Life in Paris

Gig Successful

Lifeinparis — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:33:12 GMT

This Past Monday, I had a very successful gig in St. Germain-En-Laye. It was small, but less hole-in-the-wall 'ish that I thought. Very swank actually, and lots of patrons. They listened and seemed to enjoy. I really enjoyed it too, had a blast actually and am looking forward to another gig in January with the same crew... Will on Piano, Jan on Sax alto and tenor and Catherine as the other singer. The audience seemed to like having the variety of two singers. I liked it was well, takes the pressure off to be the center of attention the whole night.

Next time we will need to be a bit more professional. We didn't have a set list and hadn't practiced many of the songs with Wil since he was absent at the last rehearsal. Cat and I need to get some duets going, but other than those improvements, I think we have a show!

Election thoughts

Lifeinparis — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:47:14 GMT

I'm sitting at a Fashion Trade Show in Paris. It's been a slow, dull day due to the slowing economy. My boss and I are discussing politics. We're arguing, though in reality we actually totally agree. Americans have such a fighting spirit. Such blazing hearts. How can we stand ourselves? How can we all live in the same country together with so many passionate opinions that are all right? Truly if we could walk a mile in each other's shoes, we'd understand how and why one believes what he does. And we are all indeed right in that way.

I write this as our country is boiling on the brink of another election that has divided us into red and blue again. I did not leave America because Bush was elected for his second term. But I did find it a happy consequence to leave the terrible climate of the country at that time. I had stopped talking to my family... due to our passionate differences in politics. And all the friends I agreed with were deeply depressed and disillusioned by the gap between us and them.

Truth is though, no matter the distance, I will always be American and none of us can escape our collective destiny. How many of us are worried about our fate?

And how can we be sure that it's not exactly this habit of worry that is the real threat to our well being. This might seem a jump in logic, but in my shoes, it seems perfectly logical. Obama has stated it well that we can't just expect our Politicians to change our country. Especially when we have become so cynical about the nature of politicians themselves.

It's not enough to just vote this year. We need to change our country from the inside out. Too many of us are focusing all our passion in the wrong direction. We are spinning our wheels to be the best, the richest, the most successful... forgetting completely about the pursuit of happiness itself.

..."If only I had this, If only I had that"... the pursuit of the guy, the job, the car, or most recently the right president becomes the total focus as we hang all our hopes for happiness on something outside ourselves. All the while we are forgetting that happiness is our right, in and of itself. Our country promises us this. If only we choose to have it first and then proceed in the world.

I believe if each of us took some time to remember how to be happy with out need of a reason to be, with out the the delay of the chase, then our country would indeed get back on track again. We'd find a new place in the world as Americans who use their passionate spirits to create joy in this world with solutions to global problems as well as individual ones. This is the change we all seek, and our government would reflect these changes back to us. Just as now both candidates are reflecting our sincere desire for change.

In this way no matter what happens in the election tomorrow, we are already on a better path. The character of both Candidates show that we are ready to change our focus and look for a better future. In this point, we are united as Americans, facing our future with blazing hearts.

So What's Next... InnerSpace

Lifeinparis — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:52:14 GMT

After blogging the below entry, I began reading a small pocket book I brought back with me from my last trip home. A friend gave it to me many years ago and I randomly started reading it again last week. A Geometry of Space-Consciousness by James Perkins was written in 1964, but it has a great deal that seems appropriate to the world we find ourselves in today.

"The well dressed, well-fed, beautiful person that we may see driving along a super-highway in his marvellously engineered car, may also be emotionally sick, mentally unbalanced, and altogether unfit to operate so powerful a vehicle."

As the world has become more and more driven by material needs, we have made amazing triumphs in technology but have improved the human condition little by comparision. The old system of division between the haves and the have nots is still firmly in place. Some say more than ever. And all seem to be living in denial of an impoverished soul.

In recent months, our systems of money and government and power seem shaken to their core, or rather our belief in them. This finally leaves the individual left to wonder...what else is there?

