Welcome!

Bonjour et bienvenue! It is hard to believe, but I leave in just a few days for the adventure of a lifetime - a solo trip to Paris! Yes, that’s right. I am terrified of flying, yet am jetting over the Atlantic to a foreign country where the only full sentence I can speak in the native language is one made popular in a 1970s disco song (in case you live under a rock, I am referring to the infamous "voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir" - great if you’re looking for that kind of thing, but not really helpful in my case...) Thank heavens for Xanax!

I am blessed enough to have the opportunity to live with a French family, the Joncarts, for 2 weeks and take classes at EF International Language School and explore all the nooks and crannies of Paris that the average person could care less about. My obsession with the French Revolution will be the driving force behind the places I choose to visit. I have spent the past six months researching and creating a schedule of various places to visit. I know I am an official history nerd because I am quite excited at the prospect of visiting the grave of Marat and the catacombs in which Robespierre’s bones were irreverently tossed. I may actually weep at the sight of Robespierre's final letter in the Musée Carnavalet and the grave site of my home-girl Marie Antoinette. Yes, I am lame.

I hope this blog will serve as a means of communication between my friends and family and myself during the time I am away. Look for future entries, as well as photos of my time in Paris. And please feel free to comment - a word from home would be most welcome!

Au Revoir!

Les Femmes Tondues

"Germany Wins on All Fronts" - the Eiffel Tower (Getty Images) It is no great secret that some French collaborated during the Nazi Occupation of France. Some did it for less than admirable reasons, such as political gain, anti-Semitism, or true fascist ideology. Other people were frightened and saw no end to the Occupation, while some were motivated simply by the desire to survive. Many women who collaborated fall into the latter category. French women and German soldiers enjoying lunch at a café (Unidentified Photo Source) Food, clothes, and fuel (among other items) were scarce during the Occupation. Nearly everything needed to sustain life was rationed, and much of France's food and other necessary commodities were shipped to Germany. One way to ensure warmth and a full belly was by making nice with a German soldier. A French woman chats with a German soldier in front of the Eiffel Tower during the Occupation In a desperate attempt to survive,

A Little Zazou ~ Pour Vous

Sorry Disney fans, but I am not talking about Simba's little feathered hornbill friend in the Lion King (that's spelled Zazu anyway). No, I am talking about the Zazou Jazz Era that began in Interwar Paris and les zazous who, in their own way, defied Vichy and the Nazis when they occupied France during the Second World War. Thanks to my ADD that always manages to kick in when I am supposed to be doing serious research, I stumbled upon the concept of zazou when I was - you guessed it - researching for my Master's thesis on the French Resistance last year. While I was disappointed that I could not use this newfound knowledge in my thesis, all was not lost. This detour introduced me not only to the fascinating history of les zazous , but some really remarkable Manouche Jazz (a.k.a. Gypsy Swing Jazz) that I knew would some day make a great blog. Lucky you, mes chers , that day is today! What the Heck IS Zazou? Zazou describes a style of jazz as well as a

Sylvia Beach - An American In Paris

This past fall I read Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass. Meticulously researched, the book described the collaboration, resistance, and survival stories of several Americans during the Occupation. Of all the fascinating Americans Glass discussed, I felt an instant connection to one, and have been mildly obsessed with her ever since… Sylvia Beach Photo Source: donswaim.com/ripley-lawrence.htm The Woman Nancy Woodridge Beach was born on March 14, 1887 in Baltimore, Maryland. She spent much of her childhood and young adult life living throughout Europe. Her first encounter with Paris came at a young age when her father, a pastor, was appointed assistant minister of the American Church in Paris, as well as director of the American student center. As a young adult she spent time in Spain and even served a stint in Serbia in the Red Cross. Although her birth name was Nancy, she would become known to the world as Sylvia Beach. It was

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Les Femmes Tondues

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Sylvia Beach - An American In Paris