Paris Fashion Week Part 1

So, it's Paris Fashion Week, and my friend Kathleen and I (in an attempt to become more fabulous) have decided to stalk the fashion shows and pretend to be paparazzi. Today it was the Dior fashion show in the Jardin des Tuileries. Notable Attendees that we saw included:

Milla Jovovich (a la Resident Evil)



Dita von Teese



Nina Garcia (from Project Runway) and Tinsley Mortimer (socialite who was on Gossip Girl in the white party episode)



Lily Allen

Zoe Saldana (à la Center Stage/Crossroads/and POTC)

And would you believe it, but my camera battery died LITERALLY two seconds before Emma Watson walked right past me. Kathleen got a picture so I'll try and add that later.

(Here's Kathleen's picture)

Today was fun. I saw more famous people in the course of half an hour than I have in my entire life up to this point.

Kathleen and I have decided to start a fashion blog so we get famous.

[Update, so I just looked online and supposedly Marion Cotillard and Eva Green were there too and I didn't see them :( ]

TTFN <3 B

Bonne Journee

Today was a good Paris day.
I got up at a decent hour, and went to the American Church for the 11am service. I really like that church. Even though I miss FPCB tons, I feel like it's becoming a home away from home. Plus, they were celebrating the 20th anniversary of their organ (which is amazingly beautiful, by the way) and the thing is named after me! It's Rebecca Hauptpfeiffer auf Ratenzahlung (or, as I described it to a friend, Rebecca German von German German), and the entire sermon, the Senior Pastor was referring to it as "Becky".

Anyways, that's not that interesting of a story.
After church, I wandered over to the Louvre for my first [very short] visit. Sweet Briar does this great thing and lies to the Louvre and says that all of their students are art history majors so that we can get a free "art student" pass. I visited just a few rooms (my mom's favorites) of art objects from the middle ages. I ate at the cafeteria there, and then went to the tuilerie gardens and sat and read for a while.

By that time, I was exausted, so I went back home to "faire un dodo" for an hour or so. After that, I went back to church for a free organ concert at 5 with my friend Sherene. The organist was extremely cute in an extremely dorky way, and Sherene teased me that he was my future husband. I then "rentre'd" chez moi and just finished dinner.

Oh yeah. While at the Louvre, I went to the boutique of Fragonard, which is a French perfume line. One of my goals before leaving France is to find my "signature fragrance". I know exactly what I want ( a simple, light, floral fragrance that isn't too sweet; something like jasmine or orange blossom). I liked their eau de toilette de fleurs de ceriseir (cherry blossom), but it might be on the too sweet side. On va voir!

xoxo
B

Je veux etre BCBG

The funny thing about being hooked up to the internet in France is that every time I go to a website like Blogger or Myspace, the home page is in French.

The not so funny thing is that free online TV, as in ABC.com, don't work outside the US

Anyways, I've decided to go to Sophie's fete instead of Normandie. I thought to myself, "Hey self! Maybe your future French husband will be at this party. Anything could happen!"

Ma tante d'accueil is thinking of a cool birthday present that I can get Sophie.

To do:
1) Pick outfit to impress said possible future husbands, but classy and chic
2) Become less awkward, so as not to completely humiliate myself at an everyone's-french-but-me party

You know you love me
B

Dilemma

So, my new French friend Sophie just texted me (the girlfriend of my host mom's nephew), and invited me to her 20th birthday party the 11th of October.

Problem is, I'm signed up to go on a weekend trip to Normandy that weekend.

Here are my options:
1) I beg Axel (our secretary/trip planning guy) to let me go on the trip scheduled for this weekend, or at least attempt to find someone to switch with. If that works, I'm in the clear to do both.
2) I skip out on the trip (losing my 20 euro deposit), go to the party, and plan my own trip to Normandy (somehow?)
3) I say no to an opportunity that could possibly deepen our we've-only-met-once-before friendship, and go on a two day trip to some of my favorite places, including St. Malo and Mont St Michel.

I'm going to try option 1, but if it doesn't work, I'd like some input. 2 or 3?

La Vie en Rose

Update: Life in Paris

Sorry it's been a while. I've been without internet for about a week, and frankly I've been lazy. But here it goes.

My living situation: It's kind of as I thought. I am way out in the boonies, and in a modern apartment building. Not only that, but I'm with a single older/middle aged woman again, not the family with little children that I had hoped for. I admit, I was really disappointed at first, and definitely contemplated coming home a semester early, but I'm definitely getting used to it now. Sylvie is very nice, and she sings in a choir (and has helped her hosted students in the past find choirs and/or private lessons). She often has company for dinner which makes life more interesting, and last weekend she took me to her younger sister's 50th birthday party (which was the hippest party I've ever been to in my life. I'm starting to conclude that I'm very lame). At said party, I made friends with the sister's son's girlfriend, and we exchanged phone numbers. Hopefully I'll get to hang out with her again.

