October 2009
12 posts
Why I'll be celebrating Halloween en Espagne this... →
Jourbon
Strike that. Reverse it.
As if learning one set of words wasn’t enough, we spent two hours in French class today learning le verlan, or how punk French kids invert words to make themselves sound cool and make my life more complicated. It’s all a bit zarbi (bizarre). But I suppose, French, c’est askom (comme ca).
“On ne dit pas ‘Bonne chance!’ avant les examens. On dit...”
– My French teacher right before our midterm
R is for Roi, C is for Communiste
What: Birthday party
When: Friday night
Where: 20th arrondisment
Theme: Les Deguisements: Dress up in something that starts with the first letter of your prenom. (Do you realize how hard it is to come up with a French word that starts with “k”? It was either kiosque or koala… guess which one I chose.)
= Genius idea to learn people’s names - and a few French vocab words...
Mi piache il gelato.
A lot.
In three days I ate seven scoops of premium Italian gelato. So here’s some scoop from my weekend visiting my friend Laura in Milan.
Trying to figure out which house was George Clooney’s while touring the lake in Como.
Learning how to say random words in Italian.
Taking pictures with Italian men in uniform.
Shopping (of the window variety) at Gucci and Versachi.
Watching the sun over...
Ce soir ou jamais. →
Tonight or never.
Actually last Tuesday night, or today, or whenever. (Don’t you just love online videos?)
Anyway, last week I was actually on a French TV show!! Well, more like sitting off to the side, trying not to sneeze while maintaining good posture and only smiling when everyone else smiled, even when the makeup girl came over to fix the host’s perfectly combed hair, so as to...
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
Scene: Watching a French film with my host sister. Girl meets guy.
Note: (This entire conversation was in French. Some words may have been modified from their original content and adapted to fit this blog.)
My host sister: They're trying to decide whether or not to change from "vous" (formal) to "tu" (informal).
Me: Yeah, about that. How do you decide when to change?
My host sister: Well in American films, the French subtitles always change from using "vous" to using "tu" the morning after they come out of the same room.
Me: Gotcha.
"When does Bonsoir become Bonjour?"
When you’re up late enough to take the morning Metro home.
La Nuit Blanche, Paris, 2009
Definition: All-nighter.
Purpose: Museums and outdoor art exhibitions open to public from 19h to 7h.
Highlights:
There was a full moon. Obviously.
Sitting on the steps of the Pantheon and watching the Tour Eiffel sparkle.
Having strange Frenchmen join our game of cards.
Having a passerby ask for a...
When did it become fall?
I renewed my Navigo Metro card the other day. And Ok, yes, I stood in the wrong line for ten minutes before realizing it, and when at the machine scrolled the button up and down for ages, too stubborn to switch the language preferences to English but too scared to end up buying a Metro pass for the whole year instead of a month. Although really, that wouldn’t have been that bad…
I...
September 2009
21 posts
Sally sells sea shells...
…That’s about the point where I start lisping so badly I give up.
And that tongue twister is in English.
In the past two weeks, two different groups of French students have tried (valiantly) to teach me French tongue-twisters (and I’ve reciprocated by peter-pipering and wood-chuck-chucking my way into more confusion). I’m not exactly sure why the topic always seems to pop...
Gimme some spice
After a summer of taco stands, jalapeno infusions and spicy salsa, I decided to bring a little taste of Texas to my innocent, unsuspecting French host family tonight in the form of a chicken fajita quesadilla. So I braved the marche for those hard-to-find south-of-the-border spices.
My taste buds weren’t the only ones in for a trip.
I should have had the foresight to uh, I dunno, figure...
If you were wondering why you haven't received a...
It’s because there’s un greve (strike) a la poste. (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.)
When I asked my host family tonight what the deal was, they shrugged and said, “C’est normal. C’est la France.” - Where some workers go on strike almost as often as they take cigarette breaks.
I just realized I haven’t eaten ketchup in more than three weeks. Not really a big deal, just curious.
I also just realized that while writing that I was trying to figure out how to say it in French… Je n’ai pas mange de ketchup depuis trois semaines…
At this rate, unconsciously translating everything that pops into my head, it takes considerably more time to get through...
Mayhem on the Metro - Serentity on the Seine
So I’d like to think I’m starting to get it down. Enter Metro station. Swipe card. Descend stairs. Get on train. Find seat. Stare vacantly ahead until I arrive at my destination. Hope I don’t miss it. And normally I’m surrounded by a bunch of fashionable Parisians doing the exact same thing.
Not last night.
Saturday night on the Metro turned into...
I'll be there for you
As if you needed more proof of globalization:
I just realized one of my host sisters has the “Friends” theme song as her cell phone ring tone.
