tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23948352783373068132024-02-18T14:50:05.372+01:00Totally Frenched OutFrom the blogger formerly known as SamdebretagneKsamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.comBlogger834125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-88456336763397667532020-04-19T14:26:00.001+02:002020-04-19T14:26:26.862+02:00Intermittent fasting pre-and during lockdownLongtime readers know I have been struggling to maintain my weight for quite some time now - traveling so much for work meant eating out 3x meals per day nearly two weeks a month. It was some what easier this last year with spending so much time in the US where all of the hotels have gyms, there are healthy take-out options and the calories are nearly always listed on the menus, but nevertheless, it was a constant battle.<br />
<br />
Since losing 60+ lbs several years ago, I have tried all sorts of different diets out there in an attempt to find one that worked for me and my lifestyle. None of them ever really seemed to make much of a difference until I decided to try intermittent fasting last September. I was just tired of spending so much time thinking about food and meal planning, not to mention being frustrated with the extra 1-2 kg I could never seem to get rid of, so the idea of being able to eat normally but just during a limited time window seemed really appealing to me. <br />
<br />
If you've not heard of intermittent fasting, there are a few different ways to go about it. Some people eat normally and then do a full 24h fast once or twice a week. Others eat normally 4-5 days a week and then limit themselves to 500 calories 2-3 days per week. And then the final method is limiting all of your calories to a 6-8 hour time period day. <br />
<br />
I had sort of tried the second method when I tried carb-cycling, and didn't like how hangry it left me feeling, so I decided to give the 6-8 hour window intermittent fasting option a go. I've always noticed that if I eat breakfast, I am hungry ever 2-3 hours for the rest of the day, whereas if I don't eat breakfast, I am a lot less hungry throughout the day, so I decided it would be the easiest for me to skip breakfast and start my eating window at 12pm and end it at 7pm. <br />
<br />
Pre-confinement, this usually got pushed to 12:30/12:45pm since my colleagues typically weren't ready to eat right at noon, so I would usually end up eating a piece of string cheese stick at noon to tide me over. I also drank several cups of hot tea throughout the morning. Then I would eat my normal lunch + a piece of fruit for dessert. My afternoon snacks consisted of green or herbal tea plus four <a href="https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2-ingredient-healthy-banana-bread-breakfast-cookies-with-delicious-add-ins/" target="_blank">2-ingredient cookies</a> and another piece of fruit spread out over the afternoon. I would typically try to make it home for dinner by 6:30pm or alternatively eat a protein bar if I was going to the gym after work, so that I could wrap up my eating window by 7pm. This has made C very happy since he has always wanted to eat dinner earlier since he comes home starving and prior to IF, we were usually eating dinner around 8-8:30pm. <br />
<br />
Pretty quickly after starting, I noticed a few major benefits - first, the quality of my sleep improved greatly. I have always been a light sleeper and often suffer from insomnia, but I can probably count on one hand the number of nights I have laid awake in the past 6 months on one hand. After so many years of sleepless nights, I typically fall asleep before my husband now (who is a champion sleeper) and usually sleep straight through to my alarm.<br />
<br />
Second, I have a lot more mental clarity in the morning. I used to say my best working hours were from 4-7pm, but I find it much more easier to concentrate in the morning now. I'm not sure why this is - I mean, you'd think your brain would be struggling after being without food for so long, but this is definitely a benefit of IF that others mention as well.<br />
<br />
Third, I feel a lot less bloated in general. It's actually really nice to go to bed without feeling so heavy and it's great to wake up to a flat stomach and feeling 'lighter'. <br />
<br />
Lastly, I have been able to easily get rid of the extra kilos hanging around, while not depriving myself of anything. I mean, I still eat healthy meals, but my colleagues bring a lot of treats into work and I feel free now to eat them without guilt. At least for me, as long as I limit my calories from roughly 12-7pm, I can eat normally and not gain weight.<br />
<br />
Side note - this works even for alcohol - for whatever reason, drinking after 7pm doesn't appear to impact my IF, as long as I don't eat anything with the booze. Pre-confinement, I was also going out with friends or colleagues after work, and was still able to maintain my weight even if I ended up eating after 7pm 1-2 nights per week. So my goal was to be pretty strict about my eating window at least 5 days per week and 1-2 days per week be a little more relaxed so I could still have a social life. <br />
<br />
In addition to weight loss, mental clarity and better sleep quality, IF supposedly has a lot of other benefits for your body as well, such as improved cellular regeneration, reduced inflammation, improved cholesterol & blood sugar levels, etc since in theory, your body can use that time to work on repairing itself vs just digesting all day/night long.<br />
<br />
All of this worked out really well pre-confinement since I was at work and busy with meetings all day - I felt confident and comfortable in my body and my clothes, and it was just <i>nice</i> not to be thinking about food so much. <br />
<br />
However, I wasn't quite sure how it was going to go at home during the lockdown, especially with my plan to work-out at 7:30am every morning. I didn't know if I would feel light-headed working out or if I would be tempted by food all day since my desk is literally four steps from the fridge, but I'm happy to say things are going pretty well. I feel energized working out in the mornings and often again at noon before lunch, so it hasn't been too challenging to my willpower to wait until after 12pm to eat. Afternoons can be a bit more tricky since I do love to snack, but I've been trying to limit extra snacking to things like fruit, yogurt or nuts. <br />
<br />I have also still been trying to limit alcohol to 1-2 nights per week, but I admit I have been going a bit overboard on the weekends with the sweets since I find #confinementbaking to be very soothing. So there have been a lot of Saturdays & Sundays full of things like cinnamon rolls, cookie dough, etc, and I can usually feel my muffin top coming back by Sunday night, but it goes away really quickly Monday/Tuesday once I'm back to my normal eating.<br />
<br />
Overall, intermittent fasting has been a great gimmick-free way to overall feel better in general and maintain my weight. There is nothing to buy, no extra work to be done, no need to avoid certain food groups or be picky when you go to a restaurant, etc - you just need to eat normally and limit your eating to a 6-8 hour time period depending on what works for you. Has anyone else out there tried it? Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-30799874005978183052020-04-05T10:00:00.001+02:002020-04-05T10:00:45.145+02:00Lockdown diaryHey everyone. Hope you are all safe and healthy, wherever you might be in this crazy world. I am holed up in Paris, and have not left our apartment since March 16. I am set up to work remotely and very used to working from home having done so for nearly 15 years; plus around 70% of the residents in our building are elderly, so I just decided not to take any risk in contaminating them (even though it sounds like most of them insist on going out daily anyways. 😡). But we have tons of food and a full freezer, so I have been trying to use this opportunity to empty out our cupboards and not contribute in any way to the panic buying that seems to be happening in some areas. <br />
<br />
My work has been insanely busy - pretty much non-stop from 9am to 9pm, so I haven't really felt the time go by, nor am I feeling 'confined' at all, but this period has been really difficult for C, whose work is completely stopped and whose boredom is likely only amplified by the fact that I am working so much. Plus the weather has been so nice and it's prime planting time out at the land...<br />
<br />
Luckily my gym has been offering free FB Live classes 4-5x per day on their FB page (search for CMG Sports Club if you want to join me!), so I have been taking breaks to do two classes per day, for a total 1-1h30 of exercise every day. So on that side, it's been nice to be able to work out daily again, especially as my new job been so intense that I haven't managed to squeeze in more than 3-4 workouts per week since November.<br />
<br />
Today is meant to be the nicest day of the year however, and I am considering going outside - several friends have indicated to me that it might be good just for my mental health, to avoid becoming agoraphobic. We are short on a few fresh goods (some spinach would be nice for example), but the idea of going to the supermarket and then the cashier touching everything I buy does sort of stress me out. I mean, how silly would it be to catch and/or transmit the coronavirus now, after having made the effort to stay inside for 21 whole days?<br />
<br />
<br />Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-8841710692351245322019-09-12T11:01:00.000+02:002019-09-12T11:01:13.096+02:00Photos du terrain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our little village is on a river and surrounded by a beautiful little canal:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF56MHFoW5TXSQLu1lFRGnzR8vJJEGPjeuLwaDtr6nwWS8GCs4rqhHyo2BMJhtr-0BuLXPVBMk0VHW-_iT1tTTV6ys9QrZMIiTP2OHOUlDtmEBbvJwEj7zsP1sbmeAc6WR40mwTA7RPWM/s1600/bonneval+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="933" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF56MHFoW5TXSQLu1lFRGnzR8vJJEGPjeuLwaDtr6nwWS8GCs4rqhHyo2BMJhtr-0BuLXPVBMk0VHW-_iT1tTTV6ys9QrZMIiTP2OHOUlDtmEBbvJwEj7zsP1sbmeAc6WR40mwTA7RPWM/s400/bonneval+1.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It has a small chateau, all the shops you would need and is 2.5km away, so easily accessible by car or by bicycle. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaBLo-KMuN2pfWeBQqoZvcUSJNB97syQ2XToEAKNY-bBnn5vrZgDgmtpMFjORLa2d9IqyBT9yquisZPIJIJkP-kX1FNJLNx9VBTK3OofxkQmGmCOS7G1ro7o8wZi3CpPB4r3cGkT_zAk/s1600/bonneval+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="923" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaBLo-KMuN2pfWeBQqoZvcUSJNB97syQ2XToEAKNY-bBnn5vrZgDgmtpMFjORLa2d9IqyBT9yquisZPIJIJkP-kX1FNJLNx9VBTK3OofxkQmGmCOS7G1ro7o8wZi3CpPB4r3cGkT_zAk/s400/bonneval+2.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
