I was born and raised in Schooley’s Mountain, New Jersey, and I’m the fourth of six children.

I graduated from Yale College with a degree in East Asian Studies (Japanese), and then I went to Stanford Law School. Sandwiched between the two, I had a teaching gig in Japan. When I lived in Japan, I couldn’t figure out how the Byzantine recycling rules were supposed to work, so I just stored my garbage in the freezer and then threw it out in the dead of night. Yes, I was the one who was responsible for the crime wave of frozen banana peels that swept through the neighborhood right around the time I moved in.

My luck ran out when I joined a craptastic law firm where I toiled away for ten years, first in San Francisco and then in Paris. Typically, the decision to leave a law firm is one that’s undertaken after careful consideration and reflection. In my case, the firm made things easier by firing me, marching me downstairs, and throwing me out onto the street. Me and the apple I’d been planning to have for a snack that afternoon. Hey, thanks.

So, that left me in Paris, minus a job, but plus a life, and I’ve been here ever since. I live on the Place des Vosges, a beautiful square in the center of Paris near the Bastille. You can see a picture of the Place des Vosges by clicking here. You can actually see my apartment in this picture. Hint, it’s the one with the windows that could use some washing.

I like: traveling; writing complaint letters; and TV shows with amateur video clips of people falling down.

I don’t like: potatoes.

Visit website: www.paulschmidtberger.com