France - Foie Gras

Just for an additional information to all readers before I start: I understand the controversies behind foie gras, and I don't eat this every day. I am simply a naturally curious person, and I have to say I agree with this view. As far as I'd like to understand the viewpoints of many, I'd like to ask that you understand and respect my decision to eat foie gras. Well then, let's get to the topic. When I arrived in Paris and checked out the supermarket,...

Read More

France - Crazy Easter at Notre Dame

I spent my Easter in Paris, and celebrated it in Notre Dame! Wow, that's cool! Well, it was actually VERY NOT COOL. Why? 1. I had to queue for at least 30 minutes just to enter the church, and it was cold outside (~10C, I believe). 2. I'm competing with these tourists from all over the world who just wanted to take pictures of Easter mass, the church, the archbishop, the pastor, the clergymen, and everything.  I had to swim...

Read More

Instant Noodle Around the World 16 - MAMA Pad Kee Mao

I often laugh at the level of spiciness in Europe. What people say "spicy" is either mildly spicy or not spicy at all to the point that I cannot detect the slightest taste of spiciness. Well, in English, the word "spicy" means "with spices", and this means when non-hot ingredients like turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon are added into the dish, they will still call it "spicy". In Indonesian, "spicy" means the heat coming from chili peppers that make...

Read More

France - Shakespeare and Co.

France is known for her unwillingness to speak English. As a proof, in most food labels you can find Dutch or German translations of the ingredients list, but none in English. This fact made the first few weeks of my stay in France difficult - it's hard to ask for directions when I was lost (and even buying train tickets from the counter).  Surprisingly, just across Notre Dame du Paris lies a bookshop called Shakespeare and Co., and as...

Read More

France - Saint Chapelle

It's been 2 weeks since the last time I posted something. Life in Paris is indeed really busy. Aside from the heavy workload at school, we are also a little bit pressurized to travel within our limited stay in Paris.  There were so many stories to tell, especially when I experienced my first Palm Sunday and Easter week in Notre Dame du Paris.  A week before Palm Sunday, I took off on a random journey on my own, not knowing where...

Read More