Cultural Proof
I spent a lot of time with a family from the branch, first at weekly family home evenings with the missionaries, then later they invited me to stay at their house in the countryside for a week. The family are native Poitevins; the children born there and the single mother, Brigitte, has lived there since she was young. There are two girls, Marion (26 years old) and Nadège (29). They also have a brother, Eddie, who lives just outside of Poitiers centre, and who visits from time to time. During the week I stayed with them, we went to a dance/ theater performance he and his club put on. It was very modern, erie at times, trying really hard to be mysterious and expressive, but instead just came across as a little odd. At least this was the general consensus among us four female spectators.
During my time there and my FHE visits with the missionaries, Brigitte and Nadège always worked hard to cook lavishly. Particularly at the beginning, the meals were very traditional and I imagine quite expensive. I ate things that I would never have eaten had the social setting not dictated that I try. Examples include a rabbit that was given as a gift from the neighbor. Also pig snout, which I didn’t ask about until after I had eaten it. One day that I wasn’t able to go out for FHE, the missionaries later informed me they’d eaten calf heart. Needless to say, I’m not so open minded about my meats as some people, and I was not disappointed to have missed that particular dinner. Even with the occasional adventurous meals, eating with this family was some of my favorite memories from Poitiers. Those women sure do know how to cook. Some of my favorite meals were eaten at their dinner table, and we (myself and the missionaries) were always so grateful at their willingness to take us in, feed us a good meal, and share a simple lesson together.
The family home evening lessons were usually a conference talk that we would pass around and take turns reading. I always enjoyed this, particularly because this was a group of people I was comfortable around, who was French, and who I knew wouldn’t make fun when I stumbled across a word. Marion is dyslexic, so she struggles reading aloud. However, she always sat next to me and helped me pronounce the words. I remember her being very patient and I liked it when she corrected me, because I knew she understood what it was like to not know how to read a word, and I think it was good for her to see that other people struggle with that too. After we read the talk, we would discuss it or share personal experiences about the subject for 15 or 20 minutes.
During the time that I stayed with them overnight, after dinner each night we would watch a movie and eat ice cream. They have lots of movies, and every night someone takes a turn choosing. We watched several classic French films as well as American ones with French subtitles.
Brigitte and I talked a lot. We talked about her conversion to the church, voyages she made when she was young, her job, before she got sick and retired, her cancer, which is in remission now, her children, etc. She even took me with them to vote, and explained the whole process to me. I appreciated how welcoming she was, especially right at the beginning when I didn’t know anyone and felt awkward in the branch. I know that if I ever go back to Poitiers, no, not ever, but when i go back to Poitiers, I’ll most certainly be stopping by their little house in the countryside to say hello.
August 24, 2012
August 22, 2012
IAS 380R Teaching Teachers
Large Cultural Proof
For part of my work this year, I was given an extra assignment of team-teaching an English conversation class for primary school teachers every Tuesday evening. Every week my colleague and I would research topics or prompts to get the teachers talking in English. We had many interesting conversations, and often compared subjects such as education, politics, holidays, religion, and geography between France and America. We met usually as a fairly small group, which even then was a much more successful turnout than they've had previous years, where only one or two teachers would show up. The meetings were held in separate building of a library, and the six or sometimes seven of us would sit around a table and talk.
I remember some conversations more specifically than others, but we always tried to come up with prompts that would be interesting for everyone involved. Because we were all working in the schools, we spent a couple of classes talking about education.
We often made charts, lists, or diagrams on a board to compare French systems with American, French grammar with English, and even spent one class playing card games.
We talked about the way elections work in France and the US, politics, energy conservation. Nathan and I were honest about the less pleasant aspects of American culture, for example the fast food epidemic and our not so eco-friendly habits. There were a few times however, when Nathan would go in my opinion a little over the top with negativity towards America, and at one point I remember pointedly telling him that was enough. I didn’t want those teachers to think that Americans have no national pride. They understood, however, that there are all different kinds of Americans, just like there are all different kinds of French. But that wasn’t an excuse to ungratefully list any negative aspects of American citizenship.
