tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4553968870875430692024-03-12T16:14:50.743-07:00All Things Paris - The Fabulous Adventures of CountessLVAn adventure-filled love letter to Paris that will help you fall in love with the most beautiful city in the world.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-80528859737969595952023-04-15T08:32:00.002-07:002023-04-15T08:32:50.264-07:00Le Retour<p>I haven’t
blogged in years, but I haven’t stopped writing. Half-filled notebooks are everywhere in my
Cambridge flat. They line my bookshelves,
are flattened in the bottom of my purses, are piled up on my bed side table,
and accompany me on every work trip. I write
everywhere. Planes, cafés, and hotel bars are my favourite places. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">In January, I
resolved to finish the draft of my Paris book by the end of this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s slow work. I try to write between 4-8
hours every weekend, and some are more successful than others. I feel so many
emotions, including embarrassment, reading back over the words I wrote 8 years
ago during my Paris summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mine, and
Chris’ entire world was Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our longing
for Paris was so intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A move to the
UK wasn’t even a speck of a thought. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We believed
the only thing we loved about the UK was Pret a Manger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">My move to the
UK (London first, then Cambridge) made our regular trips to Paris less
frequent. I still travelled there at least once a year, but Chris and I hadn’t
been back in over 6 years since we celebrated my 40<sup>th</sup> birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My last trip was about a month before lockdown
in February 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paris faded into the
background of our lives.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Late last year,
I registered to run the Paris Marathon this month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the perfect excuse for us to plan a trip
and for me to see Paris from a different perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, 2 weeks ago I met Chris when he
arrived at Heathrow to catch our connecting flight to Paris.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsedO62LrzEN7sdp0ktYt2oDZ04KDJqSjUiyvkeTtOwPoyBxWJ37VNE9TZwGHus_E7fUy1_r1L-CMYHZZRtvOFoP1G92AksoABbO0w-xs4hHVS3TgNL4i25ZhVKgCLpDU_hiWEcbRsdJN7Jj9VC63jD4XEN1KFVGh9LrWqOV6-JAatdz-m4h-r71x5-w/s640/Paris%202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsedO62LrzEN7sdp0ktYt2oDZ04KDJqSjUiyvkeTtOwPoyBxWJ37VNE9TZwGHus_E7fUy1_r1L-CMYHZZRtvOFoP1G92AksoABbO0w-xs4hHVS3TgNL4i25ZhVKgCLpDU_hiWEcbRsdJN7Jj9VC63jD4XEN1KFVGh9LrWqOV6-JAatdz-m4h-r71x5-w/w150-h196/Paris%202.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">It was
reassuring to feel the same stomach-flipping excitement as our flight descended
into Charles de Gaulle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t wait
to feel Paris beneath my feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To hear
and to smell everything that is Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
the sirens to the ever-present cigarette smoke, to the boulangeries, and bicycle
tires bumping over cobblestone streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Our taxi ride
from the airport felt like watching our favourite Paris film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw everything we loved, and that was once
strange and now so familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even drove
past the street in the 17<sup>th</sup> where we stayed on our honeymoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I squealed and squeaked as we criss-crossed Pars,
clutching Chris, and pointing out the Eiffel Tower from every angle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Our taxi ride
felt magical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A return to the city we
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">We stayed at <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">H</span>ôtel
de l’Universit<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span> on the Left Bank in the 7<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have stayed here several times and it is my
preferred hotel in Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quiet, lovely
staff, and close to Luxembourg Gardens, Le Bon March<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span>, Notre Dame, 2 locations of Maison
Georges Larnicol, and many of our favourite people-watching cafes. I could also
walk to the marathon’s start line on the Champs <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">É</span>lysées.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL5NHq81WO2YP1l-jhzRTi9T-y7wXtRHRo4PpaUtyDj-Zt-IWuor_8E941MV_uosEfclUZvMVzdyihSJXje-7rX59hckRf4I60iOv9xmWIoFFhu9P6EUoOo-GE-Zatptuohmb8l4u5GoYclCf7FXe0LIvVEujdiH3rGDdbF6HvzmZfpM2Y56rXCtZLg/s640/Paris%206.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL5NHq81WO2YP1l-jhzRTi9T-y7wXtRHRo4PpaUtyDj-Zt-IWuor_8E941MV_uosEfclUZvMVzdyihSJXje-7rX59hckRf4I60iOv9xmWIoFFhu9P6EUoOo-GE-Zatptuohmb8l4u5GoYclCf7FXe0LIvVEujdiH3rGDdbF6HvzmZfpM2Y56rXCtZLg/s320/Paris%206.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">I never want Paris
to underwhelm me or to disappoint me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paris
is where I learned to love and to feel empowered by travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years, it has made me feel like the best
and most beautiful version of myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
though painful to admit, I feel differently about Paris. We were planning our
whole lives around Paris, and now that is not true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Our first trips
to Paris were often a mix of my relentless overplanning and unrealistic expectations.
I felt panicked from the moment we landed that it would be our last time in
Paris and tried to do everything and more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wanted to inhale Paris, to wear Paris, to somehow create a legitimate
connection to the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">While I have
mellowed over the years, Chris has taught me to enjoy a slower, unplanned
version of Paris that includes later mornings, second glasses of wine, no
reservations, and hours of exploring side streets that never featured in any of
my guidebooks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">I know Paris’
familiarity is a privilege.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt it
from the moment we arrived at our hotel, and I knew instantly the locations of
the closest Monoprix and Carrefour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
not worried or anxious in Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
need a map, and I have seen and done everything important to me at least
once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have the luxury of ‘wasting’
hours in a café because I have seen the Mona Lisa, walked up the hill at Montmartre,
seen the Seine from a Bateau Mouche, and even queued for the highly rated falafel
in the Marais. Chris and I have kissed on every beautiful bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Excluding the
marathon, our 3 days were relaxing and spent wasting happy hours in our
favourite city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned to many of
our favourite spots, and I spent too much money on Haribo, tiny French
notebooks from BHV’s stationery section, and reusable Monoprix shopping bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much wine and pain aux chocolats were
consumed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drank coffee like water,
and little water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And once again, I can
confirm Paris in the springtime is a myth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were constantly cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being
back in Paris with Chris filled my heart.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MxWfPRy1bWcYXD5FCRHahebimKyghDP3LO8c6Z_eGznMt7vgQoPPZzw0LuaMlHy9ocieZUZrOiHOqpeorNmRoaG_TNA7SkFm1dRfLhVd0fIseOL5AI3Af6LBzmHypa0PGIUw9fm0jncTgMNlo7h-NQdsgiWZEE1AliBb6PfMp1_dUug2AdHM9x8WgQ/s968/Paris%203.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MxWfPRy1bWcYXD5FCRHahebimKyghDP3LO8c6Z_eGznMt7vgQoPPZzw0LuaMlHy9ocieZUZrOiHOqpeorNmRoaG_TNA7SkFm1dRfLhVd0fIseOL5AI3Af6LBzmHypa0PGIUw9fm0jncTgMNlo7h-NQdsgiWZEE1AliBb6PfMp1_dUug2AdHM9x8WgQ/s320/Paris%203.jpeg" width="254" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">There is a
yellowing, frayed piece of paper stuck to our fridge door in Victoria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It dates from 2013 and it’s titled, “We WILL
move to Paris in 5 years” and has a timeline with a list of actionable goals
now many years out of date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither of
us will take it down.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The truth is we
have moved on from our Paris dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I built
an exciting life in the UK with Chris’ support, and I proudly called myself a
Londoner before moving to Cambridge at the end of 2021.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have friends, opportunities, and I can see
our forever future here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The UK feels
like home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">It is
bittersweet writing these words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Paris will
always hold our hearts and our recent time there reminded us of everything we
love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have thousands of beautiful
memories in Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel grateful that
I experienced the city for years without mobile phones and that I was unable to
walk, unsecured, beneath the Eiffel Tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know we will continue to go back and continue to fall in love with the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">A part of us will always be dreaming of Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7i96eLrk60DaEechyaPAqQCsGJ69zuZa4gDdd1GFROzyxCK5uibNGTJ6DDr5pLC-PbVE4caUdox8-k022jqMqNgNZ82kAMpPYCDpKz5axIhDH_mpw09k-WFiWiEptYQSD5fDJTn3Z_Dn-xcAIisoRU2EbsAib9aGxHP_eHst7OxBapkCLwcQvq7Wxmg/s640/Paris%201.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7i96eLrk60DaEechyaPAqQCsGJ69zuZa4gDdd1GFROzyxCK5uibNGTJ6DDr5pLC-PbVE4caUdox8-k022jqMqNgNZ82kAMpPYCDpKz5axIhDH_mpw09k-WFiWiEptYQSD5fDJTn3Z_Dn-xcAIisoRU2EbsAib9aGxHP_eHst7OxBapkCLwcQvq7Wxmg/w400-h300/Paris%201.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-48680582707704787932020-04-26T08:43:00.000-07:002020-04-26T08:43:28.759-07:00Everywhere but Nowhere
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have lived in London nearly 5 years and while I will always be a
Canadian expat, I am inching closer to becoming a ‘real’ Londoner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, there are moments as an expat that are more difficult than
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Situations that are more challenging
and firsts that break your heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first time you miss a funeral or another important loved one’s milestone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first time you visit A&E alone and
truly realize you are on the other side of the world.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What home means becomes less clear with every month that passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember traveling back to Canada last
Christmas and feeling annoyed that I had to buy health insurance to be safe in
my own country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years, I have
caught myself more and more saying words like ‘queue’ instead of ‘line’. I used to say them to
prove my London-ness, but now they are part of my natural speech.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As an expat, I feel comfortable everywhere but settled nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I travelled so much the last 18 months that London felt like an
expensive layover where I stopped to change my clothes and try to sleep
enough to leave again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some weeks I felt like
all I did was go to and from Heathrow in taxis at unsociable hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time stopped meaning much of anything as long
as I made my flights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t think about Canada much when London initially went into
lockdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>COVID-19’s threat didn’t
trigger a rush of patriotism that normally washes over when I celebrate Canada
Day in London or, more embarrassingly, when Celin Dion comes on the radio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was slightly surprised to receive messages
from fellow expats asking whether I was planning to go home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It wasn’t until I saw Justin Trudeau’s speech calling all Canadians
home that my heart twisted and home once again became a confusing question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around the same time, my inbox started to
flood with messages from the Canadian Embassy about repatriation flights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I spent most of my life trying to leave Canada and I rarely, except on
my lowest days, question my decision to live abroad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sometimes feel guilty for how easy I have found
it to build a life in another country and away from my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find it hard to explain, and even sometimes
hard to relate to others, who don’t dream of living an expat life.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My last night out in London before the lockdown was blurry and full of
people I love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drank red wine in a high-ceilinged,
chandelier lit room overlooking Royal Albert Hall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the evening, I
half-walked-half-weaved my way to South Kensingston Station to take the tube
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I manoeuvred easily through the stations,
changing trains without looking at the signs, and not making eye contact with
my fellow passengers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I smiled, as I
always do, when I came out of Belsize Park Station and saw the distant London
lights twinkling down Haverstock Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Less than 5 minutes to the door of my flat and the sound of my skeleton
key clicking comfortingly in the lock.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chris and I talked a lot that first week of lockdown as to whether I
should fly back to Canada. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I priced
flights in panicked moments and mentally packed my bags dozens of times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, we decided it was best for me to
stay in London with my access to healthcare, my incredible friends, a job I
love, and my flat where I am safe and happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can’t pretend it was an easy decision for either of us.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today I was meant to be running the London Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chris was meant to be here for the finish
line and tomorrow we were going to travel to Paris where I would hobble through
our favourite streets and stuff myself full of croissants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead I ran just 5 miles this morning and
nowhere near the marathon route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now sit
with my laptop, almost dressed, and drinking one of the many cups of tea that
have become synonymous with lockdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am wearing mascara and a glittery sweatshirt I bought years ago at Monoprix in
Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day I know I will cross that
finish line and Chris and I will celebrate in Paris. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">London has become more permanent through this experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My life here is normally at high speed and I
rarely take the time to consider what makes London more than just an iconic
backdrop to my dreams. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lockdown has
proven the strength of my London friendships and I have rarely been
lonely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My job, away from the noise of
traveling, is stimulating and my colleagues are kind and supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I live in an area that provides stunning
natural beauty with Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill on my doorstep and I
spend hours each week exploring them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">London stripped bare of most of its glamour and excitement is still a
