I ALWAYS over-pack, so packing an entire semester into a suitcase and a carry-on was a huge feat for me. While I have not actually needed each item I brought along, there are several things I am particularly thankful I threw in:
Rain boots. While obviously not necessary, they are great to have as an option because there seems to be a permanent rain cloud that lingers over Europe. And as my mom told me, if your bag is already overweight and you know you will wear them, you might as well throw them in.
Sturdy umbrella. I cannot express how important this is. Do not opt for the small ones with the matching bag that appear to be more convenient because they are cheap, they will break in the wind, and you will have to buy a new one. A durable, neutral colored umbrella with an easy-open button is the best choice.
A purse that zips closed. When it rains, you want at least the contents of your purse to remain dry. That zipper is also necessary in a city of pickpockets (duh). And sometimes you indulge in Belgian waffles, and sometimes whipped cream falls off that waffle into your open purse. I have seen it happen. It is a mess.
Small purse. Clubs and bars will sometimes have you check your jacket and large bag. While small purses will still be inspected, you will not have to check them.
Duffle bag. You will need one to take on weekend trips, or when it is time to go home and you find you have acquired more things than will fit in your suitcase.
Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts. These are lifesavers and can be switched into whatever shoes I put on. With all the walking done here, I am so thankful I threw these in.
Lint roller. Turns out my host family has two cats that love my room, so it is a good thing I brought one of these.
Apple World Travel Adapter Kit. No need for the giant converter when I can just slip a different piece onto my current charger for either my laptop or my phone.
Travel journal. I do and see so much, it is hard to remember what I did yesterday, let alone a few weeks ago. I will need these written explanations to later describe the hundreds of photos I have taken, plus it is nice to have a place to collect bits of information I learn from my host family.
Travel size toiletries. Get the travel size bottle set from Walgreens that comes with its own bag, and fill the bottles before you leave. When you arrive, it will take you no time at all to pack for those weekend getaways.
Cold medicine. The last thing you will want to do when you become sick is
walk to a pharmacy (probably in the rain) and try to find the medicine
you need, in a different language. When I had a cold, I took some of the medicine I had
brought from the US and opted to not deal with translating the dosage,
etc. I wanted to know exactly how long I would be
knocked out for because I had things to go see the next day!
Vitamins.
Entering into a new culture, all you want to do is try new foods and it
is difficult to keep track of what nutrients you are missing. Take your
vitamins every day and hopefully avoid having to use the aforementioned
medicine.
Hand sanitizer. Because, the metro.
Wrinkle releaser spray. When you pull your blouses out of those vacuum sealed bags, you will not even recognize them.
Laundry bag. I know people who have to commute and navigate seven flights of stairs just to go do laundry. Bring a sturdy, easy to handle bag that isn't bulky. If your host family has a washer at home like mine does, they will not also have a dryer. Again, wrinkle releaser will come in handy here.
Scarves and layers. For when you wear that shirt twice in a row, because the French wear everything multiple times between washes. Plus you never know what the weather will be like by midday, and by then you are too far from home to run home and change. The French do not change clothes multiple times a day like Americans are known to anyway.
Neutral-colored undergarments. Bring a convertible bra in nude, white, and black. When you buy that new dress, you should not have to worry about going to buy a new bra to wear with it; bring something that will work with all your clothes. And then by the end of this semester, my undergarments will be so worn and washed that I will probably just throw them out.
Wristwatch. Even if you are not a watch-wearer, you will become one.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Belgian waffles
I just got back from a long weekend spent in Brussels, Belgium. Our university cancelled class for Armistice Day, so some friends and I had scheduled a trip from Saturday through Monday.
The first restaurant we chose upon arriving in Brussels was the Waffle Factory at 30 rue du Lombard, and we returned each following day because we loved it so much. The employees were funny and friendly, and the waffles were spectacular.
The restaurant also has wifi, making it easy to instantly Instagram your waffle (or waffles, in our case) as you attempt to gracefully devour it.
