This week has proven to be a little more exciting than last week. On Monday I was in a cuisine practical when an admission’s person came to take me out of class. She told me that I was not enrolled in the next cycle, the last cycle to my nine month course. She told me that I never applied and that there was hardly any room left. I told her that I did apply for the spot, last year when I Fed-ex my application to them. I was in the middle of cooking and needed to get back to my stove. She told me to go see the admissions people after class. I finished cooking in a not so good mood.
So I went after class to talk to one of the women in the admissions office. She is the woman I have been dealing with since the beginning of all this nonsense of applying. She was the one who accepted me into the program and sent my letter of acceptance with the dates through the end of superior. She told me that I could get a seat in the patisserie course but not in the cuisine course. I would be on the waiting list. GREAT. Just great! If I could not get off the waiting list for the cuisine course I would have to stay here another three months to get my diploma. OR, I could try to transfer to the London school (the only school they will transfer my funds too). What I did not understand was why I was not already accepted into the superior courses. They have known I was coming for both intermediate and superior in cuisine and patisserie. The reason behind this mayhem: I did not send in another application with the fee for superior level. When applying to different schools or transferring, you have to apply for each level (I think that is just for Paris), sending in the application and application fee for each level, however if you are starting with basic through superior you just have to apply once. I was never told this, upon applying. I was pissed!
I got the woman to check with the London school if there are any openings. The next day I went back to check…the London school was full. So I asked her to put me on the waiting list, just in case. I was not going to know anything from the Paris school until Friday. This was only Tuesday. I had a lot of waiting to do. The waiting turned to thinking and the more I thought about it, the more I came to think that I would be better off in London, where they spoke English. Maybe then I would learn something.
LCB Paris is a wonderful school, but just like any school it has its pros and cons. One of the major cons is the language thing. Even though there is a translator you can’t communicate with the chef in the practical. This is because there isn’t a translator in the practical, only in the demos. Another thing they forgot to mention. I figured if I am going to go to culinary school I might as well try to learn something and make it worth my while. In superior I will be able to get by (if I have to stay), by watching the chefs in demo, but I will not be learning anything. I am not the only one who feels this way. Plenty of other students feel the same way I do; they learn nothing in class, even with the translator. The chefs never explain why they are doing something this way, or why add this to that sauce. They just do it. And it is so frustrating.
I love Paris, but it is not worth my time or money if I am not going to learn anything. The name of LCB will look fantastic on my resume, but what good will it do if I can’t hack it in the kitchen? The name of Le Cordon Bleu will help me get my foot in the door, but I would make a fool of myself and the school if I cannot perform when I get there. Perhaps I am just trying to justify my reasons for leaving, but I think they are solid reasons. I just have to pray I get into London….PLEASE GET ME OFF THE WAITING LIST AND INTO LONDON!!!! Think good thoughts!
What have I learned you might ask? Well…..this week I learned how to debone a whole chicken, by myself. When the chef did it in the demo, I could not see anything. He was too far away and was not really explaining how he did it. He just began cutting telling us he was deboning the chicken. So when we got into the practical everyone was just kind of cutting blind. The chefs do not really stay in the kitchen to help out. They come and go, more going than staying. Students help one other, but it’s hard to do that when no one could see anything and when no one knows what they are doing.
I have worked a lot with chicken, well cockerel, and fish. I have tasted and cooked squab, guinea fowl, lamb, lots of duck and on Thursday I got to cook and eat lobster. Cuisine in Australia was taught a little differently. There we did at least three dishes and presented them to the chef at different times. Cuisine in Paris, you cook the entrée (one of the three dishes the chef prepares in demo) and serve it to the chef at whatever time you get done. It is a slow pace here in the kitchens of Paris…not the running of the bulls for pots and pans, no eye gouging for a strainer or fights over produce. Paris is run much smoother. In my class, there is not competition, unless you make it for yourself. The atmosphere is quite, you hear the water boiling, smell the item cooking and you have time to get lost in your thoughts, kind of.
You are busy in the class, just not as busy as in Australia. I take my time. I decided to do things my way. I decided when I am in the real world; I will be on my own. I won’t have anyone looking over my shoulder, correcting my every move. I will have to fend for myself. Of course I will have to do it their way, but I also need to find my own voice within the crowd of chefs. Since the communication here is,well not there, I figured I could do it in the way I see fit. If they have a problem with it, they will just deduct points. I will still graduate and I will graduate doing it my way. Stubborn much? Yes and proud of it!
