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one day in saint-jean-de-luz

Last night, I watched Kung Fu Panda at an apartment in Belleville. Cute movie. "My friend, the panda will never fulfill his destiny, nor you yours, until you let go of the illusion of control," the old turtle told the tiny red panda. However juvenile the context, it resonated with me as I embark on my last full month in Paris and accept the fact that I still don't know where I'll relocate to after.

It also reminded me of a Buddhist lesson my cousin tried teaching me. “To let go means to give up coercing, resisting, or struggling, in exchange for something more powerful and wholesome which comes out of allowing things to be as they are without getting caught up in your attraction to or rejection of them, in the intrinsic stickiness of wanting, of liking and disliking.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn

Spending a day in Saint-Jean-de-Luz was a practice in such wisdom as well. Following a series of unfortunate events, Leslie and I found ourselves with 12 extra hours in le Pays Basque and one coastal city we hadn't yet visited. All we could do was make the best of it; and gosh, after all that rain, how brightly the warm sun shone to rouse the process. Paella and ice cream surely helped, too :).

l’auberge le descazeau

After work yesterday evening, I went to Kara's apartment for dinner. She cooked, I brought bread and wine, and Lorelei provided vegetables and more wine. It was a lovely five hour affair. Later today, I'm going to Lara's apartment for a Parisian brunch: juice, coffee, bread, croissants. It's sure to wonderful, too, and again, forgiving to my budget. I'm so glad to have friends to dine in with.

And yet, having Catherine in town last weekend called for a splurge. I've passed by Le Descazeau countless times in the past few months, longingly peeking in, so when it came down to choosing a restaurant for a romantic roommate dinner, I knew it'd be just the spot: cozy, authentic, and local. I even managed to secure 20% off our meal by making a reservation on La Fourchette.

I'd read an article beforehand that raved about the warm ambiance, cuisine canaille (hearty cuisine), and colorful owners, two chefs who met while working at a famous restaurant in the 16th arrondissement, but I didn't realize Jérôme (one of the owner-chefs) would also be our server. He made the experience so special. And the meal! My gosh. First up, a complimentary amuse-bouche of cream, foie gras, and egg (see above). Next, Catherine and I were required to choose between entrée + plat or plat + dessert (to receive the discount) so we ordered an appetizer, two main dishes, and a dessert to share. Jérôme advised us spectacularly well with our choices. We also split a bottle of wine from Château Puy Descazeau, the vineyard in Bordeaux that gave the restaurant its name.

It was one of the best meals I've ever had--shredded Serrano ham, seasoned sea bass over haricots verts (for Catherine), beef tenderloin in a porcini-truffle sauce with mashed potatoes (for me, unpictured), and an apple tart in salted butter caramel with vanilla ice cream (as per Jérôme's warrented insisting). Each plate was absolute perfection. By the time Catherine and I happily stumbled out of the restaurant, it was nearly eleven; our romantic former-NYC-roommates dinner in Paris, a smashing success.

jules verne

He told me that his parents wanted to meet me for dinner. How sweet, I thought. Any time after The Hive was best. They made reservations and he parlayed the information to me. Jules Verne, Charlottenberg, 7pm. He'd spent most of his childhood living around the corner. I was looking forward to seeing his old neighborhood and getting to know him better through his parents.

It wasn't until I was on my way there, following my afternoon with Lauren, that I realized how delicate of a situation it was. I'd only met them once on Easter weekend. "What if it's awkward?" "What if they don''t like the way I respond to their questions?" "Why didn't any of this occur to me when I first agreed to have dinner with my boyfriend's parents?" All these worries (and more) ran through my head. I didn't feel my absolute best, I was in an unfamiliar place, and I wasn't as punctual as I'd hoped I'd be either...

But, the dinner was spectacular. They were happy to see me as we walked in together. The owner greeted them (they've known him for years), and coincidentally, was familiar with where I'm from (his cousin owns a squash club nearby). He served us a German crémant upon seating. We shared a plate of hors d'oeuvre (not pictured) and a bottle of exquisite white wine. The conversation flowed seamlessly. His mom and I both ordered the stinging nettles wild trout. Then, for dessert, we split his sister's favorite: a caramelized kaiserschmarrn with plum compote and vanilla-bourbon ice cream, with another German wine tasting.

It went so well, they offered to spend the following afternoon with me. Granted they were my boyfriend's parents so they were likely more inclined to be hospitable than the average person I didn't know very well... but still; the dinner could have been a lot less wonderful. Once again, experience has encouraged me to keep exploring and taking chances on meetings (and meals) like this one. The most heartwarming memories are truly made in possibilities. And for that, I will always be grateful.

how to stop shopping

Spending my college junior year abroad influenced me in a lot of ways; but perhaps the most significant is how good I became at not shopping. Having to eat out on weekends and wanting to travel then too made me more aware of my finances than I ever had been. I didn't wish to "waste" money on clothes and cosmetics like I had so easily before. Not to mention that I had such limited room in my suitcases, especially including gifts.

Shopping just wasn't a priority. And, it fell out of habit as a pastime. I've held onto such a mindset ever since.

{Appertizer: escargots de Bourgogne belle grosseur, buerre maison: a l'ail et au persil}

Why? Well, for one thing, I've never had a lot of money. I graduated from Syracuse University with debt and then went on to small internship/freelance paychecks. Yet I was always conscious of how important it was for me to learn more about the world; in my case, tasting new cuisines and visiting new places, both of which are ideally experienced with friends and family. I'm not alone in that either. Science has proven that, "experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets, result in increased well-being because they satisfy higher order needs, specifically the need for social connectedness and vitality--a feeling of being alive."

