Le Gros Gateau Américain

Saturday was my most brother's 14th birthday. For his birthday, he asked my to make him "un gros gateau américain" I wasn't entirely sure what this meant, but I eventually figured out that he meant a layer cake. I was honored at this prospect, but also a little nervous because there seemed to be a lot of expectation riding on the whole thing and because, people seem to expect you'll be good at these sort of things just by virtue of being "American". On top of that, there was the whole problem that the U.S. likes to invent it own esoteric systems of measurement that the rest of the world refuses to follow.
Anyhow, I found a promising-looking recipe for a coconut layer cake that seemed to have ingredients that could be found in France (this is the other thing; there are lots of seemingly normal things--like cream cheese, which you just can't find) and I decided to go for it. I had some issues making conversions and whatnot, but for the most part things went pretty well until I came to the frosting. I have made buttercream frosting and watched my mother make buttercream frosting since I was a child. I know how to make it. And yet, when I tried to do it here it just became a sticky, thick mess. I have no idea what happened (I just looked up a recipe and I did pretty much what was described--maybe French butter is just weird, or it object to being treated in such a degrading manner). I was at a loss until I remember that the English teacher at the middle school had actually given a pot of icing that she had bought in the UK. She saved the day. Thank you Madame Bouttier, else I would have had to give them a cake that without any frosting on the outside. I don't think Théo would have been very happy.
Anyhow, despite that minor hang-up, the cake ended up being quite the success, and although to me it looked good but not great, they were all very impressed with how tall it was and how it had the coconut cream on the inside. I ended up being quite proud of myself.

This is a good thing because last week I did a lesson on Thanksgiving at the middle school and I made them a pumpkin pie and for the most part the students found it way too weird I spent the day listening to comment like "beeerrrk!' (French for yuck!) and "mais c'est quoi ça?"? It's good to know that when I cook something more "normal", it can be appreciated.

I have been letting my hair grow out and yesterday I finally got sick of how shaggy my bangs were getting and I decided that I had to get it cut (just a trim though--I decided that I'm trying to let it grow out). Nonetheless I was still nervous at the prospect of getting my hair cut in France. There are several reasons for this. First and foremost is that there is a whole set of vocabulary that goes along with hair-cutting that I do not know in French like "just a trim", "not too many layers", "bangs", and "dear GOD, STOP!" (just kidding, I know that last one.) I was a little nervous about accurately conveying what exactly I wanted done to my head.

 The second thing that made me nervous was the fact that, no matter what happened, I knew I was going to get a French hair cut. Some of you may not understand what I mean by this. This can be resolved simply by coming to visit me. You will immediately notice upon arrival that most French women have heavily layered hair that in some cases is so layered that they could be considered mullets. There is a girl on my handball team who looks like she got her hair cut by someone who is a little to into The Labyrinth-era David Bowie. I was nervous about the layers, but I knew it was inevitable.

So, fearing the worst, I went to the hair salon. The lady was very nice, but I think she thought I was a little odd because I had trouble talking because I was so nervous and for some reason I have been having a bad-French day. The end result isn't so bad. I didn't lose that much length, my bangs are even. I do have, however, a lot of layers. Sigh... I knew it was inevitable though and perhaps now I will blend in more with the native population and I will finally be able to convince them that I am one of them...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. This makes me a little sad--I miss you guys. Who wants to send me a full Thanksgiving meal in the mail? Who wants to mail themselves with it so I can have someone to eat it with?