the one in which i may come across sounding like a complaining expat blogger

I am finishing up my last few days of work before flying to the STATES on Friday (me? excited?). I love the school I was placed in this year, I feel so lucky to have colleagues that for the first time treat me as an equal and not as a lowly "assistante"... but today I almost lost it.

I eat lunch in the cafeteria twice a week and it's pretty good fun, the teachers have their own separate table in the back with a family style service (the lunch ladies bring over big platters and we serve ourselves, much nicer than waiting in line with the kids) and pitchers of wine :-) Usually the food is half decent for a school cafeteria, at least 3 appetizers to choose from, a main dish, salad, cheese plate (Camembert of course!) and desserts. I usually roll out of there!

Today I checked the menu and was excited to see smoked salmon and other yummies but when we arrived the appetizers were andouille de vire and carottes rapées. Not being a big fan of andouilles I stuck with the carrots. Then the main dish came out... barely cooked hamburger patties and fries, now that is just sad. When I made a comment on how it isn't very healthy to eat undercooked hamburger meat the teacher sitting across from me jumped on me and started ranting on how I'm in France and of course its totally healthy, we have health inspectors blah blah blah.. Thank god my other colleague came to my defense and said that I've been here long enough and that I'm not an ignorant American who doesn't like unpasturized cheese (god, why pasturize the stuff? takes all the YUM out of it!) and doesn't judge. I explained that an undercooked steak is totally different than hamburger meat and how I just can't bring myself to eat it.

Well despite my colleague's rescue the bloody steack hachee and the other lady's comment totally spoiled my appetite.

Whatever, I'm going to get a real hamburger when I go home! :-) 'Cause that's all Americans eat anyway...