Victory in Europe Day

Unlike the U.S., where Victory in Europe Day (aka. VE Day), isn't really celebrated and life goes on as normal, the French actually have a day off for this day. Let me play devil's advocate here for a second, but I think it's a little funny that the French celebrate Victory in Europe Day (most stores and banks are closed) given that the French really didn't do much throughout the war until the very end since it was occupied by Germany. Yeah, I know, I live in France and I'm sure tons of French people will be offended, but I can't help but mention that. WWII wasn't "won" by the French... they lost to Germany after a month and it was mostly the UK and the U.S. who helped liberate France and Russia played a big role in defeating the Axis Powers. The French were basically declared winners by default. Sure there was the "Résistance", but yeah...

In any case, maybe I'm just ranting about the French partly because the supermarkets are closed and I have no more milk left to drink since they're also closed on Sundays. Super! One of the things I need to survive is milk, without it, I'm not exactly the happiest person on Earth.

Actually, there's one stereotype about the French that's partially true. "The French can't win a war alone/without the help of Americans". I'm a history major, so I've had my fair share of studying wars fought by the French... and... while it wasn't always the American who helped the French "win", it's kind of true... OK, Napoleon won a lot of battles, but ultimately he lost the Napoleonic Wars to the Duke of Wellington (after whom the dish beef wellington is named).

If you really think about it though... it's kind of true... the French can't win a war alone... unless of course, it's against themselves:

The Gallic Wars - Lost. The French lost the Gallic Wars to the Italians.

Hundred Years War - Almost Lost. The French mostly lost the Hundred Years War (which actually lasted for 118 years) but it was Joan of Arc who came to the rescue! So maybe the French can only win if the armies are led by someone who's not a Frenchman? Perhaps Frenchwomen are made of sterner stuff?

Italian Wars - Lost. Italy is victorious. No offense to the Italians, who also have a not-so-great record when it comes to winning wars, but how can you lose 2/2 wars to Italy???

Thirty Years War - Occupied. France didn't even participate in this war but the country was invaded and at the end of the war, when it's free again, claims that the war was a tie, but the actual participants really didn't pay much attention.

The Dutch War - Tied. I think this is the only time the French managed an actual tie.

War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War -  Mostly Lost. It was actually technically lost but officially declared a "tie".

War of the Spanish Succession - Lost.

The American Revolution War - The French did help and it's true that the U.S. colonies might not have had enough funds to win the war had it not been for French aid... BUT, in terms of actual fighting, Americans saw most of the action and very few Frenchmen actually fought in the war. There's another stereotype that goes "The French only wins a war when America does most of the fighting." In history, it's not always America, but in terms of a foreign, non-French power doing most of the fighting... yeah... maybe it's true.

French Revolution - Won. But they were also fighting against each other... so yeah...

The Napoleonic Wars - Lost. A few battles were won, but Napoleon was Corsican, which is an island of France that actually wants to secede from the country and be independent... but even he lost in the end.

The Franco-Prussian War - Lost. Germany defeats France.

World War I - Tied. The allied powers are given a boost with the intervention of the United States.

World War II - Lost: Victory only by default. The French were defeated by Germany after a month of "courageous" fighting. In the end, they were occupied until the Brits and Americans came to liberate them.

War in Indochina - Lost. French forces lost and had to give up its Southeast Asian colony.

Algerian Rebellion - Lost. France loses its African colony as Algeria becomes the first non-Turkic Muslim country to defeat a "Western" power since 13th century.

I don't advocate any war, but yeah, that stereotype seems to be true, about the French being unreliable when it comes to military affairs. It's just a matter of when the French surrender, I suppose. I wonder... is this why Frenchmen seem so effeminate?

Today's Random Picture:

Unusual Beginning

March started off strangely. My Romanian friends and I went to a bar on Sunday night, which led into the first of March after midnight passed us. We weren't drunk since we'd only had one or two drinks, depending on the person and the strength of the drink (I had a Tequila sunrise) but some other people at the bar were clearly intoxicated. As one such drunkard was walking by, he knocked over my coat from the chair and, too drunk to pick it up, just merely apologized. I responded with a "don't worry about it" at which he asked, quite out of the blue, "Do you know Johnny Hallyday?" (This was all in French, by the way). Upon hearing my response, "Yes, he's a singer right?" he sat himself down at our table. 

He was quite clearly, flamboyantly gay. A colorful scarf wrapped around his neck, a stylish, tight-fitting shirt and skinny jeans with polished shoes to top it all off, he sat crossed legged next to me and asked, "Do you know any of his songs? Sing a song!"
Not knowing a single song by Johnny Hallyday, I responded honestly, "Sorry, I don't know any songs by Johnny Hallyday."

