Into the Spotlight

Bonsoir, tout le monde!
Moi, Sabine Bouchard- je suis née pour chanter. J'adorais toujours chanter. Mes amis et ma famille me disent que j'ai de jolie voix. J'espère qu'ils ne mentent pas!
I'm not sure if you guys know this or not, but I really love to sing, and I always have. I've been singing since I was a little girl. My first idol was French pop singer Alizée. She was a pretty big deal back in the early 2000s. She was to me what Hilary Duff was to many of the girls in the US. However, Alizée didn't really make a lasting impression on me- I wasn't a fan of hers for very long. Don't get me wrong, I still listen to some of her songs, but I've moved on to other singers. Obviously, Miley Cyrus was one of those singers! Now, Miley had a lasting impression on me, and I don't see that ever changing. Not only did she encourage me to keep on singing, she also encouraged me to learn English. I don't think my English would be as good is it is if it weren't for Miley!
Now, back to my singing. I sang along to everything, even Edith Piaf! My family and friends told me that I had a good voice, and I trusted them. I have even had strangers confront me and tell me that my voice was pretty good (my friends and I used to sing outside of the Palais des Beaux-Arts), but for some reason, I never felt like I could audition for the talent show at my American boarding school.
There was one reason for that. Taylor Rae Stewart.

Taylor was one of the first people I met when I came to the United States. I really wanted to be her friend after I saw her interacting with her friends. She seemed genuinely nice, talkative, and she had the image of just a sweet girl. Well, I stood corrected. She was all of those things to everybody else except for me. Taylor never really seemed to like me. Whenever I tried to talk to her, she kept her responses short and choppy. She sometimes even ignored me. Eventually, I quit trying to talk to her. I figured that she was probably treating me terribly because I was being too persistent in my quest to be her friend. I understand that kind of behavior is annoying, but that is how Lilly became my friend- Lilly harassed me in math class when I first came to the States. She needed help and turned to me. Back to Taylor, though, before I get too sidetracked...
Then, I heard her sing. She had an amazing voice, and I could tell that she liked to sing as much as I do. I later found out from Melanie that Taylor has a collection of her favorite song lyrics, and I do, too. (I'm obsessed with song lyrics, in case you didn't know.) Taylor wants to be a country singer while I want to be the next Miley Cyrus. Taylor also won the talent show three years in row! The talent show has only existed for those three years, too, and I'm sure Taylor is coming back this year for her fourth win.
I told Melanie to audition, too, because she does have a beautiful voice. It's gorgeous. It's so pure and crisp. Melanie can sing anything. Taylor's voice only works for country songs while mine only works for pop. Melanie, however, was uneasy about my suggestion. She knows that she can sing. She is just very shy and apprehensive, especially since she was bullied at her old middle school for being musically and academically gifted. People thought she was a snob because of her talents and smarts as well as her beauty. She also said that while she doesn't mind playing her instruments in front of large crowds, she doesn't like to sing in front of people. I told Melanie not to worry, and she finally gave into my demands. She said that she'd audition if I audition.
So there. I auditioned. I sang "Dream" by Miley Cyrus. It's one of my favorite songs of all time!

My reason for being scared to audition was different from Melanie's. I don't care about the size of the crowd. I love singing in front of people! I just didn't want to audition for something that would land me a place amongst Taylor. Even though I really haven't talked to her in years, I feel uncomfortable doing anything with her. She makes me feel awkward, and I probably have the same affect on her. When I began to sing, I felt so liberated. I didn't even think of Taylor during my audition! I thought of myself...and someday having a sold out world tour. After all, some of the lyrics to the song I sang are, "Nothing's ever out of reach, so dream, dream, dream." ;)

After my "performance", the "judges" (basically my fellow classmates Alyssa Edwards, Kailey Hopkins, and Kaya Antonmy) told me that made it! I will be performing in the talent show! I am completely elated! I believe that those three chose the contestants fairly because they normally do not like me. Kailey, um, actually told me that she hated me but could admit that I have a nice voice. I guess that was a compliment...a strange one, but a compliment nonetheless.

 

Oh, and it gets better! Guess who approached me after my audition?

OUI. Taylor!!! She ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. "You did great!" She told me. "You have such a nice voice, and I really like the song you sang. I think Miley should stick to singing songs like that!"

