ok- I'm hoping this link works for everyone, even those without facebook.
click the links to your left... the first one listed is the first album followed by the second. There is some order to them!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
jan 31
Hello all! Today was relatively uneventful for me. I had my photography (rather more the history of...) this morning. Our classrooms are all really small because they're in these old buildings. Its funny because the building that my class is in has this really wierd door. Maybe its not that wierd to others, but I have continually struggled with it. It has this huge handle on it but you dont pull, you push. I looked like such an idiot pulling on it for so long the other day. Today I figured out that you had to buzz yourself in and then push. We all have our daily challenges.
After class, I went to a bakery and ordered a loaf of bread and went to a quickmart type thing and bought some cheese. I really think I could, and just might, live off of bread and cheese alone. :-D At least for lunch here- its so good. I'm also gonna take advantage of the markets around here. After that, I went home and hung out in my room for a bit because Isabelle was tutoring this little boy at our kitchen table. Later, I ate lunch and then decided to go for a walk. I've taken a few lenghty walks here. I like getting to explore the place. Today my goal was to find a park that I had seen while we were driving. I might not have found that park, but I did find a park. I went there and wrote in my journal. I also people watched. Then I walked some more and got close enough out of town that I could have a pretty good view of the mountains. I took a lot of pictures during my walk.
Later we had dinner. We had a provincial ratatouille. I LOVED it. Its so good! Look at me, stepping out of my culinary bounds. After that I watched the Marseille vs Lyon soccer match with Max. All of the guys I've met here have raved about Marseille's team. They're really good and everyone in the area loves them. Lyon is supposedly the best team though so everyone was nervous about the outcome. Max was tense the whole game. And guess what? Marseille won! It was all last minute, but they pulled ahead! Max was psyched and I didn't tell him, but I'm sure their winning had something to do with my presence in Aix. Just a theory ;-)
Alright, thats all for now! Au revoir!
After class, I went to a bakery and ordered a loaf of bread and went to a quickmart type thing and bought some cheese. I really think I could, and just might, live off of bread and cheese alone. :-D At least for lunch here- its so good. I'm also gonna take advantage of the markets around here. After that, I went home and hung out in my room for a bit because Isabelle was tutoring this little boy at our kitchen table. Later, I ate lunch and then decided to go for a walk. I've taken a few lenghty walks here. I like getting to explore the place. Today my goal was to find a park that I had seen while we were driving. I might not have found that park, but I did find a park. I went there and wrote in my journal. I also people watched. Then I walked some more and got close enough out of town that I could have a pretty good view of the mountains. I took a lot of pictures during my walk.
Later we had dinner. We had a provincial ratatouille. I LOVED it. Its so good! Look at me, stepping out of my culinary bounds. After that I watched the Marseille vs Lyon soccer match with Max. All of the guys I've met here have raved about Marseille's team. They're really good and everyone in the area loves them. Lyon is supposedly the best team though so everyone was nervous about the outcome. Max was tense the whole game. And guess what? Marseille won! It was all last minute, but they pulled ahead! Max was psyched and I didn't tell him, but I'm sure their winning had something to do with my presence in Aix. Just a theory ;-)
Alright, thats all for now! Au revoir!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
A Typical Day
One of the things that amazes me about France is how it continually reinforces my preconcieved ideas. I told myself before I came that France would not be like it is in movies. And yet, so far it has been so much like in the movies. On my walk to school I pass through two open markets. The first one in the square closest to my house is a food market and as I continue to walk I pass through another square that has a flower market. I don't know that the flower market is always there. I think that one comes and goes. But the food market is always there. I also pass a fresh fish stand on my way to school. I bought something from the market for the first time today. I've been a little nervous and today I finally plucked up enough courage to try. I played it safe and just bought a few apples.
Anyways, besides the markets being exactly like I had envisioned the musicians are also just like I had imagined in my most cliche French dream. There are musicians playing all around town. It was funny because last Friday I had this horrible morning where nothing went right. (I was late, ran through the streets of Aix and kept loosing my shoe, the room my class was supposed to be in got switched with another French class, the latter decided to go to a cafe and wasn't in the room to tell me I was in the wrong place...) As I walked out of my class (yes, I finally found it) I was a little ticked and as I rounded the corner from where my school was I heard a man playing "La Vie en Rose" on the violin. It saved my morning. I really didn't expect to actually hear that song played here, let alone so beautifully in the street. It was almost too cliche, but I loved it. I have since heard "La Vie en Rose" two more times in French homes. Also, they really do have people playing the accordian in the street. I've heard them quite often, like this morning for example. There are also a lot of saxaphone players. I don't know if they do it for the tourists or if its just typical. Isabelle told me they are always there.
I've also seen people wearing berets. I kid you not. Granted, they don't wear them with black and white stripped shirts, but they do wear them. People also walk around carrying bagettes. It just makes me laugh that all of these things that I told myself not to expect are actually done here.
