Playing Parisian

The Bright Side to Poland: Chopin

2012-02-02T22:56:00.002-11:00

Hello Handsome

The bright side of my trip to Poland (other than meeting fantastic people and learning a lot, and oh right, going to Poland) was reigniting my love of Chopin. The airport there is called Frederic Chopin Intl airport. Despite his frenchie name (his father was french, mother a polack), he was born in Warsaw. Actually he spent most of his life in Paris, but Poland is taking credit for his fame. I can dig it Poland, Paris has enough claim to fame, gotta grab what you can.

I listened to a lot of Chopin in college, mainly to study. I prefer his nocturnes, preferably those in a flat key as I find them incredibly relaxing. I also find because I used to listen to him while studying it gets me in a good work mode where I really get stuff done. Which is incredibly important as I am one of the worst offenders of procrastination, no matter my good intentions. (For evidence please see: the blog you are reading, any number of social networks I am member of, the number of items of I've read on google reader, words with friends, flight control, family feud.... I could go on, but now my parents are threatening to disown me and France to export me)

For a sampling, here is one of my favorite nocturnes. How did we live before yotube?

L'hiver est arrivée!

2012-02-02T02:59:00.000-11:00

So remember that post in which I said winters in Paris were mild?? Well it totally backfired and is now cold. And apparently it's 62 degrees in NYC. Go figure. BRRR

To make matters even colder, I was in Warsaw, Poland for the past 3 days. How was the city you ask? No idea, as it was -20 degrees celsius and not exactly 'go exploring' weather. However, the inside of the intercontinental was lovely. Seems like a city to go back to, although I wouldn't rush, and I certainly wouldn't suggest it in the winter.

But now that winter is here, it's time to exercise my new favorite passtime -- skiing. I've skiied off and on for years, but have really hit my stride lately. The beautiful alps help a bit :-) So far I've skiied in Christlum, Austria and Megève, France. The conditions were perfect in both, but I must say the French food on the ski hill really out does any other ski lunch I've had. Fondue for dinner, tartiflette for lunch, cheese cheese and MORE CHEESE. Sorry, Natalie, I feel like it'd be hard to survive here as a cheese hater (or a lactard for that matter). Please enjoy the pictures below!

MacDo

2012-01-31T00:20:00.000-11:00

Ah, the golden arches. Proud symbol of the american culture, economy and eating habits. But did you know which country eats the most McDonalds outside of the US? Answer: it's FRANCE! This was very surprising to me when I first found out, considering France is such a sophisticated "foodie" culture. But it's no joke -- every McD's I pass (there are tons) is busy all times of night, and not just for the free wifi (good tip by the way). I see people of all ages eating it -- teenagers, older people, stylish moms with kids after ballet on saturday, homeless bums, etc..MacDo (as they call it here) has no bounds. BUT WHY???

According to this NPR article, passed to me by Natalie (of blog fame here) there are a few answers and it all comes down to brilliant market research (I'm not biased at all!!). McDonalds understands their local market. They've frenchified dishes (the McChevre wrap, par example), they have ample seating space (French people spend nearly 2 hours a day sitting and eating), and they've local-fied ingredients (use grass fed cows, local chickens, etc). All of these are great reasons and I fully agree with them. But what's the main reason I think French people like MacDo?

Because it tastes good.

Working in the food industry in France I've come to learn it's all about taste. Fat, sugar, local, or not, the better it tastes, the more successful it will be. Yes, local ingredients are great and organic food is good for the environment, but you know what else they are? TASTY. A tomato from around the corner in France that is fresh, bright red, and not made with pesticides has more flavor in a seed than most North American tomatoes do in the whole batch. And you know what else tastes good? Fried potatoes, butter buns, 3 types of cheeses on a burger...all from MacDo. Yes, they've changed their marketing mix to locally adapt, but they know the main drivers of food for French people...and that's taste.

A funny example of this is my boss who is currently on a "diet" (or a regime as she calls it). You know what this diet includes? She eats everything the same, but she halves the amount of cheese she eats after a meal and only has 2 bites of dessert. In the US, a diet would probably include raw veggies, light yogurt, rice cakes, and other blandless food that makes you feel miserable. But in France, no 'regime' is worth bad tasting food. And McDonalds gets that.

Dinnertime in Paris

2012-01-25T05:00:00.003-11:00

This post reminded me to write about our failed attempt to start a French dinner party at 7:30 (errr thanksgiving party).

Andrea, Andrew and I (eternal optimists) sort of knew that dinner in france started arouund 8-8:30, but didn't realize how exact (or rather unexact - late). So we thought to ourselves "Oh dinner starts around 8 so we'll invite people at 7:30 and they'll show up at 8." WRONG WRONG WRONG. Even though we suggested 7:30-8, it was happily ignored. The first to show up was the Swiss/German (so precise those germans!) at 8:23, while the american was 8:45 and the italian 9:09. Apparently the rule applies to not only the French, but those presiding in the country.

Lesson learned, dinner at 8:30, plan to eat around 9:30. Also, from my research it doesnt seem like they're really into the pre-dinner snacking appetizers. Looks like I need to plan a proper seated appetizer in the future. So many plates, C'est la vie!

It's that time of year...OSCAR TIME!

2012-01-24T05:49:00.000-11:00

I adore the Oscars. I wouldn't necessarily say I am much of a movie buff, but something about the glitz, glamour and a competition gets me every time. (see the nods here)

France has infiltrated the Oscars this year. I haven't quite figured out whether the Oscars are very buzzworthy here, but no matter, I think the French people should be proud. There are movies set in Paris (Hugo, Midnight in Paris)...Movies with French Actors (The Artist), etc. Film is a big industry in France and is subsidized and supported by the government. It makes sense to me, when you think about the number of foreign films you know that are french, actors that are french, etc. It really is disporportionate to other countries of similar size. Well done france!

French Parenting: They're not like US

2012-01-23T05:54:00.001-11:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this before, but an article in the economist (link here) was brought to my attention by my friend Nelson, asking my opinion. And boy do I have one.

I have asked many of my french colleagues why French children are so well behaved and from a combination of qualitative research, observation and reading this article my stereotype is now confirmed (very scientific!). This is a stereotype of which I was aware before moving, but never really put much thought against. However, the first time I visited a french playground I knew something was amiss. Or rather just different. As an expert on parental playground behavior (not!), I was seriously appalled at the indifference of French parents at the playground. I swear, their kids could be in mortal kombat or breaking multiple bones and they wouldn't bat a lash. Not only that-- they were smoking!! My north american lungs were incredibly appalled by this and I'm fairly certain the US gov't wouldn't allow a cigarette within a mile of a playground. But in Paris they seem not only allow it, but encourage it with ash trays! Quite prudent, I mean, if you're going to smoke, at least don't set the playground on fire with your butts.

Here are reasons that I've heard as to why kids are so well behaved:

No coddling, no patience, non, non, non. Seems like NON is a popular word in the french vocabulary. And the kids seems to listen. According to the article, parents don't fret, aren't apologetic, and are very strict.
The kicker is that all of this is reinforced at school. At school, kids are taught to be quiet, patient, and well behaved. Sounds like a diss to the US education system, but probably well grounded.
You 'bring a child' into the world vs. 'having' one. Europeans pop out mini adults and are treated as such. You don't own your child, you are simply a resource for them to get the skills they need to succeed.

Doesn't sound like much fun to me :-) But something's working, as I consistently see very well behaved (and beautifully dressed btw, they start em young) French kids ay restaurants and I always ask myself the same question -- HOW? The researcher in me thinks it's a bit self-selecting...what self respecting parent is going to bring their terribly behaved kid to a restaurant? Then I have visions of all of the 'bad' french kids hiding in a closet somewhere....That sounds like a theory with legs, doesn't it?

Oh, Hello blog. Good to see you.

2012-01-21T01:48:00.000-11:00

So, it's a Saturday morning in Paris. It's winter, which means it'll probably rain at sometime during the day and there is a solid gray sky. The kind of gray that sort of leaves you in a lull of half sleep and awake, with very little discerning difference between 9 am and 5 pm. This winter gray, although not unique to Paris, is famous and was one of the things I feared most about moving over here. I've never had Seasonal affective disorder (I don't think), but I've also generally lived in Sunny places. New York has what I call 'schizophrenic' weather, sunny and warm one day, cold snowing the next and Montreal had beautiful BRIGHT sunny days. But it was those days that I almost feared most, as they left you with a bitter cold right down the bone (as well as bright red thighs and nearly frostbitten fingers).

It's been gray for 3 days, but generally well above freezing (10-15 degrees to my canadian blog fans and in the 40s/50s to US friends....aren't you impressed that I'm fluent in celsius and farenheit??? add it to my resume). And as of this writing, I must say that gray isn't bothering me. In fact, it was sunny but cold/windy on Monday and I was appalled and surprised. I'm getting some sort of comfort in knowing that it's going to be within 5 degrees and gray most days. I always know which coat to wear, generally don't have to wear witner accessories (for those that know me, know that I HATE them), and can wear whatever shoes I please (even ballet flats with no socks!). Another reason is that I get to work at 9 am and leave at 7...so if there was sun I probably wouldn't see it anyways :-)

I've decided temperature irks me more than gray does and in general the temeprature is great. In fact, so great I ate dinner on a patio last night (albeit with a winter jacket on, but that's a minor detail). So next time someone complains of the winter gray, ask them how they like snow, blizzards, minus 20 degree weather, hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, earthquakes and other insane weather that cripples other cities. The weather in Paris, like most things French, is quite moderate :)

How to Fake French

2012-01-09T02:05:00.002-11:00

Sorry I've been a boring blogger lately...I promise to be better, but work has been kicking my booty.

In the meantime, here is a cute video on how to 'fake' french when you don't speak the language. Taking notes.

I'm alive! Sort of...

2012-01-04T00:42:00.002-11:00

Bonne Année et Meilleurs Voeux!

I am back in Paris after a wonderful holiday vacation, that ended not so wonderfully. Particularly because I got violently ill on the plane ride back about 30 minutes into the flight. UGH. Very much NOT FUN.

Anyways, it's bright, sunny, and relatively warm here in Paris. I'm feeling better and I'm ready for 2012 to improve. Hope you all had a fantastic holiday as well!

Work Christmas Parties: French Style

2011-12-13T22:34:00.000-11:00

The obligatory Christmas party: a tradition that spans multiple cultures apparently. In the US, it's usually an alcohol-clad affair, with cheap wine, bad food, and a dance floor. Co-workers numb themselves from the awkwardness of a bad DJ with one too many glasses of alcohol and everyone hits the dance floor, promising to not judge eachother the next day for their awful dance moves. Past christmas parties I've attended include: boat races, santas dressed-up (are we 5?), a pizza run mid-way through because the food ran out, ice skating, after parties, etc. They are generally jovial and I generally enjoy them.

I can't say my party last night is typical of France, but it does seem very Parisian. First off, it was held in classy loft/art gallery. There they go trying to culture me even at a work event! Secondly, it started and ended with Champagne. I seriously tried to drink something else, but they ran out of the normal wine within an hour and all that was left was Champagne. PAUVRE MOI.

As far as the food goes, let's just say I didn't realize that chocolate square WAS FILLED WITH FOIE GRAS! Really??? Foie gras at a work party? We're not eating raw veggies with ranch dip, pork filled dumplings, pizza, or starving? Yes, I'll take another of the scallop ceviche with passion fruit please. Oh and are those truffles in that risotto? YUM.

Alas, there was no dancing, but I can't say I missed it. Party Number 2 with the entire company (and apparently the dancing) is on Friday and it's on a boat along the Seine. Unfortunately, (fortunately?) I will not be able to attend as I'll be en route to NYC YIPPEE!

Getting in the Christmas spirit!

2011-12-11T05:15:00.001-11:00

I Was in Dusseldorf this past weekend visiting a friend from college. But the main reason I went was to go to a Christmas market and get a dose of Christmas spirit. I had never been to one and it was amazing!

So I was thinking it would be like one square full of vendors, but it was actually across the entire "old town". So impressive! Vendors, food stalls and my favorite -- mulled wine. You know what makes shopping outside even better? A glass of warm wine yummy.

Dusseldorf was actually an awesome city. It had great architecture, a busy downtown core, and yummy food. It isn't really touristy either which is appreciated. Hope you all had a fab weekend as well!

Top 10 reasons why I think I lived in France in a past life....

2011-12-08T02:02:00.001-11:00

So when people ask how I'm settling into French culture, I usually answer "Great, swimmingly, doing really well, thanks for asking." But secretly inside I'm thinking this has actually been really easy, am I doing something wrong?

Sure, there are parts I disagree (helloooo beaureaucracy) but the more I learn about the culture, the more I think it's more like me. Technically, I'm like 40% French (maybe more like 20, but who's counting) so maybe subconsciously these things have been passed down to me through previous generations (thanks grandpa! No really, I'm related to him (do you see the resmblance?) but I'm going to save that for another post). Anywho, here are the top 10 reasons why I'm liking French culture so far.

1. I love bread and carbs. This may seem like a duh moment (who doesn't like bread?), but seriously I could just eat bread and be super happy. And the french feel the same way.
2. I like to eat lunch at the same time everyday (there is a pattern here, many of these revolve around food). This is something I didn't even know was French, but my boss told me that she's impressed with how regimented I am about lunch and how "it's very French." Yippeee
3. I eat a lot of yogurt. I know exactly where this comes from -- my dad used to give me Yoplait (SHH!) Custard Style (strawberry only) when I was a kid and I loved it.This definitely set the tone for how much yogurt I eat. Like most meals in France, yogurt is a very ritualistic thing - they eat it after Lunch & dinner as a close to the meal. Some call it a healthy dessert, but I've definitely seen people eat both yogurt AND dessert. There's an emotional connection there to which I can relate.

4. They prefer red wine. I've talked a lot about the French loving wine, but in general they prefer red and so do I. As the wine maker of Chateau Monlot told me when I asked why he makes only red wine he said "Because that is what the French like to drink." Simply, supply and demand :-)
5.Confession: IWear an outfit more than 1 day in a row. Okay, so I don't normally wear it one after the other unless I won't see the same people (the french will do this, however), but I do this and I love it. Outfits take a lot of time and energy to me and I like saying "Oh I just wore this to work and now I'll wear it out." So efficient.
6. I like scarves. So an easy way to hide the fact that you are wearing the same sweater you wore two days ago is to put on a new fancy scarf. This is a new accessory in my life which I've taken to like a moth to a light. So easy! So Pretty! So warm! So cheap! Can't believe I waited until France to use these.
7. I hate salad. No, really, I do and so do the French (hear me out). There are a lot of famous french salads (Niçoise, par example), but to me, these aren't salads. A. They normally have potatoes in them. POTATOES.IN.SALAD. and B) they don't have lettuce. I love both of those statements (yay potatoes, boo lettuce) and thus French 'salads' are things I can get behind.

