HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Last night I stopped in the grocery store to pick up a few last minute things (cheddar cheese for macaroni and cheese, sugar and a spatula for pancakes) and I came across the HOLY GRAIL of grocery store aisles : FOREIGN FOODS.

Apparently Bran flakes, grape-nuts, kettle chips and Hellman's mayonnaise are British. Who knew?

Then I saw these. I thought they were mythical, but apparently somebody is still buying them. Crazy Brits.

HI AMERIKA. Please note, apparently we have Aunt Jemima pancakes, syrup, peanut butter, and then two full rows of the chunk cookies. Excellent.

They also had mini marshmallows, so I opted for a pack of those.

The reason for all of this shopping right before I leave the country for ten days is actually quite simple : I'm hosting my first Christmas Eve party :) A few friends from orchestra are coming over, we're all celebrating together and attempting to stay up all night, so as to better sleep on the plane (12 hours of plane time, plus another 5 of bus once we get there). This could be rough.

To at least take advantage of being in France for the holidays a LITTLE bit, I ordered a Bûche de Noël at the boulangerie nearby. If you can't tell, Santa is serenading us. So cute. And chocolatey. Yum.

And then, if all goes well, early tomorrow morning we're off to the airport en masse -- My flight details are available here if you get curious ...

I'll try to get on someone's computer while we're there, just to check in (I'm not bringing mine and I'm not going to use my Blackberry because my phone bill would be ASTRONOMICAL), but otherwise I'll be back on January 5th and OF COURSE I'll be posting pictures and stories ...

You can try to follow us a little on the Musique en Sorbonne site as well -- They say they'll be trying to post updates and pictures (if you watch the slideshow that's already up and running you'll see me!).

Love to all of you, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for the new year!

To be continued ... In 2011!

Hello, weeks. Where did you go?

So I'm not really sure how it's suddenly December 22nd, but my clocks all seem to confirm this. I guess the stress of worrying about whether or not I'd be going to China distracted me quite a bit! And for the record, I'M GOING! I went and picked up my passport, complete with visa, on Monday afternoon.

We fly out on SATURDAY. About that packing ...

As a result things have been a bit crazy. I've been going out with friends quite a bit, and last weekend was our pre-concert "week-end de travail." Incidentally, a major national French TV network, TF1, came and filmed us. Whom, do you suppose, just happened to be sitting first stand at that particular moment? THIS GIRL. The guy came to the center (next to the conductor) with an ENORMOUS video camera, and basically pointed it at me. I was just like "Uhhhhhhh, is it too late to move? Can I just smile?" Apparently a crew is going to film our first concerts in China as well, and some sort of report on us will be on TF1 either December 30th or 31st. SNAP. So I've been on communist Chinese television, and French television ... Have I ever even been on American TV? I think not ...

Here are some goofy shots with the boys ... I let them be the photographers for once. They were amused, but unfortunately it's hard to get everyone to hold still, and the Blackberry camera really demands immobility.

Maxime had a light-up martini glass that he was playing with, it's not that I'm trying to hide his radioactive ear or something :)

Saw this stamped on the street as I was cutting over to Rue de Lancry ... Do you suppose they mean some sort of play on "one another," or someone just messed up, or completely unrelated? Tough to say.

Monday morning. Snowy. I was unaware that according to the news media everything is a mess and the airports aren't working, etc. As snowy as this looks, there was no trace of it by 3pm that afternoon. Thanks for exaggerating EVERYTHING, news media. Granted, while the snow is there everything falls apart (it's as if they've never considered the possibility that snow would DARE fall on Paris).

Just after this, however, I did see a man squeegeeing the sidewalk. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?

Snowflakes!

Just the other day I got a letter from Potter and Molly (and Lin, by default?), and included were some snowflakes they had made me. These are ESSENTIAL to my winter decoration theme, so of course I have to document!

I love them ... Top left is from Molly, bottom left is from Julien, and the one on the right is from Potter. Scattered around them are snowflakes Lin sent me for Christmas last year :)

In theory a few of my friends and I will be celebrating Christmas Eve together here, since the idea is for all of us to herd each other to the airport on the 25th for orchestra's tour in China. Think me happy thoughts for my visa, please!

I could have danced all night

It was a busy weekend, full of the typical Parisian shenanigans. We had what felt like a heat wave, but upon further reflection was merely the 40s, which made going outside way easier on the layering process.

Saturday morning was a less-than-awesome orchestra rehearsal (between the cramped room and the high temperatures, the handwritten illegible music was the icing on the cake of my giggle fit).

Afterwards Guillaume and I went to our favorite café in the 18e, Chez Francis. Mmmm, went all out since we were starving (I had a steak and he had a burger, followed by an AWESOME lava cake with some sort of not sweet but creamy awesome sauce).

