Hot food vs. Cold food....a small observation

I was aboard a TGV on my way from Paris to Frankfurt to visit a friend.  The weather was rainy and cold.  Not long after the train crossed the German border, two guys came up and sat on the 2 seats next to me.  They both pulled out a cold sandwich from a sack and started eating.  I thought to myself "How can they eat that when it's so cold outside?"  Then it all of a sudden dawned upon me that in many cold northern European countries they tend to eat cold food during their meals.  When I visited a friend in Denmark, for dinner we would buy rye bread, cheese, ham, and cold meat spreads to put on the bread.  Nothing hot was involved.  And March in Denmark was still very very cold!  In Germany too, everywhere I see people eat cold sandwiches, the only hot item they seem to have were sausages.  And during the winter months of France, the boulangeries at lunch time always has a long line of people waiting to buy sandwiches.  Sandwiches that have been put in the fridge.  Oh and add a cold drink to that please! 
Are Americans the only ones to ask for our bread to be toasted?  So that it's nice and hot? So that the cheese and butter can melt nicely on top? 
All I want on a cold, windy and rainy day like today is a big bowl of hot noodles and soup, or even better hot pot!  Or just something to spice up my coldness here in Paris!!!

Which brings me to my next ironic observation.  People in hot countries tend to eat hot food.  Even on hot mornings in Taiwan, you can still see people at noodles stands slurping up a bowl of hot noodle soup.  At other breakfast stops, food are still cooked warm, such as egg pancakes, hot sandwiches, etc. so we rarely eat anything cold for breakfast, with the exception of maybe soymilk (even that comes hot!)  Spicy hot pot is a favorite during the summer, I don't know why, but maybe we like to sweat even more so than we already do in the hot and humid conditions of Taiwan.
When I visited Cambodia for a few days, hot rice noodles in soup was the typical breakfast staple.  Same thing in Malaysia, even their afternoon snacks involved a hot bun and hot tea.  And no, AC was not available, duh!

I mean are people in cold countries so adpated to the cold weather that they 're more cold-blooded (literally) than the rest?  Anyways, all I know is that the last thing I want to eat on a day like today when it's wet, cold, and humid is something less than 90 degrees!

Oh and of course these are some generalizations, and does not apply to every country or region.

bon appetit!

The Creperies at Montparnaase

I have a very bad impression of the Montparnasse area in Paris. You would think that for a metro station called "Montparnasse Bienvenue" meaning "Welcome Montparnasse" that you would actually fell very "bienvenue", uh but no. Last year when I took the train from Bordeaux to Gare de Montparnasse in Paris with my parents, the 3 of us were nearly pickpockted, and I mean each of us.

However, one will surely feel very "bienvenue" when one discovers the Creperie scene! Honestly who doesn't love crepes? Most of us know mainly crepes with nutella or banna. I personally love the savory crepes, which are called "galettes" even more. The batter of the galettes are made from buckwheat flour, instead of plain flour, and gives it more texture and taste to me. And frankly I like savory food better. It's hard to find galettes anywhere else in the world. For good crepes you can find in a lot of places, but Montparnasse is the place for the galettes!

If I am not mistaken, galettes come from the region of Brittany. Therefore you will often here les galettes de bretonnes. In the early days since trains from Brittany all arrive at Gare de Montparnasse, there were a lot of Bretons that settled in the area. So when you arrive at the Montparnasse Bienvenue metro, which is really big and ridiculous, go towards Blvd. Montparnasse, and then to Rue Montparnasse where you will find about 10 creperies on that road alone. The most famous one is the Creperie de Josselin, there is always a line, and some say that have the "best" galettes and crepes in the area. But it's always frun to check out some of the other ones around. And who seriously decides what the best galettes are anyways?

During lunch, many creperies offer a set menu including a galette, a sweet crepe and a cider for less than 10 Euros. And I guess cider is also a specialty from Brittany, because every creperie has then. Creperie de Josselin, however, being so popular doesn't need to offer a special menu, and since it had a line I decided to go elsewhere.

