Coming home for realsies!

I'll be coming home Jan 10th, 2013. To buy my plane ticket I put my residence as Canadian, my passport as Canadian but my card as French with a French address that's linked to my Spanish passport while buying in American dollars... I though I had fritzed the system because it refreshed three times to tell me it was changing currency and did I approve? Then took me to a page that didn't seem quite like a confirmation. A few hours later I got the ticket delivered to my inbox so it's really true. Bitter sweet but coming and going always is.

October 2nd was the first time I ever cancelled a plane ticket. I was to fly from Panama City to Florida and figure out where to go from there. On cancelling my ticket I got half back. The ticket was less than $200 to begin with so it wasn't a big loss considering I get to stay in paradise. I learned recently that paradise came from 'walled garden' or 'enclosed park', also referred to as a limbo then finally as idyllic place. I would agree to all of the above.

This year I've been on more planes then I could remember so I've made an effort to track them. It's been a hell of a year:

Toronto to Paris (Train to Spain)

Malaga to Paris

Paris to Barcelona

Barcelona to Ibiza

Ibiza to Barcelona

Barcelona to Paris

Paris to Calvi (Train to Paris)

Paris to Toronto

Toronto to Miami to Panama City

A quick search on Goolge of "make a map of your plane trips" allowed me to make this map:



Fun Facts since my plane trip from Toronto to Paris on September 24, 201l:

Approximate time spent in flight: 28hrs

Miles covered by Plane: 12,749

Kilometers covered by Plane: 20,518

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

I enjoyed reading this book. It's a well researched story that brings you back to Paris is it's most romantic time. It parallels the time frame of A Moveable Feast. The narrative is from the first wife of Ernest Hemingway. One of my favorite quotes from the book is in a letter from Ernest:

"No one you love is every truly lost"

The book club I was part of (before I left Toronto) had it on their list and I've been eager to pick it up. I've savored it although the last chapters the author does a great job of making you feel the pain that Hadley feels. It's a book that leaves room for discussion and if you're looking for a romance read this flows very nicely. It was a pleasure to read.

Jobs in Paris

I was recently asked about my time in Paris and yes, I worked while in Paris, France. I worked for the five and a half consecutive months I lived there. I wanted to have some money to spend so I took on my usual three jobs game.

A page from the Keel's Simple Diary at Taschen

For some reason I prefer to have part time jobs for a change of pace then one serious job that I feel like I'm slaving away at. I feel like it gives me more freedom and security and it's also a great way to meet different types of people. I went a bit overkill with these jobs though because I just said "yes" all the time to everything. I wasn't sure how long I was staying and wanted to keep my options open.

It might come as a surprise that I found all my jobs through craigslist, landed in Paris with a job contract and secured two other jobs and two apartments within my first two weeks. Yes, having a Euro passport was in my favor but with the internet there's no reason to not land prepared. Through craigslist and other search engines I started to apply and sent out emails to all sorts of jobs. I applied for everything between DisneylandParis and being an Au Pair/Nanny.

View from Sara's Paris studio where I stayed my second week

Money was an issue for me. I knew Paris was expensive and the only way I could go there was with a job ready for me. That was my MO: to get myself back to Paris, I needed to go with a job. The most abundant jobs I found were for Teaching, nannying, serving and office jobs. I catered three resumes to highlight my skills in these three areas and wrote cover letters. This can be a daunting task but once it's done it's a matter of copy, paste and casting a wide net.

Sitting in my kitchen window in Paris on a sunny day

I wasn't picky on the job but to me having a good life meant traveling to the places that wouldn't leave my daydreams. I recently saw this quote on my friends Corinne's facebook wall:

      one day you wake up and realize you'd rather have a good life than a good job.  

Was I nervous that I couldn't walk down the street and check out these places that I was applying for? That I couldn't call a friend ask their opinion on the place? That I didn't know any Paris natives? Hell's yes! Many other comforts were not available to me and many other fears cropped up. But, that's what google maps street view is for and websites. When I received an email reply I would verify on the company website and look for the persons contact info. I would ask specific questions and offer to have a Skype interview.

Housewarming party with Laura, she's behind the camera.

When I started to get responses regarding in person interviews I explained that I was not currently in Paris but I would contact them as soon as I confirmed my dates. Through online communication I was able to figure out that I did not have enough French to get through an office job. That enabled me to focus more on tutoring positions. When I was 17 and took a year off before going to college but I took a TESOL course at King and Spadina. I knew I wanted to travel so that course was education filling, resume building and something I could do anywhere. It gave me the confidence I needed to consider and apply for these jobs. (Completing TESOL gave me additional resources like http://www.eslcafe.com/ that I check on every so often)

So the whole Aupaire thing...  
I got my job with a family in a beautiful house. I picked up a wonderful little girl from school and would chat about silly things on the walk back to her house, all in English. She would have a snack and we would do exercises in English, some printed out from online sources, some games that she had done with previous tutors. We would read easy stories taking turns reading the page or if it was a really easy book she'd have to read the whole book. Then I would pick up from where was left off in the Narnia series. Her incentive to speak only English and play word games was 20minutes of Monopoly at the end where we talk about different sentences. We would pack up the game and set it back up, each game lasting a week or so. I worked two days a week at 10€ an hour. For me the wage fit the work and I was happy at the house. A few times the little girl didn't want me to leave and would hide my shoes. I liked that I got to have fun and answer questions, not having strict rules to follow.

