Je ne regrette rien.....(July 29, 2008)

So when I started this blog, my intention was to note how things in France have changed (or not) in the past 35 years, from the time I first set foot on the hexagon until now. Here are some things that have not changed…..
The Paris metro….still fast, efficient, economical, entertaining

Outdoor markets....a social event in every neighborhood

Service compris (tips included)…..see my comments below

Turkish toilets….yes, they still exist

And here are some things that have changed…..

Mail….now it’s e-mail and texting rather than snail mail

Phones….now everyone has a “portable”. Before you had to go to the post office to make a long distance call, or buy tokens or phone cards from the tobacco store and then stand in line at a phone booth. Now the phone booths are pretty much empty!

Smoking…..used to be everyone, everywhere. Finally, France has non-smoking buildings, restaurants, etc! And fewer people are smoking. Hooray!

French people are gaining weight……there are now advertisements for weight loss programs, and plus-size departments in stores.

Pit hair…..most of the women now shave their pits!

Swimsuits…..men still wear speedos even if they shouldn’t, but fewer women go topless, and one-piece swimsuits are acceptable. (Before, all women wore bikinis, even if they shouldn’t!)

Toilets…..there are now very nice portable potties on the streets, invented by a French man!

Most require payment, but this time I actually saw a free one!

Euros….no more French francs.

McDonalds……before they had a few….now they are everywhere! (Plus Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut)

ATMs (Banque machines) are more popular than the Bureaux de Change!

Digital cameras (of course) have replaced film…..hooray! (I can’t imagine going back to loading/reloading film in a camera!)

Sandwiches….now have lettuce and tomatoes on them! (Before, just bread, meat, cheese & butter!)

Graffitti....unfortunately, it is rampant.

Old El Paso products in the supermarkets.

Supermarkets.

I’m sure I’ll think of more and maybe I’ll add to this list. As for “tipping”, I have always been taught and taught my students that in France the tip is included in the menu price in restaurants. This was clearly marked on the menus and on the checks. This summer, I started noticing that it was no longer clearly marked. So, a couple of times, I asked the server if the “service” was “compris”. She/he replied “no”. So, of course, we left a 15% tip. I thought it was curious that there was no place on the credit card receipt to add a tip, though. We always left our tips in cash. Finally, in Grenoble we asked a fellow French student, and she said that the tip is absolutely always included, and it is required by the French government! Those people were telling us that it was not included, hoping that the stupid generous Americans would tip big! I verified this information on the internet! It really upset me that the French people could so blatantly lie and not even bat an eye! Needless to say, we stopped tipping (well, we did tip the girl at the couscous restaurant a bit….but certainly not 15%). And I am now on a mission to spread the word…..whether the menu/check says it or not, the service is always compris in French restaurants and cafés! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

This brings me to the end of my last post (I think) about the fabulous seven-week experience that I have had in Europe and France during the summer of 2008. I thank my family for letting me leave them for this extended period of time, and the French government and Lubbock ISD for helping me with expenses, and all of the wonderful people from all over the USA, France, and the world who shared the experience with me! Oh, I also thank my parents for letting me take French back in the tenth grade, even though they thought it made more sense to take Spanish! I told them I wanted to take French for fun, and that I planned to go to France someday! I’ve been privileged to go to France more times than I can count….and my travels have been fun and rewarding.

Non, je ne regrette rien…..!

In the meantime.....(July 28, 2008)

My talented "copine" Allison (California) posted her video about our group on the web and gave me permission to put a link to it here! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZrhv2WHf5w

All good things must come to an end…..(July 27, 2008)

Woke up at 5, caught the Air France bus at 6:40, and arrived at the airport at 7:10. My flight didn’t leave until 10:20, but by the time I found the right terminal, checked in, stood in “tax back” line (I’m convinced that they make this as miserable as possible so people won’t take the time to bother with it), went through security, took a tram to my gate, grabbed a piece of quiche and a soft drink….they were boarding my flight! I ate while standing in line to board. I thought I would have plenty of time to have a leisurely breakfast and perhaps finish my blog….but no, it took every minute I had to navigate the bureaucracy of the Charles de Gaulle airport.

