Monday

9h00-10h30 Démocratie et Médias et Céline... :)

10h30-13h00 kill some time

13h00-13h30 write explication de texte

13h35 lunch: demi-bagette and coca light

14h15-15h45 Litt with Sophie Robert. Doodle instead of take notes.

15h45-16h00 Debate with Bekah whether or not to skip our next class

16h00-17h30 Decide to go to class anyway - Cinéma et Société

17h30-18h00 Intensive research in the IES computer lab (Sources cited: EurActiv, le Monde, and Facebook.)

18h30 Crêpes with Bekah

19h45 Avant-Première (early screening) of the film Romaine par moins 30 with the film crew, director, producer, sound editors, and the lead actress Sandrine Kiberlain. After the movie we were all served champagne and dessert, mmm! Quelle classe !

22:00 home, 4 course meal in my bedroom: bread with picant, salad, heart-shaped pasta, and cookies :)

22:30 research on a weekend in Bruges... 

Flamber, in all its senses

Tonight we had bananes flambées for dessert (banana flambé).  My host-family's grown son Alexis is visiting from Austria for the weekend, and him and Ivan made this delicious treat for us. Ivan prefers to keep it au naturel - no added sugar or butter, but Alex prefers to add both. They added butter on the second round, and I liked it much better too. You just fry bananas (and/or butter and/or sugar) in a pan over the stove, and then at the last minute, add some cognac (or rum). Then take the pan off the stove, and light the alcohol in the pan on fire with a match/lighter and let it burn! Be sure to lean away as you do this - I about got my faced burned off by a flaming banana. Once the flames go out, serve the tasty results, and enjoy.*

I also got a French vocab and culture lesson during this cooking experience:

flamber = to burn (cooking)

flamber = figurative use. flamber de l'argent = to blow through money. to go out on the town and spend tons of money on drinks, cabs, clubs, etc.

un flambeur = a high roller. A person who burns through money

cocorico = the sound a rooster makes in French. Also the sound a French person makes when they're proud of themselves (as a nation). For example, on the news the other night, a recent study found that French women are Europe's thinnest, and the newscaster said, "Cocorico, on est toujours les plus minces!" ("Cockle-doodle-doo, we're still the skinniest!")

"Du cognac français en plus! C'est le meilleur, franchement!"  - Alex ("French cognac, too! It's the best - really, it is.")

"Cocorico!" - Gladys

(*an actual recipe should be consulted)

Things I Miss

the Onion every Wednesday

Netflix

MOUNTAIN DEW

Oreos

Mexican food

the Sims 2

Forever 21

My friends.... :(

Mesa Pizza

Newsweek

Weeds (the TV show!)

TiVo

Bordertown

B&N

My family

Blanche.

Saturday

Hôtel des Invalides (and yes, I got in for free, yay!)

- Musée de l'Armée

- Napoleon's tomb

film at UCG Montparnasse : Coco avant Chanel

Coco: No smoking!

Friday

9:50 wake up

10:20 leave for IES

10:54 stop at Huit à 8 for a 50 cL coca light (1,20)

10:58 stop at a boulangerie for a demi-baguette (,43)

11:00 watch "Hiroshima mon amour"

12:30 facebook

13:00 watch "La haine"

15:00 wait for the bathroom

15:05 get sick of waiting for the bathroom and just go home

15:35 have lunch, take the dog out, facebook again

17:30 trek over to the 19th to see an installation of the set from the film "Mon oncle" by Jacques Tati

19:30 meet up with Joel at the Saint-Michel fountain & watch breakdancers for awhile

19:50 get dinner at "Milk" (3,00) & wander the Latin Quarter

20:30 get an ice-cream cone on Ile de la Cité (3,00) and continue to wander Paris for hours

22:30 film at UGC Les Halles "Erreur de la banque en votre faveur"

12:45 take the metro home, stop & sigh over the boutique "Shine"

1:00 make tea, watch the YouTube links Tay sent me

1:30 rock out to "Luxour j'adore," by Katerine, "Time to Pretend" by MGMT, "Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Remix)" by the Killers, and "Assassin de la police" by NTM and Killer Cut

2:00 watch some episodes from the Office Season 2

and eventually fall asleep...

Time to Pretend

I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life.
Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and fuck with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.

Forget about our mothers and our friends
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend

I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms
I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone.

There's really nothing, nothing we can do
Love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew.
The models will have children, we'll get a divorce
We'll find some more models, everything must run it's course.

We'll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
We were fated to pretend
To pretend
We were fated to pretend

To Pretend

- MGMT -

Paris Beauty Spectrum

In a given day in Paris, you can see a wide range of very beautiful things, and very, very gross things...

Scale of pretty/ugly things I've seen in the past couple of days:

-10. Vomit

0. Man peeing on the sidewalk

1. Dog Poo

2. a Mouse

3. Pet squirrel on a leash

4. Goat Cheese Sandwich 

5. Harry Potter 6 Movie Poster

6. New window display at the boutique "Shine" 

7. My Parisienne "Démocratie et Médias" Professor

8. the Eiffel Tower

9. Sainte-Chapelle

10. My sister as the queen of Chateau de Vincennes

Welcome

Should someone be punished for helping out an illegal immigrant? 

