C'est Ge-ge!

Language is a funny, funny thing.

My neighbor, Marion, moved in just a couple of days after I did.  Her family is Italian, but she grew up in the south of France.  Her friendliness comes from the fact that she is new to town and doesn't know anyone, but I think it's also because she is not Parisian.  Parisians tend to keep to themselves.  Ben, we've developed a fast friendship.  

We have a system.  Marion speaks to me in English and I respond in French, that way I can correct her mistakes, and she can correct mine (which seem to be more frequent. mais c'est pas grave).  Sometimes, neither of us can understand what the other one is saying.  Like tonight, she came to my room and said, "I want to make a tea, but it's not really a tea, only it's like a tea, but not really.  You want?" 

I looked at her for a second, "Uhhhh, quoi?" 

"It has the duck bonbons"

I mean, at this point I was past confused.  

"Duck bonbons?  Tu sais que 'duck' est 'canard'?  

"Noooo, not duck, darrrrrkkkk" 

I still didn't get it--a tea, that's not really a tea, only it's like a tea, but not really with dark bonbons???????  

Anyway, I never really found out what she meant, but the "tea" was good.  So I drank it.  

The same goes for me too.  Sometimes she looks at me like I'm completely crazy.  When I get excited, or I REALLY want to get a point across I start to speak fast, screw up my tenses, and end up going around in circles trying to explain myself.  

In the end, there's always sign language.  

I'm pretty optimistic about the situation though because 1. I can tell my French is improving already.  I've learned so many cool slang words and phrases (like, c'est ge-ge.  It's an abbreviation for "c'est genial" which is like, "that's cool"), plus, I keep a little notebook nearby so I can jot down all the words I don't know and I go look them up at night.  2. Tonight we watched "L'auberge Espagnole," and we decided that if they can do it, so can we!  We also decided we need to meet some more people in our building and go out like they did.  

So, that's on the agenda for tomorrow.  

C'est ge-ge.

Fashion is art. Art is Life. Fashion is life.

Today I dedicated my life to fashion.  I found a quote last night that read, "Fashion is art.  Art is life.  Fashion is life."  

It pretty much rocked my world.  

Soooo, I wanted to go to Musee de la Mode et du Textile, only it's closed until November : (  But, there's another one dedicated to fashion and costumes.  My handy dandy BIBLE, "The Irreverent Guide to Paris," gave me the metro exit, only not the address.  I figured it should be somewhere in the general vicinity...yeahhhhhh, no.  

I don't know how it happened, but all of a sudden I ended up at the swanky, overpriced, "George V" 

yes.  THE george V. 

as in: luc- "where are you staying?"  

kate-george V"

luc-"*whoooOOOOO*" (if you got it, then the quote was for you.) 

i dont know.  i've basically just started to laugh at these occurrences, because they really happen a lot.  where i just randomly end up somewhere that wasnt my initial destination, only i'm happy it happened.  

its cool, its cool.

yeah, whats cooler, is that ALL of the famous houses of fashion were in that area.  Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel....I was like, **GASP, GULP** HOW DO I GET IN THERE?! 

only you cant.  but whateve, its cool, i was just fine standing outside.  I even saw a famous model walk into YSL.  Whats her name?  Chanel Iman?  I think that's it.  Yeah, i saw her.  

anyway, i was completely and utterly too underdressed to be in that area.  but i didnt care. i was *THIS CLOSE* to walking into Chanel and being like, "Hi. Um, Karl?  Yeah, well I love you.  And also, I named my dog Coco Chanel because that's how obsessed I am, so please give me a job. any job? please?  no?  please?  oh."  

only, i thought that it wasnt professional.  so tomorrow im going back with a resume.  

2004-2005 Aeropostale-sales

July 2007-August 2007 Borders-sales/barista

May 2008-August 2008 Lumiere Skin and Laser-receptionist

that should REALLY win them over.  

ok, im having too much fun with this blog.  I'm making myself crack up left and right.  

i need to go grocery shopping because i dont have food in my refrigerator.  also i need a broom because my floor is dusty.  also a television, a printer, and a new telephone....mom, I'm going to use your credit card for all of the aforementioned items.  juuusttt kidding.  

