Off to London!

Just a week and a half after visiting the UK for fun, family and friends, I'll be back tomorrow for work.

I am getting really excited already - I have said for so long that I don't care for London but after my last visit I'm wondering how true that is...it's a BLAST!

It'll be just about 30 hours that I'm there but it will be a nice infusion of English speaking, fun, and a nice change of scenery.

I'll be back on Thursday for more Paris shenanigans. Hoooooray!

Book List - Part two

Okay, so we're about a month and a half away from my deadline to read 50 books! Eeeeeeek!

I'm not done yet by any means but things remain do-able for the moment. The last time I updated you all on the list of books I've read since August 25, 2007, I had read 15 books. Here's the rest of the list for now, in the interest of being totally up to date and putting things out there so I'm more likely to stick to them. :)

16. Kite Runner (Hosseni)
17. Girl With a One Track Mind (Lee)
18. A Clean Slate (Caldwell)
19. Simple Genius (Baldacci)
20. Sammy's Hill (Gore)
21. Is Our Children Learning? (Begala)
22. 1,000 Splendid Suns (Hosseni)
23. Deer Hunting with Jesus
24. Starter Wife (Grazer)
25. Eat, Pray, Love (Gilbert)
26. Dear John (Sparks)
27. Prep (Sittenfeld)
28. The Weight of It (Wilensky)
29. The Other Boleyn Girl
30. The Almost Moon (Sebold)
31. Change of Heart (Picoult)
32. Ca Va Mal Finir (Leotard)
33. Me Talk Pretty One Day (Sedaris)
34. Doctor's Wife (Brundadge)
35. Babyville (Green)
36. Blame it on Paris
37. Second Change (Green)
38. Every Crooked Pot (Rosen)
39. Holidays on Ice (Sedaris)
40. Naked (Sedaris)
41. A Time to Run (Boxer)

Eeeeeeek - as you can see, lots of progress, but still NINE books left in the next seven and a half or so weeks. Can I do it? It'll be rough, but I am really really hoping to succeed on my little goal.

Stay tuned to see how I do!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

My favorite holiday of the year!!!

Last year at this time I was an intern and spent my early morning in the hospital for a heart issue.

This year I'm a real worker at the same company and am spending my day acting like the American that I am, for better or worse. I have struggled since moving here with my identity - I often feel overly critiqued, stared at, different and criticized because of my differences with coworkers, and the French public in general. I often adjust my behavior accordingly. This is not to say that some degree of adjustment is unnecessary (as of course I have to be expecting to adjust slightly), but sometimes I go a bit too far in over-adjusting and changing who I am to please people here.

So today, if only for today, I am taking a break. Not scared to tell my boss that her sexual references and jokes are inappropriate in the workplace and are offensive to me. Not hesitating to wear blue and white. Not ashamed to wear a bracelet with the American flag on it - my standard accessory for Independence Days and national holidays when I was in the States.

Because, at the end of the day, no matter what I do to try to fit in, adapt, or hide it...I am an American. Proud of it. No reason to hide and happy to celebrate the birthday of my country! Now, I just wish I had a great Dodger game, hot dogs, friends and family to celebrate with...