Paris: is amazing. I mean, it really is. It's been a little overwhelming trying to figure out places to eat and such, but I like it. I've been taking it slowly though. I walk around a lot, but I haven't gone crazy tourist and tried to see everything in a week. In fact, all I've really seen is Notre Dame and the Opera Garnier. No museums, no Tour Eiffel, no Montmartre. I mean, I have nine months to explore this place. I did happen to find the best ice cream in the world on Ile St Louis, so if you visit, I'll definitely take you there. Speaking of the Opera Garnier (I just actually came back from there), I peeked into Box 5!!! Ok, such a POTO dork, but it was seriously like a religious experience.

I've been going to the American Church in Paris the past two Sundays. I like it a lot, and actually ran into Whitworth BISPer folks there last weekend.

The weird thing about my current situation is that yes, I am in Paris, but I'm also living my normal life. So I'm trying to find the correct balance between enjoying this amazing city, and doing normal me stuff, like watching Veronica Mars on my computer.

Some cool things: My parents are coming to visit in like two weeks, and I'm really excited about that. Dad is actually going to visit again in November. Speaking of November, I have a ticket to fly to Austin, Texas for the weekend to go to Jeannie's wedding!! Love you Daddy and your frequent flier miles too! I'm currently looking for a dress to wear, and actually think I found one today on Rue Faubourg St Honore, but the boutique was closed. I'll head back tomorrow to try it on.

Classes: Not much to say on that subject. They start Tuesday, and I only have class three days a week. I actually have more consecutive days of weekend each week than I do classes.

I hope I'm auditioning for a choir.

I still miss you (and London people, I hope to visit you soon!)
<3 B

Drumroll please...

Well, I got my address in Paris.

And I can't lie. I'm slightly disappointed.

First of all, I am happy that I am by myself with a family. I know that some 40-50 people in our program were doubled up again.

But I'm in the 17th, which is way out in the boondocks of Paris. Like, my house is honestly 3 blocks from the ring road that goes around the city of Paris. And I'm going to be there all year. I just looked up my commute, and with metro and walking it's 40 minutes to my school.

But then I hear that the 17th is chic and rich and beautiful, and that makes things seem a little better. But the look that I got on google maps of my address is of ugly modern apartment buildings. Now I could just be interpreting the picture wrong, but that is NOT what I want.

I guess all of these answers will be found out tomorrow. And above all, I hope the family is good.

On another note, I am considering auditioning for the choir of the Sorbonne. However, I need to call some number to make a reservation for an audition, and that is the scariest thing in the world for me. We'll see if I have the courage!

<3 B

La vie commence

Well, I'm in France.

After seven years of dreaming, I'm finally here.

And it's the weirdest thing.

Before I go all philosophical, here's my life as of this moment:

I'm currently living in Tours, France with a 73 year old woman named Monique, a cat named Mouchette,and a dog named Jack (and another girl from the Sweet Briar Program, but that's not important). I (and the 88 other students in the Sweet Briar JYF program) am talking language courses at L'Institute de Touraine and have been for the last week and a half. Classes begin around 8h45 and last till 11h45. Then I grab lunch (usually a jambon, beurre, emmental sandwich) and eat it on the bank of the Loire River; sometimes with company, but often alone. Then I walk around town a little if it's nice; shop, visit the cathedral, that kind of thing. Then it's back home to my bed and gossip girl until 19h30. Then a long dinner with Monique. Then bedtime.

Eh. The food is good. I can drink. I don't know. There isn't much to do in Tours, so I'm often in my bed messing around on the computer. Plus it's been raining lately, and who wants to go out in the rain?

Eh. That's how I've been feeling so far. Just eh. I mean, it was so hard leaving home. Saying goodbye to my brother and sister the day I left was one of the saddest moments of my life. Plus I miss my friends and the life I had at Whitworth. Plus, I just miss life being simple. I know (or at least I hope) this experience will change my life and myself, but at this point I'm not sure it's worth the loss that I'm feeling.

The people are okay. Haven't met any of my French peers yet. I've made a few "friends" in the program, but I didn't come here to become instant bff with everyone and go out drinking every night (like the majority of people). I like being alone.

Anyways, I move to Paris on Thursday for the long haul of this adventure. I can't wait for the freedom of a big city. We'll see if things start improving then.

Know that I miss you dreadfully.
<3 B

PS: I'm twenty. Crazy thing.