Culture Shock?

I had an interesting dream last night. I was back on the UNR campus, walking down the sidewalks. I was walking past a lot of people, who would smile at me and say hello. To be polite, I would force a smile for this person I’d never met and say something like, “hey, what’s up?” or “nice day, huh?” I remember thinking to myself at the end of the dream, “God, I miss the French.” You see, people here walk down the sidewalks with their heads down and don’t try to force conversation in the misguided attempt to be polite. They keep to themselves and they let you keep thinking whatever it is you were thinking. It’s actually quite relieving to walk down the street deep in thought and not have to feel the need to break that thought in order to greet a complete stranger. And it’s not really rude, because it’s just not expected.

Today as I was walking across campus, coming home from my food shopping trip, I heard someone behind me loudly yell “Hey Shelby!” I turned around and saw Emily coming out of her class some fifty feet behind me. When she finally caught up to me she remarked how American she must have seemed, yelling out to me like that. It really was. And I can appreciate how the French must think that we Americans are loud and rude the same way we think the French are terse and rude. Personally, I think I fall on the French end of the spectrum on this particular issue, and I’m not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.

Anyway, today I’ve got another tongue twister to share:

Une faveur Favien, faites-moi une faveur. Favien, mon

serviteur, mon fidèle Favien. Favien, mon favori, de

servir un festin à la veuve voile, au visage fiévreux.

Un vrai festin, Favien. Un festin fabuleux,

de lièvre et de grives, de figues et ‘olives,

de fèves au genièvre, de goyaves suaves,

avec des vins, Favien. Des vins fins savoureux.

Que la veuve s’enivre! Et vous mon cher Favien,

s’il vous plait, je vous prie, soyez donc mon convive.

I think this one means I’ve got to work on my “V”’s?

I’m kind of pissed off because I found out today that I missed a class yesterday. I misread my schedule, which is a mess for the first two weeks, and thought that the class was supposed to be today. So the discussion on Le Chanson de Roland? You know, the one I was really really looking forward to? Yeah, I missed it.

Oh, and I’ve canceled my plans to go to Chinon and/or Avignon this weekend. Perhaps I’ll take a day trip to a city which is a little closer, but maybe not. Stay tuned to find out.