tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11541743051067446192024-03-13T02:04:41.903+01:00See Voo PlayS'il vous plaitjohnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-76290497812568819792007-07-16T23:13:00.000+01:002007-07-17T12:44:38.683+01:00Vive La France!We're back from our very relaxing vacation in the south of France, and we were greeted to more sunny skies (finally!) in Paris when we got back. <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=7_16_2007">Pictures here</a>.<br /><br />We rented a car in lieu of taking the train this time so that we could drive around the coast, including a few towns in Spain as well. The rest of the pictures are from Bastille Day which was as fun as we anticipated it would be. The French celebrate their national holiday pretty much the same way we do on the 4th of July, except that instead of barbecues and those delicious American flag cakes, the firefighters host parties at all the stations in Paris both the night before Bastille Day and the day itself. I thought this was very cool yet at the same time somewhat unsettling as well. If there's one time of year when firefighters should be on alert it's probably that time of year when tons of citizens buy a bunch of fireworks to set off in their tiny apartment balconies, only to be rescued in case of fire by a crew of drunk and/or hungover firefighters.<br /><br />Speaking of fireworks, in Paris the city sets off fireworks at the Eiffel Tower (of course) as well as various other locations around different arrondissements--we went to the Eiffel Tower show (of course), and saw a pretty spectacular display which was choreographed to music. Apparently the theme this year was "cinema" and they blasted music from some of the most famous movies during the show--the most popular among the crowd were the Star Wars, James Bond and Amélie theme songs.<br /><br />Anyway it was all very fun, although we definitely missed the 4th of July parties. There's just nothing quite like em.BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-77420544183713103432007-07-10T22:31:00.000+01:002007-07-10T23:17:10.539+01:00A Vacation from a VacationSadly Paris has been seeing a lot of rain of late, with only more rain in sight for the next week. So, John and I decided to take a small vacation to the sunny Mediterranean coast for a little while. The Cote d'Azur (Nice and Monaco) is always a mess of tourists, so we have headed down to the western side of the coast at Argeles-sur-mer. We didn't bring the cord that connects to the computer, so we can't post pictures until we get back to Paris, but it's all sunny blue skies, aqua blue water, and Pyrenees Mountains for us for the next few days. We get back to Paris just in time for Bastille Day on the 14th, at which point it's supposed to be back to blue skies.<br /><br />Tomorrow we're going to venture down into Spain to see some of their beaches. Argeles-sur-mer kind of reminds us of Santa Cruz in a way, except to John's chagrin there aren't any waves suitable for surfing. On the other hand, most of the women sunbathe topless so that may make up for the lack of waves. Otherwise it's a pretty beachy town, very laid back with lots of crepe and ice cream stands (in lieu of hot dog stands), and some outdoor beach cafes.<br /><br />We'll post pics when we get back to Paris!BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-19206545062426451782007-06-24T15:48:00.001+01:002007-06-24T16:14:46.874+01:00Assorted Paris PicturesJust wanted to post some pictures of our Paris site-seeing over the past month. Some of the places are the Picasso Museum, Notre Dame, Versailles, and Place des Vosges.<br /><br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_6_24_2007">Pictures</a>johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-64255747815925747152007-06-20T17:29:00.000+01:002007-06-20T19:52:26.199+01:00French "American Idol"American Idol first started when I was in college, but I never watched a single minute of it until just before John and I left for France in February. After a few weeks, both John and I found it to be a very nice guilty pleasure, but sadly we had to leave the country before most of the contestants had been eliminated. Once we got to Paris, however, we found that we could pick up where we left off...except with all French contestants and judges, including a much more likable host than Ryan Seacrest. Even the female judge had the Paula Abdul vibe going on as she danced and clapped to almost everyone's songs (except without being drunk). The French version of American Idol, "Nouvelle Star," was clearly just as entertaining as the American version, and I quickly latched on to both my favorite contestant as well as my most hated, Julien.<br /><br />I couldn't stand this guy from the start. I honestly thought, after watching him for the first time, that he would be kicked off immediately--surely no one could put up with this sort of thing on a weekly basis:<br /><br />(<span style="font-weight:bold;">WARNING</span>: this is hideous)<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a9NwcC_eN2c"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a9NwcC_eN2c" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />I mean it wasn't just the fact that Johnny-Shouts-A-Lot made a point to scream his guts out for any and every song, or that he wears WannaBe rocker outfits that he's just way too skinny to pull off, and even the beret in his hair I can kind of understand, but when he sang "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in jazz style I just wanted to rip my ears off--and man, you should have seen the looks on the judges faces.<br /><br />And yet, inexplicably, Julien won. I don't see how, it's like some joke that I am not in on. I mean jesus christ, look what he did to The Kinks! (You probably shouldn't look.