Christmas in France

The Christmas Season is definitely upon us, and because I am not leaving for the States until the 20th, I have had time to experience Christmas in France.

Item Number 1: Shopping in France
Shopping in France is not like shopping in the States. For one thing, I have not set foot in a mall in the past four months. Instead, I roam the streets of Dijon looking for the perfect presents. Sometimes that means that I must barter with men from Senegal or India, trying to deceipher their accents (and trust me...speaking french is one thing...but speaking french to someone with a heavy accent is a WHOLE different story) An example of the bartering, "Oh sorry sir, I don't have 15 euro on me...Oh but look! I have a 10! Perfect, I'll take it!" Other times it means browsing the Christmas market in town, stopping for a sample of foie gras or a cup of "vin chaud" (hot wine). Hey, I am the shopper here, and it's not all fun and games...it takes guts and courage. I have to brave the cold. I must battle through the crowds. One piece of advice. Unless you want to deal with the mass millions of people, do NOT go shopping on a Saturday. Boeuf...now that is what I call bravery. Therefore, due to the stress, I often treat myself to presents too. Like for instance, the other day I entered a store looking for a gift for a friend, and I happily exited with TWO gifts...one for my friend and one for me. Lastly, the TYPE of presents that I am buying are funny. For example, I can buy jars of mustard and poof, that takes care of 5 people on my list :0)

Item Number 2: Pere Noel
Father Christmas, or Pere Noel as they call him, is not the same. I saw him. He was roaming around the Christmas fair. He was not plump and merry, but French looking - therefore, he was skinny. He does not eat milk and cookies but cheese and baguettes. Also, he does not say HO HO HO. He says OUI OUI OUI (ok I made the last two parts up).

Item Number 3: The music
As soon as Thankgiving dinner is over at my house, the Christmas music is turned on...and it remains on for the next month :0). France is not the same...they dont have corny Christmas songs like "Dominik the Christmas Donkey" (who came up with that song anyway??) and they dont see the vital importance of Jingle Bells to start the season off right. I really havent heard much music at all, so I am forced to listen to the 5 songs on my computer over and over (yes, and they are the Mariah Carey versions... :0)

So "pour conclure" or to conclude, I'm really enjoying these last couple of weeks in France b/c it's really something to experience Christmas in a different country. But at the same time, it makes me want to spend the holidays with my family even more!

On y est presque = We're almost there

The first semester in France is almost over. I leave in 2 weeks to spend a glorious 15 days with my family in Massachusetts. Now, to think back, it is remarkable (maybe because I’m a psych major) to note my progress – not only in the French language, but in myself as well. I have become more independent – I have traveled alone (even on a plane!), found my way around new cities, dealt with visas and “carte de sejours,” signed up for Karate and Yoga courses (and excelling in them both!), met friends, survived strikes, learned how to cook :0), and learned how to live in a house that is ruled under a different cultural jurisdiction. For me, it is spectacular to see a difference. The language aspect is just as fascinating. I’ve seen that the brain goes through different stages. Upon arriving in France, my brain was so happy to be hearing the language that it was whirring, all in French. I would spit out French words, even if they weren’t correct, and I became a sponge – soaking everything in. The next stage was rejection. My brain decided it didn’t like French anymore, missed English, and therefore it refused to speak the language. Words came out sloppily, it was hard to listen/write, and all I wanted to do was talk in English. The next stage was a frustrating one. Now I wanted to speak French, but I couldn’t find the words – I would be rendered into silence even though I wanted to express myself. After that there was a lull period, in which I was improving slowly, but without notice. I was gradually getting faster at speaking, and making less mistakes. Now I’m at the point where I am talking so rapidly, and I don’t have to search for the words. However, the only problem is that I am catching myself when there is a mistake, but it’s annoying to be still making those errors. One can compare it to say, if I said in English, “They walk around yesterday” or something silly like that. And I can HEAR what I did wrong. Also, I’ve noticed that I’m thinking A LITTLE, just a little, in French. Like, I will say something in my head in French, and not think about what it means in English, but of course know what I just said. It’s actually kinda strange :0) It’s also strange, that now I am working on not what I say but HOW I say it…and obviously that’s a big part of language. For example, in English, you wouldn’t say, “I am going to get a shower” if you wanted to say that you’re about to TAKE a shower. Or “I have 20 years” instead of “I am 20 years old.” These are things that I want to grasp. Leslie is helping me with this though, which is amazing. Italy was a bit like the stages of the brain, the short version…condensed into 5 days. Upon my return to France (well, one, I was so happy to be back that the French was just spilling out of my mouth) I have been doing better on my Italian homework – I know HOW the language is used, thus words and grammar come easier. When I arrived in Italy, I was pulling words out of my arse, often inventing “fritalian” (a mix of French and Italian :0) but by the end of the 5 days, I was ordering my train tickets! I was so proud! I think something else that has been helping is watching movies in Italian…when you do that, you are more accustomed to how the language flows/sounds, and you aren’t translating literally anymore. Trust me…translating literally is a faux ami (false friend).

What’s interesting is that you can only notice changes after they have already happened. Now, I can look back and see a difference, progress…but when it was happening it was all so difficult! I still have a lot to work on, but I know that that too will come. I have another five months! I am also very interested to see how my brain responds to being in an English speaking area for 15 days…will I start dreaming more in French b/c it wants to come out? Or will I lose it? Will I want to go back to France or will I want to stay at home? Haha…I don’t have a choice so I hope it’s the former!

Ciao Bella!

