A Parisian make-over

It was in France where men began styling women's hair for the first time, and many of the notable hairdressers of the time were men, a trend that would continue into contemporary times. The first famous male hairdresser was Champagne, who was a born in Southern France. Upon moving to Paris, he opened his own hair salon and dressed the hair of wealthy Parisian women until his death in 1658. By 1777, approximately 1,200 hairdressers were working in Paris.

Well, today I experienced the French coiffeur sophisitacation first hand. Finding a good hairdresser seems to be the biggest challenge for me every time I move. I had been dreading this confrontation and therefore simply went back home to have my hair cut last time!

Last month I had taken my Expat boy to have his hair cut down the avenue and while I was waiting one stylish lady after another kept popping in asking for Bénjamin (pronounced with a heavy French accent) to the point where I began to wonder. I decided to take a closer look. Today I went back with the excuse of Expat boys haircut and there he was "le Benjamin"! A terrrrrrribly Frrrrrench man with a dark curly main, 3-day beard carefully groomed, AND an attitude.

After watching him prepare a lady's hair to perfection I took the plunge. After ten minutes of cutting, combing, fluffing, more cutting, combing and fluffing I had a smashing haircut. It was a world-revealing experience for me. Why? This French man had decided that I needed to change my parting from one side to the other. Now, this might not seem like a big deal but - believe you me - after having had my parting on the same side for over 40 years it seems like a revolution to wear it to the other.

HOWEVER, it worked! After another ten minutes of blow drying, throwing my head over forwards and then back again, and again, a bit of hairspray, I walked out of that hair salon ready to conquer Hollywood. I have NEVER felt this revolutionized about a new hairdo, ever!

Voilà à ma nouvelle vie parisienne! Vive le chic parisien!

Mother Tongue Day at school

Today Expat girl's school celebrated Mother Tongue Day.

Mother Tongue and Other Languages Day is an opportunity for each family to bring their language to the schools' curriculum. The school celebrates and recognizes the importance of each child’s Mother Tongue. They also realize that other languages may be significant to a child. Our children are proud of all the languages they speak.

Language is strongly connected to culture, and Expat girl's school promotes international-mindedness. Part of this involves children recognizing cultural diversity and appreciating the similarities and differences among humans.

To make this day truly authentic, the parents (mothers mostly) were asked for assistance by helping to involve the students in an activity that introduces them to the various languages. The goal was to allow all students to remember the value of their home language as well as giving all the students and adults the opportunity to learn more about their peers’ home languages. My daughter's class represent 15 different languages across 20 students.

Well, since English was already covered and Swiss German is a dialect and not a language I opted for Italian. Over un café last week the Italian mammas decided that they were going to teach the kids some Italian gestures. The undersigned (adopted Italian by marriage) was in charge of organization. Needless to say there was much improvisation going on today, nevertheless. But that is what Italians excel in: Improvisation!

Therefore, while all the other mums went into the class rooms by themselves armed with print-outs, poems and songs, the Italians were gathering in the courtyard to decide on some last minute operations. Not one, not two but four mums - remember Italians always move in groups, NEVER alone - turned up to teach the children over 50 Italian gestures in 15 minutes with some mandoline music playing in the background.

I admit the kids were extremly intuitive and guessed many of the significations. May I add the Italian mammas were extraordinarily expressive. We all had great fun and hopefully during their next trip to Italy the children will be able to make themselves understood without even uttering a word. All you need in Italy are hands and feet.... and a smile!

Map courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps

One little week in Paris

This past week I believe I have outdone myself! In the euphoria of living in Paris and being able to participate, attend and visit shows, museums, circus, concerts, churches, tours - you name it - I figured I would share my programme of the last seven days with you:

a performance of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky' Swan Lake ballet

the show "Corteo" by the Cirque du Soleil 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem

a concert in the Église de la Madeleine

 a break inside the Cathédral du Notre Dame de Paris

a walk through the Eglise St. Eustache de Paris

a visit to the Musée du Louvre

a tour of the food stores of Les Halles

a tour of the shops in the Marais

a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower

a shopping spree at Galeries Lafayette

a Military Parade at Champs Elysées

a casting call for Expat boy

Tea in the Gallerie Vivienne

Breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien

Brunch at Café de la Paix

....and you were wondering why I wasn't blogging the all this time?!?!

Armistice Day in Paris

Yesterday I woke up to the French National hymn being played outside my window. Let me explain, we live about 200 meters away fom the Place de l'Etoile and yesterday was Armitice Day. Armistice Day in France remembers those who died or were injured in World War I and other wars. The body of an unidentified solider from the citadel of Verdun was buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on November 11, 1920. This soldier serves as a symbol of all those who died in World War I. An eternal flame was lit on this tomb three years later and still burns today and therefore a ceremony is held around the Place de l'Etoile in remembrance of the fallen troups.

A short background:

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Bosnian-Serb nationalist on June 28, 1914. This sparked the activation of a series of alliances. Major European powers were at war within weeks. Many European countries had global empires so the hostilities spread throughout the world and became known as World War I. More than 15 million people died as a result of the World War I hostilities.

Marshal Ferdinand Foch (Allies) and Matthias Erzberger (Germany) met in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest, near the town of Compiègne in the Picardy region of France, in November 1918. The representatives signed an armistice treaty in the early hours of November 11, 1918, to end the World War I hostilities on the Western Front. World War I officially ended at 11 minutes past the 11th hour on November 11, 1918, because of the treaty. A law was approved on October 24, 1922, to make November 11 a public holiday in France.

