Katy du Texas

Working day

2011-12-07T19:47:00.001-08:00

Did some freelance work on the job from hell today. Finally we're so close to (re) delivery!

I've got Crystal Castles jamming as I compress videos for agency approval, an old custom from my days at Paranoid where work nights at 11pm/3am were no stranger...

Luckily though I've had great company and help today from one of my coworkers here who gave me a hand in navigating some Final Cut Pro nightmares. And I managed to bite my tongue and keep on "reasonable face" with the director. What a victory!

The rest of this week will be a fantastic blur as I wrap this baby up and ship her out. Friday my dear cherie Elsa arrives in from Paris for a one night layover in the big pomme and Saturday my caro Italiano Tommaso arrives for a last minute Bloody Beetroot show! What a nice way to cap off this week.

Et apart de tout ca j'avais une tres bonne conversation avec zaza sur skype aujourd'hui. Elle etait triste a cause des nouvelles: son ex amoureux a retrouve' l'amour avec une autre. Je comprends trop bien que ca craint. Pour ma parte me sens rien. Je suis vide. Personne me touche, personne m'emoue, je suis en mode zombie. Je pense que a ma petite carriere de merde et rien d'autre. Ca va prendre du temps.

Tant que j'attends de resentir quelque chose j'ai ma famille, mes amis proches, et tout ce qui me plait.
Art/ Musique / Cinema / Danse / Litterature

Aaaaaand I'm Back!

2011-12-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

After a few years hiatus I've returned to blogging.

Why? Because no one reads this so I can blabber as much as I'd like to. With photos.

Where am I now?

New York City. I've been here for a few months now.

WORK:

Had some job offers and took a really creative one (freelance) upon first arriving. It turned out to be the project from hell. The director, I found out after being hired, was also the animator. Not only is he unqualified to be what I consider a competent animator, he is also a very fatiguing person to work with. Every simple task that comes up is like pulling teeth.

PERSONAL:

I moved here post-Ramzi as a way to get far away from Los Angeles. I'm still disappointed that the relationship didn't work out. It wasn't meant to be, but damn! what a lot of time and energy.

I'm hoping one day that someone will want to fight for me. And have a family. Qui sait?

C'est pas moi qui va trouver l'homme de mes reves. Je sais qu'il faut que je pense a ma carriere. Et quand ca sera bien carre' cet homme va arriver.

Fin, j'espere.

-----

IN THE MOMENT:

Current thoughts are I have way too much excess time/energy and no direction to focus it on. A jack of all trades and master at none. At the moment I'm man-less, job-less, and between apartments (read "couch gnome"). Life's a big adventure and I'm ready to get things going. Hopefully the 10 million meetings I've been to will pay off. I feel so scattered in different directions. Maybe it was the wrong time to move here. Maybe I moved for the wrong reasons. But I'm a success fiend. How can I leave before I have conquered the city??? The first couple months here were so wildly awesome and since then it's been such shite. Every office is too slow or budgetarily constrained to hire me. Every dude I've gone out on a date with has been a disappearing disappointment. Peut etre je suis pas fait pour cette ville de merde. Il y a toujours une autre ville de merde. Comme Paris. Ou Bassano.

Or I'll just go to Chile. And learn Spanish. Then I'd have 3.5 languages under my belt ;)

Once Upon A Time in America

2009-11-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

I've started to just start writing a little post about all of the films I see and really enjoy.

First on the list: Once Upon A Time in America by Sergio Leone, 1984

This was a very long, but very much epic crime film by Sergio Leone, one of the great Italian auteurs who has been cited as an influence to many film directors today.

The film stars Robert De Niro as "Noodles," an anti-hero from a NYC Jewish burrough who grows up on the streets with his gang of buddies. De Niro is by far the most impressive actor in the film. He's hard and complex, going to prison at a young age for many years after a revenge murder when his character is 12ish. He comes out from prison with his gang now being at the top during the Prohibition era.

What makes this film so great for a modern cinephile is seeing how many films today reference it (most heavily Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti flick Kill Bill).

A number of people in my own age catagory (20s) criticize this film for being so long. It has an intermission about two hours in and there's a full hour or so after that.

None of the characters are entirely lovable but some are definitely detestable. The story is so well laid out, though that you can't help but be drawn in to the story of Noodles-- his child like love for Deborah (it should be noted that "young Deborah" played by Jennifer Connelly is much more talented than "adult Deborah" in the film) his relationship with the slightly psychotic and power hungry Maxy, and his over zealous approach to sexuality.

Why love De Niro's character? You want him throughout the film to be with Deborah, you want him to keep Maxy under control and do something more in his gang than he does. But, perhaps because he plays a "partner" like figure in the gang and yet seems to do nothing involvement wise as an adult you can keep hope that he's really not a mobster for life.

The film is shot beautifully with scenes from the era that don't exist anymore in the open (opium dens) and has a couple shot transitions that are just incredible for the time.

This is a must-see for not only it's cinematic impact but the story in general.

vacation

2008-12-21T14:58:00.001-08:00

yaaay in on vacay

Another Christmas idea...

2008-11-21T10:19:00.003-08:00

... for those of you still concerned about my "picky" tastes...

along the lines of jewelry- i also like watches! funky, old school, whatever (as long as it's not sporty or made of plastic).

just an idea

but yeah, tights and silk scarves are still on there...nail polish... a nice black wallet...and lots of books in french/about business (in french, re:france)

CAN'T WAIT for turkey day with Grandma and Grandpa!!!!!!!!

