And a partridge in a pear tree...

Christmas carol time, reader!!

Colmar is so pretty right now, all the trees are frosted, I wouldn't go out for the world and I curse myself for choosing such a ridiculour christmas outfit (No sleeves. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING YESTERDAY'S CLAIRE??? Why did you resent today's Claire so much that you wanted her to catch pneumonia???) But well, you know, it's christmas time, so even if my feet are going to turn blue, even if my fingers fall off, it wont be sufficient to ruin my mood.

It must be the sugar I guess, from all the bredalas my mother baked... I don't know if you know what a bredala is, reader, it's the name of the little cookies we eat at christmas in Alsace. Well, some people bake them, and the blessed rest eat them. While the others keep baking in order to keep the stock high enough to feed the whole Russian army, in case it comes on foot all the way from Russia just to come and say hi to my grand-mother in Oberentzen.

Anyway. The purpose of this post is not to talk about Christmas in Alsace, the purpose of this post was to get you singing "and a paaartriiiiige in a pear treeeeeee" at the top of your voice (the only real way to celebrate Christmas...) and to wish you a very merry christmas time!! I hope you'll have a really nice evening and all the presents you have wished for, and send you lots and lots of love from Colmar!!

PS: Here's a special mention for my sister Marion, who'll come later this year, from Belgium, and for her boyfriend V, who's going to have a lonely 25th December (If I understood everything properly...) I just wanted to tell you that we'll keep smoked salmon and a little foie gras for you guys!!! Can't wait till you're here!

Om Shanti Om

Well, Reader, there's been a miracle!! A sarian miracle!! ("Oh, Lord, there she goes again, the saree business is back..." I can hear you reader!!! Be careful!! I know you're already feeling lonely and all, I know I can't afford to lose you, but be careful!! I'll throw you out!!)

So yeah, there's been a sarian miracle tonight, which might lead to great progress as far as my saree-wearing career is concerned: I might not have to have blue-green armpits anymore from today on! Indeed, I have finally decided to attack the sewing on the arms, and there was some kind of trick (I guess it's for Indian women who intend to wear only one saree in their lifetime, they keep some space in case they'd gain weight...) and you can make it one size bigger just by un-sewing the thing!! I don't quite know if I'm making myself clear, right now, but I'm extatic, because now I can actually breathe!! and my arms don't look like sausages anymore!! The blood can circulate to my hands again!! Which means I'll be able to write autographs when I'm a Bollywood star!! (That's about two months from now, reader, just so you know... you can prepare the wedding presents already. I hear Shahrukh likes his china blue. So blue china, please. And we also don't have a TV. The full wedding-list will be published soon anyway...)

I take the opportunity offered by this (incredible!!!!) saree event to tell you about my latest Bollywood discovery and the ensuing reflexions. Yeah, Reader, I do think once in a while, and no, it doesn't hurt too much, thanks for asking. I just watched Om Shanti Om, the latest Shahrukh Khan movie, and I was kind of disappointed in it... I mean, it was cool, of course, really funny, and Shahrukh does make me happy, I feel like smiling everytime I see him. But still. I think there's been a big problem with Bollywood lately, which has been caused by two paradoxical events: They have become more and more successful and they worry more and more about not being successful.

Look at Karan Johar. He made real Bollywood blockbusters, which blockbusted all over the world, and not only because of "non resident indians," but because other people, from other cultures (like me!! Hi! I'm Claire, by the way. And I do have a brackets problem). Really good movies, intelligent, moving and great. And he said "Bollywood movies need to improve their quality in order to conquer the world." I said: Gooooo team Johar. But then he shot Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, and I figured what he meant by "improve their quality" was "make a pale imitation of bad american movies" -not "get proper subtitles"-, and what he meant by "conquer the world" was "sell a lot" -not "spread Indian culture all over the planet"-. I'm not saying Bollywood movies should not sell a lot, I know they can't stay "underground" forever, and one day everyone is going to know that my crush on India is owing to corny-cheesy-curried movies. But still. What's the point of exporting Bollywood if it's not Bollywood anymore?

Exactly the same problem goes with Om Shanti Om. The dialogues are not better, the costumes are not prettier (see that photograph on the left?), but you can see that more money's been put into the movie. That's not what I call better quality. When you compare it with Farah Khan's previous movie 'Main Hoon Na', you can see that this one is very self-congratulatory (is that a word? I don't know, but you see what I mean anyway). You can see that even though the movie really is cool and makes you feel good, it was not meant to be a good movie, it was meant to seduce, and sell a lot. But it makes you feel a little like the filmmaker thinks you're an idiot. Some scenes are really funny, as I said, I liked the movie as a whole, and would recomend it, because it's original and funky, but I just felt like saying what was wrong with it.

Anyway. My goal is not to deter you from watching Bollywood movies, please don't get me wrong, it's still one of those little things that make me happy as a person. I could watch Bollywood movies forever. But I think they need to make a choice, now, and I'd appreciate it if they chose to stay who they are now, or who they were in 2000. I think that's the only way for them to achieve real success, and really manage to sell a lot. Pretending to be Spielberg won't help, and they are not good enough in this area to succeed.

Well, I'll go to bed now, Sorry if you did not enjoy this post for lack of knowing what I was talking about. I'm in my Indian phase again tonight. If you did not know what I was talking about, though, go ahead, google the names, a whole new world is awaiting!! Hmmmmm chicken palake.... ^_^

Try a little tenderness

Hey reader!! Well, as I promised, I went and saw "My Blueberry Nights" yesterday evening with my friends V, A and A so I figured I'd tell you about it!

I was kind of tired when I went (I had some kind of trouble taking my train the other day, fell off, hurt my ankle, got barked at by a homeless guy's dog who did not like my lying on the ground, and then I fainted, and made a complete show of myself (I'm very good at that, really). Now my knee is bright blue, with nice litte red and green streaks, which is very disco-pop)... anyway... I mention it just because if you go see it, you might find it completely corny, but I liked it, so I'm making excuses...

Well, first of all, the casting is brilliant of course. All of them were great actors, no one annoying like SJ (I'm not writing her full name on my blog, I can tell you!!). Of course, you could see the end coming, it was very very predictable, but then again, you could also see Jude Law, which is always a good thing. There's something about that guy... I don't actually like him, I think he's a little annoying in interviews, and I don't always like the movies he plays in, but there's something really attractive in his looks, I can't put my finger on it (too bad ^_^)... It's not just that he's handsome, I don't know, it's something else... I think he's got the exclusivity...

If compared to the only other Wong Kar Wai movie I've ever seen (In The Mood For Love), I'd say it was less original, and probably less worthy of everyone's attention, but still, it was really cute, and all the characters were really sweet, you wished you could be their friends too. And as for the "blueberry pie complex", okay, okay, it's not very original, but still... It made me feel better, hearing Jude Law put things this way. (Now that I've said the movie was "cute" and "sweet", from a girl who loves musicals and just wrote a post about Enchanted, I bet you think you won't be able to sit through it, but really, go, go ahead, it's really good. Won't sprain a neurone, might not change your world, but if you're looking for a really nice evening at the movies, that's the one to go for. Gets you In The Mood For Love, though, which can get a little depressing.

