This Summer's Highlights and Last Thoughts

As the summer comes to close and 

I find myself writing this blog in California,

I would now like to take time to 

thank those who made my summer so wonderful.

1. My host family for again welcoming into their home and making me feel like another daughter. I truly am so lucky to have had the opportunity to be part of your family for 8 months now, and hope that anyone of you can visit me in the U.S. so that I can return the favor!

2. Daisy for being so friendly, interesting, and willing to do, see, and talk about anything. (not to mention for our great times together traveling in France!) 

3. The staff at Africa Regional Services and the U.S. Embassy for teaching me so much about the foreign service and helping me develop my professional and administrative skills.

4. My friends, Tory and Dennis, for visiting me in Paris. Both of their visits were such high highlights of my trip and remain very grateful to them for spending time with me in Paris!

5. The other interns so being so friendly and interesting.

6. My friend, Sterling, whom I spent the most time with from the embassy and is such a nice guy.

8. My friend, Ally, for exploring Paris with me and for our deep and interesting conversations on French and American cultures.

9. My parents and sisters for their continual support

10. Those who continued to follow my blog all throughout the summer.

This summer has confirmed my desire to live

in Paris in addition to showing me how much 

I love to blog about Paris. We'll see how this passion

for Paris and for blogging about Paris evolves in the future,

but for the meantime, au revoir!

Frenchisms

Like the people of any culture, the French

have their quirks. Whether it be the way in 

which they eat, behave, or express themselves, the French

have a certain flair about them in whatever they do. That said, my use of 

"flair" is not intended to be condescending or pejorative; instead, it

is meant to signify a certain style or originality that the French have, 

a je ne sais quoi that defines their approach and actions. 

The list below attempts to shed light on some of the Parisians'

quirks and mannerisms with the goal of painting 

a better picture of what it means to be français. 

It is a compilation of what I have observed over the

course of living in Paris for a total of 8 months. That said, I know

that this list draws exclusively from my personal experience

and could be different if I had interacted with other French people

or come from a different culture. 

Nonetheless, I invite you to read my list to see how it

is similar and/or different to your view of the French. 

And if it is one of the two, ask yourself why....

Behavior Mannerisms

1. The French greet and say goodbye to one another by doing the bis, or kissing each other on both cheeks. You are expected to do this when you meet someone new, and if you arrive at a dinner party, you may be expected to do it 5-10 times in a row. You always kiss the person's right cheek, as to avoid a full-on kiss; your cheeks only brush theirs, but you still air-kiss and make a puckering sound. You would only kiss the cheeks if it was someone that you knew well or were dating/married to. 

2. If you say something and the French agree with you, they will often say, oui, or yes. However, sometimes the French will gulp in a little bit of air, make a sound that could be described as "aghast," and then say "oui" in a whisper. If only I had a video of that, the explication would be much more clearer!

3. The French use colloquial expressions when chatting such as du coup, which is an informal combination of "as a result/so"; bref, which is used after the end of long explanation as means to change the subject (direct translation = brief); bha is the sound the French make when they don't know something (think of it like the English "ugh"); ouais is used as a form of "yeah"; pigé is what you say afterwards to show that you understand, but it is used in a very, informal sense. 

4. Interestingly enough, the French now incorporate quite a few English words when they speak, such as "Bye"; "Let's go"; "Yes"; and almost all 21st century English tech and business terms such as "business"; "Ipod"; "management"; "consulting" remain the same in French.

5. The French are some of the fastest walkers on the planet.

6. The French have an opinion on everything and like to share it with you. And almost everyone has an opinion on the U.S. and French presidential elections.

7. "Oh la la" is used not necessarily to express joy or happiness, but rather to express shock or disbelief after a story is told.