As I mentioned yesterday, the land is bordered on one side by the same river, and we've had a ton of fun canoeing and paddle-boarding up and down it. You can fish as well, but we haven't had time yet, and also I'm slightly put off by the fact that the annual fishing permit is 85€ for men and 30€ for women. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_LMOukTzvkci4AJICUchIdwa53TLF_23p80mvefkbHcMZkKLpmSvYPFWpUNBRX70xBRfl-vt4kn034-AY5n4cSxn2S9CwQIVOT3tT1DCk1kUS5O-bbwO-KU9SuYTXMETUTFQ405JfYI/s1600/IMG_1066%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_LMOukTzvkci4AJICUchIdwa53TLF_23p80mvefkbHcMZkKLpmSvYPFWpUNBRX70xBRfl-vt4kn034-AY5n4cSxn2S9CwQIVOT3tT1DCk1kUS5O-bbwO-KU9SuYTXMETUTFQ405JfYI/s400/IMG_1066%255B1%255D.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
Somehow, the land also has electrical and water hook-ups, which definitely makes life easier. And to help out even more, C spent most of this spring building this teeny tiny house. It is definitely small as it is a <i>terrain non-constructible</i> and thus it had to be under a certain size, but it is big enough for a shower, a fridge (#roséallday) and for C to sleep in during the winter months. For someone who is not really interested in handy work, I continue to be impressed by his ability to design and build things on his own! You might notice the tiny house is also up on stilts, so that it won't be damaged if the land floods - which does happen from time to time. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMrJWRP6Q32WqLM1CBNrlhcPgdxQUQ_a0niXjLSksoaPTqyKEnqbfTXf7WguyeHuQYG5M3-NE1iunw1OwTDrgmIcridWPUNofrT0RnCVRvgTFDqHdKDVfahxSkGyFvJPcl4mUPeEaqsc/s1600/IMG_0447%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1008" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMrJWRP6Q32WqLM1CBNrlhcPgdxQUQ_a0niXjLSksoaPTqyKEnqbfTXf7WguyeHuQYG5M3-NE1iunw1OwTDrgmIcridWPUNofrT0RnCVRvgTFDqHdKDVfahxSkGyFvJPcl4mUPeEaqsc/s400/IMG_0447%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Since one of his big goals was to have a garden, and we obviously can't be out there every day, C has been working hard to follow <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture" target="_blank">permaculture</a> principles, ie to work with nature instead of against it. This has included using a lot of natural methods to ensure good ground cover, prevent weeds, etc so the soil will stay healthy and humid enough for his plants to grow while we are not there. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And man, are there a lot of plants! My dear husband isn't one to do things half-way, so he has been planting literally anything and everything out there. Seriously, any time I cook at home and he sees me removing seeds, he yells out "Don't throw them away!". Many of our friends are also now saving their seeds for us, and several offices in his building are keeping their coffee grounds for his compost. Some things he's tried have worked, some didn't (like making seed balls - they were promptly eaten up by the birds), but right now, we currently have the following plants and trees growing (the ones with * were planted this year and haven't yet produced anything): </div>
<ul>
<li>Strawberries</li>
<li>Blueberries</li>
<li>Blackberries</li>
<li>Apples*</li>
<li>Pears</li>
<li>Mirabelle Plums </li>
<li>Cherries*</li>
<li>Grapes (Regular and seedless)</li>
<li>Black Currant*</li>
<li>Kiwis*</li>
<li>Kiwais*</li>
<li>Mandarins*</li>
<li>Bananas* (likely won't fruit now, but might someday in the future with global warming)</li>
<li>Peaches*</li>
<li>Spaghetti squash</li>
<li>Butternut squash</li>
<li>Potatoes</li>
<li>Sweet potatoes (haven't harvested yet, fingers crossed!) </li>
<li>Cherry tomatoes</li>
<li>Avocado* </li>
<li>Herb garden</li>
<li>Jerusalem artichokes</li>
<li>Sunflowers</li>
<li>Lettuce </li>
<li>Dates* (This one makes me laugh, because date trees apparently take 60 years to fruit, so we will be dead by the time ours start producing)</li>
</ul>
What didn't work (all attempted from seeds):<br />
<ul>
<li>Broccoli</li>
<li>Cauliflower</li>
<li>Kale</li>
<li>Corn</li>
<li>Mango</li>
<li>Bell Peppers</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Next year, he's going to try starting a small <i>pepinière</i> to start off his seedlings before planting them in the ground, so he's currently studying how he can do that without daily watering. And the birds had a heyday with our blueberries and grapes, so we'll definitely need to set up better netting next year. I know the goal of permaculture is to share with nature, so you grow some for you and some for the animals, but blueberries are something I'm just not willing to <i>partager</i>. ;)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
He's also built multiple bee & insect hotels around the land, to encourage pollination and to improve the flora and fauna in general. This one is over 3 feet tall! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzyX84eUBFPrdtiMPKPgjJFPpgxA90yjx2UxY4nRfihdkF08JoNvvXYesCLJW4yJKfiPA_zAfdfHaB4HrsmW7yqvdMTEo3rmErZeNR_nqWDGhMaRwhImFQQ1qIpS2Xw1pXHLQXr8f-Zo/s1600/IMG_0110%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzyX84eUBFPrdtiMPKPgjJFPpgxA90yjx2UxY4nRfihdkF08JoNvvXYesCLJW4yJKfiPA_zAfdfHaB4HrsmW7yqvdMTEo3rmErZeNR_nqWDGhMaRwhImFQQ1qIpS2Xw1pXHLQXr8f-Zo/s400/IMG_0110%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Here's a view of how the main garden looked early June. The little green building below is our toilet, which is a dry toilet that uses sawdust (and then gets composted). It's not pictured, but about 1/3 of the land is a "<i>forêt comestible</i>", or an edible forest as Chris calls it, where he has planted most of the fruit plants and trees. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmLhO_iyaI_RG3oGyxdDD5fhhTPImYSZlSx0qVW_bn9pUPNUwGwqUeAhH2XnNsWKI8X2CKNzSAJm2HEbdhd6-QqVd8ZjRNF5bvjLv1Uu6xvldjp-6_Kj1sWGf_3b5CJnRWbVY_FJqZZY/s1600/thumbnail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmLhO_iyaI_RG3oGyxdDD5fhhTPImYSZlSx0qVW_bn9pUPNUwGwqUeAhH2XnNsWKI8X2CKNzSAJm2HEbdhd6-QqVd8ZjRNF5bvjLv1Uu6xvldjp-6_Kj1sWGf_3b5CJnRWbVY_FJqZZY/s400/thumbnail2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am unbelievable excited for these spaghetti squash to ripen - this plant actually grew out of a random seed that was in our compost and now it has ten squash! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWLTCXcP3KaZ-uNOb60-WES0JV_JOXmOMElIk7LJQZ-MqI68iMt_E0eNrcH1MVP5sD-Yhi4h7BeFPZ7ZUvhNMxqOXKnkzI_WdZIjqUXS9CyTj5qFDk1hk3Xw5DO8MD1ag4afsalA1cbw/s1600/XVCF9213%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWLTCXcP3KaZ-uNOb60-WES0JV_JOXmOMElIk7LJQZ-MqI68iMt_E0eNrcH1MVP5sD-Yhi4h7BeFPZ7ZUvhNMxqOXKnkzI_WdZIjqUXS9CyTj5qFDk1hk3Xw5DO8MD1ag4afsalA1cbw/s400/XVCF9213%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Because I'm not much of a camper, my dear husband has done his best to make it as comfortable for me as possible out there. We have this funny cabin tent, which I love, and he installed a double camping bed with a mattress pad inside.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQL6M26VKp2T6-uzwxcXcX2iMdjfMQMezPEsuVIJ6JbyrgP4UaKa5s7KErhVAeHwJihJDSqGpHNKZVfNnB9p8ytHawtV-6wQon6Ih6rHyqMojzw2hY1oVavbb2JvvqS-TzoSpAC9TmEXY/s1600/thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQL6M26VKp2T6-uzwxcXcX2iMdjfMQMezPEsuVIJ6JbyrgP4UaKa5s7KErhVAeHwJihJDSqGpHNKZVfNnB9p8ytHawtV-6wQon6Ih6rHyqMojzw2hY1oVavbb2JvvqS-TzoSpAC9TmEXY/s400/thumbnail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
And lastly, having spent so many summer nights around the campfire growing up, my absolutely favorite part is the fire pit. We cook 90% of our meals on it, including C's traditional Sunday morning crepes! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQ7cPwSefpocUJp2f_ncyaFRJDrep26eo4q_1onjTrkIkRfFwr-w5mw3EqMFpTqQtYuQN-AmEgAZV_cjVBteLPWxBlWkkUmC9ulh8_FHVKhIyW7LdXGM_XeU4RjPDWf0Ktyq5MIF6YYQ/s1600/thumbnail+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQ7cPwSefpocUJp2f_ncyaFRJDrep26eo4q_1onjTrkIkRfFwr-w5mw3EqMFpTqQtYuQN-AmEgAZV_cjVBteLPWxBlWkkUmC9ulh8_FHVKhIyW7LdXGM_XeU4RjPDWf0Ktyq5MIF6YYQ/s400/thumbnail+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Et voila! I never thought I would be spending most of my summer weekends camping, especially since it's my favorite time of the year in Paris, but the things you do for love, eh? Plus C is just so happy out there, and I find it really sweet how excited he is to show me everything he's worked on since the last time I was out there, so it's a no-brainer to support a project that's so important to him. <br />
<br />Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-67094159839363850802019-09-11T10:40:00.001+02:002019-09-11T10:40:36.314+02:00The LandLong time no see folks! Hopping on here now because I realized I completely forgot to post about the piece of land C bought. He's been talking about being his own <i>terrain</i> literally since our first date, and his boredom at work and lack of existing projects brought that idea back to the forefront last spring. We put together our wish list - including my criteria of around 1H from Paris and on some kind of body of water - and then spent several weekends in March 2018 looking at different properties. C had a pretty small budget, so we were mainly looking at 'terrains de loisir' or 'terrains de pêche' - basically plots of land that can't be built on and are used mainly for weekend hobbies like hunting or fishing. <br />
<br />
We very quickly realized that there wasn't much available within an hour of Paris, as most of the land had been converted into residential property long ago. We did find one though that I loved - it was on a river and had a view on castle ruins, plus it was exactly an hour's drive from our place. However it was fairly small and covered by the neighbors tall trees nearly all day long, which wouldn't be great for gardening, ie C's main goal.<br />
<br />
We also saw one place that was closer to two hours away - it was gigantic and on the Loire river, and had several homes and structures on it already in various states of decay (including a grown-over <i>boules</i> area). C loved it, but it was on a cliff so it didn't have easy access to the water and there was a public hiking trail that cut through the land, so I was worried about theft and squatters.<br />
<br />
We ended up compromising on a place that was 1.5h from the city, on a river and near a really cute little village. We officially got the keys last June and C hasn't looked back since! I swear, he would live out there if he could. He's already calculating how much time is left on our mortgage and if he can take an early retirement lol. <br />
<br />
