appreciating my neighborhood and french traditions

First of all, just got back from Italy yesterday, which was spectacular! Went to Florence and Rome with my good Wellesley friend Mohona. We had some crazy adventures, some involving some VERY attractive men (*swoon*), and saw some of the most incredible sights of my life (RUINS! haha)... but I'll put up a video eventually. That's not what this post is about. Let's get back to Parisian life...

I had to go pick up something from my dad's best friend's sister-in-law at a place just 10 minutes from my house today. 10 minutes from my house, but in an area I had never been to. The whole time walking there, I was fascinated-- there's SO MUCH in my quartier (neighborhood) that I had never noticed before. I passed two hookah bars, an awesome looking cafe (au chat noir. 'in the black cat.' I think this is going to be my new favorite cafe. seriously.), ethnic restaurants, boutiques, a mosque, workshops, everything! It's a pity that it took me until January to discover more of my neighborhood, because quite frankly, IT'S AWESOME! I love the 11th arrondissement. I love Oberkampf (my street), with its boutiques and bars and clubs that are well-known throughout Paris. And now I sit here and ask myself, why is it that I will gladly get lost in the Marais or the Latin Quarter and discover what those ancient streets have to hold, but I never took a moment to get lost in my own freaking neighborhood? If it weren't for the projected rain this weekend, I would totally go wandering. I guess I'll have to wait till next week...

I also want to write about the galette du rois, a cute French cake/tradition that doesn't exist in the States. For Epiphany, which is on my birthday, the 6th, French people traditionally eat this 'cake of kings.' It has something to do with the three kings and Jesus (that's why you eat in on Epiphany), but every French person, no matter their religion, enjoyes and eats this cake (which is usually an almond cake, but some other varities exist) throughout the month. There is a whole process to eating this cake, hence why I refer to it as a cake/tradition. First of all, the youngest person in the room randomly assigns the pieces of cake to the people in the room. This is because the youngst is considred the most innocent, or the most naive, and therefore won't be biased in dolling out the pieces. Hidden inside the cake is a tiny little figurine thing (really tiny. I'm surprised people don't swallow it), often a piece of the nativity scene (the first time I ate it, there was a little cow inside...), but it could be anything really. Whoever finds the little thing (cow, king, whatever) as they're eating the cake become the king or queen, and gets to wear a little crown that comes with the cake. Sometimes, two crowns come with the cake, so that the king gets to pick a queen (or vice versa). And... that's about it, you win the satisfaction of wearing a crown and being lucky! But the French love it. Some French friends commented on how sad they were that they never succeeded in become king or queen-- not once in their life. Quel dommage! The galette du rois is eaten all during the month of January, and you basically can't find it any other month of the year. So, obviously, I'm enjoying it while I can... yum...