So I am stumped for subjects to write on and have not had any interesting encounters in the past several weeks. The scene has been the same - in the mode of figuring out everything one by one. As I was going through my Outbox, I opened an e-mail, one of my first e-letters that I sent out within days of my landing in France. I noticed how descriptive and yet how concise my letter was - it had a lot of facts that I want to record (perhaps it might benefit a newcomer in future?). So here goes.....
Dear Tina chechi,
As odd as this may seem, this is perhaps the first e-mail ever that I have written to you !! How the situation has forced me to pen down lines that I could quite easily share with you over the phone !!!! I meant to keep calling you yesterday, but i got tired trying. I was using magic jack to talk to you, but the connection is just plain terrible. I miss you already !
Its been a tough couple of days since our arrival. Part of the problem is the language barrier. And generally speaking the French are very fast in everything they do. So it makes it twice as hard. T and I have been getting on each others nerves occasionally. We try to have fun too, as much as it is exasperating to find our way around. We have had our share of laughs already saying all the wrong things at the wrong times...yes all in French !! :)
The french are pretty crazy drivers. We get honked at quite religiously - we are slow to react most of the time, and its quite dangerous.
Am really glad that you visited us chech....very happy actually....i've taken that memory with me to france.
Ever since I arrived here, I have been rather homesick. Anglophones are so few. Today, I painfully realised that there might not be an English church in Avignon and the closest is possibly 1-2 hours away from where we are.
Also, its almost mandatory to know how to drive a stick shift ! Automatics are expensive and rare to come by. We have started car shopping, general household item shopping - and with a very short list you can arrive at fairly large sums of money!!! things are generally very expensive here. We have been told that there are only a handful of French who make a decent income - yet they wine and dine quite lavishly. We have grown to realise that they dont like to compromise on food and drinks. But they live rather frugally when it comes to other aspects.
So many things to learn and very little patience. You know me ! I am always in a hurry. I get tired and feel like im always losing the battle !
But I believe God has a purpose - im holding onto that hope. Im a little upset (Actually quite a lot), that there hardly anything much that is familiar. Everything is in French !!! Its been almost 2 weeks since we watched any TV. And when we thought we had time to relax, there are 2 news channels in English !!! Even googling in English has become a pain. The internet automatically goes to the French version of Google.
T seems a lot more pleasant dealing with the situation - he takes his time. I have been trying to put a pleasant front, but I really miss what I got used to ! Its quite lonely for me and I am hopeful that situation will change once I join university for french lessons - which of course is only in September.
I am grateful that God is providing for all our needs, but am yet to understand why He is throwing so many challenges one after another !! Please pray for us....so that we may transition smoothly into the French system.
Hope you all are doing well. I will try and call when magic jack seems a little more forgiving !!
Do write back when you get a chance. I will update you as and when I can. Love to achach and the kids !
Hugs A
I no longer think of the French as crazy drivers. They are just very driven and spirited people - driven towards enjoying their lives! My husband is turning out to be one himself. I have figured out a way to get onto Google (english), just type www.google.us. Thanks to an acquaintance, I have made arrangements to join an immersion program - inorder to transition smoothly. I no longer feel lonely - I love the garden in the apartment complex and a handsome tabby who has hunter instincts - what a sight ! He is so entertaining. I love the daily walks I make to and fro the Palais de pape. I love the squares in the city centre and the thick crowds of people who make it so lively - did I forget to mention that the festival season is around and the city is thronging with tourists from all parts of the world!
I am so grateful to the Lord for giving me bountiful opportunities to experience different things. I have become more appreciative of just about everything. Its so awesome to be able to live in the moment. I have progressed and gained so much since that first letter. Its no longer a flicker that I see at the end of the tunnel - its shining bright !
And so my journey continues.....lets hope it will shine on.....and on and on
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
'Langue' power
Over the last several weeks, I have internalized how empowering it is to be able to understand. Without being able to comprehend, even the simplest of things feels like a ordeal. We have been having an exasperating time trying to decipher manuals, product labels, energy specifications, etc. in a foreign language. Just when we thought we had it all figured out *bhaammmm*
We officially moved into our new apartment, so did some preliminary shopping to get us through the weekend. We bought around 20 items, but it took us a total of 4 hours. At Walmart, it would have taken us under 10 minutes to fetch it all. The time and effort it took to understand word for word, seek help from helpful bystanders for translations and the frustration we were feeling, all led to us completely losing track of time. We were exhausted and for the first time I found shopping to be a nightmare. After all it was day 14 in survival mode !!
