Dr. Alli's Parisian Adventure

2008-11-06T19:20:00.002+01:00

TWENTY OF THE BEST FRENCH SLANG WORDS/PHRASES YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SOUND LIKE A LOCAL:

1. J'hallucine
2. Genre
3. Je m'en fous
4. Chelou
5. Je kiffe
6. Du coup
7. C'est ouf
8. Keum
9. Meuf
10. Naz
11. En faite
12. Fait chier
13. Franchement
14. Space
15. C'est clair
16. Bordel [de merde]
17. Ringuard
18. Rien à battre
19. C'est lourd
20. Laisse tomber

(stolen from IVY Paris News)

2008-10-31T12:06:00.002+01:00

SHIFTING SANDS

This week, I feel like my life has started to shift again. I always think that things are constantly shifting slightly, but in subtle ways that you can't obviously see. But that every few months, a bigger change occurs which starts you off in a new path.

Everyone who knows me realises that I am having a hard time accepting that I have to leave France, and particularly all the friends I have here whom have become essentially my family. But on the other hand, I know that I have an amazing new life, job, marriage, city to look forward to when I get back to Oz. But this week I realised I had to take some time out and really look at what was going on around me, and to my surprise something shifted.

Sometimes you dread these shifts, because you know that nothing will ever be the same. This time for some reason, I am welcoming the change. Finally. It makes me want to come home, it makes me impatient to be with Daz again, it makes me long for summer (incidentally winter has arrived - it has been about 5 degrees and raining here every day this week).

But it still makes me want to pack everyone up and put them in my suitcase and take them with me.

2008-10-15T08:14:00.002+01:00

10 things I forgot I love about Australia

1. The people! So relaxed and friendly and easygoing!
2. The weather
3. Sydney Harbour
4. Being able to understand EVERYTHING perfectly
5. Asian food
6. Red, red wine
7. Cool bars in Melbourne
8. Views!
9. Melbourne fashion
10. Coffee!

2008-10-15T08:10:00.002+01:00

SUBTLE CHANGES

So I returned to Paris on Monday after spending 2 weeks in Australia organising my wedding. Its funny, I felt like I was only in Oz a short time, but it felt like I was away from Paris for ages. And it seems to me like a number of subtle changes have happened while I was away.....
* Misty mornings (indicating winter is approaching)
* Leaves are changing colour
* People look depressed and are all sick (unlike after le rentree where everyone is happy and tanned and relaxed)
* Its dark until nearly 8 am (daylight savings finishes in 1.5 weeks which will help)

But really, its all the same.

2008-09-02T16:34:00.004+01:00

RETURN TO HELL

Help! Its the rentrée (the return) - i.e. the start of the French year. Who's idea it was to start on Tuesday the 2nd of September, as opposed to Monday the 1st September I have no idea. But still, basically for me it means:
1. The metro is full again
2. The city is busy again (still undecided if its a good or bad thing)
3. Everyone is back at work - this is BAD. No more slacking off and disappearing for afternoons and sleeping in and saying "oh well, its summer".

Anyway to counteract my distress at the inevitable return, I thought I would post a few photos from a trip we did a few weeks ago to my friends Simon and T1K (or Thomo)'s country house at Le Vezoult. Now if the French know how to do anything, its a weekend in the country. We swam in the (private!!!) lake, played pétanque, stayed up all night by the fire, had a dancing competition (well deserved Twins!) and ...... a cochon mignon!! Basically it was a complete baby pig... yes you heard correctly. It was kinda gross. And undercooked! But well, very rustic! Have a look at the pics.

2008-08-23T21:05:00.002+01:00

20 Things to Do Before the Rentrée

The rentree (start of the school year) is in 1 week. And yes, I stole this list, but its pretty accurate (especially #4 and #7 and #14).... I'm going to try and get this all done in the next 10 days. Phew! So much to do.....

1. Park a car, any car, anywhere, because you can.
2. Walk through the Tuileries.
3. No-stress at BHV.
4. Make the most of the national assumption that everyone is on vacation for your work.
5. Nap.
6. Ride the bus.
7. Pretend you’re French when talking to tourists.
8. Get first dibs on theatre / concert tickets.
9. No line on a Sunday at Sacha Finkelstein’s.
10. Reserve your bar stool at La Belle Hortense.
11. Figure out how to work the Vélib,
12. then get to know your bike route.
13. Get a taste for good music at Flèche d’Or.
14. Sleep in.
15. Celebrate the return of your local boulanger.
16. Watch cheesy reality shows on TF1.
17. Catch up on international news before France finishes its August hibernation.
18. Sit on the grass ( for once! ).
19. Reminisce on the first time you came to Paris...
20. Kick back and enjoy the calm before the storm.

2008-08-03T09:34:00.006+01:00

OOPS - HOW COULD I FORGET ITALY????

As pointed out by my lovely dad, I forgot to post something about my Italy trip with them.... not because it wasn't a great holiday, just because I lost my brain in the heat (no, really - ask my friends!). So, lets go back a month or so to the lovely Amalfi Coast, just near Napoli in Italy. If you have been to the Cinque Terre then you have some idea what the Amalfi coast is like. Small villages perched on cliffs overlooking the Med, which is the most inky blue I have ever seen in an ocean. Great wines from the vineyards of Mt. Vesuvius, a vista from our balcony back along the coast to the 3 famous rocks off Capri, lots of tiny churches loaded with Moorish influences, and roads that twist and turn and can barely fit 1 car, let alone 2 buses heading in opposite directions, providing plenty of entertainment! We went to Pompeii, where the sheer scale of the city buried in ash is almost beyond comprehension, and to Ravello, a little village right up in the hills overlooking the Ocean. And don't forget the sun.........It's a place where you revert to "Italian time" and soak up the atmosphere......... highly recommended.

2008-08-02T20:38:00.001+01:00

Our new neighbour.....

Babies on the way???

2008-07-31T18:19:00.003+01:00

THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE.....

After waiting for summer all year (and last year too), now it has finally arrived and we are all walking around saying "its too hot!". Saw this on the internet today. Explains perfectly what it is like in Paris this week.... max temperature today of 33.6 degrees.

Cranky from the heat? I bet you are.

The first few days of glorious sun in Paris made us all go wild with unbridled joy. We lounged on café terraces, had picnics on the banks of the Seine, got sunburned, ate ice cream, the kids were happy to be outside and at the end of each day everyone fell into yummy, soft, Summer slumber.

Now it’s been a few weeks of oppressive, humid heat and we’re starting to get grumpy. Today I noticed that the usually Summer-loving Parisians have officially turned into glassy-eyed, foot-dragging Zombies.

Gone are the lovely Amélie Poulian look-alikes in the their short skirts, breezing by, flashing long legs and wide smiles on their Vèlibs. Gone too are the little kids frolicking happily in the local ‘jardins’.

During my lunch hour, I ate my sandwich on a park bench to the shrieking tune of a gaggle of tantrum throwing children.

As she watched her daughter squirming on the ground in the throes of an impressive (in this heat!) hysterical fit, a nearby mother looked at me, rolled her eyes in despair, and said:

“Que voulez-vous que je fasse?”

What to do, indeed?

http://www.ivyparisnews.com/

2008-07-31T12:28:00.001+01:00

WE LIEBER BERLIN

For Amy's birthday we headed to my spiritual home, Berlin. What an awesome place. Great people (who all speak English), great beer, great food, great sights. Too much to take in at once. Was the first time that I have visited Berlin in summer and it was a real change from winter. Not as much atmosphere but that was definitely compensated for all the sun and leaves and beer garden drinking, not to mention the floating bar we visited. We also got to see Barak Obama give his only European speech under the Victory column facing the Brandenburger Tor. A historical moment????
Amy and I got pierced to mark the occasion, me up the top of my ear, and Amy got her nose done. Unfortunately, she accidentally ripped it out about 38 hours after getting in done!! But here is proof it really happened:

2008-07-23T09:23:00.000+01:00

DRINKING STARS in CHAMPAGNE

Daz and I drove around the Champagne region for a few days before our trip to Berlin. We went on a tour of a champagne house, Tattinger (yummy).... it is a real pain to make, you need to do 2 fermentations, then freeze the top of the bottle to get rid of the yeast sediment, then top it up with sugared wine to give it sweetness. phew! Tastes good though.

We also visited the medieval towns of Troyes and Auxerre, and Reims, which has a great cathedral. Nice and relaxing.... the sunflowers were my favourite. They make me happy :)

2008-07-16T11:25:00.003+01:00

BASTILLE DAY 2008 = the finale

Another successful picnic on the 14 July, the French national holiday with our visitors Nick and Tracy .... except for the last bit where JJ's hand got mashed in a door! Happy holiday!

2008-07-04T16:47:00.003+01:00

*** NEWSFLASH ***

Daz arrived in Paris yesterday, and to kick off his month here, he just found out he got into uni!!!! Macquarie Uni in Sydney doing Bachelor of Arts with Dip. Ed to be exact. Bring it on Sydney!!

2008-07-04T16:38:00.002+01:00

Fete de la Musique

Every year, on June 21st (the summer solstice), France celebrates with the Fete de la Musique. This annual event basically gives everyone the right to play and listen to music. Nearly every bar, restaurant and empty space will be full of performers in all styles. Everyone takes to the street and dances the night away. This year we were lucky that it was a hot Saturday night, and we stayed out all night in the Belleville area (north east) and on the Canal St. Martin partying with the Parisians.

2008-07-04T16:30:00.003+01:00

MICHELIN STARS

Hmm, well I've been very slack lately with this blog, so I will attempt to update you with some of the big things that have happened in the last couple of months. One of them was Amy, Twinnie and my trip to Lyon in May. Unfortunately I screwed my back up again, so I wasn't really able to see much. BUT! I could still eat... and thank god for that, as Lyon is considered to be the gastronomical capital of the gastronomic capital of the world.

