A Cartier Christmas 2013

Check out this cute (animated) short film set in Paris in the 1920s to promote Cartier for Christmas... pour Noël ! Now is that a Winter Tale or a Winter Tail? hehe



(image from here)

I want a car and random thoughts

If I end up staying in Europe and getting a decent job, and if I don't end up living in a biggish city, the first thing I'm gonna do (after finding accommodation) is to buy a car! I wanted to buy one when I first arrived but then I told myself it would cost too much and be too much hassle, plus I didn't know how long I'd be staying. It was just too much work to find a car that I liked, in my price range as well since, annoyingly, I needed a car to be able to go and look at cars!!

Tonight I got invited to a soirée in another town not far from me. It's only about 15 minutes drive away. I could take the bus but it's still a hassle since I'd have to get myself to the train station, then wait for the bus, catch the bus. Of course if I had a car I could just drive myself home afterwards but since I don't and the last bus is at around 8:30pm  I'd have to stay the night (which these people (Couchsurfers) generously agreed to let me without me even having to ask), BUT then I start work at 8am tomorrow so I'd have to get up before 6am to make sure I got to class on time and I can't stand early mornings (particularly when they are still cold), so I decided not to go. :( And I'm upset because if I had a car I could've easily gone.

Oh well. Hopefully there'll be another time.

One of my friends here at the school invited me out for a girls' night out Friday night. Woohoo, can't wait!

Well, I've been speaking to someone from Shared Talk for only 8 days (which started because I was bored out of my brains here during the school holidays) and it's rare that from the very beginning we got along really well. We had so much in common, I couldn't believe it! He had travelled all over the world (which I find is rare for people I know around here as they just stay in Europe) and we had so much to talk about and this weekend he invited me over to spend some time with him and some friends (bonus: he only lives 30 minutes away by train). At first I was hesitant. I mean... we've only been speaking for 8 days, actually less than that since we obviously don't speak every single night. We've only known each other for 8 days but spoken around 5 times. I said sure, "I'd love to come over and meet you all but my last train is at..." (the usual story).... and he said, "Don't worry, you can stay over here."

Now, I have actually stayed with people I met through those language exchange websites before (but that was because I knew them fairly well. I'd talked to them for over a year!) Normally someone inviting me only after 8 days would've freaked me out and I would have had to decline, but luckily, he also does Couchsurfing and has a profile there so I checked out his comments to see that he's trustworthy. Since he doesn't live too far away he actually knows of my town (most French people don't as it's small and not well-known) and from the beginning would constantly make jokes about how it's the ugliest and worst city in France. Now I don't know if that's true or not... but when I tell people where I live and if they happen to know this town, they say that too (yes they are very blunt!! The French are not PC at all!!) It's a running joke and I just play along. Seriously, I'm not offended but I do NOT think it's the ugliest town in France by a longshot. Sure it's small and really boring but it's certainly not that ugly!

So anyway, that's THREE things I've been invited to in one week. This is all without me asking or hinting or anything. These people are just kind enough to invite me. 3 in one week, that's just too much!! ;)

Random but I've reached 100 contacts on LinkedIn (connecting me to almost 1.5 million people) - woohoo!

I can't believe how fast the time passes. I know it's a clichéd thing to say but still, it's true!

I have absolutely no hope of it snowing anymore. It's just getting too warm. There are only tiny patches/remnants of snow high up on the mountains that I see here and melting rapidly day by day. Gosh it seems like a lifetime ago where I saw my city covered in fluffy whiteness and felt like I was dreaming...

Ah yes.. the magical summer. I think a part of the reason why I've been a bit down lately is because everything just looks dead at the moment (I mean landscapes). There's no more beautiful snow, just dead trees and dead grass. In fact, the grass reminds me a lot of Australia. It's extremely dry and a yellowish shade. Often I've wanted to do something (a tourist attraction) whilst visiting a particular city but discovered it was closed due to the season being winter and everywhere I go people tell me to come back during summer because "It's beautiful during summer". So in my mind I imagine that EVERYWHERE in France and Europe just becomes super duper amazing during summer. Of course I know that that's not entirely true. For one thing I've already experienced huge mosquito bites and it wasn't even during summer, it was during autumn (and they don't have flyscreens, nor air con nor fans in houses in Europe!). However, I'm still very much looking forward to spring, and flowers, and colour... and the joy of feeling the sun on my bare skin!

On Saturday I went on a mini shopping spree and bought some spring-y clothes! Bit sick of wearing drab colours all the time and a big, heavy coat.  I bought a cheery nautical-print shirt and navy blue cardigan from Mango, a denim skirt and pair of black work pants (down to 6€!) from Pimkie, a white cardigan from H&M (down to 10€), and a professional-looking short-sleeved striped shirt from Zara (down to 7€!). I didn't actually know there was some special sale on (as I heard that France is only allowed to have sales twice a year) so I got lucky as most shops had some sort of sales rack.