We tried both the lunch waffles and the sweet waffles. The lunch waffles are filled with a combination of meats, cheeses, and vegetables, and surrounded by a waffle shell. I tried the "reine" lunch waffle, which has cheese, tomato, mushrooms, and ham.
As we waited for our waffles, we were able to watch as the cook rolled up the ingredients inside the dough and threw the balls on the waffle iron.
There is a selection of three dessert waffles: Belgium waffles, Liege waffles, and Waffines. A Belgium waffle is made with a batter and is the same as what we consider a Belgium waffle in America, except in a rectangle shape. A liege waffle (my personal favorite) is made with a dough and when cooked is crispy with crystallized sugar. A waffine has a chocolate filling and is circular like the lunch waffles.
You can then choose from Belgium dark chocolate, Nutella, strawberry, banana, caramel, spéculoos cookie butter, Chantilly whipped cream, or powdered sugar as toppings for your waffle.
It is no wonder Belgium's waffles are famous; each waffle I tasted was fresh and rich, and the combination of toppings makes them, while messy, fun to eat.
The first restaurant we chose upon arriving in Brussels was the Waffle Factory at 30 rue du Lombard, and we returned each following day because we loved it so much. The employees were funny and friendly, and the waffles were spectacular.
The restaurant also has wifi, making it easy to instantly Instagram your waffle (or waffles, in our case) as you attempt to gracefully devour it.
We tried both the lunch waffles and the sweet waffles. The lunch waffles are filled with a combination of meats, cheeses, and vegetables, and surrounded by a waffle shell. I tried the "reine" lunch waffle, which has cheese, tomato, mushrooms, and ham.
As we waited for our waffles, we were able to watch as the cook rolled up the ingredients inside the dough and threw the balls on the waffle iron.
There is a selection of three dessert waffles: Belgium waffles, Liege waffles, and Waffines. A Belgium waffle is made with a batter and is the same as what we consider a Belgium waffle in America, except in a rectangle shape. A liege waffle (my personal favorite) is made with a dough and when cooked is crispy with crystallized sugar. A waffine has a chocolate filling and is circular like the lunch waffles.
You can then choose from Belgium dark chocolate, Nutella, strawberry, banana, caramel, spéculoos cookie butter, Chantilly whipped cream, or powdered sugar as toppings for your waffle.
It is no wonder Belgium's waffles are famous; each waffle I tasted was fresh and rich, and the combination of toppings makes them, while messy, fun to eat.
 | |
| Liege waffle with spéculoos spread |
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Worn thin
As a result of the delicious French cuisine, I might not return home with the abs I had last season, but I will surely have nicely toned legs and glutes with all the walking and stair climbing I have been doing in the past couple months. Sometimes I wish I had a pedometer just to see how far I walk in an average day. Other times, I know I would rather not even know. But to get an idea, just check out how large the Domaine of Chantilly and the Domaine of Versailles are.
So consequently, my go-to shoes are officially worn out after two trips to Versailles, one to Chantilly, a weekend in southern France, and of course many days of wandering through Paris.
The cheap Target sneakers I brought along (with no expectation of them surviving to the return trip) are worn thin and stained. As I walked through the rain yesterday I discovered the left shoe has a giant crack through the sole, which naturally was letting water in and soaking my sock.
But is it time to throw them out quite yet? These shoes have led me to so many adventures so far, and they are so comfortable. And so they remain at the end of my bed, awaiting more days filled with walking.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu
So consequently, my go-to shoes are officially worn out after two trips to Versailles, one to Chantilly, a weekend in southern France, and of course many days of wandering through Paris.
The cheap Target sneakers I brought along (with no expectation of them surviving to the return trip) are worn thin and stained. As I walked through the rain yesterday I discovered the left shoe has a giant crack through the sole, which naturally was letting water in and soaking my sock.
