Whoa

Why have I not been blogging? I need to rectify this! I'll be back with some ramblings very soon I promise.

Until then, follow me on twitter @jetsetnojetlag

New French Challenge

I think I made a decision re: my goal to learn French.

I'm going to learn a song.

I'm thinking this song because it's not that many words, it's a fun song and let's face it.. Eartha Kitt brings out my old fashioned glamour girl side.



But then... this song... is also a classic. More challenging.. but at least it's good for a solo. Not like the Eartha Kitt song which will have the "si bon, si bon" in the background



Now I'm not claiming that I can sing... I'm no chanteuse and I'm not a fan of my voice as it's recorded but maybe at the end of my challenge, I can be persuaded to make a recording of the chosen song.

I'll decided on Tuesday Nov 1. and challenge my self to learn the song by Jan 31st.  Three months.

Which do you guys think I should choose? Comment here or on twitter.  (@jetsetnojetlag)

Je n'ai pas encore parler français

I just read an article on Matador network about how to learn a language in three months. I admit when I read the headline I was skeptical. (5 steps to learn a language in 3 months)


"Fluency takes time.... three months.... but i've been learning French (outside of school) for two years and I'm still struggling..."


I finally realised what I've been doing wrong but before I get into that, here's a link to the article. Maybe if any of you are like me, still struggling with something that should be cake by now but continues to escape, this link will be helpful. 


In my case I realized this morning that I kept telling myself that I want to learn French by the end of the year without really setting any goals as to how or what I want to be able to do with the language.  I also realize that I was biting off way more than I can chew by just accepting a broad challenge without taking the process one step at a time. Instead of wasting 10 months trying to learn everything in French I could get my hands on from sports to food to current events, I should have just maybe taken three months at a time and set a foreseeable goal.  A perfect example would have been... in 90 days I'm going to learn all the words to "Ne Me Quitte Pas" or in 90 days I'm going to learn how to tell someone the plot of "Amelie" in French.


Right away,  after simply saying that, everything sounds more attainable and not so scary as imagining I have to know every word in French just incase it comes up in conversation.  It's helpful to know random words but at the same time more helpful to understand how to construct sentences and decline verbs and mostly to practice speaking!  Ok, I feel a lot better now honestly because the truth is, while I have been learning a lot of French over the past 10 months, I feel like most of it has been specific to certain situations that I may never even find myself in.  It's frustrating to still have the word "crémaillère" still stuck in my head when the truth is that I don't go to that many house warming parties and may really only have one in my life.  And even if I go to 75 housewarming parties in the next year, how many of those people are going to be french speaking that I would even be able to use the word? 


I guess 10 months into my challenge to learn French it might be a little late to start over... I could just continue what I'm doing and start again in January like I did this year and have a new goal in place.  But I think the best thing I can do is to figure out something quick and start towards it right away. At least it would give me something to brag about on my christmas cards!  What should my new 90 day goal be? Even if it doesn't work I'm always willing to trying a new method of learning!  


The last thing I'm going to do is post this video. I know that some of you, like me, have seen this video numerous times.  As far as I'm concerned Capucine never gets old.  Now that I'm going to develop a new goal as step 4,567,993 to learning this language I thought of her and her storytelling.  This girl was four at the time the video was shot and she tells a great story. Ok, yes, she's a native French speaker but that doesn't mean I can't be motivated by her, right?  

AIrport Pickups!

The more I travel the more I have come to appreciate being picked up at the airport.  Granted, after getting off of a 6+ hour flight the last thing I want to do is rush into a car but it isn't about that.

I'm talking about... how great a feeling it is to realize that you are on an aircraft, just several minutes from landing and knowing that someone is there waiting for you on the other side of customs.  To me, it does not matter who it is or how long I have been away but the instant when I see a face I recognize is priceless.  I'll never forget a time when someone was waiting for me in the airport like that... I remember seeing a certain person across baggage claim every time the automatic door opened. I remember itching to get my bags off the carousel and I remember walking slowly toward the automatic door trying contain my excitement; staying cool, collected... i'm a jetsetter, I do this all the time.

I still remember what we were both wearing. I remember it like yesterday. : )

I never mind making an airport run for someone with whom I am close arriving at a local airport. Partially because I like to watch and hear the planes taking off and landing but also because I understand what a special gesture it is and how much it is appreciated by the person coming back into town. It's the perfect greeting and the best hello... or welcome back!

Anyone else have any special airport pick up stories to share?

follow me on twitter: @jetsetnojetlag

Ecoutez Wednesday

So check it.... I've been hearing this song for a few months now on the french radio and I finally figured out who sings it and what the song is called.  I instantly love this girl. She might be heading toward my "new favorite" category.  This song called "Tourne" by french singer Shy'm is really catchy and cute. The video is adorable and how about her hair and outfit at the end when she's with the all girl band?  She's adorable.
Someone told me that she's competing on this seasons French version of Dancing with the Stars. I wish her luck.
While i'm on the topic.. watching this video, is anyone else slightly reminded of Nicole Scherzinger?

