over the pond

BSOD

2010-06-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

"AGAGAGAGAGAGAH."
Agagagagagagagagah.

Playing: Neverwinter Nights
Watching: Horribly stupid YouTube videos
Listening to: ♫ Lacuna Coil - Swamped ♫

This week I cannot resist showing you a video that a friend of mine found on Clubic.com, a French multimedia news site.

My favorite parts:

The server crashing
The blue screen of death
The Twitter followers
The Face Book

Also, new chapter to my little story, which I renamed City of Lights. See On Flight Entertainment.

Nothing to say on USA/France today... safe that I'm without news from my big brother since last month and well, I hope he hasn't deployed without telling us.

My thoughts go to the victims of the BP catastrophe. And good luck cleaning that, guys. Because I doubt the billion used to prepare the G8 summit is going to change much!

Charline, from space.

crybaby

2010-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

"Qui craint le danger ne doit pas aller en mer."
He who fears danger shouldn't go to sea.

Playing: Patapon 2
Watching: South Park
Listening to: ♫ The Offspring - The Worst Hangover Ever ♫

That's what I am, a crybaby.

And today, I shall prove it by showing you a list of the fifteen songs that move me the most, be it in a happy, sad, or simply... magical way. A couple of these have made me cry. Guess which!

1. Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie
This one is, very simply, the one song that I could listen to for hours without getting bored, and still, after years, I get the chills when it gets to the chorus.

2. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
'Nuff said.

3. The Green Fields of France - Dropkick Murphys
Yes, I'm aware it's not originally by them - I don't care. This song has two powers. One, the power to make me sleep. Two, the power to make me weep. Slweep.

4. Europa - Globus
That... well. Chills. All the time. It should be our European anthem, not that freaking stupid Ode to Joy. (See Poll of the Week.)

5. Isengard Unleashed - Howard Shore
I don't care if it's not a song. And hell, it is. It's still... it's still one of the most beautiful tracks I know.

6. One - Metallica
Just... mythical?

7. If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback
Given by my uncle. The first line is true. "My best friend gave me the best advice..." I'll try to live up to it. It comforts me during the rough times.

8. Mad World - Gary Jules
Another that is... itself. Will forever be associated to Donnie Darko for me, which is still one of the best movies ever made in my opinion.

9. Heiemo Og Nykkjen - Helene Bøksle
That voice... no, if there is ONE song in that list you have to listen, it is this one. She is wonderful.

10.The Scientist - Coldplay
Because... the video made me cry. Because I can sing that song loudly without fear of being heard.

11. Heaven Runs On Oil - Nightmare of You
Old one... and yet, still one of my tear inducers.

12. Now We Are Free - Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer
Another movie track...and who can listen to it and not shiver?

13. I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
I've seen this one live. I've sung it with the crowd, and the singer of Death Cab for Cutie. It was magical, and it still is.

14. The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
This song has the power to comfort me on dark days, when I'm walking alone.

15. Lambé an Dro - Matmatah
And this one is my regenerative potion.

There we go... that's one thing done.

amendment

2010-06-13T01:59:00.000-07:00

Before I make today's post, I'd like to make an amendment to the previous one. Among the five NATO troops killed that day, four were American, the fifth was French, of the Foreign Legion's 2nd regiment of Paratroopers of Calvi (2ème REP). And let's not forget the ten others international troops killed the day after. RIP.

r.i.p.

2010-06-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

"Un malheur ne vient jamais seul."
Misfortune never comes alone.

Playing: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Neverwinter Nights, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Watching: Zombieland
Listening to: ♫ Metallica - Of Wolf And Man ♫

Today isn't exactly a happy day. I had planned for a "Happy June 6!" to all the Americans out there, and in remembrance of those that died to save us in 1944. So, in honor of the 66th anniversary of the Landing, I'll just say thanks. Some of us haven't forgotten.

However, today isn't exactly a happy day, as I said. Five NATO troops were killed today in Afghanistan - Americans I believe, correct me if I am wrong. My thoughts go to the families.