As for me, the non-fan of camping, I have to laugh though every time I think back to when we visited the first time as owners. We originally saw the place in March, and I hadn't mentally-prepared myself for how much things would have grown by the time June rolled around. We went there straight from the <i>notaire</i>, and as C excitedly opened up the gate, my initial reaction was "WTF did we just do??". Three months of lots of rain plus no <i>entretien</i> meant that the land was completely overgrown and I could barely see past my face. There were weeds galore, downed branches, and all kinds of critters who were none too pleased to see their home being disturbed. But C's excitement not diminished in the least, and busted out his knife and swathed his way through as I gingerly followed behind him. <br />
<br />
We finally made our way down to the river, and I looked around and thought "Oh man...I definitely do not see myself coming out here". Poor C saw my face and to his credit, immediately went out and bought a lawn mower. And it's true, once the grass was down, it was easier to walk around with him and see the vision he had for the place.<br />
<br />
It's actually pretty incredible what he's been able to do with it in the past year; I'll share some pictures in the next post. Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-20040218582730980912019-01-02T10:59:00.000+01:002019-01-02T10:59:55.210+01:002018 in reviewFriends, I have to admit that my 2019 started on the toilet. 🥳<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I’m still laughing about it over here. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You see, we had friends over for dinner, and we were in the middle of a very spirited game of « Cards against Humanity » when I all of the sudden realized it was nearly midnight. So I popped open a new bottle of champagne, topped up everyone’s glasses and then for some reason, decided I had enough time to go pee before the clock struck midnight. So that’s where I was when I heard « Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one....Happy New Year! ». And then immediately followed by C « Sam, where are you?? ». Poor guy got his New Year bisou a minute too late. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hopefully this is not a sign of the year to come. ;)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Looking back though, 2018 was a bit of a mixed bag. I wouldn’t say it was a bad year, but the first half was certainly mired with a lot of work-related stress and self-doubt. But it also included a lot of really cool work trips to Brazil, Egypt, UK, Portugal, US, Egypt again, Monaco, Egypt a third time, Jordan, China, the UK again and the Netherlands. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And then I started my new job and made several more trips to the UK and Hungary, and 5 more trips to the US. I also squeezed in a quick trip to Japan, which made up for my trip (and my poor first-class ticket!) that I had to cancel in September due to the typhoon in Kyoto. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I had a big chat with my new boss right before Christmas about my objectives for 2019, and right now, I’m to focus on the US and Japan, and see if I can manage to build any business in France in my ‘free time’. Which should be exciting, right? Who wouldn’t want to travel regularly to the US and Japan? But I can already tell I’m starting to feel a bit itchy about no longer visiting ‘new’ places...and C wants to save all of his vacation for his land (which I still need to write about!), so I haven’t had any luck convincing him to take any personal trips with me. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I guess that it’s natural that this time of year comes with a lot of reflection as one year closes and another begins, and particularly this year, as I still don’t really know what I want to do with my life - but the only thing I do know is that travel will always be a part of it. </div>
Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-26100468764371915302018-12-28T11:16:00.002+01:002018-12-28T11:16:59.965+01:00MyUS.com reviewEarlier this summer, I received an offer to try out the premium service of MyUS.com for 30 days, so I decided to take advantage of cheaper prices in the US and try it out. If you haven’t been inundated with their ads on Google and Facebook, MyUS.com is a shipping service that expats can use to receive goods abroad, and I was initially drawn to it because of the simple set up and (what appeared to be) reasonable shipping prices.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With the premium service, you get 20% off shipping rates and the possibity to store ordered items for free up to 30 days, which is beneficial if you are ordering from several sites and want to group everything into one shipment. So I was given an address in Florida, and I placed my orders and had several orders shipped there. Once everything had arrived in my warehouse, I requested it all be shipped, and I was given an estimated charge of $35, which was a lot, but less than if I had shipped from each individual site. The site also indicated no customs fees would be charged since the total value was under 100 euros. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My package arrived rather quickly, but I had the unfortunate surprise of discovering that instead of being charged $35 in shipping, I was instead charged $60.44! Apparently I had ordered two items (my favorite nail polish and a small external battery charger) which were considered hazardous items and thus required special packaging. I was also charged extra for the « hazardous items » sticker. 🤔 I tried to call the customer service line multiple times, but no one ever picked up, so I ended up emailing and finally got an answer several days later stating that the shipping charges online are only an estimate and « that final charges may be more ». Okay fine, but nearly double the quoted price?? Seemed fishy to me. I went back and forth with them several times since I had carefully checked their website before this whole process began, and neither the battery nor the nail polish were listed as requiring special shipping, and after a long delay, they did end up refunding me $18. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However two months later, I had a second surprise- a 50 euro bill from customs! I emailed MyUS.com again multiple times and they could not explain why I had been charged but also refused to refund me for the customs fee. In the end, I just ended up dropping it because I was starting my new job around that time and my brain space was elsewhere, but I was definitely frustrated to have practically paid more in shipping and customs fees than the items actually cost! Their site might come in handy if you are trying to send a gift to a relative and you don’t have time to deal with the post office, but other than that, I would not recommend it. Their slow customer service and lack of transparency when it comes to pricing definitely gets them two thumbs down from me. I’d be curious to know if anyone else out there has tried them out?</div>
Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-5315377241206732072018-12-08T20:26:00.000+01:002018-12-08T20:26:26.535+01:00A wrinkle in timeOne of the reasons I decided to take the job that was in my current industry was because I was feeling nostalgic about leaving my colleagues and clients. In the months since, I have been lucky enough to see both regularly at conferences and trade shows, but it hit me the other day that seeing them and hearing how things are going always leaves me feeling like I’ve reopened a wound.<br />
<br />
On top of that, I’m disappointed in myself for not realizing until recently that in addition to being my colleagues, they had also become my friends. I like my current colleagues, but my interaction with them is mainly limited to email. For as much as I hated all the meetings I had in my former role, I realize now that it was a chance to be able to talk to them on a daily basis and hear more about their lives than what is visible on social media. I miss their opinions and advice. I miss the fun times we had together. The only thing I can really liken it to is a break-up, ie when you choose to break up with someone, their friends and family unfortunately also become collateral damage.<br />
<br />
I also have to admit I have sort of a morbid curiosity about seeing how life there has moved on without me. I can’t help myself from asking how things are going with ‘so and so’, and hearing the latest gossip, and taking satisfaction in the fact that others are unhappy with the current structure. And on one hand, I’m happy my departure has given others to step up and take on some more responsibility, but on the other, it’s perturbing to see my projects continuing on without me. A former colleague recently posted pictures of his trip to Kenya, which would have been <i>my</i> trip. Seeing him do all the things I would have been doing was odd. Sort of like a « Sliding doors » feeling if you will. A view into what could/would have been. <br />
<br />
Despite all the mixed feelings, I am glad to be where I am now, and to be able to know what is beyond The Company. I spent at least a good year feeling frustrated with my job yet scared about taking a leap into another role, so at least I am no longer stuck in the « what if » cycle. Possibly I would have been best off taking one of the other job offers and making a clean break, but for now, it is what is.Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-8288882928763043292018-11-25T10:37:00.002+01:002018-11-25T11:57:54.547+01:00Nam NamThere have been so many times I have wanted to pop in here over the past few months, but the IT dept of my new company was very specific on only using my laptop for work purposes, so I didn’t dare. I finally got around to purchasing a new IPad though after months of doing everything on my phone, so that should make it easier.<br />
<br />
It has been a crazy few months and time has been flying by. Funnily enough, C now finds himself in the position I was in this summer, ie having to chose between jobs. He had actually given his notice to his current employer and was supposed to start his new job December 8, but now his employer recently came back and offered him a new role. The first job has a better salary and would be better for his career long term, but the hiring manager seems kind of crazy. The second offer would be interesting and less stressful, but with less pay (still a bit more than he’s making now though). So there have been a lot of restless nights for him lately as he goes back and forth between the two.<br />
<br />
I have been mostly enjoying my travel to the US, and I swear, I thought my heart was going to burst last week when my 22 month old niece came running up to me, calling « Nam ! ». (She can’t say her S’s yet). The fact that I have been around enough that my niece and nephew recognize me as more than just a face in the phone has been incredible, and it was one of my driving factors for taking this job.<br />