We had 2 great foodie experiences there, the first a visit to a traditional bouchon, and the other, a fine fine dining experience at a Michelin Star restaurant. A bouchon is a restaurant serving traditional Lyonnaise cuisine, which relies heavily on offal. Yes, that's right... a restaurant based on intestines, livers, kidneys and pig noses and feet. Mmmmm, delicious. Actually, if its cooked properly its not too bad, tasty even. Amy was in seventh heaven as her childhood memories of steak and kidney pudding were revived.

France has a number of michelin star restaurants, all of which are pretty pricey. But if you go for lunch and have the set menu then it can be great value. We went to the Auberge du Fond Rose, and for 40 euros we had an entree, main and dessert, 2 amuse bouches (tiny cleanser plates) and 2 glasses of wine that were matched to our food for us. The service was boardering on over the top - a waiter actually took you to the toilet and opened the door and turned the light on for you!!! But the food was absolutely amazing. One of the best meals we have all ever had, and it really shows you what fine dining is all about. Very addicitive too - we have plans to go to a Parisian Michelin restaurant before Daz leaves.

2008-05-05T17:21:00.004+01:00

MARSEILLE for MAY DAY!

Yay! May in Paris..... all things great reveal themselves - sun, tulips, and holidays! In May 3 of the weeks are short because there is an abundance of fete days. Just when we were all beginning to despair for the arrival of summer, we were rewarded. To celebrate, Amy and I headed south to Marseille.

What a great place! We instantly loved it, even though we didn't really know what to expect. It has a fairly bad reputation, and yes, we saw some pretty messed up stuff (and had some scary encounters) but all in all, its a great place. Beautiful harbour, spectacular calanques (cliffs), one of the best churches I have ever seen (complete with toy boats - see the pic!), and really friendly people. Marseille comes highly recommended from us! Next weekend - the gastronomical capital of France (and the world?) - Lyon!

2008-04-17T17:08:00.004+01:00

HOLA BARCELONA!!

Last weekend Maureen, Lisa and I visited Barcelona. What a cool city! You could easily hang out there for a month or two just chilling out... it's very relaxed and friendly, with a bizzare architectural twist thanks to Gaudi.

2008-04-08T16:00:00.002+01:00

DON'T PUT OUT THE LIGHT!

Yesterday the Olympic torch passed through Paris. It was to go under the Eiffel Tower and make a picture - perfect moment. Only problem was that there was a whole lot of demonstrations about China's Tibet policies, and *SHOCK HORROR* the flame WENT OUT. 3 times! Now I don't know the complete significance but I thought the whole idea of the torch relay was to keep it burning the whole time...... Things got so out of hand that cops on rollerblades were brought in to keep the peace (only in France!).....

2008-04-08T15:53:00.002+01:00

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BAG? LESSONS I HAVE LEARNT

My bag never arrived when I landed in Paris from South Africa 1 month ago. Apparently I am to be compensated (how much I don't know) but let me tell you its very depressing, not to mention frustrating when you lose all your favourite clothes, make-up, shoes, jewellery and all those notes I dilligently took on the course. And its not fun feeling like a smelly ugly loser wearing all the clothes you hate (you left them home for a reason!).....

This weekend I am going to Barcelona for 3 days, and I am applying all I have learnt since my ordeal began.
1. Carry on only! This way you can't lose stuff.
If you have to check bags:
2. Take your ugly clothes, or at least take only a few nice things. You don't know anyone where you are going so don't worry about it.
3. Anything you really like, put it in you carry on bag.
4. Don't take anything just in case! You probably won't need it anyway.
5. Put things that belong together, together. Eg. phone and charger. Camera and charger, iPod and charger...... you get the idea. Then if something is lost you aren't stuck with half a product.
6. Make your bag REALLY colourful. This will help the losers at the airline locate your bag if its lost.
7. Don't take anything of emotional value.
8. Don't take sporting attire and goods. You are kidding yourself if you think you are going to do exercise while on holiday.
9. Its VERY unlikely that there will be a freak snowstorm in the middle of summer (for eg.). Pack accordingly.
10. RE: makeup - the natural look is in!

Happy packing!

2008-04-06T14:06:00.003+01:00

MARATHON MAN

Today was the Paris marathon, one of the biggest in the world. It was a balmy 2 degrees for the runners (bloody freezing if you were a spectator).... We watched everyone run past (we were searching for Benoit from my lab with no success), but the most memorable entrant was the guy who completed the marathon on stilts!
It was pretty cool because it went straight past the front of my house. We got up early and braved the cold to see everyone, although the band playing across the street helped to warm the air. The fastest guys finished in 2:06 hours.... Benoit did it in 4 hours! I cannot imagine running for 4 hours........ guess that's why I don't do marathons. On the other side of the globe Joanie (one of my bridesmaids) did an 11km trail run (think running up a mountain side) and came 1st in her age group and 2nd overall! The weekend before that Dazza did a triathalon! Somehow I am becoming surrounded by athletes and I don't like it!

2008-03-21T14:25:00.003+01:00

IN THE AFRICAN WILDERNESS

*text to come*

2008-03-21T14:23:00.003+01:00

HERMANUS... home of the Whales
*text to come*

2008-03-21T14:20:00.005+01:00

CAPE POINT

* text to come! *

2008-03-21T14:18:00.003+01:00

TABLE MOUNTAIN

* text to come!*

2008-02-20T18:16:00.002+01:00

TO SCREW OR NOT TO SCREW?

One of the things that I really noticed when I was in Australia was the abundance of screw-top wine bottles. While I've been gone, they seem to have proliferated considerably. Or maybe its just that here in France, screw-top bottles are a faux pas. French consider them to be very unclassy, and the sign of a bad wine. Never mind that screw-tops eliminate the problem of corked wine (incidence estimates range from 1 in 10 to 20 bottles), and are good for the environment (unlike the widespread elimination of cork tree forests). And, you never get in one of those "damn I left it at home" issues with the bottle opener (although one Frenchie with whom I was talking about this very subject last week said, "yeah but Alli, this is France, you can always find someone close by with a bottle opener!").

But, importantly, as always to the French, the cork brings a certain panache, that, well lets face it, screw-tops can't.

2008-02-16T14:01:00.005+01:00

RETURN TO OZ

So I have just got back from my recent trip home to Australia. It was my first time back since I have moved to Paris, and to be honest I was a bit nervous coming home. Although once I arrived, it was like I had never left. Talking to most of my friends it was like I had seen them a couple of weeks before, which was a really nice feeling. It was a crazy couple of weeks, especially with the wedding planning that needed to be done (yes! A venue has been booked and my dress has been ordered!).

Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

1. The engagement party #2 (see recent entry)
2. Seeing my family, especially my brother
3. Meeting my friend's little girl, Stella
4. Parasailing on Sydney harbour
5. Seeing my brother's band Femur play at the North Melbourne Town Hall Bar
6. Seeing Kel, who moved back to Australia in November (very bizzare seeing someone at home whom you only knew in Paris but who is Aussie).
7. Spending Australia Day at Andy's Backyard BBQ
8. Asking Joanie and Trina to be my bridesmaids
9. Trying on wedding dresses
10. Catching up with all my friends from Oz (and those visiting from Switzerland too!)

Here are some pics from the trip:

2008-02-14T10:47:00.000+01:00

REUNITED

2008-02-14T10:43:00.002+01:00

A TALE OF FOUR CITIES.......... Part II

2008-01-23T13:06:00.000+01:00

OPEN INVITATION

YO WHAT UP DOGS?? IT’S ME, YOUR MAIN MAN COREY WORTHINGTON HERE!!! WASSSSUUP??? MY GOOD MATE MARTY TOLD ME HIS SISTER WAS COMING BACK FROM OVERSEAS TO VISIT AND THAT SHE WOULD BE ARRIVING AUSTRALIA DAY!!! PLUS HIS PARENTS HAVE GONE AWAY FOR THE WEEKEND!! SO HE ASKED ME TO CHUCK ANOTHER KILLER PARTY!!

FROM 10AM – LATE
BYO BOOZE AND FOOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE
CALL 0402573463 / 0413743795

REMEMBER, ALLI IS COMING BACK AND TOTALLY PUMPED TO SEE YOU ALL SO LETS GET TRASHED COREY WORTHINGTON STYLE! GIANT GLASSES AND HARDASS ATTITUDE ARE A MUST!!

GET IN EARLY FOR THE START OF THE HOTTEST 100!!!!!

2008-01-22T17:01:00.001+01:00

A TALE OF FOUR CITIES..... Part I

2008-01-18T12:57:00.000+01:00

THE INVITATION

2008-01-17T19:20:00.000+01:00

DAWN OF A NEW AGE....

On January 1st, 2008, Paris (and France) entered into a new era. The era of "no smoking". It is now illegal to smoke inside all bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants (until Dec 31st you could still smoke in all restaurants - eww). For us non-smokers, this is the best news. Particularly for dining out as there is nothing worse than the guy next to you blowing smoke over your food. You can now pop down to your local and have a beer sans the sting in your eyes and the smell in your hair from all the smoke.

The bar across the road from my house, La Liberte, is a local smokers hang-out since way back. La Lib attracts an "interesting" clientèle ranging from grungy yuppies, bums, old alcholics, down-and-outers, musicians, most of which are extremely friendly and up for a chat and/or dance. But going in there was really horrible because it was airless and there was so much smoke you could hardly see 1 meter in front of you. Now, its all sunny and yellow, smells like beer not smoke and there is always a crowd of people huddling outside, braving the cold while they have a smoke. My friend is always complaining bitterly about this new situation, he says that "la Lib is a smoking bar, you should be able to designate some bars as smoking zones".... I just tell him to try quitting again!

