parlez vous anglais?

It's been a busy two days shopping-wise. Went to rue St. Honore/rue Faubourg St. Honore yesterday and dropped by Colette, Sonia Rykiel, Comme des Garcons. Passed by and window gawked at all the other stores like Chanel, Goyard, and Prada. The new theme of the Hermes windows is a passage to India complete with gilded elephants and tigers and matching Hermes scarves and bags. I doubt if it was the trip E.M. Forster had in mind.

This morning was spent at Montmartre at the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur, where we spotted a man singing the Elvis blues on the way up. The steps to the church were pretty intense but rewarding when you got to the top. After lunch, I went to the Surface 2 Air store in Marais, easily one of my favorite areas. Vanessa Bruno, Isabel Marant, and a few others claim home here as well. I picked up a few goodies, but I'm waiting until the end to show off all my purchases.


Jardin de Tuilieries.


Quiche Lorraine.


Windows at Hermes.


It's my cousin Paul's house. Montmartre.


Window of a bottle shop in Montmartre.


Inside Pylones in Montmartre. They have a store on Spring Street in Manhattan.


Blurry picture inside Surface 2 Air.


Wacky goods for sale on the sidewalk in Marais.


Delicious pastries.

shit... what does boisson mean again?

For some reason, traveling always = struggles for me. Had to fight jet lag this morning. Managed to finally roll out of bed around 10AM with the help of a very strong cappuccino. The late start to the day meant that we didn't get to do much. Just went to the Catacombes (damp, musty smells & dripping ceilings plus skulls didn't sit too well in the morning) and then hit the Virgin Megastore (for French rap CDs) before coming back home to eat take-out chinois/drink a big ass bottle of white wine/stuff my face with macaroons.

Going to Colette tomorrow as well as some other shopping joints. We shall see what I can scrounge...


She lights up blue at night and sparkles every hour for 10 minutes.


Givenchy store front window. Closed on Sundays.


Display for a flower shop.


Best shot I could get in the Catacombes without flash. There was a man following me the entire time so I couldn't even sneak in a flash shot.

bonjour from le france!

After a rough 7 hour flight and a cheery welcome from the French (not) , I've finally arrived in our apartment to find a surprise outside. Can't wait to start exploring! I'll be updating throughout my vacation so keep coming back!

P.S. On the French version of MTV's "Made," the boy wanted to be made into a fireman. How shallow does that make us who aspire to be Homecoming Queen, a model, and a wakeboarder?

let me know that you love me & let that be enough

This was a crazy weekend. I went to Athens on Friday to see my favorite crazy of all time, Swang. It was like the old days - going bar hopping, getting insanely drunk, sitting on sidewalks, hugging strangers, stumbling around on heels, crashing into bed, and getting up for brunch the next morning. I forgot how much I missed it. (I also missed eating a hearty brunch - drink included - for $12! How cheap is that!)

P.S. I met a cute 'lil French boy this week. Can't wait until Paris...! Let me know your recommendations if you have any!


Swang & crew at DePalma's


Wuxtry Records


Last Resort

the weather outside is frightful

This really made me crack up this morning. I know, I'm like five years old. But it's dreary outside, and I really needed a laugh. Enjoy!

P.S. I don't know why there are German subtitles.

frilly bib

I spent a good chunk of my weekend watching "North and South." I have a soft spot for BBC mini-series with the motto being: the longer, the better. If you haven't heard of "North and South," it's based on the book written by Elizabeth Gaskell based on a family of an ex-minister that moves from southern England to the industrial town of Milton (modeled after Manchester). Much of the story revolves around the sexual tension between Margaret Hale, the daughter of the ex-minister, and Mr. Thornton who owns a cotton mill in the town.

He's like my 19th century dream man. Unfortunately, today's translation would be slightly less favorable: short tempered, supposed progressive but really against feminism, staunch anti-"socialist," and pro-immigration but only when he benefits. In short, he'd look like John McCain. (shudder)



shirt. Ralph Lauren. sweater dress. Phillip Lim. tights. street market.

why is it called black friday?

Why is it called Black Friday? I thought it was because everyone starts shopping at the ass crack of dawn (most start waiting in line by 8pm or so), but Wikipedia tells me that it's referring to the heavy traffic "in comparison to the extremely stressful and chaotic experience of Black Tuesday.". That would have been my second guess.

I skipped the crowds and took advantage of the sale on Oak NYC, which finally arrived Friday. I finally got my hands on Surface to Air's three-finger ring, which I first spotted exactly a year ago.




dress. complex geometries. boots. jeffrey campbell. ring. surface to air.

if we met now, we wouldn't be friends

It's been unnaturally cold this week. Cold weather hinders my wardrobe plans. Mother Nature is a real bitch sometimes.

Did anyone else catch the Britney special on MTV last weekend? I felt so guilty for talking smack about her when she was more than a hot mess. My friend Tom really put my emotions succinctly:

"I think what I find the most tragic is that this girl is clearly not an idiot, but she also doesn't have the background or the education to articulate herself in a way that I think would make more people respect her."

top. American Apparel. bottom. Sisley. jacket. Warehouse. boots. Faith. necklace. Bebe.

turkey & gravy

As Asian as my family can be, we go all out on Thanksgiving. I'm talking about green bean casserole, collard greens, cornbread, candied yams, sweet potato pie, homemade gravy, and lots and lots of turkey and ham. It is a veritable feast. And now that the kids are older, we add drink to the mix. Not that we need it.

shoot some heroin and fuck with the stars

Since the accident, I've spent most of my time trying to finish the 800-page biography of John Lennon written by Philip Norman. It's no secret that I have a soft spot for The Beatles, especially John Lennon. As much as I question whether or not John was an Asiaphile and if Yoko is crazy/was responsible for breaking up the greatest band of the 20th century, there's no denying John & Yoko's power as lasting fashion icons.



Fedoras, large rimmed glasses, long dresses in neutral colors, fur, and headbands are all items that are currently in hot demand. But in addition to their sartorial wisdom, they also had a few messages that seem strangely pertinent to today:

Imagine all the people,
Living life in peace..
You may say that I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us,
and the world will live as one.

it's so hard to say goodbye to my homie

She was there for me through thick and thin. In a moment of crisis, I could depend on her to take me as far away as possible. We endured a speeding ticket, a red light ticket, and an illegal U-turn. We traveled through the highways of five states, and each time she got me to my destination safely and on time. This was just one trip too many.


R.I.P.
Virgin
2002-2008

Now I'm left with nothing but old cards
and a bunch of pictures on the wall
R-I-P tattoos nigga, just to show you that we real
But I still can't believe that your dead fool, and how you got killed
- "Goodbye to My Homies" Master P

Still on Vicodin. Regular programming to resume later this week.

a night in england

Fifi and I had a craving for fish and chips over the weekend, so we went over to this restaurant near the airport called Manchester Arms. I got lost so many times on the way there. I actually got tempted to turn around and go back home. But I'm glad I didn't because the fish and chips were TO DIE FOR. The batter was perfect, and the fish literally melted in my mouth.



We actually started with the calamari. I washed it down with glasses of Stella. They had a lot of ales on the menu, as well as a few of their own touches like mixtures of Guinness and ale. I'm not too keen on mixing my beers. (Plus, it gets you drunk faster.)




We also ran into our old nemesis, Brown Sauce. Can anyone please tell us why it's called Brown Sauce? We think that it tastes like a mixture of BBQ sauce and ketchup, so it should be called Ketch-B-Q. It sounds catchier than just "Brown Sauce."



Afterwards, we went to this place that was a bar/cafe/ice cream parlor all in one. Talk about multi-tasking. They had one of the fake fireplaces. Those things should also emanate heat, otherwise it's pointless, isn't it? The bar looked like something the crew from Fresh would hang out in after a hard day's work flying the European skies.

When I was little, I used to tell people that I wanted to be either a ballerina or the president of the United States when I grew up. As I got older, I discarded both dreams - one because I couldn't dance ballet and the other because I knew that I would never be able to run this country as a double minority. Maybe it hasn't changed today for me, but I know it has for my posterity.

"Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama is running so our children can fly." - heard on WNYC.

michael jackson was #1 when obama graduated high school

When these pants arrived two weeks ago, I knew I was in love. I ordered these from Mary Meyer, when I wasn't able to nab the black wool Sahara pant from Oak NYC. Unfortunately, she didn't have any more of them in wool, but she was recutting them in cotton. I'm not a fan of jersey cotton at all, mostly because they remind me of leggings. And I'm a firm believer in the fact that: LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS.

Fortunately, I didn't have that problem with these pants, and I've grown to adore the jersey fabric since it makes the world seem so much more comfortable. If you're itching to get your hands on a pair of drop crotch pants, then I would recommend these. Just drop an email to mary@marymeyerclothing.com.

P.S. Don't forget to vote!!!





T-shirt. H&M. vest. Miss Selfridge. pants. Mary Meyer. shoes. Nine West.

roy orbison was #1 when john mccain graduated

It's been a while since I was insanely drunk. And I mean really good, stinkin', drunk. Drunk to the point where home ranged from someone's car to a park bench.

I don't advocate binge drinking. Usually. But after watching three episodes of "Mile High," that deliciously addicting British TV show that ran in the early 2000s about flight attendants (air hostesses), I would like nothing more than to hit the pubs for a round (or six). Now, if only I had a friend who looked like Marco Bailey aka, the hot guy from "300" who gets his head sliced off in the middle of the movie and makes you not want to watch anymore.




dress. French Connection. scarf. Canal Street (NYC). tights. street market. boots. vintage.

snapshots from the weekend

A get together from the weekend at a restaurant near Assi Plaza in Duluth. It's the only Korean restaurant I know of in the area that's a part of the slow food movement. They own a 7- acre lot in Winder, where they grow all of the vegetables. I'm not sure if they're certified organic, but they list it as so on the menu.



Baby cousin, Yoorim. She's such a diva. This might possibly be the only picture I have where she's not being an absolute terror.




My other cousin, Kyul. He's convinced that he looks like a celebrity in my sunglasses. (I beg to differ.)

yeah, I feels it.

Regular blogging to commence from this point. I was going through a rough patch after the accident, questions about my "future," and other general life issues. But everything is much better. I know everyone emphasizes communication being the key to life, but it really is.

I've also been spending more time investing in my personal interests. Being a working girl has made me forget that I actually have interests outside of the office. I'm currently taking an introductory Arabic class. I've only been to one class so far, but I'm really enjoying it.




t-shirt. H&M. vest. Aqua. shorts. Alexander Wang. belt. Express. boots. Faith.

dressed in the dark

I found these pics while cleaning out the memory in my camera tonight. I wore this a while back, probably to make weekend coffee runs. Doesn't it look perfect for a fall day in L5P?

This belt is the pride of my belt collection. I picked it up for $2 at St. Vincent de Paul a couple years ago. Volunteering really pays off in the most unexpected ways. :)




top. H&M. skirt. American Apparel. tights. street market. belt. thrifted.

TAGGED

I got tagged by Katlin at Urple!

Six Things About Me
1) I am absolutely obsessed with the Beatles and the life and history of John Lennon.
2) I am lactose intolerant and can only eat a select number of foods for breakfast.
3) I love walking across bridges.
4) I spend many weekends watching sports, mainly soccer and college football.
5) I collect cameras. And shoes.
6) I like to travel to undeveloped or underdeveloped countries.



Six Things I Like
1) Brit hop (Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, The Streets)
2) BBC America
3) Imported beers
4) Books on gender and racial theory
5) Failblog.org
6) Street markets



Six Things I Don't Like
1) Pseudo-intellectuals
2) Bad grammar
3) Asiaphiles
4) Really skinny jeans on boys
5) Social networking sites
6) Codependence

[ no suitable images found - do you really want to see a pic of a creepy Asiaphile? ]

Tagging......... I suck at tagging, so anyone who reads this, feel free to take this from me and leave me a comment so I can snoop around your lives!

source: selva for Leica photo

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