Wednesday, December 15, 2010

New restaraunt -- Mark

Tonight Jill and I tried a new restaraunt.  One just around the corner from us and on my "try with Jill" list.  It was nice, not very busy (we were the first ones in) and a bit on the expensive side.  We started with a good bottle of chardonay.  I ordered a hamburger with frois gras.  Jill ordered the soup of the day, a vegetable soup that was pureed with cream (very nice and enough for two) and bass (French word "bar"). 

I expected to find my hamburger without a bun and a nice piece of frois gras on top of it.  Instead I had a hamburger on a roll with a very thin slice of frois gras.  The burger came on a roll and was very good, but the frois gras was lost in the sandwich.  For the extra 6 Euro, I would forget the frois gras.

Jill's fish was the highlight of the meal.  Just before it came out she made the comment -- "it better not have the head and bones".  Wouldn't you know, it was a whole fish on her plate.  I could tell she was debating if she should go for it, but much to my surprise she dug in and ate the whole thing.  I had to peel back some of the bones for her, but all in all I was quite proud of her.  More importantly, ignoring the skin, head and bones, she liked the fish.

Once again, this assignment is expanding our horizons...  But don't expect Jill to eat whole fish too many more times.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Paris Weather and other musings-A post from Jill

How is it that whenever I am in Paris the weather is never cooperative?  My first visit was last February and everyone said it was unseasonably cold and it  was frigid even for me who was used to walking and snowshoeing in temperatures below 20 degrees F.  So far we have had again unseasonably cold, wet weather and the other day more snow than Paris has seen in 23 years!!  Mark and I didn't realize what a problem the 2 to 3 inches of snow was causing the city until Jean called all concerned for our safety.  I guess CNN reported Paris was shut down-the airport closed as was the Eiffel Tower!  Now you all know we live a hop, skip and jump from the Eiffel Tower and we didn't realize the affect of so much snow~again 2 to 3 inches!  We had walked to the grocery store, the dry cleaners and had dinner out and were enjoying the Christmas like weather!!!  Who knew....

Yesterday the sun was shining and I ventured out for a walk.  I walked down Passy to a small park not far from the apartment.  It was quite pretty with the fresh snow and you could tell the children of Paris had a ball playing in the snow they haven't seen in 23 years-snowmen and trampled snow were everywhere.  The snow may have crippled the city but it made a small population of children very happy, including me:)!!

Anyway, I walked for about 1 1/2 hours and only had a small moment of panic when I couldn't quite place where I was.  Everyone  knows I have a poor sense of direction and I know my way around by landmarks.  Welll, we have a flower shop at the end of our street and I thought I found "our" flower shop(there are many, many flower shops in the neighborhood), but nothing looked familiar~wrong flower shop!!  I stopped, got my bearings and figured it out...baby steps!!

Just a note on apartment living....it has been 25 years since we last lived in an apartment!  We have people above us, beside us and under us.  Our building was built in the early 1900's and it is not very sound proof.  The noises you hear...I have actually heard the man upstairs peeing!!!  We hear their music and grandchildren running through the apartment and every creek and crack of old wood floors.  But I find it comforting as I don't feel so lonely...I have people all around me:)   Now I know why Mom enjoys it so much!

Oh, we went the Le Passy for a drink  the night of the "big" storm and I was able to ask for a glass of wine in French...Je voudrais un verre de vin rouge, s'il vous plait!!  The owner was very impressed!  I can imagined what you are all thinking~my first venture into speaking french in public was for a glass of wine!!  I have mentioned how good French wine is, haven't I?  And Jean, I wasn't alone so it's okay!  I am strickly adhering to the "do not drink alone" policy(ha-ha)!

More ramblings later....Ou sont les WC, s'il vous plait?

Friday, December 10, 2010

Norm...

The past couple of days have been a lot of fun.  People in the neighborhood are starting to recognize us as regulars.  Unfortunately, or maybe not, most of them are at brassierres or restaurants.  On Wednesday night, the night of the "big" storm, Jill and I went to Le Passy.  When we walked in, the guys greated us with a warm welcome and handshacks.  They were very attentative to us (maybe because I tip too much???) and made us feel at home.  We had a nice evening visiting with them.

Tonight we ate at our new "Grandpa Sam's" - Le Petite Tour.  It was another wonderful meal, maybe too much wine, but ok -- we are in Paris.  Nonetheless, when we went to leave Gary, the owner, was busy and not able to say good bye.  I told our waiter to wish him a "bonne noel" for us.  Unbelieveably so, as we were walking away (~1 block) Gary came running up to say good by and Merry Christmas.  He said he wanted to thank us for our business and he wished us a Merry Christmas.  We promised to eat there when we came back from the U.S.  What an incredible feeling to be welcomed into a new city and country....

It's beginning to feel like the old show "Cheers"... everyone knows your name.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Bonjour mon amis! A post from Jill

I have been in Paris for 1 1/2  weeks now and I must say it has been an experience.  I have been in awe of this life experience....who would have thought 26 plus years ago, our lives would take us to Paris!!  I can't help but wonder what my Dad would think??  I married a young enlisted man in the Navy~never   had any big dreams to see the world or  experience another culture.  Yet, here I am....I have experienced many mixed emotions (just ask the kids), but am glad for this opportunity.

Our apartment is perfect for us.  It is comfortable and I feel safe and relaxed here!  I have had some difficulties learning how to use the appliances~the oven is still a mystery, but I have mastered the washer/dryer!!!  That may seem like a small accomplishment, but it was huge for me.  The washer/dryer is one appliance.  It goes from the wash cycle to the dry cycle...sounds great doesn't it!!!  Not!  It takes over three hours to do one SMALL load and I mean small,  maybe 1 pair of jeans, 2 t-shirts, a couple  pair of socks and a wash cloth!  Better than washing everything by hand:)!

Some things I find interesting about the French culture...everyone seems to own a dog and they are not in the habit of picking up after them.  We live in a city~no green space, so you constantly look where you are walking as the sidewalks and streets are pooping zones!!  Really...it is disgusting.

I am learning to enjoy French food...I know what is safe to order and what isn't.   Sometimes I am fooled, but on the whole an excellent adventure in French cuisine.  FYI...frois gras is not very good despite what everyone tries to tell you:(  My favorite food however is Italian.  There are great Italian restaurants in Paris...may even be better than Grandpa Sam's in Spencerport!!  I won't tell them though!

I, very much, enjoy the wine and champagne, maybe a little too much(ha-ha).  I have not had a bad wine or champagne since I've been here and I've tasted a few!!!   I do love those little bubbles in a pretty glass:)

Our neighborhood is great!  Fun and exciting...Mark has touched on that quite a bit so, I won't.  But there is a lot of shopping(expensive), restaurants and such.  It has everything we need right around the corner.  It is nice and convenient.

We have had many nice walks exploring Paris.  But the weather is unseasonably cold and rainy now so it has proved challenging to get out and about.  Hope we have a nice weekend!!!  At least we don't have all the snow everyone has at home!

What I have learned is this is not one long vacation, it is real life!  Mark works many long hours and I have a lot of time on my hands...I am a lone a great deal of time.  It is not in my nature to go out and experience things on my own, maybe I have to learn to be more adventurous!?  Not sure,  I've been this way for a long time~good, bad or indifferent:)

Thanks for reading!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

New Twist to the Blog

Last night Jill and I had a fantastic meal at a little restaraunt near our apartment called La Petit Tour.  The owner, a man named Gary, waited on us.  He spoke very good English so I was able to practice my choppy French and he could properly correct it. 

We started with fresh made potato chips and a bottle of Sancerre (a light red wine).  Our appetizers were incredible - Jill had a veggie stuffed artichoke, I went for home made frois gras.  The intent was for us to share them, but once Jill tried a very small taste of the frois gras it became mine.  It was funny to see her try it, I thought for sure she was going to choke eating it. 

