- "What?" because of all the things that get lost in translation.
Here are a few of the exchanges that might amuse you:
Host Parents' Son: (upon meeting me at the train station): Est-ce que vous cherchez un taxi? (Are you looking for a taxi?)
Miki: (deer-in-headlights stare)
Host Parents' Son's Wife: (nudges husband with elbow)
HPS: Vous êtes Miki?
Guy on street: De quel pays êtes-vous? (What country are you from?)
Miki: Des Etats-Unis. (The United States)
Guy on street: Non - de quel pays êtes-vous?
Miki: Des Etats-Unis.
Host Mom: (To this day, I wonder what she said.)
Miki: Oui
Host Mom: (laughs really hard) Tu a dis oui! (You said yes!)
Miki: Nous sommes fini! (We're finished!)
California friend: (in English) Don't say that! It means we're dead!
Miki: Oh. Nous avons fini! (We finished!)
And my personal favorite:
Miki: "Quel type de films aimez-vous?" (What kinds of movies do you like?)
Guy on Train: "Quel type de femmes j'aime?" (You're asking what kinds of women I like?)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Repas
- meal, because they're certainly different here than they are in the States.
Different types of food, I was certainly expecting. However, I didn't realized how structured dinner would be every night. This includes nights in which people have been working late and are tired. So without further ado, this is how the typical French dinner is eaten:
Aperitif (A drink of some kind before the meal. This can range from wine to juice.)
Appetizer (Some food to get you started.)
Main Course (I'm sure this doesn't need an explanation.)
Salad (If it wasn't served in one of the previous courses.)
Cheese (Every night!)
Dessert (Usually fruit or yogurt.)
Depending on the occasion, you can add or subtract courses to make it more or less fancy. On the first night when I was with my family, there were two appetizers not counting the bread basket and I made the mistake of getting full before the main course arrived. Also, dessert can become more sweet if there is a reason to celebrate, or a guest is over. For example, on my host parents' brother's anniversary, we had this homemade peach ice cream that was absolutely delicious.
Oh, and if you were ever told that French people eat slowly, that was a lie. The meals take a while because they're structured, but I am almost always the last to finish, which compels me to hurry up because the rest of them can't move onto the next course until I'm done. But then again, perhaps what makes me slow is that it takes me that much more concentration to participate in a conversation.
Different types of food, I was certainly expecting. However, I didn't realized how structured dinner would be every night. This includes nights in which people have been working late and are tired. So without further ado, this is how the typical French dinner is eaten:
Aperitif (A drink of some kind before the meal. This can range from wine to juice.)
Appetizer (Some food to get you started.)
Main Course (I'm sure this doesn't need an explanation.)
Salad (If it wasn't served in one of the previous courses.)
Cheese (Every night!)
Dessert (Usually fruit or yogurt.)
Depending on the occasion, you can add or subtract courses to make it more or less fancy. On the first night when I was with my family, there were two appetizers not counting the bread basket and I made the mistake of getting full before the main course arrived. Also, dessert can become more sweet if there is a reason to celebrate, or a guest is over. For example, on my host parents' brother's anniversary, we had this homemade peach ice cream that was absolutely delicious.
Oh, and if you were ever told that French people eat slowly, that was a lie. The meals take a while because they're structured, but I am almost always the last to finish, which compels me to hurry up because the rest of them can't move onto the next course until I'm done. But then again, perhaps what makes me slow is that it takes me that much more concentration to participate in a conversation.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sourire
- to smile, because I pretty much had a permanent one on my face the night I arrived in Paris.
Yes, that's right: Paris.
Eeeeee! Words can't describe how excited I was to actually visit the Paris for the first time. I mean, it's Paris! Like the real one! The actual city! The one you see featured in photographs, movies, and books! That Paris! So naturally, since I had only two days to explore all of Paris, I had to do as much as I could!
The first night as fancy dinner night. Right after meeting my friends at the train station (they'd arrived in Paris before me) I dropped my backpack off at the hotel, tossed on a dress, and ate creamy, cheesy pasta at a restaurant they'd found at Champs-Élysées. At one moment during dinner, the waiter told me I had good French... in English. I wasn't sure what to make of this specific instance of being Englished.
After dinner, we rushed to the Seine (the real Seine!) and caught the last boat tour, which took us up and down the river. The boat ride was fantastic - not only was exhilarating to see so many of Paris's attractions lit up at nighttime, but we could see many Parisians as well! Apparently that night was a holiday of sorts in France, so many Parisians young and old were out to party! Many of them were in groups next to the Seine (these were mainly the younger ones) and they waved and shouted greetings as we went by. They were all in such a celebratory mood, and I was so happy to be in Paris, that it was impossible not to be happy then.
The next morning, before we met the rest of the group, I was able to see a couple of buildings that made me happy, since they were very close to our youth hostel. One was Le café des 2 Moulins, which is famous for being the cafe in which Amelie was filmed. The other was the Moulin Rouge, from the film which shares its name.
