L'amour

Ah! the French and love and romance were made for each other.  Lately, my sister and I were watching a french movie wherein two teenagers got married.  When the priest tried to impress upon them that marriage is until death they replied that they still wanted to be married.  He then rolled his eyes to heaven and said "L'amour, Seigneur, l'amour" as if to say, "they're French and in love, Lord. There's nothing I can do about it!"

The French are very sensitive people, not in the way that their feelings are easily hurt, but in the way that flowers, perfume, art, love, fashion, and food interest all of them very much. They live for the finer things in life.  As a culture, they are the sanguines (where the Brits are the melancholics), and tend to be melodramatic about everything.

(Ok, these are big generalizations, not all the French are like that)

I currently have at least two of my little students in love with me at the moment (in a little boy admiration kind of way).  Today, one of them told me "You are a charmer!".  I don't know if he meant "charmer" or "charming" but he seemed extremely pleased with himself that he said something to me in English.  The other one stares at me with puppy dog eyes (especially when he is supposed to be looking in the opposite direction). Oh. So. French.  I think it will wear off soon.

Speaking of staring, they do that a lot more here.  I've learned the language of looking.  There is the common stare, which is more like looking (the stare people use for looking into thin air, shop windows, etc.)  Then, there is the people stare (when you look at the people walking past you on the street and actually make eye contact--yikes--or watch people eating soup through the glass window of a cafe--I saw this in Luxembourg where people actually paused to watch the show, so to speak).  It is very non-confrontational. Then there is the look-you-once-over-with-a-cheeky-grin stare (yeah, make a wild guess at who does that, guys or girls?).  This is the most disconcerting of all the staring and it takes a while to get used to (and not get paranoid at the other types of staring).  If the girl is pretty enough according to the starer's standards, the stare will be accompanied by a low whistle, a song, or a "jolie fille" as they pass.

The French are quick to pick up on flirting and interpret it wherever they can.  My sister told me a story of how she was trying to help a little boy by asking him questions until her understood what she was trying to teach him, but one of the other students then remarked "encore et toujours" meaning *eyelash flutter*  I think my students sometimes see flirting as a way of impressing people (since they can't do that with their English abilities).  Luckily, the stream has boiled off, so to speak, and we are attempting professionalism (ahem, meaning, I don't have to shout at them all day long for their cheekiness).  But, perhaps this is because I haven't had classes with my "beloved" pastry cooks in a while. 

The French are so sweet when it comes to romance.  Everyday, whenever I see couples walking, no matter what the age, they always hold hands (generally).  They love their children and they love their old people.  I would say that they thing the French care about the most is relationships--friends, family, lovers, spouses, and pets.