Dinnertime in Paris

This post reminded me to write about our failed attempt to start a French dinner party at 7:30 (errr thanksgiving party).

Andrea, Andrew and I (eternal optimists) sort of knew that dinner in france started arouund 8-8:30, but didn't realize how exact (or rather unexact - late). So we thought to ourselves "Oh dinner starts around 8 so we'll invite people at 7:30 and they'll show up at 8." WRONG WRONG WRONG. Even though we suggested 7:30-8, it was happily ignored. The first to show up was the Swiss/German (so precise those germans!) at 8:23, while the american was 8:45 and the italian 9:09. Apparently the rule applies to not only the French, but those presiding in the country.

Lesson learned, dinner at 8:30, plan to eat around 9:30. Also, from my research it doesnt seem like they're really into the pre-dinner snacking appetizers. Looks like I need to plan a proper seated appetizer in the future. So many plates, C'est la vie!

It's that time of year...OSCAR TIME!

I adore the Oscars. I wouldn't necessarily say I am much of a movie buff, but something about the glitz, glamour and a competition gets me every time. (see the nods here)

France has infiltrated the Oscars this year. I haven't quite figured out whether the Oscars are very buzzworthy here, but no matter, I think the French people should be proud.  There are movies set in Paris (Hugo, Midnight in Paris)...Movies with French Actors (The Artist), etc. Film is a big industry in France and is subsidized and supported by the government. It makes sense to me, when you think about the number of foreign films you know that are french, actors that are french, etc. It really is disporportionate to other countries of similar size. Well done france!

French Parenting: They're not like US

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this before, but an article in the economist (link here) was brought to my attention by my friend Nelson, asking my opinion. And boy do I have one.

I have asked many of my french colleagues why French children are so well behaved and from a combination of qualitative research, observation and reading this article my stereotype is now confirmed (very scientific!). This is a stereotype of which I was aware before moving, but never really put much thought against. However, the first time I visited a french playground I knew something was amiss. Or rather just different. As an expert on parental playground behavior (not!), I was seriously appalled at the indifference of French parents at the playground. I swear, their kids could be in mortal kombat or breaking multiple bones and they wouldn't bat a lash. Not only that-- they were smoking!! My north american lungs were incredibly appalled by this and I'm fairly certain the US gov't wouldn't allow a cigarette within a mile of a playground. But in Paris they seem not only allow it, but encourage it with ash trays! Quite prudent, I mean, if you're going to smoke, at least don't set the playground on fire with your butts.

Here are reasons that I've heard as to why kids are so well behaved:

• No coddling, no patience, non, non, non. Seems like NON is a popular word in the french vocabulary. And the kids seems to listen. According to the article, parents don't fret, aren't apologetic, and are very strict. 
• The kicker is that all of this is reinforced at school. At school, kids are taught to be quiet, patient, and well behaved. Sounds like a diss to the US education system, but probably well grounded.
• You 'bring a child' into the world vs. 'having' one. Europeans pop out mini adults and are treated as such. You don't own your child, you are simply a resource for them to get the skills they need to succeed.

Doesn't sound like much fun to me :-) But something's working, as I consistently see very well behaved (and beautifully dressed btw, they start em young) French kids ay restaurants and I always ask myself the same question -- HOW? The researcher in me thinks it's a bit self-selecting...what self respecting parent is going to bring their terribly behaved kid to a restaurant? Then I have visions of all of the 'bad' french kids hiding in a closet somewhere....That sounds like a theory with legs, doesn't it?

Oh, Hello blog. Good to see you.

So, it's a Saturday morning in Paris. It's winter, which means it'll probably rain at sometime during the day and there is a solid gray sky. The kind of gray that sort of leaves you in a lull of half sleep and awake, with very little discerning difference between 9 am and 5 pm. This winter gray, although not unique to Paris, is famous and was one of the things I feared most about moving over here. I've never had Seasonal affective disorder (I don't think), but I've also generally lived in Sunny places. New York has what I call 'schizophrenic' weather, sunny and warm one day, cold snowing the next and Montreal had beautiful BRIGHT sunny days. But it was those days that I almost feared most, as they left you with a bitter cold right down the bone (as well as bright red thighs and nearly frostbitten fingers).

