I hope I haven't lost Paris

I'm back in Richmond and getting ready to start the first week of the semester. Ugh. This just doesn't feel real. It's so bizarre returning to what felt like a closed chapter dans ma vie. 

The good news is that I have high speed internet again. That doesn't cut out every five minutes.  

I've been listening to "La Nouvelle Chanson Française"...and it's not too bad, there are at least some good songs.  But I'm pretty sure that French pop is not going to ever grow on me. The weirdest thing, though, is that most of the French songs have at least some English in them, if not completely in English. It's a little upsetting, actually. 

I think my favorite CD I bought is "Autour du Monde", a French dance-reggae mix of various artists. Talk about a finding your niche. 

Au Revoir, Paris

And so closes a too-short chapter of ma vie. I can't help but wonder where I'll go from here. Will I ever flâne through your streets again, rainy Paris?

I cannot even begin to describe the emotions I'm experiencing right now. It's a little bit like leaving behind a friend, or a lover, for an indeterminate amount of time, but it's more than that, even. I'm leaving behind a part of myself - because I discovered so much about myself here, and I have discovered that so much of me is here.

It's very similar to the way I felt when we moved from the only house I'd lived in for 18 years. Except in that house I spilled oil on the rug, I drew a self-portrait on the wall, I chipped off part of the countertop when I busted my lip on it. Here, I don't feel like I've been able to leave my mark, so the departure is more like ending a relationship to which I'm just beginning to devote myself.

I cannot imagine who I would be, what I'd be doing, where I'd be going today if I had not studied in Paris. Being here, away from every jugement, every sticky-situation, and every important life-changing decision, is like being stuck in time - time allotted specifically for me and my self-discovery.

I feel so incredibly lucky to have had this experience, and I know it will affect the way I live the rest of my life. I love Paris.

Yes, this is real. and creepy. and so very French.

Latest ad:
Orangina on a soda machine. I didn't really take note of it until a few days ago, when a friend pointed out how ridiculous it was. Just goes to show how little is shocking here. Click on the image to get the full, close-up effect.

Ô, comme j'adore le français

Paris, je rentrerai bientôt...mais à ce moment, j'ai besoin de soleil, j'ai besoin d'amour, j'ai besoin de ma ville, alors même qu'elle est ennuyante, c'est toujours chez moi, et j'en ai besoin.

On dit qu'on ne parle pas couramment avant qu'on commence à rêver dans la deuxième langue, mais moi, je ne rêve jamais de rien; mais l'autre nuit j'ai rêvé; j'ai rêvé en trois langues, et je n'en ai aucune connu.

Paris, tu me fatigues, mais je suis dévouée, je suis attachée à toi. Pourquoi est-ce que tu ne m'aimes pas? Ou ai-je tort? Tu ne me montres jamais ton soleil, et ma peau change à l'orangé, tes nuages pleuvent comme je pleure quand je pense au départ.

"The Waltz" Auguste Rodin

J'avais des liaisons, des aventures, avec tes écrivains: tes rues que je connaîs si bien. Et mes amants me manqueraient si je les avais quitté, mais ils voyagent mieux que toi, Paris, ils ne me laisseront jamais.

Paris, je comprends pourquoi tes écrivains sont si solennels - c'est la pluie qui crée cet effet, c'est ta pluie qui crée tes grands écrivains.

This is where it's at, my friends, this is where it's at.

Continuing on my "french ad" theme...here's a new one I found in the metro. This is one of my personal favorite types of cheese, and the ad alone makes me salivate every time I walk by it.

School Spirit

Umm, yes please.

Response to "5 types of Facebook Trolls"

5 Types of Facebook Trolls, and what to do with them

Troll type: Old-time Nobody Confirm or Ignore? Confirm

Agreed. It's actually kind of fun, in my opinion, to look up people you haven't seen since before they hit puberty, just to see what they look like now, if for no other reason.

Troll type: New service addict Confirm or Ignore? Ignore

I can't honestly say I've ever had this problem, though I agree with the verdict. Can't have too many pointless web-related emails spamming my inbox - I draw the line at requests to join vampire fb games.

Troll type: Bar friend Confirm or Ignore? Confirm

Hmmm...this is a hard one. Confirm, but added to a list that doesn't include my address or AIM. Besides, you could even argue that fb profiles are created for these types of people - those you hardly know, but that you would like to think of you as "sexy." This is why photos are carefully tagged/untagged in a selective form of self-promotion aimed towards those people who don't know "what you're really like."

Troll type: The stranger Confirm or Ignore? Think first

I've only gotten these types of requests a handful of times, and usually I send a very polite message apologizing for forgetting where we met. If they respond with a reminder, I confirm, if not, I ignore.

Troll type: The ghost Confirm or Ignore? Remove

I have to admit, when I first read this label, I thought it meant those people who you are fb friends with and have since passed away. The kind of ghost the author refers to, though, is someone completely different, and I agree with the verdict. However, I think we should consider what to do about my version of "the ghost." It's very strange to see them pop up on your friends list or especially "birthday reminder" sidebar, but I particularly find it interesting that their walls and pages become an homage to their lives. I think for that reason, these "ghosts" should be a "keep."

Any thoughts?