St. Joan of Arc has fascinated me since primary school; she is one of the original female warrior figures, before superheros were invented and before Tolkien wrote about Eowyn and her prowess on the battlefield. Besides her obvious courage in war and perseverance, I've always been inspired by her determination and resolve as a young woman, though she was considered simple and uneducated by those around her.
Now that I am in her homeland, I will be doing an independent study this semester about her life and work, which I will chronicle at Jeanne la Pucelle. If anyone has recommendations on good Joan-related books that I ought to read, I would love to hear about it.
Showing posts with label france. Show all posts
Showing posts with label france. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
In Which I Submit a Public Apology
Dear Embroidery,
Hey. It's been a while, hasn't it? I mean, I tried to figure out French knots in elementary school and then basically gave up. We never really got along well -- you always required that hoop and that thread which gets tangled so easily. And there was also that time I tried to make an alphabet sampler and left the hoop in too long and then the fabric was distorted. Remember how annoyed I was?
So I ended up abandoning you for a long while. With knitting, crochet, and sewing to keep me company, I thought I didn't need you. You seemed superfluous and vaguely pretentious.
Then on Friday, I saw the Bayeux Tapestry.
I'm sorry, ok? Mea culpa. I was too blind to see how awesome you can be. Maybe it was the multicoloured ships, maybe it was the border of strange birds, maybe it was the battle scene, but something in those 70 metres gripped me. So yes, I visited the gift shop and bought that kit, and yes, it is rather addictive.
Now I'm haunting Sublime Stitching, browsing the little embroidery shop near the house, and deciding whether I can embroider everyone I know pillowcases for Christmas in time.
If I ever doubt you again, then just send me a little flashback to Bayeux, and I'll snap back into shape.
Yours sincerely,
Caroline
Hey. It's been a while, hasn't it? I mean, I tried to figure out French knots in elementary school and then basically gave up. We never really got along well -- you always required that hoop and that thread which gets tangled so easily. And there was also that time I tried to make an alphabet sampler and left the hoop in too long and then the fabric was distorted. Remember how annoyed I was?
So I ended up abandoning you for a long while. With knitting, crochet, and sewing to keep me company, I thought I didn't need you. You seemed superfluous and vaguely pretentious.
Then on Friday, I saw the Bayeux Tapestry.
I'm sorry, ok? Mea culpa. I was too blind to see how awesome you can be. Maybe it was the multicoloured ships, maybe it was the border of strange birds, maybe it was the battle scene, but something in those 70 metres gripped me. So yes, I visited the gift shop and bought that kit, and yes, it is rather addictive.
Now I'm haunting Sublime Stitching, browsing the little embroidery shop near the house, and deciding whether I can embroider everyone I know pillowcases for Christmas in time.
If I ever doubt you again, then just send me a little flashback to Bayeux, and I'll snap back into shape.
Yours sincerely,
Caroline
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Fashion and Anti-Fashion
Despite my occasional frustrations with the fashion industry, I remain fascinated by clothing both in a historical costuming context and in the everyday wear context. Try as I might, I can't always wear garb to class (blast!), so I have learned to appreciate modern clothes much more than I had previously liked wearing 21st century attire.
One of the aspects I anticipated for this year abroad was the chance to study, nay, scrutinize many a French woman's wardrobe. Aren't we all told that French women have few items of clothing, but all of very high quality, and that they always look chic and put-together? This mythical woman owns one white button blouse, one chic trouser (in the singular, as Stacy London would demand), one LBD, one pair of black pumps, a very good brand of mascara, and a Chanel bag.
Well. Perhaps those women live in Paris, and I was too busy taking pictures of flowers to notice their completely fabulous yet simple style. However, now that my time as a tourist is largely at a close whilst I settle into Tours, I have begun to examine the fashions and trends alive in Tours. I have come to several conclusions, some of which I have found rather surprising.
First, the classy women do exist, and they pull off chic (not trendy) and classy looks -- mostly it seems to be the businesswomen. They'll wear the pointy heels (especially impressive in a city where most people walk or bike) and hose with a well-fitted skirt and that iconic white blouse, all with a tailored trench coat (it's already cold here). Their hair looks tidy, their makeup is immaculate, and they don't look like they woke up half an hour before they had to leave.
