Tvättäkta turister! (true tourists)

Today we have been complete tourists! We began the day with visiting Notre Dame. I've been there before but it still blows my mind, the architecture is amazing! There is just one thing that bothers me. They still haven't removed the frickin christmas tree outside! Seriously it's almost February! Get a move on!

We went to the international mass and it was quite moving even for a non-believer to witness and be part of the ceremony. The economic situation is apparently tearing the church's finances also and believe me, they are really milking it...

We continued our touristic route visiting the Parisian market above Montmartre. There were men selling fake purses everywhere and big stores with leather and fur jackets. It wasn't cheap though! Excepts for Converse and shoes, so cheap! 350 SEK for a pair of Converse and Keds! So I made my first purchase here. Guess what?!

Correct! A pair of shoes! =D 10 euros such a bargain!

Afterwards we walked and walked to get to Sacre Coeur. We asked an old lady for the way at a crossroads (all in french, yay me!) and she said montez montez montez up the stairs. I actually managed to have a quite a long conversation, well maybe not convo since I said about three sentences but she was very talkative!

So we started climbing those stairs and we climbed and climbed and climbed. It was the exercise of the week! Except that I was the gym friday and since I haven't been going to the gym regularly for a year I just pushed myself to my previous levels and oh my gosh my arms are killing me! I could barely put my hair up this morning. At least I got value for the money I spent (and it costs a lot)

We arrived to Sacre Coeur and what is there really to say. It is amazing. Again it was a mass inside and there was a choir singing, so beautifully.

That was it for today...

Le Louvre and The Gentleman

Yesterday I went to the gym, it's quite a nice gym, nothing special about it but seriously, the price. Seriously! She made me an extra cheap student price for four months and it still would have cost me 400 €! Insane prices....

Later that night it was time to visit the grand museum, the home of some of the world's greatest works of art, Le Louvre. I love it. It's amazing, it's huge and you could spend hours in there! If I went to the museum of Gothenburg four times in one year I think I will go to le Louvre a number of times as well. I must say though that the Japanese massive-smile-peace-sign-posing in front of the camera is still hilarious!

Here are some pics from yesterday:

We can't forget the Dan Brown's holy grail!

It's an obvious one.
I adore this sculpture. It is romantic, filled with love and lust and so aesthetically beautiful. Masterpiece.

After the Louvre we waited for Frog (grenouille en francais). Madeleine and her mother decided to return home so me and Frog went to a pub in Saint-Michel called The Gentleman. I really liked it, relaxed atmosphere, live band for parts of the night and small and cosy. Björn and Anton, two Swedes also here for studying joined us a bit later and to sum up we had a great night including some french home made alcohol from 17 year olds, great live music, lots of laughs and the always appreciated parked car full live action... haha

Olivier (Frog), Björn, Anton

To end a great night me and Frog made pancakes in the morning. With nutella, yummy!

Later dudes...

Jimmy Choo

This entry is fully devoted to every girl's dream, the legendary luxury designer brand of:

The prominent shoe and accessory business was founded in 1996 by fashionista Tamara Mellon, who during her time as the Accessories Editor at British Vogue realised the potential demand of luxurious ready-to-wear designer heels. Mellon approached Mr Jimmy Choo known in London for his fine craftmanship. The brand quickly became the it-shoe on the red carpet and was in 2008 awarded the ACE Designer Brand of the Year and the British Designer Brand of the Year (British Fashion Council) among others. It is now one of the most prominent luxury shoe brands in the world.

Here are some of my absolute favourites in the current collections:

Speechless.

Inskrivningsprov!

Today my level of french was put to the test. It was difficult. It was short, mais très difficile...
It started with an oral understanding, a text was read and questions were to be answered. I guessed at most of them. I did understand the words he spoke but not the context (usually it's the other way around...). Then multiple choice, also there most of it was guessing, but some at least qualified. Last page was finishing sentences in a logical manner, construct a sentence using the word/s giving to you and finally write in french what shows on TV you do not watch and why. I said soap operas because they don't teach you anything, are a waste of time and can be bad for children. It was not a high-quality text, very elementary. Gosh, where did my french go? I must have lost it... Reported missing: a beautiful language at elementary/intermediate level, anyone seen it? Oh well, it'll get better!

Now to something much more fun, elegant and sexy!


These are my favourites from



Christian Louboutin
19 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau
75001 Paris





I will visit the store shortly crying when I leave empty-handed.

Imagine to walk around in a par of Parisienne in Paris...
How wonderful it is to dream...

Apartment and Sorbonne sorted!

