Spring in Central Park, NYC
Yes guys, i think spring is here with a little bit of a chill in the mornings quand même, but still...! The clocks changed and in the evening it's still light, even if i stay at the office until 7/8pm (yes unfortunately this has been happening recently!) Do you feel spring in the air wherever you are?
So, done lots of fun things recently which i will share with you shortly, but work has been rather a burden...it's totally normal, i knew it was going to be a challenge, as it was rather a promotion and so with a pay raise comes increased responsibility...but then this week, i found out that i replaced 2 people. Therefore, i'm technically doing the job of 2 people right now, as well as learning lots of new stuff and trying to be useful and help people out! So, after a bit of a meltdown in the office last Friday, i have OFFICIALLY hit rock bottom and guys, the only way is up, as Yazoo once sang : ) I had a super productive day in the office today, and am determined to continue this pattern - forever! (Ok, so perhaps part of my problem is that i can sometimes set myself unrealistic targets and get easily discouraged when i prove myself not to be superhuman!!!!) Just got to focus on the learning aspect of things, that is how i will become more efficient and useful to the team. I must also remember to stop and just check in with more people in the directorate...
So, fun stuff fun stuff fun stuff! Recently tested O Château, a nice wine bar on rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 1st arondissement. It can get a little pricey - but my gf and I went for the 3 wine taster (me "les bases" and Claire "pinot"), we even had a little masterclass from the waiter about our wines. We also shared a plate of charcuterie, and finished it all off with a glass of Bourgogne (red) which was divine, but at 10 euros a glass it's definitley not something you do everyday : ) Recommend this if you have friends who really like French wine!! There is another wine bar i would like to try called Verjus, David Lebovitz wrote about it here.
(On the same street, we also noted a restaurant called Fred and Ginger - love the name and interested to try it, especially after hearing that it is Chinese food.)
We followed our wine-tasting moment with something equally select - cocktails at can you guess where? Read what Time-Out has to say, and then go (if you happen to be in Paris, although there is also one in London!) Finished with some dancing and champagne at chachaclub!
Something i have not done, but would like to do with JB before it finishes in August, is the Tim Burton expo at La Cinémathèque - but if you are thinking of going, I believe it would be wise to buy your tickets beforehand, as when we rocked up impromptu style the queue was enormous and the wait around 3 hours...we obviously didn't stick around!!
Had a SUPER FUN dinner at Chez Gladines, with JB and 2 other couples (the girls I work with at the OECD). If you don't know this restaurant, you really should try it out. The food is fantastic, the ambiance is great and it is CHEAP as chips: for example, 3 bottles of wine, a shared starter, a huge salad and then dessert and we were only 20 euros out of pocket at the end of it all. Check out some more info on the restaurant here. They don't take reservations, nor credit cards, and you can no longer drink in the street, but Butte aux Cailles is JUST around the corner, so you can give your name for a table then go have an apéritif, tranquille : ) Came back to the apartment after, had champagne, wine, and discovered some fine comedy courtesy of Ireland, New Zealand and America, as well as England of course. Hearty laughs all round! Click on the countries to give yourself a giggle!!!
Game of Thrones is back people!!! Just about to watch the first episode of the 2nd season. Kinda sad Ned Stark is no longer there ( a.k.a. Sean Bean ) but he was too trusting of people. Is it just me, or is his wife really annoying?! Need some positive female representation in tv shows, because The Walking Dead was AWFUL at that!!!!! Pffffffff! I'm off for now, just one final word. Pinterest, i'm totally addicted again. If you have an account, you can find me here, so feel free to follow and share your pins : )
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