The Ugly Truth

My apartment is still dirty, even after I have been cleaning since Friday. It's making me itch.

My Dirty Kitchen

I can't eat my baguette and strawberry jelly while looking at anything in here. EVERYTHING is DIRTY!! It makes my hair itch.

Am I supposed to put the dishes on this shelf (Yuck!)

The carpets are stained all over and even in the bathroom. There's brown "stuff" behind the kitchen faucets and the tile is missing in the kitchen area making it even more yuckie...Even the silver TV and remote are dirty...I'm disgusted and itching all over...

Stained Wall-to-Wall Carpet?! in Paris... (Yucky!)

Stained Bathroom Rug...(Ick)!
Is that brown rust or what? (Icky, Yuck, Yuck!!)

Yucky-Yuck! Don't look here while eating...

Don't touch the T.V. or the Remote either...(Ick!)

The walls are painted a dirty yellow, or are they just dirty too...is this wallpaper? It makes me itch! I need my Best Friend McD (the order will not be "To Go.")...or maybe I need B. I'm sure he would tell me that a family of 4 in Afghanistan would love to live in this apartment in Paris.

Yellow walls or Wallpaper?

Well, that's the ugly truth about my Motel 6 Apartment Room...My mom says she is confident that I can fix this place up. Adrian (My wonderful boss here in Paris...more about her later http://www.adrianleeds.com/) says don't spend alot of money on my first apartment, becuase it's only temporary.

I think I'll manage somewhere between Mom's advice and Adrian's advice. I'll fix this place up while spending a little bit of money on it...(How to Live in Paris on 1,000euro/month also coming in my blog later...)

I'll get new pillows and a comforter for the bed, did I mention that the pillows smell like dirty hair? Who's hair...is the question. I'll buy a little curtain or sheet to hang over the kitchen (after I clean it...again) and I'll cover up those missing tiles, I'll clean and recaulk around the kitchen sink, clean the TV and I'll buy a new bathroom rug along with a small matching rug to go over the stained living room carpet. I will take them all with me to my next "FABULOUS" apartment with parquet floors! Now I wonder, which should I buy first, the comforter or the rugs? They must coordinate...I'll figure it out next week.

I'll have to live with the walls and just look outside at the nice view and the wonderful sunshine, which almost makes up for the ickyness of it all. Sun shining in your windows in Paris is a rare find! The sunshine makes me happy!

I did buy two shiny new coffee mugs today (1.90 euro each...keep following for how to live in Paris on 1,000 euro/month) to enjoy my morning coffee. They make me smile because after all, this is my dream to be in Paris!

Brand New Coffee Mugs...waiting for tomorrow Morning's Coffee...

I'm going to go wash my hair now...becuase my apartment still makes me itch! Have a great weekend!

My First Sunday Morning in Paris

I am almost recovered from Jetlag, so I woke up at around 8:00 AM this morning and opened the windows of my Apartment (Motel 6 Room). That seems to be the first or second thing people in Paris do. I'm not quite sure what the first thing really is or the order, but I know for sure opening the windows is either first or second.

So I opened the window and in came a nice cool breeze...so I took a picture of it..

A Nice Cool Morning Breeze

Then I decided to shower and go to the Sunday Market. I took a few pictures to capture the experience of "Just Living" in Paris....my motto: "Just Live..." My only comment about the market, is, why do they leave the doggone heads on the chickens? (see below). I mean really... do the French fry the chicken heads, eyes, beak and all?...something just doesn't seem right about it...

Walking Past the Garden Behind my Apartment Room at Motel 6

The Market

Then there are the meats, the doggone chickens...WHY?

I'll take that one that comes with no head or neck...Merci!

After seeing the meat market, I decided to go to the supermarket instead. I bought some cleaning supplies, Mr Clean (Mr Propre), dish detergent, hand soap, orange juice and some milk for my coffee for my Motel 6 Room called an apartment.

The Supermarket Checkout...No Interrogation! (if you remember that blog)

Have a Nice Sunday Afternoon...I smell chicken...

My Paris Assignment...

When I first met my landlady, she took me on a short tour around the neighborhood and she gave me an "assignment". She said it would be fun and asked me to find my favorite Boulangerie (Bakery) in the neighborhood. She said there were so many, but I would have fun.

So I started that assignment this morning, my 2nd day in Paris, but there are so many distractions...like OMG! It's my Best Friend...McD! He waits for me around the corner from my apartment....

Bonjour McD, I love You!

I'm looking for my favorite Boulangerie, but let me see how many Euros my Cheesburger "fix" will cost me when I become in need....

Le Menu

What?! 1.60 Euro? That would be approx. $2.25 (exchange rate is about 1.40). I will miss my Dollar menu Cheeseburger at home...but I'll mange. I am not in need right now. I am still looking for my favorite neighborhood bakery, but I am distracted again, this time by the beautiful soaps...Mmmmm, French Soap! How lovely....

