Mangeons des crepes!
by joon
Demain, c'est mardi gras! C'est le moment de manger des crepes. La tradition est de faire une crepe de la main droite dans une poele en fonte, les meilleures, avec une piece dans la main gauche. Si tu arrives a retourner la crepe sans probleme, ta premiere crepe de l'annee...attention c'est important. alors tu seras riche toute l'annee! Alors bon bah oui, il est toujours question de monnaie mais aussi d'habilete! Parce que retourner une crepe, une vraie crepe et dans une poele en fonte en plus, je peux vous dire qu'il en faut un sacre poignet droit!
Pour moi, mardi gras c'est crepe, beignets et masques faits dans une assiette en carton! Ca c'est ca mardi gras!
N'oubliez pas si vous etes francais avec un peu d'anglais de lire ma derniere entree! c'est important.
Tomorrow, it's mardi gras! It is time to make crepes !
Tradition is that you should not have eaten crepes between the first days of the new year and now! Tradition says that your first crepe is tomorrow and you should when you make it have a coin in your left hand while returning the crepe with your right hand in a cast iron saucepan, the best. Traditions says that if you succeed perfectly, you will be rich all year! So yes, again a story of money but not only, this is also about skills... because I tell you returning with one hand a crepe in a cast iron saucepan... this is something, you need a good right wrist.
To me , mardi gras, this is crepes, beignets and masks made in a paper plate. This is Mardi gras!
Well now this should be the beginning of a the "careme". A time where you decide to sacrifice meat and others things...well I can't do that. But some people at my work are choosing to change something for this time, 40 days, well this is interesting. Because, you know, why not. You don't have to be catholic or religious. You just make a change and it makes you realize other things. See the world under a different angle...interesting, at the time I am writing that, I think about it and, well , it makes sense. After all the whole goal is to change your habits and meditate in a way...
Why not...
Should I cut back on chocolate?....well not that, I am not ready...maybe milk...mmmh...well I'll see.
I am just getting back from three weeks of nightmare. Well not nightmare, but a pretty much hard time. So maybe it is not the moment. I am pretty fragile.
Anyway, guys, don't forget to check out my last entry. This is way more important that my thoughts about cutting back on chocolate or milk!
Manifestation - Rassemblement
Samedi 4 mars downtown portland pour dire non a "sensenbrenner bill"
We are all concerned!
Thank you
Have a good tuesday!
Posted on February 28, 2006 | Comments (1)
Lunch/Dejeuner
by joon
Surfing surfing on internet and you find little treasures!
Those two blogs are written by people with kids but it can be a source of inspiration for those who, like Adam and I, have to prepare their lunch for the day after!
And for the ones who likes cooking and food...it's just great! (You probably know who I think of...)
So go "jeter un oeil sur" (This expression litterally translated is gross : "throw an eye on" and not very appropriate for this entry but it's very common):
- Maya's lunch box (french-american)
- Japanese Lunch Box (japanese-american)
Les deux blogs cites au-dessus donnent de merveilleuses idees culinaires pour les personnes qui doivent preparer leur lunch tous les jours et specialement les dejeuners de leurs enfants.
Ils sont aussi tres agreables pour les yeux!
Posted on August 30, 2005 | Comments (2)
Discoveries and French-US blogs
by joon
Lately I have been surfing on Internet and found tons of sites written by French people living in USA. It's interesting.
I found one site called UnderstandFrance.
The fun part is about stereotypes and differences between french and american or what french don't understand about America. I totally disagree on some of the things like "hug". I think French are not comfortable with hug, it's not natural for us to do that. We kiss on the cheeks to say hello which I don't like either. I found it fun one time. After a lunch in June, we were about ten people(french coworkers)in the middle of the street kissing each other good bye. A driver in a car at the stop were looking at us like "what is going on here?"
It is totally true the fact that we count differently on our fingers. You can imagine my youngest student's face when I first count with my fingers in front of them. And my face! They thought I was crazy (which is probably true in some ways).
At first I didn't understand why they were confused then I asked them to count for me and well I didn't know what to do for ten seconds which can be pretty long when you are with kids who are looking at you!
So I would have found this site pretty useful before this day! Well some stuffs are really fun.
Yesterday, I found out there are sites called "FuckFrance" but there are many others about others countries. This is terrible. I don't even write the address here because I don't want to be linked to that! And if you want to check it out well it's easy to find, you have the name now!
I don't even want to talk about it because those poor people who write on this "thing" are the one who makes me ashamed of the human being!
If you want to check out what happened in the french community in Portland or read a blog written by other french like superfrenchie or this one in french but with tons of others french-us blogs to visit and culinary sites to visit too...
And in French now...here we go (two hours later!)
Allez en Francais maintenant! Deux heures plus tard!
Alors voila, recemment je me suis amusee a surfer et a chercher d'autre blogs ecrits par des francais vivant aux etats unis. Forcement il y en a des tonnes. J'ai trouve un site qui s'appelle "Comprendre la France" et il est plutot marrant. Tu peux decouvrir tous les stereotypes et differences culturelles entre nous et les americains. Je ne suis pas d'accord sur certains points comme le "hug" ou "l'embrassade". Nous ne faisons pas vraiment ca et je ne pense pas que nous soyons tres a l'aise avec!
