Day five
From the moment I woke up this morning I knew it was going to be a good day.
My schedule was simple.
1. Go to immigration for 9am
2. 2. Get my jacket down the road from immigration
3. Roam Chatelet
How easy and pleasurable.
But trust me; I got carried away on this laptop and YouTube! Watching endless Jennifer Hudson Videos and Bryon Cage and American Idol generally! I almost start running late! I rush to leave the cubicle for 8:20 or so and barely make it to Bastille in time for my 9am appointment.
So I queue and wait my turn and show my documents to signify that I was here for the appointment and the lady takes a look at them and returns that back to me and shows me that my appointment for medicals is for the 25th not the 15th! Gosh!!! Me and my hot blood! Why didn’t I read the paper properly!
Anyways I go down the road to the shop were my Jacket was still patiently waiting for me…as it was on sale…I was worried someone would have picked it; but I forgot that Paris is not Lagos where even Iya Ruka must open as the dawn breaks…here 11am up that’s when they open and they even take break for an hour and close the shop at 2pm sometimes sef! So, I wander but not aimlessly; but in the midst of my innocent wandering…I fall victim to the crepe bar, a (bakery) an apple at a super market and a minute maid! Eventually the shop opens and I am literally their first customer! As I watch them pull up the gbogbo e sef. Anyhow I buy my jacket and I feel Parislised!
On my way out I decide to look at another side of Bastille and wow was I in awe! Shop after shop, edifice after edifice and so on then at about 9.30am it occurs to me that I didn’t turn off the heater at home and that I booked a 10am meeting with a lady at my school! Gosh!
So I rush off to my school and on my arrival I meet with another lady instead of Mrs Consavela who took me round and I didn’t know when I had whipped out my BB to start taking pictures of my school! I asked all the questions I needed to ask and glared in awe at the kitchens I was going to be learning in and beginning my professional life as a chef…*tears* lol!
After school I rush home to turn off my heater and drop my excess baggage and decide to stay in.
BTW I now know the secret of French people and why they are not fat…..yes they don’t diet evidently as their only diet is carbs and fat! Yes from croissants to macaroons, ice-cream to crepes, cold fatty meats, endless assortments of breads and sorry I'm forgetting the copious amount of cheese!
So what their secret….
Them sabi waka!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even with the era of MacDonalds in Paris…nobody’s obese!
Did I mention Paris is beautiful?!!!!!! I feel sorry for the enter key on My BB surprised it hasn’t given way and fallen out yet…I’ve taken like a million pictures now!
I'm sleepy now….
God bless my family….
Bonne Huit
WEDNESDAY MARCH 16 2010
Today was in one word…GREAT!
When I woke up this morning I first forget then remember I was going to see Eric and join the class in his cooking school today. With some measure of excitement I drag myself out of bed and realize that its almost 11am! *sigh* (Eric by the way is Yetunde Osodi-Fraedeau’s husband…Aunty Moni Fagbemi hook ups.. )
But of course in true Gbubemi-Style I settle in front of my laptop and waste small time and eventually see I'm running late and rush in and out of my bathroom and head out to the 18th.
Finding Eric’s school wasn’t so difficult thanks to my map but it was still challenging cos I'm new in Paris and don’t know the ropes well ke!
I arrive at school at say 12:40pm and find out it’s actually a tourist cooking school (it’s called COOK’N WITH CLASS by the way) and it’s just for 4-6 people per class
My My did I have a blast!!!!!!!!! I had a free three course meal, the best wine, cheese and dreamy crème brulee
In fact the menu’s below
SCALLOPS AND MUSSELS WITH A SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE
CELERIAC AND POTATO MASH WITH A PORK TENDERLOIN ROULADE SERVED WITH A COCKTAIL GLASS OF JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE PUREE
PLATTER OF ASSORTED CHEESE AND COLD MEAT
CRÈME BRULEE
FLOWING WHITE WINE
Now see why I said today was great!
In the class apart from the free food and lessons I had received, I met some Americans I found interesting. First I would talk about Katrina who was a beautiful 22 year old girl that reminded me of my cousin Taiye. This girl speaks four languages, French, Spanish, Italian and is learning German! She is running her Master’s program in Electrical Engineering and had worked in Paris, Disney to be precise. She’s also worked in Milan, Germany and is going to do her PHD right after! And she’s only 22!!!!!! Gosh!
