So far so good here in gay Paree. It’s pretty overwhelming, but we’ve managed to do a lot since we arrived! Setting up this blog will certainly help me not just to go through each day, but to also figure out how I can personalize this unbelievably rich and deeply contexted city.

Our apartment on ave Marceau is really beautiful, roomy and all set up; the landlord left us everything from her silver and fine china to a huge supply of linens and reading materials, not to mention full antique furnishings and a Steinway grand piano in our living room! We really couldn't have asked for anything more. I’ve gathered that this was the apartment of a well known thought leader here in France by the name of Bruno Lassato --- more on that in future blogs as I discover more about him and the history of this apartment.

I know it’s going to take a while to adjust to actually living here without feeling like a tourist with my purse continually filled with my camera, map, guidebook and the collection of postcards, programs and receipts from the daily activities. I go from feeling totally exhilarated to totally exhausted about 3x a day!

So far we’ve had some awesome meals (of course), a cocktail reception at the American Embassy for the American Universities Club where we had some nice conversations with Tufts, Columbia, Boston University and Wharton alumni in a magnificent garden setting; new memberships at the Aviation Club de France (the local Poker Club), a lively ya-ba-bam-ba Shabbat evening meal at the Chabad of Champs Elysees (coincidentally located next door to the Aviation Club!) and an awesome stroll through a ¼ mile long farmer’s market near us, where we picked up our fruit, vegetables and cheese for the week. Oh, and did I mention the name of our house assistant here is Myriam, who also speaks Spanish?

We also got a taste of Paris shopping on the rue Madeline --- a real shopper's paradise filled with people chattering away in shops, cafes, restaurants and on the steps of these magnificent buildings! No lolly gagging around this place! But we were successful in buying a printer and some other electronics armed with recommendations from Cesar, our trusty house agent. As our first experience of the business “bureaucracy” that everyone keeps talking about, we had a lot of fun --- people have been very nice, very helpful and very polite.

Tomorrow our French classes begin so hopefully my vocabulary next week will progress beyond bonjour bonsoir madame monsieur merci!