If I Have a Second Chance

I was able to see and do a lot (because I never studied) in Paris but of course ten months just wasn't enough time to see everything that I wanted.  Here is what I want to if I get another chance to live in Paris:

1. Go to the institute du monde arabe
-It was on my list and I just kept pushing it back.  Probably because you have to pay.  I think they serve tea and have a good restaurant.... oh and it's educational.

2.Go to university lectures
-I think I've done enough shopping now and sight seeing so I will be able to spend my time doing other things.

3. Go to poetry readings

4.Visit my favorite museums again

5.Go to the more obscure museums
-Museum of Dolls comes to mind....


6.Visit the other parks I didn't get to and visit Montsouris again

7. Visit the Chateaus around Paris
-I didn't go outside of Paris enough.

8. Visit Places des Voges again
-pretty

9.  Velib
-afraid, never did subscription at beginning.

10. see an opera
-started looking for tickets too late :(



11.  Grand and Petit Palais


12.  Visit the tea salon in the 8th
-Was closed every time!

13. Canal Saint Martin again

14.  Disney Paris

15. The sewers

16. See more plays

17. See a comedy show




Traveling
-within France
-Strasbourg
-Lyon
-Nice
-Marseille
-toulouse

-Spain
-Germany
-Italy
-Scotland
-Morocco

Escargot

Reason I was afraid to order escargot at first....

Pardon..errr..excuse me

Twice now, I've said, "pardon" when I bumped into someone.  It is just a involuntary reaction now.   In France you use pardon when you accidently bump into or when you need to get off a packed metro.  And then of course you use it when you purposely bump into someone because they didn't feel like moving to allow you to exit the metro, so your only choice is to shove your way through.

Smelly Cheese

I found Comte at BJs and that was the highlight of my week.    I almost screamed when I saw it.  I obviously don't do a lot of shopping at BJs.  I was so happy because Comte is my favorite French cheese.  I brought it home and immediately went to open it.  Whenever I buy Brie here it tastes disgusting.  It is overripe causing one to taste and smell ammonia.  I bought Camembert a couple weeks ago at Stop & Shop and had a better experience.  I managed to eat half of it before I couldn't take anymore of the less obvious ammonia taste.  I don't know what happens to Comte when it is overripe, but I knew that it never had a strong smell.  I open it, sniff it and start swearing at America for always ruining french cheese somewhere between France and the supermarket.  Sure it smelled like Comte should but by X10 giving it a quite unpleasant smell.  I tasted it and that's when America redeemed herself for the moment.  It actually tasted right.

Comte is made from unpasteurized cow's milk in the Franche-Comte region.  It is a semi-hard cheese and I think it is pretty mild compared to other french cheese.

Les Francais

Gad Elmmaleh Les Francais

Poser un lapin

Expression of the Day:

Poser un lapin

Meaning:

To not show up, to stand someone up

A couple days ago, I was cleaning out my inbox because it was 98% full and I came across an unopened email that had been forwarded to me from the head teacher at work.  It was from another teacher saying that I didn't need to take two of her BTS classes anymore because the group that I was suppose to work with "posaient un lapin."  Naturally I was confused about what a rabbit had to do with   the BTS students.

Study Abroad Changes You

How You Will Change from Study Abroad

http://www.ilovestudyabroad.com/how-you-will-change-from-study-abroad/

Here are some of my favorite:

Then: You were skinny.

Now: You are not.

Then: Your best college story was the time that you had that ridiculous night on campus.

Now: Your best college story is the time that you were in Paris, Madrid, Greek Islands, Ibiza, Beijing, (Insert amazing place here), and you had the greatest time ever!

Then: You had money.

Now: You don’t.

Then: You liked to talk about your school, family, sports, pets, friends..

Now: You like to talk about study abroad. Every conversation somehow circles back to “but when I was abroad..”