Pay Day!

I have officially been paid. I almost feel bad because I made about a grand for two weeks of OBSERVING. I literally barely worked at all because of the transportation strike, and then the students were out protesting. People are allowed to strike on Tuesday and Thursday in France so you usually see something going on. This past Tuesday, on my way home from running I saw a protest making its way down the street toward a group of cops with those giant bullet proof shields. I was out like a fat kid in dodgeball. I wonder how the protests will be after the vacation. Maybe everyone will feel relaxed and life will go back to "normal." Also, I am on week three of my 5K training. I can't believe I've come this far. I used to BE the fat kid who was out in dodgeball. Plus, Dave is training for a half marathon so it's nice that we can motivate each other.

Also I have been going out and socializing a bit, and it's been really fun. Maja and I found a Portuguese concert last week that turned into dancing until the wee hours, and I have come to realize that I am within walking distance to some of the best nightlife in Paris, which is great because the metro closes before the bars. On top of that, I live in a really safe area so I feel comfortable walking home.

Sorry for the short update, have to babysit and most likely play pirates (or as Lawrence says, "peer-rots"), then meet Anne at the train station for a Halloween weekend in Paris Extravaganza. Also, word on the street is that I should have internet by November 4th! But after all, this is France... ;)

Paris, Pirates, and Plans

I apologize for my hiatus. Along with not having internet Windows Vista became corrupted on my laptop and it was running extremely slowly if at all. As of today, thanks to my friend Flo, I now have Windows 7 and what seems to be a happy computer again. Yay!

So, the family I babysit for is back. They did some things in my room, like installed a towel rack and another shelf, mounted a mirror, and the fridge finally arrived. The microwave will be here tomorrow, and I should have internet sooner than later (I don’t dare say soon). Apparently one company has to come and confirm that there is no existing line in the room, and THEN the company we’re actually getting internet from will hook it up within a week after that. I can’t wait to be able to call home whenever I want and to look up things to do and see in Paris from the comfort of my little room, which I do like very much. It’s cute and works perfectly for my needs.

The three year old with jet lag can be a bit cranky, it turns out. The first time he saw me his face crumpled like someone told him he would never get dessert again. However by the time his mom came home and tried to give him a kiss he said, “No, I’m playing with Kelly right now.” He is really freaking cute. I always forget how kids that age can turn on and off the waterworks so quickly. He fell on his scooter the other day after we were playing “animal doctor” with his stuffed animals and immediately there were big fat tears rolling down his rosy cheeks. After a quick assessment I determined he was fine, just scared. I said, “Should we take you to the doctor?” He started crying harder and screamed “I don’t want to go to the doctor!” I quickly explained, “No, I mean the animal doctor. Remember?” He said, “Oh yeah.” and INSTANTLY stopped crying, like turning off a switch. It was an impressive theatrical performance. I wonder if I was like that at that age. (Dad, you’re probably reading this, was I?) Yesterday I spent an hour playing “pirates” with him. I was running around the living room with a piece of wood for a gun, ducking and “shooting” at each other and having sword fights. Every time I would dramatically groan and flop to the ground after being shot, Lawrence would come up and say, “Want me to help you up?” (in a really cute French accent). Adorable. Kids’ imaginations are so amazing. I’m glad I’m still a kid at heart; I have a lot of fun playing with him.

I haven’t had to do much other than babysit this week because I keep getting called off of work. Tuesday there was another transportation strike, so I couldn’t get there. I was supposed to go today but the students are on strike. They are marching in the streets, blockading schools, and I saw on the news tonight that it even got violent in Lyon. The footage I’ve seen bears a resemblance to Vietnam War era protests with police and young adults squaring off. Luckily I have been able to avoid most of the drama. I did see some of the young people (or “jeunesse”) marching through the RER platforms today banging on drums and singing. I got a text from one of the teachers at my school saying I don’t even have to go tomorrow. Then, we have a vacation for a week and a half. Good grief. Between the terrorism threats and the strikes I picked one hell of a time to live in France.

So, in my newly found spare time I have been exploring the city with Maja. We went up to Montmartre and wandered around the cemetery, found the café from Amelie, and checked out Moulin Rouge. Yesterday we went to Pere Lachaise where a lot of famous people are laid to rest including Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and Gertrude Stein. It was a fun Halloweenish outing. We are also planning on going down to the catacombs around Halloween. I didn’t get to go the last time I was here and I’m really stoked. Should be nice and creepy. We are also planning a Halloween party at Maja’s. I still need to come up with a costume for that, ideas are welcome. We have also been cooking together over at her place, since she has a full kitchen. It saves us a lot of money to pool our resources, and it’s nice to sit down and eat a hot meal with someone.

