lesson #2: masculinity versus femininity and the art of flirtation
And this doesn't mean the "You're cute, I want you, I must have you in bed with me" flirting, but the feel good, coy smile, lingering glance, that's not creepy, feeling from a nice conversation, a compliment, leaves you with a lingering smile, flirtation. The charming, light-hearted banter that makes France, Paris, the City of Love. It's the in the moment quick, coy, wit that lasts with just that, no second move, no call later. Just for that moment of friendly conversation, compliment, one liners (no "I wish I were a derivative so I could lie tangent to your curves.") or cute little phrases like: Sois sage! (Be good!), Qu'est-ce que je ferais sans toi? (What would I do without you?), Tu t'en vas déjà? (You're leaving already?), Allez! Reste encore un peu. (Come on! Stay a little bit longer.), T'es drôle! (You're funny!). Yes, even a smile can get you out of an unstamped train ticket (which usually result in a fine), coffee, or just a conversation outside the Louvre.
To be continued..
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
lessons of frace: part 1
Last Friday was my last day of school and my first afternoon of vacation and as much as I’m glad to be done with some of my kiddies, I’m really sad to be finished. Partially because that means my time in France is coming to an end, and partially because now I must start the job search (or rather I should have, but I’ve figured I have Challenger/Stratford to fall back on).
And so, like all experiences, one must be able to come out of it with something learned. After seven months here surely I’ve learned many things. They say you should learn a new thing every day. So technically I should have learned at least two hundred and twenty-eight things by the time I leave.
Lesson #1: Relationships NEED time and effort, and most importantly communication.
I feel like I should have known this by now, but with an ocean, a continent, and nine time zones apart, it’s easy to let relationships falter. Even with the aid of the internet and Skype, it seems that it would be easier to make long distances not feel so far. Skype and even Google now had video chats (though if the other person has no camera it defeats the purpose of video chats versus just a phone call). And yet, it really is the time zones that make talking to someone overseas hard. My evenings are their mornings, their evenings my mornings. And so encounters, or long conversations just become harder and harder. And as much time as I spend on my computer, I am really a person who thrives on social encounters, coffee dates, meetings around food, meetings around activities.
And so I’ve learned, with long distance relationships, friendship or otherwise, one really must put a lot more effort into conversations, face time (or voice time in cameraless cases), emails, and just thoughts about the other person. With coming here, I had a sense of selfishness with me where I wanted to see all I could but wanted to do things on my time. And well, one learns that the world doesn’t always work with you. Time schedules, time zones, time fleeting… time sometimes just isn’t on your side.
And so, like all experiences, one must be able to come out of it with something learned. After seven months here surely I’ve learned many things. They say you should learn a new thing every day. So technically I should have learned at least two hundred and twenty-eight things by the time I leave.
Lesson #1: Relationships NEED time and effort, and most importantly communication.
I feel like I should have known this by now, but with an ocean, a continent, and nine time zones apart, it’s easy to let relationships falter. Even with the aid of the internet and Skype, it seems that it would be easier to make long distances not feel so far. Skype and even Google now had video chats (though if the other person has no camera it defeats the purpose of video chats versus just a phone call). And yet, it really is the time zones that make talking to someone overseas hard. My evenings are their mornings, their evenings my mornings. And so encounters, or long conversations just become harder and harder. And as much time as I spend on my computer, I am really a person who thrives on social encounters, coffee dates, meetings around food, meetings around activities.
And so I’ve learned, with long distance relationships, friendship or otherwise, one really must put a lot more effort into conversations, face time (or voice time in cameraless cases), emails, and just thoughts about the other person. With coming here, I had a sense of selfishness with me where I wanted to see all I could but wanted to do things on my time. And well, one learns that the world doesn’t always work with you. Time schedules, time zones, time fleeting… time sometimes just isn’t on your side.
Monday, April 20, 2009
countdown to home: 20 days
Twenty days till I'm back at home. Three weeks. And I'm already thinking of what I want to eat when I go home. quite the piggy eh?