I'm loving the fashions at the moment. I love the red/white/navy blue stripey nautical theme and even 'collected' clothes like that back home... In winter I hated the French fashions (too many drab colours and weird designs) but loved the shoes (boots) and now I love the spring/summer fashion range but hate the shoes! I can't win. The summer shoes are just not nice and not comfortable at all. I tried on lots and couldn't find anything much that I liked. Just as well. I remind myself I am supposed to be saving... oops!

I'm such a nomad at the moment. I wonder if I'll ever settle down. Perhaps I'm just immature. I do not look forward to having a mortgage and spending my weekends cleaning the house at all. I feel like I can't relate to a lot of my friends and co-workers because apart from work all they talk about is home stuff and child(ren) stuff (neither of which I have). I don't want to settle down. Or maybe I just don't want to settle ;)

High Schools and Teaching in France

French Culture and Society observations..

Every time I go and teach a class I have all these thoughts that run through my head and I think about doing a blog post later except I forget.. well... here it is!

First of all, I can only speak about my school. I don't know if all French high schools are the same. And since I'm from Australia, these comparisons will be to my public high school in Sydney, Australia (private schools are vastly different).


School Uniforms:

The first thing I noticed when I started working here were the uniforms of course, or lack thereof. I guess to Americans it's nothing unusual but to an Australian it's 'weird' to see high school students not wearing one. Over the months I've been thinking about this over and over in my head which I think is 'better'.

Pros of wearing a school uniform:

Of course my first reaction was that uniforms are infinitely better... even students I have talked to agreed with me! Why? You're there at school to learn. It's not a fashion parade. There is no competition between rich kids and poor kids. As we all know rich kids can afford the latest trends and expensive brands and buy lots of clothes and the poor kids can't. You don't have to think about what to wear each morning.

I remember when I first started high school we were given a sheet of paper with 'rules' about what sort of shoes and jewellery we could wear. Or even what sort of things we could wear in our hair (only school colours of course). There are strict regulations for that sort of thing in Australia mainly for safety reasons. Ie only very small stud or hoop earrings. Fully enclosed-toe shoes with no heel - ie black leather shoes with laces. I find myself thinking about this a lot when I see massive crazy earrings  and stilettos on girls here (I kid you not). Obviously, occupational health and safety regulations aren't quite as important here ;)

Cons of wearing a school uniform:

I can actually see some benefits of NOT wearing a uniform, and it goes along with my thinking that co-educational schools are 'better' than single-sex ones. The reason is because ours is a non-uniform wearing (except certain types of jobs) and co-educational society. We all start off in pre-school not wearing uniforms and in an co-ed environment but then we progress into this 'other period' and then once we're finished high school we're back to the same thing as before. By keeping it consistent it doesn't 'confuse' the kids and also I think in a way it makes them mature quicker. By choosing what you get to wear each day you are allowed to make adult-like decisions.

But then, teenagers in France are less likely to be competitive with their fashion compared to American or Australian teenagers. I remember when I was in high school, once in a blue moon we'd have a "non-uniform day" and I felt pressured to buy something new (and oh so trendy) especially for this rare event. I'm sure my friends felt the same thing. Also, due to colder weather or cultural reasons it's much more acceptable to wear the same thing several days in a row here. France also tends to be more economical and less materialistic than Anglo countries, I've found. At home I wouldn't dream of wearing the same outfit two days in a row. I don't remember wearing anything twice in a row during my time at university or work. It just felt 'weird' but it's completely normal here so now I often find myself wearing the same thing 2-3 days in a row.




Canteen/Cafeteria:

I talked about this before in my post here. We don't really have them in Australia so they fascinate me. If you've seen Supersize me there's a section in the documentary that compares canteens in the US vs those in France. That scene alone gives you a good idea about why America has an obesity problem and France does not. I think anyone who is NOT French would be fascinated by how canteens 'work' in France and what sort of food they serve up. I don't think there is another country out there that does it the same way.

Like in other countries in Europe, you pay with a swipe card loaded up with credit. This of course creates efficiency and noone in the canteen has to worry about cash handling. All of that is done in the administration part of the school.

After that you take a tray, the cutlery and proceed to follow the queue to choose what you want to eat. You're only allowed to take a certain amount (it's not a buffet afterall) but if you take less, you still get charged the same. The other assistant and I, being budget conscious and all, take all the components and often don't eat them all and save them up for later for snacks in our room.

Everyone agrees that the meals are HUGE. They have to be because the French don't really snack. Contrary to the pre-packed over-processed stuff served in canteens in high schools in America, everything is freshly prepared and cooked. OK, there are some pre-packaged things like yoghurt and cheese but this is for ease, convenience and hygiene purposes. The entrée is a wide selection of salads, the main meal is always hot and always eaten with a knife and fork and the dessert is usually a cake or mousse, or pastry or something equally yummy and French. There is also fresh fruit and of course bread, because the French love their bread!

For a drink is there only water. I'm sure this is for health reasons as well as cost-saving reasons. It doesn't worry me at all because I love drinking water.

