People in Paris I Like

I haven't been fair. Lately I've been griping about things and people I find annoying. But the fact of the matter is, I wouldn't still be here if there weren't good things and people here, too.

I've been tutoring two little girls all year, and this past Wednesday was our last session. The moms threw a going-away dinner party, complete with some other English speaking friends and another family I babysit for. The girls and I surprised everyone with our production of "Three Billy Goats Gruff" (there was a bit of trouble with my flimpsy cardboard-and-tape bridge. It kind of fell down several times). And then all the moms surprised me with a gift of their own.

They gave me three lithographs of Paris monuments, sketched by an artist named Bernard Buffet. Here's the one of Sacre Coeur:

I wish I could find a better way to describe the sketches other than that they are absolutely perfect. But that is all I can think to say. They are a perfect combination of contemporary art and ancient Paris architecture. And they are perfect because they are gifts from people who I care about, and people who care about me.

These aren't the only families who kept their eyes on me these past several months to make sure I was getting along okay. I still stay in touch with the family I lived with when I first arrived, and occasionally stop over for lunch or dinner. Another family I used to babysit for also showered me with gifts when I "retired," one which was a cookbook of traditional French dishes.

So yeah, I don't have too much to complain about. When I leave Paris, I will definitely thave some great souvenirs to remember these people by.

Day 1

Today is the first day of marathon training! Hurrah! I'm excited to get my new shoes dirty.

I didn't get the opportunity today, as Mondays are cross training days. In marathon speak, that means doing any sort of exercise that is not running. So I took advantage of the blue sky and the fact that today is yet another random French holiday and biked to the Bois de Vincennes. It's a huge park/forest just outside Paris. It's about a 20-minute bike ride.

This place is a sporty person's heaven. There are a million trails everywhere with tons of shade. I'm going to do all my long runs there, though I'll have to carry a map. I can already see myself getting lost and having to run an extra 5 miles.

I found a nice place to eat the little picnic I had prepared. I listened to a This American Life podcast and thought deep thoughts. I planned to read or write things too, but I had already gotten quite a bit of sun and was feeling tired. So I biked home. It was a great little excursion. I am ending this post now, because I am boring myself.