The corners of our new home

So happy about our homegrown basil and coriander

 huh?

Il y a tellement de lumière dans cet appart qu'on est obligé de fermer les volets et rideaux pour ne pas être aveuglés. J'ADORE.

Avoir une fenêtre dans ma cuisine en plus d'un grand four = tous mes désirs de housewife sont comblés.

la cour intérieure. We saw a neighbour in the front building completely naked with her windows wide open. Yes Andrew, we could see her bush.

 It's covered in beige 70s cement but we have our own (functional) fireplace!

I made this peephole raccoon.

 Don't know whether you're able to see the painting that the artist who used to live here has left us, those are 4 baby doll heads painted in white. Very special indeed.

Mon coin à moi!!  

To be honest, this first week in the new apartment has been tough for me. I guess only you people who read my blog will know about this unglamorous side of my move to Paris. The idyllic first month in this country is over and I'm not saying Paris' charm is starting to wear off; it's still as beautiful as always, but I cannot go out with the increasing guilt of being unemployed.  (Yes I haven't tried applying at Galeries Lafayette to sell Chanel bags to rich chinese yet, but I think I'll do that if in a month there is still no job for me)  The moose works from 8 to 8 everyday this week so it's just beibei and I at home.  I know what you're thinking. It's a good experience but I don't think I'm meant to be a housewife -_-.  Really enjoying the cooking though (did I mention that I also have an OVEN??!!), I wish I could have my friends here and make good use of my FOLDING TABLE FOR 8 !

Again, add me on skype : yilizhuzhu

new home

The past few days really tested our muscles and endurance, as we moved from the 5e to the 13e (chinatown hahaha) by bus/metro and the help of a friend with a tiny car. Our new apartment is on the 5th floor of this pink building WITHOUT ELEVATOR. As you can see there is a cute bakery right downstairs and we share the inner court with them, so it smells like bread all day (and sometimes like yeast).  I think the hundreds of stairs will compensate enough for the pains aux chocolats I will be indulging in.

Photos coming up in my next post, don't start imagining some grandiose hausmanian apartment with the complete balcony overlooking the river ;)  I've come to accept my destiny, carpet always seem to cross my path, so be it. It makes our little nest even cozier.

OH AND I HAVE A WASHING MACHINE, c'est du grand luxe ^___^

For the curious ones, the new home is on Avenue d'Italie near Metro Tolbiac.

S'envoyer en l'air

I've never thought my first hot balloon ride would happen in the middle of Paris. Well we didn't fly as high and far as the old man in UP, but this city always offers a view ;)

A side of Paris I've never seen.

The moose works in one of the skyscrapers afar.

We were not placed in a woven basket but more of a metallic donut.

For you cinéphiles   (here's looking at you HUILONG), can you recognize this scenery?

That's right, Pont Bir-Hakeim and the apartment in which the sulfurous Maria Schneider and Marlon Brando had an anonymous affair in Last Tango in Paris. (Forever traumatized by the butter scene to be honest.) 

If you have favorite movies filmed in Paris, I'd be more than happy to research the film locations and take photos for you. 

Last bits of my summer

Here's my attempt at returning to the blogging world, which requires from me far more discipline than I've expected... I wonder how many people still read this blog (silently!!) ?  The time I spend on internet has significantly decreased since I've made the big move, as there's no more need for me to escape in the virtual world when I can just walk out to the house and live the dream!  Okay that made me sound like a World of Warcraft freak who never sees the sunlight.  wahaha.

My first two weeks in France were spent in the countryside, soaking up the August sun, babysitting and making sure kids and dogs don't devour each other, laughing over the afternoon goûter ritual on the kitchen table...