lovely place to call home.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XG2ep9m9SBg/XqWq9NL2sSI/AAAAAAAABfA/HfG1iTlcr_0luD5xWls3hiS_XR_Pf6kiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XG2ep9m9SBg/XqWq9NL2sSI/AAAAAAAABfA/HfG1iTlcr_0luD5xWls3hiS_XR_Pf6kiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/image1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-26294163531297037102018-04-02T07:04:00.000-07:002018-04-02T07:04:08.344-07:00Lessons from Paris<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I arrived in Paris last week full of London. My shoulders were up around my ears, the smell of the Tube clung to my skinny jeans, and my feet were soaked from trying to hop over puddles with my suitcase. I was longing for a glass of red wine and that first soul restoring glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bwNNxCrgTW8/WsI2Euw_8yI/AAAAAAAABOI/c8vny5JzuBU3lKqm9rPsdxweFdJJslvUgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bwNNxCrgTW8/WsI2Euw_8yI/AAAAAAAABOI/c8vny5JzuBU3lKqm9rPsdxweFdJJslvUgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3295.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Paris has always been the city I go to relax and recharge, and even more so now that I live in London. I need a place to escape London, to quiet the constant noise and allow me to slow down. Some Londoners flee to the country in their green wellies and Barbour coats for long, bracing walks; I prefer hiding in my favourite cafés and wandering through perfectly sculpted gardens with a silk scarf tied around my neck. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But sometimes it's a struggle to leave London behind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My first day in Paris was a bit of disaster. I couldn't relax and I pounded through the Paris streets, smashing the soles of my feet and tearing my calf muscles. Every inch of my body hurt, and I was angry with myself for not being able to relax. I was failing to see Paris and all of my favourite things, practically swallowing fresh croissants whole in my hurry to keep moving. I slept badly that night. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I woke up the next morning feeling as though I had let Paris down. I felt it was waste to be in Paris if I wasn't going to embrace those uniquely Parisian moments, like biting off the end of still-warm baguette or stopping to look up into the windows of a Haussmannian building. I may as well just stayed in London and practiced scowling at fellow passengers on the Tube. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The next day was slower, but truthfully because I was too sore to keep up the same frantic pace. I started the day by visiting a market and inhaling the smells of fresh fruit, flowers and fish. It took me back to my summer in Paris when I visited a different market nearly every day. I bought a <i>pain au chocolat</i> and browsed through colourful piles of discounted cashmere sweaters. I eavesdropped on excited conversations about <i>'les vacances'</i> and commiserated silently with those grumbling about <i>'la pluie'</i>. That night I took myself for an apertif at a bustling café and made conversation with the chain-smoking and impossibly chic Parisians squeezed against my table. I shrugged my shoulders dramatically and confirmed, in French, that Canada was indeed full of wide open spaces. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i6jj27Oar-w/WsI2gVoSZeI/AAAAAAAABOQ/ab4UwsFvrGMQc4sRPfqZv85p72EDj9MYgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i6jj27Oar-w/WsI2gVoSZeI/AAAAAAAABOQ/ab4UwsFvrGMQc4sRPfqZv85p72EDj9MYgCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_3274.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On my way back to my hotel, emboldened by a second glass of delicious red wine, I stopped to buy cheese at <a href="https://www.cantin.fr/?lang=en" target="_blank">Marie-Anne Cantin</a>. The shop is a tiny, much-written about cheese paradise just off rue Cler. The cheese is displayed beautifully and cut to your exact specifications, before being wrapped up as lovingly as an engagement ring from Tiffany & Co. It's absolutely terrifying if you don't speak French and you can't really turn around without hitting a Brie or a Roquefort. The shop smells fresh and sharp, and mixes pleasantly with the scents from its neighbouring <i>patisseries</i> and <i>boulangeries.</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I just wanted to buy a miniscule amount of cheese to eat with my half-baguette and slices of <i>saucisson sec.</i> The clerk, pristine in his white cheese-selling jacket, smiled his <i>'dites-moi' </i>at me and I pointed to cheeses, while explaining my preference for softer tasting blues. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The clerk took ages with me. Every moment, every gesture, every exchanged word was completely unrushed. The selection of my perfect cheeses, the precise measurements, the importance placed on getting exactly what I wanted were the only things that mattered in that moment. For 10 blissfully, slow minutes there was nothing more important than buying cheese.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For someone as anxious as me who struggles to live in the present and catastrophizes nearly everything, experiences like I had in the Parisian cheese shop are invaluable. Sometimes life really is just that beautiful and that simple. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That's my Paris.</span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Moment of perfect happiness...</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Returning to Le Petit Cler, my same table, and treating myself to a dinner of a croque madame while writing in one of my many notebooks. At the table next to me were two stick-thin Parisiennes eating steak tartare, drinking wine and smoking cigarettes between bites. They ordered dessert, too. Their confidence in consuming more calories in a single meal than any self-respecting North American woman would ever allow in several days, while simultaneously ignoring the dangers of smoking, was inspiring. And yes, they were perfectly dressed with shiny hair, fresh skin and sculpted nails. </span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Moment of horror...</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I confess I went for a walk on the Champs Elys<span style="margin: 0px;">é</span>es. As I strolled towards Avenue Montaigne, a flash of something brown caught my eye. A giant rat was sitting by the chairs of a sidewalk café, its thick hairy tail practically extended into the oncoming traffic. It was staring right at me and its fur was all wet from the rain, giving it the impression of having a mohawk. I screamed. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXfIG2xhofw/WsI2XUw4BuI/AAAAAAAABOM/Un-KcureRC0eEgpbjgNl_ztfyNgMAEq4ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1413" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXfIG2xhofw/WsI2XUw4BuI/AAAAAAAABOM/Un-KcureRC0eEgpbjgNl_ztfyNgMAEq4ACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3246.JPG" width="352" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-54901956371150655302017-01-22T09:57:00.001-08:002017-01-22T09:59:49.582-08:00My Life So FarI turned 40 last month. Quietly, perfectly and exactly how I dreamed of turning 40... in Paris.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jam8eC4VlgA/WITvVIqKDJI/AAAAAAAABH8/YGrOYjtRVpMsgCVlT1LRAT3fb8IB3LinACLcB/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jam8eC4VlgA/WITvVIqKDJI/AAAAAAAABH8/YGrOYjtRVpMsgCVlT1LRAT3fb8IB3LinACLcB/s400/IMG_0208.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I remember being 25 and visiting Paris for the first time. I remember falling in love with the city and vowing to return, just once more, to celebrate my 40th birthday. Chris and I were in the early, careful stages of our relationship and I couldn't have imagined where our lives would lead - separately or together. I certainly never imagined our passionate pursuit of Paris or that Paris would bring us to London.<br />
<br />
I started my 40th birthday with my favourite meal - an omelette nature and a<span style="font-family: inherit;"> giant <span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">café
crème</span> a</span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->t Le Petit Cler. Chris and I spent the rest of the day wandering aimlessly through our beloved Paris streets, stopping for mulled wines and macarons. I bought a sophisticated, age appropriate rose parfum at <a href="http://www.annickgoutal.com/" target="_blank">Annick Goutal</a> and Chris didn't complain when I stopped at every <a href="http://monoprix./">Monoprix.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SVclLd0P4dM/WITvf5QSGVI/AAAAAAAABIA/ymvZOaPfQiIjmdVlcwncmHHr9ik3lSheACLcB/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SVclLd0P4dM/WITvf5QSGVI/AAAAAAAABIA/ymvZOaPfQiIjmdVlcwncmHHr9ik3lSheACLcB/s400/IMG_0219.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I wanted to be the kind of woman who celebrates her 40th birthday with a stream of cleverly hashtagged selfies and culturally relevant words of wisdom. I wanted to be the kind of woman who crazily commemorates this milestone birthday with a hot air balloon ride, a naked yoga class or dinner at a Michelin starred-restaurant. I really did. But it's so not me. It would have felt as forced and contrived as spending a day standing in line at the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa. So not me. <br />
<br />
Instead I did exactly as I wanted. I spent my birthday with the love of my life in the city of our dreams. No rushing, no fuss, just us two and overwhelming feelings of gratitude and love. <br />
<br />
I admit that turning 40 has made me feel more reflective. <br />
<br />
Many of you may know that late last year, I participated in a video where I spoke very personally about my anxiety. It was a freeing experience and one that has since influenced my outlook and attitude. I made a conscious decision to open up about my anxiety, both in my personal and professional lives. Subconsciously, I think this was my way of kick-starting my 40th year and embracing all of my emotional bits and pieces.<br />
<br />
Because even at 40, I still feel like I am figuring things out... <br />
<br />
I worry about saying the wrong thing in a way that doesn't feel that distant from my teenage self. I won't leave the house without make-up, but I hate doing my face. Especially eyeliner. I can't put eyeliner on without making a mess and I am 40. I am still searching for the one dress that 'will change my life', even though there are at least a dozen of them hanging in my closet. I still get crushes on short men. I wish I could sleep past 6am. I am uncomfortable around children, especially babies. I think I would rather hold a scented ferret than a friend's baby. Sorry! I love Wolford tights, Repetto ballet flats, Marks & Spencer ready-meals, Nespresso, silk scarves, costume jewellery, novels and pocket-sized notebooks. I miss horseback riding so much. And part of the reason I walk through Hyde Park every morning is so I can see other people riding. I am sarcastic. I don't particularly like being hugged. Each time Chris leaves London, I can't look at the planes circling over the city because it makes me too sad. I love junk food and I often eat like I am still in my 20's with the metabolism of a 13 year old boy. I read before bed every single night, even if it's super late or I have had one too many glasses of wine. I love smiling at strangers. I can't drink Champagne. I get sweaty every time I have to speak in public, whether it's 3 people or 100 people. I hate running but I still consider myself a runner. I still wear the same running shorts I wore when I ran the Vancouver Marathon in 2006. I say sorry too much. I spend too much time questioning how I have come to be at this place in my life, rather than just enjoying my life.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WHw28d1tXHY/WITwUfnXWyI/AAAAAAAABII/NlJ_ALSYIQgPM_0MQ1PHlx_GM5SgVuMmgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WHw28d1tXHY/WITwUfnXWyI/AAAAAAAABII/NlJ_ALSYIQgPM_0MQ1PHlx_GM5SgVuMmgCLcB/s400/IMG_0044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I had few expectations when I left Canada just over 18 months ago. I expected to tolerate London as a means to get us to Paris. I knew London would be good for my career. I hoped I would make a few friends and learn to appreciate a bitter ale. But never thought I would feel at home in London. I never imagined buying candles and furry pillows for my bijou flat. I never imagined having friends that would toast me with Champagne and filthy cards for my 40th birthday. I never imagined my heart would do a happy dance every time my plane touches down at Heathrow.<br />
<br />
London feels like home. To both of us. <br />
<br />
My experience in London has been extraordinary. More than once I have wondered whether I worked really hard or just been really lucky. When I think back on my 30's, I remember the opportunities and the setbacks. Both professional and personal. I didn't always immediately learn from them, but I did take them seriously. And I think I am now just starting to appreciate their impact and influence. <br />
<br />
I have been a lot of things in my 40 years. I have been a daughter, friend, best friend, girlfriend and wife. I have been a horse lover, cat rescuer, rider and runner. I have been impatient, inflexible, furious, and terrified. I have been heart broken, professionally confused, and almost a writer. I have been deliriously happy and moved to tears. I have been, and probably always will be, a bit anxious.<br />
<br />
I think the best things I can take into my 40's are an open mind and gratitude.<br />
<br />
I was in Italy last week. As I left the airport in Rome, I started paging through my passport looking at its collection of stamps. I felt a kind of geeky, and likely age inappropriate, shiver of pleasure. I felt a huge smile spread across my face.<br />
<br />
My life exactly as I imagined it...<i> </i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zVmY-hibYZw/WITxqHaOXbI/AAAAAAAABIc/nhe5rqx6J2o2fRzOwl6BHpslykRZcLy0ACLcB/s1600/IMG_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zVmY-hibYZw/WITxqHaOXbI/AAAAAAAABIc/nhe5rqx6J2o2fRzOwl6BHpslykRZcLy0ACLcB/s400/IMG_0311.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i> </i> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com7London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-67498009625891140452016-08-14T09:29:00.000-07:002016-08-14T09:29:05.937-07:00TruthsExpats don't post their real lives on Instagram. If they did, no one would follow them and certainly no one would ever dream of moving abroad. I don't think anyone wants to see my Instagram feed with pictures of me making Nespresso from the end of my bed, trying to remove <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/" target="_blank">Marks & Spencer</a> butter chicken stains from my pink <a href="https://www.primark.com/en/features/women" target="_blank">Primark</a> robe, or re-watching an episode of <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238784/" target="_blank">Gilmore Girls</a> </i>on Netflix.<i> </i><br />
<br />
My life has changed much so since I moved to London, especially in the last three months, that it's difficult to conceive much less describe. I have learned that in order to thrive as an expat, you have to say, act and believe in YES. I have said 'yes' to eating <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Munch" target="_blank">Monster Munch</a> and Scotch eggs. I have accepted invitations to dinner parties where all of the guests have been friends for over 20 years and think that Canada is overrun with grizzly bears<i>. </i>I have been uncomfortable, felt ridiculous and tripped on the gap between the tube and the platform. All because I believe that Chris and I are destined to live this life.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THmRH2dHRw4/V7CXjSUOw5I/AAAAAAAABDQ/bq4LBwGKCyE5J2TmJjxPPHW0xSSMZDQUACEw/s1600/IMG_6378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THmRH2dHRw4/V7CXjSUOw5I/AAAAAAAABDQ/bq4LBwGKCyE5J2TmJjxPPHW0xSSMZDQUACEw/s400/IMG_6378.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing tourist with one of my favourite expats at the hotel where Kate Middleton spent the night before her wedding. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Chris left yesterday after spending 11 days in London. We hadn't seen in each other in 17 weeks. It's too soon for me to think rationally about his leaving or to worry about when we will next see each other. Another thing I have learned as an expat is you can't dwell on everything you left behind or you could never move forward. I can't spend every minute wishing I was curled up on the couch with Chris and Sophie Bitchface. I can't think about selling Countess. I can't miss my spacious office and the luxury of being able to close my door. I can't focus on the fact that I miss birthdays, anniversaries, engagements and being able to call my loved ones in the same time zone. I have to keep going and embrace my London life.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D9OCMtfI5sM/V7CXdqXMNMI/AAAAAAAABDQ/AKOHe-TPI9AZDFptctBkYjbOcU-HB76qACEw/s1600/IMG_6506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D9OCMtfI5sM/V7CXdqXMNMI/AAAAAAAABDQ/AKOHe-TPI9AZDFptctBkYjbOcU-HB76qACEw/s320/IMG_6506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CdbAMlPuDRc/V7CXdlldMSI/AAAAAAAABDQ/8mqD1rPk8H43v01tKn55q-OIS_LeESz5wCEw/s1600/IMG_6604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CdbAMlPuDRc/V7CXdlldMSI/AAAAAAAABDQ/8mqD1rPk8H43v01tKn55q-OIS_LeESz5wCEw/s320/IMG_6604.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I appreciate what my London life looks like from a distance. I get glimpses of its brilliance when I tour people through zones 1 and 2 or take them on picturesque walks through <a href="https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park/things-to-see-and-do" target="_blank">Hyde Park</a> and South Kensington. I am grateful for my London life. But as all expats know, there are many misconceptions and mysteries...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I don't spend all of my free time drinking warm beer in dark pubs with low ceilings.</li>
<li>I don't eat fish n' chips every night. I wish I could but I would get sick. </li>
<li>I have never bumped into Kate Middleton buying red velvet cupcakes at <a href="https://hummingbirdbakery.com/" target="_blank">Hummingbird Bakery</a> in South Kensington. </li>
<li>I don't buy my groceries at the <a href="http://www.harrods.com/product/the-grandeur-food-hall-collection/harrods/000000000001557484" target="_blank">Harrods Food Hall</a>, just the occasional French macaron. </li>
<li>I haven't visited a castle, played polo or ridden a horse wearing a <a href="http://www.barbour.com/uk?gclid=CjwKEAjwrcC9BRC2v5rjyvSbhWASJACKkjDzVD9laKbOKZKN4-6jP-APJcs8FpfYCVplefgP5qmW5RoCW_zw_wcB#" target="_blank">Barbour</a> waxed jacket. </li>
<li>Despite living in London, I still have to clean my bathroom and do my laundry. </li>
<li>London women aren't all like Bridget Jones and they don't all want to be best friends or invite me to their tiny flats for hilarious and cozy dinner parties. </li>
<li>Commuting is not more fun, or more sexy, just because I get to ride the tube. It's especially not sexy when someone rams their sticky armpit in my face after a rare 30 degree day. </li>
<li>It's impossibly frustrating to try and find a ripe avocado. Or white chocolate that tastes like white chocolate.</li>
<li>All English men don't look or sound like Hugh Grant, Colin Firth or Ralph Fiennes. However, most of them have really good taste in socks. </li>
<li>Mascara is expensive. But sandwiches are cheap. </li>
<li>No matter how I pronounce 'about', everyone I meet thinks I am an American. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kgr9hAji3qQ/V7CYEcVa2aI/AAAAAAAABDI/e1to0hlhsWEOWtiyFnBTHcVj46UGF6igQCEw/s1600/IMG_6701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kgr9hAji3qQ/V7CYEcVa2aI/AAAAAAAABDI/e1to0hlhsWEOWtiyFnBTHcVj46UGF6igQCEw/s400/IMG_6701.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