That's all for now! I'm almost halfway done with my day and many of yours have yet to begin! How wierd is that? :-D
Much love
Anyways, besides the markets being exactly like I had envisioned the musicians are also just like I had imagined in my most cliche French dream. There are musicians playing all around town. It was funny because last Friday I had this horrible morning where nothing went right. (I was late, ran through the streets of Aix and kept loosing my shoe, the room my class was supposed to be in got switched with another French class, the latter decided to go to a cafe and wasn't in the room to tell me I was in the wrong place...) As I walked out of my class (yes, I finally found it) I was a little ticked and as I rounded the corner from where my school was I heard a man playing "La Vie en Rose" on the violin. It saved my morning. I really didn't expect to actually hear that song played here, let alone so beautifully in the street. It was almost too cliche, but I loved it. I have since heard "La Vie en Rose" two more times in French homes. Also, they really do have people playing the accordian in the street. I've heard them quite often, like this morning for example. There are also a lot of saxaphone players. I don't know if they do it for the tourists or if its just typical. Isabelle told me they are always there.
I've also seen people wearing berets. I kid you not. Granted, they don't wear them with black and white stripped shirts, but they do wear them. People also walk around carrying bagettes. It just makes me laugh that all of these things that I told myself not to expect are actually done here.
That's all for now! I'm almost halfway done with my day and many of yours have yet to begin! How wierd is that? :-D
Much love
Monday, January 29, 2007
the long awaited post
Well its been just over a week since my arrival in Aix. It has been a very long and crazy week for me. We were conditioned before we left by the study abroad office with lessons on the adjustment phases of living in a new country. There's the honeymoon phase, the hostility phase, the humor phase and then the settled phase. I would like to liken my experience thus far to what I imagine a true, slightly lenghty honeymoon is like. First the excitement and exhuberance, then the annoyance and realization that you are forever stuck with that person, than back to enjoying your trip. lol I really am enjoying myself here. But there have certainly been some trying moments already. I think most of the dramatic moments were partially a side effect of jetlag, but dealing with the language/custom barrier has been trying at moments. This is going to be a lengthy post- I apologize but I have a lot to tell. I'm going to break it up into the major events that have happened.
The Monoprix Experience
Monoprix is our equivalent to a Target. For a French store, its huge. For an American going in search of something, its overwhelming. My host mom Isabelle showed me Monoprix on my first day. Its the most convienent place to go if you have many things you need to get because the French are still running on Mom and Pops. So, after I unpacked and realized that I desperately needed some things, I headed out determined to conquer Monoprix. I went in and first looked for the most important thing on my list- a hair straightner. I am a girl who likes her straightened bangs and with the whole electrical converting problem, taking mine from home wouldnt have worked. (I have already had to lay to rest a great pair of speakers... please, recognize a moment of silence in their honor) So I went to Monoprix and began my search for a hair straightner. I looked upstairs, then downstairs, then upstairs again... after walking around the store for a while I figured I'd ask someone. I went up to a woman sitting behind a cash register and right before I got up to ask her, she put out a sign that said that her register was broken. Alas, I went in search again and some kids started asking me for a Euro. In hindsight, this was a fairly entertaining encounter because once I had told them that I was an American and that I didn't understand their French they started describing what a Euro looked like to me as if I didn't know which of the many coins it was. Then I went to ask a woman and she wasn't the nicest to me. I finally went back upstairs (since I now knew what level it was on) Right before my absolute breaking point, tears welling, Jack Johnson's "Good People" song came on with the line "And all I want to know is where'd all the good people go?" and I started to laugh. I finally found the stupid straightners only to find out that they are way to expensive for me to waste that much money to only use it for such a short time. I ended up buying bobby pins and calling it a day. I went home and cooled off by watching "The Office." Then my French brother Maxime came home and I told him about my encounter. He was very sympathetic and told me how the French weren't very friendly which is something that really bothers him. Fed up with the French for one day, I changed into my workout clothes and went for a run. I'm sure I looked very American by jogging in the streets in my slightly baggier workout clothes and listening to my Ipod. If anything, knowing I stood out empowered me that day. lol I felt much better by the end.
It was sweet because later that night I went back to Monoprix, this time with Guillome and he showed me what to buy. He also pointed out stores I could go to to get things I needed as we walked the streets. I'm sure Maxime had told him about my bad day :-) All in all, it was a learning experience.
The French Parties
I have had quite the social life in France thanks to my AWESOME host family. One of my favorite nights here was when I went to a party with Guillome. His friend Yyan (that's probably not how you spell it) came over for dinner beforehand. Yyan was so cool. He was really nice and really helped me with my French. He made me speak in French to him which I needed because it got more challenging for me to speak French as the week went on. (Its hard when you're tired) We had some really great conversations about the differences between Americans and the French. It was fun because we both had a sense of humor about it. He would talk in an American accent to me and I would do the French one right back. I told him and Guillome about how we were advised not to smile as much here because 1. its not done as much by French women and 2. because its a dead give away that we're Americans. They both told me that I should never stop smiling. It was a really cute moment.
