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Project 365 – Week 34

Finally, the works in our neighbour’s apartment terminated so no more loud drilling, hammering, and the likes. Sadly, the traffic is also coming back to the city, so one form of noise replaces another. On the plus side, some of our favourite restaurants are/will be re-opening after being away for several weeks, so I’m looking forward to a break in cooking and baking. Ah, such is the ebb of city life. ;)

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Off Gare de l'Est

19 Aug: We are a couple of days away from the full moon, and this is a significant one in the Chinese calendar. According to the Chinese custom, it marks the height of the Hungry Ghost Festival, and if I was still living with my grandparents, they’d be telling me right now not to stay out late so I won’t encounter any roaming spirit. But hey, I live in Paris, the sun doesn’t set in the early summer evening. I also don’t see various festival-associated offerings and rituals performed, so I don’t get spooked quite as much. Instead, I am out with my friends, and we’re all appreciative of just how big the moon seems tonight.


Sunset in Paris

20 Aug: Today’s glimpse of the infamous Iron Lady was photographed on a quiet corner of Les Invalides. Having just been to the Champs-Élysées on a present-hunting mission (read: princess tiara from the Disney Store for a certain little girl’s birthday party), I marvelled at the difference between the two spots. The Champs-Élysées was packed with shoppers and mostly visitors, making it hard to move around, and yet at Les Invalides, mere 20 minutes walk away, it was the complete opposite. Nary a group of visitors anywhere, just all kind of wonderful views for us to enjoy.


Japanese scene

21 Aug: I’m not entirely sure what office this is, but the Japanese-themed window cartoon certainly caught my attention. The season may be a bit off – the sakura is very much a spring thing, not summer – but the shinto shrine and the Mount Fuji couldn’t steer us too far wrong. This is one country I’d very much like to visit some time soon, but for now it remains a little out of our budget to make this dream a reality. In the mean time, I guess I’ll stick to frequenting rue Ste Anne for Japanese goodies.


The three owls

22 Aug: Just how cute are these little owls? The wise animals that apparently, like the monkeys, speak, hear and see no evil. I was surprised when F declared that he didn’t know the significance of these gestures, and he was rather bemused I would stop to photograph some brightly-coloured ornaments in the shop window. It serves as a reminder to me as to how certain foreign culture is still not being registered by the locals, and vice versa. And to understand more, one should always ask for explanation, no matter how stupid the question may sound.


Red awning

23 Aug: This is one of the few spots in Paris that I’m unlikely to step foot in, and even if I do, I’m not sure I’d ever feel comfortable either. Plaza Athénée is very fancy, situated on Avenue Montaigne (I have no business walking down this street either, to be honest), and even passing by it makes me feel self-conscious. However, Alain Ducasse’s restaurant is in there, so who knows, maybe I will brave it one day and fake fabulousness for an evening in this Michelin-starred dining room. We’ll skip ordering wine to keep the bill low-ish.


Children's book

24 Aug: Who says children’s books need to be only about fairy tales or animal stories? Here’s one that’s interesting and educational, and it’s all about Paulo the sperm. With a tiara (bought a few days earlier) on her head, the adorable Z proudly showed the book to me, and asked me to read it together with her. I was just so pleased that she considers me close enough to spend quality time with, even if I’m not someone she sees on a regular basis. And oh, she even made a drawing just for me that same evening. /melted


Beach house

25 Aug: Summer is drawing to a close, and this is our last beach visit for the season. Nice beach house, right? Spotted near Pornichet, if I own this place, I guess I’ll be spending quite a bit of time here, even if it’s during the other three seasons of the year where continuous sunshine and mid-20s temperature are not prominently featured. The terrace also opens up the possibility of BBQs, something that’s incredibly scarce non-existent in Paris. Have I ever told you just how much I miss a good BBQ session?




Category: Project 365

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4 scribbles & notes

  1. med says:

    Saw the moon and normally they use monkeys for see, speak and hear no evil kekekeke ;)

    ermm….that children book would definitely be banned back here hmmmm hehehe
    okie lil…i am pretty sure u can own the place…work smart and hard!!! i will come for BBQ :)

  2. Chloé says:

    why fake it? you are fabulous :)
    also, the owls are an adorable twist on the monkeys. just a bit too shiny for me!

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