Hotel Chevalier

Decided to focus "Catherine Week"--which is what I've been calling all the weeks my friends are visiting me (Stacy Week is next)--to one post on one particularly interesting evening.

As I had written before, C. booked a night at Hotel Raphael where Wes Anderson filmed "Hotel Chevalier", a short film featuring characters from The Darjeeling Limited. C. sometimes books a room for one night at luxurious hotel. This one was special since it was in Paris and we both share a love for Wes Anderson.

Walked in instantly greeted by a nice man in a longcoat. Hey grabbed our bags off us, we weren't even 5 steps in. We walked straight to the check-in. I hung back, observing the decor and the hotel inhabitants--very luxurious and a couple of businessmen at the bar.

Room 403. C. had asked for a "girly" room. The same guy that took our bags, I forgot his name, but a nice fellow, took us to our room. It was...It's hard to describe with words.It was like walking into a palace. Or a museum. He set our bags down in the bedroom area, and showed us all the features of the room and the bathroom. He had a sense of humor: "That is a blow dryer, not a phone, hahaha" when he showed us the dryer in the bathroom. It did look like a phone. He left us to our complimentary fruit basket. C. asked for champagne flutes and a bucket of ice since we bought some cheap champagne on the way.This was to be ours for one night.

We sat on the couch and vegged for a bit. We were tired from our morning trip to Versailles which was somewhat spoiled by bad weather. We poured champagne and toasted to ourselves and to "Mr. and Mrs. Catherine Fernandez" as the card in the fruit basket read. I took a bubble bath for the first time in a long time and had champagne next to me. It was wonderful. It's funny how simple things can make you feel so good.

Changed into pajamas. C. begged that I buy some matching pajamas so I can match with her, so I got some on the way to the hotel at Brooks Brothers where C. gets hers. Around 8 or 9, we both just fell right asleep on the most comfiest bed ever. I woke up at 10pm to hear C. ordering room service. She got us sandwiches.

I brought my laptop, and we played music from The Darjeeling Limited. When the server came with the tray of food, he didn't know where to put it since all the tables had something on it. C. just said, "Put it on the floor."

"On the floor?" he said incredulously. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." I stood by the door, trying not to laugh. The server bent down and said, "Very well" and put the tray on the floor. We sat on the floor eating the sandwiches. At one point, C. had grabbed mine accidentally and took a bite out of it. "Is that my sandwich?" I said, while she was holding it. "Oh. Yeah." She put it down and picked up hers. What a night.

We drank more champagne and talked aimlessly while music was playing. We put on our bathrobes and put the chairs out on the balcony and drank from there. We saw the searchlight from the Eiffel, but not the tower itself but we didn't mind it. C. lit match after match trying to light her cigarette until I finally lit it for her, cupping the light away from the cold wind.We talked about film, future, philosophy, and boys. While bundled in our robes and slippers, she said something very sweet that also broke my heart in a way: "You're a sweet girl. Please don't let anyone walk all over you." I was speechless. Not because it was true for my past, but because I could see it all happening in the future like it was supposed to happen.

We put the music on louder and danced in the room, drunk from champagne. At least I didn't have to worry about going home. We danced and danced, and then we lied down on the floor staring at the chandelier. Went to sleep around 3.

Woke up early and sat on the balcony in my robe and wrote some things I learned during C.'s stay here. Don't think I'll write about here, some things I get to keep to myself. We said goodbye to the room and checked out at noon. I'll never forget the night of luxury that I got to spend thanks to C.

west end girls

Back from London!!! What a great long weekend. Thanks to Maek, Lorraine, and Jaiya for putting us up again for the second time this year!

Had a wonderful splendid time despite my sickness and coughing. Cheers to Lucia for putting up with this harbinger of disease. A real sport. We got to do touristy things as well as do what the locals do. Will re-cap each day like always. Maybe do a post on Catherine's week in between each London re-cap.

COMING SOON!

National Gallery. Hot British men saying funny things and asking questions. London Eye. 2 films watched. British food. Shopping. Free photography session with Seamus Ryan for his Sunday Shoots (thanks Maek!). Wagamama revisited. Super nice British peoples (compared to France). The "being in love" rule of shopping created by yours truly. Mr. Nicky (Jaiya's stuffed monkey).

surprise!

So here's the surprise I was talking about...

When I was down, I used to go onto the Why We Write blog to get inspired by all these film and tv writers who wrote essays on why they wrote. Then they said that you can send in your own essay on why you write. So, at 1 in the morning I was typing furiously on why I wrote in the context of being abroad. I've always had many reasons to write, but after being in France, more reasons seem to have cropped up. I sent in my essay, not thinking it would be featured, just wanting to have it written out.

It was great news when Charlie of the site wanted to feature mine! I nearly died of heart attack. Check it!

I want to thank Charlie Craig and Thania St. John for creating this website in the midst of the strikes in LA. And to all the writers who shared their writing experience. It was uplifting and inspirational. I love reading about other writers. Special thanks to Charlie who picked mine.

too tired to write, too sick to write

I'm sick again: third time this year. Won't have a proper post until after London, and might even have to forgo the whole London re-cap for a while.

In summation: watching C. shopping at Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Goyard were most exciting. Would never walk into these stores. Holding purses and bags that cost more than an arm and a leg on the black market. Staying in a sweet hotel room that felt like a museum and costs more than one month's rent for my Parisian studio. Also stayed next door to where they filmed "Hotel Chevalier". Taking a bubble bath. Room service. Drinking champagne on the balcony, then dancing to the Beatles and Bloc Party among others.