Once we met up with the rest of the group, we went to the one place that absolutely everyone has to go: the Eiffel Tower. Even though I knew it was tall, I was taken aback by just how large the structure was. Of course, I got an even better appreciation of its size when I was climbing its stairs. I only made it to the second level, but I can now officially say I've seen the Eiffel Tower (the real one!) with my own eyes.
After the Eiffel Tower came the Louvre, another place which was much bigger than I'd expected. There was so much to see inside, that I didn't get to see it all even though I admired most of them only for a few seconds. I did get to see the Mona Lisa (the real one!), but I think my favorite pieces inside were this statue:
...and Napoleon's apartment.
After resting for a couple hours in a nearby park (we were pretty pooped by that point), we decided to get Vietnamese food for dinner. This led us to Paris's Chinatown, where we explored for a while before finally deciding which phở looked the best. The main difference I noticed between Paris's Chinatown and the Chinatowns I've visited in the States is that Paris's is much cleaner. I didn't take a picture here, I'm afraid, although I did see a drink I recognized and was amused to see French writing on it.
The next morning, we tried to see the Paris catacombs. Unfortunately they were closed, so we visited a nearby cemetery instead. I didn't know most of the people, but I did see a couple names I recognized - perhaps they will sound familiar to you as well.
Yes, that's right: Paris.
Eeeeee! Words can't describe how excited I was to actually visit the Paris for the first time. I mean, it's Paris! Like the real one! The actual city! The one you see featured in photographs, movies, and books! That Paris! So naturally, since I had only two days to explore all of Paris, I had to do as much as I could!
The first night as fancy dinner night. Right after meeting my friends at the train station (they'd arrived in Paris before me) I dropped my backpack off at the hotel, tossed on a dress, and ate creamy, cheesy pasta at a restaurant they'd found at Champs-Élysées. At one moment during dinner, the waiter told me I had good French... in English. I wasn't sure what to make of this specific instance of being Englished.
After dinner, we rushed to the Seine (the real Seine!) and caught the last boat tour, which took us up and down the river. The boat ride was fantastic - not only was exhilarating to see so many of Paris's attractions lit up at nighttime, but we could see many Parisians as well! Apparently that night was a holiday of sorts in France, so many Parisians young and old were out to party! Many of them were in groups next to the Seine (these were mainly the younger ones) and they waved and shouted greetings as we went by. They were all in such a celebratory mood, and I was so happy to be in Paris, that it was impossible not to be happy then.
The next morning, before we met the rest of the group, I was able to see a couple of buildings that made me happy, since they were very close to our youth hostel. One was Le café des 2 Moulins, which is famous for being the cafe in which Amelie was filmed. The other was the Moulin Rouge, from the film which shares its name.
Once we met up with the rest of the group, we went to the one place that absolutely everyone has to go: the Eiffel Tower. Even though I knew it was tall, I was taken aback by just how large the structure was. Of course, I got an even better appreciation of its size when I was climbing its stairs. I only made it to the second level, but I can now officially say I've seen the Eiffel Tower (the real one!) with my own eyes.
After the Eiffel Tower came the Louvre, another place which was much bigger than I'd expected. There was so much to see inside, that I didn't get to see it all even though I admired most of them only for a few seconds. I did get to see the Mona Lisa (the real one!), but I think my favorite pieces inside were this statue:
...and Napoleon's apartment.
After resting for a couple hours in a nearby park (we were pretty pooped by that point), we decided to get Vietnamese food for dinner. This led us to Paris's Chinatown, where we explored for a while before finally deciding which phở looked the best. The main difference I noticed between Paris's Chinatown and the Chinatowns I've visited in the States is that Paris's is much cleaner. I didn't take a picture here, I'm afraid, although I did see a drink I recognized and was amused to see French writing on it.
The next morning, we tried to see the Paris catacombs. Unfortunately they were closed, so we visited a nearby cemetery instead. I didn't know most of the people, but I did see a couple names I recognized - perhaps they will sound familiar to you as well.
Jean Paul Sartre
Simone de Beauvoir
In short, Paris was marvelous and wonderful and now that I have visited, I wish to return at least once (twice? three times?) in my life. Though I was only there for two short days, I feel I know enough to be able to say "Paris, je t'aime."
Friday, September 17, 2010
Vache
- cow, because the spotting of one never made me this excited until now.
Right, so if you remember from a couple weeks ago, I posted a picture of a colorful vache and said there was a bit of a story behind it. Well, here it is. When we, the UC students, explored downtown Bordeaux for the first time, we were amused to see a life-sized, artistically decorated vache right next to this gorgeous cathedral. This vache, in fact:
Then as we continued to explore Bordeaux, we saw another one... and another one. It turns out that Bordeaux was in the middle of hosting what is called the Cow Parade, which is an art/charity event that has happened in several cities since 1999. The idea behind the event is that they distribute these ginormous cows to local artists, the artists decorate the cows however they want, and the city displays the cows in public places for a few weeks before they are auctioned off to raise money for charity. Apparently they've raised a ton of money for charity this way, so it seems like a good, if eccentric, fundraiser.