"Good luck in the talent show! I'm glad you auditioned. You have such a good chance of winning, actually. I think so, anyway," Taylor also added.
Maybe I was too tough on Taylor? I mean, yeah, I was annoying, and she might have been ruder about it than necessary. But maybe, just maybe, there was a misunderstanding on both ends? It's funny how something such as talent show auditions could bring us together after not really speaking for awhile. That's just the way life works, I guess. Everything happens for a reason. To top it all off, Taylor even wanted to pose for a silly photo with me...

I should have posted about this days ago, but things have been hectic around here. I'll be posting about decorating for the dance next time I post, and in between this post and that post, Sandrine might tell you about 8th grade graduation. Julien probably also wants to tell you about his life, too.

Sabine

The dance decor

Bonsoir, tout le monde!
As of this afternoon, I am officially on the decorations committee for the end-of-school dance. Normally, I would never partake in such an activity, but Lilly convinced me that it would be fun. I think decorating for a school dance would be fun- don't get me wrong. It has nothing to do with that and more to do with the fact my mom is an interior decorator, and she drives me crazy. I don't need an activity that is supposed to be fun to also remind me of my overbearing mother! Still, I am such a good friend and can't tell Lilly "no". It's definitely a fun thing to do with friends, and I'm sure I'll end up having a great time. I have many good decorating tips and techniques that I learned from my mom, so maybe I can be useful in that essence, too. Imagine how proud Mère would be of me...a decorator in training!

I'm definitely not an expert decorator like she is, but I feel that with a little help, I can do a fairly decent job. Correction: I'll need a lot of help. My jaw probably dropped to the floor when I saw the main decoration!

 

I should have known. After all, the winning theme was "An Evening in Paris". Of course this theme would win! The other ones did not stand a chance, especially with the girls at my school! The other themes were "Holiday in the Sun" (which was like a beach party theme) and "Country Western". While I wanted the Paris theme to win, I couldn't help but cringe a tiny bit. Obviously, it's going to be a bit stereotypical and cliche. It's a school dance; it's understandable. However, I definitely blame the cringing and slight embarrassment on being French. Still, I find it interesting to see America's take on all things French. I just had to get that off my chest, and with that aside, I can now obsess over how HUGE that pink Eiffel Tower is! This place definitely makes sure all the decor is the best!

Nobody was looking, and I couldn't resist the temptation much longer...so...

...I climbed it! I kind-of wish Lilly witnessed my climbing it because climbing is nothing I normally do. I'm usually afraid of heights (even if things aren't too high) and falling (because I have no coordination whatsoever).

I did not stay on the tower long, though, because I didn't want to cause any damage to it. Lilly, the other members on the committee, and I are working on decorating this weekend, so I'm sure you'll see a post then.

Sabine

...and that means goodbye...?

After taking it easy for a couple of days, I realized that it was time for me to start dancing again. In the mid-afternoon, I crept into the studio as quietly as I could- I didn't want to disturb the contemporary class that was going on. I sat my ballet bag in the dressing room, and then I made my way to the large windows where a note on the ground caught my attention.

I picked it up, mainly because I was curious. It looked harmless, so I thought, "Why not?" Sadly, I did not have an issue with poking my noise in other people's business. As wrong as it was, I never felt entirely guilty about it, but I never felt guilty about most things. It wasn't like I would tell the person or anything. It would be my dirty little secret, and if Ophélie were still here, it would be hers, too. I'd see to it.

Then, I further inspected the note. The name on the front was unmistakably mine, and it was written in Ophélie's handwriting. I could obviously tell, considering her love aside from dance was handwriting. She spent much of her free time working on her penmanship because she thought handwriting told strangers stories about the writer. She also believed that one was judged by their handwriting, so it better be beautiful.

 

I had twenty minutes to spare until I had to change into my ballet gear, so I took a seat and unfolded what I later discovered to be a goodbye letter. Ophélie did not begin her letter with a formal greeting; instead, she scrawled out my name, and her first sentence declared, "J'ai quitté." The letter was quite brief, but even in its brevity, it told me what happened. I didn't need many details to realize that Ophélie did something...well, how would you say this in English? Unforgivable? She repeated that she had to leave at least three times, and that wasn't a good sign.

My heart sank as much as it possibly could (for me, that is), and I hurriedly wadded up the letter.

I glared at the crushed piece of paper, and took a moment to think. She left without saying "goodbye", and while such behavior was usually an attempt to act dramatic, it most likely wasn't this time. She did something that required her to stealthily disappear, and it most likely put herself or others in danger.