As if to counter-attack this picture of elegance, we have another style that currently flourishes in Tours. This style isn't new in the world; in the 90s, it was big in the States. It was called grunge, and it was terrifying for anyone who enjoyed the occasional shower and shampoo. Now, it lives on in its natural habitat in Tours. It's difficult to delineate whether perpetrators of this style are in fact French (whether they are from Tours or elsewhere in France) or foreign students. However, many of foreign students that I have observed (at l'Institut de Touraine and elsewhere) tend to lean toward the classier end of the clothing spectrum. So, I am forced to include that it is mainly French university students wearing grunge.
What does grunge involve? you may ask. Well, it typically involves several of the following elements:
1) A melange of rather grubby clothing items, some of which are more hippie (tunics, harem pants, wrap skirts) and some of which are just old (ancient sweatshirts)
2) Dreadlocks. I have seen more dreadlocked hair here in Tours than I have seen in my entire life to this point.
3) If no dreadlocks are involved, then hair is highly unkempt and may be kept partially obscured by a scarf
4) Piercings in the facial region in addition to ear piercing, a.k.a. eyebrow, nose, lip, and so forth
5) A general air of casual disaffection and lack of grooming
All this may sound judgmental. I am fully aware that is is a perlious post; I can hear the arguments now: "Well, isn't that how you dress?" Dear readers, I do laundry. I take the occasional shower and/or bath. I don't wear sweatshirts from 1983. While I am a propronent of layering and the headscarf, I don't wear grubby clothes.
This post is also serving as an intro to a hoped-for stealthy photo series in which I will document these travesties. It's rather disappointing, perhaps, to read a fashion post without pictures. I do apologize. Snapshots are forthcoming to illustrate the reasons for my particular frustration.
One of the aspects I anticipated for this year abroad was the chance to study, nay, scrutinize many a French woman's wardrobe. Aren't we all told that French women have few items of clothing, but all of very high quality, and that they always look chic and put-together? This mythical woman owns one white button blouse, one chic trouser (in the singular, as Stacy London would demand), one LBD, one pair of black pumps, a very good brand of mascara, and a Chanel bag.
Well. Perhaps those women live in Paris, and I was too busy taking pictures of flowers to notice their completely fabulous yet simple style. However, now that my time as a tourist is largely at a close whilst I settle into Tours, I have begun to examine the fashions and trends alive in Tours. I have come to several conclusions, some of which I have found rather surprising.
First, the classy women do exist, and they pull off chic (not trendy) and classy looks -- mostly it seems to be the businesswomen. They'll wear the pointy heels (especially impressive in a city where most people walk or bike) and hose with a well-fitted skirt and that iconic white blouse, all with a tailored trench coat (it's already cold here). Their hair looks tidy, their makeup is immaculate, and they don't look like they woke up half an hour before they had to leave.
As if to counter-attack this picture of elegance, we have another style that currently flourishes in Tours. This style isn't new in the world; in the 90s, it was big in the States. It was called grunge, and it was terrifying for anyone who enjoyed the occasional shower and shampoo. Now, it lives on in its natural habitat in Tours. It's difficult to delineate whether perpetrators of this style are in fact French (whether they are from Tours or elsewhere in France) or foreign students. However, many of foreign students that I have observed (at l'Institut de Touraine and elsewhere) tend to lean toward the classier end of the clothing spectrum. So, I am forced to include that it is mainly French university students wearing grunge.
What does grunge involve? you may ask. Well, it typically involves several of the following elements:
1) A melange of rather grubby clothing items, some of which are more hippie (tunics, harem pants, wrap skirts) and some of which are just old (ancient sweatshirts)
2) Dreadlocks. I have seen more dreadlocked hair here in Tours than I have seen in my entire life to this point.