So I'm back from Italia!!! I spent too much money, took too many pictures, ate too much gelato, and hardly slept...in my opinion, the best vacation ever. Italy is so different from France...they drive like maniacs, are loud and pushy, use their hands a lot, eat late, and don't understand how to clean their buildings and monuments (they're all pretty dirty). It was so great to see a different culture...it was so exciting!

I stayed with my friend Joe from Holy Cross and his host mother in Florence. This woman is adorable...she's about 4 feet, she's 82, and when she speaks in italian i just want to melt. I stayed there for 4 nights, and during 5 days I saw Florence, Rome, Lucca, and Pisa. Some highlights:

- Setting eyes on the David
- Going to the italian cinema and seeing an italian movie without subtitles :0)
- Eating gelato for lunch and dinner (haha...i only did that one day!)
- Getting lost on a run in Florence...but I saw a lot of things! :0)
- Seeing all of the sights on Joe's "What not to Miss in Rome in 3 days" book...in only 1 day (Colloseum, St. Peters, Tivoli Fountain, Pantheon...)
- Going to an Inter-Milan vs. Florence soccer match...We lost, but who cares? I cheered in italian among die-hard italian fans!
- Going to the Internation Christmas fair in Florence, and passing the French table...I ended up chatting/drinking wine with the owner in french :0)
- Going to mass in Rome - it was all in Italian!
- Crosses on almost all the buildings
- Eating homemade tortellini
- Drinking capuccino and hot chocolate and espresso...
- Ordering things in Italian/trying to speak to Joe's host mother in Italian
- Being happy to be back in France after it all...

My French Friend

The students and myself here at Holy Cross get pretty good treatment…we have a 4 adults who serve as our little “team.” We have Nanou, who is the coordinator of everything, and gets us free tickets to the theatre (fairly often!) and who plans excursions for us during the year. Patricia, our Methodology teacher (which is a course on writing and oral presentations) conducts a class for only the 8 of us Holy Cross students. We also have a class with Christelle, an amazing woman who is an English teacher at the university. We do translations from English to French (harder than you think!) and she has such a superb English accent. I fell in love with her when she told me her romantic story of falling in love, then having two kids. She just recently moved very close to me, between Place Wilson and Parc Colombiere, so I’m hoping I can baby-sit for her two boys in the future (2½ and 8 months). Lastly, there is Leslie. She is our tutor, and better yet, she studied at Clark last year, which is right across the street from Holy Cross! Right there, there was a connection. We could talk about diners that both of us have been to (shout out to the boulevard!) and Dunkin Donuts, parties at Holy Cross, Worcester’s beauty (jokes!), Boston, etc. The best thing is that she has become a great friend here in Dijon. She is also one that I can speak French to, and at least once a week we go to a café and just talk. Honestly, speaking in French and just listening to her is the best practice I can get. I’ve improved so much and she’s noticed (which is such a compliment and gives me confidence!) We were advised before leaving for France by Holy Cross that it would be in our best interest to make French friends. However, it’s not that easy…french students already have their groups formed, and it’s quite intimidating for an American to just go up to someone and say, “Hey, you looking for a friend? I can’t really speak your language, but you know, we could hit up the boulangerie together or something.” Oh, and you have to remember to throw in, “I don’t like Bush and I don’t support the War in Iraq” if you want them to even hear you!

Little Women

Today I watched Little Women one of my favorite movies. As soon as the movie started, and the scenes of Concord, Massachusettes rolled across the screen, I wanted to cry. Happy tears of course, because it was like seeing a video of home. I drank that movie in…wanting to be at Walden Pond skating as Jo and Teddy did, playing in the snow, baking cookies, looking for Christmas trees, the works. Then the part came when Amy was in Paris. And it just reminded me how when I would watch the movie years ago, that would be my favorite part. My dreams of going to Paris started at a young age. And I’m here. I found my way. Of course going back for Christmas is going to be so...well, simply unbelievable. And I’m going to head over to Concord to the March’s house just to give a little tribute. Because today, I was reminded by the March girls, that while life can have its struggles, dreams can also be reached.

Les Reves (Dreams)

The other night, I had quite a dream. So it started out that my Aunt Mo was married to Brad Pitt (sorry Rob!) and so he was introduced to the family for the first time at a family gathering. I was home from France for a vacation (yes, in my dream I was still studying abroad!) and Brad was introduced to me. Star-struck, he asked me how I was enjoying my studies in France, because he too had done a year abroad in Paris! So then my next question to him was, “Et donc tu parles francais?” (and so you speak French?) and the rest of our conversation unfolded in French. It’s really amazing how some of my dreams can now be in French. They usually occur when I have just watched french TV before bed or something of the sort. But I think it’s really interesting how it reflects exactly how French is for me right now. I’m finding it’s really easy to speak, and words seem to flow much easier…but I’m not thinking in French yet. In my dreams it’s the same thing…I can SPEAK in French but I don’t THINK in French. Yet I’m not complaining…I love dreaming in French…it’s exciting, it shows progress, and it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time! And hey, it’s even better when these dreams include Brad Pitt :0)

Thanksgiving, French Style

So I had Thanksgiving in France, although it was actually more of a nice French dinner with turkey as the main course. I mean, you can't exactly call Thanksgiving Thanksgiving without the Macy's Day Parade, Mom bustling around the kitchen, the smell of turkey wafting to your chilly pinked nose upon return from the football game, relatives, the Thanksgiving platters and plates, orange candlesticks, picture-taking, homemade cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas from the can, stuffed mushrooms, my Mom's pumpkin and apple pies, that uncomfortable full feeling after dinner and the sleepy feeling that comes soon afterward, After 8 mints, the walk around the block to aid the digestion process, the christmas music and movie that are turned on after the meal because it's officially "allowed," and last but not least, my family.

Summary of the Past Week and French Observations

Good news! The university (we call it the 'fac') voted to deblock! Meaning, school starts again tomorrow. How crazy is france, huh? I mean, last week there was both the university and the transit strike that lasted for a week, all around France. Therefore, for a week, i had to find ways to entertain myself since I didnt have classes nor could i leave the city :0) I went to the movies quite a few times (and actually saw some awesome stuff...i recommend "One day on earth" "The Valley of Elah" and "Eastern Promises") I went ice skating with my holy cross pals, celebrated birthday parties with 2 of the girls who are here with me (aged 20 and 21), traipsed around Dijon, and oh, went swimming (indoor pool of course). That was really funny...french people don't understand the concept of lanes/it was a mob scene.

I also made the best purchase yet...i went into a cute little bookstore and bought 2 things. 1) A Roald Dahl book translated into french, yay, and 2) An ENGLISH book by Bill Bryson called "Neither Here Nor There." I treated myself b/c i figured i might need some more things to keep me occupied as the strike continues (and it's up in the air when any of the strikes will actually end...2 years ago the university strike went on for 2 and a half months!). I bought the Bill Bryson book because he is not only hilarious, but in this one, he writes about his travels around Europe. Well of course, that pertains to me :0) I literally have been laughing outloud at his dry wit and hilarious observations. I love his chapter on Paris (of course) because he pens a lot of the same sentiments as myself. For example he notices how Parisiens have no concept of lines (for the bus for example), and that you can't trust the red and green "walk" signs (aka when it says you can walk, make sure you look both ways b/c a car could still be careening around the corner!) something that i noticed my first week in Tours. People seem curt and cold, and some buildings (like the Centre Pompidou) are so strikingly strange that you have to wonder if the french find it necessary to show off. People walk around with freshly purchased baguettes from the boulangerie while wearing berets, and find it perfectly normal to make out (and i mean, MAKE OUT) in public. However he also notes that Paris, although quirky and foreign, is also gorgeous and breathtaking...it's hard to leave. My sentiments exactly.

Crepes, Italian, and Squirrels

Hello all!

It's been awhile! Since the last I've written, I have walked the streets of Paris, explored the Centre Pompidou (and layed eyes upon works by Picasso, Dali, and Man Ray), taken pictures of the Notre Dame and the Sacre Coeur, been part of a converstation which had to be translated from Kurd to English to French, laughed over beers with students from London in an Irish pub in France, saw "Le Royaume" (The Kingdom) in a french theatre, eaten homemade crepes with my holy cross buddies, spent 4 Euro (6.5 dollars) on water (oops!! NEVER order water in a fancy tea place), went to my first yoga class in Dijon (slightly hard to focus on the body when the teacher is speaking to me in french!), and lastly, watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off in italian (though not quite the same without the original voices :0)

I envy the students here in Europe who are working on their 4th or 5th language. It's the norm here to be brought up with four languages, (for example, the mom speaks german, the dad speaks italian, at school you learn french and english...), which is especially the case for Swiss students. At my house, there are two Swiss students there now, staying for 2 weeks. It's really fun because we can speak either italian, french, or english! French has been getting a lot easier, but that makes speaking italian all the more difficult. I start adding in french words when i dont know the italian ones :0)

Something to add which I find really interesting in France - squirrels don't really exist! Of course, this is a bonus for me, because I for one am not a fan of these rodents which are unfortunalely in abundance in the states. What's funny is that I know a few french students that have studied abroad, and for souvenirs have taken back stuffed animal squirrels and taken a million pictures of them. I laugh when i hear this :0)

Oops!

Note about yesterday's post: November First is actually one of the 11 national holidays celebrated by the french. It's not actually "random" as I described. On the contrary, it is called "All Saints Day" (La Toussaints). I looked it up after writing last post, because I was curious why in fact we didn't have school on a day that the United States doesn't recognize.

Also, funny story about this "holiday." I got up early to rent a bike, and apparently, the OFFICE OF TOURISME is closed on nov. 1st!!! That's like, I dunno, closing a hospital!! Well, it feels like that at least for tourists. I saw at least a dozen pitaful souls wandering around the building, peering into the darkened room. Honestly, without this sacred structure, one is lost, forever wandering aimlessly around a foreign city! I survived, but barely :0)

Little Vacation

Dijon has a funny way of doing things. One, they begin to put up Christmas decorations in October (and as all of us Americans know, that is strictly not allowed until after Thanksgiving...of course the French don't have Thanksgiving, but still...October?). Two, they give us funny breaks, like November 1st. Quite random. So I have a four day weekend (no classes on friday either) to, well, explore. I'll be walking around Dijon, going to see some movies, drinking hot chocolate in cafes, and whatnot. Some friends are going to Switzerland for the long weekend, but since I'm planning to do that in February, I decided to remain here in lovely, chilly, Dijon. Starting tomorrow, there is a huge gastronomical fair, where you can go and taste-test and learn all about different kinds of food. Also tomorrow, there is a bike race in the countryside, so I'm going to check it out with my friend who lives right by there. His host parents are also not here this weekend, so we will be doing some cooking at his house...pancakes anyone? Saturday, I might be going to Paris for the day. Each Saturday it's only 15 Euro to go to and from Paris, leaving at 6am and coming back around 7. Not too shabby of a deal!

I'm thinking of you all! I can't believe that Christmas is creeping up on me. And because I'm going to Italy at the end of November, and then Strasbourg middle of December, the 20th (the date of my flight back to the States) is going to fly by. It seems like I've been living in France for a century, yet at the same time it seems like 2 months have flown by!

