Annecy

I went to Annecy today for a medical visit with the Office of Immigration. So much went wrong the first part of the day...After turning off my alarm at 9am, I slept for another unplanned 2 hours. Long story short, I missed the last train that would have made it to Annecy in time, which meant I had to take my car. Gas is really expensive and so are tolls, so it's quite a bit more to take a car alone than to take the train, especially since I am under 25 and I have a youth reduction card for the train system. Anyway, I ended up taking the non-toll road through some windy roads and ended up in Annecy with plenty of time to spare. I didn't know where to park and was about to pay for hourly parking when I asked a man about parking (it pays to ask questions!) and found a free lot not too far away. So, I managed to find my way to the Immigration Office, depsite the POS map they sent, which was mislabeled. But since apparently I'm too cool to read official documents from the Immigration Office, I failed to note that I had to get chest X-Rays before I showed up at the Immigration Office. Luckily, I was 30 minutes early, the x-ray place was only a ten minute walk, and they fit me right in. The whole thing ended up taking about 2 hours. I felt a little weird about the whole thing - I had to get undressed a couple times, which is always weird, but even more strange when you're not really sure what people are saying to you. I also felt a little bit like a dog getting a collar put on. I know all this procedure is neccesary for me to get a social security card so France can give me free medical care and whatnot :) but I did feel a little owned by the state. Oh well.

After receiving my special visa, I walked around Annecy, which boasts a nice lake with a beautiful view of the mountains, and lots of cute rowboats (Can you tell I miss the water?). There are tons of tea, coffee, chocolate, and pastry shops, all of which are overwhelmingly alluring. I stopped more than once just to stare at baked goods and other treats. I ended up buying a few caramel and salted butter-filled chocolates. They were heavenly. I also saw a beer specialty shop which I didn't stop in because I was still trying to figure out the medical stuff, but I plan to head back there some time. There are also lots of clothing shops, all of which are having their final days of "soldes" or sales. I was very tempted to buy an extremely French looking white silk shirt, but in better judgment decided against it.

It was funny how a few hours in the "city" wore me out - I use quotes b/c Annecy isn't really a city like Chicago is a city, but it's 100x different from where I live normally. I had a thought today that I must have been a farmer in another life. Being in the country really doesn't bother me, and I was happy to return to it at the end of the day. Tomorrow I have a day of relaxing (so different from my usual schedule) before a couple tutoring sessions in the evening, plus a couple more on Saturday morning.

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So this post will not have a theme really; it's a general life update. I am becoming more and more French everyday. I can go to the grocery store and not have a panic attack about what to buy. I could even tell you about a lot of the different foods (see bottom of blog for some of that). I have started to think that 12 ounces is a lot for any beverage. I think it's rude when people don't say hello and goodbye, even when you don't know them. And the guilt complex I had about not working very much is pretty much completely worn off - oh, class at 9am is canceled? Okay, I'm going back to bed. I'm really curious as to what my reaction will be coming back to the US after five months here!

This past weekend I saw the World Ski Championship in a town called Les Houches, which is about 20 minutes away. I went with another professor (a young history prof) and her boyfriend, both of whom are really nice and both speak English really well. They spoke in English most of the time and I spoke in French. It was good practice for both us. It was much like any other sporting even - fans, flags, cheering, a giant TV, announcers, but a little less organized since there wasn't much planned seating. So we stood for an hour and a half to watch the Slolam. It was cold, but fun to watch. Some guy from Croatia won.

This week is a short week for me - I have Thursday and Friday off. I am going to Annecy tomorrow for my medical visit at the immigration office. On Saturday, I am thinking about going to Lyon to see a soccer match, but it's a long hike over there, so we'll see.

