some quotes for today

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randoms

flying back to nice tonight for the holidays. am looking forward to it because now i feel like i truly deserve a break. i hit my three-month mark here in france, and now that i know that i can stay in the eu, a little celebrating is in order. i miss ma famiglia though. and i miss l.a. since i've been in paris, it seems like all people ever talk to me about is how great california is, etc. etc. when they find out i'm from socal. and it makes me miss home that much more, damnit! it's all good. eu is good. oh yeah, so back to the holidays in nice. we were supposed to be back in paris for new year's, but yesterday mack extended our vacation until january 2 so it will be a proper break for sure.

last week i found out that i'm on myspace. funny, i don't remember joining... but apparently i've been a member since april? huh. i must've been pretty stoned when i registered or something. anyway, i looked at my page today, and i was invited by a band to be their friend. why were all their female friends asian? coincidence? who knows. argh! i've got to stop with this whole asian/being asian complex i've developed since i've been here! i'm annoying myself. i mean, there are asians in france, but - i don't know. it's not that i'm discriminated against or anything. i just get this weird vibe about, well, not being white all of a sudden. why? no clue. but it's kind of a pseudo-alien-affirmative-action type of insecurity. jesus christ. shut up, jane!

moving on... it's pretty much christmas. time flies.

melissa's baby's due this weekend. hooray, a new addition to the fam!

cheers

fellow capricorn, originally uploaded by mjane.

buy this man a drink if you see him today.

snow!

it was snowing for about an hour this morning. the first snow of the season. definitely adds to the holiday ambience.
. . .
the other night i met up with sarah's design assistant at juicy couture who's in paris for a couple of weeks. it was kind of funny meeting up with her because we had no idea what each other looked like. when she called me to make plans, she had a spanish accent, and when ignorant jane went to find her at our meeting spot, the last person i thought to approach was a korean girl with a green scarf (what the girl over the phone said she would be wearing). after that was cleared up (mackenzie pointed out, "she's the only one here wearing a green scarf"), it turns out that she grew up in argentina and spanish is her first language. okay, i guess i wasn't that off, but the awkward-meeting-experience definitely taught me a lesson. anyway, she's super cool and it was nice exchanging backgrounds and ideas with her. maybe we'll meet up again before we both leave paris for the holidays.
. . .
i started a tradition a couple years ago to make my dad a CD entitled dad and the drums once a year with songs, in my opinion, that have amazing drum sequences he can play along to whenever he practices. this year i had a hard time finding music to put on the CD so i did some research online and found this website that lists the 100 Greatest Rock Drummers. this site is so funny because when you scroll down there's bulletin where you can post your opinion on how accurate the list is. and after reading some of the comments, i laughed imagining how cute it would be if my dad went online - he's never been - and chatted with other drummers. i thought of my bro as well because the list seems to agree with his favorites.

happy holidays

holiday greetings, a la night vision, originally uploaded by mjane.

i'm finally getting into the holiday spirit. it's cold and crispy out, lights and decorations are all over the city, and sometimes i'll hear an american christmas song playing here and there.
. . .
mackenzie and i caught a tele-drama this weekend called, la liberte de marie (marie's freedom). it was so danielle steele, i loved it! it was about this girl, marie, she got married at 15 to an older guy who works at a newspaper. they live with his mother whose home is situated above an antique jewelry shop she owns. and like all juicy, non-sensical romance dramas, marie works in her mother-in-law's shop; mother-in-law is mean and bossy to marie; marie's husband is a total mama's boy who won't defend marie when mother-in-law slaps her around; marie has an ongoing affair with mama's-boy-husband's co-worker, a photographer at the newspaper; photographer drowns mama's boy in a lake; marie's totally freaked out by the fact that he murdered homie to solve their dilemma; they're both haunted by past husband's spirit; mother-in-law convinces marie to marry photographer; marie's not feeling photographer any more and leaves him; photographer goes crazy, gets a gun, and shoots himself in the heart.

in moderation

okay, so i really have to get used to certain things. first of all, a lot of habits that are frowned upon in the states are considered normal here. for example, drinking a 25cl bottle of red wine or a half-pint of beer at lunch is completely nothing out of the ordinary. but for someone who's so used to it being a no-no to do during work hours, it's definitely something new. plus, today these two men were serving free vin chaud (hot wine) in one of the courtyards of the office building in celebration of the holidays...

shit, i forgot my point to this entry. i'm a bit tipsy right now.

coincidences

i've started to train myself to be conscious of all these coincidences that i've encountered the past six months (due to reading the celestine prophecy), and it's a trip how all these tiny details make up what are now important issues to me.

i just read an email from a really amazing friend of mine, and coincidentally what she wrote is helping me ask the right questions about a situation i'm in right now.

i've reached a fork in the road.
goddamn forks!

it is what it is

so i'm unable to visit los angeles for the holidays this year... my first year of christmas away from home. boo! just thinking of christmas day without my family is making me more homesick than ever! mommy and daddy, ate and mark, little q, the cousins, their new babies, and all my favorite pilipino food. damn, now my mouth's watering imagining all of the home-cooked pleasures that i'll miss: dinuguan, lechon, lumpia, pancit, bbq, honey-baked ham, lots of rice, and the list goes on!!! oh man... and then there's dessert... jesus christ. i'm not even going to go into that. okay, i will: leche flan, lychees with almond jello, auntie carol's chocolate chip cookies, and mark's famous banana cake...