3) If no dreadlocks are involved, then hair is highly unkempt and may be kept partially obscured by a scarf
4) Piercings in the facial region in addition to ear piercing, a.k.a. eyebrow, nose, lip, and so forth
5) A general air of casual disaffection and lack of grooming
All this may sound judgmental. I am fully aware that is is a perlious post; I can hear the arguments now: "Well, isn't that how you dress?" Dear readers, I do laundry. I take the occasional shower and/or bath. I don't wear sweatshirts from 1983. While I am a propronent of layering and the headscarf, I don't wear grubby clothes.
This post is also serving as an intro to a hoped-for stealthy photo series in which I will document these travesties. It's rather disappointing, perhaps, to read a fashion post without pictures. I do apologize. Snapshots are forthcoming to illustrate the reasons for my particular frustration.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Une Journee Extraordinaire
Here in Paris, our program has pre-scheduled events nearly every day -- museum visits, tours by boat, plays, dinners, etc. This isn't exactly a problem -- it's been excellent to have a guided overview of what Paris has to offer, so when we do get some time to ourselves, we can maximize our time around the city to do what we please.
Yesterday we had a free day and thus I was able to plan and execute some quite exciting adventures!
My day began with a visit to the Musée des Arts et Métiers. This museum doesn't have impressionist art or Greek sculptures or tapestries: what it does have is a wide assortment of historical technology, contraptions, inventions, and (as the French would say) rather strange trucs. One may see a re-creation of Lavoisier's laboratory, a miniature model of a steam-powered engine, astrolabes from hundreds of years ago, very early sewing machines, and modern robotic technology (to name a few).
However, the journey is half the fun. The metro stop on line 11 for the museum, called Arts et Metiers, is decorated like a Jules Verne submarine. Any steampunk worth her salt knows about this metro stop! It is part of the destination itself, and I found it delightfully shiny. I'd read online that it had been largely obscured by graffiti, and so I was pleased to find that was not the case at all.
After locating the museum (it is situated in an old abbey right near the metro stop), I began my exploration. I enjoyed it immensely; it was laid out in a logical, orderly fashion, broken into categories like Navigation and Energy. Most of the displays were in nearly all glass boxes, set in the middle of the corridors so that one could fully circle the objects within.
Here's a flying machine I came across:
Any museum that brilliant has to be followed by a meal somewhere. As I had yet to explore any of my vegetarian restaurant listings, I decided to check out La Victoire Supreme du Coeur. There I enjoyed a lavish lunch: an appetizer of little onion fritters and salad, the Indian plate for my main course, and then the chocolate-orange-cardamom cream for dessert! It was all delicious and I adored having wheat bread instead of the all-fluff-no-substance baguettes that are tasty but not very filling.
I still had some time to spend in the afternoon, so I took the metro to the Centre Pompidou, where I recorded my adventures the old-fashioned way (in my Moleskine) for future reference. Then I headed back to the hostel for some resting (reading, not napping -- napping is something I find very difficult).
But friends! The day is not yet over! A friend from Davidson, the charming Ms. Wood, met me for drinks at Les Furieux. After several minutes of debating whether we ought to order at the bar (apparently we are both rather inept at bar culture and correct mannerisms?) we both ordered glasses of absinthe. Never fear, ye who worry about such things. Today's absinthe bears little resemblance to the absinthe of early bohemians. It lacks the hallucinogenic properties and simply bears a strong licorice flavour. We found it quite appealing.
Here Ms. Wood looks charming with her glass:
And I simply guard my drink from passers-by:
So there you have it! It was one of the best days of the trip thus far. I really enjoyed planning out the day, navigating toute seule, and of course, seeing Ms. Wood.
Yesterday we had a free day and thus I was able to plan and execute some quite exciting adventures!
My day began with a visit to the Musée des Arts et Métiers. This museum doesn't have impressionist art or Greek sculptures or tapestries: what it does have is a wide assortment of historical technology, contraptions, inventions, and (as the French would say) rather strange trucs. One may see a re-creation of Lavoisier's laboratory, a miniature model of a steam-powered engine, astrolabes from hundreds of years ago, very early sewing machines, and modern robotic technology (to name a few).
