Balance for 2011

My keychain I got the first day I was on my own in Paris.
Helps to remind me that no matter what things may go wrong,
I have the ability to deal with it.

A new year means a fresh start. A time to reflect on the past and to determine goals we have for ourselves for the future. I found the following on the Dalai Lama's facebook page, and it has helped me put my life into prospective when times get dark. Striving towards this state of mind is my new resolution. I hope you enjoy his reflections, and may it bring you peace in 2011. 

At a fundamental level, as human beings, we are all the same; each one of us aspires to happiness and each one of us does not wish to suffer. This is why, whenever I have the opportunity, I try to draw people's attention to what as members of the human family we have in common and the deeply interconnected nature of our existence and welfare.

Winter wonderland in Amsterdam

In De Waag Restaurant at the Nieuwmarket - right across
the street from our house! 

Part of surviving expat living is to every now and then leave the country you are residing. I needed a reminder that even though my French is not perfect, at least it is a lot better than my Dutch. My boyfriend and I just returned from our winter holiday in Amsterdam, and I completely fell in love with the city. As a SoCal girl, I am used to the crazy scene of Las Vegas and thus had it in my head that Amsterdam was the European version of Vegas. In fact I couldn't have been more wrong; sure it is probably one of the more liberal cities in the world, but it has a ton of history and the canals weaving through the city are gorgeous. I am a firm believer that everyone should visit Amsterdam, and wanted to pass along some of the highlights of the trip.

Our room at the Double Dutch Guest House

DAY 1: Arrive at Amsterdam any way you can - boat, plane, train, car, walk if you must. From Paris, Amsterdam is a little under 4 hours (depending on whether there is ice on the rails). We arrived at Central Station, which was about a 10 minute walk from the Double Dutch Guest House we stayed at. The guest house is owned by the Barengay Bed and Breakfast, but instead of serving breakfast the guest house provides a kitchen to use for the duration of your stay. I have to be a little critical of the kitchen, as it was missing some vital equipment (oven, colander, vegetable peeler, etc). I was interested it making dinner each night, so it did make it difficult to try some baked Dutch cuisine or even pasta, so we just had to stick to simple stuff. However the room was very comfortable and the live-in cat made the place very homey. Everything was pretty much walking distance from where we were staying and I thought the area was very accessible. 

DAY 2: Get oriented on a canal tour. Sure, as an honorary Parisian I snicker when I see those Paris bus tours driving by, yet the first couple days you are traveling to a different city a guided tour is very helpful to get to know the area. Plus the tour allowed us to explore the canal system, so really you can't go wrong.

After the canal tour, we made our way to the Van Gogh museum. I love impressionist art thanks to the d'Orsay Museum in Paris, so I was pretty stoked to go. The museum was on the other side of the city, so we took our time walking there and exploring the back streets. I even came across a big English bookstore, which I thoroughly enjoyed walking through as I haven't seen any large bookstores in France. We took a detour through the flower market and wandered around some of the cute  alleyways to search for holiday gifts. We finally made it to the museum, which has the largest collection of Van Gogh's work. The museum is organized very well, making it small enough not to be overwhelming but definitely leaves you feeling soaked enough with Van Gogh's bright paint strokes. 

DAY 3: In continuing with our artsy trend, we went to the Rembrandt Museum which was about a 7 minute walk from our house. The museum is actually the house where he used to live, and the museum did its best to restore the house to its original state to recreate the life of an art entrepreneur.

To change up the tone of the trip, we headed over to the Heineken Experience. Here we learned how the beer was made along with the history that was rooted in the Netherlands. The tour came with a tasting of their beer, which was an interesting comparison to my normal wine tastings. We went to the nearby Hard Rock Cafe for a late lunch, which was great to satisfy my American food craving.

DAY 4: We made our way to the Botanical Garden and Artis Zoo, which were both pretty close to each other. It was snowing when we went, as we seem to like going to the zoo in the worst possible weather (flash back to the time we went to the San Diego Zoo in the pouring rain...). Lucky at both places there were a lot of things to do inside, and it was nice to be surrounded by and cacti while watching the snow out the window. I admit the parks were beautiful in the snow, but the wind made walking around a little too cold for my liking. Would only recommend doing this in the winter if you have really, really warm shoes.

Palm trees safe from the snow

Snow monkeys!

They looked really cold. 

Unfortunately Florian started to come down with a cold, so the rest of the next day we stayed at the house until we left for Paris. Still, the trip with him was amazing and it was nice for both of us to discover a different country together. As I got off the train and headed back to the metro, there was no doubt that for all its benefits and flaws Paris is definitely home. I am thankful I had the little get away as a reminder. 

