Who owns my heart?

Who Owns My Heart?
Gérard Lemercier is my other good guy friend. While I haven't known him as long as I've known Julien, I can't help but have a crush on him, too.
Gérard moved to Lille from Mont-de-Marsan in third grade. At first, I thought he was a snob! His mother inherited quite a bit of money when her parents died, so he always had the latest and greatest EVERYTHING. He was able to afford clothes from Galeries Lafayette and Printemps that were not even on the sale rack. His sister Adrienne, who is two years younger than us, always had the best clothes.
Was I jealous? Think again. Mère never allowed Sandrine, Sébastien, and me to look or dress bad. She bought us nice, high-quality clothes, too. They were just on sale. That was the only difference. To be honest, there's no shame in that. I mean, if you buy clothes on sale, you can get more clothes than you would if you only bought the not-on-sale things.
Back to my story...I got over whatever thoughts I had about Gérard and decided to pursue a friendship with him for one very immature reason- I wanted to get invited to his house. I eventually did, and his place wasn't that great. I guessed they were the type of people who didn't believe in showing off their wealth by owning a fabulous home. The interior design of their home looked very much like mine...
...wait. Mère helped them to decorate their home. She's an interior designer, but not like an elite or famous one; you wouldn't see her on HGTV. She does it for fun, but she also gets paid.
Anyway, dinner with the Lemerciers was very enjoyable. They had lively, intelligent conversations; sometimes, their conversations were sometimes even in English as they believed in learning and obtaining fluency in as many languages as possible. I was completely impressed. I think their love of cultures was what really made me want to pursue a friendship with Gérard.
Our friendship took off once I introduced my parents to his. Our families became quick friends, mostly because mine loved traveling as much as his did. When I was in 7ème (the equivalence of 5th grade), our families planned a trip to Rome together, and that was one of the best vacations of my life! Gérard and I bonded, especially since we were allowed to go on walks together. Like Julien, I told Gérard everything. We especially discussed Sandrine, who was progressively getting worse. He understood. He understood anything.
Then, of course, like my story with Julien, Gérard was there for me in 6ème (equivalence of 6th grade). I shouldn't have to explain that; he did the same things Julien did. :)

So these are my boys. ;) I could see myself marrying one someday, actually. But which one? I couldn't choose whom I like more! It's too difficult! They are both cute and both the nicest guys ever. For any girl, this choice would be near impossible.

This would be extremely impossible for Chrissa. She is too obsessed with Frenchmen for her own good. Speaking of which, I will post about Chrissa and her boyfriend sometime this weekend. I won't have computer access until Saturday. Hopefully, Aurélie will be joining me in America. ;)
Sabine

(Note from "the human": Aurielle has been renamed Aurélie; I like that name much better. I needed to use it for something besides Sabine's middle name.)

And I love you more than I did before...

So...life-changing people. Rencontrez Julien Hérvagault...
J'ai rencontré Julien Hérvagault quand j'avais quatre ans. Ses parents avaient toujours été des biens amis de mes parents. Première, je le detestais. Je trouvais qu'il était très étrange parce qu'il était timide et il voulait jouer avec mes jeux. J'étais fâchée!!!! Et mon dieu, Il ne parlerait pas...

