Yes, it's been awhile, but I have a decent excuse: I flew back to NY yesterday!
I was a bit apprehensive of flying Continental Airlines (as I had had a not so great experience with them several years ago) but I was quite surprised. For one thing, they have a BusinessFirst check-in counter, a regular check-in counter, and one for SkyTeam Elites, so I got to check in at the SkyTeam counter. It all took about 5 minutes, then the boarding went by very quickly as well. The flight took off right on time, the flight attendants were nice albeit pushy in that American fake-smiley/loud talking way, ("Sir, I need the aisles to be clear, so please make sure your children sit in their seats!") and I got my gluten free meal without a problem. An even better bonus was that the meal was not only gluten free, but it was also lactose free, which I do not recall requesting, but so much the better. The flight was quite turbulent, but we arrived in one piece, and my luggage were the first ones out on the baggage claim carrousel, so all in all, a good experience. Thumbs up for Continental Airlines!
Anyhow, while I get back into the groove here in NY, (plus, the US Figure Skating Championships are happening right now, and I am so happy to be able to watch quality figure skating, as opposed to the French National Championships, where their Senior level skaters are the equivalent of our US Novice level skaters) I leave you all to ponder this interesting article in the New York Times.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Just Married?
What is the deal with Sarko and Carla?
Are they married or not?
Several news outlets have reported that they may already be married, but Sarko won't confirm or deny reports.
Come on, Sarko! Tell us! Stop pretending that you're as awesome as Brangelina! The world has a right to know! Especially India! You're putting them through the wringer with this question! They need to know if she's coming, and they have to figure out how to welcome Carla, especially if she is coming in the capacity of First Mistress!
And frankly, I couldn't care less, but I do agree with the French People here (as in H and SIL): if you're already married, you have to present the new First Lady to your peeps.
All those people who voted for you have a right to know!
In other completely unrelated news, the H and I went to see I Am Legend this weekend. Whooohah! It was pretty scary and stressful, though I think that is mostly due to Dolby Surround Sound which meant that every single noise was completely freaking me out. Every time Will Smith closed his windows, I'd be all "AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!! They're coming to get him!!!!!"
Are they married or not?
Several news outlets have reported that they may already be married, but Sarko won't confirm or deny reports.
Come on, Sarko! Tell us! Stop pretending that you're as awesome as Brangelina! The world has a right to know! Especially India! You're putting them through the wringer with this question! They need to know if she's coming, and they have to figure out how to welcome Carla, especially if she is coming in the capacity of First Mistress!
And frankly, I couldn't care less, but I do agree with the French People here (as in H and SIL): if you're already married, you have to present the new First Lady to your peeps.
All those people who voted for you have a right to know!
In other completely unrelated news, the H and I went to see I Am Legend this weekend. Whooohah! It was pretty scary and stressful, though I think that is mostly due to Dolby Surround Sound which meant that every single noise was completely freaking me out. Every time Will Smith closed his windows, I'd be all "AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!! They're coming to get him!!!!!"
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
No excuse!
Dude! It's called Botox!
(Photo taken from the New York Times. Full article here.)
You just gave yourself a major salary hike, AND all of your expenses are paid for by the state! Look at Carla and how smooth her skin is!
Don't walk - RUN! to your plastic surgeon/dermatologist RIGHT NOW!!!!
If you're going to play the movie/rock star role, you'd better start making at least SOME effort!
(Photo taken from the New York Times. Full article here.)
You just gave yourself a major salary hike, AND all of your expenses are paid for by the state! Look at Carla and how smooth her skin is!
Don't walk - RUN! to your plastic surgeon/dermatologist RIGHT NOW!!!!
If you're going to play the movie/rock star role, you'd better start making at least SOME effort!
Juicy Tidbits
This past weekend, H and I hung out with my French Best Friend (FBF) and his fiancée. We got to talking about (what else?) Sarko and politics and let's just say that FBF has it on very good authority the following rumors that are circulating: (though, to be honest, a lot of it seems to be common knowledge among the French)
- Sarko became mayor of Neuilly at the age of 29...by dating the daughter of the mayor who was already in office at the the time (Peretti)...apparently Sarko infiltrated and stole all the contacts in Peretti's network and then when it came time for elections, he totally stabbed Peretti in the back and pushed him out of office.
- Rachida Dati (currently Minister of Justice) slept with Sarko. That's how she became Minister of Justice.
- Rama Yade (age 32, currently Minister of Human Rights or something of that sort) slept with Sarko. That's how she became Minister at the age of 32. Also, she is not a very nice person.
- Sarko dated Claude Chirac, daughter of Jacques, even though he was married at the time. That's how he got to where he is now. (Though, the New York Times has reported this before, so everyone knows this tidbit).
- When Cecilia was marrying her then husband Jacques Martin, it was Sarko, who, as the mayor of Neuilly, married them. He then turned around and married Cecilia like, 5 minutes later.
- Sarko likes to take one of his mistresses (Rachida or Rama) on official visits.
- Sarko once took Rachida AND Rama on an official visit. This led to a major catfight/power struggle between the two.
All this info led to the following conclusions:
- Sarko probably got fed up with Rachida and Rama, raised his arm, rolled his eyes, and was all "Bitch, please!" then bought himself a Mistress Upgrade in the form of Carla Bruni (though the New York Times reported this morning that they are apparently already married).
- Sarko might have his hands full with Carla Bruni - she is an A-list celebrity (in France) so who is he going to upgrade to when she starts getting on his nerves? It's like he upgraded from Economy class to Business, and now he can't upgrade to First Class because there is no First Class cabin on the plane!
- FBF says that the only way Sarko can possibly do better than Carla Bruni is to upgrade to Madonna. I don't know about that...frankly, Madonna is more powerful than Sarko. And she probably would not put up with him. She is, after all, the Queen of Reinvention and Change, and she is most likely a major control freak.
- We then thought maybe Sarko could upgrade to Angelina Jolie, but she's dating Brad Pitt, so why on earth would she want to date Sarko? Also, she's got a giant brood of kids, and I get the impression that Sarko is not fond of children.
- Then we realized that Carla probably won't be allowed to be controlling with Sarko because he probably made her sign a contract in blood.
- Which means that Rachida and Rama are probably very pissed off right now.