"You don't know any songs by Johnny Hallyday?! How can you say you're French when you don't know a single song!" he demanded almost angrily. 

Flattered that he didn't catch my slight accent in French, I responded, "I'm not French, I'm American." 

He insisted, "You must still know one song if you're in France!"

"No, sorry."

At that, he jumped on top of our table, knocking over an empty beer bottle in the process. Throwing the dangling scarf across his shoulder, he quite femininely brushed back his hair, and then proceeded to sing, what I assume to be, a song by Johnny Hallyday song at the top of his lungs. My Romanian friends gave me a look as if I was responsible for this, though Marius seemed to think it was hilarious and even chanted along with him. While attempting to dance on the table, this mysterious, drunk, gay man spilled some beer on us and just would not leave. Way to start out the new month! That is, until his boyfriend came and helped him off the table and they left the bar.

The night was pretty calm after that. We all eventually left the bar to get some sleep before classes would start later that day. I must say, never before have I had a gay man sing and dance to a Johnny Hallyday song on my bar table before. Like they say, there's a first time for everything. Too bad I didn't have my camera with me... from now on, I'll always try to have a camera with me. 

Today's Random Quiz:

You Are the Communicator

You are a collector and facilitator of knowledge. You love storytelling and teaching.   You light up when you're around other people, and you especially light up in front of a crowd. You are a charismatic person who's genuinely a joy to be with. You remind others to have fun. You love life, and you're wake up grateful for every new day. This attitude makes the people around you love life as well.

What's Your Life's Mission?

XYZ Affair

I just spent the last half hour explaining the XYZ Affair to French high school students. This semester, I have stint at a local private high school or lycée, where I give lectures on a bi-weekly basis on the history and politics of the European Union. Somehow during today's lecture, as I was introducing the beginning of the EU, I went off a slight tangent and referenced the infamous "XYZ Affair", which, to my surprise, the students had no clue about. Ah, high school AP U.S. History class and AP tutoring helped me keep this Quasi-War with France fresh in my head.

Don't want to re-post a history lecture (it was a Quasi-War because while President Adams prepared for war with France, war was never actually declared, and this was due to the then-French Foreign Minister, Marquis de Talleyrand's, demands and demand for bribes from the U.S., as well as French seizure of American ships. It was called the XYZ Affair because Adams, not wanting to stoke the fire, replaced Talleyrand's intermediaries' real names with 'X', 'Y', and 'Z', when forwarding the negotiations documents, in a very short summary), but it makes me really wonder how different the education system is in France. The U.S. is "famous" for producing uneducated, culture-insensitive, overfed, and arrogant citizens, sending them abroad on resort vacations in their hotel bubbles, talking too loudly and dressing poorly. Yet, I really want to pause to wonder, is France, or any other country, really that much better?

Sure, I guess the average European dresses better than the average American. When I'm sitting in class with my sneakers, a hoodie, and jeans, my hair tied back into a ponytail, my nails cut short and unpolished, my French colleagues are sitting in class with their fashionable winter boots, a skirt or well-tailored pants, with smoky eye makeup, polished and filed nails, hair in moussed and hair-sprayed tresses and a nice, feminine shirt. Still, while that stereotype might be true to an extent (not all people dress to impress, but I guess most still dress nicer than I do when I'm in class at 8a.m.), it doesn't mean the French educational system as a whole produces smarter people.

The difference might arise in higher education. Up until high school, perhaps the French school system produces brighter students, I can't say for sure. I've tutored private-schooled American students and now I'm teaching at a French private school. From my experience, I must say I don't see a huge disparity in the quality of education. If anything, the private school students of New York receive more high quality education than the private school students of Strasbourg. That said, New York is the largest metropolis in America, so perhaps I'd be singing a different tune had I experienced private Parisian high schools.

Nonetheless, the French higher education is rather hierarchical. You have your basic government-funded public universities. Some are better than others (Sciences Po-Paris, Sorbonne Paris I, etc.) but all in all, the "Grandes écoles" of France are the cream of the crop. These private university-equivalents are much more expensive in terms of tuition and are much more selective. All the higher ranking French government officials are alumni to a Grande école, not a normal university. Perhaps that is why I find the quality of French graduate school at the university here in Strasbourg not up to par. In essence, I'm learning undergraduate-level material at a graduate level, which says something. Not to mention the poorer quality of lecturers and professors.