I threw the paper ball on the ground, and I headed towards the changing room when something rather important popped into my head. I was hoping ballet would get my mind off this, but I was also worried that it might make me think of the situation even more.

...I know why Ophélie left...and it is almost unimaginable. Unbelievable. Unforgivable.

Bisous,
Sandrine

Je change comme je rime

Bonsoir, tous ceux qui lit ce blog!
Yesterday, something happened. Something terrible happened. This terrible even is what landed me in the hospital for the evening, nonetheless. Remember the dance-off that my friends were going to have? That took place yesterday, and that started everything. One second I was cheering on Malorie, and the next my world turned pitch black. My head spun, and I literally saw stars. My head hurt, and something stung the inside of my left eye.
I, however, don't remember what happened. Like I said, my memory begins before the accident and picks up with me waking up this afternoon. The incident is merely a black hole. I guess the less I know, the better. I feel great, having slept for twelve straight hours. That was all that mattered to be before the hospital ward of the dorms began letting in visitors for me!

 

Oui. Des visiteurs. I had specifically asked for NO VISITORS. I wanted to recover in peace. Obviously, I would speak to people when I was ready. This afternoon, I definitely wasn't ready...especially for the first set of visitors.

 

"Salut, ma jolie jumelle!" One very familiar voice echoed in my head. It sounded freakishly similar to mine. I panicked for a moment. Was I hearing voices? I better not have been! If I were hearing things, something would have been terribly wrong.
"Bon...however you say it in French!" Another voice entered the picture. This one did not sound similar to mine; the accent was definitely American. It was rather high-pitched, and I knew I heard it before because the same voice bugged me once.
I slowly and groggily sat up, and I opened my eyes. My vision wasn't steady; in fact, things looked a bit blurred! I was startled, especially since I hadn't taken my contacts out...or at least I don't think I did. I tried not to panic, especially since my vision could be acting up since I hadn't opened my eyes for twelve hours.

The similar voice began to speak again. "Des fleurs pour toi, ma sœur! Bon rétablissement!" It paused for a moment. "AH! MON DIEU! Tes yeux! Ils sont pas verts! Tu ne portes pas des lentilles de contact!"

Then, it hit me. My vision may have been acting crazy because of the accident, but it may have been acting weird because my eyes were adjusting to seeing without contacts.

I panicked for a moment, and then I remembered. The memory of the doctor telling me that he was going to have to remove my contacts came back. Apparently, one lens was severely damaged during the accident. It was irritating one of my eyes, so both the lenses were removed.

This whole thing was strange for me. I first arrived in the United States in April of 2008. That is when I first began wearing colored contacts. I had glasses prior to then, but I never wore them. I didn't like the way they looked on me. Yeah, school was a little difficult because of that. It wasn't like I wanted to sit in the front of the class or anything, so I just copied my friends' notes. I began wearing regular, clear contacts...until I came to America, like I said. My friend Ophélie wrote me a good-bye letter, and included in the envelope was a small package containing green colored contacts. She told me that I should try them and that they would give me a fresh start in America. She was right. When I first tried them on, I felt different. I didn't feel like the girl who almost tore apart her family. I liked how unique they were. I somehow convinced my parents (namely my dad) to buy more green colored contacts for me, and they did. They made me feel so beautiful...

My thoughts were soon interrupted by the voice. "Des fleurs! Accepte-les!" 

I then realized whose voice that was. It was Sabine's. That meant that the other voice HAD to be Lilly's. Not exactly what I wanted to wake up to.

Lilly didn't say anything. She plopped down on the floor and began playing with her new, beloved iPad 2. She immediately turned on some music, and I did not know the song that was playing. It was certainly awful, I can say that. It wasn't anything I wanted to listen to.

"What is this crap?" I asked, trying to sound calm instead of abrasive.

"Oh, it's the Dixie Chicks," Lilly responded. 

A confused look lit up my face. "Who are the Pixie Sticks?"

"The DIXIE CHICKS! Get it straight! They are only like the best female country group ever. They were, like, part of my childhood!" Lilly said happily.

"Yeah, well, this song is terrible," I groaned.

"LEAVE THE ROOM!" Lilly said jokingly, though I wasn't in the mood to be teased. "I have other songs on here, in all honesty. I have some Shania Twain, old Britney, and some soundtracks to the old Disney Chanel movies. You know, the ones that were actually good."

I rolled my eyes. "Lilly, you are aware that there is music after 1995, right?"