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sKZPLYzS-6Y"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sKZPLYzS-6Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Whatever...at least it won't be my airwaves that I'll have to listen to him screech on when he starts making albums in a few months. By then I'll be safely back in the US where I can hear...some equally disastrous American Idols on the radio. So much for that theory.BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-73220606668763823732007-06-17T23:03:00.000+01:002007-06-18T00:21:30.507+01:00Week with Don and KarenIlia's parents just spent a week with us in France. Arriving Saturday, we spent the next day site-seeing in Paris with the help of a river bus and saw the Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Ile de San Louis, and Jardin des plantes.<br />On Monday we went up the Effiel Tower and then drove north to Amiens. There we were supposed to see the night illumination of the church facade, but it turned out that we were a few days too early (it starts on June 15th). We still had a nice evening in the town's canal district. <br />On Tuesday we drove into Normandy, stopping first to refresh our history knowledge at a WW2 museum in Caen. Afterwards we arrived at our hotel located just behind Omaha Beach. We spent the afternoon walking up the beach and checking out remains of old German bunkers. <br />Wednesday morning began with the American cemetery, which is moving and immaculate. In the afternoon, we visited an impressive collection of war leftovers at a private museum near Omaha Beach. It had just about everything except the soldiers themselves. I was blown away by the landing craft on display outside - images of these crafts are what come to mind when I think of D-Day.<br />On Thursday we drove to Mont Saint Michel, stopping on the way to see the German cemetery (much more modest than the American), the Bayeux tapestry and the chuch where a paratrooper got hung up on the night before D-Day (he survived). The church now has some paratroopers in its stained glass honoring the troops that liberated the city. There is also a dummy still hanging on the roof. <br />Mont Saint Michel is an amazing city built on a steep little hill in a shallow bay; originally it was just the abbey on top. The tide comes in fast here, and the mud turns into bay in less than 45 minutes. We had to see it to believe it. Buses pull out of the lower parking lot with water practically on the tires!<br />On Friday we drove back to Paris and had a nice dinner at Chez Paul, a lively place near the bastille.<br />It was a great trip, we saw a lot and had fun doing it. We spoke a lot about the war during meals, and I think we are all itching to see/read more on the subject.<br /><br />Here are the <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_6_16_2007">pictures</a>!johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-33442752783622269532007-06-07T22:26:00.000+01:002007-06-07T23:16:23.925+01:00Torture By Museums & Misunderstanding the French Language 2John and I have been busy diligently dragging ourselves to various museums this week, among them the Rodin and Picasso museums. We've set a goal for ourselves to see one museum or tourist attraction per day, and seeing as how Paris seems to be the king of art cities, we certainly have had our days filled.<br /><br />We've also been running in the Luxembourg Garden, which has proved to be a very pleasant way to churn through two miles. Since we are without jobs or a schedule of any kind, we don't usually have to contend with weaving through the crowds of people like we do on Saturdays when <b>everyone</b> comes out to run or meander through the park.<br /><br />Otherwise, we've found a very small and neighborhoody bar just behind the Saint Sulpice church which features an all-French crowd and therefore the perfect place for us to practice our French. We made a few friends who then showed us an even smaller and more locals-only bar where no one spoke any English at all--I think it was the first time since we'd been in Paris where we actually couldn't speak any English to the bartender. We had a really good time except for this one rather embarrassing exchange I had with a French guy:<br /><br /><b>Me:</b> Alors, as-tu habité à Paris depuis tu étais petit?<br /><i>So have you lived in Paris since you were a kid?</i><br /><br /><b>French Guy:</b> Ouais, je suis né ici.<br /><i>Yeah I was born here</i>.<br /><br /><b>Me:</b> C'est vraiment génial, je suis <b>envie</b> de toi!<br /><i>That's really cool, I'm jealous of you!</i> (or so I thought I said)<br /><br /><b>French Guy:</b> (giving me a really strange look)......quoi?<br /><i>.....what?</i><br /><br /><b>John:</b> What did you just say?<br /><br /><b>Me:</b> (hesitantly repeats)<br /><br /><b>John:</b> (laughing) You just told that guy you want him! "Envie" means "desire" not "envy".<br /><br /><b>Me:</b> Oh...uh oh...<br /><br /><br />I wish my French misunderstanding had been more along the lines of the <a href="http://seevooplay.blogspot.com/2007/03/misunderstanding-french-language-1.html">gateau/cat incident</a>. Luckily we cleared the matter up, but it just goes to show that you better be sure of the meaning before just carelessly tossing around words that you've heard on tv!BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-2003016287258292042007-06-04T22:06:00.001+01:002008-12-09T02:21:36.452+01:00The Metro BunnyI don't know why, but I just love this little hapless metro bunny:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lIz1GIEWnoM/RmR_CopfIfI/AAAAAAAAAA4/CsWsSdiFwIE/s1600-h/Metro+Bunny.