I GO TO SLEEP IN PARIS

I've spent the last couple of days by myself in Paris.  Although it was strange to say goodbye to my parents and Salma, I couldn't help but feel exhilirated by the prospect of exploring Paris for the next couple of weeks.  My classes don't begin until the 9th of October and I really don't have anyting to do until then, so I've been walking around a lot, discovering new places, new sights...

Today the weather was lovely.  Breezy, but sunny.  Warm and perfect.  All of the Parisians seemed to be outside taking in the warm sun before winter weather returns to the city. 

My adventure began this morning when I decided that I was going to the Louvre.  I've visited Paris three or four times in the past and I've never been to the Louvre, which I see as quite the misfortune.  So, since I've been here, I've made it my mission to head to the Louvre and spend as much time as I need taking it all in...there is a lot.  A lot, a lot.  

I woke up, got ready, hopped on the metro, hopped off at Palais Royal. got to the entrance and noticed that 1. I had to pay 9 euro to get in and I only had 5E on me...hahahha (what!!!?  I thought it was free for students!) 2. The weather seemed too nice to spend the day inside.  

So I started to walk.  I didnt have a destination in mind; I didnt really know where I was going.  I just thought I would take a stroll.  And stroll, indeed I did.  

Through the Jardin des Tuileries I went, stopping and sitting next to one of the large fountains.  I was more relaxed there than I had been since I arrived in France.  Perhaps it was because sitting and watching is my favorite activity, or perhaps because the situation was totally and comptely ideal.  

As I began to continue forward, toward the Obelisk (placed at the end of the gardens...or the beginning depending from where you are coming...) I was fascinated by the blatant public displays of affection shown from couples all around.  I couldnt help but smile to myself after passing an older couple locking lips, just like two lovelorn teenagers.  Their love seemed so pure that after initially slowing down, I picked up my speed; I didnt want to interrupt their moment (by being creepy....).  

So I walked, and walked, and I walked, and walked, around one building, through another.  I crossed streets, followed hoards of tourists, walked over bridges, and trampled across graveled paths...only to reach the Eiffel Tower.  

It was one of those perfect Parisian moments, you know?  When you finally stumble across the tour and you gasp at its magnificence.  Parisians have had their doubts about the tower, as you may well know, but it's a damn great piece of architecture right there.  Huge.  Daring.  Bold.  I dig it. 

I notice a lawn in the distance scattered with people taking naps or eating lunch, so I head over.  The spot was still very close to the tower but very far away from all of the tourists.  There were people reading, painting, writing, listening to music, making out, eating, napping.  So, I put on my headphones, turned on my Ipod, lay on the grass and took a nice nap.  I would probably have stayed asleep, but as time hit late afternoon, the weather got a little too breezy...

It was the perfect day.  I really, truly love it here.  Everything about Paris makes me fall deeper in love with it.  I hope this euphoric blissfulness never goes away.  

No wonder people live here.  No wonder this place exists!!! 

Tomorrow I promise I'm hitting the Louvre, and this weekend its off to Versailles for me so that I can pretend to be Marie Antoinette and get the whole "being queen" thing out of my system (don't ask).  

BISOUS.

Eaux de Vie- Vins d'Alsace

"Petite France" in Strasbourg.  i came up with dozens of reasons why the area was called, "petite france," but it ended up having to do with a bout of syphilis that went around the area and the hospital was located there and....in any case, it was a far cry from romantic...

Obernai, one of the many villages in Alsace; the first village on the wine road

 the most beautiful sight of my life.  imagine, acres and acres of green ripe wonderful amazing vineyards.  

  Monsieur René told me that when the grapes start to grow that sort of sugary coating it means they are ripe for harvest.  the day we were on the tour was the first day of the harvest.  driving alongside the vineyards you could see workers in and around the area working to get as many buckets filled at possible.  when the day was over, they all gathered together and drank their vineyard's champagne to celebrate.  

My camera ran out of battery along the way, so i didnt have a chance to take pictures of the third day of our journey around the area.  Monsieur René had rented a car for the three days and on the third day we decided to go to Germany.  

We decided to go to Frieburg because we had heard it was beautiful.  The town itself was alright, I personally think we could have gone somewhere nicer, BUT all is not lost!!!  I had the MOST AMAZING meal of my life there.  We didnt think it was that special, the cafe we decided to go to, it was small, it was sort of out of the way, nothing too great.  But when we opened the menu we discovered that we had stumbled upon an Afghani restaurant.  An Afghani-German restaurant.  