8. I hate washing my hair. See that guy's hair to the left? That's where I get my hair. It's unruly, thick, wavy and only needs to be washed every 3 days. Which I used to fight (I'd begrudgingly wash it every other), but now I just embrace it whilst knowing my neighbor has similar grooming habits.
9. I love sitting on a patio. This is probably another thing I get from my mother (it'll be snowing and my mom will ask if we'd like to grab a blanket and sit on the patio with the heater), but in a similar fashion the French are suckers for sitting outside. Even in winter. When I was here last Jan, the heaters were in full swing and everyone was eating/drinking/smoking at cafes outside. Love it.
10. I believe rules are made to be broken. Not sure where I get this from, but I've always said "I ask forgiveness, not permission." (Andrew, on the other hand is the opposite). I've learned from my French boss that the best way to manage bureaucracy is to ignore it completely and just do what you need to do. It's very effective. As my intercultural trainer said, "France is a country of exceptions. They have billions of laws, but most people don't follow them.' Excellent, my favorite kind.

I'm sure I'll be updating this list as I go along (and perhaps will even have a top 10 reasons why I'm not French), but those what I've noticed for now :-)

The French way of work: Economist Article 11.19

2011-12-06T06:25:00.001-11:00

My father forwarded me an interesting article in the economist recently about "The French Way of Work" (or lack thereof). Basically, the French are stereotyped as being lazy workers, but the article says they are actually poorly managed. Apparently, the French are very content with their work, but rather discontent with how things are run.

Why is this? Well, let's refer back to my inter-cultural training, shall we? (as my mom says "Danone sure got their money's worth sending you to that class") We spent nearly an hour talking about the French education system (BORING!), but the main takeaway is super important and super infuriating. The French education system starting about when kids are 12 is SUPER serious and competitive. I knew this (the bac test, etc), but what I didn't know was how it affects business. Basically, the 'grande ecoles' are the handful of super elite schools where every, single (no joke) CEO of a major french company has been educated. And basically, getting into these schools pre-determines the rest of your life. Thus, if you went to a good school, you will succeed in business, even if you arent' that affective in life. Sure, we have 'super elite' schools in the US, but seeing as we're a task oriented society, it doesn't matter where you went to school as long as you do well. (yes, yes, you have a leg up in theory if you went to an 'ivy' school. But frankly, you are probably better off dropping out ...helloooo bill gates, mark zuckerberg, and steve jobs)

So basically, France is NOT a meritocracy (even though thier school system is). The management at these top firms are being appointed for the wrong reasons. And then they get to the top and are ineffective, then people are pissed about it, find it poorly managed, and are demotivated. I can totally relate to this.

But the main reason my dad sent me the article was because my company is cited as a major exception as they promote generally from within and for merit. YAY! I won't write the name here (not like it's a secret, but whatever, don't want people googling and finding this post). But it's true, in my company we have what is a called a CODE, which is mainly corporate gibberish, but the E stands for Empowerment. In the US, this seemed like common sense to me. But here it is a major breakthrough. At this point 3 months in, I definitely can see some work culture differences, but I would definitely NOT say anyone's lazy. More analytical, slower to react, infuriating at times MAYBE, but certainly not lazy.

Why Asian Food in Paris Sucks

2011-11-30T06:02:00.001-11:00

So remember the post where I said I missed Asian food from New York? Apparently, I'm not alone. According to this article from the Atlantic (graciously shared with me by my friend Mollie), authentic asian is hard to come by in Paris for a few reasons, all of which surprised the author.

Reasons cited:

Hard to source the ingredients. I think this is a lazy excuse, however, it does explain why it would be so expensive here. However, in my opinion, there are some 'westerner' substitutes that can suffice and as long as the spices are there, the food should work. NEXT
The French are more about 'integrating' their emigrants into society, as opposed to just letting them maintain their heritage while living in France. This makes sense to me and I learned this in my multi-cultural training. If you live in France and you're an emigrant, you're French. The French encourage this (apparently it stemmed from when they lost so many lives in WWI and WWII trying to make up for population gaps. They still have the highest birth rate in Europe). Thus, when you're here it's VERY FRENCH despite being such a global city. In NY, we have china town, little italy, little korea, japan town, russian neighborhoods in brooklyn, etc in which you could live perfectly fine with only knowing you native tongue. Hell, I used to hear more Spanish on the subway than English. Not the case here (there are small patches of restos together, but rarely). This also stems to the food they are serving -- it's more 'french/asian' which means less spice, more sutble. Dont' get me wrong this happens in the US too (hellooo general tso's chicken), but in NY you can still find authentic food at a decent price (if not dirt cheap).
It's a developing market. French diners love French food. They didn't grow up with all the choices that we have in the US, so the demand isn't there. YET. From what I've seen of the Paris food scene so far, it's infectious and trendy, and I think all it takes is one great restaurant, serving delicious (and spicy!) food at a decent price to tip this over the edge.
Rent isn't that expensive apparently so maybe mediocre places can exist. So this isn't in the article and isn't corroborated, however, I learned the rent of a cute little resto in the 9th and was floored by how cheap it was. Like 1/10 what it would normally be in NYC. It was a fairly reliable source and it could be an exception, however, with the vacancy rates I've seen for businesses, as well as the number of seemingly crappy restos that stay in business (not to mention are barely open ...like from 10-2, tues-fri), I wouldn't be surprised.

From all of this, I see an opportunity. Parisians love great food...Asian food is great food, and the Asian food in paris is not great. Now if only I could convince my favortie Sushi, Thai, Indian, and Korean BBQ to open Paris branches, we'd all be bajillionaires. Project for 2012?

Fun Fact

2011-11-28T02:30:00.001-11:00

Did you know there are 16 ways to say the sound 'o' in French?

Eau, eaux, au, o, oh, aux, aus...that's all I can think of at this point. My intercultural trainer (what does that even mean???) shared this fun fact with us this last week as an example of how French spelling is so hard. You're telling me! She said it's because French is a very regional language and when they came together to make it one common language they took the different endings from all over the place (like the Bordeaux O sound, for example).

And the bad news is that the French are very particular about their spelling.... so I'm seeing a lot of flash cards for memorization in my future. YAY!?

Learning how to be an ExPat

2011-11-24T03:21:00.001-11:00

I had an 'intercultural' training provided by work yesterday, which gave me about 1 million ideas for blog posts. It was an interesting day -- we had low expectations (thought it would be cheesy), but overall it was enjoyable and I learned a lot.

Some high-lights which are blog-worthy, but not post-worthy, include:

Ordering soda with a meal is frowned upon in France. French people believe you should either have water (sparkling is okay) because it is natural and doesn't hinder taste, or wine which enhances. The sweetness of coke overpowers flavor and is thus, unacceptable.
You should never cut your lettuce. Which is confusing to me when I have a big honking piece of iceberg lettuce on my plate. Instead, you must fold the lettuce (using your knife, maybe) and then eat. Also, you shouldn't cut eggs (and cheese? something else...) with a knife. They say you should cut it with the side of your fork.
Parisians/French generally go home afterwork. It is very unheard of to socialize during the week. Thus, this explains the importance placed on socializing at the coffee machine or at lunch, as that is the only time to really 'connect' with your co-workers.
Did you know the French like wine? Because they really do. It was reiterated one nore time in the training. Once again, the trainer was impressed with my knowledge of the regions (thanks Andrea!).

Anywho, lots of interesting stuff which I'll share in the upcoming weeks. Most notably that 'France is a country of exceptions' which can be incredibly aggravating for us anglos. Anywho, hope everyone is having a super happy thanksgiving!!!!!! We're doing our Turkey in France tomorrow with some new friends...our Kitchen is getting it's first road test.

xxoo

Mexican food in Paris?! Oh my!

2011-11-21T23:44:00.001-11:00

Food I miss from New York:

Mexican food (mainly chipotle, let's be honest)
Sushi (there's a ton here, but I haven't found a good place...or a cheap place)
Thai Food (same as sushi comment)
Indian Food (apparently hard to come by)
Hamburgers (I'm on the prowl, I think I've found a good place. Can Shake Shack travel?)

Basically, I eat a lot of bread and cheese. Which is FABULOUS. However, I need me some spicy food in my life. In honor of this request, Andrew made Fajitas last night using a handy 'french' fajita kit that looked eerily similar to Old El Paso. You know the one -- bright yellow, chicken just oozing out the sides (see above). Fajitas from a box may not be gourmet, it may not even be Mexican, but it is a tasty treat and just enough Mexican spice to kill my chipotle craving (who am I kidding, it's a fire that can't be extinguished!)

We also made our own chips (yay deep frying!) and guac. One thing I've never understood is why Mexican food doesn't travel well the further you are from Mexico (even those from Cali/Texas would say the New York food isn't 'really' mexican food). We had this issue in Asia whilst travelling-- mexican food just didn't taste right and I did not get it. All of the ingredients exist, hell, all the ingredients in all mexican dishes are exactly the same, yet it doesn't taste the same in other countries. One of the world's biggest mysteries, right up there with stone henge and the pyramids to be sure :-)

Macarons & Cupcakes: NY vs. Paris

2011-11-18T01:58:00.001-11:00

I found another favorite NY vs Paris poster:

However, I believe the lines are blurring on this one. Ladurée, the amazingly famous macaron patiserrie in Paris, has recently opened in NYC and Cupcakes are increasingly popular in Paris. To be honest, Ladurée is not my favorite macaron....and if you want to know a little secret my favorite Macron isn't even in Paris (although all macaron places in Paris have not been exhausted). When I lived in Long Island City in Queens, I had a little bakery in the bottom of my building, appropriately named Little Oven. And honestly, these are the freshest, most delicious macarons you'll ever encounter. They also have very fun flavors (try the earl grey tea, passion fruit, and salted caramel for sure!). Also, my favorite NYC cupcake is not Magnolia...it's another little place called Baked By Melissa. Her cupcakes are deliciously miniature, with fantastic flavor offerings (my favorites are cookie dough and red velvet cake YUM).

I also have noticed cupcakes in Paris are on the up and up...There was even a cupcake camp recently...What is a cupcake camp? Good question. According to the website "nearly 500 people descended on Le Comptoir General to eat around 2600 cupcakes made by 60+ professional and amateur cupcakers." That sounds like just the right amount of crazy and yummy.

Alors, this post has made me very hungry for something sweet :) Bon Weekend!

Le Baron Bouge??!?!?!

2011-11-16T01:36:00.001-11:00

So you may recall a post about one of my favorite bistros Le Baron Rouge a while back. APPARENTLY, according to my "Authentic Bistros of France" book, the Baron Rouge is actually called the Baron Bouge. This completely blew my mind so I have started an investigation. It began on the internets, in which case I've come across a trip advisor page for the Baron Rouge and the Baron Bouge, pointed to the same place. However, the Rouge one has 15 reviews, while the other 9...Point 1 for Rouge.

Further desk research, found this blog in which the blogger claims they changed the name due to copyright infringement from some "member of the public." However, according to my book, it's because the neighborhood was originally sort of bouge-y and the clientale fit the mark. It also is a clever play on words.

Looking closer at the picture, the B from Baron and the B from Bouge definitely don't match. The R was clearly changed to a B and if not it seems like an odd design choice. Who to believe?!?!?!

Really the only next step is to go and investigate myself...and perhaps have 6 oysters, a cheese and meat plate, and a bottle of muscadet 'just to make sure' everything is in order :)

Antoni Gaudi: Te Quiero

2011-11-14T23:37:00.001-11:00

To say that I love the work of Gaudi is only one part of the story. I am incredibly inspired, moved, and touched by his work, more so than any other architect I've encoutered thus far (keeping my mind open!). Seeing the Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, and Parc Guell were definitely the sites I was looking forward to the most in Barcelona, however, in many ways I was scared to go back because of how much I loved them 10 years ago. Boy, they did not disappoint.

It's interesting because back then I could not articulate how, or why they moved me--I just LOVED the buildings and could spend hours there. I remember taking picture after picture (rolls of film at that time, can you imagine? ha) and although I always loved photography, the details that I kept finding and the angles I was using taking the photos were unlike anything I had done before. Gaudi had inspired me. Although I've never considered myself an artisic person, I like to think I'm a perceptual artist. I can appreciate art, design, and am interested in it, but never feel entirely compelled to create. However, Gaudi changes all that in me and I've walked away from this weekend incredibly energized.

In my day to day, I am helping to support and inspire innovation. Gaudi, like other geniuses, is an innovator. He didn't invent the Catholic cathedral, but he innovated it, much like Jobs didn't invent the smart phone, he just made it better. The Sagrada Familia has all the elements that you would associate with a brilliant cathedral, but he's turned most of them on their head. Cathedrals are generally dark, somber places -- Sagrada Familia is filled with light. Cathedrals are generally inspired by the church ("it's a grander church"), whereas Sagrada Familia was inspired by Nature. Gaudi saw God everywhere, particularly nature, and tried to bring that into the structure. He also thought about all the amazing details, from acoustics, to the symbolism of every statue, to the the celestial proportions. All of this really makes me look differently at 'a bloody cup of yogurt' (as a previous manager has said) with a new light asking "What rules can I break, but keep the essence of yogurt?"

It's amazing to me when my personal interests and what I get paid to do intersect. I feel really lucky that with 99% of my day to day I'm doing things that I actually enjoy. All geniuses, like Gaudi, Picasso, and Jobs have one thing in common - and that is passion. And although I never strive to be a genius, I do strive to find passion in what I do. And I thank Gaudi, among others, for the inspiration.

Here are some pics iPhone using Instamatic. I'm quite obsessed with that App.

Picasso: He's not like us

2011-11-11T02:07:00.001-11:00

Apologies for the lack of content this week ....I've been overdosing on jamon and manchego cheese in Seville at a conference for work. I swear if I didn't have salted meat until the new year I'd be totally okay with it. There I said it.

Anywho, I'm extemely excited that my amazing friend charisse from new York is joining me in Barcelona this weekend for her early 30th birthday activities. I'm in Barcelona now anxiously awaiting her arrival. In an effort to pretend I'm cultured I just spent a couple of hours at the picasso museum (side note: does it really count as you going to a museum if you don't tell someone? ). It's actually a really awesome exposé on his life and work. There are some oil paintings he did whilst he was 12 which will blow your mind. (I believe my mother has kept some of my artwork from my childhood...abstract may be an appropriate way to describe it)

Anywho, one of the coolest things I saw was a video of some of paintings towards the end of the museum. It showcased the original las meninas painting by valezquez that picasso based an impressive 57 painting on. The cool thing was it overlayed picassos work on the painting so you could see the inspiration and get a glimpse into picassos brain.

Im doing this on my phone so I'm not sure how the pics will upload but I'm hoping you can see the picture of the little girl and then picassos interpretation. It's quite extraordinary. I'm sure I'll have more Spain stories to tell but so far Barcelona is as amazing as I remember and am looking forward to the weekend!

Ps for those of you wondering why I'm not working, it's remembrance day in France. Yay holidays.

Bikes in Amsterdam

2011-11-06T10:11:00.000-11:00

How many bikes are fished out the canal in Amsterdam?

Answer: A LOT

Look at that claw!! It's huge, sort of like those games at the carnival.

