The first step is not to panic/give up/have an existential crisis, you haven’t failed. It’s only been a week, and maybe you are trying to do something you have never done before, which is really hard. So give yourself a break. It is commendable that you have decided to make changes (most likely positive) to your life, and you should give yourself a pat on the back for that. Have your feelings of panic been eased? Great, let’s move on to the second step. Continue reading →
At this time of the year (or however many hours are left of it) there are numerous lists published, looking at what happened in the past and some predictions for the future. I wanted to do my own version of this, but with books. Books have always been a constant in my life and have always offered me a place of solitude when I need to get away from the buzziness of the Internet. So here are a few of the titles I read this past year, and some that I’m looking forward to reading in 2016. Continue reading →
As the end of the semester quickly approaches, you may find yourself thinking a lot of things: how quickly the time passed, how you wish you could stay longer, and how excited you are to return home. I’m torn between not wanting to leave and being super excited to see all my friends and family again. There are times when you miss those everyday things you are used to back home. Here are three things I do when I want a bit of home in Paris.
Find something to read in your first language – While I’m all about reading in French, it’s nice to curl up in bed with a great read (especially on a cold, rainy day). Reading in English, makes me feel closer to home as it reminds of the countless days I spent reading a new favorite. If you’re more into physical books, try Shakespeare and Company (Metro: St. Michel or Cluny-La Sorbonne), which is an English bookseller that stocks both new and classics in a variety of genres. But don’t forget about e-books or audiobooks, which are nice options for long journeys.
Some purchases from Shakespeare & Company
Eat some comfort food – If you enjoy cooking, making your favorite dish is a great way to feel connected to home. A fun thing to do is invite friends over and have a potluck, where everyone shares their favorite meals. This is especially nice as it gets closer to the holidays as you might not be with family, and it’s nice to celebrate with a group of people. If you’re like me and prefer going to restaurants, find one that serves similar food as your hometown. I recently went with a friend to Breakfast in America, which is an American-style diner in Paris; the food was so delicious, I forgot how much I loved pancakes!
Also, since I have not yet gone to a Caribbean restaurant in Paris, it’s also nice to eat similarly in restaurants as I do back home. I really love Italian food, and there are some really great Italian places where I’m from, and I had been craving a particular restaurant’s spaghetti bolognese. Luckily, when I was in Lyon, I found this really great Italian place and enjoyed a delicious spaghetti bolognese.
Watch something familiar – Back home, I use to go to the cinema with friends at least every other weekend. Luckily, most of the movies I would want to watch are shown here in France in the original version with French subtitles. It’s nice because for two hours I could be anywhere in the world, watching a good movie with good friends. Use allocine.fr to find movies that are currently showing, showtimes and theatre locations.
Summary: Twins Jude and Noah have been practically the same person since birth, but their actions after a tragic event drive them apart. Will things ever be the same again? With alternating perspectives, a young Noah in the past and Jude in the present, the twins’ story is revealed. Jandy Nelson has crafted a beautiful novel about making your way back to the people who love you most.
Okay, okay, let me just begin with some general thoughts about ‘contemporary young adult (YA) fiction’. I feel like sometimes the idea of ‘contemporary’ is completely forgotten. The novel is great, it’s well-written, but you can’t help but think, I don’t think I would ever do/say that or That whole situation is kind of impossible. And yes I understand it’s supposed to be fiction, but I should still be able to relate to what the characters are feeling. I prefaced my review of I’ll Give You the Sun because I’m always kind of wary of contemporary YA fiction with rave reviews. However, the rave reviews are justly placed on the cover because ohmygoodness this book is fantastic. And I mean all of it: the writing, the character development, the relationships, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.
The characters are flawed, real people. They go through tough situations and react to them in a way that’s actually believable. This novel is definitely excellent because of it’s characters. Obviously, characters and their development are an important part of any novel, but sometimes if the plot’s interesting and there’s a couple of funny one-liners you’ll stick around to the end. But I think a true testament to an author’s craft of character is how interested you would be reading about them doing things outside the plot (hence: fan fiction). And I would literally read about any of the characters in I’ll Give You the Sun going to the grocery store or watching paint dry.
And I would literally read about any of the characters in I’ll Give You the Sun going to the grocery store or watching paint dry.
