Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living

How to use the restroom in a French Starbucks

January 24, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

I plan on visiting the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and take the RER (Regional Express Metro) from the suburbs west of Paris to downtown, where I exit at Chatelet-Les Halles. It’s 11:10 a.m., and fortunately there are now seats available on the RER.

It’s a fifteen minute ride and once there, I get side-tracked by what seems to be an underground shopping center. Passengers push and shove in the dark, winding tunnels of this subterranean maze.

Sandwich shops with refrigerated display cases tempt me with their sandwich jambon/fromage, (ham and cheese), pastries, and now American style wraps.

View from Chatelet-les-Halles Metro station. Centre Pompidou.

There are clothing stores, even perfume and body lotion stores in these winding hallways offering facials and waxing, on your way to or from work. My mind is focused on a specialty tea shop, with floor to ceiling tea canisters, and a mini tea pot museum.

I stand for a few seconds, confused as to how to get out of this maze. People bump into me when I hesitate; this is not a place to be unsure where you’re heading. You have to be Gutsy in Paris.

I see a Starbucks, and as I wait in line, staring at the menu in French, the woman in front of me orders a Venti Chai. When asked if she wants milk in her Chai she says, “They always put milk in your Chai at Starbucks in New York. You should know that, unless the customer asks for soy milk.” The French Barista turns defensive and throws the change back at the woman. This is Paris after all!

In case you need the restroom at a Paris Starbucks, let me warn you not to throw your receipt in the trash. Keep it handy. Punch the code at the bottom of your receipt on that gray code puncher. (See photo below.) Once inside, the door will lock automatically, don’t panic. Look for the tiny white button next to the door frame and click it. The door should open and you’ll find freedom again.

How to enter restroom at Paris Starbucks. Punch in your code.

It also says, “Beware, wet paint” above.

I find a table in this overcrowded French Starbucks next to two women speaking English. The blond, short-haired woman mentions she’s from Long Beach, California, yet she has a slight French accent. The other woman is Italian, and both of them are complaining about men. Once again I hear the universal theme: “I can’t find a nice man.” I told her to look in the U.S.

Now you know how to get out of a French Starbucks.

Inside a French Boulangerie and Market

January 20, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

If there’s one thing I admire about the French, it’s their obsession love of fresh, quality food and bread.

Fresh Coquilles St Jacques (Scallops) in their shells at local market

Markets are bustling with shoppers even on a cold, crisp Wednesday morning where parking spaces are fought over and pedestrains race across the street to purchase their warm baguettes for lunch.

This baker has the best grainy baguettes in the area.

As soon as you step inside the boulangerie, the movie unfolds. Steam-clouded windows and the aroma of fesh, golden loaves, bring you into another world. During a ten-minute wait in line, you can watch the baker open the oven and place baguettes on a metal shelf.
Behind the counter, his wife and her assistant smile and chat with each customer.

The baker and his wife treat each customer with the same warmth and attention they give to their craft.

Another bakery with creamy eclairs, and tartes aux fruits.

Bread is purchased daily; a must in French society, hence the importance of relationships between the baker and each customer. In a way it’s a form of therapy for the customer, where for several minutes a day, you can share stories about your family, your health or ask questions about which type of bread goes with a camembert , saumon fumé, (smoked salmon) or pâté de foie gras. Even in a city like Paris, the store owners value relationships with their customers. They pay attention, remember who you are, and show that they care.

Bon appétit

Another fish stall with fresh oysters and mussels. Wish we had seafood, this fresh, in southern California.

Copenhagen: My birth place.

January 17, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

Sonia in front of the little mermaid in Copenhagen

Greetings from Copenhagen where the snow is melting and more frost is on its way.

After living in the U.S for twenty-eight years, I’m always surprised at how easy it is for me to become “European.” Sometimes I “forget” that I live in California.

