Flood Warning !

I am not sure how many of you have been following the recent events that are happening in France for the past month or so, but it seems to me that France or the French government is digging itself a hole and now it's literally flooding. What I mean by digging a hole is that the country has literally been on strike for the past month and it looks like they won't be stopping anytime soon. Everything you can imagine from air transportation to train/metro transportation to oil refinieries - (gas stations literally had to close last week all over France because there was no gas to sell) to protests in the streets to truck and water transport,  all due to proposed labor laws which will greatly affect most French workers. I will discuss my thoughts on these strikes in a post later this week.

Last year, I shared this picture on Facebook, look at how spring-like it looks in Jardin des Plantes.

Un jour, une photo. Aujourd'hui "Spring in Paris in Jardin des Plantes" par Mickaël Voyphong http://on.fb.me/1h5krYo .

and this is what it looks like this year, it has literally rained every day all day for a week ! 

©Mairie de Paris/JB Gurliat

©Mairie de Paris/JB Gurliat

©Mairie de Paris/JB Gurliat
there is a sign that says "crue" 1910, that is where the flood was in 1910

©Mairie de Paris/JB Gurliat
 

As you can see Paris, is literally almost under water !

And actually, I thought that the flooding was only in certain suburbs of the city but then someone told me today that the schools in the neighborhood next to mine were closed due to flodding since Wednesday.  I read today that the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay were closing doors because they needed to get their valuable pieces out of the basement before flooding destroyed them. Even certain RER trains have to close due to the flood and it's making it even more difficult to get around because the SNCF (the train company in charge of most of these trains) has decided to go on strike indefinetly due to the proposed labour law and the upcoming European Soccer Cup.

So, if your a tourist or an expat like us, you're screwed, you literally have to stay put. At my house, we've been having fun making lines with tape on the floor and doing different activities or preparing different treats for the upcoming Ramadan season.

If you are planning a trip to Paris soon, the weather forecast says to expect more rain, so, don't forget your umbrella and rain coat.

Repost : Art + Paris

This was originally posted in March 2010, and I am deciding to repost it now to show some of my earlier adventures. I will probably do a repost once a week or once every two weeks, but new posts are coming soon especially ones pertaining to my pregnancy adventure and delivery experience.

Contemporary Art shows or fairs are not only good places to see fine art  but to see what all of Paris is wearing fashion-wise. The Michael Jackson vests are really hot right now, along with those striped sailor shirts, or odd colored stripes, like matching hot pink tights with a dark blue skirt, or green tights with a khaki skirt, make for really good combinations. All of this makes me want to see more of these chic people who follow the world of contemporary art, as I do not fit into this category.

For Art+Paris, this is were people are willing to spend the big bucks, for the upcoming or well-known contemporary artists and willing to spend the $ on the latest fashion.

As for the art, at Art+Paris, none of these paintings resemble those of child's play that one can see at Beauborg or other fairs in Pairs. There are just rows and rows of fine art that just happens to bring people together. Even these eco-friendly fiats, made it to the show.

Even my hatred for contemporary art was put on the back-burner, by the realization that anything goes in the contemporary art world: from nudity to drawings, to photography, etc etc. Just as sex sells, art sells, no matter what is in the picture.
Below are some pictures from Art+Paris

this painting was like 3-d and the angles changed as you moved

To learn more about the show please check out the site: http://artparis.fr/2010/en/

Let's go fly a kite

Homemade Kite from a friend

Photo from Paris

When we were in Paris, getting American citizenship for Fatima, we saw this mannequin in the window.

I'm pretty sure the whole ensemble costs 3x my rent. I'm sure just the broach is 800 euros! Second because it just isn't my style. So, I don't think I would buy anything off this mannequin, what about you ?

Live the Language : Paris

I stumbled across this video on Pinterest, my new obsession. I hope to post other videos or images particulary in regards to French vocab soon.

The story in the video is similar to my Parisian adventure back in 2008.  Enjoy!



I did meet my husband during my study abroad experience but not how the girl meetsthe boy. The school looks familiar and it might actually be L'Institut Catholique where I studied, because it wasn't that far away from Jardin du Luxembourg.
 

Pregnancy : Paperwork

12.12.12 was a good day, it was the day I discovered I was pregnant and so my adventure began.