"Only as some dire dilemma falls upon the individual is he impelled to search for inner knowledge to meet his need."

Innerspace... as this book explains is the next frontier. We are all in the same boat facing the treacherous perils of our innerspace, our own minds full of fear and doubt and fantacies. This is the real source of all the dangers of our modern times. And it's also the only source one can find the peace and compassion necessary to create a reality that is different from the one we now live in. A world where everyone is living in true abundance and has peace of mind and heart.

Facing our own demons is probably the hardest thing any of us has to do. Harder than moving to a foreign country, or getting an A at an Ivy league school, or raising a family of 4. I say it's harder than these things, because I know these things are HARD, and yet this is much more difficult. And many people have spent lifetimes avoiding it.

But was can't anymore. And there are tools, guides, wisdom that has been written in all languages, all cultures from ancient texts to modern ones such as the one I mention. It's all out there, easier to reach than ever. None of us are alone in this new quest, though it is only ourselves we must face.

And it is by advancing our humanity beyond the animalistic drives of selfishness and barbary, that we will meet the demands of our advancing technology and emerging global society.

Blogging for Poverty

Lifeinparis — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:54:48 GMT

Writing about Poverty is a good change for my site, I've been so focused lately on fashion, which is a world that makes one feel as if every one has tons and tons of money. And there is no one starving or living in squaller. But this is precisely the illusion of fashion and often the illusion we try to live in. Filtering out the evidence of other's suffering as a means of survival. How could we really enjoy any of life if we stop to think about how many people are suffering in the world.

My family has always been republican and I've only broke with the party at the last election. They hold a firm american belief that hard work is rewarded and if someone is begging on the streets or not making enough to live on, or born into an empoverished country, then they deserve that somehow.

I don't believe this. Or more truthfully, I don't want to believe this anymore. No one deserves to suffer. Maybe bad choices are made, but does really mean that people should have to live day in and day out struggling just to stay alive?

Besides, the world I've seen in the past 8 years, there are plenty of hard working people who are still not making the bills. More and more hours, higher and higher costs of living and less and less raises and job security. It's a different world than the one my father grew up in with our family values. The cards seem stacked against people these days in such a way that poverty is spreading to honest, hard working people who haven't even been complaining.

If one is truly to live in abundance, than those around his must live in it as well. Poverty is a result of the fact that even the rich don't know what abundance really is. None of us are free from suffering, until all of us are free from suffering. The world of the rich and fashionable is merely a candy coated distraction from what ails the human race. We rip and strive and grapple to get there, but once there I'm convinced it's just as painful as life on the bottom looking up. We are all deprived when our focus is on money instead of the value of life itself. And the only way I know to find some sort of reality in this crazy illusion rat race we are living in is... forgiveness. For all our decisions that have lead us here. There's got to be a better way.

Paris Fashion Week for Spring 09

Lifeinparis — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:01:00 GMT

Well I can't say I didn't try. I learned what it takes to get into a show during Paris fashion week if you don't have the coveted invitation. People do get in with out them, but it takes a great combination of charm, prestigious press credentials and the right look. Next time I'll know what to except, but in the meantime, I enjoyed watching the people coming and going, so to give you an idea of the show on the streets just outside the tents... voila...

What a Crazy Chanel Day!!!

Lifeinparis — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:21:43 GMT

Yesterday was a day I'll remember. It started with a cold shower (no hot water) and a surprise change in weather. I was underdressed in shorts and shear hose as I headed out into a rainy, windy Paris morning, late for my first photo shoot of the day at Cezaire - a new high end accessories store in the chic Palais Royal area of Paris.

Though the PR rep was an 1 hour and a 1/2 late (fairly common in France) I had a a blast shooting the gorgeous store and will post those photos later this week.

But the real fun began as I assisted Diana Lui (http://www.99medusas.com/home.html) with a photo shoot of Chanel items. It was for a Malaysian Magazine, an 8 page products spread. And Diana was given complete artistic freedom.

