The Eve of Christmas Eve

Two days before Christmas (the eve of Christmas Eve lol) I was busy only because the French bureaucracy is ridiculous however I still managed to see some of Paris in between running around like a crazy person. So I have a metro card to use the metro aka subway and the buses around Paris and in the surrounding neighborhoods since I live outside the city center. Since I live in zone 4, as they call it, and I am a student, I get a reimbursement for about half of what I originally paid for when I bought the card. Well I sent in for the reimbursement online in the first week of November and they said I would get it in two to three weeks. In Paris time, two to three weeks is really a month so I figured I would get it in December. On December 20th I received an email saying that my check was returned by the post to their office in the town that I live in and they do not resend the check so I had to come and get it personally. In the email it said, if you are the card holder just bring your i.d. and you will get your check. So on the 23rd I went into their office with my passport and was going to ask for the check. 

Ha … ha… ha… like it is ever that easy here in France.  

I went into the office and I told the lady that my check was returned and that I was there to get it and I hand her my passport. She began to flip through my passport like it was a book and was like we need a copy of your passport. I was thinking thats odd cause no where on the email did it say that I needed a copy of the i.d. Of course she didn't say it nicely, she had this air about her like why are you here without your copy, you are stupid, why are you wasting my time, etc. So I was like okay I will go home and get a copy and go back and then I will get my check and all will be good.

Wrong!

I came home, got copies and went back, the whole trip took about an hour but it was early in the day so I was like its okay all is good. I went back into her office again and had my copies and even brought along the copy of my paperwork when I applied for the card. She looked up my number on her computer and then goes this isn't you. I was like what? She is like did you pay for your card or did someone else. At the time when I bought the card I didn't have a bank account and they only took checks or a direct deposit so Mrs Nguyen helped. I gave her the cash and she wrote the check. So in the system that the lady in the office looked up showed that it was Mrs Nguyen paid for the card. The lady then goes: I cannot give you the check, you have to have a copy of Mrs Nguyen's i.d. and a signed attestation by her saying that you can get the check for her. I was like well this was a waste of the day. By the time I was done going there in the first place, then going home and then going back, it was already almost 3pm and I was not going to go home and come back again for a third time in one day. I eventually got the card on the day after Christmas and talked to another lady who was much nicer than this one. But, and this is really great, when I got the check it said on the envelope that no one lived at the address the check was sent to. I was thinking when I read this that yes someone does live at this address, myself as well as the Nguyens and my roommate. The post office has a problem. My mom sent me a box with some Christmas presents in it on December 7th and I received it on December 28th. The post office 'lost' the box, really they were probably too lazy to actually send it to the right place so that I could get it in time. My mom said that the box was checked in on December 13th in France in a town that is only about an hour west from where I live. However they 'lost' it. Lazy post people.

Out of all of this I have learned two things:

1) Expect the unexpected when dealing with any French person who works in an office. Whether they are working in a bank or at the post office or at the metro card office or at the embassy office for a long stay visa, they will always tell you no before they tell you something you need to know and then tell you what you need to know the second time you see them.

2) Expect the nicest people when you are out on the town for the weekend. When those office workers are out on the town during the weekend or a holiday they can be the nicest people. I have gotten lost a number of times here in Paris and anyone I asked on the street for directions were very nice and super patient with my French. 

In other words, I love the city but I do not like the way they run things here.

So after I was frustrated with how the city works I decided to lose myself in the splendor of the architecture and the culture of the city. I stumbled upon this Starbucks which is the same Starbucks Dad and I found when we were here in 2006 that we took a picture of for Mom! 

I have this book where it takes you through the walks of some of the most famous people from France and I decided to take a walk in the steps of Coco Chanel and this was the route.

While walking, I found this restaurant (not something Chanel would've seen) but it was amusing to find.

This is the spot of the first shop that Coco Chanel started in 1910, at the time it was a hat shop.

This is the building she lived in.

and on the third floor (aka 4th floor in the states) is where her apartments were. There were about four windows with the shades pulled and according to my book they still keep her apartment exactly as she had it although it isn't open to the public so maybe those four windows that were closed off were her windows.

Then the book suggested coming down this road, which Chanel walked often. It is now a road with very high end stores on it.

Like Jimmy Choo. I love his shoes!!

Then I found this store which has a very large english section and some books I would love to buy! Like usual though I took pictures of the books so I can find them cheaper somewhere else. Along with all the pictures of the sights I will see, I will also return with enough pictures of books to make my own book and I will label it "Books I want to, but probably will not, read"

After her walk, I went on a the walk of Molière. I didn't do most of it because I have seen most of where he went to before in my travels but I still wandered around his path.

The first was the "Comédie Française." This was build by King Louis XIV in 1680 so Molière's group, Comédie Française, could perform their plays for the King.

A statue dedicated to him

After his walk, which didn't take long, I ended up in the largest shopping complex called Les Galaries Lafayette. It is like a Macy's and a Nordstrom and a Lord and Taylor all in one. It is HUGE! but this is the tree they had decorated for Christmas.

I found Alexander McQueen shoes!!

And of course what would a good shopping center be without the trusty McDonalds… The French may think that Americans eat at McDonalds all the time however they eat here just as much and even maybe more than we do.

