Resolutions for a “Bonne Année!”
Christmas has come and gone, as it does every year. This lets us look forward to the new year realizing that another year has slipped through our fingers, each year going by faster as we age. The reason for this is relativity. It’s not that the years pass any faster, but one year out of 10 is a lot more of a percentage (10%) than one year out of 50 (2%), so we feel it even if the 365 days are still 365 days. Make sense?
This is also the time of year when we look back at our lives and wonder what we could have done better, which enables us to form “new year resolutions”…the things we’d like to do in the coming year to improve our lives. My plate of resolutions is overflowing because of many projects on the horizon including all of the unresolved issues that beg for attention.
Here are just a few…
• This coming year I have no choice but to envision a move-out of my Paris apartment, and then a move back in, all in the same year if all goes well, to rectify the structural problems. I hope to finish with what will feel like a brand-new apartment (maybe with a few more bells and whistles).
• The lawsuit among my neighbors in Nice involving the sani-broyeur toilet in my apartment continues, and may continue for a long time to come, unless I can convince my next-door neighbors to end the drama by letting us plumb larger pipes under their bedroom floor (without harm or expense), or sell me their apartment—either of which would make all this go away. I have been unsuccessful in this endeavor, but I keep trying!
• Patty Sadauskas and Jennifer Parrette will be taking over some of the consultations we provide clients because there just aren’t enough hours in the day and days in the week for me to do them…and we want to satisfy our clients’ needs. We’re offering these at a slightly lower fee, but both Patty and Jennifer are very capable of advising our clients! It’s about time I let them take it on. And with their help, we can help more of you make the move to France. No one is objecting. Email us to inquire about this.
• My daughter is planning to move back to Paris after 22 years of living in the U.S., for which I am incredibly thrilled. She plans on getting established so she can work from France and apply for citizenship…like I have.
• The Nice community has grown by such leaps and bounds that there’s plenty of room and need for a French-English conversation group. The elements all came together when we discovered Katie Friedland and Restaurant Oscar. Katie is the perfect person to run it and Restaurant Oscar is the perfect place in which to hold it. Katie is adopting the name and system of the group I ran with a partner for 20 years in Paris—”Parler Parlor.” We’re supporting the effort 100%, so stay tuned for complete information and a launch on January 27th, 2024…just four weeks away.
The city of Paris just published its own resolutions all of which you can read on the city’s website, but here are a few of my favorites:
Resolution 4: We give away what we no longer want and we buy less of the new. Do you no longer want certain toys, clothes or small accessories? Take them to the increasingly numerous recycling centers where they will make other people happy. They’re all over Paris. And while we’re at it, we buy less new things: we recycle, we repair or we hunt at flea markets and garage sales.
Comment: Can you imagine this resolution from a capitalist society where buying more fuels the economy?
Resolution 13: We garden in public spaces. If you dream of installing a planter on the corner of your street and growing your tomatoes there, investing in a tree base to sow your flowers, greening a wall, a post… the greening permit is for you! It allows you to identify the location of your choice, and above all, to take care of this unique little piece of garden yourself. The town hall also offers bird nest boxes to decorate your balcony.
Comment: Finally, Madame Hidalgo is taking lessons from Mayor Christian Estrosi of Nice…by greening up the city. Let’s hope so! I miss all the beautiful window boxes of flowers that Mayor Bertrand Delanoë encouraged during his term!
Resolution 16: We culture ourselves. There are fourteen municipal museums which bring together collections exceptional in their diversity and quality, the first in France after those of the State. We don’t hesitate to go there, especially since access to the permanent collections is free.
Resolution 21: We consume (more) responsibly. Many initiatives in favor of more responsible consumption have emerged over the years to help us better choose what we want to consume and bring a more sustainable aspect to our lifestyles. Cooperatives, unsold supermarkets and even an eco-friendly gift card can help consumers. All the information can be found in the Social, solidarity and circular economy section.
Comment: So why are there more and more purveyors of sugar-based “food” than ever before? Every new merchant on rue de Bretagne in the 3rd arrondissement that has opened in the past two years sells sweets…bakeries, chocolate shops, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, macarons, etc., etc., etc. Are we seriously doing this to ourselves?
That’s just a start for me and the city of Paris. And so, what are yours?
Happy New Year!
A la prochaine…
Adrian Leeds
The Adrian Leeds Group®
Adrian on New Year’s Eve in Nice, 2022-23
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