En revanche, ce site m'aurait bien servi si je l'avais lu il y a un an avant que je compte sur mes doigts avec mes tout jeunes enfants de l'ecole qui m'ont regarde avec des yeux tout ronds...genre mais qu'est ce qu'elle fait. Je leur ai alors demande de compter pour moi et la je ne savais plus quoi faire pendant dix secondes ce qui peut etre tres longs quand tu te retrouves devant une quinzaine de gamins qui te regardent! Ici, "un" c'est l'index un peu comme au Japon mais encore different. Bref, lire aussi ce que les francais ne comprennent pas a propos des etats unis...tout ca est vraiment interessant.
Sinon, j'ai aussi trouve un site horrible dont je ne parlerais pas trop longtemps car il fait honte a l'espece humaine. Cela s'appelle "FuckFrance". Ceux qui ecrivent la dedans serait tres heureux de nous voir mourir! C'est assez affreux! Il existe aussi toute une liste de sites du meme genre a propos d'autres pays! enfin bref...berk berk berk! C'est interessant de savoir que ca existe parce que cela te donne l'envie de te battre tous les jours encore plus contre les raisonnements faciles et debiles que ce soit contre la France ou les Etats Unis ou tout autre pays car il existe des malades comme ca partout anti-americain ou anti-tout! L'anti-americanisme a outrance est aussi debile que l'anti-francais!
Enfin sinon, si vous voulez avoir une idee de ce qui se passe dans la communaute francaise a Portland, voila le site ou lire d'autres blogs de francais qui vivent aux etats unis, il y a superfrenchie ou celui la en francais qui donnent tout pleins d'autres adresses de sites ou memes de sites culinaires.
Bonne journee a vous tous !!!
Posted on August 29, 2005 | Comments (0)
French dentist versus US dentist
by joon
Materiel basic necessaire a l'hygiene dentaire aux USA!
Basic tools you can find here for clean mouth in USA!
COMMENT CA MARCHE ICI!
fin juillet, je suis allee faire une visite de routine chez le dentiste. J'ai une assurance ici que je paye tous les mois. C'etait optionnel mais j'ai plutot une dentition fragile et qui a besoin de soins souvent. Ici au bout de trois mois que tu payes l'assurance, ton nettoyage et ta premiere visite (radio...) est gratuite. Ensuite tu dois attendre six mois pour que les soins pour les caries soient rembourses a 80%, ensuite au bout de neuf mois de cotisation, les soins lourds tels que couronnes, arrachage ou trucs comme ca sont rembourses a 50%. Bon t'es content! L'assurance couvre 1000 dollars de frais par an ensuite c'est pour ta pomme.
PREMIER RENDEZ-VOUS.
Enfin tu t'y fais et tu fais avec. Donc premier rendez-vous...radio et devis...Bon bah y a du travail mais ca je le savais deja. Ce n'est pas une surprise. En gros j'en ai pour trois ans et j'ai besoin d'au moins six couronnes. Mais ca c'est pas une surprise. Le devis s'eleve a 5443 dollars pour l'assurance soit de ma poche 2135 dollars(en trois ans parce que evidemment je ne peux pas payer ca maintenant). Mais je ne suis pas surprise et prefere faire les choses comme il faut. Aller chez le dentiste ne me fait peur. Pendant des annees j'ai demande mes soins sans anesthesie. Ce n'est pas la piquure qui me fait peur mais je n'aime pas la sensation dans la bouche apres. ET une fois, l'anesthesie avait du etre trop forte car je n'ai pas retrouve la sensation normale de mes levres et de ma joue de toute la journee. Mon dentiste a toujours ete surpris du fait que je ne voulais pas d'anesthesie et que ca ne faisait pas mal. Elle m'a dit que je devais etre tres resistante a la douleur! Mais cette fois-ci parce que je ne connais pas le dentiste assez bien, je les laisserai faire comme ils veulent.
DEUXIEME RENDEZ-VOUS: NETTOYAGE.
Le truc interessant ici c'est que tu as un nettoyage des dents pendant une heure avant de reprendre un autre rendez vous pour te soigner.
Mon "hygieniste" etait francais. Il s'appelle Francois et moi la bouche ouverte, je repondais a ces questions tant bien que mal, lui faisant plutot la conversation. Et alors il m'a dit que j'avais une bouche soignee a la francaise! En France, le dentiste ne te fait pas de nettoyage, detartrage, verification pour des maladies des gencives.
Et quand ils le font (De toute ma vie j'ai eu seulement un nettoyage) ils le font mal, m'a t-il dit. L'hygiene dentaire est vraiment prise au serieux! Tu as des rayons entiers de produits pour rincer, desinfecter la bouche et surtout le "floss". LE fil dentaire, pas vraiment utilise en France. Cela permet de nettoyer entre les dents et d'eviter les maladies de gencives.
Depuis que je suis aux etats unis, j'utilise plus le fil dentaire. En cadeau j'ai eu une brosse a dents normale, une pour nettoyer entre les dents et du fil dentaire. Dans six mois je retourne me nettoyer les dents. Et la semaine prochaine je me fais soigner mes caries.
J'etais soulagee aussi de parler a un francais, car parfois le contact avec le personnel medical n'est pas facile parce qu'il parle vite et avec un vocabulaire specialise.
