SO! Basically – not too much happening since I last posted! Right now I’m sitting on the balcony of Caitlin’s room enjoying the last night here! Let me catch you up on what has happened so far.

We went into town to do a little last minute shopping – which didn’t work out, being that all the stores are closed on Sunday. So, we decided to try to wait in line for “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” The sun was blistering hot, and it was relatively miserable – but we played a little bit of ‘Go Fish’ and ‘Blackjack’ to pass the time.

Turns out, they were hardcore checking IDs, and Katherine’s – which she passed off to Catherine, was not going to pass by the security guards. While we all got in, she was turned down (and we weren’t just going to leave her on the streets while we enjoyed a movie). We jumped the barrier and went to McDonalds, which was to pass the time until happy hour started at a lovely outside cocktail place down the street.

Not much to report, we killed our time and ventured over to Brassiere (I think it was called) and we enjoyed a few cocktails while we waited for Katherine to get out of her movie (she split with us earlier to see a different movie). Eventually, she got out and we all were together – ready to go back to the hotel.

From there, we had to go to the beach to shoot some of Katherine’s previous films she lost when her hard drive crashed a few days back. This turned into a bit of an adventure, as the key we were using as a prop was swept into the sea. We ventured in to find it, and ended up soaking wet by the waves that kept challenging our existence. It was fantastic – a great last goodbye to the sea.

We got back and chilled until we were ready to all hang out together (we had to have a goodbye party!) And that’s where I am now – on the balcony. We’ve been talking and having a lovely time. We actually just got back from another photo shoot on the beach – pictures to come on Facebook sometime tonight or tomorrow! In addition, we created a wine bottle filled with our advice on navigating Cannes and what we’ve learned that we will never forget. We climbed a rock and threw it into the sea - casting our memories out to the water and trusting it with our secrets.

So I wrote this up this morning, so I’ll post it now because I have another little diddy to post before I get on the plane tomorrow.

Time for some reflection on Cannes:

Toilets in France – (like how this is my first one?) You have to pull up on this lever on top of the toilet. I don’t think I’ve been to a single place where there are buttons to push or anything automatic (even in the super fancy hotels). In this regard, I feel like high tech is not something Cannes is going for. With the exception of the American/English businessman, phones here are very simple – in fact, there are still pay phones almost everywhere. I guess I didn’t really notice this until now – but technology isn’t something that’s a huge necessity here.

Vespas – I WANT ONE. That’s all I have to say about this. Hah, but actually, everyone owns one here and they find ways around the traffic like nothing else. Bicycles and motorcycles too – they’re just everywhere! Vespas (and obviously bikes) are great for the environment though. Gas mileage is phenomenal and you hardly see a vespa just idling. This leads me to…

Lights – Every single indoors walking space (such as a hallway or stairway) have lights that, once switched on, remain on for only about 30 seconds. Again, this is the same way for the fancy shmancy hotels. Personally, I think this is an amazing way to conserve energy. If a person is not in a space, there should not be lights on – and that’s exactly what the French seem to think! Granted, there have been many a times where I will be walking too slow for the lights to allow and find myself stuck midway in a stairway, groping along the wall to find the nearest switch, but I advocate this idea to the end.

Shopping – On the theme of efficiency, here in Cannes they also charge you if you want a bag to take your groceries home in. Larger bags are obviously more expensive than small bags, and they are of the same material the “eco-friendly” bags at home are. Again, I love this idea. You HAVE to come with bags if you want to buy a large amount of groceries. Otherwise, just carry it.

Dining – I think I already mentioned it before, but there are no tips here. However, it will cost you more to sit down at a restaurant rather than grabbing it to go. On that note, you CANNOT ask to take any of your meal “to-go” after you have sat down and eaten. Boxes are simply not available – and they will give you a look you will never forget. One person I know sort of demanded it, and they brought out a roll of tin foil. Heh. At the end, you have to ask for your check. They are in no hurry to rush you out, and often times will not return to ask if you want dessert or want an entrée after you drinks until they have deemed the time appropriate. They want the food to “settle” – and only THEY can determine the amount of time that will take.

I can go on and on about food – it’s actually very hilarious. The restaurants and the employees know best, and you are there in order to listen to THEM. If you have a problem with your waiter, don’t bother complaining about it. The manager will always take their employees side. The philosophy? “I’ve been working with these people for longer than you will be sitting here eating the food WE are making – you will respect us and we will serve you.” It’s perfect. In this regard, though, you have to be smart. Waiters do not have to be nice to you (though we only had one problem the whole time we were here). In situations such as this, I could easily see why the French may not like Americans. This philosophy can go over our culture’s head. We believe that the places we are served are meant to SERVE and RESPECT us – but actually, it’s more like entering someone’s home. You follow their rules. I could imagine an American or two getting a little upset in these instances and being rude.

I think that’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned while here – you have to respect the other team. Too often, people assume that wherever they are, their rule is law. This is never the case. Ever. Not just in France – but I truly think people need to be more considerate in general. I know that’s a silly blanket statement, but in actuality I feel like too many people put blinders on when encountered with new scenarios. If a person is ever engaging with another person, there needs to be a mutual respect. Period. No questions asked.

There’s tons more to report – but how can I ever capture all of the differences in one little post! I’ll post my ending comment tomorrow! Keep your eyes peeled! Goodnight everyone!

So I just checked my last post and I guess it decided to only post half of it! BLAH! So now I’ll have to let you guys know what’s been happening the past few days!

I left you off at the Monoprix (apparently…) and I was mentioning how crazy the brands were. All in all - it was just FUN to be walking around a grocery store (which I’m not going to lie, I find fun to do anyway, but this had the addition of never before seen products! Exciting!) We grabbed a few essentials and then headed back to the hotel.

Caitlin had just got back from picking up her best friend from back home, Catherine, from the train station while we were out - we were all going to go out and celebrate her birthday together! Since she was turning the big “21” we had to make it special - so where do we go? PEPPERONI!

Now, the shuttles that take us from the center to the hotel and back are a little bit fickle. They ONLY let Creative Minds kids in - and when I saw only, I mean - they freakin’ interrogate the hell out of you to get the answer they’re looking for. Jacques, the hotel owner’s husband who took on the shuttle job just for our time here, will get out of the shuttle and block the door. He then proceeds, to each individual person, to ask: “Creative Minds?” in his harsh French accent. We always nod wide-eyed - ‘please believe me, please believe me.’ Other kids, like those from the American Pavilion or other tourists staying in the hotel try to lie - since the shuttles like to take their time and getting to the center can be an exhausting wait.

“ROOM NUMBER?! … room you stay in? WHICH?! SHOW KEY” - is normally what these people are faced with. I wish I could write the dialogue as perfect as it sounds, because this little French man is INTENSE. Jacques takes no prisoners. He is ruthless.

