Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Life is grey… the sun peaks out from time to time, but we mostly see grey skies. I feel like I am in the country of amazing food, and I don’t know how to make or acquire any of it. I did find a good bakery this morning and brought home a baguette that made great lunch sandwiches. Even regular staples don’t taste the same. The eggs have a unique smell and taste. There are three isles of yogurt at the grocery store. I don’t know where to begin! Peanut butter is rare. It costs about $8 for a small jar. Luckily I have gone shopping with American friends who have been a huge help in figuring it all out.
Our home needs some sprucing up. I should have asked for IKEA gift certificates for Christmas. I think we will get some curtains and we need something on the walls. Maybe a few throw rugs to help things feel homier. Some candles would be nice too. We also need a few plastic cups and maybe some that hold more than 4 oz of liquid. My new friends Hilary and Michelle stopped by and said they would take me to IKEA on Saturday!
We have learned a few good tips. The French don’t do garage sales, but once a month everyone throws out their goods and you can go dumpster diving for used but good stuff. (We might look for a new couch and dinning chairs.) Mimolete cheese tastes the most like cheddar. You need one euro to ‘use’ a shopping cart.
So we are getting acclimated. I think we will all feel better when we start sleeping through the night. Jet lag is hanging on for dear life. I am not used to the kids being awake in the middle of the night. It is almost 6AM in California and already 3PM here. Or should I say 15:00.
We still have five days till school starts… hopefully we will be ready!