We spent on particularly interesting lesson talking about stereotypes. I of course asked what stereotypes they had about Americans. One teacher wrote down “cool” and another wrote down “religious” because whenever an American wins a medal at the Olympics or something he’ll almost always say that he’s grateful to his family, his coach, etc. and God. The teacher said that in France they would just say it was because they worked hard, but Americans say it was because of God. There were some moments when the liberality of the teachers irritated me a bit. We were always diplomatic. All of the teachers are atheist, at least from what I gathered throughout the year, except one, who I know works at a private Catholic school. She never voiced her opinions against the atheists, but I assume she must’ve been Catholic. As far as politics go, I remember a teacher saying, regarding a politician's private life, “We like to know, but enough is enough. What he does is his business.” They all thought it was quite funny the way the American’s were so up in arms over the Clinton scandal.
One lesson we had a Galette de Rois party and talked about Christmas traditions. Even though we spent a full hour talking about this tradition, I was still not at all prepared for it to last well into February. I loved those galettes as much as the next person, but after my 7th or 8th party, I thought if I saw one more galette I would puke, and I didn’t even care anymore who got to be the king! I was told crêpe month was coming up soon, but it couldn’t come fast enough.
Although teaching this class was a lot of extra work, I really used it to discuss French cultural topics that I was interested in or that confused me. Nathan and I really formed a friendship with those teachers that came regularly; one of them had hens and brought us fresh eggs every week. Another one gave me a book with animal sounds in French the week following our discussion on the topic. At our final celebration, we ate a mixed up meal of French and American foods, from brown gravy to broyés to pinwheel almond cookies. I know that they appreciated having native English speakers to practice with and answer their questions, and I appreciated all that they were willing to openly discuss and teach me about the more subtle aspects of French culture.
For part of my work this year, I was given an extra assignment of team-teaching an English conversation class for primary school teachers every Tuesday evening. Every week my colleague and I would research topics or prompts to get the teachers talking in English. We had many interesting conversations, and often compared subjects such as education, politics, holidays, religion, and geography between France and America. We met usually as a fairly small group, which even then was a much more successful turnout than they've had previous years, where only one or two teachers would show up. The meetings were held in separate building of a library, and the six or sometimes seven of us would sit around a table and talk.
I remember some conversations more specifically than others, but we always tried to come up with prompts that would be interesting for everyone involved. Because we were all working in the schools, we spent a couple of classes talking about education.
We often made charts, lists, or diagrams on a board to compare French systems with American, French grammar with English, and even spent one class playing card games.
We talked about the way elections work in France and the US, politics, energy conservation. Nathan and I were honest about the less pleasant aspects of American culture, for example the fast food epidemic and our not so eco-friendly habits. There were a few times however, when Nathan would go in my opinion a little over the top with negativity towards America, and at one point I remember pointedly telling him that was enough. I didn’t want those teachers to think that Americans have no national pride. They understood, however, that there are all different kinds of Americans, just like there are all different kinds of French. But that wasn’t an excuse to ungratefully list any negative aspects of American citizenship.
We spent on particularly interesting lesson talking about stereotypes. I of course asked what stereotypes they had about Americans. One teacher wrote down “cool” and another wrote down “religious” because whenever an American wins a medal at the Olympics or something he’ll almost always say that he’s grateful to his family, his coach, etc. and God. The teacher said that in France they would just say it was because they worked hard, but Americans say it was because of God. There were some moments when the liberality of the teachers irritated me a bit. We were always diplomatic. All of the teachers are atheist, at least from what I gathered throughout the year, except one, who I know works at a private Catholic school. She never voiced her opinions against the atheists, but I assume she must’ve been Catholic. As far as politics go, I remember a teacher saying, regarding a politician's private life, “We like to know, but enough is enough. What he does is his business.” They all thought it was quite funny the way the American’s were so up in arms over the Clinton scandal.
One lesson we had a Galette de Rois party and talked about Christmas traditions. Even though we spent a full hour talking about this tradition, I was still not at all prepared for it to last well into February. I loved those galettes as much as the next person, but after my 7th or 8th party, I thought if I saw one more galette I would puke, and I didn’t even care anymore who got to be the king! I was told crêpe month was coming up soon, but it couldn’t come fast enough.
