Week 4

The end of week 4 is approaching. In order to sum it up, I'll employ the use of the biggest cliché I know: it's kind of bittersweet. I received my IFALPES "diploma" today with the remark "très bien." There was a small reception afterward where I was able to say goodbye to those I met at the school.

This week was a fairly busy one, which explains why I haven't been able to post a note until now. On Thursday, several of us from IFALPES rented a little paddle boat and spent a couple of hours in the middle of Lake Annecy. I always prefer swimming where I can't touch/see the bottom, as I'm never quite sure what lurks in the weeds waiting to injure my feet.

I also made some pasties for my host family on Thursday night. For the most part, they were a culinary success. Outside of the culinary realm, it was kind of an amusing dinner for a number of reasons. For one, I've never eaten a pasty as part of a five-course meal. The entire meal consisted of 1) apéritif (non-alcoholic, however) 2) melon, 3) pasties, 4) cheese, 5) desert. Needless to say, one-pound pasties with all the rest was a lot to digest at one time. Secondly, it was a rare sight to see pasties being eaten with a fork and knife...the European way. Most Yoopers (myself included) dig right in with the fork, if they even use a fork at all. Third, the ingredients were a slight variation of what one would normally use for pasties. The crust was very French, meaning it was a little flakier, a little lighter, and a little more croissant-like. I wasn't able to find rutabaga, which ended up getting replaced with turnips. The ingredient issues didn't result in too much of a difference, fortunately. And for a brief moment on Thursday night, the French culture collided head-on with the Finnish-Yooper culture. It was truly a unique experience.

This weekend, my host family and I are going to visit Chamonix-Mont Blanc, weather permitting of course. The town of Chamonix lies at the base of Mont Blanc, which is the highest point in Western Europe. At more than 15,000 feet tall, Mont Blanc is definitely worth seeing. Let's hope that the weather cooperates.

My flight back to the United States is this Monday, the 29th. I arrive at the Detroit airport at 5:30pm. Then, at 9:30, I depart to Cleveland. I'll explain more about that later!

Weather/climate

Anyone who knows me knows that I dream of living in Florida one day. With sunny skies almost all year long, the ocean close by, and NO SNOW, Florida is definitely on the top of my "to live" list. I say this because it has been cold and windy here for the past couple of days. This weekend in Lyon, it never reached 70°F, while today I'm not sure that it even reached 60. It has also been extremely windy. This morning, on my way to class, the wind was so strong that it actually stopped me on my bike. I'm sure if I hadn't tried to move forward, I would have been pushed backwards.

With the exception of the last few days, France has a fairly moderate climate. For being on roughly the same latitude as Michigan (the 45th), France has it much better than we do. Just because I was curious, I asked my host family what kind of weather they normally experience throughout the year. For the most part, it is very similar to Michigan minus one minor detail: snow. My host family indicated that Annecy receives very little snow in the lowland areas. The mountains, however, receive plenty of snow as I realized by the 20-some ski resort towns I've seen so far.

Aside from the last couple of days, the weather has been decent here. There have been several days that have been well into the 80 degree range. Other days, it has rained harder than any rain I've ever seen in Michigan. The nights are fairly cool, as they are in Michigan too.

I could definitely have a summer house in Annecy and a winter house in Florida. The way housing prices look in the Haute-Savoie region of France, however, I don't think that will happen anytime soon. That will have to be another blog post for another time.

Pâtisseries, boulangeries, and chocolateries

Yes--I'm going to write another blog post about food. What's not to like about food...especially the French way? France is famous for its cheese, wine, boulangeries, and of course, its pâtisseries.

The other day, I found out that the name "pâtisserie" (translating to 'pastry shop') is a legally controlled title only given to those businesses who meet certain criteria. One of the criterion is that the business in question must employ a "maître pâtissier," or master baker. I'm not exactly sure what all goes on to become a master baker, but I do know that a written test is involved before the title is officially granted. A lot of times, a maître pâtissier opens a boulangerie (bread store) or chocolaterie (chocolate store) right along side of the pâtisserie. That only makes sense, right?

In Annecy, pâtisseries, boulangeries, and chocolateries abound, just as they do in nearly every French city of decent size. I pass a bread shop/bakery every day on my way to class. I'm amazed at the variety of bread that is displayed in their window. I am always tempted to stop in for a pain au chocolat, which is a croissant-like pastry with light chocolate filling. When I am on the road in France, this is my favorite treat for breakfast as it is fast, cheap, and delicious (just like the kebabs).

Speaking of bread, I am also amazed at how fast my family can go through bread and baguettes. One day, my family bought three different types of bread, which were all gone by the end of dinner. They eat bread for breakfast, lunch, le goûter (a snack-type meal at around 5pm), and dinner. In all fairness, I find myself indulging on the bread too. My breakfast in the morning usually consists of cutting a 4-inch long piece of baguette, cutting it in half the long way, and covering it with cherry jam. Mmmmm.

