France's biannual sales motivate shoppers into a consumer frenzy, not on account of groundbreaking prices, though they do relieve some of the sticker shock I experience in regarding price tags. No stranger to the Parisian boutiques, I usually greet the storm on the first day of the soldes.

As Nicholas Sarkozy, president of the French republic, addressed his countrymen, he described what was lying behind his promise “everything is possible." Though many are unwilling to sacrifice personal interests for upward mobility, I feel that Sarkozy’s policies will be advantageous for France.

Currently at the Musée Maillol, Pascin´s exhibition showcases warm portraits shrouded in Impressionism and watercolor-washed pen and ink caricatures. Exiting the Paris Metro at Rue du Bac, stop along the way for decadent chocolates and browse the most bizarre shop in Paris, a menagerie of taxidermy.

Easily accesible from Paris, steal away from the city to lunch on fresh seafood, enjoy half-timbered architecture and explore the fairytale setting of the Alabaster Coast. Fecamp's invitingly green pastures crown milky cliffs as they branch into grandiose archways over the sea.

Provence has become my favorite region of France. Pleasant in all seasons, visit Aix to absorb the scene of sprawling fields of lavender beyond tile-roofed villas. Even days spent doing nothing appear eventful in the context of this southern way of life.

The exhibit Il Etait Une Fois Walt Disney presents the different layers of artistic influence lying behind animation. Like peering through a kaleidoscope, a melange of film projections, storyboard sketches, paintings and models embellish the Grand Palais.

When assessing options for French language instruction, after weighing the merits and shortcomings of la Sorbonne against those of Alliance Française, I was able to find my niche in the classroom.

In France, friendships are maintained by extending invitations to dine together. Invaluable in setting the mood and table are wine and the presentation of aesthetically pleasing plates. The simple pleasure of enjoying delicately prepared food in the company of friends embodies "joie de vivre."

As you step onto the metro in Paris, impassive faces offer little greeting to accompany the judgemental stares. What lies underneath the cold façade of a French woman?

With cool blue water, sandy beaches, a rugged mountainous interior and the diversity of Creole and Indian cultures, Isle Maurice provides an affordable tropical getaway for those who are active and adventurous.