Elle a du chien et moi alors?

Too cold for a cocktail...a mulled wine will do!

You know that you're screwed when all the television networks in France keep discussing the "cold patch" and the front page of every newspaper reports a drop to -35 degrees in Russia. Yes I'm screwed. Every time I check "la meteo" (weather forecast) it is in the faint hope of seeing the little yellow sun image. No such shitting luck. Every day it is the flickering white snow flake over our region.
Well on another front the festival is over. We have worked as well as possible. Wined, dined and schmoozed with everyone we needed to. Let's be honest I think I am naturally gifted at this job title. Who wouldn't be?
Well I suppose it isn't for everyone. You have to be interested in everything everyone says, bright, bubbly and aggressively push your project in the most classy manner. And never...never take yourself too seriously.

Yup "elle a du chien"

The L.A film festival offer Producers and directors labs to the deserving held on George Lucas' ranch. He has been known to make the odd appearance himself. The Irish had a very strong presence here... aren't they adorable? Would love to be hosted by them in Cork...nothing like a good Guinness either. In the cold would definetly warm you up. And of course the festival has been full of annoyingly thin, tall and very sexy french women. They have what the locals call "du chien" which has nothing to do with dogs before you ask... It means they have p'zazz or spunk or that "je ne sais quoi" which is not always a physical attractiveness but something from within. You could call it sex appeal. And the frenchies have it. Every which way you turn.

How come it all goes straight to my ass?

I must admit to be missing Mumbai. I miss the vibrancy, spice and warmth. The people in the north can be at times stressed, pale and cold. And I'm not used to it. People can be indifferent up here. They just don't seem to care...you get that feeling that you're on your own. If you don't like the service then take a hike love. If you don't like the coffee- tough shit. Which I would have to say you never get in Mumbai.
They are such vastly different worlds that there is no point even comparing. I am looking forward to warming up and heading south to visit some of "mes amis". That will make me feel more at home being in my own stomping ground and knowing the locals. Perhaps it's just the weather that's influencing me...but. Well. Hmmmm. Perhaps I'm more Mumbai now than I think. How'd that happen? Shocking. I need more cheese, wine and cigarettes. Yes that'll do the trick.And while I'm at it I wanna get myself "du chien" like all these french minxes surrounding me.
Talk soon friends.
Queenie xxx

Snow flakes

Can I have a hot cocktail please?

I love, love, love Z&V

Okay so I have an issue. (Well more than one let me assure you!) But it's just too god damned cold here in France for my poor Mumbai accustomed self. Today it was -5 degrees and tomorrow they have announced -9 degrees for our city. That is just insane. Cruel in all honesty. It is soooo cold that I have had to resort to eating copious amounts of cheese and thus I have to have the wine that goes with it. I would say I have gained at least 20kgs in 4 days. How you ask? Well cheese, wine, crepes and croissants. Need I say more? And of course the 15kgs of bulky unflattering clothing I have to wear to keep the blood in my veins from freezing. C'mon I'm part indian. I don't belong in the snow. But the festival parties are definetly making up for the cold. The people are warming up a lot and all becoming familiar faces by now. It's quite a fantastic little community actually. I had to laugh at the aging ex beauty pageant actress from the U.S. Boy she should have sued her plastic surgeon...just saying. Although she probably ended up marrying him so that wouldn't have done her any favours suing her hubby. Speaking of hubbies...? Yes. I will admit to missing mine. And the tiddly winks. Plus the thought of them basking in the warmth and vibrancy and spice of India actually makes me slightly envious. No no no. I'm in France. It's wonderful. And yes before you ask I have definetly been shopping. A quick stop at Galeries Lafayette slyly in between screenings. Sale season is fabulous here and I hit up Zadig and Voltaire for some gorgeous woollens and then bought myself a fluro yellow cashmere sweater and a hot pink silk shirt to get a bit of colour back in my life. My leopard print Manolo Blahnik's are pitiful in the snow. But I refuse to wear moon boots. I'd rather stay home quite frankly. Bon. Il est tres tard. Il faut que j'aies.
I will keep you informed with my latest. Promise will be kept. Rest assured.
Queenie the freezing Queen of the suburbs xxx

