Please weigh in on the post below this if you'd like to stay in that battle :-) Excellent conversation going on.
There was a comic strip the other day that showed two women meeting at the grocery store...one wore a beauty contest type of ribbon with MISS FRANCE printed on it across her chest. She said to her friend "Oh, no, I'm not MISS FRANCE, but I MISS FRANCE." :-)
Have a good Saturday.
Z
64 comments:
Wouldn't her sleeve be the proper place to wear the banner?
I'm not quite sure why any American would miss France if it fell into the English Channel.
Did you know that 99.9% of the French detest us Americans?
@ Fredd
There are some French who do not necessarily like Americans, just as there are some French who do not necessarily like Germans, or Belgians, or Swedes ... but I think it is unfair to paint everyone in France with such a broad brush. Do you have a link to your source of information?
99.9% of French people dislike Americans? Couuld you supply supporting data for that what seems to be a rather absurd statement.
Thanks in advance.
Z - Cute joke. Your neighborhood cafe looks cozy. Do you go their often.
Have a great day.
I miss visiting France. Strasbourg is my favorite location [it's Notre Dame puts to shame it's more popular sister], and I was always treated very well.
Je ne pas parles francais.
Sweet! I know you have fond memories of France, Z. Never been (although we used to dream about a Loire Valley canal boat tour).
Not everyone misses France. My French veterinarian is thrilled to be here. He's told me stories of muslim squatters taking over local cathedrals (yes, cooking inside the nave) that Christians have in essence abandoned. And he's worried about American attitudes shifting to 'over' accommodate this in our country. "I left France to get away from that!"
Fredd, have you lived there?
Did you see the homage after 9/11? (I was there when we were hit). The moments of silence all over Paris? the church services held for us?
No, they don't 'detest us Americans,' except when we run rough shod over them and expect them all to speak English.
Sue, I don't live in Paris anymore
And yes, I went nearly every day, either breakfast or lunch with a friend, or a glass of wine with a friend before our husbands were home after work.
Ed, tu as raison :-)
Baysider; it takes all types.
Vive La Nouvelle Vague
Vive Cartier-Bresson et Doisneau
I lived in France for 3 1/2 years. In fact, I went to Paris American High School. For the most part, I do not miss it.
Joe, I'm not sure I'd miss it if I was there at that age, either.
While there for four years, I knew I'd miss it ...there wasn't a day I didn't sigh walking down the street from the sheer beauty of it... There wasn't a day I didn't know how very lucky I was.
But, chacun a son gout! :-)
It's truly a blessing to know and appreciate it in 'real' time, not just in retrospect.
Vive La Nouvelle Vague
---
Seems like the new wave is the same as the old wave in Beantown, at least as far as the knuckle-dragging-mouth-breathing racists of Boston are concerned, eh, Ducky?
I could have sworn you were getting your Depends into a serious wad about racist comments uttered recently by one Donald Sterling/Tokowitz. Looks like the same ol' same ol' racism that's deeply embedded in the Boston Brahmin psyche from days of yore.
Vive Les Canadiens de Montreal et "P.K. Subban"
"Obvious Pattern in Beantown"
My doc was a military brat that spent 7 years in France. He tells me that, like Z says, all of France does not hate America. He said judging France by the snootiness in Paris is like judging America by the people who live in NYC.
That is not to say there were not some really good memories. I Biked, motor-biked and motor-scootered around much of France with friends. I also roamed the Forest of Fontainbleau, which truely was beautiful. It was filled with boulders from which we teenage idiots could jump into trees and the like.
But my heart remains here.
See, z, I can't make an innocent post without one of Ayn Rand's orphaned children taking a cheap shot.
Well Waylon, any fan base has its dick heads and that includes the Bruins.
I think Cam Neely responded well and I don't believe the stupidity is there in anything but a very small number of fans.
Rita, he's exactly right.
My husband, who'd lived there for 7 years, years before we did together, said the same thing.
But I rarely was mistreated by the Parisians....
Joe, Fountainebleau is spectacularly pretty, you're right.
Ducky, when you stop making everyone else feel uptight with your attempts at ravaging comments, maybe people will mellow toward you?
@Rita: Judging France by the snootiness in Paris is like judging America by the people who live in NYC." So true.
Can't resist 2 sweet stories.
1) a French colleague whose parents were in the underground in WW2 grew up in the south, in the country. He absolutely loved America. His love came from his parents. And his wife had similar experience and love for this country. More love than they had for the people of Paris, actually. (Not unlike the NYC analogy)
2) A Polish friend who (after being leached out of a Soviet labor camp) served under British uniform in WW2 and found himself in France. Not sure what part. A smaller town. He spoke Polish, Russian, fluent German (forcibly taught in Polish schools of his age), and some French and English. Using his limited French he was asking a hotel keeper for something. She had a pained look on her face. Eying his British uniform she said, with disdain, 'do you speak any other language?' A charming man, with an Irish gleam in his eye, he leaned forward and answered with energy, 'Yes! I speak fluent German!' French worked after that! He always loved France, the land of his conception.