So to follow that little characterization - he loves us because we’re always so nice. Since the shuttle was filled to capacity, he happily opened the trunk for us (yes, I know, so kind right?) Probably one of the more painful journeys of my life, with the exception of driving to upstate New York in the trunk of the Shirley’s car with the 6’3” Mike Tuccio. The picture above makes us appear a bit too happy - when we arrived we burst out of that thing like nobody’s business, scaring a few tuxedo-ed men who couldn’t seem to understand where we had come from. It was one of those moments where you kiss the ground in happiness.

Once we were able to breathe and walk again, I led the way to Pepperoni! (Yes, I, the great navigator of both the States and France, led my fellow diners to their food). And by this, I mean I gained JUST enough confidence to memorize a Google map and follow Rue d’Antibes to our destination. I felt great though.

We got another seat outside since the weather has truly just been glorious the whole time we’ve been here. I can’t complain about the downpour during Pirates, because I definitely think that was one of the main reasons we got tickets. Who wants to venture outside in a Prada dress? Anyways - we were seated and immediately brought chips and menus (in English - c’mon now) and had a beautiful meal.

I ordered a salad that had walnuts, raisins, apples, and tomatoes which was delicious. My mom had wanted me to get a Kir for the longest time, so before my meal I got to enjoy that! It was fantastic! My friends all tried a sip and loved it - THANKS MOM! Everyone else ordered a different type of Risotto, and since I ended up polishing off Bryce’s - I can say it was quite amazing!

When we were almost done, the street performers that were there the first night came back (the ones that were doing those crazy flips and such?) Since we had been telling everyone it was Caitlin’s birthday (and then getting champagne every time) we called over one of the guys and told him. His response? To pluck Caitlin out of her seat, dance with her in front of everyone in the middle of the street, pick her up, spin her around, toss her up in the air, and the return her to us. It was hilarious - especially being that her dress was not quite meant for such an occasion.

We finished up, laughing and a little too stuffed for dessert at the moment, and headed off to that “Station Tavern” (I think I wrote last post that it was the ‘Last Station’ - yeah, I was obviously thinking too hard about movies and figured I’d just through around some Helen Mirren films…woof).

The atmosphere was VERY cool. The outdoor patio was very much like the rest of Cannes, but then you walked in the doors and entered a sort of sports pub with a huge wooden bar and a few pool tables. The next room over had small comfy stool seats around tons of black, block tables. There were Christmas-esque lights hanging in circles on the ceiling, and a karaoke set up pushed into the corner, with two flat screens in either corner of the room. Basically, it was a darkly lit, sports karoke bar. Make sense?

We stayed for a bit, watched some French people sing some weird song that had a lot of “Oui Oui Oui Ouis” in it - which we of course, had to sing along to. I felt like a sea lion doing a mating call to a retarded lover - it was quite fantastic. We peaced out and decided to just go with ol’ faithful and head off to Sun7, where we would then meet up with our friend Liz.

(P.S. the picture of the condom dispenser was necessary because these things are on the street everywhere! It’s kind of funny. Anyways…)

This turned into an interesting experience. We were greeted right at the door by the owner, Luca, and some of our favorite bartenders. They are seriously the nicest people in the world here. We grabbed a seat and started talking about the night in general and the “Hey! It’s her birthday!” sort of thing. We happened to brush shoulders with the Australian producers again, which was kind of funny - it was interesting to start re-seeing people - it’s not like Cannes is too huge of a place and Sun7 is pretty awesome (Rob from CMIC thought it was hilarious that everyone from the program somehow discovered Sun7 for themselves, and then at one point, all came together over that commonality).

About an hour after we were there we heard that our friend Alex was challenged to a dance off by a French man. This was the best news of the night. We got out our cameras and prepared for the battle. The music started blasting and the two guys descended the stairs. It was go time.

I’m not going to lie - this was probably the most homoerotic thing I have EVER seen in my life. The one picture above does not even cover what Sun7 witnessed that faithful night. I’m going to leave it up to ya’lls imagination - mostly because I just don’t think I can do it justice. It was truly the work of a higher power.

To transition smoothly (not) we eventually left and made our way to Cafe Roma (a place we had always wanted to wind up at because they’re open until 4am and they serve you in cowboy hats - why??) The seating is all outside, so we enjoyed a table diagonal to the Palais. We stayed here for a bit - enjoying some cocktails and already reminiscing about the craziness of the night. What did this conversation lead to? McDonalds. The place for champions.

We grabbed some fries and on the way out, witnessed a pretty crazy street fight near the fountain. Who knows what happened - but no worries - McDonalds security broke it up real quick. Seriously - these guys are the best. They wear these suits with yellow or red ties and little McDonalds pins on the collar, and just OWN the block. It’s sheer perfection.

We wandered over to the street designated for taxis (they have this little area that only taxis can drive into to pick people up waiting - sort of like a bus station) It’s super efficient and makes it much easier to find a taxi at night. We waited for just a bit, and then grabbed the next available car. Turns out, the driver was relentless and would only let 4 of us in the car. Bryce and I - not really willing to pay any way, decided to make the trek back.

It was a long walk, but very easy and, how can I complain, right along the beach. I was finally able to take a picture of my FAVORITE poster here - for the Hangover 2! Known in France as “A VERY BAD TRIP 2” - I love it. How about “A Very Bad Translation.” It was about 3 AM and still, the weather was amazingly beautiful and crisp. This is one thing I will really miss - that I can put on an outfit in the morning and not change a thing about it - no cardigan, no extra layer, no nothing. After avoiding a few strange little drunk sects on the beaches and weaving our way around some hitchhikers (who is going to pick these crazies up?) we made it back safe and sound. Obviously, we crashed immediately.

We took our time getting ready yesterday and grabbed some Bocca Croq. God bless this place - it has been our saving grace time and time again. The woman who runs the shop is the best, always smiling when we walk up and always ready to make great conversation in her broken English. I’m obsessed. After what seemed like HOURS the shuttle finally decided to show up and take us to the center. Today, was a day of shopping.

IT WAS BLISTERING HOT. We tried our best to navigate the streets and find presents for everyone we love back home, but damn it was hard. We were all rationing our money and trying our best to get great gifts without spending the rest of what we had left. Feeling totally disheartened, we stumbled back to the center and found a huge flea market! Thank goodness - this would totally work.

We all found some really fantastic things, and really enjoyed walking around all of the amazing booths. There were antique sections, old posters (they had every year of the Cannes Film Festival at one booth) postcards, beautiful art work, pottery, jewelry - everything! We spent a large chunk of time here, but by the end, we were all miserable and needing to sit down somewhere. You could tell we were just a bit on edge.

We grabbed a drink and sat until we felt enough energy to get up. We counted out 12£ in coins (SORRY - WE HAD TO GET RID OF IT) and made our way back to the shuttle to get ready for a screening. This actually didn’t take too long - but guess who ended up sitting in the trunk again? This girl.

