Friday, February 27, 2015

10 Random little things you’re going to learn while living in Paris

 
Bonjour!

Today I’m sharing 10 random little things that you’re defiantly going to learn while living in Paris. So here we go;
 
1: There’s no WIFI availability anywhere expect at Starbucks and MacDonald (MacDo). It’s a phenomenon which I can’t explain but come on we live in 2015 isn’t it about time to have some free networks available in a big city like this?
2: You learn that French woman are your number one frenemies and French men your number one goal!
3: After a few weeks you will gain weight by eating a baguette a day and threat yourself every day for a different pastry. Pâtisseries are everywhere in Paris, not to mention all those little crêpe corners witch have those deliciously crêpe Nutella’s.
4: Having an house party will be more about wine, cheese, literature and talks about politics then getting wasted.
5: You become a history nerd spending days strolling around parks and museums.
6: The most popular French word you’re going to be using is putain. For Parisians this is more then just a curse word, they use it for everything and anything thousand times a day. With time it will be like music in your ears.
7: You realize that your social status will depend on your arrondissement. If you live in the 16th then congratulations your official part of the little rich bubble and consider yourself ‘’one of them’’.
8: Your new best friend will be called; the color black.
9: Drinking a coffee in a café is going to be considered an actually date and hobby.
10: The metro will become your only transportation and the underground life and piss smell will feel so familiar in no time! You will be an expert in knowing all the lines and colors but will have no idea how to take the bus. ( shocker there are actually busses in Paris).
 
What do you think? Leave a comment behind and share what you have learned during your stay in Paris.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Yellow diamonds in the light, now we’re standing side by side, as your shadow crosses mine - 3 ways to meet a French man


Paris is the most romantic city in the world, but at the same time it can be your living hell while looking for your prince charming – not being able to walk down the streets without seeing love, can really make you feel miserable – So the best thing to do is to meet date, flirt and love the French way! Frenchies are known to be the holy grail of lovers, endless romantics and disgustingly good looking. But where do you meet a Frenchie? Is there a magical door that opens up to another world? Seriously.

Every person meets in a different way, there plenty of scenarios and stories of people meeting each other. But being foreign in a different country and being confronted with a total different dating culture makes it a bit harder. While I would establish flirting with a random Frenchie avec heavily eye contact, there usually too proud to make the first move. Too many times I have been bitching about this to my French friends asking them why they won’t approach me. ‘They would tell me; In his mind making a move doesn’t exist cause people in France don’t meet like this. Wait, what? Yes. You have to realize that in fact the word dating doesn’t exist here.’’ My mind was literally on fire, that would mean that there all single right? But no, I have noticed that most of the ‘’good’’ guys are taken in France. Daily scenario; While walking around the street of Paris you will instantly notice perfect matched couples. The guy would be a bit taller, looking fresh, with a cigarette in his mouth. The girl would be a typical cute French girl, petit and wearing some black dress with boots. Anyway. This daily confrontation is like salt in my eyes, it burns. Did I forget to mention that 50 % of the guys population in Paris consist of tourists!
So where can a single girl find and meet herself a decent guy in a city packed with lovebirds? With some help of my French friends and some actually proven scenarios how I met them, I have made an list of the 3 best ways to meet a French guy;
Being invité to join the secret circle
Yes this sound a bit old fashioned, but I assure you that this is the best way to meet him. First of all the best way to meet French people are thought a ‘’circle of friends’’. Changes are smaller that you will find a real Frenchie bar crawling with some Erasmus students. So if you’re lucky to know a French person then this process will become really easy. Just ask him/her to drag you along to their soirées , where you will be introduced to bunch of Frechies. So to get to know French people you have to know French people. This is also the way all of those couples meet here, it’s all about connections, inner circles and soirées. Actually if you think about it meeting someone through your friends makes the dating scene so much easier!
Tu peux m'aider s'il te plaît?
While we already know that a Frenchie will never approach a stranger, doesn’t mean that we ladies can’t take the lead! That’s even better cause guys in France like woman who are confident and in desperate need for help.. at school, work or on the streets ask for help! So how to master this approach– first of all actually make contact with your target – and then? That depends on your comfort level. But if you feel comfortable enough ask anything that ends with an questions mark. For example you could ask for directions or when you’re at school for some study help. If the conversation turns into a nice dialogue then the guy will take the lead from there because sometimes you will hit the jackpot!
Ps; Avoid doing this at night or places like clubs. Obviously.
Becoming the new modern Tinderella
If you’re not comfortable talking to stranger on the streets or not interested in joining the circle. Then tinder would be the best next option. Almost every woman can pick up a guy very easy on Tinder. They’re plenty of choices and you can have several dates in one day. But the questions is how to pick up the right one, the one that is interested in more than just sex. I’m not an tinder experts but what I do know is that it’s an easy way to date in Paris! Either way it’s an easy way to practice your French!

