The artist Jeanne-Claude died recently, on November 18 of this year. The work that she and her husband Christo did, and the sheer magnitude of the projects they took on, was striking and beautiful both in its ambition and in its realization. The wrapping works are particularly interesting to me – in the way that the covering up of landforms and constructions actually had the effect of highlighting the their vastness and significance. This kind of art – one that is comprised both of an ambition to create something new and of a pleasingly selfless ability to complement a pre-existing structure – is impressive to me in its sense of balance and understanding both of time and of space. Among the places where the artists worked are Paris, New York, and Marin County, California, all of which are dear to me for various reasons.

// Running Fence in Sonoma & Marin Counties, California 1972-76

// Wrapped Coast, Little Bay, Australia 1968-69

See the link above for more.

For your ears, while your eyes are busy: Kurt Vile – Nicotine Blues

Jina with her Thanksgiving turkey

On this cool autumn day before Thanksgiving, I can’t help but think about how giving thanks for all the wonderful blessings in our lives is universal.

It became so real to me when the heroine in my upcoming novel, The Blonde Samurai, is in 1874 Japan celebrating Thanksgiving with her samurai family.

Check out my blog at NAUGHTY AUTHOR CHICKS and see what my heroine, Katie O’Roarke, wrote in her memoir.

Best,
Jina  

This morning I got up extra early for work. I was the only one available to monitor the global client request email for about 2 hours. We have +50 clients. So I couldn’t be late.

The job terrifies me. A single refresh of my Lotus Notes could mean that the next 5 hours of my life are sucked away from me – frantically calling linguists for a 10,000 word rush translation due in one hour. The source would be some obscure language, say Kirundi, to Farsi. How many Burundians or Persians do you know? And out of the 3 Burundians you happen to know, how many of them can translate Farsi or just speak it?

I walk to work every morning (most mornings) and take more or less the same way. Google maps says the walk is approximately 3.1 kilometers – downhill on my way to the office and uphill on the retour. Jim showed me a new path yesterday and I think it’s my new favorite way. Rue Lemercier.  Anyway, I was nearly to work: passed Place de Clichy, St. Lazare, the Grand Boulevard and was almost to La Madeleine church when I saw the “Je pourrais etre votre grandmere” gypsy and her younger but haggled all the same counterpart. I pass them everyday, but this morning was different. It was as if I just walked in on someone sitting on a toilet – gross! They were writing out their signs for the day on cardboard stacked up next to a green trash bid. I saw one of the signs: ETRE HUMAIN. Maybe? Seeing them make the signs was almost too intimate. Despite being on the biggest shopping district in Paris, there they were. Writing away on rotting cardboard.

I didn’t slow my pace for very long as I passed by, just long enough to read the signs. I made it to the office with time to spare. Grabbed a coffee and got to work. I was lucky and only one new translation request came in – English to Dutch. Easy!

We stayed at the Color Design Hotel in Bastille

Collette was packed with people and a lot more posh than I thought it would be

Vintage shop in Montmartre

Happy hour!

The coziest restaurant in Le Marais with the nicest staff in Paris

Last week was my birthday and the world’s best boyfriend whisked me away to Paris for the weekend. We mostly spent the weekend walking around the city, eating fromage and drinking wine, shopping in tiny vintage shops in Le Marais and just having a fantastic (and romantic) time!

Les photos de ce blog ne sont pas libres de droit.
Merci de me demander l’autorisation avant toute utilisation.

Last night progressed as follows: I arrived at the cinema 30 minutes early and found about 20 people already waiting in line. As the cinemas here tend to be very tiny, I was happy I had arrived so early and wouldn’t be faced with hearing an usher yelling “Salle complet!” (“Room full”, or “The film is sold out”) We were left out in the drizzle for 20 minutes and finally allowed into the large ballroom-type theatre, complete with futuristic icicle-looking chandeliers that totally reminded me of Superman II when Superman takes Lois back to his cozy kingdom of ice. (Oh, warm embrace in silver sheets!)

The owner of the cinema welcomed us to the film and introduced a professor of film to give a short presentation. This to me seemed so typically French – to analyze and philosophize about everything. I was sitting there like a typical American thinking, “Let’s just get on with it!” (Not that what she was saying wasn’t interesting…it’s just that it was in very fast French and I really couldn’t wait to see the film).