I do know one thing: the French would unquestionably fail the Atkins diet. Wouldn't you if you were surrounded by all of this sweet, sugary, carb-filled goodness?


ABOVE: A pâtisserie in the Croix-Rousse quarter of Lyon, France


ABOVE: A tarte framboise (raspberry tart) that I bought in Lyon.

New pictures are posted

New pictures from my weekend trip to Lyon, France are posted.

Week 3 in review

Well, today is Friday of week three. I'm done with my classes for the week with only one more week to go. I managed to try tartiflette, which is food dish that has become popular at ski resorts in the Alps. Tartiflette consists of Reblochon cheese (lot's of it), crème fraîche, potatoes, and bacon. It's basically like fondue plus potatoes. I also tried ratatouille, which, as most of you know, was made famous by the Disney movie of the same name. If I think about it, I'll try to post a recipe or two on here for you to try at home.

Speaking of food, I've volunteered to cook my host family a "native" Michigan dish. Due to my Upper Peninsula roots, I have elected to make homemade pasties (for my non-Michigan friends, you'll have to ask me to explain this at some point). I'll let you know how they turn out. I'm not so sure that I'll be able to find all of the necessary ingredients (rutabaga being the X factor), but I'll see what I can do.

As for up and coming plans, I am heading to Lyon for the weekend. I had originally planned on heading to the Loire Valley, however the trip started to look a little impractical for just some light weekend travel. The Loire Valley is not terribly far from here, however the high-speed train lines in France are almost all centralized around Paris. This would have required me to take a train all the way to Paris (4 hours) and then back down to the Loire (another 2 hours). Lyon is certainly a trade-off, but it is a little more practical for a weekend trip, not to mention less expensive.


View Lyon in a larger map
As you can see by the map above, Lyon (marked in blue) is not all that far from Annecy (marked in red). Lyon is the second largest city in France (after Paris of course) and is a fairly important business hub in the southern half of the country. The city is famous for both its food and its production of silk. I'm not sure what is all is going to be on the agenda, but I'm sure I'll find ways to stay busy.

After my Lyon weekend, it's one more week of classes, one more weekend in Annecy, and then it's time to return to the States. Not to worry, I've got some domestic travel business to take care of when I return. Sometimes I feel like I never stop. One day...maybe.

Les Maudits Français

When classes began two weeks ago, we were asked to listen to and analyze the song "Les Maudits Français." The song title translates to "The Damn French" and was written by Lynda Lemay, a singer/songwriter from Portneuf, Québec, Canada. It uses the French language (Québécois to be exact) to poke fun at the French a little. I've done my best to translate the text, but there remain some familial Québécois terms that are difficult to translate.

Click here to listen to the song.

Y parlent avec des mots précis
They speak using precise words
Puis y prononcent toutes leurs syllabes
Then they pronounce all of their syllables
À tout bout d'champ, y s'donnent des bis
At any second, they give kisses
Y passent leurs grandes journées à table
they spend days at the dinner table

Y ont des menus qu'on comprend pas
they have menus that we can't understand
Y boivent du vin comme si c'était d'l'eau
they drink wine like it's water
Y mangent du pain pis du foie gras
they eat bread and foie gras
En trouvant l'moyen d'pas être gros
while still finding ways not to be fat

Y font des manifs aux quart d'heure
they have protests every 15 minutes
À tous les maudits coins d'rue
in all damn corners of the road
Tous les taxis ont des chauffeurs
all of the taxis have drivers
Qui roulent en fous, qui collent au cul
who drive crazily and bumper-to-bumper

Et quand y parlent de venir chez nous
and when they talk about coming here (Québec)
C'est pour l'hiver ou les indiens
it's for winter or the Indians
Les longues promenades en Ski-doo
for long rides in Ski-doos
Ou encore en traîneau à chiens
or more dog sledding

Ils ont des tasses minuscules
they have tiny glasses (cups)
Et des immenses cendriers
and immense ashtrays
Y font du vrai café d'adulte
they make real strong coffee
Ils avalent ça en deux gorgées
which they swallow in two gulps

On trouve leurs gros bergers allemands
we find their huge German Shepards
Et leurs petits caniches chéris
and their precious poodles
Sur les planchers des restaurants
on the floor of restaurants
Des épiceries, des pharmacies
and in delis and pharmacies

Y disent qu'y dînent quand y soupent
they say they eat dinner when the eat supper
Et y est deux heures quand y déjeunent
and it's already two o'clock when they eat lunch
Au petit matin, ça sent l'yaourt
breakfast smells like yogurt
Y connaissent pas les œufs-bacon
they don't know bacon and eggs

En fin d'soirée, c'est plus chocroute
at the end of the day, it's more sauerkraut
Magret d'canard ou escargots
duck cutlets or snails
Tout s'déroule bien jusqu'à c'qu'on goûte
everything is alright until we taste
À leur putain de tête de veau-
their damn tête de veau (famous French food dish which is actually meat from a cows head).

