How to tip in the United States

We unfortunately can’t escape from tipping, even if we thing “it’s expensive enough with the taxes and everything”. We need to tip here in the United States! We’ve been here for almost one year, so

Election 2012 // A long night…

For the last months, we were overwhelmed by a lot of information about the campaign (I even got cupcakes “democrat” and “republican” – my favorite product from these election).  Fortunately, we don’t belong to a

How to make American friends

United States are Friends country. Since I believe everything I’m told, I was expecting to have a group a friends with whom I could go out for a beer, or tell all my secrets to

Trick or treat // Halloween night in the streets of Boston

October 31st, my first Halloween in the United States. We usually don’t celebrate Halloween in France: “commercial” and “it’s not our tradition” are the two main arguments for being blase about it… But here, it’s huge.

Salem // Halloween, witches and old mansions

Salem, the witch town, is not far away from Boston.  Hurricane Sandy was getting close,we thought that we didn’t have much time left to visit this city, famous for Halloween celebrations. It was now or

Frankenstorm in Boston

The wind is blowing in Boston. Hurricane Sandy is getting closer. The city is almost shut down, there’s a state emergency. I was asked to work from home today, my yoga class was cancelled, the

In New Orleans // Halloween, Jazz and Beignets

Louisiana and New Orleans… I dreamt of these places for years, thanks to books, movies and TV shows… I also had some vague knowledge of some kind of French history in Louisiana, sold a few centuries

Video // Welcome to New Orleans

Last Friday, 5 pm: it was time for me to leave my bunker, aka the cubicle. I went out and took a cab to the Boston airport: I was leaving for 2 days to New Orleans,

Vermont // Fall and rain boots

Fall… Sometimes I say to myself that I love it: nice late-afternoon light, incredible trees colors, mild wind… And some other times, I’m just sad that the summer is away. But the region is nice

5 things to know about sleeping in a motel

Sleeping was some kind of odd dream I’ve got about the States and specially the road trip we did on the West Coast last summer. Motels were for me a symbol of the United States,