<br />
This last trip was a wild adventure though. I drove 2200 miles all across the <u>US</u>, and seeing so many different parts of the country has really opened my eyes to the divisions we are facing as a nation. My reality in Minnesota is so different from X’s reality in NYC and Y’s reality in Arkansas. Our shared values used to be what united us in the past, but what happens if/when we no longer have those? I was glued to the TV the night of the midterm elections, and was disappointed, but not surprised, by the results. It scares me sometimes how easily we can be manipulated and how so many people just blindly believe what they see/hear on TV or on the internet. I’m downhearted by how unwilling people (on both sides) seem to be to question whether it is the truth or even consider other viewpoints. Then again, things in France/Europe don’t really seem to be much better... But I keep coming back to "United we stand, Divided we fall".Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-27546545333057108762018-09-04T21:18:00.000+02:002018-09-04T21:18:01.432+02:00Le loto du patrimoineI had the news on in the background tonight, and heard something about the first « tickets de patrimoine » being sold, and it piqued my curiosity, especially since they were showing a scratch-off in the background. Apparently there is a new temporary lottery ticket that went on sale starting yesterday, and part of the money earned from it will go to finance the restoration of a select few buildings around France.<br />
<br />
12 million scratch-off tickets will be sold, at the rather-shocking price of 15 euros (!) a piece. There is a one in three chance of winning at least 15 euros, and 1.52 euros from each ticket will be placed in a fund that will finance the repair of 18 chosen sites.<br />
<br />
There will also be a special once/year « Mission Patrimoine » super lotto, with a jack pot of 13 million euros. Each ‘grille’ will cost 3 euros, and the first drawing will be September 14 in honor of ‘les journées du patrimoine’.<br />
<br />
The organizers are expecting to collect 15-20 million euros, however some are criticizing the fund as a ‘tax on the poor man’, and questioning why the government can give 450 million euros to renovate the Grand Palais in Paris, but the average man is having to finance the restoration of so many other sites out of their pockets. There is also some controversy over the sites chosen to receive funding, but others state that this will give the French the feeling that the country’s ‘patrimoine’ belongs to them all...Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-42991727438040565712018-08-30T10:11:00.002+02:002018-08-30T10:11:38.982+02:00Blink and you’ll miss itI can’t believe it’s the end of summer already! It has truly gone by in the blink of an eye. I have wanted to blog at various points over the summer, however the IT policies on my new work computer have had me a bit paranoid, so I ended up buying an iPad on my last trip to the US and now here I am, free to write again.<br />
<br />
Work has been going well - I still go through periods of wondering whether or not I can do this, but things are slowly progressing. And I may possibly be in the honeymoon phase still, but I am definitely enjoying only having one phone to deal with, no more early/late meetings or phone calls, being able to actually wear my wedding ring daily and have decent nails for longer than a week at a time.<br />
<br />
After having basically been on-call 24/7 for twelve years, it has also been extremely liberating to not be tied to my phone. As poor C can attest, with the exception of our honeymoon, I have literally not been more than 5 feet from my phone(s) since well before we met. It has taken me weeks to be able to leave the room and not take my phone with me, for fear of missing a phone call. Even now I sometimes have brief moments of panic of ‘Where’s my phone??’.<br />
<br />
I was listening to a podcast the other day and the guest was Tim Ferris, author of the ‘4 hour work week’, amongst other books. I typically find him interesting, and in this particular interview, he was talking about how his whole empire came about. He was explaining that he was so caught up in his job, working crazy hours, thinking only about work, etc until one day he realized he was « trapped in a machine of his own making ». And I immediately thought ‘Bingo’. That in a nutshell is exactly how I felt at the end of my time with The Company. It just consumed so much of life, both day and night.<br />
<br />
There were a lot of circumstances that contributed to it, including the time difference and my desire to move up the ranks, but at the end of the day, it really wasn’t anyone’s fault but my own that I found myself in that endless cycle of eating, breathing and sleeping work. There was no pressure from my boss nor my colleagues - it was just a combination of my personality, the sense of urgency that came with the nature of our work and perceived responsibility towards our customers. So I’ve been taking time this summer to reflect on how I got to that point and what I can do in the future to stay more balanced (it helps with this new job that nothing will potentially die if I don’t immediately pick up the phone lol).<br />
<br />
But it means I’ve had space in my life to actually *have* a life again. I have been able to go out with friends more, pick up some hobbies again, and enjoy being more present with C (who also finished his masters this summer, whoop!).<br />
<br />
I have also been enjoying traveling back to the US more frequently, and recently even attended my high school class reunion. It was a strange experience, and it felt like many people in my hometown were vying to be on People of Walmart (seriously- it was like ‘Ah, *these* are the people who still support Trump), but I was glad to have been able to attend. My hometown might not have been glamorous, but it was a good place to grow up.<br />
<br />
And now September is going to be a crazy month - C will be in the US for work for 3 weeks, and I’ll be in Japan, Bretagne and the US during that same time. We haven’t ever been apart for that long, so I’m hoping we can rendezvous for at least a weekend in there. But in the meantime, we’re enjoying these last few days of calm together and will top it off with a weekend on C’s land. More to come about that later...<br />
<br />
<br />Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-3135936605873719132018-06-08T22:23:00.000+02:002018-06-08T22:23:00.144+02:00Fake it until you make itLastly, I also wanted to share a bit of advice for the women out there. I'm
sure you've all heard the statistic about women only applying for jobs if they feel like they meet 100% of the criteria, whereas men will apply even if they only meet 50-75% of the criteria. So when I began this whole process, I made a very conscious decision to apply for jobs like a man. I applied for anything and everything that fit <b>my</b> criteria, and then tailored my cover letter to why I thought I was the perfect person for the job.<br />
<br />
In addition, given that most hiring decisions are decided in the first thirty seconds of meeting the candidate, and that your own non-verbal behaviors can also influence your self-confidence levels, I spent two minutes prior to each interview in a "high power pose", as described in this video (it's a bit long, but it's one of the most-viewed Ted Talks out there):<br />
<div style="max-width: 854px;">
<div style="height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25%; position: relative;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://embed.ted.com/talks/lang/en/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are" style="height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" width="854"></iframe></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
And you know it? It worked! I must have applied for over 50 different jobs over the months, and I bet I got interviews for at least 90% of them. And not just one interview, but usually multiple interviews - the phone interview, hiring manager interview and at least one CEO/CFO/COO interview for each posting. Now that's a <b>lot</b> of interviews. I'm telling you, I have done so many that I am an interviewing machine now - I could probably do one in my sleep lol. But I very intentionally went in to each and every one telling myself I was the sh*t and they would be lucky to have me. Of course I did a lot of research on each company beforehand, to understand the market, their competitors, strengths/weaknesses, etc so I went into the interviews informed and armed with pertinent questions, but I also went in there projecting confidence and strength. And possibly man-spreading from time to time. :D<br />
<br />
Either way, this method was so successful that because I was not initially clear on what I wanted, I often ended up getting offers that didn't really fit me, and I found myself in the position of telling them that after learning more about the role/company values/etc, it just didn't seem like the right fit for what I was looking for, instead of the other way around. My lack of clarity on what I wanted certainly made me a pro at interviewing, but also ended up wasting a lot of my time and theirs. <br />
<br />
However, as I kept telling them, this whole process wasn't about changing just to change - I really wanted to find the role where I could bring value to the company and <u>they</u> could bring value to me. And I think that's where women often go wrong. We forget that second part. We undersell ourselves and we psych ourselves out. We focus on how many other people out there could do the job better than us, rather than on the value and the unique skills that we would bring to the role. <br />
<br />
I'd be lying though if I didn't admit that I still struggled with internal freak-outs from time to time. Like "Holy crap, I'm sitting across from the CEO of XYZ Company, what am I doing here??" But then it was about reframing it in my mind, and reminding myself that <b>he</b> asked <b>me</b> to be there. He obviously thinks I'm worth his time, so why don't I? (Good question).<br />
<br />
And despite all of this "Girl Power" talk, it still hasn't prevented me from having niggling doubts about this new role as well. "Wait, they created this position for me, can I *really* do it?? And they're going to pay me *how* much?? What if I don't succeed? What if I end up disappointing them?!". But my plan is still to walk in there on that first day with my head held high, acting as if <i>of course </i>I belong there...Fake it until you make it baby. (And no one needs to know I'll have done a two-minute power pose in the bathroom beforehand.)Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-40142128597509684422018-06-07T21:07:00.000+02:002018-06-07T21:07:02.148+02:00Mid-life crisis, take 2So after feeling like I would never find the right fit for me, and that I'd be stuck in my role forever, I decided to take it back to what I know works for me. I sat down, reflected, and made a list of what I wanted for my future career (only positive things, no negative things). Here's what I came up with:<br />
