THANKSGIVING

France not only invented fries but also fried chicken.

McDonald's is even more lame in France than in the US.

Tampons means stamps in French. It also means tampons.

French mail truck.

Fish store.

The benefits of paying 22% taxes in the lowest tax bracket: the government makes all the construction workers spend the month of November putting up Christmas lights.

Also, they just planted 90 million flowers in my town which will probably die within a week because it's WINTER not planting season.

One of the teachers I work with was telling me she started by teaching the kids about words that are the same in English as in French. I was like "Oh, you mean like elephant?" she was like "Um no I meant like hotdog and chewing gum--English words that we use in French."

Stupid overpriced American grocery store in the Marais. Come on, there is no bayou anywhere near the Seine.

A restaurant that preys on homesick Americans.

Feminist photography exhibit I went to.

Louise Michel.

Feminist propaganda.

I learned that women didn't get the right to vote in France until 1945.

Multi-tasker.

On the concrete, feet on the ground.

Jerk.

Place des Vosges.

Victor Hugo lived around here somewhere.

Some of the only houses in Paris that aren't beige.

I thought there was a church concert going on because I heard a choir but it was just this dude and his boombox.

This would be great in a death metal band.

Who needs instant messenger when you can just buy those obnoxious smiley faces made out of chocolate?

The bigger ones are called hypermarches.

The best questions kids have asked me so far are probably "How do you say Hello Kitty in English?" and "How do you say popcorn in English?"

Sea World.

Real motorcycle parking only! No mopeds!

Oscar the grouch.

Dudes.

The kids asked if we had the Pere Noel in the US. I was like yeah but his name is Santa Claus. They asked if he was real in the US. I told them the real one only comes to the US. Just kidding.

I really want to go see Big Sick Body in concert.

The kids ask what hotdog means a lot and when I tell them it's chien chaud they're all like ewww (I mean berk, the French sound for ew) and think it's made out of dog meat. That's when I tell them that they're really made out of pig lips and assholes.

I lied to my friends and told them that I knew how to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. I emailed my dad and he sent me his recipe. He is known for his pumpkin pie making abilities. Here is the only picture I have of me and him. Anyways, I am terrible at computers and I have no idea how to make it so this is not underlined.

I had to overcome a lot of obstacles to make this stupid pie. I had to use this barbaric can opener. I stabbed off 3/4 of the lid before I realized how you're actually supposed to use it. I have no idea how to make it so this is not blue.

I spent 6,95 euro on Crisco because I was terrified of messing up the pie and didn't want to substitute any ingredients.

When I turned on the oven to preheat it the kitchen filled up with smoke because of this stupid tray of grease.

I don't own a rolling pin. Good thing my roommates drank wine last weekend.

Thank god. At least it looks normal.

LA BANLIEUE (the suburbs)

Hotel des Invalides/sea gulls eating grass on a stormy day.

I am jealous that these ladies have umbrellas that don't turn inside out like mine.

Rock n roll.

I have read the same Halloween book to different groups of kids at school probably ten times now and every time we get to the part where the cat is purring they all go "PRRRRRE PRRRRRE" this weird purr sound with a rolling r. I told them that in the US dogs go "bow wow" instead of "qwaf qwaf" which is the noise they make in France and they were like no way you must be joking what kind of dogs do you have?

I don't know who this is. I'm guessing it's France personified as a woman because it's in the Place de la Republique.

Cute truck art.

This is where I got my new tattoo. Just kidding, mom. I like that it is in English because I don't think that any French people have tattoos. At least none that I have met.

No entry except femme fatales on bikes.

Cool wheat paste.

Winter circus!

Fish.

A student drew this picture of me.

Here is another picture a student drew for me.

Here is documentation of my epic commute:

Metro.

Good thing most things I take pictures of aren't moving.

Bus.

Train station.

The train station is hideous.

In the train watching the world pass me by.

Get off the train.

More bus.

But not that bus. The bus I need only comes once every 30 minutes. I will probably freeze to death at this bus stop at some point this winter.

I take the bus to the last stop which is the hospital.

I don't have to take that last bus to the school I work at on Monday and Friday; instead I get to climb a mountain, but at least I get to look at these pretty flowers on the way.

And this pretty crane and foreboding sky.

And this guy's back.

And POT MAN!

In French it's "miam miam" instead of "yum yum."

Downtown Corbeil-Essonnes (the town I work in).

They're here too.

Air drying is more important than heat conservation.

Old train tracks.

Old house.

PSA illustrating that everyone is fragile on the road, just like a carton of eggs.

Big windmills of Corbeil. If you spell it corbeille, it means trash can. Same pronunciation.

The circus is coming.

Road.

I had to spend my Saturday going to my bank which is in this stupid town that is an hour and a half from where I live to get my checkbook. I was hoping they would just mail it to me at some point but they did not.

This part of the town is pretty cute.

Windows.

Harley Davidson.

Town hall.

These people don't have backyards, but they do have the option of jumping off their back porch into a river.

BOOBA- "La Banlieue"