Les lecons de France... Le premier part

The things I have learned in France…

It is possible to wash all your clothes by hand (and its much cheaper too!).

There is bureaucratic red tape everywhere. I cannot imagine what it must be like to come to the United States.

The people are extremely friendly, and with a little bit of acting skills, anything can be communicated.

Contrary to popular belief, Americans are not hated in France. Our current president is hated, and those Americans who do not have a respect for other cultures are disliked, but if you take the time to learn their language and abide by their customs, the French welcome you with arms wide open…

French people are not big on touching unless they are in a relationship, in which in that case they will practically have sex in public, like on a bus.

Toilet seats are nearly non-existent, same with toilet paper! But when you do go to buy TP, you have the most color choices I have ever seen in my life. Cerulean blue anyone? Perhaps a nice fuchsia to wipe your toosh with?

Toothpaste tubes are pathetic when it comes to size, and they are way too expensive to justify purchasing them… (If you so feel the need to send a care package at some point, check and see if I need some ha ha)

Once you’ve established a relationship with someone, they will go out of their way to help you with anything.

Public transportation is not only really efficient, but a great way to expand your language skills by eavesdropping or talking to the stranger next to you.

Traveling by train is a cheap way to travel and a great way to not only really see a country, but meet all sorts of people too. (Too bad America doesn’t have this system going on…)

Pain au chocolat has become a good friend of mine… and an enemy… fat is your friend J

A lot of communication in French is non-verbal. For example, if you make eye contact with someone of the opposite sex multiple times, you have pretty much sealed the deal.

Going to France can summon the sleeping cooking giant within all of us… I love cooking now! Going to the little grocery stores and picking out fresh produce has never been so fun! Not only that, I cook all my meals on like a hot plate in our “kitchenette” ha ha I am working on a recipe book…

The town of Besancon reminds me a lot of Fort Collins. It does rain more here, but the safety factor, the elevation, and the population size just kind of give it this Fort Collins-y feel that makes my having to stay here for so long a little easier and a little more tough all at the same time…

With every day, speaking and understanding French becomes that much easier. (This sounds all great and dandy right? Wrong. I am losing my ability to articulate myself in English… ugh… ha ha)

When I tell people I am from Colorado, they ask me how close it is to New York or Los Angeles. Then they always proceed with a comment similar to this: “Oh, you have all the cowboys!” and they make a roping motion with their arms. It kills me everytime… Or they ask me if I know Doctor Quinn Medicine Women (Docteur Quinn Femme Medecin en francais) because she came from Colorado Springs. (ha ha)

Cheese in the states will never be good enough ever again… nor the pricing of wine…

I thought I was in love with book stores in America…but an entire store filled with French books is unlike anything I have ever encountered…