"I have some present day music, too! I just happen to have the good old stuff, which, just so you know, is mostly late '90s and early 2000s," Lilly informed me.

"Lilly, why don't you leave the room?" I said bitterly. I tried to make it sound like a joke, but it came out harsher than I wanted it to.

In response, Lilly said, "Yeah, you're right. Actually, I'm getting kind-of perturbed. Sabine said this visit wouldn't take very long. I mean, there is one package of Oreos left in the vending machine, and I called dibs! I need to get my butt out there and buy it before somebody else takes what is rightfully mine!"

After Lilly left, Sabine was STILL in my presence and STILL harassing me about those darn flowers that she bought for me. "Il faut que je te donne des fleurs!"

Angrily and unable to control my temper, I shouted. "JE NE LES VEUX PAS! JE M'EN FOUS! Casse-toi, Sabine Aurore Bouchard! Zut alors!"

Sabine frowned. "Bien. Je m'en vais. A tout à l'heure." She walked away and threw the flowers at the bed. 

I felt a bit rotten. What she did was so kind- so thoughtful- and I was acting horrible. This was my main problem. I could not help acting like that. I didn't want to act that way, nor do I intend to. It just happens, whether I want it to or not. I haven't seen my psychologist since I left France. Last month marked my four-year anniversary in the States...and four-year anniversary without seeing my psychologist. I told my parents that I was going to one, but that was a lie. I honestly did mean to look for one, but my first friends in the US, Kira and Nichole, convinced me that I was perfectly fine. Maybe that was true for the first month. Now, I certainly wish I hadn't listen to them. What is it going to take for me to find a new psychologist? Am I really going to have to reach my breaking point again? What if my breaking point was worse this time? The thought of it made me want to cry...if only I could cry. 

I pushed my thoughts into the back of my mind when Chrissa and Malorie entered the room to see me. I still wasn't in the mood for visitors, but I felt that I needed them to tell me what landed me in the hospital ward to begin with. After all, they both were there when things went down. They asked me how I was feeling, and I said better...physically.

"You look gorgeous with brown eyes," Chrissa complimented me. "I can't believe you wanted to hide them with those nasty witch-green contacts! You are a natural beauty without them!"

I don't want to sound vain, but I do agree with Chrissa. She made a good point. Those contacts were unattractive, and I wondered why I was so dependent on them. I was beautiful without them; I didn't need to enhance my appearance.

"Merci, Chrissa," I said weakly.

"Anytime! You took a hard fall, and I was worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay," Chrissa said fearfully.

Chrissa began to sob, so I turned to Malorie. "Mal, what happened? Who won the dance-off?"

Malorie looked nervously at me in return. Her voice quavered. "Sandrine, there was no dance-off. Remember? Ophélie called it off. You really need to stay away from Ophélie, by the way. She's dangerous!"

The room fell silent, and I wanted it to stay that way. I needed to find out what happened to me, to the dance-off. I had a feeling that it would only lead me down a path of trouble...

Bisous,

Sandrine

Des films que j'aime!

Bonjour, tous ceux qui lit ce blog!!! Today, I’m going to talk about my favorite movies. I have many, many favorites, so it is hard to choose only three. I’ll try.

Up first is Tout ce qui brille (2010)!

This film stars Géraldine Nakache as Ely and Leïla Bekhti as Lila. The two girls are best friends who yearn to live the fabulous lives of wealthy Parisians. Tired of always being ten minutes away from Paris, the girls spend their evenings in the city meeting boys, tricking cab drivers, and dancing at exclusive clubs and parties. Soon, Lila hooks up with one boy who is merely using her, and she become more focused on him than she does on her friendship with Ely. Their friendship is tested, and they later discover that friendship is more important than “all that glitters”.

Hors de Prix (2006)

Clearly, I like glittery movies, and this one is no exception. This film takes place on the French Riveria, one of my favorite places in the world!  Irène (Audrey Tautou) is celebrating her birthday alongside the older man she mooches off, and she meets a bartender named Jean (Gad Elmaleh). She believes he is wealthy, so she uses him to rent out one of the most expensive suite for the evening. Although he cannot afford all that Irène wants, he continues to provide for her. Later, he meets an older woman and learns Irène’s game of “golddigging”. At the end, Irène and Jean drive to Italy on a moped.

La Danse (2009)

This is a documentary about the ballet de l’Opéra National de Paris, which I would love to dance for someday. It gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to put on a performance and what the dancers go through. 