This movie hits me even more closer to home now that I've personally experienced the nightmare that is "documentation." Right now, I'm insanely lucky - I'm a student, I have financial aid, France lets me in, no problem (except for all the backwards flips through hoops I had to do first). But at the end of September, my (legal) time is up, and I'm not sure what I'll be able to do to get back in for an extended period of time. I could marry a Frenchie. Except for Sarko is putting the smack-down on all that - immigration and gay marriage - double-whammy!

In France, you always have to have your vos papiers (your "papers," ie: legal documentation) on you. The police, in groups of three, always walk together, all in a row, when they're patrolling. I see them stop people in the streets and ask to see their "papers." Quite obvious racial profiling. I've never been asked. I wonder if I ever will be. I hope they'll accept my photocopies because I'm too afraid to carry around my real carte de séjour since I know my dumb ass is certain to lose it.

Anyway, it's a really good film, you should check it out. Allez le voir!

OSS 117 : Rio ne répond plus

Il faurdra une bonne couverture...

Je suis une ressortissante de l'Union européenne... n'est-ce pas?

The European Union has just passed this fabulous new law that lets all EU students under the age of 26 into cultural and historic places and monuments for FREE! There is just a little confusion on whether this means students currently enrolled in EU institutions (like moi) or university students of EU nationality... So I just muster up my best French accent, and say as little as possible at the ticket booths, and hope for the best. So far, I've been très successful - I've gotten to visit the Saint Denis Basilica, the Chateau de Vincennes, the Sainte Chapelle, and the Concierge for zero euros. Now I'm on a roll... This will be so perfect for the summer when I'll have no money and all the time in the world to sight-see in Paris :) 

Next on the list: Napoleon's tomb.

Parisian Playlist: Songs of the Year

C'est beau la bourgeoisie - Discobitch
La Complainte du progrès - Boris Vian
Le Tourbillon de la vie - Jeanne Moreau

For Me Formidable - Charles Aznavour

J'traîne des pieds - Olivia Ruiz

Sweet About Me - Gabriella Cilmi

Great DJ - The Ting Tings

Losing Myself - Brazilian Girls
So What - P!nk
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
Breakin' Up - Rilo Kiley
When I Grow Up - Pussycat Dolls

American Boy - Estelle feat. Kanye West
Disturbia - Rihanna
Dilly Dally (version française) - Hakimakli
Please Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna

Show Me Love (Club Mix) - Michael Mind
Just Dance - Lady Gaga
Cry For You - September
Now You're Gone - Basshunter
Womanizer - Britney Spears
Right Now (Na Na Na) - Akon
Beggin' - Madcon
Toi + Moi - Grégoire

Closer - Ne-Yo
Quelque Part - Sheryfa Luna
Il avait des mots - Sheryfa Luna

Right Here (Departed) - Brandy
C'est chelou - Zaho
Décalé Gwada - Jessy Matador

To Build a Home - The Cinematic Orchestra

How It Ends - DeVotchKa
I Miss You - Incubus
Scenic World - Beirut

See You Soon - PlayRadioPlay!

J'aime plus Paris - Thomas Dutronc
If I Were a Boy - Beyoncé
I Wanna Hold Your Hand - Across the Universe
Long Distance - Brandy
J'essaie encore - Kenza Farah
We're Gonna Make It - Mychael Danna
Time to Pretend - MGMT
Kids - MGMT
Burnin' - Daft Punk
Infinity 2008 - Guru Josh Project
Poker Face - Lady Gaga
Circus - Britney Spears

Mr. Brightside - PlayRadioPlay!
This Modern Love - Bloc Party
Tulips (Minotaur Shock Remix) - Bloc Party
Drowned - Halloween, Alaska
Razor - Foo Fighters

Vas-y, Francky - Francky Vincent

Boulbi - Booba

Il y a je t'aime et je t'aime - Quentin Mosimann

I'm Yours - Justin Mraz

Ca m'énerve! - Helmut Fritz

Right Round - Flo Rida & Katy Perry
Single Ladies - Beyoncé
Some People - Ocean Drive

Tomorrow Can Wait - David Guetta (vs. El Tocadisco)
Je veux te voir - Yelle
Jai Ho - Pussycat Dolls / OST
Rue des étoiles - Grégoire

Louxor j'adore - Katerine
Like a hobo - Charlie Winston

Assassin de la police - NTM & Killer Cut

Day 'n Night - Kid Cudi vs. Crookers

Dance Anthem of the 80's - Regina Spektor

World Go Round - Busta Rhymes feat. Estelle

I Got a Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

When Love Takes Over - David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland

Love is Gone - David Guetta feat. Chris Willis

One, 2, 3, Four - Martin Solveig

We Are Your Friends - Justice vs. Simian

Freed from Desire - Gala
Boom Boom Pow - The Black Eyed Peas

I Want You - Martin Solveig

I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) - Pitbull

No Stress - Laurent Wolf feat. Eric Carter

Let Me Think About It - Ida Corr

In My Arms - Kylie Minogue

Ca fait mal - La Fouine

Molotov 4 - Seyfu

By Your Side - CocoRosie

Boys & Girls - Blur

Put Your Hands Up For Detroit - Fedde Le Grand

Lala Song - Bob Sinclar feat. Sugarhill Gang

The Beat Goes On - Bob Sinclar

Move - CSS

Dance - Justice

Shine On - R.I.O.

Love Sex Magic - Ciara & Justin Timberlake

So Fine - Sean Paul

Also, anything by Justice, The Killers, Beirut, Franz Ferdinand, The Watchmen soundtrack and Waltz with Bachir soundtrack.