It's been gray for 3 days, but generally well above freezing (10-15 degrees to my canadian blog fans and in the 40s/50s to US friends....aren't you impressed that I'm fluent in celsius and farenheit??? add it to my resume). And as of this writing, I must say that gray isn't bothering me. In fact, it was sunny but cold/windy on Monday and I was appalled and surprised. I'm getting some sort of comfort in knowing that it's going to be within 5 degrees and gray most days. I always know which coat to wear, generally don't have to wear witner accessories (for those that know me, know that I HATE them), and can wear whatever shoes I please (even ballet flats with no socks!). Another reason is that I get to work at 9 am and leave at 7...so if there was sun I probably wouldn't see it anyways :-)

I've decided temperature irks me more than gray does and in general the temeprature is great. In fact, so great I ate dinner on a patio last night (albeit with a winter jacket on, but that's a minor detail). So next time someone complains of the winter gray, ask them how they like snow, blizzards, minus 20 degree weather, hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, earthquakes and other insane weather that cripples other cities. The weather in Paris, like most things French, is quite moderate :)

How to Fake French

Sorry I've been a boring blogger lately...I promise to be better, but work has been kicking my booty.

In the meantime, here is a cute video on how to 'fake' french when you don't speak the language. Taking notes.

I'm alive! Sort of...

Bonne Année et Meilleurs Voeux!

I am back in Paris after a wonderful holiday vacation, that ended not so wonderfully. Particularly because I got violently ill on the plane ride back about 30 minutes into the flight. UGH. Very much NOT FUN.

Anyways, it's bright, sunny, and relatively warm here in Paris. I'm feeling better and I'm ready for 2012 to improve. Hope you all had a fantastic holiday as well!

Work Christmas Parties: French Style

The obligatory Christmas party: a tradition that spans multiple cultures apparently. In the US, it's usually an alcohol-clad affair, with cheap wine, bad food, and a dance floor. Co-workers numb themselves from the awkwardness of a bad DJ with one too many glasses of alcohol and everyone hits the dance floor, promising to not judge eachother the next day for their awful dance moves. Past christmas parties I've attended include: boat races, santas dressed-up (are we 5?), a pizza run mid-way through because the food ran out, ice skating, after parties, etc. They are generally jovial and I generally enjoy them.

I can't say my party last night is typical of France, but it does seem very Parisian. First off, it was held in classy loft/art gallery. There they go trying to culture me even at a work event! Secondly, it started and ended with Champagne. I seriously tried to drink something else, but they ran out of the normal wine within an hour and all that was left was Champagne. PAUVRE MOI.

As far as the food goes, let's just say I didn't realize that chocolate square WAS FILLED WITH FOIE GRAS! Really??? Foie gras at a work party? We're not eating raw veggies with ranch dip, pork filled dumplings, pizza, or starving? Yes, I'll take another of the scallop ceviche with passion fruit please. Oh and are those truffles in that risotto? YUM.

Alas, there was no dancing, but I can't say I missed it. Party Number 2 with the entire company (and apparently the dancing) is on Friday and it's on a boat along the Seine. Unfortunately, (fortunately?) I will not be able to attend as I'll be en route to NYC YIPPEE!

Getting in the Christmas spirit!

I Was in Dusseldorf this past weekend visiting a friend from college. But the main reason I went was to go to a Christmas market and get a dose of Christmas spirit. I had never been to one and it was amazing!

So I was thinking it would be like one square full of vendors, but it was actually across the entire "old town". So impressive! Vendors, food stalls and my favorite -- mulled wine. You know what makes shopping outside even better? A glass of warm wine yummy.

Dusseldorf was actually an awesome city. It had great architecture, a busy downtown core, and yummy food. It isn't really touristy either which is appreciated. Hope you all had a fab weekend as well!

Top 10 reasons why I think I lived in France in a past life....

So when people ask how I'm settling into French culture, I usually answer "Great, swimmingly, doing really well, thanks for asking." But secretly inside I'm thinking this has actually been really easy, am I doing something wrong?

Sure, there are parts I disagree (helloooo beaureaucracy) but the more I learn about the culture, the more I think it's more like me. Technically, I'm like 40% French (maybe more like 20, but who's counting) so maybe subconsciously these things have been passed down to me through previous generations (thanks grandpa! No really, I'm related to him (do you see the resmblance?) but I'm going to save that for another post). Anywho, here are the top 10 reasons why I'm liking French culture so far.

