Almost French

Yesterday I scrutinised the first 60 pages of "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull.

If the prologue of the book were a Hollywood script, it would read something like this:

Follow along as the heroine (Sarah, BTW), a free-willed Australian urbanite, and television reporter, falls head over heels for a gorgeous French lawyer (Frédéric, BTW) from the city of love, Paris. Such is Sarah's attraction towards Frédéric that she accepts the invitation of this beautiful stranger to spend a week in Paris.

Once there she realises that there is more to Paris and Frédéric than meets the eye and eager to expand her horizons she stays in Paris for good.

See what happens as these two try to stitch together a life divided between two totally different yet appealing cultures.

Anyhow, before arriving to Paris, Sarah had been of the firm belief that adapting to French culture would be as easy as drinking water. After all, she had both learnt about the French culture and language at school and had been there several times on holiday. All in all, she had been confident that her preconceived ideas about France were all that there was to know.
Just how wrong she had been, she realised a few weeks after coming. France was not only different from what she thought it would be. It was poles apart from her believes.

For instance, take the contrast between the Australian and French education system into consideration. While in Australia the focus is on developing each child's individuality, in France education is all about instructing and discipline.

To find out more about the Australian and French education system respectively, visit:
http://www.alochona.org/magazine/2002/april/special2.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_France

Far more important for Sarah was,however, the huge dissimilarity between the French and the Australian language, which made talking with Frédéric very often a hilarious adventure, like when she offered him a blow job in front of all of his colleagues.

Another thing that was extremely problematic for her was the French etiquette, which she got to know first-hand at her first dinner party. Being used to the Australian laid-back parties, where you have welcoming people on tap , it came like a bolt out of the blue to learn that French people are not so friendly when they meet a perfect stranger. Throughout the night people talking to her where as rare as water in a desert. Sarah felt completely alien.

To cap it all, she didn't have a job and she was stuck all day in Frédéric's apartment, feeling like in a gilded cage. As doubt started to fester, it hit her home that it might be much more challenging to settle in Paris than she had initially predicted.

My opinion of what I've read so far:

I must say that what I've read so far impressed me. Turnbull's writing style is very readable and you soon get hooked on it. What's more, she gives insights into two cultures, which had both been exotic to me before, namely the French and the Australian culture. All in all, the book augurs well and I can hardly wait to continue reading it.

The vocab quiz:

1. oblivious (adj.)
a)unaware
b)unpleasant
c)unfriendly

2. cocoon (v)
a) save
b)protect
c)help

3. broach (v)
a)damage
b)fulfill
c)begin