This next week I will be cooking fish, rooster and lamb. I will be playing with chocolate in patisserie, tempering chocolate. Tempering is making the chocolate pretty, in simple terms. I did this in basic for a week; They did not temper chocolate in basic. This should be interesting. Maybe I can work on coming out of the kitchen clean, not covered in chocolate for once. Doubtful, but perhaps.
Patisserie is completely different than cuisine and completely different then in Australia. Patisserie in Paris is run very quickly. There is hardly any time to think. You get in and go, running from the start. I am so concentrated on my work, I forget to smile. One of the chefs, chef Jean-Francois, always comes up to me and tells me to smile. It’s funny. Class here moves fast, gets slower in the middle and then speeds up towards the end. Patisserie class in Australia was slow paced…taking your time to enjoy making your cake or assembling your master piece. You never had to hurry. It’s all strange, very strange. If I could mix…the patisserie class from Australia and a mix of Paris’s cuisine with Australia’s cuisine, that would be ideal!
Well, I will keep ya’ll updated on the school situation. Pray that I get into London. I really want to go. Six more weeks and I am done with intermediate. Wooo-Hooo!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Saturday, January 20, 2007
What are life’s simplest pleasures? What do you get out of them? A wonderful cup of tea or coffee as a pick me up…it brings a smile on your face as soon as you hear the kettle going off or the smell of the roasted coffee beans making your delightful cup of coffee? Perhaps it is the satisfaction of completing a long task or making that deal that you have been working nights and days for the past weeks. Maybe it is as simple as a hug and a kiss from your kids or a simple “thank you” after washing their clothes…life’s little pleasures are endless and different for everyone.
One of mine is simple: people watching. I love to people watch and what is a better place to people watch then in Paris, France? You can sit in a side café, drink coffee (another life pleasure for some) and just watch the world go by. You see all sorts of people pass by, dressed interestingly, some people with their dogs that you JUST know fits their personality, or people who are just on a walk to enjoy the lovely winter day. My favorite place to people watch is in school. It has it all.
My school has a place called the Winter Garden, where students gather to talk, eat, drink, copy notes and so on before and after classes/demos. Every student spends plenty of time here, in between class, after class and before class. The Winter Garden has two vending machines for drinks, one for cold drinks such as coke, water and tea; and another machine that is filled with many coffee options, only two of the options work though. A great deal of money is put into those machines.
After purchasing a beverage of your choice, people sit down and begin talking. It is always with the same people, the same groups form. In basic, when you arrive, you are quickly thrown into groups, (A, B, C, D and so on) these groups become your family. You form clicks and that is who you will hang out with for the next nine months of your life. It makes you feel that you are in high school again, a transfer student. You know no one, you’re an alien. Since I came here late, I do not exactly fit into any of the clicks. I am what you call a loner, the same word used in high school. I sit by myself, read a book or the lesson and just watch how everyone conducts their business.
There are many groups, usually paired together from where you are from in the world. There is a group that sits and talks so fast….but it is not French, it’s Portuguese. Then at another table, or tables pushed together, there sits a rather large group of Asian kids. They all speak in their native tongue, pointing with their chopsticks and giggling. There is a table that is made of most American kids and another one for the mixed company of the combination of nationalities. I’ll pick a table and people come sit with me and then get lost in their own conversations. I don’t mind though.
I think the best person to look at is during my cuisine demos. She is of Asian decent. She has bleached her hair, to a light brown mousey color. She has painted her face with make-up badly, but she is sweet. She has a great smile. She kind of reminds me of Mrs. Haversham in Great Expectations. Well at least in the way she has done her make-up, not her personality. I think she likes men, since she wears a wedding ring. But she always makes me giggle when I see her. Sad, I know, but I don’t care.
Now, I know what you are thinking, ‘poor Laura, she doesn’t have any friends.’ Well I do. I have made friends, in my group and outside of the group. Since everyone knows everyone, I kind of stand out like a sore thumb. People come up and talk to me, asking me if I did intensive to catch up to be in intermediate with them. Then we begin talking about Australia and their program. I have the option to hang out with them and maybe soon I will. It’s just I am still not used to this schedule.