The last thing is that inconsequential acts suddenly have huge meanings. For example, I recently found myself moving unconsciously through the underground tunnels at King's Cross Station during rush hour. I arrived on the Northern Line platform without a stumble, glance at my map, or a second thought. It felt simultaneously like a huge act of betrayal and a moment of belonging. These conflicting emotions are constant. I recently bought a side table, no bigger than what would fit in a children's playhouse, and the purchase seemed so permanent. Same as when I finally hung pictures on my walls. Last week, I felt a guilty thrill at hearing Chris describe our London flat as 'home'.<br />
<br />
This is my London life.<br />
<br />
<i>Moments of perfect happiness...</i><br />
Having Chris with me in London.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Rnp_tEoz2M/V7CaGyzasiI/AAAAAAAABDs/N1K7LWPU9zk2Zp3xQY4VzQVLgBAzmlN3ACEw/s1600/IMG_7365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Rnp_tEoz2M/V7CaGyzasiI/AAAAAAAABDs/N1K7LWPU9zk2Zp3xQY4VzQVLgBAzmlN3ACEw/s400/IMG_7365.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i> </i><br />
<i>My 'Hyde Park Village'...</i><br />
One of the best parts about my new job is that I start every morning with a 30 minute walk through Hyde Park. Along with fellow commuters, there is a whole community that exists. There is a group of velvet hard-hatted posh girls cantering their dark Warmblood horses on Rotten Row. They are all dressed in identical tweed hunting jackets, ties and shiny black boots. It's like a grown up Pony Club for Sloane Rangers. There are the morning lido swimmers, in their Speedos and wet suits, bravely stepping into the lake with the geese and the swans. And always a small black dog with a pink leash waiting for her owner on the dock, pacing back and forth in time with her owner's lengths. There are the proper London commuters, the same ones who always rush to top deck, front row, of the red buses though would never admit it, that stop to admire and Instagram photos of the ducklings and cygnets that line the edge of Serpentine Lake hoping for a fallen bacon butty crumb. I swear the birds are posher in Hyde Park. There is a smartly dressed homeless man who wears a striped scarf, knotted French style around his neck, and is often found relaxing on a pink yoga mat beneath a willow tree. He carries a smart looking brown duffel bag and his shoes are always immaculate. The incredible views of the Shard and the London Eye. It changes based on the weather, so every 5 minutes, but it never fails to make me stop and fall a bit more in love with London.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MYhVwqQQVJY/V7CX0739wJI/AAAAAAAABDA/_6Dwj4ZsHJ8mC0-DM0cHC-zVDFcWGOgPACEw/s1600/IMG_6780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MYhVwqQQVJY/V7CX0739wJI/AAAAAAAABDA/_6Dwj4ZsHJ8mC0-DM0cHC-zVDFcWGOgPACEw/s400/IMG_6780.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rotten Row</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>One last truth...</i><br />
I have been writing, just not blogging. I am always writing, always looking and always stopping to write things down in one of the dozens of notebooks I have collected during my travels. I always carry a notebook, especially now that I am spending more time commuting and traveling. Notebooks are one of my comfort items and remind me of happy places, like alleys in Saint Germain, transatlantic flights with no Internet connection, rue Cler or the stationery department of <a href="http://www.bhv.fr/magasins/bhv-paris/" target="_blank">BHV</a>. <i> </i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qJUIw2yn5PI/V7CYNAToJzI/AAAAAAAABDM/mNuQWgI5XT0cqJzRRjSwuBC9TkHvC8PRQCEw/s1600/IMG_7194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qJUIw2yn5PI/V7CYNAToJzI/AAAAAAAABDM/mNuQWgI5XT0cqJzRRjSwuBC9TkHvC8PRQCEw/s400/IMG_7194.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com4London52.908902047770255 -2.460937532.494824047770251 -43.7695315 73.322980047770258 38.8476565tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-52868770410398215572016-04-24T08:44:00.000-07:002016-04-24T08:46:16.695-07:00FutureI suffer from anxiety and the future can be scary place.<br />
<br />
The future represents a series of unfounded fears and worst-case scenarios. My anxiety turns every tension headache into an aneurysm, every delayed plane into a catastrophic crash, and when Chris doesn't his answer his cell phone I am convinced I will never see him again. My anxiety can twist my stomach, tense my muscles, cause my ears to ring, and make me forget the simplest information. At times, I am both terrified and overwhelmed by my anxiety's physical and emotional symptoms. <br />
<br />
I struggle to stay in the present and challenge my assumptions with what I know is the truth.<br />
<br />
For the last 10 months, London has been my truth. London, not Paris.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k0ojH4X4uVg/VxzlugWT6PI/AAAAAAAAA-8/TPwGBNV56jQYoI_kzbiafJXCTuxMJ4zGwCLcB/s1600/IMG_6141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k0ojH4X4uVg/VxzlugWT6PI/AAAAAAAAA-8/TPwGBNV56jQYoI_kzbiafJXCTuxMJ4zGwCLcB/s400/IMG_6141.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Chris and I took a huge risk when I moved to London last year. We had no affection, no longing, no romantic ideals - especially Chris - about London. London was a gateway to Paris and we would tolerate London until we could find our way to Paris.<br />
<br />
We didn't expect to fall for London.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHaQiO63rXA/VxznMtw5vnI/AAAAAAAAA_I/6AIMKakedsYACTByw2o_FNNx5uwPrKUOACLcB/s1600/12400441_10153899600547317_1908040749085023731_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHaQiO63rXA/VxznMtw5vnI/AAAAAAAAA_I/6AIMKakedsYACTByw2o_FNNx5uwPrKUOACLcB/s400/12400441_10153899600547317_1908040749085023731_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Chris came to London last September for the first time since our honeymoon in 2007. I was apprehensive given his previous disappointment and how we spent the majority of our honeymoon eating hamburgers in our swanky hotel's lounge. But Chris came ready to embrace London and support me and a different version of our dream. I watched Chris relax in London, become a regular at "my local", negotiate rush hour on the Tube, and find his own space among 8 million Londoners. <br />
<br />
I didn't pursue a recent opportunity that could
have lead us to Paris. It was a difficult decision and one that suggests we are loosening our grip on Paris. Or perhaps it means that we want to protect our romanticized version of Paris? Our Paris will always be for long, beautiful walks, kisses at the Eiffel Tower, and sitting for hours at Le Petit Cler.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDqD70jKNYE/VxzoWEyxQAI/AAAAAAAAA_g/a-O-d_JdEXAmNIjqoysQsi4bpqqsWBLTwCLcB/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDqD70jKNYE/VxzoWEyxQAI/AAAAAAAAA_g/a-O-d_JdEXAmNIjqoysQsi4bpqqsWBLTwCLcB/s400/037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
London is an exhilarating city where almost anything seems possible. I came with no expectations. All I wanted was a chance to prove that Chris and I wanted our dream, in whatever shape, enough to risk our comfortable life together in Victoria. In the last 10 months, I have met incredible people, received unbelievable support, and had experiences that will forever change my life. London has changed both Chris and me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMkJ8z_S9rw/VxznuSeQdCI/AAAAAAAAA_c/lNgFd9sj10EVkzEHsxHh3HTxSi2IqeRegCKgB/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMkJ8z_S9rw/VxznuSeQdCI/AAAAAAAAA_c/lNgFd9sj10EVkzEHsxHh3HTxSi2IqeRegCKgB/s400/055.JPG" width="295" /></a></div>
<br />
I start a new, permanent job with a London university in May. My new job is the next step in bringing Chris here and establishing our life in London. This weekend I signed another year's lease on my flat and finally hung pictures on the walls. I have a London doctor and I am almost brave enough to see a London dentist.<br />
<br />
Two weeks ago, I flew from Victoria to London. Those first 10 hours of separation from Chris are always the worst and I am grateful for British Airways' endlessly sympathetic flight attendants. As I left the plane, one of them winked at me and said, 'Welcome home."<br />
<br />
I still don't know what the future holds. But I know Chris and I are moving in the right direction...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FypCYcn1Gsw/Vxznncf1cbI/AAAAAAAAA_c/snwTxpD843AIL2-K8USMEcOeomDezJVTwCKgB/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FypCYcn1Gsw/Vxznncf1cbI/AAAAAAAAA_c/snwTxpD843AIL2-K8USMEcOeomDezJVTwCKgB/s400/018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-45842596466444355832015-11-15T09:03:00.000-08:002015-11-15T09:03:51.905-08:00Mots d'Amour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I received a text in Victoria as the world was finding out about the Charlie Hebdo shooting in January. One of my best friends was texting me from a high speed train en route to Paris. It was her first trip there and she wanted directions and advice.<br />
<br />
Minutes later I sat in front of my television watching the horrific news unfold. I was shocked and saddened but more than anything I wished to be in Paris. I wanted to be with my city.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_o9AajHrSds/Vki5Z1Wr2TI/AAAAAAAAA80/0-xGiTE2zBA/s1600/070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_o9AajHrSds/Vki5Z1Wr2TI/AAAAAAAAA80/0-xGiTE2zBA/s400/070.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I lay in bed on Friday night in London listening to BBC radio report on the chaotic and senseless killings in Paris. I drifted in and out of sleep as the death toll rose and the extent of the tragedy became clear. I woke to dozens of messages from friends and family wanting to make sure I was safe in London.<br />
<br />
Again I was shocked and saddened and my heart broke for Paris. And again, more than anything, I wished to be in Paris. Now living so close, I checked the Eurostar schedule hoping to find a last minute deal so I could walk the streets of my city instead of staring zombie-like at the same, devastating news coverage. I wanted to hold my city close. <br />
<br />
I have been teased that I only see Paris through sparkly and pink-coloured glasses. My Paris is one where the Seine always glitters in the moonlight and the croissants are always warm and buttery. My Paris is long, romantic walks in the Luxembourg Gardens with stolen kisses behind palm trees and sunlit glimpses of the Eiffel Tower. I have been told on several occasions that my Paris isn't real. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hV9o1J97YQs/Vki3tv1wPGI/AAAAAAAAA8o/nQpGnMLfORc/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hV9o1J97YQs/Vki3tv1wPGI/AAAAAAAAA8o/nQpGnMLfORc/s400/002.JPG" width="382" /></a></div>
<br />
When I visited Paris in April, a few months after the Charlie Hebdo shooting, I found the city somewhat changed. Subtle changes that revealed a slightly darker version of Paris where it was harder to make eye contact with strangers and a light tension could be felt on the streets. A city I have always found so welcoming and warm suddenly felt closed and careful. I smiled through the bag searches and skirted the areas that seemed overrun with armed police officers. I reclaimed my home at Le Petit Cler and spent happy hours writing and drinking sharp shots of espresso.<br />
<br />
My blog is not about politics and I am going to leave those difficult conversations and commentary to the professionals. My blog is about Paris and my blog is about love.<br />
<br />
Terrible things can happen anywhere. I only have to look at my family and my close friends to see that appalling, life-changing things happen with barely a whisper, much less a shower of bullets. We have a choice as to how we react to things. With my family and my close friends, I have been awed and inspired by their determination as they faced challenges and fear. Every single one of them has kept going.<br />
<br />
Does love conquer fear?<br />
<br />
Through my sparkly and pink-coloured glasses, I believe that love conquers fear. I believe that Paris will always be the City of Light and the City of Love. Paris will always be my city. My thoughts, my prayers, my love and my heart are with Paris and to all those affected by this terrible tragedy. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pHlMSdXpEdQ/Vki4kJsmJLI/AAAAAAAAA8w/uBK9UhTaaQ4/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pHlMSdXpEdQ/Vki4kJsmJLI/AAAAAAAAA8w/uBK9UhTaaQ4/s400/012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
For always and forever, I'd rather be in Paris.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7AkuIXmS4g/Vki4OA0IXbI/AAAAAAAAA8k/4BChS-c4OxY/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7AkuIXmS4g/Vki4OA0IXbI/AAAAAAAAA8k/4BChS-c4OxY/s400/010.JPG" width="350" /></a></div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-45151835160983435972015-11-01T06:23:00.000-08:002015-11-01T06:23:00.941-08:00Contradictions I was born in Canada. I live in London. And my stubborn heart still belongs to Paris.<br />
<br />
What does it mean?<br />
<br />
I can't describe the restlessness I have felt since I was old enough to understand that Victoria is an island and somewhat remote from the rest of the world. I wanted to escape Victoria long before Paris or London and long before I understood how my escape would change my life, and Chris's life, forever. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nH1EGPJXMo/VjYc2Jnem0I/AAAAAAAAA7U/LvcsY4uaNCs/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nH1EGPJXMo/VjYc2Jnem0I/AAAAAAAAA7U/LvcsY4uaNCs/s400/020.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The incomparable view of the Gulf Islands flying from Victoria to Vancouver. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Almost any ex-pat will describe similar feelings of restlessness and a certain sense of disconnection to their own country. I met an Australian colleague that lives in France but spends a lot of her time working in London. She travels back to Australia yearly. She spoke about not wanting to live in Australia but not feeling entirely at home in France despite her French husband and children. She explained that it's one of the difficulties of being an ex-pat - that sense of not knowing, or not feeling, that you belong in any country.<br />
<br />
I am starting to get a sense of these feelings.<br />
<br />
It's funny how desperate I have become for any slight connection to Canada. Last week I saw a man in <a href="http://www.londontown.com/LondonAreas/Bloomsbury/" target="_blank">Bloomsbury</a> wearing a Toronto Blue Jays ball cap and jersey and I had to stop myself from tackling him with a bear hug. My pre-London self would have thought his style tacky and tasteless. <br />
<br />
In the past five months, I have showed my colleagues photographs of marauding urban raccoons, tried to explain the precise location of the Gulf Islands and, countless times, dispelled the myth that Canada is covered in ice and snow. I am quick to correct anyone who mistakenly identifies my accent as American and often I start conversations with, "I am from Canada". <br />
<br />
I feel more connected to Canada living abroad.<br />
<br />
Londoners are proud. If you meet a Londoner who loves London, they LOVE London. And every time I meet one, I am charmed and excited by how much pleasure they find in London. I forget every small thing that can make London difficult at times; from costly rent to having an unwashed armpit thrust in my face on the Tube. <br />
<br />
Most days it's impossible not to love London.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6uEIOaMRLNg/VjYd0xpbEfI/AAAAAAAAA7c/Q6y-axn4VXI/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6uEIOaMRLNg/VjYd0xpbEfI/AAAAAAAAA7c/Q6y-axn4VXI/s400/003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I spent Canadian Thanksgiving working at some events in Paris. It was a busy weekend and my first, tiny taste of being a professional in Paris. Saturday started with an early morning and ended with a late night. At 11:30pm, I found myself stomping along the moonlit Seine without so much as a glance at the glittery bridges or twinkling Eiffel Tower. My stomach was growling with hunger, my feet hurt and I was becoming angrier by the moment. <br />
<br />
Paris who?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hGFiQyV3eoM/VjYeHk55Z5I/AAAAAAAAA7k/AkyvXw1XJgk/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hGFiQyV3eoM/VjYeHk55Z5I/AAAAAAAAA7k/AkyvXw1XJgk/s400/023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I stopped, slapped myself - very hard! - mentally, and reminded myself that I was in Paris. Paris. I slowed my pace, took a few deep breaths and took a <i>petit pause </i>on Pont Alexandre, to swoon over the stunning view of Madame Eiffel. <br />
<br />
On Sunday I had a blissful, free day to wander Paris with no agenda. I went to <a href="http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71393/Jardin-du-Luxembourg" target="_blank">Jardin du Luxembourg</a> and stood surrounded by a riot of autumn colours, leaves crunching underfoot, smartly dressed Parisians with their faces turned to the sun, and glimpses of <a href="http://pss75.fr/saint-sulpice-paris/" target="_blank">Saint Sulpice</a> and the Eiffel Tower. My throat tightened and I felt tears prick my eyes. After so many trips and trying to find different paths to Paris, I was standing in my favourite city in the world on a sunny October day. Everything seemed possible in that moment. <br />
<br />
Paris still has my heart.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ofRQ8jsAmH8/VjYe8cY-4XI/AAAAAAAAA7w/JH3CJBaHFKA/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ofRQ8jsAmH8/VjYe8cY-4XI/AAAAAAAAA7w/JH3CJBaHFKA/s400/037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
There are moments when I am overwhelmed by not knowing where Chris and I will ultimately live. Moments where I wonder where home is or even what home means. <br />
<br />
In these moments of doubt, I remind myself that living and working in London is a privilege; I remind myself that I am lucky to love, and to know, three amazing countries and cities; and I remind myself that while it's difficult being apart from Chris, we are chasing our dream and no matter where we settle, it will be together and we will have answered the hard questions that arose during our first visit to Paris and London in 2007. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPmDJunoKYc/VjYfP9vNhiI/AAAAAAAAA74/6vHI-E9VQV8/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPmDJunoKYc/VjYfP9vNhiI/AAAAAAAAA74/6vHI-E9VQV8/s400/027.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris sunrise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Things ex-pats in London say (overheard on my nightly commute up Haverstock Hill)...</b><br />