Love, Katelyn

PS. Today I saw a four-fingered man in the bank (I had to open an account today because I'm going to be tutoring english here, hence earning money :0) Yippee!) and I thought of Princess Bride. "Mawwige...it's what bwings us togeva today." or even better, "My name is Enigo Montoya...you killed my father. Prepare to die."

PPS. For all of the Peters out there (yes you daddy and Mr. Krug :0) the word peter in french (not pronounced the same of course) means to fart. But no worries. My name also doesnt really exist, so they call me Kaht-leen. When people start calling me Katelyn again it'll be strange :0)

WINE!!!

Yesterday was our second Dijon excursion…and we went to a vineyard! For the first time since being in France, I saw the burgundy vineyards where they specialize in red wine. We picked some grapes off the vines (totally interdit but we did it anyway) and they were so good – very sweet in fact. We (the rest of the holy crossers, two host mothers, and myself) had a great time eating the grapes and spitting out the seeds :0)

Then, we went on a tour of an old winery, which was really neat. I learned a lot about presses, and how to store the bottles. Next we stopped in a very cute old french village called Beaune for classic french food (NOT! Actually it was an american pub...we had burgers and fries and milkshakes...a nice change of pace but a far cry from the delicious traditional french food :0) and for a tour of an old hospice (a hospital). The roofs of the hospital were the traditionly burgundy tiles, of all different patterns and colors. And we saw old syringes that I would NEVER want a doctor to approach me with, and the beds that sick people slept in - we were also told that once a person was admitted into the hospital it was not exactly a good sign. haha. Next we saw a real live castle with a real live drawbridge! And lastly we went wine tasting...BIG DAY!

Oh, one more tidbit to add. At the wine tasting, there were tables of all different wine brands, and one of the tables was of Lapierre wine. That's Adam's (a holy cross student here in france with me) last name! When he told the man, he was so excited and gave Adam a free bottle of white wine! :0)

interdit = not allowed

Accordian

The other night était genial. I attended a poetry reading for the first time in my life. My host mother asked me if I would like to go with her and a friend, and I gladly accepted the rather unexpected invitation. The readings were taken from the poet Prevet. Of course, it was all in French, so I wasn’t able to understand all of it. But it was still fantastic. And intermittingly, there were also accordion players. I have never realized how talented an accordion player must be. There are so many buttons! So many notes! I actually might look into taking accordion lessons for the year, as my culture project. Everyone who studies abroad needs to do research on one aspect of their foreign country’s culture. Therefore, the light bulb went off over my head tonight as I realized what a potentially awesome project that could be. I mean, when you think of classic French, you think of a man in a beret smoking a cigarette, playing an accordion outside of a café in Paris. I could be that man! (well, woman) Chouette!

The other night était genial = The other night was fantastic
Chouette! = Great/Neat! (it's also the word for owl)

Beauty in France & Running Tales

So I found Lac Kir. Words can't describe the beauty I encountered this morning, before the sun was up. I was on a run along the paths that surround the lake. The lake itself is tucked between cliffs, nestled among trees and serenaded by churchbells. As the sun rose this morning, revealing the steam coming off the water, two swans floated lazily by. Let me tell you, it definitely a good start to the day!

Two storied worth mentioning:

1) The first was when I in Tours. I was running along the river, and there was a man that passed me. I heard something to the effect of "Don't tire yourself out!" and I had thought that was such a cute little insight into French culture...Why run when you could walk? Why stress out when you can relax at a cafe? Things to that nature. But when I went home and looked up what he said, I think he was actually saying "you're not running that fast." Humph :0)

2) The second was from this morning. I ran past yet another man, and althought it was quick, I swear that he said Hello...in english! Is my American-ness simply radiating off me? Perhaps it's my stride..." she runs like an american..." I thought I was safe from being marked as American when I didnt speak. Apparently not.

la poupe

So haven't written in awhile. This is due to:

1) not having internet at my house (huge bummer)
2) writers block
3) having surprisingly, a lot of homework
4) eating croissants in my spare time

Ok, so not really number 4. Although, I did go one morning at like 3:30 to get a warm pain au chocolat (thats a croissant with chocolate bits in it) at the boulangerie by my house on the way home from the discotheque. It was heavenly. I also watched this program on tv, where I saw them make bread and pastries. Yikes...that is difficult work man.

So switching subjects...I'm fully enjoying my greek archaeology class. It's really really neat, lots of stuff to learn, and each piece of work has a myth about it. Also, the teacher is really nice, and when I gave my oral presentation on a vase, she said, "dont worry, just try your hardest." So there i was, shaking in my boots because i was in front of french students, stuttering in french with my american accent! AH! Quelle couchemar! But i survived.

A funny story about that class...yesterday, another mec was giving his presentation on a vase with a boat on it. And as he was describing the boat, he kept saying "poupe" (which i found out later is the french word for the stern of a ship) and of course that sounds like "poop." I know, im 5 years old for thinking this was funny, but honestly, i could hardly keep from bursting out laughing...

quelle couchemar! - what a nightmare!
mec - dude/guy

Quirks

France has something about parks and animals. Whenever I have seen a nice big park, there are always animals inside. Like, the park where I like to run here, called La parc Colombiere (very big and beautiful, with LOTS of runners :0) has some fawns, sheep, some roosters/chickens, goats, and for some reason, pot bellied pigs. By the way, pot-bellied pigs are HUGE. They make me laugh.