HOW DOES IT WORK HERE!
I had the option at my work to take an insurance and pay for it. I took it. I have very fragile teeth which needs constant work so that was the right thing to do.
With my insurance, first visit and cleaning are free and can be done right away. But for amalgame, things like that I needed to wait three months and insurance pay for 80% of the charges. Nine months after, 50 % of the charges will be paid by the insurance for major care (crowns...). The insurance accept 1000 dollars per year. In France, most of your care are paid all the time for anything and right away. So I was worried of going here. Also because, I trust my dentist in France and because My teeth are fragile and some dentists in France just made mistakes, I am not happy to see new people for my mouth!
FIRST VISIT
Radio and an estimate of the cost for things I have to take care. Well, I am not surprised of what it told me. My dentist in France told me I would need crowns.
Basically for all the work, the insurance will hace to pay $5443 and me $ 2135 if I do everythinh within three years because obviously, I can't take care of everything this year especially because if I could, I would have to pay $4359!
It seems even a lot $2000 but I am not surprised of the work it has to be done and prefer taking care of it! I am not scared to go to the dentist and I don't care about shots, but I don't like the feeling of the anesthesia after. I think it's because one time, the guy might have put too much or I don't know what happened but I couldn't not feel my gum, and my cheek for the whole day. In the morning, I had blood on my pillow. Since then, I ask for no shots. My dentist was always surprised and she told me once that I might be very resistant to pain because that was so odd. And really, it never really hurt so why having anesthesia. This time, because I don't know the guy I will
maybe leave him doing the shot. I am weird, am I?
SECOND VISIT : CLEANING.
So second visit is cleaning. This is the weird thing to me. In France, dentist (hygienist don't exist) don't clean your teeth or not well. (I had a cleaning once in my whole life) And according to my hygienist Francois (he is french!), they don't even know how to clean teeth in France. He also told me that he can tell it's french dentist who took care of my teeth because they don't prevent things, thay just do work where it hurts but cavities still grow even after.
Here you find tons of products (like listerine)to clean, and floss. In France, floss arrived on the shelf few years ago but it's not really common to use it. Since I live here, I floss more often. And I found logic to floss.
I got presents too: one toothbrush, one brush to clean between and floss.
Finally, that was really nice to have a french guy, because it is the hardest thing sometimes to be in contact with medical staffs. They have their own vocabulary and it's hard to understand. Also, he is a cool guy. That was hard though to answer to his questions while I had My mouth open. He actually was the one to talk all the time!
So next week, I chase the cavities and in six months I go back for cleaning!
Posted on August 7, 2005 | Comments (3)
Croquis d'amerique
by joon
My homepage is "Le Monde", one of the biggest and most interesting french newspaper. I found a blog on their site written by a french journalist living in USA. The blog is in french but it's always interesting to have a glance of what foreigners catches about their life in a country.
http://clesnes.blog.lemonde.fr/etatsunis/
Posted on July 18, 2005 | Comments (1)
Happy Bastille Day ! / Joyeux 14 juillet!
by joon
This picture comes from the annual speech for Bastille Day. Apparently, he seems happy! Good for him! I am actually happy I haven't had to listen to the speech!
Yesterday, I went to the 200 SW Market street for Bastille Day. The restaurant La Carafe (where you eat the best "Pommes frites" (fries)of Portland) organized a whole day of events for Bastille day. There was food, and "petanque" (kind of bocce but heavier "boules"), a waiter race like in Paris : Course de garcons de cafe. And my drama's kids performed a play there. That was nice. Also, I recommand to go to St Honore to get some "chouquettes" delicious pastries but not too sweet nor heavy. I forgot about those and they are so good!
At night, well, I forgot about Bastille Day to go to Ben Harper's concert. That was great!
Posted on July 16, 2005 | Comments (0)
4th July
by joon
"Fuck yeah America", sorry I have just watched "Team America"
Happy fourth of July and Dad Happy Birthday!
I had two things to celebrate this year!
I had the nicest 4th of July ever, well it's my first. Anyway, we had a pretty nice ride all afternoon along the waterfront (south to Sellwood) and back, ending up on Hawthorne, had a bite (lebanese, not the best but nice), walking along Hawthorne (we never go there) and because we already there went to visit Sarah and Peter. Good timing, Peter was building his "$13,99 BBQ stuff" so we stayed. Great time. And we finished on the hill up the reservoir watching illegal fireworks and the legal one but so small between two trees. That was super wicked nice awesome.
Well this morning, the waterfront was not that nice full of fireworks and beers but you know. Once a year.
Really, it gave me courage to go back to work.
Thanks...
