"An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris."

Bonjour, mes amis! I'm back in good ol' 'Paree' and this time it's for a job...but more on that later. 

The trip over was pretty uneventful which is always a good thing. On the shuttle to the airport I got stuck sitting next to a man who was snoring the whole time--I decided I would exact my revenge my secretly taking his picture and sharing it with you (our generation is strange).

 

Dublin was my first stop and I was surrounded by adorable "aye-rrish" people who kept purchasing duty-free products and ordering drinks with a chuckle (not sure if the alcohol played a factor in their purchases, but I have a feeling it did).  

I'm also pleased to report that the W Network is alive and well. An alum is hosting me and my accomodations are amazing. She and her family are unbelievably nice (when I first met her my stream of consciousness was as follows: "Does she think I'm Oprah? She must have me confused for someone famous...Or maybe she thinks my family is really wealthy and can loan out 'our cottage in the Hamptons' when she visits the states?...Ok, where's the camera for the French reality tv show that makes fun of clueless Americans?" 

She had me meet her at the office and--as soon as I walked in the door--proceeded to introduce me to everyone who worked there. Then it was, "Here's the key, here's my number, here's my husband's number, and here's this random person's number whom you have just met 2 seconds ago...feel free to bother all of us...Someone get Anya the wifi access code!...call us after you take a nap, dear." My studio is on Boulevard Saint-Germain, is absolutely adorable, and is steps away from the 2 famous cafes (Les Deux Magots and Cafe de Flore) which were frequented by philosophical locals, Simone de Beauvoir and Sartre. (I recently had an espresso at Les Deux Magots and attempted to make friends with my waiter, Eddy. My goal, of course, is to have a movie-worthy relationship with Eddy and be known as a fabulous regular---who orders nothing but coffee since it is trop cher pour moi).

Of course, living in Saint-Germain does have its demons. I feel a profound obligation to look chic and fashionable, no matter the occasion, weather, or time of day. Therefore, I have made it my mission to "Dress my way into the hearts of the Parisiens." You know, like Jackie? As an attempt to catalog this mission, I photographed the preparations for my first day out in Paris (bahaha. yes, you may laugh at this ridiculous picture).

And, finally, on to speaking French... 

I'm enjoying it so much! Just the other day I was sitting in a cafe while this guy was fixing the window near me. Suddenly, we began to have a conversation about the city's beauty and extraordinary architecture. He advised me to lengthen my stay by telling my parents I missed my flight due to a strike (la vie francaise, non?). Before he left for good he tapped on the window and waved goodbye with a large toothless smile across his face. It absolutely made my day; wish I had taken his photo.

And even though I am struggling, my efforts and refusal to switch to English when I can't seem to express myself seem to endear me to these cold Frenchies, lol. Thank God! 

For example... 

*In response to my apologizing for my accent: #1 "Non, mais vous avez beaucoup de charme mlle" 

                                                                      #2 "Pas du souci, j'adore ton accent!"

*After I spoke in circles to explain something I didn't know how to say: "Ooo, maintenant je comprends. Hahahahah. Votre description a été le plus mignon que j'ai entendu"

 Are these French people crazy??!!! I sound like an idiot. 

O well. I guess I'd rather be adorably stupid than annoyingly correct.

That's all for now. I'll tell you more about Louvre stuff later. A plus, mes amours!

BIZ!