Life is still good. I have a washing machine in my apartment and I love having it. I can do my laundry every week and have clean jackets for every practical. It’s great. I have also just discovered the Itunes store on-line. So I have been trying to download movies and episodes. But this has proven much more of a challenge, since my internet is a little hard to operate. It has a mind of it’s own, but it has been cooperating for the past week! Well, I better go….hope you are all doing well, until next week.
One of mine is simple: people watching. I love to people watch and what is a better place to people watch then in Paris, France? You can sit in a side café, drink coffee (another life pleasure for some) and just watch the world go by. You see all sorts of people pass by, dressed interestingly, some people with their dogs that you JUST know fits their personality, or people who are just on a walk to enjoy the lovely winter day. My favorite place to people watch is in school. It has it all.
My school has a place called the Winter Garden, where students gather to talk, eat, drink, copy notes and so on before and after classes/demos. Every student spends plenty of time here, in between class, after class and before class. The Winter Garden has two vending machines for drinks, one for cold drinks such as coke, water and tea; and another machine that is filled with many coffee options, only two of the options work though. A great deal of money is put into those machines.
After purchasing a beverage of your choice, people sit down and begin talking. It is always with the same people, the same groups form. In basic, when you arrive, you are quickly thrown into groups, (A, B, C, D and so on) these groups become your family. You form clicks and that is who you will hang out with for the next nine months of your life. It makes you feel that you are in high school again, a transfer student. You know no one, you’re an alien. Since I came here late, I do not exactly fit into any of the clicks. I am what you call a loner, the same word used in high school. I sit by myself, read a book or the lesson and just watch how everyone conducts their business.
There are many groups, usually paired together from where you are from in the world. There is a group that sits and talks so fast….but it is not French, it’s Portuguese. Then at another table, or tables pushed together, there sits a rather large group of Asian kids. They all speak in their native tongue, pointing with their chopsticks and giggling. There is a table that is made of most American kids and another one for the mixed company of the combination of nationalities. I’ll pick a table and people come sit with me and then get lost in their own conversations. I don’t mind though.
I think the best person to look at is during my cuisine demos. She is of Asian decent. She has bleached her hair, to a light brown mousey color. She has painted her face with make-up badly, but she is sweet. She has a great smile. She kind of reminds me of Mrs. Haversham in Great Expectations. Well at least in the way she has done her make-up, not her personality. I think she likes men, since she wears a wedding ring. But she always makes me giggle when I see her. Sad, I know, but I don’t care.
Now, I know what you are thinking, ‘poor Laura, she doesn’t have any friends.’ Well I do. I have made friends, in my group and outside of the group. Since everyone knows everyone, I kind of stand out like a sore thumb. People come up and talk to me, asking me if I did intensive to catch up to be in intermediate with them. Then we begin talking about Australia and their program. I have the option to hang out with them and maybe soon I will. It’s just I am still not used to this schedule.
Life is still good. I have a washing machine in my apartment and I love having it. I can do my laundry every week and have clean jackets for every practical. It’s great. I have also just discovered the Itunes store on-line. So I have been trying to download movies and episodes. But this has proven much more of a challenge, since my internet is a little hard to operate. It has a mind of it’s own, but it has been cooperating for the past week! Well, I better go….hope you are all doing well, until next week.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Well it is the end of another week. It’s had its ups and downs. Waking up by 7 has proven to be difficult. On Friday, I was so tired, I could not get up. I finally got out of the bed by 8 and got myself together and out the door. I had to take a taxi to school. I got there in less than 5 minutes, perfect. The past two classes, we have only had three in all, we have had in patisserie we have made things I have not liked, so I don’t get to bring them home with me. I give them to other people. Hopefully soon we will be making something I like to eat. The patisserie course only meets 20 times in the span of 10 weeks, not the 30 times we meet in Australia.
I am saddened but happy to report that I will be coming home earlier than expected. It is a double edge sword. Instead of coming home in October, I will be coming home sometime in June, the later part. School ends June 1st. I think my mom and Mac are going to come over for my graduation and then we are going to do all the tourist things you are supposed to do in Paris. It’s gonna be great.