OK.  Let me just describe what I ate because it was tooo good.  The chanterelle mushrooms were sauteed and mixed with a creamy dill sauce (it was amazing, because you could taste the mushrooms, the dill, and the cream--nothing was too overpowering) which was served next to a plate of thick noodles that were just slightly browned and had the perfect consistency.  not to crunchy, not to chewy, just perfect.  mmmmmmmm, my mouth is still watering. 

and then for dessert salma and I had these beautiful ice cream sundaes.  they called them blechers, i dont know what that means, but it was delicious.  

i think im going to go eat now.  i'm pretty hungry now that i think about it.  

tomorrow i'll write about some of the crazy weird things that have been happening to me in Paris.  

I put on for my city

I love it.  I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it.  

This is the first time since I have arrived in France that 1. I have had time to sit down and write 2. I have had any internet access.  It has been one thing after another and now most of the difficult tasks are completed.  I am proud to say that I am now a full-time resident of Paris, France.  Reppin' the 75013.  

What does that mean?  It means I have an address in the 13th arrondissement (district/neighborhood) of Paris.  There are 20 arrondissements in all, and they are arranged circularly (1eme being in the center and 2oeme being at the end).  I live in a fairly quiet area of the neighborhood.  Actually, it's near a little Chinatown...although, I would call it more of an Asiatown; the restaurants range from Chinese, to Vietnamese, to Korean.  So anytime I "havas," or crave some Pho, I can walk down my street, and VOILA! 

My apartment is to. die. for.  It's soooooooooooooooooooooo lovely and wonderful and I LOVE it.  It's tiny, tiny, tiny--a small bedroom, a little kitchenette, a washroom and a WC (toilet room).  BUT, my favorite part of the apartment are the sliding doors that lead me directly into the courtyard.  I'm obsessed.  My entire wall is basically made up of sliding doors so the space is filled with light.  

What else did we do?  Basically everything.  It's pretty funny because in order to get a long-stay residency card here, I first have to have a French bank account, live in a French residence, be enrolled in a French school, have a French telephone number...the list goes on.  So, Monsieur René and I worked tirelessly to get everything finished by today (because it's harvest season in Alsace and I'm dying to go wine tasting).  

The French system of doing anything is amazing.  Things that could have taken us one hour to finish in the US took us two days here.  I enjoy every second of it.  All you need is a little patience and the mind set that, "OK, its OK that it's taking this long, I can just sit here and drink a little café while I wait."  That's how everything is in Paris.

Parisians themselves are an oxymoron.  They walk and talk in jet speed, but then you notice they're walking fast to go to a brasserie (a little restaurant) for their two-hour lunch breaks.  In the hustle and bustle of the city, everything is just so f-ing relaxed.

Some other key things I would like to share: I'm immensely thankful that Monsieur René is here with me.  I would never have been able to finish everything so promptly without his help.  The language is so technical when you go to the bank, the mobile phone shops, or the consulate.  I would have been out of my league without him.

Also, yesterday I took the proficiency test at the Sorbonne.  I was pretty nervous beforehand because...well, I generally get a little nervous before tests.  But it ended up being pretty busy AND a man from Senegal blessed me right before the test...what now. 

I'll write back in a few days about our trip to Alsace.  Until then, cheeerrrrssss.  

I can't sleep because I'm excited and I'm excited because I haven't slept

OK, hi, hello.  I will be documenting my adventure on this blog.  

Les Rêveries d'une Flâneuse.  "The Daydreams of a..." well, actually, pause.  Pause.  I'm actually unsure how one properly translates une flâneuse.  

Flâneur/euse n.

Flâner v. 

Simply put, it means "to wander." 

"A wanderer," I suppose.  But it encompasses so much more than that.  It's more of a flamboyant, aimless wandering, associated with the likes of Baudelaire, who would walk down the cobble stoned streets of Paris with his head searching the scenery and a feather quill in his right (or left) hand, poised and ready for when inspiration hit.  

Salut, ciao, à bientôt, au revoir, bisous, bisous, bisous, bisous.  Mon dieu, I'm so excited.