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite character, they are all so interesting and layered. I’m just going to quickly talk about Jude. But before I talk about Jude I’m going to talk about the “Strong Female Lead”. Oh, the Strong Female Lead. You see this phrase everywhere nowadays as movies and books try to show that they are not sexist and their female characters are developed. Here’s the thing though, and this is something I struggle with, I don’t think you should use the idea of a “Strong Female Lead” to market your product. It’s not just an idea for women to be “strong” because we are strong and that display of strength should not just extend to the lead character, it should be every women portrayed. Newsflash: Women are people too. Also, being “strong” doesn’t necessarily have to mean being tough. Characters can be vulnerable and a little selfish and a contradiction because people are. I think the best thing about Jude (and the other characters as well) is that they are real. So for me, Jude is a good example of a “Strong Female Lead” because she’s described and acts like a person.
It’s not just an idea for women to be “strong” because we are strong and that display of strength should not just extend to the lead character, it should be every women portrayed. Newsflash: Women are people too
Alright, I’m going to wrap this up, I know this wasn’t a very traditional book review, but I just wanted to show how I’ll Give You the Sun completely shattered my hesitations about reading it. I guess it goes to prove the adage true, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover , er, genre. In conclusion: read I’ll Give You the Sun because it will give you all the feels!
When you type in “culture shock” on Google you get 20+ million results and top definition (courtesy of Wikipedia) is
“the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, a move between social environments, or simply travel to another type of life.”
It’s essentially the emotions and changes you experience when you move from one place to another. I attended a workshop/presentation on culture shock or ‘entry adjustment’ put on by my study abroad company and it really helped me understand a little bit more about culture shock and myself.
Culture is a very nuanced thing, it’s so much more than food, language, customs. It’s value systems, and relationships, and body language. We are a product of our culture, whether it be our country, local or family culture; it shapes who we are. Living in a diverse place where multiple cultures are present, I feel like I am pretty capable of balancing culture with my identity. Identity is super important, as I think no matter where you are or what type of culture you are in you should be able to maintain a core sense of yourself.
So I have been in Paris for about two weeks, and so far I haven’t really been ‘shocked’ by anything. Some may say I’m still in the honeymoon phase, but I’m not sure if I’m going to experience ‘culture shock’ like it’s presented in this graphic.
I think that just goes to show that culture shock is a different experience for everyone and although there are a million graphics and articles about it, everyone’s experience is unique. I admit that right now I am experiencing some “frustration/annoyance with everyday differences” like trying to find a movie theatre, or a place to get my nails done or when I ran out of my deodorant I brought with me and had to face going into a pharmacy with brands I didn’t recognize in a language I was a beginner in. (Note: I did buy some deodorant, it worked out, I don’t smell!)
So with this discussion about my minor frustrations, I give you some personal strategies I used to cope with ‘culture shock’:
Journaling – it’s a great way to understand what you’re actually feeling. Sometimes I’ll sit down for say 15 minutes and just write literally everything that comes to mind. After that I read what I wrote and able to better process what I’m feeling.
Food – I brought a few snacks with me from home and whenever I need a reminder, I just eat a few Oreos. However, it doesn’t have to be something from your hometown, I also find pain au chocolat really comforting (which is great because I’m in Paris).
Talk to someone- whether it’s your friends back home, your friends that you’ve made, or an advisor, talking to someone is also a good way to process how you’re feeling. Most people will understand how you’re feeling, and be able to offer some advice or simply just listen.
Find your happy place – I have found a few in Paris: every morning when I’m taking ligne 6 and cross the Eiffel Tower or the spectacular view from one of Paris’ (many) bridges. These moments/places help remind that I’m in Paris, a city I always wanted to live in.
Give yourself permission to be tired/sad/lonely – I think a common feeling when you’ve travelled to a new place is feeling guilty for not appreciating everything to the fullest. Yes, you are really lucky that you got to travel/live here and (most likely) you appreciate that fact. But it’s still somewhere new that you have to adjust to. It’s okay to be tired/sad/lonely sometimes, after all you are only human. (Obligatory moral note: if you’re feeling tired/lonely sad all the time and think it’s more than culture shock, you should seek help from a professional.)
And on that note about feelings and guilt, I feel that sometimes we feel guilty for not managing other people’s expectations.
Yes, I am lucky that I’m studying abroad in Paris, I’m extremely (extremely) grateful and am doing my best to make the most of my experience; however, I am also living here, which means I do ordinary things like grocery shopping, going to school, etc. Not every moment of everyday is Instagram-worthy.
I definitely think this is something I’ll blog about again as time goes on and I have more experience in Paris. I hope this post helps you better understand ‘culture shock’ and some ways to handle it. If you have anything to add, please share it in the comments below!
Outside of the sensory overloading strip of fast food chains, gift shops (“We sell Disney tickets here!), and amusement parks (“The Happiest Place on Earth”) in downtown Orlando is the Orlando Museum of Art.