We went to the party which was a type of fundraiser for some kids who want to travel or something at Guillome's school. For it being roughly the same age bracket as the parties I hit up in the States, it was so impressive! It was so... chic. There really is no other word for it. It was in an apartment in Aix, on the top floor. The door was covered with a curtain type thing and there was a coat check as soon as you went in. We then went up a spiral staircase to the main floor which had a room with all of these cools lights and this lava lamp type thing being projected on the wall. There was a bar where two women were making drinks and finger foods for people. There was a guy playing the piano and also techno music blaring. In another room, there were cushions on the floor and a lot of wall hangings. It was kinda a Morracan vibe. Everyone was smoking in that room. We sat in the corner. As I coughed because of all the smoke, Yann laughed at me and commented on how Americans don't smoke like the French. I replied in French that I had lungs like a baby. I had a lot of fun talking with him. The whole night we kept joking about how "artistic" we were because we could look at the different shapes the lava lamp thing made and interpret it for what it truly represented. There was also a truly hilarious/mortifying moment where I tried to say something in French which made him crack up laughing. After the laughter subsided and his tears were dried, he translated what I had just said. I can't bring myself to tell it here, but just know that there is no way that I meant to begin a sentence with that phrase. :-/
All of the other French kids were really nice to me too. A lot of them were really curious about life in the States. I was really proud of myself because I really tried hard to understand them and speak to them completely in French. I was doing pretty good too. There was this great moment where Guillome introduced me to this whole group of French kids and then there was this slightly awkward moment where no one really knew what to say. So Guillome told me that they called one of the kids in the group "Jesus" because of his long hair and beard. This other kid then turned to me and told me he was his roommate. I turned to him and said in French that he was lucky to have Jesus for a roommate. Everybody in the group laughed.
My favorite moment of the night, though, was when we went to the terrace on the top of the building. It was funny because I felt it had such a parallel with a college party back home. There's always that moment where you go on someone's balcony and talk some more, but this time instead of having the view of another shoddy college apartment across the way, I was overlooking this great picturesque view of the rooftops of Aix. It was surreal. It was so beautiful.
The Other Parties-
Isabelle was out of town for three days this past week because she had to go on an overnight fieldtrip to a conservatory to show her students stars. Apparently, its the same in France when a parent leaves. While the cat is away, the mice do play. Guillome had friends over for dinner. Three boys and one girl. The girl was really sweet and would occasionally say a phrase to me in English. The other boys were nice but quieter to me throughout the night. This was partly because I was exhausted and was almost too tired to make an effort. Eventually though, during the course of dinner I started talking to them. It turns out they were really nervous to use their English. I guess I was equally hesitant at first when my Celine (the French girl who stayed at our house) came first. It was nice for me to have the tables reversed for once. Once we started talking it was cool. They were nice and we joked around. I got this wierd vibe from this one kid though and I'm pretty sure he talked smack about me once I went to bed. Other than that, it was a really fun night.
Saturday night I went to Isabelle's brother's house for his birthday party. It was cool because I had met him, his wife and one of his daughters my very first night in France. So for me, they were like old friends! Marie, the cousin I had met before, was really nice and so was her sister whose name completely leaves me now. They both talked to me most of the night. There were older couples there too who were friends with the uncle. I was introduced to all of them- kiss kiss- and they all asked me questions in French that I tried my best to answer. The food there was so wierd. It was all really ethnic in honor of the uncle because he travels a lot. One of the dishes was flat out raw beef. As many of you know, I'm already a very picky eater. I wanted to cry. lol I was worried because I had been told how picky the French are about their cuisine and I know that to say no is kind of an insult for them. Luckily the cousins told me a ton of times that I was not obligated to eat anything I didn't want to. So I ate what I could and later we had this great "gateau" (cake) and drank champagne. All of us kids sat in a corner and talked. It was like the French version of the kid's table. Afterwards, Marie, Maxime and some of Marie's friend went to a "boite de nuit" a night club. It was cool. I was cracking up at the French guys. They were so cheesy. Seriously, if someone busted out those moves in Chambana, they couldn't get away with it. We danced and had a good time and I got really excited when after a ton of lame techno songs some American songs played. :-D
The next morning we woke up and went to a little town near Marseille where Isabelle's mom lives. We went to Mass in this pretty small church. The building wasn't small but it was a very close community. I seriously met half of the people in the Church. This would include both priests. -kiss kiss- all around and whenever Isabelle explained that I was the American student staying with them they would gasp and go "ah oui!?" smile and me and then ask me questions. I really haven't met many people who have resented the fact that I'm American. Most are curious and interested. They start asking questions about how I like Aix, where I'm from and if its cold back home. After Mass we went to look at a wonderful, detailed creche at one of the parishoners house. A creche is something very special to the Provencial region in France. It's a huge nativity scene. It has the normal figures, the magi, Mary, Jospeh and baby Jesus but in addition it has all of these random villiage people like the baker, the butcher, farmers, etc. Its really funny to see, especially because they even have a creche at the church. I was surprised that it wasnt seen as a little bit sacraligous to embellish the nativity story a bit. The chreche at the person's house was seriously ridiculous. It was huge. I'm trying to send pictures, but no luck so far.