My life here is almost the same like it was in Australia. I wake up, get dressed, walk to school, do the school thing, walk back home, eat dinner, and go to sleep. Then repeat the process Monday through Friday, and one more Saturday this week. Since there are a few friends here I will hopefully make myself get out of my apartment and venture out into this wonderful city.
In school I have yet to really learn anything that I cannot pick up in a cook book or just ask someone. I did cook Guinea fowl for the first time a few days ago...it wasn't very good. It needed more taste or more seasoning. We worked with fish yesterday, boy am I getting good at handing fish, deboning it, taking the guts out and poking the eyes out. It's gross, but kind of cool at the same time. Thank you uncle Randall for showing me about fish, it really is helping me.
The one thing I have found to be the same in each school are the chefs and their communication. Perhaps it is unfair for me to say this, with the language barrier, but chefs cannot communicate very well, with each other or with us. For instance, yesterday we made a Jamaica cake. It is layers of sponge cake with two different types of mousse, coconut and mango-passion fruit, surrounded with a layer of sponge. Then topped off with neutral glaze and fruits. The layer of sponge around the cake was supposed to be cut 2/3rds of the way of the cake tin...the sponge cake was not supposed to come to the top of the tin in other words. This was what we were taught in demo, BUT during the practical the chef told me to bring the sponge cake all the way up to the top of the tin. IT WAS WRONG. The worst part of it all, I knew it was wrong. When grading came around, I know he took off for the cake, but he said the glaze was done perfectly.
The lesson of this story is: from now on, I will be doing what I think I should be doing. If I get counted off for that, then so be it. In the real world I will not have a chef to look over my every step, I will have to use my common sense, or of what I have, to do what I think is correct. Why not try it while in culinary school, when I have a chef(s) to look over me and critique me. I rather try to do it my way anyways....I know, I am stubborn, but that's just who I am. I like doing things my way. After all, don't we all!?!
I am sorry to say there isn't really anything to report on. My life is pretty much the same routine over and over each day. School and home, with the occasional stop off at the market to get a few items for dinner. The markets here are unbelievable! There is this one, about half way from my home and school. They sell fresh produce of fruits and vegetables. The produce looks amazing. I brought some apples yesterday, I have yet to try them, but I know they will be so delicious. I'll let you know in the next entry. Until then, a bientot
I am saddened but happy to report that I will be coming home earlier than expected. It is a double edge sword. Instead of coming home in October, I will be coming home sometime in June, the later part. School ends June 1st. I think my mom and Mac are going to come over for my graduation and then we are going to do all the tourist things you are supposed to do in Paris. It’s gonna be great.
My life here is almost the same like it was in Australia. I wake up, get dressed, walk to school, do the school thing, walk back home, eat dinner, and go to sleep. Then repeat the process Monday through Friday, and one more Saturday this week. Since there are a few friends here I will hopefully make myself get out of my apartment and venture out into this wonderful city.
In school I have yet to really learn anything that I cannot pick up in a cook book or just ask someone. I did cook Guinea fowl for the first time a few days ago...it wasn't very good. It needed more taste or more seasoning. We worked with fish yesterday, boy am I getting good at handing fish, deboning it, taking the guts out and poking the eyes out. It's gross, but kind of cool at the same time. Thank you uncle Randall for showing me about fish, it really is helping me.
The one thing I have found to be the same in each school are the chefs and their communication. Perhaps it is unfair for me to say this, with the language barrier, but chefs cannot communicate very well, with each other or with us. For instance, yesterday we made a Jamaica cake. It is layers of sponge cake with two different types of mousse, coconut and mango-passion fruit, surrounded with a layer of sponge. Then topped off with neutral glaze and fruits. The layer of sponge around the cake was supposed to be cut 2/3rds of the way of the cake tin...the sponge cake was not supposed to come to the top of the tin in other words. This was what we were taught in demo, BUT during the practical the chef told me to bring the sponge cake all the way up to the top of the tin. IT WAS WRONG. The worst part of it all, I knew it was wrong. When grading came around, I know he took off for the cake, but he said the glaze was done perfectly.
The lesson of this story is: from now on, I will be doing what I think I should be doing. If I get counted off for that, then so be it. In the real world I will not have a chef to look over my every step, I will have to use my common sense, or of what I have, to do what I think is correct. Why not try it while in culinary school, when I have a chef(s) to look over me and critique me. I rather try to do it my way anyways....I know, I am stubborn, but that's just who I am. I like doing things my way. After all, don't we all!?!