French Soap

Oh and the French lingerie so beautiful...I love them!

Ah, here's a bakery...let me peek inside....

Boulangerie Around the Corner from Home

Yummy, but looks too sweet for breakfast....

As I search for the next one, there are still more distractions...

Toys for my soon to be neice, Hannah

Finally I settle on Eric Kayser Artisan Boulanger. I can't decide which pastry to have for my second morning in Paris, so I choose 5 petites.

Breakfast in my apartment, my 2nd moring in Paris...Nice!

I still have alot of "reasearch" to conduct. Since you are not here with me...here's a short video on the Paris Boulangerie. Today is a beautiful day in Paris...Enjoy!

Paris Clothes that Talk

Paris Clothes that Say "Something"

My first observation of Fashion in Paris. The girls dress so effortlessly chic looking while it looks like they aren't even going anywhere!! It’s as if their outfits are saying “Something”. For example, they are not just wearing jeans and a top. It’s more like jeans and a top with a scarf, or vest or a necklace and purse or some shoes or something “else”…that “chic-ness” they add to their outfits to say “Something”...like, “Look at me...I'm interesting huh?!?”

I gotta study it a little more to figure it out for sure...even their hair is effortlessly looking good?!?! I don't get it...

Interesting...

There was one lady walking down the street, wearing a lightweight black trench coat with the belt tied tightly around her waist, black skinny jeans and pale pastel green Converse sneakers. Her coat said, “look at my small waistline.”, I said, “So what?”, her skinny jeans said, “Look at my long thin legs.”, I said, "big deal"…then her pale green Converse sneakers said, “Ah, we see that you are still looking, but we gotta go!” as the quickly and softly moved back and forth down the sidewalk.

In Paris...Never Just Jeans and a Top

First Full Day in Paris...Zzzzzz

Today is my first full day in Paris at my new apartment. I accidently slept until 1300 (I will start using the European time format...same as Military).

The apartment needs some work...and it is not really an apartment...it's more like a room (by American standards). It's like a hotel room (Motel 6...to be precise) with a kitchen in the closet. I'm happy, because I am in Paris and this fits my budget while still paying the mortgage for an empty house in Colorado. I hope my house sells or rents soon, so that I can upgrade my living conditions before my family and friends visit me in Paris. Hopefully they can stay with me at an apartment room more like the Four Seasons...okay, maybe my sister will accept a Hilton or Marriot room...but she would NOT be happy here. I will manage for now. But listen up family, friends and guests, you read it here first...this is just the beginning for me and my life in Paris. I am NOT living in luxury....yet! Therefore, when you come to visit...you'll just have to see...

My landlady (owner) is super impressive. She's a PhD at the American University in Paris and she is just finishing up her book to be published soon on Women in the Military....is that a coincidence or what? When she found out that I was in the US Air Force, she said she would like for me possibly to give a talk in one of her classes (in English)...is that another coincidence (or "co-inky-dink" as my younger sis would say)? One of my other favorite things to do...Public Speaking....no joke! We'll see what happens...I know I have a story to tell somewhere in my military past!

Attention! A Red Stack of Luggage

Before I left Colorado, I wanted all matching luggage so I would not draw attention to myself from security appearing as if I were picking up mis-matched luggage of 3 different passengers. So I purchased 7 pieces of bright red matching luggage.

At baggage claim in Paris, I piled up 5 bright red pieces of luggage with matching pink ribbons tied on each of the handles (thanks mom for the pink ribbon...although I'm not a little girl) and I topped off the stack with my black backpack...also with a pink ribbon tied around the handle. I was the last person to get my last lonely red piece of luggage off the carrousel. I stopped by the restroom first and that must be when all the other passengers had time to grab their bags and go.

So there I was, the last passenger getting my luggage...And as soon as I have them all perfectly stacked I start to walk towards the EXIT sign...(I can read Exit, because it's in English). Running towards me are the French Airport Security, a French man and a French lady in uniform...are they really running towards me? I wonder....looks like it, then I wonder no more since they are on both sides of me holding on to my cart and my perfectly stacked red luggage as if protecting it from falling off the cart, but I know they are not going to fall off, so what could security possibly want with me? The man is holding a ticket and the lady says "Red, Please wait", she said it in French and I understood...then she looked past me to the empty carrousel. I wondered for a minute if I had forgotten a piece, so I looked back too.

The male guard said something in French with the ticket in his hand and I just looked dumb and looked at the girl. The girl said, "Ah" as she pointed out and touched all the pink ribbons on my luggage showing the male security guard they matched. He just said "Okay".

The strange thing is that he had a baggage claim ticket with my name on it; he showed it to me and asked me if I was Florence. I was confused wondering how did he get my ticket? but finally I said yes. He said okay...and they both said have a nice day as they motioned towards the Exit.