I have never seen as many bikes as I've seen in Amsterdam. And where do they park them all?

Answer: In a bike parking garage of course.

Incredible. I love that city.

Wine poker

2011-11-02T21:54:00.001-11:00

So I'm in Amsterdam for an innovation summit the past two days...this city is amazing. I can't believe I haven't been here before.

Anywho, the important story is how I won 'wine poker' last night. We were at a 'bonding' event (love corporate culture ha) and one of the games was to correctly identify 6 wines made by the same grape. Full disclosure; it was multiple choice. HOWEVER, I'm quite proud that I got all 6 right. Around the table were 3 guys from France, a girl from Belgium, another from Austria and one from England. One of the French guys got all 6 right as well so we had a 'smell off'. We were given three bottles with different scents and we had to properly identify them. The first was vanilla (easy) the second was toast (I said chestnut) and the third that gave me the win was pineapple. I'd like to go ahead and thank the country of Thailand for introducing me to that beautiful fruit.

The Europeans were unimpressed that my palate was a tad more discerning than theirs. Apparently Cabernet Sauvignon is tough to identify (for some ha). And in typical American fashion I gloated the whole night about my win. My parents would be proud.

What I'm doing this Weekend....

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000-11:00

An interior designer friend recommended to me an interesting find at the Louvre. She suggested that the next time I'm there, skip the Mona Lisa and head straight to Napoleon's Apartments. She knows me well-- I would much rather immerse myself in gaudy interiors than fight a crowd for a peak at a painting. Hints of former French opulence can be seen all over Paris (the Opera house right by work, for one), however, I'm excited to see it up close and personal. I also heard there's a nice restaurant around the corner from the apartments -- another thing I love is eating at musuem restaurants (better in some cases than going in them).

If you're interested, here's a youtube video of the large dining room. Much cheaper than the 20 euro entry fee and flight to Paris. Technology these days.

Bon Weekend!

Relish & Quaff: Le Baron Rouge

2011-10-26T22:53:00.000-11:00

I told you it was worth its own post, so please head over to Relish & Quaff for a full revealing of the Baron Rouge - one of my favorite wine bars in Paris (well, so far).

My new favorite place

2011-10-24T22:50:00.003-11:00

If it's Saturday and I'm in Paris, this is where I'll be found playing Parisian-- Marche D'aligre. It's a huge market about a 10 minute walk from my house and it's amazing.

Markets are an institution in France and everyone shops at them. It's a family event and it's incredibly popular -- and I can understand why. Shopping at a market is such a fun experience, the products are fantastic, and finally...the prices are CHEAP. Everything is expensive in France, except for produce from the market. Andrew and I went here a few weeks ago and left with two bags full of fruits and vegetables after spending only 10 euro. Let me tell you what we got for the equivalent of 13 dollars....1 HUGE thing of mushrooms, a handful of figs, leeks, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, an avocado, and I"m sure there is something that I've forgotten. We were amazed at the value and the quality was top.

We made this incredible soup -- cauliflower leek, using Thomas Keller's recipe found here (Recipe). I highly recommend (we even made our own croutons!).

Oh and if you're nearby and want some amazing oysters you should stop by the baron rouge...but it's worth another post in itself so I'll leave that for later.

Paris Syndrome: A truly bizarre affliction

2011-10-20T02:08:00.000-11:00

If you're looking for a chuckle and a WTF moment, I suggest you peruse the following article from the Atlantic titled Paris Syndrome: A First-Class Problem for a First-Class Vacation . Apparently, there are documented cases of tourists visiting Paris, having it not live up to their expectations, and basically having a panic attack.

"The shock of coming to grips with a city that is indifferent to their presence and looks nothing like their imagination launches tourists into a psychological tailspin which, in at least six cases this year, necessitated the patient being flown back to his or her country under medical supervision. Usually, though, bed rest and hydration seem to take care of the problem within a few days. The Japanese Embassy, though, has had no shortage of people who, in the throes of the Syndrome, call or visit to be reassured that the city is not going to collapse in upon them."

Really?? Some people are too funny. I mean, sure, you can be disappointed but having to be sent home because there isn't red wine flowing through the streets and accordion players on every corner? C'est bizarre, n'est-ce pas?

Having had 'the dream' of living in Paris since I was a wee tot (I even had a Paris themed bedroom, the remnants of which can still be seen in my parents house), I can share in their disappointment somewhat. The fact is usually when you have such high expectations for something it can never possibly live up to your imagination -- and that's exactly where those types of fantasies belong. In some ways, it was one of my hesitations of moving here because I've always had this dream and I didn't think it could be as good. And to temper those expectations I did a lot of research before I came, reading blogs and speaking to co-workers from France. Living somewhere is very different from visiting and I tried to grasp those differences before setting foot on european soil. (New York on the other hand, I knew very little about before moving and was BLOWN away by how cool it was after moving. Different strategy)

So in that way, I think I've come out on top. Living here has been great so far -- it may not be a fantasy, but it is fantastic.

Death By Chocolate

2011-10-18T23:48:00.002-11:00

So I had planned to write an 'ode to the history of french chocolate' but according to about.com French chocolate is a relatively modern development, with actually the Spanish, Germans, and Belgians leading the way here. Hmmm It does say we can credit the French for its "chocolate for breakfast," (otherwise known as Pain au Chocolat). Apparently, the regent for Louis XV, Phillipe D'orelans, invented it. Merci!

Bored with the history of chocolate? Me too, so let's get to the good part. I think French chocolate is delicious, far more so than its American imposter, and am planning to go the prestigious La Salon Du Chocolat this weekend. La Salon Du Chocolat is a chocolate festival! Did you hear that? A FESTIVAL FULL OF CHOCOLATE. According to the website, it's the festival to discover the world of chocolate and cacao. It has everything from hot chocolate, to bars, to chocolate novelties and more. YUM
And if you're in Paris next time might a recommend a chocolate walk? Or you can do it yourself thanks to the blog Paris by Mouth with their incredibly useful map of chocolate shops. Bon Appetit!

Courtesy of Parisbymouth.com

Things I don't like

2011-10-17T21:22:00.004-11:00

One thing I dislike about living in France is that there are no dryers (or Europe really). I know, I know, it's probably better for the environment, our electricity bills are lower, blah blah blah.....but it's so incredibly annoying to hang your clothes everywhere and then they have that crinkly, rough feeling (especially the towels!!!). It's probably just the influence of American marketing (well done P&G), but there is nothing better to me than a towel that's soft and fluffy just out of the dryer.

This guys knows what I'm talking about

Le Sigh. Clearly, this isn't the end the world, but since I've been pretty positive towards living in France I figured I should show both sides of the coin :-)

Also, when I googled "fluffy towel out of the dryer" looking for an image this one came up. Thought it was quite a coincidence. It's even spelled correctly!

This has nothing to do with France, but I need to vent. I also HATE when I opt out of an email list and then they send me a confirmation email. I am opting out because I hate your crappy email, please don't send me another one! Thanks for letting me write that, I feel much better.

....And I'm back

2011-10-17T04:20:00.002-11:00

So this whole 'no internet in your house' thing is really cramping my blogger style. (First world problem much?) Anywho, the internet is still not connected (apparently "1 week" is open for interpretation in French culture), so I'll continue to squeeze in time to blog during breaks at work (SHHHH!).

If you are in France sometime in the near future, RUN, don't walk, to Bordeaux. Bordeaux was such a lovely city -- beautifully quaint, good food, awesome vibe and of course it is SURROUNDED by delicious wineries. YUM. I've only ever been to wineries in and around San Fran (sonoma and napa), which are superb, but there is definitely a different feel while touring wineries nearby a typical french chateau. I learned all about the wine making process and the types of grapes that are found in the bordeaux region. One fun fact unkown to me was why they put rose bushes at the end of each row of vines -- apparently the roses get the same 'diseases' as grape vines, but 2 weeks in advance so they can diagnose before it ruins the vine. Tada!

We also toured the adorable town of St. Emillion. It's a bit touristy, but makes sense seeing as it's so beautiful.

Things I love about Paris: THE METRO

2011-10-06T20:47:00.001-11:00

Coming from a city with a fairly stellar public transporation system, I feel like it's hard to impress me. But I must say, the Paris metro is superb. I have now taken the metro for an entire work week from the new place (metro stop Voltaire, as pictured). I've taken it at various times between 7:30 and 9:30....and I've gotten a seat every single time and have never had to wait longer than 2 minutes (and I know this because there is a countdown clock). The Paris metro is clean, fast, and thorough... I am a HUGE fan. (Same timing going home at night anywhere between 6pm and 10pm ...always a seat!)

Another cool thing is that my work is required to pay for half of my travel costs. Thus, my monthly pass is ridiculously cheap. YAY French Gov't!

Speaking of other yay french gov't tactics, work is also required to subsidize and pay for half of my lunch. We have a cafeteria (which is also superb), which means my lunch is around 3-4 euro a day. For others with no cafeteria, you buy tickets from your company for 50% of the cost. So they give you a 10 euro ticket, you actually only paid them 5 and you can use them at restaurants around the city.

How do I say awesome in French?

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T21:35:00.004-11:00

I was sleeping when it happened, but during my waking hours yesterday as Steve Jobs was dying I said these exact words to the question what do you miss most from living in the US? "my iPhone." I love it so much, I yearn for it. (I know, I know...I can get one here, but it's complicated and I don't have it yet and I feel like I'm living in 1999).

It may be a sad thing to admit I miss most (I mean, showers with curtains could be a more appropriate answer..or Shake Shack), but it's true. Steve Jobs has revolutionized how I communicate, how I keep in touch, and most top of mind for me how I discover a city. I desperately need google maps, Yelp, and all my other apps which help me explore and get the most of where I live. Thanks Steve, for everything.

I leave you with this quote I found on my awesome friend Ashley's blog -- A little Dash of Ash

I truly believe this and I try to follow it everyday. Thanks for the motto.

Things Parisians Like: STRIPES!

2011-10-04T21:55:00.000-11:00

This one is sort of an obvious one, but it's sterotypically true! I see them everywhere and luckily stripes have been "in" other places in the world lately so I own a few striped sweaters already.

Wanted to share this adorable picture from the blog Mrs. Lilien Styling House ... So cute and I love how she uses the bread as an arrow and says croissant is for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. True!

Also, the scarves is another obvious thing that Parisians Like :-) (and my friend Andrea...tee hee)

Prague...as beautiful as everyone says.

2011-10-04T03:19:00.003-11:00

Prague truly is a beautiful old city. It has a rich, rather turbulent history, which is evident in every aspect of its culture. It also has, of course, Czech Beer. According to one travel brochure I saw, "Czech Beer is a part of every day life in Prague." OY is it ever. It's cheaper than water and coca cola combined and it flows throughout the city at every hour of the day (even breakfast for some...not me, I promise).

I've been told to go to Prague by multitudes of people since I was 18 years old and was so excited to make it 10 years later. However, I feel like those people were 18 years old when they went. Prague is swarming with tourists and backpackers (and this was september, I can only imagine in the summer) which becomes tiresome. When I travel, I like to do a mix of touristy things while trying to feel like I'm living in the city (with emphasis on the living). We had a very hard time finding out where the 'real' czech were located and constantly felt like we were in a touristy part of Epcot (it was that beautiful it felt fake).

Also, not only were we always in the touristy part, the locals weren't all that friendly. Finally, on our last day we met Jacob, a Czech man about our age who had recently spent a few years working in Canada. Jacob apologized for his 'people' saying that do have the tendency to try to rip off tourists. Tendency, may be downplaying it a bit. As a group of fairly well-travelled tourists, we were ripped of left right and center from taxis whose meters went a million miles an hour to double charging on bills at restaurants or corner stores. (Or my personal favorite--being sold a tour ticket to something that was closed...hmmm) It was truly incredible and I must say it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth about the country (it happened in Czesky too).

To be fair, if my city was inenduated by tourists like that I would be annoyed too (hell I was annoyed and I was one of them). And the fact that we searched and couldn't find evidence of real life meant that we were probably out-numbering them, which is a little disconcerting. In general, I'm glad I went, but I wouldn't go back and I probably wouldn't recommend it without some serious research on how to approach (or maybe for a short weekend?).

And I'm back.....

2011-10-02T23:07:00.001-11:00

This was my outfit for the past 3 days of incredibly good times. I think I might start wearing a Drindl more often - they're incredibly adorable and comfortable too!

After 4 days in Prague, 1 in Czesky Krumlov, and 3 in Oktoberfest my body is beat. Mainly from Oktoberfest, so I'll start there.

Oktoberfest (or Wiesn to the Germans) is truly an incredible event that only the Germans could pull off. First of all, when you walk up it looks like a huge state fair, which was surprising to me in how familiar it seemed. There are rides, booths with games, stalls of food etc. The difference lies in the fact that there are 14 huge 'tents' (more like small stadiums) FILLED with people eating and drinking. OH and by the way they're all in drindls (above) or leiderhosen. When you walk into the tent the roar of the crowd is truly awesome and you could go deaf by the loudness of the singing. The germans love to sing (who am I kidding, I do too) and there are about 5 different 'toasting' songs, songs with dances, songs with hand gestures, etc etc. Needless to say my voice hates me right now (and the liver, but that's a given).

I had many a conversation about how there is no way an event of that scale, centered mainly around drinking massive quantities of beers, could exist year over year anywhere else. The Germans are incredibly law abiding and efficient people, which is why the event continues. I'm pretty sure if something like this were to exist in the US, half the people would be fighting in the street, passing out in a gutter, or driving home drunkenly-- ending with people sueing the organizers and it would never happen again. I'm sure all of that happens to some extent at Oktoberfest, but you just felt like no one wanted to ruin the fun by doing something really stupid.

Anywho, I highly recommend it for a weekend. 3 days was almost too much (ALMOST!). And definitely don't forget your Drindl.

Playing European

2011-09-23T04:01:00.001-11:00

Andrew has arrived and we are off to Prague and Oktoberfest!!

Will check in on the way, but if not au revoir for now!

Mon Appartement

2011-09-22T02:34:00.003-11:00

Oui, allo! We have an apartment. It's in the 11th, a very 'vibrant' part of the city that's young and up-and-coming. Basically, the Brooklyn of Paris :-) So many cute restaurants, bars, and things to do! And like our guidebook says "REAL French people live there!" As opposed to those just playing Parisian.

I'd just like to show you the reason why we chose it. Please take a look at the beauty kitchen.

Many a great meal will be made in that baby (not by me!). Things Parisians Tolerate: TERRIBLE KITCHENS. I swear to you, I've never seen so many bad kitchens in my life. Other weird things we saw on our hunt -- two showers in a bathroom. WHY? A shower in a closet...HUH? A toilet room...not so weird, but makes you think. Spearmint walls...when was that ever a good idea? We are not in Florida. Basically, as per everywhere, there are some crappy apartments in Paris. But luckily, we found a gem :-)

Since I'm boring today....