"I haven't been to Notting Hill yet but I had my groceries delivered from their Whole Foods."<br />
<br />
<b>Moments of London misery...</b><br />
During a rare rush hour Tube journey, a man squeezed himself onto the train carrying a steaming bag of take-out. It smelled like a rotting baby diaper had exploded and everyone was shifting into invisible areas of space to escape the smell. Despite being told that it's "common to eat on the street", this same rule doesn't seem to apply to the Tube. It's not uncommon to see people consume entire meals, not just handheld food like burgers or kebabs, on the Tube but food that requires cutlery and tricky balancing acts.<br />
<br />
<b>Things you will never see North Americans do (especially on the West Coast)...</b><br />
While enjoying a glass of wine at <a href="http://www.cafecentralparis.com/" target="_blank">Cafe Central</a> on rue Cler, the Parisians sitting next to me devoured a basket of white bread while simultaneously smoking cigarettes<b>.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Moments of perfect happiness...</b><br />
I have had a crush on <a href="http://www.rosabonheur.fr/" target="_blank">Rosa Bonheur</a> since it opened on the Seine in 2013. In Paris a few weeks ago, I had dinner there with the incredible daughter of one of my best social media friends, Cassie. I met Cassie online over 5 years ago but we have never met in person (hurry up. December!) and her daughter is doing a semester abroad in Paris. Dining outside on Rosa Bonheur's gently bobbing barge we shared wine, pizza and a salad drenched in olive oil and runny, creamy cheese - "to be healthy" - while talking and laughing. At 8pm, right on cue, the Eiffel Tower exploded into its light show and all the uber hip and chic Rosa Bonheur patrons squeaked with pleasure. Bliss. <b> </b><b> </b> <b> </b><i> </i> <br />
<br />
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-87796249286107535052015-10-04T09:20:00.002-07:002015-10-04T09:20:15.895-07:00Our London TownI wasn't sure what to expect when Chris arrived in London a few weeks ago. It was his first visit since 2007 where the most we saw of London was the food hall at <a href="http://www.harrods.com/" target="_blank">Harrods</a> and an evening performance of <i><a href="http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/london?gclid=" target="_blank">The Phantom of the Opera</a> </i>at Her Majesty's Theatre. Both of us left London feeling disappointed and flattened by the city.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I was expecting Chris to hate London. I was expecting his transition to London, and our transition to being a couple in London, to be tension-filled and difficult. I was expecting non-stop, impossible comparisons to Paris. I wasn't expecting normal. I wasn't expecting Chris to find "his local' in Belsize Park, walks across Hampstead Heath, or cozy nights tucked up in our bijou flat eating <a href="http://gailsbread.co.uk/" target="_blank">Gail's Bakery</a> sandwiches and watching <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00d7mtr" target="_blank">BBC 3</a>. I wasn't expecting us to be so happy and comfortable in London. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JJt951udFQg/VhFOcZf36jI/AAAAAAAAA6A/jvYo2v7w218/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JJt951udFQg/VhFOcZf36jI/AAAAAAAAA6A/jvYo2v7w218/s400/051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
That Chris fell in love with London is a relief and the part of me that has been holding my breath since June can finally relax and breathe. This move to London has been one of the biggest challenges we have taken on as a couple and while we are grateful for this incredible opportunity, I know we have both had moments of doubt and fear. <br />
<br />
London isn't easy and it doesn't have the same softness as Paris. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-31082941" target="_blank">8.6 million</a> people live in London and it can be maddening, exhausting, and dirty. The stress of dealing with banks and landlords, the relentless streams of miserable commuters that clump together at every major intersection, and the endless dance to sidestep piles of vomit on my morning commute through Camden Town can make me question my decision to leave the fresh air and wide open spaces of Canada. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0vWDMmhtxs/VhFO4ysB3tI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/K-ZY_ePMpnw/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0vWDMmhtxs/VhFO4ysB3tI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/K-ZY_ePMpnw/s400/009.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
But it's London...<br />
<br />
Chris responded to London's energy even before I finished my carefully rehearsed "why-London-is-great" speech in the taxi from Heathrow. At his suggestion, instead of unpacking, we went for pints at <a href="http://www.thegeorge-belsizepark.co.uk/" target="_blank">The George</a> and he told me he already felt "at home". The staff now know his favourite pint and I was greeted warmly yesterday when I stopped in for a glass of wine and a packet of crisps. I saw London come alive for Chris and I saw him energized by its endless opportunities. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-88e-wGPmWto/VhFPSSQQ1aI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/fbP_T5kt4GE/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-88e-wGPmWto/VhFPSSQQ1aI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/fbP_T5kt4GE/s400/014.JPG" width="288" /></a></div>
<br />
Since June I have tried, with varying degrees of success, to settle in London. Some days I have felt more like an observer or like I am taking a vacation from my real life in Victoria. Other days, I have felt so at home that I can't imagine living anywhere else. But always, I was waiting for Chris and waiting to see London through his eyes. I wanted to share my London with him, share everything I have felt about London, and make it our London. Chris made London real for me, and even though I miss him terribly, I am excited about our next phase and confident we will build a life in London. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JFz8Ejaz_iI/VhFPdEaFlaI/AAAAAAAAA6g/bY-Q1SqmqOo/s1600/386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JFz8Ejaz_iI/VhFPdEaFlaI/AAAAAAAAA6g/bY-Q1SqmqOo/s400/386.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In London!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Don't worry we went to Paris! We ate, drank, and wandered our favourite streets. I introduced Chris to choux at <a href="http://www.odette-paris.com/" target="_blank">Odette</a> and watched in admiration as he ate steak tartare two nights in a row. Paris was perfect, right down to our croque madames at Le Petit Cler and our kiss - more than one! - at the Eiffel Tower. Paris will always be our best selves and always have our hearts. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MaEwlk-ERCA/VhFPvPNy8aI/AAAAAAAAA6o/FWm9Qqajpyg/s1600/346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MaEwlk-ERCA/VhFPvPNy8aI/AAAAAAAAA6o/FWm9Qqajpyg/s400/346.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Paris!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Things Londoners say (overheard at <a href="http://www.wahaca.co.uk/" target="_blank">Wahaca</a> on Charlotte Street)...</b><br />
"I don't think she's quite socially developed. Too much time at private school. Still, I guess she's a good egg.'<br />
<br />
<b>Things Londoners, actually priests, say at the pub...</b><br />
"I better not switch to beer. I have been on wine all day."<br />
<br />
<b>Hampstead Heath dog owner problems...</b><br />
Struck up a conversation at the dog pond with a distinguished looking gentleman wearing red linen pants and throwing soggy tennis balls for his grinning, bouncing chocolate Labrador. He confessed that his dog was "greedy" and he must always carry 10 GBP in case his dog eats a family picnic. He learned the lesson a few years ago when, empty pocketed, his dog crashed a children's birthday party and ate the entire cake. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]--><b>Lost in translation...</b><br />
"Love seat" doesn't translate and my confused colleagues thought I was talking about some sort of sex chair instead of my flat's two-seat sofa. Add the word "panty" and they will all be in hysterics and blushes for ages! <br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]--><br />
<b>Things tourists say in Paris...</b><br />
"This restaurant looks ok. They serve real food here."<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>A moment I fell in love with my husband again...</b><br />
Chris became the accidental doorman at <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/" target="_blank">Marks & Spencer</a> Oxford Street and I watched as he patiently held the door for tourists and little old London ladies dressed in plaid head scarves and brown brogues. One of them reached up and gave his arm a squeeze and I could see smiling down at her. I bet she called him "lovey". <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TfVOUM7Bjcc/VhFQKVCROrI/AAAAAAAAA6w/T31AErDLcYw/s1600/392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TfVOUM7Bjcc/VhFQKVCROrI/AAAAAAAAA6w/T31AErDLcYw/s400/392.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-64496238328382105662015-08-16T09:30:00.004-07:002015-08-16T09:30:54.597-07:00Perspective How does London compare to Paris? Have I fallen in love with London? Can I imagine Chris and I making our home in London?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MUUIAqNR5-A/VdC4WT90KTI/AAAAAAAAA4s/NPRCBMUA2Y8/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MUUIAqNR5-A/VdC4WT90KTI/AAAAAAAAA4s/NPRCBMUA2Y8/s400/013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London looking a bit like Paris. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These questions are never far from my mind whether I am tucked up in my tiny flat drinking a cup of <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/" target="_blank">Marks & Spencer</a> Everyday Tea and reading the <i><a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/" target="_blank">Evening Standard</a></i> or whether I am straddling a bench at my "local" and sipping a half pint. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Like Paris, part of London's allure is found in its contrasts. Every morning I walk to work starting in the village-esque Belsize Park towards <a href="http://www.visitlondon.com/discover-london/london-areas/central/camden-village" target="_blank">Camden Town</a>. Camden Town is at its best in the early morning and nearly deserted except for <a href="https://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/;jsessionid=24BCEA8F91EBB632544888ED0921CB48" target="_blank">Camden Council</a> workers and market vendors awaiting their deliveries of fresh oranges and kegs of beer. I continue along Camden High Street, passing bars, countless <a href="http://www.pret.co.uk/en-gb/" target="_blank">Pret A Manger</a> coffee shops, betting shops, and my favourite named UK store <a href="https://www.poundland.co.uk/" target="_blank">Poundland</a>. I take a slight left at the Mornington Crescent Tube station and walk along Eversholt Street towards <a href="https://tfl.gov.uk/hub/stop/HUBEUS/euston-station/" target="_blank">Euston Station</a>. As I near Euston, I am met by the real London commuters as they emerge from the depths of the station with lukewarm coffees and resigned faces. We all pile up at the Euston Road crossing, elbows sharp and feet shuffling to jostle for premium curb space, the daring ones racing across the road before the light changes with their <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/shop/OfferDetails?merchId=PPC_Champagne_NEW&tsrc=vdna&gclid=Cj0KEQjw6cCuBRCh4KrGoJ6LoboBEiQAwzYsdKLm2OCwLz5lClMivVORn8hxmEtXE0pXH2bQS4j3qvAaAtjT8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Waitrose</a> carrier bags bashing against their legs. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AzdmSzJkYUo/VdC5MF39gYI/AAAAAAAAA5U/KS64sGUA0Zg/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AzdmSzJkYUo/VdC5MF39gYI/AAAAAAAAA5U/KS64sGUA0Zg/s400/007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camden Lock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's madness but it somehow works. And it's not unlike Paris where a few quick turns will either find you tearing your hair out near <a href="https://www.laduree.com/en_gb/" target="_blank">Maison Laduree's</a> tearoom line on the Champs or sipping a <i>coup de Champagne</i> at a tucked away brasserie behind Avenue Montaigne. <br />
<br />
In Paris, as I have written many times before, I feel like the best version of myself. In Paris, I feel confident and self-assured. I love the feeling of being consumed by Paris and being swept-up by its sensuality and vibrancy. Paris is, and has, my heart.<br />
<br />
In London, I feel like I am discovering myself all over again. I have many days where it's hard to imagine I could have ever lived a different life and I can see Chris and me settled, happy and successful in London. And then there are days when I question our sanity and I think how much easier it would have been just taking twice-a-year vacations to Paris. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N_cogm98ym8/VdC5HHq6wBI/AAAAAAAAA5A/AeXF-6gZHkI/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N_cogm98ym8/VdC5HHq6wBI/AAAAAAAAA5A/AeXF-6gZHkI/s400/018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stunning Hampstead Heath </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
London has more attitude than Paris and its vibrancy is sharper, less romantic. In London, I tend to feel more swallowed-up, rather than swept-up. London has an undeniable energy and I always feel like I am part of something much bigger, much more exciting, than myself. It's like I have a permanent walk-on role in the constantly changing scene that is London. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zPt7NE2oW2U/VdC4cZgphWI/AAAAAAAAA44/97pPND7_yLE/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zPt7NE2oW2U/VdC4cZgphWI/AAAAAAAAA44/97pPND7_yLE/s400/039.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I can be anonymous in London without being lonely. This is something that is harder to accomplish in Paris, where so much of what makes Paris beautiful and challenging is being solitary and being kept just a little on the outside. London's anonymity is friendlier and less isolating. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lzGTCgCRWYo/VdC4M1BL9hI/AAAAAAAAA4k/ARf-Jmev5m4/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lzGTCgCRWYo/VdC4M1BL9hI/AAAAAAAAA4k/ARf-Jmev5m4/s400/043.JPG" width="346" /></a></div>
<br />
In Paris, I have Frenchy Bitchface. In London, I have London Boredface modeled after my fellow Tube passengers. Less fierce than Frenchy Bitchface, London Boredface is primarily used on public transport. London Boredface requires a look of placid indifference no matter how hot the train is, no matter how smelly your neighbour is, no matter that curry flavoured Pringles are being consumed two inches from your sweating face, no matter that a giant, hairy, ungroomed dog is drooling on your shoe, etc. Just set your London Boredface and carry on with your commute. <br />
<br />
I am falling in love with London. London is giving me the opportunity to chase our dream. London demands that I see new perspectives, consider new possibilities and keep an open heart and an open mind. London is teaching me to be brave and reminding me why I should never settle for anything less than our dream. <br />
<br />
Moments of perfect happiness...<br />
I attended an event at a massive office tower in <a href="http://canarywharf.com/" target="_blank">Canary Wharf </a>with my colleagues. After it was over, slightly buzzed on wine and high-end canapes, we rode the Tube together. We sat in a row in our wrinkled semi-formal clothes, laughing and bumping against each other, reliving moments from our evening.<br />
<br />
Things you don't say to Londoners on the Tube...<br />
A colleague and I were walking between trains on the Tube when we were stopped by a loud, heavily-accented voice for directions. I kept quiet knowing my sense of London direction is still questionable. Upon hearing my colleague's accent - proper English, of course! - he began a monologue about why, and how, Chicago is superior to London. In Every Single Way. It takes a special talent to be that loud and annoying in an underground station during rush hour. <br />
<br />
How posh people speak...<br />
According to one of my colleagues, posh people can take any noun and make it into a verb. For example, "I got absolutely bookcased last night" to describe being extremely drunk. <br />
<br />
Snubbed by my own kind...<br />
This morning I spotted a a group of Canadian tourists standing on the platform of the Belsize Park Tube Station. It was obvious they were Canadian because they were wearing the entire HBC Olympic Team clothing collection. They were studying their printed Tube map so hard that they were nearly tipping forward and falling onto the tracks. I approached and offered my assistance to the "Canadian Mum". She replied with a curt "no". Didn't she recognize a fellow Canadian? True, I wasn't wearing a red hoody but my entire outfit, <i>sauf mes <a href="http://www.bensimon.com/fr/" target="_blank">Bensimon</a></i> sneakers, was purchased at Canadian Superstore, aka <a href="https://www.joefresh.com/us/" target="_blank">Joe Fresh</a>!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HUmfrO4Ebx4/VdC5IgWcRsI/AAAAAAAAA5M/r24Mn8RfnQ0/s1600/069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HUmfrO4Ebx4/VdC5IgWcRsI/AAAAAAAAA5M/r24Mn8RfnQ0/s400/069.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-81068631057978806742015-07-19T06:47:00.001-07:002015-07-19T06:49:22.877-07:00FlyStanding in Portobello Road yesterday, trying to avoid being whacked by selfie sticks and fanny packs, I came across a print with <a href="http://thepoeticunderground.com/post/85456372695/there-is-freedom-waiting-for-you-on-the-breezes-of" target="_blank">Erin Hanson's</a> quote, <i>"What if I fall? Oh but my darling, what if you fly?"</i> I bought it for my tiny London flat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w9dmizxzVyo/VaunxXPgEOI/AAAAAAAAA24/wXmgMmD_Vj8/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w9dmizxzVyo/VaunxXPgEOI/AAAAAAAAA24/wXmgMmD_Vj8/s400/059.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
