Why hello, Reader.
"well, looks like we've got ourselves a reader"
Today is a very special day.
First and foremost:
Big up to my sister, who is defending her thesis today! Sis, so proud of you. You have achieved so great, and accomplished so much. Words really cannot express the singularity and specialness of your triumph.
And in the proverbial "Old World" my awesome aunt (pronounced aw as in law;)has arrived and is visiting me for a whole week!
Fabulous.
So thank you, reader, for partaking in my joyous news!
Peace
Friday, February 24, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Free at Last
Where to begin?
Often I like to rub it in my American family's face that I get unlimited ADSL, unlimited international calling from the landline to landlines and cells, and tv with digital recording option (think Tivo)all for the low low price of €30 a month.
This magical company is called Free, and the package is called Freebox. (Use of English is very creative for French marketers, in a country where creativity languishes like lily pads in the desert)
I love my freebox because I can call my American family for no fees.
However Free has outdone themselves.
Back in the day France Telecom was a government owned monopoly. They had control over the entire market and in 2000 the government sold FT and it had its IPO.
Since then two other companies were started and the three of them, Bouygues, France Telecom (rebranded Orange after one too many employee suicides, due to on purpose horrible management)and SFR had an amicale arrangement between them to keep the market profitable for them.
So arriving in 2003, I was not prepared to pay €60 for 5H of monthly talk time with a 2 year contract (indeed, who knew how long I'd actually stay here?)
I took my pay as you go (that I never had money to charge) and accepted the consequences on my social life. Imagine, not being able to call people back or write back (or even first). Or insisting that the RDV be at a fixed point and time to avoid having to find a payphone to call them to ask that typical phone question "T'es où?" (Where are you?)
So it was sure that my economy did not facilitate the making of friends here.
Back to Free, bless them. On January 12th, after months of speculation, they finally opened their offers for cell phones.
For €20 I get unlimited data, texts, and calling to all numbers in France, landlines in Europe and cells and landlines in many other countries in the world including US and Canada. No contract, cancel anytime.
It did of course take a week for my sim card to arrive in the mail.
And of course iphone did not like having the sim card changed, and caused problems.
And of course Jerome manipulated it in a way that made all my non-apple apps cease working, eventually leading to a complete restore and the loss of my entire music library.
I find it difficult to get into the phoning mode, having been without for so long.
And now that free has broken the market, the others dare sink lower. They couldn't have had the conscious to offer cheaper products as theirs were the most expensive in Europe almost, and many people could not afford it until they were made to by competition. I think that is shameful, and very typical of France.
I will never ever leave Free. I feel so justified in my sacrifice and saved that they are here.
As they say, you vote with your dollars, and I feel happy because I never gave those other companies, who could have lowered their prices at any time, my hard earned money.
Often I like to rub it in my American family's face that I get unlimited ADSL, unlimited international calling from the landline to landlines and cells, and tv with digital recording option (think Tivo)all for the low low price of €30 a month.
This magical company is called Free, and the package is called Freebox. (Use of English is very creative for French marketers, in a country where creativity languishes like lily pads in the desert)
I love my freebox because I can call my American family for no fees.
However Free has outdone themselves.
Back in the day France Telecom was a government owned monopoly. They had control over the entire market and in 2000 the government sold FT and it had its IPO.
Since then two other companies were started and the three of them, Bouygues, France Telecom (rebranded Orange after one too many employee suicides, due to on purpose horrible management)and SFR had an amicale arrangement between them to keep the market profitable for them.
So arriving in 2003, I was not prepared to pay €60 for 5H of monthly talk time with a 2 year contract (indeed, who knew how long I'd actually stay here?)
I took my pay as you go (that I never had money to charge) and accepted the consequences on my social life. Imagine, not being able to call people back or write back (or even first). Or insisting that the RDV be at a fixed point and time to avoid having to find a payphone to call them to ask that typical phone question "T'es où?" (Where are you?)
So it was sure that my economy did not facilitate the making of friends here.
Back to Free, bless them. On January 12th, after months of speculation, they finally opened their offers for cell phones.
For €20 I get unlimited data, texts, and calling to all numbers in France, landlines in Europe and cells and landlines in many other countries in the world including US and Canada. No contract, cancel anytime.
It did of course take a week for my sim card to arrive in the mail.
And of course iphone did not like having the sim card changed, and caused problems.
