positivité.

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ming's favorite things!

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comme un chien...

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plus des images....

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M'installer?

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une arme à double tranchant

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23 February 2011

positivité.

          Being completely out of my element has made me learn a lot about myself. 
          Variation of personal contact with humans is severely limited here primarily a cause de the language barrier, and as a result I feel like I have gotten to know the people I do speak to on a regular basis (people in my classes and those on my program) very well over the last five weeks.  Particularly when you're pretty much constantly around the same people, you get to know them very well and very quickly.  You discover their likes and dislikes, their pet peeves, their strengths, their weaknesses, their limits, and their overall downfalls. I've learned that this can be a good thing (finding a deeper connection with people and appreciating things you like about them) and sometimes bad ('overdosing' on people comes easily and quickly, unfortunately).
          This has made me think a lot about my own personal character too.  I think of myself as a relatively positive person, and no matter what I always try to have a good outlook on things.  Life is what you make it. Every event, every moment, every single thing that happens to you has the potential to be a great life-changing event if you allow it to be (worst case scenario, you can still learn something ANYTHING from every single thing that you do).  Your life and your happiness is completely dependent on the attitude you take towards it.  I wish more people were able to see this. Being positive and happy can instantaneously change your life, not to mention that it looks lovely on everyone.


ming.
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20 February 2011

ming's favorite things!

Since this blog has clearly lost any type of unifying theme already, I'm just going to go ahead and make a top ten list of things I am currently obsessed with! ...enjoy!


1. French coffee: 'coffee' meaning 'espresso'. I am obsessed with it. It is strong and delicious and the only way to describe it in words would be liquid comfort and happiness.


2. 3€ knit scarf from 'Berska' (des soldes strike again!!!): I tied the two ends together to form a makeshift infinity scarf (Confused? See image below), wrap it around my neck three times, then bury my face in it and feel like a pigeon. Again, the phenomenal feeling created by this cannot be described in words.



3. 1.20€ wine: Even though I was literally laughed at, then told that it was the drink of choice for the Gypsies who live outside Monoprix, I continue to stand by my choice. 


4. French cheese: Soft, mild, goat's milk, hard, sharp, cow's milk, I literally love it all. This should not be shocking to anyone who has ever met me.


5. The 'Remove from Newfeed' option on Facebook: So this one is a little rude, but I have found it a little difficult to see some things on Facebook that are happening back in Ohio that I'm missing out on here.  Don't get me wrong, I am having an amazing time in France, but missing annual parties, sorority functions, and blossoming friendships is a little hard to watch from across the ocean.  Luckily, Facebook has created an option where you can tell it to not show you anything about certain people. This list is growing quickly, which I am pretty sad about, but I am sure you all understand.


6. Nutella: YUM. (See below)

7. French music: TECHNO. I'm slowly getting really into it. I also pretend that it's educational for me, even though most of the lyrics are in english. Why this is, I know not.


8. THE MIDDLE PART: It's really popular here to have a middle part with wavy-ish hair, thus I am bringing mine back. Minus the junior high awkward stage aspect of it.


9. I can't think of a number 9.


10. Or 10.


ming.
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17 February 2011

          The majority of this week I have been sick as a dog.  Not normal sick though, instead I had this great french virus which included having a constant splitting headache (and a minor nervous breakdown thinking that my adolescent period of horrid migranes was starting up again), nausea, and chest pressure.  Naturally, all I wanted to do was call my dear Pamela back home and just bawl (what are mothers for, anyways?), but alas I could not bring myself to stay awake late enough to reach her after work.  So what did I do to combat my first bout of 'homesickness'? (yes, I know it's not exactly homesickness, but it may be as close as I'll get, so I'm running with it...) Well, like a lazy, fat American I bought an off-brand jar of nutella, a package of fatty cookies, and watched some illegally downloaded (and semi-fuzzy) American television (namely, Glee).
           CURED.


          Also this week, we got the chance to see an Oxford-style debate between two teams who all spoke english as a second language. I think the question was 'which is more important: knowledge or imagination?' (umm......I believe the answer is who really gives a fuck?) and Ã  cause de my splitting headache, I couldn't really pay attention that well, but I did vote for the winning team, which I think is good....?


          Tonight a small group of us went to an apartment in centre ville for our very first french cuisine class! I volunteered to help out with the entrée (being an idiot American, thinking that meant the main course...) and then found myself ten minutes later being tricked into setting the table with another unlucky latecomer because apparently it doesn't take long to chop zucchini and throw it in a pressure cooker to make soup. Regardless of the accidental lack of effort on my part, everything was delicious (grâce Ã  the double dose of cheese in my soup, as well as the double dose of white wine most likely...).  Nevertheless, I am ending the week on a much better note than I began it, and I am ready for the weekend! France, I love you.


ming.


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Here are some images from the past weekend!

In the art museum of Grenoble. Just SO french....

My favorite painting there! I think it also may be really cliche and probably well known, but I'm, okay with it for now.

Randonne en Vercors!

