so what’s going on this Friday night in Paris

Not much. It’s deadsville here and very quiet on this beautiful cold, clear Friday night. I have three days off. Bliss! Saturday, Sunday and I’m taking Monday off. The weather is forecast to be cold and sunny this weekend. I think I’ll head over to one of my favorite small parks tomorrow or Sunday, the Parc Monceau, in the 17th arrondissement; haven’t been there in ages.

Sitting here with a large bottle of red wine at my side – an organic Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil 2018 – and listening to Led Zepp’s Stairway to Heaven through my JBL headphones ……if there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now, it’s just a spring clean for the May Queen …. As you’ve no doubt noticed, I’m currently in a Led Zeppelin phase. I drink no alcohol during the week. All week long, I’m very very good foodwise. On the weekend I splurge, that’s a good balance for me.

What’s the 5:2 diet? Eat what you want five days a week, dramatically cut the calories for two. I do it in reverse.

Work is great, largely because 70% of my colleagues are working from home and the office is near-empty (and very quiet.) Working from home in France is called télétravail. It appears that people are happy working from home. “Why is that?” I ask. No interruptions, better concentration on their work and no commuting on public transportation, is what they say when they come into the office once a week or once every two or three weeks for a day or two. And why don’t I choose to work from home? Because I love my morning walk to the office (and walking home in the evening), I call it my morning meditation. Because I prefer to keep home and office separate. Because I really like my office space and the view from the window while I stare out of it as I drink espresso from my machine on the windowsill. Because I like to go out on my lunch hour and walk to the shops and get some exercise. And because of the absence of my colleagues, it’s very quiet so that I too can concentrate better on my work (translations, organizing our annual shareholders’ meeting and a dozen other things.)

I bought Mariah Carey’s memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. I’m sorry to say it, but from what I’ve read so far I don’t think it’s very well written, but that’s just my personal opinion. I shouldn’t comment at all because I know how hard it is to write a memoir! As for Netflix, I really enjoyed THE DIG. I’m a huge fan of Carey Mulligan. I also enjoyed Behind Her Eyes for the aesthetics even though the ending was strange. As for I Care A Lot, I won’t watch it because I don’t find elder abuse and predatory guardianship amusing. The Queen’s Gambit was so good, I think I’ll watch it again. I also rewatched The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. One word: brilliant!

And on that note, it’s nearing 11 pm on this quiet cool Friday night on March 5, 2021 – the COVID pandemic a year in now. Where will we be in one year’s time? Will all this be a distant memory? Let’s hope so.

 

3 thoughts on “so what’s going on this Friday night in Paris

  1. Hi from Maine
    Love your Love blog for years. following up on your comment regarding move to Portugal an ex pat acquaintance of mine moved to Faro a few years ago, his name Christopher Papagni, check out his Facebook bio.

    • Hi Jim, how are things in Maine? Is your friend happy in Portugal? I visited Faro, a nice small town in the south overlooking the ocean. Nice place, and it has its own airport. I can’t wait to return to Portugal this summer. I will look up your friend’s bio. Thanks for commenting, Jim. Hope all is well.

  2. You’ll love Promising Young Woman if you haven’t already seen it.

    I hope a lesson from the pandemic is how much we’ve been underestimating the value of silence. I love my kids’ noise-making but I also love the peace of mind— and of soul— that silence brings. All this to say: I am so jealous of your office!

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