jeudi de paris

About a year ago today, we cringed a little as as we saw all our belongings packed up, and travel the more than 10,000 kilometres to France.  Our time in Malaysia, captured in photos and videos, but mostly in our minds and in our hearts came with us, and will continue to stay with us.  

JB insists that e-books are the way to go, but I couldn't leave my old paper types behind.  They are still in their cartons, as I haven't found the bookshelves I want, but I know they are there (along with my soya sauce, they were my most precious cargo).

You know from these titles that they aren't my books... its clearly in the HIS section of our library.

We spent a quiet Easter this year.  After all that moving and unpacking I couldn't muster up enough energy to have the girls' friends around and paint eggs or do egg hunts.  We did do some baking though.  Anais loves home-made bread and this Jamie Oliver version which is filled with parma ham, eggs, cheese, basil or anything you want really, is scrumptious.  This is the second time we've made it and we've re-named it the 'Love Bread' because we fashion it into a heart shape and its made with love for people we love... cheesy!!

We had lunch with my father in law to celebrate his birthday and went for a walk at the Parc de Sceaux, five minutes from his home.  Click here for a virtual visit.  It was a beautiful sunny day, but still very cold.  Quite unlike last Easter, when Tea painted her Easter eggs by the poolside, shirtless...

Prior to coming to France, the girls did train for cold weather.  Here they have cranked the air conditioning up high (not great for the environment, I apologise on their behalf) and have creatively fashioned some earmuffs from their headbands and socks.

And here I was in my kitchen at this time last year, preparing for our farewell party.  All that space!

Here now, a year later in Paris, we have been just as lucky, finding a very charming apartment which dates back to the 16th century.  There are still things to be done, light fittings to be installed etc but I promise to post some photos soon.  In the meantime, I wish spring would hurry up and really arrive. 

jeudi de paris

I thought you might enjoy photos of Anais on her recent ski trip with her school.  She came home with animated stories of her week away, including the part with the kids and their sick bags in the bus.  That aside, everyone returned with glowing cheeks, totally elated.

The weather was sublime for most part of the week, perfect for skiing, snow racquet walks and building igloos.  Every evening we had photos and a little update posted on a blog.

Its no easy task building an igloo though!

photos by Alice Pillet

I think this trip will remain a highlight of Anais' childhood memories; the glorious days spent with her young friends on the spectacular slopes, and though a little melancholic in the evenings, a kind teacher with a good story and a goodnight kiss helps to allay the homesickness somewhat.  As for me, the first letter she wrote home goes into a  time capsule, to be read again in future years, when she leaves with more than a small suitcase and her little stuffed unicorn.

jeudi de paris

I've just realised that its Thursday again...I haven't sat down to prepare a 'proper' post but here is a picture of the girls last week.  Today is the first day of spring but just last week, we had snow in Paris!

As we stepped out into the very chilly morning to go to school (the girls dressed in green and more colourful clothes to celebrate the first day of spring), we grumbled that the sun hadn't been informed that winter is officially over.  I would like to be in that little house by the beach in Hawaii right now...

leaving notre dame

Apparently, moving house is one of the top three most stressful events in your life, the other two likely being getting married and getting divorced.  Moving house for us has been a long process; we left our home in Jalan Damansara almost a year ago.  In between, we've slept in many different beds over several continents, and reached our final destination in late summer.  We were in a furnished apartment for a while with the Notre Dame watching over us.

The logistics for our move was a little complicated; we had our things from Malaysia shipped to Bordeaux for storage, at my father in law's summer property while we looked for our apartment.  The shipment was delayed, thus delaying our arrival in Paris.

A week after we arrived in Paris, we heard from my father in law's gardener/carpenter/handyman that the beam supporting the roof in the garage was about to give way.  All our belongings were directly below this beam.  I told myself they were only things, replaceable.  What mattered was my carton of soya sauce.  

The beam was repaired.  We found our apartment.  We've enjoyed the terrace and the view over the Seine and the Notre Dame, but we were ready to settle in permanently.  

With the girls spending the week with their aunt and cousins near the beach, JB and I went off to Bordeaux to sort out our cartons. We were grateful for the 'good' weather.  We almost slept with our gloves on, but at least it didn't rain.

The weekend of our move, Tea celebrated her 7th birthday.  A week earlier she invited a few friends over for a little party including a boy in her class whom she likes very much and who apparently likes her back.  He said he wouldn't come, because there would be too many girls, and returned her invitation.