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13 February 2011

comme un chien...

FRACK! Has it really been almost a week since I last posted? Time is FLYING by. Furthermore, I have lost my mind, in a good way (I hope).


But. This weekend. Thursday a group of us went to a 'Hollywood'-themed soirée that was set up for French and international students. Unfortunately, my limited wardrobe inhibited me from dressing up, but alas, the French had it covered. Although their outfit choices were a little questionable (most people just wore sunglasses, I saw a couple boas, a pirate, and one Superman....) they did put in the effort, which I can appreciate as a true sorority girl/theme party aficionado.


Friday was spent struggling. And also visiting the art museum in Grenoble.


Saturday I went on a hike in the alps with a group organized by the international school. It was BEAUTIFUL (photos to come later once I get the patience/time to upload them!). I was super hesitant at first (getting up at 6:15 in the morning to go on an 8 hour 20 km hike up some big ass mountains is obviously not part of my usual Saturday 'cure from the night before' routine), but I am very glad I went. Lots of laughs with a couple girls on my program made the grueling trails much easier (okay, not GRUELING perse, but  very muddy and icey) and made the trip much more enjoyable. Also, I met two girls from Russia who spoke English and French (and Russian, obviously) literally FLUENTLY. Made me realize how ignorant and lazy I must look to these types of foreigners with my elemental french skills (also, it doesn't help that my english is slowly declining too...).


As I was speaking to this Russian girl, she and I were discussing the difficulties we have learning a language.  She made a comparison that I absolutely adore, and also which explains EXACTLY how I am feeling right now. At this point, we are like a dog; we can listen, we can understand, we can do as we're told, but we really cannot speak.


Hello. Literally me. Exactly what I am going through right now. I have gotten to the point where I can understand the conversations my family has, and I can understand my professors and most other native speakers, but so help me god if someone tries to converse with me. When asked a question, I can respond in a nice, quick, short answer, but that is pretty much it.  


I can't really think of any horrendously awkward stories to demonstrate this as of yet, but I am very confident I will soon.


I don't quite know how to end this post now, so I will just go along with the theme of the day and leave it in an awkward manner.


ming.
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08 February 2011

plus des images....

          The other day my group got the chance to visit Chateau de Vizille (about a 30 minute bus ride from our home in Grenoble).  I'm going to be honest when I say I wasn't really listening on the tour, therefore I can't explain much about it, but I do know that it was owned by a French duke around the time of the revolution, and that it's also really big and now it's a museum. It was an absolutely perfect sunny day, and afterwards  a group of friends and I went to grab some falafels and lounged around centre ville. The perfect way to end the weekend, selon moi.

château!


art!


!!!!




'no, meggie, you cannot take those off the chandelier. you're going to need to find something else sparkley to put on your necklace' - pam todd.

the group!




ming.
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03 February 2011

M'installer?

          Exactly three weeks ago today I arrived in Grenoble for the first time, and I feel like I've already settled in, and found my niche. I no longer have a super death clutch on my bag while riding the tram, seeing French people carrying baguettes is no longer funny to me (for the most part....), and I have actually done things solo (ALL my OWU friends know that I literally cannot even run to the Thompson store by myself, much less risk any potential embarrassment going to a cafe alone and ordering a drink in french -- all which I did while writing this!). 


          All in all, I'm relatively proud of myself at the moment, and had to share it.


          I feel comfortable in my home, I feel comfortable at campus, I feel comfortable walking around centre ville. I have probably said a million times that I live here, I live here!!!!!, I LIVE here, or I.... live.... here...., but never simply that I live here. But now I will.


          I live here.




Heureusement,
ming.
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01 February 2011

une arme à double tranchant

          From the moment I arrived in France, all I have wanted to do was to 'fit in'. Well, I guess I wanted that, to be fluent in french, a nutella crepe, a rendez-vous with a burly European rugby player, and a glass of vin chaud, in addition to many other things, but I digress... 


          It's frustrating -- trying to assimilate to another culture completely when you know that you stand out for reasons that are beyond your control.  I absolutely hate standing out here (clarification: normalement I do love standing out, but not when it's for the wrong reasons...take that as you may).  Thus far, I haven't felt horribly out of place (sidenote -- I was european in past life. This has GOT to be true) but have always felt a little off for one reason or another. 


          Not to skimp on details, but I have realized recently that to others I have assimilated much more than I have noticed myself.  For starters, I DO in fact look French. Turns out that long dark hair (check), subtle makeup (check), leather boots with tights (check), and a primarily black wardrobe (HA. double check) are really all one needs to pass as a femme francaise today. One would think I would be exstatic, non? Well, in a classic lesson of being careful what you wish for, I guess I am not.  Much like everything else in life, the benefits of blending in also come with various other burdens, of which I am learning in time. Needless to say, this realization has given me the determination to better my comprehension and overall language skills here (I hope that determination lasts through the rest of the semester). And in the end, the experience gained is all that really matters, right?

Here we go,
ming.
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