Anyway. I guess I'll move on now, go study for my Law exam (ugh, Lord, I haven't even PRINTED the stuff yet!! How in the world am I ever going to be able to read it through and learn it by next week? I think it's hopeless. I think I'd better go straight ahead and watch the BRAND NEW SHAHRUKH KHAN movie which is nicely waiting for me in the living room... I'll tell you about it as soon as I've seen it!!)

Good evening Reader!! A bientôt!!

A hundred posts or more...

Big news reader!! It's my hundredth post! I don't know why exactly, but it makes me feel happy!! A nice, round number!

Apart from that, I just wanted to tell you about my latest movie-experience... which was, "Enchanted" with Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey (I seem to be going to the cinema every other day, recently, it's weird, but it's really nice!). I am no "Grey's Anatomy" fan (I never saw a single episode, though I hear they're really good), and I did not like his looks too much, so for once, I did not go and see a movie just because of the casting. And it was really cool.

The first five minutes are a little tough, because you need to get back into your ten-year-old self, but once you're into it it's really really funny and entertaining, in a very classic kind of way. it's not as funny as Mulan, for example, but it's more of a classic Walt Disney, so if you're into Cinderella and Snow White, go see it, you won't regret it. I was not able to wipe the grin out of my face for at least an hour, and that's exactly why I went and saw the movie.

I liked the characters, Amy Adams plays really well, and so does everyone else, Patrick Dempsey, as I said, convinced me straight away, and I really liked the Prince, and the squirrel of course (that was kind of the same effect as the cat in Shrek 2, it's just so cute you can't help liking it.)

So yeah, reader, go see this one as well, join me in my cinema-going campaign! Next on the list, "My Blueberry Nights". I really don't know how this one's going to be, but I'll keep you posted! (I'm sure you can't wait to know my opinion about "My Blueberry Nights"...)

Have a nice day reader!!!

Le plat pays...

This post is in honour of Belgium, because I feel I haven't written enough about Belgium on this blog (by "not enough" I mean "nothing so far"), although I've been there a few times to visit my sister M, and will do so again in the near future (though to an uncertain date) because I love the place (and my sister, of course, that goes without saying).

What prompted this post was the public screening of "Cow Boy", yesterday evening, where I saw a few Belgian celebrities (Benoît Poelvoorde, (pool-vord, he's quite famous in France as well), Benoît Mariage (filmmaker), François Damiens (who's pretty famous here too, but is very well known in Belgium)...) Sadly enough, I must say, it did not quite rise to my expectation (it was actually very very weird, they all looked depressed -which may have been due to their movie). But, well, it doesn't matter, always look on the bright side, I had a nice evening with my friends, and now I have a brand new post idea! How wonderful!!

Besides, you can view this post as my little message of support to the people of Belgium, which still doesn't have a government, which I'm not going to say any more about since I don't know enough about it to justify my giving my opinion. It just makes me feel a little sad, and I do hope they're not going to split.

Soooo, Belgium... as I said, I went there a few times to see my sister, who lives in Brussels. With her, and on some occasions with V as well, I visited quite a lot of Belgian cities, like Brussels, of course, which is really beautiful, but also Anvers and Gand. I liked them all very much, but none as much as Bruges which is really one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen.

It's very watery (by that I mean that it rains a lot, and it's kinda like Venice, with plenty of little canals). I suppose it looks a lot like it did in the 16th century, and it's really worth seeing. What with the rain shouldn't bother you, really because it's all the more reason to get in a café and go drink a hot chocolate (hmmmm, reader, belgian hot chocolates! In Flanders, they give you little biscuits and stuff, so that even if you only order a chocolate, you don't go hungry, and in some cases, they even add a little "real" belgian chocolate praline; I think that's the real meaning of the word "hospitality" XD)

Belgium really is part of those countries that are not so far away from France (and indeed, from anywhere in Europe), but I would probably never have visited had my sister not lived there... Besides we French people have a tendency to make fun of Belgians for being really silly, (I don't actually know why), so it's not a very "glamour" holiday destination, but really, it's worth your while! Go! Go! Go!

Well, I think that's pretty much all I had to say about Belgium (for now), so I'm just going to stop writing now, and get back to learning how to use a translation memory (I looooove translation memories, reader, they are THE FUTURE! :) They make everything easier, and give me a nice, euphoric feeling when they work properly...)

Have a nice day!

I'm a new soul...

Salut, reader!

New Claire is talking!! How is it going? Do you love life? Is the sun shining? Are the birds singing? As far as I'm concerned, everything is as cool as it could be, some little details excepted (I'm sick, but it won't last, I'm sure...) I have my pink glasses on today, and I also have.... Guess what????

A STUDENT CARD, A DRIVING LICENCE AND A NEW HAIR COLOR!!! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I feel good tananananananaaaa....

Yeah, so I did get my driving licence (Freed from the driving school forever thanks to my friends and family's good wishes, the complete absence of bicycles on the road, and the rain, which kept me from having to decide to overtake trucks on the highway). Then, I went to the office this morning and got my student card (without any kind of trouble, can you believe it??) and V's expert hands dyed my hair yesterday evening. Well, I went from brownish-red to reddish-brown, it doesn't show too much, but I'm still happy! Yeah yeah yeah... Anyway. Oh, and I also decided I'd put dark nailpolish on from now on, I hope you're glad to be informed, because that, too, is a big change in my life.

But this post is not just about the New Claire, (from now on, Reader, call me Shananka... ^_^) It's mostly supposed to be about Once, the really really really cool Irish musical I saw yesterday at the cinema. V got some kind of flash and said we could go see this one (we saw some other movies recently that weren't quite up to our standards, so we decided we'd take a chance on an unknown one, for a change), because it sounded cool, the reviews were good and we both love musical. So off we went, and I had not enjoyed myself so much in a cinema for a pretty long while (I think the last time I saw a movie that I really liked was when I was still in Austria and saw Music and Lyrics, so it's been a while, now...)

It's about a guy who sings in the street and meets a girl, who sells flowers. It's just about that, and it's simply brilliant, the dialogs are cool, sometimes really funny, always believable, the music is as good as it comes, and it's very original. A new kind of musical, and boy, should they make more of them!!! So go see it, Reader, go see it!! And thanks V, for the really cool evening!

I need to run, now, because I have classes (yeah, yeah, even the New Claire needs to go to the university.... WITH HER BRAND NEW STUDENT ID!!! XD)

Have a really nice day, Reader!! C'est ma tournée!

I say a little prayer...

Argh, reader! I'm wallowing in terrible uncertainty. (Wether "wallowing" and "uncertainty" are words is a question, and wether they should be used in this context is another question, same as "why do you use words if you don't know how to, Claire?". If you're not happy, reader, you're out...)

