Evidently, the strike that started a few days ago will be in full swing on Saturday with four large demonstrations in Paris. I feel sorry for all those people who work all week and need to do their errands on the weekend.
One of the disturbances is for the Chinese New Year, so we can accept this one.
Bulletin trafic en temps réel - Manifestations en cours
Vendredi 30 janvier 2009 à 20h34
Aucune manifestation en cours de nature à perturber le service.
A noter samedi 31 janvier, 4 manifestations sur la voie publique :
1)A partir de 12h30, rassemblement place de la République puis défilé par le boulevard Voltaire jusqu'à la place de la Nation.
Lignes de bus perturbées dans ces secteurs : 20, 26, 46, 56, 57, 61, 65, 69, 75, 76, 86, 96 et 351.
2)A partir de 13h00, rassemblement place de la République qui défileront ensuite par les boulevards du Temple, des Filles du Calvaire, Beaumarchais et la place de la Bastille, où est prévue la dislocation du Cortège.
Lignes de bus perturbées dans ces secteurs : 20, 29, 56, 61, 65, 69, 75, 76, 86, 87, 91 et 96.
3) Dans le cadre des festivités du Nouvel An Chinois, à partir de 14h00, rassemblement place de l'Hôtel de Ville, puis défilé via les rues du Temple, de Turbigo, de Beaubourg, du Renard jusqu'à la place de l'Hôtel de Ville.
Lignes de bus perturbées dans ces secteurs : 20, 29, 38, 47, 58, 67, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76 et 96.
4) A partir de 15h00, rassemblement boulevard Saint Michel puis défilé par le boulevard de l’observatoire jusqu’à la Place Denfert-Rochereau.
Lignes de bus perturbées dans ces secteurs : 21, 27, 38, 68, 82, 83, 84, 85, 88, 89, 216 et Orlybus.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
My Personal Shopper
For avocados
We have a very large new Whole Foods in our neighborhood. For those of you in France, it is like a giant Naturalia.
Since it is more expensive than normal stores and a little bit out of my way, I don't go there very often, but I went there today to stock up on vitamins for our next trip.
I also got some food for dinner, including a nice avocado. As I was checking out, the woman behind the cash register looked at me and said, "do you really want this one?"
I told her I wasn't wedded to it, I simply wanted a ripe one. She then locked her register, telling me she'd be right back.
I stood there, helplessly thinking about the #70 bus drivers in Paris, who stop the bus, open the doors and walk out, crossing the street, leaving the bus running. Another driver comes back about 5 minutes later, no explanation whatsoever. Where do they go? What do they do?
Smiling, the cashier returned with two avocados. She then proceeded to have me feel/squeeze each one while explaining that her choice was better, trust her. So I did. We'll see tonight when I put it in the salad.
In any case, I think I've discovered my own Whole Foods personal shopper.
We have a very large new Whole Foods in our neighborhood. For those of you in France, it is like a giant Naturalia.
Since it is more expensive than normal stores and a little bit out of my way, I don't go there very often, but I went there today to stock up on vitamins for our next trip.
I also got some food for dinner, including a nice avocado. As I was checking out, the woman behind the cash register looked at me and said, "do you really want this one?"
I told her I wasn't wedded to it, I simply wanted a ripe one. She then locked her register, telling me she'd be right back.
I stood there, helplessly thinking about the #70 bus drivers in Paris, who stop the bus, open the doors and walk out, crossing the street, leaving the bus running. Another driver comes back about 5 minutes later, no explanation whatsoever. Where do they go? What do they do?
Smiling, the cashier returned with two avocados. She then proceeded to have me feel/squeeze each one while explaining that her choice was better, trust her. So I did. We'll see tonight when I put it in the salad.
In any case, I think I've discovered my own Whole Foods personal shopper.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Domestic Reservations
Nearly all the trips I take by plane are to Europe.
I'm not used to the new restrictions for domestic flights such as add-on charges for checked bags and paying for food. Air France takes all our huge heavy bags without discussion, then feeds us lavishly every time we're hungry. We get champagne in a real glass. I'm used to being treated fairly well during a flight. Where have I been? Paris, I guess.
I just made reservations to visit my sister. I did it by phone rather than the internet. Ding! Add $15 for speaking to a person.
The Continental reservation person then informed me, very nicely, that my first checked bag will cost $15, the second one would be $25. There won't be a second bag on a four day trip after this news.