I think things have changed. Still, it's hard to make hard & fast rules ... Even about the French :)
Give it a rest, z. It was a cheap shot.
What's ironic is that the Bruins were the first integrated NHL team.
Jerome Iginla, a regular and black on the first line has never had any problem in Boston and P.J. Subban's brother is a well regarded goal tender in the Bruin's minor league affiliate.
Cheap shot.
"give it a rest?" Me? Please give being snide a rest. Let's try to all of us really TALK.
As for the sports stuff, I HAVE NO IDEA what either of you are talking about, but you need to learn to accept cheap shots when you're adept at dishing them out.
let's call a TIME OUT.
This was supposed to be a restful post to get away from the constant fighting I'm wearying of at GeeeeZ. I don't even like to look at comments on some days and that's a first.
I KNOW it always gets very ugly in election years and I'll be getting a lot of those types of comments "I used to be a Republican, but gee, I just CAN'T vote Right again because..." :) (ya, right!)
But, I usually expect a little better from my normal readers.
Baysider, thanks for these stories.
I published here a while back about the French waitress in Paris who practically saluted me for being an American. Of course, she mentioned being FROM NORMANDIE. They're as grateful as it gets in that part of France, believe me.
Lots to love about the French...you just have to understand them and understand that they're not Disneyland and we can't treat them like they are!
thanks.
@Mustang:
Good retort to Fredd. And yea...I don't like Canadians or Mexicans all that much either. But I take them one at a time. Actually I find Brazilians harder workers than Mexicans...but that's just me. And I prefer hearing Portuguese over the constant muttering of Espanol and favoritism.
But...I've been to France a few times. With the AF and with family. I've never experienced any overt dislike as an American. Perhaps it's because we speak the language fairly well? Or attempt to at least. From Paris to Dijon to many villages and small towns along the Doubs rivers that we motored on for 3 weeks.
Pleasant people happy to help, great food and all too willing to talk politics in English. We shopped in their stores, ate in their restaurants, bought clothing, fuel and never met a nasty one.
@CI:
I think you owe Ms, Z an apology. It's really uncalled for to insult your hostess.
You know why too.
@Sue Hanes:
She only goes on weekends dearie. It's a 14 hour ride from LAA.
@Ducky:
Here Duck..I threw ya a High 5. And a Sam on me.
Then go back and read your comments to her yesterday. Especially the ones before she had to close off comments:
"That's not only a ridiculous assertion, but technically qualifies as a provable lie."
You do owe her an apology. She is not a liar and you were out of line. Now man up.
@Baysider:
"She had a pained look on her face"
His response...now that cracked me up.
I've heard jokes about American pilots tell German controllers when they moaned about them not speaking German...they'd respond...Well the last time I flew in here it was back in '45 and English was OK then!
Anon - Go ahead and tell me how what she said of me doesn't qualify as a lie. Do we have different and politically correct interpretations of definitions of falsehood now?
Talk about manning up......How about you stop hiding behind 'anonymous' and taking her theme of today off topic?
@Ducky:
"Vive Cartier-Bresson et Doisneau"..
Yea...there ya ago.
@CI:
Oh man...it was Ducky that went "off topic". If I may butt in. But lets do as she asks. Before she shuts it down again.
OK friend?
Imp - No worries here. I have precious little time for people like 'Anon'.
@CI:
Z said:
"This was supposed to be a restful post to get away from the constant fighting I'm wearying of at GeeeeZ. I don't even like to look at comments on some days and that's a first."
OK? I'm game.
Z, did you have a favorite meal there? Even at the lunch cafe places I went to in Arizona, I had some favorites that I really miss.
Especially while here in Cincinnati, the land of the most boring food on Earth. Unless you want to go the $50 dinner route.
@CI:
Good man..it's ain't worth the time and energy to chase a ghost.
Besides...I know you dig Z...we all do. Regardless of old "spats".
Imp - "OK? I'm game."
I already said I'm with you on this.
I do like Z, though she may cast a smirk my way for saying that. Nothing on the internet is personal for me.
@Kid:
"Unless you want to go the $50 dinner route."
You're kidding yes? If ya want $50 dinners...stay away from KFC...DUDE!!!
$100 plus tip will get you a good dinner...not great but good. Hell...we can spend $50 on burritos and beans around here.
IMP, Sorry to hear that. We had a lot of great places to go in Tempe. Regular prices, great food.
My favorite was the 3rd one down at this place and they still serve it! Much better than it might look.
I got it all the time. Their wait staff are beautiful young women from ASU. So, I sat down one day and a truly healthy young woman came to take my order as she had many times and I said "I think... .I... will have......... The Southwest Burger". She screamed "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" No you have to try something else!" My wife was with me and so I tried something else, which I can't remember but also very good.
