Crepes, Crossiants, and Chocolate

As you all know I went to Paris for the Easter holiday. Over here you get a four day weekend for Easter so it's a great opportunity to get out of the city and travel somewhere in Europe. They take their easter egg hunts here very seriously!

Paris was amazing, it was just like I imagined it would be. Beautiful, historic, charming, it was like being in a fairytale. The only thing I was expecting to happen, which didn't, was the French being rude since we were Americans. I did not experience that once. Not as many people spoke English in the city as well so I had to get a few standard French words under my belt. I had no issues with thank you, please, even may I have the bill. But for some reason every time I wanted to say "yes", instead of saying oui I would si. My brain kept reverting to Spanish for some odd reason. You should have seen the look on some of the waitresses and cab drivers faces, priceless! The only downside to the entire trip was the weather. It could have been much worse than it was, since the forecast called for snow. Instead we just got rain and average temps in the I20's. Thus the reason I'm bundled up in every picture you'll see as if I've headed to the North Pole.

You can get to Paris by train from London in 2hrs 15 min to be exact. It's such an easy and fast way to travel. I kept thinking it would take me that long to drive from Orange County to San Diego sometimes. Unreal! Sima and I arrived on Saturday afternoon and after checking into our hotel we headed straight for the Louvre. We had two goals once we were inside, see the Mona Lisa and the Venus di Milo. Anything else was icing on the cake. I couldn't get over how huge the Louvre was. We could have spent days in there seeing every piece of art. I would have liked to have seen more but all the inscriptions for the art were in French so I lost interest pretty quickly. After touring the Louvre, we had a lovely lunch at a quaint place called the Cafe Marly. It's got a great view of the Louvre, you're basically sitting on the inside square of the museum. That pretty much took up the entire afternoon and we were exhausted from all the walking so we went to back to the hotel but not before stopping by a patisserie to pick up some french pastries for a little snack. The desserts in Paris are incredible, they're almost too pretty to eat.

Day 2 we woke up early and decided we would walk to the Eiffel Tower since the sun was shining. It was a fricking long walk, but well worth it. It allowed us to walk down the entire Champs d Elysees and see all the couture shops and also walk along the river. Our plan was to go up the tower but when we arrived and saw the lines that were snaked around the entire venue we went to Plan B, which was to come back the next morning right when it opened to try and avoid the crowds. We couldn't walk anymore so we hopped on the tube or as they call it the Metro and headed to Notre Dame. This was by far my favorite monument of the entire trip. The architecture is unlike anything I've seen. We went inside the church and toured the entire building and during the tour they were holding Sunday Mass since it was Easter. I loved the stained glass windows inside. it made the church seem so pristine. Right behind Notre Dame is a great crepe place called Cafe Esmeralda. You can't go to Paris and not eat crepes so we made a pit stop! Then we were off again. This time we walked back along the river in the opposite direction and were headed to another museum- Musee D 'Orsay. Unfortunately when we arrived the lines were a mile long and the museum was about to close so we figured it wasn't meant to be. Then we headed to an area called St. Germain, which was full of cute boutiques and shops. Unfortunately because it was Easter Sunday everything was closed. It was a really cute neighborhood though and I'm glad I got to see it.

I think by now we had walked at least 5 miles and my legs were about to give out so we hopped on the Metro and headed home, but not before grabbing some fresh baguettes and cheese. That ladies and gentleman was our dinner! It's Paris, we figured it was the thing to do :) Oh and let's not forget the crossiants I ate every morning for breakfast, they would just melt in my mouth.

On our last day we got up bright and early, which you all know is a painful thing for me, and took a tube straight to the Eiffel Tower and got in line. Our plan had worked, we had beat the crowds by getting there early! I'll be honest I was freaked out about going to the top of the tower. I didn't think I was afraid of heights but apparently I am. But I am proud to say, I made it to the first tier. Sima and I walked the 196 or so stairs and saw the view and came right back down. I figure next time I'll try the second tier. Baby steps, right!? We ended the afternoon with a little shopping on the Champs d Elysees and more crepes. Oh and the hot chocolate in Paris is unreal! It's melted chocolate with milk. It's like drinking a Hershey bar.

