Johnny Depp is "Ga Ga" for Queen. According to reports, Depp is set to play Freddie Mercury in a big screen version of the rocker's life. Funded by Robert Dinero, the film will allow Mr. Depp to continue his tradition of immitating rock legends as he did in Pirates of the Caribeean with his dead on performance of Keith Richards. So goodbye puffy shirts. Hello tight pants!
Having spent the last 18 months in Paris, I've learned enough French to survive. I wouldn't say I'm fluent, but I can communicate on a basic level. Yet when it comes to daily activities such as the grocery store, I find myself becoming somewhat of an introvert. It's easier at times to be quiet vs. sourcing the right words to say. So when I come home to Chicago and go to the gym, for example, I'm startled and baffled when someone asks me a question. I become a bit dumbfounded.
Now that I'm home for New Year's Eve, I have to decide how I'll spend the evening. I've never been a fan of the amateur night. I'd prefer to gather friends around a board game with a buffet of junk food in the distance. But this year, since a friend is having a "creative" black-tie affair to celebrate the holiday as well as his birthday, my hopes of a "family" game night are quickly diminishing.
As expected, A Moment Like This by X-Factor winner Leona Lewis debuts at #1 with almost 600K records sold. Oddly, this is fewer than last year's winner whose public relations machine wasn't as strong. But since Leona's single wasn't available until Wednesday, it should be noted her single performed quite stronlgy considering the lack of availability. Take That finally drops to #2 with Patience as so does last week's weak entry, Truly, Madly, Deeply by Cascada which drops from #4 to #5. New entries include McFly's Sorry's Not Good Enough (a song that's not bad but not necessarily good either) and Girls Aloud's I Think We're Alone Now. The latter is a remake of Tiffany's hit from 20 years ago. I'm usually a supporter of girl groups, but I don't think this remake never should have happened. It's a bit messy. Judge for yourself below.
Chris surprised me on Christmas day with a trip back home. It was unexpected and for a few hours, undesired. I need time to prepare for my journey - mostly on a mental level. So when he said I was leaving "tomorrow," I wasn't sure how to react. But towards the end of the day, as I was packing, I finally accepted my gift with a grin.
Over the past few months, the word "n*gger" has made it's way into the press as a result of over zealous actor's trying to be funny. Both Michael Richards and most recently Andy Dick created nightmares for their publicists by using the "N" word. But here in France, it seems as though the word with a big taboo in the States is still widely accepted.
For example, we stumbled across cream filled blocks covered in chocolate in Strasbourg. Not knowing what they were, Chris asked at work. Apparently, their called "tete de n*gger" or "n*gger heads." And today at the gym, one of the personal trainers exclaimed, "What's up my n*gger!" Both made me cringe a bit. The word evokes such strong reactions in the States but here, it's quite common. And when I mentioned to the trainer that it's one of those words we don't use, especially Caucasians, he replied, "It's okay. We had slaves here." What would Oprah say to that?
With an updated version of Santa Baby, this Debenhams commercial is one of my favorites this holiday season. The dancin' Santa is much better than those found in Walgreens! Check it out below.
See 12/14 Posting for Pt. 1
While I’m here in Paris, we’ve found alternative ways to appease my Kringle senses until returning home to Chicago. Beginning in November, Christmas Markets, or Christkindlmarkts, open in many countries across Europe including Germany, Sweden and Austria. The outdoor markets have universal appeal with their roasted nuts, sweet cookies and specialties such as hot-spiced red wine and cider. And with beach season still an after thought, I can forego my gay sensibility to avoid the unhealthy and instead indulge in such specialties as Krainer sausages and Baumkuchen – a tasty treat we stumbled across in Salzburg with multiple layers of pastry goodness sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. But as we learned this year, it's better to forego France's version of the market and return to those more influenced by the Germans. Cotton candy has no place at a Christmas markets.
Some of you in America and elsewhere may be wondering, "Who's this Leona?" But believe me, in a few months, you will know her name. According to Simon Cowell, he's vowed to take time to ensure the X-Factor winner's first full length CD is the best it can be - for the world stage. It's not just about the UK. It's about introducing Leona on a global scale. The video for her first single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's A Moment Like This hit the airwaves today. The production is simple. But Leona radiates star quality. Check out her video below.