2008-01-05T13:24:00.000+01:00

STOCKHOLM IN SNOW

We spent New Year's Eve in Stockholm, and although the weather was fairly average its a beautiful town and Ing-Marie's hospitality was great. I got to see Reindeers too! Unfortunately due to the fog/sleet it was difficult to see across the harbour - so I think that a repeat trip in summer will be warranted.

2008-01-05T13:01:00.000+01:00

CHRISTMAS BALTIC STYLE - "behind the curtain"

Well we spent Christmas in Vilnius, Lithuania, where we expected -25C and snow and ice-fishing but instead were rewarded with -8, not much snow, no ice-fishing and ENGAGEMENTS!!! And lots of potatoes! If you are ever feeling limited with the options available to you for making potatoes interesting, visit Lithuania!

We visited the KGB museum (extremely creepy), the town of Trakai (the most gorgeous place), the old castle and the suburbs (which would have to rank close to #1 for the most depressing place to live). Here are some pics....

2007-12-27T16:53:00.000+01:00

WE'RE GOING TO THE CHAPEL AND WE'RE GONNA GET MARRIED!!

Yes that's right. On Christmas Day in snowy Vilnius, Lithuania, Dazza asked me to marry him! Actually he kind of threw a ring at me and said "say it, say it". Of course I started crying and Amy, our friend who is staying with us, started taking photos (as always, I was the last to know!). I am amazingly happy, I never thought this would make me this happy. My ring is perfect, I completely utterly love it, and that Dazza picked it for me makes me love it even more. Its a South African diamond, brilliant cut, set into a rose gold ring. A perfect Christmas!

2007-12-05T13:37:00.000+01:00

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARIS!

Today is one year exactly since Daz and I arrived in Paris. Freaking out, not knowing anyone (or the language)... I can't believe it. It feels both like years since we arrived, and yet, about 2 weeks. Every day I am reminded that we don't really belong here. But every day the most mundane things are so much more fun that at home.

Surprisingly, I don't miss living in Australia. Hardly. Ok, it would be nice to sit in people's backyards, cooking the barbie and basking in the warm sun. But here, you just do things differently. You go on picnics, you cycle around the city, and everywhere you go you see something amazing.

And its amazing how quickly you build a new life. Work, somewhere to live, new friends. And yes, it takes a lot of work, but its worth it. But still, simple things at home, such as going to the doctor, are a lot more hassle here. I think the hardest thing is trying to fit in with a new culture (I think I am pretty much the opposite to most Frenchies!) without changing yourself to blend in more. I know i've ruffled many feathers, but on the other hand, I know lots of people appreciate the differences in me, and my Aussie friends here. They love how we are so friendly and outspoken because it means they can experience a little of what it would be like if they went somewhere else (French people really don't travel much), and it makes them appreciate what they have.
So what don't I like about living here? Well, I don't like how things are run. Bureaucracy. Its bullshit. There are so many redundant hoops you have to jump through its crazy. The way the lab is (not) run. That I don't have many results at work. That I still don't know French very well (my fault). That simple things become difficult. That I can't read the paper properly. That I am excluded from pop culture. The tiny apartments. That I don't have my doggie. That it rained all summer.

And what do I love? The attitude that you work to live, not live to work. Taking long lunches is expected. The food (the cheese, foie gras, duck). The architecture. The availability of different cultures, meeting lots of people from everywhere. Riding bikes everywhere. My rediscovered love for live - not being in a rut, which I think lots of my friends (myself included) at home are/were in. My friends. The wine. The renewal of Daz and my love affair. That its really cold, so you can wear big boots and jackets a lot. Meeting people from all over. The tiny country towns that are postcard perfect. The autumn colours. Picnics. Being able to have (simple) conversations in French. Being really really happy and proud that I have built a life here.

2007-12-02T13:20:00.000+01:00

I don't care what they say: WINTER IS HERE

Winter is here. I don't care what any of these Euros say, it had arrived. And yes, I realise that according to our European counterparts, the seasons are governed by the solstice, but I am a proud Aussie, and I have proof that winter has arrived in Paris, because The Age (big newspaper in Oz) declared yesterday that summer has started in Australia. Hence, due to the whole northern/southern hemisphere thing, winter has started in Europe.

Being a researcher, I also have several lines of evidence indicating that winter has started.

1. Its bloody cold. And wet. You can see for yourself at my favourite weather site... it has images, graphs and cute little descriptions... I check it about a million times a day.
http://www.meteo-paris.com/ile-de-france/previsions.php
According to my man Guillaume (the guy posting the site), you can see that its going to rain nearly every day this week, last week we had temperatures at night around 1 degrees, and that last week, the average maximum was 11 degrees, and on Wednesday we only had a max. temperature of 7 degrees. And this is nothing new... all of November and half of October was like this too.

2. Its dark. The sun rose at 08h23 and is setting at 16h56 today. That is currently only 8.5 hours of daylight. That means that when I get up early to go swimming, its only after I have finished swimming for 45 minutes, got changed and walked to the metro that the sun is officially up. Pretty pathetic if its supposed to be only spring don't you think???

3. Solstice issues. Europeans say that their seasons depend on the solstice. Now I can agree with that - up to a point. But this means that winter officially starts on the 22nd December. The darkest, shortest day of the year. This is stupid. Totally illogical. Why would the height of darkness be the start of winter? Surely it makes more sense for it to be lodged somewhere in the middle of winter, where you can work your way up to it, knowing that, well its expected because its winter? And conversely, on the other side of the solstice, you are partly through winter and the whole getting lighter thing coincides with the move towards spring.

4. Leaves on trees. There are none. They are all gone. Everybody know that leaves fall off in autumn, say off in winter, and grow back in spring. Hang on - maybe someone should have a word with all the trees in Europe and tell them that they have to wait a few more weeks until all the leaves are dropped.

Nice try. I don't care what everyone says, I think the Aussies have got it right. Winter is here.

2007-11-22T10:50:00.000+01:00

THE STRIKE CONTINUES....... Day 9

2007-11-18T19:57:00.000+01:00

I'M A RACING CAR DRIVER!

Today is the 5th consecutive day of public transport strikes in Paris.... and with another major strike planned for Tuesday, it looks unlikely that things will be back to normal before the end of the week (at the earliest). As I can't take the metro to work, I have to ride a bike. This is all very well, however, with the mercury peaking at a measly 3 degrees today, you can imagine it is not the most pleasant of transport methods at the moment. Until now, at least the weather has been fine, but the forecast for most of the week is rain....

Riding a bike at the moment is pretty scary.... it's like you are in a Nintendo car rally game, where you have to avoid all sorts of obstacles (other bikes, scooters, cars, people) and everyone is driving really erratically because they are pissed that it took them 2 hours to get home. The street out the front of my house is like a car-park, and everyone has stories of how long it took them to get somewhere.... best I've heard is 5 hours!

All I can say is that if it rains, there is no way I'm going out in that!

2007-11-17T18:29:00.000+01:00

LE BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU EST ARRIVE!

Thursday was the release day of the 2007 Beaujolais Nouveau. A day celebrated long and hard in France (and around the world), the 3rd Thursday in November spells the unleashing of the new beaujolais, an extremely young wine (6 weeks old) on the unsuspecting public. So Valentin and I decided we should hold a party to celebrate the auspicious occasion. Traditionally, its a pretty nasty wine, although I would have to say some of the ones we tried were pretty nice. This year, because of the rain, the wine had a raspberry flavour (?).

2007-11-13T09:48:00.000+01:00

10 THINGS I MISS ABOUT OZ.....

Next week will be 1 year since Daz and I left Australia, and knowing that I will be coming back for a visit in January has got me thinking about what I miss in Oz, and the things that will be high on my priority to-do list when I get back... here is a few things I miss (apart from the obligatory family/friends/doggie) in no particular order....

1. TripleJ radio - radio here is completely crap. And a bizzare mix of styles from golden oldies, to jzzz to pop in one set. And its in French!
2. Street presses (Beat etc.)... they don't really exist in a useable format here which makes finding gigs etc. really difficult
3. Indian food (you just can't get good Indian here)
4. Aussie wines - big, fat, heavy reds
5. Barbies - hanging out in people's backyards on a warm evening. Obviosuly this is not possible in Paris cause no one has backyards.... and its bloody freezing!
6. Gigs - the crowds are so much more into it in Oz (Parisians are generally like statues at concerts)
7. Sailing on Sydney harbour (maybe a space thing?)
8. Being able to read the paper and really understand it!
9. All the cool bars in Melbourne that manage to combine dancing with drinking with mingling without being a club (people always sit down in Parisian bars!)
10. Pizza - not the pizza hut variety, but the rocket, pine nut and fetta variety that you can get for $5 at Bimbo Deluxe on Brunswick St.

2007-11-06T20:32:00.001+01:00

GILLY'S COUNTRY HOUSE: THE FINAL FRONTIER

Last weekend was another of those magnificent (and multiple) French long weekends. We decided to hire a van and take off to Gilly's country house. It is about 200km south of Paris, right in the heart of France, outside a little town called La Charite-Sur-Loire. As an added bonus, its in Burgundy (mmm... pinot noir)!

So we packed up and headed off to the little country house.....
Where we made bonfires and cooked chicken!
We visited Sancerre (a famous wine town), and several wineries (one which was being run by a kid cause his dad had put a chainsaw in his foot (!?!) and was in hospital.

We went to a flea market where Daniel bought this incredible bottle opener for a steal (amongst other practically useless things)....

Then we patted the baby donkey next door and fed it hamburger buns, before heading back to Paris.
On the way we stopped in the forest, but we were flushed out by hunters (no kidding!) but Daniel was ok cause he was wearing bright clothing (Marie's pink scarf). And to top it all off, I saw a wild deer!

