Conversations and reflections

On the subject of finding things like body wash and cleaning supplies.
C: There's all the same stuff here, I just feel like it's all labeled with some secret code.
Me: A secret code called French?

It's great when I learn new words just from the context. The other day another teacher gave me a bunch of MP3 files from an English textbook CD and they were all labeled Piste 1, Piste 2 etc. Then at lunch some of us got to talking about skiing in the Alps, and one of the teachers mentioned that it wasn't too expensive if you go to a smaller lodge, where there are fewer pistes. At first I thought she meant fewer lifts, but then I thought about what word could make sense for a CD too, and of course, "track" works both for audio files and a ski run! As it turns out, the translation depends on the context, but it was fun, that moment where the image in my head shifted from lift chairs to the snow on the slopes.

Sometimes while I'm walking to the port for my morning commute or between my schools, I spend a lot of time in my head thinking about whatever, like reminiscing over my old life at college for example. But my thoughts are in English, and suddenly I will hear a French lady speaking to her children, or a guy talking on the phone, in French, and I'll suddenly wake up and realize, "Oh yeah, I'm in France."

On the boat back to Toulon one afternoon.
Me: I think my new favorite word is régler. I love it when things are réglé-d.
C: You're in the wrong country for that.

F-ing bises.
A (a guy): I think I finally realized why it's so awkward between my housemate and me. It's because I haven't kissed her yet!
Me and C: ??
A: The bisous. This morning she left for a trip and she called me to the door. I guess she was waiting to do the bises, but I just waved goodbye. I think it makes French people very nervous when you don't do the bises.
C: Yeah what is that? I sit in the teacher's lounge every morning stressing out over the bises. Do I kiss them? Do I not? Ahh why is this country so complicated?
Me: If they're across the room do you get up to do the bises? If you don't will they think you don't like them as much? It's much better when they just go for it, and then I know I'm supposed to kiss them. And then sometimes there is the cheek-bang too...
A: Alice that's just you being a failure at grace.

I'm finally starting to realize that French people are people too. That is, just because one person acts a certain way, it doesn't follow that "French people" as a solid entity are all the same way. A bunch of kids of different ages got onto the bus after school one day and I realized they probably had all the same middle school dramas with people in different social circles and various power dynamics. Whereas before my gut assumption was kind of, "You speak French. You can't be like me."


(PS writing up this post reminds me of my Gossip Girl days! xoxo)