French Cuisine - Assignment Example

French Cuisine The French love to eat. I have understood that clearly. Eating seems to be a favorite past time of the French people. They talk about it, they think about it and do it constantly. French food just like everything else in France is approached with passion and genuine delight. No thrown together meals on the go for the French. No American-style time saving standardizations for the French. No way!! Local fresh produce and the flavorful ingredients are the basis of the culinary experience in France. People in France savor the rich delights and are simply happy to eat and indulge. This ability to let their hair down and enjoy is interwoven into their culture and they imbibe from it. Even the simplest food is cooked in the most careful serious manner and so time is never a constraint. The chefs and the cooks know which fruit, vegetable or wine tastes best from their point of produce and no effort is spared to make it great tasting. It's an art form I guess! A true labor of love! Not able to afford high-end restaurants, try the smaller players. They approach food with the same diligence as the others. The cuisine in France is a reflection of its culture, perfection attained through unhurried attention. Food without wine, not in France! France pours wine into the food as well as uses wine to accompany the food. The French are supposed to have less inhibitions and that is shown in their food choices as well. So if you are ready to experience a new laid back world of culinary delights, then get going. France waits!! Diner's Digest Guest book French Cuisine Cuisenet.com [On-line] http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossary/france.html 25 Oct 2005 French Cinema . French films have a long history of being popular for their high quality, intellectual content, and artistic flair. The films are noted for their poignant dramas and clever comedies, for their great taste in cinematography and editing and overall have less violence and cynicism from their American counterparts. France is supposed to churn out the most number of films after the USA and India. Unfortunately, France has over protected and over subsidized its films in the name of preserving culture and this has kind of backfired for the French film industry. Due to their restrictions many a film has lost its ability to be visible to worldwide audiences. Many French films are sold to American producers and turned into American films. "Three men and a Baby" is the American version of a French film " Trois hommes et un couffin " but the American version is more action packed, more cynical rather than the French version which is more light and down to earth. " March of the Penguin ", by Luc Jacquet on the life of the giant Antarctic penguin was a huge success in the USA in 2005 and a box office topper as well. But the original version" La marche de l'empereur" was a more a parable on the human conditions and rich in cultural French allusions, but the doctored version was more a factual documentary. The French movies are simple but are passionate and intense. Of course, the when in France make sure the usher gets a big tip at the theatre, its his only source of income! French movies Understandfrance.com [On-line] http://www.understandfrance.org/France/FrenchMovies.html#ancre84091 25 Oct 2005 Shopping in France If shopping is your domain, then France, and of course, Paris beckons you! Paris is the fashion capital of the world and is a prime destination for buyers from all over the world. Apart from designer clothes for which it is famous, special purchases will include, lace, crystal glass, cheeses, coffee and, of course, wines, spirits and liqueurs. Arques, the home of Crystal D'Arques, is famous for its crystals and Lille, the main town of French Flanders, is known for particularly fine lace. Hypermarkets, enormous supermarkets that sell everything from foodstuffs and clothes to hi-fi equipment and furniture, are widespread in France. They tend to be situated just outside of town and all have parking facilities. For the French, going to the market is a pleasure. Nothing surprising in that, as there is always a happy mix of colors and smells. The people of France true to their nature embrace shopping with zeal too! Paris has many and various types of markets: the flower market on the Ile de la Cit; bird markets, organic markets, and food markets in every quarter. A good workout just walking around in a typical Parisian atmosphere! If your purse strings are tight, window-shopping is by itself an experience. Just strolling along, embracing the atmosphere and gaiety is rewarding. Another awesome opportunity to shop for bargains is the well-known flea markets. Paris is known for them. But be an early bird if you want to make the most of it. Flea markets got their name because they were supposed to sell cast off royalty clothes infested with fleas!! Thankfully, though the name has stuck, the goods are awesome now! Jeanne Oliver Shopping in Paris Discover France [On-line] http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Paris_shopping.shtml 25 Oct 2005 People and Society in France The French have a long-standing track record of rudeness. Anybody who is about to travel to France is often warned about waiters turning up their noses at them, people refusing to give directions and so on. The general word is that the French hate