. There's just something about the attitude and level that doesn't quite work for me. Like, I feel that he's all well-dressed and such, and has great manners, and that's great, but there's just something about the attitude he seems to have towards people lower than him in terms of intelligence or intellect or culture or whatever that's a little off-putting. That, plus the fact that he doesn't/can't cook and can't seem to relax (not once have I seen him in anything less than nice jeans, a collar shirt, and pointed shoes). I need a boy who I can just relax with on the couch or who doesn't mind sitting on the ground, someone who can cook me dinner, and then do the dishes after. The German seems just a bit too uptight about that kind of thing for it to work. For now, anyways, but that's the feeling that I've been having. Tant pis.

Saturday morning, K. and I went to the Barbès market. I'd only been once before, back in May when D. came to visit from Ottawa, and when I was crapped on by a pigeon for the first time ever. The Barbès market is crazy. It's loud, wild, and crowded to the hilt. There is a mix of food, clothing, and household items, but it's mainly food, and among the food, it's mainly veggies and fruit. We went, and I bought enough food to last me for the next two weeks or so! Tomatoes, herbs, two types of honey, merguez sausage, bananas, shallots, baby red onions, and hot peppers. After we got back, I went to the Franprix to also pick up some mâche for lunch. Threw a quick salad together, and then it was off to Place des Vosges. We spent the afternoon down there, just people watching, and then wandered over to a tea place I'd seen the week before. When we got back, I made parsley and couscous with carrots, merguez sausage, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and figs. With just the onions and the sausage, there was enough liquid - from where, I don't know - in the pot for the meal. I didn't have to add any water or anything. Weird, but it tasted fantastic, and I'll have to make it again. Although I took the spicy merguez, it wasn't all that hot, and the figs gave it a nice sweetness to balance.

When I was buying the merguez, the seller immediately asked me, "You speak English?". I hate hate hate this. They often say it not because I was saying anything incorrectly in French, but they can just hear my accent, and so try to speak in English to me. Once I finally admitted that yes, I do speak English, I told him that I wanted to speak in French because that's why I'm here. Sadly, my brain wasn't working at that point in French anymore, and instead of saying it to him in French, I just told him in English. And then I was so thrown off by the whole thing that I completely screwed up in the end, and instead of saying au revoir, said something along the lines of alors or some other crap.

Went out for S.'s birthday last night to Corcoran's Irish Pub down by Place Saint-Michel. I left after about two hours, mainly because there were too many straight boys, and I'm like Stanford in that sense that I can't pretend to be one of the boys for long periods of time. I'm sorry, but when you start discussing what you would do in some crazy imagined situation or whatever, or you start discussing how you're thinking you might grow your non-existent beard/mustache/goatie, that's when I tune out and start thinking how I'd like to jump the cute bartender instead.

This morning, we went to see the wonder that is the Bastille/Richard Lenoir market. This market is one of the largest and nicest markets in Paris. There is a huge variety of things, everything from cheese and butter, breads of all kinds, pastries, veggies, fruit, meat, fish, household items, clothes, fabric, tablecloths, children's toys, and flowers. There is no chaos like at Barbès. Everything is very well-presented and displayed. I bought more food - artichokes, banana chips, fleur de sel de Guérande, caramels beurre salé, tea roses, eucalyptus candies, a pashmina scarf (to further my Parisian integration - of course it's black!), and a whole roast chicken, saint-marcellin cheese, and a whole wheat baguette for lunch for the three of us. Some of the stuff will be sent to people as gifts. When we were buying the salt, the vendor was asking if we knew the difference between gros sel and fleur de sel. Gros sel is collected from the lower layers of water in the salt marshes, and is used while cooking, whereas fleur de sel is lighter and more delicate, floating near the surface and evaporating in a layer on the surface, where it is collected using special rakes. It is used just before serving the food, as a sprinkling on top like an herb. After we'd gorged ourselves on roast chicken and baguette and cheese, L. took stuff home for us, and K. and I went to check out the égouts (sewers) of Paris.

One of the best things I love about the markets and shopping in Paris for food in general is that the vendors are often fiercely proud of their foods and products, and will take the time to explain things to you that you normally might not know or find out about, like the difference between the types of sea salt. I think it's fantastic and it's going to be one of the things I think I'll miss the most when I go back to Canada.

The entrance to the sewers is right next to the Pont de l'Alma. The displays tell the story of the Paris sewer system, from the days when Paris was known as Lutecia to now. It was interesting to see how things used to be, and how much technology is now involved in the treatment and handling of city waste. There are areas where you're walking right above wastes running through the tunnels in little rivers, and the smell is just what you'd expect from a sewer. I don't know what either of us were thinking, or if we even were, as I don't think we'd even thought about there being a smell down there, let alone a horrible one. Let's just say that I won't be going back, but now I can say that I've done the Paris sewers. What a weird "attraction".

Wandered up Avenue Montaigne and then over to Madeleine via Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, doing window shopping along the way at all the haute couture fashion boutiques. We went out for dinner to another bistro, this one near Place de Clichy, an area that I know nothing about. The place is called Bistro des Dames, and they have a beautiful jardin in the back, where you can sit under the plants. It's a wonderful setting, surrounded by apartment buildings. I finally got to try os à moelle, and had bar grillé as my main. I have to say that the os à moelle reminds me a lot of foie gras in that it's very rich, very fatty tasting. The salt that comes on the side really brings out its flavour, which is pretty much non-existent otherwise. The bar was very good, a light-tasting fish about the size of a trout from back home.

L. and K. leave tomorrow morning, and I think they're one of the few groups of visitors I'll be disappointed to see leave. We get along great, and K. and I were bugging each other like crazy last night after dinner. Fun fun times. They'll be coming back next Monday if the landlord okays it, and I don't see why he wouldn't.

Do you know "Mon-tee-pee-ton"?

2007-09-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

I was doing a presentation class today with some intermediate students, and at the end, they were asking me random questions about English terms and such, things like "return flight".

Then one of the students asked,

"Do you know the British show 'Mon-tee-pee-ton' "?
"Uhhh, no. What is it again?"
"Mon-tee-pee-ton".

*click*

"OH! Monty Python! Yes!"

After I'd pulled myself off the floor and back into my chair and my laughs had subsided, I told them it was "Mon-tee Pie-thon". That kept me entertained for the rest of the day.

L. and K. arrived this morning from Canada. I was up early, running around, cleaning the bathroom, the kitchen, making the bed, cleaning up the room, etc. I went to the boulangerie around the corner for baguettes and croissants, and then went to pick them up at Gare du Nord. Something I forgot yesterday was that during the Bourne Ultimatum, there are some scenes here in Paris and in London. The ones in Paris are split between an area in the 13th and the area by my apartment, mainly when Jason Bourne comes out of the metro and goes into Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar to London. In London, when he is with the journalist, the scenes are near the Eurostar terminal in Waterloo Station, right where people catch the Eurostar to come back to Paris. Very cool that the movie scenes hit so close to home. I walk through the Gare du Nord on a regular basis...wonder how many secret agents I pass every day?

After picking up L. and K., I introduced them to Gilles, chatted a bit, and then left for work to let them sleep. After I got back, we went for dinner to Le Sainte Marthe over in Belleville. The menu stays the same, all the time, but they have chef recommendations that change everyday. We decided to share an entree of roasted figs and Saint-Marcellin cheese (forgot to take a picture!), and then had the regular stuff off the menu, souris d'agneau for me, and no dessert. Sometimes I'm disappointed when people don't want dessert, especially when, like tonight, I was looking forward to it. Where's L. when you need her???

Out in Suresnes again tomorrow morning, and then I have the afternoon off. I'll go for a run, as I finally signed up for the Paris-Versailles race, and then I'm meeting the German for dinner at 9 pm, as L. and K. are going out to visit a friend in the western banlieue.

Bistrot Le Sainte Marthe
32, rue Sainte-Marthe
75010 Paris
Tél: 01.44.84.36.96

Marlboros pour les sportifs!

