Kris and Jo go to Paris

The fields of Champagne

This is the last one, I promise. My friend and I came across this cemetary the other day whiledriving around Champagne; there were about 1000 grave markers in this small field--if you look closely, you will note that each cross is actuallydoubled, thus marking the graves of two young men.

It is impossible to make a serious study of French and not learn about the massive losses that France suffered in WWI.  The devastation of the first world war was a significant reason that French troops capitulated to Germany so quickly in 1940.  In fact, it is probably safe to say that its legacy is also one reason that France would not support the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

WWI was the first "moderized" war.  Yet despite the threat of barbed wire and machine guns that could discharge 600 rounds per minute, French (and British) soldiers were still employing the old school tactic of trench-digging.  In fact in 1917, the muddy, bloody and hopeless situation of trench warfare inspired massive mutinies.  In an effort to end the insubordinace, there were several instances where French Officers, lined up their own soldiers and randomly shot some of the mutaneers.

France lost 1.4 million men in the war.  Furthermore, the 500 000+ men who were left with disfiguring wounds (les mutilés), lived out the rest of their lives as a daily reminder to generations of their countrymen, of this horrible war.  The demographic effects of such a loss were felt for at least 40 years...

Here a kitty there a kitty

Paris has some serious cemeteries. Last summer, for example, you might recall that I visited my good friends Chopin and Molière at cimetière Père Lachaise.  This picture was taken at cimetière de Montmartre near  Le Moulin Rouge. 

This place is much smaller than Père lachaise, it lacks the remains of a notorious rock musician (though maybe not for long, as I hear Jim Morrison’s lease is not going to be renewed. eew), and it is overrun with cats!

In fact, the stench of cat pee is truly pervasive in this out of the way, necropolis.

For those of you unfamiliar with this particular eau de vie, count yourself lucky. Because let me tell ya, if these people weren't dead when they were brought here, I know what put the final nail in their coffin...

The Poor Man's Loire

Just on the outskirts of eastern Paris, at the end of the metro line 1, there is a castle--le Chateau de Vincennes. It’s right there, nestled among traffic lights, grocery stores, and cafes--a walled fortress of sorts, complete with drawbridge, mote and cathedral. AND, just outside the far end of the castle grounds is a huge "forest", the Blois de Vincennes--a great place for a picnic.

Now the Chateau de Vincennes is certainly not the most elegant castle in France; not even close.

What's that you say?  "But that castle is BEAUTIFUL!"  ?

Yes, it is.  But that castle is Chenonceau (in the Loire). It  is actually, arguably, the most elegant castle in France.  If you want to see  a picture of Chateau de Vincennes, you'll have to read below the fold. 

Come on, you know you want to...

Bouche de Metro

This an entrances or "bouche",  for the Palais Royal/Musee de Louvre metro stop.  I imagine that it's one of the newest entrances in the city. It's kinda cool, I guess.  But I look at it and all I see is bird cages and chicken feet. The sculpture certainly stands in contrast with the elegant lines of the original art nouveau portals. Maybe I will go to the Porte Dauphine tomorrow and take a  picture of one of two such remaining "mouths".

Speaking of mouths, I wish that guy's butt was not taking up a third of the picture.

Airing my laundry

When I first moved to Paris, I thought not having a dryer would kill me.  I hated the thought of putting on crispy blue jeans and cardboard t-shirts.  In the end, it took no time at all to become habituated to crunchy clothing.  I even kinda like the fact that I no longer have to do floor squats before I can zip up my pants.  Furthermore, the fact that my jeans no longer shrink in the dryer, gives me a wonderfully false feeling of weight loss.  Look honey! I can eat all the chocolate I want and my Levis are still baggy in the butt!

Chez moi

I haven’t posted in a while. I told myself I was just too busy writing my thesis to stop and update my blog every day, but actually, I just couldn’t bring myself to write anything.  This is a journal about my adventure in Paris, and my adventure will soon be coming to and end.

I haven’t wanted to admit to myself that I will be heading back to the United States, because the thought of leaving France simply breaks my heart.

Two Wheelies Garden

Check out this group of tourists we came across the other day in the Tuileries Garden.  Would you have the self confidence to ride a Segway around Paris?

I am totally convinced that the group leader was a Seattle native, or maybe San Francisco; either way, he's representin' for the West Coast. 

Of course, I am judging him solely on his hair and pants.  If you're curious, click the link blow to see another view of this group and their fearless leader, dude.

Another afternoon at the Palais Royal

Rebecca and I had such a nice time at the Palais Royal recently, that Kris suggested we return for another stroll.

Don't adjust the color on your monitors, the water in the fountain really was that green.  And if you look closely, just in front of the little girls hands, you will see water tracks; as she had just pulled her little paws out of the pool.

Her mother was NOT pulling her out of the water, but rather holding onto her so that she could "safely" dip her digits with the ducks. eeeeww...

