So it's 6:30 here in Tours and I am doing my weekly blog/online check-in. Sundays here are very laid back so it's the best day to write even though I should probably be talking with my family. :) Oh well. I'm up in my room smelling the scent of chocolate cake that my host father is making. He manages/works with a chocolate company in France and its his homemade cake. I can't wait for dinner. :)
A lot has happened since my last check-in. First, I visited two chateaux (sorry, castles!!) last weekend with my program. We visited Langeais and Azay le Rideau. Langeais is an old castle that was built for protection and war. Azay is the opposite, built for pleasure and comfort. (As comfortable as you can get with stone walls and freezing temperatures!) Azay sits on a lake so it is really gorgeous. We also went to a little dessert shop (for lack of better translation) and got cakes and hot chocolate. Delicious! I love how France is so intrested in their food and making sure every little detail is covered: Desserts here are not only amazing but gorgeous at the same time! One of the most significant details I learned about the castles (stuff I didn't already know) had to do with the kitchens. In Azay, part of the kitchen has a low floor (original floor) and the other part has the higher, newer floor. The reason for the low floor is because there were windows in the kitchen and the owners of the castle did not want people on the outside looking in to see the "lowly peasants and servants" while they worked or chatted. I thought it was really interesting how concerned people were.
I've successfully been through two weeks of classes. My head hurts (my host dad says this is normal and a good thing!) because I am constantly thinking in French. It's actually kind of hard to switch back now. :) It's a little frustrating because even my international friends all want to speak English. My closest friends here are from Netherlands, England, Spain, and one from Miami University. We do a lot of different things together (celebrated my birthday and such!) My friend from the Netherlands speaks English as if she was from the US. The group of us will be going to Paris in a couple weekends : Yay!
Anyways, got off subject: Classes. I have a long long day of classes. Monday and Tuesday I go to school from 9 to 17h30. Wednesday is nice; I only have classes from 9 to 12 and the afternoon is free. Thursday I go from 9 to 15h30. And Friday I go from 9-12 break then from 1400-1600. My classes are taught completely in French which is challenging but it keeps me awake. I had my first test last week so I'll have to see how different the grading system is than at home. One thing about France is time means nothing. Class is supposed to start at 9 and my professor normally shows up at 905 or 910. It's actually normal to show up to class at 905 or 910. Breaks are supposed to last for 10 minutes and sometimes they go for as long as 20 minutes. My family is the same way: If I say I have to leave at 930, I won't be out of the house til 940. It's definitely something to get used to.
I celebrated my birthday this past week as well. I went to hockey game (they have cheerleaders for hockey teams here!) and went to a cafe with some of my friends. It was a lot of fun. :) My birthday was on Wednesday and my professors brought in cake to celebrate. Galette de Rois is the name of the cake: It's quite possibly the best cake I've ever eaten.
As far as this weekend goes, I went to see Twilight (in French) last night: It's a big of a fad here as it is in the US. And I saw Slumdog Millionaire today with my family. Cinema here is different: No one talks, laughs, or practially moves both before the movie starts and during the movie. And the popcorn is like kettle corn. :) ANd movies aren't horribly expensive here.
It takes two days for US news to get over here. My mom (real mom) told me about the airplane landing on the Hudson and it showed up in the French papers two days later. My host family talked a bit about it but they're more excited about the inuaguration. It's completely normal to talk about politics here and to talk about who you voted for. My host mom asked me today who I voted for. Also, the Israeli-Palestine situation is in France as well. I don't know how it is in the US, but in many cities in France there have been protests: including in Tours, where I am. There was one on the main street yesterday (protest parade) and all week there have been people trying to get you to stop and talk to them.
Well I think that's a lot to digest for now. This week I have two more exams and am visiting Angers on Saturday. My host father told me that part of Angers burned down (?) so we may be changing our excursion. Hope the first week of Marietta classes went well! Can't wait to hear all your comments/questions. :)
Pictures: Langeais, Azay le Rideau, International Friends, Professors, the Loire River
*Pictures won't work on this internet..I'll post tomorrow. :)
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Hey! I'm so glad to hear that about your language, I understand that as well, coming back I want to insert German into everything.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny you said that about the inauguration, because I was there for the elections and everyone in Germany was very interested in it, and also had no qualms about asking my personal political views. Do you think they are generally more liberally-minded in France and Europe in general? And are their newspapers just as focused on American politics as French? One last question - are they having any huge inauguration parties in Tours, like they had all over Europe for the election?
Well, I hope everything goes well there and you have a great trip this upcoming week!
Hi, Blakely! I'm glad to hear that you're doing well. We're talking in class about the fact that world has become "flat" and that it's quite simple to connect different cultures. I think your discussion about the Twilight movie and American politics are a good example of that. Now that you're in France, do you notice any "American" fads or customs that actually come from the French?
ReplyDeleteBlakely! It's been a real treat to get to read about your experiences in France thus far. It really helps give a different kind of view into another culture that can't be found in a textbook or on a website.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that your host family is excited about the inauguration. What would you say drives a country such as France to take interest in U.S.'s inauguration? And how do you feel France's methods of advocating any given political ideology differ from the U.S.'s rather "assertive" approach? (I hope I didn't ask too many questions!)
Blakely, I'm so glad to hear your having a great time. I think it's so interesting to read about the things you are doing in France. It is actually making me realize that studying abroad might not be as scary as I thought.
ReplyDeleteYou said that people were protesting the conflict in Israel. Was it weird for you to see something like that? Also, what exactly were the people trying to get you to stop and talk about?
Keep writing and having a fabulous time!
