Oh La Lauren

Zoning

Late for Atelier, as usual . Reading in Starbucks . Meeting more Americans in Urban Soc

Alright, so today I cracked. I had a couple of hours to kill so I went to the Starbucks near Paris VII, bit my lip at the prices, and sat down to do some reading about how residential segregation is reflected in french middle schools (through évitement).

And then, after a brief trip to the really nice Paris VII library, off to Urban Soc…

Prof Andrieu starts talking about the division of urban space, and he mentions la division fonctionelle, which means exactly what it looks like it means in English. I am courageous and pipe up, saying that this is essentially “zoning.” That was all I said, zoning. Pronounced ZO-ning. I said it again. Andrieu didn’t understand, and I got nervous and flustered, so I tried to pronounce it the french way—“le zo-NING”—risking looking like an idiot in front of the 12 other Americans in the class. The professor kept saying what? huh? And I said “zoning” again. Finally, the tan boy wearing a Franklin & Marshall t-shirt in front of me said “zoning” with his French accent, and the professor understood.

But I guess that was too modern of a concept to apply to what he was talking about, anyways. So after all that effort, I think it was for nothing? Doesn’t matter. I really appreciate that boy—my knight in Franklin & Marshall—for translating my phrase, though.

In any event, I sat there laughing of embarrassment and general ridiculosity. I couldn’t contain myself. Good thing Lexi was there to bask in the moment with me.

Darn the French and their adaptation of American words.

mu-FAHN

wee-fee

ahnzy were-ho

geh-ted co-moo-no-tees

zoning