The alternative is to take only a carry-on. The bag can weigh as much as 40 pounds. Do they weigh it? What happens if it weighs 41 pounds, am I charged for the overweight bag?
I then told the woman that I doubted that I could lift 40 pounds over my head into the overhead bin, she told me that there would surely be a "Good Samaritan" to help out. You never know, this could get ugly. Earlier this year, my sister, who is stronger and taller than me, wrenched her back and neck because there was no one to help her with her carry-on.
Other restrictions include a $150 charge to change the ticket.
I'm wondering what else will be tacked on to a basic coach ticket. I'll bring a credit card, that's for sure.
I'm not used to the new restrictions for domestic flights such as add-on charges for checked bags and paying for food. Air France takes all our huge heavy bags without discussion, then feeds us lavishly every time we're hungry. We get champagne in a real glass. I'm used to being treated fairly well during a flight. Where have I been? Paris, I guess.
I just made reservations to visit my sister. I did it by phone rather than the internet. Ding! Add $15 for speaking to a person.
The Continental reservation person then informed me, very nicely, that my first checked bag will cost $15, the second one would be $25. There won't be a second bag on a four day trip after this news.
The alternative is to take only a carry-on. The bag can weigh as much as 40 pounds. Do they weigh it? What happens if it weighs 41 pounds, am I charged for the overweight bag?
I then told the woman that I doubted that I could lift 40 pounds over my head into the overhead bin, she told me that there would surely be a "Good Samaritan" to help out. You never know, this could get ugly. Earlier this year, my sister, who is stronger and taller than me, wrenched her back and neck because there was no one to help her with her carry-on.
Other restrictions include a $150 charge to change the ticket.
I'm wondering what else will be tacked on to a basic coach ticket. I'll bring a credit card, that's for sure.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Seeing Friends and Family
One of the best parts of living between two places is seeing friends and family in each location. There's always a lot to catch up on and it's fun to look forward to a reunion.
I have Paris friends and LA friends, but more and more these friends travel to the other location and we have a new world to explore. I enjoy sharing my life in the "other" location.
Many people ask me what my life is like in the other location, "what do I do" in that other spot. I usually come up with a very boring answer that doesn't describe the situation very well.
I think this is because it's the simple pleasures in each of these locations that make my life rich and interesting. I like driving my blue car. I like walking up rue de Rennes to go to Monoprix. I like taking the #82 bus. I like looking at the ocean.
How do I describe these things to others? Until they experience it, they can't understand. And, if someone is in Paris for 4 days, I seriously doubt that they want to go to Monoprix. Likewise, my blue car isn't at all special, so it's not an "activity" for a visitor.
It's hard to imagine, when you're sitting outside with a friend, drinking tea, that two days before it was -10 C and snowing. But, I guess that's what friends are for, listening to stories from the other place, enjoying the time we spend together.
I have Paris friends and LA friends, but more and more these friends travel to the other location and we have a new world to explore. I enjoy sharing my life in the "other" location.
Many people ask me what my life is like in the other location, "what do I do" in that other spot. I usually come up with a very boring answer that doesn't describe the situation very well.
I think this is because it's the simple pleasures in each of these locations that make my life rich and interesting. I like driving my blue car. I like walking up rue de Rennes to go to Monoprix. I like taking the #82 bus. I like looking at the ocean.
How do I describe these things to others? Until they experience it, they can't understand. And, if someone is in Paris for 4 days, I seriously doubt that they want to go to Monoprix. Likewise, my blue car isn't at all special, so it's not an "activity" for a visitor.
It's hard to imagine, when you're sitting outside with a friend, drinking tea, that two days before it was -10 C and snowing. But, I guess that's what friends are for, listening to stories from the other place, enjoying the time we spend together.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
A California Experience
We tend to live in our own country. Whether we are in California or Paris, in our home and in our daily lives, we are in Terry and Sherry country. We speak English and have the same thoughts, activities and patterns no matter where we are.
But, once we step out of our personal cocoon, we have to adjust our thinking and behavior to the culture associated with the place where we're living.
Even so, I rarely have a true "Paris moment" or a true "California moment". These moments, in my mind, are described as typical, even exaggerated notions of the place, the kind of moments that people remember and relay to others. The place gets a reputation for something that isn't part of mainstream life. For example, for the French, it would be rudeness, or indifference or even a big show of emotion. For Californians, it would be the beach life with all its associations, the all play and no work mentality.