The creche was at this absolutely breathtaking Mediterranean house. It was up on this huge hill and it had such a great view. Isabelle explained to me the elements of the house that made it so particularly Provincial, like the ceramic tiles around the windows in order to keep the pigeons from roosting there. It was a really ritzy house with a great library and wonderful seating room. There were many people (who you could just tell were the who's who of the area) there and we all ate finger foods and drank wine. I was given this walnut wine because it was special to the region. It was funny because no one knew the english word for walnut so someone had to go and get them to show me. There were a lot of older people at the house and it was cute to see the little old French men and their distinguished wives. They were very friendly and sweet to me. Finally, we said our goodbyes, I kissed everyone in the room and we left for Isabelle's mom's house.
Her house was also cool. Not as breathtaking as the one before, but certainly a beautiful house with a great view. She cooked us an intense breakfast which included plates of goose and gizzards. Gag me! I struggled again, but I tasted a little bit and then tried to politely decline. I think at first she was slightly offended but then I complimented her on her wonderful gateaux and she warmed right back up to me. After what was probably the longest meal of my life, we drank coffee and ate chocolates and then left. It was a nice day.
Ok. Wow. That was a lot. I have more to tell but I have to go to bed now! I hope that you enjoyed reading this, or at least what you had the patience to read! :-D I know, I need to post daily, it would really help this process. Just know that all in all, I'm having a great time. A lot of adjustments and a lot of laughing at my blunders, but I'm getting the hang of it! Thank you guys for all the emails and messages you've sent me. Its meant a lot to me!
Also, congrats to Cathy and Ryan!! Logan is so cute!
Until next time (A bientot!)
Gros Bis!
The Monoprix Experience
Monoprix is our equivalent to a Target. For a French store, its huge. For an American going in search of something, its overwhelming. My host mom Isabelle showed me Monoprix on my first day. Its the most convienent place to go if you have many things you need to get because the French are still running on Mom and Pops. So, after I unpacked and realized that I desperately needed some things, I headed out determined to conquer Monoprix. I went in and first looked for the most important thing on my list- a hair straightner. I am a girl who likes her straightened bangs and with the whole electrical converting problem, taking mine from home wouldnt have worked. (I have already had to lay to rest a great pair of speakers... please, recognize a moment of silence in their honor) So I went to Monoprix and began my search for a hair straightner. I looked upstairs, then downstairs, then upstairs again... after walking around the store for a while I figured I'd ask someone. I went up to a woman sitting behind a cash register and right before I got up to ask her, she put out a sign that said that her register was broken. Alas, I went in search again and some kids started asking me for a Euro. In hindsight, this was a fairly entertaining encounter because once I had told them that I was an American and that I didn't understand their French they started describing what a Euro looked like to me as if I didn't know which of the many coins it was. Then I went to ask a woman and she wasn't the nicest to me. I finally went back upstairs (since I now knew what level it was on) Right before my absolute breaking point, tears welling, Jack Johnson's "Good People" song came on with the line "And all I want to know is where'd all the good people go?" and I started to laugh. I finally found the stupid straightners only to find out that they are way to expensive for me to waste that much money to only use it for such a short time. I ended up buying bobby pins and calling it a day. I went home and cooled off by watching "The Office." Then my French brother Maxime came home and I told him about my encounter. He was very sympathetic and told me how the French weren't very friendly which is something that really bothers him. Fed up with the French for one day, I changed into my workout clothes and went for a run. I'm sure I looked very American by jogging in the streets in my slightly baggier workout clothes and listening to my Ipod. If anything, knowing I stood out empowered me that day. lol I felt much better by the end.
It was sweet because later that night I went back to Monoprix, this time with Guillome and he showed me what to buy. He also pointed out stores I could go to to get things I needed as we walked the streets. I'm sure Maxime had told him about my bad day :-) All in all, it was a learning experience.
The French Parties
I have had quite the social life in France thanks to my AWESOME host family. One of my favorite nights here was when I went to a party with Guillome. His friend Yyan (that's probably not how you spell it) came over for dinner beforehand. Yyan was so cool. He was really nice and really helped me with my French. He made me speak in French to him which I needed because it got more challenging for me to speak French as the week went on. (Its hard when you're tired) We had some really great conversations about the differences between Americans and the French. It was fun because we both had a sense of humor about it. He would talk in an American accent to me and I would do the French one right back. I told him and Guillome about how we were advised not to smile as much here because 1. its not done as much by French women and 2. because its a dead give away that we're Americans. They both told me that I should never stop smiling. It was a really cute moment.
