brièveté

je suis une francophile

                                        

last Christmas, i tweeted about how giddy i was with my biggest Paris/French inspired holiday loot to date. my family and friends have picked up on my love for all things parisien and gave me bags, accessories, and paper products with Paris landmarks/icons such as the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, macarons, moustaches, etc. :) merci beaucoup a tous!

my love affair with Paris began that moment in 2004 when our tour bus pulled out from Charles De Gaulle airport and into the heart of the City of Lights. at the time i had zero expectations about the trip, i just promised to open myself up and soak everything in. but, rue after sweet rue, i found myself not allowing my eyes to blink at all because everything was just sooo breathtaking. the potted plants in apartment terraces, the people lounging by the Seine, the Notre Dame and Louvre and Moulin Rouge and Montmartre… it was like a moving picture book of clichés but mneh, you just can’t care less. Paris was the first stop in that 2004 Europe tour comprised of 5 countries and 20 cities but nothing else topped that first thrill i felt, and when i came back home i kinda reconstructed the visit by immersing myself in the culture. i watched and rewatched Amelie, i read “The Da Vinci Code” because the Louvre tour guide kept on making references i didn’t get since i haven’t read the book yet, i signed up for French classes in Alliance française de Manille, etcetera etcetera. from those baby steps my love and knowledge for everything French grew; and so, imagine how excited i was when i was given a chance by The Boyfriend’s family to go back there in 2008.

but God had a higher purpose for that trip back to La Paris. it was through a prayer inside Notre Dame Cathedral that i found out about my Lola Imay’s passing, and my world just crashed. i still can’t believe that God went to the lengths of placing me in my favorite place in the world just to cushion the blow of that great loss (telenovela material, i tell you). sure, the news made me listlessly go around Paris with blotchy red eyes, but looking back on it now i am thankful more than ever. i couldn’t have asked for a better sanctuary, and that experience has made Paris even more meaningful to me.

i hope God has it in His plans for me to go back there just so i can say thank you. for now, i’m fine with having bits and pieces of my favorite city with me always. ♫ these are a few of my favorite Frenchy things ♫:

* Paris souvenir: Eiffelephink Paper Weight
i mean, it’s a pink elephant on a pink Eiffel Tower. it doesn’t get any more awesome than that, right? hahaha! i got this from the souvenir shop at the Seine River Cruise boat station.

* (About) Paris books: it’s difficult to choose a particular favorite but my top three are Rhonda Carrier’s In Love in France, Sarah Turnbull’s Almost French, and Polly Platt’s Savoir Flair. these are great storybooks about France, you get to look beyond the landmarks and immerse yourself instead in the country’s history and culture. (and i’m semi-counting Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast too because i only have an ebook of it, haha!)

* French Language books: Living Language’s Ultimate French (Beginner-Intermediate). each chapter begins with a French dialogue which has key points about the target grammar and vocabulary lessons for that particular section. learning becomes relevant. Natalie Schorr’s Tune Up Your French is very helpful too as it focuses on polishing your spoken French. (but i can’t find my copy anywhere! :( heto na naman tayo little miss scatterbrain!) i also enjoy AFM’s official textbook, Alter Ego, but it’s written entirely in French and it just makes me miss French classes more.

* Song: A quoi ca sert l’amour?
the song asks “what good is it, love?” but, well, we all know we can’t live without it! ♫ all in all, if I understand it, without love in your life, without its joys and sadness, you’ve lived for nothing. ♫ you have to click and jump to the video! it’s the cutest animation about two lovers, a Paris bien sur! my runners-up are Mme. Edith Piaf’s Non, je ne regrette rien (my 2012 mantra, i regret nothing!), and the proverbial La vie en rose,particularly its covers by Emilie Simon and Pomplamoose. 

* Audio Lessons: Earworms Rapid French Vol. 1 & 2
aptly named, this instructional audio pack embeds French language lessons in music. brilliant!

* (About) Paris Movie: because it’s sooo beautiful (and it’s the place next to New York that get blown up in end-of-the-world movies), Paris has starred in countless films over the years. it was difficult to pick a favorite and i ended up with my top two contenders: the compilation of shorts, Je T’aime Paris; and of course, Amelie.(i can’t believe it’s been 10 years!)

* French Movie: hands down, Jeux d’enfants! Marion Cotillard is the woman of my dreams. The Boyfriend will not contest; he’s also a smitten kitten.

* Apps: My Little Paris and MTrip’s Paris Guide

* Tumblr Account: bonparisien.tumblr.com
i love him! he’s living the dream and sharing it by posting lovely photos of everything French. i think half of my reblogs are from him. :)

* Website: www.parisdailyphoto.com
oh, this website is amazing. i wish to meet Eric Tenin someday!

i have to stop myself here because while i have the Paris-inspired loot i’ve collected over the years that include shirts and dresses, accessories, bags, notepads, planners, pens, posters, a mousepad, an Eiffel tumbler with straw (i kid you not)… playing favorites and posting them could be a tad too much. haha! again, i’m thankful that family and friends see how genuine my love for Paris is that they decide to indulge me in this growing interest. even the simplest things that my friends do like posting French news or a cute Eiffel photo on my facebook wall, or saying “when i see Paris stuff i remember you!”, warm my heart. ♥

i’ll wrap it up with some Cotillard lovin’. in the movie Midnight in Paris, Adriana wistfully mused “… that Paris exists and anyone could choose to live anywhere else in the world will always be a mystery to me.” true, yes, but for most of us, living in Paris could forever be the most elusive dream. yet its magic is as potent, its lights just as bright.

the love affair continues! je t’aime Paris… abientot, j’espère!

(are you a francophile too? you might be if… )

Posted 3 months ago — 4 notes