Looking in our kitchen window, Smokey says, "Ever seen those signs in French restaurants: "Nous acceptons les Tickets Restaurant?"
"Yes, Smokey dear, I've seen those stickers in the window–but you don't need a ticket to eat at this greasy spoon! Now take a seat and I'll be right out with your Croquettes du Jour!" (Photo taken after Friday's storm, which took down our bougainvillea. But it was a happy accident–it made such a pretty window frame!)
ticket restaurant (tee-kay reh-stor-ahn)
: meal voucher (offered to salaried employees)
Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc read the following Wikipedia definition (the English translation is found in the story column, below): Download Ticket MP3 or Wav file
C'est un support de paiement remis par l'employeur au salarié pour lui permettre d'acquitter tout ou partie du prix de son repas compris dans l'horaire de travail journalier. Il est en général utilisé pour le paiement d'un repas dans un restaurant, ou pour l'achat de nourriture dans un magasin. C'est un avantage social alternatif au restaurant d'entreprise.
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A Day in a FRENCH Life… by Kristin Espinasse
Food stamps are in the news. Whereas they were once given to children and the elderly, today working-age Americans are claiming the "nutritional aid."
Out in my vegetable patch I'm sifting through seeds and the latest infos–finding it hard to believe that, back home, things have come to this. When I left Arizona for France, in '92, people were throwing food in the dumpster. Now, some are dumpster diving!
For those who don't want to glean à la Agnès Varda, victory gardens are back in style–just as they were during WW1. People are changing out their front lawns for rows and rows of lettuce, beans, and tomatoes. Some of these kitchen gardens are as attractive as the former, manicured, jardins that they've replaced–in many cases even prettier….
Personal potagers–and, when not possible, community gardens–are definitely one answer to the food crisis. (And the act of pulling weeds and planting seeds is calming in these uncertain times.) But as I plant rows and rows of fava beans and mangetouts (amazed at how prolific and easy they are to grow) I think about those who do not have the time to enjoy food-giving soil….
When you work from home, it's easy to nip out and dig a 10 minute trench for radish seeds or spend 15 minutes filling a large bucket with dirt and potatoes (use one "mother" or sprouted potato and get a 1.5 pound yield!) not such an easy task when you work 20, sometimes 60 or more minutes from home (unless your boss will overlook a bucket of patates in your south-facing cubicle?).
That's when a light goes off: le ticket resto–France's genial meal-voucher! What better time than now to introduce this European invention, which began in post-war England!
"That's not government aide," Jean-Marc points out. Les tickets restos are an employee perk."
He's right, and Wikipedia goes on to say:
A meal voucher is a payment aide offered by an employer to the salaried worker, permitting him or her not to have to pay all or part of the price of a meal consumed during work hours. It is generally used to pay a restaurant tab or the purchase of food in a store. It's an alternative advantage to a company cafeteria.
Jean-Marc and Wikipedia may be right about that, but if more companies would offer the "perk," maybe more people would meet their daily nutritional requirements as well as get a hot meal–in some cases their only meal of the day.
The French may not have been throwing out food when I arrived in the early 90s (as a starry-eyed girlfriend to a French national), but they sure appeared cushioned from need. It seemed everyone could see the doctor–who still made house calls, for under $20–and most workers received meal tickets–whether they needed them or not. It was another one of those citizen's rights. (According to the popular food blog, Chocolate and Zucchini, French law requires businesses to provide a dining room for their employees. Where this is not possible they must offer tickets restaurants, so that an employee may eat in dignity and comfort (i.e. away from his or her desk).
I remember a colleague's outrage on learning that not all employees received the same advantage. We were sitting in a busy bistro, in Marseilles, the scent of roasted chicken and potatoes wafting through the air, carafes of wine on every table, dessert–meringues, tiramisus, crème caramels on the rolled out tray. "Que desirez-vous?" the waiter had asked.
My colleague ordered the same several-course meal as all the other "employed" patrons were ordering (from Chamber of Commerce teachers, like us, to what looked like a variety of workers)–and she didn't forget chocolate for dessert!
"Un fondant," she said, ordering the chocolate cake with the soft, melted interior.