Traveling is a bit more difficult now that I have a handful of tutoring students. I tutor a highschool freshman on Wednesdays, and he is very quiet. They have a lovely cat who was weary of me at first, but now is very friendly. I was tutoring a boy in middle school, but his mom fired me because the kid wasn't motivated - I guess I was going too slow? Middle school is a weird time - I don't know how to interact with humans that age. Anyway, my favorite student is a woman who sells office furniture, and she wants to work in Switzerland. Then there are the three brothers waaaay up in the mountains with multiple cats - they're an interesting lot. One of them wants to move to Australia, hence the lessons. He's a tatoo artist.

There are no big adventures lately, but I am enjoying the slow pace of life most of the time. And I am definitely not missing the Thundersnow or whatever we're calling it!

Tutoring vs Teaching. Followed by philosophical questions about education systems.

In light of my frequent extreme boredom and low cash flow, I decided to put up an ad for English tutoring lessons. I got a good response, and now tutor several times per week.

Tutoring has been a lot more gratifying than teaching for several reasons...

First, my school is on an every-other-week schedule; weeks are called either Q1 or Q2. A few classes I teach every week, but most I teach only every two weeks. Combine that with all the vacations, strikes, plus the fact that I am not even here for a full academic year, and I will see some of my students only a dozen times the whole year. I can't even keep track of all their names, nevermind their progress.

When I tutor, I get to know my students more in-depth. I know what their strengths and weaknesses in the language are, and can focus on what they need help with. I can see them progress in one session. This is why people want to teach, I think. To watch people evolve.

Second, while most of my students are polite enough, many of them are apathetic. This is no surprise since they are teenagers. They also live in the country, not a city where English might be more utilized. I'm not sure they see any point in learning this language, and maybe rightly so. I am sure most high school students at Waterford High in Connecticut didn't see the point in learning a second language. When would we ever have used it?

In contrast, my tutoring students are invested, both personally and financially. They WANT to learn English - and they're paying me. They're engaged, responsive, and inquisitive. Sometimes this is challenging (like when they bring up a question I am not sure how to answer), but that's fun for me. Because I'm invested too.

This got me thinking about the differences in the higher education systems in the US and France. I explained one day to my students that going to Harvard University would set you back at least $40,000 without a scholarship (and that this was true of most private universities). This was literally incomprehensible to them. Higher education in France is usually, if not all the time, free. Much like health care, it's seen as a right, not as a privilege. Students pay for books, housing, and food, but tuition is covered. You just enroll.

This makes me wonder: Are US students more invested in their college education?

If we're speaking in strictly economic terms, then yes, I suppose the population as a whole is more invested. But on any given campus, there are students on full rides of all sorts - academic, athletic, or because of some wacky talent or writing contest they won. Also, some students come from families that don't need to worry about the cost of education. As long as their parents are footing the bill and still putting dinner on the table, how much do they really care? But there are plenty of students who work at least one job in addition to going to school full-time, and they still take out loans to pay for education. And there are plenty more who don't go to college at all because of the cost.

I recently watched Steve Jobs speak at Stanford's commencement ceremony on Ted.com. As most people know, Steve Jobs (the Apple guy) dropped out of college and pioneered the most user-friendly and beautifully-designed personal computer in the world - and then founded Pixar. He didn't come from money, and he felt guilty spending his parents' savings when he didn't see the point. He dropped out and started dropping in on classes he was simply interested in, like a calligraphy course, which he credits with inspiring the availability of so many fonts on Macs. I wonder, if his education didn't cost so much, would he have stayed in school and been less motivated by his entrepreneurism? What about Mark Zuckerburg, founder of Facebook, another famous dropout?

All in all, I think there are so many reasons for wanting to succeed in education whether you live in France or the US - the quality of the educators, personal competitive nature, how much your family taught you to value it, how well you've previously performed in school, how much your future career prospects value your academic record... How much money you have personally invested is a motivating factor but I don't think it is as important - In the US, there are state schools and community colleges with lower tuition rates for those on a tighter budget. But for those who see the value in higher education, they are willing to spend even an absurd amount of money to get it.

