champagnepout :: life, love, fashion, Paris & everything in between

2012-03-11T16:37:00.002+01:00

Conveyor-belt sushi in Paris... Comfort food for the soul on a windy evening.

How have you been?

2012-03-07T23:41:00.000+01:00

I was looking for something simple & elegant... thank you Aphrodite for taking care of me.. what a beautiful name for a beautiful woman who epitomises wonderful Parisian service.

Closing the shop for a little while... my lonely cat will stay lonely until i find some time to sew a companion for it.

Schoolwork is piling up & many things are going on at the moment. Problems, responsibilities, realities; we all have our fair share of these don't we.

"What lies behind us & what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

stars in your hair

2012-03-03T20:12:00.000+01:00

Rodarte Fall 2012.

The Mulleavy sisters sent their models down the runway with these pretty star hair clips.

Imagine wearing this on a starry summer night... sigh xxx

days with my best friend

2012-02-29T21:42:00.004+01:00

My best friend came to Paris again over the weekend so it was non-stop laughter, drinks, food, shopping. It was great to discover new places with her & revisit old haunts.

I feel loved!

This time round, we had a mission.. to find the most simple, beautiful & elegant dress from this year's spring collections.

After 3 days of shopping (i even skipped school yest), I'm exhausted... But for now, the mission is completed, she's gone home to Singapore & i miss her already! xxx

sunset

2012-02-24T22:32:00.003+01:00

My friend Timmy is going back to Chicago... so sad to see him leave :'( We had fallafels in the Marais district... the best fallafel in Paris.. good food doesn't have to be expensive!

We thought we should end his stay with one of the best views in Paris...

The sunset was breathtaking, bursting with the last light... as though the sun changed his mind a thousand times before sliding into the horizon.

We stayed till the tower lit up, the air became chilly, my nose turned red & Paris transformed from unfeeling grey to a twinkling warm hue..

But still we stayed on, each willing his mind to remember this moment when Paris was at her prettiest. xx

wait for me.

2012-02-24T08:46:00.001+01:00

The next city on my list is a precious one... dreamed & imagined from the books I devoured on it, from the photos of friends.. my heart ached to go, to touch its beautiful curves, but somehow the timing was never right.

Wait for me, I'm coming soon xxx

Afternoon tea vol. 3

2012-02-22T19:11:00.011+01:00

(photo by the lucky files on flickr) Sitting by the window & enjoying a late afternoon coffee.

There is something about solitude which attracts me greatly, i can let my defenses down, I can put on my favorite music & tackle all the stuff I need to finish.

Perhaps it was the 5 years of having always to smile & make small talk with the people around me that makes me shun social engagements these days.

And especially lately when the blues have hit me hard... from the people around me.

There is this thing about human nature that prevents us from feeling happy for someone when we are feeling down. I suffer from that too. But when all my friends are at stages in their lives where they are not happy professionally or in love or with their families, it really brings me down & makes me feel guilty & I dont want to feel that way.

Oh but you have a perfect life, they say. I don't. I am far away from my family & my country. I deviated from what society expects of me based on education & background, & I paid the price for my decisions. But instead of focusing on the glass being half empty, be happy that at least you still have half a glass.

A phone call from home perks me up instantly, fresh flowers make me smile, sending my purses overseas fill me with happiness, discovering a new restaurant excites me, unexplored cities fuel my wanderlust... in my own ways i try very hard to find something to smile about & to be thankful for everyday.

It's not easy if you are naturally pessimistic like me.. But if you don't want to make this effort... then can you say you deserve to be happy?

the lazy girl's kitchen #5: Yoghurt crumble

2012-02-19T11:32:00.001+01:00

Even on busy days, I can't start the day without coffee & a good breakfast.

This is one of my favorites cos it's so easy. Nothing is ever difficult in my kitchen! (◡‿◡✿)

Place 2-3 digestive biscuits (plain or chocolate) into a small glass & use a pounder to crush them. I used part of a traditional walnut cracker.. anything works! Digestives are the best here, for their taste & texture.

Heap plain yoghurt over it.

Voila! A healthy & delicious yoghurt crumble for breakfast!

Sprinkle cocoa powder on top if you need extra encouragement to start the day! xx

Things that made me smile this week

2012-02-17T23:00:00.008+01:00

Spending a rainy afternoon in a café serving one of the best coffees in Paris // finding the perfect shirt for spring & summer // making purses for my friends & seeing them smile

Have a beautiful weekend x

white on white

2012-02-15T22:22:00.004+01:00

A huge leafy bouquet that i butchered down to sparseness. Just feels more me this way ♪

Celebrating the return of temperatures above zero xx

l'amour, toujours l'amour..

2012-02-14T19:01:00.001+01:00

miracle of nature

2012-02-12T20:43:00.003+01:00

A quiet Saturday at the theatre in Versailles... & a walk to see the Pièce d'Eau des Suisses, a little lake located south of the chateau de Versailles, used sometimes to supply water for the gardens.

It was -5 degrees Celsius but the skies were unbelievably blue.

The whole lake was frozen as far as the eye could see; the swans were walking on ice.

Thanks to the continuous paddling of the ducks, one small area of the lake escaped the deep freeze.

Franz-Oliver Giesbert once said that the setting sun is always less charming than when it rises... but on this beautiful late afternoon, i beg to differ. xx

yesterday...

2012-02-10T21:13:00.002+01:00

best foie gras i ever had // mailing off purses to the other end of the world // ♥

have a warm cosy weekend xx

the lazy girl's kitchen #4: Miso ginger steamed fish

2012-02-08T20:19:00.001+01:00

Today I'll share one of my favorite dishes - a delicious miso ginger steamed fish... it's so easy & fast! ლ(๏‿๏)

You'll need fish, fresh tomatoes, onions, ginger & miso paste.

I buy most condiments like ginger & onions frozen & pre-cut from Picard, a supermarket here which specialises in fresh frozen food. All my friends who are great cooks swear by Picard. Of course fresh market produce is the best, but I'm all for efficiency when it comes to cooking.

Cut the cherry tomatoes, add chopped onions, ginger & miso paste.

Lay the fish on top of these.

Steam for about 15-20 minutes. Check regularly.

Serve with steamed rice & vegetables if you like. Yummy goodness!

If you are so inclined, the dish would taste even better if the ginger was sliced & pan-fried.. but this doesnt happen often in a lazy girl's kitchen! xx

we are so small #3

2012-02-07T21:30:00.001+01:00

Another look at our beautiful Earth - my midweek pleasure ♬

All photos were taken by cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin from the International Space Station. I am so happy these astronauts take the time to share all their pictures with us.

The Amazon river winding its way thru the rainforest.

A volcano in the Kamchatka mountain range in Russia.

Clouds.

Motu One, an atoll in French Polynesia.

Photo credits: Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin & the Russian Space Agency

2012-02-06T17:37:00.001+01:00

In recent months, I've been advised by a number of friends & readers to blog in french since it will help to improve my language skills as well as attract french readers. However, after much consideration, I still decided against it. The reasons are very simple.

I took a quick snapshot of weekly readership, I dont have a huge number of readers but they've been around forever, since my Xanga days. As you can see, most of them come from English-speaking countries.

In addition, I actually blog very fast in english; writing in french will take alot more time, not to mention the added stress of making mistakes. My schedule gets pretty packed when I have school so this blog will exist only in english for the time being! I was often inclined to share snippets of French texts I found inspiring, perhaps soon!

In the meantime, I think Singapore airlines is recruiting again... cos I often receive many emails during this period! Really sorry but for this topic, I will reply everyone here... it's faster.. I think their recruitment procedures change all the time, the only things they constantly look for is a clear complexion, good height-to-weight ratio (BMI less than 22 if I remember correctly), ability to speak standard english & passion for service/meeting new people/travelling, etc. Good luck!

School starts again in a few days! So much to do! xx

let it snow

2012-02-05T17:48:00.003+01:00

We woke up to a beautiful winter morning... & nature left us this during the night. Besides sub-zero temperatures across most of continental Europe, heavy snow was dumped on many cities & Paris was not spared.

The church beside our place..

The kids making snow balls as we had lunch with the family. There's a certain delicious joy in watching the snow fall from the comfort of a warm home, tea in hand.

Taking a walk around the castle of St Germain before we head home.. do you see the moon?

What a beautiful late afternoon sky.

Despite the inconveniences that snow brings for people living in the city, its powder white texture makes everything so serene & beautiful xx

Bateaux Mouches

2012-02-05T16:47:00.001+01:00

On my mum's last night in Paris, F planned a dinner cruise down the Seine for the 3 of us. It was beautiful.

In between courses, we went up to the deck.. it was freezing cold but felt so great to have the icy wind in your face as you see the Eiffel Tower from another perspective & right after that, we went underneath the bridge.. so close you could reach up & touch it.

Everyone had a table by the window so we could see Paris in all its lit-up glory while enjoying dinner.

The map of the river cruise & all the monuments we could see during the 2.5 hour ride.

The interior of the boat.

My codfish main.

