FREEZING.

It is officially FREEZING in Paris.  As I stepped out of my building this morning at 7:15 for school I was hit with a biting wind and freezing temperatures.  It was about 20 degrees, plus the wind and it was almost unbearable.  I wore my hat, wrapped my face with my scarf and wish I would have put on 3 pair of socks, another pair of gloves and another layer of clothes.  Even as the morning wore on and I left school it was the same.  The convenience of getting into your car to drive to work and turning on the heater is now very clear.  

Marie-Césare and I had a run-in with another little girl in the park today.  She is slightly older than Marie-Césare and thinks she is the queen of all the playground.  Well, I have news for her-Marie-Césare thinks the same.  So naturally they butted heads about everything.  As they were talking and carrying on I noticed things getting a little out of control.  As I approached the group, the girl hit Marie-Césare on the shoulder.  What a punk.  

There is no way that was going to be okay and I tried to sort out the situation...it's hard because I'm not her au pair or nanny so I can't punish her, but just tell her to be nice and that it's not necessary.  We left soon thereafter and Marie-Césare said she wasn't going to talk to that girl again.  I obviously told her that  it was for the best.  ha!

Am trying to stay as warm as possible this week.  Drinking lots of boissons chaude, wearing lots of clothes, and keeping my heater on high!  

The Dead French Royalty

I'm sure y'all (yes, y'all is still used in my daily vocabulary) are tired of me throwing so much information out on the weekends and having boring weekdays, but that's the way it is!! Yesterday, we had planned to go to Saint-Ouen Flea Markets "Marché aux Puces" and spend the afternoon.  It was so cold I honestly debated about going, but piled on the layers and forced myself out.  When I picture flea markets, I picture old furniture, books, vintage clothes, old dishes and "fun finds."  This was pretty much exactly the opposite.  It was in quite a sketchy area and I was very glad I had 4 good friends with me.  I felt like I had stepped out onto the streets of New York.  Knock-off clothes and bags, hip-hop music, sneakers, and every booth having the same thing! It was so strange.  Much to our surprise, we kept on walking and found amidst the "I heart Paris" t-shirts and fake New York Yankee jackets a building that housed some more typical flea market items.  Most fairly expensive as it has become more of a "chic" flea market over the years.  Kerry, Ashleigh, and I found some really charismatic old postcards from the early 1900's.  Old photographs of Paris in black and white with sweet messages on the back.  

Kerry-I thought you would enjoy this.  

Ashleigh, and Charlotte, and I

After browsing, we made our way to a nearby café for a quick cup of chocolat chaud to warm our toes.  Since we were in the suburbs, finding a metro was nearly impossible.  We walked for what felt like forever....and as soon as we saw the recognizable "M" we all leaped for joy.  We also passed a gas station on the way!  The first gas station I've seen since I left home.  In the city, their petrol stations are just where you pull in on the ground floor, and somebody fills you up.  In my neighborhood there is always a line to get gas.  

Since we had a little time, and we were already up north anyway, we decided to go to Basilique Saint-Denis which houses the royal necropolis of the kings of France.  It was absolutely beautiful and the architecture was stunning.  All but 3 French monarchs are buried here from the 10th century to 1789.  Some were not initially buried here,  and most tombs during the French Revolution were opened by workers obeying orders from officials, the bodies thrown into a large pit nearby, and dissolved using lime.  

Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI were not initially buried here, but the memorial is.  

Kerry, Charlotte, and I went to Galeries Lafayette to confirm Kerry's haircut, and had some dinner.  I told Chloé I would babysit so I headed over to Rue Fontaine.  I was going to be keeping Marie-Césare and her friend Raphael, while Chloé and Franck had a dinner party.  At their house.  With 2 three year olds.  Really?  I wasn't sure how this was going to work out, so I just went with it.  It was fine at first, then they got bored of her toys and they wanted to play in the den.  They were told to stay in either Marie-Césare's room or the parents room.  We went back and forth a hundred times just trying to keep them occupied.  Can you really tell a three year old to mind Maggie when mom is in the next room?  I don't think so.  If there was a problem, we would solve it all together, then Marie-Césare would say, "I need to tell my mom."  That may stem from her being SUCH a mama's baby but I'm sure Chloé was annoyed.  At 11:30 I put in a movie hoping they would calm down.  No, it worked for about 15 minutes.  After last night I know EXACTLY why I didn't choose a family with young boys.  Pinching, hitting, fighting, car noises, horse noises, things blowing up noises, and just general rowdiness.    

  

When 1:00 am rolled around I was relieved when everyone was leaving.  The kids still weren't asleep and didn't even act tired.  I was exhausted.  ha!  Caught a taxi home with Sabrine and Laurent which was convenient!  