View from the Pompidou

So the whole tutoring English thing...   

I was fortunate to find a contract at IPSA that was a full two week contract. I was genuinely interested in aeronautics having made the tough decision in my teens to go to TAC over an aviation school. I still plan to get my private pilot license one day and read articles every so often. That genuine interest kept me diligent in my follow-up emails. Given a very organized plan I was able show up and easily do my job. This would reimburse the money I spent the first two weeks and enable me to set up interview dates with all the other jobs I was in contact with. Once I was confirmed I bought my one way ticket. Completing one contract led to more, I even have an opportunity now to return in January. This job connected me with great people like my roommate Laura, my boss who shared her guidebook and Photos from her trip to Panama, and Felicity who lent me A Moveable Feast, and enjoyed the Lipp cafe with me.

Eating Mille Feuille at Lipp with Jenn and Felicity

So the whole being a bartender thing...  
I was lucky to work at a really fun bar, Cafe Oz. At night it turns into a kind of night club where people dance on tables and bartenders dance on the bar. Sometimes pouring free shots for people, always lighting the bar and jager bombs on fire. The staff dresses up almost every Saturday for a themed night and you never really know what's going to happen. One of my favorite things was cheering on a Sax player who was standing on the bar playing alongside the beats of the DJ,with go-go dancers alongside. Another night, hearing the domino effect of 70 jager shots clicking into each other only to fall into redbull/ozzy drink while surrounded by fire taking up half of the bar was also pretty memorable.

A regular night at Cafe Oz, Chatelet

Working there I know more cocktails and shots then I can count
and have a few tips for being nice to your server:
- It doesn't hurt to say please and thanks
- Do not wave in your servers face
- Just because you're deaf doesn't mean your server wants to be, so stop shouting
- If there's a bell that's rung when tips come in and you're not hearing bells, leave more tips, you will be remembered

Arriving home after vampire/death night

Montmartre 2012

montmartre 2012, a set on Flickr.

Some photo's from Montmartre

Normandy on a sunny day

Being yelled at to wake up to go on 

a spontaneous road trip, 

that's what friends are for!  

These are photos from that day in May I visited Normandy 

with Johno and Max.

Normandy on a sunny day, a set on Flickr.

I had just gotten home from a long shift at the bar that ended at 6am and a late night out that brought me home with the sun a bit too bright. I had just gotten an hour of sleep when my phone woke me up and Johno was yelling that I needed to get out of bed and downstairs in 15 minutes. Max had his car and it was time to get the hell out of Paris, at least for a day. I slept in the car until it was time to take in the ocean view and famous hedges of Normandy. We didn't make it to all the places we wanted but we did get to spend a lot of time on the beach. We stopped and had delicious crapes and coffee at  Crêperie du Coin, villerville. If you're in Normandy, it's the place to eat!

A Literary Paris

Reading this book while in Paris put some novel romance and history into the places I was walking around. I got a glimpse of Paris through writers spanning different centuries. This beautifully put together book opened my eyes to places I wouldn't have otherwise visited. Like the Chapel St. Germain located at the Saint-Germain-des-Pres Metro station, line 4.

The famous cafes Lipp, Magot, and Flore occupy the nearby corners on the popular Rue St. Germain. Those cafes are noted to be frequented by Fizgerald, Hemingway, Joyce, and so many more! They are expensive places to dine and the decor matches the menu. I enjoyed Lipp and decided it was a fun place to splurge on a desert as a meal.

If you're headed to Paris or have just been and miss it's charm this is a nice book to romanticize the streets while picking up some facts. I didn't always love Paris but this book helped me see it through the eyes of very different and talented writers. This book transforms 'Tourist Paris' and gives her streets that "Je ne sais quoi"...

Where to eat in Paris... being budget minded of course

I was recently asked:

Hey there you happy traveller .. can you provide some recommendations on where to eat in Paris... being budget minded of course :)

IN PARIS there's no shortage of delicious cuisine to salivate over, remember and want to talk about months later. Almost everything is drenched in butter. Dinner can take hours to savor with a seemingly bottomless bottle of wine. Where to eat on a budget though? I'd have to say "look around the corner" Paris is like a labyrinth. You can wander her winding streets forever so I've marked some of my favorite finds below using interactive google maps.