<ul>
<li>Be able to continue to travel (ideally to the US or Asia monthly)</li>
<li>Flexibility for remote work</li>
<li>Earn at least my current salary or more</li>
<li>Team I enjoy working with</li>
<li>Product I believe in</li>
<li>Be able to influence strategy/direction </li>
</ul>
I kept that post-it note by my desk and looked at it multiple times a day. Every night before I went to bed or any time I had some down time (often while traveling), I would think about that list and imagine myself in a new role where I had all of that. I imagined how I would feel, how happy and fulfilled I would be, how much more balance there would be in my life. I also focused on daily gratitude and recognizing the good things I had in my life - from a positive interaction with a customer to the adorable notes C often leaves for me around the house. If you don't know, these are all the steps for what some call positive manifestation or positive visualization or even the law of attraction. It's a little bit hokey and new age-y, especially for someone as pragmatic as myself, but I've always figured it <i>can't hurt</i> to focus on what's positive in your life and to at least put what you want out into the universe.<br />
<br />
Plus, it has gotten me amazing results each time I have tried it in the past. For starters with C, who matched every single thing I had put on my list. Even today, I often wonder marvel I ended up with someone as kind and generous as him. Or our apartment - we both had long wish lists of things we wanted and assumed we'd have to compromise on some things since after all, this is Paris and people spend months or even years trying to find a place that is even half-way decent. But instead, we found our dream apartment on our very first visit, in the area we wanted, in our budget - which is how we ended up buying an apartment when we hadn't even really been looking . <br />
<br />
But back to the job hunt. Ironically enough, or maybe not, a week or so after beginning to do the above steps daily, some top-notch job offers started rolling in. So much so that it got to the point where I soon had three extremely different but equally amazing jobs on the table. And then I became paralyzed again by the choice. I know, I know, poor me, right - three great job offers, boo hoo. But which one to choose? Could I really <i>sauter le pas</i>? Which one would leave me truly happy? I waffled for a long time, I went back and forth, I made pro and con lists for each one but just could not pull the trigger.<br />
<br />
Finally, a little over a week ago, I had an epiphany. I was being held up by self-judgement. Two of the offers were in the tech industry, working for French start-ups with amazing products, and the third one was in my current industry. I was internally leaning towards staying in my industry, but couldn't admit that to myself because the other two were such incredible opportunities that would advance my career much quicker than the third option.<br />
<br />
As someone who has always pushed herself to go higher/further, it was extremely difficult for me to admit to myself that I wanted the 'easier' option. Half of me wanted the challenge and the passion of working for a start-up, but the other half of me knew how all-consuming it would be and that I just needed a break. But that didn't stop me from feeling disappointed in myself for feeling that way. Nor worrying about getting pigeon-holed for the rest of my career in my current industry. So I waffled a bit more, but finally got some excellent advice from some wise girlfriends, and then pulled the trigger this week.<br />
<br />
So it's official. Next Thursday will be my last day at The Company, I'll head straight after to my (soon to be former) colleague's wedding in the south of France, and then the following week I'll be gainfully employed by a British company in my same industry. I had been planning on taking some time off in between, but some important industry events put the kibosh on that. However, I'm happy to say that my new role will have me still working remotely (check), and I'll be traveling to the US nearly every month (check). I've gotten a pretty decent salary bump (check), and I already know (and like) many of the people who will be on my team (check), and I'll have a lot of freedom to choose my projects (check). Hopefully the grass will indeed be greener...<br />
<br />
It's been an emotional past few days explaining my decision to my colleagues and my clients, and I have been so touched by the extremely kind and generous things they've had to say about me and my work. The fact that they all seem so confident about my probability for success in my future role has been a <b>huge</b> moral booster to me, and it's been really gratifying to know that they have appreciated the efforts I have made over the years and enjoyed their interactions with me. I wish it didn't take my deciding to leave for them to say it - but I guess it's like a funeral in that way - you don't often realize the impact someone has until they're gone.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-55712954173304444542018-06-06T20:37:00.001+02:002018-06-06T22:31:39.156+02:00Is this what a mid-life crisis feels like?For the past nine months, outside of work, my life has pretty much been consumed by looking for a job, researching for a job, interviewing for a job and/or considering a job. It's been a wild and crazy ride - how to decide what I want for my career when I basically fell into the one I currently had? I'm sure a lot of you out there are wondering why I would leave my job in the first place - after all, I get to choose my own projects, travel the world, meet all kinds of people, have free flights home multiple times a year...it all sounds great on paper, and to be honest, it's probably why I've hung around so long. Most of the time, I kept thinking - how could I find anything better than that?<br />
<br />
But The Company restructured about a year and a half ago, and the changes have left me increasingly unhappy. I've tried to make peace with it for the reasons above, but the inefficiencies of the new system and strategy changes have at times come into conflict with my personal values and it's left me stressed out and exhausted. Thoughts of work consumed my brain morning and night - and I mean literally. Most nights, I would wake up thinking about a work issue, get irate about it and then be up for half of the night. Add on the early morning calls from our Asia team and the fact that my US colleagues were in the office until midnight French time meant that I was pretty much thinking only about work 24/7. As my dear husband very gently pointed out to me one evening, that wasn't a healthy place for me to be in - neither mentally nor physically.<br />
<br />
Thus began the very long process of trying to extract myself from something that had been such a massive part of my life for so long. I could barely even imagine myself without The Company. After all, they were the ones who gave me the opportunity of having a quote-unquote *real* career in France. And as a customer said to me this morning - "But what will we do without you? How can you leave? You eat, sleep and breath The Company". So it was often a two steps forward, one step back process - thinking about leaving my colleagues, my clients....people I've known for over a decade....the excellent travel opportunities. Well, it all led to a few long months of deep soul searching.<br />
<br />
After all, while technically a 'grown-up', post-US life, I'd never actually had to think about what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do. Most of you out there know my one-week job contract with The Company somehow turned into a 12 year career with big promotions every two or three years. However, a few of the early job interviews I had last fall left me resoundingly decided not to join
Corporate America (or France in this case), but then what? What to do? I'd never have seen myself doing the job I'm doing today, but it turned into a global adventure. So I decided to not close off any doors and apply for whichever jobs appealed to me - but then became almost paralyzed by the idea of having so much choice. I had interview after interview, but couldn't choose. And when I finally did, it was only to be frustrated and semi-depressed by how low most salaries are in France....Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-24250902017042385882018-02-05T21:56:00.000+01:002018-02-05T21:56:01.696+01:00Ouigo or no-go?<br />
<br />
I'm out in the countryside all week for work, and I took one of the new Ouigo trains from Montparnasse to get out here. If you haven't heard of it yet, the SNCF advertises Ouigo as the "new high-speed, low-cost trains".<br />
<br />
Up until a few months ago, the Ile de France departures only left from outside of the city, but they started offering routes from Montparnasse last November. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tourmag.com/photo/art/grande/17417337-21911464.jpg?v=1506939608" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="800" height="337" src="https://www.tourmag.com/photo/art/grande/17417337-21911464.jpg?v=1506939608" width="400" /></a></div>
There are a few things to know though before you go - like they recommend showing up 25 minutes before the departure. This is for several reasons - 1) the trains leave from the Hall Vaugirard, which is a good 10 minute walk from the metro. 2) You need to have your ticket validated (and show ID) before you are allowed to enter the boarding area. 3) The size of your suitcase will be verified, similar to when flying a low-cost airplane in Europe.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cestquoicebruit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/bagages-ouigo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="641" height="178" src="https://cestquoicebruit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/bagages-ouigo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
This last one got me today - I have a small red suitcase that used to be an acceptable carry-on size, but that no longer fits today's standards. It's still small though, and I figured it would pass, but wrong! They had folks verifying everyone's baggage prior to boarding, and the suitcases had to fit into that little rectangular box airlines use. They were also measuring people's handbags with a ruler. Poor little reddie missed the mark by a few centimeters, and I ended up having to pay the 20€ baggage fee. Always a joy at six in the morning, let me tell you!<br />
