moi et un parapluie

My hands are sitting here on my keyboard, wanting to type so many thoughts and experiences.... but it has been so long that I don't know where to start. Blog posting became such a part of my basic routine, that now since I've been out for so long it feels strange getting back in. I guess I'll start with a simple friendly greeting to start.

Oh hi. How have you been? I know, it feels like it has been so long! Yes, almost two weeks to be exact. I have really been very busy. I am in the midst of applying to University here in Paris. It is so stressful, and it has been literally consuming me and my life for the past 2 weeks. I must apply to the university through Campus France. It is a website designed specifically for your country of origin, and you must fill out a lifetime of information into the application. I will be so content when the process is complete and I never have to log onto the soul sucking site of Campus France.

Nothing major has really happened recently, other than university related things. And although it has been such a big part of this month, and will continue to be for a while, I am just so tired of speaking of it, that I won't go into any more details here. There, that is my explanation for my lack of posting. I will try to keep this blog as free from treacherous university related things as possible.

It has been raining almost every day off and on the past week. The sky is grey-white and the sun is clearly no where to be found today. C'est dommage. But yesterday, after an intense down-pour of rain and immense winds, the sun came out. It was beautiful to say the least. Every surface was glazed in water, and the sun reflected off the entire city. Everything was illuminated, looking so fresh and vibrant. It was the equivalent of Paris at night, but in the day. Paris shines like a diamond at night, with the lights on the river and lighting up the sky. The buildings at night showing subtle details when the light shines on them.

In other news, it looks likes I will be going back to Canada for a few days for some interviews/ French tests in about a month. eeep poor little bank account.

tardive, mais toujours sincères

Happy (belated) New Year!

I forgot to say happy new year. For some reason, I have never been super excited about New Years. I like the idea of the celebration of the ending of one year, and the beginning of another.... but I think after I realized (quite a few years ago), that New Years was simply that, the novelty wore off. It's like when I was a child and I truly, madly, deeply believed in jolly old St. Nick. Christmas was this magnificent day when magic happened, it was the one day when you didn't have to play make-believe.... it just kind of happened. In fact, Christmas was so advertised (and still is), that you didn't even have to use your imagination to wonder what Santa and his reindeer and elves looked like....the media produced this image for you. And so, the day I discovered that Santa did not actually exist, all the Christmas magic was lost....forabout the next five or six years. And now I appreciate Christmas for the time I can spend with my family and see people that I don't see very often. Anyway....what I was getting at was, that New Years lost a bit of its charm when I came the age of responsibilities and decision making. When New Years resolutions became more than just, "I will unload the diswasher 4 days a week, to help mom", or "I will sometimes let my sister play with my barbies". Cute little resolutions that I just made because it made me feel more grown up. In fact, I'm pretty sure until I was about 12 I was still under the impression that I was making "New Years ReVolutions". This new year rolls around with the pressure of making real life resolutions, and commitments. Like suddenly it's 2009 and the first thing that comes to mind is that I now only have one month to apply for university, or, on the 4th, I have to work.

Anyway, I wish you a very healthy and happy New (list of responsibilities) Year!!!!!

I am making it sound like I had a terrible new year.... mais au contraire! I spent a wonderful New Year in London! My boyfriend's brother and bro's girlfriend are living in London currently, and invited us to come spend a week there. We spent the night in, but it was a wonderful night of dinner, wine, snacks, champagne, party-crackers, and laughter.

Portobello Road Market

hopscotch

....does not seem to exist here in Paris. Neither does sidewalk chalk. Maybe because nobody in the city actually has access to sidewalks because the entire city is apartment buildings. It's incredible that a city of only apartment buildings can be this beautiful. Another reason to never leave Paris.

This is cool


I would not be upset if I found these people in my apartment one day.

This is not


What were you thinking?? I don't even know what to say....

love love love & lessons

Sometimes I forget to appreciate the little things. I get so caught up in things that must be done, or didn't happen and I forget to stop and take a look around the present. There are so many simple little pleasures to be had, and I'm afraid I may have been missing some of them.

I think that recently I have been spending too much time evaluating what is missing from my life, and in reality I should be evaluating the wonderful things in my life; the people and places that make me happy.

