It's Been Long Enough!

I'm so sorry for slacking on the blog writing!!  The last 2 weeks of my life have been pure madness, but I wouldn't have traded any second of it!  So as you know, I am now not only a nanny in Paris, but also a cook/waitress/hostess/etc at a wonderfully delicious restaurant.  I have been working for the restaurant for the last 2 weeks, and I think it is time for some updates about how it's going. 

First I will say above anything that it has been truly amazing.  Meeting new people, improving my French, cooking, all while having the time of my life.  Because of my nanny schedule, I was working mornings at the restaurant in order to be off in time to pick up the kids.  I arrived at 9am every morning to Paris's Centre Pompidou, the location of the film festival and the site of our makeshift kitchen.  The morning began with me, my boss Amaury (26 yr old owner of this restaurant...gives me hope!), and his best friend Sebastian, who took a week off of his "grown up job" to work here and help his friend.  Together we made all the bagel sandwiches, all the fruit cups, all the muesli cups, the tisane (tea), stocked the fridge, displayed the food, and heated the soup and veggies for the warm dishes we served.  The event started at 11am, so from 11-12 we became baristas, making expresso's, cafe au lait's, cafe alkonge's, etc.  Around noon is when people really began ordering food, so my job was to prepare the food for those orders, since I didn't really speak great French.  However, after 2 days working there, and when faced with a huge rush of people, it is amazing how naturally the language came to me when it needed to.  From then on I began taking orders, asking questions, and explaining dishes to all the customers, EN FRANCAIS!  I did it!  I was understanding and speaking French just like my fellow French coworkers!  Ok, not just like them, but I could hold my own, and I got the point across, that's all that matters!  Literally I learned more French, and became more comfortable speaking French, in the last 2 weeks at the restaurant than I have my first 6 months in Paris at language school.  So, needless to say I decided to drop out of language school, save myself a lot of money, and learn more French with a different approach.  I think it will turn out splendidly. 

There is a catch, however.  A misunderstanding led me to believe I would be hired on full time to work at the actual restaurant after the film festival, but apparently that's not the case.  There is still a good chance for me to work there, but at this point they really don't NEED anymore people, and if they were going to hire and train someone to work there, they would want that person to commit to more than just the 4 months that I can, since I am leaving Paris at the end of July.  This has led me to question a few things, namely staying in Paris.  My visa expires on August 27, so I definitely have to be out by then, but I am highly considering moving back to Paris for a while after Christmas.  I could work in the restaurant and gain more experience in this field, improve my French, and build on the relationships I have already made with so many people in this wonderful city.  I feel like it is an opportunity I couldn't pass up.  That being said, my mind is certainly not made up, and it's also not set in Paris, though currently this is the ideal location.  I'm 22, I have my whole life ahead of me, why not live in the moment and experience the world while I can, because this is the only time in my life where I will have this much freedom to do as I choose.  It also doesn't hurt that Jaimie is likely also staying in Europe next year, as she will be moving to Rotterdam, Netherlands to be with her boyfriend (one of the guys we couchsurfed with in Amsterdam!! "matchmaker matchmaker make me a match!")

Anyways, this is what has been on my mind lately, and with the wonderful family I was placed with, the wonderful opportunity I have working at Bob's, and the wonderful city I have been lucky enough to call home, who can blame me for never wanting it to end?


Here is a little preview of all of our fun and hard work at the festival!

Awesome people. Awesome coworkers. Awesome chefs.  Amaury and Sebastian....and of course awesome food!!!

Our beautiful displays...and Sebastian.

Beautiful and Delicious bagels, product of our handiwork.

Futomaki!!  Like sushi, minus the fish.  Cucumber, mango, ginger, delicious.

One more thing I should mention is that last night was the employee appreciation night for all Bob's Juice Bar staff.  Lucky me, I was included in the festivities!  They happened to plan my ideal summer night in Paris, and the weather was so great that it actually felt like a summer night!  We met on the banks of the canal, a block from my house, drank wine, ate pizza, and got to know each other outside of the work environment.  Working in a kitchen, we definitely don't show up to work looking our best..crap clothes, hair up, minimal makeup, we just don't care.  But going out like this, it was nice to see people in a different element!  The event was supposed to only last until 9:30pm, but when people started leaving, I check my watch and it was 11:30!  It was so great getting to meet so many of the staff at the restaurant and making a bunch of new friends here in Paris.  The staff here represents all countries, languages, and ethnicity's, French being the minority!  We had people there from Morocco, Sweden, Denmark, USA, Australia, China, Germany, and the UK.  Yet another reason why I want to work there.  After the party dissipated, me, Amaury, Sebastian, and another coworker from the film festival, Marie, decided to go out to a bar in the neighborhood.  They just so happen to be the only 3 French people in the bunch, so having a night out with them was so great!  It was a wonderful night and a wonderful experience and I hope it continues until July and beyond!