From your Parisian

Sharing my newest discoveries as I float through the streets of Paris. Restaurants, bars, events, all reviewed for you with love, from your Parisian.

Tag Archives: #music


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The Sunshine Blogger Award

sunshine_blogger_award

I admit that I am not super comfortable sharing too much personal information on my blog (I’m working on this), but when Paulie from Paulie Loves Food (you can read Paulie’s nomination post here) was sweet enough to nominate me for a Sunshine Blogger Award, I was more than happy to answer her list of questions! With the clouds back in Paris, the thought of spreading a little sunshine to others definitely appealed to me!

Thanks again to Paulie for the nomination and here are my answers to her questions:

1. What do you like most about blogging?

I think it has to be the act of writing freely!  My full time job at the moment is a medical writer and I do freelance writing projects too, but that type of writing is rather controlled and I usually have to follow certain guidelines or write about a certain topic. My blog gives me an outlet to write what I feel like writing about, and although I don’t blog that regularly at the moment and it’s more of a hobby, I really hope to have more time to develop my blog in the near future. I also love sharing my experiences and discoveries of the city I love with anyone that is interested!

2. One song you’ll never stop listing to?

Oh wow, there are way too many! But if I had to pick one I think it would be Lauryn Hill: Doo Wop (That Thing), from the album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (IMO, one of the best albums of all time). It was the first CD I ever bought and I’ve been listening to it ever since (and know the lyrics by heart)!

3. What things are you most grateful for in your life?

The people I love and my health. I’m really lucky to have some amazing people in my life that make me smile when I’m sad and are silly like me. Never take your loved ones or your health for granted! Oh and MUSIC – that feeling of pure joy when you are dancing and singing to a song that touches your soul! And of course, I’m super grateful for each day that I get to spend in Paris!

4. What’s the story behind your blog’s name?

I like to think that anyone who lives and feels alive in Paris can be considered a Parisian (even if they weren’t born here). I wanted my blog to share the cool and relatively unknown places of Paris from a local’s perspective. Almost as if I was writing home to my readers as their own personal “Parisian” of sorts and signing off as “From Your Parisian”. I guess it just sounded right to me.

5. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve eaten?

Hmmm…this really depends on your definition of weird. I’ve eaten chicken feet and jelly fish but they’re pretty normal menu items if you’re a fan of dim sum. My first time eating snails and frog legs here in France was weird to me, but they were surprisingly good. Some British food could be considered pretty weird too, like bread sauce (a must at our family Christmas dinners), spotted dick (is there any way to make a dessert sound less appetizing?) or toad in the hole!

6. Worst travel experience ever?

It would probably involve some form of motion sickness. I haven’t had any really bad travel experiences but I’ve felt pretty sick during certain long car rides or on a bumpy high-speed ferry between two Greek islands where I thought I was going to die! Luckily, arriving at the destination always makes up for any nausea encountered along the way.

7. Where are you from, and what is the most common stereotype or misconception about your home town/state/country?

I’m from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada! ❤ Lots of people assume that the entire country of Canada is a land of snow and igloos, so when I complain about the cold they reply with a “YOU’RE cold? But you’re Canadian! You should be used to it!” Umm….NOPE! Vancouver is a city located on the Pacific West coast close to the U.S. border and while we get A LOT of rain, we rarely get any snow or temperatures much below zero degrees (Okay, I know what you’re thinking Vancouverites, but this year was an exception)! We have beaches, mountains and amazing Asian cuisine! It really is different from any other city in Canada.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

8. What is one important lesson you’ve learned in your travels?

To get off the beaten path! Don’t follow everything mentioned in the guide books or visit only the touristy spots, try to meet a local and listen to their recommendations (or better yet, have a local as your own personal tour guide). In the Greek islands for example, you can often find your own private beach by avoiding the well known beaches with lots of facilities and snack bars. This also applies to restaurants: don’t worry if you don’t speak the language, if you see locals eating there, it’s probably a good sign!

9. Most unique travel destination you’ve visited?

To be honest I haven’t been to many exotic destinations due to lack of finances (blame it on the rent in Paris combined with my addiction to trying new bars/restaurants)!  I have, however, been lucky enough to visit Greece several times and check out some wonderful, relatively unknown islands. I think the most unique island that I’ve been to was Ikaria (named after Icarus, for you Greek mythology buffs)!  It is a beautiful, wild, mountainous and serene island that makes you feel like you have been transported to another time. The old people are in incredibly good shape and have a notoriously long life expectancy. They take naps in the afternoon and are awake and eating at around 2 a.m. at night! People here are super friendly, although there aren’t many who speak English. The island’s tourists are mainly Greek, the villages are pretty, there are goats roaming free, and the food is amazing!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

10. What is/are your travel goal(s) for 2017?

So far I have a visit planned to Canada in April for a friend’s wedding, then a weekend in Scotland to visit family. My goals for 2017 would be a trip to Portugal or another Greek island this summer, if I can afford it! My larger travel goals, although I don’t think they’ll be in 2017 would be to travel to new places outside of Europe: Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand are definitely travel goals of mine, as is Mauritius (as I have some potential local tour guides there ;))!

