Light a candle!

Finland becomes a hibernating heaven with sunrises at 9:23 and sunsets at 15:12; the total length of a day exactly 5h 49m (in the Helsinki area). Even when the sun does  peak through thick snow (or rain) clouds, it rests idly on the horizon, rarely rising above the tree line. Without snow, this can become quite a desolate little place. (Thankfully, snow was in the forecast before my trip.)

While darkness can be debilitating (unless of course you get hours worth of vitamin D from the various artificial sunlight emitting contraptions, pill form or milk) candles make it oh-so hygge and bearable!

This household, like most in Scandinavia, following the Chinese proverb - 'Don't curse the darkness - light a candle.' (Which was incorporated by Adlai Stevenson praising Eleanor Roosevelt in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in 1962 - 'She would rather light candles than curse the darkness, and her glow has warmed the world.') Light your lanterns, tea candles, candles...!

more moschino

Here is Santa's wish-list a la moschino:

1.) He doesn't feel appreciated enough (appreciate him more)

2.) Too many requests in too little time (don't be greedy this xmas; la crise financière continues even in Santa land, ya' know!)

3.) The reindeer are threatening to strike (sigh...RER, you made my life tough this season)

4.) In Australia his suit feels too hot (no more chocolate!)

....

5.) Has problems staying awake at night (remember to leave Santa coffee)

6.) Chimneys nowadays are too narrow (or he's getting too fat.)

Le marché de Noël à La Defense

Les marchés de Noël are not customarily French Christmas practices, but are in fact traditions that have seeped into the  Christmas consumer culture through Germany by way of Strasbourg in the north-wester region of Alsace. Every season, little wooden huts and a plethora of Christmas decorations are set up all around Paris, the largest (and cheapest) at La Defense, although le marchés on Champs Elysees is well-worth a visit if you can stomach the many tourists! Get your gluvine, sauerkraut, bratwurst, kartoffelsalat, and lebkuchen...and get into the Christmas (consumer) spirit!

Les Enfants modèles au musée de l’Orangerie

The notion of childhood, it has been argued, is a social construction.  Looking at Medieval artworks, one is taken aback by representations of children as literally, 'little people' or 'mini adults'.  Jean Jacques Rousseau, the French philosopher is the man usually credited with creating the modern notion of childhood.  Much like other liberal-minded thinkers, Rousseau believed that childhood was the brief interlude of sanctuary before encountering the perils and hardships of adulthood. "Why rob these innocents of the joys which pass so quickly," Rousseau pleaded. "Why fill with bitterness the fleeting early days of childhood, days which will no more return for them than for you?"

In this exhibit at the musée de l’Orangerie, you will see how art and artists have interpreted the role of children in their period of sanctuary before adulthood. 

Nōgaku "Noh" Theater @ La maison culturel japonais

I had my first experience of Théâtre nô at La maison culturel japonais this past week, and was struck by the peacefulness, the erratic sounds and the slow pace of the piece.  The production was divided into two parts, one was a more traditional representation, the other more modern. What interested me was the gender role reversals in the modern piece. In traditional nô theater, men assumed all roles regardless of intended gender. In the modern piece,  the lead character was played by a Western female. 

Paris en hiver

Le marché de President Wilson

Every Wednesday and Saturday from 9-noon, L'avenue de President Wilson welcomes a feast of delicacies. A must for fresh produce! Bring your basket, cash, and your two elbows to make your way down the transformed avenue. 

Rue de Grenelle: Lécher les vitrines

Classic, chic, and AMAZING brought to you by the exceptional and quintessentially French fashion-house Hermes who's creative Kaleidoscope-themed femme fatal in aviator-gear beckons you into her chic 200 (m2) jumbo jet.  Hermes' signature orange brightens up even the most dreary of days!

...and if your curious, the details are as follows:

Hermès Ephémère

16 rue de Grenelle

Tél. 01 53 63 02 19

Horaires : 10h30 - 19h00 

Rue de Grenelle: Barbie and Louboutin meet its love at first sight!

Barbie and Christian Louboutin meet at the Rue de Grenelle boutique.  While it makes for a fun and sexy window display, it is a rather sad message to women. 

Santa in psycho-analysis @ Moschino

I was super, super sad that on the ONE day that I take my camera, the to-die-for Moschino elephant and pink silk-ruffle dress vitrine display was taken down replaced by a rather dull, fat Santa in a psycho-analysis session with chic-Parisianne femme fatal. Ugh...Dear Santa: Bring sexy back!

33 Rue Saint-Guillaume (and Rue de Grenelle)
75007 Paris

Poupée ou Bebe?..Bonton will cater to both!

This epitomizes the French 'petite bebe' fashion: dress your sweet lil' chillun' in impossibly fine and doll-like clothes so that they give the impression of being little angels...when we all know what they really are like ;) Bonton has delicious little couture shoes and dresses for your little lap-full of loves. 

Bathtub toys as window display!

Peace, love, and rainbows at this children's clothing boutique. Although the clothes are rather dull, the background window display is ingenious: a multitude of colorful bathtub rubber toys that we've all played with, tightly packed into a heart design. Little plastic animals emitting loooove!

Carline Gilson: get your couture undies

French philosophy of life is closely linked to the idea that if it looks good, it will taste infinitely better--that's at least their values when it comes to gastronomy, but also to the body and pleasure! Little ultra chic lingerie shops pop up almost as frequently as Starbucks in NYC. Okay, not that frequently! But still often enough for anyone to think: ah yes, I do need another couture nightgown or slip.... 

This is one of my favorite on Rue de Grenelle, Carline Gilson...Their window-display changes almost as frequently as one should change undies!

Where to get your 500 Euro bra?

18 Rue de Grenelle
75007 Paris