She came home and handed me the invitation, totally unperturbed.  I said ' Why don't you ask him one more time and explain to him there will be other boys at the party'.  She shook her finger at me and said (in French, so this is a rough translation) "No mama.  You know, with boys you cannot do that.  They will think you are stubborn.  If he doesn't want to come, too bad for him".  I was stunned as I looked at her in awe.  I think 'stubborn' was her word for 'desperate'.  I'm glad she's got it figured out!

So we had a fun (fun for the kids, exhausting for the parents) little party with cake and lots of lollies and played Pin the Donkey's Tail.  There were other boys at party and Tea shed no tears for her amoreux.

This is the living room of our new apartment (I posted a picture of the kitchen a couple of weeks ago).  We are still living admist cartons (am taking a break from unpacking to write this post), but we are starting to feel at home.

jeudi de paris

photo by Cyril Masson 

There's slightly an hour more to jeudi... How do you like this kitchen?

jeudi de paris

Anais left on Monday for a ski trip with her school.  A week before, she started having butterflies in her  stomach.  I think I had elephants stomping in mine.  Contrary to what you may suspect though, I didn't rent a room at the nearest resort to them, equipped with binoculars and an extra large pair of sunglasses and scarves a la Jackie.  

There are two classes, with a total of about 45 children.  The teachers organised this trip totally on their own initiative and time, and although some kind of financial aid could be solicited, it was a self-subsidised paying trip.  Fund-raising events were organised to assist families who could not afford the full amount.   The entire school was involved in the exchange and lending of ski materials to those who were not equipped enough, from boots to gloves to hats etc.

Every night we get a short update on their day's activities and photos on a blog.  They are learning about snowflakes and how to build igloos, but are not ignoring maths classes either!  Tonight they have a boum.  Literally, it means a bang.  But a boum is a word for party, usually for the younger teens.

As I look at the photos on their blog (ok, for perhaps the 8th time now...) I realise that I hadn't posted pictures of that weekend in January we had so much snow in Paris and its surroundings.  Record snow disrupted travel, even closed down the Eiffel Tower. Paris had not had this kind of snowfall since 1987.  I think it was deliberately organised to celebrate our first winter in Paris.  

It had started to snow just before six in the evening and I captured these dusk photos from our bedroom window.  The girls were not yet back from school.  In fact, you can see their school in this photo below ; notice the building on the extreme left background with interior lights on. 

After a couple of hours, the roof tops were starting to be covered in white powder.

The morning after, breakfast on the terrace was not an option.

JB and the girls decided to go ice skating but the rink was closed because it was completely covered in snow!  The employees of the city hall at the rink are usually showing off their skating skills while supervising the public but this morning their muscles were being tested.

Plan B fell into place.  Armed with a camera and carrots (huh?) we headed to the park.

Here are what the carrots are for.  Our first snowman in Paris...looks a bit like a snowpenguin!  Excuse us, we are novices at snowman-making but you can challenge us any day to making sandcastles.

Did I tell you that for Christmas, JB gave me a subscription for Vélib'.  Vélib' is a bicycle sharing system.  The word originates from vélo (bicycle) and liberté (freedom). There is a rental station about every 300 meters.  I don't want to seem ungrateful, but do you think I would be cycling in this weather, freedom or no freedom?  No one else seems to be cycling either this morning, judging from the bicycles parked at this terminal.

The green carts along the quay in the photo on the left aren't rubbish bins if you're asking.  They are green locked up boxes of bouquinistes, who sell books, magazines and posters along the Seine, and are an iconic legacy from the 16th century.

On this same weekend, we were invited to our friends' home in Fontainebleau, about 70 kms out of Paris.  The Lincolns were our neighbours in KL at one point, and they have become good friends.

We undertook a daring expedition to the local boulangerie in the village for bread, bravely defying the forces of nature and its stormy perils.  

No prize for guessing if we paused to sit down and chat.

Here I am warning the children of strange animals and people you may encounter in the woods...Sometimes they may be people you know.

Olivia, who herself was a little girl when we met her, now babysits the girls from time to time.  She is a national sprinter and so very adored in this household.

The kids have it right:  when you get tired walking, devise some games which always involve adults carrying you.

Happy to be back, sitting in front of the fire.  A cosy, quiet game of chess while waiting for the mulled wine. Thank you, Lincoln family for this fantastic weekend.  Dommage (translation: 'a shame') we were not snowed in for the whole week!

Off to the market now.  Mmm, what to cook for dinner tomorrow when Anais comes home?  One more sleep and she is home. No, I'm not counting the days...really.