While eating at a restaurant in Strasbourg last night waiting for our bill, we tried to see who could write all 50 states on their paper place mat. One French student in our group referenced the “Friends” episode where Ross...
Americans in Paris
I’d like to consider it a part of my increasing immersion into la vrai vie parisienne that I can now spot Americans at a glance.
A few clear signs:
They’re eating while walking (also includes sipping coffee on the Metro - tsk tsk Starbucks and your to-go cups).
They’re wearing comfortable (i.e. ugly) shoes.
They say “Bonjour” when it’s dark outside. (Note:...
Watch
Tout le monde/chose?
Today at a picnic with my host family and their friends, I tried to explain to a group of French students the phrase, “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” Right after I said it, I realized I mixed up my words. Instead of everything, I said, “Everyone’s bigger in Texas.” Although come to think of it, ce n’est pas grave. That’s true too.
Shopping List
Baguette
Fromage
Du Vin
Nutella
Et Voila! The four main food groups in France.
How could you not love it here?
French "La Bise" is swine flu casualty →
Looks like it’s time to bring back the head nod.
Nice.
danielroger:
My Tumblr feed makes it seem like we have an old-fashioned, European blogging showdown between Rosenthal in Spain and Salyer in France.
Based on the first posts, round one goes to Kirstin. Step it up, Bry Guy. This ain’t Reno anymore.
My dog would really love it here
I really out-Americanized myself yesterday apres-midi. With trepidation of the stares I was sure to elicit, I donned Nike shorts and running shoes and set off down the street. Sure enough, as soon as I emerged from the apartment and began dodging stylish girls in pointy boots, kids that looked as though they should be in a Lacoste catalog, and men with satchels and scarves on scooters, I knew that...
Franglais
Scene: Sipping an espresso (and people-watching) at an outdoor cafe.
A Parisian friend: Qu'est-ce que tu penses des francais?
Me: La langue? C'est un peu difficile...?
My friend: (puzzled look)
Me: (even more confused)
My friend: Non, les hommes francais... Do you find them handsome, nice?
Me: Ohhhhh... (insert blush here)
Who turned out the lights?
I have a feeling that when I get back to the U.S. I’m going to be one of those people who’s always yelling at everyone else to “Turn off the lights!! Don’t waste the water!! Don’t you know you’re killing baby seals!!” Ok. So maybe I won’t be quite so extreme. But if this is the one French thing that rubs off on me, I’ll be a better person....
Ou puis-je trouver un seche-cheveux?
I made it through my first solo Metro ride without smiling once. Almost. I had a little trouble with the latch on the door that you have to pull up to exit the train and <gasp!> laughed. At myself. Which is becoming quite a pattern a Paris I might add.
However, I did not get lost or miss my stop, so I would say the ride from my host family’s home to Sciences Po was successful overall....
only good food from here on out
I made it. Eight hours, one airline croissant and several crosswords after I left Houston I arrived in Charles de Gaulle at dawn, soaring into the city with the sun. (Warning: romantic images start now.)
The flight itself was an experience. The half-French entrepreneur sitting next to me pointed out things of interest in the French papers the flight attendants passed down the aisles (i.e. pay...
August 2009
1 post
Packing for Paris
Tomorrow I leave for France.
It’s amazing to believe I’ve managed to fit my entire next three and a half months into one just-under-the-right-size, hope-it’s-not-more than-50 lbs suitcase. Plus a carry on masking itself as a neccessary tool for weekend getaways but, of course, doubling as a means to fit in that last pair of shoes. And that’s not even considering the...
June 2009
1 post
Notes from Texas Monthly
The first thing out of the editor in chief’s mouth was a deluge of curses. His disclaimer: “If you mind swearing, get out now.”
Thank the Lone Star jeans are considered dress clothes in Texas.
The engineering of the perfect tortilla chip is considered a real science.
The dining guide recommendations are delicious (even at my price range). Two down, dozens to go.
It’s helpful if you can fact...
Dillo Day 2009
neon hats
warning: wearing this will make you crazy delicious
orange, peach, mango, guava, kiwi, apple, strawberry banana juice
catch phrase
ellen playing with every puppy in sight
getting the address backwards but still finding a party
clean-shaven boys
frisbee with randos
ten people on a two-person towel
will you be my drug-dealing girl?
watermelon
cotton candy
how do...
May 2009
4 posts
http://new.mylifeisaverage.com/ →
I feel this pretty much sums up my experience with social networking.
Spreading the word.
Scene: We are teaching Kirsten about tumblr.
Me: So some people just post pictures they like. Would you be that kind of person?
Kirsten: [Very solemn] I don't know what kind of person I'm going to be.