I am really excited for comments on this post from anyone and everyone, because my view on this is pretty limited by my personal experience. I would love to hear what you think.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

I have spent a lot of time lately reconnecting with America - in the form of MadMen, Glee, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, reading English books, and talking a lot with friends and family back home.

Homesickness started to turn from a general sense of fatigue and hunger to desperate pangs of famine in my belly. Ironically, I think it is made worse by the fact that I know I will be back in the US in exactly 36 days. With land in sight, it makes days at sea that much harder.

I know why I left the US (see post: Lessons in Authenticity), and I honestly wasn't completely sure I would find a reason to come back.

But to all the non-believers, I can assure you I will be returning to the US. If I ever had any doubt, I don't anymore: You're only as good as the company you keep. I am lucky enough to have amazingly supportive friends and family back in the US, and I am all too excited to get back to seeing them (+ the newbies/a.k.a. babies) on a regular basis!

Besides, the beer in France sucks.

Until I am back stateside, I will be making the most of all my time in France, and therefore I am making a French bucketlist.

a) Eat creme brulee at a fancy restaurant. I don't know how I haven't done this yet. Shame on me.

b) Go to a Lyon soccer match.

c) Hang glide. Scarrrry but I'm doing it! I see a lot of people doing it here in the mountains.

d) Go to the south of France - suggestions welcome. I've seen Nice, Aix, Arles, Marseille, Cassis. Thinking about Toulouse...

e) Visit Annecy. For real, not just for an hour while waiting for a train.

f) Visit a vineyard (or 5).

Stay tuned as a check off these items.

There and Back Again / Hello 2011

After a two week break, teachers and students will make their bittersweet return to the classroom tomorrow. While this moment is always a bit sad, it is a cloud with a silver lining. After all, vacations can't last forever, or else they stop becoming vacations. I am happy to get back into a routine and see familiar faces.

My last post was about hitting a wall here in France. Without family, my closest friends, and a home that feels like mine, it gets tough. But taking a break from France to travel to Budapest, Vienna, and Prague was a great reminder of how much I do really love life here in the hexagon.

To recap the travels:

Budapest - The people here were very friendly and helpful. Beer was cheap, the boulevards were wide, buildings were old, and the castles were majestic. Highlights here included Frank Zappa Cafe, which had great food and a very cool, musically inspired ambiance. Also, a Gustav Klimt exhibit at the Arts Museum was particularly good.

Vienna - Vienna impressed us from the moment we got there. Because we only stayed one night, we stuck to the main center of the city, where we had a glass or prosecco at the original Julius Meinl. We also saw the most enchanting Christmas market I've ever been to (complete with brass band playing carols). Vienna was very charming and sophisticated, and had some bomb chocolate cake.

Prague - Having been to Prague before, I felt a little bit like I knew what I was getting into. While some things were familiar, Prague held lots of great surprises. The arts district is paticularly cute in Prague, and the castle will never fail to impress. Memorable moments include slamming back Slovakian liquor with locals, and our very last night, during which we stayed out all night at a dance club and left at 7:30am -sans shuteye- for our 9:30 flight.

Coming back to France was relieving. I guess you know you're getting old when just one week of travel gets you tuckered out. After a few days of rest chez moi, it was time to celebrate the New Year. Two friends of mine from Grenoble came to stay with me, and after a yummy dinner we headed out with some French friends to Chamonix, a ski resort town not too far from where I live. Good company, raclette (traditional dish of Savoie, including meat/cheese/potatoes), champagne, snow topped mountains, not to mention a fire twirler plus a ton of people in Chamonix center - it doesn't get too much better than that.




And finally, some reflections on the year before and ahead...(sorry in advance for the US slant).

After looking at a photo essay that recapped 2010, I was reminded very poignantly that while I am lucky, our world is full of tragedy, both natural and human-made. The earthquake in Haiti, floods, wars, the BP oil spill, lay-offs, and political unrest have pierced our lives. I nearly cried mulitple times while scrolling through the pictures. It's difficult to recall what -if anything- is good about that state of humanity.