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lIz1GIEWnoM/RmR_CopfIfI/AAAAAAAAAA4/CsWsSdiFwIE/s320/Metro+Bunny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072318763573912050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />"Do not put your hands or cute little bunny paws on the door: you risk getting pinched very hard."BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-53063109051834861272007-05-31T21:35:00.000+01:002007-05-31T22:21:10.469+01:00Americans RedeemedIn the interest of exploring the 6th arrondissement, John and I have started venturing out to some local restaurants recommended by the French guidebook that we bought. Tonight we tried a fairly decent place, which seemed pretty empty when we first walked in but was teeming with a mostly-French crowd after about 9pm. What made this particular dining experience interesting for us was the very polite, middle aged American couple sitting at the table next to us. John and I covertly monitored them throughout their dinner, and they neither yelled "HEY GARCON!!!" across the restaurant to get the waiter's attention, nor did they loudly complain about their meal/wine/menu choice, etc... And then to top it off, the wife actually spoke to the waiter in what seemed to me to be fluent French! Compared to the <a href="http://seevooplay.blogspot.com/2007/04/dining-out.html">last American couple</a> that we had encountered, this pair was single-handedly redeeming our countrymen. I simply had to know what part of the States these well-mannered people came from, and it turned out that they were from Florida with the wife being a retired high school French teacher (of all things). We chatted for a few minutes as they paid their bill, and John and I even got a small teacherly admonishment from the wife for not speaking French to each other during our meal as practice. I just kept thinking that it was so nice that there were some Americans who can come to a foreign country and not completely disgrace the rest of the U.S. by acting like belligerent wackjobs.<br /><br />....which actually kind of sucks for Canada, because something tells me they don't walk around <a href="http://seevooplay.blogspot.com/2007/04/dining-out.html">telling everyone they're Canadian</a>.BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-3713528374726139222007-05-29T15:52:00.000+01:002007-05-29T23:12:45.446+01:00MonacoLast Saturday we zipped down to Nice via the TGV. This was the first time we got to ride the famous high speed train, and I must say it is a nice way to travel. That you can get from Paris to Marseille in 3 hours is impressive, and probably not much slower than an airplane after taking into account all the boarding/unboarding/security hassles.<br />Anyway, we spent Saturday afternoon and evening in a very touristy Nice where we ate some good italian pizza. The next morning we woke up early to take the 20 min train to Monaco for the famous Grand Prix, only to find that fans were already lined up at the station! The wait wasn't actually too bad, and we were able to get all the way to the city and through the crowded streets up to our hillside section. The view was pretty good considering the relative cheapness of the tickets. However, parts of the pathways were crowded and a squeeze to get through, and the better viewing spots were pretty competitive. Having to guard our position the whole time was the main downside to this area. We didn't mind the fact that we were standing for the whole race and a few hours before (exceptional, considering that my back starts hurting 5 minutes into an art museum visit!).<br />The most memorable part of this event is the atmosphere. Normally you watch auto racing at an expansive track out in the middle of nowhere. Monaco could not be more different, situated on the side of a mountain which descends into the sea. The city barely has room for a train station; most of it is carved into the mountain side. The last picture in the set below gives you an idea of this unique setting: mountain side, city high rises, grand stands, harbor full of yachts.<br />The people themselves are also interesting, some looking like regular sport fans while others practically ready to attend a wedding (suits, dresses, high heels). Fancy parties abound during race weekend!<br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_28_2007">Pictures: Paris, Nice, and Monaco</a>johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-44410835378648152102007-05-26T08:21:00.000+01:002007-05-26T08:43:21.021+01:00Heading SouthAfter a week and a half in our new Paris apartment, we are heading to the south of France for Sunday's formula 1 race in Monaco. We will probably get back here on Monday.<br />In the mean time, we've been taking in the Paris sights bit by bit. Highlights have been the Sacre-coeur and Ile Saint Louis, for the view from the former and the surprisingly mellow atmosphere of the latter. Lowlights have been the Notre Dame and the Musee d'Orsay, for the crowds of the former (we actually gave up on it, will go back in the morning at some point) and the disorderliness of the latter (let's just say I'm not the world's biggest art buff, and enjoying it doesn't get any easier if I have to constantly look at a map to figure out where I am and what I'm seeing. The Louvre may be bigger, but I don't think its floorplan will be as difficult to navigate as the Orsay).<br /><br />In other news, we have started running for the first time since arriving in France. After trying out some of the river quais, which are cobblestone and bad for the joints, we have settled on Luxembourg Gardens as the best place to run in our area (people run on the outer perimeter). This, in conjunction with our daily stair climbing, should help us combat two months worth of sloth and gluttony.