However, the journey is half the fun. The metro stop on line 11 for the museum, called Arts et Metiers, is decorated like a Jules Verne submarine. Any steampunk worth her salt knows about this metro stop! It is part of the destination itself, and I found it delightfully shiny. I'd read online that it had been largely obscured by graffiti, and so I was pleased to find that was not the case at all.
After locating the museum (it is situated in an old abbey right near the metro stop), I began my exploration. I enjoyed it immensely; it was laid out in a logical, orderly fashion, broken into categories like Navigation and Energy. Most of the displays were in nearly all glass boxes, set in the middle of the corridors so that one could fully circle the objects within.
Here's a flying machine I came across:
Any museum that brilliant has to be followed by a meal somewhere. As I had yet to explore any of my vegetarian restaurant listings, I decided to check out La Victoire Supreme du Coeur. There I enjoyed a lavish lunch: an appetizer of little onion fritters and salad, the Indian plate for my main course, and then the chocolate-orange-cardamom cream for dessert! It was all delicious and I adored having wheat bread instead of the all-fluff-no-substance baguettes that are tasty but not very filling.
I still had some time to spend in the afternoon, so I took the metro to the Centre Pompidou, where I recorded my adventures the old-fashioned way (in my Moleskine) for future reference. Then I headed back to the hostel for some resting (reading, not napping -- napping is something I find very difficult).
But friends! The day is not yet over! A friend from Davidson, the charming Ms. Wood, met me for drinks at Les Furieux. After several minutes of debating whether we ought to order at the bar (apparently we are both rather inept at bar culture and correct mannerisms?) we both ordered glasses of absinthe. Never fear, ye who worry about such things. Today's absinthe bears little resemblance to the absinthe of early bohemians. It lacks the hallucinogenic properties and simply bears a strong licorice flavour. We found it quite appealing.
Here Ms. Wood looks charming with her glass:
And I simply guard my drink from passers-by:
So there you have it! It was one of the best days of the trip thus far. I really enjoyed planning out the day, navigating toute seule, and of course, seeing Ms. Wood.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Ca m'a plu beaucoup, merci.
And now for your entertainment, two lists:
a) Things I like about being in Paris
1. The wide availability of carbohydrates on every street corner (hello, baguettes and/or freshly made fries)
2. The strangely compelling teeny servings of coffee
3. One phrase: the brilliant Metro system
4. Visiting a somewhat obscure museum by myself and strolling at my own pace
5. French people who patiently explain everything in French instead of switching to English as soon as I hesitate
6. Waiters who call me "Madame"
7. Sancerre
8. Reading Harry Potter a l'ecole des sorciers in the park
9. The accordion player that shows up sporadically on the train
10. Finding the world's best falafel stand, and having the woman behind the counter guess my order before I say anything (when it's the fifteenth day that I've been there...)
11. Making friends with random French children in playgrounds during regression-to-youth adventures
b) Things I dislike about being in Paris
1. The occasional motorcyclist who has orders to mow me down when I cross the street
2. The metro station called Montparnasse Bienvenue, aka The Pit of Despair
3. Paying 2.40 euros for a microscopic roll of off-brand tape
4. Occasional sketchy people
5. Pigeons everywhere I turn
[NB: it was much easier to write the first list than the second.]
P.S. So the blogging has been a bit lax. Sorry about that -- it's mainly because wireless likes to do its own thing here in the hostel. However, I have been uploading a few pictures (read: a lot) as wireless permits.
a) Things I like about being in Paris
1. The wide availability of carbohydrates on every street corner (hello, baguettes and/or freshly made fries)
2. The strangely compelling teeny servings of coffee
3. One phrase: the brilliant Metro system
4. Visiting a somewhat obscure museum by myself and strolling at my own pace
5. French people who patiently explain everything in French instead of switching to English as soon as I hesitate
6. Waiters who call me "Madame"
7. Sancerre
8. Reading Harry Potter a l'ecole des sorciers in the park
9. The accordion player that shows up sporadically on the train
10. Finding the world's best falafel stand, and having the woman behind the counter guess my order before I say anything (when it's the fifteenth day that I've been there...)