I suppose it's like going to a Tier 2 university in the U.S. While the best universities in the U.S. are extremely expensive private universities (Ivy League schools like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth, etc.), there are still some public universities that are also in the Tier 1 category, and these public universities are also the most expensive of the public universities. Unfortunately, what it all seems to boil down to is money. You receive a better education overall if you spend more money. That's not to say that universities like Harvard, though ranked as one of the world's top universities, produces independent thinkers, which is a whole different story. It's a shame that it always has to be about money, since equal opportunity for quality education should exist. Of course, if you really wanted to receive Harvard-standard education for free, you could get it. All you have to do is read books, at least at the undergraduate level. I feel like you can learn everything (or nearly everything) you need to learn from books. It's just that though you read everything, you won't get a degree, and in today's society, a degree says more than private book learning.

This has to be one of contemporary society's flaws. Everything depends on monetary achievements, a degree from an expensive school leads you to a "brighter", better-paid future. It's a shame since I feel like we're losing independent thinkers. Even Harvard-educated students aren't necessarily independent, critical thinkers. Many just regurgitate what their professors tell them and repeat exactly what they read in their books instead of digesting what they hear and read and retorting to, challenging, and analyzing what was just fed to them. Perhaps the era of modernity has destroyed some fine arts of times past or perhaps I'm just not looking hard enough.



Today's Random Quiz:

Your Surfing Habits are 50% Male, 50% Female

There's no way we can tell whether you're a man or woman. Of all the internet users, you are the most broad based in your habits. You use the internet for research and your career. But you also use the internet to keep in close touch with your loved ones.

Do You Use the Internet Like a Man or a Woman?

Agog for the Holidays

Christmas in Strasbourg is truly beautiful. I loved biking to and from classes and now that classes are over, I'm happy to roam the streets to go grocery shopping, walking to and from work, or Christmas shopping for last-minute presents. All the decorations just make me agog for the holidays; I mean, if scenes like these:















... don't put you in a holiday mood, I don't know what will! Compared to relatively low-scale decorating in most American cities, Strasbourg is really serious about Christmas! Makes sense though, considering it's self-proclaimed title of the world's "Christmas Capital".


Today's Random Quiz:

You Are A Reindeer

You are a solid, dependable person. You are more likely to act than talk. You have a lot of endurance and grit. You can work well into the night if you need to. You are cooperative and competent. You like being part of a team, especially if everyone is pulling their weight. You are energetic and hyper. You don't like to stay still for to long, and you're always ready to go somewhere new!

Are You An Elf or a Reindeer?

Quaker Oatmeal

It's very surprising but I actually miss American food. I guess it's similar to my burger-cravings I had while in Mali. You crave what you can't have. What I can't have here in France seems to be cheap, readily available oatmeal. Yes, oatmeal. Americans eat oatmeal, probably thanks to the British (Scottish) immigrants who brought their oatmeal-eating habits across the pond. I'm not saying oatmeal doesn't exist in France, it does. It's called flocons d'avoine and they do sell it in big grocery stores/supermarkets. They're not steel-cut oats, though, but rather, the worse-quality rolled oats that I personally wouldn't eat for breakfast. I only used rolled oats for baking but here in France, they don't even know what I'm talking about. No one eats it. I never thought I'd say this but I miss oatmeal made with real oats. I miss baking for that matter. I regret having chosen this apartment. At least the other apartment, while further from campus, had an oven I could bake things in.
Some things you just can't find here in France. For instance, Thanksgiving is in only 2 days and I have yet to find canned pumpkins (or even whole, big, orange pumpkins) to bake pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin crème brûlée, pumpkin bread... You can make anything with pumpkins! Pumpkin soup or porridge even. Pumpkin is delicious! I remember I met some Russians who didn't think pumpkins were good until I made pumpkin cheesecake that changed their tune completely. I guess French people just aren't creative with pumpkins. They're open-minded about eating strange things like snails (I know, it's a stereotype but it's actually true), frogs (definitely a stereotype but they do sell it, though hardly anyone eats it), horses (less commonly eaten, but eaten all the same), rabbits, ducks, pigeons... such weird things that we don't eat in America... but they don't eat the "normal" things like pumpkins! It's strange. I never had this feeling when I was in Mali. Why is that? Is it because France is more similar to the U.S. than Mali? Is that why I'm making comparisons between the countries and finding it frustrating that I can't find things they I should be able to find them? Is it because in Mali I expected to find nothing and so, I'd already given up and thus frustration couldn't be found?

Whatever the case, I miss oatmeal... and pumpkin bread, pie, pumpkin everything. I always crave certain "comfort foods" when it's this time of the year. I have so many childhood memories of eating things like certain cookies and pies that it makes me a little reminiscent in late November and in December.