Anyway. I tried to pass my driving licence this morning, (that's me, there, with my instructor...) and I don't know if I have it or not, and it's driving me crazy (note the subtle play-on-words, reader...). The guy was nice, I had the support and wishes of all my friends and family (and even of some totally unknown people whom I stopped in the street to tell them about my exam today), my shakras were wide open, and I hope that my instructor, (who's fed up with my face) will beg him to let me through, but it's no sure thing, so I still worry. I had a blinker problem, and I parked a little too fast, but apart from that, I'd say it went well... Apart from that... Well I'll keep you posted.

Oh, no, apart from that I've seen a movie recently, (The Lakehouse) with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock (I know I should be ashamed, but after all, there's worse). It was pretty good, and I thought I'd tell you, if you want to spend a nice evening, not spraining any neurone, this would be a good pick. I watched it with V, and we both expected it to be cheesy and corny (both), but it ended up being really cute. I can't tell you anything about the scenario, which is kind of original, bacause it would spoil the fun. Don't eat marshmallow while watching, though, you might need insuline...

Well, I'll go now, stress out some other place!! Have a nice day!!

On the road again...

Well, well, well... I don't know if you intended to go out with your car any time soon, reader, but if you're French you'd better not. First of all, the roads are packed, because of train strikes, which encourage people to take their car and take their transportation into their own hands. It leads to terrible traffic jams, and is very bad for the environment, but I'll stop complaining right now, because I still need to take the train tonight, and I don't want to be kicked out of it. I'm SURE all SNCF people spend their days at home reading my posts, of course. Hey there Mister Train Ticket!!

Well, anyway, traffic jams and evilness to the environment is not the only reason why you should not drive these days: I'm out on the roads again. Indeed, I'll be trying to get my driving licence on Wednesday next week. So I have to train (as in practice). It's bad enough usually, you never know when or where I'm going to be on the road, but NOW, it happens really often, so STAY AT HOME. Especially on Wednesday. And I'm not saying this so that you won't get an accident because of me, of course, I'm saying this so that you won't bugger me while I'm driving. Indeed, I have a really bad case of "OHMYGODACAR!!! STOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!! But didn't you see, Mr. Driving teacher? That crazy man was driving a car!!!"

Or course, driving teachers don't like that too much. Yesterday, for example, during my lesson, I stopped at a greenlight (which was green), because I was afraid a car from the other lanes would not stop. So the teacher told me, "no, girl, you need to go through when the light's green, where did you grow up, in a cave?" I was tempted to answer "no, I was raised by my hero parents, which is why I'm such a balanced person, and don't find it natural to travel at the speed of light in a little tin box". But I did not, because yesterday's driving teacher had apparently been in the army, and besides, he was really cool and I should stop making fun right now. Point of this is, at the next greenlight, which was... well... how should I say... dark orange, I thought, GO! GO! GO! It's like the Pirate's rule, Claire, don't forget... "More actual guidelines"... And I tried to go through (A life lived in fear is a life half lived...)

As I said a little earlier, I'm trying to pass my driver's licence on Wednesday... 5 days or so, to learn that greens means go and red means stop. Do you think I can do it?

Well I think I'm going to need good vibrations, so I thought I'd tell you. Have a really nice day, reader, I need to run now, a greater cause is awaiting!!

Lonely, I'm so lonely...

Well, well, well...

I had my first tutoring-session today! It was very interesting and I can't wait for the next one to follow, but I'm a little sad because so few people came!! We were only 4, (me included), which was very disappointing! It looks like I'm the one who's going to have to bring cookies to the students to keep them coming...

Anyway, that's not the main thing I wanted to tell you, reader, what this post really is going to be about is the "tarte aux billes" (I guess "marble-pie" would be the best translation into English...) It's a cool place in Strasbourg where I spent a great evening yesterday with my friends M&M's, A, another A, and V of course, you already know her. Was nice to see them all! We chatted and ate, which is what normal people do in a restaurant, but in this one, you can "rent" some games, which is pretty cool. We played one called "Time's up", where you have to help people guess the names of celebrities. It's a kind of elaborate version of the Post-it game (you know, the game where you have only 10 questions to guess who you are). First, you can talk and give a kind of little "definition" of the person on the cards, then you can only say a word (for the same cards, so it's pretty easy, you just need to have a good memory) and then you can only make an imitation of the person on the card. We had people like Krouchtchev or Edvard Munch, so it's not that easy to mimick.

A gave us a wonderful Oriental-dance lesson (trying to make us guess Lawrence of Arabia -uh... I don't know really... is it Lawrence of Arabia in English?? Or am I sounding really stoopid?), and I imitated a windmill, (I was trying to help people guess the name of a famous French resistant). It's a pretty cool game. Besides, you can eat cool stuff with Nutella on it, and isn't that the main goal of any life-form on the planet?? Of course, V and I, who were just coming out of one more yoga session, were particularly energized and our chakras were wide open, so I guess it helped us exress so many different personalities through our body language. Did you know, reader, that you shouldn't take a shower after a yoga session? It disturbs your energies, and it's not a good idea at all.

Well, I hope you're glad that you learnt so much about yoga and places to hang out in in Strasbourg, I'll go away now, because I need to work a little... Buh... Too much to do! I came back home really late tonight because of silly train-strikes in France, and now I'm completely dis-motivated. Un-motivated. De-motivated. I don't know, but I'm sure you see what I mean... Good night reader!!

The phaaaaaantom of the Opera....

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! One more musical post! I looove musicals, and I've seen one lately which was pretty good, so I thought I'd tell you a little about it, reader!

I have watched The Phantom of The Opera the other night, and I found it really nice. You might not know about it (as far as I know, it was no box-office hit) but it's really pretty good. Whether you like the music or not, the actors are pretty good, it's funny and entertaining, in a really classic kind of way (not a single pinch of "second degré" as we say in French, the movie could have been made in 1945, which is why it's so original and cool). Besides THEY SING ALL THE TIME which is one of the things that make me like a movie, whatever its other faults may be. (that sentence doesn't make sense, please forgive me, I'm sick).

So, go ahead and watch it, it's pretty good. Besides, you will have an occasion to watch Gerard Butler (you might remember him from 300, another really classical movie which could have been made in 1945, except for the special effects). He plays with his cape every 5 seconds. I don't know, he must have a thing with capes, that man (though in the Phantom of the Opera he has the decency to wear something more than briefs underneath, which is very polite. A shame, but very polite.) If I marry one day, let it be written in stone, the man will have to wear a cape. One more criteria. Like curry, be deaf, wear a cape, be 3 feet tall. If you find anyone matching this description, please, give him my phone number. Oh, yeah, male would matter, and human, as well.

Apart from all that, I am in a bad mood, because, as I said, I'm sick, and besides, I forgot my wallet at home, and now I'm all stressed out. The nice guy from the university's computer room let me use a PC even though I did not have my student ID (he's a hero, please, nice guy, if you hear me, I'm sorry for saying you were a monster a few posts earlier), so it's not as bad as it could be, but still. I don't like not having my wallet, and I'm starving to death. Good thing is, my mother and my best friend V (heroes, the both of them) teamed up so that I could have it back by noon, which should help me be saved from starvation by my credit card (which is, in its way, a hero too. Used and abused, but still a faithful servant...)

