Alright so I cannot be in Paris, I think I am okay with the idea now.
However, in order to not lose touch with the past semester, I decided to read up a little on the culture, very French of me I would life to add. I now read on train, the doctor's office, and whenever I have free time. I went to my public library on Monday and picked up 3 books: A Dog's Life, A Year in the Merde, and Something to Declare.
Thus far I have only finished A Dog's Life. A witty tale narrated by a local dog of Provence France who describes a dog's life to the tea. The book gives reason and background to a dog's typical behavior. Of course it is written by a non-canine but the facts are presented in a humors form and one starts to believe that you really are reading a dog's diary. The best part about the book were the anecdotes and random French words thrown in, all which I understood (yay). Boy, the dog, gives informations about wine tastings, the countryside, and typical French shops. This was a cute book with some detail into traditions practiced in France.
A Year in the Merde, I was first reeled in when I read a short passage in the back explaining how to adapt in the city, "The best way to find an apartment in Paris, get a French girlfriend and move in." This is very true. Finding an apartment in Paris is a headache to say the least.I recall spending countless hours attempting to figure out where I was going to live after I was expected to move out of my apartment, I was getting really worried. I then told my on-site director of my issues and his first comment, "pfff easy just get a boyfriend and live with him." Easier said than done, but a very accurate comment on the author's behalf. After the first sentence about the book, I knew I had to read this.
A Year in the Merde, I have just started, is about an English man that has moved to Paris to work. I am not sure what year this book is based in but there are mentions of CD-ROMs.This book has a more critical view of Paris and its not so polite inhabitants. So far, the details of Parisians have been dead on, including the terrible English pronunciation, the hatred of non-french speakers, and their fashion sense. I am only a few pages in but I wanted to report on what I have read. I have come to realize that the French are rude and I do not know why I loved Paris so dang much. The author describes Paris as a sea where only sharks survive (the sharks being all the Parisians)and you need to quickly adapt. This sounds like a sad story but on the contrary it is pretty entertaining and funny. Basically I am just thinking back to last semester and reminiscing on what I experienced. So far it has been a parallel description of my first few weeks in Paris, many hand gestures, a barrier to communicate, and overall general confusion. Despite many initial set backs, I still love Paris.
As I keep reading, I will report more. For now, Au Revoir!
However, in order to not lose touch with the past semester, I decided to read up a little on the culture, very French of me I would life to add. I now read on train, the doctor's office, and whenever I have free time. I went to my public library on Monday and picked up 3 books: A Dog's Life, A Year in the Merde, and Something to Declare.
Thus far I have only finished A Dog's Life. A witty tale narrated by a local dog of Provence France who describes a dog's life to the tea. The book gives reason and background to a dog's typical behavior. Of course it is written by a non-canine but the facts are presented in a humors form and one starts to believe that you really are reading a dog's diary. The best part about the book were the anecdotes and random French words thrown in, all which I understood (yay). Boy, the dog, gives informations about wine tastings, the countryside, and typical French shops. This was a cute book with some detail into traditions practiced in France.
A Year in the Merde, I was first reeled in when I read a short passage in the back explaining how to adapt in the city, "The best way to find an apartment in Paris, get a French girlfriend and move in." This is very true. Finding an apartment in Paris is a headache to say the least.I recall spending countless hours attempting to figure out where I was going to live after I was expected to move out of my apartment, I was getting really worried. I then told my on-site director of my issues and his first comment, "pfff easy just get a boyfriend and live with him." Easier said than done, but a very accurate comment on the author's behalf. After the first sentence about the book, I knew I had to read this.
A Year in the Merde, I have just started, is about an English man that has moved to Paris to work. I am not sure what year this book is based in but there are mentions of CD-ROMs.This book has a more critical view of Paris and its not so polite inhabitants. So far, the details of Parisians have been dead on, including the terrible English pronunciation, the hatred of non-french speakers, and their fashion sense. I am only a few pages in but I wanted to report on what I have read. I have come to realize that the French are rude and I do not know why I loved Paris so dang much. The author describes Paris as a sea where only sharks survive (the sharks being all the Parisians)and you need to quickly adapt. This sounds like a sad story but on the contrary it is pretty entertaining and funny. Basically I am just thinking back to last semester and reminiscing on what I experienced. So far it has been a parallel description of my first few weeks in Paris, many hand gestures, a barrier to communicate, and overall general confusion. Despite many initial set backs, I still love Paris.As I keep reading, I will report more. For now, Au Revoir!
