This post may be a short one -- we'll see when I get started.
Last week on Monday night, the mayor of the city invited all the international students to the town hall (I posted a picture of that the first post) for champagne and snacks. He gave a speech about how important international culture is and how excited he was to have all of us in the city of Tours. We got a lot of free posters and information about the city and it gave us a chance to meet other students both at my school and at the public university. I think that it's neat that the city welcomes us so much -- everyone here is so patient, especially at the train station.
I don't know if I've mentioned this but it excites me so I"m going to say it again -- I keep getting mistaken for either a French person or someone not American. That's a big compliment because it means I"m losing my American accent.
My exams were Thursday and I got the results today. Blech, I didn't do that bad, I just thought they were SO much harder than my other tests. I'm still working my butt off so I guess I'll just have to keep working.
I'm going to raclette (French specialty) party on Wednesday night with my friends so I'm getting excited for that. And this weekend I"m going to another cathedral and a famous castle.
I went to London this past weekend with my sister. I was horribly ill Friday but I was able to go places Saturday and Sunday. I LOOVED it. It was nice to be able to understand more than one conversation at a time and to see another culture. I saw Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's (and sang Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins for those who are a fan), Big Ben, Eye of London, Tower of London (including the crown jewels), Marble Arch, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and a lot more!! My sister and I stayed at a hotel near Oxford Circus. I had a really good time and won't forget to "Mind the Gap" in the London Underground!!
I'll do a different Top Ten and call it a day for now. Sorry for the belated post and for the shortness of this message. I have too much to say and no time! My host sister is coming home in a bit and it's the first time I'm meeting her!
Top Fifteen Things You will Find in a French House that you Won't Find in an Average American Homes:
1. A crepe pan
2. Nutella
3. Fresh Baguette
4. A Canal tv guide -- Canal is the big TV station here
5. HOUSE SLIPPERS (my host father almost died when I was bare footed the first day --it is NOT acceptable to have bare feet)
6. Separate toilets from the shower (Water Closet rooms)
7. The smell of a mix of at least four cheeses
8. Books in the water closet rooms
9. A lot of clothes lines -- no one puts things in a dryer here.
10. Heated towel racks -- they are the BEST.
11. Outdoor blinds on the first floor -- the French are very protective of their homes so on the first floor they have shudders that one can close at night time. My host parents close them religiously as soon as it starts to get dark.
12. Spotless floors - its not ok to be messy here...yeah I have problems.
13. Schedules for the buses and train tickets.
14. No garage -- you park on the street (I guess this is something you don't find in a French home but you do find in an American home!)
15. Wood floors in EVERY room. No carpet to be found!
(Maybe I should have turned that into a top 15 types of foods that are different here...haha)
Pictures:
My sister, Liesl, and me in Trafalgar Square
Rosetta Stone
Liesl and me in front of Big Ben
Me in the Town Hall in Tours, France
Sad in Trafalgar Square (I saw Mary Poppin’s St. Paul the day before)
Liesl and me in front of Buckingham palace
Underground
London Bridge
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Wow. It must be so nice to have so many different cultures accessible to you right now. We're reading about different cultures and what you typically find when interacting with them. I would love to hear your perspective on the French and British (I guess you've already told us quite a bit about the french). Do you find that the members of neighboring cultures have been able to adapt to eachother and avoid most misunderstandings and conflicts or are there still quite a few problems caused by different views and styles?
ReplyDeleteHey! First of all, I love that you are being mistaken for a French person; you're so adaptable to their culture already, which is one of the categories that can make one "untouchable" according to what we are learning in class. Also, We have discussed how much the understanding of cultures can help in the changing world, and I was curious, what differences did you notice between the French and the British since your trip to London? I also found it very interesting how house slippers are a necessity there, and that bare feet are not acceptable; it's just so interesting how such small things differ between the US and France that it seems like we are in two different worlds. Do you ever feel like you are in a different world?