11. Making friends with random French children in playgrounds during regression-to-youth adventures
b) Things I dislike about being in Paris
1. The occasional motorcyclist who has orders to mow me down when I cross the street
2. The metro station called Montparnasse Bienvenue, aka The Pit of Despair
3. Paying 2.40 euros for a microscopic roll of off-brand tape
4. Occasional sketchy people
5. Pigeons everywhere I turn
[NB: it was much easier to write the first list than the second.]
P.S. So the blogging has been a bit lax. Sorry about that -- it's mainly because wireless likes to do its own thing here in the hostel. However, I have been uploading a few pictures (read: a lot) as wireless permits.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Details, Thoughts, and OAQs
Yes, it has been ages since my last post, and for that, I do apologize. It's been a busy summer!
Anyway, moving on to more exciting times! The vast majority of my audience of 5.3 readers know that I will be leaving shortly for a year abroad in France. I've hoped to study abroad for some years know and it's quite exciting to finally be able to go.
Since there are lots of logistics to think about as I leave and for while I am abroad, I've decided to post a few Occasionally Asked Questions (OAQs) about my plans for everyone's information:
Q: Where are you going?
A: France. More specifically, Paris for all of September and then Tours from October through May inclusive. I will go on excursions around France as well as traveling around Europe.
Q: How will you keep folks updated?
A: You're looking right at it. While some folks send out mass emails when they go abroad, I'm planning on using the pre-existing structure of this blog. I will also post more photos on Flickr than here, but I will provide links in my posts to the new photos.
Q: What if I can't be bothered to type in a URL to follow what's happening?
A: Fortunately, there are several options. You can follow the RSS feed in your preferred reader (I strongly recommend Google Reader) which is the way I like to keep up with blogs. The easiest and most painless option for most people is to subscribe via email, which you can do in the sidebar. You will have to click through the confirmation email, so be sure to keep an eye out for that in your spam folder.
Q: How else will you keep in touch?
A: Email, natch. Also, I have Skype. If you're on Skype and you want my username, just send me an email.
Q: What are you studying?
A: Mostly French itself, but also literature, art, history, international relations, wine tasting, picnic-packing, the fine skill of finding flea market bargains, &c.
Q: Do you want to hear an idea for something to do in France or Europe?
A: Yes please! I'd love to hear suggestions for places to eat, things to do, locations to visit, so please do add them in the comments or shoot me an email if you would like.
That should do it! Additional OAQs? That's what the comments are for!
Anyway, moving on to more exciting times! The vast majority of my audience of 5.3 readers know that I will be leaving shortly for a year abroad in France. I've hoped to study abroad for some years know and it's quite exciting to finally be able to go.
Since there are lots of logistics to think about as I leave and for while I am abroad, I've decided to post a few Occasionally Asked Questions (OAQs) about my plans for everyone's information:
Q: Where are you going?
A: France. More specifically, Paris for all of September and then Tours from October through May inclusive. I will go on excursions around France as well as traveling around Europe.
Q: How will you keep folks updated?
A: You're looking right at it. While some folks send out mass emails when they go abroad, I'm planning on using the pre-existing structure of this blog. I will also post more photos on Flickr than here, but I will provide links in my posts to the new photos.
Q: What if I can't be bothered to type in a URL to follow what's happening?
A: Fortunately, there are several options. You can follow the RSS feed in your preferred reader (I strongly recommend Google Reader) which is the way I like to keep up with blogs. The easiest and most painless option for most people is to subscribe via email, which you can do in the sidebar. You will have to click through the confirmation email, so be sure to keep an eye out for that in your spam folder.
Q: How else will you keep in touch?
A: Email, natch. Also, I have Skype. If you're on Skype and you want my username, just send me an email.
Q: What are you studying?
A: Mostly French itself, but also literature, art, history, international relations, wine tasting, picnic-packing, the fine skill of finding flea market bargains, &c.
Q: Do you want to hear an idea for something to do in France or Europe?
A: Yes please! I'd love to hear suggestions for places to eat, things to do, locations to visit, so please do add them in the comments or shoot me an email if you would like.
That should do it! Additional OAQs? That's what the comments are for!
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