No more CPE

You may have heard about the recent student strikes in Paris as well as the general striking throughout France; looks like all the demonstrating was a "success", depending on your perspective.  I took this picture on Friday.  Just days before, this wall near the Rue St Andres des Arts, had merely read : No CPE. 

Now it reads: less cops, more caresses.  The bottom line is a play on words meaning: the government lies, all in one word ( "mentir" means to lie, and is conjugated in the 3rd person singular as: "ment").

Anyway, it seems that Jacques Chirac has announced that the CPE will be repealed.  I guess students will be returning to school and France will need find other ways to fight unemployment.

The same day I took this picture, Kris and I were out on the Boulevard St Germain, where we saw plenty of protesters and lots of police...

I say tomato, you say tomahto

As a foreigner with a student Visa, I have the right to work 20 hours a week in France.  In reality, I work  about 4 hours a week as an English teacher, at a local technical college. I have close to 40 students, only one of which is a woman (Hi Florence!).

While France is full of philosophers, scientists, and literary types, until recently, she has lacked a solid IT backbone. And so, my students are coming to her high tech rescue. The students at EPITECH log over 60 hours a week of programming time, each week, for five years. They get very little vacation, (none of them are in the streets protesting the CPE) and they all must be highly proficient in English to earn their certificate.

In fact, most of my students speak better English than I do French. Which is why, during one of my first classes last fall, my student gave me a blank stare and refused my instruction to "repeat after me" as I tried to help him with his pronunciation of analogy: his "a"s could have been better, and he was emphasizing the wrong syllable. 

So, like any good teacher, I broke the word down into two parts, each with two syllables, and told him to repeat after me:

Anything to keep from Cooking

Yesterday, I faced one of my worst fears.  I was trying to de-pit an avocado with an Ikea steak knife, (not one of my better ideas) when I practically lost a finger.  Although in the past, I have cut myself deep enough to warrant stitches, my profound fear of them was enough to convince myself that they weren't necessary. 

However, this time, as I held my bleeding hand under the faucet, I knew immediately that I needed to get to the hospital.  But I had no idea where one was.  I don't even have a doctor here in Paris.  I was feeling faint and unsure of what to do next.  So I told Kris to comb his hair (it was a real mess) and get his shoes on--I figured the pharmacist around the corner could help me.

Applying pressure to my hand and encouraging Kris to "hurry up, honey. Seriously", I did my best to ignore the fact that I hadn't showered, I was wearing my frumpy "study pants" and worse yet, as it was laundry day, I was going "commando".  Thank god, I was wearing a bra.  If I hadn't been, I might have bled to death trying to put one on. 

Even the Fat tastes better in Paris

Kris hates the coffee in Paris.  Except for the fact that  it sometimes tastes a bit like an ash tray, I think it is just fine; it is certainly no worse than Starbucks.  Of course, as a strong proponent of the idea that everything tastes better with fat, I always order a cafe creme.  Come to think of it, Kris believes in the power of fat as well.  But, he is also hard-headed.  So, he refuses to order the cafe creme, chosing instead to complain as he chokes down single shots of espresso.

So yesterday, when we stopped to get a coffee at a large, a-typical Parisian cafe, just behind the Louvre, I was surprised when Kris ordered a grand creme. Surprised, but certain, thanks to the addition of our little lipid friend, that he would like this cuppa joe...

A Royal Treat

As best I can tell, the Palais Royal--just across the street from the Louvre, has always been a sort of entertainment complex.  The palais is the location of the  famous Comedie Francaise--one of Paris' oldest theatres.  It was here, where Moliere showed his plays in the late 1600's.  In fact, last fall, I actually attended a Moliere play at the Comedie.  I couldn't understand much, but was quite (and dare I say, pleasantly) surprised when the main character stripped down to his birthday suit, right there on stage! Ooo la la la. It was dark in the theatre, so I can't be sure, but I think I was blushing...

Sacred steps

I don't know if anyone's reading our blog anymore--we stopped posting because we have been busy with house guests. First my mother and her husband, Ed came to visit, then our friends Rebecca and Erik cam over for a week.  So for the last two weeks, I have been busy socializing and sight-seeing.

The other day, Rebecca and I decided to go to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur --the famous white basilica on the hill.  It is not my favorite monument in Paris. The area is very touristy.  The smell of urine can be over-powering, and the men who come up to you and shove braided string bracelets on your wrist, then ask for money, is just way too invasive for my comfort.

But, many people like the view of Paris from way atop the hill.  And we were looking for something to do.

We took the metro to the Abesses stop--the deepest in Paris. Then, as  the line for the elevator was really long, we decided to climb the spiral stairs.  The stairwell turned into a nearly endless technicolor trip.  I wasn't sure if what I was seeing were actually hallucinations brought on by lack of oxygen or merely vibrant urban graffiti.  The photo seems to prove the former, but Rebecca might disagree--she really hated climbing those bad boys...

