I was sipping on a cup of licorice Yogi tea the other day when I looked at the saying on the tea bag which read, "To learn, read. To know, write. To master, teach." I had to pause for several minutes after I read it to absorb why I was so struck by its meaning. It didn't take long to do a quick life comparison and realize that I've been doing a lot of learning and mastering over the past 6 months, but little knowing. I may have the freedom to read the news every morning in both French and English, or the down time at night to pour into an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel; I may also have the incredible opportunity of teaching my own language in a foreign country in which I'm also daily trying to master its language. However, I have the impression that I may look back on this ex-patriot experience and not really know as much as I might have hoped. I haven't gone this long without a writing assignment since I was a child, and with all the incredible things I experience every day, it seems almost a sin not to share these experiences with others, practice a skill that I consider one of the most important in life, and record events to reference later in life.
While I feel like a fat lady at the gym trying to get back into shape (both physically and in my writing) I want to encourage everyone to really learn how to write. Go get yourselves a copy of Strunk and White's "Elements of Style" and apply it to a routine of self-given writing assignments. As I've tutored several more advanced international students in English, I've realized how important it is to know form, style and structure, and for years I've taken these things for granted. While French may be my current language focus, I am determined to get back to and enhance the gift that I've been given...English as my mother tongue.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
J'avais besoin de rigoler...
J'avais besoin de rigoler ce soir...et j'arriva. Dans le metro...avec les folles.
I'd been in a rather foul mood all evening. It was made even worse when upon getting to the movie theatre, I waited for my Chai Latte at Starbucks for 10 minutes, only to have it confiscated when I tried to go in the theatre. (Then don't put the friggin' store next to the entrance!) J'ai le droit d'ammener un boisson dans le cinema................
I saw a pretty good film, "Largo Winch", however I had to pee 15 minutes into the film. Then, as I was exiting, I followed the signs to the bathroom like a good movie-goer and got trapped in some back area where more signs told me to go to the "café", however the "café" was a bunch of work equipment. I banged on the door to no avail and finally heard voices, followed them, and found my way out. The French don't quite have the point-your-way-to-the-bathroom thing down yet apparently.
Got on the metro. Folle #1 - Woman who had obviously been riding the train all evening fell off a chair she'd been sleeping on when it stopped and I got on as she crawled around searching for a new location.
Sat down. Folles #2 - 3 crazy British boys with skinny jeans and boxer briefs hanging out the back forced the doors open to all get on in time. Beer bottles in hand, they proceeded to do acrobatic moves on the handlebars and light up inside the train.
Rolled eyes and counted number of stops until mine. Folle #3 - Man with VERY obedient dog who put his cigarette out with his foot upon entering and pointed for the dog to sit on the chair. Then proceeded to almost sit ON the dog and pulled the poor thing by the neck to sit behind his rear end.
2 more stops. It was at this point that I snapped. I turned to the 20-something "normal" looking man next to me and kind of grinned. Then, I burst out into laughter. I couldn't stop myself. It was as if everything I'd been mad about today was brought to this insane climactic moment on the metro where I realized that nothing was really all that important. These insane people helped break me out of my funk, and I owe them all thanks. The man beside me got off one stop ahead of mine, and as he grinned at my continual laughter before the doors opened, I said, "J'avais besoin de rigoler ce soir." (I needed a laugh tonight.) He said something I didn't make out due to my laughter and his accent...but we wished each other a "bonne soirée" and I walked home one of the two people in Paris with a grin on their face.
I'd been in a rather foul mood all evening. It was made even worse when upon getting to the movie theatre, I waited for my Chai Latte at Starbucks for 10 minutes, only to have it confiscated when I tried to go in the theatre. (Then don't put the friggin' store next to the entrance!) J'ai le droit d'ammener un boisson dans le cinema................
I saw a pretty good film, "Largo Winch", however I had to pee 15 minutes into the film. Then, as I was exiting, I followed the signs to the bathroom like a good movie-goer and got trapped in some back area where more signs told me to go to the "café", however the "café" was a bunch of work equipment. I banged on the door to no avail and finally heard voices, followed them, and found my way out. The French don't quite have the point-your-way-to-the-bathroom thing down yet apparently.
Got on the metro. Folle #1 - Woman who had obviously been riding the train all evening fell off a chair she'd been sleeping on when it stopped and I got on as she crawled around searching for a new location.
Sat down. Folles #2 - 3 crazy British boys with skinny jeans and boxer briefs hanging out the back forced the doors open to all get on in time. Beer bottles in hand, they proceeded to do acrobatic moves on the handlebars and light up inside the train.
Rolled eyes and counted number of stops until mine. Folle #3 - Man with VERY obedient dog who put his cigarette out with his foot upon entering and pointed for the dog to sit on the chair. Then proceeded to almost sit ON the dog and pulled the poor thing by the neck to sit behind his rear end.
2 more stops. It was at this point that I snapped. I turned to the 20-something "normal" looking man next to me and kind of grinned. Then, I burst out into laughter. I couldn't stop myself. It was as if everything I'd been mad about today was brought to this insane climactic moment on the metro where I realized that nothing was really all that important. These insane people helped break me out of my funk, and I owe them all thanks. The man beside me got off one stop ahead of mine, and as he grinned at my continual laughter before the doors opened, I said, "J'avais besoin de rigoler ce soir." (I needed a laugh tonight.) He said something I didn't make out due to my laughter and his accent...but we wished each other a "bonne soirée" and I walked home one of the two people in Paris with a grin on their face.
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