French / Parisian Stereotypes?

We recently visited Paris. My husband planned the trip as a birthday present for me. Personally, I wasn't too fussed about the place. Of course, I had never been there before - but it also was not on my top 10 places to visit! My husband however, had been there before and was convinced I would love it if I gave it a chance. So while we were waiting to board the flight to Paris, I began to wonder, why am I not excited about visiting one of the most talked about cities in the world?

I realized then that having grown up watching the 101 Dalmatians, I had built up more than a few stereotype 'images' about the French and in particular, the Parisians. I was expecting to see glamour, style and fashion from the moment we landed. Not to mention, encountering the famous Snobby Parisian Attitude! What I found however was something completely unexpected.

1. Parisians are rude.
This is definitely not true. I did not meet any rude Parisians on my trip. This could mean one of 2 things; I either did not meet any Parisians, or, not all Parisians are rude. I choose to believe the latter.
I do however think they are very direct and to the point. This can sometimes come across as rude. But this is all part of the Parisian charm!


2. Parisians are all uber stylish!
Not really being much of a fashionista and generally preferring to blend into the crowd, i was horrified at the idea of standing out like a sore thumb and although this stereotype isn't exactly wrong, it isn't entirely correct either.

How a Parisian would dress to
go shopping

How I would dress to go shopping

Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world and it being October, I was expecting to see Mink Coats, Chanel Handbags and Louboutin Shoes on every street. What I noticed in my short time in Paris however is that Parisians are not necessarily setting out to be stylish but in fact, aiming to 'not look sloppy'. Regardless of age or gender, Parisians like to put their best dressed foot forward every time.


3. Parisians are impossibly thin.
To me, French women in general seem to be on the skinny side of the weight scale. But when you think about their lifestyle, its not that much of a surprise. From an early age, children are introduced to a variety of cuisines and healthy meals. Schools provide parents with a menu that shows them what their child will be eating for lunch at the school cafeteria on any given day. Many schools even go one step ahead and provide parents with meal suggestions for dinner which complement the lunch provided!
When you consider this life long healthy eating diet with the amount of exercise an average French gets, it is no wonder they are so slim!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovO18E-hgew


4. Parisians do not speak English.
This is totally untrue. Not all Parisians refuse to speak anything other than French. I found the young, and or the professional are happy to practice their English. If you do encounter someone
that refuses to speak English, it is more than likely they are uncomfortable speaking the language. The French are perfectionists; if they cant speak the language with perfection, they wont speak it at all.

5. Parisians (and the French in general), drink wine all the time.
Yeah... I found this one to be mostly true. And with French wine being so earthy and light and just yummy, who could blame them?

What was your experience? What are some of your stereotypes about French people?

In the Company of Animals

I’ve been called a social person but I don’t particularly consider myself social. I like the company of people – but for it to evolve into a real friendship, I have a very extensive criteria; fun, relaxed, easy going; the usual. Over the years, I’ve managed to meet some truly wonderful people and make what I hope to be long lasting friendships. There aren’t too many of these kind of people around. You know the type – the ones that just pop round for a coffee and a chat; no formal invitation necessary? I love these people! True friends. Failing that, I’m just as happy in the company of animals.

Dinner with friends is always nice

Its not easy making friends. Quite often, moving to a new place and meeting someone new is like dating. You’re infatuated! Mesmerised! And dare I say… desperate? You spend a lot of time together getting to know one another and inevitably, cracks eventually start to show. You notice the flaws and as with any relationship; romantic or platonic, both parties are at a cross road. Can they accept the flaws and maintain the friendship?

As with any expat community, there is a mishmash of cultures. Making a connection is hard; and often maintaining a connection is even harder. So how does one make and maintain a connection in a place that’s always transient and a micro-community that is always temporary?

Some people make it look easy. They always seem to be out and about partying it up with friends. I would hazard a guess and say they have to work very hard at that. Is it a true friendship if you have to work so hard for it? Or are some people just better salesmen?

#foodporn

For the moment, my approach is to keep busy organizing holidays, skyping old friends, writing this blog and volunteering at the local animal shelter. These are all the things I like to do. If I meet someone along the way, great! We will atleast have something in common by meeting while doing something we enjoy. If not, I’m just as happy in the company of animals!