Chicks Rule or, more from the Loire...

Château Chenonceau, aka le château des dames, is remarkable for its feminine architectural history as well as the sheer beauty of its graceful lines and intricate gardens.  The castle we see today was designed in 1515, by Catherine Briçonnet.  In 1526, the chateau was "yielded" to the crown over a matter of outstanding taxes.

King Henry II later gave the castle to his favorite mistress,  Diane de Poitiers, who was 20 years his senior...

Rodin's rocks, rock

Kris and I have very different aesthetic tastes, but when it comes to art, we can agree on at least one thing: the Rodin museum kicks butt.  Tucked away in the 7th, near the gilded dome of les Invalides (read, home of Napoleon's tomb and a fascinating war museum), the museum is actually a former residence and workshop of the famous 19th century sculptor, Auguste Rodin.  Unlike many artists, Rodin knew great success during his life and is probably one of the best-known French sculptors, ever.

Dessert

I'm beginning to think that I can start a blog that consists soley of funny pictures of my father.

This is from the first night of our Loire trip, which you can read more about here.

Free ... Works Good

I'm back in Seattle. Sorry about the lack of posts. I've been suffering from a combination of jet lag and massive amounts of work. When I return to Seattle, most of my time at work is spent meeting with people I haven't seen for months. This means I have to do my "real" work late at night or early in the morning.

The picture above is actually from the last time I was staying with Stew in the summer of 2005. The microwave was gone a few hours later, but the next day appeared on the sidewalk in front of another house with the same "works good" note attached. The "free" sign was different.

Today, as I was out running errands, I came along this (pictured below) on the very same street corner. (My camera was accidentally set to black and white mode when I took this. Sorry about that.)

Chartres

We left for the Loire last week armed with  several Michelin Maps, a "Driving around the Loire" guide book, and copies of our car and hotel reservations.  Unfortunately, we left home without our long-johns and ear muffs.  We had rented a car, we thought, from Thrifty, which we were to pick up, we thought, from Orly airport (18 km from the center of Paris).  So, we took the train to Orly and made our way out to the car rental area, only to find that Thrifty was not there--and that we needed to catch the Holiday Inn shuttle to the Holiday Inn parking lot, the home of ADA car rentals, a local (read small) Thrifty partner.

Looong story short, we stood shivering in the freezing rain for an hour, waiting for the hotel shuttle that arrives "every 20 minutes". 

On our way to Amboise, we decided to stop at Chartres to see its famous cathedral.  The massive church was built between 1194 and 1220--which means somebody was haulin' some serious stone.  It is known for its two incongruous spires (one from the 12th century, the other from the 17th), as well as its impressively extensive collection of stained glass windows, some of which date from the 13th century. I am not big on churches per se.  Saint Chapelle, in Paris, for example, does nothing for me.  But I had heard Chartres was amazing and thought it would be silly to drive by it without stopping.

I will say this for it: Chartres is very...big.  OK, it is impressive in a very medieval-stone-cathedral-high-on-a-hill-sort-of-way. Mostly however, it was without a significant heat source.

In search of castles

This is a picture of the smallest house in Paris--the teeny little building in the middle.  We are headed to the Loire for a few days and when we return, we will update the blog with images of homes on a much grander scale.

See you in a few days

We're heading to the Loire to look at the chateaus. We may be able to continue updating from the road, but it looks unlikely.

We'll be back to our regular posting schedule on Friday. However, on Saturday I head back to Seattle, so things may get wonky again.

The Umbrellas of Luxembourg

A lot of today was spent in the rain, which had me thinking a lot about umbrellas. However, before I start on my umbrella rant, let me tell you where we went.

We started at the Musée Rodin, which is one of my favorite museums in this city. Unfortunately, the garden is closed ("for security reasons", whatever that means), but on Sundays it's only €5, which even without the garden is still a great deal.

After that, we went to the Musée national Picasso Paris. Mom and Dad went straight in thanks to their museum passes, but Jo and I had to wait in the rain for 20 minutes to get tickets. (This is where I took the picture above.) Still, it's a pretty nice museum, though probably not worth €7.50 (that's €7,50 for you Europeans) and 20 minutes in the rain.

We then grabbed a very early (at least by Parisian standards) dinner at an Asian Traiteur and then walked around Jardin du Luxembourg in the rain. There's a really cool photography exhibit currently on display along the northeast wall (outside the park).

On the way home we walked past Place Saint-Sulpice and took a few pictures, but didn't go into the church.

Click on "continue" if you want to read my umbrella rant. (It's a short rant.)

Out and About

Mom, Dad, Jo, and I wandered around the city today. After meeting outside the Musée d'Orsay we walked through the Jardin des Tuileries and took some photos. Above is Dad taking my picture. Below the fold is the view from the other camera.

Two strikes and you're out...