Americans. But there have been many a pleasantly surprised tourist who has returned with tales of helpful French. French is of course, the official language, and English is not a very commonly spoken language outside of the major cities. The French appreciate any attempt at learning their language and often help people just to acknowledge their effort. Greeting strangers with, "Bonjour," before launching into other requests makes a good impression. In France, it is considered rude to just walk up and start talking like we do in America. So it pays to start with "Bonjour." Also true to their environment, the French are very quiet, laid-back people. Loud voices tend to put them off. French men are very passionate and seem to exhibit more than a passing interest in women. The French as a society like formality in many aspects of everyday life as obligatory handshaking or cheek kissing, the use of titles when referring to a superior or a stranger. They dress with attention to details and are constantly concerned about their clothes and looking good. French work and social life is based on a web of personal relationships. Assuming that life in France is similar to another English speaking nation, like the USA, seems to be a colossal mistake, since it is more like USA and Japan, as France seems to be deceptively different and we may be caught off-guard! The people of France Discover France [On-line] http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/DF_people.shtml 25 Oct 2005 The Art Scene in France The French are very artistic by nature and never tire of the museums and theatres and local crafts. This is emphasized by the dizzying array of museums, galleries and salons devoted to art, art and more art forms. There are 34 national museums in France, of which 19 are located outside Paris, and nearly 900 museums under public supervision. It is no surprise that the French, drenched in cultural arts, swarm to these venues over the weekends in huge crowds. The art-appreciative French ooze admiration for the masterpieces that have a place in the world heritage as well as major recent exhibits dedicated to Matisse, Poussin, Czanne and de La Tour. Paris, a major originator of art movements, has drawn visitors and artists from all over the world for a long time now, to hone their skills and be inspired by the creative atmosphere in the country. Just like the vibrancy of the French culture that simply energizes the environment, art is a medium of expression for the French and an immense source of pride. Added to this performing arts flourish as do sculpture and enamel works and other crafts. Add impressive monuments to the mix and the art scene is spoiled for choice. From the realism in the still life paintings of Catherine Alerini and Marc Thouy, to the vibrant colors in Cloude Sauzet's cityscapes and the surrealistic works of Boulloche, France has an abundant and impressive art scene. One cannot but admire, the pride of the people of France in their heritage and appreciative nature for art and beauty and feel a tinge of envy at their artistic wealth born of a colorful history. Arts France in the United Kingdom [On-line] http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/article.php3idarticle=379 25 Oct 2005 Points of Interest France is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty. From mountains to beaches, it offers an enchanting sight for the varied interests of the people. France has 1,500 miles of beaches lining three major bodies of water: the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. The French Rivera has been a popular backdrop for many films and television series! The Eiffel Tower is one of France's national landmarks. At 1,050 feet tall, it is one of the world's most recognizable structures that have become synonymous with Paris. Paris is one of the world's most beautiful cities and is called the City of Lights (la Ville Lumire). The Cathedral of Notre Dame was built in 1163. It is the largest church in Northern France. I am sure we all remember it by reading about it in the book, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo if I remember was later made into a movie too! The Louvre is one of the world's best known, and finest art galleries. It contains many of the world's most famous art, including the Mona Lisa. The Arc de Triomphe is a Paris landmark. It is the entranceway to the Champs Elysees. The Avignon is a host to France's favorite summer theater festival and boasts a rich history, and a varied architecture. The Invalidaes is France's monument to its war heroes and victims; Hotel des Invalides is one of the most striking monuments of the French capital. It also houses Napoleon's tomb. France Geography Kidport reference library [On-line] http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/WorldGeography/France/France.htm 27 Oct 2005 The Definitive Guide France.com [On-line] http://www.france.com/ 27 Oct 2005 Reading: Week 7 Balzac's Paris is then, one of economic difference and social and moral distinction. In his opinion, Paris was a fast paced landscape dominated by the circulation of money, goods and bodies regardless of class. It is thus unified at the level of exchange and exploitation. Touraine thinks that it is a fragmented world with instrumentality reigning in the objective world of technology and the market, and closed cultural identities dominating the world of subjectivity. The