Overzealous for the holidays

2008-11-06T15:48:00.002-08:00

So I've started compiling my Xmas list...

It will soon be available in .doc format and also feel free to link to my amazon wishlist for ideas (mom).. though I'm probably less picky than I used to be =)

Dream items include (as usual) a porsche, a cartier watch, hermes scarf, mac notebook, and christian louboutin shoes in 7.5 (euro size 38 haha) But I suppose these non-necessary items can probably wait

Must haves: things I'm already getting! Yay Christmas with G and G VM and YaY the B-day with the parentals and immediate fam!

So excited to see everyone.

And also highly anticipated turkey day with G and G at their casa

new blog post

2008-11-05T16:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.trashmenagerie.com/blog/ check it out! SOULWAX interview up =)

Halloween and more...

2008-11-02T01:51:00.006-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I've last posted... so I thought I'd inform you all on what's been going on!

I am working long hours at ICM and I love every minute of it (except of course when I make mistakes).

Outside of that I'm still writing for TrashMenagerie.com and ventured out on Halloween to cover HARD Haunted Mansion at the Shrine Auditorium and interview Soulwax (who just had a film premier in LA this week).

To really explain the event I covered and the level of ridiculous-ness that is LA, I've decided to include photos for your viewing pleasure! Also, check out this video below of 2 Many DJs playing on one of the four stages at this festival. And FYI- every stage there was like this.

Hope you all enjoy the photos of scantily clad youths and chubby chicks.

Working professional does not mean looking boring.

2008-10-16T10:46:00.002-07:00

As the weekend approaches, so does Monday. I'm organized and ready, with tupperwr. and a lunch box poised for action. Shoes in the closet etc. bring it on!

And I'm loving the weather currently

A breath of soon to be success

2008-10-10T01:30:00.002-07:00

I got a job offer at ICM (international creative management), one of the world's largest agencies with offices in London, New York and LA working as an assistant in the New Media Business Affairs department under the Vice President.

Can I just say one word on that: STOKED!

Bye bye pinkberry, hello Beverly Hills. Gone are the days of a uniform with an apron and khaki shorts, and very soon I'll be back to waking up early, massive consumation of coffee, and lots of fabulous business wear.

This means I will also be relocating to somewhere slightly closer to my job, as long as it's within my budget.

I told a few of my favorite pinkberry customers (most of whom are industry people) and they told me "Kathleen, people would eat you alive to have that job. You are a lucky lucky person". That was nice to hear =)

Shoes..

2008-10-01T00:48:00.003-07:00

... I've been so good lately about not buying shoes...or dresses.. or a watch... or anything really besides food/gas/the occasional movie

So because of this I have decided what my next "treat to myself" will be when I get my first high-paying job: a pair of 5" black Christian Louboutin shoes. Granted this won't happen for sometime (especially if I end up going to graduate school, then it will take the duration of that plus a job finding before I can get them).

Another night at the berry- tips really sucked tonight.

MSTRKRFT stuff

2008-09-29T14:34:00.002-07:00

My review of the MSTRKRFT Fist of God Tour is up online at Trashmenagerie.com

if you want to go directly to the article and bypass the homepage its: http://www.trashmenagerie.com/blog/2008/09/29/mstrkrft-fist-of-oh-my-god-tour/

It's Monday. Another day of work at the berry (this evening). Got my latest blog post up and rent is ready to go so I guess things are kind of taken care of at the moment!

still a capitalist at heart

2008-09-28T18:12:00.002-07:00

I've only been in LA for a few months but can still say that I'm pretty unhappy here. Unhappy with poverty, unhappy with the city itself and what it (lacks in) offers. So, after chatting with Mariya for a while today I have begun to re-evaluate what is it that I want/need in life to be happy. As many of you recall I was very happy in Paris and wasn't necessarily making a lot of money at the time. But I like money and new shoes and art and culture and to be intellectually stimulated.

List:

Good City (culture important)
$$$
shoes.

I will continue to evaluate this over the next few months until my current lease expires at which time I will decide to either continue living here or to get a job and move.

Will keep you all posted

Newsies

2008-09-24T14:01:00.003-07:00

Alrighty well let's see here

Had a wonderful weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's!!! I slept very well and as usual enjoyed my time with them.

Monday and Tuesday were busy days for me. Fun errands to the post office, closing my Bank of America account (their online site really sucks).

I audited a class at Playhouse West, a reputable acting school started by Jeff Goldblum and Stanford Meisner out here. It was a 3hr class, I enjoyed it and think I will sign up for my first month of classes with them in October.

Movie wise I saw...Roberto Benigni's 'the tiger and the snow', which was beautiful. Also saw 'black snake moan' starring Samuel L Jackson and Christina Ricci -- it was shot so great and i really enjoyed it!
"moscow does not believe in tears" was a great film i recently saw. it's modern russian cinema about 3 women and how their lives change/don't change over the course of 20 years in moscow. great film, won a lot of awards
"smart people" cute film, not one to buy, in my opinion.
"shooter" an action movie about an ex sniper, starring mark whalberg (spelling?). i enjoyed this one, something great to watch on a friday night

yes, i watch a lot of movies late at night when i get home from work at the berry

This weekend- a couple of my friends are playing in the MSTRKRFT tour (fist of fury i believe it's called) so I can't wait to see them

I'm counting down the days until the 4th when I get to see my favorite Italians, the Bloody Beetroots once more. I always have such wonderful time with them!

