Bonjour,

It's never easy to introduce ourselves...We tend to shed a more beautiful and forgiving light over us or, on the contrary, we are too demanding and lose perspective. So, I won't introduce myself, especially when all the readers are my friends and know me well enough! I will, instead, introduce to you the present situation...

I came to paris in June to attend the Paris Fashion institute. This one month program taught me a lot; but the real lesson was that I was finally ready to fly out of the nest and conquer my own place in the world. By world I mean the fashion world, of course. After finding an internship at the advertising department of an american magazine, I went back to Portugal anxious and ready to start this new chapter of my life!

I arrived in the beginning of September, full of hope and with half of my winter closet. After a couple of weeks staying at the Cousin's house I finally found an apartment in paris. It's ten feet away from the beautiful Canal St. Martin on the 19th arrondisement. I fell in love with it, despite his own little flaws, like being on the 6th floor of a no-elevator building! But, as the Monty boys would say, "Always look at the bright side of life!" and for me it's like exercise everyday, twice a day! It's a small studio, but very cozy and with time it became even more mine, with little touches and a lot of magazine's pictures on every wall available!

So I've started my internship and it went well...if you don't mind feeling suicidal every day! I mean, my goal was to experiment a different side of this industry, the business side! But it didn't take long for me to realize I wasn't at all cut for sales. It's not that I can't do it, but I won't! Staying on my little cubicle all day long, talking on the phone with Chinese people that don't understand one word of English and on top of this sending emails, after emails saying every time the same thing...AHHHHHH! Not for me! So after one month I began searching for a new job/internship.

Fortunately, I have a french guardian angel that protects me and gives me good luck! This is for real!!! So I went to an interview, the only one I schedule, for a position at a PR Office. And I got it!!!! It was unbelievable! They hired me on the spot, using the expression "perfect for the job"! So here we are, almost done with the magazine, almost starting at the PR Office. Needless to say I'm bursting with joy because for this little portuguese girl, dreams are really coming true, against all odds! :)

Everyone needs friends and I am lucky to have some here in paris. So lets start with the girls: "E" is a beautiful, strong, say-it-in-your-face canadian girl who loves fashion, partying and champagne; "P" is a sweet, lovely and fairy-like californian girl who is always ready for a party and for laughter; there's also "R", a sensual young Brigitte Bardot who loves men and exploring her sexuality. The boys: "W" is/was E's lover, he's a break-dancer, a photographer and so many more things I can't really say right now; "D" is a musician I met at a bar, he's fun and always knows what's going on in Paris; "S" is P's fling, or sexual fling I may add; there's also "A"( who I'm not sure if we're going to see again, so let's keep it like this) who is friends with "GM", which is also on the same terms; "T" is someone I'm not ready to talk about yet; "B" is my one night stand-turned-friend I've met in June, great fun, has his hands on everything bad I might want and has a vespa; and finally "H", the portuguese bartender at our bar that is like an older brother for all of us. These are the people that, for now, populate my universe. The best thing about being away from home is that you try to make friends everyday so I just hope there's enough letters in the alphabet for everyone that I'm sure I will meet.

This blog was created for my friends. So they can read my stories and adventures in a fun and different way! I am living the most exciting chapter of my life, when everything is possible and the world is our oyster. I will try to post pictures and keep you updated. I just hope you find this interesting and I urge you to comment :)

"It's all happening...!"

Until next time,

Papillon