julie and a little parisian appartment splendor.

later tonight i'll upload a couple i took this morning.
a continuous few of what my view is coming out of the metro each morning for work.
it's pretty good. stay tuned.

i really, really, really want these. and have for some time now.
especially when they have the ability to become these.

there has been some badgering from some corners of the world,
and i was thinking about it today,
that henceforth, i'm going to make more of an effort to photographically document goings on here.
i think i'm, mostly sub-conciously, a little conciously, averse to carrying my camera around and whipping it out..that somehow it takes away from me just experiencing. and somehow too, not wanting to paint an unrealistic picture of life here.
because on a bare level, thats what it is for me. just life. just life? hmm.

i guess i should confess that i'm not experiencing paris to it's fullest. i can blame this and that (exaustion, stomach flu, no funds), but i think i'm doing what i tend to default to. which is lay low, make time go by holeing up on my own.
but in being here, is something. something bigger than i'm currently embracing it as.
and i'm wasting it. wasting me.

these were my thoughts today, smoking out the kitchen window, after giving it a pretty decent scrub down (except the floors. still have yet to purchase a damn mop/swiffer thing). i'm not living. i'm letting. it took me a long time in vancouver to acknowledge the same things, but by the time i did, i had a solid, amazing amassment of people in my life. i turned myself from a recluse into a host. which was a huge thing. maybe not recluse..but anyways.

even though i don't have the same amassment, or a person, i need to break out. choose..something.
for now, that something is taking more photo's intentionally, intentionally being creative. using that eye. we'll see what happens next.

confused by the previous post?
don't worry, it's to enter a contest. to win a rug!! seriously.

so i bring to you today,
things that i'm happy about.

1. the coffee machine in my metro station has a 'caramel cappacino' option. only 1.20.

2. i just found out that i'm getting off three hours early tomorrow due to american thanksgiving. i'm going to see harry potter matinee!

3. the bakery downstairs. well its a love/hate thing. amaaazing bread, but always sold out by the time i get home. i kind love that i have to strategize to get bread though.

4. cheap medicine at the pharmacy. i've either food poisoning, or this mysterious 'gastro-intestinal 24 hour thing'. either way it's wreaking havoc on my middle section. and my temperature levels.

5. i was going to write earplugs, but they end up giving me a severe headache in the morning after wearing them all night. gah. so not earplugs. still hunting for fall asleep quickly idea's.

6. bacon.

7. impending mail for my mailbox. 202 rue du faubourg st-martin, 75010, paris, france

8. buddy miller's new album in the new year.

oh look at how that floor is bare.
i sure could use a rug right there.

well looky here looky here.
i just found something very cool.
in vancouver one just opened up a little while ago by the faux bourgeois...
a drop in sewing cafe!
with tuesday night knitting workshops!
and the best bit, is that it's in my neighborhood.
so now i think on tuesday's i'll be knitting.
and once a month they have an all day class where you can make one of their patterns with one of their instructors.
yipeee.

anyways.
super stoked.
pip pip.
talk soon.

yesterday i met people.
real people actually talked to me!
then i cried.
the strength of the emotion surrounding it blindsided me a little.
i went to a service called verticale, put on by the fonderie,
which is the church that had piqued my intrest before arriving in paris.
turns out they don't have regular services,
just this once a month thing.
BUT.
BECAUSE PEOPLE TALKED TO ME
i was able to find out about a tiny little artistic church,
with real musicians,
that meets every week.
you guys. my hopes are freaking high on this one.
i cannot wait to go and check it out.

churches here have been pretty disapointing.
one was super old school evangelical..i caught myself wincing a couple times.
the other which i also checked out yesterday,
was RAH RAH!! we're hip!
we have a ten piece band!
and none of us are over 24!
nor do we have any musicianship whatsoever!
the funniest thing was that whenever anyone prayed,
(everything was in english and french)
their voice automaticaly went into this southern drawl.

you guys i'm looking for people of the heart.
which reminds me,
i've been reading jean vanier's becoming human (again)
and its killing me.
i miss mosaic something fierce.
a living out of the reality that we're all very broken.
bu broken together. and somehow it's gorgeous.

a list of things that they have in france, but not in canada. that i love.

1. butter with sea salt crystals
2. a kick ass public transportation system.
3. baguettes
4. pain au chocolate (i know it might seem like you have those last two in canada, but i assure you, you don't)
5. dijonaise. mayo! dijon! it cheap and dirty sqeeze bottles. we prob have that in canada actually.
6. FANTASTIC 4 dollar wine bottle at the grocery store.

a list of things they have in canada, but not in france (and are the worse for it).

1. MOPS. oh my god.
2. peanut butter
3. cheddar
4. sourdough
5. dryers
6. washing machines that take 1/2 hour. (2-3 hours a cycle here folks)

my body has lots of good robaxacet in it right now.
oh ya. going to be a good sleep tonight folks.
which hasn't really been happening these last few.
its the first time in a long time that i've only had one pillow at my disposal,
and its wreaking havoc on my neck and shoulders,
causing a terrible headache during the day.
ah, first world problems.

single bachelor boy has no mop.
let me tell you just how severly the kitchen floor needs mopping.
i asked him if he had one somewhere,
and darn'd if there wasn't a word for mop in french!
trying to describe,
we finally came around to the idea of cleaning the floor with bob marley's head.
also no chef's knife.
cutting up vegetables with a paring knife blows.

darned it also if
coffee from a little metal pod, that you put into your machine,
isn't a really, really good cup of coffee.

came home from a long day,
to a good supper,
and a perfect chat with a much missed christoph.
he's in LA for a guitar conference or something,
and is going to the house of blues tonight.

this robaxacet is makin me feel so good,
i might skip watching an episode of man men tonight,
and go to sleep! yeepee!

bisous.

i'm incredibly happy to say that finally i've a home.
i've just arrived not a half hour ago,
and in the process of rearranging everything,
sorting out this and that, getting myself aquainted.
tedious, but wonderful.
(i oddly enjoy this bit, knowing that when i'm done,
i'll have a space. a sanctuary of sorts)

i had to sit and write to tell you all though.
my address is
202 rue de Faubourg Saint-Martin
75010 Paris, France

i'll double check to make sure thats all that you need, you know, to write letters and things. :)

it's been a long month, and i have to thank you for the prayers and good thoughts, because it got me here i think.
i hadn't though it would be as hard as it was,
but i look forward to figuring out what julie looks like this side of the hard part.

so i'm here.
and home.
and thankful. incredibly thankful.

how are you?