If anyone should be so inclined, please go to youtube and check out some her other singles. I recommend "Prendre l'air" "Je suis moi" and "Si tu savais".  Come back and tell me what you think!!

I Never Leave Home Without This Bag!

Floral Duffel Bag - Antwerp, Belgium - January 2009

Well, on my first trip to Belgium I got a little zealous with the shopping. I had not been anywhere new in quite some time I needed a vacation and I had a bit of money to spend. What I didn't spend on Duvel and stoemp, I spent on chocolate, glassware, warm clothes  and various other souvenirs. I was coming up on my last few days in Antwerp very soon to head back to Brussels to catch a plane home when I realize that my one little backpack was not going to cut it in terms of bringing my things home. I had two choices, ditch the roughly 100 euro worth of chocolate I bought or buy another bag. I scoured the streets of Antwerp looking for a bag that I could not only use to transport my things but also that I would be able to use and store once I got back home.  I don't have a lot of storage space as it is so I didn't want to bring home a suitcase. I was in Antwerp at the right time because it was just after Christmas and everything was on sale.  I looked in every store and found nothing.  The next day, determined to find something, even if It was just a cheap backpack to get my things back to Brussels so I can look there for something cheap (there's a crazy cheap store by the Bourse in Brussels that sells suitcases and backpacks so I was going to try that when I got to Brussels. ) I set out toward the main shopping road via a winding and twisting back street behind the Cathedral. Grim and gray as Antwerp can be,  every store format seemed the same.- Looking dull on the outside- until this one little store at the end of the block caught my eye. The inside of the store was all pink and girly adorned with flowers and polka dots and curlicues. I thought what the hell and went inside.  There were three shelves on the wall right in front of me as I walked in; a bag on each shelf. The first one on top was a flowered duffel bag and it was love at first sight. It was however the most expensive out of all of them (about 30 or 40 euro) and I didn't think I should spend that much money on a bag.  To this day, I don't know what made me say "what the hell" but I decided to buy it anyway. When I took it to the register, the woman told me that it can be folded into itself down to the size of a large clutch bag. SOLD!  Not only did I buy something I liked but also something that wouldn't eat up space in my closet.  To date, this is one of the purchases that I am the most satisfied with. I'm SO glad I didn't go back to that luggage store that was all on sale or I would have ended up with a $200 Rimowa that -even though I really wanted- I was not ready to purchase. 

Since I've acquired this duffel, it literally goes everywhere with me... West Coast.. Europe... road trips... sleepovers. I take it everywhere except to work with me on a daily basis. It's hands down the handiest and most practical purchase i've ever made and the best part is that it's not a boring black or brown. And, it's nylon... easy to wash. Oh, I can't say enough wonderful things about this bag.  

First up! The Sugary Stuff!!

My friend recently went to Colombia. I asked her to bring me back some Coca Cola...con azucar! Well, because I'm an addict! I have yet to crack it open...and no I'm not sharing it!!!

My Global Shopping: Introduction

Not to brag but I have some really nice things from a lot  of places that I've traveled, and even some places where others have traveled that have been given to me as gifts. 

I'm not much of a shopper when I'm in New York. I don't really enjoy shopping or malls or crowded areas of commerce and I tend to steer clear from them both home and abroad. When I'm outside of New York. I won't say that I love to shop but I think i"m more inclined to do so only because I'll look for souvenirs or something quirky for myself.  When I shop for myself I like to look for stores and brands that are not in the States. I'm a big fan of Tezenis in Italy, Calzedonia and Intimissimi in Italy, Spain and Portugal, Princess Tam Tam, and Zaabar chocolates in Belgium, John Bull in Nassau etc. But I also love going to worldwide brands in other countries too because the inventory can vary, like H&M and Zara in Spain or Topshop in London. Even places on the West Coast that we don't have on the East Coast are worth a browse just like Kitson ( which I think is just a more expensive Urban Outfitters but whatever… )  

I've bought things off the street or in the subways ( like my pashminas from Paris) and i've even spent money I probably shouldn't have on things just because I forgot something at home ( I bought a scarf for a meeting in Lisbon because the only sweater I had was too casual. I had to fancy it up). I've set my eye on things and been tempted to buy, walked away, walked back, walked away, walked to an ATM, withdrew money, went back, either bought whatever it is or changed my mind and moved on to something else.  I've bought wine, chocolate, candies, mugs, knives, keychains, beauty products, perfumes and in some cases i've bought all of those in one trip and I've had to buy an extra luggage. 

Whatever it is, whatever I've bought I purchase with one thing in mind only:  I like it now, but will  I like it or use it once I get home. 

I have a high success rate of using things i've bought on the road at home. I used to buy tons of crap but I've gotten a lot better and zeroing in on things that work for me vs useless junk.  I really want to share some things i've purchased and some things i've received as gifts. People often ask me where I've gotten certain things so I would like to start a new topic on here of just showing you all what I have and a little story  about how I came to own it. 

Stay tuned! Good stuff to follow. 

Oh and please feel free to follow me on twitter. @jetsetnojetlag