We went to the party which was a type of fundraiser for some kids who want to travel or something at Guillome's school. For it being roughly the same age bracket as the parties I hit up in the States, it was so impressive! It was so... chic. There really is no other word for it. It was in an apartment in Aix, on the top floor. The door was covered with a curtain type thing and there was a coat check as soon as you went in. We then went up a spiral staircase to the main floor which had a room with all of these cools lights and this lava lamp type thing being projected on the wall. There was a bar where two women were making drinks and finger foods for people. There was a guy playing the piano and also techno music blaring. In another room, there were cushions on the floor and a lot of wall hangings. It was kinda a Morracan vibe. Everyone was smoking in that room. We sat in the corner. As I coughed because of all the smoke, Yann laughed at me and commented on how Americans don't smoke like the French. I replied in French that I had lungs like a baby. I had a lot of fun talking with him. The whole night we kept joking about how "artistic" we were because we could look at the different shapes the lava lamp thing made and interpret it for what it truly represented. There was also a truly hilarious/mortifying moment where I tried to say something in French which made him crack up laughing. After the laughter subsided and his tears were dried, he translated what I had just said. I can't bring myself to tell it here, but just know that there is no way that I meant to begin a sentence with that phrase. :-/
All of the other French kids were really nice to me too. A lot of them were really curious about life in the States. I was really proud of myself because I really tried hard to understand them and speak to them completely in French. I was doing pretty good too. There was this great moment where Guillome introduced me to this whole group of French kids and then there was this slightly awkward moment where no one really knew what to say. So Guillome told me that they called one of the kids in the group "Jesus" because of his long hair and beard. This other kid then turned to me and told me he was his roommate. I turned to him and said in French that he was lucky to have Jesus for a roommate. Everybody in the group laughed.
My favorite moment of the night, though, was when we went to the terrace on the top of the building. It was funny because I felt it had such a parallel with a college party back home. There's always that moment where you go on someone's balcony and talk some more, but this time instead of having the view of another shoddy college apartment across the way, I was overlooking this great picturesque view of the rooftops of Aix. It was surreal. It was so beautiful.
The Other Parties-
Isabelle was out of town for three days this past week because she had to go on an overnight fieldtrip to a conservatory to show her students stars. Apparently, its the same in France when a parent leaves. While the cat is away, the mice do play. Guillome had friends over for dinner. Three boys and one girl. The girl was really sweet and would occasionally say a phrase to me in English. The other boys were nice but quieter to me throughout the night. This was partly because I was exhausted and was almost too tired to make an effort. Eventually though, during the course of dinner I started talking to them. It turns out they were really nervous to use their English. I guess I was equally hesitant at first when my Celine (the French girl who stayed at our house) came first. It was nice for me to have the tables reversed for once. Once we started talking it was cool. They were nice and we joked around. I got this wierd vibe from this one kid though and I'm pretty sure he talked smack about me once I went to bed. Other than that, it was a really fun night.
Saturday night I went to Isabelle's brother's house for his birthday party. It was cool because I had met him, his wife and one of his daughters my very first night in France. So for me, they were like old friends! Marie, the cousin I had met before, was really nice and so was her sister whose name completely leaves me now. They both talked to me most of the night. There were older couples there too who were friends with the uncle. I was introduced to all of them- kiss kiss- and they all asked me questions in French that I tried my best to answer. The food there was so wierd. It was all really ethnic in honor of the uncle because he travels a lot. One of the dishes was flat out raw beef. As many of you know, I'm already a very picky eater. I wanted to cry. lol I was worried because I had been told how picky the French are about their cuisine and I know that to say no is kind of an insult for them. Luckily the cousins told me a ton of times that I was not obligated to eat anything I didn't want to. So I ate what I could and later we had this great "gateau" (cake) and drank champagne. All of us kids sat in a corner and talked. It was like the French version of the kid's table. Afterwards, Marie, Maxime and some of Marie's friend went to a "boite de nuit" a night club. It was cool. I was cracking up at the French guys. They were so cheesy. Seriously, if someone busted out those moves in Chambana, they couldn't get away with it. We danced and had a good time and I got really excited when after a ton of lame techno songs some American songs played. :-D
The next morning we woke up and went to a little town near Marseille where Isabelle's mom lives. We went to Mass in this pretty small church. The building wasn't small but it was a very close community. I seriously met half of the people in the Church. This would include both priests. -kiss kiss- all around and whenever Isabelle explained that I was the American student staying with them they would gasp and go "ah oui!?" smile and me and then ask me questions. I really haven't met many people who have resented the fact that I'm American. Most are curious and interested. They start asking questions about how I like Aix, where I'm from and if its cold back home. After Mass we went to look at a wonderful, detailed creche at one of the parishoners house. A creche is something very special to the Provencial region in France. It's a huge nativity scene. It has the normal figures, the magi, Mary, Jospeh and baby Jesus but in addition it has all of these random villiage people like the baker, the butcher, farmers, etc. Its really funny to see, especially because they even have a creche at the church. I was surprised that it wasnt seen as a little bit sacraligous to embellish the nativity story a bit. The chreche at the person's house was seriously ridiculous. It was huge. I'm trying to send pictures, but no luck so far.