2011-09-20T09:48:00.001-11:00

Please take a look of this hilarious video of a 'racist' rental car. LOL

Racist Rental Car

So Tired.

2011-09-20T07:13:00.003-11:00

Apartment hunting in any city is exhausting, but apartment hunting in Paris takes the cake. I AM SO TIRED (and currently homeless). Hopefully that will change by tomorrow night. Stay tuned!

A Michelin Star Meal...

2011-09-15T23:21:00.002-11:00

I know what your thinking...WOW Danone must be paying you well if you've already had a Michelin star meal in Paris! Sadly, not exactly. In fact, far from it -- it was a frozen meal (No judging me blogosphere....I'm living alone, have no friends and I hate cleaning dishes). But it's not just any frozen meal....It was a frozen meal by the most decorated chef in the world Joel Robuchon.

My awesome dinner last night.

Fleury Michon (the pre-eminent frozen meal producer in France) had the extraordinary vision to partner with one of France's most famous chefs. Having admired Joel's culinary empire for many years (and having the fortune of going to L'atelier in New York) I had to try it. It was just too funny and too French.

The result? It's actually really good. It even comes in a real ceramic pot and tastes nothing like Frozen food. This one I feature here is a sort of French sheperd's pie, but made with duck (obviously). It was spiced perfectly and I'm a sucker for mashed potatoes so I enjoyed it a lot. All told, it was about 1 euro more than the reguar frozen meals and I think it was a euro well spent (if only for the blog post). Well done Joel! Do you mind seeding this idea with Thomas Keller?

A room with a view...

2011-09-13T23:24:00.002-11:00

A lot of apartments in Paris have 'courtyard' views, which they say is attractive because they are quieter, but secretly I think its because Parisans like to spy on their neighbors (this has not been corroborated, although I find it fun to look in other people's apartments). In my temporary apartment, I wake up to a vew like this...Not too shabby!

I'm currently in the 9th, a quiet neighborhood (or 'calm' as the parisans say) north of the 2nd Opera arrondissement in which I work. There's not a whole lot going on, but it's convenient, safe and a 10 minute walk to work, which is why it's at the top of my list of neighborhoods to live permanently. Others in the running are the 10th, the 3rd, and potentially the 11th/20th.

I have looked at the map of Paris neighborhoods about a bajillion times, but for some reason I am still having a hard time visuallizing the neighborhoods when someone tells me where they live. That being said, I do find it easy to find my way around as there are very few tall buildings. Because of that, I can usually find some structure that peaks out above the others to orient myself -- the Eiffel tower, Montmartre, or a tall building and figure out where I am. Tips from the top!

Paris Vs New York

2011-09-12T10:02:00.001-11:00

One of my favorite blogs is ParisVsNYC, as described on the site it's a "friendly visual match of two cities told by a lover of wandering through New York." The visual matchups are not only visually appealing, but darn clever as well.

I don't pretend to be remotely as clever and I am surely not as artistic, however, I did have a Paris vs. New York observation the other day while wandering around Paris. I present for your amusement the movie poster for the newest Justin Timerlake and Mila Kunis ensemble film "Friends with benefits," otherwise known en francais as SexeEntreAmis...or Sex Between Friends. Apparently, the French are not ones for euphemism. (as a side note, I may be showing my ignorance here but I always thought it was euphenism. WHOOPS, sorry dad)

Also, as Elena pointed out, please notice the hand gesture in the Paris poster. SUBTLE France, SUBTLE.

Things Parisians LIke: Drinking as Teenagers along the Seine

2011-09-12T06:54:00.000-11:00

I had the perfect Paris day on Saturday with my friend Laurence, who was visiting from London. It was in the 70s (25 Celsius for my international friends), sunny, and without humidity. We started with a walk up to the Sacre Coeur and wandered our way to the left bank and beyond. My feet were fed up with me by the end of the day, but my Parisian excitement overcame the pain.

After dinner that consisted of 'happy juice' (aka rose wine) and a charcuterie mixed platter, we decided to enjoy the perfect weather and take a stroll along the seine (how romantique of us and very "Midnight in Paris"). We were instantly excited as we saw there was a crowd along the river and it looked like some sort of party! For the New Yorkers out there, I was thinking it would be like the boat basin where 20 somethings come to buy a beer and look at the view. However, this turned out to be a make shift teenage soirree, complete with a DJ and bongo drums.

My friends in March drinking along the Seine...not nearly as cool as the Parisian teens. Do note the Evian bottle filled with red wine.

Both Lau and I instantly regretted how uncool we were for A. not being a teenager and B. (more importantly) not carrying a bottle of wine with us at all times just in case we have the urge to drink along the Seine. Is carrying wine in your purse being an alcoholic? Potentially, but we decided it was just playing Parisian :-)

Things Parisians Like: Part Deux

2011-09-08T21:23:00.001-11:00

Bonjour from grey Paris! Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful, but in the meantime I've been experiencing the 'Winter Haze' the past 3 days. Grey and looks like it's going to rain, but weirdly doesn't. At least it's been fairly warm.

Anywho, one observation I've noticed over the past week is another thing Parisians like: The Fiat 500. We all know europeans are into their small cars, but this car is ALL over. And I can see why, it's a beauty. But even better than that, I saw it in HOT PINK yesterday. I almost wanted to go up to the lady at the stoplight and hug her....such an adorable car. Luckily I restrained myself, as I'm pretty sure that's a thing Parisians don't like -- crazy americans trying to hug them.

Take a look:

Doesn't it just make you want to go out and buy one? (If I wasn't totally against cars, I would.) I'd feel like a Barbie doll in it... I've never wanted to feel like a barbie doll, but for this car I would happily. I've been trying to get my mom to buy a 500 instead of a mini for her next purchase. Perhaps the pink will tip her over the edge (HI MOM!)...Totally a car that's appropriate for Nashville, TN, right?

It's official! www.playingparisian.com!

2011-09-08T08:18:00.002-11:00

Somehow without the support of my super tech-y, geeky and handsome boyfriend, I figured out to A) buy a domain and B) link it to blogger! Well done me (and google!). GoDaddy.com's super bowl ads finally got me. It only took four years and Danica Patrick.

You can still go to lindsaycollins.blogspot.com if you want to, but it will re-direct. Internets, this is you patting me on the back :-)

Relish & Quaff in Paris!

2011-09-07T23:01:00.000-11:00

My dear friend and fellow foodie Andrea has a great restaurant blog Relish & Quaff and she has invited me to blog my restaurant experiences in Paris (she's currently based in Toronto, but will be moving to Paris soon!). Check out my post on my restaurant excursion to Le Taxi Jaune in the Marais last night here.

Things Parisians Like: Part Un

2011-09-06T23:05:00.001-11:00

This section is not to be confused with Stuff Parisans Like or the book my parents bought me upon departure but rather, little "Lindsay Observations" about living in Paris. I am going to consult the list to make sure I do not replicate in the future. But I already have two (two!) and it's been a week.

Et voila, On Y Vas...

1. CAMPING. I know, can you believe it? I couldn't. I had my co-worker pinky swear it that she wasn't pulling my my leg. I had no idea the parisians were so into nature, outdoors, sleeping on the ground, etc. C'est Bizarre, n'est-ce pas? I asked my designer-clad colleague what she did over the weekend and she said "camping".

I gave her a funny look, and she, being Italian and not from Paris, said "I KNOW. I never thought I would either, but give it 2 years, the Parisians will convince you." Say what? Camping? Like in a tent? "Yes, in a tent. However, it was on the grounds of a large Chateau. I still slept on the ground, so I'm counting it." Perhaps I could be convinced to camp outside a chateau...hmmm

Anywho, I was still skeptical walking the streets and admiring all the parisian women with their designer purses etc, UNTIL I went to a Camping Store called Decathlon yesterday to look for an air mattress (for my apt, not nature). This.Store.Was.HUGE! I mean, biggest camping store I"ve ever seen (like Sports Authority huge). Meanwhile, the French apparently LOVE food, but their grocery stores are tiny. So imagine my surprise when I go to a camping store and IT"S AN ENTIRE BLOCK. So they must really love camping, I say. And the place was packed. Tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses, grills, back packs, etc FLYING OFF THE SHELF. I'm still in shock, if you can't tell. I basically had to fight over the last double air mattress (you're welcome elena!).

Who knew that was a thing parisian's liked?

2011-09-05T22:54:00.000-11:00

I saw this on a car yesterday and thought it was absolutely hilarious and totally appropriate.

update: realized I didn't translate. It means I heart nothing, I'm parisian. lols

Parisians, They're not like US! Part 1

2011-09-05T01:48:00.004-11:00

And thus begins a new section, alluding to one of my favorite tabloid columns "Celebrities, they're just like us!"....Although, just the opposite, pointing out things in my daily life which I wouldn't see if I were in the US.

It started this morning on my walk to work. Beautiful day, business people and families all around. I noticed a cute little boy (maybe 4 years old), in those absolutely adorable french uniforms holding hands with his mother (maybe 40?) who was wearing...LEATHER HOT PANTS. And they actually looked good and normal on her. It's Monday morning at 9 am. Wowsa. And she was just strolling along as if this was everyday attire. Way to rock it French lady, more power to you.

Work Update

2011-09-05T01:06:00.001-11:00

9:05...Arrive, and no one from my team is here
9:15...Caroline (not on my team, but knows me) feels bad for me and asks me for coffee
9:45....Arrive back from coffee break, team is here.
10-12:45...training
12:45 - 1:45....LUNCH (I actually took a lunch break, this may be a first)
1;45-2:00...Coffee break

Why on earth one needs a coffee break after a 1 hour lunch, I have no idea. But I am not complaining :-) Just a little shaky from all the caffeine.

First Day of School Outfit

2011-09-04T21:00:00.002-11:00

So this was my outfit on my first day....I thought it was a fairly hilarious shot, as it was taken with my iPhone which is apparently incredibly difficult to get a full body shot by yourself. I was actually taking the pic to see what I looked like as there is no length-wise mirror in my apt. And this is how well that worked :-) As a sidenote, I feel bad for kids these days who only take pics with their iphones...how are they going to get awesome shots like this one on the bottom of me and Natalie. The 'hold the phone with one hand and take a pic shot' was a classic when I was in high school (errr that pic was definitely taken 3 years ago) and I feel sad that it's basically impossible with the iphone.

As you can see, I went with the black shirt to 'fit in'. Although, I'm clearly kidding myself....There are a few things non parisian about this outfit: No scarf, No Layers, Wet Hair. Unfortunately, I forgot that my commute isn't an hour and a half and is only a lovely 9 minutes and thus did not time my shower correctly. C'est la vie!

Also, as an update on my french I went to a cafe this morning and ordered a croissant and a coffee en francais. I even said I was going to stay and eat, vs take away. BABY Steps!!!

NY Hearts Me

2011-08-31T22:52:00.000-11:00

This is what I call the I Heart NY T-Shirt for Narcissists...The feeling is mutual NYC! It's also the awesome going away present Miss Martini (yes that is her real last name) gave me. I also wore it on the plane ride over here (hence why it looks wrinkly) as an ode to my former city

Plane ride went well....After a disastrous experience trying to change my flight with BA, I got an upgrade to Economy +. I was skeptical at first (it's not first class, it's not business, it's still economy, but it's plus?!?!), but lordy, that chair was comfy. I sat down and immediately fell asleep even before take off. I didn't even wake up for food, which is very unlike me (I am my mother's daughter...we both LOVE airplane food). I had a 4 hour lay over in London for a 40 minute flight to Paris (errrr that didn't make sense and one of the reasons I was fighting with BA). When I arrived, it was sunny, no lines in customs (they didn't ask me a single question...you know I"m coming her to work, right?), no problems with bags, no taxi line, et voila! I am now playing Parisian.

2011-08-28T05:57:00.002-11:00

So I'm off to a good start! I was supposed to be flying out of New York to begin my jaunt in Paris at approximately 5 pm today, but because of "hurricane" Irene I'm postponed until Tuesday.

C'est La vie! New York gets me for another 2 days.

Things left on my list to do before departure: US Open, Shake Shack (again), Tour of the UN, shopping. Et Voila!

The Sistine Chapel in ALL it's glory.

2010-03-30T09:12:00.003-11:00

This blows my mind.

Kids are so lucky these days. We actually had to go wait in the stupid line at the vatican to see the Sistine Chapel, but who needs to go there for reals when you can just click here? ha

Pepsi Super Bowl Half Time Promotion

2007-01-11T09:44:00.000-11:00

What would you do with 100 blinged out cans of pepsi? [And life time tickets to the super bowl ain't half bad either.] check out: http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2007-01-10-pepsi-usat_x.htm

FINALLY! The Apple iPhone is here!

2007-01-09T09:19:00.000-11:00

If you're an Apple nerd like me, you'll be/already are swooning over the news about the release of the iPhone [set for June 2007 via Cingular Wireless].

A few things that popped out at me: it's an ipod, phone, camera, internet, e-mail, Visual Voice Messaging [what?], and best of all Touch Screen Compatible. No stylus, no buttons. [Well one button that brings you home.]

So simple, sleek, small, smashing, any other S-adjectives to add to the bunch? Unfortunately, it's only available through cingular and still has a pretty steep price of $499 with a 2 year contract [ouch!]. But so worth it. Almost a good enough reason to switch. Almost.

For more information check out: engadget or http://www.apple.com/iphone

Too perfect.

2007-01-05T09:56:00.000-11:00

Props to Greg's mom for getting this for him for christmas. As he says, "My mother can barely turn on a computer, yet somehow found this on the internet." Well done Mrs. Suber!

If you see something, Eat something!

2007-01-04T09:48:00.000-11:00

This is from a local New York blog [Gawker] in response to girls not eating passing out on the subway. I guess I shouldn't be one to talk [since I have passed out on the subway. . but I was sick. . .so there!] Anyways, it's pretty funny.

Utilikilt: We Sell Freedom ?!?!

2007-01-02T08:49:00.000-11:00

And I'm back. . .a little bit tanner, a little bit more relaxed, and a little bit disturbed.

I was in CVS yesterday and a seemingly normal guy [surfer looking, blond, tan, probably in his early 20s] was wearing a skirt! well a kilt. At first I just thought they were boarder shorts and then I looked closer. This corduroy 'kilt' had cargo pockets, went just below his knees and had a couple of ill-placed pleats. PLEATS! And then I noticed the brand name 'utilikilt.' I decided I need to research this further.

Turns out they are a UK company with a mission of "...pioneering a comfortable alternative to trousers by producing "Men's Unbifurcated Garments" (MUG's). " I'm pretty sure they pulled that Un-word out of their ass. To get the full story go here.

To wet your appetite, here's a pic: Does anyone else have a problem with this? I'll admit they did the best they could 'manning' up a skirt, but I'm not exactly seeing the attraction to men wearing a skirt. I mean I guess when it's mildly warm out, but if it's too hot your legs just rub together and you have to shave [err i guess this one doesn't apply to men. . ]

Someone must be getting fired at Chrysler! [Or Time. . .]