I'm a native Californian, and a native of Los Angeles, home of many stereotypes. Yet, my life doesn't involve most of them -- I eat red meat, even veal, which is quite a no-no for many Californians. I have even eaten foie gras. I'm considering buying some kind of fur coat, oh my! Not at all Californian of me.
I am still in the habit of wearing my gym clothes to and from the gym, both in California and in Paris. I'm the only person walking out of the Club Med Gym and down rue de Rennes in my workout clothes and running shoes. I can't seem to do the French thing and towel off, spray some extra deodorant on, put some lotion on, dry my hair and put on my street clothes without taking a shower. They think I'm weird, I'm sure, but I think it's equally unsavory to omit a shower after the workout.
Yesterday, around 3 PM, still in my gym clothes after a mid-morning workout (this IS California, OK?), I went into a new store in our neighborhood. It is a beautiful store, quite large. The owner met me almost immediately and we had a short discussion.
As I was making my purchases, she asked, "what do I do?" To this, I replied that I live in Paris about half the year. The discussion continued. She wanted to know if the French speak any English. To this I replied that the French learn a second language in school, it may or may not be English, but they prefer to speak French.
From here the conversation disintegrated into something only a person from California could even begin to understand. I said that Americans are very "egocentric" and speak only English but other countries know that they need at least two languages.
I guess the word "egocentric" struck some kind of New Age bell in her. From this point, I got a barrage of philosophical thought that even in English I could not understand. A lot of it had to do with metaphysics, which I had to look up in the dictionary to make sure I understood what it meant. I have no idea what she was talking about, but it concerned The Universe, Barak Obama, prayer and meditation, the soul. I couldn't wait to get out of the store, but all this talk had completely halted the sale and packaging of the purchase so I had to wait through another blast of California-talk. I'm sure I could have stopped her in her tracks if I told her that I like fur, eat veal and foie gras and wear gym clothes on the streets in Paris.
But, once we step out of our personal cocoon, we have to adjust our thinking and behavior to the culture associated with the place where we're living.
Even so, I rarely have a true "Paris moment" or a true "California moment". These moments, in my mind, are described as typical, even exaggerated notions of the place, the kind of moments that people remember and relay to others. The place gets a reputation for something that isn't part of mainstream life. For example, for the French, it would be rudeness, or indifference or even a big show of emotion. For Californians, it would be the beach life with all its associations, the all play and no work mentality.
I'm a native Californian, and a native of Los Angeles, home of many stereotypes. Yet, my life doesn't involve most of them -- I eat red meat, even veal, which is quite a no-no for many Californians. I have even eaten foie gras. I'm considering buying some kind of fur coat, oh my! Not at all Californian of me.
I am still in the habit of wearing my gym clothes to and from the gym, both in California and in Paris. I'm the only person walking out of the Club Med Gym and down rue de Rennes in my workout clothes and running shoes. I can't seem to do the French thing and towel off, spray some extra deodorant on, put some lotion on, dry my hair and put on my street clothes without taking a shower. They think I'm weird, I'm sure, but I think it's equally unsavory to omit a shower after the workout.
Yesterday, around 3 PM, still in my gym clothes after a mid-morning workout (this IS California, OK?), I went into a new store in our neighborhood. It is a beautiful store, quite large. The owner met me almost immediately and we had a short discussion.
As I was making my purchases, she asked, "what do I do?" To this, I replied that I live in Paris about half the year. The discussion continued. She wanted to know if the French speak any English. To this I replied that the French learn a second language in school, it may or may not be English, but they prefer to speak French.
From here the conversation disintegrated into something only a person from California could even begin to understand. I said that Americans are very "egocentric" and speak only English but other countries know that they need at least two languages.
I guess the word "egocentric" struck some kind of New Age bell in her. From this point, I got a barrage of philosophical thought that even in English I could not understand. A lot of it had to do with metaphysics, which I had to look up in the dictionary to make sure I understood what it meant. I have no idea what she was talking about, but it concerned The Universe, Barak Obama, prayer and meditation, the soul. I couldn't wait to get out of the store, but all this talk had completely halted the sale and packaging of the purchase so I had to wait through another blast of California-talk. I'm sure I could have stopped her in her tracks if I told her that I like fur, eat veal and foie gras and wear gym clothes on the streets in Paris.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Somewhere Over The Atlantic
I caught a cold.
I've been so careful to avoid sick people, wash my hands, take vitamins. But, one day on a plane (with 400 other people, probably 10% of them with colds) will do it. I survived much of the winter in close quarters with people sneezing, coughing, wheezing. And I didn't get sick.
