La Vie en Rose

25 March 2011

            Well, I am happy to report that my Frenchie Funk has finally lifted =)

            The past few days, the weather has been ABSOLUTELY gorgeous and this afternoon, the girls and I decided to go down by the river to have a picnic lunch in the sun.  With the sun shining bright, the river gleaming, and the cool breeze from the riverbank, it was most definitely a perfect afternoon.  We are in the process of preparing for the upcoming Journée Internationale which allows the international students to teach the French students about their country and their culture.  The Americans are going to teach hip hop and Swing dance.  With an iHome handy during our afternoon by the river, we quickly began practicing our Swing dancing.  The Frenchman passing by absolutely HATED it and somehow, it was rather satisfying to see them look at us with bewilderment and disgust as they walked along the riverbank. 

`           I have recently decided that I will do the following things (even though they are generally frowned upon in French culture):

            1.         SMILE =)

2.         Say “Bonjour” to cute old ladies and children on the street (even if they look at me strangely and do not reciprocate my greeting).

3.         Force the locals to be friends with me (this includes striking up random conversations with people even when they may not feeling like talking to me).

4.         Remember that I AM a foreigner in France and that it is OKAY to not be French =)

5.         Laugh every time I witness: the French go on strike, a Frenchman who smells less than pleasant, and a myriad of other things that are “typically French” (again, I apologize for the generalizations).  My new philosophy is "If you can’t understand why they are doing something, just smile and move on".

6.         Focus on the things that I love about France instead of the few things that I find strange and unsettling.