Good to hear from all of you. Sorry it's taken a couple days to get back about your questions. I have on average 3 tests a week so I have to study quite a bit. And I like hanging out with my family. :)
ReplyDeleteCarly, first off sorry we haven't talked, I know you've been trying to get in touch with me but life is uber crazy here. YOu know how it is. Second of all, to answer your first question, I would definitely say that the French are more liberally-minded when it comes to social issues. Birth control, gay rights, and human rights among others are typical things that the French think "liberally" about. Keep in mind that our idea of liberalism isn't necessarily the same here. Newspapers are definitely more focused on French issues. Sarkozy is always on the morning radio and Russia's relationship to the EU has been in the news a lot too. And no big inauguration parties in Tours...people watched the inauguration but nothing too big. And it's really interesting to read the newspapers online from the US versus the papers from here because they say totally different things about the inauguration.
Alison, that's a great question and I hadn't really thought about it until you asked. One thing that I would say that's at least becoming popular in the states are the high legged boots. If you don't have a pair here, you don't fit in. This past season, boots became more apparent in the American fashion. They are crazy popular here, especially since it rains a lot here. Other fashion aspects would include foulards (scarves that don't keep you warm) and skinny jeans (also a necessity with the boots).
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, I would say that a lot of the Starbucks craze streams from France. BY this I mean the atmosphere of sitting down and enjoying other's company while drinking a cup of coffee or enjoying a pastry. Life here is fast but not hectic so there is always time to sit and have coffee at a cafe. It's really enjoyable.
I'll have to think more on your question but those were the first things that popped in my head!
Josh, good questions about the political aspects of France in relation to the United States. I have a lot of international friends here so Monday night we met at a cafe and talk a lot about the election that happened and such. Students from Korea were even very interested in everything and knew a lot as well. I think that countries, especially France, have a lot of stock (not money wise) put into the United States. The past 8 years has not been the best for the world as a whole so especially European states are looking for, for lack of a better word, change. I've had French college students come up to me and ask me where I was from. When I respond with the United States, they often respond with, "Yes We Can." THe election was and is universal.
ReplyDeleteFrance is just as assertive as the US in their politics. This is true especially with their trade relations in Africa. I talked with my host dad about this and he told me that the French will not trade with African countries unless they act in specific ways. This is very similar to the United States and its philosophy.
I think that covers your questions. I don't mind about how many you want to ask; feel free!
Studying abroad is not scary. :) I promise!! I was really nervous before I came but now that I'm here it's like I belong here. (I can't believe I'm only staying 3 months -- time flies SO fast). I haven't really even had time to get homesick or write letters/emails to the people I told I would.
ReplyDeletePeople on the streets will talk to you just about any political issue. What I am referring to here are those who are anti the Israeli war. They ask you questions as you walk by about how you feel about Israel and if you think the government is legitimate. It's a scary thing because you don't want to respond to any questions because you're not sure what the "correct" answer is in any circumstance. As I mentioned, politcal issues are normal topics but they are also very hot topics here.
As far as the protest goes -- yeah it was really strange. Coming from Ohio, I've never witnessed a protest really of any kind. This one was intense -- they closed down all the streets and it became so heated that rubber bullets were fired. Not taking into account my feelings about the situation, I was rather frightened. (Had the other side been protesting, I would have felt the same way.) I have done a good job of keeping my opinions on this under wraps and I will continue to do so. :)
Blakely! It's great to hear from you! France sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteSo, I found it very interesting how open the French are about politics; is that strange at all for you since here, not many people can talk about it without getting into a debate? It sounds as though people there are more excited about our political situation than some people living in the US. Also, I noticed how the times you had for classes were in military time...is that hard to adjust to, because I definitely had to do the math... :). Also, I wanted to know how the time situation works in France: is it mostly just much more laid back, and that's why it seems normal to be a little "late" for everything? Or is it something else?
Hope all is going well, and I can't wait to see more pictures!
Wow! France Sounds great! So much history there. I would love to learn all about the castles. It's also interesting that they're so particular about their foods. I guess France is known for their culinary excellence. I bet that chocolate cake was delicious. I noticed you use "military" time. I wander what makes North America so different from the rest of the world that they don't all use the military time. That's crazy (but I guess not really all that surprising) that the classes are so laid back. I wish that was the case here and I could just stroll in when I felt like it.
ReplyDeleteJulie (I think that's who I'm responding to! :]) - good to hear from you. When I say the French are very open about politics that means they have no qualms about talking about politics but that doesn't mean that they are necessarily open-minded. Unlike at home, I kind of just go with the flow when it comes to politics because I don't to get into an argument. In many ways I think the French are more stubborn about their views than Americans are. And military time...I won't lie, I'm still getting used to it. The first week I was counting the hours on my fingers but I think I have it down now. :) It's kind of hard to explain the French lifestyle here because its not slow in any means. People on the streets walk faster than in the states (YES!!!) but life is more laid-back. It's not at all hectic. I honestly don't know why it is normal to be late here; it'll be something I figure out in the next few weeks. :)
ReplyDeleteKyle, the history here is amazing. I had an art history class today and we were talking about the year 864. It's unfathomable. What was really neat was that the dispute over the land on the Rhine RIver between France and Germany stems back to the 860s and Charlemange's rule. I had no idea it was that deeply rooted. The chocolate cake was amazing -- he made chocolate mousse last night. :) Military time really does make more sense now that I"m getting used to it. You don't have to distinguish between AM and PM. It's the same with the metric system -- it is so much easier! I'm not sure why America continues to be stubborn and resist change so adamantly. And with classes it's not quite that you can stroll in whenever you want -- it's just normal to come in 5 minutes late. You always have to keep in mind that classes here are A LOT longer than back in the states so there is more time to get things accomplished.
THanks for all the comments!