After we got back, we retreated to our rooms until 6pm, when we decided we would meet up in the lobby to go to the theater around the corner. I collapsed in my bed, taking out the gifts I had bought and deciding how to pack them. This, of course, led to a packing/cleaning session which was probably for the best - our room has turned into a bit of a disaster area.

We ended up waiting in line for the movie, “This Must Be the Place” an hour before - which was perfect for getting seats. Check this movie out! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440345/ - I absolutely adored it. It’s definitely not for everyone, but Sean Penn truly gives an amazing performance as a burnt out, semi-cross-dressing retired rock star. I tried to explain it to someone else as, one of those movies YOU understand when you’re in the theater, but not quite one of those films you could regurgitate to any one else - at least clearly. The camera work and editing, above all, was mind-blowingly well done. Every cut, edit, and shot had a purpose and a meaning. It was beautiful.

After this ended, we hopped right back in line to see “Drive” - the new Ryan Gosling movie. Caitlin had been saving us seats, since she didn’t go to the first one, so we ended up getting to sit in the center, which is a rare treat. This movie was eh…I can’t speak highly of it in any regard. Movies that have simple story lines can sometimes make up for it in cinematography, but everything about this film was basic - nothing special. It’s coming to the States in September, so watch out for it if you’re a fan of blood and the former “The Notebook” star being the exact opposite of Noah.

When we were finally done with our movie-going it was about 11:15pm - the perfect time to grab a drink and sit out on the balcony to enjoy our last “fun” night together. Not much to report here, just a beautiful night spent with great, new friends on a balcony in France (yes - that was supposed to sound pretentious). We called it a night around 2AM and here I am now - awake relatively early in comparison to my last few nights.

The maid is cleaning up the room and I’m sitting out on the balcony - thinking about what I have to pack and hoping to see “We Need to Talk About Kevin” at the re-screening today at the Palais.My flight tomorrow is at 1:30pm, so I’ll probably end up on a shuttle around 11am so I have ample time to get there and be prepared for the process of returning home.

I’d love to write a little reflection piece - but that may have to come either tonight or tomorrow. I don’t think I’m ready to purge feelings yet. It feels too soon. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely ready to come home. This two week mark has been the perfect amount of time here - but I’m ready to actually be on the same land as all of my friends and family. It’s hard not to feel removed here when truly, I AM removed. I’m on a different time, in a different place, with different languages and a different currency. My internet is slow and my phone has too many restrictions to be an option for communication. I’m ready to actually be able to see the FACES of everyone.

I won’t blabber - I’m sure the last post will have enough of that. It’s a lovely Sunday morning here - but I suppose you guys will see that when you wake up in a few hours. Time to pack!

After we showered, we got ready to go to the theater around the corner to go see “The Beaver” – which we were all excited for. It’s Jodie Foster’s directorial debut and features Mel Gibson as a depressed individual who regains himself by talking through a beaver puppet. Yeah, pretty strange concept – yet very original.

We lined up an hour early and got nice seats right on the side. Overall, it was a very strange movie – but the material was handled perfectly. If anything had been done any different, there would have been no way to take the story seriously. I would highly recommend it to any one – especially if you want a refreshing approach to family drama or really just are craving something original in the cinema.

On that note, I do have to say that all of the films I’ve seen love the theme of depression and the idea that human existence is absolutely meager in the scheme of things. I love it. The majority of the characters I have watched unravel all seem to be stuck in some sort of rut (and while that’s obviously a common theme of movies in general, its extremely potent here). The amount of happy endings has been few.

Happier note: we all loved it. And now it was time to catch a shuttle to the Cannes University for the CMIC buffet and screenings of the CMIC filmmakers’ movies! With free wine and food, we sat in patio chairs and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Mediterranean. Everyone was in really great moods, and a few Dixie cups of wine later, everyone in the program was taking pictures with one another and reminiscing about what they’d done so far. It was lovely.

Soon it was time for the screenings. Nothing much to report here! It was nice to be able to see everyone’s work – as well as a few extra pieces CMF showed us from other colleges and universities. A few prizes were thrown out for exceptional work – including Final Cut Pro for the winning team. Everyone left feeling really good about themselves and the people around them.

Once back to the hotel, we decided to go out to a pub called “The Station Tavern.” Turns out, our friend Caitlin was invited to a yacht party (and of course had to go, being that she would be turning 21 at midnight) so Bryce, Katherine, and I were left to our own devices. We were going to go out anyway, but got a little stuck when we opened a new bottle of wine (from the tons my roommate brought home after volunteering at a party) and had ourselves a little dance party. It was actually super fun.

After a little while, we decided it would be a good idea to go have a photo shoot down at the beach. We set my camera for long exposure and ended up with some really beautiful shots! Towards the end we tried to do those jumping pictures everyone takes on vacation, and wound up with our clothes soaking wet.

Ambling back towards the hotel, we found Caitlin and Liz at the pizza place across the street. This was, of course, super exciting, being that it was after midnight and we had to celebrate! We told the owners about the birthday and they gave Caitlin a free glass of champagne. Katherine ordered a huge pizza and we devoured it promptly, soon after heading to bed and crashing.

This morning we all slept in again (noticing a pattern?) and went off to the beach (see it now?) It was absolutely gorgeous. Nothing too special here – we took a swim, got some sun, and fell back asleep. After a while Catilin left to go pick up her best friend from back home (they’re both heading off to Paris on Monday) and we stayed for just a bit longer.

Later on, Bryce, Katherine, and I went to the Monoprix, which is basically the Target of France. Some of the brands here are just so kooky.

What an amazingly beautiful day! We left off trying to decide what to do last night - which ended up not involving a movie, but instead going out for dinner and some ice cream. The other night at the pub crawl these guys told us about this placed called “Mezzo di Pasta” off Rue d’Antibes (which is pretty much the main drag where all the stores are). So, being the adventurers that we are, Bryce, Caitlin and I set off!

Admittedly, we got just a tad bit lost - but only meaning that we walked too far down Rue d’Antibes - god forbid we see a little more of France than what we need to go get pasta. There is a whole different feel to Cannes when it’s dark out - all of the lights are in full force, and they truly know how to paint with color. I wouldn’t compare it to NYC whatsoever - especially because here, neon lights DO NOT mean cheap. We made the mistake looking for food one time, and let me tell you, those neon lights meant 20€ for a small meal.

Anyways - Caitlin whipped out her ENORMOUS tourist map, which of course made us like as chic as humanely possible, and we figured it out. Turns out, while we were expecting a nice, sit-down restaurant, Mezzo di Pasta is a sort of fast food place for pasta! You order by choosing a type of pasta, picking a sauce, and deciding on a cheese for a topping. They whip it all up and put it in a green, Chinese take-out looking container! It was pretty cheap and they had a lofted area with tons of tables and chairs - so hey, we ran with it!