Our meals were equally as good - Jill had scallops w/ green beans and I had duck with potato au gratin.  I wanted to order the green beans, but Gary said they wouldn't properly complement the duck.  He was right, the potatoes were tasty.  We finished our wine just before dessert.  Our new friend Gary came with an open bottle and gave us complimentary glass of the same wine.  Because it was such a nice experience we decided to do dessert - Jill took Gary's recommendation for this dish that had 3 pastries with vanilla ice cream inside them and covered with chocolate sauce, I had the chocolate mousse. 

The meal was incredible, price was moderate and the service was absolutely the best.  For those who come and visit, this will be a place we will definitely visit.

On the way out we made reservations for next Friday night.

Oh yea... as for the title of this post, Jill and I decided we would share the blog.  She will start posting in the near future.  I hope you will enjoy it.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

New Friends and Banking Challenges

This week has been a series of fun and somewhat funny events.  I'll give a small summary of each...

On Monday evening as I was coming into the apartment from work, Jill met me at the door (which was nice).  Before we could close the door our neighbor from upstairs came up the stairs and greeted us in French.  Of course I stumbled into my jumbled French, asking her if she spoke English.  Much to our surprise, she did.  She asked if we were from England, of course we confessed to being Americans.  Her name is Sylvie.  She and her husband live above us and are home to take care of their sick grandchild.  Any way, she and her love to travel, just returned from 3 weeks in the West Indies.  When we told her we were from the U.S. she clamored about how much she loved the U.S., having recently visited Rhode Island.  She told us her husband spoke better English then her and invited us up for a drink in the near future.  We look forward to that.

Soooo, still on Monday we had to get additional passport pictures taken.  We went to the local photo shop and had the pictures done.  It took a whole 5-10 minutes.  When I went to pay with my French debit card, I had a brain freeze and punched in the wrong PIN, not once but twice.  At this point the guy informs me the next bad PIN will lock up my card.  As a result I used my U.S. debit with no problems.  We leave and go do a little grocery shopping.  Again I go to use my card and again... my brain punches in the wrong series of numbers -- bing, bing, bing my card is frozen.  Now that would be easy to just the call the bank the next day to have it undone.  But not me, I decide to go to the HSBC ATM and try it one more time - hey, you never know.  The machine confiscated my card and now I am without access for a week. Jill shakes her head and wonders how I survived for the past two months.  I just hope one day I will learn.

On Tuesday we got our mail from the past two weeks.  Not too much -- a couple of bills and a letter from the company we set up a heating unit maintenance contract.  The letter (all in French) had the contract and my check (it was voided).  Ok, I know I struggled writing checks at the beginning, but everyone had cashed them.  When I reviewed the contract there were two services listed.  Both had a price next to them so I paid the bill with the two amounts combined.  I was thinking I would receive a base program and then additional services.  I took the letter into work and asked my assistant to help me.  When I showed her the letter she started to laugh.  She quickly regained her composure and explained that I was to choose one of the two packages and only had to write a check for one of them.  Who knew???

Last night, Wednesday, we shared a bottle of champagne and had dinner here in the apartment, a nice salad, zuchini and a lean hamburger.  Afterwards we decided to go for a walk.  We ended up at Le Passy, my favorite watering hole, for a night cap.  While there Jill was using my iPad to do her Facebook.  Those who know us probably know that 2 months ago this was a joke not a reality. 

At Le Passy there were 5 or 6 guys who were doing a bachelor party.  We kept hearing them refer to Buffalo so I asked them if they were from the Buffalo, NY area.  Of course they weren't.  They were 5 French and 1 Australian.  The Australian was getting married and buffalo was an Australian drinking game.  The rules of the game -- if someone says "buffalo" and you have your drink in your dominant hand then you have to chug your drink.  We visited with them for ~30 minutes. They had another game which had 10 items on a list and the groom-to-be had to do them all in the night.  You can imagine they were wacky.  We offered to help him with #2 - have a women buy him a drink.  Jill did and then signed his list.  We finally went home around 11PM. 

Live, Love and Laugh...

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Return to Paris

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving week(end) in the U.S. this past week.  I was fortunate enough to go home and spend it with Jill and the kids.  We had a great time together.  We were able to get all our bills on e-pay of some sort, setup the snow plowing service and get the house into a temporary shutdown status.

This week was a big week for our adventure.  On Saturday Jill and I traveled back to Paris together.  Our return started with an impromptu breakfast party complete with Tim Horton's coffee and bagels at the house with friends and family.  Other then a small misunderstanding it was a nice way to start the day.  Our travel to Paris was uneventful.  We arrived here about 30 minutes early, took a taxi to the apartment and carried the suitcases up the stairs.  I gave a quick tour of the place, made some coffee and we sat and visited.  After ~1 hour we decided to take a nap.  Jill is still resting and I'm writing.

I'm not sure what is in store for the rest of today, but I'm very glad to have Jill here with me.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Visit to Italy

This week I had the pleasure to discover Northern Italy.  This is a quick trip - left Paris for Torino on Monday very early.  I don't know why I do this to myself, but I had Kelly, my assistant, book me on the 7:30 AM flight.  In addition, I made the questionable decision to take the metro to the airport.  That means I wake at 4:30 and leave the apartment by 5:30 AM.  Who knew the trains were not running on a full schedule at that time.  I had to wait an average 7-10 minutes for each train (x3).  I thought I had it well planned and I was already committed so getting a taxi was out.  As my luck has it I arrived just in time to board the plane.  I've got to either take a later plane or quit being so cheap and take a taxi.

We spent the day in Saviagno (~30 minute) drive from the Torino airport.  I was introduced to the HR team, sat in on HR overview presentations, met with the site Managing Director, ate lunch, took a site tour and met one-on-one with a few key people.  All in all a full day, but it wasn't over.  At 5 PM we got in a car and drove to Sesto (suburb of Milano).  There we met the HR team for dinner.  On Tuesday we had the same agenda and left for Bologna to have a dinner with the Bologna HR team.

Wednesday night I went for dinner with Antonio, our business leader in Spain.  We decided to explore the old city center in Bologna.  It was extremely interesting, very historic.  We were looking at buildings that were built in the 1200's.  The city has multiple archways with old mosaics in the overhead covering the sidewalks.  The streets are cobblestone and the weather perfect.  We wandered until we got hungry, found a pizza place to enjoy a pizza and a carafe of Italian wine.  We definitely have to put Bologna on the "must visit" list!     

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Trocodaro.MTS

Market Day 1.MTS

Market Day 2.MTS

Be Careful of the Golden Ring

Yesterday I had to walk ~7 km (>10 miles) around Paris to run some errands.  My first leg of the journey was up Kleber across the Arc de Triomphe and down Avenue de Wagram.  I had to drop off my rent check as it was going to be late if I mailed it.  I was under the impression it would be automatically taken from my bank account, but on Wednesday I got an e-mail saying I was late.  Unfortunately, there was a communication breakdown or lack of follow through and the automatic payment didn't happen.  Needless to say I was stressing on Wednesday afternoon.  The last thing I need is for Jill to come to Paris and find out we were evicted.

When I got to the office it was closed because of a bridge day.  A bridge day is an extra day off when a bank holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday.  In this case Thursday, November 11th, is the national holiday and Friday is the bridge day.  Knowing they would be closed, the real estate office gave me the code to their building so I could drop the check in the mail.  As I got there another man came up and started to open the metal roll up door to the office next to the door I was trying to get in.  I tried the secret code 5-6 times and realized it wasn't going to work.  So I stepped next door to the guy who was in the office.  Much to my surprise it was the office of the real estate office.  The guy was doing a quick stop in to pick up a few things.  I was able to give him the check so we shouldn't be evicted for this month. 

My next stop was on Rue d'Amsterdam in the 9th Arrondissemont.  I had to provide additional passport photos for the final stage of the immigration process.  I had 6 photos of Jill and I left over from the process so I went to our immigration consultant office to drop them off.  I found the office with no problem and I put them in the mail box.  I sent an e-mail to the person working my case letting them know I put them in the mail.  About 15 minutes later I got an e-mail back saying they got the pictures but they are too big.  Therefore, I had to find a place to get French sized passport pictures.  Fortunately I had stopped to do a little shopping and there was a photo place near by.  I got my French sized passport photos and went back to the office and dropped off the new set for me.  We'll have to do Jill's when she comes in a few weeks.