Her mother Martha was also very pretty and she was so intrigued by a young boy from Nigeria that came to Paris to pursue a cooking career at Cordon Bleu! But she now dulled by asking if we speak English in Nigeria?! With a look that wondered if I was telling the truth if I was Nigerian or not! In my mind I was like “THIS WOMAN YOU CHOP CRASE?! ABI U SMOKE LALA?! Y U CON DEY TRY TO DEY SOAP MY PPLE?! WETIN DEY WORRY U SEF?! NO BI ENGLISH I DEY TOK?!” but what escaped my lips was “ of course we speak English” with a smile that hid the volcanic lava boiling in my belly!
Then there was Theresa and her husband Pete. Theresa who is a specialist nurse in the ICU, she also has so many degrees and is just good at what she does and talks a lot! Her husband Pete was the opposite. He sat and only ate and hardly said anything. But when he heard I was Nigerian he spoke up and said his first roommate in University was a Yinka Akande who he even took home for Thanksgiving. They also told us stories of their son who’s in the military in Afghanistan and how they hadn’t heard from him in five months! And the one time he called a bomb went off while they were talking to him! Gosh!
When we asked them how they deal with this they answered that they had come to learn to live with it.
Also on the Nigeria note, when I proudly brought up the fact that they should all come to Nigeria at a time, like they planned it, they all chorused “IS IT SAFE?” with a layer of fear and apprehension on their faces! At that point I had milliseconds to think of the right thing to say.
The following ran through my mind
1. Ah! Will I not rep my country?!
2. I know the truth we not get better police o!
3. But it’s not that bad now? Even for Yankee, person dey enter school shoot one whole class na!
But my answer was thus “Oh it is, but some parts aren’t, but if you know someone it makes it better, and you should only go to Lagos, Calabar and Abuja” with a smile I forced with the hope it was assuring enough for them to even give Nigeria a thought in their minds! I also added that Fashola was really making Lagos awesome and how Abuja was just really awesome too and how Calabar had mountains and real tourism tins…all this lobbying in the bid to somewhat reassure them that Nigeria is a safe country..omo after my speech Jonathan suppose gimme special adviser to France ke!
Then South Africa came up and their crime issue and trust me I was quick to point out how high their crime rate was and even Pete concurred and pointed out how towards the World Cup they had even ordered the police to shoot on site…Sorry S.A…I be Naija 4 Life! I had to make you look bad for my dilapidating country to have some form of goodness..sorry!
Moreover, on the food note, as a Nigerian boy I would have loved some spice mehn! Oyibo no dey feel seasoning! Na small salt and black pepper! Me I was like I need some garlic and some more salt at least! But I had to tell myself the following
1. Gbubemi it is free food! Awuf no dey complain
2. This is the style of cusine I'm going to learn and when u master it…spice it and change it all you want!
3. Till then …SHUT UP AND EAT!
Oh! I'm almost forgetting to talk about our teacher PINO!
Hes just the best teacher in the world! He made cooking so easy to do and pleasurable to do! And he not
only was interested in our cooking abilities but in us as people generally and he told us a bit about himself how he hails from Italian and French heritage and started out as a chef in France then New York and moved back to Paris to teach as he got tired from restaurant and catering business.
Anyways at 3pm we rounded up and another class…actually a test run class of cake decorating taught by a cute Australian lady (whose name I can’t remember now). The class went on till 7:30pm but I had to go… I was getting cold and needed to get to FNAC to check out their camera deals.
So arriving the Champs Elyeese rising out of the Metro I was welcomed by sheer awesomeness! I take my hat off again for the Parisians! They town is over killing it! So I eventually find where I was going to and look intricately at the deals but still I decide not to purchase in a rush and instead check out some deals from Yankee since Taiye was coming in a bit.
Arriving home I come to terms with my tiredness and fix myself a cuppa tea and dwindle at my laptop searching Bestbuy, Amazon and circuit city for the best deals…I decide to go with a Canon semi-SLR from Amazon. It costs quite a bit but I'm looking at it as an investment and not just another camera.