1. I love bread and carbs. This may seem like a duh moment (who doesn't like bread?), but seriously I could just eat bread and be super happy. And the french feel the same way.
2. I like to eat lunch at the same time everyday (there is a pattern here, many of these revolve around food). This is something I didn't even know was French, but my boss told me that she's impressed with how regimented I am about lunch and how "it's very French." Yippeee
3. I eat a lot of yogurt. I know exactly where this comes from -- my dad used to give me Yoplait (SHH!) Custard Style (strawberry only) when I was a kid and I loved it.This definitely set the tone for how much yogurt I eat. Like most meals in France, yogurt is a very ritualistic thing - they eat it after Lunch & dinner as a close to the meal. Some call it a healthy dessert, but I've definitely seen people eat both yogurt AND dessert. There's an emotional connection there to which I can relate.

4. They prefer red wine. I've talked a lot about the French loving wine, but in general they prefer red and so do I. As the wine maker of Chateau Monlot told me when I asked why he makes only red wine he said "Because that is what the French like to drink." Simply, supply and demand :-)
5.Confession: IWear an outfit more than 1 day in a row. Okay, so I don't normally wear it one after the other unless I won't see the same people (the french will do this, however), but I do this and I love it. Outfits take a lot of time and energy to me and I like saying "Oh I just wore this to work and now I'll wear it out." So efficient.
6. I like scarves. So an easy way to hide the fact that you are wearing the same sweater you wore two days ago is to put on a new fancy scarf. This is a new accessory in my life which I've taken to like a moth to a light. So easy! So Pretty! So warm! So cheap! Can't believe I waited until France to use these.
7. I hate salad. No, really, I do and so do the French (hear me out). There are a lot of famous french salads (Niçoise, par example), but to me, these aren't salads. A. They normally have potatoes in them. POTATOES.IN.SALAD. and B) they don't have lettuce. I love both of those statements (yay potatoes, boo lettuce) and thus French 'salads' are things I can get behind.

8. I hate washing my hair.  See that guy's hair to the left? That's where I get my hair. It's unruly, thick, wavy and only needs to be washed every 3 days. Which I used to fight (I'd begrudgingly wash it every other), but now I just embrace it whilst knowing my neighbor has similar grooming habits.
9. I love sitting on a patio. This is probably another thing I get from my mother (it'll be snowing and my mom will ask if we'd like to grab a blanket and sit on the patio with the heater), but in a similar fashion the French are suckers for sitting outside. Even in winter. When I was here last Jan, the heaters were in full swing and everyone was eating/drinking/smoking at cafes outside. Love it.
10. I believe rules are made to be broken. Not sure where I get this from, but I've always said "I ask forgiveness, not permission." (Andrew, on the other hand is the opposite). I've learned from my French boss that the best way to manage bureaucracy is to ignore it completely and just do what you need to do. It's very effective. As my intercultural trainer said, "France is a country of exceptions. They have billions of laws, but most people don't follow them.' Excellent, my favorite kind.

I'm sure I'll be updating this list as I go along (and perhaps will even have a top 10 reasons why I'm not French), but those what I've noticed for now :-)

The French way of work: Economist Article 11.19

My father forwarded me an interesting article in the economist recently about "The French Way of Work" (or lack thereof). Basically, the French are stereotyped as being lazy workers, but the article says they are actually poorly managed. Apparently, the French are very content with their work, but rather discontent with how things are run.

Why is this? Well, let's refer back to my inter-cultural training, shall we? (as my mom says "Danone sure got their money's worth sending you to that class") We spent nearly an hour talking about the French education system (BORING!), but the main takeaway is super important and super infuriating. The French education system starting about when kids are 12 is SUPER serious and competitive. I knew this (the bac test, etc), but what I didn't know was how it affects business. Basically, the 'grande ecoles' are the handful of super elite schools where every, single (no joke) CEO of a major french company has been educated. And basically, getting into these schools pre-determines the rest of your life. Thus, if you went to a good school, you will succeed in business, even if you arent' that affective in life. Sure, we have 'super elite' schools in the US, but seeing as we're a task oriented society, it doesn't matter where you went to school as long as you do well. (yes, yes, you have a leg up in theory if you went to an 'ivy' school. But frankly, you are probably better off dropping out ...helloooo bill gates, mark zuckerberg, and steve jobs)

So basically, France is NOT a meritocracy (even though thier school system is). The management at these top firms are being appointed for the wrong reasons. And then they get to the top and are ineffective, then people are pissed about it, find it poorly managed, and are demotivated. I can totally relate to this.

