What makes Paris special?

• The harder the bread's crust, the better quality it is. (Your jaw just gets a workout.) More holes also means you chose wisely. When you take the bread from the basket on the table, set it beside your plate, not on it. Tear off pieces instead of biting.


• Ready to flush? The button is on the top of the toilet. Sometimes there are two. The small is for a delciate unloading. When things get messy, use the large button.


• Many French bathrooms have abandoned boy and girls profiles on their doors. There aren't any rules about what bathroom you can use. I had a few brief moments of confusions the first times I saw a man walk out of the stall. This practice can come in handy when bathrooms are designate according to sex; we all know how long the women's line gets when the men's room is sitting empty....


• Smoking teenagers is a common sight. They pay no attention to the FUMER TUE (SMOKING KILLS) labels plastered across cigarette cartons.


• The French don't write their senators. Instead they protest with a group of people and signs or go on strike.


• The rumors are not true. The average French woman does shave her legs and armpits. However, scented deodorant is too unnatural for some.


• The French are behind with technology, but the situation is improving.


• A true Parisian sits or stands on the metro and stares, all dejected looking, at the floor. If someone happens to be looking elsewhere, it is probably because he or she is staring at you. It doesn't seem to be considered impolite here.


• France revolves around Paris.


• Most Parisians leave their car at home and take the metro. It's not like there are any parking spots to be had anywhere. At busy times (or when the RER is striking), the bodies pack in like sardines. I've gotten closer to French people than I ever wanted to.


• The smell is unique, like an unpleasant melange of pee, sweat, poop, and smoke. It's always potent int he metro. (As my Uncle Dave pointed out to me, that's why Paris is known for perfume!)


• Keep your fork in your left hand and your knife in your right. Switching is unnecessary.


• Milk is for the morning. I was informed by Heloise yesterday that Americans are weird because they eat milk with dinner. My host mom also thinks that it will give you a tummy ache if you don't heat it.


• Breakfast isn't fancy, but the French are more likely to take the time to sit down for it. I have toast and tea every morning.


• The customer is always wrong.


• At a restaurant, checks aren't split. The waiter gives you one check and you split it among yourselves. (There are more waiters and less waitresses than in America.)


• Don't lean over the counter and try to speak with someone. Wait to be addressed, or you'll come across as rude.


• Men can wear purses and scarves too.


• Phones are for business, not talking. State your business and hang up. (This is changing some with cell phones.)


• The French are guaranteed at least five weeks of vacation per year.


• Most stores closs on Sunday. You have to pay attention to which bakeries, restaurunts, etc. are open in your area. You can always count on visiting the Marais district. Their large Jewish population means doors are normally open.


• Family dinners are still important.


• Kids go to school for longer each day, but they have large lunch breaks and wasted time. They are graded on a scale of 20, not 100. Children are expected to chose a career sooner than Americans. "Le bac" is the important exam students take at the end of high school. Their score determines which schools they can enter. Normally the track they chose leads them to the occupation they will have for the rest of their life. There is not the liberty to change their majors four times.


• Don't give the "Romanian" who come onto your metro car any money. He and 17 other "Romanians" all have the same story and same number of kids.


• Homeless sit in every metro stop or conveniently by the ATM on the corner. Once you are homeless in France, it is nearly impossible to break back into work. Social protections and benefits abound, but homeless on a list of people who slip through the system.


• French go to the doctor for preventative care more than Americans, who tend to go only when they are bleeding profusely or giving labor.


• T-shirts and sneakers don't pass.


• French artists are only heard on the radio to meet the government's quota for the number of songs that need a French label. Techno is popular with young people. American music is everywhere.

French Fact: France is giving a $905 million aid package to the French press. One provision gives young readers free subscriptions.

One day papers, the next fondue

There is so much to take in - like the the freezing weather outside. It's literally 32 degrees Farenheit.

I've finished classes and written three ten-page papers. I still have to finish work on my independent study of French literature, but I've decided to hold off until I'm in America. I'm trying to soak up as much Paris as I possibly can before I get on that plane in four days.

On Thursday my group had our last dinner together at the restaurunt on the corner near school. I'm going to miss taking the metro to Montmarnasse to go to class at Reid Hall. I am extremely pleased with my program and my professors. The thick scrapbook they gave us of our activities made me realize how much we've done together.