Today's Random Quiz:

You Are Pumpkin Bread

You are considerate and generous. Your heart warms when you're able to do something unexpectedly nice for someone else. You know it can be a cold world out there, and you have plenty of happiness to spread around. You try to give as much as possible every day, and you know that small acts of kindness can often mean the much. Whether you're being a good listener or sharing a slice of your pumpkin bread, people feel lucky to be able to count on you.

What Pumpkin Treat Are You?

Out of the Loop

So I got a little distracted these past few months. Ok, I got VERY distracted these past few months. The task of filling in the gaps is much too burdensome at the moment that I'm going to leave you all out of the loop in terms of what happened this summer. I'm sure I'll eventually (someday) find the time to explain what happened and share some exciting travel stories of hitchhiking all throughout the Balkans and Eastern Europe for 2 months. Overall, it was a great experience but I won't get into any details right now.

Life in France so far as been quite... let's say... different. It's one thing to be a tourist and hitchhike around without a care in the world, it's another thing to live in a foreign country and have to find an apartment and the like. This experience I had while in Mali for about 4 months, but this time, it's for 2 years and not 4 months. I've actually been in France for less than 2 months now but I've definitely noticing some differences from living in France as opposed to living in the US. For starters, EVERYTHING is more complicated in France while everything in the US is simple as can be.

To give you all a few examples:

Opening a bank account in France: You have to go to the bank with proper identification, have to get a certificate/proof of academic registration, other valid ID (which the bank makes and keeps photocopies of), then you have to sign about 10 different pages of "contract" documents to open the account. After that, you wait for a validation letter that you have to sign, which then verifies your address and your account is "officially" open, though that might still take another week or so. After it's finally open, you have to wait for your bank debit card, which they don't send to you, but you have to wait for a letter with the pin code in it. Once you receive that, you go BACK to the bank at which you opened your account and ask for your card. You then, after about a month of waiting, finally get your debit card. Also, you have a personal bank agent, kind of like your academic counselor, which is not so in the US.

Opening a bank account in the USA: You go to the bank with one form of proper identification (passport, driver's license, etc. - American, foreign, it doesn't matter which country you're from). You ask to open a bank account (student or otherwise). Your bank account is opened immediately as soon as you deposit some money (the minimum is usually $5 to $10). They make you your debit card on the spot, which takes about 2 minutes, and you're finished!
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Buying a used bicycle in France: If it's an organized bike fair, you need to wait in line for about 1 or two hours, then you finally look for a bike. If you finally find one, you go tell someone working there, ask for a ticket then pay for that bike. Oh, you also need a form of identification (passport, driver's license... which was really weird... you're buying a freaking bike for heaven's sake!). You pay, then get a receipt to pick up your bike. You pick up your bike and leave after they check your receipt.

Buying a used bicycle in the USA: You go to a bike fair, buy the bike from the vendor and you leave.
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Renting an apartment in France: You MUST have a cosigner if you're not employed. The cosigner should also be French and you need to sign a few documents, must provide copies of student status, passport, student ID cards, etc. Also, the cosigner must copy down a huge paragraph (takes at least 10 minutes to copy) certifying his or her position as guarantor/creditor in case of tardy rental payments.

Renting an apartment in the USA: If the rent is below a certain amount, even if you're not working and you're a student, you don't need a cosigner, especially if it's a shared apartment. You don't need copies of ID, but you do need a form of ID and you need merely to copy down your ID number onto the lease. If a cosigner is required, s/he needs to merely sign an agreement and isn't required to copy down any large chunks of text.

I guess there are other peculiarities I won't get into for the moment. I'm not saying the French system is worse or bad... it's just more complicated. Overall, I suppose that the complications make things more secure in some ways... though, as an American, I find things like opening a bank account ridiculously complicated in France. I mean, I'm transferring thousands of euros from the US to France to spend in France! Isn't that sort of good for France? Why should it be so complicated? In any case, I guess the French would think our system is to informal/carefree and possibly a contributing factor to the world banking crisis. I can't blame them... it's sort of true, though I don't think opening a bank account easily has anything to do with it... still, maybe the overall looseness of the system allowed for so many subprime mortgages and... yeah, I won't get into that right now.

Oh, and I think it's colder in Strasbourg in October than it was in Madison. This morning, it was 26°F (-3°C). Pretty cold weather considering it's only mid-October. Ok, I have to get ready to go to class now. I'll try to keep you all posted!!!

Today's Random Quiz:

You Would Win Best Documentary Feature

You are very curious about and engaged with the world. Everyone is interesting to you. You have a variety of interests, and you delve into them quite deeply. People are impressed by the sheer quantity of stuff you know, and you're learning more every day. However, you're not just informed. You also are very informative. You share what you know in an engaging and interesting way.

What Would You Win an Oscar For?