But the main reason my dad sent me the article was because my company is cited as a major exception as they promote generally from within and for merit. YAY! I won't write the name here (not like it's a secret, but whatever, don't want people googling and finding this post). But it's true, in my company we have what is a called a CODE, which is mainly corporate gibberish, but the E stands for Empowerment. In the US, this seemed like common sense to me. But here it is a major breakthrough. At this point 3 months in, I definitely can see some work culture differences, but I would definitely NOT say anyone's lazy. More analytical, slower to react, infuriating at times MAYBE, but certainly not lazy.

Why Asian Food in Paris Sucks

So remember the post where I said I missed Asian food from New York? Apparently, I'm not alone. According to this article from the Atlantic (graciously shared with me by my friend Mollie), authentic asian is hard to come by in Paris for a few reasons, all of which surprised the author.

Reasons cited:

1. Hard to source the ingredients. I think this is a lazy excuse, however, it does explain why it would be so expensive here. However, in my opinion, there are some 'westerner' substitutes that can suffice and as long as the spices are there, the food should work. NEXT
2. The French are more about 'integrating' their emigrants into society, as opposed to just letting them maintain their heritage while living in France. This makes sense to me and I learned this in my multi-cultural training. If you live in France and you're an emigrant, you're French. The French encourage this (apparently it stemmed from when they lost so many lives in WWI and WWII trying to make up for population gaps. They still have the highest birth rate in Europe). Thus, when you're here it's VERY FRENCH despite being such a global city. In NY, we have china town, little italy, little korea, japan town, russian neighborhoods in brooklyn, etc in which you could live perfectly fine with only knowing you native tongue. Hell, I used to hear more Spanish on the subway than English. Not the case here (there are small patches of restos together, but rarely). This also stems to the food they are serving -- it's more 'french/asian' which means less spice, more sutble. Dont' get me wrong this happens in the US too (hellooo general tso's chicken), but in NY you can still find authentic food at a decent price (if not dirt cheap).
3. It's a developing market. French diners love French food. They didn't grow up with all the choices that we have in the US, so the demand isn't there. YET. From what I've seen of the Paris food scene so far, it's infectious and trendy, and I think all it takes is one great restaurant, serving delicious (and spicy!) food at a decent price to tip this over the edge.
4. Rent isn't that expensive apparently so maybe mediocre places can exist. So this isn't in the article and isn't corroborated, however, I learned the rent of a cute little resto in the 9th and was floored by how cheap it was. Like 1/10 what it would normally be in NYC. It was a fairly reliable source and it could be an exception, however, with the vacancy rates I've seen for businesses, as well as the number of seemingly crappy restos that stay in business (not to mention are barely open ...like from 10-2, tues-fri), I wouldn't be surprised.

From all of this, I see an opportunity. Parisians love great food...Asian food is great food, and the Asian food in paris is not great. Now if only I could convince my favortie Sushi, Thai, Indian, and Korean BBQ to open Paris branches, we'd all be bajillionaires. Project for 2012? 

Fun Fact

Did you know there are 16 ways to say the sound 'o' in French?

Eau, eaux, au, o, oh, aux, aus...that's all I can think of at this point. My intercultural trainer (what does that even mean???) shared this fun fact with us this last week as an example of how French spelling is so hard. You're telling me! She said it's because French is a very regional language and when they came together to make it one common language they took the different endings from all over the place (like the Bordeaux O sound, for example).

And the bad news is that the French are very particular about their spelling.... so I'm seeing a lot of flash cards for memorization in my future. YAY!?

Learning how to be an ExPat

I had an 'intercultural' training provided by work yesterday, which gave me about 1 million ideas for blog posts. It was an interesting day -- we had low expectations (thought it would be cheesy), but overall it was enjoyable and I learned a lot.

Some high-lights which are blog-worthy, but not post-worthy, include:

• Ordering soda with a meal is frowned upon in France. French people believe you should either have water (sparkling is okay) because it is natural and doesn't hinder taste, or wine which enhances. The sweetness of coke overpowers flavor and is thus, unacceptable.
• You should never cut your lettuce. Which is confusing to me when I have a big honking piece of iceberg lettuce on my plate. Instead, you must fold the lettuce (using your knife, maybe) and then eat. Also, you shouldn't cut eggs (and cheese? something else...) with a knife. They say you should cut it with the side of your fork.
• Parisians/French generally go home afterwork. It is very unheard of to socialize during the week. Thus,  this explains the importance placed on socializing at the coffee machine or at lunch, as that is the only time to really 'connect' with your co-workers.
• Did you know the French like wine? Because they really do. It was reiterated one nore time in the training. Once again, the trainer was impressed with my knowledge of the regions (thanks Andrea!).