Although teaching this class was a lot of extra work, I really used it to discuss French cultural topics that I was interested in or that confused me. Nathan and I really formed a friendship with those teachers that came regularly; one of them had hens and brought us fresh eggs every week. Another one gave me a book with animal sounds in French the week following our discussion on the topic. At our final celebration, we ate a mixed up meal of French and American foods, from brown gravy to broyés to pinwheel almond cookies. I know that they appreciated having native English speakers to practice with and answer their questions, and I appreciated all that they were willing to openly discuss and teach me about the more subtle aspects of French culture.
IAS 380R Marché à Nortre Dame
Small Cultural Proof
Every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday we have a morning market in front of Notre Dame. I often felt like I was benefiting the most from my time here in France when I was on my way to our little market. Vendors have tables and tables set up of everything you could need for good, fresh, healthy cuisine. And the prices generally beat those at the grocery store too. The fruits and vegetables are bright, vivid colors, the produce is smooth and scathe free. There’s always a man who sells soups in jars who sometimes gives free samples. There’s always a woman with macaroons and local cakes; the shortbread-like broyé of Poitou has to be beat with one’s fist to break it up into manageable pieces. We always have two or three stands selling flowers, and when I’m feeling fancy I indulge in a bright mixed bouquet from the countryside. There are of course a few stands selling bread, but none of them beat our Délisses de Poitou baker just down the street from my apartment. We have paté, cheese (brie is our favorite, unless you count local chèvre chaud), eggs, saucisson of any kind of meat (which I have begun to take a liking to, especially considering how wary I was at the beginning of the year), more kinds of meat than I could ever care for: pork, rabbit, chicken, lamb, beef you can ask the butcher to grind for you right there. The list goes on. My brother and I usually stuck to the basics: lots of fruit and veggies, some eggs (which don’t come by the dozen), and sometimes a broyé for him or some flowers for me. When we knew we were going to go all out, I would bring my chariot like a real local so we could get it all home and up our million flights of stairs to our unairconditioned apartment. Everyone is always so friendly and helpful. You just point to or pick up what you want to buy, hand it to the person working the stand, they weigh it and print up a receit. On the other side of Notre Dame, we also had a non-produce section of our market, which included antique trinkets, books, sometimes furniture, porcelain, or musical instruments. There was never any shortage of interesting things to see at the market!
Every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday we have a morning market in front of Notre Dame. I often felt like I was benefiting the most from my time here in France when I was on my way to our little market. Vendors have tables and tables set up of everything you could need for good, fresh, healthy cuisine. And the prices generally beat those at the grocery store too. The fruits and vegetables are bright, vivid colors, the produce is smooth and scathe free. There’s always a man who sells soups in jars who sometimes gives free samples. There’s always a woman with macaroons and local cakes; the shortbread-like broyé of Poitou has to be beat with one’s fist to break it up into manageable pieces. We always have two or three stands selling flowers, and when I’m feeling fancy I indulge in a bright mixed bouquet from the countryside. There are of course a few stands selling bread, but none of them beat our Délisses de Poitou baker just down the street from my apartment. We have paté, cheese (brie is our favorite, unless you count local chèvre chaud), eggs, saucisson of any kind of meat (which I have begun to take a liking to, especially considering how wary I was at the beginning of the year), more kinds of meat than I could ever care for: pork, rabbit, chicken, lamb, beef you can ask the butcher to grind for you right there. The list goes on. My brother and I usually stuck to the basics: lots of fruit and veggies, some eggs (which don’t come by the dozen), and sometimes a broyé for him or some flowers for me. When we knew we were going to go all out, I would bring my chariot like a real local so we could get it all home and up our million flights of stairs to our unairconditioned apartment. Everyone is always so friendly and helpful. You just point to or pick up what you want to buy, hand it to the person working the stand, they weigh it and print up a receit. On the other side of Notre Dame, we also had a non-produce section of our market, which included antique trinkets, books, sometimes furniture, porcelain, or musical instruments. There was never any shortage of interesting things to see at the market!
