Written in November 2008
Thanksgiving was celebrated by my international program. It was much more formal that home Thanksgivings; it was like Thanksgiving celebrated in the states, only French-style. We started out with a drink that’s like champagne, but more bubbly and made in Angers (city of my home-stay). The turkey was served in slices with green stuffing over them and an optional cream sauce to pour on top. Of course, as custom here, everything came in courses. Between dinner and dessert I provided “entertainment” by singing “Somewhere Out There” in French and then later before the holiday celebration was over I took the mic again and sang “La Vie En Rose.” 
That was one of my favorite moments on this trip. The majority of the French host parents are between 50 and 80 years of age, so this song (originally sang by Edith Piaf) is close to their hearts, or at least is well known. A few women started singing with me and I encouraged everyone to join. Each time the chorus came up every French person in the audience sang with me in unison. A friend told me after the song how great that moment was “for everyone” because it turned the night from being formal and stiff, to a warming bond before everyone left for the night. It never fails to amaze me how music has the gift of bringing strangers together.
Random trivia:
MY FAVORITE FACT-
*In French, the literal translation for sprinkles is mouse poop.
*The police fine 100£ to those being loud after 11pm any night of the week.
*Before Internet access, in France it was averaged that people would hear a song on the radio 13 times and then purchase the CD.
*Chérie FM 105.1, NRJ (pronounced “energy”) and Skyrock are three radio stations in France that are popular with the young French.
*More French women smoke than men.
*Toast sayings (spelled phonetically): chin chin (France) Prost (Germany).
*Everyone at the dining table is supposed to put their hands on the table to ensure nothing is going on under the table where their hands can’t be watched.
*More dining table info; the “maitresse” (head women because traditionally that’s the cook in the family) starts eating first and everyone follows her, or she will tell the other members to go ahead and start as soon as you get food (and in that case it’s rude if you wait).
*It’s a French tradition to hold a small party when one moves into a new home (house warming party). It’s called “prendre la crémaillère.” Interesting phrase because the word “crémaillère” is the name for the hook in the chimney that supports pots or kettles over the fire.
*Potlucks are not done or are very rare in France. If you have a party you’re expected to provide everything, including all the food, yourself.
*Instead of the American “piggy bank” the French use a squirrel (un écureuil) to store their money.
*Wedding dinners can last about 6-8 hours of eating time alone! Traditionally dinners are long here so wedding/special occasion dinners take forever.
*In Normandy an oyster-type sea creature is eaten alive- another French specialty.
*Also in Normandy one dish traditionally eaten here is pig intestines.
*Horses are really important in Normandy. Yearlings (1 year-old horse) are shown in a large city here and are sold at exceptional prices; sometimes one yearling is bought for one million euros.
*I forgot to add this to my e-mail during the election: Obama’s slogan was “Oui, nous pouvons” and McCain’s was “D’abord, le nation.”
*The French word “liberalism” means the equivalent of the English word “capitalism” and “libre” means liberal views.
*Ironique (sounds like the English word ironic) doesn’t mean ironic, but instead “sarcastic” (I was corrected on this a few weeks ago).
On that note, (by the way that word, pronounced noté (photetically, note-ay) is often used in place of “encore” here after performances; note also means grade here).