This weekend I have plans with my French friend Maria. My friend Anne from Grand Valley, who is studying abroad in Angers, is visiting me for Halloween, and then some teachers from my school are taking me on a daytrip to see some French castles. I’m looking forward to all of it. J

I miss the internet

I am literally sitting on a window ledge on the street using the internet right now. It is absolutely inconceivable to me that it should be so hard to use the internet for free in this day and age. My God. I guess most people don't have to carry their computers down seven flights of stairs either, but come on.

I actually saw the strikers on Tuesday, they came right down my street. It was more like a parade. They played music and were dancing to it, there were big orangeballoons, and French people dressed up like the grim reaper version of Sarkozy. It actually felt pretty festive and with the orange balloons and grim reapers it was the closest thing I'll get to a Halloween parade.

I have been extremely frustrated and isolated for the last few days. Hanging out with friends and working helped, but I really really really miss home. I know it'll get better once I get internet but wow does it feel lonely when you live alone and can't contact home.

Today at school the stereotypical chubby obnoxiously smart kid with glasses said to me (in very good English) "Is it true that you're from LA? And that you were late this morning because of the strike and you live in Paris?" I laughed and said, "Where did you hear that from?" He told me one of his teachers told him that this morning...which makes me wonder who is going around telling kids this, since he was in English when this happened so it had to have been someone from another department. Looks like I set off the rumor mill already. I told him both of those things were true and he said, "What is it like to live in America? Does everyone really have a gun?"

I told him no, but that I do. ;)

The Water is Wide

The last few days have been beautiful, but I have found myself a bit restless. I’ve been exploring my neighborhood and am slowly expanding my territory. I have been going around to parks like Jardin des Plantes and Jardin Luxembourg, and Notre Dame which are all very close to where I live. I sat in the sun yesterday at Jardin Luxembourg and finished The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy, a gift from my CT. “The water is wide” is a good way to describe how far I feel from home right now. I’ve enjoyed myself, but seeing people kissing on park benches all the time is kind of getting to me. Some of them are gross, with their mouths completely open like suckerfish. Bleh. But, some are sweet and it really makes me miss Dave. There are so many things I really want to show him about this city. At least I have time to compile a list of the best things to do before he comes, but it still hurts. He sent me a care package, so now I have my camera finally. He also sent me some Halloween candy and other Halloween stuff to share with my kids at school because they don’t really celebrate Halloween here. I never realized how much I will miss that time of year back home. There are no caramel apples, cider mills, or haunted houses here. Pretty much the only authentic Fall joy that I get to take part in is stepping on crunchy leaves, which I have been doing with reckless abandon to make up for the cider and donuts I’ll be missing out on this year.

Another reason that I am so restless is that I still do not have internet in my room, which makes me feel disconnected not only from home but also from information about Paris, or from my friends here. The family I am working for flew back to the States today because of a family emergency, so it looks like it’ll be a while. I am considering putting a sign on my door that says something like, “Hello neighbors! Have wifi? I’d be willing to pay you to use your network. Inquire within!” There is internet at the family’s apartment but for some reason my computer hates it and refuses to have anything to do with it despite hours of me cajoling and prodding and begging. Hmmph. However, I am able to use their kitchen while they are gone, which is fantastic. I’ve missed cooking.

Tuesday there is a strike scheduled, and I was told that I don’t have to go to school, so I don’t have anything to do except enjoy Paris until orientation on Wednesday.

One thing I have noticed and admire about the French is that they all seem to read quite a bit. When I go running I see them reading on park benches in the sun, on the metro they pull out a book until their stop, they read in cafés while they eat. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that the few televisions I’ve seen here are TINY. Seriously, the kind of thing you see in a college dorm room back home. Either way, I’m not opposed to this equilibrium of entertainment mediums.

Click here to see my photo album of my trip so far. :)

Kelly Diot

Interesting things I’ve seen /done recently:

· A lady taking her dog for a walk IN A STROLLER. Excusez-moi, Madame, but isn’t the point of walking a dog to give it exercise?

· A lady riding her bike down the street singing opera very loudly.

