Almost French

Almost French by Sarah Turnbull
304 pages. Gotham Books $13.00
ISBN 1-592-40082-5-5130

Almost French is the grown–up, European version of a Disney princess tale. When I was little I longed to sing like Ariel, be pursued like Snow White, and dress like Sleeping Beauty. I still dream of the same things, just now there’s a grown up twist. I want to kick-ass like Anna Wintour, have my frog of a boyfriend turn into a prince, and be dressed in head-to-toe Chanel. Alas, for me, these are still dreams. For Sarah, they come true.
Sarah is a poor, young, adventurous journalist in Eastern Europe. One night at dinner she decides to take a dashing man up on his offer to come visit him in Paris. When Sarah arrives at Charles De Gaulle airport she immediately panics. What was she thinking, coming to visit a man she barely knows who doesn’t even speak English! Despite some rather amusing cultural misunderstandings, Sarah and Frederic enjoy six weeks exploring Paris and its countryside. After the wonderful summer in France, Sarah decides she must get back to reality and her low-paying job in Romania.
After six months of phone calls and letters, Sarah makes a life-changing decision to leave her job and move in with Frederic. Sarah’s second time in Paris starts off as exciting and thrilling as her first. But after a few months of no work and no friends, Sarah feels lonely. So Frederic helps her sets up an at-home office to find writing gigs and they give up their spacious apartment in Paris’ suburbs to move to the heart of the city. This change of scenery gives Sarah new energy to explore and become a part of the French culture. She takes French classes, finally makes French friends, and even gets the ultimate French status symbol, a dog. More specifically, a West Highland terrier named Maddie.
After seven years trying to blend into the French culture, Sarah still doesn’t feel like she belongs. The words of a wise Greek man she once interviewed ring true: she will always feel “like an Australian in France and a Frenchman in Australia.” In other words, her heart will always be divided between her old way of life in Australia and her new one in France. After accepting this fact, Sarah begins to feel more comfortable in her own skin and finds that this is the key to Parisian acceptance.
This feel-good memoir encourages readers to achieve their own aspirations by describing the way that she realizes her own. The princess of this fairy tale describes the lifelong journey of a woman trying to discover her own identity in a city full of faux pas and facades. Although it has a predictable plotline, there are plenty of amusing anecdotes that make this book an enjoyable, easy read. Almost French gives great insight into the complicated yet rewarding Parisian lifestyle.

yay!

AH so I got the internship I was dying to get! Even though I spent less that 24 hours in NYC, it was packed with so much stuff! I had 3 interviews: Elle at 9am, WWD at 12pm, and Marie Claire at 3pm.... which I didn't make cuz I took the job with WWD!!! WWD stands for Women's Wear Daily, which is what insiders call "the fashion bible". Do I agree? Hell yeah!
WWD is a daily paper that is on the desk of every major fashion editor by 9am. It is one step ahead of what magazines are going to publish a few months later. They talk about the business side of fashion and the upcoming trends. I remember last year at Glamour I had that on Sarah Meikle's desk way before she got into the office because it was the first thing she liked to look at when she arrived.
To say I'm excited would be an understatement. All I know is that this summer may be even better than the last and hopefully, put my foot in the door for a job 6 months later when I graduate!

what's ur story

Ah this weekend burned me out, thanksgiving and birthday. My brain isn't quite working right! So tell me, where have you guys interned? What do you know about the fashion industry? Who have you interned for? Lemme know!

Change of Plans

AHHH! On a whims notice an editor asked me to come interview next Tuesday! Of course I told her I could fly up to NYC, but now I am scrambling to finish my term paper that is due next Monday and also find time to celebrate my 21st birthday!

Luckily my dad will be in NYC on business so he can foot the bill, but I still have so much more to plan!

Ever had to change your plans last minute for a job?? Tell me about it!
Despite the stress factor, I can't wait to head back to the city, see all the Christmas decorations, and hopefully land an internship...wish me luck!

If the Devil wears Prada... do I?

I know one girl that thought just because she was interning for Chanel she had to wear Chanel every day to work. For the majority of us, that would mean over $40,000 in debt! The rest of the interns just laughed at her - no one at the office wore Thanel every day.
When I walked in the door at Glamour, I was surprised that half the staff was dressed casual in jeans and the other half in dresses and heels. That's what's great about working in fashion - everyone dresses in their own style. Even though there was no dress code, I wore chic, casual dresses to the office. It's better to dress for the job you want, not the job you have. It's the best way to get noticed as an intern!

