Chez de Ribier.

So I am finally in Paris and finally starting to get settled. On the way here, I realized two things: I can watch a lot of movies on a flight to Paris and that the Irish secretly love to shop. Has anyone ever been to Dublin airport? Talk about a shopping mall inside an airport. Seriously. Shops all over and good ones too, a huge makeup store which may or may not have been Sephora, and a STARBUCKS. American commercialism at it's finest, bien sûr. It was a rather stressful experience at 2AM USA time, after having not really slept in quite some time.

Now that I am here, there are a series of other things that I have noticed about Paris and about my outlook on most things. First, I compare everything to New York. I was in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago, and kept complaining about how the city didn't have subways and how it was grey and how there was barely any grass, and really the only nice thing about it was its suburbs and littler cities (like Pasadena).

It's hard to distinguish what is simply Parisian or European and what is simply New York. For example: Le Métro. Why must I make so many connections all the time and why is it not a grid the way New York is? The answer is obvious, but the complaint resonates. It's just different. Thankfully, the trip to the NYU center is very easy. Also, it seems my homestay parents vote on taking the métro everywhere. I asked how far the Champs-Elysées was, because I obviously wanted to shop or SOMETHING with all the time I have been spending alone, and they said a 30 minute walk and just to take the subway. I just asked how far it was, and wanted to walk. Also, this morning, I am pretty sure there 40-year-old daughter told me putting sugar in my coffee would make me fat... Not sure how I feel about that.

Other differences include things that I didn't realize would bother me. Eggs are not sold in a cold case/fridge like they are in the US. WHAT???!?! This is not ok. Eggs are supposed to be cold and you are supposed to warm them up. I put them in the fridge when I got home and hopefully they will not explode...

Also, there is an entire aisle dedicated to yogurt. Yogurt. And let me tell you, if they didn't sell Activia or a yogurt called "Taillefine" which pretty much means "good size/shape" implying that it is a light yogurt, I would not be eating yogurt with my baguette for breakfast. Aycline, the 40 year old daughter, said "France is the land of yogurt." Truer words have never been spoken. So, France is the land of yogurt, wine, cheese, and bread.

However, one thing that is AMAZING: Special K Red Berries here has RASPBERRIES too! WHY IS IT NOT LIKE THIS IN THE US? Having those little freeze dried berries has made breakfast so much better. There are also a couple fantastic bakeries that I have found that are apparently chains, so maybe they will be in the US when I come home.

One thing that struck me the most is how paranoid it seems the French are. For example, Madame de Ribier told me that if I ever go to pay with a credit card, I have to insist they bring the machine to me at the table, or just do it right in front of me, because places are known to photograph the cards. Seriously? Also, apparently almost every phone shop has a security guard because cell phones are stolen constantly so that gang members cannot be tracked. She also told me that if I ever see 3 people approach me on the métro to move quickly because two of them will try to squish me and the other will steal my purse. Aycline then made a comment about the Bronx and how people steal stuff there and I defended my state and the current population of the Bronx by saying that no one really steals stuff on the subways that frequently because 1. people in New York will get involved unless the person has a gun and 2. people generally mug people later at night or if they are just plain nuts. we don't have "gypsies" so to speak. And according to the de Ribier's, no one in Paris will help you on the métro or anywhere if you are having an issue with having stuff stolen. No one. Uhhh... C'est incroyable! Mais pourquoi?! The French are pretty helpful on the street though the judge me when I give up in French and switch to English after many failed attempts to buy various things.

And fleas in the métro? No thanks... I have bites all over my face and I cannot believe that they are from fleas. Aycline insists there are no mosquitos in Paris. I disagree but will continue to sleep with my window open because it can be hot in a chambre de bonne (maid's quarters or little bedroom in the attic.)

Otherwise, the food is good, the people are friendly, the students at NYU so far are nice, but I am simply DYING for everyone else to get here so I can go on an adventure. The sidewalks and streets are gorgeous and there are trees and parks everywhere. I have to adventure over to my park, but everyone insists it's beautiful. And, it is not difficult to eat well CHEAP here, no matter what anyone says... I think I will eat smoked salmon and fromage blanc sandwiches for the rest of my life.

À tout à l'heure.