London can kick your ass.<br />
<br />
Last Friday I left work early to finally open a bank account. I arrived on time for my appointment with my passport, my work Visa, a letter from my employer, my UK National Insurance Number, and my tenancy agreement. I believe enough documents to prove my residency and my legitimacy. Wrong. I was turned away for reasons I still fail to understand. I left the bank red-faced and sweaty, made an incomprehensible phone call to Chris and started a mission up Camden High Street to open a bank account late on a Friday afternoon. And the day after the Tube strike.<br />
<br />
I visited at least six different branches, pleading my case and scattering my documents over desks. I felt like a Jehovah's Witness going door-to-door in an all Catholic neighbourhood. I was told I needed more ID, a different letter from my employer, and that the bank didn't have a Saturday appointment for five weeks. At the last branch, a customer service representative took pity on me and within 30 minutes I had a bank account. The ultimate act of kindness. And another reminder that I need patience and persistence to build a life in London.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEeIB9Vqvmg/VauoEEmmadI/AAAAAAAAA3A/_qqn2KukrGQ/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEeIB9Vqvmg/VauoEEmmadI/AAAAAAAAA3A/_qqn2KukrGQ/s400/012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The experience wore me down a bit.<br />
<br />
The next morning I had plans to meet a friend and her dog for a walk on Hampstead Heath. Dressed in my new Gap navy blue shorts - I wear shorts in London?! - she toured me around the Heath while we exchanged details about our lives. I told her about my rotten Friday.<br />
<br />
<i>"So you are living your dream?"</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Yes. I guess so. I am living my dream."</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Well. That's what you need to remember when you are having a bad day."</i><br />
<br />
Of course she's right. On good days, bad days, boring days or extraordinary days, I must remember that I am living my dream. And more importantly that I am working towards the life Chris and I want. Those are precious and rare things. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SeJNEHwUehk/Vauoh-Zq-AI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/yY-hlTXnZDM/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SeJNEHwUehk/Vauoh-Zq-AI/AAAAAAAAA3Q/yY-hlTXnZDM/s400/007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9OceFc6hg9I/Vauogzy6nFI/AAAAAAAAA3M/WPkSXmg_p9I/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9OceFc6hg9I/Vauogzy6nFI/AAAAAAAAA3M/WPkSXmg_p9I/s400/009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>London perspective.... </i><br />
Canada turned 148 on July 1. My new place of work is nearly 50 years older.<br />
<br />
<i>London shop signs...</i> <br />
"Bespoke colonic" and "Breakfast, Lunch, Cake"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CC3Kb1jAD0s/Vauo5SUoyVI/AAAAAAAAA3g/G1dushy7dZk/s1600/057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CC3Kb1jAD0s/Vauo5SUoyVI/AAAAAAAAA3g/G1dushy7dZk/s400/057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Paris v. London...</i><br />
I had breakfast this morning at <a href="http://www.caferouge.com/french-restaurant/hampstead" target="_blank">Cafe Rouge</a> on High Street Hampstead. I felt a bit like I had woken up in Paris. Next to me two women gossiped in French about the weather and their children - <i>comme toujours! - </i>before effortlessly switching to English with cut glass accents. From my table, I could see across the street into the windows of <a href="http://www.tarajarmon.fr/#/points-de-vente/" target="_blank">Tara Jarmon</a> and well-dressed children scampered past me carrying warm baguettes from <a href="http://www.paul-uk.com/" target="_blank">Paul</a>. Cars were parked haphazardly on the street with their hubcaps scratched and bent. Small, designer dogs, an overwhelming amount of them French Bulldogs, pranced next to their owners and uncomfortable looking runners panted past wearing everything from Oxford rugby shirts to shiny, black spandex tights. Paris, is that you?!<br />
<br />
Moments of perfect London happiness...<br />
Thursday 5 GBP lunch of seafood paella from <a href="http://www.lfm.org.uk/markets/bloomsbury/" target="_blank">Bloomsbury Farmers' Market</a> eaten picnic style in one of the many area squares with my lovely new colleagues. The sun was shining, my skirt was tucked around my knees as we joined all the other Londoners trying to steal an hour of sunshine over lunch. Picnicking is real thing in London and I can't remember the last time I ate so many meals outside on the ground. <br />
<br />
Rick Steves' moment du jour...<br />
Sitting in the front seats on the top deck of the 168 double decker bus en route to work. Riding the bus from these seats feels like part interactive retro video game and part budget London tour. But I have noticed that even the most jaded, weary London commuters rush for these seats and smile as the bus teeters through London's narrow streets. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hFjAY0KJaw0/VaupXIkUdcI/AAAAAAAAA3o/h2-0HO60MXk/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hFjAY0KJaw0/VaupXIkUdcI/AAAAAAAAA3o/h2-0HO60MXk/s400/022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-3365105165138320042015-07-05T10:28:00.002-07:002015-07-05T10:34:51.362-07:00London LessonsI learned some things last week.<br />
<br />
I learned that it is easy to accidentally turn your fridge off, via its fuse switch, and spoil a week's worth of carefully selected <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/" target="_blank">Waitrose</a> ready-meals. I learned that posh people say "what" (pronounced "whot"), not "pardon" when they want you to repeat something you have said. I learned that <a href="http://www.citymetric.com/transport/which-london-s-hottest-tube-line-1186" target="_blank">the Central Line</a> is London's hottest tube line and personally experienced this when I rode it to Stratford on London's hottest day in recorded history. <br />
<br />
And I learned that while living in London will expose me to countless new people and new experiences, certain things about my personality will not change. No matter how badly I wish otherwise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6TpLpvn4ivs/VZlnK6x4FrI/AAAAAAAAA14/JMROvPO2LkI/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6TpLpvn4ivs/VZlnK6x4FrI/AAAAAAAAA14/JMROvPO2LkI/s400/004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Since moving to London, everyone wants to know what I have been doing (plays, museums, festivals, galleries, etc.) and what I plan to do in the future. The truth is I haven't seen one play and I have only found time to spend one afternoon at <a href="http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/" target="_blank">The National Gallery</a>. My desk is covered with ripped out events pages from <i>The Evening Standard </i>and <i><a href="http://www.timeout.com/london" target="_blank">Time Out London</a>. </i>A further stack of neon yellow Post-It notes cover my laptop: polo match, Notting Hill, weekend in Paris, Borough Market.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hrgEN9RAtkY/VZlnDCz44JI/AAAAAAAAA1o/lt7u2LOZjHo/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hrgEN9RAtkY/VZlnDCz44JI/AAAAAAAAA1o/lt7u2LOZjHo/s400/017.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The National Gallery - George Stubbs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I woke up this morning worried that I am not taking advantage of everything this incredible city has to offer. I don't want to waste one second of this opportunity but I am learning, for me, there has to be a balance.<br />
<br />
I have advocated lots for travel that fits your personality. With Paris, I always tell people if they don't like crowds and Renaissance art to skip the <a href="http://www.louvre.fr/en" target="_blank">Louvre</a> and the Mona Lisa and enjoy a calmer cultural experience at <a href="http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/" target="_blank">l'Orangerie</a>. Find what you love and experience it within a new culture. <br />
<br />
Right now my priority is making a home in London. For the last four weeks I have been racing around London with lists buying everything from a goose down duvet to a 6-in-1 screwdriver. I have finally unpacked my suitcases and found an instant coffee that almost replaces my beloved Nespresso machine. I have been out most nights and rarely fall asleep before midnight. I have bought used books at my local charity shop and signed up for a <a href="http://www.international.boots.com/en/Advantage-Card/" target="_blank">Boots Advantage Card</a>. It's exhilarating but also exhausting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CLIJpA4RLds/VZlnJpDLpmI/AAAAAAAAA18/XIdHH6ql7w4/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CLIJpA4RLds/VZlnJpDLpmI/AAAAAAAAA18/XIdHH6ql7w4/s400/007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belsize Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My happiest moments are spent in my neighbourhood, establishing a routine, being part of the community, and trying to make London home. That is what I want right now, what I need right now, and what will allow Chris and me to eventually make a life in London.<br />
<br />
I learned that, as with Paris, I need to find my own London. <br />
<br />
Things you see written on a London pub's chalkboard sign...<br />
<br />
At a pub near Euston Station regarding television coverage of the Tour de France<i>, "See France without having to leave the pub!"</i><br />
<br />
London mystery...<br />
<i> </i><br />
Why are the croissants at <a href="https://www.pret.com/en-us/" target="_blank">Pret a Manger</a> so amazing? They shouldn't be so delicious. I always expect them to taste like a suburban Costco croissant but instead they are so flaky and so buttery that I end covered in crumbs and staining my <i>outfit-du-jour. </i>And how is it that 90% of the time their croissants are still warm and the place smells like a Paris bakery at 4am on a Sunday? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pret_a_Manger" target="_blank">Wikipedia describes Pret</a> as a fast food chain?!<br />
<br />
My favourite London purchase (so far!)...<br />
<br />
This morning I found a black and white photograph of Audrey Hepburn in the <a href="https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/local" target="_blank">Marie Curie charity shop</a> just down the road from my flat. Chris and I bought a print of Audrey at the Notting Hill Market when we came to London in 2007. It was one of our only souvenirs from that trip and still hangs in our house in Victoria. I feel there is a special synchronicity to my purchase this morning.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HN4HE0iCM0/VZlnGUN0ybI/AAAAAAAAA1w/MBx9fKrBEHs/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HN4HE0iCM0/VZlnGUN0ybI/AAAAAAAAA1w/MBx9fKrBEHs/s400/013.JPG" width="293" /></a></div>
<br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i><br /></i>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-54350255891209028942015-06-28T12:02:00.000-07:002015-06-28T12:02:01.302-07:00London CallingBefore Paris, there was London.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aXH-D8J8LAg/VZBDO8nSAmI/AAAAAAAAA0E/_EInouTwEjg/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aXH-D8J8LAg/VZBDO8nSAmI/AAAAAAAAA0E/_EInouTwEjg/s400/022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I traveled to London before Paris in 2003 on a rom-com pilgrimage of sorts. Like many women of my age, I had gorged myself on <i>Bridget Jones's Diary </i>and I imagined myself striding across Tower Bridge slightly hungover and disheveled. I saw myself living in London and transforming into a sophisticated Londoner who spent my weekends in the country wearing Wellies and mixing jugs of Pimm's for my guests. <br />
<br />
It was always supposed to be London.<br />
<br />
Last year Chris and I re-evaluated our Paris plans. We had explored all of our options for a full move and, immigration issues aside, we found nothing that would sustain us professionally. We both love what we do and giving up our careers up to work as middle-aged <i>au pairs </i>wasn't appealing. My lovely plan to spend summers in Paris wasn't financially sustainable and, while it provided short-term happiness, it wasn't getting us any closer to our ultimate goal of living full-time in Paris.<br />
<br />
So it became London.<br />
<br />
Several of my grandparents were born in the UK so I was able to get an Ancestry Visa that allows me to work and live in the UK <i>sans </i>restrictions for 5 years. Chris can apply on the same Visa and eventually we can make an application to settle permanently. There are endless job opportunities in London; it's a vibrant and friendly city; and it's a relatively easy commute from our home in Victoria. And best of all?! London is SO much closer to Paris!<br />
<br />
I am now in London.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQEQVteXsfA/VZBDWLvw6JI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/_gyw5dTzkYQ/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vQEQVteXsfA/VZBDWLvw6JI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/_gyw5dTzkYQ/s400/007.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I moved to London about three weeks ago with my three suitcases and without Chris. The biggest sacrifice we had to make was transitioning separately to London. I secured a wonderful job while Chris is staying in Victoria to run his business and will visit London every three months. We discussed every option, tried putting boxes into round holes and this was the only, indeed the best, option. We felt stuck in Victoria and with me in London, we are finally moving to towards our dream.<br />
<br />
My life has never changed so much as it has in the last three weeks. Spending time in Paris, even the whole summer, doesn't compare to the reality of leaving Chris, my family, my friends, my job, Countess and Sophie for a new life in London. As I learned in Paris, living outside of your country and your comforts, requires a combination of energy, discipline and gratitude. <br />
<br />
You need energy to face new experiences. Living with your eyes-half-open in a foreign country can lead to everything from being mowed down by a car to buying the wrong kind of yoghurt at Waitrose. I have to constantly remind myself to stay engaged and to stay in the moment and that requires energy. I have a new phone (mobile!) number, a new postal code and a new job with new responsibilities. I still don't have a bank account.<br />
<br />
You need discipline to push through situations when your energy gets low. It's impossible not to have moments when I question "our dream" and those moments inevitably coincide with wanting to hole up in my flat with a giant Cadbury bar. Discipline is what pushes me out the door to explore another neighbourhood or sit at a restaurant with a glass of wine and my journal.<br />
<br />
Gratitude is the most important one. As when I spent the summer in Paris, I vowed to be grateful for this experience. I am living our dream and that is something I must always remember. Gratitude is everywhere. It is for this opportunity, my new colleagues, my beautiful flat and my family at home supporting me. And most of all to Chris for encouraging me and believing in our dream. I am grateful every morning I wake up in London. <br />
<br />
London is an easy city. Everything is accessible and I could eat at a 100 different restaurants on my walk home each night. I could also buy organic strawberries, shop at Marks & Spencer, order a Nespresso machine and purchase antique books for my shelves. I could also drink a beer while walking. If I get tired, there is always a Tube station nearby or double decker bus rolling past. <br /><br />
I love how everyone eats here. I don't feel guilty eating a Kit Kat at 10am and there always seems to be cake at the office. <br />
<br />
I love that men, even the the most rumpled men with marmalade stains on their suits, wear brightly coloured, wildly-patterned socks. I love that women's style is eclectic, there seems to be no rules and no one seems that bothered. While I still won't leave my flat in Lululemons, I have happily joined all the other women walking to work in their Converse and business clothes. <br />
<br />
I love how Londoners are fiercely proud of their city. Standing in line last week at my local Marks & Spencer food hall, the woman in front of me wearing a Liberty of London patterned blouse said, "I love it here. You are going to have to carry me out of Camden in a box." <br />
<br />
London isn't Paris but I am falling more in love with this city every day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYrEbVw-qaw/VZBD_Op6PPI/AAAAAAAAA0g/88OQi7AFqiI/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYrEbVw-qaw/VZBD_Op6PPI/AAAAAAAAA0g/88OQi7AFqiI/s400/007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-11178950350776758922014-08-31T11:39:00.000-07:002014-08-31T11:39:03.008-07:00This and That in ParisI love Paris in an entirely unoriginal way.<br />
<br />
When people try to tell me about the latest Paris restaurant, museum exhibit or, God forbid, kale-inspired-gluten-free cafe, I can feel my eyes start to glaze over. Just give me a few hours at Le Petit Cler, a saucisson baguette and a 2 euros hunk of stinky blue cheese from Monoprix. Let me waste an entire afternoon lounging in Luxembourg Gardens and start every morning with a Bonne Maman madeleine. <br />
<br />
Chris and I have been leisurely reacquainting ourselves with our Paris. My face hurts from smiling so hard. We have walked our favourite routes, stopped at our favourite cafes and lingered in front of our favourite shop windows. We were welcomed with squeezed hands and cheek kisses with our now well-known shopkeepers and servers and we feel that we are back home.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5lJCz_9vE8/VANqTabJPII/AAAAAAAAAwk/gPhRsofsEQU/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5lJCz_9vE8/VANqTabJPII/AAAAAAAAAwk/gPhRsofsEQU/s1600/003.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the stunning view from our apartment. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once again, I am struck by the smallness of Paris. Over omelets at Le Petit Cler, I watched the same patrons squeeze into the same tables as I did last summer and at Christmas. Their orders are as familiar to me as my own café crème.