So mail the link to Taiye who replies that I should pray her luggage doesn’t get missing this time around! I should beg her to carry it on her neck sef! At least she can be lost by the Airline na! LOL!
Oh well it’s like 1am in the morning and I'm still wide awake…why?
I need to keep the faith by the way I am slipping…! Lord keep me! I need to be Holy focus beacause Paris is a gift and a curse too! It take s God to remain Holy in this town…and I think when your “free” generally! The opportunity to sin is so free! And there no one to warn to scold you! But I know I have God’s In-Dwelling presence! I messed up a bit but God has made me realize even that I am dead to sin! So I'm here to live life to the fullest and not in fear of sin!!!!!! HALLELUJAH!
So to all my family members that allowed God to use them to make Paris a reality…God bless u!
I'm not overtly missing you guys yet but…I love u all!
Bonne Huit
THURSDAY MARCH 18 2010
Before I write anything down I would love to salute the founding fathers of Paris or whoever was in charge of their architecture and their city planning even if they millions of feet below the earth and are the in world beyond…I would love to Thank them for leaving behind such wonders.
Secondly, I don’t care whether it’s my cousin Toun’s Nikon SLR, Uncle Ade Shonubi’s SLR, Sumi-Smart-Cole’s Camera, Dave LaChapelle’s Entourage of cameras, TY Bello’s millions mega pixel gadget, or even the most expensive $10,000 digital camera with all the works or maybe just my not-so-bad BB camera….NOTHING!…I REPEAT NOTHING! Can capture and justify the beautifulness of Paris, nothing cant contain it captivation, nothing can fully grasp it’s majesty expect….your eyes and your mind.
With that being said…to The Taiwo Kamsoons and the Toun Okunnus of this world who have their cameras as their Siamese twins joined at the bag and hands please still go with your camera. At least the camera still serves as a somewhat tangible reminder and can at least give people who weren’t with you a glimpse of the awesomeness you experienced live! And it helps with the reminiscing too!
With that being said,
When I managed to prise my eyes apart this morning I glance at the clock on my Wi-Fi box…12:02pm in my mind I scream “GOSH!!! WHAT AM I DOING IN BED AT THIS TIME SO LATE” but physically I was near paralyzed on my bed, drowsy to bits…like I was a tranquilized elephant! I manage to force myself up from my sofa bed and pay a bit and start trying to figure what I was supposed to be doing today.
But I sit in front of my computer for a bit…dabble up and down the internet whilst multitasking in my brain my plan for the day. So in my subconscious I agree with myself to do some more random walking and touring and I decide to go to Palais Royal Musee Lourve. That’s the museum I always pass but never stopped to look. So I get out of the house for like 2pm and briskly walk to catch a train and I was Musee Lourve Bound.
Let me point out something now, since I had been touring Paris in my own little way, I had seen beautiful buildings and unbelievable edifices but nothing I had seen prepared me for Musee Rivoli Lourve.
Rising out of the metro I come to the face of Palais Royal and the Museum I ask a random man how much it was to go in and he mercifully spoke a level of tolerable English and explained to me it was even free on the first Sundays of each month and nothing more than 10 Euros to get in… so excited I go in and I had not even gotten underground of the museum but I had to consciously use my hand to close my mouth because it was ajar in awe of the history and grandeur my eyes were beholding. I got into just the open space that had other buildings which I can’t remember their names but it was beautiful! Kai! Beautiful is even doing the building sooo much injustice as an expression! But oh well…BEAUTIFUL!
After my glimpse of heaven on earth, I venture towards nowhere…yes nowhere…I was first trying to figure out how to get to Chatelet from there but evidently got lost…but you see in Paris and in civilized countries generally you really don’t get lost do you…so I just walk because I know I would soon see a train or link a landmark or something…
I come across more structures that defied the frontiers of architecture and yes my trusty BB was always out and clicking away! People in Paris are nice! They all waited for me to take pics or they would go under…make I try that one for Onipanu bustop if my phone no go miss! Tok of bend down dey wait for me make I take picture! LOL!
After so much globetrotting my feet start to signal that they are tired and my stomach protested too. So I decide not to argue and start looking for the closest station and head home.