This morning,  a big group of us met at an American diner for brunch.  I was halfway through my meal when I realized I hadn't taken a picture for the blog!  I felt it was an important moment!  Yes, that is an omelette with cheddar cheese-yum, it was delicious.  

Michelle, me, Ashleigh, and Kerry

The Panthéon was right around the corner so while we were there we figured...why not?!  Talk about incredible.  Unfortunately, my camera battery died so only could take pictures from my phone.  The size of the columns and vast height of the ceiling and dome was amazing.  Completed around 1790, with the first burial in 1791, it was finished at the very beginning stages of the French Revolution.  The pendulum in the center put together by Foucault demonstrates the rotation of the earth.  

Many notable French people lie here in the crypt such as Marie and Pierre Curie, Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo,  and Alexandre Dumas.  

The girls wanted to see the Musée d'Orsay and Ashleigh and I had already been but its free to get in so....why not?  We sat and chatted while the other girls explored.  Enjoyed the people watching-one of my favorite things to do in Paris!  

Saw a lot of monuments and memorials of the dead French royalty this weekend...but thats alright with me.  I met some new friends along the way which I always enjoy and is much appreciated.  And I love that everyone is from somewhere different!  Germany, Norway, South Africa, England, Australia, another girl from the US, we are quite a diverse crowd!! We all seem to get along really well, and are already planning our excursion for next weekend!!

Père Lachaise

School was a blur yesterday morning.  I had one of those days where I couldn't comprehend anything and every word good ol' Marjorie said just went in one ear and out the other.  But I was present physically....isn't that a good part of what really matters!? 

Met Isabel, Laura, and Emily at Père Lachaise Cemetery for the afternoon.  Or "the grandest address in Paris" as it is known by some.  When we got off the metro there was a sign for maps of the cemetery.  2,50 euros.  For a map of a cemetery?  I think not.  We can figure it out, right?  ha!  Wrong.  It is SO huge (118 acres) and everywhere you turn basically looks the same so we found a map on a sign inside and took a picture of it with our cameras.  Genius! 

The inside of some of the tombs were incredibly beautiful and creepy.  And when I say creepy its just eerie being amongst all of the graves and people who have passed.  Especially on a dreary winter day with not a lot of tourists visiting.  

Of course the can't miss grave:  Jim Morrison.  Because of all the vandalism it is now secured by a fence and a security guard during peak hours.  There was a guy and his girlfriend sitting under a tree about 10 feet from here drinking whiskey and singing "Light My Fire."  That's dedication.  

Oscar Wilde.  Thought this was a very strange choice of monument for him.  

It certainly was a quiet place.  A place of solitude and thought.  A place of wandering and remembering. And somewhere I'm not sure I would want to go alone.  Even though I lived just beside a cemetery most of my childhood....played hide-and-seek there and learned to ride a bike there, I still can't help but be wary of such a place at night.  We all dispersed to pick up the kiddo's and Laura and I grabbed a coffee on the way.  She works fairly close to where I am, so its quite convenient for us to do things together during the day which I'm enjoying!  

Marie-Césare and I had a good day! We went to the park and came home, colored, and practiced writing her "petite lettres" for the alphabet.  

Tomorrow I am planning to go to Saint Ouen markets with Kerry and Ashleigh.  It is supposedly the largest flea market in Paris, and is located in the suburbs just north of the 18th arrondissement.  Am happy to go wander around somewhere new even though its going to be cold!  Have been researching some places to go over February holidays.  Will probably stick to France for my first voyage out, maybe Strasbourg or Burgundy.  Am planning my trip to see Katrine in July and to see my Bulgarian friends/Greece in April depending on when my mom and Pat decide to come.  Woo hoo! 

  

French Formalities.

Yesterday I had all my paperwork ready for my medical appointment and had double checked everything probably 15 times.  This appointment was for my titre de séjour so I can leave and re-enter the country...and stay here longer than 3 months.  I had my overnight bag with me because I was planning on spending the night at Chloé and Franck's.  My appointment was at 1:30 and I had to stop by the La Poste and make a copy of Franck's passport beforehand, which I needed to prove that I am in fact, their au pair.  Planned on it taking about 5 minutes, when I got there about 5 people were in line.  20 minutes later, I raced out of there to the metro.  I guess I was flustered and in a hurry and I got on the right metro but going the wrong way.  Typical.  It took me 3 stops to actually realize that I was going the wrong direction.  At this point, I had 15 minutes to cross Paris on the metro and walk to the building.  And who knew my destination was going to be such a hike from the metro?! Ugh.  Not me.  