Oh My Dog!!!

You guessed it; this post is about our fur baby! This week we celebrated Gibson's fourth birthday - and the first in Doha! It also happens to be smack bang in the middle of Ramadan! So to mark the occasion, I've decided to devote this post entirely to Gibson.

Oh my dog!

He can do all that?

Now, its not much I grant you; but bearing in mind that he has two working parents and spends most of his time indoors either alone or with a nanny, its pretty impressive! Gibson loves to lie upside down and smile, shakes both his paws, sits pretty, stays when told told to, waits to eat and goes bananas for cheese! He can open doors - as long as they swing outward. And of course, he knows when dad is around he has to sleep on his own bed. When dad isn't home, its cuddle time with mummy!

Oh my dog puddle!

As we lived in rental accommodation, toilet training Gibson was a bit of a challenge. We decided we were going to teach him to 'communicate' with us and let us know everytime he needed a toilet break. I had been YouTube'ing all week for ideas and happened upon one which suggested ringing a bell when the dog went to the toilet. Thereby training him to ring a bell when he needed to 'go'. This ofcourse, didnt work. Gibbs just seemed to enjoy ringing the bell - the way cats do!
So we then decided to try to get him to stand near a door when he needed to go outside.
Everytime Gibson stood by the door, my husband (Ro) would run over to open the door while I picked Gibson up, tucked his tail under his bum (to avoid any miss-haps) and carry him out to the lawn. After four hours of this; and not a single tinkle, we were getting both bored, and tired.
So naturally, the next time Gibson went to the door, Ro's response was, "Ignore him. He's faking." Ofcourse Gibson had other ideas. He patiently waited for us to open the door and when that didnt happen, he slowly did the pee squat. Ro and I jumped off the couch in a mad panic. He was screaming "OPEN THE DOOR OPEN THE DOOOR". As I opened the door, I saw Ro pick Gibson up, tuck his tail under his bum and all but throw him out into the yard. We had a trail of dog pee from where Gibson had started to squat, all the way out the door and all over Ro's hands and my feet! Oh the joys of toilet training a puppy!


Oh my dog!
Is it rubber? Is it roast? No. Its Electrodog!

When Gibson was just a few months old, while he still had his puppy teeth, he loved to spend his days chewing. He'd chew through reticulation, the floor-mat at the door, the sprinklers, drain pipe, plastic lid on the drain. He even ate the potted chilli plant in the garden - right down to the stalk! Strangely enough, he chewed everything except shoes!
We came home one day to find we had no power. I looked down the street and noticed we were the only house in the dark. Had we paid the electricity bill? After going through our mail with a torch in hand and confirming our bill had been paid, we started switching off all the appliances in the house. Every time we switched one back on, the house would short circuit! Just as we were about to call the electrician, my husband said, "didn't we leave the pond pump running this morning?" It turned out while we thought Gibson was just being good; laying around on the lawn, he was actually gnawing on the cables to the pond pump! How he managed to avoid being electrocuted everytime we tested the system that evening, I'll never know!

First Impressions of Doha

My first impression of Doha when I first landed was that it was a small town bursting at the seams trying to be a big city. By most accounts, it is a beautiful man-made city with its crystal clear waters, glistening lights, 5 star restaurants, markets and American chain restaurants. 

When the plane first started its descent, all I saw was sand, and what looked like, semi-permenant tents; and I wondered to myself, ‘where the heck am I going?’ After a few minutes, beautiful West Bay came into view and the landscape completely changed. From the air, The Corniche looks like a beautiful necklace sitting on a lady’s slender shoulders. 

Photo Credit: @glamgrid.com

Before I first visited Doha, I had done minimal research on dress code and women’s rights in Qatar. Other than that, I preferred to learn about the country first hand. So needless to say, I arrived here wide eyed and bushy tailed ready and excited for a new adventure. My adventure was that there was no adventure at all! I had arrived just in time for Ramadan and it seemed to me that the city all but emptied out for the hot months! The expats all seemed to disappear for the summer holidays and the locals too disappeared to exotic lands for their yearly break. I was wrong. I found out later that the city definitely slowed down – but the activities didn’t come to a complete standstill. 