Uppe med tuppen imorse! To look at an apartment in the 17th arrondissement, 850 E for a very small apartment not incl electricity, water or internet. Those are the prices in Paris. We have been stressing around the city all day, driving each other crazy and not becoming much wiser. So, Madeleine's mother has convinced us to keep the current apartment. So we will. The benefits are that it's cheap, it's cosy, it's newly renovated (not yet finished even) and it's cheap. The negative aspects for me is that it's far away and we are five people sharing one shower... But at least I can spend more money on shopping and travelling now =D

I registered at Sorbonne today as well. Yay! It's so beautiful I can't help but walk around smiling! The best thing is that I managed to get through using almost only french! YAY! Everyone was looking really stressed and a bit annoyed of all the ignorant new students looking lost and confused but I just smiled at everyone and it payed off! The woman helping me register went from grey, tired, annoyed to bright, smiling and almost excited. Well done Madeleine. Tomorrow I will take my French test to decide what level my knowledge of the language is on. I think I will rock it!

We went to the Swedish church to look for apartments and met an awesome old lady (her own words!) who gave us some tips.

1. Never look anyone in the eyes, pretend that no one exists.
2. Looking a guy in the eye is an invite. (Gosh how will I manage if I can't even look at a guy, I better keep my flirty mouth and eyes shut!)
3. Do not walk around with a map, you're begging to get robbed. (my map has been my saviour the last few days! Better be more discrete or simply get rid of it. I'm a parisian now, not a tourist!)
4. Inviting a guy home means nothing but sex so don't come with a sexual assault accusation if you have invited them home. (Good advice)
5. If you want to avoid looking like a tourist DO NOT buy a baguette and walk around with, buy leeks instead, you'll look like you're about to go home and cook not sneak up baguettes in the hotel room.

So, let's get unpacked!

Au revoir

Apartment and death-ride

I didn't go... It didn't feel right, I trusted my intuition and stayed at home. I've been thinking about the whole "a woman's intuition" and I have a theory. Females are run by their hormones and feelings. Males operate through logic. Now there is bound to be a clash between the two just like there is a division between science and the church. The two just don't see eye to eye. However, females have the ability to ameliorate (look it up ;P) and bring forward their sense of logic while men have a more difficult time trying to improve their intution. I mean claiming to listen to their gut feeling is just trying to justify a non-qualified guess =P I think women will become increasingly popular and important in all fields of business and work because we have the ability to combine our logic, intuition and our overall feelings to make a qualified and well-based decision.

Madeleine arrived today. She's not very fond of this place either and we are eagerly looking for another place. Hopefully we won't be homeless by February! Saying this is living in Paris is like saying oh I live in Stockholm when I really live in Eskilstuna. Or Halmstad being Gothenburg!

We have called on countless apartments and it really is funny trying to work something out in french! It must sound ridiculous but they seem to understand me. And I in some ways sort of kind of guessed what they said. It worked out well. I think...

Madde x 2, her mother and a relative went on a death-ride through the city today, ran over an old lady who just suddenly decided to cross the street, had multible cars and motorcycles nearly run us over, we backed about 400 m into a one way street and we got a fine for parking somewhere for some reason. Oh and the old lady was fine. I'm never driving in Paris... I do not have a death wish...

Oh and Sofia do not say I told you so! to what I'm about to say now. Since I applied for my CSN a little bit in the last second, uhm, I still don't know if I'm even getting it... Keep your fingers crossed and think positive thoughts that this goes through! I suck I know.

Tomorrow I'm going to register at my school...

Look it's so pretty!

Complete sell-out!

Those of you who really know me are aware of the fact that I am not so fond of the American food chains, fatty, slobby, greesy you know the deal... All my life I have managed to avoid to the greatest extent possible (loving McDonalds as a child doesn't count because you are very vulnerable to the media!) all the big chains, and so I have done proudly! And now, my dear friends, I have become a sell-out.

The last week I have been to... Starbucks... more times than I have in my entire life. A total of two times! In one week. In the country KNOWN for its small and cosy cafés, they're frickin everywhere and I go to... Starbucks... I am not proud. I used to make fun of the oversized coffee and fabricated edibles and here I am in PARIS sitting at frickin... Starbucks drinking sell-out coffee. I should be deported back to Sweden... But the truth is that their coffee is cheaper and bigger, so really I'm getting more for the price, and all of them have internet and couches. Couches are good, comfortable. Oh who am I fooling. I will stop going to Starbucks. And even if I don't I will never, mark my words, NEVER stop hating it.