I was practically sweating from running to make it on time, and because I had my ginormous bag with me instead of just my purse.  The line was like a herd of cattle waiting for the gate to open.  I jumped to the back of the herd and waited to be pushed through the door.  At the door was a checkpoint to see if you had your "convocation" letter, then I proceeded upstairs to the next checkpoint.  This one was to see if you had your passport.  The lady quickly shuffled us all along in French to a waiting room about the size of my apartment where we were to wait until our name was called.  

I waited about 15 minutes and Madame "Philpeaux" was called.  There was no "pot" and it took me a second and another call to realize it was me.  I got up and followed the woman to a small office.  She asked me for some of my paperwork, we conversed a little and then was directed into another waiting room to wait for the doctor's to call my name.  

In the US, doctor's fax pages and pages of paperwork to each other.  They keep files and files of information on each patient from 20 years ago and heaven forbid if you have to switch to a new doctor.  Here, you bring your "carnet de santé" with you every time you visit the doctor.  There is no faxing and emailing...and if you don't bring it with you-tough luck.  As people struggled with not having the correct paperwork, I was called in to have my height, weight, eyes, and blood checked.  It all happened so fast I'm not sure exactly what happened.  I was able to answer in French and I think the doctor's were glad to have a bubbly personality in the office for the afternoon.  Everyone else was so solemn and gloomy...and of course I go everywhere with a smile and here it seems to help out my situation!  

After all that hoopla I was shoved into a small room with a door on the other side.  The doctor mumbled something about taking my clothes off including my jewelry and putting my hair up into a ponytail.  I only assumed this was the x-ray portion of my exam.  The French are very open about being undressed and I assume its no big deal for them to run around naked in a doctor's office.  Not so normal for an American.  We try to keep things as modest as possible.  I hadn't even gotten all my jewelry off before the other doctor opened the door on the other side.  I quickly stripped and ran after her not wanting to make her angry as she seemed a little testy.  She grabbed my shoulders and shoved me against this giant machine.  My arms followed and my head placed a certain way.  I took a deep breath and counted to 5.  She practically pushed me back into my changing room.  

I waited yet again to be called in to see another doctor to have my blood pressure checked, review my x-ray, and be questioned about previous health issues.  Luckily, I had the copy of my shots or else I'm not sure I could have translated so well.  I was really proud of myself for understanding everything and at least attempting to speak in complete sentences.  And that I was in excellent health of course.  I went back in to see the lady about the paperwork after I had received all the signatures I needed.  If they were worried about me bringing some sort of disease into this country...don't you think I would have given it to them by now?  She stuck my titre de séjour in my passport as I smiled with excitement.  Turns out I was one of the last people in the door and the first person out!  Organization and having the correct paperwork really is the key here!  One day French administration will learn..........

Marie-Césare was in quite the mood.  She had this little guy with her.  

Isn't he funny?  She made it at school and they have been growing his "hair" for about a week.  She wanted to style it when we got home and put in a barrette but I told her that probably wasn't a good idea.  Marie-Césare has been asking me to spend the night for about 3 weeks now, so I thought that Tuesday night was good because I had to be there so early on Wednesday.  Chloé agreed.  We played a little and I got to experience bedtime like mommy does it, which was good.  She is actually very strict and only reads one story.  After Marie-Césare and Gaspard went to bed Chloé and I turned on the tv.  Franck was working on the computer and Skyping with some business partners so we didn't see him much.  It was nice to just hang out with them, and although Chloé was tired from speaking English all day, she made it a point to try and talk with me most of the night.  

Around 4:30 this morning I hear...."Je n'ai pas brossé les dents!" Over and over and over.  She had eaten a piece of a baguette right before bed and didn't brush her teeth afterwards.  She said she had a dream that a cavity was coming to get her in her sleep.  That must one heck of a mean cavity.  That's one thing about spending the night there is that I sleep on the couch.  And when I say sleep, I mean dozing off one hour at a time.  Between bad dreams and bathroom trips by the entire family it makes my lonely apartment seem like a dream.  

Am off for the afternoon because Padi and Didou are coming to take them until 5.  Probably taking a nap and a really hot shower.  It is raining here yet again...so nothing fun outside for sure!  

Arguments...

It is pouring down rain today so Laura and I decided to postpone our cemetery trip until Thursday.  Had a good class today and had a few new additions to our roster.  Was able to get our group picture from Iris from Saturday!  

So pretty! 

Saw these very interesting pastries as I was strolling to school this morning.  I only wish I could dream up and put together something so beautiful!  It comes with quite the price though...

