Oh la vache!

French cows in Asserac.   You have to eat them before they eat you.

As it turns out, knowing the word "la vache," which literally means "the cow," is very useful in French slang.  For example, if you see something unexpected, but really awesome, you can say "oh la vache!"  to express amusement and astonishment.  Or, if something goes wrong, you can say "oh la vache!" but with a more somber or angry tone to express discontent or anger.  Similar to the expression "holy cow!"

The French, however, take their fascination of cows further.  Vache can also be used as a modifier, like in the phrase "C'est vachement bien!"  Adding an "-ment" to the end of a word in French is equivalent to adding an "-ly" to the end of a word in English.  So this sentence means "It is cowly good!" but translates to "It is VERY good."  Note, however, that "vachement" is only used amongst friends or other familiar people and should never be used in polite or formal conversations.

There are also a few sayings with vache.  For example, "il chant comme une vache espagnole," meaning "he sings like a spanish cow."  That is to say, he sings very poorly.  Or, if someone parked their car across three spots, one might say "se garer comme une vache," literally translating to "park [a car] like a cow."  You see, cows are both good and bad in France.  Also delicious.

Here is my favorite cow-related joke:
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Interrupting cow.
Interrupting c....
MOOOOOO!

Rome part II: Et tu, gatto?

Continuing from my previous post of my top 10 favorite sights in Rome, here are numbers 6 - 10.

1. Roman Forum/Palantine Hill and the Colosseum
2. The Vatican/St Peter’s Basilica/Sistine Chapel
3. Piazza Navona/St Agnes Church
4. Pantheon
5. Trevi Fountain
6. Baths of Pompey/Largo Argentina/Cat sanctuary
7. Trastevere 
8. Campo dei Fiori
9. Piazza della Repubblica
10. Jewish Quarter

6.  Theater of Pompey/Largo Argentina/Cat sanctuary

Re-enacting the death of Caesar at the exit to the Theater and Baths of Pompey in Largo Argentina

Stray cats roaming Rome's ruins at Largo Argentina

This area is right in the center of Rome, and easily overlooked.  In fact we walked by this area many times before realizing it is significant ruins as oppose to all the other nonsignificant ruins scattered about Rome.  It contains ruins of temples from as old as third century B.C. as well as ruins from Theater and Baths of Pompey, where Caesar was assassinated (et tu Bruté?)  Part of the area has also been turned into a cat sanctuary, and you can see many gattos napping on the ruins.  You aren't actually able to walk amongst the ruins, but it is a fun side stop if you are near the area.

7.  Trastevere

Ladies on the streets of Trastevere.

Trastevere is the charming and "local" district across the river from the main part of Rome (literally means "across the Tevere," the Italian word for Tiber).  In fact, the Romans we met live in this area.  You can find small cobblestone streets filled with Romans gossipping outside, laundry and/or Italian flags hanging out of the windows of apartments, and nuns eating ice cream.

Trastevere has a less "touristy" feel than the right side of the bank, but of course there are still crappy tourist restaurants around.  If you go away from the main square (Santa Maria), you can find really great trattorias.  Our waiter even gave us free drinks from his home town in southern Italy, although that might've been because we had charming a Roman girl with us.

8.  Campo dei Fiori

This piazza is worth a visit either in the afternoon where you can buy spices, flowers, vegetables, drinks, etc., or in the night time where it is full of tourists and locals (usually looking for tourists to hang out with).  It is quite lively at either time, but I would avoid eating in the restaurants here.  Prices are expensive and food is mediocre.  They wouldn't even give us tap water!

9.  Piazza della Repubblica

This piazza is in the far north-east area of Rome.  Unlike the other piazzas in Rome, this is a roundabout for cars.  In the center of the traffic circle is the Fontain of Naiads (water nymphs), designed by Rutelli in 1901 with nymphs on different animals to represent the different bodies of water -- horse for ocean, swan for lakes, monster for rivers, and dragon for underground water.  