ReplyDeleteAgain, It sounds wonderful. We're currently studying french culture in Lead and it takes a lot of hits from students who say they are snoody and always have to be heard. From what I've read, they seem fine to me. I'm sure once you've been immersed in the culture, you don't notice it that much. I like the lists of things that are different. Again, from class, we may look back on those and be surprised how many of the items on the list we have adopted (such as Nutella) due to the flattening world and closing cultures. Keep discovering.
ReplyDeleteHey! I'm glad to see you're (still) having fun! Just something I was thinking about alittle the other day... are you involved with groups and organizations on your campus, such as international student groups, etc.? Also, another little thing I was curious about - are you able to watch/read any French media (not only news broadcasts and newspapers, but also comic strips, and TV shows)? I didn't get alot of time to, other than skim the daily paper, but I figured with your French being so good, that you might have been watching/reading it. If so, is there a big difference than the news and media here? Or is it all the same ol' same ol'?
ReplyDeleteI feel bad that I haven't been able to comment on your blog as much I feel I should. I was reading your list of "Things You Find in a French Home and not an American Home," and one of your items caught my attention:
ReplyDelete"11. Outdoor blinds on the first floor -- the French are very protective of their homes so on the first floor they have shudders that one can close at night time. My host parents close them religiously as soon as it starts to get dark."
In Houston, Texas, my family and I followed the strictest security measures because it was...well...Houston. I still follow that mentality to this day out of habit. Is that mentality in France because of necessity or is it just tradition?
Thanks for the questions.
ReplyDeleteSarah – I think I’ve touched a little on your question in previous posts. I honestly don’t know how the British feel about the French because well, I’m not French, so I wouldn’t have experienced that while I was there. I did speak French while I was there (by mistake!) and most people just thought it was cute. I think that was more because I was obviously American there. It was just nice to understand more than one conversation at once. I think that the cultures are well aware of each other because of history. The British work the French very often. (Now not as much as the French and Germans do) I wish I could go into more detail about the relationships but I’m not well versed in that. I’ll be heading to Italy next weekend (first weekend in March) so maybe I’ll have some more cultural differences there. I didn’t find England culture shock AT ALL. It felt like home, like a quick vacation from my life here back to the states.
Julie – Julie, I hope I answered most of your question in response to Sarah. I found it difficult to find many differences between London and America. Sorry!! I think it was hard to notice because I was in such a vacation type trip and visiting tourist-y places. I honestly heard more German and French in most places than English. As for the different world – no…this feels like absolute home to me. It makes me REALLY sad to think about coming home in 5 to 6 weeks. Really really sad. Life here FLIES.
Kyle – I hate that the French get hits from students saying they are “snooty” and “demanding to be heard.” It really isn’t the case at all. I can’t speak for Paris (which is mostly the stereotype) so I’ll have to get back to you on that once I spend a week there. I think the French are some of the nicest, most welcoming people. My family certainly is. What else did you learn about French culture in class?
Carly- First, thanks for the compliment about my French skills. Groups and organizations through my school do not exist. We are a private school and as I mentioned earlier, universities here have NO after school organizations or groups. The institute provides you with places you can go to play sports or join activities but I am honestly very occupied with my studies and Café Des Langues. Café des Langues is every Monday night where people who speak all different languages congregate. I always go to the French table but there is a Spanish, German, Polish, sign language, English, etc table. I skim the daily paper and I watch the news every night with my parents. I have to say is media is same old same old…I don’t really notice a difference. Same scandals, same reports.
Josh – No worries, good to hear from you. I think that the blinds being shut has to do with tradition more than the security it provides. My dad and I were talking about it the other day and he brought up an interesting comment. The closing of the blinds may be for security but also for security and to keep the light out during the World Wars. Honestly, my “neighborhood” or “street” is very safe and my house has a gate that would be impossible to climb so I don’t think the action stems from necessity.
Blakely,
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that you said everyone is so patient and accepting in France. It seems to be the complete opposite in America because we are always on the run and expect people to cater to our culture and way of life, rather than us to them. I think that is the beauty of other cultures that Americans just don't understand. Although I wouldn't say it is a flaw of Americans, I believe it is one of our biggest struggles when dealing with international groups.