*sigh*

beaucoup de " " 's

i just read my horoscope. and i'm glad i did because it actually had some very nice things to say about capricorns and getting ahead "professionally". as opposed to, what, getting ahead personally? romantically? i'm not sure. i mean, who really knows what being "professional" really means? maybe it's one's ability to sell themselves, how they are able to communicate the idea that they're "different". as in, maybe if i were more "professional," i'd be getting paid to maintain this blog. who knows! nonetheless, i'm supposedly "on the right track." nice.

. . .

i've been really out of the loop as far as "pop" culture goes. but i did some catching up today while watching some t.v. and flipping through some magazines. conclusion: i haven't really missed much. all the hype is the same old shit! everything is so commercial that i feel like the world is back in the 80s. just hike up the price tags on all the old ideas, sell it as "retro", "vintage" or "throwback"... switch up the "commies" to "terrorists"... dynasty for reality tv shows; et voila, welcome to the new millenium.

there is hope, though. turn off the t.v.

happy birthday, mackdog!

photo:s.kovatch, originally uploaded by mjane.

today is mackenzie's birthday. and i figure that when one turns 28 years old, they're too adult now to get embarrassed. thus, the photo. live it up, baby. life only gets better from here.

butter

i stayed up to watch la derniere tango a paris (the last tango in paris) last night. i was surprised to hear marlon brando speaking french, but jesus christ, it's beyond words seeing the late mr. brando acting out getting fingered up the cul. besides his character's assumed fetish with butt holes, the wardrobe was great, and the leading actress played my idea of the model parisienne: equally cute, sexy, trendy, confident and vulnerable. altogether, i enjoyed the movie: artsy, with a narrative that's entertaining to follow.

i also watched miss france 2005. there was a miss tahiti. huh. i'm not sure how that works out since tahiti is no longer a french colony. interesting too that the program revolved around american music and ideas. come to think of it, a lot of french tv tries to be american. and when i say american, i mean that on one french show that had a top ten countdown of the sexiest women in the world, britney spears was #1. oh, really?

another thing that was the hype of tv this weekend was the france telethon. it raised 98,373,842 € towards health care, medical research and such. 98 million+ euros? needless to say, that is fucking impressive.

the first of sorts

it's december. christmas lights and decorations are all over the city. i feel like it was just yesterday that i was chilling at my old place on olympic and la brea playing with chris's new cat he named "cutie", feeling cold, and brainstorming gift ideas. little did i know that exactly one month later mackenzie and i would decide to move to france.

what a way to start the last month of 2004 - refreshed and full of new energy. mia just left for barcelona last night. she came on sunday, and since we met up at sacre-coeur that afternoon, i've been looking at paris in a new light. thank you mia for blessing the apartment with your energy and the colombian sage. needless to say, both have made instantaneous effects on me. powerful stuff.

speaking of which, i just finished reading the celestine prophecy. that book is a trip. its ideas are the most beautiful and awesome about the evolution of humankind that i have ever read in my life. that's what i'm claiming. read this book. there are few things in life that i described as "beautiful" before i finished this book. now, i can't look at anything or anyone i pass without finding beauty in them. everything is so lovely... and i'm full of love. what an amazing new fix to develop!

this little girl is 3 today

q hiding toys up auntie jane's dress, originally uploaded by mjane.

and she knows that her "auntie jane is in france." pretty smart for 3, huh? i wish i could be in los angeles for quirina's big party. it's the talk of the town: little mermaid, snow white and her other princess friends will be there. skirts or dresses are the proper party attire. party activities include twirling and dancing on tippy toes. and if you bring kitties or dogs, make sure they're up for playing q-style - the more fluffy and furry, the more excited she becomes.
. . .
i feel like i'm a child these days. sometimes i think that a lot of children i see daily are smarter than me. being in france, learning to make french another first language, and working here: i don't know me so well. it doesn't matter where i'm from, who i knew, or what i did. the present is all i have, making up the map to my future as i go.

