Bienvenue à Paris, Mom and Dad

Everyone's parents are visiting now. Seems that flights are cheap and agendas are open. I'm a big fan of having visitors, taking them around and planning tourist activities-- although I tend to avoid really touristy things like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre (shudder). They're on their own for those. I like feeling like I know Paris well and feeling like I have restaurants, walks or cafes worth showing them. You always rediscover your own city when you show visitors around.

I've had a spate of visitors lately. A friend from London came a few weeks ago and we had the best restaurant experience ever with friendly waiters who thought we were amazing. How atypical is that? We also took a freezing cold boat ride along the Seine at night so she could See the Lights of Paris. They were beautiful, as always, but by the end, we could no longer feel our feet. Will not be repeating that one with visitors until at least the month of May. I also have beloved friends from the Netherlands coming later tonight and one of them is staying all week.

I always think meeting parents is especially fun. I like spotting the family resemblance and catching a glimpse of who your friends grew up with and how it might have influenced them. As an only child, I am generally a fan of parents, since my family definition was really that: parents, with cats and cousins, as well, and no brothers or sisters. I think parents enjoy visiting their adult children, too, seeing the lives we've chosen for ourselves and generally marveling at the grown up-edness of their former 6-year old.

My big windfall of good fortune yesterday was meeting a coworker's mom who was lovely and even brought us back some English munchies from Marks and Spencer's on the Champs Elysées! What a shock to discover that she was French! I never knew this colleague was half-French, I thought he just had a fabulous French accent because he was brilliant. Needless to say, he's now my new go-to guy for weird cultural questions since he understands both perspectives.

Other parental units coming to town include my boyfriend's dad who visits a lot and will be here this week which is nice for them both and then my dad will be here the following week. My papa and I are planning on going to Strasbourg, tasting champagne in Reims and having lunch with my coworkers at the Good Job and an apéro with my anglophone girlfriends. My visiting friend this weekend will also host her parents in April. Maybe it's something in the perrier that's making everyone decide to visit their kids in Paris but les enfants in the city of light aren't complaining.

Transitions

Some ups, some downs and some possible new projects-- a new blog idea and a possible move.

I feel like everything will stay the same next year (same jobs, same friends, same country) but everything will also be different. In a good way.

Finger on the Pulse of French Teenagers...

Me, during a listening exercise to prepare my students for a crisis management meeting roleplay where they have to decide how to save their company's reputation when it's accused of causing food poisoning: "Come on, kids, I assure you, your classes today won't get any better than this! We're discussing severed fingers found in fast food!"

This comment was met with the usual student look which is a blank stare.

Bien Joué

Me: So, in French, isn't the expression "bien joué" always sarcastic?
French coworker: Of course not! What kind of French people do you hang out with?!