But is it time to throw them out quite yet? These shoes have led me to so many adventures so far, and they are so comfortable. And so they remain at the end of my bed, awaiting more days filled with walking.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Doors
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things,
because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” –
Walt Disney
Eglise Saint-Sulpice
Le Louvre
Host family's house, Malakoff, France
Hôtel-de-Ville
Hôtel-de-Ville
A l'Olivier, an oil shop
along rue de Rivoli
Sacré-Cœur Basilica
Collioure, France
Collioure, France
Le Panthéon de Paris
Le Panthéon de Paris
Le Panthéon de Paris
La crypte du Panthéon de Paris
Versailles
Saturday, October 12, 2013
My French meal plan
Living in a host family, I have a meal plan arrangement. Host families provide breakfast for the student every day as well as a full dinner twice a week. Breakfast is typically yogurt, fruits, bread and jam, and juice.
I am not sure, but I believe the toaster is specifically extra long in order to be able to toast baguettes.
Dinners provided by the host family consist of multiple courses in order to present a typical French meal.
We typically begin with a salad and bread. The salad is eaten off a saucer, but the bread is torn off the baguette and it rests on the placemat rather than on the plate with your food. That is called the entrée.
Then the main course is dished onto plates. Upon eating all your food, it is perfectly normal to use your bread to wipe up some of the extra sauce that is left on the plate. That is the plat principal.
After the main dish, conversation continues as you choose from a couple different cheeses along with (guess what!) more bread. There are sometimes a pâté or two (a meat spread) to try as well.
Then my host sister will typically grab yogurts and cremes from the refrigerator, along with a couple fruits to choose from, and that is dessert.
I have had everything from a Russian Borscht soup (my host sister's boyfriend is originally from Russia) to homemade potatoes au gratin. I might add that the potatoes were even better than those that typically decorate the table on Thanksgiving, due to the real French cheeses they use here. This week we also had tomates farcies, a very typical French family meal and one of my host sister's favorites. Tomates farcies are large tomatoes stuffed with porc, veal, or beef and bread crumbs or rice. None of the recipes or photos I found on the internet did my host mom's cooking justice, but here is a recipe to give you an idea. The giant tomatoes lined up in a casserole and topped with their little chapeaux look just perfect coming out of the oven.
Other times, I am on my own for meals. I usually stop by the Carrefour grocery store for supplies to make myself lunch or dinner.
When the weather is nice, I can have a snack and work on homework at the table in the garden.
I am not sure, but I believe the toaster is specifically extra long in order to be able to toast baguettes.
Dinners provided by the host family consist of multiple courses in order to present a typical French meal.
We typically begin with a salad and bread. The salad is eaten off a saucer, but the bread is torn off the baguette and it rests on the placemat rather than on the plate with your food. That is called the entrée.
Then the main course is dished onto plates. Upon eating all your food, it is perfectly normal to use your bread to wipe up some of the extra sauce that is left on the plate. That is the plat principal.
After the main dish, conversation continues as you choose from a couple different cheeses along with (guess what!) more bread. There are sometimes a pâté or two (a meat spread) to try as well.
Then my host sister will typically grab yogurts and cremes from the refrigerator, along with a couple fruits to choose from, and that is dessert.
I have had everything from a Russian Borscht soup (my host sister's boyfriend is originally from Russia) to homemade potatoes au gratin. I might add that the potatoes were even better than those that typically decorate the table on Thanksgiving, due to the real French cheeses they use here. This week we also had tomates farcies, a very typical French family meal and one of my host sister's favorites. Tomates farcies are large tomatoes stuffed with porc, veal, or beef and bread crumbs or rice. None of the recipes or photos I found on the internet did my host mom's cooking justice, but here is a recipe to give you an idea. The giant tomatoes lined up in a casserole and topped with their little chapeaux look just perfect coming out of the oven.
Other times, I am on my own for meals. I usually stop by the Carrefour grocery store for supplies to make myself lunch or dinner.
When the weather is nice, I can have a snack and work on homework at the table in the garden.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Nuit Blanche
The French expression "passer une nuit blanche" means to go the night
without sleeping, and each year Paris hosts an event called Nuit
Blanche where museums, food carts, and more are open throughout the
night to encourage both citizens and tourists to spend a "nuit blanche"
encountering Paris in a new way.
