3 feet from glory!

Saturday night-2 of my friends and I met a couple of guys. Nothing serious, just general conversation. While conversing, one of the guys told us that he works for Disneyland in Paris. He explained that he could get 3 people in for free when he goes to work. He invited us girls to go! If we wanted to get in, we had to meet him at Disney at 11am on Sunday. We exchanged numbers with one of his friends who said that he would probably accompany us. Sinead and I were so excited. Unfortunately, Carli couldn't come along because of prior commitments.

Sunday morning- At 9am, Sinead and I meet at the RER (train) stop in our town. It was going to take us about 1.5 hrs to get to Disney. This way we had a 30 minute cushion, in case something went wrong. We got on the train and waited for the guy's friend to call us. Why couldn't we call him, you might ask? Well, both of the families we work for provided us with cell phones, but we have to pay for additional minutes. My family gave me 16 minutes every 2 months. Basically, the phones are for emergencies. Because things were mighty hectic with the parents being gone last week, my credit ran out on Friday. Sinead didn't have credit either... and everything, I mean everything is closed on Sunday (except Disney, of course)! We started to get a little nervous that he would be a no show and that it wouldn't work out. Then we got a text message saying, "Where are you?" The problem was, we couldn't text back. He was supposed to call, not text! We make our train switch in Paris and tried to find a store to buy credit. No luck. We continued our journey just hoping that we might find luck later. When we get off the train, Sinead immediately spots the guy who works at Disney. We were so excited! Everything was now going our way!

We passed through security with no problems and got in line to enter the park. Our "friend" handed his pass to the ticket collector. They exchanged some words in French and then he told us to move aside. By the facial expression on our "friend," we could tell something was wrong. For some reason or another, last Sunday was considered a blackout day, meaning that they could not bring guests into the park. Just our luck. We waved goodbye to him as he entered the park for work, and we headed back to the train station for our trek home. We stopped at a store in the station and bought some food for the ride. As we drowned our sorrows in baguette and Coca-Cola Light, we decided to spend the day in Paris.

I asked Sinead if there was any particular place she wanted to go. She told me that she had never been to the Notre Dame. It just so happens, that was my favorite part of my trip last year! We decided that we would make the most of the day, while we continually tried to convince ourselves that Disney would have been a bummer :)

Notre Dame was just as beautiful as I remembered. We even got to attend the Sunday mass. Even though the service was in French, it felt good to be there. Sinead lit a candle and then we went to the little garden/park next to the church to eat our packed lunches. While we were there, we noticed people playing on this revolving disk. It is so hard to explain, and I know it doesn't sound like a ton of fun, but it was! My camera was dead by this point, but Sinead took a picture for me. As soon as I get it, I will upload it! Even though we didn't make it to Disney, we got to go on a ride! It started getting colder, so we walked to a nearby cafe for espresso and a crepe.

After a little bit of window shopping, we headed home. When we got back, we went our separate ways. I wasn't ready to go to my studio yet, so I explored my town a little more. I have been so busy since I've been here, that I haven't had a lot of time to really walk around. After walking for about an hour or so, I stumbled upon 2 free expositions that were housed in the same building. Since I love the word free, I went inside. One of the expositions was from the painter Paul Vera. It was really interesting. A lot of his artwork involved oil paintings on fabric, and one on cardboard! Unfortunately, I don't know a lot of French yet, so reading the information about him was difficult. I tried looking up info on the internet, with very little success. If you know anything about him (ahem, Maggie Smith), I would love to know!

The second exhibit was all about wine! There is a little vineyard in Saint Germain-en-Laye, where they make one type of wine. They produce so little that it's not available for purchase. Although I could not taste the wine, I was allowed to smell it. They had different scented oils, which you would smell first and then the wine second. The oils would bring out different aspects of the wine.  The rest of the exhibit included the materials they used a hundred years ago to make wine. It was pretty interesting stuff.

When I got back to my studio, I immediately went to my computer to see what other events, especially those involving classical music, are available for free. Most of the arenas are in churches, which typically only show events for the month. Since September is almost over, there weren't many left that I could attend. However, I will definitely go back at the beginning of October, so I can take full advantage of the freebies!