Thank you Bateaux Mouches... for the excellent welcome & faultless service... I almost forgot we were in Paris ;)

It was a wonderful night. Moments like these remind me that no matter what the world throws at you, the people who love you will always be on your side, supporting you & laughing with you. xx

winter essentials

2012-02-04T11:31:00.003+01:00

As the temperature in Paris continues to plummet, I can't live without these winter life-savers... an old fleece blanket stolen from the plane on my way to Hawaii a few years ago, the softest grey beanie for rainy days in autumn & now winter, plus a really really good lip balm. xx

Paris' Opera House

2012-02-03T13:45:00.004+01:00

I've walked past the Palais Garnier, which houses the Paris Opera, countless times since the first time I stepped foot in Paris... but never thought of going in. While my mum was in Paris, we thought it was a good time to take a look inside & escape from the freezing temperatures!

Right in the heart of Haussmann's reconstruction project, Palais Garnier was built on the orders of Napoleon III & completed in 1875. We stepped in & were overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all.. besides marble pillars & bronze statues, opulence attacked your senses eveywhere you turned.

The Grand Staircase which is made entirely of differently-colored marble... one could easily imagine society ladies brushing past each other in a bygone era.

And the most gilded room of all - the Grand Foyer. The foyers were created for the audience to stroll around during performance intervals.. It's amazing the kind of extravagance Napoleon allowed during his reign.

We were very lucky to visit the Palais Garnier on a winter afternoon when it was practically deserted... we had the whole place to ourselves!

The auditorium itself was a spectacle... there were gasps of delight when people entered... i think no photo could ever do it justice.

But what really bowled me over was the beautiful ceiling. It was unmistakably Marc chagall but i didnt expect him to be associated with something so lavish. I later found out he painted scenes from 14 great operas for this ceiling. Beautiful isnt it?

My favorite room... the Salon du Glacier. The different tapestries on the wall depict the serving of different drinks like tea, champagne, etc - I guess this is where guests could talk & have a drink before the show.

Could not resist doing a little twirl around this room... I probably would never see it so empty again.

My mum bought this for me... a pencil case in the form of a ballet shoe!
The Palais Garnier is definitely a beautiful place to while away the afternoon if you're ever in Paris xx

Cesky Krumlov... a Czech jewel

2012-02-01T20:07:00.000+01:00

The Vlatava river that flows thru Prague passes thru Cesky Krumlov as well.. a little city 3 hours away from Prague which is a UNESCO World heritage site.

The Krumlov castle is just breathtakingly beautiful... especially with snow on the rooftops.

The difference between this castle & all the others i've seen in Prague & elsewhere is the walls... they were all painted, as though it was a blank canvas & someone decided to color it in. Isnt it beautiful? xx

the beauty of Prague

2012-02-01T17:20:00.001+01:00

Some photos of Prague.... i took so many that i wont have time to look thru all of 'em!

Misty morning view of Prague's bridges from Letna Park.

The square of Malostranske Namesti with one of their modern trams... in fact i was surprised at how modern the city is.

Enjoying a Czech beer with beef goulash & their famous roast duck... beer is cheaper than water in all the restaurants... less than 2USD for a big mug!

At the old town square Staromestske with the medieval Astronomical Clock which was built in 1410 & is the world's oldest working astronomical clock.

The astronomical dial above shows positions of the earth & moon & sun plus zodiac signs as well as good old time of the day. Every hour, hordes of tourists stand patiently beneath the clock as 12 little statues of the apostles appear in the 2 windows above the dial, just like a merry-go-round.. After they finish making their appearance, a trumpeter high up in the clock tower blows his trumpet! It was so cute to watch.

Grabbing a picture beneath the most beautiful clock i've ever seen.

We climb up the tower & are rewarded with beautiful views of the square & the gothic church of our Lady before Tyn. From up here, one could easily imagine himself back in the old days where kings still ruled the land & town criers existed.

Before we know it, the next hour has come & the trumpeter does his job again.

The old town square is one of the most romantic places in Europe... even at sub-zero temperatures, we saw a number of wedding couples taking their pics here 💕

At sunset, we walked over to Charles Bridge, the only way of crossing the river before 1841.

Baroque statues line the bridge on both sides... if you look at the first photo above, you probably can see their silhouettes!

As dusk falls, the temperature plunges & we hurry indoors for some beef goulash.. but not before marvelling at the beauty of this bridge & the city.

a winter wonderland..

2012-01-30T22:44:00.002+01:00

A beautiful day greeted us as we got off the train in Chamonix..

But the snow didnt let up & it continued snowing for the next 2 days we were there!

Mont Blanc in the distance..

The lovely church next to our hotel..

Taking the little train up the mountains to see the Montenvers glacier, the longest glacier in France.

Unfortunately it was all covered in fog & snow & we only caught a glimpse of it thru the howling winds.

Then just before we got on the train down, the clouds parted to give us a clear view :)

Then we went up the Aiguille de Midi by cable car only to get caught in such heavy snow we literally froze & our noses all turned red! It was -14 degs & i was not even properly dressed... everyone stared at us in the cable car... i guessed they must have been laughing at our tropical silliness.

At the summit with no view... just a sea of white for as far as the eye could see.

But the snow-capped mountains were so beautiful... just like a real-life Christmas card.
I've seen Chamonix in winter & summer... what a world of difference, but equally enchanting xx

brrrrrrrr.....

2012-01-29T17:49:00.002+01:00

Back from my short vacation! It was below 0deg in both Chamonix & Prague... With frozen toes & fingers.. I'm all snowed out & I cant stand the cold anymore >_<
Looking at my summer purses, I only wish for spring to come! xx

we are so small #2

2012-01-25T10:57:00.000+01:00

Astronaut Douglas Wheelock took these pictures of our Earth when he was aboard the ISS.. From up above, the wars & conflicts are far away, we see every part of our earth as it should be seen.

The Bahamas.

Hurricane Earl & the setting sun... this photo takes my breath away.

Glacier in Patagonia...one of the last untouched places on earth.

Sunrise over the Andes..

And Ayers Rock!

I have an immense respect for astronauts... they are so amazing... working in an environment unimaginable to us, knowing that any failure could mean never coming home. Thanks to the photos they take, we get to share a bit of the beauty they see each day.

happy chinese new year!

2012-01-23T09:07:00.001+01:00

Gotta love my mum for bringing over Chinese New Year goodies from Singapore - spicy dried shrimp rolls & pineapple tarts!xx

♡ Clémence Poésy

2012-01-21T23:09:00.005+01:00

From this month's Glamour, one of my favorite french girls, Clémence Poésy. You might remember her as Fleur Delacour in one of the Harry potter films.

Totally gorgeous & made me wish so hard that spring was here & we could go out bare-legged again!

And simply because she can pull off anything without looking like she tried so hard.
Happy weekend xx

2012-01-20T23:31:00.000+01:00

Yesterday the winter sun was shining so brightly that I could zip to the post office sans thick coat... a little pleasure amidst the dreary winter blues.

Today it was rain rain & more rain.... sniff. But my mum arrives tomorrow! And we'll be meeting my sis in Chamonix on monday :) Just hope the bad weather in the US doesn't affect her flights.

A picture of my mum on my kitchen board... she was at the beach with my father. Of course she's aged since then but still has the greatest legs xx

finally it's vacation time :)

2012-01-19T23:07:00.001+01:00

Next week...

I haven't been back to Chamonix since summer 2002... i remember the town was so quaint & seeing Mont Blanc was such a great experience.

And it's time to finally discover Prague.. everyone has been there except me! (ｏ・_・)ノ”(ノ_＜。)

We even got Elmo a little coat for the trip so he'll be all nice & toasty ♡

2012-01-18T22:44:00.011+01:00

These past couple of days have been busyyyy... planning vacations can be such a pain (>_<;)
On my way to school to register for next semester.. plus my mum is coming in 3 days' time to visit me :) I can't wait! xx

we are so small.

2012-01-17T21:52:00.005+01:00

For most of my life, i've always been interested in anything to do with space & Nasa, & i remember one of the highlights of my flying life was going to the Johnson Space center in Houston. It was like a dream come true for me.

Looking at these pictures taken from space by astronauts or Nasa really touches my heart... i cant explain why but i just love looking at our Earth this way.

I'll be sharing more space-related pictures from now on... they just make me happy. To start off, satellite pictures from Nasa showing night-time lights in areas of our world... & hence the distribution of populations.

Compare Australia's coasts vs the interior desert land...

Closer look at Tokyo..

Western european cities vs the great land of Africa... this picture really shows in a way the inequalities of our lives.

The US... compare the Rocky mountains to NYC :)

Evolution of the world in a single image. xx

tunnel of love

2012-01-16T22:44:00.002+01:00

The Tunnel of Love in Kleven, Ukraine.

photos : Oleg Gordienko

A train track which has trees growing over it, thus making a natural tunnel... our world is really amazing xx

the lazy girl's kitchen #3: Broccoli italian-style

2012-01-15T20:36:00.002+01:00

I'm the laziest girl in the world when it comes to cooking... I don't hate it, but I'd rather read a book or watch a film.
So i'm always on the lookout for quick simple recipes & this one's so good it's worth sharing -

★ Italian-style Broccoli ★

First, chop some tomatoes & onions, fry them with some oil & garlic until they turn soft. At the same time, boil the broccoli for a short while.

