A friend of mine was telling me about a potluck her school's teachers did during the lunch hour last week. She said that they do it once a month or so, not to celebrate anything, but just for the cameraderie. They invited her to eat as well (because French people are concerned that Americans can't … Continue reading Definitely illegal in the U.S. →

I’m thrilled that I’ll be spending Christmas back home this year, but I must say: the French certainly have an extraordinary way of celebrating. This past weekend I went with some French friends to see a spectacle that they had been hyping up for weeks. “Allison, you will just die I think." "We cannot wait … Continue reading Festival of Lights →

Tonight, France is going to explode. For context, the vast majority of immigrants to France are from North Africa, meaning the countries of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. I am currently living in the immigrant neighborhood of Lyon -- makes sense, since I'm an immigrant -- and most of my neighbors are from those countries. I … Continue reading WORLD CUP →

Alright, y'all are gonna love this one. I asked my parents to mail me some brochures -- you know, those ones from the wooden stands in Hiltons and Double Trees. And they delivered. I got a huge manila envelope with brochures, foldouts, and two booklets. I brought these to my students, asked them to peruse … Continue reading Flipping through brochures →

A couple weeks ago, I participated in a cultural event here in Lyon that might be worth your attention. It was called Beaujolais Nouveau. This is a regional festival dedicated to the first wines of the season, made from the youngest grapes. It’s fairly recent, as French festivals go -- it’s only been around since … Continue reading Beaujolais Nouveau →

Dear readers, I must call in a favor. Next week is the last of the semester before Christmas break, and I'm putting together a lesson on American X-Mas traditions. Here is my request: either in the comments of this post or via the Contact page on this site, tell me about traditions, meals, activities, or … Continue reading Request for help! →

Several posts ago, I mentioned in passing that I would explain a big problem in French schools. It’s a foggy day and I am off work, so today I will write about it. The problem is called laicité. Buckle up. It is so deeply un-American. I like to think of myself as a cosmopolitan individual; worldly, … Continue reading Laicité and the veil →

Folks, I did it. I finally found an American novelty shop. I had heard rumors of such a place from the other Americans I know here. We've all been jonesing for something or another from back home; Jackson misses Chik-fil-A sandwiches, Madison and Connor miss Mexican food, I miss cool ranch Doritos, and so on. … Continue reading The America store →

When I found out that Lyon has an opera house that also puts on ballets, I knew I had to go at least once. I snagged tickets to Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky months ago. Me being below the age of 26, my ticket was only ten euros. This was my first time ever going to … Continue reading A night at the opera →

French people don't understand Thanksgiving at all. My students told me that Thanksgiving was a religious holiday, or that it was the day Christmas started in America, or that it was invented for Black Friday. To help them get in the spirit of things, I did a lesson on the history of the first Thanksgiving … Continue reading Thanksgiving in France →