Paris in the early days

J’ai découvert un truc très marrant aujourd’hui. J’adore utiliser l’expression “le sigh” qui n’est pas vraiment français, mais qui vient du dessin animé “Pepe Le Pew”. Aujourd’hui, j’ai vu des videos (elles sont drôles mais je ne me suis jamais rendu compte que le but des blagues était de se moquer des français) et je les ai montrés à Guillaume. Il m’a dit que cela existe en français aussi mais que Pepe est italien. On les a regardés et c’est vrai! Il y a aussi beaucoup du monde qui parle avec un accent (de sud ou Belge). Vous pouvez les regarder ici:

Version française
Version originale (mais pas la même video)
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I love using the phrase “le sigh”, which is of course not really French but comes from the Pepe Le Pew cartoons. I was showing them to my friend Guillaume today (they are funny, though I never realized that the whole point of the cartoon is to make fun of French people) and he told me that there’s a French version, only Pepe is Italian (!!!) We watched one and it’s pretty funny – there are little French puns, and lots of people with funny French accents (Southern, Belgian). The best is Pepe himself, who says “mon petit farfalle” instead of “ma chérie” (which is funny in and of itself – he’s saying “my little butterfly”, and the French do use butterfly as a term of endearment, along with bunny rabbit). Above you can watch a French version of Pepe Le Pew and the American one.

I’m a terrible person whose updates are less and less frequent. Work has been consuming the vast majority of my time (though there have been some very fun soirées, like the one pictured). But fear not, friends. Once I get my camera back (from Jess? in NYC after Christmas?), I’ll take some photos of Paris in the winter, and also have more time to write about life these days.

We’re getting to the end of the year, and of the decade, so I have all kinds of lists/mixes I’m constructing. This will be my last mix before the best of 2009 and thus includes some new songs that just barely missed the cut. And some pop. Frankly, I think pop music this year has been pretty terrible (just witness the ubiquity of Black Eyed Peas), but my heart holds a special place for Lady GaGa. And you must listen to the two covers, especially Sia’s cover of Britney Spears. She makes the song unbelievably sexy. The Runaway will be on the (theoretical) new National album next year, very excited for it. Finally, there are two French songs: one by Carla Bruni, now the first lady of France, and one political song written in the 70s essentially denouncing the complacency of the French. Mix linked on facebook as usual.

A la prochaine…

1. No One Sleeps When I’m Awake by The Sounds
2. 22 by Lily Allen
3. Gifted (feat. Kanye West, Santogold, & Lykke Li) by N.A.S.A.
4. Ring Ring by Sleigh Bells
5. Quelqu’un M’a Dit by Carla Bruni
6. Gimme More (Britney Spears Cover) by Sia
7. Dance In the Dark by Lady GaGa
8. The Sun Ain’t Shining No More by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
9. Presents by Via Audio
10. 11th Dimension by Julian Casablancas
11. Velvet by The Big Pink
12. Hexagone by Renaud
13. Change of Heart by El Perro del Mar
14. Don’t Stop the Music (Rihanna Cover) by The Bird and The Bee
15. Runaway by The National

In the spring of 2003, I took a trip to Boulder, Colorado, to visit my beloved friend Lexi. She had recently moved there, part of the great scattering that takes place after college, where people end up in seemingly arbitrary places and yet stay there for the next decade. My closest friends were all following the same trajectory: move some place new; fall in love; move in together; live happily ever after. It didn’t work out quite like that for most of us, of course. In many ways, we were all not mature enough for the relationships we found ourselves in. But it was truly a golden time, when anything seemed possible.

Lexi’s love was Evan. Evan was blond, handsome, and strong, with a wiry climber’s body and a kind face. Incredibly smart, he was also very modest, and carried his intellect lightly. That Lexi, who had already gone through hell in her life, had found someone so perfectly suited to her, so calm where she could be stressed, with a sweet, loving temperament that brought out the best of her own caring nature, was some kind of blessing; a sign that life, sometimes so unfair, could also redeem and renew us through unexpected and precious gifts.