2007-09-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

Quickly put a load of laundry in the machine before leaving for work this morning, as I had a three hour break between 11 and 2 pm to come back home and put the stuff in the dryer at the laverie across the street. I needed to do this as, after I arrived in Paris, I bought some towels, and they have yet to see a dryer, which means there is lint and other fuzzies everywhere when you use them. Not such a great sight if you're a guest and you're using them.

When I arrived at the school, this is what one of the students, H., had for his class, including me, as I was teaching them first thing this morning! He lives a good hour by transit from Paris in the south, and had time to come into CDG-Etoile, hop on a Velib', pick up the pastries, AND get to the school on time for class. If I'd of known that, I wouldn't have crammed all my breakfast into my mouth while trying to rush and eat before running off to the metro this morning.

After class, back home. Only 25 minutes in the dryers and everything was dry. I was very impressed, far better than the two-to-three-day marathon that usually happens when stuff is just hung out to dry here. Ran around, picking up some groceries from Franprix, then managed to pin down the neighbour, Mme. L., so I could get the extra key from her for when L. and K. arrive tomorrow from Canada.

As expected, the German didn't feel healthy enough to go running tonight, so I went by myself for a 13.8 km crazy long run. I haven't done a long run like that in forever. I found the route on this site. It went up and down the canal, all the way out to the northern banlieue and back, then into the northern parts of the 18e and then back down through the eastern part of Montmartre. As I was standing at the corner of Barbes and la Chapelle, a bunch of guys were hawking cigarettes, yelling "Marlboro, Marlboro, Marlboro! Trois euros!" Then one of them spotted me standing there, and yelled out the title of this post. Too funny. It took me 1:15 to finish the run, which is longer than it should. I still need to sign up for the Paris-Versailles race, which I found out yesterday, is actually only 16 km, which is basically nothing, so can definitely do it, despite all these horror stories about the hill of doom in the middle somewhere.

Met up with the German after the run to watch La vengeance dans la peau, or The Bourne Ultimatum. I felt that the movie delivered on the formula of the previous two, although honestly, I can't really remember much about them other than lots of shooting and stunt scenes. I watched the second one just before leaving Canada, and really don't remember much. In any case, enjoyable, although I could barely walk out after, my legs were so stiff. The movie, for both of us, only cost 7,50€ due to a rentrée special of regular price + 1€ for any additional person watching the movie with you. So basically, we got charged the student rate, and then an extra 1€.

The German was wearing a new jacket tonight...the khaki trench from Zara that I had had my eye on. I didn't buy it because the two hip pockets are not slanted slit style, but are pouch with flaps kind of style, which is silly when your hands are cold or whatever. Oh wells...now I really have a good reason for not getting it (not likely I could find one at this point anyways).

vroom vroom!

2007-09-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I went out to Nanterre to go karting with R. and the running gang. R. is able to purchase tickets/passes through work, so gets them at half-price, 9€ for 10 minutes of racing. I've only ever been karting once before, somewhere in BC or something like that, and I remember the course was outside and that I got in trouble from the manager for going too fast. I was definitely going faster tonight, even though I still came in near the bottom of the pack. It was a lot of fun, and I hope that R. organizes another event like this.

Had to teach my first advanced level course at work, just before lunch. Surprisingly, it wasn't a complete disaster. F. told me that I really had no choice, as there was no one else, and to just wing it, and that's pretty much what happened, as I used the extremely limited knowledge of how to actually teach the advanced levels I had learned while observing some of the senior teachers back at the end of July. In any case, their actual course manager filled in the gaps in the afternoon, I was told by one of the students, so I don't think they actual knew that I didn't know how to teach them properly.

It seems that the German may back out of running tomorrow, as he's still a bit sick. If he does, I'll just go running on my own right after work, and meet up with him later. I sent a picture of him to L., and she gave me the perfect description: a cherub. That's exactly what he looks like. Better than a fitter version of Augustus Gloop.

I had told all the karting people that I was going to run when I got home. I got back to the apartment, put all the running gear on, and then stalled. That's how far that idea got off the ground.

gonna be a sun shiny day

2007-09-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I met with the German at the Musée du Quai Branly, which specializes in non-Western art. This basically means art from mainly aboriginal cultures/Africa/Asia, as well as older pieces from North and South America and Oceania. There were even two totem poles from BC, although were poor examples compared to the Museum of Anthrop ology's collection. We spent about two hours there, and then went wandering up towards the Champs-Elysées. He needed to pick up a hostess gift for a friend he was visiting in Courbevoie later that night, so we tried going to Fauchon, and then ended up at Ladurée (warning: site has music), where he picked up a box of petits macarons. I bought two kouign amanns (pronounced "koon-nya-maan", Breton for butter cake), a type of Breton pastry that I've been sort of searching for.

The German has since emailed me to thank me for the fun day, and to make plans to go running Wednesday after work. Slightly nervous, as I haven't run since last Monday, plus the fact that he gave me his address. Turns out he lives only a couple blocks away from Etoile d'Or. Dangerous.

From there, I met up with S. and her friend S. at A Priori Thé, in the Galerie Vivienne near Palais Royale. Compared to the previous time we were there, the service this time was craptastic. First, the server, who wasn't French, refused to speak French to us, seeming very put off by the fact that we were even trying to speak French to her, and was very blunt and spoke with a very clipped manner. Then, after we'd finished our food, I brought out a kouign amann and sliced it into thirds for us. I had no sooner popped a bite into my mouth than another server came over and told us that we were not allowed to eat anything that wasn't from the tea room. On the one hand, I can see the point (barely), but on the other, we had bought stuff from the tea room already. It's not like we had just come off the street, sat down in the chairs, and immediately pulled out the pastry and started eating it. The three of us combined had spent around 30€ already. Maybe I'm just used to Starbucks, where customers are pretty much allowed to do whatever they want in the store, like laze around for the whole day at the tables and not buy anything. In any case, I will be thinking twice and then again before I go back there. There are several other tea rooms in this city, and they are all more worthy of my business at the moment than A Priori Thé (too bad the setting is so lovely). So there. Hrmph.

From there, we walked up to Opéra and then over on bd. des Capucines to a Starbucks that S. wanted to show us. She had said that it was like a palace inside, but I was completely unprepared. The front part of the store is like any Starbucks, but the back, up a couple stairs, is like an opulent sitting room or lobby that you might find in a fancy hotel. The ceiling is all molded and covered in gilt and frescoes, lit by cut-glass chandeliers. Tall, black fluted columns hold up this magnificent ceiling, and plush seating and low tables provide lots of space for chatting or just sipping your 4€ latté. Seeing as how taking pictures in Starbucks is not allowed (I remember the rules being such anyways), I didn't take any.

While we were walking to the Sbux, we passed a Diesel (warning: flash on the page) store that already had up Christmas/Hallowe'en window displays. Yes. They had little pumpkins on the bottom of the window, and an artificial tree with tinsel and Christmas hanging ornaments on it in the background. Christmas! What month are we in again? Yes, September. And we're not even near the end of the month yet! The NYTimes has even written an article about the craziness. Simma down na people. We've still got four months to go.

God, I love this skit.

After seeing the crazy Sbux, we took the metro to the Marais, wandered through Place des Vosges, and then over to Café des Musées on rue de Turenne. The dinner was excellent, even though the service was a bit inconsistent throughout the night, as told. We all had the formule of a steamed whole artichoke with vinaigrette (strangly, there was barely any vinegar in the vinaigrette), followed by a foie de veau (veal liver) with mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, and watercress, and then by a trio of desserts including tarte au poire, tarte au prune, and crumble des fruits. Apparently they ran out of tarte au poire, then gave us the choice of the one remaining slice of the tarte au prune, and then basically had to make the crumble for us fresh, as they ran out of other desserts. In total, it was 21€ each (some reviews list 19€, so perhaps the prices change depending on the night/menu), plus the carafe of wine that we shared. There's a cute round table separated from the other tables that would be perfect for small get-togethers, so I will be keeping this restaurant in mind for sure.

Only started work today at 2 pm, but still managed to laze the morning away in bed. Went out to Suresnes to teach, and had an excellent group. Good thing too, as I will see them again Friday morning, after the new teachers have taught them throughout this week. We'll see how much they've retained come Friday.

Going go-karting with R. and crew tomorrow out in Nanterre.

A Priori Thé
35, Galerie Vivienne
75002 Paris
Tél: 01.42.97.48.75

Café des Musées
49, rue de Turenne
75003 Paris
Tél: 01.42.72.96.17

what does one have to do to get a taxi in this city??

2007-09-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

The German and I were asked this question this afternoon on av. Wagram by a couple visiting from Montréal. After repeating several times that they should stand at the taxi stand one block up by the Arc de Triomphe, and then trying to hail a cab for them, as they weren't making any movement in the recommended direction, they decided to finally go over to the taxi stand and wait there. Ahhh, les touristes.

Met up with S. and her friend S. from Ireland at Gare du Nord at noon today. We went over to Terminus Nord for lunch, and I discovered why, when I was there with B. a couple weeks ago, it was less than fantastic. Turns out that B. and I had gone to another brasserie two places over. Made it into the right place this time. The host took S's bags and wheeled them through the restaurant for her to our table. We all had the formule, which was 23,50€ each for plat and entrée or dessert. I had steak tartare de Limousin (Le Galvacher took it off their formule a while back, and I've been deprived ever since), followed by a crème brulée with a disappointingly thin crust. The ladies had rumsteak and dorade (bream). The tartare was excellent, served with fries and a large bowl of mixed greens. The service at the brasserie was okay, just okay (they took away our wine glasses even though we ordered a carafe, so we had to ask for them back, and they took forever getting us the bill, giving the neighbouring table theirs before us, although we had asked before them). However, for dependable brasserie fare, this was a good place to go.

Stopped off at Etoile d'Or, the confisserie and chocolate shop owned by Denise Acabo. Just seeing this lady makes me smile. She wears a kilt, is about 50 years old or so, and has long blond hair that she ties into two ponytails on either side of her face. She is always full of news and talks my ears off when I go in, about her latest customers, how she is all out of this or that, and when the next shipment is coming, or how the shipment just came in, and she had to unload all of it in the store, or to take as much time as I want, all the time tutoying me. She is the only person outside of Lyon who stocks Bernachon chocolates, and also stocks the famous LeRoux caramels from Brittany. I mainly go for the caramels, especially the C.B.S. (caramel beurre salé). M. LeRoux also makes crazy flavoured caramels, like ones flavoured with lime and others, which I discovered today, flavoured with ananas et baies rouges (pineapple and red berries). When I've selected everything and she's about to weigh my caramels, she always asks if they're for me or a gift, and is never shocked that all the candy I'm about to buy is seulement pour moi, giving me a little knowing smile as she slides the candies into a cellophane bag and ties it with a ribbon, quand même.

At 4 pm, I met the German outside L'Eglise Madeleine, and we walked over to the Palais de l'Elysée. The queue was around the block, with a two-hour wait. We decided to go to the Hôtel de Marigny instead, where visiting heads of state are welcomed, across the street, where the wait was only half an hour. It was okay, nothing too exciting. After, we wandered over to the Champs-Elysées, then to av. Wagram for a drink. The rest of the evening was spent wandering around, from av. des Ternes to Villiers to Gare Saint-Lazare.

The German touched on several touchy subjects today, and I had to explain to him that they were off-limits for the moment. Things like the ex-file, things like high school crap, body-image and self-consciousness stuff, money issues, that sort of thing. He can be very sarcastic and sometimes says things or makes comments, and I have no idea whether he's serious or not. Like, I'll tease him about something, and he'll give me this serious look, tell me that it's not funny, but be totally kidding, but the look is so serious that I actually do think he's telling the truth and I become really apologetic, as I think I've hurt his feelings. I don't know if that's a good sign or not, as I feel he could seriously use that against me at some point and take me on a guilt trip to God-knows-where.

I also found out that the German doesn't cook. This is somewhat of a deal-breaker for me. One of the things I love about a relationship is being cooked for by a man. There are few things sexier than watching a man in the kitchen whipping up my dinner. Because I can cook and am at ease in the kitchen, and have been known to cook for some of my past boyfriends, I demand to have the favour returned at some point. If I have to slave over a hot stove (okay, not technically slave, as it's my choice, but you get the idea), then he should have to too. From his eating habits that he told me about today, he basically eats like he's still in university. The fact that he does this AND has his own place is a bit unsettling. When I said to him, "So, do you cook at home at all?", he gave me this look like "how could you possibly think that?". We seem to have entered the questioning phase already.

We agreed to go running together sometime next week. We'll see how that goes. I still need to register for the Paris-Versailles 20K on September 30th. I went to the website today, and found out that the deadline is the 20th, not today, as previously thought. So I have a couple more days to procrastinate and him and haw about the whole thing. But man do I want that medal.

The German and I are meeting tomorrow at noon at Musée du Quai Branly. I don't know how long we'll spend there, but I made tentative plans to meet S. and her friend for dinner. Thinking of either trying this place that David mentioned today, or this place, which I found on Le Fooding tonight.

Terminus Nord
23, rue de Dunkerque
75010 Paris
Tél: 01.42.85.05.15

Etoile d'Or
30, rue Fontaine
75009 Paris
Tél: 01.48.74.59.55

j'aime la cuisine française

2007-09-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

I was at the market along rue Poncelet in the 17th this afternoon after work, and bought some cheese to try this out on Sunday, as well as some cèpes, giant wild forest mushrooms from the Dordogne/Perigord region of France. I only bought a few, having never actually cooked them myself, nor tried them except in a duck mousse from Monoprix. The kind old French monsieur who helped me also threw in some persil, and when I asked him if the two go well together, he told me exactly how I should prepare them - by frying the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil with some eschallots and ail. The little old madame behind me chimed in her hearty agreement that this was, in fact, a wonderful dish, and I thanked both of them for their help.

When I was at Alléosse buying cheese, I got to play translator for some German? Russian? non-French Europeans there. I was able to translate everything between the cheese lady and the tourists, and I was very proud of myself. They both thanked me many times during and after. I bought a soft chevre for the figs, Roquefort Carles, and a Saint-Marcellin. I tried the whole "Quel fromage est bon aujourd'hui?" question that David suggests, and the woman behind the counter gave a burst of laughter, as if to say "I don't have enough time to tell you the answer to that question!" After we narrowed it down to a soft cheese, she suggested the Saint-Marcellin. Really, at Alléosse, I think all the cheese is probably good, as they always ask me when I'll be eating it and for how many people, and then select one of the blocks or pieces accordingly.

Today, S. from work took me to a small restaurant in the Marché des Ternes called Les Cousines. It's run by a Korean family, and they offer an all-you-can-eat buffet at lunch during the summer for 8,20€. 8,20€!!!! The food is good (I really can't complain for that price), and includes a mix of French and Korean dishes, including carottes rapés, chicken wings, Korean fried rice, and even Korean pancakes. I was very impressed by it all, mainly the price and the fact that it's all-you-can-eat. One of the admin people took S. there the first time, so if a French person takes you there, you pretty much know it's good.

S. is finally back from her gallavanting around Europe, so we are planning to meet tomorrow at Gare du Nord, as a friend of hers is coming into town on the Eurostar from London. We're going to go for lunch at Terminus Nord, as I explained to her that I didn't actually get to see the inside the last time with B. After, I'm meeting the German at Jardin du Luxembourg, and we'll hang out. There was mention of a movie, so we may do that as well.