Anywho, lots of interesting stuff which I'll share in the upcoming weeks. Most notably that 'France is a country of exceptions' which can be incredibly aggravating for us anglos. Anywho, hope everyone is having a super happy thanksgiving!!!!!! We're doing our Turkey in France tomorrow with some new friends...our Kitchen is getting it's first road test.

xxoo

Mexican food in Paris?! Oh my!

Food I miss from New York:

• Mexican food (mainly chipotle, let's be honest)
• Sushi (there's a ton here, but I haven't found a good place...or a cheap place)
• Thai Food (same as sushi comment)
• Indian Food (apparently hard to come by)
• Hamburgers (I'm on the prowl, I think I've found a good place. Can Shake Shack travel?)

Basically, I eat a lot of bread and cheese. Which is FABULOUS. However, I need me some spicy food in my life. In honor of this request, Andrew made Fajitas last night using a handy 'french' fajita kit that looked eerily similar to Old El Paso. You know the one -- bright yellow, chicken just oozing out the sides (see above). Fajitas from a box may not be gourmet, it may not even be Mexican, but it is a tasty treat and just enough Mexican spice to kill my chipotle craving (who am I kidding, it's a fire that can't be extinguished!)

We also made our own chips (yay deep frying!) and guac. One thing I've never understood is why Mexican food doesn't travel well the further you are from Mexico (even those from Cali/Texas would say the New York food isn't 'really' mexican food). We had this issue in Asia whilst travelling-- mexican food just didn't taste right and I did not get it. All of the ingredients exist, hell, all the ingredients in all mexican dishes are exactly the same, yet it doesn't taste the same in other countries. One of the world's biggest mysteries, right up there with stone henge and the pyramids to be sure :-)

Macarons & Cupcakes: NY vs. Paris

I found another favorite NY vs Paris poster:

However, I believe the lines are blurring on this one. Ladurée, the amazingly famous macaron patiserrie in Paris, has recently opened in NYC and Cupcakes are increasingly popular in Paris. To be honest, Ladurée is not my favorite macaron....and if you want to know a little secret my favorite Macron isn't even in Paris (although all macaron places in Paris have not been exhausted). When I lived in Long Island City in Queens, I had a little bakery in the bottom of my building, appropriately named Little Oven. And honestly, these are the freshest, most delicious macarons you'll ever encounter. They also have very fun flavors (try the earl grey tea, passion fruit, and salted caramel for sure!). Also, my favorite NYC cupcake is not Magnolia...it's another little place called Baked By Melissa. Her cupcakes are deliciously miniature, with fantastic flavor offerings (my favorites are cookie dough and red velvet cake YUM).

I also have noticed cupcakes in Paris are on the up and up...There was even a cupcake camp recently...What is a cupcake camp? Good question. According to the website "nearly 500 people descended on Le Comptoir General to eat around 2600 cupcakes made by 60+ professional and amateur cupcakers." That sounds like just the right amount of crazy and yummy.

Alors, this post has made me very hungry for something sweet :) Bon Weekend!

Le Baron Bouge??!?!?!

So you may recall a post about one of my favorite bistros Le Baron Rouge a while back. APPARENTLY, according to my "Authentic Bistros of France" book, the Baron Rouge is actually called the Baron Bouge. This completely blew my mind so I have started an investigation. It began on the internets, in which case I've come across a trip advisor page for the Baron Rouge and the Baron Bouge, pointed to the same place. However, the Rouge one has 15 reviews, while the other 9...Point 1 for Rouge.

Further desk research, found this blog in which the blogger claims they changed the name due to copyright infringement from some "member of the public." However, according to my book, it's because the neighborhood was originally sort of bouge-y and the clientale fit the mark. It also is a clever play on words.

Looking closer at the picture, the B from Baron and the B from Bouge definitely don't match. The R was clearly changed to a B and if not it seems like an odd design choice. Who to believe?!?!?!



Really the only next step is to go and investigate myself...and perhaps have 6 oysters, a cheese and meat plate, and a bottle of muscadet 'just to make sure' everything is in order :)

Antoni Gaudi: Te Quiero

To say that I love the work of Gaudi is only one part of the story. I am incredibly inspired, moved, and touched by his work, more so than any other architect I've encoutered thus far (keeping my mind open!). Seeing the Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, and Parc Guell were definitely the sites I was looking forward to the most in Barcelona, however, in many ways I was scared to go back because of how much I loved them 10 years ago. Boy, they did not disappoint.

