Jet Setter

Shop Je Ne Sais Quoi - The Little Black Dress Test

 

I've been in search of the perfect little black dress for quite a few months, actually quite a few years. I have yet to find that indispensable dress that's my go-to when I can't figure out what to wear and always looks fantastic.

My quest has taken me on the proverbial fashion quiz - The Little Black Dress Test

It told me I was chic, worldly, and charming. I love the flattery of these things and to get open-toed heels. Ok?

I discovered a beautiful little fashion book at Barnes and Noble by Didier Ludot called "Little Black Dress: Vintage Treasure." Ludot owns the most famous vintage store in Paris and has a collection of black dresses featuring designers such as Chanel, Balenciaga and more. It's been a nice addition to my coffee table books. But alas - no little black dress for me.

And then comes Shop Je Ne Sais Quoi.  Their concept is really simple - "every woman should have each season's essential pieces in their wardrobe.  The 5 MUST HAVES. I found a beautiful black dress by Lallou Eden that can be worn as a halter dress or skirt.  I didn't buy it, but will check back often to see what they have in stock each season.

Here are some favorite new Spring looks from Sunday Brunch Dress, a cool little NYC boutique with some trend-setting designers. I'm diggin' the trench dress.

- Denise

Pierre Herme or Laduree? Paris' Macaron War Rages On

 

 
If I could bring anything home from Paris and place it in my backyard, it would be Pierre Herme's tiny little pastry shop.  My favorite memories of Paris are actually of me waiting in line outside his shop for my weekly treat of 3 tiny little macarons. You name it, he's got the flavors to tantalize and titillate your taste buds - chocolate and passion fruit, violet and now hazelnut and foie gras.

I've tried Laduree's and all the other macarons out there. I even took a pastry making class and attempted to make these little biscuits.  I never realized how hard making pastries was, your measurements have to be exact or Tant Pis (Too Bad)  - you've ruined it.

Check out these divine posts from HiP Paris on Pierre Herme's wonderful little macarons. They even had a day where he was giving them out for free. I love Pierre Herme - Come to America!

- Denise

Free Macarons in Paris

Pierre Herme or Laduree - Paris' Macaron War Rages On

Top 10 Ipod Apps for Travelers

 

by Sarah Novak, Expat Women.com

We all know that having the right tools is critical for success in any endeavor.  When you travel or live overseas though, having the right tools becomes essential to completing your daily tasks.  While you may be familiar with more traditional resources like guide books and maps, I wanted to share with you how to leverage up-and-coming iPod technology to smooth out those rough points in your overseas advetures.

I am focusing on Apple's iPod applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, because I absolutely love iPod applications and see how iPod applications can make life easier for so many of us.  However, with thousands of applications available to download, the task of finding the right applications can be daunting, so after some online research.

Take a look at my list of the top ten applications for travelers and expats.

Mama Africa by Akon

Surviving Inevitable Expat Culture Shock When You Move Abroad

 

 

From Shelter Offshore

Most people who move to another country experience some form of culture shock.  You may work for an organisation which gives you pre-departure or post-arrival support, and it is likely that ways of dealing with culture shock will feature in the information you are given.  However, for most other people who move on their own or with their job, little support is available.

The accepted wisdom is that culture shock is a curve, though I prefer to see it as a series of waves.  Initially there is a high, when everything is new and exciting, then there is a low where everything seems frustrating, different and perhaps depressing.  For many long-term expats, this wave cycle continues for the entirety of their time away from home - with less pronounced peaks and troughs over time.

In this report we’re going to help you identify when you’re in it, and explore ways to get out of it.  It is inevitable, but in the greater scheme of things, it really isn’t that bad – and it is easily managed and overcome with a little understanding and some good friends.

Keeping Face in China - Understanding the Effects of Mianzi and Guanxi

The concept of "face," i.e., mianzi, is a very difficult one to explain in a few sentences. It is also impossible to discuss "face" without introducing the related concept of guanxi, i.e., "relationship" or social networking. Nevertheless, these two concepts, and how they are expressed in day-to-day life in China, are absolutely essential for foreigners to understand, prior to their arrival, if they are to avoid feeling insulted or disrespected.

From a Western perspective, it is very difficult to fully appreciate just how critically important the role of face is in the day-to-day lives of the Chinese. A recent study conducted by the China Youth Daily found that over 93% of the 1,150 respondents surveyed admitted that face is very important to them, with 75% acknowledging that making a mistake in public was, by far, the most humiliating experience they could ever have (Shan, 2005). In other words, most Chinese will do whatever they can to avoid looking bad in public and that often manifests itself in an unwillingness to openly admit to any wrongdoing, no matter how small or insignificant the error might have been. This phenomenon goes a long way in explaining, for example, why the vast majority of Chinese students are so reluctant to voluntarily participate in class or even during less formal activities such as English corners: The fear of making a mistake in front of others is just too overwhelmingly prohibitive.

 

Drive by Karsh Kale

One of my favorite electronic masters - he fuses Eastern and Western music to perfection. It just takes you to a different plane of existence. One of his first albums and a classic is "Broken English," check it out if you haven't already. Other favorites - "Beautiful" - "Distance"  - "Letting Go" - "Abyss,"

 "Drive" is one of the best songs to chill to sitting in traffic.

Mastering Cheese 101

 

I have to admit that I'm intimidated by cheese. I've often looked at the stacks of cheese in the deli section of the grocery store and have always wondered what do you do with all that cheese. And it didn't help that when I was in France for a while I'd look at the cheese shops (fromagerie) and not dare go in.I'm not comfortable enough with cheese in English and certainly not French. 

It's amazing that the French love their cheese.  A French friend of mine who now lives in Dallas said one of the things she misses the most about France is the cheese.  So what's the deal with cheese?

 

To deal with my intimidation, I ended up going to a cheese and wine tasting, at the encouragement of my French friend of course.  Headed to Scardello Artisan Cheese in Dallas for Cheese 101.We tried 16 cheeses! 

What I enjoyed the most was pairing the cheeses with dried fruit or honey and bacon - flavors that I wouldn't have thought to put on a cheese platter. I preferred it seems the Raw Cow's Milk cheeses. Though I do love goat cheese. So here are my favorites. One caveat, I'm not  a stinky cheese fan, so it's heavy on the other cheeses.

1. Barely Buzzed - Beehive Cheese Co., Utah.  Loved this. A raw cow's milk cheese it had a nutty flavor and my favorite aspects of the cheese were the espresso rinds and lavender flowers. This is the cheese for the coffee lovers in your life.
2. Parmigiano Reggiano - Bonati, Italy. Everyone knows parmesan, but we had it paired with dried pineapple.
3. Extra Aged Gouda - Holland. - This had a caramel and butterscotch taste and we paired it with caramel. Would never have thought to do that.
4. Appenzeller, Beeler, Switzerland. Another raw cow's milk cheese that if you like almonds goes extremely well.
5. Stichelton - Neal's Yard Dairy, England. This raw cow's milk cheese has a fruity and appley tast. Goes well with bacon.

We had several wines to go with the cheese tasting. But my favorite was a crisp, beautiful white - Milbrandt 2007 Riesling from Washington. Fantastic wine.

Websites

Scardello Artisan Cheese

Milbrandt Riesling

Poking the Camembert - Check out this great article on cheese and buying it in Paris.

Photo of Cheese by Kristin Hohenadel, The Kitchn.com. Photo of Cheese Shop by Denise Mpinga.