Packing up 8 months of things is never easy, and since I won't be able to haul it all around with me from city to city and country to country these next 3 weeks, I'm shipping lots of it home by snail mail - across the Atlantic by boat - even though that means I'm leaving a suitcase behind, empty. (Or was. Hold on.) Anway so I nabbed these great boxes lying idly on the side of the road. I had them all packed and set to go when a light bulb turned on. One of the suitcases JUST HAPPENED to be the perfect suitcase size. I wasn't 100% sure it would fit, so I decided to be careful with the contents of the box and flip it over to dump it, keeping the formation intact as much as possible. And this made me laugh.
Because it reminded me of this.
Which they have in various forms in all of the delicatessens. This one was a fish version: terrine de poisson. Very foul. Well I can't say with absolute certainty because I never tried it, but I never will! And I will never complain about Utah jello salads again. They've got nothing on French jello salads.
Anyway, final verdict: the suitcase FIT. Mom, if you're reading, that should make you happy, since it's yours :-)
Goodbyes
It seems backwards to close by showing pics of all the places I visited daily and people that comprised my routine-world here in Paris, but I haven't really shown or mentioned them yet and they were my life here really. Soooo
My School Dungeon
Though it didn't feel like a dungeon emotionally, it really did look like one, hence I haven't shown any pictures yet. There was just no pretty angle. Finally when the trees started blooming I captured this one shot of the courtyard. It's the best I could do :-)
My English Team
A few of us anyways. My 'responsable', Géraldine, is on the far right. She rocked.
On the Street Where I Lived
Rue du Sud!
The Antony Centre Ville Boulangerie
There were about 5 more all along that one block, but this was most popular due to taste and artistic merit. Located conveniently across from McDonald's, which I ate at a total of two times, and used the restroom facilities probably 9 times. Hehe.
MY Boulangerie
'MY' because it was the one I visited almost daily, being just across the street from me. A little less-classy than the centre ville pomp-and-circumstance one, but equally tasty and a très bonne-marché. I've learned that each boulangerie though serving all types of bread/pastries, normally excels at a couple. This one excelled at brioche bread, quiche lorraine, tarts, and Galette de Roi (during the month of February), though they were pretty great at all other things too.
Rue Mozart
Where I walked to pick up Leah from school everyday I babysat.
Speak of the Devil
with her BFF Lily on the right posing by the daffodils.
and Leah's brother, Alex, when I took him to the Eiffel Tower.
And my roommates!
*** picture coming soon ***
Final Goodbyes
In closing, I'd like to share something I'll be sad to part with. It's a little silly, but it's true. My shaving cream can. Has anyone read The Magic Porridge Pot children's book?
This magic pot will make as much porridge as you want. You just have to say the right words to get it cooking, and say the right words to get it to stop. But it's porridge-making capacity is infinite. Well this little Sanex shaving can
has lasted me 8 months. Yes, the entire duration of my trip here! It began to feel lighter about a month ago, but the foaming content that eschews forth is not even sputtering yet. I am amazed. EVERYONE GO BUY SANEX. It's for men, but really what's the difference? It smooths your legs up just the same. 8 MONTHS!
The rest of my "will miss you" list entails mostly food :-) And people I've met. And the beautiful city: architecture, river... And the art. And the language - especially the phrase "Bonjour, Madame." And the absolute stress-free life. And the traveling to cool cool places. I took advantage of my last day with some beauty and deliciousness combined at Laduree.
That little cake thing on the right was "Le Baiser Fraise et Coquelicot" - white chocolate topped poppy cream with a strawberry jam and almond biscuit on bottom. The tea was their house blend of cinnamon, rose and vanilla. And then I got some macarons to go :-) Chocolat amer, mangue-jasmin, fleur d'orange, caramel du beurre sale, and noix de coco. Heaven! Though my friend Rebecca helped me keep my chin up by sharing an article that tells how macaron shops are popping up in the Bay Area.
I'm excited for that AND:
- dressing rooms in stores that have mirrors so you don't have to assess that a dress actually makes you look blimp-like in front of 15 girls and their boyfriends, dads, and brothers.
- being allowed to return bad decisions at stores.
- Biosilk hair gloss and Neutrogena conditioner
- milkshakes, guacamole, tacos, and home-cooked meals
- Bay Area weather
- sinks in the same room as the toilet, along with female-only public restrooms
- milk that isn't 350 calories for 1 cup
- company of other loud people, so I don't get embarrassed in restaurants and metros when I realize I'm talking above the usual volume
- being friendly to strangers because I know their language and can
- my cell phone - and plan that alots more than 2 hours of talking for 50 euros
- to attempt making my own crepes with my own fillers
- no more trip itinerary planning. The trips are fun, but the planning is a bear.
1 comment:
Um, goodluck with the snail mail. I sent my Christmas presents home 1 1/2 months early by boat and my mother ended up getting a box full of korean cds. Yup, it broke opened and somehow got mixed up with another boxes items and then casually taped back together. It was a mess. I had taped that thing like crazy in the first place even. So I'm not sure it it's the best way to go.
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