Something else I noticed was that men and women eat the same amount. No matter how thin the ladies are that I've seen, they finish everything on their tray. The French are big on not wasting anything (be it tangible things like food or intangible things like electricity).  Back home I'd notice whenever I ate out with friends, the guys would always eat much more than the girls. Not so in France. Yeah sure there are probably lots of French women who diet and have eating disorders as in any country but as far as my experiences are concerned, I have never seen a French woman picking at her food or talking about dieting etc. I have, however, seen plenty of women (of other cultures/backgrounds including Australian and American) do that though. As a female, I've seen and heard it all amongst friends and acquaintances. The "Oh I already ate earlier" or "I had a big lunch" (while leaving a plate of food entirely untouched) etc etc. It's so obvious. Or the old favourite, "I'm going to start my diet/exercise routine next week..." after feeling guilty for eating a nice big meal. It really saddens me to see women treat their bodies with such contempt not knowing how it truly works and not loving and appreciating food. Have you ever noticed that food-loving nations* have far less incidences of obesity? Why? I believe in the fast-paced Anglo Western world we obsess over the fact that food is the enemy and we punish (or reward) ourselves with food.

* By food-loving nations I mean nations which have the culture of food, growing and cultivating it, making things by hand, the history, the love... all of it. I also had a thought that in countries where obesity is generally not a problem, the food tends to be a lot cheaper and it is much easier to get fresh fruit and vegetables. Going back to Supersize me, it mentions that everyone wants to buy/eat what is the cheapest and in the US (and Australia) fast food is cheaper whereas in France fresh food is cheaper.

In the canteen at my school there are posters and little brochures/leaflets telling you food and nutrition facts. On tv there are lots of ads/community announcements about health and food and exercise pointing to this website: Manger Bouger (Eat, Move). Eating and being healthy is a huge deal to the French.

So a little thing like the canteen has really made me understand how important food and eating is to the French. And I like their way. I like that they eat slowly because I eat slowly. I like that they stop what they are doing to have lunch. I like that they eat at a table (unlike what I did in Australia: we had to sit on the ground, outside). I like that they appreciate food and treat it like a friend, rather than an enemy.


Students:

When I'm teaching I often feel like the main character in the movie Never Been Kissed. Of course I'm not posing as a student but being in close contact with them gives me insight into their lives, a life I'd long since forgotten. I didn't enjoy high school at all so I think I've blocked out most of it and honestly don't remember a great deal about my time there. But being around teenagers, in a different country no less, makes me realise (and remember) that it's all still the same!!!

Teenagers are teenagers everywhere. You have your popular 'clique' and your unpopular kids. You have your smart, ambitious kids and the ones who couldn't give two hoots. Peers are extremely important to them. It's the same in every school in every country.

They think they are adults but they still act like children. They hate authority. Many hate school and can't see the point of learning (subject). It's the same ol' same ol'.

I see certain students who remind me a lot of myself. The ones who really want to learn but are stuck in a class full of extroverted insecure clowns. Yes, I say insecure because it's those who are insecure that seek attention and always have to be loud and annoying (to cover up the fact that they don't understand anything about what they are learning.

I find myself remembering things my father said to me when I was a teenager. "You don't understand... I'm older than you and have more experience... You're too young... You'll see when you're older that..." all those types of thoughts keep flooding back to me and I can't help but think he was right all along. It's so funny like that. When you're 16 you think you know EVERYTHING but actually, you know NOTHING.

I have some female students who think their only role in life is to look pretty and 'hot'. They come to class late (or don't come at all), and then spend the whole time fixing their hair, their make-up and acting as if school is one big fashion parade. I've spoken to their head teacher about it and she told me there's nothing you can do. That's just their personality. One day they'll wake up to themselves. I wish I could tell them what I really think. "You're not going to be 16 forever. One day you'll have bills to pay. Maybe you should think about getting some ambition, or are you just going to wait for some guy to rescue you? You may think learning English is a joke now but when you are actually out there looking for a job you'll realise how useful that skill really is..." (I actually had a 20-something English-learning student/client of mine tell me exactly that).

I actually had a female student of mine (age 18) tell me her goal was to get married by age 22 (much to the shock of her classmates because French people, like most people in the Western world) get married quite late these days, around the age of 30. That's if they get married at all.

My BTS students are the worst. They are already in their early 20s and still don't know what they want to do in life and have zero motivation or care. It's just so so sad to see people like this. It actually gives me insight into what it's like to be a parent.

They don't call France the most romantic country for nothing. There is 'romance' everywhere you look. Or should I say, there are horny teenagers everywhere you look. I'm not sure what the rules and regulations are but it seems like they can do anything as long as they are not naked. You see couples hiding out making out everywhere and teachers don't stop them. Oh did I mention there are condom vending machines scattered throughout the corridors?! When I first arrived I was surprised and shocked when I saw this. There are also condom vending machines outside almost every pharmacy in France (for when you have - ahem - an emergency, since pharmacies and supermarkets close at around 7pm).

