- Joined
- Oct 13, 2002
- Posts
- 6,304
A few days ago, I marked my first month living in the French countryside. My school's been arranging all sorts of trips so we can experience the culture outside of the usual staples like Paris (though we did spend a couple of days there). And so far? It's been one hell of an experience.
Stuff I've discovered:
-The import beer we get in the states is a lot tastier here. Kronenberg is drinkable, and Heineken is delicious. Right now I'm having a Warsteiner and I have a giant can of Pelforth Blonde in the fridge. On top of that France is starting to get more into artisanal brewing .
-They really like their 90s pop hits. I've heard gems like this on the radio:
-I've seen only a small handful of American imports, like cookies or chips. And they're stupid expensive.
-For me, the language barrier isn't too bad. We have a lot of English tourists in my area, so I don't have too much trouble communicating. But they really do appreciate me trying to speak French.
-They have a very strange view of Texas and Mexico. One server at a Parisian restaurant associated us with George W. Bush, and they view Mexico as ultra-spicy food (okay in my case that's not too far off).
-The food is amazing, including the pre-made stuff you find in the supermarket. Only drawback is the variety in terms of ethnic cuisine. It's not a real issue in cities like Paris, but out here it's a little more difficult save for the occasional pizza joint.
All in all, I'd love to come back and spend more time in Paris, namely the art museums and food. The people are interesting, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Stuff I've discovered:
-The import beer we get in the states is a lot tastier here. Kronenberg is drinkable, and Heineken is delicious. Right now I'm having a Warsteiner and I have a giant can of Pelforth Blonde in the fridge. On top of that France is starting to get more into artisanal brewing .
-They really like their 90s pop hits. I've heard gems like this on the radio:
-I've seen only a small handful of American imports, like cookies or chips. And they're stupid expensive.
-For me, the language barrier isn't too bad. We have a lot of English tourists in my area, so I don't have too much trouble communicating. But they really do appreciate me trying to speak French.
-They have a very strange view of Texas and Mexico. One server at a Parisian restaurant associated us with George W. Bush, and they view Mexico as ultra-spicy food (okay in my case that's not too far off).
-The food is amazing, including the pre-made stuff you find in the supermarket. Only drawback is the variety in terms of ethnic cuisine. It's not a real issue in cities like Paris, but out here it's a little more difficult save for the occasional pizza joint.
All in all, I'd love to come back and spend more time in Paris, namely the art museums and food. The people are interesting, and I mean that in the best way possible.