Anyway. I have to run (lots of wrk to do)... Have a nice day, reader!!

Dans ma classe moi j'étais pas le premier...

Yesterday evening, I had another law class about contracts and work hours. I like law, the teacher is really good, but it's from 6 pm to 8 pm, and I wanted really bad to jump out the window and go home, eventually. But instead, I made a little list in my head of the five things I like to do best when I'm bored in class (aren't you thrilled reader? Is that not part of the things you REALLY wanted to know?)

On the fifth rank comes "thinking about what I'm going to eat next". I love this activity, because you can think about food for ages. The only negative effect is that it makes you very hungry. Besides, if you have, like me, a very talkative stomach, it can lead to embarrassing situations.

Fourth would be drawing little sheep and writing French words in Hindi in the margins. It helps time pass, can help you connect with your immediate neighbour, and you can practice your artistic skills. The main problem with this technique is that it clashes with...

Number three, which would be "get maniac about how my notes are presented". You recognize the courses that most bore me to the nearly worrying quality of the presentation. The margins are equal, titles are numbered and underlined in green AND red in THAT ORDER and there are no orthographic mistakes. If the teacher is slow, you might even find some sheets with no abreviation on them, but that needs to be a very slow and very boring teacher.

Number two, of course, is to make little writing experiments on a free sheet of paper (so as not to dirty the actual notes.) For example, you can spend endless hours trying to write with your left hand, or trying to write backwards or upside down. Good thing about number two is that it takes time, and you still look like you're writing down everything that's being said, and it gives you a very focused air. Just try not to pull your tongue or make faces, which can happen, especially when trying to write with your left hand.

And number one, my beloved reader, is of course to think about my next post. I figured talking with my neighbours wouldn't count, since it is way too obvious and too frequent to enter this top 5!

Have a nice day reader! I need to run and try to write with my left hand in another passionnating course :D

There's a chair in my head, in which I used to sit...

I'm getting all crazy reader!

I have a very bad case of Blogging schizophrenia! I thought it would be a good idea to create a new blog for my translation group, so that we can all keep up to date, (I am possessed by the spirit of my Grazer english teacher!! Nothing can be achieved without the use of the Internet!!) and now I have TWO blogs on my blogger account, and I'm getting very weird situations I never encountered before (like being able to write an article here and sign it with my other blog's name)...

It's kinda spooky...

I'm spooked. I don't want my blog to get all crazed! I'm going to be very careful from now on.

Anyway. As you might guess from my talking about my translation group, I'm back at the university, which is cool because I like the university this year (No, reader, I don't say it all the time to convince myself, the university really IS cool this year), but not so cool because my siters left again (they were home for the holidays!!), and as you might guess from my being very very confused and writing fuzzily, it's half past midnight, and I'm just coming out of my yoga lesson (during which I fell asleep and slept like a log on the carpet during the whole "relaxation" session... thank God I don't snore). It showed because I did not move as instructed when the teacher told us to open our eyes and sit back up... But no one had to come and shake me...

Still, I'm very sleepy and going to go to bed, but I just wanted to tell you, I'm the new English tutor for the first year LEA students, and I'm so happy!! I do hope things are going to go well and accordingly to plan (what with the students bringing me cookies and things...). That is, provided I can subscribe at my university (I still don't have my student ID, and I can't get the job on long term if I don't.)

Well, reader, I'm going to bed now, so good night, sleep tight, and bis bald!!

Et j'ai crié, criéééééé Aline...

Today, reader, is the day of the angry post. I have, once more, wasted 2 hours of my life on a perfectly worthless movie, and been the victim of so-called mythical-ness.

Could somebody explain to me what's so wonderful about Stanley Kubric?? Because I really fail to see anything interesting at all in any of his movies. I watched The Shining yesterday, and I must say that I was very very disappointed. After Eyes Wide Shut, which gave me a headache, Barry Lyndon, during which I fell asleep, and that other movie with a flying bone in it, which made me very sleepy as well, I think I'm just going to give up on his movies!

What's so great about The Shining, honestly? OK, it's really terrifying at first, what with the little guy talking to his finger and things, and I must say that I was kind of tense. Very frightening. But it's only because of the scenario, the directing is really bad! I mean, first of all, the casting. The whole point of the story is that anybody can become a terrible serial killer. My point, why take Jack Nicholson, who looks like the worst psycho, and his strange looking wife? I would have taken a cute couple, nice and innocent looking. I don't know, say... Brad Pitt and... Nathalie Portman. Well, the Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman of the 1980's, I don't really know who that might have been, but you get the picture, don't you reader. Then it would have been freaky and unexpected!!

Besides, The Shining, what is the point of The Shining? The kid can read in thoughts, right, that's pretty cool, but why make this the title of the movie? I think it's weird!

Besides (again), and this will be my last word before leaving in a hurry because I'm supposed to be cooking right now, Why Oh Why that half an hour long scene at the end, with only three lines repeated over and over again? Well, let's say 4, if you take into account the kid's heavy breathing. That old Indian guy (is he black or Indian, by the way? I thought he was Indian because of the thing with the Indian cemetery under the hotel, but I'm not sure, so tell me if you know!) screaming "hello? anybody in there? -If you want to stick you axe in my heart, psycho-guy, I'm over heeeeeere!!!" for half an hour, why, oh Why? We get the picture with just once or twice, you know!! Why are you there at all, by the way, weird Indian guy? You come, give an ice cream to the cool kid and then you go, I don't really see why anyone took the trouble of including you in the scenario...

And then there are the crazed parents screaming "Daaaaaannnyyyyyy daaaaaaannny!!!" For heaven's sake, Danny, get axed, and let's get on with it! My ears were already bleeding from all the bleeping and hyper-high screeching of the music (By the way, why did those great great contemporary composers (Bartok, Ligeti and another one whose name I can't remember, but who's well know as well) want to hurt us so much??? What did I do wrong, mister Ligeti??

Anyway. As I said, I'm in a very hurried hurry, so I'll just go now! Have a nice day, and don't watch the Shining, because it sucks. Sorry Mr Kubric.

Have a nice day, reader! Don't watch The Shining!

I don't like your girlfriend...

Hey reader!!

Just wanted to tell you (once again) to go check out my cousin's site because it's really great and poor S got some computer trouble and needs some support! So go on, go see the site, it's really worth your time!

Apart from that, not much to say, I'm on holidays and trying hard not to sprain my neurones, so i'm not doing much, mostly sleeping and being bored... It's a nice change, really! Friday night's LEA party went really great (though it made me a little blue, I must say), and I'm surer than ever that this schoolyear is going to be great! Really cool people in my group this year, the more of them I meet, the more I know it. I'm actually not too sad at the thought of going back to the university next monday! A miracle, I guess...

