how many ways to eat a crepe?

For those of you who doubted that this sadistic mother had some compassion, here is proof - photos of the crepes being eaten and playdate in action.

No prize for guessing who's behind the crepey mask.  And in case we run out of crepes, a brioche is sitting at attention, all ready to be eaten.

The girls and I did some simple Christmas craft.  We made some dot garlands.  When our friend Mok came to visit, he bought the girls some origami sets (thanks uncle Mok!).  So we made pretty wreaths which the girls brought to school to put up on in their classrooms.  And, we've been making all sorts of decorations for the tree. Look out for photos in the next post.

We're ready for Christmas!  Well, almost...

jeudi de paris

Okay, its not 25 days to Christmas.  Its now down to 19 I think (panic panic!!) The girls were super excited when December arrived.  They were disappointed that our advent calandar is in an unidentified carton somewhere in storage.  So I made an easy countdown-to-Christmas calendar with whatever I had.  Behind the number is a little note where I've written the treat or the service they are to perform for the day.  This sadistic mother also planned a dentist's visit yesterday, strategically so you may say, to justify the lack of candy for the season.   

But to usher in the festive season on a more festive note, we went to the Marché de Noël on the Champs Elysées.  

It was a very cold morning, but the girls couldn't care less.  Candy floss (one little treat before the dental letdown), a super luge amongst other things, kept them well distracted.

I was about to compare this market to our Ramadhan markets back home, because offerings vary from food to scarves and toys and socks.  But then I thought some might take offence.  Because at this market, there is a whole lot of seriously non halal stuff.

To market, to market to buy a pig... or a wild boar...

An ice skating rink which we're not ready to try yet.  Which I'm not ready to try yet.

At the eastern end of the Champs Elysées is the Place de la Concorde, which is the largest square in the city.  In the centre of the square is a 3,300 year old Luxor Obelisk which was offered by the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt to France in 1829.  King Louis Philippe had it placed where a guillotine once stood during the Revolution.

I'm off now to make some crepes.  Because this sadistic mother has her moments.  Today's treat: a friend over to play after school and crepes for gouter (afternoon tea time snack which is a very critical part of the day for all French children)!  Hope you have a fun weekend getting ready for Christmas.  I confess its not my favourite time of the year, but I have friends coming to visit, and we may have a white Christmas, and its our first in France (probably not any less stressful...).

you can take the malaysian out of malaysia, but...

When its wet and cold outside, as it is now in Paris, a bowl of hot soup or in my case, hot spicy curry laksa, is what I would call comfort food.

In a little Asian grocer down the road, the owner points out the Malaysian curry powder to me and shares with me some Vietnamese recipes.  I find bean sprouts, fish cake, tofu puffs, mint and coconut milk.  I'm sure if I looked hard enough I would even have found blood jelly...

I made this a few weeks ago, and I do crave a bowl right now!