On one side of the roundabout is the Basilica of St. Mary (Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri).  It looks like a dilapidated building from the outside, but the inside is well maintained, beautiful, and almost luxurious, common to the Italian renaissance style (definitely not what you expect from looking at the facade).  There is also a tribute to Galileo inside.

10.  Jewish Quarter

Just south of Campo dei Fiori is known as the Jewish Quarter.  The best part about this area is the food!  We stopped at Nonna Betta (Via del Portico d'Ottavia, 16), which was delicious, Kosher, and vegetarian friendly.  It was mentioned in a NYTimes article and by Anthony Bourdain for its artichokes (delicious!).

Since I am talking about food, I wanted to mention another restaurant in Rome that I enjoyed: Antica Birreria Peroni (Via S. Marcello 19).  It is a very fun atmosphere with many people eating and drinking together.  This is where Peroni was originally brewed by monks!  Their specialty is the Kilometer, a delicious grilled sausage served with veggie sides.  And they make a spectacle if you order it: everyone cheers for you!  So only get this if you like being embarrassed... or if you want to embarrass someone!

Rome part I: We don't mind standing here telling people your tour sucks

Before our trip, whenever I told a French person that I was going to Rome, their response was always along the lines of: "Roma! You will love it!  It is like Paris... lots to see.  But it's all old stuff unlike here where it is all new stuff."  (I had to remind them that my country was discovered a couple of centuries after the Louvre started construction.)  The other thing is, as prideful as the French are about their wine, cheese, coffee, and food, they are willing to admit that Italian wine, cheese, coffee, and food are just as good (and the really really humble French will even admit they are better).

Despite these high expectations of Rome, it still became one of my favorite cities.  I am not sure if it was because of the beautiful scenery, the delicious food, or just the sparkling conversations with my awesome travel mates.  There is so much to see and do, but I have truncated it down to my top ten favorite sights in Rome (and discuss the first 5 in this post):

1. Roman Forum/Palantine Hill and the Colosseum
2. The Vatican/St Peter’s Basilica/Sistine Chapel
3. Piazza Navona/St Agnes Church
4. Pantheon
5. Trevi Fountain
6. Baths of Pompey/Largo Argentina/Cat sanctuary
7. Trastevere 
8. Campo dei Fiori
9. Piazza della Repubblica
10. Jewish Quarter

1.  Roman Forum/Palantine Hill and the Colosseum (one ticket gives you access to all)

Marisa, Priya, and I overlooking the Roman Forum and Colosseum.

These usually top the lists of most people who visit Rome, and I have to admit, it is pretty great.  The Roman Forum used to be the center of Roman life: politics, markets, court proceedings, etc.  Now it's a collection of the ruins from these old buildings.  We went there in the evening: less crowded and less hot (double bonus!)  The only thing that would've made wandering around the ruins a better experience for us was if we had a tour guide.  The Forum is not very well labelled and contains very sparse information.  So we decided we would hire one for the Colosseum the next day...

As we were leaving the Forum, we heard a couple of people rave about their tour guide, David.  After talking to him, he told us to go in front of the Colosseum the next day and look for one of his "girls" (minions?): Tatya, Anka, Cristina, Dopey, or Doc.  When we arrived, there were HUNDREDS of people in front of the Colosseum trying to recruit people for their tour.  Unsuccessful at finding one in David's harem, we decided to take another tour (16€ since we already had a ticket).  Big mistake: the person lied to us about the size of the group, our tour guide would start speaking before the group caught up to her, and often times we couldn't even find her at all.  But it didn't matter because Marisa became a much better tour guide just by reading things posted on the wall.  Unlike the Forum, the Colosseum is very well labelled.  The rage of Priya (partially fueled by her Indian instincts to negotiate), brought us back to the tour "manager" to demand for our money back.  "We don't mind standing here telling people your tour sucks" asserted Priya's rage.  It totally worked: they refunded 60% of our cost.