What do you think? Leave a comment behind and let us know how you experienced meeting Frenchies.

 

Saturday, February 21, 2015

There she goes looking like a star, with her body shaped like a rock guitar- The effortless elegance of the Parisian style


Last week I went to a nice date, so I was really determined to prepare myself to look fabulous. I even decided what to wear the day before so I’m not in a last minute panic with a room covered in reject outfits. While being in the process of doing my full makeup and hair, putting on my high heeled Louboutins, I suddenly remembered how much I missed this. It’s not that I haven’t been going on dates lately, but the thing is that dating in Paris doesn’t require so much preparations. A real French girl would never spend hours in front of a mirror for a date or even match her clothes- she has better things to do anyway- But how can the French girls look so utterly perfect all the time? The answer is simplicity.

Talking in experience and spending hours observing their style, I can openly announce that the French (partially Parisian) style is all the same! Yes. the French girls all look and dress the same. They don’t practically follow fashion trends, they make the trends and develop a signature look. - I found to understand that there’re three golden unsaid  style rules- The first ones is that it has to be neutral. The French girls love to wear black if not black then navy blue, beige or white will do and the more the better. They keep it simple, chic and stay away from bright colors. The second rule is not to show too much skin. Leave your sexy skirt and dress at home cause the French girls will only see that as showing off sexiness or worst being vulgar. Rule number three is to be effortless. You don't want to appear as though you have spent hours in front of the mirror. Inside of having a full makeup look, choose one element which stands out like red lips.
So these are the three unsaid rules which I discovered. These girls show so much confidence by just looking normal and simple, it has something alluring in it. So to achieve this true Parisian femme fatale style, every girl should at least have these essential pieces in her closet:
1.       A classic trench coat
2.       A men’s jacket
3.       A leather biker jacket
4.       A pair of classis flat shoes
5.       A pair of sharp black stilettos
6.       A cashmere sweater
7.       A silk blouse
8.       A linen t-shirt
9.       A mini black dress
10.   The vintage killer bag
11.   The IT bag
12.   A silk scarf
Voila and you’re ready to go! What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know what your basics are.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish way, caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life - Hold onto her and give her the most you can


Today I would like to share one of my favorite quotes. These wise words are dedicated to all the man out there;
 
But if she loves you now, what else matters?
“You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect—you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break—her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there.” –Bob Marley
What do you think? Leave a comment behind and share your favorite quote.

Monday, February 16, 2015

She's just a girl, and she's on fire, hotter than a fantasy, lonely like a highway – The free spirit of ‘’La fille Parienne‘’

 
The most hidden and secretly part of Paris lies underneath la Parisienne.. the most difficult part while living in Paris was to understand and to adapt to the Parisians girls. I remember how out of place I felt the first time I  tried to interact with these girls, it was a horrible experience and on that day I put them in a box which was called.. the ‘’b*tch box’’. In my mind these girls were so closed to the out world, so selfish and arrogant. But a real Parisian woman acts and is something totally different than any other woman around the world and even other parts of France. What I came to understand now is that this is what makes them so special, irresistible, mysterious and classical. Yes ,with time I slightly started to understand them.
 
A Parisian girl can be very intimidating at first. why? Because she simply doesn’t feel like she has to be nice to you or (worst scenario) your friend. This girl sticks to her gang, she has here girls which she already knows from when she was in kindergarten or from her collage years, plus you’re a foreigner. She grew up to have here place in the society and likes to have ‘‘circles of friends’’ these are her buddies for life. If your lucky and you know someone inside this circle you could get a free pass to getting to know here. It sound very cliché but it really works like that.
A Parisian girl is also very independent. While not caring about what others think of her, she will do anything to make you think that it comes to her easy.  She keeps a nonchalant attitude in everything even in dating.  She doesn’t care for the label ‘’boyfriend’’ she enjoys living her life without running after a guy. But not caring for it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have it, she has the perfect boyfriend which does everything for her, because she is a pro in playing hard to get! She will play it cool but at the same time demand quality and not quantity.
 
And last but not least she has a free spirit, loves;  to drink, smoke, chat, have her coffee and if you get a chance to get to know her you will understand that she is fun to be around with!
 
Keep in mind that this is how I experienced it, of course every person is different and I’m not trying to stereotype the Parisians girls. And by the way the Parisian girls may be a bit arrogant but are defiantly not classified in my ''b*tch box'' anymore!!

