Week 2 - New Inspiration

As I’m sure all of you will attest, spending 4 years in Boulder for college is amazing.  In a place where skiing, hiking and biking all lay at our fingertips, it seems as though you could never get bored.  Like most places though, a daily routine develops and what once seemed like a place that could never grow old, dims in its light of inspiration.

I was quick to jump on bored this trip as it was my last opportunity to study abroad, and I can not explain how grateful I am for doing so.  My senses have suddenly been reawakened and I am once again full of inspiration.  Each boulevard, street vender, pâtisserie, garden and Parisian I see is truly refreshing.  What I have found most enlightening however, has been the produce shop on my street.  Each evening we have stopped there our way home, picking up different fresh and colorful vegetables that immediately give us ideas for things to cook.  The past couple nights we have been making a stir fry of vegetables (bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach..) and adding it to a bed of angel hair pasta with pesto and olive oil ... DElish!  I have always cooked my own meals at school, but most of the time it was something quick that I could buy in bulk, such as a boca burgers and frozen veggies; not nearly as appealing as our meals here!  

What I love about food shopping here is the number of markets everywhere.  Why not make your own meals every night adding such organic and wonderful ingredients when they are so accessible? (and cheap!)  It is so nice that in the short amount of time we have been here, Paris is already starting to feel like home.  I no longer feel like a stranger to my street anymore, and I believe the two produce owners have become used to our frequenting their shop.  Though there is never much of an exchange, other then euros for vegetables, there is an acknowledged understanding of our preference for their shop, and their appreciation for that.  A simple smile is enough for me.  

On the other hand, we do also go to the supermarché for the things we’d like to buy cheaper and in “bulk”, (things such as bread and sandwich supplies).  Usually here however, I find the people at check out to be more rude.  After quickly scanning each item, being told how much you owe in a monotone voice, you are left to quickly put your own items in a plastic bag to make room for the next customer.  No “bonjour”, no smile, nothing.  The other day however, I finally had a friendly encounter with the women checking me out.  As she smiled and tugged on her shirt, I believed she asked, “Où avez-vous acheté votre chemise?”  Not positive if that was exactly what she asked, I repeated while gesturing to my shirt, “where did I buy this?” She quickly realized I didn’t speak French, and even though I tried a second time in my broken French to repeat what she asked, she blushed and looked down waving her hand as if she was embarrassed for asking.  Once more I tried, “l’internet ... JCrew”.  Again interested, she repeated JCrew with an accent and I nodded.  I knew the site name would slip her mind once I walked away, so after she handed me my receipt I quickly jotted it down and handed her the note.  She smiled very appreciatively and finally for that one moment, our conversation reached of point of true understanding.  Even though I could have used more French for description, I was very pleased when she understood my note.  On my short walk home I felt excited, comfortable and at home.  With all of these new people and places, there is so much to be inspired by.