For those who don't speak French, I met Julien when I was four. Our parents has been good friends since before I was born, so after Julien was born, they decided to schedule a playdate.
When I first met Julien, I hated him. I thought that his shyness was strange, and I was furious that he wanted to play with my toys. He tore through my books and bent the corners. For a four year old, I considered myself to be quite the neat freak. With my hands on my hips, I stood up and yelled at him. Bien sûr, Mère heard me and wasn't too happy. She insisted that I treated my guest with respect.
Respect! Hmph! How could I treat somebody who tore up my property with respect? When Mère left the living room, I snatched my book from his hands faster than anyone could say "au revoir".
Et cross-moi, I wanted to tell that child "au revoir".
He retreated to the bottom of the staircase, where he sat and whimpered. I approached him and told him that's what he got when he thought he could touch my things without permission, and he remained quiet. His big brown eyes filled with tears, and I told him to stop crying because only babies cried. Lame, yeah, but I was four! Mère told me that I was becoming a "big girl".
He was relieved when it was time to leave...I was, too. However, Mère, with help from his mother, decided to organize ANOTHER playdate! This time, we met at the Citadelle Park. If you remember anything about the Citadelle, you need to remember the zoo. I was terrified of animals at the time, so we met in the playground part of the park. Ignoring Julien, I decided to swing. I was humming along to a band playing an Édith Piaf song when all the sudden, some random, dumb girl came up behind me and pushed me off the swing. I landed on my face, and I was in tears. My knees and arms were scraped, and at the time, blood also terrified me. Mère was TOO BUSY talking to Madame Hérvagault, so she couldn't hear me, but Julien came to my aid! He asked me if I was okay, and that was the first time I heard his voice. His voice was soft and demure, just like his personality at age four. Instantly, I developed a crush on him.
Yeah, so four year olds probably shouldn't know what a crush is, but give me a break. My brother was seven when I was four, and that was all he talked about. I believe his first crush was named Alexandrine, but I'm not certain.
Anyway, all it took was for him to talk to me and for our dark brown eyes to meet. :)
As the years progressed, Julien and I grew considerably closer. I felt like I could trust him. I mean, he never was jealous of me, he never made fun of me (unless he was teasing), and he never told anybody anything I told him. In some ways, I felt like I trusted him more than I trusted Aurélie. I mean, I love that girl to death (she's my best friend), but my relationship with Julien was just different. I can't describe it. It just...was.
Julien, Aurélie, and I attended elementary school together, and we did some of the craziest, dumbest things. Like, Julien ate paint. Long story, but mon dieu at least it was nontoxic. I think he wanted to try it because it "smelled nice"...? Les garçons. Très stupides quelquefois.
Aurélie wasn't my friend when this happened; I met her in second grade...with the help of Julien. Aurélie has always been very quiet and reserved, like Julien was. (Julien has since broken out of his shell.) This led a few girls to bully Aurélie, one bully being the one and only Sandrine. During recess, Sandrine took a soccer ball from Aurélie's hands and threw it across the street. This made Aurélie cry hysterically. A few girls proceeded to point and laugh, which upset her even more. Julien came to the rescue and asked Aurélie if she wanted to play with us. She said, "oui", and that's how our friendship began.
In third grade, a boy named Gérard Pélissier moved to Lille from a small town in the Aquitaine region. He bonded with Julien, and therefore became a member of our little group. He was very outgoing, witty, and had somewhat of an attitude, but he was fun to be around. Later, I discovered he was an only child and his parents were on the wealthy side, so that might explain things? I couldn't help but develop a little crush on him, too.
In collège (middle school), things really began to change. I'm not going to talk about my situation because I don't feel comfortable doing so, and Sandrine probably wouldn't appreciate it, but Aurélie attended a different school because of where she lived, and I felt alone at Collège Paul Verlaine. The only people I had were Julien and Gérard. I could have had more, but that is a different story. Those two, regardless, were always there for me. Julien, in particular, was. He was the only person (aside from Aurélie) who told me that everything was going to be okay. He met me almost daily at the Palais des Beaux-Arts to talk, just listen to me, or just sit by me as we listened to our iPods. He was a friend when I needed one the most.
To wrap up this post, I want to say that I miss him and think about him daily. I know that love between fourteen-year-olds isn't necessarily real love, but I feel like our relationship is kind-of different. So, yeah, I haven't really told him that I have a massive crush on him and always have, but I get the feeling that he feels the same way about me in return. Before I came to America, Julien and his family came to my house for dinner. I was being my usual spastic self, and I spilled wine all over my favorite white blouse! He was laughing hysterically while my parents rolled their eyes (Mère in embarrassment, Père because he knows I'd do something like that). Needless to say, he changed my life because he brightened my day when I needed it the most.

