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Weekend Trip Report to Aix en Provence:<BR><BR>My 3 friends and I took the 8 hour train ride from Pau to Aix (with an hour stop in Toulouse and a train change in Marseille) ... such a relaxing trip! Of course there wasn't any sunflowers or lavander fields blooming, but the trip was still great.<BR><BR>The train took us along the coast to Marseille where we encountered a student trying to sell us cannibis. And there were plenty of male student with the gangbanger look hanging out around the stations outside of the main Marseille gare. Some were dealing drugs and others were throwing rocks at the passing trains. Now I kinda understand why Marseille has a reputation for being dangerous: it's an industrial city with low income housing and plenty of &quot;ruffians.&quot;<BR><BR>But Aix was relaxing. There is a nice boulevard of caf&eacute;s and a great open market (complete with old books, pictures, flowers, cheeses, pasteries -- it is a photographer's dream), with tomatos the size of grapefruits, on Saturday and an Antique market on Sundays. In Aix there are over 100 different kinds of fountains, and their tree (I believe birch, but I'm not tree expert) lined streets are great. Aix also houses an university with many interenational students; we couldn't go anywhere without running into American students. I think I'm becoming a &quot;European Snob&quot; because I was dismayed to see the Gap stores and the Americans speaking english everywhere. The one good thing about the American influence is the caf&eacute;/brasserie named &quot;Uncle Sam&quot; complete with Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream (I nearly died with joy), Vanilla Coke and &quot;RosBeef&quot; sandwiches (unfortunately they were out of Roast Beef -- I can't wait for a Roast Beef sandwich when I get home!)<BR><BR>For those that don't know, Aix is home to the famous painter Paul Cezanne as well. There is also great Provence beauty products from a company called &quot;L'Occitain&quot; -- lotions, creams, soaps, etc., made from honey, lavander, olive oil, etc.<BR><BR>The only aesthetic disappointment in Aix is the graffiti. <BR><BR>On the way home, the train took us through Arles (the home of van Gogh), Narbonne, Carcassonne (the cit&eacute; medieval is absolutely amazing; it's like living in the middle ages) and we passed several other castles along the way (but I have no idea the whereabouts). <BR><BR>On another note -- the date to return to the US is in another month; it is fast approaching. Already I feel like a foreigner to the English language because I can't remember many English words and their spellings.

Hi, Genesea,<BR><BR>Thanks for yet another entry on your impressions of various parts of France.<BR><BR>I'm not certain about Marseilles, but in many Provencal towns, the streets are lined with sycamore trees, otherwise known as plane trees.<BR><BR>Hope you'll provide us with more of your observations before heading back to the United States.<BR><BR>Safe trip.<BR><BR>Diedre

Thanks again for your posting! You are bringing me back to my experience as a student there... Seedy Marseille, accompanied by quaint Aix. I thought how much I would have liked to study there... but you actually probably are learning much more in a region where there are not as many English-speaking students. <BR><BR>I also remember coming back. My constant use of franglais... Forgetting words or translating them in French... saying &quot;Pardon&quot; (with a French accent) to anyone I bumped into... and answering waiters in French. <BR><BR>Oh what an experience you are having... Just remember that you may find Reverse Culture Shock even more difficult than when you began your stay in France. There are a few of books out there on this subject, although I can't think of any off hand.<BR><BR>Some great things to do while you are going through this phase are to keep in contact with those you met while abroad, create a scrapbook and/or photo book of your experience (or in your case, even keeping your website updated), and begin planning your next trip!<BR><BR>Happy travels and best wishes during your last month in La Belle France!<BR>

It's been a while ... now I am only 9 days away from leaving Pau. It's so weird to think that I'm leaving a place that I've called home and finally settled into. I have been wondering about my culture shock in returning back to California on the 29th. I've read that it could take at least 6 months to feel like I've fit back in. I'm thinking it might take longer than that. I'm also thinking that I might make a habit of walking instead of driving. We'll see. Any advice anyone?<BR><BR>This past weekend I traveled to Toulouse and Carcassone. We visited Carcassone first which was amazing. According to the tour guide, the countryside was settled as early as 700 BC, and in the 12th/13th c. the current fortress was built (containing 80% of the original material and structures). The town doesn't hold much entertainment; although, there is a museum of Inquisition and Torture Devices and a &quot;haunted house.&quot; Generally the town is composed of restaurants, a few hostels, and stores. <BR><BR>There are several legends surrounding the town and it's name, and one of them centers on the town's symbol, a maiden holding a pig. Supposedly Charlemagne's troops desired to control the region of Carcassone, and they laid seige to the city by cutting off all food and water supplies. The lady of the city decided she would try to fool the troops into thinking the town had so much food that Charlemagne's troops would give up and return home. So the lady stuffed a pig with grain and tossing it over the wall. The grain stuffed pig burst open once hitting the ground, and the troops thought &quot;the town has so much food that they are feeding their pigs grain! This war is worthless!&quot; and they all went home (thus endeth one legend).<BR><BR>Toulouse, on the other hand, is the 4th largest city in France, and it is a huge student city. In my opinion it was a mix of small town charm and upperclass nightlife. There were lovely gardens and parks (such as the Jardin des Plantes), and the antique/produce markets on Saturday. However, the nightlife was ritzier than I expected (being a student city and all). My girlfriends and I were approached all evening by men needing female escorts to get into clubs/bars and at most bars there were strict dress codes. <BR><BR>We ate at a great Indian restaurant, the Bombay, and my friends had a great time dancing at the Bodega. <BR><BR>In my opinion, I liked the charm of Bordeaux moreso than Toulouse. Toulouse didn't seem as homey to me, and the guys seemed Marsailles-ish in their manner.