I asked one of my classes to discuss the subject of love and relationships and I was surprised when one girl actually told me in detail the status of her relationship (which, honestly, I couldn't follow anyway because it was confusing as all hell)... "I dumped him because I realised I was still in love with my ex, and then I got back with him because... and my friend started going out with his friend.. and then we... and then someone else dumped someone else and got together with someone else..." Woah. Made my head (and heart) hurt wondering how people could get their emotions so knotted up like that.

Then there are two couples in one of my other classes. They are all good friends with each other and both couples seem like they've been together for an eternity. They are popular and are good students. They seem so sweet I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up together for long long time... They seem so devoted to each other and just too perfect!

Then there's the issue of smoking. The teachers and staff don't care that students as young as 12 smoke! Mine is a big school and it's the lycée (senior high school) and collège (junior high school) combined. Although I don't teach the youngin's I see them around and I've seen them smoking too. The rule is that they cannot smoke on school property but they can smoke outside the school gates. Hmm...




Driving

Driving seems to be a big deal to teenagers here as it is everywhere. It's the first taste of freedom. Students sometimes come to class late because they just had a driving lesson. Driving schools are everywhere. Even in my small town there are a handful. They have an office or shopfront (which is something I never saw in Australia). Apparently the lessons are quite expensive so if your parents can't afford it.. well... bad luck. I felt so sad when one of my students (a really lovely girl) told me her parents couldn't afford it so she couldn't get her licence.

I did a post on the French driving test (the written part) before: Code de la route and from what I've read it does seem to be difficult to pass the test but then again there are so many drivers out there it can't be that difficult ;) Apparently French people make bad drivers and from what I've personally experienced, I'd have to say that that is true. Off topic, but up until the third month mark I'd actually get into the driver's seat when I got into a friend's car because I was so used to the car being the other way around (in Australia we drive on the left hand side of the road)!!




Hobbies


What do my students get up to in their spare time? Sport is high on the list. Many went skiing during their Christmas holidays, horse riding, ice skating, skateboarding, soccer, tennis, cycling, hiking... Sport or art/craft classes, music lessons, driving lessons,  nightclubbing (the legal age is not a big deal in France so 15 and 16 year olds go), big parties at someone's house, time with parents (or other extended family), cooking and eating,




What I love about teenagers


They are so open and honest. They'll tell you anything (almost) if you ask it. I love that. I'm so used to guarded and private and aloof people it's so refreshing.

Random stuff about today

Random boring stuff about my day...

Had a few interesting adventures at the school this morning. Had to ask them to turn the school bell (which goes off more than 10 times a day) off because someone forgot to. Today's the last day where there are still staff around. Saw some students and teachers but have no idea what they were doing here because the school is closed.

Doing nothing much all day (yesterday) except sitting in front of the computer seems to make me not very sleepy so I stayed up till 2am... I went onto Skype to chat to this lawyer guy from Paris that I had spoken to once before... I told him I was looking for a job and he was so nice and encouraging (for a change). I'd read so much negative stuff online it was such a surprise to hear so much positivity and he actually gave me concrete examples of people at his work who were not European and who now work there full-time etc etc. What's interesting about him is... When I chat (type) to him online I notice that he uses HEAPS of words I do not know. I think I'm actually going to go through our chat and jot down all the new words (both proper words and slang) so I can learn them because when I chat to him I need to have wordreference.com opened at the same time to constantly look stuff up!

I thought about something else that I miss about my ex.. I realised that my French was improving heaps when I was with him, talking to each other, and reading his text messages. It's the constant input. It's why toddlers/children learn so quickly. Because they spend so much 1:1 time with their mother (or father or carer) who talks to them CONSTANTLY. It's something I miss heaps because we NEVER spoke English to each other. In fact, I found it cute, when he'd blurt out an English phrase once in a blue moon. As well as that, we listened to songs all the time when we were in the car (almost feels like most of our time together was spent in the car driving somewhere!) and he'd ask me if I understood the lyrics. If I said I didn't, he'd repeat it to me so that I'd get it. I could go on and on but it'll make me too sad. I really miss having someone to talk to constantly but it was just a bonus that I got to improve my French at the same time!

Anyway so around 1:30am I suddenly had this idea to look up people in my town on CouchSurfing. I have no idea why I did not think of this earlier?? I don't think I have looked it up since June 2010 when I first found out I was coming here. Why didn't I think of it before?!

So fed up with not having anyone to hang out with (all my friends seem to have disappeared on me now that it's school holidays)
• I clicked first on my own profile
• Then I clicked Show nearby Couches (100 K)

and that brings up everyone in your town, followed by everyone in the next closest town and so on and so forth. I can't remember how many people I messaged (maybe 5) but today I got 3 replies! So hopefully in the near future I'll get to meet up with them. Yay!

Today I decided to go to Geneva because I meant to go yesterday but couldn't get my CV finished in time. Being the first day of spring it was a lovely sunny day... nooooooo I'd love to say that but it was actually freezing! It was about 6° with strong winds and felt so cold. It didn't do much for my mood but the good thing is that I did manage to find the exact type of suit I wanted (for my upcoming job interviews of course :P ): black, with skirt AND pants and not hideously expensive and a decent fabric and in my size, etc. The blazer should ideally have a 'flap' at the back to aid movement.

