Coals to Newcastle

Did I mention that my brother's getting married? In about a week, I'm heading out to San Francisco, to join in the festivities and begin a stay of several weeks in the states. I can't wait to see everyone. Aside from San Francisco, I'll be home a bit, and in Boston a bit, and even in New York a bit, so hopefully if you're in one of those places I'll get to see you.

I digress, though. My brother is getting married, and he and my soon-to-be belle soeur M sent me my bridesmaid dress, well, two actually, because we weren't sure on the sizes. God forbid you should send formalwear to France. The package actually got taxed at customs; I had to have D and M send me a jpg of the bill for the dresses to prove what they cost, and then they charged me around 60€. Sheesh! And one of them, I wasn't even going to be wearing!

The one that fit best still needed to be altered. After asking around in vain for a good seamstress or tailor, I checked Paris Pas Cher and found a tailor in the Marais. Little old Jewish guy (I think Czech originally), comes up to about my chin, and gave me the best fitting I've ever had in my life, which is rather important when you are wearing a long black satin strapless dress at your brother's wedding!

My favorite comment of his was "Il faut respecter votre morphologie," that is, to say, we have to respect your morphology. Apparently morphologie is a very sensible word in French for your physical form, but it nearly made me crack up. Good thing I didn't, as he had pins up and down my ribs and that could have turned out badly...