"Why American Women Get Fat in France"

Today I thought about starting a book, "Why American Women Do Get Fat in France". Well, I don't deserve the term "fat" quite yet, but I am definitely not losing any pounds while in the land of carbs. I think sometimes that God designed women with some sort of freak compulsion for sweets and/or bread. Why else would there be all these diets for women cutting out all carbs and desserts. To me, this is torture. I love a good pastry and I adore well-made desserts. Luckily, I am very picky about what kinds of sweets go into my mouth because the experience has to be all worth it. This habit of mine works well for me in the States because my dessert choice is thus, limited. If the dessert is not divine enough to give my palate exactly what it deserves, I will not eat it. Ah, but in France, almost every dessert or pastry is fresh, delicious and totally worthy of consumption. I am still in awe of the amount of dolce delights one can find in France. The book, "French Women Don't Get Fat" is all well and good for French women and even American women, but what the author does not prepare you for is your trip as an American girl to France.

I have never dieted and I never want to. I agree with Mireille Guiliano, author of FWDGF, on all of her points in her book. However, I have had to seriously watch the consumption here. Butter, butter, bread and butter, is all I see here. I mean Nantes has great seafood, so I enjoy that, but every time I go to buy a sandwich, I get a whole baguette with butter and mayonaise on it. Sick!! So, just a warning...I think it's a conspiracy by the French government to make foreigners fat. I seriously doubt that the millions of skinny French women I see who parade the streets of France ever touch an almond croissant smothered in butter and melted sugar. Maybe they just eat one bite, but how hard is that!!

Jack Daniels

I never thought I would feel so at home with Jack Daniels. I reassure you that what I am about to say is completely innocent, so don't get yourself all in a tissy. Having one of my fits of missing home/ friends/the South, etc, today I was comforted by a billboard of Jack Daniels whiskey. There is a giant distillery, I believe, near Chattanooga, and well Tennessee unfortunately is known solely for Jack Daniels in Nantes. It's hilarious to me that a large number of people here automatically assume that I drink Jack Daniels like water. In fact, I can imagine the stuff tastes disgusting! I hate whiskey for drinking, but I take comfort in its alterior benefits for me. So, today I learned two things from good ole JD: refrain from making grandiose assumptions about regions, states or countries because often you look like a fool. And two, reminders of home can come from some of the least expected places. Cheers for Jack Daniels!

I like this picture of marriage/relationships. I feel like it's hard to find really poignant, Christian lyrics, but Bebo Norman really speaks truth here.

"A page is turned by the wind to a boy in curly grin
With a world to conquer at the age of ten
But as history unfolds and the storybook is told
He finds salvation but not at the hands of man

And the God of second chance
Picked him up and He let him dance
Through a world that is not kind
And all this time, preparing him, the one
To hold him up when he comes undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And now a man, here you stand
Your day has come

A page is turned in this world to reveal a little girl
With a heart that's bigger, as it is unfurled
By the language in her soul, that's teaching her to grow
With a careful cover of love that will not fail

And the God of second chance
Picked her up and He let her dance
Through a world that isn't kind
And all this time, preparing her the one
To hold her up when she comes undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And grown up tall, here you are
Your day has come

Beneath the air of autumn, she took him by his hand
And warm within the ardor, she took his heart instead
And high upon the mountain, he asked her for her hand
Just for her hand

A page is turned in this life, he's making her his wife
And there is no secret to the source of this much life
When the grace that falls like rain is washing them again
Just a chance to somehow rise above this land

Where the God of second chance
Will pick them up and he'll let them dance
Through a world that is not kind
And all this time, they're sharing with the one
That holds them up when they come undone
Beneath the storm, beneath the sun
And once again, here you stand
And once again, here you stand
Your day has come"

In my oral comprehension/production class on Friday, we discussed what characteristics make up the "ideal" man or woman. It was hilarious. There are only two boys in my class. The dynamic is already entertaining because we have Mexicans, Brazilians, Russians, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Americans, Ghanaians all in one class. There were a lot of differing opinions. But controversy arose when the two boys Ferdinando, my Brazilian friend, and a Chinese guy whom I have never heard say a word, made their ideal woman practically a Step ford wife. They went on and on about how she would do the cooking and cleaning and that she would be "pas trop intelligente"(not too intelligent). Of course, cries of disapproval from the ladies erupted. I think they were joking but they never said anything about it being a joke. At least our teacher got a good laugh.