August 16, 2012
FR 311 Vocabulaire 12
1. joli comme un coeur cute as a button
2. kiffer to have a "crush" on someone
3. Il fait "un bazard." He makes a mess.
4. Elle fait "du bazard." She is making a crazy racket/ having a fit.
5. Il fait lourd. When the weather is hot, muggy, makes you feel lethargic.
Regional expressions (Bretagne):
6. korigan gnomish creature
7. prendre un reposer to take a nap
8. .....eh bien? (at the end of a sentence) tag on word. doesn't really have a meaning.
9. le crachin drizzle
(en Lorraine)
10. Il disent souvent "comme ça" "Like this/ that"
11. "du coup...." "In short...."
Grammar Class
12. rompre casser, quitter quelqu'un
13. une rupture une interruption
14. chuchoter to whisper
15. murmurer to murmur, to mutter
16. articuler to speak clearly, articulate
17. miauler to meow (cat)
18. aboyer to bark (dog)
19. il convient il faut, should
20. d'inculquer enseigner
21. amènent conduire
22. transmission commercial
23. régir govern
24. régissent govern
25. commande order
2. kiffer to have a "crush" on someone
3. Il fait "un bazard." He makes a mess.
4. Elle fait "du bazard." She is making a crazy racket/ having a fit.
5. Il fait lourd. When the weather is hot, muggy, makes you feel lethargic.
Regional expressions (Bretagne):
6. korigan gnomish creature
7. prendre un reposer to take a nap
8. .....eh bien? (at the end of a sentence) tag on word. doesn't really have a meaning.
9. le crachin drizzle
(en Lorraine)
10. Il disent souvent "comme ça" "Like this/ that"
11. "du coup...." "In short...."
Grammar Class
12. rompre casser, quitter quelqu'un
13. une rupture une interruption
14. chuchoter to whisper
15. murmurer to murmur, to mutter
16. articuler to speak clearly, articulate
17. miauler to meow (cat)
18. aboyer to bark (dog)
19. il convient il faut, should
20. d'inculquer enseigner
21. amènent conduire
22. transmission commercial
23. régir govern
24. régissent govern
25. commande order
August 14, 2012
FR 311 Vocabulaire 11
1. une capuche hood on clothing
2. biner to hoe
3. une tache stain
4. cracher to spit
5. supporter to handle (cope with)
6. s'occuper de to handle (deal with)
7. se charger de to handle (deal with)
8. un manche a handle (tool, pot, or object)
9. une poignée a handle (door)
10. une cicatrice a scar
11. une bride a horse's bridle
12. un portemanteau coat stand
13. un porte-chapeau hat stand
14. un guéridon stand for plants or trophies
15. pupitre music stand
16. un éventaire stand for market or festival
17. casser to break
18. un bavoir a bib
19. croquer to bite (for an aminal)/ to crunch
20. à mâcher to chew
21. le poil animal fur
22. un plateau tray
23. un bâton a stick (from a tree)
24. un biberon baby's bottle
25. nourrir au biberon to bottle-feed
2. biner to hoe
3. une tache stain
4. cracher to spit
5. supporter to handle (cope with)
6. s'occuper de to handle (deal with)
7. se charger de to handle (deal with)
8. un manche a handle (tool, pot, or object)
9. une poignée a handle (door)
10. une cicatrice a scar
11. une bride a horse's bridle
12. un portemanteau coat stand
13. un porte-chapeau hat stand
14. un guéridon stand for plants or trophies
15. pupitre music stand
16. un éventaire stand for market or festival
17. casser to break
18. un bavoir a bib
19. croquer to bite (for an aminal)/ to crunch
20. à mâcher to chew
21. le poil animal fur
22. un plateau tray
23. un bâton a stick (from a tree)
24. un biberon baby's bottle
25. nourrir au biberon to bottle-feed
August 10, 2012
FR 311 Vocabulaire 10
1. le rouge-gorge robin
2. le pigeon pigeon
3. la mouette seagull
4. la chauve-souris bat
5. le hibou hawk owl
6. la chouette owl
7. le flamant rose pink flamingo
8. l'aigle eagle
9. la baleine whale
10. la pieuvre octopus
11. le phoque seal
12. le crabe crab
13. le dauphin dolphin
14. le requin shark
15. le manchot penguin
16. la chenille caterpillar
17. le ver de terre earthworm
