Je parle français, mais un peu

I've never been to Paris in April. I've been there in October, November, December, January, June, July, and August. Once in the colder months, twice in the summer. Perhaps I should've stuck it out for April.

Charlie Parker - April In Paris

Parker's Paris is: catching the Metro just in time and carrying a black umbrella. Lunch dates with someone whose eyes wrinkle in the corners before he smiles. Swapping stories about "back home" with fellow ex-pats with only a glint of nostalgia and not that overwhelmingly thick coating. Dusk walks around the neighborhood in heeled shoes that click or tap or click-tap. Some other Paris that I may still find if I ever wind up back there.



I'll admit it. When I was in France, I listened to a lot of the same things. Feist and Dizzee Rascal videos aired a lot on M6 in the early morning hours and I was totally into it. It's not so much a secret, but I love marionettes and puppets. So grotesque and whimsical. "Dream" is a bit kitsch and kind of silly and a few years later, I'm not sure if I like Dizzee Rascal or if I just buy into critical hype.



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I'm computer dumb so bear with me as I try to figure out how to use, er, build? a flash player. Maybe by the New Year, yeah? I bet it's all sorts of simple. For the time being, I'm using Bleep for flash since I'm not 1337 enough to listen to horribly obscure stuff.

I Am Not Hungry, I Just Think About Food and French A Lot

Almost a year ago, I procured about a dozen (maybe more. What, you expect me to count?) Franco-Canadian 45s via an internet auction site everyone is familiar with. It was one of those late night, impulse bids. I'm totally into it.

This is my favorite of the set, thus one of my Favorite of All Time Ever.

Les Sinners - Les Disc-Jockeys.

...like I should be wearing better clothing and living in a city with far superior public transit and friends I see more often. Like I should be packing a picnic lunch and dancing at dance parties. Like I should mail out the letters I write and listen to the radio in the park.

Les Sinners - Ne reste pas sous la pluie

Cute, right? Don't stay under the rain is pretty solid advice, too. I like their garage-y stuff best but this is so nice. It makes me want to play with my hair, jump into puddles, and use the proper accents when writing en francais. I would like to get my hands on their earlier LPs but they are $$$ and I am spending too much $$$ as of late. This month should be good on the cash flow, though.

Both tracks from the same 7" put out by Jupiter Records. Apologies for the crap quality; it's the old vinyl, the mostly plastic record player, the cheap cables, the lack of editing. More of 'em to come. Maybe.

I obviously didn't flip the image because I am laaaazy (also, heeeey, that's part of my kitchen where culinary delights no longer occur on a nightly basis now that school and work and internship is in full swing). Did you know a flip, according to Barron's Food Lover's Companion (I finally bought a copy) is a "concoction of rum, beer, sweetener, and spices" that you mix together by "plunging a hot fireplace poker" into it? Sounds great! Except the whole putting a beaten egg in it part that the hip kids are doing now. In the words of the elf of over-zealous, pseudo-cooking who happens to be on my box of whole grain, wheat crackers, "YUMM-O!"

I have never been to Brazil nor have I ever seen the movie.

Cansei De Ser Sexy - Poney Honey Money

I'm not sure what's going on in this song. I like it. The simplicity. The filtered twangy twinge. The contrast between this track as a closer for the Brazilian release and the dance-party-friendlier "This Month, Day 10" that closes the International release. Here is a word that had a similar effect and reaction when I looked it up:

Candid, as taken from Merriam-Webster.com:

can·did

Pronunciation: \ˈkan-dəd\

Function: adjective

Etymology: French & Latin; French candide, from Latin candidus bright, white, from candēre to shine, glow; akin to Welsh can white, Sanskrit candati it shines

Date: 1606

1: white <candid flames>

2: free from bias, prejudice, or malice : fair candid observer>

3 a: marked by honest sincere expression candid discussion> b: indicating or suggesting sincere honesty and absence of deception candid face> c: disposed to criticize severely : blunt <candid critics>

4: relating to or being photography of subjects acting naturally or spontaneously without being posed

synonyms see frank

— can·did·ly adverb

— can·did·ness noun

I Ought to Send One to Her

Jens Lekman - A Postcard to Nina

In high school, I had friends. One of my best friends then was Nina. She was and is wonderfully intelligent and beautiful. I often wonder what she's up to now but I am not good at checking in.

I have a crush on Jens Lekman. Look at him. I mean, just LOOK at him. Also, the gorgeous pop music. Also, the simple, biting, and sweet lyrics. Also, he blogs. Also, we share a birthday. Be still, oh heart.

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I have a new idea for this blog, one I like very, very much but it means a full revamp and actual time and dedication but jesus what am I, some kind of blogging machine? No. No, I am not. I am a student-worker-crazy-hours-keeper machine. I have little time for this but it's my favorite corner of the internet. If I can figure out how to budget my time better, this blog will be bangin'.