Gosh that sounded good! But as a temporary worker (without the same meal ticket advantage) I opted for a cup of coffee.
To my surprise my colleague ordered a dessert for each of us and handed the waiter an extra ticket. "I'm a little hungry today," she said, batting her eyelashes.
Her gesture was thoughtful–and we would just see if the extra ticket would work. She wouldn't be the first to attempt to use the meal vouchers in a sneaky way–some even succeed in buying alcohol and cigarettes and other non-restaurant purchases (it is not unheard of for a supermarket to accept tickets restos as payment for milk and butter–and maybe the latest tabloid? and a pack of gum to go with it?! And how about those préservatifs next to the check out register? Little did French Enterprise know her employee perks were also helping to curb unwanted pregnancy!)
Yes, there are abuses of the system. But overall restaurant tickets seem like a great idea in this economy. What, dear reader, do you think about the meal voucher scheme? Can you see your company handing these out (or do you have a lunch room, making it a moot point)? Would it incite you to order the chocolate mousse? Or would it come in handy when you ran out of hairspray or M&Ms (or, and Smokey would like to add, croquettes)? And would your local mini-market tolerate the substitution?
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Two book events–in Paris. Hope to see you at one of them!
- My friend Robin is hosting a book signing for Ann Mah and me! (For those who participated in my bookcover vote, now you know which was chosen!) Robin has thoughtfully extended this invitation to French Word-A-Day readers and she encourages you to bring copies of Ann's and my own books if you already own them. As well, there will be books for sale. Owing to limited space, please contact Robin right away if you can make it to this book event. Her email is rmkatsaros@yahoo.com
- Also, Ann will be giving a book talk with Patricia Wells, on February 5th at the American Library, 7:30pm. The two authors will interview each other. I can't wait!
Note: I've had another big set-back in the production of the "First French Essais" book. The full-color photos I submitted (and carefully sub-titled) were too small for printing purposes! It's back to the drawing board as I toss those and go through 20,000 photos, looking for just the right ones to illustrate each chapter. And it just dawned on me that, because I tend to severely crop my pictures, I may have trouble finding photos of 300 dpi or higher!
Ever feel like giving up when you're this close? How do you find the motivation to pull through to the finish line? Comments welcome! Meantime, I'll have copies of Blossoming in Provence for this upcoming book signing….
First almond blossoms. Pop! pop! pop! and the tree will soon be bursting with pink petals…stealing the spotlight from the bright blue sky. (P.S. in case you were wondering, nope–this photo's too small too! At only 735 x 777 pixels it won't print to 6×9!) Rolling up sleeves….
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K
Did your printer explain that image resolution starts with your camera? You’re likely using a digital slr camera? Be sure to set image quality to the higher level (or even “raw” + high quality jpg) to have print-ready images of 300dpi at 5×7″. Hope you can work it out.
K
Did your printer explain that image resolution starts with your camera? You’re likely using a digital slr camera? Be sure to set image quality to the higher level (or even “raw” + high quality jpg) to have print-ready images of 300dpi at 5×7″. Hope you can work it out.
Morning Kristin!
I wish I could be there for the book signing! I love Ann Mah’s book and can’t wait for your new one! I submitted some photos for a local calendar contest. Mine was chosen for one of the months but unfortunately it was too small and they asked for a larger version. I seem to crop my photos quite a bit too! Have fun at the two book events!
Morning Kristin!
I wish I could be there for the book signing! I love Ann Mah’s book and can’t wait for your new one! I submitted some photos for a local calendar contest. Mine was chosen for one of the months but unfortunately it was too small and they asked for a larger version. I seem to crop my photos quite a bit too! Have fun at the two book events!
Have fun on Feb 6… The ad is beautiful!
Have fun on Feb 6… The ad is beautiful!
To m.boisvert–yes, I do use the optimal image quality function, and sometimes raw, but I did not realizehow all that cropping was whiddling down the print value.
Thanks for your thoughts, and Eileen, congratulations on your photos. I am sorry you had the same problem as me!
To m.boisvert–yes, I do use the optimal image quality function, and sometimes raw, but I did not realizehow all that cropping was whiddling down the print value.
Thanks for your thoughts, and Eileen, congratulations on your photos. I am sorry you had the same problem as me!