First, after confirming my pregnancy with a blood test, I found out that I would have to declare my pregnancy to my health insurance and the CAF. The declaration would need to be sent before my 14th week of pregnancy. Interesting fact : In France, a baby is not considered an official pregnancy until the woman is 14 weeks pregnant. Because of the risk of miscarriage and I guess the woman has 14 weeks to decide if she wants to keep her future baby (which in itself is another post - sidenote I am totally against abortion). The CAF also gives you a stipend of 900 euros at the 7 month mark just for having a baby, like an incentive.  This incentive helped us stock up on all those diapers, wipes and other baby necessities.

I sent my papers sometime in January to the RSI, my health insurance provider. Sidenote : RSI is for those who are independant workers. But they ended up losing the paperwork I sent, apparently there was a specific place I was supposed to send it and I had to end up sending it again this time to the right address. Finally I was declared and was able to receive full healthcare benefits at 6 months!

Also, I bought this book, French Mama's Pregnant in France which really helped make my pregnancy adventure easier. Because the book is in French and English and there is a quiz and vocab section at the end of each chapter, which helped to make doctor's visits and what to expect easier.

French vocab :

formulaire déclaration de la grossesse : pregnancy declaration forms.

assurance maladie : health insurance  - the most common form of insurance

CAF (caisse d'allocations familiale) : family allowance fund

enciente - pregnant

J'attends un bébé - I am expecting a baby

prise de sang - blood test

My Accomplishments

The other day, my mom asked me if I was amazed by all the stuff I have done in my life so far and if I thought I would be where I am today at 26 years old.

And thinking about this I am amazed, by all that I have accomplished so much and hope to accomplish more in the years to come.

Already at 26 :
I have a Bachelor's in Music (Summa Cum Laude ! )and a Masters in Culturel Communication and Finance (all my classes were in French)
Speak English, French, and debutant in Turkish and Islamic Arabic
Living in a foreign country (even though I always knew I would be living here), with a foreign husband (our common language is French!) and a baby
Have my own business which had a slow kick off but is starting to pick up
Housewife and stay-at-home, work-from-home mother - still working on this

Started work at 15 at a Dairy Queen
Volunteer for different structures in my area when I was younger
A musician, an artist, and a writer

Plus, many more that I can't think of at the moment because it is late and my brain is drained from a long day.
Are you amazed at the things that you have accomplished so far in your life ??

 

Little Paris Kitchen

The other day, I wrote paris and food in google trying to find some food blogs on parisian cooking. The first thing I stumbled upon was this : An English woman's take on Parisian cooking. She has her own television series, Little Paris Kitchen.

I think that I am going to try her recipes soon, and I will post the result afterwards. Or maybe I just need to create a blog series on my take on Parisian cooking without the diploma from the cordon on bleu.

Have you seen this series ? What would you like to see me cook ?
 

Picture of the Week : Pantheon

I discovered the Pantheon when my sister came to visit back in August 2010. It is a very interesting building that combines science, history, and poltics. Most politicians and scientists are buried here.

how they determined the earth is round and it also tells time

My husband is so amazed on how they constructed the pantheon

The weight of the world on our shoulders

the view from the top is amazing and it is FREE!

and so much better from Eiffel Tower

 So next time you are in Paris, check out the Pantheon, wlak up to the top and check out the view.

Picture of the Week : Rodin Museum

The Rodin Museum is a nice museum to take a stroll and see important pieces of work of Auguste Rodin like The Thinker  and  The Gates of Hell.
It is also in the"Midnight in Paris" film, you can see the trailer below and I highly recommend to see the film.

Musée Rodin - Rodin Museum

 

Picture of the Week : Paris Mosque

My husband and I go at least once a month to the paris mosque located near jardin des plantes, firstly because we are Muslim, secondly it is like stepping into paradise and thirdly for the tea time.

One thing that is good about the mosque, they have tours in English and French where they give basic information about Islam. But if you want to know more about Islam, do not hesitate to ask me.

Take a look into another world :

Picture of the Week : Louvre

The Louvre is full of art, if you didn't know already. There is literally way too much to see in one day. It can take months or years depending on how long you stand and gaze at the many different styles of art work.

Here are a few statues that caught my eye last time I was there, so gaze away.