Un bout d'paupière, un bout d'gencive
a piece of eyelid, a piece of gum (not chewing gum...)
Un bout d'oreille, un bout d'museau
a piece of ear, a piece of nose
Pour des papilles gustatives de québécois, c'est un peu trop-
for the taste buds of a québécois, it's a little much

Puis, y nous prennent pour un martien
then, they think we're martians
Quand on commande un verre de lait
when we ask for a glass of milk
Ou quand on demande : La salle de bain
or when we ask 'the bathroom¹
Est à quelle place, S.V.P ?
is where, please?'

Et quand ils arrivent chez nous
and when they come to our country
Y s'prennent une tuque et un Kanuk
they take a tuque and a Kanuk
Se mettent à chercher des igloos
and try to find igloos
Finissent dans une cabane à sucre
they finish in a sugar hut
Y tombent en amour sur le coup
they fall in love instantly
Avec nos forêts et nos lacs
with our forests and our lakes
Et y s'mettent à parler comme nous
they begin to talk like us
Apprennent à dire : Tabarnak
and learn to say Tabarnak²

Et bien saoulés au caribou
they get dunk with our caribou (drink and animal)
À la Molson et au gros gin
and Molson (Canadian beer) and a stiff gin.
Y s'extasient sur nos ragoûts
they get excited about our stews
D'pattes de cochon et nos plats d'binnes
with our pig-paws and our bean platters

Vu qu'on n'a pas d'fromages qui puent
they see that we don't have stinky cheese
Y s'accommodent d'un vieux cheddar
instead they settle for an old cheddar
Et y se plaignent pas trop non plus
but they don't complain too much
De notre petit café bâtard
or about our terrible coffee.

Quand leur séjour tire à sa fin
at the end of their stay
Ils ont compris qu'ils ont plus l'droit
they understand that they don't have the right
De nous appeler les Canadiens
to call us Canadians
Alors que l'on est québécois
but rather québécois
Y disent au revoir, les yeux tout trempés
they say good bye with their eyes all watery
L'sirop d'érable plein les bagages
maple syrup fills their bags
On réalise qu'on leur ressemble
and we realize our resemblance
On leur souhaite bon voyage
we wish them 'bon voyage'

On est rendu qu'on donne des becs
we give each other kisses
Comme si on l'avait toujours fait
as if we've always done that
Y a comme un trou dans le Québec
it's as if there is an empty space in Québec
Quand partent les maudits français
when the damn French leave.

¹ In France, the bathroom (as in the place you go to the bathroom) is called les toilettes. The other component of the bathroom (where you shower, shave, and get ready in the morning) is called the salle de bains. They are often separate rooms in the house. In québécois French, salle de bains is the word used for both components of the bathroom, as they are one room. If you asked someone in France where the bathroom is by using la salle de bains, they probably would look at you funny wondering why you wanted to take a shower.

² In québécois, "tabarnak" is used like the "f" word in English. It's not found in the French language of France, however.

The American influence

Let me ask a quick question: what do you think is quintessentially American? Fast Food? Automobiles? Perhaps the idea of owning your own house, complete with a perfect kitchen? How about our language? All of the above? Whatever our "uniquely" American quirks are, they can usually be felt abroad...at least in France.

Let me preface this blog post by saying that I am not, in any way, advocating any bit of supremacy from the viewpoint of an American. There are certainly Americanisms that have not entered into everyday French culture and society...and probably never will. Also, influence works both ways. The United States is influenced by the French in various ways as well. Nevertheless, I will make every attempt to remain factual and shy away from value judgments. Ok?

First, the obvious: fast food. This is a phenomenon that has shaken the entire world. McDonald's, for example, operates over 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries. They serve 47 million customers per day and employ about 1.5 million people worldwide. Impressive, hey? Similarly, Subway operates over 30,000 restaurants in 90 countries worldwide. Both of these restaurants are, without question, a very strong symbol of American culture. Coca-Cola is another American influence that is felt worldwide. Originally founded in Atlanta, Georgia, Coke products are now sold in more than 200 countries. Starbucks is yet another example, with locations in nearly 50 countries. What is it about American fast food that has created the explosion of locations abroad. Tim Horton's certainly has not had this kind of success. The Quick (French/Belgian fast food restaurant) has also seen little expansion abroad. How come?

When looking for an apartment or house in France, some ads will list "cuisine Américaine" (American kitchen). This means that the kitchen is usually more open, with more counter space, more cabinets, and larger appliances. This struck me as interesting, as I usually don't think of large kitchens to be one of those quintessentially American things. Assuming that this kitchen thing is true, it is even more interesting that our love of big kitchens has implanted itself in France, where it is plainly evident on reality listings.