Film festival buzz

Bonjour mes chers amis,

The Queen is in France for film festivals and then onto Berlin for more of the same. It is beautiful here in France with a thin blanket of snow in the town we are in... Mumbai we are not!
It's 6am and I am off to an awfully early start to the festival with screenings and meet and greets. Lots of fabulous and lots of avant euro types here. Where is the bling and bollywood? The people here look cold, pale and a tad stressed. Hmmmmm. Poor darlings. Getting ready this morning was a case of how many layers one could get on at once. Right off for a croissant and coffee. A bientot.

Queenie live from France xxx

Bon Voyage

Hello darlings,
Long time no hear if I don't say so myself. I have been a busy little bee up here in Mumbai! One of my gorgeous friends from Sydney (that I have known since I was old enough to order a cosmo) has been visiting. We have been shopping and pampering and eating and drinking ourselves around town. As you do. While HRH is away the Queen must play! Just quickly getting some bits and pieces together for our trip down to Udaipur today. My driver has whisked my girlfriend off downtown while I get everything packed. We leave this afternoon and get back saturday night. Will be fantastic.I'm in a bit of a panic as have a last minute business trip to Paris and Bordeaux booked for next sunday.That gives me a half a day turn around in Mumbai.  But will be great to be out and about in France again- I can't believe it has been over 5 months. Oh dear, should I tell everyone I'm back in town? Might not be the best idea as I only have a 12 day turn around in France and will have so much to do...argh! But if they find out I was in town and never shared "une bouteille ou un verre quand meme!" I will seriously be "dans la merde". Will keep you posted.
Queenie xxx

O for Oprah

OMG it's the big "O"

The Queen of the small screen is in Mumbai everyone. Yes that's right it's OPRAH! And of course the US chat show queen has kicked off her week-long visit to India by partying with Bollywood stars. As you do darlings...

On Monday evening, the big O wore a stunning orange and red sari as she travelled to a party held by Parmeshwar Godrej in her honor.  Bollywood acting legend Amitabh Bachchan (Big B) personally drove Oprah, Absishek and Ashwariya to the glitzy event.

Other actors who attended the party included Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and Preity Zinta (whose car got damaged by the paparazzo's- shame on you!) who were all in awe of the big "O". Most of Bollywood's A list stars spent their evening tweeting about how excited they were to see Oprah in the flesh!Especially SRK who was gushing like crazy I hear!!!!

I had no idea Big "B" even knew how to drive

Oprah is on her first visit ever to the motherland to film a documentary with Deepak Chopra in Jaipur where she will attend the literary festival in the famous pink city. (Could be a bit of a yawn- I wonder if she'll put her Oprah's book club seal of approval on anything?!) 

She is also expected to visit Mumbai city's slums on Tuesday and then onto Rajasthan and Agra for the Taj Mahal visit.

Reports suggest she may have obtained permission to film at the famous Taj Mahal and may shoot some segments of a new talk show she is working on. Woohoo the queen is back! Can't wait.

Oprah's stunning orange sari

Of course Ms Winfrey also decided to do a tad of shopping whilst in Mumbai. She opted for an emerald Chikankdari outfit with Kashmiri work and velvet finish. Another was a deep red georgette kalidar with antique gold embroidery. "She was floored by the wine chiffon saree with black lace applique thus giving her a contemporary young Indian feel". And I bet they will look stunning on her at any of those red carpet events she's always attending! Good choices were definetly made by the Queen.


Oprah said she had wanted to visit India for some time: "I've never been to India, it's been on my vision board forever." Well too right. If it's good enough for the big O then it's good enough for me baby. Go MUMBAI!!