After getting some rest, we woke up the next day and leaned back to analyze (what else to do?). Yes, we have come to realize that knowledge of a language matters and more so to be able to communicate!!
Its a huge energy drain on the body and the mind, when one is in survival mode. In order to shift to normal/peace mode, we would have to tackle language first. Once that is taken care of, everything else will fall into place.
We officially moved into our new apartment, so did some preliminary shopping to get us through the weekend. We bought around 20 items, but it took us a total of 4 hours. At Walmart, it would have taken us under 10 minutes to fetch it all. The time and effort it took to understand word for word, seek help from helpful bystanders for translations and the frustration we were feeling, all led to us completely losing track of time. We were exhausted and for the first time I found shopping to be a nightmare. After all it was day 14 in survival mode !!
After getting some rest, we woke up the next day and leaned back to analyze (what else to do?). Yes, we have come to realize that knowledge of a language matters and more so to be able to communicate!!
Its a huge energy drain on the body and the mind, when one is in survival mode. In order to shift to normal/peace mode, we would have to tackle language first. Once that is taken care of, everything else will fall into place.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Out of gas
I am trying to suppress a smile on my face when I write this blog. It's about "Gaz" man! *chuckles*
As part of our preparation to move to our apartment located within the walled city, we had the gas company send one of their staff to check for leaks and just make sure that the system was in perfect order. So here I am waiting at the apartment and just then the buzzer goes off - I let someone (i assume its from the company) in and am standing at my door to hear the doorbell ring. No ring !
Again the buzzer goes off, I let another someone in, but this time it was "gaz" man. Good heavens !
At approximately 5'10" tall, dark black hair combed to a soft spike, early stubble on the face, a perfect smile and light eyes!!!! I had a weak moment. Sigh ! he didn't know a word of English or else I would have............
He asks to be let into the apartment, and gets on with his routine of checking this and that. He concludes that something is not right and mutters 'Complicat'; so I put him on the phone with AJ's colleague so that we could all understand what was going on.
Anyways, the man left - I had no 'gaz' and remained in a state of 'gas' lessness.
Dreamy and giddy headed I waited for AJ to get back. Once he returned he enquired "How was your day?"
So I quipped,"Out of gas?"
As part of our preparation to move to our apartment located within the walled city, we had the gas company send one of their staff to check for leaks and just make sure that the system was in perfect order. So here I am waiting at the apartment and just then the buzzer goes off - I let someone (i assume its from the company) in and am standing at my door to hear the doorbell ring. No ring !
Again the buzzer goes off, I let another someone in, but this time it was "gaz" man. Good heavens !
At approximately 5'10" tall, dark black hair combed to a soft spike, early stubble on the face, a perfect smile and light eyes!!!! I had a weak moment. Sigh ! he didn't know a word of English or else I would have............
He asks to be let into the apartment, and gets on with his routine of checking this and that. He concludes that something is not right and mutters 'Complicat'; so I put him on the phone with AJ's colleague so that we could all understand what was going on.
Anyways, the man left - I had no 'gaz' and remained in a state of 'gas' lessness.
Dreamy and giddy headed I waited for AJ to get back. Once he returned he enquired "How was your day?"
So I quipped,"Out of gas?"
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Bosom friend 'Kindle'
Four days have gone by, drenched in rain showers and blown away by ghastly winds. Another afternoon, I quietly spent lounging in the comfort of my room only with a brief break at the restaurant to get a quick meal. Although quick, I indulged, for a change, in a three course meal (the standard being four). It's my birthday after all. I turned a big 32.
I concretized one of my observations about the average French person. They never eat alone. They are always in the company of someone. Four days in a row I had lunch by myself, coz my loved one was in the midst of less loved others.