Posted on July 6, 2005 | Comments (0)
Tips for keeping sparkling beverage.../ Le truc de la cuillere et des boissons a bulles
by joon
Hier, Adam et moi, apres une promenade dans la foret a cote de Portland (genre vincennes en beaucoup plus sauvage) avons decide de nous rendre a Elephant's delicatessen. C'est un magasin de nourriture assez "fancy", genre Fauchon mais vous trouvez des trucs europeens et ils font un peu genre restau-cafe en meme temps, enfin bref le bonheur. En attendant notre commande, j'ai jete un oeil partout (j'ai achete du chocolat cote d'or et des brioches)et quoi dans le rayon alcool...je vois du cidre. French Sparkling Cider de Normandy, je n'hesite pas, hop, dans le panier! Mais voila, ici et nous le savions mais bon on s'est dit que si c'est a cote du vin, c'est forcement ok! Voila le cidre ici, "cider" c'est du jus de pomme a bulles. Champomy genre en meilleur. Enfin celui-la, remarque vu le prix! enfin bref, on a pas verifie, ca nous paraissait tellement evident. Alors a la maison, bah, tant pis, on a ouvert la bouteille. Et qu'est ce qu'on fait en France pour ne pas perdre les bulles du champagne, ou d'un mousseux? Eh bien, on met une petite cuillere, ca fait rire ici, n'empeche ca marche les gars...pourquoi? aucune idee et je prendrais pas le risque de laisser mon champagne trop longtemps au frais mais bon...
Yesterday, Adam and I went to Elephant's delicatessen (in their new location) after a walk in Washington Park. I had a look in the alcohol section and what? French cider. I know that here cider means sparkling apple juice but French Sparkling Cider coming from Normandy, my "region", the country of alcoholic cider can only be this the one I know and love. Neither Adam nor I checked on that. We were very disappointed to realize we bought apple juice. But we were home and we don't go in that part of Portland that often, so we decided to open the bottle. Bottle half full of sparkling should be drunk, because this kind of cork doesn't go again on the bottle or it would dead the day after? " Que nenni", to keep it and we usually do that with Champagne, put a spoon (normal spoon with no plastic or other material than a traditonnal spoon) in the bottle. And it works....How long I don't know, you usually finish it the day after. Would it be sparkling otherwise, without nothing, all night in the fridge, I won't want to take the risk with champagne or French cider but with stupid sparkling apple juice, maybe...
Tell me about your tips if you know some or experience this one and tell me how it worked!
Posted on May 15, 2005 | Comments (3)
I loved my easter day! / J'ai adore Paques!
by joon
Today, I went to a senegalese party for a name ceremony. It's the day you name your just born child. I guess it's muslim. Actually, we just hanged out, eat food, traditionnal food like "lach" or "lack", it's mil, cereal used for everything there. And "mechoui"... Actually, I had "mechoui" in France so that was not the first time totally.
That was great to be there. Everyone was wearing traditionnal clothes. I was listening them talking african politic in USA around french people on Easter during a muslim ceremony...
I was feeling so good. I like to be around things that I don't know very well and which are so different. I learn so much about us. Once again, I think "There are so many things different in this world that I don't know, that I will never know really but I can try, I can try to be closer and I can try to understand an other culture without giving my opinion. Just try to be here with my curiosity, and compassion, and open mind".
It's what I have tried to do everyday since I arrived here.
Not judging...not easy!
Today, I feel like my body is in Portland and my mind everywhere in the world!
Aujourd'hui, j'etais a une ceremonie de "don de nom" (je sais pas comment dire ca en francais). Je ne sais pas si c'est au senegal ou dans la religion musulmane qu'on fait, en fait les deux pour aujourd'hui. C'est une petite fete pour ton enfant nouveau-ne que tu nommes ce jour-la.
Alors voila j'etais au milieu de gens en costumes de leur pays, senegal, cote d'ivoire, et j'ai mange du "lach" ou "lack", un plat de mil traditionnel et du mouton...delicieux. Je les ai ecoute parler de politique africaine, ici aux etats unis avec des francais autour le jour de paques, lors d'une ceremonie musulmane. Pour moi, de mes yeux...c'etait excellent.
Et encore une fois, je me suis dit, qu'il y a tant de choses differentes au monde, qu'on ne connait pas mais qu'on juge vite, et je sais que je ne peux pas connaitre tout les differences et tout les varietes de cultures au monde mais au moins, je peux essayer, je peus essayer, d'approcher, essayer de connaitre sans comprendre je suis sure, sans juger...
Ca c'est difficile. J'essaie d'avoir de vivre comme ca deja en France, et encore plus depuis que je suis arrivee ici. Mais c'est pas tous les jours facile.
Aujourd'hui, mon corps est a Portland et mon coeur partout.
Posted on March 28, 2005 | Comments (1)
Paques / Easter
by joon
Joyeuses paques. Tout le monde!
Happy easter everyone!
I realized it was easter this week thanks to the kids who told me ...He, we want to practice looking for eggs, can you hide those...and they show me tons of drawings of eggs.
Here a recipe for Easter...Eating lamb in France for Easter is a tradition. So here we go
J'ai realise que c'etait paques cette semaine quand des gamins sont venus me voir avec des tonnes d'oeufs en papier "Madame, on veut s'entrainer a chercher les oeufs, est ce que vous pouvez les cacher!" Bonj'en ai pas fait mais voila une recette de gigot d'agneau, c'est la tradition non, de manger du gigot pour Paques? Alors voila!
Posted on March 27, 2005 | Comments (0)
French diet day by day
by joon
Well I have to admit some stuffs are quite funny but the end sucks!
Read that...
Living the paradox
How do the French eat all that cheese and still lose weight? I had to find out.
By Valerie Frankel
- - - - - - - - - -
The French, save Grard Depardieu, are a thin people. As an
envious American, I marvel at the touted paradox: How can they eat absurd amounts of saturated fats, avoid heart disease and look like a population of balloon heads on string bodies? Red wine, apparently, has a salubrious effect, but flavonoids will only get you so close to a 27-inch waist.