I am sorry to say there isn't really anything to report on. My life is pretty much the same routine over and over each day. School and home, with the occasional stop off at the market to get a few items for dinner. The markets here are unbelievable! There is this one, about half way from my home and school. They sell fresh produce of fruits and vegetables. The produce looks amazing. I brought some apples yesterday, I have yet to try them, but I know they will be so delicious. I'll let you know in the next entry. Until then, a bientot
Monday, January 08, 2007
I apologize for such a long absence of writing. Getting back into the swing of things has proven harder than anticipated. The layout of this course is quite different than
I have yet to experience the metro, because I walk to school everyday, a little under 2.5 miles there and back. It takes me about 30 minutes to walk to school - depending on how much I am awake and if it is raining. The walk is beautiful. I pass through a little town with markets and lots of people; it is all hustle and bustle, at certain times. It's great. I think the best part is going to school so early in the morning. For classes at 8:30, I am out of my apartment by 7:30...I have to extra time to change and get ready, we are allowed into the kitchens by 8:15 and you gotta get a good spot. But walking so early in the morning to class you can smell
The first class in each course was a little nerve racking. I was so nervous the night before. Some chefs refuse to speak English at all, even though they can a little. Others are a little nicer and try. I've meet a few people, who are extremely nice, and they help me out. Actually one woman, Kelly, is from
I've talked to a few people who know people who have done the externships. They say it is worth it, but only if you get a small restaurant, well of course. That way in a small restaurant you are not stuck doing the dishes all night! However, the chefs have no tolerance for English, only in French. I am not sure if I will be doing an externship here in
OH, I have forgotten to mention the kitchens. The kitchens are wonderful here. In any kitchen you walk into, there is a long marble table in the center. This is our work bench. Underneath are refrigerators and other various storage spaces for things. Around the work bench are electrical stoves, storage for pots and pans, spices, oil, sinks and convection ovens. It is beautiful. I think of Julia Child and I imagine her where I stand. I can picture her here, working. It is so cool. There are little white windows that look on the street and other homes, it is such an experience.
Well, I think that is all for now. If ya'll have any questions or want to know something, let me know. I'll try to answer it. Au Revoir
PS. Blogger.com has moved my blog from blogger to google. I don't know if this has affected anyone. If it has, I hope you were able to find the blog again with ease. The website said nothing would change. If it is to change, it is for the better. I hope that's true.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Bonsoir or bonjour,
For me it is 8:30 at night on 4 January 2007. I got home an hour ago from my first day at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. IT WAS AMAZING! It was everything LCB should be. Take for instance the structure, the building, it was PERFECT. It is a few stories tall, old looking and just perfect. It is definately better than Australia. I walked to school this morning at 8:50, to get to school by 9:30. It was a light drizzle of rain, then pouring, then nothing by the time I got to the school. I looked amazing! You enter the building going up a couple of steps and you are greeted by the admissions director and other various office people. Each speak French, English or another language. It is so cool. We got booklets, tags and were led to our rooms. I went into one of the demo rooms to be briefed on the internal rules and such. It was very informative and actually helpful.
Then we were led into the Winter Room, where it was so cold, and we got our uniform/equipment, lockers and locks, filled out office information and got a tour of the school. By this time it was past 12:30, almost one...I was late for my first class, cuisine, through no fault of my own. I changed quickly and one of the office ladies showed me to my class.
The demo rooms are just like school rooms...the teacher stands at the front writing on the chalk board or in my case cooks and the students look on and write everything down. There are flat screens angled throughout the room to show what the chef is doing and a huge three panel mirror that shadows the chef's every move. It is so much nicer than in Australia. There there were tv monitors that we could never see and the chef had to change them everytime he moved...in the beginning of school, the main tv busted. I was thirty minutes late to the class, so I missed some stuff. Hopefully I can figure that out later. The class went on with the chef speaking french and a translator telling us what he says in english! YEAH for me. At the end of class we are given portioned pieces of food that the chef has made - roasted chicken stuffed with butter and herbs, cherry tomatoes with goat cheese and sauted vegetables and oeufs a la neige with creme anglaise and blueberry sauce. It was fantastic. Then we were free to leave.