Le Christine
1 Rue Christine, Paris 75006
Metro: Odéon, St Michel, Pont Neuf 
Prix Fixe: 25-35 euros
Reservations: a very good idea
Tel: 01 40 51 71 64

Located in the 6th arrondissement and nestled between rue St Augustine and the rue Dauphine, Le Christine is a smaller, less expensive alternative to the legendary dining giants Relais Louis XIII and Jacques Cagna, located just around the corner.  The décor is a romantic and minimal meeting of ancient Paris and contemporary chic. The seating, especially in the front room, is tight. The two or three course menu is a nouveau take on classic French favorites like: foie gras with Muscat jelly and (raw) coquille St Jacques. The Kir Royale is the signature aperitif at Christine—the tables are set with tulip-like champagne flutes into which the waiters pour a generous amount Moët Chandon and crème de cassis.

Hail Mary

I know you can't tell from the picture, but we had a hailstorm today. (How exactly do you take a picture of hail?) I'm pretty sure Jo was in class when it happened, but my parents may have been outside, and they didn't take their rain gear when they left this morning. Of course, I don't think rain gear would have been much help anyway.

You gonna drink that?

Raoul and Donna are back in Geneva. This picture was taken on the last day of their visit, at a cafe near Luxembourg Gardens. In the 5 days they were here, Donna and Raoul met more Parisians than I have in 5 months (my official tally is 2). The locals loved Raoul and declared him: "magnifique", "beau", "mignon". Oh la la, why don't they say that about me?  Maybe it's because I lack the cool green collar.

All in all, we had a great visit. John is still off waging war against the Bird Flu. Donna, meanwhile, is preparing for a vist from her Chicago/Seattle friend.  As for us, we are getting the place ready for the arrival of Kris's parents--tomorrow! I really don't know when I am going to get my thesis written.

Off with his hair!

This is the view Jo got after returning from teaching English one morning. I really need a haircut, but it's hard for me to schedule one myself, because I don't speak French. In the past Jo has gotten me haircuts from Nicolas at a salon down the street. I forget the name, but it's something like "Marie Antoinette", which when you think about it, is probably the worst name you could think of for some place that's supposed to cut your hair. "Place your head in this contraption, and your hair worries will be over before you can say 'French Revolution'."

Needless to say (at least if you've seen the picture), I desperately need a haircut. Jo has promised to schedule something for this week.

An Infinite Good

“To the memory of the students from this school who were deported between 1942 and 1944 because they were born Jewish, innocent victims of Nazi barbarity with the complicity of the Government of Vichy.

100 children living in the 16th, were exterminated in the death camps.  Never forget them.”

26 May 2005

Many people know that France was occupied by Germans forces between June 1940 and August 1944. Initially, the country was roughly divided into a northern, “occupied” zone and a southern, “free” zone.  After dissolving the constitution of the III Republic and appointing Maréchal Pétain, a former WWI hero, as chief of state, what was left of the French “government” made its home in Vichy France. The Vichy government then entered into a collaborative relationship with the Nazis. The reason for this partnership was twofold: it was an effort to keep the peace and an attempt to secure a prominent position in the forthcoming new world order that would undoubtedly be lead by Germany.

What many people don’t know, many Americans at least, is that Vichy Government policies were fascist, xenophobic, and anti-Semitic. Worse yet, these polices were not merely the result of Nazi mandates.  To understand how France could be in league with Germany, one must consider the socio-political events which had marked the twenty years of peace between the two World Wars.

The Cost of Living in Paris

Chocolat Chaud at the Café de la Paix: 7 euros

You sexy thing...

So begins my search for the “ultimate cup of hot chocolate in Paris”. 

Although most people consider Angelina’s the best cuppa cocoa around, and trust me, it’s pretty darn good, in an effort to be as objective as possible, I thought I would start my quest in my own neighborhood at Cocoa et Chocolat and then work my way around to the other arrondissements.  As Angelina’s is on the other side of the Seine, it would have to wait.  Although, come to think of it, since I live in the 6th and Angelina’s is in the 1st, it perhaps would have been more objective to start there.  Oh well, I’ll be sure to note it in the experimental error section of my final report. 

Who are you?

UPDATED: Click the "continue" link for some updates.

We're approaching our second week of daily posts, and as best as I can tell, we've attracted (or re-attracted) some regular readers. We'd like to know who you are, how you found the site, how you read the site, and what you do and don't like about the site. More details and an example are below the fold.

French Women do Get Fat and I know Why...

My friend Jessica has written a provocative post about « truthiness » in which she brings up an issue that coincidentally, has intrigued me since my arrival in Paris. Contrary to Mireille Guilian’s  hardcover bestseller, French women do get fat and French children it seems, are getting fat at “alarming” rates.

Blue Jesus

(Sorry about the blurry picture, my camera doesn't have image stabilization and I couldn't really use a flash on this picture.)