Reunion #2

Last weekend I was reunited with my dear friend Delphine. This weekend I got to see my friend Margaux and her daughter Maxine. I met Margaux the same way I met Delphine, through the Sieur Du Luth Opera Festival two years ago.  At the time, Margaux was a little over halfway into her pregnancy. During the festival, I threw her a baby shower. None of the other participants, besides the Americans, had ever been to a baby shower. Most of them had never even heard of it. It was a really special day. I had never taken the time to really think about why we give baby/bridal showers. We often take them for granted in the US. Each expecting mother typically receives at least one or two. It wasn't until I was explaining to the others that the shower didn't involve water (haha) that I truly understood that the "party" is about showing the baby love, even before he or she is born. It's totally more than just supplying the mother with formula, diapers, and clothes. Most of these things will only last a few weeks, if you're lucky, maybe a few months. I have honestly never seen a person more genuinely appreciative in my life. If you were there that day, I'm sure you will agree that it was an amazing experience. Even though we were from all over the world and different backgrounds/cultures, we came together for that one purpose: to welcome baby Maxine into this world.

A year ago, I took a trip to Paris and Istanbul to visit some of my opera festival friends. Maxine was now 8 months old. I was so great to finally meet her!

Myself and Maxine last summer (May 2009)

I was so excited to see her again. She is such a happy little girl (almost 2 yrs old) and is constantly laughing. After I arrived at Margaux's house, we went to a little shopping center. This place was similar to TJMaxx. They had jeans for a mere 9 euros and shoe deals you wouldn't believe! I didn't buy anything because of my tight budget, but if I need something, I know where to shop!

After shopping, we went back to her house and ate a snack of baguette and tarama. Tarama is whipped eggs and fish. Sounds crazy, I know. It was good though, especially with lemon juice.

Then we fed Maxine, gave her a bath, and put her to bed. Now it was time for our dinner! Margaux made Tarte a la Tomate (tomato tart). It was awesome! Here's the recipe:
Tarte a la Tomate
(amounts are estimated)
1 Pate brisee (dough used for tarts)
             I don't know if you can find this in the US. Here's a link to a recipe:
             http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/1990s/1993/11/pate-brisee
2 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 slices goat cheese, 1" thick each (or your favorite cheese)
Olive oil
Thyme
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the dough and press it into a large glass circular quiche dish. We used ready-made dough and kept the paper under the dough, making it easier to serve. While the oven is preheating, put the dough into the oven for 2-5 minutes to precook it. Take the dough out and spread both types of mustard on the dough. You need just enough to lightly coat the bottom. Place your tomato slices on top of the mustard, and then the cheese on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle thyme, or your favorite spice and some pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil over tart. Cook for 20 minutes. Voila!
***Note: You might want to remove excess water and/or the seeds from the tomatoes to keep the dish from being watery. I liked it though!  :)

Before

Finished!

To accompany the tart, we had an arugula salad with dehydrated tomatoes that had been soaked in olive oil and spices, slivers of Comte cheese, and Margaux's homemade dressing. Yum!

After dinner, we watched Julie and Julia and drank wine. If you haven't seen that movie, you should. It was such a good ending to a great day!

I am too tired to write about today, although it was epic! Expect a fun filled post tomorrow!




 

Food!

I promised you a blog dedicated to food, and here it is!

The food has been incredible. The french eat similar foods, but their view of food is completely different. They truly enjoy the natural flavors of the food. I have seen very little usage of seasoning while I've been here. They take their time while they eat, enjoying the food and company. They prefer quality over quantity. I think that is the biggest thing I have learned during this week and a half. The kids that I watch know the best cheese shop, butcher, market vendor, and bakery in town. How many 10 yr olds do you know that pay that close attention to the quality of food?

Growing up, I remember hearing the phrase, "It's okay to feel hungry." There is some truth to that, but that is not how the french live. If they are hungry, they eat until they are satisfied, but never full. I have only felt full once since I've been here. Their portion sizes are much smaller than those in America. If they get hungry throughout the day, they'll eat a tomato, cheese, or pull off a piece of their fresh baguette. When the hunger pain is gone, they stop. I know this all sounds like common sense, but for the first time in my life, I am living this way. A typical dinner in the home consists of meat, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and some type of carb (bread, pasta a lot of times w/ no sauce).

Now I have to talk about two of my favorite things about living in France: the boulangeries (bakery) and the enormous selection of cheese (that is pretty cheap). If you have never been to France, you don't know the difference b/t a croissant made in America, and the flaky, buttery goodness of the croissant in France. It is truly heaven each time I eat one. Also, it is very typical for people to get a fresh baguette almost everyday. Because they are so high in demand, you can get them for under a euro!

