Language Exchange!

I just have to share how absolutely fantastic my first night of language exchange turned out to be.

I've been wanting to find a medium to make me practice my French more so I found this guy on craigslist-Paris that wanted the same for his English, Amaury. I've also been wanting to try more restaurants. Two goals checked off at once :-) So we were going to meet at Cafe L'Ebouillante near Hotel de Ville but turns out it's got really minimal hours during the winter and was closed. After scouting around the block, I serendipitously happened upon La Perla - a MEXICAN restaurant and bar. I mean really. I've been looking for a Mexican restaurant forever since coming here with no luck. And I just walked into one on accident tonight.

They brought us chips and salsa when we first sat down. Haaaaa! Do you know how long it's been since that's happened? Well first off, never in France.

So we both ordered les burritos espinacas. I was sort of laughing because it was a tad different than the usual. No rice inside for one - fine by me. But also because it was filled with chevre, spinach, pineapple, onion, and tomato. I know that sounds gross, but somehow the way they did it, it all worked out just fine. The guac was more of a guac dip (AKA with sour cream - "creme fraiche"). Not my fav, but it was ok. And the tortilla kind of tasted like the sick kind that you get at a grocery store. The pinapple was a surprise. I thought it was going to be banana. Pineapple in french is "ananes" and I always read it and think bananas. This is all sounding really unappetizing, but actually it was pretty decent. Or maybe I was just mexi starved. I don't know.

Anyway, my good news isn't over. Amaury! So cool. Turns out he's studying the exact same thing i graduated in. What are the chances! He told me he was a cognitive science engineer. I think French people use 'engineer' differently than us. He's really studying knowledge management as it applies to e-learning. Ha. And he was so great. His English is significantly better than my French, but he was patient with me.

I have absolutely no pictures for this entry, which sort of goes against my standard and preference, but I thought it might be a little embarrassing to ask for his picture in the restaurant seeing as how I just met him. Perhaps to come soon.

Just picture this:

And Amaury sort of has a mustache :-)