Des Observations

A few general observations about the French here in Aix-en-Provence, to help you fill in the backgrounds of your mental paintings.


They love exact change (or as close to it as possible), but hate small change even more than we do in the U.S. I've actually had vendors give me a cheaper price just to avoid small change, even if it was exact. The man from whom I generally buy les abricots secs and les épices has told me that le prix for my goods was €3.32, but when I handed him exact change he refused the two-cent coin.


They do not understand that hot food and plastic should not be mixed. At my favorite spot to get take-out café I have been handed a chocolat chaud (liquid this time) that was served in a plastic cup with a straw. Cheap expresso is regularly served in small plastic cups. Fortunately, the hot drinks here do not seem to be QUITE as hot as back home. Still hot enough to burn those sensitives like myself, but they are generally consumable within about five minutes. Quite a happy change.


Hand sanitation also seems to be an unknown concept. Vendors regularly touch money then the food they're preparing, then serve the food. All of this is generally done without gloves, too. I once had a vendor scratch her face then continue preparing my crêpe. Fortunately, she was using a spatula and not actually touching the food.


The men here are mostly quite ugly and primarily quite arrogant. They don't live up to the women here, who all present themselves so well that one has to wonder why they haven't abandoned French men as a whole. I've also met more personable women than men.


The toddlers are frequently quite wild and energetic. There is much fun to be had in watching them terrorize pigeons in the plazas and run around with branches in the parks, all while yelling. Though, they can be well behaved; even these wildlings understand when they ought to say 'thank you.' Perhaps this is a lesson some U.S. children could learn? ;) The parents also seem far less concerned that their children will be harmed than parents in the U.S. are. Young children frequently trail dozens of yards behind or in front of their guardians on the main streets, or run almost free in the plazas while their parents huddle and chat.


Salut!


I should have a usable computer and internet soon, so blog updates will be more frequent!


News from the regular academic world: My paper application has garnered me a video interview for the August Orientation staff at Denison. Not the June O, but really that's even better - leaves time for having a regular job or internship. Aug O would pay approximately $500, I believe, plus room and board. I would only have to leave for school about a week early. Of course, all of this means I still have to search for another job or internship!

Figs, Chocolat Chaud, et "Tart"

asked if I wanted a kilo, and I - thinking that because the vendor had suggested it in the way he had, it must be the normal amount - said yes. It turns out that a kilo of dates is...a gargantuan amount. I shared with all the Marchutz people, Mme, and Suzannne.

It was cold and raining earlier this week, and I had been out for a while. I decided to get a hot drink for the 1.5-ish mile walk back to the appartment. Chocolat chaud translates literally to 'hot chocolate,' but it turns out it's actually a hot pudding. Not what I expected, but it was delicious anyway. Chocolat with a coffee flavoring ^_^.

I've taken to having my dictionary with me at dinner times, because both Suzanne and I use it. One of the first nights I did this we tried to compliment Mme on the dessert by saying that it was the perfect mix of sweet and tart. She didn't understand "tart," so we wound up showing her the dictionary entry. From the entry she slowly sounded out: "PROH-STEE-TOOT." It turns out "tart" is a British slang word.



Au revoir!

Pas Skype

I forgot to state that until my laptop is again in functioning condition, I cannot use Skype.

Les Macarons

Have you ever heard of a macaron?

It is the most amazing type of little cookie. It is a round, brightly colored, small sandwich type of sweet that comes in a great variety of delicious flavors. Let's begin by describing the outside layers, for they are too good to be passed over in a single short sentence. 

The outside layer of a macaron has a sort of crust all around it. It is slightly crunchy and slightly crispy, but oh-so-delicate and light at the same time. Inside this astounding crust is a "foamy" (to quote Nadia. We were just raving about them to each other while sitting at the school computers), chewy, center - but it isn't sticky like you would expect. 

In between the outside layers is a filling of whatever flavor you have chosen. The flavor of the inside matches the color of the macaron you've chosen. Beige for café, pink for fraise, etc. 

I have now tried chocolat, café, and pistache.  

I tried the coffee flavored one first. It was good. The texture amazed me. Then I tried the pistachio, and thought that it was going to be my favorite. The chocolate, though, had a unique, fudge-like center. Tres bon.

Coucou, pas Beaucoup

Coucou,


Well, most of you already know that my computer is broken. There shall be fewer posts until this is taken care of.


I took a French bus for the first time last week. It gave me a new insight into the Knight's Bus in Harry Potter.


I am making a list of simple recipes to take home with me, and am determined to get a cookbook or two before leaving.We're not supposed to use Madame's kitchen, though, which is kind of annoying.


The café in France doesn't seem to be as caffeinated. Bummer. ::begins reminiscing about the good, rich, caffeine-saturated coffee of Guatemala that she would drink at least twice a day::


Trying to work out what's happening for winter break, which is later this month. My host wants to go on vacation, which she can't do if I stay at her appartment. Don't worry, Mom, I've given up on Morocco :p Thank goodness travel is so cheap in Europe!


FOUND BOOTS! Great quality, kid leather, black, like nothing I've seen in the U.S. Got them for about  €108 less than they should have been.

Crêpe

The Cézanne and Van Gogh class just ended, so I am now free until my two thirty (14:30 - gotta practice!) art session.


I'll be leaving in a few minutes to go to the daily Marché, to get some espresso, and to look for a dictionary, but now seemed a good time to make good on that promise about describing my crêpe experience.


It was zen-like, the way the vendor pushed the batter around the skillet. He used a thin wooden instrument that looked like a mix between a rake and a mallet. It seemed as if it were his own rock and sand garden, except that the product is physical and is sold.


I decided to try Nutella on mine, even though I've never liked it. This risk paid off - it was parfait. The heat made it into an extraordinary synthesis of creamy chocolate and hazelnut. Put this over an eggy, thin pancake, then fold it in half, in half, and in half again until you're left with a form that's between that of a burrito and a piece of pie. It was filling, messy, aromatic, and delicious. Definitely going to try it again another time.


Well, off to market! Yesterday I bought L'huile d'Olive, la miel, et les Herbes de Provence. Of course, I intend to share when I get home. 


I have a funny story about dates (the fruit) to tell you all  later. Tchao!


Last note: still no boots. I walked somewhere between eight and ten miles yesterday. This is getting painful.