I must admit that I feel a bit lost in Paris. I have figured out that it's the language barrier. All other countries I've visited or lived in have been english speaking, so I understand everything I hear around me and I can ask and say anything I want. Even if the countries haven't been english speaking I've had someone with me who understands. Well having someone with you makes you feel a bit safer whichever the language is. But now, here, I don't understand barely anything and I know no one yet. It's a bit scary and a bit lonely. But the knowing no one part I've done before and that's exciting, but the language barrier I've never had. That freaks me out a bit.

I met this guy on my way home today, he barely speaks english I barely speaks french and my first instinct was to ignore him. Then I thought, well I don't know anyone so what the hell. I told him I had a boyfriend but that a coffee would be nice. Now, I know that he doesn't care about the boyfriend thing but it's at least a protective barrier... The best scenario would be: we become friends and I get to meet his female friends and hang out with them and learn french. The more likely scenario: it's very awkward because we don't understand each other, he tries to hit on me and make it even more awkward. Worst case scenario: he kidnaps me, rapes me and kills me.

But how will you meet people if you keep expecting the worst case scenario? I think each city has its number of mentals but its evenly divided according to the city's number of inhabitants. So if Eskilstuna has 100 000 (90+ i know...) and 1% are mental that makes 1000 nutheads. In Paris (not surroundings) 2 million x 1% = 20 000 psychopaths but the odds of me meeting one is still the same. The theory have flaws, I am aware but it's just a theory. We'll see when tomorrow comes, if I go I hope I return alive...

It's raining in Paris. I wish I would walk around with this:

It's classic. It's parisian. It's fabulous.

Glamourous and Edith Piaf

Interesting day.
I think my flat mates just had loud sex listening to Edith Piaf.
Seriously, I know we're in Paris but really? Edith Piaf? Don't get me wrong I love her but I'd never let her enter my bedroom.
I don't know if they had sex or if they were just singing, maybe both, either way, they totally raped rien de rien.
Je ne regrette de rien. Yes I do. Having this awful cacophony moaned into my memory!

Well, anything I write now won't be nearly as interesting. Who cares... What are blog entries (that's what it's called, thank you Micha) for if not... actually I never really got what a blog is relly for... Is it a public diary? Is it to let your friends and family know what you are up to? Is it to impress all the people you hope will read it? I think I will use it for all those reason, including the last one... It's a diary what's the point of not being honest? Although this doesn't sound too impressing I guess....

Moving on. Life in Paris... Truly glamourous! I share bathroom with four people, yeah the other two haven't arrived yet, but not to worry they come on monday. Great. Oh, and they are renovating the house, it's going to be amazing, but for the moment we have to live in a construction site. Oh yay, I have building dust all over my clothes.

Another glamourous fact is that I have eaten the same food for the last three days... Damn, rice and vegetables are good! I bet this is how the French women stay so skinny! They make you believe all they eat is baguettes with nutella and jam, big lunches and even bigger dinners that go on for ever with the cheese and the wine. I mean I gain 2 kg during one weekend of this insane food consumption. Logically France should be the country with the highest obesity rate. But they're not. And I bet it's because... they just eat rice and vegetables if they even eat at all... cheap. I don't do it to stay skinny though, hell no. I'm saving so I can drink a fluffy cappuccino and eat a delicious cake in a fancy french café in the middle of Paris!
It's all part of my budget. Oh yes I have a budget... Well I'm working on one... I will work on one as soon as I get my CSN money...

This entry just reeks of positivity. I promise that it will get better!
Now I shall sweep my way across hall and hope to find an empty bathroom!

Paris

Wow!






I'm in Paris.





And I'm writing my first uhm how do you say it? published text in a blog? Right, the first proof of my inability to blog... Anyhow, not of importance!
France is as I imagined. The wine, the food, the art, the culture, the fashion, the French...
Seriously, the French. How can the French pull off being known as the most charming and romantic gentlemen while at the same time have a rumour of being completely and utterly RUDE?! (it's true) Excuse moi? Not in Paris... This is how I felt the first few days in Paris. And how I still feel. However, now I know that in certain places, like la quartier Latin people are usually kinder. I also do not take it personally.

The fashion I can't really say anything about because I'm broke and Paris is so frickin expensive it is ridiculous! Who pays 4,5 euros for a cappuccino?! In France you'd think they'd react on the nonsensically overpriced coffee when they protest about everything else...
However, when you look at it at a more positive manner... Wine is actually cheaper than coffee which gives you yet another reason to choose a glass of tasty red wine. Adding to that my level of alcohol tolerance and voila I'll be saving heaps! Wicked...

I could go on forever because I don't really know how to end a... "blogtext"... but I consider myself having more important things to do like study the Paris pas cher (great book!) and watch How I met you mother (great show!) so
à bientôt mes amis!

Oh, by the way, Paris is awesome!!