Their conversations always start with a moan about the Paris weather. I watched the same little old Parisian ladies teeter gingerly up the street pulling their shopping carts wearing chunky, block-heeled shoes and well-worn trench coats. I listened to the same vendors exclaim about their produce and proudly squeeze or slice a cantaloupe or tomato for potential customers.<br />
<br />
This morning, Sunday morning in Paris, we left our beautiful apartment on rue Alasseur and walked towards rue Cler. Even for a Sunday the streets were church quiet. Instinctively, we found ourselves stepping lightly and whispering. Paris on a Sunday morning deserves such reverence. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rR_HUC0NAp0/VANqrFnbcOI/AAAAAAAAAws/9ez_aZGOp2Y/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rR_HUC0NAp0/VANqrFnbcOI/AAAAAAAAAws/9ez_aZGOp2Y/s1600/022.JPG" height="313" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
These are the snapshots of Paris that I love. You just turn a corner, look in another direction or slow down and this charming, tiny Paris appears before you.<br />
<br />
<i>You know you are French when...</i><br />
<i>You take your dog on les vacances. Arriving at the Orly on Wednesday night, it seemed like every French person, in addition to an enormous cart of luggage, had a dog either in a crate or perched on top of their luggage. It was like being in the midst of a very chic pound. Yesterday while walking on Avenue Kleber, a conduit between the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower, there was a family of five with their Paris maps, Longchamp totes and an ancient, hairy Golden Retriever on a leather leash. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Things tourists say...</i><br />
<i>A couple sat behind us at Le Petit Cler yesterday buried in brioche crumbs and travel guides, one of which was Rick Steves' Paris 2014. Rick loves rue Cler. As the waiter settled their bill, they earnestly asked him, "Have you met Mr. Rick Steves?" "Yes," he replied and walked away. </i><br />
<br />
<i>The more things change, the more they stay the same...</i><br />
<i>Coming up the steps at the Bastille </i><i><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->métro, we were greeted - again! - by le lapin Robert and his clochard. Robert was surrounded by wilting bok choy and limp carrots. His eyes were bright, his whiskers twitching and his coat looked shiny. Chris placed some euros in the clochard's cup and was invited to pet Robert. Sadly, he declined. </i><br />
<br />
<i>French children and dogs...</i><br />
<i>Not having either children or dogs, I can't claim to be an expert but as a general observation both seem to be far better behaved in Paris. Children and dogs navigate the streets with a savoir faire that is beyond their years and intelligence respectively. There appears to be little need for parental negotiations or choke chains. </i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-89457417653813088732014-08-27T18:54:00.001-07:002014-08-27T18:55:26.905-07:00Paris-SpectiveIn the months leading up to this Paris trip, and even as the months slipped into weeks and days, my excitement about coming back to Paris felt subdued. I half-hardheartedly installed a Paris countdown App on my phone and replied "Paris! Yay!" to every you-must-be-thrilled-to-be-going-back comment. <br />
<br />
Since I started treatment for my anxiety in April, I have felt better than I have in years. And it's had a huge, positive affect on all areas of my life from my relationships to my appetite. I have been happy, less restless and able to enjoy my life as it happens in the moment. I finally feel like I am living my life again rather than just being a cynical observer. The summer I just spent in Victoria was easy, happy and filled with everything I love. For the first time in ages I didn't feel frantic to escape. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBIADVsRzmo/U_6LZP5L72I/AAAAAAAAAwU/iyrCLxUW09g/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBIADVsRzmo/U_6LZP5L72I/AAAAAAAAAwU/iyrCLxUW09g/s1600/002.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer in Victoria</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So perhaps in the past I have sometimes mistaken desperation for excitement? <br />
<br />
Arriving in Paris last night, I felt the same sense of calm wash over me as I always do. Though this time, instead of my heart racing to stand still it just felt full. This new sense of peace is one of the things I have been most looking forward to sharing with Paris. I can't wait to appreciate Paris from this new, relatively sane, place.<br />
<br />
Last night I left Chris to unpack and went to buy groceries. My connection to Paris was immediate and I felt the familiar sense of boldness return. Weaving in and out of tourists and locals, I walked along the back of Champ de Mars park to the late night grocery store and tried to ignore the glowing Eiffel Tower. I want our reunion to be a shared one with Chris.<br />
<br />
10pm and the cafes were full. I could smell the slightly sweet smell of warm alcohol and hear knives scraping the last bloody bites of steak frites. Tourists slouched over crumpled maps trying to chart their way back to their hotels while Parisians huddled on top of each other sharing their days' intimacies over wine. One couple dined with their hulking Bull Mastiff splayed at their feet. An older woman at a nearby table wrapped her long strand of pearls around her hand while sharing a plate of oysters with her husband. (lover?)<br />
<br />
This is the Paris I know.<br />
<br />
At the grocery store I breezed through the familiar aisles filling my basket with Haribo, saucisson, cheese and bread. Buying a wedge of brie for 2 euros never gets old and my full basket, including beer and three kinds of cheese, totaled 25 euros. The cashier called me "Madame" and carried on a conversation with me in French as though I belonged and wasn't wearing smelly clothes that I just slept in on a 9 hour flight.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1SwEr9LiB8/U_6LQuIXH2I/AAAAAAAAAwM/9BIrhCRyISc/s1600/066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w1SwEr9LiB8/U_6LQuIXH2I/AAAAAAAAAwM/9BIrhCRyISc/s1600/066.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I love slipping back into speaking French. I think French is my most powerful and chic accessory. Speaking French even makes me feel more beautiful and confident than wearing an expertly tied Chanel scarf.<br />
<br />
<i>Parisians of the Day </i><br />
<i>Flying from London to Paris in business class, the seats are assigned so that there is never a middle occupant. So if you are traveling as a couple you have an entire seat between you. A French couple, probably in their early sixties, sat across the aisle from Chris and me. They were loaded down with MOMA bags and looked, in that impossibly French way, crumpled and chic. The man was wearing sunshine yellow chinos, electric blue socks and tiny tortoise-shell glasses over a prominent nose. Only French men can successfully pull off this look. He chose the empty middle seat to be closer to his wife and their bodies stayed touching the entire flight. When Paris finally came into view, she threw her arms enthusiastically around his neck and covered his cheek with noisy kisses. He glanced over at us, smiling the entire time. </i><br />
<br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-44172961552503031172014-05-19T14:04:00.001-07:002014-05-19T14:04:15.437-07:00Paris On My Mind<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am back.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1mBH1eax_Wk/U3psUjEPF2I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/jXRhKfPFBa0/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1mBH1eax_Wk/U3psUjEPF2I/AAAAAAAAAuQ/jXRhKfPFBa0/s1600/036.JPG" height="295" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Celebrating Bastille Day in Paris last July</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's hard to believe that this weekend marks the one-year anniversary that I left for Paris and took the first, small step towards our dream of a life there. It's hard to believe that this time last year I crossed the threshold of "my perfect Paris apartment" for the first time and felt more at home than I ever have.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am trying not to dwell too much on this anniversary, over emphasize its importance or berate myself for the many things, including writing my blog, that I haven't accomplished this past year. I am trying not to feel sad. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The last nine months have been challenging. Most days I wouldn't recognize the confident, scarf-necked woman with the perfectly faded Longchamp tote who boarded the plane to Paris last May. That woman gave herself to Paris; that woman let her body and her mind be calmed, consumed and inspired by all things Paris.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6hq2Wn4EK8/U3ptszEnXOI/AAAAAAAAAuc/6xL765f31pg/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6hq2Wn4EK8/U3ptszEnXOI/AAAAAAAAAuc/6xL765f31pg/s1600/001.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My perfectly faded Longchamp tote resting at Les Berges</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When I started writing this blog, I wanted to remain anonymous. It was a place for me to play with my idea of Paris and many of my early posts now seem like they were written by a character in exaggerated or affected tones. In contrast the posts I wrote last summer, fueled by morning </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">café
crèmes</span></i> </span>at Le Petit Cler and the rich smell of slow roasting chickens, are truthful and vivid. I achieved my goal of embracing Paris, of staying positive and remaining in the moment. I took intense pleasure in noticing the smallest details whether it was the precise geometric shape of a <i>punnet </i>of luscious red strawberries at my local market or the wet, almost joyful, sound of the fountains exploding at </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--></span>Trocadéro</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">. I took everything in with an open heart. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oXePTckTvgI/U3puW_xlYaI/AAAAAAAAAuk/b5Moy0zsRl0/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oXePTckTvgI/U3puW_xlYaI/AAAAAAAAAuk/b5Moy0zsRl0/s1600/017.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I loved everything about Paris and my experience there last summer. Any fleeting moments of stress or negativity were made insignificant by the wild, red poppies growing along the banks of the Seine, 1 euro still warm baguettes spread with sharp blue cheese and midnight walks to the Eiffel Tower to buy apricot jam </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">crêpes</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">from Oh! Regalade. Paris exceeded all my expectations and validated what I have somehow always known... there is no place for me but Paris.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-isLA_8NFZKY/U3putdJEOwI/AAAAAAAAAus/8HTOS5anFuc/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-isLA_8NFZKY/U3putdJEOwI/AAAAAAAAAus/8HTOS5anFuc/s1600/004.JPG" height="400" width="296" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Where last summer I succeeded, this last year has been a struggle. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I want to share some truths about this last year. And so I take a deep breath, delete any last traces of anonymity or affectedness and hope with my words I can find courage and calm. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I have been fighting anxiety since last September. I think anxiety has always been a part of my personality but in recent months it started to overwhelm my life. When my Dad passed away at Christmas, I spiraled and became locked in a battle between my body and my mind. I was constantly dizzy and hyper aware to every sensation in my body. I was convinced I was going to die. I crawled into my bed every night at 7:30. I stopped doing everything I love: riding my horse, running, reading books and of course writing. Even talking about my writing, or my lack thereof, was enough to arouse sensations of disgust, despair and disappointment. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6wLAzY94bw/U3pv2BQ3WVI/AAAAAAAAAu4/n6YRFDNlN_4/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6wLAzY94bw/U3pv2BQ3WVI/AAAAAAAAAu4/n6YRFDNlN_4/s1600/003.JPG" height="400" width="296" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">About two months ago, with Chris at my side, I finally went to my doctor and admitted I needed more help than my weekly stress-reducing massages and daily high dose St. John's Wort vitamins could provide. She prescribed an anti-anxiety/depression medication and sessions with a psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy. I felt so defeated swallowing my first pill. I felt weak for not being able to overcome my anxiety with a sunny smile, exercise and a super-sized kale salad.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Weeks later, I know that I can't overcome my anxiety without help any more than I could wake up tomorrow as Coco Chanel. I am lucky to have support in so many forms and I am incredibly grateful for my family and friends, especially Chris, for not giving up on me. Most days are better and I promise to keep moving forward. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Writing this blog today is another, small step in getting back to myself and getting back to Paris.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Paris is on my mind. </span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G2uoVCcemAA/U3pwIopIZOI/AAAAAAAAAvA/moMgs4QLTCE/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G2uoVCcemAA/U3pwIopIZOI/AAAAAAAAAvA/moMgs4QLTCE/s1600/055.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-42929246740417052992013-07-09T13:07:00.000-07:002013-07-09T13:08:11.506-07:00Two Loves It's been too many lovely days in Paris since I blogged. My only excuse is that I am enjoying every beautiful moment with the two loves of my life.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GgyyPwZJ_M/UdxsOPxtTHI/AAAAAAAAArs/7HzdsnS_VgU/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GgyyPwZJ_M/UdxsOPxtTHI/AAAAAAAAArs/7HzdsnS_VgU/s400/009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our "love lock" from April 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the last few days we have explored most of our favourite arrondissements. I am not sure how many people would enjoy our Paris which mostly includes hours of endless walking and seemingly doing nothing. We walk slowly stopping to admire a well-tended flower box or a pair of shoes in a window; we veer off onto unexplored side streets and bend over to coo at a coiffed Parisian pooches; we collapse and stretch ourselves into bamboo brasserie chairs to order another <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">bière blanche and we talk about our future in Paris. I have stopped wearing a watch. </span><br />
<br />
I couldn't wait to take Chris marketing and over the weekend we visited three, including <a href="http://equipement.paris.fr/March%C3%A9%20du%20livre%20ancien%20et%20d%27occasion%20George%20Brassens" target="_blank">le </a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://equipement.paris.fr/March%C3%A9%20du%20livre%20ancien%20et%20d%27occasion%20George%20Brassens" target="_blank">Marché du livre ancien et d'occasion George Brassens</a>. I want to live in this open air library with its soundtrack of chirping birds and smells of musty books. I love the hushed, almost reverent atmosphere and the seriousness of the book sellers. Chris bought me a gorgeous, yellow-paged <i>Plan de Paris </i>that still has the original, now brittle, full colour map of Paris attached to the back cover. I have been turning the pages carefully trying to find its publication date. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Chris has fallen back into Paris like he never left and has become even bolder since last September challenging the Champs on a Sunday afternoon and eating </span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">pâté and steak tartare with gusto. Nothing seems to phase him here anymore even riding a packed </span>métro car when it's 30 degrees outside. He is so relaxed and completely in his element that I can barely remember his first few anxious days here in 2007. The two of us glide through the city, still awestruck and moved by its beauty and glamour, and I often feel like Paris was created just for us.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iimqdfsGPTA/UdxsiWzszzI/AAAAAAAAAr0/J5qWxHCKgQg/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iimqdfsGPTA/UdxsiWzszzI/AAAAAAAAAr0/J5qWxHCKgQg/s400/008.JPG" width="357" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Police horses at Place de la Concorde</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
About that <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">pâté...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I would love to live on a diet of baguette, blue cheese and milk chocolate and at 36 I still shudder when a sliver of broccoli touches my tongue. In Paris, I try to eat whatever comes on my plate but the </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">pâté was a mistake. I couldn't decipher the smudged chalk written menu and only saw the word "salade". When the salades arrived dotted with </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">pâté, I bravely stabbed a chunk, forked it into my mouth, gagged and swallowed it whole. Chris laughed. However, I got the last laugh after lunch as we walked along rue Saint-</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Honoré and I stopped to throw a fistful of Kleenex wrapped </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">pâté</span> into a garbage can. Not chic but sneaky!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Only in Paris...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Could you see a man walking down a street in Les Halles on a Sunday afternoon wearing cut off jean shorts, a white tank top, black suspenders, black ankle boots and a pair of shiny, silver handcuffs dangling loosely around his neck like a</span> Herm<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">è</span>s scarf.
