Sunday, October 23, 2005

Random Lyon/French facts:

Random French Facts:

-Cobbled streets make ridding a bike very bumpy and make you feel like your teeth are going to fall out of your head.
-I get discounts from my little local shop because the guy thinks I am ‘vraiment joli’(really pretty)
-Everyone tastes/eats the grapes here at the supermarket and as a budgeting student Cara gives that the 2 thumbs up!
-The 2 rivers (Rhone and Soane) that run through Lyon are massive. It makes the Yarra blush and run for cover.
-Wearing a skirt that is shorter then knee length says ‘I really really want you to start up random conversations with me, preferably starting with a sleazy-ish Salut/Hey’.
-It is not compulsory to wear a helmet when ridding a bike here and French driving is a little nuts.
-When people honk here they do so with dedication! I mean serious honking like ‘That’s not a honk’ *with Crocodile Dundee accent*. It’s push and hold, all the way! And continue to do so for as long as necessary until things go your way….okay maybe a little exaggerated….
-Dogs: Most dogs here are little what I call ‘Benji’ type dogs but terriers probably makes more sense to most people. In general people hold the leashes too tight I think. Lyon is full of dog poo because no one picks it up.
-In response to ‘Je suis Australienne/ I am Australian’ everyone replies with one or both of ‘C’est loin. C’est beau/It’s far. It’s beautiful’.
-At the flea market people gave me things becasue I was Australian (hairclips from one place and a necklace at another). People here like Aussies! Keep up the good work guys!
-In the international office at uni people smoke in their offices.
-On the news here they have really good maps that show you exactly where the country in question is. It really educates you on geography.
-At my uni there are co-ed toilets. At my uni it is common not to find toilet paper or a holder in the stall. In these situations it is necessary to take your toilet paper in with you from on main dispenser. So far I have not forgotten….lol. At my uni it is common not to have toilet seats….no idea…don’t ask….saving on plastic? Maybe because they are co-ed the women can complain about the toilet seats being left up?
-In the majority of buildings here have ‘push button lights’ in the corridors and stairwells. Push the button, the lights turn on and then after a while they go off. Finger crossed you are not still in the stair well at the time. Power saving. Also, particularly fun when intoxicated I imagine!
-Pretty much all sandwiches are made with baguettes.
-There are some funny names for shops here: 'Pin up' (not really what I want my clothes to shout), 'le dressing' (Italian, vinaigrette or blue cheese?), Tati (lol again...not my image), 'Sinequanone' and 'Mephisto' (would you like that un tablet form or injection?), 'Slipissmo' (A crazy Italian verb: 'Oopso! I slipissmo ona bananana peelo'...oh this is now my new favourite word... when I return I will use it to describe everything!)
-I found a store that sells American food: jello/jelly: 3.50Euros/5.50USD.
-There are Hagendas ice cream cafes here that are expensive but really good. I now wish I had binged in the USA when it was 2 500mL tubs for 5USD (in Hawaii with British hostel friends).
-At the moment I have 7 different kinds of cheese in my fridge!!! I challenge anyone to a cheese duel! En guard!
-When I look out of my apartment windows there is a big white hotel across the road and at night they turn on lights in the windows which all change colours at once.
- I think that the word ‘poissonnerie’ is funny. hahaha
-Last night a man played the accordion at the bar/resto below my house….the one where my pants fell on the roof.
-You cannot buy peanut butter here or over the border in Italy. Americans, forget peanut butter and chocolate! Oh shock horror!
-Most cheese here is made with un-pasteurized milk.
-You can buy boxed crepe mix.
-Roquefort cheese looks like it is decomposing literally it is ALIVE…and it’s yummy.
-Guys sometimes wear headbands if they have longer hair here.
-There are ATMS which allow you to borrow DVD’s.
-There are supermarket ATMS too.
-You cannot use payphones here with change. You have to buy a card. My friend Aura (Finish) thinks it’s funny to see payphones because in Finland they don’t seem to have them. Everyone has a mobile phone!
-It is hard to find an internet café here.
-The other day a guy told me in French that ‘he speaks with God’ but he meant it in a ‘I am o-so-powerful kind’ of way not a ‘I am a nut case’ type of way. Uhuh? What a charmer! What a pick up line ladies! Catch’em quick!
-Sometimes I see swans swimming on both of the rivers.
-There are long barge like boats that sail the rivers. Sometimes families live on them and that have plants on the top and a picnic table. Imagine living like that for a while. Sailing the world! It is now on my list of things to do!
-I think my English spelling is getting worse.
-Try understanding French with an Italian accent, or a Japanese accent (I admire the Japanese students…how hard would it be to learn French. French and English are similar, French and Japanese?….not really).
-To avoid men’s propositions I usually ignore them however when confronted I have so far pretended to be German (because a lot of the youth here speak English and can continue converse) and on another occasion, deaf (yes, I started signing on the train!). Next time deaf and German?
-Cara got a big package from her Nonie today!!! Thank you!!!
-Cara loves mail....and blog comments!
Cara is tossing up going to England this weekend ...so spontaneous!

2 comments:

Cara's Mom & Pat said...

Wow! 7 kinds of cheese! YOU mut be in heaven! This post is absolutely awesome! Fantastic! Amazing!
...and the guy in the shop is right. You ARE really pretty.
Love you,
Mum

Anonymous said...

hey

Yay for random facts, it is amazing what you find out in another country. 7 cheeses, well you beat me, i think we olny have 4 types in our fridge, but to have 7 would be really nice.

England for hte weekent, yay so much fun, at least you can pracice your english over there, and speak wiht a funny accent.

Love Rhinnon