We set out on the cold Paris day with bags of chanel bags, jewelry, glasses, ect and no idea where or how we would shoot them. That's the genius of Diana, she's all about improvisation which is my favorite part of any artistic endeavor and we ended up with some truly unique shots.

I have never been much of a Chanel fan. It's a little too status for me, and way too classic. But the PR rep recapped the interesting Bio of CoCo Chanel for me, while we waited for a shoot to begin. And I found her story inspirational. A woman raised in an Orphanage who never desired to create trends. She only wanted to make clothes that were functional, well made and looked nice.This was mainly for herself, but a demand grew around her in the high society of her lover's world. And now Chanel is one of France's proudest accomplishments. All items are made here in France, and they are proudly keeping france's artisian industries a float in these modern, troubled times.

At one point we were in the Chanel house at Place Vendome (right next to Ritz hotel) sitting among SUCH wealth. It was so surreal given the financial crisis I had just been watching on CNN. I kept wondering about the people around me, shopping, no cares, buying clothes with money that I could live on for months or Years even.

The day ended with Diana and I shooting in front of a blue effel tower (it's blue at night now that Paris is the EU capital), the rain was coming down. And I was freezing, but so thrilled. I had learned so much from assisting that day. My own ideas were starting to become more clear, my own vision forming. And I could feel a confidence growing about what I can do as a photographer. Being an Apprentice to Diana has been this side note to music school. But man, what a counter melody to my Paris experience. I was truly enriched by my Chanel Day. And the joy I felt at such a hard earned day's work, well let's just say I feel lucky I'm spending my days photographing Chanel, rather than shopping Chanel.

Back From Vacation...

Lifeinparis — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:08:19 GMT

But I am not sure if anyone else is? Paris seems so very quite to me. I arrived early Sunday morning and had a silent ride through Paris. My cabbie took me through Monmartre, and I was reminded of my first month I spent here in Paris 2 years ago. I guess it's because I arrived around the same time, beginning of September, and was driving through the same neighborhood I lived in for a month (too expensive to stay there) My sister was with me, too keep me calm and I remember being so afraid. Everything smelled horrible to me, and seemed so bizarre.

Today I have such a different feeling. I love the strange smells in the air... a mixture of old cigarette smoke and the coming fall. I can't say I'll stay here after this 3rd and final year of school, but I can say that I feel at home here. I missed this old city while I was gone. With her ornate building entrances, and elegant maze of small streets. Especially when she is so quiet, when the tourists have returned to their homes and the Parisians are just returning from their vacations. It's as if Paris is just waking up again, for another year, just as I am gearing up again for another year. It's amazing how such a big city can feel so personal, so alive, so much like a friend.

August - Vacation

Lifeinparis — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:34:00 GMT

As most parisians do, I've taken off the month of August. The city becomes a ghost town from what I hear, as everyone heads out in different directions, different destinations, all to return to in September. Hopefully refreshed, ready to face another school year.

I was planning to stay, but couldn't find any work, and realized that a year away from the states, from my family and friends, was really WAY too much. So I've gone parisian, vacationing the whole month of August.

I'm in Peurto Rico right now, visiting my mom. then I'll be returning to Texas where I can begin to post again.

Then in September, the fun starts again and I'll be starting my 3rd and final year of music school in Paris. I'm gearing up now, soaking up the rays at the beach and my mom's loving care so that I can not only survive another year, but kick some major ass!

