Jennie en France

David’s friends Max and Pauline are currently on their “tour du monde” – trip around the world. I still don’t think I would like to to do one long trip around the world, but I sure do miss traveling.  I haven’t left the country since August. Three whole months!

They’ve been posting beautiful photographs, most recently of Lebanon and Jordan, on their blog: D’ouest en est

So many places to see, so little time money…

Not much going on here these days. After tomorrow, only 4 weeks of classes left for the semester and I only have one more lesson to prepare. December is going to be so easy. Except for all the correcting of recordings and tests.

The weather was actually very sunny and warm these past few days, but I was stuck inside at work the entire time. Oh well, the clouds and rain will be back soon and I’ll be happy to be stuck inside with the heat.

Thanksgiving is next week and I’m trying not to think about it. At least I don’t have to work. But I don’t know if that will make me feel better or worse…

I’m off to watch RAI or listen to Warum Nicht podcasts. And since I have nothing interesting to say: cat pictures!

Stretch to the left!

I shall wait until you look away before I start digging.

This chin scratcher is excellent. (He either rubs his face on it or sleeps on it. Never scratches it with his claws.)

Why is no one rubbing my belly?

I fit on this thing quite comfortably, actually.

November is a bit depressing because this is what it looks like every single day.

Never-ending gray clouds.

The number 13 and Fridays are usually considered bad or even evil according to Christianity, and the tradition of Friday the 13th being a very unlucky day still persists in many cultures. Yet in France, vendredi le 13 is considered a lucky day when people buy lots of lottery tickets. Have you bought your ticket yet?

As Le Pourquoi du Comment explains, “les jeux de loterie n’ont pas hésité à s’approprier le vendredi 13 pour vendre du hasard à grand renfort de matraquage publicitaire, et pour prendre dans leurs filets, sans avoir à redoubler d’efforts, les esprits les plus cartésians alléchés par l’appât de gains collosaux.”

It’s all about money, of course!  I wonder why the US lotteries haven’t tried to reverse the superstition and get people to buy more tickets. Though getting Americans to stop believing in ridiculous things is a huge battle….

Hug a veteran today.

It’s Sunday and we have no food in the apartment because it’s Sunday and no stores are open. Ok, some stores are open in the morning on Sundays, but they are so crowded that I hyperventilate just thinking about it.

A KFC opened in Chambéry a few months ago and I was actually curious to see what it would be like (though I haven’t eaten at KFC in the US since I was in high school…) and David wanted to try it too since he’s never had it. KFC hopes to open 200 restaurants in France by 2012 and according to their awful flash-heavy website that takes 2 minutes to load, there are currently 93 restaurants open.

So I got some Crispy Tenders (the menu is mostly in English, of course). My first impression of a Frenchified KFC is: where are the mashed potatoes & gravy?!

Yes, they sell pieces of chicken in a bucket with Col. Sanders’ face on it but that’s about where the similarities end. The sides available with the meals are a salad, fries or a little corn on the cob that no one knows how to “make” and so they won’t even give it to you, but instead substitute fries without your knowledge.  The sauces available for the chicken are barbecue, sweet & sour or curry. The desserts are the standard ones you find at French McDonald’s and Quick: fondant au chocolat, tiramisu, tartes, etc.

No mashed potatoes, no gravy, no biscuits, no mac & cheese, no beans, no rice, no apple pie or parfaits.  I figured these things wouldn’t be served in France, but I still had a tiny bit of hope. And now I’m actually craving the mashed potato bowl – mashed potatoes with corn, chicken, gravy and cheddar cheese on top. It’s seriously no surprise to me that French people would not want to eat that, but now I do! And I can’t have it. ::sigh::

I suppose what bothered me most was the fries. I am so sick of French people complaining that Americans are so fat and Americans eat french fries at every meal, blah blah blah. I very rarely ate fries in the US and I have never had so many fries forced on me as I do in France. I can’t even eat fries anymore because of it. I used to just to be nice, but now I don’t care. You can do more to potatoes than just frying them, ya know, like boiling and mashing them!

One good thing is that it seems to be much cheaper than other fast food places in France. Compared to US prices, it’s still ridiculously expensive for not-so-great food.