When going to the Notre Dame be mindful that there are two lines, one for the front entrance and one on the side to go up to the top. During tourist season the line to the top can be a 1-2 hour wait. I felt it was worth it when my company in line was my good friend Jenn and we needed to plan our trip to Panama. It's a good oportunity to read guidebooks and make plans for your next days or chat with your neighbours in line. It's nice to be with another person so you're able to make a run to a nearby snack food store (Click on map below to see store and legend).


View Paris - Notre-Dame day in a larger map  

What's on this Fabulous Map I've made for you:
Three main attractions: Louvre, Notre-Dame and Pompidou center. Accompanying them are great places to eat, even on a budget, to satisfy your in-between sightseeing needs.

	Notre-Dame 'to the top' line This is the line to get to the top of the Notre-Dame. Do this when you have energy, NOT at the end of the day when you're tired. You have to climb up all the steps.
	Snack food Store A place to get cheaper snacks while you're waiting in line at the Notre-Dame. Worth the walk around the corner. Right in front of the line you'll be tempted to buy a 5€ Orngina or bottled coke but around the corner I spent 7€ on two freezies, two apples, two lollypops and a drink that lasted longer then the line.
	Louvre One entrance to the Muse de Louvre, I love when this is the first view people get of the pyramids. Walking under the detailed marble archways then having the glass pyramids at the end makes for a wonderful 'aw' moment.
	Tea by The A cute little place to have a nice cup of tea and tiny snack before you hit the Louvre or after when you need a boost.
	DELYAN restaurant This is a great little place for lunch. They have awesome salads, and a meal for every budget. They make tasty iced tea and have a tarrece on a street that's so small it's not even on google street view. On nice days I would get my lunch and eat it at the park. You can look at trees and have birds chirping even though you're in the middle of the city. Delyan.fr
	Eat a packed lunch This is Parc de la Tour Saint-Jacques. It's a nice little park where you can lay on the grass and enjoy a packed lunch. Have a cat nap if you're feeling tired.
	Grocery Store If you're willing to walk up a bit from the park most grocery stores have a myriad of prepared foods that are sure to help you stay within a budget. The main grocery stores are:
	Centre Georges Pompidou Costs 3€ to get to the top where you can enjoy the view. You can have a very expensive coffee or a meal or just hang around and enjoy the gift shop books. If you're running out of time or gumption it's nice to just got to the top even if you don't have time to look at the museum of modern art. There are escalators so you can save it for when you're tired. Pain Vin Fromages A place to break the bank (save 40-80€ for two to really splurge here) and enjoy that you're in Paris. You can order a plate of cheese by region with honey and nuts. Its a great place to stuff yourself with bread, wine and cheese. There are other things on the menu for every appetite. http://www.painvinfromage.com/fr/index.htm Call ahead if you can to make sure you get a table or just stop in, ask for a table and wander the streets or admire the pompidou until your time.
	A Guarantee This place is open when other restaurants are not. It's easy to find if it starts to pour rain as it's on a main street. It's more expensive, you'll see service at its most cliche but you'll get good food. A rule of thumb, Croque monsieur (fancy version of grilled cheese with ham) is usually the cheapest thing on ever menu and usually comes with a salad.

There are a lot of these tourist ready restaurants. The rule is medium filled restaurants are best. I've been taught by Parisians that you don't go in if it's full, don't go in if it's empty, get a vibe and a feeling then take a look at the menu and the specials.

If you have a microwave available to you and all that's on the brain is sleep, not finding food, then hit up a Picard early on for some healthy frozen meals. Once you know what to look for they're in most arrondissements. Check here: http://magasins.picard.fr/fr/ile-de-france/paris for locations. It's not a bad idea to stock up if you have access to a freezer and want to save money for other things.

There are also a lot of places to get a sandwich and fast food for only a couple euro. It might not be as satisfying to eat there unless following a crazy night out. Kebab places have awesome crepes though. Ranging from 3-5€ you can pick between savory and sweet. I'd recommend eating these close to the end of your trip because they're highly addictive.

Keep your eye out for small bakeries or boulangeries. You might think they only have pastries but they are usually the best place to stop for a quick tasty lunch. Small independent places with their own charm and specialties. Make it your mission to try all the mille feuilles or lemon meringue tarts and you wont be disappointed. These places also have their own mini sandwiches or pre-made salads that are only made to last that day, so supplies are low. It can be worth it to wait in line, it can mean it's a popular place.

Make sure you say: "Bonjour" and "Merci" and if you really want to practice French a "esque je peux prendre" & "s'il vous plait" is always very appreciated before ordering or pointing. Listen to the sentence here. You can even play it from your smartphone just before you order!

Hope you have a wonderful trip Kat! http://keepingupwithkat.blogspot.com Can't wait to hear all about it!