But the change is too much. We left Paris and it was snowing and below zero. Today in LA, it's 80 and sunny.
So, I made the trip to Whole Foods to stock up on all the remedies. Unfortunately, they were out of my go-to vitamins, Wellness Formula, so I bought the Whole Foods brand equivalent. I also bought some other homeopathic thing that tastes pretty good.
This is the last thing I wanted! I didn't even have kleenex in the house. Now, I have a box strategically placed in every room.
I've had to cancel two social plans this week. I think it's only fair to tell someone before you show up and infect them. But, it's really disappointing because I want to see everyone that I haven't seen for months.
My nose is red, too.
I've been so careful to avoid sick people, wash my hands, take vitamins. But, one day on a plane (with 400 other people, probably 10% of them with colds) will do it. I survived much of the winter in close quarters with people sneezing, coughing, wheezing. And I didn't get sick.
But the change is too much. We left Paris and it was snowing and below zero. Today in LA, it's 80 and sunny.
So, I made the trip to Whole Foods to stock up on all the remedies. Unfortunately, they were out of my go-to vitamins, Wellness Formula, so I bought the Whole Foods brand equivalent. I also bought some other homeopathic thing that tastes pretty good.
This is the last thing I wanted! I didn't even have kleenex in the house. Now, I have a box strategically placed in every room.
I've had to cancel two social plans this week. I think it's only fair to tell someone before you show up and infect them. But, it's really disappointing because I want to see everyone that I haven't seen for months.
My nose is red, too.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Keys
There's always a last minute emergency when we're trying to leave town. Often, it's keys. They get lost when you don't use them for months at a time.
Last time, Terry lost them (we found them). So, he gave them to me for safe-keeping this time. But, with all the other things going on, they again got lost.
It's only house keys, but it's also a big hassle to get the door opened without them. Probably expensive, too.
So this morning, with everything else going on (also had a heating problem this morning), we had to spend an hour looking everywhere for the keys.
They turned up, this time, in my "stuff". Luckily we had some time to kill.
Last time, Terry lost them (we found them). So, he gave them to me for safe-keeping this time. But, with all the other things going on, they again got lost.
It's only house keys, but it's also a big hassle to get the door opened without them. Probably expensive, too.
So this morning, with everything else going on (also had a heating problem this morning), we had to spend an hour looking everywhere for the keys.
They turned up, this time, in my "stuff". Luckily we had some time to kill.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
The Sunday Paper
All the news stands in our neighborhood are still closed, hopefully opening tomorrow after two weeks of closure. I wonder how they stay in business. I wonder what happens to their unsold inventory that just sits in the locked kiosk for two weeks. Oh well, not my worry!
We love the Saturday/Sunday Le Figaro. It comes with a TV Guide (which we never use) and two magazines. We look forward to it.
Last week, I took the bus on Sunday morning to find the paper. But, this morning I was meeting a friend at Sevres-Babylone, where I knew there was a large news stand.
I arrived early for our RDV (rendez vous) so that I could buy the paper. But, this news stand was closed too, reopening tomorrow. So, no newspaper for us today.
We love the Saturday/Sunday Le Figaro. It comes with a TV Guide (which we never use) and two magazines. We look forward to it.
Last week, I took the bus on Sunday morning to find the paper. But, this morning I was meeting a friend at Sevres-Babylone, where I knew there was a large news stand.
I arrived early for our RDV (rendez vous) so that I could buy the paper. But, this news stand was closed too, reopening tomorrow. So, no newspaper for us today.
Tennis, Anyone?
This is one of the tennis courts at the Luxembourg Gardens. Terry shot this a couple of days ago. We had a light dusting of snow in the morning, but it's so cold that it isn't melting. Of course, we can play indoors.
For this California girl, the cold is overwhelming. Despite layers of clothes, none of them at all chic, I am still freezing when I walk around town. I can't find the perfect solution -- even layers don't quite do it and a long, down coat is highly overrated.
I hear there's more snow on the way tomorrow or the next day. It is beautiful and I love to watch it fall, while I'm inside, sipping my Nespresso.
Right now, the days are short, it's not completely light until 9 AM then it starts getting dark at 4:30 to 5 PM. Dark and cold. Not a lot of time to do all the things I want to do.
In June, it will be just the opposite, light so long that I'm always tired, thinking I can jam in one more activity before nighttime. And, I can if it doesn't get dark until 10 PM.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
