"Elle ne parle pas du français"

Most of my time in Paris was spent watching people talk, trying to understand through body language. I would just stand there while Karina and her friends conversed with cool-looking French people, then the French person would motion to me and say something -- probably along the lines of "what's up with your mute friend?" -- and Karina would say, ""Elle ne parle pas du français." I heard that phrase in my sleep. All the French university students I met were incredibly sweet (nice French people?!) and tried to speak to me in English. And I kept thinking of that line from Henry V -- "Come, your answer in broken music; for thy voice is music and thy English broken."

My favorite conversation from my Paris trip, with Shakespeare-style French accent:
French student: Vere are yoo from?
Me: I'm from California.
French student: Ooh lala! (They said that a lot) Yoo go to school in California?
Me: (Thinking just say "yes") Uhhhhh no. I go to school somewhere else.
French student: Vere?
Me: Um... in Wisconsin?
French student: OH VISCONSIN! That ees vere I go at end of zeh world!

It turns out that in the new apocalyptic movie 2012, they end up in Wisconsin. That was an interesting conversation in relation to my usual one.

But now I'm back in England, drinking tea, eating biscuits, learning about The Troubles, watching X Factor, still giggling when someone says "bloody hell."

Today, I made a sandwich with roasted eggplant, Camembert, and chutney, which was really yummy... but I miss French food. Eating on Mondays is a problem, I have a jam-packed schedule, complete with class from 11-12:30, then 2-5, then I have rehearsal from 6-9. Oh I don't think I posted this, but I am officially the dramaturg for the Shakespeare society's production of All's Well That Ends Well, which I'm so excited about. It's basically exactly what I wanted to do.... lots of research, reading far into the text, and then I get to go to a high school and lead a workshop. I like being appreciated for my nerding-out capabilities.

Pictures are up! Laurie and Mark took me to a market and to a really cute old village with pretty mountains around it. Seeing mountains after being in England for months was a strange sensation.