Europe – Page 3 of 6 – Rasmenian detritus

Anniversary in Athens

April 15, 2011December 2, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

Five years. Five years since I've worn a dress. Five years since I've had my feet in a shiny new pair of girl shoes, standing next to a crazy French man in a funky pinstriped suit with a pink ribbon in his hair. Five years since we stood there next to one another, in la mairie du 18éme arrondissement in Paris, listening to some very official-looking guy who rattled on in French. I barely spoke any French at all then, but it seems that very official-looking guy was jabbering on about wedding vows. I didn't really understand any of it, but apparently, we got married that day.I've read that the typical gift for a five-year anniversary is wood. Fucking wood? Sure, wooden things are nice, but, um... no thank you. Usually, on our anniversary, we'll go away for the weekend, or pick a really nice place for dinner because Olivier and I really dig a nice quiet atmosphere where we can be alone....

Philosophy, Foul Fruit & Facial Hair in Athens

April 5, 2011December 2, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

It was almost midnight when we jumped on the bus at the airport in Athens. The ride from the airport to the city was long, but the bus moved fast, whooshing us past hundreds of signs written in Greek that we couldn't understand. A little while later, we reached the terminus and stepped out on to the street. Standing there to greet us: a man in a suit with a soul patch. The silvery-metallic sheen of his hair, the same as his suit. His purple shirt was unbuttoned way too low - like, Bee Gees low."Taxi?" He leads us across the street to his car, throws our suitcase in the trunk. I crawl in the seat behind him. Olivier gets in next to me. Soul Patch gets in and his seat is reclined so far that he's almost laying down. Thanks a lot, Soul Patch. We tell him we're going to the Apollo Hotel on Achilleos street. He lights up a cigarette...

It’s the Same, But Different

January 31, 2011November 23, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

About 6 or 7 years ago, before I moved to France, I was back in Colorado, talking to a friend of mine about the pen pals we had when we were in elementary school. Remember those? Actually writing on paper with a pen, sticking a stamp on it & mailing it to another kid living in some faraway place? Surely you must have done this at some point, no? Anyway, we were having a laugh about the silly things we would write. He told me that his pen pal lived in England, so he was asking questions like, "Do you drive cars to go places in England, or is different?" or, "Do you go to the grocery store to get food, or is it different?" We found this all to be hilarious, finding amusement in the things that kids say & the wacky things that kids get curious about because as adults, we of course know better. We've seen things & met people...

Champions of Breakfast

January 10, 2011January 12, 2011 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

There are so many things that France does right. The wine, the food & the healthcare. The 35-hour work week & the apéritif. Some things about living in France have just been too easy to get used to. The fact that in France, bad grammar is a worse offense than profanity just makes me feel at home. I can no longer sit down to a meal without a glass of red wine, or go without an espresso after lunch - especially when lunch can often be around 2 hours long. So many things about life in France are - yeah, I'll say it - better than that in the United States. But, you already knew that, right? It's hardly a secret. People here have longer life lines for a reason. That's not to say that I don't ever have a few complaints. Believe me... I do. (You knew that was coming, right?) Sometimes, it's just a matter of homesickness, or missing something from home...

Misanthropic Expat Syndrome

November 19, 2010November 23, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

"Americans should never come to Europe,' she said, and tried to laugh and began to cry, 'it means they never can be happy again. What's the good of an American who isn't happy?" — James Baldwin, Giovanni's Room * "I think that something's happened to me," I said. Olivier looked over at me & creased his eyebrows. "Like what? Are you sick? Did you eat too much fiber again?" "No... I'm not feeling shitsy. It's more permanent than that, I think... & it seems to be getting worse. I think I must be developing some sort of misanthropic expat syndrome." "I think you've had that for a while." "It's getting worse," I said. "Yeah. I've noticed. It's probably not so bad," he said. "Eating too much fiber feels worse, I bet." He's right. That does feel pretty bad. Unfortunately, my misanthropic expat syndrome seems to be permanent & intensifying. Something happens after a few years of living outside...

Halloween in France

November 3, 2010November 23, 2020 by Rasmenia Comment Closed

France, I love you, I really, do and I will always defend your honor in a bar fight, but please... leave Halloween alone. Before I moved to France, Olivier explained to me that Halloween doesn't really exist here; that a few people will dress up, or do something Halloween-like, but that it is largely an American holiday and that French people don't really give a shit about it. Okay... that's understandable. Especially since French people have their own 'Day of the Dead,' as it were. Many French people do observe the traditions that are at the origins of our Halloween. On November 1st, la Toussaint, or All Saint's Day, French people all over the country are visiting their loved ones in the cemeteries, leaving chrysanthemums on their graves. Many people have the day off from work. It is an actual holiday in France. All the more reason to leave Halloween alone. My first Halloween in France, Olivier and I were living in Paris. We...