After stuffing my face with gnocchi covered in four cheese sauce, we were all pretty lethargic. We remained there until the sun went down and somehow (and believe me, I don’t know how) ambled back down the stairs and on to the street. Now, of course, it was time to find a dessert.

I’m not sure if I mentioned it before, but on one of our walks we found a 50s diner that focused specifically on desserts (milk shakes, ice cream, etc.) I found this prettyyyy weird, considering France didn’t really have a 1950s car hop era - but I mean, all right, I’ll roll with it. We found our way back to this neon-splashed, pastel covered little shop and were completely overwhelmed by the 80 flavors of ice cream instantly in front of us.

The French have this odd (yet beautiful) way of advertising package deals for meals and such by adding all of these drinks and sides for only about 0.20€ more. It’s actually completely nonsensical (for instance, at Bocca Croq next door, I can get either a 75cl water bottle for 1.50€ or a 150cl water bottle for 2€ - you tell me). Back to the point, the HUGEST ice cream sundae was only about 0.50€ more than the 2 scoops. As you can see in the picture above - I took no prisoners.

We sat outside and enjoyed the cool breeze. One of my favorite parts about the streets in Cannes is the beautiful chairs every single restaurant has. Not only does every cafe or eatery have an outdoor sitting area, but the chairs for each place are these IKEA looking, modern, crazy-colored things that just pop right out. Some are these twisted neon green things while others are clear and bubbly. Seriously, if Lady Gaga could wear chairs, she’d do her shopping here in Cannes. It’s so beautiful.

So we eat our huge sundaes and don’t actually feel any less lethargic (were we really expecting to?) We decide to head back to the hotel, grab some wine, and watch one of the screeners Caitlin and I got from Voltage. This turned into a super chill night where we just talked and showed each other silly videos on our computers. Being that a 3 minute YouTube video here takes about 20 minutes to load, Caitlin gave us some throw-backs by showing us the first movies she ever made. HILARIOUS. Overall, we called it a night pretty early and went to sleep.

(BTW - if you wanna see that fake proposal video, you can click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2q775_bfuo - MIND YOU, all they told me to do was say “No!” I did my best!)

This morning we all woke up for a 10am breakfast so we could get in line for the movie “Bonsai” at the local theater. Turns out, foreign movies that aren’t playing for the market only have French subtitles, and “Bonsai” turned out to be a Spanish movie. Well, to say the least, we had no idea what they were saying. Caitlin, being the best at French, chuckled every now and then as she read the subtitltes, but for the most part we just enjoyed the visuals.

I was actually pleasantly surprised, being that I really, really enjoyed the experience and the movie! From what I could understand from just watching it (and come on now, a great movie doesn’t actually need sound - it is a visual experience!) the story was really great - I actually teared up a bit at the end. The time switched back and forth between the present and eight years ago in this man’s life and his long-term relationship he used to be a part of. It’s a very interesting romp through Spanish literature (Proust especially) and a particular sentiment towards plants. I can’t wait to watch it again when it’s released and with English subtitles!

Afterwards, we went to Bocca Croq and grabbed some lunch, and then decided we would head down to the beach to enjoy this amazing weather we’ve been having. It was Bryce, Katherine, Julian, Alex, and I all hopping in the beautiful Mediterranean and, as Sheryl Crow might say, “soaking up the sun” (had to be done). I fell asleep a few times, Bryce built some sandcastles, Julian swam too deep underwater and popped the ear a bouncer hit him in the other night - it was a great time! We reminisced about old Disney channel movies and our favorite childhood snacks and walked our way back to the hotel about two hours later.

So I took a break from this post to take a shower so I was ready to go out - and where we wound up was pretty damn amazing.

We had decided we wanted to go out to dinner right by the Palais and then try to hold signs out in front for “Melancholia” - all in all, a pretty normal night. From recommendations from others, we went to a place called L’UP Side Down Cafe - which was open air but with open wooden structures and super comfy couch-like seats (see above!) We all ordered cocktails - in my mom’s honor I got a bloody mary - and ordered some amazing pasta dishes (again, see above!) Mine was salmon and penne and literally - I was drooling. I’ve eaten WAY too much salmon while I’ve been here - I smell LIKE a beach - but regardless, it was so, so delicious.

We didn’t think we had room - but once the dessert menu came we truly had no choice. I ordered this plate that consisted of a scoop of green tea ice cream, a scoop of vanilla, a vanilla wafer cone, raspberries, kiwi, and raspberry drizzle over the entirety. The camera I had with me died, so my friends have pictures. I’ll post it tomorrow! It was the GREATEST THING OF MY LIFE. Ok - so now, we’re officially done. They brought us after dinner shots (I love this - this needs to happen in America) that were blue and slushie-like. We toasted and drank ‘em down.

Now off to the Palais! We whipped out our “1 billet pour Melancholia S.V.P.” signs, scribbled in sharpie and pen, and set off looking dazzling in our beautiful gowns and tuxedos. Being a little later than we had wanted to get there (about 8:50pm - doors close at 10pm) we didn’t set our hopes too high. Worse case, CMIC was hosting a karoke night and we could easily bounce right on down to that.

Katherine was the first to get a ticket. I heard a squeal and turned around to her beaming - these are always the best moments because you have to conceal everything so you can keep holding your sign to ask for another from someone else. It’s like a secret game! I had a man come up to me who said: “Oh! Melancholia! Yes! I have a ticket! Do you want it?” - Um, well, yes? - “It’s in my hotel room - right down this way - follow me!” … Hah, I may be American, but I’m not a bimbo. I laughed my ass off and told Katherine and everyone about it. It was 9:30pm - and only one of us had tickets - so we started dancing our little butts off.

I broke out a few moves and a small, elderly man came up to me, secretly reaching into his pocket and bestowing me a ticket as though it were a magic lamp - it was the cutest thing ever. The people who decide to hand them out always do so in such a sketch way (understandably, as they don’t want to be mobbed) - but it always feels like a drug deal! Regardless, I looked down and saw that it was an Orchestra ticket (the best you can get)! I did my dance and showed the others.

At 9:45pm we still needed one more ticket - and guess what we got at 9:50? Katherine and I both miraculously wound up with Orchestra tickets, and Caitlin and Bryce got balcony (but as we later found out, were seated in the corbeille section - the one between balcony and orchestra). Since we had orchestra, Katherine and I were able to start our walk from the very beginning of the red carpet. I WAS DYING. Instead of just getting to do the stairs (which don’t get me wrong - rocked) we got to walk by the paparazzi and were also allowed to take our time and take pictures. It was so glamorous.