I love Air France. Even though they lost Kristen’s luggage for 12 days (which is inexcusable), I still enjoy flying them. The food is interesting. They gave us Haagen-Daas ice cream for a snack! They set up an “open bar” with ice cubes. The flight was full, but very comfortable. (I remember when I flew back on Air France in 1973….the flight was practically empty and I completely lay down across the five seats in the middle and slept most of the way home!) I watched two and a half movies and slept quite a bit, so hopefully I won’t be too jet lagged by the time I get home tonight! I’m anxious to see my family and my house and sleep in my bed and shower in my shower!

Just one day in Paris….(July 26, 2008)

Once I arrived in Paris, I easily found my hotel (Palym). There was a massive amount of people in the Gare de Lyon. It was Saturday, and I guess many were leaving for vacations. I excited the station, got an adrenaline rush from being in Paris again, and tried to figure out which street was Rue Emile Gilbert. Right away I saw the sign for the Hotel Palym, and headed that direction. (I found all of my hotels on this trip via http://www.vernere.com/, which I now highly recommend to all of my traveling friends.) Since it was only 10:30 a.m., my room was not ready, so I left my bags with the front desk and set off to meet William.

We met at the Café Français across from the Opéra Bastille. I had an espresso, figuring I needed some caffeine to keep me awake for the matinee at the Comédie Française. We then started our little walking tour. William was staying in an apartment near the Place des Vosges that belonged to friends of his in New Orleans, and he wanted to show it to me. I have always been curious as to what those apartments look like, because you can’t really tell from the outside! This was a one bedroom….the tiniest apartment you can imagine! There was a kitchen tinier than a small closet, and a “living dining” combination that literally had two chairs and a very small table. Plus a small bathroom and a decent sized bedroom. William said that they probably paid $100,000 for it 10 years ago! I can’t imagine spending much time there…..I’d be very claustrophobic!

We walked through the beautiful Place des Vosges (which now has Wifi, by the way!) and looked at Victor Hugo’s house, and then walked towards Beaubourg (I was on a mission to find the Christian bookstore). We grabbed a “picnic” in a boulangerie and walked on over to the Comédie Française, where we ate our lunch on a bench and then went to get our tickets for the afternoon performance.

I didn’t realize what a big deal it was….but this was the 1000th performance of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Comédie Française! It was also the last performance of the season. Every seat was sold. The theatre was absolutely beautiful. The performance was excellently staged and performed. Thank goodness I had seen the movie and knew the story well enough to follow it. It is truly a masterpiece….both comedy and tragedy combined!

My students know that if I have just one day to spend in Paris, I am going to spend part of it in the LUXEMBOURG GARDENS! In fact, I think I would grieve if I had to leave Paris without at least walking through. So William and walked over to the Left Bank, past the famous Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, and into the gardens. As it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the gardens were full of people! The flowers were beautiful…this year in pinks, lavenders, and purples. We relaxed there a bit, and then realized it was 7:00 p.m.! William had friends to meet, and I still needed to get into my room at the hotel and prepare for my trip back to the states on Sunday, so we took the subway together as far as the Gare Austerlitz, said our good-byes, and I walked back over the Seine to my hotel. I had a salad in a nice little sidewalk café and then organized my things for my early morning departure! It was a great day in my favorite City…..but it’s time to go home!

Grenoble to Paris…..(July 26, 2008)

I am so proud of myself! This morning I awoke at 5 a.m., hauled all my luggage (with a broken wheel) down four flights of stairs and a quarter mile to the tram stop, and arrived at the train station around 6:45. I am now on the TGV bound for Paris. The train left at 7:25 and is due to arrive in Paris at 10:27. We are zooming past the rolling farmlands, and it is beautiful!

Last night the girls and I went out for dinner at La Belle Étoile for couscous. We went right at 7, so were the only ones in the restaurant and got excellent service and delicious Tunisian food. Then we went for ice cream/coffee (dessert) in Place Grenette.
Lastly, we went to an Internet Café to let our families know that the CUEF had already terminated our internet passwords at the university, so we would not be checking in as often. As Allison said, Université Stendhal picked a fine time to be efficient! Too bad for the ones who aren’t leaving until Sunday or Monday!