- Saying that Sarko is not afraid to trample people on his way up is a major understatement.
- And Sarko is very annoying and acts more like a movie star than a president, what with his reflective Ray-Bans, and whining about how the press won't stay out of his private life, when we all know that he totally called up the media and was all, "Hey guys, I'm visiting Egypt with Carla Bruni! Come check it out! 3 pm in front of the pyramid!"
- Sarko is a very gifted public speaker, obviously has a way with words, and is really good with comebacks, in manner of such great public speakers as Hitler. Unfortunately, also in manner of Hitler, Sarko is obviously completely deranged.
- He is so going to kiss the ass of whomever the new American president will be, in manner that will make people cringe and say, "Ewwwww!"
- He's managed to cunningly destroy the Socialist Party and thus get rid of all his possible rivals such as Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and now all he has to do is figure out how to dispose of Bertrand Delanoë (current mayor of Paris).
- Why is Sarko like, NEVER in France, dealing with domestic issues? He's ALWAYS on some official visit. And he always looks very short compared with all the other world leaders. Whenever you see pics of him with world leaders, they all have this statuesque presence that makes them look like Aragorn and Sarko inevitably looks like Gollum.
- Sarko became mayor of Neuilly at the age of 29...by dating the daughter of the mayor who was already in office at the the time (Peretti)...apparently Sarko infiltrated and stole all the contacts in Peretti's network and then when it came time for elections, he totally stabbed Peretti in the back and pushed him out of office.
- Rachida Dati (currently Minister of Justice) slept with Sarko. That's how she became Minister of Justice.
- Rama Yade (age 32, currently Minister of Human Rights or something of that sort) slept with Sarko. That's how she became Minister at the age of 32. Also, she is not a very nice person.
- Sarko dated Claude Chirac, daughter of Jacques, even though he was married at the time. That's how he got to where he is now. (Though, the New York Times has reported this before, so everyone knows this tidbit).
- When Cecilia was marrying her then husband Jacques Martin, it was Sarko, who, as the mayor of Neuilly, married them. He then turned around and married Cecilia like, 5 minutes later.
- Sarko likes to take one of his mistresses (Rachida or Rama) on official visits.
- Sarko once took Rachida AND Rama on an official visit. This led to a major catfight/power struggle between the two.
All this info led to the following conclusions:
- Sarko probably got fed up with Rachida and Rama, raised his arm, rolled his eyes, and was all "Bitch, please!" then bought himself a Mistress Upgrade in the form of Carla Bruni (though the New York Times reported this morning that they are apparently already married).
- Sarko might have his hands full with Carla Bruni - she is an A-list celebrity (in France) so who is he going to upgrade to when she starts getting on his nerves? It's like he upgraded from Economy class to Business, and now he can't upgrade to First Class because there is no First Class cabin on the plane!
- FBF says that the only way Sarko can possibly do better than Carla Bruni is to upgrade to Madonna. I don't know about that...frankly, Madonna is more powerful than Sarko. And she probably would not put up with him. She is, after all, the Queen of Reinvention and Change, and she is most likely a major control freak.
- We then thought maybe Sarko could upgrade to Angelina Jolie, but she's dating Brad Pitt, so why on earth would she want to date Sarko? Also, she's got a giant brood of kids, and I get the impression that Sarko is not fond of children.
- Then we realized that Carla probably won't be allowed to be controlling with Sarko because he probably made her sign a contract in blood.
- Which means that Rachida and Rama are probably very pissed off right now.
- Saying that Sarko is not afraid to trample people on his way up is a major understatement.
- And Sarko is very annoying and acts more like a movie star than a president, what with his reflective Ray-Bans, and whining about how the press won't stay out of his private life, when we all know that he totally called up the media and was all, "Hey guys, I'm visiting Egypt with Carla Bruni! Come check it out! 3 pm in front of the pyramid!"
- Sarko is a very gifted public speaker, obviously has a way with words, and is really good with comebacks, in manner of such great public speakers as Hitler. Unfortunately, also in manner of Hitler, Sarko is obviously completely deranged.
- He is so going to kiss the ass of whomever the new American president will be, in manner that will make people cringe and say, "Ewwwww!"
- He's managed to cunningly destroy the Socialist Party and thus get rid of all his possible rivals such as Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and now all he has to do is figure out how to dispose of Bertrand Delanoë (current mayor of Paris).
- Why is Sarko like, NEVER in France, dealing with domestic issues? He's ALWAYS on some official visit. And he always looks very short compared with all the other world leaders. Whenever you see pics of him with world leaders, they all have this statuesque presence that makes them look like Aragorn and Sarko inevitably looks like Gollum.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
A Big Day (sort of)
This morning as the H was heading off to work, he said, "I think my visa will come in the mail today." I was too groggy to give a proper response, so I ended up saying something that sounded like "Arghetawhfawhgh".
Lo and behold, when I opened the front door later in the afternoon, a large Chronopost envelope was sitting on the mat!
See, this past Monday I had to stop by the US Embassy to drop off H's passport, which he was unable to leave with the Embassy peeps at the time of his interview on account of his coming to NY for the holidays 2 days later. So along with the passport, I also dropped off my "Explanation Letter for the I-864" in which I just wrote a small paragraph that stated that I was a US citizen residing in France, but unemployed, so I don't pay taxes and I maintain a mailing address at my mom's house. Except that when I went to the Embassy, I got there at 12h10 pm and I was chided a zillion times by everyone that Embassy services closed at 12 pm sharp. Well, excuse you all, Embassy People, but no one told either H nor myself this little tidbit of apparently important information! I had a special pass to be let into the Embassy (I guess they have special days and stuff for immigrant visas) and it turned into a 30 minute ordeal with three security guards discussing it amongst themselves (in a language that was neither French nor English, I might add), then calling in someone from security inside the Embassy who came to take my pass and the two passports, and then came back and said I could enter. But when I made my way over to Window #7, the American Lady In Charge of #7 was all scowling at me and saying that she was on her way out to lunch but that she waited ESPECIALLY FOR ME and that I should NEVER EVER EVEN THINK about arriving at the Embassy AFTER 12PM. I offered to come back after her lunch break but she said it was fine in an annoyed manner, and took the passport and the letter. Then she said "You can expect the visa in the mail in 7 - 10 days."