I'm sure you're sad you're leaving France. We just returned from Paris (was there when the war broke out) &amp; had a wonderful time. We speak little French but @ least make an effort which I think is most important. Certainly when people from other countries are in the US we expect them to speak English !! Anyway, I have enjoyed your commentary &amp; wish you well. I had to checkle @ one of your earlier posts as Beaulieu-sur-mer (sp?) was of course the place that Steve Martin &amp; Michael Caine squared off in &quot;Dirty Rotten Scoundrels&quot;. Best Wishes.

I am actually sad about leaving France. When I arrived in France people asked me if I missed the US, and I told them I actually missed our cat and dog more than anything! =) I really don't have this desire to go home ... I'd probably be dragging my feet a lot if it wasn't for my friend who had her first baby in March. So, I am very eager to get back and help her out (I missed all the pregnancy stages!).<BR><BR>I remember really hating French classes in the US. I never really saw an improvement in the language because of the class system. But here I can see great progress, and I have understood more than I ever would have in the US (and now I enjoy using the plus-que parfait and conditionnel pass&eacute;!). For once I feel like I have control over my progress, and my improvements have really improved my self esteem. So with that all in mind, I really feel sorry about leaving. <BR><BR>I have been thinking about working in France in the schools if I don't go to grad school. There is an assistantship program where the French gov't will hire English-speakers to help English teachers with their classes. I know several people that are staying in France to do that .. and I'm thinking I might do the same. <BR><BR>I'll still be around, and I'm sure I'll have to post about my time in Paris and England before I fly out.<BR><BR>

Genesea,<BR>Vos comptes rendus sont toujours aussi interessants et amusants !<BR>

merci .. c'est tr�s gentil. Je serai heureuse si quelqu'un trouvait mes mots amusants. =)

merci .. c'est tr&egrave;s gentil. Je serai heureuse si quelqu'un trouvait mes mots amusants. =)

My thoughts and how French culture has changed me:<BR><BR>To you Frenchies, my father has officially announced that I better get home to the US because I've been brainwashed!! =)<BR><BR>I merely wrote out a scalding email to my friends who have been sending me obnoxious emails about Freedon Fries, how France has betrayed the US again, etc., etc. I can honestly say that I am tired of these ridiculous emails. I think I will wage a one-woman war against ignorant Americans. <BR><BR>I guess I can be a harsh American critic because I *am* American and I am tired of American people sending nasty emails or thinking they will be pelted with baguettes in Paris. Where do they get these ideas? The Americans complain, complain, complain about France but they don't even try to understand *why the French do what they do.* Most Americans haven't met a French person, have never been to France, and don't read French newspapers, yet they feel it is okay to make judgements about the French. And they think that having &quot;Freedom Fries&quot; is a mature answer to their frustration. Let's be fair here. Europeans aren't allowed to make sweeping generalizations about Americans, but it is okay for Americans to do so? <BR><BR>What I have come to appreciate is the questioning attitude the French embrace. For goodness sake, you can't avoid a questioning attitude with all the socialist, communist, right, and left political parties and newspapers. Secondly, the French don't withhold critique from themselves; I appreciate that. Unfortunately the Americans find it practically heresy to be critical of themselves. Instead, they sit in front of prime time news absorbing pre-packaged bias ...<BR><BR>So what if France has a weapons and petrol deal with Iraq. America has had the same deals for years. But, obviously, the US can do no wrong.<BR><BR>I wonder what the Californians would say if I got off my flight in LA with a French flag draped over my shoulders. I'd probably get pelted with Coke cans.

Thank you, Genesea, that was very interesting to hear from your point of view. I also think some people in the US look ridiculous in their e-mails.

