The French Diaries

Aug 8 - Touched down Paris 6AM. Cramped seat + 2 movies + turbulence = RED EYE.

Aug 9-11: Spent 3 days in Rouen. It's a very laidback town with nice and polite people (which stumps all prejudice on French rudeness). And holy macarons! The boulangerie is a sinful place to be with those sugary, irresistible pastries that can make 'diet' disappear from your vocabulary.

Aug 12: I got back to Paris last night, and had to do laundry this morning. All the buttons were in French and I had to Google Translate them one by one to figure out which one was 'wash'. My own 'lost in translation' moment.

Aug 13: I saw dead people, including Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison, at Cimetiere Pere Lachaise. Oscar Wilde's tomb was peppered by women's lipstick kisses. Romantic or not, I found it quite gross.

Aug 14 -18: If you ask me to describe Brittany in three syllables, that would be boats, stripes and crepes. I came at a perfect time and was able to join a pardon and relive my Marian procession days. Everything was almost the same, except that the Ave Maria was in French. The mass was in French, but I've been to Chinese, Cebuano and Ilocano celebrations before so I'm pretty adept at lip-syncing and appearing solemn while trying to catch anything that resembles English. I've donned the Breton striped shirt in honor of the occasion and stuffed my face with crepes and galletes.

Sailor stereotypes are aplenty in Brittany. You know, the old, tanned and bearded men who resemble old Pappy from Popeye. Wonder if they have enough spinach to go around.

Mont Saint Michel is one of the greatest experiences I've ever had. Ever. We walked across the natural land bridge which was a 7 kilometer trek from the tourist information center to the abbey. I was very fortunate to have been able to do this.

August 19: The only bike I've ridden for the last few years was the stationary bike at California Fitness, so you can just imagine my anxiety when I had to bike around Paris. I started a bit shaky, scared that a bus or a car would run me over. Or worse, that I'd run over someone. But I survived, without any mishaps. If there's anything I've learned today, it's that I wasn't born to do Tour de France.

August 28-29: Awesome performance by Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem & The Ting-Tings at Rock en Seine. It rained on the second day and I was soaked to the second layer of my clothing (hah! I had three layers...in the summer. Yes, un femme du Asie). I caught a cold the next day, and was feverish. Not cool.

August 30-September 3: Worked a day in the Paris office, spent the rest visiting the museums, grocery shopping, touristy shopping (yes, those I heart Paris stores would be hard to resist after you walk past the 10th store), cooking, cleaning (no, I did not moonlight as a maid), parties, studying, watched Step Up 3D.

September 4: Attended a friend's wedding - my first French wedding. Since everything had meat, I starved. Macarons, candies, sweets and champagne saved me from my personal famine - I was on a sugar high afterwards. Everything was beautiful - the newlyweds, the location, the people!

September 5: Up, up and away in a French balloon! The view was spectacular. It whetted my desire to go skydiving. Spent some time at Parc Buttes Chaumont. Too crowded on a Sunday but climbing the hill and walking around the park was good exercise.

September 6: Spent the afternoon at Musee Guimet and the rest of the day reading. Will witness my first French transport strike tomorrow.

I have no idea why people keep asking me for directions. My current tally is at 5. Am I starting to look French? NOT.

Back to Barracks

I admit it - I've been Singaporeanized. Three years of living in the land of laksa, durian and char kway teow have dulled the survival instincts honed by the streets of Sampaloc. Self-reminders when I get back to Manila:

1. Tighten my grip on my mobile phone. 

2. Zip my handbag. 

3. Wear backpacks in reverse and look like a pregnant woman. Or worse, my dad.

4. Remember that efficiency will cease to exist. Completely.

5. Remember that if Singapore have asshole drivers, Manila would have 5x more.

6. Turn paranoia to full blast.
7. Remember that there's a Starbucks in every corner of the city that could potentially rob me PHP500 daily for a quick caffeine fix.
8. Stay away from the evil, consumerism-driven establishments called malls.
9. Wanted, unwanted, drunk and sober friends alike will crash into my crib. No fail.
10. Remember that there's a weekend job called 'mom's driver'.