Welcome to New York- NYC Day 1

Salut, tous ceux qui lisent ce blog! Bonjour! C'est Sabine et Sandrine, et nous allons partager notre voyage à New-York. 

Ok, the only reason we were lucky enough to go to NYC was because of Coralie, who Sabine hates.
I don't hate her, Sandrine! I just get a weird feeling from her.
You can get a weird feeling from her, but you can't be grateful that you went to New York because of her? Makes sense. 
I'm appreciative...just...never mind.
Ignore Sabine for me, alright? Coralie is an aspiring stage actress who dreams of moving to New York City and starring in a Broadway show. Coralie's parents wanted her to check out New York University, and Sabine and I got to go since our brother is studying abroad there. We visited him. Most importantly, we also got to visit another friend...Inky!
We met once before, but it was awesome to see her again and get to spend most of the weekend with her. 

First, we took some great photos by the Lincoln Center fountain:

Here I am by the Metropolitan Opera House. I regret not taking a photo by the David H. Koch Theatre, home of the New York City Ballet. Sabine hears so much about ballet that she probably would've hurt me if I asked. She's so disrespectful of my interests.

I'm not disrespectful of your interests, Sandrine! Can you stop victimizing yourself for once in your life?! Yeah, there's only so much I want to hear about ballet. That doesn't mean I don't support you. Anyway, after we took the photos, we did some shopping. Any guesses as to what our first stop was?

Still unsure?

The first thing we saw as we walked in were some kitschy, stereotypical American '50s displays. I can only handle so much tacky in a given moment. This was overload. 

Inky and I got our photo taken in this classy horse-drawn carriage, just like the ones you see in Central Park. It's good to know the whole store wasn't '50s-themed.

I hopped in and dozed off.

Sabine does look pretty spacey, if you ask me. Oh, well! Not my problem!

I took Sabine's photo by this hideously dressed girl that looked like her obnoxious American friend Lilly.

Isn't Sandrine the nicest? The outfits aren't too bad. Just too much pink for my liking. I'm also not a fan of the whole "country girl" look.

I also got to do one of the things that I do best: sing!

I passed out on the sofa because I can't stand karaoke, especially if it involves Miley Cyrus's songs. 

This pretty model reminded me of my friend Delphine.

Here's the Beforever section, where you can go back in time to several different time periods in American history. History is awesome, especially the outfits. I'm just thankful I can wear pants all the time now.

Better American history than French...not even sorry...

We had to get a photo by the Grace photo-op thingy. It's just so hilariously stereotypically French.

While Sabine was getting her ears pierced, I got to do what I wanted to do! Of course, I wanted to get my hair done. It was so relaxing. I so deserved it.

How great does my hair look?! I never want to take it out.

Ugh, more stereotypically French Grace stuff. Also, that outfit she's wearing is horrendous.

Hey, the girl can bake, no matter how laughable most of her stuff is...

SO MUCH PURPLE. THAT is the historical time period I want to live in!

Sandrine is completely ignoring the fact that people clearly wore more than purple in 1914. Purple is just her favorite color, so she's freaking out.

Photo-op with Inky in this gazebo!

I'm obstinate, so I didn't go inside the gazebo.

Oh, hey, it's back...take a trip down the Eisenhower Interstate System to MORE HORRIBLE, TACKY '50s KITSCH. I know my US presidents, I guess. 

It's not that tacky...ok, it is. At least they aren't playing that song about short shorts from 1957. Liz sings it all the time when she sees people in short shorts.

That song is the worst. Liz is the worst.

Sandrine saw her purple; I found my blue.

Look where Sandrine and I stopped to eat!

The short shorts song isn't on the jukebox. Still, this place is so tacky, and the food is so greasy and gross. I can't even eat.

I'm so accustomed to diner food after going there several times near midnight with Lilly during our program this summer.

That's so disgusting. I'm so happy Malorie and Chrissa just wanted to hang out, talk about ballet, and watch movies.

After the American Girl Place, I got to go to Sephora! I almost died and went to heaven. That store is pure perfection. Of course I bought a lot. It's the prettiest and best Sephora I've ever been in!

Since we were in the city on 9/11, the Empire State Building was looking very patriotic. Ignore H&M in my photo, even though it's a great store that I love so much...just not as much as Sephora.

I'm blurry (sad!), but you can see how patriotic the Empire State Building looks.

I JUST LOVE NEW YORK CITY!

It didn't sound like it...