The night before we went to a one-man show titled "How to become a Parisian in one hour." We almost died of laughter. All of the Parisian stereotypes we've concluded this semester came to play. The man asked for a volunteer from the adience at one point. I stupidly started pointing to my friend Angie sitting in front of me. Of course I was the only person in the theater making any movement, so I was singled out. I got on stage and was taught to "dance like a Parisian" to Brittany Spears music in front of a couple hundred people. My friends were incredibly amused, and two of them were called on stage after that since the actor had caught onto our group of Americans. They thanked me after the show.

I have officially conquered the Louvre! I went once more to mark off the remaining rooms on my map. The mob around the Mona Lisa (or La Jaconde in French) reminds me of Americans on Black Friday.

Caroline and I went to l'Opera Garnier yesterday. We took a tour of the lavish building and imagined the people who used to visit after in was constructed in 1875. I've never seen so many variants of marble.

We also went to Emily's hand-bell concert at the American Church. Emily helps to organize our program. She is the person we go to to get maps and copies. We'll miss her helpful face.

Then a group of us went to Le refuge des Fondues to celebrate Cydney's birthday. We cooked our own chunks of steak that we dipped in sauces. We smoothered pieces of baguette in melted cheese. This popular, tiny restaurunt requires reservations, and once you get there, you have to climb over tables to get to your seat. You then eat your dinner practically sitting on your neighbor. But it is all worth it, because you get to drink out of baby bottles. Why? The story is the restaurunt once began serving drinks in baby bottles to evade a certain tax of the time. After the laws changed, it had become a tradition, so they kept it that way.

This morning I ventured into the cold and went to the far west of Paris to the modern arch called "La Defense." The touring structure lines up with l'Arc de Triomphe. I explored the Christmas market set up in front of it.

Tara and I have been talking about going up l'Arc de Triomphe all semester and finally got to cross it off our list today. It provides an excellent view of Paris that isn't too high up. A star of roads converge into a hectic circular traffic scene below.

Tonight we had a small Christmas party at Angie's apartment. It was the last time all of us will be together! We drank tea and ate cookies. Then a few of us walked down Le Champs Elysees, which is lined with trees drapped with lights. A Christmas market hugs the sidewalk leading up to La Concorde.

I'll spend the next few days bundled up visiting the places I haven't been to yet or call my favorite. After that, I get to shove too much stuff into too little suitcase, and then I'll be home for Christmas.

French Fact: Approximately 46% of a French person's salary goes to taxes.

Bringing America to Paris

I know I've been a slacker lately. I haven't been updating you on my life, but this only proves how busy I've been.

My intensive week with Professor Deanna Pelfrey ended last week. After our trip to Belgium we had a week of long classes, mulitple PR firm visits, and visits like the U.S. Embassy in Paris. On Thanksgiving we went to Le Monde, one of France's major newspapers. Between the economy and the rise of news readership online, they are hurting.



Speaking of Thanksgiving, I had the most bizarre one I've ever had! (And please do not be that person who asks if the French celebrate this holiday. Think about it - the whole pilgrim-indian thing is a bit unique to the U.S.) On Thursday night I got together with my friends Amber and Alison. We attempted to make our own American-like dinner. It was interesting to say the least. We ate on Amber's bed in her extremely small apartment. At least the mashed potatoes were yummy!



That Friday made up for any loss of tradition. Our PR class went to Disneyland Paris. (Yes, this was educational!) We spent the morning speaking with two women who work on communications for Disney. We learned all about their cultural bloopers and the anti-American resentment they were faced with when they opened. Disney was pegged as a "cultrual Chernobyl."






With a complementary pair of Mickey ears we spend the afternoon in their two parks, riding the familiar Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Tower of Terror, and the Rock n' Roll roller coaster. We felt like we were back home in Florida. There were even palm trees! There were hardly any lines either.



After Disney we took the RER back to Paris and then went to Gayle's house for some real Thanksgiving food. My professor set us up with all the essentials (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.). The French professors wife, who works in a restaurunt, made tart-like pies that were to die for. I think that was the best apple pie I've eaten. The UF architecture program joined us too.