Finally the musicians were introduced (Bachar and Rami Khalifé) and away we went. I’m not sure what the director F.W. Murnau had in mind for a score to his film, but surely the brothers Khalifé would have very satisfactorily rocked his most-likely-18th-century-classical-music-leaning-soul. With only a piano, a drum-set and an exceptionally discordant accordion at their disposal, the film was more alive and inspiring than I ever could have imagined…ever! It was Thom Yorke meets Philip Glass meets amazing-funky-dissonant beauty.

The end of the film features a word which is revelatory for the story, but the word was written in German…so I was left to make an assumption about what it meant. Before the movie began I had overheard my neighbor speaking German, so as the credits rolled I timidly asked her to confirm what the word was. She told me and then said rather seriously, “It’s very important that you know this.” I thanked her, smiled and left the cinema, uplifted with images and music and the luck of sitting next to a German stranger.

Written on a Wall
at Halfway-Mountain Monastery
by Wang An-shih
(trans. David Hinton)

1

When I wander, heaven starts raining,
and when I’m done, rain’s gone again.

How could rain by my own wandering?
Pure chance brought us together here.

2

If it’s cold, I just sit somewhere warm,
and if it’s hot, I wander somewhere cool:

all beings no different from Buddha,
Buddha precisely all beings themselves.

By Dian Hasan | November 24, 2009

The hallmark of any great city is its urban park! Commonly located at the center of its core, urban parks play a significant role in providing traffic-choked cities with much-needed green lungs. As well as recreation, sporting and cultural venues for residents and visitors alike. Here’s a look at some of the larger urban parks from across the world, as seen in through the lens of Google Earth. 

LUXEMBOURG GARDENS, PARIS (60 ACRES)

Created:  1625. It may be much smaller than urban parks of other global cities, this being Paris… what it lacks in size, it makes up in style. While much smaller than other global cities, diminutive compared with the other parks on this list, Jardin du Luxembourg, its beautifully-sounding name in French, constitutes the grounds of Luxembourg Palace and sets a standard as one of the most beautiful and hospitable urban spaces in the world.

Source: The Infrastructurist

Cuvinte

Italians seem to live in a state of semi-contained chaos about most things, but especially about time. Despite most Italians’ philosophical attitude about being ten minutes late to an appointment, they always seem to be in a hurry.   They stand and gulp down an espresso instead of sitting and they drive like they’re taking a woman in labor to the emergency room.  But what’s the rush if you’re already late?

I spent the first few weeks I was here constantly on the go.  In order to get somewhere on time, you have to leave so far in advance! I hardly had time to breathe because I was so busy running to catch a bus or sprinting down a street.  After complaining about this to Aria, our program director/life in Florence guru/friend, she shared a crucial bit of wisdom with me: that semi-contained chaos of Italian life cannot be precisely enough manipulated to allow for promptness.  The only way to successfully get along is to quit fighting and simply eke out the easiest path you can through the muck.  Basically, you either spend tons of time and energy racing to get somewhere on time, or you slow down and accept lateness.

As my harried roommates can attest to, this is still an aspect of Italian life I struggle with.  None of our professors seem troubled by starting class 15 minutes late (one especially lax prof usually arrives after the whole class has assembled), but I am.  I can remain calm until we are actually late, then the panic begins.  Clearly my assimilation to the Italian style of time-management is only skin deep… On the plus side, my legs and my shoulders have gotten a lot stronger this semester, the legs for speed walking to site visits and the shoulders from muscling through hordes of fat tourists on the sidewalks.

My latest battle: my jeans.  My mom sent me some much-needed new jeans (remember my earlier complaining, Blythe?) but they were 4 inches too long, so I sought out a tailor.  After much effort, I finally dropped them off somewhere successfully last Thursday.  They said they’d be ready Friday, which is an awfully long time for one pair of pants to be hemmed, but whatever- we’re on that cute Italian time, you know??  But then I realized these infamous jeans wouldn’t be ready for my trip to Paris this Thursday, and that’s heartbreaking because I really wanted to paint a stylish and well-put together picture of myself for Parisians and Lauren.  So then I went back today to see if I could get them a day early (HA), only to learn that they will actually be ready later than expected because the tailor was “sick.” I say “sick” because Italians are weenies who deem any ailment fatal so they don’t have to work.

