one more list and then no more, really...

I couldn't resist doing this "Friday Love List" from Meg's blog, so here it is:

Song you love: Save Me - Dave Matthews
Food you love: Mon Cheri liqueur-filled chocolates
Thing you love to look at: beautiful illustrations and photos
Sound you love: ホ~ホケキョッ (bird call of the Japanese nightingale)
Thing you love to laugh at: intelligent, slightly twisted comedy, a la Arrested Development
Gadget you love: i would be lost without my digital camera (but i want a fancier model)
Person you love: everyone
Software you love: all the Adobe programs, especially Illustrator
Word you love: apple
Thing you love on the internet: flickr
Place you love to go on vacation: Tuscany + Okinawa
Sensation you love: drinking hot coffee on a cold, sleepy morning
Animal you love: all of them, but cats in particular
Book you love: The Narnia Chronicles
Emotion you love: relief
Occasion you love: Cherry blossom-season picnic
Quality you love in people: generosity
Thing you most love to shop for: Japanese paper goods (postcards, notebooks, stickers, gift bags, etc.)

And finally…
What you love about today: I found gorgeous wrapping paper and cute supplies to make xmas cards with

because there is no time for a real post...

*original photo by shifty eyes.

here's a fun game instead!
(found at robotjumpingrope)

♪If your life were a soundtrack, what would the music be?♪

Here’s how it works:
1. open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod)
2. put it on shuffle
3. press play
4. for every question, type the song that’s playing
5. new question — press the next button
6. don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

opening credits:
“9 to 5” by Dolly Parton

waking up:
“I Wanna be Sedated” by The Ramones

first day at school:
“No Myth” by Michael Penn

falling in love:
“I Want Candy” by Melanie C

breaking up:
“What I Got” by Sublime

prom:
“Hot Child in the City” by Nick Gilder

life’s okay:
“Joyride” by Roxette

mental breakdown:
“Sexual Revolution” by Macy Gray

driving:
“Prisoner” by 311

flashback:
“Woo Ha” by Busta Rhymes

getting back together:
“Jump to the Rhythm” by Jordan Pruitt

wedding:
“I've Seen Better Days” by Citizen Kane

birth of child:
“Stand and Deliver” by Adam Ant
( :D hee hee... what are the odds? )

final battle:
“The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and The News

death scene:
“Alcohol” by Bare Naked Ladies

end credits:
“Drop in the Ocean” by Michelle Branch

Day 3: Un jour de l'escaliers

Dear Montmarte,

You have too many stairs. And strange men loitering about who try to tie woven bracelets around my wrist, promising "you beautiful girl, you marry your true love". Also, a definite surplus of cheap souvenirs and mediocre crepe stands.


However, I did like your hilly cobblestone roads, and you know the benefits of a bright splash of color here and there.


Now and then, I even caught shades of Amelie wandering your streets -- this girl certainly was an admirer of yours; I watched as she took pictures of you, finding your pretty spots.


The art congesting your town square leaves much to be desired, but the artists themselves do have a certain flair. I took a fancy to this man's pipe (also he reminds me of my college Russian Literature professor).


By the way, you have one of the dodgiest Metro lines I've ridden. But I guess that's part of your grimy charm.


I will grant that you have one of the best views in Paris, and the earnest musician singing on your steps nearly won me over. Just, be a little sunnier next time, okay?

Love,
Me

Day 2: Je suis fasciné avec toi

After having slept a marathon 16 hours, I woke up to the smell of coffee wafting up from the kitchen downstairs. Once fortified with cafe et croissant, we ventured out into the bright, frosty morning. It was truly a "blue, true dream of sky" kind of day, and I'm glad we savored it because it was to be the only sunny day we'd have in Paris.

I set off on foot for the Marais district on the other side of the river, my friend's list of recommended boutiques in one hand, camera in the other. Once I turned onto rue Vielle du Temple, I noticed a sudden vibrant shift in color. Cobalt blue, aquamarine, bright yellow and pink... definitely my kind of neighborhood.


Shop windows offered glimpses of delectable sweets inside...


And facades were equally elaborately adorned.


After an omelette lunch at a Jewish bakery/cafe it was onto the Metro to visit Printemps (the creme de la creme of department stores).
There were elaborate Christmas light fixtures dangling all around the entrance:


And from the rooftop I caught my first view of you-know-who:



Inside I did not, sadly, find the lovely purple ballet flats on my wishlist, but I did find a hat-making boutique selling rolls and rolls of gorgeous ribbon. I can't wait to start making new jewelry with the silken, gossamer strands I found there.

The Paris Opera was just a few streets away, so we stopped by long enough for a few photos.



The last stop was Fauchon (a gourmand's paradise), where some indescribable fruit jellies were purchased, and then it was back to St Michel (limping by this time) for dinner and well-earned dessert.

Day 1: Bonjour Paris

At 7a.m. neither I nor the city looked our best after an 8 hour flight void of comfort, sleep, or edible food.
But after the shuttle deposited me in front of Gard de Lyon, I sat down at the first cafe I came to and ordered a gorgeous, steaming cup of Chocolat. And watched as the morning sun cast a warm glow over the grey buildings and the city started coming to life. Women carrying baguettes nearly as tall as themselves, matrons with shopping bags overflowing with fresh flowers, businessmen so dapper and perfect in their cashmere coats and scarves arranged just so.

There were hours and hours until the hotel would let us check in, so we spent the time hopping from one warm cafe to another. A tartine et cappucino here, an onion soup there... each time an opportunity to put my long-dormant high school French to good use. I have to offer up thanks to Madame Peterson of SaMoHi for somehow instilling within me the vocabulary and phrases I would need all these years later.
I've never really appreciated quite so viscerally the joy of communication. Even a single word can be a key that unlocks a smile, a flash of comprehension, a connection with another person.

Finally, after a brisk walk around Notre Dame, we crossed back over the river to our cheerful little neighborhood of St Michel and gratefully checked in to the hotel (a 300 year old establishment with a very wind-y staircase and floors that sloped alarmingly). I tumbled into bed and lost consciousness for the rest of the day, surfacing briefly for a bite of dinner, and then slept another 8 hours until morning.

Open the door...

, originally uploaded by lily green.

Paris in the sunlight is a dream.

I'll be sharing more photos and descriptions of my trip in the next few days -- just as soon as my jet lag dissipates and I can form coherent sentences again.