What made me think of Julien? Chrissa and her boyfriend talk, of course! Chrissa has been in this long-distance relationship with a boy from her old middle school in Iowa since she came here. Lilly and I can't help but laugh about this. This does deserve a separate post; I think it's amusing.

One last thought: because of all the photo stealing, I'm really getting tough about enforcing no copying/plagiarism rules. This doesn't have to do with anybody in particular; instead, it's a just a message saying not to do it! You may really like the aspect of my life that I just posted, but please, don't go make up your own version because you liked it. That would be a little obvious.
Merci!
Sabine

My Life According To...

Bonsoir encore!
I found a fun questionnaire online and decided to fill it out. For this questionnaire, titled "My Life According To...", you choose a singer and answer the questions with that singer's songs. Because I love both Miley Cyrus and Alizée, I filled it out for each of them. Feel free to fill this out for yourself; it's a lot of fun, especially if you can tell your life story in songs.

My Life According to Miley Cyrus
Pick your artist:
Miley Cyrus
 
Describe yourself:
Can't Be Tamed
 
How do you feel?
Obsessed
 
Describe where you currently live:
Party in the USA
 
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Spotlight
 
Your favorite form of transportation:
Liberty Walk
 
Your best friend is:
One in a Million
 
You and your best friends are:
Ordinary Girl
 
What's the weather like?
Permanent December
 
Favorite time of day?
GNO- Girls' Night Out
 
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?
The Other Side of Me
 
What is life to you?
 This is the Life
 
Your relationship:
See You In Another Life

Your fear:
Giving You Up
 
What is the best advice you have to give?
I Hope You Find It

Thought for the day:
I Miss You
 
How would I like to die:
Supergirl
 
My soul's present condition:
Mixed Up

My Life According to Alizée
Pick your artist:
Alizée
 
Describe yourself:
Une Fille Difficile
 
How do you feel?
J'en ai marre!
 
Describe where you currently live:
Les Collines
 
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Limelight
 
Your favorite form of transportation:
Mon Taxi Driver
 
Your best friend is:
Lilly Town
 
You and your best friends are:
Gourmandises
 
What's the weather like?
14 Décembre
 
Favorite time of day?
À quoi rêve une jeune fille
 
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?
Moi...Lolita
 
What is life to you?
Fifty-Sixty
 
Your relationship:
Cœur déjà pris

Your fear:
A Cœur Fendre
 
What is the best advice you have to give?
Parler tout bas

Thought for the day:
C'est trop tard
 
How would I like to die:
Mademoiselle Juliette
 
My soul's present condition:
À contre-courant

 
If you knew me well enough, you would know how each of these songs correlates with my life. I swear, Miley Cyrus sings songs about my life. I have stated this before, though, so I'm just restating the obvious. Alizée sings songs about my life, too, but not like Miley. I can relate so many aspects of my life to her songs; it's not funny.
Hmm...if you're lucky, maybe I'll explain the parallels. ;)For now, rhetorically answer these questions: have you ever known somebody who has completely changed your life for the best? Have you ever met somebody who spoke one sentence to you, and has that sentence totally changed you?
My responses will be coming soon because I think about this person every single day of my life...
Sabine

A few random topics...

Bonjour!
This is a continuation of a few previous posts, so bear with me as I work through my list.

Copying- I've said this before and it's on the right hand side of my blog, but I guess I need to say it again. If you want to use any of my ideas, PLEASE ASK ME FIRST. Really, the worst that can be said is "no". By "ideas", I'm specifically speaking of all original, creative ideas- and yes, my blog layout is included with this. I just got a new header, and I really don't want to see facsimiles of it plastered all over the Internet. Really, it's best to use your own ideas. It seems like every time I get a new header, it strikes inspiration in people. I'm not trying to be mean, but I really like to have control of my creative property...I just want some respect. I know that people might like my ideas, and I respect that, but I'd just prefer be asked first.