Juillet 14 - La Fete National

Lifeinparis — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:06:52 GMT

Today is the national holiday, much like July4th. I've never been here in France to celebrate this day and it's really been quite a celebration. People have been wandering the streets of Paris watching Parades, and waiting for firecrackers. There were some differences though, the Parade was strictly Military, no large floaty balloons. One marching band led the line of military personnel and vehicles down the Champs Elysee. The mood was bizarre as my french friend kept pointing out how we were there to celebrate the killing machines. He also kept talking about how much Petrol (gas) Americans use in comparison to the rest of the world. And it made me want to talk less about the grand 4th of July Parades we have in the states. I was on the defense, but in some ways, I just can't argue away the fact that the American lifestyle in general has been pretty extravagant over the last 40 years. I can argue that we are on the verge of change, while France is still following in our bad example. But it's hard to gage how much Americans really are willing to change. I know many who are having money problems right now and learning to scale back and live simpler. I know many my age (30's) who don't want to climb the corporate latter or possess finer things... but rather want to contribute to society in a meaningful way. This responsibility to society doesn't just stop at National level, but involves a global scale as well.

I also know many who still think beaucoup about what they can buy, consume, earn, and pay little attention to the cost. I have no judgement on this as I'm constantly being called on out in this mentality by my life here. I feel as though I'm living more simply than ever, and yet I tend to still leave the lights on or appear callous to my french friends about the problems with the environment. I told Alexandre today that he was being "lourd" - heavy, lecturing, fixating on the subject of the global petrol issue. But one thing he said keeps sticking in my mind - he said that if China decided to live the way we have, that the rest of the world is screwed. Since we've used 1/4 of the world's oil and we are no where near as numbered. If they decided to live our lifestyle, the rest of the planet would be out in in the cold.

I've never thought about it like this. It sounds really harsh, like our extravagent lifestyle was a selfish choice. I've wanted to thinkour past has not been selfish, but rather what any country would have chosen given the success we've had. We really were ignorant of the impact our consumtion might have on others. Though maybe this the definition of selfish, not caring about others.

Regardless, I don't agree with his ideas of what might happen globally if china wants to live the American lifestyle of the past 40 years.I believe in the power of humanity and in Americans to put alternate energy sources to good use and be off Petrol in 30 years time. Maybe it'd be a bit rocky waiting for this, but I know Americans to be pretty resourceful.

Am I being too idealistic with Americans? Am I being too optimistic with the changes that seem on the horizon for America? Perhaps there are still many Americans who are unaware of the responsibility we have to a global community.

Further, Am I being too optimistic to hope that the changes on the horizon could be for the whole human race, the whole planet, not just one country?

As it's Bastille day, I'm reminded of how difficult change can be. This day commemorates when the citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille Prison to release what they thought was hoards of political prisoners who wanted an end to hunger and oppression. They were tired of a upper class that enjoyed all the benefits while the lower class did all the work.

The aggressive act worked in that they successfully took control of the Prison and launded the French Revolution in 1789. However, in reality there were only 7 prisoners, 4 of which had written bad checks.

While the revolution seems like a good idea in principal, it relied heavily on propaganda and be-headings. And soon the citizens of France grew tired of this violence, and another revolt overran the tyrannical leaders of the revolt, and so on and so forth through out last 300 years as the regime changed back and forth from monarchy to republic - both systems giving much the same results. And what has changed really? France has one of the most socialist systems in the world, and yet many claim still that the wealth in the hands of the few.

As my friend was talking today, I was forced to wonder if all the facts and figures he produced were truly accurate. Given history, us commoners rarely know what's actually happening at the top. And propaganda works both ways, even in the pro-environment camp. When it starts illiciting a fear response, a condemning attitude, a reason to feel separate, isn't at the moment morphing into the age old human plague?

I want to believe that our world can change. That our governments can start cooperating with each other, sharing resources and ending wars. I want to believe in this, but I also don't want to be naive.

Something I can believe in is the power to change my life as an individual. Somedays it's seems just as impossible as changing world politics. Today in fact it does.. as my mind seems bent on bad habits of thinking.

But as I watched the fireworks from my balcony, I was reminded that just when things look their worst, they usually get better. Relief comes in the most unexpected ways. And I don't want to spend la Bastille day comparing France to American (cause the US of A baby will win every time:) I'd rather watch the lights in the sky, feu d'artifice, something the chinese invented years ago and experience a few moments of peace.