The exterior of the Orlando Museum of ArtOne of the sculptures outside
Hook: It didn’t really take much to sell me on purchasing Yes Please. I loooove Amy Poehler and her humor, and wanted to get into the head of one of my favorite funny people. Plus, the cover was cool and all the other bits that are supposed to sell you: the description on the inside of the book jacket, the back of the book, etc. were Smart and Funny, and written in Amy’s (hilarious) voice. So I was sold.
Line: I enjoyed the book from the first page, but what really got to me was a line that crops up a few times in the book that really sold me.
“You do it because the doing of it is the thing. The doing is the thing. The talking and worrying and thinking is not the thing.”
This really struck home with me because I want/need to be doing more of thing, which for me is writing (hence this blog).
Also, there’s these wonderful gems of wisdom on two-page spreads with primary color backgrounds and block text.
Some examples:
Source: Yes Please by Amy Poehler (Images by Me)
Sinker: On the inside book jacket it essentially says that “In a perfect world we’d get to hang out with Amy Poehler.. but because she is so busy she can’t hang right now. However, this book is the solution to that problem”–and it really is. There were parts that made me laugh and cry and feel all the Feels, just like I imagine hanging out with Amy would be like. It’s brilliantly and candidly written with stories and advice and side notes. I didn’t realize how much this book would help me understand myself, it’s like a self-help book you don’t have to hide the cover of when you’re reading on the subway. Amy is a Smart Woman and she decided to share her years of wisdom and life lessons with the world. So go ahead and treat yo’ self to Yes Please.
It’s really well written, like really well written. It makes you wish, “Wow, I wish I was this clever and smart, and was able to come up with a witty retort on the spot.” But it isn’t pretentious, it sounds like real conversations.
Character development. C-h-a-r-a-c-t-e-r development. It makes sense. The characters are real and grow, and make mistakes. They are people. Their reactions are real and unique, and none of them can be place squarely in a box. Sure, there are a few “common” aspects of their personality, but that’s just because they’re human.
The relationships are messy and real and true. It’s not always peaches n’ cream between all of the characters. There’s tension and scenes fraught with all kinds of emotions.
Donna Moss. That is all.
It reflects a time period. Accurately. It’s interesting to see the subtle shift in technology, mindset, and actions of America.
But—at the same time there’s a certain sense of timelessness to the series. I watched it in 2015 (yes, all seven seasons) and there are still issues that are still relevant.
It had a good ending. Although, I wish there was a season eight, nine, ten—it ended, as it should. There was a sense of completeness to the character’s journeys, but there was still enough wiggle room to keep the viewer wondering. If I were going to be really clever, I would say it ended with ellipses…
Good ol’ jokes. Laughing through the tears and crying from laughter.
Symmetry and logic. There wasn’t a rushed feeling to the show, everything developed at a logical pace. Information was revealed on an as needed basis and only when necessary. I think the only way to explain what I’m talking about is by using an example. So, for example in Season 2, Episode 2: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part II, Josh is thinking about how he and Sam reconnected to be part of “Bartlet for America”: with the interrupting of the meeting at a Very Important law firm and Josh’s lack of a poker face. And five seasons later, after a very pronounced lack of Sam Seaborn, in Season 7, Episode 19: Transition, we see the same thing again. See? Symmetry.
It made me realize that all those kids who say they want to be President probably haven’t watched this show. Because it’s like a lot of work. Like a lot, a lot. I’ll just stick with my fantasy of marrying royalty, thank you very much.
The idea for this blog came to me because I think too much and I just wanted to have a place on the Internet to record those things. At first, I was just going to call this blog, “hannah says…”, but 1) I thought this name would already be taken (spoiler alert: it was) and 2) I decided that I am more than what I say, I’m also what I think and feel.
WordPress suggested that I use this post to tell you what you’ll find on my blog. I guess they know what they’re doing, so I’ll try to map out a general plan. (In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of winging it). I have several pages, like “Culture” and “TV/Movies”, and all the rest (I’m sure you’re capable of reading them yourself) where I will post things relating to said topics. I’m a very passionate person with a lot of thoughts as I already stated, but the frequency and amount of posts to each page will vary on my mood.
I’m going to try to boil down the philosophy behind each of the words I’ve chosen for the title of the blog just to rationalize it for you:
Say: It’s a statement I’m making and I won’t post anything here that I don’t mean. I mean what I say.
Think: These are just my opinions and may not be backed-up by real evidence. So please try not to get offended, I’m not trying to offend anyone.
Feel: Sometimes I think the Internet forgets that people have feelings, and since I’m a person, I have feelings, so try not to hurt them, ‘kay?
That’s all for now. You can go to my About page where it will probably be some iteration of this post to learn more about my blog. But really that’s all for now, as you were.
hannah says/thinks/feels 