Ex-pat Trick or Treat? or How the French do America

Type-writer room at Shakespeare and Company

I must admit, when USC study abroad program staff sat all of us fresh-faced, eager study-abroaders-to-be down and explained to us something they refer to as the Culture Shock Curve, I was skeptical. The curve claims that living in a foreign culture entails an emotional rollercoaster, starting with a honeymoon period and quickly deteriorating into crisis-mode, before transitioning into acceptance and then adjustment. But no, none of that for me. My entire study abroad experience was going to be amazingly, superbely, radically awesome.

Well, they were sort of right. Living 24-7 in a culture that is both confident enough that it is superior to yours and frank enough to tell you it on a semi-regular basis can be trying, especially when you are navigating the trecherous territory of not seeming like a loud-mouthed yankee in a foreign language that is still getting harder, not easier, every day. But fear not, would-be-francophile! In our modern, globalized world economy, France is full of Americanized treats for the home-sick ex-pat and foreign student alike! But the real trick is finding those anglophone establishments/institutions/events that not only warm your soul with patriotic feeling, but which the French themselves can't get enough of! There is nothing like waiting along side 40 French people for 55 minutes to get into a place like Breakfast in America to make you realize, hey! some aspects of my culture aren't so lacking after all! Sure, Frace gets to have wine, and macaroons, and refinement, but the good ol' United States of America sure knows how to make a pancake!

This photo was around minute 48 in our wait for a table, as you can probably tell by the hint of desparation in all of our eyes.
But it was more than worth it. I meant to take pictures of our food BEFORE we ate all of it, but my excitement at seeing real fake-maple syrup and A&W root beer ruined any chance of that happening. This is what was left of my meal 15 minutes or so after our spunky, American waitress sat it down in front of me:I'd opted for the pancake special, "Yellow and Blue" (i.e. blueberry and lemon) and an A&W root beer float. I also had a side of home fries, and everyone else at the table managed to order (and eat) so much, that our waitress even commented on the amount of deliciousness that we had consumed. And, since this is France, it wasn't judgementally! She was proud and impressed. To make the experience even better, Breakfast in America, like any good American establishment, has a punch card where if you come in 11 times you get one free meal! I have one, and plan on making it to that free meal even if it means standing in line for 55 whole minutes every time!

Another American tradition based on consuming large amounts of unhealthy food-stuff that the French have picked up with more than a little enthusiasm is, of course, Halloween! Prepared for the French to suck at it, I made plans to go to Rocky Horror Picture Show, but first I was going to stop by a mysterious event called "Zombie Walk 2009":


Exceeding all expectations, I found a group of some 300-400 people decked out in full zombie make-up and attire marching the streets with appropriately vacant expressions. One even grabbed ahold of Kristen, which sparked surprising terror in both of us, but not more than the sight of the ferocious, the untamable, zombie puppy!


You can't see it too well here, but rest assured, the puppy was in character too, with red paint smears around his cute little nose! Like most French parades, this one carried with it a political message as well, from "Zombie's have rights too!", to "Proud to be zombie-sexuel". Yes, it was impressive, and yes, it was Halloween-y, but of course the French had their own political spin on it. Yet somehow, this franco-ization made me feel as warm and fuzzy as overhearing one French jeune explaining to another that the parade was there because "Itz 'Alloween!" But not quite as warm and fuzzy as the sight of this zombie family:
It was a lucky thing that the Zombie Walk exceeded all expectations because Rocky Horror was sold out. Fortunately, it plays every week, and even more fortunately, there was a free Halloween party at an Irish bar called Sweeny's to take it's place! Halloween was awesome, and France really is growing on me more and more every day. Especially when it comes up with awesome surprises like a dog that loves to play fetch with straws in a bar!

Hope everyone had a spooky Halloween!