Oh- and next Wednesday October 1st, I'm going to the Arclight theatre with a friend of mine in the American Film Institute (AFI) to see a special screening of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" with commentary and Q&A with the actors. Very exciting stuff

Last but not least- posted a blurb today on Trash Menagerie regarding the Scion release of a 2 disk sampler with the artists from FOOLS GOLD.

There's a small possibility I may be covering a HUGE event for TrashMenagerie.com here in LA next month around Halloween with thousands of people attending and some great artists playing! Fingers crossed on that...

Productive Mondays

2008-09-15T14:44:00.002-07:00

Mom and Papi should be proud:

got the oil changed on my car (and an estimate to replace the thoroughly cracked windshield- $200)
did my laundry

cleaned the bathtub! seriously scrubbed that thing with the Comet powder and a scrubber/sponge for a good hour or so. it looks much better.

cleaned my room.

going to work tonight.

yup- a productive monday if i do say so myself

News and Updates

2008-09-13T22:52:00.002-07:00

Hey y'all

My newest article is up on Trash Menagerie,

It's entitled Boxon Records // The Box is ON

Also been working like mad at the berry. GOing to get the oil in my car changed this week. Next weekend I luckily got Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off!! So in that time, I hope to drive down and see G and G, and squeeze in some time hanging out with my friends this weekend.

Crossing my fingers (mom light another St Jude candle lol) to get in some commercial auditions this week!

Been running every other day between 25-30 min. I'm hoping this coming week to extend that to maybe 35-40 on one of my runs.

Still studying italian when I can squeeze it in between sleeping, working, eating, and running.

love to all

Yay for residuals

2008-09-11T23:22:00.002-07:00

Got a small residuals gift from SAG. Will use it towards gas and an oil change on my car!! Especially if I get next weekend off as planned for a potential visit to G and G.

Other than that... working at the berry still. Keeps me busy and also keeps me from shopping.

I met up with my friend Paul's friends the other night (frenchies) who were in town to visit LA and see the Cali coast. It was a lovely little dinner, even if I only made it at the end when dessert was half way done.

Sarah's big bday is this weekend, I'm so excited for her!

Not a whole lot to blog about at the moment. Just working...and looking for work in acting.

love love

I miss HEB

2008-09-09T01:12:00.004-07:00

--photo from 'le ballon rouge' aka the red balloon, a must see

HEB is the best grocery store...EVER. Nothing out here compares to it

Things are good, I'm working my butt off at Pinkberry and also at the game of find acting work.

I love my ricemat bed from ikea, though it is rather small. no furniture or a/c, but i have a good breeze that comes in through my window at night.

This weekend I went to St. Patrick's, it's right down the street in walking distance. I may look for a Maronite Catholic church this weekend.

i went running today and found a lovely grassy place near the power line structures that have huge green spaces perfect for a picnic. also within walking distance =)

One down, one to go!

2008-08-22T17:56:00.002-07:00

Today I got a wonderful phone call. The Savage agency let me know that they're interested in representing me commercially so yay for that. Now all I need is theatrical and I'm set. I think this happened in part of a good meeting with them, and also Mom lighting the St. Jude candle.

Other than that... still working at Pinkberry. Moving into my new apt/room in about a week! I'm really excited about that but not so much about needing to buy a bed. Target/Ikea/Walmart here I come!

Waiting for Grandma and Grandpa to come back =)

Sarah's bday is coming up soon.

"la ville est triste sans toi!"

2008-08-20T14:32:00.002-07:00

Ah Paris me manque!!!!!

One of my friends sent me this via email today and I love it. It's good to know that Paris misses me as much as I miss it.

Today I finished an article for Trashmenagerie.com on the Suisse duo Division Kent. Also will soon have the responses from SPRFKR for BPM Magazine. So, I'm excited that those will soon be completed.

Today I'm going to pass my day writing, listening to music that Terry gave me on the external harddrive last Christmas, and preparing myself for a good run this evening (got to get in shape for that Pasadena half marathon). Tomorrow it's work work at Pinkberry.

Newsies! Newsies!

2008-08-16T10:53:00.002-07:00

Wow it's been a while since I last blogged (as my fab mom pointed out to me). So here are some updates to let you all know about my (impoverished) fabulous life!

First off- I got a part time job working nights and weekends at Pinkberry in Studio City. They sell frozen yogurt (real yogurt) with fresh fruit and dry toppings. This is great because, as I learned from my first night last night, the people are really great and laid back. It was the perfect job to find to keep me financially from wigging out about the ratio of money leaving vs. money entering my account.

Also this week I began conducting my first interview for BPM Magazine, a well known publication with a good reputation in the youth/music/culture scene. My interview is with the t-shirt designer SPRFKR.

In acting news- this coming week I have a meeting with the Savage Agency so let's keep our fingers crossed for that one.

In apartment news- I may be living with a chick friend of my friend Josh. He tells me she's non-psycho, the rent is in my price range, and it's in the exact neighborhood I want to live in (the toluca lake/north hollywood arts district).

I'm awaiting with impatience for Grandma and Grandpa V.M. to come back from their travels so I can go down to Redlands to see them.

I met mom's cousin Denis for brunch a week ago at Chez Nous. It was delicious and we had a marvelous time. He also took me around to Yummy Cupcakes (a cupcake store delicious but dangerous for mom), and the Iliad, a used bookstore here in North Hollywood with the best selection of books in French I've seen since I left Paris!!

I think I covered everything. Sorry for the long wait on news. Love to all!!

Tremble tremble

2008-07-29T11:57:00.001-07:00

Yay today at about noon I experienced my first earthquake in Cali! It registered as a 5.8 on the richter, was 40 mi. away and even felt in Vegas! Super fun.

