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Tuesday, September 29th, 2009I try not to complain too much (oh, who am I kidding? I complain all the time) but I really was a little blue this weekend. Paris has been basking in the hot sunshine of an Indian summer and when the weather is beautiful I miss having CK around to share it.
So, I was definitely […]
All points delicious in France
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009I’m so tickled by this postcard, which I found while browsing at Cartes d’Art (9 rue du Dragon, Paris, 6ème) this weekend! As you can see, there’s certainly no shortage of delicious food in France — the whole country is stuffed (quite literally) with regional specialties!
Click here for a closer look. I especially like the nougat that […]
Holy hot hammam!
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009Have you ever been to a hammam? I hadn’t. Until last week, I’m not sure I could even accurately define “hammam” (it’s an Arabic word, meaning steam bath). Paris abounds with these Turkish baths, and when my friend Heather came to town, she had the bright idea of getting steamed and scrubbed. After extensive internet […]
Allez, les Bleus!
Monday, September 7th, 2009It’s true that, in France, Les Bleus refers to the national soccer team — you know, le football. But there’s no reason not to steal their nickname for my own purposes, in this case a little blog playground game. Croque Camille tagged me last week, challenging me to find seven blue items in my home. I’ve had les […]
Provence, je t’aime
Sunday, August 9th, 2009Bonjour, mes amis! It is I, your errant blogging friend, returned from vacation: two whole weeks in the hot sun, craggy landscape, and rich terrain of Provence. Sigh. The best part? Spending time with my husband, CK, who was on leave from Baghdad.
What did we do?
Vive la France!
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009Whether you are in France or à l’étranger, Happy Bastille Day mes amis! I just stepped off the Eurostar from London but I couldn’t call myself a francophile if I didn’t try to see the fireworks tonight. Alors, off to the Seine I go, with friends, to catch the 10pm feux d’artifices. Stop by for a report […]
Twitter with me
Monday, July 6th, 2009I know, I know, I’m about about two years too late to hop on this bandwagon. But if you use twitter, I hope you’ll follow my tweets about eating, cooking and living in Paris — not to mention my on-going garden battle against aphids. Oh, and news about my upcoming novel, Kitchen Chinese. And if you don’t twitter […]
Work
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Call me crazy, but working in Paris has always sounded incredibly romantic to me. I know it’s weird, but the idea of a job, an office with colleagues, the camaraderie, the structure, (the opportunities to practice French), just seemed so darn appealing. Plus, I couldn’t help picture myself bicycling home in the golden dusk, with […]
Twenty years ago
Thursday, June 4th, 2009I was only 14 when the events at Tiananmen Square took place. I remember the images — especially the lone man in front of the tank — but I didn’t understand their significance at the time. That all changed when I moved to China in 2003, and met some very brave people — some who […]
Behind the scenes at Poilâne bakery
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
Forget the baguette. It’s a modern invention that traditionalists scoff at. No, France’s ancient bread is a large, round, sourdough boule. And perhaps Paris’s most famous traditional bakery is Poilâne, the legendary shop with a tragic family history, whose master bakers still create each sturdy, slightly tart loaf by hand. On a recent morning, I was lucky […]