Mon nouvel ordinateur

As some of you may have heard, my laptop has finally left this great world, and is resting peacefully in technology heaven. With its screen hanging from the hinges and its 30 minute boot-up time, we all knew it was coming. I had just hoped it would make it through the last leg of my journey. But alas, it was not meant to be.

Knowing I could not rely solely on my work computer without 24-7 access to the online world, I contemplated my options. I could order a laptop from the States and get it shipped - costly in time and money. I could order a laptop from the States and get my next visitor to bring it, but I would still be without laptop for a good two weeks. Seeing as how I grew up in the generation accustomed to instant gratification, those options wouldn't do. I was left with only one option: buy a laptop in Paris.

This option had many issues. First, buying a laptop in France meant I would be buying a French laptop with French Windows and a French keyboard. Second, the exchange rate is not great, so it would be more expensive. Finally, although my French is improving, I was slightly worried how I would ask all the ''computer questions'' en français. Despite my doubts about the practicality, I found myself Saturday (after Amy left) heading to Rue Mongallet - known for its many Asian computer stores which sell for less than the big chains. And fortunately, it lived up to its reputation. Not only did a find an adorable mini computer for a price that did not make my heart skip a beat, but it has a button to transmit the keyboard into a QWARTY keyboard rather than a French keyboard. Even more exciting, I managed to do the entire transaction in French.

So, I have spent a good part of the weekend ''getting to know'' my new laptop and catching up on a week's worth of personal email backlog. I did, however, take a break to go to the Place Monge market. I've shopped at farmer's markets in DC, and I'm always impressed with the quality of the produce compared to grocery store fare. However, the produce at the French markets is that much more impessive. Plump tomatoes, melt-in-your-mouth strawberries, and, of course, a fantastic selection of breads and cheeses. Since I only have a month and a half left here, I plan to frequent the markets as much as possible. Yum!!