18. la mouche fly
19. la fourmi ant
20. une tarentule tarantula
21. l'araignée spider
22. un cloporte roly-poly bug
23. un papillon de nuit moth
24. un acarien dust mite
25. un ciron cheese mite
2. le pigeon pigeon
3. la mouette seagull
4. la chauve-souris bat
5. le hibou hawk owl
6. la chouette owl
7. le flamant rose pink flamingo
8. l'aigle eagle
9. la baleine whale
10. la pieuvre octopus
11. le phoque seal
12. le crabe crab
13. le dauphin dolphin
14. le requin shark
15. le manchot penguin
16. la chenille caterpillar
17. le ver de terre earthworm
18. la mouche fly
19. la fourmi ant
20. une tarentule tarantula
21. l'araignée spider
22. un cloporte roly-poly bug
23. un papillon de nuit moth
24. un acarien dust mite
25. un ciron cheese mite
FR311 Vocabulaire 9
Reading to kids.....Le gros livre des Animaux
1. le canari canary
2. la souris mouse
3. le perroquet parakeet
4. le poisson rouge goldfish
5. l'âne donkey
6. le paon peacock
7. la poule chicken
8. le clef deer
9. l'écureuil squirrel
10. le sanglier boar
11. le hérisson hedgehog
12. le lièvre hare
13. l'ours bear
14. le chaton kitten
15. le poussin chick
16. le veau calf
17. le poulain foal
18. le chiot puppy
19. le héron heron
20. la libellule dragonfly
21. la grenouille frog
22. la salamandre salamander
23. le cygne swan
24. le porcelet piglet
25. le loup wolf
1. le canari canary
2. la souris mouse
3. le perroquet parakeet
4. le poisson rouge goldfish
5. l'âne donkey
6. le paon peacock
7. la poule chicken
8. le clef deer
9. l'écureuil squirrel
10. le sanglier boar
11. le hérisson hedgehog
12. le lièvre hare
13. l'ours bear
14. le chaton kitten
15. le poussin chick
16. le veau calf
17. le poulain foal
18. le chiot puppy
19. le héron heron
20. la libellule dragonfly
21. la grenouille frog
22. la salamandre salamander
23. le cygne swan
24. le porcelet piglet
25. le loup wolf
August 09, 2012
FR 311 Vocabulaire 8
1. décoller to take off (air plane)/ to peel off/ to remove
2. s'envoler to take off (air plane) / to blow away /to fly/ to vanish
3. encombrer to clutter/ to block
4. gêner to bother/ to disturb/ to annoy
5. tripoter to fidget with
6. débarquer to land (unload)
7. accoster to land (come ashore)
8. atterrir to land (airplane)
Learning to drive a stick shift
9. le frein the brakes
10. le frein à main hand brake
11. un volant steering wheel
12. un engin engine
13. la vitesse speed
14. indicateur de vitesse speedometer
15. l'embrayage the clutch
16. débrayer to let in the clutch
17. embrayer to let out the clutch
18. une pédale d'accélérateur gas pedal
19. le gazole diesel
20. le gaz gasoline
21. une station-service gas station
22. le sac gonflable air bag
23. le coffre trunk
24. le capot hood
25. un clignotant turn signal/ blinker
2. s'envoler to take off (air plane) / to blow away /to fly/ to vanish
3. encombrer to clutter/ to block
4. gêner to bother/ to disturb/ to annoy
5. tripoter to fidget with
6. débarquer to land (unload)
7. accoster to land (come ashore)
8. atterrir to land (airplane)
Learning to drive a stick shift
9. le frein the brakes
10. le frein à main hand brake
11. un volant steering wheel
12. un engin engine
13. la vitesse speed
14. indicateur de vitesse speedometer
15. l'embrayage the clutch
16. débrayer to let in the clutch
17. embrayer to let out the clutch
18. une pédale d'accélérateur gas pedal
19. le gazole diesel
20. le gaz gasoline
21. une station-service gas station
22. le sac gonflable air bag
23. le coffre trunk
24. le capot hood
25. un clignotant turn signal/ blinker
August 06, 2012
IAS 380R Babysitting
Large Cultural Proof
Yesterday I spent the whole day babysitting for two little French children. Célia is three and a half and Lucas is 15 months old. The day had a rigid schedule which we were able to successfully stick to, for the most part. I noticed many little differences in how they’re treated and raised compared to American children.