there is no thanksgiving in paris

mackenzie and i almost forgot that it even was thanksgiving. we went to an irish pub and had a couple pints o' beer. then, we went to this cafe that has this huge flat-screen to watch a footbal match. we chomped down a couple steaks and fries with wine while i practiced yelling my french swear words at the t.v. i think it's safe to say that mack and i fulfilled our thanksgiving obligations.
. . .
the job is put on hold for now. just as i thought that the french govvie got their fill of paperwork from me, they want more! and they love it. luckily it seems as though i can afford to supply their fix. in the meantime, what a coincidence that the last couple of days that i haven't been working the sun has been out (a paris rarity for this time of year). so i've been out and about studying my neighborhood and practicing my french. plus, i got an email from miss mia who's in barcelona right now. she's taking a train to paris and we're meeting up on sunday! i cannot absolutely wait!

new spot

came up on a very small apartment to live in before the weekend. no more college backpackers and bunkbeds...
stoked!

mackenzie and i caught on very quickly that "networking" is essential to becoming parisiens: 1). we found our new place from a friend of a friend of a friend of his parents (we heard about it literally the night before we hopped on the plane from nice). it's 12 meters squared (smaller than my old room at armacost). but having been designed very efficiently, our place has room for a stove, fridge, shower and toilet, plus a bed that doubles as our sofa. yes, yes, it's humble, but very cute nonetheless; 2). and thank heavens for the apt., because without a paris address, it's impossible to get a work permit. 3). but without a work contract, it's impossible to rent an apt. here. hmmm.. how does that work? exactly, it doesn't. welcome to paris.

anyway, i can safely say that for the next month our new home is located in the 18th arrondisement, monmartre, literally just to right of the sacre coeur (think amelie). it's lovely. we're ridiculously lucky.
. . .
am reading this book that britt lent me called the celestine prophecy. it's very exciting. am also learning to have a serious interest in footbal. although the buzz around town these days is the nba brawl in detroit over the weekend. stupid stern. take your fucking money. i heart ronnie forever.

paris

mack and i just got in last night. we're staying at peace and love hostel. yes, that's the name of the hostel. the reception area is also a bar and plays really good music. but as mackenzie said last night, "i feel like we're living in a frat house." exactly how i'd describe it. anyway, my brain is packed with looking for apartments and learning french that there seems to be no room for small talk right now. more details when the brain has a little more space to breathe.

it's a good thing all around no less.

the "grass is greener" theory

even if you make it to the "other side", i guarantee you there will be yet another side and another side and another side until you accept the idea that green is as green as you make it, whatever side you're on***.
. . .
"paper" wedding is tomorrow. move to paris is next tuesday. it's hard to believe that this is all happening. the reality of my being here is still very much a shock to me. it's so different from the ideas that mackenzie and i had almost a year ago when we were planning everything from l.a. i thought we were moving to monaco back then!

i'm learning that i can plan as much as i want, but until it's real, there really is no plan. i'm also beginning to get used to the idea that it's easy to be busy; and the opposite is challenging... but more thoughtful, rewarding, and actually more productive.
. . .
still reading strangers' blogs. there were a couple i saw the other day that i found particularly entertaining. a girl calls herself a "lobster and shrimp honey" and was stoked that she got backstage passes to the jay-z/r kelly concert; she was planning to wear her "notorious thugs" stilletos. another one was talking about leaving the u.s., using consumerism as therapy, and types sighs exactly the way i do, like this: *sigh*
. . .
speaking of consumerism, don't do it. especially if you don't agree with the bush administration. don't help them. cut up that credit card. save your money. look good by feeling good.

besides, the dollar is down.

***exception: middle america, a.k.a. the red states, a.k.a. we gotsta vote for bush because we's a scared and fearful folks, a.k.a. we actually think terrorists care enough to bomb our tiny, inbred populations, a.k.a. we vote for presidents who says jesus christ talks to them, a.k.a. fucking idiots, etc., etc., etc.

the sun

23 degrees, originally uploaded by mjane.

i actually got some sleep last night and had a really nice and peaceful dream. i *sighed* of relief when i woke up because it was already morning. such a difference from the week before: either i'd wake up before sunrise or i couldn't seem to sleep until the sun came up. but i did do a lot of reading and finished wuthering heights. i was reading all of this non-fiction before that, and it started to become all too real - once i started seeing marilyn monroe and the mafia in my dreams, i knew it was time to switch it up. ironically though, wuthering heights reminded me a lot of st. paul.
. . .
the weather here is so beautifully bizarre right now. it feels like summer. it's forecasted to get warmer the next few days. i'm soaking up every ounce of it; come 2 weeks from now, i'll be in a new city where the weather is sure to match the season.

the bright side

the republicans won almost everything.
bush is chilling for another term, &
republicans control the house.

they pretty much wiped out
many of their scapegoats.
they just took out kerry.
sooner or later, there will
be no one left to blame.

all eyes on bush now.
genius.
. . .
stayed up until 5am this morning.
did stars n bar in monaco.
journalists were intrigued by
mack's "fuck bush" hustler shirt.

didn't get much sleep today.
and the weather is unusually warm.
am making hamburgers for dinner.
. . .
repping it for the states over here, for real.
no hating from me. it's all love.
i love my homeland.
i believe in us, and i know we can make it better.
. . .
when my dad and i spoke about 3 weeks ago,
he said that bush is considering privatizing
the u.s. postal service during his second term.
currently, usps is a federal organization.