<br /><br />I'll post pics when we get back from the South!johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-84754775365437032522007-05-22T21:20:00.000+01:002007-05-22T21:55:56.512+01:00Paris, First ImpressionsJohn and I have been living in Paris for about a week now, and we're just starting to think of our new apartment as home. We've already made a few forays into various parts of the city, including an art museum (!) (but more on that later), and we manged to find a theater that shows "version originale" for the bigger blockbusters like Spiderman 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean, so we can still enjoy most of the American movies in their original English. After Pablo told us about watching the latest Bond movie in French, we decided that we would be better off seeing big movies in English and save the French for actual French movies--all Pablo had to say to convince us of this was: "Je m'appelle Bond, James Bond." Yikes.<br /><br />Our neighborhood is very nice and bustling with people, cafe's and brasseries, and despite the persistent cloudy/rainy weather we're enjoying ourselves quite a bit. I don't feel like we've really had a chance to explore our neighborhood quite yet, but tomorrow we'll be hitting up one of our local bars to watch the Champion's League final (soccer), and on Thursday we're going to go out to a restaurant and maybe a club afterward. After that, we're off to Monaco for the weekend for the Grand Prix, which both John and I are really looking forward to!<br /><br />My only complaint with Paris so far is that everyone speaks English, and I mean everyone. I had to rather stubbornly continue speaking French to a lady who sold me ice cream today, so my new goal is to get so good at French in the next few months to the point where I am not immediately identifiable as an English speaker. Sometimes the locals respond to our French with pleasant surprise and are happy to engage us in French, and yet others seem like they don't want to bother waiting for me to conjugate a verb correctly in the conditional tense. I feel like I must be in the middle somewhere because sometimes I get a compliment that my French is quite good, and then other times they respond in English after the first sentence. While I am extremely thrilled to finally be in Paris, I do miss Montpellier in the sense that knowing English was the exception rather than the rule.<br /><br />Pics from our week's excursions coming at the end of the week, but I thought for now I'd show you exactly where our apartment is on the map:<br /><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=75+rue+de+rennes,+paris+france&sll=48.853026,2.329359&sspn=0.012425,0.029182&ie=UTF8&ll=48.850399,2.330732&spn=0.012425,0.029182&z=15&iwloc=addr&om=1">75 Rue de Rennes</a><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=75+rue+de+rennes,+paris+france&sll=48.853026,2.329359&sspn=0.012425,0.029182&ie=UTF8&ll=48.850399,2.330732&spn=0.012425,0.029182&z=15&iwloc=addr&om=1"></a>BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-73073123177959441042007-05-20T16:37:00.000+01:002007-05-20T16:57:01.397+01:00Apartment PicsYesterday we walked from the Louvre to the Arch de Triumph, checking out the Tuileries and the Champs Elysees en route. It turned out that we weren't the only ones who had this idea because streets and gardens were packed. Later on we went to a soccer game, the last home game of the year for the Paris team - we were kind of lucky, if they were away we probably would not have been able to go to a real game during this trip. I must also add that TV does not prepare you for how loud the crowd gets at these games. We were both pretty sure that it was louder than an indoor basketball game, even though the stadium is outside and football sized...<br />In the mean time,<br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_paris_apt">apartment pictures</a><br />and<br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_19_2007">yesterday's walk and the game</a>johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-13240552743314556982007-05-16T19:35:00.000+01:002007-05-16T21:27:27.264+01:00Moving into ParisSorry for the long gap between posts - we've been on the road for two weeks and pretty much haven't had internet access. Anyways, our two most recent visitors (grandma and ellie) are homeward bound and we have just moved into a petite apartment in the '6th'. For those who know Paris, we are on rue de Rennes just south of the Saint Sulpice church. I'll post some pics very soon.<br /><br />Summary of our travels since the last post:<br />- The burgundy canal, which effectively links the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.<br />- Another Le Corbusier church (better than the last one!).<br />- The lion of Belfort, designed by Bartholdi, who also did the Statue of Liberty. This is carved into a cliff overlooking the city of Belfort. We also saw the smaller version of lady liberty, standing in a round about outside of Colmar.<br />- Several petite villages in the Alsace region, all of which have wine tasting (the region is known for its whites).<br />- Strasbourg<br />- Piper-Hiedsieck champagne making tour<br />- Epernay cathedral, including the smiling angel on the outside<br />- Moet & Chandon, the maker of Dom Perignon.