2007-11-06T20:28:00.001+01:00

FRANCE IN AUTUMN

FRANCE IN AUTUMN

2007-10-18T13:26:00.000+01:00

MY FIRST STRIKE

Today I get to "work from home" because the French public transport system has gone on strike. This means that nearly all Metro trains, buses, trams, the RER and even intercity trains are not running (or running at such a severely reduced schedule you would be an idiot to even attempt to go near the stations). Basically the new President, Sarko, wants to have talks with these guys about changing their (extremely generous) retirement schemes (which were put in place in the 60's I think, and for one thing give retirement at 55).

Striking has a long history in France, and I think the French are particularly good at it. Nearly every weekend there is a manifestation (protest) for something.

Its interesting to see how much not having transport, particuarly in Paris, affects everything. Half of people (who don't own cars or bikes and live too far away to walk) can't get to work. Many schools are closed (meaning lots of parents have to take the day off anyway). The last major strikes were in the 90's and this went on for weeks. Now 1 day is a novelty, but I can imagine after even a few days where you can't get anything done, or go anywhere, is a major pain in the arse. As my bike got stolen, it would take me maybe 2 hours to walk to work. And there are the new free bikes but you have got an extremely small chance of bagging one.

So it will be interesting to see who capitulates, and if the trains run tomorrow......

2007-10-14T12:14:00.000+01:00

BLOODY JOHNNY WILKINSON

John Wilkinson, an English rugby player in this year's world cup is the main reason why Australia, and now, France are out of the series... not to mention that England is through to the final. Last night we went to Champ de Mars (the big park under the Eiffel Tower) to watch the first of the semi final matches. There were several screens up with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, lots of flares, cheering and commiserating.....

2007-10-05T11:18:00.000+01:00

CHANGE IS IN THE AIR

Next year will bring a couple of big changes for the people of France. One that a lot of us are particularly looking forward to is the smoking ban (no smoking in bars/restaurants/cafes).... for many people this will be a huge shock as lots of Parisians spend most days with a cigarette glued to their lips. At the moment you can still smoke in restaurants which is really gross...

Another big change will be for families with school-age kids. Currently, French schoolchildren attend school on Saturday mornings, but not Wednesday afternoons. How crap is that? Imagine being the parents - no sleep-in on Saturdays! And no weekend trips either..... From next year kids will attend school only during the week, and in line with the French's love of holidays, probably Wednesday afternoons will remain free. To compensate for this, school will be from 8:30am until 4:30pm on the other days.

Once again, the French are taking the motto "work to live, not live to work" very seriously!

2007-09-28T14:29:00.001+01:00

CHEERS TO OKTOBERFEST!

Last weekend we went to Munich for the opening of Oktoberfest. It was one of the most fun holidays we have had for ages..... still recovering though. We spent the whole weekend doing cheesy Bavarian things like eating pretzels, drinking giant beers, eating 1/2 chickens and hanging out in huge beer gardens.

2007-09-16T18:40:00.000+01:00

COMRADES UNITE!

This weekend was the Fete de l'Humanitie which is a festival run by the Communist Party of France. Its a cross between the Royal Melbourne Show (no animals unfortunately), the Big Day Out, Octoberfest and what I imagine a giant gathering of crazy commies would be like. It is held every year at a giant park outside of Paris, where all the communist parties from around France (there is a lot!) and the world unite to discuss commie things. They also put on music (good stuff too: Iggy Pop, John Butler Trio, La Rumeur, Razorlight etc.) and have all these stalls where you can get food and wine at commie (read: crazily cheap) prices, while you discuss all things commie. What more could you ask for?? "Dancing?" I hear you ask... well of course! Nearly all the tents have some sort of band or DJ in them, ranging from reggae, cuban rhythmns, techno, death metal to some old commie frenchies butchering golden oldies.

It's so fun you just can't imagine. After having your fill of commie propoganda and wine (there are signs everywhere saying things about Karl Marx, Che Guevera and the battle of the classes) you watch some music then head back for more wine/propoganda. Then you make your way down the long corridor of tents where you dance from place to place to bar to place with your mates while avoiding over-eager members of the Young Communist Party. Awesome. Never seen the Frenchies so relaxed either...

2007-09-03T16:37:00.000+01:00

THE MASSES RETURN

Today is la rentrée, which is basically the start of the new school/work year in France (always the first week of September). This is when Paris re-starts after the hibernation of the summer (or summer masquerading as winter this year). Everyone is back at work after a long absence (typically 4 weeks - seriously the lab completely emptied out, and no-one blinks an eye.... they think its weird if you don't take at least a few weeks off) and there is a lot of kissing, holiday stories etc. The metro is busy again and there are lots more cars on the road. For me, I am still struggling with the concept that the new year doesn't start in January....

2007-08-31T11:18:00.001+01:00

THE FIRST REUNION

Sorry, I know its been a while since I posted anything, but between some bastard stealing my bike, not seeing the sun (or more than 20 degrees) for a couple of months (yes! I know! Its supposed to be summer here..... hmm) and desperately struggling to get to work every day (while the rest of France is on holidays).... it's just been toooooo hard.

So I thought I would post a couple of pics of Till and Shini's wedding a couple of weeks ago. We first went to Milan, which sadly, was a ghost town (again, the whole of Europe's on holidays).... but we still ate lots of great food and - it was hot! Then we went to Lake Lugano for the wedding. Its a gorgeous spot (not much to do though if you don't like riding bikes up mountains or hiking - that's me!)... but it was great too see some of the old gang. Of course, Shini looked like a princess.....

2007-08-15T13:55:00.000+01:00

THE ONE-ARMED HARMONICA MAN

In Paris there are a lot of homeless people, and also beggars and buskers. Last weekend when we were walking along the Seine we saw this guy. He was amazing. He only had one arm but he was playing the harmonica!

2007-08-02T18:59:00.000+01:00

NOT JUST AN OLD MAN'S GAME

Last weekend we went to the Paris Plage (beach). Its a man-made beach (of sorts) that the City of Paris sets up along the Seine for a month over summer. They have free concerts, deck chairs overlooking the river, some sand, a swimming pool, and petanque courts.

Petanque (or boules) is played all over France, and you often see old men gathered around debating on which boule is closest to the jack.

Valentin, a seasoned player, showed us the rope. With a large dose of beginner's luck, I managed to win my first game ever!

2007-08-01T19:09:00.000+01:00

PARIS' NEW MISTRESS

Parisians have embarked on a new love affair: the velib. This is a scheme recently introduced by the city of Paris to encourage people to ride bikes. There are 20,000 new bikes at stations every 300 meters around the city, which you can hire for a minimal cost (first 30 minutes free, or 1 euro / day) It's been amazing to see how the Parisians have taken to the new bikes. Everyone is using them and people with their own bikes are riding more also.

Riding in Paris is good because the city is flat and there are lots of bike and bus lanes (which cyclists can use also). The only problem is there are too many lights..... and I got busted yesterday by cops for going through a red light. Luckily I acted like a dumb foreigner and got off without having to pay the 90 euro fine!

2007-07-26T16:00:00.000+01:00

IS LE TOUR DE FRANCE DEAD?

Le Tour de France, the famous French cycling race that stretches over 21 days, several thousand kilometers and most of France, is in trouble. The race culminates with the Grand Finish on the Champs-Elysee in Paris on Sunday. If you have been following le Tour this year (and many recent years) you will know that the race is dogged with doping allegations, confirmations, evasions and eliminations.

Yesterday's race leader and stage winner Michael Rasmussen has been sacked from his team and withdrawn from the race because of doping suspicions. He denied that he had been in Italy, claiming he had been in Mexico, and said “I am shattered. I am on the verge of tears. I was not in Italy. Not at all. That's the story of one man who believes he recognised me. There is no hint of evidence. My career is ruined. I have no idea what I should do or where I will go. This is an enormous blow for me, and also for all the guys from the Rabo team. They're devastated.”

Hmm.... maybe you should have thought of this before you avoided multiple doping testings?

The bulletin, France Soir has declared with their front page obituary that "the tour is dead".
The Liberation wrote “This procession of cyclists has been transformed into a caravan of ridicule,” and many are calling for the tour to be stopped. Interestingly, many Frenchies I have spoken to have really lost interest in the race because of all the doping issues. Several other riders have also been eliminated from the race due to doping positive tests.

Anyway, I will still be heading off to the Champs-Elysee on Sunday to see the finish...... if there are any riders left!

2007-07-17T19:52:00.000+01:00

BASTILLE DAY

Bastille Day as it is known in France, le Fete Nationale or le quartoze Juilliet (14th July), is the national holiday in France, celebrating the fall of the Bastille Prison at the start of the French Revolution. All around the country there are many festivities, starting with the free music concerts at major areas of Paris (Bastille, Republic etc.), the Bal du Pompiers (see previous post), the military parade, and the concert at the Champ de Mars, the park under the Eiffel Tower, followed by fireworks. I have to say, the French really know how to celebrate in (free) style. Although we missed the parade (although I have seen it before - and I was told it was boring), we did everything else. The concert on the Champ de Mars had a star- studded line up, including Nelly Futardo (who was really boring actually), to some old French singer from the 80's. This weekend was the first weekend for ages it was actually hot (too hot!)........ which was perfect for all the outdoor celebrations.

2007-07-17T19:44:00.000+01:00

FIREMAN'S BALL

It is tradition in France, on the eve of the 14th July (Bastille Day) that the fire stations around the country throw open their doors for the annual Fireman's Ball (Bal du Pompiers). Basically it is a fundraiser for the station, complete with a concert (costumes and backup dancers included), dancing and cheap beer, and of course, lots of firemen (who are a special part of the French army and apparently have to train for 4 hours each day!). We visited the station in the 12th arrondisment, just near our house. Here are some photos, starting with the obelisk at Place de La Bastille, just 2 blocks from our house. The city of Paris also put on an African music concert here to start the night....