This small injustice aside, I love it here.  It’s beautiful and calm and delicious and perfect, but sometimes you just want your damn pants.

Verdade seja dita: quem nunca sonhou (nem que seja inspirada por cenas de filme) em um dia se vestir de branco para dizer “sim” ao príncipe encantado e depois partir para uma inesquecível lua de mel? Ok, se a idéia é viver dias inspiradores ao lado do seu amado (e aí pouco importa se vocês se casaram de fato) num destino ultrarromântico, há alguns lugares imperdíveis a serem visitados.

1- PARIS – FRANÇA

Cenário de diversas histórias de amor no cinema (e na vida real), a Cidade Luz transpira perfume romântico. Histórica, vibrante e elegante, Paris é ao um só tempo glamourosa e cosmopolita. Impossível não se apaixonar pelos antológicos cafés, galerias de arte contemporânea, museus históricos, pontes, tulipas, monumentos, bares, ballets, hotéis, restaurantes, confeitarias, grifes luxuosas.

(Preciso dizer que é meu sonho de consumo número 1 º ? Sou apaixonada por esse lugar! Não, eu não fui AINDA rs!)

Não deixe de ir ao hotel George V ou o Pershing Hall, assistir a um espetáculo do Moulin Rouge, Museu do Louvre, passear pela Champs Elysées, visitar o badalado bairro de Oberkampf e, claro, apreciar a encantadora vista da Torre Eiffel.

2- VENEZA – ITÁLIA

Famosa por seus charmosos canais, monumentos e museus, a província de Veneza, localizada no norte da Itália é classificada como Patrimônio da Humanidade pela UNESCO. Lá corredores aquáticos substituem ruas, barcos fazem o transporte e pontes lindamente decoradas fazem as vezes de passarelas.

Vá à Basílica de São Marcos, à Ponte de Rialto sobre o Grande Canal, aos cassinos espalhados pela cidade e, claro, fazer um passeio nas famosas gôndolas venezianas é programa obrigatório.

3- PRAGA – REPÚBLICA CHECA

Conhecida como a Paris do Leste europeu, Praga é um dos mais belos e antigos centros urbanos da Europa. A cidade de extenso patrimônio arquitetônico e rica vida cultural localiza-se sobre colinas em ambas as margens do rio Vltava.

Melancólica e sobrevivente das duas grandes guerras do século passado, o renascimento cultural toma conta da cidade. Artistas de rua e a arquitetura repleta de catedrais góticas, palácios barrocos e construções Art Nouveau completam o clima romântico e nostálgico – perfeito para uma Lua de Mel mágica! Não deixe de assistir a pelo menos um “Black Theatre” e seus espetáculos de luz e sombra.

4 – ILHAS GREGAS

Destino predileto dos jovens europeus, as ilhas de Santorini e Mykonos na Grécia têm uma atmosfera alegre e romântica. Num ambiente descontraído, o destino oferece hospedagens charmosas em localizações privilegiadas.

Santorini

Criada há quase 4 mil anos, a ilha de Santorini tem origem vulcânica e é uma das mais belas da Grécia. Penhascos multicoloridos, que nascem em meio à profunda caldeira azul inundada pelo mar é visual dos mais fascinantes. Dica: Não deixe de passar um final de tarde no vilarejo Oia para apreciar o pôr-do-sol.

Mykonos

Lindas praias de água clara, casinhas brancas, moinhos, passeios de barco e mergulho completam o cenário da ilha de Mykonos. Destaque também para a vida noturna super agitada. Reserve um tempo para tomar um drinque na Pequena Veneza, em um dos bares à beira-mar.

5 – TAITI: PAPEETE, BORA BORA & TAHAA

O Taiti é daqueles lugares que melhor traduzem o que entendemos como paraíso. A maior ilha da Polinésia Francesa, localizada no arquipélago das Ilhas da Sociedade, o Taiti tem clima quente e úmido.