<br />Here are the <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_16_2007&offset=0">pics</a>!johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-65569108985980682722007-05-08T18:25:00.000+01:002007-05-09T09:19:19.428+01:00Traveling Through Wine CountrySorry for the delay in posting, we've been traveling through wine country and haven't had much access to the internet. During our first day in Burgundy, we toured the entire stretch of vineyards in the region, and by the end of the day had tasted more than 26 wines at four different vineyards. Including the wine we drank with dinner and lunch, we drank about two bottles of wine per person. Both Gramma and Ellie didn't seem to have any trouble staying sober after the 26th wine, but even by the 15th wine I felt like I needed a few shots of RedBull to stay awake. Thankfully John didn't have to drive that day, as we had our own personal tour guide from the region to show us around.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />Pictures for each day:<br /><br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_9_2007_1">Day 1: We drove to Albi to visit a fortified church, and then to Millau to see the highest bridge/viaduct in the world</a>,<br /><br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_9_2007_2">Day 2: We drove through the Gorge du Tarn, then to Le Puy to see the church on top of the volcano, and then to Firminy to see Corbusier's modern church. We all agreed it was disappointing--the shape looked like an upside-down sinking ship, and the interior like freeway concrete. Amazingly it's reputed to become the 8th wonder of the modern world, so we think the 9th will have to be the overpass by the San Francisco airport</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_9_2007_3">Day 3: Visited a Rhone Valley vineyard, Guigal, which we enjoyed for the assembly line of bottles (video will be posted soon). From there we drove to Vienne to see the ruins of the old Roman city (pics of the Temple of Augustus and the theater)</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_9_2007_4">Day 4: This would have been a beautiful drive and panoramic view along the mountains of the Rhone if not for the clouds and rain--the cloud cover was at 2,000 feet and we were up at 2,050</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_9_2007_5">Day 5: We drove to the old Roman city of Lyon--the cathedral with beautiful mosaics and the ruins of the old theater. Then we were off to the outskirts of Lyon to see the Henri Malartre Automobile Museum with the largest collection of classic French cars and motorcycles from the 1890's to the 1960's</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_5_9_2007_6">Day 6: The vineyards of Burgundy where John and I tried and failed to stay sober over the course of the day. But I'm happy to say that we now know a LOT about wines from Burgundy</a>.<br /><br />Tomorrow we're off to see another of Corbusier's modern architectural churches...I only hope it's better than his last one. After that we've still got the vineyards of Champagne to tour, so hopefully our massive tasting in Burgundy will have improved John and my tolerance for alcohol!BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-46927346299085102642007-04-30T17:45:00.000+01:002007-04-30T17:47:16.425+01:00Dining OutSo last week was our last week of school, and John and I only have a few more days left in Montpellier before we head off to meet Grandma and Ellie for a few weeks of travel through Burgundy and Champagne. Both of us had gotten to the point in our studies where we were starting to get a little bored with the classes, so I think that we are leaving at just the right time. We're at the point where we're comfortable communicating with french speakers, and in my class at least, we were starting to delve into some more advanced grammar studies which, while useful, were about as interesting as studying English grammar back in high school.<br /><br />We had dinner with some friends the other night, which was notable for the shockingly obnoxious American couple that was sitting at an adjacent table. I felt extremely sorry for the waiter, who showed an exhorbitant amount of patience with these people who kept intermittently calling him "garcon" in order to get his attention and then yelling loudly about the food or the wine or whatever. I wanted to tell the waiter that he shouldn't get a bad impression about Americans based on this couple's behavior, which would be considered just as obnoxiously rude in an American restaurant, but before I had the chance, the husband swiveled around in his chair in order to engage our table in some conversation about what we had decided to order for dinner. After talking to them for a few minutes I realized that they were actually perfectly nice people, surprisingly well travelled, and very pleasant to talk to. I was trying to figure out why they were acting like such arrogant pricks a mere 5 minutes ago, when the husband asked me:<br /><br />"So what's a good tip around here? We're totally clueless about this stuff."<br /><br />Bingo. Clueless. I wonder if a lot of Americans give the rest of us a bad reputation as being arrogant and obnoxious simply because they're clueless. This couple was clearly very nice and obviously didn't intend to be rude, they just had no idea that they were offending the waiter and annoying everyone else around them by calling so much attention to themselves. I mean if something is considered rude in your country, it's probably not a good idea to do it in another country. After I told them how much to leave for the tip, I thought about also mentioning that they also shouldn't yell "garcon" across a restaurant in order to get the waiter, when the husband said:<br /><br />"So what state do you live in? We're from Michigan but we tell everyone that we're Canadian."