And their Hot Wings? Not so hot.  France and spices don’t get along.

At least in December, some stores are allowed to be open on Sundays for Christmas shopping so we won’t have to resort to fast food. The law passed earlier this year allowing stores to open on Sundays for the entire year is only for Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille and Lille. Those of us in the boondocks get nothing because the law is supposed to be intended for tourists in tourist-heavy areas only because French people couldn’t possibly want to shop on Sundays!

Win a 40–euro gift basket of your favorite American treats!

Are you struggling to satisfy your cravings because you are:

-  Embarrassed to ask your family and friends for one more favor?

-  Fed up with products that melted or broke during the transatlantic trip?

-  Worn out from having to rush around Paris, search for parking spaces and drive in traffic?

-  Frustrated from having to wait until your next trip or someone’s visit?

-  Tired of bringing back heavy suitcases from your trip to the US?

Then, My American Market has been designed for you: it is a hassle-free online store for your American food and beverage staples.

My American Market’s best features:

Selection

One of the largest assortments of American food and treats in stock and ready to be shipped.

Convenience

Open 24/7, My American Market is there whenever the cravings get you!

Easy to order

My American Market online store is very user-friendly. Find and order your favorite products in just a few clicks.

Fast Delivery

Your order will be processed within the next business day. Your shipment will be securely packaged and sent via La Poste Colissimo. In France, it will be delivered to your door within 2 business days.

Secure

My American Market uses a 128bit SSL encrypted checkout system. You can choose to process your payment online, on the phone or by check.

Community-oriented

Get connected with Europe’s American community and friends.

Great customer service

The American way, period!

It is time you do something about your cravings! Visit the online “épicerie américaine” today: www.MyAmericanMarket.com and enter coupon code “BLOG21” to get a 10% discount on your order (shipping costs not included).

To win a gift basket, follow these simple steps:

1.    Copy these pink paragraphs (include title)

2.    Post them on your personal blog or website.

3.    Then, go on the contest homepage HERE

4.    Leave a comment and the link to where you blogged about My American Market

5.    Uh that’s it!

Make sure all links work properly: the one to MyAmericanMarket.com, the contest homepage, as well as your blog’s post.

The winner will be randomly picked as soon as 50 blogs have enrolled and notified through the link they left to their post. If you have more than one blog, you can post the message several times and enter for more chances to win!

Good luck and happy blogging!

Aujourd’hui, c’est notre anniversaire de trois ans !

Je t’aime, mon prince !

A little history lesson thanks to David’s grandma who didn’t throw these newspapers away (that we just discovered in the storage space this weekend!)

Conditions of the WWI peace treaties were decided in May 1919. (Women’s suffrage is just a teaser. That wouldn’t actually happen until 1944.)

The Treaty of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919.

Hitler, Mussolini, Chamberlain and Daladier gathered in Munich in September 1938. Hitler “accepted” to delay mobilizing troops.

The Munich Agreement was signed on September 30, 1938 and everyone proclaimed “PEACE!”

A Historic Night. Enthusiasm in Munich. And much sadness and betrayal in Czechoslovakia, who was not even invited to the conference.

270,000 refugees of the Spanish Civil War came to France in February of 1939. (The actual number is closer to 500,000.)

German troops invaded Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg (as well as northern France) on May 10, 1940 which marked the beginning of the Western Offensive, also known as the Battle of France.

Italy declared war on France and England on June 10, 1940.  France signed an armistice with Germany 12 days later and the Vichy Regime was formed.

Vichy France, run by Phillipe Pétain and Pierre Laval, urged Frenchmen to go to work in Germany in June 1942 for “the freedom of prisoners” and for “OUR COUNTRY!”

I didn’t decorate for Halloween this year, didn’t buy any candy and didn’t carve a pumpkin. It really doesn’t feel like Halloween at all. But fall is definitely here.

David & I went to the marché this morning after stopping by the optician to order my new glasses and contacts (for a grand total of 16€! Thank you new mutuelle!)

Then we walked back home through the park and enjoyed our pain bio and Tamié.

This closed shop reminded me that I need to buy some new boots for winter, but I will probably have to wait until les soldes.

Goodbye October. Hello November.