While crossing a street on my way to the immigration office an older lady bent down and appeared to pick up a gold ring from the sidewalk.  She stopped me and tried to explain in French that she found it, it didn't fit her and that I should take it.  Of course my scam-dar went off, so I declined, thanked her and walked away.  I thought it was odd, but didn't know why.  A while later, as I was returning home, I had another guy try the same thing.  We were at the cross walk near the Arc de Triomphe and he bent down, appeared to pick up a gold ring, seemed surprised to find it, tried it on and offered it to me because it didn't fit him.  Again I refused and kept walking.  When I crossed the street I looked back and saw the guy meet up with a young lady (obviously his partner in crime).  They tried it on another person reading a map near the Metro.  You won't believe it, about 5-6 blocks down, I watched another guy do the same thing to a guy walking ahead of me.  This time I was able to watch the whole exercise.  No ring is on the ground, it's in the scammers hand the whole time.

Now this is not coincidence... it really is a scam.  I didn't know how the scam worked so I got home and Googled "Paris scam gold ring".  There were several different outcomes of the scam - they occupy you and someone pick pockets you or they ask for money to give you uncontested ownership of the ring.  This is the first time I saw such a thing, but from what I read it happens often.  My advice to all visitors, don't be naive - pay attention - don't accept gifts from strangers.

Other than the rain, it was another fun day in Paris.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Happy Veteran's Day

Isn't it funny that I had to move all the way to Paris to finally get Veteran's Day off! 

Proud to have served my country and thankful for all those who still do.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A Quick Trip Home

Well as many of you have read in my previous post, I had to make an unexpected trip back to the U.S.  Ignoring the circumstances that encouraged the trip, it was great to see family and friends back home.  Unfortunately I didn't get to see everyone, but there is always Thanksgiving week.

The trip home came very fast.  Within a few hours of learning the news I had round trip tickets booked and within 24 hours I was on the plane.  To be truthful I wasn't mentally prepared to go home.  I had all sorts of activities planned out for Monday (it was a national holiday here) and the work week was going to be short.  I had full intentions of visiting my old friends in Plymouth, UK the following weekend so I was going to use the time to clean the apartment.  Well it's a good thing we don't plan life, we live it.

When Jill picked me up at the airport it felt very natural (as she has done it so many times before), but more importantly I felt like we stayed connected during the time I was here.  I won't get into the details of our reunion, but it was good to be home!  Sorry kids...

During my time home we made sure we hit all the favorite spots, CJ's for a quick drink, a steak bomber at Kroney's, dinner w/ Kyrstin and Bryan at Grandpa Sam's and then again Chilango's.  The best was lunch at the Black North Inn and a visit to the Lake House.   It was nice to go into each place and have them greet us as old friends.  On Sunday, my fly away day, we went to church and then breakfast with Bryan at Slayton Place.  Ok, I know it sounds like we ate alot, but...

As for the funeral ceremony, it was done very well.  My Aunt Ellen did an excellent job of coordinating / orchestrating the activities.  Gram looked at peace.  Many of my aunts and uncles from Dad's side of the family paid their respects.  My cousins from Mt. Jewett were there and it was so good to see them again.  Of course my mom, brothers, sisters and families were there.  All but 3 great grandchildren were there (2 were at school and 1 was in heaven waiting for her).  It was a really nice event.  The worst part of the event was I left my suit pants in Paris (this is becoming a family epidemic), so I had to wear a different pair of dress slacks.  My only regret is we didn't take enough time at Gram's apartment to go through her things and reflect / remember as a family.

Now I am back in Paris.  We have another short week, so I must use the four days off to prepare the apartment for Jill's arrival.  Next Monday I travel to Italy and return Thursday night.  On Friday I fly back to the U.S. to enjoy Thanksgiving with the family.  And then Jill comes to Paris with me.  I can't wait.  I know she will be full of different emotions, but we'll be together.

Even though I wasn't mentally prepared to go home, I really enjoyed the time with Jill, family and friends.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

In Memory of Gram

It is under difficult circumstances I am returning to the U.S. for the first time in over a month.

On Sunday my 89 year old grandmother died unexpectedly.  As the oldest grandchild I was always very close to her.  Fortunately Jill and I visited her prior to my leaving the U.S.  It was a nice visit.  She was as feisty as ever.  Gram was special person.  As long as I've been alive she has lived alone.  For 45+ years she was always in the same house.  A small single floor, single bedroom house.  The inside was small, the water was rusty and the furnace was never to be stepped on.   But the yard and surrounding area provided lots of opportunities for adventure.  There was the weeping willow, the bank, the corn field and side yard.  The only restriction was the flowers gardens.  Gram loved her flowers.  She had beautiful roses and gladiolas.  Her garden was always producing something.  In the later years she wasn't able to maintain these and finally made the decision to move to a senior living apartment.  As nice as it was, she hated the place.  I remember when we went down to move her in.  She was not a happy camper!  

It was never about where she lived, it was how she lived.  Gram was a devout Catholic, attending mass and participating in church life in every way possible.  I remember how she went to bed to say her prayers or do a rosary.  She always shared the stories of the priest or happenings of the Parrish.  Gram was a hard worker, frugal, smart with money, loved to tease people and made the best mac n' cheese in the world.

For the past 3 or 4 years she yearned to join Jesus in Heaven.  She missed Uncle Jerry, Johnny, Aunt Stella and Uncle Ralph and many others.  I pray she is reunited with all of them.  Love you Gram and will always keep you in my thoughts and prayers.   

Monday, November 1, 2010

Chance Meeting

Just a quick note about chance meetings. During my weekly shopping trip to the Marche de Passy I met one of the Directors of NYU's Paris campus. I was at the fromagerie discussing my weekly samples with the cheese lady and her trainee. An older French woman standing next to me asked me in English where I was from and how long was I in Paris. I shared "upstate New York" and two years. She then told me she works for NYU here in Paris. Most of you know our daughter is a freshman there, so we engaged in a conversation about the Greenwich Village campus. She was so excited to learn about Kate. She invited us to stop over when Kate visits. Come to find out the campus is only a block or two from the apartment.

I continue to be amazed at what a small world we really live in if you let yourself explore it.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Planes, Trains and Taxis I'm in Spain

On Monday I departed for my first business trip in the new position.  I am spending the week in Spain.  We have more than 2000 employees in Spain with most of the population in Barcelona and Madrid. Purpose of the trip is to review the business and meet people.

I arrived in Barcelona via airplane on Monday morning.  If you've never flown into Barcelona I highly recommend it, but be sure to have a window seat on the right side of the plane.  It is so pretty coming in for the landing.  On the left side is the Medteranian Sea and the right is the port and city of Barcelona.  The city is surrounded by mountains that provides a magnificent backdrop leading to the sea.  I only spent the day there but learned a lot about the special part of Spain called Catalonia.  

After 8 hours of meetings we got on a high speed train and traveled to Madrid.  Now I agree, I'm biased for public transportation, but riding on a train at 300 km/hr is pretty impressive.  You have such freedom and comfort.  Because we were traveling late, we traveled in Premium Class.  Not sure if that is the same as First Class, but they treated us well.  We were able to have a Spanish wine (Rioja) with dinner and nice single malt scotch afterwards.  As you can tell, the meal was nothing to write about.

On Wednesday night I had the chance to do a little sight seeing.  I had never been to Madrid so it was my first time to experience the old city.  It was fantastic.  The temperature is ~65F this time of year and sunny/clear.  I went with Jose-Antonio, he works for me and lives here in Madrid.  We went to the old town via taxi and walked around for three hours or so.  We saw the king's palace, the center of Spain, we went to a market where you chose your food and drink and consume it on the spot and many, many little restaurants that are in little caves.  We stopped every now and again for a beer or glass of wine to ensure we stayed hydrated.  In Spain they serve the beer ice cold in 5 or 6 ounce glasses.  Because the summer's are so hot the beer gets warm very quickly.  Thats the theory, but mine never got warm.