<br />
Next, there's the inside of the train. In order to get more bang for their buck, they have made the previous two seats into three seats and they don't recline. It's a lot less comfortable than your standard TGV, but it's doable for shorter trips. There's also no bar car, so you have to stock up on your own food before you go....and then keep all the trash with you because there are no more trash bins in the cars (only near the toilets). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://radiodisneyclub.fr/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Interieur-ouigo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="800" height="271" src="https://radiodisneyclub.fr/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Interieur-ouigo.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There is a small workaround though for the seats - if you pay 2€ extra, you can get a seat with an electrical outlet, and those all appeared to be two-seaters. And if you need more than a carry-on, pre-paying your luggage costs only 5€ in advance instead of the 20€ I paid at the station. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few upsides of this low-cost service? Tickets start at 10€. For my trip, I paid 19€ for the Ouigo, and a regular TGV train for the same route departing a few minutes later cost 60€, 3x the Ouigo price. The Ouigo trains also have staff on-board to regularly clean the bathrooms, there's no weight limit for luggageand a big perk for families is that kids under 12 can travel with a paying adult for a flat fee of 5€.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So would I take it again? Probably, especially if I was traveling on my own dime. I'll just be sure to measure my suitcase next time....</div>
Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-58150130587787583002018-01-01T19:22:00.000+01:002018-01-01T19:22:18.944+01:00Another year in the booksWell hello 2018! I can't believe 2017 is over and done with already, but I can't say I'm sorry to see it go. It was a rough year for me professionally - The Company restructured about 18 months ago and I'm still struggling with how I fit in to the new layout, which has led to a lot of sleepless nights and a general malaise. I've been trying to focus on the perks of my job and how lucky I am to have made it this far in life to have work that I love - but at times it's been a struggle.<br />
<br />
I have gotten to do some pretty cool stuff this year though -in the first quarter of 2017, I traveled to Egypt, Germany, Thailand, Japan and Poland. We spent a very romantic Easter weekend in Venice. After that I went to the UK, Norway, South Africa and China. Then Hungary, Japan again and Marseille/Cassis for our anniversary. <br />
<br />
Back to Japan for a third time in the fall (didn't realize I went there 3x this year!), where I had some free time to do some cool sightseeing in Hiroshima and Kyoto, and then it was off to Zambia followed by India. And somehow interspersed between all of that were 4 trips to the US, which allowed me to spend some precious
quality time with our newborn niece and to attend multiple family events
(a bachelorette party, a wedding, a christening, etc). I guess now looking back on it all, it's easy to see how the year went by in a flash - most of it was spent on a plane lol. <br />
<br />
And funnily enough, I'm writing this from Rio de Janeiro. On the Friday before Christmas, I was asked "Is there anyway you could go to Brazil on Tuesday for three weeks?". I was like "As in Tuesday in a few days?? Umm....let me check". I didn't want to spend that much time apart from C (nor miss New Year's together), so I quickly asked him to see if he could get time off from work at the last minute, and here we are - ringing in a very unexpected New Year's in Rio. Thank goodness for visa-free travel to Brazil with French passports.<br />
<br />
It's been interesting here - Brazil is not necessarily a country I would have visited on my own, but I guess it's one more to scratch off on my map. C will be heading home soon and then I'll be flying out to the countryside, which will likely be a whole new adventure in itself...<br />
<br />
I don't really have any resolutions for 2018 - I just want to find some way to be happy and healthy. And I wish you all the same! Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-67601006092111402762017-12-05T09:45:00.001+01:002017-12-07T09:00:30.809+01:00Balance Ton PorcLast week, I had the pleasure of catching up with a dear, dear friend who was back in town. Over drinks and nibblies, she expressed surprise at having forgotten about the overt cat-calling that goes on in Paris. Many times, she'd just been sitting at a café, minding her own business, only to be interrupted by one or more men. We laughed about the sheer balls of these men, and then I started regaling them with the"return of the <a href="http://totallyfrenchedout.blogspot.fr/2016/08/to-bise-or-not-to-bise-that-is-question.html" target="_blank">gym bise-r</a>", whom I had not seen for a few months. <br />
<br />
At the end of my story however, she reframed it in a way that I had never thought of before. She pointed out that there was a guy who was repeatedly making me uncomfortable on a weekly basis, so much so that I had actually <i>changed</i> my work-out schedule to avoid him, instead of confronting him, or bringing it up to management. What really got me though is when she brought up that I might not be the only one dealing with this guy. What if he was doing this to a different woman every day, and we were all collectively just de-dramatizing it or not wanting to make a fuss? I mean, that's the message that we keep hearing over and over again on the news - that the women thought they were the only one or that they were somehow responsible in some way, so they didn't speak up. <br />
<br />
This whole conversation has occupied my thoughts quite a bit lately, especially as for the past few weeks I had been saying that I had been 'lucky' enough to not have my own #MeToo story to share. I mean sure, I run into enormous amounts of sexism in my line of work, but not sexual harassment. But now I'm thinking about all the subtle ways that I modify my behavior to avoid <i>being</i> in those kinds of situations. I take self-defense classes. I don't go to certain neighborhoods at night. I pay attention to what I wear when I go out without C. I cross the street if I see an aggressive-looking man walking towards me. I enter the most-populated metro cars at night. I take an uber so that someone will be able to trace me if I disappear. I've come to realize that these are all things that I've been doing unconsciously - it's only now after discussion that I realize that no, it's not normal that women have to do these sorts of things on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
On the flip side, I heard a really good counter-argument to the "women are asking for it by how the dress/look/act" line. If someone's home gets robbed, you would never say to them "Well, you were really asking for it by having such a nice house. I mean, with your lawn trimmed so nicely and all those flowers and fancy decorations - you really can't blame someone for breaking in". Or "Well what did you expect having such a nice car? Leather seats, all the options, fancy rims....your car was just begging to be stolen". And therein lies the irony - we would never say that to someone about their things, but yet many people wouldn't think twice about making such statements about a woman's body.<br />
<br />
Not that I have any magical solutions. But maybe my girlfriend was right in that it starts with each one of us calling out the small incidents we see around us, instead of sweeping them under the rug, making a joke about it, or somehow thinking it was our fault. Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-61735722106136269712017-10-20T09:09:00.003+02:002017-10-20T09:09:50.212+02:00#parismavilleThere was an interesting study released recently on the inhabitants of Paris, and I thought I'd share a few facts:<br />
<ul>
<li>53% of city dwellers are Parisiennes</li>
<li>1/3 of the city is aged between 20 & 39 (vs a national average of 24%)</li>
<li>There are 325,000 foreigners coming from 176 countries </li>
<li>People marry more in Paris than elsewhere in France </li>
<li>18% of marriages are for people of the same sex (vs 3% elsewhere)</li>
<li>This one surprises me since having children in this city seems to be such a pain, but Parisians have more kids than the rest of the French - 12.8 kids per 100,000 vs 11.8 in the rest of the country</li>
<li>The employment rate is slightly higher here - 77% vs 74%</li>
<li>And conversely, unemployment is lower - 7.8% vs 9.7%</li>
<li>Only 10% of the intra-muros population uses a car to get around. </li>
<li>29% of Parisians volunteer (vs 25% nationally)</li>
</ul>
The top three things Parisians love about their city:<br />
<ol>
<li>The pure beauty of Paris</li>
<li>The diversity of activities</li>
<li>The public transport </li>
</ol>
The top three activities Parisians love to do:<br />
<ol>
<li>Stroll the streets</li>
<li>Grab a drink in a café</li>
<li>Exercise outdoors </li>
</ol>
The top three things Parisians dislike about Paris:<br />
<ol>
<li>The cost of rent</li>
<li>Rudeness</li>
<li>Pollution</li>
</ol>
My feelings for Paris were definitely mixed before I moved here, but this city has been great to me and you can now count me among the 93% of Parisians who love it!Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-9547328146404023872017-09-20T10:24:00.003+02:002017-09-20T10:24:59.043+02:00WanderlustI ended up unexpectedly going back to the US at the beginning of the month for work, and flights to MN were horrendously expensive, so I decided to swing by NYC on the way back to lower the cost and see my BFF. I was exhausted after two jam-packed weeks, and I didn't really want to do the typical touristy stuff, so I checked out the 'what's on in NYC' page and came across two unique events. <br />
<br />
The first one was a picnic in Central Park organized by the Breton-NYC association (my secret goal is to get my BFF to meet a French guy so that she comes back to France regularly). Unfortunately the picnic was a bust - everyone already knew each other and they weren't interested in mingling with new folks. Sidebar- there was no alcohol! How can Bretons have a non-alcoholic picnic?! It blows my mind. We did end up running into an American friend from my Bretagne days though, so that was a random coincidence, and it was fun to meet her (Breton) husband and their baby.<br />
<br />
The second event was a 'Mindful Triatholon' organized by Wanderlust. It was a 5K, 60 minutes of meditation, and then 30 minutes of meditation. It was around $40 to participate in the whole thing, but you could also attend just the yoga and meditation parts for free, which is what we did. It was a fantastic event, and because they were trying to break the Guinness World Record for Partner Yoga, we even got a free t-shirt! <br />