I don't know how many shops I looked at but it was so hard to find a suit period. Now that spring's coming up all I saw were trendy colourful clothes in pastel colours and with flowers all over them! In Sydney I know exactly which shops to go to but here I have no idea... Eventually I went to one of my old favourites, Zara, and found one there. I was so lucky because it was the last one in my size. At first I found a nice 3-piece suit in H&M for a cheaper price but it was grey and I wanted black. I really wish female clothing stores would sell 'staples' sometimes instead of just weird trendy stuff like skirts and dresses with that horrible exposed metal industrial zipper (hate that!)

I tried to find shoes too (even though I already have the perfect pair at home back in Sydney) and it was an impossible task because my feet always fall out of shoes with no straps/buckles and I couldn't find any nice ones with straps/buckles that didn't look like something a kid or a granny would wear.

After walking around for 4 hours I am so tired. Found 2 employment agencies but I will have to go back later as I wasn't dressed for the part and I was not in a good mood to be 'selling' myself. Plus my hair was a great big mess from that wind.

I stumbled across, by accident, a big bookshop that has 2/3 of its books in English! Payot Librarie (a librarie is a bookshop in French, and a library in English is a bibliothèque). Gosh what a luxury to see English books in a bookstore. At first I didn't even go in because I thought Payot was a skincare brand (a quick Google image search shows me the logos are somewhat different) and the bookstore was for skincare related stuff.. but I went in and realised it was HUGE. 2 storeys and lots of nice books. With big Australian-style pricetags to match ;)  But hey, beggars can't be choosers.

Every time I get on a train (which feels like hundreds of times now) I notice things about the train, about the landscape outside the window, but also about the passengers and their rituals and so many thoughts go through my head so next time I'm gonna do a post on my SNCF adventures! (SNCF stands for: La Société nationale des chemins de fer français (the national French railway company)).


PS I uploaded some Grenoble pics onto my Facebook too if you want to take a peek.

The French are ethnocentric...

• The French are ethnocentric...
• Buying skincare and make-up in France...
• Shopping for your favourite products from home is almost impossible in France
(wasn't sure what to title this blog post)

ethnocentrism (ˌɛθnəʊˈsɛnˌtrɪzəm)
— n

belief in the intrinsic superiority of the nation, culture, or group to which one belongs, often accompanied by feelings of dislike for other groups

I loathe to use that word racist because as soon as you accuse someone of being racist, they deny it vehemently and then give you various eye-rolling examples of why they are not.

After 4.5 months of living in France I have definitely come to the conclusion that the French are very very VERY ethnocentric. That is, they truly believe that their culture is superior to that of others. Unlike many neighbouring countries which have become far more 'anglocised', the French are still very... well, French.

They also like sticking to the past. This is obvious by how well-preserved their cities are. Going to any French city is like taking a step back in time. I loathe all the cars I see because if it weren't for them I actually feel like I've gone back in time 100 or 200 or more years ago. Living in France also feels like living in Australia 30 years ago with their restricted shop opening hours. There are other examples I could give.. there are just so many. Not that I'm complaining that much. I actually dislike the fast-paced modern lifestyle.

When you ask an expat what sort of things they miss from home most people will mention some kind of food but I actually didn't miss anything much from home (as in supermarket type food), well, maybe Tim Tam biscuits. The things I missed were random things that I couldn't find here!

I am very particular about skincare and make-up brands and the things I used at home I could NOT for the life of me find here. For example, I used a Maybelline foundation called Mineral Power. I bought it one day in Target and I was onto my 3rd container (they are small). Could I find it here even though Maybelline is widely sold everywhere? Nope. Does not exist here. I was going crazy trying to find it, even online, then I gave up and bought something similar here by Loréal - Poudre Accord Parfait Minéral (which then of course does not exist in Australia or the US so I couldn't even read reviews about it!) It was a spur of the moment decision and I bought it at a supermarket without even testing the colour. Luckily for me, it was perfect.

The weirdest and most frustrating thing was... The make-up giant Sephora is a French company. Yet, the US Sephora sells far more brands and products! Figure that out. I like to read reviews before I buy stuff but it was useless because the stuff sold in the US was mostly not available here except the high end stuff like Chanel. As much as I'd like to, I don't really want to spend that much on make-up and prefer mid-range brands/prices.

Then I have another favourite product that I've been using forever and nothing else even comes close. It's Blistex lip balm. It's the only thing that works wonders on dry, chapped lips (the original in the round white container, not the lipstick-shaped ones). It does not exist in France. I ended up buying it from an online pharmacy in the UK.

Then, whilst travelling during the Toussaint holidays I lost my beloved Polaroid sunglasses. I like this brand because it's mid-range and mid-priced and I know the polarised lenses are really good. I know EXACTLY where to go to buy them in Australia. I was going out of my mind trying to find a replacement pair in France. They don't exist. I had a funny incident where I went into an optometrist and asked if they sold Polaroid sunglasses and he said, "No, but we have Polo Ralph Lauren!" Ha. Once again I contemplated buying them online from the UK, US or Australia but it would have been a dumb idea to buy something like that without trying them on first.

