Paris or Bust

How could you not love Paris? Between the beautiful city, the fabulous shopping, and the exquisite food, what could go wrong? Well I have an answer for you... the increasing strength of the euro.  Dining is a tradition all over Europe, especially in France.  The French are known for never failing to provide both magnificent presentation and exquisite flavor in their dishes. According to Jean Guillaume, restaurant owner in a Paris hot spot, dining out for lunch in France has traditionally consisted of having "a main course, dessert, coffee, and a bottle of wine." Parisians have lately been seen ditching the wine for need I say it... tap water. This might be a result of the recently elected French president, who has been encouraging a pretty significant change in the French culture... limiting lunchtime. How dare he Americanize a Parisian tradition? Well the euro is strong and the dollar is weak. Surprisingly, this does not look so hot for the European economy. When the euro increases in value compared to the dollar, travel from the U.S. to Europe has been seen to go down significantly. So forget savoring a croissant while viewing the Eiffel Tower. This year's Christmas card picture is going to have to be in front of the "slightly smaller" version in Orlando's Epcot.


Article: French restaurants hit by economic gloom
from CNN.com
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/09/24/france.restaurants.closing/index.html

Come Down From Your Throne, T.V. Watcher

At 7 o'clock on Monday nights my entire residence hall seems to freak out. Forget that huge exam that's at 8 A.M. tomorrow or that email you need to send to a professor... all minds are tuned to channel 8. Gossip Girl is on. I don't watch T.V. I never have been into it and don't think that I ever will be. I must just not understand the thrill that some individuals feel when that certain time of day rolls around. All of a sudden, the remote turns into the watcher's magical wand as they gracefully lunge to the couch and perch upon their throne, giving commands to the television. Being involved in a life or a story that doesn't really exist has always struck me as peculiar. Anyways if you're looking for me on Monday nights, I'd try the gym or the library, because I will not be planted in front of the television.