Once at the top, we entered the lobby and had our bags checked. We presented our tickets - Katherine was brought to the side section and I had a woman lead me into the center section (WHAT?!) All right, so I’m following and feeling pretty damn good about the center, and then she just KEEPS WALKING. So…I follow, looking over at Katherine who is walking down the side aisle. I kept mouthing: “WHAT?!?” The woman lead me to the THIRD ROW.

LET ME REPEAT - THE THIRD ROW (for Pirates we were, oh I don’t know, probably the 500th?!) I sat down with my eyes so wide I almost forgot I had eyelids. The women next to me (turns out, from Paris and super nice) giggled. I looked over and smiled - not being able to stop. I reached into my purse and pulled out the wrinkled, ratty “1 billet pour Melancholia” sign and they gasped - looking up at me in congratulations. I couldn’t STOP SMILING. They ended up taking pictures of me in the theater and also found that when they were taking video on the red carpet, I was in front of them - so they emailed that to me too! I’ll post it tomorrow!

All right - so as my placement isn’t already the best thing in the world, I look behind me and see a row of seats, about 5 rows behind, with white signs reading…oh something silly like, “Lars von Trier” - “Kirsten Dunst” - “Charlotte Gainsbourg” - “Stellan Skarsgard” - WHAT?! (this was a very common expression throughout the night) So basically, I watched them walk in on the red carpet via the screen (which now seemed HUGE compared to Pirates) and the stood up and applauded them in as they walked RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. It was the oddest thing to see these people IRL - they EXISTED! They were HUMAN!

Finally everyone turned around and sat down and the movie started - with an introduction that, no spoilers, was one of the most stunning things I have ever seen. Simply beautiful. Overall, it’s an absolutely beautiful movie - but it can move slow at times. With the right amount of patience and a KILLER sound system (if you see it, either see it in theaters or with surround sound) it is truly phenomenal. I do have to say, this festival seems to have a lot of films that focus on how small we are in relation to the universe - a very interesting little commonality.

So the movie comes to a close - which blew me away - literally. Katherine described it as: she was leaning towards the screen at the beginning, and by the end was squished back in her seat with her eyes bulging. The man next to her asked if she was okay. Hah! I stood up and watched them all walk out! SO COOL!

We made our way back to the hotel and that’s where I am now! I am all nice and comfy and ready to go to sleep so we can go out and see “The Beaver” tomorrow night. Other than that, the screening for the film program through CMIC will be tomorrow night! SLEEPING IS SO WEIRD.

I truly don’t know how I am going to readjust once I am back. Oh, and by the way, the last picture above is one my dad sent me through an email. I opened it while I was writing this earlier and just had to include it. I miss everyone back home so much!

It’s really strange because it feels as though everything back home is on pause while I’m gone. Obviously, that’s not even close to the case - but it’s just NOT reality for me. The fact that I go to Emerson is just something I tell people here - it’s not a place I was LIVING only two weeks ago. Connecticut? What? Yeah, I guess that’s my hometown? It’s all very surreal. Goodnight everyone!

And now it’s Tuesday! Seriously - how is this happening? Sorry for the post the other day - for some reason it only showed the first few sentences! So that’s fixed now!

All right! So letz catch up a bit. Last night I was about go off to the bar hop - which is where I left ya’ll last. The first picture in the set above is Alex - after we were rejected from “Tree of Life” and decided to go to the place of winners - good ‘ol McDonalds. We decided to ditch the bar hop, since it was so early, and head out to a place called the Croisette Corner - this cute outdoor eatery with huge cocktails. After having a little bit of wine in our rooms, we headed out into the crowds of people mobbing for the premiere of “L’Apollonide” last night.

We grabbed a table outside and looked at the beautiful menus - woof - so many options. After a long deliberation we all decided and ordered. As you can see in the picture, each drink came with a huge stirring stick with three different sour gummy worms on it. SO DELICIOUS. We had a great time just laughing and joking around while drinking - being outside was gorgeous and of course, all of the fabulous people were strutting their stuff around us.

After, we decided we needed a few more drinks and went to our favorite bar - Sun7! Turns out, that’s where the bar hop crew was! So of course, we decided to stick with them - which consisted of a few Creative Minds kids, all of the Campus Moviefest coordinators, and Rob Ford (the founder of Creative Minds). They were actually just about to leave to head off for La Petit Majestic - so we followed!

Here, there were crowds all over the street (the bar itself is very open and there are tables everywhere, I think I mentioned it before!). Rob bought everyone beers and we hung out, mingling and drinking. It was SO much fun - we ran into so many people and really just had a great time. My friend Caitlin now has a possible internship at Campus Moviefest - and I got to see my fake husband again!

Basically - just an amazing night. We peaced out around 1am so we could catch the late bus back, but of course grabbed some french fries from McDonalds on the way! This led to some bathroom problems - as to get in, you have to punch in a code on your receipt, walk up a crazy flight of stairs, find your way to a stall, and then find the secret button behind the door to leave. Needless to say, I was not in the right state of mind to James Bond the McDonalds bathroom. Back safely in the hotel FINALLY, I crashed.

This morning was just like the others. Woke up, grabbed breakfast with Caitlin, shuttled in to the center, grabbed the daily magazines, and went off to Voltage. It was a relatively slow day - since most of the business is dying down at this point - so we did a grocery run for pastries and water. It’s absolutely gorgeous outside, so this was not a problem whatsoever. After a few clients and some lunch from an amazing wrap place around the corner (they put french fries in the wraps! I got falafel) it was pretty much dead.

Caitlin and I hung around the area where the clients wait and watch trailers and read the daily magazines (which I LOVE - all of the reviews from the day before and every business deal that’s public is in these magazines - I learn SO much just from reading through all of the articles). Eventually, Nicolas came up to us and told us that we needed sun and to be free and enjoy the festival without the internship restraints! Aka - it was dead and we had done our duty.

At this point, he was frank with us and, with open arms, told us if we were EVER in L.A. to call him and he would get us a job. At this point, our other Voltage bosses said the same exact thing. It was a love fest of compliments and “thank yous” and I honestly don’t think I’ve smiled so big in my whole life. They were so pleased with everything we had done (and to be honest - it wasn’t that much!) and wanted to work with us again in the future. I’ll spare you the rambling about myself - but mom and dad: looks like I’m going to be pretty set for the future!

So it’s only about 2:30pm and we had planned to be at Voltage until 6 - so with huge smiles we pranced outside into the sun and skipped our way, beaming, to the shuttle. It was truly one of the best moments here so far. We felt SO accomplished - and not as though the trip didn’t seem worth it before, but now we felt confident that we got what we came here for!

Once we were back, we decided to run and change super fast so we could go on down to the beach and get our skin lookin’ like we’ve actually been here a week. As Nicolas likes to say, “No one is going to believe you were in Cannes! Look at you! So white!” We filled our water bottles, grabbed the hotel towels, and walked a short distance past all of the rocks to the first sandy area near us. Needless to say - it was glorious. We put on our ipods and both fell asleep.

