Lundi: grocery expedition round 2

Having finished off the chicken breasts, almost all of that jar of pasta sauce, 1/2 of the brie wheel and the final bits of cucumber, I decided it was time to schedule in "grocery shopping take 2." It was cold and rainy this morning, but I made the trek to Biatrix and then to my local supermarkets to stock the fridge.

Having learned that the chicken breasts, though delicious, were kind of pricey when I could get a full prepared meal at the Resto U for 2,90 without lifting a finger, I opted for the cheapest meat that wasn't meant to go straight into the microwave: sausages. I also opted for a lot of canned veggies this time -- though I really enjoy having fresh tomatoes on hand, I really don't want to prepare my own spinach or corn. Canned veggies are cheap here, and they last for a long time so you don't have to worry too much about the "date limite." I grabbed 2 fresh bananas, a jar of berry jam, and some sauce basilic for when my current pasta sauce runs dry. I got all of this for under 6 EUR.

My trip to Franprix was just to fill in the blanks: a 2 EUR bucket of chocolate ice cream (to fill in the sweet spot) and a microwaveable sachet of medeterranean rice for 1 EUR (I thought this would go well with some corn, ratatouille, and sausage).


While there, I eyed the tomme but resisted. I also noticed some massive cans of tuna (which I thought could make some mean tuna melts with my tomatoes, brie and baguette) and a jar of chili (which would be so great with a dolop of crême fraiche). I might return to supplement this grocery trip with these items.

Estimated time until grocery trip "round three": 14 - 18 days. First person to guess the date on the nose wins a crappy Eiffel Tower key-chain.

Tonight I assembled some of my groceries with some other groceries I still have from my last trip and created the most amazing dessert I've ever made at a very friendly price: under 83 centimes.

Directions to the do-it-yourself nutella banana crêpe with chocolate ice cream:

1. take out your pre-made crêpe and cover it generously in your faux nutella

2. pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds before cutting thin slices of banana onto the nutella covered surface.
3. back in the microwave for 10 seconds.
4. fold the crêpe up on itself and top with some chocolate ice cream.
Voilà -- a gorgeous crêpe for less than 1/6th of the price at a restaurant.

Tomorrow I have no class but I've got some plans to go to the 15th and sign up for the Bruges and Brussels trip. I've also got a bit of reading to do. Alicia is comming this weekend to see her friend, but I'm hoping to grab a french onion soup with her at au pied du cochon!

Total damages today:
Groceries at ED: 5,98 EUR
Groceries at Franprix: 3,03 EUR
Baguette at biatrix: 85 centimes
Hot chocolat during the coffee break at school: 40 centimes

1er cours de photo et une soirée avec quelques français

Je suis allée à Belleville dans le 20e.
J'ai pris des photos.
J'ai bien mangé.
J'ai rencontré quelques jeunes français.
Je suis très fatiguée.

Today Phillip met us at a café called, "aux folies" in Belleville. The café was lively, filled with people who Phillip called, "bobos," and looked like the kind of café that really buzzes at night. However, we were at the café at 9am because the light was better, the coffee was cheaper, and the area was bustling with more locals than tourists. After scarfing down the coissants and other sweet treats that Phillip brought for us, we took off our lens caps and headed out.

Just behind the café was a magical ally filled with graffiti, collage, mozaics and very interesting people. It was like someone had dedicated this place to artists and let them run wild. Phillip was very insistant that we take pictures of everything, he even started conversations with random people just so we could get in a get a shot.


I took some pictures with backgrounds that looked like they belonged in high fashion magazines. Every wall was another canvas -- it was just gorgeous. We then hiked our way into a huge junkyard where some homeless people lived and some artists had set up studios. We met one artist who takes pictures of people on the metro with his cell phone and then makes elaborate sculptures of them.



The junkyard itself was a piece of art, too. The walls were filled with graffiti in vibrant colors and the ground was part garden, part assemblage. Phillip took pictures of us all jumping in front of a graffiti-ed wall and I felt like we were in some sort of movie. This place was unreal.

We left the artsy section and moved on to the more yuppy side of town for a great view of all of Paris and a walk through some gardens. Philip is hilarious -- he just flat out asks people if he can take their pictures. This one woman told him that she didn't want her picture taken but happily offered up her child to our lenses.

After a fabulous trip to a quartier I probably wouldn't have visited or even known about otherwise, I headed home to scarf down a crêpe with egg, brie, salami, tomatoes and mustard vinagrette. Yum. Then it was back to the studio for my photoshop lab.