<br />
The sponsor booths were also amazing - I've never been to an event with so many great free samples. We got free kombucha, free natural drinks, tons of different energy/health bars, a free veggie burger, free (Samsung-sponsored lol) fresh coconuts, vegan yogurt, etc. The list went on and on, and I was really happy to stock up on some healthy snacks for the plane ride home. <br />
<br />
On top of all of that, there were some bonus activities that were normally<i> </i>only for people who had a paid ticket, but you could show up last minute and get on a wait list to get a free spot, which is how I ended up trying aerial yoga for the first time. <br />
<br />
It was such a great day, with a great atmosphere - and I saw online that they are also doing it in various cities around the world, so I wanted to share the love. This weekend, events will be held in London, Adelaide, Tampa and Washington, DC, and the following weekend, they will be in Philly, Milan and Detroit. So if you like yoga and that sort of thing, check out their website <a href="https://wanderlust.com/rus/events/" target="_blank">here</a> to see if they'll be holding an event near you!Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-84798712399727849712017-08-05T14:00:00.003+02:002017-08-05T14:00:58.945+02:00Saturday musingsAs I was walking to the gym this morning, I started thinking for some reason about my maternal grandmother. She immigrated to the US from Finland in her early 20's and lived on a farm in a Finnish community her whole life, so she still has a very thick accent and never really learned to speak English fluently.<br />
<br />
We have all always considered her to be your typical sweet little old grandma. She is so loving and never wants anyone to fight or have any sort of conflict. But I've never really considered until now if that is really her *true* personality. So many of us expats here in France lament about never being truly ourselves in French - we say aren't as funny, outgoing, deep, expressive, etc - and it occurred to me all of the sudden that she has likely felt the same over the past nearly 70 years in the US. Unfortunately though I don't think her English is good enough to understand me if I tried to bring it up....and my Finnish skills have long gone by the wayside after so many years in France.Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-29570805117207129632017-07-19T10:27:00.002+02:002017-07-19T10:27:25.616+02:00Free boat cruise on your birthday!Just thought I would pass along this <i>bon plan </i>for anyone who will be in Paris on their birthday:<br />
<br />
The bateaux mouches company <a href="http://www.vedettesdeparis.fr/bon-plan/le-bon-plan-anniversaire/" target="_blank">Vedettes de Paris</a> will give a free 1 hour cruise ticket + a glass of champagne (or a muffin+soft drink) to anyone on their birthday. You just need to show up and provide proof that it actually is your birthday. <br />
<br />
This offer is valid on all 1 hour non-theme cruise all year long. How cool is that? Too bad I learned about it just after <b>my</b> birthday...but there's always next year!Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-59687122435081441772017-06-28T17:11:00.001+02:002017-06-28T17:11:46.367+02:00C saves the dayA couple weeks ago, C & I attended my cousin's wedding in Colorado. It was a short but beautiful trip out there, and not without its challenges, including its remote location. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqE7HUXUjBNDS-4rvpCIclyrmiQUOf1o6-hdwgX5U5LqYvpy-cpzvWGIln2vbd6kvr8oordApNzOnl2sSd6pryCiiRg8SqactCShWOCF0QjTRRt7pyZpjN-WRulENhpu8IOH_Q0M3Kqs/s1600/IMG_8207%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqE7HUXUjBNDS-4rvpCIclyrmiQUOf1o6-hdwgX5U5LqYvpy-cpzvWGIln2vbd6kvr8oordApNzOnl2sSd6pryCiiRg8SqactCShWOCF0QjTRRt7pyZpjN-WRulENhpu8IOH_Q0M3Kqs/s400/IMG_8207%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Earlier this year, my cousin had asked all of us girl cousins to be her 'something blue', which I thought was a cute idea. So we were supposed to wear blue dresses, and I thought "Excellent! I've got the perfect dress to wear", and I thought I was all sorted. <br />
<br />
Three weeks before the wedding however, I was informed that everyone was confused about what 'blue' meant, so it was decided that we should all wear <i>navy</i> blue. Grr. My dress was decidedly not navy blue, and I was in the middle of a trip to China with a trip to South Africa immediately after that, so I definitely did not have time to be shopping for a new dress. Nor did I want to spend even more money on a wedding that was already costing us a pretty penny. <br />
<br />
So I ended up hunting around a little bit on <a href="http://vinted.fr/" target="_blank">vinted</a> during an airport layover, and came across a never-worn dress similar to this one:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43h1ngTjmpLSIpCn38E6QHNmmg1WmtIRODo0KQ-C2wbSidxOyqcCxFvyy0bkiZqIb2chpZCfe6frInURP114cabcFqVuUXwHGQU0VGKck2G19zYVxDqa8DrMejxVIqSLbpqSSeVlGYeU/s1600/Shona-Joy-Monique-Knot-Draped-Maxi-Navy-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43h1ngTjmpLSIpCn38E6QHNmmg1WmtIRODo0KQ-C2wbSidxOyqcCxFvyy0bkiZqIb2chpZCfe6frInURP114cabcFqVuUXwHGQU0VGKck2G19zYVxDqa8DrMejxVIqSLbpqSSeVlGYeU/s320/Shona-Joy-Monique-Knot-Draped-Maxi-Navy-2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
I negotiated the price down to 15€, set up a pick-up time a few days later with the seller at the Hotel de Ville, and thought I was all set.<br />
<br />
However, I got home and tried it on, and while it fit perfectly, I realized immediately why the seller had never worn the dress. The way the fabric lay over the legs meant that with every step I took, it opened up the middle much more than I was comfortable with. And sitting down was even worse - the fabric fell completely to the sides, leaving my underwear and everything else on display. Which would surely not do for a family affair... <br />
<br />
C got home and we discussed the possibility of adding a stitch to keep the two sides together, but the fabric was so fragile, I was worried it would rip. So then I decided maybe I could find a slip - but who knew navy slips were so hard to come by?! Next I went to my tailor lady and asked what she could do, and she wanted 40€ for an underskirt (Um, thanks but no thanks).<br />
<br />
So it was back to the drawing board, and after a lot of headache, I ended up buying a thin knee-length cotton skirt to wear underneath the dress, and I thought my problem was solved. Except....<br />
<br />
My work had been incredibly demanding in the weeks coming up to the wedding, and I was so exhausted by the time it rolled around that ironically I was not sleeping well. I woke up in the middle of the night the day before our flight in a panic and thought "What if my suitcase gets lost?? I won't have anything to wear. I better take the skirt out of my suitcase and put it in my carry-on". (My SIL was bringing the actual dress in their car so it wouldn't get wrinkled). So I decided it was a good idea to get out of bed, dig around in my suitcase, find the skirt and set it on hotel desk since it was dark and I couldn't find my carry-on. <br />
<br />
The next morning we were in such a rush that I just ended up throwing it in a pile in the trunk with the suitcase and everything else....and I'm sure you all know where this is going. We then park the car, take the shuttle to the airport, go through security, and just as we're entering the lounge, I realize - I left the damn skirt in the trunk! <br />
<br />
There was no time to go back, and I knew we definitely wouldn't be able to shop after landing, so C suggested we go look at the airport clothing stores to see if we could find anything. Unfortunately there wasn't much but the typical "Minnesota gift" shops, so I was in the middle of an exhaustion-induced panic attack, when C said "What if you wore a t-shirt instead?" I was like "What??" and he replied "You could wear it around your waist and it would be like a skirt. It's almost the same material as what you bought..." <br />
<br />
I initially thought he was insane, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I bought a navy MN shirt, and then went into the women's restroom and wiggled my arms and torso through the neck hole. And what do you know - it looked almost exactly like that damn navy skirt!<br />
<br />
The day of the wedding, I borrowed a couple of safety pins from the bride to pin the sleeves in a criss-cross pattern in front of my stomach, and no one was the wiser. I was able to dance the night away without having to worry about having my lady bits on display. So I guess the moral of the story is "Don't be cheap and buy a dress you can't try on". Or maybe "Be sure to marry a calm Frenchman who can think outside of the box."Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-3618609704791803592017-05-29T11:54:00.001+02:002017-05-29T11:54:54.795+02:004DX Movie ExperienceThis past weekend, C and I headed over to La Villette for two firsts. One, our first picnic of the year by the canal, and two, our first time experiencing a 4DX movie theater. If you haven't heard of it yet, 4DX is basically an enhanced theater, and France only currently has one. Along with 3D and surround sound, 4DX theaters boast seats that move, blast air and have smell-o-vision. Here's a trailer that's currently playing in French movie theaters to promote it:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/l4FMm6Jntfg/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l4FMm6Jntfg?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
I think it's pretty much mandatory that you see an action movie in order to take full advantage of everything the 4DX cinema has to offer, so we decided to see Pirates of the Caribbean in VO. The inside of the theater reminded me a bit of the rides at Disney that require a movie screen. They were large, had foot rests and a protective bar in front. There was also a small button on each one to choose if you wanted water or not:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGlCTFIhyphenhyphenNYxfNqLy6jt4yzJqppWdKW8gi9O8zww9JxXFJ2UNZyD7TIAQdmdddok1aZwcyoPEqCSjUlP5nky7Ogm7UBq6SHsMMWzMa0_KfVB59yL-hu4EAGik_TFoE8DSiuMhcg6LYiw/s1600/IMG_8015%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGlCTFIhyphenhyphenNYxfNqLy6jt4yzJqppWdKW8gi9O8zww9JxXFJ2UNZyD7TIAQdmdddok1aZwcyoPEqCSjUlP5nky7Ogm7UBq6SHsMMWzMa0_KfVB59yL-hu4EAGik_TFoE8DSiuMhcg6LYiw/s320/IMG_8015%255B1%255D.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I initially had it on, but ended up turning it off half-way through the film because who wants water spraying on their 3D glasses all the time?!<br />
<br />
