next

Did I tell you the time my friends and I were walking home at 5 am and my friend spotted 3 boys leaning over a bridge. She wasted no time. One by one she slapped them on their skinny little tushes and all they did was to turn around and say simultaneously "Merci Mademoiselle!" Only in paris my friend only in Paris. DO not do this anywhere else you will die or worse.
merci mademoiselle
It is always a struggle to get to dance class I can't explain it. Such a love/hate relationship anywhere in the world and at any age. But I got myself up and out, on the metro and off at Hotel de Ville. I swept down Rue De Temple and entered the cobblestone courtyard lines with studios whose windows looked out over the courtyard with open windows wafting music through the air. I decided to take a ballet class and as I got myself together the teach asked who is the charming girl? Thank goodness she was sweet and not a total bitch like my last ballet teacher who yelled at me for smiling and nodding my head when she talked to me. She asked where I as from and where I danced and took an interest in me, physically stretching me out on the barre-it's so sad that all teachers think I am more flexible than I really am. I am sorry my extension is horrible it really does upset me especially after a couple months with hardly any dance way to go Abra. But anywhoo she had me stand in front for the center exercises and demonstrate my pirouettes. You don't know how much it means to get some sort of approval no matter the level no matter the teacher. I think I suck in general but I do appreciate any positivity at all it does help in the long run. And as my muscle memory kicked in it began to pour rain beat against the windows and it was lovely. And as a plus when you looked up at the ceiling it was beautifully painted with faces looking down at you obviously very old- this especially helped when I took a course of floor barre in the studio next door, just a little reminder that the studio is much older than the white washed one I grew up in and it helped me forget about the girl with 180 degree turn out next to me.
Then it was back to Muriel's to get ready for my going away party! After showering and dressing and watching some workmen attempt to fix her radiators but unfortunately were missing pieces/I wondered if they thought I was her daughter as I stood around awkwardly and silent smiling if they said something to me I didn't understand hah- I helped Muriel set up. She loves to decorate and this time it was no exception. She bought little candy hamburgers to scatter around the counter, clothes pins to attach to goblets to distinguish whose was whose, kosher deli meat with pistachio nuts, ice cream cones!, chocolate covered waffles, popcorn, dips, the wonderful couscous, carrots and celery you can only get in france at the grocery tastefully slivered and placed in light sauce, tons of juice, baby tomatoes, nuts, butter crackers, and my left over challah. Quite a feast layered artistically over green wrapping paper bouggied just so over her kitchen counter, washer, and even her two sinks which became counter tops when boards were placed over them. And as a final touch she arranged her blue christmas lights over the whole affair. Guests invited were Katya, her crazy friend who happens to be Jewish, my friend Marina, and two men Joel et Chut? I don't know the second name but that is what is listed on FB. Joel played the spanish guitar and Katia sang. They even came up with a song about me saying how they would miss me and then we all danced to the hora.......yes all true. Katya even sang a parody of let it be in French about little dick, not to be forgotten. Then she began talking to me in Hebrew, afterwards she told me she had done so because she didn't want anyone else to understand because they wouldn't understand. Hmmm it was kind of unnerving I sensed either she had secrets or maybe was just making a mountian out of a mole hill. I really will never know but I Hope she finds love and is safe and happy the end. It was wonderful to be at a petite soiree surrounded by people I never would have met had I not decided to come to Paris. Flashback to when I first met Muriel at the front door of the apartments. She came down with straight black hair to the shoulders with splotches of red not really saying anything. I was scared. SHe showed me to the room which was lovely and I remember unpacking just going through the motions and thinking what have I gotten myself into, but I just kept going and knew that too would pass that anxiety that foreigness and I can't believe I was right. I knew right away she was kind and friendly and full of life even though I didn't even know how to ask for a scissors. But looking at her again at the party I was so overjoyed at the friendship we had created all the meaningful conversations and small kindnesses halfway around the world I was so thankful.