We started the day with a breakfast of bread, butter, jam, or honey, organic fruit juice and rice cakes. Then at 10:00 we got out the stroller and went for a long walk to the harbor. Célia often has to go the the bathroom when we’re outside, and it’s customary for her to go in a bush, even if we’re near the house and there’s a bathroom just inside. After the walk Lucas had his bottle, which is prepared with breast milk, even thought he’s almost a year and a half old, he still nurses. He wasn’t at all interested in the bottle, and no matter how hard I tried to get him to take it, he cried for mommy and still wanted to nurse. Célia also takes bottles with organic cow’s milk. In those respects I thought it was interesting how much they’re treated like small babies; American babies would usually stop nursing at a much younger age than Lucas, and certainly most American three-year-olds wouldn’t be given a bottle. However, there are other aspects in which they are treated much more maturely than American children. For example, Célia is starting school this September. To me that seems much to early to start school, and I would think that would be an incredibly long and tiring day for a little girl. Her mom says she’ll start out just going in the morning and we’ll see how she does before sending her for a full day. It actually sounds more like a preschool, except that she’ll be in the same school with children much older than her.
Lunchtime was another event in which they are expected to act more mature. They are expected to eat everything they’re given (even thought Célia rarely eats everything, and wants to be spoon fed like her baby brother) which is normal, almost adult size portions of some mild food like soup or veggies. Everything is prepared without salt and nearly everything is organic. After the battle over anything green, they are both given a piece of fruit or a yogurt for desert, something an American child would probably protest. Then at 13:00 it’s time for everyone to take a nap. Célia takes her naps and sleeps at night with a diaper instead of the panties she normally wears during the day. I found their naps to be unusually long: they were expected to stay in their rooms and sleep from 13:00 to 15:00-17:00. They’re never woken up early, like many mothers would do in the US for fear that if they nap too long they won’t be able to sleep that night. Their mom says if they’ll sleep a long time, let them. But I find that it makes going to bed at night much more of an ordeal for them. For example, Célia napped yesterday from 13:20 until 17:30. That’s over 4 hours. Come bedtime she was merciless, and cried from her room for almost an hour, which is much longer than normal. However it’s true that little kids need lots of sleep, and it’s interesting to see the different cultural methods, tactics, or beliefs behind the “best” way of doing things.
After their naps it’s time for a big bottle for them both and then c'est l'heure de “goûter.” Goûter is a sweet snack eaten between the hours of 4 and 6pm. It is always something sweet, and for the kids it usually comprised of compote (like applesauce made with various kinds of fruit) and a cookie. After goûter we play for a couple of hours (playtime doesn’t differ much from typical American playtime) and then it to the table for dinner. Again, the kids are expected to eat well because if they don’t, there won’t another chance for the rest of the day. Eating is a ritual that is done only at the table and has a definite start and a definite finish, and everything in between is done in a certain order. So when they’re told they’ll go to bed hungry if they don’t eat at the table, they know that’s true. Dinner might be soup or vegetable or a little bit of meat, like lunch, but they get a piece of cheese if they eat well and also a little desert of compote or yogurt.
Yesterday I spent the whole day babysitting for two little French children. Célia is three and a half and Lucas is 15 months old. The day had a rigid schedule which we were able to successfully stick to, for the most part. I noticed many little differences in how they’re treated and raised compared to American children.
We started the day with a breakfast of bread, butter, jam, or honey, organic fruit juice and rice cakes. Then at 10:00 we got out the stroller and went for a long walk to the harbor. Célia often has to go the the bathroom when we’re outside, and it’s customary for her to go in a bush, even if we’re near the house and there’s a bathroom just inside. After the walk Lucas had his bottle, which is prepared with breast milk, even thought he’s almost a year and a half old, he still nurses. He wasn’t at all interested in the bottle, and no matter how hard I tried to get him to take it, he cried for mommy and still wanted to nurse. Célia also takes bottles with organic cow’s milk. In those respects I thought it was interesting how much they’re treated like small babies; American babies would usually stop nursing at a much younger age than Lucas, and certainly most American three-year-olds wouldn’t be given a bottle. However, there are other aspects in which they are treated much more maturely than American children. For example, Célia is starting school this September. To me that seems much to early to start school, and I would think that would be an incredibly long and tiring day for a little girl. Her mom says she’ll start out just going in the morning and we’ll see how she does before sending her for a full day. It actually sounds more like a preschool, except that she’ll be in the same school with children much older than her.