This was one of the surprises from Surprise Saturday that I never got around to adding to the blog. Before we went to dinner, Jo had noticed that the lights were out at Notre Dame (we can see it from our apartment). After dinner we decided to take a walk and encountered a festival going on that involved fire juggling, a huge interactive art exhibit, and projecting a giant blue Jesus onto Notre Dame.

Louis the pug

Since I've been posting pictures of some other pugs recently, I thought I should post a picture of our pug, Louis. (It's pronounced Louie, like if he were French.)

While we're in Paris, Louis is staying with my parents in West Virgina. If we end up staying another year, Louis will come over in the fall. Despite his name, Louis is not a very French dog, but I'm sure he would appreciate the opportunity to visit his buddy in Raoul in Geneva.

You can find more pictures below the fold.

Weekend update

I'll provide more detail later (yeah right!), but I just wanted to quickly say that we had a fantastic weekend in Geneva with Donna, John, and Raoul. John and Donna are a fun couple and I look forward to spending more time with them. Of course, Raoul is a great dog. Here's a picture to prove it in case you don't believe me.

In addition to Stew and Jon, Donna has created a flickr site, so you can go there for more pictures of Raoul, including some shots of when he came to visit Jo in Paris.

In other news, we found a down-step voltage converter, so I was able to set up the XBox and it looks like it's working, though I haven't had any time to play anything.

Like I said before, I'll post more later (including my first ever picture of a toilet!), but right now I have to get to bed.

Quick update

I know I have some catching up to do, but this is just a quick update.

Today we're leaving for Geneva to visit Donna, John, and Raoul. They came to visit Jo in Paris before I got here, so now we're going to visit them in Geneva.

A couple other interesting happenings:

First, we had Korean barbecue the other night and it was delicious. I don't know the name of the restaurant, but it's just down the street.

Also, last night we went to La Rotisserie d'enface, a restaurant right across the street from Christine's. It was full of Americans, and we were seated next to a table with a couple of loud ones. Jo and I try and keep our voices low in public (it's the French thing to do), so we were talking quietly to ourselves when the couple from the table on the other side of us leaned over and asked, "So where in Canada are you from?"

I'll try and post some pictures from this weekend, but that's what I said about last weekend and I have yet to do it.

Preparing for guests

Peter and Lee arrive today!

We're straightening up the apartment to get ready for their arrival. Fortunately, the apartment is tiny, so it's not  taking very long, and I'm busy writing this post, so Jo is doing all the work. ;-)

We have to head out to buy an inflatable mattress today. It's something we've been meaning to pick up since I got here, but our hand has finally been forced.

If you want to visit, we are (or soon will be) readily able to handle overnight guests, but I October is nearly full and November is filling up. I think we'll be heading to Geneva some weekend this month to visit friends, but I don't know the details. Jo handles the social calendar for us, I just go where I'm told.

Alright, I need to get back to helping. I'll try and take some pictures this weekend and post them.

1 of 2

I found the tripod, but not the Leatherman. Now that I think about it, I may have left it a Stew's rather than try and deal with getting it to France. However, I may have also accidentally left it in the box and put it in the recycling bin.

It's not a great loss or anything. I can easily pick up another in the future, and it wasn't a gift or anything, so there's no sentimental value.

Settling in, technology-wise

Well, the last package finally made it. Here's what it went through.

Date/Time

Activity

Location

Details

Sep 28, 2005

9:59 AM

Delivered

PARIS FR

Payment received

8:25 AM

On FedEx vehicle for delivery

AUBERVILLIERS FR

7:38 AM

At local FedEx facility

AUBERVILLIERS FR

Sep 27, 2005

10:23 PM

Departed FedEx location

PARIS FR

8:27 PM

Arrived at FedEx location

PARIS FR

4:11 PM

Int'l shipment release

PARIS FR

3:07 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 26, 2005

4:10 PM

Clearance delay

PARIS FR

6:56 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 25, 2005

3:40 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 24, 2005

3:39 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 23, 2005

4:04 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

3:45 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 22, 2005

3:35 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 21, 2005

3:38 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 20, 2005

2:56 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

12:15 AM

Clearance delay

PARIS FR

Sep 19, 2005

9:41 PM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Package held for duties and/or taxes

9:41 PM

Clearance delay

PARIS FR

7:19 PM

Arrived at FedEx location

PARIS FR

7:19 PM

In transit

PARIS FR

Package available for clearance

Sep 17, 2005

3:44 PM

In transit

MEMPHIS, TN

10:54 AM

Arrived at FedEx location

MEMPHIS, TN

Sep 16, 2005

9:16 PM

At local FedEx facility

SEATTLE, WA

4:27 PM

Left origin

SEATTLE, WA

3:18 PM

Picked up

SEATTLE, WA

The "payment received" is the €80 we had to pay in duties. I have no idea why we had to pay duties on this box of random crap and not the monitor or the other box of random crap.