I will admit I just thought for a moment that really obese people were jumping on trampolines on the floor above me hahaha.

Vanguard and Canadians

2008-07-26T16:57:00.003-07:00

Tonight I'm headed off to Vanguard to see my fave Canadian Felix Cartal play with Laz Casanova and Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Can't wait to go. Saturday has been very relaxing for me. Sleeping in after hanging out with friends last night and heckling Drunken Master and Night at the Roxbury. Also managed to squeeze in some writing and business organization. Yeah, my planner is covered in ink and I love it!!!

Vice, Scion, Trash

2008-07-24T18:09:00.003-07:00

Did a write up on the Scion/VICE photo exhibition. It's up on TrashMenagerie. Click here to check it out!

Later in the next week or two, expect my piece on Boxon Records, which is coming along nicely because owner Julien Minet is so amazingly helpful.

It rained a little this morning.

That's about it. Glad the fam survived the hurricane =)

2008 VICE Photo Show

2008-07-23T23:00:00.002-07:00

So I actually drove all the way down to Culver City to check out the Vice photo show, sponsored by Scion. It was worth it visually and it turned out to be not that awful far from the next place on my list.

Artists whose work were showcased included: Rennie Ellis, Yoshiki Saitoh, Jin Ohashi, Kawori Inbe and Blek le Rat. The art space was this tiny, easily passed by warehouse but inside the venue was very clean...the photos were displayed well and the people working there weren't too pushy. Unfortunately they did not have any issues left of the VICE Photo Issue magazine, so I'll have to search around for that (maybe at Amoeba records or WeSC). Anywho it was neat and I picked up a couple cool posters. I was temporarily tempted not to go all the way down there right before I left the house, but I'm glad I did. It was the closest I've been to actual culture since I moved to LA.

Monday madness

2008-07-21T22:30:00.004-07:00

Well, Monday was productive for me today. Got pics narrowed down to top three and ordered copies. Also finished my interview on the french music collective Valerie, look for it on Trash Menagerie tomorrow!!!

Next up for me in that arena will be a piece on BOXON records (hailing from Bordeaux) and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a very busy Thursday and Friday this week.

Before that, though, I'm looking forward to stopping by the VICE photo exposition and picking up a few copies of the new (photo) issue for myself and friends.

My Valerie interview for Trash Menagerie

Hard Fest

2008-07-19T22:21:00.009-07:00

Tonight is Hard Fest where I will once again be re-united with my fave italians, the Bloody Beetroots!!!!! I'm so stoked.

These are a couple pics of (closest) the BB's performing at SXSW this last March and (furthest right) Tommaso with 1/2 of MSTRKRFT, another group performing this evening. Also will see Spank Rock (see pic on below). All in all the night looks quite promising for lots of dancing and good music!

Bloody Beetroots Video SXSW click on the link, you can see me stage left at times (incidentally). one of the most rockin' shows evaaaaa

Bloody Good Time

2008-07-18T00:52:00.003-07:00

Last night I went to Avalon to see my fave italians the Bloody Beetroots!!! It was great. Bobby and Tommaso made an excellent show, definitely tapered to the audience out there (less rock-y than when i saw them in Geneva and Austin). On Saturday I'm going to the show they are playing out here with NERD, MSTRKRFT, LA Riots, etc. etc. etc. it should be amazing and I'm really excited to not only see them again but have a chance to hang (impossible last night and until Sat they are touring in other parts of Cali and tonight a show in Vancouver).

Tomorrow morning I'm off to see Dark Knight, the Batman movie with Josh and Trent. Should be fun. I'm waking up around 8am (yes. true story).

Also-- I found Commander Keen, my fave computer game growing up! It's so exciting and frustrating (damn than wolf man who always kills me). Click on the Commander Keen name to go to the site and play for yourself (using arrow keys)

Guy shoot

2008-07-16T14:51:00.005-07:00

I got up at 7am this morning to prep myself and hit the road for my 9.30 apt with Guy Viau to get new headshots (to go with my new-ish hair).

It went really well. He was very nice, professional, fun. We got a lot of good material out of it and I got to speak in French for the first time since I moved out here (yaaaaaaay).

I'm posting a couple examples. Keep in mind they are unedited/raw.

California Lovin'

2008-07-14T22:45:00.003-07:00

So it's been a little over a week since I settled into my couch/home. Still looking for an apartment in the north hollywood/toluca lake area.

I've stumbled across the most amazing cafe out here called Aroma Cafe. My friend Michael Phelps showed it to me (he teaches in the OC) and since then I can't get enough! I have wonderful conversation there and it has kind of an Austin-y vibe to it (not to mention the whole area- Tujunga and Moorpark intersection). I also had a taco at Henry's Taco stand there and it was delicious...but nothin' compared to the stuff that I grew up with in the Valley in TX.

Today is Bastille Day, and I've definitely been enjoying red wine and saying vive la révolution!

I'm faxing the contracts tomorrow morning to TM and G to agree to their management. Wednesday bright and early I'm meeting with Guy Viau to had new headshots taken. I've seen some of his work and it is fantyastic! So I'm excited to have him shoot me and of course, to practice a little French.

This week is starting off well, so here's hoping it continues!!!

Love to all
des bisous
katya

oh yes and i practiced my russian ness today at aroma for a while. the cyrillic alphabet and a little reading.

LA needs a little katy love

2008-06-26T23:56:00.003-07:00

Well, this Monday/Tuesday will mark the beginning of my newest adventure: LA.