Sunday I tutored in the morning (rough wake-up call), then met Betsey for a flea market date. Couldn't resist buying a ton of pretty scarves ... And finally indulged in the pretty olive green Converse I've been coveting for months. They seem to be getting increasingly hard to find, so I figured it was going to be now or never.

I'm more the now type.

Then Betsey and I grabbed an afternoon hot chocolate on the Rue de Rivoli before heading toward the Opéra. We found this neat English/American bookstore. For Meg and Gennie and my my mom - little tins for making babas au rhum. It made me smile :)

As I walked up to catch the métro, the sun just happened to, you know, glance brilliantly off the Opéra's golden trimmings. No big deal.

Last night I went to see My Fair Lady at the Théâtre de Châtelet. [That's where I saw A Little Night Music last year, and where I'm seeing Sweeney Todd in the spring.]

The sets were beautiful, as were the costumes, and the show was wonderful. I didn't love the singing voice of the woman playing Eliza, but it was a great show. I'm almost tempted to go back ... I don't think I'll have the time though. The show was in English, with French subtitles playing, which was hilarious, since they didn't seem to do to much to demonstrate the extreme accents that make it so funny for anglophones. They did a little bit, but not nearly to the same degree.

Anyway I had a great time, and the man that played Freddie had one of the most phenomenal voices I've ever heard. I've never given 'On the street where you live' a second thought, until last night's rendition. It was also funny because there are a few choice references to the French, which were well-received by the primarily French crowd.

Stressed and tired in general, but trying to keep breathing. At a normal speed. Not into a paper bag.

Oops.

Mystery solved; apparently my mom had told me NOT TO OPEN the Christmas present she had ordered me.

Fail.

My life is the stuff of bestsellers.

Wednesday's concert was Schubert, Rachmaninov and Strauss. I decided I really like Strauss during the Chevalier à la rose (no clue by what name we know that in English) suite for orchestra, when I got that feeling that only classical music gives me ; The one where the whole universe comes together for just a second.

But first, I should say that yesterday (Wednesday) it snowed like I've never seen it snow in Paris. Ever. It snowed giant flakes from 11am until 6pm. I didn't take it that seriously until we went out again at 3pm, since I presumed that it wouldn't stick. FALSE. This is near the kids' art class ... I MAY have instigated a snowball fight. We had a blast, but we were soaked ... My poor suede boots weren't made for this. Totally worth it, especially with the victory hot chocolate post-battle.

Had to snap a picture of the motorcycles. It made me laugh (I'd like to say on the inside, but I seem to remember a maniacal giggle finding voice just the same).

And finally, street view of Rue des Belles Feuilles as I left at 7pm. I didn't see a single shovel or plow until this morning, when the street cleaners that usually hose the sidewalks were out with small shovels and salt looking rather baffled by the turn of events. I guess a culture that can't handle picking up dog poop is probably not prepared to deal with snow. At any rate, this made for some impressive slush-ice (the WORST) on the sidewalks and in the streets.

A certain someone you know may POSSIBLY have slipped and fallen while attempting to Tweet (I've become one of them, God help us) and walk. Oops. Nothing hurt except my pride. On the other hand, given the quality of the roads and the fact that I didn't come to Paris outfitted for any real winter, I can HARDLY be held responsible. I have instituted a no-phone-while-walking rule though. At least until the sidewalks are more walkable.

Happened to walk by this during my waiting-for-the-laundry-to-finish stroll. Entrance clearly marked for Douches. I know a few, I'll send them along ...

(Public showers. Not nearly as fun as my alternate interpretation, I know.)

Cool gun-dragon-snake graffiti, near the douche entrance.

This morning I did a load of laundry, grocery-shopped (both of those for the first time in almost three weeks, OOPS) and even turned in all of my visa paperwork to the agency I'm paying to handle my Chinese stuff.

Cross your fingers.

As of now I have the afternoon wide open. I'd love to go wander the streets since it's sunny and nice out, but with the sidewalks being icy deathtraps, I probably won't. I'm not ready to meet such an inglorious end. For the time being I'll stay in with coffee and books, WHICH REMINDS ME: What mystery person has had 'The Crimes of Paris' mailed to me from Amazon.fr via a London-based bookstore?!

Baffled. Today has been thoroughly epic.

Laundry Day.

Laundromat, 10am, a Thursday in December.

Alone.

Enter man, gesturing frantically at safety pin and saying something (thick, unintelligible accent) about his pants and not letting anyone come in.

Realization: He's saying the zipper broke (and you pray he isn't asking for your help). Pants situation regulated, man asks where you're from. You tell him you're American. He instantly becomes overjoyed, gives you a big kiss on the cheek, and informs you that his ex-girlfriend is from Mexico. Lived here since 2007.

I swear, I couldn't make this stuff up if I dropped acid.