On that trip to Boulder, we went climbing, which Evan was expert in and Lexi had lately taken up. I gamely went along, even though I’m afraid of heights. We attempted a steeper grade than one would normally bring a beginner on. Evan led and then remained up top, holding the rope and spotting from above. I made it 5/6 of the way up, then panicked. I couldn’t find a hold, couldn’t see how I could possibly make it the rest of the way. I surveyed the terrain, found myself quite high, and thought: “I need to get down. Now.”

Evan was calm and reassuring. He essentially pulled me the rest of the way up. When I collapsed at the top, relieved and bursting with gratitude, I told him he had saved my life. He just laughed and told me I had done it all by myself. He was always gentle and self-effacing in this way, quietly brilliant.

Lexi took a 12 month trip around the world last year. While she was away, Evan was diagnosed with cancer. When she came back in February, it was in remission, but it returned in full force, with no hope of further treatment. She spent the last six months by his side as he grew sicker and sicker, the best caregiver that I can imagine. I don’t think I have the strength to bear what she bore.

Evan is gone now. His memorial service was this weekend. To me, he will always remain that golden boy of 24, so strong and kind, a perfect match for my dear friend.

I love you, Lex.

5h30 – Je me leve. C’est la nuit profonde.
7h00 – Je pars de mon appartement.
7h30 – J’arrive au bureau. Il fait encore nuit, mais à l’est le ciel a viré au gris foncé.
19h30 – Je pars du bureau et je dîne.
23h – Je dors.

C’est vraiment métro, boulot, dodo, mais je vais au bureau à pied.

J’ai besoin de bonne musique qui me permette de tenir. Donc, voici un nouveau mix ci-dessous. Je vais l’afficher sur facebook comme d’habitude.

1. Daylight – Matt and Kim
2. We Sing In Time – The Lonely Forest
3. Sick Muse – Metric
4. Die Slow – HEALTH
5. Who Will (Buffetlibre Remix) – Patrick Wolf
6. Run This Town (feat. Kanye West & Rihanna) – Jay-Z
7. Medley (L’Usine À Adulte / Les Murs De Ma Ville Rmx) – Keny Arkana
8. You Ain’t It – Themselves
9. Luck – Washed Out
10. Enunciation – Via Audio
11. 830 Step To The Sea – The Ironclads
12. Handsome Furs Hate This City – Handsome Furs
13. Silver Moons – Sunset Rubdown
14. Canada – Themselves & WHY?
15. Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping – Grouper

No time at all these days to post, so just a brief note. I went to PopIn last night for the first time. Schuyler is in town for the next two weeks, and we went out with her sister Molly and Molly’s boyfriend Ryan. Silvia had forewarned me that it would be crowded and hot and impossible to move. Indeed, we didn’t quite understand the set up at first and so weren’t even able to get into the room to see the opener, Dear Reader (which sounded pretty good from what we could catch). Managed to creep down the stairs into the room for the headliner, Ramona Falls, the new project of Brent Knopf (of Menomena fame). I’ve been a huge Menomena fan for the past couple of years, and put a few Ramona Falls songs on the last two mixes.

The show was fantastic. The sound quality was really good, and frankly, I like it when spaces are that intimate. It was free, too, which is sort of unbelievable. After the show, I talked to Brent – Molly bought posters and boldly asked him to sign them – and he was super nice, drawing pictures on all five and telling me a bit about the tour.

I have yet to see a bad show in Paris. Slightly disappointed by Rock En Seine, but that just might be outdoor concert fatigue (plus, it’s hard to match Sasquatch). Missed The xx at Point Ephémère last weekend, but they are coming back to play La Cigale in February. The La Roux/Passion Pit show sold out there months ahead of time, so I should probably get tickets now.

Have some posts in the queue – about European Club Championships and my trip to London, about UIST and Victoria and seeing my nieces (!!!), and about some of the fantastic research I’ve been exposed to over the past few months. I leave you with a link to a blog I like with an interview with Brent Knopf and a song for your enjoyment.