The creche was at this absolutely breathtaking Mediterranean house. It was up on this huge hill and it had such a great view. Isabelle explained to me the elements of the house that made it so particularly Provincial, like the ceramic tiles around the windows in order to keep the pigeons from roosting there. It was a really ritzy house with a great library and wonderful seating room. There were many people (who you could just tell were the who's who of the area) there and we all ate finger foods and drank wine. I was given this walnut wine because it was special to the region. It was funny because no one knew the english word for walnut so someone had to go and get them to show me. There were a lot of older people at the house and it was cute to see the little old French men and their distinguished wives. They were very friendly and sweet to me. Finally, we said our goodbyes, I kissed everyone in the room and we left for Isabelle's mom's house.
Her house was also cool. Not as breathtaking as the one before, but certainly a beautiful house with a great view. She cooked us an intense breakfast which included plates of goose and gizzards. Gag me! I struggled again, but I tasted a little bit and then tried to politely decline. I think at first she was slightly offended but then I complimented her on her wonderful gateaux and she warmed right back up to me. After what was probably the longest meal of my life, we drank coffee and ate chocolates and then left. It was a nice day.
Ok. Wow. That was a lot. I have more to tell but I have to go to bed now! I hope that you enjoyed reading this, or at least what you had the patience to read! :-D I know, I need to post daily, it would really help this process. Just know that all in all, I'm having a great time. A lot of adjustments and a lot of laughing at my blunders, but I'm getting the hang of it! Thank you guys for all the emails and messages you've sent me. Its meant a lot to me!
Also, congrats to Cathy and Ryan!! Logan is so cute!
Until next time (A bientot!)
Gros Bis!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
lundi, le 23 janvier
Hey guys! Today is my fourth day in Aix but it feels like I've been here weeks. Not in a bad way- there's just a lot to experience here and it has been slightly overwhelming. Yesterday was orientation for my school. We met at 8:30 in the basement of a building that I think is attatched to the cathedral. The room was all stone and really old. It was funny because the director of our program gave this really great speech in which he quoted from "No Exit"- which he explained was about sinners locked in a room of hell forever- and he laughed and said "Now I've really scared you- you're all sitting in this dungeon-like room in the bottom of the cathedral in a foreign city and I'm talking in my creepy voice about hell." This was one of many talks we were given during the day. One of my favorites was in the very beginning of the day another teacher gathered us together and said "Don't call and order a plane ticket, don't break up with your boy/girlfriends, don't get a tattoo, don't pierce anything, don't drop out of school, don't get married---- just breathe. its gonna be ok. welcome to aix
:-D"
the americans clumped like crazy yesterday. after living a few days alone with our french families, everyone was relieved to be back with someone they could completely understand. it was cool meeting everyone too. i would guess theres about 200 of us, and every person i met was nice. there was a lot of variety- all kinds of students are here. some are proficient in french, others dont know a word. theres every kind of major ranging from art to business and all regions of the US are represented (though a lot from the east coast and the south i think). im excited to be friends with these people.
i had my first experience trying to order something in french. we went to a busy boulangerie (deli) for lunch and it was really hectic. i got so nervous when it was my turn to order. I recongnized the word "poulet" (chicken) so i ordered that kind of sandwich. When I ordered I simply said "Je voudrais... la!" and pointed and the woman immediately knew I was american. She then quickly asked me if I wanted anything else and then told me my total in English. She and the others working there were really nice. For all that I have heard about the french being rude, I've yet to see it.
It is different here though- the men openly gape at you and the women avoid eye contact with everyone. I've actually had fun pretending to be a French woman. I walk around with my nose a little higher in the air than normal, I avoid eye contact with most people, ignore men and act like I'm a little ticked off. lol- I admit, the strut intensifies a bit and I seem to blend right in. Everything you've heard about French women is true though- they are beautiful. They put energy into looking good but they make it seem so effortless- everyone wears tall boots (I'm dying to get a pair), impressive earrings and tons of scarves. When I went to Isabelle's (my French mom's) friends country house I was amazed at how each woman looked so perfectly chic and put together. That was quite the experience- there were about 4 or 5 families there. The kids were pretty young (baby-10 I would guess) and played in the yard while the parents talked. They were very welcoming to me and at first talked to me in both French and English. It was pretty overwhelming. Its intimidating enough to go to a party where you don't know anyone in the States, but its even worse when you don't really speak the language. However, you remember that experiences like this are part of the reason youre there and that they will probably never see you again anyways and it suddenly doesn't seem that bad. I felt like i empathized with the baby- neither of us could say much.
I have so much to say but I don't want to write a novel. All in all, there are moments of confusion for all of us students. I was glad to know I wasn't the only American who almost flooded their French home's bathroom. (Quick explaination- the showers are handheld, which would be fine if there was a place to rest it on the wall...) Some things are certainly lost in translation, and sometimes we're just idiots (like today when I kept trying to go into a shop by pushing the handle- as a French woman is looking on- when i was supposed to pull... we both laughed). There are minor victories (like being about to successfully order "un bierre" when in a pub with my friends) and minor setbacks (like when I was holding up the line at a supermarche because I forgot where the Euro coins were in the 10 places I had my money hidden. I ended up trying to give the man my 10 and he asked for my 5 which I didn't even know I had. After a minute of confusion he reached over and took it out of my wad of Euros). But, c'est la vie. Ups and downs.