<br /><br />....I guess it won't be Americans who end up with a bad reputation after all.BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-19690960765162203172007-04-23T15:38:00.000+01:002008-12-09T02:21:36.696+01:00Sete, Arles, and MarseilleBusy travel weekend! On Saturday, Janet, Ilia, and I explored the small seaside city of Sete which is a 30 minute train ride from Montpellier. The guide book called this city the Venice of Languedoc because of the canals that run through the city (coincidentally, there is another similarity in that there is significant italian heritage among the population). Anyways, the highlights were the old port, great seafood, views from atop the hill, and one of the most interesting and scenic cemeteries I've ever seen.<br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_4_21_2007&offset=0">Sete Pictures Here</a><br /><br />On Sunday, we spent the morning and early afternoon in Arles. Unfortunately we didn't have time to see the museums, so we focused on the outdoor ruins like the roman coliseum, bath houses, theater, and mausoleum. However, what stole the show here was the preferred morning (10 am) drink among the elder ladies:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_r-9XrB1TIts/RizHATBHlJI/AAAAAAAAAAw/TwwlkwL_mX8/s1600-h/IMG_1961.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_r-9XrB1TIts/RizHATBHlJI/AAAAAAAAAAw/TwwlkwL_mX8/s200/IMG_1961.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056635289549116562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We then caught an afternoon train to Marseille, where we had just enough time to see the old port, ruins of the even older port, city wall, church, and some incredibly sketchy streets before the sun set. Janet took the shuttle to the airport, and Ilia and I took the train back home.<br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_4_22_2007&offset=0">Alres and Marseille Picture Here</a>johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-25798201101589044262007-04-18T17:36:00.000+01:002007-04-18T17:39:39.946+01:00A Different PerspectiveNot a day goes by in France without hearing news about the United States. In the newspapers and on the tv, John and I are constantly hearing about the latest political, social, and other miscellaneous happenings in our country, which is why I am no longer surprised when someone from France or Sweden or even Lichtenstein (sp?) knows the names and political leanings of many of our politicians, including the current batch of presidential candidates. It's especially embarrassing for me at times, because aside from knowing who Jacques Chirac is, I can't even tell you the name of one of the 13 presidential candidates in France even though their elections are coming up this Sunday. It always feels a bit strange when someone from another country has a knowledgeable political discussion with me about America, especially when I can't speak much to the politics of other countries other than in a general sense. It gets even worse when one is corrected in front of the entire class by an Italian student on a random tidbit of American history, which happened to me just the other day. Regardless, it is quite obvious that the world, whether they love the US or hate it, is interested in what is happening in our country, which is yet one of many differences that I've discovered while living in France.<br /><br />In so many other ways I am constantly reminded about how truly unique the US is in the world, from the most minor differences like the 30hr workweek vs the 40+ hr workweek to the entirely different ways in which we Americans think and value what's important in life. Much of the time these little cultural differences come as pleasant reminders of the great things about our country, sometimes funny and sometimes very ordinary, they often make me think that we have it pretty great in America. But then on your way to class one the morning you see the horror at Virginia Tech splashed all over the newspapers, and you can't help but think, why does this happen so much in the US? The reaction in France has seemed to be one of great sympathy for our country right now, apart from the horror at the thought that someone could commit such an atrocity. In reading the French newspapers concerning the tragedy I noticed that they kept using the English terms "mass murder" and "school shootings" in lieu of using a similar phrase in French. Is it that they simply don't have the words for such atrocities, or are they so common in the US as to be better known around the world by their English names?<br /><br />Whatever the case, it seems to be a problem of the human condition that we have not yet been able to solve. Our hearts and thoughts are with the families and the students at Virginia Tech, and not just John's and mine, but from what I've encountered thus far, the hearts and thoughts of everyone in France as well.BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-7961508694559016572007-04-17T17:23:00.000+01:002007-04-17T17:27:41.221+01:00Pictures from travelsWe rented a car this past weekend with Jan and Janet visiting. We were able to see several towns in the vicinity here, including Avignon, Sete, Marssaillan, Pont du Gard, Aiges Mortes, St Marie de la mer, St Guilem la desert (which was amazing).<br />Unfortunately, the weather was not the greatest while we were at the beach, but by Sunday it was all sun!<br />Here are the <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_4_17_2007&offset=0">pics</a>!johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-68065815544859992252007-04-16T13:26:00.000+01:002007-04-16T13:35:29.735+01:00Miscellaneous AdventuresUnfortunately our internet connection at the Intermarche, which has thus far been our most reliable source, suddenly stopped working last week for whatever reason and has just now finally come back on. Regardless, we spent our time with John's mom in Montpellier, eating at some fabulous restaurants with all kinds of interesting French dishes. You know that you're in France when your idea of "eating light" after three days of rich food becomes something like a steak slathered in goat cheese. Janet arrived this weekend as well, and we spent some time exploring Provence (pictures coming soon).