...That's What Christmas is All About Charlie Brown...

Merry Christmas Eve.

In honor of a Christmas classic, I have posted my two favorite Christmas quotes.  Wishing everybody a happy holiday season!

"Dear, Santa Claus. How have you been? How is your wife? I am not sure what I want for Christmas this year. Sometimes it is very hard to decide. Perhaps you should send me your catalog."

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. "

Joyeux Noel!

A tout a l'heure!
Rachel

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Since I haven't posted in a while and I am in a hurry because I should be studying for exams, here are just a few pictures of the Christmas spirit that I am enjoying around me!

A tout a l'heure!
Rachel

The stereotypical Frenchman appears....he's wearing stripey jumpers (blue and white), talking like Pepe Le Pew, and riding a bicycle.

During my IB (International Business) lecture today our professor talked about intercultural communication and about stereotyping.  He explained that when we try to do business with other cultures a lot of our focus is on how we are different but in actuality we are very similar.  Using the French as an example, we have borrowed a lot from their culture and they from ours.  This post is going to be dedicated to exploring the stereotypical Frenchman and stereotypical American, the similarities in our culture, and our differences.

Stereotypical Frenchman:
You may wonder, where does that image of the stereotypical Frenchman (you know; the one with the striped shirt, curly mustache, carrying a baguette, wearing a beret, with a red scarf tied around his neck, and has a bottle of wine in his hand) come from.  The origin of the typical Frenchman comes from the farmers in Brittany.  They would grow and sell onions (Onion Johnny) and ride bikes. h Other stereotypes of the French is that they are lazy, dirty, arrogant, stuck-up, rude, anti-American, and communists.  My least favorite due to a certain people from my past (aka high school) are that the French give up and are quitters due to the fact that they always surrender.

Stereotypical American:

What is the stereotypical American like??  Other cultures might answer with words like fat, loud, and complain a lot or loves guns, or my personal favorite, says oh myy gooodd all the time.  They might describe us as wearing cowboy hats and cowboy boots, holding a camera and handbag, having messy hair with an extremely wide mouth chewing gum.  They might even go so far as saying we wear safari clothes and Jesus sandals.  They think we eat junk food 24/7 and are lazy, just looking for the quickest way to get things done.  They think we are greedy and power obsessed.

Personally I find this analysis of Americans insulting but that's the way it goes and that's why they call it stereotyping.  People take a small sub sect of the group they are looking at (usually one that represents a negative side) and automatically assume that everyone is like that without even getting to know average every day people.  Personally the French people I have met are not rude, arrogant, or any dirtier than you and me.  They are different from us because of they way they are raised and they way in which they choose to live their lives but we should not look down on them for that.

Moral of the story: Don't just assume what you think you know about a culture is true until you get a chance to know them. In the words of kindergarten teachers everywhere, don't judge a book by its cover!

A tout a l'heure!
Rachel

You Think You Know a Story...But You Only Know How it Ends.

So not only do I love all things French and the French history but I also love the history of the English monarchs.  I especially like watching movies that give you an inside look at their lives and explain what their life was really like.

I think my love of English History began when I took British Literature in high school.  We had to read books like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice.  It got me hooked on this way of life that is so different from ours in modern America.  I love the glamour, the society, and the turmoil that they had to face back then.  How simple and yet complex their lives were compared to ours without all the modern technology and worries that we have to deal with, yet of course they had plenty of their own problems.

I enjoy the movie versions of these books.  I love Kiera Knightly's version of Pride and Prejudice (2005) and will watch it any time I can on TV.  I also enjoy Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway.  It takes a look at Jane Austen's life and points out some of the similarities between her life and the life of the characters in her stories.

One of my favorites is the Showtime series "The Tudors".  It gives an inside look at the life of Henry VIII.  It shows him at the time when he was growing unhappy with Catherine and becoming more interested in Anne Boleyn.  "This historically loose but visually lush Showtime series toasts the world of the Tudors in the days when King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) was a handsome and charming 25-year-old with athletic abilities and sexual prowess. The young king indulges his voracious taste for ladies-in-waiting, hangs out with his entourage of nobles and makes momentous political decisions." (Netflix.com)   I started watching this series last summer when I had to work overnight shifts at work and was immediately hooked!  Of course I realize that the drama and such is magnified in order to get TV ratings but I still love it!  It helps that Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is extremely easy on the eyes ;)

In keeping with the theme of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.  The first movie I think that got me really hooked on this was "The Other Boleyn Girl".  This movie takes a spin on the story that most people don't know, exploring the love affair between the King and Anne's sister Mary Boleyn.  "Director Justin Chadwick's opulent historical drama stars Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn and Scarlett Johansson as her sister, Mary -- both beautiful, ambitious and vying for the heart of powerful but intemperate King Henry VIII (Eric Bana). Though both women are the monarch's mistresses, only one can become his queen consort -- but at what cost?". (Netflix.com).  Again this is probably an exaggeration of real life but its a great twist on the story and it would be an awesome story if it was true. 