8. You always say hello and good-bye to the people in the elevator and to the employee in the store that you are in. 

Food and Drink Quirks

1. Whipped cream is served as a dessert. With nothing else.

2. Picard is a very popular food store that only serves frozen food.

3. Nicolas is a nice, wine-chain that is found on every other block in Paris.

4. The French only refrigerate their milk once it is opened; before that, it is stored in a cupboard.

5. Food and drink is never eaten on the go and in the street. #soamericaine 

6. The French really do carry baguettes with them when they walk back home for dinner.

7. Meat is usually always red and bloody, but the French refer to that as "bleu" meat.

8. A French person can distinguish a Bordeaux from a Burgundy.

9. The French do not snack in between meals. Period.

Living

1. The French do not usually have air conditioning. 

2. If the French have a car, it is tiny.

3. Since rent is so expensive, the French often rent out a free room. 

Food Culture in France

Ratatouille. Tartare de boeuf. Foie Gras.

While food is an important part of any culture,

French food is on another level.

From Bordeaux wines and Normandy cheeses to

Dijon mustard and Parisian Croque Monsieurs, millions

of foreigners come to Paris and other regions each year

to taste its cuisine and experience its culture

through taste and smell. 

In other words, French cuisine is like a tourist attraction.

While foreigners may interact with those who work

at cafés or boulangeries, they often are not able

to experience the ways in which the French themselves regard their food. 

Fortunately, my experience living with a French family

for the past 8 months has allowed me to see and learn

about such interactions. I am often able to eat

breakfast and dinner with my family, with an occasional

brunch on the weekend. Not only have these meals been enjoyable,

but they have also been insightful.

Through these meals, I have come to see cultural differences 

between France and the United States, my country of origin, 

surrounding the consumption and enjoyment of food.

These differences fascinate me, and below, I explain some

of these differences in more detail. 

The Parisian Diet

Parisians are world-famous for being thin, but one always wonders how they do it. With the abundance of boulangeries and the richness of their food, how is it possible that most stores in Paris only carry sizes 0-4? To start, let's look at what a Parisian eats during the week: for breakfast: a slice of brioche with jam or a croissant with a cup of coffee; for lunch, a baguette sandwich, quiche, or green salad (sometimes with a small dessert); for dinner, a meat dish, a vegetable dish, wine, and fruit or yogurt for dessert. Now, consider with alongside what a Parisian eats on the weekend: breakfast will remain the same on Saturday, but lunch will include a dessert, and 3-4 course dinner is often had out at a restaurant or a friend's house. Sunday, on the other hand, is more tranquil, but brunch equates to that of Saturday dinner. 

So...how do the Parisians do it? .... The answer lies not in what they eat, but how much they eat. Not only are restaurants proportions relatively small in Paris (especially to those found in the U.S.), but at home, Parisians only serve themselves what they know they can eat. It is considered rude to leave food on your plate so proportions are small at both the home and out at a restaurant. Thus, you serve and are served only what you can eat and it is up to you to leave none to waste.

It is this combination of small proportions, small meals, and avid walking that keeps Parisians famously thin. 

French Table Manners

The French are quite refined when it comes to table manners. As mentioned in the last paragraph, you serve yourself only what you can eat and leave nothing to waste. If there is extra sauce or residue, then it is expected that you place bread at the tip of a fork and eat the rest to leave the plate perfectly clean. Cutting any item of food is done with the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right, and the fork remains in your left hand during the entire meal. You never put too much food in your mouth as you are expected to carry on the conversation during each mouthful.

In regard to wine and cheese, wine is expected to be drunk slowly, and the taste and flavor of wine is changed from course and course. Regarding the cheese, the cheese is cut differently depending on what kind of cheese it is; since I am yet to be a connaisseur in cheese cutting, I usually just follow the person to my right. A baguette must accompany the eating of the cheese as cheese is never eaten plainly. However, the piece of bread cannot be placed on the plate, but to the side of your plate. You tear off a piece of bread, place the cheese on it, and then place the bread and cheese into your mouth. You are expected to serve yourself the right amount of bread and cheese so that there is, again, no left overs on your plate. (It must be noted, however, that cheese is usually served during a fancier 4 course meal and then followed by a dessert.)