How about movies and television? Most television shows in France are voiced-over versions of American shows, such as NCIS, Law and Order, and even some soap operas. Movies are also voiced-over versions of Hollywood movies, sometimes with an untranslated title. Imagine if the only movie/TV show you could find was foreign-made with subtitles or voice overs. I think I would get a little annoyed with that after a while. Just because I was curious, I watched a voiced-over version of NCIS one night. At times, the French voice did not fit the character at all. Now, I don't know if the French mind this so much, but I found it a little distracting.

So--what does this all mean? How large is the scope of American influence abroad? Is this a cause for concern in other countries? I asked my host family these very questions. They responded by saying that it's not such a bad thing. They also mentioned that this influence only reaches so far. For example, they mentioned that the United State's political influence is much smaller now than it used to be, especially with the increased power of the European Union. As far as fashion and entertainment, they said that the United State's influence is much greater than it used to be. It has its limits.

It's very interesting to see this influence first hand while abroad. Where cultures tend to clash, some come together. Some people resist this convergence, others embrace it. I guess it all depends on the person, culture, and the force of influence. Only time will tell where this will lead us...and them.

The French and their dogs

Just as Americans love their cars, the French love their dogs. I read somewhere that France has the highest number of dogs proportional to its population than any other country in the world. Let me tell you...it's easy to spot. It doesn't matter what kind of dog you name, some French person somewhere owns that breed of dog. From great big mountain dogs, to tiny poodles, I've seen it all in France. I almost feel like I'm watching the Eukanuba World Challenge sometimes, as some of these dogs are better dressed and groomed than some people I've seen.

The French are stereotypically notorious for bringing their dogs everywhere. And it's true...to some extent. When walking into a restaurant, it's not terribly uncommon to see a dog sitting next to a table with that "give-me-food-right-now-or-I'll-die" look. More often than not, they'll rest quietly under the table, or even on an empty chair next to their owner. This is usually more common on the terrace of a restaurant, but is evident inside from time to time.

Now, this certainly doesn't imply that the French do not have sanitation standards, because they certainly do. For an American, however, this may seem a little out of the ordinary. After all, you wouldn't be caught dead trying to bring your golden retriever into Applebees in the United States, even if they had outdoor seating. And if someone did try to bring their dog into an Applebees, they would surely get the boot from some manager, not to mention some strange looks from other customers in the restaurant.

The interesting thing between France and the United States is the social acceptance of dogs. In the United States, signs are posted saying "NO PETS ALLOWED." In France, a place that doesn't allow dogs inside (though rare) might have a sign saying "We're very sorry that we cannot allow our friends the dogs in for [insert reason here]."

For now, the French are completely happy with the status of their dogs in society. I can't imagine that the dogs mind so much either.

Kébabs and Ice Cream

The döner kebab (or simply kébab in France) is a Turkish dish that has become popular in many countries around the world. Similar to a gyro, the kebab usually involves beef shavings, lettuce, onions, and some type of sauce all stuffed into a half pita.

I first tried a döner kebab when I visited Berlin, Germany in 2006. Since I had not seen this item at all in the United States, I figured it was something specific to Germany. A little more research revealed that döner kebabs are very popular in Europe, Asia, and Australia. The kebab craze is definitely noticeable in France. With well over 5 kebab shops just in the centre ville of Annecy alone, they are certainly not hard to find. And due to their cheapness, quickness, and deliciousness, they have become my favorite dish in Annecy.

When ordering a kebab, it's necessary to specify two things: with/without fries and the sauce. Sauces vary from ketchup, mayonnaise, sauce blanche (a white garlic sauce), harissa (a spicy red sauce), curry, and others. Also, if you order fries, they will come piled on top of the kebab, sometimes drenched in the specified sauce. I still haven't figured out the proper protocol with the fries. I've been dumping them onto a napkin and eating them separately, usually after I've finished the kebab. I've seen people eat them first, right from the kebab. I've also seen people eat the whole thing at one time...fries and all. I'll eventually get the hang of it.

Annecy is also loaded with ice cream shops, which are even more plentiful than kebab restaurants. Most of these places manufacture their own ice cream on location. I've been enamored by the chocolate/Nutella combination, but I have tried other flavors. You have to catch these shops at the right hour though, or you will be waiting in line for quite some time (even when it's cold outside).

For now, I'm not going hungry in Annecy. I feel like I've eaten my weight in kebabs and ice cream alone. Not to worry though, I've been walking and biking enough to work it all off!

Next food item to try: tartiflette.


ABOVE: A kébab with sauce blanche.

Geneva, Switzerland

I had the opportunity to visit Geneva, Switzerland this weekend. Since it was a pre-organized trip through IFALPES, we had bus transportation and a tour guide at our disposal.

Our first stop in Geneva was to the old part of the town. We visited the statues of Jean Calvin and other well known Protestant leaders. We then visited the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre (photos are on Facebook). Our trip continued by visiting the Jet d'Eau, which is one of the signature attractions in Geneva. The Jet d'Eau sprays 100 gallons of Lac Léman water over 400 feet in the air. Our trip finished by visiting the United Nations building in Geneva.

