Our Very Own French Foxfields

We have just now added another activity on our "to do" list while in Paris. Apparently there are horse races in Paris from February to June, where you can get in free to the middle of the field. I'm pretty sure we don't need regulation sized coolers to carry in our wine. We've researched French law and open container restrictions don't exist here. Too bad I left my sun hat in Richmond.

On our walk home last night from the Brazilian restaurant, we stopped in to a pub. It felt good to be surrounded by plastic Guiness decorations once again. Unless a lot has changed at McGrady's since I left, I'm pretty sure we don't have a room covered in lazer light shows and bands that wear spandex onesies resembling the costumes from Power Rangers. We were about to leave after taking a look at the place when a highly intoxicated french guy named Fred approached us and asked why we were leaving. We said that the band stopped playing, so we were going to go home. He then replied "I can change things"....We looked at each other with the same confused expressions, and asked him to elaborate. He then approached the bartender, and magically a line of shots appeared on the bar. He said "See, I change things!" He then mumbled something about Lousiana and Obama, and we unanimously decided it was time to leave. He told us we were beautiful, and then I would assume went to pass out on the pool table.

We're going to the Louvre tonight and then cooking dinner with our fresh vegetables from the market. The mushrooms (les champignons) I bought are so fresh they still have dirt on them...this should be interesting. I also bought beautiful dates still on the vine (les dates..that's easy), a red pepper (un poivron rouge), and a tomato (les tomates).

I signed up for a "French Buddy" at Sciences Po to meet and help me get used to school here. His name is Adam, and my excellent facebook stalking skills tell me that he is from Paris and looks fabulous. We're going to meet for coffee sometime next week, and hopefully I can break the international student/french student barrier that apparently exists here. This is ambitious considering I haven't even started class yet.

p.s. if you ever study abroad, bring your planners from home...
I am now stuck with a gray little spiral planner with the numbers 2010 written in black digital font that looks like one of those tshirts from the y2k new years era. Most importantly, the days are written in French and the first day of the week is "lundi". I'm also missing my "month at a glance" pages in my UVA planner that let me write down important messages such as "down under dfunc" or "John Mayer concert". Instead I have to record my techno dance parties and visits to Amsterdam on a day by day calendar!...yes that's me gloating
p.p.s. Lady Gaga is coming to Paris, but none of us can afford tickets. First person to find me a contest where I have to stand at the top of the Arc de Triumphe in a bathing suit standing on one leg to win tickets gets a prize. I might even let you come to the concert.