The Adventures of Henri & Moi

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It’s not even the middle of January and I can already check something off my 2012 goal list. Driving a manual car…in France…on little roads…by myself.

Yes, I have a car. Well, it’s not technically mine, but it belongs to Fabien’s Grandfather, Rene. It’s a Clio and they are everywhere in France along with the brands Renault and Peugeot. I’ve decided he (the car) must have a name, so, meet Henri (pronounced the French way: On-re). Why Henri? Well, in the USA, Henri is an older name. And since the car is a quite old and belongs to Grandpa Rene, I felt it should have a distinguished name. Plus, when you say Henri with the french accent, it’s kind of fun.

Henri

I thought there would be a funny tale to tell about my first days of driving, but it was rather uneventful. The first day, I stalled a lot. The second day, less. The third day, I drove in the village. Easy breezy. And all the while, Fabien patiently held my hand.

Stalling in the round-about was kind of like this...

However, my hand was empty after January 1st. This meant that going forward I had to find the school and manage driving on my own. The first solo day, I stalled a few times. The second, I stalled a lot, got lost and was a ball of stress by the time I made it to the University. The third day, I got confused and stalled in a round-about causing other drivers to honk and tell me I was number one. To add to my embarrassment, the neighbor drove past me laughing hysterically. Totally mean, but I probably would have done the same.

And most recently, when I was driving home, I got stuck in the village downtown, on a hill, behind a bus, with a car behind me. If your familiar with driving stick, this can be a complex situation because the car rolls back the moment the brake is released.  So, when the bus took off, I floored it and quickly removed my foot from the clutch. My tires skid and a group of little old ladies leaving the church gave me the most horrified look. This made me L-O-L. Whatever, I bet that guy behind me is happy Henri didn’t go slamming into his Mercedes.

Everyday, I seriously consider taking the bus. I feel like other drivers are constantly screaming, “WHAT IS SHE DOING?” but over the past 3 days, I have seen improvement. Meaning, I have only stalled once.

But, for your viewing pleasure, I recorded clips of some of the greatest moments of our adventures to date. Enjoy! (P.S. It’s set to music, so you might want to mute your sound.)

Testing My Confidence

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Fabien returned to the States on the 1st of January. Sad face. This means I had two solid days to prepare for my placement test at the University d’Orleans. So, like a good little student I reviewed by vocabulary, verbs, listened to a few ‘Coffee Break French’ podcasts and made a solid attempt to speak in french more. I wasn’t all that stressed because I was quite comfortable with what I knew and understood.

The other challenge of the day is that this would be my first time driving the manual car and finding the University on my own. Now, I admit that I got lost but eventually found my way to the Insitut d’Francais building. When I arrived I said “Je suis la pour la (and not ‘le’) test.” (I am here for the test). Mistake aside, I was understood and instructed to follow the professor to the testing room. When I took my seat, I noticed the other students had the same terrified look on their faces. The test was distributed and after my first review, I  thought,  am I in the french class?

I understood almost nothing in the grammar and listening section, but struggled and reasoned my way though. Next, I had to write 250 words (no, that is not a typo) on the things to do in my country. Thank God I live in the United States and not Liechtenstein. I put my best foot forward, but I’m sure the essay was riddled with mistakes. And finally, the oral test – a 15 minute dialogue with a professor.

She asked me questions about myself including where I had taken french and for how long. I answered, “Une annee a l’Alliance Francais a Detroit.” (1 year at the Alliance Francais in Detroit). She replied “1 annee ou 1 mois?” (One year or one month?) Did I stutter? Well, probably, but I clarified 1 year. Surely this was because she thought my french was so awful. The second part of the oral exam was all on my own. Fortunately, the day before I had just listened to a podcast on the very subject I was being quizzed on…what I do everyday. (In french) I explained what time I get up, what I eat for breakfast, the processing to getting ready, when I leave the house, what I do at work, what I do when I return home and when I go to bed. Again, I know I made a million mistakes and had a billion “um’s” and “uh’s”, but I’m pretty sure I got my point across. I left after 3 hours, totally exhausted and slightly demoralized.

I felt like I had failed big time and was certain that when I returned for the results on Friday, they would tell me I did not make the cut. So, for the next few days, I did nothing but worry and prepared myself to take the rejection like a big girl.

When D-day came, I arrived at school early so the instructors could tell me I would not be admitted while the other students were not there. The Prof advised me I was early and to have a seat in the class room. Well, this is just cruel, I thought. The least he could do was put me out of my misery now. I even sat next to the door so I could make a quick exit once I was asked to leave. After the other students arrived, my name was the first they called. The teacher handed me a letter that said “Accepted – Level 2”. Surely this was a mistake.

The building where all my classes are held at the Universite d’Orleans

So, I played along with their sick joke and after a couple hours of them explaining class structure (all in french) and understanding 1% of what they were saying, I was told “Bon week end” and “A lundi”. (Have a good weekend. See you Monday).

The Worst Tourist in Paris

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First things first – this post is going to disappoint you. Fabien & I went to Paris last week for a few days and I may have been the worst tourist in the city. We went to see the Eiffel Tower the first night but it was so foggy, you could only see to the 1st level. We never went back. I’m a loser. Do as I say and not as I do – Paris is not a city to say, “been there, done that.”

The perfectly decorated Galeries Lafayette - 2011

But, honestly, after visiting the city a 2nd time, under different circumstances than before (ie. our luggage getting jacked from the car on the first day), I fell in love with Paris. Thank God Fabien is in Tennessee otherwise, it might be really difficult to return to Smyrna after being in this city. There’s just something so beautiful about this place. Just like Owen Wilson in the film Midnight in Paris, I love the way the city looks, at night, after it has rained.  It’s little stone streets. It’s Haussmann buildings. The way everything is so perfectly decorated for the holidays. How the cafés are littered with Parisians sitting outside because they would rather smoke than be warm. I don’t even mind the gritty metro which has a certain smell all its own. I love how things are done for beauty and not because someone wants to build something as cheap as possible. I see why it’s called the City of Lights and known as the worlds most romantic town. However, this visit was not about running around the city like a manic making sure I see every amazing and beautiful site. It was about visiting friends and spending quality time with my husband who would be leaving me soon to return to the States.

Sacré Coeur from Buttes Chaumont

We did manage to pass by a few of my favorites – Montmartre, Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees.  Also, I added a few new favorites to the list. Visiting the Galeries Lafayette (see above) and Printemps to see their amazing Christmas displays. Canal Saint Martin where I can invision Amelie throwing stones.  And the best new discovery, the park, Butte Chaumont. I am no expert on Paris, but I am telling you, if you want a beautiful view, go to this park. From the highest point, on a clear day, the view of Sacré Coeur is so stunning it looks as though it’s not even real. In another spot you can see the Eiffel Tower. So, if you only follow one piece of advice I ever give you – go to this park. Don’t waste your time and money going up the Eiffel Tower. I mean, you can’t see the Tower from the Tower.

The China Crew

Our goal was met though. We caught up with old friends from US and China who were gracious enough to let us stay in their adorable, little Parisian apartments.

The Detroit Crew

Aside from seeing our friends, spending time with Fabien and discovering some new favorites in the city, the highlight of my trip was the last night when I got to ride in the driver cabin of the Metro. One of our friends manages a line and asked the driver if he wouldn’t mind giving us a lift. I felt totally special and thought it was super cool to see the veins of one of the oldest subway tunnels (established in 1900) in the world with a panoramic view.

I didn’t even take many pictures. So, not to totally disappoint, I included photos from this year and the last time I visited the city. View them here.