There are weeks when UK chart activity is quite exciting. Then there's this week. In the words of Grace Adler from Will & Grace, "Boo!" Take That remains at #1 with Patience. It's most likely their last week at #1 as Leona's single is all but guranteed to hit the top spot within it's first few days of release. Cliff Richard, a major star in the UK for the last 30 years (and also for a brief spell in the U.S. with his hits Suddenly with Olivia Newton-John and We Don't Talk Anymore), continues his string of seasonal hits with 21st Century Christmas. It may be the time for giving, but he can have that song back. Gwen Stefani's "forced" single Wind It Up jumps to #3 from #8. Somebody needs to wind it up so fast that it explodes off the air. Cascada, the Russian trance group who hit America big with their hit Everytime We Touch, return with a cover of Savage Garden's Truly, Madly, Deeply. It's truly annoying. And rounding out the top five is Booty Luv's Boogie 2Nite - dropping from #2. It's the only song worth mentioning. Here's to hoping Santa brings better music our way next week.
Thanks to Pop Candy writer Whitney Matheson, I've found those elusive Christmas specials online! All the favorites are there from Rudolph to Frosty. Now those international readers who've never seen A Charlie Brown Christmas can go here for a full day's worth of holiday cheer - American style!
The city was beautiful with its canals and German influenced architecture. And their Christmas displays were colorful and playful with an apparent tradition of hanging stuffed animals outside the windows. But the Christmas market itself was a “hodge podge” of imported Chinese trinkets and trash.
There were no local artisans displaying their crafts. Rather, the booths were exploding with obnoxious Santa hats, oversized candy confections, plastic angels and anything and everything that normally comes free inside cereal boxes. But with mostly French speaking tourists roaming the streets, this sad display of festive fare was more than enough to appease their holiday sensibilities (considering they aren’t familiar with the commercialization of Christmas). But for Chris and I, it fell a bit short. 
We did, however, find a few worthwhile boutiques hidden within the heart of the city. L’Alsace du Chez Vous features an assortment of pottery, tableware and other “eclecticables” from the Alsace region (too bad I lost their card). Chris couldn’t resist buying two ceramic pots molded for cooking chickens or stews. And of course we (or I should say Chris) sniffed out a gingerbread maker who sells the sweet treats in every shape and size. Pain d’Epices Mireille Oster (14, rue des Dentelles), located in Petite France, was the perfect treat to wipe away the memories of our lunch at Chez Yvonne (10, rue du Sanglier) whose time has apparently come and gone.
At times, I admit, the content of Pink Trash Travels has strayed from its original premise. But now its returned to it's roots by focusing on the stories that make it special. I've added two new features: Storytime and PTT Picks. The first, Storytime, houses all my travel stories from the past year. The second, PTT Picks, will feature my favorite places to dance, drink, eat, shop and sightsee. Storytime is up and running. PTT Picks will be complete by January 1.
Leona's win seemed inevitable. With a voice that truly compares to the American divas, Simon Cowell and the other judges predicted her worldwide success (but not necessarily her X-Factor crown). With Leona's challenger's likeability factor through the roof, there was always a bit of doubt that Leona might lose to Ray Quinn in a turnabout reminiscent of season two's American Idol when Clay Aiken lost to the big teddy bear. The UK public put those fears to rest Saturday night by naming Leona not only the winner of X-Factor but also the first female contestant to take the prize.
With Taco Bell in the news lately, I realized it's been almost a year since I ran for the border. And oddly, I don't miss it. That's not to say I don't crave Mexican food. But we all know Taco Bell isn't Mexican (and some would say it's not food). From this, I wonder what will become of our Fat Girl Sundays once we return. Will we revert back to our weekly stops at Taco Bell followed by wandering through Costco? With Munich now on the horizon and 12 more months to go before we call Chicago home once again, I guess I have plenty of time to think.
It seems my posting of the D & G commercial launched a thousand questions. Specifically, "What song plays in the commercial?" It's Stylophonic's Dancefloor taken from their CD BeatBox Show. Now if I could only get the song out of my head. Listen below or, for the link to remixes of the song, check out Club Fridays on Pink Trash Travels here.
Because I announced my article was to appear in the February issue of Instinct magazine, it's now possible the date will change. According to an email I received today, the piece may shift to March. So, if anything, I've learned it's not official until printed. Maybe next time I should keep my big mouth shut. Who am I kidding? That's never going to happen.
I finally bought a Christmas tree today. I waited longer this year since the tree from our first Christmas in Paris dried to a crunchy mess within two weeks. Maybe the French should consider making tree stands more readily available (and cheaper) vs. the tradition of shoving the tree in a half stump for support. Then again, that would be so American. And forget the flocking. I'm going natural this year rather than spraying the tree with a white foam to resemble snow. Not only were the fumes literallly intoxicating but the mess it makes is unworth the price of admission.
According to this report, Paris city officials rejected the development of an H & M superstore for the Champs Elysees. The decision is the result of a report that "raised the alarm over the growing number of chain stores and fast food outlets that rub shoulders with luxury brands on the avenue." Something tells me they're too late. For anyone who's been along the Champs Elysees recently, it's tourist trap filled with an odd collection of retailers, food vendors, cinemas and outdated dance clubs.