This weekend is the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine. All monuments and government buildings are open to the public for free. This means that a lot of buildings and offices will be open for the one and only time during the year, including the Palais de l'Elysée, where the Président de la République lives. There is also going to be a tour of the métro after dark, which, of course, I missed signing up for. All the newspapers have 10 gagillion pages devoted to the stupid Rugby World Cup, and there is only one page in most papers for the Journées du Patrimoine, usually with their stupid Coup de Coeur list. Not impressed. I've sent an email to the German to see if he wants to go to the palace, Assemblée Nationale, or the Ecole Supérieure de Cuisine Française. At the last, there will be demonstrations of French cooking techniques, as well as a question period, and the preparation of three typical French dishes. Plus, their bakery is going to be open too, so one can ask all about croissants and such, as well as learn how they're all made. Of course, I'm really only interested in the food. In any case, as we'll be at Luxembourg tomorrow, the Senate palaces will be open, so we can check those out too.

Talked to L. tonight. Still no word on her coming to France, but her manager has apparently attempted to light a fire under the ass of the agency/the company here in Paris, so hopefully things get rolling soon.

Hot today in Paris. I was standing outside during a break with some students this afternoon, and I think I actually got a bit of a tan. We're finally getting the summer we were supposed to have in August.

Les Cousines
8 bis, rue Lebon
75017 Paris
Tél: 01.45.74.20.03

Alléosse
13, rue Poncelet
75017 Paris
Tél: 01.46.22.50.45

i plant apple tree since two years

2007-09-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have taught the same lesson at the end of the day all week this week. Thankfully it's been different students each time, or I think I would be about ready to smack someone.

The secret, I've discovered, to looking good at work is to dress down the rest of the time. Then, when you actually decide to put a tiny bit of effort in, as I happened to do yesterday and today, everyone notices, and the compliments fly at you from all directions. Everything from praise about your tie to your sense of style to your fashion consciousness, I got them all in the last two days, including the coveted "il est beau" yesterday from the directrice, and "tu devrais porter comme ça tout le lundi". Maybe if you paid me more, I could afford to.

Asked, and apparently will receive the time off work to meet with the cousins when they arrive next week, as well as the time off for the flights to and from Stockholm next month. F. seems to like me, and I tend to get any time off I request granted, no problem, which is always a nice system.

Had a language exchange tonight at a place on Rue Réaumur called Bizen. It was nice, but the place was boiling hot, and everyone was sweating. The heat and smoke was getting to me and I was getting tired, so left after only two hours. I was told that my French is quite good, and that I make very few errors, plus I noticed last night, while watching the first Paris episode of SATC that I was able to understand all the French parts, no problem, which was not the case at all before arriving here, so that also put me in a good mood. Finally met X., the guy who's having his birthday in Brussels next month that we're supposed to go to, and found out that he's having trouble securing accommodations for everyone, so it's a good thing we haven't booked our tickets yet. I could use that money, if we don't go, to go somewhere else, like London or take another RyanAir flight somewhere. We'll see what happens. S. gets back this weekend, so we'll likely discuss things then.

Called Mom and wished her birthday wishes. She got the flowers, no problem, and was very surprised, so that's good. The florist seems to have made a mediocre bouquet, from her description, so will have to keep that in mind for next time to clearly specify, like Charlotte, that "I don't want any crap".

Bizen
111, rue Réaumur
75002 Paris
Tél: 01.40.13.81.81
Métro: Bourse/Sentier

pon da replay

2007-09-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a date with the German. He met me even though he's sick with a cold. I feel we've moved into non-quotes dating, as we went for drinks/tapas at a restaurant called S'Agaro (actual tapas, as it was a Spanish place), and he cunningly paid when I went to the washroom, so... Things are going well, I feel. We've made plans to meet on Sunday to go to the museum, and on Saturday, he's going to call to hang out in the evening. It's that time at the beginning of a relationship (I hope this is a relationship) where everything is perfect and you can, as Carrie says, make outrageous statements like "I can see we're going to have a lovely life together" and almost believe it.

I don't think I've ever been out/met a guy so well-behaved and polite before. Maybe it's due to the rudeness and lack of la politesse I encountered on my last date. Right off the bat, just by looking at him, you know he'd easily pass the parent test. Plus the fact that he's always so well-dressed (was wearing a collared shirt with cufflinks tonight). Yes, cufflinks. Seeing them on him has made me decide that they increase a man's hotness quotient due simply to the fact that they're so refined and you actually have to buy a shirt with French cuffs in order to wear them/buy them. Like, one does not just buy cufflinks for the hell of it. You actually have to either first buy a French cuff shirt with the full intention of buying cuff links for it, or the opposite. We've established that he doesn't like smokers/cigarette smoke, nor does he like to sit near other tables in a restaurant, which can be difficult in Paris, where often you're within arms' length or closer to your neighbours. He kept apologizing all night for his sniffles and especially for sneezing, which I found quite mignon. And I got a big smile and a wink from him at the end of the night. Again, trying not to have high expectations, as I've been burned before/misled, but it's still nice to have something/someone to be excited about, in any case, especially when you're like me and live in a veritable desert of a love life.

Yesterday, I went to the très chic Nespresso boutique in the 17th, the one that doesn't look like a business from the outside at all. It used to be much more nondescript, with only a tiny plaque next to the door with the Nespresso logo engraved on it. It's on a street near Parc Monceau that includes the headquarters of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the offices of the Russian UNESCO delegation. The location is somewhat renowned in the Nespresso world because it is very spacious and there is a tasting bar, where Nespresso employees serve customers their choice of espressos from the company line. After I purchased my espresso, I asked the serveur if I could take a picture of the inside of the shop, and was allowed "oui, une petite photo". Of course, I took more than one petite photo. Meh.

So yes, I've finally succumbed to the European love of espresso. It provides just the right amount of coffee in the morning, just a couple sips and the cup is empty. By the time I get to my first class, the caffeine has kicked in/I've finally woken up and I'm ready to go, full of energy and alert. Compared to coffee from back home, the espresso is rich and creamy, and I don't have to repress the gag reflex to get it all down. The only reason I use Nespresso is because the landlord's machine is from Nespresso, and that's the only stuff you can use in it. Sneaky marketing ploys...sneaky! I'm already thinking about having to either do without back home, or buy a machine when I get back.

Mom's birthday is tomorrow, so I phoned a florist back home to order flowers to be delivered in the morning to the house. After I'd told "Wanda" what I wanted and such, she was asking for my information, including my phone number. I told her that I'm in France, and she was quite excited by this fact. After taking my number, including the +33 country code, she said, "I'll write 'France' next to it so people here don't think I've gone crazy!" Alright, Wanda, you do whatever you want, just as long as Mom gets her flowers tomorrow! It's funny...sometimes I forget how many people haven't really ever left their homes/communities in their lives, and are completely happy with that, which is, of course, totally fine.

Tonight, while out with the German, I got to try les fritures. I thought, based on the name, that they were similar to fries. Um, not quite, as the waitress patiently explained to me. They're actually petits poissons deep-fried, and you eat the whole thing, head and tail and all. On the German's insistence, I ordered them, and I think we were both curious to see what they are. They're served with aioli, and taste a tiny bit like cod liver oil, but basically like fried goodness. Sometimes ordering off a French menu (or a Spanish one, as the case may be) is a language lesson in itself. I've often seen these teensy fish being sold at the fish stands around Paris and wondered how one would ever eat or prepare something so small. I, for one, am sold. Perfect snack.

Signed and delivered my new contract today. I'll be finished work December 21st, so will have more than a month off before returning to Canada. A good break for traveling and enjoying the city/continent before I leave.

Boutique Nespresso Prony
41, rue de Prony
75017 Paris

S'Agaro
36, place du Marché Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris
Tél: 01.42.60.36.67

me talk pretty one day

2007-09-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

I was teaching a very-bottom-of-the-pile class today the verb "to be" in the singular (e.g. she is American, I am hungry, etc.). We were doing interrogatives (questions), and one of the students asked the other student, "Is B. beautiful?". B. is one of the new teachers, and shares a name with a famous Disney cartoon/probably millions of strippers (I don't know why he asked that question, as I hadn't mentioned B. at all, but, he did). The other student made a face like "WTF are you talking about?" and replied, "She not pretty really." I nearly fell out of my chair, not so much from the comment, but from the look combined with the comment, like that was the last thing someone would ever possibly think. This is the same student who apparently told another teacher this morning, "Je dois faire pipi" (I have to use the toilet), but is something a 2-year old might say, not a middle-aged French man.

