Hey all!
I can already tell that waking up at 5am here is going to become a regular thing for the next week or so, so I might as well take advantage of my temporary wakefulness.
Yesterday didn't start out so well. I got up at almost 11:30 and went downstairs to find that Theo was still sleeping but that everyone else was gone! Felt kinda bad because last night when his parents had come home I'd already been asleep and hadn't gotten to greet them, and so now they were at work and I'd missed them once again. Oh well.
Once both of us were showered and ready for the day, I thought we'd just make something in the kitchen here, but Theo said it'd be better to get something tastier out. I was so incredibly hungry though (because I'd eaten very little the day before due to my unsettled stomach and then after sleeping for so long) that I had some tarama (a really good caviar-like fish egg spread) on a slice of toast, a banana and a glass of pineapple juice. After that we set out, and I got a big surprise once we stepped outside. Earlier when I'd gotten dressed I'd boots on boots and a sweater shirt and thin scarf because it was overcast and looked like it could rain. I'd even been a little worried that I might get cold with my wet hair. Well, I could not have been more wrong because I swear it was about 20 degrees warmer outside than it was in the house, and incredibly muggy to boot. It almost felt like I was in Mexico! It was the strangest thing.
This didn't bother me at first, but then we got to walking. It's about 15 minutes by foot to La Defense, the biggest commercial area in France (and I think maybe in all of Europe as well). It's where Theo's parents work, and there are a ton of people in suits. But back to walking.
Just a few minutes into our walk, I felt like I was dying; it was pretty bad. I'd made that walk dozens of times back in December just fine, but the lack of a decent meal, water, the weather, and maybe even the difference in pressure made me pretty miserable. I was sweating like I'd gone running, cursing my boots and top, and feeling almost faint. Most of all though I think it was the lack of water. Back home, I drank a lot but I hadn't had much at this point, one because I didn't have a water bottle on me anymore and the water here isn't as good.
Well we finally got there, but our luck wasn't with us. Unfortunately we hadn't paid attention to the time, and had failed to realize that it was the lunching hour and everyone who worked in La Defense was out eating in the restaurants. The extra wait was torture, but what could we do. We stood in line at a place called Hippopotamus for almost 10 minutes before we were seated.
The thing about jet lag, at least for me, is that it's not just the whole sleeping schedule that gets thrown off, it's my stomach, too. So when I opened the menu, everything looked absolutely delicious, and I wish I could've ordered a mouth-watering burger or tasty steak skewers like Theo did, but I was afraid of making myself sick. Because the last thing I wanted to do was pay a lot of money for food only to see it again in the toilet a few minutes later. I settled on a chef salad with chicken, ham, two kinds of cheeses, and hard boiled egg. And I did treat myself to a fruit smoothie. It was pricey for the small size, and very sweet, but at least I was able to water it down and actually get more out of it that way. And once I was done eating I felt SO much better. I even tried a few bites of Theo's steak. Definitely getting that next time.
After lunch we walked to another building and went into BNP Paribas, their national bank, and the one that Theo highly recommended. We waited until someone who spoke English was available, which didn't take long. We were soon seen by a friendly, very Slavic-looking man not much older than us. I won't bore anyone with the tedious details, but I was able to open an account and get a good deal because Le Catho (short for Catholic University of Paris and where I'll be attending) has a partnership with the bank. I even get free cell phone insurance, which'll come in handy when I get one here soon. My card and checks will arrive in the mail within the week, and all I have to do to finish is bring in a residence bill and proof of enrollment. Also, I think I might have just bored someone with those details, aha.
Moving on, I'd like to take a moment here to reflect on something that some may find interesting..
Everyone here is attractive. Or at least, with very few exceptions. Some of the older folks may have seen better days, but aside from them, there just aren't an ugly people, or none that I've seen anyways. It's not even necessarily that everyone here is conventionally pretty/handsome, but they're all striking in their own way. Maybe it's the high cheekbones, I dunno. So many people seem to have them, even a lot of the guys. Maybe somehow the people here have mysteriously come to master superior subconcious genetic planning when they pair up and have kids. It's just remarkable and so French. Even my banker, who by 'written standards' if you will, may not come under 'handsome' was very pleasant to look at. And needless to say, very few people here are fat. Not everyone is stick thin (though there are plenty, trust me) but even those who have more meat on their bones carry themselves well and know what to wear for their body. Anywho, just thought I'd share that little insight. I like to remember these impressions.
Well after the bank, we went and looked at a few of the major phone carriers to scope out their deals. A couple looked promising, and it looks like I may be getting a decent phone after all, maybe another Android. Either that, or Theo'll give me his phone and pay me for the new one.
Once that was done, we decided to just head back to the house and wait for his parents. But sadly, and yet again, I didn't think I'd get to see them that day because they called Theo and told him they were going to the theatre and dinner and wouldn't be back until really late. But since that was the case, Theo decided we could have a few friends over for dinner instead. So shortly after getting home, we walked to the nearby grocery store (where it was blessingly cool inside) and bought ingredients for hambugers and the Italian cheescake I'd decided to make.
We got back and I got to work. It was my first time ever making a cheesecake, but I'd remembered that Theo's parents had wanted to try one last time I was here. However, I'm not a big fan of the traditional cheescake as it's just so rich, so I decided to find a recipe that might be lighter and maybe even more to their taste anyway. I found the Italian cheesecake, which called for ricotta and knew it'd be perfect. There was A LOT of cheese involved, but hey, it's cheesecake, so that's kinda the point.
Shortly after it was in the oven, Theo's first friend arrived, Mathilde, who I'd met briefly at last year's New Year's Eve party. After that, it was Sixte, who I'd seen in many photos before but hadn't gotten to meet last time, who also brought along a friend, Eugenie. I prepared the burgers by hand, and we made a good meal out of those with some red wine. Ahh, France. C'est la vie magnifique! I like Theo's friends so we all had a good time, and later another friend who I'd also met, Daphne stopped by.
They had just left at midnight and we ourselves were ready to call it a night when his parents finally arrived. I was a little surprised because I hadn't heard the door open, but was happy that I had finally gotten to greet and thank them for letting me stay here in their home again. And by that time, one of the cheesecakes had cooled off a bit and they were able to try it. (Even if that one had started to brown a bit) I'm happy to report that they loved it :) As the other one is a bit thicker, we actually stuck in the fridge to cool overnight. Even now I can't wait to go downstairs and take it out and garnish it. I hope I remember to take a picture so that I can post it here.
Anyways, after that, it was bed time. And I'm afraid I took my time writing this all out, so I may just have to stay awake as it is now almost 9am...oops! Better go, later!
Rachael
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