When I told this to the H, he said, "Well, in US Embassy Speak, 7-10 days means 2-3 days. Because they said 3 months for the first response after dropping off the petition, but we got it in 8 days. And they said 1 - 2 months for the interview appointment, but we got that in 7 days. They are unbelievably efficient over there."
So the excellent news is that I tore open the Chronopost envelope (yes, I was too eager to wait for the H to come home and open it) and there was a GIANT envelope that was marked "DO NOT OPEN!!!!!" because apparently it contains sensitive information that is to be opened only by the Immigration Officer at the US port of entry. There was also his passport, with the page already open to the visa sticker, which is good for 6 months. It is all very fancy and official looking; in fact, it looks just like the front page of US passports, with all those shiny security seals and the scanned picture and all. There was a letter explaining how H should go about getting his Social Security number, and a little pamphlet that says "Bienvenue aux Etats-Unis!!!!!!!!!" which explains where one can download the Guide For Immigrants (which apparently exists in like, 50 languages) and also explains stuff like the Yellow Pages, how to open a bank account, and where and how to apply for jobs. There was also a very nice note that said, "We are very pleased that you intend to immigrate to the United States! Congratulations, and WELCOME!!!!"
I mean, could our people BE any nicer?
I called the H and I was all "OH MY GOD YOUR VISA IS HERE!!!!!" and he wasn't very surprised. All he said was, "Wow, it's very impressive, how efficient and fast the American government is."
I have EVERY intention of doing some silent gloating about it all.
H will book his flight to New York for April, and I've already booked a one-way ticket (using my Flying Blue miles - FINALLY I can make use of them!) for March. I'll also be heading home at the end of the month to celebrate my 30th birthday (most likely at Risotteria, so's that I can have a piece of gluten free cake); the H will be at some film festival on my birthday and I do need to make what I have called a "luggage run" which just means that I'm bringing a shitload of my crap back to the U.S. and then bringing back this ENORMOUS suitcase that the H hates because it's so big, it barely fits into ANY French car. Also we will be heading to a wedding in London in mid-February, and I can bring back the Little Black Dress That I Wear To Weddings And Other Similar Functions (I do have a similar Pink Dress, but it is really lightweight and is not at all practical for a winter wedding).
The only other highlight of the day was that I went to see Elizabeth: The Golden Age at a movie theater in Montparnasse. It came out in France on the day that I flew back to NY for the holidays, and by then it was no longer playing in the US. It was quite an excellent movie, though awfully historically inaccurate, but Cate Blanchett totally rocks. I was most annoyed that they invented a brother for Sir Francis Walsingham, Sir Walter Raleigh was not at ALL instrumental in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and Elizabeth was awfully young in the movie whereas in real life, at this point in time, she was getting on in years. The only other annoying thing was the elderly woman sitting behind me who kept talking really loudly during the movie because she kept confusing Francis Walsingham with Dr. John Dee and Elizabeth I with Bess Throckmorton. She kept asking her husband things like, "Why is the Queen having an affair with the explorer guy?" and "Oh, my! The Queen is pregnant???"
Lo and behold, when I opened the front door later in the afternoon, a large Chronopost envelope was sitting on the mat!
See, this past Monday I had to stop by the US Embassy to drop off H's passport, which he was unable to leave with the Embassy peeps at the time of his interview on account of his coming to NY for the holidays 2 days later. So along with the passport, I also dropped off my "Explanation Letter for the I-864" in which I just wrote a small paragraph that stated that I was a US citizen residing in France, but unemployed, so I don't pay taxes and I maintain a mailing address at my mom's house. Except that when I went to the Embassy, I got there at 12h10 pm and I was chided a zillion times by everyone that Embassy services closed at 12 pm sharp. Well, excuse you all, Embassy People, but no one told either H nor myself this little tidbit of apparently important information! I had a special pass to be let into the Embassy (I guess they have special days and stuff for immigrant visas) and it turned into a 30 minute ordeal with three security guards discussing it amongst themselves (in a language that was neither French nor English, I might add), then calling in someone from security inside the Embassy who came to take my pass and the two passports, and then came back and said I could enter. But when I made my way over to Window #7, the American Lady In Charge of #7 was all scowling at me and saying that she was on her way out to lunch but that she waited ESPECIALLY FOR ME and that I should NEVER EVER EVEN THINK about arriving at the Embassy AFTER 12PM. I offered to come back after her lunch break but she said it was fine in an annoyed manner, and took the passport and the letter. Then she said "You can expect the visa in the mail in 7 - 10 days."
When I told this to the H, he said, "Well, in US Embassy Speak, 7-10 days means 2-3 days. Because they said 3 months for the first response after dropping off the petition, but we got it in 8 days. And they said 1 - 2 months for the interview appointment, but we got that in 7 days. They are unbelievably efficient over there."
So the excellent news is that I tore open the Chronopost envelope (yes, I was too eager to wait for the H to come home and open it) and there was a GIANT envelope that was marked "DO NOT OPEN!!!!!" because apparently it contains sensitive information that is to be opened only by the Immigration Officer at the US port of entry. There was also his passport, with the page already open to the visa sticker, which is good for 6 months. It is all very fancy and official looking; in fact, it looks just like the front page of US passports, with all those shiny security seals and the scanned picture and all. There was a letter explaining how H should go about getting his Social Security number, and a little pamphlet that says "Bienvenue aux Etats-Unis!!!!!!!!!" which explains where one can download the Guide For Immigrants (which apparently exists in like, 50 languages) and also explains stuff like the Yellow Pages, how to open a bank account, and where and how to apply for jobs. There was also a very nice note that said, "We are very pleased that you intend to immigrate to the United States! Congratulations, and WELCOME!!!!"
I mean, could our people BE any nicer?
I called the H and I was all "OH MY GOD YOUR VISA IS HERE!!!!!" and he wasn't very surprised. All he said was, "Wow, it's very impressive, how efficient and fast the American government is."
I have EVERY intention of doing some silent gloating about it all.