Day 1 was terribly awkward alone....to myself....no one to talk to. All the chitter chatter that hovered around seemed to come at me rather fiercely. I felt like I was drowning in all that French chatter. The sensation was nearly crippling.....with some fleeting thoughts 'I must run now....'Calm down!' .....I should have skipped lunch altogether....How silly.....C'mon this is all good experience....' .It was all too much. To add oil to fire, I did not know what 'that queer piece of cultery' was used for???? How shameful? But how do I even ask? I don't know how to get my message across in French? I just wanted to get that afternoon over with.
Day 2, I take my Kindle with me. Atleast (I thought to myself) it would give others a different impression of who I was....not someone who looked so lame in front of her food wondering if she should just stare at it all afternoon or perhaps say a prayer?
With the Kindle under my arm, I walk confidently to the restaurant to take a seat...take a cursory look at the menu and am ready to place an order. I lifted my head and saw a few people look at me. I'd say from their looks they may have been thinking "ooo....that woman must be busy....maybe she is a writer....what's that notebook like thing in her hand?" For once, I felt like I was onto something - a person with a purpose, an agenda. Never knew that my Kindle would make me feel so.
T, an electronics buff, purchased his 'new gadget' (to his infamously large collection of electronic goodies) on the pretext of my 30th birthday. I knew very well what his motives were. He would always 'kill 2 birds with one stone' - that is his style. I did not complain. I began to use it several months after it was 'gifted' to me. On the side, I have to admit that I have become a lot more techno-savvy ever since we hitched.
On day 2 and 3, I had curious observers who enquired (in their French ramble) what I was using? E-book? they asked. So I replied..."No, its the Amazon Kindle, v.1".
With Kindle v.2 and I-pad out in the market, Kindle v.1 will soon become outdated. But my Kindle (yes, my Kindle) will remain close to my heart - bosom friend.
I concretized one of my observations about the average French person. They never eat alone. They are always in the company of someone. Four days in a row I had lunch by myself, coz my loved one was in the midst of less loved others.
Day 1 was terribly awkward alone....to myself....no one to talk to. All the chitter chatter that hovered around seemed to come at me rather fiercely. I felt like I was drowning in all that French chatter. The sensation was nearly crippling.....with some fleeting thoughts 'I must run now....'Calm down!' .....I should have skipped lunch altogether....How silly.....C'mon this is all good experience....' .It was all too much. To add oil to fire, I did not know what 'that queer piece of cultery' was used for???? How shameful? But how do I even ask? I don't know how to get my message across in French? I just wanted to get that afternoon over with.
Day 2, I take my Kindle with me. Atleast (I thought to myself) it would give others a different impression of who I was....not someone who looked so lame in front of her food wondering if she should just stare at it all afternoon or perhaps say a prayer?
With the Kindle under my arm, I walk confidently to the restaurant to take a seat...take a cursory look at the menu and am ready to place an order. I lifted my head and saw a few people look at me. I'd say from their looks they may have been thinking "ooo....that woman must be busy....maybe she is a writer....what's that notebook like thing in her hand?" For once, I felt like I was onto something - a person with a purpose, an agenda. Never knew that my Kindle would make me feel so.
T, an electronics buff, purchased his 'new gadget' (to his infamously large collection of electronic goodies) on the pretext of my 30th birthday. I knew very well what his motives were. He would always 'kill 2 birds with one stone' - that is his style. I did not complain. I began to use it several months after it was 'gifted' to me. On the side, I have to admit that I have become a lot more techno-savvy ever since we hitched.
On day 2 and 3, I had curious observers who enquired (in their French ramble) what I was using? E-book? they asked. So I replied..."No, its the Amazon Kindle, v.1".
With Kindle v.2 and I-pad out in the market, Kindle v.1 will soon become outdated. But my Kindle (yes, my Kindle) will remain close to my heart - bosom friend.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
KAVC
So we have all heard the acronym ROTFALMAO which expands to - Roll on the floor and laugh my ass off. I get pissed when Mallus who are already poor in English resort to such writing. How we Mallus think its all 'kewl' (not even spelt cool) to stay in the game by occasionally remarking to someone's comment with "Whadda F***?" or "Whadda hell?"
Question is 'Who is kidding who?' Its like taking candy after making sure your teeth have already become rotten with all the soda pop that you gulp down.