I settled at "Creperie St. Malo" which was offering a galette with egg, cheese, ham, and one extra item; a sugar or chocolate crepe, and cider or wine for 9.5 Euros.

There is something about eggs and cheese in a galette that appeals greatly to me. The galette was warm and tasty, and oh and a lot of butter was added to it, which makes it that much better! I was completely stuffed after eating another chocolate crepe.

I'll definitely return to the area again and try out another creperie!!! So Bienvenue a Montparnasse pour les galettes et crepes!

Paris for cheap!

Paris is probably known to many tourists, as well as the rest of the non-Parisian French as a very expensive city. I can attest to that, first of all, the rent is ridiculous, and the price won't be dropping anytime soon since there are more people searching for apartments than there are available. Oh we all know that lovely supply and demand chart don't we? For tourists, the most visited areas are filled with restaurants, expensive boutiques, and fancy pastries that all cost a fortune. But honestly, if you do your homework and ditch all the cliches in Paris, you'll find that you can actually do a lot for not a lot!!!
Yes, you have to go to the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay, and all that jazz, but there are a lot of worthwhile museums that won't cost you a dime. Go to www.musees.paris.fr to check out the list!
One of my favorites is definitely Musee Carnavalet, since I'm such a history geek! The museum is located in the Marais district, so after you grab your falafel from one of the stands, head straight over and it'll be an afternoon well-spent! Also if you're a Victor Hugo fan, head a few blocks over to the Place de Vosages, where you can visit his house.
One of my favorite finds so far is the "Maison Europeene de la Photographie". It is free every Wednesday nights from 5-8pm, where normally it's 7 Euros to get in. The is an amazing permanent exhibit as well as temporary exhibits.
Another great thing about Paris is there there are a number of Cavistes aka wineshops in every quartier! And if you check out some of their websites, they often hold free degustations (tastings) on Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays. This is a great way to learn and taste wine from different regions of France. One of my favorite wineshops is located in St. Germain de Pres called Le Derniere Gutte. They have happy hour every Friday night where you can sample wine and eat some tasty cheese, and on Saturdays they have winemakers come in for a free degustation.
If you want to taste good food in Parisian restaurants, then go during lunch. Restaurants usually over a food menu (a 3 course meal) or a formule (appetizer plus entree, or entree plus dessert, but keep in mind that in France entree means appetizer!). I've had tasty formules for 10-12 Euros. Even some of the really fancy restaurants often have menus for less than 30 Euros. Also if you're a crepe fan, then head down to the Monparnasse area where on rue Montparnasse, you'll find endless Creperies that offer a menu of a savory crepe, a sweet crepe and a drink for about 10 Euros. Montparnasse is an area filled with authentic Bretonne style crepes.
Also a must-do for is a picnic lunch at one of the many beautiful parks in Paris. Let's be honest, France has the best baguettes, cheese, and wine in the world so if the sun is shining one day, there is no reason to stay inside a restaurant. I personally prefer the baguette tradition over the regular baguettes, and also some baguette de cereale is worthwhile too. And please go to a boulangerie to get one, the ones at Monoprix or Carrefour might be cheaper, but they are horrible! Also for those fearless people out there go to a boucherie, and try out their terrines, pates, rillettes, and other charcuteries.
If you're lucky enough to pass by one of their open markets by chance, then stop by and check it out. My favorite thing to do is go when they're about to close, they'll try and sell everything to you at a bargain.
Oh and of course if you're a winelover like me, then this IS the place to drink wine. I'm not wine connoisseur, but I do know that for less than 10 Euros, you can get a really good bottle of wine. I usually go to the Caviste now and tell them what I'm having for dinner, or what I'm looking for in particular, tell them my budget, and they can usually make a pretty good recommendation.
Oh and last advice, skip the Louis Vuitton bag, if you've been in France long enough, you'll realize that French people DO NOT carry LV anything! So for however much you're spending on that LV bag, you can probably afford a week's stay in Paris filled with fun and eventful activities!