<br />
<br />
Tourists behaving badly...<br />
Maybe I am getting old and cranky but Paris seems overrun with a lot of female 20-somethings living their <i>Girls </i>fantasy, heavy with entitlement and ennui, and complaining loudly about everything. And they can't manage a word of French, even a simple "merci". <i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>"I am already so bored just thinking about all the dumb questions I am going to have to answer about Paris when I get home." </i><br />
<br />
<i>"The only thing I am really going to miss about Paris is being able to buy apricot juice in the grocery store."</i><br />
<br />
<i>"It's ok here. Salads are kind of expensive but wine is cheap. The women are ok. Definitely more put together than women in Miami - nobody is wearing track pants." </i> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-53434249220692752862013-07-04T13:21:00.000-07:002013-07-04T13:21:00.292-07:00King FranceChris is here! And now Paris really feels like home!<br />
<br />
Early on in Chris' Paris adventures, he developed an impressive mental map of Paris that made my guidebook fumblings look even more desperate. He remembers boulevards, avenues, boulangeries and even where we sat in a restaurant. Chris remembers faces of waiters, whether the beer was served cold or if the jambon baguette had Dijon mustard. I can be a bit directionless and have less of a memory; perhaps I spend too much time looking up to admire Parisians' window flower boxes? Anyway, his recollections earned him the nickname "King France".<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eC9NgGZXQCI/UdXXMGz1aeI/AAAAAAAAArI/PFrQ1OCkcT0/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eC9NgGZXQCI/UdXXMGz1aeI/AAAAAAAAArI/PFrQ1OCkcT0/s400/008.JPG" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King France doesn't need this! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I tried really hard to pretend that today was just any other day in Paris and not the-first-day-in-Paris-with-my-husband-I-haven't-seen-in-6-weeks. The latter won and I watched Chris sleep most of the night while I counted the hours until we could wake up and start our day in Paris. I also tried really hard not to make a list of the things I want us to do in Paris together and be super relaxed and take every day as it comes. So not my style and the list, "Paris with Chris", was written before his plane touched down at Charles de Gaulle. To my credit I did get through today without pulling out my <i>Plan de Paris </i>or taking a single photograph so he could enjoy his first day in peace. <br />
<br />
We did what we always do on our first day in Paris together - walk the city from end to end with a final stop at Place de la Concorde to see that perfect Paris 360 degree view. I think it's the view that everyone imagines when they think of Paris: stand near the Obelisk, staring straight ahead up the Champs at the Arc de Triomphe, turn to your left and you will see the Seine with the Eiffel Tower looming in the distance and the gold tips of Pont Alexandre III, then the dramatic facade of <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Assemblée
Nationale, turning back to the <a href="http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/" target="_blank">Muséede l’Orangerie</a> and the manicured grounds of the Tuileries Gardens, with a view of the Louvre pyramid through the Arc de Triomphe de Carrousel, as you complete your circle you will make out the bright pops of flowers on the steps of <a href="http://www.eglise-lamadeleine.com/" target="_blank">La Madeleine</a> before returning your eyes to the Arc de Triomphe. This view is our Paris touchstone. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>Vive le King France!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ij7LAQ9qetI/UdXYJMA7bCI/AAAAAAAAArY/g92ruZ6Ue94/s1600/537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ij7LAQ9qetI/UdXYJMA7bCI/AAAAAAAAArY/g92ruZ6Ue94/s400/537.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Paris celebrity sighting... <br />
<br />
Karl Lagerfeld's "The Glory of Water" (<a href="http://www.wallpaper.com/fashion/fendi-celebrates-karl-lagerfelds-the-glory-of-water-in-paris/6615" target="_blank"><i>Wallpaper </i>article about the exhibit</a>) opened today in Paris in a specially built exhibition space on the right bank of the Seine. Less than 10 minutes into our left bank walk early this morning, Chris looks over at the space and spots Monsieur Lagerfeld with his sunglasses, gleaming white hair, black trench and entourage. So close but so far! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Paris not-so celebrity sighting...<br />
<br />
Shortly after, still swooning from Monsieur Lagerfeld, Chris nearly shoved me behind a Parisian garbage can to show me a rat perched atop a crushed water bottle. Thankfully I locked my legs and closed my eyes and missed saying "bonjour" to my least favourite resident of Paris. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Px-YSN77bFk/UdXXwYVY8-I/AAAAAAAAArU/eyPjAjOdVgo/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Px-YSN77bFk/UdXXwYVY8-I/AAAAAAAAArU/eyPjAjOdVgo/s400/004.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-59608203418840531862013-07-02T11:46:00.001-07:002013-07-02T11:46:20.090-07:00DemainThe last six weeks in Paris I have resisted thinking about tomorrow and instead I focused on each beautiful moment and what it's felt like to live my dream. But tomorrow Chris arrives and I am thinking about tomorrow and excited for our sixteen days in Paris together.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_oF_5VJw6lQ/UdMcZiwXDTI/AAAAAAAAAqo/-aKYoG5nYFo/s459/185371_10150329993267317_503648_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_oF_5VJw6lQ/UdMcZiwXDTI/AAAAAAAAAqo/-aKYoG5nYFo/s400/185371_10150329993267317_503648_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Still one of my favourite Paris pictures!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We have never been apart from each other for so long. Last June was a new record when I attended a four night conference in Wyoming. I don't like being away from Chris and each separation leaves me counting the hours until we are together again. There was a part of me that expected I wouldn't last the six weeks and would return home early. There was another part of me that expected Chris would arrive unannounced in the middle of a Paris night. And I know we both had moments where those things crossed our minds.<br />
<br />
Paris has been a constant in our relationship almost from the day we met. We have spent our entire marriage dreaming about Paris and this experience was the first step in our "five year plan to live in Paris." While I have physically been here alone, this was a plan that we embraced together and wouldn't be remotely possible without Chris' support. I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to thank him. <br />
<br />
Truthfully I haven't reflected much on this experience and whether I feel changed. Paris has felt like home from the first night I arrived. I know I feel less anxious and more confident. I also feel, with no reservations, that Paris where we are meant to be and achieving that goal will remain a priority. I have not been disappointed; Paris remains perfect to me even with its less desirable bits and idiosyncrasies. I can't imagine feeling so vital and inspired anywhere else in the world but Paris.<br />
<br />
The next phase of our Paris adventure starts tomorrow.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dGDADhTvbcA/UdMfLK7ObzI/AAAAAAAAAq4/Xgg3BMyb4No/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dGDADhTvbcA/UdMfLK7ObzI/AAAAAAAAAq4/Xgg3BMyb4No/s400/024.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Couples in love...<br />
<br />
Last night I caught some sun - finally! -on one of the double loungers set up for Les Berges. On the lounger next to me lay an older couple noisily cuddling and kissing. As soon as they arranged themselves, she unbuttoned the top buttons of his sweat stained dress shirt and stuck her hands in for a good grope. Her grey hair was short and springy and she was wearing a rumpled white linen ensemble. His brown socks were patterned with turquoise polka dots. They were laughing and whispering like they were the only two people in Paris. So insulated and unselfconscious. They reminded me of what I imagined Paul and Julia Child would have been like together in Paris. <br />
<br />
Things you should never do in Le Petit Cler...<br />
<br />
Remove your plastic Ziploc bag full of bran and using your travel teaspoon scoop two heaping spoonfuls into your freshly squeezed orange juice. <br />
<br />
Things writing geeks buy at Les Soldes...<br />
<br />
A leather wallet especially designed to hold pens and pencils. I think it's so chic! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-39046325206214948502013-07-01T13:15:00.003-07:002013-07-01T13:15:53.638-07:00City of Love? I am hardly a cynic when it comes to the romance of Paris and I have spent the last ten years chasing this beautiful city from behind my rose-coloured lenses. But I know Paris can be difficult to love and that couples can struggle to find its charm and romance.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0AubTnuXxZA/UdHhkv6fpcI/AAAAAAAAAqE/RP49s9-4Yl8/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0AubTnuXxZA/UdHhkv6fpcI/AAAAAAAAAqE/RP49s9-4Yl8/s400/016.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Being alone these last several weeks I have observed many miserable couples in Paris. They sit hunched over in <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">cafés refusing to make eye contact with each other and making attempts to sound enthusiastic about standing in line at the Eiffel Tower. They make inane comments about the food - "These eggs are so fresh!" - and they wear their disappointment as heavily as their fanny packs. It's obvious they were expecting a different kind of Paris experience.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yKXV4k1uKqo/UdHh0KvF5tI/AAAAAAAAAqM/ayssMekudrI/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yKXV4k1uKqo/UdHh0KvF5tI/AAAAAAAAAqM/ayssMekudrI/s400/013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Over the years Chris and I have had our fair share of arguments in the streets of Paris. There has been sulking, stomping, crying, sighing and even threats of an immediate return to Canada. On our first trip, our honeymoon, I dragged Chris to all of the sights, trying to sell him on the beauty of Paris as though I was a desperate used car salesperson trying to get rid of a 1970's Pinto station wagon. I wanted him to love Paris immediately and I destroyed his first impressions. We had a huge row and I remember feeling panicked at the thought that I had just married a man who didn't love Paris. Clearly everything worked out, romance and a love affair with Paris followed, but we have gone through enough unromantic moments that I feel qualified to offer my top five tips for thriving in the City of Love... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Don't be too hard on yourselves. </b>Not everyone is having the best time and skipping around Paris only stopping to steal kisses on Pont Alexandre III. You will have bad moments and possibly bad days. It's not the end of the world and not every single second in Paris has to be perfect, enlightened or romantic. Find a quiet place to sit and grab a drink. Do something ridiculous. Chris and I once ended up at <a href="http://countesslv.blogspot.fr/2009/09/le-mickey-mouse.html" target="_blank">Disneyland Paris</a> because we had a bad day at the Louvre. It reset the trip for us and gave us something that we still laugh about to this day. <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Compromise. </b>You aren't going to suddenly love all of the same things just because you are in Paris. Maybe you want to spend a few hours shopping at Galeries Lafayette or a day at Versailles. Maybe your partner wants to drink beer and take a nap. We spend at least a few hours apart each trip doing something we love. It doesn't mean we aren't having a great time together but just that there are certain things in Paris that are best experienced on our own. <b> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Understand that people don't change just because they are somewhere else. </b>It's a lovely thought that travel turns us into these uninhibited, all loving, <i>Eat, Pray, Love </i>types but the reality is most of us, if lucky, get a week or two a year to go somewhere. It's just enough time to relax but not enough time to transform. Chris and I are morning people and no matter how hard we try in Paris, a city not made for morning people, we struggle to stay awake past 10 when most chic Parisians are just finishing their dinners. You just work around it; we almost have the city to ourselves in the mornings. We also know that like at home, we enjoy quiet and privacy - sounds impossible in Paris! - but we achieve our Paris by avoiding a lot of things that attract tourists to the city. We relax and wander and we rent apartments instead of staying in hotels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Eat something. </b>Personally I am at worst, i.e. bitchiest, when I am hungry and cannot appreciate anything or anyone once my blood sugar dips below a certain level. Chris on the other hand can happily walk 12 hours on two </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>café crèmes and a beer. I have learned to carry Haribo in Longchamp or Dirty Louis and not pretend I am not hungry when Chris asks me for the twelfth time.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]--><b>Lower your expectations. </b>Paris comes with impossibly high expectations to see and do everything. Like everyone, I initially came to Paris because I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, the Louvre, etc. and my first trip was much of a blur. You become exhausted and miss what is so truly beautiful about Paris. Chris and I keep coming back not because of those things but because of how Paris makes us feel. Give yourselves time to feel the city and be surprised by what isn't in a guidebook. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lZJkD2Yf8o/UdHiBi-VSYI/AAAAAAAAAqU/EzaVMnRIM_Q/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lZJkD2Yf8o/UdHiBi-VSYI/AAAAAAAAAqU/EzaVMnRIM_Q/s400/019.JPG" width="337" /></a></div>
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-39106294336138679192013-06-30T10:02:00.001-07:002013-06-30T10:02:57.959-07:00Une Personne To celebrate my last Sunday night in Paris alone, I am taking myself out for le plat du jour at Le Petit Cler. This morning I made an 8 pm reservation for <i>"une personne, </i><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>à l’exteriéur"</i> and I am going to put on a little black dress, paint my lips MAC Lustre and enjoy dinner in my Paris living room. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It's been a glorious summer day in Paris perfect for crisscrossing the city through some of my favourite arrondissements. I don't think I will ever find anything that brings me more pleasure than walking through the streets of Paris. I half-expected at this point that I would be bored of the same streets and the same sights but the familiarity only brings me closer to Paris and more excited about a life here. I will never tire of catching the Eiffel Tower from different angles, how it disappears from certain vantage points and then suddenly reappears in all of its iron beauty ; I will never tire of walking through Place des Vosges and feeling like I have been transported back to the seventeenth century; and I will never tire of walking beneath the sculpted tree alleys in Palais Royal that compel me to slow my pace and imagine I am wearing a bustled dress and off to meet my <i>amoureux </i>for an afternoon <i>liaison.</i></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-asEa1LRKnS8/UdBiZSBxw3I/AAAAAAAAApU/qvAwSzuFL2A/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-asEa1LRKnS8/UdBiZSBxw3I/AAAAAAAAApU/qvAwSzuFL2A/s400/007.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Place des Vosges</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MT8YjR0lnJ0/UdBitlNc6VI/AAAAAAAAApc/xFxpRHH3n7Q/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MT8YjR0lnJ0/UdBitlNc6VI/AAAAAAAAApc/xFxpRHH3n7Q/s400/013.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of those sudden Eiffel Tower views off Avenue Bosquet</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zjXpLPh7JpA/UdBkPBPLeiI/AAAAAAAAAp0/-B2UYunPmF4/s1600/005+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zjXpLPh7JpA/UdBkPBPLeiI/AAAAAAAAAp0/-B2UYunPmF4/s400/005+(5).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tree alley in Petit Palais</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Yesterday a mobile petting zoo unloaded at the top of rue Cler. The animals traveled in what looked like a converted brown ice cream truck with chicken mesh covering the multiple windows. There was a large, sway-backed donkey, several exotic looking chickens, one speedy piglet, a lamb and several goats of different sizes and colours. The animals were penned in an enclosure about half the size of the average North American's master bedroom with some straw thrown down to make it look life a farm. The donkey, star of the show, had his own section with a beach umbrella for shade. You couldn't smell the animals for all of the yummy mummy's wafting Guerlain as they helped their very clean, well mannered children feed the animals stale baguette chunks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One of the resident <i>clochards </i>stumbled over shirtless in bright yellow overalls and wraparound sunglasses clutching an open bottle of red in a plastic bag to shout endearments at the donkey. The children, being <i>petit </i>Parisians, were far more afraid of the donkey than the <i>clochard. </i>Senior Parisian women stood near the front hunched over in their bedroom<i> </i>slippers and head scarves trying to pat the hopping goats and clucking at them soothingly. A few dogs strained at their leashes, their bellies pressed flat against the cobblestones, thrilled at the possibility of chasing something not motorized. It was unlike any petting zoo I have ever seen but not entirely unexpected in the centre of Paris. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Frenchman du jour...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Jogging down the middle of rue Cler in a baby blue cashmere turtleneck, slim fitting navy blue pants and suede navy blue driving slippers holding a baguette with the end bitten off. His jaw was moving furiously trying to chew the considerable end piece. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Strangest thing I ever seen in a Paris market...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A New York Jets football player posing for pictures with the entire fish monger's staff and yelling, "Me and my family LOVE Paris!" </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Best logo on a canvas shopping tote...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I LOVE NUTELLA</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Things tourists say...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">While passing in front of the organic produce stand on rue Cler, <i>"Where's Trader Joe's?"</i> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i4nRkDeR-1g/UdBjCzMusDI/AAAAAAAAApk/6qzYudKyQOU/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i4nRkDeR-1g/UdBjCzMusDI/AAAAAAAAApk/6qzYudKyQOU/s400/012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crossing over from Le Marais to Notre Dame</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-59350896361242166972013-06-29T11:40:00.001-07:002013-06-29T11:42:03.330-07:00HappyWhat could be better than writing my 100th blog post on a sunny Saturday summer night in Paris? Nothing. I am blissful. My legs are tingling from another long walk across the city and I have market fresh paella waiting in the fridge with a chilled 5 euros bottle of <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">rosé. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For my 50th post in December 2011, I wrote a list of my <a href="http://www.countesslv.blogspot.ca/2011/12/my-paris-50.html" target="_blank">50 favourite things to do in Paris</a>. In honour of my 100th post, here is another list of 50 things - past and present - that make me happy in Paris! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2IGS6I9dXeA/Uc8kHeaHkCI/AAAAAAAAAo0/CNuKXJ5H-zE/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2IGS6I9dXeA/Uc8kHeaHkCI/AAAAAAAAAo0/CNuKXJ5H-zE/s400/001.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the sun came out today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Confiture d'abricot</b> <br />
It was one of my first tastes of Paris in 2003 and I still want to smother its delicious stickiness on everything from tartine to sliced pieces of pear.<br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>A boulangerie on every corner<br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>The smell of the Tuileries Gardens in the summer just after it rains</b>It's a mix of fresh clay, wet grass and flowers that soaks into your skin.<br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Paris in the winter</b><br />
