Ahem.

Hello, hello!

I'm a bit busy with end-of-semester craziness (and nearly done with classes!), trying to relearn how to spend time with my nose in a book after the lovely two-week break (don't worry, I spent half of it looking at the book and wishing it would magically go away)...

Anyway, I shall eventually get back to some posting about mid-April adventures, but for now some recent daily-life stories.

~I have lots of upcoming concerts to go to -- Joshua Bell on May 10, then 6 (yes, six) La Bayadères. Once for each cast. (Oh dear, if host family found three performances strange, six -- they'll think I'm insane. They may be right.)

~May 1st was Labor Day and buy-a-lily-of-the-valley day. They sold little bunches of the flowers all along the streets all day. It was quite lovely -- they're supposed to bring good luck. But I don't really like the French word for lily of the valley: muguet. Russian ландыши also sounds prettier.

[Yes, I finally got a new camera. Here's a yay! for Canon PowerShot SX200 IS.]

~Jeanne (nearly 3-year-old host daughter) is very argumentative lately. She wants everything done her way, and just at that very moment. Needless to say, her parents don't agree. So they argue. Mom: "no, Mommy decides. Jeanne does not decide. It's the parents who decide. Adults. Not little Jeanne." Jeanne: "Jeanne decides. Jeanne decides. Jeanne decides." Mom: "No. Mommy decides." Jeanne: "I decide, not you." Mom [gives that look]: "euh... No."

All this during dinner. Joanne (my roommate) and I try our hardest not to crack up -- fail. We end up shaking silently from laughter. Makes for very interesting (read: theatrical :)) dinners.

~The Cat (Madame Lily) and I get along. Sometimes.

She has huge green eyes. I'm jealous.

So innocently asleep.

But keeping an eye on me. Because I might, you know, come pet her. Again. For the twentieth time.

All-time favorite: standing on my suitcase. My sink is apparently fascinating.

~Beautiful Paris from spring break with Mommy Dearest :).

Spring! And very nearly summer. But now - around 8°C/43°F. Yeah...

Behind Notre Dame, on the Rue St. Louis-en-Ile

From a boat on the Seine.

Eiffel Tower, at the tippy-top. 1) Awesome. 2) BRRRR! Freeeezing. 3) Still awesome.

Photos from just before Nikon demise

I finally discovered a slot for memory cards in my computer...and retrieved some photos from February, before my Nikon died. (Yes, new camera is coming, but since, you know, that volcano in Iceland has other plans, it's taking a while.)

Whenever I'm trying to read or do some work on my bed, darling kitty finds it awfully cozy to plop down in front of me, obscuring all view of the papers.

But like many college students, Lilly finds reading Dr. Faustus a bit exhausting.

Perhaps some coffee would help...

Or, a more kitty-friendly snack...

A quick hello

Just wanted to say that I'm looking for a new camera so posting will be sparse until then. I have a few posts brewing from before, so I'll try to get those up in the meantime.

Visited Eglise St. Eustache last weekend.

Photo credit to my friend Mariana