Bisous,

Sandrine

Q&A Round 2!

Salut, tout le monde!!! Here is the second part to our Q&A! These questions were asked by our readers.

If you have more questions, just ask! Keep them coming!

What do you do together? Is there anything you have fun doing together as sisters or friends?

We shop together.

Yeah, we do! We are seemingly best friends and have the perfect sisterly relationship when we shop.

We loved it when Mère gave us each 100€ to buy new school clothes. That was great.

We gave each other advice on what to buy. We have our own styles, but like I said, we share clothes, too. We try not to get the same things. 

Is there anyone in your extended family that either of you are particularly close with? Do you get to see your other relatives very much? Or do you mostly spend your family time with just your immediate family?

We spend a lot of time with our extended family, particularly our mom's side. We meet them in Nice for summer vacation. It's unfortunate, actually.

Mère has two sisters- Françoise and Félicie. Françoise is the oldest one, and she has two adult daughters who are very lazy. Mère doesn't think too highly of them or her oldest sister's parenting. Félicie is the youngest one, and she has three children. Samuel is the youngest, and he's now five. He likes to pull hair...ouch! Chloé is our age, and she's a spoiled brat who believes she knows everything. Alexandrine is 8, and she has a stomach condition that doesn't allow her to eat certain foods.

In other words, Alexandrine vomits a lot.

You didn't need to share, Sandrine. Our dad has a brother, but we don't see his family too much. They are always busy. We have two cousins from that side of the family. One is our age, and the other is two years younger. They are pretty cool, but aside from them being busy, Mère doesn't like them.

Leave it to Fabienne to hate her in-laws.

They definitely aren't her type.

Also, none of our family lives in Lille with the exception of our grandparents on our dad's side. Fabienne and her family are from the Picardie region. Félicie, her family, and our grandparents live there. Françoise and her family relocated to Bordeaux. 

Bisous,

Sabine et Sandrine

7 Choses!

Bonjour, tous ceux qui lit ce blog! It's my turn to list seven random facts about myself!

1. I have a secret...one that I will never reveal.

2. My number one pet peeve is when people whine about how they don't get along with their siblings and act like it's the end of the world. I'm super annoyed by this because they don't know the half of it. A disagreement? Jealousy? Mad that your little sister stole your makeup? Think your parents favor your siblings over you? Think again- your problems aren't problems. I think that playing mind games with your sister, her friend, and the new girl are far worse. I think the fact your brother refuses to have anything to do with you because you single-handedly almost destroyed your family is pretty bad. I think having psychological problems certainly top others' so-called "problems".

3. I hate people who think they can dance when they can't. I'm specifically talking about people like Liz who have only taken jazz classes and therefore lack proper technique and the ability to point their toes. I also hate when people think they can take a pointe class without ever taking ballet.

4. I love styling my hair! I have so much fun experimenting with different styles, braids, and more. I don't like wearing my hair down because it gets in the way. I also believe hair is meant to have fun with.

5. People think I'm mean, but I think they should get over it. I'm not mean; I just sometimes can't relate to people's complaints, issues, etc. It really isn't my fault. I honestly can't help it. If I could, I wouldn't have done some of the things I've done.

6. I totally love clothes, fashion, and shopping! I always want more new things to wear. Also, my clothes have to match perfectly. I don't like when people wear strange outfit combinations or clothes that don't match in general. It's sad seeing beautiful articles of clothing being worn so haphazardly.

7. I love being the life of the party and center of attention. I think I can be a fun, outgoing person when I feel like it. 

Bisous,
Sandrine

Promets-moi toujours

Buenas tardes, todo el mundo. ¿Cómo estáis? Lo siento; es tarde pero fui ocupado. 
Sometimes when I am upset, I find myself writing in Spanish. It is such a nice language once you learn it, even though it can sound silly in a French accent. I have to force myself to pronounce those endings...something I'm not entirely used to doing. Sabine always laughs at me and calls me a Hispanophile. I wouldn't go as far to say I'm obsessed, but Spain is a beautiful country. I love learning about its various regions and languages. Speaking of languages in Spain, Sabine and I are somewhat nerdy. We spent our time (two nights ago) watching The Parent Trap and reading websites in Catalan. Hey, if you know French and Spanish, Catalan is a breeze to read. I feel that I can understand written Catalan, but understanding spoken Catalan might be a bit tricky. 

Perhaps Sabine is right? I might be a bit of a Hispanophile. 


