When I expressed some reservations about my modest accomedations, the ladies in the international office told me that my room contained only the essentials. Lets see...

Bed, essential.



Sink, yah, essential.

But wait, what is that in the background?? Let's get a closer look.

A bedet? Essential? Weird. And in the way. France.

Don't worry, we know how to seek help.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Despite being told that Valentine's Day isn't very big in Europe, I saw lines of men at every flower stand and at the flower counter in the supermarket buying bouquets today. The best was when I saw two older gentlemen walking away from the marché together each holding a small bouquet of Gerber daisies. I wore pink and red today.

Going to France Tip #3

Avoid the mustard! Unless you relish (haha) the sensation of a blow torch being ignited in your nostrils. "Hmmm, I didn't know my sinus' could tingle that way." I won't have to blow my nose for a week! (Linnea, think English mustard times two.)



[Blogger just had me change to a Google acount?]

{Pictures soon, I finally got my id and password to use my laptop at the university!}

You know you're not in America any more when...peanut butter is in the specialty foods section and costs 5,00 Euros!

Going to France Tip #2

Don't ask for a café au lait, only tourists do that. Instead, ask for un crème or un café crème. Then, as long as you don't say anything else, the waiter will think you're a native!

I was saved this embarassment by a meeting with an American, Christian girl on my flight back from England. She was returning from being an au pair in France. What an amazing, Provedential meeting! I love French coffee -- the taste and the way it's consumed (slowly with lots of words). However, the caffeine content is exorbitantly high, as all you living in Ukraine know, so this makes me super hyper, talkative and loud i.e. magnifying all my American qualities and terrifying every French person within a five foot radius.

French Activity: Go to Starbucks, or another espresso place, and order a double or triple shot of espresso. Go ahead and put milk in it if you want and then drink up. Wait ten minutes. Maybe some of you are already de-sensitized to caffeine and will be fine but not me!

Going to France Tip #1

Smiling at strangers equals you are weird. Smiling at men equals you are hitting on them.


I've probably hit on twenty guys in five days! But no longer! I have learned my French visage.

French activity: Try looking down and avoiding eye contact when passing a stranger, even a woman. How do you feel? Rude? Unnatural? Perhaps you do this all the time? If you're a typical American though, you don't.

Mrs. Gildard told me that I must be careful because Europe gets in your blood and then you must live here -- I think it is too late for me. C'est la belle vie! (The taxes are high mais...the coffee is good).

I saw two marvels today: Le Chateau D'If and Jackie Rasamoulie! Equally famous in Marseille.