As a French girl, I used to be pretty much anti-American and anti-Iraq/Afghanistan war a few years ago. But to be fully honest, I've changed a lot since. There was a time I thought peace could fix everything. That time is over. As sad as it is, now I believe in the Marines, the U.S. Army, the Chasseurs Alpins and the Légionnaires and all the NATO guys out there whoever are, whatever corps they're in, whatever country they're from, and superior technology. Blame the Americans I've met, blame the way I was raised and by whom.

I've started working at Thales. For those who don'tk now about it, it is this company.
This is my summer internship, and so far I am very much enjoying my job. I might end up hired there. And to the question, "Won't you feel bad if you have to work on a missile someday?" I'll answer no. Cause I'm fucking tired of this. It needs to end. Now.

On a happier note.

No new part of my little story yet, however, I do have some drawings to show. More Liliane... and a Megan, today.

Check out the poll of the week.

And once again, to those who gave their lives today for a cause that wasn't theirs.

It wasn't fair, it's not fair for those you're leaving behind either.

Doesn't help me feel good about my big bro, if you're passing around here some time, well, just know that we're all freaking worried.

And to the others,

R.I.P.

flooded

2010-05-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

"Bon sang ne saurait mentir."
Good blood doesn't know how to lie.

Playing: Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Watching: Code Geass
Listening to: ♫ Katie Melua - The Flood ♫

Another long leave I'd better apologize for before people start taking out the stones and throw them at me.

A lot of things happened, I got very busy, yadda yadda.

There, done.

So, I'm very much into Vampire these days - World of Darkness vampires, not any of the Twilight/True Blood/Whatever sparkly asses turns you little emo kids on crap - and I have been writing a sort of fanfiction based on the PNP campaign I played last year (Vampire: The Requiem).
If you are interested, you can read it by clicking the little GoogleDocs link I just put up. I will try and update it weekly with a new chapter!
I've also added a link to my latest drawing.
You can access both by clicking the thumbnails in "On Flight Entertainment" :).

On the American/French comparison of the day, well, I have noticed a very interesting thing lately. Whenever I was in the USA, I noticed most houses have open yards, with little or no fences. In France, our houses tend to have high fences or railings, if not walls, around them. Is that due to some kind of a medieval fear of invasion? Do the Americans have a stronger sense of community and belonging?

In short, do you Americans just like having your neighborhood's brats running around your yard and the neighbour's dog pooping on your lawn?

See the poll of the day!

shivers

2010-01-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

This is completely random, but I really wanted to make a list of the songs that move me the most, here.

You know, those songs that give you shivers, and you can't explain why, but it feels so good to listen to them? Or maybe they just comfort you at night. Or make you cry... So, I made a list of the twenty songs that push my emotions buttons the most.

They are sorted in different categories: Tears, Total Overwhelming Epicness, Intense Joy And OMG Humanity Is Beautiful, and Need To Run Like Really Fast Right Now, also, Cuteness.

20. Baltique by Renaud

19. Hammerhead by The Offspring

18. Mad World by Gary Jules (Donnie Darko soundtrack)

17. The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

16.

15.

14.

13.

12.

11.

10.

9.

8.

7.

6. Now We Are Free by

5. Ghost Love Score by Nightwish

4. Isengard Unleashed by Howard Shore (The Two Towers soundtrack)

3. Europa by Globus

2. The Green Fields of France by The Dropkick Murphys

1. Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie

transatlanticism

2010-01-14T02:02:00.000-08:00

"Ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut."
What a woman wants, God wants.

First of all, Happy New Year. Only two years til the end of the world!
Second, the results of the last post's poll were quite interesting. If you haven't voted or commented yet, I'd love to see what you think of it. Apparently we live in a world of violent people.

If anyone is reading this, I'd like to apologize for my long leave. I do have a few excuses, though. In early and middle December, school work caught up with me and I spent several days buried in code.

After that, well, holidays happened - and besides family time, somebody else was there, somebody that I don't get to see often.