Lunchtime was another event in which they are expected to act more mature. They are expected to eat everything they’re given (even thought Célia rarely eats everything, and wants to be spoon fed like her baby brother) which is normal, almost adult size portions of some mild food like soup or veggies. Everything is prepared without salt and nearly everything is organic. After the battle over anything green, they are both given a piece of fruit or a yogurt for desert, something an American child would probably protest. Then at 13:00 it’s time for everyone to take a nap. Célia takes her naps and sleeps at night with a diaper instead of the panties she normally wears during the day. I found their naps to be unusually long: they were expected to stay in their rooms and sleep from 13:00 to 15:00-17:00. They’re never woken up early, like many mothers would do in the US for fear that if they nap too long they won’t be able to sleep that night. Their mom says if they’ll sleep a long time, let them. But I find that it makes going to bed at night much more of an ordeal for them. For example, Célia napped yesterday from 13:20 until 17:30. That’s over 4 hours. Come bedtime she was merciless, and cried from her room for almost an hour, which is much longer than normal. However it’s true that little kids need lots of sleep, and it’s interesting to see the different cultural methods, tactics, or beliefs behind the “best” way of doing things.
After their naps it’s time for a big bottle for them both and then c'est l'heure de “goûter.” Goûter is a sweet snack eaten between the hours of 4 and 6pm. It is always something sweet, and for the kids it usually comprised of compote (like applesauce made with various kinds of fruit) and a cookie. After goûter we play for a couple of hours (playtime doesn’t differ much from typical American playtime) and then it to the table for dinner. Again, the kids are expected to eat well because if they don’t, there won’t another chance for the rest of the day. Eating is a ritual that is done only at the table and has a definite start and a definite finish, and everything in between is done in a certain order. So when they’re told they’ll go to bed hungry if they don’t eat at the table, they know that’s true. Dinner might be soup or vegetable or a little bit of meat, like lunch, but they get a piece of cheese if they eat well and also a little desert of compote or yogurt.
August 01, 2012
FR 311R Conversation
I had a long talk the other day with my host family mother about breast feeding, the cultural aspects, and the health benefits for the child and the mother. She has a 15 month old baby who she still regularly nurses. She nursed her 3 year old until the baby was 19 months old. I assumed this was typical of most French mothers, but she told me that when she was at a wedding a few weeks ago, she nursed her baby and everyone stared at her like it was inappropriate. As she was recounting the story, her rebuttal was to me was, "Well haven't they ever been to the beach? If they've ever been to the beach then they've seen breasts and if my baby wants "tétée," I'm not going to tell him no.
It surprised me that people stared. I always assumed that the French were way open about their bodies in this way, just like they are at the beach, at their medical exams, in their children's books, etc. However apparently I was mistaken. She said nursing comes in and out of fashion, and now it's becoming more "à la mode" than it was with the generation before hers. Her mother nursed her and her siblings, but that was rare for the time period; her husband's mother is disgusted by the idea. Many of her friends have "tried" nursing their babies, but gave up after a couple of weeks. She, however, continues to diligently pump milk every night and freezes it in little jars. Then when I'm babysitting and expected to give him a bottle, he couldn't be less interested.
It surprised me that people stared. I always assumed that the French were way open about their bodies in this way, just like they are at the beach, at their medical exams, in their children's books, etc. However apparently I was mistaken. She said nursing comes in and out of fashion, and now it's becoming more "à la mode" than it was with the generation before hers. Her mother nursed her and her siblings, but that was rare for the time period; her husband's mother is disgusted by the idea. Many of her friends have "tried" nursing their babies, but gave up after a couple of weeks. She, however, continues to diligently pump milk every night and freezes it in little jars. Then when I'm babysitting and expected to give him a bottle, he couldn't be less interested.
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