"jeb. that's a fucking shit name." ~ julian

election day

another day of pouring rain. x-treme. i think it's been raining for 5 days now. or longer. hmm... great for plants, refreshment, cleaning, etc. but not so fun for avid skateboarders, like mr. eisenhour, living in an indoor-skatepark-less environment. but once mr. sunshine comes out, it's all good. sometimes, i almost get stoked seeing the scratches and gashes homie gets after his no-more-rain-haven't-skated-in-a-week-i'm-stoked-let's-shred-to-the-fullest "sess"s because it means he had fun. so, in fact they're happy scratches and cute little puddles of blood.

mjane: "i kind of hope it rains today!"
cf: "that's the worst thing you could ever say."
. . .
so i've been indulging myself with strangers' blogs. and man, reading some of them can be like watching reality t.v. or being in high school or something admittedly entertaining, but trivial... like gossip. (it's not gossip, it's observation. hahaha.)
. . .
okay, so i'm totally - for lack of a better word, stimulated by election day. the idea of it, all the guessing, the truth, the buzz, everything. patience is what we're going for here. send some calm, non-drama vibes my way and i'm doing just the same. the suspense is... not killing me (soaking in vibes). what will be will be. mackenzie, julian, toto and i will be chillin at stars n bars in monaco while the election takes place. the matron is american - texan, no less - and will be showing NON-STOP! cnn international coverage, the presidential debates, i think f 9/11, and other political documentaries. and then at wednesday 6am, the cote d'azur chapter of democrats abroad will be hosting the breakfast there. let's hope these are victory bacon & eggs!

"word around town is - or should i say,rumor has it..."

photo:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

there is a two-week waiting period before the civil union. this consists of the mayor filling out a publication de mariage and posting it outside of his office on a bulletin board. this announces our plan to the residents of st. paul and allows them the opportunity to publicly oppose the civil union because, say, it turns out that mackenzie is fathering 5 illegitimate children or that i moonlight as the undercover harlot of st. paul, among many other situations that could classify us as not fit for partnership.

think "days of yore", horse and carriage, ye olde this and that... you get the picture.

if music be the food of lovethen laughter is its queen

it's official, originally uploaded by mjane.

there you have it.
as of the 7th of October 2004, mackenzie and i are official residents of st. paul de vence. all thanks to the mayor's handwriting on this 4.25x5.5 piece of paper.

with this paper, mackenzie was reunited with his skateboard collection without having to pay an extra god-knows-how-many-thousands-of-euros with french customs when our shipment arrived in marseilles.

and as for me, well, needless to say, it helps my cause tremendously!

oh, and the fun ain't over yet, folks. after having blood drawn, notarizing birth certificates (and having mine translated to french for 50 euros), and getting signatures from the u.s. consulate general to prove that we're unmarried, mackenzie and i are going to have a civil union ceremony on Wednesday, the 10th of November 2004 at 11:30am.
. . .
whiter shade of pale was playing at dinner the day we set the date for our civil union. it reminded me of my family. my dad had spent many hours perfecting that song's drum sequence.
. . .
sometimes your happiest moments can also be your loneliest.

untitled

it's a pensive sunday.
entertaining myself with
what if's...

i know you will see the light,
baby,
once you
understand
what you
mean to me,
darling.

guilt

(gilt) n.
1.The fact of being responsible for the commission of an offense.
2.Law. Culpability for a crime or lesser breach of regulations that carries a legal penalty.
3.Remorseful awareness of having done something wrong.
Self-reproach for supposed inadequacy or wrongdoing.
4.Guilty conduct; sin.

okay, i just tried writing about the point of my topic, guilt.
and after many deletions/revisions, all i can say is,
fuck guilt.
. . .
there's an exchange student staying
with us from the university of montana.
like, we totally have a lot of things in common:
we're both from america,
both of us are girls.
i don't really know anyone out here,
and neither does she!
she likes art,
and isn't that something,
i enjoy art, too!
so many coincidences, right?
we should totally hang out,
like, all the time!
. . .
am i mean?
should i be hanging out with her?
is that my responsibility?
aha! the guilt again...

born on a monday at 2pm

received an important document
i was waiting for from my parents.
i must be homesick.
i got teary-eyed from looking
at my dad's handwriting on
the express mail slip.

the country who thinks they're an only child

i hate to break it to you
but your world
does not exist.

it's actually a place where reality occurs,
an atmosphere that revolves around the sun,
not you.
. . .
civilians reported killed by military intervention in Iraq:
minimum 13,278/maximum 15,357

american military casualties in Iraq:
1,101

good watch
patience is needed while it downloads, but if you're a fan of jon stewart, free speech, live programming, laughing, what have you, it'll be worth the wait.
. . .
in related news, mackenzie and i went to the u.s. consular general's office in nice and voted via federal write-in ballot.
and here are my choices, for the record. yes, i'm on record with this.

president/vice-president: John Kerry/John Edwards
california state senator: Barbara Boxer

in fact! i dare you to comment on this or email this link to as many of your friends who care about things such as retiring before the age of 70, not being drafted to hold a gun and shoot at people who have never hurt them, or keeping trees/forests in existence.