I hesitate to even post the pictures I took in class today as I improved them greatly in the "labo." I feel like an evil genius. My labo teacher retouches for fashion magazines and I really did not know I could make my photos look so much better in post. We layered colors, removed blemishes -- I even did an excersize where I removed all the cracks off of a cracking clay sclupture from a photo I took today. It's amazing how you can make an average looking photo look fantastic with just a few tricks. I will never throw away a gray-toned, bland-looking photo again. Vive la photoshop!

After Labo, I headed down to the Cité Universitaire (the student dorms in Paris) for a night of "tex mex" dinner with some parisian students. I met a good handful of people that I really liked -- they go to a university called "Charles V" that specialises in English. Many of them are studying exactly what I study but the other way around. It gave us a lot to talk about.

I have learned of a salsa club in Paris from one of the Charles V girls, and I was very excited to here that many other Parisians dance salsa. Definitely want to check it out!

Tomorrow I have a trip to a chateau and Saturday is La nuit blanche (a great big all night party all over Paris, but particularly in my neighborhood; "la nuit blanche" means "all nighter" in French). Then I have homework!

Paris is crazy, but I'm loving every second.

Photos from today will come in this Friday when I have them photoshopped to satisfaction!

Total Damages today:
0,00 EUR

Mardi gras!

Ok, it's not really fat Tuesday, but it is Tuesday and I did make some amazing food today (on the cheap, of course).

This morning I got a French wake up call from Madame R-G wanting to change our apt. time to earlier in the afternoon. I stumbled to remember my French in my sleepy haze and stumbled out of bed with just as little ease. I decided to wake myself up with a little walk down to the local ED where I picked up a six pack of eggs and some mustard to keep on stash. Now that I'm going full force with this cooking at home thing, I figured I should have some of the "basics."

I came home, got myself all cleaned up, and began to prepare lunch. I remembered the delicious crêpes salées I had at the farmer's market by the grove in LA and wanted to duplicate one of my favorites. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:
1 ready-made crêpe (you can get a pack of 12 for 90 centimes at Franprix)
2 eggs (you can get a pack of 6 at ED for 1,19 or a pack of 12 for 1,89)
1 tomato (my 2 kg bucket cost me 1,49 at ED)
some slices of brie (2,99 for the wheel at ED)
olive oil
dijon mustard

Preparation:
1. Cut up tomatoes and put in a hot frying pan with some olive oil. When cooked to desired consistency, add 2 beaten eggs and cook as if an omelet or frittata.
2. While eggs and tomatoes are cooking, spread some mustard on the crêpe. Distribute slices of cheese evenly on crêpe. Toss into the microwave for 20 seconds.
3. When eggs are done cooking, take crêpe out of the microwave and put the omelet on the crêpe. Season with salt and pepper before rolling the crêpe up on the omelet like a burrito.

Bon Appétit!


I think that crêpe didn't stand a chance. I've rarely gobbled up anything so fast. I was very satisfied -- very filling meal. It was so cheap too. Let's do the math: the whole thing cost less than 80 centimes.

Feeling pretty proud of myself, I began preparations for tonight's dinner. I wanted to marinate my chicken breast but didn't want to break out fancy (and expensive) spices in order to do so. I now present to you the "paris on a student's budget marinade."

Directions:
Turn a plastic bag inside out and rest the chicken breast on the bag. Rub dijon mustard all over the chicken generously. Ground pepper over each side. Turn the plastic bag inside out again so that the chicken is now on the inside of the baggy. Pour some balsamic vinegar on the chicken. Seal the baggy. Throw in the fridge.

After inventing my very own cheapo marinade, I headed over to pay rent for October and have my first "tutorat" with Madame R-G. Looking for a little snack for the road back, I grabbed a pack of the famous "petit ecolier" cookies for 87 centimes at franprix.

Remembering the chicken marinading in the fridge, I grabbed a 12 pack of Stella bottles, hoping that the beer would pair well with the chicken. Since the beer here is cheaper than most sodas, I didn't feel bad opting for what would be a "special occation" beverage in the US. And since Stella is a belgian beer, it was also one of the cheapest beers on the shelf -- 1/2 the price of a six pack of bud!

I took my beer home and began preparing my meal. Boy was it a feast. The cheapo marinade turned out better than I expected. The balsamic gave the chicken a sweet and glazed taste while the mustard gave it a little bite. I paired my chicken with some ratatouille that I got from a can, peas, and a stella -- I was surprised at how large of a meal it ended up being.


How to make the chicken:
Before cooking: prepare some extra marinade mixture in a separate bowl (just mix some mustard, oil, balsamic, and pepper together).
Heat up some oil in a frying pan. When you see steam, add butter. When the butter begins to bubble and turn brown, add the chicken. Sear both sides before coating generously with extra marinade. Cover with lid and cook for 6 minutes on each side or until done.