Well, I'd better go now, maybe finish tidying up my room (Lord, guys, my suitcase from Graz is still not fully unpacked!! I guess I must have some kind of mental sickness that makes me turn any room into a remake of Armaggedon in less than 5 days. Very annoying. Impossible to fight.)

Have a nice day! (what's left of it...)

Hey ho, hey ho, it's off to work we go...

Actually, no, I'm going home!! It's the holidays!! Freedom, beauty truth and love! (Well, freedom, mostly, for the rest, we'll see later on...)

I'm really happy that this week has finally come to an end, because I am really tired, and a week of holidays is just what I need right now. I finished my presentations yesterday, no more feminism for Claire before quite a while, isn't that good news ? It went pretty well, except that I was a little panicky (I don't know why, I'm always pretty calm during presentations, but yesterday, I was all stressed out... I guess it had something to do with the audience, once again, I'd hate to look silly to all those cool people!!) But then again, the debating part went well, people were really nice and talkative, so I think, all in all, it went well. I don't really know why I'm telling you all this, reader, especially since I should be writing an ad for the translation group I'm in... I kind of lack inspiration, so I figured, "go to your blog, and tell your poor reader about your life, I'm sure it'll help you".

I just came out of a "work interview" by the way! Isn't it great? The university needs some people to do some tutoring for first year students, so I applied! I do hope it works!! Then I'll have cool stories to tell you about how I torture my students and things like that... Yaaaay!!! Can't wait! First goal: get them to call me "master". Second goal: try to get them to bring me cookies. Third goal: try to make them do my German homework. Fourth goal: try to make them stop calling me names...

Well, seriously, though, I do hope I get the job, because it would be so cool! I've got plenty of ideas about what I could do and things, and I'm sure it'd be great. I figured I could try to introduce blogging to French students, as a matter of fact! Would be a cool way to make them write things, and an easy way for me to have access to their work (and the contents of their weak minds ^_^) I could make them listen to music, and help them with their presentations, and make them do grammar exercises at home, and... yeah. I know, I don't have the job yet. But still, no harm in being enthusiastic, isn't it?

I guess I'll stop writing now, and maybe do something useful (dream on!)... or maybe I'll just go back to the over-heated language library and doze off, like I always do... hmmm... I'm so sleepy!! I have no classes this afternoon, but I'm staying at the university because there is a special dinner event tonight, and I've missed enough parties as it is, so I'm going to this one, even though it means getting bored for three hours! But the good thing is, then I can go shopping with my friends before dinner, and that sounds like a good plan... freedom, I said!

Have a nice day!!

My beloved monster and me...

Hey reader!

I noticed yesterday that my "general" file was getting fuller and fuller, and everything else has been a little let down ever since I don't have to write serious things from time to time in order not to look like I'm having too much fun blogging in my vererated English teacher's eyes... So today, I decided it might be a good idea to tell you about the book I'm reading right now, which is in English as well as really cool.

Besides, I should be working for an English presentation about Feminism, and since it's tomorrow, I figured it might be a good idea to start doing something completely different, so as to be sure to go to bed at 2 a.m. tonight and look half dead during my presentation tomorrow (maybe pity can win me one or two points?) -By the way, reader, if you wonder why I chose feminism as a topic when it drives me so mad, I thought it would be a good idea to know more about it (in order to sound less radical and more composed in my argumentation), and besides, since I have an actual opinion on the subject, I thought it would be easier to get my fellow students to talk about it. Anyway. So much for my presentation's topic, let's get back to the book!

It's called "Wicked" and was written by Gregory Maguire. The main reason why I bought it (at the airport in the US) was because I liked the title. Besides, it looked cool (the pages are bright green) and I had just finished reading Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor's chronicle of their motorcycle trip around the world. That was really cool, by the way, and the title is "Long way around" if anyone is interested. Pretty cool book. Particularly the scenes describing Ewan McGregor singing "Running to stand still" with a guitar around the fire. Marshmallows, anyone?

Anyway, anyway, let's get back to "Wicked". It might well be the most difficult book I've ever read, the vocabulary is terrible (even worse than "Jaywalking with the Irish", guys, do you believe this?) and I sometimes don't really get the necessity of the political analysis of the situation in Munchkinland, but it's still a very good book, with lovable characters. It takes place in the world of Oz (remember the Wizard of Oz?) but you don't need to know anything about the original book to read "Wicked" (as for me, I only ever heard about "The Wizard of Oz", and know some stuff about a cowardly lion and a heartless plumber. Or something like that.)

The main character of "Wicked" is the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (if I understood things right, she's the big meany in the original book), which was born green skinned, and is a very funny character. She is some kind of a geek, and I like her cynical humour and attitude to life. It's not as if she were disillusioned or anything, it's not a depressing book at all, she just sees through things easily, and I like the way she behaves.

Anyway, it's a really good book, though I'm not much of a fan of talking Animals and weird fantasy lands, so if you don't know what to read, you can read that! I have to run now, the little bra-burning people of Cixousland are waiting for me!! Time to stop talking about "Wicked" and be a good girl! Have a nice day!!

Ja dieses Schunkeln kann ich nicht ausstehn...

Hey reader!!

I have two hours to kill before I can go and eat with my friend V, and I'm already very hungry, so I thought I'd come here and write a post in order to make time go faster. I really don't like the university's computer rooms, reader, it's cold (because the window's open, not because of the inherent coldness of information technnologies or any such thing), and nobody speaks because they have been trained since birth by all librarians on the planet to NOT TALK when in a big room full of people. Most of the people I can see from here are actually doing the same thing as I am (i.e. checking their mail, checking up their favourite actor on the IMDb...), and I hardly see why we couldn't enjoy a little chat while we're here, but hell... We know what happens when you try to play this little game with the librarian, reader! Death awaits! Pain, first, then death. The Nazgûl librarian lurks behind his (its?) desk with his (its?) sharp teeth and beady eyes! Keep silent!
Anyway. I finished my "Referat" on thursday, and I was just soooo happy that it was over that I felt like singing a little song. I did not. But I felt like it. Besides, I was all stressed out, because there are really cool people in my group, who speak perfect German, and to whom I would really hate to appear stupid or dull, and they were not there! So it was OK, pressure off! And the teacher liked it, and so I'm pretty happy. Besides it's over! It's the over-ness I like best, I think.

While I'm talking about German presentations, I figured I could tell you about the Wise Guys, which I heard about during a German presentation. I don't know, some of you might know them, but it's all German-speaking, so you need to speak a little German if you want to be able to enjoy the music. Yeah, because they are musicians. Their "particularity" is that they only ever sing, they do not use any music instrument. I've never been a big fan of beat-boxes, I always figure it's kind of disgusting and can't help thinking about how much they must spit, but then again, with the Wise Guys, it's OK, it's not as bad as it could be. They have one particular song which made me laugh a lot, it's about people in Germany who can't help swaying from one side to the other as soon as some music's playing. The lyrics talk about sea-sickness and lemmings, and wonder why people don't just get up and dance, which I've always wondered myself. Granted, it's not overly clever, but still, it's funny. Well it makes me laugh. And for once, I actually listen to some music in GERMAN, which is something close to a miracle, so I thought I'd tell you about it! (I seem to have become too old for such phenomena as Tokyo Hotel, and "99 Luftballons" is cute, but it's just the one song. And the Fool's Garden only ever sing in English, which is not helping my German much...)