Said evening reminded me of last summer when I was talking to Sabine about Spain. I told her how badly I wanted to go there, and she laughed and said we needed to check out the Cataluña region (where Barcelona is, in case you're curious) and practice our Catalan.
I laughed. My spoken Catalan skills were limited to per favor, which means "please" (and also looks quite similar to the Spanish por favor). Yes, our fake obsession with Catalan quickly became an inside joke of ours. I made Sabine promise me that one day, when we are old enough to travel on our own, she would come to Spain with me.
She promised...as long as Catalan was involved somehow.

Then, Sabine said, "Promets-moi que nous serons toujours amis."
"Nous serons toujours amis, Sabine. Pourquoi est-ce que tu me demandes?" I replied, confused.
"Parce que," she began. "Si nous sommes allés à l'Espagne et nous n'étions pas amis, ça serait bizarre."
Just another reason to always be friends with her. As she said, if we went to Spain together and weren't friends, that might be weird.

Before she left, she asked for me to promise one more thing. "Promets-moi toujours que tu seras mon premier amour." 

I definitely agreed to that. I wanted her to be my first true love, too. When we're older...

Julien

A Q&A with Sabine and Sandrine

Salut, tout le monde! 

 Are you curious about my relationship with Sandrine? Today, we're doing a special post featuring both of us. We'll be answering some commonly asked questions in this "interview". My responses are in blue, my favorite color, while Sandrine's are in purple- her favorite color. If you have any other questions you'd like to ask, leave them in the comments, and we'll answer them ASAP.

 We had fun answering these questions, and I hope you actually learn a thing or two about us. We're exciting, I like to believe. Fine. I'm more exciting than Sabine. ;) Enjoy the pretty photos from our most recent "photoshoot", too.

Are you guys seriously identical twins? You don't look alike.

We are identical twins who clearly inherited an identical problem- bad eyesight. I just happen to wear glasses. Sandrine's eyes are actually brown; she just wears green colored contacts. I think she likes the attention she gets from them.

Ta gueule, Sabine! It is NOT an attention thing! I wear green contacts because it's always fun to shake it up and try something different. I'll be getting rid of them soon, if it makes you happy.

Je serai très heureuse, Sandrine. I guess we should address our hair, too?

I don't want bangs. Besides, I'm a dancer and don't want to have to deal with them.

I wanted my hairstyle to resemble Miley's Hannah wig.

Tu es folle, Sabine!

Je sais, je sais!

 What's it like being twins?

People always expect something special out of us, which I don't understand. Yeah, we're twins with identical DNA and all, but we are also our own people.

We do not have that telepathic communication. Nor do we switch places.

I think that's a myth about twins. I don't believe it for a second.

I also think people get confused because they expect us to by identical as in have the same hairstyle and everything. It's weird...like people don't want us to be our own people. I don't think some people can see past the twin thing.

Personally, I think having a twin is the same as it would be having a sister who isn't much older or younger than you. It's just cool to have the same DNA as another person and declare, "nous sommes jumelles!"

What is your relationship like ?

We definitely weren't "automatic best friends".

I think it's because we both have strong personalities and want things our own way.

That, and I sometimes have a hard time relating to other people's feelings. I don't always understand where Sabine is coming from.

We fight more than we get along, and while it seems like we fight for silly reasons, there is a huge reason behind every tiny argument.

Yet, when we do get along, it's because of that strong bond we get over hating the same person.

Don't say that! I love Mère; I just don't always like her.

Eh, well, I hate Fabienne. Say whatever you want, but the fact she's our mom doesn't make me like her.

Fabienne is our mom's name. Sandrine calls her by her first name because she has no respect for her.

You earn respect, and Fabienne hasn't earned mine.

D'accord...

 Do you have any other siblings?

We have a brother named Sébastien. He's four years older than us, and he refuses to speak to me. It's his payback for me almost tearing the family apart. If he doesn't like me, whatever. His loss.

I get along great with Sébastien! He always takes me to cool places. In that respect, having an older sibling is nice. I do understand where Sébastien is coming from, Sandrine. Just a thought.

He needs to get over it, though. It's not like I didn't seek professional help or anything. He knows that I spent a lot of time with Dr. L.

Je comprends, mais...

 Do you ever feel that your parents favor the other twin?

With our mom? No. Père doesn't play favorites, either. He gives all of us the same amount of attention.

Yeah, asking if Fabienne plays favorites is a joke. She doesn't have a favorite twin. We don't conform to her; that's why. If anybody is her favorite, it's Sébastien. He's just too good. She doesn't critique Sébastien. It's probably the oldest child curse.