When I picked up Marie-Césare from school today she had on some new kicks.  Neon pink converse...I should have only guessed she would pick out the neon pink ones.  They are hilarious and don't match anything she has in her closet...but then again, that's the motto of a French girl so I guess she's starting early!  

On top of her being at her grandparents for a few days and it being Gaspard's first day back from his moms it was a mountain of a disastrous day.  They fought all evening without giving up.  Sometimes Gaspard questions why I do things the way I do.  Like letting Marie-Césare watch a movie on the small, portable, dvd player instead of the big tv.  So, he comes in the room and switches her dvd to the big tv, and 10 minutes later she is standing RIGHT in front of the tv while Gaspard is trying to watch too.  She doesn't want to move and doesn't care that it is bad for her eyes of course.  So it snowballs into this huge argument......sure, she should share, but I know better than on the first day back she isn't going to!  And she is hard-headed and won't give up.  Like several people in my family...hmm....

My really random photo today:  This cat belongs to someone on the first floor of my building and is beginning to get rather annoying.  Every time you try and go out the door you have to kick it out of the way.  I would hate to be responsible for losing someone's cat but then again, if I did, never again would it be there for me to accidentally step on!  

Am dealing with the French administration today.  I have an appointment with the OFII in a couple of hours and after what everyone has told me..I can't wait!-not!  Every single one of my friends says its horrible so I am literally bursting with excitement.  Possibly staying the night at Chloé and Franck's.  Marie-Césare has been begging me to spend the night for weeks now and Tuesdays are the best day because I have to be there early on Wednesday anyway.

Party on the Seine? Yes, please!

Saturday's seem to be the most interesting...which I am beginning to enjoy and look forward to!  

After taking Angelika to Montmartre, I came back home to get ready for the evening.  Cathie's birthday was Thursday, and we were all planning to celebrate Saturday night.  She had heard about a boat ride/cruise if you will, that happens once a month for international students.  If you go the week of your birthday, free bottle of champagne and reduced entrance.  So-we all joined in to celebrate of course!  We gathered at metro Trocadéro and walked to the lookout to watch La Tour Eiffel sparkle at 9.  Since the weather wasn't so great, there weren't many people there and we had a front and center view of La Dame de Fer.  It was beautiful, as always, and with good friends it makes the experience 10 times better.  We did take a group photo but it wasn't on my camera so you'll have to wait until I can get it from Iris!

We rushed over to the stop where the boat was suppose to be docked (after 30 minutes of trial and error directions) and made it just in time.  Along the way we picked up Chris, who has been couchsurfing for the past 9 months all over Europe.  He is Australian and met Kerry through the Couchsurfing website and I think its safe to say we enjoyed getting to know him!  He is doing a very similar thing as to what my friend Taylor did, and has spent his time traveling everywhere.  After his 12 days in Paris he is going to Ireland to spend a couple of weeks.  Pretty awesome way to see the world, and meet some pretty interesting people like ourselves along the way! ha....

As we were standing in line to get our tickets, we noticed that there were a lot of people dressed in 70's costumes. Oh man!  I hate we missed the memo on the 70's theme because I am always down for a little Rod Stewart or Earth, Wind and Fire.  Turns out it was a private party we wouldn't have been able to get into anyway....whew... dodged the disappointment!  Got our bottle of complimentary champagne (free champagne always = not good) and classy plastic glasses and went to the top of the boat for a toast.

The "cruise" lasted about an hour, then we docked for the rest of the night.  I can't say it was the most "touristy" thing I've done because the boat ride didn't pass anything familiar except the Eiffel Tower.  It was more of a-meet new people thing than a touristy thing.  

Over the course of the night we met a ton of great people.  Most just stopping through for a couple of weeks, but some were students studying for a semester.  The dj was pretty good, we danced the majority of the night.  Later on in the night, every one was beginning to get sleepy and you could tell the crowd was tired.  The next song the dj put on was Spice Girls "Wannabe"...and you would think someone just dropped a million dollars in the middle of the room.  Everyone (including the guys) jumped up and started YELLING the lyrics.  It was hilarious!! It was a giant dance floor "pick-me-up" and I loved it!  

We missed last metro, so we just grabbed a taxi back home.  Went to church this morning with Ashleigh and came back to catch up on my sleep!  Doing homework tonight and getting ready for class in the morning.  If the weather is nice tomorrow I'm going to Pere Lachaise cemetery tomorrow with Laura!

Yesterday, I am embarrassed to say, that I did absolutely nothing.  I didn't get out of my pajama's until 6 pm, and that was only because Ashleigh asked me to hang out and have a glass of wine.  We went to a nice café on the Grands Boulevards and just talked.  It was very nice and relaxing.  This morning I went to the Sacre-Coeur and Montmartre with Angelika, one of the girls I met last weekend.  It was rainy and cold and not very enjoyable....so we just stopped in at a café for some chocolat chaud.  

