One of the things I’ve most enjoyed over my year in Cannes has been gradually building up a blog readership. I sat down one day full of ideas and wrote about how speaking a second language opened my eyes to the greater absurdities of life itself. Many of you seemed to relate, sharing humorous stories and memorable experiences from all around the world. This was … Continue reading getting to know you…sunshine blogger award
Dieting is not an especially French activity. Nor does it feel particularly patriotic to live down the street from a small market and ignore the siren song of its milky white goat cheeses and fresh baguettes. But that’s what I did (or tried to) for a whole month. All in the name of health, I did my best to follow the Whole 30 program, an … Continue reading the proof is in the profiteroles: on “dieting” in france
The best thing about waking up in the morning–or returning to my petit chez moi at any time of day–is the view from my balcony: the brilliant bay outlined by mountains. I come from the part of Missouri that’s just barely not-Kansas. Deprived of elevation for so long, any hint of it makes me giddy. Mountains comfort in their grandeur: a constant illustration of perspective. When you … Continue reading attention abeilles: hiking the massif de l’esterel
One thing that makes the experience of short-term teaching in France complicated is the simple fact that it’s short-term. And the French are not. As an American, I’m accustomed to a sense of easy, immediate friendship. When I look back at my college years, sometimes I ache for the simplicity. How easy it was, the way I knew the rules. Like-minded, friendly students at every … Continue reading no shortcuts: on making friends in France
When making a questionable decision, it is always reassuring to have an innocent friend to drag along with you. After several days of glumly searching On Va Sortir (a French website for platonic meet-ups), I decided it was time to act. Over dinner one evening, I showed the website to my friend Rémi. Like me, he was immediately skeptical. “It gets worse,” I said. I read … Continue reading group date on the DL: adventures in digital friendship, pt ii
Croissants & Conjugations 