The part about renting a cool studio loft with a view of the Eiffel Tower is definitely overly glamorous (but as you say, it's irrelevant anyway). Haussmannian lofts cost a small fortune. You pretty much have to be a millionaire to live in one -- and unless you have air conditioning, they're a furnace in summer. In reality, I was staying at a friend's place while looking for a job and a flat -- and the job hunt was pretty much dead, as the French economy was sinking into the worst recession since the Second World War. The makeup and heels part isn't true either -- I mean, I'm a guy. The only makeup I wear is second-hand car fumes and tobacco smoke. The typing away on a Macbook Air is true enough though. I've been taking photos for about five years, but having worked with professional photographers at work, I only consider myself a dilettante. The pros are on a totally different level from everyone else. It's really incredible to witness them weave their magic