2006-12-18T11:23:00.000-11:00

"You might not be person of the Year. . .but you can drive like one. "

Can we say oops? That's why the communication between the sales team, the editors, and the clients should be more important. Awkward.

Congratulations to me!

2006-12-18T07:46:00.000-11:00

So Time named the person of the year [err people] Me!!! And you reading this, and everyone On Myspace, facebook and the like.

Kind of interesting, I mean there has been a TON of new social-networking, web 2.0 or whatever other buzzword you want to throw around this year. I guess sometimes I feel like it's just me, and the people around me that are caught up in the midst of it--but according to Time, it's not just me so congrats everybody!

I'm already pretty sick of the press and buzz around myself. . .but heck, I guess I deserve it.

The Wii is Wow

2006-12-06T11:38:00.000-11:00

So my friend and fellow Williamsburger, Pat, fought the elements yesterday morning in a successful attempt to acquire the Nintendo Wii. A mere four hours in line and a hint of frostbite later, Pat was the lucky owner of a little white box the thickness of 3 dvds, 2 controllers that look like remote controls, and the game Wii sports [otherwise known as the future cure to childhood obesity].

The first thing we did was set up Pat's avatar [a.k.a. Mii]. His turned out pretty well, with square glasses, a hint of a beard, a rectangular shaped head, scruffy hair, etc. Our little hipster was officially in Wii World! My Mii on the otherhand, was, and continues to be heinous. The girls are a little harder to create in this game [or maybe it's just mii?]. Once we had our avatars set we were off to purchase some games. There's a lot of old favorites available [from regular to super Nintendo and Sega] but my favorite part is that when it downloads the game Fireball Mario runs across the screen catching coins and hitting his hand on the coin blocks [From the original Super Mario Brothers game of course]. Very clever.

The Wii comes with Wii Sports which includes bowling, golf, boxing, tennis, and baseball. Lots of fun to be had. All of the sports require an abbreviated version of the movement you would actually use--which was a bit of a problem for me since I was using, for example, my real baseball stance and my real tennis swing. [Luckily, I don't golf much]. But once you figure out that it doesn't need to be so exaggerated [and can actually hurt your game] it's pretty easy. I especially liked boxing. . .I'm embarrassed to say that my shoulders/arms are actually sore [it's quite the work out! Shows you how much exercise I get lately!] And I have to brag here that I kicked both Pat and Andrew's asses at boxing--only Andrew made it to a second round once.

About every 15-30 minutes or so there's a hilarious message that pops up saying "Maybe you should take a break? You can always press [x] to pause." I think it's great that they have to cover their asses from over-assertion, as opposed to normal video games that don't exercise anything but your thumbs. Well done Wii! I can't wait to get one of my own.

2006-12-01T08:04:00.000-11:00

"Viral Learning Center". . Improve your videos today!

This 2 minute parody does an amazing job spoofing everything that's wrong with corporations or even an average joe purposely trying to create a viral video. Viral videos are a crap shoot--they can be really good, really bad, poorly produced, brilliantly shot--it doesn't matter. I personally believe trying too hard to make a video viral video will only make it unsuccessful.

The normal way to improve something is through a learning curve, learning from your mistakes and generating wisdom from experience. But the opposite is true in viral videos--people will not be willing to share or turn a video 'viral' if it's something that has been seen before. The video has to be fresh and inconsistent--those are fightin' words to big business. So I guess the only thing that you can learn is that it has to be completely new and different.

Additionally, viral videos have to be 'cool' [cool can be defined in many ways obviously]. If you think about the coolest of cool people [like say in high school. . .] they didn't try to hard, they just were 'cool.' Same rule can apply to viral videos, don't try too hard, just be cool. And if you are, your video will be shared organically.

I think my favorite part of the video is when he's explaining the types of things you'll learn like "working with excrement and vomit." Classic.

My Thanksgiving: How to deep fry a turkey, Elvis lives, and a lot of Bud Light. . .

2006-11-30T04:09:00.000-11:00

So although I currently reside in Brooklyn, my 'roots' are in Tennessee. And by roots, I mean that this where I go during the Holidays and when my friends are getting married. Anywho, Andrew, Vicki and I ventured to Memphis and Nashville over Thanksgiving for a taste of South. And boy did we do it right.

We arrived in Memphis to the smell of turkey frying in the backyard. It smelled like what I would describe as "McDonald's on steroids" so much oil and frying it's enough to make your arteries harden just by looking at it. But the end result is sooo delicious. Moist [ick, I hate that word but it's appropriate to describe the turkey] with crispy skin. I can't get enough. Other highlights of our meal was corn souflee, mashed potatoes [of course] and brownies for dessert. yummm If you've never deep fried a turkey before, check out the pic below. A little tid-bit. . .turkeys cost around 15 bucks. . .the oil to fry the turkey? 70 bucks. . the taste? Priceless.

The next day we headed out to see the sites in memphis. First Stop: Graceland.

Graceland was very interesting, especially learning all about Elvis' music and the history of his career. His house was. . .Intriguing. Highlight: The jungle room aka the family room with Green Shag carpet on the floor, walls, AND CEILING. Hot.

After working up an appetite we went to the Rendezvous for ribs. . .*Amazing*

After stuffing ourselves silly we headed to Nashville [my hometown] for some Country Music fun.

First Stop: Sonic . . . It was vicki's first time so we had to document it. Oh yeah, they have a new Chili Frito's wrap. We didn't try it, but Sonic is Genious.

After Sonic, we took Vicki out on the town 'honky tonkin'. Highlights: Bud light and a LOT of cigarette smoke.

And then it was the dreaded Sunday already, time to head back to NYC. Overall, great trip. Oh but how could I forget. . . we ended a fab weekend by seeing Borat.

Do you Google on Yahoo?

2006-11-22T06:51:00.000-11:00

On the google blog recently, an official google blogger Michael Krantz tried to explain why they were in court protecting their trademark. Google is attempting to not allow, oh say the dictionary, to define google as a verb, i.e. to search for information on the internet. The link to his blog entry is here.

I found this interesting, because I do 'google.' And lucky for the company, I 'google' on google.com. But I guess some people don't [shame on them!] and that's why they are having the problem. Google claims that they don't want to fall by the wayside, like elevators, xerox, or kleenex and lose their trademark to the pits of 'genecerity.' [is that a real word?]

I don't have a huge problem with this and I see where they are coming from. But I think it may be too late. Their pesky lawyers can't stop the American [or global I guess] vernacular from embracing google and ultimately that's where the problem lies. If google is already defined in the dictionary, you're about a billion steps behind because Mr. Webster wouldn't waste his time with a word he didn't think would stick. Sorry, but fad words don't make it into the bible book of language. [psych!] They should have dealt with this issue a long time ago and now it's like stopping a snowball from growing while rolling down a hill.

Another thing that irks me is the actual blog entry. He was trying to be funny, but I think he came off as condescending. . .And frankly not very 'google-ish.' Google people should be funny, but defining a trademark? It just sounds like you think people are dumb [so maybe we are, but that's another story.] Also, I feel like they should have made fun of the lawyers more, that would be have made it like hey, it's not me, it's them. But maybe that's the problem--the line between the corporate, serious drones and the fun, laid-back google people has blurred. I guess it's hard to not be one of 'them' when you are company's net worth is $156 billion and you have a bajillion [don't know the exact amount, maybe I should google it] investors crawling down your back. Oh well, until their lawyer comes a knockin' I'll be googling.

Top Chef Spoiler Alert

2006-11-16T03:27:00.000-11:00

I can't believe Josie got kicked off top chef!!! I think it was a bad choice because
a) she had never been in the bottom 3 before
b) Up until this point she had pretty much been middle of the line, but had so much potential
c) she's from williamsburg weee and
d) she has cool hair.

I can't believe it, I'm in shock. I guess I was right in my deduction that because she's working at Bonita she didn't win [not that Bonita isn't a fine establishment]. So if you want to go visit Josie and tell her she rocks and that Tom Colicchio was an idiot to kick her off, stop by bonita and be my guest. Also, while you are at it, pick up some guac and chips because they are delicious.

We love you Josie!

Google Search #1 of 14,200!!

2006-11-15T10:57:00.000-11:00

Announcement:

Props to the person who searched for "Josie Top Chef Bonita" on Google because my blog comes up #1.

Very exciting. I'd like to thank Andrew for being a devoted reader, Lauren, Charisse, and Ruthana for commending me on my "Excited Double Fist Pump" and Vicki for mentioning I should post it on the blog.

:-)

In other news, Marco [crazy guy from the Upenn class] sent our ENTIRE class an e-mail. I have copied it verbatim below. Enjoy.

Dear All,

I think that everyone come back to yours commitments...How are you? I enjoy you so much...even if you are american or english...or whatever.....ah, ah, ah........
My time with you it was so fun...that I sent you an attachment with an italian picture....
...I'mjoking....To be onest.....many times I tought of you in theese days and it seems to me that the time run out so fast from when we were together in Philly...Thank you to be friendly with me....I hope to keep in touch with you in the future....A lot of kisses, Marco
P.S.= I enjoy professor Raju.....

and for an added bonus, he sent us a picture he obviously drew on 'paint' of two hand flicking us off. Normal.

My Love affair with Scrubs

2006-11-14T11:14:00.000-11:00

Me: Hi, My name is Lindsay and I'm addicted to the show Scrubs. Everyone: Hi Lindsay.

Okay, so I think I have a problem--I'm addicted and thoroughly obsessed with Scrubs. What's that you say? . . . Scrubs is like on it's 6th season where have you been? . . .There's plenty of other better, NEWER, TV to blog about? . . . Zach Braff really sucked a big one in that last movie? You're right, you're right, but unfortunately a) I was never introduced to the awesomeness that is Scrubs in the earlier seasons b) yes there is better, newer TV on but may I remind you I HAVE AN ADDICTION and c) actually zach braff was likeable in the last movie, but the script was horrible [not his fault--I'm sort of ignoring it and just concentrating on Garden State]. Lucky for me, between comedy central and my DVR I happily watch nearly 2 episodes a day. You see? I do have a problem.

In addition to the actual 'viewing' of Scrubs taking over my life, I've started thinking that the characters are my friends. [I probably am going to get hell for admitting that, but what can you do.] I have on more than 1 occasion had to stop myself before referring to the show in a conversation with real people. . examples: "Well J.D. did this once. . ." or "that's so something Elliott would say. .. " I've even for a split second considered becoming a doctor minus the whole blood thing [which if you know me is SO out of the question because I have a horrible fear of needles, blood, and pretty much anything about hospitals].

So I guess this is my first step--admitting the problem. I think Comedy Central is on season 3 or 4 so maybe this will be over soon. However, I hear the new season of Scrubs is approaching so basically I'm screwed. I mean, once a week is better than twice a day, right????

My 50th Entry!

2006-11-10T11:40:00.000-11:00

Just wanted everyone to know that this is my 50th blog entry. [pat on the back to me!] Very exciting.

On another note, here's to my happy hangover weekend. Too much drinking is on the itinerary, but hopefully a lot of sleeping as well. Cheers!

Let's chat. . .

2006-11-09T05:24:00.000-11:00

So the last couple days have been pretty dramatic:

a) the election. I don't consider myself an overly political person [or even mildly] however, this election has been close to my heart since the gay marriage amendment was up for vote in Tennessee. I was a good little Nashvillian who knew my vote would be wasted in NYC so I got my absentee ballot in the hopes that maybe my vote would make a difference. But as per usual, TN ruins everything [umm do I even have to mention that Gore didn't win his home state back in 2000? yeah I tried to forget that too]. It really amazes me how many people even care about gay people getting married. If someone in your opinion is going to hell by their lifestyle WHY DO YOU CARE? It's just more room for you in heaven. In addition, Ford didn't win in the senate [another time we're ruining everything] so basically this is why I hate politics. As per a previous post, I'm a competitive person and I like to win and these days it's just not in my cards.

b) Britney Spears is getting divorced. That's one big "I told you so." Poor gal. I really do feel sorry for now that she's a Divorcee with two kids in tow. Granted she has more money than I will ever see in a lifetime, but I feel like she went through a lapse of judgement for two years and because she was a celebrity we all get to gawk and laugh at her. We all have lapses in judgement, but fortunately [errr] for us we aren't under a microscope. Oh well, at least she's showering again.

C) So Lost was on last night for the last time until February 7. Yes, you heard me correctly 02-07-07. Who does that? 6 episodes and then nothing for 3 months. It's like waving the little bit of cheese in front of my face and then BANG mouse trap SUCKA. DAMN YOU JJ ABRAMS!Anyways, I feel like it wasn't nearly enough of the show to fill the Lost void that exists in my heart. It ended with too many questions, too much drama and a little bit of "what are you thinking" that makes me angry that I have to wait 3 months. And it's not like a season finale which I have become forced to accept every year--that my shows end in May and that I switch to DVDs in the summer. No No NO, I waited 4 long months in the summer for Lost to return. Then I waited til October [after everything else had already premiered] and NOW you're making me wait til February? The producers obviously don't respect my TV watching time. Fall/Winter/Spring = Good TV and Good TV = Lost. I may just not watch the show when it returns [you're right, I will, who am I kidding?] But seriously, they shouldn't take us for granted. P.S. I heart Kate's ex-husband. Firefly is amazing.

Long time, No Blog

2006-11-06T10:07:00.000-11:00

So after a week of going back to school I've learned a very important thing...I don't like school. I thought I knew this, but I was thinking it was because I maybe took the wrong class, or was bombarded by tests. This week kind of confirmed that although I dont' mind it, especially when it's a class I like, it's really not my cup of tea. But frankly, if it's a class I like it's probably something I've learned about some other way [oh say the internet]. I've always done well in school, but that's just because I'm competitive--I'm not the book learning type. I always thought the more brilliant people I knew didn't do so well in school--I think street smarts will take you a lot further.

Anyways, high-lights include: 1) a christopher knight/johnny depp/tom cruise/orlando bloom/matt le blanc look alike. I promise you, depending on the angle he was all these things [although not as good looking]...2) A guy who texted his boss when he was meaning to text his girlfriend. . . "Hi Cup cake. Hope you're nude when I get home because I'm going to devour you." 3) one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, flooor. [i guess that wasn't a high-light, more of a haze) 4) MARRRCCOOOOO [crazy italian mafia guy who showed up to about 25% of class and yelled out answers without raising his hand] 5) Marco taking a picture of the professor with his digital camera during the middle of class. classic.

Overall, money well spent by my company. I had a pretty exciting day yesterday as well. Highlights: 1) Watching the NYC marathon right outside my front door. 2) Seeing Lance Armstrong [crazy guy] running it. . . but last but not least 3) I saw Josie from Top Chef at my favorite restaurant Bonita. She must be working there b/c we saw her go into the kitchen. Which makes me think she doesn't win...oh well, go Josie!! [and special thanks to Andrew for making me look like an idiot in front of her. . ."Oh my god, look who it is!!]

2006-10-27T08:43:00.000-11:00

Get your Doctor's note. . .