2007-07-13T13:55:00.000+01:00

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT LIVING IN PARIS

Ok I have just found a great blog which details all sorts of things about Paris.
Check it out..... it's just too true!
http://troi.cc.rochester.edu/~tdip/quirky_things.htm

The quirky Parisian things is spot on, and because tomorrow is Bastille Day (Fete Nationale to the French) do some homework for my next blog and read up on the Fetes section (particularly the Bals du Pompiers!

2007-07-11T09:45:00.000+01:00

LETTER TO A THIEF

Dear Sir/Madame,

I am just writing to say “thank you” for trying to destroy my new bike the FIRST time I left it outside. As you may, or may not know, Dazza and I have had new bikes for approximately 2 weeks. Having a bike in Paris is great as it is fairly flat, and you can avoid the metro (which often takes longer, is very crowded and hot). Also it allows you to go riding in the forests at the edges of Paris.

Unfortunately, our building does not have any where for us to keep the bikes, thus we must either tie them out the front on the street, or alternatively, carry them up to our 3rd floor apartment via a tiny staircase. Until last night this is what Dazza (cause I can’t carry the bike) has been doing, but with him working overnight I had no choice but to tie the bike up out the front.

Although I removed the front light and locked the bike up, you still felt compelled to unscrew the back light and reflectors and take them. I also realise you attempted (unsuccessfully) to take the seat.

In the future would you please consider utilising the new strategy the City of Paris is implementing – that is making thousands of bikes available for (cheap) hire all over the city. I hope then you will not feel compelled to destroy or steal my bike.

You now leave me with a dilemma, in that it is a real pain to take the bikes upstairs (and sometimes not an option), but now I am (understandably) concerned about leaving the bikes on the street.

So thankyou, for ruining my day.

Yours sincerely,
Dr. Alli

2007-07-02T10:20:00.000+01:00

OLDER & SMARTER

Here are the results of a couple of papers that were recently published in the high profile journal Science. Basically it is telling me what all of us elder siblings have always known- we are smarter than our younger siblings.... take that Andy!

For more than a half century, researchers have debated the effects of birth order on intellectual performance. Although numerous studies have noted a negative association between the two, critics have argued the results citing uncontrolled differences in factors such as family size, parental IQ, and socioeconomic status. In a new study in the 22 Jun 2007 Science, Kristensen and Bjerkedal reported results from a study of nearly 250,000 Norwegian 18- and 19-year-olds showing that older siblings had higher intelligence quotient (IQ) scores than younger siblings. To test whether the difference could be due to biological factors, as some have proposed, the researchers looked at the scores of young men who became the eldest in the household after an older sibling(s) had died. Their scores, it turns out, were similar on average to those of biological firstborns. These results suggest that the relation between birth order and IQ is dependent on social rank in the family as opposed to true biological rank. An accompanying Perspective by F. J. Sulloway discussed some of the competing theories about birth order and intelligence and their ability to account for the tendency of younger siblings to score higher IQ scores than older siblings when tests are given under the age of about 12.

2007-06-29T16:03:00.000+01:00

THE WHITE STRIPES SET LIST

Here is the set list from The White Stripes concert at Le Zenith for those interested parties. It was though the previous album Get Behind Me Satan hardly existed….

When I Hear My Name; Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground; Icky Thump; Effect And Cause; Hotel Yorba; I’m Slowly Turning Into You; I Think I Smell A Rat; Death Letter; Catch Hell Blues; Same Boy You’ve Always Known, Hello Operator, In The Cold, Cold Night (sung by Meg); Jolene; Let’s Shake Hands; Ball And Biscuit.

Then for the encore: a medley of Denial Twist and Passive and I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself. Finishing with (of course) Seven Nation Army.

As always, too short, too hot and too cool.

2007-06-25T19:13:00.000+01:00

EXPLORING FRANCE

I have just got back from 9 days with Mum and Dad, which we spent driving around in the south-west of France. You can see on the map approximately where we went.... we spent most of the time in Bretagne (Brittany to you) and also Normandy, the Dordogne and Bordeaux.

It is amazing how much the scenery and architecture changes through the different regions. Unfortunately the weather was crap for most of the time, although we were often lucky that the rain did not interrupt some of the bigger sight-seeing things we did. Bretagne reminded me of home around the Great Ocean Road a bit, but I really loved the south-west regions of the Dordogne and Bordeaux the most. They were just gorgeous (so was the wine!). Anyway here photos from each day.

SUNDAY - St. EMILION FETE

We were lucky enough to stumble into the annual St. Emilion fete, where many Grand Crus vineyards (some often not larger than a couple of hectares) were represented. This is true Bordeaux country, St. Emilion is surrounded by vineyards and it is just the most beautiful town.

COGNAC

Then we headed to Cognac, the town famous for the drink, where we visited the Henessey house. The tour was surprisingly good, although I'm not sure Cognac is for me (it's for mum though!)

ATLANTIC COAST

Then we made our way to the Atlantic Coast, where many Frenchies spend their summer holidays.
After stopping off at La Rochelle for a beer, we stayed the night on the Ile-de-Re.

SOUTH BRETAGNE
We then braved the Cote Sauvage (Wild Coast) on the south coast of Brittany.

Mum was also feeling particularly savage that day!

Luckily we didn't get swept away so that we could investigate the menhirs of Carnac. These stones were aligned by pre-historic people between 5000 BC and 3500 BC, and no-one has any idea why they are aligned in rows, and how they got there. Think Asterisk and Obelisk and you get the idea of these stones. I thought they were really cool.

After Carnac we spent the night at Pont-Aven, the village where the famous post-impressionist painter Gaugin spent many sejours. Actually the hotel we were staying at was the very one in which Gaugin stayed! This village was absolutely gorgeous, it had many water mills, a forest and a great restaurant (1 Michelin star thank you!). The best thing about this restaurant was the cheese table from which mum and I got to choose multiple hunks of cheese for dessert.

NORTH BRETAGNE
Up to the Cote de Granite Rose, we spent a couple of days driving along the coast. There are these massive rose Granite boulders everywhere, and everything is made from granite!

Our last stop in Bretagne was Saint Malo, which was great. It is a walled town (love a wall) on the sea. Saint Malo has the highest tides in Europe of 10 - 15 metres, and the city becomes almost surrounded by the sea at high tide.

NORMANDY

Before heading to mum and dad's next week-long house we visited Mont-Saint-Michel. It is a still-functional medieval Abbey which was founded (supposedly) after the appearance of the archangel Saint Michel who slayed a dragon in 708. After this the abbey grew in the middle ages and several floors of the monastery are stacked on top of each other. Mont-Saint-Michel is surrounded by sand that floods at high tide.

2007-06-14T11:37:00.000+01:00

BREAK A LEG!

Now I would like to do some shameless promotion for my little brother's band, Femur. They had their first Femur re-incarnation gig yesterday. Here is their myspace link:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=151593296

Also please read below for a short review from Joanie (hope this is ok Joanie!!)

Went to see "Femur" play last night at the... Barley Corn... um mm, yes... anyway, the boys were on fire. Two of the songs had the words "brain horn" and "Kissinger" in them which I thought was kinda cool given they were possible band names. The lyrics to some of the songs were ace. Varrents [lead singer] has the best stage presence - he was using a mini keyboard while singing and then proceeded to throw it across the stage. The last song he screamed into the microphone and then threw plastic boxes across the stage. All of their girlfriends were there and Andy's [guitarist & Alli's little brother] flatmate Fetu who sure can dance - Zoe and Fetu screamed constantly to the boys telling them "how hot they were" - Varrents replied to the audience " well thank you ladies" -

2007-06-14T11:12:00.000+01:00

ON YA BIKE!

Photos courtesy of Petite Johnny.....

2007-06-05T13:20:00.000+01:00

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

One of the things amusing me greatly at the moment is the over-usage of the French word attention (said: attension). Basically it means watch out, or a warning, but often when Frenchies use it, it seems as though the small event they are referring to is a matter of life and death. For example, when I was buying dish washing liquid in the supermarket the other day, it started to leak without me noticing, but a helpful passer by shouted "attention, attention!" and pointed dramatically to the bottle. I thought that maybe it contained a tiny bomb that I had not detected, but no, it was just dribbling down the side.

So currently I am being a good Samaritan and taking taking great delight in warning people with "attention, attention" whenever I can... Try it... you will see its fun!

2007-06-01T07:37:00.000+01:00

SCISSOR ME SISTER!

On Wednesday night, Amy, Kelly and I went to see the glam trash disco rock band the Scissor Sisters. They were unreal, although I thought they took a little while to take off, but I blame this on the crowd (tip: looking comatose does not incite fun)..... They were much tighter than a year ago and the sound was great. Ana Matronic and Jake did a great job, particularly Jake's stage acrobatics. And they were looking much more stylish than a year ago. The most bizzare thing is that the crowd did not seem to know Take Your Mama Out and Laura, the two songs that made them famous. If you too have been living in the dark ages for the past 2 years, go to this link and check them out. They are ace.
http://www.scissorsisters.com/intro/

2007-05-29T19:43:00.000+01:00

MADRID: Warm nights, massive mojitos and tons of tapas.....

2007-05-24T17:40:00.000+01:00

PISCINES IN PARIS

Yes I have entered the world of the Parisian Piscine (Swimming Pool). And what a bizarre world it is.... firstly most of the pools are only 25 metres, and if they are 50 metres they may only have about 4 lanes. They also have the strangest opening hours (for example, 7 - 8am three mornings a week, 1 late night and some afternoons). To actually go to the pool during opening hours is somewhat of a miracle. And boy, are they crowded! Suits me though, I get to have a little rest at the end of each lap. Die-hard, like Kelly (Little Miss Iron woman), hate it though. She will only come to the pool if it is to teach someone.

