Paris 2012 Tweetup at O Chateau
One of the things I am most grateful for about my life in Paris is all the amazing people I’ve met. Common themes often arise when you ask expats how they ended up in the City of Light – love, work, happy accident.
But it takes a special measure of fortitude and creativity to pick up and move to another country. So it’s no surprise then to run into so many interesting folks. We may not be the “Lost Generation,” but I think there are deep things we have found.
What do I mean by that? Well, last night was the first “Tweetup” of 2012, held at O Chateau. (Jeez there are of a lot of us bloggers/Tweeters! There must have been 40 of us packing the friendly wine bar.) As I chatted my way through the crowd, this reality that so many people have remade their lives here kept coming to the fore.
I saw friend Kasia Dietz, for instance, a former Manhattan ad girl, now designer and founder of her own handbag company. I talked with Lindsey, who not only started blogging (at Lost in Cheeseland) in France, but also began a baking business, Lola’s Cookies (We were treated to her sweets last night. Yum!)
I got into a long conversation with Alexis Niki, a talented screenwriter and Alexander Technique teacher about finding the unifying thread of our lives, even if we do many different things.
Is living here the opportunity to reinvent? To discover new things? Or to dig deep to what has always been there?
In any case, I feel privileged to know so many creative, innovative souls. The room was filled with them last night! (More photos of the event here.)
I wanted to give a special shout-out to someone else today. I first talked about Emel Mathlouthi back in 2010. I knew her from my dance class, and didn’t at first realize she was something of a star.
Last year she left for awhile and I asked my dance teacher if she knew where. The answer: back to Tunisia for the “Arab Spring.” She wanted to be part of her country’s remaking. Sure enough, I saw footage of her in the crowds; a striking image of her in a red coat in the midst of thousands of people standing up to sing. She would describe herself as a “protest singer.”
Emel’s back in France and today is the release of her new album. I just wanted to say wow.
Aren’t we blessed by the people we meet?
paris (im)perfect 
How funny, looks like Paris has become the new America, the land where you can start over again 🙂
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Haha. Good point, Stephanie. Well, like all “immigrant stories,” I suppose so! We come here and start anew in many ways.
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I totally agree with Stephanie!!! Thank you for the shout out Sion, we have a fantastic community!
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Yes. I feel so lucky to be a part of this community!
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since i could not be there last nite, i was hoping for a report and yes, i saw your friend to in her red coat, did not they also intertview her six months later about her feelings now? andrea
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I’m sure they did interview Emel several times. She became something of a figure in the movement from my understanding. That voice!
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Oh this looks like such a great event! I’ve been following your blog for some time now and was wondering if you had any tips on how to meet more of the ex-pat community here in Paris. I moved here a year ago but in a desperate effort to learn French asap, I tried to make as many French friends as possible… (Not sure my French really attests to that!) Now I am really craving a bit of a return to more international roots and would love to meet more of the ex-pat community here. I would really appreciate any tips you may have in terms of events or meet-ups!
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Well, hey there. Thanks so much for the comment. Before I share my tips, first, you must share *your* secrets. You made a lot of French friends?! Wow, congrats. Seems like a feat to me!
As far as meeting other expats, my blog and Twitter have been the #1 way I’ve met so many other expats. I mean, really. I know just about ALL of these wonderful people from the online world – and then we met in person! So get thee to Twitter, toute de suite! 🙂
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PS. There is an opening party this Saturday for a new bake shop run by a young British expat. Here’s info on the event on FB. A lot of people will be there! https://www.facebook.com/events/265920510136391/
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Sion,
This makes me want to move to Paris. Do you think I could jam all three children and big puppy dog into a Parisian apartment? Hmmmm. I’ll just say it’s the rain that keeps me away instead and stay here in the sunny south. Or maybe I’ll organize a tweetup southern style!
aidan xo
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The sun is a BIG deal and the rain in Paris is no joke. Be grateful for your sunny skies. Maybe I’d come down for a Tweetup southern style!
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