I longed for an emaciated, untoned, sallow Frenchified shell, so I decided to adjust my diet. For a one-week trial period, I'd consume nothing but cheese, fruit, red wine, black coffee, Evian and cigarettes. My operating principles were borrowed -- a little Zone (equal parts fat, protein and good carbs; no baguettes or brioche for moi) and a little anorexic (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine) -- but still fresh and elegante. If you want to live to be 120, eat
yogurt; if you want to weigh 120, eat cheese.
Day 1
Brie, St. Andres, chevre, Montrachet, Merlot, French roast, grapefruit, peach, banana, apples, blueberries. I took a vigorous walk for exercise, covering the five blocks from my office in Times Square to the Hudson News at Grand Central.
I bought a pack of Gauloise and chain-smoked on the way back, effectivelyundoing five years as a nonsmoker in 15 minutes. I felt unhealthy yet speedy -- very French.
Day 2
A fruit-heavy day (too much cheese can lead to gastric distress). I took a co-worker's bichon fris for a stroll during lunch. I had to carry Choo-Choo in my tote after a while (good upper body workout). I ran into a salon for a French manicure. They asked me to take the dog outside. The nerve! Are we not all animals?
Day 3
I've dared to leave the homeland -- edam, gouda, mozzarella, feta. For lunch, I ate the meat of an entire watermelon. The deprivation is showing: I've become snappish and surly, especially when tourists ask for directions. I feel strangely liberated re: body hair removal. Tonight, while smoking on the fire escape, my husband complained about my return to cigarettes. Enraged, I went inside, threw a glass of wine in his face and then we made mad, passionate love
all night long.
Day 4
Eating out can test any regimen. Saturday night, I couldn't convince my husband and friend to do fondue. Unhinged by two glasses of Bordeaux, I hastily expandedmy definition of cheese to include veal piccata with spaghetti on the side. I felt terribly guilty as I licked the plate, and excused myself to smoke furiously at the bar. Our dining companion, an old friend, was concerned. She pulled up a stool and asked, "Are you OK?" I sighed, "Yes, it goes." She told me she was worried, that I looked a bit pale and drawn. The diet must be working.
Day 5
My jeans were roomier, no question. I bravely stepped on the scale -- five pounds lighter! To celebrate, I drank an entire bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and watched a highlight video of the 1998 World Cup. It dawned on me that capitalism was all wrong, so I told my husband I was planning to organize the staff at work. He said, "You're drunk." I said, "If you didn't look like Phillipe
Candeloro, I'd divorce you," and we began to make mad, passionate love. Then he pulled back and asked, "How long has it been since you've showered?"
Day 6
For lunch, I melted three ounces of cheddar and drizzled it on slices of green apple; it looked lovely. Presentation est tout: You eat with ze eye, you know. My skin has taken on a yellowish sheen from smoking (not good), but the tar taste in my mouth makes a big plate of anything seem unappetizing (good). I took a long walk from Chanel on 57th Street to Agns B. in Soho. I tried on many outfits, and found nothing wrong with spending $75 on a T-shirt. My husband did.
I considered taking a lover.
Day seven
For breakfast, I expanded my definition of fruit to include a Belgian waffle with boysenberry syrup and whipped cream. My husband clucked while I ate. I screamed, "I hate you, I love you, I hate you, I love you." I weighed myself after dehydrating with five cups of coffee. Despite my errant cheating, I'd lost a grande totale of seven pounds (not sure of the metric equivalent). If I could go for another week ... mais non. The French Diet was good for ze form, bad for
ze romance. At the end of the day, fat and happy is the American way.
Posted on January 14, 2005 | Comments (2)
French diet / Regime alimentaire français
by joon
Have you often been wondering why french people are thin though their food is so rich?
Read this book:
French women don't get fat
Go on this site
French diet recipes
Les americains, encore une fois, certains, se demandent comment les francais avec une nourriture si riche restons mince!
Une francaise habitant ici a ecrit un livre dont le titre est:
Les Femmes francaises ne grossissent pas
Posted on January 11, 2005 | Comments (1)
Thanksgiving
by joon
Ok guys this is my first thanksgiving. Even if I am excited in a way. I am so tired with my work that, I could have this thursday just sleeping.
I didn't know we were eating at 4!
Gosh, I need to get two breakfast. I love it.
Menu
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie...
All this kind of food you see in series on tv, I am going to eat them.
And "appy" cooking, "appy" eating! and "appy" Thanksgiving to everyone!
Salut les gars, ca y est c'est thanksgiving. Bon meme si je suis excitee a cette idee, je suis tellement crevee que je pourrai juste dormie le jeudi tout entier.
Je savais pas qu'on allait manger a 4 heures de l'apres midi. Il va falloir que je mange deux petits dejeuners. Genial.
Au menu
Dinde fourree a je sais pas quoi avec puree de pommes de terre et autres trucs et en dessert tarte a la citrouille avec canelle et chantilly, j'ai deja goute c'est top.
Tout le genre de nourriture que j'ai toujours vu dans les series, ca y est c'est pour moi maintenant!!!
