A Town Like Paris

A Town Like Paris

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
Author Bryce Corbett – wait a minute. I hesitate to even use the word “author” here. These days it seems like any jackass who can sit himself upright behind a keyboard likes to refer to himself or herself as an “author”.I wouldn’t refer to Corbett as an author – more like a blogger gone pro. Each chapter of “A Town Like Paris” reads like a long-winded blog entry, riddled with references to his friends & outings as if the reader actually cared enough to keep track of Corbett’s lifeless & bland ancillary characters.“A Town Like Paris” is an attempt at telling the story of an Australian expat living in Paris. While I am an American living expat living in France who spent more than two years living in Paris, I wondered with each turn of the page where in the hell Corbett’s Paris could be located on the map, because I had never seen the place.The...
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Fantastic Pharmacy Fun

Fantastic Pharmacy Fun

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
One thing that you can always find in Paris is a pharmacie. Any time that you're out walking around in the streets, just take a look around you & no doubt you will see the neon green cross that will guide your way toward the salvation that only prescription medicine, band aids & medicated ointments can provide.Naturally, once you get inside, it's a bit smaller than most American drug stores & it's all business in there.Perhaps you're thinking, "Well, of course it's all business...it's a damn pharmacy. What else would you do in there?"Well, here's the thing: at some American drug stores, say...like a Walgreen's, there is a lot more to do inside. You don't even have to need any prescription medication, band aids or medicated ointments to have a good time in there. Really, you don't even have to buy anything. Just peruse the aisles for something ridiculous - which you will have no problem finding - & have...
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Thankful for Pre-Packaged American Goodness

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
Last year, Olivier & I flew back to Colorado for Thanksgiving. This year, we decided that we would spend Christmas & New Year's in the U.S. & would spend Thanksgiving in France.What I always find amusing is the Americans who think that there is Thanksgiving in France. When someone asks me, "So...is there a Thanksgiving in France?" or, "What do they do for Thanksgiving in France?" I have the urge to throw books at them for being so ignorant of the history of their holidays.Yeah...American holiday. Look into it.But, I digress.Funny enough, there is Thanksgiving in Paris - among the community of Yanks that are living here. Several restaurants offer a Thanksgiving dinner as long as you've made reservations well in advance.But...I just can't do it. Really, I don't see anything wrong with eating a holiday dinner in a restaurant, but it's bad enough that my mother isn't cooking the food. I'd rather not be fed my holiday meal by...
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The Monkeys Go West

The Monkeys Go West

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
So, this past weekend, Olivier and I went to see Monkey, Journey to the West. If you have the opportunity to catch this show, I highly recommend it.The music by Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) was excellent. The animation by Jamie Hewlett (Gorillaz) was just as cool as one would expect, but the performers from China were incredible. Sword fighting, dancing and acrobats... of course, there was even a contortionist. Olivier and I were in awe throughout the entire show.Who knew that a night at the opera could be so cool?There was one small matter, though -- the entire show was in Chinese. Okay, no big deal. There were French subtitles illuminated above the stage.French?! Yeah, I got to practice my French, too. What a full night.Oh... and there are two other monkeys that will be making a trip to the west. That's right. Olivier and I will be spending Christmas in Colorado.Not only will we get to spend some time...
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