H will book his flight to New York for April, and I've already booked a one-way ticket (using my Flying Blue miles - FINALLY I can make use of them!) for March. I'll also be heading home at the end of the month to celebrate my 30th birthday (most likely at Risotteria, so's that I can have a piece of gluten free cake); the H will be at some film festival on my birthday and I do need to make what I have called a "luggage run" which just means that I'm bringing a shitload of my crap back to the U.S. and then bringing back this ENORMOUS suitcase that the H hates because it's so big, it barely fits into ANY French car. Also we will be heading to a wedding in London in mid-February, and I can bring back the Little Black Dress That I Wear To Weddings And Other Similar Functions (I do have a similar Pink Dress, but it is really lightweight and is not at all practical for a winter wedding).
The only other highlight of the day was that I went to see Elizabeth: The Golden Age at a movie theater in Montparnasse. It came out in France on the day that I flew back to NY for the holidays, and by then it was no longer playing in the US. It was quite an excellent movie, though awfully historically inaccurate, but Cate Blanchett totally rocks. I was most annoyed that they invented a brother for Sir Francis Walsingham, Sir Walter Raleigh was not at ALL instrumental in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and Elizabeth was awfully young in the movie whereas in real life, at this point in time, she was getting on in years. The only other annoying thing was the elderly woman sitting behind me who kept talking really loudly during the movie because she kept confusing Francis Walsingham with Dr. John Dee and Elizabeth I with Bess Throckmorton. She kept asking her husband things like, "Why is the Queen having an affair with the explorer guy?" and "Oh, my! The Queen is pregnant???"
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Too much information!
Politics. Politicians. Blech! Couldn't care less!
That said, some politicians are just such easy targets for criticism. Like Nicolas Sarkozy, for example. He's so hyperactive and all up in your face that you can't help but not like him (in my opinion; I suppose he must have his share of admirers as well).
Speaking of Sarko, what is up with him and Carla Bruni? It's like, "Eeewww! TMI!" If I were French, I would NOT be happy with this situation. The last thing I want is to see him smugly flaunting this "relationship". I'd much rather he be discreet about the whole thing.
Plus, it must be quite embarrassing for the people who are receiving him and Carla when they go visiting (and by visiting, I mean flaunting). It's like, "Hmmm. What's the protocol when a foreign president comes here with his....mistress...?"
I was all surprised that Carla, being quite the hottie and having dated such cool people like Mick Jagger, would date Sarko. The H and I had a discussion about it the other day:
Me: Ugh. Why? Why would she date Sarko? Ick! She's totally hot and he's....not.
H: Duh, he's the PRESIDENT.
Me: Yeah, but I think she could do much better.
H: (incredulously) Better than a PRESIDENT?
Me: Well, yeah! She dated Mick Jagger. And Vincent Perez.
H: (sarcastic) Ooooh. What great catches.
Me: Hey, Vincent Perez is kind of hot.
H: Whatever, he's not the PRESIDENT OF FRANCE.
Me: Well, I still think she could do better. She's already rich, so she's obviously not dating him for his money. And come on, he's the president of France. He hasn't got THAT MUCH power on the world stage. It's not like he's the President of the US. Or Gordon Brown. Or even Vladimir Putin.
H: Duh, she's into it for the power trip. She wants to be powerful. And Sarkozy is a little bit powerful. More than she is, at least. And he's the only head of state who's single.
Me: I don't know. She's like, an heiress. She doesn't seem to be a very...political person, if you know what I mean. And what if she becomes First Lady of France? How embarrassing! There are like, tons of naked pictures of her, and she's like, slept with everyone. Oooh! I know! Maybe this is just a press thing. Like, a fake marriage and all that.
H: I suppose that wouldn't be impossible.
Me: I just find it hard to believe that Sarkozy would get married after dating Carla for like, a month. I mean, he JUST divorced Cecilia! Plus, I think a majority of people sympathize with her, like "Oh my god, the poor thing! She was married to that crazy megalomaniac who only just now granted her a divorce! What's wrong with him?"
H: Whatever. I don't really care. But I do think Sarkozy is an insane, power-hungry freak. And he is very short and ugly. Especially when he's standing next to Carla Bruni.
In other political news, I am very bummed about Obama losing to Hillary in NH. Hillary. Ugh. If I hear her say one more time, "I have 35 years of experience! I have 35 years of change behind me!" I am totally going to freak out. Plus, I do not appreciate her tactics of insulting other candidates. That said, she might actually be a very nice person, but I don't know. It's like she lacks that natural charm and charisma that other politicians have, and she comes across as a Snooty Ice Queen Who Never Dies And Is Always Right And You Are Always Wrong. And I didn't hate Bill, but he really annoyed me with the whole Monica thing - another case of Too Much Information.
That said, some politicians are just such easy targets for criticism. Like Nicolas Sarkozy, for example. He's so hyperactive and all up in your face that you can't help but not like him (in my opinion; I suppose he must have his share of admirers as well).
Speaking of Sarko, what is up with him and Carla Bruni? It's like, "Eeewww! TMI!" If I were French, I would NOT be happy with this situation. The last thing I want is to see him smugly flaunting this "relationship". I'd much rather he be discreet about the whole thing.
Plus, it must be quite embarrassing for the people who are receiving him and Carla when they go visiting (and by visiting, I mean flaunting). It's like, "Hmmm. What's the protocol when a foreign president comes here with his....mistress...?"
I was all surprised that Carla, being quite the hottie and having dated such cool people like Mick Jagger, would date Sarko. The H and I had a discussion about it the other day:
Me: Ugh. Why? Why would she date Sarko? Ick! She's totally hot and he's....not.
H: Duh, he's the PRESIDENT.
Me: Yeah, but I think she could do much better.
H: (incredulously) Better than a PRESIDENT?
Me: Well, yeah! She dated Mick Jagger. And Vincent Perez.
H: (sarcastic) Ooooh. What great catches.
Me: Hey, Vincent Perez is kind of hot.
H: Whatever, he's not the PRESIDENT OF FRANCE.
Me: Well, I still think she could do better. She's already rich, so she's obviously not dating him for his money. And come on, he's the president of France. He hasn't got THAT MUCH power on the world stage. It's not like he's the President of the US. Or Gordon Brown. Or even Vladimir Putin.
H: Duh, she's into it for the power trip. She wants to be powerful. And Sarkozy is a little bit powerful. More than she is, at least. And he's the only head of state who's single.
