We’ll always have Paris, my darling friends. And themes.
Blog post by Teresa LeYung-Ryan
The date that Elisa Sasa Southard had written on the first page of the notebook (with drawing of Eiffel Tower on the cover) that she had given me is 20 April 2015. The words she penned in purple ink included pieces from my mental wish list:
“Must See – Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Rodin’s, Sainte-Chapelle, Shakespeare and Company
Must Do – Museum pass, Walking tour
Movies to Watch – Midnight In Paris, French Kiss, Irma La Douce, Populaire, The Closet ”
Aah I had seen Woody Allen’s movie Midnight In Paris in a theater, and, later, rented it several times just to see the first four minutes (shots of arrondissements “neighborhoods”) with 3 minutes and 20 seconds of composer Sidney Bechet’s saxophone magic “Si Tu Vois Ma Mere”
Then Margie Yee Webb gifted me 3 books – The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter; Forever Paris: 25 Walks in the Footsteps of Chanel, Hemingway, Picasso, and More by Christina Henry de Tessan; The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious – and Perplexing – City by David Lebovitz
Even if I cannot go...reading David Lebovitz's most beautifully written book THE SWEET LIFE IN PARIS made me smile happy tears.
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The plan was to go to gay Paris (pronounced “Paree”) in 2016. In May 2015, my papa received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease – that explains his leg weakness, tremors, and freezing, as well as the “shuffling”. As my darling friends were talking dates and flights, I heard myself saying “I can’t go…What if I am in Paris…and Papa falls…” My friends were sympathetic. Trip planning was terminated.
I created a blog series “Parkinson’s Disease, My Chinese Papa, and My practicing The Four Agreements” (you know, the book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz)
One day, after Papa had assembled a pedal-exerciser (I was so happy for him), he got up too fast…plop. He fell, right in front of me. His recliner broke his fall. What a lucky fellow! I was in shock for two whole seconds. Gosh, a lot of worrisome thoughts raced through my brain as he popped up to standing position, with a look that said “That did not happen, you did not see that.”
Later that week, I had my epiphany – I could hear my mom telling me “You cannot worry about what might or might not happen.” She’s been my muse every since she showed up in a mighty healing dream – a dream that inspired my “Talking to My Mom Monologues”.
Here she was again, being the muse. I started a new monologue “Papa Fell Down, I’m Going to Paris”
I called my darling friends. “Let’s look at calendars. How’s September 2016?”
Teresa LeYung-Ryan here, inspired by the arrondissments we walked in and everyone who have made my 8-day trip to Paris a most remarkable experience. The “everyone” includes my papa, sister, friends (including Margie, Sasa et Will, Linda, Vicki, Lynn, Luisa, Martha, Olga, Kristiane, Cousin Howard, JB, my darling mom of course), colleagues, vendors, and strangers who have given me their well wishes or assistance or greetings of “bonjour” or all the above. Traveling with Elisa “Sasa” Southard (certified tour director and travel writer) who speaks Français and is such a fun and thoughtful leader and Margie Yee Webb (author, photographer, documentary film producer) who pays attention to details and is also so thoughtful = joy and delight for me (whose knowledge of magical Paris had been from watching Hollywood, English and French movies…until now).
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Aah, we (Elisa Sasa Southard, yours truly Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Margie Yee Webb) did go. Thank you, lovely AirFrance flight attendant, for taking photo minutes before landing at Charles de Gaulle airport.
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Oui! La Tour Eiffel ("tour" is French word for "tower") is really that beautiful - by day, by night, in sun, in rain! Oui! that is Sasa with Chronicle Books bag (that Margie gifted us) over her right shoulder.
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Parisian architecture, sandstone buildings, trees trees trees, Eiffel Tower!
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The most yummy-looking and truly delicious quiche we enjoyed in Paris was at Café de Flore
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The themes that I got from being in “The City of Light” are:
* sandstone buildings, why maximum height is eight-stories
* what to eat at a boulangerie, pâtisserie, bistrot, traiteur, brasserie, or a restaurant
* art is beauty for all the senses
Forthcoming:
Part 2 What I learned about the Eiffel Tower and the architect
Part 3 Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre, Musée Rodin, museum passes
Part 4 Croissants in Paris and my being wheat gluten intolerant
Part 5 Walked, Walking, Will Walk
Part 6 Airplane, Batobus (ferries), Metro (subway), buses, train, elevators
Part 7 I want to look at everything at the U Express supermarket s’il vous plaît
Part 8 “Make Your Name Stand for Something,” says Writers’ Platform-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan
Part 9 “I’ll always cherish my time in Paris,” says Teresa LeYung-Ryan
Abiento!
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Teresa LeYung-Ryan uses her fiction and nonfiction to advocate speaking openly about the stigmas associated with mental illness and the repercussions from family violence.
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She is the author of:
- the mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart (used as required reading in colleges)
- the workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days
- Coach Teresa’s Blog at http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/
- her monologue series “Talking to My Dead Mom” (her monologue “Answer Me Now” received an award from CWC Redwood Writers)
Creator of:
- the “Immigrant Experience” Writing Contest
- workshops including:
- “For Theme’s Sake: Edit Your Own Manuscript Before Pitching to Agents or Self-Publishing”
- “Heroes, Tricksters, Villains – Know Your Archetypes”
- “Where Are You on Your Writer’s Journey?”
- Build/Retrofit Your Writer’s Platform
- her trademark Love Made of Heart
Affiliated with:
- Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter (member and past board member and officer)
- California Lawyers for the Arts (member)
- California Writers Club (member, San Francisco Peninsula Branch and Redwood Branch; a past president of the San Francisco Peninsula Branch); a recipient of the Jack London Award for outstanding service to California Writers Club
Advocate for:
- public schools and public libraries!