As ilhas de território ultramarinho têm como principal atração as atividades náuticas. Não deixe de fazer expedições pela ilha, mergulhos, passeios por terra pelos montes para perder o fôlego com as vistas e visitar as antigas fortificações da Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Para mil e uma noites (e dias!) de prazer, há uma infinidade de opções de resorts de luxo. Destaque para as hospedagem overwater: charmosos e espaçosos bangalôs, com decks e piscinas privativas. Um sonho!

Peguei no Bolsa de mulher

Bonjour à tous,

La tradition continue ! Cette année COQ & KARIBOU a le plaisir de vous convier à cette nouvelle édition du party de Noël des québécois à Paris qui aura lieu le vendredi 4 décembre 2009.

La soirée se tiendra à:

L’ESPACE MADELEINE

11, rue Duphot

75008 Paris

http://www.espacemadeleine.com

Métro Madeleine (Ligne ou Concorde (Ligne 1)

Et ce, de 22h00 jusqu’au bout de la nuit.

Comme l’an dernier, les consommations seront à des prix imbattables allant de 1€ à 4€. Un verre de Champagne vous sera offert dès votre arrivée, gracieuseté d’Amadeus Conseil. Il vous en coûtera un modeste 20 euros pour faire partie de cette superbe fête animée par nos excellents DJ très éclectiques.

Alors vous voulez fêter Noël avant l’heure dans une ambiance très conviviale ? N’hésitez pas à venir découvrir ou redécouvrir cette soirée et partager un moment avec nous !

La soirée étant limitée en places disponibles, il est bien sûr fortement conseillé de vous inscrire rapidement. Nous vous précisons également que pour des raisons légales et contractuelles les paiements à la porte ne seront pas acceptés. Les places ne sont disponibles qu’en pré-vente seulement.

Votre réservation ne sera définitive qu’à la réception de votre paiement. Premier arrivé, premier servi comme on dit !

Pour vous inscrire, il suffit de nous préciser par courriel le nombre de personnes pour lesquelles vous voulez réserver, ainsi que leurs noms. Nous vous adresserons par retour de courriel une confirmation de votre inscription avec votre numéro référence qui sera à rappeler lors de votre arrivée.

Adressez votre paiement par chèque libellé à l’attention de COQ & KARIBOU à l’adresse suivante:

Patrick LEGER

6, rue de la Plaine

75020 Paris

06.15.41.66.77

patrick_leger@hotmail.com

Si vous souhaitez effectuer votre paiement “en personne”, il sera également possible de nous rencontrer tous les jeudis au Pot des québécois dès le 22 octobre.

En espérant vous voir nombreux à venir fêter cette fin d’année avec nous.

Stéphane FORTIN, Patrick LEGER & Mathieu TREMBLAY

COQ & KARIBOU

Partenaires:

Amadeus Coseil – Société spécialisé en stratégie patrimoniale

www.amadeus-conseil.com

Et si votre impôt devenait rentable? Cela vous dirait de devenir non imposable pendant une dizaine d’année…?

Odesia Europe 

15, rue du Colonel  Moll 75017 PARIS

www.odesia.com

CHAMPAGNE LEGEND

Céder est la seule façon d’y résister

www.champagne-legend.com

Un jour je partirai dans un monde meilleur …

Silvester immer noch nichts geplant? Dann ab nach Paris!

Eiffelturm im Feuerrrausch by kaigen.photo @ Flickr

Man kennt das ja: Kaum ist es Dezember, ist man mit dem Kopf so in den  Weihnachtsplanungen vertieft, dass man alles darauf Folgende vergisst. So passiert es eben, dass man  eine schicksalsträchtige Nacht wie die von Silvester auf Neujahr nicht würdig genug feiert, ja sogar schlimmstenfalls in den ewig gleichen Kaschemmen oder Zappelbunkern verbringt, wie an unbedeutenden Freitagabenden. Was tun also? POTTCAST sagt: Verreisen!

Als Tipp: Paris. Die Seine-Metropole ist für Europäer seit Jahrhunderten wohl der Maßstab für eine Weltstadt. Daher empfiehlt es sich die Vorzüge der Europäischen  Union zu nutzen, und schnell wie auch unkompliziert die Zehn-Millionen-Stadt anzupeilen.