But the most bizarre thing are the change rooms. In the pool near my house, you can put your stuff in these containers which spring open when you key in a pin. They are alternatively green or yellow and look like something out of 1984 (the book!). Wouldn't want anyone to have something different would we? But today took the cake: the pool near work looks like a prison. Seriously. But instead of cells its has single change rooms. Its like the prison scenes where there is a floor surrounded by 3 or 4 floors of cells (or change rooms) which look onto the floor.

And don't get me started on the piscine nazis... of course (its Paris what did you expect?) there are lots of rules including 1) you MUST take off your shoes, you MUST wear a bathing cap 3) you MUST wear budgie smugglers etc. etc. etc.

Its a wonder anyone actually goes. Not that it seems to help them improve their swimming, I feel like an Olympian when I go there, the French have some seriously awful strokes!

2007-05-16T07:49:00.000+01:00

THE SANTE PHENOMENON

In Australia, while in the pub, you don't often see people saying "cheers" to one another and clinking glasses. Maybe when you all first sit down, but certainly not every time a new person arrives, or when another drink arrives.

However, here in Paris, its "cheers" or die. Although you say "sante" instead which literally means health. I like the idea that you are saluting your health just before you are about to destroy it with yet another drink. Parisians say that if you don't say "sante" with every new drink / person and look EVERY person DIRECTLY IN THE EYE then you will have 10 years of bad sex. Lots of you will know I have serious problems with direct eye contact, but even I'm not prepared to risk 10 years of bad sex! So when we go out for a drink, to a restaurant the number of times you "sante" everyone really adds up..... It's kinda like the kissing thing here. Imagine 10 people drinking over say 5 hours..... that's a lot of sante!

2007-05-10T16:40:00.000+01:00

ONE SUGAR AT A TIME

Today is a big day for me: I am cutting down the number of sugars I have (note to non-English speakers: it is have not take) in my coffee from 2 to 1. I decided this yesterday after reading the hit diet book Amy lent me "Why French Women Don't Get Fat" which really is a bore but has some yummy sounding recipes included in it.

But after realising I had at least 6 coffees yesterday (yes, ok I was tired) which meant 12 sugars just from coffee alone, I decided it was time for a change. Those of you who have known me for a long time will know that I used to have 4 (yes 4) sugars in Nescafe, but then I drastically cut this to two. While in Australia, I would still have 4 sugars in a cappuccino (I really hate that bitter coffee taste). But here in France, where pretty much everything tastes better, I have been managing to drink cafes (that's short blacks to you) all the time. For some reason they are not so strong and bitter compared to Aussie coffee. And they pack a much stronger punch than Nescafe.

So far today I have forced down 2 cafes with only 1 sugar each.... so I'm very impressed! Lets see if I can keep it up (using manageable steps according to my book). And all this leads to my next installment which will be dedicated to the fact that, really, French women aren't fat.

2007-05-07T17:37:00.000+01:00

FRANCE DECIDES

Well, as expected, last night at 8pm left wing Nicolas Sarkozy was announced the winner of France's Presidential election against Segolene Royal with 53% of the vote. I was at Gernot's house to celebrate the occasion..... but it was no celebration. The Frenchies there were devastated. Seriously. It was quite horrible really..... And I am still yet to meet a Frenchie who voted for Sarkozy, although there must be about 35 million of them somewhere...

And, as predicted, Paris did burn.... a little bit. Although according to international media, the whole city is in flames (see below picture). Its taken at Bastille which is a couple of blocks from my house.... although until I got an email from home I had no idea! Which just goes to show how the media can manipulate a situation.

So (for now) everything is ok, albeit the whole city is depressed (work was a nightmare today).... although it is tipped to get worse.

2007-05-05T11:07:00.000+01:00

THE QUESTION CONSUMING FRANCE:

Who will win the Presidential elections? To be answered in approximately 32 hours....

According to one of my political advisers - Guillaume, if Sarksoy wins, Paris will burn! And he will take over France and it will become a dictatorship!

So its all very dramatic and I can't wait!

PS. To all those Varkers out there, you will be very impressed at my political know-how here!

2007-05-04T18:33:00.000+01:00

SARKOSY vs. SEGOLENE

On May Day (1st May) we attempted to go to a rally that Segolene (one of the Presidential Candidates in the running for Sunday's election) was holding in one of the Parisian stadiums. I was interested to go, but mainly for the free French music on offer. Unfortunately, so was half of Paris and there was no way we were going to get in. People were resorting to jumping the fence. Its probably lucky that we didn't get in since Segolene spoke for an hour (in French). So after much debate we decided to retire to a nearby park to drink all the alcohol Kelly bought back from her euro trip. Here are some pics....

2007-05-01T10:44:00.000+01:00

THE RULES: JAZZ CLUBS

Last night Mum, Dad, Dazza and some work friends went to see a free jazz jam session at one of Paris's famous jazz clubs, Le Baiser Sale (the Salty Kiss). I thought this would be a good thing to do as Dad loves jazz, and it was free! Bargain. Most of the nights at these places are upwards of 20 euros. I also thought it would give everyone a chance to chat and mingle.

How wrong was I. Firstly we got upstairs and a seating Nazi forced us all to squeeze along benches, behind little tables and generally get snugly. Then I was informed that even though the concert was free, it was obligatory to buy a drink. Ok no problem, we did that. But when the bill came, we also found out that there is a 7 euro extra special charge on every person's first drink, which meant the drink was 13.50 euros. Ouch! So much for a free concert!

2007-04-26T18:14:00.000+01:00

ANZAC DAY AT CAFE OZ: Lest We Forget

Karl, Maria, Nicki and Gernot get the party started early...... Ok, not Gernot... he's having a power nap in preparation.

He's back! And in fine form....

Quick - I think Julie's about to faint she's having so much fun!

Fabian, Aurelia and Karl dancin' up a storm

Alli and Manu discuss the finer points of Hip Hop

While Dancin' Gernot and Katerina continue their collaboration.....

Thanks for coming everyone!
xx

2007-04-23T17:32:00.000+01:00

FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: ROYAL & SARKOZY IN GRAND FINAL

The nation has spoken. The results from yesterday's first round presidential elections show France is polarised between the left and the right in its political opinions. Sarkozy won the round with 31% while Royal came in second with 26% of the vote. Interestingly, this election had the highest participation rate ever (voting is not compulsory) of 84% indicating how important this election is to France. Bayrou came in third with 18% of votes, while Le Pen scored his worst score ever 0f 10.5%, and is considering stepping down.... I think most people are praying he does.

Royal will need Bayrou's supporters to swing her way if she has a chance to win. The other question is whether France is ready to vote in a female President. On the other hand, Sarkozy is likely to get most of Le Pens votes and probably a large majority of Bayrou's - giving him the pole position for the second (and final round).

To me it seems that France probably needs Sarkozy's tough economic outlook to pull France out of the doldrums, however most French are scared of his approach since France is a really socialist nation . Hearing Sarkozy's campaign, I am reminded of John Howard, and while I may not agree with everything, to me, he sounds like just what the French need..... although he does have some crazy ideas about other things.

We will reconvene in 2 weeks for the big one!

2007-04-20T11:34:00.000+01:00

FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: ROUND 1

OK so the French Presidential elections are on Sunday. These elections are a particularly big deal because Chirac is retiring and its gonna be a new person from a new generation. Its basically between 4 people: Nicholas Sarkozy, Segolene Royal, Jean-Marie Le Pen and Jean-Francois Bayrou.

This weekend people vote (its like the semi-finals), and the first 2 candidates make it to the final, and in 2 weeks the country will vote again and choose a President.

Interestingly, you can only vote for 1 person. That's it. Just one name. There is no preference voting like in Australia. The way it works is kinda hilarious too.... You get sent in the mail the posters of all the 11 candidates, stating their promises etc. You also get 11 pieces of plain white paper with the candidate's name written on it. On Sunday you go (if you can be bothered - voting is not compulsory) to the voting booth and put the piece of paper with the person's name whom you are voting for into the ballot. Apparently someone then announces "Allison Marty has voted". Amy likened it to the voting in Survivor.....

Here you can see the posters and the papers of the 4 main candidates....

How old school is that!!!???!!!

People are mostly saying its between Sergelene Royal and Nicholas Sarkoky, although it is probably going to be a fairly open election. Sarkozy is a cop, and is promising to clean the poorer suburbs of "scum"...... Most French people I have spoken to are seriously scared if he gets in power - he is much more liberal than France is used to (seriously this country is very socialist)... and he has nasty immigration ideas (sounds like someone we know) which of course do appeal to many voters..... I think if he gains power there will be some serious demonstrating (in the way only the Frenchies know best).

Sergelene is the other major contender, if she gets power she will be the first French female President. She is a member of the Parti Socialiste, and many people I know think she is the lesser of two evils. Le Pen is the really scary one, he is quite racist, however he is 78..... although in the last election finals it was him and Chirac....

So the nation waits with baited breath........

2007-04-19T22:09:00.000+01:00

A HOT PARISIAN WEEKEND BY PHOTOS.....

FRIDAY NIGHT

At the bar(s) around Bastille with Amy and Gernot

SATURDAY

My Street just outside my building- looking for new glasses for Nicki:

In the Jardin Reuilly with Nicki, Ed and Tina..... man glasses shopping is hard work!

My chauffeur - Guillaume & his scooter

At Daniel & Julies house

Daniel shows off his new projector - you can see it perfectly from the street too... Nice work!

SUNDAY

At the "incredible India" festival with Amy. Unfortunately not so incredible.... However Amy did get a new pet - Raj.

Although this guy did manage to have 10 glasses of coloured water balancing on his head while dressed as a woman....