Next step, add some light cream to the tomatoes & onions... If you like a thicker sauce, leave it to simmer for a while longer. Add in fresh basil leaves, salt & pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce over the broccoli & sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese. Done in less than 10 mins! Serve with rice. Try it, it's really delicious! xx

2012-01-14T18:37:00.003+01:00

Walking in a daze after my exam this afternoon...
Maybe I was being too hard on myself but the fact that I made 3 very careless & costly mistakes was enough to make me cry. I realised how easy it is to learn a language but to master it is almost impossible for me.
Sometimes I feel that putting in your best effort does not always bring the results you want, & i hate it.
But that's life i guess...
3 papers down, 1 more to go. Let's do it!

ommmm

2012-01-11T23:53:00.000+01:00

So while most of the French are out in the shops today.. i was snapped at home preparing for my exams lol.

We stay across the road from a LABYRINTH of pedestrian shopping streets.. there are so many boutiques here that St Germain-en-laye is often called the 'largest open-air shopping centre in west Paris'. And the women here take their shopping very seriously. But i am a nerd at heart so books come first heh (^_−)☆

the winter sales

2012-01-09T21:32:00.001+01:00

The winter sales start officially in France in 2 days.. & it used to be quite important to my colleagues who would shop up a storm if they happened to be in Paris at that time.

I only go to a couple of boutiques during the sales & Comptoir des Cotonniers is one of them. Along with Maje & Sandro, this is one of my favorite Parisian brands. I like their earthy tones & comfortable basics. On Sunday, we passed by the boutique on our way to the supermarket... the sales had already started, so i got this lovely winter coat to start the year.

Been looking for a black coat for the longest time... this was exactly what i was looking for... a good fitting cut but at the same time roomy enough for layering underneath.♥

Afternoon tea Vol. 2

2012-01-09T15:14:00.006+01:00

Having my afternoon tea & thinking of Proust's In Search of Lost Time which has a beautiful paragraph on how the taste of a piece of madeleine brought back a whole host of childhood memories.

In English:

"And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray (because on those mornings I did not go out before mass), when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom, my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane. The sight of the little madeleine had recalled nothing to my mind before I tasted it; perhaps because I had so often seen such things in the meantime, without tasting them, on the trays in pastry-cooks' windows, that their image had dissociated itself from those Combray days to take its place among others more recent; perhaps because of those memories, so long abandoned & put out of mind, nothing now survived, everything was scattered; the shapes of things, including that of the little scallop-shell of pastry, so richly sensual under its severe, religious folds, were either obliterated or had been so long dormant as to have lost the power of expansion which would have allowed them to resume their place in my consciousness.

But when from a long-distant past nothing subsists, after the people are dead, after the things are broken & scattered, taste & smell alone, more fragile but more enduring, more unsubstantial, more persistent, more faithful, remain poised a long time, like souls, remembering, waiting, hoping, amid the ruins of all the rest; & bear unflinchingly, in the tiny & almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection."

Beautiful isn't it?

Diva - Jean-Jacques Beineix

2012-01-08T15:30:00.001+01:00

A really great film i saw last night - Diva from Jean-Jacques Beineix (1981)

The plot is funnily complicated, much like Hong Kong films from the 80s - a postman is in love with an opera singer, secretly records her performance & is pursued by Taiwanese gangsters who want to sell the tape. To complicate things, he is also in possession by accident of another cassette tape which is proof of a high-level policeman involved in several mob activities. He tries to escape from both with the help of a teenage girl who is a thief & her extremely cool philosopher boyfriend.

I must admit it didn't quite attract me at first... but once the film started, it was WOW, what a feast for the eyes! Below are some stills from the film which i managed to find:

Considered as part of the Cinema du look movement (films 'said to favor style over substance, spectacle over narrative'), Diva became a cult classic for its visuals. The plot had some laugh-out-loud cheesiness but I have to say the cinematography & music were excellent.

The film had a lacklustre opening in France in 1981 but re-opened to great success in cinemas again 1 year after thanks to word-of-mouth. Probably the only french film i know to have done that! I highly recommend it if you are in the mood for something retro & different. xx

bilan

2012-01-05T19:31:00.003+01:00

A rainy day like today always makes me reflect on my life.. especially seeing that we have just started a new year.

//

Going back to the classroom has been challenging but rewarding. I discovered many french authors whose books intimidated me previously, but thanks to school, their masterpieces have become doors to another world.

Living in France for the past 4-5 months also opened my eyes to the issues here like immigration, the economy & quality of life. When I look at Paris with its dirt, beggars & crime, I really miss Singapore's cleanliness, low crime rate & efficiency. But the turbulent history of France & the French revolution is truly alive in this city... I've never been more interested in history than I am now & this is the best time to soak it all in.

I am also happy to share my life with a man who is so kind & patient & generous with the people around him, & who makes me a better person.

//

What do you want to achieve this year? Instead of making a whole list of resolutions that fly out the window by February, i will do only one this year :)

In 2012, the one thing I really want to do is to take better care of my health. The past 5 years flying around have taken a toll on my body, & moving here made me realise how important it is to be healthy. I have fallen sick so many times plus my stiff neck & shoulders still remain a problem. At one point I couldnt even look over my shoulders!

It was spending time in Aix with my amazing friend Lula that changed my perspective. She just got certified as a yoga teacher & taught me some basic yoga moves to relax my upper body, as well as some diet & posture changes. I can't wait for her to start her own business :)

So I've been getting up earlier every morning to stretch & breathe deeply. Believe it or not, deep breathing is not easy for me as my breathing has always been shallow & irregular. I never realised that until it was pointed out to me.

Plus i now eat some form of fresh fruit everyday... it might seem funny to some of you, but I used to eat very little fruit, preferring to pop vitamin pills. Ha what a mess i am right.

On the upside, my skin & hair have improved greatly once I stopped flying, & to those of you who ask about my skincare routine, I will try to post something more concrete than my emails but it will be very amateur-ish lol.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone here who sent me holiday cards or gifts or emails.. it's really nice to know that i'm thought of by friends whom i've not seen in person before. I wish for all of you a great year ahead (*•ᴗ•*)

mac i'm back

2012-01-05T09:32:00.001+01:00

Finally had time to set up my new toy. It was the sweetest Christmas gift from F... The end of my crew lifestyle = no need for tiny light laptops anymore. I've had enough of windows' bullshit for 2 years.. mac i'm back ♫ ♪

rainy day boots

2012-01-03T10:49:00.001+01:00

I hate it when it rains in Paris.. which unfortunately is quite often.

So it helps when i have a lovely pair of equestrian rain boots whose color & leather belts make it chic for dry days too ♥

Aix

2012-01-02T11:35:00.002+01:00

Happy 2012! The last few days of 2011 were really wonderful... we stayed in Aix with friends where it was 15 degrees everyday & unbelievably blue skies.

Lula who was preparing to make a mountain of crepes for dinner... love her to bits! She is from Ukraine & a real darling. She opened up her house to us & treated us like royalty ♥

Along the famous Cours Mirabeau of Aix... much like Paris' Champs Elysées but alot more charming & less tourists.

One of the old squares of Aix where filmmakers regularly come to shoot.

We also visited Arles but i was very sick from flu & the effects of the mistral, a strong Provencal wind. However, the colors of the setting Provencal sun against the stone houses were too beautiful to let go.

A typical market day in Aix.

How i have missed the wonderful weather of Provence! The people are so warm & there's always so much light in this region.

Stephane choosing fresh lettuce for our New year's eve dinner. He retired early with Lula & decided to move to Aix where he now goes to the market, reads & travels. They are such a wonderful couple & 2 of the nicest people i've met in france :)

Aix is full of little squares & fountains & cafes... a very pretty city. Everywhere you turned, there was bound to be a cafe or fountain of some sort. Coupled with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, it's no wonder that many choose to retire here.

Tea break at Riederer, a famous Swiss patisserie in Aix. The cakes were exquisite & we bought so many of them to try.
Instead of counting down in one of the bars, we had a 5-hr dinner & spent the last few minutes dancing to strings of life, it was great. I hope you too had a wonderful start to the new year... I'm still unwell & my nose hasn't stopped running for days so it's time to rest（。_°)

candy sweet vuitton

2011-12-28T23:03:00.003+01:00

Such a beautiful spring 2012 campaign from Vuitton, shot by Steven Meisel. I love it!

Marc Jacobs is such a genius & an inspiration to us all.. Not in the fashion sense but the drastic way he changed his lifestyle & kicked his drug addiction to emerge such a hottie, PLUS changed the face of Vuitton. Below are also some of his spring 2012 looks from a really great Vogue article >> http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/marc-jacobs-a-man-for-all-seasons/

We'll be leaving for Aix-en-Provence in the south of France tomorrow... our dear friends have kindly invited us to ring in the new year with them & I can't wait! Aix is one of the cities in Provence that I've yet to discover...

So I wish you a very happy end to 2011 & see you next year :) xx

Les marinieres de Petit Bateau...

2011-12-27T17:41:00.001+01:00

Petit Bateau's spring looks for 2012.