Switzerland is a little divided in terms of language. In the west, closest to its border with France, the people speak French (as they do in Geneva). In the middle and northern parts of the country, the people speak German. In the southernmost part of the country, they speak Italian. In the easternmost region, they speak a language called Romansh, which is a hybrid of different romance languages. And considering that Switzerland is less than half the size of South Carolina (the 11th smallest U.S. state by land area), that's pretty incredible.

There were certainly some noticeable differences between people in Geneva versus people in France. First, drivers seem to be a little more forgiving. A car might actually stop at a crosswalk to let you cross. Second, Switzerland does not use the Euro. This created a ton of confusion on how much you were actually paying for a given product (until I found out that the exchange rate between Swiss Francs and US Dollars is about 1 to 1). Finally, the people who speak French in Geneva definitely have an accent that is, at times, difficult to understand.

Overall, Geneva was well worth the 25 Euros I paid to take the trip. And for the record, I did not open any Swiss bank accounts.

New pictures are posted

Pictures from my trip to Geneva, Switzerland have been posted. You can access them from the menu on the right. Enjoy!

IFALPES

I'm going to put cultural differences and French driving laws on hold for a minute to talk about what I've been doing over the past two weeks. In addition to my host family stay, I've been taking classes at Institut Français des Alpes (IFALPES). Classes are taught all in French by French faculty. It's basically like a typical French class in the United States...but in France of course! We were placed into varying levels based on our performance on a written and oral test, which we took on day one. IFALPES is operated in conjunction with IPAC, which is a French university with about 1500 students.

My class is a fairly good mix of different cultures. Americans make up the majority of the class (two from Michigan, several from the Chicago area, a few from Colorado, one from Minnesota, another from Texas, and one from Florida/Peru), but there are other students from Scotland, Japan, China, and New Zealand. Compared to what I'm used to, these people definitely add a different dynamic to the class...which is a good thing. For Anglophones learning French, there are some words that look the same, are spelled the same, and even sound the same. For some of these non-anglophone students, their first language may have close matches with completely different words, if any at all.

I have classes from Monday through Friday, for four hours per day. Monday, Thursday, and Friday, I have class in the morning from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Tuesday and Wednesday I have class from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. We also receive one 20 minute break each class period (vive la France).

So far, it has been a great experience. It's hard to believe that only two weeks remain. Tomorrow, I'm heading to Geneva, Switzerland for a day trip to visit some museums and the United Nations building. Next weekend, I'm planning on heading to some of the chateaus in the Loire Valley. Stay tuned for more photos and updates.

By the way, thanks for reading. I really do appreciate it!

Driving and other transportation in France

It's the classic scene from a 16th birthday in the United States: the teenager tears off the outer wrapping paper from a little box to discover the keys to his brand-new, 2009 Cadillac Escalade. All excited, he rushes out to the family's six-car garage, only to discover that the Escalade is not the color that he wanted. Devastated, he throws the keys on the garage floor, rushes into his room, and locks the door for days on end. With minimal hesitation, his family offers to exchange the vehicle for a new one, even though it amounts to a net loss of thousands. The teenager reluctantly agrees, but still insists that the color mix-up ruined his "sweet 16" experience--an experience that he can never get back.

OK--so maybe this is a little extreme, but you still get the idea.

In France, the legal driving age is 18. At that time, one must take classes at a driving school, log a certain number of hours behind the wheel, pass a written test about signs, warning, and right-of-ways (as if that concept exists), and then finally pass a road test that is designed for first-time failure. All of this comes at a price, too. An average driving student spends nearly €2000 ($2800) taking classes and tests.

Driving in France is no easy task either...and the French agree. Aside from the endless array of signage, every rule seems to have it's own exception, which also seems to have a rule. Different signs exist to tell you what you have to do (very pleasant round blue signs) AND what you can't do (very flashy round red signs). Then there are those signs that tell you the end of an obligation, which is usually just the same sign as the obligation, but with a slash through it. Passing vehicles is another complicated issue. This can be marked in one of two ways. The first is by a round, red-edged sign with two cars in the middle, the left car being red (no passing). The other is by the use of different lane markers on the road. The first one is a broken white line 3 meters long at 10 meter intervals, which indicates that you can pass anything while going the legal speed limit. The next one is a broken white line that is 3 meters long, but at 1.33 meter intervals, which means that you can only pass slow-moving vehicles, such as tractors, bikes, and semi-trucks, but not slow-moving cars. Then, arrows are painted between the broken white lines, indicating that your freedom to pass is about to end, but not yet. Let's not forget the solid white line which means no passing anything. And as if varying intervals are not enough, thicker boundary markers indicate reserved lanes. Oh yeah, remember that no passing sign? That only means that you can't pass vehicles with more than two wheels, leaving room to pass motorcycles and mopeds. Got it?

