Day one: new hair and research

Marion Cotillard was the inspiration for my new hair.

This was my red hair I had for about a year before dying it back.

This is my new shorter hairstyle dyed back to brown.

So, my first day was a bit successful...a bit. Hey, I still have to learn about all of this being French stuff and improve as I go along! I started (this week actually) simplifying my life in general by dying my hair back to it's natural brown color. I was a redhead for almost a year, and decided both for my career aspirations (as I read it's easier to land one as a brunette) and the low maintenance of it. Although, I am naturally a medium brunette, this shade although a bit darker, is close to the rich brown shade of my natural color. I also decided that as of today, I have to stop wearing quite so much makeup. I have to go for more of natural look--all of the articles I have seen say the French are all about a low-maintenance look that appears to be--with much effort put into keeping it up. So, I focused on my skin. Then applied makeup much more lightly than usual. What exactly did I do to my skin and with my makeup? I can't tell you. That wouldn't be French! I have to keep la mystere.
I also took my daily walk to the bus stop to do errands. I guess I'm already French, since I don't have a car and I walk and take the bus! I took my usual leisurely walk to the outdoor shops that are located all around the outdoor shopping area in the town center. went to the grocery store and bought food for tonight's meal: Roast Chicken, yams, fresh salad, and ice cold water. Healthy yet delicious. The chicken, might I add, is very frenchly basted in butter. I can smell the juices cooking as I type this! It is going to be good! And I'm no Julia and Julia. No. I am not trying to master French Cuisine 101. Just making dishes that remind me of a French woman's taste. That's all. After all, I have a lot to focus on. I'm not just doing French food this year, I'm doing everything French--or trying at least!

A lot of what I did today was research. If I'm going to become a French girl, I have to know what I'm doing! While doing research, some of the links I came across are as follows:

http://dir.salon.com/story/sex/feature/2004/01/12/french_women/index.html

http://www.understandfrance.org/Paris/MarriedParis.html

http://thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com/the_lipstick_chronicles/2007/02/how_to_look_eat.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2004/nov/07/foodanddrink.features11

Some of them are tongue in cheek and written about disdain for the British. Others are more about diet and lifestyle. I feel that there is a consistent theme in all of them: restraint. French women, from what I'm learning, tend to restrain themselves more than their English and American counterparts. They eat less, smile less, wear less (not in that way--in a simplicity kind of way) . The only thing it seems they do more of is smoke--which I will not be doing!

Day two, tomorrow, I have to start restudying my French I have begun to forgotten. I can never truly become a French-esq girl without reading some of my French! Until next time, Au Revoir!

-Anne