Eventually I realised that the brand is sold in Switzerland so I bought a pair when I went to Geneva. Later when I went to Germany I saw that brand sold widely there as well.

Then, I went through a phase where I was obsessed with buying a handbag that fitted all my requirements - size, style, colour, fabric, price, etc. No matter how many stores I went to, they only had the same brands. Almost all FRENCH BRANDS. Not saying French brands aren't good but for me the choice just isn't wide enough. There was either the expensive like Longchamp or the cheap and crappy. I eventually bought one by the brand Lancaster which is mid-priced and very good quality.

Do you see where I'm going with all this? Whereas Switzerland and Germany ('next door') are very open to Anglo brands.... The French are really obsessed with only selling French brands. This is apparent in almost every store and for almost every sort of product. Of course if you go to Paris and go to a big department store you can find other different brands but I'm talking about a general feeling.

Speaking of shopping, I hate to admit it but French fashion doesn't really float my boat. Only one of my favourite fashion shops/brands is French: Promod. The rest I like are: Zara (Spanish), H&M, Camaieu (Swedish), (Spanish) and Mango (Spanish). I've also bought stuff from UK online shops because their styles are much nicer. My favourites are: Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and New Look.

Not sure where I'm going with this post. It's just a feeling I get that the French are really resistant to change, and do not like other cultures infiltrating theirs. It's not all bad though. In some ways it's actually nice. I mean I lived in Shanghai, one of the fastest changing cities in the world. It was heartbreaking to see all the culture and history being destroyed in the name of progress and in the name of Westernising everything. Don't they realise that people go to China to see Chinese looking buildings from a time long ago, and not Western/Anglo looking modern buildings? That really saddened me. And it's because of that reason that Paris is so beautiful. All that gorgeous history preserved for generations to come...

Les Soldes d'hiver 2011

Post-Christmas/Winter Sales start TODAY (12 January) and go until 15 February 2011.
Les soldes d'hiver commencent AUJOURD'HUI (le 12 janvier) jusqu'àu 15 février 2011.

(image from here).

---

Edited: This is what I got: 

• An angora/wool long-sleeve tunic/dress thing from H&M. 40 --> 15 euros
• A cotton printed long-sleeve dress from H&M. 20 --> 10 euros 
(it's so hard to find long sleeved dresses! I'm forever trying to find nice ones)
Both the above items were the last ones in the store of that style.
• A pair of pants from Camaieu. 30 --> 15 euros
• A Emma Pernelle long sleeve top (with pin-tuck and lace detail) from Kiabi. 9.90 --> 2.97 euros

I could have easily bought more but I was relatively restrained. I noticed that basics like scarves, winter hats, gloves, socks, stockings/tights and underwear were very rarely on sale. Lingerie in various stores was on sale but only in specific styles. 

There were lots and lots of lovely winter coats for sale but I am so over winter clothes now and I noticed that hardly anyone was looking at them. I saw some gorgeous Desigual coats at one store at 40% off. 

I only buy things that are at least 50% off. Given that sales in France only occur twice a year they are pretty good and I can actually find things in my size here (in Australia everything left in the sales is too big for me). 

The H&M sale was pretty awesome. Almost everything was only 5 or 10 euros with only a few things at 15 or 20 euros. I like Camaieu anyway and I don't know about this rule that apparently in France you're not allowed to have sales except during July and January because they have sales all the time! It's one of my favourite stores as they have nice stuff at reasonable prices.
I liked Zara but it was so crowded I gave up!

Another blog post in the works is about - surprise - shopping in France!

French Fashion and Clothing Vocabulary

All the words you'll ever need when you go clothes shopping in store or online!
C'est tout ce qu'il vous faut quand vous faites les courses dans les magasins ou sur l'internet !

Whilst doing some online shopping for clothes (more like window shopping as I spend hours browsing without actually buying anything!) I started to learn a whole heap of new words so I thought I'd compile some I found and share :)


Fashion vocab/Vocabulaire de la mode

 

des vêtements (m)/des habits (m)/ des tenues (f)/des fringues (f)	clothes
un haut	top
un manteau	coat
un imperméable	raincoat
un blouson/une veste (de tailleur)	(tailored) jacket
un anorak	anorak
une doudoune	down-filled jacket
un trench	trenchcoat
une parka	parka
un coupe-vent	wind-breaker
une cape	cape
un pull	pullover/sweater/jumper
un sweat-shirt	pullover/sweater/jumper
un tee-shirt	t-shirt
un débardeur	tank top (sleeveless top)
une tunique	tunic
un bustier	bustier top
un pantalon	pants
un pantacourt	3/4 capri pants
un jean	jeans
un legging	leggings
un short	shorts
un pyjama	pajamas/pyjamas
un tailleur / un costume	suit
une chemise	(men's)shirt
un chemisier	women's shirt/blouse
une robe	dress
une (mini)jupe	(mini)skirt
un paréo	sarong
une combinaison	jumpsuit
un gilet	waistcoat/vest/cardigan
un cardigan	cardigan
un boléro	bolero
un bleu de travail	(blue) work overalls
une salopette	overalls
un smoking	dinner jacket/suit
un survêtement	tracksuit