Running for the Tram

A typical day for me in Nantes consists of me running for the tram(I mean sprinting, and no, it's not very romantic), being confused or amused(usually both) in class, and then dinner and sleep. It's not as glorious as one would imagine France to be, but it's interesting in it's own way. I confess that I imagined my time here to be very different than it turned out to be. I over-imagine, over-romanticize, and over- analyze quite a bit. France did not end up fitting into my preconceived notions, but it actually ended up being better than I could have imagined. I have surprised myself with my ability to adjust, even to the point of comfort. Each day here poses a new challenge, but it's different than the challenges I face at home. There is a lot of self-discovery going on lately. I have actual time to reflect here. At home, my pace of life is much faster, and I don't have to be as aware. I have to think about what goes out of my mouth and into my ear, twice as hard as I do at home.
I am surrounded by so many different cultures, religions, languages. It is exhausting at times just because everyone comes from so many different places. But I LOVE it!

Even going to the grocery store poses a challenge. I don't have a car, so I have to fit everything in a small bag, which means I have to make several trips to the grocery throughout the week. I haven't had ice since August, there is no such thing as real iced tea here, no clean restrooms, etc. Convenience-wise, the U.S. wins out. However, France has some unique and lovely qualities that my country does not. Almost every store is closed on Sunday; everyone takes off for lunch; I have not had one single bad cup of coffee(and I drink a lot of coffee); public transportation is cheap and absolutely convenient(not to mention environmentally friendly!). Life moves at a much slower pace here. You would be hard pressed to find food to go, unless you want a Kebab. You sit and enjoy. It's all about pleasure here. And I cannot fail to mention the ART! Oh my, the wealth of art here is just enough to make someone want to spend decades in a place like this.

A Korean friend of mine, Ju A, brought a photo to show in our art class a few days ago. She had fabricated a shot of a cactus on the street in Nantes. She set her little plant on the ground and took a picture of some French people walking alongside it. I laughed a little and then our professor said, "does this symbolize that the French are a bit prickly?"(except it was in French). We all laughed. No, I honestly find all of the French friends and teachers, cafe owners and shopkeepers to be very friendly and open. My favorite cafe here is St. Nicholas. They have the best coffee and hot chocolate in the world. I love taking advantage of the gorgeous autumn weather by either walking around the hippodrome or sitting outside at a cafe all bundled up in a scarf and jacket, coffee in hand and favorite book.

A favorite activity here in Nantes is going to dance clubs or disco-teques. I had fun going but it isn't my favorite thing. Mainly because a lot of the people there cannot dance at all, but it was at least entertaining and safe. The night-life is very big here. You can go out late for crepes, or dp the club thing. I prefer the crepes and conversation. That's just me!

I realize that I will probably never have an experience like this one again. I have so much free time to explore. I have to really take advantage. I am going to Milan, Verona, and Venice for the Toussaint holiday next week. On week-ends following, I am off to Dublin, Paris( a few times), Belgium, South France, Barcelona, Lux. I am so blessed and I know I will have many more good stories to tell! So until then...

"In your head"

Watch this: I have always loved listening to the Cranberries, but I never watched the video of "Zombie"...interesting.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJEySrDerj0

An October Walk in Nantes

My eyes, refusing to blink, afraid to miss one moment of the amber and ruby,
Burning images and feelings of the past, present and future,
Heightening every sense in my body,
The lively, October air whistling through the trees and playing with my hair,
Dancing across my skin
The leaves in their full glory, crisp and bright, fall in slow motion, it doesn't feel real,
Change is the song they sing, rhapsodic, mellow, sonorous...
My love affair with Autumn in Nantes