But many good things have happened too - Don't Ask, Don't Tell has just been reversed (as was the same-sex marriage ban in California), healthcare reform passed, and the US is reducing the number of foreign troops as the end of the Iraq war becomes official.

We will never be able to live in a global world free from tragedy and grief, but I do believe the world would be better with more peace and respect in our individual lives - which you can create simply by starting with your neighbor, your lover, or your friend. What is in your vision of a better 2011? Once you define it, you can embody it - and as Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Best wishes to everyone for 2011, especially the friends and family reading this blog! :)

La Journée Parfaite

Yesterday was the perfect Saturday. It started at about 9:00am, when 2 friends -- Fred and Johan -- and I headed out to go skiing for the first time this season. I hadn't been skiing in a few years, and was pretty nervous about how it would go - especially since I've never skied on mountains anything like the Alps. But, it was great! I forgot how much I liked skiing. Dad, if you're reading this, thank you for all the years you spent teaching me how to ski. I am sure I gave you hell sometimes about not wanting to go, but I am happy you were patient and took us skiing year after year.


After skiing, everyone took a break and Johan went to work. I had decided a few weeks ago to cook "Thanksgiving dinner" with Fred. He's been exceptionally nice to me the past couple months - he's cooked some French food for me, and his house has really become a second home. So I was pretty excited to share some Americanisms (and eat some familiar food!) Since it was just the two of us, it missed some of the jovial ruckus that usually accompanies a full day of cooking, drinking, and eating. We also didn't watch any American football. BUT, we did eat stuffing, mashed potatoes, chicken and gravy (turkey is hard to find here), and pumpkin pie. So, while as Americans we all know there is about 100 ways to make stuffing, I learned there are only really two ways to make the traditional French dish Quiche Lorraine - cheese at the bottom or no cheese at the bottom. We also have endless ways to make gravy, and even mashed potatoes have variations. It's something I probably don't give America enough credit for - but I actually love that flexibility. French cooking seems more definitive and, well, rigid (albeit delicious). Sidebar: Much like the food, the English language is flexible. It's hard to learn, but once you know it, it's expressive and adaptable. We have more words than almost any other language on earth, allowing for a multitude of nuanced ways to say essentially the same thing. Anyway, Fred is going to cook my stuffing recipe (Thanks, Diana, for finding that!) for his family at Christmas - which of course, I think is awesome. Globalization- gotta love it!

While cooking dinner, we got the added bonus of fireworks! We didn't know why they were going off (found out it was for a Christmas lighting ceremony), but in my mind they were to celebrate Thanksgiving. After dinner we watched Lord of the Rings (!!!) while eating pie and drinking something like Champagne and discussing how great of a day it was. (You probably know, but in case you don't - Champagne can only be called such if it is from the Champagne region of France, which is in the Northeast. Everything else is sparkling wine.)


So, like the title of the post says: The perfect day. Skiing, thanksgiving dinner, pumpkin pie, champagne, and Lord of the Rings!

What's more is that I bought my ticket home for 2-week March vacation. I will be back stateside February 25th and I am very excited to see you all again soon!

I went to Paris

Last weekend I went to Paris for four days. It was great to greet big-city life once again. My friend Jacob, who is studying in London, met there on Thursday. We rented someone's apartment in The Bastille district. It was a nice little studio, and the owner Valerie was exceptionally nice. It ended up being perfect for our needs.

I ended up seeing Musee D'Orsay, the Pompidou Center, Sacre Coeur, The Eiffel Tower (I went to the top!), Notre Dame, the Luxembourg Gardens, and lots of magnificent buildings the significance of which I do not know. Pics are on Facebook.

Some of the highlights were an unanticipated art fair by The Bastille, the Eiffel Tower at night, hearing live music in Montmartre, seeing the Champs Elysee lit up at night with blue lights in the trees that lined the boulevard - and having a drink at a chic bar there, and cafe breaks (the simple joy of which should not be overlooked).