There were so many more places Sima and I wanted to see but didn't have time. But I have no doubt I will go back to Paris before I leave the UK and preferably in the summertime.

Here are a couple of my favorite photos.

Next weekend, Brussels!

Au Revoir!

This time tomorrow I'll be skipping down the streets of gay old Paris (imagine i just said that with a french accent) and the picture above will be staring back at me in person. AGHHH! I can't believe I'm finally going to this amazing city after years of hearing so many people tell me what a magical place it is. There's so much I want to see and do in the three days I'm there, I really hope I can fit it all in. The only thing I worried about is that the forecast calls for rain and even the potential for snow, YIKES, which could make for an interesting trip! I'm got all the gear just in case but I'm hoping the weather gods will be kind to me since this is my first trip.

On a side note, a group of my friends back home are going to a big wedding this weekend in San Diego. If you guys are reading this a part of me is super bummed that I'm missing out on the fun and that I won't be ripping it up on the dance floor and drinking with all of you during the ceremony. But something tells me when I'm eating chocolate croissants every morning and

shopping on the Champs Elysees I'll be fine. JK! Seriously, I will miss you guys! Have a blast and take lots of pictures.

Great Star Sighting Today

Today I was having brunch at my local cafe called the Bluebird. Sitting right next to my friend Sima and I was Liam Nesson. He was having a meal with his two sons. Or course Sima and I were freaking out about him being their but everyone else was completely unaffected. Not a bad star sighting if you ask me!

Times Flyin By...

I was hoping to celebrate my six months in the UK with a post about how my life has changed, how my view on England has changed, what's on the horizon, etc.. but time flew by and as of next week I'll have been in the UK 8 months! Can you believe it? I can't!!! Every time I think about it, it just blows me away. Don't worry I'm still going to write about all those things just a bit later than anticipated.

Where did the time go? I think part of the reason time goes so quickly is the nature of my job. Since I launch a new product every six weeks my life calendar ends up revolving around that, so when you split a year into 9 six week launches, a year goes by quickly. The other part of it is, the older I get, the faster life goes by. I think everyone can attest to that. Regardless I've made it this far and not to sound cheesy but I'm proud of myself!

So, what's changed in the last 8 months?? ALOT! Especially from a personal perspective. To start with, I've taken more risks and tried more things than I ever have before. For instance, I'm an expert at taking public transportation and no longer think it's disgusting. I've learned to truly be alone, not only living alone, but also going out alone, which I never had to do before because I had such a great network of friends. My life is just not about work, and I'm ok with not being in the rat race and taking this an opportunity to just learn. There is so much more to life and when you have amazing things at your disposal you have to take advantage of it. Also, being around such a diverse group of people not only at work but outside of work has made me more open-minded. Most importantly, I have realized I am capable of so much more than I ever thought possible. I never saw myself as a strong person, but now that I've moved here and made it this far, I feel like I can do anything.

My view on London has also changed. In the beginning, I would stare outside the window of my train every morning and be in awe of the landscape, the cute colonial houses, just everything around me, it was all so picturesque. Now the backdrop of London has become part of my everyday life. It blends right in and has begun to look normal. It's so weird. Even, the accent is starting to sound normal, and when I hear an American accent it sounds odd. Go figure! I've also adopted a lot of the habits that the Brits have. I constantly talk about the weather; it defines my day. I drink hot liquids constantly, no coffee yet but tea is slowly becoming part of my repertoire. I'm all about pastries, especially croissants. My favorite is the almond croissant. If you haven't had one of those you have not lived! Those of you who know me, know I love my red wine but now I'm all about the white. It's the preferred choice here over red. My favorite is Sauvigoun Blanc of all things, but it has to be from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. I've picked up the slang as thought it's part of my everyday vernacular. I say holiday instead of vacation, cheeky instead of smart ass, something is shit rather than being annoying or bad, chips instead of fries, crisps instead of chips. I've gone mad, I know :) I guess all this is what people call acculturation. It was bound to happen. Oh, one more thing I need to update you guys on. I don't know how could I forgot to tell you guys this. V is moving. Yes it's sad but true. I'm so bummed. His company is moving him to Russia starting next month. We had some good times together and I'm really going to miss him. I guess we weren't meant to be ;)