Three weeks ago when I rolled into Grenoble on a bus, I had no clue what to expect. Vincent (from CUEF) put William and me on the tram with a map and told us what stop to get off. The next morning William and I scrutinized the map as we tried to find Stendhal (one of the four universities on the campus). I remember commenting “We may be lost today, but by the end of the week we’ll know what we’re doing!” It’s true…we now know all of the tram routes and shortcuts through buildings and patios. It’s amazing how well you get to know a city when you have to rely on your feet and public transportation! That is one thing I really miss about Europe when I go back to Texas. I love a pedestrian lifestyle.

There seems to be a very large number of handicapped people living in Grenoble. The city is very accessible for them. The university even has a dormitory that caters to them, and the trams have no steps to navigate….the tram is exactly even with the platform, so they can just roll their wheel chairs on or off for easy access.

Our last day of class was rather anticlimactic. We had the pétanque tournament/barbecue on Thursday night, so were up rather late. We all thought we would starve before they finally fed us. Their idea of a barbecue was a few chips, merguez (spicy) sausage hotdogs, and deliciously seasoned lamb chops. We had fruit for dessert, and assorted beverages. Since we were out at the barbecue so late, I had to skip my first class (sorry, Whitney, I know I am a disappointment to you) to do my laundry. When we arrived at Stendhal at 10, they CUEF office had our certificates ready, along with croissants and coffee/juice. We had all just eaten breakfast, but forced ourselves to eat another croissant. We filled out our evaluations and then found out that our 10:30 class had been canceled because the teacher was sick. I was really sad, because I liked that class a lot, and that is the one we skipped on Thursday to go to the Tour de France. I’ll have to e-mail the prof to say good-bye and thank her for the three good days of information that I received from her!

Kristen set up a Facebook group for our gang: Les copains de CUEF, so we can all stay in touch in cyberspace after saying goodbye. How the world has changed with the Internet! I wrote a 2-page letter to Bryant, and realized that I had not handwritten a letter like that forever! Everything now is e-mail, text messages, or at most short handwritten notes! Vive la différence!

Just in case you'd like to know what it's like on the TGV at 180+ miles per hour....check out this video!

Here's Kristen's video of the Tour de France!

The Tour de France....in the blink of an eye (July 24, 2008)

Before my Tour de France report, let me just say that the winetasting last night was pleasant, interesting, fun because of the group I was with, but probably not worth 20 euros. Nothing major to report there. We were in teams by tables, and our team consisted of four Americans and our Canadian friend Valerie, so we named our team Yankinook, and after tasting the wines and taking the quiz we came in second place. No big deal, because the first place winners just won a wine glass from the establishment, and that would have just been another think to figure out how to get home without breaking!

Today we went to our first class, then all ten of us went to town to watch the Tour de France. We bought sandwiches and pastries and asked the police where the best place to stand was, and then claimed our spots and waited. And waited. And waited in the bright sun. The advertising caravan came through and threw trinkets at us. I got a few souvenirs. The only one of our group to have any experience with this was Kristen, and she warned us that when the cyclists came through we would miss it if we blinked, and not to expect to get any good pictures. So we all decided to try to video rather than take still shots.

I think some of the others got better video than I, and I hope to import theirs sometime. The unfortunate thing is, I was so busy trying to capture the event, that I didn't really get to experience it! Oh well, c'est la vie! Here is a still picture from the video I captured. Kristen was right....by this stage of the race (only 2 days left), there aren't many cyclists left in the race and it was over before we knew it! But it was still fun!

Tonight it's petanque (boules) and barbecue!

Ciao for now!

I think I'm growing up.....and the "ghettoization" of France....(July 22, 2008)

Tonight we went out as a group for one of our "last meals together". We were going to do it Thursday (because a couple of folks are leaving on Friday), but the CUEF decided to throw a petanque (boules) tournament and barbecue Thursday night, so we had to move it up. We went back to the little restaurant that Allison and I discovered on Sunday. Several had the raclette, and I had the tartiflette, a cheese/bacon/onion/potato dish. It was very tasty! More comfort food! Here's the part that will shock all of my friends and family....after dinner I voluntarily ordered an espresso, and even enjoyed it! I have decided that since I can only drink a few sips of coffee at a time, espresso might be the way for me to go if I want to join the adult crowd!

