12.26.2009

wintersong

best. christmas. ever.

12.06.2009

final scene

Paris is photogenic. Little details like street lamps and wallace fountains invite writers and filmmakers to create stories in this beautiful place. I think that's what I'll miss the most; not living somewhere with romantic details like bridges and cobblestones, statues and fountains. All of these small touches make Paris picturesque.
People scoff at the cheesy tourist postcards with la Tour Eiffel or the Seine, but essentially, those images are what I'll remember.

DSCN3805 copy DSCN3771 copy DSCN3236 copy DSCN0590 copy
DSCN1941 copy
DSCN0708 copy

12.02.2009

what's this?

WTF = welcome to france.

12.01.2009

stay close, don't go

Before I came to Paris I didn't do any research on what I should see. I didn't read any guide books, didn't talk to anyone who's been there, and I didn't even do any internet research. I decided that if I had plans to see too much, I would be disappointed if I didn't see all of it.
Instead, I decided on one single thing that I wanted to see. I figured that of all the things to do in Paris, what I wanted to see the most was the catacombs.

FOILED.
I am destined to never see the catacombs.
My plans were thwarted.
Due to acts of vandalism, the Paris catacombs are closed. Indefinitely.

WHY, CRUEL WORLD?

Just last week I went to Rome with some other girls. A ray of hope shined through the darkness! I discovered there were catacombs in Rome! Emma and I made a trek to the outskirts of Rome to see them.

FOILED.
Alas, the address we had was either
a) incorrect, or
b) nonexistent.

I was furious. The most annoying part of the story is the fact that we could see the tops of the catacomb ruins peeking through the ground.
So close, yet so far.

11.22.2009

future sightings

DSCN3229 copy

DSCN3192 copy

DSCN3235 copy

DSCN3318 copy

11.19.2009

ocean man

i've seen it all. da vinci, monet, picasso, van gogh, renoir, degas, rembrant, and on and on. the list of artists whose work i've seen could fill up this blog post and spill out of the computer screen. but i kept feeling like something was missing from my visit here in paris. who did i need to see?
the answer to that question, my friends, is another question.

who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

spongebob squarepants, or bob l'éponge carré as he's known here in france, will always hold a special place in my heart. i just love that cute, yellow fella. the cartoon never gets old. it's so clever and hilarious. yesterday i was lucky enough to go to a spongebob art exhibition.
it was basically a collection of satire artwork with spongebob replacing the main character in each painting. GENIUS.
i've never been more happy in my life.



















even though i was by far the oldest person at the art exhibition (seriously, at least five times older), i thought it was very inspiring. there was an entertaining little blurb i read that i'd like to share. it's pretty deep. i've translated it into english, so it won't be quite as eloquent:
"how old is spongebob?
and why does gary meow?
spongebob doesn't have an age. he is eternally young. one might also ask, 'why are strawberries red? why are cookies tasty? why do birds suddenly appear in the sky?'
all are questions without answers..."
HA. oh spongebob, you've done it again.
side note:
in france, squidward is called "carlo." i guess those frenchies can't pronounce his real name well enough. it would come out all crazy: "skweed-war."

11.11.2009

show me your colors

warning: this post contains images of very inappropriate pastries. viewer discretion is advised.

i am the luckiest girl on earth.

every morning i wake up and take the metro into downtown paris. on the days when i have classes, i get off at the "hôtel de ville" stop and walk down rue de renard. soon, i find myself in front of the LDS church/institute building.
the catch? i also find myself in the gay neighborhood.

yes, it's true. i spend most of my time in the gay quarter of paris. and when i say gay, i mean it. h-o-m-o-s-e-x-u-a-l.

and DANG do those people know how to make good pastries!
right across from the building where i have classes is "legacy choc," paris' premiere gay pastry shop. as my teacher says, "the gayer it looks, the better it tastes." they've even got little same-sex couple figurines in their window display.
i've had an assortment of goodies from these guys. this one was my favorite.
but i've yet to try the "magic baguette," the phallic-shaped bread complete with poppy seeds for effect.