That's right kiddos, I'm taking my Lucchese's and moving to Cali. Those of you who know me well know that I do not consider myself an LA person. Why?

Because I have a tan, but it's completely natural.
Plastic surgery is not my personal bag.
I would rather be in a city where I don't need my car.
Metro fan (see above).
Walking through the neighborhood fan (see two above).

Let's face it I'm way more east-coast than west-coast oriented. But hey, I can get along just about anywhere (so far). I'm going there with a shiny new pin that says I'm a member of SAG and I will do my best to get work. And hey if not I can use my Advertising degree to get a job... or illegally immigrate back to France. Forever (which would be quite ironic considering where I grew up).

For now I am just hoping to survive the drive from hell and find an (affordable) place to live. And a good agency. And displaced Frenchies.

At least there's good music out there. On the 17th or 19th of july I will see my fave italian duo the Bloody Beetroots! Woo woo! And a good friend from France will be visiting in August so we can do some BornToFilm amazingness.

updates

2008-04-28T14:06:00.002-07:00

went to the louvre it was ok

mmm finally pretty in paris weather wise, though it rains frequently

on youtube: check out Marie Laforet "toi mon amour mon ami"
and "pour un flirt" by michel delpech

applying to jobs like mad in multiple countries, well see what happens

this last sunday i walked around the luxembourg gardens for an hour or two sooooo beautiful and i had sorbet here it was delicious

im really going to miss walking in the parks and streets on sundays here... and buying fresh baguettes pain au chocolat and croissants....the café, and of course speaking french all the time

I need to visit Scandanavia

2008-04-11T04:32:00.000-07:00

It's always one of the first countries I get when people try to guess where I'm from.

Hmmm never really the US

on another note, i'm near a person that really has teh american accent in french ahaha its crazy

frenchisms

2008-04-03T10:30:00.004-07:00

I can not tell how many times I have heard the following frenchisms:

"youpla"
"oupli"
"tak"
"hup" (strong p pronunciation, u sound as in "up/down")

seriously they do it ALL THE TIME. putting food down "tak", picking up something "oupliii"

im trying to think if we have english equivalents to this funnyness.

picture here is my fave store The Lazy Dog, which sells books, tshirts and whatnot, music. Lots of really neat things, cutting edge magazines for fashion, lots of graphic stuff.

Yay for job offers, boo for visa regulations

2008-04-03T06:15:00.003-07:00

It's a beautiful sunny day, not super cold. like jacket/sweater weather I think.

Today I watched a chick for 5 minutes tugging her pants up. She did the move where you bend your knees and pull up while returning the the full standing position. She repeated this a few times, things were jiggling a bit too much. I felt like I was watching National Geographic..or Animal Planet.

Here we see some classy french literature

Nervouuuus

2008-03-31T05:04:00.002-07:00

Meeting today at VICE france.

EEEEEEpppp. quite anxious. so what to do?

go to point fmr (cafe) drink my cafe, do all my email business, and wiggle dance in the chair to the music they play (which seems to be an amazing collection fo american 50s and 60s stuff) oh wait.. now its ougachaka iiiii hoooked on feeling...i'm high on believin'......

yes this blog entry has no point.

but admit it, now you're thinking about that "ouga ouga ougachaka" song, eh? eh?

oh- and last night some frenchy tried to convince me that all english nobles are really frenchies and that all french nobles are actually germans and that french is a germanic language blah blah blah

yeah buddy. sure.

Paris blegh weather

2008-03-30T08:34:00.003-07:00

Its rainy and cold.

I've been doing the babysitting thing. Have a couple meetings this week I hope they go well.

I'm doing a lot of "networking" which is fun for me cause that means going out on Saturday night til whatever time in the morning. But always the job search in my head.

Dad- ive been reading that book that you bought me. a lot of stuff in it i know already but i have learned a few new things so far!

mom- new computer yet???

joey-- hows the house coming along?

terry- did you take the puppy with you back to SA?

i do love it here really. i WILL find a solution to stay.

love you all, hi to the grandparents for me!

There's a place in France....

2008-03-27T05:55:00.002-07:00

So Yay it's not as cold here as New York was. Thank goodness I was so cold there.

Today went grocery shopping and got a baguette and some camembert cheese. Definitely so much better here than in the US really just incredible.

Wondering what excitement the weekend will bring. There will be a bit of babysitting but of course hoping to see some friends and keep meeting people. Non-crappy people.

Last night stopped by my local pub and ended up making friends with a bunch of crazy Londoners who have convinced me that I need to check out the job market in London not only because of the exchange rate between pounds and dollars but also because there's a market there for what I am degree'd in.

We'll see. London is colder and foggy-er than Paris is...not to mention they don't speak french there. And at times I don't know what theyre saying and it's supposed to be English!

OH well. THis week: meetings with American Apparel and VICE.

Next week (depending on how those meetings go): start applying to places in London.

Oh- and the "famous" song that the english kids were singing throughout the entire night goes like this, "we're on the piss and we're having a laugh.." and you repeat that like 4 or 5 times. THere's a reason we won our independence from these people- they would be no use in a war the way they drink. But they do like GW Bush "great lad, strong convictions. bloody great"

Paris vs. New York (or rather, banlieu's vs. billboards)

2008-03-22T12:12:00.005-07:00

So now having been both places I'm going to list some of the differences.

Metro:
Paris has it way cleaner and smoother ride wise, but New York's run's all the time, which is great at 3 or 5am.