Gas prices are another thing. Across all of Europe, they are pretty high compared to the United States or Canada. In France, gas prices that I've seen range from €1.25 to €1.35 per liter. This equates to about $1.75 to $1.89 per liter, which equals about $6.65 to $7.18 per gallon (3.8 liters in 1 gallon)! Could you imagine paying that much to fill up your car? A full tank for my little Cavalier would cost about $80! Yikes!

Due to the expensive nature of driving cars in France, many people opt to use bicycles, mopeds, or any form of public transportation that is available. France is very public-transit friendly, with most towns having a bus network, if not some type of rail system or metro. Thanks to the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse), Paris is usually no longer than 5 hours from any other major city in France. In smaller towns and cities (such as Annecy), bus systems run throughout the town proper and surrounding areas. Train stations, which can be found in nearly every town/city in France, make intercity rail travel very easy. This all means that cheaper alternatives to expensive road travel are plentiful.

If I had to choose, I would probably aim for a mélange of both. I'm in favor of driving at 16, but dislike the lack of adequate public transportation in the majority of the United States. In Europe, I enjoy the public-transit opportunities, but dislike the general cost of driving individually. I think there is something to be learned from both systems. For now, however, the Americans will keep on driving while the Europeans keep on riding.

There will be a quiz over French road laws on Monday, so study up!

Bicycling in Annecy

I've pretty much accepted the fact that I risk my life every day when riding my bike to and from class. Many people here ride their bikes, but it is really an unfriendly bike town. The streets are narrow, people are always walking out and about, and those driving cars seem to invent their own right-of-way laws.

My bike ride starts off at my host families house which is on top of a very steep hill. Just down from this hill is the piste cyclable, or bike trail. The piste parallels the shores of Lake Annecy for about two miles, which is a very pretty ride. This bike trail isn't all fun and games, however. It's usually filled with other bikers who look like they're training for the Tour de France (which, by the way, is scheduled to stop in Annecy this year. Too bad I won't be here...). The bike trail is also filled with people walking (with or without dogs), running (with or without dogs), and rollerblading (with or without dogs). All of these people can certainly get in the way, especially since everyone is moving at different speeds. The other day, I pulled into the other lane to pass an elderly-looking couple only to see the future Lance Armstrong rushing toward me. It was a near-miss, but I definitely felt (and smelled) the breeze.

My bike ride continues into the main centre ville of Annecy. Once I cross over Rue de Marquisats (think of Mission in Mount Pleasant with only two lanes), I end up in the center of all the craziness. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the town center (photo on the right) is bustling with a farmer's market. I usually hop on foot for this, as it is nearly impossible to peddle anywhere without running over someone or something.

On days that the market is not active, the rues piétonnes (pedestrian streets) make for decent bike travel...in the morning, that is. In the evening, the streets fill up with people, making a quick, clear sail through the centre ville nearly impossible. On days that there are too many people, I dodge down a narrow one-way street. All is find and dandy until a car comes along, in which case it is usually necessary to stop peddling to allow the car to pass.

Nearly 3.5 miles later, my bike ride finishes by following Rue de la Gare before turning onto Chemin de la Praire. All is fine on these streets until the schools let out for the day. At that time, I can pretty much count on non-stop traffic at all of the crosswalks and a crazy amount of pedestrians on the sidewalks.

For now, I have yet to be hit...or to hit anyone, though I did almost hit a pigeon the other day. I really do enjoy my bike ride to and from class as it is very relaxing and scenic (or as the French say, zen). Let's hope that it stays that way.


View Bike Ride in a larger map
ABOVE: My bike route as plotted on Google Maps

The Euro- the Dollar's arch nemesis

When traveling abroad, money can easily be the source of a lot of confusion, panic, and headache. Exchange rates change every second, money exchanging businesses charge crazy "convenience" fees, and, depending on your bank, a percentage amount is added to credit-card purchases for which a currency conversion is needed. And there's always the possibility that your bank will stop your credit/check card despite the phone call that you gave them before you left.

France is one of 16 countries currently using the Euro. The exchange rate as of today is roughly 1 US Dollar equals 0.70 Euros (or 1 Euro equals 1.40 US Dollars), though that literally changes every second.

Using a different currency definitely takes some getting used to. Since I've lived my entire life thinking in Dollars, it's not so easy to make the adjustment overnight. Escalating the situation is the fact that the smallest Euro bill is a 5. Below that, there are 1 and 2 Euro coins. Additionally, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent coins also exist. All of this coinage is definitely noticeable after a while. Since us Americans are bill-oriented people (usually relegating change to our pockets, ultimately ending up in our washing machines, or in some type of coin jar), it takes no thought to open the wallet and hand over a bill every time we buy something. In Europe, this practice usually amounts to large quantities of change filling your pockets in return. And when you actually think of using that mountain of change to buy something, you can never seem to find the right combination of coins, usually resulting in angry people waiting in line...or MORE change.

