Anyway, on a slightly different thought, i've been noticing little differences between french culture and american culture that some would probably find unimportant, but it matters to me, so i'm going to mention them:
French Culture Positive Things
* La Mode-fashion-the boys here dress significantly better (no, not in a gay way) as well as the girls. it inspires me to step up and look fashionable too, a thing i like to do. i appreciate a good outfit, something i feel like is only important in New York or L.A. back home. in Asheville i felt overdressed sometimes, compared to the dirty hippies everywhere who think it's ok to wear a knee-length skirt over baggy, ripped jeans complete with socks and sandals...or crocs. ewwww, don't even want to think about that.
* The street cleanliness- there is barely any trash anywhere on the streets, something you don't realize unless you think about it....plus the buildings are beautiful as well, everything here is beautiful.
* The food- sure, i can't get a $1 taco the size of my arm at 2 am here, but everything is better quality. even things like mayonnaise are amazing...i've been slathering it on thick (dylan would be so proud!). their vegetables are soooo good, and cheap. they have the juiciest tomatoes ever, the sweetest cantaloupes, which are only about the size of a grapefruit for some reason, and cornichons! omg, i've developed a gross habit of eating half a jar in one night...they're like mini pickles but better...a bit more tangy and have more of a vinegary bite, and they throw in mini onions sometimes too! so good! apparently they're called gherkins in english, but i never noticed them until i got here...and people eat them allll the time here with their meals...or for me, it IS my meal. don't even get me started on the pastries...ok, maybe just a bit. me and suz went to a bakery the other day and got a small pastry or tartelette, a cake-ish/cookie-ish crust topped with the most fluffy, creamy, perfectly rich crême, which was topped with fresh strawberries in some kind of syrup. oh dear god, i could've eaten every single one in bakery and then told the lady to go in the back and make 10 more. i think the key is the "whipped cream." i feel ashamed calling it that because those stupid english words do no justice to this creamy dollop of cloud nine. but, since i lack all culinary vocabulary, that was the first thing that popped into my mind. anyway, it's the key. it's extremely fluffy, but thick, but not too thick, and is light but rich and perfectly sweetened. and then the fresh strawberries. jesus, i've never tasted a strawberry so juicy before. i ate it in about a minute, walking down the street with stuff all over my face. it was awesome.
* public transportation/being green- why aren't we funding awesome public transportation? there's buses all the time (except after 8ish), taxis, trains, cheap flights...it's a walkable town for the most part...and they're more green than here. a lot of people recycle, god forbid you leave a light on if you're not in that particular room, heat is only used when it's necessary, and and if you have a dryer, you only dry your socks and undies and maybe a tank top or two and hang up the rest; so many people just ride bikes to get to places...there are literally no SUVs anywhere, and if there is, it sticks out like a sore thumb and can barely navigate the skinny roads. america is just fat and greedy...quel dommage!
* nature! there are so many beautiful parks here and fountains and just cool areas to hang out...i can't really think of any place like that except, duh, the beach...and in asheville, the blue ridge parkway, duh. everything is sooo pretty here, even the cobblestone roads.
Things I Miss/Don't like
* i miss not having to do mental math every time i buy something...1.46 that's the exchange rate now...thanks Bush...and merril lynch, banks, and all those other people who already have millions of dollars but received bonuses anyway..and i'm countin' pennies, AWESOME!
* i miss pooper scoopers. not joking. people don't pick up their dog crap...who crap on the sidewalk, so i'm always aware of where i step...it's ironic that there's no trash in the streets/sidewalks, but yeah, there's gonna be poop.
* i miss good store hours. i miss 24 hours grocery stores...i miss stores being open until 9 or 10. i miss stores that don't take a 2-3 hour lunch break. i DONT miss fast food.
* i miss good southern hospitality. i know i've complained about this before, but people just are not polite about giving you room to walk on the sidewalk, or giving you room to get through a crowd of drunk people well all you have to do is pee...and some people think it's UNACCEPTABLE when they hear english...they'll glare or mutter something...very condescending and unsympathetic to someone who's trying to learn...but then, when you ARE speaking french, they'll just make fun of your accent. some people are such assholes.
* Fashion--ok what's up with girls wearing nude colored panty-hose under shorts, and even jeans??? something i just don't understand and will NEVER do. and guys wearing "decorative" scarfs...i'm not sure how i feel about this...but, there are so many attractive guys here that i guess i don't really give a damn about a stupid scarf.
* i miss vegetarian restaurants. i miss greenlife. i miss fresh market. it's kind of a struggle, well maybe not a struggle really, but it's definitely annoying, to find vegetarian food if i don't want to cook (thats right, i cook now, i sort of have to).
*ok the BIGGEST inconvience, PUBLIC TOILETS! they are soooo effing gross here. and of course, there are no "rest stops" or gas stations where you can go in and pee real fast. you either have to go to a bar/restaurant and order something (some places actually have someone regulating this) and even when you do order something, the bathroom is sooo gross! sometimes there's not even a seat on the toilet, or no toilet paper, or no soap. and they have port-o-potty looking things placed randomly downtown but you have to PAY 20 cintieme to use it, and it's disgusting. so, let's just say, i've seen a lot of boys peeing in the streets, bushes, behind cars, on walls, etc. and i know girls who have had to suffer and go squat somewhere because they can't hold it any longer. i would say that's a violation of a human right. we should be able to have FREE public restrooms, i mean DAMN!
All in all, i don't want to come home (well, to visit, yes, i miss everyone!). it's starting to become an obsession. i have to become better and better before i leave, well i'm staying another semester, i think, but only because i know i would be that much better. i've become accustomed to this place and usually don't really miss the U.S. (as a country, but i miss the people). the thought of coming back to the states seems weird to me and it hasnt even been two months! and writing this much in english isn't helping...by the way, i've noticed i've been making more mistakes in english too, esp. with spelling...awesome, i suck at both languages now! I'm going to a concert tomorrow night in Nantes to see Phoenix, a french band, but they sing in english (unfortunately) , and they're AWESOME!! I'm sooo excited! A bientôt!
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