Since I got my first mariniere striped top way back in 2009, I've always loved the simplicity of it & have now amassed a collection of marine-striped tops from everywhere. (including 2 more in the laundry basket :P)

But Petit Bateau is still my favorite go-to brand cos their cotton is the softest & thickest. Did you know they invented panties in 1913? :)

Can't wait till the new collection launches! xx

Christmas day...

2011-12-25T23:28:00.002+01:00

Hope your Christmas has been warm & filled with love.. Ours was quiet & relaxing & the weather was cool. This time last year, Paris & its surroundings were deep in snow.

A noisy lovely Christmas day spent among friends & their horses & dogs is really quite a joy. It's the time to eat, drink, make merry, spoil & be spoilt rotten. (⋈･◡･)✰

And tomorrow we're gonna catch the much-awaited film on Freud & psychoanalysis with one of my favorite actresses... I can't wait... been seeing so many great French films in the cinema lately that Hollywood better not disappoint! xx

merry christmas

2011-12-23T20:32:00.010+01:00

A rare moment in Paris' underground metro... where i'm all alone on the platform.

Another sewing class... this time something for the kitchen, after i was inspired by a Japanese zakka book. I'll take clearer pictures of it when i have more time.

The Greek restaurant opposite our apartment finally opened after months of renovation & we were more than willing to support them. Their moussaka was one of the best i'd tasted.

Have a good weekend & merry christmas! xx

oh to be a young student again..

2011-12-22T00:04:00.000+01:00

Today i met my friends Chris & Tim for study group.. We didn't touch a single book, polished off 2 bottles of cheap wine, 2 baguettes & a huge chunk of cheese. Oh and the jam jar was actually Tim's wine glass.

It was a fantastic afternoon. I felt so young again! xx

excellent book

2011-12-20T20:07:00.001+01:00

When I received this book for Christmas 2 days ago, I was a little taken aback. By the picture & the title: The house in which i died in the past.

After the death of her father, Sayaka, who ill-treats her child & has tried to commit suicide before, goes to find a house in the mountains according to a map left behind by him. She hopes the house will be the key to her troubled past, as she has no memories of her childhood. In the abandoned house, the door is sealed shut & all the clocks have been stopped at the same hour. A journal belonging to a little boy is found, and from there, the mystery unravels. What tragic events happened in this house & how do they concern her?

Last night I read the first few pages out of curiosity & my god, I couldnt put it down. I read till i fell asleep from sheer fatigue last night, & I camped on the sofa today with a big blanket until i finished it.

Unfortunately I couldnt find the English title anywhere so I'm not sure it has been translated yet. Apparently Keigo Higashino is well-known in Japan for his mystery & suspense novels especially The Secret, The Devotion of Suspect X so I'm gonna buy them all tomorrow! Have not touched anything resembling classic french literature for many days & not till I finish at least the next book. But I will read it in french so i think that counts towards studying for the exam hehe.. ლ(๏‿๏)

christmas came early

2011-12-19T20:03:00.001+01:00

My first Christmas gift came early

Every woman needs a Twilly in her closet (✿´⌣`✿)♡

Plus my first set of cooking books.... will i use them? I hope so hehe.

No more classes till 2012! Whoopee... even though it means time to study for the exams..

December skies

2011-12-16T20:23:00.005+01:00

December has been filled with wind & rain but once in a while... I look up & the skies surprise me. I was near the Place Vendome doing my Christmas shopping. This famous column was erected by Napoleon to commemorate the battle of Austerlitz & it's covered with melted bronze from the cannons in the battle. Whenever I walk past it, I feel like history is alive everywhere in this city.

On my way to school... I was late for class but couldn't help whipping out my phone & taking a picture of Notre Dame. What a treat in December!

When class was over, the sky had become grey once again.

These days, time passes so fast. I'm learning & soaking up so many things I fear I never have enough time to fully absorb it all. There are so many places to see, books to read, essays to write & purses to sew!

And to think I thought I would take a year OFF in Paris :)

Christmas is round the corner... my favourite time of the year... I will be celebrating with F's family this year... like the past 2 years. The festive period is always a time for family... & I am thankful for the one I have here. They have welcomed me with open arms & treated me with such kindness. My own family may be far away but they're always close in my heart & mind :) Thanks to technology, i video-chat with my mum almost everyday!

Have a great toasty Friday evening xxx

Chanel pre-fall 2012

2011-12-14T18:59:00.000+01:00

Karl got on the Bombay express to bring us his pre-fall collection ::

A few of my favorite pieces >> (I totally love the first one)

Beautiful intricate pieces inspired by India & totally not what we'd expect from Chanel...

But nonetheless they seem so wearable for everyday life! But of course only for those with extra cash in the pockets :P

Let's talk money...

2011-12-13T22:53:00.004+01:00

I've received many emails over the past few months about studying & expenses in France... sorry I havent been able to get back because I was trying to figure out the best way to give a clear picture to all of you as it covers so many aspects of one's life. I did some accounting over the past 2 months too. So here goes!

[1]. School fees. Taking a language course is different from studying full-time in a university & coming to Europe on student exchange from your home university, in terms of hours & fees. I pay about 1800 euros per semester (Oct-Jan) for my course, whereas studying full-time in a public uni here sets you back about 200 euros per annum & student exchange tuition fees are probably waived. (As was my case many years ago when i went to Belgium).

Different schools charge different fees so do check again. Language courses start at a few hundred euros per semester depending on your level, the school & the number of hours.

Decide what works best for your situation & what you want to achieve. Do u want the experience without the stress, or are u in for the credentials? I only really wanted a year off so I knew i wouldnt want to plunge into university routines again.

[2]. Housing. My friend, who lives in a 2-bedroom apartment with his roommate pays about 1000 euros a month. Rent is expensive in Paris, & it varies greatly depending on the district you live in, your proximity to amenities, etc. However, this drops drastically when you are living in a student hostel so it really depends on your resources & yr school! I'd say this is the single most important expense of studying here and deserves the most effort in planning.

[3]. Food. We spend about 150 euros a week on groceries for 2 people including wines. My student friend spends about 200 euros a month for himself. It depends on whether you cook alot, buy ready-made food, or even if u buy supermarket house brands over established ones.

[4]. Transport. If you are a student & younger than 26 yrs old, you qualify for subsidised fees & u pay like 30-40 euros for unlimited travel on the metro every month. I live in the suburbs & am older than 26 so i pay 98 euros a month.

[5]. Lifestyle & entertainment. Take into account your lifestyle back home & what is important to you. I can't live without being connected to the Internet. My mobile plan has data included & costs me only 30 euros a month. I have classmates who use a prepaid SIM card (10 euros/month) & use the Internet & free computers in school & that saves them alot of money.

Are u contented to watch tv at home & study or do u prefer to hang out in bars knowing new people, going to museums, catching the latest french films? Can you live without eating out at restaurants? All these entertainment expenses add up so u might want to factor them in. I think 300-400 euros is a fair amount to put aside for all these. Of course you can go without these too. Some students I know have alot on their plate academically so they seldom go out.

In my opinion, i think it's a shame to be in a city like Paris & not visit the museums. Museums are free one sunday of every month & there are free museums around the city too.

[6]. Travel. France is a wonderful base to explore the rest of Europe so do factor in holiday expenses. It's also cheap to travel around if you buy yr train/plane tickets well in advance. Also going in a group with yr classmates helps u to split the costs too.

[7]. Work. If you are on a long-term student visa, you can work max 20 hrs a week part-time. This can help to finance your stay in Paris... the minimum wage is about 10 euros an hour for most student jobs.

[8]. Medical. If you are a student less than 28 yrs of age, you can buy insurance from the uni health system for 100-200 euros a year. As i dont qualify for that, I had to get my own insurance. This is important when u see a doctor as you only need to pay a token sum. However i also know people who did not buy insurance for the past 3 years living in Paris & they were fine.

------

My situation is very different from most students so this is the best i can come up with, after talking to my classmates. At age 29, I feel comfortable with a certain quality of life, after having worked for the past 6 years. Hence, I spend alot more than my younger peers in school on shopping/ films/ museums/ coffee,etc. However, I planned financially for all of these before coming to Paris.

Sorry for the late replies & feel free to drop me an email if you need more details & i will try my best to answer in my capacity. xx

Auvers-sur-Oise

2011-12-12T20:46:00.002+01:00

One Saturday not long ago...

when the sun was still out everyday.. we went to Auvers-sur-Oise on a whim where Vincent van Gogh lived & worked & commited suicide. It was amazing to see in real life the landscapes he was inspired by... the exact things he painted still standing today.

This church is one of my favorite paintings by him because of the color of the sky - is it day as most people say or is it a bright moonlit night as i feel.. that's the beauty of art.. no one tells you what it should be :)

And the graves of van Gogh & his brother... their story is heartbreaking... his brother was the only one who supported him & stood by him his whole life...

"One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever came to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way." - Vincent van Gogh

winter comfort & lovely things

2011-12-11T15:39:00.003+01:00

My favorite thing to do on a cold day..

keep my feet warm with the softest linen slippers from Muji & read my book with no interruptions.

when we are too lazy to cook on a weekend, we love eating Asian take-out. My favorites are the Thai fried rice & lemongrass chicken kebab. Comfort food to me is always Asian. :)

Packing my purses into pretty packages...