This year's eleventh annual Nuit Blanche was the night of Saturday, October 5. Exhibits and museums were open for free, while DJs lined the Seine river. Fashion, art, music, and cuisine combined to create a big event. TimeOut gives a brief, English listing of events, while the program can be found in French here.
We downloaded the app, checked out itineraries, and planned our night, deciding to go to le Grand Palais to see the Felix Vallotton exhibit "Le feu sous la glace." We waited in line for the museum, entranced by the lights, music, and smoke coming from the building.
Imagine the last scene of Night at the Museum where there is a big party inside the museum, and that will give you a good idea of what we got to experience. We went through the exhibit viewing an immense amount of works, all the while hearing a hint of the music coming from outside. As we then stepped onto the balcony of the Grand Palais, we entered the lit up area we had seen while waiting in line.
There was a DJ, strobe lights, and bartenders giving out free drinks. Meanwhile, a slideshow of art pieces was being shown on one of the walls of the balcony. It was an extremely amusing way to view the arts before walking down the street to Pont Alexandre, where we concluded our night by watching a firework show over the Seine river.
This year's eleventh annual Nuit Blanche was the night of Saturday, October 5. Exhibits and museums were open for free, while DJs lined the Seine river. Fashion, art, music, and cuisine combined to create a big event. TimeOut gives a brief, English listing of events, while the program can be found in French here.
We downloaded the app, checked out itineraries, and planned our night, deciding to go to le Grand Palais to see the Felix Vallotton exhibit "Le feu sous la glace." We waited in line for the museum, entranced by the lights, music, and smoke coming from the building.
Imagine the last scene of Night at the Museum where there is a big party inside the museum, and that will give you a good idea of what we got to experience. We went through the exhibit viewing an immense amount of works, all the while hearing a hint of the music coming from outside. As we then stepped onto the balcony of the Grand Palais, we entered the lit up area we had seen while waiting in line.
There was a DJ, strobe lights, and bartenders giving out free drinks. Meanwhile, a slideshow of art pieces was being shown on one of the walls of the balcony. It was an extremely amusing way to view the arts before walking down the street to Pont Alexandre, where we concluded our night by watching a firework show over the Seine river.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Lactose-intolerant while abroad
I am the unfortunate lactose-intolerant person living in Europe, but
that does not stop me from trying all of the French cuisine.
Don't get me wrong, I often lay down at night regretting most of what I ate that day. But that is not going to keep me from participating in cheese tastings, getting ice cream cones on the beach of the Mediterranean, trying authentic French Onion Soup, or eating a croque-monsieur at a cafe. I try to convince myself that the delights of the moment are greater than the pains later.
Although there has always been one dairy product I have never been fond of, and that is milk. And if there was any way to make milk even less appealing to me, it would be this:
Unrefrigerated milk
The French do not refrigerate many items that Americans believe require chilling, such as eggs, fruit, and unopened milk. My host family's refrigerator is very small in size in comparison to our giant appliances in the US, so even if they did chill items such as these, they simply would not fit inside.
I am rather amused by this observation, because contrary to American belief, these items will not be ruined if left out on the counter rather than tightly sealed and stored in the refrigerator. Looks like we need to loosen up a bit in the States.
Don't get me wrong, I often lay down at night regretting most of what I ate that day. But that is not going to keep me from participating in cheese tastings, getting ice cream cones on the beach of the Mediterranean, trying authentic French Onion Soup, or eating a croque-monsieur at a cafe. I try to convince myself that the delights of the moment are greater than the pains later.
Although there has always been one dairy product I have never been fond of, and that is milk. And if there was any way to make milk even less appealing to me, it would be this:
Unrefrigerated milk
The French do not refrigerate many items that Americans believe require chilling, such as eggs, fruit, and unopened milk. My host family's refrigerator is very small in size in comparison to our giant appliances in the US, so even if they did chill items such as these, they simply would not fit inside.
I am rather amused by this observation, because contrary to American belief, these items will not be ruined if left out on the counter rather than tightly sealed and stored in the refrigerator. Looks like we need to loosen up a bit in the States.
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