So now I’m back! My feet are still sandy and I’m looking up the reviews for the movies playing at the theater nearest to us. My options are: “L’Apollonide (House of Tolerance)” or “Halt auf feier strecke (Stopped on Track)” - the first is in Competition and the second is in Un Certain Regard. We shall see what I feel like after a shower!

Tomorrow will probably be spent waking up early and staying at the theater all day, maybe taking a beach break, and then hopefully rushing “Meloncholia” around 8pm! Again - in the spirit of Cannes - we shall see! Honestly - anything can happen here, and I think that’s what I love most about it. You can be walking down the street, bump into someone, and get invited to Kanye West’s yacht. You could be sipping a drink and learn you’re sitting next to a huge big name producer. There’s no right way to play this game - you just have to be on the field.

So here’s to the huge smile on my face that gets bigger everyday - knowing that my future is looking beautiful and Cannes 2012 is almost a definite possibility.

Love to everyone back home!

Well HELLO! I have quite a day (and a half) to talk about! So Saturday started off with a pretty casual wake up call from my lovely little Nokia and a freezing cold shower (France has not invented the technology to create hot water…apparently). Katherine, Caitlin, and I decided to go down to the Carlton today (a very fancy hotel where a lot of celebs stay) to take a table in the bar/breakfast area to try to spot some interesting people.

Well - this worked out beautifully, being that we got in and found a lovely little table - however, we did have to purchase SOMETHING to stay (which makes sense, of course). Hoping for something reasonable, we asked for a menu from the waitress - who obviously knew what was up and wasn’t really trying to hide her snarky attitude. We had to counter this with a quick reaction - order the 8€ espresso and the 10€ bottle of Corona. Hah - dumb. We drank AS slowly as possible to truly cherish the “flavor” (aka, the holes in our poor pockets).

I actually really enjoyed it - so what, it was a little expensive - but when the hell was I going to be sitting here again? Turns out, we didn’t see any famous people - at least that we knew. I think one of the hardest parts about Cannes is that successful people are all around you, but you can’t tell just by looking at them. Sure, they may have a Prada scarf, but unless you recognize them from a magazine, it won’t mean anything. In the most simplified form - the people who know how to do Cannes right KNOW all the people already. It’s a business environment, as is any competitive film festival. People are here to sell and distribute (and of course have a good time) but the truly successful people are the businessmen and women (who, by the way, there are a TON of! FEMALE POWAHH!)

Anyways - after about two hours we left to try to get into the International Village. This is the tent area seen in a lot of photos - every country has a little tent where they can advertise themselves. Funny fact: the American Pavilion is the only one in which people have to pay to enter (even if you’re. Go us! Whatevskies

Anyways - after about two hours we left to try to get into the International Village. This is the tent area seen in a lot of photos - every country has a little tent where they can advertise themselves. Funny fact: the American Pavilion is the only one in which people have to pay to enter (even if you’re American). Go us! Whatevskies. Turns out we can’t get in with our Cinephile badges (the student badges) - so we took the longer route and hopped the fence on the beach.

This led us into a HUGE tent (we think Canada? ) which had this mega buffet of the most gorgeous food you could ever imagine. Katherine was gutsy enough to grab a pretzel (apparently it was free but we looked too out of place as was for me to feel comfortable). Feeling content with our badassery, we left and were spit outside the Village’s fences. Poop. Aw well.

Soon, it was time to head back to the hotel BECAUSE we had decided to pray to the film gods for tickets to the premiere at the Lumiere that night - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4! By this, I mean - about two hours before the premiere of a movie people were stand outside (all dolled up and ready to go) and they hold little signs that read a little like this “1 billet for [insert movie here] S.V.P!” translation for ya dummies out there: “1 ticket for … please!”

To give everyone a quick very brief breakdown of how Cannes works: there are 3 BASIC different types of badges - Professional, Market, and Student (cinephile). In between these there is something called the Short Corner (which means a short film you submitted was accepted by the festival). The professional badge is self-explanatory - it’s for professionals. Market badges are for people looking to sell or buy films, and/or press and employees associated with films being screened. Student badges are what I have. All of these need to be applied for through the Festival website - they all cost money except for the Cinephile, wherein you just need to write a letter and they accept/deny you based on that.

For each level of your badge, you receive a certain amount of points to use throughout the festival. These points are used through an online registration system. Say I wanted a ticket for Pirates for the premiere  and I was a professional - I would log on maybe a day before the show, spend 100 points on the ticket, and be done with it. A Market badge may need to log on that day, check to see if any are even still available, put their points on hold, and wait to see if any more professionals want them. As you can see, there is a prioty system through the website - as well as a decrease in points within the badges. A short corner badge gives you 130 points for the entire 2 weeks. Buying a ticket for one premiere will cost 100 points (Blech!) As a Cinephile member - I do not receieve any points and can only gain access through being handed a ticket in a stroke of luck or waiting outside the theater with a sign (I have access to other theaters though).

Overall - it’s a very tricky process to navigate, and I’m still trying to understand it! However, everyone we’d talked to had gotten lucky standing outside the theater. So in 30 minutes, our hair was curled and we were in our evening gowns headed in the shuttle (yes, I know, luxurious) down to the Palais! We got there about an hour and a half before the gates closed. We took out our hand drawn little signs, pushed our boobs up a bit, and stood, poised, in front of the Palais.

Then it began to pour.

Luckily, since we were some of the first people - we got under the Palais awning area, where only our toes and the edges of our sign were getting splashed with water. Our friend Mike, which you can see in the picture, decided to stick it out and stayed out in the downpour in his suit - hilarious actually. It was actually pretty fun, considering there were a bunch of people squished together just chilling and laughing at all the beauty and glamor being squandered by the downfall.

After about 20 minutes standing in the rain in our beautiful gowns, I had a man come up to me. He passed me, then came back…”Pirates?” he asked in an accent I can’t quite place. I nodded vigorously, beaming. He reaches into his coat pocket - far too nonchalant for any man - and takes out a beautiful, pink ticket, and hands it to me with a quick nod and a smile.

I HAVE NEVER BUSTED SUCH A DANCE MOVE IN MY LIFE. IT WAS THE GREATEST MOMENT I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED.

Caitlin was beaming next to me - “Put it away!”  - she was right - all 5 of us had to get tickets, so I put the ticket safely in my purse and held my sign back up, hoping for another to share with my friends.

I think the best part throughout all of this was, one by one, we were all getting tickets. We would look at one another and do crazy eyes - obviously indicating one of us had succeeded. Throughout this process, people would pass by - having no idea any of us had gotten tickets - laughing and pointing at us - “Foolishness! You’re wasting your time!” or “Give up!” or “Why are you even bothering?” I just laughed and held my purse tighter. They had no idea. Idiots.