We ended the night with a dinner outside in a large courtyard.  In Spain the restaurants don't open until 8:30 PM.  It was dark, yet still warm.  We had the famous Spanish ham that comes from southern Spain, were the pigs are black and eat acorns, very lean (for the most part).  The food was good, environment was pleasant and company was enjoyable.

If you ever get a chance to visit Spain I highly recommend a stop in Madrid.  The Spanish people are great host!  

Monday, October 25, 2010

Meeting People

As I mentioned in the previous posting, on Friday night I went to the Frog XVI to celebrate my small triumph over the Internet/phone connection.  For a number of reasons this is a nice place to go.  The wait staff are predominately English and very friendly, they have a happy hour Monday - Friday featuring microbrewed beer and free Internet access with my iPad.  

While sitting at the bar waiting for my bowl of chili, the couple next to me started to ask questions about the iPad.  They had an accent I have heard before, they are from South Africa.  My last two bosses in the U.S. were South African.  We talked for ~45 minutes.  They were a couple about my age.  He was on a business trip and she was accompanying him.  They spent 3 days in Barcelona, Spain and had just arrived in Paris for an extended weekend.  Knowing we plan to do the same it was interesting to hear how it was going for them.

Saturday was market day.  I was excited to go back to Marche de Passy and buy my weekend supplies.  I went to the produce stand to say hello with the man I met last week.  Unfortunately he was busy, but a younger guy (18-20) worked with me.  The produce guy did come over a say hello and to ensure the other guy was taking care of me.  There may be some that have better prices, but I like the people.

After the produce I walked over to the fromagerie (sp?), the cheese maker.  Now my true quest begins!  I truly enjoy cheese and I have made it personal goal to become a connesuier of the cheeses I will get to try in France, Spain, Italy and the other countries I'll have the good fortune to visit.  I explained to the lady that was new to France and about my quest.  She seemed very happy to assist me in my initiation into the French cheeses.  She asked if I preferred hard or soft, mild or strong, cow, goat or lamb.  My reply --  bring it on, I like all kinds and textures.  She proceeded to instruct the apprentice to get 3 different kinds - a hard, a strong soft and a goat cheese.  With each cut, he provided me a small sample, told me the name, wrapped it and wrote the name and age of the cheese on the paper.  I thanked them both and vowed to visit next Saturday to try 3 more.

I have been in Paris for 3+ weeks now.  I haven't met the rude inconsiderate French person that is normally portrayed on TV or movies.  In fact it is quite the opposite for me.  From the waiter at Le Passy who brings me my favorite wine, to the Priest at church who shakes my hand after mass, to the hotel staff at the B&B and Regina, to the produce guy or the cheese lady - all have been nice people, tolerant of my American ways and very poor French.

By the way, I had the cheese for dinner that night with a bottle of Burgundy wine and a baguette.  The cheese was fantastic! 

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Internet -- Stikes -- Smoking

It's been awhile since I've had the opportunity to connect to the internet to blog about my thoughts and observations.  This post will be in 3 parts so you can skip a section if you're not interested.

Internet
As part of the relocation company's service, some one from their office is assigned to assist me with the process.  Unfortunately they do not come and setup the equipment for you.

Last Saturday I walked to the Orange store to pick up my equipment.  I then had to wait for Orange (the provider, similar to RoadRunner) to establish the electronic connection.  This typically takes 7 to 10 business days and a service technician (ala Geek Squad) is scheduled to assist in the process.  When they connect you, they send a text to let you know you're good to go.  In my case the text is sent to Sophie, the internet coordinator at the relocation agency.  On Tuesday I get a note from her that my system should be activated.  Of course I can't wait to come home and start the connection.  In the U.S. it is usually a simple process of connecting a few obvious cables, plugging in your PC and accessing the website.  Here, it is much more elaborate.  I was scheduled for a service guy on Friday, but being the patient person I am, I started to do it on my own.  First issue, everything is in French.  Second, I don't follow directions very well.  Third, my laptop doesn't have a CD drive so I can't load the software.  I kid you not... for 3 straight nights I came home from work, messed with the connections, software, etc from 7PM to midnight.  I went to Le Passy where there is free internet to read all sorts of "how to" on the internet (again, all in French).  It was so frustrating.  After awhile I found myself praying for help to figure it out.  On Wednesday, I got access to the TV (yeah!).  On Thursday, I was able to see the wireless router on my laptop but I couldn't access it (dang!).  Finally on Friday I took the CD to work to put the contents on a thumbdrive.  Of course my laptop at work had a problem with the CD drive.  Fortunately our IT department was able to get it working and I put the CD contents on the thumbdrive.  Friday night... I'm so excited to get home because I'm sure I have it figured out.  There is no doubt that God had pity on me and finally granted me access to this incredible thing called the internet!  Everyone should now jump up and high five anyone near year, because that is what I wanted to do. 

Once I was connected, I went to the Frog XVI (it was happy hour with 5 Euro pints of microbrewed beer) for 2 pints of beer and a bowl of chili.  I quickly came home, called Jill and we proceeded to Skype.  I think it was the first time we saw each other for 2 weeks +.  What a glorious moment.  All the frustration and sleep deprived nights were worth it.

Strikes
Now I'm sure everyone has heard of the infamous strikes that have occurred in France the past few weeks.  The French government has submitted a bill to increase the retirement age among government workers.  It wasn't a big increase, but definitely a social change that split the nation.  I understand from Jill and the kids that the news has numerous articles and commentaries on the local union strike actions.  I have repeatedly said, other then the metro strikes that put more people on fewer trains, I have not seen any signs of the social unrest.

That is until Friday morning at work.  We were sitting in our offices when we heard someone on a bull horn and a banging drum outside.  Being on the 5th floor we all went to the window.  Looking down we saw a small parade, maybe 75-100 people with one small truck with a banner on it.  In the front was the bull horn and the drummer.  People followed as they walked around our 3 buildings.  No one was harmed or felt threatened, no property was damaged and it was over in 15 minutes.

My feeling on it all... the U.S. news likes to sensationalize these things (as do most countries looking at other countries problems) AND the rioting will be worse in Philadelphia if the Phillies win the World Series.

Smoking
No, I'm not a smoker and I've never smoked anything legal in my life.  However, I can't help but notice how many French people smoke.  Similar to the U.S. there is no smoking in public places.  But if you sit outside at a cafe, people can smoke (and they do).  Over the past 3 weeks I've conducted a non-scientific study and I've come to the conclusion that ~75% of the women and ~50% of the men smoke here.  I've seen people who can hardly wait to come out of the metro station before they light up.  What is more alarming is the number of young girls (16-25) who smoke.  I'm sure France's social medical system will face a large expense in the near future if they don't do something more drastic.

It reminds me of the early 70's (and probably well before that) when the U.S. was a heavy smoking population.  In the late 70's there was a great amount of energy put into education of young people about the hazards of smoking.  Finally in the late 80's and early 90's laws and heavy taxes were put into place to truly effect the habit.  My prediction... this could be the next wave of decisions that cause social unreast / strikes in France.

Monday, October 18, 2010

A Different Way of Life

I just wanted to create an intriguing title... Seriously, when you move to another country you do it expecting some things to be different, not just language, food and currency. I have traveled internationally for the past 15 years. I always thought I had an appreciation for the host country. Now after being here for almost three full weeks I realize I am only scratching the surface of understanding. I don't think this is unique to France or Paris. When you start doing things the locals do, your eyes get opened. Riding the metro to and from work, buying a fresh baguette every other day, going to church, shopping, sitting in a cafe using the iPad - you name it, it's a different experience from the U.S. You start to see the same faces, you greet people when you meet them, they know what you're interested in.