Anyway. I guess I'd better go now, I wanted to write a little add for the translation project I'm in this year (we need to find actual customers, so we need to advertise, of course), and if I don't get started now, I probably never will!!

Have a nice day reader!

Om mani padme...

Hey reader!!

First things first, congratulations to my sister M who now has a master in journalism!! congratulations! congratulations! Yeah yeah yeah!! You're the best!

I have not been writing in a very very long time, because I have been travelling, and very very busy. My summary of the last two weeks would be "I love America and resent the French Universities". But as my Yoga teacher says, "Everyday, every aspect of my life gets better and better". Good news, innit?

Anyway. I won't tell you about my journey to the US, reader, I took that big decision yesterday, after realising that I was so worried about what I would write that I did not write anymore, so let me just tell you how wonderful and great it was, how sunny and warm, and how welcoming all the people I met were. I just loved my 5 days there, and hope I can go back some day. With all my siblings, again. So nice to see them all, reader, really! We should do that more often! (said the girl whose plane ticket was paid for by her parents...)

The subject of today's post, therefore, will be yesterday's yoga lesson. My very first yoga lesson! My shakras are all nicely open, and I constantly feel like I am walking in a perfumed indian valley, with sunbeams massaging my shoulders and an inner peace close to nirvana. Oh, yeah, and a little guy from the Appalachians playing the flute in the background. See, reader? That's my problem with yoga, I just can't let go of my cynicism. (cinicism? ssinissizem?). I enjoyed the yoga session, and I'll go back again next week with pleasure, and any opportunity given a human being to lie down on the ground, under a soft blanket and gently doze off should be accepted with gratitude.

I think it's the position that's the ultimate cause of all problems. You have to lie still on you back, and I guess it's a nervous bypass or something like that, it always makes me laugh. Or, more precisely, if something makes me giggle while I'm lying flat on my back, it very quickly degenerates into terrible fits of laughter. So yesterday, I was kind of stressed out, because I did not want to start laughing alone during the yoga lesson and break the quiet and sacred peace of the room by snorting and coughing, so I tried to concentrate. And it worked. But still, I could not make my inner voices shut up. I had no idea so many people lived in my brain, and I figured maybe I should seek professional help. There is first of all "Serious" the one who thinks nothing should be halfway done, and while I am in a peaceful yoga-sancutary I should clear my mind of all silliness and concentrate on my shakras. There is "Stupidhead", -very loud little voice- which can't help giggling when the teacher says "perineum". There is also "Sleepy", which only ever snores, but who's very very loud as well. Next time, I'll put earlplugs on as soon as the relaxation session starts.

Besides, it might keep me from hearing my stomach growl. I don't know why, I don't know how, but my stomach seems to like its own voice very very much, so with its little stomachial ears, he listens very carefully for the most quiet moment possible before lauching into a very nice aria. But at least I did not fall asleep and snore during the relaxation session, which sadly happened to another student.

It happened to me when I was in kindergarten, we were trying to relax (I guess the teacher was mostly trying to make up stop throwing things at each other) and I fell asleep. It was very embarrassing, so much so that I remember it today, and I was only, what, 5 or 6 when it happened... The poor yoga student must have been at least 40! But then again, I don't suppose he recalls snoring.

I hate falling asleep in the wrong places. I remember having to fight off sleep at work this summer sometimes, and it just drove me crazy! Your head falls down, and you think "wake up, wake up, wake up, someone's going to see you, you are going to get fired, and you'll look stupid, wake up, wake up", but it still doesn't help! Why can't I fall asleep in my bed in the dark, but still can't stay awake when I have work to do? I think it's the same area of my brain which makes me be happy to do boring things instead of learning interesting lessons for my exams. The whole fun lies in making me helpless and ridiculous. I guess the worst place is in the train though. In the train when you have a neighbour, and you can see yourself, with your mind's eye, looking very pale and green and brown around the eyes. Then you think, damn my neighbour, I'm tired, I'm going to sleep. But then you feel you mouth open slightly, and you start panicking about starting to drool or something like that, or breathing noisily or something, and then you think, Wake up Claire, wake up! Wake Up!! But of course you can't, because that would be too easy. So you try to keep you head up straight, but it still keeps falling down, and in the end, you arrive in Strasbourg and you're fuzzy-brained as never before, and you wish you'd stay home.

Anyway. Life is tough on sluggish people... I have to run now (I have a terrible paper to write about "Integration of languages in Germany", I am supposed to talk in German for 2 hours, and I am considering, once again, changing careers completely...). Maybe some day I'll have time for a "how to end a post properly" course, but apparently not today! The call of duty, you know how it is!! Better be off! Have a nice day, reader!!

Mr Brightside

***Warning: here be spoilers. If you reaaaaally want to go see "28 weeks later" (don't, reader! Don't!! It's a trap!) then do NOT read this post***

What a bloody disappointment! I am so disappointed! Very very unhappy! I don't know if you've seen "28 days later", Danny Boyle's great zombie movie (well, the bad guys are not really zombies, but I guess that's still the category it would fall under...) but if you have, like me, watched it and liked it, then do not go see the second episode!!

In the first movie, which, as I said, was great, a crazy english guinea monkey infected by "rage" after watching too much TV (I simplify...) had contaminated PETA activists, who in turn turned into crazy flesh eating monsters.

I had followed the wanderings of Cillian Murphy through an empty and devastated London, seen him meet and mourn some other survivors, seen a pretty clever idea of what people would do in such a desperate situation, and the whole lot was very believable and very interesting. As well as freaky. And funny sometimes. I remember a scene when the hero and his crew are trying to get out of London and into Manchester, and they have a choice between going through a tunnel or staying on the road. They go through the tunnel, and you, as a watcher, think "What a stupid idea, NO ONE would ever actually choose this option". And at exactly the same time, Cillian Murphy starts screaming that it's an obviously bad idea, and there you go! you laugh it off, Danny Boyle's need to get a blood-filled and terrifying scene because the rythm was getting too slow is forgiven and forgotten.

That's exactly what was missing in the new movie. First of all, it was absolutely not original. It was a little slow to start, and the scenario was full of holes (for one thing, they said men could no be contaminated by animals, which is obviously not true, since the infection started by a monkey biting a man ; the army left an infected woman alone and unattended in a room, of which her husband had the key, I mean, come on, Mr Filmmaker, what do you think we are, dumb or somthing?) But apart from that, it was just people being killed, burnt to death, killed by the insertion of thumbs in the brain through the eye-sockets, I mean, it was just blood, and unjustified violence which made me pukey. Not even interested, just pukey.