10.20.2009

rare ould times

last weekend i went to ireland.
let me tell you this: every stereotype you've ever heard about ireland is true.

everything is green. not just green, but an emerald city/wizard of oz green. i felt like i was visiting the shire.
every legitimate business has some sort of shamrock in their logo, and all the store's names are like "o'malley hardware shop" or "real estate by hickey o'donaghue." every other building is a pub.
everyone has an outrageous accent that i love.
the towns have crazy irish names like shannon, limerick, and tralee.
twice i witnessed men burst into song and sing me a ballad.

i ate at pubs, heard some irish folk tunes, and met awesome irish people. i also went on a 30 mile bike ride along the dingle peninsula.

basically, it changed my life. it's the best place in the world.


you can see more pictures here.

10.11.2009

cheek to cheek

having left a very attractive boyfriend at home, i find myself thinking about love a lot these days. i walk through the streets of paris and see people making out left and right. PDA is not only accepted here, it's expected.

DSCN1658

DSCN0932
... secretly, i kind of like it.
but what i like even more is this blog post by my good friend maggie. you can find her blog here.


Then you must speak

of one that lov'd not wisely but too well...
-Othello Act 5, scene 2, 344-

I have never read Othello or seen it performed, and I hardly know the story. From what I have heard, this line doesn't make much sense in its context. Apparently a lot of people think Othello was just in major denial when he said it.

Earlier this week I was listening to my town's classical music station and a program called Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin was on. After a Mahler symphony {no. 1, I think}, Bill McGlaughlin commented that this piece was a love letter from Mahler to his wife, Alma. He then quoted this line of Shakespeare and it was the first time I'd heard it. I didn't know the context, so I just assumed the same meaning that McGlaughlin implied: that Mahler simply loved Alma too much, too passionately, too well.

Is it possible to love too much? I think so, and I think I do it. I love too well, and not wisely. But "well" is really not the best adverb to describe it. "Well" implies that I'm doing a good job at it, when really I'm not. I'm being very unwise. I'm too quick to love, too swayed by love, too hopelessly in love, too easily convinced that something is love.

It is confusing. Love seems like a good thing. No, it is a good thing. I don't need to love less, I just need to love better.

10.09.2009

something pretty

"There is no better proof of the effectiveness of color than the marketplace, where it is a vital key in communicating a positive, enticing and irresistible image for a product. Often called the 'silent salesperson,' color must immediately attract the consumer's eye."
-- Julie Barnett, author, "The Color of Learning"

"We live in a rainbow of chaos."
--Paul Cezanne, French Post-Impressionistic Painter

DSCN1920

DSCN1917

DSCN1863

DSCN1897

DSCN1963

DSCN1884

i want you (she's so heavy)

BEHOLD:

the shoe that i must have.
jirao by bocage.
it's a steal, at 129€ a pair.

what have these fashion-forward parisians done to me?

10.04.2009

no place like london

a comparison:

in london, there are children everywhere. they wear school uniforms with jackets that have crests on the breast. in paris, there are more dogs than children. in fact, i think children aren't allowed in paris.

in paris, there is a loud, screeching police car (or two or three) rushing down every street. in london, i think i saw one police car the entire week.

the london underground is more claustrophobic than the paris metro, but there are guys who hand out free newspapers. I LOVE NEWSPAPERS.

british people are funny in a bitter, sarcastic sort of way. french people are much more private.

i think paris is more beautiful, but i won't doubt london has its charm.

paris is better. home sweet home (for now, anyway).

london highlights:

the BEST dessert i have ever had in my entire life. white chocolate ginger cheesecake with chili toffee sauce. YUM.

the changing of the guards at buckingham palace. they played a beatles' song. it was magical.

a visit to the tower of london. this is where they would chop off people's heads!

and now i'm off to hogwarts. see you later.

9.24.2009

utterly bewildering

today was exhilarating.
i went to the most beautiful place in the world--giverny, france.
i visited monet's home and gardens.




then, on the way home, the metro driver caught my eye and invited me to ride up front with him.
me--on the metro with the driver. that's right... crazy awesome!

... but he was bummed when i said i couldn't go out with him.

9.23.2009

textual relations

and THIS is why she is my best friend.

9.22.2009

maxwell's silver hammer

this summer was my first time firing a shotgun. it turns out i was a pretty good shot. i hit almost all the clay pigeons... but the first time was scary. i didn't expect it to kick back like a horse.
and now drew has posted it on youtube for all the world to see. i'm famous!

9.16.2009

women and men

dear readers,

today, a frenchman told me i have magnificent breasts.

love, camille.

9.13.2009

nothing in this world


so, i'm living in paris. in this house.
and it's all pretty surreal.

9.04.2009

jack's obsession

an ode
to my summer love

this summer was lame, to be quite frank.
i worked every day to fill up my bank.
to get to france, i needed the cash,
but just like that it was gone in a flash.
i've paid off the trip and i leave in a week,
but i'm leaving a love of whom i should speak.

this summer i had a passionate affair,
romeo's love can't even compare.
many a night i spent with my friend,
oh, the magical evenings and hours we'd spend!
you treated me with great love like a mother's,
so here's to you, super smash brothers!

i mastered your arts. i became quite a pro.
i can defeat opponents with one mighty blow.
pikachu and i fought many a war,
i pressed buttons until my thumbs were all sore.
three cheers for game cube, nintendo and such!
i'm leaving quite soon and i'll miss you too much.


9.03.2009

words

words i have heard far too much lately:

1. marriage/married.
how about no one gets married ever again? i vote yes on that one.
2. bolus.
i'm pretty sure you don't want to hear the reason behind this one.
3. poor.
i am going to france one week from today. i will stay there until december 7th. i just finished paying off the program expenses. thus, i am currently poor and i will be even more poor when i return.
4. jon gosselin.
why? whyyyy? i hate the fact that this man is famous for nothing. i hate him. i hate "jon & kate plus 8." i hate everything! i swear. every news story on google news includes this chump.
5. H1N1.
it was so much better when it was called the swine. "ack! i've got the swine!"

9.01.2009

suddenly i see

today i went to the optometrist to get my glasses repaired.
i LOVE my glasses. they are black with little green x's on the side. i call them my Xbox glasses.
sadly, my glasses acquired a spiderweb-like crack after a trip to idaho last month.
(fact#1: polycarbonate lenses get cracks when sprayed with hair spray. or in my case, perfume. i learned a valuable lesson. pack eye glasses in a case!)
while i was waiting for my frames to get new lenses, i read a rather amusing reader's digest.
this particular issue bore the headline, "in search of the world's best joke." my favorite joke was from norway. those norwegians and i have the same sense of humor.

A woman rubs a lamp and out pops a genie. “You’re a kind lady, so I’ll grant you one wish,” the genie tells her. “See this cat? I’d rather have a strong, handsome man,” she says. The genie agrees and—poof!—the cat turns into a Brad Pitt clone. The woman leaps into his lap. “Do you have anything to say before we make love?” she asks. “Yes,” he says. “I bet you wish you hadn’t had me neutered last week.”
(fact #2: reader's digest also taught me that a certain trapdoor spider species discovered in california was named after stephen colbert. the Aptostichus stephencolberti. ha.)

8.31.2009

grim, grinning ghosts

BEHOLD:
the book in all its glory.


ladies and gentlemen, i give you

8.28.2009

any way you want it

today's guest blogger is the one and only
LANÉE AHO.

lanée is possibly the coolest person you will ever meet. she is very intelligent and can be quite intimidating with her vast amounts of knowledge.

i have decided to feature a blog post she recently wrote that features yours truly, me. check it out.

8.26.2009

yoshimi battles the pink robots

so i just watched i, robot. i am now officially scared that a glowing red robot is going to creep into my room and murder me with its cold, metal hands. add "robots" to my list of things that scare me in movies.

things camille is afraid of in movies:
  • robots. hellooooo? scary. they always seem to develop minds of their own then go on murderous rampages or develop presidential assassination attempts.
  • aliens. yes, it is true. i can't even make it through signs without backing into a corner and rocking back and forth. on my sixteenth birthday i went to go see war of the worlds, and i almost left the theater because i was so terrified. worst birthday ever.
  • dinosaurs. they are big, they have sharp teeth, and i hate them. i treat the jurassic park movies like drugs; just say no.

8.19.2009

time's a wastin'

bad news, folks. i discovered something highly amusing today. normally i don't open spam emails... but i decided to take a chance with this one.
because my decision to succumb to the "hollywood hair virtual makeover," i have wasted far too much time this morning giving people makeovers.
here are the results.
any requests? leave a comment and i'll give you a makeover as well. trust me. i want to do it. i have no life.