I did the usual things, I went to the souk, tried a shisha, tried some fabulous foods at some world class restaurants, went to the museums, wander around The Corniche etc. But it was too hot for the beach or to go quadding. 

None the less, I’m back! I moved the whole kit and caboodle here recently and so far, we have been settling in well. My husband and I arrived 8 weeks ago and our dog followed a week later. Our first week in Doha had been fairly uneventful. We spent our time looking at accommodation options, re-learning how to drive (Doha Style), finding our way around town and generally getting over jetlag. 

Week two however, was a little more eventful. I saw one of our neighbours walking her 2 dogs and all but accosted her into a conversation. My theory was, ‘she has 2 dogs! She must be friendly!!’ And I was dead right. She and her husband are just lovely. 

Luckily, we have always managed to fill up our weekends; be it with brunches, parties on the beach, dinners, drinks etc. 

Generally, if you take it in your stride, Doha is an easy place to adjust to. The people are friendly and the city is small enough to navigate through easily, yet big enough to always discover new corners. Don’t get me wrong; I didn’t love the place the first time I visited. In fact, I never wanted to come back. But now that I’m here, I’m glad I gave it another go. Doha has surprised me pleasantly and although I still don’t love it here, I’m happy. 

Here are some of the lessons learnt so far from my move to Doha, Qatar:

• Things move at a different pace here. There is no point cribbing about it. Accept it, take it in your stride and you’ll have a much easier transition. 
• Doha is not a huge city; but neither is it as small as it initially seems. 
• Don’t be put off by the weather. During the winter, there are beach parties and bbq’s and in the summer, it simply moves closer to home; ie: house parties. 
• Almost 90% of the population is expat. So if you ever need any help, chances are there will be plenty of people around you who have at some point been through the same problems. 

Go on….. give it a go. Come to Doha. ☺

Al Wakra Family Beach, Doha
Photo taken with my Samsung Galaxy S3

Dear Perth

I'm going to miss you.

I moved over to you in 1995. At that time, you and I were both small and young. I was 11 and you were 139. I remember flying over you thinking, "Wow! This place is tiny! I'm going to get so bored so quickly...!"

Perth in 1995. Courtesy of National Library of Australia and @skyscrapercity.com

At that time, I had no idea how wrong I was. Since then, you and I have both grown enormously. You provided me with safety, adventure, friends and experiences. I made some brilliant friends while you watched over me and as I grew older, you let me go and build my confidence.

You gave me the courage to meet the nicest and kindest group of girls I could have ever hoped to meet and as we became close, we discovered you all over again. At every stage in my life, you made sure you grew with me to provide me with a healthy batch of adventure and fun. I left you many times; sometimes for as long as 6 months. I went away, made more friends and brought them back with me. Every time, you welcomed me home with open arms.

I've met some fantastic people in Perth. My husband, my best friends and my dog.
When I met my husband, I think you knew before I did that he was the one. We met almost 15 years ago and did not get along at all. Infact, I started avoiding him as much as I could. But you kept bringing us together over the years; seemingly by chance. Eventually, we ended up working together and just couldn't avoid the chemistry. We met in Perth, we dated in Perth, we fell in love in Perth and now, we both are in love... with Perth.

I met my lovely friends purely by chance. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was my last day at an old job. I walked around the office with my heart racing; fearing rejection while anticipating triumph. I walked up to (almost) complete strangers and said, "Hi, you dont know me but its my last day at work today. Would you like to come out for a celebratory drink?" to all the friendly faces I could find. Over the years, I tended to generally keep to myself. I had very few friends growing up. Infact, I would call most of them acquaintances as i have never kept in touch with anyone from my school years. So this was a bold move for me. I was desperately in need of a female friend and Perth, you gave me the confidence to go out and make them. To my extreme surprise, they all said yes to a drink and almost 5 years on, they have all been enormous support for me! My only regret is I didn't meet them sooner. I would have loved to have them with me celebrating my "Medium Fat Indian Wedding".

Perth 2014

Perth 2014

Perth 2014

Our lovely group has grown somewhat since then and every time someone joined or left, we all explored you again Perth.