It was a little bit like in the Stephen King books when he starts describing bone pieces and wounds and stuff, and it's just so gross you don't even notice it anymore. I just watched the whole movie, and did not notice how disgusting it was. The only thing that reminded me of it was that I was faintly sick coming out of the cinema.

Besides, the one good thing about bad movies usually, is that they make me laugh a little (as in Underworld, for example. Veeery bad, but pretty funny, if you take the whole thing as not really serious). But this one was just cruel. Cruel to the characters, which, even if they are really stupid, make you feel for them a little, cruel to my stomach (ugh, all those people vomiting blood all over the place), cruel to my bank account (I need those 5 € to pay for my lunch, Mr Filmmaker)... It was not funny. In a word, don't go see it. Ah, the music was good, though, but it was the same one as in episode 1, so you'd better watch this one again, really

Apart from that, well, not much to say lately, I have to admit... The university homecoming blues has gone away (we went to a great party with my friends yesterday evening, it was really cool), I met some nice new people I did not know, and I'm getting ahead with the Project. Might involve wine, as it turns out... I'm finding this Project thing more and more interesting. Oh, and my yoga lesson was cancelled, it doesn't start before next week actually... Well, I'd better go, because I have to go the the university tomorrow, though it's saturday, because they got maniac and want us to sit exams AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, DURING THE WEEK-END!!! I do think that they're trying to kill us. That they hate us is pretty clear, already, but come on! Courses from 9 to 16 on a saturday!!!

Good night reader! Don't go to the cinema!!

Had a bad day...

Hey reader...

Today was my first day at the university, back in Strasbourg! I was amazed at the little number of people who go on with their language studies! Many of my friends have changed tracks and decided to become teachers in primary schools, some others just decided they'd take a year off to decide what they want to do later on (some have decided they wanted to study chinese)...

As for me, I am preparing to find an idea for my "Project". I will henceforth refer to The Project as The Project. Please, do not ask any questions, as The Project is a very special and secret endeavour. It is a plan, made by the French government, to make all students crazy. All I know about The Project, is its name. The Project can only be done by people who have already done it before. The Project is the purpose of all life on this planet, and it is required of all sudents to make plans and outlines and schemes for the development of The Project. For these schemes, they shall not be helped. Giving indications is a weakness, as well as a restriction of their creativity.

Besides, The People in charge of The Project shall not be named, and shall remain extremely mysterious. No impious person such as thyself, reader, shall ever get a chance to utter their sacred names, and no regular students either, of course. Only The People can name each other. They will otherwise be refered to as "The People" or "The Jury". Thou might want to call them "The Dark Lords, Masters of the Supreme Project", but it's kind of longish. Anyway.

If you have any idea (at all) concerning what my Project should be about, please do not hesitate (I do not know anything more about The Project than you do, so please, I am open to your suggestions!)

Apart from that, I got a fine in the train this morning, because a maniac ticket-man decided to check my ticket two minute before the train arrived. I am not used to not paying my tickets and I stayed awake on purpose, so that when ticket-man would come, I'd be awake to tell him how sorry I am, and how I arrived late at the station cause I had to wake up early, and please let me pay the ticket, but not the fine. But he had decided to be cruel (maybe he thought I was The Beaver From Hell, come to end all things, and he thought he was saving the world by making me blue, I don't know... I sure did look like The Beaver From Hell... Red eyes, a murderous glint in my pupils, white teeth protruding out of purplish-blue lips, green skin and nuclear hair... I would have done the same, I guess... Ticket-man, if you read me, you're forgiven. You're still a super-hero, and you were awake even before me... I should never have cursed you and your offsprings on seven generations. I take it back.)

I guess I'll go take a shower now, reader, and then get into bed, tomorrow is my first Yoga lesson, and I want to be fit for it! I'll let you know how it went, because I'm sure you're extremly interested. See you soon!! Good night!!

Zen...

Puuuuuush!!! Puuuuuush hhhhh fffff hhhhh ffffffffff... PUUUUUUUUUSH!!!!!

No, reader, I am not writing a post about pregnancy and deliveries, I just decided to say a little something about rugby tonight. Thought it would be a nice change after so much saree testing and stuff... :) Indeed, the rugby world cup is taking place in France this year, and it's a whole lot of fun. First good thing about rugby is, you get to see very subtle supporters everywhere in Paris, and listen to their new-age interpretation of the English national anthem at the Gare du Nord. I just love it. I bet you 5 English rugby supporters make more noise than the whole Manchester United fan-club put together. I suppose you might even detect sismic activity near the Stade de France on game evenings... I guess that's what I love about rugby : The subtelty. And the suspense as well.

They look so big and tough, it looks like a comic show to me. And they are not taking themselves too seriously, which is great as well. It's all burlesque and stuff, they roll in the mud, scream and stomp and push and beat and bleed and suffer, it's kind of barbaric, without being cruel. All the good sides of being a brute. We've got that "bourin" word in French, I don't realy know how to translate it in English. I must say however, that I don't know much about rugby, and one of the things that I know is that you need quite a brain to play it properly. I don't think the rules are as weird as those of cricket (even after a 3 hour long crash course in Lagaan, I still don't understand the rules of this one), but they are still pretty puzzling...

I think maybe it's an English thing. I mean, it's pretty cruel to create a game where the players can only pass the ball to people backwards... it's a little as if they had to run two steps forward, one step backward... Maybe I should invent my own game, now that I come to think of it... Three steps forward, one step backward, two balls and four teams. You can only pass the ball to the people behind you, and can shoot into any goal but your own, of course, except if you're really thick. Besides, if you kick the ball out of the field, you have to go get it back yourself, and run around the field three times, before the guy with the bat catches you. The guy with the bat (I take this opportunity to introduce him), is independant. He is not part of any team, and only plays for his own glory. I think it's exciting. I name thee, game, the Claire-Ball. Oh, and you're allowed to use your teeth, in case of emergency...

Anyway. I've been watching the whole rugby match tonight, and now I'm all cheered up. My animal instinct taking over, I guess... :)

I had to fight against the said animal instict earlier today, by the way... I watch my licence getting further and further away as days go by, because of silly paperwork problems and stuff... I just hate the French obsession with administrative annoyingness. It's like a national sport here (decribed by Peter Mayle in his Year in Provence book... I did not like the book, but can only agree with him as far as administrative annoyingness goes...). The problem is that I have handed in a list of the subjects I took in Graz (its sole utility is to keep a record of the subjects I took, and check that I have been studying useful things for my French diploma -Watching Dr House episodes till 4 a.m. on my computer does not qualify as an activity which gives you credits for you erasmus semester. I tried, and they said no. life's unfair.) This list is, alas, not written on the RIGHT PAPER!! The paper is written in ENGLISH and it should be written in FRENCH. I mean, honestly, what's the big deal with the paper? As long as the list is in French and OK?