Ready for the post office...!

have a great weekend & keep warm xx

St Sulpice

2011-12-10T18:12:00.005+01:00

After school yesterday

I love the Place St Sulpice... it's not as touristy as Notre Dame but it's even nicer.

On a bleak December day, the water of the fountain & the birds in the branches magnify the beauty of this square; that's when I remember why I love Paris... xx

the best steak frites in Paris

2011-12-08T20:50:00.000+01:00

this week's been busyyyyy..

catching the lights downtown... disco red hair we do love

flanked by 2 great Singaporean guys.. Merv who visited from Tokyo... and Keith who works in Paris. Keith and I agreed straightaway we had to introduce Merv to the best steak & fries in paris - Le Relais de Venise!

It is truly a Parisian institution. For over 50 years, this restaurant serves only one dish, steak & fries. No reservations are taken. The waitresses only ask you how you want the meat to be done & drinks. Their Bordeaux is delicious as is their dark chocolate ice-cream. But the star is undoubtedly the steak sauce which is a fiercely guarded secret & the key to their success.

Every single person I've brought there LOVED the steak. My friend even closed her eyes in ecstasy after the first bite haha. And the icing on top of the cake? They divide your steak into 2 portions & serve you again once your first is finished so the meat is always tender & warm... And fries are free-flow.

ohhh when can i go back again? (๑´◡`๑)

//

2011-12-06T19:53:00.003+01:00

Yesterday i had dinner with a friend & ex-colleague who came to Paris. She said since i left the airline, people were still gossiping about me.. not mean gossip, just harmless curious gossip. On hearing that, it really affected me.

In the cabin crew industry, i picked up many good habits but i was also part of this huge gossip mill that stems from being squashed in a plane for many hours & subsequently in a foreign country with a group of colleagues. There is interaction & one often develops a false sense of closeness to this group after a few days. Repeat this for most flights you do, with a different group of people on every flight.

Add to that the working environment on a full-load flight where not every stewardess does her fair share of the work, difficult characters, etc. What you get after many years, is a real-life & Facebook web of saucy personal stories & gossip about people you know only superficially. Less than a quarter of my so-called friends on Facebook have access to my facebook photos or know of this blog.

Now i share bits & pieces of my life with the few thousand or so of you who visit this blog regularly... and it feels more right to me. Why, I can't explain.... perhaps i never wanted to be known as yet another stewardess who just bought this & that, who is dating who & who.

My life nowadays is alot more simple... less gossip, just plenty of literature.

"We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls." - Anais Nin

Pantone 16-0237 = heaven

2011-12-04T19:10:00.002+01:00

Happily clearing after a wonderful saturday night dinner. Love having company when it's raining outside & i make a mean chicken curry hehe. Although i'm no connoisseur, I love Ruinart's rose champagne.... it's just delicious & fruity & the pink is oh-so-pretty. We bought a bottle & our guests brought another 2 bottles... what a lucky coincidence!

Our place is filled with candles... this chic Pantone one was offered to us yesterday. If you love candles, this smells like HEAVEN with mandarin & tea notes. I am going out tomorrow to stock up for christmas!

Hope you had a beautiful weekend too xx

finally friday!

2011-12-02T19:00:00.003+01:00

The day before a dinner party, i always make a trip to Chinatown to get some Asian ingredients which can't be found in the supermarkets here, like chinese vegetables, certain sauces, japanese stuff, etc. And always in my shopping bag, one of my favorite beers - Tsingtao!

I looove this beer & can't care less about its image. This big can costs less than 1 euro. (●˙◡˙●)

Time to kick back & relax... friday nights are the best! ♫

Stein exposition

2011-11-30T21:41:00.002+01:00

Paris at 0800hrs. The light is so soft over the Seine that we walk for longer than we should, breathing in the crisp cold air.

The Grand Palais where we are due 2 hours before the museum opens.

Le Point magazine invited us for breakfast at the museum & a private visit to the Stein exhibition... which got me out of bed willingly... cos i hate lining up during winter for museums.

The Stein siblings were American art lovers who built up an impressive collection of great painters in the 20th century. They had Picasso's & Cezanne's early works... the small little paintings who would never be as well-known as the famous ones but to me are sometimes nicer. Art is of course, subjective... but a quiet Wednesday morning of coffee, croissants & art is hard to disagree with. xx

adjusting

2011-11-30T19:22:00.002+01:00

After using Xanga & Blogger, i can say that both come with their own set of problems. Blogger has serious problems with their posting, whereas it was a dream writing posts in Xanga.

Commenting in Xanga was easier too & you could reply individually to each commenter... plus have them notified by email of your reply. Seems pretty basic to me but unheard of in blogger!

So have made a few changes around here, implemented a new comment form, so commenters now can opt to receive my replies by email. Also created a link at the side to email me directly. Will be putting up other stuff as soon as i get some time... I have another test on friday. But at least this blog feels alot more like home now :) xx

mix & match

2011-11-29T23:05:00.003+01:00

Hope you had a great monday... mine was filled to the brim with this & that and before u know it... midweek has arrived.

I did have the pleasure of visiting one of the most beautiful Parisian apartments i'd ever seen. F's brother just bought a new place & we all trooped there for dinner... i love how people with a good eye for design can mix & match really expensive statues & antiques with Ikea stuff & flea market finds. see you soon xxx

bonjour...

2011-11-26T23:24:00.002+01:00

hello & welcome.

most of you would have arrived here thru my xanga site & i want to say how much i miss the familiarity of the xanga community but this change will hopefully be for the better.

it's been a quiet weekend & i'm alone at home. Just as well since i'm still working on the website & resting my brain from a tough test we had yesterday. Filled with imparfaits & plus-que-parfaits in the subjonctif form, i'm sure any french student would agree with me that it's a nightmare.

And to cap the whole week, i still have not written my essay on "what mankind lost since the dawn of humanity & how to get it back"; my prof was inspired by Claude Levi-strauss.

Plus i have a couple of purses to make & mail off before next week.

But no matter how busy I am, i think its time to go to the supermarket... this was what my fridge looked like today:

have a great sunday & let's talk soon xx

angelina jolie for vuitton

2011-11-23T21:09:00.000+01:00

One of my all-time favorite ads... love the setting, the clothes, the hair.. everything about it really! xx

in town..

2011-11-22T21:08:00.001+01:00

Today I walked past the Printemps department store & could not help smiling at this animated Christmas setup, complete with a little marshaller waving his sticks!

I love how they invite famous designers to do their window decorations every year.

Now that's one airline i'd like to work for ;)

elmo the gardener

2011-11-19T21:07:00.000+01:00

Elmo is a great gardener, watering our plants & saving my flowers! (As you can see, i'm not very gifted when it comes to plants) happy weekend! xx

dusk

2011-11-18T21:01:00.001+01:00

Dusk along the banks of the Seine.

The sun sets so early these days... I was happy to capture every twinkling light.

Not to forget that a cup of my favorite milk tea works wonders to chase away the winter blues. It was so cold in Paris this week. How did autumn pass so quickly?

BFM awards

2011-11-16T21:03:00.001+01:00

Last night, we were invited to attend the BFM awards ceremony & dinner.. BFM is a business news channel in France & every year, they honour the best in the business world, the best companies, entrepreneurs, managers, etc.

In the Marigny theatre, 4 minutes before we went live on TV. It was really great to see the movers & shakers of the French business world all gathered in one place, although the only winner I knew was Yves Rocher, the company who won the Saga Familiale category. I love this cosmetics & skincare brand... they have really good quality products which are so affordable for everyone. And to think they started out in a small Brittany village!

Later we adjourned to the Bristol Hotel for dinner... at 11pm! I can never understand the French & their penchant for cocktails before dinner. To me, if i'm hungry, i'll eat dinner. No need for frou frou drinks & awkward conversations!

Dinner was by Eric Frechon, chef of the hotel with 3 Michelin stars under his belt. He really lived up to his reputation. We had an absolutely divine cod with watercress puree & for dessert, a caramel dark chocolate sabayon. Though i'm probably not doing justice to them with my descriptions!

I've attended a fair number of functions here... after the usual questions about my origins & nationality, most people dismiss me when they find out i was a stewardess for much of my working life. But once i mention that i used to be a manager in Procter & gamble, they suddenly seem more interested & less cold. It's amazing how people react to big names. I think if we can't help but judge a book by its cover; then the least we can do is to hide it well.

Luckily we both have our feet firmly planted on the ground, & we often leave in high spirits, gossiping about the people we met & taking a long walk thru the streets, marveling at the calm of Paris in the wee hours.

You should change your state of mind, not the sky. xx

//

2011-11-14T21:04:00.001+01:00

“I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”

- L.M. Montgomery

Can't live without my coffee machine... F says i go thru the boxes of nespresso capsules like an addict! But the pleasure of having a proper coffee is something which makes me smile every morning.

Bag i made for supermarket runs. "When i grow up, I will be a pirate!"