It would be really fantastic to live in Paris at some point, although I know that (like any big city) I couldn't do it forever. Also, Paris is incredibly expensive. Major bummer.

As for mountain town, it's been snowing like mad here which I would normally be upset about. Since I get to go skiing in the Alps this weekend, I am letting it slide. However, I am still upset that the weather conditions caused the cancellation of a Jamie Cullum concert I was supposed to see last night in Lyon. Over 5 hours in the car for nothing. Tant Pis!

Hey, teach!

I have gotten some questions from friends about what exactly I teach - whether it’s chosen for me or if I create the lesson plans. The answer to this is: it depends. I teach over a dozen classes over the course of two weeks, which include all the 3 years of general high school plus students called BTS students who are post-BAC (again, BAC is basically equivalent to GED). There are two years in the BTS course, which means I teach 5 years of students, ages 15-20 roughly, although I do have a few BTS students who are older.

Some students are focused on literature, some on engineering, some on sales. They all have different requirements for how much English they need to know and different standards for grading, all of which is -not surprisingly- confusing for me at times. I work with 7 different teachers, but I tend to teach separately from them in small groups, as I mentioned earlier. Some teachers give me free reign to teach what I want. Others have requests. Some of these requests arise organically - for instance, I was discussing the regional differences in culture, attitude, way of life, etc. in various parts of the US and a teacher asked me to create a fun quiz/game for the students to test their knowledge of US geography, ,history and culture. I divide them into teams and ask them 30 questions about the US - 5 Overview questions, and 5 questions each about the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. This gives me the opportunity to teach about the settlers from England, Native Americans, the western frontier, various wars (Civil War, Mexican-American War, etc.), food - of utmost interest to the French-, current politics, and more.

Sometimes when I am teaching I get questions that take me back. For instance, just yesterday I was teaching about Thanksgiving when one of the older BTS students said, “May I ask you a question - what do you think of the gun laws in the United States?” This is such a tough issue for me, and something really difficult for French teenagers and adults alike to understand. I explained that the Constitution is the original, founding document on which our government is based, and in this document, it states that citizens are allowed to own guns. I explained that the Constitution can be changed, but it is extremely difficult, and it is typically to add to new laws, not to reverse old ones. That being said, each state has different laws in regard to guns, some of which are more strict than others. Chicago was the last place in America that has a total handgun ban, and that was reversed by the Supreme Court last summer, citing that it is unconstitutional. I also explained that I personally believe guns are too easy to own and there should be much stricter licensing laws. The student then cited the movie Bowling for Columbine, in which a boy and his mother walk into a supermarket and buy a gun. I replied, “Yes, that is sad and shouldn’t happen. That might have taken place in a state such as Texas, and I haven’t been there, but anywhere I have lived, the notion of buying a gun in a supermarket is ridiculous and it would be impossible.”

Then back to Thanksgiving…which in fact, I wasn’t completely prepared to explain. It went a little something like this: Well, when the pilgrims came from England, they met the Native Americans. And there was some war, then peace, then war again, back to peace, back to war, and then a big meal where everyone ate turkey. I tried to enforce the idea that Thanksgiving is about coming together with family and/or friends, and it is about giving thanks. It is not a religious holiday, but an American one, honoring the tradition of coming together from different backgrounds. I tried to get each student to say something they were thankful for, but they had a difficult time with this concept. Several needed lots of prompting and finally said family or sports. Good enough.

Another funny thing about teaching is this: I feel terrible giving bad grades, even when the students deserve it. Kalli or Dan, if you’re reading this, how do you deal with this? I am bereft.