H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S. And on the slightly same note, I'm going to try to go see Justin Timberlake in CT in march!! sshhhhhh

2006-10-19T02:38:00.000-11:00

The Dove Evolution

This video is amazing. Ogilvy Toronto did it, showing how even a 00 size model doesn't look good when they wake up in the morning [and how most of the ads we see in magazines, etc. are airbrushed. yay technology!] This whole campaign is really powerful to me, it was about time someone put a stand to our country's/continent's misperception of what beautiful is. Another great show that show along this same line is 'Covershot' on TLC which takes women and makes them up, hair, clothes, makeover and gives them a real photoshoot. A picture of them is then posted on a billboard in times square. These women are definitely plain janes [more just 'normal' looking] before they go in. Some are mothers of 5, some just lost 300 pounts either way the Model who hosts the show's main message is that Models look like Models because they have a crew of people making them look good every day. If they had to do it on their own, they wouldn't look the same. Pretty powerful eye-opening stuff.

Studio 60: Major Yawnfest

2006-10-17T04:43:00.000-11:00

So I watched Studio 60 last night and was actually optimistic since last week's episode was pretty good [but not good enough to blog about apparently, I'm still skeptic]. Maybe because I had such *high* hopes [actually, my hopes were about as high as my shin] Studio 60 was doomed to fail. Either way, they crashed and burned.

Mistake #1: They spent a lot of time around my least liked character Harriet Hays. She sucks and is completely unbelievable: see post "And I think I'm done with Studio 60."

Mistake #2: Hariett's last line was "You knock my socks off" to Matthew Perry. At which point I made uncontrollable vomiting noises and started throwing things at the TV. Andrew's response was "That's so something she would say, it's very appropriate." My response: "That's exactly why I hate her." WHO SAYS THAT? Other than, say my grandmother circa 1980 no one should be knocking any one socks off. She just should have stayed quiet.

Mistake #3: Very unfunny skits. Again.

Mistake #4: Nothing happened. I like the reporter gal, but us uncovering boring details about Hariett does NOT make an episode. I need something dramatic, something more, Actually ANYTHING. Last week's episode was good because we thought they fucked up and that was quasi-intriguing. Like I was saying to Andrew last night, the difference between this show and The West Wing is that in a presidential office there's a lot of stuff that can happen, say wars, elections, sex scandals. I'm sure a lot can happen on the set of SNL but they sure aren't showing it.

So I know the question in your mind is are you going to keep watching Studio 60? The answer, unfortunately is yes. Well at least until 24 starts up again at the same time slot in January. And then Jack Bauer is going to KILL Studio 60. There's only 1 show with numbers on the title on Monday and that's 24.

On a side note, Heroes is my new favorite show. I will blog about it later in the week, but it's SO GOOD. If you aren't watching it, check out nbc.com and get caught up yo!

Mappy Hour? The new coolest thing EVER!

2006-10-12T09:53:00.000-11:00

Hi All,

I am here writing to pass on the coolest website this side of, well, [insert your own clever internet reference here]. It's called Mappy Hour and it's frickin cool.

Check Out: http://mappyhour.nerl.net/index.php

Let's talk about the cool features [other than the fact it tells you where all the bars are!]:
-When you click down on the map, a happy face comes up where you click. HOW CUTE! Plus, it's eyes are glazed over and it looks drunk. It's a drunk happy face [how appropriate].
-When you click on a bar [also appropriately animated as a beer glass] you can link to http://www.yelp.com [another of my favorite websites] to read reviews of the bar.
-You can also "rally your friends" to go to the bar. I'm not quite sure how this works, but that's cool. Speaking of rallying, another cool website to check out is http://www.dodgeball.com.
-It's powered by google maps. And if you know me, you know I'm a google whore so I obviously love that.

While I'm throwing links left and right, I highly recommend everyone go to http://www.google.com/reader. Use your gmail account to log in. [What?? You don't have a gmail account?? e-mail me and I'll send you an invite]. Googol reader is a place where you can consolidate all your online reading [blogs like me, websites, etc] into one place. So you don't have to check lots of websites, you just go to the reader. If you put my web address into the 'add/subscribe' box you can 'subscribe' to my website and it will automatically update when there is new content! How cool is that? For those of you that know all this already, obviously please ignore. But I keep finding more and more people these days who haven't heard of it so I'm on a mission!

ps. props to andrew for sending me the mappy hour link.

And I think I'm done with Studio 60. . .

2006-10-04T04:47:00.000-11:00

And by done, I mean I'm publicly proclaiming that "I do not like the show right now," however, because I am in a "relationship" and am supposed to "compromise" I will continue to watch it while stomping my feet, whining, and covering my eyes.

anyway, I liked the first show. I kind of liked the second one, but now it's just getting a bit blah. It's not bad, it's just blah [maybe blah is worse? I don't know.] Here's what's bothering me:

1. It's a little cliche. A jeopardy-like skit featuring a rabbi, a Muslim, a conservative Christian, tom cruise, and a witch? Come on, that's just desperate. And predictable.
2. It tries a little too much. It blatantly at least twice an episode alludes to the fact that Studio 60 is 'edgy' or is trying to 'push the envelope.' If you are really 'edgy' you don't have to tell people. You just are. [by the way can you blatantly allude? Interesting thought. . .But I think in this show you can.]
3. The Christian thing is unbelievable. I feel like these people have never been around conservative Christians before. There are two types of conservative Christians [probably more, but I'm too lazy to classify at the moment] a) one that would never put themselves in an atmosphere like Studio 60 b) and one that would. The difference is the one that would put themselves in an atmosphere like Studio 60 would probably not be so vocal about their religion. These conservative Christians are more stealth and probably believe in the "do not speak until I'm spoken to" principal where if people want to hear about Christianity they'll ask. Harriet Hays [the Christian on the show] is type B but is so overly vocal about her Christianity it becomes unbelievable to me. And why the fuck is she defending some teensy town in Missouri? Yes, they do have a right to run [or not run] any play they like, just like we have the right to make fun of them. And replacing it with the bear joke? Lame.
4. They never played crazy Christians. If they did, I would have a lot more respect for the show. If they think they are adding some 'mystery' to the show by not playing it, they are hugely mistaken.
5. None of the skits are funny. "Pimp my trike" was close, but feel like it's been done before and we only got a glimpse of a trike, not an actual skit. Further, we hardly get to see any skits, which I know is not the point, but it makes me think all of the skits are bad and that's why we're not seeing it.

Oh and another thing that this blogger who I highly recommend mentioned is that people like gossip and scandal about the people in the show not those that are running it. I could not name one single producer or executive of NBC but I can name a lot of the actors that are in the shows and probably where they live and the name of their dog walker. We.Don't.Care.That.Jordan.Got.A.DUI. Period. It's uninteresting and another unbelievable part of the show.

What is a consequence of the crime rate dropping in NYC? Cops with too much time on their hands

2006-09-29T07:42:00.000-11:00

So a group of friends and I were pre-drinking Saturday night and began to head to dinner around 9:00, having decided we had consumed enough alcohol. Andrew, on the other hand, hadn't quite had his fill yet and riskily attempted to walk down the street with a red-stripe in tow [stealthily concealed by a brown bag]. I gave him my usual "What the hell are you doing look?" [it's basically plastered to my face when I'm around him . .and I'm around him A LOT] and he replied "I'm SO going to get an open container ticket."

Fast Forward 10 minutes to us walking down the street. Andrew downs his beer in a mere 5 blocks and like any decent environmentally-friendly Canadian, plops the beer IN THE GARBAGE CAN. Note: He didn't put it on the ground, smash it against a wall, or throw it at a passing-by biker. He.Put.It.In.The.Garbage. Next thing you know, we hear the stringent yell of a less than intelligent man to our right, in a beat up cadillac. "Hey Dude, you going out tonight?" Andrew turns to me with a questioningly look while I proceed to disregard the harassment and continue walking [it's Williamsburg, there are lots of crazies so this is pretty much a daily occurence.] Next there's a loud noise that barely resembles a siren and the same guy is trailing us saying "DUDE, get over here." Last time I checked, Andrew doesn't answer to 'dude.' Idiot, dork, loser, nerd MAYBE. but not Dude. Andrew finally walks cautiously to the car, as I was invisioning the wierd man taking out a gun and shooting it in his face [I'm such an optimist].

The conversation goes something like this:
"Policeman in car": What did you throw out in the garbage?
Andrew [or 'Dude']: A beer
Policeman: You're stupid for telling me that because I had no idea what was in there, I'm going to give you a ticket.
Andrew [a bit drunk at this point]: Are you a REAL policeman? [or one of those fake ones]
Policeman: Dude, I'm really going to write you a ticket. This is not a joke.
Andrew: No seriously, what is going on here?

You get the point. . .It was a very bizarre experience. Who gets an open container ticket, especially in New York? Last time I checked there were probably hundreds of people getting murdered, doing drugs [and real drugs, not weed], breaking into houses, gangs beating up on people, I don't know what else. . .a dog without a leash in central park? This seems like something that would happen in back woods Vermont [haha Shannon] where the police actually have nothing to do. But see in NYC we have a lot of crazy people that do crazy things so the police are actually very busy [hello, have you ever seen Law & Order? And now there's like 3 different shows, the original, criminal intent, SVU. . .complete proof that NYPD has much more important things to take care of other than a silly open container ticket]. Oh and not to mention those people call 'terrorists,' don't mind them!

And the best part was, the ticket is $25. What is the point of a $25 ticket? It probably doesn't even cover the administrative fees, not to mention the cop's time. Ah well, I feel like Andrew probably learned his lesson and I had something to blog about other than what I ate for lunch today. Which, by the way, was a chinese soup bowl from Master Yap and it was nothing short of delicious.

Studio 60: "I think we have Weiner" ~Andrew

2006-09-20T06:47:00.000-11:00

Andrew and I watched the premiere episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip last night. Boasting the longest name on TV and the most talk value on the web, I must say I was skeptical. NBC is spending something crazy like $3MM an episode on the 60 minute drama. In actuality, that's what got me to watch it--Someone at NBC has their career riding on the success of this show and I either wanted to see what a decent $3MM show looks like or watch it go down in flames.

And I commend NBC for doing something a bit different [it's not drastically different, but I'll give it a teensy step in the right direction]. First off, they make fun of themselves. It's about TV executives running SNL [or in TV Land it's Studio 60] and they make a lot of cracks about how TV execs can't be trusted, are just doing it for the money blah blah [we could go on and on about the stupidity in TV--I'm a bit biased since 3 of my favorite shows got cancelled last year]. They start the show with one TV executive "hijacking" Studio 60 because a skit that's controversial gets cut. He goes on to say that TV has lobotimized America and that we can't think for ourselves, nothing's cutting edge, etc. The main character [Jordan--played by Amanda Peet] in the midst of everyone freaking out basically says he was right and that they shouldn't start a campaign disagreeing with him. She's a real "mover and shaker" as my mother would say.

*Spoiler Alert* [It's not that big of a spoiler though. . .] And by the way, the name of the skit that cut and sets off this guy's crazy tirade? Crazy Christians. And it seems like they may air it, which depending on the skit, is in itself "cutting edge." [P.S. NBC--if you need some real life "Crazy Christians" to model in your skit please visit Brentwood, TN. We have quite a few.]

As for the characters, none were particularly likeable or memorable--but it was only one episode. Amanda Peet's okay [but I'm a big Peet fan ever since Jack & Jill--I think I'm the only person that watched the show, however.] The blond girl who plays Hariett Hays was also on J&J, she's okay but her lisp is kind of annoying. Matthew Perry was mildly funny [he was on vicadin after back surgery. . .] and the guy from the west wing was pretty much playing the guy from the west wing. Except he does cocaine [would the president approve?]

Either way, I'll be tuning in next Tuesday.

Beer Ad: Sexist or am I oversensitive?

2006-09-19T03:29:00.000-11:00

Peroni, an italian beer, is currently running an ad in Italy that has a woman in a horse and carriage trying to parallel park. Then it flashes forward 100 years and it has another woman trying to parallel park, with men laughing at her while drinking Peroni with the tagline like some things never change, drink Peroni. [for a better description go here ]

A group of women lawyers in Italy are outraged by this ad calling it discriminatory and are suing the company. One blogger on adfreak.com said in so many words that this was a big exaggeration and that if these women saw any American beer ads, the ads would have never aired. I don't agree with this statement. American beer ads may objectify women, may show them half naked, but I feel like they never make women feel stupid or discriminatory. [maybe this is just me?]

This ad peeves me for two reasons:
-It is a sweeping statement that women can't parallel park, are bad drivers and are technically "stupid." If it was making fun of one woman and not stereotyping women, that would be more okay with me.
-Having men making fun of her is not appropriate. If they had two guys and a girl making fun of her that would be different.

I think the premise is kind of funny [someone trying to parallel park a carriage? that's unique] but the execution is lacking.

Cafe Habana: All I have to say is OMG

2006-09-18T06:46:00.000-11:00

So there's a new book that Andrew is getting me called: No One Cares What you had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for your blog [See: http://mightygirl.com/shop]. However, what I had for lunch yesterday was very, very good and I feel like you should care. And since I don't have the book yet, I am going to take advantage of my ignorance and tell you what I ate yesterday.

First off, let me set the scene: My friend Meagan is in town from San Francisco. She is here on business and has an alotted amount of money to spend on food per day. Macy*s is not known for their generosity and has given her $45 per day in NYC to spend on 3 meals [and Meagan IS known for her eating, so this is a bit of a challenge]. However, I'll have you know that yesterday Meagan and I both ate 3 meals [more like 4 little meals. . .] for around 52 bucks [7 over our budget, but we could handle it. . .]

Our eating day included:
1. Brunch @ DoJo in SoHo [I like initials. . .] She had challah french toast, I had eggs, home fries, bacon and toast + iced tea. Total: $12 with tip.
2. Late Lunch Snack. . . This was quite the disappointment and put us back a whole $8 so I'm not even really counting it [soup bowl @ japanese sunshine market] $8. Only ate half of it so we'll say $4.
3. Another Late Lunch Snack . . . Cafe Habana Mexican Style Corn on the Cob. This is the inspiration for this blog entry. It's delicious grilled corn on the cob, with Mexican Cheese, cayenne pepper and you sprinkle lime on top. SO GOOD! $2 Thanks Vicki for the rec!
4. We're bored, let's drink! . . .Cafe zoccolo [or something. . .] for 2 glasses of wine, bread with olive oil. $20
5. We're not that hungry, but have money left so let's eat! . . . Mini Thai Cafe--had pad thai and some apps for $18.

So on food we spent $40 and had wine for another $20. In total [not counting the mistake of a soup bowl] the whole day was $52 for two of us. And we ate food from 5 different countries and we're completely full! Well done us [and thank you Macy*s!]

Project Runway. . .SPOILER ALERT

2006-09-14T02:32:00.000-11:00

I need to vent about Project Runway. WHY IN GOD'S NAME WOULD THEY BRING BACK ANGELA AND VINCENT FOR A SECOND CHANCE????????????