Turns out I didn't have a class after lunch, which provided a nice break for me to finally make it to the bureau de poste (post office) and finally send off my application for a year subscription for the Velib' program. Now I get to wait, hopefully not for two months like last time, and hopefully I'm luckier than him.

I've been meaning to comment on this for a couple days now. I remember studying this topic back in my last year of university. Our prof even had the owner of CMH come in and speak to us about his company and tell us all about their activities. I can't believe actual hikers really go on these trips.

I'm not a fan, mainly for environmental reasons. I'm all for hiking and outdoor activity of any sort, especially if it allows one to get into the mountains or to see things that few others get to see. That said, I'm also not a fan of being able to see things like a mountain glacier up close without first slugging a 70-lb pack up the mountain to get there. The glacier, the landscapes, the wildlife - they're all the rewards for your hard work. Those, along with your sore muscles at the end of a day of hiking in the wilderness. Which you won't get if you're plopped on a mountain top by a helicopter and left to wander around without a pack to carry or anything to worry about other than if your Gucci loafers are going to get scuffed on your way down the scree slope.

After the owner left, our prof launched into everything that was wrong with the company and all the stuff that the man left out of his talk to us. She mainly talked about how mountain lodges like the one featured in the NYTimes piece are often in areas that are prime mountain caribou habitat - near the tops of mountains. Mountain caribou are listed as "threatened" in Canada on the Canadian SARA list (Species At Risk Act), similar to the Endangered Species List in the US. They are considered one of the most threatened mammals in North America. The mountain caribou is a sub-species and ecotype of woodland caribou that migrates up and down mountain slopes throughout the year. The presence of recreation in the backcountry, especially in the form of heli-skiing, heli-hiking, and snowmobiling, greatly threatens the recovery of this species and further fragments their already limited habitat area, area that is only going to become smaller as global warming pushes the tree line higher up mountain slopes. The BC government has allowed almost unrestricted access to the backcountry and to prime mountain caribou habitat to groups like CMH as recently as 2005, despite the recommendations of its own and independent scientists. CMH has published its own sustainability report on its website, which lists, among other things, its commitment to the protection of mountain caribou and its habitat. I encourage you to read it and draw your own conclusions.

The wildlife and habitat concerns abound, let alone issues like the transportation of food and supplies to such lodges, issues like waste and water systems for the buildings and as a result of all the visitors, and the impact of so many people on such a fragile environment. The plants and animals that make up this ecosystem are extremely fragile, only having a couple of months to actually grow and flourish and reproduce before cold temperatures and snow and ice force everything back into dormancy during the fall, winter, and spring months. One of the pictures shows "hikers" walking across "grass" on a ridge. Now imagine that action taking place every day. Now imagine that action taking place in a different area on the ridge every day, even if only a couple feet away from the previous day. Soon, no vegetation will be present on the ridge, and the ecosystem will take decades to recover. This is why, in provincial and national parks, there are signs everywhere to stay on the trails. This is why, if you follow the hiker's code, you know why it's not a good idea to cut off trails on switchbacks. This is why, if you're actually a "hiker", as opposed to people who can afford to pretend to be hikers for a week, you know what the hiker's code is and follow it to the T. As I was reading, I wondered to myself what the "guide" did with all the cigarette butts he was producing along the trail, along with what the guests are told during their brief lecture on hiking at the beginning of their trip. The fact that the author proudly proclaims to readers that a being fit is not a prerequisite, "but it helps", nor is a knowledge of hiking riles me to no end. Being fit and having a knowledge of what you're getting into and how to survive in the wilderness is important for hiking, especially in such a remote area, and to ignore its importance is to put the entire hiking group and yourself in danger. It's selfish, let alone stupid.

I know that all this ranting sounds all hoity-toity, look at me, I'm a pro-hiker, but honestly, it's the people who are not prepared and don't understand the issues who ruin the experience for the genuine hikers like myself. I've been on several hikes with people who have done things like toss apple cores into the bushes on hikes (it takes two to five weeks for an orange peel to decompose in the outdoors, two months for an apple core, plus exposes wildlife to garbage) or cut off switchbacks on trails, and having to explain all the enviro-speak during the hike makes for a not very fun conversation/lecture. Instead, you get to read it here and commit it to memory, so that the next time you're on a hike, you won't invoke the wrath of all the other fleece-clad wilderness junkies.

*le sigh*

Booked my tickets to Stockholm tonight. Again, have no idea what to expect other than loads of beautiful Swedes. Going to try out Couchsurfing for the first time, I think, so now that I know the dates, just have to see if anyone will let me crash at their place!

Meeting the German after work tomorrow for a drink. I'll be rushing home to primp and preen. I feel like an underdressed slob whenever I'm with him, probably the same feeling my mom gets when she goes to Hong Kong. I compare it to the feeling we had when we arrived in London in February, when everyone was in wool and suits and nice boots and we were in backpacking gear.

fun in the kitchen, take one

2007-09-10T18:12:00.001-07:00

I found a fantastic new way of preparing les avocats (avocados). You grill them. Yes, you actually cook avocados. In all my life, I have never tasted or seen avocados heated to any degree. I was looking for a recipe/ideas for my after-run dinner tonight (yes, I finally went), and came across the idea on Chow. And, as we all know, I love foie gras, so how could I possibly go wrong?

Seeing as I don't have a grill handy, I decided to sear it instead. I heated up the frying pan on max, and melted some butter in the pan. Just as it started to brown, I added the slices of avocado. A minute on both sides, and that was it. Oh. My. God. The taste is fantastic, slightly different from raw, with a more spicy and nutty flavour, as described. Of course, heating the butter to max and such caused the little French kitchen to fill with smoke, even with the fan on full blast, so the windows all had to be opened. I'm sure the neighbours watching from across the courtyard were wondering what the hell I was doing, dressed in running tights and other spandex paraphernalia with smoke billowing out the window.

Related to running, on my route tonight, the road from the Péripherique to the Bassin de la Villette was closed off with a gate (the first time this has ever happened). So, rather than run farther in the dark, I actually managed to squeeze my body through a gap about a foot wide. I thought I was going to get stuck at one point, when I was squeezing the left part of my body/ribcage through. For some reason, after I got to the breastbone/middle of my chest, the right side went through like no one's business. Weird. Sore chest after, but survived. As I was squeezing through, I had scary flashbacks in my head of when I got my head stuck between the mattress and the headboard of my bed when I was around six-years old. Once I got through, some truck was driving around and saw me run down the hill to the Bassin, and then started following me slowly until I ran into the trees and was able to escape. That's what I get for procrastinating until it's dark and gates and roads start to get closed off for the night.

As I was running for the forest, I stumbled across a riding stable in Paris! There were maybe 30 people inside, riding around the arena, with a group just walking, another smaller group trotting. I was shocked, having only seen a horse once in the city, and come to think of it, it was in the same area, walking along the Bassin.

Today's classes at work were fantastic. I didn't start until lunch, so got to sleep in, which was nice after staying up and papoter (chatting) with the parents for two hours last night.

Things seem to be going well with the German. He emailed me today, and we may do something tomorrow or Wednesday, with something else to be planned for the weekend (probably the museum, and there is also this happening all over France, so we may check it out too).

