the one at the end of day two

well, it really isn't the "end" now is it? it is, after all, only 6:30pm.

ohhh, how very british sounding of me. HAHAHAHAHA

anyhow. today's training was far better than yesterday in that the concepts and workshops seemed far more tangible than yesterday. that is a good thing. i also feel as though our team has become a bit more cohesive. we have a long way to go and being the lone american on the team, puts me at a disadvantage because how i related services/tasks/processes is different than how those from this side do. it's a challenge that i'm struggling to manage.

the other thing i'm having a challenge with is the ground. they don't have paved walkways or etc. it's all this white rock type thing, almost like caliche back home. wearing a suit, with heels ... yeah, well you can only imagine how so not cool that is. take that into account with the "hairline fracture" in my left leg ....

the food is not better yet, so i have essentially subsisted on disgusting bread and coffee. the "fresh fruit" here is what we, americans, would describe as overly ripe or near time to toss in the garbage. the bananas, for example, are full on "hey, we better make banana bread in the next hour before this is a health concern" type ripe.

the coffee is different too. they have these machine things, similar to our flavia machines, that allow you to make espresso, half coffees or full coffees. the weird thing is that the coffee is really really really thick and foamy. i haven't quite figured out how it's so damn thick and still foamy.

here are some observations from today thus far:

** europeans, in general, are far too excitable about soccer
** europeans, in general, are far less excitable about dental care
** europeans, specifically men, have a misconceived notion that short pants and mandals (man-sandals) are good fashion choices
** europeans, specifically men, wear RED trousers. like american flag red. and not at halloween
** europeans, specifically men, were dark socks, boat shoes and shorts while "casual"
** french food, thus far, has a lot of vinegar
** the french weather is humid, much like the gulf coast, and is impolite to my hair
** the dutch believe that it is "cool" to be a nerd in america (i've since informed them this is not necessarily the case)
** europeans believe texans all drive large vehicles
** europeans believe that a 3000 sq foot home is a mansion.
** brits are paying about $8 USD per gallon for gasoline!
** the european tax system is enough to cause an american to stroke out trying to understand it
** european women, as a rule of thumb, don't really wear makeup


that's all for now. i have learned that i can make unlimited calls to the u.s. so i should consider one of those "phone your blog in" things since that could be fun but that require energy and effort.

well off to rest a bit and then dress for an "optional mandatory" gathering this evening. i know, i don't get it either. how can something be optional mandatory?

with love from paris!
xoxo