Monthly Archives: February 2011

Day 10 of 21

I wrote in three cafes today.  Some of it about love.  Sometimes thinking how happy I was to be sitting by myself at that very moment.  And then I would see couples, more than once.  In love.  Leaning into each other.  Whispering.  He kisses her hand.  It was so nice.  I felt longing.  Not for myself, but that things would work out for them.  Paris is funny. Paris is love.

I ate crepes at Breizh Cafe.
Eggs and jambon.
Chocolate, bananas and Chantilly cream.

I wrote a poem there.

And then I went to Musee Carnavalet and saw the Louis Vuitton exhibit. I feel like the bag I carry around all day is organized like an old Louis Vuitton trunk. My camera, my notebook, my travel journal. my regular journal, three paris guides, a mapbook, my glasses, my wallet, a bottle of water.

The exhibit was fantastic.
There was a trunk for Jeanne Lanvin for 36 pairs of her shoes. And a trunk for Damien Hirst’s surgical equipment. There were glass toiletry bottles from the 1930’s that you could still smell even though they were behind glass.

Then it was time to pick up my ring from Anjuna.

She was still working on the ring so she invited me down into her workshop. I asked her if I could take pictures of her and she very graciously said yes. Anjuna is such an original. I haven’t seen any work like hers. I love my ring. J’adore.

I decided to give the cafe next door to my apartment another chance after I had a crappy experience there last night. And boy am I glad. It was totally different. This time warm and cozy. And there was an acoustic quintet that started playing while I had my head down writing. I didn’t even notice them set up. And suddenly the place was filled with acoustic American big band style songs. It was incredible. Nowhere else to be. The perfect place to be.

Tomorrow: Maison Victor Hugo
I love walking to this song.  It’s on Colette’s compilation Colette 10.

Caribou- Odessa

Day 9 of 21

I visited the Institut du Monde Arabe today.  The building was designed by Jean Nouvel.  The exterior is made up of pieces that function like camera lenses.  They adjust throughout the day to keep the light inside always the same.  A lovely place.  Everything was in French, but I enjoyed the permanent exhibit nonetheless.  I recognized these words and more: oiseaux, chevaux, lamas, bijou, balances.   Two floors of exquisite pieces: scrolls with designs made up of tiny writing, translucent bottles for perfume, crowns, cuffs, compasses, mathematical squares, quran  covers and pockets….so many beautiful things.  It was a nice morning.

While I was walking in Saint Germaine afterwards, I yawned and my bad ear popped a little.  Thank goodness.  It’s the first time I’ve felt any kind of movement in that ear in over a week.  it was such a huge relief.  And it’s amazing because it happened as I was passing Dr. Milo’s office and I had only started the antibiotics and steroids a few hours before.  Hardcore.

In the afternoon I went to Cafe de Flore for lunch and to write.  I didn’t like it as much as Deux Maggots.  It was a little more uptight.  I sat between two old white men.  And all the waiters were grouchy-ish old white men.  Mine was not crazy about me.  I ordered a salad nicoise and a cafe au lait.  I also wrote a poem that I like very much.  The place gets points in my book just because of that.

From there, I did something I’ve always wanted to do.  I sought out Anjuna Bijou in the  11th arrondisement.

I was worried about communicating.  But it was Anjuna herself that was there and her English is awesome.  I told her that I saw a ring she made many years ago at Destination in the meatpacking district in New York.  We figured that it was almost a decade ago.  I told her that I always remembered her exquisite ring of the New York skyline and that I’ve trolled the internet looking for her since then and when I found her website I promised myself I would visit her shop if I was ever in Paris.

Anjuna is super cool.  Super warm.  She mostly makes jewelry based on artwork that graffitti artists give her.  We went back and forth for awhile.  I didn’t kow if I should get something made with my initials or name.  After I decided that I couldn’t afford it, I settled on a ring of the New York skyline which was already made.  How funny after all these years to come to Paris to buy a New York ring.

She has to resize it for me and I can pick it up tomorrow.  She said she’d sign it and she asked if I wanted her to tag it with my name.  I gave her a ‘Oui!’ and a thumbs up.  She said ‘a Dedication’.

I dig Anjuna.

Tomorrow:  I don’t know.

Day 8 of 21

I think today is a breakthrough day.

Andre, my subletter, came with his friend Linda to take me out for lunch this morning.  While they were at the apartment I asked him to help me make an appointment with a doctor.  Which he did.

With my appointment set for 5PM, they took me down the street for a fancy pizza lunch.  We ate and talked for three hours.  It was fantastique.  It was so awesome to hang out, talk, laugh, eat, drink real coffee, and eat delicious chocolate.

Having people to talk to kind of cracked something open for me.

After lunch they showed me that I could buy cigarettes anywhere with the sign ‘Tabac’.  And when Andre paid for lunch, he told me not to give him ‘sad dog eyes’ and that it was just money.

They left me with double kisses and I was on my way.

I made a Paris playlist for my iPod and I headed to Saint Germaine for my appointment with Dr. Milo.  I was an hour early, so I exchanged currency, bought a notebook and two pens.  Something’s changed.

Until today, hardly anyone has taken any notice of me in Paris.  With my glasses on and my nervousness, people overlook me like I’m not even there.  This afternoon, I didn’t wear my glasses and I listened to music while I walked and everything is different.  People see me.  It made me feel like I’d joined everyone in the real world.  I graduated to attending Paris.

I had two cafe au laits at Deux Maggots as I waited for my appointment.  It was so relaxing.  I could have sat there for hours. I wrote so much today. I wrote two poems and pages and pages in two different journals and I could have gone on and on…

but the time came for my appointment.

I was referred to this doctor by Mary.  And I think she’s kind of fancy because when Andre called for me, he asked on the side ‘is this Brad Pitt’s doctor??’ and then laughed.  Her place was definitely fancy with these paintings assessing you at angles.

So after an hour, Dr Milo saw me.  I’m totally crushing out on Dr. Milo.  Holy canoli.  She’s so French!  And I don’t even know what that means.  I felt like I was in a suspense movie starring Clive Owen.  Her office was perfect.  She asked me tons of questions and examined me thoroughly…and then she sat.  And thought.  And consulted her library.  And peered at me over her fancy glasses.  And clicked her tongue, and sighed.  And then explained everything clearly to me:

I’m sick.  And for the second time in two years, I could have hearing loss from an out of control ear infection.  So she took a very aggressive approach after consulting her colleague ENT…..and the result is that I’m totally crushing out Dr. Milo.

No macaroons or chocolate today.  But I did have chocolate cake for lunch.  I have no idea what tomorrow will be.  But I think I have things under control. See: