Kristi here. It’s my daughter’s turn to write today so you’re sure to get a spicy update! Today’s special includes a little cabaret, some trendy press-on nails, and… another glowing spectacle outside Jackie and Vin’s apartment. Don’t miss a word!

TODAY’S WORD: le quotidien : daily life; everyday routine
PRONUNCIATION: [luh – koh – tee – dee – ahn]

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Certains jours nous sortent du quotidien et nous rappellent que tout est possible.
Some days pull us out of everyday life and remind us that anything is possible.

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A REAL SCREAMING POT OF TEA by Jackie Espinasse

“Something really bad happened.”

That’s the text I left Vin after trying to get him on the phone in a panic. I thought getting our bike stolen right in front of us by a guy with a saw was the worst thing I could ever witness. I was wrong. This one is a real screaming pot of tea!

But first, I’ll leave you hanging by going back to the beginning…

My cousin Erik was in the city that week. After almost ten years apart, I kept noticing how similar we are—in the way we talk, the way we view the world, and even in our sense of humor. He’s a rug designer in Los Angeles who has a breathtaking showroom in New York. Somehow, neither of us realized we were in the city at the same time. Once we found out, Erik took me to see Moulin Rouge!—the musical on Broadway.

It was pleasant sitting in the front row: extra leg room, a better view, and the performers making direct eye contact with us. Erik, as a designer, not only has good taste, but he also knows how to elevate a night. Sitting there, in front of these artists whose dreams had come true, made me believe that tout est possible.

The next day was a big one for my very best friend Jennifer. She has a press-on nails business, and for the first time, she got the chance to showcase her designs in a beauty supply store. I helped her set up the display, arrange the products, and for once, I wasn’t just a kindergarten teacher walking into another ordinary day. I stepped into a different version of myself. By the end of the day, we packed all her nails into a suitcase and ran through the pouring rain back to my place. Exhausted, we crashed on the couch for hours.

Then Jennifer got up to get some water. That’s when she saw it…

“Jackie! There’s a car on fire right outside the window!”

A car was completely engulfed in flames, six feet from my window.

“Ça va exploser !”

I grabbed Jennifer by the shoulder and rushed upstairs. We couldn’t even leave the building; the car was too close. Jen called 911 while I banged on every door I could. I kept imagining the car bursting at any time now, the windows breaking, the whole building catching fire.

Meanwhile, Jennifer snuck back downstairs to watch.

“Get back up here, tu es folle!” I yelled.

“You should come see,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”

The fire station was only a block away. Les pompiers were able to put it out in under a minute. No explosion. No broken windows.

Later, Vin laughed over the phone. “Jackie, cars only explode like that in movies.”

And in the end, I realized how quickly life can shift. That night, lying in bed, I thought: wow. In less than twenty-four hours, I had seen a Broadway show, helped my friend launch her business, and ended the day watching a car burn right outside my window.

It all felt unreal.

I was grateful to have experienced so many emotions. It was the kind of day that breaks the routine of ordinary life–le quotidien–and reminds me how unpredictable, strange, and beautiful life can be.

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NOTES:
Did you know? Moulin Rouge means “Red Windmill.” The famous Paris cabaret got its name from the bright red windmill mounted on its roof when it opened in the Montmartre district in 1889. The windmill became an iconic symbol of Paris nightlife and the Belle Époque era.

FRENCH VOCABULARY

Ça va exploser = It’s going to explode

Moulin Rouge = Red Windmill

tout est possible = Everything is possible 

tu es folle = You are crazy

les pompiers (m) = firefighters

le quotidien = daily life / daily routine

REMERCIEMENTS
Thank you to the following readers for your donation this past week to this journal!

Cate S.

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Whether you’ve been reading for years or just stumbled upon this little corner of France, thank you for being here. These stories continue thanks to reader encouragement. If you’d like to help maintain this journal, here are a few simple ways:

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EDITS WELCOME
If you spot a typo, mistake, or ambiguity, thank you for letting me know at Kristin.espinasse@gmail.com