Tomorrow I have my first-ever full day of teaching, from 9 to 6 pm, including lunch. I will probably be getting overtime, as a result, as 6 hours of teaching (three classes) is actually the maximum. We'll see, as my after-lunch class is not actually on my schedule, but was on the board this afternoon after work...

another lazy sunday

2007-09-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

Yes. The title pretty much sums up the day. Markets? No. Run? No. Lazed around the apartment this morning, doing some cleaning/vacuuming, and then went down to Odéon to catch the new film "Waitress", with Keri Russell of Felicity fame. It was okay; I really wasn't expecting much, but being a romantic comedy, of course I wanted to see it, if only for the likely tearfest that would happen at some point (yes, of course there was, and of course I cried in the theater). After, I wandered over to St-Germain-dès-Pres, through all the back streets, passing by Gérard Mulot on the way. Didn't buy anything, though, as I'd stuffed my face with candy in the theater, and didn't feel like more sweets. Got a Velib' for a day, and biked over to Gare Austerlitz to meet up with the Romanian at 9 pm. Had coffee and a muffin in the station (both were crap), and saw him off on his couchette. He's again invited me to Limoges, and I will probably go in October. Biked home from there, managing to get lost around Gare de Lyon and go the wrong way down a one-way street before going around the block one more time and getting it right.

The NYTimes had an article today (being Sunday, it's Travel Dispatch day) on 36 hours in Stockholm, and now I want to go even more. Scott posted a bunch of pictures of crazy stylish Swedes on his blog last month when he was there, and each person is above and beyond any fashion level I could ever hope to achieve. I went to the Ryanair website to check on prices, as they were one of the companies mentioned for flights in the article, and lo' and behold, there's a seat sale on for travel anytime between October and February of next year. 32€ to pretty much anywhere in Europe from Paris, round trip, all taxes and fees included. That's crazytalk. So, we're thinking Stockholm in October, Rome in November, and Madrid in December. I also signed up on Couchsurfing, so will start to send out requests tomorrow or sometime this week for those places. If that doesn't work out, it'll be hostels, but the Couchsurfing route seems much more interesting. One of the guys in the running group does it, and it seems okay (as in he's not a psycho, and the person who was staying with him at the time wasn't either, so...) we'll take our chances.

Talked to the parents for close to two hours. All is well back home. Directed Mom to this to take care of the overabundance of cucumbers her and Dad seem to be experiencing. This website is fantastic, one of my favourites. Melissa's recipes are so simple and easy to prepare, perfect for after work when I'm so not in the mood to cook anything crazy. I've made this twice now, sans bacon, and tonight I added small cubes of chevre along with parmesan flakes. Bliss.

on the hunt

2007-09-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a "date" with the German, the one who reminds me of some happy, cheerful German advertisement or something along those lines. It was a regular dinner-and-a-movie type deal, but in this case, we did the movie first, dinner second. We went to see Michael Moore's new film, Sicko. It was playing at the Gaumont Opera theater, which I was pleased to find out offers the student discount too. It's the first Moore film that I've seen, and it was fantastic, although, of course, a bit one-sided. In the film, Moore talks about the state of health care in the USA, and compares it to that received by citizens in Canada, France, England, and Cuba. It is eye-opening and shocking, and really showed just how lucky I am to a) be Canadian and b) be living in France at the moment, where, if I should injure myself and require a hospital visit, I won't need to claim bankruptcy first. Here's a short clip from the film where Moore interviews patients in a crowded waiting room in Canada:

Go and see this film. It's great, so great, in fact, that there was applause at the end of the film in the theater. That might not be so strange were I still in Canada, but here in France, it was another story.

After the film, we went to a nearby restaurant called Le Domaine de Lintillac. It is actually part of a small chain of restaurants of the same name scattered around France and two in Belgium. The name comes from the farm where the products served are from, and they specialize in Southwestern French cuisine, so basically lots of foie gras and cassoulet. There are actual toasters on the tables for you to toast your slices of bread in that go nicely with your foie gras. The meal was great and surprisingly cheap for an entree and main (under 20 Euros for each of us). I highly recommend it, if only for the numerous foie gras dishes.

While we're on the topic of foie gras, let me say that I love it. And yes, I know how it's made, and I still love it. Foie gras, for those of you who don't know, is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese, called la gavage. The farmer will insert a tube into the bird's esophagus in the last 15 or so days before slaughter, and the bird will be fed between two and four times a day with softened maize in order to fatten its liver. You can read all about foie gras and its production here, here, and here.

I think that is one of the many things I love about living in France. Whenever I go to the markets (as I will in the morning), I have the opportunity to buy products that are fresh and straight from the producer. In France, this is called terroir. In Vancouver, there is an organic supermarket chain called Capers that I used to shop at. Their motto is "We sell food that remembers its roots". I think that in France, this could be applied to the extreme. When I go to Alléosse for my cheese or to the boulangerie, or even to Etoile d'Or for my caramels and chocolate, I am always regaled with stories by the owners about the products and where they're from and how they're made. Few and far between are the places you can go to for food in Canada or the US where the same is true.

After dinner, we walked around and down to the Louvre. There was a film crew near Palais Royale, filming by the fountain in the Place A. Malraux. The German had never been to the Louvre at night, but for some reason, it wasn't as lit up as usual. We did notice, however, that the Grande Roue (ferris wheel) has been moved to Place de la Concorde, outside of the Tuileries, where is it lit up at night (or at least it was tonight). From there, we walked back to Opera. There are plans to talk sometime this week and go to the Musee du Quai Branly, as my last visit was cut short by a bored Frenchman.

Yesterday, B., the girl from New Zealand, texted me to let me know that she was coming into town today on her way to London for a week. So, I met her at Gare du Nord, and we went to Terminus Nord across the street for a late lunch. I completely forgot to go inside to look at the ceilings and such, and we just ended up sitting out on the terrasse and watching people go by for a good three hours or so. After that, I left her at the station and made my way down to Etienne Marcel.

I'm on the hunt for a grey V-neck sweater for fall, preferably in cashmere. Simple, no? Like all things simple in the vast world of fashion, this is proving exceedingly frustrating. I've tried Zara, Benetton, H&M, and the Gap, all to no avail. There are plenty of grey V-neck cashmere sweaters, or at least grey V-neck sweaters, but all of them seem too short. They all look like I've already shrunk them in some disastrous laundry incident. The German was telling me tonight that Asians are known for having longer torsos and shorter legs than Caucasians, and I know that my torso is longer than most people, so perhaps that's why none of the sweaters are fitting me properly. I feel that I need to move into the higher price range of stores and see what they have to offer.

I'm also searching for a leather handbag. Yes, I'm ready to take the leap and get myself an actual murse. And I'm not talking about a cross-torso shoulder bag or anything like that (of which I have plenty). I'm talking about a serious handbag. I saw a couple today down in the 4th on my way to Ted Baker (which ended up being closed...why, I have no idea, as they've been open on other Saturdays before), but they were all in the 300-400€ price range (one was on sale, 30% off, but 30% off expensive is still expensive). All gorgeous bags, though, but if I'm going to spend that much money, I'm really going to have to think about it.

Markets in the morning at Bastille, then meeting up with a Romanian who is in town, and who knows what else. Really need to go running tomorrow as well.

Le Domaine de Lintillac
10, rue Saint Augustin
75002 Paris
01.40.20.96.27

i need to stop doing this

2007-09-06T16:08:00.001-07:00

I really need to stop posting in the middle of the night. The main reason I need to stop this is because I miss little things like "archive" in the web address of other people's websites, like this one. So, go, be updated on super-fun rants from the life of a pharmacist (who knew the public could be so much fun!). I nearly died when I went to see today's posting. I really think everyone should work in some sort of position where they have to deal with the public on a regular basis. It should be a requirement of all job positions out there, because really, you haven't experienced everything until you've had to deal with the ridiculous over-the-top demands of some idiot customer you would rather just strangle with your bare hands.

Today at work was great...until 4 pm. I had great students this morning, a great lunch, and then a great, teary-eyed-laughter-filled after-lunch with some more students. And then I had to have a class with a lazy engineer. Seriously, I think these are the worst students. They seriously have no imagination or enthusiasm whatsoever. And I'm sorry to any engineers out there, because, really, I know several engineers, and they're all bundles of fun, but these ones? My. God. Shoot. Me. Now. Even the other students in the room were pleading with him to "try", "come on", etc.