You were fantastic! You always had something new for us to do, somewhere new for us to go. To those who call you boring, let me say I'd feel more lonely in a crowded room with boring people than on my own, exploring my Perth city.

I left you about 10 days ago and I do miss you already. You are my home and for now, I am away. But when I do come back, I cant wait to rediscover my home all over again; My Perth City.

xox

My favourite things to do in Broome

Matso's Brewery

No trip to Broome would be complete without visiting (and dining in) the most remote micro brewery in the world. The building itself is old and of significant historical value to the town. Matso's long and
exciting history involves it once being a brothel, a bank, suffering from sabotage and ofcourse, beer! 

Matso's is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu is vast and incorporates good pub fodder. It also caters well for the vegetarians. 

Gantheaume Point

This is a hit or miss type of attraction and is only 6km from Broome. Gantheaume Point is a must see in Broome - however, if you want to see the dinosaur footprints, planning is a must! The dinosaur footprints are only visible during low tide and, if it isn't raining. Having said that, even if you are not able to see the footprints, a quick trip is still well worthwhile. The rock formations, the red sand and the ocean make for the most stunning photos. 

Cable Beach

Cable Beach is the most iconic attraction of Broome and it features on every brochure and website. It is a large 22km stretch of beach which gets busy with 4WD's in the evenings. Locals like to drive onto the beach and get a front row seat to see the beautiful sunset with a picnic and a wine in hand. It is reasonably safe to swim at the beach. However, there had been a crocodile sighting in the water a few days before my trip to Broome. 

Broome Crocodile Park

The crocodile park is an interesting place to visit if you are curious to find out more about the species. It is not for the soft hearted though - the crocodiles are bred for meat and skin and the establishment does not hide that. Most of the crocodiles you will see will one day be turned into handbags, shoes, burgers
etc. For me, being an animal lover, that was particularly hard to absorb when holding a baby crocodile in my hands. 

Willie Creek Pearls

The willie creek pearl establishment is a fair distance
away from town. If you would like to book a tour out to the farm, the shop front in the city centre would help you out. After speaking to some of the locals, we decided to drive out to the farm ourselves. The drive up was just beautiful and I would definitely recommend that. However, make sure you are in a 4WD. Small cars are likely to get bogged. If you don't have time to drive up to Willie Creek and would still like to see how the pearls are harvested, go next door to Cygnet Bay Pearls in the city centre. These guys are very informative and carry out a demonstration showing how the pearls are harvested and seeded most days at 11am. The Cygnet Bay Presentation was recommended highly to us by the locals and it was fantastic! 

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Pinctada Hotel in Broome and I cannot recommend these guys enough. It was Asian hospitality in Australia! The staff were extremely friendly, ever ready to talk, always full of suggestions on what to do in Broome and always smiling. We were picked up at the airport with a cold towel and an air-condition van and from there, the service just got better and better. When you travel to Broome, do give Pinctada some serious consideration.

Broome

Broome is a small, tourist town located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In my mind, I was expecting it to be a small town with a single room airport, a pub, a beach, a resort and Oh! some crocs! As far as I was concerned, my friend was wanting to celebrate a milestone birthday there and I was tagging along to help celebrate, soak up the sun and alternate between drinking by the pool and drinking by the beach. Nothing more, nothing less!

What I found I felt about Broome however, was completely the opposite. It was fantastic! It is remote, beautiful, unique and miles and miles from anywhere. The nearest big city is in the next country over; Denpasar, Indonesia which is 1275km away. The nearest major Australian city is Perth (2200km)!

Sunset at Cable Beach - On my Samsung S3

If you're after a laid back holiday, a feeling of being on a deserted island and friendly Australian hospitality, Broome is your landing-resting place. There is Australian hospitality, and then there is Broome hospitality. Australian hospitality is a polite smile when you check in at the hotel and a direct answer to any questions you may have. Broome hospitality is an infectious smile at check-in and should you have any questions at all, every 
single person in town becomes your

own personal information guide! The people are so very friendly, they will happily stand back and talk to you for a good while. I have never felt so welcomed in any other Australian holiday destination. Broome hospitality is in a league of its own here.

You can fit in most of your sightseeing to within a couple of days. So your toughest decision will be between beach, beer, pub and pool. Not a bad getaway.

