I'm currently in the process of setting up pen pal correspondence between my students here in Lyon and students in Tennessee. To get my French kids in the swing of communicating with Americans, I had them answer a couple questions that American kids had sent to me. I have edited their responses for clarity, and … Continue reading French students explain freedom →

Let's say I wake up one morning in Tennessee with a gross cough and a runny nose. What do I do? Should I go to the doctor? Heck, no! What do I look like, a millionaire? I go to Walgreens and buy as many pharmaceuticals as I can carry without talking to a medical professional … Continue reading I hate French pharmacies →

What do you see on your route to work or school? Really think about it. Do you walk? Is any part of it walkable? Are there any independent businesses, or is it mostly chains? Do you see many sidewalks? Would it be possible to bike? France, as well as most other western European countries, puts … Continue reading The walk to work →

You don't realize how crucial manners are to you and your interactions with the world until you have to learn new ones. In American popular imagination, France is sometimes thought of as the height of sophistication and refinery. Usually, that means strict codes of politeness and gentility. That part's mostly true. The problem is that … Continue reading La politesse →

This is a half classroom at the end of a hall. Other than the size, this is exactly what all the other classrooms look like. No decor, no frills. My prof ref said that some teachers are asking for those interesting "one person desks" than American schools have, because they could move them around easier. … Continue reading Photos of daily life →

I’ll be the first to admit that my driving record is not the best. The first time I ever sat behind the wheel, I made it all the way to my high school’s parking lot before slamming the gas pedal into a senior cheerleader’s front bumper. Things did not get markedly better from there. To … Continue reading On the subject of driving →

The view from my Airbnb. Since the bells still work in the belfry, I never lost track of time. I definitely was not supposed to be in this part of the cathedral, due to it being under construction or repairs or somesuch. But this gorgeous wood carving drew me in! So really, it's Mother Mary's … Continue reading Bayeux photo dump →

Or, well, actually the embroidery, if you want to be technical. A little background: roughly a thousand years ago, a duke named William was named as the next king of England. He was a Norman, meaning he was from the northern part of France. Another nobleman, Harold, this time an actual Anglo-Saxon from England, took … Continue reading The tapestry →

This past week, I was on fall break. I chose to spend my free time on a journey to the northern region of Normandy, famous to Americans for being the location of D-Day. But I wasn't there to see Omaha beach; I wanted to see the Bayeux Tapestry, a thousand-year-old piece of art. That merits, … Continue reading The village of Bayeux →

It's fall break! I went north to Normandy to see the sights, which I'll share later. This post is about train travel, a virtual unknown to Americans. But before I got to the train, I had to ride the metro. The crowd in the metro was thicker than i had yet seen, and it only … Continue reading Train Travel →