Mère is always critiquing us, but you'll hear about that when we answer the the next question.

 What do you get in trouble for?

Everything and anything! Mère doesn't like that I'm clumsy and bump/fall into things. She HATED it when I would fall off my bike and scuff my new shoes and tear my clothes. She also gets angry with me when I'm "defiant" or get testy with her.

Ma pauvre Sabine! Ta vie est très difficile! I mostly get in trouble for my grades and being defiant. I hate school, and I don't care about it. I'm going to dance for the Ballet de l'Opèra National de Paris. I don't need stupid school.

The only thing Mère does compliment me for is my good grades! Still, she whined about other things and used to always ask, "Sabine, have you practiced your flute today? You aren't going to get anywhere with it unless you practice."

I thought it was hilarious when she got mad at you after your piano instructor said you were hopeless when it came to playing music.

I thought it was funny, too.

 How are you different? How are you alike?

Sabine is a clumsy, uncoordinated geek and I am not.

Merci, Sandrine. Though, seriously, I am uncoordinated! We have different interests. For example, I love the social sciences, traveling, and Miley Cyrus while Sandrine likes dance, hair, and fashion. Personality-wise, I'm the nicer one. ;)

I just can't relate to others! We've been over that! I will say that our common interest is shopping. We both loving getting new clothes! It's an obsession!

Our styles are similar, yet different. I prefer to wear pretty tops/blouses with nice pants or jeans while Sandrine likes to wear skirts. Sandrine also dresses more sparkly and likes color. We share clothes with no problem, by the way. It's sad that's how we get along.

Sabine is more likely to wear heels. She LOVES her heels and flats! I prefer boots just because I like to keep my feet covered up. Dancers do not have pleasant feet, let me tell you. Pointe shoes tear up my feet enough; I don't need heels to do that to me, too. I also like flats, I guess.

I do love my heels. I like wearing dresses and skirts sometimes- not all the time. I love finding the perfect dress for those special occasions.

C'est tout! J'espère que vous l'aimez!

Oui, c'était intéressant...je déteste quelquefois ma jumelle.

Sabine et Sandrine

Mes films préférés!

Salut, tout le monde! 
A few of my blog friends are sharing their top three favorite movies, and although I wasn't tagged yet, I am still aching to share my favorites with you guys.
I have many favorite movies, and having to choose only three is difficult, so I went with the ones I have watched the most. If you haven't seem them before, I recommend them! I wouldn't be sharing them with you guys if I didn't.

1. Bienvenue Chez Les Ch’tis (2008)

"Un étranger qui vient dans le Nord pleure deux fois- quand il arrive et quand il part."
If you haven’t seen a French film before, or if you ever need any recommendations, definitely put this one first on your list! This movie might not be as well-known in the States, but it certainly is in France. In fact, this is the movie that broke the box office records!
This movie (a comedy) tells the story of Philippe Abrams (played by Kad Merad) who, at the beginning of the movie, is the manager of the postal service in the Provence-Alps-Côte-d’Azure region of France. He yearns to get a job closer to the sea for his wife, Julie (Zoé Félix)…and he will do anything to try to get it- even pretend to be handicapped! However, he is soon discovered at relocated to Bergues, a small town in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. He is pessimistic at first- especially because he is worried about the stereotypes the region gets (it’s freezing all the time, the people are uneducated, etc.). Through work, he meets Antoine (Dany Boon) who helps him to change his perspective on the North, and Philippe even helps Antoine win over the girl of his dreams. When Philippe’s time in the Nord is up, he realizes that the old Ch’ti saying (“Un étranger qui vient dans le Nord pleure deux fois- quand il arrive et quand il part.”) is true.
Obviously, being a Ch’ti myself, I love this movie to death! I had to make it the title of my blog because this is a blog written by three Ch’tis. I also love how the movie tries to showcase regional differences in France (yes, they are there) and put an end to Nord stereotypes. Of course, the Ch’ti accent was over-exaggerated for the film, but my friends and I do have a similar accent. I LOVED how they included Ch’ti slang words, too. It was nice to see a movie take place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and I think anybody would enjoy learning more about my region.