Chrissa- this goes along with point number one, but it's Chrissa, so it deserves a separate point. I just wish that she would stop trying to be everything that I am, because she's not. Like, she decided to wear BLACK the other day, which is completely out-of-character for her. Thankfully, I talked to her about this, and she actually understood how annoying it was. She is wearing a bright red, which is much more her. I mean, it's nice that people look up to me and are inspired by me, but I want to encourage people to be unique...be themselves.

Japan- still no word from Jess and Zan's aunt Akira. I'm a little worried. I realize that she probably doesn't have electricity to keep in contact, so I'm hoping this is the only reason she isn't responding.

-Sabine

Une lettre à Kyoto

Salut! Je pense que tout connaît que quelque chose horrible s'est passée sur l'île de Japon. Il y avait une tremblement de terre et je suis inquiète, spécialement pour Zan et Jess...
This morning, I caught Zan crying and writing a letter to her aunt Akira. (D'accord...is it me, or doesn't Zan's outfit look very Tokyo...or...um...as they say in Japanese kawaii?)
 The letter read:
I'm going to assume that little character means "love", but I do not speak or know Japanese with the exception of a few words Zan taught me. (Also note that Zan and Jess are almost as fluent as one could possibly be in Japanese...)
Now for a brief backstory on Zan and Jess's maternal side of the family:
The grandparents moved to the United States after Zan and Jess's mother was born. They had two additional children- one boy and another girl- in the five years after their to Michigan. All of the children were taught Japanese and English simultaneously, so they were fluent in both languages and had the proper accents for both. (Impressive!) They visited Japan every summer after their move, which of course promoted and improved their speaking skills. Jess and Zan's mother, aunt, and uncle are extremely intelligent. I believe all of them have their PhDs in something. Their uncle now lives on the American west cost and their aunt moved to her parents' hometown of Kyoto, Japan.
This leads into the main point of this post. Jess and Zan are very worried for their aunt. They haven't heard from her since the earthquake. I'm hoping she calls or e-mails. Although Jess and I don't get along AT ALL (Zan and I do), I still feel horrible for them. I can totally relate to them at the moment. Even though their immediate family lives in the United States, I still understand how hard it is to have family overseas and worry about them. I worried about my family when the terror threats in Paris were occurring. I mean, yeah, they don't live in Paris, but I was still scared for them, and I wanted nothing more than to be over there by their side!
I'm hoping for the best. I don't want to see anything happen to their aunt, uncle, cousins, or anybody else in Japan. 


As for a positive, the temperature changes have been crazy, and I wasn't certain on what I should wear. I threw this outfit together, and I'm quite proud of it:
-Sabine

Think you want to be just like me?

Think again.
It seems as of lately, a young girl has found our photos once again. How, I do not know unless she is a member of AGPT or stumbled across my blog. This photo was posted on Ava's Tumblr, which I have graciously linked to on the side, so maybe she just stumbled across it that way. Je ne sais pas, but I suggest she removes it.
As the writer of this blog and a self-proclaimed creative genius, I know how annoying and disheartening plagiarism, copying, or stealing intellectual property can be. If it is not licensed under Creative Commons, it cannot be used for your benefit and any breech of that is centering on illegal.
I have also experienced this with Chrissa today. *sigh* She has been trying to copy my outfits or make up stories about her life that are basically facsimiles of mine. It's totally annoying. First of all, THERE IS ONLY ONE ME. Yeah, I understand that she looks up to me, but I do not take it as a compliment when people think they can just copy me. I'm an individual.
Message to Chrissa: stop copying me. You are not me. You don't live the same life as me. You don't have the same ideas at me. Your life is nothing like my life. Stop trying to dress like me. Shop trying to do and be everything I do and am!!!!! It's frustrating!
I am not a piece of paper. You cannot photocopy me. You cannot take every tiny aspect of my life and make it your own. Stop dressing like me or wanting to dress like me. Get your own style.
In other words, in a world full of copiers, be an original!
This doesn't just go for Chrissa- it goes for everyone. Everybody is unique, so create your own style, write your own thoughts and ideas, sing your own song, take your own photos, and please stop trying to be something you're not. Living in America, I have witnessed the Americans in action. They are especially obsessed with trying to rock to somebody else's beat.
Sorry for the vent. It's just frustrating, especially when you like constructive feedback. I shouldn't have to worry about my ideas or photos being stolen. People should know not to do it out of respect. I mean, the least you can do is ask and the worst anybody could say is no...
Everybody reading this, thanks for putting up with my vents about Chrissa and those young girls who actually think it is fine to take intellectual property without any rhyme or reason.
It's disheartening, again, and makes people want to stop sharing what others enjoy and use properly...
-Sabine