<br /><br />We also had dinner with Jean-Jacque and Josienne at a very very very nice restaurant, where I had one of my top 5 best meals. I don't know what it is about the french, but they sure can make just about anything taste pretty good, even pigs' feet which was my first course. I've also had the pleasure of eating kangaroo, which was fun for the sheer novelty alone, although it didn't really have much taste which I guess means it tasted kind of like chicken.<br /><br />I've finally gotten to the point in French where I no longer dread speaking to French people, which I used to avoid at times. That might be thanks to my new teacher, who I think must miss the days when she could strike students with a yardstick (or meter stick over here I suppose) when we give the wrong answer. Given the added pressure to say things correctly lest I incur her wrath, I've become much more conscientious when speaking. But it's mostly just nice to finally be able to understand people when they talk to me (especially Jean Jacque, who, it turns out, did not kill two Algerians but was the intended victim--whew!)<br /><br />Everything has been going pretty well lately, the guy from whom we buy our crepes every day knows us pretty well by now and doesn't need to ask us which kind of crepe we want anymore. We've also gotten accustomed to eating one baguette per day, so we feel more and more assimilated to life in Montpellier. I'm definitely getting excited for Paris, but I get a little sad when I realize that we're only going to be living here for another two weeks. I know I could easily spend several years here, six months is just not enough time!<br /><br />Anyway we have much more to say after not posting for a week or so, but for now I have to go write a report for class tomorrow. John, as usual, has no homework (I don't know how he always manages to get into classes which don't give homework).BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-16239950340657157482007-04-09T17:28:00.000+01:002007-04-09T17:33:28.078+01:00Cote D'AzurWe've just returned from a fun weekend in Cannes where we stayed with Geoff. On Friday, we caught a train after school that put is in Cannes just before 7. That night we had dinner in a small town called Mougins, a short drive inland from Cannes. The food was outstanding, we tried a local specialty of fish soup served with bread, garlic mayonnaise and parmasian cheese. After that we hit up a very fun club back in Cannes located in a marina.<br />Saturday was spent catching rays at the local pool and down by the ocean - Geoff's place is in a small cliffy enclosure in a town called Theoule, west of Cannes. The included pictures will do the place more justice than any description!<br />Saturday night we went back into Cannes for another night of dinner and drinks. It was fun seeing the town by night - The famous hotels like the Majestic (parts of the movie Ronin were filmed there!) as well as the Cannes Film Festival building and its famous red carpet staircase. Sunday morning we had to get up early to get back to Monpellier, where my mom was due to arrive early in the afternoon. She made it, and we were able to walk around town and have dinner at a Crepe place before passing out!<br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/pictured/index.html?category=ilia_john_pics_4_8_2007">Pictures<br /></a>Geoff and Mr. Hsu, thanks again for a lovely weekend!johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-61026382538323070662007-04-03T14:59:00.000+01:002008-12-09T02:21:36.922+01:00Montpellier wins 2-1!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_r-9XrB1TIts/RhJd_C-GT9I/AAAAAAAAAAo/zSkjDMOqGi0/s1600-h/soccer_montpellier.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_r-9XrB1TIts/RhJd_C-GT9I/AAAAAAAAAAo/zSkjDMOqGi0/s200/soccer_montpellier.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049201469946220498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Last Friday night we went to our first european soccer game. The local team in Montpellier plays in the 2nd division, which is one tier below the top flight known as Ligue 1. Most americans would be quick to associate the 2nd division w/ the minor leagues of baseball, but I think a better analogy would be a smaller D1 NCAA basketball conference. In other words, the fans are as enthusiastic about their team as those of any Lique 1 team, although less of them come to the stadium while their team is not in the top tier (the best three teams in the 2nd division go into Ligue 1 the following season, and the bottom three from Ligue 1 drop down).<br /><br />The staduim, which was probably built with Ligue 1 in mind, had enough vacant seats to remind us of a Monday night A's game in May. There was nonetheless a group of 50 or so die hards seated behind the goalie who raucously sang for the entire game. Big soccer teams (like those in Milan or London) have thousands of these singing fans, so it was quite funny to see such a small group.<br />It's also worth noting that this Ligue 2 game, with all of 4 thousand spectateurs, had as many scalpers as a 25,000 person NBA game. They were at least three times as pushy as well, accosting people while attempting to undercut 5 euro tickets by a whopping euro. We had to use the ol' "I no speak french" routine to ward them off (sadly, they still didn't give up).johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-51463515300630857002007-03-30T17:49:00.001+01:002007-03-30T17:49:57.492+01:00An Unfortunate TranslationOne insult that we have in American English is to call someone a "douchebag," which comes from the fact that a douche in the United States is a feminine hygiene product. Unfortunately the word "doucher" is also the French verb for "to bathe," but I find that I never feel entirely comfortable using that verb as a description of something I do every day.