“Skaal” from Denmark

Old habits and customs return, such as the way people interact with one another.
Danish people are warm and friendly and speak “calmly,” to one another, unlike the French. (More on that later.) One of my favorite airports in the world is Kastrup, in Copenhagen. Danes are world renowned for their architecture, furniture and home design. They come up with new designs for simple things. I don’t see these in the U.S. For example, an unusual, high tech wine glass, a contemporary candlestick, a special magnetic see-through picture frame that can make a photocopied photgraph look professional. Style, design and cozyness are three words that best describe Denmark, to me.

Nyhavn in Copenhagen

The new opera house in Copenhagen

As far as Danish habits, I had forgotten one tradition. In Denmark, it’s considered impolite to take a sip of wine when you’re having dinner with friends without saying “Skaal,” first. I did the California thing of taking sips whenever I felt like it, and remembered my manners.

Next post from Paris.

Funny how every country has different habits. Are there any traditions or habits you remember from childhood or from living in another State or country?

3 Reasons to use a different airline.

January 13, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

“Tomorrow I’m going to Paris.”

“Which airline?” a pilot I know at the gym asked me.

“Air Tahiti Nui.”

“They fly to Paris?”

“Yes, and they offer better service and real meals. Plus it’s fun to see flight attendants wearing Tahitian dresses, smiling and actually enjoying their job.”

He laughed.

Later, while working my abs on the ball, I blabbed about my trip to another friend at my gym.

“You’re not the first person who’s told me you get better food and more leg room on foreign airlines,” she said.

“Even British Airways has friendlier flight attendants than American Airlines, Continental or US Airways,” I said.

“You won’t believe what happened to me last time I flew to Denver,” she said.

“What?”

“I couldn’t get my carry-on into the overhead bin so I asked the flight attendant to help me. You know what he said?”

“No?”

“We’re not allowed to lift bags because of our backs.”

“You’re kidding.”

“So I complained. After that they apologized and gave me champagne. At least they did something about it.”

Many Americans don’t think about using other airlines, like Air Tahiti Nui to Paris, or Air New Zealand from LA to London. There’s more leg room, and the flight attendants are friendlier.

Are we so focused on frequent flier miles we forget to check out other options? Other airlines are partnered with US airlines, so you still get your miles. For example, Air Tahiti Nui offers miles on American Airlines, so when I fly in the U.S., I can use them. Though that’s another sore subject for me; I rarely seem to get a free seat despite having sufficient miles. I’ve come to the conclusion that airlines only offer one free seat per flight. Am I right, or is there some secret to receiving a free ticket?
So if you want:

Real food
More leg room
Friendlier flight attendants

Next time try it our. Fly a different airline.

Please share your travel experiences. Which airlines are your favorite? Which do you dislike?

Why do Finland’s Schools get the best results?

January 10, 2011 by Sonia Marsh

Finland’s schools score consistently at the top of world rankings, yet the pupils have the fewest number of class hours in the developed world.

Why?

“The educational system’s success in Finland seems to be part cultural. Pupils study in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.” Furthermore, “There is an emphasis on relaxed schools, free from political prescriptions.”

There is very little immigration.
Relaxed school free from politicians.
Finland values education and parents know they have a key role to play.
They stress trust and not competition as they do in the US and the UK.
No one fails in Finnish schools. They sometimes have two or three teachers in a classroom; one assigned to the slow learners.
Primary and secondary schooling is combined, so the pupils don’t have to change schools at age 13. They avoid a potentially disruptive transition from one school to another.

While watching the BBC video on families and schools in Finland, it struck me how important family structure and parents putting time into caring about their children’s school work, is critical to the child’s success.

Unlike Finland, California has high immigration rates and from talking to teachers, I’ve been told that many immigrant families, (mostly Mexican in southern California) do not enforce or help their kids with school work. Since many parents do not read, write or speak English, how can we achieve the results we see in Finland without a radical change?

No wonder Finland has become the education tourism center of the world where educators come to see how things can be improved in other countries.

After seeing the movie: Waiting for Superman, a documentary about the state of education in the U.S., I wonder to what extent putting an emphasis on trust rather than competition, and relaxed schools free from politicians could improve the U.S. educational system.

What are your thoughts on this matter?