Will definitely re-cap my fun week with C.--it was most interesting.

is this really happening?

C. and I came back from Pigalle. Hung out with Susie and Melissa with Maximators (tall beer can with 11.6% alcohol). I had half a Navigator which is 8.6%. Went up Sacre Coeur--lovely at night, but not too many lights. An ambulance was up there, facing the view too and playing loud rap. It was interesting. If I was an EMT in Paris on my break, I'd do that too.

Before that, the opera. Pretty sweet! My first time at the opera, probably not my last, it was pretty cool. The male lead looked like the drug dealer in Pulp Fiction, the actor, not the character. We had espressos beforehand down the street and window shopped.

This morning, C., on one of her crazy, "spontaneous" turns got a deluxe suite for one night at the Hotel Raphael where they filmed Hotel Chevalier. She wanted us to stay in a room just like the one Jason Schwartzman stayed in. She made the reservation while using my cell phone, and I just stood there, jaw dropped. She said that I deserved a vacation. So after Versailles tomorrow, we're checking in there for the night--insanity!

entourage

Today was strangely out of this world. Catherine kept saying, "Are we in a movie?" with my landlord playing his accordion and singing outside, the people dancing, the merchants yelling about strawberries on sale...I feel like I've been taking it for granted.

Went to Notre Dame, St. Michel, Tuileries, and walked up the Champs. Took Catherine to Louis Vuitton since she's into that. Catherine asked to see a duffel bag, and I felt like I was on "Entourage" or something just shopping with her and commenting on bags, wallets, and things. I'd never step into Louis Vuitton or anything like that, it kind of depresses me to see expensive things, really nice expensive things and I hate myself for liking them just because there are more important things in the world than a nice leather bag and after trying to go all Tyler Durden this year, I am so close to throwing all that shit out the window. Louis Vuitton bags are effing nice. And, man, did they treat us well!

We got complimentary champagne. Twice. I just sat on a chair while C. held various travel bags in front of a mirror. I kept asking myself, "Is this really happening?" C. tried the red (too bold), the black (eh), the brown leather (plain), then the brown checkered which is quintessential LV, not like the monogram. She went with the brown checkered one which looks amazing. Marly, our salesperson, took us on a little tour of the showroom and brought us upstairs where you can order luggage. C. got a complimentary monogram, and we discussed options: colors of the monogram, 2 or 3 initials, vertical or horizontal. She went with green, 2, and vertical. It was really fun. It felt like when Mom and I'd go to Cartier at South Coast Plaza, and she'd get her watch cleaned there or a new strap, and I'd pretend I was some rich OC girl wearing a Lacoste tennis shirt dress that Kuya bought me for my birthday and I only wear for really special things. I don't know, stupid stuff like that, it was fun, I was young.

I was happy that she got some thing off the Champs, especially something from a French designer at the flagship store. Then we went to Lacoste because her Dad texted her about wanting shirts, so she got him shirts.

Had dinner in front of the Tour Eiffel and then met up with Susie and Melissa. Got a drink at Shywawa and walked home in the rain. It was nice. I think she had fun. I forgot how tiring sightseeing is.

success!

Successfully picked up Catherine at the airport. She was tired and not feeling well--drank 2 small bottles of wine on the plane ("Why not? It was free. It was like happy hour on a plane!" --C.) and completely regretted it. Airplane food did not help either. So she took a later flight and rested at Heathrow.

Right off the metro, she took out her SLR camera and took pics. Back to my place, I made her tea while she plopped on my bed and took a breather. Lucia dropped by for some GREAT news about Italy.

Basically, we're going to spend 2 weeks in Italy--WOW! And the best thing is that almost half of our lodging will be FREE. AAAAHHH!!! Keisha knows some people there with vacation homes, and a lot of them won't be around, as well as her boyfriend's fam is willing to host us. We're hitting up Sicily, Rome, Naples, Florence, and Venice. You have no idea how excited I am about all this. Getting to spend time in the countryside in a house with an Italian family will be really cool and interesting. And the food, dear God, the food! Will try and learn some Italian basics.

Catherine people watched at my window, commenting on how lovely the boys are with their "coats and scarves and speaking French to each other". She is absolutely a doll to be with and it's interesting seeing Paris through her eyes. The three of us got dinner across the street. I had the tartiflette which is pretty much cheese, potatoes, and ham. Really good, but never again unless I want to die in 5 years. C. had roast chicken and fries and loved it. She also likes the Coke and how it came with a slice of lemon and a spoon.

Said bye to Lucia, then we sat at my window and talked till 2am about boys, philosophy (that's her major), and just did a running commentary on whoever was walking down our street. And then watched Wes Anderson's Hotel Chevalier to get in a Parisien mood. We also looked at prices on the internet for a room at where they filmed it. They were outrageous! 400 euros for a standard room. Insane. Good times.

Itinerary (things C. wants to do):
1. Versailles
2. Graves of Sartre and Beauvoir
3. Shopping
4. Opera
5. Sit in a cafe and work on her thesis (while I'm in class)
6. Bar/lounge
7. the outside of the Louvre
8. Tour Eiffel

I'm gonna do my best to be a good host so wish me luck! I'm really glad though she doesn't want to be a total tourist and see absolutely everything ("I'm being realistic."--C). By the way, she's sleeping still, dead tired, that's why I gots time to blog.