With Manglish being spoken by a third of India's population, how I fear that it will make its appearance on a global platform. 'Lolakutty' made a lot of Manglish usages popular, thanks to (was it Asianet? or Surya?) it has been aired to and accepted by many more Mallus.
Anyways, the point I was coming to was that it would nice of us Mallus to maintain some form of purity in the language, even if we were to spell it out in English.
For example, if mallus wanted to exclaim that a column or post was really funny...why not use KAVC - 'Kamizhnu Adichu Veenu Chirikkuka? Sounds novel, doesn't it?
Question is 'Who is kidding who?' Its like taking candy after making sure your teeth have already become rotten with all the soda pop that you gulp down.
With Manglish being spoken by a third of India's population, how I fear that it will make its appearance on a global platform. 'Lolakutty' made a lot of Manglish usages popular, thanks to (was it Asianet? or Surya?) it has been aired to and accepted by many more Mallus.
Anyways, the point I was coming to was that it would nice of us Mallus to maintain some form of purity in the language, even if we were to spell it out in English.
For example, if mallus wanted to exclaim that a column or post was really funny...why not use KAVC - 'Kamizhnu Adichu Veenu Chirikkuka? Sounds novel, doesn't it?
Monday, May 3, 2010
Flit(ter)
Ever noticed how a bee 'flits' from flower to flower? It astonishes me everytime I see a bee in action - moving ahead with so much 'goal orient' (edness). There is no such word as orientedness, but you get the point !
Such is the case of a focussed businessman or an opportunistic employee or a clever and conniving student. They are so focussed and move on with intent. They waste very little time on anything that is not 'fertile' - be it people or information.
This is exactly how I have felt about some types of businessmen - i call them flit(ters); my opinion about them is always 50-50 or comme ci comme ca. I feel 'like' and 'hate' towards them all at the same time. You don't want to be around them for too long, yet you want them in your midst. So confusing !
They are not particularly 'perfect' in what they do. But they get it done anyways. I am not sure if I want to emulate them, but would like to internalise the secret to their success. More often than not, these are very successful individuals in their own right by virtue of their own ways - lame or not. The types who don't waste time pondering - they are all about action or better still, sealing a deal - fast and furious !
Several years ago while in Canada, one afternoon, I had a similar encounter at a restaurant (this was during one of my business trips in Nova Scotia). I was waiting to be served and recognized another customer across me from me who I had befriended that morning. Turns out he was Indian, born in France and is a Franchise owner/operator for a French establishment.
A successful entrepreneur in his own right, he makes quick eye contact and stops to enquire"You want ..errr...speak French ...errr...very very quickly?" This was in response to the casual interest I expressed in learning French, that morning. My company (at the time) had several clients in Montreal and Quebec city and therefore was on the attempt to boost the number of French speaking employees to serve those sites.
He talks as though he is on 'fast forward' mode, makes a few mental notes and then spits out translations in English. He continues "In PEI....err....there is a biig biig place....errr......a previous hotel sold to man from Belgiaaam. He has 'agence' for peeple from Denmark...errr....et so many many autre countries. I know one man - no speak English , las premiere semaine, but en 10 jours....his english....very very gooood. The name of 'agence' IFL .
Being a Malayali, I could not help but read into this 'opportunity offered' (that too by a fellow Indian) without a little cunning of my own. So, I put him to a little test. I replied that I was aware of IFL and that I had already discussed with my company and that my request was turned down on the pretext that IFL's in house courses/programs were too expensive for the company to carry. I enacted 'expensive' by briskly moving my right forefinger against my right thumb.
I waited.
And Voila ! I saw it - the look of disappointment that escaped his face like a blink of an eye ! The change in expression was so subtle - invisible to the dull mind.
T calls me "tigress" because he says that when I put out a heavy sigh, I close with a 'purr' - like a 'big cat'. It would be totally out of place to call me "pussy cat" - that's how mallus refer to cats. I like to think that I am rightfully compared to a tigress because I can read the faintest of expressions and sniff out deeply buried truths. I am reminded of one of Rajnikanth's hit movies in which he croons "ATTACK LIKEA TIGAAAA" like Appa would say ' in tamilshingam style" (jokes aside).
