September 14, 2007
(photo: Luxemburg Gardens by my apartment, where people just sit and enjoy the atmosphere on any given day)
People read on the metro. They bring those little chapter books, fold back the covers so they can hold it in one hand and hold onto the bar with the other, and they read all sorts of interesting-looking books. I tried reading on the Metro. I would have been successful, if I had brought any old nonfiction chapter book. But I brought Jerry Seinfeld’s SeinLanguage, a compilation of some of his greatest jokes. It’s not becoming to laugh to oneself on the Metro, apparently.
I think being a foreigner here and trying to fit in all the time actually makes me resist the culture a bit. I go home, I sit on the Internet, trying to catch up on what’s going on in the states, listening to American music. I can’t help it. I need these pieces of home to keep me from going crazy (or going French, one of the two). But it’s hard, because not completely giving into the culture keeps me from being a part of it. I guess I’m asking myself at this point, what is it that I want to do?
Today I probably made the biggest mistake of my life, or at least a French person would think so if they knew what I did. I tried to buy a baguette at the grocery store. I’m looking around, thinking, where do all these French people get the long loaves of bread tucked under their arm? Then it hit me. Duh, this is France. You can’t just get bread at the market. You have to go to the Boulangerie.
posted by Maggie at
1:59 PM
1 Comments:
oh maggie, i just read all of your entries and got soooo jealous! your host family sounds parfait! it's comforting to know that your french is already improving after such a short period of time. keep up the writing because i'm so intrigued to hear about all that's going on. you're such a good writer, sheesh! you should write a book while you're there or something. i'd buy it for sure. i wasn't sure i wanted to go back to paris until i read your blog just now, and it made me realize that i miss it even though i was only there for five days! have you seen the movie "2 days in paris?" i watched it at the movie theater last week with kyle because i simply needed a taste of europe, paris specifically. : ) i can't wait to hear more of your adventures! oh, and our hotel was right by les jardins de luxembourg! i loved that place!! i have so many pictures of it! it was PACKED on easter! : ))))!
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