Beaujolais Nouveau, another hyped up event in Paris!

A few days after my arrival in Paris, I keep hearing about the so-called "Beaujolais Nouveau", which is the day that the new Beaujolais' are revealed in France. It always takes place on the 3rd Thursday of November. I saw signs and even in guide books it made it sound like the entire streets of Paris will be drinking Beaujolais for 4 days straight.
First of all, let me just start off by saying Beaujolais is a horrible wine made out of the Gamay grape. It has a sexy name and it is lauded internationally. But I've yet to hear anyone order beaujolais wine in a restaurant. And for the same price, I'd rather stick to a Cotes du Rhone or something from Languedoc! There were wine shops that held tastings, most of them with one or two beaujolais. I visited the wine shop about 2 steps away from work, and they had one beaujolais available for tasting. I took a sip, and thought "wow this is really crappy wine that doesn't have a lot of body or taste to it." I also find it really acidic.
I was meeting up with a couple of friends that night in the supposed celebration. But as we walked down the streets by Bastille, it seemed very quiet for such a joyful event. We finally settled down in a small restaurant that was packed. We ordered some cheese plates and charcuterie along with a bottle of Beaujolais. Yet again, the Beaujolais tasted horrible. After a few more tastings that I did throughout that weekend, I was convinced that Beaujolais is not a wine that I would ever spend money on again.
Funny thing is I read on the French morning paper that they even held a big tasting event for Beaujolais Nouveau in Tokyo!
So let me put on my smarty I think I know it all hat and say, Beaujolais Nouveau is a hyped up event for foreigners who don't know what good wine is. There now judge me! :)

Arrival in Paris, observations so far....

I am into my third week here in France, and it's been kind of an ambivalent feeling that I have so far. I feel pretty well situated here, but there are still things that will take some getting used to. Things at work are still a bit unclear because I came at a very busy time. I had originally planned on being here in the middle of October. But thanks to my many visa issues, I didn't arrive until October 24th. I had two days to prepare for my trip. Luckily for me, my boss here in Paris had found me a temporary apartment so that I didn't have one more thing to stress me out.
Upon my arrival I found out that the following week I was going to Nice for 5 days to attend the protests and events against the G20 which took place in Cannes Nov. 3-4. So needless to say, things started out crazy and still continues to be crazy!

I thought I'd share a few observationst that I've made so far regarding Paris and the Parisians (I say Parisians and not French because there is a difference!)