Beaujolais Nouveau and Fondue

This past Thursday was a special day in France. It was Beaujolais Nouveau, a day when the Beaujolais wine region of France releases its new wines for the year. These wines are not particularly good; in fact, it is just a pretext for une fete (party). But that's fine with me. In the salle de profs (teachers' lounge), there was a potluck for Beaujolais Nouveau. This is a picture of the potluck, which was from 12-2: standard lunch break for the French. I brought banana bread, which dooesn't exist in France. Since the French are food snobs, there was a lot of suspicion surrounding my bread loaf, which they call a cake since this does not qualify as bread to them. It was gone in about 20 minutes, so I mark it as a success. Of course I tasted the wine, which is very fruity - kind of like grape juice gone bad. Just kidding, it wasn't that terrible. But definitely nothing like the excellent Bordeaux I had that night for dinner...

That same night, another professor on my floor made fondue as a birthday dinner. I am continually humbled by how nice my friends and colleagues are. Some students on the floor joined in and we had a nice little fondue party. I am also continually amazed at how seriously the French take their cheese. For this was not just fondue - it was fondue Genevoise - Geneva fondue. This is different from fondue Savoyard or any other type of fondue. I am pretty sure it just means it's made with different cheese. Geneva fondue is made with Gruyere. It was delicious!

Hiking around the Bastille

Last weekend, I went to Grenoble again to spend some time with other English language assistants. We spent our Saturday on a hike to, and then beyond, The Bastille. It was foggy in the city when we left and the hike was not looking promising, and when we reached the Bastille we were in the middle of a cloud. Grenoble , which is in the department of Isere, has a rich military heritage. The Bastille is the home of the French Mountain Troops. Grenoble and the department of Isere were particularly active in the French Resistance against the Nazis during WWII, and they even have a museum dedicated to Grenoble's role in the Resistance. The picture here was taken by the memorial by the Bastille and the sign says Paix - Amitie, which means peace and friendship.

By lunch, we had hiked above the clouds and had an amazing view of the surrounding mountains, which included the Chartreuse and Belledonnes ranges. You could even see Mont Blanc from where we were (I live right next to Mont Blanc, and it's a three hour train ride to Grenoble...).

This hike reminded me of two things:
1) the view is better when you've earned it
2) if you don't like where you are, keep climbing


We could have spent all day Saturday soaked in fog in the city, but instead watched a sea of clouds creep beautifully between the mountains. I am thankful for the reminder that obstacles should not mean resignation. In fact, they should inspire motivation.

Lessons in authenticity

Part of why I came to France was because I just wanted time to think without the everyday routines or distractions of my life in the USA. I knew I would have lots of free time here (I do) and plenty of time to reflect (I have been). It's not easy accepting that I am the type of person who must philosophize about nearly everything - it's actually a pretty annoying personality trait.

I explained my hiatus in many ways - I wanted to travel, I wanted to try teaching, I wanted to improve my French, all of which are true - but ultimately I just wanted a different perspective of the world, and maybe myself. I felt before I left- and still feel- the need to justify my time here again and again. But the truth is, there is nothing to justify. It's just a choice. My choice.


Since I left my job in Chicago, and since this job is temporary, I have spent a lot of the time thinking what I will work at, and how I will make money. (Sidebar: I hesitate to use the word career because I am not sure that would accurately describe my trajectory, which has more zig and zag than a career, I fear.) I separate working at something and making money because what you work at (life goal(s) is not necessarily what puts dollars -or euro, or yen, or pesos- in your bank account.

All of this free time spent thinking is hard, mainly for two reasons:
1. I am forced to think about myself very critically - which I sometimes then feel guilty about, because why I am thinking so much about myself anyway?
2. There is pleasure in hard work, which I'm not doing.

However, I am learning to listen more to my inner motives. And that's something.

Authenticity is difficult. We find plenty of ways to hide our true feelings and intentions. I think this happens more as we get older, when trying to navigate the waters of social conformity or rebellion. We become aware of others' expectations and reactions. As children, we don't think about these things.