Everything is now set up computer wise. It is really nice having a real keyboard and a full-sized mouse to work with instead of the cramped notebook keyboard and travel mouse.

Unfortunately, I fried the power supply on my "real" mouse (a Logitech MX700, very nice) by not paying attention to the voltage rating on the plug. It made a couple popping noises and started smelling like burnt electronics. In the end, it was a good thing because it made me check the power rating on the XBox and Gamecube, neither of which is rated for 220 volts. Now I need a "300 watt step down voltage converter", which I can't find locally, but seem to be plentiful (and cheap) in the states. The Gamecube only requires about 50 watts, but the XBox needs more than 200. No console gaming for me for a while, unless you count the GBA SP. Maybe I'll finally finish Advance Wars 2. Last week I reached 100% complete and got all the unlockables on WarioWare.

To fix the mouse I need to order a new power cord for it. Logitech may have a 220 volt version available that I can order, I'll have to look into it. The rest of the mouse is fine; it all works, but I can no longer charge the batteries. For now I'm using a cheap Microsoft optical mouse. It's cordless and works well, but but doesn't have all the buttons I like. It's also not a very good mouse for gaming, but I can't really play any twitch-style games on my anemic laptop anyway. ("Mediocre in every way" is my laptop's motto.) I'll have to resist the temptation to just get the MX1000 or the G7 which are available locally, and use lasers, but are also expensive and not really a justifiable expenditure at this time.

While I'm working on a wish list, I think I'll add this keyboard to my Christmas list (though I'm sure I'll have forgotten about it come Christmas), even though I don't think I can really handle it. I'm a competent touch typist, but I can't say I have every key memorized, especially the punctuation keys. However, as someone who makes his living typing all day, I do really know the value of an excellent keyboard and I'm very picky about what I use. In fact, I had the company I work for purchase a specific keyboard for me because the ones they normally give out are miserable. (Actually, they make me miserable. I don't know how the keyboards feel about themselves.)

Since we're on the topic of keyboards and mice, I'd like to say that except for gaming, I really hate using a mouse, and I hate applications (and web pages - damn you Flash!) that force me to use the mouse. With a little practice, operations you normally use the mouse for become 100 times faster using keyboard shortcuts. That said, for PC gaming, a really nice mouse is essential. However, like I said before, my teetering-on-the-edge-of-craptacular laptop can't really play any recent games of interest, so all I need right now is a competent mouse. I do have a ginormous catalog of really fun, older games locked in storage 9000 miles away, but my plan was to catch up on my growing catalog of console games while I was over here. Unfortunately, that's not happening without a step down voltage converter.

Okay, I've gotten way off my original topic, and I need to start work soon, so I'll get back on track. To round out the technology side of things, Jo and I went down to the local fnac Tech store (It's pronounced "fnac" and not "F.N.A.C." and it's written in lower case. I guess it's actually a word and not an acronym. Crazy French!) and bought a cheap printer / scanner /copier device. We ended up with an HP PSC 1410 simply because it was the cheapest one they had that wasn't a Lexmark. (I don't like Lexmark for a couple reasons. First, I don't think they make quality products, and second, they file dumb lawsuits.) I'm not a huge fan of HP either, especially after experiencing the testament to mediocrity that is the nc6000, even though every printer I've ever bought has been from HP. I think the next printer I purchase where the motivating factor is quality and features and not price will be a Canon, but I don't think we'll need a new printer for several years, so who knows.

Finally, the last piece to the workstation set up, the office chair and keyboard tray, are getting delivered by Ikea some time in the next 15 days. Which, if it's anything like the DSL modem, means it will show up this coming Wednesday. Jo had an email discussion with the Ikea folks who wanted to ship the furniture via the post office rather than a delivery company. Turns out it's cheaper and faster, and they'll deliver it to our door, so we said okay, but it looks like Ikea has become confused and is responding with conflicting emails and unclear phone calls about the delivery method, cost, and time frame, so who knows when we'll get it. I am curious as to why the delivery company exists at all, except that maybe you can't mail everything you buy at Ikea, like a couch, for example.

One last bit and then I'm done, I swear. I'm still missing a couple items that I'm pretty sure I brought over or shipped, namely my Leatherman Juice S2 and my mini tripod. I think I must have tucked them into some corner of my luggage that I forgot to unpack. I'll have to look through my bags again.

Finally (this time I really swear!) some pictures. (One of the barely redeeming features of my laptop is that it has a built-in SD card slot, which is nice because it means my phone, my camera, Jo's camera, and my laptop all share the same memory card format so we can readily exchange media between them. If only Jo's laptop had a built in SD card reader, we would have a complete set.)

Here is an updated picture of the workspace. You can see the printer, keyboard, and other assorted equipment. I've also switched out the "dining room" chair for a much more comfortable lounge chair. What I really need, however, is an office chair. You can also see the printer box that I need to figure out what to do with.

