This is the Message Centre for Ivich
Osiyo Mme...
Batty_ACE Started conversation Apr 19, 2002
Welcome to h2g2. Have a loo brush. I'm Batty, one of the h2g2 ACEs (Assistant Community Editors). Guess there are worse places to sell your soul than Paris.
Below are a few links you might find useful. Feel free to contact me if you need further assistance or just wish to chat. Click on my name above to go to my page and leave me a message, or just reply to this one.
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Ready to socialize with some of h2g2's festive (if somewhat odd) locals? Try some of these links.
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As if this wasn't plenty, here is Shea's Links Page: A534953 (why bother to create one of my own when Shea did such a great job?)
Batty, ACE
Osiyo Mme...
Ivich Posted Apr 22, 2002
.....just got here
V nice to meet you Batty
Your bog brush cheered me up no end.
Don't know you yet, but I already have a favour to request (!)
Any tips on looking for researchers who are in Paris/living as ex-pats somewhere, for a bit of gossip & to appease the homesickness Sniffle! How can you deny?!
Merci le !!!!
Hope to chat again soon
Osiyo Mme...
Batty_ACE Posted Apr 22, 2002
You could try the Terran Embassy at A473898 this is mostly for languages other than English but it's a possibility that you'd find researchers there that live in Paris.
You may want to also wander through the various pubs where researchers just hang out to chat. You can go to the Pub Crawl page to see a listing of pubs . I think it's at A707465 (really terrible that I'm not sure since it's actually my page).
Let me know if you need anything further or if you just want to chat for a bit.
Osiyo Mme...
Beatrice Posted Apr 22, 2002
I know Luxembourg's not Paris, but I am suffering from ex-pat homesickness if you fancy a chat.
(whispers) how rude are we allowed to be about the French?
Osiyo Mme...
Batty_ACE Posted Apr 22, 2002
I'm neither an ex-pat nor am I in Luxembourg... would you settle for a Cherokee now living in NYC??
Be as rude as you want. I work with an office full of 'em and while I don't like stereotypes all I have to say is are they ever rude! But since they're rude to pretty much everyone I guess they're equal opportunity offenders..
Le French
Beatrice Posted Apr 23, 2002
To be rude about the French? Well the world's media seems to be doing a good enough job at the minute.
So, how long have you been in Paris? How long are you intending to stay? What is the one worst thing, and one best thing, about living there?
Le French
Ivich Posted Apr 23, 2002
Hey again Luckystar ,
Been in Paris for a year and a half now.
Make or break whether to leave, or persist in June.
Well, the worst thing is probably not actually the French- the worst thing really is being foreign- ALL THE TIME, which makes you feel like everything you do is intrinsically s*****c and a faux-pas. Sort of feeling like you've worn jeans to a Graduation Ball.
Every day!
But I guess Parisians can be a bit unfriendly, which exacerbates it.
Beauty sort of works from the outside-in, here too. So it's OK to smoke (cos it keeps you thin) and nothing matters quite so much as your teased and tweaked hairdo! Even the trees are manicured here! It's indisputably beautiful (the city, the people, the presentation of your crepe flambée) but it's a bit superficial at the same time.
It lacks a bit of soul somewhere. They've killed it with snobbery on some levels.
Being a Brit, I've discovered I have a penchant for sport, Bran Flakes at breakfast & a generally Bridget Jones mentality of being a personality and, if you feel like it, wearing outlandish clothes or dying your hair. This is a bit controversial, here, as v. conservative!
The best thing, though, is sitting on a terrasse in the sunshine, with a hangover on Sunday morning, when all of Paris is smiling. Looking at Notre Dame, reading a book & receiving indulgent smiles from old French boules players, when you look pretty.
And the sunsets over the Seine are spectacular too.
And the sheer amount of beautiful statues they just dot about for the hell of it. Or drinking champagne on the river bank in the sun.
It's definately not all bad. Cor, you got an essay there! Just felt like a write.
Tell me some things about you? Like your page by t way, L'.
Le French
Beatrice Posted Apr 23, 2002
Been in Luxembourg since January 2002. My first attempt at living abroad, and so far I have no regrets, although "Culture Shock" does slam you right in the face sometimes. The 2 times when I have cried with frustration were
1. yesterday when I couldn't get Excel to multiply 2 cells together (turns out I should have out a "," instead of a ".")
2. when my 10-yr old son was having major difficulties in French, being about 5 years behind the rest of his class, and his French teacher refuses to speak to him in English, excuses him from homework cos it's too hard, but doesn't give him any easier work to do, and basically tells him to sit there and be quiet! I had expected a more "child-centered" approach.....
Luxembourg is such a mixture of cultures, that I feel I can get away without conforming to any particular "norms". If I do my hair a certain way, or accidentally put on too much green eyeshadow, or wear a peculiar outfit, the attitude is likely to be "Oh that must be what Irish/ british people do", without any prejudice.
It is very French speaking, and my own French is getting better - slightly! There's more readiness to speak English here than I have found in France.
Le French
Batty_ACE Posted Apr 23, 2002
Mme, Glad to see you found someone to chat with.