In case anyone doesn't know, today is Mark's and my 25th wedding anniversary! I personally can't believe we are that old, but it is what it is! We sent each other e-cards, and will go out to celebrate after I return to Lubbock and things settle down.

We think we've figured out how and when to see the Tour de France pass through here on Thursday. We're going to have to cut class to see it, but we Americans think it's worth it! (I haven't missed a single class so far, so I think I'm entitled!)

Unfortunately, we have all noticed that the young people of France are falling victim to the ghetto mentality.....rap music, lack of respect for others, sagging pants, etc. The graffiti has gotten worse and worse every year that I come. At this very moment there is a guy parked in the street right under our windows playing his rap music at full volume, and it's 11 p.m.! William has called the office to complain, and they said they would call security. The guy is drinking and so far has gotten out of his car to relieve himself twice. William has tried to politely ask him to turn down his music, but either he cannot hear him or is ignoring him. After two calls from William, a couple of security guys finally showed up. They had quite a heated discussion with the man, and then walked off. After a bit he turned on his music again, but atleast he was not playing it as loud as before. I don't understand why people think the whole world wants to listen to their music. Oh well, enough ranting and raving, I'm going to try to sleep through it!

Bonne nuit!

School days……(July 21, 2008)

We started our second “quinzaine” (15 day session) today, with new courses. Of course, we are only going to be here for half of this quinzaine. In reality, after today we only have four more days of class.

I have always considered myself to be very fortunate because my career incorporates my three main interests….the French language/culture, teenagers, and teaching. I have always known that French teachers do not have the same connection/rapport with their students that we American teachers are encouraged to have. This summer I witnessed this cultural difference firsthand!

Don’t misunderstand me….I have enjoyed my courses very much. Even the civilization course turned out to be bearable in the end. But it is obvious to me now that French professors see their roll as providing as much information in a lecture format as possible, with little or no input from the students. I have sat in several sessions where the professor talked the entire hour and a half, and then three minutes before we were to end, asked “Avez-vous des questions?” (Do you have any questions?) Are they kidding? By then our derrieres and our brains are so numb, who would dare to ask a question? The other classmates would hang us out to dry. (They also never dismiss class early….if anything, they hold us over 10-15 minutes.)

I had a very good relationship with my phonetics teacher, Dominique Abry. But this is probably because I initiated it. She wore awesome jewelry and I commented on it after class one day, and asked her if she could recommend any good jewelry shops in town. From then on, she made a point of talking with me before/after class and even in the hallway. She was an exception to the rule, but then she has traveled a lot and taught in other countries so perhaps she has escaped her culture.

I also had Whitney’s favorite teacher (Danielle Demmarest) for a course. That course was a killer because it lasted 2 hours, from 3:30-5:30! It was hot (no AC) and we were brain dead to begin with, but it was still a very good course. Since we were reading contemporary French and trying to decipher it, she did let us have input. That was not too bad.

The civilization teacher was very intelligent and very interesting, but aside from the video excerpts that he showed us to illustrate his points, all he did was talk and talk and talk. He had a good sense of humor and made some good jokes. When we laughed at his jokes he seemed to appreciate it, and knew we were listening (or faking it). And he did smile and say hello to me in the hallway one day.

I have changed to new courses for this week. One is on teaching with TV5, another is on teaching with printed media, and the last one is called “Dynamiser la classe” (making class dynamic). The first two teachers are again very nice, very entertaining, but obviously see themselves as the dispensers of information and us as the receptors. The last teacher must be an alien, because she is the most like what we Americans are used to. She is teaching us how to get our kids up and motivated, interested in learning, etc. Today I learned that she has actually taught in the United States, so that explains why she does it “right”. (smile)

By far the very worst examples are the “forums” that they have from1:30-3 every day. We are “required” to attend three. I attended my second one yesterday. Honestly, this teacher talked non-stop for 1 hour before someone finally got a chance to ask her a question, and Allison, Kristen and I got up and left. (We had already signed in, and we were not the first ones to get up and leave. It was our French friend Nathalie who told us that French students sign in and leave all the time. I can see why!)