So, that's what I'm talking about good food at good prices and a little story.
Then there is Chicago, where you can really enjoy a gourmet dish from a neighborhood walk in restaurante' for practially nothing all over town.
Well yea, more like $100 here for just the basics actually if you want something tasty. Triple D has only been here twice and both times to places that are boring.
Dang, Bad Link. man, windows, you gotta type Control C like 15 times to get it copied into the clipboard.
So, Here it is
@Kid:
Hey...you looking in my window? I was just watching triple D.
Don't apologize bud...I expect to pay that when I go out here...and it's always sublime. I just have to learn how to make it myself.
@Kid:
Oh...it's cause I like the decadence too.
IMP, If it works it's good. I like it from time to time too and it is worth the money when I do.
FYI for the "ducky" curious.
...as for Doisneau, I was already "familiar" with his work.
The downfall of Americs, IMO is chain restaurants. We have replaced great eating with average food from out of season frozen junk at boring duplicated atmospheres.
That becomes heartbreaking after visiting Europe.
Rita - "The downfall of Americs, IMO is chain restaurants."
Fro a cultural standpoint, I couldn't agree more. Nearly all sit down restaurants have become Applebee'd'. They all seem to buy their decor from the same distributor and their menu's vary only in absurd naming conventions for standard fare.
It's getting to be where a bloke can't find an authentic Irish pub anywhere.
CI. I can think of only a handful of independent restaurants that are worth anything in the Indy area. And only a couple of those that I would consider to be truly distinct.
Middle America is plagued with chains.
I'm a fan of 'Mexican' food [Americanized knock off of what corporations think Mexican food is anyway]....but your assessment is brought starkly into focus when a number of chains [Mi Casita's, El Vaquero, etc...] even have the same menu, to include the numbered items being exactly the same.
It's a foodie travesty....but we're pretty much stuck with it. Which is why I don't eat out often.
Rita, I couldn't agree with you more; there is nothing lovelier than doing without certain mushrooms or strawberries or certain asparagus only to have them come into season and REALLY taste the flavor as it should be ...not having been frozen all year long like it is here.
I had never seen blood red tomatoes nor tasted such sweetness in tomatoes from a store before living in Munich. I couldn't get over the taste and that they'd been sold in a regular store, not a roadside farm type of place. SO sweet. And SO RED.
We eat pale red/green tomatoes all year here and forget what they're supposed to really taste like.
I love Mexican food and we have marvelous restaurants here.
Also, Chinese food; From everyone I've spoken to, we're lucky to have Americanized Chinese food because the stuff over there's not too great all the time.
But I have to say I've had fantastic Chinese in Singapore; never been to China.
@Z:
"But I have to say I've had fantastic Chinese in Singapore; never been to China"..
I think it's close enough for my tastes..LOL
Actually it borders Malaysia and is closer to Viet Nam. You sure it was Chinese?
There is nothing better than fresh Indiana tomatoes and sweet corn. Thankfully we have had a big uptick on farmers markets the last ten years here and that's the only place you can get things that are really fresh. When I was a kid, we just hiked out to the garden and picked our veggies fresh every night.
@Rita:
"
There is nothing better than fresh Indiana tomatoes and sweet corn."
You sure about that Rita? Ever had a Jersey beefsteak tomato? And the sweet corn is to die for. That's about all I can say nice about jersey anyway.
Definitely sure about that. As kids we would eat a tomato when standing in the garden. Brush off a bit of dirt and take a good healthy bite while it's still warm from the sun.
@Rita:
Got it...Jersey doesn't have any sun. Truth.
It's called "smaze".
@Z:
When my wife and kid came back from Beijing last year...they had no food complaints. But...they did like the food in Taipei and Hong Kong better. And they loved Singapore for it's modern and clean city.
Singapore is fantastic.
The hotels are marvelous, orchid gardens, the sea...
The airport has orchids in full bloom everywhere you look, even up the escalators on both sides; I'll never forget them.
They sell them by the spray in long boxes like you can get roses in...we'd always buy a box and take it back to Paris and they'd last, cut in a vase, more than 3 months.
Amazing.
Singapore is the most corrupt city on Earth. The port inspectors robbed my ship's crews quarters of watches, money, jewelry, then broke the locker seals and confiscated the crews liquor, had to be bribed with cigarettes to leave the ship, and started drinking the confiscated liquor the moment their launch pulled away. To leave, took a bribe to the port manager of liquor, cigarettes and porn.
Interesting place that's for sure.
http://www.hotelclub.com/blog/singapore-weird-laws/
Singapore is gorgeous, fantastic food, lovely people, and gorgeous scenery.
Take my word for it!
Stay at Raffles (which, I found out amazingly, was started by Armenians many years ago)... it ROCKS!
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