Businesses:
In New York they're covered in stupid ads on every building, but at least they're open everyday (including Sunday). Not so in Paris with open stuff is few and far between on Sunday (I think I've complained about this before)

Food:
It's delicious in Paris, but you can get it delivered in New York at 4 in the morning (not to mention all sorts of other things).

Clubs:
No smoking in both cities. However half of New York doesn't follow this rule and in Paris it's pretty strict

Culture:
Manhattan has died a bit culture wise because of how expensive it's gotten. But it still rocks. And Brooklyn rocks as well.
Paris rocks in certain areas but there's not a noticeable, obvious "hipster-ville" quite like Brooklyn that just wreeeeeeaks with cool, poor, edge of fashion/art/literature kids who always know where the cool stuff is happening.

Stores:
Everything is cheaper in New York. Especially with the currency conversion rate.

Languages:
Lots of foreigners in both places, but NOTHING is worse that a thick Jersey accent coming out of a pretty girl's mouth. What a way to ruin it.

Beauty:
Hands down Paris is way more aesthetically appealing than New York. Not to mention less dirty.

Off to Paris tonight. Yay for 8 hours of flying (not).

It's been a while since I blogged

2008-02-21T03:08:00.002-08:00

So i'm once again at McDo using the internet. Thank goodness for american companies.

Ok sooo I've decided that I want to live here permantly and officially begun the job search. Sending out resumes/CVs, etc. Most of it is networking here (as usual, it's not what you know, but who).

I plan to come back here for a couple more months. Why? Because if I visit another country besides France (aka Britain), it counts as international travel on my visa, not just France travel and I can stay in europe for a total of 6 months. Coming back in March will have made 2. So yeah, plan to use that.

Ahhhhh Need to find a job here.. worst comes to worst I can take the teaching position here for next year (school year beginning in sept).

the weather is lovely, not that cold. may go running today (esp since i ate a whole pizza last night)

Nantes

2008-02-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Went to the west coast for a few days to visit Nantes. it was so beautiful!!! really just incredible, and the home of jules verne.
of course the sun came out the day i left

it was small, but very pretty, lovely architecture. really a french town. so different from paris in that the only language i heard was french hahaha

oh and met some lovely people.

currently back in paris. think im done traveling around. woke up this morning and walked over to les halles etc.

just found out the friday night lights episode i was in showed last night in france. episode 14 apparently. wish i had seen it!!! got a message from one of my friends saying "am i hallucinating or did i see you on FNL last night?"

cool.

this is old news but..

2008-01-30T02:09:00.000-08:00

i had a battle with the escalator at gare saint lazare the other day...and totally lost. aka i fell when exiting the metro station on the escalator for no reason other than i was tired and hard already climbed up 4 flights of stairs at that point in my exit process...

...i was wearing jeans but still got some lovely scratches on my new and bruising! why am i writing about it now? bc its still ugly and tender.

damn escalators... or rather.. putain escalator!

profitez bien

2008-01-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

I had my first coca cola here the other day. It tastes a bit sweeter than what we have in the US. maybe different type of sugar is used.

today, so happy, i found a really cool store that had a mini bookstore inside with all kinds of books about modern art/fashion/graffitti art etc. i picked up an issue of VICE there (which is free, you just have to know where to pick it up in new york, paris, blah blah. really excited its full of articles in french (although many of them are translated from "americain" which means theyre probably in the new york issue as well). it's going to take me a while to read that.

also found a little bookstore today, yay... kinda a walk from where i live.

what else... not much to say. just cant describe how lucky i feel when i am walking along the streets looking at the architecture, the little parks, and things like that. it's not dirty (at least where i live) and i'm glad i dont have to dodge dog poop all the time.

went to the boulangerie this morning thats 1 min walking distance from my place, got a fresh baguette-- yum yum.

i feel so happy here. will set an alarm for tomorrow morning as id like to get up early to walk around pigalle/montmartre.

i do have momentary freak outs though, inner monologues like : WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE????!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!

eep.

believers in their own way

2008-01-27T05:40:00.000-08:00

oh france. secular country really. lots of churches (mainly tourist attractions)

but you have to hand it to them... if god said that sunday is a day of rest then dammit sunday is a day of rest.

there is nothing open on sunday. when at 1pm, in the us, stores are packed with shoppers buying clothes, food, or going to restaurant... here the streets are deserted. maybe a couple cars here and there... some random people walking... even the boulanger is closed (though possibly it was open at 10 this morning not sure).

and, saturday, more than half of the things are closed by 6 pm. only the bars are open because quel horreur if you have to work in the mall on a saturday night! ;)

the soldes (sales) end this week. which means there will be nothing on sale in france for another 6 months. maybe i should take a peek into the galleries lafayette or au printemps before it all ends, just to see what the scoop is (though so far it doesnt compare to san marcos)

sun is out today, little to no wind, a beautiful day in paris.

la fleche d'or : cool club, sketch neighborhood

2008-01-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

last night i went out to la fleche d'or, a club in the 20th arrondissement. it was packed, lots of people. as typical, i was right in front of the djs bc i like to watch what they do when they play, and that way i dont have to dance with anyone. the atmosphere was cool when pharell of fluokids played-- he threw down a lot of tracks i really like for example some crookers stuff and herve remixes, but i really didnt enjoy thieves like us, unfortunately.

tonight, i'm going to stay in, watch a movie... be a bum.

still love it here, thought it is a bit chilly tonight. i can feel my once healthy tan completely diminishing as i type.

really want to stay... really really really want to stay...

who needs an alarm?