"go america!"

camera

photo:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

photo:m.eisenhour, originally uploaded by mjane.

photo:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

"it's time... for time"

photos:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

it's the weekend.
friday: lunch at the market in ventimiglia, italia, small waves, super windy, rainy.
saturday: morning at the cafe, afternoon at the museum, windy, cuban dinner at home.
sunday: right now, sunny, brisk, peaceful, playing!

mjane's barbershop

photos:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

mackenzie's new fall hairdo.
. . .
they say getting your hair cut
is therapeutic. sometimes i
want to cut my hair really
short, and then i look at my
college pictures. not a good
look for jane.

the Pooh Way

"...It's hard to explain, except by example, but it works. Things just happen in the right way, at the right time. At least they do when you let them, when you work with circumstances instead of saying 'This isn't supposed to be happening this way,' and trying hard to make it happen some other way. If you're in tune with The Way Things Work, then they work the way they need to, no matter what you may think about it at the time. Later on, you can look back and say, 'Oh, now I understand. That had to happen so that those could happen, and those had to happen in order for this to happen...' Then you realize that even if you'd tried to make it all turn out perfectly, you couldn't have done better, and if you'd really tried, you would have made a mess of the whole thing."

~ The Tao of Pooh

true blue

photo:m.eisenhour, originally uploaded by mjane.

sunday in nice.
. . .
the dodgers are on vacation now.

muse:le jardin

photos:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

a friend of a friend is taking a nature photo class.
it made me realize, my backyard is all about nature.
so i'm starting to take some "nature" photos too.

camera!

photo:m.eisenhour, originally uploaded by mjane.

coutesy of inger,
am now borrowing her
nikon coolpix5000.
nice!
. . .
so here's me.
this is my "office"
located in the hallway
in between my room
and the airport hub.
(the walls are thick here!)
. . .
visual stimulation
a nice touch to my experience.

muse:paris

back home in st. paul.
the weather's great.
i'm finally going to have
some chinese food for
dinner tonight!
i cannot absolutely wait!
. . .
there's so much opportunity
in the city of lights.
the only pre-requisite to getting the offer:
getting my french up to par.
no worries, right?
. . .
i got some sleep in paris.
and had amazing dreams!

canal st. martin

paris is off the hook!
met with a homie yesterday and today.
observed the "youth market".
it's like tokyo,
but in place of the neon lights
is the seine and tree-lined avenues.

hung out with some hip parisiens.
tres boheme.
just like the city,
everyone's beautiful!

yellow/white striped polo button-down, brown jeans, black belt, black boots

and gold accessories!
mack & i go to paris today.
check out the scene and see what happens.
it's early right now.
back on sunday. . .

la pillule

went uptown to see if i could get a prescription from the village doctor.
she has office hours when anyone can come up and see her.
no appointment necessary.
usually there's hardly a wait, but i guess it was just one of those days.
anyway, after waiting 3 hours outside her office in the middle of a beautiful day,
i saw her.
didn't have to do an examination.
just showed her my pills and she wrote me a prescription to last me for 3 months.
she didn't charge us for "waiting 3 hours just to get pills."
and when we went to la pharmacie to fill it, they gave me all 3 months' supply
and being that i didn't have insurance, the total was still one-third less than
what i would pay in the states for the same prescription without health insurance.
amazing.
merci, dr. larcher.
(she looks like elise keaton from "family ties"!)

muse

i've been listening to certain songs over and over again lately.
you know how that happens sometimes?
sometimes you really just are feeling certain songs
that you can't listen to anything else.
maybe for me,
it reminds me of specific events or
people
that i never want to forget.

anyway, been listening to "stellar" by incubus a lot lately.
and "before today" by everything but the girl.

good songs.