I’m a little uncaffinated and therefore a little slooooww. But, I’m assuming the tickets (l’addition) is then billed to the employer?
I’m a little uncaffinated and therefore a little slooooww. But, I’m assuming the tickets (l’addition) is then billed to the employer?
Kristin,
In regard to your photo problem…
I know one has to be careful of copyright infringement…but,have you thought about asking permission to use photos other than your own.
I’m thinking there may be some people who would gladly do this at no charge just to have their photo in your book with
credits to them.
I am an amateur photographer and people ask me quite often if they can use my photos and I am always happy to do
so..with no charge….one friend was going to use my photo as a cover for a book.
Knowing this is not the same as your own lovely photos, but maybe an alternative if you dont find enough of your own photos that are suitable.
Please dont give up…I know you will find a way…you were meant to inspire us all!
Have a great day…and Good Luck!!!
.
Kristin,
In regard to your photo problem…
I know one has to be careful of copyright infringement…but,have you thought about asking permission to use photos other than your own.
I’m thinking there may be some people who would gladly do this at no charge just to have their photo in your book with
credits to them.
I am an amateur photographer and people ask me quite often if they can use my photos and I am always happy to do
so..with no charge….one friend was going to use my photo as a cover for a book.
Knowing this is not the same as your own lovely photos, but maybe an alternative if you dont find enough of your own photos that are suitable.
Please dont give up…I know you will find a way…you were meant to inspire us all!
Have a great day…and Good Luck!!!
.
Oooops…forgot to sign my comment above about asking permission to use other photos.
-Diane Gravitt
Oooops…forgot to sign my comment above about asking permission to use other photos.
-Diane Gravitt
Oooh, it took me so long to type out my response that my session timed-out! Life trying to tell me that I am long-winded maybe? 😉 So, to shorten things a bit. From what I have learned from my honey (professional photographer), with the files that you have saved that are RAW, once you convert them into TIF, you should have a big enough file even with cropping to then save to JPEG 300dpi for it to be printable in a book format. I know that you have a gazillion photos to go through but perhaps you have enough saved in RAW to work with? Does that make sense?
And hooray for Paris! I wrote Ann to say what I wouldn’t give to train up to be there. Alas no can do (moola) this time but I know it will be wonderful!!!
PS. Bisous to Smokey Doke Artichoke…adore that face…
Oooh, it took me so long to type out my response that my session timed-out! Life trying to tell me that I am long-winded maybe? 😉 So, to shorten things a bit. From what I have learned from my honey (professional photographer), with the files that you have saved that are RAW, once you convert them into TIF, you should have a big enough file even with cropping to then save to JPEG 300dpi for it to be printable in a book format. I know that you have a gazillion photos to go through but perhaps you have enough saved in RAW to work with? Does that make sense?
And hooray for Paris! I wrote Ann to say what I wouldn’t give to train up to be there. Alas no can do (moola) this time but I know it will be wonderful!!!
PS. Bisous to Smokey Doke Artichoke…adore that face…
Oh! And just my point of view but I LOVE that you create your photos and written text together. For me, it wouldn’t be the same with someone else’s photography in the mix…
Oh! And just my point of view but I LOVE that you create your photos and written text together. For me, it wouldn’t be the same with someone else’s photography in the mix…
Thank you, Heather. Im afraid Ive not taken enough raw photos (I tried shooting in raw for a while, but it took up so much space on my computer–plus it took doubles each time (strange glitch). Will miss you in Paris!
Diane, thats a thoughtful idea, but I really wanted to use my photos as this book is also a gift to my aunt and uncle, who do not use a computer and who enjoy catching up on my blogs and pictures!
Thank you, Heather. Im afraid Ive not taken enough raw photos (I tried shooting in raw for a while, but it took up so much space on my computer–plus it took doubles each time (strange glitch). Will miss you in Paris!
Diane, thats a thoughtful idea, but I really wanted to use my photos as this book is also a gift to my aunt and uncle, who do not use a computer and who enjoy catching up on my blogs and pictures!
We had Victory Gardens in WWII also. I helped my mom with one. Love your blog. Keep it coming.