Certain things are better with this system though. In France, the price you see advertised on a given product is the price you pay--no calculus experience necessary. There is none of this "$11.99 plus tax" business that you find in the United States. Tax is automatically included in the advertised price, which is usually rounded to the nearest 10 cents. This way, you don't have to stand in a store trying to mentally compute the prices of several products with wacky dollar amounts, then needing to add 6% of total price back to the original total.

For now, everything has worked out surprising well. My Wells Fargo check card has proven to be my best friend in all of my excursions abroad so far. They do, however, charge a $5 ATM withdrawal fee while abroad, but it is a far better option than some of the alternatives. Now, about that exchange rate...

Dégustation de fromages

What trip to France would be complete without some cheese tasting? In all reality, I knew the French were fanatics about their fromage, but I didn't realize how fanatical it actually was. Someone indicated to me that there are over 300 different types of cheese in France. Imagine walking into the grocery section at Wal-Mart and seeing 300 different types of cheese to pick from. So far, I've tried Beaufort (made in the Savoie region), Saint-Nectaire (made in Auvergne region), Tomme de Savoie (also from the Savoie region), and many others that I'm not able to remember. I'm not much for the strong cheese flavor, but Beaufort and Saint-Nectaire have been among my favorites.

My host family asked me the other day what kinds of cheese we eat in the United States. I sort of drew a blank, with only cheddar, Swiss, and Colby-Jack coming to mind. I did mention to them about Kraft Easy Cheese that comes in the easy-to-use spray can. I even showed them a picture (below) of the product, prominently displaying four different flavors: Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, American, and my favorite, Cheddar and Bacon. I still laugh every time I replay their reaction in my head.

Perhaps there is a market for spray cheese here in France. Maybe I could start a business here manufacturing Roquefort in an easy-to-use, 1/2 liter size spray bottle. Maybe some Brie as well. The cans could be sold right along side the baguettes, with the slogan "bringing France into the 21st century, one cheese at a time." I think I'm on to something here...

Vehicular Variations

Americans love their cars. We love our cars so much that we drive them everywhere. We use them to drive to our neighbor's house for dinner, or to a store that is easily manageable on foot. We use our cars as status symbols of our wealth and prosperity. We all gawk at the gigantic Hummers that take up nearly two parking spaces. And we all cry when gas prices surge two-cents higher. Thanks to President Eisenhower, our country has an extensive Interstate Highway system that makes cross-country travel easier, quicker, and more efficient than had ever been thought possible (which, by the way, was borrowed from the German Autobahn system).

Accompanying our adoration of cars, us Americans hate certain things about other drivers and driving. We all hate those people who are delayed in accelerating after a light turns green. We also detest roundabouts and swear under our breath when trying to navigate them. We also seem to think that we are always doing the "right thing"and everyone else on the road is doing the wrong thing. When we find ourselves in the middle lane of an Interstate, we always think that the people in the right lane are moving too slow and the people in the left lane are moving too fast. As George Carlin so aptly put it, "why is it that anyone driving slower than you is a moron and anyone driving faster than you is an A--hole?"

Given all of this information about American's and their driving habits, let me make this one assumption: Americans would hate driving in Europe (myself included). I find that Europeans are absolutely crazy drivers. In the US, we usually tend to follow speed limits within 5 to 10 mph (or at least we know that we run the risk of a ticket if we go faster than that). In Europe, I'm convinced that speed limit signs are merely "advised speed limits," like the ones we find underneath sharp curve signs, indicating the recommended speed for that curve. Us Americans typically tend to stay in our lane, unless passing another car or avoiding some object in the road. In Europe, lane divider lines seem to provide a suggestion of where a car could travel, at best. And for those of you who adore your gas-guzzling, flame-shooting, space-hogging, think-your-so-cool, hot-rod of a car, you'd really hate it. Cars in Europe are clearly not used as a social status indicator. You rarely find overly sporty cars roaming the streets of Paris, Berlin, or any other European city. Nor do you find shirtless college students out on a sunny day cleaning and waxing their cars like some obsessive-compulsives do in the US. It just doesn't happen.

Additionally, the French love roundabouts. They put them nearly everywhere that us Americans would normally have an intersection with a traffic light. In the US, roundabouts are used, but often loathed by many. We often consider them confusing and unsafe. Little do we know, roundabouts are actually safer than normal intersections, resulting in 40% fewer vehicle collisions, 80% fewer injuries, and 90% fewer fatalities as a result of collisions (see Status Report). This still does not mean that they are not confusing...because they can be in my opinion.

Continuing on this tirade, the streets in Europe tend to go in every-which direction. There is no easy-to-follow system of grid-like streets and avenues, in which case your GPS tells you politely to "turn left" or "turn right." If I used my GPS in France, it would probably tell me things like "veer slightly right" or "turn sharp left." Take a look at the maps below as visual examples:



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ABOVE: New York City with it's grid-like street pattern.


View Larger Map
ABOVE: Paris with it's not-so-grid-like street pattern.