Right now we are jealous of the architecture program because they are officially finished. We did end classes Friday, but now I have a list of papers to write. I've got a chunk done already, but I'm really dreading the paper I have to write in French for my independent study!



This week we have a few more activities, and then it's over! I still have about 10 days to go to all the Parisian places I haven't made it to yet. The thought of leaving Paris is even more depressing than that pitiful Gator's game last night!

French Fact: This week many museums in Paris have been closed because museum workers are on strike. They are protesting reduces in staff. A class visit to the Centre de Pompidou was cancelled this week because it was closed. They French will go on strike for anything.

Brussels and Bruges

Here are a couple of highlights from my program's trip to Brussels and Bruges, Belgium.

• We heard speakers at NATO.




• We meant with EU lobbyists from the company Diageo, one of the largest alcohol companies. They told us about their job.




• We went to La Grande Place, saw the Manneken Pis, and found a girl version of the statue!




• I ate a delicious dinner of mussels.




• We went to the European Commission and the European Parliament and heard multiple speakers on the EU.




• We had a roudtable discussion with representatives from Coca-Cola Europe, the President of the Parliament, and the European-American Business Council in an EU Parliament cafeteria.




• On Thursday, while we were in Brussels, Belgian Prime Minister Mr. Van Rompuy was elected the President of the European Council. He is little known, but this is actually a plus. The EU wanted a person with few enemies or interests to fill the position.




• Pieces of the Berlin Wall were on display near the EU.




• We took a boat tour through Bruges, "the little Venice of the north."




• A Christmas market in Bruges had just been set up in the town square. I bought a bratwurst and watched people ice skate.




• I ate more Belgian waffles and learned to seek out places that plop the dough on the the waffle-maker and hand it to you hot. Don't give me a reheated one that tastes like Eggo.




• One chocolate shop was hand making truffles. Of course we couldn't resist and bought one to taste. That was a minute of bliss.

I saw the President!

While everyone was celebrating Veterans' Day back home, I was celebrating Armistice Day with the French. November 11 marks the day of the armistice that ended WWI.

I went with my friends Alison, Alex and Kate to L'Arc de Triomphe this morning and piled into the crowd waiting for President Nicolas Sarkozy to arrive at 11h. An enormous blue, white and red flag hung from the center of the monument. Sarkozy's wife was the first to arrive. She recieved quite a cheer.

Then we could see Sarkozy's sleek, black vehicle on the large television screen, moving slowly down Les Champs-Elysees, surrounded by motorcycle protectors. He arrived with Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.

The two circled the monument and then stoof seriously as a band played the Marseillaise, France's national anthem. Then they laid a flowery wreath on the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier and lit a flame in the torch beside it.

After a few more songs, Sarkozy gave a short speech. We watched him on the screen with German subtitles (What a help!). Merkel gave a speech as well, this time in German with French subtitles. They both talked about the countries' past and current friendly relations. According to Wikipedia, Forbes Magazine named Merkel the msot powerful woman in the world freom 2006 to 2009.

The ceremony ended with instruments playing Ode to Joy. We slipped away before the metro became a mob scene and went to visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery. It is the most famous one in Paris. We got lost; it's so big. Many famous people are buried there. We saw Balzac's grave, and Alison pretended to kiss Oscar Wilds' tomb, which is covered in red lipstick.

Tonight I went to a connect group from Paris Hillsong, the church I have been attending here. A small group of about 10 young adults met together at Starbucks. Everyone spoke some English, but once the group discussion began it was all in French, so it was more good practice.

French Fact: Twelve roads spill into a roundabout encircling L'Arc de Triomphe. Napoleon I had the monument commissioned, and it was later dedicated to an unknown soldier killed during WWI.

Back to where my life began

A very stressful 48 hours preceded our 6-hour bus ride to Liege, Belgium. Finding out about the train strike in Belgium was only the beginning of our problems. Caroline and I had actually been given tickets for the wrong month. We thought we had lost a chunk of money, but my host dad came to the rescue and worked some magic. Even he was surprised they cooperated with us. We got our money back and bought bus tickets. We had to leave a day later, but we were just thankful it worked out! This was my most stressful experience yet. In the end, God answered out prayers!

We went to Liege, and Caroline's friend Audrey picked us up. Caroline met her when she was an exchange student in Florida during high school. We stayed with her family in the small rural town of Melen. They had an adorable, cozy house, although it's still heated with a wood stove.