If I were to agree to the IFL program, how much of a cut would he get? was my instant thought. He wasted no time, but flitted away with the charm of an expert. His closing statement, "Err....Je nais se pas....program expensive???? hm..." with a quick change in direction, he disappeared towards the lounge.
What am I supposed to make of this? 'What to do?' like T would respond. ' Oh Well !
I continue with my preparations for my next site visit until my food arrives.
Such is the case of a focussed businessman or an opportunistic employee or a clever and conniving student. They are so focussed and move on with intent. They waste very little time on anything that is not 'fertile' - be it people or information.
This is exactly how I have felt about some types of businessmen - i call them flit(ters); my opinion about them is always 50-50 or comme ci comme ca. I feel 'like' and 'hate' towards them all at the same time. You don't want to be around them for too long, yet you want them in your midst. So confusing !
They are not particularly 'perfect' in what they do. But they get it done anyways. I am not sure if I want to emulate them, but would like to internalise the secret to their success. More often than not, these are very successful individuals in their own right by virtue of their own ways - lame or not. The types who don't waste time pondering - they are all about action or better still, sealing a deal - fast and furious !
Several years ago while in Canada, one afternoon, I had a similar encounter at a restaurant (this was during one of my business trips in Nova Scotia). I was waiting to be served and recognized another customer across me from me who I had befriended that morning. Turns out he was Indian, born in France and is a Franchise owner/operator for a French establishment.
A successful entrepreneur in his own right, he makes quick eye contact and stops to enquire"You want ..errr...speak French ...errr...very very quickly?" This was in response to the casual interest I expressed in learning French, that morning. My company (at the time) had several clients in Montreal and Quebec city and therefore was on the attempt to boost the number of French speaking employees to serve those sites.
He talks as though he is on 'fast forward' mode, makes a few mental notes and then spits out translations in English. He continues "In PEI....err....there is a biig biig place....errr......a previous hotel sold to man from Belgiaaam. He has 'agence' for peeple from Denmark...errr....et so many many autre countries. I know one man - no speak English , las premiere semaine, but en 10 jours....his english....very very gooood. The name of 'agence' IFL .
Being a Malayali, I could not help but read into this 'opportunity offered' (that too by a fellow Indian) without a little cunning of my own. So, I put him to a little test. I replied that I was aware of IFL and that I had already discussed with my company and that my request was turned down on the pretext that IFL's in house courses/programs were too expensive for the company to carry. I enacted 'expensive' by briskly moving my right forefinger against my right thumb.
I waited.
And Voila ! I saw it - the look of disappointment that escaped his face like a blink of an eye ! The change in expression was so subtle - invisible to the dull mind.
T calls me "tigress" because he says that when I put out a heavy sigh, I close with a 'purr' - like a 'big cat'. It would be totally out of place to call me "pussy cat" - that's how mallus refer to cats. I like to think that I am rightfully compared to a tigress because I can read the faintest of expressions and sniff out deeply buried truths. I am reminded of one of Rajnikanth's hit movies in which he croons "ATTACK LIKEA TIGAAAA" like Appa would say ' in tamilshingam style" (jokes aside).
If I were to agree to the IFL program, how much of a cut would he get? was my instant thought. He wasted no time, but flitted away with the charm of an expert. His closing statement, "Err....Je nais se pas....program expensive???? hm..." with a quick change in direction, he disappeared towards the lounge.
What am I supposed to make of this? 'What to do?' like T would respond. ' Oh Well !
I continue with my preparations for my next site visit until my food arrives.
Think French, Stay Thin
Isabelle Adjani, Monica Belluci (italian actress popular in the French and American movie industry) and countless other timeless beauties !! What is it about French actresses that make them so attractive? Well the accent certainly helps - it is hard not to be drawn to the delicate musicality that emanates from the French throat ! Even a simple order of say "egg sandwich", sounds very poetic ! Poetic abilities (atleast to my deceived perception) aside, these women tend to be gorgeous, leggy, toned and slim.
Nothing spectacular about the obvious - those traits seem to linger in great concentration among the stars, regardless of their birthplaces! That being said, there is this popular belief, that despite the buttery croissants, extensive selection of foie gras, steak frites et chocolat, regular French women do not get fat. Now, what is their secret?
