Bubble Trouble

In case you were wondering, Bubble Tea -- those sweet Chinese tapioca drinks -- are taking over Paris, too. Well, anyplace there's Chinese food nearby and in many tourist spots where there's likely to be Chinese tourists. The girls love their Bubble Tea, as you can tell at the New Year's Parade in Paris' Chinatown. It was their favorite part of the event. In fact, they look like an ad for Bubble Tea. "Bubble Tea! It's Bubblicious!"

 

It's a packed crowd, but the girls are small enough to squeeze in at the front. I give Gigi the camera, and see whether she's inherited the Kodak gene. Turns out, she has! Here are some parts of the Chinese New Year's Parade that are colorful, and interesting. But not as great as Bubble Tea:

 

 

 

 

 

Gong Hey Fat Choy! Happy New Year! And may it be filled with bubbles.

 

 

 

Sweetest Job Ever

My most recent article for the Wall Street Journal is about the best artisanal, hand-made candy makers in Europe. And while I can't repeat any information or photos that you'll find in the article, I can send you over there to read it.

As you can imagine, Anthony and the girls had a lot of fun helping me research it:

 

Meanwhile, I am allowed to share with you some things that didn't make the article; I could write a whole book on just this store and its contents!

 

The store in Paris, Bonbon au Palais (which means Candy at the Palace), is the prettiest candy store I have ever seen in my life, bar none.

There's even more about the store at A Year in Fromage, but what I didn't include there was all the non-French candy the girls also got to enjoy.

Here are loads of delicious Irish candies in our house for the tasting and photo shoot:

 

 

 

And here with a gorgeous Spanish lollipop. They're not complaining!

 

Game Theory

I've talked about Ticket to Ride, a board game about trains around Europe. But that's just the tip of it. We're big into family game time, especially on cold, rainy winter weekends, and we especially love games that tie in thematically with our lives here.

Memoire de France is a memory-match game with special places around France, including many Paris spots we know and love -- one of which we can see from our window, and exactly half of which we can walk to in five minutes or less:

 

To read about more great French- and European-themed games, check out the post at A Year in Fromage.

It's Not All Romance

When I look out my window or walk around my neighborhood, I see gorgeous old buildings that look just like the Paris of your dreams. But this, too, is Paris...

 

To read more about "inner" vs. "outer" Paris, and to see the not-so-romantic buildings in my life, check out the posting, This Too Is Paris.

And to see everything from Senegal's glorious color to its goats and from the garbage to the giraffes, check out Family In Senegal.

Coffee & Cheese

Forget about coffee & tea, coffee & cream, coffee & donuts. This is the new combo. Yes, it's coffee & stinky cheese.



Remember how I talked about things that are a good deal here in France? That give me sticker joy?Well, dishware is one of those things. Santa brought me some lovely bowls this Christmas, and I just bought mugs to match. I was getting so sick of the mismatched mugs left in this apartment. My friend Sarah has always said she pities me that I don't like coffee, since to her every morning's cup feels like Christmas morning. Well, she shouldn't pity me too much, because that's how I feel about a great cup of tea (ideally, with milk and sugar). The girls and I are fully addicted to a new fancy Mariage Frères flavor, with the unfortunate name of "American Breakfast Tea." There's nothing American about it; it's got hints of malt and caramel, it's strong, and divine.

So that tea in my new mugs? The only thing I can think of more cheerful than writing a big "Yippee!" is a photo of my new mugs and bowls. Click here to read more....

 

Half-Naked Medical Party

Over at A Year in Fromage, I'm having a half-naked party. That's because it's time for my annual check-up, which means a slightly different dress code here in France. I go to the appointment expecting to strip down and put on the humiliating hospital gown. But in France, I simply strip down -- but only the necessary portion -- and hope the room is heated to my liking.

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Boom As We Speak

When I was in grade school, we went on field trips to the local historical reenactment village, one day each year. Once, we went to a pizza place owned by a classmate's father and were allowed to make our own pizzas. That is the extent of the field trips I remember. Gigi, meanwhile, is away for a week with her classmates in Valloire, France for the ultimate field trip -- a week of skiing in the Alps. As I write this, she's at her end-of-week "Boom" (that's a co-ed dance to you and me).

 

 

 

 above photos taken by chaperones on the ski trip

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