I suppose the moral of the story is: don't trust last minute tour groups.  Also don't piss off little Indian girls.  Also, the Colosseum was still awesome despite bad tour guides, hordes of people, and not being as loud as an SEC football game.  Definitely worth the trip.

2.  The Vatican/St Peter’s Basilica/Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel in Vatican Museum

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

The Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museum are definitely beautiful.  But is it worth the long wait in the hot sun for an hour (luckily we brought our sun umbrellas!)?  Maybe.  To avoid the lines, either take a tour (expensive and probably not worth it) or go later in the day.  By the time we left around 1pm, there was barely a line at all.

St. Peter's Basilica will not disappoint.  Very beautiful and extravagant... a lot of the work in the basilica was done by Bernini and Michelangelo.  See this church last or else all other Basilicas around Rome will seem so plain in comparison.  It also houses Michelangelo's statue Pieta.  No bare knees or bare shoulders allowed here!  But pictures of naked women are okay.

3.  Piazza Navona/St Agnes Church

Piazza Navona: Fontana del Moro (near), Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
(far, with obelisk), and Sant'Agnese in Agone (building)

My absolute favorite thing to do in Rome was walking around until you found a nice piazza to rest your aching feet.  Piazza Navona was definitely my favorite... oval shaped and filled with 3 fountains and a couple of churches, including Sant'Agnese in Agone.  Legend has it that Agnes, a virgin, was to be publicly humiliated (for refusing to give up her faith or refusing to marry a man) by being placed naked in the square.  But through prayer, her hair grew long and her shame was covered.  The inside of the church is magnificent, but no pictures are allowed.

The fountain immediately in front of Sant'Agnese is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (fountain of the four rivers), designed by Bernini to represent the Danube, the Nile, the Ganges, and the Plate.

4.  Pantheon

A sign of peace?

The Pantheon is interesting because it is the only Pagan temple still standing... mostly because it was converted to a church in the 600s.  Inside the church, the only source of light comes from a circular hole in the top of the dome.  The tombs of the 1st king of Italy, the 2nd king of Italy, and Raphael are housed here.  The inscription on Raphael's tomb translates to: "Here lies Raphael, by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared that she herself would die."

Priya and Rissy in front of the Pantheon

Light coming in from the Pantheon hole

5.  Trevi Fountain

This was especially nice for me because we were walking the windy roads of Italy, when all of a sudden, boom, here is the largest fountain in Rome in the middle of these cobblestoned alleys.  It is also relatively young (constructed in the 1700's).  It is quite a sight to behold!  But it is ALWAYS crowded.

For places parts 6 - 10, or a couple of places to eat in Rome, go to my next post.

4th of July Fact: French people hate root beer

Happy fourth of July!  Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly) there were no fireworks here in Paris to commemorate this occasion.  Not even a day off of work!  Which is surprising because the French usually like to find any excuse for days off of work.  So I only have time for a quick post.  

As a special treat for my lab, I brought the American drink of A&W Root Beer (courtesy of Priya, from her recent visit) for my colleagues to enjoy during our seminar.  In general, you can find most sodas here... Coke, Fanta, Dr. Pepper...  But no root beer!  Their reaction?  One person said he didn't mind the taste, but disliked the smell.  Many people thought it reminded them of the Chinese Tiger Balm.  And one person thought it was like "drinking grandma."  General consensus of never wanting to drink it again.  I guess there is something offensive about sassafras root... but to be fair, I am not sure there was any real sassafras root in this particular soda.  Mostly high fructose corn syrup, but I suppose that is what a representative American drink should contain.

Fact: there were women gladiators in Rome

Buongiorno!  Marisa, Priya, and I just got back from our trip to Rome... and we are exhausted!  So much walking around, but also so much sitting and drinking wine.  We were there for about 4.5 days, which is about the right amount of time to hit all of the major attractions but still have enough time to sit and eat/drink at outdoor cafes.  Hopefully I will post about it later, but right now, here is the highlight of our trip... a gladiator fight in the Colosseum.