Worthy and Unworthy Leaks

Photo source: http://wikileaks.ch

I have been in a mild state of panic for the entire day for two reasons. One, my thesis proposal was up for review... I got a 3 to 1 vote for a pass, although unfortunately it must be an unanimous vote. So I have a not pass until I make some minor revisions. However, my state of panic is more to do with the second aspect of my actual thesis - Wikileaks. I have been following the scandal closely since Wikileaks released the war diaries over the summer, and I developed a theory based on the propaganda model that new media is making governments more accountable as they are no longer the basic source for media outlets. I handed in my proposal two weeks ago, days before the third and most "scandalous" leak.

I was working for my internship during the time of the first leak, and I remember spending the day writing the breaking news of the biggest military leak in history. That was, until the second biggest leak hit with the Iraq War Diaries.  Wikileaks learned from its first major leak, so for the second round they made it user-friendly to search through the military reports. Through my preliminary searches, it was clear the extend of blatant war crimes were committed. Literally thousands of files with categorized under "murder" and "classified." There are cases which contain of hundreds of civilian casualties. From 2004 to 2009 at least, we let our government cover up many horrible actions of war.

Now, what really annoys me is in comparison, the third leak is considered more of a disaster, because it targets the elites. This last leak isn't about crimes against humanity, but rather the dirty side of diplomacy, which to me just seems like high school on a larger scale. From what I've read, it is more situational facts and personal opinions of world leaders. And this is what gets people up in arms? This is finally what makes the US shut down world-wide Wikileaks servers? Thousands of people dying due to a poorly organized war is ok, but god forbid we release snide remarks that US diplomats say?

I'm am equally understanding and disappointed in my government. Anyone who has ever studied US foreign policy knows that the machine is not simple. It is all too easy to blame the "US" for this policy, for that statement, almost like you were blaming a single person. In reality the US is high bureaucratic, highly messy, and there is not a single entity that can control the entire system. When the war on terror started back in 2001, the US had to respond. There were emotions, a need for the US to seek revenge and prove itself to the international community. Anybody was susceptible to make the mistakes Bush made. While Bush has a hand in starting the war machine, not even he could control the entire war once it was set in motion. Even now, Obama can only do so much; there is no off button that can be pushed by a single finger, its too simplistic. So yes, US government, I understand the mistakes that were made. Yet I think this type of transparency came almost too late, as maybe seeing the inside of the machine could have helped to break up the group think that was strong during the Bush administration.

I believe that the Afghan and Iraq Diaries are of much more substance than the diplomatic cable link, in that it shows how damaging the US has become in this war. There is an opportunity for change, and an opportunity to hold the US accountable for all the crimes that were not brought to justice. However, the victims of these crimes are seen as unworthy, both for US and public response. When the victim is the US airing its dirty laundry (mind you every other country probably has similar items in their own closets) then that is apparently a bigger violation.

Surviving a Parisian Winter

At heart I am a California girl. I love walking on the sand with my shoes off, in a tank top eating gelato. Thus winter is especially harsh when you know that somewhere in the world it is warm and sunny. I imagine it is the same for alcoholics who rationalize it is happy hour five time zones away. This year, surprisingly, is the first Parisian winter in four years that I'm not completely curled up under my sheets in the fetal position refusing the fact I am not a bear and can't just hibernate through the winter. As humans it is all too easy to internalize the outside world to reflect our own mood, which currently is cold, gray, with a chance of snow. As adults, we are in charge for taking care of our state of mind and maintaining a positive attitude. This is an on going process, but I believe it makes you a better person and helps spread a little happiness to others who are feeling...cold. So after a few winters in Paris of trail and error, I'm revealing my strategies for surviving winter:

Sinse practicing some yoga moves. 

Keep moving. Winter is notorious for wanting to stay inside and refusing fun activities. I get it, it takes about 10 minutes to bundle up, and after that you are still cold. I used to think that winter was really nice and pretty from the inside. Unfortunately winter doesn't last a few days, but over months. Staying inside because of winter is not a valid excuse, because we need to move to feel healthy and good about ourselves. This is the time to find out want type of activity you enjoy doing, and then do it. If you enjoy randomly walking around the streets of Paris or strolling at museums, go for it. There are also tons of swimming pools and gyms around Paris as well, and this is the perfect season to start going.

Yoga is my thing, so when I first came to France I went to the Centre de Yoga du Marias. Classes are in both English and French, but just make sure to make a reservation before you go as space was limited! I also had a gym membership at Les Cercles de la Forme, which was a little pricey but it included all the gym equipment plus unlimited access to their fitness classes (The one by Bastille has a McDonald's right below, so I always got a kick out of the irony). For now, I am back to yoga at Be Yoga as I think it is the perfect activity to keep up a positive outlook during the gray months. The studio is a decent size and the atmosphere is great.

Three furry friends? 