One last thing about the Europeans and their cars. Automatic transmission is a luxury here. Most Europeans drive manual transmission cars. Then there's me--the token American who has only driven a manual transmission car twice in his life...and who would be pretty shaky behind the wheel of one if it ever became necessary.

Rain, rain, rain

Rain can certainly ruin a good weekend, can't it? The school had an excursion planned to Mont Blanc and Chamonix, which I really wanted to attend. It ended up being canceled because of the weather. My host family is talking about taking me there on a nicer day, so it might work out.

I have signed up to do a day trip to Geneva on June 13. Long story short: it better not rain. This trip is scheduled to make a visit to the United Nations building, which evidently only allows admittance for pre-arranged groups and not individuals. If the trip were to be canceled, that means no United Nations visit for me.

No worries, it's supposed to be nice for the majority of next week.

As I say in Michigan, days like today are just one day closer to winter.

Language Differences and Perceptions

It's interesting to hear what other people have to say about a given language, especially those who have no comprehension of that given language. Today, I indicated to a girl from Spain that I can only decipher the rolled 'r' when people speak Spanish. For the record, she wasn't offended, but rather laughed like she had heard that before. However, I'm sure after class she immediately got on the phone with her family to tell them about this rude American.

With my curiosity getting the best of me, I asked a girl from Japan (who speaks no English) what she hears when she listens to people speaking English. She proceeded to make some sounds involving 'er' and 'reh.' I then asked our professor the same question. She proceeded to plug her nose and make the 'r' sound, in addition to some 'uh' and 'ae' sounds.

Even if we don't have any knowledge of a given language, we all tend to develop general ideas of what we think that language sounds like. For example, I know all of you think that German sounds like people hocking and spitting all the time--and that the French 'r' sounds like a cat with a hairball in the back of its throat. Despite these ideas, the language sounds nothing like this to native speakers. How many of you native English speakers would have described English sounds by plugging your nose?

What I'm trying to get at here is the shear craziness of language. What sounds like random nasal 'er' 'uh' and 'ae' sounds to one person, actually has meaning to another. Similarly, when I hear the rolled Spanish 'r,' people who understand Spanish hear much more, and can actually associate meaning, derive emotions, and communicate back. How amazing is that?

First day of classes

Today was my first day of classes. We started at 9am with a placement test. We also had an oral interview. It was fairly low key, but eye opening. The written test went alright, though it did get a little messy near the end. The oral interview also went well. The women who interviewed me was very nice and just asked me general questions about my life as a student in the United States.

I was also able to meet students from all corners of the world, from various cultural upbringings. It's amazing how so many students come together from all corners of the world...but still speak English. I just have to keep in mind that I'm here to learn French!

Tomorrow, it's off to class at 1:30.

Cultural Differences

It's very interesting to have a conversation with someone of a different culture and see the reactions of various people when you tell them about some typical aspect of your own culture. The French, for example, are always very surprised to hear that it's not uncommon for us Americans to eat dinner at 5pm--and that 8-9pm is considered a little late for dinner (which is about the normal time for dinner in France). Similarly, I conversed with a girl from Sweden today who was absolutely surprised that there is a 6 hour time difference between France and where I live in the US--and that the United States has several different time zones. Above all, I've realized that it's very difficult for people of other cultures (except people from China and Russia) to comprehend the size of the United States. In France, it takes one hour to cross the entire country by plane, and maybe 10 hours by car. For us, 10 hours doesn't even get us to New York City, or Washington, D.C., and not even anywhere near Los Angeles. This is something that is just mind blowing for someone living in Europe.

Americans, however, would probably be surprised by the little things we do in the US that are unheard of here in France. Shower curtains, for one, are among these "amenities." It takes some serious diligence for me to ensure that there isn't a puddle of water outside of the shower when I get out. Also, good luck finding a hotel with a shower in which you can stand up. Most have a little hand-held nozzle that requires one to either sit, or risk spraying large amounts of water on the floor, or potentially your clean clothes for that day. Showers in general are somewhat of a luxury in other countries too. And for all of you crazy-long shower takers (me being one of them), you won't find people doing that here in France.

One thing I do enjoy here are the bathroom facilities at businesses, schools, and restaurants. When you use a stall, you actually close a *real* door with *real* walls around them. The walls even go from the floor to the ceiling. It's like your own private office for the time you are using it. When will we Americans wise up and install real walls and doors around our bathroom stalls instead of the fake, junky, often graffiti-ridden, sorry-excuse-for-privacy walls that are in our public facilities.

I really do enjoy seeing the differences between my culture and another. It's something important that everyone needs to do at least once in his or her life. It definitely allows for a greater understanding of why people do the things that they do. And as the American author Henry Ward Beecher once said "[t]hat is true culture which helps us to work for the social betterment of all."

New pictures and videos posted

I have posted some new pictures taken from my stay so far in Annecy. I have also posted some videos on YouTube from a few places in Paris. The links for the videos are located on the right, below my photo links. New photos and videos will come shortly.