It was so delicious. Do I need to mention butter again?

The chicken cost about 1,10 per breast, the ratatouille was 89 centimes for the jar but I only used about 1/4 of it (and still couldn't finish it), the peas were 70 centimes and I used maybe 1/6 of the jar. In short, the meal cost: 1,44 EUR. If you include the stella, we're up to a massive 1,86. I'm still under the Resto U price and enjoying every minute of it.

I've also been craving Tomme ever since that salad at le parc aux cerfs. They have it at Franprix. It's only days now until I cave.

On a side note, I've been thinking of going to Bruges and Brussels on a side trip for the weekend of the 17th and 18th. This student's international club offers discounted (and I mean discounted) student trips. It will cost 100 EUR including travel, lodging, a guide for both cities, all museum entrance fees, and breakfast. I have to decide before Oct. 9th. What do you guys think?


Total Damages Today:
6 eggs: 1,19 EUR
jar of mustard: 50 centimes
cookies: 87 centimes
12 pack of stella beer: 4,98 EUR

The Perfect Saturday Night in Paris

I woke up at around 12:30 today (which is pretty early when you consider that I went to bed at 6am), cleaned up the mess of clothes I left on the floor last night, poured myself a nice glass of orange juice and informed my parents that I was alive.

When Taylor woke up at around 2:30, we decided to pick up some groceries, make lunch, and catch up with eachother's lives. After a jaunt down to Biatrix for the usual 85 centimes Baguette Parisienne, we hopped over to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for omelettes and other things we wanted to have around the apt. We stocked up on corn, peas, tomatoes, and motzzarella (which is only 90 centimes here for a large ball, I love Paris!). Our huge bags of groceries came to only 13 EUR and Taylor picked up the tab since I got the laundry detergent, draino, and the previous round of groceries. After finishing our baguette en route as usual, we came home to make a huge lunch. I was in charge of food prep and Taylor prepared the omlettes in the pan. I think we've mastered the art of cooking in a small kitchen.

We set our beautiful lunches out on the table in my room, right next to the window that looks out onto rue Michel le Comte. It was a beautiful day and the breeze trickled in through the window. I couldn't think of a more perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon after a long Friday night. We took advantage of our beautiful surroundings and ate as if we were 2 parisiennes sitting at a local brasserie or café just down the street: we took our time and ate for 2 hours.

After feeling incredibly satisfied, I decided to take the newly draino-ed shower drain for a spin and was very, VERY satisfied that my shower did not turn into a foot bath.

Taylor was getting ready to go to a concert and I desperately wanted to take a walk along the Seine, so I skyped a bit with Jay before throwing on an echarpe and taking to the streets. I grabbed Jay's camera in hopes of capturing a few good shots.


I first trotted down to the Seine and walked along the side of the street closest to the river. Even though it was almost 7:30, the sun was just starting to set and the water looked beautiful. I hiked my way down past the local artists until I happened upon the Louvre, where the crystal pyramid was sparkling in the sunset. Pure magic surrounded me as I began to hear a cello out of one corridor. As I wandered around the Louvre's courtyard, I noticed that each corridor seemed to house the music of a different musician. I heard opera singers, a clarinet, and a cello all playing different tunes from different eras but they all seemed to combine into a magical melody that could have never come out so beautiful had it been planned.

Standing in the center of this virtual orchestra of street musicians, I looked toward the fountain and noticed that I wasn't the only one feeling the magic. Two parisians on velibs shared one of the most romantic moments I have seen thus far on my trip. To be honest, I was kind of jealous of how perfectly they looked in that instant -- just two lovers on bicycles sharing a kiss in front of a gorgeous fountain as a symphony surrounds the courtyard -- their bicycle tires even matched up.

But it wasn't before long that the sun set, the lovers parted, and a man took off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and jumped feet first into the fountain. One second the city is full of romance, the next, it's full of feet. I love Paris, I thought for the 1000th time.

The sun was coming down, so I decided to head back home. As I walked home, I was greeted by the cutest little face in a window of a store: a little kitty! He was so friendly -- just came right up to the window and stuck his little face out. I played some little games with him for a little while since I felt kind of bad that the poor thing was locked up in a store all by himself all night, but then another kitty came up to him and I realized he wasn't all alone.

I continued my walk home but stopped at the rue du rambuteau to get a little snack. When I saw that I could snag a banana nutella crêpe for only 3,50 EUR, I had made up my mind. It was as fresh, oozing, and delicious as anyone could have ever hoped for. I love Paris, I thought again.

