Being an ocean away from so many of the people I love can be lonely and guilt-inducing, and I don’t know if I would have spent so much time here if it weren’t for Skype, Gmail, and Facebook, my tripartite magic portal.
Category: Culture (Shock)
What ze ‘ell? French Habits You Won’t Find on a List of Stereotypes
Many Americans have a mental image of “French Life” that runs somewhere along these lines: smoking at outdoor café tables, bicycling alongside a river with a baguette under an arm, wearing scarves and generally looking “chic,” drinking wine while discussing culture and art. And of course, all of this takes place with the Eiffel Tower as backdrop,…
When shit goes down and you’re not there
For how long can I intelligently examine and criticize a place I’ve abandoned from the inherent safety and ignorance of distance?
Faire la Bise: An American Nightmare
It’s a good thing no one’s ever asked me to go undercover as a Frenchwoman, because I would immediately blow it.
Passport for ‘Amurca
The newest version of the American passport befits our international reputation as the least subtle of nations.
La Peste, I mean, Poste
I never fully appreciated the legendary reliability of the American postal service until I lived in France.
Time Travel: Avignon, May 2014 – Tater Tot Hot Dish
Sometimes you have to cross the world to learn more about your own countrymen.
How I Ran Away to France, the Third Time
Applying for the post of lectrice/lecteur
Jill: 0, CPAM: lost count
ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fatal Phonemes and Emphasis Disasters
The ability to imitate an accent without making mistakes is rare, even among people who are paid boatloads of money to do it.
Transient Local 