  Underwear/Lingerie/Swimwear/Vêtements de bain 

un soutien-gorge	bra
des bas (m) / un collant	stockings/tights/pantyhose
un slip/une culotte	underpants
un string	g-string
une chemise de nuit/un peignoir	nightgown/dressing gown
une sortie de bain	bathrobe
un jupon	petticoat skirt
un porte jarretelles	suspenders
un caleçon	boxer shorts
un boxer	boxer shorts (tighter kind)
un maillot (de bain)	bathing suit/swimming costume
un bikini	bikini

  Shoes/Chaussures 

des chaussettes (f)	socks
des (chaussures à hauts) talons (f)	high heeled shoes
des tennis (m) / des baskets (m)	sneakers
des bottes (f)/des boots (m)	boots
des ballerines (f)	ballerina shoes/slippers
des escarpins (m)	pumps
des salomés (f)	t-bar shoes
des mary janes (f)	mary janes
des derbies (m)	derby shoes
des mocassins (m)	mocassins
des richelieux (m)	brogues/brogue shoes
des sandales (f)	sandals
des bottes de pluie (f)	rainboots/wellingtons
des bottes en caoutchouc (f)	rubber boots/rainboots/wellingtons
des talons aiguilles (f)	stilettos
des chaussons (m)/des pantoufles (f)	slippers

  Accessories/Accessoires 

des gants (m)	gloves
une mitaine	mittans
une écharpe	scarf (wool kind)
un foulard	scarf (thin silk/cotton kind)/shawl
uné étole	stole/wrap/shawl
un chèche	big veil/turban type scarf
des bijoux	jewel(le)ry
un collier	necklace
un sautoir	long necklace
un collier ras de cou	choker necklace
un bracelet	bracelet
des boucles d'oreilles	earrings
une bague	ring
une parure	set (of jewellery)
un noeud	bow (or a knot)
une cravate	tie
un noeud papillon	bowtie
une casquette	cap
un chapeau	hat
une capuche	hood
une capeline	wide-brimmed hat
un bonnet	hat (wool winter kind)
une ceinture	belt
des bretelles (f)	braces (straps)
des boutons de manchettes (m)	cufflinks
un parapluie	umbrella
maroquinerie	leathergoods (usually refers to handbags)
un sac à main	handbag
une sacoche	saddlebag/satchel/big handbag
une pochette	small handbag
une porte-monnaie	purse
un portefeuille	wallet
un sac à dos	backpack
un porte-clé	keyring/keychain

  Parts/Pièces 

une braguette	zip(per)
un bouton	button
des lacets (m)	laces (on shoes)
un col	collar
un col rond/v/roulé/montant col claudine	round neck/v-neck/turtleneck (or cowl neck)/high neck Peter Pan collar
une manche / manches longues (abbr: ML) / manches courtes (MC) / sans manches	sleeve / long sleeves /short sleeves / sleeveless
une poche	pocket
un poignet	wrist(band/cuff)
bords-côtes	tight sleeve/pant edge
une doublure	lining
un revers	reverse (side)
une finition	finishing touches

  Fabrics/Tissu / Composition/ Composition

coton (m)	cotton
laine (f)	wool
cuir (m)	leather
daim (m)	suede
soie (f)	silk
acrylique (m)	acrylic
polyester (m)	polyester
polyamide (m)	polyamide
lin (m)	linen
cachemire (m)	cashmere
feutre (m)	felt
feutre (m)	velour
velours (m)	velvet
(façon) jean	denim
nylon (m)	nylon
dentelle (f)	lace
viscose (f)	viscose
rayonne (f)	rayon
mohair (m)	mohair
latex (m)	latex
spandex (m)	spandex
élasthanne (m)	elastane
mousseline (f)	chiffon
organza (m)	organza
taffetas (m)	taffeta
toile (f)	canvas
lurex (m)	lurex
alpaga (m)	alpaca
poils de chameau (m)	camel hair
lapin (m)	rabbit fur
fourrure (f)	fur
polaire (f)	(polar) fleece
tissu synthétique (m)	synthetic
tricoté(e)	knitted (wool)
maille (f)	knitted (tops/sweaters)
maille épaisse/grosse maille	chunky/heavy knit
maille fine	fine knit

Prints/Patterns/Motifs

imprimé	printed
rayures	stripes
(petits) carreaux	checks/plaid
(petits) pois	polka dots
intarsia	argyle (diamond pattern)

Styles/Genre  

plis	pleats
plissé	pleated
bouffant	puffy
fermeture boutonnée	button closure
fermeture zippée	zipper closure

  Other  

un couleur	colo(u)r
une tendance	trend/style
une marque	brand
une nouveauté	new release
bonnes affaires	on sale