Here is a detail of the rats nest of power cables I have going. I hope to clean this up somewhat today. After all, at some point I need to be able to fit a 300 watt step down voltage converter in here.

That's it for now! (See, I told you.) Coming soon: Adventures in coffee making, Blog points update, and (if I find my tripod) I am a giant.

The monitor has arrived

Well it finally made it, along with a package from Stew (fifty points for Stew!). Still no keyboard or XBox yet. I called FedEx and they said I had to pay about €80 in duties and they had left a message for the recipient in France to that effect. I explained that I was the recipient and I was in fact in France and I had not recieved any such message. So I got the phone number for FedEx in France and Jo is going to give them a call tomorrow. She thinks we can fight the duties, but with what I've heard about French beauracracies, I have my doubts.

We have the computer set up in the armoir, so it is hidden away when I'm not working. As you can see, I clearly need a keyboard. I have one, but it's stuck in customs. Also, we'll be ordering an office chair from Ikea to replace the one in the picture.

Customs update

We got a call from FedEx today, the monitor is coming on Monday, but it looks like the XBox is still stuck.

On a different note, updating the blog through the work proxy is really, really slow. I need to find another solution. Typepad supports posting via email and they have a posting API, so maybe I can find other ways to do this.

Strange customs

This is the FedEx tracking information for my monitor. I thought it would get delivered today because it was released yesterday, but there was another exception then another release, followed by yet another exception and another release. Maybe I'll get it on Monday.

Date/Time

Activity

Location

Details

Sep 23, 2005

11:02 AM

Int'l shipment release

PARIS FR

4:04 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

3:50 AM

Int'l shipment release

PARIS FR

3:46 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 22, 2005

5:09 PM

Int'l shipment release

PARIS FR

3:35 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

Sep 21, 2005

3:38 AM

Shipment exception

PARIS FR

Regulatory agency clearance delay

2:02 AM

Clearance delay

PARIS FR

1:56 AM

Arrived at FedEx location

PARIS FR

Sep 20, 2005

8:07 PM

In transit

PARIS FR

Package available for clearance

6:14 PM

Arrived at FedEx location

PARIS FR

Sep 19, 2005

7:38 PM

At local FedEx facility

PARIS FR

Sep 18, 2005

5:43 PM

Departed FedEx location

MEMPHIS, TN

Sep 17, 2005

3:48 PM

In transit

MEMPHIS, TN

10:54 AM

Arrived at FedEx location

MEMPHIS, TN

Sep 16, 2005

9:15 PM

At local FedEx facility

SEATTLE, WA

4:27 PM

Left origin

SEATTLE, WA

3:18 PM

Picked up

SEATTLE, WA

How to contact us

There are several ways to reach us while we're in Paris. This post outlines your options.

0. Post to the  blog
Remember that you can get blog points for posting comments to the blog. It's a great way to send a message to us and all our friends.

1. Email
We'll both be checking our email pretty regularly, now that we no longer have to go to the "boy basement" to do so. I'm at krismarkel at gmail dot com and Jo's at jomarkel at gmail dot com. (You'll have to break the "anti-spambot secret code" in order to figure out our real addresses. Trust me, it's not hard unless you're a spambot. Also, don't take Jo's email address as a sign that she's planning on changing her name. She keeps threatening to, but has yet to actually go through with it.)

2. Snail mail
You can send us cards or care packages a the address below. USPS works fine for letters and packages, but it's slow. (It took two weeks to get a package here from Boston.) UPS and FedEx are faster, but a lot more expensive. If you use FedEx, check both the overnight and economy rates; sometimes the overnight is cheaper even though it's faster. It all has to do with what space is available on which planes.

You'll get 5 blog points for a post card, 10 for a letter, and 20 for a care package. This puts Rebecca way in the lead for blog points, but I'm too tired to work the math tonight.

Johanna TROBOUGH
5 rue du Pont de Lodi
75006 PARIS
FRANCE

75006 is the postal code if you need to specify one. You should address the package to Johanna since her name is the one on the concierge's list.

4. Skype
Skype is a really cool and totally free VOIP program that let's you talk to people over the Internet. The sound quality is amazing; it sounds like you're in the same room. Everyone I know who has used it really likes it. You can download the software from http://skype.com. I'd recommend the beta version, but any version will work. You'll also want to get a headset (headphones and a microphone) for your computer. Once you get the software and headset installed, just add "krismarkel" and "jomarkel" to your contacts. You'll be able to see when we're on-line and leave us voice-mail when we're not.

Three blog points to anyone who contacts us via Skype. I think Frank is the only one who's done this yet.