C'est la montée...

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm going to have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb...
-"The Climb" by Miley Cyrus

Salut, mes amis! Cette chanson est parfaite pour ma vie maintenant. C'est très vraie aussi...

So...on Sunday, we found out who won the AGPT Academy Awards (and the real ones! I didn't care for those this year, though), and malheureusement, it wasn't me. There were two options: 1. I could whine and complain about it or 2. I could build a bridge and get over it (thanks, Ava, for the line!). At first, I was teary and sad because I am the girl who has wanted to be famous since forever, but hey, sometimes I'm going to have to lose. C'est la montée. Nobody likes whining, anyway, so you won't hear it from me. Congrats to all the winners! :)

As for the positives, I got to wear the most amazing dress ever! It flattered my figure so well. Plus, black is so my color.
That's the thing about fashion: you should always dress in clothes with flattering fits in flattering colors. For example, girls with dark hair should definitely flaunt the jewel tones- especially the bright reds because I can't. Girls with blonde hair and fair skin look best in cool, light colors. Anything too dark is too harsh. Redheads like me look best in neutrals.
D'accord, I'll confess. I didn't make these tips up. I stole them from Marisol. Hey, I at least gave her credit! I was fair.

Anyway, Lilly tried to comfort me, but I was being my usual stubborn self and wouldn't listen to what she had to say. I felt bad, though, because she's always been a good friend to me. I treat her like total crap sometimes, which I want to change.
Lilly was worried that Melanie hated us because she has been hanging out with Taylor, so I had to go confirm this. I knew Melanie never hated us, especially me. I have more in common with her than Lilly does. Melanie was afraid that Lilly and I were in a fight, which we weren't. We just had a mutual disagreement. C'est tout. I do know now, however, that if Lilly and I were to get in a fight, Melanie would stay totally neutral.
OH. Get this: Lilly is allergic to peanut butter, yet she took a risk and ate the cake with peanut butter icing. That girl sometimes. I had to console her as she used to EpiPen to control the reaction. I also got a lecture about her multiple allergies. I'm glad she stopped before she told me her stories about allergy shots. Those were very graphic...
Now, for the event of the evening that will leave you completely speechless.
Before I introduce you to these three girls, I need to explain some basic French history.
Louis XIV referred to himself as the Roi-Soleil, or Sun King. He ruled from 1643-1715. Louis XVI ruled from 1774-1791; he reigned during the Révolution Française.
Flemish is a language closely related to Dutch. It is spoken in Belgium and sometimes in Northern France. It is also a culture, obviously.
Now that you know the truth, don't take the following seriously. If you do, mon dieu...
RENCONTREZ LES REINES-SOLEILS: NICKI (en rose), VICKI (en bleu), et MICKI (en vert)!!!!
So...we've already established that these three think they founded the Flemish language and culture because their last name is Fleming. We have already established that these three called themselves Sun Queens. They just made their public debut. That's all that's new. They continuously shout "l'état, c'est nous" and claim that they are like supreme beings or something (which is where the title Sun Queen comes into play). The refer to everybody else as "enfants de la patrie", or citizens of the homeland, if you desire an English translation. Yeah. Their stupidity is wearing thin on everyone, including Ava who actually quoted Christelle. So unlike her...
For the full story, CLICK ICI!
-Sabine