  Size/Taille

une taille	height
un poids	weight
tour de...	around the…
(la) poitrine	bust
(la) taille	waist
(la) hanche/un bassin	hips
la longueur d'entrejambe	inner leg length

Example of a complicated description: (from brandalley.fr)

and my translation:


Manteau
        Col montant plissé et bouffant
        Manches longues avec liens de serrage
        2 poches plissées devant
        Bords-côtes col, poignets et poches
        Découpes surpiquées fantaisies devant et au dos
        Plis plats et élastiques au dos
        Fermeture boutonnée et zippée sous patte devant
        Intérieur doublé beige façon polaire
        Couleur : beige
        Composition : 55 % coton et 45% polyamide
        Tour de taille : 88 cm env. pour une taille 38
        Longueur côté : 100 cm env.
        Lavage à la machine à 30° recommandé

Coat
        High collar, pleated and puffy
        Long sleeves with tightening 'lines' (ribbons)
        2 pleated pockets in front
        Tight sleeve cuffs, wrists and pockets
        Die-cut seams (?) top-stitched in fantasy-style in front and at the back
        Flat and elasticated pleats at the back
        Button and Zip closure and underlining??? in front
        Interior lined in beige polar fleece
        Colour: beige
        Composition: 55% cotton and 45% polyamide
        Around the waist: approx. 88cm for size 38
        Length to the edge: approx 100cm
        Machine wash at 30° recommended

(Image of "sous patte" etc from here)

Ski wear and Snowboard wear in France

I'm planning to go skiing in the near future (who wouldn't when they live so close to the snowfields?!) and looking to buy some ski clothing. I've been skiing once before. A LONG time ago. I think I just wore whatever I had at home which was far from appropriate. My pants were not even waterproof! They were those thick fleecy pants you wear for sport (or in my case, for sleep). Yeah, I cringe at the thought of my lack of knowledge (or my parents' lack of knowledge rather) about skiwear...

So, a few weeks ago (before it even started snowing actually) was reading up on skiwear (and also watching tutorials on YouTube and other video websites about how to actually ski instead of 'falling gracefully')...  I discovered some key words such as breathability (respirant) and waterproof (imperméable) ratings. They start from 1,000 and go up to around 20,000+. The average ski jacket/pants in the shops is around 3-5,000 and 10,000 is very good. I doubt you'd need anything more than that unless you are a hardcore winter sport enthusiast. Of course the higher the number the more expensive the item is too. And then you have Gore-Tex which is a whole other world altogether and defies numbers.

It's all a bit confusing so I won't even try to explain it but here are two (one, two) good websites which explain it well.

I decided I wanted at least a 5000/5000 rating (or more if I could afford it).

I have a few problems:

1) I live in a small town and don't have a car so it's a pain to do any shopping for anything other than food (a whole new post on this topic coming up soon)
2) I seem to be the size of the average French woman so almost everything I want to buy is sold out in my size. This happens all the time. Even if the product is not on sale! It is beyond frustrating.
3) Ski clothing is ugly. Am I the only person who thinks this? Why can't they just come in normal colours other than black or white? I don't want to wear hot pink or puke chartreuse or look like I'm 8 years old. It's as if - how should I say this? - somebody threw up in Photoshop. Why do the patterns on ski clothing have to be so loud and garish and 80s? As well as that, it makes you look fat and/or pregnant.
Also, why are there so many white ski clothes? Do people want to be camouflaged or what? I don't get it. I keep having paranoid thoughts about being stuck in the mountains and noone being about to find me because... I am wearing head to toe in white! Hahahaa. Call me silly but I think about these things. And then to me, black is just too dreary which leaves the highlighter pen type colours, or your wacky crazy patterns.

Ho hum.

I have no choice but to buy it on the internet but I'm never sure what size to get as it largely depends on what brand it is... It's going to be very interesting seeing if I can even find anything that I like, in my size, AND in my price range!

On the plus side, ski wear (and sports wear/equipment in general) seem to be a heck of a lot cheaper in France than in Australia, and I love that there are so many sport stores with discounted prices. In fact, winter technical clothing, accessories and equipment (for randonées, skiing and snowboarding, etc) seems to be about 1/3 price of that in Australia!

---

Edited: I ended up buying a jacket from Intersport in Lyon. It's by the brand Protest and cost 169 euros. It's more than I wanted to spend but I figure if I can wear it as a normal jacket then it's like getting 2 in one. It has a rating of 8000 for both breathability and waterproof... waterproofability? waterproofedness? watertightness? so it's totally worth the price I think. I fully recommend that store in the Croix Rousse in Lyon. It was huge. It had 2 storeys and the largest range of ski clothing I'd seen in any store. Of course it also sells other sports stuff too including actual skis.

Eiffel tower necklace

Récemment, j'ai acheté ce petit collier chouette avec la tour Eiffel. C'est tout ce que je voulais de dire.

Recently, I bought this cute little Eiffel Tower necklace. That's all I have to say!