Resolutions for 2016

Okay, I get it. Resolutions to lose 10 lbs or start a new healthy eating plan or write that novel in the upcoming year are pretty much doomed from the get go, which also makes making them kind of, well, pathetic. I know this -- hell, I've comforted my unresolved self with all the articles about the resolution-initial effort-failure feedback loop every December for at least 5 years running. I know that most of us well-intentioned ninnies will fall off the wagon by February (where I come from we call that Mardi Gras).  And yet.

This year, I'ma do it anyway. I'm going to try putting myself out there in an Amy Schumer flailing among the Knicks Girls at the end of Trainwreck kind of way. 

Le Retour

Here it goes!

The city's still a dream in sandy stone and wrought iron.  This time there's a charming Irishman around to make everything more fun. In the evenings we cook and walk around the 16eme; on the weekends we vow we'll stay in and rest and then don't. Work doesn't start until October 1st so I have loads of time to roam around and search for an apartment of my own as well as play the femme au foyer in the teeny kitchen of the Irishman's flatshare.

One of the best parts of returning to the sprawl of sandcastles on the Seine has been revisiting a few old favorites. Now-Former Host Mom greeted me with a big hug and tizane in the same chic apartment, having just returned from my old nemesis, la piscine. Another highlight was finally bringing the Irishman and a friend to Le Temps des Cerises (31, rue de la Cerisaie, 4e) my favorite little bistro tucked away in the Marais. They've raised their prices (about 19 euros for a main, 8 for appetizers or dessert) and added a vegetarian option to the menu (yay!), with the same cozy ambiance and friendly staff.

The settling in process is a bit of a drag as I search for cheap, furnished accommodation. One problem I keep running into is the necessity of a French bank account to do just about anything.  HSBC already rejected my request saying my salary as a teaching assistant will be trop juste to make me worth their while. Quels snobs! Trying again with Société Générale on Thursday. Any bank recommendations out there?

Apart from my continued mission to improve my French, I've now added 3 more goals:

• Not deform any of the young minds that will be in my charge for 12 hours each week,
• Get my cardiovascular fitness up to par with the Irishman so I don't have to stand and pant on the sidewalk while he jogs on all Rocky-like up the Champs Elysées.
• Find gainful employment over here-- gainful meaning something that gets me above the French equivalent of the poverty line.  

Bises, y'all

Something Beautiful Everyday

Hi all,

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post! I apologize, family. I know all 5 of you were waiting to hear a bit about Spring Break and see some pictures, but honestly, I just can't find it in me to write about it. (It's exam time.)

In the same vein, I've decided to whittle this project down to its original, intended aim -- recognizing some beautiful new discovery every day. I'll start with yesterday.




My ever-uplifting artist friend Linda and I were standing in line at Starbucks when she mentioned the carrot cake at Sésame. I've heard her talk about it glowingly before, and when I said, "Oh, I still need to try that" her response was, "Want to go now?" Four métro stops and a short walk along the vibrant Canal St. Martin later, we arrived at the rosy-cheeked café. This is not your mama's carrot cake! The heavenly little slices are thin, light, and whisper soft. You can also kind of see the grated carrot! Each slice is topped with a scoop of luscious cream cheese frosting which, if I'm not mistaken, contained slivered almonds. I washed mine down with a "café frappé" (ice coffee hold the ice?). Delectable.

Here's their website :)

Salut! On y va!

I created this blog on a whim last September, but now I've decided to put it to good use. With my junior year abroad fast approaching, I've decided to chronicle my experiences preparing for the trip and in Paris. Hopefully, this will serve three purposes: updating those of you back home who are curious, keeping a sort of mixed media journal for me, and maybe providing some insight for future exchange students.

The title of this blog, Artifices de Feu, means "fireworks" (also called "feu d'artifice") in French. It's a term I learned on my last trip to Paris. Shortly after Bastille Day (like Independence Day here, fireworks are big) I was trying to make small talk with the girl cutting my hair at a salon. I tried to ask her if she had watched the fireworks display over the Eiffel Tower, but without knowing the word, all I could do was repeat "lumiere dans le ciel...nuit..." (light in the sky...night...) and do jazz hands, attempting to mimic the twinkling lights. I didn't realize how spastic I was acting until she looked up and raised her eyebrows and gave a barely perceptible Parisian sniff. Je suis gauche. Anyway, eventually I got through and learned a new word. The story reminds me that I'm going to look goofy sometimes, and to try to maintain some dignity, but even if the stylist gives me a funny look, things will probably turn out all right in the end. I came out of that salon looking better and knowing more French. (Small victories).

Fireworks disappear so quickly. One ignites, explodes and then fades so quickly. This year will be over too soon. I need to remember that and make every day wonderful.

Last time I studied away from home, I forgot to do that. I was lazy and let myself get miserable once the weather turned cold. This time, I'll be prepared. I am dedicating my trip to finding beautiful things - people, food, artwork, ideas, writing, places, history. I will record my findings here, as well as my run-ins with French bureaucracy, awkward moments, etc. I'm lucky enough to be setting off on this trip with some beautiful people already in my life. Since they will almost certainly feature in this blog, here is the cast of characters as it stands before departure:

NoodleTzar - Me :)

Le Chef - a friend from university who's also going to Paris. A master of vegetarian cooking. Check out his blog here http://spicesavant.blogspot.com/

Le Jumeau - one of my oldest and dearest friends; a sensitive Southern boy who'll be in Montpellier while I'm in Paris.

Le Corps - A great bunch of kids from university are going to be in Paris. Can't wait to get to know them better!

Momma - Cheerleader & nagger extraordinaire. Number 1 in the speed dial of my heart.

The Professor - Momma's husband, wise and thrifty.

Hélène - stepsister, wild child, unflinchingly authentic.

Grandmère - My role model. A lady in every sense of the word, with an adventurous heart.

Ze'ev - The one I am going to miss the most.

Mademoiselle Em - My scholarly saint. My authority on all things Medieval, Subjunctive, French Literature, and Christian.

L'Exploratrice - The world traveler, my inspiration to kick my insecurities to the curb, put on some awesome shoes, and just go.

Le Frère - Le Jumeau's twin, also one of my nearest and dearest, an authority on the history of New Orleans and always knows how to boost my spirits.

La Libellule - My roommate. Perhaps the truest citizen of the world I know. (Et le Copain de la Libellule m'aide avec mon français)