Life philosophies of an (almost) 23 year old

I hope you have been enjoying the first few weeks of 2011.  For me, the new year is always a time to reflect on the year that has just passed, and what a year it has been!  I had a wonderfully crazy last semester of college; graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s in business; said goodbye to Lady, my faithful friend of 19 year; welcomed a new addition into the family, a puppy named Taco; spent nearly 6 months working for my parents; partied in Vegas for the first time; traveled to Prague and Berlin; moved to France; started to learn French; and completed the Basic Patisserie Certificate at Le Cordon Bleu.  I can hardly believe all the experiences I’ve had! 

I like to think of people kind of like I do cooking.  You start with a couple ingredients; add new flavors, maybe a little heat.  The original ingredients will always be there, but you add layers of flavor and introduce elements to get something different.   I’m certainly not the same dish I was when I rang in 2010.  Next Thursday I’m adding a whole new layer to my cake—it’s my 23^rd birthday!  Over the past twenty-odd years I’ve developed a few life philosophies which I have compiled for your reading pleasure.   It’s nothing profound, just the musings of an (almost) 23 year old living in France. 

Take time to enjoy the little things.  From leisurely lunches to a national average of 4 weeks of vacation per year the French have this concept down pat.  Not all of us are lucky enough to live the French lifestyle, but I believe in quality over quantity.  Take a few minutes to listen to your favorite song, read an interesting article, make yourself a nice meal, or just arrange that microwave dinner on a real plate.  The few minutes it takes to do simple things can turn a good day into a great one.   

Don’t worry so much!  I have found that pastry chefs can be quite a high-strung bunch.  More than once I have seen my peers burst into tears and exclamations of “OMG I think I’m going to have a panic attack!”  Are you kidding me?  Don’t waste time and energy worrying about trivial things.  In a month, a year, five years, is what you’re worrying about today still going to be relevant?  If so, then okay, I’ll get you a paper bag to breathe into.  But, you forgot to add sugar to your batter?  It’s just a cake!

Stay young.  I believe that age is just a number and “growing old” is a state of mind.  If you have children, or have spent any time around them you know that they show a constant curiosity for the world.  Many Europeans seem to share this mindset and show a genuine interest in their surroundings.  I am constantly impressed by the number of languages Europeans speak and the places they have visited.  I’m not saying that you have to travel around the world to exotic places, but just keep an open mind.  Read a book, watch a documentary, or just try that dish that no one can pronounce at the local Chinese restaurant. 

The past is the past.  I recently traveled to Prague, Czech Republic and Berlin, Germany.  It was not that long ago that the people in these countries lived in fear of speaking out against their government, or they were blacklisted for crimes such as “being an entrepreneur,” or they watched walls being erected around them and were told they would be shot if they tried to travel over them.  Today, Prague and Berlin are much different.  They are places of fun and culture that tourists from all over the world flock to.  As you all know time-travel has yet to be discovered, and as far as I know they aren’t close to any breakthroughs.  Because of this, we will not be changing history anytime soon.  Living with anger or resentment hurts the person who harbors these feelings more than it does anyone else.  I think in life we should make our apologies, accept the apologies given, move on and take away only the lessons we learned.  I know this is easier said than done, especially when you know someone who is a total b**ch, but remember the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.

Everything in moderation.  Better yet, as Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation...including moderation."  The French love their rich sauces, pastries, and bread.  If you told a French person you were going on the Atkins diet (no baguette!?) you may be admitted to an insane asylum.  Les Français know when to stop.  Unless you are training to become a sumo-wrestler, then yes, you should practice moderation, but I also believe that to live in a constant state of self-control is tiring.  To avoid insanity indulge yourself every once in awhile. 

Celebrate!  I think that people often feel they must wait for government workers to have a day off work before they can bust out that bottle of bubbly.  While I’ve never been one to turn down a glass of Veuve, and I live in a city where champagne flows like water, celebration is not just about the drinking.  It’s about making an effort to acknowledge the good things in life.  Take time to celebrate the little things; a good hair day, you met a deadline, it’s your birthday week!  Life is too short not to. 

Alright, stick a fork in me, I’m done!

Bisou, bisou,

Maggie

“At a birthday party you’ll never remember what you had for dinner, but you’ll always remember the cake.” 

-Chef Nicolas Bernarde aka Hot Chef

Triple Chocolate Bavarian Cream Cake,
I decorated it with my initials so it could be my birthday cake!

Paris, Prague, Berlin and back again!