On Friday night we went to a fair in Liege. It was like an American county fair. I ate Belgian fries with mayonnaise and a chocolate, coconut covered apple. We tasted hot wine with cinnamon. Audrey's boyfriend Entienne went with us, along with a group of their Belgian friends.

In the morning Audrey's mom drove us to an aunt and uncle's house. The uncle then drove us to Aachen, Germany. Cousin Rachelle stayed with us and showed us around the shops and ornate church. Her German was helpful. We ate pretzels, hot chocolate, gingerbread, and bratwurst (on a circular bun that was too short).

We said au revoir to Rachelle and took a train to Maastricht in The Netherlands. Our first impression was questionable, as we smelled marijuana as we left the train station! They are known for their "coffee shops," where people smoke weed. It's legal there.

We found a map and followed a walking tour of the old Maastricht. It was so enjoyable we only got through half of it. Christmas garland decorated the cobblestone streets lined with old traditional houses turned into classy shops. We wandered along the ancient city wall and into a church devoted to the Virgin Mary.

When the sun set we treated ourselves to "La Bonne Femme." The year 1696 was etched in the building. They gave us a tiny celery soup on the house. Caroline had goulosh, and I had a pea soup with vegetables and sausage. She ate tender duck. I ordered some "wild" meat that we never identified. Our Dutch waiter didn't know the name in English. All I know is that it was the best, succuelent meat in a delicious sauce. My plate came with sauerkraut, potatoes, and a tasty, marinated apple-half. They gave us free fries as well.

We took the train back and tasted some treats with Audrey's family. Everyone woke up early the next morning and bundled up in layers to brave the 3-degree Celsius air. They furnished boots. We got in their truck and took their two horses to a trail. The horse Elsa stepped on Caroline's poor toe. Audrey's dad took us on a carriage ride through the green hills with splashes of autumn trees and into charming, old, Belgian towns. Our destination was a farm, where a group was meeting to baptize their horses for good luck. We left before witnessing this tradition, but we ate a homemade Belgian waffle with coffee. It was the best waffle I've eaten, and it didn't even have anything on it!

Audrey brought us back to her old farm house for a lunch of various cheeses and meats and even squash soup. On the way we had stopped to buy some chocolate too. After lunch we headed to the train station and took the first one to Brussels.

I was thrilled to be in the city of my birth! I had dreamed of going there since I was little. Unfortuantely we didn't have much time, but we made it to La Grande Place and Le Manneken Pis. Old Brussels' architecture is elaborate. We saw a few churches and the Opera. I ate a Belgian waffle with Chantilly cream and chocolate. Mmm.

And then we were off, on a 4-hour bus ride back home to Paris. I slept for most of it.

French Fact: President Nicolas Sarkozy is largely unpopular among the French. Even the middle schoolers I tutor in English don't like him! My host dad once joked that there would be another revolution. The general consensus is he is "not French" enough.

Busy, Busy

A smattering of things I've done since my last blog:

• I got sick with a cold.



• I went to a comtemporary art fair/market.



• There's been a lot of studying. I'm glad midterms are over.

• My program visited l'Assemblee Nationale, the French National Assembly. It is similar to the House of Representatives in America. We saw the semi-circular chamber, a library, press rooms, and more.



• I ate my first "sandwhich grec" in one of the many Turkish restaurants all over Paris.



• I dressed up as a ballerina and went to a Halloween party with friends from my program. The metro rides were fun that night.



• My host brother Hugo had a birthday party, which meant 50 French teenagers in what is normally my bedroom.



• I visited the Musee des Arts et Metiers-Techniques. It was filled with cool technology related articles like airplanes, clocks, cameras, cars, etc.



• My program went to the Immigration Museum.



• I wandered around the charming Monmartre, possibly my favorite area of Paris. (Minus the sharp incline. It's on a hill.)



• Today, some French celebrate Toussaint, a Catholic holiday to celebrate all the Saints. I went to Notre Dame and listened to an organ concert, heard a cardinal speak about the Church in Africa, and attended a mass.



• I visited the Pantheon with my program. Lots of famous people are buried their.

French Fact: France passed laws in 1905 to create a separation of church and state.