And of course Jerome manipulated it in a way that made all my non-apple apps cease working, eventually leading to a complete restore and the loss of my entire music library.
I find it difficult to get into the phoning mode, having been without for so long.
And now that free has broken the market, the others dare sink lower. They couldn't have had the conscious to offer cheaper products as theirs were the most expensive in Europe almost, and many people could not afford it until they were made to by competition. I think that is shameful, and very typical of France.
I will never ever leave Free. I feel so justified in my sacrifice and saved that they are here.
As they say, you vote with your dollars, and I feel happy because I never gave those other companies, who could have lowered their prices at any time, my hard earned money.
Monday, February 6, 2012
My Name is Amadou
I have met my muse. He is a six(?) year old first grader in one of my classes. So he is definitely not my muse in the creepy sense, but rather his story inspires me so much.
I met Amadou in Emmanuelle's class. He sits right up front, to the right of where I stand. He is very enthusiastic, sometimes to the point of losing control and disrupting (like yelling or whatnot or being spastic.) When I need him to stop, I always tell him I am happy he is so enthusiastic about English, but that I need him to control himself so we can keep learning.
Last week I learned that Amadou came from Africa in the middle of last year. In fact, his aunt, who lives in France, came to Africa to get him. Then later his mom joined them in France. They left behind his big sister.
Furthermore his mom is an illegal, and could be deported any day.
Imagine your mom telling you: so this lady is going to come and take you far away. You have never met her, but she is my sister.
So you go with her, far far away. And wait for your mom.
Then can you imagine: living in third world Africa and then going to Europe? It's a big change, electricity, water, lights, cars, different clothes, different language and customs? Not to mention how goshdarn cold it is here this week (below freezing).
I can't imagine what this little boy went through/ goes through.
I also worry about the sister left behind.
I would love to write down his story from his point of view and include his original artwork and convince one of my illustrator friends to do artwork of his mom and him, and then try to publish it.
However I imagine these are painful things to talk about for Amadou, and I imagine even less that his mom would let him for fear of repercussions in the form of the French gov deporting her.
If I could get them to agree and find a publisher, I would take 30% (my cut for the work of publishing/writing/paying my friends' for their artwork). Of the 70% of profits left I would give half to Amadou's mom and put the other half in a trust for Amadou for when he is an adult.
In this Presidential election year, often the debate moves to illegals and their "drain" on the system. What kind of spoiled, ungrateful people are we then? Unaware of how good we have it, and unwilling to share?
Amadou did not ask for any of this. His mom just wants a better life.
So what do you think? Should I pursue writing "My Name is Amadou"?
I met Amadou in Emmanuelle's class. He sits right up front, to the right of where I stand. He is very enthusiastic, sometimes to the point of losing control and disrupting (like yelling or whatnot or being spastic.) When I need him to stop, I always tell him I am happy he is so enthusiastic about English, but that I need him to control himself so we can keep learning.
Last week I learned that Amadou came from Africa in the middle of last year. In fact, his aunt, who lives in France, came to Africa to get him. Then later his mom joined them in France. They left behind his big sister.
Furthermore his mom is an illegal, and could be deported any day.
Imagine your mom telling you: so this lady is going to come and take you far away. You have never met her, but she is my sister.
So you go with her, far far away. And wait for your mom.
Then can you imagine: living in third world Africa and then going to Europe? It's a big change, electricity, water, lights, cars, different clothes, different language and customs? Not to mention how goshdarn cold it is here this week (below freezing).
I can't imagine what this little boy went through/ goes through.
I also worry about the sister left behind.
I would love to write down his story from his point of view and include his original artwork and convince one of my illustrator friends to do artwork of his mom and him, and then try to publish it.
However I imagine these are painful things to talk about for Amadou, and I imagine even less that his mom would let him for fear of repercussions in the form of the French gov deporting her.
If I could get them to agree and find a publisher, I would take 30% (my cut for the work of publishing/writing/paying my friends' for their artwork). Of the 70% of profits left I would give half to Amadou's mom and put the other half in a trust for Amadou for when he is an adult.
In this Presidential election year, often the debate moves to illegals and their "drain" on the system. What kind of spoiled, ungrateful people are we then? Unaware of how good we have it, and unwilling to share?
Amadou did not ask for any of this. His mom just wants a better life.
So what do you think? Should I pursue writing "My Name is Amadou"?
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