Paris vs New York

People often ask me, "So.. do you prefer living in Paris or in New York?" You'd imagine that I'd have tons of things to say in reply to that question, but more often than not I find myself thinking hard. Which city do I prefer? Gosh that is a really hard question. I have so many good and bad things to say about both cities! In the end, I guess, it really depends on what you are looking for and what your relationship status is. 

New York City, (I underline CITY because I wouldn't live anywhere else in New York state) I suppose, was fun when I was working, single, and had no other responsibility but to make enough money to pay for rent and party 3 times a week. It was a carefree life, most of my friends were single and in finance and enjoyed wining and dining, and we would spend time talking about how tough it is to meet the right man/woman. The right NOW man/woman on the other hand, was easy peasy. 

Paris, the city of love, is perfect when you have found that right person. It is perfect for couples in love, for those who like to roam around when its grey and slightly rainy, to brood on life, to have the best gastronomical experience ever. Even to have children, healthcare is practically free, there are bigger tax breaks the more children you have, and you don't have to worry about shootings in public schools.

So obviously, given my relationship status, I'd say that I prefer Paris for the moment. However, it is never so far in my mind that I met my Frenchman in New York, we had the best time partying and discovering Manhattan (for Parisians New York is like heaven on earth, The American Dream!). Fortunately, I have experienced the best of both worlds, and I love both cites from the bottom of my heart.

That is why I was ecstatic to discover this book by Vahram Muratyan. He illustrated 100 of Paris vs New York's best clichés, and I can proudly claim that I relate and understand them all! Quirky and smart, here are some examples that I absolutely love. 

Illustrations courtesy of Google Images

Giving Birth In Paris

   

In France, everyone is obliged to have a carte de sécurité sociale, the social security card. This card gives almost free medical access to its holder, and a reimbursement of up to 100% of medication. You can also pay for a supplementary insurance card, called the mutuelle. Depending on which plan you pick, even private hospitals may be free.

I chose a semi-private hospital to give birth at called Insitute Mutualiste Montsouris. Frankly, it was a pretty good experience. Well, I can't exactly compare it to any other, since it was my first and only time. But I must admit, looking back, giving birth was not that bad at all! I know I know, everyone tells me that women secrete a hormone after  giving birth to help forget about the pain, but that aside, I wouldn't mind doing it all over again.

Unlike Malaysia, I didn't see my doctor even once the day I gave birth (she did visit me the day after though). Here, midwives handle all normal deliveries, and I had at least 5 (midwives). This is because my labor lasted about 23 hours, and as the midwives changed shifts, the person who took care of me changed too. The only person that I recognized through the 23 hours was the anesthetist! I wanted to give chocolates to the whole team who helped me, but I didn't even remember their names so J just left a box of chocolates at the nursing station.

Also unlike Malaysia and the US, a normal delivery requires the mother to stay in the hospital at least 3 nights. This is to assure that mommy and baby are healthy, that the mother is not in depression and ready for motherhood, etc etc. We learned in 4 days how to give a bath, feed, change, dress, everything baby. 6 weeks after delivery, I was required to do 10 sessions of réeducation de perinée, reeducation of the perineum. It is not obligatory, but HIGHLY recommended by EVERYONE. We must make sure that Monsieur remains happy! No really. That IS one of the reasons why it is highly recommended.

A week or so after the delivery, a puericultrice, a nurse specialized in babies, is sent to your home to check on how the baby is doing. She also checks her bedroom, to make sure that nothing in the baby's cot can strangle her. I kid you not. We also talked about breastfeeding, sleeping times, and baby behavior with the puericultrice. A puericultrice can also come to your house everyday for a week to help you out with the baby if needed.

All this, for free! With a good mutuelle in hand, we didn't have to pay a single cent. Without a social security card however, hospitalization and medication in France remains very very expensive, so when traveling make sure you have a good insurance that cover everything that happens during your trip. A hospital bill is on average €1,500 per day depending on the gravity of the situation, so stay out of trouble while in France!!