patience as a virtue

vir·tue   (vûrchoo) n.
1.
a. Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness.
b. An example or kind of moral excellence: the virtue of patience.
2. Chastity, especially in a woman.
3. A particularly efficacious, good, or beneficial quality; advantage: a plan with the virtue of being practical.
4. Effective force or power: believed in the virtue of prayer.
5. virtues Christianity. The fifth of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology.
6. Obsolete. Manly courage; valor.
. . .
my family agrees wholeheartedly that patience is what mjane's physical and mental being lacks.
c'est vrai, sans doute.
and as i've been learning to morph and melt into this new country, understanding the realm of patience is the bulk of my lessons these days.
they say (who are "they", by the way?) that patience is a virtue, but if you take a closer look at the definition of "virtue" right now, and then apply it to me, you're probably falling off your chair laughing very hard.
anyone who knows anything real about me can go through all six definitions of the goddamn word and know that my chances for achieving any sort of virtue are slim.
1. morals? being righteous? if saying "God Bless You" after someone sneezes is being righteous, then that's as much righteous as i want to be.
2. chastity [n. 1. The condition or quality of being pure or chaste. 2. a. Virginity. b. Virtuous character. c. Celibacy.]. the word allows for a total of four valid definitions, or in my case, four chances to not go to hell... fuck all, i must be the devil himself.
3., 4., 5. & 6. forget about it ( a la johnny depp in "donnie brasco").
. . .
conclusion: patience, in my case, isn't about my going to heaven or hell. it's prescription that my doctor gave a while back: smile really big... laugh... laugh hard... laugh out loud... laugh different sounding laughs to myself.
. . .
i woke up at 7am this morning. one of the cats pissed in my suitcase. actually, one of the cats pissed on a red sweater that was laying on top of my clothes in my suitcase that bled red onto my white jeans, white skirts, multi-color polo collar'eds, bikinis, you name it...
am laughing myself silly.

muse

visited monaco today.
it was pretty amazing.
making money's the first commandment
of that place for sure.

other than that...
went uptown to the cafe.
some people were doing a fashion
shoot in front of it.
photographer had a huge med format cam.
the clothes were eh.
probably for a catalog marketed to mid-lifers.
but i was inspired anyway.
if worse came to worse,
and shooting shit fashion in the south of france
was the worst one could do in life,
then it really can't ever be bad, could it?

"plain and fantastic..."

photos in my brain are not the same as having a camera!

finally got out and about this weekend.
i started friday night at 6pm (the first time i woke up since i got off the plane the night before).
had dinner with a DP and his girlfriend from japan and a second dinner with julian and toto.
made use of the nice little "welcome home" gift from amsterdam, too!
hooray!

saturday morning at 8am, picked up dan and karen from la gare.
went uptown to the cafe for breakfast.
jumped in the pool as soon as we got home.
fell asleep to "lost in translation" in the afternoon
while the boys shredded nice.
went to a vernissage (art opening) uptown before dinner
(champagne and crazy shoes everywhere).
ended the evening with dinner with an artist/private chef.

sunday! had an early start with the sun.
sunbathed on the terrace for breakfast.
watched a little french public tv
(all the female celebs wear push-up bras or own a pair of great tits).
sunbathed and swam at plage mala (mala beach) until evening.

the weather has been quite warm for this time of year.
thank you sun for letting me make use of my security blanket (a.k.a. bikini)
this weekend!
didn't feel homesick as wearing my bathing suit all day reminded me of the recent heat wave in l.a.
anyway, i think i was just lucky since i'm sure fall is right around the corner.

so it's monday morning now.
the sun is just coming up and shining brightly on st. paul de vence.
hmm, which bathing suit shall i wear today?
probably a more "professional" one while emailing and calling.
it's still a work day, no less.
"paris or monaco?" is the question of the day.
(trust me, it's not as glamorous as it writes)
but let's see what happens.
going to interview with this boss called "time"
and get it on my side.

work hard. play hard.

store cool. serve cool. drink cool.

there are still about 40 beers a la trader joe's left in the fridge.
i'm leaving behind (and this will probably be the only time this ever happens) a few stanky danky nugs of cali's stickiest weed and the heart-shaped tin that kept all of my supplies.
furniture everywhere... bed still in the closet...

but i'm bringing a hefty 5 pieces of luggage (sorry mackenzie),
2 ibooks,
the october elle,
my little cow (who finally received his name this summer),
and enough restless nights to knock out on the plane.

this is it!
c'est tout bon...

please excuse the mess

just got back into cali last night.
nyc was off the hook.
fixins crew:
too many great moments in my brain to edit at this point;
it's all love.
and hey, we're not done just yet.
. . .
now on to france.
suitcases and clothing everywhere.
aunties from PI are in town.
can't stop now.
you understand though.
gotta keep moving here.
in the meantime check out:
deadhippie
for the latest as mackenzie
holds
down
the
fort.
. . .
2 days and not counting.

(temporary) home, finally!