Others that I enjoy are Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Young Victoria, The Duchess, and Vanity Fair.

I would highly recommend any of these movies or books to anyone who asks.  My roommates think I'm crazy but I think I was just born in the wrong country and the wrong century!

A tout a l'heure!

Rachel

Bastille Day!

Joyeux quatorze juillet!

Ok so I know I am about 3 days late on this post because in actuality Bastille Day for the French is on July 14...

Just a little background for those of you not up to speed on your French history.  July 14, 1790 was the day that the French revolution hit its peak.  The rebels stormed "La Bastille" which was a prison in Paris.  The storming of the Bastille was seen as a rallying point for the opposition of the monarchy in France.  It is a symbol of freedom and a reminder for all French people past and present.  The day is celebrated with a parade and fireworks display in Paris.

Surprisingly Bastille Day is also heavily celebrated in the United States and around the world.  In the United States alone over 50 cities hold celebrations including New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, Orlando, Minneapolis, Seattle, and of course, closest to us, Milwaukee.

Bastille Day holds some exceptionally special memories for me.  On my trip to France in high school, we were in Paris on Bastille.  Although we did not get to experience the parade or many of the activities during the day because we had ventured out of the city to visit the home of Claude Monet, we did get to sit on the grass surrounding the Eiffel Tower and see one of the most exceptional fireworks displays I have ever seen.  That trip holds special memories for me and looking back every July 14 I think of the fun I had with some of my best friends!

So once again I say Joyeux quatorze juillet!

A tout a l'heure!
Rachel

Productive Procrastination

Whenever I find myself facing a daunting task (this week it was sorting and putting away my clean laundry), I also find myself distracted and willing to complete other (probably that require more work).

For our all staff meeting this month, the Leadership Team decided to show our appreciation for the staff by throwing them an Ice Cream Sundae Bar.  The professional staff brought ice cream and the desk supervisors brought the toppings.  We decided that since it was one of our fellow supervisors birthday and also a staff members birthday we would bake brownies.  This required me to make a double and single batch of brownies.

Since I was stuck in the kitchen for about three hours doing this, I got distracted and started to clean our kitchen.  I started with the dishes that I used to bake the brownies and my dinner.  From there I was prompted to clean the sink, then counter tops, and finally swiffer our kitchen floor.  As I was swiffering, I noticed how dirty it was between our fridge and the counter.  I decided that it was time, I would take the plunge by moving our fridge away from the wall and cleaning behind and under it (a task that we have had yet to do since moving in).

Completing this task actually made me feel somewhat good about myself and also led me to do some other tasks that I had been urging to do since moving in last August.  I proceeded to reorganize all of our kitchen cabinets until all the useless stuff we never used was put away, our Tupperware was reorganized and didn't fall on you every time you opened the cabinet, and created more room for the appliances we don't want taking up counter space.

From there I was still feeling productive.  I went into my bedroom and cleaned it all, even putting away the clean clothes that I had been avoiding in the first place.  From there I decided that I would like to reorganize my bedroom furniture so as to create better airflow and hopefully get some of the cool air from the air conditioner into the sauna which is my bedroom.

I really like how my furniture is now and am a little sad that I will be moving rooms within the next month.  I would rather move than stay in my room for another year however so I am very excited!

A tout a l'heure!
Rachel

Sailing in Madison

I tried out something new today that I have always wanted to learn how to do.  I went sailing on Lake Mendota!  It was so much fun and I can't wait to go out and do it again.  We set out from Memorial Union Terrace and were out for about 2-3 hours.  I am nowhere near a master but I would like to think I know a little bit more than the Average Joe.  One of my coworkers knows how to sail very well and I was very privileged that he was able to take me.  It was the most perfect day to be out on the lake!  I don't care if its on a motorboat, jet ski, or now sailboat, 1 thing is for sure and that is that I love being out on the water in the summer!

http://www.hoofersailing.org/