An American in Paris

I have not had a Thanksgiving dinner in Paris yet. When I lived in NYC and came to Paris to avoid family, we could have a lovely meal but the idea of Thanksgiving was far from our minds. Last year was my first living here and I just ignored the holiday. This year I was planning to do the same, but my friend Christine was coming to dinner on the day and Helmut said, "well, if it is Thanksgiving, why don't we do Thanksgiving?" Well, hmm... ah... uhmm... I guess why not? Well, one reason of course is the Turkey. The bird is not eaten in Europe often, and we would have had to order it. Since we decided to do this the day before, I just don't think that is happening. Also, the meal would be a bit incomprehensible to a Frenchman. While theater, as we know it in NYC, is not really part of the culture here, dinner has taken its place. There are different "acts" (entrée, plat, fromage, dessert) and it is the entertainment for the evening. The free-for-all that is...

This post is for the music geeks out there. I have thought that moving to Europe would give me the ability to travel to various places more easily. I think that in the US, the "TRIP TO EUROPE" in capital letters and as many quotes as you can give it, is a right of passage and, for some, a once in a lifetime event. Literally. For me, Europe has always been a place I love to go. Years ago, I would come to Paris every Thanksgiving, both to avoid family and see a city I loved. Now, though, Paris is my home base and the entire continent is my oyster. There is something here called EasyJet: a small airline that charges less than 100 euros to get almost anywhere in Europe. Yes, you can only take one bag; yes, you are treated like cattle; yes, it is uncomfortable. In fact, I swear they try to make you suffer a bit. For instance, they always have stairs involved and curbs. You are required to have a carry-on back so you would think that ramps would be the thing. Noooo! Their termin...

We are struck again with terrorism. I guess this is the way of life. I have had the distinct fortune of being in NYC on 9/11 and Paris on 11/13. There have been attacks on other cities in other countries, but these have been personal. This time in Paris, though, it hit my home neighborhood, the 11th Arrondissement. On this Friday the 13th, Helmut, Laure and I were outdoors, having dinner at Chez Mamy , one of our favorite restaurants. We heard from the owner that there had been a shooting around the corner and they wanted us to move indoors. Helmut and Laure were both skeptical, but I immediately posted on Facebook that there were odd goings-on and I was safe, but still out and about. Having been through 9/11, I did not want to get caught and not be able to tell people I was OK. Laure began to panic and left us; she was almost in tears. I have checked with her and she is still very shaken by these events (the café was across the street from her apartment). It has been a little over...