Paris ist ungefähr 800 Kilometer von Osnabrück entfernt und liegt damit ca. 50 Kilometer näher als München – eineinhalb Steinwürfe entfernt also.  Diese Strecke ist mit dem Auto bequem machbar. Eine Reise mit dem PKW lohnt sich allerdings nur, wenn man vollkommen flexibel sein möchte. Außerdem wird man schon sehr bald merken, dass Pariser im Umgang mit ihren Autos im Verkehr weit achtloser umgehen, als es für Deutsche denkbar wäre.   Fahrtzeit dorthin: Gute sieben bis acht Stunden. Zu empfehlen ist eine Reise mit Flugzeug vom Flughafen –Münster- Osnabrück oder Airport Bremen nach Paris Charles-de-Gaulle. Das ist günstig und hat noch weitere Vorteile.

Negativ bei der Busreise ist die lange Fahrtzeit von bis zu ca. elf Stunden. Diese dürfte aber beim Anblick dieser überwältigenden Stadt wieder verziehen sein. Leider ist man bei einer Busreise recht unflexibel und stets an einen Zeitplan gebunden.

Hotels sind über Silvester recht teuer. Daher lohnt es sich ausgiebig zu recherchieren und das auch auf unbekannten Internetseiten. Im 17. und 18. Arrondissement (die Stadtteile in der Pariser Innenstadt sind mit den Zahlen 1-18 gekennzeichnet) z.B. kann man auch mal ein Hotelzimmer, Doppelbett und Halbpension für 75,- p.P und Nacht ergattern. Im Vergleich ist das akzeptabel, wenn man bedenkt, dass sich aus diesem Teil der Stadt viele weitere Orte einfach und schnell erreichen lassen. Ist einem selbst das zu teuer, wird man auch bei den aberdutzenden Hostels fündig.

Zu Silvester ist die ganze Innenstadt festlich mit Lichterketten geschmückt. Besonders entlang  der Avenue des Champs-Élysées wird man Zeuge typischer Paris Detailversessenheit. Neben den üblichen Zielen – Eiffelturm, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur – empfiehlt es sich im malerischen Montmatre-Viertel einfach mal ein Stunde Zeit zu nehmen, und sich in ein Café zu setzen. Nachts pulsiert dieses künstlerische Quartier zu Füßen des Sacre Coeur  und wird zu einer Vergnügungsmeile  mit hunderten Diskos, Bars und Clubs. Bekannt wurde dieser Teil der Stadt übrigens durch das „Moulin Rouge“ und durch den Film „die Fabelhafte Welt der Amelie“.  

Über Silvester viele Orte, an denen man in Paris das neue Jahr anbrechen kann. Bei Touristen und Einstigern beliebt sind Schauplätze wie der Eiffelturm, an den rund 300.000 Besuchern pilgern, oder der Champs-Élysées mit knapp 500.000 Besuchern. Die Stimmung ist so ausgelassen wie auch international. Die Pariser selbst verbringen ihre Neujahrsnacht eher an privateren Plätzen. Und keine Sorge: Sollte man kurzfristig  vergessen haben eine Flasche Schampus zu kaufen: Die Supermärkte haben die ganze Nacht offen.

Wie in jeder anderen Großstadt auch, sollte man immer achtsam sein. Das Verhältnis von der französischen Polizei zu Randalierern ist berüchtigt. So lassen sich die teilweise in Kampfanzügen gekleideten Polizisten nur allzu leicht zum Schlagen provozieren; ob man in dieser Stadt zu Gast ist, ist nicht von Interesse.

Für den Trip empfiehlt es sich, ein paar Vokabeln französisch zu lernen. Das Verhältnis von Franzosen und Fremdsprachen dürfte bekannt sein. Generell aber werden die Pariser auf  Englische fragen antworten; wenn nicht, dann auch auf Deutsch.  Bonne année!

Simplesmente deslumbrada com a Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

As imagens são do blog de la BnF e do imagens e nós.

Prea multe cuvinte nu cred ca este cazul sa spun despre Paris asa ca … sper sa va placa pozele.

So last weekend I went to the Louvre again and a Renoir exhibition. No photos since I don’t believe in museum photography anymore. Renoir exhibition was great; I love the portraits he did of his sons and other people in his life (including a self-portrait I didn’t know existed/hadn’t seen before), care less for the nude paintings which all looked the same to me after seeing so many.