We had Victory Gardens in WWII also. I helped my mom with one. Love your blog. Keep it coming.
I take photographs in RAW or if I shoot JPEG it’s at the highest resolution that my cameras will allow. I save the originals completely unmanipulated in a separate folder and do any editing on a copy. If you don’t have a large enough hard drive, you can always keep the unmanipulated images on external hard drives.
JPEG uses lossy compression, meaning it reduces file size by throwing away pixels. It starts out by throwing away information in your camera when you capture the image, whereas RAW gives you all the information. Then every time you open, edit, and resave the image in post-processing, more pixels are discarded to compress the file. So do all editing on JPEGs in one or as few sessions as possible, since the image degrades with every resave.
TIFF uses no compression (or lossless compression if you so select) so TIFF images can be opened, edited, and resaved without image degredation; however, simply saving an over-compressed JPEG as a TIFF won’t help.
Any professional printers I’ve worked with in the USA want to receive image files as TIFFs. If you’ve edited a TIFF image, don’t save it back to a JPEG.
I take photographs in RAW or if I shoot JPEG it’s at the highest resolution that my cameras will allow. I save the originals completely unmanipulated in a separate folder and do any editing on a copy. If you don’t have a large enough hard drive, you can always keep the unmanipulated images on external hard drives.
JPEG uses lossy compression, meaning it reduces file size by throwing away pixels. It starts out by throwing away information in your camera when you capture the image, whereas RAW gives you all the information. Then every time you open, edit, and resave the image in post-processing, more pixels are discarded to compress the file. So do all editing on JPEGs in one or as few sessions as possible, since the image degrades with every resave.
TIFF uses no compression (or lossless compression if you so select) so TIFF images can be opened, edited, and resaved without image degredation; however, simply saving an over-compressed JPEG as a TIFF won’t help.
Any professional printers I’ve worked with in the USA want to receive image files as TIFFs. If you’ve edited a TIFF image, don’t save it back to a JPEG.
Congrats on the book signing in Paris! Wish I could be there! Am compiling a recipe book with my Chef-husband and have had the same exact problem with the pictures- all the wrong sizes! We have to re-make the dishes to take new pics! (should get incredibly fat at the end of this venture) Perhaps you could take a week’s whirlwind tour to retake your pictures? Just a thought!
Congrats on the book signing in Paris! Wish I could be there! Am compiling a recipe book with my Chef-husband and have had the same exact problem with the pictures- all the wrong sizes! We have to re-make the dishes to take new pics! (should get incredibly fat at the end of this venture) Perhaps you could take a week’s whirlwind tour to retake your pictures? Just a thought!
I’m so glad I stopped by today…it’s been a while. While I’m of absolutely zero help with the techie part of your struggle, I will chime in to agree with Heather. Your photos always set such a wonderful scene for your audience as we read your stories. Thank you.
Congrats on the book event in Paris! It sounds like a lovely evening. 🙂
I’m so glad I stopped by today…it’s been a while. While I’m of absolutely zero help with the techie part of your struggle, I will chime in to agree with Heather. Your photos always set such a wonderful scene for your audience as we read your stories. Thank you.
Congrats on the book event in Paris! It sounds like a lovely evening. 🙂
Passante, thank you for the technical info, even if it is hard to wrap my mind around it! I have always been careful to take high-res photos–but had no idea that each time I edit them I am throwing away information. YIKES! Also, I have a habit of taking horizontal photos… but given my book pages are vertical… this means I automatically have to crop them vertical. This is taking away what precious pixels I had left–halving them! I may have to do as Sally suggested: take new photos. But I have currently lost all motivation to do so!
Another option is to forget about full-bleed photos and settle for polaroid type frame pictures (or quarter page images). But I am not sure that this is possible, any longer, as Ive been chopping away at those jpegs!
Passante, thank you for the technical info, even if it is hard to wrap my mind around it! I have always been careful to take high-res photos–but had no idea that each time I edit them I am throwing away information. YIKES! Also, I have a habit of taking horizontal photos… but given my book pages are vertical… this means I automatically have to crop them vertical. This is taking away what precious pixels I had left–halving them! I may have to do as Sally suggested: take new photos. But I have currently lost all motivation to do so!