Have a great week xx

rain & wind

2011-11-13T21:05:00.001+01:00

A rainy & windy week in November makes going to classes a little harder... but there are always lil pleasures along the way.

And my sister came to visit from the US... we saw the christmas lights along the tourist boulevards, we shivered in the cold, we ate good food & went to the Carnavalet gardens... i love bringing people there... cos the inner gardens are often quiet amidst the horrendous crowds on a Saturday afternoon in the Marais district.

She was snapping away at the classic 18th century architecture , but me, i was fascinated by her gaze.

Goodnight Paris... you still manage to take my breath away, no matter the season x

Emersonmade

2011-11-08T21:06:00.000+01:00

As midweek blues draw near, i'll like to share with you one of my absolute favorite labels in the world..

EmersonMade is a sweet little US label from Emerson & her partner Ryan... They make the most lovely clothes.. Simple in design but so comfortable! Plus from my own experiences, they have one of the best & most personable after-sales service around. (Since I often shop online, I hate it when someone sells u something & washes their hands off you!!)

It's hard enough to find the perfect white shirt... & even more rare the perfect blue shirt... Not to forget, a camel coat is essential for winter chic.

Animum debes mutare non caelum - You should change yr state of mind, not the sky.

Wise words to live by, especially for myself.

I love supporting individual designers because it's not easy to battle the big clothing retailers; it takes a dream & courage & perseverance.

Happy tuesday... Rain is forecasted for Paris today.. lazzzyyyyy!

all in a week's work

2011-11-05T20:56:00.004+01:00

Sneaking bites of brigadeiro made by my classmate... a Brazilian chocolate sweet which was so gooey yummy; we chewed hard & silently with smiles on our faces, while the lecturer droned on & on about Louis XIV.

I love cosy autumn outfits.

On my way to the supermarket.... a lucky day of blue skies!

Traditional buckwheat crepes after school one day..

The forest estate of Marly which used to be the hunting grounds of the kings of France... but is now simply a beautiful & quiet painting.

Have a great fall weekend xx

good morning fall

2011-10-30T20:58:00.000+01:00

My little pot of hyacinths... never did anything more than my pots of basil so i hope i don't kill them! haha xx

an autumn wardrobe

2011-10-29T20:59:00.002+02:00

These shoes are great for autumn's cool weather... i can't bear to wear anything higher than mid-calf everyday.. not yet. Not when October, though cold, is still beautiful & sunny.

No matter the season, half of my clothes & accessories have polka dots lol.

I have a weakness for scarves... when the winds are blowing, the only thing i want is something warm & soft around my neck!

It's finally the weekend.... been busy all week, can't wait to have some free time! have a good one x

cold days, warm pleasures..

2011-10-24T20:28:00.003+02:00

oui le plaisir est un luxe..

Merci is always welcoming.... Berthie who is the cafe manager always has a welcoming smile for me... she always makes sure u get the best table possible. It's really one of the best cafes in Paris... & where i never get tired of hanging out, either alone or sharing it with friends who don't know it yet.

It's a luxury to be amongst so many books... thousands of them.

I seriously could hang out here everyday... Actually i've sat at every single table they have... & still cant decide which is my favorite. But the thing i always order is their half-boiled eggs with toast & butter.... a great meal to share with friends or to indulge in alone sometimes!

And filled with inspiration for home decor & clothes... The boutique is a fashionista's heaven.

And we saw this little picture on the road on the way home... what a perfect funny way to end the weekend!

My french prof also calls him "Le Petit Nicolas"... i find it endearing xx

ateliers of LVMH

2011-10-17T20:30:00.002+02:00

This weekend, LVMH opened their doors to the public for the very first time... The haute couture salons like Dior, the ateliers of Berluti & Vuitton & wine cellars (Ruinart, Veuve clicquot, Moet) of this great empire were opened for visits.

On very short notice, we were lucky to get the last 2 invitations for Vuitton's ateliers in Asnieres-sur-Seine, near Paris.

Long queues were forming outside the ateliers when we arrived... The waiting time was up to 4 hours!

Basically, if someone who had an invitation didnt turn up on time, their place would be given to someone queueing up. Which i think is very fair considering the cold weather.

Waiting for the visit to start... Beyond this point, security was very tight & understandably, no photos were allowed. These were taken from the internet & the ateliers looked exactly like that.

Serious artisans who only stopped to say Bonjour & continued pasting, sewing, hammering, stamping... it was amazing to see pieces of leather slowly transformed by hands into bags sold all over the world.

The artisans all wore a vest with their names sewn on & the year in which they joined the company! There was even someone who only specialised in quality control.

I was so happy to be able to discover the secrets of savoir-faire of Louis Vuitton.. Even though the brand's image has changed over the years & they are constantly producing new designs to appeal to the nouveau riche, there is no debate over their quality, workmanship & impressive history as luggage makers.

It was an excellent PR initiative by LVMH & i do hope it will continue every year. And to round off the weekend... some pictures from Vuitton's spring 2012 show.

A carousel of fairytale confections. Kudos to Marc jacobs for creating such a wonderful set.. I was reading the review on the train earlier this week & a girl next to me ooh & aahed over the pictures too.

The models rode on horses... too beautiful. The creativity of the fashion world really blows my mind sometimes.

Icing on the cake? He got Kate moss to close his show.

Now i gotta do my homework.... yikes. Have a great week! x

schooldays

2011-10-13T20:31:00.003+02:00

Jackets are getting thicker & longer, the days are getting shorter... Still it's nice by my seat (secretly) watching the rain fall sometimes & the sun peeking thru the clouds.

My little perk-me-up every morning - Boulangerie de Papa, Papa's bakery.

On my way to class, i always get a coffee with milk, 1.85 euros. One of the best prices around in Paris! i guess it's because this neighbourhood - quartier Latin or the Latin quarter is filled with university students & schools. So it's always lively & the food is not expensive.

Plus my school is just round the corner from my favourite bookshop Shakespeare & co, the place St Michel & its pretty fountain and opposite Notre Dame.

That's why I can't wait to finish school everyday :P xx

vintage Jane Eyre

2011-10-10T20:21:00.000+02:00

Finally, after weeks of anxious waiting, my book arrived in the post.

Jane Eyre, 1943. I love the story so much... it moved me to tears while i was reading it on the train. I have been looking around for a while & chanced upon this copy. I like the smell of old books... i always had the habit since young to plunge nose first into a book.. it's very reassuring.

Just look at the binding... it's a dream to own it.

I cant help but hold it in my hands & sigh with contentment. :')

school

2011-10-08T20:22:00.001+02:00

As much as I love to read... sometimes, literature eludes me & my lazy mind; its beauty & historical nuances i can never grasp with my modern outlook & thoughts. I hate my textbook so much.

There's only one seat by the window in my classroom... & i always make sure i get it. My core class has only 10 students & everyone is serious & quiet... My teacher is nice but so strict, gives a TON of homework every single day & is capable of lecturing non-stop for 2 hours. So my spot by the window is priceless. It allows me some street noises, the toll of the bells in Notre Dame church just across the river & fresh air.

Ever thankful & glad for fridays & starbucks & girly chats with my friend... A Starbucks latte makes everything right with the world again. Even though she's french, we can rattle on in english & I speak-so-fast cos I really miss talking in english!

And.. i cant believe that i never knew this existed... quite possibly the grandest & most beautiful Starbucks I've ever seen. Hanging chandeliers, huge armchairs, warm soft lighting & so much space... all in the heart of Paris. Inspired by Opera Garnier, this was Starbucks' flagship in Paris. Truly amazing... pure comfort & luxury.. all for the price of a coffee. That's where a poor student's gonna hang out from now on ;)

h.e.l.l.o autumn

2011-10-05T20:23:00.003+02:00

The uncharacteristically warm days are coming to an end.. But one can hope for sun at least!

Back in my favorite bookshop, Shakespeare & co. Often you can find vintage treasures there, tucked away in a corner.

I walked past this bakery & totally fell for the window sign... It looks so pretty.. And all they did was vary the font of the words. Genius!

Monday blues... I hate school already. For the simple reason that afternoons will not be lazy anymore.

But a picture of my best friend definitely puts a smile on my face! I brought him to Monet's garden - deep inside his furry red cotton body, i believe there's a real heart x

And did you know? There's a new documentary about everyone's favorite monster. Kevin Clash, the voice behind Elmo is the unsung hero of Sesame Street. Because of him, children all over the world (me too!) have a best friend in Elmo. He just seems so REAL.

Now that's one feel-good film i'll be watching on a cold autumn day xx

Giverny & Reims

2011-10-01T20:27:00.001+02:00

October poetry in Monet's garden, Giverny ::

We also had the pleasure of seeing his water-lily pond & Japanese bridge... inspiration for all his water lily paintings.

And of course his famous house.

Since the weather was fantabulously warm for late September, we also went to the Champagne region to visit cellars of champagne houses. There are hundreds of kilometres of chalk cellars below the city of Reims... all owned by the champagne houses. Unfortunately, the one we really wanted to visit - Ruinart - was fully booked so we settled for Veuve Clicquot which was just as impressive.

The guide opening the great cellar doors which would lead us 30metres underground into their chalk cellars, known as caves or 'crayeres' where they age their champagne.