- Winter in Paris is not pretty. And I mean literally, it's gloomy, the sun rises late and sets early. And on top of that everyone dresses in the depressing color of black...
- Paris is not very clean. Sure we see pictures of the elegant Champs Elysees, le jardin du Tuileries, etc. and it all seems so nice. The reality is that there are dog poop everywhere you walk. People throw their cigarette buds everywhere. What do they do after drinking a bottle of beer? Why leave it on the chair of course!
- 8 out of 10 women wears boots, it seems like. I almost feel out of place with my regular shoes. And how is it that they're able to walk on stony grounds and climb stairs in metro stations with those?
- It's cold and people still love sitting outside. At cafes, parks, on the street, everywhere!
- Many stereotypes might be false, but the one with a French person carrying baguette(s) is absolutely correct!!!! And damn are their baguettes good, and make sure the next time you're in France, buy a baguette tradition from a boulangerie, they're just that much better!
- Markets, I absolutely love them! However there are 2 types of markets. I hate to separate them by class, but it's the truth. I went to an organic market, and prices are double, triple what they are in a normal one. Also there are also markets in the not-as-nice areas, and that's the place you need to go for cheap produce! Go when they're about to close and they'll sell things for a great bargain!
- Every Parisian has their own cheese shop, wine shop, butcher shop that they've been going for years. They know each other, and it's probably like a big betrayal if you go somewhere else :)
- La Duree is so damn overrated. Ok I don't know what the big craze about stupid macarons are, but I've tasted them, and they are TOO sweet TOO expensive and TOO much overrated. La Duree is a famous store that sells them, and literally the line is ridiculous, and they're all tourists. Local Parisians don't go there! In fact I don't think I've ever seen a French person eat a damn macaron!
- Falafel is on every tourist's mind when they're in the Marais district. There's a very famous place called L'as du Falafel in the Marais, and I've tasted it, and it's pretty good. I went to the Marais the other day and there was a line in all 4 shops that sold falafel!
- If you love books and used books go to St. Germain des Pres. I was literally there for 4 hours going from book store to book store.
- Traffic lights, one turns green as soon as the other turns red. And as bad as Parisian drivers are, they do obey their traffic laws. I don't think I've seen anyone run a red light yet.
- I hate the metro. I really do. I got hit hard in the face once; I constantly have to watch my bag because I was close to being pick pocketed once; it's crazy crowded; the stairs are really tiring; and there are a billion different lines to figure out ahhh!!!
- People here seem to be always in a rush. I thought the French were known for taking their time! People will never watch where they're going on the street, even if you try hard to avoid running into them, they just run into you.
- If you want to eat well on a budget, lunch is the time to go out! And thanks to my flexible lunch hours I am able to do that (although not a lot of money to eat out...) But usually plats du jour range somewhere between 8.5 Euros to 15 Euros, depending on the restaurant.
- Now I know why the French can eat out during lunch so often, because their employers are required to give them lunch tickets which are called cheques dejeuner. They can be used all over France in most restaurants. Hell you can even buy groceries at Carrefour with them!

Ok I guess my list of observations ended up being almost a list of complaints. But the fact is there are many things that I love about the French culture, and that is why I decided to come to France. It's a place that I know well, and it's a place where I know I can stay. It's different, of course, because this time I will be here for a long period of time. I just need to find my rhythm, my space, and most of all where I fit into this city. oh and I need to of course have my own cheese, wine, and butcher shop :)
Food, now that's one area that I am taking advantage of! Just like the French says, "Il faut bien profiter!"

Until next time!

My first ever backpacking trip in Taiwan

I tend to do a lot of things by impulse, which is exactly how my first ever backpacking/hiking trip came about. One of the day hikes that I had long signed up for got canceled at the last moment. Feeling disappointed, I started searching for other similar hikes. I came across a 3 day 3 night hike in 白姑大山 near Taichung, Taiwan with a group called 523, which almost sounds like "I love mountain" in Mandarin. The mountain is number 42 on the top 100 peaks in Taiwan at 3341 meters.
The deadline had already passed to register, but I tried my luck anyways. Luckily for me, someone had back out at the last minute, and I was able to secure that last spot.
I was excited but nervous at the same time as I had never hiked up anything other than the streets of Europe with a big backpack before. The leader of the trip also informed me that this is one of the harder hikes in Taiwan. However, having conquered Mt. Kinabalu in Malaysia (which is literally the hardest thing I've ever done), I wasn't too concerned in the end.
One of the many things that I learned on this trip was how different camping is in Taiwan as opposed to that in the US. In terms of eating, hiking time, park regulations, the actual campsite, etc. It was definitely an eye-opening experience.
We met at a metro station at 10pm, and off we drove down to Taichung. I didn't know anyone else on this trip with a total of 7 people. It turned out that I was the only female participant. Oh well, I thought, I can rough 3 days out with 6 guys!
I half dozed off on the way down to Taichung, when we arrived, it was close to 1pm, and we had to switch to another car with 4 wheel drive in order to make it up the mountain. Off we go on another drive, and soon I found out why the 4x4 was needed. Not only was the road steep, it was bumpy, with holes and rocks everywhere. I was really surprised that roads like this actually existed in a civilized country. As of mileage the entire ride wasn't very long, but the difficulties of the road made the unbearable drive last almost 2 hours. When we arrived at the trailhead it was close to 4am. Many other groups were already there spread out in their sleeping bags. I decided to take advantage of the 3 hours that we had left before we start hiking by napping in the car. I slept like a baby.
We all woke up at around 7am, and started cooking breakfast, which was an amazing meal consisted of yummy flavored rice porridge with veggies inside. We even had eggs and other marinated goodies.