However, I did not have much time, I had another demo class at 3:30 for patisserie. This class was just as big, if not bigger and held in the orientation room. The aspects as in cuisine. At the end of the demo we were allowed to sample the almond cake, scottish cake and this other cake made of puff pastry, fro,age blqnc and apricots. It was all fantastic.
By this time it was past 6, I went to change out of my clothes and begin my walk home. I stopped off to buy bread and cheese (my dinner - a fabulous sandwich, really) and I got home by 8, I think. I was so tired. I took a long hot shower, made my kick ass sandwich dinner, popped in a dvd and went to sleep. I have to wake up early for tomorrow`s class at 8:30.
LCB Paris really is great. It is the first school and it shows. However, I did like having demo in patisserie to only those in the group. Also, I have to get to demo earlier to get a good seat. In Australia I sat in front to see everything. Here, I sat in the back...boo. I`ll work on that.
I will have to buy a few more things here. Here they give you three chef jackets and a scale, plus so much more. The people are nicer and more helpful, a huge bonus. I think I am going to like it here! However walking in the rain today will not be great for me.
For me it is 8:30 at night on 4 January 2007. I got home an hour ago from my first day at Le Cordon Bleu Paris. IT WAS AMAZING! It was everything LCB should be. Take for instance the structure, the building, it was PERFECT. It is a few stories tall, old looking and just perfect. It is definately better than Australia. I walked to school this morning at 8:50, to get to school by 9:30. It was a light drizzle of rain, then pouring, then nothing by the time I got to the school. I looked amazing! You enter the building going up a couple of steps and you are greeted by the admissions director and other various office people. Each speak French, English or another language. It is so cool. We got booklets, tags and were led to our rooms. I went into one of the demo rooms to be briefed on the internal rules and such. It was very informative and actually helpful.
Then we were led into the Winter Room, where it was so cold, and we got our uniform/equipment, lockers and locks, filled out office information and got a tour of the school. By this time it was past 12:30, almost one...I was late for my first class, cuisine, through no fault of my own. I changed quickly and one of the office ladies showed me to my class.
The demo rooms are just like school rooms...the teacher stands at the front writing on the chalk board or in my case cooks and the students look on and write everything down. There are flat screens angled throughout the room to show what the chef is doing and a huge three panel mirror that shadows the chef's every move. It is so much nicer than in Australia. There there were tv monitors that we could never see and the chef had to change them everytime he moved...in the beginning of school, the main tv busted. I was thirty minutes late to the class, so I missed some stuff. Hopefully I can figure that out later. The class went on with the chef speaking french and a translator telling us what he says in english! YEAH for me. At the end of class we are given portioned pieces of food that the chef has made - roasted chicken stuffed with butter and herbs, cherry tomatoes with goat cheese and sauted vegetables and oeufs a la neige with creme anglaise and blueberry sauce. It was fantastic. Then we were free to leave.
However, I did not have much time, I had another demo class at 3:30 for patisserie. This class was just as big, if not bigger and held in the orientation room. The aspects as in cuisine. At the end of the demo we were allowed to sample the almond cake, scottish cake and this other cake made of puff pastry, fro,age blqnc and apricots. It was all fantastic.
By this time it was past 6, I went to change out of my clothes and begin my walk home. I stopped off to buy bread and cheese (my dinner - a fabulous sandwich, really) and I got home by 8, I think. I was so tired. I took a long hot shower, made my kick ass sandwich dinner, popped in a dvd and went to sleep. I have to wake up early for tomorrow`s class at 8:30.
LCB Paris really is great. It is the first school and it shows. However, I did like having demo in patisserie to only those in the group. Also, I have to get to demo earlier to get a good seat. In Australia I sat in front to see everything. Here, I sat in the back...boo. I`ll work on that.
I will have to buy a few more things here. Here they give you three chef jackets and a scale, plus so much more. The people are nicer and more helpful, a huge bonus. I think I am going to like it here! However walking in the rain today will not be great for me.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Well...who wants to laugh...at my expense? Thought so.