Tonight we are all meeting at the Trocadero to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle, then going over to the Seine for a boat trip.  It is freezing cold but we are celebrating Cathie's birthday and I could hardly turn it down.  There will be a lot of international students there...so I'm looking very forward to it!! Hopefully will have some good pictures to update tomorrow!  

Caramel Pear Tart...mmm...

Class was exhausting today.  We are beginning to learn the complicated stuff...and I'll have to say, two and half hours of it wears me out!  Right after class I went to a sort of generic department store to find some glitter!  Marie-Cesare and I always pass by this window front that has glitter decorated pages and we stop to ooooh and ahhhh.  So, I thought I would bring some to her next week sometime!  

Met Laura at noon to hit up some other stores for the sales.  Didn't buy a thing.  Most of the items are, unfortunately, out of my budget.  Don't get me wrong I'd love to pick up the beautiful Marc Jacobs bag on sale, but I would also love to take the metro, use my phone, eat, and do things with my friends at some point this month....so it really wasn't going to work out.  We had lunch at the cafe in Galaries Lafayette.  Roasted chicken for me and salmon for Laura.  We shared this awesomely fabulous tart for dessert.  It was some sort of caramel pear tart.  The crust was perfectly buttery and light and the caramel wasn't sticky, but melted in your mouth.  There was only one problem with the roasted pear on top-there wasn't another one!  

And yes, that is a big pile of ketchup on Laura's plate behind it. ha!

After lunch we walked around aimlessly to stumble upon the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette.  Another church, situated with a beautiful view of the Sacre-Coeur behind it.  It is surprisingly close to the Lachaize household, so perhaps I'll go exploring more in depth one day when I have some extra free time.  

It was beautiful...and so cold!  We couldn't stay long because it was freezing in there.  We crossed the street to Picard, the most amazing frozen food concept ever.  Everything in the store is frozen products, but the quality of everything is impeccable.  Fish, foie gras, tarts, escargot, desserts, vegetables of any sort, soups, meat, you name it....they've got it.  The soup in this picture started out as a small "disk" of frozen food, and once reheated is really good!!! Chloe buys them some for Marie-Cesare and Gaspard and its delicious!  People always talk about the quality of frozen foods in France and they've definitely lived up to the hype.  

Laura bought some mini "nutty buddy's" for us to share.  

They were so cute and tiny.  Laura had to go pick up her "charge" from school so I came home.  Stopped by Monoprix on my way home for milk, eggs, clementines, and paper towels...the basics.  Don't know what the plan is for tomorrow but I know sleeping in is number one on the list!

Oh the sand...

Busy week....but nothing exciting really.  Have kept busy with Chloe out of town trying to help Franck with things as much as possible!  I know how things can be when mom is away and since that's a big reason why I'm there, I try to be there when I can!  Monday and Tuesdays evenings I took Marie-Cesare to Parc Monceau.  Taking the metro is getting easier with her and I know how to tell her to zip her mouth up and stop trying to kick the other kid across the aisle.  We rode the manege, took a turn on the balancoire, and then she kept dragging me in a certain direction.  Where do we end up?  The sand!!! EVERY TIME.  I hate the sand.  I hate the sand at the beach, I hate it in my bags and clothes, I hate it in Marie-Cesare's shoes. ha! She rolls in it and gets it all in her coat and between her fingers.  Yuck.  Lucky for me, everrrryyy park in Paris has giant sandboxes.  

Monday night Franck had to work late, so I babysat.  Marie-Cesare and I had a good time, and she was an absolute delight to be around!  

Tuesday afternoon Padi called and told me that they were going to pick Marie-Cesare up Wednesday after art school and take her for a few days.  Woooo hoooo!! A few days off.  Not that I really needed it, but hey-I guess I'll take it?  Got her ready for art class this morning and packed her bag for the weekend. Stopped at a small place in Montmartre on the way home and grabbed this delicious piece of pizza for lunch.  Fresh mushrooms, prosciutto, and some delicious French cheese.  Too bad I don't remember the name of it!  I'll be sure and catch it next time...

Going to school in the morning, then possibly to meet Laura.  I haven't heard back from her since yesterday...so its still up in the air.  

For those wondering, we didn't get to go ice skating at the Eiffel Tower last weekend.  We found out that the top level is closed until February 4th for maintenance, and we didn't want to pay to go up and not get to go to the top!! The rink closes on the 9th, so sometime between the 5th and the 9th of February-I will be going!!