- squirrels
- grackles
- mosquitoes
- strip malls
- hugs from people I barely know (I missed hugs while I was away, but now I find them a bit invasive)
- the heat and humidity
- drought
- mowing the lawn when it's 100°F
- processed food
- high blood pressure
- migraines
- noise. we are a nation of extremely loud people.
- traffic jams
- being constantly bugged by waiters/waitresses who bring the check before you've taken your last bite of food and therefore feeling rushed
- having to use air conditioning
Things I miss about France:
- driving rules (except that silly priorité à droite). Stay right & pass on the left, people. It's safer and more orderly.
- traffic circles (I visited the only one in OKC the other day just to feel better)
- bisous
- walking to the store / post office / bakery / bank / friends' houses ...
- trains
- cheese, cheese, cheese
- speaking French
- the smell of the countryside
- old buildings
- shutters
- roosters
- Satine
- rester zen
Things that make me happy despite it all:
- my house
- my kitty cat
- a car that works and/or doesn't smell like horses
- being reunited with my shoes
- my pillow-top mattress
- two welcome-home parties
- August birthdays
- being surrounded by friends who are happy I'm home
- not losing 25+% of my salary to the exchange rate
- gas that's not $8/gallon
- Target. Three different stores in the first 3 days.
- had a picnic with friends
- walked home from a restaurant (Moroccan to boot)
- put up a clothes line (but I'll air-fluff my towels...)
- cooked omelets
- baked tartes aux pommes, (it's just not the same when I have to buy the apples)
- spoke French in a café for 3 hours with Julia & Emeline
- stayed away from school until I am required to be there
- let things go that are out of my control
6 comments:
I am surprised that the hugs made the bad list as too invasive considered the "kissiness" of the French is good. That would seem at least as invasive as the hugs, at least insofar as personal space issues.
Amy
They didn't pay you in euro's? I'd cry foul on that one!!
Nope, it was in dollars all the way. "Leave of absence with pay." I sure lost out on that end of the deal.
Add to list of things to stay French:
baked a lemon-raspberry tart
baked a quiche to take to the luncheon at school
baked a quiche for me
bought a stinky slab of Roquefort at Med-Deli
...
Yum...quiche. Love it!
Amy
Note about hugs:
I tolerate side-hugs more than front-on ones.
I don't know how to greet people when I run into them here - do I shake their hands? Hugging an acquaintance seems really weird, and if I leaned in to give them bises on the cheeks, that would probably be received just about as well as I'm dealing with hugs at the moment.
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