So, how? Know what you're saving for.  In this New York Times article, Ms. Liebmann of WSL Strategic Retail said, "before credit cards and cellphones enabled consumers to have almost anything they wanted at any time, the experience of shopping was richer." It's not necessary to stop spending all together (though that is an option, especially for those of us in extreme debt), but to be more critical about what it is we spend our money on so we can enjoy it more. A short-term example: before my friend's sister came to visit, I ate all meals at home so that I'd be able to afford to partake in the classic Parisian brasserie experience.

{Main dish: quenelle de brochet artisanale, sauce Nantua}

Buy from the list, quickly. Of course there are times when we do need particular things that can only be found on store's shelves. I tend to approach these situations with shopping lists as well as a time constraint. Without an extra 30 minutes to browse the aisles and/or racks, there are less chances for me to make compulsive purchases. By default then, I stick to basics and necessities. Such a big money saver!

Refuse to invest in remorse. No good will come from feeling bad about spending money, I promise. In this Fast Company article, Cali William Yost advises: "Make purchases that improve your happiness." Though I certainly understand the importance of savings accounts, more often than not, we work hard to use the money we make. That's why it's so important to do so wisely. In the past few years, for instance, I have always bought myself an outfit on my birthday. I can afford it as a single (not married, no children) twenty-something. And it's become a ritual I appreciate and look forward to. I'm thinking Naf Naf this 29th :).

{Dessert: baba au rhum, creme chantilly et glace rhum-raisin}

Anyway... shopping has been on my mind as I wrap up the second of three term papers. My topic? Critically analyzing how our roles as citizens have been reduced to those of consumer-advocates. There's a sense that we vote with our wallets, the "neoliberal assumption that capitalism itself can cure societies' ills," (Anderson 2008) and sadly, in most cases, it hasn't proven effective yet. Although I'll continue to choose ethically when I can, I've decided to actively try to participate in causes I care about, not simply purchase a logo that says I do.

le pain quotidien

At the top of the to-do list? Clean my apartment. I've been meaning to ever since we got back from Rome, and yet between ~200 pages of reading, a midterm essay, TA-ing duties, and a semiotic analysis presentation, I still have not. I nearly laughed when Rebecca and her family asked me what my day-to-day life was like here last night. It's certainly not "a moveable feast", I thought! And then I looked through recent iPhone photos:

{Late night at the AUP library}

{Crispy (and cheap) gyoza and Japanese beer with my beau}

{The Superbowl at The Long Hop, a bar my friend is now working at}

{Angelina's famous hot chocolate with Edna and Carin}

{Brooklyn Brewery Launch Party at the new Le Mary Celeste}

{Vietnamese craving satisfied at a fantastic local find}

{Signs of spring in Parc Monceau}

So, yeah. I'm busy, I work hard, and I tend to only take photos of those exceptional, in between bits... but still. I do love living in Paris. If for nothing else, then for having sweet friends like Rebecca invite me to dine with her family at Terroir Parisien while they're visiting. In other news, now that I've bought today's demi-baguette and blogged, it's time to actually get to all that cleaning. Happy weekend to you!

le ciel de paris

Following a Parisian Thanksgiving, walking tour, Italian meal, laundry day, and other classic French experiences, my mom and little sister were no doubt exhausted. They'd only been in Paris for four days.

But I still had something special and not too strenuous planned for Sunday night: a visit to the 200-meter, modern (and ugly) Montparnasse Tower for an unbelievably beautiful view and fantastic dinner.

My mom and I shared a carafe of crisp white wine, and all three of us partook in the Menu Balcon with which we were offered an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. My sister impressed us by beginning with the foie gras (she's otherwise a picky eater) whereas I opted for the smoked salmon, and my mom, the lobster soup.

Then we were left a very thoughtful amount of time in between our entrées and plats to reinvigorate our appetites. Afterwards, my sister was served the veal while my mom and I partook in the sesame sea bream.

And finally, dessert, after another leisurely break. The astonishing quality that had impressed us the whole meal through continued as we shared an saint-Marcellin (a type of brie) with an accompanying spinach salad, an assortment of seasonal sorbets and ice cream...

... and my order, chocolate Guanaja ganache (not unlike the one I'd had in Iceland, but dare I say, even infinitely better). As I'm sure you can tell in the video above, I more than thoroughly enjoyed it.

A 65-euro prix-fixe menu is not cheap by any means, but I promise for the service, the views, and each and every morsel of the food at Restaurant Ciel de Paris (on a Sunday night, no less) it was entirely worth it.

miss you already

My sister is still in Spain (she gets back on Sunday), my brother left for Arizona (without saying goodbye, mind you), and my parents and I are not sure how to be just the three of us with only a handful of days remaining before I move out of their house and the entirety of the United States. Did you fight with your parents more frequently before going away to college? I did, and later discovered it's a common coping mechanism. I think I may be trying to avoid spending too much time with them in order to protect myself from the inevitable ways I'll be missing them soon. At least we were able to have an "only child" meal at my favorite local restaurant, The Cookery. It was as spectacular as I remembered it.

[FiDi potluck at Sofia's with special guest, Holly]

[Columbus Circle Whole Foods lunch with my college roomie]

[LES pizza, wine, and ice cream dinner date with Stephanie]

Spending as much time as possible with friends, however, has not been a problem. It's almost funny because God knows I already miss them so much, too.