world, he maintains, must be recomposed and that recomposition must take place at the level of the social actor. The worry that America constitutes a challenge to France is a rather recent phenomenon. After the Second World War, the French could no longer ignore America because the United States began to exercise a certain amount of influence over France. Modernization that has swept across postwar France threatens to test the national identity. The more amazing aspect of modernization in France was the swiftness with which it happened. The French society was transformed after the war from a rural, empire-oriented, Catholic country into a fully industrialized, decolonized and urban one meant that the things modernization needed - educated middle managers, for instance, or affordable automobiles and other mature' consumer durables, or a set of social sciences that followed scientific, functionalist models, or a work force of ex-colonial laborers - burst onto a society that still cherished prewar outlooks with all the force, excitement, disruption, and horror of the genuinely new. (Ross: 1996 p.4). The society also seemed to withdraw internally and modernization brought with it"evenness" and built a class-conscious society. Reading: Week 8 The second reading deals mainly with the revolt of 1968. France had a lot going for it at that point due to its economic and social advances. It had reaffirmed its position in the world and was on the path to an era of strong stable political government. Yet, in spite of all this France went through a major social and political upheaval threatening the very existence of the fifth republic. It is pretty difficult to pinpoint the source of all the unrest but it showed the world that a capitalist society could be questioned by its people and brought to the edge of revolt with 12 million workers on strike, 122 factories occupied, and students fighting against the lacking system in which they found themselves and this fuelled the low paid workers to join the strike gaining momentum. Still, the 1968 revolt did not dramatically make much of a difference. Why There was no co-ordination of ideas or tactics when events reached a crucial stage. Everyone was manipulated to the best interests of the political parties and this restricted the focus on pertinent issues. Many people had fine aspirations but not much idea of how to achieve those aims. A lot of strategies had loopholes with no proper guidance or direction. It had idealistic targets that the existing system could not support. However it proved that when push comes to shove, the working class has the potential power in the hands to question the entire system and if there is sufficient organization they will be achieve a lot of goals. Reading: Week 9 France has always fascinated outside observers. More so now that the country is undergoing a period of rapid changes. France is faced with a dramatically different international and European environment and hence the need to rethink some of its political policies has become vital. With the European Union, there is pressure to conform and France is trying to respond along the lines of the other European nations at the same time trying to maintain its uniqueness. The current French constitution was instituted in 1958 at the height of the Algerian War, when France was on the verge of civil war. Charles De Gaulle was vested with semi-dictatorial powers. This system flourished because of a well balanced job responsibilities, sufficient influence and myriad sources of funding. The nature of policy-making at the European level has been controversial and the direction of the process has been closely watched. Policy-making areas in France have been greatly impacted due to the changes in European culture. Between common European policies and policy-making structures, and the need to now become part of the policies has induced a gradual transformation in the French policy-making. France moved from resistance to closer union under de Gaulle to a prime mover of a more integrated system under Mitterrand. Today's profound crisis of this political system is attributable to a number of changes. The mass influence of the Socialists, Communists and trade unions has dwindled the interdependence. Rampant corruption of the past era has become a disadvantage in the global economy. The left and right wing are completely divided on fundamental issues of political orientation, particularly with regard to the issue of European unity. This ongoing tension causing the fragmentation of the political landscape is another major area of concern. Reading: week 10 In his latest presidential campaign, Jean-Marie Le Pen promised to fight rising crime and unemployment and the immigration he blames for both. "Zero immigration" may sound too good to be true because, it is too good to be true! Over the last two hundred years, France has received more immigrants than any other European country. By 1930 in fact, France had a higher percentage of foreigners in its population than the United States. But France has never acknowledged the presence of immigrants in their history or economic growth, unlike the USA that almost has the same number of immigrants. While the immigrants move due to the allure of jobs and better living conditions, the host country needs them too. Since the mid-19th century, French immigration policy has had two aims: to meet the