Southern California
Southern California
- dimsum
- good sushi
- cheesecake factory
- ding tai fung xiao long baos
- chipotle
- little india's indian food
- korean food
- tapioca express
- paxti's pizza
- shanghai dumpling king
- fuki sushi
- tofu house and their seafood pancake
- verde tea house
Friday, April 17, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Berck, France
More beachiness for me! along with some local cuisine, mules et frites. No frites in the pictures but we all know what fries look like.
before me and my tummy George (or rather Gustav as he's been renamed)
after me and Gustav
Where to next? :)
before me and my tummy George (or rather Gustav as he's been renamed)
after me and Gustav
Where to next? :)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
macaron tour part 3
Pierre Hermé
OMG those were THE BEST macarons ever! EVER! yeah, bold, capitalized AND italicized. That good. This Pierre Hermé store might have been one of their smaller magasins because it didn't seem like they had that many flavors, but their macarons were so soft and so light and so amazing.
So after school today I decided to spend the afternoon in Paris under the advice of my cousin who insisted "get sick of Paris while I still can". After some failed (well, perhaps not failed) attempt at shopping where I left empty handed, I decided to continue on my macaron tour of Paris. A friend of mine, who doesn't seem to appreciate macarons as much as I do, insists that I should stray from this macaron tour and do a more general patisserie tour. Honestly, I have no complaints with that. Tartelette aux framboise (raspberry mini tarts) are also a patisserie favorite of mines. Along with tartelette aux pommes and framboisiers. Deeelish! But this post isn't about other pastries.
So into Pierre Hermé I go. And what a cute little chic shop it was! Their entire display case was filled with pastries of all kinds but I just ran off with four macarons (of 1.60 euros each.. eek). Two rose flavored macarons, one cassis (currants) and one jasmin tea. The jasmin one was pretty good, doesn't quite top the tea one from Dalloyao though. The cassis had actual fruit pieces in it so that was quite a treat. And the rose ones... man... to...die...for.... well.. maybe not literally, but it seriously tasted like heaven in your mouth.
To top off this trip to Paris, a beautiful day at my favorite park of Paris, le Jardin du Luxembourg. :) Ah yes, spring in France...
And, I would love to have any one of those apartments overlooking the park. *sigh* one day...
edit: In the movie, Love Me If You Dare, little Sophie askes Julien what he wants to be when he grows up and he says a tyrant. She answers saying that she wants to be a cream puff. I would rather be a macaron. A rose flavored Pierre Hermé macaron. ^_~
OMG those were THE BEST macarons ever! EVER! yeah, bold, capitalized AND italicized. That good. This Pierre Hermé store might have been one of their smaller magasins because it didn't seem like they had that many flavors, but their macarons were so soft and so light and so amazing.
So after school today I decided to spend the afternoon in Paris under the advice of my cousin who insisted "get sick of Paris while I still can". After some failed (well, perhaps not failed) attempt at shopping where I left empty handed, I decided to continue on my macaron tour of Paris. A friend of mine, who doesn't seem to appreciate macarons as much as I do, insists that I should stray from this macaron tour and do a more general patisserie tour. Honestly, I have no complaints with that. Tartelette aux framboise (raspberry mini tarts) are also a patisserie favorite of mines. Along with tartelette aux pommes and framboisiers. Deeelish! But this post isn't about other pastries.
So into Pierre Hermé I go. And what a cute little chic shop it was! Their entire display case was filled with pastries of all kinds but I just ran off with four macarons (of 1.60 euros each.. eek). Two rose flavored macarons, one cassis (currants) and one jasmin tea. The jasmin one was pretty good, doesn't quite top the tea one from Dalloyao though. The cassis had actual fruit pieces in it so that was quite a treat. And the rose ones... man... to...die...for.... well.. maybe not literally, but it seriously tasted like heaven in your mouth.
To top off this trip to Paris, a beautiful day at my favorite park of Paris, le Jardin du Luxembourg. :) Ah yes, spring in France...
And, I would love to have any one of those apartments overlooking the park. *sigh* one day...
edit: In the movie, Love Me If You Dare, little Sophie askes Julien what he wants to be when he grows up and he says a tyrant. She answers saying that she wants to be a cream puff. I would rather be a macaron. A rose flavored Pierre Hermé macaron. ^_~
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