Le Bac, Le Fac -- Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Goutte

THE STORY:

I've written about French elementary and middle schools, but it looks like I may never write about French high school and university experiences from a first-hand parent perspective. There are plenty of good reasons to return to the US: my husband misses San Francisco's nature and sports; the work visa is expiring; we've been away from family and friends a long time; there's a shadow of terrorism over the city; we'd kill for good tacos or Chinese dim sum. But of all the reasons, it's the schooling that will send us running back to the US.

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Take the Cake (Please): Brun de Noix

THE STORY:

There are plenty of French concepts we get wrong: for example, entrée (not the main dish of a meal, the appetizer!) and à la mode (not adding ice cream to something, but being in style). So it's only fair that the French occasionally mangle their English concepts. Enter exhibit A: le cake.

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Egypt Us!: Pyramide de Chèvre...and Mish

THE STORY:

Where does an American living in Paris go for vacation right after the nation's worst-ever terrorist attack by Islamist extremists? How about the Middle East? Knowing the region is always volatile, I only confirm the trip at the last minute when it seems safe enough -- at the beginning of November. As fate would have it, I believe I am paying for our non-refundable airplane tickets into Israel and out of Egypt just as the Russian plane from Sharm El-Shek is being blown up. Two weeks after that come the Paris attacks.

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