The Shack near the Trailhead

After fueling up, we started with our hike. One of the difficult parts of this hike was that it was very steep. There was a lot of up and downs, which I didn't mind because I find hikes that just go straight up a little boring. It was in a fairly forested area, so the air quality was excellent, and I felt great despite having little sleep. We reached the first point at around 11am, in time for an early lunch. As we waited for our leader, my mouth was already drooling in anticipation of the meal to come. However, to my great disappointment, our lunch consisted of a few slices of Taiwanese-style cheesecake type of bread. I ate 2 slices, and couldn't eat another slice. I felt like I needed actual food and not snack type of food. The funny thing was when I first saw those packages I thought that was for dessert. Wishful thinking....

First rest stop

We were hiking at pretty good speed and reached the campsite at around 3:30pm. There were already tons of other tents up. It was a 3 day weekend in Taiwan, and apparently a lot of people decided to do the same thing that we were doing. There were only a few good spots left to set up our tent, so we started before the rest of our group caught up. Afterwards, we went and a water at this pond, which had "dead water" meaning it was water retained from rain, and not a fresh water source. The dark brown color was due to the decaying of leaves and bugs, sounds yummy right? But hey I rather drink dirty water than die of thirst, when it comes to extremities, you gotta weigh out your pros and cons.

Campsite

Cooking dinner

We started cooking dinner at 5pm (we were all starving due to the light lunch we had). We cooked curry and rice for dinner and some soup. But I'm not gonna lie, at this time I was craving a PB&J sandwich, some granola bars, or some grilled veggies, OR grilled marshmallows.
We were all exhausted and with the sundown early and temperatures getting cold, everyone went into their tents. I went to bed at a record time, 7pm. I slept horribly in a cramped tent with 3 other people, but at least I was warm.

Yummy drinking water

The next morning, or should I say late night, other campers were talking and banging at 2am. Needless to say I could not sleep after that. Our group wasn't due to wake up until 4, so I stayed in my sleeping bag for 2 more hours.

View at the camp

Breakfast consisted of ricenoodles and soup (which was again NOT ENOUGH!)
The hike this day was even more difficult, because it had a lot of steep uphills and downhills, which became very difficult on my legs. The good thing is we didn't have to carry that big backpack. I was strutting along at good speed though, as I was always one of the first to arrive at our next point.

I was snacking every hour because my body felt so starved. We reached the peak at 3342 meters at around 10:30am. It felt like a big accomplishment! I wish I was there alone to savor that moment instead of listening to 30 other people chatting and taking pictures. I was again starving, and was almost angry to find out that lunch was vegetable crackers. My cravings for the items listed above were more intense than ever! If only I had a Apple Crisp flavored granola bar on me, or some bread at least! I want my carbs damn it!!!

View at the peak

The view at the peak was breathtaking as we were able to see many of the other famous mountain ranges in Taiwan. After resting and taking pictures for about an hour, we started our descent. Which wasn't much easier than the hike up because as I mentioned the entire hike was up and down so on the way back it was just as strenuous as going up. At the rest stop one hour before our campsite we decided to take and easy and nap for a while because we all know how noisy it was going to be back at the site.
Back at the site it was the same routine as the day before, dinner, chat, and then sleep.
The next day we started descending at around 7am after drying out the tents and such. Our bodies were tired, and our mind was tired due to the lack of sleep again thanks to our neighbors. What we all really wanted was a nice cold soda and a nice cold beer!

Early morning view

We finally made it down the mountain in about 3 hours!! I arrived back home that night not feeling tired as I should. I was so glad I went on this trip because I met some great people who shared very similar interests as me, and I found out many other hiking opportunities in the future that I can join. Taiwan mountain ranges, here I come!!!!