Me: I don't know. She's like, an heiress. She doesn't seem to be a very...political person, if you know what I mean. And what if she becomes First Lady of France? How embarrassing! There are like, tons of naked pictures of her, and she's like, slept with everyone. Oooh! I know! Maybe this is just a press thing. Like, a fake marriage and all that.
H: I suppose that wouldn't be impossible.
Me: I just find it hard to believe that Sarkozy would get married after dating Carla for like, a month. I mean, he JUST divorced Cecilia! Plus, I think a majority of people sympathize with her, like "Oh my god, the poor thing! She was married to that crazy megalomaniac who only just now granted her a divorce! What's wrong with him?"
H: Whatever. I don't really care. But I do think Sarkozy is an insane, power-hungry freak. And he is very short and ugly. Especially when he's standing next to Carla Bruni.
In other political news, I am very bummed about Obama losing to Hillary in NH. Hillary. Ugh. If I hear her say one more time, "I have 35 years of experience! I have 35 years of change behind me!" I am totally going to freak out. Plus, I do not appreciate her tactics of insulting other candidates. That said, she might actually be a very nice person, but I don't know. It's like she lacks that natural charm and charisma that other politicians have, and she comes across as a Snooty Ice Queen Who Never Dies And Is Always Right And You Are Always Wrong. And I didn't hate Bill, but he really annoyed me with the whole Monica thing - another case of Too Much Information.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Cruelty to Anglophones
Why? Why? Why would TF1 make Heroes and Grey's Anatomy available in English on the TNT but not Ugly Betty?
What, do they think that just because they show "Le destin de Lisa" (German version of Ugly Betty) in French, then they have to show the American version in French, too?
Don't they understand that it's totally NOT funny in French, and that the US version is FUNNY?
As far as I am concerned, Amanda and Marc are the funniest characters with the best dialogue and it just does NOT work in French.
Thank goodness for those nice people who upload all the latest US TV shows to the Internet so those of us subject to the cruelty of watching shows dubbed in French have other options.
What, do they think that just because they show "Le destin de Lisa" (German version of Ugly Betty) in French, then they have to show the American version in French, too?
Don't they understand that it's totally NOT funny in French, and that the US version is FUNNY?
As far as I am concerned, Amanda and Marc are the funniest characters with the best dialogue and it just does NOT work in French.
Thank goodness for those nice people who upload all the latest US TV shows to the Internet so those of us subject to the cruelty of watching shows dubbed in French have other options.
Friday, January 4, 2008
So many choices
I've got a real humdinger.
I've been thinking about how I should go about changing my name, now that I'm married.
The thing is, the problem is totally solved for me in France. Here, you are always classified under your maiden name, and there is a space for your married name on all national ID cards. So although I have changed my last name on my bank card and my sécu, I don't really need to do anything else, and guess what? No one here cares (much to the dismay of the H).
Now what I need to do is change all my documents in the U.S. It's true that I didn't really think about it here in France, and I was totally ready to take H's last name, but then that whole problem was very easily solved, and all I had to do was change my passport with my new last name.
Except I've been pondering over it all for awhile now (perhaps this is the problem?) and now I'm not so sure I want to drop my last name. I mean, the H has a very nice last name that goes well with my first name, but as I was thinking about it all, I realized that since I'm an only child, and a girl, I'm pretty much the last one in the family that bears my last name! Then I started getting all panicky and stuff, and thought maybe I should keep my last name somehow.
I researched a little on the web, and found this site which details all the different options one has. I am leaning towards using my last name as my middle name, seeing as I don't have a middle name; this way I can still keep my last name. But then I was thinking that maybe I should hyphenate my name, but that just seems very complicated. I might like to keep my last name to use professionally but I'm not sure yet seeing as I am currently unemployed. So basically I am torn between hyphenating my last names, or using my last name as my middle name.
Anyway, I need to figure it out once and for all by Monday, as I have to stop by the US Embassy to drop off H's passport and my letter of explication for the I-864, and I figured that since I was heading over there, I might as well just drop off my passport application (I unfortunately have to pay $67 for a brand new passport despite the fact that I only renewed it in April 2006, because for some reason, the passport people refuse to amend a current passport unless it is less than one year old. Damn you, passport people!) I've been putting it all off for awhile, mostly because I had this new haircut a few months ago that I did not like, but I feel that my hair has grown out enough sufficiently that I should look ok in my passport picture (H thinks I'm being superficial, but hey, that passport picture is going to be there for 10 YEARS! And, I work in fashion, so I am by default a superficial and materialistic person).
Oh, and I just remembered while writing about the passport agency people, I had wanted to register as a Democrat so I could vote in the NYC Democratic Primaries and thus cast my vote for Barack Obama. (I'm currently not registered with any party, but am a registered NYC voter). So I called up the NYC Voting Board or whatever it's officially called, like, back in May 2007 to register as a Democrat and they said it would be too late to register my party affiliation to vote in the primaries. Apparently in NYC, you are supposed to register your party affiliation (if you want to vote in the presidential primaries) ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE. So I was all, "Well, when are the presidential primaries?" and the guy put me on hold then came back and was all "Well, it hasn't been decided yet, but it's most likely going to be in early 2008, so it's too late to register for the Democratic party for the presidential primaries". I was like, "Say what?" and then I called back a week later and spoke to a different person who told me the same thing. So I resigned myself to not being able to vote for Barack (sorry, but I just do not like Hillary) and the fact that I would have no way to help influence the future. (I was pretty upset about it and I think I even moped/fumed for at least a week). But then today I was on the NYC Voter website and it says that the deadline to register to vote or to change affiliations for the presidential primaries was OCTOBER 2007!!!!!! DAMN IT!!!!!
Well, at least Barack did well in Iowa and I'm hoping he will do well in New Hampshire and on Super Tuesday (which, coincidentally, is on my 30th birthday!). It's very odd that I am totally rooting for Barack because usually I am quite apathetic when it comes to politics and I really couldn't care less about it all.
I've been thinking about how I should go about changing my name, now that I'm married.
The thing is, the problem is totally solved for me in France. Here, you are always classified under your maiden name, and there is a space for your married name on all national ID cards. So although I have changed my last name on my bank card and my sécu, I don't really need to do anything else, and guess what? No one here cares (much to the dismay of the H).