Class Party and Ice Skating in Paris

On December 20 the last day of classes this year, our class and the class before us held a party. It was held from 11:30pm to 12:30pm on Friday and it was so fun! Everyone came with something to pass, the teacher brought champagne, and I made apple pie. The party was a mix of Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and English speakers but since we all know some French it went off great! My apple pie was a big success, everyone was 'like you made this? wow this is great!' They ate the entire thing which was great for me since I didn't have to worry about bringing anything home. After class I had my usual session with Emma and Charlotte teaching them english but I was late by a half hour. Four metro lines were down and of course two of those lines were the ones I had to take. Thankfully they have a nanny/house keeper is always there when I am and she usually takes care of the girls during the week so I just called the mom to get her to get the girls. However that was the longest most tiring walk I have had to do in a while. Their apartment is in the bottom of the 16th arrondissement and I was in the 8th. If you have ever seen a map of Paris thats a long long walk. But I made it only a half hour late and we had a great session and did a little christmas celebration.  I had them watch the 1950s version of Rudolph which is a classic. They had no idea why we were watching it. They kept saying this is for babies why are we watching it. They have no regard for the classics of course watching christmas movies is an American tradition. Well they have seen one now! Then on Saturday Katie and I went out ice skating! It was so magical! We waited in line for two hours but whats two hours when you are with a friend and going ice skating!

They had a vending machine that sold gloves for adults and kids, socks, a flashlight and kleenex. A very smart idea on their part.

This was the tent that you got the skates from. It was free to skate but the skates were 5 euros to rent. The line, Katie and I realized, took so long because there was only one person being the cashier for renting the skates and she was taking her time when we got up to her. 

The ice was right in front of the Hotel de Ville which is where the mayor of Paris works out of.

About a half hour after we got on the ice, we were kicked off for the zamboni. Another reason why the line must've taken so long.

The mini zamboni, it was so cute!

Me out on the ice!

Me and katie

A museum and two dinners

So its the holiday season this week in Paris (December 15-21) and of course what a better way to celebrate the holidays than to decorate a palm tree in white fluff…. yes thats perfect! Paris, a northern city, celebrating with palm trees which come from southern countries. I tell you things are never dull here in the city!

On December 15th after church I came across a tent near the Eiffel Tower which was holding a special exhibit on the 100 years of the Paris police force. It was the last day and the last hour of this exhibit when I found it so I had to go in and I was not disappointed. The first half was set up with the major news scandals from the past years. Some were the usual: murder, robbery, adultery etc. But some were very interesting like this one above when the Mona Lisa was stolen on August 22, 1911. 

This was the first CSI kit from the 1920s

They must've had a speaker or two come in cause there was this stage and seats.

They had over 50 ipads with games to pretend like you were a crime scene specialist. 

Then there were office looking doors but over each door was each department of the current police force and then a description of what they do.

I went out to dinner with Kiki again, she has a list of the places to eat at in Paris. This restaurant was full of English speakers, even the wait staff sounded like they were from London. Kiki claimed that this place had the best pulled pork sandwich. It was a very delicious sandwich for sure, not the best I've ever had but very very good for being in Paris. 

I loved how I braided my hair that day I went out with Kiki and I got a great pic of it!

This picture was from the other French restaurant I went to with Kiki. I had to post it cause I had a very good glass of wine with dinner and I finally got around to fixing up the photo since it was dark. I love the lady's face behind me though. The random people I have in my pictures never fail to enhance the moment.

 These two pictures were from Katie's birthday party. She held it at a mexican restaurant which was not exactly the best mexican I have ever had but we did have some great margaritas so it made up for it! The one above was my tacos and the picture below was Katie's enchiladas.

The things I learn about the States in France and La Defense

Every Friday I watch Emma and Charlotte and we talk in english and do lessons and such. More like I talk in English and they pick up on little things. Well they get this magazine every week and it has the news from the states or England in it for kids. That week it was about Mandela dying and how Obama won't be able to be president without his hero. It was interesting to see what they are teaching these kids about our culture. 

On Saturday the 14th, I went out to La Defense which is two things. One its the business sector of Paris and two its an arc built on the same road as the Arc de Triomphe just on the outskirts of the city aka the picture. It is the only spot in Paris that skyscrapers are allowed to be built. Every year they have christmas markets and I'd have to say they were much better than the ones on the Champs Elysées. There was a lot more local goods and hand made items from different sections of France as well as other countries. It was aimed more towards Parisians who can't get out of the city and not really for tourists i.e. there were no stands that sold Paris purses or scarves with the Eiffel tower on them.

All the white tents are the markets.

Right in La Defense is a mall so I wandered through it and found some funny stores like the one above is labeled the fighting rooster. 

This one is an Italian home store but they had a lot of things printed with multi colored kittens. Not really sure why Italians like kittens.

Of course in the center of the mall was a park.

This is a Japanese restaurant that serves you food on a conveyor belt. So when the dish passes you by at your table you can pick it up or wait for the next dish to come by. 

This is back outside at the markets. This food stand made a dish called Tartiflette which was potatoes, onions, sausage, cheese and cream. IT was SO delicious!!!! It was like a warm potato salad. Its a regional dish from Savoy which is on the south east side of the country by the Alps.

This is what it looked like.

Here's the sign explaining whats in it.

An overview of what the markets look like from the steps of La Defense. In the far distance you can see the Arc de Triomphe.

All around La Defense were these art sculptures some are cool and some are strange.

A view of the underside of La Defense

Like this is a sculpture I found, its a thumb… Don't ask me why its there because I have no idea.

This is a view of La Defense as you walk down the park away from the building.

Its a rainbow waterfall!

Not sure what these are or what they symbolize but they have benches/picnic tables associated with them so maybe they are there to give those who eat a meal there something to look at.

The christmas markets at night!