"i just go walking in the rain when i feel you in the sky
i just go walking in the rain when i feel you passing by..."

we got into JFK at about 1:30am, yet it's 6:00am as we settle into our room... hmm, how did that work out?

it was pouring rain as we got off the 6 onto 23rd St and Park Ave. water coming down in buckets as carlo, mae, karen and i walked to our hotel (backpacks, suitcases in tow). it was a baptism of sorts, pleasant, gentle and warm - not like those of catholics: cold, shocking, and many times, with crying and screaming involved.

after a little nap, off to the complex office we go.
it's good to be here.

vive la westside:part iii

80 degrees, hazy morning, afternoon sun.
there's still bits of construction noise here and there.
the foreman doesn't have his handmade "BUSH" flag on his car any more,
and i hear him laugh every once in a while now.

aaron snyder is walking by.
getting comfy out here, are you, stranger?
"the spots out here are so much better..."
well, this ain't HB, is it.
we welcome you anyway...
just let your lady know to lose the volcom
and gain some manners.

the roster of westside neighbors is a treasure of this little town.
christina and cathy, barbeques & cocktail parties on texas ave.
(thanks for opening our eyes to the wonder that is del's saloon)
eric dressen, monster car armor, and cafe 50s.
donny barley and random hellos at 14 & below.
steve kovatch, little vince, and part-time walking with mackenzie eisenhour.
bob k(ronbauer), crownfarmer king, valium, and billiards & bushes at del's.
chase, old english 40s, belgium, and 614.
matt solomon, you can tell your friends i was your secretary any time.
dean & spenser kuipers, bike rides at venice, tarot cards, and shrek.

...

and all the roommates who've graced me with their presence:
max & flo bayol and katiouschka, successful kitchen sharing.
pat canale, blind date episodes, and interesting diet.
jb gillet, please don't rub your athlete's feet on my carpet or growl at my girlfriends.
barrett loose, part-time bro (good looking out), bass-playing surfer, who's never home!
oliver barton (part i): capricorn, girls, iBooks, and fairy treats.
oliver barton (part ii): woah barcelona... i'm not there yet, but don't say i didn't warn you!
cameron postforoosh: mo' style, hot rod, fireworks, and sophie.

...

to the amherst compound (past and present):
robbie mckinley, dan rhoades, chris roberts, alek (whomainie?) kadan, and mike york.
my surrogate partners in all that is
criminal,
fun,
insightful,
and loving.
dinners, lakers, joints, plumbing, meetings on the terrace...
there's a lot more... but i know you feel me already.

...

photos:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

san.beezee

photo:e.andal, originally uploaded by mjane.

if you have never met this man
then you only know half of me.

he is the comedy,
the style,
the smile,
& everything confident
that i show for.

pride has nothing to do
with how this guy makes me feel.
it's all him and i appreciate what of
him he's given me.

keep it coming, bro.

remember, where i'll be there's plenty snow...
come and help me land my jumps.

mark san b.
(qt.movie:dynomike)

15 more days to go...

photo:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

mackenzie and i are off to france within days now... i miss my apartment already. man, for real though, if only these walls could talk...

vive la westside:part ii

photo:r.mckinley, originally uploaded by mjane.

christina and amy:
part-time roomies
the hottest chicas on the westside
best style ever.

out.of.it

photo:m.sanbuenaventura, originally uploaded by mjane.

at last:a proper review of the almighty H2

"American Excess" is right

But I'll let you in on this: My Hummer was a paper tiger. It accelerated like a wheelchair on an upslope. It was a Macy's Thanksgiving balloon, huge and unwieldy, with plastic bits where I expected sheet metal, and all the cushy conveniences of a high-end recliner. It was Mr. T on the outside, Mr. Rogers on the inside.

Well said, Ms. Morrison.

Here's to all the H2 drivers in the westside who either have come close to hitting me or have hit on me while in their big, muscle-y tanks: I do apologize for laughing at you (not with you) and also for the inadvertent saliva spitting out of my mouth to your nicely detailed/waxed H2 exteriors.

Rarr.

3 words:kimora lee simmons

NJPD, a.k.a. The Man
(CNN, the headline? You've got to be kidding me.)

just as all good girls were taught, mrs. simmons didn't stop to talk to the strangers following her in her neighborhood and drove all the way home. and yes, even as she was cuffed and arrested by these punks, she still gave her best smile for the camera.
hype - - - > check out baby phat for real, if you haven't already. her pieces are every girl's secret wild side. i know you'll find something that screams your name out. do a little research on this lady, and you'll become an instant fan. good/effortless start: baby phat ad in the elle.fall.2004 issue.

kimora lee simmons, you're fabulous.

avatar.double negative pt.i

avatar.double negative pt.i, originally uploaded by mjane.

One can say that an emcee's lyrics pose as their resume of personal life experiences. It's natural to feel like you're learning a little more about that person, that you're tapping into their mind and the kinds of issues they confront in everyday life. Yet while listening to the bulk of today's mainstream hiphop artists, it's almost too easy to assess that these emcees' personal lives consist of watching MTV programming and that the issues they confront include fitting the data gathered at focus groups of fifteen-year-old girls into their lyrics.