Look! I can do it too!

Picnic on the Pont des Arts with Daniel, Julie, Amy & Co....

Daniel plays the guitar for us while we sing out of tune and scare away the tourists...

Off to the Bois de Vincennes with Guillaume, Lucie & Co..... 27 degrees!

2007-04-14T12:41:00.000+01:00

CONCERT REVIEW: ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION

On Thursday night Gernot, Guillaume and I went and saw the Asian Dub Foundation. We were there pretty much by accident as I decided on a whim that we should go and see them, not really knowing anything about them. They are a British band, but have been most popular in France (I didn't know this at the time) so the concert was sold out.

And I have to say - they were great. Their support was a French hip-hop band whom I thought were really cool. The crowd was super-hyped (in complete contrast to the boring crowd at Lily Allen). As soon as ADF came on stage and started up their cool mix of reggae, dub, drum and bass electronica and I don't know what else, the crowd went mental. And stayed that way through the entire set. It was the most impressive crowd performance I have seen for ages, cause it wasn't just those down at the front that were dancing - everyone was moving. I think I lost about 3 kilos in sweat (gross). This was the most relaxed and excited I have ever seen the French so far - so well done ADF!

2007-04-10T17:37:00.000+01:00

THE UNVEILING: MY NEW LOOK

2007-04-10T12:01:00.000+01:00

SPRING IS SPRUNG

This weekend I did a number of really summer Parisian things because the weather was so perfect - 20 degrees, with clear blue skies. Spring is definitely sprung - all the trees are getting their leaves back, and everyone is going around in t-shirts. I went to the large park east of my house, Le Bois de Vincennes, and I had a picnic on the tip of Ile-de-la-Cite, the island on the Seine that Notre Damn is situated on. All these things really make me feel more like a local.

One of the coolest things I did was hang out on the Pont des Arts. This pedestrian bridge in summer is packed with Parisians eating, drinking, singing, playing music and chatting. My friend Daniel brought along his guitar and we hung out on the bridge for hours. The sun sets down the Seine and you have the most beautiful views along the river. When you are in Paris you tend to forget about the river, but it seems that as soon as the weather warms up, it becomes a focal point. I imagine that we will spend many nights in the next few months hanging out on the Pont des Arts....

2007-04-08T12:10:00.000+01:00

LUST FOR LIFE

Mercer Human Resource Consulting has just published their 2007 Quality of Living Survey. You can find it here: http://www.mercerhr.com/referencecontent.jhtml?idContent=1128060#what

They basically list the top 50 cities which have the best quality of life, as measured in a whole bunch of ways. They also work out the most expensive cities to live in, and those with the best health and sanitation, as based on hospital services, medical supplies, infectious disease, water potability, troublesome / destructive animals /insects, waste removal and sewage and air pollution.

Zurich is ranked number 1 for quality of living. Sydney is a respectable number 9 (although has a high cost of living), and Melbourne is at 17. Paris comes in at 33 after Brisbane. In terms of quality of health and sanitation, Melbourne is ranked 43. Paris (what did you expect) didn't get a mention. Calgary in Canada was ranked the highest for quality of living in respect to sanitation and health.

The most expensive city to live in is Moscow, with Paris ranked at 15. Sydney is ranked 19th, while Melbourne doesn't make it into the top 50. Zurich, the city with the best quality of life is however, the 9th most expensive city for an expat to live in.

Although Mercer do note that "A city with a high Quality of Living index is a safe and stable one, but it may be lacking the dynamic je ne sais quoi that makes people want to live in world-renowned cities such as Paris, Tokyo, London or New York. Sometimes you need a little spice to make a city exciting. But that "spice" may also give a city a lower ranking."

2007-04-07T17:23:00.000+01:00

DOCTOR, DOCTOR, GIVE ME A CLUE

Sorry for the lack of postings lately - I have spent the last 10 days in bed in a codeine coma because I have stuffed my back again. This means that I have also spent a lot of time at various doctors - GPs, a kine (physio), a rheumatologist and a radiologist (so far!). Going to the doctor was an interesting experience - my first doctors visit in France. Firstly, you don't make appointments. You just show up, and wait until its your turn. Also, there is no receptionist person. You just get buzzed in (GPs always have apartments - just like a house that they use) and you enter straight into the waiting room. Then somehow, everyone miraculously remembers what order they came in, so when the previous patient leaves, the next person gets up and goes into the other room, which is where the doctor is. It must be a very lonely profession, as they are holed up inside all day and only interacts with patients. And then you directly pay the doctor before you leave. It kinda makes you feel like you are doing something illicit, that is not allowed to be on public show.

The second thing about French doctors, is that they love to shower you with medication. I am taking pain killers with a lot of codeine in them (codeine's addictive) and also muscle relaxants that are from the benzodiazapiene class of drugs (also addictive). In Australia, you would be lucky to get 2 boxes of Panadeine Forte. Here, I was given a script for six boxes, and then asked if that was enough! France's health care budget is the third largest in the world, and the country has an extremely high rate of over-prescribing (they spend 1/3 of their health budget on prescriptions).

The funniest medical encounter I have had in Paris so far was with the radiologist yesterday. After waiting (yes, expect to wait a lot in France) and successfully following the French directions to get to the right room, the radiologist ushers me into a small room, garbles something in French and leaves. I didn't understand the first bit, but I did get the last part about waiting for him to come back. I figured that he was getting me a gown so I sat down to wait. A few minutes later, he opens the door and looks shocked. I had no idea why until he mimes undressing (but leaving undies on). OK, so no gown for me! So I strip down, open the door and flash the radiologist. I then have to strike various poses (only wearing my undies) while he takes all the x-rays and speaks French to me. And because I can't understand half of what he is saying, he keeps having to 'adjust' me while copping a face-full of my breasts several times! What a job....

2007-03-27T19:08:00.000+01:00

ROUND 1: PARIS v. LONDON

Last weekend, Kelly and I 'did' The Dam. I had already done The Dam once before with my ultimate partner in crime, my brother Andy, but it had been a few years and I was ready for another shot. Besides, it was Kelly's (and also, weirdly, Andy's) birthday, which is why we were going. We were meeting there Kelly's best friend, Kat, and 2 of her friends, all Aussie chicks who live in London.

After about 1 hour, it became apparent who the Londoners were, and which of us were the vrai Parisians. The Londoners took about 3 hours (no kidding) to get ready to go out and brought with them about 4 weeks worth of clothes (that looked extremely bright and fresh, hip etc. when compared to our Parisian 'classic' staples).

The Parisians on the other hand, refused to go into bars which did not have empty seats (and yes, I know, when in Paris I always complain about the set-up of bars there - all seats, no mingling). The Londoners, however, wanted to hit the clubs and pretend that they had not even left the UK.

But the most tragic thing was when Kelly and I started speaking French (all complete rubbish of course) because we missed not understanding the language (ok, well Kelly understands most things, with me - its more words here and there) and the sound of French! When we jumped on the train home, it was filled with Frenchies, and we both sighed with relief and declared how glad we were that we lived in culturally rich Paris, rather then appearance-based, throwaway everything London. Imagine what the Londoners were thinking!
Paris 1: London 0

2007-03-23T11:07:00.000+01:00

METRO ETIQUETTE

You would think catching the Metro in Paris would be a relatively simple thing. Its one of the best transport systems in the world. Buying tickets is easy, there are lots of maps and signs everywhere, and trains are frequent. But what you don't realise is that there are unspoken rules on how to be a commuter on the metro. So when you start catching it regularly (especially in peak hours) you realise that everyone on the metro acts like lemmings.... and I can't quite work out how everyone knows what to do. So here are a few important tips on Parisian metro etiquette that will make your trip more enjoyable.

1. When boarding the train, let everyone off first.

2. When the train is crowded, if you are sitting in the fold-down chairs in the doorways you must stand up.

3. DO NOT at any time touch ANYONE. This rule still applies (especially) in peak hour. Even if there are 80 people jammed in together (and I think this is the closest many Parisians get to other people considering many of them live alone) and you have to be an acrobat to reach something to which you can hold onto.

4. If you touch anyone, expect nasty Parisian glares. Or even abuse. I think they must teach Parisians how to give greasies in school because they are all particularly good at it.

5. Hold your ground in the face of nasty Parisian glares.

6. Abuse them in English if they continue the nasty Parisian glares cause it makes you feel better.

7. If people are still pissing you off, start smiling and chuckling.... they will think you are crazy and give you a wide berth!

2007-03-17T13:30:00.000+01:00

MY BIG LITTLE SISTER....OOPS! I MEANT BROTHER!

Isn't (s)he adorable? My what lovely locks you have!
Happy birthday for Thursday Andy!

2007-03-14T19:48:00.000+01:00

FRENCH FIDELITY

Recently INSERM (a French research body) published a survey of 12,000 Frenchies investigating their sexual exploits. Participants ranged between 18 and 69 and were asked a series of questions. My personal favourite statistic was that only 3% of French women an 4% of French men were unfaithful to their partner of more than 1 year (co-habitating). 3 - 4%!!! You have got to be kidding me! In this, the country that invented mistresses and infidelity!

So today I took it upon myself to do my own survey of French vs. Internationals (mainly Germans) on
a) whether they thought the INSERM statistic was true
b) what % they thought was the real statistic (if it differed from the INSERM one).

Well, as I thought the results were not surprising from the foreigners. They all thought (sample size of 4 - good statistics I know) that the INSERM results was a pack of lies and that the average cheating % was approximate 20%.

In contrast, the Frenchies (sample size 2) thought that the INSERM result was totally correct and that French people in dedicated relationships don't sleep around. However, after a few beers, another opinion (sample size 2) revealed itself - basically agreeing with the foreigners.