So I'm home in like 15mins and I drink like a whole bottle of lemon water and stay up again at my computer skyping with Alero and talking to Taiye on the phone and sorting out my camera stuff! Doing all this till I'm tired enough to sleep.
All in all I'm I realized I'm very blessed to have this experience. This is not London or something. Its Paris.
God bless all my family members…Grandpa I have never loved u more! All my aunties and all my cousins that gave me your $100 and 20k here and there…God bless u!
Bonne Nuit
Friday 19th March 2010, Vendredi 19th Marche 2010
I forgot to mention in my previous write up that the weather is sure getting better. It was so warm yesterday I cud walk with my feet on the tiled floor and could go out in a T- Shirt! Today was even warmer!
Today was a supposed to be a well organized day till I decided to do some unplanned house searching as I have to move out of this box soon! So I call my friend Marcus to come help me speak French to the local immobile in my area he mercifully sacrifices his time from the train station on his way home to come down to my end to assist me with some communication! The lady tells us that she only has a place outside Paris that is available for only a girl but she’s willing to talk to the mother to allow me rent it. But sincerely I smell trouble…and I hear French woman trouble makes Nigerian women look like child’s play! But oh well she promised me to find somewhere though.
I return home with some stuff I got from the market near me…some bread, apples, herbs, milk and sesame oil for some stir fries!
Then I do some serious searching on ParisAttitude.com and find so many awesome offers which I should use them in the first place! Hmm I know better now…let me not be too hard on myself! So I mail the Clemmence lady about my choices. Then my Dad calls to check up on me and in the middle tells his usual 1967 gist of Paris and if this and that still exists…*sighs* love daddy! Lol!
So I check the time and see that 2:30 was approaching and I remember I said I was going to figure out how to get to Taiye’s Hotel and school by foot because I had seen it on the map that I could sort of walk to school. So I grab my jacket and muffler and I am Rue Vaugirard Bound!
So I'm following my map and trying to obey it like it was my GPS system to a hidden treasure! O the way I discover that a gracious edifice was under my nose all along…THE PANETHON! OLUWA!!!!! KAI! Grand is an understatement! It was so out of this world I let it all out…WOW! In quite and audible tone..i couldn’t hide my razzness! I couldn’t contain my dumbfoundness! Well the pictures would try to get you to feel my pain…so I after many angles of BB snapping I get back on track and continue following the map and keep getting the way…I get to Rue Gay Lussac which I remembered from the map on net and from nowhere one semi old man stops me and starts offering help and starts giving me directions I thank him expecting him to go but he starts chatting me with me..ok at this point I get a bit worried.. in my mind I ask myself “wetin this man wan do na? Hope say e no go start to dey beg for money?” but no he was just generally being helpful to a lost Nigerian in Paris!
And smart of me I do not follow his instruction and of course I missed my way but I also discovered some hardware shops I should visit soon! I also passed Jardin Luxemborg…I didn’t bother going in cos it was too beautiful and too big to do in the limited amount of time I had..so I said t myself..another time!
I find rue Vaugirard but also remember its quite a long road and I walk down taking at least some 20mins to study my map! Gosh I'm not used to this...Okada da?! Hmm so I keep studying this map like it was my first exam at school! And I finally decide to go in the direction in front of me and halfway I decide to face the other way just in case I was wrong and volia..I end up on Saint Michel! At this point I was like “omo tomorrow mehn!” so first settle down to down the delicious Arrabiatta pasta I bought when I was nearly dying of hunger faster 2hours of walking and trying to figure out where I was going! I almost asked myself”WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU THINKING!” But like I mentioned earlier..when your walking in Paris…it’s win-win situation, you exercise and get o see so many beautiful things and there are no Okadas or extreme temperatures to tempt you to hitch a ride!
After my pasta I decide to go into Delavine and do some shopping. They sell some classy, fashionable nice and cheap menus stuff and even better they had this new eco wear line that was next to nothing! And a general massive sale…so I scout around and pick a few things and venture to try them. At this point the message was clear!
PARIS DOES NOT ACCOMMODATE OVER WEIGHT PEOPLE! GBUBEMI UR FAT AS HELL! LOSE THAT WEIGHT!