It's interesting because back then I could not articulate how, or why they moved me--I just LOVED the buildings and could spend hours there. I remember taking picture after picture (rolls of film at that time, can you imagine? ha) and although I always loved photography, the details that I kept finding and the angles I was using taking the photos were unlike anything I had done before. Gaudi had inspired me. Although I've never considered myself an artisic person, I like to think I'm a perceptual artist. I can appreciate art, design, and am interested in it, but never feel entirely compelled to create. However, Gaudi changes all that in me and I've walked away from this weekend incredibly energized.

In my day to day, I am helping to support and inspire innovation. Gaudi, like other geniuses, is an innovator. He didn't invent the Catholic cathedral, but he innovated it, much like Jobs didn't invent the smart phone, he just made it better. The Sagrada Familia has all the elements that you would associate with a brilliant cathedral, but he's turned most of them on their head. Cathedrals are generally dark, somber places -- Sagrada Familia is filled with light. Cathedrals are generally inspired by the church ("it's a grander church"), whereas Sagrada Familia was inspired by Nature. Gaudi saw God everywhere, particularly nature, and tried to bring that into the structure. He also thought about all the amazing details, from acoustics, to the symbolism of every statue, to the the celestial proportions. All of this really makes me look differently at 'a bloody cup of yogurt' (as a previous manager has said) with a new light asking "What rules can I break, but keep the essence of yogurt?"

It's amazing to me when my personal interests and what I get paid to do intersect. I feel really lucky that with 99% of my day to day I'm doing things that I actually enjoy. All geniuses, like Gaudi, Picasso, and Jobs have one thing in common - and that is passion. And although I never strive to be a genius, I do strive to find passion in what I do. And I thank Gaudi, among others, for the inspiration.

Here are some pics iPhone using Instamatic. I'm quite obsessed with that App.

Picasso: He's not like us

Apologies for the lack of content this week ....I've been overdosing on jamon and manchego cheese in Seville at a conference for work. I swear if I didn't have salted meat until the new year I'd be totally okay with it. There I said it.

Anywho, I'm extemely excited that my amazing friend charisse from new York is joining me in Barcelona this weekend for her early 30th birthday activities. I'm in Barcelona now anxiously awaiting her arrival. In an effort to pretend I'm cultured I just spent a couple of hours at the picasso museum (side note: does it really count as you going to a museum if you don't tell someone? ). It's actually a really awesome exposé on his life and work. There are some oil paintings he did whilst he was 12 which will blow your mind. (I believe my mother has kept some of my artwork from my childhood...abstract may be an appropriate way to describe it)

Anywho, one of the coolest things I saw was a video of some of paintings towards the end of the museum. It showcased the original las meninas painting by valezquez that picasso based an impressive 57 painting on. The cool thing was it overlayed picassos work on the painting so you could see the inspiration and get a glimpse into picassos brain.

Im doing this on my phone so I'm not sure how the pics will upload but I'm hoping you can see the picture of the little girl and then picassos interpretation. It's quite extraordinary. I'm sure I'll have more Spain stories to tell but so far Barcelona is as amazing as I remember and am looking forward to the weekend!

Ps for those of you wondering why I'm not working, it's remembrance day in France. Yay holidays.

Bikes in Amsterdam

How many bikes are fished out the canal in Amsterdam?

Answer: A LOT

Look at that claw!! It's huge, sort of like those games at the carnival.

I have never seen as many bikes as I've seen in Amsterdam. And where do they park them all?

Answer: In a bike parking garage of course.

Incredible. I love that city.

Wine poker

So I'm in Amsterdam for an innovation summit the past two days...this city is amazing. I can't believe I haven't been here before.

Anywho, the important story is how I won 'wine poker' last night. We were at a 'bonding' event (love corporate culture ha) and one of the games was to correctly identify 6 wines made by the same grape. Full disclosure; it was multiple choice. HOWEVER, I'm quite proud that I got all 6 right. Around the table were 3 guys from France, a girl from Belgium, another from Austria and one from England. One of the French guys got all 6 right as well so we had a 'smell off'. We were given three bottles with different scents and we had to properly identify them. The first was vanilla (easy) the second was toast (I said chestnut) and the third that gave me the win was pineapple. I'd like to go ahead and thank the country of Thailand for introducing me to that beautiful fruit.

The Europeans were unimpressed that my palate was a tad more discerning than theirs. Apparently Cabernet Sauvignon is tough to identify (for some ha). And in typical American fashion I gloated the whole night about my win. My parents would be proud.