Broome town itself is most unusual. The town centre is called Chinatown and the architecture is of a style of its own. The houses are very clearly designed for cyclone conditions and in the town centre, you can spot heavy Chinese and Japanese influences.

We took a short flight out of Perth to Broome - only 2 hours. Broome is even closer to Perth than the most popular holiday destination for young Aussies; Bali! Virgin flies up twice a day and I would highly recommend them. Although it is not a full service airline, it doesn't quite fit into the budget airline category either. Virgin have found a perfect cost / comfort balance. On our short flight, we were served a sandwich, chocolate and tea/coffee. They also had free wifi onboard; which, if you have a smartphone, tablet or a laptop and you pre-load the Virgin entertainment App, allows you to choose from over 200 shows. If you're like me and cant read a book for more than half an hour at a time, is a great way to fritter away the time. Definitely beats twiddling your thumbs at 40,000 feet or grabbing a nap and waking up with a crook neck!

As you come in to land in Broome, the view is breathtaking. It looks as though an artist ran out of colours while painting and started dipping into the rest of his palette.

Photo Credit: @broomeair.com.au

The turquoise sea meets the white stretches of land and the deep red outback; which is typically Australian.

All in all, I loved Broome. I would go back there again and again. The people are lovely, the lifestyle is laid back, the beers are plentiful and food is delicious. A couple of mild warnings however;

• If nobody is frolicking in the water at the beach, don't get excited about having it all to yourself and jump in. There may be an unwelcome visitor in the water. 
• The shops shut very early - particularly during the off-season. So plan your pearl shopping accordingly. 

Sunset at Cable Beach - On my Samsung S3

Look out for my list of things to do in Broome during the off season in my next post!

xox 

Flying High

In mid-2013, I was flying with Qatar Airways on a work trip. Leading up to the trip, it was all excitement! I couldn't wait to get on board this five-star airline and try my very first business class luxury experience. However, as I came close to departing, all I could think about was how much I was already starting to miss my life at home and my family. I already missed Gibson so much! The family can text / email / Skype and call. Gibson just gave me a ‘where are you going?’ look… and I was going to be away for up to 6 weeks at a time for 6 months or more!

I was feeling gloomy when I left home, I was feeling gloomy when my husband dropped me off at the airport and gave me a big hug goodbye. I was even feeling lugubrious as I was checking in via the priority business class service and while sitting in the Malaysian airlines lounge at the Perth Airport. I was so engrossed in my own world, I didn't notice the friendly and attentive staff. Unfortunately, all I wanted to do was go back home, give my fur-baby (Gibson) a hug and climb into my comfortable bed. It was 11pm on a Saturday night after all! Until the moment I got on board and I was able to start playing with the seat controls in business class I didn't really notice any of the special treatment I was receiving.

First thing you notice as you climb on-board is a) You are spoken to by your name and b) there are no lines, no waiting for that special person that stands in the aisle while resting their carry-on in the aisle seat trying to gather all the gadgets and products they must have during the flight. In fact, due to the shear amount of space in the cabin, there were no lines at all! It was quite easy to forget that ordinarily, I would be on the other side of that slim curtain, traipsing down the aisle all the way to the back of the place to the ‘most economical’ seats on board.

Photo Credit: @Qatar Airways

As I got on the Qatar Airways flight, my gloomy mood took a back bench to my curiosity of this never before experienced luxury. I’m usually quite a self-conscious person but on this particular occasion, there was nobody sitting next to me. This gave me the freedom to turn into curious George – pushing buttons left right and center and foraging through the luxurious Qatar Airways and Salvatore Ferragamo amenity bags. I noticed the seats multi-functioned as a chair, a massager and a bed – a flat bed 35,000ft in the air! Score!

The take-off process was all luxurious. First, a warm towel and ‘would you like a drink Ms Smruti?’ I stupidly asked for a glass of water. What? Don’t judge me – I panicked under pressure. 
Damn it! How cool would a glass of champagne have been! After take-off came the chicken skewer with a yoghurt dip. Oh – so delicious! It was heaven on a stick. The bar was set so high, I would have been happy if they fed me nothing else.

