Updating isn't easy when you're behind...

My travel duck! I bought her in a cute little toy shop with Nicole.

...  Yeah.  Don't get me wrong: I really like blogging.  It's just that I find it hard to update when I get far behind on my updates.  I pretty much took two weeks off from sending group emails (if I had kept it going weekly, as I hoped, I'd be up to 7 now, not 5), and since I had intentions of eventually catching up here and adding in more details about what I discussed in those emails...  Eh.  Everything just got backed up.

The last two weeks have definitely been busy... and expensive.  I had my group trip to Normandy and Bretagne (Brittany) and that was awesome.  Everything was beautiful, and I had a lot of good food.  I'm not kidding when I say that the food is half the experience--it's probably more than half, in fact.  I'm attempting to take pictures of all the food that I get, but sometimes I am halfway done eating before I remember to get my camera out.  Oops!

Nicole and her family (her brother and mother, anyway) visited London and then came to Paris to see me.  To see one of my best friends from back home while being so far away was really nice.  I stayed in the hotel with them for one night, which was a VERY welcome break from the noisy building I unfortunately live in.

Delightful.

We went to an American-style diner called Breakfast in America (also known as B.I.A.), where we indulged in American comfort foods, basically.  I say "comfort" in the sense that, OMG I MISSED FLUFFY PANCAKES FROM THE US.  We actually went to the diner two nights in a row--because it's that good.  The first night I had breakfast, because the opportunity to have pancakes that AREN'T crêpes (although I love 'em) is one that must be taken whenever possible.  I got an omelet with delicious home fries (I'm a potato-lovin' girl), and a pancake on the side.  Yes... that is weird, to order one on the side, after I made such a big deal out of them... but once I saw the omelets on the menu, I couldn't resist and I had to choose.  I'm glad I got both.  ;D  I had hot chocolate to drink and it was also very good.  Up until that point I had yet to have any particularly satisfying hot chocolate here, believe it or not--not that it doesn't exist, I'm just too lazy/cheap to go out and find it.

Priceless.

Something worth mentioning: at B.I.A., you toast your own toast.  They have little toasters at every table so that you can make it just the way you like it. :)

omelet with cheese & home fries

The next night, we were wondering about food options, since I had class for most of the day.  I went to class in the morning, then back to the hotel afterward, and we had lunch at a Franco-Italian restaurant (in which I attempted to order in French and then the waiter made Nicole and Michelle do the same... even though they don't know any French--sorry; my bad... ha ha).  I had a delicious meal of pasta with broccoli and garlic--a very winning combination in my book.  After that, I had to go to another class, and once I was finished, I met up with them again.  We decided to go to B.I.A. again for dinner, because, well...  Why not?  I got a more dinner-appropriate meal and enjoyed it thoroughly.  We all split nachos with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole (in FRANCE), and I ordered a California-style chicken wrap with avocado, lettuce, tomato, cheese, ranch dressing, and joy.  Yes, JOY.  It came with fries, which were also very good.  I had fresh-squeezed orange juice to drink.  I can't resist getting that when it's available, ever since I had it the first full day here at a group breakfast.  It didn't disappoint.  For someone who claimed to not like orange juice, this is an interesting change in preference.

Can I have more?

...  I love talking about food here.  Have you noticed?

Being on a budget definitely makes food more important.  I have to find ways to be thrifty, but also smart as a consumer--cheaper is better, but I want food that will last a while, particularly without refrigeration.  Now that it's getting a little warmer, I can't leave as much out on my windowsill.  I hate using the fridge in my shared kitchen because of theft--someone has been stealing again.  Seriously--I saved money for months over the summer so that I would have some money for necessities when I got here, and my mom helps to provide whatever else I need.  I did NOT save that money so that some inconsiderate jerk could take my limited-budget groceries from me.

So, when I am hungry, I try to take care of myself.  If I'm out and I order food, I make sure that I finish it.  I paid for it, and I'm not letting it go to waste!  If someone offers to share what they have, heck, I'm not gonna argue.  Free is awesome.