2008-01-18T01:21:00.000-08:00

when i can wake up to the beautiful sound of cars honking incessantly just below my window.

BONJOUR to you too PARIS*$#$@%^#$^%^#%&^

haha

vous n'avez pas 62?

2008-01-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

without fail, everytime i go to the monoprix (supermarket), they ask me "are you sure you dont have exact change?". and while i carry a million little coins with me, no, i dont have exactly 62 cents on me. every. time.

its a nice day, weather is not too cold, sprinkling very lightly.

ive got chips and salsa with me that i bought at the monoprix.

note: the chips are nthing compared tostitos and the salsa... well it claims to be "hot hot hot!!"but yeah it's like Mild pace picante sauce.

oh and did i mention how much i love cheese here and how cheap it is? yeah. and it tastes different from the US stuff (even the imports). i guess less pasteurization does have its benefits ;)

good news!

2008-01-16T05:10:00.000-08:00

Sooooo I just moved into my new flat in the 8th arrondissement. it rocks my socks.

it's a beautiful parisian day (aka cloudy, no sun to see, and cold)... about to go to a photography exposition at hotel de ville with friends. should be fun =)

now that i have a place, etc. i can finally relax and start hitting up all the museums!

working on getting job so that i can get the papers to get a work visa upon my return to the US so i can come back. french life agrees with me. =)

finally getting used to pain au chocolat for breakfast (its like a croissant with pieces of chocolate inside). the orange juice is definitely NOT as good here as it is in texas. neither is the pink grapefruit juice for that matter.

i don't understand the concept of putting syrup in water to make it flavored. yuck. yuck.

another funny thing- they have specialty frozen food stores here that sell only frozen food hahaha and theyre quite popular.

but, as my apt is a bit limited in the kitchen sense, ill be sticking to the usual stuff: bread, liquids, cheese, soup blah blah

miss my family, but am so so so so glad to be here, even if the metro doesnt stay open 24/7... or mcdo...or anything else for that matter. new york def has paris beat in that respect: that city never sleeps, this one rolls up the sidewalks (except the bars which are open til like 4.30/5.00

Paris paris paris

2008-01-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

Well so back in paris from the south.

Its lovely here as usual. glad to be back. seems like i cant stay away for too long from this place.
french skills improving, rapidly thank god, but i'm still pretty quiet in crowds bc i get a bit anxious about making mistakes etc (although beer helps).

oh-- speaking of beer. UNbelievable. people here drink corona like it's frickin awesome stuff and i tried to tell them no, this is piss beer. it's terrible. its cheap. but yeah, its like 8 euros a bottle here and they drink it like its dos xx. i guess just because its from mexico, which is so far away. who knows. also another pop beer here is desperado. i havent tried it. it looks like crap too.

hmmm what else... it's still not as cold here as i originally thought it would be. which is good. it's cold but i think when we were in illinois for xmas a couple years ago and it was all snowy that was worse. today the sun is out, and yesterday it was too.

i should be moving into my own place sometime this week if all goes well =) its in the champs elysees district, so very safe, calm, etc

still need to go to the louvre. which means i need to get up in the morning. that hasnt been working out too too well as of yet but theres still time.

Papi this is for you:
yesterday i was at a little cafe, and i heard these guys talking at the table behind me. they were mexican. how did i know (you may wonder)? well, first the accent. second, every other word out the guy's mouth was "a la verga guey!!!!" lolol typical. so so typical.

ahhh i want to stay here. don't wanna go back. it's just too awesome, i like it, so much to discover. i wonder how ic an get a work visa to stay (artists visa for cinema or normal just visa for work???)

love to all
still missing spicy food....pico de gallo...and yum yum burgers.

Yum Yum Burger

2008-01-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

ahhhhh what i would give for a burger from PLAYERS oooooor HUTS

ahhhh burger where are you when i need you in my life!

french food oddities..

2008-01-09T04:51:00.001-08:00

...so they always eat sweet stuff in the moring. like we're talking chocolate covered or filled things, pastrie type stuff. seriously it makes me feel sick its just so bizarre. all i want is like barbacoa with salsa verde and corn tortilla.s

speaking of which last night at the grocery store i saw some "mexican chips" and "sauce mexican". yeah, definitely not the same hahahahahah pretty not good actually...

oh and every time i eat the pizza here i feel a little queasy afterwards. so odd. must be some type of preservative they use that i'm not accustomed to..

people dont really drink plain water here either. they pour syrup flavor stuff in it (like grape, blah blah), again, reallllyy sugar-y.

ugh what i would give for some pico de gallo right now. i found all the ingredients for it last night at the grocery store except the most important thing= the peppers!! wtf i dont think i can make pico salsa with no serranos (or jalapenos). all they had were red bell peppers.

what else is different....

thats that for now... more later.

love to all. mish you mom dad sarah bear taco terry mash mash holly etc etc etc etc

le SUD sud south south

2008-01-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

Aix en provence....avignon... apt... montpellier... many cities in many days!

it;s in the 50s here so the weather isnt too bad. my french is improving quickly (thought my accent is still quite strong). although i can distinguish sometimes the accent differences now between here and paris...

the architecture is different, very pretty. ill try to remember to take photos. i must admit that when i get carried away just enjoying things i forget to utilise my camera.

so far i havent seen many hipsters. i dont think they really exist that much here. although there are a few fluo kids. hmmm at the club le prive in avignon there were all these kids dancing le tektonik (which i hate) i felt like i was in mexico kinda. all these really wannabe fresa looking guys were around. i refused to dance with them. and the djs that night werent playing the best sets so it wasnt too awesome... but the night before in Aix en Provence (pronounced "ex on prove-ahnse") it was surreal! so cool. the djs played AWESOME sets. it was such a blast. really cold that night, though.... and when i left at 6 in the morning the club wasnt near closed! ridiculous. completely ridiculous.

