About me, and this site
My name is Anna, and I was born and raised just outside of Springfield, Oregon, USA. I started learning French when I was 11 years old, and fell in love with the language and culture — our teacher had visited France often, and her own passion for the country came through in all her lessons. I continued my studies through university, earning a Bachelors in French language and literature, minoring in music (piano and saxophone performance), and also studying a good deal of anthropology and comparative literature. My senior year was spent as an exchange student in Lyon, France, from 1997-1998.
At the time, I had a boyfriend from Lyon who had been hired by Nokia in Helsinki, Finland. I went along, not only because of him but because my parents had worked with Finns during my childhood, and had visited Finland themselves, so I was curious to learn more about the country and take the chance to live there. While in Finland I was a freelance English, French and cross-cultural instructor, giving courses to CEOs and managers at major Finnish businesses.
Two years later, in 2000, my then-partner and I decided we’d like to move back to France. He was an IT engineer, and I had started doing translations, so we agreed to move to Nice, with its proximity to Sophia Antipolis (France’s Silicon Valley) and Nice’s central location for my own freelance purposes. I’ve been in Nice since, remaining despite a difficult breakup several years ago. I still work as a translator, copyeditor and technical writer, but have been an employee since landing a job with my favorite client in 2006.
My blog actually began some time in 1995, while I was still at university in the US. A friend and I had become captivated by the World Wide Web and its possibilities in 1994, and had created a site for our university’s marching band. A few months later I decided to create an online journal, as well as a personal reference site on France (now defunct). My journal has changed along with me over the years, to what you can read now. Every few years I remove older posts that I no longer feel attached too, which is why you won’t see the entire past in my archive.
On this site I write about what’s important to me currently. At the present, that means photographing Nice and surroundings, gardening, slowly renovating the apartment I purchased in 2008, and occasionally posting about my two furballs. I don’t delve much into my personal life, since privacy is important to me, and for the same reason, I don’t often mention other people either. Writing can be fulfilling and interesting, but the Internet is not the same as a book.
While I enjoy sharing knowledge about France, there are certain things I will not address in detail: how to move here, how to get a visa, how to find a job. Anyone curious about these matters is best served by looking up their nearest French embassy or consulate. Also, while I would love to share the cultural aspects of working in France, I don’t, since I work in a consulting firm with several clients, some of whom read this site! I wouldn’t want any misunderstandings to arise.
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July 29th, 2009 at 20:27
Hey, I liked this post- very informative, interesting, and concise.
July 29th, 2009 at 21:03
Thanks! That was what I was aiming for :)
By the way I just added a link to your site from here — neat to see your sewing projects.
July 29th, 2009 at 22:31
Nice post! Yet I see no mention of Sailor Moon!
July 29th, 2009 at 22:43
Thanks for the link. You’re a star!
July 30th, 2009 at 07:34
Emily I know! :) I cut out a lot of stuff (kimono, Japan, Russian, China…) to try and keep it short.
July 30th, 2009 at 07:44
Nice to e-meet you, Anna! As a non-native English speaker, one of the first things that attracted me to your website is how well-written it is. Exactly how Delaido said about your post: informative, interesting and concise! I’m Mar and I love exclamation points as you can see… :) Thanks for sharing!
July 30th, 2009 at 08:59
Hehe — I like exclamation points too, I have to make a real effort when writing posts here :) Thanks!
July 31st, 2009 at 12:19
I think this post has been directly inspired by the devil.
Looking forward to more teasing on Sunday! ;-)
July 31st, 2009 at 12:20
Err… on Saturday! The heat is melting my brain.
July 31st, 2009 at 14:07
“Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” 1 Timothy 2:11-12
You’re a man so I’m afraid I, er, shouldn’t even be typing this.
(reminds me of Jimmy Carter’s recent statement about leaving the Southern Baptist church due to misogyny, which he did in 2000, but his statement earlier this month is quite eloquent)
August 4th, 2009 at 20:27
The words of God do not justify cruelty to women… First, you have to believe it’s the words of God, that lightning actually struck some stone tablets and perfectly wrote out some commandments, that they were broken, then replaced… I stop here, I’d rather believe in Father Christmas…
Timothy said some sensible things. And so did Paul.
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
I don’t really believe women can learn anything, can they?
(Yes, got to come round at some point! Villa Arson or Romanov exhibition)
August 4th, 2009 at 21:28
Yes, totally (re: Carter’s statement assuming the Bible as a valid reference). It’s a country where 80% believe in the Christian Bible (good grief I can’t believe I was wrong about that statistic, I honestly thought it was less):
http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html
and 25% of Americans (all Americans, not just the ones who identify as Christians) are evangelical Protestants:
http://religions.pewforum.org/affiliations
and 40% of Americans go to church regularly:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/rel_rate.htm
so in that context, he’s very progressive saying it that way…!!! (but yeah, I sure wish it could move past this Christian-God-based premise and get on with the program, that little something called the Declaration of Human Rights would be a nice start…)
March 20th, 2010 at 22:56
Hi, I like your site, but I wonder that how is your emotional life now. You just live with cats, not a man?? Can you write some love stories of you in France? I expect that.
March 21st, 2010 at 12:28
Do please feel free to find another blog to read if mine doesn’t fit what you want. I’m the one who chooses what I write here, and it’s not going to change.