Sorry so long- I'll try to post almost daily because so these aren't so painful to read. And I have pictures. Hopefully I'll find a way to post them and the link will be here soon.
Gros bis!
:-D"
the americans clumped like crazy yesterday. after living a few days alone with our french families, everyone was relieved to be back with someone they could completely understand. it was cool meeting everyone too. i would guess theres about 200 of us, and every person i met was nice. there was a lot of variety- all kinds of students are here. some are proficient in french, others dont know a word. theres every kind of major ranging from art to business and all regions of the US are represented (though a lot from the east coast and the south i think). im excited to be friends with these people.
i had my first experience trying to order something in french. we went to a busy boulangerie (deli) for lunch and it was really hectic. i got so nervous when it was my turn to order. I recongnized the word "poulet" (chicken) so i ordered that kind of sandwich. When I ordered I simply said "Je voudrais... la!" and pointed and the woman immediately knew I was american. She then quickly asked me if I wanted anything else and then told me my total in English. She and the others working there were really nice. For all that I have heard about the french being rude, I've yet to see it.
It is different here though- the men openly gape at you and the women avoid eye contact with everyone. I've actually had fun pretending to be a French woman. I walk around with my nose a little higher in the air than normal, I avoid eye contact with most people, ignore men and act like I'm a little ticked off. lol- I admit, the strut intensifies a bit and I seem to blend right in. Everything you've heard about French women is true though- they are beautiful. They put energy into looking good but they make it seem so effortless- everyone wears tall boots (I'm dying to get a pair), impressive earrings and tons of scarves. When I went to Isabelle's (my French mom's) friends country house I was amazed at how each woman looked so perfectly chic and put together. That was quite the experience- there were about 4 or 5 families there. The kids were pretty young (baby-10 I would guess) and played in the yard while the parents talked. They were very welcoming to me and at first talked to me in both French and English. It was pretty overwhelming. Its intimidating enough to go to a party where you don't know anyone in the States, but its even worse when you don't really speak the language. However, you remember that experiences like this are part of the reason youre there and that they will probably never see you again anyways and it suddenly doesn't seem that bad. I felt like i empathized with the baby- neither of us could say much.
I have so much to say but I don't want to write a novel. All in all, there are moments of confusion for all of us students. I was glad to know I wasn't the only American who almost flooded their French home's bathroom. (Quick explaination- the showers are handheld, which would be fine if there was a place to rest it on the wall...) Some things are certainly lost in translation, and sometimes we're just idiots (like today when I kept trying to go into a shop by pushing the handle- as a French woman is looking on- when i was supposed to pull... we both laughed). There are minor victories (like being about to successfully order "un bierre" when in a pub with my friends) and minor setbacks (like when I was holding up the line at a supermarche because I forgot where the Euro coins were in the 10 places I had my money hidden. I ended up trying to give the man my 10 and he asked for my 5 which I didn't even know I had. After a minute of confusion he reached over and took it out of my wad of Euros). But, c'est la vie. Ups and downs.
Sorry so long- I'll try to post almost daily because so these aren't so painful to read. And I have pictures. Hopefully I'll find a way to post them and the link will be here soon.
Gros bis!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
First Post from France!
Bonjour mes amis! This is the official first post from my new home in Aix. I LOVE it here. It is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined! And believe me, I had relatively high expectations so that’s really saying something. Yesterday (which for me actually lasted two days because of the traveling) was unbelievable. The whole day I felt as if I was « dans un rêve ». There were some funny moments in the airport in Madrid. I flew with a large group of fellow students en route d’Aix. That worked out great because people really got to know each other and we all grew closer during the traveling experience. It was hilarious going through customs in Madrid because we had no idea what we were doing. My friend Ashley and I were very confused when it was time to put our belongings in the tray because we didn’t know what they wanted and this woman kept speaking rapid fire Spanish at us, which only confused us more. After we finally made it through, the two of us cracked up at how stupid we probably looked. Then we flew into Marseille and took a bus ride to a place where our host families were waiting.
As many of you know, I didn’t know much about the family I was to have other than that I was living with a woman named Isabelle Goudin. She came to pick me up yesterday and I was extremely nervous. She turned out to be incredibly nice and also the mother of three boys. Only two live at home. Guillome who is 24 and Maxime who is 18. Both boys are extremely nice and have invited me out to hang out with them and their friends. We’ve talked a lot about tv and music. Most of the French tv shows are translated versions of American sitcoms. Maxime is a huge fan of Lost and has all of the seasons which he promised we could watch later. Sadly, they had not heard of The Office, but don’t worry- I brought season two and they will be introduced later. :-D Guillome has been playing Jack Johnson today. I complimented him on “son bon choix.”