Now what I need to do is change all my documents in the U.S. It's true that I didn't really think about it here in France, and I was totally ready to take H's last name, but then that whole problem was very easily solved, and all I had to do was change my passport with my new last name.
Except I've been pondering over it all for awhile now (perhaps this is the problem?) and now I'm not so sure I want to drop my last name. I mean, the H has a very nice last name that goes well with my first name, but as I was thinking about it all, I realized that since I'm an only child, and a girl, I'm pretty much the last one in the family that bears my last name! Then I started getting all panicky and stuff, and thought maybe I should keep my last name somehow.
I researched a little on the web, and found this site which details all the different options one has. I am leaning towards using my last name as my middle name, seeing as I don't have a middle name; this way I can still keep my last name. But then I was thinking that maybe I should hyphenate my name, but that just seems very complicated. I might like to keep my last name to use professionally but I'm not sure yet seeing as I am currently unemployed. So basically I am torn between hyphenating my last names, or using my last name as my middle name.
Anyway, I need to figure it out once and for all by Monday, as I have to stop by the US Embassy to drop off H's passport and my letter of explication for the I-864, and I figured that since I was heading over there, I might as well just drop off my passport application (I unfortunately have to pay $67 for a brand new passport despite the fact that I only renewed it in April 2006, because for some reason, the passport people refuse to amend a current passport unless it is less than one year old. Damn you, passport people!) I've been putting it all off for awhile, mostly because I had this new haircut a few months ago that I did not like, but I feel that my hair has grown out enough sufficiently that I should look ok in my passport picture (H thinks I'm being superficial, but hey, that passport picture is going to be there for 10 YEARS! And, I work in fashion, so I am by default a superficial and materialistic person).
Oh, and I just remembered while writing about the passport agency people, I had wanted to register as a Democrat so I could vote in the NYC Democratic Primaries and thus cast my vote for Barack Obama. (I'm currently not registered with any party, but am a registered NYC voter). So I called up the NYC Voting Board or whatever it's officially called, like, back in May 2007 to register as a Democrat and they said it would be too late to register my party affiliation to vote in the primaries. Apparently in NYC, you are supposed to register your party affiliation (if you want to vote in the presidential primaries) ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE. So I was all, "Well, when are the presidential primaries?" and the guy put me on hold then came back and was all "Well, it hasn't been decided yet, but it's most likely going to be in early 2008, so it's too late to register for the Democratic party for the presidential primaries". I was like, "Say what?" and then I called back a week later and spoke to a different person who told me the same thing. So I resigned myself to not being able to vote for Barack (sorry, but I just do not like Hillary) and the fact that I would have no way to help influence the future. (I was pretty upset about it and I think I even moped/fumed for at least a week). But then today I was on the NYC Voter website and it says that the deadline to register to vote or to change affiliations for the presidential primaries was OCTOBER 2007!!!!!! DAMN IT!!!!!
Well, at least Barack did well in Iowa and I'm hoping he will do well in New Hampshire and on Super Tuesday (which, coincidentally, is on my 30th birthday!). It's very odd that I am totally rooting for Barack because usually I am quite apathetic when it comes to politics and I really couldn't care less about it all.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Love, Frenchie-style
I've been pondering over this one for awhile.
Maybe it's because I'm American, or maybe it's because I'm from NYC, but I get the distinct impression that French people are much more serious about relationships than we are.
In NYC, I'd say that there are lots of single people. Perhaps there are more single people than married people. In fact, a majority of my American friends are single. But in France, a single person is a very rare find.
When I met what would be the first group of my French friends, I'd noticed that they were all couples. So when I came to Paris to study many years ago, and my French friends introduced me to their friends, and so on and so on, EVERYONE was in a serious long term relationship. They'd all been with their girlfriends/boyfriends for at least 6 years. I should point out that we were like, 22 at the time.
I pointed out my observation to the H the other day, who reacted quite defensively (as is inevitable, because he and most other French people think an observation over cultural differences is automatically an insult to the French). "Oh, yeah?" he said. "Well, I think it's nice. It's better to be in a serious relationship when you're 18 than to go running around sleeping with every other person and their mom!" "Yeah, I didn't say it was a bad thing," I pointed out. "I'm just saying, it's kind of strange because when you're young, your first instinct is NOT to settle down with the same person you've been dating since you were like, 14. It's quite rare to marry your high school sweetheart these days."
Case in point: almost every French person I know right now is in a serious relationship that has lasted a minimum of 5 years. In fact, a majority of the Frenchies I know have been in their relationships for at least 10 years. (Almost none of them are married, but that's another topic). SIL is 18, soon to be 19, and she has been with her boyfriend for over 2 years. H himself, before we started going out, had been with his ex-girlfriend for 5 years - they even lived together (they weren't even 25, but had been living together for a good 2 - 3 years already).
Another interesting thing I have noticed is that the French tend to date within their circle of friends. So basically, everyone knows each other since they were in kindergarten, and they've all dated each other. For example, my friend whom I will call Françoise, was single for about a year. She was living in Dijon because she was going to school there, and I went to visit her once a few years ago, and was introduced to their circle of friends, which included at the time, this guy whom I shall call Christophe and his girlfriend of 8 years, whom I shall call Carine. (By the way, they were all like, 24 at the time). Suffice it to say that I was quite surprised when I found out about 2 years later that Françoise and Christophe had gotten married! I was all, "Whoa, I can't believe they got married! How awkward!" H was all, "What are you talking about?" I said, "Well, it's weird because Christophe was with Carine for like, 8 years when I met them all 2 years ago. So it's weird because they were all in the same group of friends and they've all known each other since they were kids." "I don't think it's awkward," said the H. "Dude, what are you talking about? It is SO awkward! Like, what if they run into Carine, which would undoubtedly happen since they are all in the same group of friends????" "Oh," said H nonchalantly, "It's no big deal. Everyone sort of dates the same people in their group, so I don't think it would be awkward for anyone. Besides, I really don't think this Carine person would really care very much. They'd already been together for 8 years, so they obviously broke up because they couldn't stand each other anymore." "Hmmm," I said, "very interesting. Very weird. How very French."
