Mais, uh, comme tu veux, hein.

There are periods, days, sometimes weeks, where I feel like I have nothing to say. I find it challenging to actually find something interesting to discuss or point out- without feeling like I constantly repeat myself. And so, not much that seems noteworthy happens and I continue on, trudging through lessons and the day-to-day things. That's when I realize that there is a constant stream of fascinating, little details that make mundane life in France so interesting. Things that I've started to see as normal, but really aren't. So I'm going to try to make more of an effort to examine the country around me and somehow translate that here.

Pleasure in the little things, a sentiment that is not only appreciated in France, but quite visible in their culture that stresses simplicity. Let's take dinner last night. It was just me and the boys, as host mom was at a meeting. We ate our sort of cheesy, salmony mess that host dad made, because that's how he does dinner. And then on to cheese and yogurt (with which a plate change is absolutely necessary), accompanied by wine. Last night it was a fruity white wine. The cork made a perfect "pop" as host dad pulled it out of the bottle. So this was repeated twice. And the cork was examined, because as he said, "Ce sont les choses simples..." that are beautiful. Then host brother smelled the wine, declaring that, "This. This is summer." I just looked on, stifling my laughs and smiling.

I find the more nuanced cultural differences that distinguish one place from another so incredibly interesting. Just a few days ago, I was discussing "comme tu veux" with my friends. Used in almost every situation and heard about 20 times a day, it means "as you like." It's a very polite phrase used everyday as a form of concession, to let someone make a choice, relieve yourself of the burden of decision-making, or to let them be an autonomous human being. The problem though, is that it's used entirely too much, to the point where I sometimes get frustrated. There are situations where I just want to be told what to do. "Should I put the dirty laundry here, or would it be more convenient for me to just leave it with you? I don't know where it goes." "Oh, Marina, comme tu veux." No, this is not a matter of choice, this is a piece of information I need. It becomes a serious (and funny) issue when looking for a restaurant or a bar with French friends and no one is agreeing, only saying, "Comme vous voulez!" Hours pass and no one is happy, and we're still searching.

For the most part, I just find it's constant use hilarious. Mostly because it tends to be accompanied with a sort of apathetic shrug and a contortion of the face only the French are capable of. It's a kind of open mouthed "uhhhh" noise with a slight shake of the head all while doing the pursy lip thing- it's quite complex, words do it no justice.