It’s official. With the contract signed today, and the article and pictures delivered on Friday, I’m excited to announce that my piece, “Slice of Life – Parisian Style,” will be featured in February’s issue of Instinct magazine. They also asked to highlight me as a contributing writer – complete with a short bio and accompanying “head shot.” It was an unexpected surprise but one I’m thrilled to accept.
The UK voting public ignored speculation this week and placed Leona Lewis in the X-Factor's finale. Her rendition of Whitney Houston's All or Nothing was flawless followed by her take on Somewhere Over the Rainbow (to which Simon called the best performance ever). It's truly amazing to see a talent like hers emerging - especially when she's so completely unaware of how good she is. Take a listen and be amazed!
Now that we're officially confirmed for Puerto Vallarta in February, I'm trying to arrange my flights. But rather than go directly from Paris to PV, I'm trying to route through Houston to see my family. My original thought was, "It's on the way." I shouldn't have applied a thought process to the airline industry.
H & M announced Madonna will be designing a collection for the Swedish low-cost retailer debuting in March, 2007. Madonna said, "I've made no secret of my love of fashion over the years. Working with H & M was an exciting and new creative challenge for me." Again, at least she's not working on Swept Away II.
American Idol isn't the only talent show where scandal creeps into the show's outcome. Leona Lewis, one of three contestants remaining on X-Factor, is fending off allegations that she's been working with vocal coaches during the show's run. London's Daily Star ran a photo yesterday of Leona with two instructors - a pair Simon is known to have collaborated with in the past. Simon notes that "someone's out to get her." Could be. Or, is it a way to intensify the finale in two weeks? Here's hoping Leona's star continues to shine bright - scandal or not.
As I mentioned the other day, we have a new blender. And because of my "bulking" diet, I'm required to eat 400-500 calories every few hours - which isn't easy. So, I've resorted to blending food. Since I don't like to cook, it's the easiest way to ensure I'm consuming enough calories and protein. But I'll be honest, it's not tasty. Today's mixture consisted of last night's chicken strips, pureed broccoli and ble (wheat grains). The result was a heavy green "glob of goo." But with some milk thrown in, it liquified it just enough to drink. And the Dannon Actimel chaser quickly erased the aftertaste. Now, what's next on today's menu? It's less than two hours away!
Change is on the horizon. Over the past couple of days, we've been given a glimpse into our future. It's not what we expected, but it's another great opportunity. More to come. I'm contemplating buying a tree for the flat. Though, with me returning home next week for five days, I'll have to rent a car - and they ain't cheap around the holidays! Besides that, I'm now stressing about my flight. Since 13 is my lucky number, it would be ironic for the plane to plunge into the ocean. This isn't anything new. I do this everytime. Hence, why I don't like to fly. I've spent the past couple of days snapping photos around Paris to accompany my article for Instinct Magazine (look for an announcement soon). I'm trying to get a balance of comical photos and those more "artistic" in nature. Even more difficult is taking my own photo. And asking a stranger on the street for a reshoot while holding falafel isn't ideal. But if this picture is going to be seen by thousands, I must look my best. Vanity at its purest!
Tonight, Chris brought home a new commercial blender. Since we use it everyday for protein shakes, he opted for the heavy-duty version. He tells me I can blend anything - including my brilliant idea to pureé broccoli to ensure I eat my vegetables. And because of my weight gain diet, I may even blend together a complete meal of chicken, peas and a baked potato.
Now that Chris is back home, we're having our first "Fat Girl Sunday" in many weeks. Though, today, it's really only "Fat Girl Sunday Night Dinner." After the gym, we loitered around the house - Chris finding holiday gifts for this years "One Way Christmas" and I working on naming the Instinct article, arranging villas for our Puerto Vallarta trip and trying to determine my next career move. So my tummy may not be full, but my brain sure is.
She's on the X-Factor, Simon Cowell's answer to the Idol series. And, as he stated a few weeks back, "Leona is the best contestant I've ever seen - including the Idol series." And I have to agree. Along the way, the judges have compared her to Mariah or Whitney. And the "equal footing" is well deserved. Get chills by watching the two videos below from Saturday's performance.
Few commercials peak my interest. But this spot for D & G, is hot. The music (Dancefloor by Stylophonic). The models. It makes me want to buy a watch. And how many commercials make you actually want to spend your money?
Her name is Amy Winehouse and she's the kind of artist America will take too long to discover. Trust me, in six months, you'll start to hear her first single, Rehab from her latest CD Back to Black. Here in Europe, she's just released her second single, You Know I'm No Good. With some soul and funk, it's reminiscient of earlier works by the Fugees and Lauryn Hill. Watch and take a listen below.
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