Also, it is hard not to run into funny circumstances in a different country. Like, for example, this afternoon I bought some gum. I reached for the “citrus” flavored gum (hey, the foil was orange), but unluckily, it tasted like Halls. I realized afterwards, by examining the package (and by looking up some words) that it was actually gum to help with colds, to clear your nasal passages. Well, I did realize I was breathing better after some chews. :0)

Oh, and something else. Because I don’t have internet yet at my house, I’ve been playing a lot of solitaire on the computer. Well, let me tell you, it is ridiculous. I have won ONE time, in the past 2 weeks. I think it’s fixed.

tea and crumpits

This past weekend in London was amazing. Here are some highlights:

- Dad and I saw some really REALLY big jewels in the Tower of London
- I met a beefeater
- I rode on the underground and heard “mind the gap” over the loudspeaker
- I went to St. Paul’s twice, because Dad thought I didn’t actually find the real one, so I had to go back and check
- I ate really good food, right down the block from Oliver Twist’s home!
- England beat France in the rugby world cup semifinals (I didn’t know who to cheer for!)
- I pretended I had an English accent, and I think people believed me
- I bought an Italian dictionary, in England, for my class which is taught in French
- Dad lied about his age to a bloke we met in the pub…and don’t worry dad, you definitely look 42
- I saw two Holy Cross girls at the Big Ben
- I met Prince Harry (jokes!)
- And last but not least, Dad and I got mooned as we ate at the Thai restaurant.

Cheers!

I’m learning to rely on certain things that close to home, or in the states, I have not been as aware of. For example, I’ve been listening to a lot of music here…it’s very calming. I’ve also been drawing a lot. Also, without internet access, to talk to my mom during the week, I would not be able to survive.

So yah, I guess I’m strong to be studying in France for a year. But at the same time, I must find those things that help me through. I’m not in it alone.

I’m making this sound like I’m having the most difficult time in France. And that’s not true. I’ve been having the time of my life. I would not want to be anywhere else. But see, it is more difficult here. I must communicate in a foreign language, and thus I am often rendered mute (which is very hard for someone such as myself, who likes to express themselves!) I have to wait in long lines, since France apparently likes them a lot. The food is different. I can’t wear my sweatpants to school.

So when I look back at what I just wrote, I realize that it’s not that France isn’t good. On the contrary, it’s amazing. The world is so big, and it’s so fun to be able to explore new places, finally be an independent woman. However, Dijon is not home, and that’s what’s hard. I don’t have many friends yet, while at Holy Cross I can’t walk 10 feet without saying hi to a friend. I know practically every road in Acton, and I have memories there. Without family, friends, or familiarity, isolation and a little bit of desperation sets in. I’m learning these feelings, and THAT’S why it’s hard. I don’t go a day without thinking about home yet. I’m not homesick, but I think about it a lot. Again, I don’t want to go home, I just wish that I was as comfortable here as I am in Boston, in my town, in my house, at my school. I want that so badly here. But honestly, it must be coming. Time is the only solution. And that’s what is also frustrating :0) I’m not that patient.

La Passion du Gout

Ah, croissants. I mean, you can get them in the United States, but eating them in France makes them 100 times better. Today after class I walked into a patisserie, and asked for a "croissant du beurre" - aka a plain croissant (literally it means a butter croissant). There are many other options, from raisin, to chocolate...etc. But croissants are so flaky and yum, that it's not hard to believe that they were made right beneath the shop only hours before.

I entitled this post "La Passion du Gout" or the passion for taste, b/c here in France, there seems to be a little more umph in the food. Huge grocery stores don't exist. Only little bread/pastry shops, the butchers shop, cheese shops, (mustard shops here in dijon), and then your little supermarket for the other necessary goods. But there is more flavor, more gout with each bite - mainly b/c there is more passion for food here. What I need to learn is to eat to savor my food, something that I'm not used to :0)

Last week, I was walking home. Yes, I was out late, coming home at like 2:30 in the morning. But it was absolutely amazing, b/c i passed, right by my house, a boulangerie. And the door to downstairs was open, and wafting out was the best smell. I took a peak, and what I saw made me love France even more. A man in his slippers, making croissants. I could see them getting golden brown in the oven. Now that's what I call passion for food - waking up at an ungodly hour to make scruptious pastries. Next time when I pass at that hour, I'm going to ask to buy one. :0)

La Langue Maternelle

Today was my first day of classes in France! I have signed up for a French culture class (reserved solely for exchange students, comme moi :0), a Greek archaeology class (that will give me an art credit) a psychology class of child development (for my psych major) and an Italian class!

Now this italian class is insane. Not only am I trying to learn a language other than my lange maternelle (mother tongue) but it's being tuaght to me in French...again, a foreign language. I'm pretty proud that I'm able to keep up (the teacher speaks really fast) but still, it's the weirdest concept. It's almost too hard for my brain to grasp. I'm hoping that my brain won't explode from all the languages!

Home

It seems real now, that i'm in a different county. I made it to Dijon, where it actually seems more difficult than Tours. Difficult in terms of missing what I know. For instance, I really wish I could go outside and find a Dunkin Donuts. I really miss talking english. I really miss knowing where I'm going. Of course, these feelings surmount when I feel a little helpless, and right now I do. I'm an American from my shoes to my head, in a world that I don't know, don't yet understand, and I am speaking a language that hardly exists here. Thus, I'm floundering a bit.

It's weird, but I've noticed that when things aren't working out, I miss America. Like, when I have to wait in really long lines (long queues are notorious here) I want the American beuraucracy. Or when Josette (my new hostmom) pounces with another set of obscure and foreign French rules, I want my own house in Acton. Or when the University is making it difficult and too confusing for me to pick classes, I want to be at Holy Cross.

