50,000 Americans - Tuesday, 9 April

Today I learned that about 50,000 Americans live in Paris.  Over two dozen of them were at a monthly gathering called "Après-Midi" ("afternoon") today, and I heard this statistic from Denise, formerly of Chicago, who was sitting next to me.  These events are organized by Adrian Leeds, a gregarious New Orleans transplant who has lived in Paris since 1994 - she helps Americans (and other foreigners) in the quite complex logistics of apartment searches/purchases, hosts an apartment vacation rental service, is a regular on "House Hunters International," publishes a wide-ranging blog and e-newsletter called "Parler Paris" (http://adrianleeds.com/parler-paris/parler-paris-nouvellettre), writes e-books, and is a pretty well-known fixture in the American community in Paris. She is on the left of this pitiful photo (sorry...I was shooting into the sun streaming in the windows).  You can find much better photos (including one of me and Denise, who sat next to me) here:  http://www.adrianleeds.com/parler-paris/apresmidi/pastapresmidi/509-apresmidi-9-4-13

There is a speaker each month, and the 2-hour events are comprised of 45 minutes arriving and drinking (the price of admission is merely the cost of a cold or hot beverge) and chatting with whomever you're sitting near, then 45 minutes devoted to a presentation by the speaker, then 30 minutes of Q&A. Amazingly, this is the first one I've attended, but if I'm ever in Paris again on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, you can be sure that I'll be there!

This month's speaker was William Jordan, Retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer, on "The changing nature of diplomacy, what it's like being a diplomat in a country like France."  Mr. Jordan served for 30 years (1981-2011) as a high-ranking "political officer" in the U.S. Foreign Service. His last posting was as Deputy Chief of Mission in Algiers. He specialized in the Arab world and in prior positions he played a key role in responding to the terrorist threat in northwestern Africa, normalizing relations with Libya, and seeking to achieve progress toward resolving the longstanding dispute over the Western Sahara.  Fascinating!  (That's him, standing on the right of the photo above.)

These events are held in the upstairs room of a cafe called La Pierre du Mariais, located just across from the southeast corner of Square du Temple, a gorgeous park in the 3rd arrondissement (today complete with little girls jumping in mud puddles!).

If you join the 50,000 Americans in Paris regularly or occasionally, be sure to subscribe to "Parler Paris" e-newsletter and attend one of these monthly gatherings if you happen to be here on a 2nd Tuesday.  And look for me!