Super Mega Chouette!

There is really no equivalent to the word "awesome" in French, so I am usually at a loss when trying to describe awesome things.  In America, old French teachers will tell you that "chouette" (which actually means owl), means "cool" in French.  In reality, it's an outdated term for cool, and very few people use it.  But they do use the word "super," especially as a adjective qualifier.  And even better than super is "hyper"... ie I am hyper-excited that Marisa and Priya are here!

Marisa and Priya jumping for joy(in front of the Louvre) because they are super-happy to be in Paris

Found (humor) in translation

A stop sign in France is quite typical: red octagon with the word "STOP" written in the middle.  But when I remembered learning the French word for "stop" was "arrêt," I asked le french boyfriend why the sign said stop, which lead to this conversation:

Me - Why do you use english words on your road signs?

LFB - French people also say "stop" to mean "stop"

Me - But that is English... why don't you use "arrêt?"

LFB - Why do you guys use "rendez-vous?"

Me - ...Touché, sir.

Although he didn't understand my last phrase since they apparently don't use that word that way.

One of the things I find entertaining as an English-speaking person in a French-speaking country is seeing the different translations between the two languages.  Also when English words have been integrated into the French language, such as "parking," "weekend," "email," etc.  Although, officially, "email" and "weekend" are unacceptable (in French administration).

Translations of movie titles and books are still a mystery to me.  I am currently reading Harry Potter in French... except in the book, 'arry goes to Poudlard (Hogwarts) and uses a magical baguette (wand).  I've had discussions about this to many people, including this google reader post and comments between myself and American friends on the subject of translating American movies.

Sharon S - I think Gueule means more like the mouth of an animal. A really rude way to tell someone to shut up is to tell them to close their GUEULE.

Nicholas Y- Here's what they're calling it elsewhere. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1411697/releaseinfo#akas

Looking at Google Translate, gueule does translate to mouth or muzzle. I'm currently wasting time investigating the origin of that idiom.

Katie P - In England, my housemate coined the term "gruel" as a verb to describe the action of being hung over. "Oh man, I was really grueling this morning."  

Me - yes! when I first saw those posters, I thought that the same actors made another (similar-looking) movie... like how Wes Anderson movies always use the same actors. What I don't understand is why do they translate the title to another english title instead of a french equivalent? It was the same with No Strings Attached, in France it was called Sex Friends. I wanted to actually blog about this... but then I got hungry and forgot about it.

Me - Oh... and while "gueule" on it's on means mouth, "gueule de bois" means wooden head. Gueule can sometimes be used to describe the whole face... as in, so's your gueule

 

Sharon S - A direct translation doesn't always convey the same meaning. Amelie was was titled "les fabuleux destin d'amelie poulain" in France, but in French that roles off the tongue and sounds whimsical while "the fabulous destiny of amelie poulain" just isn't as great. 

My favorite translation was "I, Robot" to "Yo, Robot" in Mexico. I really hope that in Germany it was "Ich, Robot" which is what I imagine I'd say if a robot snuck up on me.

Nicholas Y - The best one is the Brazilian title, "Se Beber, Não Case", which apparently translates roughly to "If You Drink, Don't Get Married". That's my kind of movie.

Me - But they translate from english to english! Translating "the hangover" to "a very bad trip" in France is like translating "les fabuleux destin d'amelie poulain" to "la belle vie" or "sacre bleu!" in English. I always wondered who decided these translations!

Me - a french person told me that most french people don't know the english word "hangover"... and if the movie was entitled "la gueule de bois", then they would think its about a bunch of podunk french guys from a small village getting wasted, whereas "a very bad trip" indicates that it is about obnoxious americans getting drunk with hilarious consequences

Sharon S - Haha, perfect! And an american would think "les fabuleux destin d'amelie poulain" would be a boring foreign film while "sacre bleu!" sounds....whimsical?  

Katie P - Haha, Sex Friends.