Overall, I'm overwhelmed. But I calm myself by taking long walks around the city (it's very beautiful) and discovering the little nuances that make France France. I mean, I am only here for a year. And while right now that seems like eternity, in 9 months I'm going to look back and wish that I could still walk into a patisserie and buy a beautiful pastry. Or walk past the umbrella shop and wonder why I've never seen one in the US before. Or smile at the old men with their glasses and pipes carrying their baguettes down the street. Or marvel at the old stone buildings. Or...or...

La fin de Tours ~ The end of Tours

I leave for Dijon in an hour - honestly, time has passed so quickly. I've been in Tours now for a month, and I can't even begin to describe the feelings that have been felt, the people I have met, the sights I have seen, or the food I have tasted. I have missed my family, and have been adopted by a new one. I have met a woman whose goal it is to battle AIDS in Cote d'Ivoire, and another who has felt the pains of the Iraqi War far too close to home. I have sat in cafes drinking cafe, in awe of where my life has taken me. I have made jokes in french, and tried to say words in german. I have taken too many photos, and at the same time not enough to capture what I have experienced here.

Two nights ago I went to see a concert in Tours center. It was wonderful, and not only because I was with good company or that the music was define...it was because I truly learned something that night. My last night in Tours, I felt at home. I was next to a french woman and a german man. We all spoke different languages, and yet we all felt something - the music was universal, and I was proud to be part of that.

Dijon will be another opportunity for me, another adventure in the making. However, I am sad to leave this one behind, for the little town of Tours has given me so much.

Mot du jour: chasse au trésor = treasure hunt

Today was such a fun day! En lieu du cours cet après midi, nous avons eu une chasse au trésor à Tours! We were split into assigned groups, aussitot que we could meet different people. I was in a group with 2 swiss students (a girl and a boy from the german-swiss area) and a 19 year old from mexico city. We had a set of 31 énigmes, and so we had to walk all around the city (2.5 hours!) to search for the answers. My favorite part was that the questions were posed such that we had to ask people in the street if they knew where things were. It was great. My french has already greatly improved, and everytime I am forced to speak french with others (b/c french was the language that my team members and I shared) I improve. I met a man who owned a book shop, b/c I had to ask him where a store was. I also met une femme sur la rue avec les lunettes bizarres, b/c we couldn't find l'école de la musique. All in all, it was tiring but really fun. I made some new friends, shared some laughs, didn't have to go to class, and won some great prizes at the end (I now have a ticket to a concert vendredi, a handy carrying case, AND un stylo which changes colors)

ps. 2 people asked me for directions today! YAY! That means that they thought I was french! (or that they were so desperate they asked me anyway :0)

En lieu du cours cet après midi, nous avons eu une chasse au trésor à Tours! = Instead of class this afternoon, we had a treasure hunt in Tours!
aussitot que = so that
énigme = puzzles
une femme sur le trottoire avec les lunettes bizarres = a woman on the sidewalk with funky glasses
l'école de la musique = music school
vendredi = friday
un stylo = a pen

Mot du jour: Goûter = to taste

So it was 6:30 in the evening, and I was getting hungry. For the past 3o minutes, Valentin had been hard at work preparing les gaufres. They smelled great, was one of the one american foods they served, and seeing Anne-Lise eat some just a little while earlier, I figured that it was a free-for-all kinda of night. So I sit down, take out some veggies from le frigo, and start eating my hearty répas. However, as soon as I'm done, Brigitte walks into the kitchen, and looked down at the table...and starts to smile. She then informs me that les gaufres were merely a snack, merely "to taste" before dinner, which would be soon. The family is still laughing, and this story will probably go down in history as being one of their favorite foreign student spoofs.

les gaufres = waffles
le frigo = the fridge
un répas = a meal

Mot du jour: Un burger végétarian = "veggie burger"

I put veggie burger in quotes, because they don't actually exist. But I was excited to see burger végétarian on the menu, since I did not yet know this fact. As I waited anxiously for my food, I realized this was the first place in France that I have even seen a vegetarian option, such as soy protein. France's idea of a vegetarian option is either just salad with lots of veggies, or melted cheese over cooked legumes. I had not yet seen in France any sign of tofu, soy, or veggie products of the sort you would find in the states. So, as you can guess, I was mildly surprised to see what was placed in front of me. Yes, it was a hash brown thing (a fried chunk of potatoe) on a bun, with ketchup, lettuce, and a tomato. It wasn't bad, but I won't order it again :0)

For the first time since I've been here, it's raining. I'm actually enjoying it though...the pitter patter of rain on my skylight is relaxing, and it's nice have the sky be a different shade...a change of pace is nice. Plus, I'm sure the beautiful gardens around here are enjoying the drink.

Today, I was looking online for prices for TRAVELING! I'm really excited to see more of europe. Of course, France is first on my list. Bordeaux, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, the works. BUT I truly and desperately want to see Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy...so I'm going to plan probably a two week trip during one of my breaks all through those countries. Good thing I worked like a dog this past summer!! This won't be cheap!

A tout à l'heure!

Love, Katelyn

The key to my heart

I sometimes have out of body experiences here in France, b/c, well, I'm in France. I visited the most remarkable place today, a little town close to Tours called Amboise. It has it's own chateau, an adorable little town, and the last demeure of Leonardo da Vinci. As the rest of my friends went to Paris today, I wanted to seek out a little place to relax and enjoy. I couldn't have made a better choice, and instead of going alone as I had planned, a friend from the Institut, Martin from Germany, had plans to go to the same place! So off we went together, on the most beautiful day possible. Upon arriving, it was like I had stepped into another world. France is, to put bluntly, drop dead gorgeous. I have never seen anything like it. And on the castle grounds, perched high above the town and the fleuve, I felt truly and deeply content. I knew I was where I was supposed to be, and though it was surreal, with my next breath I inhaled so much happiness and pleasure from the pure French air.