I wonder if the way Air Canada processed my extra baggage in Vegas with no fee had something to do with security looking for that one bag? And I wonder if one girl having enough luggage for a family of 4 drew attention to myself?

I didn't have to wonder long as I rolled my cart around the corner to the middle exit door, the next security guard on the left exit door called me over from across the crowd. "Madam!, Madam!", he shouted! (Why don't they call me by the word I prefer, "Mademoiselle"...like they did 10 years ago? ) I could not ignore that it was me he was standing up yelling and motioning for....so I rolled my 5 foot high red stack of luggage with matching pink ribbons through the crowd and over to his door. He asked me something in French as he circled his finger around the top of my luggage cart and looked past me as if he were looking for my husband, children and my mother to be accompanying me...I just smiled, because I was tired and gave him my "I'm-dumb American-don't-understand-look"...it must be a universal look, because he immediately spoke broken English and asked, "Madam, who you travel with?" I shook my head, No. Then he asked: "How long you stay?" oh no!...uh oh! what I fear has come upon me...I laughed and thought, Hey, I could be Kimora Lee Simons...do you know she travels with more than 27 pieces of luggage for a SHORT trip...some girls need lots of clothes.., I just said, "Uh, I will be traveling around..." (true statement). Then I asked him, "Where is the taxi, please?" He asked, "Where you go?" I showed him my rental confirmation with the apartment address....(no dates). He looked at it and said "okay...go!". I asked again, "Where is the taxi please?" He said, "Exit to the Right."

Ahh...finally out of Customs and Airport Security...on my way to my first apartment (no roommates...In Paris)

Leaving Las Vegas

Leaving Las Vegas....so far so good. I had 2 pieces of excess luggage and 1 was overweight, but the nice lady at the checkout counter only charged me for 1 excess baggage. That was still $250 BUCKS (International Excess Baggage Fee)!! She was kind enough to save me from paying an additional $250 for the other bag and another $100 for the 57 lb (7lbs overweight bag)....that's $350 to keep in my Paris budget!

I showed her my military ID card (advice from mom...thanks mom) and told her I was going to be gone for a year and this was the best packing I could do, 4 pieces of luggage and 2 carry ons. I gave her my most sad, I'm sorry look and waited for her reply. She said she needed to ask her manager, because the bags had to be processed in the computer and she could not waive the fees...the manager looked at me and my sad look, (I wanted to cry, when I thought about how many crossiants and baguettes this would cost me) he smiled, typed some stuff in the computer and voila...she handed me a baggage claim ticket and told me to have a nice flight!! Whew!

Leaving Las Vegas on Air Canada...Where "Nice People" Work

After the 4 hr flight to Toronto Canada, I waited 2 hours for my connection to Paris. While waiting, I saw the LARGEST passenger airliner in the world! The Airbus 380-800. This one was owned by the Emirates airline. The jet costs over $300 million, holds over 660 passengers, and this one is configured with private showers in the first class suites. The cost of a one-way ticket first class is $10,000. (and I almost cried over $350 excess baggage fees...ha!) There are only 4 airports in the world this big baby can land, and Toronto is one of them.

The Airbus 380-800 Largest in the World at Toronto

Guess What? It's made in France. You can watch more about the A380 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Dka1B1KVk&NR=1

The A380 up close...One BIG Airliner!

Looking at the Emirates Airline, I wondered what is an Emirate? I had only heard of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dubai...where my ex-fiance lives. Well, I found out that there are 7 Emirates in the UAE and Dubai is the largest and most popular.

An Emirate is a political territory ruled by a dynastic Muslim Monarch styled emir (which is a commander, a general or a prince)...interesting, no wonder they own the big ol' jets!

After 2 hours in Canada, I finally boarded my flight to Paris. When I entered the plane, I thought we had a lounge area...the Emirates has showers, why not? wrong...it was First Class. In case you haven't flown in a while, I took a quick photo of Air Canada's First Class seating...then I kept walking to the back, to my seat. Quel dommage...(what a pity).

First Class Seating on my flight - Air Canada

And finally I arrive to begin living my dream....

Aeroports de Paris...Paris Welcomes Me!

I've ARRIVED after about 15 hours of total travel time...

My Plane at Charles DeGaulle Airport, Paris...Bye-Bye...Thank you Air Canada for getting me to my Paris Dream...and saving me $350 in excess baggage fees!

Here are my flight details all in Las Vegas time, becuase I did not change my watch: I left at 11:00AM, Weds (on time), got to Toronto, Canada 3:00PM, Left Toronto 6:00 PM and arrived in Paris 2:00AM, Thurs...whew. Loooong day!

But in case you're wondering, I arrived in Paris 10:00AM Paris Time on Thursday.

Now, I wonder what's next....