· For kids learning to ride a bike, the French have bikes with handles on the back (kind of similar to the handle of a shovel) so parents can hang on to their tots without having to bend over. Genius.

· The use of “wetback” as a technical term for Mexican immigrants to the U.S., and the term “Taco Belt” for where they migrate to in the textbook my students are reading. Yikes. I don’t want my students visiting the states and horribly offending someone. Going to have a chat with the teacher about that one. In fact, the whole book is strangely written in a way I would never speak. I don’t even think Brits speak that way. For example, they were learning about Thanksgiving and instead of just regular pilgrims they call them the “Pilgrim Fathers.”

· My students have the cutest French accents. One was doing a presentation on Central Park and said, “Ze park is in ze ‘eart of Man’attan. Zere is a big green space. It is splendid and serene.”

· On my way home today I found an awesome bookstore and bought a French copy of the book that the show True Blood is based on. It was an easy read in English. I’m going to try and read a few pages a day to improve my French.

Today we had orientation, which if it were the States, we would have had BEFORE we started school. It was a bit dull. ß Wow, can you tell I’ve been hanging out with Brits? It was all information I would have LOVED to know last week, but now that I’ve been to my school it was fairly redundant. I did get a few good tips and even a free delicious lunch out of it. I met a girl named Sandra that is from Orange County and is here doing a grad program through NYU. I can’t imagine taking five classes on top of being a language assistant. Yikes. I have been eating yogurt every day, it is SO good here. I love it. It is dessert for lunch and dinner. Which I guess makes up for the pastries for breakfast.

I have been going up seven flights of stairs to my room for the exercise. I’ve realized that from a combination of bike riding and running my calves are rock solid, so I figured I would do my derriere some good. J I haven’t seen anyone else on my floor so I have a lot of privacy when I finally reach the top floor wheezing uncontrollably. I love my room, but I’ve kind of been an idiot since I moved in. The first morning I was hurrying down the stairs to leave for work, totally biffed it and missed three steps, falling on my knees on the landing below. I haven’t skinned my knee since I was like seven years old. Maybe being an American in Paris makes you regress to a previous infantile state? That’s how it feels sometimes.

Then, today I needed to send an e-mail to my school about whom I am observing tomorrow before I left or they wouldn’t get it in time to get back to me before tomorrow. There is free internet downstairs so I took my computer out to the street. Of course on the bench outside my front door my computer couldn’t pick up the network I needed, so I ended up squatting on the corner like an idiot precariously balancing my computer on my (injured) knee only to find that I had lost the signal AFTER logging in to my e-mail. Of course I was running late so I ran (okay, I lost some speed toward the top) up seven flights of stairs with my computer. I quickly deposited it in my room and hurried back down, careful to avoid recreating the scene of my accident yesterday only to trip on my way out the front door DIRECTLY in front of a Frenchmen, who smiled at me sympathetically as if to say, “Silly American.” Le sigh. Sometimes my life is like a sitcom that is only not funny to ME because I’m living it.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Stupid American in France! ;)

1000 Years of Annoying the French

I read an article today about Stephan Clarke's new book, 1000 Years of Annoying the French. He said that, "being an expat in Paris can sometimes feel like 'being a lobster in a Breton chef's kitchen.'" Wow, can I ever relate to that. Sometimes it can be very discouraging when people don't even try to understand you in French or are rude. I hate when they switch to English too. However, the majority of the time they are EXTREMELY nice, contrary to Parisian stereotypes.

One interview question in particular stood out to me:

How would you describe the typical French attitude to British people who move to France?

It all depends on whether the British person says "bonjour" or not. If they don't, the French think they're cold, aloof, snobbish and "typiquement anglais". But if they just say the magic word at the start of each conversation, the French love them...It's the only way to be accepted by the French, who prize politeness above all else. It's also wise to refrain from using sentences like "back in the UK, we do it this way" and "but I'm a customer, you HAVE to serve me."

This absolutely rings true for Americans in Paris too. So many Americans come here thinking that the French are cold, snobby, rude, etc., without the least bit of concern for what is rude in the culture that they are visiting. If I had a nickel for every time I heard an American say something along the lines of, "You're in America. Speak English!" I'd have a flight home for Christmas, no problem.

In other news, I had a really fun weekend staying with and catching up with an old friend from high school, Flo. We went to Nuit Blanche, an all night festival where most of the sights are open for free. We got to go to Notre Dame for free. The arched ceilings and the peacful quiet inside always move me.