Maybe this sounds sappy, but it is completely true. I am not high, or drunk or impaired in any way, I'm just happy and in love.... with a boy, and with life.

Here are some inspiring things I came across today that may interest you too:

look
listen
make
eat
think

foudroyant

means dazzling. Which is a word that

can start to describe my last two weeks.

Where can I begin? Those were the best and
busiest two weeks I've had in such a long
time! I realize now that the before my break
I was quite stressed. I can feel the difference

now. So two weeks have passed since my
previous post, and I am pleased to report
that I set a new personal record for traveling:
3 countries, 3 days, 3 different time zones.
My wonderful 2 weeks began in Toronto.
I went back home to snowy Canada for
Christmas. I wasn't sure at first if I needed
to be home for the holidays, but I now I am
so glad that I decided to go. It was amazing
to see so many friends and family that I had
gone seven months without seeing. And
being without my closest friends after
seven months....nothing had changed at all.
We could still laugh, joke and cry about the
same things we had before. I would most
definitely consider myself lucky to have
such beautiful and inspiring people in my
life right now. Even if there is an ocean
between me and some of the people I love.

My third day back in Canada, there was a
blizzard. It was gorgeous; big fluffy snow
flakes covering the asphalt-grey city in a
thick, white, winter blanket. That day I was
to go to my parents house, which is in a
small town roughly two hours from the
city and stay there for the rest of my holiday.
I did end up making it back that day, but
the normally two hour trip became a
four hour trip because of all the snow. It
was amazing how the snow continued to fall
big thick snowflakes for almost two days.

I even had time to do some holiday baking!
Big chewy ginger cookies sprinkled in sugar,
and caramel corn! mmmm they both turned
very well. I used some of them as gifts, or to
just be eaten at Christmas gatherings.

And of course, an even spent drinking and
tobogganing with my friends.

colour me, please

Oh hi there clock. 8 hours from now, and I'll be boarding the

plane for Toronto! I have butterflies in stomach, and I think

I wont be sleeping much tonight.

I just realized that I been posting some very wintery

photos lately. I'm going to change that. It is cold, and not

very bright outside, but I did find some colour indoors today.

Je suis tres content, because I have finally finished my
Christmas shopping! That has really been stressing me out
the past week, but I am very pleased with the gifts
I am bringing back. And I hope you will be too!

Today I found the best vintage shop I've been to so far in
Paris. The name is "Come on Eileen", I mean, really, this
store was meant to be my favourite. 16/18 Rue Ds Taillandiers.
My 3 best friends and I are slightly in love with this song.

After adding some new coloured photos, of course the best way

to finish the post is with a black and white video.

This is a really random post.

packing and pondering

It's 9:30 in the morning, and I am packing for my 10 visit in Canada. I leave tomorrow morning....at 6am. Barf. (not barf at Canada, barf at 6am). I am in my little room folding clothes, wrapping fragile gifts in socks and sweaters. I haven't turned i-tunes on yet. I like the silence right now, it is relaxing. But without music of course I start thinking.

I'm thinking of things I haven't done yet, that I had wanted to do before I left....and now I have no time. I wanted to get more Christmas gifts to bring back, but other than scarves and tacky tour d'eiffel replicas, there is not a lot for inexpensive gifts, other than food, but I don't want to risk that being confiscated at customs.

I was thinking the other day, while walking down a little side street, about Paris. This is a city with rhythm. It is so full of culture and life. Each Parisian is truly synchronized with the city. They don't just know the streets of the city, they know the hum, the beat, the breathing of the city. And by real Parisian, I don't just mean the people that were born and raised, and live here, I mean, the "real Parisian". The ones who love their city more than anything, they have such a strong connection with the city that neither could live without the other. Maybe they own a flower shop, or a boulangerie, or repair vacuum cleaners, or serve in a tea house, or even the homeless man who sits on the same corner everyday to say good morning. But they will never leave Paris, never permanently of course; it is clear this is where their heart is.

Paris is also dripping with art, and history, and inspirations. You can't turn a corner without seeing something historical. Even if it is just a little cobblestone path you find hidden in a little side street. That path was built a couple hundred years ago, and has seen more about the city than anyone could tell. It is impossible to not be inspired in this city. But its not always the hugely touristic places that are the most beautiful. That is one of the reasons I love it here, I have time for endless exploring.