5. Phone
We have two phone numbers. The first is the number at our Paris apartment: 33-1-46-34-75-71. To dial this from the US, dial 011 first. If you're already in Europe and don't desperately need to get in touch with us, this is a good number to use. There's no voice-mail or answering machine yet, so you'll have to call when we're at home. The second number is for those in the US: 206 965 8134. This number will reach me (not necessarily Jo) in France or the US, so long as I have a computer and an Internet connection. You can leave a voice-mail and I should get it within a day, if I don't pick it up directly. (This number is courtesy of Skype In, one of Skype's pay services.) Just remember that there's a time difference when you call. Paris is +1 GMT, while the East Coast is -5 and the West Coast is -7. So our time will be 6 to 9 hours after your time depending on where you are.

Two blog points for anyone who calls us, but you can only get a maximum of two points a day this way, so it does pay to call us more than daily. Also, we we're not here to get your call, you're out of luck. No points for missed calls.

6. Visit
Compared to what I was expecting, our apartment is huge. We can easily accommodate anyone willing to sleep on the couch and once we get an inflatable mattress, we can accommodate more. We could probably even fit two mattresses in our living room if we need to. From our apartment you can walk to Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Orsay. Notre Dame is actually really, really close. The Eiffel Tower is a bit of a hike, but very close using the Metro. We've already had two sets of visitors and have a couple more lined up for October.

You can earn 50 blog points for every visit. Only two visits and you earn the opportunity to post to the blog!

I made it

Well, I'm in Paris. I've actually been here since Sunday, but continuing problems with the Internet connection have prevented posting.

First, there was no Internet connection. I was able to leech off of an unsecured wi-fi network, but I didn't want to do this more more than a few minutes a day. Plus it was really, really slow.

Yesterday the ADSL modem arrived and I managed to get the Ethernet connection working (following the directions in French!), so I was finally able to do some real work. However, the modem is seriously locked down, to the point where only once computer can connect to it at a time. When Jo got home from class, we worked together to get the wi-fi running, but still only one computer could connect at once. There were lots of references in the manual to tell you how to enable "advanced" mode on the modem to allow multiple connections, but there was nothing to tell you the user name and password for the modem's admin pages. And, even with one computer connected, we could get to most sites, but not certain ones, including the ISP's support site (http://neuf.fr). After a few hours of experimentation and searching through Google, I was able to log onto the modem and get both computers connected.

That was all yesterday. When we tried it again this morning, everything was working, but certain sites were still unavailable, including http://neuf.fr, http://nordstrom.com, and http://eclaircie.typepad.com. (I could still RAS into work.) I installed the Google Web Accelerator, which does a lot of cool stuff, but mostly it allows us to use Google's proxy servers, so we can now get to all the sites. Except for secure (https) sites, which means I still couldn't post to the blog.

Finally, after connecting to work and using their proxy, I can get to the blog update pages. Unfortunately, it is really slow (everything is going through a poky proxy server 6000 miles away), and Johanna can't use this solution. We'll try calling the ISP's support line tomorrow.

Also, the two of the packages I sent got hung up in customs. One has made it through and should be delivered tomorrow. Hopefully the last one will make it through tomorrow. (We sent a fax today that FedEx had requested.)

That's all for now. I'll post pictures and more interesting stuff later.

Stew's news

Stew has added a blog to his site, which has been blank for a while. (I'll have to update the sidebar text on this site.)

We've already gotten several referrals to this site from his. Welcome friends of Stew!

I haven't had much time to post because I'm not only getting ready to leave for Paris in a few weeks, but I'm getting ready to leave for Long Island (NY) and Boston today. I'm not sure about Long Island, but I should be able to post from Boston. That is, if I can find time in my schedule between all the eating and XBox playing.

Found a cafe

I found an Internet cafe for Jo right near our apartment: Cyber Cube.

She plans to check it out later today (as I type this, it's Saturday in Paris) to catch up on email and set up Internet access at the apartment.

Paris Address

In order to find an Internet cafe, it helps to know where you are. Here is our address in Paris.

Johanna TROBOUGH
Kris MARKEL
05, rue Pont de Lodi
75006 PARIS
FRANCE

MSN can map it, but I can't find other sites that can handle a address in France. Still trying to locate an Internet cafe.

Mental feebleness

I've been reading Culture Shock France: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette by Sally Adamson Taylor in preparation for moving over there. This is actually my second time through the book, and I think it's looking pretty grim.

The following is listed under "dont's", "Don't walk down the street smiling at everything. People will assume you are mentally feeble and possible [sic] dangerous."

This is going to be difficult for me. Just yesterday, I was walking between offices, when I started imagining what the plot for a movie called "Verby the Love Predicate" would look like. I have to admit that I was laughing at my own jokes. Today, I was humming (very softly), "I'm so vain, I probably think this song is about me." That then evolved into "I'm so vain, I probably think this dance is about me," followed by a crazy dance. (I wasn't actually dancing, just trying to imagine what the "vanity dance" would look like. The answer: It would look like a giant dork trying to dance.)

Maybe I am mentally feeble.

Our phone number in Paris

While our