Then again, I also find that people inevitably equate you with your ex in this country. For example, when people mention FSIL's ex boyfriend (whom she was with for 8 years), and whom I shall call Alex, it goes like this, "Ah, yes, Alex who used to be with FSIL, but now he's married to some American girl." Or even with the H (whose ex I shall call Laura): "Ah, yes, H, who used to go out with Laura, he got married this year." It even happens with some of my best friends: "Ah, Fanny, who used to go out with Greg before she got together with Paul, now Fanny and Paul have 2 children!" In fact, recently the H had gotten a phone call from an acquaintance who coincidentally knew some guy H had gone to high school with, though H hasn't actually seen this guy since high school. His acquaintance had called to congratulate him on his impending fatherhood, which he had heard about from this guy from high school. Obviously, H was very confused about his "impending fatherhood" because as far as he knew, we weren't pregnant. It turned out that the guy from high school had heard that H's ex-girlfriend was pregnant and just assumed that she and H were still together.
Anyway, apparently I seem to be the only one who is surprised that SIL and her BF are still going strong. I mean, they've been going out since they were 16, and SIL is actually a year older than her BF. So when SIL got her bac in high school, and set off for fashion school, I was absolutely CONVINCED that she was totally going to break up with her BF. After all, I'd said to the H, "It is totally NOT cool for a girl to be out of high school and to have a BF who is still in high school." "I don't know," the H had said, skeptically. "That's not a reason to break up with someone." "Oh, please," I'd said. "Who takes a relationship that seriously when they're 17?" Obviously, SIL and her BF do, because she is now in her 2nd year of fashion school and they are STILL together. MIL just LOVES SIL's BF. I guess she's imagining wedding bells and everything, because she always tells us how great BF is and how SIL "has always said she wanted to get married and have children at a young age." MIL regularly sees BF's parents and she often invites them over for dinner. (Though I don't think this is something that all French parents do, I think MIL just really loves her children's significant others). "Dude," I said to the H once, "it's going to SO WEIRD when SIL and BF break up, and your mom runs into BF's mom at the supermarket and all..." "Who says they're breaking up?" asked the H. "Well, duh, it's like, so obvious, I mean, who marries the person they've been dating since they were 16 these days? NO ONE!" I said triumphantly. "Well, we don't know that. They're still together now," said the H. "Oh, whatever. They're totally going to break up in 5-7 years and your mom is going to be completely heartbroken. Like when you and your ex-girlfriend broke up after 5 years. I'm pretty sure your mom was hearing wedding bells back then, too," I pointed out. "Ohhhhh" said the H. "I see your point now."
Maybe it's because I'm American, or maybe it's because I'm from NYC, but I get the distinct impression that French people are much more serious about relationships than we are.
In NYC, I'd say that there are lots of single people. Perhaps there are more single people than married people. In fact, a majority of my American friends are single. But in France, a single person is a very rare find.
When I met what would be the first group of my French friends, I'd noticed that they were all couples. So when I came to Paris to study many years ago, and my French friends introduced me to their friends, and so on and so on, EVERYONE was in a serious long term relationship. They'd all been with their girlfriends/boyfriends for at least 6 years. I should point out that we were like, 22 at the time.
I pointed out my observation to the H the other day, who reacted quite defensively (as is inevitable, because he and most other French people think an observation over cultural differences is automatically an insult to the French). "Oh, yeah?" he said. "Well, I think it's nice. It's better to be in a serious relationship when you're 18 than to go running around sleeping with every other person and their mom!" "Yeah, I didn't say it was a bad thing," I pointed out. "I'm just saying, it's kind of strange because when you're young, your first instinct is NOT to settle down with the same person you've been dating since you were like, 14. It's quite rare to marry your high school sweetheart these days."
Case in point: almost every French person I know right now is in a serious relationship that has lasted a minimum of 5 years. In fact, a majority of the Frenchies I know have been in their relationships for at least 10 years. (Almost none of them are married, but that's another topic). SIL is 18, soon to be 19, and she has been with her boyfriend for over 2 years. H himself, before we started going out, had been with his ex-girlfriend for 5 years - they even lived together (they weren't even 25, but had been living together for a good 2 - 3 years already).
Another interesting thing I have noticed is that the French tend to date within their circle of friends. So basically, everyone knows each other since they were in kindergarten, and they've all dated each other. For example, my friend whom I will call Françoise, was single for about a year. She was living in Dijon because she was going to school there, and I went to visit her once a few years ago, and was introduced to their circle of friends, which included at the time, this guy whom I shall call Christophe and his girlfriend of 8 years, whom I shall call Carine. (By the way, they were all like, 24 at the time). Suffice it to say that I was quite surprised when I found out about 2 years later that Françoise and Christophe had gotten married! I was all, "Whoa, I can't believe they got married! How awkward!" H was all, "What are you talking about?" I said, "Well, it's weird because Christophe was with Carine for like, 8 years when I met them all 2 years ago. So it's weird because they were all in the same group of friends and they've all known each other since they were kids." "I don't think it's awkward," said the H. "Dude, what are you talking about? It is SO awkward! Like, what if they run into Carine, which would undoubtedly happen since they are all in the same group of friends????" "Oh," said H nonchalantly, "It's no big deal. Everyone sort of dates the same people in their group, so I don't think it would be awkward for anyone. Besides, I really don't think this Carine person would really care very much. They'd already been together for 8 years, so they obviously broke up because they couldn't stand each other anymore." "Hmmm," I said, "very interesting. Very weird. How very French."
Then again, I also find that people inevitably equate you with your ex in this country. For example, when people mention FSIL's ex boyfriend (whom she was with for 8 years), and whom I shall call Alex, it goes like this, "Ah, yes, Alex who used to be with FSIL, but now he's married to some American girl." Or even with the H (whose ex I shall call Laura): "Ah, yes, H, who used to go out with Laura, he got married this year." It even happens with some of my best friends: "Ah, Fanny, who used to go out with Greg before she got together with Paul, now Fanny and Paul have 2 children!" In fact, recently the H had gotten a phone call from an acquaintance who coincidentally knew some guy H had gone to high school with, though H hasn't actually seen this guy since high school. His acquaintance had called to congratulate him on his impending fatherhood, which he had heard about from this guy from high school. Obviously, H was very confused about his "impending fatherhood" because as far as he knew, we weren't pregnant. It turned out that the guy from high school had heard that H's ex-girlfriend was pregnant and just assumed that she and H were still together.