I have to say I was very disappointed in these so-called "real" statistics, because when I arrived in France I thought that all French people slept around, any guy who was anyone had a mistress, and that seduction was the name of the game (even if you were married). But alas, according to the (totally honest - of course) Frenchies, they are a pack of faithful, relationship loving Frogs.

2007-03-14T15:49:00.000+01:00

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Ok well I have had a request to explain why I am the worst / dumbest scientist in France... so here goes. I had been trying to conduct a (relatively) simple experiment that I needed to do in order to proceed with my project. I had done this protocol multiple times in Australia without any problems. But do you think I could get it to work in France? Of course not.

So after about 3 weeks of repeating the experiment, consulting half the lab (and admitting how crap I was at science in the process), Guy (my supervisor) asks me what type of water was I using? "The special, sterilised, double filtered milliQ water of course" I replied. "The water with H2O Q written on the label".

Apparently it turns out that the Q does not stand for milliQ water (which is double distilled water - nice and clean for experiments), but that the Q was actually the Greek symbol phi (??? don't worry I had never heard of it either), and that phi (only in France) means physiological water..... which basically means it has salt in it. Of course, salt is the exact thing that inhibits the experiment I was trying to do!

So now there are two morals of this story
1. The famous Pasteur Institute does not have double filtered distilled, nice and clean water on hand.
2. Know your Greek alphabet!

P.S. My experiment worked now I am using just plain old H2O

2007-03-11T20:50:00.000+01:00

OH HOW WE WARMED MY HOUSE!

Last night was my housewarming party. I think it was pretty cool, all the ingredients for a good party were there - dancing, debauchery and some great Aussie touches - lamingtons, sausage rolls, honey joys and punch (the hit of the party!). Here are some photos from last night.....

The hostesses with the mostess!

Professor Jost surveys the scene

This look is called Blue Steel

The happy couple......

Gernot - the new Michael Jackson!

Swedish Dan and me

Yes Valentin - you look very adorable!

Bold and the Beautiful all over....

2007-03-09T18:30:00.001+01:00

BREAKING NEWS

I am not the worst scientist in France.... just the dumbest!

2007-03-06T19:22:00.000+01:00

NEWS FLASH

I am the worst scientist in France!

2007-03-06T10:53:00.000+01:00

PARISIANS TAKE NOTE: LESSON 101 on HOW TO BEHAVE AT MUSIC CONCERTS

On Sunday night I took my Aussie chick crew (consisting of myself, Amy and Kelly) to see Lily Allen (go to http://www.myspace.com/lillyallen to check her out). This was my first Parisian concert so I was very excited to see how it would go, and more importantly, to see if the Parisians let their hair down (an unusual event in Paris).

We arrived to the horrible sounds of the support band Onili..... if you have never heard of them you are lucky. With an off-key female singer who looked like she practiced her moves in front of the mirror with a hairbrush, they were not a good start. After she started gyrating around the stage while doing air guitar, and rubbing herself up against her bass player, we decided that Lilly Allen must have chosen this band to make herself look good. We saw one french girl text her friend "le premier parti est tres mediocre" and I think that sums it up pretty nicely.

During the break I practiced my special skill (pushing to the front of packed crowds) so we could have a good view of the diminutive star. Lilly had a great band with 3 horns (who moved in time, so cute) a DJ, drummer and a couple of guitarists. She looked super cute, very bouncy (just like me Kelly said) and had a (surprisingly) great voice. And yes, she was wearing a dress with sneakers (we think).

With minimal banter (good) she belted out song after song, however I think she could have tried to hype the crowd up a little more. Yes, the Parisian crowd sucked. I was definitely the most hyper person there. Sadly the crowd responded best to a cover she did..... poor form.

So onto my lesson for today: When at music concerts MOVE. Shake your hips, shoulders, tap your feet, nod your head.... better still jump up and down, dance, scream and wave your hands..... but for gods sake.... YOU ARE NOT A STATUE!!!! Trust me, you will have much more fun. A bientot.

2007-02-27T16:04:00.000+01:00

MISCOMMUNICATION IS MY MIDDLE NAME

So here in France pretty much every person I talk with is not a native English speaker. As my Swiss friend Till told me when we were both in Australia, I am the hardest person to understand. Therefore my chances of being understood in Paris, seemed to be fairly low. And boy, are my chances low! Speaking 1 sentence often involves repeating it twice, then changing the words and repeating the new version a couple of times. Then maybe, I will need to explain one or two words. Phew! It can be very frustrating as you can imagine. The other problem I have is that when I try and slow down, I still breathe in the same places as if I were speaking at a normal speed, so I constantly feel out of breath.

Yesterday when I was hanging out with my German friend from the lab, Christoph, I asked him if "he, like, missed Germany?". To this he looked a little confused and answered "well, not really, although the blond one was OK". Turns out he thought I asked him if he liked Miss Germany!

2007-02-21T11:55:00.000+01:00

WHAT IS ART???

Yesterday Dazza and I (yes! he is finally here!) visited the Musee d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris (Modern Art museum of Paris art) which was pretty cool (although I didn't really get any of the stuff there). As usual, they had some stunning pieces of art, and some that, well.... I'm not sure if you could really call it art. Such as this piece......

Dad - this is for you! I know you will just LOVE this! 4 white pieces of canvas...... I ask you... IS THIS ART?

2007-02-15T11:39:00.000+01:00

A NOVEL METHOD FOR CORKING CHAMPAGNE BOTTLES

Guess what i saw the coolest thing yesterday, someone opening a champagne bottle with a sabre. No kidding. Apparently its some French thing, lots of the people there had heard of it (I hadn't) but had never seen it done. You scrape the blunt edge along the seam of the bottle towards the cork and then it pops the whole top (cork included) off. Unreal! These Frenchies certainly have style (although this week the whole bloody country is driving me insane). A bientot.

2007-02-13T10:54:00.000+01:00

UNDERGROUND PARIS

So on the weekend I did the weirdest thing I have done so far in Paris. I went to an underground party..... literally. It was in an old quarry underground that some guy uses to store his veggies. I have never seen so many carrots and potatoes in my life.

Anyway there were people drinking, cooking food, playing guitars and singing old french songs... there were even kids and 2 doggies down there! At one stage a guy had a glow-stick and broke it and splashed the liquid all up the walls. We blew out all the candles and the whole place was glowing green. It looked unreal. This photo is of the little truck you had to walk through to get to the party area.

2007-02-09T14:34:00.000+01:00

J'ADORE CREME BRULEE!

Yay! Today is Friday and that means creme brulee day. At WEHI we would get excited about chocolate biscuit Friday but that was no competition for creme brulee day. I have written about the cafeteria here at Pasteur before so you will know that you can get a huge lunch every day for super cheap. They alternate the desserts every day and there is usually about 4 on offer.

I had never tasted creme brulee before I arrived in Paris. They are everywhere here. Its the best thing ever - custardy stuff topped with burnt sugar. Yum! If you have not tasted one I highly recommend searching one out or forcing your mum to make one for you. Bon apetite!

2007-02-06T18:38:00.000+01:00

BIENVENNUE A CHEZ MOI!

So finally I have left the hospital in the fifteenth and moved into my new apartment on the boarder of the 11th and 12th. Its at Metro Faidherbe Chaligny on the eastern Right Bank if you are trying to find it on a map. Guillaume is the best landlord in the world, he has gone out of his way to get everything set up really well for me. I only have to get a couple of bits and pieces and the place will be perfect. I am on the 3rd floor of a building which was built around 1640. So old! Its great.... and the quarter is really interesting and fun.

The fact that a french guy I met declared "the fifteenth is a cemetery" gives you some idea of how the arrondisment is perceived. It is very residential and doesn't have too much going on. The 11th and 12th however have Bastille, Republic (great areas to go out in) and a really cool feel about the place. There is also a food market about two minutes walk from my place.

So now I have a whole 32 square metres of Paris all to myself! Yes, measure it out and cry - its less than double the size of my old bedroom. Everything here is tiny. The best bit is that I have TWO ROOMS! This is a big deal in Paris. They don't talk about the number of bedrooms here, only the number of rooms (excluding the kitchen - if there is one, and the bathroom). Everywhere is so tiny, often the bathroom is outside the front door, and I went to one place where the shower was in the kitchen!

2007-02-04T11:30:00.000+01:00

GOODBYE HOSPITAL ROOM.......

2007-02-04T11:21:00.000+01:00

CHANTILLY

Yesterday Kelly and I started our series of day trips around France. We decided to visit Chantilly (Chant-tii-ey) because it was cheap to get there and nice and close (half hour north of Paris).

In Chantilly there is a forest, a beautiful chalet with those cool french manicured gardens consisting of little more than ponds, grass and big pots, and an (apparently) famous hippodrome. It is also the home of whipped cream - in France the name for whipped cream is chantilly, and lace. So for a little town it has a lot going for it!

So we covered all the major attractions as you can see, however sadly, we did not indulge in cream..... or lace for that matter.

2007-02-03T09:29:00.000+01:00

I'M SO EXCITED!!

Ok most of you will have some idea that I am a fairly excitable person at the best of times. And right now, with so much going on, I'm extra excited.... moving apartments, job is improving out of sight, cool friends, Dazza visits in 2 weeks. So as you can imagine, I have been running around saying "I'm so excited about (insert various reasons)!"

Until recently I believed that this was just me expressing my happiness at (insert reason). But no, of course in France, it has another meaning.... Last weekend I was informed that saying "I'm excited" did not related to enthusiasm over Big Kev cleaning products, but that I was declaring I was sexually excited. Mortifying.

I have been running all over Paris telling everyone I was up for it. ALL THE TIME. So I would like to thank the nice french person who told me, and slap the faces of all those who kept quiet. And now, whenever I feel the need to tell everyone "I'm excited" I have to clarify myself with "but not in the French way!"