After I arrived Isabelle drove me my new home- a beautiful apartment in the center of Aix. No joke, its about as central as it comes. It is surrounded by all of the cafes, shops, etc. It is on this beautiful narrow street. I was really surprised at how compact the city is. It is one narrow, winding street after another. It is all old and absolutely breathtaking. There are quiet little fountains in just about every other street. When we pulled up to the house I just thought “You have to be kidding- this is more quintessentially French than even I had imagined.” All of the windows in my apartment are long and let a ton of light in. After I had unpacked and called my parents, Isabelle showed me the town. There are huge sales going on in Aix now and so the streets were packed with people. Isabelle introduced me to her friend who owns the tea shop next door to our apartment as well as friends of hers that we met on the street. She spoke to me in French and for the most part I understood her really well. She told me about the six and seven year olds that she teaches at her school as we walked through the streets. She showed me my school, the cathedral nearby and other monuments as we walked past. Then we walked to the Cours Mirabeaux- the beautiful tree lined street that is very famous in Aix. Ton of cafes line it- including “Les Deux Garcons” which I had heard about. Isabelle informed me though that les jeunes don’t usually go there. When we got back, Guillome had a few friends over and introduced me. –kiss kiss- They were very nice to me. I tried as best I could to talk to them in French but occasionally we relied on English.
Later that night, Isabelle’s brother, his wife and their daughter Marie came over for dinner. We ate pizza in my honor. Maxime, Marie and I went to get the pizza. We got it from a stand on one of the streets. Marie was extremely nice and even invited me to go to a “boit de nuit” with her on Saturday. We drank champagne (again, celebrating my arrival) and wine with dinner. To my college friends- it was a bit classier than how we eat pizza, I must admit. ☺ No pokie sticks eaten right from the box. Finally I crashed and slept like “un bébé”.
Today I am going with Isabelle to her friend’s house in the country. Later tonight we are going to Mass.
Sorry so long- I just had a lot to share! Gros bisou!
As many of you know, I didn’t know much about the family I was to have other than that I was living with a woman named Isabelle Goudin. She came to pick me up yesterday and I was extremely nervous. She turned out to be incredibly nice and also the mother of three boys. Only two live at home. Guillome who is 24 and Maxime who is 18. Both boys are extremely nice and have invited me out to hang out with them and their friends. We’ve talked a lot about tv and music. Most of the French tv shows are translated versions of American sitcoms. Maxime is a huge fan of Lost and has all of the seasons which he promised we could watch later. Sadly, they had not heard of The Office, but don’t worry- I brought season two and they will be introduced later. :-D Guillome has been playing Jack Johnson today. I complimented him on “son bon choix.”
After I arrived Isabelle drove me my new home- a beautiful apartment in the center of Aix. No joke, its about as central as it comes. It is surrounded by all of the cafes, shops, etc. It is on this beautiful narrow street. I was really surprised at how compact the city is. It is one narrow, winding street after another. It is all old and absolutely breathtaking. There are quiet little fountains in just about every other street. When we pulled up to the house I just thought “You have to be kidding- this is more quintessentially French than even I had imagined.” All of the windows in my apartment are long and let a ton of light in. After I had unpacked and called my parents, Isabelle showed me the town. There are huge sales going on in Aix now and so the streets were packed with people. Isabelle introduced me to her friend who owns the tea shop next door to our apartment as well as friends of hers that we met on the street. She spoke to me in French and for the most part I understood her really well. She told me about the six and seven year olds that she teaches at her school as we walked through the streets. She showed me my school, the cathedral nearby and other monuments as we walked past. Then we walked to the Cours Mirabeaux- the beautiful tree lined street that is very famous in Aix. Ton of cafes line it- including “Les Deux Garcons” which I had heard about. Isabelle informed me though that les jeunes don’t usually go there. When we got back, Guillome had a few friends over and introduced me. –kiss kiss- They were very nice to me. I tried as best I could to talk to them in French but occasionally we relied on English.
Later that night, Isabelle’s brother, his wife and their daughter Marie came over for dinner. We ate pizza in my honor. Maxime, Marie and I went to get the pizza. We got it from a stand on one of the streets. Marie was extremely nice and even invited me to go to a “boit de nuit” with her on Saturday. We drank champagne (again, celebrating my arrival) and wine with dinner. To my college friends- it was a bit classier than how we eat pizza, I must admit. ☺ No pokie sticks eaten right from the box. Finally I crashed and slept like “un bébé”.
Today I am going with Isabelle to her friend’s house in the country. Later tonight we are going to Mass.
Sorry so long- I just had a lot to share! Gros bisou!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Second Time is the Charm.
Ok, we're going to try this again. There were problems with the first blog so this is the next go round. I leave for Aix on Friday and I am extremely excited! The packing has commenced and could be finished if I had figured out the exact dimensions for my suitecases. Well, in the immortal words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day."
Thank you for reading this- if you're on this page it means that you're interested in my travels and that means a lot to me! I hope this blog provides a way for me to keep in contact with all of my loved ones and share all of my experiences with them.
A bientot!
(I need to figure out accents on this thing!)
Thank you for reading this- if you're on this page it means that you're interested in my travels and that means a lot to me! I hope this blog provides a way for me to keep in contact with all of my loved ones and share all of my experiences with them.
A bientot!
(I need to figure out accents on this thing!)
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