11. How do you like your coffee?

I’ll be honest: I’m more of a tea drinker, but when I do drink coffee I love a good flat white or an espresso!

Info about the Sunshine Blogger Award

This nomination is from bloggers to bloggers. The award is given to those who inspire and bring sunshine into the lives of their readers and fellow bloggers.

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Rules

  1. Thank the person that nominated you and post a link to their blog on your blog
  2. Answer the 11 questions from the person that nominated you
  3. Nominate some other bloggers for this award and give them 11 questions to answer
  4. Notify the bloggers you have nominated.
  5. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo

I nominate the following bloggers for this award:

Mandy from How to Do Some Good

Linda from Living the Spanish Life

Mindi from Mmmindilicious

If you ladies are up for continuing the spread of sunshine, then here are my list of 11 questions:

  1. How would you describe your blog to someone who doesn’t know it?
  2. If you were offered an all expenses paid vacation to one destination in the world, where would it be and what would you do there?
  3. Do you have a song that instantly makes you happy?
  4. How has blogging changed your life?
  5. Is there a place where you would love to live for a year?
  6. How do you overcome your fears?
  7. What is your favorite travel-related memory?
  8. What food could you not live without?
  9. What is your top foodie experience of all time?
  10. What things are you most grateful for in your life?
  11. What is your personal motto?

Have a great day everyone, it looks like the sun is trying to break through those clouds! 🙂

 

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Paris attacks: darkness in the city of light

Words are hard to come by after the horrible terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris last night, however, I felt that a short reflection was needed. It really hit me hard this time as they attacked more than this city and its people; they attacked life and the pursuit of happiness itself.

It was almost one year ago today, November 16th, 2014, that I was at a concert at the Bataclan. I remember how incredibly excited I was to see my favorite hip hop artist, Common, live for the first time ever. I remember entering the beautiful theatre and the sense of unity shared by everyone as we all smiled and sang the same lyrics together in unison. I was so close to the stage that I could almost reach out and touch him! What a thrill! We were all at that concert to enjoy his music and to dance and feel alive. I was on a cloud of happiness after that concert, filled with the feeling that the world was an amazing place. Last night the people at the rock concert probably had the same feelings of anticipation and excitement. They probably screamed and cheered when the concert began and felt the incredible rush that music can sometimes bring. Like myself, they were there to have fun and forget their troubles…but unfortunately their evening transformed into horror.

I have been several times to Le Petit Cambodge, the restaurant near Canal Saint Martin that makes super yummy noodle dishes (they are especially known for their “bobuns”) and that was sprayed with bullets last night. I have fond memories of sitting outside in their colorful chairs with friends one summer night and equally another time inside, with a friend, where it was super crowded and we were elbow to elbow with the people beside us (but we didn’t mind one bit). This place is well known in Paris and is very popular, and as the temperature has been fairly mild lately in Paris, I’m sure it was packed with hungry diners.

Basically, the thing that shook me up the most was the fact that it could have been me, or my friends, that were attacked by these monsters and I realize just how lucky I was have had a night that did not end in such a traumatic manner.

So as I’ve already said, they attacked more than a city last night. They attacked innocent civilians who only wanted to enjoy their Friday night in whichever way brought them joy. Parisians love their Friday nights (and Saturdays too)! They love to go out for drinks, enjoy a good meal with good company, dance at a concert and live in the moment! These terrorists attacked the right to sit out on a terrasse and enjoy a cheese plate with a glass of wine, or simply a round of beer with friends. They attacked the right to dance like no one is watching or to sing to a song that you have sung along to for years and that has perhaps got you through some tough times. They basically said that everything Paris stands for should die. But it won’t.

Today, while going to get my groceries I overheard a Muslim mother talking to her son of about 4 years old in the street. She said “There are Muslims, Christians, Jews and Buddhists and we should respect everyone and their religion”. The boy looked up, slightly puzzled, and she continued; “we should never treat others badly because they are different, because the world is full of differences, and that is what makes it beautiful.” I looked over at her and smiled, then the traffic light changed and I crossed the street. I couldn’t help thinking that if every child had someone to teach them such compassion and acceptance, then these monsters would not be able to brainwash impressionable young people with their hateful messages and turn them into inhuman killing machines.

I can only hope that Paris will recover from these horrors while keeping its soul and my deepest sympathies go out to all of those who lost a loved one. I also hope that other cities in the world who have equally suffered from similar attacks, but which are not as “famous” as Paris, will receive the world’s support as we have seen over the last 24 hours. My heart breaks for Paris, but it is the city of love, light, freedom, music, art, culture, drinking wine and skipping home in the streets after a great night out and, in my mind, will always be capable of healing and shining bright again.

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