That person is a good 90% of the reason I made this blog: as you have probably guessed, it was my boyfriend from Amerikuh. Blogging, at that point, was the least of my priorities. However, he's gone now, and all I can say is that over the years, no matter how hard the separation always is for us both as we return to our homelands, we seem to be doing better. Of course, it's always hard to explain exactly what it feels when we part at the airport - it's always that feeling of surrealism, as if we were just saying goodbye for a day knowing we would talk to each other in the evening. And we do, only deprived of a few senses.

So we look at each other, we hug, I cry, then one of us walks away towards the security gate and doesn't turn back. I wonder if all other people who live this kind of situations have the same scenes, every time, all the time. Of course, each time it's his turn to leave, I watch him go and disappear through that escalator in Roissy-Charles de Gaulle's airport, until I can't see him anymore, and turn away. But not this time. A two hours wait in the airport for my train awaited me, so I sat there and watched other people say goodbye to each other, ensconced in a seat with my laptop and headphones. And strangely, I didn't feel bad at that point. Because, perhaps, we should be happy of what we have. It's not like he's going to war either or something similar.

But then you get home and you realize he's really gone - that the messy appartment, the bed, the desk, is exactly as you left it before, except he is not around anymore. And for a moment, real life all feels like a dream, as if you have always been with him and this life is the fake one. And then suddenly you have to go to sleep alone, and after a few minutes, the dream ends and you realize it's time to get back to what your life was like before the visit.

Maybe you think I'm dramatizing. But this time, it was rather calm. Quiet. I suppose after a certain time, you end up accepting things as they are. Cause it's what it's about anyway. Life goes on.

But, that fucking pond.

call of conscience

2009-12-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

"Si tu veux la paix, prépare la guerre."
If you want peace, prepare for war.

So here it is, I have recently got the latest Call of Duty game in my hands, Modern Warfare 2. I must precise, I am not usually a violent person, but somehow, sometimes, it feels good to click like crazy to kill evil terrorists and invaders. No, I'm not crazy. I'm a girl, I'm soft and hypersensitive, but I also happen to be a geekette, a tomboy, and I have a lot of anxiety to let out. And so FPS games are good. No, they won't make me suddenly go mad and shoot people (I am a firm believer that violent video games do not make a kid violent, they merely make things worse for kids that already have mental issues). However, two things have bugged me with this game.

Firstly, I was quite interested to see a war game in which you eventually fight on American soil. That is, to me, a big difference with other war games I play, where you generally end up fighting in Europe in replays of World War II. Fighting in invaded America, even if it is very well done artistically wise, is extremely strange. It feels like playing through a sci-fi movie such as Godzilla or War of the Worlds, except with Verdun-style trenches. Very odd... I have come to realize that this must be extremely disturbing for American players, let alone the US soldiers who play it. But for us Euros? It just feels unreal. That said, it made me miss the architecture of the USA and wish I was back there. But Washington is prettier when not on fire.

Secondly, something has really, really struck me in the early stages of the game. One of the first missions lets you play an undercover CIA agent infiltrating a group of Russian terrorists, in order to save millions of lives. You have to follow them and do everything they say, of course. Except that includes breaking into an airport full of people, and shooting into the innocent masses of people to kill them all. Now, the reason for following the terrorists is clear and makes sense. But would you do it?
Personally, I could not even play through it. I walked and followed the guys, but didn't shoot once on the civilians. Turns out it has no impact on the rest of the game.

Then, about as disgusted as one can be, I talked to two US soldiers who played the game and whose names shall remain unknown about it. Both basically said they did it for the fun, because it's a game. Where does the fun begin and where does it stop? What is fun in pretending to kill dozens of unarmed innocents? Not quite the same as shooting evil terrorists, in my opinion. One of the reasons given to me was "You get an order, you execute it." Well, I suppose I'd be a good Frenchie on that one, and rebel against orders. The other reason was that it's just a game. It's possible that my conscience is too strong then. Or that I'm too soft of a girl. But hell, I wouldn't do it.