And just a very quick thank you to all my readers from all over the globe. I'm very impressed with all your support. Especially all of you from India, the U.S of A, U.K, Australia, Canada and Germany! Amazing.

Queenie xxx

Did someone turn up the heat?

A martini bianco lime and soda anyone?

So the girls came over on saturday night for our first drink together in 2012 and it was a fantastic evening.  It felt so great to have gorgeous friends to come home to in Mumbai. Much as so many expats hardly ever enjoy coming back to Mumbai after their holidays-I was pretty damn happy with it. Life is great at the moment. 2012 is treating me pretty damn fine.
Conversation flowed easily last night as did my martini bianco lime and soda's and before we knew it the clock had struck one and it was time to hit the sack. It's always a good sign when the night passes by too quickly and you still have so much left to say...We had a brief stop off at Hawaiian shack on the way home which was a tad on the crowded side. And before I knew it I was waking up this morning snug as a bug in a rug in my own bed.
I must admit to missing the HRH ever so slightly. Having wonderful girlfriends more than makes up for the HRH's absence although it does mean my nightly chocolate intake has nearly doubled. I'm scoffing a box of scorched almonds now as I write this! Which in all honesty is the last thing me or my post xmas belly need. Good god.
I do believe I will have to give the Bikram's hot yoga a whirl this week.(So many of my friends in India and ALL over the world have been doing it for years). I've put it off for so long but I think my time has finally come. I'm TERRIFIED though. What if I can't breathe with the heat? What if I sweat so much that I die from dehydration? I'll probably faint with my first sun salutation... but the prospect of burning 900 calories in one session IS more than appealing. If anyone needs to lose 900 calories around here it's me for sure. I'll just give it a go once then. I can always just run out of the class if I feel myself losing consciousness I suppose...Right that's it then- it's decided. I'm going to give it a go. Or die trying.
Queenie x

Chiggy Wiggy

Okay so I know this is old but I just had to draw our attention to it one more time...because quite frankly it fascinates me. Firstly yes you heard right the song is called 'Chiggy Wiggy' which means nothing in english OR in hindi. And secondly I think Kylie Minogue fits into Bollywood so seemlessly that she doesn't even look like the token blondini in the clip. Who else could actually pull off the whole Bollywood thing than our very own "KYLIE"? Who else could stand their own when Akshay Kumar arrives on the scene and starts wiggling his chiggy wiggy in her face? Pretty much no one. Not only is she a MEGA gay icon but in my opinion an honorary bollywood icon too. Go Kylie. Hats off to ya. Not alot left to say I suppose. I bet she never thought she'd be shaking her chiggy like this back in the good old days of 'Neighbours'? Smirk.
Queenie xxx

More of me

This new profile pic is far more true to form

Okay everyone, so I have had my profile picture pimped. Well not like as in "Pimp my ride" styles (do you know in India you can get "Pimp my rickshaw"? True story I swear ) but I decided since so many of you keep sending messages asking me what I really look like that I should divulge a little more about the Queen. It would only be fair. So as you may notice my profile picture now looks truer to form. Calling Mumbai home is something I am now more than happy to do- hence the bindi. I feel it represents a new changed Queenie for 2012. Queenie adds a little Indian twist to her attire these days so I think the bindi is very fitting.  And another huge change you may have noticed are my eyes. They are now correctly green. My true eye colour. Well there you have it. I have given away more of my true identity without going over the top. We have to keep some mystery about the place kids. It keeps it fresh. How boring it would be if all was revealed. That'd be like telling a 2 year old that Santa was really just a layby Mum and Dad had set up at the toy store. No fun at all...So I hope that will keep some of you happy for now. Let's not get greedy.
And with that I must take one little Queenie off to bed. Those cocktails from lunch have definetly taken their toll. Let's just keep it on the down low for now. We don't want HRH to think he's missing out on anything do we?
Nightey night munchkins. Queenie x