For the next few months I have a new chapter of my life in London to look forward to. It took practically six months to get settled into this city. My flat is fully decorated and has everything I need, I have my core group of friends, I know my way around the city pretty well and have seen quite a bit of it thanks to all the visitors, and I have my local pub that I go to once a week to grab my local pint. So what's next? EUROPE! I'm finally going to start traveling around this amazing part of the world. First I'm headed to Paris with my friend Sima for Easter weekend. From their, I am going to Belgium with my close friends Meera and Gautam who are coming to visit the first week of April. Then, I meet Sahana and her husband Tej in Barcelona towards the middle of May. And maybe, just maybe if I can fit it in, go to Rome. I'm so inspired by a book I'm currently reading called Eat, Pray, Love. The first part of the book is all about this women's adventures in Rome and she constantly writes about how fabulous the food is. I honestly want to jump on a plane tomorrow and try all the restaurants she talks about in the book. The next couple of months are going to be hectic but also quite the adventure, I'm up for it and so excited.

The other new development occurring in the next month is I'm getting a roomie. My landlord who is a money grubbing troll, J/K! (not really), decided to raise my rent to a ridiculous amount starting in May so she can start making a profit off the place. There was no way I was going to move after spending all this time getting situated so my only option was to find a roommate to cover the increase. So, my friend Sima, the one I"m going to Paris with, is going to move in to the extra room. I apologize to all my visitors in advance who will no longer get to take advantage of the guestroom, but no worries I still have a sofa bed. Sima moved here back in January from California and we were introduced to one another through her cousin Nisha who is a great friend of mine back home. We instantly hit it off and have become great friends. I couldn't have asked for a better roommate. I have no doubt we'll have plenty of adventures together over the next year. Oh, and she's single, which makes it even more fun!

I can't wait to see what the next six months has in store for me and to share my upcoming adventures with all of you. I'm also going to try and blog more regularly. I've kind of fallen off the wagon and lost a lot of good memories because of it.

The Search for Mr. Right

Part of me had no intention of blogging about my speed dating experience so I could avoid having to relive every horrible detail, but another part of me didn't want to forget ever horrible detail either. My friend Kate (from work) and I decided back in December that we would give the speed dating thing a try since we weren't having much luck in the men department through traditional means. We figured, why not? What's the worst that could happen. We don't meet a single guy but at least have a great story to tell, and taste some great wines in the process. Well, the worst happened and now I got a great story to tell!

Rather than attending a traditional speed dating session, we went for a more relaxed version, a wine social. The event was set up with numerous tables with seats for 4-6 people. There were anywhere from 2-3 girls at a table who stayed put and a group of guys rotated from table to table and would bring a new glass of wine with them each time. Their was definitely no pressure with such a large group, which was nice and the wine was a great conversation starter if you found yourself lacking a topic to discuss. Now as I said before, Kate and I were expecting to taste some great new Australian wines based on what the website had marketed. Their definition of great Australian wine turned out to be Yellowtail! The brand I paid $3.99 for back home at Trader Joe's. Classic. Strike one!