Went out to La Défense tonight with German #2 to watch the fireworks by La Grande Arche in celebration of the start of Le Coupe du Monde, which begins tomorrow and goes through October 20th. They had the fireworks in front of and behind La Grande Arche, and all set to music. It was super fun, and German #2 brought a bottle of wine along to help with the festivities. It was so strange to see groups of gendarmerie walking past us without even looking at the open bottle of wine between us. I was so waiting for them to pounce on us and slap us with handcuffs or demand to see IDs or something like that. Like back at home. After, we wandered down the Champs-Elysees and then down to the Pont Alexandre III before catching the metro at Concorde. Still feeling the aftereffects. Curses to you, vin rouge!!! Curses!

poultry and the evil pharmacist

2007-09-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

There is a woman at the Monoprix by work who mainly looks after the pharmacy section of the store. I use "pharmacy" loosely here because, when compared to back home, the pharmacy section basically contains just slightly higher-priced toiletry products, like lotions and such made by companies like Avène, Vichy, and La Roche-Posay. This woman has had me on her blacklist ever since I made the near-fatal error of opening a container of gommage product to see what it looked like under her watchful eye shortly after I arrived in Paris. You would have thought I'd sexually assaulted the product or something. I got a tongue-lashing in French, and the container was swiftly swiped from my hands. Oops.

Ever since, she treats me like crap. And not like regular French lack-of-customer-service-training crap, but like the bane of her existence. And I know it's just me because today, among other times, everyone else in line got a "Passez un bon après-midi, Monsieur/Madame" or "Bonne journée!" and all I got was a without-eye-contact "Au revoir". Plus a short of 1€. By the time I noticed that I hadn't received my change, it was too late, and being the evil pharmacist and being France, I wouldn't have got it anyways. So, she will from now on be known to me as la pharmacienne méchante (the evil pharmacist) and I will, in turn, have HER on my blacklist.

Work was fine today. I feel a little out of it there, mainly because today I realized I'm the youngest teacher at the moment (I haven't met the new ones yet). Before, there were far more teachers around my age, and suddenly, they've all disappeared (gone back to school or whathaveyou). Students were fine today, though, and I got free lunch, so really can't complain.

Met up with a new person tonight. He's from Germany, and honestly, he reminds me a lot of the typical German cartoon kid...think Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This one's not plump like Augustus, but he does have a sort of cutesy, rosy-cheeked, blond-haired German cartoon kid character/look about him. Maybe if he was plump, he'd fit the stereotypical mold perfectly. We were meeting at 9 pm at the Curieux Spaghetti Bar, and because of the name of the place, I completely assumed we were having a late dinner. Always a danger to assume (Mambo Italiano, anyone?). Yes, this was completely a drink date. Oops. We ended up moving over to the well-known Café Beaubourg (of Costes Brothers fame) anyways, which then totally had me assuming we'd be eating. Again, no. So for dinner tonight, I had some olives, courtesy of the German and his martini blanc order (I didn't order a drink, as I hadn't eaten anything since lunch except an apple at 4 pm, and didn't particularly feel like drinking on an empty stomach).

While sitting with the German overlooking the square of the Centre Pompidou, he sees a friend of his. Calls him up, friend answers, friend comes over with the guy he's walking with. Turns out that the friend of the friend of the German is nicknamed "Poultry" because that's his alias on a website. Poultry? Ummmm...okay. The website is a gay dating website. Oh lordy lordy lordy jeesus someone playse taych these paw buoys to spayke English! I really hope there's a better story behind that nickname.

Something I found while trying to find a picture of une pharmacienne méchante. Hilarious and fun-fact filled! Too bad it hasn't been updated in forever.

Tomorrow, it's off to the fireworks at La Défense. Whoo hoo!

you look like a schoolboy

2007-09-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had people who were originally kinda cold towards you suddenly turn into your BBF (best friends forever)? This seems to be happening at work. All of a sudden, since I've been back, it's been compliments left, right, and center. Today, I was complimented on my outfit several times by people who, back in July, barely glanced at me let alone said anything unrelated to what they wanted me to teach their classes. And even the people who were nice to me before are being extra-nice now. Something is up, and it's putting me on edge. I have a slight inkling that because I'm the only survivor of the previous batch, and because they're currently training a bunch of newbies, the hierarchy has suddenly changed, and I'm now "in".

People from high school still do things like that to me whenever I go back home. I haven't seen these people in ages, and all of a sudden, they'll spot me in a parking lot, and run over and give me a huge hug and be all smiles. It's like I'm there long-lost best friend, and they want to know everything that's been going on. I don't get it. It's like, "Hey! You were mean to me and made fun of me back then. WTF? Why do you think I'd possibly be friends with you now?"

Yes, I hold grudges. Cross me and die. Only kidding. No, actually, not really.

Went out to Issy-les-Moulineaux, a suburb southwest of Paris, this afternoon to teach. Had to take the tram out there from La Defense, which is always a joy. When I got off, I was completely turned around, but managed to make it to the company on time. It seems like whenever I get sent to companies, the students either a) could give a rat's ass about actually learning or paying attention; b) are complete a**holes; or c) both. And we rant about this first point all the time at the office, whether it's students at companies or there at the school. It's like, your company is paying for you to learn, so how about we do some of that, 'K? Either it's the typical pursed lips-farting noise (signalling "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about") or one-word answers like "Meh". "Meh" is not a complete sentence. Nor are you practicing the present perfect, which you are supposed to be learning. And yes, I know you speak perfect English, but you need to do the exercise anyways. Pourquoi? Because I'm the teacher, that's why.

Went to the weekly running club tonight. We were supposed to all be at the apartment at 7:15 pm, which was, of course, extremely optimistic. We didn't get running until 7:30 pm, and then they shut down the park at 8! It's getting earlier every week. I had barely finished two laps before they started blowing their whistles. I managed just under three laps inside the park and then two more outside, all in 43:35, so I was quite pleased. R. will not be here next week, or something's happening next week, so he can't host, so I don't know what we're going to do. Maybe change it to B.'s place and run around the Bois de Boulogne like that last time (not bad, in any case, although B. mentioned we'd have to stay in groups, as before, it wasn't dark when we went. Yikes!).

Images from www.threadless.com; www.dvdtoiles.com.

back into the groove

2007-09-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right, a "squirrel" is a Canadian cake.

Started back to work today after five weeks off. I had arranged to start after lunch, as I was originally planning to fly back to Canada in late August, and wanted to leave morning return flight options open. Instead, I got to sleep in, but the previous morning's activities had me falling asleep around 11 pm, then waking up at 6 am, and then falling back asleep for a few more hours. When I got to work, everyone was so happy to see me, which was a nice sign. However, part of the happiness may be due to the fact that I'm the only person returning. The other teacher who was supposed to come back apparently quit last week, so the rest of the teachers have been scrambling and stressing over their resulting crazy hours. In any case, I really didn't have time to sit and chat with anyone, as I was freaking out about my two afternoon courses and getting back into teaching mode again. Thankfully, both were low-levels, so it all went well. However, tomorrow I'm out at a company for only the second time ever, teaching two students in the afternoon, including an intermediate level, which I've never done before, so it should be interesting.

The Champion near work is nearing the end of its renovation, but honestly, I don't think they planned it out quite right. After work, there were buggies lined up all along the front of the store, waiting to be delivered, but in the process, blocking up most of the space to actually get out of the store. That, plus the store has these basket-caddies that can hold two baskets, and some mothers decide that they must have a basket to carry for themselves, along with a basket-caddy each for their two children, who then proceed to push through the supermarket, banging into everyone. However, like all good French children, they say pardon to people when they ram into them.