What do you think? Leave a comment behind and then us what you think of Parisian girls.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, I shake it off – Sunday blues about negativity



Salut!
Today’s small post is just  a reminder that ‘’we cannot let the behavior of others destroy our inner peace’’.
At this very moment, I’m sitting in my apartment in Amsterdam thinking were else would I rather be. I can only  think of one place; Paris! Since I’ve moved back to Amsterdam, I will admit, it has been a struggle to deal will negativity. I know that I doesn’t matter where you are or what you do, there always going to be negative and nagging people around you.
But at some point I feel that this doesn’t apply to me when I’m in Paris. I have learned that Paris is my holy savior of all the negativity around me. Why? Because when I’m in Paris, I feel like a free bird, every little thing that happens to me there makes me happy. A trip to the bakery can just make my day! And it doesn’t matter how people stereotype the ‘’Parisians’’ it’s about your inner peace and I love the way the Parisians live their lives!!  
So how did I find my inner peace?
I turned around the negativity around me and made something positive out of them. When you do that, you’re starting  to live the best life you possibly can. If you have a lot of anger inside you use that energy for something more important like becoming a better person.  What I have learned is that change doesn’t come easy in live. Habits and negativity thoughts or people, don’t just go away by itself. So when something goes wrong or you feel like being trapped in someone’s negativity, then look at the lesson the universe is trying to teach you. If you embrace the challenge and feel happy then your automatically blocking the negativity around you.
And don’t forget everyone is different, and everyone has a own choice to do what they want with their lives! Happy Sunday my dears!
What do you think? Leave a comment behind and please share how you deal with negativity in life.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

If I never see your face again I don’t mind – The story of bumping into my ex Pierre


Last Valentine’s day I was the most happy girl on earth celebrating this day in the city of love with my Frenchie. He was the Don Jon of all Frenchie’s, a sexy dark-haired Frenchman! His name was Pierre and he was the love of my life. We started the day with some old fashioned breakfast in bed, after that we spend most part of the day strolling around beautiful Paris. This year around I also met Pierre but in a different kind of way..
It was Thursday the 12th February, while being all dolled up and on my way to the Fifty Shades of Grey premiere (which was awesome) I was confronted by a very awkward incident..
Slowly I walked down the metro, my heels were killing me and my dress was far too tight and my hair  was all messed up my the wind. While sitting in the metro I couldn’t help but notice a very handsome guy that was sitting in front of me, even just slightly seeing him from behind he kind of reminded me of my ex Pierre. ‘’Could it really be Pierre?’ ,’’In an empty metro in Amsterdam?’’,’’ What kind of coincident would that be?’’ No, I didn’t want to believe that! After the horrible realization that it was really him, I noticed that he was with a girl kissing and hugging her. There was an awful shock that came thought me and the first thing I was concerned about was how I looked, and thank god I did look damn hot. While staring at him with literally my mouth open he slowly turned around and was even more in shock then me! That awkward moment of silence came in...I just stood up walked around them...looked him in the eyes.. and quickly went out the next stop. Yes. I know. I just couldn’t deal with this situation of him being with her, because in reality I still had feeling for him and being ok about this would just hurt me more.
I guess our love was really made for movie screens hehe
Bisous!
What do you think? Leave a comment behind and share your story!

It’s like I have this music in my head saying it’s going to be alright - My survival kit for v-day for a single Parisian girl


Let face it; Valentine’s day is the most hated day for single ladies (even more if you’re in Paris)! Like most modern single girls, you will be either spending this day at home watching a romantic movie with a box of chocolate or stalking all your exes on social media and just hoping their day is even worst.  
 
Here is my survival kit for Valentine’s day for a 20- something single girl in the city of love;
1.       Instead of pitting yourself, choose to reflect on your love life, like on new year’s eve this is a great time to make some new resolutions and promises to yourself.
 
2.       Avoid social media!! Stop looking at the one thing that ruins your day; your ex. Who gives a f*ck what he’s doing on this day? Also for god sake it is a Saturday today, which means it will rain will love posts and Instagram pictures of happy couples! I warned you!
 
Today I received a Snapchat-video of a guy(I used to date )peeing in a big heart at some kind of club, no idea what that means, I hope it’s not a love message hehe.
 
3.       Call your girls and get out of the house, either way just don’t sit alone at home. Meet for some high tea, or a lovely stroll around the city. There are so many new things to discover in Paris, you can visit some museums or shop around. The one thing I really like to do is strolling around Parisian park’s.  (And you never know maybe you find a handsome Frenchman sitting right next to you)
 
4.       Plan some activities for the evening, go and watch the new Fity Shades of Grey movie or simply go out and get wasted.
 
5.       If your planning on staying home, then I would recommend to order some food and watch some funny comedies or listen to some great music!
Playlist of the day
1.       Maroon 5/Makes me wonder
2.       Maroon 5/Runaway
3.       Charlie XCX/Body Of My Own
4.       Taylor Swift/Blank Space
5.       MGMT/Time To Pretend
6.       Kodaline/High Hopes
7.       Kodaline/Talk
8.       Kendji Girac/Andalouse
9.       Tove Lo/Habits
10.   OneRepublic/I Lived
 
6.       Most important of all LOVE YOURSELF you’re meant to be extraordinary! Make the most out of your life J
Lots of love,
         Marlene
 
What do you think? Leave a comment behind, to share your tips and stories!