Problem is, really no one is to blame (I'm not being ironic here, reader, no one is to blame but the general organisation, so I don't actually resent anyone...) I just hope that I won't have to repeat a whole year although I passed in all my subjects, just because a bloody PAPER was not in the right language. But I've been a good girl, and did not loose my temper. Beware of the dark side... Anger, fear, agression... Those will lead you back into bloody year three!! And you do NOT want this to happen!! I'm on my way to being a real Skywalker pretty soon, reader, I hope you're impressed. I have a green laser pocket knife, as for now. My nice blue sword will come later I guess. Hope I won't have to fight Dark Vador on the way. Oooh, but now that I come to think of it... A new way to be introduced to Ewan McGregor!! Yeah! Yeah!! Anyway. I'm drifting again...

Well, reader, I'll go to bed, now, I guess... Or maybe eat a piece of raw meat, I don't know. Hope I'll write again soon, I have been away for a few days, my friends V and M have offered me hospitality for two nights last week, so I did not have too much time left over to blog... Too busy drinking and eating and talking... I guess I'll start being more regular again as soon as the university starts. Light a candle for my diploma, reader!

Chan chanananan

Hi Reader!

After days of maniac saree testing and results ranging from catastrophic to pretty cool, I'm back to normal life. I've bought matching earrings which make me look like a christmas tree, but now, I say, it's time to stop being obsessive. It had been a long, long time since anything I bought had made me so happy. I have a cool petticoat as well, from F, and I just love having a petticoat!! I did not even know what the word meant until then! Such a cool word, isn't it reader? Petticoat? Very cute. I'm feeling like I did when I was a kid and did not want to let go of my christmas present and took them to bed with me so that I could look at them again as soon as I woke up. Anyway. Yeah. Let's not talk about sarees today, what do you say, Reader? Did I mention I loved my... OK. Ok. ok.

The problem is that apart from being a complete monomaniac, I lack inspiration. I don't have much to talk about today, since I don't have anything interesting to do. My internship is drawing to an end, and I'll be going back to the university pretty soon, but in the meantime, my boss is in Germany, and I don't have anything left to do. I try very hard to look busy, but I keep straying and going on this or that website, and I'm sure one of my colleagues will notice, and it's going to be a dreadful shame. So instead, from time to time, I stare blankly at leo.org and daydream about going to India and getting cast for a movie. Of course, I become a star, and everybody makes jokes about how tall I am, which gets me slightly annoyed, but helps me land a leading role as Abhishek Bachchan's bride. Then I remember my dance lessons in Austria, and my dance teacher, who said "of course not, Claire you dance very well *giggle*. There's just a little problem with your feet *giggle*. And your legs *giggle giggle* and your bust, and your arms **hysterical laughter**" and I get back to my translation.

Actually I do have some funky news to tell you, yesterday, for the first time in my life, I met someone whom I had first met on the Internet!! Isn't it amazing? Well, I met S, who's writing a blog about Bollywood (did I tell you I bought a s... crap. Can't say it. Can't say it.). She had written a particularly cool article, and her blog was nice and not "crazy fan"-like (meaning she did not post glittering pink hearts all over her webside, nor scream Shahhh ruuuuuukh and get trolled by horrible Salman Khan fans) so I left a com, and she answered, and we became kind of friends over the Internet, and since she is in Paris now, we got to meet! She's really nice, and so is her twin sister! Her blog is in my blog-roll by the way! If anyone is interested, go check it out!

Anyway. We went to some kind of Indian sweet-shop (sweet not sweat) and bought some barfi and other pastries with exotic and/or disgusting names (that with the Barfi is not a joke, by the way. It is a white sweet made with milk and sugar, and "barf" means snow. Stop laughing, reader, you are so narrow minded. Hindi is a beautiful language). Now I have half a ton of yucky indian pastries which I'll never eat, because they are very nice, but only in extremely small portions. Besides, if I eat too many of them, I won't fit in my s... jeans anymore.

Well, reader, it's the end of my lunch break, so I guess I'll just stop here and go do something useful instead of writing silliness on my poor blog... Have a nice day! Have a nice day!

Maahi Ve

I DID IT!! I DID IT!! I'm so happy!! I bought a saree!! Yeah, I know what you're thinking, reader, I shouldn't have, I'll never have any occasion to wear it somewhere else than home, but it was part of what I really wanted to do, once in my lifetime: try a saree, see if it fits. And it does! I'm so happy! Besides, honestly, it wasn't all that expensive.

It's part of those things you'd like to know. I mean, "how would I look like in a saree"? Is that not a question anyone would like to answer? Ok maybe not the French rugby team members, but then again, you NEVER know what secret dreams people entertain, deep inside... Double good thing about my saree is that if I get tired of wearing it, I can still pin it on my wall, because it looks very nice. You can't make curtains with all pieces of clothing, but a saree is very easy to recycle. It's very fun to put on, as well, provided that you're not alone... It's just a huge piece of cloth (aproximately 6.30m) and you have to wrap yourself in it, tuck it here and there, fold it nicely, and then poof! Magic! You have a dress! Well it takes an average of 30 minutes, but as I said, hours of fun with the saree, provided there is someone patient to read the instructions out loud to you and detect the mushy places in you wrapping.

I had tried that "let's see how it looks like" experience once before, with my hair... It did not have quite the same positive effect on my mood. For one thing, hair you can't take off before going out. So if it doesn't work, you have to wait until you can wash them and dry them before you get back to being your normal self again. As you might have noticed from my photo up there, my hair is very curly and, well, what can I say... It doesn't seem to obey the same physical laws as the rest of the universe. The concept of gravity is completely unknown to my hair. It has a life of its own, takes its own decisions, and its dearest wish would be to fly to the moon. I wish they had more 'down to earth' wishes. Like gold mining or something. Entomology maybe. Something that would keep them pointing to the ground, in a word. Actually I guess they must be dead interested in stocks, because what they do is more one day up, one day down. Actually, I wish they were less interested in gold mining, maybe that's what makes them go up, up, up :).

Anyway. I decided to go to the hairdresser one day and find out what kind of a face I would have with straight hair. Baaaad idea. I looked like a mix between Gollum (long, dark, dead-looking tufts hanging from my head), and an afghan hound. A purple one. I don't blame the hairdresser, she was lovely and afraid of burning my skull, so she did not go too far towards it with her iron, but then the roots were curly and poofed-up, and everything else was flat and dry, and it was terrible. Good thing is, I complain twice less about my hair since the experience. Now I Know.

My sari however, makes me even more decided to marry Shahrukh Khan. Unlikely. Well, Abhishek Bachchan. No, taken as well (me vs Aiswharya Rai, the odds are of 1 to 18 billion). Well, I don't know who I'm going to marry yet, but he'll have to manage me looking like a sushi, to like indian music and chicken palake. Apart from that, he does whatever he likes, I'll even deal with see-through shirts once in a while if he really can't live without. Here I am making private jokes again, so I guess I'd better just stop writing... I have a terrible migraine coming up as well, so please forgive any typo and my crappy style, for once, I have an actual excuse!

Oh, and by the way, congratulations to my sister M who passed all her exams! And good luck for your thesis!

Have a very nice evening, I'm going home to my sister, my bed and an aspirin (I like that plan!!)