It has been a great experience so far. It can only get better when Jill joins me. I really miss her company. We talk two times a day, but it isn't the talking that I miss. It's just sitting there reading the paper with a cup of coffee, watching a show on television, having a glass of wine, thinking about what's for dinner and most important, that kiss goodnight. Hopefully it won't be too long. My fist trip back to the U.S. is 30 days away.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Saturday in Paris

My first Saturday in the new hood.  A very busy day, full of good learnings.

The day stared with a trip to Passy Plaza and Marche de Passy.  At Passy Plaza I found a wonderful supermarket, like Tops or Wegmans.  It has everything you may want.  I needed some basic cleaning stuff (Jill already warned me the apartment better be clean when she gets here).  The best thing I bought was a shopping bag.

Next stop was Marche de Passy.  This is the place I described last weekend.  I went in, a bit intimidated as my French is very basic and I lack confidence to use it.  Nonetheless I approached the veggie/fruit stand.  I quickly made friends with one of the workers.  He was given to me once I told them my French was so-so.  His co-workers said he needed to practice his English.  So we both shared a language lesson.  10 Euro worth of fresh veggies and fruits.  We agreed we would try it again next week.  My other purchases were less exciting, but I got some good stuff. Can't wait until next Saturday.

Next I had to walk to Champs Elyssee to the Orange store.  I had to pick up my cable box and wireless Internet box.  Of course it can't be connected today.  They say it takes 10 days from the time you sign the contract.  Hard to believe you can't flip a switch and the thing works.  Oh well, I'll wait the ten days.  I knew from the beginning this was a test of my patience.

On the way home I found a very cool pub.  It's called "Frog XVI".  It is on avenue de Kleber, not too far off the Trocadero circle.  It has microbrews and free Internet access.  Hence my multiple postings.  They serve a full pint (56 cl) for 7 Euro.  Better yet, Monday to Friday they have happy hour until 8 PM - 5 Euro pints!  What more could you ask for.  Oh yea, it is staffed with English people and the food is good.  It is about 10 minutes from the apartment. This could become a favorite hangout.

At the end of the day I decided to get my first French haircut.  Of course the lady didn't speak English.  My French was better then her English.  So after the initial awkward beginning, she washes my hair and starts cutting.  I think this is the first time I have had someone wash my hair since Mom used to do it when I was 4 or 5.  It cost me 24 Euro cash, no debit cards.  Of course I only had 20, so i had to run to the bank for cash.  The washing was nice, but the purple colored mohawk haircut will take some time to get used to.  I really have to learn better French.

The day ended with a nice dinner at the apartment and a call with Herb.  I really look forward to when friends and family are able to visit.  The apartment is very nice, but I think it'll be better when more people are here.

Oh yea, I was kidding about the purple hair and mohawk.  

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Move In Day

Monday was move in day to the apartment.  What an interesting experience that was.  Our appointment was scheduled for 2:30 PM.  My relocation consultant shows up on time but, In typical French fashion the agent was about 20 minutes late.  I've come to realized it isn't because they really want to be late, but parking in Paris sucks!

We get to the building and the agent punches in the code.  No sooner are we in the building the concierge comes out of her office wanting to know what we were doing.  All in French the two ladies I'm with explain that I'm the new tenant.  We introduce ourselves to Fatima, the keeper of the property - the concierge.  Now Jill had read about the importance of the concierge so I wanted to be very nice to her.  Fatima is probably mid to late 40's, about 4 feet 2 inches and probably half as wide.  She is not fat in the traditional sense, but she is solid.  

We came into the apartment and the relo consultant, Fabienne, and the agent keep telling me things to remember.  When we come in the electric, gas and water don't work.  The three of us start turning nobs, pushing buttons and flipping breakers.  Finally we realize how clueless we are and call the person who knows the apartment.  He shows up in 15 minutes and within 5 minutes we are up and running.  Then the two ladies start an inspection of the apartment that was very intense.  Every scratch, dent, nail hole or paint scrape was documented.  After 1 hour of this, they then inventory every piece of furniture and fixture in the apartment.  I just sat in the formal living room and relaxed.  So at 6 PM I had the keys and passcodes, the apartment was ours!

It took me 3 trips to and from the hotel to move all my stuff.  I stopped at a small market and picked up something for dinner and settled in for my first night in my home away from home.         

My First Metro Strike

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week I had the pleasure of experiencing a transportation strike.  The French are notorious for protesting against various social changes.  This one is actually very sensitive to the country.  The French govern,net is trying to increase the age that people can retire and get a full pension from the system.  It is an attempt to balance the finances of their system.  

The strike itself was relatively quite.  Every other metro train was cancelled so you had a lot of riders.  I have never seen so many people jammed into a metro car in my life.  For the first time in a long time I was happy that I'm as big as I am because people can't easily push against me to gain more space to put more people.  I saw some small framed people get jammed into the tightest little laces.  We couldn't even lift our arms it was so tight.  Nonetheless I made to and from work on time and with very little aggravation.  I have observed the ridership the past two weeks and I think I have a good system to ensure easy on / off and maintain some sanity during the crowded moments.  Stay near the doors, in the corners and open the windows be open.

To really appreciate Paris you have ride the metro.  I have no problem with this, but I can't wait to have my car.  Coming in the next. Few weeks...

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Weekend Summary

The weekend is coming a close and what a nice weekend it was.  The weather was 70-75 degrees with blue skies and sunshine.  They tell me this isn't typical, but I tell them it can stay like this for the next two years.  It is getting to mid-October, one of my favorite time of year for sports.  Baseball playoffs are under way (go Yankees!) and football is in full swing.  Unfortunately I can only read about it until I get in the apartment (which could be tomorrow, if not Tuesday).  This is a good year not to have to fall in the bad habit of wasting Sunday afternoons watching the Bills.

So a little about the weekend...  Saturday I moved into the new hotel very near rue de Passy.  It is a nice hotel and one I recommend for people who like quaint, quiet and good service.  It is less then 2 minutes from the apartment.  I have a room on the top (eighth) floor.  It is twice the size of the last one and it has a little terrace that I can (and do) sit on.  Matter of fact I'm sitting on it, having a beer, playing BB King from the iPad and writing this blog passage.

This weekend I did a lot of walking around at different times of the day to check out the new neighborhood.  I found this really cool market called march de Passy.  It has 2 florist, 3 butcher shops, 2-3 fresh produce shops, 3 fish shops were they clean and filet the fish for you while you wait, 2 bakers (with free samples), an oyster bar where you buy them to take home or eat right there, a hardware shop and at least 3 cheese shops.  It was extremely busy, but everyone was nice.  It puts Wegmans to shame.  When you come out of this building (it's not very big), there is a small cobblestone street that has another bunch of shops - butchers, bakers, produce and I found a small Italian shop were they make fresh pasta for you.  Ok, so food shopping consumed most of my day.  I didn't buy anything yet, but wait until next weekend!

This morning I got up, got caught up on a few things and went to church.  There is a Catholic church called Notre Dame de Grace de Passy only 2 blocks away.  It is an. old church I found on my walk yesterday.  I went this morning thinking it would be a good way for me to practice my French listening since I know the flow of the mass.  Well, that didn't work too well.  It was a children's mass and there were ~100 kids there between the ages of 18 months to 5 years old.  I don't think the French are keen to disciplining the kids.  Obviously they all get donuts regardless how they behave.  Any way it felt good to go to spend some time in God's house.

The rest of my Sunday has been relaxing.  Another walk in a different direction, bought some fresh fruit and now it's about time to think about dinner.  Tomorrow starts a new week at work and maybe a new place to stay.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Does no really mean no?

Once again, I have experience that no doesn't really mean "no, definitely not" here in France. What I have learned there are two things the average French person appreciates -- 1) challenging authority and 2) bureaucracy. All week I was told I wouldn't be able to get the apartment on Monday because the company payment wouldn't be made on time. It's not like the company can't afford it...