After an hour we only needed one more ticket! At this point, I was dancing in my dress - making everyone who passed by laugh and smile - which I loved. The red carpet was beginning to blast some American songs - so Katherine and I started belting along and flailing our arms wildly. Needless to say, we got another ticket.

(Also, to explain why people hand them out - if you buy a ticket with your points and do not use it, you are penalized. I’m not quite sure what happens, but it has something to do with losing another amount of points. Basically, if you buy a ticket, you HAVE to use it. Sometimes, people buy a whole bunch and don’t actually need them!)

At this point, we were way to giddy to handle anything. We got in line for the red carpet, giggling like idiots and tripping over our heels. A lot of people laughed at us, we joked  right on along: “Can you tell this is our first time on the red carpet?” (Oh, and I also need to mention - walking to the Palais before we started pleading for tickets, Caitlin’s dress broke. The back actually just snapped right off, causing the front to fall right on off. Luckily, Katherine went straight to McGyver mode - took the key ring off our badges, and finagled this contraption which worked PERFECT - not to mention Caitlin’s long hair covered it right up! Couldn’t even tell!)

ANYWAY - that had to be said. So we finally make it to the carpet. Lights are BEAMING on top of us, there are these beautiful red steps, and we are suddenly next to some super model in a beautiful white dress, doing her little spins for the paparazzi. Sheer. Glory. We took pictures of each other like CRAZY. I have never felt so happy and so light in my entire life. For those few moments, we were FAMOUS. Oh my goodness, I can’t even explain. There were cameras EVERYWHERE and super stars EVERYWHERE. It was heaven.

We finally made our way inside the Palais and into this giant glass area (you can see in the picture above). We stared down at all the little people who told us standing outside, dancing like idiots, wouldn’t get us any where. GUESS WHO’S LOOKIN’ DOWN ON YA NOW, BEETCHES. And then…we were in the theater - sitting next to tuxedo-ed men and gown-ed women. It. Was. Glorious.

Best part though? Pirates was being shown in 3D, so we were all given glasses. These little beauties, however, were freakin’ GOGGLES (as seen above). On the screen where the movie would be shown, there was live feed of the red carpet - so of course, I snapped photos of all the celebs walking in (which happens once all of us normal, low-lifes have taken our seats). Regardless - it was spectacular.

When they (Depp, Marshall, Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, McShane, Clafin, Berges-Frisbey) entered, the whole theater (all 2300 seats - SOLD OUT, btw) stood up and applauded. When everything finally died down, the movie started immediately.

And….it was all right, hahaha. It was weird having Bloom and Knightley replaced with the characters they chose - but I’ll let you guys see it and you can decide for yourself! We were still on a high from even being there! Basically from here, we left and went back to the hotel so we could change and go out (we heard the after-party was on a pirate ship by the yachts, but we came to terms with the sheer fact that that would not happen for us tonight)

So, we trekked it out to this night club called VIP (which is all set up “Cannes Edition” style - whatever that means). Usually, we hear stories that people meet celebrities while at this club. The other night, Chris Brown was there and David Guetta was DJing - AWESOMEEE. We had also heard that Kanye West was throwing a party with Pharrell on a yacht. I wish.

We finally got there - it was a long walk in heels! We stood in line, made a few friends, and hoped to goodness we would get in! It looked absolutely beautiful. When it finally came time for the doors to open at midnight, we started walking towards the bouncer. Our friend Katherine, with Liz and Alex, were guided up the stairs and we were calmly guided to the side. We followed, totally unaware, and found that, along with a TON of other people, were being led through a gate that was an exit. We…were rejected? We think? We’re still not sure how it happened. SO WHATEVER. SCREW VIP.

We watched them pick people to let up the stairs and really could not find any common link or reason to their choices. So, what did we decide to do? Bryce, Caitlin and I trekked it back into town and decided to go to McDonalds - the one place where they would accept us NO MATTER WHAT.

Beers (yup - you can buy that at McDonalds here) and some deluxe potatoes (french fries, but wedges instead) and we were in business. We looked super classy eating our food at 1:30am in a French McDonalds. Oh, and by the way, this McDonalds had security - what?

So we were finally satisfied, pleased with our night no matter what. We went back to the hotel and crashed hard - Caitlin and I both having to wake up for our internships in the morning.

So now we’re at today! We both ate breakfast and headed out, grabbing the daily magazines on the way to please our bosses and make us look like the best interns ever (w00t). Work went super well today! We were given compliments, ran out to grab sandwiches, got to be in the presence of Pamela McClintock, and then were given an hour long break to, as Nicolas said, “Get some sun so people will believe you were in Cannes.” So we went shopping for a bit! It was SO lovely!

Once we got back, we worked for a few more hours and then left at the normal time, 6pm. We headed straight for the McDonalds, as the other night we promised ourselves McFlurries if we survived the day. And guess what they have for options! Peanut M&Ms and Kit Kats! We both got one - DELICIOUS. SO GOOD. SO MUCH HAPPINESS.

We got back to the hotel and CHILLED. It was so nice to just SIT. I started this blog post and got the majority of it written until Bryce called and asked if we wanted to go to the screening of “Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told” at the beach! WELL OF COURSE!

So that’s where we just were. It was probably one of the nicest things ever. We got there with our hotel towels, expecting to sit on the beach, BUT it turns out they lay out a whole ton of patio chairs just like a theater! When you walk through the gate and hit the sand, they hand you the softest blankets you will ever feel, and then you go and pick you chairs. The screen itself is HUGE - and the sound was so loud and brilliant. We all smuggled in wine and sat back and enjoyed the show.

All I have to say, is Bollywood is truly amazing. I wish I knew more about it! Watching the documentary put us in the best moods ever, and we giggled and danced our best bellydance all the way back to the shuttle. Next time, we’re stealing the blankets. I cannot go one day more without feeling such triumphant cloth! Bahaha - all right. So we’re all back now and about to watch a screener Caitlin and I got from Voltage. Should prove to be amazing! Have a beautiful night everyone!

The premiere of “Tree of Life” is tomorrow - so hopefully that will happen. And by hopefully, I mean we’ll be busting out our best dance moves and WILL get a ticket!

First off - let me start by mentioning a little something about the first picture above. These two men (I guess the van stalled and wouldn’t start up) had to get out and push it across three lanes of traffic. While this would be a rather unfortunate event, the picture captures an absolute perfect moment of pure irony. My friend Caitlin pointed out that: “Tout Roule Avec” means “Running with…” and then the companies name is “ADA” - so basically, not only is the ad correct, but the employees are very committed to their company.

Anyways! Today! I woke up kinda early to get ready and grab some breakfast with Caitlin before we took our shuttle to our internship. Not too much to say about that! With my feet already throbbing, I prayed to the almighty sole gods to grant my toes the power to survive one day more (so I lied, I really meant 8). The gods figured this trick out, and granted me no such wish. It was death.