Posted on November 24, 2004 | Comments (0)
Portland Meadows
by joon
PORTLAND MEADOWS
RACE 6
I BET $5 ON 5 TO WIN
Yesterday, We went to portland meadows. I was surprised to realize that it's exactly the same here tham in France. I had the impression to be 4 years earlier (except for hotdogs and restrooms, that is different) when I had to spend everyday of may in the differents "hippodromes" in Paris. Why? In my drama school, you have at the end of your first year to choose a theme and in few minutes and ten people give the atmosphere, the rythm, the images of what you choose. But "les hippodromes" or horse racing is not that an easy subject. So many things are going on at the same time. The horses are checked and prepared. The jockeys' weight is checked, the judges (in Paris they are in a funny car who follows the horses), the gamblers, the cashiers, the rich people who have special pass and hats.
In France or here, it's one of the only places that people wear hats. Women mostly. Yesterday, for example, there was this red hat society... one hundred women dressed in red and purple with huge hats. Interesting.
Anyway, Adam was very good yesterday because he won money on 5 races and bet for 7. We were several people and he was the only one to win something.
It's weird sensation to gamble. I don't like that too much and not really with horses but Now that I tried, I won't do it often but I enjoyed it.
HIPPODROME DE VINCENNES
COURSE 6
JE PARIE 5 EUROS SUR LE 7 GAGNANT
Hier, nous sommes alles a l'hippodrome de Portland. J'etais surprise de voir que c'etait pareil ici, j'avais l'impression de revenir 4 ans en arriere sauf pour les hotdogs et les toilettes. C'etait interessant pour moi parce que c'etait mon sujet de fin d'annee a mon ecole de theatre a Paris. On devait pendant un mois observer un lieu ou des lieux suivant le sujet choisis et le retranscrire en images, avec l'atmosphere, le rythme propre au sujet. Et cela avec 10 personnes. On a donc passe nos journees de mai dans les hippodromes de Paris. Cela semble un sujet facile a priori parce que ce n'est que dans un lieu mais il se passe tant de choses en meme temps. La preparation des chevaux qui sont checker par des veto et prepares a la course ensuite. La pesee des jockeys. Les joueurs qui parient et qui se passent des tuyaux, les caisses, les gens de la haute qui portent tous des chapeaux. L'hippodrome est le lieu par excellence du chapeau. Hier a portland, il y avait la societe des chapeux rouges. Une centaine de femmes sont habillees en rouge et violet et portent toutes un chapeau.
Bref, Adam a ete le seul d'entre nous a gagner. 5 fois sur 7 paris.
Personnellement je ne suis pas joueuse mais hier j'ai essaye et je dois dire que c'est assez amusant de le faire au moins une fois. c'est une sensation interessante que tu ne peux pas imaginer si tu n'as jamais essaye. Mais comme d'habitude, le principal pour etre sur de s'amuser c'est de ne pas se prendre au serieux.
Posted on October 17, 2004 | Comments (2)
Biking on the last day of the summer/ Ballade a velo le dernier jour d'ete
by joon
Ok, it's only the day before the last day of the summer (we are on the 19th and the summer is on the 21st) but I thought it was a nice title.
For the first time in my grown up life (actually it’s crazy!) I biked alone in the streets.
I haven't done that before because I didn't own a bike. I am pretty happy actually. I feel free. Maybe because bus can be really annoying if you just want a good bread for example. And now I can just bike and it's great and also exercising feels great. I feel like it’s an other step towards my social life here, a sign of independance. Thank you to Sarah (it’s her bike)and thank you to Adam for the work you had done on it.
And so today was a pretty good day for that. Not cold,not warm, not rainy. Beautiful.
I felt confident. Easier on a sunday, not too much traffic. People are less excited...perfect.
Have you noticed the colors in the trees. They began to change 10 or 15 days ago... lovely.
On my bike, at a moment I realized I was in USA. It happens sometimes, my brain or my body feels something and they remind me I am here, in this country, in this city, on this very precise point on the planet…
I don’t think about it all the time because it’s the country I know the most. And the fact that I work here made the daily life, a daily life! And not anymore “foreign daily life”. Do you see what I mean?
I got used to notebooks size, sheets size, bed size, the three holes in the pages instead of four in europe, the checks size, the carpet everywhere (airport, school...everywhere), the plugs, the fans everywhere, the peanut butter everywhere, cinammon everywhere, starbucks everywhere... and the smell. There is a smell in the us houses that is really special. Pleasant! But so different. Now I smell it less and less because I get used to it but sometimes I am able to tell the difference. I love it. It reminds me the first time I went in USA, 12 years ago. I can assure that the smell is the same on either east and west coast.
When I am able to smell it, it reminds me that I have never known that in my childhood… Smells are a part of your roots… as many others details…
I am pretty sure the fact I came here when I was fifteen makes my life here easier because I am not totally surprised by everything…
PS: Something I still can’t get used to it : envelopes size…so tiny. At least in France in one envelope you can put a letter, some pictures and a postcard if you realize you have written too much and you can’t send it like this!
Usually in Europe we say that everything is big in USA and that’s true for most things you buy except envelopes, checks books and the bills (money), we got that much bigger.
Bon d’accord on est seulement le 19 et l’ete c’est le 21 mais je trouvais le titre plutot sympathique.
