Starbucks in Paris

There is a Starbucks near my new office building (Hallelujah!). I have come to the horrible habit of going nearly every morning. I am not the only person there – often I wait in line behind French people (not tourists from the nearby hotel). French people often are waiting in line behind me. These French people get beverages to go. But, and this what I don’t understand, if you are walking on the sidewalks outside Starbucks, near my building, you do not see people carry Starbucks cups. Do the people just magically melt in to the ground when the leave the store? Do the French have some sort of secret cloaking device that make the Starbucks cup invisible so they are not noticed?

So much for eating outside and enjoying the summer ... I did a few weeks ago with a friend/colleague and a friend of hers who was in town on a one-day layover. Great dinner, great view (Eiffel), great conversation. Horrible because 1-2 days later I realised that the French-super-mosquito-noseeum-bug-things attacked me. At least 7 bites on my right leg and 2 on my left. They not only itched, they hurt.

I had several work colleagues over to my place for an end-of-summer party (or Rentree, for ‘re-entry’ into the city). As the French love fruit for dessert (pineapple and melons), I decided to buy some. And I was yet again amazed at people in the grocery smelling, squeezing, examining them. Like they really have any idea?

Ok, back to Starbucks ... I’ve now decided to ‘boycott’ it for 3 reasons (1) cost ... paying 4.50€ for a grande chai latte is not the best use of my money (2) calories ... not the best for health (3) rudeness ... on two occasions in August I was at the door about 7:45 or 8, and even though it opens at 7:30, it was still closed. Last week I went at 8 and a worker was setting up the chairs outside and the doors were open and so I start to walk in. The woman stops me saying (all French) the store isn’t open yet. I look at her with a confused/are-you-kidding-me look, and reply (in French) that it is 8 and the store opens at 7:30. She says, yes, but she is the only person there .... seriously??? And there is a new woman working there who is rude (too long/petty to write, but just know that I don’t enjoy being told ‘Non!’ with a finger shake before 8 a.m. when I’m there paying an exorbitant amount for a tea). Oh, and a carry-over annoyance of Starbucks from (1) Boston : the store on State Street opened at 6:30 but across the street Au Bon Pain was open at 6, Dunkin Donuts at the next corner was 5:30 or 6, and the independent coffee shop in Faneuil Hall was 6. Seriously? Starbucks couldn’t open at 6? Nothing worse than getting there at 6:20 and wanting Starbucks they are closed ... at least the rest of the competition was open! And (2) Cincinnati : now, I’m thrilled there are Starbucks’ on the west side of town, but certainly they could’ve hired people with better math skills?

I know I’m definitely going to miss the food here when I leave in 2 years. And already I find it easier to read a menu in French instead of English. I’ll know intuitively what something is in French, but when you ask me the equivalent in English, I blank – but it just makes sense to me in French, and the choices all sound more appetizing!

And, I know I’ve been here too long because I was out with my new friend and her husband, and another American couple who just moved over, and they couldn’t fathom eating a cheeseburger with a knife and fork. Well, I can. In fact, I think eating one w/o a knife and fork, when in France, is disgusting. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m in the US, I’m eating with my hands and making a mess, but here, that just seems so uncivilised, whereas in the US a knife & fork is too pretentious. Random.

Frustrated (part 2)

I should have added to my previous post that while holding a dictionary in one hand and the food packaging in the other to translate, where does one put one's glass of wine?

I don't know how the French cook their food, seriously. In the 7 flats I saw last week, they either had ovens 1/2 the size of a US one or a microwave that somehow also can double as an oven. How do they do roasts and stuff?

And another thing, I haven't really seen "French cuisine" at a lot of places unless you count chicken-and-french fries ; croque monsieurs ; or just random duck things. Just go to Pierrot Bistro or Petite Robert in Boston and you've seen the extent of French cuisine.

On a semi-related food note...I had meetings scheduled for 11:00 and 13:00 today, giving me an hour for lunch. But, in what I've disocovered is typical here, the 11:00 started at 11:30, thus giving me only 20 minutes for lunch. As the 13:00 meeting included my boss (American), I knew we would at least start on time. So I skipped lunch and just a little madeleine cake (smaller than my palm). Of course, the meeting didn't start until 13:20...gggrrrrrr.......... the completely amazing part (to me at least) was that I still don't have a hunger headache, grumbling stomach, or the overall "mean Megan mood" I usually have after skipping a meal. And it's 20:11 right now! Bizarre.

Frustrating

It's really annoying to have to cook dinner holding the instructions from the food packaging in one hand and a French dictionary in the other. And it doesn't help that I really don't know how to use microwave ovens, how to gauge cooking temps, what types of containers can/cannot go in, etc. I think I should just stick to cheese, bread, and fresh veggies!

My Thanksgiving

Amazing how relaxing Thanksgiving can be when you're by yourself, with no other Americans around, in the U.K.!!! So what did I do?

-- I celebrated by wearing jeans to work today (and no one commented on me being casual - I guess wearing a nice sweater and heels counter-balanced them?).
-- I treated myself to a Starbucks chai latte this afternoon (the only thing I get there since I detest coffee).
-- I called my parents during the morning US time.
-- I called my grandma late afternoon US time.
-- I'm having chicken kievs (but they're ham/cheese filled, which to me is cordon-bleu, but here they make regular kievs and also ones like this).
-- I'm having this wonderful rice medley I discovered at Rossi Pasta in Marietta, Ohio. It's a 'combination of dry roasted wild rice with cranberries, almonds and other rices' and has a 'maple/apple seasoning' too! It's by Rice River Farms.
-- I'm watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (I own it on DVD). (on IMDB ; ABC ; and Wiki)
-- I'll later watch an episode of Bones (actually the latest one!) and CSI (the Las Vegas series, I absolutely despise the Miami one, well actually only David Caruso on it).

One of the best parts? The last five things are all being done in my pajamas. This is how Thanksgiving should be! Quiet, relaxing and comfortable :) Hope yours was the same.

Best, simplest dinner ever

I am in Paris for work this week (again). And, no, it is not glamorous. The Eurostar always makes me feel about 20% queasy. Just enough to make me feel weird, but not enough to actually be sick, or not go in to the office. I’ve tried eating / not eating; drinking / not drinking (free wine in business premier class); sleeping; doing work. Nothing seems to work. And I’m not a motion sick type of person in cars or planes. Can read happily there.

Met two colleagues / friends at near their hotel for dinner tonight (there are about 10 of us from London here this week). (Why am I not at their hotel? Well, always best to stay near one’s boss, in terms of location and price…) Anyway. Got off the Metro at Ave Victor Hugo, got off at exit Ave Raymond Pic… and started walking. Got to Avenue Foch and basically said Fooccchhhh! I knew I had gone the wrong way. This is about the widest Blvd ever, and richest street in the city I think. Turned around, walked UP the hill, and met my friends. We had dinner. Fan-tab-u-lous! The goat cheese (chevre) salad was perfect. Just lettuce, three pieces of toasted baguette (crostini?) upon each was placed a huge slice of chevre thicker and wider than the bread. Had great wine. Had crème brulée for dessert. My absolute favorite (after Graeter’s chocolate chip ice cream of course). This was the BEST crème brulée ever. No pretenses. Just basic vanilla. In a dish nearly the length of my forearm. Perfect. Thank you and good night!