However as newcomers to Bordeaux, we saw the vaches as a source of fun and entertainment. Since the vaches were in public places, they were clearly going to be in places that we were going to visit! Therefore, I made it my mission to take a picture of every vache that I saw, with the faint hope of getting all 60 before they were taken down. Well I didn't get all 60, but here are some of my favorites!
Right, so if you remember from a couple weeks ago, I posted a picture of a colorful vache and said there was a bit of a story behind it. Well, here it is. When we, the UC students, explored downtown Bordeaux for the first time, we were amused to see a life-sized, artistically decorated vache right next to this gorgeous cathedral. This vache, in fact:
Then as we continued to explore Bordeaux, we saw another one... and another one. It turns out that Bordeaux was in the middle of hosting what is called the Cow Parade, which is an art/charity event that has happened in several cities since 1999. The idea behind the event is that they distribute these ginormous cows to local artists, the artists decorate the cows however they want, and the city displays the cows in public places for a few weeks before they are auctioned off to raise money for charity. Apparently they've raised a ton of money for charity this way, so it seems like a good, if eccentric, fundraiser.
However as newcomers to Bordeaux, we saw the vaches as a source of fun and entertainment. Since the vaches were in public places, they were clearly going to be in places that we were going to visit! Therefore, I made it my mission to take a picture of every vache that I saw, with the faint hope of getting all 60 before they were taken down. Well I didn't get all 60, but here are some of my favorites!
Four Seasons Vache
(spring and winter are on the other side)
California Vache
Vache on stilts
And my absolute favorite...
Drowning Vache
I didn't manage to get all 60, but I'm pretty sure I have pictures of over thirty of these, and there were about five or so that I failed to get a picture of for some reason or another. All of them were creative and unique, so it was difficult to pick just four favorites! But if you want to my stash of vache pictures, just let me know. :)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Campagne
- countryside, because wow, it was beautiful.
But I don't need to talk about it, because a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So here's four thousand words worth of information that will sum up where I spent last weekend. Keep in mind that I'm not a very good photographer, so imagine what's in the pictures, only ten times prettier.
Gorgeous, right?
But I don't need to talk about it, because a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So here's four thousand words worth of information that will sum up where I spent last weekend. Keep in mind that I'm not a very good photographer, so imagine what's in the pictures, only ten times prettier.
Gorgeous, right?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Famille
- family, because the days of looking at the paper and wondering are over!
And since my days of wondering are over, yours will be too! My home stay family is super nice, a fact for which I am naturally very thankful. They're an older couple with three grown children, so they are used to living with people at about my age. Also, since they've hosted multiple foreign exchange students in the past, they are very good about speaking to me in only French, except to occasionally translate singular words.
I believe my host father speaks English, since he often supplies the English word for words I'm not sure about without the use of my dictionary, which I carry around everywhere. He has a garden in the country, and was quick to tell me which fruits and vegetables he grew himself. I don't blame him - they were really really tasty vegetables, especially the tomatoes.
My host mother is very artistically gifted - many of the porcelain cups and vases around the house were painted by her, and I often saw her embroidering a cloth which would later become the back of a cushioned wooden chair. All of them look professional, and I never would have guessed that they were done as a hobby had I not been told.
Both my host mother and father are very traditional, so I got to learn a lot about French etiquette. I think it amuses them that I often watch what they do first before I proceed at the dinner table. They definitely encourage my learning about the French language and culture, and they are both extremely nice and attentive. I think it's going to be a fun three months.
And since my days of wondering are over, yours will be too! My home stay family is super nice, a fact for which I am naturally very thankful. They're an older couple with three grown children, so they are used to living with people at about my age. Also, since they've hosted multiple foreign exchange students in the past, they are very good about speaking to me in only French, except to occasionally translate singular words.
I believe my host father speaks English, since he often supplies the English word for words I'm not sure about without the use of my dictionary, which I carry around everywhere. He has a garden in the country, and was quick to tell me which fruits and vegetables he grew himself. I don't blame him - they were really really tasty vegetables, especially the tomatoes.
My host mother is very artistically gifted - many of the porcelain cups and vases around the house were painted by her, and I often saw her embroidering a cloth which would later become the back of a cushioned wooden chair. All of them look professional, and I never would have guessed that they were done as a hobby had I not been told.
Both my host mother and father are very traditional, so I got to learn a lot about French etiquette. I think it amuses them that I often watch what they do first before I proceed at the dinner table. They definitely encourage my learning about the French language and culture, and they are both extremely nice and attentive. I think it's going to be a fun three months.
Bisou-Bisou
- that French kissy-kissy cheek thing. You know the one.
I did my first one! It was with my program director (Joelle) and internally I was like 'YES this is so French!' Apparently when you bisou-bisou in Bordeaux, the cheeks touch, but the lips never touch the cheek. You still make a bit of a smoochy-sound, though. You learn new things every day, huh?
I did my first one! It was with my program director (Joelle) and internally I was like 'YES this is so French!' Apparently when you bisou-bisou in Bordeaux, the cheeks touch, but the lips never touch the cheek. You still make a bit of a smoochy-sound, though. You learn new things every day, huh?
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