Ok, I apologize for the caps. But I need you to truly understand my anger and passion for how much I hate Angela and Vincent. For those of you that don't know, Angela is a hick from a farm in Ohio who has as much fashion sense as my pinky finger [and I don't have that much fashion sense.] Vincent is a delusional grandpa who not only walks to the pace of his own drum, he beats that drum. His fashion sense is questionable at best.

So project runway brought these two has-been designers back for a second chance with the stipulation that they had to win the challenge to stay afloat. This made me feel better, as I knew there was no way in hell either of them would win. Angela, best known for her "rosettes" [yes, she does put rosettes on clothing. Does anyone have a gun?] won 1 challenge by pure luck and a lot of help from her team mates Michael and Laura who were basically holding her hands back in an effort to stop her from over-embellishing.

Vincent won a challenge as well [after being in the bottom 2 atleast 3 times or something]--the one where they had to dress each other's mothers. I think Vincent only won because he had Uli's mother who could not speak english, thus was a very easy client. Angela's mother, on the other hand, was an annoying gnome of a woman who complained about everything and did not allow Jeffrey to take any risks [hence he made the worst smock of a thing so that she basically looked like a beached whale walking down the runway]. Anywho, Vincent's win was because the judge's were so surprised he did something atleast above mediocrity.

Yeah I hate Vincent and Angela. Thanks goodness they are gone. [Maybe the producers brought them back so people like me would be passionate enough to blog about it? hmm interesting thought but I'm very very annoyed and I think bringing these negative emotions to the show is very short sighted.]

My picks for the rest of the show are as follows:

1. MICHAEL [I love him, he's the best GO MICHAEL GO!!]
2. Jeffrey [they'll say he "has a point of view" and is "fashion forward" but will be more of the same LA rocker]
3. Laura [will be sophisticated and they'll "like" it, but won't be enough to pull her the win]
4. Uli will be out because they won't want to see more print dresses that would be great in St. Tropez.

Poor Kayne. I love him, and I think he really tried on the last challenge, but didn't quite cut it. I think he'll be successful at what he does and be able to make really fun, embellished pageant dresses.

quote of the night: "I've always made beautiful music and will continue to do so. . ." ~Vincent. ummm?

Do we need MTV anymore?

2006-09-11T11:36:00.000-11:00

The answer is no, well not for music anyways. The number of videos MTV plays has decreased drastically each year, until the only music on "Music" TV is a 30 minute snippet which focuses more on which brand of sunglasses Lindsay Lohan is wearing than the number 1 music video of the week. And ever since Paris Hilton was featured on it [soft porn much?] I don't think it even counts.

With the advent of Myspace and YouTube, bands don't need MTV to get their music out there to the masses. [Not even MTV 2. . .. ] Prime Example is OK Go! [I know you've had this example beaten over your head like a christianity to a catholic school girl, but for those readers that don't know watch: [http://youtube.com/watch?v=NINJQ5LRh-0 ] OK Go put their corky, self produced, uber unique video on youtube and their original video has nearly 1 million views to date. And as the lead singer, Damian Koulash said on the Colber Report, the free videos are a teaser for the rest of the album and their thinking seems to work.

Myspace.com is another great venue for indie bands to strut their stuff. Not only is it a free web page [and for fledgling bands this is probably impt] it's a great place for bands to showcase their music, share it with others, have people critique, find other bands they like, etc. They also can post their tour dates and invite their 'friends' to events. And it allows their fans to write on their wall and really interact with the band mates--which for any music fan is a really cool experience.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking MTV [Hello! I love Laguna and The Hills. . .] However, as a music expert their a little behind the times. They've evolved, stayed relevant and are successful so maybe they knew what they were doing all along. However, I miss music videos --so thank you OK go for finding a new venue for them.

Wanna be an Advertising Creative?

2006-09-08T07:40:00.000-11:00

Kayak.com Trip Idea #406 - Lubbock, TX

So Kayak.com is having a contest for people to create an ad for them staying within their ad agencies theme of "there are a million reasons to travel. . ." The ones that ad agency did are actually pretty funny [http://corp.kayak.com/tv/] and I went through a couple of the submissions on youtube [like the one posted here]. Most are forgettable, but a couple are gems. If you win you get a free trip to NYC [I should try for it!! waaiiiitttt] to watch your ad being made.

I like that kayak.com said "Our goal is not to offend or push any agenda: just to catch your attention and make you laugh." That really follows in google's footsteps of "Don't be evil" and just go with the flow. I also think it's a very liberal approach to advertising and I appreciate that. Getting bogged down in legalities can sometimes hinder creativity. Some of them are pretty racey, like making fun of Dick Cheney's hunting accident, but they make fun of Kerry as well so it's pretty much the South Park philosophy of we'll offend everyone equally to it's okay.

Chevrolet tried this same idea a while ago with their 2007 Tahoe launch asking people to create ads as well. This completely backfired with people touching on how the Tahoe is a gaz guzzling, environmental hurting piece of machinery. [See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXehk1H2q5c ] Any PR is good PR right? Maybe not in this case.

Consumer generated media is causing quite the buzz in the marketing environment these days, with viral videos swirling around the web such as the one with Diet Coke and Mentos [http://www.eepybird.com/]. Diet Coke and Mentos reacted to this video in completely opposite ways--Mentos thought it was a godsend and completely supported these guys while Diet Coke blatantly ignored it. The thing with CGM is that it's fast and you have to react quickly and risk taking is a must. Unfortunately for Diet Coke, they probably lack the ability and the forsight to take advantage of something like this. However, they were in the works of launching their own viral video sight called the Coke Show [cocacola.com]. Imagine how much traffic they could have gottenif they put the Diet Coke Mentos video on their site?? Basically, the coke show is a pretty lame attempt to create passion about this brand. I think it's just unbelievable that Coke from corporate America would sign on to something like this. Coke is not cutting edge so I have a hard time seeing the fit with viral videos. Also, I find it a very unfascinating product that produces very little passion [atleast in me. . .]. Kayak.com is kind of corky and cool [indie perhaps?] and I can see how people could be passionate about making and ad for them. Plus kayak.com put some constraints around the ads, without constricting creative freedom. Letting people loose to do whatever they want is not only risky, but can probably lead to a lot of crap. [maybe I'm wrong and either way can lead to a lot of crap??]

The marketing environment in the future is definitely going to be interesting and hopefully big corporations can keep the pace. I guess we'll see.

Overheard in NYC?

2006-09-07T02:46:00.000-11:00

For those of you that don't know, http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/ is a hilarious website where people post conversations they over hear in public places in New York City. One of my biggest fears in life is to one day be reading this website and read something I said stupid in public [you're right, I would never say something stupid!!] Here are some excerpts:

6-Year-Old girl, holding onto pole and craning neck backwards: I did this once, and my head came off and they had to put a new one on.Younger brother: That made you dumb. I want ice cream.
--Uptown 1 train

Hobo: Everybody's somebody on my dick
--Union Square

Man to girlfriend: Shit, I like that Martha Stewart. She a gangsta in disguise.
--Kmart, Astor Place

Confused shiksa: I don't know, he was either Jewish or Polish or something...He had on that little beanie, you know?
~Central Park

Man: Well, at least we don't have to walk very far to work. I feel sorry for all the people like nurses who still have to work and have to get up like 4 hours earlier.Woman: I just hope the Korean lady makes it to the salon. It's moustache day.Man: Moustache day?Woman: Yeah, the day my moustache gets waxed. Very important.
~Madison Square Park

Conductor: We are currently being held in the station because of some other A train fucking us all over.
--Uptown A train

Conductor: Hello, and welcome to the mobile sauna bath.
--A train

Guy #1: Dude. Don't hold my hand; that is so gay.Guy #2: Ok, so I can suck your dick, but not hold your hand?
--Outside Down The Hatch, 4th St & 6th Ave

Starbucks Employee: Ma'am can I help you?
Woman: I'd like a half a dozen chocolate chip cookies.
Employee: We only sell them in 1, 2, 3. . .
Woman to Friend: Is she serious???
Friend: She'll take 6.
[I personally think this is a conversation me and greg would have at Starbucks. . cookiiess yumm]

Nashvegas, Kanye, and Wofford OH MY!

2006-09-05T02:48:00.000-11:00

So my last week has been CRAZY hectic--I'm now back in NYC, exhausted but happy to be home.

Let's do a quick day by day of my last week:

Monday--Mom and brother came to town [if you know me at all you know that I'm not best friends with my mother, so this was obviously stressful]. Really good to see the Bro though.

Tuesday--Got free tickets to the beautiful black man convention [aka Kanye West, John Legend, Common, and Pharrell]. This concert was off the chain. We were front row to the left of the stage and they were all such great performers that they used the entire stage so often it was like a private concert. Kanye definitely had eye sex with Charisse more than once! It was probably one of the best concerts I've ever been to, if not the number 1. Kanye was incredible, John legend's voice was like butter, Common is HOT, Pharrell is beautiful. AND IT WAS FREE. Thank you American Express.

Wednedsay-- Went to the US Open which was a great experience. I saw Sharapova and Andy Roddick [which were pretty uneventful matches since they both kicked their opponent's ass]. Plus I"ve seen Andy before. I'm not a huge fan of him--like who goes to the VMA's while you're in the middle of the US Open? Seems a little pretentious to me.

Thursday-- Drove 12 hours to Spartanburg, South Carolina to move my bro into school [YAY WOFFORD!]

Friday -- Moved my brother in, took a tour of campus. Wofford is basically a country club for 18-22 year olds. Scott is a 2 minute walk away from: tennis courts, student life center with pool/ping pong/big screen TVs/a CHIK-FIL-A [yummm], the track, the football stadium. His room is cute, a small single with very efficient use of space. GO TERRIERS!!

Saturday -- Drove 6 hours to Nashville, went to my friend's Sarah and Kyle's engagement party. Ended up partying til 4 in the morning, drunken ate White Castle right before bed. Woke up and had Taco Bell. I'm a winner.

Sunday --I had a pretty bad hangover for most of the day. Had to sit through a 2.5 hour tour of my parents new house/new development. The house is sweet and I'm very excited about it. The real estate agent brought 3 bottles of Aquafina for me in her golf cart--she could tell I looked rough. Sunday night was Jason's b-day so we went to his house and he had a keg. It was awesome to see people I haven't talked to in a while, in particular Tom Campion [tomcampion.com] and Scott Drennan [http://scottdrennan.blogspot.com/]. These kids are so fun, very witty and know how to have a good time.

Monday -- Spent most of my day cleaning out the house, getting ready for it to sell. WE HAVE SO MUCH STUFF. It was pretty sickening to me, actually. From just my room [which was pretty bare compared to the rest of the house] I through away 8 bags of shit and had 2 bags for good will. All my childhood/bedroom is now packed into 3 plastic boxes. Kind of sad. I don't know how my parents are going to move all their shit. Oh well, I won't be there!

And my flight home was pretty uneventful, coming back to a HUMONGOUS taxi line. And I hate the new travel restrictions which basically make me have to check my bag, otherwise I wouldn't' be able to wash my hair. I actually went straight to the taxi line without picking up my bags, realizing that I was missing something substantial. Once again, I'm a winner.

So that's why I haven't blogged in a while. I.need.sleep.

And another. . .

2006-08-25T11:15:00.000-11:00

From Charisse:

"it's funny b/c it's coming from lauren. But I can't laugh at them - they're right about Justin/Timbaland, you know..."

Okay, I'm convinced. I will like Timbaland songs and if they happen to be sung by nelly furtado or JT that's AOK. but i still don't think i want them on my ipod. . ..

It seems as if Andrew has a kindred spirit. . . .

2006-08-25T10:20:00.000-11:00

From Lauren, my co-worker and EX-friend. . (j/k)

"i have to tell you...after coming to the awful conclusion that i actually really like both 'promiscuous' by nelly and 'sexyback' by justin timberlake, i think andrew may be onto something w/ the whole timbaland thing. i hate to like such mainstream and popular songs, but alas, i really do like them. "

I have this in writing people.

I got Free Kanye tickets!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-23T09:46:00.000-11:00

wahooooo!! Shout out to Charisse who struggles with incompetent clients at American Express who pronounce Kanye, 'Kayne'. However, these lovely people [can you hear the sarcasm through your computer?] managed to give us forwarning that AmEx was giving away free Tix to a Kanye concert next tuesday!!! Nokia Theater here we come!!

2006-08-22T10:52:00.000-11:00

Kfed Lose Control Teen Choice Awards

I'm not much impressed, however, I appreciate that KFed shaved his head and can play piano. I must admit I was a bit confused by the little dancer guy. . . poor Britney, Poooor Britney.

Final Farewell from Jean--My FAVORITE person

2006-08-17T04:35:00.000-11:00

The note below was taken verbatim from an e-mail to Hillary and the other managers of the softball league. I think it gives you an idea of the kind of incompetence with which we are dealing.

HI Managers

I would like to take the time the THANK ALL of you Manager for a wonderful 2006 softball season.

I know at times itsssss beennnn tryingggg but we made it TOGETHER.

The play-off are near end. But the BEST is yet to come.. Final are next week and the week ofter. So try to come to the games and ruttttt each other onnnnnnnn.

Also fall ball will start in a few weeks. So sign up know, and let play ball.

Over the winter month I would like some of you to HELP me in developing the league. So if ANYONE would like to help. Please Contac me at (718) 544-7436 of email me.

There is a lot of work ing running a league, but with your help, we can make it better.
Thanks
Jean

I'm so technical [errrr geeky!]

2006-08-16T02:31:00.000-11:00

Couple New things added to the blog:

-Technorati Search [I'm still unsure how to do the tags, but that's a project for another day]
-An RSS feed. . .Now you can subscribe to my blog!! I know you want to.

On another note, I'm going to see Talladega Nights tonight and possibly Little Miss Sunshine. I'll let you know how they are tomorrow. Until Them, Happy Blogging! :-)

New York Women's Sports League Story

2006-08-10T09:51:00.000-11:00

I got the picture below from the softball league's website: I have no idea who the people to the left are. . .but I think it does the job of giving you an idea of what Jean looks like. . .[PS I know none of them are her, because she rolls around in an electric wheel chair. . .and then tries to lecture us on making sure we train for softball season because she doesn't want to listen to complaints that we're sore. . .there's like a million things wrong with that sentence.]

The passage [errr novel-like story] below is taken from our HORIBBLE softball league's website: www.nycsoftball.com. Under no circumstances use this website to sign up for the league [I know you want to!]. Anywho, presumably this lovely ditty was written by Jean the Genious. My comments are in smaller font in parentheses. . .as if you wont' be able tell. Enjoy.

"In 1975, Phyllis M, Ammirati Started the New York Women’s Sports League. It was the first of its kind in Manhattan that allowed women to play organized softball. At the time, it was very difficult for women to do so. [ever heard of a complex sentence????]

Throughout the development of the New York Women’s Sports League, Phyllis had the vision to see that women had a very difficult time coming out for softball, or any other sports. She gave them the guidance they needed and the respect they deserved. For many years, Phyllis had to fight the stereotype that "Women belonged in the home and not on a softball diamond". [Hasn't she ever heard of league of their own? She's not the first to fight this stereotype. . .maybe she should have just required the girls to wear skirts. . .and had Madonna play]

Her fierce determination [fierce like Tyra!] and quiet perseverance while working with the Parks Department and the community [what a winner. . .] finally gained ground against all opposed her ideals. She convinced them that women were here to stay [where were they going?] and that they would make valuable contributions to all they encountered.

Phyllis’ visions for women extended far beyond the game of softball. She saw that through softball, or any endeavor, women can develop a sense of independence and camaraderie among themselves, family members, friends, employers and even with the fans who just come to the game to root for the underdog. [That sentence was a little too complex. . .]It has become a chance for everyone to change for the better, a chance for people to grow and struggle with his or her dreams and attain new levels of awareness. [And did you know that softball can save the world???? Next Stop: the Middle East]

It was not all fun and games. When Phyllis obtained use of Coleman Oval in 1980, there was much hard work to be done. The field was in disrepair, so she banded the women together and started a ground crew to develop and maintain the field. She gave notice to the teams that they must clean up after themselves [You give that notice!!!]. She told everyone to " Leave the field in better condition than you fine it, [no need for a comment there. . .] so the next player on the field will see our example and do the same". On February 4, 1991, Phyllis’ sudden death was a shock to us all [Moment of Silence, please. . .]. Due to her strong leadership and gentle guidance, the league has grown and prospered through the years. Today her beliefs and strong ideals still hold true. Phyllis’ work goes on because of the solid foundation upon which she built the league, and us, the players and managers in the league." [Thank God for Phyllis, without her we wouldn't have had such a wonderful Softball Season . .waaaiiiittttt]

Millward Brown Loses by Out-scoring the opponent 25-8!!

2006-08-09T06:51:00.000-11:00

I must have jinxed my team. . . The e-mail below is from our team manager who has the unfortunate job having to converse with Jean. I think it's self-explantory and this is proof how Jean has an IQ of a baby's pinky finger.

Dearest Happy Hour,

Lindsay is going to have to revise her blog because contrary to popular belief, we did not win last night's game. While there may have been two teams, an ump, and half a field, Jean just called to inform me that because we had three forfeits during the season, we are kicked out of the league. Therefore, although she failed to mention this to either team or the umpire, last night's game never should have happened and we lose. Because Jean is a lover and not a fighter, she wanted to make it up to us by scheduling a double-header scrimmage on Saturday, but by that point, there was some yelling going on on my end (Toni can attest to this) and Jean and I parted ways forever on less than favorable terms. I would like to thank all of you for your enthusiastic participation in the worst softball league in the world, and I would also like to congratulate you for going out in style. Anyone can lose, but it losing a game while scoring 24 runs to the other team's 8 takes true talent that I think speaks to us both as a team and a company.

Sincerely,

Hillary

P.S. Please direct all complaints to Jean at 718.544.7436. I encourage you to use this number not just for softball issues. If you want to talk about suppressed childhood memories, call this number. If you're into missionary work, call this number. If you meet someone at a bar and they ask for your number, use this one. If you know any telemarketers, make sure they have it. You get the point.

Millward Brownies Win 25-8!!!!!!

2006-08-09T02:42:00.000-11:00

No, that isn't the score of my company Football team--it's the score of our first SOFTBALL playoff game which we played last night.

Let's set the scene. Our team hasn't had the best of luck this year. We are in the worst corporate league in the city, hands down, which is run by a woman with the IQ of a baby just out of the womb. Consistently we rush to our game to find that we don't have a team to play, or we're 3 minutes late and have to "double forfeit" [don't ask--I didn't think it was possible either]. So, basically, we had low expectations for the game last night, but were stupidly hopeful that we'd actually get to play.

In typical MB softball league fashion, we took to the field rearing to go. However, there was no field to be had. Unlike our last 3 games, we could field a full team, we had a team to play [yay!], and an umpire to make sure we played fair in the sandbox. However, some other team was on OUR field [I don't' know why we were surprised. see: paragraph above where I mention the organizer has the IQ of fetus, who we will call without protecting her real name--Jean] With a lot of reluctance, swearing, and death-threat phone calls to Jean we ventured two fields over to a baseball diamond which looked seemingly suitable, however had no right field. And I'm not kidding. There was the dirt of the in-field, then a fence, then the east river [tasty]. But we're Millward Brownies and don't think we're going to let that stop us. No No NO obstacle was going to get in the way of us playing that game--Not lack of a field, Not lack of a right-field, Not lack of a left shoe [that was me. . .I'm awesome, thanks to Hillary for letting me borrow her shoes!].

7:00 rolled around and we were feeling the pressure to start the game, since darkness was sneaking up on us. No warm-up, we had to hit the field. The other team looked professional--the girls were wearing league-of-their-own-type skirts and have official looking softball socks [it doesn't take much to impress us]. Vicki started singing "We're the members of the All American Team. . ." hoping to pysch them out and get us going.

Let's play ball. . . I'll fast forward you through the high-lights:

-Our team had an incredible hitting streak . Everyone.hit.awesome. Key plays: Sean hitting a *Grand Slam* in the 5th inning [I just made that up, I have no idea which inning it was]. Sean hitting *Michelle* when she was on third base, a stinging line drive straight to her hip.

-Our crazy ump who wouldn't let us have an "odd number" of players. Who also took a phone call while I was up to bat, with a count of 1-0. He had blue tooth so it looked like he was talking to an imaginary player, or peeing in the other team's dug-out. I found both options amusing.

-Our ump again who, in addition to being crazy, can't add. In the 5th [??] inning we scored 7 runs. Hillary, being the math whiz she is, was talking to the ump and said "Great, we had 17, we scored 7, now we have 24 runs." Ump gives her a blank look: "No, you have 25." Hillary repeats her amazing equation [she went to college!]. Ump gives same blank look and same answer [I'm guessing he didn't got to college]. Hillary responds resisting the urge to argue reason, logic, or mathematical correctnes says "Sure, I'll take your score." So it looks like our imaginary player scored the 25th run. . .probably the same one the ump was talking to in the other team's dug-out.

Special thanks to our non-MB players who came out to save the day: Steve, Andrew, and Yuli [I think she only comes because we like to call her adorabbblllleeeeeee] And Erica, Photographer Extraordinaire.

Stay tuned for next week's game. . .We don't know when it is, we can't guarantee a field or a team, but we will definitely curse Jean and drink some beer. Because we are the Millward Brown Happy Hour.

Spelling Bee is F-U-N-N-Y

2006-08-07T08:41:00.000-11:00

So I ventured to Broadway last night to see the 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee: The musical. Overall, an extremely enjoyable show that I highly reccommend. The music is catchy, but quasi-forgettable, but the performances are HILARIOUS, with wit and high energy. As a side-note, I find it very entertaining how we [as a nation of course, because I can totally speak for the 256 million americans out there] are obsessed with making fun of the poor kids in spelling bees. If you haven't seen it yet, watch Spellbound--A brilliant documentary about kids in the spelling bee and their insane over-bearing parents [way worse than soccer moms if you ask me]. I just don't know who these kids exist.

Anywho, back to the musical. The Circle in the Square theater where the Spelling bee takes place is a really neat venue [famous alumni of the circle in the square theater school include, but are not limited to: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Molly Shannon, and Matthew Lillard --from Scream, come on you know him! "I'll be right back. . .]. The theater is small and intimate and there's not a bad seat in the house. Also, they used audience members to be in the Bee and made fun of them, which is always a plus. My co-worker Hillary's friend from high school [Josh Gad] is a main character [he plays William Barfee --prounounced Barf-AY] and he was very good [he has a Magic Foot, that dances around and helps him spell]. He actually wins the bee [sorry if I ruined the suspense for you all]. My other favorite guy is named Brett Foa and was in Avenue Q before joining the Spelling Bee cast. He's hilarious--he plays this mildly retarded boy who wears a helmet for protection and 'makes his own clothes' [he basically wears clothes one step up from a bum]. He's sooo funny and so so dynamic. I think I'm going to start the unofficial Brett Foa fan club.

I also noticed on the spelling bee website that it's in a lot of other cities like Chicago and San Fran now so if it's in a theater near you, or if you're in NYC go see it!!!

p.s. if you switch the first two vowels around in Olive it spells I Love. adorable much?

LC is no longer my best friend

2006-08-03T02:41:00.000-11:00

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past couple months, The Hills is a continuation of the popular Faux-reality show Laguna Beach on MTV. It follows my former best friend LC around as she juggles fashion school, a teen vogue internship, a bitch roomie, and a douche-bag boyfriend in Sunny Los Angeles [the city where they say dreams come true!]. LC [Lauren Conrad] is the girl you just can't hate and end up feeling sorry for most of the time. Even though she's spoiled rotten, she's sweet, innocent, and a seemingly good person.

HOWEVER, she made a MAJOR faux-pas on the season finale last night. Faced with the decision between an internship for Vogue in Paris or spending the summer in Malibu with her HORRIBLE boyfriend, she chose the BF. NEVER EVER SHOULD YOU JEOPARDIZE YOUR FUTURE FOR A LOSER LIKE JASON. [can you tell I hate him?] Granted, a summer in a beach house in Malibu sounds pretty stellar, however I have a hard time believing LC stayed in North America for the scenery when grew up in a multi-million dollar mansion overlooking the ocean. noNoNO it's the boy. I think the producers of the show [even though it was staged] should have had her watch her loverboy on TV and then she would have seen what we all see every episode: Jason is an immature loser, who can't carry on a conversation and needs to shave. She's way too good for her and the fact that she turned down PARIS for him is beyond me.

I would have even been okay if she was like, Jason you want to come to Paris? I could have handled it and lived with the hope that maybe she'd find a hotter Parisian boy and then dump his ass. . . but turning it down. . . For fake-love?!?! nooooooooo. There is always a happy medium in a relationship and LC just gives way too much of herself for someone who doesn't give it back. And that is why LC is no longer my best friend.

The only Concert Where a Fast Clap is Appropriate

2006-08-02T02:52:00.000-11:00

If you ask Andrew what I hate most about concerts, it will most definitely be without hesitation "The Fast Clap." I despise it. For some reason people who have no sense of rhythm, beat, or a brain always start a fast clap at an inappropriate time and like sheep the rest of the stadium/venue/whatever follows. Prime Example: I saw Pearl Jam a couple of months ago and people started fast clapping to "Last Kiss." This is wrong for a couple of reasons, one being that the song is SLOW and second being he is singing about how his girlfriend died in his arms. I know he didn't write the song or anything, but can we have a little respect for the person who did??? Just because you know the chorus to a song does not warrant you permission to start banging your hands away in an excited manner.

However, I saw the Dixie Chicks last night and I participated in "the fast clap." I won't say this is a first for me, but it's probably the first in such a large venue. I was so caught up in their energy and charisma [and appropriately upbeat songs] that my hands took on a life of their own and started clapping. fast. and it felt good. Actually, that's a lie. I clapped so much that my hands hurt. But either way, it was fun.

Some Highlights:
-A person with undeterminable sex in blue tie-dye shirt with white hat standing up in between songs yelling "I love Natalie" at the top of his/her longs
-Same androgynous person in blue tie-dye shirt yelling at us to sit down during a song [while shaking said white hat to get our attention].
-Hillary and Toni almost getting in a fight with MSG employee because unidentifiable woman/man complained. MSG employee said you can stand up when it starts happening. Hillary's response: Oh, it's happening.
-Guy with sign that said "I'm gay but I dig Chicks" [adorable]
-Natalie giving a shout out to Mel Gibson. Nough said.
-While departing, deciding that unidentifiable woman/man was indeed a woman, even though we were sure he was a man.
-Running to the Hotel Pennsylvania to empty our bladders after the concert. Being bombarded by drunk 17 year olds from New Jersey complaining about an $11 pizza the size of their hand. Welcome to NYC.
-Not being able to find a cab in 90 degree weather at 11 at night. Awesome.
-Guy completely decked out in Camo overhearing us talking about finding boyfriends for Hillary/Toni looking over at me with a HUGE grin as if I was going to suggest he was a prime candidate.
-Coming home to see Russell Crow and Denzel Washington filming 'American Gangster' in front of my house! weeeeee

Overall, Great night girlies!

I wish I was in Pago Pago

2006-07-31T04:28:00.000-11:00

So if you've ever wondered why my blog says I'm posting at 5:25 AM or something INSANE like that the answer is no, I am not a crazy morning person, and I am certainly not an insomniac [I.heart.sleep]. I do, however, have my blog time set to Pacific/Pago_Pago time. For those of you who don't know, Pago Pago looks like it is on a lovely little spec of an island in the American Samoa. I must admit, I had to google map that to find out.

I only wish I was with my lap top, sipping a Mai Tai, while blogging on the beach in Pago Pago, but what it comes down to is that I am too lazy to change the time zone to NYC Eastern/Standard time and thought Pago Pago sounded fun. Alas, I can only dream about being stranded on an island and must resort to living vicariously through my blog time. Example: I wonder what people are doing in Pago Pago right now? Well, let me check my blog time--it's 2:00 PM, they are probably on the beach playing volleyball. Oh to be sooo lucky.

[Plus, this way no one can tell that I sometimes blog at work b/c who knows how many crazy time zone hours away Pago Pago is? exactly. And if you do, please dont' tell.]

I am such a Rejuvenile

2006-07-28T10:33:00.000-11:00

My dad said he was cleaning out our basement the other day and I asked if he could send me my babysitter's club books. Thanks to Vicki, we've all had the BSC Movie theme song in our head for the last month and are now nostaligic to read the books. In the same conversation, I mentioned to my dad that I was playing on a company kickball team. And he exclaimed "You're a rejuvenile!" A what? yes. You heard me right, a rejuvenile. Basically, someone who doesn't want to grow up.

Other characteristics of rejuveniles include:
-Eating cupcakes [yummmm who doesn't like cupakes?]
-Watching Cartoons
-Reading Harry Potter [I'm obsessed]

So officially, I am most definitely a rejuvenile. I think it means I'm fun.

To learn more read this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/31/fashion/31JUVE.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=ddc55a41253a0fd9&ex=1154232000

Project Runway. . .TONIGHT!

2006-07-26T03:05:00.000-11:00

Yes, I am obsessed with Project Runway and have been counting down the days til tonight's show. Wednesday is now my favorite day of the week--or if I miss it, thursday on my DVR. If you haven't watched this show, turn on bravo at pretty much any time, any day and they will probably be playing a re-run. Bravo is a slut like that playing shows over and over and over. . . Which is good if you don't have DVR, but the rest of the world should catch up technology wise.

And I'm getting intrigued in Bravo's new show Work out. I am a sucker for new Bravo TV Shows [Real Housewives of the OC much? SO GOOD] much to my boyfriend's dismay. I'm not that interested in Workout, however, I have been known to be sucked in to bad TV shows. . .[ummm I swear I've never watched My Fair Brady ;-)