.vaille que vaille. : Les moments inoubliables

To all those who have suffered the reality of "officially" entering adulthood, I salute you. For now, I am in your league. Gone are the days where I can blame my mistakes on youth, ignorance, immaturity, or even, puppy love. Although I cannot yet alone supervise a young driver with a permit in California, it seems that such a detail is irrelevant because I have had all that encompasses "responsibility" suddenly opened to me; vice & virtue. As though the twenty-first anniversary of my "exodus" marks such privileged rights: sitting at a bar, ordering a drink at a restaurant, wine-tasting, buying obscene amounts of 6 packs, reserving a hotel room, entering into legal contracts, mindlessly pulling the lever at a slot machine -- MAN, I can really do it all. God bless Am'urrica.

I don't feel 21. I don't even want to say it, it sounds foreign to my lips. I'm accustomed to saying 21 to describe other things. Blackjack, that Jim Sturgess movie, 9 pm military time, the current century, for example, but most certainly not myself. I had hoped that through some sort of cosmic wish fulfillment that perhaps, maybe, possibly, the world might, um. End? Before the 4th of December rampaged my young and supple life...Hélas, le temps continue.

The flip side to being 15 + 6 is that I suppose there was still reason to celebrate. I did have an unforgettable birthday, and not only because I spent it in Paris, France, but also because it really was kind of magical. Looking back, it was more like birthday(s). It would seem that my birthday was stretched into 3 parts. With your patience, I will carry you through them.

I was surprised, yes, surprised on Wednesday with a little get-together so cunningly planned and orchestrated by Heather. I was surprised not only because it was 2 days before my birthday, but because I had just gotten back from a long day of classes (9 am - 6 pm) and also because I had succumbed to a McFlurry craving & arrived at the doorstep of my apartment embarrassingly with a HappyMeal in hand for Caitlin while a barrage of lovely people greeted me with balloons and loud noises. I was so shocked that I shrunk back in utter dismay, "ah, non, c'est pas vrai!" Apparently I resort to French to explain emotions that don't normally occur. Sneaky bastards.

Champagne! So yummy.

Not too shabby on the decor.

A wonderful smorgasbord of FOOODDDDD!!!!

A giant birthday candle :)

I spent Thursday night grasping for dear life onto the remnants of my childhood by watching Disney movies on youtube with Caitlin (the songs in Pocahontas is still as racist as I remember and Aladdin is more illogical than I remember). On Friday we set out to Hôtel de Ville to go ice-skating, but to my utter dismay and surprise, the opening date was actually a day later. We went to Île St. Louis afterwards and had overpriced hot chocolate and ice cream at Berthillon. I'm usually pretty fair with quality over quantity, but this place was really, actually, overpriced. Not that I didn't enjoy it. . . (How do you not enjoy hot chocolate and ice cream?) I fear that once I return to the states (which is soon, not to mention), I will never again taste the creamy richness of real, pure, "chocolat chaud." After our afternoon dessert, we walked around and headed back home. I picked up my package at the ISA office with a permanent smile on my face because what do I find within the box, but lo & behold, asian snacks, Kix, and cards galore!

Caitlin being cute, me yelling "WAIT, DO THAT AGAIN!"

JTang would like this in sepia, I imagine.

Parisian boulevards, near île saint louis

Près de Berthillon

4 Euro boule of caramel toffee ice cream.
Well. At least it was good.

I'll miss being able to stroll along this on a whim from time to time...
Westwood blvd just doesn't compare.

Why do I look 8 years old in this photograph? I suppose it's not a bad thing in light of recent events...

YEEE!!!

EEEKK!!!

FSJFLKJDLKSJDLKJL!!!!

Some hours passed and I got dolled up to have dinner with Heather at La Tour d'Argent. If you've never heard of this restaurant, it's name should give you a clue as to why it's such a big deal (even to the French locals). It directly (& crudely) translates into, "The Tower of Money." Situated on Quai de la Tournelle on Île St. Louis with a beautiful nightscape of Notre Dame over the Seine river, this restaurant was an inspiration to the film, Ratatouille, and has it's own wine cellar containing more than 450,000 bottles of wine that services a 400-page wine list with 15,000 wines listed. If that alone doesn't boggle your mind, the restaurant dates back to 1582 and is renowned for its' "canard à la presse" because they raise their own ducks! Unfortunately we partook in none of this duckling goodness because, well, we're both coincidentally and uselessly pescetarian, but also because that dish could set you back, oh, about 130 Euro. Kidding? Sadly not. The seafood did not disappoint, however, and I felt like a princess that night.

This was their wine list! Thicker than the Bible, they listed bottles from 100 Euro upwards!

Platter of amuse-bouches to start:
Mushroom, eggplant, & toasted garlic medley.
Samosa de fromage.
gelatinous fois gras with a sprig of chive.

Seated right beside the window. :)

Scallop in a milky cream sauce.

Heather's lobster dish.

"Tronçons de sole Cardinale, ragoût de févettes à l'éstragon"

Fresh and creamy, with a kick from the tarragon within the sauce, this fish literally melted in my mouth. Paired with the wine that we were recommended, it was certainly commendable. I'm sorry that this photo doesn't really do it justice, but they like dim lighting in these snazzy places.

Dessert platter:
Tuiles of caramel and orange.
spicy cocoa powdered marshmallow cubes.
Deconstructed chocolate mint with gelatin **** My favorite of the night!

Pyramid of chocolate. Hard dark chocolate shell filled with creamy chocolate mousse.

Caramel and pear custard dessert en flambée!

Gingembre, figue, licorice, et crème

Immediately below us.

Our dining company.

The view

They had a fur chair in the bathroom. I had fun with it.

The festivities continued the next day when Heather & I set off to Disneyland, Paris! Now, as you all know, nothing can replace the original Californian Disneyland with it's FANTASMIC! And it's nightly fireworks and it's symmetrical Sleeping Beauty castle and it's pineapple Dole whip and it's expensive churros and it's Christmas parade with the fat snowmen :) However, when the child in me is crying out for nurturing, anything remotely Disney will do. Unfortunately, it was typically Parisian -- gloomy and drizzly, and surprisingly crowded! We spent the day being kids again -- screaming & yelling & licking lollipops the size of our faces. I loved it and couldn't help but think of my darling Lauren Shahly across the ocean. . .who I wish had been there, too.