Seriously! All the nice pullover things and t shirts where all so skinny fit I tried a t-shirt on I looked like a drag queen!!!!! I think the clothes in Paris if we could hear them when people like me come close to them I'm sure they start rebuking me! “gerrout! Je n’pas ur size!” “No don’t even try me on!” “ur tzoo fatz”
But mercifully I find a plaid shirt, two pullover with shirt things inside of them that fit so I feel forgiven by Paris and there and then in my mind the decision solidifies! “I MUST LOSE THIS WEIGHT!” That’s the good thing about Paris you are motivated to be slim!
Leaving Delavine I realize a blister is killing me on my small toe and I start looking in desperation for a pharmamcie and when I find one and see the price for the plaster I respectfully exit the store and gracefully bear the torture within my shoe!
At this point I also notice I was sweating and had to remove my jacket! Hurray! It felt good…not to be in all that heavy regalia and battle zero temperature winds!
I decide to go home and chill so I can do this again tomorrow and hopefully get it right!
Getting home I pick up some Ginger Ale and Tonic and settle in front of my only friend..My Laptop! But instead of me to write this I started browsing randomly… I fix myself a pretty late dinner of Asian Vegetable Noodle Broth, I knew it was late but felt like some soup to battle the cold that seemed to appear from nowhere.
Yes plenty Pepper and lemon grass did the trick! My warmth was restored!
I decide to learn some French online and do so for like 15mins and retire to my bed and scroll through my TV and my gosh! Is there free sin on French TV!
But I find out I have a Nollywood channel! Me that I hate Nig movies! I was sooo thrilled! I also find Inspiration TV and lucky me Pastor Paul Adefarasin was about to preach! So at this point under me quilt and watched it till I slept.
Bonne Huit
March 20, 2010
The days are getting closer… so I have been in Paris now for 10 days...hmmm
Today was looking promising till I decided to be idle and do what I wasn’t supposed to be doing on the net! But I forgive myself as God has my back. But my apologies to Him and His mercies I receive!
Anyways with that being said I consciously wake up early 9:30am not too bad? And my plan to today was simple
WALK TO SCHOOL AND TAIYES HOTEL
From the Google map, I already knew I had an hour’s walk to school but wanted to try it.
But this I don’t do till about 3pm!
Eventually I head out and notice it had even rained! Wow! But it wasn’t blazing cold surprisingly as I was ready to grab my coat because I had only worn a pull-over.
On my way I indulge in some MEZZI PASTA again this time I order gnocchi cos I had always wanted to try it! Same Arrabatia with extra Tabasco, in fact I poured so much Tabasco I finished the bottle and felt shy sef!
Starting my journey of 10km I walk and do so with some briskness telling myself I am on the road to my long time planned weight loss! In between the hustle and bustle of Paris (the beautiful hustle and bustle) that is… I eventually get to school and realize I really don’t need a train ride and change so many times…but then again I ask myself is it practical every day? So I decide somewhere in my mind to do it at least 2-3 times each week cos walking is good exercise and yeah good exercise!
I found a gym that has a reduction for students! Gosh students enjoy for this country o!
I also found a cool immobiler (estate agent) they have the best deal so far but it’s a gamble I have to pay them to find a place for me! A WHOLE 160 EUROS! But its less expensive than the place at Convention I'm looking at. I also saw somewhere else another estate agent that is but there were closed but my BB camera to the rescue I took down their details via a picture…couldn’t be bothered to write anything…lol!
At this point I'm making my walk back to my place and this time I have a timer running and on getting to my area I realise I could take a bus to school sef..but have to practice that tomorrow though…
I get to my street and fall victim to two scoops of gelato…*sigh* so much for exercise…”I'm on a holiday and its Saturday I tell myself” yeah right..!
Getting into my cubicle I wash up my dishes and sort my place out then Tayo comes on the internet…gosh I'm I missing my best friend!!!!!
So I finally post all this… I promise not to be too lazy hence forth…lol!
To my family I miss and love u!!!!!!
Bonne Huit
I would do a proper album on Facebook and post the link later and also post more pics for the sake of those who aren't my friends...
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