So I had trouble sleeping last night. I tossed and turned and for the life of my could not fall asleep. The one time you need your chemistry or old English tape to help you nod off, it isn't there! Well...finally around 11am I was able to drift off into slumber land. At 12:30pm, my land lord calls - I need to go pay rent. So I get dressed, still half asleep and walk out the door, with coat, purse and scarf. OOPS! The key is still in the lock INSIDE my apartment. For safety measures I keep one the keys in the lock in my apartment to automatically lock the door when I come in. The other key is on my key chain, so I remember not to lock myself out without a key. Good going Laura! Smart move. So, now actually realizing what I did and coming out of my sleepy stage, I get down on my knees and try with my Swiss Army knife to push the key out of the key hole. You can imagine to my surprise, it did not work. I swallowed hard, part pride and part stupidity and went to hail a taxi to take me to my land lord's.
The land lord was not that helpful. It took me forever to find the damn place...through doors and locks and codes I was never given. Of all the cotton pickin nerve! I paid my rent and they called a lock smith to meet me at my apartment in an hour. Good. Well, again, being the smart one, I did not take the metro. I took a taxi to the Lourve Museum and walked the next couple of miles to my apartment along the beautiful Seine river. The water brings me peace and settles my mind - I think it is the rhythm of the waves crashing into one another. I was feeling better about myself and looking at my watching, running late to meet the lock smith. So I hailed another cab and drove the less then a mile to my apartment to meet the man. He had me in my apartment in no time flat. Amazing what a few pieces of paper (special I am sure and WD 40 will do for you).
So now....many euros short, a little smarter (we hope)and the lock smiths calling card, I am still tired. Today has been so eventful. See what happens when you try to be productive...you lock yourself out of your own place! Oh well, tomorrow will be better....I begin culinary school, again, hopefully the correct way!
I hope you all got a chuckle from my little escapade. I'm sure I will later.
So I had trouble sleeping last night. I tossed and turned and for the life of my could not fall asleep. The one time you need your chemistry or old English tape to help you nod off, it isn't there! Well...finally around 11am I was able to drift off into slumber land. At 12:30pm, my land lord calls - I need to go pay rent. So I get dressed, still half asleep and walk out the door, with coat, purse and scarf. OOPS! The key is still in the lock INSIDE my apartment. For safety measures I keep one the keys in the lock in my apartment to automatically lock the door when I come in. The other key is on my key chain, so I remember not to lock myself out without a key. Good going Laura! Smart move. So, now actually realizing what I did and coming out of my sleepy stage, I get down on my knees and try with my Swiss Army knife to push the key out of the key hole. You can imagine to my surprise, it did not work. I swallowed hard, part pride and part stupidity and went to hail a taxi to take me to my land lord's.
The land lord was not that helpful. It took me forever to find the damn place...through doors and locks and codes I was never given. Of all the cotton pickin nerve! I paid my rent and they called a lock smith to meet me at my apartment in an hour. Good. Well, again, being the smart one, I did not take the metro. I took a taxi to the Lourve Museum and walked the next couple of miles to my apartment along the beautiful Seine river. The water brings me peace and settles my mind - I think it is the rhythm of the waves crashing into one another. I was feeling better about myself and looking at my watching, running late to meet the lock smith. So I hailed another cab and drove the less then a mile to my apartment to meet the man. He had me in my apartment in no time flat. Amazing what a few pieces of paper (special I am sure and WD 40 will do for you).
So now....many euros short, a little smarter (we hope)and the lock smiths calling card, I am still tired. Today has been so eventful. See what happens when you try to be productive...you lock yourself out of your own place! Oh well, tomorrow will be better....I begin culinary school, again, hopefully the correct way!
I hope you all got a chuckle from my little escapade. I'm sure I will later.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Bonjour faithful readers,
Well another journey begins. I am safely in Paris, France for atleast 6 months to study at Le Cordon Bleu. It was a pain in the ass to get here, but the rewards will be worth it.
I arrived in Paris on December 29th 2006. Flying was a bit of a challenge, as always, but I got here. I finally got my luggage, after waiting for it for an hour and got into a taxi to take me to my place, 16 rue Gaston de Caillavet. It was a beautiful day to arrive in Paris, the air was crisp, the sky blue. Coming into the city, I saw the Effiel Tower and the river Seine. It was amazing to see this view. What a greeting! Here I waited for about an hour until my landlord came to let me in. He showed me aroundmy apartment which did not take long, signed some papers and then took me out to two stores where I could get the things I needed, like groceries and pots and so on. Then home to settle in.
