PATRICIA GAJO | Freelance Writer + Lifestyle Blogger
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My Blog

notes + observations + star addresses

American Girl in the Big Apple — a 10th Birthday Celebration

15/10/2019

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My niece at the American Girl Place in NYC for her 10th birthday. Some dreams do come true.

Happy Birthday, Gabby!

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, LITTLE GIRL
The following is an article I wrote for my niece when she turned 10 years old. Today she turns 21. Pass the tissues, please...

While most people dread a four a.m. wakeup call, for nine-almost-ten-year-old Gabriella Gajo (she’ll hit double digits in one week) last Saturday couldn’t have started early enough. With her doll Samantha tucked under one arm, the young Florida resident flew from Orlando to New York to live out the American Girl dream.

​Accompanying Gabriella was her grandmother, Julieta Gajo, who told West Orlando News: “When Gabby was six I promised her that if she were a good girl I would take her to the American Girl Place to celebrate her 10th birthday.” Fast forward four years, and there they were in the Manhattan boutique and café sipping milk from tiny teacups and eating chocolate mousse from itty bitty bowls.

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Remembering 9/11, 2001, New York City

11/9/2019

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The author, me, many moons ago

A Flight Attendant's Perspective

A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACKS
Some of the things I learned at flight-attendant training:
How to extinguish a fire.
How to do the Heimlich manoeuvre.
How to inflate a dinghy.
How to prepare passengers for an emergency landing.


The module regarding hijackings was notably light. We watched a video, and briefly discussed the possibility. But what they didn’t teach us, or rather, what nobody could ever learn, was how to deal with the terror in terrorism.

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Notre Dame de Paris, Before and After the Fire

15/4/2019

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The Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral as viewed from the Shakespeare & Company cafe

Still Standing

A TRIBUTE TO AN ICONIC MONUMENT IN PARIS
I took this photo exactly one month ago on March 15 from inside the Shakespeare and Company cafe. I had come from my dentist’s office in search of a hot chocolate (doesn’t everyone go for hot chocolate after a dental appointment?). Waiting in line, I looked out the window to admire the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris and, as I often do, felt both grateful and inspired to live in this beautiful city.

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Flashback: Hubert de Givenchy haute couture retrospective in Madrid, 2014

13/3/2018

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R.I.P. MONSIEUR GIVENCHY

EXHIBIT SHOWCASED PARISIAN DESIGNER’S KEY FASHION MOMENTS
Yesterday, one of the fashion world’s giants slipped away to the other side. After Balenciaga, his mentor, Alaïa and Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy’s passing whispers yet another farewell to a fading, glamorous era of haute couture. In the autumn of 2014, I was fortunate to catch a retrospective on Hubert de Givenchy at the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in Madrid. Givenchy had a special place in my heart because for my very small and intimate wedding about one year earlier, I had chosen to wear a simple Givenchy cocktail dress - in black. (I was a rebel bride.) This LBD is one of my prized possessions and, conveniently, I wear it all the time.

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5 Must-See Fashion Museums in Paris

11/3/2018

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The magnificent Dior retrospective at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 2017

MUSEUMS À LA MODE

FASHION WEEK IS EVERY WEEK IN THE CITY OF STYLE
Paris Fashion Week may be over, but Paris never quits her full-time role as Fashion Capital of the Universe. There are five museums that I highly recommend for those of you enchanted by the history of fashion. See fashion houses Yves Saint Laurent, Chloé and Louis Vuitton up close and personal, plus discover two more museums that regularly hold fashion exhibits. And as an added luxury, because fashion is all about treating yourself, I've included my favourite cafés and restaurants nearby. 

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What to eat in Seoul: Part 2/3 ~ Korean BBQ

7/3/2018

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SEOUL FOOD

THE GLORY OF K-BBQ, A.K.A. KOREAN BARBECUE 
Affectionately dubbed as K-BBQ - just like K-pop (Korean pop music) or K-beauty (Korean cosmetics and skincare) - Korean barbecues are tiny carnivorous feasts grilled right at your table over a central bed of hot charcoal. Oh sure, I had eaten at K-BBQ restaurants before (namely in Los Angeles, Berlin and Toronto), but never before in South Korea. So coming to Seoul for the first time and indulging at a galbijip in its Motherland was not only a big check off my foodie bucket list, it was also a major highlight of my trip to Seoul. 

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The best strawberry desserts + where to eat them

27/2/2018

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HAPPY STRAWBERRY DAY

IN CELEBRATION OF MY FAVOURITE FRUIT, AFTER BANANAS
In case you didn't know, February 27 is Strawberry Day. I'm unclear as to the origins of this "holiday", but as a devoted strawberry fan I thought it my duty to share with you some fun strawberry trivia, my best strawberry desserts - and the restaurants where I ate them/patisseries where I bought them. 

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What to eat in Seoul: Part 1/3 ~ Korean street food

26/2/2018

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Quick and tasty nibbles at Kwang Jang Market

SEOUL SEARCHING

STREET FOOD, MARKET FARE & OTHER QUICK AND EASY BITES
Last spring, I ventured from one foodie capital to another, my home in Paris to Seoul. Of course, there were many must-see sights on my checklist (about which I will rave in another post), but let's be honest, the main motivation during my trip to South Korea was based on food. The following are select culinary highlights of my Korean-food fest. In parts 2 and 3, I will rave about Korean BBQ joints and Seoul's (newly minted) Michelin star restaurants; but, first things first, let's chow down on the fast, tasty treats.

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Snapshots of lovers in different cities, but mainly in Paris

14/2/2018

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STOLEN MOMENTS

FEELING ALL THE FEELS ON FEBRUARY 14
I love capturing happy couples in their most tender moments: a kiss at midnight, a tête-à-tête before sunset, a hand-in-hand stroll, a snuggle on the terrace of a cafe. Is this overly gushy? Yes. An invasion of privacy? You bet! But I started collecting these stolen snapshots around the world because they remind me of the vibe and the joy that I felt just being there. I’m sure you have a few lovey-dovey memories of your own. Can you name the place and city where I photographed these romancey-schmancey moments - before reading the caption? What metropolis speaks of love to you?

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My evening at Guy Savoy, the #1 restaurant in the world

7/1/2018

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STAR GAZING

ON THE MENU: ROMANCE AND 3 MICHELIN STARS
Last fall, my husband and I dined at Guy Savoy's eponymous restaurant in Paris. We were celebrating our anniversary (plus a major achievement on my better half's part), and so had chosen this esteemed address to underscore our evening as extra special.

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​© PATRICIA GAJO MMXIX. ​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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