Ate McDonald’s Saturday night as I wait in joyful hope for the coming of the good ol’ American burger back into my life.

Berthillon is a great gelato place on the Ile-Saint-Louis. About a 10 minute walk from my apartment. Had a cup of honey, coffee, and strawberry flavored gelato…a good decision indeed.

Since I didn’t take photos of the museum art, and I believe anyone reading this is getting tired of reading without pictures to look at too, here are some recent photos. The first I took as the illustration for an expression écrit (writing exercise) in Grammar. The class is building an abécédaire (An ABC book) where each letter is somehow associated to the theme: “a semester abroad in Europe”. “Dictionnaire” is one of the words I’m writing.

The third picture I took on my walk from my apartment to the Ile-Saint-Louis.

wishes I was fluent.

The apartment cat, perched on my loft bed like a gargoyle. she has to scamper up an eight foot ladder to get up there.

View of the Canal leading towards the Bastille monument, Sunday 22/11/09

A cearensidade nasceu no sertão e avançou em direção ao litoral. Foi junto às chapadas, criando gado e produzindo alimentos, que o povo cearense forjou seu modo especial de viver, sempre com poesia e bom humor.

A literatura de cordel, com seus versos singelos, ricos de expressões populares, lirismo e deboche, é o jeito pelo qual os poetas do povo relatam seus sentimentos e a própria saga do sertanejo, impregnada de religiosidade.

O maior deles, Antônio Gonçalves da Silva, o Patativa do Assaré, nascido em 1909, comparava seu ofício ao trabalho de colher flores brotadas no sertão. Seus versos hoje são temas de estudo até na Universidade da Sorbonne, em Paris.

Já o humor que permeia os cidadãos cearenses manifesta-se na vocação natural do estado de produzir atistas do riso e, sobretudo, nas gírias e expressões exclusivas do dia a dia do cearense – o chamado “cearês“, nem sempre compreendido pelos forasteiros.

Mas não se avexe, não. Para facilitar a sua vida segue abaixo uma ruma de palavras e expressões mais usadas pelos nativos:

Abestado: bobo
Acochado: apertado
Amancebado: casal que vive junto sem papel passado
Ande: Venha! Vamos!
Agora pronto: expressão que manifesta espanto diante de alguma coisa
Arretado: fantástico
Arrudiar: dar a volta
Aperreado: nervoso, apressado
Avexar-se: apressar-se
Bichinha, bichinho: menina, menino
Baitola: gay
Cabôco: homem
Cheio dos pau: totalmente bêbado
Dar Pitaco: emitir opinião
Destrambelhado: atrapalhado
Fuleira: coisa ou pessoa que não vale nada
Girador: rotatória
Ispilicute: criança bonita
Légua: unidade de medida. Equivale a 6 quilômetros
Macho: cara
Malamanhado: malvestido
Mão-de-vaca: cozido feito com a canela da vaca, acompanhado de arroz e pirão
Nó pelas costas: frescura, mania
Pastorador: guardador de carro, flanelinha
Quengo: cabeça
Peba: coisa ordinária
Pegar o caminho do beco: ir embora
Pitéu: mulher bonita e sedutora
Quartinha: moringa de barro
Rebolar no mato: jogar algum objeto fora
Ruma: muitos, muitas
Sei não: não sei
Sinal: semáforo
Tenho não: não tenho
Tinindo: afiado
Tô com abuso: estou enjoado
Vai pra China: vai se danar

Fonte: Secretaria de Turismo do Ceará

Mon Voyage

(For Elvis, Edith Piaf, and All Whom Paris and New York Have Swallowed Whole)   

11-23-09                         by Mark Nielsen

Some days I feel about as important as a single telephone pole–

That one! There. See it?

Covered in kudzu vines,

Just one in a string of a thousand

across flat, hot, desolate Mississippi.

How important is it to fix a broken bicycle spoke?

Does a lynchpin ever know it is the lynchpin?

Who ever said that by doing something I love,

and doing it well,

The world would come running to hear it?

The world does not need me.

In fact, the world never knows what it needs.

Until it finds it.

At which point it immediately spoils it.

And the journey to glory

Est un voyage court à nulle part.