My room... is just that, a large room. My apartment is one large room that holds my kitchen, closet, bed and lounging area. It is bigger than the room I had in Australia with nicer furniture! The bathroom is separate, which is nice. It is located to the right when you enter into the apartment. It is in it's own separate room. I have a large window that overlooks the city. There is a huge building in front of me, it blocks the Effiel Tower, but I can see the spot light of the Effiel Tower that revolves. Also, to the right of me, I can see Napoleon's Tomb, the gold just glistens. It's so wonderful. I am in Paris! I can't believe it. This really is amazing. I have to stop and soak it in.
I have not yet gone out to venture around my neighborhood, because of the nasty weather and because I can feel myself getting sick. The past couple of days the weather has turned cold and rainy. But the weather is great to just sit and get cozy in bed. I think my body finally realized that it had some time to just stop and relax. So that is what I am doing...relaxing. When school beings I will be going ninety to nothing again.
This time, I have a few more people coming to see me though. So that will be fun and something to look forward to. A friend, Brian will be coming over for a couple of weeks to eat and hang out. He is a chef and has done the program I am about to finish. He is friends with my sister. Then one of my bosses from Cafe Iz, Ken, is coming over in Feb or March, so it will be nice to see him. Of course I believe my parents will be coming over, a far less distance to travel than Australia, plus better food and more to see. I look forward to them coming.
For the next couple of days I am going to venture out, if the weather cooperates with me to find my school and get a feel for the neighborhood. There won't be anything interesting to report on, not just yet. School begins on 4th January 2007. At that time I will begin to write in the blog, until then, Happy New Year. I hope ya'll had a blast celebrating it. I drank the bubbly and watched movies. What a start the year!
Au revoir - Laura
Well another journey begins. I am safely in Paris, France for atleast 6 months to study at Le Cordon Bleu. It was a pain in the ass to get here, but the rewards will be worth it.
I arrived in Paris on December 29th 2006. Flying was a bit of a challenge, as always, but I got here. I finally got my luggage, after waiting for it for an hour and got into a taxi to take me to my place, 16 rue Gaston de Caillavet. It was a beautiful day to arrive in Paris, the air was crisp, the sky blue. Coming into the city, I saw the Effiel Tower and the river Seine. It was amazing to see this view. What a greeting! Here I waited for about an hour until my landlord came to let me in. He showed me aroundmy apartment which did not take long, signed some papers and then took me out to two stores where I could get the things I needed, like groceries and pots and so on. Then home to settle in.
My room... is just that, a large room. My apartment is one large room that holds my kitchen, closet, bed and lounging area. It is bigger than the room I had in Australia with nicer furniture! The bathroom is separate, which is nice. It is located to the right when you enter into the apartment. It is in it's own separate room. I have a large window that overlooks the city. There is a huge building in front of me, it blocks the Effiel Tower, but I can see the spot light of the Effiel Tower that revolves. Also, to the right of me, I can see Napoleon's Tomb, the gold just glistens. It's so wonderful. I am in Paris! I can't believe it. This really is amazing. I have to stop and soak it in.
I have not yet gone out to venture around my neighborhood, because of the nasty weather and because I can feel myself getting sick. The past couple of days the weather has turned cold and rainy. But the weather is great to just sit and get cozy in bed. I think my body finally realized that it had some time to just stop and relax. So that is what I am doing...relaxing. When school beings I will be going ninety to nothing again.
This time, I have a few more people coming to see me though. So that will be fun and something to look forward to. A friend, Brian will be coming over for a couple of weeks to eat and hang out. He is a chef and has done the program I am about to finish. He is friends with my sister. Then one of my bosses from Cafe Iz, Ken, is coming over in Feb or March, so it will be nice to see him. Of course I believe my parents will be coming over, a far less distance to travel than Australia, plus better food and more to see. I look forward to them coming.
For the next couple of days I am going to venture out, if the weather cooperates with me to find my school and get a feel for the neighborhood. There won't be anything interesting to report on, not just yet. School begins on 4th January 2007. At that time I will begin to write in the blog, until then, Happy New Year. I hope ya'll had a blast celebrating it. I drank the bubbly and watched movies. What a start the year!
Au revoir - Laura
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