Sometimes I question why I am here. How come people end up where they are? How is it, that I, an American from Boston, and a 32-yr-old farmer from Germany, can meet, and spend a day simply strolling, talking (by the way, I know all about how to own bees and cultivate le miel), and end up standing together, overlooking the little town of Amboise, France? How is it that I, a 20 year old girl, is able to look upon the tomb of da Vinci, see his bedroom, eat a crepe in his garden, stroll among his trees, and then be offered wine afterwards? It could not have solely been my desire to améliorer my french that brought me here. Instead, it was a million little circumstances, a million little desires, a million little morsels of hope. I am in France, a country that is stealing my heart away, and I couldn't be happier.

la demeure = home/residence
un fleuve = a river
le miel = honey
améliorer = to improve/make better

La conte de la meringue

Once upon a time, a girl walked into a patisserie. She was looking for something...well, different. Something to satisfy her sweet tooth, yet a normal brownie or croissant would not suffice. And under the glass, a huge cloud of white caught her eye, and so smiling at the woman behind the comptoire, she pointed out her choice. The woman smiled back, accepted the 1.1 euro, and bade "au revoir." With a "merci," the girl was out the door and into the busy street of Tours. "Quelle chance" she exclaimed, "to have found something so new and exciting," as she headed towards le petit parc to enjoy her treat. She chose a spot on the grass where to her right there was a man putting the finishing touches on a beautiful tableau, to her front there was a pretty little fountain with a stone waterfall, and to her left there was a couple, kissing on a bench. "Parfait!" she exclaimed, and sat down. Perplexed at first as how to commence eating the treat because of it's grandeur, she gave into temptation and took a big bite. The texture, was alas, unnerving, yet the taste, incredible. The sugar was almost overwhelming, but not enough to want to stop eating. The bits of almond were surprising to discover, yet only another pleasant addition to the fluff of a treat. When the gastronomic adventure came to an end, the girl stood up, and brushed the sugar from her shirt and pants (and shoes and arms and face). On leaving the little parc, the girl paused a moment and thought, "this meringue will surely not be my last."

la conte = little story
patisserie = bakery
comptoire = counter
quelle chance! = what luck!
tableau = painting
parfait! = perfect!

La pente

First I will talk about La Pente. She is another friend that I have made. And this time it's not a donkey, nor a Swiss guy who I like to go shopping with, nor a little girl in the park who can't pronounce my name. Instead it's, well, a hill. This hill (in french called une pente) is massive. And in order to get to and from school, I need to ride up and down it every day. This is the hill where many adventures have happened. This is the hill where I have sweated profusely. This is the hill in which a sex shop, un coiffure, un boucheterie, un restaurant, et un petit magasin pour les produits freches (a little store full of fresh fruits and veggies) are all within a few yards of each other. I have smelled fresh cut grass (as there is grass between the two lanes) heard beeping car horns, and seen the annoyed faces of drivers when i cut them off. In the morning, thank goodness, I can ride quickly down. But in the afternoon, that is another story. It takes me about 20 minutes to get up it, as opposed to 5. I end up sweating in places I never thought possible. I am tired, annoyed, and practically keeling over from the size and weight of my backpack. La pente...can't live without it (it's the only route home!), but honestly, I wouldnt want to. I hate it, but I have also come to love it. It's one of the things in France that I actually know. I also pass a lot of the same people as I whiz down, opening their shops or heading to school/work. Many of the same people on their bikes pass ME on their way up (I told you i was slow going up it!). So while la pente is a drag, it is still a good friend, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Comme toujours

So I love watching le journal after dinner. At 8 oclock sharp, I can always count on seeing PPDA (Patrick Poivre D'Arvor, le presentateur) come alive with his serious face, but fairly amusing crooked rides. Also, the news is actually NEWS. Not in America, where all you hear about is murder and gore. Instead, the whole world is at your fingertips, as you learn about the goings on in other countries, as well as your own. For me, that is a huge difference and something that actually makes me feel smarter after I watch it (not to mention I'm practicing my french listening skills!). The news is something of a comfort now, something to look forward to. I find, just like la pente or Jean the donkey, that in a different country, I like having something that is constant. For me, that's a way to know I'm safe and taken care of.

le journal = the news
le presentateur = newscaster
rides = wrinkles
la pente = the hill

Planet Hair

It's gone! MY HAIR!!! Well, not really, but I did get a lot chopped off. I love haircuts (the new swoosh and lightness of your head) and I was in desperate need of one. So I thought, why not? I mean, if french people can go into a coiffure (hair salon) and come out ok, why not me? So I looked around for some chic place (of course, it HAD to be chic...i'm in france, no?) and I came across a place called Planet Hair. Ok, so it didn't sound french. But honestly, the price was great (student discounts! YAY!) Also, I was somewhat pulled to it. So, voila. I went in. Right before the lady began cutting my hair, I got really nervous. All the horror stories of foreign hair salons butchering people's hair...I wanted to run out! But I stayed put, although sweating slightly and growing paler. But, I was able to mumble out in french how I wanted my hair. And 20 minutes later, I had made a new friend (the 32 year old who has been cutting hair for 17 years!) and got an awesome cut. If I could do it, so can you. Honestly, I think all of the horror stories that I heard were made up to make people worried about getting their hair cut - and to make their relatively uneventful story, well, exciting. I should have told you all that my hair came out awful and that I had to ask my host mom to fix it, who made it worse, and then I had to walk around France looking like a boy with lopsided hair, etc. But alas, it was a great experience. Good luck with yours! Oh, and if you ever stop by Planet Hair, tell them that Kate sent you...the girl from America. They'll know who I am :0)