I'm going to unsubscribe from the conversation so if you need anything further please post a note to my personal space by clicking my name above...
Le French
Ivich Posted Apr 24, 2002
Hi again !
OUI, there does seem to be some serious child discipline in action in France! an English friend was actually UPSET(!) when she watched a French kid eating chips so carefully, he actually got up and microwaved them warm in the canteen half-way through, 'cos it was taking him so long! she said there just seemed something a bit old & sensible in it for a little kid....(although she probably doesn't advocate intensive chow down either!)
don't have any children. am 23. Babysit sometimes for an English family in Paris. their son is 4, and having problems between complete Anglo lingo at home and total French in school. He is such a hypo bundle!
So how ARE the French being portrayed in the worldwide media stakes? Must say the election results are alarming and pretty outrageous. Feel embarassed to be here at the moment.
What's happening w u anyways? Mmme GHarlott
Le French
Beatrice Posted Apr 24, 2002
Chere MGH,
I'm very nervous today cos my parents are coming over for their first visit. (I'm 40 and I know I shouldn't be nervous, but I guess that's what parents - or more specifically mothers - do to you).
Actually, I celebrated my 40th birthday in Paris. My best friend and I always have a joint birthday do, usually a City break somewhere, and decided Paris would be IT for the big 4-0. I'd expected to be working in Brussels, she lives in London, take the Eurostar, and there we are.
Turned out I wasn't yet working abroad, so was travelling from Belfast (where I'm from). Managed to get onto a training course in Sunningdale the week before we left, which paid for me to be near London. Due to catch the Eurostar on Friday morning. On the Thursday,we called into Waterloo to check everything was in order, and I noticed the sign saying "You may only pass this point if you have a valid ticket and your passport"
PASSPORT!!!!! I knew I'd left mine in Belfast. With less than 24 hours to go, I phoned my ex-husband who was house sitting, got him to find my passport, go to Belfast airport and sweet talk British Midland into putting it on the next plane to Heathrow, where I picked it up that evening.
Phew!
Had a super time in Paris - loved the Arab World Institute, Phillippe Starck's "Bon" (where I spent a fortune in the shop), and that ice cream shop on the Ile St Louis - Bertoluccis?
L
Le French
Beatrice Posted Apr 24, 2002
yeah, liquorice ice cream! And gingerbread flavour.
And heavenly passionfruit sorbet.
How do you decide what wine to drink? Luxembourg has a (not very famous) wine region, which is small and specialised, so I'm taking the opportunity to get to know her wines intimately. So when faced with the 3 full walls of wine in the Supermarket, I can at least confine myself to a small section, and cross off the ones I've already tried.
Rivaner I don't like (I believe this is Black Tower without the PR)
Elbling is nice and refreshing but a bit bland.
Pinot Gris is my favourite - unsurprisingly as I was quite fond of Italian Pinot Grigios in my time.
I have a bottle of Lux "champagne" chilling in the fridge for the imminent arrival of my parents.....
Parents & Wine
Ivich Posted Apr 24, 2002
Oo-ooh!
State of you
in fridge & everything!
Do you cook like Philippe Starck? 'cos that would definately impress ANYBODY's parents
That's so funny- I'm going home in 2 weeks and have bought a bottle of champagne aswell! Also have a hefty box of Hediard choccies sitting next to me as we speak, for express delivery to mother. What sad little people we are, trying to get our parents amusingly drunk & wheedle way into their good books after all this time! Might chuck in some bonus macaroons, 'cos they look fab & it's getting sunny.
Wine. Now- there's a tricky subject! They all go by region here.
So I know which areas I like for reds (Rhone valley & Avignon-> Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape, Cotes de Rhone/Beaune, Hermitage) and which generally for whites(Bourgogne->Sancerre, Chablis, Pouilly-whateverulike).
But there's just SO MANY!....& any excuse to (over)taste.
The champers I got is called Jacques Selosse. Not super lux, but (I think) v yummy, and a bit different because they won't find it too easily at home.
Good luck. Enjoy your fag. One of my convos was in the 'Smokers' chat, 'cos I am now trying to give up the delicious, dirty ol' habit of Marlboro Lights.....*spark*
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Osiyo Mme...
- 1: Batty_ACE (Apr 19, 2002)
- 2: Ivich (Apr 22, 2002)
- 3: Batty_ACE (Apr 22, 2002)
- 4: Beatrice (Apr 22, 2002)
- 5: Batty_ACE (Apr 22, 2002)
- 6: Batty_ACE (Apr 22, 2002)
- 7: Ivich (Apr 23, 2002)
- 8: Beatrice (Apr 23, 2002)
- 9: Ivich (Apr 23, 2002)
- 10: Beatrice (Apr 23, 2002)
- 11: Batty_ACE (Apr 23, 2002)
- 12: Ivich (Apr 24, 2002)
- 13: Beatrice (Apr 24, 2002)
- 14: Ivich (Apr 24, 2002)
- 15: Beatrice (Apr 24, 2002)
- 16: Ivich (Apr 24, 2002)
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