Photos by Google Images

La Cuisine Paris

So I have decided to learn to make goodies other than macarons, and finally decided on the french basic, the croissant. If my dream of opening a French cafe in Kuala Lumpur EVER come true, I would need to master this! This time around, due to fully booked courses at Le Cordon Bleu up until October, I decided to try another cooking school recommended by a friend. La Cuisine, situated in the heart of one of my favorite Parisian neighborhoods, provides short courses in English and French. For the traveling food and pastry lovers, what can be more perfect than learning how to bake and cook in the Paris?

The course that I took, "Le Croissant and Traditional French Breakfast Pastries" costs 90€ and lasted for 3 hours. As it was conducted in English, most of the 10 people in the class were tourists or on long holidays in Paris. It was fun, light, interactive, and useful. I have yet to reproduce what I learned in class at home, but I will as soon as I get back to my pre-vacation weight ;)

La Cuisine also provides courses in French cuisine, Organic cuisine, and Cuisines of the World. What I particularly enjoyed was the dégustation, or tasting session after the class. Over a cup of coffee, we had the chance to chit chat with each other and who knows, make a new friend or two.. The dining room overlooks the river Seine, and on a sunny day it provides a view fit for a postcard.

Checkout http://www.lacuisineparis.com

Metro: Hotel de Ville
Photos by Me

Glam April 2011

Hey everyone! I have returned to Paris from a week long holiday in Mauritius, and it feels good to be home. While chilling on the beach on my last day there, I found this! To Malaysian readers, checkout Glam's April 2011 issue.. Sayalah Personiliti Bulan Ini, hehehhe....

You are here: Home / Personaliti / Pilihan Personaliti: Gaya hidup ala Parisian Alia Ghani-Le Mahec

Pilihan Personaliti: Gaya hidup ala Parisian Alia Ghani-Le Mahec

April 1, 2011 By Glam Leave a Comment

"Dari mata jatuh ke hati. Itu kisah percintaan antara Alia Ghani bersama suaminya yang berasal dari Perancis hingga membawanya menetap di sana. Berumah tangga sejak tahun tiga tahun bersama jejaka itu ketika bertemu di New York, ia lantas mengubah Alia kepada seorang wanita Parisian.

Tidak mahu terlepas daripada berkongsi keindahan kota Paris bersama mereka di luar sana, Alia mula memenuhi setiap ruangan di blognya dengan gambar yang diambil sendiri serta hasil penulisan peribadi. Selain itu, desakan suaminya agar Alia mengikuti kelas bahasa Perancis serta membuat kek dan pastri mengisi lagi masanya dengan penuh makna.

Menyentuh hal gaya, Alia dahulunya seorang gadis yang preppy ala New York, namun kini gayanya berubah ke seorang Parisian chic. Paling selesa, Alia gemar memakai blouse off shoulder, tights, sepatu balerina dan jaket kulit. Signature gaya? Tentunya skarf Alexander Mcqueen kerana Alia gemarkan motif tengkorak kerana dirasakan edgy untuk dipakai."

http://www.glam.com.my/2011/04/01/pilihan-personaliti-gaya-hidup-ala-parisian-alia-ghani-le-mahec/

My Macaron Obsession

As many are aware of, I am obsessed with macarons. So obsessed, that I have been making them over and over, making mistakes and learning tricks until finally, I think I have mastered them. I took a short course at the renowned culinary arts school Le Cordon Bleu, where I bombarded the chef with questions about getting the perfect macaron cookie. Being the unselfish macaron lover that I am, I shall share some secrets with you :p

1) Keep the eggwhites in the fridge for at least 48hours.

2) Do not underbeat nor overbeat the eggs whites. The eggwhites will form the meringue which is VITAL to the macaron cookie. It has to be beaten enough so that it doesn't spill when you hold the bowl over your head, and the meringue has to glisten and have a sort of shine. Once it becomes foamy and very light, it means that it has been overbeaten. You can count on starting all over again.

3) Cocoa powder is a major intrusion to the macaron. If you checkout the picture above of the pink macarons in the box, you'll notice that it is very cracked. The reason being, I powdered the cocoa powder on the mixture before putting it into the oven. Any detailing involving cocoa powder must be powdered after the cookies are baked. (Refer to yellow macarons).

