I will kind of miss a place where words like "truthiness" mean something

I leave for Paris in about an hour and all I can think about is the phone conversation I had with Jeanne the other day, in which it became all too apparent how vigilant my father and I were about speaking French together in these last few weeks (not very).

I told her some stories I’ve told my American friends a few times already, and as I cast about for the proper way to describe someone I know, someone who can only be described as “cute-ish” because that is the most academically ideal word for this person, I remembered how I feel when I’m speaking French: like I’m performing with a live band that I can’t hear.  Or maybe it’s like playing Pictionary blindfolded. 

You never know exactly how you’re coming off until you get a reaction, and sometimes even then it’s hard to tell.  Are they laughing because using “Je gere” for “I’m all over it” is surprisingly appropriate (and how funny coming from a foreigner!) or because it is totally, spectacularly inappropriate? 

Heady thoughts!  Leave me alone-- I’ve had four hours of sleep. 

Let’s look at some pictures of me saying goodbye to my Dad last night.  Try not to let my father’s enthusiasm jump out of the computer screen and suction your face off with its overwhelming zest.

Here’s another little guy I’ll miss.  But hey, I’m got my télé with three fuzzy channels in France to look forward to!

Comments

[Claire]

swapping the widescreen tv for the seine, macaroons, cafe's, good croissants - (all i can think of is food)ha, yes, cute French boys, the light, the beauty everywhere etc etc - not so bad really is it? Am i really the first to comment? Wow, how exciting...looking forward to reading your first post back in Pareee

[Stefanie]

I couldn't help noticing in the first picture he is wearing a Polo shirt and in the second, a Lacoste shirt. Costume changes in the middle of the photo shoot or dual allegiances-- American vs. French preppy?

Welcome back to Paris...

[Michele]

You'll be surprised at how awesome your French feels after taking a break for a while. Give yourself some credit!

Bon Voyage, the States will miss you!

[Nan]

Welcome back, Coquette!

Hope the weather here in Paris will improve soon, though - it changes from day to day, thus turning the everyday "what am I going to wear today?" question into a real fashion challenge.

I'm afraid you won't be able to wear that beautiful summer dress of yours until a few weeks from now...

[Aimee]

Is it true that Dad thought the his RL polo looked too tight? Is he stocking up on black polos? What do I need to know?

And, where's mom?

[Neil]

Don't they have cable in Paris? Is there really anything else to do there except watch TV?

[chester]

That's sweet. I, too, always miss Kurt Browning whenever I leave North America. Nancy Kerrigan not so much though.

[Jecca]

Great dress! Your dad's love for you is so clear in that picture -- awww, Dad.

[Renee]

They wrote about you in Le Parisien!!!

Ce qui les epate le plus
 French kiss. On s´en doutait un peu : le french kiss
est « le » mystère français. L´auteur de Putyourfla-
reon.blogs.comexplique le temps qu´elle amis à s´y ha-
bituer, passant par des bises de « transition » avant
d´accéder au french kiss. Petiteanglaise (Petitean-
glaise.com) a encore honte de la scène qu´elle a faite à
son petit ami en lisant à la fin d´une lettre qui lui était
adressée : « gros bisous », sans comprendre que c´était
une formule convenue.
 Un eventail de toilettes. Les sanisettes gratuites
ont tous les lauriers… au point qu´on en retrouve la
photo dans plusieurs blogs comme Inparisnow.com
ou dans Françaisedecœur.com. L´auteur de ce dernier
s´épand des pages entières sur ses mésaventures « toi-
lettiques » : comment, très gênée, elle s´est retrouvée
dans l´arrière-salle d´un bistrot, juste à côté de son co-
pain, les toilettes filles n´étant pas séparées de celles
des garçons.
 Vacances mal fichues. Le mercredi après-midi
sans école, mais le samedi matin avec ? Le blog Inpa-
risnow.comlance une réflexion autour de cette
rie franco-française pour en comprendre le pourquoi
du comment. L´auteur intello d´Amerloqueparis.blogs-
pot.com s´interroge, lui, sur la laïcité française : « Bien
que la séparation entre Eglise et Etat est instaurée (…),
les vacances nationales sont basées sur le calendrier de
l´Eglise catholique »… Bizarre, bizarre.
 Bonheur chocolate. Le chocolat sous toutes ses
formes — bol fumant, bonbon, macaron, œuf — fait
chavirer les papilles de nombreux blogueurs. Dans
Maitresse.blogspot.com, l´auteur se souvient avec
émotion de sa joie à déguster un chocolat chaud au
café les Editeurs ou chez Angelina. Pour Lacoquette
(Lacoquette.blogspot.com), c´est plutôt les macarons
et, au final, toute la nourriture française qui la rendent
dingue au point qu´elle se demande : « Apprendre que
les Français aiment manger dans les fast-foods est
aussi bouleversant et mémorable pour les expats que
découvrir que le tableau de la Joconde est presque
aussi petit qu´un timbre-poste et que le président Mit-
terrand avait deux familles, l´une légitime, l´autre non. »

[whitney]

I am glad you had a nice visit. You look great. Have a safe trip. Can't wait for upcoming adventures.

[J]

What happened to the photo of you and your sis at the party?

[Tara]

At least you get three channels thats whopping compared to my one channel. The only channel I get is the God channel - now there's something to brag about!

[Sammy]

Yeah, you may miss your T.V. but you didn't have the Star Ac while you were in the U.S!

[JenBen]

Lurker here. I admired that dress in my Anthropologie catalog for a good six minutes and now it's here, in the flesh. Well done.

[ering]

very cute pic. of you and your father you both look smashing. love the dress

[ava]

Can't wait to read about your new round of Parisian exploits.

[shannon]

so cute! is this that brief moment when you think, "i want to stay home with my family! but i really want to go back to paris"?...exactly how i feel when i'm about to leave old home comfort to go to new home.

as for the speaking french, it's a never-ending struggle to get the accent, i notice that my voice gets much quieter and i kind of blur the really difficult words together (to save embarrassment over the accent) which just makes it sound worse!

[Buffy]

I'd kill for that TV.

[Sarcomical]

new to you, and can't wait to hear about your return to That Place for Which I Already Hate You. ;)

[Abdul-Rahim]

You can get about 20 channels with your existing antenna if you buy a digital set top box. http://www.tvnt.net/

[thatgirldina]

New girl here, both to your blog and blogs in general actually. I was just popping through while researching for my visit to Paris next week. Thanks for the great read...and the fabulous shoe porn!

[Asian Lep]

Coquette, that is the cutest outfit.

[Rodellee Marie]

I absolutely love your dress! (From Anthropologie, yes?) The colors are absolutely lovely on you!

[The Bold Soul]

Would it be inappropriate for me to tell you your dad is a a bit of a hottie? Comment dit-on "hottie" en français?

[Car]

Doesn`t matter what you say, but how...!! But you said it well http://car-news.cars-search.org/