Dessert is usually what follows the plat (or main dinner) during the weekday; however, dessert is not what you would typically expect. A weekday dessert is usually yogurt or fruit, which you can only eat with a fork and knife! (Interestingly, fruit is never eaten during breakfast) A brunch/Saturday dinner dessert is more along the lines of what you would expect: a chocolate mousse, crème brûlée, a fruit cake, etc.

Restaurant Tips

Ordering at a French restaurant is quite simple. Since most Parisian cafés have waiters whom speak English or offer menus in English, you should feel quite comfortable ordering. However, here are a few tips for those of you who aren't French speakers to improve your dining experience:

1) Always greet the hostess with either Bonjour (Good day) or Bonsoir (Good evening)
2) Never sit at an empty table; wait and asked to be seated
3) Please is s'il vous plaît (see-voo-play), and thank you is merci (mare-see)
4) I always order a watcher pitcher (une carafe d'eau) along with my meal since it is free and re-fillable
5) If you order meat, it is usually red and bloody; thus, if you want a well-cooked steak or hamburger, I recommend that you specify that you would like your meat bien cuit (bee-in quee), or well-cooked.
(However, I do recommend that you have your meat the French way!)
6) The check is l'addition, and a small tip is expected 

53 Scenic Shots of Paris

Paris is the most photographed city in the world

and by my account, that will continue to be the case.

From its monuments and its park to its

architecture and its river, the Seine, Paris as a city

exudes grandeur, elegance, and beauty. While its heart lies

in the past, its eyes look to the future as Paris has evolved to become

one of our world's modern, global capitals. Yet, walking along some of its

streets or visiting some of its museums transports you back to its past. 

It is this rapport of Paris' appreciation for its past and its ability

(or attempt, depending on your point of view)

to progress forward that draws me to Paris,

in addition to many, other aspects.

It is my hope that my photos shed light on this 

rapport between the old and the new, and I invite

you to scroll through all 53 to determine yourself

how historic and/or modern Paris is. 

1. Notre Dame de Lorette and Sacré Coeur

2. A soccer ball hangs from the Eiffel Tower during the month-long Euro Cup

3. The Euro Cup fanzone

4. The U.S. Ambassador's Residence

5. Sacré Coeur

6. The Louvre and the Seine

7. The Tuileries at sunset

8. Exploring Montmartre

9. The Arc de Triomphe

10. The Pont Alexandre III

11. Foie gras, escargot, and wine

12. The Eiffel Tower seen from Montmartre

13. The Gallerie Vivienne

14. The sweets of Ladurée

15. The neighborhood, les Buttes aux Cailles

16. Place des Vosges,

 17. On the top floor of the Pompidou Center

18. The Bois de Boulogne

19. The Eiffel Tower

20. Le Musée Gustave Moreau 

21. Reading at the Parc Les Buttes aux Chaumont

22. The view of Paris from on top of the Montparnasse Tower

23. Parc Monceau

24. French patisseries

25. At the Pompidou Center 

 26. The Grand Mosque of Paris

27. Place de la Contrescarpe

28. The Luxembourg Gardens

29. Boeuf tartare and a green salad

30. The Canal Saint Martin

31. A quaint street in Montmartre

32. Walking in the 2e arrondissement

33. The Louvre

34. Le Petit Palais

35. Place Vendome

 36. Notre Dame and the Seine

37. The Eiffel Tower

38. Place de la Concorde 

39. The Bir-Hakim Bridge

40. The Tuileries Gardens

41. The Louvre

42. Canal Saint Martin

43. Place d'Anvers

44. The Tuileries (one of my favorite pictures from the summer)

45. The view of the Invalides from the Musée Rodin

46. Le Parc Buttes des Chaumont

47. Le Pont Alexandre III

48. Bastille

49. The Arc de Triomphe during Bastille Day

50. Notre Dame at sunset

51. Notre Dame

52. The Louvre at sunset

53. Jardin des Plantes