How will I continue my "French lifestyle" once I return to the States?

I can’t believe another week has already come and gone! Three and a half whole weeks in the south of France, unbelievable! Life is still as magical and exciting as the first week here, and I’m still just as in love with the culture and everyday lifestyle. The past week has had some familiar aspects (snow?!, old friends from Denison, and spending the whole Sunday studying) as well as many new French habits that I’m growing quite fond of (the apéritif, fromage et baguette, tisane, and crêpes). As I continue to adapt to these small day-to-day French habits, I couldn’t help but wonder…

How will I continue my “French lifestyle” once I return to the States?

I will admit that most of the lifestyle facets I’m referring to involve food and/or wine, although some touch on subjects outside the cuisine domain. One aspect of the everyday French lifestyle that I want to continue in the States is the mode of transportation: walking. Everywhere, all the time, for groceries, dinner, school, work, etc. it’s all about using your two feet! I realize this is much more doable here when everything is at most a 20 min. walk away, and the sidewalks are omnipresent. Even though the suburbs involve many more busy roads and a lack of sidewalks to many stores, there are still plenty of opportunities to get out of the car and get walking. I love this habit, and the results are obvious! (You wonder how the French can eat all those cheeses and patisseries and stay so slim? Walking.)

My daily déjeuner: la salade, les tomates, et le brie all from the local marché! (McCullough 2012)

I also love the French idea of taking time for friends and not getting so caught up in our hourly schedules and assignments. I know I’m one to talk, as I’m usually glued to my studying schedule, the many meetings I have to run to, and the million emails I need to check/send, but that doesn’t mean one can’t sneak in a coffee with a close friend every now and then! Life is no fun if you let it all pass you by without enjoying the people and places around you. Make it a habit to take time for yourself and the people you love on a daily basis. Always count your blessings!

On the food front, I know that my roommate and I are bringing back quite a few French influences to our apartment next year! The apéritif is a must have; I honestly don’t know how I’ve survived without it for so long! A glass, or two, of wine and a little hors d’œurve of bread/cheese/veggies, and you’re good to go! It’s also a great excuse to catch up with friends about the day and have some classy fun! I’m also totally into the baguette a day. Fresh bread=healthier (no preservatives), tastier, and overall more fun (who doesn’t love cutting up a good baguette for any meal?) And with this baguette, the cheese is an obvious accompaniment. I’ve gotten into the habit of having a bit of cheese and baguette at the end of every dinner, it is tasty and just the right finishing touch!

Another element I’m bringing back is a new favorite beverage of mine: tisane. It’s a hot beverage local to Provence that is very similar to tea, but without any of the caffeine. It is literally just the herbs and relaxing effects of tea. With a bit of honey (and possibly a little bit of cake or pastry!) it is a lovely afternoon pick-me-up. I’ve also developed quite a taste for bière avec cerises (beer with cheery flavoring). French bars use a light lager with a variety of fruit-flavored syrups (peach, strawberry, cherry, etc.), it is quite tasty! I don’t think one can even call it beer if you judge by how many of my friends like it. And Nutella. OMD. Such a bad addiction…perhaps I shouldn’t bring back the large containers with me! 

The American University Center of Provence (McCullough, 2012)

On a more cultural note of bringing a piece of France back with me to the States, I want to be more tolerant and understanding of how other societies function. I’ve found that multiple times during my French Cultural Patterns course my core beliefs have been challenged. It’s a very odd sensation to realize that something you feel to be absolutely, universally true and right might only be a cultural belief, and not a ubiquitous notion. One example of this was when we discussed the concept of liberty in relation to French and American societies.

Before my time in France, I always saw the concept of liberty as having one definition: that we are the sole proprietors of our lives and have the right to be individuals in all contexts. Ends up, that’s a very American concept. As American history can tell you (we studied Locke and Burke), Americans view liberty more in terms of property, and our greatest fear is having our liberty encroached upon. This is a very individualist view, which makes sense since America is overall an individualist society. The concept of maintaining our individual rights is, in consequence, also very American. In France, liberty is viewed in terms of statute, and the greatest fear is to be inferior to someone else. This concept of liberty stems from their revolution, when the majority of society in the tiers-état wanted to be treated with the same respect and dignity as the nobility; thus, having liberty and being a « homme libre » meant being like the nobility and not being susceptible to others. In consequence of this, liberty is viewed more as a collective concept, leading to a society that looks for the “common denominator” rather than the individual rights of each person, in order to maintain this equal status and never be susceptible to someone else.

While this lesson was very fascinating both historically and in its application to modern society, for me it also brought a larger concept into consideration: those things that you hold to be the most true and unwavering at your core, are not the same for every person. I don’t think I can capture in words how odd this sensation is, that the truths I think of when I hear the phrase: “we hold these truths to be self-evident,” may not be self-evident to all cultures. It is truly enlightening, and a little scary when you really take this into account. I will try to keep this lesson in mind as I continue wherever my life may take me.

Out for the night with some of my favorite girls!

Another class lesson I’ve attained in the past week that will most definitely be coming back to the States is my wine tasting techniques! I had my first « dégustation de vin » class this past week, and it was amazing! We tasted four wines from the Provence region, two whites and two reds. I’ve learned the three most important criteria to picking a good bottle of wine: l’appellation, millesime, and nom de château (name of wine and region, the year/season, and the specific name of the château/vineyard) as well as the three stages of tasting wine: la première attaque, l’évolution, la finale, et le persistence (the first attack, the evolution, the finale, and the persistence.) If you’re lucky, perhaps you’ll get a demonstration when I come back! I’ve also acquired the French vocab to describe how a wine looks, smells, and tastes. Now, I won’t only be a wine snob, but a wine snob who only speaks in French when trying wine! Perfect! (So far, my favorite wine is the Beaumes de Venise, Domaine des Bernardins, 2003.)

This past week we also celebrated La Chandeleur, which falls on the 2 February. It is a celebration that ancient farmers used to hold to recognize the end of winter and the start of a new harvesting season. You eat lots of crêpes, because crêpes symbolize the sun, and the start of the new harvest. It was quite yummy! And any celebration with crêpes sounds perfect to me!

This weekend I’m looking forward to some cooking of my own (last weekend I made baguette rounds with brie, and added smoked salmon to some and apples and honey to others, with some rosé on the side!) with my friends. I love trying out new things in the kitchen, and the fresh quality of food can’t be surpassed. I also plan on trying some traditional French champagne! I’ll have a glass for all of you as well!

A tout et Gros Bisous

SA