David Lebovitz covers the topic of fighting for discounts in French supermarchés quite well over on his blog. I had to fight for 50 centimes today for a bag of courgettes (zucchinis). The price said 2,60€, plus a 0,50€ immediate discount at the cash register on a little yellow sticker on the bag itself. Of course, no immediate discount happened, despite me first telling the cashier about it right off the bat (to which she responded that it happens automatiquement). And then, when I told the cashier that the 0,50€ wasn't taken off when I got my receipt, I got the typical French shrug of the shoulders and sent over to the point d'accueil (customer service/greeting point), where I argued with another woman, who had to go and look at the price herself, and then come back, scan the bag, scan the discount sticker, fiddle with the cash register, and finally hand me over my 0,50€. At least I got it in the end, and was quite proud of myself for doing some slight, though drawn-out, arguing with not one but two people, tout en français.

Other than that, nothing too exciting today. Back to metro-boulot-dodo, it seems. Le sigh.

toto, i don't think we're in paris anymore...

2007-09-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of living in a really ethnic part of Paris is that I get woken up frequently by music or loud voices. This morning was especially exceptional. Unbeknownst to me, today was the "Fête de Ganesh" (Ganesh Festival). The music started blaring at about 8:30 am. Now, because I had no idea there was a religious festival tied to it, I was ready to throw something out my window at whoever was responsible. Normally, the loud music is caused by someone showing off their crappy sound system. Today, it was the two competing phone centres across the street from each other, seeing who could play Indian music louder. Does everyone remember the music from Monsoon Wedding? Imagine that. Now make it ten times worse. Now imagine being woken up by it. Great, huh?

So, to refresh your knowledge of Indian religious celebrations, the Fête de Ganesh is held every year in praise of Ganesh, the elephant-headed Indian god of creation, among other things, like the usual prosperity and good luck and protection of the home. The faithful chant, sing, and smash coconuts in the street to celebrate as they parade through the streets. Lucky for me, one of those streets happened to be mine.

All in all, despite my sounding so bitter about the whole event, it was actually kind of neat. I've never really experienced any type of Indian celebration, and this was a good eye-opener.

I only spent a few moments at the parade, as I had to meet Alix down at the Musée du Quai Branly. Every first Sunday of the month in Paris, the museums are free, and everyone turns out to take advantage (except those who are busy watching Indian religious celebrations). The Musée du Quai Branly focusses on anthropological exhibits. It just opened up this year, and I found the displays similar to the Museum of Anthropology back at UBC. Alix wasn't too impressed, and suggested we go to the Louvre. And that's how I got sucked into going to the Louvre despite my best intentions to stay away until December.

We took Velib' to the Louvre, which was super-fun, as usual. Alix also has a year membership, which only made me want to get one tout de suite. Instead of having to line up, you just place your card on the bike stand, and take your bike! It's so great and time-saving, and makes it even more faster than the metro than I had previously thought, I need to sign up right away.

The Louvre wasn't nearly as busy as I thought it would be, being free Sunday and all. Sure, there were crowds, and all the famous pieces (the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, etc.) were mobbed, but really, I don't think it was as bad as what a normal day would have been, seeing as the would-be mobbers were all tourists. It turns out that Alix took some art history back in university, and also worked at another art museum, so gave me a whirlwind tour of the Louvre, highlighting his favourite pieces and rooms. We saw the French sculpture galleries, the royal apartments, the large-scale French and Italian paintings, the Winged Victory, and of course, the Mona Lisa (La Joconde in French). Alix had to leave to meet another friend, so I hung around and found the French crown jewels, the Venus de Milo, and the Dutch and German paintings. Everything else was skipped, and I left after about three hours. The Louvre is quite amazing, as amazing as everything you've heard. It's pretty much masterpiece after masterpiece, everywhere you look. The place is so huge that it would take lifetimes to see it all (and I mean really see it all, not just breeze through, as I did). At the end of the day, I bought a Carte Louvre Jeunes for 15 Euros, a great deal for unlimited free entry to the entire museum, among other perks.

Speaking of museums, let's review why FLASH IS NOT ALLOWED IN MUSEUMS!!!!! Oh my God I could throttle the people I saw using their flash in the Louvre today (including at the Mona Lisa, with 6 uninterested guards looking on)! Them, along with all the idiots touching the art (some idiot tourist was actually climbing on a statue in the Greek section today...did she get a lashing from the French security guard, let alone the glares from everyone else in the room). In fact, why don't I cover all the various reasons why you shouldn't do either:

Flash is distracting to everyone else in the museum or setting.
Flash can damage ancient materials, like paint, being a bright light and all. Hence why a lot of things in museums are kept under very dim lighting/kept away from sunlight.
Flash in general, especially on point-and-click cameras (digital or old skool) is only meant to light objects about 10 feet away, and that object is likely the size of a person's face. So, even if you were allowed to use it, your dinky flash is not going to do anything for that 30-foot high painting across the room.
Everyone lining up to take a picture of something prevents others from actually seeing the piece of work (i.e. The Mona Lisa or any of the other famous works in the Louvre).
Oil and moisture on your fingers can damage artwork, no matter what material. There have been several articles written about the destruction of Machu Picchu and the Alamo by tourists touching everything. Need I remind you that even "clean" hands can still be dirty?

And while I'm on it: turn off your shutter sounds and any other chirps, beeps, whatever on your camera when you're in a museum. In fact, figure out how to turn them off, and do it before you arrive (that goes for your flash too...the excuse of "I don't know how to turn off the flash" doesn't work). Again, DISTRACTING!!!!

So, what can you do instead? Use high speed film or a high speed ISO setting on your camera. Simple. Or a tripod (although most museums don't allow those either, for fear of people tripping on them/blocking traffic).

Okay, I'm done now. Back to work tomorrow after my long summer holidays, but thankfully not until the afternoon.

let's go to la défense!

2007-09-01T15:15:00.001-07:00

Today, after much hassle and delay, I finally charged up and used my brand new Navigo card. Look at it go!

I decided to go out to La Défense for the afternoon. La Défense is an area to the west of Paris, outside the péripherique, where all the skyscrapers (yes, Paris has skyscrapers) have been relegated. So, instead of the "downtown" actually being in the middle of the city, it's out to the west. It's the largest area in Europe specifically built for business. I thought it would be cool to wander around the huge buildings and see a different part of the city. Also, being the weekend, no one is there, and it basically turns into a bit of a ghosttown (normally, 150,000 people work there).

There are two options on the metro out to La Défense. You can either get off at Esplanade de la Défense or at Grande Arche de la Défense, the huge arch that was built to line up with the Arc de Triomphe, Concorde, and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel by the Louvre. I chose the former so I could walk towards the Grande Arche.

It seriously was like stepping off the metro and into another city. You leave Paris, with all it's old buildings and step into a modern-day business district. There are art installations and apartment buildings scattered amongst the office towers, and lots of gardens and green spaces. The Grande Arche occupies the west end of a huge plaza that is used for concerts and events. On September 6th, there will be a fireworks show there to celebrate the start of the Coupe du Monde (Rugby World Cup). Behind the Arche is the jetty, a long suspended walkway that extends out to nowhere, with a view of the western suburbs that, when compared to Paris and even La Défense, looks like some terrible design mistake. The buildings are all mish-mashed together and quite ugly. Add to that the fact that on either side of the jetty is the Cimétière de Neuilly (Neuilly Cemetary), so basically, when you're on the jetty, you're looking down on peoples' graves. Charming. But I'll let you be the final judge.

After the La Défense fun, I wandered around the huge shopping mall there (one of the few in Paris), and then came back into the city. I caught the screening of the film Paris, je t'aime (warning: music and video on the site!). I saw the film at the 2006 VIFF, but wanted to see it in its original French version, just to see how much I could understand of the dialogue. I think I surprised myself, which is always nice.

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of the month, which means free museum day YAY! I'm meeting a friend and we're going to Musée du Quai Branly. It's a new museum, just opened this year, and I've been wanting to check it out. The gardens outside are also quite impressive, so if the museum is too crowded or whatever, we can wander around the gardens.