When I challenged the person telling our relocation company this, I was told the person who signs the checks was in training and wouldn't get to it until the following week. Everyone was handcuffed by the "procedure". No thought to the customer. This is evident in so many ways here. You just have figure out the code. Sooooo....

I threw out the challenge flag and offered to take the document to my boss, the Sr. VP of HR, for his signature. I'm sure you guessed the results. Within 24 hours a message is sent to the agency saying all is good. I have the final acceptance walk through at 2:30 PM on Monday.

So my bags are packed. I move to a hotel only 2 blocks from the apartment tomorrow morning. My fingers are crossed, my prayers are said. If all goes well I should be in my Paris home in 3 more days.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

One Week in Country

Well... It's been a full week since I arrived in Paris. Man, that was a fast week. So what got accomplished to make the transition work?

I was able to get our bank debit cards on Tuesday. That's a good thing because I now can access cash for personal use. Doesn't mean a whole lot yet because I'm still in a temporary living situation. But, there is something liberating about having your own cash in pocket. Now I have to track the details. Not one of my strong points.

To the best of my knowledge I still am not signed up for payroll. Supposedly tomorrow (Friday) they will address this issue for me. I certainly hope so as I hate to think I'm doing this for free.

Started to lay out my travel plans for the next 5-6 weeks. Planning 3 days in Madrid, 1 in Barcelona, 3 in Rome, another 4 or 5 in Milano/Bologna/Turin, 1 day in Switzerland and maybe 2 in Romania. If possible I will fit in 2 or 3 more visits (Greece, Israel, Saudi or who knows). Can't go to Algeria until my French visa clears. Before I know it I'll be home for Thanksgiving. Crazy huh! I'll be sure to blog it all.

Apartment move in next week!!!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

No Doesn't Always Mean No (in France)

It's been some time since I've had to live in a hotel for such an extended period of time.  It really can make you appreciate the space you have in a home.  I figured I'm living in a room (including the shower) that isn't much bigger then the upper back deck of our house.  Good thing I spent time on a submarine!  Now you would think I'd be dying to leave the room, but I found myself fighting for just the opposite the past two days.

When I checked in on Thursday last week they informed me I would have 5 nights in one room and then I'd have to move to another room on Tuesday night.  I would then transfer back to my room on Wednesday.  At that time I wasn't prepared to debate it.  As it got closer I realized it was truly a crazy thought and I prayed that someone at the hotel would see the silliness of this exercise.  Remember, I have 5 suitcases in my room and half of them unpacked to provide some sanity to the living arrangement.

Last night I spoke to 3 different people hoping one would have the magic key that would allow me to stay in this lovely little room.  I even said ok to the move, but please leave me there for the remaining period.  Unfortunately, no one could crack the code.  I went to bed believing I would need to pack up everything, drag it all down the hall (or worse yet, up a few floors) and re-establish my living space.  Needless to say this would take some planning and effort.  I woke early this morning, did a quick shave, brushed my hair and went down to fight the battle.  Wouldn't you know it, of the two people at the front desk, I get the person who flunked English 101.  After ~15 minutes of miscommunication, one of the guys I talk with each morning comes free to help me.  I kid you not... within 10 minutes he gives me the golden key to my little ole room.  It really made my day.  

This gave me additional insight to the French way of working - first response may be "impossible", the next "no", followed by "maybe" and then "of course".  I don't believe all are this way, but for the future I won't accept the first response as the last word.  Another important French lesson.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Small World isn't only for Disney

It really is a small a world.  Yesterday I went back to "The Great Canadian".  That's the sports bar from the last post.  I wanted to watch the Ryder Cup, have a beer or two and get lunch.  I took the metro from the hotel area, Carrefour  Pleyel, to Invalides metro stop (that's for those who like to fly around Google Earth).  From there I walked for ~20 minutes to TGC.

After about an hour of watching the golf game I overheard the waitress tell a couple behind me that she was from Rochester, NY.  It took her awhile to circle back to me, but when she did I shared what I heard and that I was from Spencerport.  She shared she was from Gates (a community next to Spencerport).  I immediately asked if she knew the most famous teacher in Gates Chili, our good friend Joan.  Once I said "Health teacher" she locked right in.  We didn't get to talk too much, but I learned she graduated in 2005, her name was Ashley, she went to college in NYC and she came to Paris in March.

The point I took from this experience was to ask people (particularly English speakers) where they are from.  You never know, maybe I'll meet some of my long lost pals from Olean, Panama City, the Navy or Franklinville.  After all, it is a small world.      

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Saturday and the Beauty of Skype

A few random thoughts as I close another day...

One of the challenges of being abroad is how to stay connected with friends and family.  Though I've only been here a few days I find I want to share my experiences with the folks back home.  Fortunately I still have my U.S. cell phone, but eventually I'll have to hand it in.  Last night I found the miracle of Skype.  If you don't use it yet, I highly recommend it.  All you need is to download the program, have a mic/speaker on you PC and create an account.  If you're fortunate enough to have a web cam, then you can also see each other.  Last night I talked with each of the kids, Jill and Kyrstin.  It was very nice.

Today I took a trip to explore the area around our new apartment.  I REALLY can not wait to move in.  There are so many neat things to explore and do.  I found one whole street dedicated to little food shops - butchers, bakers, fish store, cheese and, yes, 3 or 4 wine stores.  I had lunch in the neighborhood.  The guy spoke to me in French and I actually understood a few of the words and what he meant.  I asked him what kind of sandwich the guy next to me was eating - in French!  More surprising, he understood what I said.     

Tonight I had dinner with a good friend of mine, Bruce.  We met at the Canadian bar in the 6th Ard.  It was nice because everyone spoke English.  You know for my last dinner in the U.S. until end of November I asked Jill to make chili because I thought I wouldn't find it here.  Well they have it and it's not too bad - but it doesn't compete with Jill's.  The place is a sport bar so they had the Ryder Cup on the televisions.  It was the 2nd session of the day and the Europeans were winning every match.  The 4 people at the table next to us were from England and they were cheering every swing of the club.  It was fun, but after awhile I felt like I was watching the Buffalo Bills.  Man, one day I'd like to cheer for a winner...

Friday, October 1, 2010

First Day on the Job

Today was the first day on the job in Paris. I felt like a kid going to the first day of school - excited, a little nervous and full of energy (I slept well last night). I woke bright and early, had a light but nutritious petite dejuener (breakfast) and walked the 15 minutes to work.

Thank God I had been to the office so many times before because I knew the routine. I got my badge and walked through two buildings and up to the 5th floor where I found my new assistant, Kelly, waiting for me. It was 8 AM and no one was in the office, so we took some time to discuss how we would work together.

Kelly was nervous at first. She thought her English wouldn't be good enough so I laid a little of my French on her. That's all it took to convince her that she spoke good English and my French needs work. She had everything (cell phone, badge, mail and desk stuff) ready for me except my laptop. She was relieved to learn that I had my U.S. laptop with me, but she had everyone working to get me one. I went use my new Blackberry and I realized the keyboard is not standard American (better known as QWERT (look at the top row of letters on your keyboard and you'll figure out what that means). So everyone starts scrambling to find me a QWERT laptop. Finally it arrives and wouldn't you know it -- EVERYTHING is in French. C'est la vie.

We did have a "coffee" meet and greet around 9 AM. It was nice to say hello to all the HR people. I've known them for quite some time so it was nice. They all raved about the area our apartment is in. A couple of them live there and I have dinner invites lining up.

I had a meeting and lunch with my boss to discuss my old and new objectives. It was nice to have an on-site cafeteria that serves 3 different main courses. By the way... you can get beer and wine there. When we finished JSB, my boss, introduced me to the company president. I had met him a few times before, he joked with me about the challenges I'll face in Italy. Not a bad place to have challenges.

At the end of the day I packed up my new stuff and my old stuff and rode the metro back to the hotel (it was raining). Thank God it is Friday.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Adventure Begins

Do any of you remember the song "Leaving on a Jet Plane"?  Well, that's what I'm doing right now.  The first leg of the trip, Rochester to Dulles.  Unfortunately no upgrades, but at least I have a seat.