In France, linguistically, I am a child. This in turn affects my behavior and thought. I am going to loosely analogize this to linguistic relativity, which is the idea that "speakers of different languages will tend to think and behave differently depending on the language they use." To take a famous example, this theory means that if my language has 40 words for the "snow" (icy snow, snow that came early this year, slushy snow, big wet snowflakes, powdered snow, etc.), I will see nuances in snow that I would not if my language had one word for all snow. Therefore, I experience snow differently depending on my language. This is not really what I'm talking about though (hence, loose analogy). In France, I do not have full capacity of the language. This leads me to explain things in simple and often blunt ways - like children do. I also run into frustrations when I can't communicate properly. Ex: Yesterday at the post office. A package sent to me is being held at customs. I cannot communicate with the postman what needs to be done to obtain this package. This results in me crying - again, like a child. Is it easy to lie in another language? Nope. It's enough effort to think of how to communicate the truth, nevermind a lie. Children also don't lie well. For all of these reasons and more, I often feel like a kid. And it puts me face-to-face with my most essential reactions, desires, thoughts and motives. This is part of how I have found my authenticity.

I have been trying to understand how "authentic Amanda" operates in the work world and this much is clear: I like working in service of others, but not under direct supervision. I like being in charge. I dislike inefficiency. I don't like complainers. I am empathetic. I cry under too much stress. I enjoy hard work - it makes me feel useful. I also enjoy coffee breaks and naps. What this will all mean when I come back stateside and have to start thinking again about a retirement fund, I am not sure. But when I think, what have I accomplished so far with my life? and What will I do in the future? I at least know that I will remain true to my authentic self and continue to live life whole-heartedly. And that's not a bad place to be for 25. Neither is France. It's fondue time.

From Geneva to Grenoble

I am back at school today, after a two-week vacation. I spent a weekend in Geneva and several days in Grenoble (as well as several days doing next to nothing in my quiet town).

Geneva:
La place de Jean-Jacques Rouseau
La Musèe d'histoire et d'art
La Musée de la Croix Rouge - Museum of the Red Cross
Le jardin botanique (botanical gardens - complete with freely roaming peacocks)
Indian food for dinner! (As you can well guess, that doesn't exist in my neck of the woods)


Grenoble:
House parties, bars, Halloween festivities
Relaxing on a rainy Sunday
La Musée de Grenbole - lots of art here
A burger topped with Canadian bacon and chevre cheese - yeah, it's worth talking about

What did I learn in these places? A lot about art, including the discovery of some new faves. Ex. Georgette Argutte - http://www.aguttesembat.com/page08.html

Also, I tried a yummy digestif called Chartreuse, which is a specialty of the Grenoble region: http://www.chartreuse.fr/

Okay, but I prefaced this post with a promise to do truths and myths about the French.
So here we go.

The French smell bad: Myth. Every French person I've met seems to shower on a very regular basis. Beyond that, there are copious amounts of cologne, perfumes, sprays, deodorants, and other such things at the store to make yourself smell even better.

The French are communal: Truth. In the professor break room, there is always coffee, and a dish rack with loads of cups in it. Thinking these cups belonged to individual people, I was sneaky about only taking coffee when no one was around and then walking into a computer room, in case the owner of the cup I was using saw me. Then I brought my own cup, only to discover someone else using it. Turns out, the cups are for everyone.

French people are rude: Myth. People here are overwhelmingly nice to me. Granted, I'm in the country and that means that same thing it would in the US countryside, but still...People drive me around to do errands, explain everything from how to cook certain things to bank accounts in English, give me old appliances, furniture...it's awesome.

French people like to smoke: Truth. A lot of people smoke. Even the kids - lots of students at the high school take cigarette breaks.

French food is delicious: Truth and Myth. French cuisine is fantastic (and don't the people know it!) but it's not the end-all, be-all. Give me some hot wings and a pint of Goose Island 312 anyday of the week over a croque monsieur.

Lastly, the French are lazy: Well, as Matt recently put it, the French like to work hard to ensure they don't have to work too hard. Yes, they are fighting the retirement reforms like crazy, but they aren't lazy. They take their time and need a bit more prompting perhaps than other cultures. But who can blame them for not wanting to work? Who sincerely enjoys working? At least they're honest with themselves... Right? Maybe.