I am not a Frenchie but hearing "La Marsaillaise" being played by the military band sent shivers down my spine. I love celebrations especially ones that are in remembrance of people that have served for their country. This is probably due to an entire childhood watching my very open-minded but thoroughly American Navy father celebrating every possible American holiday eventhough he spent most of his life in Switzerland.

Our avenue had been closed off to traffic and the kids were out on the street in no time with their "trotinette". The weather was a hazy, the Tour Eiffel was envelopped in a thick cloud but we had the most wonderful bike ride through the city of lights.

Everywhere I looked the "Tricolor" flag was hanging reminding the people of Armistice Day. This is a National holiday in France and it did feel like a very special day. It felt a bit like the day of La Hispanidad in Spain or the 150 anniversary of Italy celebrated earlier this year. In any case it was lovely to see all the French flags out on governmental buildings, buses, monuments, parks and to breath the crisp air riding our bikes through the alleys of le vieux Paris.

Home away from home

We are back from a 10-day holiday in Lugano where we caught up with friends, traditions and food. The kids really needed to touch base with their old home, kick back and have a good giggle with their buddies.

The first months after a move always leave you hanging in limbo. I look around in Paris and think I'm on holiday and will be leaving to go back home soon. I go back "home" - in this case Lugano - and think: it's home! It looks like home, it feels like home, it IS home but it's really not anymore. The house is not ours any longer, the gympass does not grant us access, the supermarket fidelity card is not valid, the car is not around BUT our friends are still there, the local supermarket is still open, the lady at the bakery has missed us, the local policeman gives us a big grin, the school is still running and everybody is happy to welcome us back.... to our old home!

For Expat girl I strongly believe that Lugano will forever be her home just like Zurich remains my home although I have absolutely no Swiss blood running through my veins. I do admit that coming back to Lugano after having moved four months ago feels very much like going back home to Zurich. I have never had this feeling with any city other than Zurich. I guess this means - once again - that Lugano has grown on us much more than we ever imagined it would and did!

A day without chocolate is a day without sunshine

France is known for it's wine, cheese and baguette. Having grown up in Switzerland chocolate definatley doesn't spring to my mind when thinking of Paris. However, I have noticed there are great deal of chocolatiers throughout the city center. I have never dared to enter one for fear of not being able to find my way out again. When the Salon de Chocolate opened it's doors I was - needless to say - one of the first visitors to walk into the exhibition.

I did manage to eat my way through many different kind of tastes and textures of chocolate. It was amazing to see all the distinct ways of chocolate presentation. The Salon du Chocolat in Paris is the world's largest event dedicated to chocolate, a true trend-setter dedicated to the profession. Every year, the Salon is also dotted with special events, celebrations and performances. Some of them have become iconic such as the famous Chocolate Dresses Fashion Show.

 Ready, Set, Gooooooo.....

Sophisticated chocolate sculptures

French "pain au chocolat" in a 2m baguette

Indulge!!!

Latest craze in hot chocolate

Themed garbage bin

Chocolate jewllery for total addicts

Light switches... how cool is that?

"Tête de moine girolle" in chocolate version

A true chocolate stand

The real thing: Cocoa beans

Who said chocolate had to be brown?

My favourite Tour Eiffel

Arc de Triomphe

Carrying your dessert with you...

How did they do it?

Chocolate design for fashionistas

I'll have this pink dress decorated with chocolate balls

How to diet... the French way!

Paris is mine to discover

Ever since my GPS guided me right through the thick of the city rather than around the ringroad upon our arrival to Paris by car six weeks ago, I have been having serious doubts about this technological gadget of mine. I honestly think it gets lost between satellites or whatever it is that guides it up in space.

I was one of the die-hards refusing to let a machine tell me where to go. I mean, I hate people telling me what to do even at the best of times!

I broke down and bought a GPS because I figured if I'm gonna drive half way across Europe and back with the kids, it might be safer.

Well, it got me from Lugano to Madrid and from there to Paris but it doesn't seem to like the city?!? I don't know how many times I've wondered which turn to take while it keeps on repeating: recalculating, recalculating.

I might be old fashion but isn' it better to know where you're heading BEFORE you start your journey. Maps are great and Google Maps are outstanding. Studying your intinerary allows you to orient yourself. You walk around looking up at the signpost rather than having your head stuck in a machine while missing the sites. Therefore my dear GPS, either you shape up or I will......

An unusual place to blog

You read the free newspaper, you listen to street musicians, you give beggars a coin, you try to read more than half a page of your book, you observe the other passengers and try to guess where they are from OR you can blog!

Spending time every day on Paris' Metro - the fastest and most efficient way to get around the city- I have found that blogging is a perfect activity during the rather boring underground ride.

So, imagine that you are now reading a post written about 5 meters underground zipping from one end of Paris to the other.

And it all began on July 19, 1900 during the Universal Exhibition in Paris. A second class ticket cost 15 cents, 20 cents for a return ticket and 25 cents for first class. The first metro line connected "Porte Maillot" to "Porte de Vincennes" in 30 minutes. On opening day 30,000 tickets were sold.

Following is a promotional film about Paris and it's metro system from the 1950's: