Paris cool. And continuing 2013

Hi there.
Following up on the series for 2013, a few more "to do's".

2. Spend more time in Paris. Easy, huh? Just look at the amazing short video on Paris neighborhoods from the blog:
 

 : 

http://vimeo.com/57692587

 

 And the short detailing that goes with it:

The awesome thing this video does is magically capture the personality of Paris neighborhoods through typography and simple, yet highly effective illustrations and animations – all in black and white. They’re spot on with their choices. If you listen closely, you’ll hear how the sound plays off the word and image to strengthen the concept. A must see, and it only becomes stronger as you notice new details each time you watch.

Every second Friday I will be in PARIS! Can't wait for the nice weather, the strolls are so pretty under nice weather. Taking awesome pics for you. Try one new dessert each time until I will have tasted the entire French cake selection (for me...although I will share them with you too :). Visiting every new collection coming at the Museum of Decorative Arts - Le Musee des Arts Decoratifs. Getting inspired, broadening my brain.Ahem.
Write more. I want to have a record of the life passing by. Because it just goes so fast.

3. Once the work-job-carrer part is done with (still working on those few points one should have had in place already at this age), planning on making those girlfriend vacations/trips once a year, somewhere over the rainbow. To think that a long time ago I could not understand those women who would 'leave behind' their families to vacation by themselves with other women!!! It's the best thing a girl can do! So looking forward to that but need a bit more time. Time for business to move so I can afford it. So, next step is

4. Starting up that boutique I have dreamed of since I was a teenager. Is it the right time yet? Ah, there will always be people thinking both ways but it's now or never. So getting ready for the launch in May. Until then, well, can't plan on winning the lottery so I'll have to get down to work the real way. Almost forgot what that felt like since I came to France...

5. Be niceR. Would like to be able to control my emotions better. To stay calm in every situation. To be nice and smile to people. We all know it's contagious yet it is hard to smile at someone who just grins at you with that look thinking 'what the f do you want asking questions about this product when you know I have no clue and don't give a crap'. That kind of nice.

The teacher at my little one's school is....special. She hears me talk to my girl in English although every one around us goes, logically, in French. She never says Hello or Goodbye to me (ok, Bonjour or Au revoir). She never looks at me unless I am positioning myself right under her nose dreading to ask her anything, like - "how is she doing, was everything ok?" What I get is "yea, yea, she's fine, running everywhere and bothering all the other kids".Yeap, great. And that with her looking over my shoulder into the courtyard as if she was searching something.
So besides the fact that it's the teacher's last year before retirement and the fact that I have no choice other than taking the little one out of school, meaning isolating her which is not an option, I am patiently waiting for this second semester to end. I want to be nicer than I am when my natural instinct would just make me burst out and tell her how how how...I really feel.

6. Read more! Or just read...? Ever since I have this notebook tablet I spend huge amounts of time on the net, on Pinterest, on what not. It is addictive. I know I am not alone here, but I start forgetting words! I try to make up stories for my girl and they come out so...blah, language wise. Yet ironically I keep on buying books.

7. Give more. Give more attention, compassion, smiles, heart. Give more love. Give.


That should be enough I think...

 

Have a great one everyone.

Big Fish

The sale season is officially here in France. I had the "inspiration" to go to Zara on the first day the sales kicked in. I don't know what I was thinking because I know from personal experience Zara changes into a jungle during the sales, but thought maybe, on the first day, a miracle will slow down the tradition... yeap, not exactly. And I don't really need anything to be honest. And then of course I bought stuff I now have to return because some reason or another. But once you're in there you can't help but think that everything will dissapear so you just buy and think later. Isn't this return policy just the most wonderful thing invented since electricity or something. And doesn't this consumption society turn us into puppets sometimes.

Today at church they were requesting help for a family that has just lost its head- the husband/father has died leaving behind a rather helpless mom with kids. Cancer. He had not been working for a year prior to the end due to the medical condition so all their resources evaporated. Couldn't help but think - what on earth would I do with all my ...can't even remember how many - pairs of shoes I got.

If I was to go tomorrow. I was thinking about this last week while watching this movie called Big Fish. About a guy who during his whole life had and made an impact on other people's lives. His own son would not believe the stories of how he touched all these people he had encountered throughout the journey, but at his funeral they kept flowing in like flocks and remembering him for acts and facts with smiles on their faces.

Imagine.
A'lesson' from a motivational course I followed some years back was this: write your own eulogy. What would you like to have read about you at your funeral.

Imagine.
Imagine you go tomorrow. What was the impact you had on those, at least those, close to you. On those you met at a point or another in your childhood, adolescence, youth, adulthood, career, neighborhood, happy times, sad times, hard times etc etc etc. It is said that all those we meet were sent to meet us or to be met for a reason. Whether so they can impact us or so that we can impact them. It is said you should never forget someone intentionally. It is also said that people change and that people never change.
Little does it matter. One sure fact is we all go. One day we will all leave this life.
(Getting to my eulogy here).

What do you want to be remembered for?

starting over

So I haven't posted since before Christmas.
Not much has happened here, except...the holidays.
We are in 2013, if, like me, you have a hard time believing it.
I had so many things I wanted to write about. Post Christmas. And New Year. And the French. And backlog posts I promised a few months back.
I'll make a salad out of this post. Kidding, going one by one :)
Today, something that's been on my heart lately.

Starting with the famous New Year resolutions. And like it or not we should all have at least one for each new coming year no matter how perfect our life is.

1. Sorting through friends. Not as easy as sorting through your folders for this one actually implies sorting feelings. Tough one to do, but necessary I would say.

I was browsing Facebook yesterday and I came about the post below. Funny because I was thinking about this a few days back and pondering over some relationships I cannot define quite well-

 

You can't force people to like you or hang out with you, no matter how much you care.
And then we all need friends, true friends that is. Not talking about the Facebook kind of friends, even if we do have friends on Facebook as well (except real friendships just don't work like that); Facebook is great for keeping in touch with aquaintances and the name 'friends' is very well thought and adapted. Talking about the friends you know you can count on.

You all know the saying:
"Friends are the family we choose for ourselves"; touching on another subject I was long planning on writing - this "migration" some of us undertake in our lives and all the consequences it involves in what it concerns friends and friendships.

I used to think I had lots of (real) friends. When I first left home I had them. I could have counted about 5 real girlfriends. With time relationships evolved or devolved. I moved to the US, kept in touch for a while with my BF (best friends). I say for a while because when I first went back I must have changed so much, not to say they have, that I had come to discover girls I did not recognize. It shocked me. Did I really change that much? I like to think not, but then it is true that each of us have, except in different directions. It hurts even today when I think about it. I still go back often enough and...wish I still had my friends there.

I made my friends "over" in Chicago and they are what I consider my BF today. With family far away, they became my family. They cared to care. I am thinking, with not an unsignificant amount of fear, with my move again to France will I be able to keep my BF from Chicago? Or will we all change again to the point of  "no care"? We are mature now, we shaped our personalities and the dangers of big changes are not imminent. The geographical distance does sometimes challenge relationships, but then it is ultimately up to us and to how true of a friend we are to keep going.

Needless to say I restarted the "making friends process" in France, except with age it becomes tiring, slower. After 30 we like our comfort zones, we have our schedules, our own families. Yet I cannot imagine my life without friends. Friends are family.

Talking about sorting friendships means just finally letting go on those who want to go and nurturing those who are right behind us no matter what, no matter the distance and differences that come with life. ...

May you have a year filled with moments spent with friends :)