We were guided into huge humid caves with a constant temperature of 10-12 degrees celsius and there, thousands of dusty bottles awaited their destiny to be dressed in the modern VCP colors. The guide also explained the process of sedimentation & degorging of each bottle. I think its nice to know the work that goes behind each glass of champagne we drink.

After that, we were given a tasting of La Grande Dame '98, delicious!

Since we had some time, we also visited Taittinger's cellars... the view underground was amazing... a sea of champagne bottles! they had sections like these - 10 days to pile over 19000 bottles.

With my silly best friend... we were so happy with ourselves that we ended up missing the train back to Paris. Ah moments like these make me miss her so much now that she's gone! Have a bubbly weekend xx

2011-09-29T20:24:00.001+02:00

The best days in Paris.

To be able to enjoy the cool & sunny weather outdoors in September is such a simple luxury that everyone should have.

Love along the Seine river... i'd never do something like this but i like looking at others' declarations of love. It's so sweet. :)

Angelina is one of the best places for tea in Paris... But on a very lazy Thursday, brunch was a better idea to wake us up..... my best friend came to visit me in Paris & we stayed up most nights talking & playing music. The chocolat l'africain is pure melted cocoa heaven.

Lunchtime near my school.. always the perfect place for my sandwich... In a corner of the Jardin du Luxembourg, complete with little ducks splashing around & a poet i've seen twice working on his journal. :)

This autumn's been so cool & great... i feel more relaxed & happy than i've ever had in a long time. xx

this afternoon...

2011-09-26T20:12:00.004+02:00

This afternoon, at the chateau of St Germain... enjoying the first fall days which still feel like summer.
I miss the sea.. but it's time to prepare for school. xx

Sentiero Azzuro

2011-09-24T20:17:00.000+02:00

The 'Sentiero Azzuro' is a popular hike that links the 5 villages of Cinque Terre - Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza & Monterosso. It is about 10-12km long & the difference in height is about 500 metres.

This trail was used by people from centuries ago & remained largely untouched by advances in civilisation. No roads link the villages, only trains & boats.

We started from Riomaggiore to Manarola... & i remembered thinking... Hey this is easy! All flat & wonderful sea views. But alas, this stretch was the easiest. Keeping in mind that since the villages have a marina or little harbour, one has to climb up & then go down again eventually to reach the next village.

But at every turn, we had the magnificent Mediterranean on the left, & sun-drenched olive groves & vineyards on the right. This picture was taken after about 2 hours when we left the 3rd village behind... Corniglia is higher up than the other villages so we had to climb 386 steps to reach the town center. In the distance at the upper left corner is Riomaggiore our village!

By this time, the initial flat path has long ago given way to rocky winding paths that go up, up UPPPPP... my thighs were aching like mad, i couldnt even look up the winding steps cos it would have killed the last ounce of willpower i had. Most of the hikers stripped down to their bikinis as the sun was merciless.

Finally we see the clock tower of Vernazza in the distance... so we went down endless steps again... the trail is pleasant & not that difficult for generally fit people... but the stretch between Corniglia-Vernazza-Monterosso can be challenging... all up & down & UPPP & down. The number of steps is.... my god... easily over a couple thousand.

How the villagers transport their stuff up to the vineyards & houses high on the cliffs. :)

We reach Vernazza & went straight into the sea... BLISS.

A specialty of the region -Testaroli... pasta dough with 3 types of sauces - pesto (my all-time favorite), olive oil & parmesan & bolognese.

Cinque terre is a dry white wine produced in the region & it was delicious.

When we reached this point... about halfway between Vernazza & Monteresso, the last village, i really felt like a pilgrim, grabbing my best friend & panting "The promised land". It looked so near, yet so far.

This must be what every hiker dreams of doing when it is at last finished.

Actually it's what i'd like to do every single day.. xx

Cinque terre

2011-09-22T20:19:00.000+02:00

Each day in Riomaggiore is a faithful reminder to be thankful for nature's gifts.

One of the 5 villages of Cinque Terre - a Unesco world heritage site & national park, we chose to stay here for the week as it was quieter than nearby Vernazza or Monterosso. Plus it was the ideal location to start our hike as it's the first village.

The houses painted in traditional bright colors form a pretty backdrop for the small but busy marina.

We stayed in a modest apartment but the view from our window won us over. Every morning, the waves woke me up... I'd jump out of bed, look out the window & smile to myself. Then we would eat our breakfast & glare at the early risers who dared to take our rock. OUR rock cos it was directly underneath our apartment which was built into the cliffs. Hmph.

Never mind, we soon realised there were plenty of other rocks hehe. We explored the village on the first day... i never climbed so many steps in my life... little did i know that over the next few days, my main physical activity would be stair-climbing.

With my best friend... who's on a world tour & just finished Bosnia, Slovenia & Croatia in the past 2 weeks! For the first time in our lives, she's darker than me :P

Of course, what's Italy without the food?? Seafood spaghetti... best i ever tasted.

We could order the most boring pasta - spaghetti with tomatoes - from the most run-down restaurant... take the first bite & sigh deeply with contentment. How do the Italians do that?

An ancient monastery... and a friendly old man who kept asking us to go in.. I was more fascinated by his beret than anything else.

Best-kept secret of Riomaggiore - a kind (or forgetful) soul left his Wifi unlocked so every single day, alot of us would sit outside his home & surf the net for free. We sat alongside cats & dogs & shared satisfied smiles.

Soaking up the sun on our rock while watching the sun cast diamonds on the gentle waves.

Time to cool our hot bodies!

I jumped in & the chill of the sea surprised me... as well as the depth. It looked shallow from the rocks but underneath was a totally different world of jagged rocks, algae, fishes, dead coral... even though i'm a strong swimmer, i was actually pretty scared.

Luckily there's always the beach.

Every time the sun went a little west, we'd follow it but eventually, we had to let it go home.

The heat got too much at times... but every evening, we were rewarded with spectacular sunsets & the smell of fresh pasta cooking in kitchens... Thank god we did the Blue Trail hike to compensate for everything we ate.. trail photos comin soon xx

goodbye Riomaggiore

2011-09-21T20:20:00.001+02:00

Going back to Paris in a very short while... goodbye Riomaggiore!

It's been so relaxing... we hiked between the villages of Cinque Terre, ate perfectly cooked pasta & pizza for our country & jumped into the sea whenever we couldnt take the heat. Then we sunned ourselves dry & talked till night fell & the stars came out.

The company you have is always the most important when on holiday... Sadly this will be my last holiday for some time to come :(

While i rush to finish school stuff, my best friend will continue on to Marrakech (luckyyyy) & then she will stay with me for a week in Paris! Yippeeeee i cant wait to share parts of my new life with her!

And of course every vacation must be accompanied by a song... the song that brings u right back to that special place... Hope you like this one xx

at 3pm today...

2011-09-14T20:05:00.000+02:00

There's nowhere quite like Milan, this familiar city which is a delightful mix of Piaggios, noise, Italian hotties, dirt & ridiculously expensive cafes...

But of course... there's also nothing like doing some shopping along Via Della Spiga too.. tomorrow we're off to the coast.. to a small apartment perched on the cliffs facing the Mediterranean. Bliss xx

the lazy girl's kitchen #2: easiest pasta recipe

2011-09-05T20:05:00.003+02:00

My cooking adventures continue with this easy-peasy recipe given to me by F's sister-in-law. She has 4 kids & is an excellent cook.

It's so easy & failproof I can't believe i've never tried it before.

All you need is pasta - we had torsades fusili, the freshest & best cherry tomatoes u can find, extra virgin olive oil & a pot of basil. These can always be found in our kitchen so we didnt even need to pop by the supermarket!

Because there are so few ingredients in this dish, i realised it's important to buy the best you can afford, so that u get the best flavors.

Cut the tomatoes & the basil leaves and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl while waiting for the pasta to cook. Then mix everything together & add more basil leaves if desired. I LOVE basil so i was happily cutting my plant down.

Alternatively, you can also put everything in a pan & fry till the tomatoes turn soft.

Tadaa! Fresh tomato & basil pasta... it's so wonderfully tasty & hearty.

To make it even tastier, grate parmesan cheese or grana padano over it... the burst of flavors is heavenly i swear.

I am not good at cooking, & shamefully.. nor do i really care to improve, so this recipe is perfect for days when you are really hungry but lazy. (We were moving furniture the whole day so we could eat a cow!) Please feel free to share easy recipes whenever u want xx

hot hot hot...

2011-09-03T20:06:00.004+02:00

What a hot & sunny weekend we had!

Such beautiful weather for Friday that my friend & I had lunch at the park near her office.

Then a great dinner with twinkling lights to accompany us...

And i woke up early this morning for the bustling market... I love seeing everyone out & about on a weekend. And of course buying fresh food from the local producers :)

You could not imagine the queues at the various bakeries for freshly baked baguettes... But then again, nothing is quite as luxurious as butter with fresh bread in the mornings. I hope you are having a lovely weekend too... xx

sniff sniff...

2011-09-02T20:08:00.005+02:00

Down with a cold since i got back from Normandy... so it's been hot teas & sweaters...

