AUJOURD'HUI
with Tish Jett
This the very first Transatlantic Parallel game that Tish Jett, the very talented and observant creator of the fabulous blog A Femme d'un Certain Age and I are playing on our respective blogs.
Tish and I lead "parallel" lives if you will, she, married to a Frenchman and living 40 minutes from Paris and I, a happy resident alien (don't you love that description?) 30 minutes from New York City with my American sweetHart (petit jeu de mot...) a play on words -or name- in this case.
Each week we will each divulge what we like, what we noticed or what we could never give up in each of our adopted countries; what we miss from home: a cultural difference or practical aspect of day to day life, or maybe something not found where we now live. I will post my thoughts here and Tish will post hers on her blog simultaneously, in "Parallel", so flip back and forth and compare; you will have fun, promis.
Aux Etats Unis
I like:
the I-am-so-sorry-to-hear-that
(I believe Tish likes Dyptique candles, but shhhh, I said nothing, go check for yourself on her blog.
I miss:
the Paris corner store, l'arabe du coin, always owned by a North African family, stocked with all the usual life saving wares and sometimes surprisingly inspiring Moroccan or Tunisian goods, opened late on Saturday night, "Hamdullah"! (thanks to God) when adorably persuasive friends "just landed at Roissy and would love to see you..." bon, bon, tres bien...
I find amusing:
When you have a party, and you have dolled up your house, la cuisine, the kitchen, had better be parfaite also: half the guests will congregate there in no time and happily spend the evening chatting among the waiting platters and opened wine bottles. relaxed. touching. simple.
I could never give up:
Supermarkets and drugstores open 24 hours a day, seven days a week; as life saving as the Paris arabe du coin but without the couleur locale, the quirkiness, nor the makings for a complete couscous!Et voila, pour cette semaine, for this week; et maintenant, swim across the ocean to A Femme d'un Certain Age if you have not already been there and find out how Letitia Jett evaluates her life in la Belle France.
Now it's your turn: what have you spotted in France or in the States that you found amusing, annoying, frustrating? or fun, bizarre, endearing enough to share and compare. We would LOVE to find out. Let us know, s'il vous plait in the petit commentaire space below or on the comments section of A femme d'un Certain Age. so Letitia and I can cheerfully debate your views en Parallel, of course. MERCI et...
mille merci, Letitia.
à bientot.
au revoir.
Posts
My chere Jeanne-Aelia,
ReplyDeleteLove it, love it. You have the most brilliant ideas. What fun to have a partner. Here's to a brilliant future -- pretend we're clinking glasses of champagne. Wouldn't that be lovely.
Tishxo
Oui, oui let's toast with a nice full flute...well, though it is only 11:00 am ici!bravo and merci ma gentille partenaire.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!I really like your opposing (and agreeing) comments on life on different sides of the big pond.
ReplyDeleteBeing an immigrant myself, from Paris to Montreal 20 years ago, I can relate. However we have fabulous cheese here and great local wines to go with them, from the Okanagan in the west,the Niagara Peninsula near Toronto and from an area east of Montreal called the Eastern Townships.
What I miss about Paris is the creative energy and sheer beauty of the "berges de la Seine". What I don't miss is the traffic and the rudeness of waiters.
Bravo for this "dymnamic duo" post
well said and I agree absolutely!
ReplyDeleteI just hopped over, after leaving a comment to Tish. I´ve never been to The States, and if it is up to me, I never will. I have visited Nice and Monaco, but that was years ago. Maybe, the unwillingness of the French people to even try to understand English is surprising. But this was years ago, ancient history, I hope!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear you will not visit the United States. I am sure you have a good reason; you might be surprised though,if you did. There are so many aspects of life here that are so fantastic. I am very happy you have visited France, on the other hand, especially sunny Nice. And, yes many more French people speak English nowadays, especially the younger generation. Thank you for visiting us both.
ReplyDeleteWell now it's 11:30. Sure it's a civilized hour for that flute of champagne? A virtual flute at least, et il ne s'agit pas de Jean-Pierre Rampal !
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful trouvaille your site is. I will have to come back and visit more often than once a week.
A+ !
You are right; so virtual flute OF CHAMPAGNE, not of music, it is! Chin chin! et merci ; a tres bientot j'espere.
ReplyDeleteI agree everyone ends up in the kitchen. My kitchen is tiny and still everyone ended up in the kitchen at my latest party. This must be an American thing.
ReplyDelete'ello! I think you'd like my friend Canaan's old blog... she started a new one but she did this one in France and had a France/US series of entries similar to this...
ReplyDeletehttp://laricainescocktailhour.blogspot.com/2008/12/recipe-n4-french-pearls.html (France)
http://laricainescocktailhour.blogspot.com/2009/01/recipe-no9-apple-pie-martini.html (US)
I hope you are all well!
xo,
Megan
went to see it. very entertaining. I like the way she writes as she speaks. fun. Thank you Scrappy.
ReplyDelete