I asked Allison, “What teacher could possibly enjoy talking for an entire hour and a half, with no interaction from her audience which is obviously not engaged in her presentation?” I think that would be a good definition of “hell” for me. Allison teaches at the French School for Americans in Los Angeles, and most of their teachers are French. She said they have to spend a week in orientation deprogramming the French teachers so they can teach American kids. She said that the American parents complain all the time about the French teachers.

Anyway, if I had to teach like the French way, I would not be a teacher, that’s for sure!
(The other job I would never want to have a museum proctor! Talk about boring!)

A very good Sunday.....(July 20, 2008)


This morning I awoke to fresh mountain showers that varied from sprinkles to thunderstorms throughout the day. Allison (California) and I had plans to meet at 9 a.m. to go to church. We took the tram, and arrived precisely à l'heure (on time). The pastor was happy to see me again, and welcomed us very warmly, promising to try to speak slowly when he delivered his sermon.

This week we sang with the piano and drums. You'd be surprised how much a set of drums can add to even a standard hymn sung from a hymnal! The pastor delivered a very good sermon from Psalm 121, and we had communion. I quickly remembered that when French people serve communion, they form a circle and share a common cup of wine. They also sing "What A Friend We Have in Jesus" a capella.

When I was in France in 1973 as a student missionary on the music team, we sang a song that became one of my favorites. It comes from Isaiah 54:10 (Though the mountains fall away and the hills topple, God's love will never desert you.) It was one of my favorite songs, and 35 years later I can still sing it from memory. You cannot imagine how I felt when we sang that song today at the end of the sermon! It was a real déjà vu experience!

After church it was pouring. Allison and I waited for a slight break in the rain, and then started the 10-minute walk to the tram stop. We had plans to meet Mary (Alaska) in town for lunch. A sweet little old man from the church saw us walking and turned around to pick us up and give us a ride to the tram stop! Mary elected not to come into town because of the storms, so Allison and set out to find a place to eat lunch. I am under strict orders from Whitney to eat raclette and tartiflette before leaving, and I also would like to eat some couscous. So Allison and I found a really cute little restaurant and ordered raclette.

Talk about the ultimate comfort food! Once you've tasted raclette cheese, you'll never be satisfied with Velveeta again! I hope they have it at Market Street, because I want to try making macaroni and cheese with it! The melted raclette is eaten with boiled potatoes, cold meats and pickles. Of course they also served salad and bread.

After lunch Allison returned to campus, and I set out to see the Musée Daulphinois. One of my professors had told us that we must see that museum. It is a museum set in a 12th century convent, pertaining to life in this region. There was a great exhibit about the people of the Alps, showing how they lived, their tools, etc. Several French parents were there with their little children. It reminded me a bit of the TTU Ranching Heritage Center. There was also an exhibit about the history of skiing, which was interesting as well. It was a great time to be inside, because it was pouring rain outside! But when I left the museum, the sun was coming out. I set out next to find the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation. The nice thing about the museums is that they are (1) open on Sundays, and (2) free on Sundays! The Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation was very interesting, educational, and well-done. It reminded me of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. I found it interesting that most of the "resistors" in the beginning were high school students and their teachers!




I am now back in my room for the evening. I certainly don't need to eat dinner after my raclette splurge at lunch! I do have a couple of interesting observations to note, however.

(1) I have faithfully validated my tram ticket every time I have ridden the tram, and until today have never seen a "controleur". (If you get caught riding the tram without a validated ticket, you pay a hefty fine.) This morning about five controleurs got on the tram that Allison and I were on. Allison was holding her ticket, but since no one ever checks, I also put mine back in my wallet. I guess they thought I looked suspicious, because they checked Allison's ticket and then asked to see mine. I was already in the process of producing it. Of course it was perfectly fine....validated and all. But they didn't even ask anyone else to see their tickets! We can't figure out why they singled us out! If they were "profiling", it didn't work!


(2) After church, a man on the tram heard us speaking English. He got off at the same stop as we, and asked if we were Americans. We said yes, and although he was very hard to understand, we think he said something about spending some time in America and liking it, but that our government stinks! Now I ask you, would you ever tell a complete stranger in a foreign country that his government stinks? Americans are more polite than that! We had such a hard time understanding him that we didn't even dignify his remark with a response.


All for now.....I am realizing that I need to make the most of this week, as by this time next Sunday I will be flying home!