Another option is to forget about full-bleed photos and settle for polaroid type frame pictures (or quarter page images). But I am not sure that this is possible, any longer, as Ive been chopping away at those jpegs!
I’m glad for the photography lesson today. I take my pictures in JPEG because I have enough filling up the space on my computer. For most editing (especially cropping), I make a duplicate rather than change the original.
As for the tickets, I think that would be a great idea hear because to go out for lunch here can use one or two hours of your pay that day. And a lot of jobs don’t have break rooms where you could keep your food in a refrigerator and reheat it. I’m glad my son works in restaurants because I know he’ll get one or two free or reduced meals (depending on the restaurant). After all, young guys don’t cook at home and don’t grocery shop, so I know he’s eating something healthy each day, even if only for one meal.
I’m glad for the photography lesson today. I take my pictures in JPEG because I have enough filling up the space on my computer. For most editing (especially cropping), I make a duplicate rather than change the original.
As for the tickets, I think that would be a great idea hear because to go out for lunch here can use one or two hours of your pay that day. And a lot of jobs don’t have break rooms where you could keep your food in a refrigerator and reheat it. I’m glad my son works in restaurants because I know he’ll get one or two free or reduced meals (depending on the restaurant). After all, young guys don’t cook at home and don’t grocery shop, so I know he’s eating something healthy each day, even if only for one meal.
Bonjour–Can’t help but comment on the news that Americans are food deprived. The media loves to exaggerate. There has been a big push to get people to go on food assistance–ads, lowering requirements, etc. Food is not a problem in this country but poor eating is. Obesity resulting from poor food choices is a national disaster which is impacting everything. So, your
suggestion about a kitchen garden is right on. If most people grew some
veggies the world would be a better and healthier place. The French definitely have it right about eating. Keep up the good work. Love your
writing.
Bonjour–Can’t help but comment on the news that Americans are food deprived. The media loves to exaggerate. There has been a big push to get people to go on food assistance–ads, lowering requirements, etc. Food is not a problem in this country but poor eating is. Obesity resulting from poor food choices is a national disaster which is impacting everything. So, your
suggestion about a kitchen garden is right on. If most people grew some
veggies the world would be a better and healthier place. The French definitely have it right about eating. Keep up the good work. Love your
writing.
Shari, thanks for your response to the news reports. Thats reassuring (except for the poor food choices).
Julie and others writing in about photo technical details: as I go through this needle in the haystack, I am realizing that I do not know much at all about my photos! Jean-Marc just asked me to show him WHERE my originals were. Huh? I work directly in Picasa. I do not even know where my originals are. If any good comes of this, it is that I will be more careful about filing and copying my photos (I never thought to work from the copies — and not the original.
Shari, thanks for your response to the news reports. Thats reassuring (except for the poor food choices).
Julie and others writing in about photo technical details: as I go through this needle in the haystack, I am realizing that I do not know much at all about my photos! Jean-Marc just asked me to show him WHERE my originals were. Huh? I work directly in Picasa. I do not even know where my originals are. If any good comes of this, it is that I will be more careful about filing and copying my photos (I never thought to work from the copies — and not the original.
Dear Kristin
We dont have a lack of food problem, we have
a lack of money and jobs problem .
Ken
Dear Kristin
We dont have a lack of food problem, we have
a lack of money and jobs problem .
Ken
Hi Kristin, Can’t agree more with Shari’s assessment about poor food choices as the real problem – there is no food shortage in the US. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, once called Food Stamps, promises some level of nutrition to children, low-income families, disabled, the unemployed and the elderly. Not only does it help provide a person or family’s next meal, research has shown that for every $1 spent by the government on the program, $1.73 is returned to the economy. By the way, the program began in 1939 when farm surpluses weren’t reaching hungry people in the cities of America. The program was not just for children and the elderly, but for anyone who needed this assistance. Of course, no one can argue that a home garden, for those who have a place to plant one, is a great idea.
