From rice and lentils to salmon and champagne, life is good in Paris.

I left my rural village in Lesotho, last week, flew to Johannesburg with a stopover in Abu-Dhabi and finally Paris.

It’s amazing how fast I’ve adapted to nice showers, a washing machine, a clean gym, and good food.

Jill, my Father’s wife celebrated her 80th birthday with 48 relatives and friends who flew in from Denmark, Italy, Brazil, and me from Lesotho.

We celebrated at “Le Fruit Defendu”  the perfect restaurant for a cozy evening with a delightful Christmas feel located on the banks of the river Seine, west of Paris.

My charming, 91-year-old father, has not changed, still in good health, and I am always happy when I spend time with him and Jill.

They reserved the entire restaurant several months ago, and as soon as we entered, we enjoyed the inviting fireplace, candles, champagne, friendly guests and an evening of unforgettable speeches.

An elegant three course meal started at 9 p.m., and ended at 12:30 a.m with an ice cream cake and “fireworks” as well as more champagne.

I loved catching up with old relatives and friends, and in particular, Anette, a Danish friend who has read and commented on all my FaceBook posts about my life in Lesotho, and been very supportive.

It’s so strange to feel like you can be two different people, one in Lesotho, living a simple life with no luxuries, and another person enjoying the comforts of a western lifestyle.