Refreshingly, the opposite is true about Avatar's debut album, Double Negative Part I. Avatar displays a wealth of knowledge in societal issues and doesn't stutter while spitting his opinions on them either. Not only does Avatar have a lot to say on this album, the flow of his rhymes confidently keeps up with, if not speaks faster than his already quick wit. As for the beats, it would be shortsighted to compare them to any one "genre" of style. An eclectic variety of beats are what envelopes Avatar's speech, not to mention enhances the disposition of each subject he presents to listeners.

While he confronts subjects such as the backlash of celebrity, tackling authority, and the pursuit of happiness, the beats that accompany his message create a modern, lulling balance between the two that makes this an altogether ultra-positive piece of work.

camera+courvoisier

photograph: m.tnasuttimonkol, originally uploaded by mjane.

camera ---> my insecurites, fears... i forget about them all. they end up becoming realities to laugh about.

camera ---> like one night last week... some good shots, some bad. but all around, it just is. and that's probably the most amazing part of taking pictures - is how "just is" it really is.

camera ---> a pleasant little buzz you have "forever". distracting enough to have fun. but honest enough to be realistic. it's a hard interest to have because once you get into it... it's over!

you fall in love.
well, maybe.
maybe it's just a passing thing, but i like to think that it will be one "constant" i can count on when it comes to feeling organic, really good, healthy, full of laughter, smiles, affection...

camera ---> affection for it: addicting.

camera ---> "i tried taking pictures. but they're so mediocre. i mean, every girl goes through a photography phase, you know, like horses? you know, you take dumb pictures of your feet." ~lost in translation.

2 weeks notice

"this is absolute bullshit! what the fuck!"
~ the president of my company after receiving the memo that i'm moving to france

he loves me.
isn't it funny the ways people show/tell you that?

true love

there's this little girl.
she's 2 1/2 years old, and for her height, she's ranked in the 98th percentile
(she has long legs like her mommy).
she wears a short brown-haired bob and the sweetest smile you've ever seen.
her name is quirina.
oh, and she's a saggitarius.

grrr!

when you're with her, her energy takes over and the next thing you know you're playing ring around the rosy in fluffy,
green
grass
with the sprinklers on.

rewind

hello Jane,

how are you doing ???? I hope you have fun there..So what do you think about italian guys? They are cute cute cute ,aren't they? The only problem is most of them don't speak  english,the only way to communicate is to kiss them ..i am kidding..(but trust me they are good kissers).You 've been very courageous to leave los angeles like you did,i know it is you first time out of the country and you 're a little bit worried ,but don't,you're doing the  good thing ,it's such a good experience for you .Maybe your girlfriends had been too scared  to follow you in this crazy adventure ,they must be so amazed by you.Mike and i take good care of ross.I cook for him time to time and mike takes him to parties and look after his drinks.He misses you and of course i make fun on him..We had such a good time for july 4th ,the party was crazy,but we left the party early since ross and i were supposed to work the day after.Today it's friday ,my favorite day,and i will get off this stupid building in less than 4 hours..I wish i could be with you ,walking in the street of italia in vacations..are you gonna try to go to the beach topless????

 ok jane ,i am leaving now,we all think about you,please smoke some hash for me ,i miss it so much,and please have fun !!!!!!  and if someone gets on your nerves tell him "va fe enculo" which means "fuck you"  and after you must run very fast ok? kisses...nena and mike

vive la westside:part i

as i have less than 30 days to enjoy this great place, it's no less than obvious that one pay tribute to such a town so chill yet happening known best as the westside.

the santa monica big blue bus #2:
i started taking the bus to work after having come back from a new york summer holiday in 2003. i love new york so much! it's one of the best cities in the world! but as my home is l.a., i guess taking the bus gave me the best of both cities. west l.a. is so chill. hardly anyone takes advantage of public transportation out here. and n.y.c.'s so busy and small where most people either can't afford to have a car in the city or can't afford to be late to work... either way, everyone's on any and every type of public transportation the city has to offer that it becomes nostalgic of new york. true, it's nice to have my car and have that sense of control, but observing/experiencing the various vibes which walk in and out of the bus or train you're on is the best experience. sometimes funny, sometimes a little creepy, sometimes really tall, tan and absolutely gorgeous...

which brings me to "the 2": homie who drives the bus that takes me home tuesday and thursday nights, the engineering majors conversing about defense technology, the peace protesters at the fed bldg who always slip bumper stickers through the bus windows, the vietnam vets who talk different stories the whole way home, and the girl who i always laugh and drink with at parties but never speak to when on the same bus together, among so many interesting experiences on the 2.... thank you! it's been fun!

there you are

photo: c.palarca, originally uploaded by mjane.

this is me. can you believe it? now that that's over with... welcome. to me. sharing a part of what i choose with you.

*first blog entry cherry popped*