So what did we think? On a scale from 1 to 10, I'd say 6.5. The timed seat movements were cool, but it did bother me a bit that they moved for both the antagonists and the protagonists. I suppose they were just trying to give people their money's worth, but it was a little bit distracting to have the seat move for everyone, and not just from one person's point of view for example. Two other things I wasn't a big fan of was sometimes it would poke you in the back to simulate movement behind you, but in reality, it really just felt like you had a kid behind you kicking your seat. And secondly, the chair movement reminded me a little bit too much of airplane turbulence, and I kind of get enough of that when I fly.<br />
<br />
There were also times where lights would turn on behind us to simulate lightning or explosions, but it wasn't that well done - it mostly seemed like someone was just turning on the lights during the middle of the movie and it was distracting more than anything else. And the smell-o-vision was pretty limited - I think I only smelled something twice during the whole movie. There were a few times where I thought it could have really made an impact and added to the movie - like a saltwater smell, or when a ship was burning or someone was cooking - but they didn't really take advantage of that at all. <br />
<br />
The one thing I really did like though was the air movement. Bullets whizzing by, etc didn't really feel realistic, but they did a great job at making us feel like we were really on a boat at sea with the wind in our hair, and since I love being on the water, this was one of my favorite parts of the whole experience. <br />
<br />
Besides all of that, the other bit of frustration I had was the price. I have the Gaumont movie pass, which is supposed to give me unlimited movie access, but I still had to pay 6€ extra to see this. That's not such a big deal, but I also had a free movie pass that I was hoping to use for C's ticket. After spending a frustrating 30 minutes trying to reserve online and finally contacting Gaumont via social media, I found out free & reduced-price tickets couldn't be used for 4DX films. That meant I had to pay the full-price of 20€ for C's ticket + 6€ for my own - so it ended up being an expensive night when I was initially expecting to pay 0€. <br />
<br />
So is it worth it? Given the price....I'd say it's worth trying once or twice, but I likely won't be making it a habit. I imagine it would be a really fun activity to do as a family (though FYI, there are height requirements), and C & I both agreed that an intergalatic-themed movie would also be fun to see. I normally don't like sitting in the front row, but I would definitely recommend it for this type of theater. It makes the movie seem more realistic since you don't have anyone sitting in front of you.<br />
<br />
Lastly, on a side note - the mall where the theater is located was surprisingly nice for the neighborhood. It looked like an upscale American mall, with tons of cute boutique shops and American-style restaurants. There was a burrito place, a juice bar, an Asian Fusion restaurant, a cute pub, etc, and I would definitely recommend checking out the shops if you are looking to purchase some unique France-themed gifts. There was also an anti-gravity flying pod that looked fun too. <br />
<br />Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-75717423877779943092017-05-23T17:16:00.001+02:002017-05-23T17:16:12.968+02:00Bilan de santéAbout a month ago, I was poking around the French healthcare website to see if I could find a new dentist in our neighborhood. (Our beloved dentist who did American-style dental cleanings up and disappeared into thin air about a year and a half ago.). <br />
<br />
I didn't end up finding a dentist nearby, but I did come across an article saying anyone who is insured in Ile de France has the right to have a free health check-up every five years. Considering that I haven't had a check-up in probably 20 years, I figured now was as good as a time as any. There was a short online form to fill out (<a href="http://www.ameli.fr/assures/votre-caisse-paris/nos-actions-de-prevention/bilan-de-sante-gratuit-pour-les-adultes_paris.php">here</a>) and then a week later I received a <i>convocation</i> with a date/time at my closest center.<br />
<br />
They had booked me in for 1:30pm, which initially seemed fine until I noticed I had to be <i>à jeun*</i> until that time for the blood draw. Not eating anything and drinking only black coffee until after lunch did not seem to be the smartest idea, especially since I work out at noon, so I called back to see if I could reschedule. It took a while, and involved several emails and phone calls, but I finally got through and was able to set up another appointment for today.<br />
<br />
Depending on your age, the check-up covers a meeting with a general practitioner, blood & urine sample analysis, dental exam, eye exam and electrocardiogram, and is supposed to last 2.5 hours. If they find something urgently wrong, they will call you at 4:30pm the same day to inform you; otherwise you will receive your results 3-4 weeks later by mail. (It's now 5pm here btw, so whew - no scary illnesses to report!)<br />
<br />
So was it worth my time (and yours)? I'd lean towards no. The Dr's visit was short and extremely generic and the dental exam was also lightning speed and did not include a cleaning. I was also disappointed they didn't do a <i>frottis</i> or a breast exam (though a mammogram might have be included if you are over 60). It was kind of interesting to do the electrocardiogram though, but given all of the rest of your stuff can be prescribed by your regular doctor for testing at your local laboratory, I don't think it's really worth 2.5 hours of one's life.<br />
<br />
The medical practitioners were all extremely friendly though, and even more so when it came out that I was American. Though to be honest, given the population of people who were there (mainly homeless, I believe), they could have just been happy to have someone who was clean, sober and in generally good health. <br />
<br />
I did get scolded for not having seen a dentist recently though, so if anyone has a good, reasonably-priced dentist they can recommend in central Paris, please let me know! <br />
<br />
*They do give you a cookie and an applesauce after the blood draw, and at least at my health center, there was a coffee machine and a vending machine in the waiting room. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-82092459485169578212017-05-01T12:49:00.000+02:002017-05-01T12:49:33.370+02:00Here, there and everywhereI'm coming up on another crazy travel spree. I'll spend Thursday & Friday of this week in Norway, be home Saturday and then leave early Sunday AM for South Africa. I'll get back the following Saturday and then turn around less than 24 hours later to hop another flight for a week in China. <br />
<br />
To be honest, I was hesitating about both the Norway and South Africa trips - given the dates, I won't really have any time to do any sightseeing, so I was waffling about whether or not I should accept. In the end, I said yes to help out a colleague in both instances and to be able to scratch another country off of my travel map. But what do you think? Is it worth it? Would you go?<br />
<br />
I'm also slightly nervous about doing so many back-to-back 12+ hour flights. I get paranoid about getting blood clots given all the flying I do....but I wear compression socks on long-haul flights and I guess flight attendants are in the air even more than I am and they are fine. Plus I'll be in the US for most of June with a jam-packed itinerary of baptisms, weddings, birthdays, work events, leadership retreats, etc, so it's true that the extra frequent flier miles will come in handy in ferrying C around the country and to and from France. <br />
<br />
The upcoming travel means I'll be missing out on the French presidential elections though, so I went to the police station yesterday to fill out my <i>procuration</i> form so that C can vote for me. It was a relatively easy process, just a short form to fill out and then I was given a receipt for C to show. I'll land Sunday evening around 9:30pm French time in Johannesburg, so you can bet I'll be turning my phone on immediately to check the results. Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394835278337306813.post-47084454618629052802017-04-23T10:38:00.002+02:002017-04-23T10:38:49.819+02:00Thoughts on a SundayI'm not sure about the rest of you, but I've received so many messages this week with "praying for Paris" and tear face emojis. It's left me feeling conflicted - I'm grateful I've got so many family and friends thinking of me, but on the other hand, I'm annoyed that there is such a big fuss made about this event while shootings are a multi-daily occurrence in the US. I mean, I literally woke up the next morning after the Champs-Elysée shooting to see "Two policeman shot in Seattle" as the first story on my news app. But then you turn on the news, and there's no mention of it, only the Paris incident. Ironically enough, C just wrote an article on this very topic that was set to publish next week - ie why are Americans so scared to come to France when they're much more likely to get shot at home - though I'm not sure if they will post it now or wait a few weeks.<br />
<br />
Also, how are you all feeling about the first round elections today? I'm still not quite sure who to vote for (besides not Marine Le Pen, obviously). I've watched all kinds of interviews, we watched "15 minutes pour convaincre" the other night - though there was no convincing going on for me. I can definitely understand why so many voters are still undecided, and it does feel very reminiscent of the US elections.<br />
<br />And then there's the question of whether or not to vote your beliefs, or to vote the person who's most likely to beat FN? C is very much of the "vote your convictions" stance, whereas I'm terrified of what could happen if Le Pen wins, so I'm leaning towards a <i>vote stratégique</i>. Though if you look at the polls, I'm not actually sure who that would even be. <br />
<br />
Obviously the polls are not always the best predictors, but I am leaning towards the polls being a bit more reliable in France than they were in the US this last round. So many Americans were ashamed to say that they were voting for Trump that they lied to pollsters and it completely skewed everything, whereas it seems to be not as shameful to say you're voting FN here... <br />
<br />
I'm somewhat encouraged though by all the pictures yesterday taken of the long lines showing French citizens voting abroad, and the long lines reported at many polling stations already today. C & I will vote just after lunch, when it will hopefully be a bit quieter...Ksamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991667611234163617noreply@blogger.com1