Life in Flers (again)

A while ago, I posted a series of photos I'd collected on my cell phone. Once again, I have a whole slew of them to share with you, and some of them date back from a while ago... you'll notice winter clothes, Christmas-related pictures, and even pictures from the Paris trip with Finn and Danielle. I just decided to post them all at once, and in no particular order, to give you a little glimpse of what daily life here is like!

The French love acronyms. This one in particular, to me, has horrible sonorities. "The 'SNALC', ladies and gentlemen!" The brochure is tacked up in the teachers' room, and it's been bothering me ever since I first arrived at Albert Camus.

What on earth does this mean? I am as mystified as I imagine you are, dear reader.

In France, tripes are important enough to come in a can. They're even important enough to come in two different varieties. Yuck.

Versailles on a misty day. Right before the cops pulled us over for Finn's illegal u-turn.

Passing the Eiffel Tower in the car = a surreal experience!

At Christmastime, bears started popping up in displays all over Normandy. This poor, unfortunate soul at the display in E. Leclerc looked as though Santa'd had about enough of his shenanigans.

My winter uniform: scarf wrapped tight, and always a hat. Gloves, too.

Christmas meal at Jean Monnet

Staff from the Foyer preparing our Christmas meal (poule au blanc), and always having fun!

Awesome mirror in a bathroom in Paris

Ah, the Buffalo Grill! There's one in every town in France now, it seems. This restaurant is centered on an "American" theme... LOL!! Even the waiters wear deputy stars as name badges, and keep their note tablets in a sort of "holster" on their hip. So corny, but the French love a good "cow-boy"!

I ask you, WHAT sherrif on the face of this earth has ever eaten Crème brûlée? And WTF are American profiteroles??? Some things are just lost in translation.

More "American" French desserts, and a nice big photo of those "American" profiteroles (top picture).

The French even do American food better than we do, if you ask me. That burger had brie on it. And that white sauce is Camembert dipping sauce, for the fries, of course. Mmmmm, that shit was good.

In January, we celebrated Epiphany together with a delicious cake.

Dearbhla and Finn just before we divided our cake! (Finn ended up with the fève, so he got to wear the crown... as you've guessed, this works kind-of like a King Cake at mardi gras, but it isn't the same thing!!)

Finn and I recently made a trip to the local gay bar. Or, as it's known here, the "cabaret and private club". I mean, we just figured, 'Why not?'

Now that the weather has warmed up, and nearly every day is sunny, I've been running in the park a lot. Things are starting to turn green and bloom.

On a shop door in Rouen.

Rouen outtake.

The Post-It Wars! This was on a shop window in Rouen, and I just loved it. A year or two ago, in France, people started making drawings with Post-Its, sticking them to office-building windows and in public places. You can see them all over now, and I think they're just fantastic.

I've started photographing the hours of the places I visit, because you just never know. For example, this is the Casino grocery store, pretty much the only grocery store in town. Its hours include, in typical French fashion, a two-hour lunch break from 1-3 p.m., and reduced hours on Sundays. And, just randomly, and just to piss you off every time you try to pick something up that day, they happen to be closed on Wednesdays.

The teachers at Albert Camus also have a sense of humour, just like the ones at Jean Monnet! This is a note informing the faculty that a certain student will be leaving the school. Underneath, in red, is written, "May the Lord be with him! And most of all, with his spirit!", which makes a play on words with 'spirit', and repeats the same phrase that the French use every Sunday in church.

Currently at the Institut du Monde Arabe, apparently. Wish I could go see it!

I teach in the Latin room one day out of the week, and this poster has always bothered me... It says, "Latin, the hardest part is quitting." I mean, this is a middle school... Isn't this just a bit inappropriate?

A Compiègne outtake: last glimpses

A REAL grand crème: a cup of coffee, and a little pitcher of steamed whole cream. Only in Paris.

How do you eat a croissant? If you're like me, you start at the center point!

Mmm!

One thing that's VERY different in France from the U.S.: man's best friend really is allowed everywhere. Take this bar, at the local bowling alley, for example.

Friends! Me and Elo :)

Nico tries on a lovely spring hat 

Early morning at the IMEC

Typical Normandy: an automatic umbrella distributor. This is in the train station in Caen; presumably because tourists are the only fools who would try using an umbrella in that windy, drizzly nonsense! A real Norman just pulls up their hood and trudges on.