We had a nice impromptu get together at the house last night.  Bryan and Kyrstin, Jeff/Kelly/Adam and Bob/Joan/Karin.  We shared some wine, beer, a big pot of chili and lot of laughs.  Thanks to everyone for stopping over.

Jill and I had a nice morning together.  Nothing too dramatic, we had to finish my packing, pick up a jacket at the cleaners, do some banking and a lunch at Slayton Place.  Nothing like a good ole hamburger.  It was a nice lunch, a good chance for us to talk and discuss the next step in this crazy adventure.  On the way to the airport we stopped to get the car washed one last time.

Once at the airport Jill and I shared a good chuckle as I prepared to move 3 bags, a carry on and a computer case into the airport all at once.  We shared a long hug, a couple of quick kisses and an "I love you (or two)".  And with that I made my way into the Rochester airport. Can't wait for Thanksgiving.  

Leaving on a jet plane...  

Friday, September 24, 2010

Apartment Update

We got off the plane today, returning from Paris, to learn that we got the apartment we wanted. Move in will be in mid-October. We'll get the visitor calendar setup soon, because the apartment is really nice and in the perfect location for visitors. Only a 5 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower.

Now it is time to start the packing process.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

French Medical Examination

As part of the visa process we have to go through a medical physical with a French doctor. It so happens that our appointment is scheduled for the same day as one of the infamous French labor strikes. This means no trains, no planes and limited taxis. Our appointment is for 1:30 PM and we are a good 45 minutes from the location of the appointment. To further complicate the situation I have an all day meeting in our main office (fortunately my boss understands the situation and gave me the option to call in).

As life has it we are able to get a taxi in a reasonable time frame, so we check out and start on the journey. The taxi driver drops off in this neighborhood that would remind most of us of old Olean. We have plenty of time, so we go for a lunch in the French version of Hastas. Everyone goes there from this small town (~15 minutes outside of Paris). We have a good meal, Jill had steak and I had rabbit (no, it doesn't taste like chicken - it's a white meat similar to pork, but milder flavor.

When we get done with a long lunch (we had 1.5 hours to kill), Jill has to use the bathroom. She asks the owner/bartender/server where to go. He politely shows her to the room and turns on the light. When Jill returns to the table I can tell something has happened. When she went into the bathroom there was no toilet. In the center of the ceramic floor there were two imprints of where to place your feet and in the middle was a hole to pee in. For those that know Jill, this was not going to happen! Needless to say we left lunch with full bladders and went to the office for our physicals.

When we arrive at the office there are ~30 people waiting in ,line for the same thing. Lesson #1 when the French say appointment, they mean cattle call. The doors open and we proceed in. By the way we have our suitcases with us because we are going to a hotel near the airport. So there we are, slepping our bags into this crowded office area. We hand in our forms and we are put in this room where no one greets you and you wonder what the heck is going on.

Away we go, they start calling us to different offices to take height, weight and blood sample. Jill's nurse speaks broken English. I don't know if mine does because all he does is grunts and points. They move us a number of rooms and we pull our luggage to each. With the preliminaries done, they put us in small rooms and tell us to take our shirts off. They need a frontal chest X-Ray. Of course we don't know what they are telling us to do. I know I moved twice - she was telling me to breath in, who knew??? Jill had to redo also. When she went in the second time they opened some other doors and other nurses came in to see Jill topless for the x-Ray. I can't write how mad / upset she was. All I know we're not allowed to do this again!

Finally we individually meet with the doctors. Fortunately both speak English. Bad news is even the French doctor noticed I gained weight this summer (thanks to the lake house). They give us a clean bill of health, a copy of the x-rays and a document to prove we were there. Funny, I don't think Jill or I will need a document to remember this one.

French Dining

We had a very nice French meal the other night, but it took some doing to make it happen.  We decided on Monday that we would try a good French restaurant.  The hotel provided us a list of local places so I did a quick google search and found a 4 star place.  Jill was still quite tired, but was willing to take the 4 block walk.  Of course on the way I took a few wrong turns and made it 8 blocks, but eventually we found the place.  Of course it was closed on Monday nights!  Thank goodness our favorite Italian restaurant was on the way back to the hotel.

Since we failed our attempt on Monday, we decided this time to have the hotel help us for Tuesday.  I had one of the service desk people call for reservations at the one we missed on Monday.  He called me back to inform me this 4 star restaurant was closed for unknown reasons, but there is another very nice place not too far away.  We agreed he should make us reservations for 7:45 PM at his recommended restaurant.  Jill and I got all dressed up and took the short walk to the place.  It was a very nice, small place.  We introduced ourselves and explained we had reservations.  He looked at his list and politely informed us he had no reservation under our name.

Fortunately, I was able to use my charm and get us a table.  There was no one in the place when we arrived but within 15 minutes it was full.  We had a good bottle of wine and a nice 3 course meal.  We started with scampi stuffed ravioli (me) and shrimp salad (Jill), followed by a fish dish that I still don't know what it was and sea bass (Jill).  Of course the sea bass was not what you would expect to see in the U.S.  It looked more like a small mouth bass filet.  For desert we finished with creme brulee (me) and apple tart (Jill).  The atmosphere was charming, the servers were nice with good English skills and the food was well presented.

We really enjoyed the French dining experience, but in the 4 nights we have been here we have ate at our favorite Italian restaurant 3 times.  In case you were wondering -- the Italian food in France is very much like Italian food in the U.S.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Apartment Search Update (Day 2)

At breakfast on day 2 of the great Paris apartment hunt, Jill and I discussed the houses we saw the day before.  We narrowed it down firmly to the two I discribed in the previous post, with the one on Lisbonne taking the #1 position.  However, both of us hoped we would see a place that blew the others away and would eliminate any decision.

It happened at the first one we saw.  This one is in the 16th Ard on Rue de Eugene Manuel, near Rue de Passey (a very chic and interesting neighborhood).  The viewing was ackward to say the least.  The agency had scheduled 2 apartment hunting couples to see the apartment at the same time with each of our individual consultants.  So there we are, 7 of us parading around the apartment, whispering our comments and questions - trying not to show our level of interest.  What we came to find out is the apartment hunting business is VERY competitive and timing is everything.  The process is totally out of our control once we make the decision.  Our consultant has to file an application with the agency.  The agency has to submit it to the landlord or housing manager for their review and decision.  The owner makes the decision based on availability to move in, security of income and timing of the submittal.  Learning this, we made our decision by noon and now it is in the hands of others as to where we will live.

I won't give you the details of the area until we secure the apartment.  Keep your fingers crossed and say your prayers because we did find the apartment of our dreams.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Apartment Search Update

Jill and I arrived in Paris on Sunday morning.  We decided to take a walk and look at some of the apartment buildings from the steet that are on the list our consultant provided.  The area is called Neuilly (pronounced Neweeee).  We liked the area.  It had a very residential feel about it, people/families walking, many little shops and lots of trees lining the steets.  After seeing the places today, I say one is off the list and the other is a distant 3rd.

Makes you wonder what we saw...

Today (Monday) we looked at 6 different places.  Two this morning and 4 in the afternoon.  The seventh appointment was cancelled due to the place got rented.  Just as fyi, two of the places we saw had wonderful views of the Eiffel Tower.  From what we are told, things move fast here.  If you find something you like - grab it.  Well we found 2 places we really liked.  One is on Rue de Lisbonne and the other is Rue du Bac.  Lisbonne is in the 8th Ard (ward for us U.S. people) and Bac is in the 6th.  Both are very nice places in the middle of typical Parisian communities.  If you close your eyes and visualize your idea of a place in Paris, this is it.  Both are in old buildings with many small shops very near by.  There are a number of great things about each and a few "negatives" or, as I like to call them, compromises.  All in all it was a good day.  I can see us living in either one.

