As a lover of cream cheese who would nonetheless take the side of butter in any extended dairy war, I think you are perfectly within reason.

Very well said. Black women, like any women, aren't objects that "belong" to their men.

Some (most?) white Americans are incredibly ignorant, but it doesn't mean they don't have the possibility to grow and expand their consciousness. I think calling her boyfriend, whom she loves and views as very supportive, as a "numbnuts" is more than a little condescending. Race is an unfortunately complex topic in US…

Family friend for the fail. :|

So good when you're drunkish, though.

Is there somewhere in NYC that has lovely knishes? I've heard so much about them and tried them from a cart, and wanted to weep with disappointment over the soft, sad, coldish thing I was presented. But I'd definitely give a good one a go.

Those roving packs of mad white folk do not deserve to eat God's goodness.

Your mother is a wise, wise soul.

Example number 1 is fine, example number 2 screams "MY IGNORANCE IS SO DEEP IT HURTS ME."

I don't disagree that baked mac is a big part of southern Black culture, but my mom has always made plain as fuck mac (with cheddar, flour and milk) and she's from the Midwest. So I think it's more likely that it's a regional comfort food thing that for some reason we now associate with southern/Black cuisine (I blame…

Please tell us more about how much black people admire you. Perhaps you'd like to offer up your thighs as another anecdote?

Yeah, for real. Baked mac 'n' cheese is the most American of American foods, transgressing all racial and socioeconomic divides ('cos the fancies put leeks and aged white cheddar in that shit, but it's STILL mac 'n' cheese), bringing us all together one slightly crusty, mostly gooey bite at a time.

I love this—thanks.

Oh yeah, I completely left out food—good point. More access to organic/locally-grown fresh produce, higher quality meats, generally nicer processed food. Also, teeth care is a big one and health care in general, at least in the US. Braces are expensive.

This is what I came in here to say. More money for nicer cosmetics, better haircuts, professional coloring, nicer and better-fitting clothes, gym memberships or other more expensive and more fun rich people sports (skiing, horse-back riding)...his reasoning is terrible, but I'm sure there is some truth to the fact…

I dunno, this sounds like normal relationship bickering to me, but if you've talked about breaking up over it, the effects must be a lot worse than what I'm parsing from your post here. I've been with my partner for over 3 years and we get in minor fights all the time. They don't last very long, they're never over…

I'm in anxiety land, the other side to that terrible coin.

I can't speak to the mental health side of things, but health care in France is pretty good, even for foreigners. You should be covered under insurance through your university which will work over there, and I imagine your program has on-site counseling services. Etienne Charles seems like they are coming from a good…

This sounds like a normal anxious response to a bunch of stuff in your life that you're stressed about. Moving anywhere is stressful as all get out, let alone to study abroad in a foreign country. Speaking from experience, you'll be fine. Once you land in France you'll be like a kid in a candy shop, and the anxiety…

That eyebrow flourish at the end...sigh...