Photo Credit: @infinitelegroom.com

Then came the pajamas! Holy Guacamole! I had been excited about flying business class for weeks and my friend Kat* said only first class passengers got the jams. Was I in the wrong seat? No, I can’t have been – the steward referred to me by name. So the momentary fear of being sent back to economy was quickly averted. Phew!

Right, so what to do now? TV and 200 shows to choose from. I think I wasted an hour just deciding what I was going to watch! Just as I was about to start a show, I saw the stewardess come out with a notepad and pen – she was taking dinner requests! Better read the menu! OK – so bread basket comes by default. I will have… the sweet potato soup please, followed by salad and the Barramundi with spiced tomato curry. And, I shall skip desert. 
No, I’m not calorie counting; I just don’t have a sweet tooth.

After ordering the food, I went into the bathroom to change into my new jammies. I was dead tired and just wanted to eat and sleep. The bathroom had absolutely everything you could need except a shower (I hear you have to fly first class for that). For starters, it’s nearly twice the size of the economy bathroom. So it’s not big – but man! It makes a big difference. It was also decked out in all the Salvatore Ferragamo amenities.

Back at my seat, it was time for dinner. Note to self. In business class, food doesn't just arrive. It announces itself and then makes a grand entrance…one course at a time! And because I skipped dessert, a little box of Godiva Chocolates arrived at the end!

After dinner, I reclined my seat (to the 180 degree flatbed option of course) and fell asleep while watching an episode of Arrow. I was rudely awakened a little while later because there was a guy nearby; snoring like Drogon with a head cold! Oh no! The most comfortable sleep I have ever had on a plane is now officially over – never to return! Shall I go wake him up? Shall I get someone else to wake him up? Why isn't this bothering anyone else but me? And then I remembered. I had earplugs in one of my care packages! Say ‘adios’ to uncomfortable, interrupted sleep.

I suddenly woke up again – this time in a panic! Panic that I might miss breakfast! I was feeling pretty refreshed. So I figured it must be time for more food. Time to brush my teeth and get ready for some more nourishment.

Now that I've raved about how great things were, I have to say, breakfast was nowhere near as good as dinner. I asked for eggs and a hash brown and didn't enjoy that much. I felt like I was eating cardboard. Or perhaps my standards had just been raised sky high while I was sleeping. What goes up must come down? No pun intended.

I watched another couple of episodes of Arrow and soon, it was time to land. It was time to come back to reality and start thinking about the reason for me being on this flight to start with. Work!

Photo Credit: @quickcityvisits.com

The whole experience did leave me questioning how on earth I will adjust to flying economy again. I didn't need to worry at all though because soon afterward, I not only flew economy, I flew budget airlines! I can confidently say reality sank in fast, leaving the Qatar Airways Business Class experience a luxurious and distant dream.

The Big Decision

I've been thinking of doing something different for some time. I used to think, and think  – and think a lot! But recently, an opportunity presented itself and I decided to actually do something and make a big change. I decided I was going to pack the house, pack the dog, pack the husband and move from Perth, Australia to (almost) the other side of the world! Saying goodbye to family and friends will be the toughest part of the move; but of course, nothing is permanent.

The decision to move was easy – it only took me a day to decide. The decision on where to go, was a little harder; that took me a week. The decision on writing a blog; easy peasey! Starting up the blog, well… that took a good ten days of screaming at my computer!

I’m going to write about the moving experience as often as possible. So feel free to come back, drop in suggestions, drop in to say hello. Or simply ignore me.

It’s your choice. No pressure. J

xox

Plans for the Spunky Porkchop

My name is Smruti. Thats 'Sm' as in the first part of 'Sm'oothie and 'ru' as in kanga'roo' and 'ti' as in 'tea'. Put that together, say it a few times in front of the mirror and you're good to go. No jokes required. 

I started this blog to keep in touch with family and friends when I left home (Perth, Australia). I felt like I was perpetually in transit and also Facebook and Instagram are great, I find I cant communicate my stories with them. 

I hope to do something different once a month and write about that experience. If you would like to leave some feedback – or if you have any suggestions, feel free to drop me a line! :-)

So, to whoever reads this blog, these are my adventures.

xox