During an extensive dinner yesterday at our hosts' it was revealed that "its a common misconception that all French eat and still stay thin; truth is that they don't. Many compensate for mismanaged eating by various methods - smoking to name one!"
I have heard several who say that smoking increases metabolism and so helps burn calories. Even that information (I realise now) is skewed. The truth is that smoking causes a faster conversion of food into blood sugar giving one an instantaneous feeling of fullness. This helps one to curb the need to "dump" anymore junk onto themselves !
I have always heard Mom chant her famous mantra for staying slim and fit "Eat slow, feel full with small portions and exercise". I hate to give it to you Mom - but YOU ARE RIGHT ! At 63, she continues to be in the best shape of her life - a slim figure of 5 ft and 4 inches weighing at an ever steady 53 kilos ! Mind you, she lives in Kerala and not in France and yet so global, her perspective !! Who am I kidding? - she's a highly qualified physician with over 30 years of medical practice under her belt.
Basically what she is trying to say in laymans terms is that by eating slowly, you are giving your brain enough time to send " FULL, now STOP" signals to your stomach, which helps us weak humans place down the cutlery which we were using to gorge down all that deceptively healthy and wholesome food.
T has taken on the reins from my mother in becoming my new health coach. His mantras are only shaping up. His best one by far - "Have a bowl of fibre enriched cereal with cold calcium fortified milk for breakfast".
Quoted by Lifestyle magazine in 2009, America continues to be the fattest nation in the worldwide - this is not alarming. Unlike Americans who reward their children with food and turn to food for comfort, the French don't. French families monitor their childrens' eating habits quite seriously.
Aren't we still baffled by the so-called French paradox (the mystery of why French fatty diets do not cause heart attacks)?
That being said how can we discount the French lifestyle - work less (therefore low or no stress), say NO to work on weekends and overtime, long and frequent vacations, free healthcare and nice tasty slices of brie!
Bon appetite !
Nothing spectacular about the obvious - those traits seem to linger in great concentration among the stars, regardless of their birthplaces! That being said, there is this popular belief, that despite the buttery croissants, extensive selection of foie gras, steak frites et chocolat, regular French women do not get fat. Now, what is their secret?
During an extensive dinner yesterday at our hosts' it was revealed that "its a common misconception that all French eat and still stay thin; truth is that they don't. Many compensate for mismanaged eating by various methods - smoking to name one!"
I have heard several who say that smoking increases metabolism and so helps burn calories. Even that information (I realise now) is skewed. The truth is that smoking causes a faster conversion of food into blood sugar giving one an instantaneous feeling of fullness. This helps one to curb the need to "dump" anymore junk onto themselves !
I have always heard Mom chant her famous mantra for staying slim and fit "Eat slow, feel full with small portions and exercise". I hate to give it to you Mom - but YOU ARE RIGHT ! At 63, she continues to be in the best shape of her life - a slim figure of 5 ft and 4 inches weighing at an ever steady 53 kilos ! Mind you, she lives in Kerala and not in France and yet so global, her perspective !! Who am I kidding? - she's a highly qualified physician with over 30 years of medical practice under her belt.
Basically what she is trying to say in laymans terms is that by eating slowly, you are giving your brain enough time to send " FULL, now STOP" signals to your stomach, which helps us weak humans place down the cutlery which we were using to gorge down all that deceptively healthy and wholesome food.
T has taken on the reins from my mother in becoming my new health coach. His mantras are only shaping up. His best one by far - "Have a bowl of fibre enriched cereal with cold calcium fortified milk for breakfast".
Quoted by Lifestyle magazine in 2009, America continues to be the fattest nation in the worldwide - this is not alarming. Unlike Americans who reward their children with food and turn to food for comfort, the French don't. French families monitor their childrens' eating habits quite seriously.
Aren't we still baffled by the so-called French paradox (the mystery of why French fatty diets do not cause heart attacks)?
That being said how can we discount the French lifestyle - work less (therefore low or no stress), say NO to work on weekends and overtime, long and frequent vacations, free healthcare and nice tasty slices of brie!
Bon appetite !
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