paris is burning...

...burning HOT, that is. I don't think I've been that hot since, well, last summer in Oklahoma.

The Fulbrighters were invited to a reception at the American Ambassador's residence in Paris last week. Not one to miss a social opportunity, I arranged to take the afternoon off. I gassed up the Panda and ran into Alexandre, Oscar and Satine who were getting ready to take the retirement home residents out for a carriage ride. I explained why I was leaving, and he couldn't believe where I was headed. "You didn't know I was a VIP, did you?!" He suggested I fill up my address book so I can come back soon.

Michael and I drove to Kathy and Damien's in St. Ouen, just a stone's throw from Paris. The closer we got to Paris, the more nervous I became. Parking en créneau always intimidates me, but I can usually do it when I'm alone. Add a passenger, and I suddenly panic. We found a nice spot just around the corner from their house, but a man sitting on the curb told me not to park there because there's a big truck that will hit my car. I found another spot further on and did a pretty good job parking, under the watchful eye of the café customers across the street.

A quick visit with Kathy, and I was off to the Ambassador's. I'd never seen the Métro so crowded, and I was not feeling very presentable by the time I reached my stop. I walked past the Elysée Palace (the French equivalent of the White House) and found a group waiting outside the Ambassador's house. My friend Kara was there waiting for me, and after a few minutes, we showed our invitations and passports, walked through the metal detectors, and were in. The home was lovely, and I know it's not usually that hot in Paris, but it could have used a bit of a/c. I guess the only consolation was that everyone was miserably hot right along with me.

After the reception, I went to dinner with Kara, Molly and Patrick (mmm, Greek food!) and caught up on news. We discussed our challenges, successes and worries about our impending return to the States. We all know we've changed this year, and are anxious to see how that will affect our lives at home. Interestingly, we all said we wanted to spend less time at work next year! The French rhythm has gotten into our blood!