Pour la premiere fois dans ma vie d’adulte, c’est dingue d’ailleurs, j’ai fait du velo toute seule. Comme une grande! Avant j’avais pas pu le faire parce que je n’avais pas de velo, c’est tout! Je suis vraiment contente, je me sens libre…trop chouette. Le bus c’est pas pareil parce que quand tu veux juste du bon pain par exemple je ne me vois pas prendre le bus pour aller a Ken (le boulanger de Portland) ou Wild Oats (le supermarche ou tu peux trouver du super bon pain). Maintenant je peux juste prendre mon velo et hop en 10 minutes j’ai fait de l’exercice et j’ai ce que je voulais. J’ai l’impression que c’est une nouvelle etape dans ma vie sociale, comme un signe d’independence. Merci a Sarah (c’est son velo) et a Adam pour le boulot qu’il a faait dessus.
Et puis aujourd’hui etait un jour vraiment bien pour ca. Pas froid, pas chaud, pas pluvieux! Genial!
Je me sentais en confiance aussi parce que c’est dimanche ce aui signifie moins de voitures, moins de gens tares…parfait. Est ce que vous avez remarque le changement de couleur dans les arbres? Ca a commence il ya 10 ou 15 jours…trop joli.
Sur mon velo a un moment, j’ai realise que j’etais aux USA. Ca arrive parfois que mon cerveau ou mon corps ressente quelque chose et me rappelle que je suis ici, dans ce pays, dans cette ville, sur ce point precis de la terre…
Je n’y pense pas tout le temps parce que c’est le pays que je connais le plus et le fait que je travaille ici fait de ma vie quotidienne…ma vie quotidienne. Et non plus une vie quotidienne a l’etranger (vous voyez ce que je veux dire?)
Je me suis habituee aux tailles des pages de cahiers, aux trois trous perfores dans les pages au lieu de quatre par chez nous, a la taille des lits, a la taille des cheques, a la moquette partout (aeroports, ecoles…), aux prises, aux ventilos au plafond partout, a la chaine de café starbucks que tu vois partout, au beurre de cacahuete dans tout et a la cannelle dans tout… et a l’odeur! Il y a une odeur particuliere aux maisons americaines. Je m’y suis quelque peu habituee mais parfois je la sens de nouveau. J’adore. Ca me rappelle mon premier voyage ici il y a 12 ans. Je peux vous assurer qu’il y a une odeur commune et unique aux etats unis que ce soit sur la cote est ou ouest. Quand je suis capable de sentir cette odeur, cela me rappelle que je n’ai jamais connu cette odeur dans mon enfance…Les odeurs font parties de nos racines…comme tant d’autres details.
Je dois avouer que le fait d’etre venue dans ce pays lorsque j’avais quinze ans me facilite l’integration car je ne suis pas totalement surprise par des tas de trucs.
Pourtant il y a une chose a laquelle je ne m’habitue vraiment pas, c’est la taille des enveloppes. Elles sont minuscules ici, au moins en France tu peux envoyer en plus de ta lettre, des photos ou une carte postale si tu as trop ecrit dessus et que tu ne peux plus ecrire l’adresse.
En Europe on dit souvent que tout est immense aux Etats Unis et c’est vrai pour la plupart des choses mais pas pour les enveloppes, ou les cheques ou les billets…chez nous c’est carrement plus gros!
Posted on September 19, 2004 | Comments (0)
Let's free everything... / Liberons tout
by joon
Here, I don't know why but a lot of things are french. Actually, I assume they liked giving a nation name to things...you have the italian dressing for example as the french roast ... as the japanese garden!!!!!! (Sorry, stupid joke!)
But since last year a new nation is born...the freedom nation. Yes, yes, french people you are free now you are the freedom nation, let's cut our king's head to celebrate (I think I am obsessed with this story)!
Once again, USA free us...uuhhh but maybe I didn't understand...maybe it's not that, it's just the fries and the vanilla and the coffe and all these things who are free. Someone knows the guy who came with the freedom fries concept? I have some questions for him? I am confused. I didn't translate the right way! Checkers again.
TRUE : A friend told us that some customers wanted a freedom roast and no a french roast. So his company delivers freedom roast especially for this customer. I can use this word here...STUPID.
This a list of those things which are free or will be free.
(Good, last time the vanilla told me "she" (in french it's female) was angry to have been called french for so many years... it's not even french!)
Freedom fries... ...it's because of them everything began...les frites libres
Freedom roast ... torrefaction libre
Freedom dressing...vinaigrette libre
Freedom toast... pain perdu libre
Freedom vanilla... it's a happy vanilla now, la vanille libre
And should I write freedom girl "fille libre" on my passport?
Ici, je ne sais pas pourquoi mais il y a pleins de trucs qui sont soi-disants francais. Bon en realite, c'est parce qu'ils donnent des noms de nations a des trucs genre la vinaigrette italienne comme la torrefaction francaise ... ou le jardin japonais... (blague debile)
Bref, depuis l'annee derniere une nouvelle nation est nee...la nation libre. Ouaih, pour celebrer ca, je vous invite a couper la tete du roi (je suis un peu obsedee par cete histoire, non?).
Et encore une fois, 60 ans apres, c'est encore les etats unis qui nous liberent, ouaih!
