Monday, April 28, 2008

How do you say "The bus driver hit on me today" and other random Welcome Back to France Stories

So I think one of the bus drivers was hitting on me today. There are some bus drivers who seem to know the entire city and are always chatting with someone on the bus. It makes sense, the conglomerate is only 50,000 people. The bus driver I had this afternoon coming back from one of my schools is one of those guys, so when he started chatting with me after the students all got off the bus (yeah, I'm the cool English teacher who rides the bus with her students!) I thought he was just being friendly. I thought maybe something was up when he asked me how old I am and told me how old he is (45, old enough to be my dad) and that he's here all alone too because his family lives in Nantes. Towards the end of the bus ride it started becoming more obvious. Like when asked if I had a boyfriend in France (btw, why is it always "in France?" Like if I have a boyfriend in the States it doesn't count?) and what I do for lunch and dinner. Thankfully that was at the very end of the bus ride and he didn't actually seal the deal and ask me out. If that were to happen I would be really screwed. First of all, I can't lie and say I have a boyfriend anymore because I already told him I don't. So I'd just have to say no, and then it would be awkward and I wouldn't ever be able to ride the bus again. Then I would really be screwed.

Of course after I get back from the US my local Monoprix starts carrying an American foods section! Using the word section is an over statement, because it's only two very small shelves. They have peanut butter, pancake mix, maple syrup, and microwave popcorn. It's right next to the Mexican section, which interestingly enough is actually bigger!

And as a lovely welcome back to France present MGEN decided to send me my carte vitale! Say goodbye to feuilles de soins and shelling out cash at the doctor's office to be reimbursed later. Hello credit card health care!

3 comments:

Monique Geisler said...

haha... you'd only be "screwed" if you wanted to.

REALLY BAD JOKE.

Anyways, did you ever get a chance to make it out to any baseball games while you were home?! :)

BlondeInFrance said...

Boyfriends in other countries totally don't count. My sister is in Japan studying, engaged, ring and everything, and this boy is like "I don't care, I'll still be your boyfriend." But Japan has this long tradition of mistresses . . . oh wait, doesn't France too? :-p Good luck!

And since it's still just the daydreaming stage, I don't think I'm too grown up yet . . . and will probably also freak out when the day actually comes to buy an apartment/house and make roots. I'm like a little girl playing in her Barbie doll house right now, haha.

au soleil levant said...

Oh Monique, you're so funny, do you have a comedy show? And no, I didn't actually see any baseball games when I was home, which I know sounds lame because I was there for three weeks, but whatever. It's not like I missed all that much.

So the boyfriend thing is an international thing? That's so weird. Like life outside your current country of residence just doesn't count? I guess I'm less freaked out of you're just plaing in your Barbie house, but still, that's some major planning girl!