I visited Paris the first time in February and I have so many great memories of exploring the city in near emptiness. I remember being at the top of the Eiffel Tower with less than a dozen people and drinking red wine from the inside of my down coat. <br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Knowing that after this summer, Chris and I will be one step closer to our dream of living in Paris</b><br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>The convenience and affordability of shopping at small, independently owned businesses</b>I love the products, the quality and the care. I love talking to the owners who are so knowledgeable and so passionate. I love that there are three cheese shops within three blocks and all are thriving. <br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Sugar in my coffee</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>The elderly husband and wife team who sell homemade ice cream from a tiny stand on the Right Bank side of the "love locks" bridge</b><br /><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Chocolate with my coffee</b><br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>After so many trips, after walking the same routes dozens of times and seeing the same things that Paris' beauty can still move me to tears at least once a day</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Going to see movies, version originale, toute seule</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Monoprix has an </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>apéritif aisle</b><br />In this aisle you find peanuts, pretzels, miniature crackers and olives all to accompany your pre-dinner drink.<br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Bridges</b><br />Each bridge is different and each has its own history. I like watching how tourists attach their own meanings, usually romantic, to the bridges and how Parisians storm over them as though every city is filled with bridges with views of Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur or the Eiffel Tower. <span id="goog_1919117441"><br />
</span><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Outside living</b><br />Smaller living spaces mean that people live and socialize on the streets and I love the noise and the energy.<br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>A different market every day of the week</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Walking along the banks of the Seine<br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Eating falafel in the Marais on Sunday afternoons</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Magazine kiosks on every corner</b><br /><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>The moment Chris really fell in love with Paris </b>He said it happened a few trips ago when we arrived at Place de la Concorde to admire the views. I turned to him and said, "It never gets old, does it." It wasn't a question and he realized that there was no other place in the world except Paris.<br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Dogs galloping across the lawns at Champ de Mars</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Children dressed better than me<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Finally accepting, even I can't explain it, that Paris is home and there will be no substitute or no settling until we achieve our dream of living here<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Le Petit Cler <br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>A litre of Badoit costs less than a dollar<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>That you can always find a quiet street in Paris</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I can buy Haribo everywhere, even from the vending machines at my </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>métro station</b><br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Walking everywhere</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Paris in the summer</b>I was nervous about being here at the height of tourist season but the city is alive and there are so many wonderful, free things to do and see. Les Berges! There was even a pop-up petting zoo at the end of rue Cler today complete with a giant donkey and one, squealing piglet. And Parisians are out just as much as tourists especially when the weather is nice.<br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Being able to buy small amounts of delicious food so nothing gets wasted<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Saying "Bonjour" to the rue Cler Regulars every morning <br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Chris and I drinking champagne at LV Avenue Montaigne<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>The adrenalin rush of zooming through the streets of Paris in a Tuk-Tuk<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>The radio station I listen to in Paris plays Wham's "Last Christmas" in June<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>The book market at Parc George Brassens</b><br />I love how peaceful it is and that it feels serious. It smells like Paris park mixed with that lovely musty book smell and almost everyone talks in whispers. <br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Stray cats that let me cuddle them and scratch underneath their chins</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Produce that looks and smells like it came from the earth and not off the back of a diesel truck<br /> </b>They don't look waxy or smell faintly of plastic. I bought some apricots today and their scent was so strong it made my stomach growl. Almost as seductive as perfume.<br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Demi-baguettes</b><br />
<br /><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Not feeling afraid<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Living two blocks from the Eiffel Tower and treating Champ de Mars park like my backyard<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>French translations of English movies</b>The best one so far has been "Hangover 3" translated into "Very Bad Trip 3"<br />
<br /><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Spending time with people that love Paris as irrationally as I do<br /><br /><br />
</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Les Soldes</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Chris speaking French</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Living my dream</b><br /><br />
</span></li>
<li><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Chocolate </span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>éclairs</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Writing every day and feeling excited and inspired every day<br />
</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Beauty is everywhere and learning to appreciate the smallest moments and the smallest details</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Eating slowly in a restaurant by myself</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Kissing Chris in front of the Eiffel Tower</b><br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Chris arrives on Wednesday in Paris</b>I wanted to save what I am happiest about for last! Both of us have been trying not to count the days until he arrives but it is so soon and I can't wait to be together in OUR city.<br /><br /><i><b>PS - Please accept my apologies for the horrible formatting! The bullet list option wasn't that user friendly. </b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-35407346174910266382013-06-28T12:45:00.000-07:002013-06-28T12:45:23.817-07:00FrenchifyI came to Paris the first time in 2003 and all I have ever wanted since then was to Frenchify myself - <i>un petit peu plus Parisienne!</i> I have learned a lot since that first trip and hope live more Frenchly when I return to Victoria next month. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGw5X3MSbRI/Uc3mhsNJvJI/AAAAAAAAAoU/3PA2aXTcK9I/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGw5X3MSbRI/Uc3mhsNJvJI/AAAAAAAAAoU/3PA2aXTcK9I/s400/002.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Summer night in Paris</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Slow down<br />
<br />Slowing down is difficult. North Americans multi-task everything at rapid speed and much of our lives are a competition to see who has the least amount of personal time and is the most stressed. Work-life balance is meaningless to most and everything is scheduled: girls' nights, boys' weekends, date nights and play dates. We eat entire meals in our car while illegally texting. Coffee is always "to go". <br />
<br />
It's different here. Even on week days, it's rare to see a Parisian walking through the streets with a coffee. They sit, even if just for 10 minutes. Greetings between friends are warm and genuine. I can't tell you how many times I have been standing at the checkout counter at Monoprix only to be interrupted by another employer coming over to bisous the cashier. Dinner is an experience, not a race. Always wine with dinner and always finish with coffee. No rushing to get your cheque while still chewing your last bites.<br />
<br />
I have learned to be still in Paris. I have learned that an extra five minutes doing something enjoyable isn't going to ruin my day or make me less productive. I am going to try to not start every conversation when I get home with, "I am so busy."<br />
<br />
Patience <br />
<br />
You can't be happy in Paris without being patient. If you fight its rituals and idiosyncrasies, you end up being mad, miserable and sweaty. Parisians have mysterious reasons for doing things in specific ways. Last month I went to pick up a custom made saddle pad at a large sports store. I stood in three different lines, spoke with four different clerks, showed two different copies of my receipt and finally left with my perfect saddle pad. Last night I stood behind a woman during boulangerie rush hour who spent an inordinate amount of time picking out the perfect macaron decorated cake and petits fours. She even turned to me to ask if I thought one of the macarons looked crooked on the cake. The line was out the door and customers leaned against the window to wait - deux minutes! - for fresh baguettes. The two women working made time to come out from behind the counter and give each waiting child a pre-dinner choquette.<br />
<br />
At home I roll my eyes and sigh loudly if I have to wait an extra two minutes for my Starbucks coffee. I swear and slam my foot against the floor of my car when I miss a green stop light. For what? I am only making myself crazy and nobody else cares. Paris has taught me to stop fighting the little things and live in the moment. <br />
<br />
Fashion<br />
<br />
Every day I see dozens of classic, chic, perfectly groomed Parisian women spiking down the streets in their Louboutin's. Their hair is just out-of-bed-fabulous and their clothes fit like a second skin. But there are just as many others sporting MC Hammer style pants with black studded biker boots or super short-shorts with ripped tights and beaten-up high heels. The majority of them smoke and their preferred handbag is a stained canvas tote. They have roots and chipped nail polish. And they look beautiful.<br />
<br />
They look beautiful because they are confident. <br />
<br />
I do make more of an effort in Paris but I also worry less about looking perfect. At home I obsess about every outfit detail, every wrinkle, every hem and every heel height. Here I match polka dots with stripes, wear my Converse with a blazer and still feel beautiful. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cipz6zfBj0c/Uc3mzOY4O8I/AAAAAAAAAoc/fL8WSXPyYU8/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cipz6zfBj0c/Uc3mzOY4O8I/AAAAAAAAAoc/fL8WSXPyYU8/s400/005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carousel horse named "Paris". "Paris" is written on the green band on its neck.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-56475503662417038632013-06-27T12:08:00.001-07:002013-06-27T12:08:48.212-07:00The Gift <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->I received a gift this morning at Le Petit Cler. And it wasn't the extra dark chocolate that came with my café crème. The gift was meeting Bob and Leanne, a Colorado couple married for 30 years and spending a few days in Paris before heading to <a href="http://www.ville-sancerre.fr/" target="_blank">Sancerre</a>. After a bit of a rough start to my week, I believe I was meant to cross paths with this lovely, intelligent couple.<br />
<br />
Our conversation started with discussing Rick Steves. Rick is very fond of rue Cler and has written extensively about it <a href="http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/france/ruecler0208.htm" target="_blank">online</a> and in his books. It's true that there are many tourists wandering the street but having lived nearby for the last six weeks, I still feel rue Cler is "real" Paris and not something artificial like the mall under the Louvre pyramid. We got to talking about travel styles and I confessed that I was writing a book for people who want to experience Paris on a deeper, less frenetic and less formulaic level. Their response was warm and enthusiastic.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YgLb_FKPH_E/UcyM9XejByI/AAAAAAAAAoE/rkVUjRWBTtA/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YgLb_FKPH_E/UcyM9XejByI/AAAAAAAAAoE/rkVUjRWBTtA/s400/008.JPG" width="286" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We shared some personal information and it turns out that Chris and I have quite a bit in common with them, including having no children. And I know it's going to sound like I have been alone in Paris too long but their connection was heartwarming. They seemed to have a marriage founded on humour, hard work and genuine affection. I have met a lot wonderful people in Paris but there was something about Bob and Leanne that touched me and their perspectives on things like travel, marriage, passions and careers (just to name a few!) will stay with me for a long time. <br />
<br />
As I was regretfully preparing to leave, Leanne asked me to guess how old Bob was. I guessed early 60's and I was wrong by nearly 30 years. One of the reasons for their trip is to celebrate his 90th birthday. <i>Bon Anniversaire, Bob! </i><br />
<br />
1 euros can buy happiness...<br />
<br />
Timed my bakery stop to perfection this morning and traded in a 1 euros coin for a still warm, flaky, buttery croissant that had me sticking my tongue into the corners of the bag to get every, last crumb. It was melt in your mouth orgasmic and I can still taste the butter in the back of my throat.<br />
<br />
And 80 euros can buy an entire summer wardrobe at the Monoprix soldes...<br />
<br />
I don't like summer clothes. I miss boots, tights, wool and putting a blazer on top of everything. I hate spending money on flimsy, open-toed shoes and dresses with no sleeves. But I can't wear black wool all summer so today I spent an hour in <a href="http://www.monoprix.fr/" target="_blank">Monoprix</a> picking through the 50% off racks. I also spent a very French amount of time in the fitting room with no regard to the line waiting outside. It was sweaty and the lighting was unflattering but I left the store with 2 dresses and 3 shirts for about 80 euros, approximately $105 Canadian dollars! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xc9z6VUNSfY/UcyL8D8wBEI/AAAAAAAAAnw/7pPe4m7mny4/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xc9z6VUNSfY/UcyL8D8wBEI/AAAAAAAAAnw/7pPe4m7mny4/s400/003.JPG" width="400" /><span style="font-size: small;"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">That grey sloppy thing is actually a very cute polka dot sweatshirt with a fabulous zipper detail on the back. It will be perfect for when I am back in Victoria and not getting dressed on the weekends.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Are Paris Carnies different...<br />
<br />
There are amusement park rides being set up along the rue Rivoli side of the Tuileries Gardens, including La Grande Roue! Even from a distance it looks terrifying but I am determined, with un petit peu de<i> </i>Ativan, that Chris and I will take a spin next week. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2TMwAxla58/UcyMbi3iBaI/AAAAAAAAAn4/fzmnOd8Rz9s/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2TMwAxla58/UcyMbi3iBaI/AAAAAAAAAn4/fzmnOd8Rz9s/s400/001.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">La Grande Roue! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i> </i> <br />
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-455396887087543069.post-8338884531589610932013-06-26T13:07:00.001-07:002013-06-26T13:08:31.342-07:00Les SoldesRemember when I used to write about shopping? It wasn't too many trips ago when my main priority in Paris was shopping. I still love saving and splurging on a couple of beautiful, "made in France" items but long gone are the days when I would load up my suitcase with finds from Zara, Naf-Naf and Pimkie. Seems no matter how much posting trot I do or how many 10km runs I complete, I can't fit into those brands! But today was the start of the summer sales in Paris and not even awkward European sizes were going to keep me out of the stores.<br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->I arrived at <a href="http://www.galerieslafayette.com/" target="_blank">Galeries Lafayette</a> just before the store opened at 8. There were already busloads of tourists in line wearing white plastic visors and thick soled rubber shoes. It sounded like a full coop of clucking chickens and a roar erupted when the doors opened. The main floor was chaos as shoppers ran to get into lines at their favourite boutiques. I saw people playing tug-of-war with tote bags at <a href="http://www.longchamp.com/" target="_blank">Longchamp</a> while another woman casually stacked leather bags on her left arm like candy coloured rubber bracelets. As I moved up through the various floors to shop for clothing, it became much less busy. It was the same in <a href="http://departmentstoreparis.printemps.com/" target="_blank">Printemps</a> and <a href="http://www.lebonmarche.com/" target="_blank">Le Bon Marché</a>; not too chaotic once I escaped the handbags and accessories. <br />
<br />
I tried on dozens of dresses, blazers in all fabrics and shapes and drooled over shoes. Nothing screamed "Paris"; I want classic, well-cut items with just a bit of an edge so they work in my real life but also don't look like I bought them in a suburban mall. I can't be running around the office in a flowing teal mini dress and a silver leather blazer so I just ended buying a pair of 3-inch navy blue patent leather heels. Chris and his impeccable taste arrive next week so I expect we will make the rounds again. <br />
<br />
I received excellent service everywhere with offers to speak English and indulgent smiles to my request to practice my French. There was always a vendeuse near the fitting rooms, willing to grab sizes, hunt for the perfect shoes and give their expert opinion. I almost bought a dress at <a href="http://www.comptoirdescotonniers.com/fra/home.aspx" target="_blank">Comptoir des Cotonniers</a> until the vendeuse informed me it was <i>"trop grande"</i> and gathered the extra fabric at my hips. One of the things I love most about Paris is that daily activities are quite formal and ritualized. It was interesting to observe that these standards survive even during the chaos of les soldes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y-7la8PUic/UctJKZ6lNMI/AAAAAAAAAnY/_WGF1WsGQ44/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y-7la8PUic/UctJKZ6lNMI/AAAAAAAAAnY/_WGF1WsGQ44/s400/017.JPG" width="293" /></a></div>
<br />
Two beautiful places with two personalities...<br />
<br />
The Eiffel Tower and the surrounding Champ de Mars park have two distinct personalities. There is the area around the base and <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Trocadéro choked with tourists, everyone's face hidden behind a camera lens, terrible posing and the non-stop metal rattling of vendors hawking Eiffel Tower key chains. Then beyond the base, stretching towards </span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->École Militaire, is where Paris lives. This is where families bring their children to play, dogs run off leash, older people doze with their legs wide on park benches and teenagers lie in passionate embraces on their claimed four foot patch of grass. Instead of key chains, vendors cross back and forth selling wine and beer. There are hidden playgrounds and you can smell roasted chickens being unpacked from picnic baskets. Dogs bark excitedly and children squeal as they kick soccer balls. <br />
<br />
Les Soldes' customers behaving badly...<br />
<br />
I lined up to browse the Chanel sale. It had to be done. The woman in front of me, wearing a fuzzy leopard print coat and carrying a LV bag even dirtier than mine, tapped the huge security guy on the shoulder and asked for water. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Even more shocking was that he smiled and dashed off to get her a miniature bottle of Evian. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tag_vuNvapA/UctJb131zXI/AAAAAAAAAng/ZIxlXRzpTRw/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tag_vuNvapA/UctJb131zXI/AAAAAAAAAng/ZIxlXRzpTRw/s400/002.JPG" width="382" /></a></div>
<br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00305204015341786647noreply@blogger.com0