Mot du jour: Les animaux ecrasés = Roadkill

It's Sunday in France (the day of relaxing, gardening, and large lunches), and because il faisait beau (it was so nice out) I went on a bike ride through the beautiful countryside. HOWEVER. As I headed out, I didn't take into account the abundance of roadkill that I would meet. In the United States, or at least where I'm from, we have little roadkill. Little squirrels or moles or mice, etc. I rarely come across, let's say, A HUGE RACCOON/OPOSSUM THING or a really really cute RABBIT that's mashed to pieces. Rabbits...that reminds me. At the butchers, there are lots of meats...but you would never think of it as that. You would think it was a zoo with sleeping creatures. All of the birds and stuff have heads and eyeballs! I was walking through the market a few days ago, and there were skinned rabbits, ah yes, with heads and eyeballs, in the glass case. The butcher must have seen my face turning green, because he turned towards me, grabbed hold of one of the dead rabbits heads, and said, "C'est jolie, non?" (it's pretty, no?) I had to laugh after that.

So let's talk about live animals. I've already talked about the dogs, but I have yet to talk about the horses or the donkey. Yes, I have a friend named Jean, and although he is a donkey, he is awesome. He lives along the country road that I run on, and I like to stop and say hi to him when I get the chance. I like talking to him because he doesn't correct my grammar, nor does he laugh when I make a mistake. (The first day I was here, my host mom asked me what food I didn't like, and I said I like everything, that I'm very "facile." I meant to say easy, but I didn't realize I was actually saying I'm easy sexually!! Good first impression, non?) I feel like he's listening, although he might not be able to hear me over his chewing (he likes to eat a lot). The horses are his neighbors, they live right next door. They are beautiful.

Well, enough for tonight. I'm going to finish watching Erin Brokovich in french (I'm trying to understand as much as I can) and then to bed. School in the morning! Woo! A tout à l'heure!

Language

Just today I discovered something...that you don't notice language when you are among ppl who speak the same as you do. It comes naturally, and it's something you don’t give a second thought about. Instead, you concentrate on what you're trying to get across, and as you're listening to someone speak, your imagination wanders as you picture exactly what they're saying...not spelled out in front of you, but you can see the ideas, and pictures are formed in your head. However, now, being in a place where I am confronted by a different language, I find myself looking at language differently. I actually SEE it...all the words are laid out in front of me as I try to sift through the mumble jumble...and I HEAR it...each word is still just a word...it doesn’t carry much meaning yet. The French language is almost tangible...it’s like a bog that’s almost impassable, and to get through my tired brain needs to wade through each heavy word. It's a strange concept I know, but if you ever travel to a different place where you can understand a little bit of the foreign language, you will see what i mean.

Stinky Feet

I don't know how the french do it. All day they wear flats without socks, and also no sneakers. My question is...how do their feet not smell??? Maybe they do and I just don't notice (or have been in range) but honestly, I've been here for 3 days. My feet have never smelled this bad. BLAH.
And, i have to wear flats too, or people will know that I'm American! Gasp!

Another problem. Sweating in your school clothes. No one wears sweats when they ride their velos to and from school/work. So I'm here, sweating like a dog in my jeans and nice shirts and makeup, with stinky feet b/c i'm not wearing socks and sneakers, and the french go whizzing by with their baguettes in hand, looking as fresh as a daisy. Bon.

Mot du Jour: EMPRUNTER = to borrow

I was in class today, and I wanted to find out if we could borrow the foreign films from the mediateque to bring home. Well, of course I didn't know the word. So I had to describe what I meant...which obviously took 5 minutes longer than it needed to. And all he said was, NON. Awesome.

Then, now with the vocab word in my head and therefore with my boosted confidence, I went to the library (la biblioteque) to take out some books. I picked out four, but then when I went to the librarian to borrow them, she said (in french) "you first need to sign up, then pay 20 euros." I was like, "uhh, peut-etre plus tard" (ok...maybe later). These are some of the little trucs (things) that make France France.

Les chiens francais

Bonjour tout le monde!

Today I went on a run along la fleuve (the river Loire) which runs between St. Cyr and Tours. My house is pres de l'ecole (close to the school) even though I live in St. Cyr and not Tours (where the institute is). I've been riding my host mom's, Brigitte's, velo (bike) to school and back! There is also the option of riding the bus, but I feel more french riding my one-gear pink bike through town.

Anyways, the river route was beatiful. There is a trail which runs besides la fleuve and there are a lot of trees. I'll try to get some pictures up soon. I've been trying to speak as much french as I can, so when I'm running I like to say "Bonjour" to the passerbys (BUT ONLY IF THEY SAY IT FIRST!!! you have to watch out, b/c in france, smiling is seen as fake or if you do it to a guy, they think you're into them!), "pardon" when i need to get past, and "merci" if they move over ahead of time. The french accent is beautiful, as well as the town. There is the also the countryside, only a few minutes away, which is absolutely amazing.

One thing that I've noticed - the dogs here are awesome. They can speak french! A dog owner had a german shepard today along the river, where I was running. And he said, "Ici! Depeche! Allez!" meaning here! hurry! come on! And the dog went to him! I was amazed. I hope I'll soon be able to understand as much as the dog does :0)