Speaking of moving, I moved into my apartment last night!! That's right, I stayed in four homes in two weeks, and now finally I'm in my very own little chambre de bonne. It's small (10m squared). They used to be used for maids of wealthy families below to live in. I spent my first evening unpacking EVERYTHING I have and organizing it. Sandra provided everything I need (sheets, towels, utensils, plates, cups, etc.) I am the only one who really lives on the floor, everything else is just an office. I opened my window and peeked out, and was thrilled to discover that I have a stellar view of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. I kept poking my head out on the hour, when it sparkles for ten minutes. This was worth the wait.

Making Fun of the French

By LEAH HYSLOP

October 5, 2010

Full Article

dans les starting-blocks

I'm sitting in a cafe in Paris waiting for my cafe au lait to cool down and snacking on bread and butter. Rain taps on the window to complete a stereotypical portrait of Paris if Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" wasn't the soundtrack for such a scene. They play SO much American music here.

On Thursday I went over to Sandra's to get to know Lawrence. At first he was really shy and flat out refused to speak English, and would only nod in affirmation to questions that I asked him, and I am only supposed to speak English with him. Then, his mom left us alone to play. I was riding around the living room on on of those horse head on a stick things when he announced, "In Wall-E, Eve finds the plant and goes like this!" and did an imitation of the robot from one of my favorite movies. After that he was an anglophone chatterbox. He is absolutely adorable. He has chubby, rosy cheeks and huge bright blue eyes. He showed me every toy in his arsenal, including an introduction to each stuffed animal complete with rubbing them on my cheek to show me how soft they were. We played football (soccer for you Americans...I must admit the name is a lot more accurate for a game you play with your feet, not your hands), and built planes with Legos. They were apparently were fire fighting planes because we spent a lot of time putting out fires with it. :)

I had dinner with him (pasta with tomatoes and parmesan). He mimics everything I say and even the noise I make unconsciously when I'm enjoying what I eat...haha. His Dad even said that we seemed to get along well. The shower is done, they just want to have it cleaned before I move in, which is OFFICIALLY MONDAY.

--

Friday I got up and took a train for 30 minutes to the train station in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, and then a 20 minute bus ride from there. The bus didn't call out the stops, so I asked a kid next to me to tell me where the stop was. He was a student going back to visit his teachers so he took me with him.

The school is big, and about 1000 students attend. It is kind of built like a maze so I hope that I don't get lost. I was taken up to a very fashionable secretary, then the principal who took me to the teacher's room. It is huge, with desks everywhere for them to grade papers. I can't figure out exactly what their teaching schedules are because a lot of them were in there most of the day. No one speaks English besides the English teachers and they will only speak French with me because they want me to improve. The first one I met was Fred, a fabulously flamboyant Frenchmen who took me by the elbow and introduced me to everyone. They were all really nice and welcoming. The best part was the lunch. You swipe your i.d. card and then a machine dispenses a tray. Lunch started with an appetizer (for lack of a better word) a goat cheese tartlet or roasted eggplant. Then there were entrees of meat tortellini, fish and roasted veggies, or with mushroom risotto. I had the fish and mushroom risotto to avoid offending anyone. I figured it can't hurt to get extra protein in a land of simple carbs, the quality is a lot better in France. It was DELICIOUS. Then there was fruit or yogurt (which everyone eats for dessert), and then an actual dessert of chocolate or caramel pudding, custard topped with apricot, or baked fruit with whipped cream on top. I asked Odile (who turned out to be a woman and fellow English teacher) about it, and she said that not all schools in France have food this good. They must have a grant or something. I'm excited to eat there on a regular basis. :)

On the way home I sat at the bus stop for about 20 minutes before I realized that the bus doesn't stop at the school between 8:30 and 4:30 for the kids to go to and from school. I walked to a different bus stop and asked TWO people if it went back to the train station, and they both said yes. When I got to the end of the bus route, I realized this was not the case. I asked a little old French man who seemed to know everyone. He said hi to almost everyone on the street and shook hands with the bus drivers. He told me he was going to the train station too, so I could follow him. When we got there he told me three times to go to the opposite platform to get back to Paris to make sure I had it right. When I got to the other side he pointed excitedly at the train when it came. Then, once I got on he grinned ear-to-ear and waved frantically until the train pulled out of the station. Adorable.

Monday I will move into my apartment, Tuesday I go back to my school to observe some classes, and Wednesday we have orientation. Busy week ahead!