Picking Up Where I Left Off

I'm baaack. Well, technically I've been back (in France) for three weeks now, but it's perhaps taken me this long to finally get back into the swing of things. I had three lovely, relaxing, French-free weeks at home in the grand old USA for Christmas and New Years. I was overjoyed to see my parents, my family, my friends, and many American conveniences that I'd been missing (i.e. NON-handheld showers, normal-sized washing machines and dryers, supermarkets with all that familiar yet unhealthy food, people who don't actually drive like maniacs, my queen-sized bed, peace and quiet). I was quite sad to come back to Paris, actually, which surprised me. But after some self-analysis, I realized that my reluctance to return was due to a combination of my approaching finals for my master's courses, some extra hours that needed to be put in at my job, and the gray January weather.

Now that I've gotten a few finals under my belt and really hit my stride with my teaching, I feel like I'm back home, back in Paris, back to my life as it should be. Today, for instance, I taught three classes this morning and then hopped on the métro to visit another teaching assistant friend named Kathryn. She too works at a culinary high school with an in-house restaurant, so we decided to check out each other's brasseries to see which one is best! Lunch today at Lycée Jean Drouant consisted of pan-seared tuna with a vegetable tarte followed by raspberry pannacotta - simply delicious, and fantastically affordable at a price of only eight euros! Then I followed Kathryn to one of her classes where I helped her explain such important things to her students as 'corn on the cob' and 'to tie your shoes.' Afterwards I got to meet some of the teachers she works with, it was fun to see another teaching assistant in action.

Though I've been living here for a few months now, I realize that I have yet to post any photos of my room. So here is my little corner of Paris:
To the left, my super-practical Ikea bed complete with hidden drawers and built-in nightstand. I brought back some keepsake blankets with me from home when I went back from Christmas. Little red rugs to brighten the place up, my desk and bookshelf are on the right. The armoire is the object looming to the left! My window faces south, and thank goodness for shutters, which help block out the noise at night (my supply of heavy-duty earplugs helps too...!).

We live on the 10th floor of the building, so we have quite a view out of the kitchen window. In the distance on the left, you can make out the Eiffel tower and its searchlight. Straight ahead, the tall skyscraper is the Tour Montparnasse. And to the right you can sometimes see Sacre Coeur, in Montmartre. Not too shabby!

I wish you all a very happy new year and bonne année 2011! I'm excited to see what this year shall bring for all of us.