<br /><br />So I suppose it's incredibly immature, but we Americans always have to suppress a giggle when someone says during a class discussion about daily activities, "D'abord, je me douche." (Literal translation: First, I take a shower. Yet somehow that's not quite what I picture in my head!). Even more funny when a guy says it.BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-12499878554677007092007-03-29T11:13:00.000+01:002007-03-29T11:35:38.197+01:00Email is downUnfortunately, our gmail accounts have been (and still are) inaccessible for the past 3 days, so if anyone has been trying to contact us, that is why we have not yet responded.<br /><br />In the meantime, there isn't too much to report here. We've both been studying quite a bit lately, although Ilia a bit more than me. Ilia is moving up to a higher level next week, and I may do so as well (she is already at a higher level, so we would still be in different classes). Ilia really likes her current teacher, and is jealous that I may get her next week. Although, I think that teacher gives too much homework -- Ilia spent quite a while yesterday working on an oral presentation, and she has quizzes every morning. I like my free time approach where I can read about stuff I like (i.e. le foot).<br /><br />All in all, we are actually making really good progress right now. I finally feel like I can communicate most basic ideas, and hold a real conversation.BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-9912389880640084622007-03-26T14:09:00.000+01:002008-12-09T02:21:37.112+01:00Buffy la Executrice du Vampire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lIz1GIEWnoM/RgfGTLtRknI/AAAAAAAAAAs/XQ_qS8WBDfM/s1600-h/IMG_1693.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lIz1GIEWnoM/RgfGTLtRknI/AAAAAAAAAAs/XQ_qS8WBDfM/s320/IMG_1693.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046219940354429554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I think we might have found the very best method possible for improving my comprehension--episodes of Buffy en francais. Since I practically know every episode word for word (in English of course), it's been very beneficial to watch the same episodes in French, which helps me get a better sense for how the French would say the same kinds of ideas. It's definitely not a word for word translation, but I'm starting to get an idea as to how people talk in certain situations--mostly those among the main characters of course. I doubt that it's really going to help me very much to know how one might interact with a vampire or an Incan mummy brought back to life.<br /><br />We've also started renting the Star Wars movies and watching them in French as well, which has been equally helpful for both John and I. Interestingly enough, the dialogue in the first three prequels is actually less painful to hear in French than in English, perhaps because when they translated it to French they did so in a way that didn't sound completely forced and ridiculous (esp the scene in Sith: "It's only because I'm so in love with you." "No, no, it's only because <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm</span> so in love with <span style="font-weight: bold;">you</span>!") Even the voice guy who did Jar Jar Binks wasn't nearly as annoying as the English version, which goes a long way toward making the first prequel much easier to watch. Actually the most impressive thing was that either James Earl Jones can speak a little French, or the French voice guy they found for Vader's voice in Sith is the French equivalent of James Earl Jones.<br /><br />On a side note, French cell phones apparently don't automatically adjust to daylight savings time like American phones do, which John and I found out the hard way when we arrived to school this morning thinking we were right on time, when we were actually an hour late.<br /><br />Que la force soit avec toi (May the force be with you).BuffyICShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555064315149417972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154174305106744619.post-49376054367033014792007-03-22T12:07:00.000+01:002007-03-22T12:29:05.126+01:00Misc. stuffYesterday I finally found a free, downloadable french dictionary. For the mac. Here is the link for reference sake:<br /><a href="http://mac.softpedia.com/progDownload/MDict-Download-21370.html">http://mac.softpedia.com/progDownload/MDict-Download-21370.html</a><br /><br />Since we don't have internet at home, we are forced to use a real dictionary to look up words during our daily newspaper read. This tends to get extremely tedious for a beginner. The ability to have the laptop open, type in a word, and get an immediate definition is priceless. In addition, you can type in a french OR an english word, and it will give you the correct direction of translation. I think I may use this application even when I have internet, since it is lightning fast!<br /><br />In other non-news, we've started using our kitchen a bit more now. We have been trying some of the great french produce, and so far it has been up to expectation. In particular, we liked the tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, and shallots. Also, the mache lettuce is very easy to find - not always the case in the states. <br /><br />We need to start trying some of the fruits too!johnrobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12319243902198839410noreply@blogger.com0