Sell Yourself

I just got out of a seminar for college students wanting to enter the entertainment industry. Panelists had worked for Harpers Bazaar, E!Entertainment, William Morris Talent Agency and Allure Magazine. One panelist made a great point about getting into the business:
Popular agencies and companies receive over 200 resumes a week. So how do you separate yourself from the crowd? By selling yourself and telling them why they need you (even as an intern!). These are some of the traits he looks for in an employee

• How talented is this person?
• How passionate are they about the industry?
• Do they have a certain "look" or personality that sets them apart?
• What relationships, knowledge or connections can they bring to the table?
• How accountable are they? Do they bring any "baggage?"
• Do they have a 2nd skill they can bring to the position? (ie language, job experience)

He made another great point: Make your resume stand out. He strongly suggested creating another element to your resume by making a YouTube video, writing a blog, or using another creative outlet selling who you are.
So what do you think about the idea of "selling yourself"? Is it like selling your soul or is it just a necessary marketing tool to get your foot in the door?

Confessions of a Former Vogue Intern

Check out this article about a Londoner who moved to NYC to intern for Vogue's fashion department. Everything she describes is typical of what any fashion intern will do. Granted, she worked there in winter 2005, so remember that things may have changed since she's been there.

A Million Girls Would Kill For This Chance

Oh and by the way, I don't advise ranting about your former employer if you plan on working in the fashion industry! What comes around goes around baby!

Age... Does it Matter?

When is a good time to start interning? I use to think you had to wait til you were atleast a junior in college. And that it was really hard to get an internship as well. In reality, you can start applying as early as 18 years old. It may be harder to get the job, but I interned with one girl that had just graduated from high school. Granted, she interned during May, which is oftentimes a transition period between the spring and summer interns.
Some magazines offer internships to high school students. I've heard of some magazines that offer one week internship opportunities for high schoolers through school charity auctions. I've only seen them in the northeast because the schools are close to NYC, but there may be some at local magazines elsewhere.
But what's the average age of interns? Most are a junior or senior in college, or even a recent graduate!

I got the job... now where the heck do I live?!

A few girls have wondered about how in the world you find housing in the Big City. I got really lucky. I forgot the date for NYU summer housing registration and totally missed the deadline. So I scrambled around and after a LOT of searching, found an awesome master bedroom on Craigslist.
Granted, the $2250 rent was a little much so I shared the huge room (and a bed!) with one of my best friends. The $1,125 a month I paid is almost the exact same cost I would have paid had a lived in an NYU dorm. Believe me, I got the better deal! My beautiful apartment in Chelsea was only 2 subway stops from my job in Times Square - not to mention the 24/7 security, terrace and workout facilities!
So if you are looking for a place to live this winter or spring, my advice is to check Craigslist - and be persistent! It took me a month to find the perfect fit!

Don't Miss the Deadlines!

So it's finally the time of year where we find ourselves so busy with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, finals, papers, gift shopping, gift wrapping and..... intern applications! Yes, it is time to start applying if you want to get a leg up on the 100s of girls who will soon be applying for that New York internship! So how do you get started? View this list as a starters guide:

• Create a Resume with ANY experience you have, especially if you have any that relates to the field you want to intern for
  
• Find out who you know, your friends know, your parents know, that could give you an intial contact in the field
  
• Clean up your Facebook, MySpace, etc BEFORE you even think about applying! Every boss checks these sites to get your scope (believe me, I watched a fellow intern meekly supply facebook information about future interns for her boss!)
  
• Go to Ed2010 to see what internships are already posted
  
• study up on the industry! Visit the sites on the left of the page to get you started
  
• write a short e-mail to the intern coordinator -- attach your resume.
  
• apply to various places, you never know who you will hear back from

Finally wait patiently to hear back from them. Some coordinators will tell you its too soon or too late. be persistant and see what pops up. But please, don't call them unless they ask. E-mail is the way to go, I promise you assistants check their e-mail constantly! Wait a few weeks to hear back from them. If they don't respond, send a polite e-mail reminding them of your application/resume.
Any questions? Feel free to ask!