However, the internship went well today! The time went by a lot faster, being that we sort of understood what was expected of us and was able to be much more proactive in going about what needed to be done. Since we have now seen the trailers a million times over, we could give a decent synopsis for any movie we had available. I went out at one point to grab the daily round of magazines (every day, zines such as “The Hollywood Reporter” and “Variety” come out with a specialized festival edition every day - beautiful!)

All in all, it was a pretty fun day today. Of course, I’m not going to say I enjoy being on my feet constantly - but I’m pumped to throw this all on my resume! The people were work for are super nice (the whole Chartier business is silly - he’s a great man). Anyways, almost able to get through the entire day without having to lug ourselves (in heels) to the Monoprix (like a Target) and buy two packs (6 each) of huge water (we did the math - 900cl = ) - we ran out. POOP. Off we went - but once we were back, we were freeeeee!

We caught the shuttle back (through the INSANE crowds of people waiting outside the premiere of “Wu Xia”) and absolutely collapsed in our seats. My feet…were…dead. GONE. TOTALED. We decided the only way to fix this was a huge sandwich from our favorite little place - “Boca Croq” (where they know our orders) and a huge ass beer from the convenient store next door (where, yeah, they also know us). We got in the comfiest, most un-France clothes we could find and sat on my balcony, no shoes or socks, and drank - SHEER MERRIMENT. It was so joyful and triumphant.

At 8:15pm - we decided that we should go see a screening. We had just learned that one theater, called the “Canne Cinephiles,” is literally right around the corner from our hotel (no trekking it out in the shuttle to the center) and it shows day-after screenings! SOOOO…”Sleeping Beauty” it was! The theater wasn’t the most beautiful thing in the world, but the seats were plush, red, and the comfiest thing I had sat in since the plane!

The movie was definitely strange - but in the best way possible. It was the perfect movie to talk about afterwards (which we certainly did!) Here’s the link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Sjhqw4QAU

So now - we are having a night in with a few bottle of wine! Goodnight everyone! Talk to you in the morning!

And I’m back! This won’t be an incredibly long post because I need to go to bed for my internship in the morning! It was a relatively chill night tonight - which was much needed. We got all dolled up in an attempt to find the hotel party we were invited to. We arrived at the Majestic, got past the security fine, and then realized that finding the actual event wouldn’t be easier.

We tried to ask around - but to no avail. Finally, we saw the sign for the movie “Gotti” which stars Al Pacino - the movie the man we met on the bus produced. This was obviously where we needed to be - and yet there wasn’t a sign of a “party.” People were, though, having quite the elegant dinner! Feeling a wee bit out of place, we peaced out and decided to grab a bite to eat instead.

On the way to the hotel we had seen my friend Bryce waiting in line to see the premiere of “Sleeping Beauty.” We told him to call us if he didn’t get in, and sure enough, we were meeting up with him within a few minutes to all go find a place to eat together. Turns out, this was a great decision.

We wandered for a bit and stumbled upon the 50s diner we had been looking for before (this place really confuses me - why is it here??) However, the food selection was limited to hot dogs - so onward we went! It’s very difficult to stop in front of restaurants and check the prices on the menus outside because as soon as you stop, all of the waiters come flocking, explaining the specials and basically ensnaring you into their joint. While the service is much appreciated - it’s so hard to say ‘no’ to people!

Thank goodness we did though - to quite a few actually - because we wound up finding this place called “Pepperoni” (seen above) - if you’re curious, here’s the link! http://www.restaurant-pepperoni.com/

What an amazing place! The four of us sat outside on this amazing patio with a whole load of other people. We were given English menus - we all joked, “HOW COULD YOU TELL?” and settled down to decide what to order. Turns out, they had an amazing fixed price menu that included a starter, a main course, and a dessert! (My first guess would be that these were small portions - oh..ho, ho, so wrong) We decided to all go for it and buy a bottle of wine to accompany it! If we were going to have a solid French dinner, we had to go all out.

My pockets didn’t hurt for long! Our waiter was simply the nicest man in the world, and came with our wine in this amazing plastic container filled with ice water that had handles - so nifty! We toasted to the experience and began our authentic French dinner with salads - mine being roasted vegetables. Wow! As you can see above, it was a hefty amount of food!

Next came the main course, which I ordered salmon for (paired perfectly with the salmon sandwich I ate earlier today - oof) I don’t think I have tasted anything better in my whole entire life. No joke. It was the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten. I don’t even have anything more to say on the matter.

During this time, many street vendors walked by and tried to sell us things - mainly hats and such. Though my favorite was this man who walked by with a stuffed animal of sorts, kind of the type that are electronic and move and sing a bit. This thing was screaming out “Yeah!” by Usher and was, quite simply, a black ghetto doll. This + salmon = perfection. Also, these group of street performers came by and did all sorts of acrobatic stunts right in between the patio and the guests! I’ll post a video sometime tomorrow!

Our waiter let our food settle a bit, and then brought out our dessert! It was a platter consisting of chocolate mousse, panna cotta, and tiramusu! AMAZING! I haven’t felt stuffed in quite a while - which is great! Being that the French seem to only eat a very light breakfast and then only one huge meal, it was nice to be getting into that sort of rhythm. With all the walking we’ve been doing - I’m feeling great!

As we finished, the owner brought us out a round of shots - which was so nice! He was the cutest little man, who liked to do this dance with his butt whenever the people singing karaoke in the actual restaurant hit a high note. Perfection. After a man playing the piano accordion serenaded us, we had been Frenched out. Off we went!

We had planned to go to a place called VIP all the way down the Crossiete, however it was quite a walk and we bumped into a group of guys we knew from the Creative Minds program about a fourth of the way there. Making a quick decision, we all went to Sun7 together. My feet were forever grateful (this is the time to mention that when I return, my feet will be a bloody pulp of nothing - all that’s holding them together at the moment is a couple of Scooby Doo band-aids from my darling Caitlin).

Anyways! So we get to the bar and grab a few drinks and decide to sit down. Being that we’ve been there the past two nights, the bartenders know us by name and the owner, Luca, is so extremely friendly. We learned that they only opened the bar 6 days ago! This explains all the special treatment and free drinks! We promised to at least show our faces every night - all of the workers are seriously the sweetest.

We left relatively early so we could get some sleep. I have to say - while I may not be as savvy and with it as some people, or even meeting as many people as humanly possible, I am genuinely enjoying this experience. If anything, it is a huge motivator to really work hard at everything I do. Someday, I just want to be in a position where I can reach out to all the young people who I know are dying to become a part of a fantastic industry.

Above all - that’s what it comes down to. Cannes is a place that worships film. The industry is bowed down to here - as are all the people within it.

I just want to keep on learning and keep on moving - and we’ll see what happens! Got to be up early tomorrow - I’ll keep you posted!