needs of the labor market by introducing migrant workers, and to compensate French demographic deficits by favoring the permanent installation of foreign families, while ensuring their integration into the national body. The locals though find it convenient to blame the immigrants for anything that goes wrong. Although immigrants may always face at least some hostility from the locals wherever they go, tensions are growing in France. The 2002 presidential election was a shocking reminder that the anti-immigration sentiment is widespread, and subtle discrimination is present though intangible. In just a few decades, the issue of immigration has attained massive proportions in economic, social, political, cultural and religious facets. France is trying to manage diversity within a democracy but this will require fair, feasible, and transparent policies that result from broad consultation with affected communities. France is only at the beginning of that iterative process. Many more changes and adjustments will be needed until a good balance is achieved. Reading: week 11 The globalization of English is a remarkable development at many levels, and is here to stay and keep growing at a blistering pace thanks to the Internet. What is amazing is that, is the speed and fluency with which it has been widely accepted globally also in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It is by now universal wisdom that basic literacy in the global age consists of being able to use a computer and speak English. Universal, except for France! France has one official language, the French language. The French government though does not regulate the choice of language in publications by individuals or private organizations. The French language is a State responsibility and the government goes all out to promote the use of French in the territory of the Republic, in the European Union and globally through institutions like La Francophone. Anglicization is seen much more negatively also due to the long-standing animosity between the USA and France. It is seen as evidence of American cultural domination. France goes to great lengths to reverse the trends, by creating neologisms or new French words to describe technological inventions and encourages the use of those words in place of imported English terms. The perceived threat from Anglicization has fuelled efforts to safeguard to zealously "protect" the French language in France. While France struggles to protect its own French against the onslaught of the predominance of English in the international arena, inside its own borders, France has been struggling for two hundred years against cultural and linguistic diversity, denying the very existence of minorities. Talk about contradictions! Reading: week 12 What started in deprived New York neighborhoods in the late 1970s is today a worldwide youth culture. Hip-hop is a cultural movement, of which music is a part. The music is itself composed of two parts, rapping, the delivery of highly lyrical vocals, and Djing that accompanied it. Rap was suddenly globally accepted led to it being productively used in new social and linguistic environments. As a result, "local" rap with native lyrics can be found in many parts of the world today, including most, if not all, European countries. While party or fun lyrics dominated early rap, the mid- to late 1980s witnessed the rise of "message rap," which focuses on social problems and protests against social injustice; and the late 1980s to early 1990s saw the advance of "gangsta rap," which portrays ghetto life and criminal action. Hip-hop in France was a direct influence of Americanization. Hip-hop culture and rap music were transmitted to France and gained a great number of followers. They were then actively performed and adjusted to local conditions, and eventually become integrated into native cultural scene. On a content level, rap in France followed traditions established by U.S. rap, but was not identical to it, because of the fact that rap needs to be customized to the local scene. Some African-Americans used this as an agent to express their grievances. Finally, the popularity of rap in France established a new form of lyrical tradition, which is related neither to other pop genres nor to traditional poetry. Another important factor of Hip-Hop music is the fashion that originated along with the music. The fashion was a representation of the music. Sources for Readings Reading week 7 Ross, Kristin Fast cars Clean Bodies Black well's online [Online] http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/bobuk/scripts/home.jspaction=search&source=3266474136&type=isbn&term=0262181614#readmore 25 October 2005 Reading week 8 People's History France '68 Uprising Libcom.org [Online] http://libcom.org/history/articles/france-1968/index.php 25 October 2005 Reading week 9 Political Beliefs and Values Francehome.htm [Online] http://phs.prs.k12.nj.us/ewood/Eurodemo/France/beliefs.htm 25 October 2005 Reading week 10 Migration News France, Benelux and Northern Europe [Online] http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/more.phpid=3141_0_4_0 25 October 2005 Reading week 11 Scotland Community forums Scotland.com [Online] http://www.scotland.com/forums/showthread.phpthreadid=10484 25 October 2005 Reading week 12 French Hip Hop Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_hip_hop 25 October 2005 Read More