Waking Up in Paris

There have been many times here when I have started off my day with a bowl of “Special K Noir.”  That is to say that, in France, the eating of REALLY GOOD dark chocolate flakes first thing in the morning is acceptable, nay, encouraged!  I remember when I first laid eyes on a box of this precious stuff that my Host Mom had left out for me.  It was late in the afternoon and though I normally eat cereal at all hours of the day, I made myself wait until the morning to have this particular cereal.  I wanted my experience to be just as French Kellogg's had intended. It was very easy getting up the next day due to my intense anticipation of the chocolaty goodness.  I poured the “demi-écremé” milk over the cereal into a hand-painted ceramic bowl, grapped a big metal spoon and walked back to my room.  I don’t think I even sat down before I took my first bite.  It was heaven.  In a bowl.  With Milk. 
 
Luckily my roommate hadn’t arrived in France yet so I got that whole first box to myself.  Unfortunately for her, I’m not good at sharing my cereal so she tends to not get that much now anyway.  When we walk to school together in the morning (which is not every morning because I tend to be running late) we now like to grab apples from the kitchen and eat them on the way (I no longer reserve mornings as the only time I can eat Special K Noir - I actually tend to not have it in the morning unless I am awake early).  During our walk we talk about our conversations that we had had with our parents or friends the night before.  We talk about people from home who will probably never be more than abstract concepts to the other person. We talk about the weather.  We often talk about the baby who lives upstairs and who cries ALL THE TIME.  By this time, we’re at school (a mere 12 minute walk).  We split off and I go to work in the library while she goes to class.
 
On the days when I have to be at work at nine (thankfully only Wednesdays and some Fridays), I am late.  Luckily, most of the time, France is late too.  That is to say that many things do not actually start on time here so my getting to the library at 9:10 instead of 9:00 is usually met with a “c’est pas grave!” and a “oui!” when I ask if I can go get coffee before starting to work.  

At NYU Paris there are two coffee machines that vend a sugary liquid with what tastes (and feels) like very little caffeine.  Thus my daily routine is to start out with two coffees at once (one sugary “cappuccino” and a shot of espresso).  I take the cappuccino first and drink it a ways down before pouring in the espresso shot and going back to the library to start actually working (around 9:20).
 
So far, French mornings agree with me.  A bit of chocolate followed by a quick walk and coffee?  I think I could get used to this.