Cheese! I have decided to try different cheeses every week. When I went to the market this week, they had a bin of assorted cheese wedges for 1.25 euro/ each. I bought three. I loved all three! The first was Tomme. Tomme is soft, light in flavor, and low in fat. The second was Ossau Iraty. This cheese is harder than the Tomme and has a slight stronger flavor. It is made from sheep's milk. The last was Comté. This was my favorite! I think I am going to get this one often! It is the hardest of the three, with a creamy, buttery, sweet flavor. It is the highest cheese in production in France with 40,000 tons produced a yr! There is also a standard for Comté. The cheese is tested and rated. If it is good Comté, there is a special symbol printed on the label. If it doesn't meet the mark, it is not allowed to be called Comté! See... quality is the key!

Speedos Galore!

So... the last few days have been a little hectic. The parents are away on a business trip and taking care of 4 kids basically on my own has been a task! They have people helping me at night, but they mainly help with their french homework. I still take them and pick them up from all of their activities, cook dinner, give them baths, put them to bed, etc. You know the expression, "When the parents are away, the children will play?" I know it all too well. They are great kids...but they are kids, you know?

So Monday I took them to their swimming lesson. I completely forgot about the fact that a lot of men wear speedos here! OMG. I walked out of the dressing room, only to see this extremely obese, hairy french man in the tiniest speedo ever. I seriously had to bite my tongue from laughing out loud. It was hilarious. So when the kids finished their classes, I was desperately trying to get them all together and changed. This man approached me and asked me if I spoke French. I told him that I only spoke a little, but that I spoke English. He then asked me for my phone number, "so we can get to know each other." Please take a moment to imagine this scene. I am chasing kids, dressing them, looking like a crazy person, and this man with a speedo is going to ask me for my number? HA. So I promptly told him that it wasn't my phone and that it belonged to my host family, so I can't give out the number. He told me he was looking forward to seeing me next week. Eww... I can't date anyone who wears a speedo... sorry!

Today everything was going swell. No big glitches until I had to pick up the little girl from dance class. All of the school and activities the family plugged into the GPS for me. Awesome, right!?! The only problem was that the address for the dance studio was wrong. I was so lost. Luckly, I remembered that the au pair I met the first day has a kid who goes to the same studio at the same time. I called her. She helped me find the studio and got my kid ready! Thank God for her! Then she invited me to go out tonight with a couple of au pairs from my town. I need the break!

Les Journees du Patrimoine: Day 2

Before I get started with Day 2, here are my favorite pictures from yesterday:

Opera Garnier

Inside the Opera Garnier

View of a side street from the upper terrace of the Opera Garnier

Another view of the chateau in Saint Germain-en-Laye

The Courtyard inside the chateau

The chapel inside the chateau

 So today I went with a few fellow au pairs to Versailles! It is such a cute town. We had a picnic at the garden consisting of: baguette, goat cheese, strawberries, and banannas.

Myself and the other au pairs

Versailles

Across from the chateau

 

After our visit to the chateau and gardens, we sat down for a cafe and then took the train back to Maisons-Laffitte, where the other au pairs live. It is only about a 10-15 minutes away from where I live, so I met them there this morning. There was a huge flea market today in the town that only comes once a year. It is like a town garage sale. Everyone lines the city streets with their "treasures." It was packed! I didn't find anything I wanted to buy, but it was fun to look.

Flea market in Maisons-Laffitte

I left Maisons-Laffitte and when I got home, I immediately went in the house to greet the children. I haven't seen them all weekend. They were very excited to see me.They all screamed my name when I walked in the door and the youngest two immediately gave me hugs. All in all, it was a good day! Tomorrow begins the first full work week!

Les Journees du Patrimoine: Day One

This weekend is called "Les Journees du Patrimoine" or ..."Days of Patrimony." It is a time where all the historical sites, buildings, and museums are open to the public free of charge to celebrate French history! What a good first weekend to be in Paris! I am not aware of anything like this in America, but I think we should totally adopt this tradition. 


My main focus today, however, was to visit my friend Delphine, her husband Pierre, and their new baby Yaël. I had to take the RER (train) then transfer to the Metro (subway) to get to their flat. While on the Metro, I met 4 other au pairs, all of which are going to be taking classes with me at La Clef (the French school in Saint Germain en Laye). We exchanged numbers and are getting together tomorrow to visit Versailles. 

My visit with Delphine was fantastic. We laughed, drank wine, ate wonderful food that she prepared, and had the best cheese I have ever tasted! I know that they are going to be great parents to baby Yaël. I am very excited to see how she grows within this first year of her life. Unfortunately, because I was so enthused, I forgot to take pictures... but do not worry! There will be many more reunions between us.