The less you talk, the less stupid you'll sound. Of course I love New York City. I just don't like American '50s stuff. 

I'm glad you had fun, and I'm also glad we got all of your new make-up to fit in your luggage.

I know, right?! I should've used a bigger suitcase!

What's your favorite part of New York City, if you've been there? Do you LOVE Sephora as much as I, Sandrine, do?! Don't even answer that because you don't. 

So true. I've never met somebody who loves make-up THAT much.

Bisous,

Sabine et Sandrine

New York, here we come!

Hello. My name is Coralie Seigneurin. I am new to this blog. And I am the best friend of Sandrine.

I didn't choose to write an introduction in French because I wanted to practice my English, which isn't as strong as Sandrine's English. Sandrine is translating what I want to say and writing everything that isn't in italics for me. This is why she's my best friend. She is always willing to help me and is always there for me. Sometimes I will attempt to write in English...shorter things, though. I was hesitant to blog here because of my terrible English. I'm also really shy, but not when I'm on stage. I should briefly introduce myself.

I'm Coralie Lucile Seigneurin, and I'm also from Lille. I love acting and theatre- all kinds! Musical theatre, the classics by French playwrights like Molière...you name it! My dream is to live in New York City and be on Broadway. New York City is such a magical place that I've always dreamed about, and I thought I'd never go there...

...until yesterday. My sister woke me up to tell me, and I was screaming I was so excited. Going is a belated birthday present, but while I'm there, I also have to do research on theatre programs and talk to people. I'm so scared because my English is that bad. I'm so fortunate that Sandrine and her sister could come. They are interested in New York University and maybe going to college there. That is where their brother studies when he spent a year abroad.

Sandrine and I took some pictures while packing, but they are only from my crappy iPhone camera. I'm sorry.

Sandrine and me pack clothes together, and we pack and take selfie!

She is so tired.

I am too happy to be tired.

We take one more selfie, then we must leave and go to the airport. 

I write later with all my excitement and adventures in the city. Bisous, tchao !

Coralie

This is a REAL pâtisserie, Grace!

Salut, tout le monde!
Alors, c'est Sabine et je vais vous réemmener à Lille.

As you might know, American Girl's Girl of the Year 2015 is Grace Thomas, who seems to enforce several French stereotypes. I'm not even sorry. Paris isn't the only city in France, and I don't know why there are Eiffel Towers all over her things. They are all over stereotypical products sold in France, too, and it's sort-of funny. I don't get it.

Paris is fun, but it isn't perfect. Just visit the banlieues that surround it, and your perspective will greatly change. I think I've just visited Paris way too much that I'm tired of it. I am only an hour away if you take the TGV.

The Grace clothes are super cute, though, and I think Aurélie and I wear them quite well, better than Grace herself.

And just for the record, not all French people own pâtisseries and bake yummy goodies. My parents aren't amazing bakers OR cooks for that matter. In fact, most pâtisseries are both pâtisseries and boulangeries, which means they sell pastries and breads. Grace's "pâtisserie" bothers me greatly because it isn't truly only a pâtisserie. She sells brioche and baguettes there, I believe, It definitely is more Americanized.

Well, I happen to have a famous pâtisserie that is purely a pâtisserie as my favorite pâtisserie in the whole world...

Let me introduce you to Meert. It might be better than Ladurée, but I'm so biased. There is a Meert in Paris, everyone! However, if you want to go to Meert, it's best to go to its flagship and birthplace, right here in Lille. It's been around since 1761, and it is most famous for its delicious gaufres fourrées I don't know the English equivalent, so I can explain them: they are like little cookie-like waffles filled with different creams), which are THE BEST. The classic vanilla-filled ones are my favorite! Delphine argues with me all the time because she's obsessed with the pistachio-cream-filled ones. They sell other things too, like little cakes, spéculoos, cookies, tea, and other good stuff. Here are the pretty windows: 

Here's the entrance to the shop part. Isn't it so gorgeous?

I ruined my meal by buying and devouring two of those vanilla-filled gaufres. It was worth it.

When you walk into the restaurant part, there is this collage of bags and labels from Meert's past:

It's not France if the regional newspaper isn't available! We French sure love our newspapers!

Here's the indoor dining room. It looks so regal, right? Almost like a palace...

The menu is even pretty:

And my breakfast that I spoiled by eating too many waffles beforehand....

That was a tour of one of my favorite places in Lille! I hope you enjoyed it and visit someday; I highly recommend it. Do you have a favorite pastry or sweet?

A tout,

Sabine