Published in About Me Stories·PinnedAbout Me — Rebekah AranaStill figuring out what I want to be when I grow up — A photo of me on vacation in the French Alps last summer (Photo by my daughter Carmen) I’m Rebekah, a Midwestern transplant living in Paris. …About Me3 min readAbout Me3 min read
20 hours agoA Few Thoughts about PrivilegeFinding places to keep warm — Yesterday was cold. Not Northern Minnesota cold or Siberian Steppes cold, but frigid by Parisian standards. Worse, my Wednesday tutoring schedule has a hole in it, a ninety-minute break between students, only half of which is taken up by transit. Even though I had the foresight to wear my hat…Privilege2 min readPrivilege2 min read
2 days agoWhy Not Do Math in Pen?It’s much easier to read than pencil — Have you ever wondered why American kids do math in pencil? Or why elementary school students do nearly everything in pencil? Most Americans probably haven’t thought about it very much. Requiring a pencil seems as natural and inviolable as the law of gravity. Everyone does math in pencil. …French Education System3 min readFrench Education System3 min read
3 days agoSomeone Important Lived in This BuildingHidden ties to French history — Walking around Paris, you’ll spot signs everywhere. Street signs, shop signs, signs for buses, and the metro. The city overflows with signs. Many of them are large, lit up, and brightly colored. They’re hard to miss. Others are smaller and more discreet. They blend into the facade of the building…Paris3 min readParis3 min read
3 days agoWhen a Teacher Is SickFrench secondary schools don’t use subs — What do you remember about when your teacher was absent? Probably you had a substitute. And equally probably, she—in my experience, it was always a woman—was there to ensure that all of you were still alive and in school when the bell rang. Sometimes, your regular teacher left work for…France3 min readFrance3 min read
4 days agoOn Learning to Let GoStruggling to give my adult kids freedom — The last few evenings, my eldest has returned home past midnight, long after I’ve gone to bed. Both times, she’s gone out for drinks with friends. …Parenting2 min readParenting2 min read
5 days agoAdventures at the Apple StoreMy laptop is now a lightweight desktop — A few days ago, I noticed my laptop rocked slightly when I typed. It was odd, disconcerting even, but not that big a deal. To be safe, I looked online for an explanation. Ten minutes later, having discovered that the likely explanation was that my battery was swelling, I made…Laptop2 min readLaptop2 min read
Jan 19The Quest for the Perfect PlannerMaking do with good enough — Do you have a planner system you love? Maybe you’ve found the flexibility of a bullet journal perfectly suits your needs and personality. Perhaps you use one of those planners with a two-page spread every week. …Planner3 min readPlanner3 min read
Jan 17Public Toilets Are a Public GoodMaking public spaces clean, pleasant, and healthy — Many years ago, before we had kids, my husband and I took a trip to Europe. It was a lovely trip, though a bit more rushed than I might have liked. We stopped for two days in Paris, one in Venice and another in Rome. Sometimes we arrived somewhere in…Toilets3 min readToilets3 min read
Jan 16The French are AngryThursday, they’ll take to the streets — A week and a half ago, Macron announced he was raising the retirement age, increasing work years for a full pension, and eliminating specialized retirement regimes. The French are angry, and when the French are angry, they take to the streets. This Thursday, every major union in France will strike. We won’t know the details until Thursday morning. By law, unions must file their strike…France2 min readFrance2 min read
