cultural differences/experiences

I am adding a new feature to the blog: On my "dashboard" I have a little widget that tells me the weather in any given location. I have one for all 3 I have lived in: Los Angeles, Orinda, and Bordeaux. The first week, I took a picture of it to show people that I'm not in Los Angeles anymore (weatherwise) and now I've taken one for week two. I think it will be a fun little exercise, and we can all have a cyber party if on any day the temperatures all match. So, here we go, weeks 1 and 2 (week 1 is the one with snow in the forecast):




And now, a little about my life....

During the first orientation session, the director of the UC in Bordeaux program told us to "explore, talk to strangers, make mistakes, be safe, and be courageous. No matter the results," she said, "you will have a cultural experience, and that's what you're here for!" I agree, but I have also taken to mocking this statement. (You get arrested? Eh, just another cultural experience!) Despite my mocking, it's the smallest things that seem to rock the boat the most, as far as cultural differences go. And, of course, it's these differences that become learning experiences, and times where we can either acclimate or ship out. I know you are wondering, what are those things? I have made a short list!

1. French use of the refrigerator
Milk is not refrigerated. My family keeps the milk in a cabinet next to the stove, and I believe it's refrigerated after it's opened, but I have not really investigated. I consider myself very lucky, my friend's family gets "crude milk." As he says, "It's milk from the cow to a bucket to a bottle to my family." And then, once at this house, the milk sits on the stove, non-refrigerated, in a pot, until it's empty, and more milk is bought. Though our families are at different points on the non-refrigerated milk spectrum, apparently, most families do not refrigerate their milk. Ever. Also, the french seem not to refrigerate eggs. And, my family does not refrigerate leftover artichokes, but will refrigerate other leftovers.

2. Lined paper
Lined paper is not widely used in France. The preferred paper for note taking and writing is graph paper. Actually, according to wikipedia, "In France, in order to foster handwriting discipline, the type of ruling used on paper in schools is determined by the French government: Heavy horizontal lines are drawn 8 mm (appx. 5/16 in) apart, with three lighter lines 2 mm (appx. 5/64 in) apart in between each pair of heavy lines. Heavy vertical lines are drawn, spaced 8 mm (appx. 5/16 in) apart, beginning 16 mm (appx. 5/8 in) from the left-hand edge of the page. This is also known as Seyès Ruling"
It looks like this:

Lined paper, and notebooks in general are extremely expensive, and I am starting to warm to the idea of using graph paper all the time. But, that's mostly because it's the cheapest, and there are only weird sizes for lined paper and most of it is wide ruled...

3. Doors/Doorknobs
Doors for houses/apartments have doorknobs that serve no purpose. They are decorative and there to pull, but they do not turn, and they are generally located in the center of the door. My door to my house does not have a doorknob, so, to close the day, you have to hook your fingers into the keyhole and pull. Also, most doors have handles on both sides, meaning that the fact that there is a handle means nothing, you will probably have to grab the handle and push on the door. As you may have guessed, entering and exiting buildings was very stressful and embarrassing at first. I can now open and close the doors to my residence, however, unfamiliar doors are still menacing.

4. French frankness/bluntness
My family, and all the French people I have met will tell you exactly how it is, and exactly how they feel. They do not placate or preface potentially awkward/mean statements with anything. If you ask a question and it's wrong, they won't say, "Almost! So close, keep trying!" They will say, "No." And, sometimes, if you're really confused looking, they'll explain where you went wrong. Also, my host mother is very fascinated by my name. When said quickly, "Marie Yeh" sounds like the french word for "married." Furthermore, "Yeh" is a last name seldom heard in France. So, usually, she says, "Elle s'appelle Marie Yeh, elle vient de la Californie, et son père est Chinois!" Meaning "Her name is Marie Yeh, she comes from Califonia, and her father is Chinese!" Her friends always gawk and say, "Oh, ouais, je peut le voir. Ses yeux!" Meaning, "Oh, yeah, I see it. Her eyes!" While they say this, they usually make hand gestures that very clearly communicate my eyes are more slanted, and almond shaped than theirs. It's refreshing to know exactly where you stand with people; thus far, I have not found it offensive. It's more a breath of fresh air and very amusing.

Alright, those are the big 4 thus far. I'm sure, as soon as I post this I will be about to add a few, and so, this will just be a running list and every time I am confronted with something crazy, I will keep it up.

Today I had an "exposé orale" to test our knowledge of something related to French culture (and our ability to speak). The exposé, however, is a common form of testing in France. They are usually 10 minutes long and are to be done without notes, "Talk spontaneously!" my French teacher said. Furthermore, I was informed that papers here are often times handwritten. I am dubious, but, I guess that because I don't have a printer I can't complain.

Also, as I begin to feel settled, I still cannot accept that this is my life. Bordeaux is where I live. I will take classes in Bordeaux. I will not be seeing California for another 7 months. This is not vacation. It's crazy! Thus far, out of necessity, I have just accepted the changes around me. So my take has been: Bordeaux is where I live, I guess. I guess I will take classes in Bordeaux. Seems like I won't be in California for 7 months. This isn't vacation, I guess. It's not to sound unenthused, it's just that I have just accepted these major adjustments to allow for the more immediate concerns, "I hope this rain does not turn into falling ice." "I wonder how to get home?" I dunno, it's all a very out of body experience. Too bad I can't explain it better.