I decided to follow the sound of some music down another street where I found some street performers playing a duet on what looked like a home-made marimba. I sat down with my handful of extacy and took in more of the Parisian magic. I had music, a crêpe and the centre pompidou behind me: how can Los Angeles even compare? All I need is to get my boyfriend up here and then you'll never get me to leave!

After my mini concert and excellent dessert, I saw a Monop' (Monoprix's little convenience store) and decided to hop in for some pictures. I saw the Sirop and was enticed by the colors, so I began snapping some photos with Jay's camera until a man in a security suit came up to me and said in a very serious French voice that I was prohibited from taking photos. I apologized profusely in my best French, saying that I wasn't from here and so I didn't know the rules. I thought about it for a second and realized that I really didn't know the rules. Apparently, it's perfectly acceptable to bathe in the fountains at the Louvre and drink in public but I can't take a photo in a convenience store? Tant pis! A little slap on the wrist for being a silly tourist is probably pretty good for me and now I've learned that I shouldn't just assume I can take pictures where ever I want. At least they let me keep the shots. :)


Feeling that my big camera faux pas was probably a sign to end the night, I walked back to the apt for a glass of Cola Light from a bottle that I bought at ED a few days ago. I look out my window and see the parisians out to play but feel totally satisfied having gone to my own concert at the Louvre, having tasted my parisian delicacy, and having gotten in trouble the Monop' police. Who could ask for anything more?

See my photo albums for more photos of today:

Fickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42113654@N07/
Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/aspettami/Paris#
and http://picasaweb.google.com/aspettami/ParisOnAStudentSBudget#

Total Damage today:
Baguette: ,85 EUR
Crepe: 3,50 EUR

Bonjour, Paris!

Any country who's airline forgoes the overdone soft drinks and dry roasted peanuts combo in favor of complimentary champagne and petite baguettes is clearly getting an A in my book. But it didn't just stop after landing; the magic continued long after I made my way through customs, out the baggage claim and onto the RER.

On the RER I was surprised to find that every able bodied Frenchman was willing to help me lug my heavy bags up onto the train and point me in the right direction upon my arrival. Where did this myth about the French being snide and unhelpful come from anyway? Clearly not Paris, where I was informed in a very heavy French accent that "helping people looks cool, very chic," by one man who helped me carry a bag up a flight of stairs at a Metro station that was clearly not wheelchair accessible.

But don't go thinking that these RERs are only full of kind Frenchmen. As if it wasn't enough to take in the Parisian countryside on my way into the heart of the city, Paris decided to treat me with some local entertainment. That's right -- a woman got on the train and literally sang an aria out loud. God I love this place.

After grabbing my key, loading a monthly Metro pass onto my card, and sighing in exhaustion, I finally made it up to my apartment in the 3rd arrondissement. The apartment surprised me in that it has a lot more character than I expected for a building that basically acts as dorm residence for students most of the year. The was have this strange texture that vaguely reminds me of finger-painting -- only it's all a solid white. The curtains to my street-view window are held back by tiny fleur de lys shaped hooks and my room's furniture seems to be an advertisement for France itself (I have one red couch, one blue couch, and white walls, you get the picture). Additionally, dark wood is left exposed on both walls and ceilings in a way that is much more charming than I could possibly describe. And the hard wood floors make it a room any dancer in their right mind would envy.

After rearranging the place so that I could position my desk as close to the window as I could get it, I met my roommate, Taylor. We talked about little things we wanted to improve for the apt. and how both of us packed way too much stuff as per usual. Since Taylor had to catch her professors later tonight for a night tour of Paris, we decided to catch dinner at a local eatery to celebrate our arrival.


We quickly found a place that was serving happy hour specials (which in Paris seems to start at 5 and go till 10 at most places) and grabbed a 3 course prix fixe meal a piece. I chose a pina colada followed by the French onion soup (which has to have been the best French onion soup I've ever had in my life, but no surprises there), a chicken served with herbs from provence and roasted potatoes, and a crepe with nutella for dessert. I don't think I finished anything besides the pina colada even though I desperately wanted to keep eating. I think I would have been fine with just the French onion soup, but this was a celebration dinner, so I'm glad we sprung for the feast.

Two and 1/2 hours later, we managed to squeeze out of the restaurant just before Taylor had to meet her professors. As I walked the short distance back to our apartment, I felt rain on my face and as I looked up at the haussmannian architecture surrounding me, I really felt like I was walking home. My stomach full and my heart ablaze, I waded through the newly forming puddles into my room to put my feet up and thought, "this is the beginning of a beautiful romance."



Total Damage:

RER ticket: 9 EUR
Mothly Metro Pass: 56 EUR
3 course prix fixe: 15 EUR
1 HH pina colada: 5 EUR
Tip for singer on the train: 1 EUR