Anyway, apparently I seem to be the only one who is surprised that SIL and her BF are still going strong. I mean, they've been going out since they were 16, and SIL is actually a year older than her BF. So when SIL got her bac in high school, and set off for fashion school, I was absolutely CONVINCED that she was totally going to break up with her BF. After all, I'd said to the H, "It is totally NOT cool for a girl to be out of high school and to have a BF who is still in high school." "I don't know," the H had said, skeptically. "That's not a reason to break up with someone." "Oh, please," I'd said. "Who takes a relationship that seriously when they're 17?" Obviously, SIL and her BF do, because she is now in her 2nd year of fashion school and they are STILL together. MIL just LOVES SIL's BF. I guess she's imagining wedding bells and everything, because she always tells us how great BF is and how SIL "has always said she wanted to get married and have children at a young age." MIL regularly sees BF's parents and she often invites them over for dinner. (Though I don't think this is something that all French parents do, I think MIL just really loves her children's significant others). "Dude," I said to the H once, "it's going to SO WEIRD when SIL and BF break up, and your mom runs into BF's mom at the supermarket and all..." "Who says they're breaking up?" asked the H. "Well, duh, it's like, so obvious, I mean, who marries the person they've been dating since they were 16 these days? NO ONE!" I said triumphantly. "Well, we don't know that. They're still together now," said the H. "Oh, whatever. They're totally going to break up in 5-7 years and your mom is going to be completely heartbroken. Like when you and your ex-girlfriend broke up after 5 years. I'm pretty sure your mom was hearing wedding bells back then, too," I pointed out. "Ohhhhh" said the H. "I see your point now."
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
New Year's Resolutions
Happy New Year to everyone!
My new year's was relatively calm. Everything worked out in the end, so the H and I were able to have our apartment to ourselves and we just hung out at home and drank champagne. Except at around 9 pm, we realized we had already finished one bottle of champagne and wanted to save the second (and last) one for midnight. So we dressed up all snazzy and stuff and went downstairs to the bar on the corner and had a couple of drinks.
I am not one to make New Year's resolutions, but here in France, starting yesterday, the new no-smoking law went into effect.
This is fine for those people (ahem, usually Americans) who dislike cigarette smoking with a passion, but I happen to be one of those nasty smokers, so I am quite disappointed about the whole thing. I also sympathize with the French smokers, as I lived through the no-smoking ban in NYC.
Cigarette smoking happens to be my only vice, aside from the occasional drink from time to time (though I don't really consider it a vice, seeing as the last time I actually threw up from drinking too much was back in 1999 and I have never let myself get that drunk since). I really, really do like to smoke. It makes me relaxed and it eases any crazy upset stomach pains I might have from being glutened (for real - tobacco is actually good for digestion). I mean, I would like to eventually quit smoking, but I've recently found out that I am also intolerant to dairy products. So now, in addition to pretty much every delicious gluten filled food out there (i.e. croissants, pizza, bread, sauces, etc) I now have to cut out all milk, cheese, butter, and so on. My diet from now on will pretty much just consist of meat, fish, and veggies. It's very healthy, and it makes me feel better, but it is very upsetting nevertheless. And so I need the tobacco, nicotine, and all those other additives that go into my Marlboro Lights more than ever.
Oddly enough, H and his entire family are all non-smokers (except for BIL and occasionally FSIL), but H thinks the no-smoking ban is going a little far, in that maybe they shouldn't ban smoking from bars and nightclubs. H mentioned that every time he comes to NY with me and we go to a bar, he thinks the atmosphere is weird and tense because there's no cigarette smoke. We both agree that no smoking in restaurants is okay, but it's just plain weird in bars and nightclubs. Though I admit, one of the reasons I really liked living in Paris was the fact that I could totally smoke it up in the restaurants, and I could totally just sit at a café with a cup of coffee and light up. Or that I could go anywhere and order a glass of wine and have a cigarette.
Oh, French smokers. I feel your pain. Don't worry, though, we'll get through it somehow.
My new year's was relatively calm. Everything worked out in the end, so the H and I were able to have our apartment to ourselves and we just hung out at home and drank champagne. Except at around 9 pm, we realized we had already finished one bottle of champagne and wanted to save the second (and last) one for midnight. So we dressed up all snazzy and stuff and went downstairs to the bar on the corner and had a couple of drinks.
I am not one to make New Year's resolutions, but here in France, starting yesterday, the new no-smoking law went into effect.
This is fine for those people (ahem, usually Americans) who dislike cigarette smoking with a passion, but I happen to be one of those nasty smokers, so I am quite disappointed about the whole thing. I also sympathize with the French smokers, as I lived through the no-smoking ban in NYC.
Cigarette smoking happens to be my only vice, aside from the occasional drink from time to time (though I don't really consider it a vice, seeing as the last time I actually threw up from drinking too much was back in 1999 and I have never let myself get that drunk since). I really, really do like to smoke. It makes me relaxed and it eases any crazy upset stomach pains I might have from being glutened (for real - tobacco is actually good for digestion). I mean, I would like to eventually quit smoking, but I've recently found out that I am also intolerant to dairy products. So now, in addition to pretty much every delicious gluten filled food out there (i.e. croissants, pizza, bread, sauces, etc) I now have to cut out all milk, cheese, butter, and so on. My diet from now on will pretty much just consist of meat, fish, and veggies. It's very healthy, and it makes me feel better, but it is very upsetting nevertheless. And so I need the tobacco, nicotine, and all those other additives that go into my Marlboro Lights more than ever.
Oddly enough, H and his entire family are all non-smokers (except for BIL and occasionally FSIL), but H thinks the no-smoking ban is going a little far, in that maybe they shouldn't ban smoking from bars and nightclubs. H mentioned that every time he comes to NY with me and we go to a bar, he thinks the atmosphere is weird and tense because there's no cigarette smoke. We both agree that no smoking in restaurants is okay, but it's just plain weird in bars and nightclubs. Though I admit, one of the reasons I really liked living in Paris was the fact that I could totally smoke it up in the restaurants, and I could totally just sit at a café with a cup of coffee and light up. Or that I could go anywhere and order a glass of wine and have a cigarette.
Oh, French smokers. I feel your pain. Don't worry, though, we'll get through it somehow.
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