After my visit, I toured the Opera Palais Garnier. It is absolutely beautiful. The Paris Opera has two opera houses. One is the Opera Bastille and the other the infamous Opera Palais Garnier. The Opera Garnier holds about 2,200 spectators and 450 peformers. It was the main home to the Paris Opera from 1875 until 1989, when the Opera Bastille was inagurated. Today, mostly ballets are performed at Garnier and operas at Bastille.

I left the opera house and headed back to Saint Germain-en-Laye. When I arrived, I explored my town a little more. There are some really nice boutiques here. If I am going to attempt to be Parisian, I must look like one! When I packed my clothes, I carefully chose which ones I would bring. I brought my slimmest jeans, lots of long cardigans, belts to assentuate the waist, and so on... I pretty much feel like my clothes have worked well. Besides the fact that the average pants size is probably a US 6, I fit in. There is one piece of clothing however, that I didn't have. A nice lightweight, trench. They are everywhere! If you wanna look French, go buy one now! So.. I bought one. :)

After shopping I walked to a local boulangerie (bakery) to grab dinner. I got what appeared to be tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil on a baguette. I put it in my bag, and walked to the chataeu in my town for a tour. Can I just say, I am so lucky. I live very close to this chateau and it is just breathtaking. This chateau was the home to the French monarch before the French Revolution, after which they moved to Versailles. Unfortunately, they have turned the inside into a museum of artifacts from the bronze, iron, and neolithic ages. I know... that should be cool too, but I wanted to see all the rooms as they were. Anyway, afterward I walked through the gardens and then headed home. 


When I got home, I took my sandwich out of my bag and sat down to eat it. Yeah... I was wrong, very wrong. It was a tuna sandwich (the tuna was covered by the outside of the baguette) with tomatoes (got that part right), fresh spinach, and boiled egg (only the white part of the egg was visible). Nevertheless, it was very, very good. Pretty much all of the food I have had here has been wonderful. I will probably dedicate an entire blog to food soon.

Je suis desole (I am sorry), but my internet is so slow. It won't upload the photos I took of today. I will try again tomorrow.  Until then...

Parking.... what a nightmare!

Okay... so driving in the city isn't so bad, but parking is a whole different ballgame! If you think it was hard to find parking at UMD or Shorter, think again! The kids each go to 2 schools: one primary, elementary, or middle school, and one English school. Most days I have to pick them up at noon, feed them lunch, and then take them to their next school. I have been trying to go early to pick them up... but when you've got 4 kids, after I pick up the first, the rest gets difficult. In France, well, at least at the schools my kids attend, the adult has to go in to pick them up. There's no having an escort bring them to the car. So each parent, or au pair, must find parking.... get the issue!?!

Besides parking problems, yesterday was great! Tiring, but great. I took the kids to school, went to the market to buy fresh fruit, veggies, and meat, picked up the kids from their first school, took them to their second, picked them up from their second, took Titoun to track practice, and then home! When we got home, we played a little, I made them dinner, they took baths, read them a book, and put them to bed! I was so exhausted at the end of the day! I really wanted to skype with my family last night since I didn't have to wake up extremely early today, but I could barely keep my eyes open at 21H (9pm).

Today I am taking the metro into Paris, to visit my friend Delphine and her new baby. I met Delphine and a whole crew of French people at the Sieur Du Luth International Opera Festival 2 years ago. We all became instant friends and have kept in touch ever since! I spent a week with them last summer, and fell in love with Paris! I am so excited to go back to the city today, and will post pictures of my trip tonight or tomorrow!

Below are a few more pictures of Saint Germain en Laye! To be more specific, all of these pictures are in the main square, where the market is held:

Watch out! American on the road!!!

I already feel pretty settled in my new studio. Around midnight last night, my bag arrived. Thank the Lord! So, I'm completely unpacked now! Woo hoo!
Here are my pictures from yesterday:

Michelle and myself the day before I left

The first thing I saw when I got off the metro. 

Another view off the metro of Saint Germain en laye

View when you enter my studio. Do you see my computer on the desk? This is where I write my blogs!

View of the entrance from inside

Kitchenette - The family had it stocked with pots, pans, dishes, cups, utensils, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, couscous, nutella, and wine... you know, the essentials! :)

Living space with a pull-out couch for guests. Also, on the left is my wardrobe for my clothes

Bed... it is sooooo comfortable!