I found this satire by a Scandinavian (http://www.skovgaard.org/europe/france.htm) a while ago about the French. I think you'll enjoy it (disclaimer: some of this info may be wrong).<BR><BR>Foie Gras:<BR><BR>A Frenchman who doesn't eat foie gras, a p&acirc;t&eacute; made of swollen liver from force-fed ducks or geese, for Christmas isn't a real Frenchman, or he's been the victim of an Anglo-Saxon plot.<BR><BR>Les Crottes:<BR><BR>The Paris Town Hall are trying to keep the pavements clean by having an army of moto-crottes driving around in the city. You may not have come across the word moto-crotte in your French lessons. It's a scooter equipped with a special vacuum cleaner for removing the poos. 4400 street sweepers help the moto-crottes. This operation costs between 62 and 100 million francs per year. The cost of removing 1 kg poo is 36 francs, or 3 francs per poo. The dogs produce 15 tonnes every day, that is 5500 tonnes per year, enough to fill 27 average size houses. 650 citizens are hospitalised each year after having slipped in a poo.<BR><BR>Le Boulot:<BR><BR>French employees expect their employer to take care of them like a father. By law, the employer must pay for half the cost of public transport to and from work. But employees, particularly in the public service, expect far more than that: Lunch tickets, savings on shopping and cinema tickets, right not to move work location, and much more. <BR><BR>La Viande:<BR><BR>You should be aware that the French are not afraid of red meat. In general, it's difficult to get your steak well done. If you insist, the waiter will think that you should rather have gone to see a psychiatrist than a restaurant. Beware that if you send your steak back to the kitchen for further cooking, there's a risk of the cook dropping it on the floor and stepping on it. <BR><BR>La Police:<BR><BR>If the police occasionally have to arrest a suspected criminal, they will be sure to beat him up first and ask questions afterwards. They do that to get relief for the frustration of having to interrupt their office duties. For people outside the police, this apparently brutal behaviour may appear to be a problem. In fact, Amnesty International is criticising the French police for brutality. But one may wonder if that will change anything in a country whose government blew up Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior ship in a New Zealand harbour. <BR>***********************<BR><BR><BR><BR>

I wanted to finish what I've started (this thread), so here are my conclusions to my time in France:

On the 18th of April, I left Pau with my friend Brooke to meet her aunt and cousin in Paris. Aunt Donna had rented an appartment in the 3e arr., and I had the pleasure of staying with them.

Brooke's aunt and cousin saw a &quot;real&quot; parisienne: a very chic lady walking a *purple* poodle. Unforunately, I never saw anyone so fashionable during my visit there.

The 3e isn't bad at all. The first night, as Brooke and I were on our way out to explore, we came across a HUGE mass of rollerbladers around 10:30pm. This mass continued for over 20 minutes. The road was completely overtaken, preventing any cars, but it was a great sight. Some rollerbladers (and skaters) were all dressed up in cowboy hats, same shirts, glow-in-the-dark accessories, radios -- you name it (except nudists). I wonder where they were all going ...

We ate at this great Basque restaurant in 3e called &quot;Au Bascou&quot; [38, rue Reaumur 01 42 72 69 25]. The food was wonderful, and the owner was so gracious with my French. In Fact the owner spoke several languages and was so willing to translate anything for us.

On the subject of food, a great cafe we ate at was in Montmartre called &quot;Le Saint Jean&quot; [Rue des Abbesses 01 46 06 13 78]. It was so FRENCH which was wonderful. The food was great, good portions, and reasonable.

Brooke and I strolled down around Place de la Concorde/St Honore and walked by the Buddha Bar -- a very chic place to eat Parisian influenced Eastern food. Additionally, there have been music CDs created by the owner of the Buddha Bar released, which is very popular in France.

I also happened to visit Monet's gardens which was really easy; actually, I went on Easter Sunday under a bit of showers. It wasn't too crowded, and the rain was a little bothersome, but the trip was lovely (no waterlilies in bloom, however).

Of course we also visited the traditional things like the Louvre, took a Bateaux Mouches ride [very recommended especially at night!! Besides, it is only 7 euros for adults.], climbed the 100+ stairs of the Arc de Triomphe ... I thought Easter weekend would be unberable with all the tourists, but it was lovely. The easiest thing to do is buy the museum passes which allows holders to skip the lines.

After my 5 relaxing days in Paris, I traveled to Bristol, England for a week to visit my parents' friends. Then I was off for Los Angeles .. in which I didn't sleep a wink of the 11 hour flight. So by the time I slept once I arrived, I had been awake for 26 hours.

I've only experienced a little jet lag [waking up several times during the night for a few days], and, surprizingly enough, I haven't experienced reverse culture shock. Actually, once I arrived home, I felt like I had never been to France -- I just jumped back into my swing of daily life.

But I am SOOO glad to have gone and experienced another culture .. and I've actually been able to meet a French lady living in my town that wants me to teach her private French classes while she visits NY for 2 months. I feel really honored to be offered this job because I've only spoken with her once -- but I guess my French isn't that bad!

Genesea,

I am really glad you posted this continuing travelogue, which I have been following from afar. It has given me and many others an opportunity to experience your awakening to the world around you through your eyes, and it is very sweet of you to have shared that view. I hope you save this thread in a hard copy somewhere, put it away for twenty years, and take another look at it; you will have an opportunity then to see this life-changing year through your own younger eyes.