Now the men... I'll start with something positive.. out of the entire bunch there did end up being two Americans that I meet who turned out to be normal and could end up being a fun group of guys to hang out with. Too bad the same can not be said for the rest of the bunch. In the span of three hours I meet the following guys: Michael Bolton (circa 1980), Michael Bolton's twin who preferred a straightening iron, my very own Austin Powers, and a mute from Australia. How could a girl resist with such appealing options? One of my favorite lines of the night was from Austin Powers, "I'm a ladies man baby, I can't help but be a male slut." I swear those were his exact words. I'm not exaggerating. I kept thinking this guy could not be for real. There must be a hidden camera somewhere. It took everything I had to not laugh and spit out my yellowtail directly into his face. Instead I responded with "so, what do you do for a living?" Strike two!

The way the whole evening was set up was if any of the men struck your fancy you were supposed to write their names on a card and vice versa. The cards were then turned in at the end of the night. On the following Monday, we got an email with a reminder of the guys you had written down and the guys who had your written your names down. So the goal here is to have the two lists match up. I had actually ended putting down two guys who weren't that bad and I was open to getting to know. I was really attempting to be open minded. Guess who was interested in me?? Michael Bolton one and two, Austin Powers, and the Australian mute. I'm not that open minded. Strike three!

I wish I had taken photos of the evening because my post does not even begin do this evening justice unless you were their in person and could see these guys.

The search for Mr. Right continues.....

Chicks Who Sell the Chicken

Not sure how much I've told people about my wonderful co-workers but they're an incredible group of ladies who I genuinely love working with.. and having fun with! I feel really lucky that the last two places I've worked, have not only given me great work experience, but great friendships. I always wonder how if that's rare?? If it wasn't for these girls at work my transition to London would have been much more difficult. These girls embraced me and welcomed me into their lives from from day one and have looking out for me from the beginning.

Marketing tends to be a women lead field and that is definitely the case at KFC. We have thirteen people on our team and 12 of the 13 people are girls. The unique thing about these 12 girls is they're from all over the world. We're quite the cosmopolitan bunch! Between us we have three Americans, three Kiwis (aka New Zealanders), four Brits, an Australian, and a South African. Talk about a melting pot.

Here's a bit about some of the gals...

Jane- Born and breed English girl; think Sienna Miller with a great British accent. She and I are the closest out of everyone. She's always knows the coolest places to eat and drink in London. She's my own personal Zagat guide.
Kate- She's from New Zealand and is my single and ready to mingle buddy. She's been in London for two years and finds British men as frustrating as I do. Her and I tackled speed dating together, which I'll post about soon.
Sophie-the youngest of the bunch and has the biggest heart and quite the fashion sense.
Rachel-Also from New Zealand, and is just here in the UK for a year and has the strongest accent I've ever heard. I constantly misunderstand her!
Megan- my fellow American.. she's originally from North Carolina and shares my love of Banana Republic. We tend to show up at work with the same outfits on.
Lisa- our resident Martha Stewart and one of the few married gals in the group. When girlfriend parties she gets down.

Sam- From South Africa but officially pledged allegiance to the queen this past year. Sam is on leave right now, she just had a baby. She will be back later this year.

Jennelle- my boss from Australia, that is all I am going to say for fear of career suicide

Elizabeth- the other Brit of the group and happens to also be my landlord. She is originally from Wales and owns more clothes than I do.

Amy- this girl has more spunk than anyone I've ever meet. She's always happy and is so much fun to be around. She does this funny thing where she calls everyone chicken, it's her way of saying she likes you. Also, a huge fan of Indian food!

Jennifer- she just started about two months ago and is originally from Chicago. She's got tons of energy, I don't think this women sleeps. Her and I got off to a bit of rough start but we've managed to find some common ground.

Tara- She's the admin of the group and probably the quietest of the bunch. It's always the quiet one's that surprise you :)

Last weekend we had our first girls night out, we had a blast. The night started out a yummy dim sum restaurant followed by drinks at a bar called Roca. It was all very London. Below are some pictures from the evening. Now you can put faces to some of the names, although not all of the girls are pictured below since some couldn't make it.

Lisa and Megan

Rachel and Jane

Sophie and Kate

Amy and Me