In spite of the naysayers & purists, I improved greatly my level of french from reading fashion magazines. To me, every Vogue Paris article is a french essay hee.

Can't walk past Laduree without buying something for dessert! Caramel sea salt, pistachio, Venezuela chocolate, rose, melon, vanilla, heaven.

Sweet little pull for autumn... I love the feel of it on a cold body.

Enjoying the last of the long summer days. xx

new home...

2011-08-31T20:00:00.001+02:00

I received a number of messages about where I live now :) I don't live in central Paris but a suburb of it called St Germain-en-Laye.. it's about 25mins from the center of Paris by train.

After the weekly Tuesday market (Sunday is market day too), I took these pictures of the main square which is about 5 mins from our place.

It has pedestrian streets with cinemas, mcdonald's, cafes, bookshops, restaurants, pubs, supermarkets, florists, post office, banks... everything really... but most important, many fashion boutiques I love can be found here! (which is tres important for the morale when u first move in)

There is also a castle at the end of our street where Louis XIV was born & a forest nearby... both of which I'd like to discover soon! xx

normandy break...

2011-08-29T20:02:00.001+02:00

Back from Normandy & so many errands to run! Urban life seems like a rude awakening compared to the idyllic week we spent in the countryside.

The summer skies of Normandy always take my breath away. In this picture, we are on the way to the pond to clear the weeds.

The children already had plans of their own.

After the pond's cleared... we took frequent walks to look at the frogs, listen to the sounds of nature & enjoy the sun.

The oak tree which made F's parents fall in love with the land & purchase it. It's over 300 years old & stood testament to the reign of Louis XIV.

Fresh seafood from the port of Deauville. We ate so much this past week... warm fresh bread every morning from the boulangerie, heaps of butter churned by hand, creamy cheese from the region... long & heavy dinners... coffees & pastries & tarts... i put on so much weight it's not even funny :(

Have a great week ahead & please eat wisely! xx

little bits of my new life..

2011-08-22T20:02:00.002+02:00

Clear blue skies that remind me of home.

Too many accessories.

What shall we buy?

Part of my worktable.

Still waiting for her new legs. Love it to bits xx

And how have you been?

the lazy girl's kitchen #1: chicken curry rice

2011-08-19T19:56:00.005+02:00

I've only made a proper meal twice in my whole life. Like with a pan & heat & raw food.

So last night I decided to do something nice. I cooked chicken curry & rice. And it was a success as affirmed by my dinnerdate :)

First I bought raw chicken fillets which were just as disgusting as i remembered it. Then I cut it into small pieces, marinated with some salt & basilic & pan fried them till they turned brown. By the way, don't you just hate it when people who cook all the time tell u stuff like "oh just a little salt will do", or "when u feel the time is right to turn it over"... Just give it to me in minutes & teaspoons plsss.

I chopped up some fresh tomatoes & opened up a can of green peas & a can of coconut milk. The only ingredients left in the kitchen. I think adding eggplant could have been better.

Then in a pot, I added a packet of red curry paste, the milk, water & all the rest. They boiled merrily in the pot & simmered till they became gooey & yummy!

I also cooked fluffy thai rice in a real pot hehe.

Sounds easy? But it took me 1 hr 35 mins from start to finish. :( After that, i was EXHAUSTED.

My historical culinary moment ^.*

Madame Gres exhibition

2011-08-18T19:58:00.002+02:00

Madame Gres in Paris.

I was feeling a little down & homesick after arriving in Paris so decided to go for a dose of couture to cheer myself up. And what an amazing exhibition it was. Housed in the Bourdelle museum, haute couture stood regally amidst sculptures by the famous student of Rodin. Madame Gres was a famous couturier in the early 20th century, making dresses for the likes of Cecil Beaton. She is well-known for her draped dresses & pleats.

Evening gown in crepe. The main hall was just breathtaking... imagine high ceilings, HUGE sculptures & dresses standing serenely amidst the grandeur... i could not help but be swept up right away.

This room was the most beautiful of all, the atelier of Bourdelle was preserved in all its dark musty glory & gorgeous couture dresses stood in the middle of history.

Love the colours!

My 2 favorites... just look at the details!

There were little courtyards everywhere in the museum with Bourdelle's sculptures & places to just sit down & rest. It was a quiet afternoon & i was lucky to have caught the exhibition cos they extended it to August. If u are ever in Paris these couple days... please go! You have to see it x

From a cabin crew to a nerd...

2011-08-07T19:55:00.004+02:00

I threw away so many things, but kept a set of our iconic uniform. Now that most of my stuff & books are finally packed & the administrative headache has just about subsided into a manageable throbbing, I'm kind of looking forward to the change... no more dealing with difficult passengers & gossip.. & too much makeup especially! My skin can finally b r e a t h e.

So... in a few days i'll say goodbye to my sunny island of skyscrapers & yummy food & efficiency, & bonjour to books, history, art, cafes, fashion, friends, love, macarons & freshly baked baguettes...

Come along for the ride will ya? xx

//

2011-07-31T19:51:00.000+02:00

Many years ago, I went to France for the first time. It was for a summer intensive french course in Lyon & we stayed at a house with a delightful old french couple. They had chickens, dogs, horses & even geese. We plucked cherries & tomatoes in their garden for our dinner salads.

It was wonderful & i got to know this japanese girl Mine who lived in the same house as us. She had worked for 10 years as a stewardess in a japanese airline & then decided to drop everything, go to France for 2 years & learn french! She was worldly & introduced me to Zara (still unheard of at that time in Asia) & the perils of french cuisine (made her put on 10kg). I was so impressed by her courage; she moved not because of work/marriage but because she chose to take that leap into the unknown.

Since then, I've thought about her once or twice, but little did i realise that she'd inspired me unknowingly... Fast forward 9 years, I've also seen enough of the world & will be moving to Paris for a year... To study french at the Sorbonne.. I'm even thinking of working part-time at a cafe! Not so much for the money but the fact that i've always wanted to do that... The whole working-in-a-cafe-in-a-foreign-land thing. Well, ideally in some remote Provencal village but Paris will do for the moment. Imagine, with my track record as a cabin crew, i could roll my eyes & sigh loudly at unsuspecting tourists & still be the most polite waitress around! We're in Paris after all! Just a thought heh heh.... :)

For now though, i'll concentrate on trying to fit my clothes into my luggage. More than half of them are already in Paris (little perks of my previous life) but i underestimated the size of my wardrobe... If only i could point a wand & yell *REDUCIO!!!* at all of them!

Recently...

2011-07-16T19:53:00.001+02:00

-lait et miel- purses & bags by Jasmine Ng is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Sewing little sets of purses & bags. The little one for coins, the not-so-little one for books & bread. But they kinda belong together dont you think?:)

The beautiful region of Provence is always my inspiration. ♥

Amazing book if u havent already read it. Tolstoy paints such a vivid picture of Russian society at the height of the French invasion, & his depictions of war had me at the edge of my seat. They were SO real u really thought u were there. I have an embarrassing knowledge of wars, so I was surprised that my fave parts of the whole book were actually the battle scenes.

It's been so hot & humid around here... best place to go is the pool to cool down. I love Missoni headbands & their bikinis... plus a good book, we're all set for the rest of summer. xx

PS. Got a date with Harry potter tonight.. cant wait to see how it will all end. :)

the end of an era

2011-07-12T19:50:00.001+02:00

As most of you should know by now, NASA launched its last space shuttle mission STS-135 yesterday :( Atlantis will be the last shuttle to carry supplies, logistics & spare parts to the International Space station. Just following the news of the launch gives me goosebumps. When i watched the launch via the internet, it was just amazing.

I just felt so sad... it's really the end of an era. :(

When I was younger, I was crazy about space & stars & astronomy & everything NASA. My father would cut out carefully any news article about space exploration & set it aside for me. Even though there are plenty of criticisms surrounding the space program. I know these missions are very expensive, and that the US cannot afford them anymore.... And that we were not successful every single time... and that failure means almost certain death for the astronauts.

But.. just to be able to soar above this planet into the wide universe & leave our breaths, our marks, our footsteps in the unknown.. how can we give up this ambition?? Maybe it's selfish to think so when the billions of dollars could be put to better use elsewhere... but I will never forget how inspiring it was to read about the astronauts representing mankind & taking our hopes & dreams with them. And how great it is to look up in the sky & see all the stars there since forever, since before u and i were born. And every night, they are twinkling reminders of all that is out there, plus the planets... how little we know of these things that appear in our lives everyday!

so on July 13th, at 7.23pm, i'll look up into the sky & say goodbye to Atlantis & the ISS. You guys did a fantastic job xxx

memories for a lifetime

2011-07-11T19:49:00.000+02:00

2009. Launch of the first A380 to Paris. With the first captain to fly the aircraft.

Sometimes it's such a pain. But colleagues, esp those who become yr friends make it so much more fun. From gossiping to teamwork to joking around... the cameraderie is one thing i'll really miss.

Meeting nice people from around the world... they take pictures & mail me.. this is a french couple on their honeymoon.

ALWAYS SMILE!

My last crew rest in the bunk a few days ago... Goodnight! xx