Judge for yourself with the video I put in this post. I'd love to hear what more Americans think about this, particularly the military. See if this is a general trend, and just hear opinions on it.
Addition: I just put up a little poll for this.

Would you/did you do it (in game, of course)?

revenge of the turkeys

2009-11-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

"Meûx vaut tard que jha !"
(Charentais proverb. In French "Mieux vaut tard que jamais!", in English "Better late than never.")

Alright, alright, so somebody has to explain to me what Thanksgiving is about.
It's been four years since I met William, the American responsible for my Americanization (and evidentially, my boyfriend) or almost. And so, every year, although we mostly discuss over MSN and the phone during that period, I get to hear about the local festivities for Thanksgiving.
Generally, it's just me being overly happy because he has the day off. And other friends, as well. Quickly followed by sadness as I realize he'll still be away because he has to see family.

So here I am wondering what this holiday is about. I've heard rumors, I know it has something to do with Native Americans, and eating turkey, but I never really looked into it. Of course, there's Wikipedia (Wikipedia will either save or condemn the world). But I feel too lazy at times to look into Wikipedia.

And so every year I wish a happy Thanksgiving to Americans, and I have noticed it generally has something to do with eating a lot of food and getting drunk, as well as meeting your family. That is generally what we do for Christmas over here. Enlighten me. What is Thanksgiving to you? What does it exactly have to do with meeting your family and getting drunk? I thought you guys celebrated St. Patrick's for that.

And then, there's the Turkey Pardoning. I say those poor turkeys should get more than just one lucky survivor. Every year, they must gather and wish each other a happy death, while they suspiciously look around trying to find out who will be the bastard to escape the knife this year. Those poor turkeys.

Anyway, happy (slightly late) Thanksgiving Americans, and hopefully, you didn't burst your stomachs out or pass out from alcohol abuse. You know who you are.

That said, that picture looks very yummy. I vote for a Thanksgiving celebration in France, or a return of Mardi Gras, old school style.

turkeys and booze

2009-11-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

terminal one

2009-11-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

"C'est le premier pas qui compte."
It's the first step that counts.

I've been told once you want to start a blog, the hardest part is to find a suiting design for it. Well, that was wrong. The layout isn't an easy task, but it's fun, and although it takes a while, you always get excited about it.
But then comes the time to write the first post, and you walk straight into this big invisible wall: the Big Writer's Block. You have tons of ideas, you know what it's going to be about; yet you have absolutely no clue about how to introduce yourself to the crazy world of bloggers.
It's not an easy task. You're going to talk about yourself... yay. What else? There's only so much we can say about ourselves. So here it is. Perhaps I should start by answering the basic questions.

Who the heck are you?
I suppose I should present myself first. My name is Charline. I am a computer science engineering student, who is French, lives in France, and speaks a weird dialect of English with a mix of a repressed French accent and a strong American influence.

What is this blog going to be about?
This is mostly going to talk about my life. I don't think it is a very common life, but nobody's is. But to add a little flavor to this, perhaps I should add that this will mostly speak of my travels to the United States of America, and my relationship with said country in general.

So you mean this is just another travel blog?
Yes and no. I intend to speak of myself, of my travels, yes, but also of the cultural differences and similarities I have discovered between my people and the American culture I have slowly fallen in love with. Yes, I love the United States, and yes I love France. And if it's possible to be both at the same time, then this is what I am aiming for.

Can we expect something else?
I also intend to publish some of my drawings here. Perhaps pictures, and most certainly music talk. In fact, I don't guarantee that all you will find here will make sense. But I do hope you will take a little time to read (at least the interesting posts!).

Do you want a Green Card?
Yes.

Do you wear USA Flag themed panties?
No. But I wish.

I think that's all.
Good... and perhaps a first post for Thanksgiving should be expected.

In the meantime... please feel free to comment about the layout of this blog, or what you would like to hear on the radio.