And as for talent:

Are you listening to these words,

Or just watching the way my hair falls across my forehead?

What profiteth it for a man

to talk real purty?

Or for a woman to belt out a sad song for her father?

Or for a child set adrift to paint a starry night?

The ruts in this road are deep, though.

It will take more strength than I have

On my own, in these arthritic hands,

To turn right up ahead when we see the road home.

(That is, if I’m not asleep at the wheel when it comes).

On the other hand,

at least I can’t turn around, either.

So take the wheel, St. Therese.

Where are we going?

Loser que é loser já foi preso e teve a sua foto de detento espalhada por todos os tablóides possíveis.
Vamos então dissecar essas jóias da fotografia recente?
Lembrando que esse blog ignora celebridades do hip hop e afins, nada contra acho ótimo, é apenas uma questão de integridade.

E pra começar…

Já disse aqui que a LiLo é musa absoluta do blog junto com a Kate Moss né?! E pra honrar esse título a fofa foi pega dirigindo alcohollizada em 2007 e adivinha o que encotraram nos bolsos dela?
PADEZIN

Te amo Lindsay!

Não basta ser presa, tem que fazer carão.
Te acho escrota Paris, mas arrasou na foto!

E pra completar o tripé de musas junkies absurdas, Misha Barton que nunca se recuperou da morte da Marissa.
Já avisei pra Mischa se desapegar da personagem mil vezes, mas não tem jeito! Agora ela tá numas de MJ e viciada em Pílulas, não sei onde ela vai parar…

E chegando na ala mais “cool” temos os célebres mug-shots da Jane Fonda, ícone de moda na época, as fotos rodaram o mundo e no fim o processo que a acusava de porte ilegal de drogas foi arquivado.
E olha, se tem uma coisa que eu admiro nas pessoas é a capacidade de rir de si próprio, uma imagem vale mais que mil palavras:

Meu muso David Bowie foi preso por porte de Marijuana nos 70s.

A Janis tá com uma cara de transtornada né?!

MJ Team ou Frodo Team?

Macaulay Culkin cresceu e aprendeu a usar as propriedades da maconha. Quando a gente brincava no jardim de infância ele não era assim…

No quesito crime passional, vemos Sid Vicius e sua acusação de ter matado sua namorada/esposa Nancy. O cara morreu de overdose e nunca foi julgado.(óbvio!)
Mas mesmo assim, não existe pessoa no mundo que supere esta foto:

Ninguém pode mais que uma assassina louca. Nem a Eliana!

Para mais fotinhos constragedoras de celebridades e não celebridades, acessem aqui!

Today sort of had a Christmas theme to it – despite the fact that it’s only November. However, a month will go by incredibly fast and we’ll all soon realize that we have at least 15 presents left to buy and we still have no idea what to get Aunt Judy (No – you can’t re-gift a jar of olives).

I have had the intentions of finding the best café creme or cappuccino while I’m in Paris – today I went in search of that. Google = Answers. So I Googled ‘best coffee in Paris’ (I couldn’t type ‘café’ otherwise I’d get a mile long list of restaurants). The very first search result led me to Cafe Malongo at the Galeries Lafayette. A short walking distance from my apartment and close to lots of shopping – perfect (or dangerous).

No – that isn’t real snow. It’s not even fake snow. It’s a white Christmas tree outside the pizza place where the Chef is in love with me (we try to have conversations but he knows very little English and I know un petit peu Français – so our interaction is pretty much ‘Bonjour’ *laughter* ‘Au Revoir’)

This damn candy kiosk needs to find a location that isn’t on my everyday route. Not that I’ve ever stopped there – but one day my will-power will succumb to its dangerous allure (and I curse that day!).

On my way to the coffee shop, I found a glasses store – and for those of you that don’t already know (which is all of you), I was a royal idiot and went into a steam room with my glasses on. The crazy high temperatures basically melted the coating on my lenses. My life has been a blur, literally, ever since. So, here I found myself two new pairs – which, take it from me, are incredibly hot.

Okay – you might not be able to tell – but this is a crazy ass Christmas dinner party. All the guests? Teddy bears and Gingerbread Men. They were actually dancing on the table, swaying with Champagne glasses in their hands, one guy actually had his foot stuck in some sort of white marshmallow concoction (I hope). It was highly entertaining.

