Reflections at the half-way point
Now that we are about half-way through our year in Paris, I've noticed that our entries in this journal are not only fewer and farther between, but also maybe slightly less energized. After 6 months, our lives are more about feeling at ease with, rather than being in awe of, living in Paris. Of course, we are still keeping busy exploring the city. The other day I was telling a friend here that we had a lazy day on Sunday. I went out to the market for some fresh veggies for lunch and then I took the kids to the science museum for a couple of hours, so that Abe could get some work done in peace. She laughed at me and said that the day I just described would consitute, for most people, a busy Sunday, not a lazy one.
Nonetheless, in each of our simple daily activities, if I look closely, there is still something to marvel about. When Cindy and Olivia came over this weekend for galette de roi, it was remarkable to think that I know how to prepare this French specialty and that our kids know the anticipation of wondering who will find the feve. When we went over to the Davises for fondue, it was amazing to listen to Jonah holding his own in a conversation in French with Anne. So many of our mundane activities have a French twist to them that now feels somewhat natural. I have a little pocket of Harry Potter related vocabulary that I know only in French. When I go to the grocery store, Ella begs me to buy lentils (she tasted them at school and loved them), and I know several great ways to prepare leeks.
We've also been here long enough to feel affection for our neighborhood and to feel like tiny little roots are starting to grow (just enough to make it tough to leave next summer). The 11th arrondisement certainly doesn't have the obvious charm of the Latin Quarter or of the quai's of the Seine at dusk. But, there's a much more subtle charm of knowing that the little sandwich shop across the street makes the best tomato and mozzerella panini in the city (always served with a smile) or in seeing the old men out on the boules court each day no matter how cold it is out.
Half way through our stay, though, there are things we miss from home too. For me, I would have to say having businesses that adapt to any schedule tops the list. While urban living affords us plenty of choice of stores, restaurants, etc. (you are never more than 30 meters from a pharmacy or a bakery), the schedule is far from the 24/7 of the States. A grocery store that is open "late" is open until 8 pm, and a restaurant that opens "early" starts serving dinner at 7:30. There's something nice about this rhythm of life that forces you to take time to relax, but there are also times on a Sunday that you just want to be able to run out a pick up a few last minute items from the store.
At the same time that we have settled into a comfortable routine, knowing that we have passed the half way point lends a certain urgency to our adventures. There are still many regions of France that we haven't yet seen, not to mention several surrounding countries to which we feel drawn, and dozens of the "lesser" sights of Paris that are still not checked off our list. I can't wait to see what the next six months will bring.
In addition to these musings, here are a few highlights of the past week:
Abe, Ella, and I checked out a museum called Arts and Metiers - which displays scientific instruments from an historical perspective. Ella enjoyed trying to figure out what each 18th and 19th century instrument was intended to measure (weight, temperature, vloume, etc.). She loved playing with the abacus, the napier bones (for doing multiplication), and the old adding machines. She was also very impressed with the super computer from the 1980's which took up nearly a whole room, was interested in the calculator from the 1960's which was the size of today's laptop computers, and was a bit baffled by how you would dial a phone number on a rotary telephone. In the afternoon, Ella and Abe went swimming and Ella swam the whole length of the pool with no help!
Ella's class had their field trip to the winter circus. She loved it. They had camels, horses, and dogs, jugglers, trapezists, and Ella's personal favorite, clowns. That afternoon, she was invited to play at Jolane's house - the next step in Paris play dates - going over to the home of a French family. She had a ball and Jolane's mom reported to me that Ella's French is excellent (she is still very reluctant about speaking French to us, so we are never sure how much she knows).
Finally, Jonah missed a couple of days of school for an ear infection. I think he'll be well enough to go back tomorrow - hopefully it won't be too hard to return to school after 2 days of staying home with mom and dad, watching Annie on TV.
Nonetheless, in each of our simple daily activities, if I look closely, there is still something to marvel about. When Cindy and Olivia came over this weekend for galette de roi, it was remarkable to think that I know how to prepare this French specialty and that our kids know the anticipation of wondering who will find the feve. When we went over to the Davises for fondue, it was amazing to listen to Jonah holding his own in a conversation in French with Anne. So many of our mundane activities have a French twist to them that now feels somewhat natural. I have a little pocket of Harry Potter related vocabulary that I know only in French. When I go to the grocery store, Ella begs me to buy lentils (she tasted them at school and loved them), and I know several great ways to prepare leeks.
We've also been here long enough to feel affection for our neighborhood and to feel like tiny little roots are starting to grow (just enough to make it tough to leave next summer). The 11th arrondisement certainly doesn't have the obvious charm of the Latin Quarter or of the quai's of the Seine at dusk. But, there's a much more subtle charm of knowing that the little sandwich shop across the street makes the best tomato and mozzerella panini in the city (always served with a smile) or in seeing the old men out on the boules court each day no matter how cold it is out.
Half way through our stay, though, there are things we miss from home too. For me, I would have to say having businesses that adapt to any schedule tops the list. While urban living affords us plenty of choice of stores, restaurants, etc. (you are never more than 30 meters from a pharmacy or a bakery), the schedule is far from the 24/7 of the States. A grocery store that is open "late" is open until 8 pm, and a restaurant that opens "early" starts serving dinner at 7:30. There's something nice about this rhythm of life that forces you to take time to relax, but there are also times on a Sunday that you just want to be able to run out a pick up a few last minute items from the store.
At the same time that we have settled into a comfortable routine, knowing that we have passed the half way point lends a certain urgency to our adventures. There are still many regions of France that we haven't yet seen, not to mention several surrounding countries to which we feel drawn, and dozens of the "lesser" sights of Paris that are still not checked off our list. I can't wait to see what the next six months will bring.
In addition to these musings, here are a few highlights of the past week:
Abe, Ella, and I checked out a museum called Arts and Metiers - which displays scientific instruments from an historical perspective. Ella enjoyed trying to figure out what each 18th and 19th century instrument was intended to measure (weight, temperature, vloume, etc.). She loved playing with the abacus, the napier bones (for doing multiplication), and the old adding machines. She was also very impressed with the super computer from the 1980's which took up nearly a whole room, was interested in the calculator from the 1960's which was the size of today's laptop computers, and was a bit baffled by how you would dial a phone number on a rotary telephone. In the afternoon, Ella and Abe went swimming and Ella swam the whole length of the pool with no help!
Ella's class had their field trip to the winter circus. She loved it. They had camels, horses, and dogs, jugglers, trapezists, and Ella's personal favorite, clowns. That afternoon, she was invited to play at Jolane's house - the next step in Paris play dates - going over to the home of a French family. She had a ball and Jolane's mom reported to me that Ella's French is excellent (she is still very reluctant about speaking French to us, so we are never sure how much she knows).
Finally, Jonah missed a couple of days of school for an ear infection. I think he'll be well enough to go back tomorrow - hopefully it won't be too hard to return to school after 2 days of staying home with mom and dad, watching Annie on TV.
posted by M-E Family at 2:32 PM
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