Hi Kristin, Can’t agree more with Shari’s assessment about poor food choices as the real problem – there is no food shortage in the US. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, once called Food Stamps, promises some level of nutrition to children, low-income families, disabled, the unemployed and the elderly. Not only does it help provide a person or family’s next meal, research has shown that for every $1 spent by the government on the program, $1.73 is returned to the economy. By the way, the program began in 1939 when farm surpluses weren’t reaching hungry people in the cities of America. The program was not just for children and the elderly, but for anyone who needed this assistance. Of course, no one can argue that a home garden, for those who have a place to plant one, is a great idea.
So I see your photo issue as an opportunity to create something new. That is what I tell myself when a painting is not working and I decide to gesso the whole thing back to white. The art universe was telling me to try something new – color, texture whatever. I always resist being a stubborn person but eventually something I like better comes from the ashes. You probably have better photos in those 20,000. Not exactly what I want to hear when this is actually happening but . .
You will find the perfect pictures.
So I see your photo issue as an opportunity to create something new. That is what I tell myself when a painting is not working and I decide to gesso the whole thing back to white. The art universe was telling me to try something new – color, texture whatever. I always resist being a stubborn person but eventually something I like better comes from the ashes. You probably have better photos in those 20,000. Not exactly what I want to hear when this is actually happening but . .
You will find the perfect pictures.
How could I not say Congratulations!! on your book signing?? In Paris no less! The stuff of writers dreams. Wish I could be there.
Sorry I have no information regarding pixels, etc. I am lucky to get my photos off the camera and onto the computer. Looking forward to getting the new book.
How could I not say Congratulations!! on your book signing?? In Paris no less! The stuff of writers dreams. Wish I could be there.
Sorry I have no information regarding pixels, etc. I am lucky to get my photos off the camera and onto the computer. Looking forward to getting the new book.
I was unaware of the Food Ticket in France and am pleased to hear of it. In this country, god forbid, we should even think about our employees having meals. Many companies would rather have you work without a break and then send you home. I have worked fro some of them.
It makes for continuing commerce for businesses adjacent facilities and keeps employee moral positive.
Keep up the good work and do not be discouraged when you run into a roadblock, keep trudging the road of happy destiny!
I was unaware of the Food Ticket in France and am pleased to hear of it. In this country, god forbid, we should even think about our employees having meals. Many companies would rather have you work without a break and then send you home. I have worked fro some of them.
It makes for continuing commerce for businesses adjacent facilities and keeps employee moral positive.
Keep up the good work and do not be discouraged when you run into a roadblock, keep trudging the road of happy destiny!
This post makes me cry about the state of affairs in the U.S. We, as Garry noted, are lucky to sit down for 5 minutes. I work as a chef and, in spite of the glitz associated with this profession now, it is still decidedly “downstairs.” I beg my co-workers to sit on a chair when they eat, in the middle of serving billionaires their buffet, but many won’t take the time. We don’t value quality of life throughout the normal course of our lives and days. In France, there is thought for employees; here there is only thought for employers. Unions used to help insist on the right to a lunch break, but unions have been broken.
On a fun note, I was an unknowing participant in a gleaning experiment called Bright Friday(the day after Thanksgiving). A man from Lyon, living in NYC, refurbished and gave away 12 pieces of furniture. You can see it all on his web site: just click on the chair that says “free” in the upper left corner of the home page. http://www.gregoire-abrail.net/
This post makes me cry about the state of affairs in the U.S. We, as Garry noted, are lucky to sit down for 5 minutes. I work as a chef and, in spite of the glitz associated with this profession now, it is still decidedly “downstairs.” I beg my co-workers to sit on a chair when they eat, in the middle of serving billionaires their buffet, but many won’t take the time. We don’t value quality of life throughout the normal course of our lives and days. In France, there is thought for employees; here there is only thought for employers. Unions used to help insist on the right to a lunch break, but unions have been broken.
On a fun note, I was an unknowing participant in a gleaning experiment called Bright Friday(the day after Thanksgiving). A man from Lyon, living in NYC, refurbished and gave away 12 pieces of furniture. You can see it all on his web site: just click on the chair that says “free” in the upper left corner of the home page. http://www.gregoire-abrail.net/
Kristin,
Your post touched such a nerve! I forgot to say that I love your cover. Have a great time at both events in Paris!
Kristin,
Your post touched such a nerve! I forgot to say that I love your cover. Have a great time at both events in Paris!