Whew! I have had a busy couple of weeks.  Here is a little bit about what I have been up to:

My entire family, Rhonda, J.C., Matt, Ben and Nick, arrived in Paris on December 22 to spend Christmas with me.  We had a wonderful time seeing the sights and enjoying French food such as lobster soup, oysters on the half-shell, beef tartar, duck, and some of the best falafels any of us have ever had (go figure, falafels in Paris).  We made a trip outside of Paris to the Palace of Versailles.  It was beautiful and I am excited to go back when it is warm so I can explore the gardens.  On Christmas Eve we attended a mass at Notre Dame.  I think this was the first time in about 15 years the Rupel clan had been to a mass and I was excited to see a ceremony at such a large, famous cathedral.  A part of me was expecting there to be pyrotechnics, perhaps dancers (which there was none of), but it was interesting to see none the less.  Throughout the trip the boys and I bonded over the embarrassment that our dad was saying “bong-jour” to everyone we met.  Dad, thanks for trying to fit in and providing us with entertainment!  We definitely didn’t have the typical Christmas in which we sit around the beautifully decorated tree and exchange a bunch of presents, but it was more of what the holiday is supposed to be about--time with family.  Christmas in Paris wouldn’t have been the same without them. 

After Christmas my friend Whitney arrived for a visit and we left Paris for Prague, Czech Republic.  Whitney and I are not amateurs at traveling together.  After we graduated high school Whitney and I spent two weeks traveling around Europe on train.  You would think that almost five years later, with college degrees under our belts, numerous travel experiences, and apparently some wisdom, maneuvering through various countries on trains would be no problem for us.  However, we couldn’t seem to get our s**t together.  With arrived at the train station with our Eurail passes (tickets for traveling in multiple countries) early in the morning to make a reservation for an evening train.  We were informed that there were no reservations left and we would have to buy a separate ticket to get to Prague in time.  So we begrudgingly bought the extra ticket, arrived at the train station with barely enough time to hop on our train, and after a long night in a six-person sleeping car we arrived in Prague.  Prague was beautiful!  We saw the old city, toured Prague castle, went to an absinthe bar, went on a beer tour (I learned many fun facts about beer that I will share with you in a later email), and met some great friends at our hostel.  I discovered a traditional Czech pastry that I love.  It is called a Trdelnik and is made by wrapping dough around sticks that look like rolling pins, then roasting them over coals until they are crispy and finally topping them with a sugar and walnut mixture.  Delicious!   On New Year’s Eve we celebrated at midnight with our new friends, fireworks, and champagne on the Charles Bridge. 

On January 1^st Whitney and I had plans to leave Prague for Frankfurt, Germany.  When we arrived at the train station we could not find the platform for our train.  It was only about 15 minutes after our departure time that we realized to get to platform 2B we needed to go up platform 1, through an unmarked doorway, then outside to a bus that would take us to Frankfurt.  So, we didn’t make it to Frankfurt.  We decided to head to Berlin instead.  We were both pretty excited about this detour; we were going to get to see the Berlin wall!  Yes we know it fell (when we were both about 1 year old), but we were expecting there to be some remnants left.  To the relief of our intellectual egos we did get to see a part of the Berlin wall.  We also went on a bus tour of Berlin and saw a very interesting museum exhibit titled “Hitler and the Germans” that has been controversially touring Germany.  At this point in our trip my cell phone, which we had used as a watch/alarm, had died and I had unfortunately forgotten my phone charger.  So here we were, staying in a 10 Euro a night hostel (that is not a typo.  10 Euros, and you get what you pay for), and we needed to wake up at 9 a.m. to make our train back to Paris.  We weren’t very excited about sleeping in our sketchy-looking beds and for 10 Euros a night you can’t call the front desk to request a wake-up call.  Whitney and I decided that the only reasonable thing to do was to stay up all night.  At a bar we met some Swedish people that were heading to a famous Berlin club so we decided to join.  While Berlin was great, it is the dirtiest city I have ever been in—the streets were completely littered with food wrappers, alcohol bottles and used fireworks.  The club was no exception.  The party at this particular club had been going continuously since New Year’s Eve (keep in mind it was January 2^nd) and many of the people there look like they were on the marathon party trip.  The music was techno and really fun to dance to.  We definitely had a unique Berlin club experience!  Then, we missed our train to Paris.

Just kidding!  Our “reasonable” plan worked out and we made it back to Paris without a hitch.  In Paris Whitney and I stayed the week with a Cordon Bleu friend of mine named Jennifer.  Jennifer is an American who had just moved into a houseboat.  For me and perhaps for you too, the term “houseboat” brings to mind images of pre-fabricated boats you may see an old man with a country accent advertising on a bad TV commercial.  When Jennifer first told me she was going to live on a houseboat I was a little skeptical.  However, this is France and a houseboat here is called a “peniche.”  The peniche is docked on the Seine River right next to the Eiffel tower; it has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen bigger than many I have seen in apartments here in Paris.  Oh, and the coffee table is a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk.  I don’t think I will ever become jaded in this country!

Bisou, bisou,

Maggie

“The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."
Steven Wright