oh: the secret to french skinny-ness: smaller portions, better food, more walking, and shitloads of cigarettes. seriously these people are like chiminey stacks (not all, but a lot).

the cheese here is to die for. completely different than in the US. even the chevre and camembert is different tasting. soooo creamy and good. and way cheaper. the wine too, good and very much cheaper.

hmm what else... they served me mayonnaise at mac-do (mcdonalds). ewwwww. gross. frenchies loove that mayo on their everything i swear.

later this week i return to paris. i have a couple meetings to go to, more networking to do and also a few fetes (parties) that i have been invited to. paris is wonderful. it doesnt have the speed of new york (which is breakneck) but it feels very much alive. so many things to discover. you can walk pretty much everywhere. the metro is 1.5 euros one way (though you can buy passes for the week or month which are cheaper)... oh and with phones here you are not charged when you receive calls or texts, only when you send them!

so far seen: jim morisson's grave, chopin's grave, cities in the south, all the famous monuments in paris...

to be seen still: the inside of museums. christian louboutin (shoe store), etc etc

so hopefully things go well in paris and i have better internet there than i did when i was there last week.

pics are up in an album on myspace. myspace.com/katyanimal. though there are like 5 on facebook as well.

French people cant dance!

2008-01-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

ok yeah, nuff said. seriously. ive seen them try to dance to so many kinds of music. o one can keep a beat. its the same movements for hip hop, latin, and techno... and speaking of techno...

i HATE tektonik!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

srsly

oh- and the south is completely beautiful. so gorgeous. but i think im def more of a city girl ((easier to get around)

Alive!!!!!!

2008-01-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

Ok,
So i made it in, as I'm sure most of you heard.

I'm at McDonalds (mcdo) and yeah, the coffee is better, the fries nto that terrible. but the hamburger ewww...

Last night for the new years eve, i went out with some friends. first to a house party, then to anther house party with LOTS of walking in between.

for the new year, the metro was free to take after 5 pm, so that was nice. i had champagne, some wine, blah blah. it was a lot of fun. everyone was screaming "BONNE ANNEE" in the streets like it was mardi gras (minus the boobs- too cold for that).

also last night i met another actor who is irish, he is friends with my friends so he's going to email me the number of his agent here, who books people for english speaking jobs in film. said he did 3 movies this last year so shes really good at finding work =) also, met a half american named melanie who is also mutal friends and she has also worked in cinema here, has great contacts and told me she would email me a list of contacts emails, etc (directors, producers) direct. she did warn me thought that its very hit or miss. but everyone has been very nice, theyre already trying to find jobs and appartments for me hahaha

oh- loooots of english speakers here. irish, australians, etc etc. and of course everyone can hear my accent =)

its not as cold as i thought, but it is getting colder and colder =)

oh--- now in bars and restaurants in paris its just like austin- NO SMOKING. crazy. who ever thought that would happen in paris????

what else.... what else.... i see so many people wearing converse shoes!

i do love it here. my fingers are cold, so sorry for the crappy typing. mmmm going to start scrounging for alittle flat. apparently if you get one matchbox size you can find one for like 400 euros. thats almost cheaper than austin. what the hell hahah and thats IN the city, not outside in the suburbs...

oh- the metro is a MAZE. inside. so many little halls and stuff. i felt like a hamster.

oh- and no one has said anything to me in the streets (yet). all the people here tell me its changed drastically in the last 5-10 years bc of the mayor. no more dog shit in the streets (apprently they dna catalogued ppls dogs, and when they left dog shit in the street, there was a special team of ppl set up who just dna tested the dog shit to send the owners fines!!! hahaha). oh and no pissing in the streets either- there are free little bathrooms all over the place. aaand what else. big glass recycling bins (for the bottle everyone drinks in the streets) aaand....

yesterday afternoon i was in the 18eme (montmartre), annnd i had wine at the cafe where Amelie was filmed...and a cafe at this little place where there was a hooker tranny saying hi to all her "freinds" and having to tell one of her regualrs that she was NOT working on new years eve, thank you very much, and see you tomorrow night. hahahah

anywho, love to all. miss youuuuu but loove it here so far! i ordered in my own meal in french at mcdo and they understood me! progress...

Avant je pars...//Before I leave...

2007-12-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow's the day I leave... I can't help but feel a bit anxious.

Dear God,

Please keep me from being robbed/raped/pillaged/diseased/sick/frozen/lost.

love,
katy

What I'm taking food wise in my bag: a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos.

What I will desperately miss:

fajitas
ceviche
dos xx
lucas pops covered in chili
trechas
yum yum burgers from player's and huts
Mariya
amy's icecream
anything spicy

Bonjour Tout le Monde!

2007-12-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

So bebes, welcome to my blog. Here I will relate to you all of my various adventures while in the land of baguettes and wine. Feel free to leave comments and enjoy my ridiculous life. Many of you are already living vicariously through me, and I didn't want to leave you without in my absense. =)

Also, there will be rough, bad translations in French for my francophile friends.

Alors mes bebes, bienvenu a mon blog. Ici je vous dirai de toutes mes aventures pendant suis dans le pays des baguettes et du vin. Vous êtes libres de me laisser qqcommentaires de ma vie folle. Plein de bisous!