More temptations. But I left the Macarons for another day when I can find myself a Ladurée – making Kevin incredibly jealous.

My Malongo cappuccino. Was it the BEST ever? It was pretty damn good – not going to lie. The café was actually inside the Galeries Lafayette – located in their Gourmet food section (which is basically the most expensive grocery store you’ll ever encounter). I loved it here. It was basically a sit-up bar surrounding ‘10-thousand’ espresso machines and coffee beans.

The Christmas display inside Lafayette. Those presents were actually falling from the ceiling – several people may have died from the weight of what I assume were cars inside of those boxes. I’m kidding…

She wouldn’t give me directions anywhere – it was rather rude. Maybe she couldn’t hear me?

***Caption Contest! In the comments box, I want to hear your guys’ best creative ideas for what the caption for this photo should be.***

Yeah, it did equal $Heart,heartheart until my swollen glands decided they hated it. Oh right, I forgot to mention – I have had the most swollen glands of my life for the past two days. It’s getting to the point where I have difficulty swallowing and breathing. Don’t worry – shortly after this tea had a war in my throat, I headed to the Pharmacy.

After going to the Pharmacy and getting looks of absolute shock and disbelief at the size of the glands on my neck, the women called a Doctor for me and sent me there straight away. I swear one of them was about to cry at how pathetic I must look. The Doctor couldn’t diagnose me so he referred me to a Laboratoire Analyses Médicales – a lab to get tested. Fantastic. Well, now you all know what I’m doing tomorrow – getting poked and prodded by people I can’t understand and praying that I don’t die on Day Number Four (I have so much planned for Day 5!).

Wish me luck.

Overseas National Airways-ONA McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF N1033F (msn 46960) CDG, originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati.

Please click on photo or link below for full view, information, prints for sale and other photos:

http://airlinersgallery.com/2/26697b0/#/gallery/beauties-from-the-past/overseas-national-ona-dc-10-30cf-n1033f-nc-grd-cdg-cv-lr-904199/

Paris vista do bateau-mouche: Foto: Crunchy-nico, Flickr

Continuando o post sobre férias em Paris, você sabia que Réveillon é uma palavra francesa?! Vem do verbo réveiller, que significa acordar, ou aqui para nós, VAMBORA!

Programando o final do ano na cidade? Então depois de aproveitar os voos baratos Paris que estão por ai,  que tal pegar seus valiosos euros economizados e se dar algum luxo?!

Por exemplo, um clichê quase essencial em Paris, é fazer um passeio num bateaux-mouches, pelo rio Senna! Geralmente um passeio comum, custa em torno de 10€! Totalmente razoável, mas agora imagina passar a virada do ano num barco desses, com um jantar incrível, vendo os fogos por toda Paris?! Pois é! Sonho? Não precisa!

Toda viagem é feita de luxos e economias! E no caso, se você der uma enxugada em alguns itens entrando num espírito de low coast Paris, vai dar para fazer alguns luxos e sonhos que você sempre teve, como uma super festa de Réveillon na cidade!

Olha só o clima do jantar no barco...

Só para te deixar com mais vontade, olha o cardápio do jantar que será servido no barco: Confit de Foie gras, tornedor com essência de truffas e muito champagne!

O preço, bom, 300€! Ouch! Mas calma! Pense que você poderá econimizar em outras coisas!

Por exemplo: além da passagem, economize nas outras refeições! Um sanduíche na baguete da boulangerie Le Grenier de Félix ( escolhida a melhor da cidade) ou uma sopa de cebola na restaurante Au Pied de Cochon (um dos restaurantes mais tradicionais) saem em torno de 6€!

Bom e barato: Sopa de cebola do Au Pied de Cochon. Foto: Gary Soup, Flickr

Viu como dá para economizar! Fazendo esse tipo de coisa você vai conseguir passar o réveillon dos seus sonhos e quem sabe, com uns euros a mais, conseguir outros voos baratos e viajar pelo resto da Europa (indo para Lisboa, por exemplo)! Aliás, na próxima semana, o post será sobre essa cidade!

Vambora!!!

Veja também o primeiro post da série : Férias na Europa – Paris (Parte I)