First 2 days in Paris

Gosh, I don't really even know where to begin. I'm back here in Paris along with the San Francisco Ballet. You didn't know that I'm also a ballerina? Well, there are many things you don't know about me. I can make a clover shape with my tongue. I can make a variety of animal noises quite convincingly. I can say "Please hold on" and sound exactly like the Muni lady saying it. I make soap and bath salts. I speak French very badly. I have traveled around the world. I have driven across the US several times, tho never actually behind the wheel. I can drive and parallel park better than most. I love driving on San Francisco hills bc I am naturally good at it. I took 3 semesters of calculus post-college for the first time, for fun. I type, read, run and bike very slowly but am adaptable to keyboards in other languages. I draw people pretty well but landscapes badly. I used to sing opera. What? You knew all that about me already and this ballet things still sounds like BS? OK, I lied about being a ballerina. But the fact remains that both me and the SF ballet are here at the same time.

I arrived yesterday after eventless flights and connections. This was a happy change from the last time. The NY-Paris leg was very cold, and I slept badly. I was also disappointed when the girl next to me would not let me rest my feet on hers for warmth. I collected my bags without incident and the RER left shortly after I got on it. Basically, the universe smiled upon me.

I am staying again at the B's Montreuil apartment, but G could not meet me here until 8 PM (I arrived at 11 AM). So, I had arranged to hangout at my friend Jennifer's for the day. As I stepped out of the Metro in her posh neighborhood (the 16th), I was immediately surounded by a marching band advertising something about Brazil and summer. I accepted their flyers (still unread) and marched with them for a block or 2 towards Jennifer's, my welcome parade.

Jennifer's was mayhem. I mean, her place is gorgeous, and she has been painting a lot lately (wonderful!), but the plummer walked in behind me to unclog the shower and the cleaning person (who it turns out had not lost his keys and was unaware that he might have) followed close behind. Jennifer and I went out to lunch at the corner cafe (salade parisienne et un cafe maintenant, si vous plait, pas apre), and then I took the dog for a longish walk. I used the computer and napped for an hour while Jennifer picked up Nell, her daughter (7?). Jennifer is a bonfide goddess for letting me hang there instead of carrying my 60 pounds (no kidding) of stuff around Paris for 8 hours on no sleep.

Nell is super fun and very high energy. But I had to go meet G and his mother for dinner at 8. They are so charming. Over dinner we talked about the recent terrorism in London (horrible! murderers! ...but we are no strangers to protests of the G8 -- just not like that), the failure to EU constitution to pass in France (bc 1-it's too complicated, 2-the EU admin structure is too complicated, and 3-people oppose Chirac, everything he does and all things, always, but G voted for it anyway), and one other super interesting thing that I have temporarily forgotten. (darn it! i should carry a notebook always.)

Then I slept for 10+ hours.

It's been rainy and cold here, no unlike SF in the winter (I wear a sweater!) but it did clear up briefly this afternoon. I bought groceries and then went to the travel agent to get a plane ticket to Budapest. Gitte met me there and we bummed around Paris (!), returned to her studio (room), and then went out to dinner. I really like Paris. Her studio (room) is teeny tiny but super cute, a 7th floor walk-up with outside toilet, but she only pays like 350 euros. She's in the attic, maids' quarters, near the Eiffel Tower (you can see a lot from her window but not the Tower) with old blue wall paper and about 4 square meters. I kind of wanted to eat at home after getting all those lovely groceries (cheese, pate, wine, yum), but she told me she'd seen a Korean restaurant she wanted to try. This was important bc she was a Korean baby adopted by a Danish (not Korean) family, and she has never eaten Korean food. I believe she still hasn't bc this place was very tasty but not very authentic IMHO (more pan north-west asian, but what do I know?). It was, however, very popular with the Parisiens who lined up outside the door.

The sun set over the Seine, and we walked thru Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis and watched the lovers kiss and the people line up for the famous ice cream (something with a B???). She was supposed to go to a birthday party for a Portugese girl she knows (who speaks perfect French) at a club, but I think we both headed home once we found a Metro station. Anyway, I am exhausted and it's after midnight, but as usual I am having trouble winding down. Maybe a little wine will help.... This wouldn't be a problem if Eric were here.