Little bathroom

This morning I had to be ready by 7:55am. I only have to get the kids ready for school on Tuesdays, so it was not terribly hectic. When I walked in the house, Zacharie, the youngest, gave me the biggest smile and said, "It is morning!" He was so excited for school. Faustine, the girl, told me all about how she is going to draw me pictures for my studio. :)

I rode with Mildred, the mom, as she dropped each of the kids off at school (except Titoun, who rides the bus). After we dropped the last one off, Mildred had me drive the two of us home. It isn't to terribly different, mainly the signs. At first I asked a lot of questions because there are a few rules that are not the same and important to know: yielding situations, no right on red ever, etc. Around noon, Midred is taking me out for lunch and then to walk around the town so I can get a few things. It is so great that I have my own car!

DAY 1: A New Adventure has Begun

I've arrived in Paris. It was a long trip, but so far... no regrets! :)

All three flights were fabulous. After my first flight to Newark, I sat by myself at a restaurant to eat lunch and kill time, since I had a 3 hour layover. A cute, elderly German couple sat next to me. They spoke little english, and I knew very little German, so it was like playing a game of schurades! It was so much fun. After about 45 minutes, they got up to leave the table. I said to them, "Welcome to America! I hope you enjoy your stay!" With big grins on their faces, they each kissed my cheek and left.

After I paid my bill, I walked to my gate to wait out the remaining of the layover. A 30-something year old Italian man sat down next to me. As we began talking, he told me about how he was moving back home to Italy. He had lived in Atlanta for 4 years, and because the economy was not getting better, his vacation days had been cut. He reluctantly quit his job. He said he did it more because of the principle of the matter. Now he was moving back into his parents' house in Rome, Italy.

Because of my trip to Italy in 2008, I told him how much I loved his country. He was very quick to stop me. He told me that although his country is beautiful and has a lot of history, he feels that Italy has not done anything to impact the world in over 200 years. He wants desparately to stay in America and open his own restaurant. He wants to live in a country that makes a difference. He went on for about 30 minutes. At that moment, I was very proud to be an American.

I made a few last phone calls, ("Hi Grandma and Grandpa") and boarded the plane. Everything was perfect. We landed ahead of schedule... which was great for me since I only had a 55 minute layover. That airport was the nicest I had ever seen! The shopping was ridiculous. All I could think at the time, was if William Lucas had been with me, we would have missed the flight, and had been out a lot of money. Customs was a breeze. I don't think the inspector even looked at my passport. I got on my last plane from Copenhagen, Denmark to Paris. In two hours, I was there. Because I have been in that airport now approximately 5 times, I walked confidently to exactly where I needed to be... Baggage Claim.

I waited and waited... and waited and waited. After about 45 minutes, my name along with a lot of french words I did not know, rang over the intercom. From the little bit I could comprehend, I was able to figure out they wanted me to meet someone at baggage claim 4. As soon as I translated the bit I knew in my head, they repeated the sentence in English...and I was much less enthused. The employee who met me informed me that my checked bag did not make it to Paris. I know what you are thinking... that is so awful! But you have no idea how excited that made me! The bag should have landed at 6pm and if everything works out, it will be delivered to my door by midnight. This made traveling to St. Germain by train a whole lot easier.

After taking two trains, I arrived in St. Germain en-Laye. OMG is it gorgeous! I took a few pictures while I waited for the family to pick me up. About 5 minutes later, I hear my name from a lady standing next to the chateau. My family has come for me! I get in the car and am greeted right away by 2 of the boys. One is 3 and is absolutely adorable. He loves to give big hugs and is already clinging to me and begging me to read him stories. The other child was the 9 year old. He has adorable, totally European glasses and is extremely smart and polite. We drove around a bit, got some ice cream, and then went to pick up the only daughter (she's 6) from ballet. Immediately, she ran up to me and gave me a hug and said she had been waiting for my arrival. How cute is that!?! While I was waiting for her to get dressed, an au pair from Ireland walked in the room. She gave me her cell phone number and she is going to introduce me to lots of au pairs this weekend! After she was done dressing, the mother took me to a cell phone store, and I got a new cell number. Lucky for me, the family has free international calling on their house phone, so if I have any emergencies, it won't be a problem! The older one just started middle school and I don't really have to worry about him much. He takes the bus to and from school. I take him to practice once a week. So... there you have it! My first day in Paris!

I took some pictures, but I can't upload them because that chord is in my luggage. Hopefully I can put them up tomorrow! And yes, I am going to bed at like 8:30pm... je suis fatigue!

Tomorrow's the Day!

Wow... so I leave tomorrow morning. It is crazy to believe that this is finally happening. For months I have been preparing for this moment, and now it's the time.

For those of you who don't know, tomorrow I begin my life as a parisian. A life that will be filled with new experiences, friends, music, food, and culutre. I will be working as an au pair while studying french and voice. Please follow my blog for constant updates on what I am doing!