4) While adding the meringue to the powdered sugar and almond powder, do it in 2 or 3 times. Fold the meringue gently until it is smooth. Do not overfold.

5) Use a number 11 piping to form the macaron cookie.

6) Liquid coloring from the supermarket can be used, but I must say that it sucks. The color fades with the heat of the oven, and the color isn't as bold as I wanted it to be. (refer to pink macarons). With the suggestion of a friend, I bought powdered coloring from a special patisserie store. (refer to yellow macarons)

7) Humidity plays a very important role. After 8 mins in the oven, I open the oven door to let the humidity out. I do it twice at the 8th and the 10th minute.

8) There is no flour used in macaron making. If you hear of a recipe or a bakery that makes macarons using flour, well, it may be good but it is NOT the real thing!

Voila some secrets of macaron making. I can't let all the secrets out, I must save some so that I can one day open my little Parisian café in Kuala Lumpur :)

Photos (and macarons) by Me

Cours de Yoga Intégral à Goncourt avec Christine

Cours collectif: Samedi et Lundi 10:15-11:45 à 3 rue du Buisson St Louis, 75010
Individuel (pour un suivi personalisé): déplacement à domicile
Tarifs:
Cours collectifs: 60€ par carte de 4 cours, 18€ à l'unité
Cours individuel: 50€ à l'unité (cours d'1h), 160€ par carte de 4 cours pour le mois
CHRISTINE CHAUVANCY: +336 89 90 43 20

"Depuis 20 ans, a pratiqué différentes formes de yoga: le viniyoga, des yoga tibétains, le yoga Kundalini et le yoga intégral; mais aussi différentes formes de méditation: la méditation transcendantale, des méditations bouddhistes, ma méditation IAM (Integrated Amma Meditation)."

I started taking yoga in January this year just to try it out, and I LOVE IT. The first class was challenging and despite the deceptive calmness, it was hard. It got easier and easier after awhile, but I still find my body sore the next day. I am completely addicted, and I have finally found an integrated whole body exercise that is not dangerous, tones the body, and builds stamina and flexibility.

I recommend Hatha Yoga to anyone and everyone. It is safe and adaptable to your level, and Christine is very attentive. Any problem with your body must be reported before the class so that she is aware of it, and could adapt poses to your capabilities. The class is conducted in French, but should be of no problem to those who just understand French.

Please call Christine and/or arrive 10 mins before the beginning of class. Yoga mats, cushions, and blankets are available for use.

Metro: République, Goncourt

Laila, Hairstylist and Makeup Artist

I am one of those people who has had the same haircut for the past 10 years. I trust NO stylist that costs less than a certain amount, and most of the time I wait for my visits to either Kuala Lumpur or NYC to have a simple trim. I've tried Carita in Paris, its ok, but for €180 a haircut and no English spoken, I rather wait.

All this drama over my hair until I met Laila. Bubbly, blond, super cool and a fellow yogin, she is a professional hairstylist and makeup artist from Los Angeles. She has been in the profession for the past 24 years, and for those who are skeptic of hairstylists that you do not know, fear not. Laila has worked on film sets and post production publicity. HBO movies and shows that she has been involved with include The Sopranos, Rome, Deadwood and True Blood. So in terms of experience and exposure, she has got it all!

Back in Los Angeles, Laila had her own salon with about 250 clients. Her husband and herself decided to move to Paris in search of new adventures together, and here she is, my new trusted hairstylist! She is available for house calls or in her apartment in Arts et Metier.

I've always wanted bangs, but with the thin fine hair that I inherited from my mother, I risked looking like Smeagle. Laila coaxed me (gently!) into getting the cut of my dreams, and I have NO REGRETS. She listened to everything that I told her I wanted, and the results were fantastic.
Rates are as follows:
Women: €60
Men: €40
Color: €60-€160
Makeup: €60
House call: additional €25 (for now this fee is waived)
Please call Laila at +336 44 29 54 89 to set up an appointment