2. Rien à Déclarer (2010)

 This is another movie that takes place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and it also happens to be another comedy and star Dany Boon. This one is just as good as Bienvenue Chez Les Ch’tis, and it‘s another one I‘d definitely recommend.
This film takes place in small border towns in France and Belgium. The year is 1993, and things are changing in Europe as the European Union begins to further take shape. This movie tells the story of two customs agents: Ruben Vandevoorde (Benoît Poelvoorde) on the Belgian side and Mathias Ducatel (Dany Boon) on the French side. Their respective custom stations are preparing for the change that the EU may bring, so a Franco-Belgian mobile customs unit was created. Ruben, who has a major hatred towards the French, isn’t too fond of the idea. Mathias volunteers for the squad after he finds out who the Belge (Ruben) is. Mathias only signed up for it so he could win Ruben over because he planned on marrying Ruban’s sister. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s hilarious.
There are many, many French and Belgian jokes, but you really have to understand the relationship between France and Belgium to get those. Micki, although she’s an American, lived in Belgium for ten years, and we like to make jokes to each other all the time.

3. The Last Song (2010)

 This is, of course, one of my favorite movies because Miley Cyrus is my favorite actress/singer ever! Clearly, that isn’t the only reason as that would be quite silly. This is an all-around great movie, too. Unlike my other favorites, this one is a drama.
Miley plays a young, struggling teenage girl named Veronica/Ronnie. Ronnie and her younger brother are sent to stay with their father in a small beach town for the summer. Ronnie is an accomplished and talented pianist (She reminds me of my friend Melanie!), but after her parents’ divorce, she stopped playing. Her father tries to reconnect with her through music, but it proves to be a struggle. She won’t give him the time of day.
While with her father, Ronnie meets a young man named Will (played by the oh-so-adorable Liam Hemsworth) whose friendship finally inspires her to make music again.
Ronnie soon finds out that her father is terminally ill, and she helps to complete his song…his last song.
This movie is such a tearjerker, but I love it. It’s not just about love and romance. It’s about family, first heartbreaks, and how we have to power through them. This movie really made me respect my dad more. I know I’d be miserable if something ever happened to him.

What are your favorite movies? Have you seen any of my favorites?
Sabine

Jeux d'enfants

I feel like it is time for me to make a confession. I have a crush on Sabine, and I have for awhile- even before I could truly pinpoint what a crush was exactly. There was always something alluring about her. She has always been a dreamer who liked to think outside of the box. She has always loved her independence, and I remember talking to her about how she wanted to "escape" and see the world. Even when she was out in public with her strict mother, she always had a hint of mischief in her eyes. She did things her way, and she always came up with the craziest ideas.
I don't have a crush on her because of her outward appearance, though I do think she's attractive. I love her personality- it was the first thing I truly noticed about her, and it was made me want to get to know her. She is my best friend who told me everything and to whom I told everything. She's perfect because she's imperfect, as corny as that may sound. I am not infatuated whatsoever, so do not even think that. My admiration for her stems from friendship, and nothing more.

One of the best memories I can recall occurred when my family ate dinner with her family sometime in 2003 when we were 7. Before dinner, I immediately spotted Sabine in the corner playing with her stuffed animals. She looked bored out of her mind; she was never much of a toy person.

I felt it was safe to interrupt, so I greeted her. "Bonjour, Sabine!"
"Bonjour," she said under her breath.

She quickly stood up, even though for a second I was convinced that she wouldn't. "Julien, j'ai vu un film avec mon frère et ses amis hier. Il s'est appellé Jeux d'Enfants, et c'était amusant! Un garçon sur le film s'appelle Julien comme toi! Il y avait une fille qui s'appelle Bouchard! Bouchard...comme moi!"
That was the nice thing about having an older sibling. Sébastien always took Sabine and Sandrine out to do fun things. I can relate to him now, seeing as I do the same thing with my sister. Jeux d'Enfants later became the movie that Sabine and I would make inside jokes about.

She then proceeded to tell me about the game involving dares that the main characters, Julien and Sophie, played. Sabine said that she wanted to play the game with me, so she dared me to kiss her. I didn't know what to think at the time. I had only seen teenagers and adults kiss, and I didn't know what to do! I was completely nervous. I came closer and closer to her cheek, and then something happened...

...she ran away from me and laughed until she couldn't breathe.

Throughout dinner, she flashed me large smiles that indicated what she had done. She was quite pleased with herself, and looking back on it, I can admit that was a good prank for somebody who was 7. The genius behind such a scheme drew me into her world, and I knew I wanted to be her best friend.

As embarrassing as that may have been, I had to get it off my chest.
Julien