With that said, our consultant has us seeing 3 more places tomorrow.  She seems to think we may find one even more to our liking.  I'm quite impressed by her.  She took the information we submitted on-line and translated to something we would like.  Let's hope her intuition is right.  But if not, both places have 2 or 3 bedroom options, so they are perfect for family and friends. 

Oh by the way, the 2 with the view of the Eiffel Tower aren't on the list.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Lake House Closing

I probably would feel a little melancholy closing the lake house this week regardless if we were going abroad or not. But there is something disappointing to know that we could have another 6 weeks up there. The hard part isn't missing the quiet tranquil life at the lake, but it's the "good-bye" to our friends and neighbors there. This was our first summer there and the neighbors fully embraced us and taught us how to live at the lake. I'll miss the gang. Hopefully they will come over for a visit.

One of the hard things about this assignment is the unknown of when we will get a chance to enjoy some of the things we take for granted now. Maybe this will give us a time to reconnect with those little things we really enjoy but don't appreciate as much today. Places like the lake, the local library (Jill's favorite), our church and the local establishments. Things like the front patio or back swing will be missed, but you know they wouldn't be accessible during the winter after all. When we return all these things will be here for us. I hope we'll take this opportunity to come to appreciate them more.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Language

Well I finally started my French language lessons. We're using an on-line version of Rosetta Stone. So far I like it. You use a headset and speaker system to hear and speak. If I don't say it correct, the system makes me do it again, and again, and again. I do about an hour a night - grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. No English, all in French. Maybe it'll go quicker once I've mastered the art of not pronouncing every letter.

Jill is somewhat reluctant to start. We'll need it soon. We go to Paris this weekend to look for apartments. Should be interesting. Maybe we'll luck out and find a cozy place where friends and family can come visit. I wonder if I can use this blog as our "visitor calendar"...

Au revoir for now!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Update

This week is my final significant week at work. Some many little things to finish off -letters to be written, reviews to give and my replacement in town for turnover. I really am excited to take on a new professional challenge. I will be able to experiment with my leadership style and meet a lot of new friends/colleagues

Jill and I had a nice long weekend at the lake. We spent time together alone and a few days with Bryan and Kyrstin. Next week we have to shut the place down. This weekend is a big weekend there. We are having a block party. Men have to BBQ their best dish and the ladies will bring their best dish to past. Matt, Alison and a couple of buddies are coming up, as are Bry and Kyrstin. Should be a good time.

When Matt leaves, he takes the Santa Fe. And then it begins...

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Fall

I'm just starting to realize that I won't be here for one of the best seasons of the year -Fall. Hard to think about, but that means no fresh apples, colored leaves, raking leaves (ok, not a favorite of mine) and football. Now for us Bills fans, that's not a bad thing unless this is the magical year we have been waiting and praying for. My guess is I'll miss the apples more then the Bills. Nonetheless please send me regular updates.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Cell Phones?

So what do we do about cell phones???

Jill's phone broke and needed to be replaced. We went to the Verizon store to see what options are available. We need something that Donna, Mom and others can call us that doesn't require a 011-33-XXXXXXX. Or one that friends and family can call every morning/afternoon and not be charged international rates. Of course there isn't an easy solution with the phones in the store. Our sales person recommends Skype. Definitely a good solution for those who have computers or phones that support the technology. However, I have a hard time seeing Donna or Mom using a webcam, let alone a computer. I imagine we'll be able to do 90% of our calls with Skype, but it's that final 10% that is critical to this being a positive experience.

I guess I have a few more weeks to sort that one out...

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Final Family Visits

Today we took the opportunity to visit my grandmother and one of our favorite aunt and uncles. It was great to see them. We were able to catch up on a great deal of topics in a very short period of time. I guess that's the advantage of knowing each other so well. I truly enjoyed the visits, but I couldn't help wonder when will be the next time we see each other. Hopefully sooner rather then later, but you never know.

Before I leave I have to make a point to spend some quality time with the family members we don't see too often. Only a handful of weeks left so I must get busy. Visiting Mom And Donna on Thursday and hope to have a visit from Dad. I need to make these visits and others like them a priority.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Visa Interview at French Consulate

Today Jill and I went to our "interviews" with the French Consulate in NYC. My appointment was at 11AM and Jill's was at 11:30AM. I thought we had private interviews. Come to find out it's a cattle call. At 11AM they open the doors and I go in, leaving Jill at the stoop of the Consulate building. I let a young couple with 2 very young kids go ahead of me. Good thing I did, I saw they had an 11 and an 11:30. I asked they guard if I could bring Jill with me. Fortunately, he agreed because from there it was painful and I couldn't envision Jill going through it alone.

We go upstairs were we are told to stand in line. The young couple ahead of us paved the way -- they were raked over the coals for 5+ minutes and then it smoothed out for them. We got to watch the whole process, good learning for us. We got there and they started the process. Two minutes in, they told us our paperwork was never received and we need to leave. We would have to schedule another appointment once we got our work visa approvals (which he had). Fortunately I had an e-mail with the work visa numbers. Ok,long and boring...

One hour later they find our paperwork and within 5 minutes we were done. Goes to show, the French are very flexible with the rules. In the end we got the visas.

Lessen learned, no matter what the agency tells you keep pushing them to have the actual details in hand.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Time to leave?

Jill and I were talking today about when will I officially go to France. Interesting question, one I haven't considered. It has always been September or 6-8 weeks. Now I'm talking about days. I guess I better start to think about it! Procrastination is not the way to approach this.

First lesson of the exercise -- don't put off to tomorrow things that should be done today.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Kids to school

Well today we brought our youngest to college. We are officially empty nesters. How did we get to this point?

It's a beautiful thing to see your children develop into adults. I couldn't be prouder of all 3 of them. So different, but with the same values. I wonder how they will deal with this assignment. We'll need them to watch out for each other and to keep reaching for their dreams. In two years I'm sure they will grow more independent, but I always hope they'll have time for mom & dad.

Friday, August 27, 2010

What to do with "my stuff"?

Well one of the big questions that lingers in my pre-departure thoughts is "what to do with my stuff". This means the things that Jill doesn't care for, such as the Playstation, the flat screen TV, my car and my golf clubs. I really would love to bring all of them with me. All of them are part of my relaxation routines.

The first, and most distressing, item is the car. I came up with the brilliant concept that we could sell my car to our middle son, Matt, for the price of what he sells his car for. Good idea, right? He needs a better car and this one came with little or no cost to me. Midway through the summer we decide to put a price on Matt's car. What ever he sells his car for will be the price he buys my car for (2007 Santa Fe). Sounds like a nice deal...

Talking with my brother, we learn our nephew's car is having problems. Man... Do I have a deal for him. We sell Tim Matt's car for the price he can get for his car. Unforeseeable to all, the car has to be scraped for $150. Therefore, I sell my very nice vehicle to Matt for $150.

In the end I'm happy for all. Tim got a nice vehicle, Matt got a great/safe vehicle and I don't have to manage the extra vehicle. Price wasn't as I expected - oh well. I hope that doesn't happen with my Playstation!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Opening comments

Welcome to my blogging adventure.

I have accepted an assignment in Paris and will leave in ~30 days? For a number of reasons my wife and I decided I should go first. My wife will come over after Christmas. Before she comes I need to get the apartment ready, bank accounts set and determine the lay of the land. Not to mention I have to work. The job will be primarily in Paris, but my job will have me/us spending considerable time around the Mediterranean Sea countries.

As we prepare for my move, I'm coming to realize there is a lot more to this then what I have been used to. I've traveled around the world for many years. I've been on the road for 12-15 days at a time. But now, it will be 2 or 3 months before I'm back in the U.S. I'm not sure what to take, how to get it there or when to start. And my French speaking skills are extremely limited.

Of course we complicate this by having the kids stay behind (2 in college, 1 pursuing a career). We both have older parents and family we are leaving behind. That's a topic for another time. For now I need to figure out how I get there while my wife stays home as an "empty nester".

I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy to read about this adventure and will provide advise on how to survive.