Stay warm, in style. The ongoing battle between fashion and warmth is myth. In Paris, it really comes down to having a good coat and pair of boots. For the coat, I'd recommend getting a durable down jacket in a neutral color, as personally I think down jackets don't look good when they are too bright. Preferably with a hood so you won't have to worry about getting caught in the rain, and a belt on it to give the jacket more of a form. Boots have been a sanity saver for me, as putting on a high heel shoes helps to lift the spirits a bit. Just make sure to also buy something to protect the boots from the weather, and even have a more durable but cute pair of rain boots around in case there is salt on the sidewalks.

In short, invest in a good set of winter clothes that also keeps you warm but makes you feel amazing. My neighbor bought a few cashmere sweaters as her sanity saver. Seems a little difficult when money is tight, but BrandAlly has an outlet section on their website which has some good sales on nice winter clothes.

Eat right. Winter makes us want to eat more hearty foods...think raclette, pot-au-feu, Tartiflette, and anything else with cheese, ham, and potatoes. The holiday season also brings a plethora of of festive food which tempts us to feel guilty about indulging. I think it is important to enjoy eating with friends and family without the guilt. It's not like we are eating foie gras and chocolate everyday, it's pretty much an annual thing. It's about maintaining balance, not avoidance. Soup and a slice or two of wholegrain bread is a great counter balance meal and all you need is a handheld mixer. Just boil a bunch of veggies and spices, mix, and you have a batch of soup for 4 to 5 days. Really, really easy. Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat, has been one of my idols in this domain. She also wrote French Women For All Seasons, which is a great book for how to eat healthy during the colder months. She recently wrote an article on eating during the holidays which is worth reading.

Take vitamins too!!!! This is cold season, so make sure to keep your immunity up and especially start taking some vitamins as soon as you feel a scratch in your throat. Usually I have been able to fight off getting sick before it really sets in...

Take a break. Summer vacations seem so far away, and most of us are starting to get burned out from the day-to-day routine. Now is the perfect time to treat yourself nicely and plan something you can look forward to. This can be anything, from planning a nice time out with friends, a family dinner party, or a nice massage for yourself. Depends on what you really need to unwind. For me, I am starting to feel a burn out of my life in France. I absolutely love my life here, although the language is challenging for me and I am starting to feel myself pull away from putting myself in situation where speaking is necessary. I need a break from the country, so I'm leaving to go to Amsterdam for 5 days to get a change of pace and reset myself.  Traveling is such a positive experience, and I always come back happy to be home. I didn't use SmartBox this time around, but I know they have some good packages if you are looking to get away for a night or two.

Focus on the positive. There are certain things that only come around during winter time, and acknowledge and be thankful you can have the experience. Oyster bars are big around this time of year, so if that is your thing then not much is better than going out with friends for oysters and a glass of wine. There are the decorations, the Christmas markets, the ice rink in front of Hotel-De-Ville, etc. The last few days it has actually been snowing in Paris, and just enjoying the snow fall is something I truly enjoy watching this time of year.

Tradition meets stereotype: BBQ Turkey Recipe

This year marks the forth year I have not been home for the holiday season. I'm talking about the three month span from October to January. The first three years I missed the changes in the store windows, from back to school to ghosts and goblins to turkeys to Christmas lights. There is something about the decorations, the family time, the culture back home that makes those months difficult to be an expat. The weird thing though with this year, is that sting has dimmed over time. It would be nice to be back during those specific holidays, but I don't really wish to be anywhere else at the moment.

Thanksgiving is a week from today. Normally I would be running around Paris trying to find a turkey weeks in advance so I could get my hands on one, and fretting about how I'm going to find yams. This year not so much; I'm helping out with a potluck at my school, but it's not as much about the holiday as it is about enjoying a school gathering. You got to admit though, having Thanksgiving in a country that knows how to appreciate food isn't too bad.

However, I can still look around for ways to cook a turkey. Nothing says American Thanksgiving like a BBQ turkey. Maybe next year when I have enough space for a barbecue...

Introduction to the Rose and the Vine

The Rose and the Vine is a reflection of what my interests are in Paris, so as such I feel I must explain myself in order to explain the purpose of this blog:

I am currently a graduate student in International Relations in Paris, with a focus on how new media influences the dynamics of politics. I am working currently working on my thesis which concerns how the Wikileaks blog is affecting democracy, thus creating my own blog seems to be the perfect researching tool.  I'm looking into going into a journalism career path, so this blog will also be used to reflect my voice as a writer. 

I studied abroad in Paris in 2007 for a semester, and as soon as a graduated UCI in 2008 I moved here indefinitely with my French boyfriend and my bipolar cat. 

I love amazing food and amazing wine. France is the perfect place to refine these interests, and it amazes me how this country can continue to inspire me. Cooking can be a daily nag and its easy to feel like it is a chore, but I do my best to find inspiration.

So I am an expat, a young professional interested in public relations and the press, a girlfriend, a foodie, and an academic. I hope to have this blog reflect these eclectic interests, ranging from reviews of fashion, cooking, politics, and what ever else may be of interest in Paris.