Mais en fait, j'ai rien compris... ce sont les frites et tout et tout qu'ils ont libere de nous! Quelqu'un connait le gars qu'a lance l'idee des freedom fries parce que j'ai deux trois questions a lui poser? Tout le concept et un peu flou tout a coup.
VERIDIQUE : Un ami nous a raconte que sa compagnie fait livrer pour un client du "cafe libre" (freedom roast) parce que ce client avait demande a ce que le nom change. Je peux utiliser ce mot ici...STUPIDE.
Voici la liste des choses qui sont ou vont etre libres a partir de maintenant.
(Ouf, la vanille m'a dit la derniere fois, qu'elle en avait marre d'avoir ete appelee francaise pendant de si longues annees...elle est meme pas francaise)
Freedom fries... les frites libres, c'est par elles que tout a commence
Freedom roast ... une maniere dont le cafe est grille, torrefaction libre
Freedom dressing...vinaigrette libre
Freedom toast...pain perdu libre, on peut le manger dans les restau pour le petit dej
Freedom vanilla...la vanille libre, elle est contente maintenant.
Est ce qu'il faut que j'ecrive freedom girl "fille de la liberte" sur mon passeport?
Posted on September 5, 2004 | Comments (1)
tarte praline attacked by a cow and a cell phone
by joon
What haaaapenned? a cow is eating my "tarte praline"! Checkers!
Posted on June 6, 2004 | Comments (7)
Pralines in Lyon
by joon
I love to visit new places... here special dessert with pralines (kind of nuts with red sweet stuff around!) Great...
Posted on June 6, 2004 | Comments (2)
D-Day
by joon
Tomorrow will be the 60th anniversary of the landing in Normandy by some 150 000 allied soldiers.
Canadians, australians, english and american soldiers landed on several beaches by sea and others by air.
When you grew up in Normandy, you go with school to visit the big memorial in Caen and often when you go on the beaches with your family, you can still see some bunkers. In Arromanches and other places, the floating ports are still visible on the sea.
6 june 1944 ... terrible day but the beginning of the end of the war.
This year a lot of people came to see the giantic american, english, canadian, etc ... cemetaries you can find all over the north of france.
When I talked about this time with my grand father, he remembers the american soldier with their "sumsumgum", he is not very good at english... "sumsumgum" was chewing gum. It was new like black soldiers!
I don't know how to say that, most of them died ... but thank you guys!
Posted on June 5, 2004 | Comments (0)
Monde de paradoxe/World of paradox
by joon
Today in rouen, two big events.
One is that every year, there are "fêtes jeanne d'arc". Like it's the city where she was burnt and everything in this city are called Jeanne of Arc (streets, high school, church, places...) There is a place where they say it's exactly there she was burnt. I am sure, if you dig a little bit, you can find some ashes...please, come on!
Ok, whatever, in may, the place of the cathedral is full of people selling old fashion home made jam, cider, vinegar, wine...and also awful stuffs not bears like the ones you can see on the roads of california but close!
There are some people disguised with middle ages costumes (except their shoes nike) and dance and shows. Even tonight a big "banquet" dinner is organised. Middle ages food. I am sure there are forks because french people can't eat without fork today.
Actually, I don't like too much this kind of feast but in a way, it's fun.
I participate at the second event: a march against nuclear industry!
France is one of the biggest user of this energy and we all know there are different kind of producing electricity and we could also reduce the use of it.
But this is an other story.
I found funny how today in this city, you were able to see some old middle age ladies and people dressed like in industry (mask to breathe, plastic pants and other stuffs like this). Two complete different world were sharing the city today.
What do you prefer... burn people or live with nuclear...
Posted on May 22, 2004 | Comments (1)
Ascension
by joon
Ascension is the day Jesus went up to join his Father! And in France, we don't work on this day.
There is a tradition which says that if you eat veal on this day, you will be strong. This year, I followed the tradition.By the way, thanks mum, it was delicious.
In two weeks, we will have our last day off for "pentecôte" ( also linked with Jesus but don't remember why).
Last year, the government decided to take this day off. It was a very difficult decision because you can't hurt french people' feelings. You never know, they could go in the streets just for their day off! So everyone in the government was wondering which day could be perfect. Actually, one of their main questions was which day could be economically interesting. First because, it costs a lot of money to pay people if they work on this day and second because if they take off this day, people can open stores and so people can buy things and France would feel better! Thanks guys! You think to our happinness!
They choose this day because, in may, we have 4 days off. and so you can find possibilities to say "the day off is on thursday so I don't work on Friday", etc...I remember at school, sometimes I thought it was already the summer vacations.
1st may is the labor day, kind of.
8 of may WW2 victory
Third thursday of may: ascension
Last monday of may : Pentecôte
They also choose this day because, few years ago they tried to take of the 8 but come on, it's a victory day! Actually, to me, a religious day makes sense. Keep a christian day in a country where religion has been fought during the revolution! In a country, where so many religion are represented by so different people. Come on why this day should be off more than other one.
But if we take off all the religious day, what to do with Christmas?
I heard that they think to introduce a muslim day. Why not!
Good luck guys at the government. I hope you eat veal every year because this kind of subject is difficult.
What to do with traditions?
Anyway, I ate veal this year!
Posted on May 20, 2004 | Comments (0)